...sites where carbon-based life can evolve and by the requirement that the Universe be old enough for it to have already done so” (www.physics.sfsu.edu). This is simply saying that if people were not here to observe and if the universe did not work as it does, then we could not ask why we are here and why the universe works like it does. Although the SAP and WAP are somewhat different, ultimately they both appear to agree that human life is special given all of the circumstances it takes for us to be able to survive. The anthropic principle has created much controversy among scientists, and especially among students in the Heresy: Philosophy, Religion, & Science class. The main source of this discord is the notion put forth primarily by the science community that science and religion are incompatible. However, this has the appearance of a false dichotomy. Because the anthropic...
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...Gen Wang Verdie Culbreath College Writing June 29, 2013 Freirean Interpretation of My Partner’s Story In the essay “The “Banking” Concept of Education”, Paulo Freire reviews the dominant and popular concept of education, the “banking” model of education. In this approach to education, students are only able to listen to the teacher and memorize what teacher says, including facts, formulas, disciplines, etc. They do what the teacher requires, without question. In this relationship, students and teachers are not equal. The teacher is the person who dominates the entire class and has absolute authority. The students are the audience – they cannot have their own opinions but recenive their teachers’ “narration.” It is not difficult to imagine the scene: students like bank accounts and teachers “deposit” knowledge in these accounts, whether the students are willing or not. This is how Freire describes the “banking” model of education. In the following paragraph, I’m going to further discuss “banking” education according to my partner Yang’s experience. In today’s China, the “banking” model of education is a phenomenon. One can observe it almost in every school, no matter what kind of school. They all operate in the same mode: teachers elaborate how to solve typical problems to their students and leave them a lot of homework, then check their homework and help them to correct their errors. Everything is proposed by the teacher, and students are discouraged from thinking critically...
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...Mohd 1 Mohd Ali Professor Asbille On the Nature of Religion Throughout history it can clearly be seen that religion has played an important role in people’s lives. It is the one thing that is consistent across every culture. From Scandinavia to Japan, and from Ireland to Argentina, religion has played a role in the development of these societies. It does not matter what language the people speak or what they wear. Religion seems to bridge the gap without problem, rapidly spreading from one place to another in a matter of centuries, despite there being a cultural and language barrier. What makes religion so incredibly effective? Why is it that the concept has existed for literally as long as humanity has existed? What is the relationship between religion and culture? Are they two distinct entities, or are they two different manifestations of the same phenomenon? In order to answer these questions, first, a mutual platform must be developed and agreed upon, which will serve as the basis for development and proposal of arguments. First and foremost, this paper is a rational inquiry about the nature of religion, and as such this paper will establish arguments and analyze religion through the lens of rationality and science. This is not a paper about causality. The arguments developed here are built on the foundations of Objectivism, scientific realism, empirical analysis and strict adherence to logic. Furthermore, religion has to be rigorously defined...
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...Metaphysics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to:navigation, search This article is about the branch of philosophy. For the work of Aristotle, see Metaphysics (Aristotle). |Philosophy | |[pic] | |Branches[show] | |Aesthetics | |Epistemology | |Ethics | |Logic | |Metaphysics | |Social philosophy | |Political philosophy | |Eras[show] | |Ancient | |Medieval | |Modern | |Contemporary | |Traditions[show] | |Analytic | |Continental | |Eastern | |Islamic | |Marxist | |Platonic | |Scholastic | |Philosophers[show] | |Aestheticians | |Epistemologists...
