Place of Contentment free essay sample

A Safe Haven lingers in the outskirts of the digital world, and makes me feel whole. Tumblr.com is more than a blogging site. It’s the original chameleon of the Internet being anything you ever wanted, and so much more. A blank canvas for your imagination and a friend to hold your hand when all you want to do is cry. The power of youth intertwines in cyber fibers and creates the genius that is Tumblr. This website attends to all emotions and senses by captivating one into seeing the beauty of life, through every type of creative mind on the planet. It is an underground safety net to express and vent where no one will find you, unless you allow yourself to be found. Tumblr can also be a place to share your offerings to the world of newborn foals, chewing at the bit with a burning desire in their hearts to make an impact. We will write a custom essay sample on Place of Contentment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This site is wonderful in the way that it gives people a chance to have a voice that they are rarely given otherwise. Throughout my time using Tumblr, I have been able to form opinions about politics, and learn about critical issues in the world I was never informed about before. I have learned the most outlandish potpourri of facts as well. For instance, Jared Padalecki is obsessed with Where’s Waldo books, Nutella jars are made as big as a human torso for 40 dollars at Costco, and the Barbie Brand might be going in the right direction of supporting body peace by finally creating an athletic build doll. Tumblr allows you to share your true self and it’s my personal space to just be, and I am forever grateful to have had the area of serenity for my years throughout high school. I believe that even though most of my followers do not know my actual name, and know nothing about my life in the physical world, they know me better than any of my friends in school. My followers see my triumphs as well as my failures, all through the pictures I reblog, and the text entries I write. It is said that you become the company that you keep, so what happens when you are constantly surrounded by minds filled with dreams and inspiration, people who hold infinite paintbrushes with color palettes never seen before? A limitless line of brilliance is formed, molded by the minds that shape each other indefinitely. I believe in the future generation, and the glorious potential of our world. Tumblr simply fuels that fire by providing witty comments laced with laughs and chuckles, innovative yet insightful photographs, and opinionated writing pieces created by the random introverted girl in someone’s physics class. Tumblr gives me hope for the bright tomorrows that reach beyond the rolling hills of my current existence, and in turn gives me complete tranquility.

Complex Question Fallacyâ€Definition and Examples

Complex Question Fallacys A complex question is a  fallacy in which the answer to a given question presupposes a prior answer to a prior question. Also known as (or closely related to) a  loaded question, a trick question, a leading question, the fallacy of the false question, and the fallacy of many questions. Have you stopped beating your wife? is the classic example of the complex question. Ralph Keyes has traced this example back to a 1914 book of legal humor. Since then, he says, it has . . . become the standard allusion to any question that cant be answered without self-incrimination (I Love It When You Talk Retro, 2009). Examples and Observations Lets talk about Glaucon.  Where did you get the poison  you used on him?I never!His whole family died- wife, children, mother, the lot. Surely you feel badly about that?Didymus passed his hand over his eyes. I didnt poison anyone.†(Bruce Macbain,  The Bull Slayer: A Plinius Secundus Mystery. Poisoned Pen Press, 2013)  He was woken two hours later and presently a doctor examined him.What drugs were you on? he asked.Wilt stared at him blankly. Ive never taken any drugs in my life, he muttered.(Tom Sharpe,  Wilt in Nowhere. Hutchinson, 2004)   The Unjustified Presumption Plurium interrogationum, which translates as of many questions, is otherwise known as the fallacy of the complex question. When several questions are combined into one, in such a way that a yes-or-no answer is required, the person they are asked of has no chance to give separate replies to each, and the fallacy of the complex question is committed... Did the pollution you caused increase or decrease your profits?Did your misleading claims result in you getting promoted?Is your stupidity inborn? All of them contain an assumption that the concealed question has already been answered affirmatively. It is this unjustified presumption which constitutes the fallacy... The complex question has to be broken into simpler ones; and often the denial of the fact presumed invalidates the larger question altogether.(Madsen Pirie,  How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic, 2nd ed. Bloomsbury, 2015)   Trick Questions The fallacy of complex question is the interrogative form of the fallacy of begging the question. Like the latter, it begs the question by assuming the conclusion at issue:Before rushing to answer a complex question, it is best to question the question: a) Have you stopped beating your wife?b) Did John ever give up his bad habits?c) Are you still a heavy drinker? In each of these questions there lies an assumed answer to a previous question. Did John have bad habits? is the unasked question whose answer is assumed in question b. We need to withhold any answer to question b until this prior question has been resolved. In some instances of this fallacy, considerable struggle may be necessary in order to liberate ourselves from the misleading influence of a complex question. The serious consequences of complex questions can be appreciated by considering these trick questions, which would be out of order in a court of law: d) What did you use to wipe your fingerprints from the gun?e) How long had you contemplated this robbery before you carried it out? (S. Morris Engel, With Good Reason: An Introduction to Informal Fallacies, 3rd ed. St. Martins, 1986) An Implicit Argument Although not an argument as such, a complex question involves an implicit argument. This argument is usually intended to trap the respondent into acknowledging something that he or she might otherwise not want to acknowledge. Examples:Obviously, each of the questions is really two questions.(Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic. Thomson Wadsworth, 2005) Have you stopped cheating on exams?Where did you hide the marijuana you were smoking?

