Essay On Muslim Students - 1740 Words

Currently, at Andover, the Muslim student population is made up of around 8-12 students, representing less than 1 percent of the student population. There is one Muslim faculty member, new this year, representing less than 1 percent of the faculty population. Over the last several years, Muslim students have been given access to various prayer spaces, the school unable to provide one consistent location. Originally, there was a room in the basement of the chapel reserved for Muslim students, but after repeated use of this room by non-Muslim students for inappropriate behavior, the administration completely closed it off to both non-Muslim students and Muslim students. The prayer space then moved to the library, with the students expected†¦show more content†¦Currently, Andover is seen as a place where it is impossible to pray everyday, and that image should be changed. Initially, we proposed the creation of a faith space within the library, available for Muslim students and students of any other faith as well to use for prayer, meditation, etc., and solving the problem of centrality. This room would be protected by blue card access, and to gain access to the room students would need to fill out a school-approved form, solving the problem of exclusivity as only dedicated individuals could use the room. Also, because the library is open all week and for most hours, the room would be available for most of the day, solving the problem of availability. The strengths of the original idea were in its centrality, exclusivity, and availability. However, there were some unforeseen flaws in our plan noticed by Mr. Prescott and three Muslim students interviewed for feedback: Newaz Rahman, Sawsan AlShaiba, and Hana Illikkal. Fortunately, the weaknesses (what are they? Am I supposed t already know this?) pointed out by those four do not change the fundamental idea of the project: to dedicate a space to Muslim students and other underrepresented faith groups, but the way we go about doing that must change. Our feedback found that the weakest points were in our single-mindedness in location, the size of the space, the possible noise factor, getting access to the room, and spreading awareness. Instead of just thinking about theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis1003 Words   |  5 PagesAfter revising my essay, I have learned how to check my organization, clarifying, and examine my writing. My revising process was to erase, add and structure my essay till it achieved my purpose. Within my first body paragraph I discuss the pattern of organization within the author writing. I did not conclude my last sentence on how successful the author was on achieving the purpose for her intended audience. What I did to fix this is by explaining more about why I believed the organization of theRead MoreThe Satanic Verses By Salman Rushdie973 Words   |  4 Pageshis writings, from The Satanic Verses to recent essays like, Out of Kansas. I will also discuss the fatwa’ calling for his assassination and resulting in him being put under police protection by the British government. To begin, Rushdie was born into a Muslim family. Although Rushdie was a student of Islam, he claimed to be a lapsed Muslim. Ultimately, he expressed that he did not believe in supernatural entities, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu. Rushdie’s outspoken work, The SatanicRead MoreThe Fashion Choices People Make Should Not Define Who They Are1288 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause it involves my major in fashion and also an issue for which I can relate. The study of fashion and sociology can relate in some ways, therefore, this would be an interesting argumentative research topic. The first key point that I can use in my essay would be that children, especially teenagers, are judge by their peers based on their fashion choices. This claim supports my argument by showing that teenagers that are judged harshly, often feel forced to dress a certain way to be accepted. The secondRead MoreThe Golden Legend By Nadeem Aslam1357 Words   |  6 PagesChristian and Islamic prejudices and intolerance towards the other religion. In Pakistan, 97% of the population are Muslim with the remaining 3% being comprised of other religions including Christianity and Judaism; contrastingly in the United States, 1% of the population is Muslim and 76% of the population follow some form of Christianity. My first source, a collection of essays, included many opinions around preconceived notions of Islamic tolerance. From this I have paid most attention to theRead MoreIs the Ban on Muslim Headscarves in French Schools Justified?1271 Words   |  6 PagesI will advance the thesis that the banning on Muslim headscarves in French schools is not justified. By saying that the French ban on Muslim headscarves in public schools is not justified, I mean that, even though this ban was implemented as a means to neutralize public space, in hope of developing autonomy, as well as to protect females’ rights in traditional Muslim communities, the ban actually infringes on a more pressing rights of a person, and thus means that it is not justified as it does moreRead MoreShould Students Learn about World Religions in Public Schools?1247 Words   |  5 Pagesidentify a