IT Security Essay

With the advent of the new technological age, businesses and individuals find it more and more difficult to cope with the growing amount of information. The more technological businesses become, the more information they are compelled to process and store, thus creating a whole set of challenges and controversies in the IT field. The problem is that managing business information is impossible without developing and implementing effective data storage systems. Very often, backing up business data to a remote location becomes the only possible means to guarantee effectiveness of all information processes within organization. In this context, online backup services could potentially resolve the most complicated IT issues in business. Really, in business, organizations gather large amounts of information about their products, market reputation, customers, and competitors. They work to determine the major weaknesses and strengths of their sales strategies and use this information in the process of achieving strategic organizational objectives. Information improves organizations’ competitive positions, and â€Å"the company losing information may have its competitive edge dulled. Losing a competitive edge can be a significant cost to any business, but even losing competitive edge is not as dangerous as losing and revealing information about possible business vulnerabilities and gaps to potential and current competitors† (Halibozek, Jones & Kovacich, 2007). The fact is that the loss of data may take different forms and patterns; the reasons of losing information are also many and numerous. Regardless of whether the loss of data is caused by a virus or an external attack, customer files, emails, financial and accounting information – all these may become a serious threat to the stability of businesses. Statistical research suggests that one half of businesses that lose critical information file for bankruptcy (Jacobi, 2005); as such, online backup mechanisms seem to be a viable solution to the discussed problems. The problem of losing information is well-known to businesses, but here it is more than important to investigate the relevance of online backup services. The problem of losing information in business is significant from the IT security perspective for numerous reasons: these include the risks of losing competitiveness, the risks of bankruptcy, and the risks of competitive vulnerability, as discussed in the previous paragraph. Investigating the relevance of online backup services is needed to evaluate its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and the principles of use. Losing information seems a difficult and hardly resolvable problem, but with the current speed of technological advancement, even the most controversial and difficult technological issues can be successfully resolved. The issue of losing data is not an exception, and TechSoup meta-site provides brief but comprehensible information with regard to using online backup services. Upon visiting the website, the first impression is that information is well-structured, is divided into several subcategories, and is written in an easy understandable language – the features that even inexperienced IT users can use to grasp the meaning of online backup services. Furthermore, it is objectivity of provided data and the lack of clear or hidden advertising that makes the website fully informative and not imposing. That the authors discuss both pros and cons of using online backup services makes it possible for the reader to make a relevant and justified choice; and where online backup services display serious technological limitations, the meta-site provides a set of recommendations for overcoming these limitations in practice (Lasa, 2006). For example, when it comes to using online backup services, â€Å"speed and amount of data backup is limited by the speed of your Internet connection. Online backup over dial-up connection will be slow and is generally only suitable for small amounts of data† (Lasa, 2006). Here, it also means that the speed of data management and its effectiveness largely depends on the particular choice of Internet providers. Bearing in mind the variety and number of Internet companies in the market, choosing the right one with the best and the most appropriate speed of connection will help companies resolve these issues at hand. Also, the meta-site suggests that companies that limit their choice of data storage mechanisms to online backup services actually trust all important information to a single person (and provider), and in case the data is lost, the given provider will hardly be able to restore it. To mitigate these risks, the authors also recommend using CDs or DVDs to archive backed-up data (Lasa, 2006). These are the most feasible solutions to the issues, with which online backup services can be associated. In general, the website provides detailed and unbiased information about online backup services. Unfortunately, the information regarding the seriousness of data storage issues is absent. As such, IT users may not understand the seriousness of the issue and may not be willing to seek immediate and effective solutions. Even when the need to investigate the problem arises, IT professionals will need to search the net for possible statistical or descriptive information with regard to the issue of losing information and its impact on businesses. Nevertheless, the provided information is structured in a way that makes it easier to understand HOW to cope with the growing information management tensions. The website does not simply describe how online backup services work, but evaluates their benefits and drawbacks, and provides a set of recommendations for choosing a provider. The structure of information is extremely convenient and is designed to cover broad audiences. Conclusion Certainly, the mere fact that IT users can access information about backup services does not mean that the issue of data management and storage is no longer relevant. On the contrary, the more meta-sites devote time and effort to describing such services, the more concerned they become about possible implications of losing information in business. Objectively, technology works to provide IT users and professionals with a whole set of effective instruments for storing and managing data; and it is obvious that online backup services can significantly reduce the risks of losing important and sensible data. Simultaneously, even when using online backup services, there is still much room for technological improvement, and whether businesses and individuals are offered relevant technological solutions depends on the speed and the quality of the current technological progress.

Mozart Piano Sonata No. 3

In B flat major and the third of the set Mozart composed, the Piano Sonata (K. 281) opens with an Allegro in sonata form. Almost immediately after the restatement of the four-measure theme begins, Mozart moves away from the tonic toward the dominant, F major. An insistent repeated-note figure is the main feature of the secondary theme, which quickly gives way to a trilled closing motive. After a harmonically daring development section we hear one of Mozart's most predictable recapitulations, tracing the exposition in full and resolving everything to the tonic before closing without a coda. Marked Andante amoroso, the slow movement is in sonata form with a brief development. A large leap at the beginning of the secondary theme contrasts with the descending scale that makes up the first theme. Trills and sudden dynamic contrasts inject intensity into an otherwise serene atmosphere that pervades the entire movement. As in the Allegro, the recapitulation follows exactly the path of the exposition, except for the modifications necessary to remain in the tonic, E flat major. The movement closes without a coda. The concluding Rondeau (or rondo is infused with elements of sonata form. The first episode (section B) is on the dominant, F major, thus preparing the way for the first (and only partial) return of the rondo theme. In the manner of a recapitulation, this same episode returns nearly in full and resolved to the tonic just before the last statement of the rondo and the close of the movement.

An Assessment between the Movies, Japans War in Color and Why We Fight

An Assessment between the Movies, Japan's War in Color and Why We Fight The films â€Å"Why We Fight† and â€Å"Japan’s War in Color† are vastly different from one another due to objectivity of the films. The ways that these two films present themselves give hint to the purpose that these films were trying to make. The film, â€Å"Why We Fight† was commissioned by the Department of Morale, and was meant to give reason for America’s involvement in Asia. The film’s purpose is obviously meant maintain and gain support for the war effort on America’s mainland. The film is targeted at American citizens living in places like Atlanta, Georgia, Washington D.C., or in Portland, Oregon. The film, â€Å"Japan’s War in Color† offers an analytical approach to the various causes of the war in Asia. The objective of this film is to provide a more accurate depiction of the causes and effects of the war in Asia. This film being targeted towards scholars of this area of history. The first contrast that needs to be made between these two films is the nature of their narrators. It seems to be that in the film â€Å"Why We Fight†, the entire dialogue is made by what seems to be a masculine American voice. When the narrator is interrupted, it is in place of an American source, such as the ambassador of China speaks about Japan’s occupation in China. Even when the US ambassador is speaking, he seems to be reading allowed cue cards. Now this is purposively done in order to make the US a hero as much as possible. Even the use of a masculine voice is done purposively to bring about sentiments of honor and duty. Now in the other film â€Å"Japan’s War in Color†, different perspectives are given, which themselves are spoken in a Japanese dialect. Both sides are shown, such as small pockets of rebellion against the military emperorship of Japan, and even hardline militarist Japanese testimonies. What makes that special is that little room fo r biases are left, since both sides are shown in equal proportions. Now this is done simply because this how the academia works, evaluation and detective work must be done. Next what needs to pointed out is what type of footage is shown between the two films. I could not but help but get a sense that military demonstrations were the bulk of the film â€Å"Why We Fight†. Then oddly enough, a few scenes seem to be taken from Hollywood films, especially when they were describing the old Chinese culture. One scene describing the Great Wall of China, the footage of men on horse back in what seemed to steppe bandits looked very Hollywood clichà ©. But the over use of military demonstrations, marches, soldiers storming trenches, close ups on Japanese soldiers looking menacing is done with the objective of making the US seem a hero in comparison of the Japanese. Even the depiction of the Chinese make it seem that they are under the US responsibility. The use of debasement is placed on the Chinese, sense one they are not given any representation other than the narrators own view of them, and makes it seem that they can not help themselves from the Japane se forces. The footage in the film â€Å"Japan’s War in Color† is extremely different from â€Å"Why We Fight†. First off, footage of typical Japanese life is shown, such as people working in the fields, footage of Tokyo on a normal day, footage various festivals. The footage attempts to encapsulate the whole human experience in the 1930’s and early 1940’s in Asia. Indeed, there is footage of war, but in this film it is hard at times to distinguish who is harming who. War is depicted as messy and full of collateral damage. Much rather this film isn’t attempting to call for more war, but expose the vices of war. While trying to find some similarities between these two films, they only seem to agree based on the large historical facts, for example Japan’s occupation of Korea and Manchuria, Japan being the single most powerful state in Asia, and Japan’s imperialist campaign in Asia. But how these are expressed and analyzed are in different formats. For example, in â€Å"Why We Fight† these events are expressed in a outsiders point of view, which in this case is described as Japanese aggression. In the film, â€Å"Japan’s War in Color†, opinions are expressed from mainland Japan, people in China, intellectuals, soldiers on both fronts opinions are expressed to see their motives and explanations for taking part in the war. In summary, the contrasts overweigh the similarities between the films. These two films have two complete different objectives. The makers of each film had in mind a certain way of depicting the war in mind. In the â€Å"Why We Fight†, it was a propaganda film meant to maintain support for the war in America. Certain things were done to achieve this such as refusing to use Japanese sources, focusing on the military aspect of Japan, and debasing the Chinese as helpless people needing American assistance. The film â€Å"Japan’s War in Color† was a academic piece meant to expose the different views that were held during this time in Asia. To explore both the militarist, the common folk, the liberals, the radicals, and the unaccounted for. The film was meant to explore the human experience that occurred in this time of human civilization.

