Video games Essay Example for Free

Video games Essay â€Å"What Video Games Have to teach us about Learning and Literacy† I’m sure that we all are, or were at one time, around video games whether we were playing the game or someone we know was playing. Most adults think children spend too much time playing video games. I know my mom is constantly yelling at my 10 15-year-old brothers to get off. My mom thinks that video games for so long will eventually ruin their eyesight. My brothers are video game addicts. My brothers always complain when my mom tells them to get off. Maybe my mom is wrong about video games. Maybe they could actually help my brothers. James Gee has a different thought than my mom and most parents. James Gee is also a father of his 11-year-old son, which made Gee â€Å"immigrate† to the world of video games. James would sit there with his son and play with him, until one day he decided that he would play on his own. After playing by him, James realized that there is a lot more to video games and they can actually in a way be positive. James sees video games as a way for children to use their brains. You have to learn how to play the game before you play it or else you will not be able to move forward in the game. Most games have a goal that you have to learn how to get there. By the children learning how to play, it is positive and in scary way actually benefits the children even though parents would never think it. Gee and Prensky’s views are similar. In Prensky’s essay he says that he thinks it would be the right time for us to advance our educational system because as we can see, technology is now a big part of our generation and it is only going to grow. Prensky referred to the students of the world today as â€Å"digital natives† because we grew up with digital technology. Growing up into the world of technology made us adjust and get used to using it so quickly. The teachers don’t know as much as the â€Å"digital natives† (students) do about new technology. In my opinion, I think technology is a great thing in the world today. As a student in college, technology plays a huge part. I use my computer for 99% of my schoolwork. I use it in class, to take notes, for homework, for research, to print, etc. I’m sure I am not the only one that doesn’t like to read, so instead of us students using the library to use books for research, we can do it on our computers. I personally do not play video games and cannot see myself sitting there like my brothers for countless hours learning how to play. I definitely do agree with Gee, and can see video games benefiting people of all ages.

The Limitations Of High Rise Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay

The Limitations Of High Rise Buildings Environmental Sciences Essay The purpose of this report is to illustrate the limitations faced when planning, designing or constructing a high-rise Building. This report will explore the background of high-rise buildings, including their origins and technological advancements. It will bring to light any technical aspects pertaining to the limitation of high-rise buildings, such as materials and available technology. This report will also inform the reader of any professional involvement of both engineering and non-engineering careers, as well as bringing to light any social, cultural or heritage issues such as Indigenous participation. Furthermore this report will demonstrate any Ethical or Economical issues which may have an impact on the planning, designing or construction of a high-rise Building. Lastly it will discuss where High-rise Buildings may take us in the future and give insight to changes that may occur due to High-rise Buildings. Report Introduction Since man first started building high-rises, there has always been a limit on how high we can build them. As the years go on and as technology improves the limits to high-rise buildings height has been constantly broken and higher buildings have been made, BUT limits still exist. It is important to know why we have limits to building high-rise buildings and it is just as important knowing just what some of these limits are. Therefore research has been conducted and compiled and a report has been put together. This report is about the limits to building high-rise buildings the report will outline: The involvement of both engineering and non-engineering professionals Social/cross cultural/indigenous issues Ethical issues Economic issues These are the 4 topics that will be discussed in the report, along with a brief background of the limits and some technical aspects of topics. The report will also make sum conclusions as to what is believed to where the limits may lead us in the future or high-rise buildings. Unfortunately the report will not be covering many other issues to limits in high rise buildings as there are many, many reasons limiting high rise buildings. 1.0 Background to High-Rise Limitations Abstract The construction of high-rise buildings has been and always will be greatly limited. The provision of this section of the report is to provide the background information on why construction was so limited. Several major limits that were broken will be discussed. Also discussed will be the inventions and/or processes which were used to break them. Introduction There are many factors that limit man from building great structures however many of these limits have already being broken and will continue to be surpassed. Throughout history man has built some great structures like The Great Pyramid of Giza and the Two Towers of Bologna. The Pyramid of Giza built in the 26th century BC was formally known as the tallest structure in the world. Standing 146m above ground its height was not exceeded for thousands of years. Although these great structures existed for thousands of years, tall buildings that were continuously habitable did not exist until the late 1800s. After the late 1800s buildings that blew the minds of men began to appear. These buildings include; Empire State Building of New York, The Q1 on the gold coast, and now the tallest building in the world, The Khalifa Tower of Dubai which stands 828m above ground. Significant Changes to Highrise Buildings The worlds first iron framed building was the Oriel Chambers in Liverpool built in 1864; it was only five stories high as elevators had not yet been invented yet [4]. This was a reason why construction was so limited before the mid 1800s. It seemed that the higher the office building the cheaper it was to rent because it was impractical for inhabitants to walk a great number of stairs. The first building to include an elevator was the Equity Assurance Building of New York built in 1870. Once the elevator was implemented, suddenly the top stories were more valuable than the lower stories. And now you can get higher rents on the top stories because they are quieter, there is better light, and they are away from the noise and dirt of the street [1]. The invention and inclusion of the elevator in construction greatly influenced the skylines of every major city in the world. Vertical architecture would be impossible, first of all, without the elevator, the great equalizer of civilization, which . . . by excessively rapid express service, makes the twentieth floor scarcely more difficult to access than the third. . . . Without [the elevator] its chief merit [of the tall building] would be gone; without it its upper stories would be as inaccessible as a mountaintop. [2] Skelton and Conventional Construction Methods Even though the elevator now eliminated the hassle of stairs and allowed for growth of buildings the height of buildings was still limited because of the method of construction used. In ordinary methods of building, the higher the wall the thicker it must be at its lower parts, a hefty area of a valuable lot in the tight inner-city must be surrendered to enormously thick walls [3]. Architect William Le Baron Jenney was the first to use a load-bearing structural frame which supported the entire weight of the walls. This was the beginning of the Steel Skeleton Construction method of building. This development led to the construction of the first skyscraper being ten stories high. The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1885. Even though the building stood tall many people were scared and