Reality Tv Essays - Reality Television, Reality, Popular Culture

Reality Tv Public Speaking Speech Topic: Why is reality television popular? Reality television is so popular because their aren't any good actors or actresses in this world any more, therefore, people have now been creating shows that deal with ordinary people; we are far more entertaining than all those actors and actresses. Secondly, people like reality T.V because they like to see others making actual life time mistakes. For example, a show such as Temptation Island , where people are seducing each other for basic pleasure, in order to figure out if he or she have found their real soul mate. The audience enjoys watching reality television because there are no actual roles to be played or particular lines to be said; people are simply expressing how they truly feel. Personally, I think that reality television is as real as it gets. I enjoy watching those types of shows because it's interesting to know how other people think and view what is happening. I suppose that is another reason why reality television is very popular. In this type of television, you're not always watching people who seem extremely perfect. What you're really looking at is people who don't care about what others think and whom have enough confidence in themselves to perform live before millions of people, world-wide. In conclusion, reality T.V is popular because the audience admires the types of people who are just being themselves and in order to show that they tune in to these programs! Speech and Communication Essays

Free Essays on Rock N’ Roll

I’m going to introduce to the reader a topic not touched on a lot because of its complexity and its avoidance by conservative adults. This topic is Rock n’ Roll Music. I compiled my information from the internet, books and magazines and my personal knowledge about the topic and from that information, I will try to lead you to a better understanding of Rock n’Roll. I chose this topic because Rock n’ Roll has been popular all my life and I relate certain life events by a song that was popular at that time. Rock music is very complex; in fact "its stylistic scope is too broad to be encompassed by any single definition" ("Rock Music", Groliers, p.1). The nearest definition suggests a kind of music that represents and speaks for the teenage society and changes from generation to generation, from â€Å"I wanna hold your hand† to lyrics so sexually explicit, nothing is left to the imagination. In this essay, I’m going to divide Rock music into four sections: Rock of the 50 ´s, of the 60 ´s, of the 70 ´s and of the 80 ´s. Within these sections I will also discuss several sub-topics such as famous composers and groups, and characteristics of the music. The first section of this essay is Rock n’ Roll of the 1950’s, when Rock n’ Roll was born. Fifties rock emerged from rhythm and blues, music similar to jazz played by black artists. Disc jockey Alan Freed was the one who first introduced this music and later gave it the name of Rock n’ Roll and it began to attract the teenage crowd. Bill Haley with his "Rock Around the Clock" was one of the first Rock n’ Roll icons. Also in this decade, Elvis Presley introduced music that was sexually suggestive and outraged dull adults. In time he changed the style of his music by adopting a country and western style and became a national hero. By the end of this decade and the start of the next, Rock n’ Roll started to decline because it was formula ridden and thought to be to... Free Essays on Rock N’ Roll Free Essays on Rock N’ Roll I’m going to introduce to the reader a topic not touched on a lot because of its complexity and its avoidance by conservative adults. This topic is Rock n’ Roll Music. I compiled my information from the internet, books and magazines and my personal knowledge about the topic and from that information, I will try to lead you to a better understanding of Rock n’Roll. I chose this topic because Rock n’ Roll has been popular all my life and I relate certain life events by a song that was popular at that time. Rock music is very complex; in fact "its stylistic scope is too broad to be encompassed by any single definition" ("Rock Music", Groliers, p.1). The nearest definition suggests a kind of music that represents and speaks for the teenage society and changes from generation to generation, from â€Å"I wanna hold your hand† to lyrics so sexually explicit, nothing is left to the imagination. In this essay, I’m going to divide Rock music into four sections: Rock of the 50 ´s, of the 60 ´s, of the 70 ´s and of the 80 ´s. Within these sections I will also discuss several sub-topics such as famous composers and groups, and characteristics of the music. The first section of this essay is Rock n’ Roll of the 1950’s, when Rock n’ Roll was born. Fifties rock emerged from rhythm and blues, music similar to jazz played by black artists. Disc jockey Alan Freed was the one who first introduced this music and later gave it the name of Rock n’ Roll and it began to attract the teenage crowd. Bill Haley with his "Rock Around the Clock" was one of the first Rock n’ Roll icons. Also in this decade, Elvis Presley introduced music that was sexually suggestive and outraged dull adults. In time he changed the style of his music by adopting a country and western style and became a national hero. By the end of this decade and the start of the next, Rock n’ Roll started to decline because it was formula ridden and thought to be to...

