Descartes and Skepticism

Descartes and the problem of skepticism| Question: In Meditation III, Descartes argues that his idea of God could not have come from him, and so God must exist. How does this argument go? | Overview Rene Descartes was a great scientist, mathematician and philosopher. He was known for his extensive work on skepticism, and in particular a piece called â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy† (written in 1641) which is still widely used by modern philosophers. In this publication, Descartes’ aim was to demonstrate that a persons’ soul is eternal and that God exists. He explains in Meditation One that it is possible to question the existence of all things; in Meditation two he goes on to give details regarding the existence of the mind and the soul. In the Third Meditation he gives arguments of proof of Gods’ existence; and in Meditation Four he explains the difference between truth and error. In the Fifth Meditation Descartes provides further arguments to prove the existence of God and in the Sixth and final meditation he brings it all together as he demonstrates how knowledge of the mind can be guided by God and therefore validates the knowledge we have of physical world. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010). This essay will explain Descartes argument of the existence of God with specific reference to the Third Meditation discussed in the class handout- ‘Descartes and the problem of Skepticism’. Meditation ?- God’s Existence In the Third Meditation, subtitled â€Å"On God’s existence,† Descartes is certain that he is a â€Å"thinking thing† (pg 142) and sets out to prove God’s Existence. There were two major standpoints noted in his argument, though they were found to be closely linked. Firstly, he tackles the idea that his own existence and thoughts must have come from somewhere or something. He goes on to explain that the thought he has of God is one of an â€Å"eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, creator of all things† (pg 143). As a result, Descartes argues that the idea of God must therefore be far more complex than his mind alone can perceive- since his idea of God is that of an infinite, perfect being and Descartes himself is a finite being lacking enough formal reality to create such an idea on his own will. Put simply, Descartes believes that the idea of God could not have been created in his own limited mind; and he establishes that God must be the originator of his thoughts and therefore God exists. Secondly, Descartes battles with the idea that his existence must have a cause. He discusses the various possibilities that might have caused his existence including that he might have created himself; he might have always existed; his parents created him; that he was created by something less benevolent and perfect than God; and lastly, that it was God who created him. Descartes takes on an elimination process to figure out which one of these possibilities are likely true. He discusses that he could not have created himself because as he says â€Å"I would have given myself every perfection† (pg 146). Next he dismisses the idea that he always existed simply because as he describes that he is a dependent being that needs to be continually sustained by another. Descartes establishes that the idea of his parents being his creator only reintroduces the same problem regarding their own existence. He then thought of the possibility of a less than perfect God being his creator- but he argues that the idea of perfection that exists in his mind could not have originated from a non-perfect being. With this established, Descartes concludes that there must be a perfect God who is the cause of his existence and his perfect idea of God. In analysis of Descartes position, the observation is made that the basis of his argument is causal reasoning. This is shown when he suggests that there must be a cause of the idea of a perfect God and that this perfect idea must come from God himself. In my own reflection, I thought that living a predominantly Christian society might be the cause of my own idea of God. I have learnt all that I know about God from my parents and by extension the society. It therefore follows, that my parents' idea of God might have come from their parents also, whose idea somewhere along the line came from the church- which is also made up of men who has parents. Descartes argument supports that at the end of this causal chain, there has to be a first cause, which is God. Since there is no direct of evidence proving or disproving the existence of God, the belief in his existence is widely ccepted today, and the search for such a proof would always be a highly debatable and controversial topic. While there is still disagreement over Descartes argument as to whether or not God exists, it is generally agreed that God's existence cannot be proved through the capacity of the mind and therefore we rely on such concepts as skepticism and reasoning to guid e what we choose to believe of God. References * Smith, K. (2010, September 20). Descartes' life and works. Retrieved October 11, 2011from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/descartes-works * Class Handout- Descartes and The Problem of Skepticism

