Descartes And God Essays - Epistemology, Ren Descartes, Free Essays

Descartes And God Essays - Epistemology, Ren Descartes, Free Essays Descartes And God Jared Rhine English 201 October 10, 1997 Descartes sets about proving the existence of God through his meditations on knowledge in an effort to prove the skeptics of his time wrong. He first determines that human knowledge is based entirely too much on unproved presuppositions. He argues that this makes it difficult to distinguish between truth and error, since we cannot recognize true knowledge. Descartes proposes that the quest for knowledge must be based upon universal doubt. Specifically, he proposes the following in relation to his universal methodic doubt: 1. In order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life, to doubt, as far as possible, of all things. 2. We ought also to consider as false all that is doubtful. 3. We ought not meanwhile to make use of doubt in the conduct of life 4. Why we may doubt of sensible things. 5. Why we may also doubt of mathematical demonstrations. 6. We cannot doubt of our existence while we doubt, and this is the first knowledge we acquire when we philosophize in orde r. Descartes proceeded to strip away his knowledge base in order to determine the one indubitable fact, Cogito, ergo sum. From this absolute knowledge of his own existence, he set about deducing the existence of God through ontological argument. In our minds, the idea of God is one of an infinitely perfect Being. An infinitely perfect being must have existence, otherwise it would not be infinitely perfect. Therefore, God exists. In proving the existence of God, Descartes set the groundwork for determining that God created man. He further postulated that God, being infinitely perfect and not a deceiver, could not have provided man with the deceptive powers of knowledge. Therefore, man's mental faculties are determined to be trustworthy provided we separate what there is of clear and distinct in the knowledge from what is obscure and confused. Using this reasoning, man must discard all previous knowledge, which is doubt-ridden, all sensory-based knowledge (as perceptions can be misleading ), and all intellection. As a result, skepticism is removed and valid knowledge possible. Descartes primary purpose was the defense of human knowledge against the attacks of the skeptics. He was justified in excluding preconceived notions, presuppositions, and traditions in determining the limits of knowledge. Descartes discarded the ability of the mind to know truth and the human abilities of contradiction and sufficient reason. In doing so, he made a solution to the problem impossible. As it relates to his theory of the existence of God, Descartes universal doubt refutes his own conclusion as to God's existence. Descartes formed an idea of God as an infinitely good being. He would have had to discover this idea within his own mind. According to his principle of universal doubt, he cannot simply know whether his conception of God is correct or incorrect. He would have, as a matter of his own principle, considered it as false until proven otherwise. Therefore, since the idea of God is in doubt, the trustworthiness of man's reasoning must also be doubtful and Descartes cannot escape his own real doubt. Descartes uses a process of reasoning, a mathematical formulae, in attempting to demonstrate God's existence. If his reasoning is of demonstrably doubtful validity, how can Descartes demonstrate God's existence? The validity of Descartes reasoning is supposed to flow as a consequence of the infinite perfection of God; and God's infinite perfect is made certain through Descartes' reasoning powers before he has even proven that these reasoning powers are valid and trustworthy. Descartes assumes the very thing beforehand, which he intends to prove afterwards. Descartes accepts the trustworthiness of his faculties in demonstrating the existence and infinite perfection of God, and that is illegitimate. A doubtfully valid faculty will produce a doubtfully valid argument, which will, in turn, produce a doubtfully valid conclusion. The ent ire argument for God's existence is therefore nullified by a suspect reasoning process. Since he proves the reliability of his reason and process by means of God's veracity, the proof of his reliability cannot be established beyond doubt. Thus, Descartes attempt to vindicate the validity of human knowledge failed, because, by rejecting the reliability of his own powers to discover and know