Romanticism and Classical Music Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Romanticism and Classical Music Styles - Essay Example To find out more concerning the music of the two periods, we shall in this essay focus on Haydn’s Symphony No. 40 in F major and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D major. Symphony No. 40 in F major is composed of almost the same properties as symphony no. 13. This period marked the final time Haydn made use of fugue in his work of symphonies. Important to note also is the tempo mark, andante, which ensured that a passage never rose above the piano. Violoncellos were also being doubled by the violas and the second violins doubling the first, all being directed by Haydn to play ‘sempre staccato†. In a recording by Fischer, he uses both the versions of the trio that includes: bassoon, oboes and horns and the other, horns, oboes and strings. This is because he finds it impossible to figure out the one he liked most. In his original presentation, he uses the horns, oboes and strings and bassoon, oboes and horns in the in his areas of repeat. As for the symphony no. 9 D major, it consisted of a very large orchestra, an alto-tenor-bass solo quartet and a choir. At its beginning, what can be heard is a frightful combination of notes that is very l oud, and equally acknowledges the themes used in previous movements. The section producing the bass sound comes up with music that sounds as if it is being recited.

Energy Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Energy Security - Research Paper Example However, there should be development of alternative ‘clean’ energy sources, which do not rely on fossil fuels and which have a tolerable environmental effect in order to meet the raising global demands for energy and to allow for the depletion of fossil fuel supplies in the future (332). For effectively use of renewable sources, there is a need of consistent ways of storing energy for example, rechargeable batteries and high-temperature superconductivity as well as developments in hydrogen storage (Dresselhaus and Thomas, 333). Due to high demands, the strained global energy systems has caused high prices hence increasing global anxiety over the world’s ability to meet energy needs. It is evident that there is a challenge trying to administer the growing complexity of an energy-interdependent world while on the other hand trying to meet environmental, security, and economic goals. This necessitates a more advanced energy policymaking approach one that fully values the complex nature of energy security, the need to manage the trade-offs inherent in energy policy decision-making, and the interdependencies of global markets (Verrastro and Ladislaw, 95). On the other hand, each energy source has some adverse effects. Fossil fuels processes emit carbon dioxide, and perhaps other contaminants, such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and ash. There is production of radioactive fission products in the nuclear plants. While dams and large lakes are needed for hydroelectric plants, large areas are necessary f or solar and wind energy although they are limited geographically. Then again, geothermal sources are restricted to very few locations and those methods using small temperature gradients need very large heat-exchanger areas because of the low thermal efficiencies in the earth or oceans (Dresselhaus and Thomas, 332). One of the alternative energy supplies that the globe can rely on is solar

