Religion and Faith Essay -- essays research papers

Religion/Faith Over the last several decades America has been evolving towards many significant changes. One of these changes has posed a question, whether or not America has become secular. Although we may be uncertain of many of these changes and how they will affect our future, the answer to our secularity is quite obvious. America has indeed become secular. I think that in a society where being successful is everything, our religious beliefs tend to get lost in the "survival of the fittest" lifestyle that we lead everyday. Of course we all have certain standards in which we believe and live by. A good example of the standard behavior that makes us so secular is in Wil Herbergs essay This American Way Of Life. Herbergs says so well , "the American way of life is a symbol by which Americans define themselves and establish their unity." The author means to imply that unity is something we all strive for. To be American is to be part a huge family, no matter what gender, color, or background. We stick together. We fight together, we laugh together, we grieve together as Americans. Terms like democracy, individuality, self-reliance are all words we relate to as Americans. We teach our kids that we should be grateful everyday to be Americans. In this country we can choose our own destination. We can be whatever we want. I think that being a s...

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Aluminum vs Composites in Aircraft Construction Since the Wright Flyer first took off from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903, aircraft designers have been searching for ever better materials to build aircraft with. Over the years, we have seen construction materials progress from simple wood frames covered with fabric to advanced structures built entirely out of metal. As aircraft designs became more advanced, the need arose for materials which offered both higher strength and lighter weight. Since the beginning of World War II, aircraft construction consisted mainly of structures built from aluminum. Beginning in the 1960’s, NASA and the United States military began experimenting with the use of composite materials in aircraft. This revolutionary material seemed to be the answer the aviation world was looking for. It promised both gains in strength and weight reduction. However, with more and more composites being added to aircraft over the years, problems arose which ultimately may negate the overall benefits of the co mposites. The first problem with the use of composites begin...

Industrial Revolution :: History

Industrial Revolution Why was there an industrial revolution in Britain? There have been many changes in both Britain and the Worlds History, such as the Industrial Revolution? This Revolution I talk about today, started way back, 250 years ago. From this stage, the mid 18th century, to the early 20th. Some effects of the revolution where bad, but many on the other hand were very good and have changed the way the world works for the better. I am now going to go through each of the causes of the revolution, then I shall state which cause I think what the trigger cause , which started of the revolution. Rise in Population The big rise in population meant that everything had to be increased. More houses needed to be built which caused some cities to become overcrowded, but help the industry, because there was more workers to be employed in factorys and other work places. This cause was a long term cause, because over a long period of time, more babies where being produced, and more people were moving in from other countries. The population also increased because less people where dying at a young age, the reasons why people lived longer was because there was cleaner water which meant people were not drinking dirty and contaminated water which would make them sick, better diets: people where getting more meat and vegetables because the farming was improving. The medical skill had improved, so when people where sick they could go and visit there local G.P and would be given treatment and would not get sick and wouldn’t die, so population increased. The Transport revolution The transport revolution occurred, because roads where in very bad condition, they where full of holes, which made them hard to drive over with carriages and horses. The holes filled up with mud and water which was hard to clean, each local parish was suppose to maintain the roads, but as most people didn’t drive, it was pointless to go to great extent to keep the roads in a good condition. To change the roads, a decision was made, where tolls and turn pikes would be situated along roads, cars would drive past, and pay a fee of money to pay for maintenance of the road, this money helped to re-surface the roads and keep them in good condition. The money also paid to build new roads, which meant businesses could transport goods along roads easier.

