...intensely than I did while reading The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Published as a pamphlet in 1794, Paine authored this short piece to share his thoughts and opinions about religion and summarize his profession of faith. While I have come to appreciate the honesty and openness with which he wrote, I do not agree with the largest portion of Paine's actual beliefs. Thomas Paine started off well enough with the ever true statement: "I believe in one God, and no more" (Timmerman, Hettinga 95). He affirms, as do I, that God is the master creator behind nature (101) and that all men are equal (95). From here, however, Paine's worldview and my worldview take two totally different paths. Paine dedicates a large amount of his writing to discuss his views on divine revelation. He defines revelation in a religious context as "something communicated immediately from God to man" (96). He then presents the application of his definition to reality, arguing that a revelation from God is only a true revelation to whomever first directly receives it: "It is a contradiction in terms and ideas, to call anything a revelation that comes to us at second-hand, either verbally or in writing. Revelation is necessarily limited to the first communication"...
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...Reed Interpretive Writings on Quotes from Thomas Paine 9:00 /10.00 Time Makes Converse than Reason Thomas Paine, one of our Founding Fathers by virtue of having written "Common Sense," lost many friends and made many enemies with "The Age of Reason. “Paine called himself a Deist, by which he meant that he believed in one God, the Creator of the universe, and in no other, including Son and Holy Ghost. Paine believed that, in order to know God, a person needed to study creation. Creation was the only true word of God, the Bible and all other sacred texts being the work of men, and not at all the word of God. In fact, Paine thought that the Bible, being false, was an impediment to knowing God. The second part of "The Age of Reason" is a book-by-book dismantling of the Bible by its own internal logic. While his own logic is not always perfectly rigorous, he definitely makes an excellent case against the Bible being the word of God. Paine's point of view is that of many in the scientific eighteenth century. By our standards, he was still a little too anthropocentric, in that he thought that creation was meant as a teaching tool for Man's rational mind. He virtually instigated the American Revolution and the break from the shackles of religious slavery. Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and many others were Deists who believed the human mind needn't suffer from the dogma of the day nor unscientific, supernatural beliefs. Paine breaks down the Bible bit by bit to allow...
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...Thomas Jefferson was who authored extraordinary words and it was there words that changed a nation. Jefferson’s ability to write made him prominent author of write the Declaration of Independence, (among other significant works). Jefferson’s writings reflected on the rights of mankind and what rights a government must offer its people. His use of words to fight for Human rights makes him one of the greatest American Hero’s. Thomas Jefferson’s writings on basic human rights caused a radical shift in American Colonist thoughts and these stunning ideas would influence the Americans to break away from Great Britain. “As a boy, Thomas Jefferson’s was shy and often tongue-tied…Preferred the company of books to that of most people.” (Wilmore, 1) These were words to describe the young Jefferson; his childhood would prove to be a key in shaping the man, who through his words would change a nation. Jefferson was born on April 13th 1743, in Shadwell Virginia. During his childhood he would spend 15 hours each day reading and writing, this would prove to make his writing skills at a high level (1). As he grew into an adult he would study law in his home of Virginia at the William and Mary College at Williamsburg (Bottorff, 15). During this time he would become a member of the Whig party and would advocate for the rights and liberties of mankind (Peterson, 1). It was in his childhood and as turned into an adult which he learned how to write and how to express his political views through words...
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...A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION After considering the historic page, and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and I have sighed when obliged to confess that either Nature has made a great difference between man and man, or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. I have turned over various books written on the subject of education, and patiently observed the conduct of parents and the management of schools; but what has been the result?--a profound conviction that the neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore, and that women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion. The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty; and the flaunting leaves, after having pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity. One cause of this barren blooming I attribute to a false system of education, gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring...
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...Income Guarantee Schemes Amir Hasanat ECON 3505 - Critique of Capitalism Abstract Canada and the United States grapple with situations that necessitate income guarantee schemes but have not implemented the schemes. Income guarantee schemes are social welfare provisions in which governments offer incomes to the citizens to enable them meet their needs as long as they meet established conditions. The origin of this scheme lies in the understanding that every citizen has a right to wealth and property of the state. It is also based on the reality that not all citizens are capable of earning income or sustaining themselves. Income guarantee schemes are based on social welfare models, which conceptualize that it is the role of the government to cater for the needs of the citizenry. Therefore, income guarantee schemes undermine the ideals of capitalism that call for individual efforts for purposes of meeting needs. Income guarantee schemes have a long history of evolution, implementation, and success. Introduction The United States has a number of anti-poverty programs that guarantee economic support to the vulnerable in society (Economist, 2013, p. 1). Income guarantee schemes can be of great relief to a number of poverty stricken people in the country. In Canada, a four-year experiment with income generation schemes was successful but due to economic period of the time, the schemes were discontinued (Belik, 2011, p. 1). Though they intend to end poverty...
