Philosophy Of Language Essays - Formal Sciences, Philosophical Logic

Philosophy Of Language Throughout its history mankind has wondered about his place in the universe. In fact, second only to the existence of God, this subject is the most frequent topic of philosophical analysis. However, these two questions are very similar, to the point that in some philosophical analyses the questions are synonymous. In these particular philosophies, God takes the form of the universe itself or, more accurately, the structure and function of the universe. In any case, rather than conjecturing that God is some omnipotent being, supporters of this philosophy expound upon another attribute habitually associated with the Man Upstairs: His omniscience. That particular word, omniscience, is broken down to semantic components and taken literally: science is the pursuit of knowledge, and God is the possession of all knowledge. This interpretation seems very rigorous but has some unfortunate side effects, one of them being that any pursuit of knowledge is in fact a pursuit to become as God or be a god (lower case "g"). To avoid this drawback, philosophers frequently say that God is more accurately described as the knowledge itself, rather than the custody of it. According to this model, knowledge is the language of the nature, the"pure language" that defines the structure and function of the universe. There are many benefits to this approach. Most superficially, classifying the structure and function of the universe as a language allows us to apply lingual analysis to the philosophy of God. The benefits, however, go beyond the superficial. This subtle modification makes the pursuit of knowledge a function of its usage rather than its pos-session, implying that one who has knowledge sees the universe in its naked truth. Knowledge becomes a form of enlightenment, and the search for it becomes more admirable than narcissistic. Another fortunate by-product of this interpretation is its universal applicability: all forms of knowledge short of totality are on the way to becoming spiritually fit. This model of the spiritual universe is in frequent use today because it not only gives legitimacy to science, but it exalts it to the most high. The pedantic becomes the cream of the societal crop and scientists become holy men. It's completely consistent with the belief that mans ability to attain knowledge promotes him over every other species on Earth, and it sanctions the stratification of a society based on scholarship, a mold that has been in use for some time. Now that we've defined the structure and function of the universe as knowledge, we must now further analyze our definition by analyzing knowledge itself. If the society is stratified by knowledge, there must be some competent way of measuring the quantity of knowledge an individual possesses, which means one must have a very articulate and rigorous notion of knowledge. At first glance, one would think that knowledge was simply the understanding of the universe through the possession of facts about it. This understanding creates problems, however, because it now becomes necessary to stratify knowledge, to say that this bit of information is inherently "better" than that one. This question was first answered using utility as a metric, but it became obsolete because utility is too relative. A new, more practical answer was eventually found: rather than measuring knowledge, we should measure intellect, the ability to attain knowledge. Even though this has the same problem of stratification, it's overlooked because philosophers believe that they know the best way to pursue knowledge. To them, the language of complete understanding is logical inference. If one can state a set of facts in the simplistic linear progression of statements using logical connectors, the information is in its most readily understandable form. The philosophers used this convention to rigorize mathe-matics, the rigorization process became associated with it, and logic suddenly became mathematical logic. The name stuck, as people refer to the process by that name to this day. The previous analytic development is the essence of the modern understanding of the natural universe. It starts from the fundamental belief in a deity and transforms it into this mathematical logic, a system of communication that according to our summation minimizes the number of justifiable interpretations, therefore standardizing the universe. There are some limitations to this approach, however. The rationale is, by its very nature, a logical development: it constructs a functional model of the pure language that is con-sistent (i.e., free of contradiction). Therefore, the pure language inherits any limitations of logic by definition?in other words, it assumes that the pure language is (a subset of) logic. Secondly, even though it's very rigorous in its approach, it

Juvenile Death penalty essays

Juvenile Death penalty essays Are Juveniles too young and underdeveloped physically and mentally to be sentenced to death for the murders they commit? Or do they really know what the thoughts are going through their head and the consequences for the actions they take regarding the thoughts they are thinking? Could it be the genes they were born with made them commit the crimes, or it was that they grew up in poverty and had no other choice but to become criminals? With all these reasons and excuses should they still be sentenced to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors under the age of 18, and in some states 21 years of age? Thirty-nine out of the fifty states in America authorize the death penalty, out of those thirty-eight only twenty-three allow offenders who commit murder under the age of eighteen be sentenced to the death penalty. The minimum age for the death penalty varies from state to state. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia all have a minimum age of sixteen to be sentenced to death. The states with the minimum age of seventeen are Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas. In Connecticut, New York and North Carolina all offenders sixteen years of age and older are tried as adults. All suspects seventeen years of age and above are tried as adults in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. (DPIC) The first known execution of a juvenile was Thomas Graunger, from Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts back in 1642. A total of 365 people have been executed for juvenile crimes since 1642, 20,000 Americans have been executed since 1608. Only twenty-two of those executions have been made after the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. In the 1990s the annual rate went to a consistent 2-3 percent of all sentences, despite the dramatic in...