Strategic planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic planning - Research Paper Example Benchmarking b. Knowledge management c. Utilization of general quality management skills VIII. Conclusion a. General Statements about Wal-Mart. b. Strategic Planning Abstract This is an 8 and half pages of in depth evaluation and analysis of Wal-Mart. The paper focuses on a resource based analysis and SWOT analysis of Wal-Mart’s strategic planning. There is also a look at control development and evaluation followed by a discussion of quality management at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart: A Master of Strategic Planning Name: (fill in) Strategic Planning Ashford University Wal-Mart: A Master of Strategic Planning Since its beginnings Wal-Mart has implemented strategic plans and innovative concepts to move to the place of the number one retailer in the world. What has made Wal-Mart a world leader in the retail industry? The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how Wal-Mart’s corporate management has succeeded through innovative strategic planning and implementation of the plans to grow Wal-Mart into a multibillion dollar operation. First section of this paper will contain a brief corporate background, an evaluation of culture and environment, and a resource-view analysis of the corporation will make up the first section of this paper. In section two, a deeper analysis of strategic planning and implementation, leading to the conclusion. Humble Beginnings Wal-Mart was the brainchild of Sam Walton. Sam Walton began Wal-Mart in the 1960’s after he had researched the changes in retail environments across the country. He drafted a plan for deep discounted operation that not only sold a variety of merchandise, but would include a pharmacy. His plan also would expand to include four types of retail stores; discount stores, supercenters, Sam’s clubs and neighborhood markets. Sam Walton opened his first discount store in the Rogers, Arkansas in July 1962. Walton incorporated his stores in 1969 with corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. In 1970 his corporation went public. (Gamble and Thompson 2011) By this time his company had grown from the one store in the beginning to 38 stores. A short nine years later, in 1979, the company was at 276 stores in 11 states. Culture and Environment The culture that Sam Walton promoted and developed with his company was part of the strategies that lead to his company’s success. Walton’s four core principles for managing are treat employees as partners, build for the future, recognize the road to success includes failing, and involve employees at all levels in the total decision making process. The three basic beliefs that underlie the culture at Wal-Mart are respect for the individual, service for the customers, and strive for excellence. Walton was a hand on manager and has passed this philosophy on to the current CEO of the company. Walton’s legacy is still very present in the way the company handles employees, customers, and expansion. Resource-based Analysis This anal ysis will look at the resources that are unique to Wal-Mart and produce and maintain a competitive edge for the company. Wal-Mart’s most unique resource was the founder Sam Walton and his business philosophy. His willingness in pioneering discount stores in no traditional settings, pioneering just-in-time inventory, online processes with suppliers, maintained corporate offices in a low cost environment, and set an example for others that few have been willing to repeat. (Price 1996) The analysis done shows that as a corporation Wal-Mart demonstrates; a great

Project Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Project Report - Essay Example The petroleum cars contribute to alto of pollution whereby they may leave poisonous exhaust fumes or oil leaking from their engines. To conserve the various natural plants and animals, it is important to take into consideration conservation measures that will help preserve the forests. Using electric cars and bicycles will reduce exhaust fumes and the spillage of oil in North Pennines and, as a result, reduce pollution mainly. The paper will, therefore, focus on the use of alternative transport like bicycles and electric cars to reduce stress to reduce pollution to the natural environment of North Pennines. North Pennines is a natural reserve that people visit especially in their leisure or past times. It is a natural habitat far away from the city and the many activities that affect the cities and towns. There are people who stay there and as a result help to maintain and take care of the various plants and animals. The area has human settlements and the forests and natural areas where people do not inhabit. The people thus visit North Pennines to enjoy the tranquility associated with it and to venture into natural adventures especially when sampling the various animals and organisms in North Pennines. The environment is mostly natural and an excellent habitat for the different plants found in North Pennines. Many people come with their private cars into North Pennines. Most people use their cars to move around and, as a result, a venture with the cars to North Pennines. They travel through the vast lands and the moorland using their cars. The cars, therefore, cover a lot of mileage w hen moving around North Pennines, and, as a result, bring with them a lot of pollution to an area that does not have much pollution near it. It is in a remote place, so the use of a car is essential for accessing it. People can use bicycles in accessing the area. Since cars come with pollution, it is

Cloning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cloning - Research Paper Example Advocates of cloning practices say that it may, among other things, serve society as an effective alternative treatment for infertility. The cloning of animals has stirred the debate about the ethical, legal and social aspects regarding human cloning. Cloning is the creation of an embryo by the method of human somatic cell nuclear transfer. This procedure involves implanting DNA cells from an organism into an egg whose DNA nucleus has been removed then chemically treated so that the egg begins to behave as though fertilization has occurred. This results in the creation of embryonic growth of another organism that contains the complete genetic code of the original organism. Through this process, the cloning of mammals has resulted in, to date, hundreds of cloned organisms born. â€Å"The term clone is used in many different contexts in biological research but in its most simple and strict sense, it refers to a precise genetic copy of a molecule, cell, plant, animal, or human being. In some of these contexts, cloning refers to established technologies that have been part of agricultural practice for a very long time and currently form an important part of the foundations of modern biological research† (Nussbaum & Sunstein, 1 998, p. 1). Though this process has produced many live successes, it has proved considerably less likely to produce successful pregnancies than those conceived through sexual reproduction. In addition, the majority of cloned animals have experienced some type of birth defect. Replication of an organism’s DNA identity does not occur naturally within mammals. Only plants produce offspring through replication from one generation to the next. â€Å"The prospect of such replication for humans has resulted in the most controversial debate about reproduction ever to be taken up in western civilization† (McGee,

International Youth Forum Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Youth Forum - Term Paper Example We are expecting to have an average of 800 audiences per day. The charges for the tickets will be collected on the days of the show. The speakers have agreed to receive 50 percent of their fees right after the programme and the remaining after 45 days. The speakers are professionals and some of them are from different parts of the world. Their fee varies from 3,200 to 6,800 per day. The artists belong to a single agency that has agreed to charge a lump sum fee for the entire programme. The agency promotes art derived from various cultures in the world. Due to the close connection between our motives, it has agreed to provide us a discount. A local restaurant owner has volunteered to take care of the brunch arrangements. He has provided an estimation of 14.55 per plate. The payment for the brunch will partly be paid after 30 days of the programme. A situation where the actual income would be less than the expected income by more than twenty five percent has been considered. In such a situation, the Foundation can recover the difference by conducting a Fund Raising Show. The artists' agency that has agreed to perform in the Forum has also volunteered to work hand-in-hand with the Foundation in the future. The Foundation also intends to encourage the youngsters participating in the Forum to promote the Foundation's activities in their countries. This step is expect

Art Exhibition - What Lies Beyond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art Exhibition - What Lies Beyond - Essay Example The annual art exhibition allows children to experience the beauty that lies beyond our world. By participating in this exhibition, learners will be able to broaden their scope of thinking and be more attentive to the daily occurrences in the world. In addition to this, they are able to integrate what they experience from their friend s who may be from different ethnic groups. It is also a way of inculcating an imaginative nature into their developing minds. It is important as a teacher to encourage originality and creativity. Most of these children have wide imagination, most of which is derived from watching cartoons every day. With this kind of perceptions the learners are able to draw various cultural examples in terms of religion, ethnicity, art, political and economic backgrounds into realizing what lies beyond. Therefore children such as those of K-3 can use the themes they see every day on television and come up with cultural findings. Due to their age, the teacher can inspire their imagination by encouraging personal right ups and diagrammatic representations that represents what lies

Import and Export Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Import and Export - Coursework Example (Maxwell, 2014) In China, under the Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics (2007 edition), cosmetics cover all kinds of industrial chemicals for daily use which are spread on the outer surface of the human body (e.g. skin, hairs, nails, lips etc) for the purposes of cleaning, deodorizing, skin care, beauty and make-up. The approval of imported cosmetic products is usually going through at the national level in Beijing, while the registration of domestic products is performed at the regional level. (Và ©rot, 2013) For a brand, the whole registration process would require one year in average for new products with a new formula, in particular due to the toxicology tests that must be performed in China. Such a delay may lead to tricky situations, in particular for products that must be marketed quickly, especially on some special occasions such as Chinese New Year or the upcoming Singles Day on the next November 11th. (Và ©rot, 2013) The EU is committed to open trading relations with China. However, the EU wants to ensure that China  trades fairly, respects intellectual property rights and meets its WTO obligations. China Company looks for materials that are in the middle range, based on the marketing analysis and the price range that our prospective customers can pay. At the 16th EU-China Summit held on 21 November 2013 both sides announced the launch of negotiations of a comprehensive EU-China investment agreement. The Agreement provides for progressive liberalization of investment and the elimination of restrictions for investors to each others market. (Anonymous, 2013) All cosmetics imported into China are required to obtain pre-market approval or notification from the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). The approval is referred to as either the Administrative Approval or Administrative Notification. (Matthew, 2012) III. Hygiene license or record-keeping certificate; for cosmetics

