Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Scoreboards vs Blackboards: The Myth of the Student-Athlete Essay
In his essay, "The Myth of the ââ¬ËStudent-Athlete", Gary Gutting argues that schools turn out more athletes than intellectuals, and that the word ââ¬Å"intellectualâ⬠has become a swear word. I believe that this statement is very true and relevant to how mass media and education is shifting today. Take a look at how the school system is setup today, schools give out more financial aid and scholarships to students that are athletically gifted than intellectually gifted. Isnââ¬â¢t that backwards, shouldn't you be awarded more based on your intellect and work ethic more than whether if you can dribble a basketball or not? If this is the case then colleges are validating Guttingââ¬â¢s argument, that athletics is more important that academics. There are, of course, many cases of athletes who are primarily students, particularly in minor sports, but what about Division I football and menââ¬â¢s basketball, the big-time programs with revenues in the tens of millions of dol lars that are a major source of their schoolsââ¬â¢ national reputation? Are the members of these teams typically students first? According to the N.C.A.A.ââ¬â¢s own survey in 2011, it showed by a huge percentile that the members of these sport teams do not identify themselves as students first. For example, football and menââ¬â¢s basketball players identify themselves more strongly as athletes than as students, gave more weight in choosing their college to athletics than to academics, and spend more time on athletics than on their studies. Football and menââ¬â¢s basketball players are admitted and given full scholarships almost entirely because of their athletic abilities. Academic criteria for their admission are far below those for other students. Their average SAT score are about 200 points lower... ...and statistics, Gutting wasnââ¬â¢t far off with his statement that, ââ¬Å"schools turn out more athletes than intellectualsâ⬠. If this continues, then the unemployment rate will continue to rise and also the amount of uneducated citizens in the United States. Works Cited Gutting, Gary. "The Myth of the ââ¬ËStudent-Athlete", Gary Gutting http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/the-myth-of-the-student-athlete/?_r=0 Weissmann, Jordan. "53% of Recent College Grads Are Jobless or Underemployedââ¬âHow?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 23 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 NCAA. "NCAA Publications." N.p., 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. . Thamel, Pete. "Athletes Get New College Pitch: Check Out Our Tutoring Center." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Nov. 2006. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Foundation and Empire 22. Death On Neotrantor
NEOTRANTOR The small planet of Delicass, renamed after the Great Sack, was for nearly a century, the seat of the last dynasty of the First Empire. It was a shadow world and a shadow Empire and its existence is only of legalistic importance. Under the first of the Neotrantorian dynastyâ⬠¦ Encyclopedia Galactica Neotrantor was the name! New Trantor! And when you have said the name you have exhausted at a stroke all the resemblances of the new Trantor to the great original. Two parsecs away, the sun of Old Trantor still shone and the Galaxy's Imperial Capital of the previous century still cut through space in the silent and eternal repetition of its orbit. Men even inhabited Old Trantor. Not many ââ¬â a hundred million, perhaps, where fifty years before, forty billions had swarmed. The huge, metal world was in jagged splinters. The towering thrusts of the multi-towers from the single world-girdling base were torn and empty ââ¬â still bearing the original blastholes and firegut ââ¬â shards of the Great Sack of forty years earlier. It was strange that a world which had been the center of a Galaxy for two thousand years ââ¬â that had ruled limitless space and been home to legislators and rulers whose whims spanned the parsecs ââ¬â could die in a month. It was strange that a world which had been untouched through the vast conquering sweeps and retreats of a millennia, and equally untouched by the civil wars and palace revolutions of other millennia ââ¬â should lie dead at last. It was strange that the Glory of the Galaxy should be a rotting corpse. And pathetic! For centuries would yet pass before the mighty works of fifty generations of humans would decay past use. Only the declining powers of men, themselves, rendered them useless now. The millions left after the billions had died tore up the gleaming metal base of the planet and exposed soil that had not felt the touch of sun in a thousand years. Surrounded by the mechanical perfections of human efforts, encircled by the industrial marvels of mankind freed of the tyranny of environment ââ¬â they returned to the land. In the huge traffic clearings, wheat and corn grew. In the shadow of the towers, sheep grazed. But Neotrantor existed ââ¬â an obscure village of a planet drowned in the shadow of mighty Trantor, until a heart-throttled royal family, racing before the fire and flame of the Great Sack sped to it as its last refuge ââ¬â and held out there, barely, until the roaring wave of rebellion subsided. There it ruled in ghostly splendor over a cadaverous remnant of Imperium. Twenty agricultural worlds were a Galactic Empire! Dagobert IX, ruler of twenty worlds of refractory squires and sullen peasants, was Emperor of the Galaxy, Lord of the Universe. Dagobert IX had been twenty-five on the bloody day he arrived with his father upon Neotrantor. His eyes and mind were still alive with the glory and the power of the Empire that was. But his son, who might one day be Dagobert X, was born on Neotrantor. Twenty worlds were all he knew. Jord Commason's open air car was the finest vehicle of its type on all Neotrantor ââ¬â and, after all, justly so. It did not end with the fact that Commason was the largest landowner on Neotrantor. It began there. For in earlier days he had been the companion and evil genius of a young crown prince, restive in the dominating grip of a middle-aged emperor. And now he was the companion and still the evil genius of a middle-aged crown prince who hated and dominated an old emperor. So Jord Commason, in his air car, which in mother-of-pearl finish and gold-and-lumetron ornamentation needed no coat of arms as owner's identification, surveyed the lands that were his, and the miles of rolling wheat that were his, and the huge threshers and harvesters that were his, and the tenant-farmers and machine-tenders that were his ââ¬â and considered his problems cautiously. Beside him, his bent and withered chauffeur guided the ship gently through the upper winds and smiled. Jord Commason spoke to the wind, the air, and the sky, ââ¬Å"You remember what I told you, Inchney?â⬠Inchney's thin gray hair wisped lightly in the wind. His gap-toothed smile widened in its thin-lipped fashion and the vertical wrinkles of his cheeks deepened as though he were keeping an eternal secret from himself. The whisper of his voice whistled between his teeth. ââ¬Å"I remember, sire, and I have thought.â⬠ââ¬Å"And what have you thought, Inchney?â⬠There was an impatience about the question. Inchney remembered that he had been young and handsome, and a lord on Old Trantor. Inchney remembered that he was a disfigured ancient on Neotrantor, who lived by grace of Squire Jord Commason, and paid for the grace by lending his subtlety on request. He sighed very softly. He whispered again, ââ¬Å"Visitors from the Foundation, sire, are a convenient thing to have. Especially, sire, when they come with but a single ship, and but a single fighting man. How welcome they might be.â⬠ââ¬Å"Welcome?â⬠said Commason, gloomily. ââ¬Å"Perhaps so. But those men are magicians and may be powerful.â⬠ââ¬Å"Pugh,â⬠muttered Inchney, ââ¬Å"the mistiness of distance hides the truth. The Foundation is but a world. Its citizens are but men. If you blast them, they die.â⬠Inchney held the ship on its course ââ¬â A river was a winding sparkle below. He whispered, ââ¬Å"And is there not a man they speak of now who stirs the worlds of the Periphery?â⬠Commason was suddenly suspicious. ââ¬Å"What do you know of this?