Saturday, April 11, 2020

Allegory of the Cave

Plato’s cave represents human knowledge â€Å"showing the intellectual journey to truth as a gradual and arduous process†.[1]He likens people with prisoners in a cave whose only perception of realism is a play of shadows spread on a wall that faces them. Everyone has a role to play in bringing change to his/her life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Allegory of the Cave specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One has to make a decision of leaving the thoughts that prevent them from perceiving the world from a broad perspective. Only then can they get an understanding of the real world. Plato sums this in four stages. The first stage includes forming an attitude that is based on the reality’s outward appearance constituted by sights and sounds of experience though it takes a while before the human mind distinguishes reality. The second stage is the ability to recognize the distinction between a decept ive entity of knowledge and the real ones. In this case, the shadows of the carving walls and the true carvings. The use of puppeteers by Plato inside the cave and things outside indicate that empirical discoveries never penetrate the ideal realm of truth thus calling for the need to move outside the cave.[2] The third stage is where people get outside the cave into the sun that tends to cause their blindness. This sun indicates the light of truth thus causing reality to be foreign to the familiar. This makes it hard to understand the nature of reality that happens to be ideal and not material as Plato later realized. Accordingly, practice and learning are key ingredients for realization of the true form of reality. The fourth stage is where one acknowledges the intellectual light source. Plato realized that the Good does elucidate concepts that help us to understand truth. The prisoner knew that holding his head high and standing on his dignity would signify victory as far as addre ssing the masses was concerned. Plato maintains this concept by saying that it is only those that can pull off enlightenment that ought to be leaders of the rest.[3] The prisoner is a leader because he has achieved enlightenment over time and he is well able to lead the rest. He did not resist enlightenment as others did but rather embraced it with open arms. The allegory of the cave can be compared with Breyten’s ‘You Screws’ which holds that people will always drag you to the pit immediately they realize that the light has finally shone upon you. Breyten having been a prisoner for while who never let his form of imprisonment deter him from advancing in knowledge, is addressing the screws who turned up in large numbers to listen to him as a way of gaining knowledge. He says that he does not regret much of having been shattered from the world but â€Å"I normally resent all attempts at dragging me back particularly when they come from the sentimentally deprived or the vicarious heart-eaters and self shitters who wallow in victimization and heroism by proxy†.[4]Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ordinary folks that have not been enlightened will always misunderstand them that have the intellectual insight. The individual in the Plato at last understands his environment and tenaciously overcomes the challenges experienced in the cave, in this case being its mental incapacitation, through a long and tortuous intellectual journey. In conclusion, everyone needs to change their thoughts and attitudes to be able to live a worthy life. There is nothing for the free or the slaves since all have opportunities even if they are bloated. Mental imprisonment is definitely the worst situation in life as far as enlightenment is concerned. References Breyten, Breytenbach. â€Å"You Screws.† Harper’s Magazine, Feb. 2007. Plato, Allan. †˜The Allegory of the Cave’, The Republic of Plato. New York: Basic Books, 1968. Ralkowski, Mark. Heidegger’s Platonism. London, GBR: Continuum International Publishing, 2009. Footnotes Alan Plato, ‘The Allegory of the Cave’, The Republic of Plato, ed. (New York: Basic Books, 1968), 134. Mark Ralkowski, Heidegger’s Platonism, (London, GBR: Continuum International Publishing, 2009), 102. Mark Ralkowski, Heidegger’s Platonism, (London, GBR: Continuum International Publishing, 2009), 113. Breytenbach Breyten, â€Å"You Screws,† Harper’s Magazine February, 2007, 15. This essay on Allegory of the Cave was written and submitted by user Tabitha Solis to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