didnt believe in the idea at all. Four years later an architect named Bradford Gilbert believed in the idea and designed the Tower Building in New York using the skeleton method. There were al ready buildings which were taller than the tower building however they were not built on block of land which seemed greatly inadequate. With the construction of the tower building Bradford Gilbert convinced people and architects in New York that this method of construction was feasible. The Skeleton method of construction solved the problem of economizing space in the lower floors of high and narrow buildings and was used all over the world. As land diminishes in the inner-city the tend is to build upwards. Lack of land in the inner city is great factor which limits the construction of high rise buildings. The skeleton method of construction helped solve this problem to a certain extent however with todays knowledge and understanding the lack of land in the inner-city will always limit the height of construction. Construction There are still many limits which man has not yet surpassed, however as seen from this section of the report some inventions came along which completely changed the standard of construction. With the invention of the elevator the corporate world was turned on its head as tall buildings were now accessible and now the higher you go the more expensive it is, where as it used to be the opposite. The higher you went the cheaper it was. The skeleton method of construction revolutionised the construction world. It allowed for buildings to grow hundreds of metres in the air while using minimal area on the ground. 2.0 Technical Aspects Pertaining to the Limitations of High Rise Buildings 2.1 Introduction High rise mega structures have forever plagued the thoughts of mankind, from the beginning of the technological age we have marvelled at our own achievements forever striving to build bigger, better and higher in an effort to reach for the stars. Tall buildings in modern society bestow many great attributes however as we continue to construct a more cumbersome empire of mega structures we will face many new technical obstacles to overcome. 2.2 Possible Risks Many technical factors influence our ability to build greater structures. Environmental and human disasters such as; earthquakes, fires, hurricanes and terrorism supply great difficulty while scientific breakthroughs in materials, mechanics and methodology prove to be either impractical, ineffective or unachievable at this time [4]. External forces are a major concern we must face when designing our high rises. One of the most important concerns to consider when designing high rises is their ability to withstand lateral forces imposed by things like strong winds, hurricanes and earthquakes [5]. 2.3 Strengths and Technologies The strength of modern materials surprisingly is not a major factor in the development of high rise buildings. Steel is strong enough to support structures 10 km or taller while advanced composites can support structures much greater again. Certain mechanical implementations such as massive suspended tuned pendulum dampers can be utilised in tall buildings to counteract the environmental rigors of high wind and impending earthquakes [6]. High rises are not only a distinguishing symbol of prestige but they also prove to be excellent at accommodating a large mass of people in a relatively small area. In commercial terms this allows businesses to maintain close proximity with the central district of inner cities while reducing pressure on already densely populated urban localities [7]. 2.4 Threat of Terrorism As iconic and essential as these high rise structures may be, sometimes they can become the target of terrorism. One of the most historical events of this manner occurred on September 11th 2001 When the World Trade Centres in the United States were demolished after airliners were hijacked and sent on suicide missions killing over 3000 people [8]. 2.5 Conclusion To overcome these problems various technical innovations such as; security cameras, vehicle detection equipment and computer identification checks can be utilised as well as organic, inorganic and metal x-ray detection systems. While technical defence and prevention systems such as these do help to prevent terrorism, modern security systems are still limited by current technologies. 3.0 The Involvement of both Engineering and Non-Engineering professions 3.1 Introduction As this project will effect many individuals in the aspect of employment and work it is vitally important to specify who will be effected and how. Although a big project such as a high-rise building will provide a large scale of jobs, there is always the risk that the construction/finished project could permanently damage someone elses business. As a result careful planning must be taken to ensure minimal harm is done to private business. 3.2 Engineering/Tradesmen Professions High-rise buildings are great opportunities for steady work for hundreds of professions. Some of these professions include engineers, builders, architects and various tradesmen jobs. As the specific project looks to challenge the limited heights of high-rise buildings it can be assumed that it would provide a great deal of jobs throughout the construction and development. As this is a field of work which has been hit reasonably hard by the recent global economic crisis, this project would be greatly beneficial to the workers and contractors involved. 3.3 Non-Engineering Professions Small business has an important role in local and regional economies, and collectively they contribute to the Australian economy. Many small businesses exist in inner city networks, which are areas prone to expansion and development, such as high-rise buildings. Many depend on easy access from roads as the primary means to transport goods and services and to link to other small businesses. Small businesses need to know about construction in the area which could impact on their profession [9]. Before construction takes place it is the responsibility of the engineering company to ensure a community liaison contacts and notifies the surrounding businesses of the high-rise plans. It is also then the community liaisons task to answer any concerns or queries, as a result of development, regarding the businesses viability. These could include; loss of revenue, loss of customers, loss of/or restricted access for customers, disruptions to the delivery of goods and services, noise, visual and air pollution and lastly the potential for increased crime due to loss of visibility. It is vitally important to gain the support of private businesses, so any contact must be carefully planned first. 3.4 Construction and Development During construction there is always the possibility of complaints regarding noise levels, obstruction and inconvenience. To ensure these matters are dealt with appropriately, engineering/construction firms provide adequate signage around the worksite referring the public as to whom to contact. Companies are also required to display signage before construction takes place, to allow time for any complaints or queries to be dealt with. By taking these steps engineering/construction companies can not be held accountable for any future complaints. 3.5 Conclusion The construction of large high-rise buildings can have impacts on both engineering and non engineering professions. It is vital to take precautions, before initiating construction, to notify any and all non-engineering professions effected of the possible changes which will be taking place. For this reason liaisons must be employed to establish an effective working communication and to answer any concerns private business could have. 4.0 Social/ Cultural/ Indigenous Issues 4.1 Introduction In every instance of construction it is vitally important to thoroughly cover the issue of public and cultural negotiations and communications. Careful precautions must be taken from the very start of planning the project, to ensure that everyones opinion is heard and concern answered. Both governmental and private corporations employ teams of people to guarantee that community engagement is correctly achieved. 