A Man Ahead of His Time free essay sample

This paper looks at the philosopher Plato, and his beliefs regarding morality and its link with knowledge. This paper presents an overview of Plato?s philosophical dialogues. The author examines of some of Plato?s main philosophical beliefs on human nature, the importance of morality in a society, and that gaining knowledge for the sake of having knowledge would help people lead more truth filled and moral lives. Since the beginning of our history, we have had many great philosophers guide us along the path of our societal evolution. Some were religiously based while others were secularly based but they all had something to contribute. Few of them though could compare to Plato when it came to understanding human nature and the ways of society more than Plato did. Plato is considered one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He had knowledge of the workings of the human mind and heart that kept him light years ahead of his time. We will write a custom essay sample on A Man Ahead of His Time or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Plato taught many things that can still be applied to todays society. As one of the heavyweights in the field of philosophy Plato covered more ground in his teachings than many others have ever done since.

The Anthropology of Terrorism free essay sample

It has been eleven years since these attacks, and our country is still at war, and we use terms like â€Å"acts of terror† to justify our invasion of their civilian space. Personally, I do not care much for conspiracy theories, but I was interested to know a little bit more about the Islamic culture that these â€Å"terrorists† stem from. While the majority of the population of Iraq and Afghanistan are practicing Muslims, they can not all be defined as â€Å"terrorists. In all actuality, a lot of them may define Americans and other westernized countries with seemingly unlimited war powers as â€Å"terrorist† groups. There are many differences from the American view of acts of terror, the Iraqi view of acts of terror, and the view of how those who commit crimes of terror see their own actions. I think it very important that American civilians, especially those who are not well educated on our foreign policies and the current war situation, take time to see how Ir aqi civilians and the Muslim population view the September 11 acts of terror, and the subsequent war compared to those who chose to commit these acts. We will write a custom essay sample on The Anthropology of Terrorism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I think that most would be surprised when they find that the Islamic religion does not actually promote those extensive â€Å"acts of terror† that they do not support the extremist groups like Al Quaeda, and that our presence in their civilian areas, like market places may not be necessary or productive for their day-to-day routines. In order for many people to understand these differing viewpoints on terrorism, I think it is important to focus on how different people may define an act of terror. In December of 1994, the Unite Nations General Assembly Resolution 49/60, Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, describes terrorism as: â€Å"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them. Later, in 2004 at UN Security Council Resolution 1566 a definition is given, stating acts of terror are: Criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act. The United Nations adds to the definition again in 2005 at a panel, stating the definition of terrorism as: Any act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non- combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United Nations has no official definition of terrorism, because some would argue that there is no real distinction between a â€Å"terrorist† and a â€Å"freedom fighter. Therefore, the United Nation’s descriptions of the term are vague and always include that terrorism is â€Å"intimidating† or that it â€Å"provokes terror† on a group of people. The first description listed comments on the justification of these acts, which most others do not. Now, I would like to point out the differences in he definitions that are released by the Arabic Community and the united States . In 1998, the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism was implemented by the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior and the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice in Cairo, Egypt. They defined terrorism at this convention as: Any act or threat of violence, whatever its motives or purposes, that occurs in the advancement of an individual or collective criminal agenda and seeking to sow panic among people, causing fear by harming them, or placing their lives liberty or security in danger, or seeking to cause damage to the environment or to public or private installations or property or to occupying or seizing them, or seeking to jeopardize national resources. â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United States has many different definitions of terrorism in almost every government organization’s code. In Federal Criminal Code Title 18 of the United States defines terrorism and lists the crimes associated with terrorism. In Section 2331 of Chapter 113(B), defines terrorism as: †¦activities that involve violent†¦ or life-threatening acts†¦ that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and†¦ appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and†¦(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬  FBI definition of terrorism: The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. The definition of terrorism used in the United States Army Field Manual FM 3-0, form 2001 is: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear. It is intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies [to attain] political, religious, or ideological goals. The Dictionary of Military Terms used by the Department of Defense defines terrorism as: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) I think the difference in the way our governments define a term that the United Nations finds so debatable shows a huge cultural difference in where the priorities for our countries lie. Obviously, since the September 11 attacks, the United States has spent an extensive amount of time coming up with more and more to add to the definition of terrorism and have worked to almost make ourselves seem like more of the victim. Our Federal Code includes mass destruction and assassination, but states that it primarily occurs within the United Stated jurisdiction. This is open to interpretation, as is all code, but it basically means that we are always the victim of acts of terror and can hardly ever be accused of committing the crime. However, in the FBI definition, it says that terrorism is using violence and force to coerce a government and its civilians of political and social objectives. Are we not using force and asserting ourselves on the Iraqi government, and every other government that we have been at war with? Has it not all been for a political gain? Then the military definitions add that actions can only be defined in that way if they are being committed for political, religious, or ideological reasons. However, I think that most Americans, if asked would only include religion in the definition. We have been trained to think that way, to only see terrorism as acts of Jihad, extremist Muslims. Americans, since I can remember have always been extremely proud. We are all truly blessed to come from a country that has a strong military backbone, free, accessible education, a comparably thriving economy, and the opportunity for social mobility. That being said, the majority of Americans are very ignorant and one-sided on a lot of political issues. Most are content with obtaining the easily accessible information from the news or internet and word of mouth. Most do not take the time to educate themselves on social issues that they comment on daily. This is why people are so opposed to those who practice Islam using their first amendment right to freedom of religion, especially in the south where most are extremely prejudiced. The news and the coverage of the September 11 attacks and the war are to blame for this phenomenon of fearing those who are different. In Packaging Terrorism: Co-opting the News for Politics and Profit, Susan Miller criticizes the way the media chooses which stories to run. â€Å"Threats, danger, fear. These words grab the attention of