Poetry analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Poetry analysis - Essay Example The use of repetition of words all through the poem such as "civil", bring in alliteration to the following or next. Shakespeare chooses to use the repetition of a certain sound in the subsequent line, generating alliteration. Alliteration in the line 5 is not just the repetition of the letter f sound but of bold words. A line filled with harsh sounding fs as well as words of rivalry are pushed up alongside line 6 and appear to be more unhappy than harsh which inform the audience of the expected death of the lovers that were at first believed to be enemy. Lastly, enjambment in the poem embraces the character of the play being clash and the violence paralleling with love as well as predictable disaster. Form as well as content is important aspects in any text as the combination of all inevitably produce the last meaning of the content. Meaning cannot be consequential if there is no substance in which to support a story on and a sequence of literary method for instance those present in the poem of Romeo and Juliet, place a prominence on this content for it to convey the basic idea that Shakespeare is giving out to the

Religion and Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and Ecology - Essay Example Finally, I will explore human nature and destiny as part of the natural world and how our actions and religions are important in development. Religion has almost certainly shaped our understanding of and our conduct towards nature and vice versa. For example, Judaism (one of the oldest religions), nature is presented as being something that â€Å"God created†1. Another ancient religion, Hinduism, has special Gods dedicated towards the worship of nature2, which suggest that nature is needing explain by the use of Gods and spirituality. Many of the tribal religions are based around nature-worship and a special symbiosis with environment3. Most religions state that there is a special relationship between man, nature and a spiritual being and that nature is something that need taking care of by man. This much is true. However, looking at state of world and impending environmental crisis, it not clear whether this encouragement to bond with nature by religion has had enough of an effect. Many people also feel that religion encourages people to think that they are better than other species or that humans are not part of the natural world. In Judaism, God has created man in his image4 suggesting that God has created a special place in the world for man. Man is more like God than the other creatures. However, in religious environmentalism we see that newer spiritual and religious movements are encouraging human race to see themselves as part of the environment and to take care of it like they would care for their own home5. Interestingly, the nature is a finite resource and seeing humans as part of that resource could help to encourage us to see ourselves within nature and to help us maintain it like religions so often encourage. Religions also help ask and answer the question â€Å"what is the place of humans in the non-human natural world?† There are two clear schools of thought. One, common in the

BIM (BUILDING Information Modeling ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BIM (BUILDING Information Modeling ) - Essay Example The two kinds of BIM software are authoring software and coordination software (Solibri, n.p). BIM process involves building design that require collaboration through computer models and not disjoints drawing sets. Through the use of BIM, digital representations of buildings are made available and used for decision making, first class production of construction documents, building planning, and predictions of performance and cost estimates (Solibri, n.p). BIM is employed in modeling and not drawing (Solibri, n.p). Modeling permits the designers to see the building and its parts from numerous angles. In addition, clash detection in the design phase allows designers to identify faults and correct them prior to commencement the building (McNell, 9). Early errors detection implies that costs involved in on-site correction are eliminated. Coordination is emphasized and facilitated by BIM through the use of a data repository where team members easily access information to confirm questiona ble aspects like building elements’ compatibility with the rest of the building. Through BIM cloud, BIM models by different team members can easily be viewed and edited and the consequences of each action made accessible to all model users (McNell 9). BIM is used to provide precise inclusion and modeling of prices and upgrading of bids and project pricing accuracy. Through the visualization designs, clients can verify design intention and sharedknowledge through virtual design and construction then strengthens client’s satisfaction. 2.0. BIM management Although BIM reinforces construction team members’ collaboration through the use of a shared information database to create a virtual model, there is heated debate over the management of BIM (AUGI, n.p). The ownership of BIM is left to DDC or the department of Design and construction. The model ownership is extended to include all inventions, designs, ideas, and methods contained inside the model. DDC reveals that peripheral users like contractors and consultants are only granted short lived use of BIM which terminates with the completion of the project and all copies of BIM copies have to be returned to DDC (AUGI, n.p). Basically, the project models contained in BIM from pre-conception to completion belong to DDC while project team owns just the idea. BIM teams include architects, designers, engineers and contractors and owners. The owner submits his or her request for service to the architect (AUGI, n.p). The architect then validates the request before designing the building. The architect provides the engineer with the building model and the engineer then uses computer aided design 3D visualization and modeling through Revit and creates 3D design or imports ordinary 2D drawings that have 3D information to establish perfect renderings from 3D (McNell, 15). Using BIM, designers investigate substitute notions; carry out value engineering and come up with finest designs. The contractors then revise the documented construction before commencement of physical construction. From the model, project owners are then involved in project aspects since they gain immediate and vast information which is formatted to satisfy their needs. 3.0. BIM practice BIM process involves four main stages which are design, build, operation and maintenance. The BIM model life cycle begins with the request from the owners. At first, the owners do not have sufficient information on what the final product will have (Eastman, Teicholz, Sacks and Liston,