â⬠There was no smile on his chauffeur's face. ââ¬Å"Nothing, sire. It was but an idle question.â⬠The squire's hesitation was short. He said, with brutal directness, ââ¬Å"Nothing you ask is idle, and your method of acquiring knowledge will have your scrawny neck in a vise yet. But ââ¬â I have it! This man is called the Mule, and a subject of his had been here some months ago on aâ⬠¦ matter of business. I await anotherâ⬠¦ nowâ⬠¦ for its conclusion.â⬠ââ¬Å"And these newcomers? They are not the ones you want, perhaps?â⬠ââ¬Å"They lack the identification they should have.â⬠ââ¬Å"It has been reported that the Foundation has been captured-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"I did not tell you that.â⬠ââ¬Å"It has been so reported,â⬠continued Inchney, coolly, ââ¬Å"and if that is correct, then these may be refugees from the destruction, and may be held for the Mule's man out of honest friendship.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠Commason was uncertain. ââ¬Å"And, sire, since it is well-known that the friend of a conqueror is but the last victim, it would be but a measure of honest self-defense. For there are such things as psychic probes, and here we have four Foundation brains. There is much about the Foundation it would be useful to know, much even about the Mule. And then the Mule's friendship would be a trifle the less overpowering.â⬠Commason, in the quiet of the upper air, returned with a shiver to his first thought. ââ¬Å"But if the Foundation has not fallen. If the reports are lies. It is said that it has been foretold it can not fall.â⬠ââ¬Å"We are past the age of soothsayers, sire.â⬠ââ¬Å"And yet if it did not fall, Inchney. Think! If it did not fall. The Mule made me promises, indeed-â⬠He had gone too far, and backtracked. ââ¬Å"That is, he made boasts. But boasts are wind and deeds are hard.â⬠Inchney laughed noiselessly. ââ¬Å"Deeds are hard indeed, until begun. One could scarcely find a further fear than a Galaxy-end Foundation.â⬠ââ¬Å"There is still the prince,â⬠murmured Commason, almost to himself. ââ¬Å"He deals with the Mule also, then, sire?â⬠Commason could not quite choke down the complacent shift of features. ââ¬Å"Not entirely. Not as I do. But he grows wilder, more uncontrollable. A demon is upon him. If I seize these people and he takes them away for his own use ââ¬â for he does not lack a certain shrewdness ââ¬â I am not yet ready to quarrel with him.â⬠He frowned and his heavy cheeks bent downwards with dislike. ââ¬Å"I saw those strangers for a few moments yesterday,â⬠said the gray chauffeur, irrelevantly, ââ¬Å"and it is a strange woman, that dark one. she walks with the freedom of a man and she is of a startling paleness against the dark luster of hair.â⬠There was almost a warmth in the husky whisper of the withered voice, so that Commason turned toward him in sudden surprise. Inchney continued, ââ¬Å"The prince, I think, would not find his shrewdness proof against a reasonable compromise. You could have the rest, if you left him the girl-ââ¬Å" A light broke upon Commason, ââ¬Å"A thought! Indeed a thought! Inchney, turn back! And Inchney, if all turns well, we will discuss further this matter of your freedom.â⬠It was with an almost superstitious sense of symbolism that Commason found a Personal Capsule waiting for him in his private study when he returned. It had arrived by a wavelength known to few. Commason smiled a fat smile. The Mule's man was coming and the Foundation had indeed fallen. Bayta's misty visions, when she had them, of an Imperial palace, did not jibe with the reality, and inside her, there was a vague sense of disappointment. The room was small, almost plain, almost ordinary. The palace did not even match the mayor's residence back at the Foundation ââ¬â and Dagobert IX ââ¬â Bayta had definite ideas of what an emperor ought to look like. He ought not look like somebody's benevolent grandfather. He ought not be thin and white and faded ââ¬â or serving cups of tea with his own hand in an expressed anxiety for the comfort of his visitors. But so it was. Dagobert IX chuckled as he poured tea into her stiffly outheld cup. ââ¬Å"This is a great pleasure for me, my dear. It is a moment away from ceremony and courtiers. I have not had the opportunity for welcoming visitors from my outer provinces for a time now. My son takes care of these details now that I'm older. You haven't met my son? A fine boy. Headstrong, perhaps. But then he's young. Do you care for a flavor capsule? No?â⬠Toran attempted an interruption, ââ¬Å"Your imperial majesty-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠ââ¬Å"Your imperial majesty, it has not been our intention to intrude upon you-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Nonsense, there is no intrusion. Tonight there will be the official reception, but until then, we are free. Let's see, where did you say you were from? It seems a long time since we had an official reception. You said you were from the Province of Anacreon?â⬠ââ¬Å"From the Foundation, your imperial majesty!â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, the Foundation. I remember now. I had it located. It is in the Province of Anacreon. I have never been there. My doctor forbids extensive traveling. I don't recall any recent reports from my viceroy at Anacreon. How are conditions there?â⬠he concluded anxiously. ââ¬Å"Sire,â⬠mumbled Toran, ââ¬Å"I bring no complaints.â⬠ââ¬Å"That is gratifying. I will commend my viceroy.â⬠Toran looked helplessly at Ebling Mis, whose brusque voice rose. ââ¬Å"Sire, we have been told that it will require your permission for us to visit the Imperial University Library on Trantor.â⬠ââ¬Å"Trantor?â⬠questioned the emperor, mildly, ââ¬Å"Trantor?â⬠Then a look of puzzled pain crossed his thin face. ââ¬Å"Trantor?â⬠he whispered. ââ¬Å"I remember now. I am making plans now to return there with a flood of ships at my back. You shall come with me. Together we will destroy the rebel, Gilmer. Together we shall restore the empire!â⬠His bent back had straightened. His voice had strengthened. For a moment his eyes were hard. Then, he blinked and said softly, ââ¬Å"But Gilmer is dead. I seem to remember ââ¬â Yes. Yes! Gilmer is dead! Trantor is dead ââ¬â For a moment, it seemed ââ¬â Where was it you said you came from?â⬠Magnifico whispered to Bayta, ââ¬Å"Is this really an emperor? For somehow I thought emperors were greater and wiser than ordinary men.â⬠Bayta motioned him quiet. She said, ââ¬Å"If your imperial majesty would but sign an order permitting us to go to Trantor, it would avail greatly the common cause.â⬠ââ¬Å"To Trantor?â⬠The emperor was blank and uncomprehending. ââ¬Å"Sire, the Viceroy of Anacreon, in whose name we speak, sends word that Gilmer is yet alive-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Alive! Alive!â⬠thundered Dagobert. ââ¬Å"Where? It will be war!â⬠ââ¬Å"Your imperial majesty, it must not yet be known. His whereabouts are uncertain. The viceroy sends us to acquaint you of the fact, and it is only on Trantor that we may find his hiding place. Once discovered-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Yes, yes ââ¬â He must be found-â⬠The old emperor doddered to the wall and touched the little photocell with a trembling finger. He muttered, after an ineffectual pause, ââ¬Å"My servants do not come. I can not wait for them.â⬠He was scribbling on a blank sheet, and ended with a flourished ââ¬Å"D.â⬠He said, ââ¬Å"Gilmer will yet learn the power of his emperor. Where was it you came from? Anacreon? What are the conditions there? Is the name of the emperor powerful?â⬠Bayta took the paper from his loose fingers, ââ¬Å"Your imperial majesty is beloved by the people. Your love for them is widely known.â⬠ââ¬Å"I shall have to visit my good people of Anacreon, but my doctor saysâ⬠¦ I don't remember what he says, but-â⬠He looked up, his old gray eyes sharp, ââ¬Å"Were you saying something of Gilmer?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, your imperial majesty.â⬠ââ¬Å"He shall not advance further. Go back and tell your people that. Trantor shall hold! My father leads the fleet now, and the rebel vermin Gilmer shall freeze in space with his regicidal rabble.â⬠He staggered into a seat and his eyes were blank once more. ââ¬Å"What was I saying?