clear perspective (from which you are speaking) with an appropriate tone and an audience 3) write in third-person point of view (singular/plural) 4) write in present tense Logos = consistency; ethos- credibility; pathos- persuasion Should students learn about world religions in public schools? Introduction Begin creatively! (Start with a question, scenario, quote, statistic/fact, exclamatory statement.) Since 2003, the Modesto City school district in Modesto, Calif., has embarked on aRead MoreRacism And Racism1002 Words   |  5 Pagesto the United States; it was a shocked to see the level of discrimination against other races, being Muslim and a foreigner does not help either especially after 9/11. As many other victims I have also been target of racism because of my ethnicity. When I first joined high school here and my teacher introduced to me to the class and as I sat down there. I remember saying hi to the other students in my group and getting a very uninterested reply of â€Å"hello† before they each returned to their previousRead MoreEssay on Americans Get an F in Religion1311 Words   |  6 PagesMarch 27, 2013 Americans get an ‘F’ in religion Essay Assignment The focal purpose of the article ‘Americans get an ‘F’ in religion’ by Cathy Lynn Grossman is to explain how ignorant Americans are when it comes to other religions around the world and their own. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containingRead MoreEssay on Nation of Islam Movement1362 Words   |  6 Pageshis essay, Down At The Cross, Baldwin conveys that the movement reached more blacks during the sixties because time was ripe for it. During the 1960’s, black and white Americans began actively questioning and challenging the status quo. Baldwin believes the Christian world had become â€Å"morally bankrupt and politically unstable† (316), and that this opened the door to radical ideas which would have been considered madness in an earlier timefr ame (316). Although he does not agree with Muslim doctrineRead MoreBrianna Sparks. Mr. Zingale, Mr. Lehman. Us History, Language1685 Words   |  7 Pagesthings happen. We are treated like we’re terrorists, as if we want to cause trouble when above all we just want to make the United States a better place—contributing whether it’s through research, studying, or entrepreneurship,† Raya Bidshahri, a student at Boston University tells how President Trump’s Executive Order 13796 affects herself and her family (Lewin). Our Founding Fathers established the Constitution, in addition with the amendments, to form and build the roles of our government along

Essay about Child Abuse Globally - 1943 Words

Introduction Background of the Study Child abuse is a global problem that has received tremendous attention in Western Countries. The term â€Å"Child Abuse† refers to intentional acts that result in physical or emotional harm to children. Child abuse covers a wide range of behavior from physical assault by parents or other adult caretakers to neglect of child basic need. Traditionally, parent or adult have been entrusted by the society with the responsibility of caring for and guiding their childrens’ best interest. Observations have shown that parents or guardians differ in their ability to care for and protect their children. Thus the extent of child abuse is difficult to measure, culture around the world have different†¦show more content†¦The public often assume that people who abuse their children suffer from some form of mental disorder. But contrary to the belief, many people have abusive parent or adults are quite ordinary people. There is no single explanation for child abuse or maltreatment, child abuse result from complex combination of personnel’s, several and culture factors. The topic for this study focuses its attention on the major forms of child abuse and its effect on the academic performance of the children. There are several different types of child abuse, and some children experience more than one form of child abuse. Physical abuse includes deliberate act of violence that injure or even kill a child. Unexplained bruises, broken bones, or burn marks on a child may be signs of physical abuse. Sexual abuse occurs when adults use children for sexual gratification or expose them to sexual activities. Sexual abuse may begin with kissing or fondling and progress to more intrusive sexual acts such as oral sex and vaginal or oral penetration. Emotional abuse destroys child self-esteem; such abuse commonly includes repeated verbal abuse of child in the form of shouting, the threats and degrading or humiliating criticism. Other forms of emotional abuse are confinement, such as shutting ofShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Child Sexual Abuse1194 Words   |  5 PagesAround the world there are sexual abuse victims suffering everyday from fear, pain, and emotions. â€Å"20.7% of adults report being sexually abused as a child† (Child Help, 2011). Often between the lines sexual abuse can be classified as a wide range of actions between a child and adult. Among many individuals that have been sexual abused on a legal criteria later report the emotions of feeling scared or hopeless in later relationships. Studies show that these sexual abuse survivors have negative emotionalRead MoreChild Abuse- Social Problems Essays870 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Problems Child Abuse Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of children. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or also known as CDC defines child abuse as any act or series of acts by a parent or other caregiver that could result in harm to a child. Most child abuse occurs in a childs home, but it could also be found within organizations, schools, or communities that the child interacts with. There are four majorRead MoreEffects Of Child Exposure On Domestic Violence Essay839 Words   |  4 PagesDenhyia Brigmon Kathy Johnson AP Language November 30, 2016 Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Children look at their parents as their own personal hero’s, but what type of a role model is a father who hits a mother? Who is truly to blame when a child feels responsible for what’s happening in the home? Being exposed to domestic violence seriously threatens the health and emotional wellbeing of children. Researchers found date that when domestic violence occurs in households with childrenRead MoreDeveloping A Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program 1417 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of this study is to develop a child sexual abuse treatment program is to create awareness among overall community members towards child rights protection and child safety. It plans to implement this program in the schools of the county of Florida; Okeechobee. Introduction Child abuse is the biggest curse for any society. It has become a major issue for discussion due to its seriousness and brutality. Through research it has been found that one out of ten children has the probabilityRead MoreChild Maltreatment Has A Serious Public Health Problem Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesChild maltreatment has been a serious public health problem not just in the United States but globally. Maltreatment is defined as neglect which means failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, educational, or psychological needs. Physical abuse such as causing physical harm, sexual abuse, abuse that includes fondling a child’s genitals or breasts, and psychological abuse, such as verbal put-downs and other behavior that terrorizes, threatens, rejects or isolates the child. â€Å"According to theRead MoreLooking at Types of Child Abuse1768 Words   |  7 Pages† This quote is from Dave Pelzer’s novel, A Child Called â€Å"It†. This quote is referring to, the idea that a child should feel like he/ she could do anything in their childhood, without worrying about any pr oblems going on in the world or in his/her parents lives. Child abuse has been happening worldwide for many years and still is. For this reason, the desire to prevent this issue can be realized through the aid of organizations such as CAPA (Child Abuse Prevention Association) as well as through theRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children990 Words   |  4 Pagesfrequent injuries, have poor nutrition, or avoid specific people for no reason may be showing signs of abuse. Very few people understand what abuse is and how it affects the children that are abused. For the majority of the population, abuse is a new term that many don’t fully understand because it can be defined in different ways depending on how abuse is viewed and considered. Knowing what child abuse is can help the millions of children affected by it each year. Being knowledgeable will also help increaseRead MoreCauses Of Domestic Violence1285 Words   |  6 Pagesproblem, which occurs in many countries. In recent years, domestic violence has been recognized as a serious problem globally. The only common thing between these problems are that the vast majority of the victims are women. Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another through emotional, physical, and mental attacks. Domestic violence and child maltreatment are considered not only a worldwide public health problem but also a major violation of children’sRead MoreViolence Has Long Been A Way Of Life871 Words   |  4 Pagesviolence by a current or former spouse or partner. Typically thought of as violence from man to women. Not true. IPV also covers the abuse of a man by women and gay or lesbian relationships. Globally nearly one in three women who have ever been in a relationship have experienced IPV (Gilles, 2015). According to Gilberto Caberra, MD (2015), the frequency and severity of abuse tend to increase overtime. IPV involves patterns of intimidating behavior use d to establish and maintain control over an intimateRead MoreThe Development Of Childhood Abuse Victims1357 Words   |  6 PagesDEVELOPMENT OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE VICTIMS 2 The Behavioral Development of Childhood Abuse Victims and How Their Children Are Affected In 2015, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report containing the following statistics: In 2013, approximately 3.9 million children in the United States were reported to have been abused or mistreated. 52 states reported a total of 678,932 child victims of abuse and neglect. Victims between