Buddhism from a Philosophical Standpoint

When one attempts to put religion under the inquiry of philosophy, there is an important thing that must be clarified. One must be aware that philosophy is both a science of systematic thinking and a way of life. As a science, philosophy explores the ultimate causes and purposes of all things that exist. It entails adherence to rigorous logic and impassioned critique of nearly all things that may be put into question. Which is why, it is a strict rational science (if not the most rigorous one).However, one needs to equally remember that philosophy can also pertain to a principle about life, or a life-influencing belief system. To be sure, this second notion of philosophy enjoys more usage than the previous one nowadays. For instance, many self-help books promising to teach people new philosophies to help them emerge successful in life end up in bookstores as top-sellers and/or top-grosser. One can call both of them – the philosophic inquiry into things and the less rigorous ad herence to some principles about life – as philosophies in their own respects.Studying religion from a philosophical standpoint entails an inquiry figuring in two levels as well. Religion must be seen both as a subject that can be assessed, and a way of life that has to be lived. As an object of philosophic inquiry, religion must be evaluated according to the tenets it holds or the doctrines it teaches. As a way of life, religion must be seen in the context of ritual or ethical practices stemming from a belief system. Thus, in studying religion, one is able to gather philosophical analyses from certain practices and beliefs.In a way, it is the result of combining the two basic understandings of philosophy into a single framework. Rationale and Methodology The aim of this paper is to present Buddhism from the standpoint of philosophy. This means that some of the basic questions that philosophy asks shall be answered in the light of what Buddhism teaches. What could those basic questions be? First, there is a question about ontology. Under this specific inquiry, one looks at how Buddhism perceives all things that exist.Next, there is cosmology; an inquiry which enables one to ask: how does Buddhism understand the world? Other concerns include anthropology (read: how do they understand man? ) and ethics (read: how do they assess what could be morally acceptable or not). But ultimately, since Buddhism is acknowledged as one of the major religions of the world right now, a philosophic inquiry should include exploring their basic notions about God; and thus, theology. After all, religion is essentially about a â€Å"belief in Spiritual Beings† (McCutcheon, 2007, p.22) translated most frequently into a belief in a kind of God. Buddhism: History and Core Doctrines Buddhism is a religious movement which started approximately 500 years before Christ (Griffiths, 1997, p. 15). It first spread across most of the Indian peninsula, only to be dispersed outside the region later on. At present, its influence is embraced not just by Indians but also by those coming from countries which comprise the South and South East Asia region, a few areas in Japan and some provinces of China.It needs to be mentioned that Buddhism is a religious phenomenon characterized by diversity in forms and practices. Buddhism, says one author, is a â€Å"very differentiated† religion (Griffiths, 1997, p. 5). One may not find the same strain of Buddhism found, say, in South East Asia, and another one coming from, say, a southern province of India. Right now, there are a myriad of groups claiming to adhere to a unique practice of Buddhism on their own. In effect, it makes Buddhism a kind of religion that seems neither to teach nor require uniformity of doctrines from all its adherents.Buddhism is a religion that draws heavily from the inspiration lent by its recognized founder, Gautama Sakayamuni (later on to become Gautama Buddha) – a person who exempl ified for them a life of total freedom and perpetual meditation in order to arrive at an utterly blissful state called Nirvana. By and large, it is about an adherence to a lifestyle that seeks authentic enlightenment; and not about a longing for the Transcendent which most religions of the world are concerned with. For this reason, some thinkers are entertaining the idea that Buddhism is, after all, â€Å"not a religion but a way of life† (Humphreys, 1997, p.13). Buddhism, as many authors have noted, is a movement associated not so much with a set of doctrinal teachings as a â€Å"body of teachings with spiritual benefits† (Williams, 1989, p. 2). In fact, many Buddhism-inclined literatures encompass teachings not really about religious worship, but about way of living, ritual practices, devotional meditation (Mitchell, 2002, p. 1), among others. Owing much from the teachings which Gautama Buddha has left, Buddhism teaches that life is in a state of perpetual quest for enlightenment marked by a feeling of constant dissatisfaction (Williams, 1989, p.34). Buddha himself was a testament to this. After leaving home at an early age, Gautama ventured on a life-journey to seek for enlightenment; a precious state he could not seem to find in the world as he got to know it. As he tried to quell the gripping loneliness and instinctive drive to satisfy pleasures, Gautama sought answer and solace through meditation. His meditation led him to see that impermanence, dissatisfaction and a fluid sense of self constitute the basic truths of reality (Williams, 1989, pp.34-36). He further taught that a human person is really nothing, but only takes form as someone constituted by five different â€Å"aggregates† namely, â€Å"form (material constitution), sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness† (Williams, 1989, p. 37). One should now that one of the chief elements that defines the uniqueness of Buddhism lies in how they consider all things to be illusory, since they subscribe to the idea that â€Å"things are not what they seem† (Griffiths, 1997, p. 20).Some of their other teachings about life include the following: value for the principle of moderation, belief in Karma and perpetual recurrence of everything that exists, belief in life’s four noble truths (life is suffering, the cause of suffering is cravings for pleasure, freedom from suffering is temperance from pleasures, and a way to stop suffering is by following the eight-fold path), and the practice of the noble eight-fold paths (right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right living, right conduct, right mindfulness and right concentration) in one’s life (Mitchell, 2002, pp. 45-47). A Philosophical AnalysisJudging from the ideas raised in the Introduction of this work, it is clear that one must consider Buddhism a type of philosophy – that is, as a way of life. Many