the readers and that’s what the media want. Your attention. Be afraid. Be very afraid. † She shows that there are many more options of global stories that our local news stations could run, but those that involve Americans or anything involving conflict in the Middle East, or even stories of al-Qaeda action in other countries, will get higher ratings as â€Å"Big Stories† over stories like the huge crisis of bombings in Mumbai in 2006, which is a place and event that Americans, in general, have no solid connection to. However, our society is also very vain, and there are even international events that are very important to us and the action in the Middle East that constantly get trumped by â€Å"larger† domestic stories. A 2006 suicide bombing of the Golden Mosque, which was close to triggering an Iraqi civil war was overshadowed by the Winter Olympics that year. A 2005 bombing was completely overshadowed by the kidnapping of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. The American people are more likely to be interested in our domestic actions than the stories of foreign events, especially when these events seem to run together and are so similar every time they are covered. One thing that is extremely controversial in covering those true acts of terror is the fact that most terrorists really want the attention on them. If someone is taken hostage and taped, or there is a huge event, like the 9/11 attacks, those who commit these actions are doing so for the attention, and for the media to show these events to the public, some can argue that those who share the news are just giving them what they most desire: to have all eyes on them. There is also an opinion, however, that if this footage is shown, it will show Americans the true brutality of the people who our military is fighting against, and that it will show that there truly is a threat, encouraging Americans to further support our military and create a unifying experience that promotes patriotism. This was shown in the case of the kidnapping of reporter, Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002 by al-Qaeda operative Khalid Shiekh Mohammad. The video of his execution was made available to news networks, and a portion of Pearl speaking was shown on CBS. The full video shows his throat being slit and his severed head held up with a voiceover speaking out against the â€Å"enemies of Islam. † After much debate of whether or not the video should be seen by the public, whether it would violate the rights of Pearl’s grieving family, and whether the American people should be allowed to be exposed to witnessing a person’s murder, Peter Kadizis and Stephen Mindich of the Boston Phoenix posted a link to the video with a note above stating, â€Å"This is the single most gruesome, horrible, despicable, and horrifying thing I’ve ever seen. . That our government and others throughout the world, who have had this tape for some time have remained silent is nothing less than an act of shame†( Moeller). While our media is the largest source of information for Americans and is the largest reason that Americans have an instilled fear of anyone of the Islamic religion, the USA Patriot Act passed in 2001 as a response to the terrorist attacks is one of the triggers that set off this fear, and is a constant reminder of the attack. This Act was instated based on the theory that if there is a threat to national security, the public is more willing to allow for harsher policies and increased restrictions of civil liberties. The Act includes reduced restrictions in law enforcement agencies gathering of intelligence within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. Even though support for the Patriot Act has decreased, though not dramatically (from 60% classifying it as â€Å"necessary† in 2001, to a 39% in 2006), President Barack Obama signed a four-year extension of the act to include, searches of business records that would assist in an investigation undertaken to protect against international terrorism, and surveillance of lone wolves,† individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups. (Borgeson, Valeri). This, eleven years later is an act that is still perfectly in tact, and is still restricting our rights. It isn’t the most invasive law, but it does hang over the heads of those who do business internationally and those who immigrated form other countries, because they are constantly under the threat of being watched and studied by the government. Since Americans have media coverage and restrictions that help to shape the idea of terrorism and the way we perceive terrorism and acts of violence, it is only logical to realize that the Iraqi people, have their own way of defining Terrorism in their country. It is important to realize, when analyzing their views, that the United States have been seen as a threatening force to them for the past eleven years by imposing on their land and declaring warfare on their former leader and having our military staying within their civilian quarters. Though Iraq has been liberated for the past five years, American troops were just recently sent home, and they are suffering from terrorist attacks against them from other outside forces as well. Most of those who practice the Islamic religion believe that warfare should only be used to suppress rebellion or to defend against imposing armies. They do not believe in starting wars, because the punishment is not in their hands, violence should only be used for protection. Yousuf Baadarani, a popular writer defending the Islamic culture, states in an interview with Asia Times states, â€Å"Since Islam forbids terrorism, than no terrorist could be labeled Islamic. He would have had to abandon the Islamic path to become a terrorist† (Abedin). Jihad is only supposed to be used to protect the Islamic religion against those who attack it, not to create terror in those who do not practice Islam. This counters a popular theory Americans have that all Muslims are destined to commit acts of terror and that they are instilling values that promote suicide bombings and murder of those who do not practice Islam. Al-Qaeda was born out of Osama Bin Laden’s leftover defense force he gathered together for the Saudi Kingdom, but it was rejected after they allowed US troops to use Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Al-Qaeda means â€Å"the basis† or â€Å"the base. † It is extremely difficult to find out the members of this organization and to figure out who is behind certain attacks. The chain of command is extremely difficult to follow. It has one goal: â€Å"to hit the West wherever and whenever it can, in order to further polarize the Muslim and Western worlds and effect an eventual victory of the Islamists, who claim leadership over the Muslim world†(Reuter). This terrorist group- and there is no debate from anyone as to whether or not they are a terrorist group- has committed too many suicide bombings and killings of innocent westerners to name. They are the group behind the infamous September 11 attacks, and are the ones who created all of the fear of terrorism in the United States. This group of people is founded on a basic principle: hate for all Westerners, and the desire to completely sever ties between those who practice Islam and Westerners. This is not a group based on jihad; the exception to the Islamic law against violence, which should only be allowed when defending the Islamic religion. It is simply a hate group against Westerners that wears a mask of religion. In conclusion, there is a lot that is not perceived correctly when it comes to the idea of terrorism. Every citizen of Iraq is not a terrorist, and neither is every member of the Muslim community. A select few extremists have ruined the reputation of a religion in the United States, with the help of the media and politics. I hope that every American citizen at some point realizes the difference between the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the Iraqi family that walks down the street. It is important to me and our country that people see that most Muslims do not support al-Qaeda and that the group of extremists is not practicing their religion properly. I hope that people will start to realize the importance of getting information from other sources than the popular media and that some will start to look up more information on important domestic and international events. Most of all, I hope that I have been able to properly compare viewpoints on terrorism in different parts of the world accurately.