4.2 Cultural Heritage Overview A primary concern is that of cultural heritage, specifically towards indigenous peoples. Under that heritage protection act, engineering firms must take care that they do not damage or disturb any landscape that could be considered of indigenous importance. Indigenous Australians make up for about 2.7 percent of the population (77.4% aboriginal and 22.6% Torres Strait islanders) [10]. Land and sea are very important to their cultures and connectivity to country is central to peoples lives. Legislation requires companies to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders on indigenous cultural heritage matters. When engaging with indigenous Australians, it is important to plan a communiquà © before addressing the community. Past experiences with public officials has left many indigenous communities with a sense of frustration and powerlessness. As a result certain communities may not want be supportive and or cooperate with the company. The main steps in planning and engagement activity are imperative. Theses steps include, researching and knowing about the community, understanding its history and acknowledging their diversity and connection to land and sea. 4.3 Construction and Development During the development and construction stage of the high-rise it is essential to make certain that no elements of indigenous importance are damaged. This is achieved by taking several precautionary measures. As Indigenous peoples have a right to oversee the project, a monitor, whose primary concern is recognizing and evaluating artifacts of importance must be hired. Indigenous Monitors have the authority to postpone and hold up projects for extended periods of time, until the landscape can be deemed safe to build on [11]. Another measure which must be taken under the Heritage Protection Act is notifying the Contractor that he or she shall be responsible for the management of indigenous cultural heritage artifacts while construction is underway. It is also the Contractors duties to ensure that all staff related to the project has attended a Cultural Heritage Induction Course. 4.4 Social/Community Issues As well as being considerate to Indigenous peoples it is equally important to be considerate towards the general public. Before Building a High-Rise building it is the companies responsibility to notify the public that construction is going to be underway. This can be achieved using tools such as; flyers, TV advertisements, letterbox drop/direct mail and or website information. After the public has been properly alerted, they have the option to notify their city council about any concerns or complaints that they might have regarding the project. 4.5 Conclusion Before commencing any construction project it is vital to deliver all necessary information to the key stakeholders and if possible gather their support. Adequate planning and preparation must be done before the project initiates and planning must be relevant to the community which is to be engaged. Care must also be taken to guarantee not to damage or violate any potential places of importance regarding indigenous Australians, during construction. 5.0 Ethical Limitations to High-Rise Buildings 5.1 Introduction With todays population only ever increasing the trend is to build upward. Throughout the planning and construction stages of high-rise buildings there are many limitations that affect the end products in which we see today. One of these limitations is the ethical issues involving high-rise building which revolve around the safety, the environment and the community. These issues must be carefully thought about and investigated before the building can begin. 5.2 Community A limiting factor in the production of high-rises can often be the community. When plans go into council, the community also gets a say. Allowing the community to get a say in what goes ahead and what doesnt can bring about large restrictions to high-rise buildings. Some issues that limit high-rise buildings, due to the community may include the use of the building and the look of the building. These two issues can become entwined in a communities decision making process, where depending on the ethical view point expressed by the community as a whole, these viewpoints include, Kantianism, Utilitarianism, human rights, environmental ethical. A community might take a utilitarianism point of view when approving a high-rise if the building does not fit the council guidelines although brings about beneficial use to the community. Some council departments have put in place restrictions on buildings to stop them being built past a certain height in order to keep a community in a certain man ner. As stated in the Byron Environmental Planning and Assessment act 1979, Byron Local Environment plan 1988, [12] The council must not consent to the erection of any building if the floor of the topmost floor level of the building exceeds 7.5 metres above the existing ground level, or, the vertical distance between the topmost part of the building and the existing ground level below exceeds 11.5 metres. This shows that Council departments have 5.3 Environmental Issues When considering high-rise buildings the effects that the high-rise would have on the environment must be thoroughly investigated, as it would have limitations as to how high the building can go. The waste produced by the building as a day to day product will impact greatly on the environment. The higher the building is generally means the more people it can accommodate for, although with the number of people that would use the building rising, so does the waste they produce. With things such as rubbish and sewage it is important that there is adequate systems in place, where the building is going to be located that are able to deal with these issues. Such as that the sewers will be able to accommodate for the amount of sewage that is produced. Due to the amount of people that would use a high-rise building there is a lot of energy needed to keep the building running. This impacts on the environment as with the creation of energy comes the creation of green house gasses and the waste produced in making the energy. With the trend to build upward increasing, there are various strategies being invented and put into action to accommodate for the need for energy, these strategies are to limit the amount of environmental impact a building would have, there for allowing buildings to be built higher and higher. Studies have shown that through using energy conserving measures on a 20 story building can cut its energy consumption down to less than half its original usage. The issue with using these measures is that they often require some investment throughout the building stages, as materials can often cost more and take longer install, although in the long run would save owners and occupants of the building a lot of money. Taking a Utilitarianism view on this would allow the energy conserving measures to be put in place throughout construction, knowing that it would cost more but work out better in the end (end justifies the means). Where as Kantianism ethical views wo uld possibly not put them in place as it would cost more throughout the building stages (means justifies the end). Plans are currently underway for extreme energy conservation measures in high-rise buildings, with a revolving tower planned to be built in Dubai see fig 5.31. This tower, powered by wind turbines, can not only generate enough energy to power itself but can also generate enough energy to power 10 other buildings similarly sized [13]. With such engineering advancements, in the future limits to high-rises caused by environmental ethical issues will be decreased. Although Personal ethical views often clash with environmental views, such as Energy generating high-rises versus wildlife reserve. Fig 5.31 A computer generated image of the towers ability to physically move 5.4 Congestion Issues One of the issues limiting high-rise buildings is congestion caused by the building. Most high-rises are planned to be built in already congested areas so whilst they are being built issues of space can impact on the construction of the building. As various cranes and machinery is necessary to construct them there must be adequate space to cater for such things. It is important that through the construction of high-rises that the effect on the public is kept to a minimum. Congestion can also be an issue once the building has been built such that various amounts of people may be trying to access the building, bringing in large amounts of traffic on the street. When the building is being designed it is necessary to make sure that building has adequate parking options to make sure it can accommodate for the influx of traffic that it would bring. There are also congestion problems with the amount of people that are around the building on a daily basis, footpaths and public transport must be able to accommodate for the influx of people on the already existing foot traffic. These issues must be accommodated for before the building is built and can often cause high-rises to be limited to how high they go, in certain areas. 