Financial Accounting Education Australia - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Financial Accounting Education Australia? Answer: Introducation The costs, incurred during acquisition of assets, can be classified into two categories capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. In general, the capital expenditures are included in the book value of the acquired assets, whereas, the revenue expenditures are treated as annual expenses and considered for determining the annual profit or loss. This classification is conducted in accordance to the nature and objective of the specific cost. If any cost is incurred for acquiring the asset or marketing the asset ready for operation, then such cost is included in the book value of the asset. On the other hand, costs, incurred for other purposes during the acquisition, are considered as revenue expenditures and not included in the book value of the assets (Deegan 2016). In this case, the costs, which are included in the book value of assets, are listed below with justifications: Legal Fees: Legal fees are often borne for acquiring any capital assets, especially, property. Without incurring such expenses, it is not possible to transfer the ownership of any assets. Hence, legal fees for the land purchase is included in the book value bof the land. Installation Cost: The machine, acquired, cannot be utilized for operation purpose until it is installed properly. Therefore. The installation cost of machinery is considered as a part of the book value of machinery. Renovation Cost: The building can be used fully only after renovating it properly. Hence, the renovation cost is included in the book value. Shipping Cost: Shipping cost is borne for moving the machine to the production area and is incorporated in the book value, therefore (Schroeder et al.2016). Though the training cost is incurred for using the machine properly, the training is given to the employees, who may not work in the same organization for the full estimated life of the machine. Even, some of the trained employee might be assigned to work in other fields of operation later. Hence, as it is not sure that the training cost can be consumed fully for operating the machine, it is not considered as a capital expenditure. Depreciation Schedule of Machinery: As per AASB, the companies can change the depreciation method, if required. Change in depreciation method can be done for various purposes. Due to the following reasons, the company has decided to change the depreciation: Under declining method, the depreciation expense uses to decreases every year and help to increase the net profit. Therefore, the companies have to pay higher tax in comparison to the previous periods. Change of depreciation method can help the company to increase the depreciation management in the later part of the estimated life of the assets. Thus, it can reduce the income tax expenses also (Williams 2014). Sometime, the productive life, estimated while acquiring the asset, may not match with the actual life of the asset. The asset can become obsolete before the estimated life or it may provide good service even after the end of the estimated life. Hence, change in depreciation method can be effective to adjust the change in the useful life of the asset (Henderson et al. 2015). Reference Deegan, C., 2016. Financial accounting. McGraw-Hill Education Australia Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K. and Howieson, B., 2015.Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU Schroeder, R.G., Clark, M.W. and Cathey, J.M., 2016.Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis: Text and Cases: taxation-law. Wiley Global Education Williams, J., 2014.Financial accounting. McGraw-Hill Higher Educati

Molly Brown Essays - Mike Molly, American Women In World War I

Molly Brown The woman who would come to be known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" was born on Denkler Alley and Butler Street in Hannibal, Missouri on July 18, 1867. She was born during a very bad thunderstorm and her mother predicted right then that Molly would not be "just another pretty face." Margaret (Molly's birth name) grew up in a small town with a surprisingly small population of less than 20,000 people. (Heroine of the Titanic, 1) Margaret attended school for thirteen years. It was during these years that she earned her nicknames Maggie and Molly. She had a very open and close family. There were eight people in her small childhood home. These eight consisted of her two parents, her five brothers and sisters, and Molly herself. At the age of ten Molly's father taught her how to row a boat. He insisted that this skill would be useful for her later in life. If he only knew what laid in store for his daughter! A little known fact about Molly's family is that they were poor. She tried to keep this fact about her family a secret because she found it shameful and embarrassing. As a young girl Molly worked at the Park Hotel. She was soon dismissed for being too opinionated for a young lady. She then went to work in a tobacco plant, but found the conditions disgusting and vulgar. (The Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1) At the age of nineteen, Molly was getting bored in her small "same ol, same ol" town. When she heard that one of her favorite cousins and his wife were taking a train cross-country to Colorado she literally jumped at the idea of going with them. She had heard all of the stories of adventure and excitement