Why You Should Avoid These Racial Terms

Why You Should Avoid These Racial Terms Ever wonder which term is the appropriate one to use when describing a member of an ethnic minority group? How do you know if you should refer to someone as â€Å"black,† â€Å"African American,† â€Å"Afro American† or something else entirely? Better yet, how should you proceed when members of the same ethnic group have different preferences for what they’d like to be called? Say you have three Mexican  American friends. One wants to be called â€Å"Latino,† the other wants to be called â€Å"Hispanic,† and another wants to be called â€Å"Chicano.† While some racial terms remain up for debate, others are considered outdated, derogatory or both. Find out which racial names to avoid when describing people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Why â€Å"Oriental† Is a No-No What’s the problem with using the term â€Å"Oriental† to describe individuals of Asian descent? Common complaints about the term include that it should be reserved for objects, such as rugs, and not people and that it’s antiquated- akin to using â€Å"Negro† to describe an African American. Howard University Law Professor Frank H. Wu made the comparison in a 2009 New York Times piece about the state of New York banning the use of â€Å"Oriental† on government forms and documents. Washington State passed a similar ban in 2002. â€Å"It’s associated with a time period when Asians had a subordinate status,† Professor Wu told the Times. He added that people link the term to old stereotypes of Asians and the era when the United States government passed exclusion acts to keep Asian people from entering the country. Given this, â€Å"For many Asian Americans, it’s not just this term: It’s about much more†¦It’s about your legitimacy to be here,† Wu said. In the same piece, historian Mae M. Ngai, author of Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, explained that, while the term â€Å"Oriental† isn’t a slur, it’s never been widely used by people of Asian descent to describe themselves. â€Å"I think it’s fallen into disfavor because it’s what other people call us. It’s only the East if you’re from somewhere else,† Ngai said, referring to â€Å"Oriental’s† meaning- â€Å"Eastern.† â€Å"It’s a Eurocentric name for us, which is why it’s wrong. You should call people by what (they) call themselves, not how they are situated in relation to yourself.† Due to the history of the term and the era it evokes, it’s best to follow the leads of New York State and Washington State and delete the word â€Å"Oriental† from your lexicon when describing people. When in doubt, use the term Asian or Asian American. However, if you are privy to someone’s specific ethnic background, refer to them as Korean, Japanese American, Chinese Canadian and so forth. â€Å"Indian† Is Confusing and Problematic While the term â€Å"Oriental† is almost universally frowned upon by Asians, the same isn’t true of the term â€Å"Indian† when used to describe Native Americans. Award-winning writer Sherman Alexie, who is of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene ancestry, has no objection to the term. â€Å"Just think of Native American as the formal version and Indian as the casual one,† he told a Sadie Magazine interviewer who asked the best term to use when referring to America’s indigenous peoples. Not only does Alexie approve of the term â€Å"Indian,† he also remarked that â€Å"the only person who’s going to judge you for saying ‘Indian’ is a non-Indian.† While many Native Americans do refer to each other as â€Å"Indians,† some object to the term because it is associated with explorer Christopher Columbus, who mistook the Caribbean islands for those of the Indian Ocean, which were known as the Indies. As a result of the error, people indigenous to the Americas overall were dubbed â€Å"Indians.† Also problematic is that many hold Columbus’ arrival into the New World responsible for initiating the subjugation and decimation of Native Americans, so they don’t want to be known by a term that he’s credited with popularizing. It’s worth noting, though, that the term â€Å"Indian† is far less controversial than the term â€Å"Oriental.† Not only haven’t states banned the term, there’s also a government agency known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, not to mention the National Museum of the American Indian. On that note, the term â€Å"American Indian† is more acceptable than simply â€Å"Indian† because, in part, it is less confusing. When someone refers to â€Å"American Indians,† everyone knows the people in question don’t hail from Asia but from the Americas. If you’re concerned about the kind of reception you’ll receive by using the term â€Å"Indian,† consider saying â€Å"indigenous peoples,† â€Å"native peoples† or â€Å"First Nations† peoples instead. But the wisest thing to do is to refer to people by their specific ancestry. So, if you know a particular person is Choctaw, Navajo, Lumbee, etc., call him that rather than using umbrella terms such as â€Å"American Indian† or â€Å"Native American.† Spanish Is Not the Catch-All Term for Spanish-Speaking Peoples Ever heard a person referred to as â€Å"Spanish† who isn’t from Spain but simply speaks Spanish and has Latin American roots? In some parts of the country, particularly cities in the Midwest and on the  East Coast, it’s commonplace to refer to any such person as â€Å"Spanish.† Sure, the term doesn’t carry the baggage that terms such as â€Å"Oriental† or â€Å"Indian† do, but it’s factually inaccurate. Also,  like the other terms  covered, it lumps diverse groups of people together under an umbrella category. In actuality, the term â€Å"Spanish† is quite specific. It refers to people from Spain. But over the years, the term has been used interchangeably with the various peoples from  Latin America  that the Spanish colonized. Due to intermixing, many of the colonized peoples from Latin America do have Spanish ancestry, but that’s only a part of their racial makeup. Many also have indigenous ancestors and, due to the slave trade, African ancestry as well. To call people from Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, Cuba and so on as â€Å"Spanish† is to erase large swathes of their racial backgrounds. The term essentially designates people who are multicultural as one thing- European. It makes about as much sense to refer to all Spanish-speakers as â€Å"Spanish† as it does  to refer to all English speakers as â€Å"English.† Colored Is Outdated but Continues to Pop up Today Think only octogenarians use terms such as â€Å"colored† to describe  African Americans? Think again. When  Barack Obama  was elected president in November 2008, actress  Lindsay Lohan  expressed her happiness about the event by  remarking  to â€Å"Access Hollywood,† â€Å"It’s an amazing feeling. It’s our first, you know, colored president.† And Lohan’s not the only young person in the public eye to use the term. Julie Stoffer, one of the houseguests featured on MTV’s â€Å"The Real World: New Orleans,† also raised eyebrows when she  referred  to African Americans as â€Å"colored.† More recently,  Jesse James  alleged mistress Michelle Bombshell McGee sought to defuse rumors that shes a white supremacist by  remarking, I make a horrible racist Nazi. I have too many colored friends. What’s to explain for these gaffes? For one thing, â€Å"colored† is a term that never completely exited American society. One of the most prominent advocacy groups for African Americans uses the term in its name- the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. There’s also the popularity of the more modern (and appropriate) term â€Å"people of color.† Some people may think it’s okay to simply shorten that phrase to â€Å"colored,† but they’re mistaken. Like â€Å"Oriental,† â€Å"colored† harkens back to an era of exclusion, a time when  Jim Crow  was in full force, and blacks used water fountains marked â€Å"colored† and sat in the â€Å"colored† sections of buses, beaches, and restaurants. In short, the term stirs up painful memories. Today, the terms â€Å"African American† and â€Å"black† are the most acceptable to use when describing individuals of African descent. Still, some of these individuals may prefer â€Å"black† over â€Å"African American† and vice versa. â€Å"African American† is considered more formal than â€Å"black,† so if you’re in a professional setting, err on the side of caution and use the former. Of course, you can also ask the individuals in question which term they prefer. You may also encounter immigrants of African descent who wish to be recognized by their homelands. As a result, they prefer to be called Haitian-American, Jamaican-American, Belizean, Trinidadian, Ugandan or Ghanaian-American, rather than simply â€Å"black.† In fact, for the 2010 Census, there was a  movement  to have  black immigrants  write in their countries of origin rather than be known collectively as â€Å"African American.† Mulatto Is a Don’t Mulatto arguably has the ugliest roots of the antiquated terms on this list. Historically used to describe the child of a black person and a white person, the term reportedly originates from the Spanish word â€Å"mulato,† which, in turn, originates from the word â€Å"mula,† or mule- the offspring of a horse and a donkey. Clearly, this term is offensive, as it compares the union of human beings to that of animals. Although the word is outdated and offensive, people still use it from time to time. Some biracial people use the term to describe themselves and others, such as author Thomas Chatterton Williams, who used it to  describe  President Obama  and rap star Drake, both of whom, like Williams, have white mothers and  black fathers. While some biracial people don’t object to the term, others balk at its use. Due to the word’s troublesome origins, refrain from using this term in any situation, with one exception:  When discussing opposition to interracial unions in early America, academics and cultural critics often refer to the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"tragic mulatto myth.†Ã‚   This myth characterizes mixed-race people as destined to live unfulfilling lives in which they fit into neither black nor white society. When speaking about this myth, those who still buy into it or the period when the myth arose, people may use the term â€Å"tragic mulatto.† But the term â€Å"mulatto† should never be used in casual conversation to describe a  biracial person. Terms such as biracial, multiracial, multiethnic or mixed are usually deemed non-offensive, with â€Å"mixed† being the most colloquial word on the list. Sometimes people use the terms â€Å"half-black† or â€Å"half-white† to describe mixed-race individuals. But some biracial people take issue with this because they believe these terms suggest that their heritage can be literally split down the middle like a pie chart when they view their ancestry as completely fused. So, as always, ask people what they wish to be called or listen to what they call themselves.