Morality of specific actions

It is not a secret that everyone can make mistake and there is no person who has never made mistake throughout the life. But what mistake and what sequences and problems it can lead to – it is another question?For instance, when in 1986 the specialists responsible for the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant lacked a ‘safety culture' resulting in an inability to remedy design weaknesses despite being known about before the accident – they made mistakes (Causes of the Chernobyl Accident 1). Afterwards, those mistakes led to the global disaster. The chain reaction in the reactor became out of control creating explosions. High radiation level took place in the surrounding 20-mile radius and more than 30 people were killed immediately and about 135,000 were evacuated. In general, the result of the mistakes was 2,500 deaths (Health and Physiological   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consequences 1).Actually, it is very difficult to evaluate the damage and consequences of th e Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Thus, evaluating the specific actions of the specialists in this case, we can say that off course their mistakes were inadmissible and these people had to be hold to higher standards of legal responsibility and their actions had to be considered as a crime.As to the advantages of the given position it should be pointed out that higher standards of legal accountability and responsibility make people understand the importance of their specific actions and problems, which can be caused, as a result of their mistakes. Such punishment will help to avoid repeating the similar accidents in the future.On the other hand, the given position has also its disadvantages. For instance, if higher standards of legal responsibility take place a doctor will think twice before to start a difficult operation. However, sometimes a doctor has to make an urgent decision and has almost no time to take into consideration all factors and threads, as a result of which a patient c an die. In this case, a doctor has to think about a patient and try the best to safe his life, but not about higher standards. So, coming to the conclusion it should be emphasized that higher standards of legal responsibility have to take place, but also they have to take into account all possible circumstances, which may occur in the future.ReferencesCauses of the Chernobyl Accident. Retrieved October 15, 2006Health and Physiological Consequences. Retrieved October 15, 2006

The Many Uses of Baking Soda

The Many Uses of Baking Soda – Informative Speech 1 The Many Uses of Baking Soda General Purpose: To Inform Specific Purpose: The audience will learn about baking soda, the many different ways that it can be used to promote their health, cleaning uses around the home, cooking, in the home uses, and enhancing beauty. Thesis: Baking soda is very low cost, effective alternative to cleaning around the home, promoting health, and enhancing beauty. Introduction I)Fellow classmates, what if I told you that what I have in this small box has been used to promote health, used in cooking, great for cleaning, and enhancing beauty since the 1700’s. Additionally, what if I told you that it only cost about a $1. 00, and is used in two out of every three homes in America. However, most people don’t realize all of the great uses that baking soda has. Well, I am going to tell you just how powerful this stuff actually is. II)With the uncertain state of our country’s economy today, saving a few cents or a few dollars is what a lot of us are doing. Baking soda, for about a dollar, will let you save on a product with so many uses that you may be surprised by some of them. III)Many of you may already have a box of baking soda in your home that you use now and again, though you may not have yet realized that this product is far more powerful than it appears to be. I have done a substantial amount of research on the benefits of baking soda, and found that it is a low cost box of wonder. IV)According to Tip King, author of â€Å"Resourceful and Ingenious uses of Baking Soda†, â€Å"You will find that there are so many tips and ideas on the many uses of baking soda that you will be able to save dollars, yes count them, dollars, each and every week in your home†. Transition: First I will tell you just some of the things that baking soda can clean. ) Body I. â€Å"According to the web site â€Å"Life Hackery†, baking soda can clean and remove odors from a multitude of things inside and outside of your home. † (75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda, 2008) A. Baking soda is very effective in the kitchen. 1. Clean the fridge with it. 2. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse, for a clean free-flowing coffee maker. 3. Wash your fruits and vegetables with it. 4. Remove grease from pots and pans. . A combination of baking soda and vinegar will break down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. B. It can also be used for general cleaning. 1. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by adding a cup to the wash. Combine with water to make a paste for polishing stainless and chrome. 2. Clean garbage cans. 3. Clean retainers and dentures. 4. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution. 5. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain. C. Baking soda removes odors. 1. Put an open box of baking soda in the refrigerators to remover odors. 2. Sprinkle it in shoes, boots, or slippers to eliminate foul odors. 3. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor. 4. Sprinkle it in your cats litter box to absorb bad odor. D. You can do all of your cleaning and deodorizing with a cup or less of this little white powder called â€Å"baking soda†. (Transition: Now that I have discussed many of the ways that you can use baking soda to clean and odor-free your home, let us take a look at how baking soda can be used in promoting ones health. II. There are many health benefits that can be attributed to baking soda. I found just a few at howstuffworks. com. (Uses for Baking Soda: Health and Beauty) 1. Use it as a mouthwash to freshen your breath. 2. Apply it to rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy. 3. Relieve a canker sore by using it as a mouthwash. 4. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water. (Transition: Since we have talked about many of the ways you can use baking soda to promote your health, let us talk about ways that baking soda can be used to enhance your beauty. ) III. Baking soda is one of the few products on the market for cleaning your teeth or settling an upset stomach. While we have many more choices today, baking soda still does the trick for dozens of health and beauty tasks. 1. 1 tsp baking soda mixed with 1/4 tsp hydrogen peroxide. Mix into paste Treat cold sores by dabbing with baking soda. 2. Rub a baking-soda paste onto your elbows to smooth away rough skin. 3. Soak tired feet in a basin of warm water with 3 tablespoons baking soda. 4. Blackhead Remover Recipe: 50/50 Baking Soda & Water. Use gently on your skin to exfoliate. 11 Easy Food Facials – Homemade Recipes, 2007) (Transition: The lists of uses for this wonderfully versatile product are longer than my allotted time; I’ve told you only a few. Perhaps I’ve sparked your curiosity enough that you’ll look at that little yellow box a bit differently. Conclusion I. Found in superstores, grocery stores, and small markets all across the world, baking soda is ve ry effective in it’s multitude of uses which can help and enhance your life. II. For about a buck, you can go out and buy yourself a box of baking soda and begin reaping all of the benefits of this great product. It will be a dollar well spent. Bibliography 11 Easy Food Facials – Homemade Recipes. (2007, May 3). Retrieved March 8, 2010, from Tipnut: http://tipnut. com/11-easy-food-facials-homemade-recipes/ 75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda. (2008). Retrieved March 5, 2010, from Life Hackery: http://lifehackery. com/2008/07/22/home-4/ Uses for Baking Soda: Health and Beauty. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 5, 2010, from How Stuff Works: http://health. howstuffworks. com/uses-for-baking-soda-health-and-beauty-ga. htm