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...The systematic institution of racism constitutes a systematic accumulation of effort that goes unnoticed behind the façade presented to the audience. Hidden agendas surreptitiously make the effort to facilitate subordination of the disenfranchised and powerless amidst the easily perceived promising future of equality. In the following response, I will argue the integration of humanist ethical ideologies that illicitly and surreptitiously generate racist ideologies that subjugate the colonized non-Western “other”. Social Darwinism, eugenics, imperialism, nationalism, cultural relativity, and multiculturalism are the main ideas that support my argument which will be subsequently elaborated on. For centuries, the doctrine of white male hegemonic enslavement has dominated, degraded, and dehumanized the disenfranchised and powerless from the privileged. The beliefs, values, culture, and ideology that all these different number of systems of thinking would create the knowledge of humanitarian effort to intervene in trying to justify and clarify racism without question. Universalism helped to fuel the binary opposition of the colonizers versus the colonized. The binary system is far from valiantly subverting stereotypes, such manufactured ideologies are deeply invested in upholding stereotypes, which in turn generates the idea of “difference” and this difference plays a role in sustaining racism. In other words, if words like “progressive” and “civilized” are tied to the group “colonizers”...
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...a German philologist, philosopher,cultural critic, poet and composer. He wrote several critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism. Nietzsche's key ideas include the Apollonian/Dionysian dichotomy, perspectivism, the Will to Power, the "death of God", the Übermensch and eternal recurrence. One of the key tenets of his philosophy is the concept of "life-affirmation," which embraces the realities of the world in which we live over the idea of a world beyond. It further champions the creative powers of the individual to strive beyond social, cultural, and moral contexts.[3]Nietzsche's attitude towards religion and morality was marked with atheism, psychologism and historism; he considered them to be human creations loaded with the error of confusing cause and effect.[4] His radical questioning of the value and objectivity of truth has been the focus of extensive commentary, and his influence remains substantial, particularly in the continental philosophical schools of existentialism, postmodernism, and post-structuralism. His ideas of individual overcoming and transcendence beyond structure and context have had a profound impact on late-twentieth and early-twenty-first century thinkers, who have used these concepts as points of departure in the development of their philosophies.[5][6] Most recently, Nietzsche's reflections have been received in various philosophical approaches which move beyond humanism...
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...Philosophy vs. Science by Joseph Rowlands The historical relationship between science and philosophy has not been a friendly one. Philosophers like to start with their conclusions, and work to prove them. When it came to trying to figure out what the world was like, philosophers tended to argue about what the world should be like. Science was born as a rejection of this method. Its goal was to figure out what the world was really all about, and its primary tool was actual experimentation. We've all seen philosophy at its worst. Philosophers are often completely disconnected from reality and, more recently, don't care. Rationalism, the view that only deductive knowledge is really reliable, is commonplace. Philosophers often expound their ideas from armchairs and ivory towers, where the facts of reality don't concern them. It's not surprising science would want to distance itself from philosophy. It becomes even more personal for the scientist when he's told that he must conform to preconceived views of the world. It started with Galileo having to renounce his scientific views on astronomy, but continued through the ages. Countless other scientists have had to hide their views on topics like evolution, the age of the earth and the existence of glaciers, with a range of punishments from the inquisition and burning at the stake to losing their jobs or financing. Philosophy, often in the form of religion, does not seek the truth. It seeks believers, and the truth is an...
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...Leadership Think Tank 2005 1 Built to Last Jim Collins/Jerry Porras Harper Business Essentials (Paperback Edition) 368 Pages ISBN: 0060516402 Chapter ONE On the basis of substantial research, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras observe the distinctive habits of companies of enduring greatness. In the words of the authors, “Visionary companies are premier institutions – the crown jewels – in their industries, widely admired by their peers, and having a long track record of making a significant impact on the world around them.” Visionary leaders and breakthrough ideas come and go, but visionary companies survive the transitions. The “successful habits” of the visionary companies were observed in comparison to “silver medalist” companies in the same industry. Both the visionary and comparison companies outperformed the market, but the visionary companies demonstrated extraordinary long-term results. The tandems most frequently referenced in the book are GE/Westinghouse, HP/Texas Instruments, Motorola/Zenith, P&G/Colgate, Merck/Pfizer, and Wal-Mart/Ames. These comparisons dispelled commonly held myths regarding the nature of exceptional companies. Myth Reality 1 It takes a great idea to start a great company Visionary companies did not demonstrate early success 2 Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders Leaders of visionary companies were focused on building great institutions as opposed to building their individual reputations ...