Definition and Discussions of Writer-Based Prose

Definition and Discussions of Writer-Based Prose Writer-based prose is a kind of private or personal writing: a text that is composed for oneself. Contrast with reader-based prose. The concept of writer-based prose is part of a controversial social-cognitive theory of writing that was introduced by professor of rhetoric Linda Flower in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basis for Problems in Writing (1979), Flower defined the concept as verbal expression written by a writer to himself and for himself. It is the working of his own verbal thought. In its structure, writer-based prose reflects the associative, narrative path of the writers own confrontation with her subject. See the observations below. Also see: Expressive DiscourseBasic WritingComposition StudiesDiaryJournalTwelve Reasons to Keep a Writers DiaryYour Writing: Private and Public Observations Beginning writers often find it difficult to distinguish between public and private writing, or what Linda Flower calls writer based and reader based prose. That is, writer-based prose is a verbal expression. written by, to, and for the writer, that reflects the associative action of the mind when verbally relating a topic. Such prose is typified by many references to the self, is loaded with code words (those known only to the writer), and is usually in a linear format. Reader-based prose, on the other hand, deliberately attempts to address an audience other than the self. It defines coded terms, refers less to the writer, and is structured around the topic. In its language and structure, reader-based prose reflects the purpose of the writers thought, rather than its process as in writer-based prose.(Virginia Skinner-Linnenberg, Dramatizing Writing: Reincorporating Delivery in the Classroom. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997)Writer-based prose (as it is usually defined) appears in all skilled writers journal entries, in the notes good writers make prior to composing an essay, and in early drafts of writing that in final form will be reader based. Everyone uses the strategies of writer-based prose, says Flower, and good writers go step further to transform the writing these strategies produce.(Cherryl Armstrong, Reader-Based and Writer-Based Perspectives in Composition Instruction. Rhetoric Review, Fall 1986) Knowledge-driven planning . . . accounts for writer-based prose with its narrative or descriptive structure and focus on the writer thinking out loud to herself. For difficult tasks, knowledge-driven planning and a writer-based first draft may be a first step toward a reader-based text revised in the afterlight of a more rhetorical plan.(Linda Flower, The Construction of Negotiated Meaning: A Social Cognitive Theory of Writing. Southern Illinois University Press, 1994)To celebrate writer-based prose is to risk the charge of romanticism: just warbling ones woodnotes wild. But my position also contains the austere classic view that we must nevertheless revise with conscious awareness of audience in order to figure out which pieces of writer-based prose are good as they areand how to discard or revise the rest.To point out that writer-based prose can be better for readers than reader-based prose is to reveal problems in these two terms. Does writer-based mean:That the text doesnt work f or readers because it is too much oriented to the writers point of view?Or that the writer was not thinking about readers as she wrotealthough the text may work for readers?(Peter Elbow, Everyone Can Write: Essays Toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching. Oxford University Press, 2000)

Vaclav Havel and Image of Moral Leadership Essay

Vaclav Havel and Image of Moral Leadership - Essay Example Vaclav Havel an Image of Moral Leadership What one person or culture regards as immoral could be moral in a different setting. The subject of morality has received a lot of attention over a long period of time. Theologians and philosophers alike have been at work explain the determinants of morality in man. Vaclav Havel will be the main focus of this essay as we seek to establish the fundamentals of moral leadership. Description Vaclav Havel, may he rest in peace, was born in 1936 in Prague. He came from a prominent entrepreneurial family who owned an entertainment company and numerous housing complexes. Havel was a celebrated playwright in Czechoslovakia, way before the country became the Czech Republic. He became a prominent writer in the 1960s, with a majority of his works focusing on absurd political regime of the time. His articles focused on the rampant violations of human rights in Czechoslovakia. He openly criticized the authoritarian rule of the time which included such acts as censorship and human rights infringeme nt. In addition to being a playwright, Havel was also a nonconformist to the authoritarian rule, which he explicitly defied. He was a man of great courage amidst all the terror, violence and human rights abuses of the 20th century, in his country and beyond. His involvement in politics came in 1989 after the fall of the communist system, when he became the informal leader of government opposition. Havel’s concern for morality in the way Czechoslovakia was governed ultimately led his election as the president Czechoslovakia in 1990. Following the split of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Havel became the first president-elect of the Czech Republic. By the time Havel left office in 2003, he had made an everlasting mark on true democracy. Throughout his theatre and dissidence life and reign as president, Havel exhibited exemplary moral leadership qualities that earned him international recognition. Analysis Even before joining politics, Havel was a strong adv ocate for fair treatment of the people of Czechoslovakia. During his days as a playwright, he wrote articles and one time wrote a letter addressed to a top government official, to relent on the contravention of human rights. As a dissident he, in collaboration with others such as Jan Patocka founded Charter 77, a human rights movement. Seeing the way the powerful subjugated the ordinary citizens made Havel write one of his greatest works â€Å"the Power of the Powerless†. Here, he was telling the leaders of the time that the people had power to dislodge them from office, without resorting to violence. He claimed that Czechoslovakia had become a country governed by morally bankrupt people out to subjugate the citizens. He urged the citizens to do what is morally right; instead of turning violent against the regime, they should continue with their activities like nothing was wrong. Knowing very well that Czechoslovakians were â€Å"living within a lie†, he did not advise them to use violence against the oppressive regime. Havel saw violence as an unethical resolve that would only rationalize the tyrannical government’s actions. For example, any foreigner in Czechoslovakia was required by law to register with the police on where they were living. The enforcement of this law however, was not easy for the authorities. The law was finally repealed after Czechoslovakians refused to abide by the ridiculous law, and would not register their guests. This was the power of the powerless that Havel

