Poor Academic Achievement Associated With Mental Retardation free essay sample

Differentiation among categories of children having mild disabilities including mild mental retardation, learning disabilities as well as behavioral and emotional disorders has been problematic. Children operating around the fringe of what might be interpreted a disability group establish problems in measurement, assessment and admission for specialized education programs. A large number of children can be recognized as poor performers in schools. Basing this notion on an ordinary distribution one could possibly argue that fifty percent of kids function below standard academically. Greshman Macmillan and Bocian defined two major forms of reading underachievement complexities: specific reading retardation (SRR) and general reading backwardness (1996). SRR is described as reading under the predicted level from a childs aptitude whereas GRB is described as studying below the predicted level of childs sequential age. Children having SRR may also be thought to have specific learning disabilities. Children having SLDs comprise 5.2 percent of the overall school populace and 51. We will write a custom essay sample on Poor Academic Achievement Associated With Mental Retardation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1 percent of the school age populace with disabilities (Greshman, Macmillan and Bocian, 1996). Numerous children who suffer from these symptoms are also unable to differentiate or understand the nature of their ailment. Personal Perspective A friend, who is also a college student, is having problems with her grades.   She frequently feels that no matter how hard she studies, it doesn’t show when it’s time to take the test. As a result of this, her grades for the last two years have only been C’s, D’s and the occasional F.   She claims that she studies by reading the chapters and printing out professor’s lecture when it’s availed. In spite of this, she still feels like nothing is registering in terms improving academic performance. She claims to forget what has been taught most of the times and sometimes fails to remember what she just read. Then would have to repeat something’s just to get a clear understanding. She feels like no matter how hard she tries, she’ll never be as smart as some of her classmates. They seem to make better grades than her without much effort.   She wonders where she is going wrong and what she could possibly do to get better grades.   She said she feels dim-witted, when she receives her grades. She said she sometimes feels like she shouldn’t even study at all, why put forth the effort if it’s not going to make a difference.   She said she doesn’t know what else to do. Differences between LD and LA This ambiguity has created a heated contest has been   concerning the differences and similarities between children categorized as possessing learning disabilities or LD and those who display low achievement in academics (LA). The main notion of this contention revolves on the level to which learning disabilities can be separated from low achievement and the degree to which circulation of these groups, social behavior and academic performance overlap. Conspicously absent form this topic has been the Identification of the difference between SRR and GRB. It would look like numerous children who are thought to be low achievers would satisfy the GRBs criteria whereas kids considered academically disabled would satisfy the criteria for diagnosing SRR. A similar quandary exists in separating children suffering from mild mental retardation from those having learning disabilities. Learning disability is normally described on the ground of a serious discrepancy between achievement and ability.   In this view, an academic disability symbolizes unanticipated underachievement In comparison to ones ability level and the occurrence of such inconsistency justifies the incidence of a learning disability. Mild mental retardation represents unanticipated underperformance relative to individuals ability and underperformance is considered to be as a result of low aptitude. Purpose of the Research The purpose of this research was to differentiate groups of kids who are described as LA, MMR and LD on a range of social-behavior, school history predictors and cognitive achievement. These differences are significant because of incongruity in the discipline regarding the degree to which these symptoms overlap or can be consistently differentiated on predictors important to social functioning. These behaviors were differentiated by means of multivariate analysis and meta-analytic processes utilized by Kavale et al. (1994) to re-evaluate Ysselddyke et al.s information differentiating LA and LD groups.   This research differs from previous studies in the sense that it incorporated a group with MMR and used more comprehensive assessment of social-behavior performance, which has been proven in previous studies to contrast groups with mild disability (Greshman, Macmillan and Bocian 1996). Main Results This study adds to the knowledge presented from previous studies. There exists considerable difference in this study and previous ones that could be explained by variations on variables such as ethnic composition of trials, operational description of groups as well as physical location of these researches. LA, MMR and LD groups in this study functioned lowly in terms of academic performance. The group having learning disabilities scored poorly in comprehension compared to the LA group. All the groups scored better in mathematics but were considerably lower compared to the LA and LD groups reported in previous researches. The results are reliable with interpretation from other researches showing that children with learning disability scored more inadequately in academic performance compared to children with low achievement.

