Asian Religion and Technology free essay sample

An overview of the uses and effects of materialism, Westernization, Christianity and modernization on religious life in Asia (India and Thailand). Asian Religion and Technology Asia has not escaped the impact of modernization. Changes began in the religious-cultural systems in Asia with contact and colonization. Traditional Asian religions recognize kingship as a divine right and responsibility from which political organization follows. The legitimacy, of a government, derives from divinity, not from the population (Engel, 1994, p. 429). Westernization, modernization, and technology have made their impact felt on the religions and culture of the people of Asia. The beginnings, of the impact of western methods and technology, were perceived with the recognition of the nation-state. Modern technology continues to change how Asian religions are practiced and to an extent their belief systems. The importation of western governmental and social belief systems has also had a

Essay Chinese Language and Class

Essay Chinese Language and Class Essay Chinese Language and Class Chin 101 Fundamentals of Chinese Fall 2013 Class Time: Sec. 3 TuTh 10:00 am – 11:50 am Class Room: PH2 - 101; Call Number: 5253 Instructor: Xiaowen Wu Office: LA5-269 Office Phone: 562-985-4515 Instructor’s email: xiaowen.wu@csulb.edu Office hours: TuTh 12:15 pm –1:45 pm or by appointment Course Description: Chin 101 is the first semester of a full-year course of elementary Chinese designed for non-native speakers. Students with prior knowledge of Chinese are not eligible for taking this course. It provides basic training in pronunciation, grammatical structures, commonly used expressions, character recognition and writing. It aims at developing students’ elementary level of communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, and knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as well. Course Objectives: By the end of the Chin 101, Chin 102 sequence, the students are expected to acquire: 1. The knowledge of the Chinese phonological system and grammar, 2. The ability to converse, read and write on simple topics related to students’ daily life, 3. The ability to command 250-300 words and approximately 150 characters, 4. The ability to type Chinese texts using a Chinese word-processor, 5. And to reach the language proficiency level of Novice Midbased on the ACTFL’s (the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages) guidelines. Course Outline: (1) The class time will be used for lectures and activities. (2) â€Å"Survival Chinese† will be taught in the first several weeks of the class. (3) Afterwards, students will learn useful expressions and grammatical structures. Approximately 14 lessons will be covered in the first semester. (4) The teaching schedule and content may be changed based on students’ progress. (5) Students are expected to preview each lesson (including grammar points and vocabulary) before class, complete the assigned homework and study the covered contents after class. (6) Characters will not be practiced in class. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Workbook, the computer aided multi-media learning software CyberChinese and Learning Chinese Online web page (see below). Requirements: Students are expected to (1) attend the class (all officially unexplained absences will be treated as â€Å"unexcused†); (2) review the grammar and memorize the vocabulary of each lesson before class; (3) finish the assigned preparation, language lab work, and homework on time; (4) take tests, mid-term and final and (5) participate in the class activities. Textbooks: (1) Practical Chinese Reader: Book 1 (Traditional character edition). Beijing Language Institute. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company, 1990. (2) Practical Chinese Reader I & II: Writing Workbook (Traditional character edition) edited by Teng, Shou-hsin. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company, 1990. (3) Chin 101 Study Guide and Homework (including character practice sheets and homework sheets), available online (csulb.edu/~txie/101/) or through the course Beachboard. Students should print the handouts and bring them to class. Recommended Learning Tools: Dictionary Concise English-Chinese/Chinese-English Dictionary. The Commercial Press & Oxford University Press, 1986. Software Pinyin Master, by Professor Sanpao Li and Jeff Winters, available in LAB 306 (Language Art Building) Cyber Chinese, by Professor Sanpao Li and Jeff Winters, available in LAB 306 Penless Chinese software, installed in LAB 306. It can also be downloaded from penlesschinese.org/download.html Web site Chinese 101 class page (http:/www.csulb.edu/~txie/101) Learning Chinese online

Class Difference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Class Difference - Essay Example Social classes in most parts of the world are categorized on the basis of material wealth and political power and influence. People in different social classes are characterized by various defining factors that serve as the key identifying characteristics of that class. The higher a social class occupied by an individual in society, the better their living conditions and life compared to other lower social classes in society. Through the ages, different individuals have used literature to portray the differences that exist in social classes across various cultural and traditional contexts. The use of literature to highlight and discuss class differences in various contexts of society is seen as an elaborate way of creating awareness about these aspects. Literature is a tool that surpasses and permeates across gender, cultural and traditional barriers that are set up by society and it can be used to convey vital messages. Through the various readings in class, there have been illustra tions from books that touch on class differences and their characteristics, influences and impacts on society. This paper seeks to discuss class differences as portrayed and depicted by various authors, the context in which these class differences are used in the books. Garcia Marquez’s short story titled A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings tells of a family’s encounter with a strange-looking man with wings on his back. This man was discovered washed up on the shores of the ocean by Pelayo and Elisenda’s children. This family took the man in and gave him shelter in a chicken coop where he recuperates from his injuries and illness. There are various notions of social class in this short story as portrayed by the positions and opinions taken by different characters in the story. According to the tone and tune of the story, it is apparent that the community is largely composed of peasant fishermen and women. This can be attributed to the observed industrious nature and ability to turn misfortunes into fruitful and productive ventures that serve to alleviate their position and class in society. The characters’ industrious nature that is seen in their efforts to make money is a translation of people’s awareness in the importance of wealth and money in order to change their class status. The Pelayo family saw a money making opportunity with the old man with enormous wings, and they started charging 5 cents to anyone who wanted to see the old man. This saw them amass a large amount of money enough for them to build a mansion with nets, gardens and balconies. The same is seen when a woman who is said to have disobeyed her parents turns into a tarantula spider and goes by the name spider woman. In the case of the spider woman, people who want to hear her story have to toss meatballs at the Spiderwoman (Williams 53). Meatballs were her only forms of nourishment thus she opted to take advantage of people’s curiosity to earn a mean s of survival. Social classes are portrayed to be constructed notions that can be attained as illustrated by the industrious efforts of characters in the abovementioned short story. People recognize the elemental importance of money or wealth in creating favorable conditions for an ideal class. Father Gonzaga can be construed to have held a higher social class that most of the citizens in the mentioned community in the short story. This gives insight into the intricacies involved in the construction of social classes because in this case, father Gonzaga’

