Free

Free Will vs. Determinism Essay Society walks about day-by-day living their lives and never really thinking or breaking down how their day unfolds or why it plays out the way it does. Some people have said that individuals have a choice and are able to decide on where their day goes. Others on the other hand would argue this assessment and state that your day and your life as whole are all pre determined. The different is free will vs. determinism. Do you believe we live in a free will world or has everything been planed out and is determined to happen no matter what? To start out on finding an answer to this question we must first break down the two terms and a bit about their background and what they mean to us as an individual walking around day-to-day living our lives. We will start off with the more depressing of the two, and that being determinism. Determinism is the philosophical view that everything in a person’s life including behavior, human conditioning, and previous events have already been planned out and will happen that way no matter what we do. Mostly this means that our lives essentially our out of our control. Imagine if you will the universe unfolding from a state of very small matter and as it unfolds and expands and life is form it just continues to grow and build. Life goes on and society works the way it is built. Then over billions of years the universe contracts and everything is essentially erased or reversed. After it completes this cycle it starts it all over again recreating the events that it just created previously. Some believe that this is what is happening in our world and with our universe now. Some also believe that this is infinite and will happen for eternity, stating that everything has already happened before and will continue to happen over and over again in the course of existence. Now you may be thinking, â€Å"I have a choice on what I do† well not according to this theory or any of the other ones in determinism. This idea is what some would put in the category of materialism. Materialism states that the only thing that truly exists is matter in a physical state, â€Å"that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. † (Ott) SO with this theory there is a bunch of cause and effect included. One physical thing must happen in order for the other to happen, even in your thought process. Yes, that’s right even in your brain. This states that your thoughts are all physical and chemical things happening (hormones cause emotions) to create your thoughts and what you do. Are you a robot? Next we have behaviorism. Many people have studied this idea but Skinner is probably the best known for his research on the topic. Behaviorism falls in the category of human conditioning. It also states that we are pleasure seeking animals and that we are determined to search and find the things that give us that pleasure. This falls in the determinism section because we have no choice with this essentially. We will only go after the things that make us feel good, all the way down to even helping a homeless person with some spare change. We do this because it makes us as an individual feel good that we helped someone else in need out. Also a lot of this has to do with when you do a good deed you are rewarded by society, given a nice pat on the back and encourages you to do that more often leading you in the direction you are going. Last but not least there is Psychoanalysis, or know to some as the Freudian psychology. Sigmund Freud is highly attached to this type of determinism and approach to life. Freud believed that we as an individual have an unconscious state of mind and a conscience. Think of it as an ice burg in the ocean. Above the water you have the tip of the iceberg, or the conscience state of mind. It is there it is aware it is obvious and clear. Then below the water you have a massive part of the iceberg that is not visible. We cannot see it and it is hidden, in fact we choose not to explore it from fear of what it may do to us. The part below the water could be looked at as your unconscious state of mind. Freud believed that your unconscious state was leading and guiding you to do things you do with out you even realizing it. These things were memories and thoughts that you have repressed mainly as a child or due to any traumatic experience. Freud would use psychology as a method of trying to bring these unconscious states to the surface so that a person could identify what they were doing and why it is that they were predetermined to do so. Sigmund Freud also came to the conclusion that each person holds with in them three states. These three states would be super ego, ego, and id. Ego would be our self-aware state of mind that you are conscience of. Super ego would be your moral value, and your id (translating to â€Å"it†) would be the sexually aggressive part of you. He felt that this â€Å"id† was what really guided you to do the things you do. It is almost as if you’re super ego and your id battle each other everyday trying to tell you what to do and when to do it. Freud was an evolutionary thinker and still to this day has many followers in his system. To go in the opposite direction we have free will. Free will is the approach to life that we have choices and decisions, and we make them every day to determine what it is that we do with our day and even with our life. Out of the two this is the less depressing approach. I personally like this approach and thought on how we live better. Free will contradicts determinism and goes the opposite direction in its logic and explanation. The followers of free will did not believe in determinism for many reason but the biggest and most important is that they believe that determinism erases responsibility for our actions. This is called indeterminism, meaning â€Å"a philosophical position that maintains that any form of determinism is incorrect because it is ultimately metaphysical†(White) So, lets look at some of the ideas and structure of free will and some of the people who had and still do have a huge influence on the approach to how we live our lives. Aristotle was a huge part of free will; he was a Greek philosopher and a student of Plato. Also is thought that he was a teacher to Alexander The Great. Aristotle was known as a common sense philosopher, believing that most of what we do is by our choices. He also believed this choices were voluntary and involuntary as well. He also believed that â€Å"the lives of individual human beings are invariably linked together in a social context†(White) Next we have William James an American psychologist and philosopher best known for his views on free will and philosophy as well as pragmatism. Pragmatism is the belief that what ever works, works because it is true. Basically validity of an idea lies within its practical consequences. This gives an individual free will by letting them think and make choices in an analytical sense. Coming up with an idea or approach to a situation but then presenting another route that is just as enjoyable or likely to be taken in the situation. If a person looks at a situation and how they will approach it and the outcome seems bad in comparison to goo then they have the choice not to go down that route giving us free will. Determinism would state that you have no choice and that you will go the route you were meant to go along. I don’t know about you but I like thinking that I have choice over if I want to go a painful route or an enjoyable route. Jean-Paul Sarte was a French existentialist and philosopher. He was famed on believing that existence precedes essences, meaning that everyday life come before the core part of what we (human) are made up of. He also stated that we are all â€Å"condemned to be free†. This meaning that we are held responsible for our own actions. There is no getting out of anything that we have chosen to do, this statement hold opposite form determinism in every way. The idea is that we are allowed to make choices but if we make the wrong choice then we must take responsibility for these choices and actions since we made them, and that life is not pre determined causing me to make them. Some individuals may choose to not take responsibility for their actions by just choosing not to make a decision all together. This is what is called living in bad faith. Living in bad faith is the idea that an individual chooses to not take an action or choices in certain situations. This is still part of free will because you are consciously making that choice and decision to do well†¦ nothing. Last but not least Sartre stated, In order to make myself recognized by the Other, I must risk my own life. To risk ones life, in fact, is to reveal oneself as not-bound to the objective form or to any determined existenceas not-bound to life Both determinism and free will have their strong arguments but I guess when you really think about it that is what philosophy altogether is really about, logical arguments. It is interesting how each can present to an individual things that we have all lived or experienced in our everyday lives. When I personally break it all down to decide what I think makes more sense I cant some to a conclusion on what I think is truly going on. Maybe I am living in bad faith and maybe that is my belief in free will, because I am able and willing to try to make a decision on which means more to me. But if determinism has its way with me then I am doomed in a sense and have no control over what one I will end up siding with. My money says that I continue to debate the two for the rest of my life. Just for my mentality sake I for the time being will side with free will. The idea of free will gives most people and me in this world faith in something, faith in the idea that they have control over their lives and can make decisions and reach things that may seem impossible. Determinism has its cool points especially when including and involving science, in fact the logic and physical evidence that follows with determinism can be quite convincing at times, but is just to depressing of a thought at the moment. Speaking for most of the world, I am sure that me and anyone else wants to think and feel that our lives are unplanned and that what we do in them will matter not to the world but more importantly to ourselves. Free will takes my vote and I am declaring it as the winner†¦ that is until determinism takes that from me.