authors have already proceeded to claim that this particular religious phenomenon is chiefly characterized by the numerous practical precepts which serve as guides towards an enlightened living. It is good to note that Buddhism, pretty much like philosophy, is concerned with the pursuit of enlightenment or truth. An enlightened self – immortalized perhaps in Western Philosophy by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – is surely the goal why one enters into philosophical discourses.In so far as Buddhism offers its own distinct ways to attain enlightenment as well, it is therefore with good reasons that one should classify this religion as philosophical in many ways. Buddhism however does not stop at stipulating suggestions for right living alone. As a system of belief, it also offers perspectives about the whole of reality. Like philosophical discourses, Buddhism is a belief system that speaks of its perspective about the ultimate realities like human existence, cosmology, human knowledge, ontology and theology.Sur ely, there is a need to look into these briefly Buddhism’s take on reality encourages an attitude of detachment on account of a belief that â€Å"everything is impermanent† (Griffiths, 1997, p. 16), and therefore in a state of constant flux. Much of Buddhism’s view about reality rests on the belief that the world is full of ‘diversity’, and the more is able to ‘reveal’ or appreciate it, the closer is one to the truth about the ever passing universe (Williams, 1989, p. 3).This idea is interestingly shared by an ancient Western philosopher that went by the name Heraclitus, who taught that â€Å"fire†- an element in a perpetual state of movement – is the basic element that constitutes reality. Buddhism, one need to remember, is not so much concerned with the rigorous definition of reality. But in so far it embraces an attitude of non-attachment in relating to all things, Buddhism has to anchor this belief system on a formidab le reason – that one’s attachment over things is futile given the fact that all things pass away.In fact, most of what Buddhism teaches is drawn from this ontological belief; and this doctrine of impermanence must be seen as a recurrent theme in its whole system of perspective. As far as Epistemology is concerned, the doctrine of impermanence is also maintained. Buddhism teaches that nothing can be known with exact certitude because all things are ephemeral and thus, as mentioned a while ago, â€Å"they are not what they seem† (Griffiths, 1997, p. 19). Everything is subject to change and passes away.Thus, one may not arrive at a definitive knowledge about things at all. Which is why, Buddha maintained that â€Å"dissatisfaction† is a constant theme that defines the feelings of all who search for knowledge or truth (Mitchell, 2002, p. 33). No one is able to know what reality is; and its appearance is often misleading. One may notice that this epistemology is actually consistent with Buddhism’s anthropology, or, its understanding of human nature. If one checks the teachings of Buddha about man, one can clearly see the doctrine of impermanence as patent in it too.Buddha believes that human nature is nothing but a constitution of events called materiality, sensation, conceptualization, volition and consciousness (Griffiths, 1997, p. 20). This type of anthropology views man not as an existing individual substance (which most of Western Philosophy have understood what human nature is), but an â€Å"impermanent self† constituted by personal events (Griffith, 1997, p. 20). Cosmology for Buddhism follows the same line of logic. Constant flux is patent in its belief that the world follows a rhythm of birth and rebirth, of cycle and current, of existence and passage.The bulk of Buddhism’s teachings therefore solemnly enjoin its adherents to develop an attitude of detachment. Anchored on a belief that nothing in this world ever remains the same over a period of time, Buddhism points that the path towards Nirvana – or ultimate sense of bliss – lies in a state of total freedom from what this world actually offers. Lastly, it is quite interesting to point out that Buddhism rarely engages in a question about the ultimate reality or God. Broadly speaking, the whole philosophy of impermanence is at odds with a concept of deity.The general theory about God stipulates that ‘It† is a Supreme Being defined by eternality, omniscience, omnipotence and changelessness. In a belief system where the central truth about reality rests on the ephemeral nature of all things, the concept of God is really something hard to conceive (Griffiths, 1997, p. 22). How can there be such a Being when the general characteristic of all things – supposedly including God – is change and flux? More importantly, one can ask: how can one consider Buddhism a religion at all if one is not willing to r econcile its theology with its ontology?Griffith believes that the metaphysics of impermanence makes Buddhism deny the existence of God all together (Griffith, 1997, p. 23). But the image of Buddha as the exemplification of their quest for a transcendent end, translated in Nirvana, is perhaps the only figure of deity Buddhism actually posses. Conclusion Buddhism is both a philosophy and a religious movement. As a philosophy, it offers its adherents a way of life observed in a tradition marked by meditation, introspection, constant purgation of desire and an unending quest for enlightenment.As a religious movement, it is concerned with the pursuit of â€Å"transcendent ends† (Slater, 1978, p. 6) they call Nirvana. Buddhism offers its own understanding of reality too. Its doctrines are highly influenced by the teachings of its founder Gautama Buddha. In this paper, it has been noted that their belief system can also be evaluated under the categories which Western philosophy use s – metaphysics, epistemology, cosmology, anthropology and theology.These aspects are given meaning by a pervading concept of impermanence and dissatisfaction. Buddhism draws largely from a belief that everything in the world is impermanent, and that all people are enjoined to meet it with an attitude of detachment and self-control. The path towards true enlightenment happens only when one is able to see beyond what reality offers, and seek the true meaning of existence that lies only within. References Humphreys, C. (1997). A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism.Chicago: NTC. Griffiths, P. Buddhism. In Quinn, P. & Taliaferro, C. (Eds. ), A Companion to Philosophy of Religion. Massachusetts: Blackwell. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Mitchell, D. (2002). Introducing the Buddhist Experience. New York: Oxford University Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. Wi lliams, P. (1989). Mahayana Buddhism. Doctrinal Foundations. New York: Routledge.