Write 2 suggestions for each of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness that Assignment

Write 2 suggestions for each of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness that would be beneficial for easing into the aging process - Assignment Example Emotional- this includes self esteem, self confidence and satisfying relationships that leads to a person having emotional wellness. Maintaining emotional health requires monitoring your thoughts and feelings (Hettler 23). Emotional wellness is a dynamic state that influences all the dimensions of health. Intellectual- The height of intellectual health includes openness to novel ideas, capacity to think critically and the willingness to master new skills. In order to enjoy intellectual health, one should never stop learning (Hettler 27). One realizes new experiences and challenges as he actively solves them. Environmental – a person’s health is dependent on his surroundings. There are various threats that challenge our environmental health and this includes UV radiation and different forms of pollution. To have an environment that is healthy, one should try to avoid such hazards by eliminating them or avoiding them. Social – social health is very important as it also helps in one’s physical and emotional health. There is need for mutual affectionate and offering support to other people. Good communication skills will help someone to develop interpersonal skills. This will cultivate the aspect of caring for

Initial Public Offerings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Initial Public Offerings - Essay Example So as to fully understand IPO and how it works this article will briefly discuss the Starbucks Co. (SBUX) IPO. The Starbucks Co. is known worldwide for its ability to provide among the best brewed coffee in the market as well as offer outstanding customer service extending this to the community through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The company specializes in the purchase of high-quality whole coffee beans which it roasts and sells together with fresh ones. Starbucks also supplies an array of richly brewed coffee, ready-to drink beverages, cold blended beverages, various types of premium teas, Italian-style espresso beverages, beverage related equipments and accessories and a myriad of complementary food items. As a result, the company has managed to operate in more than 50 countries where it runs about 15,000 retail stores in the US only. From the year 2001 to 2005, Starbucks managed to open approximately 1,200 stores on a yearly basis. During the same period the company man aged to go public by issuing an IPO. This enabled it to increase its revenues from $2.17 billion to approximately $5.39 billion. Its net earnings also drastically increased from $94.9 million to about $494.5 million. Moreover, Starbucks is committed to developing a long-lasting connection with its customers wherever it is located thereby bringing an exceptional experience to all.