5.5 Safety Issues Safety can limit high-rise buildings throughout both the construction stages and once again when the building has been built. The safety of workers is highly important when building such large building and can also limit the height of the building. If something cannot be done safely then it should not be done. All workers have the right to refuse a job if they think its unsafe, this comes under the basic human rights ethic. When working with heights the risk level rises immensely, and all aspects need to be looked at to ensure the safety of both the works and the public around the construction site. Safety is a big concern in high rise building, when they are being designed they need to be designed to withstand various natural disasters, such as earthquakes, storms and floods. It is necessary to design a building to withstand or minimally destruct through these disasters. Even if doing so means that they are limited to how high they can stand. Because it is impossible to make high-ri se buildings invincible, through the design process buildings are designed to keep their destruction to a minimal in the event of a disaster, this takes a Utilitarianism view, where actions are to be judged right or wrong solely on the virtue of their consequences, it would be better for a building get damaged in a disaster with human injury kept to a minimum. In 1978 shortly after construction the structural engineer behind the Citicorp building discovered a fatal floor in its design, realising that the building was vastly unsafe [14]. Whilst reviewing the design of the building in order to design one similar. This fatal floor was that the original butt weld designs used for the joints on the wind bracing system were replaced with a bolt design due to economic reason. After reviewing the forces that the joints were designed to withstand it was evident that they were only deigned to withstand a 16 year storm, whereas it was an understanding that the building was able to withstand a 50 year storm. William Le Messurier, of Cambridge, Mass., was lauded for his ethical conduct, as he proceeded to notify the architect, his client and the building owner that a remedial scheme must be undertaken immediately before the risk of high winds in the fall hurricane season in New York City. A solution was found and the building was brought up to scratch. See figure 5.51, it is evident that if this issue was not dealt with then if the building came down then it would have caused massive death and destruction. This shows good ethical decision making and a utilitarianism point of view. Safety often limits high-rise buildings, if correct ethical guidelines are not followed throughout the design and construction then it can often result in death and destruction. Fig 5.51 City Corp Building Circled in Red 5.6 Conclusion In conclusion it is evident that there are many Ethical issues limiting the construction of high-rise buildings. These issues can come from a range of reasons such as the community, environment, congestion and safety. It is through good ethical principles used by Engineers in todays society that these issues can be overcome and accommodated for in order to brake the boundarys that are holding our high-rises down, whilst still keeping everyone happy. 6.0 Economical issues associated with high rise buildings 6.1 Introduction High rise buildings are typically commercial, or residential. When building a high-rise building there are certain economical issues that arise, such issues are, Business, Financial, Health and Political just to name a few, this can be described as economic imperialism. 6.2 Business Economics Business economics, is closely linked to the economy, for a high-rise building to be made the business would be looking into making it in a city area rather than making one in a rural area, this is because not many people live in a rural area and getting jobs filled for the business can hinder the business growth of a high-rise. High-rise buildings are a standout and might be targeted by terrorists. A huge building being destroyed could have a major impact on the local business economy for example The World Trade Centre was a target for a terrorist attack. Another business factor into building a residential high-rise (apartments) would be the amount of people seeking accommodation [15]. The business economy relies on people consuming the product whether it be insurance or accommodation etc. Therefore this means building a high-rise building will create allot of jobs and boost the local economy a bit, if the product that is being sold is not in demand i.e. The high-rise is an accommod ation hotel built in a rural area with little visitors. The Business will lose money and eventually go bust. Therefore the business limits of the size of the high-rise are limited by the economy. 6.3 Financial Economics Financial economics is the allocation and deployment of economic resources, both spatially and across time, in an uncertain environment [16]. What this means is the way the resources of a company are spent to increase business is always a risk and the financial decisions made will have an affect over time on a business. The need to spend money to make money. For some companies that are investing in the future look into building a high-rise as a financial risk. Finance is the biggest limiting factor when building as high-rise out of all economical factors. This is because high-rise buildings cost allot of money to build, and once built allot of money to maintain. FMV(future monetary value), the nominal future sum of money that a given sum of money is worth at a specified time in the future assuming a certain interest rate, or more generally, rate of return, it is the present value multiplied by the accumulation function. Knowledge of the future can reduce, or possibly eliminate, the u ncertainty of FMV. When building a high-rise they cost a lot of money to a business and are generally a risk that is made to increase asset value, knowledge of the future will decrease the risk associated with building a high-rise. One such knowledge is the height of the high-rise. Another financial burden is safety, and implementing safety in a high-rise building can be very costly, and the cost to maintain safety is costly. With safety comes the cost of security to prevent such things like attacks. Security/safety can have a direct impact on the financial future as they are an ongoing cost. 6.4 Health Economics Health economics is a branch of economics concerned with issues related to scarcity in allocation of health and health care. In broad terms, health economists study the functioning of the health care system and the private and social causes of health-affecting behaviours such as smoking. Health economics is mostly concerned with ethics, it is not ethical to have no health/safety at a high-rise. Health can limit high-rises by a fair bit, as it financially costs money to maintain the health of the employees/patrons. When building a high-rise it is very dangerous and many safety precautions must be implemented. People can die when building a high-rise, ethically this can have a big impact of the building of the high-rise if one worker was to be killed on the work site [17]. Health also requires a safe work environment for the employees, therefore a fire safety and other measures such as security need to be implemented, and these have a direct impact on the future income of the high-rise . Disability measures must be taking for disable people, this means elevators and/or alternative steps etc. Lastly a big cost is toilet facilities, the cost to maintain and to implement toilet facilities is a very costly process and one of the top costs this therefore limits high-rise buildings due to financial costs. 6.5 Political Economics Public choice in economic theory is the use of modern economic tools to study problems that are tradictionally in the province of political science. From the perspective of political science, it may be seen as the subset of positive political theory which deals with subjects in which material interests are assumed to predonminte. Basically this means that political economy is mainly concerned with the behaviour of politicians and government officials. To build a high-rise it first must be approved by officials, then the height of the building may be limited by the officials to. A high-rise is a generally a very tall building and if the local