Disorders of the Respiratory and Circulatory System

Disorders of the Respiratory and Circulatory System Neusha Bakhtiari Aghmasjed Asthma Asthma is an allergic response which affects the bronchial tubes and can result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. It leads to the inflammation of airways, causing them to tighten, resulting in difficulty of breathing. Asthma is not classified as an infectious disease and it is rather an allergic condition which cause is not fully understood. It is usually triggered when the person with asthma comes in contact with: House dust mitten, animal fur, some medicines (Nsaids), pollen, tobacco smoke, exercise, stress, cold air, chest infections. When the immune system receives an inflammatory response, white blood cells release histamine and this result in the contraction of smooth circular muscle of bronchioles as well as restriction of airways. (Bronchoconstriction). More mucus is then secreted by the epithelial cells and as the result the airways are blocked even more. This condition reduces the rate of ventilation through tightened bronchioles therefore less gas exchange will take place in the alveoli and cellular respiration in the body. This condition causes breathing difficulty, coughing and wheezing as the lungs want to get rid of the built up mucus in them. There is no cure for asthma. However, there are different ways to control the condition. These methods are applied in two ways. One is to Treat/Relieve symptoms and the other is to prevent any future symptoms/attacks. The procedure includes a combination of medicines, lifestyle advice and understanding the asthma triggers. The Asthma medicines are normally given by inhaler which supplies the drug directly to airways through mouth. It is effective as it delivers the drug directly to the lungs. There are number of conditions which increase the risk of developing Asthma such as: If your parents have asthma If you are overweight If you have certain allergic conditions If you smoke or exposed to second hand smoke If you are exposed to any type of pollution or chemicals used in the industry. There are 5.4 million people in UK receiving treatment for asthma which means that 1 in 12 adults or 1 in 11 children are currently receiving treatment for their condition. In adults, asthma is more common in women than men. Assessment Criteria 1.4 Discuss disorders of the respiratory system Pulmonary Tuberculosis Pulmonary Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial infection that can spread in areas where large amount of blood and oxygen exist such as the lungs as well as other organs in the body. This disease is caused by a type of bacterium named Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It spreads when a person who has active TB in their lungs breaths out the germs when sneezing, laughing, coughing, singing or talking and then the other person breathe in the germs. The common symptoms of Active TB in the lungs are Cough which contains bloody mucus for two weeks or more, weakness and tiredness, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite, difficulty when breathing and chest pain or fever. TB disease can affect many organs in our body such as kidneys, bones and brain but it usually affects human lungs. There are two main stages in the process of this infectious disease. In the first stage which commonly lasts for the duration of several months, the bacteria cells attack the epithelial cells of the alveoli and bronchioles. Then they start to multiply in fibrous capsule which spreads around that area. Here the human immune system becomes stimulated and starts to resist the disease. Before this invasion is over, a few bacteria might escape into the bloodstream and develop in other body organs. If the body’s immune system is successful, this disease never develops and is known as TB infection. However, if it remains untreated it develops into the second stage where it becomes an active disease. In the second stage of this disease the germs start to multiply and destroy the epithelial cells of the lungs. In some cases, although it seems that the disease has been cured, but after a while it comes back and becomes active. This occurs mostly when the immune system of the body becomes weak. The second stage of this disease is presented through the consumption of the tissue of lungs which leads to the destruction of the alveoli. Here the person starts to manifest the symptoms such as continues cough. The risk factors that increase the possibility of a person getting infected by this disease are named below: Being in contact with/ living with an infected person. Living or working is crowded places where there is a possibility of coming in contact with people with untreated active TB. These places can be prisons, nursing homes or homeless shelters. Having a poor diet which affects the immune system of the human body. Pasteurisation of milk and cultivation of animals as this used to be a common cause of transmission of TB by Cows. Assessment Criteria 2.3 Discuss disorders of the circulatory system Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) The human heart is designed to pump the blood around the body through causing pressure. However, if the blood is pumped around the body with an increased amount of pressure than normal, the arteries and the heart itself can be seriously damaged or even it can lead to heart failure if they both stop because of the strain. High blood pressure can cause microscopic tears in the walls of the arteries which turn into scar tissue. The damaged artery can trap more plaque as the scar tissues formed in it accommodates plaques (Fat, cholesterol, etc). This causes the arteries to become narrower and as a result conditions such as Coronary Artery Disease appear. Two main conditions control the blood pressure: One is the amount of force generated when the heart pumps the blood around the body and the other is how relax or narrow the arteries are: HBP can damage the arteries: Our arteries in their healthy state are flexible strong and elastic. Its smooth internal lining is where the blood can flow freely and provide different nutrient and Oxygen gas to our tissues and organs. High blood pressure damages these cells. In the case of arteriosclerosis which causes damage to the artery by blocking it, organs such as kidneys, brain, arm and legs can be affected. These damages can lead to stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. In