...five feet tall and two feet wide, the face of the rectangle is a dull mauve color, and at the center of the rectangle rests a bean-shaped oblong, jutting out like a flaccid balloon. It’s a fetus, one may think, or a bladder...but what is the point of the piece? The exact purpose of the art piece, the meaning or explanation is not written there plainly. To understand a piece of art like this, one must engage in their own interpretation. Some people appreciate art because they consider it beautiful; some consider it pointless; some consider art necessary to society, and many refrain from further evaluation of art. In his essay “Art for Art’s Sake,” E.M. Forster explores precisely what this essay title proclaims. Forster acknowledges his argument is an “unpopular” one, but strives to ratify some misconceptions about art for art’s sake. In my initial reading of the essay I am not exempt from resisting the idea of art for art’s sake. Immediately, the notion seems to say that art can have no effect on society, and be appreciated nonetheless. I would like to believe, as a green and optimistic young artist, that art should and does have a purpose in society, and Forster’s support of art for art’s sake seems frivolous and occasionally slightly pretentious. To explain why art is in fact eternal, according to Forster, he writes that art has “internal order,” a unique quality that allows the significance of an art piece to last even as time goes...
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...Personality John Bryant PSY/405 July 20, 2012 Dr. Carmel Munroe Personality Human beings are born inherently with his or her individual personality. In the following essay the author of this essay will examine personality in detail. First I intend to define personality where I will give some characteristics of personality and inform the reader what personality is. Secondly the author of this essay will examine the theoretical approaches in the study of personality and give some examples of schools of thought based on personality. Last the author of this essay will analyze influential factors that influence human personality development and compare nature versus nurture and what affect if any that has on personality. The aforementioned topics will be researched to create an understanding of human personality. An individual’s personality is made up by multiple factors that inclusively become one’s personality. Some of the characteristics of an individual’s personality are the individual’s patterns of thoughts, feelings, and certain behaviors that the individual exhibits. To understand personality one has to factor in key traits within a person and understand that personality is organized and consistent. Humans express their individual personality in different situations and tend to have stable responses to the situation. An individual’s personality tends to stay constant throughout his or her entire life with few to no changes occurring throughout. Personality is solely...
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...Locke’s argument against innate ideas. In Locke’s ‘An Essay Concerning Human Understanding’, he argues for his view of empiricism, concerning the origin of ideas. A conflicting position for this subject is rationalism. According to rationalists, ideas are innate. However, Locke was an empiricist and believed that ideas came from experience. In this essay I aim to explore Locke’s position on the formation of ideas and consider how his arguments may be criticised or indeed supported. According to Locke, an idea is “the object of the understanding when a man thinks” (I.i.8). In his ‘Essay’, Locke argues against the notion that ideas are innate in humans. He argued that ideas were formed from sensory experience rather than being innate. By innate, we mean that we were born with the ideas. Locke mentions the argument for innate ideas being that there are universally accepted ideas, so they must be already present in people when they are born. In the ‘Essay’, Locke said that the existence of innate ideas could be disproved if another way was found in which all mankind could come to agree on a certain truth. I think there is a weakness in this argument. In order for his point to be relevant, he would need to find this truth that is universally accepted and prove that it was born from experience. Therefore, the argument that innate ideas are responsible for universal truths is the best explanation that can be given. Although Locke’s argument does not have a lot to justify it...
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...complicated.” This quote ostensibly covers the whole idea of this essay. We as humans have had rough time through our evolution; we have gone through much as a race that it has affected us to our core. Goulish explains it in his essay that it is our nature to complicate things. “Irreducible complexity seems to characterize the late twentieth century itself” (Goulish 557). Goulish seems to have a pretty good idea of what complexities are and how this trait of human beings has been us for as long as we can remember. Goulish does not hesitate to explain to his readers that making things complex is our nature. Goulish hits this spot right from the beginning of his essay, “Each time we experience a work of performance, we start over almost from nothing” (Goulish 557). Why does he say that? Goulish tells us that when we experience an act of performance we tend to look at it from the fresh eye instead of using our previous encounters in similar situations. He tells his readers that, come what may, we will look at things with the thought in our head that we have never encountered it before. Goulish mentions it multiple places in the essay that we are critics but “Why do we engage a critical mind?” Throughout the whole essay he has one purpose, “To try and explain to his readers why we engage a critical mind.” He does not fail to mention that this side of humans is not just limited to an act of performance but all endeavors of human life. It is applicable to everything that...
