Report on the religious life of planet earth Essay

Report on the religious life of planet earth - Essay Example Contemporary issues that affect the society such as abortion are for example defined by religious beliefs among members of the society. Similarly, major wars and conflicts that are experienced on the global scope are religiously motivated. Religion specifically embeds practices among people and defines cultural values and practices with focus on general principles of life. Further, religion is ‘cross-cultural’ and exhibits a general trend across cultures. This means that regardless of differences among religious beliefs, they are guided by similar fundamental principles (Nye, 2008). Hinduism is one of the religious beliefs that are widely practices across the globe. It believes in unity that is under one supernatural power with people hope to be united after the life on earth. In order to achieve this, Hindus believe in cycles of life in which a person’s next life is determined by the deeds in their current life. Another major belief is found in Judaism. Having originated among Jews, Judaism believes in the existence of one supreme God who controls the whole universe. God is believed to monitor everything that takes place on earth and punishes those who do evil but rewards the righteous. Determination of righteousness is defined by a set of rules that God is believed to have delivered to his people through his prophet Moses and other prophets. Life after death, through resurrection is one of the fundamental hopes of Judaism belief. Similarly, Islamic belief is centered on a sole supernatural power, in Allah. Islam also believes in existence of sin and th e promise of eternal punishment for sinners and an ultimate reward of the righteous by Allah. The three religious beliefs are therefore centered on the fundamental principles of existence of a supernatural being who punisher evil and rewards righteousness among people (Omsakthi, 2010). The scope of religion that includes cultural orientation and judgment by the

Caribbean Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Caribbean Political Philosophy Essay Western Political Philosophy in the opinion of this essay is a concerted attempt to project and impose on a hapless people a foundation for immediate, continued domination and exploitation, we, therefore as a united Caribbean people, cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them. This paper identifies and discusses the central themes (thinking) of Gordon Lewis’ Main Currents in Caribbean Thought, Paget Henrys’ Calibans Reason, Rex Nettlefords’ â€Å"The Battle for Space† and Charles W. Mills’ Blackness Visible. This identification and discussion (generally) is achieved by tracing the evolution of Caribbean Political thought through an examination of race/class, explanations of underdevelopment, perspectives on dependency and the anti colonial movement inter alia. The paper goes on to explain (specifically) the manner in which these works assist in understanding the characteristic features, concerns and content of Caribbean political thought. The final section briefly examines where the Caribbean is at currently by isolating the present set of circumstances engaging the islands. In doing so the paper hopes to make a contribution to the understanding and progress of Caribbean political thought. INTRODUCTION The Caribbean has been described as an area of European colonisation and exploitation through slavery and the plantation system according to Dennis Benn (1987), it has also been described in terms of the product of these conjoined variables, the product of a racial mixture of African, European and Asian referred to as Creole. Nigel Bolland (2004) describes Creole as locally born persons of non-native origin, which, in the Americas, generally means people of either African or European ancestry. This essay goes further and defines this groups’ contribution to this space, diverse in cultural, ethnic and religious inputs, in terms of the new demands to be made on the state from the product of the aforementioned conjoining. Contribution is achieved by way of a clearly articulated political philosophy moderating the competing interest. It is this articulation that is the purview of this essay. To this end an effort will be made to identify and critically discuss the central themes of Gordon Lewis’ â€Å"Main Currents in Caribbean Thought†, Paget Henrys’ â€Å"Caliban’s Reason†, Rex Nettlefords’ â€Å"The Battle for Space† and Charles W. Mills’ â€Å"Blackness Visible†. To achieve the necessary coverage of the issues the essay will proceed as follows: an analysis of the characteristic features, concerns and content of Caribbean political thought. Comparisons will be made to typically distinctive aspects of African and European political philosophy (characteristic features), democracy, representation, institutional arrangement and authority (concerns), equality, social justice, welfare (content). It is by this comparison to the assumed standard that a location of Caribbean political thought could be made and understanding of its existence assessed. Finally the understanding sought will be put to use in locating the Caribbean in this global milieu. It is hoped that a contribution however small will contribute to the ongoing development of Caribbean Political Thought. CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES The assumption that philosophy is held as a European monopoly is grounded in an intellectual tradition whose history consists of the evolution of men’s thoughts about political problems over time according to Sabine and Thorson (1973). Thankfully, there is balance to the discussion accorded by nuanced analysis describing the aforementioned assertion as a false assumption given that these phenomena as known to the Greek were but artefacts of thought George Belle (1996). The question must, therefore, be asked to what extent the character of Caribbean political philosophy shown a level of independence from western political philosophy and by extention an enlightened path that reflects its African/European/Asian origin and coalescence of its peoples (Creole). This coalescence is described, to a large extent, by C W Mills (1998) as â€Å"the coexistence of parallel but incompatible institutional arrangements within a recognised political state† speaks clearly to the many complex issues engaging the multitude of interest acting within this Caribbean. Significantly and more importantly, is the anti-colonial struggle that is fought at the level of the psyche through cultural and spiritual expressions Paget Henry (1997). This essay will examine both examples and place them into context. Henry argues that religion has undergone systematic alienation within the Caribbean theatre by way of a â€Å"lowering of its register or importance to thought. † His observations show an embrace of Eurocentric Christianity used by the former colonials as a tool of control and subordination culminating in a radical disenfranchising of traditional African religions pertaining to inherited Afro-Caribbean Christianity (voodoo and shango). He explained: â€Å"A deployment of binaries (negative assertions) led