Monday, September 30, 2019

Dances of Luzon

Dances of Luzon ( see side bar for pictures of many of the dances ) 1. * Dance: Idaw This dance sometimes has many names and different versions. Most common is this dance depicts the hunting ritual performed before a tribal war. The tribes men would go out and look up and watch for the scared Idaw bird. Which is said to lead the tribe to victory. Also look at the clothing, Philippines being a very hot climate, plus the use of as little material as possible, the traditional clothing was not made to cover much of the body†¦. 2. * Dance : BangaThis dance displays the Igorot women on their way to the river to fetch the daily water supply for thier familys. It shows the skill and strength of the women as they would carry heavy laiden clay pots (Banga) full of water. Their grace and agility while balancing the heavy pots, sometimes stacks 5 high, is a testiment of the Filipino and how hardships become a art form and talent. As a young girl you would start with only one pot. Of course as you become older and more experienced, along with the fact that you could provide more water for your family in one trip.Pots could be stacked as high as 5 or 6. The more pots you could carry showed your skill and also you standing amoung the women of that area. They would all gather and march to the river each day, singing a native song which is represented by the flute and banging of bamboo on iron pots in the dance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3. * Dance : Idudu The family is the basic structure of family life among the Itneg / Tinggian poeple. The caring for the Children is shared by both the mother and father.While the men are clearing the fields, breaking the soil with bamboo and their feet, the women watch the children. Soon as the men are done, they take care of the children while the women do back breaking work. You can see in the dance how the women will take the bamboo baskets in a shaking fashion like drying the rice, while the men are going in circles in background like they are to iling the land. Then you will see the women put down the baskets fold the cloth into a baby while the husband stands aside.Then the women will turn over the baby to the husband, pick up the bamboo and start toiling the land while the men hold and cradle the babys†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. * Dance : Ragsaksakan The word means † Merriment†. This dance would be performed after a successful headhunt and also for a peace pact between waring tribles. The colorful hand woven blankets † blankets of life† are worn around the neck while baskets to carry produce or rice are worn upon the head. Some versions of this dance use the † Banga † instead of the basket.Dances of Mindanao – ( See side bar for pictures and more info) 5. * Dance : Singkil Sinkil dance takes its name from the bells worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. Perhaps one of the oldest of truly Filipino dances, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the â€Å"Darangan† of the M aranao people of Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century, tells the fateful story of Princess Gandingan, who was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas, or fairies or nymph of the forest.The rhythmic clapping of criss-crossed bamboo poles represent the trees that were falling, which she gracefully avoids. Her slave loyally accompanies her throughout her ordeal. Finally, she is saved by the prince. Dancers wearing solemn faces and maintaining a dignified pose being dancing at a slow pace which soon progresses to a faster tempo skillfully manipulate apir, or fans which represent the winds that prove to be auspicious. The dancers weave expertly through criss-crossed bamboos. 6. * Dance : Asik This is performed by a solo madien, adorned with fine beads and make up, long head scarf.She would dance to win the favor of her Sultan master. Many time the girls would dance to win the hearts of her master or to make up for a wrong she had d one. She would give her whole heart and soul into this performance to soften the heart of her master to accept her†¦ Visayas Dances – ( see pictures in the side bar ) 7. * Dance : Sayaw Sa Banko This dance is native to the barrio of Pangapisan, Lingayen, Pangasinan, and demands skill from its performers who must dance on top of a bench roughly six inches wide. 8. * Dance : TinklingTinnikling is considered the national folkdance with a pair of dancers hopping between two bamboo poles held just above the ground and struck together in time to music. Originated from Leyte Province, this dance is in fact a mimic movement of â€Å"tikling birds† hopping over trees, grass stems or over bamboo traps set by farmers. Dancers perform this dance with remarkable grace and speed jumping between bamboo poles. 9. * Dance : Subli The term â€Å"subli† is from two tagalog words â€Å"subsub† meaning falling on head and â€Å"bali†, which means broken.Hence, the dancers appear to be lame and crooked throughout the dance. This version is originally a ritual dance of the natives of Bauan, Batangas, which is shown during fiestas as a ceremonial worship dance to the town’s icon, the holy cross 10. * Dance : Maglalatik Originally performed in Binan, Laguna as a mock-war dance that demonstrates a fight between the Moros and the Christians over the prized latik or coconut meat during the Spanish rule, this dance is also shown to pay tribute to the town’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.It has a four-part performance such as the palipasan and the baligtaran showing the intense battle, the paseo and the escaramusa- the reconciliation. Moro dancers wear read trousers while the Christian dancers show up in blue. All dancers are male; with harnesses of coconut shells attached on their chests, backs, thighs and hips Project In Physical Education 2 Philippine Folk Dances

My Childhood Memories Essay

Oh no! I shouted at the top of my voice, please don’t break down my grandparents’ house I had just returned from New York to Trinidad with my parents. I left Trinidad when I was six years old. I grew up in couva with my grandparents, where I had many friends living in there in the same villag.e I walked through the street where my friends and I once played jump rope. The sight of the many old-fashioned houses caught my attention. I stop as I started at one house with boarded up windows. It looked weather beaten, but the sight of that house painted a mischievous smile on my face because it was the house where I once stole mangoes from my neighour, Uncle Bob. As I approached the yard a sea of colours rushed past my eyes and painted the house and the garden became alive with fresh flowers and swaying coconut trees. I saw myself swinging under the Poui tree and grandma bringing freshly extracted sugar cane juice for me. Even though this was just a memory I could hear the melodious singing of the birds all day. Once again, I could smell the frangranced sent of the large roses that bloomed near to the garden. Before I got off the swing I looked up to the tree and saw the soft, yellow poui petals greeting my face. Some of the tiny blossoms gracefully fell at my feet. I grabbed a handful and through it up in the air. I saw the vision of myself greeting the gardener, who gave me roses to put in the vase. He was always very kind and didn’t mind me playing in the garden.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

How does the media affect policing? Essay

The media displays a negative and positive image when it comes to police officers. Society sees both sides from the media reflecting how they view police in their own communities. In our communities we also see police getting shot or often finding themselves in a bad situation. The police are here to protect us and to serve the communities to the best of their abilities. The negative images we see and hear are police that are corrupt or brutally beating harmless suspects. The positive images would be that they have saved an innocent life in a hostage situation. The media portrays the police in many different ways. We need to realize that the police are on our side and that they are human just like everyone else. The television shows that we see on television today are both helpful and harmful to the profession. For example, â€Å"Cops† is based on real life situations and we actually see what they go through on a daily basis. This profession is very dangerous and you have to be prepared for whatever comes your way. This show is helpful because it gives society an inside look at police officers in action. The show â€Å"NYPD Blue† portrays corrupt cops and is therefore harmful to how society sees police officers. The show that I feel impacts policing is â€Å"CSI.† It impacts policing because it shows that it’s just not one person that solves a crime; it takes a team to solve a crime. It often times takes patience and a different point of view to solve long tedious crimes. This is one of my favorite shows because there are so many technological advances today that help the police do their jobs to the best of their ability. In the future technology is going to play a key role in all aspects of law enforcement.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Compare Mencius theory of Human Nature as Good with Xunzis Theory of Essay

Compare Mencius theory of Human Nature as Good with Xunzis Theory of Human Nature as Evil - Essay Example He said when people follow their original morality, they show exceptional goodness that has been bestowed on them by nature. According to him people are unhappy when others suffer and would like to save them from such sufferings and that is the side of goodness and he showed the example of all people rushing to save the child, which is about to fall into a well. According to him, the original good nature of man gets hit by disappointments and difficulties like trees on mountain slopes being targeted by horrendous winds and he gives examples of once beautiful, now bedraggled trees of Niu Mountain. "Mencius belonged to one of those philosophical schools and all these schools were competing among themselves for disciples and for the favour of rulers which would bring wealth, power and positionsMencius was therefore, in a position that he had to explain more clearly than Confucius why every man should strive to be a 'superior man'" Hwang (1979, p.205). His arguments are termed as too idealistic, far from reality, far removed from real life happenings and he argues a kind of mysticism beyond comprehension and belief. He is also criticized that all people cannot be endowed with such superfluous goodness as he supposed. Funnily, in spite of criticism, Mencius' theory continued to exist and is quite relevant even today. "Mencius, on the other hand, is more truly a mystic. Not only does he believe that a man can attain oneness with the universe by perfecting his own moral nature, but he has absolute faith in the moral purpose of the universe. His great achievement is that he not only successfully defended the teachings of Confucius against the corrosive influence of new ideas but, in the process, added to Confucianism a depth that it did not possess before," Lau (1970, p.46). He stressed upon ethical predispositions of mind and heart. He argued that any budding evil could be controlled by self-reflection and self-cultivation. His ethical ideal was benevolence humaneness. Xunzi lived towards the end of Warring States Period (453-221 BCE) and along with Mencius and Confucius, was one of the three main architects of Confucius school of Philosophy in China. This period saw great philosophical flowering in China that enveloped almost all spheres of life, society, politics, ruling, warfare, defense etc. He lived in a 'cutthroat' age and it is not surprising that his philosophy is based on human evil. He also felt the need of human education and moral training. "Human nature is evil; what is good is artifice. Now, human nature is as follows. At birth there is fondness for profit in it. Following this, contention and robbery arise, and deference and courtesy are destroyed," Goldin (1999, p.6). Xunzi was directly opposite to Mencius in assuming that human nature starts with evil and not with goodness. His thought clashes with that of Mencius on the fundamentals itself. "But it flatly contradicts the view of Mencius, who taught that man is naturally inclined to goodness and in later centuries, when Mencius' view came to be regarded as the orthodox one, it led to an unhappy clouding of Hsun Tzu's entire system of thought," Watson (1967, p.5). He thought man is prone to evil dispositions, and ethical rules of society are invented to prevent this natural process. His philosophy says that Man is naturally an evil,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Ethic - Essay Example To what limit do the liberties of the bank stretch over developing nations? Chad is a poor oil-rich nation that has had its share of internal conflicts. Political instability and leadership battles have characterized this North African country. Corruption has also taken toll on the events in this country, and this is evidenced by the award of tenders and contracts to various corporations. The first oil contract was awarded to Exxon. After this, President Idriss quickly and corruptly awarded multimillion contracts to Chevron and Petronas, oil exploration companies. President Idriss’ rule was typical of the leadership of most Sub Saharan states in that he ruled with impunity and with no democracy. In order to hang on to leadership, the President invested a lot in armory. However, this put the government in loggerheads with International corporations like the World Bank which questioned the source of funds for such expenditures. The World Bank threatened to put financial sanction s on Chad by arguing that the manner in which the government acquired funding was questionable. It can be seen that The President of Chad may have contracted the other two companies as a desperate cat to save his country from the iron hand of the World Bank. This case typifies the corruption in the awarding of contracts in this poor African state, and the President is at the center-stage of all these. Ideally, oil exploration activities were supposed to uplift the economy of Chad. The revenues would be used for noteworthy projects in education, health and infrastructural development. The government set up a council that would oversee noteworthy utilization of oil revenues. Amazingly, the government would only be able to use 12.5% of the revenues. The rest would be remitted to the World Bank. 12.5% is an exceptionally small ratio to be allocated to a country as an economic stimulus from its own resource. World Bank had dictated this ratio to Chad. The World Bank flexed its authority in more than one ways to Chad’s disadvantage. In 1998 and 1999 parliament passed a law that saw the formation of the audition general and oil laws that favored the bank’s requirement. Funding was received in the year 2000. For Chad to receive any form of financial aid from the bank, her parliament had to pass specific oil laws. One of these was the 12.5% allocation to Chad as the rest was split between the bank and Exxon. The World Bank has in the past, and still continues to manipulate poor countries by recommending stringent laws that only favor them. Before agreeing to be the financier, the terms of the World bank were that Chad had tototally relinquish its oil sovereignty and Exxon was to submit all its plans for the bank to scrutinize. Natural resources of a nation are meant to boost the economy of that country and its citizens. The government is the sole custodian of such resources. To have the government of a poor nation give up such a right in exchange for futu re aid that may not be sought after is unethical. The bank took advantage of Chad’s poverty and wealth while it was supposed to protect the country as required by international business law. Exxon was not at liberty to lay down the pipeline. The bank studied the 800mile pipes layout and made drastic adjustments to them without consulting the firm. This was done to suit the bank’