Soccer Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soccer Game - Essay Example The home team started dominating the match, Ronaldo showed glimpses of his ability. The opening goal was scored by Ronaldo, it was a great goal, Osasuna did not come to the Santiago Bernabeu to surrender, it took them only a few minutes to restore parity and it was game-on. Real Madrid did not take the foot off the gas this time as they kept pushing hard for another goal, it came soon after Osasuna pulled one back. This time it was Pepe who scored for Real Madrid. There was a lot of chaos in the box but Pepe’s awareness helped the team and they led 2-1. Real Madrid went 3-1 up before half-time when Higuain scored a fantastic goal, the strike curled away from the keeper and hit the back of the net. The keeper just could not do anything about it. The referee consulted his lines-man in the second-half when Mesut Ozil was brought down in the box in the second-half, it was an easy decision. A penalty was awarded and Ronaldo scored with complete ease from the spot. Madrid led 4-1 an d they were cruising. Ronaldo scored again in the next few minutes, it was his hat-trick and it was a fine hat-trick. Madrid led 5-1 at this point and they completely dominated the game and it was a very well-deserved lead. Karim Benzema came on in the second-half and scored two brilliant goals to give Real Madrid a resounding lead of 7-1, the away team was completely outplayed, they just could not stop the Real Madrid players from running riot. Angel Di Maria who plays as a winger for Real Madrid pulled his hamstring muscle and is surely going to out for several months; this was perhaps the only downside for the home team who won very comfortably to say the least. Ronaldo’s attitude has always been questioned but his fine hat-trick should silence the critics at least for the time being if not for an extended period. The involvement of the referee should also be analyzed; the referee had a great outing. He did not make any unreasonable calls and he consulted his lines-man whe never he was in doubt, a fair bit of communication took place between the referee and his subordinates. The following part of the paper would shed more light upon the very same. Interpersonal Communication The referee had a look at his lines-man who started flagging after Mesut Ozil was brought down in the box, when the lines-man flags, it means a foul has taken place; the referee has the power to overrule the lines-man but on this occasion both were reading from the same page and a penalty was awarded to Real Madrid. On many occasions the fans gets to see the referee overruling the lines-man but there are other occasions when something which the referee fails to spot gets spotted by the mines-men and this is how the game becomes better and more entertaining. Many a time players tuck each other’s jerseys’ and the referee may not see it because he may not be in the right position to see it, this is when the lines-men earn their bread and butter. Communication between th e referees and the lines-men has become so much better these days. The lines-men need not try and catch the attention of the referees, they are well connected on the pitch, they have microphones attached to their ears and every word spoken by the referee can be heard by the lines-men and every word spoken by the lines-men can be heard by the referee. Even the fourth official has the same device attached to his ears and the referee tell the fourth offici

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Essay Example for Free

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Essay Abstract Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems or also called as HCAHPS is a too and gadget for measuring and evaluating the amount of contentment and satisfaction a hospital has given to a patient. The results of these HCAHPS surveys help all hospitals across the country and the world by providing data about the preferences of patients and the quality of healthcare, operations and activities that they prefer. The information taken from these surveys will be made public, thus providing more information to the people and to the hospitals. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems presents a standard level of hospital care and operation to all of the hospitals in our country and around the world.   Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, also known as HCAHPS, is a consistent, reliable and dependable survey device. It also has data collection methodology for use in objectively measuring and evaluating each of the patients perspectives of the hospital care and operation they have experienced. As of today, we know that almost all hospitals gather and collect information and data concerning patient satisfaction and contentment. Nowadays, our country has no nationwide or national standard designed for collecting and gathering this information that will facilitate and pave way for valid comparisons and assessments to be made across all hospitals and healthcare centers in our country or any given region. To be able to make matching and equivalent assessments and comparisons to back up consumer and patient preference and inclination, it is always very much essential to bring in and introduce a new, updated and acceptable standardized measurement approach to these matters. The survey is an intensive compilation of grouped questions that can be and should be integrated with modified and customized hospital items and operations. The integration of this assessment plan will pave way for the creation of a great number and high level information database which will complement and help out all the given data hospitals presently bring together and organize. This is done in order to maintain a high quality internal and in-house customer service and serviceability and quality-related activities and operations. There are three extensive and general goals that have molded and shaped the said survey. First of all, the HCAHPS survey is intended and planned to generate and create comparable data on patients perspectives of care. These perspectives permit objective, meaningful and unbiased comparisons between and among hospitals on any given topic, theme and/or subject matter.         Ã‚  These subject matters, topics and themes as we all know is very significant and important to the patient and consumer. Secondly, public reporting of the survey results is always planned out and agreed upon in order to produce incentives and benefits for hospitals that have been surveyed. One of the public reporting’s objectives is to further improve the quality of care that hospitals and healthcare centers give out to their patients. Thirdly, another objective of the public reporting is for it to serve and to develop public and community accountability and responsibility in health care and hospitals. This is done by overly-increasing the amount of transparency with which the quality and amount of hospital care and operations given to a patient or any person is equated in exchange for the public investment. Having all of these different goals, objectives and results in hand, the survey plan took a lot and will take a lot more of extensive, significant and noteworthy ways, .means and differentiated steps to improve, guarantee and assure the survey’s credibility, reliability, usefulness, practicality and most of all functionality. The main survey device and toll is composed of 27 unique and differentiatied items. There are two items which is aimed to sustain and uphold congressionally-mandated reports and information. There are also 18 substantive items that encompasses critical and vital aspects of the hospital experience are given and laid out for the patient to rate and comment about. Lastly there are four items to skip patients to suitable questions and there are three items to adjust and adapt for the combination of patients across hospitals. The HCAHPS is put under the careful patronage of the Hospital Quality Alliance. This group is a private and public partnership that consists of different major hospital associations. Members of these hospital associations range from private to public companies and people. References Forrester, R. B (1986). People, Healthcare and the Government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Jersey. Aurora Publishing. Enyinna, C. O (1998). Healthcare and the Law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utah. Victory Books Ltd.