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...There is no architecture without action, events, and programs (Tschumi 1994;121). Tschumi suggests that “any relationship between a building and its users is one of violence, for any use means intrusion of the human body into a given space, the intrusion of one order into another" (122). This essay will aim to explore the "complex juxtaposition of abstract concepts and immediate experiences" of the violence of architecture, through a walking tour of Barangaroo Reserve. [need a sentence here] Tschumi defines the 'violence' of architecture as a metaphor for the intensity of relationship between individuals and spaces (122). That is to say, the intrusion of the human body into architectural space, and the affect of architectural space on the human...
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...The theory of innateness is a philosophical idea that was developed to explain how human beings have certain ideas that lead to knowledge. However, in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke claims that there is not satisfactory evidence to support this theory. In the first book of the Essay, Locke’s motive is to challenge the general assumption that the human mind innately possesses the basic truths thought necessary for the possibility of knowledge. Contrary to the widely held belief of innateness, Locke makes the argument that knowledge is derived from empirical experience. In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke presents a systematic case against innate knowledge, and argues for the doctrine that sense...
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...1632-1704, Essay on Human Understanding • a British philosopher • Oxford academic and medical researcher • his association with Anthony Ashley Cooper (later the First Earl of Shaftesbury) led him to become o a government official charged with collecting information about trade and colonies, o An economic writer, opposition political activist, and o finally a revolutionary whose cause ultimately triumphed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. • Much of his work is characterized by opposition to authoritarianism. • This opposition is both on the level of the individual person and on the level of institutions such as government and church. • Locke's monumental An Essay Concerning Human Understanding concerns itself with determining the limits of human understanding in respect to God, the self, natural kinds and artifacts, as well as a variety of different kinds of ideas. • It thus tells us in some detail what one can legitimately claim to know and what one cannot. • Locke also wrote a variety of important political, religious and educational works including the Two Treatises of Government, the Letters Concerning Toleration, The Reasonableness of Christianity and Some Thoughts Concerning Education. Essay on Human Understanding • Locke is often classified as the first of the great English empiricists (ignoring the claims of Bacon and Hobbes). • This reputation rests on An Essay Concerning Human Understanding...
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...miraculous organ. In Gamel’s essay it is brought to our attention how the human being cherishes their eye sight; one would choose to tolerate pain in the hope that one may regain their eye sight; however, we are never shown why the human being cherishes sight so much. “(En) trance” by Chris Arthur shows the reader how this organ allows the mind to explore all different options. In this essay we see how the eyeball allows the human being to see things in a different perspective than their own and how others may perceive an image or a building based off of their own experiences and sight. We see the importance of the eyeball in regards to memory and we see its importance in the way that sight impacts people’s lives. Although “The Elegant Eyeball” by John Gamel explains the importance of the eyeball it is through “(En) trance” by Chris Arthur that we see the emotional and physical impact it has in one’s life. Throughout his essay Gamel explains how the eye works. He explains what a normal eye would possess opposed to an eye that acquired a disease, which would eventually obtain scaring. He explains the importance of the eye stating that, “Forty percent of the brain is devoted to vision, which provides us with more information than our other four senses combined” (Gamel, 39). The importance of the eye in regards to our other sense is great. In his essay “(En) trance,” Arthur explains to the reader how each person has their own viewpoint and how their own experiences allow them to achieve...
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...kjjjjjood in Literature Essay - Critical Essays Food in Literature Introduction * print Print * document PDF * list Cite * link Link Food in Literature Eating is a fundamental human activity, an activity that is both necessary for survival and inextricably connected with social function. Eating habits and rituals, the choice of dining companions, and the reasons behind these behaviors are fundamental to fostering an understanding of human society. Recent psychoanalytic theory suggests that eating practices are essential to self-identity and are instrumental in defining family, class, and even ethnic identity. Although food and related imagery have long been part of literature, psychological theories have led to the examination of food and eating as a universal experience. Themes related to food are common among all types of writing, and they are often used as a literary device for both visual and verbal impact. For example, food-related images in the theater are commonly used to create a mood or convey an idea. Food is also a significant theme in literature by and about women and in children's literature. A common setting related to food in children's literature is teatime. Usually employed to dramatize states of harmony or disharmony, teatime is used to great effect in such works as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1866), in which Alice learns to come to terms with the world around her via her experiences at the Mad Hatter's distinctly uncivilized...
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...college. For those individuals who do not take ownership of his actions or behaviors, there may be consequences to pay. As Denis Waitley stated “A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.” My personal responsibility will include time management, collaboration, and a positive attitude. Responsibility Whereas personal responsibility must start with us as individuals, one must also note the importance of personal responsibility in a team environment. Personal responsibility will not only enhance a collaborative working environment into a positive experience, it will also assist in meeting the goals to earn your degree. Students must take responsibility in learning the importance of time management as it relates to study habits, completing assignments efficiently, and by the due date. Additionally, it is important for students to respect different ethical...
