Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge Essay Example

Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Russell and Phillips’ Views of Knowledge Knowledge is the information understood and applied by people through various concepts. The acquisition of knowledge by people depends on their ability to internalize concepts. The origin of knowledge is unknown since most people do not know the true source of the information they have, and that which they disseminate. Over the years, many ideas have been developed to understand what it means to possess knowledge. Research by Cahn describes the differences between assumptions and actual knowledge (74). In the article, Appearance and Reality by Bertrand Russell, he argues that all information known to humans is subject to doubt. He explains further that skepticism yields a closer understanding of various occurrences in life, but not knowledge. Skepticism is the nature of being doubtful of ideas. He tries to show that the daily occurrence and appearance of a setting is unknown. According to the article, the existence of specific items leads to the assumption of their knowledge. He evaluates the concept of skepticism, and its effect on general information. Skepticism gives rise to the assumptions made on a daily basis through doubting the existence of tangible items in a setting. In the article, What Can I Know? by Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, the author argues that in order to have information about an event or occurrence in a setting, extensive research should be done. He shows that people need to have prior information to a case before claiming that they have knowledge. The information should be self-gathered by the person seeks knowledge. To support his argument, he compares religion to philosophy. He questions the existence of God and relates it to philosophy. Russell gives an example of waking up and sitting on a chair and table of specific shape and color. On the table, he sees printed papers and other images. On the other hand, Phillips makes comparison of religion and philosophy. Both arguments have similarities in that; they use philosophy to discard knowledge. They are also similar because they use the occurrence of natural situations to take a stand. While Russell questions the difference in shades of color that affect the appearance of the table and the contents on it, Phillips questions the existence of God. This shows different ways of arguing by both writers, but the perception of knowledge is the same. The two arguments also have differences in relating their positions and challenging assumptions. Russell relates the general color of the table to the changes brought up by the different lighting conditions. This challenges the initial assumption of the color of the table. The explanation describes the different views of how things are perceived. Introducing the concept of lighting to describe the appearance of the table shows doubt. The example of this setting establishes his argument of doubting the existence of knowledge. On the other hand, Phillips dismisses the beliefs of God’s existence without seeing Him physically. As generations passed, this idea has formed different religions that had various definitions of God’s existence. Phillip states that people should discover God by themselves. This shows that people need further information in order to acquire knowledge. In support of his claim, he outlines the way he should know all other believers better than his perception of God, to acquire knowledge of his existence. His argument shows the difference between knowledge and belief. The relationship between religion and philosophy shows how assumptions affect the information that people perceive. He also shows the relevance of doing further research in order to convert an assumption to knowledge. Reasons That Make Russell a Skeptic Russell is skeptical due to his confusion because of philosophy. He does not believe in the existence of knowledge because of difficulties in tracing the origin and purpose of matter. His skepticism developed because he lacked valid explanations and proof of the occurrence of general settings. He says that personal ideas originating from the mind without any information elsewhere are most probable. He is also skeptical because he believes that there is a difference between reality and appearances. Therefore, he dismisses philosophy because it does not have conclusive answers to the arguments raised. Works Cited Cahn, Steven M. Exploring Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print

