...Nature is a vital part of life. It is a part of everything that is, even culture comes from nature. Though nature has been associated with the spiritual world since ancient times, society’s view of nature has changed over time. In the Golden Age of men, nature and man existed in peaceful equilibrium, but as time went on and the world changed, nature grew to be seen in a more negative light, as a hindrance and at times an outright antagonistic presence against mankind. When reading medieval texts such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it becomes clear that the view of nature had retained this image as an undesirable force. Reviewing medievalist texts, like the film Princess Mononoke, presents a similar concept of nature, though it is given a greater presence than that given in Sir...
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...diverse understanding about nature. In ancient China, people believed that it was important to maintain a good relationship with nature. On the other hand, in ancient Western countries, such as Greece, people always tended to occupy nature in order to create more wealth. In Garcia’s case, he is a typical Western citizen who attempts to use his way to take advantage of nature. However, his action leads to negative effects, which he gradually destroys the earth’s ozone layer. Garcia’s behavior is unforgivable and both cultures will be against him. Nevertheless, since there is difference between two cultures’ perspective, Eastern culture might focus on explaining how Garcia ruins the relationship between nature and society, while Western culture might concentrate on explaining the bad consequences of overly occupying nature. Ancient Chinese believed that human society and natural environment were indivisible; if nature was largely damaging, then the society could not last for long time. As Confucius said: “even though you have only coarse grain for food, water for drink, and your bent arm for a pillow, you may still be happy”, it suggests that people can still enjoy their lives even though they do not have much wealth. Nature provides people essential materials to live on; not only does nature produce food and water for people, but also the air that individuals breath comes from nature as well. Therefore, it is important to maintain good relationship with nature. In contrast, Garcia’s...
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...say about man's sinful nature. Both of these works contain scenes in which main characters die; their deaths come about because of their sinful nature or the sinful nature of others around them. Man's sinful nature is revealed through the thoughts and actions of the characters of these works. The authors show through their works their belief that if everybody revealed their true natures, the world would tear itself apart. In both works, evil is revealed by the telling actions of the characters. In Lord of the Flies, the boys' society starts to fall apart as Jack becomes less and less civilized and the other boys gradually follow his example. Only Simon is the truly innocent one; even Ralph and Piggy expose their evil nature when they help the other boys kill Simon. Besides the murders of Simon and Piggy, evil is also demonstrated through the scenes when the pig is killed, Piggy's glasses are stolen, and the conch shell is smashed. In Macbeth, man's sinful nature is seen quite early in the story when Lady Macbeth urges her husband to kill the king after he is told a prophecy that he will become king. Though Macbeth is reluctant at first, then horrified at the murder he has committed, his pride and greed get the better of him. He starts killing more people, including women and children, and even attempts to kill his good friend Banquo. Though Macbeth started out good, his evil nature conquered in the end. Though they both demonstrate man's sinful nature, the books end in very...
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...Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology PSYCH 101 Nature vs. Nurture in Psychology What makes you think, feel, and behave the way you do? Were you born predisposed to live the life you are currently living, or were you born a blank canvas upon which your experiences gave shape and expression to the person you are today? These are the types of questions the Nature vs. Nurture debate has posed and scientists have probed for over a century. In this paper we will look at some of the aspects of this debate the scientific community does not attend to, or dismisses, the origin and history of this debate, the essential characteristics around which this issue is debated, and where scientists are today in understanding this issue. What are your thoughts on the Nature vs. Nurture argument? Sir Galton wrote in his book English Men of Science (1874), “Nature is all that a man brings with him into the world; nurture is every influence that affects him after his birth,” (p. 12). I have been led to believe that our biology (nature), our environment (nurture), and our cognitive abilities all interplay and influence our resulting personality and other existing traits. We are, as Myers (2012) continuously asserts, biopsychosocial beings (p.124). These aspects of our existence work in accord to actuate the developmental potential written into our genetic code. Where I think there is a deficiency in the theories proffered, in attempt to answer the Nature vs. Nurture...
