Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Existentialism - Essay Example 1. Abstract: Summary or overview of the paper 2. Introduction: An expository and informative pro and cons of existentialism 3. Arguments in support of existentialism 4. Criticism or arguments against existentialism 5. Conclusion. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to underscore the argument for and against existentialism. Even though advocates of existentialism lament that philosophy should begin with individual thinking which is the cornerstone of his or her existence, it’s also prudent to state that individual morals as well as reason and experience does not alone define the true character and origin of a person. This is the thesis of this philosophical movement. The experience one under goes determines the resultant character of that person until that person absurdly perishes. These are among other things that the author explores to understand more about existentialism. The paper is divided into an abstract, as a summary of the author’s intended research goals, in troduction of the topic arguments for and against existentialism and a conclusion of the findings. The author concludes that there is no specific definition of existentialism but it is merely a bundle of ideas that tries to marry Christianity and atheism. It is therefore, a quasi-human secularism philosophy divided into Atheist and theist existentialism. This marriage has so far received considerable criticisms and the writer agrees that it does not justify the philosophical means attached to it. The rationale supporting is that existentialism is more inclined to secular humanism that Christianity and thus theism existentialism has no place in this human philosophy. Introduction The term existentialism is an idealistic doctrine which appeals to individual freedom and responsibility in determining personal actions and motivations. It rests upon the presupposition that â€Å"essence precedes existence† (Sartre 387). Once man appears on the scene, he determines his existence (Sa rtre 388). This philosophy is strongly opposed to the traditional thinking that in search for truth, man appeals rationalism plus empiricism yet you cannot divorce reason and experience from philosophical and human development. These two brains development are sarcastically motivated and have much origin in theism than existentialism. Whereas existentialists developed their thinking based on reason together with experience, all these are a cornerstone of traditional theism. It is agreeable that reason plus experience have linkages with theistic existentialism. And whereas it presupposes that the scientific plus moral ideas cannot sufficiently explain â€Å"human existence† without individual subjective responsibility, collective responsibility cannot also be ignored either. Accordingly, it is a self-descriptive thinking theory of determining one’s own way of life and responsibility than the will of external thinking or force motivated by moral values. Besides, it negat ives the rule of law in society which is divisionary because society without rule on law is a dead society, undemocratic and ungovernable. These advocates are morally dead men looking of moralists to devour. However, this is the ideal of reason, empiricism and freedom to effectively think about what is right and wrong, which are typical moral virtues. It’s a philosophy with no definite definition but its meaning is gathered from the ideas and classical illustrations of philosophers such as â€Å"

Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations Essay Example for Free

Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations Essay The ancient Near East captured much of the region between modern day England and Western Asia, including much of Northern Africa and Mesopotamia. From this domain, arose early civilizations that made significant contributions that paved the way to how we live our lives today. Two very distinct civilizations arose from the Neo-lithic period that initiated the basis for a great many people’s political structure, religion, society, and culture. Mesopotamian civilization occupied the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, while the Egyptian civilization formed a prosperous society along the Nile River. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians, unique in their own right, laid the foundations of a flourishing civilization in the region. Mesopotamians, particularly the Sumerians, helped lead the transition from nomadic living to urban folk after the Neolithic Period. As more people began living a settled life, numerous towns sprang up, ushering a new way of life and the earliest forms of government. The towns, diverse and populous, developed a central authority governed by laws that brought about order and peace. In addition to forming one of the earliest forms of government, Mesopotamian’s invented writing that helped unify their society and the spread of their culture and ideas to a broader world by making communications easier. New advances in mathematics helped bring about the building of cities, palaces, temples, and canals. Even before Christianity, the Mesopotamians had originated religious beliefs, believing that many gods brought order to the world and life itself. They acknowledge that though there were many deities, each had a specific task, such as overlooking music, victory, law, and sex. They, however, found that gods themselves were not