Automatic identification systems (AIS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Automatic identification systems (AIS) - Essay Example In open water, ships sail under different courses and speeds, each following its schedule to arrive to its destination. A ship detected by visual lookouts or by radar at a range of 6 miles or less could have any course and is considered a threat to collision. Ships must make decisive quick changes in course and/or speed to avoid collision if such threat exists. Ships take time to change its course and speed since its advance in the water is a complex outcome of her heading, speed, weight, wind and current direction and speed. Decision how to pass or overcome a detected ship must be taken early in time before the detected ship is less than one mile away. Once a contact ship is detected by visual lookouts or radar, the officer of the watch must analyze the threat of collision with this contact. He must determine the detected ship's course, speed and relative motion. He must decide whether this ship is on a collision course with his ship or not based on how close this ship would pass his ship and expected changes in course and speed. If action must be taken to avoid collision, he should determine who will maneuver according to the rules of the road to avoid collision. Just imagine what should be done if more than one ship is detected. Automatic Identification system (AIS) was introduced to provide solutions to such complex scenarios. AIS provides a shipboard radar display, with overlaid electronic chart data, that includes a mark for every ship within radio range. Information pertaining to all detected ship is displayed as required. The size of the mark reflects the size of the ship. By clicking on any ship's mark, you could learn about ship's name, call sign, and classification. You could determine best maneuver to avoid collision with the detected ship instantaneously, using the displayed information such as course, speed, closest point of approach (CPA), time to CPA (TCPA) and position as latitude and longitude. You could call upon any ship within the very high frequency (VHF) range using its call sign or name using VHF communication or Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). "Display information previously available only to modern vessel traffic service operations centers could now be available to every AIS-equipped ship" (USCG 2005). Prior to the introduction of AIS, other navigation aid systems were used. The following aids to navigation would be discussed and compared to AIS: buoys, racons, radars, and Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA). The AIS system will next be described and explained. Buoyage System A buoy is a floating device which is kept in some specific place in the water to convey certain information to ships passing by. It usually marks a danger to navigation or an administrative area to allow boats ship to navigate safely. Size, shape, color and numbering are distinctive of each buoy's function and identity. Buoys that carry lights are also used at night time. Buoys carrying sound signals are used in conditions of reduced visibility such as fog (Maloney 1981). Valuable information is obtained from buoys when they are identified. A buoyage system contains a number of different types of buoys. Each type is designed to meet the requirements of different conditions. A can buoy has the shape of tin can when seen from a distance. A nun buoy has the shape of a cone with a rounded tip. A lighted buoy is a short skeleton tower with a light at the top connected to

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Responsibility of government for supporting the arts Essay

Responsibility of government for supporting the arts - Essay Example Classical example they can draw is governmental support of arts in the former Soviet Union. Soviet leaders have been carried out their control of arts in the Soviet Union, but they thought that there was necessity to control artists and for many internal ideological reasons. In spite of the control, Soviet government supported the arts through different state organizations and institutions, and many real masterpieces were created by the Soviet people in that period. Government must support arts, but not widely control it. There are some good examples of such supporting. The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is a governmental organization the purpose of which is providing grants for different art organizations, institutions and festivals. "These grants generally are for the purpose of increasing their accessibility for people from other parts of the state or for people of lower income, but grants also may support special programs and exhibitions" (1). These programmes must be supported by government, because only state support can provide high level of arts development. Private organizations cannot always appropriate necessary funds for arts development.There are some more examples from the US history. "Government support was provided to artists during the Great Depression through the Works Project Administration (WPA). The purpose of this government largesse, however, seems to have been motivated primarily by the interest in providing work to the unemployed" (2). The governmental support of the arts also provides help for people who create masterpieces i n such trouble time as the Great Depression. Non-state organizations couldn't support artists in trouble time - only government can provide arts and artists with all means needed. Eloquent example of the necessity of governmental support of the arts is a copyright system which is established by the government. It allows "creators to retain the financial interests in their intellectual property, so the theory runs, they would be encouraged to create, which would be in the interests of the nation" (2). Government supports authors to gain material stimulus for their work and protects them from illegal use of their creations. Copyright system is widespread in all civilized countries that understand the necessity of the state support of the arts and artists who are always gold fund of any country and nation. Only government is able to support the arts and artists with the copyright system by all means of legislation.3. I have argued that government has a responsibility to support the arts, but if that support is going to produce anything of value, government must place no restrictions on the art that is produced. This view will become increasingly dominant in the coming century, because in our time it is especially important to provide high level support of arts. Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, but in the long run, promoting the idea that government is

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Project Management Module Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management Module Coursework - Essay Example The cost information that would be necessary would be in terms of the length of the project, the total costs of the project, the efforts of the staff that is Person: Days Ratio. The cost information could be obtained from the use of the standards and measurements sections. We can ensure that costs are in line with the estimates by making frequent comparisons with the actual costs with the estimates. The aspects of standard costing could also be established with respects to costs, recoveries and efficiency studies. Question 1C: The choice for selection of project manager is being considered, In this connection, it is necessary to appoint a person with IT background, since it is nowadays, a crucial aspect of project management, and IT is very much necessary for application in industry situations. Moreover, it is also seen that effective business solutions, especially in the areas of Project Management, is inextricably linked with IT, Question 1D: The Baseline metrics could be seen in terms of Development productivity, unit costs and lapsed time/unit. .In terms of development productivity, it measures one unit of effort could result in how many products. The unit costs could measure the amount of cost needed to produce one unit of product. The lapsed time per unit would be in terms of the time taken to produce one unit. Question 2: A: The activity on arrow is a simple and easily understandable diagram which is also amenable to corrections. Even a non-technical person could follow these diagrams and understand the path of the network. It is also seen that the major achievements are easily marked and even in cases where there are multiple relationships between processes, the AoA diagrammatic representation is easier to understand. Question 2 B: A dummy activity is one which is representative of a dependency but which has no time allotment, that means it could be carried simultaneously with another activity and therefore has 0 duration. The

Monday, September 23, 2019

World Trade Organizations Dispute Settlement Mechanism Thesis

World Trade Organizations Dispute Settlement Mechanism - Thesis Example The author of the paper states that the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism should secure the ‘rule of law’ within international trade and provide all members with opportunities to exercise their rights equally under multilateral trade agreements. But, even after ten years, there still are many countries which haven't have the option to initiate a dispute. The system has been critically analyzed and the solutions have been proposed that DSM should break the monarchy and fear of developed countries and secure the developing.  An international organization, theWorld Trade Organization(WTO) was designed to supervise and liberalize international was came into being on 1 January 1995. It is the descendant of GATT theGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which was formed in 1947, and continued to operate for almost five decades as a de facto international organization.  Most of the academic literature, even in its more critical versions, tend to share this basic assumption with the designers of the DSM. The DSM is conceptualized as a legal system where the same rules apply to countries on an equal basis, and where cases are judged according to their merits. This principle is incarnated in the AB, which has developed a case law with this emphasis.  A final set of observations from this literature focuses on biases and inequalities within and between institutions managing trade, including the WTO in general and the DSM in particular (Busch and Reinhardt, 2003; Shaffer, 2003). Here, the main problem identified is that the DSM (and the WTO) has become too technically complex and demanding for most developing countries to use effectively in the absence of adequate assistance. Originally, this is the observation that there are too much law and too little politics in the system.   The implicit biases of systems of trade rules, including the DSM, in favor of powerful countries - reinforced through the dominance of judicial forms of rule-making - have been noted by some contributors to the literature (for example, Busch and Reinhardt, 2001).  Initial studies of developing country participation in WTO dispute settlement found that they were unable to use the system effectively to settle cases, although they had expected levels of success when cases went before panels and the Appellate Body.161 This suggested that there was a need for more training and assistance to developing countries to enable them to handle the initial stages of dispute settlement more effectively. More recent experience suggests that at least the major developing countries - and quite a few Latin American countries in general - have become more effective in using dispute settlement overall, including in using it to obtain early settlements. The establishment of the Advisory Centre on WTO L aw and the dispute settlement training activities of the WTO Secretariat and others should help ensure that developing countries continue to made progress on this front (Busch and Reinhardt, 2001).