Law Essays

Law Essays Law essay assignments usually concern the discussion of the people rights and justice system. To write a successful law essay you will need to apply a lot of theory and knowledge. You cannot discuss law without knowing actual rules and regulations. Sometimes you can debate one or another issue, express your point of view, but in most cases in order to write a good argumentation you will need to have specific evidences. Sometimes your essay task will be to research some topic. For this purposes you can do two types of research: quantitative research, which relies numerical data, and qualitative research, which relies on field observations. Quantitative research in the law essay: Numerical data used to establish the truth about human behavior. Data collected during laboratory experiments or other controlled conditions, or through surveys, questionnaires, and the like. Data measured and analyzed to discover nonrandom relationships among variables. A legal study of the reformation of ethical law practices. Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between increases in welfare benefits and occurrence of criminal offenders on the street? Researcher is careful not to interfere in ways that might bias results (non-participative). Sample experiment: Researchers record number of times first-grade teachers call on male students and number of times they call on female students to identify potential patterns of sexual discrimination in elementary school classrooms. Qualitative research in law essay: Personal observations of behavior recorded in the field, in the research subjects natural environment or social context. Analysis and interpretation of recorded observations, inferring your significance to answer essay questions about human behavior. Interaction with research subjects during field observations (participative). Sample experiment: Examine strengths and weakness of the jury system. Identify how a jury functions during a trial and possible group theory phenomena that may affect jury verdicts. The teacher can also ask you to discuss and analyze the law case study that will contain the crime scene and the investigation that has been conducted. This type of law essay focuses on a particular case, one individual or group observed over a specific period of time. When you are writing your law essay, be aware that the findings or conclusions in one case study should not be generalized to populations outside the study, although a series of case studies may be compared or contrasted to help identify trends, patterns of behavior, and so forth. Use logic and knowledge in order to complete your law essay successfully. Study your topic precisely and use specific writing techniques. It will help you do good in your law classes. If you need professional essay help in writing business essays hire a highly qualified writer to write an essay for you.

Occupational Health and Safety Management Essay

Occupational Health and Safety Management - Essay Example The rest of this essay will lay out the benefits of providing a safe working environment by citing relevant legislative, financial and moral rationale. Legal Aspects: The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act of 1986 will be the basic document of reference for my decisions and initiatives. Section 19 of the act is particularly relevant, for it outlays the duties of employers toward employee safety. This section notes that an employer must, â€Å"in respect of each employee employed or engaged by the employer, ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that the employee is, while at work, safe from injury and risks to health and, in particular, must provide and maintain so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment, safe systems of work, plant and substances in a safe condition†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (www.austlii.edu.au, 2012) The OHSW Act is quite thorough in the range of clauses it includes, covering all contingencies and freak occurrences. As OHS Manager of a large national transport company, one of my primary challenges is in sorting and managing the slew of complaints, grievances and lawsuits that will be raised against the company, especially against the department. But rather than an antagonistic approach toward disposing these issues, an empathetic and compassionate approach will fetch better results. (Murphy & Cooper, 2000) After all, given the high risks taken by workers by involving themselves in the transportation business, one should respect their genuine concerns and seek to resolve them. The government of South Australia has heeded to the demands of workers of the region and has tightened its laws governing OHS. The verdict on recently held case Farrell v B & A Fisheries Pty Ltd [2012] SAIRC bears out this fact. (www.safework.sa.gov.au, 2012) Financial Aspects: From a financial point of view, the costs incurred by the management in building safety nets for workers are worth it in the long run. For example, offering them disability insurance, life insurance, installing air bags in transport vehicles, etc, are worthy investments when one considers the emotional and monetary distress that they would later save employees. Creating a feeling of security and trust among employees will benefit the company by reducing attrition rates, enhancing loyalty and increasing motivation level of employees. Hence, from a financial standpoint, every dollar spent toward building safety mechanisms for worker health, will indirectly boost the bottom line. Moreover, the provisions for fines in the OHSW Act, makes it prudent to invest in safety rather than pay for negligence and poor standards. For example, under the OHSW Act, a first offence would lead to a Division 2 fine and a subsequent offence a Division 1 fine. That preventing a mishap is wiser than paying after the fact is underscored by the elaborate dictates of the OHSW Act. The moral angle is also taken into account in the Act, as it states that â€Å"an employer must so far as is reasonably practicable, monitor the health and welfare of the employer’s employees in their employment with the employer, insofar as that monitoring is relevant to the prevention of work-related injuries† (www.austlii.edu.au, 2012) The verdict on Symons v Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd [2012]