Why Did Collective Security Fail In The 1930s History Essay

Why Did Collective Security Fail In The 1930s History Essay The 1930s saw the failure of the League of Nations in terms of Collective Security. Several shortcomings and problems resulted on three major crises that proved the League to be helpless. In the grip of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the major powers of the League (Britain and France) were more inclined to a policy of appeasement. Basically a more liberal alternative to the Balance of Theory, Collective Security was the idea that nations should group together in condemnation of any aggressor and pursue sanctions against them, whether economical, diplomatic, or military. This idea was enshrined in Articles 10, 11, and 16 of the Leagues Covenant. There was, however, a major flaw in the Leagues proposal of Collective Security; none of it was enforceable, nations could choose whether or not comply, therefore making it little more than a code of honour, and since when has honour ever been of any value on politics when it comes to each nations interests? The aforementioned articles do not specify any particular sanctions or punishments for offending nations, merely stating that the Council will advise upon the course of action to be taken. Following the major events of the 1930s, the League failed spectacularly in upholding international peace and the Second World War broke out in 1939. The League did not meet once during the war and in 1946, its duties were given to the newly formed United Nations. Aside from the three major crises that occurred (which will be looked into later in this paper) there were some basic problems that prevented Collective Security from ever being a reality. Firstly, the USA preferred an isolationist policy at the time, and was therefore not a member of the League of Nations, and their support and influence was therefore absent from all negotiations. Even thought the Americans would voice their opinion at times, they took no action. In terms of their military, Britain and France were in a very weak state, and the world knew it Therefore, their diplomacy help very little sway as they could not back up their threats with any action; this, plus a lack of Soviet support, meant they could do little but shake their heads at the antics of rogue states such as Germany, Japan, and Italy. Economically, they were also very weak. The Great Depression had hit both nations hard and their defence spending was down. Furthermore, in British politics, it was the common opinion of politicians that the British public cared little for issues far from home. Who among the public would care for the Manchurians, or Ethiopians, or Czechoslovakians? In the grip of such a terrible depression, it is easy to see why the British politicians would only seek to improve conditions at home. They therefore only declared support for economic sanctions, merely to keep a good image in international politics. It is interesting to note that Winston Churchill, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, was a strong opponent of appeasement. The first major challenge to Collective Security was the Mukden Incident and subsequent Japanese invasion of Manchuria in China. Japan was as hard hit as any other nation by the depression and sought to overcome its economic problems by creating an empire. At the time, the Japanese had control of the Manchurian railway and it was speculated that they had for a long time intended to invade, but simply waited for an excuse to do so. In 1931, the Japanese claimed the railway in Mukden was sabotaged by Chinese nationalists and proceeded to attack the Chinese army in the region (who had recently executed a Japanese spy). The Chinese forces, knowing that the Japanese simply wanted an excuse to invade, offered very little resistance. In no time at all, the Japanese had launched a full scale invasion and their tenacious and well trained troops had no problem in overcoming the Chinese army. Within weeks, key locations in Manchuria were already in Japanese hands and by February 1932 the whole of Manchuria was captured. The Japanese controlled state of Manchukuo was set up the same year with the former Chinese emperor running it. In response to this, China appealed to the League of Nations to do something about the Japanese attack. The League sent a delegation to Manchuria to look into the issue and come to a conclusion about who was to blame. The delegation, however, took until September that year to conclude that the Japanese were to blame and recommend that Manchuria be returned to the Chinese, something the Japanese ignored. In February 1933, a special League Assembly was held to discuss the matter, in which 40 countries agreed that Japan had acted aggressively without justification and that they had to withdraw from Manchuria, which would be returned to China. The Japanese delegate had said at the meeting, due to the fact that China had only recently emerged from a revolution and was still in the midst of a civil war, that China was not a real country. When an agreement could not be reached, Japan informed the League of its intention to withdraw from it. Japan was no longer a member of the League of Nati ons and in 1933 invaded Jehal, the next Chinese province next to Manchuria. Economic sanctions were suggested at the League but never put into effect because Japans main trade partner, the USA, was not a member of the League. Further, the British had trade interests with Japan and did not want to sever trade with them. The League did not even order a halt on arms sales to the Japanese, in fear of a Japanese declaration of war. The next incident to threaten Collective Security was the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. Ironically, as recently as September 1928, Italy had reaffirmed its Treaty of Friendship with Ethiopia. This was, however, all about to change. The Italians did have some fortified military bases in Ethiopia (without Ethiopian consent it should be added) and because these were never disputed they assumed that the international community recognised it as their right. In December 1934, at a base in Welwel, Ethiopia, an Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission encountered an Italian fortified base. Once the commission had finished, it withdrew, but left behind its Ethiopian military escort. The escort ended up fighting the Italians. Both parties complained of the others guilt. In September 1935, the League of Nations exonerated both parties in this incident. However, due to the delay and the subtlety of the British and French political manoeuvrings, Mussolini perceived the weakness and helplessness of the British and French, and concluded that there were no obstacles in his path. Therefore, on October 3rd, 1935, Italian forces invaded Ethiopia from Eritrea and Italian Somaliland without a declaration of war. Four days later, the League unanimously declared Italy an aggressor but did nothing further. In another display of belligerence, an Italian Baron in Geneva taunted the League of Nations, saying that Italy was ready for war with Europe should they oppose Italys plans, and that peace would soon follow. The Ethiopian armies were no match against Italys modern army with its tanks and aircraft and after seven months of war, Ethiopia was defeated and its emperor, Haile Selassie, had fled the country, much to the disgust of the Ethiopian people. During the wa r, the Italians had even used poison gas against the Ethiopians and the Leagues proposed armaments embargo was ignored. In June the following year, Haile Selassie was in Geneva, and gave a speech to the League of Nations. He said that they had to now decide whether they supported Collective Security, or International