How to Balance Equations - Printable Worksheets

How to Balance Equations - Printable Worksheets A balanced chemical equation gives the number and type of atoms participating in a reaction, the reactants, products, and direction of the reaction. Balancing an unbalanced equation is mostly a matter of making certain mass and charge are balanced on the reactants and products side of the reaction arrow. This is a collection of printable worksheets to practice balancing equations. The printable worksheets are provided in pdf format with separate answer keys. Balancing Chemical Equations - Worksheet #1Balancing Chemical Equations - Answers #1Balancing Chemical Equations - Worksheet #2Balancing Chemical Equations - Answers #2Balancing Chemical Equations - Worksheet #3Balancing Chemical Equations - Answers #3Balancing Equations - Worksheet #4Balancing Equations - Answer Key #4 I also offer printable worksheets for balancing equations on my personal site. The printables are also available as PDF files: Balancing Equation Practice Sheet  [answer sheet]​Another Equation Worksheet [answer sheet]Yet Another Printable Worksheet [answer key] You may also wish to review the step-by-step tutorial on how to balance a chemical equation. Online Practice Quizzes Another way to practice balancing equations is by taking a quiz. Coefficients in Balanced Equations QuizBalance Chemical Equations Quiz

Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Research Paper - Assignment Example The traditional forms of leadership which attributed more significance to goal oriented practices have now been replaced by a relatively more human centric approach that focuses on ethics and the betterment of individuals which include both – employees as well as communities. It is hence imperative for the leaders in present times, to ensure that they lead by example and set proper behavioral norms and ethics for the employees to follow (Skovira & Harman, 2006). People centric forms of leadership such as ethical leadership approaches ensure that organizational structure is given more significance than the accomplishment of goals and management of people is given precedence over productivity. This is because processes and systems can only function effectively if the people who are required to operate and follow them are motivated and effective themselves. It is the employees who contribute in the achievement of goals and hence a highly motivated staff is more likely to help the organizations achieve their goals effectively. Leaders are hence required to play their roles efficiently whereby they motivate their staff by leading through example (Liden, Wayne, Zhao, & Henderson, 2008). Servant leadership is one such approach that centers on ethical leadership and emphasizes on developing and focusing on the employees to enable them to achieve optimum levels of performance and improve their efficiency, through self-motivation techniques thus pavi ng way for developing capable and efficient leaders of the future (Reinke, 2004). As more and more famed organizations continue to bite the dust due to a myriad of controversies surrounding their ethical policies and approach to business, calling into question their credibility and commitment to their stakeholders, the need for more ethical leadership grows stronger than ever before. The fall from grace of the renowned Lehman Brothers’ due to questionable accounting practices controversy in 2010 (Wolff, 2011), to

The topic is added to the personalised control panel Essay

The topic is added to the personalised control panel - Essay Example This period in the history of America, during which the practice of bootlegging soared to popularity, is effectively represented in the book The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. The book helped in effectively portraying the culture that was rampant during that period in history, where people resorted to various illegal activities and which was highly representative of a gradual moral degradation of the American society. The moral decline is depicted by Fitzgerald by the three central characters of the book namely Gatsby, Daisy and Tom. This paper seeks to explore and discuss the concept of bootlegging and its relationship with The Great Gatsby. The concept of Bootlegging is used in reference with the illegal trafficking of liquor in the United States during the early 1920s. The expression Bootlegging was formerly used to illustrate the practice of hiding the containers of illegitimate liquor in boot tops while executing trade deals with the Indians. The concept gained widespread popularity in the 1920s after the consumption; manufacturing or sale of liquor was prohibited by passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Formerly, the bootleggers smuggled imported liquor from the neighboring countries such as Mexico and Canada through ships which were anchored in international waters while various other types such as medicinal whiskey, denatured alcohol, corn liquor were eventually added as part of the trade. The prohibition and the subsequent smuggling of liquor ultimately contributed to the rise of organized – crime groups which managed all the activities associated with purchase, manufacture and sale of illega l liquor in various places of public gatherings such as restaurants and public halls1. Bootlegging became immensely popular and widespread after the eighteenth amendment was added to the Constitution in January 1920, which prohibited the manufacture, transportation, import / export, and sale of intoxicating drinks across the