to European/Christian denials of the existence of an African religious philosophy, significantly and more importantly, is the anti-colonial struggle that is fought at the level of the psyche through cultural and spiritual expressions. † What is noted by Henry is the idea that stagnation has been allowed to take root in the philosophy allowing gaps for re-colonisation. These gaps are identified by Mills (1998) as he draws on the efforts of David T Wellman (1993) who made clear: â€Å"It has been argued that the historic source of white racism lies in a combination of religious intolerance and cultural predispositions to see non-whites as alien. The medieval battles against Islam are then the precursors of the racism that was to accompany European expansionism into the world. African religions were seen as devil worship, black culture and customs viewed as mumbo jumbo, paradigmatically bizarre. † Henry and Mills collectively recognised the Eurocentric imposition that has come to be known as Christianity and its use as a tool to negatively impact race relations dividing and colonising a people. The expectation would be a Caribbean response in defense and ownership of that cosmology which was African. Instead, according to Belle (1996), an intellectual stasis was the result complementing the concept of negative binaries. Belle went on to intimate: â€Å"Haitian political actors culturally trivialised and ridiculed voodum. The role of voodum, a spiritual expression, in the Haitian experience was central for them in their supernatural and cultural expressions within an anti colonial context. † Recall Mills (1998) â€Å"incompatible institutional arrangement† alluded to earlier; consider that Henry was able to capture the Haitian dynamic beautifully, this also in the context that Haiti holds the distinction of being the first independent black state of the new world. He expressed it as â€Å"A series of extended debates between the major competing racial groups of the: Euro-Caribbean, Amerindians, Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean over projects of colonial domination. The philosophical productions of the Euro-Caribbean were aimed at effecting European political and social hegemony (recall Belle (1996)). While, in contrast, the philosophical undertakings of the Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean were aimed at destroying European hegemony by destroying the legitimacy of their colonial projects. † It is clear from these attempts to define the character of Caribbean political philosophy emphasis has been placed on its utility as an anti colonial tool for overcoming and overturning projects of European hegemony according to Henry (1995). At the heart of these projects are attempts to minimise the effort to develop an alternative to Christianity, reconnection to an African cosmology that bore witness to the imposition of European dogma and through the condemnation of Islam. This essay accepts that any attempt to build out a project must at the same time have a level of self assessment attempted by Mills and Henry in this instance. What are of concern to this essay are efforts from within to compromise the character of the project. It is left to be determined if concerns (to be discussed) will suffer the same fate. CONCERNS The classic argument in favour of western political thought is found in social-contract theories, first proposed by seventeenth-century philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Social-contract theory, in fact, constitutes the basis for concerns in modern political thought according to Andrew Heywood (2004). The argument is referenced to society without government, a so-called ‘state of nature’. Hobbes poignantly describes this state of nature as being ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short’ reinforcing that without government to restrain selfish impulses, order and stability would be impossible. To what extent has this argument been a part of the contribution concerning Caribbean political philosophers or has there been a redefining of Hobbes’ position? Paget Henry (2000) identifies a situation of what came natural to the African and the colonial intrusion of a self appointed hegemonic force. In an attempt to locate the discussion within the confines of the state Henry draws on Kwameh Nkrumah (1965) to establish a modern ideology unlike the European articulation of Hobbes state of nature. The African assessment is one of diametric opposition, Nkrumah explains: â€Å"The traditional face of Africa includes an attitude toward man which can only be described, in its social manifestation, as being socialist. This arises from the fact that man is regarded in Africa as primarily a spiritual being, a being endowed originally with certain inward dignity, integrity and value. † This rationality of the African locates him apart from his European counterpart. Henry showed the widespread existence of one-party states in Africa was not due to one particular outlook he opined it pointed to the persistence of a traditional political culture that included a â€Å"grammar† of chiefly or kingly political behaviour. The argument is not without reason given the application by Plato to the philosopher kings and much later the Divine Right of Kings show a use of African political structure in an attempt to order a European society. The Caribbean, however, has shown no such inclination having been to a large extent â€Å"trapped in and shaped by social rivalries, ethnic animosities, weak personal/social identity and political fragmentation caused by the twin epiphenomena of slavery and colonialism† according to Gordon Lewis (1983). This is not by accident Lewis argued that the inability of Caribbean people to come to grips with this reality, that was not imagined but was real, left them open to continued exploitation. He went on to explain quite accurately that: â€Å"Slavery was also a powerful ideological deterrent, for it generated a scale of values in the top, dominant groups of the colonies, in which fear of the black masses stifled aspiration for national independence. At every turn in the story, these groups opted for selfish treason rather than for popular revolt. † Lewis contribution established the consequence of the native bourgeoisies economic dependence upon the colonial bourgeoisie. It has never been the intent of the former coloniser to give more for less on the contrary the intent was one of taking more for less. Observe how the power struggle ostensibly between colonised and coloniser gets displaced by power relations within the colonised body politic itself. Remember the argument is one of government structure based on self interest (Hobbes and Locke) against one based on consensus (Paget Henry). Seemingly self-serving political and economic ambitions knows no boundary and does not seek to serve the interests of the newly independent proletariat. Frantz Fanon (1963) suggests the ways in which intellectual leaders often betray the national working-class: â€Å"Before independence, the leader generally embodies the aspirations of the people for independence, political liberty, and national dignity. But as soon as independence is declared, far