The Crucible - The Deterioration Of Salem During The Witch Trials Essa

The Crucible - The Deterioration of Salem During the Witch Trials The deterioration of Salem's social structure precipitated the murders of many innocent people. Arthur Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible, deals with a community that starts out looking like it is tightly knit and church loving. It turns out that once Tituba starts pointing her finger at the witches, the community starts pointing their fingers at each other. Hysteria and hidden agendas break down the social structure and then everyone must protect themselves from the people that they thought were their friends. The church, legal system and the togetherness of the community died so that children could protect their families' social status. Being isolated from any other group of people with different beliefs created a church led Puritan society that was not able to accept a lot of change. The church was against the devil, at the same time it was against such things as dancing and other premature acts. The reputation of the family was very important to the member s of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families. They claimed that the devil took them over and influenced them to dance. The girls also said that they saw members of the town standing with the devil. A community living in a puritan society like Salem could easily go into a chaotic state and have a difficult time dealing with what they consider to be the largest form of evil. Salem's hysteria made the community lose faith in the spiritual beliefs that they were trying to strictly enforce. The church lost many of its parishioners because the interest of the town was now on Abigail because people wanted to know who was going to be named next. When the church was trying to excommunicate John Proctor, there were not enough people at church to do it. The people were getting misled so far as to leave a dagger stuck in the door of their minister's house: ?Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house--a dagger clattered to the ground...There is danger for me.?(128) were Parris' exact words. With the conveyer of God fearing for his life there was no longer anyone but Abigail to lead the community. The justice system is designed to protect the people that it serves but during the trials the accused witch had two choices, death or imprisonment. The punishment of death was given to all people that pleaded not guilty; the other punishment was to plead guilty and go to jail. John Proctor gave his view of the justice system when he said ?I like not the smell of this ?authority' ?(29). ?And do you know that near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature(85) said Danforth, describing the number of people that were in jail on charges of witchcraft. There were so many people executed that Hale commented ?there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere...?(1 30) Salem was turning into a ghost town. With Abigail controlling the community, the church no longer getting the whole town to prayer, and an unjust legal system, it is natural that the people were in a state of total chaos. The unexplained was caused by the devil, so some members of Salem used the unexplained to their advantage. Mrs. Putnam told the truth when she said, ?There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!?(26) Mrs. Putnam did her share of spreading rumors after she heard that the girls were flying, so she asked Parris ?How high did she (Abigail) fly, how high(11). These rumors happened because people did not want any blame put on to themselves. This ?passing the buck' made people start fighting with one another such as Corey charging Putnam of having his daughter accuse a resident of witchcraft in order to get Corey's land. Abigail used her power of getting people to listen to her to her advantage when she charged Proctor's spouse with being a witch so Abigail