Saint Thomas Aquinas Five Proofs for the Existence of God Essay

Saint Thomas Aquinas' Five Proofs for the Existence of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientific reasoning has brought humanity to incredibly high levels of sophistication in all realms of knowledge. For Saint Thomas Aquinas, his passion involved the scientific reasoning of God. The existence, simplicity and will of God are simply a few topics which Aquinas explores in the Summa Theologica. Through arguments entailing these particular topics, Aquinas forms an argument that God has the ability of knowing and willing this particular world of contingent beings. The contrasting nature of necessary beings and contingent beings is at the heart of this debate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas sets up this argument in his discussion of whether or not God exists. His five proofs set up the framework for much of his later writings in the Summa Theologica. As with the five proofs in their entirety, most of Aquinas’ reasoning stems from the third proof concerning the existence of God. The first two proofs lead to the third’s conclusion that God is "esse a se", or to be of itself. From this conclusion of God as an infinite being, Aquinas moves to the third question, concerning the simplicity of God. In article four of question three, Aquinas determines that God is ultimately simple in that his essence does not differ from his being. He writes, "Therefore, since in God there is no potentiality, it follows that in Him essence does not differ from being. Therefore, His essence is His being." God is an unchanging, infinite being. There is no conceivable way in which he could have parts, such as a separate being and a separate essence. From these proofs and others, Aquinas determines that God is an all knowing, perfectly good, perfectly powerful being. Moving back to the third proof of the existence of God, Aquinas determines that God is the ultimate being and that his existence precludes the existence of contingent beings. The notion entails the idea that without infinity, finite beings would not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas also addresses the issue of the simplicity of God. From a series of logical steps, he concludes that God is altogether simple. He says, God is "neither a composition of quantitative parts, since He is not a body; nor composition of form and matter; nor does his nature differ from his suppositum." It only makes logical sense that God, not existing in any physical sense, could not have physica... ...sary and contingent beings. Evil is not a consequence of the will of God rather it is a lack of good. Aquinas also says that evil in the world is unavoidable. In Question 2, article 3, Aquinas says that God allows evil in order to produce good out of the existence of evil. The existence of evil in the world is indirect. Also, it would seem that God, being all powerful, could eliminate evil in the world but this has not happened. Aquinas reasons this out by discussing the two types of evil, natural and moral. For example, a person dying is often the result of natural events in the community and this person’s death opens up resources for others who are still alive. The sense of competition in this world adds a sense of necessity to death. There cannot be life without death. This is a similar situation to evil, in that good cannot exist without evil. Natural rules and laws are put into place to make this world, one in which God willed a sense of morals, exist, so natural evil and suffering must exist. With free will, there must be choice. Therefore, evil must exist because human beings make the wrong choices. We are not perfectly good. Things like temptation are part of who we are. Saint Thomas Aquinas' Five Proofs for the Existence of God Essay Saint Thomas Aquinas' Five Proofs for the Existence of God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientific reasoning has brought humanity to incredibly high levels of sophistication in all realms of knowledge. For Saint Thomas Aquinas, his passion involved the scientific reasoning of God. The existence, simplicity and will of God are simply a few topics which Aquinas explores in the Summa Theologica. Through arguments entailing these particular topics, Aquinas forms an argument that God has the ability of knowing and willing this particular world of contingent beings. The contrasting nature of necessary beings and contingent beings is at the heart of this debate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas sets up this argument in his discussion of whether or not God exists. His five proofs set up the framework for much of his later writings in the Summa Theologica. As with the five proofs in their entirety, most of Aquinas’ reasoning stems from the third proof concerning the existence of God. The first two proofs lead to the third’s conclusion that God is "esse a se", or to be of itself. From this conclusion of God as an infinite being, Aquinas moves to the third question, concerning the simplicity of God. In article four of question three, Aquinas determines that God is ultimately simple in that his essence does not differ from his being. He writes, "Therefore, since in God there is no potentiality, it follows that in Him essence does not differ from being. Therefore, His essence is His being." God is an unchanging, infinite being. There is no conceivable way in which he could have parts, such as a separate being and a separate essence. From these proofs and others, Aquinas determines that God is an all knowing, perfectly good, perfectly powerful being. Moving back to the third proof of the existence of God, Aquinas determines that God is the ultimate being and that his existence precludes the existence of contingent beings. The notion entails the idea that without infinity, finite beings would not exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas also addresses the issue of the simplicity of God. From a series of logical steps, he concludes that God is altogether simple. He says, God is "neither a composition of quantitative parts, since He is not a body; nor composition of form and matter; nor does his nature differ from his suppositum." It only makes logical sense that God, not existing in any physical sense, could not have physica... ...sary and contingent beings. Evil is not a consequence of the will of God rather it is a lack of good. Aquinas also says that evil in the world is unavoidable. In Question 2, article 3, Aquinas says that God allows evil in order to produce good out of the existence of evil. The existence of evil in the world is indirect. Also, it would seem that God, being all powerful, could eliminate evil in the world but this has not happened. Aquinas reasons this out by discussing the two types of evil, natural and moral. For example, a person dying is often the result of natural events in the community and this person’s death opens up resources for others who are still alive. The sense of competition in this world adds a sense of necessity to death. There cannot be life without death. This is a similar situation to evil, in that good cannot exist without evil. Natural rules and laws are put into place to make this world, one in which God willed a sense of morals, exist, so natural evil and suffering must exist. With free will, there must be choice. Therefore, evil must exist because human beings make the wrong choices. We are not perfectly good. Things like temptation are part of who we are.