from embodying in concrete form the needs of the people in what touches bread, land, and the restoration of the country to the sacred hands of the people, the leader will reveal his inner purpose: to become the general president of that company of profiteers impatient for their returns which constitutes the national bourgeoisie. † Fanons assessment is encapsulated by a more specific argument against the existence of a Caribbean Philosophy, it is the perception of the absence of an intellectual tradition, and the belief the Caribbean is a cultural desert. The widely held view of the Caribbean as a region of the three S’s: sea, sand and sex. – A notion upon which the tourism industry has been constructed by and to this day exploited by a select few (national bourgeoisie). The writers, to a large extent, have highlighted the threats to democracy, representation, institutional arrangement and authority by way of concerns. A social contract theory promulgated by the former colonial has been answered by an African option structured on consensus. A timely observation of the constraints to growth based on petty rivalries is a reminder of the island state vulnerability to external influence. This essay suggests that betrayal of the political elite fairly represents the intellectual dilemma the Caribbean is now facing if Fanon (1963) is accepted. This essay argues that if these concerns were addressed maybe the stability of the natural African heritage would have offered up a leader and a type of governance sensitive to the masses and diversification needed. This essay understands the contribution of Henry and Lewis in attempting to show there was an intellectual tradition drawing attention to democracy, institutional arrangement and authority to address the myriad of concerns. CONTENT Issues that, historically and today, have most concerned political philosophers begin with a set of questions about equality, justice and welfare. These could be thought of as an enquiry into the best form of state according to David Miller (1998). It is a fact that for most of our history human beings have not been governed by states hence the free roaming tribes of Africa, Taino and Kalilingo of the Caribbean and not to be left out the marauding barbarians of Europe. From the inception this essay has identified a specific group as central to the continued existence of the Caribbean. Rex Nettleford (1993) and Charles Mills (2007) confirm that centrality by, in the first instance, identifying the group as one of three broad elements shaping the society in the second instance, through a specific schema that embodies a racial polity both starting at diverging points but eventually reaching a mutually understood location. Nettleford has been innovative using the concept of space to draw attention to social injustice; he describes maronnage or â€Å"the retreat into safe psychic sanctums calling on inner reserves beyond the reach of external violators. † This retreat came about with the use of language to communicate, plan and execute rebellion in a tongue foreign to the invaders bringing some equality to a struggle that was always almost dictated by the colonial. He explained â€Å".. Creole, in the proper sense of native-born, native-bred and not in the sense of an aberration of a dialect to the norm of a standard tongue. The very code switching , so normal to Caribbean people in the liberal use of Creole for appropriate circumstances transformed to the lingua franca as the occasion demands (sometimes in one sentence), is a sign of the capacity to master the flow between inner and outer space on one level. † The code switching to which he refers is an attempt to push back an institution not sympathetic to the Creole. To organise and communicate meant the mastery of a tongue foreign to the colonial because the institutions to which he had a monopoly were unequal, lacked social justice and had no welfare. This was identified by an economic relationship that marginalised tray merchants placing the Caribbean person on the periphery of existence according to Nettleford (1993). The exclusion from the vicinity of â€Å"formal commercial enterprises† driving the trader underground to the informal economy away from the formal economy clearly establishes a prima facie case for the judicial, executive and legislative institutions to answer with regard to the adopted precepts of western political thought. Mills wasted no time highlighting the fact that race has been essentially reduced to a minimal debate, glossed over, and otherwise left out of the majority of the multiculturalism literature Mills (1998). His evaluation was logical and nuanced, he argued that: â€Å"Tracing the evolution of the concepts of race and ethnicity race began as a biological and therefore immutable aspect of the human condition, while ethnicity was and is seen as a consequence of culture. Racism and ethnocentrism were differentiated by their essential characterisations: Race is a consequence of biology and therefore racism presumes a biological hierarchy; ethnicity is a consequence of culture and therefore ethnocentrism requires a surrender of cultural distinction and assimilation. † Given the consensus within the scientific community that biological race and thus biological hierarchy do not exist, what pertains in the Caribbean, therefore, in the form of Creole ethnicity and ethnocentrism are seen as relatively more logical and reasoned according to Mills (2007). There is confirmation of this assessment by Lewis (1983). He articulated a position that the Caribbean’s single greatest contribution to political thought is its open exploration of the question concerning race. This exploration, as Lewis puts it, possibly offers a counter to a Eurocentric fetish with its misplaced presumption of superiority on the subject, a sober Caribbean response. The content of Caribbean thought being characterised as overly concerned with the use of race converges to the concept of Creole recall the alignment sought earlier by Nettleford (1993) and Mills (2007) it is no wonder, therefore, that ethnicity as articulated by Mills (2007) is seen as a more politically palatable category to discuss and philosophically legitimate engaging the polity at all levels. As a people are we therefore satisfied with the aforementioned argument in its attempt to reconcile what is a contentiously debated topic? This essay suggest that the attempt at convergence is likely due to the challenge of the (particularism) of Caribbean Political thought essentially a question of authenticity which can be defined as of undisputed origin, genuine, reliable and trustworthy. It is a question of who constitutes the Caribbean person, in this case the African or Asian or European or is it the Creole or maybe none of the previously mentioned. Since it is suggested by some that the attempt at convergence is unlikely must the debate be reduced to one or the other in an attempt to secure an answer? This essay further suggests a complexity that cannot be determined by way of who has the right to speak on behalf of the Caribbean and a claim of superiority. To attempt this would in the opinion of this essay reduce the debate to that