Sunday, September 22, 2019

View from the bridge Essay Example for Free

View from the bridge Essay Convention of a western gun fight related relates to the idea of Brooklyn being the Wild West. In the 1950 cowboy films were very popular. They all had certain common redeem into it which Miller uses to portray his confrontation. In a cowboy film you will have one gun fighter coming down the main street. in the play Marco appears outside, walking down the door from a distance point, Then you will have one gun fighter refusing to leave the town Eddie says where? Where am I going? , one gun fighter adjusting his belt Eddie hosting his pants ,the arriving of a gun fighter asking for a challenge. . Marco is calling as he nears the door shouting Eddie Carbone and the other fighter issuing a counter challenge Eddie as though flinging his challenge. Eddie shouts out his name three times to show he is not ashamed of his name because the whole play is about reputation and people wanting there names to be respected. In the counter challenge an actor would show Eddies aggression by swaggering his body as he walks up to Marco, his voice would be sounding aggressive to show anger and clench his arms as he punches the air. Millers also has a western convention of a crowd of no lookers standing on the side walks watching the fight. Miller has realised that people enjoy watching a fight, but are not willing to try to stop it. Eddies public address on stage is a dramatic pause because it is full of rhetorical questions which nobody can answer back. He wants the crowd to answer yes but the audience and Marco know that its false. He does this to make the crowd on stage his side. This is very dramatic because Eddie uses strong accusations on Marco how ungrateful he has been and also refers to the story of the Good Samaritan in the bible to make his accusation stronger. During all this Marco is impassive which makes him menacing and this would frustrate Eddie. Moreover the silent Marco is waiting like a silent gunfighter waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Miller brings in the western cowboy style by making Marco and Eddie spread there arms just like two cowboys with there gun hovering over there own gun butts in a western film. This fight between Marco and Eddie is very brutal because they are both trying to use there physical power against each other. Eddie pulls out a knife out to finish the fight off like in a street fight because he knows Marco is stronger. Immediately Marco strikes him and shouts animaaaaal and later he says it again to show that Eddie does not reason. Miller has the fight so brute to show that men dont reason when they are controlled by passion and it raises the question whether this is the way men behave. Miller want to make it clear that what ever the characters on stage might think this is not an honourable ting to do. Eddie is being forced to stab him self is symbiotic of his own self destruction in a tragedy. The hero has to realise what he should have done before actually dieing. When Eddie says My B he realises it is Beatrice he loves. When the tragic hero dies, the audience feel sympathy because he would have avoided the whole thing at the beginning. At the moment of Eddies death a dramatic tableau is created when Eddie dies in Beatrices arms as she covers Eddie in her body. At the end of the play the crowd on stage turn to the audience and the lights are turned down leaving Beatrice and Eddie in a glow while behind in dull prayers of the people and the keening of for women continue. The audience see a man who is dead with his wife and her women keening in the background in dull prayers. The idea of dull prayers is Eddie didnt die as a hero instead he dies as a waste. All this puts the audience in the right frame of mind to listen to the epilogue. The epilogue, a traditional feature of a tragedy, delivers the moral to remind the audience. For example in Romeo and Juliet the princes message was what hatred would bring to families and in Macbeth, Malcolm says that a good king brigs peace and harmony. In view from the bridge the epilogue is that men who are pure in following there code of honour but the code of honour itself was perverse because it doesnt allow those who follow it to settle for half. However another persons tragedy is entertaining if it doesnt evolve you or if the same thing doesnt happen to you. Miller finishes with an ellipsis followed by the word alarm. He wants to alarm the audience what would happen if they allowed passion to control them. Millers point towards the play is to remind people what would happen if countries started behaving like people. There will be massive amounts of lives lost, for example the USA fighting with Iraq. However what happens if a country decides to take the law into there own hands and not settle for half? Â   Simon Gesage Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Presenting Reality In Documentaries