â⬠Toran rose and bowed low, ââ¬Å"Your imperial majesty has been kind to us, but the time allotted us for an audience is over. ââ¬Å" For a moment, Dagobert IX looked like an emperor indeed as he rose and stood stiff-backed while, one by one, his visitors retreated backward through the door ââ¬â to where twenty armed men intervened and locked a circle about them. A hand-weapon flashed- To Bayta, consciousness returned sluggishly, but without the ââ¬Å"Where am I?â⬠sensation. She remembered clearly the odd old man who called himself emperor, and the other men who waited outside. The arthritic tingle in her finger joints meant a stun pistol. She kept her eyes closed, and listened with painful attention to the voices. There were two of them. One was slow and cautious, with a slyness beneath the surface obsequity. The other was hoarse and thick, almost sodden, and blurted out in viscous spurts. Bayta liked neither. The thick voice was predominant. Bayta caught the last words, ââ¬Å"He will live forever, that old madman. It wearies me. It annoys me. Commason, I will have it. I grow older, too.â⬠ââ¬Å"Your highness, let us first see of what use these people are. It may be we shall have sources of strength other than your father still provides.â⬠The thick voice was lost in a bubbling whisper. Bayta caught only the phrase, â⬠-the girl-â⬠but the other, fawning voice was a nasty, low, running chuckle followed by a comradely, near-patronizing, ââ¬Å"Dagobert, you do not age. They lie who say you are not a youth of twenty.â⬠They laughed together, and Bayta's blood was an icy trickle. Dagobert ââ¬â your highness ââ¬â The old emperor had spoken of a headstrong son, and the implication of the whispers now beat dully upon her. But such things didn't happen to people in real life- Toran's voice broke upon her in a slow, hard current of cursing. She opened her eyes, and Toran's, which were upon her, showed open relief. He said, fiercely, ââ¬Å"This banditry will be answered by the emperor. Release us.â⬠It dawned upon Bayta that her wrists and ankles were fastened to wall and floor by a tight attraction field. Thick Voice approached Toran. He was paunchy, his lower eyelids puffed darkly, and his hair was thinning out. There was a gay feather in his peaked hat, and the edging of his doublet was embroidered with silvery metal-foam. He sneered with a heavy amusement. ââ¬Å"The emperor? The poor, mad emperor?â⬠ââ¬Å"I have his pass. No subject may hinder our freedom.â⬠ââ¬Å"But I am no subject, space-garbage. I am the regent and crown prince and am to be addressed as such. As for my poor silly father, it amuses him to see visitors occasionally. And we humor him. It tickles his mock-imperial fancy. But, of course, it has no other meaning.â⬠And then he was before Bayta, and she looked up at him contemptuously. He leaned close and his breath was overpoweringly minted. He said, ââ¬Å"Her eyes suit well, Commason ââ¬â she is even prettier with them open. I think she'll do. It will be an exotic dish for a jaded taste, eh?â⬠There was a futile surge upwards on Toran's part, which the crown prince ignored and Bayta felt the iciness travel outward to the skin. Ebling Mis was still out; head lolling weakly upon his chest, but, with a sensation of surprise, Bayta noted that Magnifico's eyes were open, sharply open, as though awake for many minutes. Those large brown eyes swiveled towards Bayta and stared at her out of a doughy face. He whimpered, and nodded with his head towards the crown prince, ââ¬Å"That one has my Visi-Sonor.â⬠The crown prince turned sharply toward the new voice, ââ¬Å"This is yours, monster?â⬠He swung the instrument from his shoulder where it had hung, suspended by its green strap, unnoticed by Bayta. He fingered it clumsily, tried to sound a chord and got nothing for his pains, ââ¬Å"Can you play it, monster?â⬠Magnifico nodded once. Toran said suddenly, ââ¬Å"You've rifled a ship of the Foundation. If the emperor will not avenge, the Foundation will.â⬠It was the other, Commason, who answered slowly, ââ¬Å"What Foundation? Or is the Mule no longer the Mule?â⬠There was no answer to that. The prince's grin showed large uneven teeth. The clown's binding field was broken and he was nudged ungently to his feet. The Visi-Sonor was thrust into his hand. ââ¬Å"Play for us, monster,â⬠said the prince. ââ¬Å"Play us a serenade of love and beauty for our foreign lady here. Tell her that my father's country prison is no palace, but that I can take her to one where she can swim in rose water ââ¬â and know what a prince's love is. Sing of a prince's love, monster.â⬠He placed one thick thigh upon a marble table and swung a leg idly, while his fatuous smiling stare swept Bayta into a silent rage. Toran's sinews strained against the field, in painful, perspiring effort. Ebling Mis stirred and moaned. Magnifico gasped, ââ¬Å"My fingers are of useless stiffness-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Play, monster!â⬠roared the prince. The lights dimmed at a gesture to Commason and in the dimness he crossed his arms and waited. Magnifico drew his fingers in rapid, rhythmic jumps from end to end of the multikeyed instrument ââ¬â and a sharp, gliding rainbow of light jumped across the room. A low, soft tone sounded ââ¬â throbbing, tearful. It lifted in sad laughter, and underneath it there sounded a dull tolling. The darkness seemed to intensify and grow thick. Music reached Bayta through the muffled folds of invisible blankets. Gleaming light reached her from the depths as though a single candle glowed at the bottom of a pit. Automatically, her eyes strained. The light brightened, but remained blurred. It moved fuzzily, in confused color, and the music was suddenly brassy, evil ââ¬â flourishing in high crescendo. The light flickered quickly, in swift motion to the wicked rhythm. Something writhed within the light. Something with poisonous metallic scales writhed and yawned. And the music writhed and yawned with it. Bayta struggled with a strange emotion and then caught herself in a mental gasp. Almost, it reminded her of the time in the Time Vault, of those last days on Haven. It was that horrible, cloying, clinging spiderweb of horror and despair. She shrunk beneath it oppressed. The music dinned upon her, laughing horribly, and the writhing terror at the wrong end of the telescope in the small circle of light was lost as she turned feverishly away. Her forehead was wet and cold. The music died. It must have lasted fifteen minutes, and a vast pleasure at its absence flooded Bayta. Light glared, and Magnifico's face was close to hers, sweaty, wild-eyed, lugubrious. ââ¬Å"My lady,â⬠he gasped, ââ¬Å"how fare you?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well enough,â⬠she whispered, ââ¬Å"but why did you play like that?â⬠She became aware of the others in the room. Toran and Mis were limp and helpless against the wall, but her eyes skimmed over them. There was the prince, lying strangely still at the foot of the table. There was Commason, moaning wildly through an open, drooling mouth. Commason flinched, and yelled mindlessly, as Magnifico took a step towards him. Magnifico turned, and with a leap, turned the others loose. Toran lunged upwards and with eager, taut fists seized the landowner by the neck, ââ¬Å"You come with us. We'll want you ââ¬â to make sure we get to our ship.â⬠Two hours later, in the ship's kitchen, Bayta served a walloping homemade pie, and Magnifico celebrated the return to space by attacking it with a magnificent disregard of table manners. ââ¬Å"Good, Magnifico?â⬠ââ¬Å"Um-m-m-m!â⬠ââ¬Å"Magnifico?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes, my lady?â⬠ââ¬Å"What was it you played back there?â⬠The clown writhed, ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠¦ I'd rather not say. I learned it once, and the Visi-Sonor is of an effect upon the nervous system most profound. Surely, it was an evil thing, and not for your sweet innocence, my lady.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, now, come, Magnifico. I'm not as innocent as that. Don't flatter so. Did I see anything like what they saw?â⬠ââ¬Å"I hope not. I played it for them only. If you saw, it was but the rim of it ââ¬â from afar.â⬠ââ¬Å"And that was enough. Do you know you knocked the prince out?â⬠Magnifico spoke grimly through a large, muffling piece of pie. ââ¬Å"I killed him, my lady.â⬠ââ¬Å"What?