in the West and wanted very badly to try her hand at it herself. Molly's parents decided to let her go because their small town had nothing to offer their daughter. Molly's main goal in life had always been to achieve success and be well known. They hoped their oldest child could make her dreams come true in the great land of Colorado. Once Molly got to Colorado, she was anxious to begin her own adventure and see what was in store for her. She got a job sewing carpets while she got her new life started. Her co-workers described her as a "capable and pleasant" employee. They all adored her because she had a bright, charming personality, and beauty to go with it. Molly's move to Colorado was also a bit terrifying because she could have found herself working in a crib house, as a prostitute, or a cook in a boarding house instead of fulfilling her dreams. It was here in Colorado that she met her future husband while the both were mining for silver. Molly met James Joseph Brown in a local mine. He fell madly in love with her charm and wit. Stories say that when he came to her house for their first dates he pulled up to her gate with an old , worn carriage and an aging horse. Molly said to James, "Certainly you are not taking me anywhere in that!" The next time James called on her, he had purchased a brand new horse and carriage just to show Molly off in. Maggie and J.J. married on September 1,1896. Not long after their marriage James struck it rich in the silver mines of Leadville. The couple bought a sixteen-room mansion that is now a museum. ( Molly Brown, 1) Legend says that not long after they moved into their large home, J.J. brought home his $300,000 paycheck . Molly placed it in the stove for safe keeping. When James came in later that evening and lit the stove to warm himself up, he did not realize that Molly had hidden the money there and in a split second their monthly fortune was gone. As good as things were going for J.J. and Molly financially, their marriage was heading for trouble. J.J. was sick of all the commotion Molly was causing around the town. Although documents do not reveal what commotion Molly got into , we can only begin to imagine what kind of things she stirred up! J.J. soon left Molly and she sent their children to boarding school. With no one for Molly to care for she decided to set off on her own

The Life of Pi Essays

The Life of Pi Essays The Life of Pi Paper The Life of Pi Paper Essay Topic: Life Of Pi The book Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a story about a young Indian boy named Piscine Molitor Patel and his Journey stranded in a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with only a tiger, Richard Parker. The Japanese cargo ship carrying his fathers zoo animals, his family, and workers, was traveling from India to Canada, where the Patels hoped to start a new life. Unfortunately, the ship sank from an unknown cause and Pi along with a tiger, orangutan, zebra, and hyena were the only survivors of the wreck. Eventually, Pi and Richard Parker were the last ones remaining. A part in the book hat really stuck out to me was in the beginning of the book where Piscene, known to all as P' (Martel, 22), was in Pondicherry, India with a strong desire to learn about different religions. Although the rest of his family believed they didnt need religion, Pi went his own way and let his curiosity get the best of him. His first religion was Hindu. Later, along with Hinduism, he practiced Christianity. Finally, he added Islam to his list of practicing faiths. I admire his steady devotion for learning about the different religions. Pi would show up as often as he could with a new question urning within him. I want to become more like P, having a strong desire and fascination to learn something new. In my opinion, it is one of the most fascinating quests in life. Practicing three different religions caused a lot of trouble between his family and his different religious leaders, who together all found out he was devout in all three sects. After much arguing between the pastor, imam, and pandit of which church he should Join, saying he must only choose one, Pis mother turned to him and asked what his thoughts were. Pi responded by saying, Bapu Ghandi said, All religions are true. I Just want to love God (Martel, 69). Whether your desire is to love God or something else, it is important to Just have that desire. Without it, what is the purpose of existing? From this, I was reminded that it is important to learn as much as you can and that it is okay to still be confused about life, for that will only help you to understand it more so long as you have a deep desire to understand, Just like Pl. I loved the way Martel opened my eyes showing me a new and positive perspective on such an abstract subject: the beauty of the relationship between life and death. I have never thought of this relationship as one being beautiful, nor have I ever sympathized with death before happening upon this quote. The reason death sticks so closely to life isnt biological necessity†its envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a Jealous, possessive love that grabs at whatever it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud (Martel, 6). The way he personifies life and death is truly a delightful image to apprehend. I