equal to one another and offered sacrifices to the more powerful deities, often building their cities around shrines, which made it easier for them to worship the gods. Similar to many religious beliefs of a world built by a higher entity, the Sumerians believed that the Heaven and earth were united and gave birth to Enlil, their foremost god who powered over the entire cosmos. This myth by the Mesopotamians became one of the earliest attempts to account for the creation of the universe. In addition to creating an early form of government and religious ideas, the ancient Mesopotamians also established the basic social patterns of their ancient world. Their society consisted of nobles, clients, commoners, and slaves. Elected into power by the citizens, the king and his family was the head of the noble class. Clients were free individuals who received portions of land in the kingdom from the noble class in return for labor. Commoners were citizens who had a voice in political affairs and could own land in their own right, unlike the slaves who were often prisoners of war, forced into labor by their owners but possessed the opportunity to purchase their freedom. Much like the Mesopotamians, the Egyptian civilization was able to develop a political structure, worshipped gods, established social classes, and possessed a unique culture. Often referred to as the â€Å"gift of the Nile†, ancient Egyptians looked to the Nile as the lifeblood of their civilization, not only shaping their everyday lives, but their society and history as well. The Nile provided the people raw materials for pottery, jewelry, ornaments, architectures, sculptures, and many other applications. Because of the fertile Nile, Egyptians didn’t have much reason to look to the outside world and rather flourished within their region. The period known as the Old Kingdom ( 2660-2180 b.c.e.), gave birth to new innovations and ideas, particularly religious ideas. Similar to the Mesopotamian civilization, the Egyptians believed in many gods and often developed contradictory ideas of their gods. They also believes some gods to be mightier than others, with the most powerful gods being Amon and Ra, the sky and sun god respectively. Like Enlil, Amon reigned over the cosmos. Ra also played a significant role in that he was considered the creator of life and associated with the falcon-god Horus. Similarities in their roles eventually led to Egyptians worshiping both gods as the single deity, Amon-Ra. Other deities such as Osiris, the fertility god, Anubis, the jackal-headed god, and Isis, Osiris’s wife, were also worshipped by the people and were key figures to their belief of an afterlife. Much of Egypt’s political and social structure revolved around the pharaoh. This king, was believed by the people to be the Human form of Horus, and would be the only to integrate the people with their gods. The pharaoh controlled everything from wealth to the people themselves and of course, stood alone at the top of the political, social, and economic scale. Slaves and peasants occupied the bottom of the social class, above them the serfs, then ordinary folks, and officials. Peasants and slaves were forced to labor and were forced to work on pyramids. Able-bodied young men served the pharaoh either in his army or labor force, sometimes both. Farmers tended the land, and in some cases, faced brutal tax collection. In conclusion, the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations possessed qualities that distinguished themselves from one another but also bore similarities between the two. Both civilizations were polytheistic, established social and political structures, and brought about ground breaking new innovations and ideas. The Mesopotamian’s gave us writing, the wheel, and the foundations for settled life, while the Egyptians gave us the great pyramids, still mysterious and marvelous to this day. Reference McKay, John P., et al. A History of World Societies. 8th ed. Vol. I: To 1715. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.

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David Sylvester A.P.U.S.H. Mr. Pickford February 11, 2014 Douglas MacArthur And The Korean War Arguably one of the greatest generals in American history Douglas MacArthur was born to be in the military, his father Arthur MacArthur was a great soldier who honorably in the Army and it MacArthur went to West Point to follow in his father's footsteps. MacArthur served for rising through the ranks at a rapid pace, he became most well known for his leadership during the second world war but after that he led his troops on the battlefields of Korea in his seventies. Although MacArthur proved to be a brilliant general, his aggressive decisions towards the end of the Korean War led to his honorable removal as general of the United Nations Army and his heroic actions and tales to be cemented permanently in American History. June 27th, 1950 was the day the United States announced its direct assistance in the Korean War. The following day United States planes were already bombing the North Korean Army and the United States is getting prepared for more attacks. On July 7th, 1950 General Douglas MacArthur was appointed to be commander of all UN forces which was an easy choice for President Truman to make because he and MacArthur were great friends and Truman admired MacArthur for his great military leadership. After being appointed MacArthur said to Truman "I can only repeat the pledge of