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...Edgar Allen Poe are two examples of romantic writers. Though Poe fits the mold of a romantic writer it is obvious that his writings do not mirror those of Bryant or many other known romantic authors. His works share a uniqueness that is not found amongst the other writers, it is this uniqueness that separates Poe’s works from the rest. Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis” is a good example of romantic literature. This work compared to Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” will show that characteristics of Poe’s work that, both, make him a romantic writer and separate him from other romantic writers. “Thanatopsis”, by William Cullen Bryant, is a very romantic poem about the relationship between man and nature. Bryant’s purpose for this poem is to spread his belief that at the last hours of life man is joined with the Earth and when that last hour is over man will join all those who have passed before him. From the first two lines of the poem it is obvious that this poem is romantic in nature. “To him who in the love of Nature holds – Communion with her visible forms,” (470). Bryant personifies nature in this poem by referring to it as a “she”. He does this to establish a common thread between the reader and Earth. It is easier for someone, reading Bryant’s work, to begin believing his ideas about nature if “Nature” is referred to as a human being. Along with Bryant’s approach to the reader his description of the connection between man and nature is also very romantic. “Go forth under the open sky...
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...Front: Removing of War From Nature “Here the trees show gay and golden, the berries of the rowan stand red among the leaves, country roads run white out to the sky line, and the canteens hum like beehives with rumours of peace” (295). All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, takes place in the late 1920’s, located in Berlin. The book was published in 1928, although many speculations were pointed towards the book. Once word got around of the anti-war book, a controversial storm started brewing. There was a prohibition of the book’s production, and many countries banned the book from entering its borders. Thus being an anti-war novel, the true horrors of war quickly spread like wildfire, giving people a...
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...Human Nature Human nature is an intangible idea that no one seems to agree of that which it consists, yet many seem to agree that it does exist. Some philosophers will debate that human nature is inherently good while others will deem human nature as inherently evil. Others think that human nature is to seek the greatest good, happiness, or a moral life. So what makes us human? What separates us as a species yet unites us as well? When searching for universals of humans, many physiological aspects of life can be cited. Human mortality is a largely recognized aspect of being a human. However anything with life, whether it is a plant, animal, man or other, is mortal and has a beginning and an end. So while mortality is something that is found in all humans, it is not exclusively a human quality. We need nourishment to grow and live, but again, so do most other things that have life. We are physically similar, meaning that while there are differences among us, we are all the same species; just as any other species is similar to others in their own species. However, I would consider these qualities as nature, not just human nature. Human nature I believe is something that goes beyond our physiological side. Before I present my argument, I must first define human nature. According to the Oxford Dictionary, human nature is the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans. In...
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...It depicts the apocalyptic symbolizes the end of history God will stop and renew the damage not only to humanity, but even to nature itself. For the average person, the word “apocalypse” means the end of the world. Apocalypses view the present as corrupted by sin and in contrast which is going to happen in a perfect world or age of glory and righteousness.1 Nevertheless, Gnostic writings biblical apocalypses Daniel, Isaiah 24-27,65-66, and Revelation and not all Jewish apocalypses view present material world damaged by sin, but not inherently evil. Besides, they look to not the eventual demise of the material world, but to its end and liberation from damage cause by sin. The early Jewish leaders used apocalypses to their struggle with the problems of evil and that God would make things right before the end of history. They expressed concern for nature by stressing that the natural world was created by God and is under God’s hands. Human sins and fallen angels have violated the earth and caused some aspects of nature not to be as God intended. Humans and fallen angels God holds them accountable for sins against the earth and animals. Nature is an affected of human and angelic sin and cries out in suffering, and in the coming new age, the natural world will be transformed redeemed to a state of great glory.2 Paul depicts vividly suffering of nature due to Adam and Eve. “The creation was subject...