wish I could sit down with he author and discuss this further over some tea. For the topic of life and death being one of the most fascinating and complex ideas known to mankind, he seems to have a lovely view on it. Martel describing life as being beautiful in a personified way enticed me to think about it in a way I havent before. I realized that yes life is indeed very beautiful; its stunning. Life is a sacred gift given to each of us and though we have the agency to spend it as we choose, I prefer to spend it wisely and with gratitude, not wasting a moment dwelling on anything that would not benefit or make ay Journey, Pi was interviewed in the hospital by two men from the Japanese Ministry of Transport who were hoping to find the cause of the sinking cargo ship. Pi told them the story of his Journey. In his story, he noticed the cargo ship was starting to sink in the midst of a terrible storm. He frantically alerted the crewmembers, which only spoke Chinese. They put a life Jacket on him and tossed him into the lifeboat, where a tiger was hiding under the tarpaulin. Soon after, a zebra Jumped in breaking its leg on the landing followed by a hyena. After the ship had sunk, an rangutan appeared floating on a large bundle of bananas. Because the zebra was helpless, the hyena decided to start eating it. This upset the orangutan, but it couldnt put up with a fght against the vicious, starving hyena. Once the hyena was finished eating what it could of the zebra and orangutan, the Bengal tiger also known as Richard Parker, attacked the hyena, which hopelessly surrendered. The Japanese men didnt believe him. They found it impossible that there could have been a tiger on the lifeboat and that an orangutan floated its way to the lifeboat on a bundle of ananas, saying that bananas dont even float. To test the validity of the story, Pi insisted that they fill the nearby sink with water and a bundle of bananas. To their surprise, the bananas floated. Still, they had plenty of doubts. The Japanese men wanted to bring back a story that was more believable. So, Pi told a different story. Instead of a hyena, it was the cook; his mother took place of the orangutan, and the sailor represented the zebra. He paralleled his original story to the second one, in disturbing, graphic detail. Instead of the hyena killing and eating the zebra and rangutan, it was the cook who killed and ate the sailor and his mother; instead of Richard Parker killing the hyena, it was Pi who killed the cook. The two men decided that they liked the first story more. Pi represented himself as Richard Parker. I am still struggling to figure out what the stories mean, especially the one about the Meerkat Island, where Pi and Richard Parker drifted to an island covered in algae and populated with thousands of meerkats. One night, after a few weeks of making themselves feel at home, Pi noticed something strange as he was getting his bed situated in a tree. As it got dark, all of the meerkats ran towards the forest and up the trees. He started to wonder why they were all frantically running away until he saw many dead fish floating to the top of one of the fresh water ponds. Meanwhile, Richard Parker slept in the lifeboat. It turned out that at night, the ground scorched their feet. In the morning, Pi noticed some fruit wrapped in vines and leaves hanging in only one specific tree and Just a small part of it. He climbed up the tree to pick one of the fruit, but as he unraveled the leaves, he found something else: a human tooth. Puzzled, he checked the rest of them. There were a total of thirty-two rotting human teeth. This caused him to suspect that the island was carnivorous and that an unlucky soul must have found the island but made the mistake of staying too long. Pi took this as his sign to leave the island and continue on his way in the Pacific. Though I dont know the meaning of some of these stories, I do have an idea that the Bengal tiger represents Pis animal instinct. With this in mind, I find it interesting that the only time Pi and Richard Parker were separated was when they were on the island. They were rarely seen together and Richard Parker even slept in the boat off the shore of the island while Pi slept high in a tree. But once he left the island, he and have survived. For example, on the Journey he had to apply it by killing and eating fish, which as a vegetarian he had never thought he would do. Life of Pi challenged me to think in ways I normally wouldnt. It took me out of my happy, blessed world, and instead put me in one life-threatening situation after another. Every time an event would happen in the book, I had to stop for a moment and ponder how I would have reacted or what I would have done in Pis position. Its easy for me to say that I would never hurt a living soul such as a fish even if I were under the influence of starvation, but maybe I would be so desperate that I wouldnt have to think twice. I certainly know I wouldnt be able to last as long as P. I think part of what helped him survive was his task of keeping Richard Parker alive. It gave him a sense of purpose and a reason to continue living. Perhaps it is important that I find my Richard Parker so that I may have a purpose to living a satisfying life. Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.