â⬠She swallowed, painfully. ââ¬Å"He was dead when I stopped, or I would have continued. I cared not for Commason. His greatest threat was death or torture. But, my lady, this prince looked upon you wickedly, and-â⬠he choked in a mixture of indignation and embarrassment. Bayta felt strange thoughts come and repressed them sternly. ââ¬Å"Magnifico, you've got a gallant soul.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, my lady.â⬠He bent a red nose into his pie, but, somehow did not eat. Ebling Mis stared out the port. Trantor was near ââ¬â its metallic shine fearfully bright. Toran was standing there, too. He said with dull bitterness, ââ¬Å"We've come for nothing, Ebling. The Mule's man precedes us.â⬠Ebling Mis rubbed his forehead with a hand that seemed shriveled out of its former plumpness. His voice was an abstracted mutter. Toran was annoyed. ââ¬Å"I say those people know the Foundation has fallen. I say-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Eh?â⬠Mis looked up, puzzled. Then, he placed a gentle hand upon Toran's wrist, in complete oblivion of any previous conversation, ââ¬Å"Toran, Iâ⬠¦ I've been looking at Trantor. Do you knowâ⬠¦ I have the queerest feelingâ⬠¦ ever since we arrived on Neotrantor. It's an urge, a driving urge that's pushing and pushing inside. Toran, I can do it; I know I can do it. Things are becoming clear in my mind ââ¬â they have never been so clear.â⬠Toran stared ââ¬â and shrugged. The words brought him no confidence. He said, tentatively, ââ¬Å"Mis?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠ââ¬Å"You didn't see a ship come down on Neotrantor as we left?â⬠Consideration was brief. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"I did. Imagination, I suppose, but it could have been that Filian ship.â⬠ââ¬Å"The one with Captain Han Pritcher on it?â⬠ââ¬Å"The one with space knows who upon it. Magnifico's information ââ¬â It followed us here, Mis.â⬠Ebling Mis said nothing, Toran said strenuously, ââ¬Å"is there anything wrong with you? Aren't you well?â⬠Mis's eyes were thoughtful, luminous, and strange. He did not answer.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Cognitive Behavior Therapy From Classical Conditioning And...
My research paper on cognitive behavior therapy took me into many different directions, all of them were very interesting and fascinating to say the least. Cognitive Behavior therapy was initiated in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Aaron T. Beck, MD (Beck, 2011). The origin of cognitive behavior therapy stems from classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning (operant conditioning) (Craske, 2010). The topics will be on the treatment of anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Cognitive Behavior Therapy When we think of psychology, most of the time people think of all the usual stereotypes. They dream up in their heads the ââ¬Å"shrinkâ⬠sitting in a chair, with the patient randomly talking as they write away what they are saying on paper. Or perhaps they drum up images of horrible, scary institutions where people are ââ¬Å"thrown awayâ⬠never to be heard from again. In reality there are many variations of this profession, including therapies and techniques. They are helpful people to people of not only mental illness, but those who suffer from stress, anxiety, this list can go on. Though for my paper I will be writing about cognitive behavior therapy, which is a combination of as the name states cognitive and behavior therapies. My hope is to do the subject matter justice in my research paper. Let us begin with the history of cognitive behavior therapy, it was initiated in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Aaron T. Beck,Show MoreRelatedThe Learning Theory Of Actio n1472 Words à |à 6 Pageshave studied and still study the learning theory. Among these groups are behaviorists, cognitive theorists, transformative learning theorists, and those who advocate for constructivism. In my paper I will talk mostly about the behavioristââ¬â¢s views on learning and how they believe that learning is an aspect of conditioning. behaviorists, like other observers of the learning theory, use classical and operant conditioning to distinguish the different types of learning that are being done and to show howRead MoreClassical Conditioning and Multiple Choice4163 Words à |à 17 Pagesreferred to as a ____________ theory. A. behavioral B. psychoanalytical C. humanistic D. developmental Answer: D [Q2] Multiple Choice - 1 point 2) _________theorists try to make sense out of observations and construct a story of the human journey from infancy to adulthood. A. Developmental B. Psychoanalytical C. Behavioral D. Humanistic Answer: A [Q3] Multiple Choice - 1 point 3) Which theory answers the question: Do early experiences of neglect or attachment linger into adulthood? A. humanisticRead MorePsychology : The Mind And How It Works1287 Words à |à 6 Pagesand physiologists began to question the mind and how it works. Some focused on the innermost workings of the mind, such as consciousness and introspection, while others were more interested in its mechanics. Knowing how the field was founded is instrumental in its current applications and how it will continue to be altered and constructed in the future. A system of psychology originally advocated by William Wundt, to identify the components of the mind; Structuralism was organization of consciousnessRead MoreAversion Therapy Is A Method Of Treatment Used For Treat, Decrease, And Evidentially2897 Words à |à 12 PagesAVERSION THERAPY Chad Rowe Mississippi College Child Abuse Investigation AJU432 AO/OL Pamela Spence July 2, 2015 Abstract Aversion Therapy is a method of treatment used to treat, decrease, and evidentially try to eliminate intolerable behaviors. This form of treatment has been used to treat many different addictions and ailments. There are multiple methods used in Aversion Therapy treatment. The study of Aversion Therapy usedRead MoreComparison of Pavlov vs Bandura.2096 Words à |à 9 PagesWe use the term classical conditioning to describe one type of associative learning in which there is no contingency between response and reinforcer. This situation resembles most closely the experiment from Pavlov in the 1920s, where he trained his dogs to associate a bell ring with a food-reward (Ryle 1995). In such experiments, the subject initially shows weak or no response to a conditioned stimulus (CS, e.g. the bell), but a measurable unconditioned response (UCR, e.g. saliva production) toRead MoreA Research Study On Behavior Theory2552 Words à |à 11 PagesIntroduction Behavior theory practitioners focus directly on observable behavior, current determinants of behavior, knowledgeable experiences that promote short and long-term changes, fashioning design treatment strategies to individual clients, rigorous assessment and evaluations. The two practitioners this paper shall primarily focus on the studies of B. F. Skinner and Albert Bandura. With the support from several other scientific studies of development of learning theories makingRead MoreHuman Behavior and the Socil Environment7216 Words à |à 29 PagesMOHAMED JOSEPH ID: UB16614HSO24331 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT : INDIVIDUAL FUNCTIONING/GROUP FUNCTIONING ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWAII WINTER - 2012 The general concept of Social Work is defined by human behavior and the environment. These two components are the tools that give meaning to the profession and narrate its functions in the broadest terms. Behavior is a characteristic of living things which is often identified with life itself. Modern dayRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy ( Cbt )1990 Words à |à 8 PagesCognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a branch of psychotherapy that encompasses several approaches; falling under the heading of CBT. CBT is based on the premise that people s emotional responses and behavior are strongly influenced by cognitions; the fundamental principle being: different cognitions give rise to different emotions and behaviors. CBT was developed out of a combination of both behavior and cognitive principles. CBT is the most empirically supported therapy model and is used toRead MorePsychological Changes During Abused Children Essay7169 Words à |à 29 Pagesphysical abuse as a child, while 8. 3% have been victims of sexual abuse (p. ii). Tragically, some of these children suffered more than one form of abuse also known as poly-victimization. In 2014, it was estimated that nearly 1,600 of these children died from their injuries (?U.S. Department of Health Human Services,? 2016, p. ii). Statistics like these make it abundantly clear that the national problem of abused and neglected children is so out of hand in most states that each governor should be declaringRead MoreThis is an chapter by chapter summary of the book Becoming Attached, did it for extra credit11157 Words à |à 45 Pagesneed to have mother around is just as important as having food, water, and clean diapers. The author gives examples of children who were adopted after infancy and children whom had to spend significant amounts of time away from their mothers during their infant years had suffered from infections and hospitalism, and also severe depression and lonliness. Researchers such as Levy, Bender, Bakwin, Goldfarb, and Spitz had all published papers but very few in the psychoanalysts world paid very much attention
