Rene Descartes Second Meditation Evaluation

Rene Descartes Second Meditation Evaluation My Paper is on Rene Descartes Second Meditation. I chose to analyze and critique the concepts and ideas that were presented in Rene Descartes second meditation because it is in the second meditation were Rene Descartes famous adage was produced Cogito, Ergo Sum or I Think Therefore I am and also I find his second meditation the most controversial and most interesting of all his meditations. The second meditation is the most controversial of Rene Descartes meditations because it is here that his first rule of methodic doubt process is clearly introduced which is Accept nothing as true unless you can be sure that it is certain and it is also here that his idea becomes Radicalized because it suggest that one must critique all types of knowledge, that one has to doubt everything including himself and this is what the second meditation is all about because the second meditation is about ones existence. Descartes says that one must never accept anything or any knowledge unless one is certain of this knowledge and for Descartes being certain of knowledge means that there must be no place for doubt, it must be self verifying and it must be indubitable or in other words unquestionable and not open to doubt. The second meditation starts with Descartes doubting existence itself because of the radicalism of his philosophy that assumes everything is false, so in the second meditations Descartes doubts even existence, he says that even our very own existence needs to be doubted so as to arrive at the truth in the end of course of the second meditation Descartes does prove that without a shadow of a doubt that one does exist because one thinks hence the famous saying I think therefore I am. When one reads the second meditation Descartes does sound like someone who is a bit crazy and perhaps someone who had too much time in his hands because to doubt even existence is for me at first just down right absurd and many of us would have the same feeling on this matter maybe because of how we were brought up but it is exactly this kind of thinking that Descartes was trying to destroy he wants everybody to think for themselves and not just accept opinions as truths because if we just accept the texts of the ancient and the opinions of everybody as truths then how can we arrive at certain knowledge if those texts and opinions happen to be false he wants us to discover the truths for ourselves and perhaps he wanted people not to be lazy. When reading the second meditation the philosophy that is included there is definitely a radical one because he doubts existence and that what we perceive as truth may in fact be false, perception for Descartes is deceitful and our mind errs all the time so there is no way for us to be certain of things. We can be certain of our existence however but not this kind of existence were there is the body and the limbs but our existence as a thinking being since for Descartes the body and the things around is maybe just be an illusion created by an evil deceiver who does all he can to deceive us with all this false perception or we can just be dreaming that what we see and feel is all but a dream and therefore not real because how can we be sure that we are not just dreaming right at this very moment and that we are just dreaming everything and everyone around us this concept was a very intriguing concept what if we were just dreaming all this time, this was a concept that is so intriguing that even Hollywood adopted it in their film Inception which delves into dream and reality. The only certainty that we know we exist is that we know we are thinking and no great deceiver or dreams can doubt the fact that we think and therefore because we think we exist but for Descartes it is a thinking existence because it is the only thing that one can be certain of and that everything else we perceive may be false or just an illusion, one cannot trust our senses because are senses may just be an illusion or the senses may just be perceiving an illusion therefore not certain so for Descartes perception cannot arrive at the certitude of truth. Sensation as well is not a good determinant for certitude because one could again just be dreaming. Thinking for Descartes is very important since thinking for him determines ones existence. The act of thinking is the self guarantee of thinking. The act of thinking provides the ground for realizing that one exist. Human beings have a natural propensity to think therefore he or she can prove his or her existence. Thinking can never be false, because it is a process, thinking itself is beyond judgment, the thoughts that come from thinking are always real we only make mistakes in our judgment. Descartes explains in the second meditation using the honeycomb wax as an example of what kind of existence we can perceive and have since the wax changes its form but yet we know it is still the same wax Descartes thought that perhaps this is the true existence we are not just body and limbs but we are beyond that because we can still change and still be the same and this is how our minds works it has something innate that enables us to know it distinctively. The Second Meditation deals with reality and existence, like I mentioned before I thought that Descartes perhaps just too much time on his hands for thinking something so crazy as that everything around us is just an illusion and that we cannot trust out perception. I thought to myself that here is another philosopher saying something controversial just top be noticed but now that I was a little aware of a science called quantum physics and now I wonder if Descartes was actually someone who was way ahead of his time in thinking that everything is just an illusion and that what we perceive is actually false because quantum physics itself says that perhaps what we perceive as real, what our senses perceive as true my actually be false because it may just be an illusion created by our sense perception. With this in mind Rene Descartes is not crazy and his theory was not absurd this despite him being a member of the Rosicrucian group which believed in an invisible church that they built. Rene Descartes Philosophical theory on Existence and Reality was in fact a science which was way ahead of its time. His philosophy on doubting everything so as to arrive at certain knowledge can be seen as something radical and impractical and if we do take him literally then it is no doubt that this philosophy is indeed a radical form of Philosophy and an impractical one at that because one will just waste his time doubting and questioning everything one sees and this is just an impossible task. I think Rene Descartes is someone who was obsessed in knowing the truth and this led him to create this philosophy that before we can have certain knowledge we must first doubt. To have knowledge one must first doubt, this philosophy of Descartes becomes practical if we do not take to the extreme by really questioning everything, I think Descartes main point is that for man to use his reason rather than just accepting opinions, Descartes believes that reason is higher that any kind of opinio n, Descartes wants us to use our reason and there is nothing radical about using our reason. Sources: Rene Descartes Second Meditation