Lawlessness. This was all of to avail, as Britain and France soon recognised Italys control of Ethiopia and, also in June, the Italians formed a constitution that joined Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland into one administrative unit, split into 6 provinces. In response to a failed assassination attempt on the Italian commander in Ethiopia, Graziani, the Italians executed 30,000 Ethiopians, mostly from the young and educated in society. Italy had extended its empire as the Leagues members merely dithered and debated among themselves. The third and final crisis that more or less finished off the League and brought about the end of Collective Security was the Munich Agreement and Germanys subsequent invasion of Eastern Europe. The nation of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1919 from territory of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. In a typically cack-handed attempt by the Allies at creating a post-WWI nation, the country had around 7.5million Czechs, 3.2million Germans, 2.3million Slovaks, 560,000 Magyars, and 100,000 Poles. This multiethnic society had many issues, particularly among the Germans, who resented being ruled by others. The Germans were mainly concentrated in an area called the Sudetenland. The Sudeten Germans Peoples Party, formed in 1931, had demanded that the region be given to Germany; a demand ignored by the Czech government because it could encourage other ethnicities in Czechoslovakia to demand independence and because the Sudetenland was very rich in natural resources like lignite and coal. Therefore, in 1938, Adolf Hitler instructed his generals to prepare for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Although France had signed a defence pact with Czechoslovakia, Hitler was confident that the French would do nothing to interfere in order to avoid war with Germany. The British policy favoured peace above all else because it was simply not in any position to impose any threats on Germany. The might of Britains armed forces was the Royal Navy, which could not access the landlocked nation of Czechoslovakia and the Royal Air Force was still undergoing a change from biplane to monoplane aircraft and was therefore in no fit state for action, especially against Germanys Luftwaffe, whose might Hitler had been displaying for quite some time. Therefore, Neville Chamberlain (prime minister of Britain) and Edouard Deladier (president of France) met with Hitler in a place called Bertesgaden, near Munich, to discuss Germanys claim to the Sudetenland. Chamberlain was informed by his military staff that in the first 60days of fighting alone, despite the capable Czechoslovakian army, over a million Czechoslovakians would be killed by the German bombing alone, necessitating the need for mass graves. The British and French propose that all territory in Czechoslovakia with more than 50% German population should be handed over to Germany. These talks, however, failed, and, at Mussolinis suggestion, Hitler calls for a meeting to be held in Munich between Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to discuss the matter again. It is noteworthy that Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were not invited to these talked, much to the anger of Joseph Stalin. This time, Chamberlain persuades Deladier that they must appease Germany in order to mainta in peace, which he agrees on. Without Czechoslovakian consent, the British and French bowed to Hitlers demands and signed the Munich agreement, giving Germany the Sudetenland and making it clear to the Czechoslovakians that, if they objected, they had to face Germanys army alone. This was done on the condition that Germany would make no further territorial claims. Chamberlain returns to Britain and is hailed as the man who saved Europe from war. The Czechoslovakian frontier guards were ordered to leave their posts; Germany took control of the Sudetenland, and soon violated the agreement by stationing military units in the region. These three incidents in the 1930s completely undermined the whole concept of Collective Security. Collective Security sought to condemn and punish aggressors, to protect the sovereignty of its members, and maintain peace in general. The League of Nations failed in this respect, the biggest proof of this is the Second World War that followed these events. The British and French merely tried to appease the aggressive states, a policy which only delayed war. Furthermore, the USA maintained its isolationist policy until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, when they finally entered the war. The League was powerless to enforce any effective sanctions against offending states, often due to an unwillingness to act on the part of the British and French, their inability to cooperate with Russia, and Americas abstention from taking part. Whether or not the powers could have enforced the Leagues decisions is a debateable point. According to Churchill, the Royal Navy was perfectly capable of sinking any Italian ship in the Mediterranean headed for Ethiopia. It could also be argued that Britain could have used its Navy, in agreement with Frances more considerable Army, to force Germany to come to terms. Although the Royal Navy could not access Czechoslovakia, it could still have threatened to blockade German ports if Germany wanted to invade. Instead, the British signed a treaty with Hitler allowing Germany to have a navy one third the size of Britains. The British and French did not prevent the Italians from using the Suez Canal during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, and the fact that they merely threatened sanctions but did not enforce them achieved nothing but to push Italy into an alliance with Nazi Germany. To top all of this, the Soviets tried to invade Finland in 1939-40. Stalin was worried about the proximity of Leningrad to the Finnish border, which he feared was vulnerable to Nazi artillery fire. When the Soviets attacked, the British and French condemned it, and sent reinforcements to Finland that ousted the Soviets. This seems like the British and French realising, too late, that they had lost the fight for peace. The Second World War began with Germanys violation of the Munich Agreement by invading Poland. Too late the British and French took up arms to fight for peace. Germany already controlled much land beyond its borders, Italy had furthered its imperial ambitions in Africa, and Japan was steadily spreading its empire in Asia and the Pacific. Collective Security had therefore failed in all respects. The First World War was called the War to End All Wars and the League of Nations was established in an effort to prevent another global conflict; it failed, another World War was fought, and the League did not meet once during the 6 years of conflict. In 1946, its duties were transferred to the newly created United Nations. Sources: http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/Collective-Security-The-1930s-and-the-failure-of-the-league-of-nations.html http://www.johndclare.net/league_of_nations8.htm http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=23501 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/id/88739.htm http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/leagcov.asp http://modern-british-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_understand_appeasement http://www.johndclare.net/league_of_nations6.htm http://www.johndclare.net/EL5.htm http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWleague.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/czechoslovakia_1938.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212881/invfin.html http://www.country-studies.com/ethiopia/mussolini%27s-invasion-and-the-italian-occupation.html