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Black September - 1882 Words
Black September Black September is both the name of Jordanââ¬â¢s war on the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the early seventies and the name of Palestinian terrorist movement created in revenge of the aftermath of Palestinian losses of the war in Jordan. Black September was a movement created by a break away Palestinian faction of Fatah. Fatah Is a Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the PLO. In Palestinian politics it is a more liberal group on the left wing of the spectrum, it is mainly a nationalistic group with some traits of socialism. Fatahââ¬â¢s goal was to have liberation of Palestine and eradication of the Zionist existence. Fatah is not considered a terrorist group by any government. In the lateâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Gutfreund was fired upon with an AK-47 nearly cutting him in half but his actions saved his roommate, coach Tuvia Sokolovsky, and gave him enough time to smash a window and escape. Wrestling coach Moche Weinberg fought back against the intruders, who shot him through his cheek and then forced him to help them find more hostages. Leading the kidnappers past Apartment 2, Weinberg lied to the kidnappers by telling them that the residents of the apartment were not Israelis. Instead, Weinberg led them to Apartment 3, where the terrorists corralled six wrestlers and weightlifters as additional hostages. As the athletes from Apartment 3 were taken back to the coachesââ¬â¢ apartment, Weinberg again attacked the kidnappers, allowing one of his wrestlers, to escape through the underground parking garage. Weinberg knocked one of the group members out and stabbed another with a knife before being shot to death. A weightlifter also attacked and wounded one of the intruders before being shot and killed. ââ¬Å"The terrorists were left with nine living hostages. They were, in addition to Gutfreund, shooting coach Kehat Shorr, athletics coach Amitzur Shapira, fencing master Andre Spitzer, weightlifting judge Yakov Springer, wrestlers Eliezer Halfin and Mark Slavin, and weightlifters David Berger and Zeev Friedman. Gutfreund, physically the largest of the hostages, was tied to a chair. The rest were lined up four apiece on the two beds in SpringerShow MoreRelatedTerrorism And Its Effects On The World981 Words à |à 4 Pagespaper is going to define and discuss the issue of terrorism and explain the why is it so difficult to get a specific definition for term ââ¬Å"terrorismâ⬠, while making references to some terrorist events and organization such as the holocaust, the black September organization, the boko-haram of west Africa and the al-Qaeda group. Major historic terrorism/ Mass genocide event has been as a result of differences in political beliefs. In most cases this involves, the left and right winged ideologies and aRead MoreMunich Massacre6185 Words à |à 25 PagesInvestigation: Outline the main historical debates, perspectives or interpretations you will be discussing Discuss the role that West-German authorities played during the 1972 Munich Olympic crisis, specifically addressing their preparation prior to Black Septemberââ¬â¢s terrorist, as well as their consequent actions and decisions made during the crisis. Primarily, assess whether criticisms of the West-German authoritiesââ¬â¢ handling and preparation of the 1972 Munich Massacre are valid, and thus justifiableRead MorePolitics in Sports2095 Words à |à 9 PagesGerman authorities denied them and assured that there will be extra security in the building they stayed in. The Olympics started as a great success with great atmosphere; however, in the beginning of the second week a group of terrorists called ââ¬Å"Black Septemberâ⬠took hostage 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and in return for their lives demanded the release of hundreds of hostages from Israeli jails as well as some radical leaders from the German prison. The Israeli government didnââ¬â¢t agree, and the GermanRe ad MoreThe Effects Of Hate Crimes Against Muslims978 Words à |à 4 PagesOn September 11th of 2001, more than 3,000 people died during the terrorist attacks. The event changed the lives of not just the people whose loved ones died on that day, but also of those who belonged to the Islamic world. The experience of Muslims who lived in America in 2001 and those who were yet to come here would never be the same again. After 9/11, the number of hate crimes against Muslims in the United States increased and their everyday lives changed forever due to the rise of islamophobiaRead MoreSalient Features of Indian Economy8291 Words à |à 34 Pagesrobust increase in exports and low inflation and interest rates. 2. India is the second fastest growing economy of the world at present. The GDP growth in the first nine months of 2003-2004 has averaged 8.1%. The growth rate in the third quarter September - December 2003 reached 10.4% making India the fastest growing major market in the world in that period. India has recorded one of the highest growth rates in the 1990s. The target of the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07) is 8%. Indiaââ¬â¢s services sectorRead MoreAnalysis : The 9 / 11 Memorial 1381 Words à |à 6 Pagesmemorial that they fully understand the sorrow that comes with the memory of our nationââ¬â¢s tragedy. The first thing that visitors can view at the memorial is the giant pools that replace and represent where the towers once stood. The pools shine black with the water rolling to the middle of the pools. At night, the pools are lit so that the thoughts of the victims are constantly in our minds. When I looked over the edge of the pools, the image of the fallen towers rushes to my mind like the waterRead MoreEssay on Racial Profiling1047 Words à |à 5 PagesHypothesis/Outline Hypothesis: The events of September 11th has caused racial profiling, a practice that was vilified by many just months ago, to become a common and accepted practice used by the government, airline officials, police agencies, and the American public. Profiling has also become a necessary tool used to prevent further terrorist attacks on the United States. Map of the Territory: I. Racial profiling is the practice of selecting someone for investigation or stronger actionRead More9/11: Why It Could Happen Again Essay1165 Words à |à 5 PagesSeptember 11th 2001, the day that changed America forever. On this day, 3,000 Americans including civilians, police officers, firefighters and paramedics were innocently murdered by al-Qaeda terrorist. Commercial airline planes were used as missiles and flown into the World Trade Center in NY, the Pentagon in the nations capital, and in a open field in Pennsylvania. For America being the most technology advanced nation in the world, along with having the largest, strongest and most advance militaryRead MoreEssay on Comparing Documentaries: 9/11 and September Mourning994 Words à |à 4 PagesComparing Documentaries: 9/11 and September Mourning The ways in which the codes and conventions are used the documentaries are that many of them have an interviewer this is sometimes either an invisible interviewer or the interviewer is present and is can be picked out by the audience. Also the camera work differs. The two documentaries I will be concentrating on will be 9/11 by the Naudet brothers (9/11, Naudet Brothers, 2002, Fr/US) 9/11was released by 21stRead MoreThe United States Intervention With Terrorism1081 Words à |à 5 Pageswas first derived years after the first World War, but France and the United Kingdom has been allies before those wars. To get back to the point, after September 11, 2001 with the World Trade Center, attacks it was evident on who the main contributors of the attacks were: al-Qaeda. And so coined the term ââ¬Å"The War on Terror.â⬠Before, the September 11 attacks, al-Qaeda was already a popular terror organization formed by Osama Bin Laden and was the main opposition of the Jews. To continue, Israel was