Not Selling Pull Your Book Off the Shelf

Not Selling Pull Your Book Off the Shelf One of the great advantages of indie publishing is being in control of your book. Recently a reader contacted me, asking my opinion about publishers. He was republishing a book done in 2011 that had not done well, blaming it on the vanity press. As someone ever interested in deterring folks away from those entities, I took a look at the book in an effort to assist. The cover was the best part. Beautiful. But it declined from there. The writing was chock full of grammar issues. The writing wasnt fluid. It was a memoir of sorts and wrought with the word I. The blurb was minimal and likewise full of errors. The author had no website, but worse, had not taken advantage of the Author Central page on Amazon, a freebie that every author ought to have fleshed out. As much as I abhor vanity presses and their predatory nature, I saw where they had done just what was asked of them. This was all on the author. My suggestion? Pull the book. Take it down. It hadnt sold well, so there was about used book sales keeping it active in the BN and Amazon databases.   I told him: 1) Pull the book 2) Cancel dealings with that press 3) Rewrite the book 4) Get feedback from a critique group 5) Get feedback from an editor 6) Redesign the cover 7) Acquire new blurbs 8) Acquire testimonials from those who did like it 9) Study indie publishing 10) Hire someone to format the print and digital book (although I adore Joel Friedlanders book templates)   11) Get his own ISBNs, especially if he intends to write more books 12) Use CreateSpace for print on Amazon 13) Use IngramSpark for print on non-Amazon sites 14) Use Amazon KDP for ebook on Amazon 15) Use Draft2Digital for ebook on non-Amazon sites Dont worry, this author wont recognize himself here. I get a few of these every week, asking how to proceed after a vanity press deal has flopped. Im adamant about protecting peoples privacy, but I received enough questions on this topic to warrant this weeks editorial. If you think this is you, dont let it bug you. Trust me, you have ample companionship in this dilemma. Your job now is to learn from your failures and spin it into success. Thats why we fail in the first place: to take us a step closer to doing it well.

Financial Management at Marks and Spencer Case Study

Financial Management at Marks and Spencer - Case Study Example Marks and Spencer have achieved great success in the last three years and now it is in the progress focusing on core business and aiming at becoming more customer oriented and flexible business offering a wide selection of quality goods. The financial performance of Marks and Spencer during 2008 was extremely pleasing for the stakeholders. The total revenue has been increased by 5.1 % with highly strong performance in its domestic trade. But the total revenue was increased by 10.1 % in 2007 with high performance in both its home and international business. It is reported that during 2008, 4.8% of space on the weighted average method has been added to the general merchandise. Both Gross Margin of 38.9% and Net Margin of 12.2% show better performance than its last year's financial state. During 2007 profitability has been increased to 11.2% from 9.6% and 7.4% of 2006 and 2005 profitability records respectively. It shows the success achieved by Marks and Spencer in its business operation both in domestic and international trade. Marks and Spencer's UK retail has been accounted to be '8,309.1m during 2008, but it was '7,975.5 m and '7,275 in 2007 and 2006 respectively. The international retail trade of M&S was '522.7 min 2006 and '610.6 in 2007, and the international trade in 2008 has been increased further and accounted to be '712.9m. Group operating profit has also been constantly increasing for the last few years. Group operating profit of its UK retail business has been accounted to be '972.9m in 2008 with a slight increase from the figure of '956.5 min 2007. Group operating profit of its international trade has been accounted to be '116.4m in 2008 with an increase of '28.9 m from 2007's figure of '87.5m. In short, both domestic and international trades of Marks and Spencer have been constantly increasing for the last few years and getting a rather outstanding loyalty brand name among the customers. Operating profit on property disposals was '27 million but it was 1.9 million during 2007. The report also shows that the general merchandise gross margin was up by 120 basis points to 52.6% which was caused by improved buying. Net finance costs before exceptional items were increased by 4.3% after pension finance income of '58.9 million, but it was 20.8 million in 2007. Net finance cost during 2007 has been reported to be decreased to18.3% reflecting a reduction in the average net debt. Earnings per share have been increased by 28.7% to 40.4p per share that reflected as a great advantage to attract more investors than before. Cash outflow has been reported to be '917.5 million in 2008 but cash inflow during 2007 was very strong as it generated a net cash flow of ' 231.1 million in 2007. In 2007, Cash inflow from continuing operating activities had been increased by '259 million. Cash inflow from continuing operation in 2008 has been decreased by '206.6 million that has reflected a higher working capital outflow. In 2007, there was a reduction in cash outflow on leasehold repayments as compared to 2006 and hence it resulted in an increase in the working capital which was accounted to be '114.1 million.  