Prejudice, Stereotype, and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Prejudice, Stereotype, and Discrimination Essay Have you ever gone a day without judging someone? Probably not. It is so easy to judge others without even meaning to do it. In the textbook Education Psychology, Anita Woolfolk describes prejudice as â€Å"prejudgment or irrational generalization about an entire category of people† (Woolfolk, 2008). Prejudice is a major problem in everyday lives. It is happening all around us. Prejudice can be a positive or negative thing. It is usually negative, brings people down, and not all the way true. Discrimination is â€Å"treating or acting unfairly toward particular categories of people†. (Woolfolk, 2008) Conflict Research Consortium says â€Å"Prejudice and discrimination are negative manifestations of integrative power. Instead of bringing or holding people together, prejudice and discrimination push them apart†. (Prejudice and Discrimination, 1998) Prejudices can be judged by race, appearance, gender, values, location, and religion. By about the age of four, children are aware of differences among people, like appearance, language and names. Later they become aware of religious and cultural distinctions. â€Å"Young children will not develop biases unless their parents teach them to be prejudiced. Even without direct coaching from their parents, many young children develop racial prejudice†. (Woolfolk, 2008) It is sad that children are learning about racial prejudice at such a young age. Young children may or may not be aware of the special treatment boys tend to receive from their teachers over girls. They are very much aware that their feelings, opinions and beliefs receive less consideration because of their youth. When children approach adolescence, they become more alert of the subtle prejudices about the differences in social class and religion. Stereotyping is a â€Å"schema that organizes knowledge or perceptions about a category†. (Woolfolk, 2008) It is so hard not to stereotype others. Stereotyping organizes what you know or believe about people into groups. People use stereotypes to make sense of the world. Stereotypes distort information to fit your thinking better. â€Å"Prejudice creates social and emotional tension, can lead to fear and anxiety and occasionally hostility and violence, and can ruin the self-esteem and self-confidence of those being ridiculed and make them feel terrible, unaccepted, and unworthy. Children’s school performance suffers, they may become depressed and socially withdrawn. † (Prejudice, 2007) Prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination have been going on for a long time. African Americans were considered worthless a long time ago. They were used as slaves. There were segregated schools, buses, and stores. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his speech about whites and blacks should be treated equally. The laws started to change after that point in time. I do not think prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination has gone down. I think it is still a big factor in society. This parenting website I looked at said this â€Å"children are also being exposed to different cultures through the media. They are learning and forming opinions about people and events all over the country and the world. As a result, there is more of a need and opportunity to help children learn to understand and value diversity. † (Prejudice, 2007) Children need to know why people are different and do things differently. Media is still a big part of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Children see what actors and actresses wear and how they act in movies. They see the commercials about food (if I eat this, I will look like that). I think as teachers and parents we need be good examples for children today. They should not say bad things about people in front of children. Teachers and parents need to tell children that it is okay to be friends with a person who is different. I found an article on this website that parents have asked some questions about prejudice. Some of the questions are â€Å"Is there prejudice in public schools? Yes. Do educators hold different expectations for minority children? Yes. Are children denied access to advanced or gifted placement classed based on racial biases? Yes. Can the battle against prejudice in public education be successfully fought and won? Yes†. (Prejudice and Discrimination In Public Schools, 2001) I really like the last question, prejudice can be fought and won. It all starts at home, parents are their child’s first teacher. Children see what their parents say and how they act. One example of stereotyping that I thought of was that I did an internship my senior year of high school. I helped a second grade teacher. After a couple of times going into the class, the teacher would always whisper to me about this little girl. She says she never gets anything right, she always has messy hair, she is always talking, and the list went on and on. One Sunday I was at church and I saw that girl. I told my mom what the teacher had told me about that girl. My mom said that she has had a hard couple of months. She told me that the little girl’s mom had left her and her family. I felt really bad for the girl. After that day, I started to recognize the girl. I would say hi to her when I would see her. I did not care what she looked liked. To this day, the girl always comes up to me in church and gives me a hug. â€Å"Stereotyping often results from and leads to prejudice. Prejudice leads to discrimination. Prejudice can be spread by the use of propaganda. Language, particularly slang, is often used to dehumanize members of certain groups of people†. (Grobman, 1990) All three of these judgments go together. It is hard to do one without doing the other two. It is really bad that people rather make judgments about people than getting to know them. People really need to take the time to know the person or group of people before they start making judgments. It is sad that young children are making judgments about people. Parents and teachers need to turn prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination around. It can be fought and won. Works Cited Grobman, G. M. (1990). The HolocaustA Guide for Teachers. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from A Guide for Teachers Web site: http://remember. org/guide/History. root. stereotypes. html Prejudice. (2007, June). Retrieved November 29, 2009, from American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www. aap. org/publiced/BK5_Prejudice. htm Prejudice and Discrimination. (1998). Retrieved November 29, 2009, from Conflict Research Consortium: http://www. colorado. edu/conflict/peace/problem/prejdisc. htm Prejudice and Discrimination In Public Schools. (2001). Retrieved November 29, 2009, from The Public School Parents Network: http://www. psparents. net/Prejudice%20%20Discrimination. htm Woolfolk, A. (2008). Education Psychology: Active Learning Edition. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