An Analysis of Jamacian Fragment Essays

An Analysis of Jamacian Fragment Essays An Analysis of Jamacian Fragment Essay An Analysis of Jamacian Fragment Essay Rhetorical Analysis of Jamacian Fragment by Al Hendricks. The Jamaican Fragment is a story about a man, who during his regular walk to and from work encounters an irregularity he views as an act of inferiority. We can assume that the Jamaican Fragment is a real life experience, rather than a piece of fiction due to first person writing style. In the first paragraph the author uses visual imagery by describing the colors of the houses as well as the bungalow style house, which presents as the setting. We can start to conclude that the author is ethnic himself or very familiar with differentiating ethnic characteristics. In psychology we learn that the race we are born of, makes us better able to distinguish features and characteristics amoung our own culture. People often struggle distinguishing key characteristics in other races, ethnicities, and cultures. So when Hendricks refers to the one little boy as a â€Å"little Jamaican†, he is presenting us with the idea that he is ethnic. It is important to take notice of the fact that Hendricks may be of Jamaican descent as in the next line in the above mentioned sentence he calls the little boy a â€Å"strong Jamaican† and this sets the tone for the writer’s stance. Hendrick outlines his passion for his race as a â€Å"strong† race as opposed to weak and inferior. The definition of prejudice according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is as follows â€Å"a (1): preconceived judgment or opinion (2): an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge . † Prejudice is a very controversial topic in our society that often incites anger and defensiveness in people. Hendricks essay Jamaican Fragment is a well written personal descriptive essay that addresses the idea of prejudice employing irony and humour so that the reader remains open-minded. Hendricks’ simple, relaxed style helps assist the reader through the story without preconceived notions or prejudices towards other ethnicities. There are several figures of speech used to entice the reader and the reflective mood of the essay allows us to reflect on our own thoughts and hopefully come to the same conclusions around prejudice. Hendricks’ style of the essay is very important in terms of what he wants the reader to experience and how he wants them to experience the story. Words that I would use to describe the tone would be casual, curious and ironic. The author uses everyday language to create the casual tone such as â€Å"The other little fellow was smaller, but also sturdy – he was white, with hazel eyes and light-brown hair. † (362) This casual tone permits everyone to read this essay; there is no prejudice against an educated or uneducated audience. The sentence structure used is also simple and casual. â€Å"For a whole day I puzzled over this problem. †(363) This excerpt from Jamaican Fragment is an excellent example of the curious tone that utilizes in this essay. He is taking the reader on a journey of self-discovery. The reader is also curious as to the game the children play, could it really be a game of inferiority? There is also a strong sense of irony throughout the entire essay, it is my belief that the author uses an ironic tone to further his argument around prejudice enable the reader to learn a moral lesson. â€Å"The exercise is good for me and now and then I learn something from a little incident†(362), is an example of Hendricks’ using foreshadowing as a literary technique. We know that he is going to learn something and we know by the end of the essay that â€Å"little† is very much an understatement. â€Å"How silly grown-ups we are, how clever we are, how wonderfully able we are to impute deep motives to childish actions! How suspicious we are when have been warped by prejudice! â€Å"(364) This illustrates the ignorance that Hendricks employs and the relationship between ignorance and prejudice. He also uses exclamation marks to emphasize the enormity of his misjudgment. Syncrisis is a figure of speech in which opposite things or persons are compared. (the free dictionary). Hendricks’ uses syncrisis throughout the essay â€Å"young vs old† and black vs white†, this technique is used repetitively because Hendricks has a us vs them defence. He believes that he has been wronged by judgement and â€Å"them†. â€Å"Was there really some difference between a white man and a black man? Something that made the white superior. †(363) This is a good example of the author using a literary device called pathos . Hendricks wants to incite passion into the reader, he feels incredibly passionate about his feelings around prejudice. â€Å"Were we as a race really inferior? So inferior that even in our infancy we realized our deficiencies, and accepted a position as the white man’s servant? † (363) The author is asserting his own point of view here, wresting with their world perspective on injustice. There’s a sense that the author feels inferior as a black person due to the last sentence, even if he doesn’t want to feel that that way, perhaps because of his light tone? In the last paragraph Hendricks reveals the truth around the game to a white man standing on his porch, he soon discovers that the man is the father of both boys and a partner in an interracial marriage. Obviously some humor here, the author makes assumptions (of course which is one of the toxic elements in racism, prejudice, stereotypes, and injustice) about another person’s point of view (which is what he did with the boys) and although he has good intentions, he is again surprised because the thought of a racially mixed family (the next step toward an egalitarian and tolerant society) had not crossed his mind. Irony strikes again. Assumptions and ignorance is what encourages prejudice and although this is what he is passionate against he becomes the bearer of such conclusions. Through Hendricks’ self-discovery around the â€Å"game† we are able to see how quickly people are apt to jump to conclusions feeding prejudice. What is social equality and how does this change come about? Education is the key to this problem and Hendricks urges the reader to become educated and learn a very important moral lesson.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Essay 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