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Franklin Delano s New Deal Radical - 1405 Words
Was Franklin Delano Rooseveltââ¬â¢s New Deal Radical? The end of the first world war brought about a recession and then nearly a decade of prosperity in the United States. However, on October 29th, 1929, during Herbert Hooverââ¬â¢s presidency, the stock market crashed due to a multitude of problems within the country. At this point, thousands of people that had prospered before the crash, were homeless, jobless, and in a state of penury. In the 1932 election, Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran against the former president, Republican Herbert Hoover, and defeated him in a landslide, receiving the electoral vote in all but six states (Appleby, 651). As Roosevelt was taking office, the unemployment rates were skyrocketing, and more and more people wereâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Reform and reconstruction were represented by new regulations and monetary policies, it stressed the importance of change to make understanding principles of, ââ¬Å"justice and fairness by those in whom lea dership was placed,â⬠and to correct conditions in the economy. (Bolden, 48). Other goals that the New Deal was set to accomplish were: helping the banking industry recover from its failure after the stock market crashed, lowering the unemployment rate from a record high of twenty five percent in 1932, and to restore the hope and confidence of the public. (Appleby, Rooseveltââ¬â¢s New Deal went about all of these in a similar means, but it was condemned and criticized by many for some of the programs that were installed. Enhancing the government was something that the New Deal was able to accomplish, however not without criticism. Through New Deal policies, the government became more powerful than it had previously been, and was now given more of a parental role over certain aspects of the economy. It had been given a much larger role in the stock market, which is still in place today, though it had previously been removed. This role was considered largely controversial by many people, and it continues to be to this day. Without the governmentââ¬â¢s help in these matters, which was proven in the 2008 recession, the stock market would crash again,
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
anselm;s proslogion Essay Example For Students
anselm;s proslogion Essay Back to Medieval Source BookANSELM ON GODS EXISTENCEGods existence was to some extent obvious for medieval theologians. They simply knew he existed. Nevertheless, they attempted to prove his existence anyway, and the basic strategies employed by them are the ones used every since. Here two approaches are presented. The first, by Anselm, is perhaps the most puzzling. While it has not been all that popular with the average believer, it has fascinated philosophers, and even today there are respectable philosophers who accept it. Anselm himself is equally fascinating, since he combined the seemingly disparate roles of saint, ecclesiastical leader, and major philosopher. He was born in 1033 near Aosta, which is now in Italy. At the age of twenty-three he quarreled with his father and began a period of wandering through France on what seems to have resembled an educational grand tour. After trying the schools at Fleury-sur-Loire and Chartres, he arrived at the Benedictine abbey of Bec, which was enjoying an excellent reputation thanks to Lanfranc, who served as both prior and master of its school. Anselm entered the abbey as a novice in 1060 and rapidly rose to eminence. When Lanfranc moved to the new monastery founded at Caen in 1063 by William, the Duke of Normandy, Anselm became prior at Bec, a position he held until he became abbot in 1078. By that time William the Duke had become William the Conqueror and was in the process of reorganizing England. He had brought Lanfranc over as Archbishop of Canterbury, and when Lanfranc died William Rufus, who had succeeded William the Conqueror as king of England, imported Anselm to be the new archbishop. Anselm arrived in 1093 and almost from the moment he touched English soil he was fighting with William to gain ecclesiastical freedom from royal control. By 1097 he was conducting the battle from exile, and was allowed to return only in 1100, when William Rufus was succeeded by Henry I. He got along no better with Henry, however, and in 1103 was back in exile, returning only in 1107 when the stubborn king and equally stubborn archbishop worked out a compromise that became the standard formula for settling church-state quarrels in the twelfth century. Anselm died in 1109. If Anselm was sure of himself in ecclesiastical politics, he was equally so in theology. His associate and biographer Eadmer gives a remarkably telling deathbed scene. It was Palm Sunday, and one of those clustered around Anselms bed remarked that it looked as if the archbishop would be celebrating Easter with God, Anselm replied, Well, if thats what God wants Ill gladly obey him, but if he prefers to let me stay here long enough to solve the problem of the origin of the soul (which Ive been thinking about a great deal lately) I would gratefully accept that opportunity, because I doubt if anyone else is going to solve it once Im gone. Something should be said about the intellectual climate in Anselms time. The main conflict in the eleventh century was between those who saw theology as little more than Bible commentary and those who felt that rational analysis and argument was needed. The first group argued that God was such a mystery, so intellectually inaccessible, that we could hope to talk about him at all only in the symbolic language he himself had graciously given us for that purpose. Nor could we expect to get beyond that language, to infer other truths from it by reason. Anselms writings place him securely in the second group. As he suggests at the beginning of the Proslogion, sin has so darkened our minds that we cannot hope to reach the truth unless God graciously leads us to it. He does so by offering us the truth through revelation and by inspiring us to accept that revelation in faith. Once we accept the truth on that basis, however, we can hope to reason out proofs for what we have already accepted t hrough faith. God is rational, and what he does is rational, and we ourselves are blessed with reason. Thus we should be able to discover the rationality of Gods actions, at least to some extent. We are like students who, unable to solve a mathematical problem, are given the answer to it and then discover they can reason out why that answer is correct. If later theologians found themselves uneasy with this approach, it was because they suspected that even the most brilliant student could not be expected to work out the problem quite as well as Anselm thought he had. In his other major work, the Cur Deus Homo (Why God Became Man), he offers an explanation for the Christs incarnation and crucifixion which essentially argues that God had to do it that way because it was the only logical course he could follow, given the divine attributes of omnipotence and justice. God had to redeem humankind or else the eternal purposes for this it had been created would have been thwarted and Gods omnipotence would have been compromised; yet humankind also had to be punished for the fall or else Gods justice would have been compromised. Anselms argument which explained the course of sacred history not only in broad outline but in excruciating detail made the whole thing very accessible to human reason, perhaps too accessible. Later theologians sus pected that the rationality was achieved by trapping God within the rational structures of the created world. In the final analysis God