The Age of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

The Age of Philosophy Essay The term philosophy was brought about from the ancient Greeks meaning â€Å"wisdom of love. † The true nature behind this social science is to use reason and logic to fully understand certain things. It is the study of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially as an academic discipline. The question every philosopher wants answered is, â€Å"How do we know the knowledge that we do? † There is a process they go through to help them understand this phenomenon. They first examine their own beliefs and find doubt within them. Questions begin to emerge which causes them to analyze each question to a precise answer. They make reasoned arguments for their answers and begin to hear criticism from others. Through the judgment and criticism, they prove the rationality of their beliefs and find the fundamental truths to understand the phenomenon. When studying philosophy, asking a question is more fundamentally important than answering. Questions bring about skepticism, which brings up opposing views and Philosophy relies on rational argument to fully understand a concept. Philosophy is said to have six main branches of thought embedded in it: metaphysics, which is the nature of reality and the universe, epistemology, which is the study of knowledge and how it is acquired, and logic, which is how to get a valid argument. There is also: ethics, which is the study of right and wrong and how people should live, politics, which is the study of government and citizen rights, and aesthetics, which is the artistic perception of a person or thing. Plato, Descartes, and Bell Hooks are three philosophers whose work is evolved around these concepts. Their train of thought explains how each of these can have a part in real life; their works dive into the depths of each concept and allows them to generate a mindset of fundamental truths. Plato was amongst the earliest philosophers who were a student of Socrates. He was not only a philosopher, but a mathematician as well. He also was the founder of the Academy in Athens, Greece. Plato helped shaped and laid the foundations of Western philosophy. His dialogues have been used to teach many subjects, including philosophy, logic, ethics, and mathematics. This philosopher used interplay of ethics and epistemology throughout the works of his that we studied. In his work , Crito, for instance he spoke on the subject of rationality. In this work, Socrates reminds Crito that his actions have followed certain reasons. This means that everything he has always done has been what his inquiries led him to do. He goes on to explain that he does not act on impulse, but by argument, because if he acted on impulse, he would throw away his past and he does not want to rationalize his escape. Socrates wanted to find a common ground with Crito so they could decide what to do together. This can be called dialectical Rationality, which could be described as moving from what we do agree on, to what we didn’t agree on. Socrates wanted the situation to end where both he and Crito both were satisfied that the best thing was done. This ethical decision ties into epistemology, because this concept deals with things that must be proved by a justification, one that is brought on by the inquires of Crito. On the subject of metaphysics, Plato also argued that essences are mind-independent forms that humans can come to know by reason and by ignoring distractions. He based his works off of essence, which is the set of attributes that make an object what it fundamentally is. The Allegory of the Cave is a good example of this, because it depicts the difference between appearance and reality. The shadows on the wall were just forms that he saw, but the reality was, there was a whole world beyond those shadows. Ethics, plays a role in this story as well, because the reality was the truth of the knowledge one is supposed to live by, as opposed to a life in the shadows. The Father of Modern Philosophy, Rene Descartes, is a French philosopher that integrates a few of the six main branches of thought into his works. Aside from his philosophical works, he is known for developing the Cartesian coordinate system during his time as a mathematician. This system gave reference to points in space, allowed algebraic equations to be expressed as geometric shapes, and for shapes to be described as equations. From the philosophical standpoint, Descartes is widely known for his work, Meditations on First Philosophy. In these six meditations, Descartes rejects all belief in things that he doesn’t know for certain and then tries to ascertain what he can know for sure. He gives an example of metaphysics when he talks about objective and formal reality in meditation three. He describes objective as the content or idea of an object. Formal has the meaning that the object actually exists in its own right. It is independent of being perceived. These two expressions speak of the general features of reality in