4 - Essay Example The reading reminded Muslims that their religion was revealed by God through the prophet Muhammad. The five pillars of Islam, which are ritual duties that that must be observed by all Muslims, were also mentioned and these pillars are: confessing their faith, observing the five daily prayers, paying alms to the needy, fasting during the month of Ramadan and pilgrimage or hajj to Mecca ((Ellwood & McGraw 374). The authors also explained the importance of the hajj to Muslims and the significance of the mosque as the main place of worship to the Muslims. Several religious rites that are also practiced by Muslims were also mentioned in the book. The spread of Islam from the Middle East to North Africa were also discussed in the reading (Ellwood & McGraw). The two largest branches of Islam, Sunni Islam and the Shi’a Islam were also mentioned in the reading. The Shiites believed that the descendants of Ali, (Muhammad’s son-in-law) were divinely ordained by God and they are called Imams. On the other hand, the Sunnis believed that it was Muhammad’s intention for the Muslims to choose a successor amongst themselves by agreement and they are called caliphs. The difference between the Sunni and Shi’a Islam were made clear in the reading. Islamic mysticism was also explained in the reading and the tensions that it had with mainstream Islam. Islamic mysticism was explained as a factor that has deepened the life of Muslims. The role of Islam in politics was also explained in the reading in the history of Islam and their role in modern politics, especially in the region of the Middle East. The concept of jihad, a ‘holy war’ was also explained in the reading as Muslims actually see it as a means of converting Non-Muslims and drawing their hearts to God. The reading actually relate to my experience in the sense that, it expands my knowledge on the little understanding I have about Islam. The day to day practices of Muslims that were highlighted in the reading

Thursday, February 6, 2020

What do career counsellors do and how do they do it Essay

What do career counsellors do and how do they do it - Essay Example It touches upon several areas including the ethical issues that are very necessary to be taught to the trainees so as to make them beneficial for the society and the profession altogether. Career counsellors play an eminent role in developing their client’s orientation towards their goals and maintaining a harmony between their professional and personal lives. For counsellors to identify the needs and problems of their clients and to solve them effectively, supervision is required. It implies that for new counsellors to become successful as professionals, they need to obtain guidance from counsellor supervisors and trainers who are experienced in the field. Wheeler and King (2000, p88) illustrate this point as, â€Å"there is something very comforting as a counsellor, when working with a difficult client, to know that somewhere in the background is a supervisor with whom the difficulties can be discussed†. As a matter of fact, a client, his needs, his problems, his backgrounds and his psychological state are all distinct from that of the other clients. Counselling all the clients with respect to their individuality can turn out to be a tough task. In such a situation, effective guidance and counselling from a supervisor can be helpful in the career of a counsellor to analyse and resolve client’s problems in an efficacious fashion. Lichtenberg (1997, p234) postulates that, â€Å"relative to novice counsellors, more experienced counsellors generally have a bigger and better organised set of intervention tools and conceptual frameworks for dealing with clients†. This experience and guidance of supervisor is necessary for a new counsellor or a trainee to gain an insight into the counselling psychology. These supervisors or career counsellors train the new counsellors on the practical grounds of counselling psychology. The supervisors guide the counsellors on discerning client’s

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Organizational Change and Theory Paper Essay Example for Free