The Bluest Eye :: essays research papers

The Bluest Eye is a brilliantly written novel revealing the fictional trauma of an eleven-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove. This story takes place in the town of Lorain, Ohio during the 1940’s. It is told from the perspective of a young girl named Claudia MacTeer. She and her sister, Frieda, become witness to the terrible plights Pecola is unintentionally put through. Pecola chooses to hide from her disabling life behind her clouded dream of possessing the ever so cherished â€Å"bluest of eyes†. The Breedlove’s constant bickering and ever growing poverty contributes to the emotional downfall of this little girl. Pecola’s misery is obtained through the touch of her father’s hand and the voice of her community’s struggle with racial separation, anger, and ignorance. Her innocence is harshly ripped from her grasp as her father rapes her limp existence. The community’s anger with it’s own insecurities is taken out on thi s poor, ugly, black, non-ideal, young girl. She shields herself from this sorrow behind her obsessive plea for blue eyes. But her eyes do not replace the pain of carrying her fleeing father’s baby. Nor do they protect her from the shady eyes of her neighbors. Though this book discuses negative and disturbing situations, it teaches a very positive lesson. The theme of The Bluest Eye is that of depending on outside influences to become aware of one’s own beauty and to fabricate one’s own self image can be extremely damaging. I feel that Toni Morrison showed this through each of her characters especially the obvious, Pecola Breedlove. One incident, for example, is when Claudia, Frieda, Pecola, and Maureen Peal, a well-loved â€Å"beauty† of Lorain, are walking home from school. As the girls saunter down the street, they begin to bicker. The conversation ends with Maureen stomping away and establishing the fact that she is indeed â€Å"cute†. Claudia then thinks to herself, â€Å"If she was cute--and if anything could be believed, she was--then we were not. And what did that mean? We were lesser. Nicer, brighter, but still lesser. Dolls we could destroy, but we could not destroy the honey voices of parents and aunts, the obedience in the eyes of our peers, the slippery light in the eyes of our teachers when they encouraged the Maureen Peals of the world. What was the secret? What did we lack? Why was it important? And so what?. . . And all the time we knew that Maureen Peal was not the Enemy and not worthy of such intense hatred.

Analysis of Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations Essays

The settings of Great Expectations are Pip’s homes, one home that he lives in during his childhood in Kent, England, and the other that he lives in when he is grown in London, England. Social status was a big deal in the mid-nineteenth century. The rich were highly respected and liked by all, and the poor were treated unkindly and were sometimes made fun of. The rich could have any job that they liked, but the poor would almost always take over the job that their father had. The narrator of Great Expectations is Pip. If the novel were narrated from any other point of view, it would not have the same effect as it does now. The protagonist of Great Expectations is Pip. At the beginning of the novel, Pip (whose real name is Phillip Pirrip) is young, shy, and timid. He lives with his sister and her husband, Joe. They live in Kent, England, in a small, marshy area. Pip falls in love with Estella, who is a young girl who is incredibly immoral and rude. Pip seems hard on himself, if he does something wrong, he has a hard time forgiving himself. He always tells himself that he needs to improve his behavior, because he sometimes treats his close friends coldly. There is not one antagonist in this novel. There are different characters at different times that caused some sort of grief towards Pip. Many characters change and some that seem bad at first, like Abel Magwitch, turn out to be good in the end. There are many other major characters in Great Expectations besides Pip. Joe Gargery is a gentle blacksmith and is a good friend of Pip. He is uneducated and embarrasses Pip at times. Joe was still kind and too k care of Pip even after he was treated with ruthlessness. Herbert Pocket is introduced towards the beginning of Great Expectations... ...in peace. Pip had been taking Joe for granted earlier in the book, so he makes up with him. Estella sees Pip again and she is kind to him. I am not sure if I agree with the conclusion. Estella was incredibly heartless through the whole book, but just at the very end, she starts to be nice, and Pip thinks that they will be married. This conclusion seems slightly unrealistic. I was glad that he started being kind to Joe. Joe was always kind to him and he needed to straighten his act out. I think that the meaning of this novel is that people are not always what they seem. The girl that Pip was in love with was beautiful, but a terrible person. Abel Magwitch seemed tremendously gruff and intimidating at first, but later becomes a huge help to Pip. I learned from reading Great Expectations that life passes by quickly, so don’t make bad decisions or take it for granted. Analysis of Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations Essays The settings of Great Expectations are Pip’s homes, one home that he lives in during his childhood in Kent, England, and the other that he lives in when he is grown in London, England. Social status was a big deal in the mid-nineteenth century. The rich were highly respected and liked by all, and the poor were treated unkindly and were sometimes made fun of. The rich could have any job that they liked, but the poor would almost always take over the job that their father had. The narrator of Great Expectations is Pip. If the novel were narrated from any other point of view, it would not have the same effect as it does now. The protagonist of Great Expectations is Pip. At the beginning of the novel, Pip (whose real name is Phillip Pirrip) is young, shy, and timid. He lives with his sister and her husband, Joe. They live in Kent, England, in a small, marshy area. Pip falls in love with Estella, who is a young girl who is incredibly immoral and rude. Pip seems hard on himself, if he does something wrong, he has a hard time forgiving himself. He always tells himself that he needs to improve his behavior, because he sometimes treats his close friends coldly. There is not one antagonist in this novel. There are different characters at different times that caused some sort of grief towards Pip. Many characters change and some that seem bad at first, like Abel Magwitch, turn out to be good in the end. There are many other major characters in Great Expectations besides Pip. Joe Gargery is a gentle blacksmith and is a good friend of Pip. He is uneducated and embarrasses Pip at times. Joe was still kind and too k care of Pip even after he was treated with ruthlessness. Herbert Pocket is introduced towards the beginning of Great Expectations... ...in peace. Pip had been taking Joe for granted earlier in the book, so he makes up with him. Estella sees Pip again and she is kind to him. I am not sure if I agree with the conclusion. Estella was incredibly heartless through the whole book, but just at the very end, she starts to be nice, and Pip thinks that they will be married. This conclusion seems slightly unrealistic. I was glad that he started being kind to Joe. Joe was always kind to him and he needed to straighten his act out. I think that the meaning of this novel is that people are not always what they seem. The girl that Pip was in love with was beautiful, but a terrible person. Abel Magwitch seemed tremendously gruff and intimidating at first, but later becomes a huge help to Pip. I learned from reading Great Expectations that life passes by quickly, so don’t make bad decisions or take it for granted.

