Tolstoy`S Confessions What Is The Aim Of Human Life Essays

Tolstoy`S Confessions: What Is The Aim Of Human Life? Introduction What is the aim of human life? Tolstoy ponders this thought in his Confessions. His philosophy was that the aim was a union with God. A lack of faith was death as shown in his quote from the Confessions, as quoted by Stumpf (Elements, 549). The rational knowledge brought to me the recognition that life was meaningless, -my life stopped, and I wanted to destroy myself. When I looked around at people, at all humanity, I saw that people lived and asserted that they knew the meaning of life. I looked back at myself: I lived so long as I knew the meaning of life. As to other people, so even to me, did faith give the meaning of life and the possibility of living. But faith only gave the possibility of life, so something more is needed. The moral life, as it seemed to Tolstoy. He talks of evils and vices, and therefore the corresponding goods and virtues. In this paper, I plan to address these two things. The supreme end of man and the goods and virtues used in attaining it. To attain this goal, we need to agree upon a common understanding of the supreme end of man. An explanation of how faith affects man attaining his supreme end leads us into Gods predestination of man. Understanding this we see that faith is the key to reaching the supreme end of man. But now that we have the key we need to see what it unlocks. Faith compels us to avoid vices and therefore reach our moral end. This requires the acquiring and use of the virtues. The Supreme End In order to know the aim of human life I suppose we must know then what the supreme end of man is. The views of several philosophers on the supreme end of man have held relatively consistent over the centuries. According to Aristotle as quoted by Stumpf, happiness is that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else. (Elements, 32) He continues to say that happiness and good are synonymous. This happiness or good is the ultimate end of the human act. St. Augustine, 7 centuries later, reiterates the end of man as happiness, namely eternal life. He also continues to say that faith is the only way to find the ultimate end. (Philosophy, 90-1) St. Thomas Aquinas, eight centuries later, reaffirms God as the end of our desires. The following quote from The Pocket Aquinas, page 192 continues to explain his understanding. The act whereby we are primarily joined to Him is basically and substantially our happiness. But we are primarily united with God by an act of understanding; and therefore, the very seeing of God, which is an act of the intellect, is substantially and basically our happiness. The greatest happiness then is thinking of the ultimate being, God. This greatest happiness is a union with the Everlasting, or as St. Augustine called it, eternal life. Life in this world is less of a good than life in paradise. This is due to the fact that life in paradise is eternal and the life of a man in this world is just a brief stretch of time. Paradise is also more perfect than earth and life there is a greater good because of this. Another 1500 years later, Tolstoy in the Confessions again comes to the conclusion of an eternal paradise. He drew the conclusion from a very simple path of premises. One, you must live according to Gods law. Two, eternal torment or eternal bliss result from life. Three, the meaning that is not lost to death is the union with the infinite God. (Elements, 549) Throughout a span of over two centuries philosophers have agreed upon the ultimate end of man or else have been confronted with absurdity. Does God Predestine the Human End How does faith lead man to his eternal end? It leads man to God by helping him to avoid the vices. Since God is the ultimate being, could God predestine mans end? This is an important question since if men are predestined by God, it can affect achievement of