Freuds Model of the Human Mind Essay Example for Free

Freuds Model of the Human Mind Essay Nowadays, it is no doubt that human beings are suffering from depression and pressure in daily lives. However, most of the people are not aware of it. Psychologists have been focusing on how these repressed, and subconscious emotions play an active role throughout life since the early twentieth century. The ‘Father of Psychology’, Sigmund Freud, theorized a system of categorizing individual’s mental life into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is the primitive part of a personality that respond directly to the human instinct; the ego is the decision-making component, and it develops to satisfy between the lust of the id and the external world; the superego is the preconscious part of the personality that deals with moral judgment. Many authors have incorporated this theory into their works by means of the characters. The novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, tells a story about the end of the innocence and the beginning of the savagery that a group of British children left stranded on a beautiful island after a plane crash, and they were immersed in freedom until the human nature took over. Golding utilizes Jack, Ralph, and Piggy who are the primary characters to interpret Freud’s concepts of this three types of human personality, respectively. First of all, Jack is the best concerned with the personality suggested by id. He represents the dark side of human nature, and he displays the id mentality through his violent actions. He had tried to maintain civilized before he started hunting. However, it does not remain constant. It fades soon while he is driven by his desires. The dictator becomes dominant in his personality. Following his desires, every time the first thing that comes to his mind is always to kill or hurt others. While Jack and his boys are managing to kill a wild boar, they begin dancing and saying, â€Å"[k]ill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in† (Golding 79). This chart indicates the unit desires among them and it also becomes a symbol of their savagery. It is obviously not a primary need but only meant for fun and pleasure. They are now driven by the innate desire for destruction. Furthermore, according to the ‘pleasure principle’, it seeks to avoid pain and unpleasantness in order to satisfy one’s biological and psychological needs. It is not bad enough to have desires but to act upon it. Jack does so to a mother sow, â€Å"Jack [is] on top of the sow, stabbing downward with his knifethe spear move[s] forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing [becomes] a high-pitched scream. Then Jack [finds] the throat and the hot blood spout[s] over his hands† (Golding 149). The imagery and action indicate that Jack does things without thought of any consequences, only for his own impulsive desires. Like the id aims to take over the thought in one’s mind without determining the needs of others rather than reality and morality. Secondly, Golding portrays Ralph as an embodiment of ego that makes sure to satisfy all the needs and wants of the id in a way that seems proper in today’s world, which means that ego not only interacts with conscious but also the unconscious mind. Ralph is the chief and one of the most influential boys in this little society. He constantly acts as a democratic leader that balancing between the id and superego. For instance, realizing Jack’s desire of being the chief, Ralph gives him control of the hunting team, â€Å"Ralph look[s] at him, eager to offer something. ‘The choir belongs to you, of course.’The suffusion drained away from Jack’s face† (Golding 19). He cares about others’ feelings and does something realistic that is allowed by the society. At the same time, he fulfills Jack’s desire to be a leader to a certain extent. This reasonable action, which is controlled by the ego, also satisfies the urges of id in a socially accepted way. Moreover, Ralph has a strong sense of responsibility. While he is complaining to Piggy that the other boys do not care about the importance of the fire going, he makes a confession, â€Å" ‘[s]upposing I got to like the othersnot caring. What ’up become of us’ † (Golding 153). He is more conscious of the society rather than himself. Ralph is a neutral leader as he identifies the savagery of it and the morality of superego in order to come up with a realistic situation for the public. Like the ego represents the rational aspect of the mind, and maintains peace and stability. To end with, Piggy personifies the concept of superego to carry out the instinctual moral good most of the times. Golding represents Piggy as being more logically and intellectually mature than the others. Acting as the voice of reason, the superego inside his personality moralizes him as a sympathetic and sensible boy and guides him to choose what is morally right. While Jack leads the boys to make noise and rush, â€Å"Ralph [is] left, holding the conch, with no one but Piggy† (Golding 37). As the mob is full of noise and movement, Piggy does not follow Jack in overexcitement, rather he keeps calm and stays with the chief. His superego dominates him to maintain civilization. He displays consistent attention to societal rulings and feels like structure is the most important thing to the boys. Whatsmore, Piggy is willing to contribute to the society. He is â€Å"so full of pride in his contribution to the good of society, that he helped to fetch wood† (Golding 142). The moral goodness and devoted nature of Piggy come from his instinct human nature. Like the superego meets the ethical standards by which the ego operates. In conclusion,

Families And Sibling Abuse Analysis Social Work Essay

Families And Sibling Abuse Analysis Social Work Essay Abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, or sexual, can infiltrate a family setting and alter the dynamics greatly. Within a family there are different relationships and bonds, and each one of those relationships may have a different motive and form of abuse within it. A type of abuse within a family that does not receive much attention from society is abuse by siblings. In general, abuse within a family is thought of as a parent abusing a child and asserting their authority in such a way, but the matter of abuse by a sibling is also very important to understand and there are many implications of such abuse. This research paper will address the importance of sibling relationships to further understand the implications that come about from abuse within them, what healthy sibling relationships should look like, the commonality of different relationships of siblings having incest, types of family configurations where sibling abuse is present, and the treatments of siblings that abuse a nd are victims of abuse. Four articles will be used to understand the issue, Sibling Family Practices: Guidelines for Healthy Boundaries (2009) , Sibling Incest: Reports from Forty-One Survivors (2006), Making Sense of Abuse: Case Studies in Sibling Incest (2006), and Treating Sibling Abuse Families (2005). Abuse is a very powerful word that comes with many connotations. The actual definition of abuse has problems with it because it is not universally accepted and the perceptions of abuse from individual to individual vary greatly. Everyone has their own personal opinion on what abuse consists of and in general it is typically thought of as causing harm to another person. Abuse is an issue that has many intersecting factors and many layers that are rooted deep in relationships. One type of abuse that is of great importance, as are the others, is sibling abuse. Sibling abuse is abuse that is perpetrated by one sibling to another and may be physical abuse or sexual abuse, known as incest. The importance of this type of abuse is that it is not given much attention in society and it is difficult to comprehend. Society does not recognize sibling abuse as easily as it will recognize abuse between intimate partners or even abuse between parents and their children. Due to the lack of awareness it is very important to understand what a healthy sibling relationship is, cases of sibling abuse, and treatments of the siblings. By looking at four articles, a view of the issue will come into focus and some light will be shed on the issue of sibling abuse. In Johnson, Huang, and Simpsons research, Sibling Family Practices: Guidelines for Healthy Boundaries, (2009) surveys help conclude what is socially acceptable and what is not within a family. The survey was taken of five hundred people and their opinions generally corresponded. The research showed that when it came to hygiene, bathing together is acceptable for children younger than five if they are of the same gender. If the children are of different genders, the research shows that it is acceptable for children younger than four to bathe together. Showering is a similar issue, being acceptable for same gendered siblings that are younger than six and acceptable for different gendered siblings younger than four and a half years. The data also reflects adults opinions regarding affection, with the statistics on kissing being 37% saying siblings should never kiss on the mouth and 23% of people saying they should kiss at all ages. (Johnson, Huang, Simpson, 2009). Hugging is widely acce pted between siblings. Caffaro and Caffaro address healthy sibling development in Treating Sibling Abuse Families (2005). Caffaro and Caffaro lend a look at the development of sibling relationships, explaining that sibling ties begin in childhood with parents writing the script. (Caffaro Caffaro, 2005). It is common for parents to assign roles for their children without actively meaning to do so. Siblings are often raised being in a natural competition with their sibling and trying to live up to the label that has been placed upon them by their parents. An example would be labeling a child as the smart one and their sibling as the polite one. These two children would compete against each other to keep their title from the other and would also strive to maintain their title, forming it into their self-identity. Carlson, Maciol, and Schneider conducted research in Sibling Incest: Reports from Forty-One Survivors (2006) in order to get a concise picture of sibling sexual abuse. The research was conducted using thirty-four women and seven men and the majority of the forty-one participants were of white. The study conclusions found that three of the males initiated sexual behavior with their sisters and the other men were victims of sibling incest that was brought on by brothers of theirs. Four women of the study were victims of sibling incest because of their sisters and the other thirty women were sexually abused by brothers. The research from this article clearly shows that males are the most common perpetrators of sibling incest and women are more likely to be the victims, but men are also sometimes the victims of sibling abuse brought on by brothers. Corresponding with this data, Caffaro and Caffaro found that sixty-three percent of the women in their study were victims of incest due to th eir brothers sexual assault. In contrast to the prior study, Treating Sibling Abuse Families (2009) found that the second most common form of sibling incest is from one brother to another, the next most common being sisters sexually abusing their brothers, and the least common form being sisters sexually abusing their sisters. (Caffaro Caffaro, 2005). As discussed earlier, it is difficult for society to see all of these cases as abuse and incest because of the difficulties there are in defining abuse and there are also different views between families of what is acceptable and normal. In Making Sense of Abuse: Case Studies in Sibling Incest (2006), Bass, Taylor, Knudson-Martin, and Huenergardt discuss the possibility of abuse being seen as normal within a family. The research done in the article is case studies that follow two Latin American families where sibling incest was present. One of the families viewed abuse as normal and used secrecy as a way to maintain the abuse. Also, the family did not see outside systems as positive and held the opinion that the systems were invading their personal lives. The second family in the research differed from the first in the way that they viewed abuse as a mistake and unacceptable and they used secrecy to protect rather than perpetuate abuse. The second family also differed in seeing outsi de systems and legitimate and, although the systems caused some hardships, they saw them as appropriate and not intrusive as the first had. (Bass, Taylor, Knudson-Martin, Huenergardt, 2006). Treatment for sibling abuse may begin with what is referred to as a Sibling Abuse Interview, or SAI for short. (Caffaro Caffaro, 2005). The SAI functions by asking questions of all family members about the relationships that are currently between the siblings and also the history of those relationships. The SAI asks questions that deal with abuse and trauma and also points out areas of family resilience. Treatment is usually similar to treatment of other forms of abuse, but the therapy is slightly modified. There are two different perspectives when it comes to sexual abuse of children and they are the Child Protection Movement and the Feminist Movement. The Child Protection Movement holds the philosophy that the child victim is the most important at that time and that the entire family is responsible for protecting that child and providing them safety. The ultimate goal of the Child Protective Movement is to reunite the family with a healthier way of living. The Feminist Movement fa vors advocacy over all others. This perspective feels that it is necessary and most beneficial for the victim to have an advocate on their side that is determined to establish protection for that child in the present and the future as well. The Feminist Movement supports family reconciliation, but it does not hold it as a top priority. (Crosson-Tower, 2010). These two theories produce different forms of treatment and have different strategies for treating the victims of incest. Both hold the victims protection above all else but they differ in terms of what is best for the child, whether it be healthy family practices or advocacy for the victim. The four studies discussed help to give a broad understanding of sibling incest, from the healthy sibling relationships that are used as basis, what sibling incest can be interpreted as in terms of common types, family influences on sibling incest regarding their mindsets, to the treatment and outcomes of sibling incest. The studies were largely consistent and all painted pictures that corresponded with one another. There were some minor discrepancies in findings, such as the commonality of different forms of sibling incest, but in general the larger messages were all the same. The implications of the research presented is a better awareness of sibling incest and the ability to recognize red flags when they are present. Sibling incest is more prominent than society likes to think and without understanding sibling incest, it is difficult to prevent it from happening. With understanding, family structures that allow for incest can be recognized and sibling incest can hopefully be dimin ished.