The World Needs a Little Courtesy Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Es

The World Needs a Little Courtesy Doesn't anyone show common courtesy anymore? When I was younger, I never knew what my parents meant when I heard them ask that question. I thought people were polite. I never had any problems with rude people. Now that I am older, and actually experience people outside of school, I understand what my parents meant. What happened to people saying "Excuse me" when they want to walk past you? Don't people know what it means when someone says this to them? When I say "Excuse me" to someone the individual stares at me as if I just spoke a foreign language or said something insulting. Then the individual still doesn't move. I don't know how many times I have been standing somewhere, and instead of someone saying "Excuse me" to get by, he or she just shoves past. How was I to know the person was standing behind me? I guess I should have used the eyes in the back of my head. I have also seen grown men push past pregnant women, elderly couples, and even handicapped people as if they weren't even there. When my boyfriend was on crutches and we went shopping, people would run into him with their carts. He had to stop and get out of their way and they would act as if it was an inconvenience to them that he was on crutches. I look out for pregnant women, the elderly, people on crutches or in wheelchairs, someone with his or her arms full, and people with children. I move out of their way. Am I just more aware of my surroundings than other people? What happened to holding doors open for other people? I don't mean for just women, the elderly, or the handicapped. (I am a twenty-five-year-old female,... ...ould be because parents do not have the support of the teachers and schools. Teachers are a big part of a child's life, but they are not allowed to correct a child's behavior because they could be reprimanded for doing so. If we do not teach our children to respect their elders, to help others, and to say please and thank you, then eventually common courtesy and politeness will be lost. Did you ever realize how a reaction you get from a stranger, or even someone you know, could affect the mood of your day? Or how polite or rude that person was? Did you ever feel a little happier after doing something nice for someone? For most of us, our days are filled with stress. Being courteous to someone or smiling or saying "Thank you" might just change both of your moods. Try it sometime. It might just change your whole day. Thank you!