50 Synonyms for Song

50 Synonyms for Song 50 Synonyms for Song 50 Synonyms for Song By Mark Nichol Numerous words that describe various types of musical composition are listed and defined below. (Note that in the definitions below, popular denotes not a musical form that is widely enjoyed, but a song of a type traditionally derived from common people and folk traditions rather than from professional composers. Forms of the word accompany refer to instrumental support.) 1. Air: any of several types of songs or songlike compositions, including ballads and folk songs 2. Anthem: a song or hymn of joy or praise or, by extension, a rousing pop song that resonates with a certain class of listeners 3. Aria: a complex solo accompanied melody, especially in opera 4. Art song: a solo accompanied melody often performed on a formal social occasion 5. Ballad: a narrative composition with rhythmic verse, or a popular slow romantic or sentimental song 6. Barcarole: a work song with a beat that alternates between strong and weak to suggest the rhythm of rowing a boat 7. Cantata: a composition for one or more voices with solos, duets, choruses, and speechlike parts 8. Canticle: a song based on scripture and performed during a church service 9. Carol: a song or hymn of joy, performed popularly or during a church service 10. Chanson: the type of song sung in a cabaret or a music hall 11. Chant: as monotonous but rhythmic song or other vocalization; see also plainsong 12–14Â ­. Chantey/chanty/shanty: a rhythmic sailors’ work song 15. Chorale: a hymn or song sung by a group in church 16. Cover: a song composed by someone other than the performer(s) 17. Descant: a melody sung as a counterpoint to another melody 18. Dirge: a song of mourning 19. Ditty: a simple, lighthearted popular song 20. Drinking song: an upbeat song appropriate for group singing during social drinking 21. Elegy: see dirge 22. Fight song: an inspirational song to encourage athletes during team competition 23. Folk song: a popular song with a simple melody and a verse/refrain structure 24. Glee: a part-song, generally one performed by men 25. Hallelujah: a song of praise or thanks 26. Hymn: a song of joy or praise, especially in a religious context 27. Noel: a carol sung at Christmastime 28. Jingle: a short, catchy, repetitive song, including one used to advertise a product or service 29. Lament: see dirge 30. Lay: a simple song or other ballad 31. Lullaby: a simple rhyming song sung to soothe children or prepare them for sleeping 32. Madrigal: see glee and part-song 33. Medley: two or more songs, or parts thereof, performed as one composition 34. Melody: a rhythmic composition 35. Motet: a choral composition, usually unaccompanied, based on a sacred text 36. Paean: a hymn or song of praise, thanks, or triumph 37. Part-song: a usually unaccompanied song for two or more voices, one of which carries the melody 38. Psalm: a sacred song sung during religious services 39. Remix: a variation of a song that includes additional or rearranged elements 40. Requiem: see dirge 41. Rocker: an upbeat, energetic song in the style of the rock genre 42. Round: a song in which multiple singers sing the same melody and lyrics 43. Roundelay: a simple song that includes a refrain 44. Serenade: a courting song, vocal or instrumental or both 45. Spiritual: a simple, emotional religious song of a form developed by black slaves in the American South 46. Standard: a familiar song that is among those typically performed by a certain category of musicians 47. Threnody: see dirge 48. Torch song: a popular sentimental song, usually referring to the end of a love affair or to unrequited love 49. Vocal: a song for voice accompanied by one or more instruments 50. Work song: a song structured to aid in the performance of a rhythmic group task Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know41 Words That Are Better Than GoodEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

Education as discussed by Jon Spayde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Education as discussed by Jon Spayde - Essay Example Spayde (1998) further adds that formal training is a vital necessity, however power and class simultaneously plays significant role in the sector of education. For instance, the graduates from world class universities like Stanford and Harvard would be offered the designations at workplace to prepare the work schedules for those who have acquired their degree from a not so famous, regional college. The eminent journalist and novelist, Earl Shorris (Spayde, 1998, p.67) realized the flaws of the modern educational system and took initiative for starting up an Ivy League adult education course which was meant for the â€Å"Asians, whites, blacks and Hispanics† (p.67). On the first day of his lecture, Shorris (Spayde, 1998, p.67) addressed his students and let them know that â€Å"humanities† is not just a subject to be studied by the Rich strata of the society. The term â€Å"Humanities† embraces the entire world and its people. The concept of humanities teaches the students how to live, how to think and how to enjoy life. The subject enriches the readers by providing them a new perspective towards life. Spayde (1998) further recognizes several misconceptions about the term â€Å"education†. ...suitable for fighting the â€Å"global competitiveness† but Spayde (1998) states that despite of possessing specialized skills, these contemporary graduates lack â€Å"intellectual breadth† (p.68) which can only be learnt by the practice of humanities. The professor of environmental studies of Oberlin College defines the recent trend of education as â€Å"fast knowledge† (p.68) which is mainly imparted through the means of information technology. He claims that â€Å"Slow knowledge† (p.68) is much essential for saving the earth from the environmental disasters. Thus in the process of imparting â€Å"fast knowledge†, the education system is generating a bunch of head filled machines (human beings) with little int ellect and creativity. In this context, Goethe stated â€Å"people cannot learn what they do not love† (p.69). Spayde (1998) in the initial parts of his essay mentioned that the entire world is a learning place and the same idea has been reestablished throughout the writing. In the words of Elizabeth Sutton Lawrence, â€Å"ancient Greek education came largely from firsthand experience†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.69) which means unless there is practical knowledge, the theory won’t turn out to be helpful and education is nothing but knowing what’s happening around us. Education is the means through which people learn to be alert. Education must inform a person about the changes which took place in the history and it must remind them their roots. Therefore, it can be concluded that training create machines while humanities create human beings.