Organizational Change and Theory Paper Essay Organizational Change and Theory Paper Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The aspect of managing organizational change is very crucial to any given organization. Organizational change is the execution of new technologies and procedures with an aim of realigning the organization to the changing demands of the firm or benefit from on the business opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how implementation of new technology of computerized charting was effectively managed in the hospital.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nurses have to deal with the new change of computerized charting though it is hardly a new technology. However, several PC-challenged healthcare experts have taken keen interest to become conversant with this new method to patient information management. Taking interest to increase personal skills and marketability as well as being proactive is likely to influence the nursing career in a positive manner. Recent research findings indicate that more institutions are investing in capturing data by electronic means. The keys to computerized charting in modern market, there are various software vendors and alternatives to choose from. In the office I use epic computer software. The use of electronic means is overwhelming at first, but an individual becomes used to with time. It is much better compared to paper charting (Richards Keogh, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many health professionals leaned how to work with epic software in their first day of orientation. There is a lot of improvement since most nurses are able to enter their orders themselves. The epic software will enable all the nurses in the institution to use the system from the basic triage to discharge from inpatient. However, there are some resentment about the system since some nurses find it inefficient claiming that the system crashes down frequently for several hours. Others find it very difficult to use especially to the nurses working on the rapid response departments and it’s a challenge to work on a patients without their medical histories, allergies, procedures and meds. The hospital copes with this problem by having backup system. There are also computer hubs where all nurses can print up their chart, though it is also a sticky situation to be used by the entire hospital (Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarti cle/810573).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The epic program is very effective when it is working since nurses can enter their progress notes and orders. The other problem that the hospital has to deal with is that there is high probability of nurses clicking the wrong orders. The other problem is that sometimes the system is too slow. The nurses are asked to been with the system and have specific way of entering individual orders for easy identification since one click on the system shows very many orders. However, nurses are given opportunity to access any patient’s order from anywhere at any given time since they can use epic system at the same time (Retrieved from http://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/epic-computer-program-280071.html).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hospital’s IT department has provided enough memory and large servers which is a very significant move. This enables the nurses to make their own orders effectively without the system breakdown or becoming too slow. The epic system might be complicated at first since some nurses find it difficult to locate their flow sheets. The nurses who became used to the system are able to program their favorite flow sheets which make it effortless for the nurse to remember to fill them later. The institution has managed this change also by adjusting the system according to their needs. In the epic software many flow sheets are linked such that if nurse document important orders in one place, they will appear in every relevant flow sheet where those orders are required (Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/810573). Ð ¼Numerous cases reveal that it is not always easy to manage effective organizational change, thus organizations should find out the possible causes of the failure. There are a lot of changes occurring across the globe. The changes range from increase in competition, changes in customer preferences as well as changes in technology. Organizations are required to create new advantages, serve customers better and cope with stiff competition. To stay competitive, organizations are required to abandon the work and processes that are not fruitful or those that do not add value to the company. As the nurse head I encourage and offer assistance to the nurses who are not used to the epic software (Richards Keogh, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The epic software has various definite advantages. The system can be made effective by frequent training of the nurses on how to program their flow sheets, the IT department should also ensure that there is enough memory and large server; the institution should also adjust the epic software according to the needs of our patients. I would also propose that the flow sheets should be organized in an appropriate manner; the colors might be used to organize the flow sheets in a superior manner. These options will make the epic system to be user friendly (Richards Keogh, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, change management is very crucial in every institution. The nurses will benefit from various advantages linked to epic software since they will be able to enter their own orders. Computerized charting is better as compared to paper charting. Institutions are called upon to give training and orientation to the nurses so that they can become conversant with this new change. Enough memory and large servers enable the system to be fast and avoid system breakdown. References Charting made incredibly easy! (4th ed.). (2010). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. EPIC Computer Program. (n.d.). Answers Articles and Jobs for Nurses and Nursing Students RSS. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/epic-computer-program-280071.html Medscape Log In. (n.d.). Medscape Log In. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/810573 Richards, J., Keogh, J. E. (2008). Medical charting demystified. New York: McGraw-Hill. Source document