Conclusion and Recommendations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conclusion and Recommendations - Essay Example This essay analyzes that the curriculum must be revised in such a way that less importance is given for punishments and more care is given for personal counseling with those students who drop out from their studies. The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, has to say that children from a rich financial background often tend to continue their studies, but the worst hit is the poor because they are bound up by their family responsibilities. This essay demonstrates that In a survey conducted to find out the reforms that have been brought out to enhance the drop out children in terms of readmission into schools and colleges, the following thing was seemed to be made 1. Incentive programs- which will strengthen the link between the student’s school life and life out of the campus. This also includes special offers to those students whose behavior stands well in and out the school. 2. The reward system will focus on encouraging students to pay more interest on studies. 3. The school should make academic programs meaning full and bring the students for more participation. And the schools should maintain certain policies to maintain a balance between the student’s life in and out the school. 4. Parents should be informed immediately and if needed they should be asked and informed about their children’s activities. Even a small indifferent action should be informed immediately to the parents. As society pl ays a major role in shaping the character of a child.

Effects of Homosexuals in Schools Essay Example for Free

Effects of Homosexuals in Schools Essay In the 19th century, a German psychologist coined the term â€Å"homosexuality†. Basically, homosexuality is often a sexual attraction that is primarily towards the members of the same sex (Pickett, 2006). Oftentimes, homosexual equates to being gay and/or lesbian. There are varying points of view regarding homosexuals and homosexuality. Many religious groups believe that there no one born as a homosexual. However, there are plenty of scientists, particularly psychologists who believe that a person is born this way. Religiously speaking, there are no supporting texts in the Bible that there are homosexuals. Only two genders are made: man and woman. Oftentimes, the greater portion of the homosexual community believe that they were â€Å"born gay† (Worthen, 2004). This belief and perspective oftentimes give them comfort and a sort-of justification for their â€Å"state†. Also, this very same ideology relieves them of any responsibility to change. Nevertheless, there is no firm scientific proof until today that affirm that some people are born homosexual. Genetically speaking, they are just either male or female (Worthen, 2004). Since there are no born homosexuals, many psychologists believe that homosexuality is a learned behavior. There are many factors or reasons why a person becomes homosexual. Primarily, most of these factors involve family. These include a disturbed family life in the early years (of the individual), absence of/in love on the part of either parent or a failure to identify with the same-sex parent. Later, the consequences of these reasons manifest in the individual in varying forms—and one of them is through confusion of their identity that oftentimes lead to homosexuality. But one thing is for sure—that homosexuality has many roots (excluding family). Along with the other factors that cause homosexuality, we must not also take for granted the individual. The individual’s choices also play a key part in transforming and shaping his (homosexual) identity. Majority of causes of being homosexual is rooted with family reasons. In such cases this immensely affects the behavior of the individual particularly in school. Majority of homosexuals that go to school instantly faces the burden of â€Å"coming out†. This is one of the hardest challenges that an individual must face. Since most of homosexuals that go to school are having identity crisis and fear of rejection from their peers (if ever they decided to come out), they have a very high tendency to have unusual behavior from â€Å"straight people†. Most of the time, (with the assumption that the individuals are mostly teenagers since they still go to school) these people is in high risk of suicide, substance abuse, the feeling of isolation and more importantly, school problems. Consequently, because of this kind of behavior, they (and it) inevitably affect their relationship with other people. Because they always need the feel to isolated, the tendency is that, they can be the frequent butt of jokes (especially in schools where homosexuality is not yet a very open and accepted topic) that will in turn can lead into more dangerous behaviors. Moreover, when things go uncontrollable, there is also a huge tendency for the individual to resort to many absurd and unsafe displacement methods (i. . substance abuse, committing crimes, etc). Because of the rising number of individuals (particularly young homosexuals) that is involved in this kind of situations, a great deal of number of individuals and concerned groups were established to help them. Most of these help lines offer counseling but more than that, they also make sure that the individual can pursue his/her way to full acceptance and if worse comes to worse, to their recovery. Before the advent of DNA technology, psychologists and sociologists believe that the cause of homosexuality is influenced by the environment of the individual; but with DNA testing, they were able to pinpoint that somehow, genes has something to do with it. But more importantly, we cannot deny the fact that from the beginning, there were only male and female; but as time pass, some strong environmental factors can bend the reality of life that even Nature herself find it hard to turn back (or at least minimize the bad consequences) time.