Creating Shared Value

Summary of ‘Creating shared value’ by M. Porter and M. Kramer The problem nowadays is that most businesses don’t have the right purpose ‘in mind’. They have a narrow-minded view in making profit and thus optimizing short-time financial performance. This old capitalistic view leads to a vicious circle. More specifically, the corporation doesn’t keep its environment and the broader community in mind while making profit and so they are perceived as (partly) responsible for society’ failures. This is where political leaders undermine competitiveness by setting the appropriate policies.The old, narrow view of capitalism leads to growing competition and shorter term performance pressures from shareholders. Shorting investor time horizons leads to outsourcing and offshoring which weakens the connection between the firm and its community. The solution lies in redefining the purpose of the corporation as creating shared value. This means enhancin g the competitiveness of the corporation while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in its communities. The market should be redefined by societal needs, rather than convential economic needs.To create shared value, there are three main ways: reconceiving the products and market, redefining productivity in the value chain and enabling local cluster development. These ways are mutually reinforcing while creating shared value. By reconceiving products and markets, corporations can meet the demand for products and services that satisfy societal needs. In this way, there’s more space for innovation. Also, in developing countries and nontraditional communities in advanced economies equal or greater opporunities arise.Opportunities increase when capitalism starts working in these poor countries. These opportunities change constantly because of developping economies and evolving technologies. Another source of creating shared value lies in transforming the val ue chain. For instance by reexaminating energy use and logistics, huge costs can be saved for the company and at the same time for society. Another example is the advantage of buying from capable local suppliers. This avoids costs by avoiding inefficiencies and lowering input costs.This also means sharing technology and improve supplier quality and productivity by better procurement. Employee productivity can be improved by offering health care coverage, because poor health costs firms more than health benefits. Companies need to embrace locational thinking because of the rising costs of energy and carbon emissions. Enabling local clusters plays a crucial role to boost productivity. As mentioned, logistics through local suppliers avoid lots of internal costs.In monopolized markets, people often get exploited, prices are not fair and thus productivity will suffer through a lack of incentives for the workers. This indicates that the formation of open and transparent markets are necess ary to create shared value. We can conclude that business can earn the respect of society again by respecting the new, more sophisticated form of capitalism. This new view focuses on profits that create societal benefits rather than diminish them, which creates shared value.