EMily :: essays research papers

The EDIS Bulletin, the Society's semiannual newsletter, is seeking a new editor following the resignation of Georgiana Strickland, editor since 1991. The Bulletin, which goes to all members of EDIS as part of membership, is aimed at a broad array of readers, both scholarly and nonscholarly, with an interest in Dickinson. It covers the work of contemporary poets and artists influenced by Dickinson; profiles of outstanding Dickinson scholars, past and present; news of the two Dickinson houses in Amherst; reviews of publications and performances of works dealing with the poet; news of the Society and its activities; and other feature articles of interest to the membership. It is not intended as a scholarly journal, a role fulfilled by EDIS's other publication, The Emily Dickinson Journal. EDIS is open to new subject areas and directions for the Bulletin. The duties of the editor include responsibility for the choice of articles to be included, editing of all articles, typesetting and page makeup (or supervision thereof), and arranging for printing and mailing of copies to all members of EDIS. The position is unpaid, but all normal expenses are paid by EDIS. The editor must be a member of EDIS in good standing and a resident of the United States (to facilitate mailing). The editorship carries with it membership on the EDIS Board of Directors. It is hoped that the new editor will begin serving with either the spring 2002 or the fall 2002 issue. Inquiries and letters of interest should be sent to Georgiana Strickland, 133 Lackawanna Rd., Lexington, KY 40503 or via e-mail to georgiestr@aol.com. The final selection must be approved by the EDIS Board of Directors. SCHOLAR IN AMHERST PROGRAM ANNOUNCED The Emily Dickinson International Society announces the creation of a Scholar in Amherst Program. The program is designed to support research on Emily Dickinson at institutions such as the Frost Library of Amherst College, the Jones Public Library, the Mount Holyoke College Archives, the Dickinson Homestead, the Evergreens, and the Amherst Historical Society. Each year EDIS will provide a $2,000 fellowship, to be used for travel, accommodations, a rental car, and expenses related to research. A minimum stay of a week in Amherst is required; recipients may also use the fellowship to initiate a lengthier stay in the area. We will give preference to persons who are in the early stages of their careers with demonstrable need to do research in Amherst institutions.

Hamlet Essay

It comes over you like a weight, dropping, falling on your soul, weighting you down, and corroding away the happiness. Depression appears for many different reason, and comes with many different symptoms. Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare, is the tragic story of a young prince’s journey of self-discovery as he struggles to overcome the tragic occurrences in his life: his father murdered by his uncle, and his mother who incestuously marries the killer. Hamlet is plagued with the responsibility of avenging his father’s death, and setting right the kingdom of Denmark, all while suffering from a severe melancholia. Hamlet acts crazy in an effort to fool people into letting their guards down, allowing him to seek out revenge. Hamlet is depressed, mourning the loss of his father and his mother’s betrayal. While Hamlet’s depression causes him to act out of character, acting on impulse, his madness is just a pretense to cover his true motives. Hamlet’s madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters; his ability to use logic and reasoning reinforces his sanity. In mourning, Hamlet dresses in all black, refusing to celebrate his mothers wedding, and his uncle’s coronation. The recent events have caused Hamlet to lapse into a depression; grief has overwhelmed his spirit, he feels alone and betrayed by his mother. He cannot come to terms with his mother’s actions; he does not understand how she could so quickly forget his father and marry his uncle. So in conclusion Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and it’s main protagonist’s sanity are still subject to question. And I suppose we will never know the truth of the well being of Hamlet’s mind.