Creation Perspective Essay Example for Free

Creation Perspective Essay The account of creation as described in the Bible in Genesis 1-3 is totally different to what evolutionary theories of origin have been propagating – which themselves (i. e. non-biblical theories) have been successfully made a part of the populace’s theoretical presupposition in terms of man’s or the universe’s origin. Today, rarely, if there’s any, can one find a completely sold-out creationist (one who hold to the biblical view of creation’s origin). This is basically due to the fact that the government sanctioned standard educational curriculum does not allow for biblical creationism’s view to be taught in schools – even to posit it as one possible theory among many theories like evolution. This state of affairs among schools is indeed unfortunate for students to whom every opportunity for true balanced learning should be promoted. What if there really is a Creator who created all these things? And, if this is a fact in contrast to the supposed origin posed by atheistic presupposition, namely, evolution, then, the deprivation in terms of factual presentation of realities would be immense. Facts About â€Å"Original† Creations Genesis 1-3 did not defensively argue for intelligent design (another technical term for biblical creationism). These three beginning chapters of Genesis, which introduce the readers to the fact of creation, do not have a hint of a feel of laborious presentation as to how it all happened to be. The record just assumes a wise and powerful Creator. For example, the first verse simply stated the fact that before everything ever had their existence there was God (Genesis 1:1), and He is the One who caused the creation – the Uncaused Cause who generated the â€Å"first effect† (the universe). Thus, Moses points his readers to God as the unmistakable Originator of all things. After assuming the presence of the Creator, the next thing he proceeded to tell was the fact of the nature or the way God the Creator created the original universe. By observation, a keen reader would not have failed to notice the repeated expression, â€Å"It was good,† from the mouth of the Creator. In just one chapter (Genesis 1), the phrase was reiterated six times. Note that the emphasis being made here is the perfection of the whole environment of the then newly created world. It was perfect as habitat for all living creation – the whole biological world. Creation researchers today labor to highlight the evidences for this perfect environment just for today’s generation to see the facts of Genesis account. Now, believers of biblical creation can speak scientifically of Intelligent Design because the bulk of the available proofs are staggering (check for example http://www. creationscience. com). In the third chapter though, the Genesis narrative turned sour. Genesis three attests to the historical fact of the first couple’s Fall (â€Å"the Fall† is theologians’ name for that Event of Adam Eve’s defiance of God’s clear command). It was at this point in human history that all of the ugliness and abnormalities of life were introduced. In the New testament, in Romans 5:12-19, the Apostle Paul refers to Genesis 3 as the access point of death. Actually, the doctrine of how sin entered the world is crucially important for understanding the evils of this world. Although it might not explain everything about the problem of evil, it is an essential part of the whole treatment of the subject. And so, one of the major presuppositions of biblical theology is the fact that the world for what it is today – humanity and the entire creation – is not what it was then as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. The one truth about the human race and the created world which is stressed all throughout the Bible from Genesis 3 onwards to the book of Revelation is: the human race and the whole creation are in their fallen state and therefore in the process of redemption. Genesis 1-3 As The Foundation truth As one reads succeeding biblical records regarding creation, it is notable that the basic elements about creation are retained and therefore sustained all throughout. Psalm 104 is one example among many Scriptural passages. God is affirmed as the Creator and Sustainer. Comparing the psalmist’s attestation to the fact of God’s creating of certain features of creation, like how the Creator ordered certain aspects of ecology (Psalm 104:14, Genesis 1:29-30), and how God set the moon and sun as â€Å"time setters† to indicate seasons, days, and years (Psalm 104:19, Genesis 1:14), the inspired psalmist only buttressed the fact that the opening chapters of Genesis are foundational knowledge as to the facts of the origins of everything about creation. Now, when other biblical narrative such as those recorded by Matthew as Jesus’ teachings like the so-called Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48, 6:24-34), the focus turns to the fact of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin (Genesis 3) which made the realities of Jesus’ day understandable. Apostle Paul’s teaching on rapture, where believers according to him, will be changed â€Å"in an instant† (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 15:35-56), supports the fact that redemption is in its process. Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 8:18-30) confirms the effects of the curse on earth uttered immediately after the couple sinned (Genesis 3). Thus, different records of various biblical writers are not supposed to be seen as contradictory but rather confirmatory and complimentary when taken together as a whole. The book of Genesis serves as a preface to the whole Bible given its primacy as to its place in the canon (it is the first book of the Bible). It is therefore helpful to interpret and balance the succeeding biblical records to the basic presuppositions found in the first three chapters of Genesis. Jesus, as the Living Word and as the Creator (John 1:1-3), who revealed all these basic truths of creation to Moses should not be taken at His teachings recorded in the four Gospels as contradicting the Genesis record. It is only right to understand Him as affirming the foundational truths of Genesis. The same with other inspired biblical authors; their writings should be understood (especially when they are dealing with sin and its problem inflicted on man and nature), in the light of what they previously understood from early revelations. Works Cited: 1. ) Accessed at http://www. creationscience. com/onlinebook/ 2. ) The Holy Bible. New King James Version. 1982. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Can Computers Understand? :: essays research papers