Social Networking

Social Networking Introduction In their quest to integrate with others, people develop various behaviors besides doing different things through which they create and maintain relationships and social networking being one of these. Social networking is the collection of people into various groups who have common interests and sometimes similar likes and dislikes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Networking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It can also be defined as the creation of groups of people who want to share information and help each other in building relationships as it occurs in local villages and communities. It should be noted that, though social networking is possible and can easily be done in schools, villages and workplaces, it is rampant on the internet. This is the case because unlike in the villages and schools where people might not want to share their information or personal views with one another, the internet has millions and probably billions of people who are ready to share information (Niciejewska 17). This is also boosted by the fact that internet covers a relatively wide area and people want to get firsthand information from all parts of the world and therefore, find it more interesting to network online. However, though social networking has various advantages like enabling easy and first flow of information, it also has far reaching consequences including consuming time which could have been used for other productive activities. Advantages of Social Networking Social networking is a common feature in the world nowadays and it is practically impossible for any person to say that the world can do without networking at any level. It is practiced from professional aspects to personal lives and by the old, the middle aged and the young generation a like. It has become more a way of life than it is a technological aspect of how people spend their leisure time which was the init ial intention. To begin with, social networking has decreased the costs of get in touch with people because the social networking sites that people use are mostly free. People seated in the comfort of their private rooms can easily communicate with different people in different continents within a minute at a cost that could have been used to communicate with one person. On top of that, business people can easily learn the likes and dislikes as well as other behaviors of their target markets thus carrying a research at no cost and this enables them in designing their products according to the consumers’ need. In addition to that, people can easily advertise their goods and services on the social networking media for a negligible cost when they are networking (Rosenbloom 431).Advertising Looking for research paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, social networking helps in building confidence of people to one another. This is highly advantageous to business people who will want to create a good rapport with their customers so that they can maintain them for future purposes. Customers feel more confident if they interact with the business people both on professional and personal grounds and this makes them feel at easy. It should also be noted that it is easy to get correct and objective information from the customers whom one interacts with both on professional and personal grounds than those with whom one interacts with on business reasons only (Smith and ze 338). On top of that, social networking has really improved the way people can offer after sale service since even if people are very far apart communication is easy and one can easily find his or her customers. Moreover; social networking sites like facebook, twitter and others have increased the connections among people nowadays which have been advantageous in the long run. Many of the connect ions that started in the social networking sites have ended in face to face meetings and made longtime friends who help each other in many aspects of live. In addition to that, social networking has increased the flow of knowledge from one person to another. Scientists, sociologists and people from other professions have been able to get information through the social networking sites therefore, increasing their knowledge base besides communicating their theories (Raje 76). This would have been impossible in other circumstances and some theories developed would have ended up being isolated and irrelevant. In conjunction with that, social networking has also changed the way education is conducted and improved the interactions between teachers and students. Students have joined several social networking sites and teachers have embraced this technology therefore, making learning process more accommodating. Extended classroom discussions, assignments, test and quizzes are found online n owadays and they can be accessed all day round making learning an interesting activity. On top of that, relationships between parents and teachers have been boosted by social networking sites whereby teachers and parents can communicate without having to meet face to face (Niciejewska 18). This not only saves time but also increases the chances of interaction between teachers and parents who most of the times are far apart. On top of that, social networking has been used by various organizations to seek for support from the masses. It can be noted that nowadays, various political parts have successfully used social networking in their campaigns because it is cheap and reaches a huge number of people at the same time.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Networking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, social networking has been used by various groups to connect people seeking for employment with t he available employment opportunities, thus increasing the employment rates in the community (Mason and Frank 7). This is common among college students who have even come up with their social networking site where the alumni give information to final year students about the employment opportunities that are available at the given time. Disadvantages Despite the immense importance of social networking in the lives of people nowadays, it has brought about some very dire consequences which have not only cost people money but have also led to loss of lives. Social networking sites like facebook and twitter require that people provide their information concerning their age, gender, location and other important information. This information most of the times reach people who are not known to the provider of information. Others use the information on social networking sites without the consent of the concerned people for their benefits (Harwood 64). In addition to that, it has been reporte d that criminals use social networking site to get information about their targets which has increased crime rates. Additionally, social networking sites have become addictive and people spend a lot of their time either chatting in the social networking sites or trying to get new friends. This leads to various behavioral changes in a person and end up making people antisocial on personal grounds because they are consumed by the networking sites all the time and do not have time to socialize with their immediate neighbors. On top of that, the time spent on social networking sites by people has been increasing exponentially since the discovery of the sites (DasGupta 159). This means that people have reduced the time spent on other issues to concentrate on social networking. Among the most affected time is the time people spend on work and this has led to loss of a lot of productive time thus, reducing efficiency in working places. This has made some organizations to prohibit their emp loyees from visiting social networking sites during working hours. When people are networking online, it is difficult to authenticate the information that they provide. Consequently, people have used this weakness of the internet to their advantage by giving false information about themselves to unsuspecting people in the social networking sites. On top of that, children are also at risk of being misused especially by sex predators because they can easily access the children’s information from online sites and lure them into meeting face to face. In conjunction with that, the social networking sites make people to feel connected with the world while in actual sense they are not (Bradburne 193).Advertising Looking for research paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has been proofed to increase the feeling of loneliness among people and thus leading to psychological and emotional trauma. In addition to that, there is no limit as to what people can post on the social networking sites and this has been a cause of concern as people have taken advantage of this to post provocative information and pictures which not only cause emotional trauma but also death. Conclusion Social networking is an inevitable aspect of human live because of the way that it has been incorporated in the day to day activities of people. People meet, connect, learn and do their business through social networking sites. With the advancement in technology, the importance of social networking is increasing and it is important that people learn how to deal with it given the adverse effects that it can have. Bradburne, Alan. Practical Rails Social Networking Sites. New York: Apress, 2007. Print. DasGupta, Subhasish. Social Computing: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Appl ications. Hershey: Idea Group, 2009. Print Harwood, Mike. Security Strategies in Web Applications and Social Networking. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett, 2010. Print. Mason, Robin, and Frank Rennie. E-Learning and Social Networking Handbook: Resources for Higher Education. London: Routledge, 2008. Print. Niciejewska, Katharina. The Influence of Social Networks in Japanese Business-Kairetsu as a Japanese Network. Munchen: GRIN Verlag, 2007. Print. Raje, Fiona. Negotiating the Transport System: User Contexts, Experiences and Needs. Farnham: Ashgate Publishers, 2007. Print. Rosenbloom, Bert. Marketing Channels. Hoboken: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Smith, Peter, and Ze Zook. Marketing Communications: Integrating Offline and Online with Social Media. London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2011. Print.