Malvolio in Shakespeares Twelfth Night or What You Will :: essays research papers

Malvolio Malvolio is the steward of Olivia’s house and is in control of everything that goes on with the servants. He is always looking to make things perfect, and things that are unorthodox, like Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, have to be rid of. ‘†If you can separate yourself and your misdemeanors, you are welcome to the house. If not, and it would please you to take leave of her, she is very willing to bid you farewell.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Even though Malvolio says that Olivia would want them to leave if they carried on being loud and rude, I think that he is just saying that because he wants them to leave. The first evidence of Malvolio’s adverse behaviour is his first appearance in the play during which he insults the wit of Feste. â€Å"’I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. By doing this he shows himself to be a person who tries to humiliate people whom he believes are lower than him in every way. Malvolio’s weakness is his yearn to be of a higher superiority and his strong belief that he will gain it. Maria uses this weakness to create a plan to make a fool of Malvolio in front of Olivia as well as using it as a way to get their revenge. Maria writes a letter to Malvolio from Olivia. In this letter â€Å"Olivia† is pouring her heart out to Malvolio. ‘†I may command where I adore, but silence, like a Lucrece knife, with bloodless stroke my heart doth gore. M. O. A. I. doth sway my life.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ After Malvolio finally realizes that M. O. A. I. stands for Malvolio, he began to think about his status. He fantasizes about becoming more important than he already is, calling himself ‘Count Malvolio’. The letter then goes on to talk about what Malvolio must do in order to show Olivia that he has read the letter. He is given three commands: one is to wear yellow stockings (this is a colour that Olivia hates), the second is to wear the sto ckings cross gartered (this is a fashion Olivia also hates), lastly he must smile at all times (this last thing is very inappropriate because of Olivia’s brother’s death). I think that this joke was justifiable because of the way Malvolio had treated them. It was just supposed to put him in his place, so that he would stop thinking himself as very important but treating others like animals.