The Apa Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct

The APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct: Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity – is the code culturally encapsulated and biased? Emmanuel Mueke Author Note Emmanuel Mueke. Independent Researcher. Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to Emmanuel Mueke, P. O. Box 44935 – 00100. Nairobi, Kenya. Contact: [email  protected] com Abstract This paper explores the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct as regards the issue of multicultural and diverse professional practise.Its aim is to establish whether diversity and cultural variety and differences are adequately provided for in the body of the document. Psychologists are mandated to provide services to a multitude of culturally diverse and varied clients in a manner that is both professional and ethical. In such situations cultural sensitivity is fundamental and has been elevated to best practice. The code has been question ed as to the efficacy of its cultural sensitivity; firstly in terms of whether the code itself is culturally encapsulated and secondly whether there exists an explicit or implicit cultural bias.To address this issue we shall undertake a look at the code; its inherent limitations and shortcomings. Secondly the issue of the importance of cultural sensitivity and its translated application in matters of ethical service delivery shall be addressed. Keywords: APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct, ethics, multicultural, diversity, bias. The APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct: Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity – is the code culturally encapsulated and biased?Cultural sensitivity and professional ethics are central to the provision of psychologists’ services; this has led to the APA issuing guidelines in an effort to ensure that best practice is not only aspired to but more importantly achieved. This paper examines the Code of Conduct and the pursuant Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists (APA, 2002). Analysis of these documents will establish the existence of mechanisms to ensure protection against cultural bias and effective promotion of cultural sensitivity.Literature Review In the 2002 APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct several principles were outlined to ensure that cultural sensitivity was adopted as the guiding policy for practicing psychologists. The first mention of the issue of diversity and its effect on professional practice is in Principle E, which engenders awareness of and respect for cultural differences and admonishes the practitioners to try and eliminate the effect of biases upon their work and not to condone any activities of others based on prejudice. Further under Section 3. 1, unfair discrimination on any basis including culture is prohibited, combined with Section 3. 03 which admon ishes the practitioners from engaging in any behaviour that would be demeaning to a person of different culture. The issue of ethical provision of services is not just about preventing discrimination or harassment to persons of different cultures but it is also about ensuring that they are provided with adequate and competent services as they well deserve; to this effect Section 2. 01 provides what has been termed a boundary of competence.The boundary is intended to ensure that the services provided are effective in the specific circumstances faced; to this effect first it limits a psychologist to only undertake to provide services within the boundary of his expertise, education and experience and secondly it mandates that a psychologist must undertake the training or education necessary to provide the requisite services to the target populace, this training or education taking into account all factors that have a bearing on effective service delivery such as age, gender, ethnicity et cetera.Lastly under Section 9. 06 (APA, 2002) when interpreting assessment results a psychologist is mandated to take into account all the factors relevant, including the cultural differences of the assessment subject, that might nuance the results in any way. To translate these into effective practice the APA published the Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists (APA, 2002); which was meant to embody diversity aspirations for professionals.This document built on the precedent established by the Guidelines for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguistic, and culturally diverse populations (APA, 1990). It translated the Principles previously outlined into six different guideline rules with the appropriate commentary on the way to best achieve such targets. The guidelines are; 1. Psychologists are encouraged to recognize that, as cultural beings, they may hold attitudes and beliefs that can detri mentally influence their perceptions of and interactions with individuals who are ethnically and racially different from themselves 2.Psychologists are encouraged to recognize the importance of multicultural sensitivity/responsiveness, knowledge, and understanding about ethnically and racially different individuals 3. As educators, psychologists are encouraged to employ the constructs of multiculturalism and diversity in psychological education 4. Culturally sensitive psychological researchers are encouraged to recognize the importance of conducting culture-centred and ethical psychological research among persons from ethnic, linguistic, and racial minority backgrounds 5.Psychologists strive to apply culturally-appropriate skills in clinical and other applied psychological practices 6. Psychologists are encouraged to use organizational change processes to support culturally informed organizational (policy) development and practices Discussion The Guidelines admit the existence of a Eurocentric bias in the psychological profession and posit themselves as an ever-evolving solution; changing as further empirical research on the issue is undertaken.Moreover the document places a time limit on its validity in order to spur further research on the issue of multicultural practice. In order to ensure its efficacy the APA set up a task force whose sole purpose was to look into the implementation of the guidelines with a view to providing proper feedback by identifying pertinent implementation and infusion recommendations. The task force produced a report on the infusion of the paradigm shift in service delivery outlining how this should be undertaken; Report of the APA Task Force on the Implementation of the Multicultural Guidelines (APA, 2008).The report split the guidelines into two categories the first being those whose implementation fell unto the practitioners and into this category they placed the first and second guidelines. The rest were in the category of thos e whose implementation required facilitation by the APA both in terms of administrative structures and funding; for example the APA was tasked with establishing an Office of Diversity Enhancement and hiring a Chief Diversity Officer to run it. The Office’s purpose is ensuring that there is diversity across the organization which helps with the ethical provision of services across multicultural diversity.Conclusion Having gone through the Code of Conduct, the pursuant Guidelines and the Implementation Report there is no evidence of cultural bias and encapsulation; rather there is incontrovertible evidence of contrived and concerted efforts to address the bias existent in the profession and its philosophy. References American Psychological Association. (1990). Guidelines for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguistic, and culturally diverse populations. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from www. apa. org/pi/oema/guide. html American Psychological Association. (2 002).Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57, 1060-1073. Retrieved from www. apa. org/ethics. code. html American Psychological Association. (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. American Psychologist, 58, 377-402. (See www. apa. org/pi/multiculturalguidelines/homepage. html) American Psychological Association. (2008). Report of the Task Force on the Implementation of the Multicultural Guidelines. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www. apa. org/pi/