“In The Lake Of The Woods” by Tim O’Brien

In the book (O’Brien, 1995) â€Å"In The Lake Of The Woods† by Author, Tim O’Brien, the author was able to convince me that I was there on September 19, 1986, when the woman disappeared close to the lake in Northern Minnesota. The vanishing of Kathy Wade was eerie and I was constantly asking myself what could have happened to this woman. Did she drown in the lake? The possibilities were endless and the author kept me in suspense as I feared the worst in this situation that took place in the woods. Kathy’s husband John who was a politician seemed to be an immediate suspect in Kathy’s disappearance.His character didn’t seem like one that was very respectable and although he was very handsome, which made him seem less of a suspect, his downward spiral in his political career did raise questions of his innocence. When the Wade family drove to the woods in Minnesota, I knew that they were going to be in for a fearful adventure. The secret tunnels and doors were quite interesting but the underground chamber was terrifying! Anything was liable to happen down there and it did raise vivid images of the spooky quarters. One thing could easily turn into something else at any given moment in this haunting tale.How could John Wade go from being a magician to a killer of the woman that he was supposed to love? From the very beginning of the story, it was as if you knew that Kathy was going to vanish but there was always hope that she would be found, throughout the entire story and I did try to visualize something happening to her that didn’t involve her husband. This story was able to take me backward and forward throughout the book, talking about different periods of time, which all had to do with the ultimate question of â€Å"What happened to Kathy?† John Wade, the soldier, you just didn’t want to believe that he was a murderer, although his friends in Vietnam did refer to him as a Sorcerer because of his magi c tricks, which seemed to flow in the story. Was he capable of love or was that just an illusion or just another one of his many tricks he held up his sleeve. That question was always on my mind. Kathy did know some things about John, because she sometimes called him â€Å"Inspector Clouseau† just another one of the many names that people that had been associated with, called him.He was easily transferred from one title to another, and each title was just as interesting as the last. He was a character with many talents, I suppose, including murder, perhaps? You did have to wonder if maybe Kathy was in that house. Was she a part of the magic that was inside or was she at the bottom of the lake in the woods? This story is very spooky and a little evil. I wonder what kind of mind did the author possess, himself to be able to come up with some of his ideas that made John Wade such an exceptional character in this book.Did the author have some of the same characteristics of this m an, John Wade or did he just make it all up? I think that all authors have some of the traits and qualities that they describe in their writing and I tried to sort through the reading and pick out some of those traits and associate them with the author. Was he into magic tricks and murder or perhaps he fought in a war and wanted to describe some of the events that he was recalling. This book is so engrossed in questions and I still have to wonder how one man could have so many different personalities.He was a politician, possible murderer, fighter in Vietnam, magician. He was handsome and obviously charming because of the fact that he seduced his wife and was successful in marrying Kathy. She must have trusted her husband, fully. I would have liked to have been able to read more about Kathy, while she was still alive in this story. I’m positive that she would have been able to shed more light on this story and possibly talk about the more private side of her husband’s personal life; things that only a wife would know about their mate.She would have been able to talk about his very personal side and maybe shed some light on what was going to happen to her in this story. She could have possibly predicted her own death and talked about it and maybe she could have left behind some clear hints of her ultimate fate. This story is extremely scary and confusing, without any doubt. It tends to make you not trust people, fully. It leaves an empty feeling inside you as if you had witnessed a horrible event. You always want to hold that inch of faith that maybe people aren’t as bad as they probably truly are.In all reality, I think we should trust no human who possesses these traits as did John Wade. If I ever hear of a person talking about being ten different people in one, I will resort back to this eerie story and remember this character, immediately! He was one of those literary figures that gives you horrible nightmares and makes you question som e of his innumerous talents that you may have seen in another human being and never wondered about, before reading the book.I’m sure that I won’t be able to sleep after reading this story. It really wasn’t one of my favorite stories, although it was very interesting the way the author described the characters and events. His description of the events wasn’t lacking. It was the horror of it all that didn’t win my heart. There’s just something about being in the woods that makes you automatically feel like you want to leave, which is great for those people who love horror stories. The secret chambers would be incredible but terrifying!I guess that both John and Kathy were vanished into a crazy existence. Who knows where these two people were but I’m sure it was somewhere in the woods by the lake in Minnesota. Tim O’Brien is an incredible writer and does get the imagination going at full speed! I would like to read more of his wri ting but something a little less frightening, next time! What a crazy and tantalizing story. It is one that I won’t soon forget! Reference Page O’Brien, Tim. (1995). â€Å"In the Lake Of The Woods†. Penguin USA.