my complete personal loyalty to you as well as an absolute devotion to your monumental struggle for peace and good will throughout the world. I hope I will not fail you"(MacArthur). When MacArthur took command in Korea he provided the soldiers with a much needed moral boost that kept them fighting harder and gave them a new sense of hope. During the begin... ...or his country and freedom sores past many others it led him into some trouble when he began speaking out against the government for not helping them and instead restricting how they could fight the war. MacArthur's words and actions he took against Harry Truman did not help him because he wanted to fight a full war to get a full victory and liberate all of Korea but Truman wanted to fight a restricted war and only liberate South Korea. The constant disputes between Truman and MacArthur ultimately led to Truman firing MacArthur. MacArthur's fate had already been cemented in history as an American hero and one of the greatest generals in military history, his tactics, moral and leadership were all driving factors that made him such a great general and he was always well respected by the men who served him because he was always right in the battle with them.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Corruption of Power theme Essay

Power. The word itself instigates a conundrum of fear and attraction. The attraction for it, the attraction for more, and the attraction for seeking the absolute highest boundary of it. Those who thirst for it see visions of wealth, vast expansions territory, and above all, the ability to do whatever one wants whenever he wants. And those who thirst for it will seek it through whatever means necessary, whether it be a fistfight or a war. Necessity is the basic derivation for all hostility and aggression; therefore, power, and its corruption, is the source of all war. Such corruption is exemplified in the World War I novel, All Quiet On the Western Front, by Erich Remarque, through the eyes of the platoon leader, of the military officials, and of the highest level of power in Germany at the time, the Kaiser. The bottommost level of power represented in All Quiet On the Western Front is the platoon leader, who is given a pack of soldiers to bully around under his abusive authority. The authority figure in the novel is Corporal Himmelstoss, who is to train the newly enlisted soldiers in the ways of war. He is described as a semblance of Louis Napoleon in the novel; â€Å"a small undersized fellow with a foxy, waxed moustache† (Remarque 23). Immediately the description of Himmelstoss triggers an image of a short, power-hungry figure, the figure that suffers from what many refer to as â€Å"small-man’s syndrome.† His image is further emphasized in the statement: â€Å"He had a special dislike of Kropp, Tjaden, Westhus, and me, because he sensed a quiet defiance† (Remarque 23). Himmelstoss’s dislike for these soldiers is not directly related to the fact that he supposedly â€Å"sensed defiance†, but more so to his will to push the soldiers around. He focuses his efforts on Tjaden, the â€Å"skinny locksmith†¦[who] is and always will be as thin as a rake† (Remarque 2-3). To make up for his lack of size and strength, Himmelstoss attacks the thinnest, soldier of the pack, who he assumes to be the weakest. However, when Himmelstoss loses his position of authority, he is not so brave. In the Front, during invasion, Paul Baà ¼mer finds Himmelstoss in the dug-out â€Å"pretending to be wounded. His face looks sullen. He is in a panic†¦He does not stir, his lips quiver, his moustache twitches† (Remarque 131). Himmelstoss is not a powerful man on his own, but under the spell of a powerful position, he is corrupted, and abuses it to  disguise his own weaknesses, allowing him to gain some form of power. The next level in the military edifice of power lies in the competitive military officials. With the increased level of power comes an increased level of corruption–and an increased level of consequence. Himmelstoss may have instigated hostility, even hatred, from his platoon, but the corruption of a higher military official may result in deaths. In a desperate effort to continue the attack on France, mass drafts occur, and the officials immediately send the untrained recruits to the front line. Paul Baà ¼mer states that the recruits â€Å"are helpless in this grim fighting area, they fall like flies. Modern trench-warfare demands knowledge and experience† (Remarque 129). The officials, in order to look good by fighting the war long and persistently, rush these recruits into battle, where they fall like flies. The officials carry out this inhumanity again and again, but it is not only for the sake of â€Å"looking good,† but for the desire of getting promoted, f or the desire of gaining more power. The head of power in Germany, and therefore the one able to command all those below, is the Kaiser, Wilhelm II. His position is so incredibly grand and authoritative, that he is seen almost as a form of deity. When Paul Baà ¼mer sees the Kaiser in person, he is â€Å"really rather disappointed; judging from his pictures I imagined him to be bigger and more powerfully built, and above all to have a thundering voice† (Remarque 202). This false impression of his emphasizes the disguise of power. Under his disguise, the Kaiser is viewed as giant, mighty warrior enthroned with gold and silver. In reality, he is a man unlike any other man in power, greedy and vicious. A man so powerful, Tjaden believes â€Å"he has everything he can want already† (Remarque 205). If he has everything he can want, why does he persist in the war? There is no limit to his demand for power, and so he pushes his officials further into battle, as they push their soldiers further into bloodshed. The war Wilhelm II creates is not only devastating physically, but instigates what is known as the â€Å"lost generation.