Book Review on The World of Yesterday :: essays research papers fc

The Death of a Soul, The Glance of History And meet the time as it seeks us. Cymberline Before the preface, I saw the sentence adopted from Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¯s Cymberline . All of the sudden, a sense of seriousness and heaviness mounted up in my heart. I felt the author ¡Ã‚ ¯s tone of despair and disillusionment.  ¡Ã‚ °at most, one generation had gone though a revolution, another experienced a putsch, the third a war, the fourth a famine, the fifth national bankruptcy ¡Ã‚ ­But we, who are sixty today and who, de jure, still have a space of time before us, what have we not seen, not suffered, not lived though? ¡Ã‚ ± Such struggling words can only be composed by a writer in unbearable agonies. Actually, the author was forced to witness the most terrible defeat of reason and the wildest triumph of brutality in the chronicle of the ages. What an embarrassing situation it was to an intellectual with great concern for the humanity and morality. Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in a middle class family in Austria and died at his own hands in 1942 at the age of 60, crossing two centuries, witnessing two contemporary wars. He was well-known as a novelist, a playwright, a biographer a manuscript collector and a pacifist. In 1934, he was exiled to Britain and then to Brazil where he lived his rest of life with his wife. The World of Yesterday is his autobiography written between 1939 and 1940. Zweig always encouraged his friends to set down their reminiscences, not necessarily for publication but for the pleasure and benefit of their children, their families. As for his own autography, he was to  ¡Ã‚ °give some reflection of his life before it sinks into the darkness. ¡Ã‚ ±(P.9) It is not so much an autobiography as a  ¡Ã‚ °biography ¡Ã‚ ± of his time. It is a vivid, moving and nostalgic portrayal of Europe before wars; it is a story about intellectual brotherhood which tried to prevent national madness that destroyed the Europe and the world, twice. In the book, we picture the dramatic progress of material wealth and despairing collapse of morality. It also provides a source for us to know other great figures like Dostoyevsky, Goethe, Tolstoy and Freud who constituted the most glorious and attractive scenery at that time, making the sky not so sad. If we intend to figure out one of the best times in history, there is no doubt that the time before the World War I ¡Ã‚ ªZweig ¡Ã‚ ¯s childhood and youth hood ¡Ã‚ ªis definitely one.

The Military Career of George Washington Essay -- American America His

The Military Career of George Washington Most people today think of George Washington as the first President of the United States. Perhaps they may remember that he was also the commanding general of the Continental Army. However, George Washington had much experience in the military before the Revolutionary War. Because of his experience, he was ideal for the responsibility of leading the new nation to victory over the British. In 1752, George Washington was 20 years old. He had no military experience, but his brother Lawrence had served in the British militia and this motivated George to join up (George 74b). Before the Revolutionary War, George Washington actually worked for the British. He showed his natural leadership right away. At the age of twenty, he was assigned to train militias in Virginia. The young Major Washington showed he was brave and ambitious. In 1753, he heard that a man named Robert Dinwiddie, who was the acting governor of Virginia, planned to send a message to the French troops that they needed to withdraw from the Ohio River Valley. The French wanted to hunt and trap there, but the British wanted the land for farming. Washington went to Dinwiddie to volunteer to be the messenger. Dinwiddie had enough confidence in the young soldier to let him go. Washington did not go by himself. He took a frontier guide, an interpreter, and four frontiersmen. It was dangerous wilderness and it was the middle of November. The group traveled until the middle of December. It was a long and cold journey. The French rejected the British instructions. Washington had to make the journey back to Virginia in the bitter winter weather. Indians and other dangers surrounded him. He finally returned in the middle of Ja... ...and had my commission taken from me, or in other words, my command reduced, under pretense of an order from home†¦I have been on the losing order ever since I entered the service†¦"(George 74d). However, as a result of Washington’s early military career, he learned many skills and strategies that he would later need. He also won the respect and admiration of the colonists. When he resigned his commission in 1759, the House of Burgesses passed a resolution to grant Colonel Washington the "thanks of the House†¦for his brave and steady behavior" (Fleming 34). He was well on his way to becoming "first in war†¦and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Works Cited Fleming, Thomas, Liberty! The American Revolution, Viking, 1997. Sellers, Charles and May, Henry, A Synopsis of American History, Rand McNally & Company, _ _ 1963. The World Book Encyclopedia. 1994.

An Artists Life :: essays research papers

Much of the art of the Renaissance was extremely religious in its nature. The paintings from this time are almost entirely scenes from the Bible including: the enunciation of the Virgin Mary, depictions of the infant Jesus Christ, the crucifixion of Christ, and numerous other examples of Christian iconography. One would imagine that virtuous, upstanding artists would have created such angelic works of art. The stunning displays of morality, as seen in the works of many Renaissance painters, are not always a reflection of the artist’s lifestyle. Two examples of artists whose paintings did not reflect their lifestyles were Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio and Fra Filippo Lippi. Both of these artists created works that portrayed Christian iconography with great aesthetic expertise. Among these works are Caravaggio’s The Inspiration of Matthew and Lippi’s Madonna with the Child and two Angels. Fra Angelico was another artist from this same time period. He is quite a contradiction compared to his contemporaries. Angelico led a very pure life following the Christian morals of the time, unlike his peers. Caravaggio, while a great artist, had a stormy personal history. Very little is known about his life until it began to be documented in the criminal courts. His teens and early twenties were scattered with bouts of abject poverty, until he became renowned as an artist. From this point on, his name appears every few months on the police blotter. He became well known for picking fights, threatening people with swords and being arrested for such deeds. He was sued for libel and built up enemies to the point where his murder was attempted. He was found in bed with wounds around his neck and left ear. Because of this event, Caravaggio was jailed in his house for an entire month. He was forbidden to leave without written permission from the governor of Rome. However, it seemed nothing could keep Caravaggio out of trouble. In the month of May 1606, he killed a man who had won a bet over a ball game that afternoon. After this event, he was left wounded himself. He fled Rome, going to a patro n's house and eventually moved on to Naples. At the age of thirty-five, he left Naples and went to Malta, where he was well received for this renowned artwork. However, this situation did not last long. He got in a fight and was imprisoned. Shortly after arrest, he escaped and finally returned to Rome, where his reputation was still well known.

Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

In both Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde human nature is being tampered with. Dr. Jekyll creates a potion which changes himself into another person, and Frankenstein creates human life through science. In both cases they tried to change human nature from going outside the norm. Although they both intended for good the outcome was bad. So with good comes the capacity to do evil. While at the same time every person has a duel persona. The idea that every person has two sides is expressed more in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde then in Frankenstein. Dr. Jekyll all throughout the novel was bottling up his hatred and evil just waiting to get rid of it. So he created a potion that transformed him into Mr. Hyde. With the help of his potion he was able to escape reality, but he was still conscience of that what he was doing was wrong. The two sides to Jekyll was good and evil. After doing one evil doing he continued to do more, and more. Having experienced this evil he was unable to control himself, almost as if he couldn’t do good anymore because the evil had taken over. Jekyll decided to take his own life to prevent himself from doing any more harm. In Frankenstein the Shelly uses the idea of external forces acting on internal. The creation was made by Dr. Frankenstein and then abandoned by him. The creation was affected internally by the things around him. After running away everywhere he went he was saw as a monster. If you are being treated as a monster your whole life you might start to believe that you are a monster. So the creation started acting like a monster. He wanted vengeance on his creator for making him the way he is, and then not even caring for him. In conclusion both characters tried to change human nature. By doing so they attempted to become more divine, but God should be the one who creates life not humans. Humans don’t have the right to give or take life, because if we did this world would be in chaos. Also both authors show two different ways of how these characters are affected. Shelly uses external forces that provoke the internal feelings of the monster. While Stevenson shows how every person has a dual persona, a evil side and a good side. One side however is more dominant than the other, like how Hyde was more dominant then Jekyll. Both novels truly show us the evil side of life, and how cruel humanity can be.