Presenting Reality In Documentaries The term documentary stems from the verb to document to convey information on the basis of proof and evidence to support it, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In the realm of films and cinema, a documentary is a film that is an attempt, in one fashion or another, to show reality as it really is. In this essay, we shall be concentrating on the documentary by American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. By the end of this essay we should hopefully reach to a conclusion whether Morgan Spurlock used the medium of documentary film effectively in order to represent the truth. The latter will need an in depth analysis n observation of the style of documentary Super Size me is and how it has been treated and presented by the filmmaker. The ultimate aim of documentary is to find the perfect way of representing the real is what Stella Bruzzi believes is the function of a documentary. As she states it herself, the aim is to find the perfect way of representing reality. The three underlined words are themselves hypothetical terms that are not certain, hence this is the first indication that documentary might not necessarily achieve its aim. Documentary style of films are still under debate as to how real can they be, this probably why Stella Bruzzi uses the word find instead of a more commanding and certain word. Therefore, what is really a documentary according to different theorists? John Grierson, the first writer to use documentary as a term in his review of Robert Flahertys Moana, came up with his famous dictum that documentary is the creative interpretation of actuality. Griersons essay First Principles of Documentary argued that documentary was cinemas potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the original actor and original scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials thus taken from the raw can be more real than the acted article. Contrary to Bruzzis idea of representing reality, Grierson believes in interpreting it. Interpretation can be in form of re-enactment. So the question that arises is how realistic is a documentary that has actors and scenes guiding the flow of the film? Any re-enactment or borrowed situations can be manipulated to reflect the directors idea, which leaves hardly any space for 100% reality. In addition to John Griersons explanation about documentary, Bill Nichols (2001:165) suggests that documentaries have a sense of realism which other genre of films lack as the realism in documentaries represent what the eyes and ears experience in everyday life. Morgan Spurlock achieves the degree of realism and transparency explained by Bill Nichols in realism in documentary film. Morgan Spurlock presents his point against fast food by living, observing and literally eating it. He documents his 30 days Mc Diet effectively that the audience has little or no hesitation to question the transparency and authenticity (Bill Nichols:165). Morgan Sprulocks objectives for making Super Size Me were to investigate the reasons and claims about USA having an epidemic of obesity. As he sarcastically says in the beginning of his documentary; The biggest people, America has now become the fattest nation in the world, CONGRATULATIONS! This statement by the filmmaker suggests that in teh documentary, the audience will be seeing and hearing the reality that Morgan Spurlock chooses to show them and he has already taken the liberty to express his personal emotions towards the theme of the documentary. Another driving force that led Spurlock to make this documentary was the lawsuit brought against McDonalds on behalf of two overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonalds food (Pelman v. McDonalds Corp) in 2003. Spurlock argues that this case against fast food joints is as significant as the criticism faced by tobacco companies. A brief summary of the documentary is that Morgan Spurlock makes himself a test subject of this documentary about the commercial food industry. Rigorously eating a diet of McDonalds fast food, three times a day for a month straight and restricts himself to only 5000 steps a day. Therefore, he lives the life of most American who eat fast food regularly and also hard burn it out in terms of physical exercise. Spurlock is out to prove the physical and mental effects of consuming fast food. While doing this, Spurlock also provides a look at the food culture in America through its schools, corporations, and politics as seen through the eyes of regular people and health advocates. Super Size Me is a movie that sheds a new light on what has become one of our nations biggest health problems: obesity. Critics of the film, including McDonalds, argue that the author intentionally consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day and did not exercise, and that the results would have been the same regardless of the source of overeating. He was eating solely McDonalds food in keeping with the terms of a potential judgment against McDonalds in court documents highlighted at the beginning of the film. The film addresses such objections by highlighting that a part of the reason for Spurlocks deteriorating health was not just the high calorie intake but also the high quantity of fat relative to vitamins and minerals in the McDonalds menu, which is similar in that regard to the nutritional content of the menus of most other U.S. fast-food chains. About 1/3 of Spurlocks calories came from sugar. His nutritionist, Bridget Bennett RD, cited him about his excess intake of sugar from milkshakes and cokes. It is revealed toward the end of the movie that over the course of the diet, he consumed over 30 pounds of sugar, and over 12 lbs. of fat from their food. The nutritional side of the diet was not fully explored in the film because of the closure of the clinic which monitored this aspect during the filming of the movie. Spurlock claimed he was trying to imitate what an average diet for a regular eater at McDonalds-a person who would get little to no exercise-would do to them. Spurlocks intake of 5,000 calories per day was well over twice the recommended daily intake for a sedentary adult male, which would amount to only about 2,300 calories. A typical man consuming as many calories as Spurlock did would gain nearly a pound a day (which is roughly how much Spurlock gained), a rate of weight gain that could not be sustained for long periods. Additionally, Spurlock did not demonstrate or claim that anyone, let alone a substantial number of people, eats at McDonalds three times per day. In fact McDonalds is mentioned during the movie to have two classes of users of their restaurants: There are the Heavy Users, (about 72% of the customers, who eat at their restaurants once or twice a week), and the SUPER Heavy Users (about 22% of the customers, who eat McDonalds 3 or more times a week). But no one was fo und who ate at McDonalds three times a day. This brings out the fact that maybe Morgan was exactly as objective as he should have been. There is a clear exaggeration of his Mc Diet as no one was found to be eating as much fast food as he did. However, the counter argue this claim one can say that maybe not every day but like a few participants in the documentary said the eat fast food up to 3 times a week. So if one spreads those continuous 30 days over couple of months the result might be the same. The only difference left will be that Morgans body and health showed accelerated reaction to the fast food intake because he did it at an extreme level. According to Bill Nichols in Introduction to Documentary (2001:163): Social issue documentaries are usually in expository mode. However, Morgan Spurlock contradicts this statement by making a social issue documentary in a participatory mode making it more a personal portraiture documentary. If super Size Me was to be categorised in the b asic six mode of documentary according to Bill Nichols, it would be a participatory documentary. In the latter, investigation takes a step back to make way for a more responsive and reflective relationship in unfolding the events by the filmmaker (Bill Nichols 2001:119). Super size Me is a personal testimonial where Morgan Spurlocks voice is prominent throughout the overall structure of the film and this is what hold the audiences attention. It will be appropriate at this point to go deeper into the documentary Super Size Me and analyse it in order to understand the objectives and mode of the documentary. Firstly, Super size Me is the idea of an ordinary American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. This is an important fact to be taken into consideration because eventually the ideology and aim intended by Morgan Spurlock is what will direct the ideas reflected in the documentary, hence, objectivity can be compromised. For reality to be completely present in order to have a real documentary there should be ideally, no draw backs on objectivity in the portrayal of ideas. Secondly, Super size Me is more to do with creating awareness amongst people. Creating awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. This suggests that Spurlock was not aiming at influencing people to completely revolt against fast food but at least beware and conscious of the harmful effects of it. He leaves it upon the audience to make their choice without brainwashing them. Thirdly, Super Size me is what Grierson would categorize under participatory mode, in which filmmakers move from behind the camera and appear as subjects in their own work like Spurlock carries out his experiment himself and becomes the main subject of the documentary. He is the director, producer and writer of the documentary. So much control over a project does make it a very passionate and well organised piece of work; however, with so much power and control over a project, the audience might be getting the side of story which the director has in mind. Hence, can the audience be completely dependent on what is being shown to them and believe that Spurlock was being completely objective? The audience plays a great role in what and how the director delivers the documentary. Super Size Me was released in 2004, mainly for the American audience as he directs his attention to Americans by repeatedly saying WE are The taste of what the audience want now is different from what was expected in earlier years when illiteracy levels were at their highest. The audience want something more intellectually stimulating and not propaganda. Moreover, reality and truth in the form of controversy is what really gets peoples attention. This probably the deciding factor when it comes to Spurlock putting together eye catching facts and shocking moments like his depression, or his girlfriend admitting to him being not as good as before during sexual intercourse. Such facts can be hidden or edited out, but the director keeps it, to show his transparency but also to add the elements that sell in todays world. In addition, editing plays a big role in representing reality. The camera can capture all the truth there is to be captured, but the audience eventually see what is presented to them after much chopping done in the editing room. Directors choice of scenes, images and music is what is eventually reflected in the documentary. In other words, only one or a few peoples choice or ideology is selected and presented to the audience. The directors selection does not necessarily have to reflect the reality. Therefore, how is reality ever represented in documentaries? Triumph of The Will (1935) is not only a masterpiece entirely on its own, divorced from political or propagandist considerations, but in its emotional manipulation of the audience represents the very heart of what propaganda is all about. (Barsam, 1992, 130) Riefenstahl is able to create a glorified representation of the NSDAP, or Nazi party, with the use of a music score that invents Hitler as heroic. Her ability to represent a political party so triumphantly is noted in the moving and chilling pieces of cinematography when Hitler gives his final speech and compares his party to a holy order. She captures an essence far purer than the NSDAP, and in a way does more than justice to the partys attempts of propaganda. On the other hand, her achievements in portraying the NSDAP as glamorous can be seen as misrepresenting and a line can be drawn between fact and fiction as to, whether her glorifications are unjust and morally wrong. For the Nazis, the euphoria of a perfect Germany according to them can be portrayed with proper film aesthetics but without directly referring to the contemporary society of the 1930s. The what it would be like if Nazis ruled agenda can be portrayed with the use of abstract visuals and other techniques as long as the real is not referred to, as societies in Germany were not of pure race. The idea of creating a pure race and portraying this in a film is almost mythical, yet alone absurd. In order to portray an Aryan world blatant lies and imaginative discourse would be called for. The ethical implications behind this, is that the people themselves must change in order to create this ideal society. The overly repeated Flag Bearer image depicts symbolism connected to Nazism; the inclusion of a flag bearing the Nazi Swastika symbol represents the militarized power of the party. As a trend in Nazi propaganda, there is enormous emphasis on military symbols in Triumph of the will, triggered deeply felt emotions associated with Germanys former military might. Leni Riefenstahls editing provides an insight into the status of Triumph of the Will as Nazi propaganda. For example, one sequence during Hitlers arrival in Nuremburg is composed of four shots; the first two shots show the old buildings of the city and then a German flag therefore representing the old, traditional Germany. The following two shots depict Hitler and then a Swastika. This sequence typifies how Riefenstahl has represented the Nazi ideology of a return to a mythical epoch by linking the ideals of the traditional dogma with a visionary future. Similarly, before the scene of the city awakening Riefenstahl links a shot of an old church to represent Volakis thought, with the rally camp site to signify the new Germany. Incidentally Hinton suggests that as result of these sequences, Triumph of the Will is more than a document of the 1934 Nazi Party Rally; it is a document of the city of Nuremburg where the viewer gains a sense of the beauty and history of the medieval centre. F urthermore, the use of German and Nazi flags ties in with the use of military symbols inherent in the propaganda of the Third Reich. She also states that; In my cutting room, it was the most difficult work of my life describing the task that took at least five months to fulfil. She explained that she did not care much about chronological accuracy on the screen and that she intuitively tried to find a unifying way to edit the film in a way which would progressively take the viewer from act to act and from impression to impression. With political pressure, adoration for Adolf Hitler, and clearly a propaganda film, Triumph of the will does portray reality in terms of the images used; they are all live and not re-enacted by Riefenstahl. However, it is a biased documentation of the reality. I believe it would have been a real documentary if only there was not so much of glamour shown about the Nazi rallies, and the darker side such as the Holocaust and ghettos were also covered. The latter would have made it a more objective piece of work, making it more of a documentary instead of a propaganda tool. From the information given above about the documentaries in question the first thing that is important to note is the fact that Triumph of the Will was an idea suggested by Adolf Hitler whereas, Super size Me was the idea of an ordinary American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. This is an important fact to be taken into consideration because eventually the ideology and aim intended by Adolf Hitler and Morgan Spurlock is what will direct the ideas reflected in the documentary, hence, objectivity can be compromised. For reality to be completely present in order to have a real documentary there should be ideally, no draw backs on objectivity in the portrayal of ideas. Adolf Hitler was a Nazi dictator ruling over a powerful country like Germany, his influence and power to pressurise Leni Riefenstahl was unquestionable. On the contrary, Morgan Spurlock was just an independent director. What kind of objectivity and impartiality (two very important subjects to reflect reality) can one expect from a director working under a dictator who controlled the population through fear? The purposes of both documentaries are extreme opposites. Triumph of the Will was intended to be a propaganda political film. Propaganda is after all; a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. In comparison to this, Super size Me was more to do with creating awareness amongst people. Creating awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an obser ver without necessarily implying understanding. This suggests that Spurlock was not aiming at influencing people to completely revolt against fast food but at least beware and conscious of the harmful effects of it. He leaves it upon the audience to make their choice without brainwashing them. The presentation of Triumph of the Will is what documentary forefather, John Grierson would categorise under Poetic mode. Such documentary thrive on a filmmakers aesthetic and subjective visual interpretation of a subject, in addition to it different music is selected for different scenes, just like in the Triumph of Will. By contrast, Super Size me is what Grierson would categorize under participatory mode, in which filmmakers move from behind the camera and appear as subjects in their own work like Spurlock carries out his experiment himself and becomes the main subject of the documentary. The time period in which both documentaries are set in are also crucial points to be noted. Triumph of the Will was set in 1935 in Germany, where people were in the middle of Nazi revolution and political chaos. In contrary to 2004 America where Super Size Me is shot, the taste of the audience has changed dramatically. Audiences of Super Size Me are not only in America but world around, which wasnt the target audience of Triumph of the Will, the latter was meant for only the Germans. To add to this, Germans in 1934 were comparably less educated than the audience of 2004, because one of Germanys major issues at that time was low education. Hence, propaganda movies worked to its full potential as people would not question or form their own opinions; however, the same cannot be expected from liberal thinking people in 2004. The taste of what audience around the world want now is completely different from what was expected in 1930s. Nowadays, reality and truth in the form of controversy is what really gets peoples attention. One may wonder if 1930s audience would have liked to watch real documentary, what if Triumph of the Will was to include scenes from the concentration camps, how would have the audience responded to the documentary? Lastly, editing plays a big role in representing reality. The camera can capture all the truth there is to be captured, but the audience eventually see what is presented to them after much chopping done in the editing room. Directors choice of scenes, images and music is what is eventually reflected in the documentary. In other words, only one or a few peoples choice or ideology is selected and presented to the audience. The directors selection does not necessarily have to reflect the reality. Therefore, how is reality ever represented in documentaries? Returning to Stella Bruzzis statement, the aim of documentary is to represent the truth. According to her, the way of doing is still being found. Truth can be the body of real things, events, actuality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. Super Size Me does get close to Stellas definition of documentary. It represents what happens with Americans being addicted to fast food and barely exercising. What makes this documentary a real representation of reality is the presence of objectivity. If Spurlock enjoyed something it was showed and when he was not at his best (scenes of vomiting and depression) that was also shown, to portray both sides of the reality. On one hand, Triumph of the Will with the use or real images and not actors and fabricated scenes, is a way of showing the truth, however, the sincerity lacks because it is a highly biased propaganda. Moreover, with political pressure at that time, there was no freedom of showing a balanced truth, which is supposed to be the real essence of a documentary. To sum up about Triumph of the Will, it is right to say that it does actually document the events such as Nazi rallies and political speeches, but the immense lack of objectivity does not make the propaganda film a real representation of the truth (according to the quote of Stella Bruzzi). On the other hand, Super Size Me does get close to Stellas definition of documentary. It represents what happens with Americans being addicted to fast food and barely exercising. What makes this documentary a real representation of reality is the presence of objectivity. If Spurlock enjoyed something it was showed and when he was not at his best (scenes of vomiting and depression) that was also shown, to portray both sides of the reality. The documentary is also very credible because of all the science backing that it has thanks to the doctors Spurlock had on board for the film. The latter brings a logical reasoning to what is being shown in the documentary, unlike the Triumph of the Will where no space is giving to the audience to make their own opinion. The documentary is also very credible because of all the science backing that it has thanks to the doctors Spurlock had on board for the film. The latter brings a logical reasoning to what is being shown in the documentary. To conclude, Super Size Me is definitely closer to Bruzzis definition of documentary because of the unbiased representation of truth. Nevertheless, in Super Size Me, the experiment is itself not true or completely reliable, as no one eats fast food three times a day for a whole month with only 5,000 steps as exercise. Moreover, Spurlock is a bit too aggressive in trying to bring down one specific chain of fast food joints which is Mc Donalds. He bases his whole experiment solely on Mc Donalds. What about the other fast food companies? Arent their menus as harmful as or worse than Mc Donalds? This makes the documentary a little less objective than what the audience want to believe in because it is after all biased towards giving bad publicity to mostly Mc Donalds. It is however commendable that Spurlock wisely made science the back bone of the experiment. By doing so he bought the logic to the arguments he had against the unhealthy life style of Americans. The realism that Spurlock ex plores in his documentary is the psychological realism which conveys the sense of a plausible, believable and accurate representation of human perception and emotion.'(Bill Nichols 2001:171) Spurlock achieves this realism but making the audience relate themselves to characters and situations which are life like in a universalizing way. After watching Super Size Me, one can either feel more knowledgeable about the dangers of excessive fast food eating or because they have been exposed to constant images of Mc Donalds, actually crave for a meal at Mc Donalds. This goes to emphasize that visual images is what is mostly kept in the audiences minds. On a final note, it seems that the perfect way of representing the truth is yet to be found, till then individual prejudice and biasness will always somehow continue to influence the truth in documentaries however transparent one is, there is always somehow a loophole which will lead to documentaries truthfulness being questioned.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact of Genomics on the Future of Healthcare