The Infiltration of German Propaganda Into American Culture :: World War II WWII WW2

The Infiltration of German Propaganda Into American Culture "Propaganda, propaganda, propaganda. All that matters is propaganda." -- Adolf Hitler (Welch ,1) During World War II, propaganda saturated the eyes and ears of countless Germans. Films, such as Triumph of the Will declared the superiority of Hitler's ideas and hopes for the future, while posters increased the ever-rising nationalism of the public. Radio was a major part of everyday life and an inventive way to bring anti-Semitic discourse to the ordinary days of the people. Hitler knew how effective propaganda could be and conveyed that "propaganda for the masses had to be simple, it had to aim at the lowest level of intelligence, and it had to be reduced to easily learned slogans which then had to be repeated many times, concentrating on such emotional elements as love and hatred" (Welch, 3). In short, he had to circulate the kind of information that everyone would understand and remember. Today, people from the United States look at World War II with horror and disbelief, wondering just how could the Germans be so "brain washed" to agree that it was a good idea to kill off an entire culture? Many do not realize that Hitler's propaganda was so well thought out that his ideas had seeped into everything -- including American culture. Although, the United States fought against the Nazi ideals, there were subtle ways that German ideas affected American society. A prime example of Hitler's propaganda that leaked into American society is the sample of anti-Semitic verse, simply titled "To the Tune of the Marine Hymn." This passage was circulated widely between civilians and soldiers in the United States during World War II and is sung to the tune of the Marine Hymn. It brilliantly plays on the stereotypes of the Jewish culture that were accepted by many as a reality. By setting the passage to the tune of the Marine Hymn, this piece of propaganda gives American men a sense of nationalism, as well as a very familiar and catchy tune that will stay in their minds. The well-known melody helps to downplay the intolerance of Jews in the lyrics and it is easy for many people who are not paying attention to miss the stereotypes that are played out. Instead, there is almost a sense of comedy or a softening of the evil intentions of the appalling lyrics. The lyrics of the song are ideas that were commonplace to the American population during the time of World War II.