Status of women in ISLAM

Outline woman-as vital to life as man himself Islam gives woman rights and privileges, never grated before Quran addresses men and women Jointly Modern woman seeks rights by force Woman has equal share In every aspect of life She is equal In responsibilities She is equal in pursuit in knowledge She is entitled to equal freedom of expression Islam determines her share in inheritance A misconception regarding this share & her witness to civil contact Some advantages woman enjoys more than the man Veil-not a hindrance rather a blessing for woman ConclusionThe status of woman In Islam constitutes no problem. The attitude of the Qur'an and the early Muslims bear witness to the fact that the woman Is, at least, as vital to life as man himself. Had it not been for the impact of foreign cultures and alien influences, this question would have never arisen among the Muslims. The status of woman was taken for granted to equal to that of man. It was a matter of course, a matter of fact. and no o ne. then. considered it as a problem at all. There is a lot of talk about woman's rights in Pakistan and other Muslim countries these days.The Western media is projecting a very gruesome and poor plight of woman in Muslim countries with the intension of distorting the true image of Islam. Unfortunately, this propaganda is proving quite effective and the entire west and a small section of females in our society have misinterpreted Islam as being the cause of their troubles instead of the Aryan culture that we have inherited. In order to understand what Islam has established for woman, there is no need to deplore her plight in the pre- Islamic era or in the modern world ot today.Islam has given woman rights and rivileges which she has never enjoyed under other religious or constitutional systems. This can be understood when the matter Is studied as a whole In a comparative manner, rather than partially. The rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of man but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality and sameness are two quite different things. This difference Is unaerstanaaDle Decause man ana woman are not laentlcal out tney are created equals. With this distinction in mind, there is no problem.It is almost impossible to find even two identical men or women. Islam was revealed at time when people denied the humanity of the woman. Some were skeptical about it; and still others admitted it, yet considered the woman a thing created for the humble service of the man. With the advent of Islam, circumstances improved for the woman. The woman's dignity and humanity were acknowledged for the first time. Islam confirmed woman's capacity to carry out Allah's commands, her responsibilities and observations of the commands that lead to the heaven.Islam considers woman as a worthy human being, with an equal share in humanity to that of the man. Both are two branches of a single tree and two children from the same father, Adam, and mother, Eve. T he status of woman in Islam is something unique that has no parallel in any other religion. In the midst of the darkness that engulfed the world, the divine revelation echoed in the wide desert of Arabia with a fresh, noble, and universal message to humanity: â€Å"O mankind!Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (An-Nisa:l)†. Stressing this noble nd natural conception, then the Holy Quran states: â€Å"He (God) it is Who did create you from a single soul and there from did create his mate, that he might dwell with her (in love)†. (Quran 7:189) In the early days of Islam when a girl was born, she was buried alive. This custom is still observed in Hinduism.However, the Holy Quran forbade this custom and considered it a crime like any other murder. The Holy Quran says: â€Å"And when the female (infant) buried alive- is qu estioned, for what crime was she killed? † (Quran 81:8-9) Far from saving the girl's life so that she may later suffer njustice and inequality, Islam requires kind and Just treatment to her. The saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in this regard, is following: â€Å"Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favour his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise†.The Holy Quran provides us a clear- cut proof that woman is equal in all respects with man before Almighty God in terms of her rights and responsibilities. The Holy Quran states: â€Å"Every soul will be (held) in pledge for its deeds† (Quran 74:38) In terms of religious obligations, such as ffering daily prayers, fasting and pilgrimage, woman is no different from man. In some cases indeed, woman has certain advantages over man. For example woman can and did go into the mosque during the days of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and thereafter attending th e Friday prayers is optional for them while it is mandatory for men.This is clearly a tender touch of the Islamic teachings because of the fact that a woman may be nursing her baby and thus may be unable to offer prayers in mosque. They also take into account the physiological and psychological changes associated with her natural female functions. The right of females to seek knowledge is not different from that of males. When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and woman. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), said: â€Å"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim†.This declaration was very clear and was implemented by Muslims throughout history. According to a hadith attributed to Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the woman of Madina because of their desire religious knowledge, â€Å"How splendid were tne women 0T tne Ansar; sname a a not prevent tnem Trom Decomlng learned In tne aith. † Under Islamic law, m arriage was no longer viewed as a â€Å"status† but rather as a â€Å"contract†, in which the woman's consent was imperative. The dowry, previously regarded as a bride-price paid to the father, became a nuptial gift retained by the wife as a part of her personal property.The Holy Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society and its objectives are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy. The rules for married life in Islam are clear and in harmony with upright human nature. In onsideration of the physiological and psychological make-up of man and woman, both have equal rights and claim on each other, except for one responsibility, that of leadership. This is a matter which is natural in any collective life and which is consistent with the nature of man. Status of women in ISLAM Outline woman-as vital to life as man himself Islam gives woman rights and privileges, never grated before Quran addresses men and women Jointly Modern woman seeks rights by force Woman has equal share In every aspect of life She is equal In responsibilities She is equal in pursuit in knowledge She is entitled to equal freedom of expression Islam determines her share in inheritance A misconception regarding this share & her witness to civil contact Some advantages woman enjoys more than the man Veil-not a hindrance rather a blessing for woman ConclusionThe status of woman In Islam constitutes no problem. The attitude of the Qur'an and the early Muslims bear witness to the fact that the woman Is, at least, as vital to life as man himself. Had it not been for the impact of foreign cultures and alien influences, this question would have never arisen among the Muslims. The status of woman was taken for granted to equal to that of man. It was a matter of course, a matter of fact. and no o ne. then. considered it as a problem at all. There is a lot of talk about woman's rights in Pakistan and other Muslim countries these days.The Western media is projecting a very gruesome and poor plight of woman in Muslim countries with the intension of distorting the true image of Islam. Unfortunately, this propaganda is proving quite effective and the entire west and a small section of females in our society have misinterpreted Islam as being the cause of their troubles instead of the Aryan culture that we have inherited. In order to understand what Islam has established for woman, there is no need to deplore her plight in the pre- Islamic era or in the modern world ot today.Islam has given woman rights and rivileges which she has never enjoyed under other religious or constitutional systems. This can be understood when the matter Is studied as a whole In a comparative manner, rather than partially. The rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of man but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality and sameness are two quite different things. This difference Is unaerstanaaDle Decause man ana woman are not laentlcal out tney are created equals. With this distinction in mind, there is no problem.It is almost impossible to find even two identical men or women. Islam was revealed at time when people denied the humanity of the woman. Some were skeptical about it; and still others admitted it, yet considered the woman a thing created for the humble service of the man. With the advent of Islam, circumstances improved for the woman. The woman's dignity and humanity were acknowledged for the first time. Islam confirmed woman's capacity to carry out Allah's commands, her responsibilities and observations of the commands that lead to the heaven.Islam considers woman as a worthy human being, with an equal share in humanity to that of the man. Both are two branches of a single tree and two children from the same father, Adam, and mother, Eve. T he status of woman in Islam is something unique that has no parallel in any other religion. In the midst of the darkness that engulfed the world, the divine revelation echoed in the wide desert of Arabia with a fresh, noble, and universal message to humanity: â€Å"O mankind!Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (An-Nisa:l)†. Stressing this noble nd natural conception, then the Holy Quran states: â€Å"He (God) it is Who did create you from a single soul and there from did create his mate, that he might dwell with her (in love)†. (Quran 7:189) In the early days of Islam when a girl was born, she was buried alive. This custom is still observed in Hinduism.However, the Holy Quran forbade this custom and considered it a crime like any other murder. The Holy Quran says: â€Å"And when the female (infant) buried alive- is qu estioned, for what crime was she killed? † (Quran 81:8-9) Far from saving the girl's life so that she may later suffer njustice and inequality, Islam requires kind and Just treatment to her. The saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in this regard, is following: â€Å"Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favour his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise†.The Holy Quran provides us a clear- cut proof that woman is equal in all respects with man before Almighty God in terms of her rights and responsibilities. The Holy Quran states: â€Å"Every soul will be (held) in pledge for its deeds† (Quran 74:38) In terms of religious obligations, such as ffering daily prayers, fasting and pilgrimage, woman is no different from man. In some cases indeed, woman has certain advantages over man. For example woman can and did go into the mosque during the days of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and thereafter attending th e Friday prayers is optional for them while it is mandatory for men.This is clearly a tender touch of the Islamic teachings because of the fact that a woman may be nursing her baby and thus may be unable to offer prayers in mosque. They also take into account the physiological and psychological changes associated with her natural female functions. The right of females to seek knowledge is not different from that of males. When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and woman. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), said: â€Å"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim†.This declaration was very clear and was implemented by Muslims throughout history. According to a hadith attributed to Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the woman of Madina because of their desire religious knowledge, â€Å"How splendid were tne women 0T tne Ansar; sname a a not prevent tnem Trom Decomlng learned In tne aith. † Under Islamic law, m arriage was no longer viewed as a â€Å"status† but rather as a â€Å"contract†, in which the woman's consent was imperative. The dowry, previously regarded as a bride-price paid to the father, became a nuptial gift retained by the wife as a part of her personal property.The Holy Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society and its objectives are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy. The rules for married life in Islam are clear and in harmony with upright human nature. In onsideration of the physiological and psychological make-up of man and woman, both have equal rights and claim on each other, except for one responsibility, that of leadership. This is a matter which is natural in any collective life and which is consistent with the nature of man.