Your Choice essays

Your Choice essays It would be a perfect world if all women used birth control correctly and consistently, and every girl who became pregnant were ecstatic, as well as being capable both financially and emotionally to raise their child. However, until that day comes we need to keep abortion legal. In the United States, people are blessed to have many freedoms. Americans have freedom of expression, freedom of speech and many others liberties. Our society has the privilege to choose and decide many things for our benefit also. Women should have the right to decide whether or not she wants to have a baby. The government telling us what to do and not to do with our bodies only causes more problems. Laws against abortion would cause more death horror stories. Without the option of terminating an unwanted pregnancy, women would resort to drastic measures. We would see women getting backroom abortions which were dirty and done by incompetent people for money. They would use such options as coat hangers or knitting needles, overdose on drugs, or take poison. Many women would try to self-abort by inflicting pain on themselves: by throwing themselves down stairs, doing strenuous work or exercise, or deliberately overworking themselves to exhaustion. In the cases of rape and incest the very idea of being forced to have the child of the woman's abuser is repulsive. Could you imagine having a constant reminder of the abuse? It is also true that women whose own health is compromised during pregnancy are more likely to miscarry and to deliver babies who are sick. Their babies are also more likely to die soon after birth. Women whos pregnancies which are unwanted are often less likely to get prenatal care and are statistically more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs during their pregnancy, and are more likely to give birth to low birth weight, sick babies, as well as not breast feed. Should a baby be forced to be brought up under ...