God’s Existence Can Be Proven a Priori Essay

Trying to prove that God exists is a difficult argument and many people have tried many different ways. The Ontological argument is one argument; at the centre of the argument is the concept of existence. The Ontological argument has been argued from a group of philosophers for the existence of God. â€Å"Ontological† means talking about being and so that being is the existence of God. The ontological argument differs from other arguments in favour of God because of the fact that it is an a priori deductive argument. There are two main arguments for the ontological argument which seeks to prove the existence of God a priori. The first argument is from Anselm; he was the Archbishop of Canterbury and therefore started his argument from a theistic point of view. Anselm believed that no belief in God was absurd and he used a reducio ad absurdum argument, which tries to show that God not existing could not be believed because in not believing you are adopting a nonsensical argument. His starting point was his definition of God, ‘God is the thought than which nothing greater can be conceived’. Firstly Anselm attacks the idea that there is no God, even the thought that there is no God requires the concept of God. The greatest possible being has to exist in reality as well as in the mind to be the greatest possible being therefore we can conceive of the greatest possible being because it also has to exist in reality. A criticism that was raised about the greatest possible being is that we as humans all have different ideas of what it could be but Anselm responded by saying that when we reach the idea of such a high level being such as God then the idea of what it is becomes very similar. Therefore God exists according to Anselm. Also God is considered to be a necessary being, which will always exist, does not rely on other beings and cannot not exist, therefore God must exist if he is to be called a necessary being. The second philosopher to argue the existence of God using the ontological argument was Rene Descartes; he set out his argument firstly by defining God as ‘a supremely perfect being’. From this he tried to prove the existence of God, because God is defined as a supremely perfect being he possess all perfections. According to Descartes the perfect state includes existence as well as the classical attributes of God, he believed that existence was perfection in itself and therefore God must exist. Therefore this is why we as humans cannot have a necessary existence because we do not have complete perfection. Descartes used mathematics and an example of a mountain with a valley to explain that God must exist, the mountain being separate from the valley and according to him it is the same with God, you cannot separate existence from God. This argument however cannot apply to objects affected by space and time, contingent things and can only apply to necessary beings which are perfect. He continues by saying that only God can have absolute perfection and there can only be one absolute. Descartes goes on to point out that Mackie or Russell are trying to establish necessary existence of contingent objects such as unicorns but necessary existence only applies to absolutely perfect beings. A criticism of the argument was put forward by Thomas Aquinas, who had already questioned the important aspect of the ontological argument, the idea that we cannot assign existence a priori to our definition of the idea of a perfect being. Aquinas claimed Anselm was guilty of making a ‘transitional error’, moving from his definition of God to the claim that he exists. Anselm also made the assumption that his definition was shared by all believers of God. The meaning of the term God means he exists in peoples understanding but not in reality. According to Aquinas the existence of God must be shown a posteriori which is what he tried to attempt to show in his cosmological argument. Also David Hume disagrees with the ontological argument. Hume was an empiricist so disapproves the use of a priori to prove existence and believes it should only be used for a definition. A description of a thing can contain every detail possible but we have to go beyond a description to be able to determine its existence, just because we can describe it does not mean it therefore pops into existence. He believed the only way in which you could prove something a priori was if the opposite implies a contradiction, such as x=not x. Therefore if it implies a contraction then it is inconceivable and then everything can be conceived not to exist. Therefore Hume’s believed that nothing can be proven to exist a priori, including God. He came to the conclusion that existence could only ever be contingent. Kant also disagrees with Descartes ontological argument. He used the example of a triangle, if you have a triangle it must have three angles but if you do not have a triangle it will not have three angles. It all depends on whether you agree there is a God or not, if there is a God then his existence is necessary but we do not have to accept the idea there is a God. Descartes according to Kant just gives God existence, however existence isn’t a property. God could have all the classic attributes but still he might not exist. For example a chair, it has many properties which are established a posteriori but whether it exists or not have to be discovered a priori. Using Descartes idea but changing it slightly, â€Å"existence is not predicate†. By adding reality to something does not mean it makes it better, Kant’s example, â€Å"a hundred real thalers does not contain the least coin more than a hundred possible thalers†. We must establish whether something exists or not before we can describe it, not the other way around and therefore if there is a perfect being then he must exist. Kant distinguishes between a priori and a posteriori, a priori are necessary, they have to be so whereas a posteriori can be challenged, such as how many people you think you saw. If something exists and the existence of that tells us about its property then by saying it does not exist you deny it of that property and almost say that it lacks it, however how can you say that something that does not exist lack something? This is a strong argument against the ontological argument which cannot be explained easily. A criticism of Anselm’s ontological argument directly was from Gaunilo, he had the same idea as Kant, that something cannot be defined into existence. Just because we define what we believe God to be does