History of Western Philosophy †Research Paper

History of Western Philosophy – Research Paper Free Online Research Papers History of Western Philosophy Research Paper Do you think that Descartes has satisfactorily solved the problem of mind-body dualism? The Cartesian Dualism has come across three main problems, first, whether Descartes had successfully proven the existence of the non-material thinking soul, second, whether the soul (thought) can interact with our body (extension), regardless of the truthfulness of dualism, third, and the mental-or-physical dilemma. However, we cannot find any satisfactory and adequate answer of those problems in Descartes’ dualistic philosophy 1. Descartes’ Mind-body Dualism In Cottingham J, â€Å"Cartesian man†, the author began discussing Descartes’ arguments with the comparison between animals, men and machines. Descartes held that there would still be differences even the machines are made â€Å"bore a resemblance to our bodies, and imitated our actions as closely as possible for all practical purposes (p.109).† For machines cannot â€Å"produce different arrangements of words so as to give an appropriately meaningful answer to whatever is said in its presence† and they cannot â€Å"act through understanding but only from the disposition of their organs (p.109).† That is to say, the difference is that every action or utterance of a machine is limited by environmental conditions; whereas a human can deal with everything in their life freely and creatively because he can â€Å"instantaneously interpret an indefinitely large of utterances [situation] (p.110).† Human being has a unique competence for language, which is distinguished from â€Å"utterances of animals† (p.110). Descartes claimed that â€Å"utterances of animals† are not regarded as genuine language in that their utterances are just expressions of their passion, such as hope of eating, fear and joy etc. One may ask why would human being possess such a peculiar ability that even the most sophisticated machine and a magpie (a bird can imitate people talk) would not have. To ask this question, for Descartes, is simply to ask what kind of substance that we human being exclusively own. And he would say it is our rational soul (anima rationalis) contributes to our thinking which allow us to cope with â€Å"the indefinitely diverse contingencies of life† (p.109) and be a â€Å"genuine language user† (p.109). Extension, for Descartes, is an underlying substance that contains different attributions an object has, namely weight, colour, hardness, temperature†¦and the like. Dualists maintain that a human is constituted not only of a bodily substance, but also of a thinking substance (that we have mentioned in above paragraphs). Descartes thought that the latter, which produce a thinking mind for human, should not be derived from extension. It is simply a non-material substance –that has no extension- â€Å"specially created† (p.111) and implanted in each of us by God. Nonetheless, is such a difference adequate for us to ascribe our â€Å"thinking feature† (the function of mind is to think) to a non-physical thinking soul? As we know for Descartes the words â€Å"mind† and â€Å"soul† are of no difference at all. Materialist may argue that the brain alone can produce rational thinking of human. Now let us go over the arguments offered by Descartes attempting to prove the existence of rational soul and examine their successfulness. 2. The Argument from Doubt To reach the â€Å"non-materiality of the mind† (p.112) Descartes had applied his â€Å"method of doubt† which is to find out â€Å"what cannot be doubted†. Descartes examined his own existence by doubting (imagining the disappearance of) the existence of his own body and the world he was in, until he found himself unable to doubt he was thinking (his mind existed), which assured his existence. Since one could doubt all material things, Descartes believed there were non-material substances distinct from the body giving rise to our thought. A Descartes’ critic Antoinc Arnauld reckoned that although one can imagine himself without a body, body is â€Å"indeed an essential part of him† (p.112), without which one could not even exist. Such a refutation seems to have presupposed a materialistic view, that human’s existence relies on physical substance; and it fails to falsify Cartesian’s argument because Descartes could resist by restating his mind-body dualism, saying the mind could exist alone even though the body is eliminated and immortality is a feature of soul. However, Descartes himself finally admitted that the argument could not sufficiently and deductively prove the immateriality of soul as the soul could be derived from â€Å"our undoubted existence†. 3. The Argument from Clear and Distinct Perception Descartes stated that if one could â€Å"clearly and distinctly understand† one thing apart from another, it was enough to assure him that they were two distinct things owing to their capability of being separated. Therefore, having a clear and distinct idea of myself, to the extent that â€Å"I† am simply a thinking, non-extended thing; is separated from having a distinct idea of body, in so far as this is simply and extended, non-thinking thing. In accordance with such distinction, â€Å"it is certain I am really distinct from my body and can exist without it (p.113).† Then he said that the mind and the body were complete ideas that he could conceive them alone respectively. What he wanted to point out was that if one knew that the mind (a complete idea) could exist without the body (another complete idea), then one could know that the body is no part of the mind’s essence (p.114). The problem here is that even one can clearly and distinctly discern thinking from body; it does not follow that the one who thinks must be non-corporeal. That is to say, although we can directly aware of our thinking, we cannot directly aware of â€Å"what (who) does the thinking† (p.115), which can be corporeal. 