...Compare and contrast the views of religion held by Marx and Tocqueville. Religions, all over the world have always tried to find an association between mankind and nature and a relation between human beings themselves. One of religion’s main goals is to provide rules and guidance that create order and support for the people that follow it. However, the notion of religion and where it came from has been a subject of debate amongst many historians, thinkers, sociologists and philosophers. Karl Marx, the German philosopher, revolutionist, and sociologist, believed that religion was a manmade ideology. He did not believe that God made humankind; he believed we made God (Marx, 1978). Alex de Tocqueville did not believe in what I just previously mentioned. Instead, the Roman Catholic political thinker and historian believed that God created us and he was responsible for providing the people with the proper rules and keys to living in a materialistic and worldly place (Tocqueville, 1972 pp 359). In this paper, I will be contrasting the different views of religion from the perspectives of Karl Marx and Alex de Tocqueville. With that being said, and although by now we know that both thinkers have different views regarding religion, some of their writings show otherwise and in turn, we will find some striking similarities between them. Beginning with the ideas of Karl Marx; Karl Marx was known to be an atheist who strongly believed that religion was created by the people who had...
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...are also derived from their religion (Aronoff, p. He wanted to give back Germany its past glory and respect in front of the world, and for that he wanted to create more living space for Germans and thus he conquered the surrounding German speaking areas and created hatred among the leaders of those countries. This is the only way to co-exist peacefully in today’s world. This is important because it is seen in the past that attempts to bring democracy and socialism in the Arab world have failed so badly that it has made the people of the Arab world to denounce these ideas altogether. This attack is important not only because of how widespread it was; but it is also important because of the way it changed the course of the West towards Islam. With that, the West needs to incentivize the Muslim world to adopt democracy and liberalism so that they see the benefits of these systems themselves. ISLAM AND THE WEST – AN INTRODUCTION Islam and the West are different entities in many ways, but because of the globalization in the world; we see that there is an increasing interaction between these two entities, which becomes a reason for conflict in many situations. Modernization, liberalism and globalization are appreciated. This does not mean acquiring Western culture, music, language; but it modernization requires learning modern ways of doing things, progressing in secular education, bringing new technology, supporting globalization, democracy and liberalism. Strategic Book...
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...no wonder why so many academics try to search for causes, of how mankind has destroyed the environment so drastically in such a short amount of time. In the article “The Cultural Basis for Our Environmental Crisis”, author Lewis W. Moncrief presents a compelling counter argument to author Lynn White, Jr. article “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis”. White’s claim: States Judeo-Christian traditions and technology are the sole cause for the environmental degradation that our world is currently facing. Moncrief’s claim: states Judeo-Christian traditions and technology are factors in the equation, but are not the only factors. Moncrief believes that democratization and capitalism are far greater pieces to the equation than just religion and technology. Religion and technology have vastly shaped our past and present society, but democratization and capitalism are greater factors to man’s exploitation of the earth resources and the environmental degradation. Throughout White’s essay he presents an argument stating that religion; specifically the Western Judeo-Christianity traditions and technology are the sole factors for the depletion of the earth resources and our domination mindset over the earth. White argument is broke down in several sections with the first stating: “All forms of life modify their contexts” (White, 1203). White used the description of a sea creature, the coral polyp. This sea organism has a significant impact on its natural environment. Another notable...
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...America has been named the "melting pot" of the world. It houses many different cultures, nationalities, ideas and religions. There are Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, Hindus, Spiritualists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamic, plus many more. America is unique in that all these religions are represented in a nation that is only 200 years old. And America has upheld, throughout history, that the freedom and equality of religion is extremely important in order for this nation to function as a free nation. The foundations of America were set as a result of England's persecution; more specifically, England's religious persecution. The colonists wanted to create a nation that allowed people to be free. They desired to speak what they wanted to speak, do what they wanted to do, and practice what they wanted to practice... without the government watching their every move. Thus came international religious freedom The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791 as a part of the United States Constitution (Burns 46). In part, the First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to freedom of religion and freedom from religion. The fight for religious liberty existed amongst early settlers and colonists literally for decades, and now, some two hundred years after the founding of this nation, clashes surface between people who seek to establish a “Christian America” and those who seek to entirely eradicate religion from public life ...
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...The early nineteen hundreds, a time when America was transforming into a world power with great inventions and progress. The definition of freedom, equality and life itself were redefined in completely different ways than before. The idea of freedom was now based around goods and how much “material goods” you could acquire, and the more you acquired the freer you became. In all this the idea of progressivism found its place and spread quickly to most of the population, in fact the idea is still pretty popular today. In all the glory and abundance that the United States was in at the time, made many people consider that America should spread its ways across the world in any way possible, despite opposition against this idea it had an effect...