not mean that he actually exists. In Gaunilo’s book ‘On behalf of the Fool’, he describes the Lost Island as the greatest possible island and that no greater island can be conceived. It is logical to say that it is greater to exist in reality than as just an idea. If this island therefore did not exist there could be a even greater island which did exist and so therefore the Lost Island must exist somewhere. The perfect island exists but it may not be what you think of as the perfect island because by imaging it does not mean it exists. Therefore Anselm saying that God the perfect being had to exist cannot work. However, there is a problem with Gaunilo’s criticism, Anselm said he was not arguing about contingent things such as the island which have no intrinsic maximum, he was arguing for the ‘greatest thing that can be conceived’ which has a intrinsic maximum and so can be perfect. Therefore the ontological argument can be used to talk about such things as God which is necessary but cannot be used when talking about contingent things such as an island. The island is limited whereas the notion of God is not. To conclude, to prove the existence of God a priori we need to have knowledge of what God is, before sense experience can be gathered. This is where the ontological argument falls down. How can we understand a being when we cannot see, hear or touch them first if we want to prove the existence using a priori. A priori uses facts which are either true or false to determine things but without ever experiencing God ourselves through a posteriori first we have no facts in which to use a priori. The only way in which we can argue that God exists is if we treat him as if he were an object. God existence is reality in the believer’s world but for someone who is atheistic then he does not. I agree with Norman Malcolm who argued that necessary existence cannot be affected by anything external to itself. It cannot be created or destroyed, therefore God either exists or his existence is impossible. Therefore I believe that he cannot exist because something would have had to bring him into existence at the beginning which therefore means he cannot be a necessary being because he would have always had to exist but there must have been a point when he didn’t. Also if he is a necessary being with all the classical attributes why is the evil and suffering and if he was omnipotent then why does he want to hide himself from us? If he has power in which to be able to show himself then why has he not and then we would be able to prove his existence using a posteriori instead of a priori.

Four P’s in Foreign Policy Essay

By analyzing the war on Iraq using the 4 P’s framework given by Bruce W. Jentleson in his Book American Foreign Policy, it seems that the US national interest goal cannot be simultaneously satisfied in most of the cases. Iraq became a US threat in 1990 when former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, led the invasion of Kuwait. US, supported by the United Nations and many other countries, went to war for the first time against Iraq. The US troops expelled the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait and reestablished order in that country. This did not mean that the threat was over; Saddam Hussein became an â€Å"enemy† of the United States. After the terrorist attacks in the United States, President George Bush started a war on terror, a war which main purpose is to finish any kind of threats all over the world. According to President Bush, Saddam Hussein with his anti-American sentiment and the â€Å"possession† of biological and chemical weapons was one of these threats. The proposal of a new war against Iraq came from George Bush. This war was supposed to be based on the core goals of American Foreign Policy (The 4 P’s). Power: Iraq was considered as one of the biggest enemies of the United States, more than the country itself; the enemy was its leader, Saddam Hussein. An active threat could not only harm US allies in the Middle East but also other countries in the world, even America. The risk was too big and some actions should be taken. America should protect itself and its interests. Peace: Iraq could also deter world peace as it did before. Saddam Hussein’s greed and power could result in another invasion to a Middle Eastern country. The United States had also a big responsibility in this aspect, as one of the most powerful countries in the world, it was necessary an US intervention in order to preserve the world’s peace. Even though the United States was breaking the peace by going to war against Iraq, this war was necessary to avoid a bigger disaster. Prosperity: The economic national interest was also involved in this war. Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world, but also Iraq’s  neighbors, like Kuwait, are important oil providers to the US. Since the safety of these countries was in danger America should protect them, and at the same time protect its own economical interests. Principles: Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator who committed mass murder against his own people. There were no civil rights in Iraq, repression and tortures were common denominators in the country. George Bush also wanted to bring freedom to the Iraqi people and all the rights that were taken from them. After the war was over some of these goals were not achieved, totally. The main reason to start this war was Saddam Hussein’s possession of biological chemical weapons. These weapons or any proof that they existed have not yet been found. Peace was also broken, and even months after the war is over and Saddam Hussein has been captured, there still is not peace in Iraq. Many innocent people died during this war, and today people are still dying as a consequence of that war. The United States violated several provisions established by the United Nations. The US was supported by some countries but it was not the same number of supporters as in the first war against Iraq. The UN and countries like France did not give all their support to this war. On the other hand, prosperity and principles goals were achieved or are on the road to be achieved. The US provides more security to many oil producers in the Middle East and it will also gain a new provider, Iraq (This is the reason which I believe the war started). Also democracy is on its way to be established in Iraq; people are recovering many of their rights and freedom. As Jentleson explained in his book sometimes some goals have to be sacrificed in order to achieved the others.