Saving Private Ryan :: essays research papers

The book I read and am doing a presentation on is called Saving Private Ryan by Max Allen Collins. Saving Private Ryan is about the heroism of soldiers of soldiers and their duty during wartime, World War Two. This story is to remind you, the reader, that war is nothing but hell, orders on the front line can be brutal, and absurd. The story is set in Europe of 1944, as the Nazis are still advancing and taking over cities and countries. On June 6th, 1944, Captain Miller, and hundreds of other men leave Europe to accomplish one mission, Operation Overlord, also known as D-Day. When they get there, there will be a new task awaiting them. In saving Private Ryan, the same character is Capt. Miller. He is the leader of a squad of 7 men on a mission to save Pvt. James Ryan. Capt. Miller is a â€Å"to himself person†. He does not talk much when not in battle, and when he does talk, he is giving out orders. Capt. Miller played a major roll in this book. He was in charge of Company C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, when landing on Omaha Beach. He then had to lead the 7 men on a long mission to save Private James Ryan. Private James Ryan is a very sociable person. He lost 3 brothers in the war, which is why he is getting sent home. I said he is sociable because when he was rescued towards the end, he enjoyed talking to Capt. Miller very much. He would tell stories about his childhood before he left for basic, with his 3 brothers. There were 7 men under Miller’s Command. They were Sgt. Horvath, Pvt. Reiben, Pvt. Jackson, Pvt. Mellish, Pvt. Caparzo, Medic Wade, and Cpl. Upham. They all fought against the German resistance to save Pvt. Ryan. One metaphor that was said in the novel was â€Å"Sounds like the Midnight Limited†. This was said by Pvt. Caparzo on the boat before they landed on the beaches. He was describing the boat movement as is sailed through the water. After reading Saving Private Ryan by Max Allen Collins, I would say the overall theme of the novel is heroic. I believe the overall mood of the novel is heroic because eight men took on a mission to save one soldiers life. I would say the overall mood/tone of this novel is courage.

Long or Short Vacation

Name: Phan Thi Thanh Giang Email: [email  protected] com ESSAY 1 Topic: Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice. No one can deny that a vacation has many benefits for students. In Viet Nam, it has long been a controversy whether give a vacation should be long or short. Most of students think that is great if they have several short vacations each year while others disagree. Both opinions have their own advantages and disadvantages.From my point of view, it is better to have several shorts vacations throughout the years. The reasons are as follows. In my personal experience, almost people like vacations especially students. Short vacations can help students decrease pressures or depressions from their overloaded study, hard examinations and parents’ desires had better than a long vacation. Speaking of study pressures, students always live in a tense state in which they have to cope with a plenty of continuous problems; a series of required knowledge they must study and a chain of examination they must take are ruining children’s pure mind day by day.To deal with this, one short vacation will be capable of giving a hand to the children who are in need of help to decreases these stresses. The students will have enough time to adapt to occurrence and balance their daily life, their academic study after sorrows. If there’s only one long vacation per year, the students will only have one chance to face one stress while continuous matters happen steadily during the terms. In addition, students can regain energy easier and better by several shorts vacations. Shorter vacations are more rejuvenating.During the year, I am able to take several short trips to smaller towns, beaches, mountains in the surrounding area of where I live and I feel so much more refreshed when returning to study after one of these short vacations. Similarly, with short vacations I am able to sometimes go by myself or take friends, so there is always a sense of variety with each trip. By contrast, one long vacation can be tiring and at times quite boring. Indeed, after a long vacation, it is so difficult to restart my studying with highest efforts. In almost cases, it takes long time to adapt to study environment.Finally, short vacations make both students and their parents arrange plans for entertain or travel easier than one long vacation. The parents can send their children to short-term holiday camps or just have them travel. Likewise, the students in university can take short tours to domestic vacation spots. Such travels cost less money and are more available than long tours. Take my relationship for an example. Last summer holiday, my uncle sent my cousins to my grandmother because he did not have time to care of them in approximated 2 mo nths. On the other hand, for one-month vacation, my aunt sent her son to â€Å"Army-term summer trip†.He said to me that the trip is the wonderful experience. The issue whether students should be given one long vacation each year or they should have several vacations throughout the year is the one that is open for debate. Although a long vacation has also some advantages, I think short vacation is better in many ways. Students have more chances to decrease pressures or depressions from their overloaded study, hard examinations and parents’ desires. They can also regain energy easier and better. In addition, short vacations make both students and their parents arrange plans for entertain or travel easier.