terms of existence and objects and their properties. Descartes also takes metaphysics into account when trying to discover who he is. He claims that eating, walking, and sight are not his attributes, but thinking is. He says that he exists, because he is a thinking thing. He says what he imagines may be false, but since he exists that which he imagines can’t be. Logic and Epistemology are seen when he involves the big â€Å"Reductio Ad Absurdum† in meditation two. He uses skepticism to justify and refute more skepticism. In meditation one he doubts everything, but he runs into absurdity in meditation two. He can’t be deceived of existing if he has to exist to be deceived. He illustrates this concept when describing the ball of wax. The wax has certain qualities, such as, taste, smell, and color that we take very real. However, as it is taken near a fire, those qualities change, but the same piece of wax still remains. The true essence of the wax is what exists independently of our perceptions of it. It is about the substance underneath the qualities we perceive. We recognize the true essence of the wax through our intellect. Our mind is what perceives the reality. Bell Hooks is the third and final author of my paper. She is not only an author, but a feminist and social activist as well. All of her writings are on the interconnectivity of race, capitalism and gender and how they have the ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression. She writes through a postmodern perspective and is well known for her book, Teaching to Transgress. This text enriches the concepts of ethics and politics in the philosophy definition. She pushes for a more holistic education in terms of ethic. She believes teachers should teach not to just share information, but to share intellect that helps the students grow. Hooks says that learning is easier if the teacher â€Å"respects and cares for the soul of their students. † Also in the ethic category would be her perception of authenticity and commitment in the classroom. Teachers should be committed to who they are and their well being. If a teacher has that overall stature and attitude, it will empower the students to learn more. Hooks also paid close attention to the eroticism in the classroom, as well as the emotion and feelings of students. She believes having them aware of certain things will help them gain insight on important information that they may need in particular situations in their lives. Moving onto more of the political side of Bell Hook’s writing, she discusses when the schools became intergraded. Being a feminist, she believed that woman should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Hooks main discussion on integration was how the teachers were disrespected. She spoke on how the teachers should morally be treated as. Also from her political standpoint, she wanted to educate for liberation. This meaning, she thought women should have the same educational rights as men. She thought women should have the right to become anything she wanted to be without being looked down upon about her gender. In this text, she stood on a platform for women’s progress, as well as, a platform for a more morally correct educational atmosphere. These three philosophers have different expressions of the six main branches of philosophy. Their works go beyond the norm to explain their personal views in a way that depicts the true essence of philosophy. Their views study the nature and scope of knowledge and help us to explain the reality of how we know certain things. It also helps us to explain how rational arguments lead to a more, morally correct answer to any question. Philosophy has been a big subject to study over the years. It teaches life lessons that can be used by every individual. Bertrand Russell couldn’t have said it better in his quote, â€Å"To teach how to live without certainty and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy, in our age, can do for those who study it. †

Cleopatra Essay examples -- essays research papers

Cleopatra Vll was born in 69 BC, in Alexandria, Egypt. Despite what people say today, that she was glamorous and beautiful, she was far from it. She is shown on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine features. Although she was not beautiful she was clearly a very seductive woman, and she used this to further Egypt politically. She had a beautiful musical voice. It is also said that she was highly intelligent. She spoke nine different languages, and she was the first Ptolemy pharaoh who could actually spoke Egyptian.