Hottest Product and Services Essay Example

Hottest Product and Services Essay Example Hottest Product and Services Essay Hottest Product and Services Essay Hottest Fashion Whats hot now? One of the most popular current trends is the American Swag this fashion may consist of pastel colors, floral, prints, collars and much more. Also duffer clothing is very popular within the UK at the moment it has taken the UK by storm. Duffer clothing is stylish and comfortable and is a must-have piece of clothing in your wardrobe this year. Hottest Upcoming Angel, often mistaken for a rapper because of his street-like image is what Hot lately. Angels unique talent distinguishes him from other male singers, he brings his Tyler to any genre of music he sings, and some of his hottest consists of Angel Ft Sneak-Ride Out, Angel-wonderful, and many more. Angel has made many well- known artists such as, Wretch 32, Sneak, Chipmunk, etc. One of Angels newest tracks out is to his cover of Cheryl Cole Call My Name. Hes reached over 1,670,000 views and is slowly making his way to the top. Hottest Video Lamebrain Express Yourself He definitely expressed himself for sure in this video! This video has over 3,100,000 views; its colorful, positive, uplifting and inspiring. He stands out from other UK artist and shows his creativity through his music and videos. His video doesnt follow any of the traditional characteristics of a usual I-J artist; it is creative, old school and retro. The actual song express yourself has been remixed by various artist, Lamebrain versions is the hottest so far and has the most originality. His name is Timothy McKenzie but is better known by his stage name Labyrinth, born in 1989, he has achieved two top 10 singles in the UK and has been signed to Simon Swells record label. Many record labels wanted McKenzie as a producer but Jewell signed him as a solo act. McKenzie started his big time career by producing for Master Shorter in his debut album A. D. H. D. , also producing and featuring on Tine Temperas first single Pass Out, which entered the I-J singles charts at number 1 . Lamebrain is an artist you need to know about! Hottest Mixture The hottest mixture out now is Roll Deep No Comment Star by the British group Roll Deep. Roll Deep have managed to produce a perfect mixture. Its a return to good glorious grime music and a reminder of why Roll Deep is so important. Its successful mixture this magnificent, their upcoming album can only be automatically amazing. , No comment star is a testament to Roll Deep, who have now been in the music game for ten years. Unsurprisingly, theyve changed since the beginning, and whilst the sounds and lyrics may not be as edgy, and their clothes may be a bit nicer the fact remains that this is still grime. All in all No Comment Star is a really positive release, to Just for Roll Deep, but also for grime, as it brings the up-tempo hype flavor that have been associated with the genre from the start. Hottest group After they won the Cofactor life has gone so uphill for this group Little Mix , they have made so many new songs and have received over 4,100,000 views. Dreams have really come true for these four girls, they have the latest fashion trends and are making hit after hit. These girls could truly be the next Spice Girls with their flavor and image and really showing that the I-J. Little Mix are the first girl band to win X Factor, also they was formed on x factor and originally auditioned as solo artist ! The band members include Jess Nelson, 20, Peppier Edwards, 18, Leigh-Anne Opinion, 18 and Jade Authorial, 18. Jess, has been in the center of a cyber-bullying ordeal since being on the show. People had been discussing her weight over Twitter. However, the X Factor star has bounced back and is showing the bullies shes proud of who she is! Little Mix is going to go far , watch out for them.