Child Sexual Abuse and Father Flynn

Catherine Pierce Dr. Lyon English Composition 10 October 2012 Guilty Conscience It’s safe to say that the Catholic Church does not have the best reputation when it comes to sexual harassment and child molestation accusations. Cases such as these have been coming up for years but all seem to have similar outcomes. The priest typically gets a slap on the wrist, gets moved to another parish, and the issue is never spoken of again.In some of the more controversial cases, the priest is removed from the priesthood simply to get his name away from any association with the church because the church is known to do anything it can to cover up such accusations and rumors. This is no different for Father Flynn in the book Doubt, where he is accused of making sexual advances on an eighth grade boy that attends the school that he works in. He is accused by the principle of the school, Sister Aloysius, who is convinced he is guilty of giving the young boy wine from the sacristy and making in appropriate advances on him after doing so.Sister Aloysius may not have real evidence but based on Father Flynn’s behavior, his interest in boys with little to no friends, and his guilty conscience, it is easy to see that he is in fact guilty. Father Flynn, on the outside, seems like a very caring man that wants nothing more than to make everyone in his community feel welcome and comfortable. This would be all well and good if his behavior around the young boys did not so closely resemble that of a pedophile. Pedophiles typically gain the trust of their victims which is exactly what Father Flynn does with the eighth grade boys that he coaches in basketball.He likes to have bull sessions with the boys inside the rectory and talk to them as if he is one of them. They are also said to have a good standing within their community which he clearly has since he is the communities priest (Ruggles). Father Flynn is very good at making the boys feel comfortable around him, especially w hen he talks to them about things such as getting girls to like them. In Act III, he says to the whole basketball team, â€Å"You try to talk to a girl with those filthy paws, Mr. Conroy, she’s going to take off like she’s being chased by the Red Chinese! † (Shanley 16).He likes to joke around with the boys to make them feel comfortable around him and to make himself seem more relatable. This is not exactly the behavior that someone in his position during that time should have with young boys. He should be much more authoritative and guiding since he is a clergyman. Another component to Father Flynn’s guilt in the fact that he chooses the young boys that do not have many friends to have a deeper connection with. Father Flynn sees that Donald Muller is very isolated from the other kids that attend the school because he is the first and only African American child to go there.In Act VIII, Father Flynn says to Sister Aloysius, â€Å"I am trying to do good! † (Shanley 51). One of the number one characteristics of a pedophile is that they will try to â€Å"court† the children and lavish attention and concern for their well-being upon them (Pedophilia). He has it in his mind that by showing this extra attention to the boy that has no friends, that he is actually doing a good deed. He shows extra attention towards Donald because he is vulnerable and does not have friends to turn to in order to explain his problems to.Father Flynn also knows that Donald has a troubled home life and is beaten by his father. He sees this as an excuse for Donald’s behavior instead of the obvious fact that he has been sexually abused. The third and final reason that proves Father Flynn’s guilt is the fact that he became overly defensive when Sister Aloysius told him that she had gotten in contact with one of the former nuns that he worked with at his previous parish. Father Flynn has an extremely guilty conscience in this case becaus e he becomes frustrated when Sister Aloysius did not go straight to the Pastor of that parish.He says to her in Act VIII when he realizes she spoke to a nun, â€Å"That’s not the proper route for you to have taken, Sister! The Church is clear. You’re supposed to go through the pastor. † (Shanley 53). Father Flynn sees that Sister Aloysius has not followed the typical protocol of finding out information about his past which makes him nervous because he knows that a nun would know the real story. He knows that a nun would not be allowed to say anything that pertained to the case but he also knows that she would be honest with a fellow sister like Sister Aloysius. It is known hat when a priest has been accused of molestation or rape, the church has been very adamant about covering it up and being very easy on the accused clergyman. ABCNews. com posted a story about a Boston priest that was repeatedly accused of molesting children over a 30 year period. The site was quoted as saying the priest, â€Å"was treated leniently and sympathetically by the highest officials in the Boston Archdiocese, who continually re-assigned him as a parish priest. † (Claiborne). Since Sister Aloysius did not go to the higher authority, Father Flynn knows that this fellow nun would not lie and that she would tell her everything.Many skeptics and people that are taking Father Flynn’s side will and say that he is a genuine man that cares for the children of his parish and only wants what is best for them. This can easily be refuted by simply talking about his discussion with Sister Aloysius and how as soon as he found out that she supposedly spoke to another nun, he called for a transfer like she told him to. He has an extremely guilty conscience because he knows that the nun from his former parish know what he did.Although it may seem that Father Flynn is just trying to show everyone the compassion they deserve, his behavior resembles that of a pedophi le much too closely and he seems to shows even more interest in the boys that don’t have friends. If Father Flynn was an innocent man he would have fought harder for himself instead of believing Sister Aloysius when she said she spoke to another nun and leaving their parish. After compiling all the evidence against him, it would be hard for anyone to disagree with the fact that Father Flynn is indeed a guilty man. Work Cited Shanley, John Patrick. Doubt.New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2005. Print. Ruggles, Tammy L. â€Å"Profile of a Pedophile. †Ã‚  MHMatters. N. p. , 13 Feb. 2009. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Pedophilia and Child Sexual Molestation. †Ã‚  Pedophilia and Child Sexual Molestation. PSC, n. d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. . Claiborne, Ron. â€Å"Pedophile Priest Protected by Church. †Ã‚  ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Jan. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. .

Education Jewish Women Essay

The aim of this paper is to discuss the significance of education for Jewish people and its transformation in recent years. Special attention will be paid to Haredi education. Education has been traditionally attached paramount importance in Jewish communities. It was perceived as a precondition of social advancement, success, and respect from the others. The main feature of education in Jewish communities is that the focus has always been on balanced and all-round development of the personality of a child. Education is closely linked to culture and identity, and the goal of education is to plant Jewish values. Religious education is a part of any educational process, irrespective of whether it happens in family or school settings. A tool of religious education is studying Torah, and the Jews believe that this process is a lifelong one. Therefore, Jewish communities were among the first to champion the idea of continuing education. In terms of Jewish education, it makes sense to speak of formal and informal education. As concerns formal schooling, Jewish education programs can take one of the following forms: full-time, part-time, Sunday-only (one-day only), or tutor (Goldstein & Fishman, 1993). Primary school is usually attended by children older than the age of 6 or 7; before that, they are educated at home. Sometimes children before the age of 6 or 7 attend Sunday school or engage in various forms of informal education. Informal education encompasses such techniques as youth group, camp experience, or drama clubs. Jewish children often manifest strong desire to learn and impressive academic achievement. This is one of the reasons why Jews are likely to pursue higher education. This can be explained by the fact that education has been historically perceived as an important value: ‘At the turn of the last century, Jewish immigrants to the United States and elsewhere carried on the tradition of education. Barely able to make a living, they continued their educations, fought the anti-Semitic stance of University admission committees and sent their children to university’ (Winston, 2006, p. 1). It is interesting to note that Jewish education in the 20th century has put a significant emphasis on gender equality in education. Throughout the 19th century, Jewish girls were educated at home and rarely attended public education facilities. The turnaround was made possible by the institution of girl’s schools at the beginning of the previous century. At present, there are virtually no gender disparities in the level of enrollment in education. Another interesting factor is that children and adolescents realize the value of education from early teens and without external pressure. A study (Seginer & Vermulst, 2002) indicated that such issues as family background as well as perceived parental support and demandingness do not directly affect the level of educational achievement among Jewish youngsters, while this factor is regarded as the key for academic success in other communities. Now it is high time to discuss Haredi education. Under the Haredi education law, local authorities should provide equal amount of funding for state schools and non-state schools: ‘The government approved Sunday my proposal to advance an amendment to the national education law that would obligate local authorities to play a part in funding schools defined as ‘recognized but unofficial’ in an equal manner and in accordance with the schools’ ability to meet the terms and rules set by the Education Ministry’ (Beilin & Nahari, 2007, para. 1). While the law has come in foe excessive criticism, there are some good points in it. First of all, this law acknowledges the importance of different methods of education, both formal and informal, or, in this specific case, both state and non-state. If it is quality education that raises children in the spirit of Jewish values, there is no difference in who provides it. Yet formal education is still paid more attention under this law: ‘The bill has the power to create equality between students in the official education system to those in the recognized system. However, there would still be preference given to students in the former system, which will enjoy full funding both from the Education Ministry and local authorities, compared to their counterparts from the ‘recognized but unofficial’ world – who will continue to enjoy partial funding only’ (Beilin & Nahari, 2007, para. 7). Summing up, it is possible to conclude that education has played a significant role in the Jewish culture. Unique combination of formal and informal as well as state and non-state education providers gives the youth an opportunity to develop their skills and abilities together with learning Jewish values and culture.

Women should get a chance to use birth control Essay

Women should get a chance to use birth control - Essay Example ines that, â€Å"Some women are afforded greater privacy in matters of reproductive control, while others are subjected to limited opportunities† (p.61). At the same time, birth control helps women to lead healthy sex lives because it reduces the scope of pregnancy. Zorea (2012) states that, â€Å"The intentional prevention and control of human conception is identified by many names but is today most commonly referred to as birth control† (p.3). So, birth control must be considered as an individual freedom of womenfolk in general. One can easily identify the fact that birth control is to be considered as a social responsibility. For instance, access to birth control methods prevents the rapid spread of some diseases; especially STDs. Rees (1997) states that, â€Å"Untreated STDs can cause lasting damage to the female reproductive organs, leading to ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, miscarriages, and infertility† (p.11). Besides, population explosion is a burning issue and the same can be resolved by controlling high birth rate. Women must have access to birth control methods because it is a moral responsibility. Engelman (2011) states that, â€Å"Birth control, however, unabashedly affirms the moral necessity of family limitation† (p.95). To be specific, birth control leads to the prevention of abortion. In addition, unwanted pregnancy is a moral issue and the same can be reduced by birth control. Summing, one can see that birth control is related to the individual freedom, social responsibility, and moral responsibility of womenfolk. So, birth control helps women to enjoy their individual rights. Besides, birth control acts as a social responsibility towards the society. On the other side, birth control is a moral responsibility. In short, women must fight for their rights and must gain access to different methods of birth

Farewell to manzanar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Farewell to manzanar - Essay Example The familys loyalty was to America. However, Jeannes father was arrested two weeks after Pearl Harbor. When the family moves to Terminal Island with Jeannes brother, Woody, the family realizes how different they are. All of Woodys neighbors only speak Japanese, not English. This makes the Wakatsukis uncomfortable. When President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, the Watatsukis fate was sealed. They were forced to the Manzanar camp in California. This internment camp served to keep Japanese-Americans interred for the term of World War II. The Japanese-American Citizens League helped organize the Japanese-Americans be sent to the internment camps. Later these types of organizations would be considered inu, or traitors, for helping the military send their people to the camps without protest. Manzanar is very dusty. Dust covers everything. Privacy is not as abundant as the dust. In fact, there was not any privacy for the internees at Manzanar. Jeannes mother used cardboard boxes to protect herself when using the latrine. The latrine and barracks were also very dirty and unsanitary. The camp kitchen was extremely unsanitary. Contaminated food frequently made the internees sick. This made the camp internees candidates for immunizations. The old and young alike had to get shots. It was not like even modern day prisons, but much worse. Manzanar fostered family division. Every adult in the camp had to hold down a job. Jeannes mother was a dietitian in the camp kitchen. Meals were what the author missed the most. Families could not sit down and share meals. Adults ate at one time, while children ate at another in separate parts of the camp. The camp was very crowded, forcing the Wakatsukis to share a room at first. Despite the close quarters at night, the family was driven apart during the day. Before Pearl Harbor, Jeannes father was a proud man. He earned