wasnt very much like us, and we couldnt explain his actions by assuming he had to follow the same rules we do. Abelard, writing somewhat later, suggested that the world was, after all, Gods creation and he could do as he pleased with it. If he wanted to forgive humankind, why couldnt he simply forgive it? PROSLOGIONChapter 1: Encouraging the Mind to Contemplate GodCome on now little man, get away from your worldly occupations for a while, escape from your tumultuous thoughts. Lay aside your burdensome cares and put off your laborious exertions. Give yourself over to God for a little while, and rest for a while in Him. Enter into the cell of your mind, shut out everything except God and whatever helps you to seek Him once the door is shut. Speak now, my heart, and say to God, I seek your face; your face, Lord, I seek.Come on then, my Lord God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you. Lord, if you are not here, where shall I find you? If, however, you are everywhere, why do I not see you here? But certainly you dwell in inaccessible light. And where is that inaccessible light? Or how do I reach it? Or who will lead me to it and into it, so that I can see you in it? And then by what signs, under what face shall I seek you? I have never seen you, my Lord God, or known your face. What shall I do, Highest Lord, what shall this exile do, banished far from you as he is? What should your servant do, desperate as he is for your love yet cast away from your face? He longs to see you, and yet your face is too far away from him. He wants to come to you, and yet your dwelling place is unreachable. He yearns to discover you, and he does not know where you are. He craves to seek you, and does not know how to recognize you. Lord, you are my Lord and my God, and I have never seen you. You have made me and nurtured me , given me every good thing I have ever received, and I still do not know you. I was created for the purpose of seeing you, and I still have not done the thing I was made to do. Oh, how miserable mans lot is when he has lost what he was made for! Oh how hard and dire was that downfall! Alas, what did he lose and what did he find? What was taken away and what remains? He has lost beatitude for which he was made, and he has found misery for which he was not made. That without which he cannot be happy has been taken away, and that remains which in itself can only make him miserable. Back then man ate the bread of angels for which he now hungers, and now he eats the bread of griefs which he did not even know back then. Alas for the common grief of man, the universal lamentation of Adams sons! He belched in his satiety, while we sigh in our want. He was rich, we are beggars. He happily possessed and miserably abandoned, we unhappily lack and miserably desire, yet alas, we remain empty. Why, since it would have been easy for him, did he not keep what we so disastrously lack? Why did he deprive us of light, and cover us with darkness instead? Why did he take life a way from us and inflict death instead? From what have we poor wretches been expelled, and toward what are we being driven? From what have we been cast down, in what buried? From our fatherland into exile, from the vision of God into blindness. From the happiness of immortality into the bitterness and horror of death. What a miserable transformation! From so much good into so much evil! A heavy injury, a heavy, heavy grief. I have come to you as a poor man to a rich one, as a poor rich to a merciful giver. May I not return empty and rejected! And if I sigh before I eat (Job 3:4), once I have sighed give me something to eat. Lord, turned in (incurvatus) as I am I can only look down, so raise me up so that I can look up. My iniquities heaped on my head cover me over and weigh me down like a heavy load (Ps. 37:5). Dig me out and set me free before the pit created by them shuts its jaws over me (Ps. 67:16).Let me see your light, even if I see it from afar or from the depths. Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to this seeker. For I cannot seek you unless you teach me how, nor can I find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in desiring you, and desire you in seeking you. Let me find you in loving you and love you in finding you. I acknowledge, Lord, and I give thanks that you have created in me this your image, so that I can remember you, think about you and love you. But it is so worn away by sins, so smudged over by the smoke of sins, that it cannot do what it was created to do unless you renew and reform it. I do not even try, Lord, to rise up to your heights, because my intellect does not measure up to that task; but I do want to understand in some small measure your truth, which my heart believes in and loved. Nor do I seek to understand so that I can believe, but rather I believe so that I can understand. For I believe this too, that unless I believe I shall not understand (Isa. 7:9). A Poets History EssayNevertheless, that this being must exist not only in my mind but in reality as well is proved to me by the following argument: If it did not, then whatever did exist in reality would be greater, and thus the thing which has already been proved to exist in my mind will not be greater than everything else. If it is said that this being, which cannot be conceived of in terms of any existing thing, exists in the mind, I do not deny that it exists in mine. But through this alone it can hardly be said to attain existence in reality. I will not concede that much to it unless convinced by some indubitable argument. For whoever says that it must exist because otherwise that which is greater than all other beings will not be greater than all other beings, that person isnt paying careful enough attention to what he says. For I do not yet grant, in fact I deny it or at least question it, that the thing existing in my mind is greater than any real thing. Nor do I concede th at it exists in any way except this: the sort of existence (if you can call it such) a thing has when the mind attempts to form some image of a thing unknown to it on the basis of nothing more than some words the person has heard. How then is it demonstrated to me that the thing exists in reality merely because it is said to be greater than everything else? For I continue to deny and doubt that this is established, since I continue to question whether this greater thing is in my mind or thought even in the way that many doubtful or unreal things are. It would first have to be proved to me that this greater thing really exists somewhere. Only then will we be able to infer from the fact that is greater than everything else that it also subsists in itself. For example, they say there is in the ocean somewhere an island which, due to the difficulty (or rather the impossibility) of finding what does not actually exist, is called the lost island. And they say that this island has all manner of riches and delights, even more of them than the Isles of the Blest, and having no owner or inhabitant it is superior in the abundance of its riches to all other lands which are inhabited by men. If someone should tell me that such is the case, I will find it easy to understand what he says, since there is nothing difficult about it. But suppose he then adds, as if he were stating a logical consequence, Well then, you can no longer doubt that this island more excellent than all other lands really exists somewhere, since you do not doubt that it is in your mind; and since it is more excellent to exist not only in the mind but in reality as well, this island must necessarily exist, because if it didnt, any other island really existing would be more exc ellent than it, and thus that island now thought of by you as more excellent will not be such. If, I say, someone tries to convince me though this argument that the island really exists and there should be no more doubt about it, I will either think he is joking or I will have a hard time deciding who is the bigger fool, me if I believe him or him if he thinks he has proved its existence without having first convinced me that this excellence is something undoubtedly existing in reality and not just something false or uncertain existing in my mind. In the meantime, this is how the fool answers. If it is asserted in the first place that this being is so great that its nonbeing is logically