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She ascended the Egyptian throne after her father, Ptolemy Xll Auletes died in 51 BC. Cleopatra which was seventeen at the time and her brother Ptolemy Xlll, which was twelve, were married because of the terms of her fathers will. They then ruled Egypt together. In the third year of their reign Ptolemy’s advisers told him that he should rule Egypt by himself. So, because of this he drove Cleopatra into exile. Cleopatra then escaped to Syria. She then returned with an army. Ptolemy sent an army to meet with her. At this point, Julius Caesar of Rome arrived in pursuit of an enemy, who was seeking help from Ptolemy. Cleopatra had to roll herself up in a rug so that she wouldn’t get killed while entering Egypt. If she hadn’t hidden herself she would have been killed. When she unrolled herself in front of Caesar he fell in love with her right away.Caesar had to choose which of the Egyptian rulers to help keep the throne. Of course he chose Cleopatr a. He then became Cleopatra’s lover. In 47 BC Ptolemy Xlll drowned in the Nile while trying to escape, and Caesar then restored Cleopatra to her throne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After her older brother Ptolemy Xlll was died, Cleopatra was then forced by custom to marry her youngest brother Ptolemy XlV, which was about eleven at the time. After Cleopatra and Ptolemy XlV were settled on their joint government basis, she and Caesar went on a two-month cruise on the Nile. It is said that it was then she became pregnant, and she later gave birth to a son. His name was officially Ptolemy XV Caesar, but he was popularly called Caesarion, which means â€Å"Little Caesar†. People say that Caesar was not really the father of Caesarion. Although the child strongly resembled Caesar, and so Caesar acknowledged him as his son. After the cruise Caesar then went back to Rome ... ... Cleopatra to arrange Antony's funeral. After the funeral she took to her bed, sick with grief. She wanted to kill herself, but Octavian kept her under close guard. One day he visited her and she flung herself at his feet, nearly naked, and told him she wanted to live. With Octavian's permission she visited Antony's tomb. Then she returned to her mausoleum, took a bath, and ordered a feast. While the meal was being prepared a man arrived at her monument with a basket of figs. The guards checked the basket and found nothing suspicious, so they allowed the man to give the basket of figs to Cleopatra. After she had eaten, Cleopatra wrote a letter, sealed it, and sent it to Octavian. He opened it and found Cleopatra's plea that he would allow her to be buried in Antony's tomb. Alarmed, Octavian sent messengers to alert her guards that Cleopatra planned to commit suicide. But it was too late. They found the 39-year old queen dead on her golden bed, with her maid Iras dying at her feet. Two pricks were found on Cleopatra's arm, and it was believed that she had allowed herself to be bitten by an asp that was smuggled in with the figs. As she had wished, she was buried beside Antony.

John F. Kennedy – the Space Exploration

James Moyer Mr. Sims U. S History Period 3 16 May 2012 John F. Kennedy – The Space Exploration I. Introduction A. Background Information All honor and respect lies within John F. Kennedy; his famous speech â€Å"We choose to go to the Moon†, was the reason why Space Exploration reached its peak on July 21st in the year 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first and only people, the first and only Americans to step on the moon.It took eight-years, a month, and two days to complete what President Kennedy dreamed for our country, our people. Without his actions, his famous words, his heart-felt, prosperous speeches, we may have not accomplished the impossible, which we struggle to achieve, and prolong for it to happen again; to set foot on the moon. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second born out of nine siblings into a multi-millionaire family whose father is Joseph P.Kennedy. He was a very educated man no t only this; he was a war hero during World War II. When he would return to civilization, he would go into the newspapers business, and be a successful writer; he would choose to be politically active just like his father and Mr. Kennedy would later become a candidate for the House of Representatives. From here on was the beginning and legacy of the famous John F. Kennedy. 1. The Dream How did one man create such a big difference?Look at the Presidents before Kennedy, the first President, George Washington, it was because of his actions and mindset that we out witted the British and became the independent country; President Lincoln who helped bring slavery to end, who brought the Confederacy and the States together; President Teddy Roosevelt who initiated the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which would prove very beneficial to the economy and its people. Now there are a ew other fine Presidents such as these listed few, but Kennedy is the first and only President to reach the impossible, to do the impossible, to even think about the impossible, have America walk on the moon. All due to his will to reach far beyond the sky and enter space itself to come across and walk upon the moon. B. Why it Matters NASA, (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is responsible for the Space Program and Kennedy was the one responsible for Space Exploration. Apollo 11 was the manned spaceship which