Blockade Runners

Blockade Runners. A blockade runner is usually a lighter-weight ship used for evading a naval port. Often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to blockade a city. Other times blockade runners would carry mail in an attempt to communicate with the outside world. The blockade runners during the American civil war were seagoing steam ships that were used to make it through the union blockade that extended some 3,500 miles along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines and the lower Mississippi River.These ships had to go undetected they sually traveled at night. If any of the runners were detected by union ships they would simply try to outmaneuver or outrun the union ships. The typical blockade runners were privately owned vessels often operating with a letter of marque issued by the Confederate States. Inbound ships usually brought things that were badly needed supplies and mail, they often carried things like cotton, tobacco and ot her goods for trade. If a blockade was detected they would either be captured or destroyed.There were an estimated 2500-2900 attempts to run the blockade with at east 80% success. Some of the famous blockade runners were; The Bat, The Britannia, The chameleon, The Condor, The Falcon, The Hansa, The Lizzie, The Stag, and The ptarmigan. The Steamer Denbigh. – We are glad to learn that this steamer, reported to be ashore and a wreck in her late attempt to run out of this port in a fog, is not damaged to the extent supposed. She has been relieved of her cargo and is now afloat, and is expected up to-day. The enemy's fleet discovering her unfortunate position tried to vent their spite upon her.They succeeded in hitting her but once in her wheelhouse, doing her no damage. She was defended by the guns of Fort Morgan, which succeeded in putting three shots in one of the blockaders and driving the rest off. The enemy's ship that was struck was sent off in the direction of Pensacola, s upposed to be disabled. The energy of Gen. Higgins and his command in defending the unfortunate ship is highly commended. Word count: 363 Bibliography: Wikipedia, famous blockade runners, newspaper article Mobile Register February 4, 1864. Denbigh runs around near Fort Morgan.