Monday, January 20, 2020

Jews :: essays research papers

Jews "The enemy trapped the Jews in the city by building a wall around it. Foodstuffs could not be brought in: starvation and crowded conditions gave rise to disease, and epidemics spread among the populace. But surprisingly the Jews held on. Then the enemy massed troops outside the wall and brought out the latest in weaponry. They attacked, using fire to spread destruction. The Jews repelled the enemy a number of times. So savage was the resistance that the campaign to destroy the Jewish population took much longer and cost more troops than anticipated. Street by street the fighting raged with hand-to-hand combat between the heavily armed troops and the haggard defenders. Some Jews tried to escape through the sewers, but they were flushed out by fire. At the end the Jews had taken a heavy toll on their enemy but the city lay in smoking ruins. The remaining Jewish survivors were rounded up to be used as slave laborers or to be killed. What episode in Jewish history is depicted in this scenario? Most people would say this was the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943. But in fact it was the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in the year 70 The destruction of the Second temple and the attack on the Warsaw Ghetto, although separated by nearly two thousand years have and eerie sameness. The Germans sealed off the Warsaw's Jewish population with and eight-foot brick concrete wall. The Romans built a high earthen barricade around Jerusalem to make certain the Jews could not escape. Germans shot, on the spot Jews discovered outside the Warsaw Ghetto. The Romans crucified the Jews they found, placing crosses atop the hill to terrorize those watching from inside the city: as many as 500 were crucified in 1 day. The Germans tried to starve the Polish Jews into submission reducing their rations at first to 800 calories a day and later cutting off all food to the ghetto. The Romans used the tactic of siege to bring starvation in Jerusalem. In both episodes the actual fighting was in some ways similar. "Since the ghetto was impenetrable in frontal attack, General Stroop's forces set fire to the buildings with incendiary bombs and flame throwers" Titus's Roman legions used flaming torches of wood to set fire to the Temple and other buildings in the final battle. "Through the roar of the flames as they [the Romans] swept relentlessly on could be heard the groans of the falling†¦ the entire city seemed to be on fire. The Nazis not only killed but plundered Jews if their possessions; the Romans

Sunday, January 12, 2020

John Locke Essay

John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone in Western political philosophy. The theory of government he presents in this particular document – that government is based on the sovereignty of the people – has been overwhelmingly influential since its publication in 1690. Before going further, however, it is necessary to understand the events from which the Second Treatise stems. As stated, this document was published in 1690, and it was done so anonymously. Two years prior to the publication, the highly unpopular King James II of England had been deposed – with no bloodshed whatsoever – and replaced by King William III and his wife, Queen Mary, who was a daughter of the deposed king. This event was known to history as the Glorious Revolution. Yet, when it occurred, Locke was not residing in England. However, he did have ties to the party that oversaw the Glorious Revolution – the Whigs. As a result of this relationship, Locke sought to justify the ascension of King William. Though the Second Treatise was written to justify the resistance that occurred to King Charles II, it was published to justify the Glorious Revolution. Locke’s Second Treatise begins with the premise that society is made up of free and equal individuals, all of whom are endowed with natural rights. He goes on to state that these same individuals will want to acquire possession, and most likely will engage in conflicts with one another. Therefore, he suggests that the natural law of morality be utilized to govern them. One major presumption made by Locke is the fact that, for a society to best protect itself and its property, the individuals within that society must join together and form a body politic, in which they agree to adhere to certain standards of behavior. To accomplish this, they must give up some of their natural rights. As history has since demonstrated, the giving up of natural rights has not always been met with a good response, as in the case of the American Civil War, where states’ rights was a major underlying cause. Within this civil society, the people must submit what they consider to be natural freedoms to the common law of that society. In return, they receive the protection of their government. An executive power – i.e. president – is given the authority to enforce the laws of the government, punishing any that break those laws. However, should the power held by the executive or other officials within the government fail to live up to their responsibilities, the people have the right and the responsibility to rebel against that government. Once they have rebelled against it, if they are successful in removing it, they must replace it with one that will abide by the laws set up for the smooth running of their society. It is this last concept that proves to be the crux of Locke’s document. It was what served as his motivation to write the Second Treatise. He wanted the British to understand they had the right to replace one government with another. It would be this concept that would serve as one of the underlying philosophies that would inspire revolutions in both America and France, as well as the documents on which America was founded on: the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The various ideas presented in the Second Treatise – limited government based on natural rights and human dignity, unlimited personal property based on those same natural rights – are what make this document a superbly constructed argument against the concept of absolutism. Thus, it remains a most influential work within the realm of political philosophy, and within history in general.