The State of Human Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The State of Human Nature - Essay Example Hobbes identified and discussed two paths that human nature takes and, no matter the striving and effort put into one or another, the human being and its glory or fall resides in what he called ethical egoism. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this matter by looking at two examples: one given by Michel Montaigne and the other, more recent and representing a deeply disturbing moment in history, by Primo Levi. The ethics and moral values of humans seem to diminish, if not vanish, when it comes to two important processes that set into motion the dynamics of humanity; be it the natural condition that Hobbes discusses, that of the man dealing with no artificial political or religious bodies of governance, a man who has to create a cult for the Self in order to survive, or the condition in which the mechanisms of power punish or reward the individual, man proves to be fundamentally violent and able to start the metamorphosis of everything that once was considered moral value. In 'De Cive' Hobbes concludes that: " I obtained two absolutely certain postulates of human nature: one, the postulate of human greed by which each man insists upon his own private use of common property; the other, the postulate of natural reason, by which each man strives to avoid violent death."1 The transformations do not completely erase the cognitive capacities of the individual, but reinforce in a very dangerous way for the society the Delphic principle 'nosce te ipsum', which can push the individual into a world of absurdity in which reasoning is as well transformed and all meaning becomes corrupt. Michael Montaigne's aim in his essay 'On Cannibals' is a very complex one and it is that of proving that no matter the time or the social circumstances, human nature developed its fundamental values and constantly fought to adjust morality to whatever its interest was. The problem of the pain or pleasure generated by a government like mechanism, which in Hobbes opinion triggers the egotistic behavior, is seen by Montaigne as something which occurs in those of us who have a very strong desire to be better than others, desire that is destructive for the rest of the society, and, this sort of action loses touch with the original selfishness, degenerating thus; we all are barbarians, some are transformed by these inner happenings into more barbaric people. For Montaigne both the cannibal who lives in a natural state of no law and reasoning, who and the cannibal who adhered to a moral barbarism as part of an artificial structure, if we are to put it in Hobbes terms, are guilty of seeing as barbarian, as a threat "whatever is not his own practice".2 When it comes to the questions related to the similarities and differences between the cannibal and the barbarian withholding some moral values, the last one represents the society contemporary to Montaigne, mainly seen in terms of political dispute and greed for power just like in Hobbes case; both philosophers found their theories on the sort of violence generated by self conscious people who end up acting as violent beings who are in fact too weak and fall under the influence of their own edacity. Montaigne's argument stands valid and is a confirmation of Hobbes's thesis that humans act only in their own advantage. Montaigne states that: "I conceive there is more barbarity in eating a man alive, than when he is dead; in tearing a body limb

Tacit Knowledge, Systems for Combating Identity Theft Article

Tacit Knowledge, Systems for Combating Identity Theft - Article Example Also devise a method for a medical or financial organization to determine its security measures are sufficient. Develop an organizational plan for information systems to address potential identity theft issues. Tacit Knowledge: Making It Explicit Reference Information: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/economicHistory/Research/facts/tacit.pdf Purpose of Study: Provide an understanding of tacit knowledge and the risks related to it. Sampling Comments: According to TACIT KNOWLEDGE(n.d), tacit knowledge is â€Å"information that the actor knows he has (how to catch a ball, tie a knot, and mark a line) but which he cannot, nonetheless, describe in terms other than its own (skilful) performance†(TACIT KNOWLEDGE, n.d.). Measures: The article reviews aspects related to tacit knowledge. The aspect of transfer of knowledge from one person to the other is the core factor in tacit knowledge. Polanyi (2002) argues that transformation of such information creates problems. Personal knowledge is commonl y used despite the fact that it is shared among many. Findings/Results/Main Points: Personal information works best when instruments used in technology are not available. Availability of machines used in communication and softwares that encourage social behavior contributes to tacit. During this process, many employees are tricked to leak secret information that lead to identity theft. Conclusion: The importance of tacit knowledge remains debatable in relation to the risks involved. Its effectiveness is noted from the ability that it lacks explicit information. Organizations need to sensitize their employees on use on internet to avoid leakage of secret information that leads to identity theft. Systems for Combating Identity Theft- A Theoretical Framework Reference Information: Ji’, S. Smith-Chao, S. & Min, Qing-Fei. (2008, August). Systems Plan for Combating Identity Theft- A Theoretical Framework. J. Serv. Sci. & Management Journal, 1: 143-152. SciRes. Purpose of Study: To examine the starting point used for organizational systems design in roles played by identity owner, the issuer, checker and protector. Sampling Comments: â€Å"From system analysis and design perspective, understanding identity theft problem and designing managerial and technological systems to combat identity theft requires a holistic and comprehensive framework† (Ji, Smith-Chao & Min, 2008). Measures: Identity thieves use several techniques to retrieve data from their victims. Some of unsophisticated means used are stolen wallets, cell phones and laptops. Social engineering is used in convincing internet users to reveal their secret information. Processes needed to stop identity theft rely on information technology and its systems. Findings/Results/Main Points: Identity theft takes place through stage managed steps. Step one; the identity thief gets personal information of the victim. In step two; the identity thief tries to misuse stolen information of the victim. The fin al step involves the victim suffers emotionally or financially after the identity thief has vandalized the victim’s property. Conclusion: The world has turned to a global village through technology. Use of internet has increased from individual use to organizations. Internet is used for communication and business. Personal information