Law of Constant Composition Lab Essay

Purpose: To determine the percent magnesium by mass in magnesium oxide and to observe if the percentage composition is constant by comparing class results. Hypothesis/Prediction: The percent composition by mass of magnesium in magnesium oxide will not change significantly with each group that conducted the experiment. The composition of each substance should stay the same and any differences must be due to some error. Materials:Magnesium stripCrucibleCrucible coverClay triangleIron ringRetort standTongsBalanceBunsen burnerProcedure:1.obtained a strip of magnesium between 30-40 cm long2.coiled magnesium strip into a tight roll3.measured the mass of the crucible and cover4.Added the magnesium strip to the crucible and measured the magnesium, crucible and cover together. 5.Partially covered the crucible with the cover and heated it using a Bunsen burner until the magnesium ignited. 6.Turned off Bunsen burner. 7.waited for combustion to proceed8.when the reaction appeared completed, heated the crucible again for another five minutes9.allowed crucible to cool for ten minutes10.measured the mass of the crucible, cover and magnesium oxideObservations:When ignited, the magnesium strip gave off a bright light. There was a colour change on the magnesium. It started out as silver and turned into a white colour. The combustion gave off a distinct odour. The end result was a white powder but some magnesium had been left in its original shape. According to the theory of J.L. Proust, a compound always has the same percentage composition no matter how it is prepared. For all three of our own individual groups trials, we obtained the same percentage composition and this satisfies Prousts theory. This is also accurate with what we have read in the textbook Chemistry 11 on the Law of Definite Proportions on pages 147 150. 2.What conclusion can you make upon the class results?The conclusions I can make based upon the class results are that the composition of a compound must vary because everyone had a different answer. In most cases, the percent composition of magnesium in the compound was very different from what my group achieved. However, sometimes, the classes results were quite similar to my own. The theory that C.M. Berthollet introduced about the composition of a compound was that a compound has an infinite number of compositions depending on the proportions of the components that were used in its preparation. His theory satisfies the results obtained from the whole class. Since every group had a different amount of magnesium they must also have had a different composition of magnesium in the compound formed, magnesium oxide. However, this is inconsistent with what we have been taught and with what is written in the textbook. Since the textbook is a more reliable source of information, I must conclude that the reason for this difference in results may be attributed to error on the part of the students conducting the experiment. 3.Which French Scientist would you tend to support? Explain. The French scientist that I support is J.L. Proust. I agree with Prousts theory because I believe that if the composition of a substance were to change, so would its properties. An obvious example of this is one stated in the textbook: water and hydrogen peroxide. The simple addition of a hydrogen atom to the compound of water can make a liquid that is essential to life become deadly. Since I know that the percent composition of a particular substance is the same no matter where, how or when it is made, I must agree with J.L Proust and support his theory. Sources of ErrorOne reason why a student may have obtained a higher percentage of magnesium than the rest of the class is: during the experiment, mass must have been lost. This could have been done in many ways. Often, the magnesium took too long to ignite and students began to put it straight into the flame to ignite it and then put it back into the crucible. Sometimes, the magnesium wilted and little pieces of it broke off. In addition, the magnesium would sometimes ignite and then extinguish itself. In the constant removal of the magnesium from the crucible, mass was lost in the form of ashes. When mass is lost during the experiment, the total mass of the compound is lower and when the mass of magnesium was divided by the total mass, yielded a higher percent of magnesium. One reason why a student may have obtained a lower percentage of magnesium than the rest of the class is: the magnesium did not properly combust. In many cases, the magnesium would extinguish itself and would not burn completely. This resulted in some white powder, ash, and some magnesium still in the same shape that it was when we began the experiment. This suggests that it did not burn with the rest of the magnesium ribbon and therefore, did not form the compound with oxygen. This would yield in a higher total mass than what it should have been and when the mass of magnesium is divided by the total mass, would give a lower percentage. The following calculation shows the actual percentage of Magnesium in the compound magnesium oxide. Molar mass of MgO = 24.3 + 16.0= 40.3For 1.00 mol of MgO:%Mg = 24.3 / 40.3 x  100= 60.3%Therefore, the actual percentage value of Mg in MgO is 60%The following calculation shows the percentage error for my own groups result% error = (experimental accepted) / accepted x 100= (72 60) / 60 x 100= 20%Therefore the percentage error for my group was 20%. ConclusionBased on the data collected by each group, the composition of a substance must change depending on the proportions of the components that were used in its preparation. However, as explained earlier, the textbook and the properties of matter state otherwise. Scientifically, if the composition of a compound was to change, so would its properties. The results obtained by the class are quite the opposite of what has already been proven by Proust to be true and therefore, I believe that the evidence obtained by our chemistry class is the result of many mistakes and cannot be used to convey the idea of the Law of Constant Composition which states that the composition of a specific compound is constant.