A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror

The book written by Alfred McCoy (2006) entitled ‘A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror’ speaks of CIA’s process of developing different forms of torture through practice of sensory deprivation and self-inflicted pain.These are done by means of isolation, hooding, manipulation of time, or by means of hours of standing, which was practiced by the U.S. CIA in Vietnam, in Iran, in Central America, and in Southeast Asia.   This, according to McCoy (2006), is not so much a physical torture but a psychological one that, if not improved or reassessed scrupulously, could affect and damage America’s good reputation and respectable global standing.Main BodyMcCoy (2006) opened his book with the scene by CBS Television of the Abu Ghraib prison that showed â€Å"Iraqis naked, hooded, and contorted in humiliating positions while U.S. soldiers stood over them, smiling† (p.5).   According to McCoy (2006),[T]hese photos are not, in fact, snapshots of simple sadism or a breakdown in military discipline†¦ [but] CIA torture methods that have metastasized like an undetected cancer inside the U.S. intelligence community over the past half century. (p.5)With its origin dating back to more than 50 years ago during the Cold War, this type of scenes and incidents promoted political scandals and controversies that reached even to the Bush’s administration of the interrogation policy.From the 1950 to 1962, CIA’s experiments on the best type of torture landed on psychological torture, or what was also called as the ‘no-touch’ type of torture.   The two new methods that were formulated was the use of ‘sensory disorientation’ and ‘self-inflicted pain’ that made the victim â€Å"feel responsible for their suffering and thus capitulate more readily to their torturers† (McCoy, 2006, p.8).As also indicated, â€Å"The fusion of these two techniques, sensory disorientation and self-inflicted pain, creates a synergy of physical and psychological trauma whose sum is a hammer-blow to the fundamentals of personal identity† (p.8).   After the year 1963, the no-touch method of torture included methods of ‘unimaginable cruelties’ in the form of physical as well as sexual harassments, such as the scenes at Abu Ghraib.The use of mind control by the CIA propagates evil torture, which leads to political scandal and ruin.   CIA’s basic purpose, of course, is for defense against foreign threats.   However, for the past 50 years, this type of torture of the America’s CIA reflected political and administrative wreck that tended to worsen as each decade passed.From the Phoenix program in Vietnam in the early ‘60s, immorality appears to be the basic framework of the American agenda of foreign defense and protection.   There were already incidents like these back in the 1960s; and to witness it alive and kicking until the 21st century is a huge sign that something wrong has been going on with America’s method of extricating criminals.

Metaphors in “Master Harold”