Sample Essay on Type I and Type II Diabetes

Sample Essay on Type I and Type II DiabetesFor those of you who have diabetes, knowing the samples on Type I and Type II diabetes are important. Knowing what to look for is important when it comes to choosing an essay or sample to help you learn more about the disease.One sample on Type I Diabetes would be to write a story. In this essay, the 'trouble' starts when you were only five years old. You now have to monitor your blood sugar very carefully. Most people are not aware that the foods they eat and drink can affect their health. Their activities have changed since they were children.However, there are still chances for success for those who have diabetes. You may even have made changes in your lifestyle to help your condition. If you have diabetes, you know that you need to monitor your blood sugar. There are some things you can do in order to make it easier for you to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Changing some of your habits will be helpful to you as well.An example dia betes essay should have information about your previous treatments. You should also include information about how your current treatment is working. Do you check your blood sugar levels every day? What about when you are asleep? Since you have an unusual type of diabetes, your health care provider might suggest something different to you.The information should be easy to understand and you should know what it is you are looking for. It is essential that you understand the details of diabetes so that you can focus on the parts that interest you the most. If you want to find out more information about diabetes, you may want to search the Internet for samples on Type I and Type II diabetes.Another example diabetes essay on Type I will be for students who have been diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. The other options you have for working around your diabetes are being careful and learning to live with it.It is possible for you to write a sample essay on diabetes that you can share with your friends. If you know someone who has diabetes, they may be willing to help you learn more about the disease.