Can Computers understand? 1) Thinking is the hallmark of understanding. 2) Only special machines can think. 3) If something can think it can understand. 4) Only special machines that can think can understand. 5) "Mental" states and their resulting actions are products of the center of activity (brain). 6) To understand, thoughts must be produced by the brain. 7) A computer's mental states and events are controlled by a program. 8) The program is not a product of the computer. 9) A computer does not produce "thoughts" in its brain. 10) A computer cannot understand. John Searle addresses the point of the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to understand, in Mind Brains, and Programs. His main argument is that because AI's are computers and computers have no thoughts of their own, they cannot understand. Any actions being performed to simulate behavior are confined by the programs available to the computer. He presents the example of a man linking Chinese characters and appearing to know the language, but in reality the man is just following the instructions given to him ( the program). This example serves well to explain how although a computer can look like it understands a story, it can do no more than "go through the motions." Of course such a definitive standpoint on an issue as controversial as the capacity of an AI to understand will draw many critics. The criticism of his theory that I find to be the most credible is The Other Mind Reply offered by Yale University. This line of thinking asks: if behavior is what we can determine the presence of cognition through, and an AI passes a behavioral test, why don't we attribute cognition to it? I myself do not believe in the philosophy of AI understanding, because to support either side on this issue one must have a belief for or against the