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...Senior Research Project: Is the right to bear arms ethical? Lucas Van Duyn Senior Seminar: Business Ethics Dr. Jewe July 31, 2012 Introduction to the Project: In the United States, research into firearms and violent crime is fraught with difficulties, associated with limited data on gun ownership and use, firearms markets, and aggregation of crime data. Research studies into gun violence have primarily taken one of two approaches: case-control studies and social ecology. Gun ownership is usually determined through surveys, proxy variables, and sometimes with production and import figures. In statistical analysis of homicides and other types of crime, which are rare events, these data tend to have poison distributions, which also presents methodological challenges to researchers. (Just Facts, 2010) Americans own an estimated 270 million firearms, approximately 90 guns for every 100 people. In 2009, guns took the lives of 31,347 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. This is the equivalent of more than 85 deaths each day and more than three deaths each hour. 66,769 Americans were treated in hospital emergency departments for non-fatal gunshot wounds in 2009. Firearms were the third-leading cause of injury-related deaths nationwide in 2009, following poisoning and motor vehicle accidents. Between 1955 and 1975, the Vietnam War killed over 58,000 American soldiers – less than the number of civilians killed with guns in the U.S. in an average...
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...4 March: City of God – Utopian Reader – include a little bit on it – 22 volumes in all. Christianity – Augustine – classicly trained greek scholar. City in north Africa. Story like apostle Paul – orginially a person who persecuted Christians – north African wealth family from – found enlightenment in Christianity. Once he joined became one of the early scholars trained in greek – regulized Christian theology. Influence on western world – top four or five who influenced. Confessions and City of God his writings…look up! What’s the purpose of improving human society – complex – why do it? Can human society be made better? Why bother, what is the point, justification? Takes effort, misery involved, change, unknowns, takes energy, takes risks. HAPPINESS – justification for improving society. What do you have to have to be happy? What is happiness – PHI 101 – happiness according to whom? Lack of misery; literally the elimination of misery. Secondly, food – gives pleasure – Happiness is lack of human misery and maximizing /pleasure and happiness. Bliss 24/7 – hedonism Epicureanism – eliminating misery and maximizing happiness. The justification of utopianism = why did plato want the republic? Justisifcation for improving human society among the Greeks? Poor always poor, always unhappy, death claims everyone - it is rational to maximize pleasure and eliminate misery. Do eternally accouding to plato. Opinions – 1. Relativism is a retreat in the 20th century. Can’t...
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...A summary of the bestselling book by Stephen R. Covey. From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Published by Simon & Schuster. INTRODUCTION Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, habits constantly express our character and produce our effectiveness or our in effectiveness. In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I identify here seven habits shared by all truly effective people. Fortunately, for those of us not born effective (no one is), these habits can be learned. Furthermore, the collective experience of the ages shows us that acquiring them will give you the character to succeed. Some years ago, I decided to read all the success literature published in the United States since its beginning in 1776 - hundreds of books, articles, and essays on self-improvement and popular psychology. I noticed a startling thing: Almost all the writings that helped build our country in its first 150 years or so identified character as the foundation of success. The literature of what we might call “The Character Ethic” helped Americans cultivate integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, and the Golden Rule. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is a prime example. Compared with the early success literature, the writings of the last 50 years seem superficial to me - filled...
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...A summary of the bestselling book by Stephen R. Covey. From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Published by Simon & Schuster. INTRODUCTION Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, habits constantly express our character and produce our effectiveness or our in effectiveness. In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I identify here seven habits shared by all truly effective people. Fortunately, for those of us not born effective (no one is), these habits can be learned. Furthermore, the collective experience of the ages shows us that acquiring them will give you the character to succeed. Some years ago, I decided to read all the success literature published in the United States since its beginning in 1776 - hundreds of books, articles, and essays on self-improvement and popular psychology. I noticed a startling thing: Almost all the writings that helped build our country in its first 150 years or so identified character as the foundation of success. The literature of what we might call “The Character Ethic” helped Americans cultivate integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, and the Golden Rule. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is a prime example. Compared with the early success literature, the writings of the last 50 years seem superficial to me - filled with social image...
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...Houston Community College Homework 1-5 Presented To: Lloyd W. Gaddis By Yushana Ford Government 2305 8:00A.M- 9:30A.M Mon/Wed 09/20/2015 Chapter 1: The More Things Change…The More They Stay the Same 1. Analyze current problems and issues in American Government by applying Historical perspectives: -History Repeats Itself +A new Communication medium paves the way to Electoral Victory- Meaning the internet and social media have revolutionized American politics. Campaign advertising is the use of an advertising campaign through the media to influence political debate and ultimately voters. Political advertising has changed drastically over the last several decades. Harry S. Truman was proud of his accomplishment of shaking approximately 500,000 hands but his accomplishment was soon pale compared to the next presidential election with the advent of television, war hero and presidential candidate D.W Eisenhower created commercials to get votes and so on and it different with different elections and different decades. +The Power of Incumbency- It is usually used in reference to elections where races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbents. Incumbents have easier access to campaign finance and government resources that can be indirectly used to boost a campaign. Incumbency is any elected official who is already in office and seeking re-election. 2. Explain the Philosophical underpinnings of American Political System through...