The pressures between youth and its sports programs Essay -- essays re

The Pressures Between Youth and Its Sports Programs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the last two decades the growth of youth sports has reflected the popularity of professional sports in our society. Sporting events and news are available to the public twenty-four hours a day on television and radio: sports is an enormous industry. The outstanding popularity of the sports industry has greatly affected youth sports organizations. In order to supervise, teach and manage these athletes it is estimated 2.5 million coaches spend an average of eighty hours a season with them. The majority of these coaches volunteer for programs organized by the community, religious organizations, and recreational facilities. Without a national agency to coordinate sports programs, there exists great variation in the manner in which sponsoring agencies organize their teams, thus leaving plenty of opportunity for too much parental and coach control. Agencies have quickly moved American youth from unstructured play to highly organized competition. The structure of organized youth sports is the backbone for criticism and praise by professional athletes, physicians, and psychologists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many that feel organized sports can be very beneficial and strongly support organized sports for youth. Some claim that sports aid in the development of social and interpersonal skills, health fitness and psychological well-being. Many feel that self-esteem and self-image can be greatly improved through sports. There are benefits that involve individual skill development, greater physical fitness, and higher self esteem. Other benefits include development of group cooperation teamwork and friendship-making skills. Psychologists around the country stress a need for an active life style to develop healthy self-images. Sports introduce children to healthy competition. A child’s failure in competition helps them learn to win gracefully and lose with honor. It teaches youngsters that through perseverance and determination they can win next time and more importantly at whatever they choose. These are lessons that children will keep with them for the res t of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some skeptics criticize the vital role of competition is hazardous to a child’s psychological and emotional well-being. The critics of spo... ...me, and value rules.† Rules introduce the idea of fairness and discipline to children. Within sports comes the self esteem and motivation that children crave and need so much as the building block to a successful life. Organized sports ca be good or bad. Whether a youngster has a successful experience depends entirely on the quality of the program he is enrolled in. If the quality of adult supervision is high, our kids can achieve all the rewards that sports have to offer. Works Cited and Email Responses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.) Kohn, Alfie. No Contest-The Case against Competion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.) Wolff, Rick. â€Å"Top 10 Issues in Coaching Kids Today.† Interview. By Mike Francesca   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Sports Edge Sept. 30, 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.) Catlin, George. â€Å"No Contest-The Case Against Competition.† www.shareintl.org/archives/cooperation/co_nocontest.htm (26 January 2004): n.page. Online. Internet. 26 January 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Banana Plantations in Central America