Applying Ethics in an Ethical Dilemma Essay

I would never have thought that the hardest part of this assignment was to find a good example of a business organization behaving ethically in an ethical dilemma. There are numerous cases of businesses behaving unethically. The list of businesses behaving illegally is similar to a who’s who of top companies. However, I did find one company that appears to have based their business on ethics. The 3M Corporation continually tries to infuse their ethics into their organization, even when they expand into other countries. Applying Ethics in an Ethical Dilemma In March 2011, industrial conglomerate 3M, formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, started to build manufacturing facilities in Russia’s Tyumen and Samara regions. The total investment was approximately fifteen million US dollars. The new facility will produce an insulation material Thinsulate, a very thin, synthetic petroleum based insulation, used in clothing. All branches of the United States military use Gore-Tex cold weather gear and Thinsulate is one of the key materials used in the clothing (Romanova, 2011). Building the plant was the easy part; the difficulty was getting into Russia. According to the Berlin-based Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, Russia is ranked 154th among 178 industrialized countries for its corrupt practices (Barr & Serra, 2010). One of the problems 3M faced was the managerial mindset in Russia. They do not recognize or reward their subordinates for exceptional performance. They only care about current profits and they do not plan. Because of the countries high levels of corruption and political instability, they try to get everything they can right now, because they are in fear of what can potentially happen tomorrow. Due to all these factors, most multinational  companies have avoided investing in Russia (Shama, 1997). The environment for business in Russian is full of obstacles. Corruption, bribery and paying of protection money are synonymous in business culture. 3M is different from the few other international companies that operate in Russia, that try to distance themselves from such practices by simply banning them. 3M Russia actively promotes not only ethical behavior but also the personal security of its employees. 3M Russia also strives to differentiate itself from competitors by being an ethical leader. For example, it holds training courses in business ethics for its customers and employees. (Langlois & Schlegelmilch, 1990). Ethical Framework Applied by the Organization In order to understand the ethical frameworks that drive this corporation, I feel it is imperative to read their principle statement. 3M employees and third parties to which this principle applies must make good, ethical decisions based on 3M’s fundamental values of honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fairness, respect, concern for others, and personal accountability. When the law and 3M’s Code of Conduct are silent on the issue, employees must nevertheless make decisions that are legal, ethical, and consistent with the Code of Conduct (Thulin, 2012). Initially, the ethical framework the 3M Corporation used appears to be the Utilitarian approach. Defined as, create the greatest good for the greatest number sometimes referred to as maximizing the good in the world (Dahl, Mandell, & Barton, 1988). In this theory, we weigh the positives against the negatives and against the cost versus risks. This theory emphasizes that all people should reap the benefits in a society, a community or a family. I believe 3M felt that since they were expanding globally into a new continent or country, they were trying to bring their solid ethics with them. 3M faced a difficult task of bringing ethics into a country that unfortunately, ranks low for their ethics (Barr & Serra, 2010). Another ethical framework I believe the 3M Corporation used in establishing their new factories in Russian is the deontological approach. This states that actions judged as ethical or unethical based on the inherent rights of  an individual and the intentions of the actor (Dahl, Mandell, & Barton, 1988). In Deontology theory, an individuals or organizations code of ethics is not supposed to be situational but they should be constant and always followed, to ensure that in when facing adversity their morals remain the same. When 3M went to Russia, they could have easily changed their ethics to fit the societal norm but they did not. They maintained the same high level of ethics as they do in other countries with less corruption, bribery and payments of protection money. They not only maintained it at a higher level, 3M even taught classes to their employees on ethics. For some, this was their first exposure to structured ethics training. Many deontologists believe that the rights of individuals reside in â€Å"natural law.† The individuals are a means and not end (Dahl, Mandell, & Barton, 1988). In their principles, all employees must apply honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fairness, respect, concern for others and personal accountability (Thulin, 2012). They even emphasize when a situation occurs that is not covered by law or plainly outlined, they hold their employees responsible. They should make decisions that are fair, honest and above all in keeping with the company’s policy on ethics Negative Consequences of the Decision Negative Consequence of the situation is that board members in Minneapolis Minnesota decided to enforce American ethics in another country. Although the decision, based on good intentions, begs the question, do we have the right to enforce or impress upon our workforce in another country American ethics. Often the United States and American companies receive accusations of nation building, or where we go into another country and try to impress American laws and customs onto the indigenous population. Do we have the right to endanger our employees to make ourselves feel better? Here in America, corruption, bribery, and paying of protection money is socially unacceptable. When that is the norm, do we have the right to force our beliefs on another country or culture? For example, when the United States Armed Forces works with a foreign Army or government, we try to follow the host’s countries rules. When I was in Iraq, it was illegal to possess, purchase or consume alcoholic beve rages. It was illegal to possess, purchase, and download any pornographic material. Iraq is a strongly Muslim  country, and those are two of its major offenses to their faith. We changed our policies to comply with the host countries norms and values. Should our businesses follow that same example, to protect its workers and its interests? Conclusion Ethical Frameworks attempt to provide a guideline for how an organization or even a society should interact with one another. The strength of this analysis is that it showed that when an organization practiced good ethics, the principles are truly universal. The behavior of the 3M Corporation in their expansion into Russia should be the norm not the exception. When foreign organizations with different ethical codes of conduct meet, they should be able to create a common ethical cooperation framework, keeping strong basic values and adapting moral principles to best meet everyone’s needs. References Barr, A., & Serra, D. (2010). Corruption and culture: An experimental analysis. Journal of Public Economics, 94(11), 862-869. Thulin, I. (2012, February 24). 3M Code of Conduct – Principles. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/businessconduct/bcmain/policy-/principles/ Romanova, M. (2011, March 11). American 3M to Expand into Russian Regions. Russia Briefing News. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://russia-briefing.com/news/american-3m-to-expand-into-russian-regions.html/ Shama, A. (1997). From exploiting to investing: A survey of US firms doing business in Russia. The International Executive, 39(4), 497-518. Langlois, C. C., & Schlegelmilch, B. B. (1990). Do corporate codes of ethics reflect national character? Evidence from Europe and the United States. Journal of International Business Studies, 519-539. Dahl, J. G., Mandell, M. P., & Barton, M. E. (1988). Ethical frameworks of â€Å"Tomorrow’s Business Leaders†. International Journal of Value-Based Management, 1(2), 65-81.