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...both transcendent and immanent. Meaning, He exists independent of His creation and exerts full sovereignty over it but that He is also omnipresent and entirely involved in His world. What are the basic assumptions about the nature of reality? Theism views reality as both material and spiritual. Theism asserts that God is volitional, moral, creative, purposive, rational, and knowable to other persons. Transcendent means that God is distinct form the universe. He is able and willing to interact with the creation, but His existence is not bound by or limited to the universe. Everything that exists is contingent upon God’s creative act. God is both creator and sustainer of all things. God maintains access to the created order and involves Himself with it as he chooses. God designed the universe in such a way that nature follows a recognizable patter. Because God acts with purpose, reality is inherently meaningful. What is a human being? Human nature is both biological and spiritual. Humans are the unique creation of a personal God, and shares His likeness as personal being. Therefore, they have intrinsic worth as human beings. They were created to enjoy and external relationship with our Maker. Our lives have objective meaning and purpose. Because human nature is a composite of external spirit and mortal flesh, the death of the body is not the end of personal existence. They live externally, either in conscious communion with God or under His righteous judgment. What happens to a...
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...The Question of Nature to Wordsworth and Shelley One of the defining features found in the poems from the age of Romanticism is the prevailing use of nature as a subject for poets to express themselves. Nature is treated as a sacrosanct and inexhaustible source of inspiration. Among the pioneers of these nature-inspired poets are William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Wordsworth, the Poet Laureate who thrust English literature to the age of Romanticism through his poems, spent most of his days living in the countryside and enjoying the splendor of nature. His love for the great outdoors is expressively written in his poems which often concern his fascination on the allure of nature. A few of such works are “Daffodils‘，”I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and “The Solitary Reaper” (Diao 9). Correspondingly, Shelley in the same spirit of appreciation of nature made nature his primary subject. The Finest Lyrical Poet conveyed his purest emotion to the readers through the description of all kinds of natural phenomena. For instance, “To a Skylark”, “Mont Blanc”, “The Moon”, and his masterpiece, “Ode to the West Wind” (Diao 57). Although it was clear that both poets use nature as their subject of fascination, the way nature was treated in their poems displayed two distinct styles of both poets. To Wordsworth, nature was the key to spiritual comfort, a symbol of love and harmony, as described in the poem “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” (Zhao 35). In this poem, Wordsworth...
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...“Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals will never stand in favour compared with the products of nature, the living cell of the plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, the mother of all life.”- Thomas Edison. Even a scientist himself believed that no chemicals that overshadowed the importance of nature can equal its greatness. Edison further stated that future doctors would not give medicine to is patients but rather interest his patients in the care and prevention of disease. The use of natural medicines was dated as early as ancient Sumerians period. The book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the bible states God had created every green herb for meat. Only in these recent years have scientists have been interested to the study of the herbal or alternative medicine. As medical science progresses, more mysteries are uncovered. Paraphernalia to this, we tend to forget the laws that govern the universe, the equilibrium of body energies, and the sources that young science originated from. Due to the new, advances and captivating things that medical technology entails, inorganic compounds and chemicals had buried the organic sources which are in fact the very beginning of medicine. We tend to overlook that nature cures the disease while the young medical science only satisfy the desperation of the people to feel well in a short period of time. Though the use of Western (inorganic or chemical)...
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...Example essay on Nature vs Nurture: The natural characteristics of a person can either be quite similar or quite different to the unnatural characteristics of a person. The natural characteristics of a person are the traits that come from their parents; the ones that people are born with which are genetical. These traits are developed biologically. The unnatural characteristics of a person, or the nurtured characteristics, are the traits that people develop themselves after they are born. The environment of a person’s life greatly determines their personality. The traits a person has that they weren’t born with are the traits that the environment has influenced on them. There are many traits that I have inherited naturally through genetics from my mom and dad. I can tell that my work ethic has been inherited from my dad because he is a very hard worker and I also strive to achieve my personal best. My mom tends to be very sensitive at times and concerned for other people’s feelings, which I know, I have inherited. I have also inherited my dad’s super mathematical skills and my mom’s artistic abilities. I can also tell that I have inherited a good sense of well being from my mom. There are also many behaviors that I have developed from the environment I grew up in. I have learned to respect all people from being influenced at school and by my parents. I’ve also been trained to be responsible of things such as doing my work. I learned that if I am not responsible and don’t do...