which western political thought is insecure in its biological existence. This is where maturity and understanding is paramount in the construction of a worthwhile paradigm independent of western political dogma. UNDERSTANDING CARIBBEAN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY The term political philosophy often refers to a view, specific political belief or attitude about politics that does not necessarily belong to the technical discipline of philosophy. In short, political philosophy is the activity, as with all philosophy, whereby the conceptual apparatus behind such concepts as aforementioned are analysed, in their history, intent, evolution and the like according to Jean Hampton (1997). Tim Hector questioned, Where is our philosophy? as if to imply that the aforementioned concepts are yet to be found or worst not understood and overlooked. His ask is reasonable given the time our people have occupied this space with the accompanying accoutrements of independence and must be answered against a background of accepted criteria as to what a political philosophy is Hampton (1997). Right or wrong the confluence, convergence, divergence, lack of application that has become synonymous with these islands gives what they have to say a genuine uniqueness. Since independence, for all the limitations, they have not found the need to go on crusades slaughtering millions in the name of God, use an intellectually convenient ideology to foist on the rest of the world a self serving expansionist ideology under developing Africa and the Caribbean in the name of capitalism, murder its own in two world wars and as this essay concludes present globalisation as the new destabilising force. It is the position of this essay that the writers have been able to establish a prima facie case toward a political philosophy; there is history, intent and evolution however more needs to be done if only to say Caribbean political philosophy is not what western political philosophy is. As long as the peoples resist the urge to lean toward their own understanding Caribbean Political Philosophy has a chance to become a global solution to its Western Political nemesis. CONCLUSION It is clear that an understanding of Caribbean political philosophy is an understanding of the post colonial project and the need for the Caribbean to extricate itself from the political dogma that is Eurocentric in construction and delivery. In summary this characterisation of Caribbean thought places a high value on overturning projects of European hegemony Nettleford (1995). So important is this aspect of the project that an epistemology, ontology perspective was developed to give structure and ground the thinking given the purported monopoly expressed by the European. Henry (2000) highlights the key thematic lines along which Caribbean political thought has thus far been expressed. This, however, has not been without controversy the claim that the Caribbean’s single greatest contribution to global thought is its exploration of the question of race Lewis (1983) has triggered the characterisation as overly concerned with the utilisation of race as an analytical category. Mills (2007) answers the characterisation with a nuanced alternative articulating that biological race and thus biological hierarchy do not exist, what pertains in the Caribbean in a form of Creole ethnicity and ethnocentrism. If exclusively defined by the Western Political standards the Caribbean would be hard pressed to identify a political philosophy, the debate is thus confined to what is important to the people occupying the space. The fundamental difference is with application of what needs to be done given that the Caribbean is young relative to its European counterpart then there is more to be accomplished. This essay understands the confluence, convergence, divergence, dialectic that has become synonymous to these balkanised geographical dispersed islands. This essay accepts that understanding of a situation comes not with a presumption of right or wrong but openness to arguments, that, if placed on a balance of probabilities could become the reality of the reader. BIBLIOGRAPHY Belle, George. 1996 Against Colonialism: Political Theory and Re-Colonisation in the Caribbean. Paper presented at the Conference on Caribbean Culture: Mona Jamaica UWI. Benn, Dennis. 1987 Ideology and Political Development: the Growth and Development of Political Ideas in the Caribbean 1774-1983. Jamaica: ISER, Mona. Bolland, Nigel. 2004 The Birth of Caribbean civilization: A century of ideas about culture and identity, nation and society Kingston: Ian Randle Fanon, Frantz. 1963 The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press. Hampton, Jean. 1997. Political Philosophies and Political Ideologies, Montreal: Westview Press. Heywood, Andrew. 2004 Political Ideologies, 3rd Edition: An Introduction, USA: Palgrave McMillan Henry, Paget. 2000. Calibans Reason: Introducing Afro Caribbean Philosophy, London: Routledge, Lewis, Gordon. 1983. Main Currents in Caribbean Thought: The Historical Evolution of Caribbean Society in Its Ideological Aspects, 1492-1900, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Miller, David. 1998. Political philosophy in E. Craig (Ed. ), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, London: Routledge. Mills, Charles. 1998 Blackness Visible: Essays on Philosophy and Race, Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Mills, Charles. 2007 â€Å"Multiculturalism as/and/or Anti-Racism?† in Multiculturalism and Political Theory Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Nkrumah, Kwameh. 1965 Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism London: Thomas Nelson Sons, Ltd. Nettleford, Rex. 1993 Inward Stretch, Outward Reach: A voice from the Caribbean Basingstoke: MacMillan. Sabine, George Holland, Thomas Landon Thorson. 1973. A history of political theory. Hinsdale, Ill: Dryden Press. Wellman, David T. 1977 Portraits of White Racism, 2d ed, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Cultural Influences on Myths: Legend of the Menehune People

Cultural Influences on Myths: Legend of the Menehune People Introduction Myths, being narratives about early history (Barker, 2014, p.4) explains social occurrences which involves supernatural events. When it comes to myths, people can be very opinionated when deciding if the myth is true or not. Some people believe it because it is a tale they have been told while growing up or simply because it sounds fantastical, other people choose not to believe it until there is proof of whatever it is they have been told. It has become the responsibility of social scientists, namely Archaeologists and Anthropologists to uncover the truth about these myths. One of the most infamous myths in Hawaii involves the Menehune people and the structures that are believed to have been built by theme. The legend of the Menehune people takes different versions in Martha Warren Beckwiths’ book, Hawaiian Mythology (1940, pp.227-37). According to Brien Foerster (2000, pp.15-20) the term Menehune is just a tale which was altered and confused with the factual accounts of the Manahune, the first settlers of the island who