Narratives of Adolescence Explored Through the Harry Potter

Ergo, when had decided to examine the movies, two movies in particular came to mind – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Cabana (2004) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One (2010). My Hypothesis is that as the movies progress, or rather, as Harry Potter (the main character) grows up, his surrounding social relationships mature him as well. They shape his personality and consequently, shape the turn of events yet to come. And I would like to explore how they Influence him and why.The movie relates to the topic of the course, as it focuses on narratives of adolescence in European cinema. It takes place In a far off dimension in the United Kingdom, contains a unique combination of basic teen everyday dilemmas, social relationship matters, mental maturity conversion, and various turning points heehawed by a super natural kick. I plan to explore different influences within Harry life – his parents and parent-like role models, his friends, romantic relationships an d rival enemies – to see how those relationships attributed to his maturing.Consequently, the point of focusing on society will result In a comparison of his decisions, which were much associated with protecting his kind and ensuring peace to the generations after him. The matter of taking responsibility for not only oneself, but also others, is very much relevant to the pressure many teens are feeling across the globe today. As the course focuses on gaining content and source for the corning of age subject through films, discussion and analysis of the Harry Potter movies will aim at gaining a general understanding of trauma and its depiction.Therefore, distinguishing between the personal and the social levels will emphasize these findings. In order to fully comprehend the concluding outcome of Harry Potter's development, the basic plot shall be briefed: Harry Potter was born to a wizard and a witch, Lilly (a mugged – has no wizardly blood) and James (pure-blood) Potte r, during the First Hazarding war. HIS parents were members of the order of the Phoenix – an organization led by Albums Tumbledown, purposed to defeat the dark lord, Voltmeter, and his enforcers, the Death Eaters.Voltmeter, hearing the prophecy of Hardy's future causing his defeat, murders Lilly and James with the killing spell. However, his attempt to kill baby Harry fails, as Lilly's love and protection causes the spell to bounce off Harry, leaving him with a lightening-shaped scar on his forehead. The scar 1 OFF Now orphaned Harry is adopted by his aunt and uncle (muscles), who mistreat him and neglect his needs. By locking Harry in his small, dusty under-staircase room and polling their only child right in front of his eyes, Harry develops a dealing mechanism of settled life.He is not aware of his rich wizardly history, or of his magical potential. When Haggard, a half-giant wizard gamekeeper from Hogwash's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry appeared with the school's lett er of acceptance addressed to Harry, an immensely influential turning point had taken over Hardy's life. No longer was he feeling out of place or unneeded – he had finally felt he had belonged somewhere. These feelings encouraged Hardy's sense of purpose in life, especially as he quickly bonded with two other students at Hogwash's – HeroineGranger and Ron Wesley. As fate would have it, Harry and his two new friends were all sorted into the same house – Gratifying. The individual who has not befriended Harry, and mocked the name preceding him was Dorado Malady, and he was sent into the Slithering house. Many relationships have influenced Harry Potter and shaped his unique characteristic individuality. This enabled a reoccurring plot twist of the constellation of his personal relations (family, intergenerational relations, peer groups- friendly allies and notorious enemies, etc. . With time, Harry is exposed to various situations here he is put under a magnifying glass for his choice of actions, although always well intended. It is almost as if he is pressured into maturing all too fast, as from the point of attending Hogwash's Harry deals with constant life threats on his own. Help from his friends and some handpicked school staff is provided, and although much is being done in order to make Harry feel safe and home, it is quite clear that much is being put at stake on the young adolescent's shivering shoulders.In the first movie to be discussed – the Prisoner of Cabana – Harry is in his early adolescence stage, as he is thirteen years-old. His cinematic narrative and inherent conflicts represent a less romantic and more individual growth, as it has mostly to do with family descendents reaching out to him and unveiling the truth behind his parents and their cause of death. However, in the second movie I wish to refer to – the Deathly Hallows, Part One – Harry is eighteen years-old, meaning he is in his late adole scence stage, Just approaching the emerging adulthood stage.This movie puts the spotlight on the threesome's friendship (Harry, Ron and Heroine), as they set out on a mission to find and destroy all of the Hercules, as they are the key to Voltmeter's immortality. Adult presence is not felt particularly within this movie, as there is no guidance or protection from their professors, families or others. The threesome rely on each other, however, this turns out to be a difficult task, as the Dark Forces use black magic and mind games to make the three turn on each other.Overall, the learning process the film offers is a distinguished moral outline of adolescents' development, demonstrated by social relations and interactions. The protagonist – Harry Potter – faces many obstacles in the righteous path of discovering and tears. His character evolves from a clueless, naive and stray form, to a mature, responsible, identity confident state. In this essay I plan on using a vari ety of research materials – the official Harry Potter books and movies, websites, fan pages and open-floor forums.The reason I have decided to use many forms of median resources is because not only am I interested in my interpretation of the character development, but I would also like to review other opinions. Shall my hypothesis be refuted, conclusive evidence must be provided as to what has influenced Harry Potter to fulfill his prophecy – become the error and savior of an entire magical kingdom. Part II: 1. Exposition (central conflict of narration). Which are the antagonistic elements of the film? 2. Intensification of the conflict (Show scenes and explain them) 3.Show development of main characters. What do they learn? How is it expressed in their action? Which fields of adolescence are addressed? 4. Turning points of story (Periphery) 5. Resolution of the conflict? Message of the story (cognitive level) 6. Which feelings/ emotions are conveyed by the film? What was the strongest emotional impression for you? How did it relate to the plot or to certain aesthetically elements of it like music, pictures. Can you describe it as an experience? / (Flabbergasting II) 7.Assessment: How could the filmed be used for educational purposes? What can be learned or experienced? Make a short statement. Work (education, profession, socio-economical situation) Cultural Belief System (Ideology, political and historical Identity) Part Ill: Scientific articles Find at least one scientific article which relates to your subject. It is favorable to use also an article that provides insights to the film, director, genre etc. Give the main arguments of the texts and try to draw a line to the message / (Flabbergasting) of the movie.

Rashomon essays

Rashomon essays Rashomon by Akutagawa Ryunosuke takes place at the gate called Rashomon in Kyoto. The devastated city had no time to repair the rusting gate. It had become a dark place where unidentified corpses were abandoned. A servant that had gotten dismissed by his master sits on the steps in the pouring rain wondering if he should become a thief to make a living. He sees a fire by the top of the stairs so he sneaks up and looks. There is an old woman pulling hair out of the corpses. By the sight of this, he cannot hold in his anger, he pulls out his sword and pushes the old woman on the ground. She told him, making wigs with the hair was keeping her alive. After a little thinking, he pulls off her kimono and runs off deciding that he had to steal to eat. He abandons her naked on the stairs and disappears into the night. Character. There are two characters, the servant and the hag. The servant had served a samurai for a few years; however, due to the decline of Kyoto, was dismissed. The hag or old womans past is unknown, for the only information the reader has is that she is found pulling out hair from the corpses to make a wig. Both seem like real people with characteristics that are naturalistic. The servant shows his strength and social class with his sword and physical power. The hag has no class but represents the lower class that is striving to live. The characters action questions the reader about the relationship between human nature and inner self. The dichotomy of morality and immorality are correlated through the characters. The servant had decided not to steal before entering Rashomon holding up his morality, however after the hags speech about selling hair to survive, he changes. His morality disappears, as he reaches out for her kimono, sending him into the lower class equal to the hag . The hag is almost like a devil. The servant himself is transformed into one through their interaction. Selfishness is a theme s...