Chinese Philosophy Essay

Human being is by nature a dynamic being, whose tendency to evolve is manifest in history, archeology and other disciplines that have put human development and progress in focus in the course of evolution and so does the society / community in which he resides. Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once stated; â€Å"As they step into the same rivers, different and still different waters flow upon them† (qtd. in Snooks 1). In line with this saying, we may say that change is something that is part of nature. Many of the activities of communities can address, embrace or resist change. In order to manage the various incidents and conditions that are experienced by man and his society, various instruments and frameworks are devised. In the case of the Chinese society, a number of philosophical standpoints were developed in a bid to confront the challenges facing China. This paper endeavors to examine Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism and Legalism as the instruments put in place by the Chinese in response to the wars that China was experiencing, especially in regard to leadership in a society. Confucianism Confucianism puts quality on the ability of the human being to achieve, through self introspective processes, a state of inner harmony and moral uprightness, which can elevate the individual from the stables of a common person to a noble person. Confucias (541 – 479 BCE) was China’s first moral philosopher who linked moral behavior to traditional roles and hierarchies. He linked the Zhou order that was deteriorating and believed that all should understand and accept their role in the society. This system of thought is good in so far as it has faith in the human being as being capable of managing his own destiny, and being able to change for the better. Confucianism gives an individual member of the society a chance to take responsibility for creating and maintaining harmony in the society, by having it entrenched in the individual countenance that recognizes nobility as a state that can be achieved by an individual, without anybody being able to gain it through ascription or inheritance and this is not closely attached to the exercise of political power per se (Barry et al. 24) In China where many communities were vying for political dominance, Confucianism offered a window for the restoration of order through self cultivation, oriented toward achieving a noble state, in spite of the person’s social extraction. This, as a philosophy that sought to bring harmony in the warring Chinese society, worked toward the establishment of personal moral uprightness, which in turn would affect the way people related to one another, especially in their relation to leadership. If the society regarded nobility highly, then the noble people, having cultivated themselves effectively; would have their influence in the society to steer clear of war, or to effectively lead the people in better battle campaigns against their adversaries. If on the other hand, the Chinese society was to transform itself into a nation of noble people according to Confucian principles, then everybody would maintain the peace, because people would look at each other with more humility and kindness. The Confucian noble is thus, one who is able to provide leadership without really reigning or ruling. Confucianism can also be seen as a direct response to insensitive leadership during the war period, and thus, a system to try and impress the virtue of good leadership amongst the rulers of the time (86). This was done in such a way that it did not threaten as much, the social structures prevalent then, hence the Confucian recognition of the social hierarchies, and insistence on the citizenry to uphold respect for the superiors. Of course, war is a period when it matters to positively receive instruction and commands from the superiors. Daoism While Confucianism promotes the practice of self improvement in line with the argument based on natural evolution of the human species, Daoism on the other hand places all human effort in the search for knowledge and purposeful transformation in the realm of vanity. Daoists wanted the governments not to override their lives and were interested in the spiritual aspect of human existence. The temptation to dismiss this school of thought prima facie is quite high. This is due to the natural orientation of man to take responsibility of his destiny and the natural tendency to seek a better life, to marvel at nature and to try to influence it so as to satisfy personal needs. In that respect, one would expect that a working formula has to emphasize man’s rationality and his wants and needs, as the central pillars of his push toward creating his own history and having dominion over his environment. On the other hand, Daoism offers a situation where, as a country at war, the Chinese had an opportunity to re-examine their value systems and act accordingly. The Daoist concept of being in harmony with nature and not struggling to bring about change could be looked at as a peace strategy. This is because wars are naturally fanned by human desire to achieve something that humans feel is of ultimate importance to them. Wars also spring out of humans’ questioning of things and hence inventions of valuable things (which they desire so much). Humans would also like to either wrest from people who wouldn’t like them to possess the valuable items, or fervently protect the items from the people who would covet them. The need for man to change, to improve on things and to have an influence over his environment is a tendency that puts man in contention with the Daoist principle. If people followed Daoism, then they wouldn’t engage in a lot of questioning, which would bring about the escalation or perpetuation of the war. Their social relationships would be smooth, for all of them would be in harmony with nature, which would naturally take its course and not support of war. Daoist leadership would therefore be a laid back kind of leadership, with nature ‘taking care of itself’. The kind of transformation to come out of the society would therefore be premised on the Daoist fact that nature is capable of transforming itself, and man doesn’t have to take steps to interfere with occurrence of events. This however, would be criticized on the premise that change is something to be managed by the human being, by use of his intellect. Daoism as a leadership style would be an aloof kind of leadership, and during the war period, something deliberate had to be done, the solutions to the problems then were not just left to ‘fall from heaven’. To best illustrate this, Barry calls Daoists â€Å"†¦those who wandered off†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (48) Legalism This school of thought argued that strong government depended upon effective institutional structures not just the moral quality of the leaders. This could be described as the application of law for the benefit of the majority. Legalism thus becomes a system of reinforcement, with an emphasis on both positive and negative reinforcement meted out to the members of the society in order to discourage certain socially undesirable behavior according to the majority of people paying allegiance to the society in question (Ebrey & Buckley 23). According to legalism school of thought, society is shaped through its reward system, with socially unacceptable behavior being punished for, with blessings from the social framework that awards certain individuals the power to dish out these rewards, without necessarily being seen to deny one or infringe upon their rights. This may help galvanize a society or community, which will in turn have a more prominent sense of identity and solidarity. Such a stand in a war situation is good for the purpose of gaining victory over the enemy. Legalism is quite an ideal system for bringing the society together in the face of a common enemy. This also gives the ruler the chance to act with