A New Era Of African Women Embracing Sexuality

A New Era Of African Women Embracing Sexuality Sexuality is a concept that varies across different cultures and/or religions in the world. Female sexuality covers not only the female sexual identity but also female sexual behavior. Perception of female sexual experiences has evolved over the years from a cultural phenomenon that is almost like a taboo to talk about, to something being more frequently discussed today. The topic of sexuality has been silence in Africa for centuries. Because of the difficulty in embracing intimate and individual emotions and preferences, most women in Africa lose their voice in discussing sexual preferences and emotions with their partners. The issue is sexuality is a gender-specific social construct in Africa. Parents discourage children growing up in Africa from any sign of sexual stimulation with the idea that masturbation is sinful and morally wrong. Critiques about these ideas are normally non-existent because when the question of morality goes into play with an African, people shy away from these things. African men do not expect women to experience sexual satisfaction thus making women in African ignorant to sexual pleasures and orgasms. They only expect African women to have sex because of childbearing. This patriarchal construct has succeeded in making its way to the tradition of female genital mutilation. Of course with this practice, the cutting off of the woman’s clitoris will ensure a woman will never experience sexual pleasure in her lifetime. These practices represent a misogynist view of what the female body is supposed to feel or give for it deprives women of the opportunity to control sexuality and personal preferences. With this, we will answer four tangible questions surrounding this subject, about the sexuality and sexual experiences of African women. How to approach the experiences of sex and other sexual activities to women in Africa? Because of the moral construct of women and the sex, the experiences of sex are often left out of sex education. Even when professionals try to educate young people about sex, sexually transmitted diseases and, family planning is usually the topic focused on. The conversation of individual experiences of sex is usually ignored or forgotten altogether. Women in Africa are shy or careful to talk about their sexual experiences with their partners with the fear of judgment of their morality. Most African men in parts of Africa often labeled women with contemporary sexual flavors as wild, immoral and women not worthy of marriages, therefore, leading women neglecting to ask for, or initiate potential triggers of pleasure in the bedroom. Because of concurrent stereotypes, it is easy to be labeled as oversexed when you are an African woman. While this is not the case, the African woman has to struggle to correct the different narratives about her sexuality. To her, sexuality encompasses everything that the wider public believes it’s not. Like any other woman from any other race that doesn’t go through the same levels of disbelief constantly thrown toward African women like a bone to a dog, sexual experiences are just that something you experience and enjoy as a woman. Most African women struggle with desires that should be natural to them because of these beliefs that hide their sexuality. With the mindset of the female body being made for sex and procreation only, pleasure for many African women is stifled if not non-existent as it is seen as something to endure rather than explore or enjoy, as past occurrences and precedents have established the need to treat their sexuality that way. How to approach the experiences of sex and other sexual activities to women in Africa? There has always been a huge difference between the messages given to African men and African women about sex and sexual experiences. Even during sex, the society cautions women to allow the man to take the lead and made to believe there are limits to what she can get from it. Pleasure is only meant for the man in these cases, so much that a huge percentage of African women didn’t realize they were just as entitled to the pleasures men have had for a long time. We can approach these experiences by providing an educational platform that talks openly about sexual experiences, and activities without cultural criticisms. This can be done by teaching both young men and women to relearn the functions of the female body. If the African society can take out the guilt of morality from a womans sexual conquest, more women will begin to freely talk about their wants and needs with their partners. This could also start from the root of the cause and work its way up. Although this tactic m ight seem ineffective for most since older African women have strong beliefs about labeling the hyper-sexual experiences of a woman as bad and the older generation would less likely accept a change in idea contrast to what they have lived by all their lives, they need to have eye-opening scenarios painted for them, which encourages them to look beyond their baseless ideologies and consider speaking more to their daughters and young women about sex. How do you think, approach, and own your own orgasm? There is a stiffness that comes with believing men should be the sole beneficiaries of pleasure that has to go. As an African woman, you are well allowed to explore your body, and mind for sexual triggers and reach your climax without the fear of being judged by someone. Be it your mother’s tiny voice in your head telling you God is mad at you for masturbating, or that person in your family who makes you feel dirty every time you feel the need to experience sexual pleasure. You can never fully experience sexual pleasure at its greatest peak if you don’t figure out how to turn yourself on. No one can give you what you can’t give yourself. Learning about your body helps to guard your partner to take you to those places you want to go or even higher. Your sexual experiences are most definitely natural and you should always answer Mother Nature when she calls! When you do reach that place, enjoy it without caring about anything else and anyone. Your sexual health sho uld be as important as everything else you care for. How does the younger generation view polygamy versus how our predecessors viewed them? For the younger generation, it boils down to religious concepts that present polygamy as an option (however with conditions). Our predecessors stayed in marriages long enough to accept polygamy. Because of societal expectations on women, wives in the past had no problem staying in abusive marriages, struggling and taking in everything however worse they might be. The younger generations have begun to question certain standards and are taking their time with marriages. Women of today are less likely to accept, polygamy and abuses than women in the past. Any sign of these things would leave a wife packing out of her home for a single life where she doesn’t have to deal with a cheating or abusive husband. In conclusion, there’s still a lot more to uncover about the African woman’s sexuality. There are more things to learn and unlearn and more conversations to engage in. One thing is for sure. This is the era of African women embracing their sexuality.