Exotic Opera in the 19th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exotic Opera in the 19th Century - Essay Example Thereafter, the researcher will conduct a brief literature review that will analyze the dissimilarities between Verdi’s music and Marico’s music which is used in their operas. Similar studies will also be evaluated before making a conclusion on the differences between the two operas (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 154). There are three chief trends that exhibited exoticism all through the nineteenth century. These trends includes; the utilization of western music alongside exotic elements in operas, the introduction of romantic exoticism through music and dance and relying on the audience to make a decision on the extent of exoticism (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 157). The most apparent dissimilarity between the two operas is based on the reality that; II trovatore uses more melodical inventions with tunes which are quotable in nature, that are not shown in Verdi’s opera. For this reason, different people such as Edord Hanslich said that the music used in II trovatore was shot from a pistol because it is both direct and encompasses attractive melodies. For instance, in the start of act II where there is a movement from the Anvil chorus of gypsies into the Azucena chorus, there is richness of melodies that ensures that the drama is moved in an electrifying way through the opera (Locke,  Musical Exoticism, p, 155). These differences brings out different stereotypes concerning Europeans and gypsies. Thereby creates a conflict among different people and characters, this conflict are apparent in the two operas. For instance, Julian Budden points out that European music is more eminently expressive, aspiring, has high quality content, and features long-breathing phases that make the audience to relate effectively with what is being sung in the opera. On the contrast, Gypsies uses music which is composed of short and common phrases and repetitive rhythmic patterns whose overall totality is

Discrimination and Domestic Violence against Women in America Essay

Discrimination and Domestic Violence against Women in America - Essay Example Gender-based violence is global and varies from one society to another only in scope; the United States is not an exception. The United Nations Declaration on Violence against Women defines gender based violence as: â€Å"Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life" (Article 1) The scope of forms of discrimination is huge and includes, though is not limited to forced abortion, forced pregnancy, prostitution and sterilization, rape, domestic and community violence, sexual abuse of female children, sexual harassment, intimidation at work and social institutions, marital rape. All these forms can be grouped into broader sections: socio-cultural discrimination and violence, discrimination at work, and, finally, home abuse. The dramatic influence on women and society in general of any type of discrimination can hardly be overestimated, while the reasons underneath and direct course of actions to be taken are still not clear and hardly will ever be. When it comes to speaking about socio-cultural discrimination, the majority does not realize to what extent beliefs termed â€Å"culture† shape women’s lives and the understanding of the personal role in society. Cultural values rooted in unequal distribution of power between women and men limit, subordinate and discriminate female population; traditions formed for centuries become a justification for  denial of basic human rights, the principle of equality is challenged when it comes to women. Cultural discrimination that women experience in the USA can hardly be compared to India or Iraq: â€Å"Kajal Khidr was accused of adultery by her husband's family and held hostage by six family members in Iraqi Kurdistan. Kajal Khidr was tortured and mutilated; family members cut off part of her nose and told her she would be killed after the birth of her child.†Ã‚  

Healthcare Administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare Administration - Research Paper Example In fact, large amount of medical research breakthroughs take place in Academic Health Centers. These consequently result in clinical benefits and philanthropy towards the patients. Let us look at some of the famous Academic Health Centers in the World. 1. The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) is one of the foremost associations of Academic Health Centers. It is a nonprofit organization, and consists of allopathic and osteopathic medical school. The AAHC contributes variously to the education system of the different countries. AAHC is vital for generation of newer ideas, concepts and therapies. It is responsible for original centers of innovation and benefit mankind on a large scale. 2. The Biomedical Research Centre at Bethlem Hospital, London, has majorly paced the research facilities at the institute. They’ve sought some ‘personalized medicine’ that has been a medical breakthrough in psychological medical history. 3. Centre for Rural Health, South Africa, undertakes research activities that are pertaining to the regional ailments; it was started off way back in 1980’s. However, today it has spread to a large number of countries, due to the efforts of its academic health centre. Ans 2. Telemedicine is a largely popular form of clinical medicine; to make the process of medicine audio-visual and also convenient for many to use. Telemedicine is a process of two professionals discussing the possibilities of a case over a telephonic conference. Telemedicine is of great benefit to remote communities who have scarce resources of finding adequate medical help at the right time. In fact, telemedicine is now rapidly replacing many technologies like Doctor-on-Wheels, due to its immensely beneficial results that it has cropped up with. Telemedicine can provide for accurate diagnosis as well as accurate examinations of the various techniques of medicine on a patient in a very efficient manner. In many of the