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...10/30/12 strategic management Lexicon Home About Us strategic management See Also strategy novelty organizational dynamics strategic planning exploration exploitation strategic management methodology strategic management framework strategic management activities good-to-great strategic intent management leadership strategic management competency strategic control organizational theory environment Definition See environment for the interpretive perspective of the organization and its strategic management implications. Strategic management is about charting how to achieve a company's objectives, and adjusting the direction and methods to take advantage of changing circumstances (Faulkner and Campbell, 2003, 3). ""The field of strategic management deals with the major intended and emergent initiatives taken by general managers on behalf of owners, involving utilization of resources, to enhance the performance of firms in their external environments."" (Nag, Hambrick, and Chen, 2007, 944) Inductive Derivation of a Consensus Definition of the Field -Representative definitionsnew -- espoused by four sets of boundary spanning scholars base on their adjacent field (Nag, Hambrick, and Chen, 2007, 946, Table 4) -Economics -The strategic management field is-positively-the scientific study of the plans that firms build and implement in order to achieve and maintain competitive advantage, andnormatively-the attempt to identify optimal plans for achieving and maintaining competitive...
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...For the purpose of this assignment I am going to discuss the social construct of disability by focusing on eugenics and language. In addition to the medical and social model of disability, segregation and the oppression of disability. Furthermore the Medias influence on social constructs. Within the United Kingdom there are an estimated 9 million disabled adults. (Office for Disability Issues updated Department for Work and Pensions estimates based on Family Resources survey 2009/10). Despite the high number, people with impairments are treated as a separate homogenous group to the rest of society. Firstly, to understand where we are today with disability as a social construction I will provide a historical account of disability in western society. To pinpoint precisely the origins of society’s attitude towards disability and disabled people would be almost impossible (Barton 1996). One theory that has been suggested, is that the view that our perceptions of impairments and disability are influenced by psychological fear of the unknown, the anomalous and the abnormal (Barton 1996 cites Douglas 1966). Historically, disability has been a source of oppression where disabled people have been socially excluded from many areas of social life. The exclusion can be traced back to an era when biblically ideas formed of society. The religious model of disability produced notions of what was acceptable and not acceptable; this included the exclusion of imperfections of the body. Imperfect...
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...Tiffany Nguyen Instructor: David J. Estrada English 100 22 October 2013 First Draft Theory has traditionally been approached from an objective orientation. We can trace a progression however throughout the 19th and 20th century in the apparent evolution of social scientific theory from objective through to more subjective approaches. The question remains though, does the theory accurately reflect change in society or does the 'perspective' of theory and theoretical approach of the researcher only tease out particular aspects of a social phenomenon. By holding the topic of subculture constant, social scientific theory can be put into question. This essay examines subcultures from the 1950's to the present in order to revisit assumptions about theory. The Punk subculture is examined specifically through semiotic analysis within a broader Sociological framework in order to find out what a more subjective approach to theory over this time period can reveal. In the past, subcultural theory described subcultures as fairly uniform and static. Theorists referred to the 1960's and 1970's within a Modern paradigm which objectivist in nature understood subculture as a problem to be fixed. Subcultural delinquency was seen as noise and as unnatural. More recent subcultural theory describes subcultures as transient, informal and hybrid. But subcultures have always been about’ youth, about times of economic uncertainty, employment pressures and reliant on class distinction (Van Krieken...