My Desired Goals and Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

My Desired Goals and Objectives - Essay Example After our arrival in the United States, I decided to do some job so that I could remain busy. My strength in speaking fluent English, German, and some French immediately gave me the idea to look for a job at an international firm. As I was going through job advertisements, I realized that bookkeepers were quite in demand in the United States. So I joined an accounting training program to learn how to do bookkeeping with the QuickBooks software, learning the American way of accounting at the same time. Graduating from a business high school, I already knew how to do bookkeeping. Moreover, I had also gained some management skills by completing an associate degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the Budapest Business School and by working as a professional in a company located in Budapest. Working for the Levi Strauss Ltd. in Budapest provided me with the managerial experience in an international environment. After four months of continuous job search, I was able to find a bookkeeper/office manager job in Les MÃ ©talliers Champenois, which was, at that time, an affiliated company located in New Jersey. The parent company was located in France whereas LMC was the affiliated company having French owners. The reason behind affiliation with the American company was the change in the market trend in France. Due to change in the market trend, the parent company started developing a new line of product, reorganizing its facility, and developing a new production line. The bronze casements, such as, windows and doors, were not unique in the market. Therefore, the parent company in France decided to start a new affiliated company in the U.S. to sell the new line of products, bronze windows, and door casements. Although both companies shared the same name and had the same line of products but they were different in organization and management. During my interview for the job in that company, I trie d to stress on the benefits that the company could get by hiring me instead of talking about the great opportunity of doing job in that company. I also did not talk anything about how the job could allow me to do the things that I had never done before. I was very focused about the benefits which I could bring for the company, allowing the interviewers to see how deeply I was interested in that job. I had learned a long time ago that taking on additional responsibilities would definitely provide me with an experience that would pay off later in my life. As the location was just across the street of their other affiliated company, I was hired to set up a new office and to perform all administrative tasks with a help of a French intern. Although the task was quite challenging but it was very exciting at the same time. In the new building, we really had to start from the scratch. We had to purchase furnishing, computers, office machines, and supplies for the new building. There was als o a bathroom that had to be remodeled to accommodate all New Jersey regulations. I had to find a suitable contractor who could perform the work in the shortest time with a friendly budget. I was able to find a contractor who was willing to work with one of our employee from our LMC workshop that also helped to reduce the final cost of remodeling. After submitting all documents and a copy of work permit to the city of Paterson, the work started. Our budget was somewhat tight, so we tried to save money on labor and buy used