The development of the drama Essay Example for Free

The development of the drama Essay Stimulus Whilst most of the stimulus was provided by the teacher, there was some pieces that were brought in by members of the group. Luke brought in a piece of music by The Streets entitled ‘The Irony of it All’. This stimulus provided the idea for the scene that compared weed and alcohol and later we used the lyrics as a ‘script’ for the scene. Research During the beginning stages of the production process, after we had first split into our smaller sub-groups we each went out and did individual research on the drug of our sub-group. For example, Alice Weaver researched LSD, and provided the group with an account of what it was like to experience an LSD trip – as well as the general effects of the drug. During the later stages of production the group researched quotes that could be used during the scenes to create almost verbatim parts to the play. Jack was responsible for finding some quotes to be used as his ‘Gerald McMillan’ character. These quotes were taken from the special ‘Question Time’ with David Davis and David Cameron. He also researched quotes from a previous interview with David Cameron. Script Writing We decided that some scenes should be scripted, in order to ensure that certain points were put across and important lines were said. This also was to increase the flow of the piece, and ensure that scenes did not ‘drag’. The scene writing responsibilities fell on different people, usually one of the people in the scene. For example I created the script for ‘Taylor Time’; Jack created the script for the pub scene and Katie created the script for ‘Saturday Night’. Whilst the ‘Saturday Night’ scene was lyrics from ‘The Irony of it All’, Katie was responsible for artistically placing the lyrics into a form that resembled a scripted dialogue, and deciding who had what lines from the song and, if necessary, adding lines. Alice created a script, with the input of those in the scene, consisting of a rhyming ‘poem’ to stylise the scene. This process involved a lot of group trust that the scriptwriter would cover all the aspects, which the group would like the scene to cover. These expectations were often met, however if there was problems the group was able to work together to edit the script to meet the requirements. Scene Creation During the rehearsals, we split into several groups, and each had a drug to create scenes for. Each pair was asked to create several scenes each lesson. Once these aims had been met we met together and allowed the others to give their input. For each story we attempted to create a ‘positive’, ‘negative’ and a ‘turning point’. This process involved all of us separately, sometimes due to the crossover in the use of actors in different scenes those that weren’t in the scene often helped create scenes for the other groups. For example Katie helped to create scenes for Jack and Saimon, involving a news reporter and a cocaine-addicted rock star. These scenes formed the basis of the scenes involving ‘Jane Doe’ and ‘Gerald McMillan’ that were created at a later date. Direction When we completed the scenes each lesson we came back together and performed our scenes to the rest of the group. The group was able to give directorial points of view as to what would make the scene more effective – or to suggest ideas for scenes that may be based on the scene created that may be better for the final production. During the later stages of production, when many rehearsals were done as a complete group, those not involved in the scenes could watch and suggest improvements. This again resulted in a lot of trust, as we had to rely on the directors to shape the scene in a way that would portray our message.