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...Emily Sun Mr. Bursiek IB LA 11 22 October 2012 Limited Transcendence in the Human Condition An analysis of contradicting elements in selected personal essays of Virginia Woolf An author fascinated with boundaries, Virginia Woolf blurs the line between black and white in her essays The Death of the Moth and Street Haunting. In both essays she highlights opposing extremes: Street Haunting articulates the innate conflict of impulse and restraint, and The Death of the Moth articulates the enduring struggle between life and death, from which death always rises as the victor. The juxtaposition of these conflicting extremes as contradictory ultimately results in a dialectical synthesis of the two, proving that one is synergetic with the other. Through this synergy Woolf emphasizes the strength of the human condition to transcend the boundaries of its ambiguities, but clearly defines its inability to fully surpass the boundaries of the physical world. The Death of the Moth makes a piercingly clear point that life is futile in the face of its unfailing conqueror: death. Yet embedded at the heart of Woolf’s essay and thesis lies an inherent contradiction. Woolf constructs her essay to revolve around death’s victorious potency. Yet that is not enough. For, to glorify the power of death, she must also paint life as a substantial opponent to overcome. She does accomplish this purpose, describing the moth’s “gigantic effort…against a power of such magnitude” (Moth 2), a surprisingly...
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...strangers? Siri Hustvedt is an American author who in 2002 wrote the personal essay ‘Living With Strangers’. She simply raises the pros and cons of living together in the big city of New York – in a very non-simplistic way. With personal experiences and thoughts throughout the whole essay, she holds on to the reader’s attention from the very first line. I will mainly focus on the choice of genre, together with the linguistic instruments that Siri Hustvedt uses in her essay. There are a lot of basics that feature the characteristics of a personal essay. The personal essay is often focused on a belief or an insight about life. It combines elements as the narrative’s former experiences or relationships and raises questions about open answers. Only this genre permits Siri to be subjective on a topic where the essay still has a professional level of seriousness, while the intimate connection between sender and receiver creates a certain sense of ethos that helps Siri convincing her audience. This genre also gives Hustvedt the space to express her experiences in a way to convince us of her impression of “Living With Strangers”. Although, there is not a precise view being shared as the personal essay’s main argument: Instead it is more a meticulous reflection of the lives of New Yorkers. Siri Hustvedt is not advertising for moving from the small towns to New York, nor the other way around. This is an essay explaining the difficulties of accustoming oneself to move between such different...
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...automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives. Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. Perspective One What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Essay Task Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple...
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...source and the limits of human knowledge. According to Locke, knowledge is gained from sensation and reflection, it is very different from opinion and belief, and its certainty can only be achieved through intuition, sensation and reason. His essay on human understanding is divided into four books. Book I explain that there are no innate ideas in the mind of a person. Book two explains the origin of all ideas and states that they originate from sensation and reflection (Locke 1948). Book III explains how words signify idea and that they are essential for communication. Finally, Book IV describes how the ideas are the source of human knowledge, determines the nature, extent, and certainty of human knowledge. Locke argues that it is not possible to claim we have knowledge that we are unaware (Locke 1948). My View On Locke’s Argument I do not agree with Locke’s position that we do not possess knowledge that we are unaware. Foremost, in his argument, Locke failed to differentiate between psychological and justificatory thesis. When he claims that when we are born the mind is a blank tablet which is filled with ideas through experience, Locke failed to distinguish the doctrine of psychology and the epistemological thesis that explains experience is the test for truth (Cummins 1975). His conclusion of a plain historical method only a procedure for tracing the origin of ideas to experience and formed the fundamental empirical epistemology thesis that only experience can ascertain our beliefs...
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...John Locke's contributions in Philosophy and political views are followed and practiced even to this day. Locke’s ideas influenced religion, economics, political change, theories of knowledge and the human understanding that led to governmental and social improvements. John Locke believed in political reform. John Locke is one of the most influential authors and political philosophers in history. His ideas and views have influenced such momentous commodity such as the American constitution. Many of Locke’s ideas were used in the creation of the United States Constitution. John Locke was a British philosopher and medical researcher. Locke was born to Agnes Keene and John Locke on August 29, 1632, in Somerset, England. His father was a Puritan lawyer, who served as a Captain during the English civil war. Locke’s schooling began at Westminster School in 1647. He earned the title of King’s Scholar, which prepared him for the next phase of his education at the Christ Church in Oxford in 1652. He studied literature, physical science, medicine, politics, and natural philosophy. In 1656 he continued for his Master of Arts degree. In 1665 at Oxford, Locke encountered Lord Ashley, a notable statesman looking for medical treatment. After a friendship formed, Ashley invited Locke to join him in London as his personal physician. Locke agreed and left for London in 1667, where he lived for the next eight years. This was the beginning of Locke’s deep political interests, which was...
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