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...ANALYTICAL JURISPRUDENCE (LEGAL POSITIVISM) Synopsis: (i) Socio-economic and historical context on which it arose. (ii) Positivism in Philosophy – the important founder Augustine Cômte. (iii) Its expression in Law – Analytical Legal Positivism. (a) Different aspects of Legal Positivism (b) John Austin (c) Neo-Positivist Trends (aa) Hart’s Concept (bb) Linguistic Trend (iv) Kelsen’s Pure Theory of Law (v) General Appraisal and Critique (1) Socio-economic and historical context Just before 1848 Revolution, Marx says in the development of Bourgeois class there are 2 phases to distinguish: (i) One which constitutes support Absolute Monarchy (ii) The one which constitutes itself as class, overthrows Feudalism and it establishes its own political rule (Bourgeois Rule) The 1st phase lasted for 3 centuries from 16th C – 18th C The 2nd phase roughly from 1780’s to 1840’s. Actually 1789-1848 is called the Ag of Revolution. During the 1st phase, when it is still constituting itself – their philosophical spokesmen are found in NL school – i.e. Hobbes, Locke etc. – Notion of Justice and equality show the core they argue for change against status quo. The philosophy is metaphysical but revolutionary because it is fighting for change against the status quo. 2nd Phase: The triumph/victory of the Bourgeoisie. In this phase – consolidation of the Bourgeoisie clan at the political level - this found expression in the French Revolution 1789...
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...Big Business Corporatism Versus Free Market Capitalism Right now, there is a lot of talk about the evils of “capitalism”. But it is not really accurate to say that we live in a capitalist system. Rather, what we have in the United States today, and what most of the world is living under, is much more accurately described as “corporatism”. Under corporatism, most wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of giant corporations and big government is used as a tool by these corporations to consolidate wealth and power even further. In a corporatist system, the wealth and power of individuals and small businesses is dwarfed by the overwhelming dominance of the corporations. Eventually, the corporations end up owning almost everything and they end up dominating nearly every aspect of society. As you will see below, this very accurately describes the United States of America today. Corporatism is killing this country, and it is not what our founding fathers intended. Corporatism is actually not too different from socialism or communism. They are all “collectivist” economic systems. Under corporatism, wealth and power are even more highly concentrated than they are under socialism or communism, and the truth is that none of them are “egalitarian” economic systems. Under all collectivist systems, a small elite almost always enjoys most of the benefits while most of the rest of the population suffers.The Occupy Wall Street protesters realize that our economic system is...
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...in order to understand the theories and practices used today, it’s important for management students to look at the evolution of management thought and practices. The practice of management has always reflected historical times and societal conditions.1. INTRODUCTIONMany current management concepts and practices can be traced to early management theories. The practice of management has always reflected the times and social conditions, so many organizations are responding to technology breakthroughs and developing Web-based operations. These new business models reflect today’s reality: information can be shared and exchanged instantaneously anywhere on the planet. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate that knowledge of management history can help understand today’s management theory and practice.2. MANAGEMENT’S CONNECTION TO OTHER FIELDS OF STUDYManagement courses have a rich heritage from humanities and social science courses.A. Anthropology —the study of societies, which helps us learn about humans, their activities, and differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behavior between people in different countries and within different organizations.B. Economics —concerned with the allocation, distribution of scare resources, and understanding the changing economy, as well as the role of competition and free markets in a global context.C. Philosophy —examines the nature of things, particularly values and ethics.D. Political Science —studies the behavior of individuals...
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...INTRODUCTION The plays and prefaces of Bernard Shaw deal with many and diverse themes. At least four, however, concern themselves with evolutionary themes and ideas: Man and Superman, Back to Methusalah, The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles, and Far-fetched Fables. In Man and Superman, especially the third act, the preface, and The Revolutionist's Handbook and Pocket Companion, Shaw touches on two main themes: the pursuit of man by woman and the direction of evolution, which Shaw sees as leading towards the development of the mind and brain. In Back to Methusalah, Shaw carries forward his vision of evolution as proceeding in the direction of mental development but introduces a seemingly new idea in the last play of the cycle, the antithesis of mind and body. Shaw's dualism receives its most explicit statement in the last play of the cycle although there may be indications of it in the earlier plays. The mind-body antithesis, however, derives as a philosophical problem from Descartes,1 although the antithesis also appeared in the Manichean and Gnostic heresies, the spirit, or mind, being regarded as good and the body as evil. Although the antithesis of body and mind makes its first open appearance in the Methusalah cycle, it is present, at least as an implicit assumption in Man and Superman. Don Juan continually expresses his longing for the life of contemplation, a life which is to be achieved at the expense of the body. We will deal with the presence of the mind body antithesis...
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