Movie Analysis Of Kick Ass

Movie Analysis Of Kick Ass In the film Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a teenager who is ignored by girls and obsessed with comics sets out to be a real superhero. He purchases a costume online and begins to fight crime with the name of Kick-Ass. After fighting off three thugs, Dave becomes a internet phenomenon and gets the help of other vigilantes in a collective goal to bring down mob boss Frank DAmico (Mark Strong). When analyzing the film, I noticed that it contains the elements of a Hero Myth that are clarified in Linda Segers article, Creating a Myth. While most heroes in film have superpowers or special abilities, the character Kick-Ass uses his desire and passion in order to combat his enemies. The archetype of the hero is reinforced throughout the film because Kick-Ass encounters many obstacles, which in turn develop a sense of growth and transformation. Seger begins by asserting that in hero myths, the hero is introduced in ordinary surroundings and the hero begins as non-hero; innocent, young, simple or humble (2). As viewers we see that Dave Lizewski is a typical teenager in everyday New York. He fantasizes about how life would be as a superhero. Like most teenage boys, Dave has a crush on a female counterpart, Katie Fonseca (Lyndsy Fonseca), but he is barely noticed Brown 2 by her and the other girls at school. We can see that he possesses humility because he is neither bold or self-assertive. His innocence can be derived from the fact that his intentions are harmless. He only sets out to do good by fighting crime. Heath continues by stating that something new enters the heros life and this catalyst sets the story in motion (2). After being robbed by a pair of street thugs, Dave realizes that he must fight crime and take on the role of a superhero. He orders a wet suit online and begins to train in preparation for the dangers on the city streets. Moreover, when Dave sees the same two men that robbed him and his friend Todd breaking into a car he confronts them with his new suit on. Unfortunately he gets stabbed and stumbles to be hit by a car, causing nerve ending damage. He is rushed to the hospital where doctors fix him with metal plates, which gives him a higher pain threshold. Sequentially, this experience sets the story in motion because Daves determination to become a superhero is only sparked and it leads to another crucial event. He later sets up a MySpace account under the name Kick-Ass, which allows the public to contact him and request assistance. One night, he goes out to look for a lost cat and interrupts a chase between thugs who were trying to kill another man. Fortunately, he fights off the attackers and becomes an internet phenomenon after it was recorded and posted on Youtube. Furthermore, we can see that Dave is endowed with bravery and desire. In addition, this sequence of events develop as a whole catalyst, which in turn stimulate the story. Additionally, Seger argues that in any journey, the hero usually receives help that often comes from unusual sources(2). In the film, Damon MacReady (Nicholas Cage) who is an Ex-cop and his 11-year old daughter Mindy (Chloe Moretz) notice Kick Asss Brown 3 escapades. One night, Kick-Ass visits the apartment of Rasul after Katie mentions that a guy name Rasul at the clinic would rob and harass her. Reacting off impulse, he tries to threaten him but he is horribly unsuccessful. Angered by such words, Rasul and crew get ready to mutilate him, but Mindy, dressed in costume blasts through the window and kills all the gang members and her dad shoots the last one with a sniper rifle. After, she introduces herself as Hit Girl and takes all the money and guns. Essentially the character of Hit Girl is very unusual. Combing the characteristics of a killer to the ones of a cute child, Director Matthew Vaughn tries to arouse feelings, emotions, and responses amongst the audience. We become immersed in the sensitive idea of children and violence interacting in cinema. Furthermore, Seger affirms that at some point in the story, the hero hits rock bottom, a near death experience or black moment, leading to a type of rebirth(3). The worst is exposed and the action continues to an intriguing conclusion. For example, in the film, there is a live countdown to the unmasking of Kick-Ass. However, it so happens to be Big Daddy and Kick Ass handcuffed to chairs awaiting their execution by Frank Damicos mob men. They are brutally beaten to a point where it is thrown off television to only being streamed online. We see Kick Asss black moment as he is relentlessly tortured. He says Even with my metal plates and my fucked up nerve endings, I gotta tell you, that hurt! But not half as much as the idea of leaving everything behind. Katie, my dad, Todd and Marty..and all the things Id never do. We begin to feel his pain and hope that he makes it through. Nevertheless, they begin to pour gasoline on Big Daddy and set him on fire. Ingeniously, Hit Girl arrives to sa ve them and kills all the men in an intensive Brown 4 gun battle. She tries to save Big Daddy but he dies from the severity of the burns. Hit Girl rescues Kick Ass and takes him to her fathers apartment where he agrees to help her take down Frank Damico. Lastly, Seger argues that the hero must face the final ordeal before being reborn as the hero, proving his courage and becoming transformed. She asserts that we need to see him changed at the end (3). This is clearly depicted in the final battle of the film. Hit Girl is pinned down behind a counter without ammo by Frank Damicos mob men. Just before one of them fires the bazooka, Kick-Ass comes flying up the building with a jet pack. He then expels the artillery installed on the jet pack and wipes out the rest of the men. The last fight scene emerges. Hit Girl takes on Frank DAmico and Kick-Ass takes on his son Chris Damico aka Red Mist( Christopher Mintz-Plasse).However, Kick-Ass and Chris knock each other out to the ground. On the other hand, Hit Girl and Frank battle fiercely. Frank gains the upper hand and prepares to kill her with his pistol, but Kick-Ass fires the bazooka and the rocket propels Frank through the window and it explodes. Chris tries to go after Kick-Ass but Kick-A ss uses the jet pack and flies off with Hit Girl. At the end of the film, Dave says hes done with crime-fighting and theres a new generation of superheroes that have emerged through his inspiration. In other respects, we ask, how has Kick-Ass transformed as a character? Based on observations, Kick-Ass now has his dream girl Katie, who before didnt notice him or who he didnt talk to in the first place. Ultimately, Dave has explored the realm that he always wanted to since he was kid. He has learned that superpowers can not hinder or prevent the growth of motivation, purpose, or desire. In essence, we see that the film