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 155

Essay Example Socialism is often perceived, by many, as the softest form of Communism. It is a political, social, and economic structure that advocates â€Å"collectiveness,† which grants the means of production and distribution of goods into the hands of the government and out of the hands of companies and individuals; essentially eliminating â€Å"private† property all together. Libertarianism and Conservativism were the two most common and widely embraced political and governmental ideologies throughout large parts of Europe in the 19th century. However, towards the latter part of the 19th century the socialist ideology first became more popular. No doubt a direct reaction to the Capitalist ideology that was ideal for the upper class, but was far less beneficial for the working class and the poor, made Socialism so attractive. Karl Marx wrote the â€Å"Communist Manifesto,† detailing his vision of the ideal society; he believed that could never be achieved through Capitalism. Capitalism is like a pyramid it is really only going to be beneficial for those at the apex, never those at the foundational base. Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German born philosopher and thinker. He became a journalist and harsh political critic with strong opinions, many of which were rather controversial. His socialist and budding communist views would ultimately get him literally exiled from both France and Germany. He would eventually spend his exile in London, England, where he would ultimately remain until his death at the age of 65. He believed that the class struggle would never end and the gap between them would only widen. He believed that Capitalism was, in fact, a kind of â€Å"dictatorship of the bourgeoisies.† Eventually their irreconcilable differences would result in the fall of Capitalism and then the people would implement Socialism. However, Marx

Service learning paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Service learning paper - Assignment Example The teaching is scheduled for the weekend, and this means that the service hours are not counted by the other organizations and I can manage to work on other works. The service project has been of great value to my education level. I have managed to discover that it is a powerful resource that has simmered through my education. This resource has a great impact on my students since they enjoy learning the Arabic language and their culture. It is enjoyable since the academic and behavioral aspects that are involved through the students distract me. However, through the service projects I have managed to discover that the students develop inspiring moment when service challenges are presented to them. My encounter with the kids at school reminds me of my initial youthful enthusiasm, and energy that I had as a student that contributed to my improvement in school. I feel important teaching Arabic languages to students who are born and raised in America, since this offers them an opportuni ty to learn about their cultures. The service project has enabled me to gain knowledge and skills, and this has improved my individual confidence and care. Teaching basic Arabic in the Erie Islamic Culture Center is important since I get to perfect my skills in Arabic language. Interacting with children can also be described as a great experience since I get to learn virtues like patience that I can apply in my daily activities. Through the scheduled services hours I get time to study and the teaching does not affect my studies since it is scheduled during the weekends when I do not have classes. The service project had a great financial value to me in both direct and indirect ways although it was voluntary. I managed to get a job where I could work during my individual free time. The time scheduled for teaching was convenient with me and I never was disrupted from attending my studies considering that they happened during the weekends. In an indirect manner, I managed to gain exper ience that I would apply in my future career. I was exposed to children at an early age and this motivated me to be more planned since my major aspect was the assessment and reflection of my assigned project. This would be easier in the future since I would be recommended by the school as an effective teacher and getting a stable job when am done with my studies would be easier. This role provided a positive linkage of both the academic and social learning and it enabled me to evaluate my student learning. The community takes a big part in the development of social services; it should contribute to the fostering of a successful cooperation among individuals. It should focus on the creation of project opportunities that enable individuals to become more exposed of their future careers. Given this chance as students, we apply our academic learning to the real-life problems through the exploration and development of our interests in both the public and community services. The indulgent of the community in the service project means that individuals have the chance to develop interpersonal teamwork, since they manage to interact with many individuals in the community. They also develop leadership skills through the services they exemplify in the society, as individuals their value of self- efficiency develops through the recognition of their individual efforts. This develops a positive feedback