were lower in social status compared to the Tahitians. The Menehune people however are believed to have been small figured beings with a height of 15 to 90 centimetres that lived on Kauai before the Polynesian settlers and lived in caves and valleys (Mugner, 2013). Just as any other myth, the legend of the Menehune differs when it comes to the physical description of the Menehune, according to Eberhart (2002, p.326) they were well dressed, well-built and hairy beings, compared to Mailly (1998) the Menehune had straight long hair that covered their undressed bodies. This is just minor differences between sources on the Menehune people. What many of the sources do agree on is that these beings enjoyed bananas, fish and starch. Even though they were playful beings who liked playing games, diving, dancing, making music and singing, they were good at heart as they were known for shooting magical arrows at people who were infuriated, stirring up emotions of love instead. What makes the legend of the Menehune famous is that they were believed to have been exceptional craftsmen, extremely strong, fast and nocturnal (Eberhart, 2002, p.236). The Menehune have allegedly constructed houses, fishponds, ditches, roads and temples all in one night and if by chance these structures were not complete by sunrise, they would desert the structure. The most famous structures said to have been built by the Menehune is the Alekoko Fishpond, Kikiaolo Ditches, Necker Island Structures, Pa o ka Menehune breakwater and the Ulupo heiau (Foerster, 2000, pp.15-20) (Paul, 2007). Even though the pond is no longer in use today for fishing, instead it is a wetland for threa tened birds. Archaeologists estimate the pond to be over a thousand years old (Foster, 2008, p.193).the Kikiaolo ditches were built using the same stone used in the Alekoko pond, the ditches lead water to other ponds for irrigation (Foster, 2008, p.203). Necker Island has to be the most spoken about archaeological site in Hawaii, compared to the other two islands which surround Necker that could have supported a permanent population, the conditions on Necker Island suggest that a permanent population could not be sustained but there is proof of activity on the island (Kirch, 1997, pp.94-98). There has always been conflict between science and culture, science being a field whereby something can be proved or disproved, culture on the other hand is something that has been embedded in us, and culture is a way of life. Just like any other myth, the Menehune myth is believed by some and not by others. There is not much scientific evidence to prove that the Menehune did exist besides the archaeological sites that are said to have been built by the Menehune, but archaeologists are not one hundred percent certain about this. Individuals that are in favour of this myth usually have biases for this notion, culturally it might be that this was a tale that they have grown up with being told which have led them to believe that that the Menehune did in actual fact exist. Others might believe it for the sake of believing it; this can also be considered as a social factor which contributes to the bias. For those that do not believe the myth, they base their opinion on lack of evidence mo st of the time. It’s no lie that how we perceive the world is namely based on our social and cultural biases (Boundless, 2014) to make something more favourable in the world we live in but this can be seen as a problem in some scientific fields such as archaeology and anthropology, because the world today is not the same as it was a hundred years ago, even fifty years ago, there is a major difference in how history is viewed. Scientific theories are in place to prove or disprove a notion and if a researcher is bias towards a specific notion, it is reflected in their work which in turn doesn’t provide the desired outcome. In context of the Menehune myth, researchers ultimate goal is to find out if they did or still do exist, they would do this by listening to the local population and their narratives about the Menehune, This can be seen as bias because locals tell researchers what they have heard and what they have been told as part of folklore, this affects how researc hers conduct their investigation. It would be incorrect to say that scientific theories are based on what people believe in, but looking at it logically, what people believe in form the basis of scientific theories, which then form a broader picture to conduct scientific research to prove or disprove the theory, so in essence, science is not a worthless way of looking at the world, but one must consider how people view the worth culturally. The world is viewed in many ways, science is just an added way of looking at the world, and the only difference is that science has authenticated justification. This is accomplished through repetitive testing, observation and investigations. Science answers unsolved mysteries, prevents the present generation from making past mistakes to create a better future and most importantly provides a better understanding of humanity. Science might not solve all our problems but it most definitely is a start. The one quality that any person needs to have when evaluating a scientific theory, is that they need to be open minded because science has endless possibilities. Conclusion Judging from the above mentioned, it is easy to see that science plays a valuable role in society today, it does not only uncover the truth but new discoveries are made using science. One must not forget however that social and cultural biases also play an important role in society and when it comes to issues regarding myths of any kind, there will always be two sides to the story, the truth that hasn’t been uncovered yet and the tales that have been told over the many centuries and the Menehune myth is far from the truth, Works Cited Barker, G., 2014. What is a myth? Britannica Educational Publishing. Beckwith, M.W., 1940. Hawaiian Mythology. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. Boundless, 2014. cultural influences on perception. [Online] Available at: https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/sensation-and-perception-5/advanced-topics-in-perception-40/cultural-influences-on-perception-174-12709/ [Accessed 14 march 2015]. Eberhart, G.M., 2002. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. ABC-CLIO. Foerster, B., 2000. The Real History Of Hawaii: From Origins To The End Of The Monarchy. Lulu.com. Foster, J., 2008. Frommers Kauai. 3rd ed. John Wiley Sons. Kirch, P.V., 1997. Feathered Gods and Fishhooks: An Introduction to Hawaiian Archaeology and Prehistory. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. Mailly, H.D., 1998. Menehune. [Online] Available at: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/menehune.html [Accessed 13 March 2015]. Mugner, S., 2013. Sean Mugner. [Online] Available at: http://seanmunger.com/2013/12/01/the-menehune-of-ancient-hawaii-did-they-reaally-exist/ [Accessed 14 march 2015]. Paul, P., 2007. Were there menehune in Hawaii? [Online] Available at: http://ahistoryofmigration.blogspot.com/2007/07/were-there-menehune-in-hawaii.html [Accessed 14 march 2015].