Impact of Genomics on the Future of Healthcare The aim of this paper is to address genomics and how it can affect healthcare in the future. This paper contains an explanation what genomic sequencing is and how the sequencing can benefit the future of healthcare. Genome sequencing can allow scientists to predict diseases before symptoms show. It will also be discussing the ethical implications of genome sequencing and its current limitations. Genomics is the study of genomes; a genome is an organisms complete list or set of DNA, and all the genes it codes for[DS1]. Essentially it i all the information needed to make and sustain that organism. Genome sequencing is sourcing the exact order of the base pairs that make up DNA and genome. On 14th April 2003 the Human Genome Project was complete: it took 13 years to complete and cost $2.7 billion. Although this project took a large amount of time and money, it was definitely worth it. The completed genome has made it possible for scientists and researchers to find genes easily and has helped them understand how genes work together to direct the growth, development and maintenance of an entire organism (Genome News Network, 2003). A better understanding of the genome will also allow scientists to understand what causes certain diseases and in turn develop better treatments for them. It can also lead to more personalized medicine, for example how the variations in an individuals genome can affect how they respond to drugs. Further research into the human genome would revolutionise modern medicine and healthcare as we know it[DS2]. We attended regular meetings where we discussed futurology and topics such as DNA Health. There was also a workshop where we worked on and developed skills such as referencing. We independently conducted research by searching articles, journals, and websites online. We collected secondary data. Genomics can be used to predict illness before symptoms show. This would mean that treatment could begin as early as possible, and precautions could be taken to ensure that patients wont ever get the symptoms. The rapid development of DNA sequencing technology has now made it possible for individuals to get their genome sequenced affordably and practically, this is personal genomics. Dr. Stephen Quake sequenced his own genome and built a database of gene variations and their connections to a range of medical conditions and diseases. Using Quakes genetic profile they discovered that he had mutations that can cause a fatal and sudden heart attack, and over 50% chance of becoming diabetic and obese. It also indicated how Quake would react to different medications- there are many heart disease drugs which he may react badly to. This made it possible for doctors to take what they deemed necessary precautions to prevent heart disease and gave him statins. Being able to predict future disea se and make sure that only medicine which would work best for that individual is given would save our healthcare system a lot of money as drugs wouldnt be wasted on patients they wont benefit, and illness could be prevented instead of cures or treated which often takes a lot more money and time. Dr. Quake said, Were at the dawn of a new age in genomics, information like this will enable doctors to deliver personalised healthcare like never before. Couples who want children can also use personal genomics to find out if they are a carrier for a gene that may cause their child to have a disorder or disease, for example cystic fibrosis. If both of them have a carrier gene they can take the necessary precautions to ensure that their child does not. For example, having their baby through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The Personal Genome Project is a long-term study which aims to sequence and analyse over 100,000 peoples genome. This could help research into personal genomics. Volunteers send in a DNA sample and information on their phenotype and medical records, this helps researchers to better understand the association between our genes, our environment, and our phenotype (our physical appearance). A survey conducted by Sermo (a social network site for doctors and physicians) revealed that 73% of physicians had not recommended that their patients get their genome sequenced. In another poll, 74% doctors stated they believed family medical history was more informative for diagnosing and treating patients than genome sequencing (Begley,2016). The field of genomics is relatively new; this could be why so many doctors are opposed to it. Dr. Girgis stated that there is a lack of treatment available to address whatever risks are identified and that there is no evidence for doing this testing (Begley,2016). Many doctors believe that genome sequencing is not evidence based and that there is not enough large scale research into its benefits. Some doctors suggested that information indicating that you will eventually have a heart attack is useless if nothing can be changed to prevent it. The benefits of genome sequencing will be more relevant and achievable when we have the technology to develop treatments which can ensure the prevention of any conditions that may be found in the sequence. Those who participate in genome sequencing research such as the personal genome project are susceptible to genetic discrimination from employers, or insurance companies. As it may be discovered that they have a variation that makes them more at risk of certain conditions or illnesses; or if they discover they are at risk of inheriting an illness[DS3]. To prevent this from occurring the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 was created. Title I of the Act prevents health insurers from being discriminatory, by making it illegal for them to ask customers to undergo genetic testing, or inquire about genetic information when deciding a persons insurance eligibility or coverage. This part began on 21st May 2005 (Genetics Home Reference, 2016[DS4]) Title II of the Act protects people from discrimination from employers by preventing them from using genetic information when making any decisions about hiring, promotions, salary, or dismissal. It also banns employment agencies from asking about genetic information, or requesting genetic tests. This part was implemented on 21st November 2009 (Genetics Home Reference, 2016). Another ethical issue concerning genome sequencing is the protection of participants privacy. Although the data collected needs to be shared broadly to maximize its value for ongoing exploration and research; the participants privacy also needs to be protected (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2015). However, because DNA is so unique to each individual it can never become 100% anonymised. There are a number of databases held by NIH where researchers can put up de-identified data. In 2013 a study by Homer et al pointed out that it was possible to identify participants using the data in the databases and public records (Wright et al, 2013). Since, NIH has control over who has access the to the data, ensuring that the privacy of participants is upheld. Before participation, volunteers are made aware of the potential risks they face if their genetic information were to be released, and are asked to sign an informed consent form. Informed consent forms should contain a description of the method of research; uses of the results; what results mean; if results show the risk of a condition that may affect family members or children. Despite being a relatively new field, genomics has come very far in a short amount of time, the Human Genome Project took 13 years and $2.7 billion. But today anyone can have their genome sequenced in 24 hours for $1000. Genome sequencing has already developed a lot; allowing scientists like Dr. Quake to predict illness and attempt to prevent it occurring by taking precautions, whether that means a change in lifestyle or taking medicine. Genome sequencing also makes it possible to determine which drugs work best for certain individuals and which drugs dont; this is very beneficial as it means money wont be wasted on giving ineffective treatment and medicine to those it wont help. However, genomics still has a long way to go. there is no benefit of being able to predict illness if you cannot treat the illness. Medical science needs to develop more and discover ways to treat more illnesses and diseases for the prediction of them to become very useful. Also, there are many ethical implications of genome sequencing e.g. privacy and discrimination. Although law and acts have been put in place to try and solve these issues there is still a chance that participants of sequencing will experience a breach of privacy; hence they have to sign an informed consent form. Genomics can definitely benefit and change healthcare in the future with more study and large-scale research. References      Ã‚   What is the human genome project? (no date) Available at: https://www.genome.gov/11511417/what-is-the-human-genome-project/ (Accessed: 9 September 2016) Wright, G.E., Koornhof, P.G., Adeyemo, A.A. and Tiffin, N. (2013) Ethical and legal implications of whole genome and whole exome sequencing in African populations, BMC Medical Ethics, 14(1), p. 21. doi: 10.1186/1472-6939-14-21. Begley, Sharon. Consumers Arent Wild About Genetic Testing Nor Are Doctors. STAT. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 Sept. 2016. Reference, Genetics. What Is Informed Consent?. Genetics Home Reference. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 Sept. 2016. Sample, I. (2016) Healthy genome used to predict disease risk in later life. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/apr/29/healthy-genome-predict-disease-risk (Accessed: 9 September 2016). Collins, Francis et al. A Vision For The Future Of Genomics Research. Nature Publishing Group (2003): n. pag. Web. 9 Sept. 2016. J, 2004 (2000) Whats a genome? Available at: http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/whats_a_genome/Chp2_1.shtml (Accessed: 6 September 2016 What Is The Human Genome Project?. Genome.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 9 Sept. 2016. [DS6] [DS1]Needed to b referenced. [DS2]All good   points made, but what you make factual statements you will need to support them with academic literature to back it up. [DS3]Good point, but you needed to show a reference to support it. [DS4]Good. [DS5]Should have given more attention to your reference list. [DS6]The diagram needed labeling.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Ramifications of Green Political Thought :: essays research papers

The Ramifications of Green Political Thought According to Andrew Dobson The fundamental concept Andrew Dobson brings out in his novel Green Political Thought, is the revolutionary im-plications of ecologism. Dobson describes ecology as â€Å"deep green thinking.† He asserts that ecologism is a distinctive political ideology, which is separate from environmentalism, just as liberal-ism, conservatism, and socialism are kept separate from one another. He further maintains that what sets ecologism apart from other ideologies is "its focus on the relation-ship between human beings and the non-human natural world." Dobson further states that the purpose of green con-sumerism is to distinguish â€Å"need from want.† The laborious role of a true green society becomes the ability to formu-late strategies that define and reestablish the relation-ships between production and consumption. Without limits to our consumption, catastrophic consequences are inevita-ble for the environment and those who inhabit it. Such af-ter-affects of technological misuse include global warming, deforestation, pesticide poisoning, ozone depletion, acid rain, and species loss. Hence, solutions to remedy these by-products of limited consumption are the basis for con-troversy among people in present day society. Moreover, if the theories of modern ecology and sus-tainability (or lack there of) hold true, the ramifications of this ideology become global. Dobson creatively illus-trates in his book that there are not any simple solutions to correcting the shadowy future that industrialism is be-stowing upon us. The author further emphasizes two criti-cal features in relation to ecology and sustainability. The first is that technological solutions will not bring fourth infinite materials in a finite system. Secondly, the exponential growth of industrialism promises that Earth’s resources are unsustainable in lieu of the growing population. With that having been said, the challenge of the ecological movement is to convince the consensus that change is prudent. The heart of the debate of limited con-sumption involves the tradeoffs required to achieve sus-tainable development. For now, the majority of society would rather leave the grievances of repoliticalization and social change for the f uture generations to deal with, rather than conserving today, in order to plan for tomor-row. Here, I mean conserving in the sense of not merely â€Å"cutting back,† but actually re-thinking the technological processes utilized to achieve the luxuries that we as a so-ciety have become so accustomed to. However, if society resolved to save the world today, the most valued promise of achieving sustainable develop-ment would lie in the following grass-roots efforts which involve: satisfying basic needs, optimum use and protection of the environment, and empowerment of groups and communi-ties.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How Well Did The English Exchequer Function In The Twelfth Century? :: essays research papers