Multicultural Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Multicultural Counseling - Essay Example Hence besides acquiring knowledge of the shared values, it also becomes necessary to acquiring knowledge of the different values in the class system among the African Americans. After all each individual is unique and needs to be looked at it from this perspective, in the counseling process. The common cultural values prevalent in African American communities are essentially those of the African American communities originating in West Africa. These cultural values on various points clash with those of the dominant white cultural values. For instance the American cultural values are oriented towards individualism, competition, material accumulation, nuclear families, religion, religion as distinct from the other parts of culture and domination of nature. This is in sharp contrast to the to the values dominant in the African American communities with importance given to the collective over the individual, kinship and affiliation, extended families, spirituality, connectedness, harmony with nature, and holistic thinking. Centuries of racist practice have made all African Americans view the whites as a dominating community and the variance in cultural values have caused the African American to have the view that the white cultural values are being thrust on them, and do not want anything to with them, as a sign of their freedom from white dominance. This feeling is bound to be more intense in the lower classes of society, as there is a tendency to lay the blame of their social position on the attempts of the whites to dominate them. Changing socio-economics among the African Americans have brought with it a growing middle class of society to the African Americans. This class of African American society, while retaining the common cultural values is more amenable to understanding and accepting the values of the dominant white community (Baytops, Day-Vines, & Patton, 2003). Cultural

Sustainable guidelines for Road , Education and Health infrastructure Research Paper

Sustainable guidelines for Road , Education and Health infrastructure developments in Mozambique on behalf of a foreign private - Research Paper Example Sustainable Development Guidelines In order to ensure sustainability for any project geared towards the development of above regions; it is of great importance to formulate and implement appropriate guidelines that would act as a direction for the project developers. The appropriate guidelines are inclusive of: (A) Development of Synergies For any successful and sustainable development project, the aspect of working in synergies plays a crucial role. Synergies can be conducted in various ways depending on the suitability or the type of development project to be conducted; this includes collaborations with different stakeholders as well as encouraging the participation of different stakeholder. The importance and of these forms of synergies are discussed below: (i) Encouraging Stakeholder Participation Development partners need to determine the roles played by local communities when undertaking massive development projects that will impact on their lives. ... Reduction of future conflicts that may affect sustainability of the development projects can also be achieved through promoting the participation of the local communities is such projects. During the planning process, the communities may assist in identification and elimination of any activity that may lead to future conflicts hence promoting the sustainability of the project. Cases of public participation have proved successful for most non-governmental organizations in Africa such as in: Tanzania and Kenya where the African Medical and Research Foundation has undertaken myriad community development projects through encouraging public participation hence leading to project sustainability. (ii) Application of a Collaborative Approach This is also another method of operating in synergy that has been used by most successful development organizations. There are various organs that may play important roles as collaborators this includes but is not limited to: The Mozambican Government, o ther organizations, donors and the local communities. The importance of such collaborations which each development partner encompasses: Access of adequate funds to undertake sustainable development processes; such funds may be provided by the Mozambican government, donors like the World Bank and in some case the development of some projects i.e. water resources, the local communities may act as collaborators by providing locally available construction materials. This is pertinent for the success and sustainability of the projects. An example of a successful collaboration occurred in the year 2011 between the World Bank and the Mozambican government through donation of funds geared towards promoting development of Water Resources. A

Organizational Change Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Change Process - Essay Example First, successful companies recognize that it takes a team to product success. They know it is never just one person who is responsible for the success of any business venture and give people the credit they deserve. Secondly, knowing that change is inevitable and being able to adapt to the changes around them is a must. The overall nature of our business expands beyond the confines of our building and our customer's direct needs. Necessary government regulations and guidelines dictate certain decisions and control areas of our production. One such regulation focuses on staff training, maintenance of accurate training records, mandated company training, records of training attendance and records of training attendance. The executive management at LRH Manufacturing feels that our current manual training system is inadequate for current and future requirements of our government guidelines. Therefore, a Web-based system is being implemented to help ensure more exact, more manageable, traceable data. To oversee this responsibility, a new position, the Web-Based Training Project Manager has been created.

Explain Plato's Method of Finding True Knowledge in Meno Essay

Explain Plato's Method of Finding True Knowledge in Meno - Essay Example His metaphysics speaks about his insight on theory of knowledge. He says that there are two worlds namely a world of opinion and world of permanence also called a world of true knowledge. He says that knowledge is possible through reason. True knowledge means reason elevated to the level of consciousness. Plato argues in the Meno that knowledge is innate. An illiterate slave-person is able to demonstrate knowledge of geometry and arithmetic. What is latent is simply invoked by teaching. Answer 2. Descartes methods of finding true knowledge stress emphasis on creating methodological doubt and practicing radical skepticism. He talks about several steps to discover the true knowledge. First of all, as he describes, a person has to be totally free from preconceived notions and opinions. A conscious effort is required that mind does not collaborate with the sense faculties otherwise the process to find the truth may get derailed. To create all doubts in its core and then thrash them is a way towards solid foundation to attain true knowledge. Descartes proposes three arguments- perceptual argument, dream argument and the evil genius argument. Our most beliefs come from external senses. But it is a common experience for all of us that these external senses have deceived us in several occasions. In a perceptual argument he says that learning through five senses could be deceitful. In a dream argument he says that dream can never discover true knowledge. In an evil genius argument, he argues that an evil genius is always out to deceive us about everything and our beliefs such as sky, the earth, air, sounds or shapes that we see or feel in our daily life. However, he is sure about his existence regardless of whether he believes or does not believe; or he is being deceived or not being deceived. The cogito argument reflects that he exists separate from mind and matter and that is the basis for his search of the self, a true knowledge. Answer 3. Plato’s and Descarte s’ methods both stress on non-dualist theories to find the true knowledge; however, Plato’s methods revolve around soul-body dualism and Descartes methods progresses through mind-body dualism. Plato accepts the assumption that the soul is identical with what forms the body. Descartes has rejected this idea completely. Both of them recognizes the self, the I. Descartes clearly distinguishes soul with mind. For him soul is the one which animates the body. For him mind thinks but does not contribute in any corporeal system. Descartes come to the conclusion that body and mind are separate from each other while for Plato soul's thinking faculty goes best when it is dissociated from the body. For Plato, soul is a driving force to create and maintain the life the way it desires. Moreover, Plato does not feel necessary to get doused with skepticism or doubting-all phenomenon to arrive at the true knowledge unlike Descartes who starts with the premise of doubt-in- all to reach at the true knowledge. Answer 4 Mankind has gained a lot through platonic epistemology. There are several things that can be gained from Plato’s insights and ideas. 1. The first and foremost idea that discerns Plato from others is that knowledge is nothing but recalling ideas as that

Tuition Assistance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tuition Assistance - Case Study Example Additionally, the tuition-aid program suffers from a lack of internal recruiting. Supervisors are not checking internal job postings and informing the appropriate employees are these opportunities. Finally, Garden Gate does not seem to lock employees in once they receive the tuition assistance, meaning that without this they are almost free to leave and taking advantage of the generous program on offer. The table does not indicate any special problems or issues; in fact, the table shows that Garden Gate has greatly encouraged diversity because there is a balanced mix of males and females and also employees from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Of the 18 employees who left the company after receiving tuition aid, quite a few of the employees took on a different job from the one they held at Garden Gate. This perhaps shows that they were unsatisfied at Garden Gate and wanted a change. It is up to supervisors and managers to communicate so that it is known just exactly which direction each employee wants to go in and then how that can be facilitated. I dont think that Garden Gate should discontinue its tuition-aid program because although there have been some problems with it, there is the potential for it to create a competitive advantage over competitors. The program is very attractive for employees who wish to up-skill, so this is something that should be pursued. Also, the company holds the value of treating its employees like investors, meaning that it makes sense to invest in them. Doing anything to the contrary would be going back on the companys principles. The company has grown at 12 percent per year for the last few years, and it wants to continue this rate for at least the next five years. For Garden Gate to be able to do this, it will have to retain most if not all of its current employees before looking to hire new ones. The best way to do this is by investing in human capital, which is what the tuition-aid program was designed

Literacy in America Essay Example for Free

Literacy in America Essay America, the most technologically advanced and affluent of all nations on the earth, seems to have an increasingly larger illiteracy rate every year. This has become and continues to be a critical problem throughout our society as we know it. According to the National Adult Literacy survey, 42 million adult Americans cant read; 50 million are limited to a 4th or 5th grade reading level; one in every four teenagers drops out of high school, and of the students who graduate, one in every four has around an 8th grade education. Why? You ask. This problem will never fix itself and will take quite a bit of time to overcome. We need to make sure that everyone is aware of the social problems, poverty and lack of family interaction that occurs everyday in many, if not all, communities throughout America. â€Å"Nearly a billion people, two-thirds of them women, will enter this world unable to read a book or write their names, warns UNICEF in a new report, The State of the Worlds Children 1999. UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, points out that the illiterate live in more desperate poverty and poorer health than those who can read and write. (Boaz). The most important factor that contributes to the outrageous statistics of illiteracy is that of poverty. Poverty is an issue that more and more of our nations children are coming face to face with and the price they must pay is unbelievably high. Poverty is considered a major at-risk factor (Leroy 2001). The term at-risk refers to children who are likely to fail whether it 2 be at school or life in general because of their lifes social circumstances. Some of the factors that may place these children at-risk are: dangerous neighborhoods; young, uneducated parents; unemployment; and inadequate educational experiences. Teachers need to be aware of the circumstances that their students face and be able and ready to help these children find a balance between the cultural values that they may have and values emphasized in school. By providing emotional support, modeling, and other forms of scaffolding, teachers can help students use their strengths, skills, and knowledge to develop and learn ( Marlowe and Page,9). The United States prides itself on being a free, democratic state. Jonathan Kozol’s essay â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society† states that the United States is not the democracy it claims to be. For democracy to work at its best, a true representation of the common interests and how the majority feels about those interests must be in place. According to Kozol, about â€Å"60 million people in the United States are illiterate. † For the United States to be the self-functioning democratic state it proclaims to be, it has to be a literate society. The people of the United States are not part of a democracy without the full capacity to make informed choices, and furthermore cannot reap the benefits that a democratic society has to offer if the best interests of the majority are not represented. Direct quote #2 (Madison)with signal phrase. Hypo-thetical example James Madison wrote that a â€Å"people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both† (Surowiecki, page 4). Voting is by far the most important aspect of a democratic society, and the percentage of people who do vote is a topic of much discussion here in the United States. If the number of people not voting is such a significant concern then the reasons they are not voting is 3 as well. An uneducated vote is not any better than a vote not cast at all. Imagine going to a voting booth and voting for a person or a ballot measure based on the ads you see on the TV only. In this circumstance, decisions are often made based on the negative ideas offered by both major political parties. If 60 million people in the United States cannot read, then they cannot cast a vote truly representative of their opinions. As Kozol claims, the United States has in fact become a government â€Å"of those two thirds whose wealth, skin color, or parental privilege allows them opportunity to profit from the provocation and instruction of the written word† (Kozol). The percentage of the population that is illiterate cannot choose which candidates make it onto the ballots, they cannot sign petitions, and they cannot choose which measures will pass or those that will fail. Direct quote #3 (Kozal), with signal phrase e. Of equal importance to a democratic society are the benefits that literacy provides to the public. When one is illiterate they are not able to reap the benefits of a free society. The freedom to choose enhances one’s chances of experiencing the best of anything. Illiteracy makes for a life of settling. An illiterate person has to settle for another’s interpretations of the world. According to the article ‘Democracy 101,† the ability to read opens a world that many people do not consider. The choice of where to live, what to eat, and where to work may all seem commonplace to the average literate person. Kozol uses the warning on a can of Drano in the opening of this essay to educate. It may take a moment for it to sink in but the reader will soon realize how much power reading and writing holds. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are supposed to be guaranteed to all citizens of this country. Those that cannot read or write do not have the capability to choose who are the best people suited for ensuring those rights. Perhaps more importantly the 60 million illiterate people in this country cannot make the choices necessary to make use of those rights (Kozol). References Boaz, David. Illiteracy The Bad News and the Good. Cato Institute. 20 Jan. 1999. Kim, J. K. NRRF Illiteracy: An Incurable Disease or Education Malpractice? Kozol, Jonathan, Illiteracy: The Enduring Problem. . Leroy. The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning. 2001 Surowiecki, James. The Dangers of Financial Illiteracy in America. The New Yorker.