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...foundation for the government of the United States. The Constitution was written in 1787. This was four years after the U.S. signed a peace treaty with Great Britain. This peace treaty gave the thirteen British colonies their independence. They formed a new country, the United States of America. The men who wrote the Constitution are called our “Founding Fathers.” Some of them were: George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Gouveneur Morris, and Benjamin Franklin. The Founding Fathers took ideas from many places. They took parts from their state constitutions. They took parts of Britain’s Magna Carta. They studied the governments of ancient Greece and Rome. They got ideas from philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu and Thomas Paine. They used some ideas from Iroquois Indians union of tribes. Cover painting; “The Signing of the Constitution” by Chandler Howard Christie hangs in the House of representatives...Courtesy TeachingAmericanHistory.com 2 The Constitution in Simple English ©2010 Elizabeth Claire, Inc Fifty-five delegates from twelve states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May 1787. These delegates had come to fix the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation had held the states together during the War for Independence. However, it was not strong enough to hold the states together after that. Soon the delegates saw that the Articles of Confederation could not be fixed. They had to write a...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS Author’s Preface ...................................................................................................................... p. 3 Chapter 1 — Introduction ....................................................................................................... p. 9 Chapter 2 — Desire: The Turning Point of All Achievement ................................................. p. 22 Chapter 3 — Faith Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire ............................... p. 40 Chapter 4 — Auto-Suggestion the Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind .............. p. 58 Chapter 5 — Specialized Knowledge, Personal Experiences or Observations ...................... p. 64 Chapter 6 — Imagination: the Workshop of the Mind .......................................................... p. 77 Chapter 7 — Organized Planning, the Crystallization of Desire into Action ........................ p. 90 Chapter 8 — Decision: the Mastery of Procrastination ......................................................... p. 128 Chapter 9 — Persistence: the Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith ........................... p. 138 Chapter 10 — Power of the Master Mind: the Driving Force ................................................. p. 153 Chapter 11 — The Mystery of Sex Transmutation .................................................................. p. 160 Chapter 12 — The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link ........................................
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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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...favour. Lower court judges are obligated to follow decisions of higher courts in similar cases (stare decisis). We will do the same with our cases. Case Summary The facts: The evidence in the case allows us to compare to our case. Legal Issues: What legal questions need to be determined? Decision: What is the ruling? Ratio decidendi: What are the reasons for the decision? What laws are applied? This can be applied to future cases (and exams). Law vs. Ethics Ethics are voluntary rules of behaviour; Designed to create conditions allowing people to live a good life; Laws are coercive rules on conduct; Imposed on society through the social contract; Origin of ethics Jeremy Benthem (18th century). Utilitarianism – political and social institutions (law) should be used to maximum utility. Maximize pleasure and minimize pain. John Stuart Mill (19th century). Actions are wrong if they produce unhappiness. Actions are right if they produce happiness. Contrast to Nicolo Macchiavelli; the end justify the means. Illegal but Ethical Marijuana is an illegal narcotic; Marijuana is no longer frowned upon; Legal but Unethical Abortion; - Ban on abortion overturned by the Supreme Court; No law on the books today; Abortion is only regulated by ethical considerations; Doctors may refuse abortions for religious or conscientious reasons; British Columbia may pass a law to forbid it; Article 6, CIVIL CODE A codification of the basic principle of ethics; We must act in good faith in our...
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...helped million of the people and has been important in the life of many successful people such as W. Clement Stone and Og Mandino. Napoleon Hill was born into poverty in 1883 in a one-room cabin on the Pound River in Wise County, Virginia. At the age of 10 his mother died, and two years later his father remarried. He became a very rebellious boy, but grew up to be an incredible man. He began his writing career at age 13 as a "mountain reporter" for small town newspapers and went on to become America's most beloved motivational author. Fighting against all class of great disadvantages and pressures, he dedicated more than 25 years of his life to define the reasons by which so many people fail to achieve true financial success and happiness in their life. During this time he achieved great success as an attorney and journalist. His early career as a reporter helped finance his way through law school. He was given an assignment to write a series of success stories of famous men, and his big break came when he was asked to interview steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie commissioned Hill to interview over 500 millionaires to find a success formula that could be used by the average person. These included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Elmer Gates, Charles M. Schwab, Theodore Roosevelt, William Wrigley Jr, John Wanamaker, WIlliam Jennings Bryan, George Eastman, Woodrow Wilson, William H. Taft, John D. Rockefeller, F. W. Woolworth, Jennings...
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