4. The Divisibility Argument This argument intended to prove that the mind and the body were two entirely different substances (non-material and material, as mentioned) by saying that mind was indivisible in nature but body was divisible. Moreover, Descartes held that if there was bodily division (e.g. cutting off a hand from a body), â€Å"nothing had thereby been taken away from the mind† (p.116). What he meant â€Å"nothing† here was simply what he called â€Å"pure thought† (to doubt, to understand, to affirm, to deny, to be willing and to be unwilling, p.122), which can â€Å"occur without physiological events taking place in the brain or anywhere else† (p.116). Critic of Descartes suggested that â€Å"our desires and our reason could pull us in opposite directions† (p.118) and such â€Å"directions† would make our consciousness not simple and indivisible. Dualist could reply that even if there were opposite directions occurring in a consciousness, that â€Å"thinking I† could just make one decision, so the mind could retain its unitariness. Again, the problem of the argument is that we cannot infer a non-corporeal soul from knowing that our consciousness is indivisible, as â€Å"what does the thinking† may still be physical. Hitherto we have not found the arguments above sufficient and satisfactory to prove the immateriality of soul. Now it is time we discovered the problems encountered by Cartesian dualism, suppose the dualistic account is true. 5. The Problem of Interaction between Mind and Body The most significant problem for dualism is the problem of interaction between mind and body. As we all know mental changes and physical changes can cause one another. Some kind of causal flow from mind to body and vice versa is necessary in order for such things to be possible. However, since mind and body are defined by Descartes in terms of â€Å"not just distinct but mutually incompatible attributes†, it is not easy to see how such causal flow is possible (p.119). That is to say, it is difficult to see how the soul can initiate bodily movement. In spite of this, we are also curious about where the soul is supposed to take place. Descartes thought that it was located in the innermost part of the brain, which is a certain very small gland situated in the middle of the brain’s substance. (p.121) In other words, the point of interaction between soul and body must be within the brain. He proceeded to say that there must be one place where the dual data from sense organs (eyes and ears etc.), were integrated, so as to enable the soul to have a single (visual or auditory) perception (p.121). Here, the soul was like a little man inside the brain viewing the images from the optic nerves converge. The fatal problem of the thesis was that the pineal gland is the ‘principal seat’ of the soul only postponed, and did not solve the problem of how psycho-physical interaction is possible.† 6. Sensation and Imagination There is another difficulty of Descartes mind-body theory namely the mental-or-physical dilemma. It implies that we, human beings, are also dealing with some psycho-physical phenomena which are not categorized as either purely mental or purely physical. Now it seems that the two categories, mind and body, created by Descartes cannot include all human experience. Let us look at how Descartes pondered on his nature: But what then am I? A thing that thinks. What is that? A thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, is willing, is unwilling and also imagines and has sensory perceptions. (p.122) We should have no question about the first four activities, they are what Descartes regarded as â€Å"pure actions of the soul†; whereas the last two ones, imaginare and sentire, he had a different account on them. Descartes assured that when one had sense-perception, some actually present external objects printed an idea or a figure of themselves on his senses. These images would then be imprinted on the pineal gland and perceived by the mind; furthermore, when one had imagination, his mind imprinted some images on the gland, fashioned and shaped them in the brain in the absence of external objects. (p.123) We know from the above that imaginare and sentire are not activities we can practise with our pure intellect (mind) alone. It requires physiological activity which also requires optic and auditory nerves and brain activity, movements in the pineal gland. That is to say, without sensory nerves, we cannot perceive; without pineal gland (brain), we cannot imagine. One may ask why sensory experience and imagination involve brain activity. Descartes’ answer was that imagination needed a ‘peculiar mental effort’ (p.125): suppose we were conceiving and imagining some geometrical figures, we could conceive a dodecagon rather easily but we would feel strange (confused) when imagining it. So there was always a ‘curious gap’ between our purely intellectual cognition of the figure being considered and our ability to imagine and visualize it (p.125). This sensation of having to wait until one finishes visualizing the figure is exactly the evidence of non-pure-intellectuality of imagination. On the other hand, sensory experiences, Descartes noted, like hunger and thirst, taught people that they (their souls) were very closely joined or even intermingled with their bodies, so that they and their bodies could form a unit. The soul here, is like â€Å"a sailor perceives by sight if anything in his ship is broken. (p.125)† Therefore when their bodies needed food or water, they should have explicit understanding of the fact, that is, they knew they are hungry and they knew they are thirsty. In addition, Descartes insisted, some sensations, like hunger, could not be clearly and distinctly conceived, they are inherently ‘confused’. So we can see the difference between, on the one hand, doubting, understanding, affirming, denying, is willing, unwilling; on the other hand, imagining and having sensory perception. For the last two ones have an inherently confused, indefinable, subjective quality which requires the hybrid of mind and body. The dualistic problem here is that both the faculties of imagination and sensation are not straightforwardly ‘mental’, and they are capable of being accommodated with Descartes’ official dualistic schema. Official dualistic schema seems impotent to explain the complex psycho-physical phenomena. 7. Conclusion Even Cartesian dualists can reply the question of how psycho-physical interaction is possible by saying the sensation (sense-perception and imagination) is exactly the evidence of the psycho-physical interaction. However it is still inadequate to answer how the mind initiates the bodily action. Conclusively, Descartes failed to, first, prove the existence of non-material soul; second, he failed handle of the problem of how mind and body interact, and, last but now least, his dualistic theory was unable give an account on the complexity of imagination and sensory perceptions (psycho-physical phenomena). 8. References Cottingham J, â€Å"Cartesian Man†, in Descartes, Oxford: Blackwell, 1986, Ch.5 Research Papers on History of Western Philosophy - Research PaperComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoGenetic EngineeringMind TravelBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresResearch Process Part OneThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Spring and AutumnAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementBringing Democracy to Africa