A Beginners Guide to the Enlightenment

A Beginners Guide to the Enlightenment The Enlightenment has been defined in many different ways, but at its broadest was a philosophical, intellectual and cultural movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It stressed reason, logic, criticism, and freedom of thought over dogma, blind faith, and superstition. Logic wasn’t a new invention, having been used by the ancient Greeks, but it was now included in a worldview which argued that empirical observation and the examination of human life could reveal the truth behind human society and self, as well as the universe. All were deemed to be rational and understandable. The Enlightenment held that there could be a science of man  and that the history of mankind was one of progress, which could be continued with the right thinking. Consequently, the Enlightenment also argued that human life and character could be improved through the use of education and reason. The mechanistic universe – that is to say, the universe when considered to be a functioning machine – could also be altered. The Enlightenment thus brought interested thinkers into direct conflict with the political and religious establishment; these thinkers have even been described as intellectual â€Å"terrorists† against the norm. They challenged religion with the scientific method, often instead favoring deism. The Enlightenment thinkers wanted to do more than understand, they wanted to change for, as they believed, the better: they thought reason and science would improve lives. When Was the Enlightenment? There is no definitive starting or ending point for the Enlightenment, which leads many works to simply say it was a seventeenth and eighteenth-century phenomena. Certainly, the key era was the second half of the seventeenth century and almost all of the eighteenth. When historians have given dates, the English Civil wars and revolutions are sometimes given as the start, as they influenced Thomas Hobbes and one of the Enlightenment’s (and indeed Europe’s) key political works, Leviathan. Hobbes felt that the old political system had contributed to the bloody civil wars and searched for a new one, based on the rationality of scientific inquiry. The end is usually given as either the death of Voltaire, one of the key Enlightenment figures, or the start of the French Revolution. This is often claimed to have marked the downfall of the Enlightenment, as attempts to rework Europe into a more logical and egalitarian system collapsed into bloodshed which killed leading writers. Its possible to say that we are still in the Enlightenment, as we still have many of the benefits of their development, but Ive also seen it said were in a post-Enlightenment age. These dates do not, in themselves, constitute a value judgment. Variations and Self-Consciousness One problem in defining the Enlightenment is that there was a great deal of divergence in the leading thinkers views, and it is important to recognize that they argued and debated with each other over the correct ways to think and proceed. Enlightenment views also varied geographically, with thinkers in different countries going in slightly different ways. For instance, the search for a â€Å"science of man† led some thinkers to search for the physiology of a body without a soul, while others searched for answers to how humanity thought. Still, others tried to map humanity’s development from a primitive state, and others still looked at the economics and politics behind social interaction. This might have led to some historians wishing to drop the label Enlightenment were it not for the fact that the Enlightenment thinkers actually called their era one of Enlightenment. The thinkers believed that they were intellectually better off than many of their peers, who were still in a superstitious darkness, and they wished to literally ‘lighten’ them and their views. Kant’s key essay of the era, â€Å"Was ist Aufklrung† literally means â€Å"What is Enlightenment?†, and was one of a number of responses to a journal which had been trying to pin down a definition. Variations in thought are still seen as part of the general movement. Who Was Enlightened? The spearhead of the Enlightenment was a body of well-connected writers and thinkers from across Europe and North America who became known as the philosophes, which is the French for philosophers. These leading thinkers formulated, spread and debated the Enlightenment in works including, arguably the dominant text of the period, the Encyclopà ©die. Where historians once believed that the philosophes were the sole carriers of Enlightenment thought, they now generally accept that they were merely the vocal tip of a much more widespread intellectual awakening among the middle and upper classes, turning them into a new social force. These were professionals such as lawyers and administrators, office holders, higher clergy and landed aristocracy, and it was these who read the many volumes of Enlightenment writing, including the Encyclopà ©die and soaked up their thinking. Origins of the Enlightenment The scientific revolution of the seventeenth century shattered old systems of thinking  and allowed new ones to emerge. The teachings of the church and Bible, as well as the works of classical antiquity so beloved of the Renaissance, were suddenly found lacking when dealing with scientific developments. It became both necessary and possible for philosophes (Enlightenment thinkers) to begin applying the new scientific methods - where empirical observation was first applied to the physical universe - to the study of humanity itself to create a â€Å"science of man†. There was not a total break, as the Enlightenment thinkers still owed a lot to Renaissance humanists, but they believed they were undergoing a radical change from past thought. Historian Roy Porter has argued that what in effect happened during the Enlightenment was that the overarching Christian myths were replaced by new scientific ones. There is a lot to be said for this conclusion, and an examination of how science is being used by commentators does seem to greatly support it, although thats a highly controversial conclusion. Politics and Religion In general, Enlightenment thinkers argued for freedom of thought, religion, and politics. The philosophes were largely critical of Europe’s absolutist rulers, especially of the French government, but there was little consistency: Voltaire, critic of the French crown, spent some time at the court of Frederick II of Prussia, while Diderot traveled to Russia to work with Catherine the Great; both left disillusioned. Rousseau has attracted criticism, especially since World War 2, for appearing to call for authoritarian rule. On the other hand, liberty was widely espoused by Enlightenment thinkers, who were also largely against nationalism and more in favor of international and cosmopolitan thinking. The philosophes were deeply critical, indeed even openly hostile, to the organized religions of Europe, especially the Catholic Church whose priests, pope, and practices came in for severe criticism. The philosophes were not, with perhaps some exceptions like Voltaire at the end of his life, atheists, for many still believed in a god behind the mechanisms of the universe, but they railed against the perceived excesses and constraints of a church they attacked for using magic and superstition. Few Enlightenment thinkers attacked personal piety and many believed religion performed useful services. Indeed some, like Rousseau, were deeply religious, and others, like Locke, worked out a new form of rational Christianity; others became deists. It was not religion which irked them, but the forms and corruption of those religions. Effects of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment affected many areas of human existence, including politics; perhaps the most famous examples of the latter are the US Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Parts of the French Revolution are often attributed to the Enlightenment, either as recognition or as a way to attack the philosophes by pointing to violence such as the Terror as something they unwittingly unleashed. There is also debate about whether the Enlightenment actually transformed popular society to match it, or whether it was itself transformed by society. The Enlightenment era saw a general turn away from the dominance of the church and the supernatural, with a reduction in belief in the occult, literal interpretations of the Bible and the emergence of a largely secular public culture, and a secular â€Å"intelligentsia† able to challenge the previously dominant clergy. The Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries era was followed by that of a reaction, Romanticism, a turn back to the emotional instead of the rational, and a counter-Enlightenment. For a while, in the nineteenth century, it was common for the Enlightenment to be attacked as the liberal work of utopian fantasists, with critics pointing out there were plenty of good things about humanity not based on reason. Enlightenment thought was also attacked for not criticizing the emerging capitalist systems. There is now a growing trend to arguing that the results of the Enlightenment are still with us, in science, politics and increasingly in western views of religion, and that we are still in an Enlightenment, or heavily influenced post-Enlightenment, age. More on the effects of the Enlightenment. There has been a lean away from calling anything progress when it comes to history, but youll find the Enlightenment easily attracts people willing to call it a great step forward.

12 Steps meetings for Narcotic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

12 Steps meetings for Narcotic - Assignment Example Narcotics Anonymous is a society or association of recovering addicts who possess the desire to stay clean. At the meeting, DSM IV diagnoses for Axis I included persons recovering from an exacerbation of schizophrenia, a major depressive episode or a flare-up of panic disorder. The meeting was held in a tent behind a church. The attendees included three women and eight men, all of whom were recovering addicts. Individually, I felt a little anxious given this was my first meeting and I was not sure of was to expect, except for the information I had gathered from my friends about the program. At the venue, there were people seated: some in groups talking while some seated quietly alone. I decided to take a seat close to the door just in case I wanted to quickly leave the room. The attendees sat in a circle of chairs and one woman, who I later learn was the chairperson of the meeting for the day, sat at the center of the circle. The chairperson asked everyone to join in reciting the ser enity prayer, and then inquired whether there were any first timers or newcomers, in attendance who were willing to introduce themselves. Handfuls raised their hands, and were each offered an opportunity to say their names. 12-step meetings are founded on the principle confidentiality; the group has the word â€Å"anonymous† in the title. ... During the meeting, the chairperson repeated a common 12 step saying to remind everyone of the significance of anonymity and confidentiality. The chairperson declared the step that was to be discussed, after which she read the step chapter from the book, "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,†. She then asked whether anybody had any experience, hope and strength with regard to the step, which they felt like sharing. This particular section was to me the most interesting part of the meeting. It was amazing to see people share their experiences with narcotics and relating it to the step as some appeared to follow my own personal experiences. As the meeting continued, attendees started talking, each beginning by introducing themselves as "Hello, I am (first name) and I'm an addict". At the end of their talks, everybody in the room would thank them then the next person would begin speaking. After everyone had shared, the chairperson asked whether there was any announcements and then announced that it was time to say the serenity prayer. The defense mechanisms used by some of the member at the meeting included denial and reluctance to admit addiction Everyone in the meeting put their arms around one another and recited the Serenity Prayer. This marked the end of the meeting. Sharing at the meeting benefits the individuals as it gives them a chance to release tension and unburden themselves. Other participants are able to give a different viewpoint on what has been shared, making them feel more of important contributors to the meeting. The law provides for involuntary commitment for substance abusers if (1) he is dangerous to himself, herself, or others when under the influence or (2) seriously disabled. The form used to appeal that a substance