† Paul Baà ¼mer describes his experience, being â€Å"lost† because of the war. He â€Å"will never be able to be [indifferent and hopeless] again. [He] was a soldier, and now [he] is nothing but an agony for [himself]† (Remarque 185). His flourishing life was  thrown away in the war and gave way to an indifferent automata, and after his leave, he is emotionally in between war and life, in â€Å"No Man’s Land.† An entire generation of soldiers, of human beings, of lives, is destroyed through emotion and severe disturbance. And for what? For Kaiser Wilhelm II to seek that highest boundary of power. Power is a recurrent theme in All Quiet On the Western Front, in three different levels: the mindless soldier, the aspiring military official, and the boundless Kaiser. Each one desperately seeks power in an effort to make themselves appear stronger. The quest for this is usually a corrupted one, and corruption creates consequence. The more power one acquires, the more devastating the consequence. When, if at all, will the quest for power end? The corruption is inevitable.

“Explain the concept of homeostasis with reference to the control of heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature and blood glucose levels” Essay

Homeostasis is where the body keeps a constant internal environment. This involves all the metabolic processes taking place In the body as well as the blood, tissue fluid and all the contents in the body’s cells. There are a range of variables from heart rate to the blood glucose levels that the body will take into account. Negative feedback will occur when something changes from its normal in the body. The body then will come back with a response to cancel out the difference to bring it back to its normal. An example of this is if blood glucose level falls the body will then convert the glycogen in the body to glucose which will bring back the energy in the cells to its normal amount. This system requires receptors so that they are able to detect the change in your body. As well as receptors it also needs a control centre so that the information that has just been received can be processed to then give the correct response of what the body should do. Most of the control centres can be found in the brain. It will also need effectors so that after the change has happened and the body is back to normal it can reverse the change to keep the body at its original state. The brain and the central nervous system controls something called the homeostatic mechanisms. This is when they anticipate whether there may be a rise or a fall compared to that of the normal. An example of this is the feeling of being cold or tired this is a result of having not eaten for a sufficient period of time. This has then been sent as a message to the brain which your brain will then tell you to eat so that the energy you get from the nutrients in your food will counteract those feelings and make them disappear. As this is an anticipation from the central nervous system and the brain it is called feed forward as it hasn’t happened yet. Heart rate The heart is regulated by impulses produced by nerves acting on the sino-atrial node (S-A node). These nerves are called â€Å"sympathetic† and â€Å"parasympathetic† nerves. The sino-atrial node is found in the upper part of the right atrium it is made up of a cluster of excitable cells. Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are two branches that come off the automatic nervous system which controls the heart. The parasympathetic nervous system- This is a calming system as it is active while the heart is resting. It causes the heart to beat slower than it would normally. The main nerve involved is the vagus nerve without it the heart rate would increase. The sympathetic nervous system- This occurs when the body is feeling stressed. As a result of it, it causes the heart to beat faster it also adds a boost to the hormone adrenaline which occurs during fear. The nerves involved in this system is called the cardiac nerves. The sino-atrial node releases nerve impulses that are sent across the atrial muscle fibres which causes them to contract. Cells that form the atrio-ventricular node (A-V node) catch those impulses which are then relayed to a band o conducting tissue. This tissue is made from large modified muscle cells that are called Purkinje fibres. So that the atria can complete their contractions and allow the atrio-ventricular valves to close there may be a delay for the transmission to come through. The valves of the hear are found on a fibrous figure-of-eight. It is centred between the atrial and the ventricular muscle masses. The first part of the conducting tissue will enable the excitatory impulses to be able to cross to the ventricles. It will then split into both sides of the ventricular septum where it will then spread out into their muscles. They pass extremely quickly which result in them contracting which forces the blood to travel around the body to the organs that need it. Breathing rate To control your breathing there is a respiratory