Henry T. Ford Essay -- essays research papers

Henry T. Ford (1863-1947) Henry Ford once said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young';. - Henry Ford Henry T. Ford, pioneering automotive engineer, is mostly credited forinventing the automobile. The fact is he did not, he used what was developed and studied in the automobile industry to develop his own ideas and revolutionized the automotive industry. His creativity made possible for him to develop the assembly line that sparked the auto production. Henry Ford Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. His family had nothing to do with the automobile, they were simple farmers. Henry lived on the farm that was run by his father who was an Irish man, and his mother who was Dutch, his mother died when he was 12. After his mother death he helped out around the family farm in summer and in winter attended a one-room school. From the young age he was fascinating my moving mechanical things. Form the young age he was fascinated by watches and clocks. He went around the countryside doing repair work without pay, for him all mattered was to play with the machinery of the watch. From his personal experience on the farm he was fascinated my farm machines that reduced the drudgery of farm chores. We can notice there was a lot of a kid in him, and to go around or making his chores easier he invented his own farm machines. His fascination with machines grew as he grew older. At the age of thirteen, for the first time he saw a coal-fi red steam engine that was rolling along a long rural road. From that point he grew more fascinated about machines that moved about a roads without any manpower. At the age of sixteen, and against the wishes of his father, he left the home farm for Detroit, where he found work as a mechanic’s apprentice. He was faced with low paying jobs. Working for $2.50 in mechanics shop then moved to watchmaker were he worked for four hours and was paid $2 a week. Steadily he worked him self up in Edison Illuminating Company, and became a chief engineer there. In 1884 he took charge of a farm his father gave him. At twenty-four he married Clara Bryant and settled at his farm. But Ford did not stay long at the farm after two years he went back to Detroit and worked as a n... ... a 1941 ford company became the only major manufacturer of automobiles in the Detroit area that had not recognized any labor unions. At hearings before the National Labor Board ford was found guilty of repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act. Ford was forced to negotiate a labor contract with a union after a strike was successfully held at the main plant at river Rouge, Michigan, in April 1941.During the W.W.II era Ford was granted government contracts for which he manufactured war materials like: parts for the bombers and later, the entire airplane. By the end of W.W.II (1945) one of his plants manufactured more than 8,000 planes. Henry ford died on April 7,1947, in Dearborn. Ford left a personal fortune at $500 to $700 million, giving large shares of the money to Ford Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The Ford Motor Company was taken over by grandson of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II who carried his ownership until his death in 1987. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.'; -Henry T. Ford

Working in teams

When working in teams there are many factors that can lead to success or failure to achieving the goals of the team. Understanding the objective, having the proper resources, and trust within the team are some. Having trust is one of the most important factors in team success. Trust within the team can lead to everyone being comfortable knowing the project will be accomplished and knowing assigned parts will be completed. Distrust within the team can lead to personal problems and can hinder the project not being completed. Working on teams can be very stressful. A team member has to meet the team, discuss the project, figure out who will do what part of the project, and manage your normal tasks at work while completing the new work that is associated with the team project. Stress is added automatically because a team member would naturally want to do a good job on the team project and that people are going to rely on you to complete your part but you also have to worry that the others on the team are going to do their part. Distrust on a team can lead to many problems. Not having trust in your team can lead to arguments within the team and not being able to work with that person or even the entire group. Distrust can lead to a person doing his part of the assigned project and can also lead to that person doing other parts of the project not assigned to them causing friction. Another possible result from having distrust in the team dynamic is the ability to influence others. A person with influence can bring doubt in the group or persuade others to have doubt in one or more people on the team that could result in the team turning a person or even getting a person or persons thrown out of the group. To answer the question is trust assumed or is it earned within a team. Ruth H. Axelrod answered the question by researching various philosophers and professors and they all noted a person has to have the following traits to garner trust. Ruth’s discoveries say trust has to be earned. She noted one has to show good character, honesty, integrity, must be dependable, and must be reliable. These findings were published in her paper Deciding To Trust a Stranger. I agree that trust has to be earned. It is good to come to a team project with an open mind and no preconceived thoughts but everyone in the team will still have to show they can pull his or her weight and work as a team. Trust can lost be lost while working on a team very easily. One simple mishap like not showing up for a scheduled meeting or not being prepared can cause the team to lose trust within an individual. Always being present to a scheduled meeting is very important. Missing a meeting could lead to missing an important update or new deadline for the project. Not being prepared shows the team you are not engaged in the project, the work assigned to you is too much for you to handle, or you simply do not care for the project or the others on your team. It is easy to keep trust among your team. If you do you what is asked and expected of you the team will have trust in you. If you treat everyone with respect and provide support the team will trust you. Taken from the paper again, if a person shows the qualities of being dependable, being reliable, and having integrity trust will be maintained within the team.