speed, since legalism is a system that is responsive to the times; changing with circumstances and accordingly responding to the dictates of the time. War times need an atmosphere where there is quick action and response, and with the foundation that gives legality to what the rulers are deciding on behalf of their subjects. Legalism was therefore, an ideal philosophical grounding for individual Chinese communities during the time of war, for it is a system that can well serve the expedients of war. This comes in the light of the fact that the Chinese had developed government structures bequeath to them by the Chin dynasty, and which lasted for more than two centuries (Barry et al. 145). The structures brought about by the Chin dynasty were important in the realization of the dictates of the legalistic system, which was organized around reward and punishment, and had to have a basis in the common will of the people. Thus, there had to be a person vested with the power to mete out punishment to errant members of the society, while at the same time hand down rewards to those who performed and behaved in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the society. This person also derived mandate from the same common will that requires the people to obey and take reward, both positive and negative, with understanding; since it is for the common good that this is done. It can be argued that legalism is something close to Confucianism, because it comes out of man’s free will. It is a product of social engineering, with a view to bringing about an ideal society; something totally distanced from Daoism, which emphasizes the need to let life just flow, without taking any action to influence one’s environment. Mohism This is a system of universal brotherhood, where everyone on the face of the earth is related to each other, with an obligation to look after one’s kin (Ebrey & Buckley 35). Taken from this very standpoint, this is a perfect doctrine for humanity at any one time, and in this case, for China during the warring times. This is because, as we have noted above, human conflict springs out of differences. These differences, when not solved amicably, lead to war. The inclination to keep some things away from others and to take what is owned by others is a perfect recipe for war. If, in the light of Mohism, all of humanity was to lay a claim on brotherhood, and maintain that doctrine of being each other’s keeper, then the incidence of war would be remote. This is because brotherhood entails harmony and amity. It also presupposes the ability to communicate with each other without necessarily taking to arms. Mohists might not have been comprehensive in their brotherhood matrix. Even though all men are supposed to be brothers, the Mohists’ view of the world is quite hierarchical, with the junior members of the society bearing a social responsibility to be subservient to those who are perceived to be on an elevated social platform. This is a system that would have borne fruit if only the small people accepted it. If however, the common people are not agreeable to this arrangement, then Mohism would be just but another plank of wood in the fire, for they would revolt as a response to this flawed brotherhood arrangement. From a different perspective, Mohism could be taken to be the answer to the perceived social injustices prevalent in China then. Much as one could be the other’s brother, this system sought to cultivate an environment where an individual, after striving for, and accumulating enough superior residues; would acquire a higher status and would lead people. War needs strong willed people, since it carries a lot in terms of collateral damage, both in terms of human life and material possessions. War time also needs utmost sacrifice, so that as brothers, some members of the society do not just sit back and wait for the other people to work out way-through for them. If one is in a lower position, then he has to be obedient and provide for that one who is up. In this way, Mohism comes out as a system that influenced the social set up such that it recognized the need to love each other, and to be ready to stand by each other; while at the same time, not losing the individual. If they were to be juxtaposed, Mohism and Confucianism would relate up to a certain extent. One would easily say that in terms of hierarchy, both Confucianism and Mohism teach about the society in light of inequalities and the need for these to be maintained through proper social decorum. Confucius goes deeper to analyze, at a finer level, the social relations and how they should be handled for the sake of peace and tranquility. Mohists may differ on some of these because of the pedant stand they regard the social hierarchies and how they observe and maintain them. However, it provides a framework for the legitimization of rulership, for a ruler is someone who occupies a place in a hierarchical set up. Legitimacy of a ruler springs out of the acceptance the ruler enjoys from the society. War times need strong leaders who derive legitimacy from their people. In times of war too, a ruler could impose himself on the people, but for as long as he serves to protect them or unite them against the enemy, then his legitimacy may not be much of a problem, since it is in the people’s name that the ruler reigns. This solidarity is best achieved by communities that recognize hierarchy as a natural phenomenon in life, and which Mohists and Confucians upheld in their thought. Conclusion In conclusion, based on personal point of view, the various ideological developments in China which brought about the four schools of thought which have been examined in this paper are a response to certain conditions in the society at the time of their emergence, and that these are mechanism that were crafted so as to manage change. The difference only lies in the points that were stressed. Mohism, for instance, is a system that was conservative to a certain extent, reacting to the possibility of occurrence of a development that could challenge the existing hierarchical status quo. At the same time, it endeavored to foster change in the way people regarded one another, with the small people (the serfs and commoners) fully recognizing and venerating their lords. Confucianism on the other hand, much as it strove for change on the individual level which would later on seep into the entire social fabric of the Chinese, was also a fairly conservative system. Just like Mohism, it posed no threat to the existing powers. It was a system that would be used to bring the people together in times of war, for this was not a time for people to start questioning their authorities. By defending the hierarchical system existent then, the Confucians thought of an alternative leadership style where noble people would get to influence the rulers through their self cultivation. This system almost totally absolved the ruler from responsibility, since the leader had the social privilege of lording it over his subjects without being obliged to observe certain tenets of leadership. It was however incumbent upon the subject to go through the process of self improvement. What would happen if all the subjects had transformed themselves yet the leadership was not together with them? What avenues would they have to really exercise power? Daoism was one way of running away from the human responsibility to respond to change. By letting all systems go, the society would be at a greater risk of falling prey to the dictates of a bad ruler, a coward or one who would sell them to the enemy during this war period, since the Daoist doctrine was all about living and letting live. After considering everything, legalism seems to be the system that would have best defended the particular communities, and even a collection of the communities, for it is a system of action and reciprocation. The common person reacts, and then the system responds by awarding a deserving reward; whether positive or negative.