inconceivable (this in turn being proved by nothing except that otherwise it would not be greater than all other beings), then the fool can answer, When did I say that such a being, namely one greater than all others, actually exists, thus allowing you to proceed from there to argue that it so really exists that its very nonexistence is inconceivable? It should first be proved conclusively that some being superior to (that is, greater and better than) all others exists, so that on this basis we can go on to prove the attributes such a greater and better being must possess. When, however, it is said that this highest being cannot be thought of as not existing, perhaps it would have been better to say that its nonbeing or the possibility of its nonbeing is unintelligible. For strictly speaking false things are unintelligible even though they can be thought of in the same way the fool thought God did not exist. I am absolutely certain that I exist, although I nevertheless know that my nonexistence is possible. And I understand without doubting it that the highest thing there is, namely God, exists and cannot not exist. I do not know, however, whether I can think of myself as nonexistant when I know for certain that I exist. If it turns out that I can do so in this case, why should I not be able to do the same concerning other things I know with equal certainty? If I cannot, though, the impossibility of doing so will not be something peculiar to thinking about God. The other parts of that book are argued with such veracity, brilliance and splendor, and filled with such value, such an intimate fragrance of devout and holy feeling, that they should in no way be condemned because of those things which, at the beginningit also prove that he exists are rightly intuited but less firmly argued. Rather those things should be argued more robustly and the entire work thus received with great respect and praise. ANSELMS REPLY TO GAUNILOSince whoever wrote this reply to me is not the fool against whom I wrote in my treatise but instead one who, though speaking on behalf of the fool, is a catholic Christian and no fool himself, I can speak to him as a catholic Christian. You say whoever you are who claim that the fool can say these things that something greater than which cannot be thought of is in the mind only as something that cannot be thought of in terms of some existent thing known to us. And you say that one can no more argue, since a being greater than which cannot be thought of exists in my mind it must also exist in reality, than one can argue, the lost island certainly exists in reality because when it is described in words the hearer has no doubt that it exists in his mind. I say in reply that if a being greater than which cannot be thought of is neither understood nor thought of, nor is it in our understanding or our thought, then God either is not that greater than which cannot be thought of or he is not understood or thought of, nor is he in the understanding or mind. In proving that this is false I appeal to your faith and conscience. Therefore a being greater than which cannot be thought of is really understood and thought of and it really is in our understanding and thought. And that is why the arguments by which you attempt to prove the contrary either are not true or what you think follows from them does not follow from them at all. Moreover, you imagine that although a being greater than which cannot be thought of is understood, it does not follow that it exists in our understanding nor does it follow that, since it is in our understanding, it must exist in reality. I myself say with certainty that if such a being can even be thought of as existing, it must necessarily exist. For a being greater than which cannot be thought of cannot be thought of except as having no beginning; but whatever can be thought of as existing yet does not actually exist can be thought of as having a beginning. Therefore a being greater than which cannot be thought of cannot be thought of yet not actually exist. Therefore, if it can be thought of, it nBibliography-Translation by David Burr emailprotected. See his home page. He indicated that the translations are available for educational use. He intends to expand the number of translations, so keep a note of his home page. Paul Halsall Jan 1996 emailprotected
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Business Economics and Suppliers Implements Strategies
Question: Describe about the Business Economics and Suppliers Implements Strategies. Answer: 1: In order to gain the maximum revenue, the suppliers implements strategies. There are a number of ways in which the suppliers are able to increase their revenue depending upon the market demand and supply of the product. Case 1: Introduction In a perfectly competitive market, the suppliers intend to lower the price of the products offered to the customers in the market, when the market economy is slow. Lowering the price level allows the supplier to sell more products and earn higher revenue. Analysis Li Zhang, (2013) stated that if the demand curve of the product supplied is perfectly elastic, then the customers are likely to purchase lesser quantity and thus, reducing the price is beneficial in increasing the revenue (Refer to appendix 1). From the figure, it can be inferred that at price level P1 (Rs. 5 per unit) the amount sold is Q1 (10 units), then the revenue obtained by the supplier is P1*Q1 = 50. On the other hand, with the decrease in the price level P2 (Rs. 3 per unit), the quantity sold is Q2 (25 units). The new revenue earned is P2*Q2= 75. Conclusion Therefore, the supplier is able to increase the revenue by lowering the price, if the demand is perfectly elastic (Negash Kirschen, 2014). Case 2: Introduction The supplier can decide to raise the price level of the goods so as to boost up the revenue if the products offered by the supplier have a perfectly inelastic demand curve. Analysis For such a commodity, the consumers would purchase the same quantity of product even if the price level is high (Refer to appendix 2). As per the diagram, the initial price level is P1 (Rs. 3 per unit) and the quantity sold is Q1 (8 units) and the revenue earned is P1*Q1= 24. Conclusion The perfectly inelastic demand curve indicates that rise in the price level will not affect the demand to large extent. The new price level is P2 (Rs. 7 per unit) and the quantity sold is Q2 (6 units). The new revenue thus earned is P2*Q2= 42. 2: Introduction Every economy has diverse natural, capital and human resources and has separate ways in which the resources are combined. Thus, a country is not similarly resourceful in producing all goods and services. The decision regarding the producing of goods have certain opportunity costs (Johnson, 2013). Analysis If a country is efficient in producing all the goods efficiently than any other country then it has an absolute advantage. However, Feenstra, (2015) opined that trade is necessary as the notion of comparative advantage is present, which is a condition in which a country produces a particular product at a lower opportunity cost than other economies. Hence, even if a country has absolute advantage it can engage in trade with other countries that have a comparative advantage in producing the particular goods. Conclusion The engagement in the trade will allow the countries taking part in the trade to gain a mutual benefit, as absolute advantage is a condition where the there is no mutual benefits. Thus, a country is able to produce all products more competently than the other economies even have a need to engage in trade to gain further advantage. References Feenstra, R. C. (2015). Advanced international trade: theory and evidence. Princeton university press. Johnson, H. G. (2013). International Trade and Economic Growth (Collected Works of Harry Johnson): Studies in Pure Theory. Routledge. Li, C., Zhang, F. (2013). Advance demand information, price discrimination, and preorder strategies. Manufacturing Service Operations Management, 15(1), 57-71. Negash, A. I., Kirschen, D. S. (2014, July). Optimizing demand response price and quantity in wholesale markets. In 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting| Conference Exposition (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
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