How Well Did the English Exchequer Function in the Twelfth Century? The English exchequer was the central board responsible for all in comings and out goings into the royal treasury. It arrived with the Normans and was the first system of centralized revenue extraction to appear that although crude was a direct predecessor to the modern one. The information on how the Exchequer functioned as a method of institutionalised revenue extraction is from the `The course of the Exchequer' written by Richard son of Nigel. The text provides a one sided argument into the merits of the Exchequer as Richard himself is the treasurer. The text is written in a typically classical dialogue style with a `master' dictating to his `scholar'. Richard also presents himself as a well educated and intelligent man through his grasp of Latin and his quotations from Biblical and classical texts as well as alluding to philosophy through his talk of logic. The interesting proposition therefore is who was interested in such a complicated text and why was it produced. The system of the Exchequer was a complex one that would have been understood by few at the time. By attempting to describe this system in a way that presents it as equitable, it could have convinced the Barons and others paying taxes of the validity and fairness of a system of which they would have had little comprehension. This would also be helped by Richards apparently good grasp of the area. The Exchequer board was the highest office that could be obtained in the royal circle and was the most powerful and prestigious as it presided over all financial matters. It allowed records to be formed and general standards to be maintained. The ultimate power of the exchequer is aptly put in the text..." where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ² The Exchequer had a greater role than just recording revenue as it provided a forum where judgments could be made and disputes about financial matters could be settled. It also saw commands depersonalized through the use of writs which can be described as the Å’routinization of charisma' (Clanchy, 1979). The King no longer had to have any direct influence over a command and some form of general standard could be applied. In command of the Exchequer was the Kings Chief Justiciar who was effectively second in command from the King. He presided over the whole board and was the only one besides the king himself who could reverse decisions once they had been made. Any writs from the treasury for payment and expenditure had How Well Did The English Exchequer Function In The Twelfth Century? :: essays research papers How Well Did the English Exchequer Function in the Twelfth Century? The English exchequer was the central board responsible for all in comings and out goings into the royal treasury. It arrived with the Normans and was the first system of centralized revenue extraction to appear that although crude was a direct predecessor to the modern one. The information on how the Exchequer functioned as a method of institutionalised revenue extraction is from the `The course of the Exchequer' written by Richard son of Nigel. The text provides a one sided argument into the merits of the Exchequer as Richard himself is the treasurer. The text is written in a typically classical dialogue style with a `master' dictating to his `scholar'. Richard also presents himself as a well educated and intelligent man through his grasp of Latin and his quotations from Biblical and classical texts as well as alluding to philosophy through his talk of logic. The interesting proposition therefore is who was interested in such a complicated text and why was it produced. The system of the Exchequer was a complex one that would have been understood by few at the time. By attempting to describe this system in a way that presents it as equitable, it could have convinced the Barons and others paying taxes of the validity and fairness of a system of which they would have had little comprehension. This would also be helped by Richards apparently good grasp of the area. The Exchequer board was the highest office that could be obtained in the royal circle and was the most powerful and prestigious as it presided over all financial matters. It allowed records to be formed and general standards to be maintained. The ultimate power of the exchequer is aptly put in the text..." where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ² The Exchequer had a greater role than just recording revenue as it provided a forum where judgments could be made and disputes about financial matters could be settled. It also saw commands depersonalized through the use of writs which can be described as the Å’routinization of charisma' (Clanchy, 1979). The King no longer had to have any direct influence over a command and some form of general standard could be applied. In command of the Exchequer was the Kings Chief Justiciar who was effectively second in command from the King. He presided over the whole board and was the only one besides the king himself who could reverse decisions once they had been made. Any writs from the treasury for payment and expenditure had

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Generalization: Black People and Young Men Essay

In daily life, you can find out man many generalization easily; such as, when you heard about crime, you immediately think of the drunken, unemployed, color people..etc, or when you heard about Havard’s student, words describing like very smart, creative, sucess in life easily or something like that glance through your mind.In the same way, when you heard people depend on welfare, you immediately think that they are lazy, unemployed, have many children, never try to get any job and they are black people. However, do you think generalizations like above always right? Absolutely not. In my opinion, each person has each generalization, sometimes genelizations is similiar, but sometimes not. Wrong genelizations can be cause racism or unfair in life. To begin with an Gladwell’s article, because he mention generalization in one of his articles. In â€Å"Troublemakers†, Gladwell argues that generalization is not easy, you must know exactly what is going on. Because of the attacks of pitt bull, it was banned by the Ontario goverment. They said that pitt bulls is very dangerous, can bite someone without warning signs, then, they decided banned it. In the same case with pitt bull, he gave us some example about young men driver always higher charges or doctors think that midle-ages easily get heart attack. In the same article, he also gave us example about terrorism. He said terrorist in our mind is totally different in real. We don’t know how a terrorists look like; can be a Arab men, can be a young men, can be black people, can be white people, can be lady, also can be a old men. That’s why, the goverment and the police, specific is New York Police Department have trouble in sketching terrorist’s prolife. However, when NYPD use right generalization to make decrease crime in city. Back to the pitt bull, as we know, not all pitt bull are killer, moreover, dogs are good or bad also depend on owner. Most of case was attacked by pitt bull, the owner is often neglectful. However, it is still prohibited. Therefore, Gladwell said that is wrong generalization. As shown above, generalization is not always right. In a welfare statistics 2012, total government spending on welfare annually (not including food stamps or unemployment): $131.9 billion. This number is increasing every year. Besides, the global economics downturn, this number is very serious. That’s why, most of americans don’t like people who depend on welfare too much. Americans thought that it was one of cause badly affecting in life today. In the same statistic was shown above, percent of recipients who are black: 39.8 %, this’s highest percent. Next, base on those numbers, you are thinking that black people depend on goverment so much and they seem never try to getting job. Moreover, most of drunken and crime you can see everyday on the street are also black. In the same case, when you go to department of welfare center, you can easily realize that the number of black people is more than all. Now, you begin to default on your thinking that black people are lazy, drunken, crime and depend on welfare so much. Meanwhile, how we know they never try to find a job or try to do something? We don’t know. We also don’t know what is going on their life. They can really have more troubles than white, because of the racism. I have a small story, that’s observation. I’m living Northeast Phillies. Oneday, when I was from home to school, I saw some homeless man on the way to school, I counted five people and in which just have one black people. Now, where is problem? I know, this’s just small story and it can’t generalize anything obvious. However, I think it enough for we look back at own conclusion. Fact that blacks depend on welfare more than others, don’t they? When we heard about black people, we immediately think of crime, drunken†¦ And, thinking made us don’t want to hire them. Clearly, they’ll unemployed. Next, they must depend on welfare to maintain life. Things like a circle and has no end. Until we change our thinking about them and giving them more opportunities, they are still depend on welfare. Not all black people depend on welfare, also not all pitt bull are killers. Finally, genaralization is really important and need shrewdness. You must observation everything what is happening around problems. Because a wrong genaralization can can lead to unnecessary mistakes.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Return: Midnight Chapter 6

Bonnie couldn't get to sleep after Damon's words to her. She wanted to talk to Meredith, but there was an unseeing, unhearing lump in Meredith's bed. The only thing she could think of was to go down to the kitchen and huddle up with a cup of cocoa in the den, alone with her misery. Bonnie wasn't good at being alone with herself. But as it turned out, when she got to the bottom floor, she didn't head for the kitchen after al . She went straight to the den. Everything was dark and strange-looking in the silent dimness. Turning on one light would just make everything else even darker. But she managed, with shaking fingers, to twist the switch of the standing lamp beside the couch. Now if only she could find a book or something†¦ She was holding on to her pil ow as if it were a teddy bear, when Damon's voice beside her said, â€Å"Poor little redbird. You shouldn't be up so late, you know.† Bonnie started and bit her lip. â€Å"I hope you're not stil hurting,†she said coldly, very much on her dignity, which she suspected was not very convincing. But what was she supposed to do? The truth was that Bonnie had absolutely no chance of winning a duel of wits with Damon – and she knew it. Damon wanted to say, â€Å"Hurting? To a vampire, a human fleabite like that was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But unfortunately he was a human too. And it did hurt. Not for long, he promised himself, looking at Bonnie. â€Å"I thought you never wanted to see me again,†she said, chin trembling. It almost seemed too cruel to make use of a vulnerable little redbird. But what choice did he have? I'l make it up to her somehow, someday – I swear it, he thought. And at least I can make it pleasant now. â€Å"That wasn't what I said,†he replied, hoping that Bonnie wouldn't remember exactly what he had said. If he could just Influence the trembling woman-child before him†¦but he couldn't. He was a human now. â€Å"You told me you would kil me.† â€Å"Look, I'd just been knocked down by a human. I don't suppose you know what that means, but it hasn't happened to me since I was twelve years old, and stil an original human boy.† Bonnie's chin kept trembling, but the tears had stopped. You are bravest when you're scared, Damon thought. â€Å"I'm more worried about the others,†he said. â€Å"Others?†Bonnie blinked. â€Å"In five hundred years of life, one tends to make a remarkable amount of enemies. I don't know; maybe it's just me. Or maybe it's the simple little fact of being a vampire.† â€Å"Oh. Oh, no!†Bonnie cried. â€Å"What does it matter, little redbird? Long or short, life seems al too brief.† â€Å"But – Damon – â€Å" â€Å"Don't fret, kitten. Have one of Nature's remedies.†Damon pul ed out of his breast pocket a smal flask that smel ed unquestionably of Black Magic. â€Å"Oh – you saved it! How clever of you!† â€Å"Try a taste? Ladies – strike that – young women first.† â€Å"Oh, I don't know. I used to get awful y sil y on that.† â€Å"The world is sil y. Life is sil y. Especial y when you've been doomed six times before breakfast.†Damon opened the flask. â€Å"Oh, al right!†Clearly thril ed by the notion of â€Å"drinking with Damon,†Bonnie took a very dainty sip. Damon choked to cover a laugh. â€Å"You'd better take bigger swigs, redbird. Or it's going to take al night before I get a turn.† Bonnie took a deep breath, and then a deep draft. After about three of those, Damon decided she was ready. Bonnie's giggles were nonstop now. â€Å"I think†¦Do I think I've had enough now?† â€Å"What colors do you see out here?† â€Å"Pink? Violet? Is that right? Isn't it nighttime?† â€Å"Wel , perhaps the Northern Lights are paying us a visit. But you're right, I should get you into bed.† â€Å"Oh, no! Oh, yes! Oh, no! Nonono yes!† â€Å"Shh.† â€Å"SHHHHHH!† Terrific, Damon thought; I've overdone it. â€Å"I meant, get you into a bed,†he said firmly. â€Å"Just you. Here, I'l walk you to the first-floor bedroom.† â€Å"Because I might fal on the stairs?† â€Å"You might say that. And this bedroom is much nicer than the one you share with Meredith. Now you just go to sleep and don't tel anyone about our rendezvous.† â€Å"Not even Elena?† â€Å"Not even anybody. Or I might get angry at you.† â€Å"Oh, no! I won't, Damon: I swear on your life!† â€Å"That's – pretty accurate,†Damon said. â€Å"Good night.† Moonlight cocooned the house. Fog misted the moonlight. A slender, hooded dark figure took advantage of shadows so skil ful y that it would have passed unnoticed even if someone had been watching out for it – and no one was.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Christian Rap vs Mainstream Rap Essay