6 Little White Lies You Can Tell To Get The Job

6 Little White Lies You Can Tell To Get The Job Lying is wrong almost all the time. And you certainly should never lie about your skills or experience in a job interview. Honesty is almost always the best policy. But†¦there are a few instances where fibbing can’t hurt- and might actually help you land the job. 1. OmissionIt’s okay to leave  one or two jobs off your resume. Maybe you weren’t there very long. Maybe you were fired or doubt that you would get a stellar reference. It’s okay to keep these quiet. Your resume doesn’t have to be a comprehensive list of your career whereabouts, just what’s most relevant and useful to your interviewer.2. How much you loved your former coworkersEven the mean girls and the power-hungry jerks and the spotlight-hoggers and the total bores. It’s okay to lie and say you were honored to work with such a great group. You’ll come off as more of a team player. Accentuate the positive! They’ll never know you used to grumble about eve ryone behind their backs the minute you got home.3. Your saintly interestsNobody’s interests really consist in charity work, volunteering, and fine arts museums. When it comes down to it, most of us would honestly report TV-watching, martinis, and trashy magazines. But it’s okay to be a little aspirational. Don’t stretch yourself too far: stick to an aspirational, but true, version of yourself.4. How fabulous your former boss wasYour last boss was actually a fire-breathing dragon. But there is zero profit in bad-mouthing him to your new potential boss. Try to pick a few good qualities you can mention, and, if all else fails, say you learned a lot.5. Your reason for changing jobsYou’re bored out of your mind and you detest your coworkers. Or your company is rumored to be downsizing, and you want to skip town with the rats. Whatever the real reason, it’s totally fine to say â€Å"I’d love to stay where I am, but this opportunity is just too d azzling to pass up.† They’ll be flattered, and you won’t look like a quitter who abandons ship at first sign of trouble.6. Your greatest weaknessEverybody fudges this one. Don’t share your real worst traits. Pick something (again, at least sort of truthful) that you can turn into a positive of sorts. Emphasize how you’re working constructively to turn that weakness into a strength. They’ll be impressed with your self-awareness and won’t notice that you’ve just flipped the table on them with their own question.Moral of the story? Don’t shoot yourself in the foot in the interests of abject honesty, but do keep mostly to the truth. It’ll be easier to remember and hold to what you said.

All models are wrong; some models are useful Essay

All models are wrong; some models are useful - Essay Example Mathematical models are therefore very useful because Mathematics itself is an abstract language; enables us to make the representation numerically and visually, and offers powerful tools and techniques for quantitative analysis and forecasting. Usually, this involves defining constants, assigning variables, and forming structures such as functions, equations, diagrams, graphs etc. that establish the relationships between the various quantities. For example, car journeys, traffic patterns, and airline routes can all be modeled using matrices. However, despite the aforementioned features of mathematical modeling, it has limitations too. The most fundamental perhaps is the trade-off between simplicity and accuracy of the model. Usually, more complex models tend to improve its accuracy but at the same time of course make it more complicated to handle, which could also mean greater cost and required time. Therefore, when deciding which model to choose, the level of accuracy required balanced against need and the available resources is the most important consideration. If more than one different model is able to forecast with equal predictive accuracy, the Occam’s Razor principle suggests choosing the simplest model. With regards to forecasting, mathematical models can often be tested for accuracy using empirical or experimental data. If it is able to describe this accurately, it can then be used for forecasting purposes, for which several methods exist. These include moving averages, exponential smoothing, techniques for extrapolating time series with tend and seasonal components, and regression models. In all of these however, there are gaps between the complexity of the real world and the simplicity of these abstract models. The model’s true usefulness would then be tested if the extrapolation to other or future data or situations proves successful. Time series and forecasting is one of

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15

Final Exam - Essay Example Moreover, the organisms that are best suited to live in their underlying specific conditions possess relatively greater chance of passing their desirable traits to the corresponding next generation. Nevertheless, organisms that poorly adapt die and extinct in the environment. The reproduction and the survival is massive numbers than other kind of animals mainly ensures perpetuation of the favorable traits in regard to succeeding generations. Natural selection demands heritable variation within a particular trait and corresponding differential survival and reproduction related with the possession of the desired traits. Both domestic selection and natural selection entails choosing of desirable traits and passing them to the next generations. An undesirable trait which cannot survive competition is eliminated from the environment thus becoming extinct. Conversely, natural selection results from corresponding natural factors that mainly favor particular variations whilst domestic selection mainly entails the probability of particular naturalistic mechanisms that pertains to the evolutionary alterations (Darwin & Charles, 112-279). Moreover, domestic selection purely utilized as an analogy for the underlying natural systems that concern untargeted changes. Natural selection and domestic selection does not link into similar theory that normally cause need to contribute intensely new to science. Struggle for existence is mainly due competition of scarce resources and over production that results to the ecological pressure. Members of every species contest repeatedly in order to obtain food, living space and other supplementary requirements of life. It mainly emanates from the overproduction by the organisms thus making the available resources to be insufficient to sustain the larger population. This subsequently results to emergence of competition of limited resources to keep themselves alive (Darwin & Charles,