Personal Experience Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Experience - Personal Statement Example As our society becomes more industrialized, children become the center of attention less and less. Children are thrown into daycares and other institutions while parents work long hours, and when these children express a need, they are either put off until later: or, their needs are blatantly ignored because they are not deemed to be valid or important enough to deserve attention. Concerning the injustices that are done to children, Laurie A. Couture, a renowned children's advocate, makes the statement that "Our culture has moved far away from nature's intended way for us to parent and care for our children. Unfortunately, over many centuries, as the world has become increasingly more industrialized, people have lost touch with their natural parenting instincts. Each generation is parented in a way that causes distress, pain, depression and anger. This in turn causes each new generation to pass down harmful ways of parenting that reflect their hurt, distress and resentment" (Couture) . Children are treated like property that can be managed and thrown around and are thought to be less human than adults. Regarding the injustices of children and adults mistreating them and not taking them seriously, I experienced injustice in the sixth grade at the hands of a teacher that did not have to happen, and if only the teachers were to hear me out and treat me less like property and more like a human being, then the experience would have turned out differently. One day, we were sitting in class. The teacher had been lecturing for hours, and I was getting quite bored. I began to drift off into my own world and daydream. I thought about more interesting things, such as what I was going to do after school with my friends and the awesome parties that were coming up. I daydreamed of myself accomplishing great feats and being famous all over the world. I even daydreamed of myself being off in fun places, such as traveling the world, seeing different things, and gaining new experiences. Unfortunately though, the daydreaming only worked for a period of time because the boredom began to set in again. This time, the boredom was stronger than ever, so strong that I felt the need to hurry up and do something about it, even if I had to take somewhat drastic measures. Because I was feeling bored and nothing that I did seem to help, I thought of taking a different angle to make things interesting. I thought that it would be cool to do something to get a reaction out of the teacher. The thought of making her mad seemed a bit entertaining. I thought for a wile about what I could do to achieve this, and suddenly, I had what I thought to be an awesome idea. I was going to loudly whistle in class, hoping the teacher would be none the wiser about who did it. I scribbled a note and passed it around to some of my friends who were sitting near me (We passed it around under the table to avoid being noticed, and it worked because she never caught us.), and they all wrote back on that same note that it was a good idea and that it would be funny to watch. I waited for what I thought to be the perfect time, and I let out a loud whistle. To my dismay, the timing was not right because she immediately called me out on what I had done. Feeling stupid, I apologized, and the teacher went on with her lecture. Some time had passed, and another student let out a loud whistle. Without doing any sort of investigation, she turned

Human Behavior in Organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Behavior in Organizations - Assignment Example at leadership based theories became well-known around 1950s and during the same period leadership interaction, implication and classification was done. It was also determined that so far significant research has been pursued for establishing relationship between leadership and performance (Allio, 2012). The paper is a critical assessment of leadership as a concept and its classifications. Moving on, the role of various kind of leadership has been elaborately discussed in the paper with respect to organizational behavior. Similarities and dissimilarities between various leadership styles have also been discussed followed by an overview of charismatic leadership, its features and implications in organizational framework. Leadership, especially charismatic leadership was considered appropriate for this paper because the study will help in developing a clear understanding of roles and characteristics of leaders played within an organizational framework. It has already been highlighted that the concept of leadership is highly subjective and as a result, several definitions has been developed thereof. Leadership has been defined as the technique of influencing other individuals for developing agreement and understanding regarding things that are to be done and the process of achieving these objectives in a collaborative manner. Other definition suggests that leadership is to influence an individual or a group to achieve common goals by means of shared objectives. Based on these definitions, several components of the phenomenon of leadership can be recognized, such as, it is a process, it involves influencing individuals logically and it provide shared goals and objectives to them (Allio, 2012). Regarding leadership and leader, different authors have presented a variety of views some of which are also conflictive in nature. For instance, a group of researchers argued that leadership qualities are acquired by leaders since birth while other group of researchers argued