CRJS478IP3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CRJS478IP3 - Research Paper Example The focus of this process is on the short tandem repeats (STR) that have short units of DNA that are repeated several times in a row. After the DNA is isolated and amplified it is treated with restriction enzymes. The process cuts the DNA strands at definite sequences called restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Since everybody’s DNA is different the resulting RFLPs will be of different sizes. These fragments are observed in gel electrophoresis; a process that separates DNA based on the size of fragments (Brown, 2010). RFLP analysis is based on the fact that since everyone’s genetic sequence or the variable number of tandem repeats is different this result in the different sizes of RFLPs. Gel electrophoresis involves separation of the fragments of DNA as they migrate through an agarose gel when an electric current is applied to the gel. The DNA that has separated is then drawn out of the gel with a nylon membrane which is treated to break the hydrogen bonds holding the DNA strands together. The separated strands of the DNA are then incubated using a radioactive probe and cross-linked to the nylon membrane of a strand comparable to the VNTRs. The radioactive probe is visible on a photographic film as a dark spot is left on the film because of the light that is given off when the probe decays. Different people have different patterns and these constitute the fingerprints. This protocol of DNA fingerprinting is called Southern blotting (Brown, 2010). The main objective of DNA analysis is to obtain an observable representation of the DNA from the crime. The DNA profile obtained from DNA fingerprinting must match the DNA from the suspect or a profile in the DNA database. The three possible results from comparing a DNA profile of the sample to the suspects DNA profile and it can either be inclusive, exclusive or inconclusive. Inclusions occur where the suspects DNA

Characteristics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Characteristics - Term Paper Example This is the micro perspective which is embedded in its psychological genesis and emphasizes the fact that there are individual variations in attributes which impact individual responses (Klein & Kozlowski). Neither perspective is enough alone (Michalski & Tecuci, 1994, p.381). Aggregate perspective tends to ignore individual differences that make a person behave the way he does. A mere focus on aggregate characteristics poses risk of showiness and worthlessness in the organizational culture. Contrarily, when only individual level attributes are considered, this tends to ignore contextual aspects that lead to collective responses. Thus, aggregate perspectives lead to misspecifications because there is no generalization of lower levels which makes it impossible to formulate a meaningful policy. Also, individual-level perspectives lead to problems formulating human resource management policies. Hence, a combined approach is required that integrates both the perspectives (Cameron, Sutton & Whetten, 1988). References Cameron, K.S., Sutton, R.I., Whetten, D.A. (1988). Readings in Organizational Decline: Frameworks, Research, and Prescriptions.

The Token Black Guy In Teen Movies Essay -- tokenism film Hollywood

The Token Black Guy In Teen Movies â€Å"Throughout history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.† - W.E.B. Du Bois (1903), The Souls Of Black Folk (p. 4) The film industry is no stranger to racism; from the days of blackface to the exploitation and appropriation of Black culture, Hollywood executives, producers, writers, and actors have all sought to suppress and oppress Black culture for the mainstream viewing audience, as well as Black audiences themselves. These days, however, to reach a perpetually changing demographic of teenagers, film companies have had success stories with films like American Pie, Cruel Intentions, and Can't Hardly Wait - all movies geared towards teens armed with their parents' money. However, in an effort to appear diverse while making movies that appeal mainly to suburban, White teenagers, Hollywood has decided to place in the 'token black guy;' the one person of color in the entire movie, but stand in the back and doesn't really do anything. Teen movies follow a formula for success: a love story, beautiful people, California high school - these are usual staples in the teen flick market. However, the race aspects of the token also follow the same aspects: the 'token black guy' never appears by himself, only when he is around his Caucasian friends; he never speaks unless spoken to by others; and he never stars in any scenes that feature him as the object of attention, making him forever stuck in the supporting actor role. This tokenism featured in movies is not only damaging to the Black actors and actresses in the industry who accept those jobs because of lack of parts and ... ... huge change in pace from achingly slow to a medium flow. When people can work together in the film industry and understand each other culturally, that is when the progress people speak so much of is in effect. When tokenism is done with – that is when the change has occurred. References Du Bois, W.E.B. (1903). The Souls of Black Folks. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co. Dunbar, Paul Laurence (1926). The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Company Ringer, Benjamin B. (1983). â€Å"We the People† and Others: Duality and America’s Treatment of its Racial Minorities. New York: Tavistock Publications Waxman, Sharon. (2003, March 23). For Black Actors, A New Story Line. The Washington Post. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wpdyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A6169-2003Mar21 ¬Found=true The Token Black Guy In Teen Movies Essay -- tokenism film Hollywood The Token Black Guy In Teen Movies â€Å"Throughout history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.† - W.E.B. Du Bois (1903), The Souls Of Black Folk (p. 4) The film industry is no stranger to racism; from the days of blackface to the exploitation and appropriation of Black culture, Hollywood executives, producers, writers, and actors have all sought to suppress and oppress Black culture for the mainstream viewing audience, as well as Black audiences themselves. These days, however, to reach a perpetually changing demographic of teenagers, film companies have had success stories with films like American Pie, Cruel Intentions, and Can't Hardly Wait - all movies geared towards teens armed with their parents' money. However, in an effort to appear diverse while making movies that appeal mainly to suburban, White teenagers, Hollywood has decided to place in the 'token black guy;' the one person of color in the entire movie, but stand in the back and doesn't really do anything. Teen movies follow a formula for success: a love story, beautiful people, California high school - these are usual staples in the teen flick market. However, the race aspects of the token also follow the same aspects: the 'token black guy' never appears by himself, only when he is around his Caucasian friends; he never speaks unless spoken to by others; and he never stars in any scenes that feature him as the object of attention, making him forever stuck in the supporting actor role. This tokenism featured in movies is not only damaging to the Black actors and actresses in the industry who accept those jobs because of lack of parts and ... ... huge change in pace from achingly slow to a medium flow. When people can work together in the film industry and understand each other culturally, that is when the progress people speak so much of is in effect. When tokenism is done with – that is when the change has occurred. References Du Bois, W.E.B. (1903). The Souls of Black Folks. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co. Dunbar, Paul Laurence (1926). The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Company Ringer, Benjamin B. (1983). â€Å"We the People† and Others: Duality and America’s Treatment of its Racial Minorities. New York: Tavistock Publications Waxman, Sharon. (2003, March 23). For Black Actors, A New Story Line. The Washington Post. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wpdyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A6169-2003Mar21 ¬Found=true