Ethics: Nursing and Abortion

Working in the field of abortion isn’t an easy task furthermore participating in the abortion procedures. But the field of nursing you have to follow a code of ethics, a set of rules and regulation. Nurses have their personal opinions about abortion, but because they are health professionals and their opinions are sought as such, they are obligated to understand why they hold certain views. Nurses need to be clear about why they believe as they do, and they must arrive at a point of view in a rational and logical manner. To assist nurses in this task, the ethical issues surrounding abortion are enumerated and clarified. To better off explain research on this ethical topic I’m going to further explain my research on my findings on both points of view and balanced both sides so you can get a better understanding. For those of you whose doesn’t know what an abortion is the proper meaning for it is, ending a pregnancy before the fetus (unborn child) can live independently outside the mother. If abortion happens spontaneously before 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage. An induced (or â€Å"therapeutic†) abortion is caused deliberately in order to end the pregnancy. Working in that environment is certainly a sensitive one, regardless of your personal opinions or not you must undergo certain training to properly fit the job and follow protocol. Not only working in that surrounding a main issue but the ethics of abortion already another ethical dilemma. There are many strong arguments about the issue for those who are in favor and against it but sometimes there is not proper training assigned to resulting in personal feelings conflict with the pre and post procedure affecting the patient and their decision. Classes on the principles of nursing ethics give the nurse the tools to base ethical decisions upon. However, this knowledge is then shaped by the values, beliefs and experiences of the nurse. Recent investigation and studies have showed there has been conflicts arising within that environment. But in that particular circumstance there is not a wrong or right, but there is do the ethical thing without harm. To first start my paper I’m going to briefly speak about the proper ethical way to deal with the whole abortion procedure including there responsibilities as a registered nurse regardless of the circumstances and different environments. Some of the different responsibly according to nynsa, org are, the responsibility and obligation to provide competent and supportive nursing care (ANA, 2001, Provision #1 & #3). The responsibility to provide the patient with objective information and to offer access to resources before, during and after a voluntary termination of pregnancy (ANA, 2001, Provision #1 & #2). * The responsibility to provide care without imposing personal beliefs on patients who choose to abort (ANA, 2001, Provision # 1 & #2). * The obligation for educational preparation, and the responsibility to obtain such, to assist and meet the emotional, physical and psychological needs of patients who are considering or have had a voluntary termination of pregnancy (ANA, 2001, Provision # 3, #5 & #7). The right to their own moral, ethical and religious beliefs (ANA, 2001, Provision # 1). * The right to refuse to participate in a voluntary termination of pregnancy, except in an emergency situation, where the patient's needs do not allow for substitution (ANA, 2001, Provision # 4 & #5). * The right not to be subjected to coercion, censure or discipline for reasons of such refusal (ANA, 2001, Provision #4, #5, & #6). * The right and responsibility to seek employment in areas where the care of patient choosing abortions will not be assigned. These are some of the responsibilities of being a Nurse within the termination field. Despite the protocols they must follow to prevent harm it’s not entitled to something may agree on. Remember nurses are being rotated on a day to day bases meaning they travel around the hospital working in different departments. Despite being pro- life or prochoice they must follow the ethical guidelines not only to keep their jobs and also comfort the patient in every way as possible. Nurses need to be clear about why they believe as they do, and they must arrive at a point of view in a rational and logical manner. To assist nurses in this task, the ethical issues surrounding abortion are enumerated and clarified. To do this, some of the philosophic and historic approaches to abortion and how a position can be logically argued are examined. According to nursing connect. com, the nurses and social workers that were surveyed worked in a variety of settings including acute care facilities, ambulatory clinics and outpatient health centers. We did find that about 40 percent are frustrated and 40 percent are fatigued. One out of three feels powerless and the same even said they were physically ill. † Many nurses believe that feeling conflicting in the decisions has took a toll on patients because attitudes justify a lot in decision making. In an article I read prior to doing my research a Nurses by the name of Ulrich quoted, â€Å"If one believes that they know t he ethically correct course of action but are precluded from carrying that out, then patient care suffers in some way. Ulrich believes that communication and broader dialogue on the subject will help to limit moral distress and the negative impact it has on health care providers. According to Ulrich again, â€Å"Improving the ethical climate begins with administration and managerial leaders. First, I believe they have to recognize that nurses and other health care workers are facing tremendous ethical challenges in providing care and encountering stress related to these concerns. To me, this only impacts the quality of care that is delivered. I do believe with the proper tools, communication, as well as lots of training they can create a better atmosphere and ethical comfortable environment they can focus less on the ethical problems their facing. Every nurse who speaks up when feeling ethical or moral distress is one step closer to eliminating the issue entirely. Recent research according to the school of political and social science, they create assessment basically having little committee regardi ng the questions and concerns of the nurses and survey says it has increased positively. A lot of associations has been created in effort to reduce the ethical dilemma in the abortion procedure. One to be specific is known as