control centre this again is located in the brain stem. This will observe the levels o carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood. It also makes sure that your breathing stays at a steady rate which will maintain balance as well as homeostasis In the body. Most of the time you don’t have to think about your breathing at all or how you control it as your brain does it automatically for you. However in some cases in aerobic activity you control your breathing for example in Pilates when instructed through each stretch you get told when to inhale and exhale during the exercises. Saying that if the oxygen levels go down below a certain point your brain will override your control and make you breathe. During exercise or any physical activity that require more oxygen than normal. The oxygen in your blood will decrease while the carbon dioxide in the blood will increase. When the respiratory control centre in the brain realises that the levels aren’t normal as a result it will increase the heart rate and the breathing rate to counteract it. The brain will slow the heart rate and breathing rate once the exercise has stopped this will make sure that it maintains the homeostasis in the blood. While resting your breathing is at a steady rate. This means that there will be the right amount of oxygen in the blood on the inhale as a result the right amount of carbon dioxide will come out the blood in exhale. Body temperature Again the brain controls the body temperature. Specifically in the brain it is the hypothalamus processing centre that controls the exact temperature the body is. The brain will trigger changes to the effectors around the body for example to the sweat glands . If the body temperature is not maintained then it can either become too cold resulting in hypothermia or too hot resulting in heat stroke either can be fatal. On average your normal body temperature is 37 °C. Our body maintains this temperature by balancing the heat we generate compared to the heat we lose in everyday life. Saying that not our whole body is 37 °C for example are fingers and toes remain at a lower temperature as a result of the energy being lost from the blood while travelling to the tips. There are temperature receptors in our skin which once detects change in the external temperature will send a message to the hypothalamus in the brain. Again in the hypothalamus processing centre (brain) which will detect the changes in temperature of the blood. There are 2 ways in which the brain tells the body to keep its temperature at 37 °C. The first one is if someone is really cold then the hair on the skin if the hair is on ends then it will trap more warmth compared to if it is flat on the skin. The second one is if someone is really hot then the glands on their skin secrete sweat which increases the loss of heat when it evaporates, as a result it cools the body down, It slows back down when the body temperature returns to normal. During vasodilatation the warm blood will flow closer to the surface of the skin so that the heat will be able to transfer into the air. As a result of this the skin will become redder. During vasoconstriction which is where the blood vessels that supply war blood constrict, as a result this will reduce the blood flow in turn this will reduce the heat that can be lost. In this case their skin will look pale. Blood glucose This involves the kidneys keeping the water balance at the correct level of water in and out of the body. This will ensure that that the cells in our body work efficiently. The kidneys is where the blood gets filtered while passing through, these molecules are made up from water, glucose, salt and a waste product called urea. It then will reabsorb what the body needs which includes glucose salts and water back into the blood. It then travels around the body. The products that haven’t been fully absorbed are excreted from the body. It mainly consists of urea but there may be left over water glucose and salts that the body doesn’t need. In the brain the pituitary gland controls how much ADH is produced and released into the bloodstream which as you know travels to the kidneys to get filtered. Which in turn controls the concentration of urine. It also checks the concentration of blood plasma. When there isn’t enough water in the body the hypothalamus will detect it and send a message to the pituitary gland which will then release the ADH hormone, this will ensure that the urine is more concentrated resulting in less water, this will be maintained by the kidneys. As a result the water levels in the blood will return to normal. Cells make their energy from the glucose in the body this is why glucose levels need to be regulated tightly. As a result of this if there is too much glucose in the body may lead to diabetes 2, if too low it may lead to starvation of the body. In the body there are many reasons for the rise and fall of the glucose levels. For example digestion after a meal and the production of insulin by the liver these both lead to a rise in the glucose levels. An example of a fall in glucose levels is the transportation of the sugar into the cells as well as the loss of glucose through the urine. The regulation of the glucose levels relies on a variety of things from molecules to organs and cell types. Bibliography Edexcel Level 3 Health and Social Care Book http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5101742_describe-regulation-blood-glucose-levels.html