Dissembled vs. Disassembled

Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled By Maeve Maddox A reader offers this interesting use of dissembled: On CNN a state department spokesperson just referred to our soldiers having dissembled some weapons in the hands of Iraqis. If what the soldiers did to the weapons was take them apart, then the word the spokesperson wanted was disassembled. If the soldiers were disguising the weapons in some way, then dissembled might work. To dissemble is to conceal the truth of a situation. Instead of lying outright, a person dissembles by putting a false appearance on things. To disassemble is to take apart. A large piece of furniture may have to be disassembled before it can be moved. The misuse of dissembled for disassembled by the State Department spokesperson is not an isolated example. Similar misuse may be found on websites offering advice and professional services. For example, a site offering paid educational services shows the segment of a teaching unit that lists ways to request help from foreign nations: Be able to request the help from foreign nations to  dissemble  the  weapons  of mass destruction. A site for a company that takes apart and removes play sets that are no longer wanted offers this information: If the play set is in good condition, [our company] will dissemble it and donate it to someone who can use it or hand it over to a donation organization which will find a person who can use it and not let it go to waste. A site offering instructions for taking a television set apart gives this warning: Safety goggles are very important. The CRT may implode while you are busy dissembling the TV or monitor. The government IRS site begins instructions for some kind of kit used in tax preparation this way: Review the sample in the following manner: 1. Dissemble the entire family pack of applications. Here are examples of the correct use of dissemble: McCain/Lieberman dissemble on AQ in Iraq Poole was as gracious as ever, but I could tell  he was dissembling. I wanted to tell him that  he was dissembling, that  dissembling  was ultimately dishonest. â€Å"I think he was dissembling to put it charitably,† said Cooper. â€Å"To imply that he didn’t know [] or that he heard it in some rumor out in the hallways, is nonsense.† Other ways to say disassemble: dismantle take apart take to pieces deconstruct break up strip down Other ways to say dissemble: dissimulate pretend feign act masquerade sham bluff posture hide one’s feelings put on a false front Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesWhat Is the Meaning of "Hack?"

Summary of book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of book - Essay Example These images present readers with printed and verbal vocabulary required by specialists, public representatives, and residents to analyze the unregulated expansion of the American urban landscape (Hayden 2006). The book is a definitive narrative of contemporary words used by today’s architects and designers. A printed and visual dictionary for today’s property developers is necessary for keeping up with the pace of modern housing and all other physical elements that go with it. Metropolitan areas in the United States are structured around sustainable growth, where new expansive regions of vehicle-based buildings prosper while older districts fade away (Hayden 2006). Each of the images come with brief descriptions of their backgrounds in relation to their respective designers, as well as how they affect neighboring real estates. The transition from sprawl to sustainable urban settings causes Americans to resist sprawl guidelines or designs. In the process, challenging economic powers to pursue a steady and incorporated urban environment has not yet forfeited the mindless growth of