Compare and contrast plato and decsartes Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast plato and decsartes Essay Descartes and Plato are two of the most influential thinkers within philosophy. The allegory of the cave and systematic doubt are also two of the most famous concepts within philosophy. Plato at the time of writing the cave allegory was trying to resist the growing influence of the Sophist philosophers who prioritised semantics and rhetoric over truth. 1 Descartes by introducing radical scepticism to philosophy was challenging traditional scholastic philosophy which had dominated the philosophy for many centuries. While both pieces of writing are separated by different ages of time and space, they share many  similarities as well as fundamental differences. This essay will attempt to compare and contrast these two bodies of work by firstly explaining what is Descartes’ systematic doubt and Plato’s Allegory of the cave before finally examining the similarities and differences between them in the final paragraph of analysis. Descartes in his first meditation introduces the concept of Radical doubt which similarly places suspicion on the senses and the appearance of things. This involves stripping away all one’s beliefs and preconceived notions in order to find the foundational bedrock of  knowledge in which all sciences could then grow2. Descartes begins his first meditation by casting doubt on all his beliefs, if a belief can be even slightly doubted it must be discarded. He wants to ‘reject as absolutely false anything in which I could imagine the least amount of doubt3’ this is called radical scepticism where all beliefs must be challenged. Through this experiment Descartes conceded that the physical senses are not to be trusted as they have deceived him before, this is known as sensory deception and this revelation forces him to  doubt any beliefs about the external world and knowledge that is gathered by the five senses. His examination also reveals that dreams states can be difficult to distinguish between waking life, this has happened before where he thought he was in bed but wasn’t. Henceforth one cannot truly know if they are awake observing reality or asleep enjoying a dream, this is known as the dream hypothesis. Descartes also uncovers the evil demon hypothesis whereby all external reality observed may be just an illusion that is perpetrated by an evil demon  seeking to deceive him, also there is the problem that all previous memories about oneself could simply just be imagination and not grounded in any reality. The system of radical doubt leads Descartes into murky territory where he cannot believe in the existence of anything at 1 JULIAS, ANNAS: INTRODUCTION TO PLATO’S REPUBLIC(NEW YORK, 1998)P. 252 2 JOHN, COTTINGHAM, DESCARTES: THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIND(LONDON, 1997) P. 21 3 JOHN CORRINGHAM, DESCARTES: MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY (NEW YORK, 2013) P. 33 all. This thankfully is changed when he discovers the cogito’ I think therefore I am’, his  starting point which saves him from uncertainty, allowing him to prove that he exists. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, there are prisoners who are locked up within the depths of a cave. All day long, they are situated in front of a wall and behind them is a fire which reflects shadows on the wall. Unbeknownst to the prisoners, there are puppeteers who use the firelight to reflect shadows of their puppets upon the wall while making noises ‘the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows’4. The prisoners are unaware of this illusion and mistakenly believe these shadows are real images. One day, a prisoner is released from his chains and allowed to walk freely about the cave. Although it is confusing for him to see the puppets and fire, he is forced to accept this clearer version of reality and eventually ascents through the cave, spending a day and night under the sun and the stars. As he becomes familiar with the world above, he realises the sun is the giver of light, how it casts shadows and how his prior life in the cave was an entire illusion. This newfound enlightenment Plato remarks will prevent him from ever returning to the life in cave, nor will his old inmates  believe him if he tried to free him, instead ‘they would put him to death5’ This intellectual awakening will cause the inmate to grasp the idea of good, the eternal form which will urge him to act ‘rationally in public or private life6’. Ultimately Plato suggests the inmate should return to his old friends and seek to help them. The cave analogy is concerned with the human condition and its’ lack of enlightenment7, for Plato the prisoners represent ordinary citizens who hold false beliefs (shadows), reality is dictated to them by their senses (appearance of things) allowing them to be easily manipulated8. Ignorance is then symbolised by darkness and the intellect and reason is symbolised by the light. The journey of the inmate from darkness to light is a metaphor for education which allows one to progress from the ignorance in the depths of the cave to the intellectual plains of the enlightened one in the outside world. The outer world symbolises true knowledge, the realisation of eternal forms while the cave again illustrates the world of appearance and false beliefs, Woozley writes ‘most men without knowing it live in this shadow world’9 4 PLATO. ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE. P. 74 5 IBID. P. 75 6 IBID. P. 75. 7 ANTHONY, WOOZLEY: PLATO’S REPUBLIC: A PHILOSOPHICAL COMMENTARY(LONDON, 1989)P206 8 JULIAS, ANNAS: INTRODUCTION TO PLATO’S REPUBLIC(NEW YORK, 1998)P254 The cave analogy and Descartes systematic doubt have much in common. Both are concerned with the illusory nature of the senses and external reality, for Plato people place too much emphasis on the senses, on the appearance of things as illustrated in by the shadows on the wall, this leads them to hold false beliefs and to be easily misled, only by entering the realm of thought can people free themselves by gaining knowledge and becoming enlightened. Descartes through the systematic doubt also maintains that external reality cannot be truly known; the sensory deception and evil demon hypothesis cast doubt on the authenticity of the outside world. Indeed the evil demon hypothesis is an almost identical scenario to that of the prisoners whose sensory perception is distorted by the shadow wielding puppeteers. Only through the mind or intellect can an individual overcome the illusory nature of the senses, it allows the prisoner to access the outside world to gain enlightenment and help his fellow inmates while for Descartes the mind by way of the cogito is the one thing  that cannot be doubted which through it allows him prove the existence of the outside world in his later meditations. The cave is an analogy which illustrates how people can possess false consciousness and how through reason and knowledge one can overcome this while systematic doubt is an instruction on how to discard false beliefs, the ascent through the cave into the intellectual world is the finishing point for Plato while the cogito for Descartes is a starting point for further investigation. The two authors also differ on the type of philosophy employed in their argument. Plato insists that after the ascent , the prisoner will experience the idea of the good ‘ the lord of light in the visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual’10 the good then is the highest point of knowledge and represents Plato’s philosophy of perfect types or forms known as idealism, Descartes through highlighting the sensory, dream and demon hypothesis illustrates how the external world cannot be relied upon as a basis for true knowledge, but the cogito is a starting point, the attempt to find secure beliefs that allow a foundation for further knowledge to be rested upon  is known as Foundationalism which is credited to Descartes. In conclusion, both Descartes and Plato in their attempts to challenge the prevailing doctrine of their respective times introduced two of the most influential concepts in the world of Philosophy. Descartes through his examination of systematic doubt uncovers the limitations of the physical senses in acquiring knowledge and introduces further challenges to understanding external reality with the dream, memory and evil demon hypothesis. Only 9 ANTHONY, WOOZLEY: PLATO’S REPUBLIC: A PHILOSOPHICAL COMMENTARY(LONDON, 1989)P. 223 10 PLATO. ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE. P. 77  through the mind alone can one grasp the nature of reality starting with the cogito. Likewise Plato is concerned with the appearance of things, how the senses can deceive us and humanity like the inmates in the cave can live in a state of ignorance or darkness if they don’t use the power of the mind to acquire knowledge and reason. Only through using the intellect can humanity gather true knowledge and escape the darkness in the cave. For both the intellect is the only means for gathering true knowledge, the senses are illusory. Descartes systematic doubt and cogito provide the foundational starting point for the sciences while the  cave allegory offers advocates a way of life for humanity to feign the world of ignorance and seek true knowledge so that those who acquire it will return to the cave and help their fellow man. Works Cited: Annas, Julias. An Introduction to Plato’s’ Republic. New York: Oxford University Press Cottingham, John. Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013 Cottingham, John. Ed. Ray Monk. Descartes’ Philosophy of Mind. London: Phoenix Publishers, 1997 Plato. The Allegory of the cave. Week 5 Handout Woozley, Anthony. Plato’s Republic: A philosophical commentary. London: MacMillan Publishers, 1989.