landed on the moon, to achieve what Mr.Kennedy wanted to see and experience himself; to see his dreams come true. Unfortunately his untimely death singled-handedly shocked the people; his assassination would spark the will for Space Exploration to accomplish his dream of landing on the moon. II. Body Paragraphs a. How It All Began John Fitzgerald Kennedy, born May 29, 1917, at 83 Beals Street in the middle-class suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, was the second of nine children (Baughman et. Al). The Kennedy bunch ended up moving to Bronxville, just outsid e of New York City.They would reside here for Kennedy’s schooling throughout the years until 1941 where they would dismantle and search for a new home. Kennedy had a secret illness which was life threatening: chronic stomach disorders, back problems, frequent and severe allergic reactions, and the undiagnosed, until 1947, effects of Addison's disease. â€Å"Addison’s disease is a failure of the adrenal glands, which sapped his energy, weakened his immune system, and left him vulnerable to infections and dangerously high fevers† (Baughman et. Al). Kennedy’s father wouldn’t let his health affect the publicity so he covered it up with Kennedy’s â€Å"war injuries. 1. His Career In 1941, instead of continuing with his works, John F. Kennedy followed his brother Joseph Jr. into battle alongside the U. S Navy during World War II. Kennedy was assigned to duties of Naval Intelligence in Washington. On August 2nd, 1943, the PT-109, a boat under his command, was rammed and suck by a Japanese destroyer, Amagiri. Although his seamanship and commands were questionable at the time, he was still a courageous man; he proved this by saving his injured crew or being able to sustain them behind enemy lines to wait for rescue.Awarded a few medals such as the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart, also being considered a hero in the eyes of New York Times, he would later be discharged for medical reasoning and thrown into politics right away by his father, due to his eldest sons death, Joseph Jr. now being able to fulfill his father’s dream; to become the first Irish-Catholic President of the United States. 2. Political Life In 1946 John Kennedy won election to the U. S. Congress from Massachusetts' 11th District, representing parts of Boston and Cambridge.His father spent exorbitant sums on the campaign and involved the entire Kennedy family except his sister Rosemary who was ‘retarded’. In 1952, at his fat her's urging, Kennedy challenged Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. for the U. S. Senate from Massachusetts. Most observers gave Kennedy little chance. The 1952 campaign featured sophisticated, often unique methods of reaching the voters. Among the first to make the best use of television for advertising and fundraising, Kennedy enrolled in a special CBS-TV seminar to promote on how to use TV effectively.His naturally poised and unrestrained manner fitted the new scene conditionally. â€Å"Highlighting the campaign were the appearances of the candidate's mother and sisters at hundreds of invitation-only social events where the Kennedy women served tea and charmed an estimated 70,000 women voters. A record turnout gave Kennedy a slim 76,000 vote margin over Lodge† (Baughman et. Al). Kennedy attracted large support from Boston, Irish-Catholics, Jews, labor union members, and some Republicans who thought Kennedy was more conservative than Lodge. 3. JFK, How he Became President Mr.Kennedy did his best to become and persuade people for him to become Vice-President, as that proved to no avail, he went towards a more direct approach, becoming President himself. In order to get votes and win the nomination of running for his party, he had to persuade some hard-headed mules that Catholics are able to win votes as well. In doing so, he set off a campaign which would be a very rough one for him indeed, for he was matched against Nixon. Without his televised broadcast of him against Nixon, he would have probably lost the election of becoming President for the argins between the two men were ever so slightly apart. b. Introducing John F. Kennedy with the Space Program The Space Program would be introduced in 1946, not as NASA but its ancestor NACA. While they have been preparing themselves for space, they constructed with planes and aerodynamics. When Sputnik 1 was launched by the U. S. S. R a strike of fear and lack of knowledge devoured the United States especially the governm ent. In order to retaliate, they devoted their studies and enhanced science and math subjects in order to redeem themselves from this feat.On July 28, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established NASA from there. NASA did not only evolve from its ancestor, but it absorbed everything from it. NASA took over and started its own missions on October 1st of the same year. When President Kennedy beat Eisenhower’s famous Nixon, he did his best to prove he was worthy of being U. S. A’s President. He worked with