18 January 2012 Metaphors in â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys, is a powerful play written by Athol Fugard that allows us to analyze the complex relationship between a black man and a young white boy within the context of racism in South Africa in the 1950’s. This play is characterized by metaphors used by the author to illustrate the struggle of people dealing with racism. One of the most important themes of this play is racism, focusing on the injustice in South Africa when the apartheid system was in place.Racial segregation and separation in this time in history demonstrates to us how this system allowed unequal rights for whites and blacks. There is evidence that the relationship between Hally, the young white boy and Sam, the black man is complex due to the political system that was in place that supported racism, making this relationship complex and at the same time humanistic. The complexities of this relati onship are shown through the authors use of effective metaphors, such as the kite and the bench, to illustrate the life experiences between Hally and Sam within the racial and political time in which they lived.Through the kite and the bench metaphors it becomes evident that Hally and Sam have problems between them as a result of racism. A kite flying in the air controlled by two people extremely different on the outside but like father and son on the inside. The brown paper kite metaphor creates such a complex and interesting relationship between Hally and Sam. It also shows how much the political system creates such a huge effect on how people sometimes think of others with different grounds of race, no matter how close two people could be. During the time when Sam and Hally went to fly the kite, Hally was so excited to go with Sam.Although, at the same time, he was also hopeless and scared of what other people will think when seeing him with a black man trying to fly a brown-pape r kite made out of trash. Hally is always afraid of making a fool out of himself infront of people when around Sam. Since Sam is a black man and Hally is just a young white boy, it is not really normal for them to be out together in the public with the apartheid system going on. â€Å"Little white boy in shot trousers and a black man old enough to be his father flying a kite. It’s not everyday you see that†(Fugard 31). When together alone, Sam is like a father figure andHally loves to follow his footsteps, more than his actual father. Sam loves to make Hally feel proud of himself or even of something in his life because it does not happen often because of his coarse, alcoholic father. In front of people however, it is like they really are who they are supposed to be; a white boy with his parents servant. When Sam and Hally went out in the park to go and fly the kite, Hally did not want to hold the string and run, because he was embarrassed to see the kite not fly and f all to the ground, another thing he cannot be proud of. â€Å"The miracle happened!I was running, waiting for it to crash to the ground, but instead suddenly there was something alive behind me at the end of the string, tugging at it as if it wanted to be free. I looked back . . . I still can't believe my eyes. It was flying. . . I was so proud of us†(Fugard 30)! For once in his his life, Hally felt so proud of himself because of this kite, that he did not want to bring it down. Wanting to sit there all day and just watch it soar in the sky. Sam wanted Hally to be proud of something, proud of himself, and he gave him the encouragement for flying and climbing above his shame.Hally had one of the most amazing times flying that kite with Sam, but once he sat down on the bench, it was time for Sam to leave. Sam left Hally up on the hill, with the a sense of pride. Hally wondered why Sam had left him alone that day. The two of them were up there for a long time. Hally sat on the o ne bench up on the hill that had a sign that said â€Å"Whites Only† on it. When Hally recounts about their time together with the kite in the park and then Sam had to leave him, Sam is the one who informs him of the real reason why he couldn't stay. Hally's childhood memory is that Sam had to go to work.Hally was sitting on a â€Å"Whites Only† bench, so Sam would not have been permitted to sit there with him. â€Å"‘You left me after that, didn’t you?†¦ I wanted you to stay, you know. ’‘I had work to do, Hally’†(Fugard 30). Hally is filled with so much rage over his coarse, alcoholic father. When conflict appears, Hally lashes out on his two black friends, especially Sam. He tries to pretend they are not friends by acting strictly like a boss. Because of Hally’s status as a white person in a racially divided community, he is given the title of â€Å"Master† towards the black men.Hally asks Sam to call him â⠂¬Å"Master Harold† from now on, and Sam would only do this if they were no longer friends. This is the case for, when he spits in Sam's face, Hally becomes Master Harold to Sam. It is conquering in the corruption of another white male as Hally takes his place on the bench of segregation. â€Å"If you're not careful†¦ Master Harold†¦ you're going to be sitting up there by yourself for a long time to come, and there won't be a kite in the sky†(Fugard 58). â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys is a great play involving two characters that are like strangers on the outside, but like family on the inside.The relationship of Sam and Hally is so complex, and it always has its ups and downs. Their relationship is decided a lot from the apartheid system that takes place in the play, also with the use of the authors metaphors such as the kite and bench. However, a bench is not just a bench and a kite is not just some ordinary kite in this play. They have to do a lot with the relationships of Sam and Hally and how it was resulted in their life experiences during the political times they lived together that involved with and resulted with racism. Racism can always come in conflict with two people, no matter how close they are.