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... 1 Islam : Global Concept and Practices DeVry University Sociology – 350N – Cultural Diversity in Professions Spring Semester 2013 Introduction The history of Islam, its’ concepts and practices is one of the most intriguing yet controversial religions known today. Worldwide, Muslims make up about 23.4 percent of the population, while Christianity makes up about 30 percent (Goodstein, 2011). A study published in 2009 by the Pew Research Center to get global concept of the Muslim population found, “Of the 232 countries and territories included in this study, 50 are Muslim-majority” (p. 5). The Center also found “While 80% of the world’s Muslims live in countries where Muslims are in the majority, significant numbers – about one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population – live as religious minorities in their home countries” (p. 7). With so many countries adhering to Islam and the growth of the Muslim population here in America and worldwide; how will this affect how non-Islamic countries communicate and interact with Islamic countries and how we communicate right here in the United States? If Muslim fundamentalists were not at the forefront of controversy in the war on terrorism, would Islam be a religion that sparks so much debate? Even before September 11th, there had been much controversy related to Islam. However most of it occurred on foreign soil. With significant bombings and terrorist attacks in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, many Americans were more...
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...answers in a clear and concise manner. Limit your submission of the Timeline Part I up to 250 words per topic/subtopic. For example, if a topic is divided into 3 subtopics, you may write a maximum of 250 per subtopic listed. Be sure to cite all sources. Major Event/Epoch in American History | Time Period/Date(s) | Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History | 1) Describe three different American Indian cultures prior to colonization. | 1200-1900 | The Anasazi, the Iroquois and the Algonkians all inhabited parts of the US prior to colonization. The Anasazi had much of the Southwest like Arizona and New Mexico. The Iroquois were very large and were actually divided into many different nations with different traditions and dialects. Lastly, the Algonkians were proficient in both hunting as well as other agricultural activities. | 2) The effects of British colonization on the Native Americans. | 17th Century | At first, the British were not a threat because they built their houses respectful of the indigenous people, making it seem like everyone would be able to coexist peacefully. However, as the British began to spread, they got greedy and tried to conquer all the land, which resulted in the natives being forced from their land or forced to fight for it if they resisted. Many natives began to die because diseases would spread and they did not have...
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...Democracy, Religion and Inequality University of Groningen Faculty of Economics and Business Bachelor Thesis International Economics and Business Name Student: Yitian Jing Student ID Number: s2012790 Student email: y.jing@student.rug.nl Date Thesis: Jun. 5th, 2012 Name Supervisor: Dr. Robbert K. J. Maseland First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my advisor, Dr. R. K. J. Maseland, for his academic guidance and encouragement throughout the research. He has been very generous sharing his experiences on institutional and cultural determinants on economy, as well as on academic research methodology and beyond. I would not have finished such a thesis paper without his support. His effort and patience would never be forgotten. Abstract The democracy’s inequality decreasing effect has been appealing to researchers for long but lacks concentrated argumentation and empirical evidence, as well as the interaction between democracy and religion. This paper conduct an empirical analysis covering time period of 1978-2010 with 86 countries to test the hypotheses of whether democracy decreases inequality and whether an egalitarian religion decreases the influence of democracy. The result shows the direct effect of democracy is weak, however, the hypothesis of religion’s effect on the democracy’s influence is partially confirmed. Therefore, democracy itself has minor influence on inequality while a large proportion of the effect is...
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...information and ideas move from one place to another. This can be local such as how did you get to school today, or it can be global such as how humans get to North America Human-environment interaction looks at the relationships between people and their environment; how people adapt to the environment and how they change it. Location • Absolute: A location can be absolute (specific) as in coordinates of a map using longitude and latitude • Relative: A location can be relative - examples: next door, nearby, a short drive, down the road a ways. Or, it can be in the same general location as another location - example: next to the post office. Language • Important for communication and passing on traditions and beliefs There is some debate about making English the official language of the United States. Customs and Traditions - Rules of behavior (written and unwritten) Arts and Literature - Teach about a culture’s values - Promote cultural pride and unity -Could include technology and entertainment Religion • Monotheism: belief in one god • Polytheism: belief in more than one god Major World Religions • Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism Forms of Government • People form governments to provide for their common needs Types • Democracy: people have supreme power •...
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...All these men emphasize the importance of using reason and logic instead of superstition or ignorance. They focus on creating and writing, science, politics and other subjects in this era which influence decades to come (Age of Enlightenment, 2011). In today’s society these ideas have become relevant. Thomas Paine influences the Enlightenment politically and socially, because of his beliefs he was damned by many people in both America and England. Thomas Paine was born in England; he was a corset maker and excise officer in England, although showed interested in philosophy and science. He later in life then met up with Benjamin Franklin in London and soon after he sailed to Philadelphia. He found work in 1775 in the Pennsylvania Magazine writing articles and essays “on democracy, universal suffrage, and revolution, shaping the unheard of idea of democracy into the freedom the citizens of so many countries know today”. Unfortunately some of his writing landed him in jail to which at that time he wrote The Age of Reason which gives his opinion on Religion giving an...