some cases the continues pressure of blood in already weakened artery can lead to enlargement of its walls and formation of aneurysm which can bring about life threatening complications such as internal bleeding. This complication usually takes place in our aorta. Can damage the heart: It can lead to diseases such as coronary artery disease. This happens when arteries are narrowed by coronary artery disease and do not let the blood to move freely through our arteries. It can cause chest pain, heart attack or irregular heartbeat if the blood doesn’t flow freely to the heart. It can also lead to enlarged left heart as high blood pressure leads the heart to pump blood with excess pressure around the body and causes the left ventricle to thicken. Can damage the brain: The brain has to receive blood which contains nourishing substances in order to be able to carry out its function. However, in some cases if the blood clotting takes place as the result of high blood pressure it can cause Transient ischemic attack (TIA), Stoke or Dementia. Symptoms related to HBP are headache, sleepiness or confusion. The risk factors of hypertension: Family history, obesity, smoking, type 1 2 diabetes, kidney disease, alcohol abuse, having high amount of salt in the diet, lack of physical activities (exercise) and medicines such as steroids About 10 million in the UK are diagnosed with hypertension. This means that one out of five has high blood pressure. Assessment Criteria 2.3 Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is the built up of plaques which is made up of fatty deposit around the wall of the arteries. After a while these fatty deposits of cholesterol and smooth muscle cells form Atheroma which causes the arteries to lose their elasticity as well as becoming narrow. This reduces the amount of blood flow through the arteries and blood vessels hence reducing the oxygen supply. It can take a long time until atherosclerosis is hardened and narrowed. However, when the arteries are considerably damaged, different conditions may occur such as: Thrombus: The arteries can be blocked if blood clots on the plaque made of cholesterol around its walls and as the result the blood flow will be restrained and the tissues will not receive the required nutrient. The atheroma on the walls of the arteries is covered by protective cells from the blood which flows in the artery. If this protective cell barrier is broken down, the blood will be exposed to high concentration of cholesterol on the wall of the artery and this generates the blood clotting system. This process can lead to the blockage of the artery and prevention of blood flow to the organ it supports therefore, depending on the organ; it can cause stroke, heart attack and angina. Heart failure: When the artery is narrowed, it causes damage to the muscle of the heart. High blood pressure and renal failure when the arteries which exist in the kidney are affected. Many people are affected by atherosclerosis. It is possible that it starts from the age of 20. The reason behind its occurrence is still unknown but the reasons given below can be considered as risk factors: Family history of atherosclerosis Having high amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood or low amount of HDL in the blood. High blood pressure The rate increases if the person smokes. Diabetes: In people with type 1 diabetes atherosclerosis can take many years to appear but in people with type 2 diabetes it can appear within a few years. Kidney failure Excess weight A diet with high amount of fat in it Race: People from south Asia are more likely to develop Atherosclerosis. According to the British Heart Foundation, at least 2.6 million people in the UK suffer from Atherosclerosis. Bibliography Dr. Patrick Davey, Dr Sabine Gill, Dr Carl J Brandt and Dr Steen Dalby Kristensen . (2012).Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis – hardening of the arteries).Available: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/atherosclerosis.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Dr. Patrick Davey, Dr Sabine Gill, Dr Carl J Brandt and Dr Steen Dalby Kristensen . (2011).High blood pressure (hypertension).Available: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/hypertension.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Elea Carey . (2012).Pulmonary Tuberculosis.Available: http://www.healthline.com/health/pulmonary-tuberculosis?toptoctest=expand. Last accessed December 2013. Jatin M. Vyas. (2012).Pulmonary tuberculosis.Available: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000077.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Kim Ann Zimmermann. (2012).Circulatory System: Facts, Function Diseases.Available: http://www.livescience.com/22486-circulatory-system.html. Last accessed December 2013. Mayo Clinic staff. (2011).High blood pressure dangers: Hypertensions effects on your body.Available: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00062. Last accessed December 2013. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012).Asthma risk factors.Available: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/basics/risk-factors/CON-20026992. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2008).Tuberculosis (TB).Available: http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/tuberculosis.html. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2013).TB.Available: http://www.healthunit.org/infectious/tb/tb_spread.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2011).Tuberculosis (TB) What Increases Your Risk.Available: http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/tuberculosis-tb-what-increases-your-risk. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).Asthma Causes.Available: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/asthma/Pages/causes.aspx. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).Asthma.Available: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).How we’re fighting heart disease.Available: https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-online/december-january-2011-12/research/atherosclerosis.aspx. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).Heart and Artery Damage and High Blood Pressure .Available: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/WhyBloodPressureMatters/Heart-and-Artery-Damage-and-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301823_Article.jsp#. Last accessed December 2013.