Example Chi-Square Test for a Multinomial Experiment

Example Chi-Square Test for a Multinomial Experiment One use of a chi-square distribution is with hypothesis tests for multinomial experiments. To see how this hypothesis test works, we will investigate the following two examples.   Both examples work through the same set of steps: Form the null and alternative hypothesesCalculate the test statisticFind the critical valueMake a decision on whether to reject or fail to reject our null hypothesis.   Example 1: A Fair Coin For our first example, we want to look at a coin.   A fair coin has an equal probability of 1/2 of coming up heads or tails. We toss a coin 1000 times and record the results of a total of 580 heads and 420 tails. We want to test the hypothesis at a 95% level of confidence that the coin we flipped is fair. More formally, the null hypothesis H0 is that the coin is fair. Since we are comparing observed frequencies of results from a coin toss to the expected frequencies from an idealized fair coin, a chi-square test should be used. Compute the Chi-Square Statistic We begin by computing the chi-square statistic for this scenario. There are two events, heads and tails. Heads has an observed frequency of f1 580 with expected frequency of e1 50% x 1000 500. Tails have an observed frequency of f2 420 with an expected frequency of e1 500. We now use the formula for the chi-square statistic and see that χ2 (f1 - e1 )2/e1 (f2 - e2 )2/e2 802/500 (-80)2/500 25.6. Find the Critical Value Next, we need to find the critical value for the proper chi-square distribution. Since there are two outcomes for the coin there are two categories to consider. The number of degrees of freedom is one less than the number of categories: 2 - 1 1. We use the chi-square distribution for this number of degrees of freedom and see that χ20.953.841. Reject or Fail to Reject? Finally, we compare the calculated chi-square statistic with the critical value from the table. Since 25.6 3.841, we reject the null hypothesis that this is a fair coin. Example 2: A Fair Die A fair die has an equal probability of 1/6 of rolling a one, two, three, four, five or six. We roll a die 600 times and note that we roll a one 106 times, a two 90 times, a three 98 times, a four 102 times, a five 100 times and a six 104 times. We want to test the hypothesis at a 95% level of confidence that we have a fair die. Compute the Chi-Square Statistic There are six events, each with expected frequency of 1/6 x 600 100. The observed frequencies are f1 106, f2 90, f3 98, f4 102, f5 100, f6 104, We now use the formula for the chi-square statistic and see that χ2 (f1 - e1 )2/e1 (f2 - e2 )2/e2 (f3 - e3 )2/e3(f4 - e4 )2/e4(f5 - e5 )2/e5(f6 - e6 )2/e6 1.6. Find the Critical Value Next, we need to find the critical value for the proper chi-square distribution. Since there are six categories of outcomes for the die, the number of degrees of freedom is one less than this: 6 - 1 5. We use the chi-square distribution for five degrees of freedom and see that χ20.9511.071. Reject or Fail to Reject? Finally, we compare the calculated chi-square statistic with the critical value from the table. Since the calculated chi-square statistic is 1.6 is less than our critical value of 11.071, we fail to reject the null hypothesis.

International business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International business environment - Essay Example The paper describes the process of globalization that results in mutual satisfaction of international economic relations as man-made and natural barriers fall. The process itself may have positive as well as negative effects on country's economy. The process grew strength in the early 19990s. Globalization offer opportunities that entail effective resource allocation and so higher per capita incomes. Faster integration to the system can be promoted by new methods and ways of production driven by change in technology. Globalization has made it easier to divide production into several sub-processes, so labor-intensive sections of the production process could be gotten from abroad. This atomization made international trade in intermediate goods a growing substantial feature of international trade. The rapid change in international demand and supply conditions has besides bringing economies together, made relations more composite. Another issue that has made international trade complex i s the weight of the upcoming markets in the world economy has become substantially more prominent. Although globalization entails various dimensions, it usually refers to economic ties and processes. Economic globalization pertains the expansion of production, consumption, trade, savings, and investment made to markets beyond regional and national ones. For countries that are developing, the risk of growing inequality linked with active participation in the global economy attributed to institutional weaknesses relating to being poor. (Prasad 2003, p.4). This paper tries to bring out a fair view of globalization; pointing out the benefits and risks that globalization has for countries that are developing. The paper looks at the evidence and controversies that can be used against and in favor of globalization and also the policy options and prospects. It also tries to assist Palomia by looking at its economy and reporting the risks and benefits of globalization. Gains from globalizati on Benefits from Globalization can lead to advances, in efficiency and gains, in economic wellbeing. Trade improves division of labor as countries that specialize in a given field gains comparative advantage over the rest. This is a very vital part of economic empowerment as a country like Palomia may have the advantage on something over the others. Deeper relationships and penetration of international markets will enable and encourage and motivate consumers and producers to reap the benefits of economies of scale. The competitive international market will also reduce profits of monopolies. This incentivizes businesses to seek innovations that are cost efficient and advances what they sell. Gains in efficiency also should bring advancement in economic growth and so resulting in higher per capita incomes. This could be good prospects for developing nations as it is able to make more money to stir more growth. Globalization also has assisted many poor countries in the world achieve hi gher growth rates and minimize the number of citizens living in absolute poverty. For consumers, globalization or international trade expands the range of good services available. The rate at which goods and services get innovated is also encouraging making the trade dynamic. The participation of countries that are still developing in the process of globalization can allow them better apply their comparative advantages. This making them bring in advanced technologies, management experience and foreign capital. It is also prosperous for eliminating monopolistic characteristics and toughening market competition (Bigman 2002, p.10). Risks involved in globalization While providing more growth opportunities for countries that are still growing, the globalization process also poses enormous risks. To begin with, economic globalization has indeed expanded instead of reducing the