The â€Å"banana republic† is a familiar term. What is less known is how literally the term applied during the early 20th century in many regions of Central America. The United Fruit Company, an American concern, was formed in 1899 when several banana companies merged. Since banana is a crop best grown in Central American climates, the company acquired ever greater amounts of land there. The company soon became the largest employer in Central America. Its presence and political influence there affected the lives of the native peoples in ways that remain controversial to this day.The large peasant class of Central America was the most profoundly affected. Life Before, and during, United Fruit The European domination of Central America during the 18th and 19th centuries resulted in a highly stratified social structure. The traditional social order of the Mayans and Aztecs reinforced that structure. There was a very large peasant class, some of whom came there as slaves. The aver age peasant struggled to get by, often being forced to work for whatever large foreign company had moved into their area. Many of these peasants were descendants of the powerful Indian cultures that had been there thousands of years prior.Others brought a West African influence to the region, with their unique methods of worship, dance and music. The peasants of Central America are part of a rich and dynamic culture. They are anything but unskilled. For example, they are known for their ability to make beautiful, colorful clothing. This was first noted by the conquistadores and remains a skill to this day. It was the Indians who discovered a use for the cacao, the basis of chocolate. They created a sort chocolate drink that became widely popular. It was later modified to suit European and American tastes.The diet of the peasants often consisted foods such as beans, maize, frijoles, chili and beef. Exports from Central America to the rest of the world rose sharply during the mid-1800 's. In response to the demand, farmers cultivated a variety of crops including rubber trees, cacao, sugar and fruit. The main cash crop was something else, however. According to Peter Bakewell in A History of Latin America: But most prominent by far in this line of agricultural goods was coffee, which was the leading export, c. 1913, of no fewer than seven countries. (2004) Farmers, at first, were in business alone.In most cases, however, their land was swallowed up by large corporate concerns. As these corporations became more prominent repressive, pro-corporate regimes were installed. Since the 1970’s the trend has reversed itself. Small, individual farms are becoming more and more common. A regional movement has emerged to promote self-survival through small farming. Guatemalans are using traditional stories, parables and humorous anecdotes to spread agricultural knowledge to their Mexican neighbors. They also share proud peasant virtues such as the love of farming, family and community.These virtues have been shared by peasants in Central America for hundreds of years. Still, life was difficult. Most peasants have to take second or third jobs. Farmers may do additional day labor on other farms. Some do not own land and work as a field hand wherever the work is available. Prior to the 1944 socialist revolution in Guatemalan wealth was concentrated among an elite few: †¦just 2. 2 percent of the population owned over 70 percent of the country’s land. Only 10 percent of the land was available for 90 percent of the population, most of whom were Indians. (Landmeier, 1997).This concentration of land in the hands of a powerful few made it easy for companies to come in and acquire large amounts of land. These companies often left large tracts of land uncultivated. The peasants could have used this land to grow a variety of crops; instead they were often forced to take jobs at the company, on the company’s terms. The Growth of the Corporate Plantation Cheap labor, available land and favorable climatic and political conditions drew large multi-national corporations to Central America in the late 1800’s. The lives of the small peasant farmers would be altered dramatically.The United Fruit Company became the most prominent example of a foreign company influencing a sovereign government and the lives of its citizens. The United Fruit Company began operations at a time when there was little restraint on businesses. Huge monopolies, such as Standard Oil, were allowed to develop and dominate markets. The labor movement in The United States was still in its infancy, although it had won a few concessions from business and the government. For a company such as United Fruit, which employed thousands in foreign countries, there was little oversight.The large peasant population in Central America was merely seen as â€Å"cheap labor† for the huge company. United Fruit made â€Å"quid pro quo† deals with foreig n politicians to gain land and other concessions from those governments. The company had government assistance in putting down strikes, some of which involved more than 100,000 workers. In Colombia, the army fired into a large crowd of peasant strikers, killing dozens. Accusations arose that the army was essentially under the direction of The United Fruit Company. The Good and the BadNot all of the effects of the banana plantations were negative. United Fruit built much needed infrastructure in countries such as Guatemala and Honduras. Rail lines and schools were built and postal service was improved. Jobs at United Fruit typically paid more than other jobs in the areas where they were located. In later years, employees received medical care and free education. At the same time, jobs at banana plantations were often temporary. Working conditions were difficult, if not dangerous. Field workers were exposed to potentially harmful pesticides and other chemicals.The rail lines served as another monopoly for a company like United Fruit, so they pressured governments not to build highways. The United Fruit Company gained undue influence over the lives of ordinary citizens through corrupt politicians. The most famous example arose in 1975, shortly before the company reorganized. Reports came to light that United Fruit was paying a $2. 5 million dollar bribe to the President of Honduras in exchange for tax breaks. The Honduran President was later removed by a military coup. The banana company also had influence within the American government.It encouraged the government to intervene to stop socialist movements in Central America. In 1954, the Central Intelligence Agency took covert action to undermine a Guatemalan regime they feared would align with the Soviet Union. The regime had planned to buy back the large amounts of unused land owned by United Fruit and distribute it to peasants. It is this image of unrestrained American capitalism and exploitation that has driv en a number of Central American countries toward socialist regimes. In Central America, United Fruit is now broken into many subsidiaries. Much of the banana crop is received from independent farms.For Central American peasants the legacy of United Fruit is likely to be more bad than good. They feel they have been exploited and their traditional way of life nearly destroyed. The influence of the company over regional politics meant that the lower classes had little representation in the government. That has changed somewhat, but the problem of poverty remains. Today the working classes soldier on, doing what they must to maintain their rich culture. Sources Bakewell, Peter. A History of Latin America (2nd ed. ). Oxford, U. K. : Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Chomsky, Aviva.West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, 1870-1940. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1996. Draper, Thomas (ed. ). Democracy and Dictatorship in Latin America. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1981. Keen, Benjamin (ed. ). Latin American Civilization: history and society, 1492 to the present. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991. Landmeier, Peter. â€Å"Banana Republic: The United Fruit Company† 1997. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2006: < http://www. mayaparadise. com/ufc1e. htm >. United Fruit Historical Society. â€Å"Chronology† [web site] 2006. Retrieved 11/17/2006 < http://www. unitedfruit. org/chron. htm >.