Character Analysis of Iago Essay

Imagine that you are an evil person. Do you have a reason for being evil? Is there always a logical motivation for villainous behavior? Most of us, even if we were to imagine ourselves as evil would probably also imagine a motivation for being so: a lust for power, greed for money, for revenge, or just anger about our painful or disappointing experiences. However, Shakespeare’s perennially favorite love-to-hate bad-guy, Iago, seems to defy simple interpretation when it comes to dramatic motive. In some ways, Iago’s behavior is so despicable it seems unlikely that any single motivation could be reasoned out from the play’s content that would adequately explain the causes of his villainy. He appears rather as what modern-day psychologists might call a sociopath, which is a person who demonstrates no acknowledgment of moral or ethical responsibility for their actions. Although a motive of sorts is ascribed in the play’s dialogue for Iago’s plot to undo Othello, the basis of revenge is slight. in fact, in order to make Iago a completely unsympathetic character, Shakespeare was careful not to ascribe any viable motive for his desiring revenge against Othello. If the audience perceived that Iago was truly â€Å"wronged, and has cause for vengeance, then he must certainly draw warm sympathy† and this would create a digression from the play’s theme of pride as a tragic flaw. (Rosenberg, 1961, p. 168) Also contrary to the idea that Othello gave Iago genuine provocation for revenge is the fact that Othello is consistently portrayed as virtuous, almost single-mindedly so. This fact is made clear by Iago’s own soliloquy when he reasons out that he is superior to the Moor because he is not susceptible to faith in goodness or virtue: â€Å"the Moor is of a free and open nature / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so†; by contrasting himself with Othello, Iago makes it clear that he, himself, is not given to faith in men or their presumed virtues and he views Othello’s faith as a shortcoming: â€Å"the remark is not a compliment but a contemptuous acknowledgment of Othello’s naivete and foolishness. (Sadowski, 2003, p. 171) Despite Iago’s intentionally devised unsympathetic character, the complexity of Iago is adequate enough to create more than a simple cardboard villain. Though his motives for revenge against Othello may be slight or even ambiguous, the complete realization of Iago as a believable, multifaceted individual is accomplished by Shakespeare in brilliant fashion. An actor playing Iago would have to be careful not to personify Iago as a demonic or outright malicious person, but as a more cleverly masked and complicated person. Instead of acting like a â€Å"thug† or a typical evil-doer, Iago would be more effectively portrayed as a sociopath who is familiar with social mores and laws and moral codes, and in fact uses them to attain his self-interests, but has absolutely no sense of personal ethics or morality whatsoever. If an actor â€Å"tried to portray him purely as a symbol of evil[†¦ ] he would have had to ignore parts of Shakespeare’s complex characterization† because Iago is more than a cardboard villain, he represents Shakespeare’s exploration of a criminally insane personality, a person who is â€Å"all the more sinister for choosing evil rather than simply representing it. Arguably, some of his motives remain unstated, offshoots of a warped and paranoid nature seething with jealousy and envy. † (Hall, 1999, p. 72). Arguing that Iago has chosen to become malicious and evil may sound strange at first, but even the opening of the playsuggests that iago is himself aware of his own dual nature: one side which preceives and udnerstands the laws and moral parameters of the world, what is right and wrong, and another side which is wilfully evil and out to serve only self-interest and revenge. Iago says of himself :†I am not what I am. † This points to a psychologically unstable condition, but a self-aware condition. In this way it is possible to see â€Å"Honest Iago and Villainous Iago are obverse and reverse of the same coin. On the one side, the pure gold of human concern: ‘Sblood, but you’ll not hear me. If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. (1. 1. 4) (Calderwood, 1989, p. 94) Despite Iago’s complexities of character and the viability of viewing his character as a manifestation of a sociopath , another, less complimentary interpretation for Shakespeare’s complex villain is possible: that Iago functions as â€Å"not much more than a necessary piece of dramatic mechanism;† however, this â€Å"provocative judgment runs counter to most people’s impressions of Iago as a fascinating, multifaceted study in evil. (Hall, 1999, p. 71) That said, it is still a viable criticism of the play that Iago’s multifaceted evil is so dynamic and so all-ecompassing as to go beyond the purely psychological character study nad into actual plot-resolution technical trickery which Shakespeare found necessary to give his play movement and dramatic action. This is a fascinating interpretation, but it seems unlikely in the final analysis because Iago is immediately â€Å"recognizable† to audiences, as though he is somebody we all already know. In fact, he does represent an aspect of ourselves that we all do know and know well, which is the side of us which bases its motives on self-interest and has no feeling for moral obligation or ethical restraint. of course this â€Å"dark side† exists in all of us and must be mastered; when we fail to master our dark side we are sometimes called villains, sometimes â€Å"sociopaths. † Shakespeare’s great genius in the creation of Iago was to produce a character whose immersion in the â€Å"dark side’ was so deep as to create great tragedy, but so realistically rendered that it was universally recognizable as a constant aspect of and threat to human social order. References Calderwood, J. L. (1989). The Properties of Othello. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Hall, J. L. (1999). Othello A Guide to the Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Rosenberg, M. (1961). The Masks of Othello The Search for the Identity of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona by Three Centuries of Actors and Critics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Sadowski, P. (2003). Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare’s Mature Tragedies. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press.