Position Arguments on Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Position Arguments on Immigration - Essay Example en (160) points out some of these central immigration setbacks such as political tussles and dissension, multiplex wide contradictory state standpoints which have resulted in subsidized final U.S.A immigration procedures (161). Steve points out that vast attempts by the developing nations to combat immigration via coming up with new rules has flopped. Tim Johnson (163) proclaims in his Free Trade: As U.S.A Corn Flows South, Mexicans Stop Farming that free trade standpoint is not the perfect option in curbing immigration since controlled by vast firms (and bureaus) and managed by global associates such as the International Monetary Fund altogether with North America Free Trade Agreement which as a result has led to disparity and inconsistencies among the Latin American states overall financial systems (164). Brandon Hill (168) in Tennessee Daily Life points out that this financial recession came about after vast agribusiness agencies purchased large territories of Mexican cultivation lands and hence compelling the poverty-stricken inhabitants to shift and resettle. The unsettled poverty-stricken individuals result to seeking refuge from advanced states inclusive of the United States of America. Samuel P. Huntington (169) in his The Special Case of Mexican Immigration asserts that it is prerequisite to differentiate between settlers and immigrants, quoting that immigrants transverse between one or several societies (or communities for that matter). Huntington shows concern over the unwon immigrant’s battle. He points outs that, if for instance, the immigrants were issued with documents of residents after every ten years since 19th century; almost 1% of the emigration menace would have been cleared each succeeding year (170). In addition, David L. Altheide (180) in his The Arizona Syndrome: Propaganda and the Politics of Fear proclaims that fear has largely constituted into the contemporary erroneous statistics in the mass media concerning the illicit emigrants

How do You Think a Confucian, a Daoist, and a Legalist would Evaluate Essay

How do You Think a Confucian, a Daoist, and a Legalist would Evaluate Asoka as a Ruler - Essay Example Asoka was inclined to fundamental values such as love, tolerance and was a devotee of nonviolence (Andrea and Overfield 143). Asoka was a peace-loving ruler who tried to instill a secular state ethic of non-violence. This clearly matches the arguments of the Confucius that claims that persons in a position of superiority were supposed to set an admirable example of moral behavior. This is what Asoka did (Andrea and Overfield 90). According to the Confucian doctrines, the politics are highly valued. They believe that politics is closely related to eternal life. The doctrines back up social issues that are indispensable as far as the livelihood of people is concerned. Because of this, aspects such as domestic order, preserve tradition, constant standard of living for the taxpaying peasants are highly valued. The Confucian theory is anchored on the belief that a ruler who cannot exemplify moral behavior is bound to loss the Mandate of Heaven. The Confucian doctrines aim at nurturing val ues such as compassion, traditional rituals, allegiance, and respect for superiors (Andrea and Overfield 92). The Confucius tends to value the family and community than the individual. This means that for one to be recognized by the Confucian, he or she must be able to assist the community. Egocentric is highly disregarded. From the religious perspective, Confucians worship the ancestors. They are still inclined to the traditional beliefs. Asoka argues that the relationship with the parents and living creatures should be firmly established. Ideally, the ruler should himself be such a model. For this, Asoka may be seen as an able ruler whose style of leadership style largely intertwines with the doctrine of Confucius (Andrea and Overfield 143). Legalism is anchored on the fact that people, by nature are evil, selfish, and untrustworthy. This philosophy aims at addressing the features of the people. It has one limitation in that it does not address the meaning of life. According to th e philosophy, law is the main tool through which people can be made to live in harmony. Because of this, the philosophy claims that the law code should be clearly availed to the public. Public must have access to the law code so that they can do according to the law. Failure to do meet these conditions may tempt people to commit crimes. The philosophy believes that the law makes people equal before the stipulated law codes (Andrea and Overfield 96). Nevertheless, the law states that those who break the law should be punished. Therefore, it is necessary to appreciate the fact that the measures that were taken provided some assurance of predictability. Similarly, the ruler has no significant impact or influence on the rule of law as it is predominantly run by the state and not him. Asoka became a successful ruler after a successful execution of military conquests. He waged war at Kalinga. This brings him out as a forceful ruler (Andrea and Overfield 143). A legalist would rate Asoka a n inferior leader. Legalism stated that ruler should be in a position to employ some leadership tactics. This would ensure that he or she is under control of others. It also ensures that no one may claim the control over the state. They claim that this is possible because no one could possibly predict the motivations of the ruler like Asoka. Consequently, it is even hard to understand the appropriate behavior for the successful execution and following of laws (Andrea and Over