domestic and foreign affairs before heading into the Space Race. He knew the people of the United States needed to have the same confidence they once had before Sputnik 1 was launched.In order for this to occur, he went to Houston, Texas on September 12, 1962 to address the nation, that the Space Race must continue but needs the help of the government to help pay for the program (Logsdon). Before announcing this, on Februar y 20, 1962 John Glenn was the first man to be launched and orbit around the Earth’s atmosphere. This is what sparked the hope of the Space Exploration to continue. With President Kennedy’s power of words and the hope NASA has instilled into the people’s hearts, it seemed anything was possible.Even through Kennedy’s assassination, the Space Program continued its works to accomplish Kennedy’s dream of landing on the moon. 4. Kennedy’s Assassination and the Moon It was 12:30 Friday afternoon, on November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Texas when four gunshots were heard across the globe. Kennedy was fatally shot and died the same day, he was assassinated and although it may have said Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for Kennedy’s death, it is still a conspiracy on whether he did it and if he did if there were other people involved.This case is still an unraveled mystery which hasn’t been solved ever since. Kennedy’s death shoc ked the globe but that didn’t stop NASA from reaching the moon. His death may have been very mournful, but NASA was devoted into finishing this last project Kennedy sent them out to do and that was to reach the moon. Some years later on July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin accomplished the amazing feat of being the first and only men to land on the moon. III. ConclusionJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy was a remarkable man capable of reaching the impossible. One of the youngest Presidents ever, and had the mind of the wisest. Without his leadership and devotion of accomplishing the race to the moon, we wouldn’t have had the same spark of hope as we do today. His actions have led us to a new age, one that will forever be remembered. Although the Space Race has led us far, we haven’t had the time and money to go back to the Moon. Mr. Kennedy is the hope of all dreams. He is the moon and will forever be walking on it, while he waits for our return.Works Cited Baughman, Judith, Victor Bondi, Richard Layman, Tandy McConnell, and Vincent Tompkins. â€Å"American Decades. † Gale Cengage Learning, 1 Jan. 1998. Web. 16 Dec. 1998 Kennedy, John F. We Choose to go to the Moon. † John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, 12 Sept. 1962 Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Logsdon, John M. John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2010.

Community Teaching Workplan Proposal - 1300 Words

Community Teaching Work Plan Proposal Directions: Develop an educational series proposal for your community using one of the following four topics which will be chosen within your CLC group: 1) Bioterrorism/Disaster 2) Environmental Issues 3) Primary Prevention/Health Promotion 4) Secondary Prevention/Screenings for a Vulnerable Population Planning Before Teaching: |Name and Credentials of Teacher: | |Lali Alex, RN, CHN | |Estimated Time Teaching Will Last: |Location of Teaching:†¦show more content†¦Percent of non-institutionalized adults ages 20 and over with hypertension: 33% (2007-2008) (Source: Health, United States, 2010 [pic]) 2. Number of ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments) with hypertension as primary diagnosis: 46.3 million 3. Nursing home care 1. Number of residents with hypertension: 790,300 2. Percent of residents with hypertension: 53% (Source: 2004 National Nursing Home Survey[pic]) Nursing Diagnosis: Potential for: Alteration in blood pressure Related to: 1. Age 2. Food habits 3. Lack of exercise Readiness for Learning: Identify the factors that would indicate the readiness to learn for the target aggregate. Include emotional and experiential readiness to learn. 1. Show up on scheduled time 2. Asking questions and clearing doubts 3. Listening carefully and shows understanding Learning Theory to Be Utilized: Explain how the theory will be applied. 1. Lecture 2. Demonstration on how to check blood pressure 3. Showing slides 4. Giving reading materials about hypertension and how to prevent future heartShow MoreRelatedCommon Knowledge : How Companies Thrive by Sharing What They Know56617 Words   |  227 Pagessomething that we think someone else needs to know, it is difficult for us to refrain from telling them. It is almost a natural impulse to tell others what we know. Eric Erickson, the great developmental psychologist, said that we are, by nature, a teaching species. No less at work. I frequently call colleagues with requests such as I know you won a grant from the Ford Foundation last year; what can you tell me about that process? or What organization do you know that is doing the best job at self-managed