Hurricanes vs Tornadoes Essays

Hurricanes vs Tornadoes Essays Hurricanes vs Tornadoes Essay Hurricanes vs Tornadoes Essay Essay Topic: Cane Hurricanes and tornadoes are some of the most violent natural occurring disasters known to mankind. While there are many differences between the two, the stark similarities are as dramatic. Both are centered on gusting wind swirling around a center; however the diameters of the storms are quite different. While hurricanes can range from 100 to 300 miles wide, tornadoes usually have only a length of less than two miles. However, a tornado makes up for its small size with extremely high wind speeds, in excess of over 250 miles per hour. Hurricanes on the contrary have wind speeds from 74 to 160 miles per hour. To compare and to contrast hurricanes and tornadoes the main areas of interest are the creation of both disasters, and the destructive power that is associated with both tornadoes and hurricanes. Hurricanes get their start over the warm tropical waters of the North Atlantic Ocean near the equator. Most hurricanes appear in late summer or early fall, when sea temperatures are at their highest. The warm waters heat the air above it, and the updrafts of warm, moist air begin to rise. At that longitude in the tropics, there is usually a layer of warm, dry air that acts like an invisible ceiling or lid. Once in a while, the lid that prevents the hurricane from forming is destroyed. Scientists do not know why this happens; however, when it does, its the first step in the birth of a hurricane. With the lid off, the warm, moist air rises higher and higher. Heat energy, released as the water vapor in the air, condenses. As it condenses it drives the upper drafts to heights of 50,000 to 60,000 feet. The cumuli clouds become towering thunderheads. From outside the storm area, air moves in over the sea surface to replace the air soaring upwards in the thunderheads. The air begins swirling around the storm center, for the same reason that the air swirls around a tornado center. As this air swirls in over the sea surface, it soaks up more and more water vapor. At the storm center, this new supply of water vapor gets pulled into the thunderhead updrafts, releasing still more energy as the water vapor condenses. This makes the updrafts raise faster, pulling in even larger amounts of air and water vapor from the storms edges. And as the updrafts speed up, air swirls faster and faster around the storm center. What forms is what experts call a hurricane. Upon landfall, this causes destruction for many square miles. In contrast, tornados are created by a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm is created by having three main ingredients: instability, uplifting of air, and moisture in the low and middle levels of the lower atmosphere. There are three types of thunderstorms, but the main type that creates the most tornados is the supercell. This is a highly organized thunderstorm. Although these are rare, they pose a great threat to life and property. This is like a single cell storm in that it has one updraft. However, the supercell updraft is extremely strong. This storm has a rotating updraft, or mesocyclone, that is the key to its ability to produce severe weather. This storm can produce large hail, strong downburst, and strong to violent tornadoes. As the mesocyclone strengthens it extends further downwards. At the same time, it is becoming more compact which is causing it to spin faster and faster. If this process continues, then the mesocyclone will reach to the ground, spawning a tornado. Immense damage is associated with both hurricanes and tornados. This damage is however different for both disasters, generally hurricanes carry a greater cost due to the massive area that is affected. Tornados are much smaller, but the damage that is created in the smaller area is usually more severe. The structures and items in a tornado’s path are totally destroyed. Another issue that is distinct is one of wind and water damage. Tornados usually occur within a thunderstorm, but create no rain in itself. The damage caused is solely through high force winds. In a hurricane the wind is much less severe, but they produce heavy amount of rain. Forming over the ocean, another issue arises with storm surge. Storm surge generally is the most costly factor in a hurricane. This happens when the hurricane pushes the ocean much farther inland that normal. In the case of Hurricane Opal, the storm surge went over dunes as high as ten feet, and destroyed highway 98 as a result. This factor is unparallel when comparing tornados and hurricanes.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative Dispute Resolution - Assignment Example Mediation and arbitration are applicable in different scenarios and have a number of advantages and disadvantages as the discussion below portrays. Litigation refers to the use of courts in resolving conflicts. An aggrieved party initiates the process by reporting a matter at the law enforcement agencies who in turn investigate arrest and prosecute the suspect. The nature of litigations varies depending on the rules and laws in every jurisdiction. Litigations are systematic and strive to uphold justice for both the victim and suspect. Ligations are appropriate in a number of circumstances. They are useful in high stake cases. Political conflicts, murder cases, defamation and economic conflicts among companies always end up in courts owing to the intensity of the conflicts and the seriousness of the damages that victims incur from such cases. Key among the advantages of litigations is the fact that the proceedings are systematic. As explained earlier, litigations begin with investigations (Kerley, Joanne and Paul 78). In every stage, the law enforcers among other parties involved such as the prosecutors must always uphold the di ctates of the law that help protect the interests of both the victim and the suspect. Proving a case beyond reasonable doubt makes litigations just and fair. The judges or jury must consider the evidence and the witnesses’ accounts as they make their determination. Miranda rights and the right to appeal help enhance the quality of the justice system since it provides both the victim and the suspect with a number of basic privileges that enhance the exhaustively of the investigations and the quality of the court proceedings in order to improve the quality of justice. In case a defendant is not satisfied with the ruling, such individuals have the rights to appeal the rulings and the courts of appeal must institute appropriate benches and rehear the cases. Despite the numerous advantages,

Immigration Restrictions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Immigration Restrictions - Essay Example Based on statistics presented in the article, it is clear that immigrants are improving the US economy and have also led to a massive population growth. Despite the economic advantage brought in by the immigrants, some people are also against the issue of having many immigrants. They argued that the immigrants do not pay taxes whereas they use public schools and hospitals. Moreover, they use their immigration documents to access anything they want. Immigrants have been there all over the world since the 17th century. In the late 17th century, 3% of the world’s population was made up of immigrants. Immigrants play a crucial role in improving the economy and increasing the population. Based on available statistics, it is expected that in future, 60% of the USA population will be composed of immigrants. This population is expected to be more educated and will improve the USA’s economy and education level. Moreover, the USA society will grow to a multicultural society, and many people will visit the USA to learn about these cultures. Immigrants are disadvantageous in other ways. Most immigrants use social security numbers of the natives in order to access the facilities that they need. It is surprising that the USA government is not able to track down such activities. These activities pose a danger to the USA residents since the resources available might be overused. It is crucial for the government to provide the immigrants with documents that can use to access public facilities. Provision of these documents will enable the country to have correct statistics, and thus negative reflections will be eliminated.