I can’t believe the radio is playing some of the music they play and claim its radio friendly. Its not when all you hear is sex, killing, drugs, and so forth. Some may not like rap music, but even people who do claim that rap nowadays is not radio friendly. Christian Rap on the other hand brings forth a new and fresh sound to Rap music while putting Jesus in the center. Most songs encourage young people to do better and make a change to Life and not death. People think that Christian rap are all about spreading the word of god and to convert your to Christianity. If you the Listener actually listened to the lyrics you would change your mind. Christian rap does spread the word of god but it also express how to be yourself. Most songs encourage young people to do better and make a change to their Life and others. Lyrics such as in the song â€Å"Make War† Tedashii raps, â€Å"I’m filled with the Spirit so tell them dog this is pay back/ as you begin to copy the carbon copies of Christ/ and conform to His written image you should be shinning a light/ if you not, why is that? † He summarizes Romans 8:29 which delves into a Christian believer adopting all the traits of Jesus Christ. Lyrics of Christian rap songs are filled with good incentives and positive lyrics. In the song â€Å"Jesus Musik† Lecrae says â€Å"everywhere I go people caught up in theyself money cars and clothes. They talk about it all the time and put it in they songs. They drive around and play it loud like it ain’t nothin wrong . And all they talk about is sinful stuff, got everybody actin bad thinkin that they a thug†. By this he is expressing how corrupt mainstream rap is, Mainstream rap teaches their listeners how to acts and what to wear. Flame says in â€Å"Joyful Noise†, â€Å"The light is where I’m running I thought I wanted life, drunk, sexed out and blunted But all I really wanted was the One who really won itFought death, beat it gave His life to the public†. Flame used to be surrounded by mainstream influences but he found god and now knows who he should follow. People must overcome the iron claw that mainstream rap has on them. Lecrae lets the world know in his song â€Å"Souled out†. He says we must not be ashamed of ourselves and to be yourself. â€Å"Man I consider my life nuthin’. if I could just finish the race. and complete the job the. lord jesus gave me. I live to tell the world his message. Romans 1:16 â€Å"I’m not Ashamed†. I Ain’t Ashamed. †. Sometimes faith may be evident in part of a song or other times an entire song or album may focus on Christian beliefs. Mainstream Rap’s lyrics are much different then Christian Rap. While Christian Rap talks about god and being yourself, Mainstream Rap express their music trough talking about drugs, sex, and violence. These lyrics are broadcasted all over the world showing their listeners that doing those bad things are the right thing to do. Most listeners to mainstream usualy don’t take the time to understand what they are listening to. They block out all he profanity and enjoy the beat of the music. When you take the time to understand what the songs actually mean you may be discouraged to listen to the song again. Lyrics from Lil Wayne in the song â€Å"lollypop† â€Å"She say he so sweet make her wanna lick the rapper So i letta lick the rapperSh-sh-sh-she licked me like a lollypop†. When we look at specific words such as licked and lollypop it suddenly pops out what they are trying to get across. This is not alright for the radio but it sounds good so it ends up getting played. When he says â€Å"Shawty wanna thug. ottles in the club. shawty wanna hump and ooo i like to touch ya lovely lady lumps. † there are so many ad messages getting embedded in your head. Mainstream is filled with explicit language and images. The song Shots by LMFAO encourages drink â€Å"If you not drunk ladies and gentlemen Get ready to get **** up Lets do it ha, ha† and †If you ain’t getting drunk get the **** out the club. If you ain’t taking shots get the **** out the club. If you ain’t come to party get the **** out the club. Now where my alcoholics let me see yo hands up†. Most listeners are in the age of 13 to 24. This is telling children that it is okay to drink. Under age drinking is extremely dangerous . A widespread theme throughout most mainstream rap is a desire for wealth; this wish is part of the American dream, and thus reflects the desires of popular American culture. The constant bombardment of American youths with stereotypes has likely had a negative effect on them. It is common among youths to try and replicate the messages seen in rap videos; this is not surprising. Where we shop and eat even the types of homes we buy are dictated by what we â€Å"hear† the celebrities are doing. That is a powerful influence over an individual. Due to the fact that mainstream rap appeals to the thirteen to eighteen year old audiences and the artists performing come from very similar backgrounds of the listeners, rap music is able to control the way that youth think. The new generation of rappers is taking the lyrics of rap music more literally. Without the youth being able to distinguish fantasy from reality rap music has turned the youth more violent, disrespectful and it is teaching them to stand on the block and hustle or even kill someone over a minor disagreement. Rap music has control of the 12-19 year old crowd more than the parents in the household. It is popular because it speaks to a generation that can/wants to identify with what the artist is saying. The youth are taking someone else’s experiences and making it their own just for the sake of being cool or being accepted by others. Some people say the Christian rap industry is a business. These people sell records to â€Å"save souls. † So if we look at, it would seem as if Christian rappers are getting commission for every soul saved. Most Christian rappers aren’t in this business for the money they just get paid for what they do just like any other job. A pastor gets paid to preach every Sunday why would it be any different for a Christian rapper selling CD’s. Christian rappers have a positive effect on their listeners. The lyrics promote well being and the word of god. Youth that listen to Christian rap are better off then ones that listen to mainstream rap. Instead of being bombarded by bad incentives they are taught how to be a true follower of Christ and no fall to a lower level. These two styles of rap are similar but opposites at the same time. They tempo and beats of the songs are very similar. They have the same basis of how they sound, the thing that makes these to styles different is the lyrics they use in their songs. Mainstream uses profanity while Christian rap uses the words of god. Even though mainstream is more popular, but this is because theirs songs are heavily over played on the radio embedding everything they say into the youths heads and morals. Mainstream should be endorsing lyrics that makes the youth of our nation more well off then filling them with bad images and words.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Ethical neutrality Essay