Answer 2 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer 2 questions - Assignment Example In United States, the family decline is apparent due to reasons such as increased rates of illegitimacy, unmarried couple of households and divorce. In US, there has been an extensive increase in the rate of illegitimacy. The birth rate of unmarried women has gone up by a significant percentage. Research showed that the number of illegitimate babies is going up day by day as well increasing the number of single parents. Family divorce is another reason that has tremendously led to family declines (Hobson 76). The family decline is a major has become more obvious in the United States. Parent around the world experiences joys and heartaches due to rewards and challenges of becoming parents. Parenting has remained a baffling subject where everyone has an opinion, but most people do not agree. Parents have a responsibility of preparing children for economic, physical, and psychological situations in which the children must thrive and survive. Being a financial provider is not a choice but a demanding responsibility for parents. Parents often find themselves in a tag of war between the works demands and finding time for their families. Mostly, parents sacrifice their family time for their work by means to ensure that they keep their jobs (Hobson 89). Some parents make a balance between the responsibilities as financial responsibilities and parents as they consider the two responsibilities intertwined. It is quite possible to fulfill the role of a financial provider and a role of a parent at the same time. Maintaining the two responsibilities is realistic as the two r esponsibilities are equally important. Parents believe that fulfilling their role, as the good provider is a fine balance between the families. Parents adjust their work shifts so that they can have time with their children and

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Midsummer Nights Dream - Essay Example The work was not the most imaginative recreation of the play, but it provided a clear representation with engaging actors who allowed their characters to come through. The costumes provided a feel for the time period in which the play was set and the setting was creatively constructed, allowing for all of the elements of the play to have space in which to play out their roles within the story. The way in which the play was lit added a dimension to the overall production. As always, the text of William Shakespeare created a work in which the actors could suspend the disbelief of the audience and create a production that was magical, while full of beautiful commentary on the human condition. The play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, is a tale of comic twists, the story of young love in which the fae come to play their part by interfering in the lives of humans, twisting their desires to suit their own needs. The director, Kent Thomas, took a cold February day in Denver and transformed it to a warm summer evening. The play was developed around a classic setting with costuming that suggested Napoleonic France. The director situated the actors through their body language well within that time period, the production unified through ideals that created an atmosphere. The actores expressed this unified setting as they engaged more formally with one another, different than if it had been set in a lesser socio-economic surroundings. The characters seemed to be young aristocrats, their socio-economic status clear through their positioning on the stage. The work of the actors was well accomplished, the role of Hermia, played by Caitlin Wise standing out through her execution and presence. Something about her was engaging with the audience that placed focus on her when appropriate. At a moment when she was expressing a comedic frustration, her expressions were very readable, her projection of her voice filling the hall and focusing the audience on he r plight. Likewise, Helena Pistorius as Helena created a very believable character, her voice having a resonance that created a reality within her performance. As she developed her position within the play, she created empathy from the audience in a way that was unique to the role. Lawrence Hecht as bottom created a performance that made the audience laugh as it should, his portrayal with the donkey’s head unique in the way in which he expressed his role as the great queen Tatiana fell in love with him. However, it is the performance by Michael Wartella as Puck that still has me remembering the wonder of the play. He was clever, yet innocent, mischievous, but not evil as he comes across as a delightful fae whose only desire is to create trouble within both the human and fairy worlds. The way in which he expressed the character was not through evil, but through a feeling of joy in the accomplishment of his twisted sense of humor. His little devilries were executed with a belie vability that surpassed the breach of his true self, allowing his characterization to fully blossom and the audience to believe that he was not human, but a transcended being with the ability to muddle in the affairs of the heart. The costuming of the work was some of the most imaginative I have had the privilege to witness. The pieces broke through the time-period from which the play originated, adopting a Napoleonic point of view. The pieces were editorially reflective of the costumes of France during that time period, the dresses reflecting the empire waistlines that Josephine had favored. Therefore, the time period was set in the late 18th, early 19th century, the human characters reflecting this aesthetic. The costuming created a formal mood, the aristocratic air helping to set the socio-economic st