Gung Ho Essay Example

Gung Ho Essay Example Gung Ho Essay Gung Ho Essay In the movie Gung Ho, a Japanese corporation reopens an American car factory; however, working side-by-side is harder than expected due to differences in culture. Differences in the workers levels of collectivism and individualism negatively influence the working relationships by creating conflict, lowering employee performance and satisfaction, and lowering organizational commitment. The Japanese workers expected American workers to conform to their ways and value the corporation over themselves. However, American workers expected their daily routines to be the same as they were before the factory closed. At first, there was slight tension when American workers hesitated to perform team-building exercises before starting work. Conflict rose as American workers were told to do their jobs differently, not to listen to music, and not to smoke cigars. Employee performance, satisfaction, and organizational commitment are usually lower when individual and organizational values do not align. This is certainly depicted in the movie when an American worker receives a demotion due to a defect in the car he made. The worker says that every car cannot be perfect and it is the dealer’s problem. The Japanese disagree with him and explain that a Japanese worker will work all night, without pay, in order to fix a problem because he is loyal to the company. This concept is foreign to individualistic American workers because working for the good of the company is a collectivist value. One American worker suggests implementing an incentive program. This is more likely to motivate an individualistic American worker because the reward will benefit him personally. :

Something Strange Happens Every Day Essays - Bob Stookey, King

Something Strange Happens Every Day Essays - Bob Stookey, King Something Strange Happens Every Day A man, Bob Johnson, leans on a cold, concrete pillar, silently waiting for the train to take him to work. He waits as he has waited for the past seven years of his monotonous, somewhat mechanical existence. He glances calmly at his wristwatch; thirty-seven minutes past eight o clock in the morning. Damn, he thinks to himself. Oh well, theyll have to let me off, he mumbles to himself, its the first time Ive been late in the seven years Ive worked there. So, Bob slowly makes his way to the edge of the platform so as to get a good seat on the train. Around him, people mill around waiting for the same train Bob waits for. Directly behind him, a fat woman sits on a wooden bench holding her designer label bag in her lap, close to her chest. She is obviously very self-conscious and she glances around nervously. Nearby the fat lady, three African-American guys, aged around 20, dressed in ridiculously oversized clothing, listen to a rap song on a portable stereo. To his left, a businessman and his associate stand underneath a train schedule board discussing some important topic. Near him stands a group of Japanese tourists, looking at a half-folded map, trying to figure out the best route to arrive at their destination. Two of them are in a heated argument, speaking very quickly in Japanese. Bob then catches a glimpse of a crowd of school kids heading towards the platform with their chaperones; they are going on a day-trip to the Natural History Museum. While Bob is lost in his silent study of the Human-Being, the advance warning lights lined along the edge of the platform where there is a six foot drop to the train tracks, warning people that the train will arrive in just a few moments. Everybody hears the high-pitched squeal of metal wheels on metal rails, and a sudden rush of air against his face from the fast moving train brings Bob back to his senses. At this moment everyone waiting for the train; the fat lady, the homeboys, the business associates, the tourists and the school group, in amongst a slew of other interesting people; begin crowding the platform where Bob calmly waits to go to work. In all the rushing, panic, and pushing of people, Bob Johnson, who was waiting calmly to get onto the train, somehow gets jostled by the wave of people and topples over. He falls straight into the middle of the tracks. Chaos. Somebody screams, everybody looks, everybody screams, everybody runs. Bedlam takes over; no one knows quite exactly what to do. Bob, after what seems like an eternity, pushes himself slightly off the ground and spits some blood to the gravel floor. Looking straight at the ground, still gathering his senses, he is abruptly hit with a state of shock and confusion. He hears the growing screeching noise of the trains breaks. He looks up and to his right and sees the trains lights and bulking mass, bearing down on him. At the moment just before impact, and Bobs almost-apparent death, some ones muscular hand grabs him by his arm and pulls him off the path of his surefire demise, leaving only Bobs briefcase to be torn apart by the quick-moving train. Every single last muscle in Bob Johnsons body aches and he cant stop himself from shaking. All he feels is adrenalin pumping through his mind, and his body. He finally gains his senses back, and sits up impulsively, and looks around. A feeling of relief floods through him where the adrenalin once did before. It was only a dream. He is now in the comfort of his own bed, he looks over on his bedside stand, at his alarm clock, it is five o clock in the morning and the sounds of a city gearing up and preparing for a long day fill his head. He gets up and starts his morning routine. He takes a nice refreshing shower, and eats some almost-burnt toast and drinks a glass of orange juice, just as he has showered and eaten breakfast for the past seven years of his monotonous life. As he is getting dressed into

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Maintaining Cultural Diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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