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...Vietnamese people chose to support the force that had the same goals for the war as they did. America’s goal was to prevent communism from spreading to South Vietnam. America’s plan to prevail was tainted because the Vietnamese people had no concept of democracy and thought how “absurd it would be for so large and wealthy a nation [America] to covet our poor little country for its rice fields, swamps, and pagodas” (Hayslip, XIII). The people didn’t understand America’s interest in Vietnam and thus saw them as outsiders attempting to divide their cherished land and dictate their lives. The Republican’s goal was to stabilize the nation with America’s financial and political assistance. The Republicans became less credible and legitimate because of their associations with America. The Viet Cong’s goal was to obtain freedom, independence, and happiness through the Vietnamese perspective. The Viet Cong represented the Vietnamese people because of their shared goals for their nation. In comparing America to the Vietnamese forces, America never really had a fair shot to win the Vietnamese support because of their association with the French; whom the Vietnamese have rightfully grown to hate since colonial days. Also, the Viet Cong advertised America as greedy people who wanted to imperialize their nation. Lastly, the Viet...
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...country has become to be known as a nation of immigrants. However, in his book, who are we?(2004), Samuel P. Huntington, argues that this high level of cultural diversity prevalent in the USA can disintegrate the country, as it’s experiencing a growing cultural gap between the adherents of the Anglo-protestant culture and the immigrants, who have not yet assimilated into this culture. Key features of the Anglo-protestant culture include; “Christian religion with emphasize on the protestant values and morals, a work ethic, the English language, British traditions, justice and the limits of government power, and a legacy of European art, literature, philosophy, and music”. As a consequence hereof the American people can lose their national identity and unity, as ideology alone is a weak glue to hold people together otherwise lacking racial, ethnic, and cultural sources of community. The solution is therefore, for Americans to recommit themselves to the Anglo-Protestant culture, traditions and values. Phrased differently, America should quit embracing the idea of a multicultural society and work towards becoming a mono-cultural one. While it is questionable, why ideology alone shouldn’t be...
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...Abstract The Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by eight countries and five main seas. Istabul is the largest city in Turkey, and Turkey’s capital is Ankara. About 48% of the population lives in the cities or towns. The rest lives in rural areas. Most of people in Turkey are Muslim, which are followers of Islami. Also, in this paper, the culture of Turkish, the life in Turkey such as health care system, transportation, and education system are also mentioned. The Turkey republican parliamentary democracy and the economy are discussed later in the paper. The last part is business etiquette talking about some important customs that business foreigner should know. Background Turkey, also known as the Republic of Turkey, is a land-bridge linking Europe and Asia. The history of Turkey encompasses, first, the history of Anatolia before the coming of the Turks and of the civilizations – Hittite, Thracian, Hellenistic, and Byzantine – of which Turkish nation is the heir by assimilation. Second, it includes the history of Turkish people including Seljuks, who brought Islam and Turkish language into Anatolia. Third, it is the history of the Ottoman Empire, a cosmopolitan – Islamic state that developed a small Turkish amirate in Anatolia. Finally, Turkey was established in 1923, after the fall of Ottoman Empire, under “Father Turk”. It is immediately started on a course of modernization in all walks of life (Turkey...
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...Religions influence on American Democracy and it's effect on Globalization Abstract A person's religious beliefs greatly influence his or her ethical behaviors. According to reports, religion is one of the strongest motivators for individuals to exhibit ethical behaviors in all areas of their lives. Modern thought tends to see religion as one sphere of society, alongside politics, economics, science, family, morality and so on. There is much written about business and organizational ethics but there is little written about the behaviors that people display to demonstrate they are ethical humans. It is almost as if an organization is perceived as an entity capable of doing behaviors without the human element. Decisions within the corporate world are shaped not merely by ethical ideals but also by economic, social, political and legal constraints. Christian ethics, for most people, becomes the art of discerning the morally "more or less," the less than perfect "better or worse," in the myriad of trade-offs among competing values and interests. Modern thought tends to see religion as one sphere of society, alongside politics, economics, science, family, morality and so on. There is much written about business and organizational ethics but there is little written about the behaviors that people display to demonstrate they are ethical humans. It is almost as if an organization is perceived as an entity capable of doing behaviors without the human element. This...
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...The myths of “racial democracy,” the “the melting pot,” and “salad bowl” theories. The myths of “racial democracy,” the “melting pot,” and “Salad bowl” theories This paper will examine the theories of the “melting pot” and “salad bowl” and also look at “racial democracy” in Brazil. Secondly, this paper will look at cultural assimilation using these theories. Finally it will look at the myths of these theories and how they have affected the American and world societies. Have Americans really reached either the “melting pot” or “salad bowl” theories of cultural assimilation? Is Brazil really a “racial democracy” or is this also a myth and how does this differ with America? The United States of America is one of the most culturally diverse nations on earth. In 2009, Michael C. Lemay states, “the United States of America is arguably the most ethnically and racially diverse nation on earth”. Who is an American, I am using the term Americans to be defined as individuals who were native born, naturalized citizens, and individuals who consider themselves Americans from the United States of America. Generally speaking most Americans grow up, in ethnically homogeneous communities (Putnam, 2007) vice the differing theories of “melting pot” or “salad bowl.” While Americans live and work in communities that are ethnically and culturally diverse the issues of intolerance and prejudice against various ethnic and racial backgrounds has been a plague throughout...
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