The Fate of a Hero in Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

The Fate of a Hero â€Å"For a brief while your strength is in bloom/ but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow/ illness or the sword to lay you low†¦ and death will arrive, dear warrior, to sweep you away†(1761-8). Hrothgar bestows his wisdom onto Beowulf after Beowulf has defeated Grendel and his mother. Hrothgar reminds him not to let pride overcome him for everything is eventually defeated due to the power of fate. This exemplifies a theme woven throughout the story of Beowulf. Beowulf is presented as a valiant hero, slaying beasts with his mighty strength and demonstrating the importance of the balance between wisdom and strength, but as the story unfolds Beowulf slowly loses his vitality until eventually he is defeated. This shows the power of fate has on everyone; no exceptions. This paper will demonstrate the heroic qualities of Beowulf and show his gradual decline through the approaches and outcomes of his three battles with the monsters. In the beginning of the story, Beowulf’s journey brings him to the land of the Danes where he is first intruded upon by a coast guard. Immediately upon seeing Beowulf the coast guard remarks on his impressive appearance. â€Å"Nor have I seen/ a mightier man-at-arms on this Earth/ than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,/ he is truly noble† (247-50). A warrior named Wulfgar, impressed by Beowulf and his men, delivers his request for passage into the land of Denmark from King of the Danes, Hrothgar. His family background and reputation are familiar to Hrothgar, and he eagerly welcomes them to Denmark. Wulfgar reports back to Beowulf, â€Å"My lord, the conquering king of Danes, bids me announce that he knows you ancestry: also that he welcomes you here to Herot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (391-3). This scene shows the importance of appearance and reputation, without which Beowulf may never have been admitted to the land of the Danes at all. Once he gains passage into Denmark, Beowulf talks with Hrothgar and his closest followers in the mead hall about how he will destroy this beast or die trying. â€Å"I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in the attempt, in the fiend’s clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose, prove myself with a proud deed or meet my death here in the mead-hall† (634-8). His speech to Hrothgar shows Beowulf’s courage and confidence in his abilities. He also chooses not use any weapons or ar... ...e failed his people. His choice to conquer this dragon seems to be the obvious choice for a warrior. He must protect his people. But Beowulf seems so caught up in the surreal threats such as, monsters and dragons, he fails to realize the real peril he has left his people in. Beowulf is aware of his age and uneasy feeling toward his success yet he chooses to take on the dragon anyways. Although the dragon is defeated the Geat people are presented with even greater danger of the Sweds who will surely pounce on their nation. Therefore, throughout the story Beowulf is presented as the ultimate hero; demonstrating the strength of thirty men in his grasp while also using his powerful insight to avoid unnecessary conflict. His surreal strength and wisdom allow Beowulf to accomplish great feats within his time. He not only saves the land of the Danes form the terrorizing monsters but serves and protects his own people as well. Despite his heroic qualities, his humanity is proven by showing his eventual downfall; expressing that even the greatest heroes cannot live forever. Beowulf’s heroic qualities can only hold him above the rest until fate takes its toll and he too becomes defeated.