the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Position Statement on Abortion was in response to the increasing legislative activity concerning abortion law, as well as requests from the professional nursing community with regard to their rights and responsibilities and the rights of their patients pertaining to the issue of abortion. NYSNA has, through the Council on Ethics and Human Rights, continued to study and research the issues surrounding abortion and reaffirms the position of the rights of women as patients and nurses. There’s many more ethical procedures a Nurse to follow according to the clinic or nursing guidelines. The nurse should keep the patient informed of all aspects of the procedure, provide a supportive presence, perform standard physical monitoring during the operation and afterwards, provide contraceptive counseling, and act as a sounding board or discussion of interpersonal relationships and future plans. High quality nursing requires understanding the physical and psychosocial aspects of abortion reflecting the nurse's recognition of the cultural, religious, and socioeconomic factors involved. This requires a nurse who is fully aware of her own feelings and can adapt or defer them to the patient's needs. In cases of suction or dilation abortions, these actions are particularly import ant, since the patient is in the hospital only a short time and can be easily ignored. In cases of saline infusion, the nurse should be fully aware of possible complications, including retained placentae, hemorrhage, infection, or uterine perforation. If the patient is readmitted for any of these complications, the nurse should continue to play the informative, supportive role. The nurse and social worker should also be aware of the possible psychological sequel of abortion and watch for mental health problems. It is concluded that post abortion counseling is the best time for contraceptive counseling. Conscientious professional support along these guidelines should insure a positive experience for the abortion patient. Ethics committees involve individuals from diverse backgrounds who support health care institutions with three major functions: providing clinical ethics consultation, developing and/or revising policies pertaining to clinical ethics and hospital policy. To conclude my research paper I hope you came out with a clear balance on the ethical dilemma involved in nursing with it comes to abortion procedures. Its takes a lot working in a field such of this when you’re pro-choice or pro-life but sometimes when you’re working in a certain settings there’s rules and guidelines that you must follow. But you should never feel obligated to something that’s you’re not for but in this situation your personal opinion should be kept to yourself that’s why in turn they created association, committees, and clubs set up with ethical consultants that helps with your concerns sometimes even with your thought of guilt. Hope you came out with my paper not only with an open mind but also a balancing side to both sides. Of course this ethical dilemma isn’t something that can be changed overnight because it is a very sensitive topic.

Frailty Thy Name Is Woman Essays - Characters In Hamlet, Free Essays

Frailty Thy Name Is Woman Essays - Characters In Hamlet, Free Essays Frailty Thy Name Is Woman John F. Kennedy,Theodore Roosevelt , and Bill Clinton all, at one time, have been considered powerful and influential men. These men all once obtained the most influencial job in the United States and argueably in the world. Although these men had a vast impression on the world, their wives had an even more awe-inspiring effect on the world. Women constantly have been underappriciated for the most difficult and monotomous jobs around. Finally, a woman named Jackyln Onasis stood up for what she believes in and demanded to be listened to. She paved the way for future women, like Princess Diana and Hilary Clinton and alllowed women to become wealthier, more powerful, and better icons for the world to see. Similarly, behind Claudius and Hamlet are two unappreciated women who lack the willpower to demand to be listened to. Instead, they both live their lives in the shadows of their controlling men. Therefore, both are seen by Hamlet as weak and frail women. Ophelia is characterized many times as a weak women espicially in the quote, frailty thy name is woman.(Hamlet, L ) Ophelia embodies the flaw of obiedence, but deeper than that, of dependence. Ophelia is completely dependent on her father and proves her dependence when she acts cruel to Hamlet, which goes against her true feelings toward Hamlet. Later Ophelia agrees to not see Hamlet anymore, I shall obey my lord, (Hamlet. L 136) which shows Poloniouss control over his daughter. Ophelias actions show that she will do anything to appease her father, even making a personal sacrifice which she doesnt agree with. Ophelias desire to appease her father leads her to be used as a puppet in order for the King and Polonious to spy on Hamlet, Ophelia walk you here-Gracious so please you, We will bestow ourselves. (Hamlet, L 43-44) Ophelias willingness to spy on a person she truly loves, depicts her true nature and her obiedience toward her father. Even when Hamlet harasses Ophelia ad tells her to go to a nunnery, Ophelia had the inability to defend herself. Unfortunately, Ophelias dependence on her father leads her to an unnatural death. When her father passes on, Ophelia is left by herself, with no one to give her guidence. Instead of trying to move on with her life, she calls for her brother hoping he will have a plan for her, My brother shall know of it. And so I thank you for your good counsel . ( Hamlet, L 71-72) Poloniouss controlling manner is irreplaceable and finally Ophelia realizes this: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. (Hamlet. L 187-188) The significance of the violets are that they symblolize faithfulness and they all died because she felt betrayed that her father left her. Ophelias death is in result of her dependence, which could be seen through her obiedience and overall weakness of character. Ophelias tradegy is a reminder that one should not put your faith in one person and always follow your heart. Similarly, Gertrude is also charcterized by the quote, frailty thy name is woman. ( Hamlet, L ) Gertrude, like Ophelia, depends on her husband for advice and insight to Hamlets attitude. Gertrude longing for the attention that she loses when her husband dies, quickly marries Claudius, her husbands brother.