Presidential vs. Parliamentary Government Essay

Every nation, ever since the dawn of civilization, has always had some form of government. It is of necessity rather than need, as a nation without one will always result to anarchy. Today, two of the most popular and well-known forms of government are the presidential form of government and the parliamentary form of government. Each form of government has it’s own pros and cons, and the debate of whether one is better than the other has long been a subject of discussion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main difference between the two forms of government is how the extent governmental powers are distributed and/or separated between branches of the government, and whether one branch has or does not have power over another. In the presidential form of government, political and administrative powers are distinctly divided between the executive branch (the President), the legislative branch (i.e., the congress/senate), and the judiciary branch. The powers vested in the executive branch is usually balanced against those given to the legislature. Laws and bills are made by the legislature and it is the executive branch which enacts it. The President has the power to veto the bill, preventing it’s execution, but the legislature may override the President’s veto, provided they can gather enough votes to do so (â€Å"Parliamentary versus Presidential governments†). This serves as a check and balance for both branches, ensuring that one does not overpower the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the parliamentary form of government, however, there is a fusion of power between the legislative and executive branch. This is mostly due to the fact that the head of government, the Prime Minister, is voted into position by the legislature, which is often mostly composed of the ruling party or coalition. Hence, almost always, the constituents of the executive and the legislature branches are the same (â€Å"Governing Systems and Executive-Legislative Relations†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The terms of office for both heads of the government also varies. In the presidential system of government, the President serves a specific, defined term. In the parliamentary system, the Prime Minister stays in power for as long as he or she has the support of the majority of the legislation. Political parties also hold less of an impact on the presidential system than on then parliamentary system since the President can still be voted in office regardless of whether his or her political party is a minority or not. In parliamentary system, it’s almost always the ruling party which holds dominance over the outcome of the election of head of government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the choice, from the points stated, I would rather be a citizen of a country ruled by a parliamentary government, like the United Kingdom. There is more cohesion and unity given the fact that the legislative and the executive powers come from one ruling, common party. This would mean that bills are passed much quicker. Also, ethnicity, race, and ideology won’t be much of a conflicting factor, especially for a very diverse country, since power is equally divided amongst the legislators, and not just focused on one (e.g. the President). Lastly, a study conducted by the World Bank has found out that a parliamentary system is associated with lower corruption (Lederman, Loayza, & Soares, par. 1). Works Cited â€Å"Governing Systems and Executive-Legislative Relations.† UNDP: Governance: Political   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   systems and their impact on Governing Relations. 2006. 18 December 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lederman, Daniel and Normal Loayza and Rodrigo R. Soares. â€Å"Accountability and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Corruption: Political Institutions Matter.† World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 2708. 2001. 18 December 2007. â€Å"Parliamentary Versus Presidential Governments.† eSSORTMENT. 2002. 18 December 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