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...Question of Nature Versus Nurture Bernard Stevens Lux Ferre University Senior Research April 26, 2011 Abstract What influences more, society on the individual or collective individuals on society? Is society, thereby the individual, constructed by a set of pre-existing material conditions, or a pre-existing social condition? The philosophical origins of the question of nature versus nurture, are steeped in the ancient Greek philosophers nomos-physis debate in which the question is man the product (his actions) of conventional law or natural law? If so, is it possible to be balance of both, as suggested by Plato’s construction of the kallopolis (ideal city) in The Republic. For centuries, in Western Philosophy, the debate of which has dominion over man, nature or nurture, has been key to the establishment of many disciplines in the arts and sciences such as sociology, philosophy, and biology. Research suggest in ancient Greek civilization, the debate was termed as the Nomos-Physis debate, in which Plato challenged and/or expounded upon Pre-Socratic philosophers beliefs as to which rules man. The core subject matter is not, as in Psychology, a debate of which determines the personality traits of an individual per se, but whether or not man acts according to the laws of nature (Physis) or laws of man (Nomos). Though it appears psychology is not the essence of the ancient question of nature versus nurture...
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...Nature vs. Nurture When looking at the nature and nurture debate, overall, I believe that our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions as humans are more strongly influenced by our environment, or nurtured. However, looking from the other point of view, that they are influenced by nature is also very plausible. In general, the reason that the nurtured makes most sense to me, is that the environment everyone grows up in (which is what influences us, obviously,) is so varied from person to person. What is natural to someone from Sweden, will not be natural to an individual in India, or the U.S., or Argentina. Another great example of variance, which is very applicable to me since I am training to be and working as a chef, is the principal of taste aversion. This was discovered by John Garcia along with other researcher. In taste aversion, foods can give certain people bad thoughts via taste or other consequences from the food, where as others may love the same particular food. When I cook food for friends or family, even though I love it, my sister may despise it, while my parents also enjoy it. There is a variance from person to person and thoughts, behaviors, and feelings can influence a persons rationale even though their environment has been relatively identical to another person with a different rational. The environment of each individual is different, so it makes most sense that individuals are nurtured as opposed to having a natural rationale. A type of social learning, is...
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...commonwealth.” The detailed description of Utopia acts as Mores mode of expressing his humanistic views, commenting on the fundamentals of human nature and the importance of reason and natural law, while gracefully combining the two seemingly conflicting ideals of communism and liberalism. The presence of satirical irony and contradiction clearly defines Utopia as an unobtainable goal, though goal that all societies must pursue nonetheless. In essence, Utopia is a written manifestation of More’s humanist beliefs. Many of these views are vicariously present in the character of Raphael Hythloday. For example, Hythloday comments on the unwillingness of Kings to take advice from others, claiming they are “drenched as they are and infected with false values from boyhood and on” (More, 2011, p. 28). The idea of “infection” implies that a man is not naturally corrupt or sinful, but rather pure at heart and simply influenced by the environment an individual is exposed to. This is a key humanist concept, which suggests that human nature is malleable and inconstant, and therefore can be positively influenced to do good. Raphael later states, “Pride is too deeply fixed in human nature to be easily plucked out” (More, 2011, p. 98) Though this may seem contradictory to his previous statement, Hythloday still suggests that human nature can be changed, though he candidly admits that it is difficult. More is attempting to illustrate his own hesitations of serving the King through the conversation...
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