In what follows, when we use the term â€Å"evaluation† we will mean, where nothing else is implied or expressly stated, practical value-judgments as to the unsatisfactory or satisfactory character of phenomena subject to our influence. The problem involved in the â€Å"freedom† of a given discipline from evaluations of this kind, i. e., the validity and the meaning of this logical principle, is by no means identical with the question which is to be discussed shortly, namely, whether in teaching one should or should not declare one’s acceptance of practical evaluations, regardless of whether they are based on ethical principles, cultural ideals or a philosophical outlook. This question cannot be settled scientifically. It is itself entirely a question of practical evaluation, and cannot therefore be definitively resolved. With reference to this issue, a wide variety of views are held, of which we shall only mention the two extremes. At one pole we find (a) the standpoint that there is validity in the distinction between purely logically deducible and purely empirical statements of fact on the one hand, and practical, ethical or philosophical evaluations on the other, but that, nevertheless – or, perhaps, even on that account- both classes of problems properly belong in the university. At the other pole we encounter (b) the proposition that even when the distinction cannot be made in a logically complete manner, it is nevertheless desirable that the assertion of practical evaluations should be avoided as much as possible in teaching. This second point of view seems to me to be untenable. Particularly untenable is the distinction which is rather often made in our field between evaluations linked with the positions of â€Å"political parties† and other sorts of evaluations. This distinction cannot be reasonably made: it obscures the practical implications of the evaluations which are suggested to the audience. Once the assertion of evaluations in university lectures is admitted, the contention that the university teacher should be entirely devoid of â€Å"passion† and that he should avoid all subjects which threaten to bring emotion into controversies is a narrow-minded, bureaucratic opinion which every teacher of independent spirit must reject. Of those scholars who believed that they should not renounce the assertion of practical evaluations in empirical discussions, the most passionate of them – such as Treitschke and, in his own way, Mommsen- were the most tolerable. As a result of their intensely emotional tone, their audiences were enabled to discount the influence of their evaluations in whatever distortion of the facts occurred. Thus, the audiences did for themselves what the lecturers could not do because of their temperaments. The effect on the minds of the students was to produce the same depth of moral feeling which, in my opinion, the proponents of the assertion of practical evaluations in teaching want to assure – but without the audience being confused as to the logical distinctiveness of the different types of propositions. This confusion must of necessity occur whenever both the exposition of empirical facts and the exhortation to espouse a particular evaluative standpoint on important issues are done with the same cool dispassionateness. The first point of view (a) is acceptable, and can indeed be acceptable from the standpoint of its own proponents, only when the teacher sees it as his unconditional duty – in every single case, even to the point where it involves the danger of making his lecture less stimulating – to make absolutely clear to his audience, and especially to himself, which of his statements are statements of logically deduced or empirically observed facts and which are statements of practical evaluation. Once one has granted the disjunction between the two spheres, it seems to me that doing this is an imperative requirement of intellectual honesty. It is the absolutely minimal requirement in this case. On the other hand, the question whether one should in general assert practical evaluations in teaching – even with this reservation – is one of practical university policy. On that account, in the last analysis, it must be decided only with reference to those tasks which the individual, according to his own set of values, assigns to the universities. Those who on the basis of their qualifications as university teachers assign to the universities, and thereby to themselves, the universal role of forming character, of inculcating political, ethical, aesthetic, cultural or other beliefs, will take a different position from those who believe it necessary to affirm the proposition and its implications – that university teaching achieves really valuable effects only through specialised training by specially qualified persons. Hence, â€Å"intellectual integrity† is the only specific virtue which universities should seek to inculcate. The first point of view can be defended from as many different ultimate evaluative standpoints as the second. The second – which I personally accept – can be derived from a most enthusiastic as well as from a thoroughly modest estimate of the significance of â€Å"specialised training†. In order to defend this view, one need not be of the opinion that everyone should become as much a pure â€Å"specialist† as possible. One may, on the contrary, espouse it because one does not wish to see the ultimate and deepest personal decisions which a person must make regarding his life, treated exactly as if they were the same as specialised training. One may take this position, however highly one assesses the significance of specialised training, not only for general intellectual training but indirectly also for the self-discipline and the ethical attitude of the young person. Another reason for taking this position is that one does not wish to see the student so influenced by the teacher’s suggestions that he is prevented from solving his problems in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience. Professor von Schmoller’s favourable disposition towards the teacher’s assertion of his own evaluations in the lecture room is thoroughly intelligible to me personally as the echo of a great epoch which he and his friends helped to create. Even he, however, cannot deny the fact that for the younger generation the objective situation has changed considerably in one important respect. Forty years ago there existed among the scholars working in our discipline, the widespread belief that of the various possible points of view in the domain of practical-political evaluations, ultimately only one was the ethically correct one. (Schmoller himself took this position only to a limited extent. ) Today this is no longer the case among the proponents of the assertion of professorial evaluations – as may readily be observed. The legitimacy of the assertion of professorial evaluation is no longer defended in the name of an ethical imperative resting on a relatively simple postulate of justice, which both in its ultimate foundations as well as in its consequences, partly was, and partly seemed to be, relatively unambiguous, and above all relatively impersonal, in consequence of its specifically trans-personal character. Rather, as the result of an inevitable development, it is now done in the name of a motley of â€Å"cultural evaluations†, i. e. , actually subjective cultural demands, or quite openly, in the name of the teachers’ alleged â€Å"rights of personality†. One may well wax indignant over this point of view, but one cannot- because it is a â€Å"practical evaluation† – refute it. Of all the types of prophecy, this â€Å"personally† tinted type of professorial prophecy is the most repugnant. There is no precedent for a situation in which a large number of officially appointed prophets do their preaching or make their professions of faith, not, as other prophets do, on the streets, or in churches or other public places- or if they do it privately, then in personally chosen sectarian conventicles – but rather regard themselves as best qualified to enunciate their evaluations on ultimate questions â€Å"in the name of science† and in the carefully protected quiet of governmentally privileged lecture halls in which they cannot be controlled, or checked by discussion, or subjected to contradiction. It is an axiom of long standing, which Schmoller on one occasion vigorously espoused, that what takes place in the lecture hall should be entirely confidential and not subject to public discussion. Although it is possible to contend that, even for purely academic purposes, this may occasionally have certain disadvantages, I take the view that a â€Å"lecture† should be different from a â€Å"speech†. The unconfined rigour, matter-of-factness and sobriety of the lecture declines, with definite pedagogical losses, once it becomes the object of publicity through, for example, the press. It is only in the sphere of his specialised qualifications that the university teacher is entitled to this privilege of freedom from outside surveillance or publicity. There is, however, no specialised qualification for personal prophecy, and for this reason it should not be granted the privilege of freedom from contradiction and public scrutiny. Furthermore, there should be no exploitation of the fact that the student, in order to make his way in life, must attend certain educational institutions and take courses with certain teachers with the result that in addition to what he needs, i.e. , the stimulation and cultivation of his capacity for understanding and reasoning, and a certain body of factual information – he also gets, slipped in among these, the teacher’s own attitude towards the world which even though sometimes interesting is often of no consequence, and which is in any case not open to contradiction and challenge. Like everyone else, the professor has other opportunities for the propagation of his ideals. When these opportunities are lacking, he can easily create them in an appropriate form, as experience has shown in the case of every honorable attempt. But the professor should not demand the right as a professor to carry the marshal’s baton of the statesman or the cultural reformer in his knapsack. This, however, is just what he does when he uses the unassailability of the academic lecture platform for the expression of political – or cultural-political- sentiments. In the press, in public meetings, in associations, in essays, in every avenue which is open to every other citizen, he can and should do what his God or daemon demands. The student should obtain, from his teacher in the lecture hall, the capacity to content himself with the sober execution of a given task; to recognize facts, even those which may be personally uncomfortable, and to distinguish them from his own evaluations. He should also learn to subordinate himself to his task and to repress the impulse to exhibit his personal sensations or other emotional states unnecessarily. This is vastly more important today than it was 40 years ago when the problem did not even exist in its present form. It is not true – as many have insisted – that the â€Å"personality† is and should be a â€Å"whole†, in the sense that it is distorted when it is not exhibited on every possible occasion. Every professional task has its own â€Å"responsibilities† and should be fulfilled accordingly. In the execution of his professional responsibility, a man should confine himself to it alone and should exclude whatever does not strictly belong to it – particularly his own loves and hates. The powerful personality does not manifest itself by trying to give everything a â€Å"personal touch† on every possible occasion. The generation which is now coming of age should, above all, again become used to the thought that â€Å"being a personality† is a condition which cannot be intentionally brought about by wanting it and that there is only one way by which it can – perhaps- be achieved: namely, the unreserved devotion to a â€Å"task†, whatever it – and its derivative â€Å"demands of the hour†- may be in any individual instance. It is in poor taste to mix personal concerns with the specialised analysis of facts. We deprive the word â€Å"vocation† of the only significant meaning it still possesses if we fail to adhere to that specific kind of self-restraint which it requires. But whether the fashionable â€Å"cult of the personality† seeks to dominate the throne, public office or the professorial chair – its effectiveness is only superficially impressive. Intrinsically, it is very petty and it always has injurious consequences. It should not be necessary for me to emphasise that the proponents of the views against which the present essay is directed can accomplish very little by this sort of cult of the â€Å"personality† for the very reason that it is â€Å"personal†. In part, they see the responsibilities of the university teacher in another light, in part they have other educational ideas which I respect but do not share. For this reason we must seriously consider no only what they are striving to achieve, but also how the views which they legitimate by their authority influence a generation with an already extremely pronounced predisposition to overestimate its own importance. Finally, it scarcely needs to be pointed out that many ostensible opponents of the academic assertion of political evaluations are by no means justified when they invoke the postulate of â€Å"ethical neutrality†, which they often gravely misunderstand, to discredit cultural and social-political discussions which take place in public and away from the university lecture hall. The indubitable existence of this spuriously â€Å"ethically neutral† tendentiousness, which in our discipline is manifested in the obstinate and deliberate partisanship of powerful interest groups, explains why a significant number of intellectually honorable scholars still continue to assert personal preferences in their teaching. They are too proud to identify themselves with this spurious abstention from evaluation. I believe that, in spite of this, what in my opinion is right should be done, and that the influence of the practical evaluations of a scholar, who confines himself to championing them on appropriate occasions outside the classroom, will increase when it becomes known that, inside the classroom, he has the strength of character to do exactly what he was appointed to do. But these statements are, in their turn, all matters of evaluation, and hence scientifically undemonstrable. In any case, the fundamental principle which justifies the practice of asserting practical evaluations in teaching can be consistently held only when its proponents demand that the proponents of the evaluations of all other parties be granted the opportunity to demonstrate the validity of their evaluations from the academic platform . But in Germany, insistence on the right of professors to state their preferences has been associated with the very opposite of the demand for the equal representation of all tendencies- including the most â€Å"extreme†. Schmoller thought that he was being entirely consistent when he declared that â€Å"Marxists and the Manchester school† were disqualified from holding academic positions, although he was never so unjust as to ignore their intellectual accomplishments. It is exactly on these points that I could never agree with our honoured master. One obviously ought not in one breath to justify the expression of evaluations in teaching – and when the conclusions are drawn therefrom, point out that the university is a state institution for the training of â€Å"loyal† civil servants. Such a procedure makes the university, not into a specialised technical school- which appears to be so degrading to many teachers- but rather into a theological seminary, although it does not have the religious dignity of the latter. Attempts have been made to set certain purely â€Å"logical† limits to the range of evaluations which should be allowed in university teaching. One of our foremost professors of law once explained, in discussing his opposition to the exclusion of socialists from university posts, that he too would be unwilling to accept an â€Å"anarchist† as a teacher of law since anarchists, in principle, deny the validity of law – and he regarded this argument as conclusive. My own opinion is exactly the opposite. An anarchist can surely be a good legal scholar. And if he is such, then indeed the Archimedean point of his convictions, which is outside the conventions and presuppositions which are so self-evident to us, could enable him to perceive problems in the fundamental postulates of legal theory which escape those who take them for granted. The most fundamental doubt is one source of knowledge. The jurist is no more responsible for â€Å"proving† the value of these cultural objects which are bound up with â€Å"law†, than the physician is responsible for demonstrating that the prolongation of life should be striven for under all conditions. Neither of them can do this with the means at their disposal. If, however, one wishes to turn the university into a forum for discussion of practical evaluations, then it obviously is obligatory to permit the most unrestricted freedom of discussion of fundamental questions from all standpoints. Is this feasible? Today the most decisive and important political evaluations are denied expression in German universities by the very nature of the present political situation. For all those to whom the interests of the national society transcend any of its individual concrete institutions, it is a question of central importance whether the conception which prevails today regarding the position of the monarch in Germany is reconcilable with the world interests of the country, and with the means- war and diplomacy- through which these are pursued. It is not always the worst patriots nor even anti-monarchists who give a negative answer to this question, and who doubt the possibility of lasting success in both these spheres unless some profound changes are made. Everyone knows, however, that these vital questions of our national life cannot be discussed with full freedom in German universities . In view of the fact that certain evaluations which are of decisive political significance are permanently prohibited in university discussion, it seems to me to be only in accord with the dignity of a representative of science and scholarship to be silent about such evaluations as he is allowed to expound. In no case, however, should the unresolvable question – unresolvable because it is ultimately a question of evaluations – as to whether one may, must, or should champion certain practical evaluations in teaching, be confused with the purely logical discussion of the relationship of evaluations to empirical disciplines such as sociology and economics. Any confusion on this point will hamper the thoroughness of the discussion of the logical problem. However, even the solution of the logical problem will provide no aid in seeking to answer the other question, beyond the two purely logically required conditions of clarity and an explicit distinction by the teacher of the different classes of problems. Nor need I discuss further whether the distinction between empirical propositions or statements of fact and practical evaluations is â€Å"difficult† to make. It is. All of us, those of us who take this position as well as others, come up against it time and again. But the exponents of the so-called â€Å"ethical economics†, particularly, should be aware, even though the moral law is unfulfillable, it is nonetheless â€Å"imposed† as a duty. Self-scrutiny would perhaps show that the fulfillment of this postulate is especially difficult, just because we reluctantly refuse to approach the very alluring subject of evaluation with a titillating â€Å"personal touch†. Every teacher has observed that the faces of his students light up and they become more interested when he begins to make a profession of faith, and that the attendance at his lectures is greatly increased by the expectation that he will do so. Everyone knows furthermore that, in the competition for students, universities when making recommendations for promotion will often give a prophet, however minor, who can fill the lecture halls, the upper hand over a much weightier and more sober scholar who does not offer his own evaluations. Of course, it is  understood that the prohet will leave untouched the politically dominant or conventional evaluations which are generally accepted at the time. Only the spuriously â€Å"ethical-neutral† prophet who speaks for powerful groups has, of course, better opportunities for promotion as a result of the influence which these groups have on the prevailing political powers. I regard all this as very unsatisfactory, and I will therefore not go into the proposition that the demand for abstention from evaluation is â€Å"petty† and that it makes lectures â€Å"boring†. I will not go into the question as to whether lecturers on specialised empirical problems must seek above all to be â€Å"interesting†. For my own part, in any case, I fear that a lecturer who makes his lectures stimulating by the intrusion of personal evaluations will, in the long run, weaken the students’ taste for sober empirical analysis. I will acknowledge without further discussion that it is possible, under the guise of eliminating all practical evaluations, to insinuate such evaluations with especial force by simple â€Å"letting the facts speak for themselves†. The better kind of parliamentary and electoral speeches in Germany operate in this way – and quite legitimately, given their purposes. No words should be wasted in declaring that all such procedures in university lectures, particularly if one is concerned with the observance of this separation, are , of all abuses, the most abhorrent. The fact, however, that a dishonestly created illusion of the fulfillment of an ethical imperative can be passed off as the reality, constitutes no criticism of the imperative itself. At any rate, even if the teacher does not believe that he should deny himself the right of rendering evaluations, he should make it absolutely explicit to the students and to himself that he is doing so. Finally, we must oppose to the utmost the widespread view that scientific â€Å"objectivity† is achieved by weighing the various evaluations against one another and making a â€Å"statesman-like† compromise among them. The â€Å"middle way† is not only just as undemonstrable scientifically – with the means of the empirical sciences – as the â€Å"most extreme† evaluations: in the sphere of evaluations, it is the least unequivocal. It does not belong in the university – but rather in political programmes, government offices, and in parliament. IThe sciences, both normative and empirical, are capable of rendering an inestimable service to persons engaged in political activity by telling them that (1) these and these â€Å"ultimate† evaluative positions are conceivable with reference to this practical problem; and (2) that such and such are the facts which you must take into account in making your choice between these evaluative positions. And with this we come to the real problem.