Volumetric Analysis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Volumetric Analysis - Lab Report Example The pink color of the dilute MnO4- solution indicates the end of the reaction. This is known as the "end point" or equivalence point of the titration. The given solution contains a mixture of both Fe +2 ions and Fe +3Assuming that each of the ions is present to at least 30% by mass. Therefore the two different Fe ions present, giving a total of 60% by mass of the mixture of Fe ions. The remaining 40 % of the solution is made up of an acid assuming any acid, say sulphuric acid in this case. Firstly set up ther apparatus as follows; without pouring any contents into either the burette or the volumetric flask. The mass of iron mixture in the solution is given to be between 1.1g and 1.3g. Given that the volume of the solution is 200cm the amount (moles) of Fe can be calculated by; n=mass/molar mass and then the concentration can be found out by rearranging the equation n=CV, to C =n/V Therefore, the mass of Fe taken to be 1.1g and the molar mass to be 56. The number of moles = 1.1/56 = 0.02 mol The No. of moles for the other masses e.g 1.2g and 1.3g can also be found, using the same equation. Then the concentration can be calculated; concentration = 0.02/200=1x10 1x10 / 1000 1x10-7 mold dm-3 Procedure: The concentration of the solution given is found to be 1x10-7 mold dm-3 Pour this solution into a volumetric flask. From the volumetric flask note down the volume of the solution you have. Using a graduated pipette, transfer 20cm3 of the solution into the conical flask Place conical flask on top of a white tile. Fill the burette in with potassium permanganate solution, making sure that the tap below on the burette is closed. Record the initial reading on the burette (read the...The pink color of the dilute MnO4- solution indicates the end of the reaction. This is known as the "end point" or equivalence point of the titration. 3. Heat each solution containing the iron sample almost to boiling. SnCl2 solution should be added drop wise taking care such that the yellow Fe(III) color just disappears. Then add only 2 drops excess of SnCl2 solution. The solution is cooled by placing the outside edge under running cold water until held,

Short Answers 1. ULTRA 2. Marshall Gregori Zhukov 3.General George C Essay

Short Answers 1. ULTRA 2. Marshall Gregori Zhukov 3.General George C. Marshall 4. Anzio 5. Operation Fortitude 6.Kursk 7.The Fal - Essay Example 2. Marshal Georgi Zhukov was the leading Red Army strategist behind Soviet victories at Moscow, Stalingrad and at Berlin. He was instrumental in developing defensive strategies that led to the Germans’ defeat. A leading member of the Stavka, Zhukov â€Å"more than any other one man was responsible for the formulation and implementation of Soviet strategy.†? His victory at Moscow and subsequent counter-offensive at Stalingrad devastated the Wehrmacht and turned the war in the Soviets’ favor after a string of near-catastrophic losses during the early weeks of Operation Barbarossa. After driving the Nazis out of Russia, Zhukov ultimately led the Red Army to victory in 1945 at Berlin, taking the city despite fierce resistance. (Name) 3 3. General George C. Marshall was in large part architect of the Allies’ victory in World War 2. As the grand organizer of the Allies’ war effort, he orchestrated the invasion of the European continent. He also managed th e massive U.S. war effort on two fronts, balancing the need for overwhelming manpower and materiel between Europe and the Pacific. Ultimately, Marshall was â€Å"responsible for the building, supplying, and, in part, the deploying of over eight million soldiers.†? After the war, the Marshall Plan became the blueprint for recovery in Europe and set the stage for subsequent prosperity in Western Europe. Marshall was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1953. 4. Anzio, the battle subsequent to Operation Shingle, was an attempt by the Allies to outflank the German army and free the road to Rome. Strategically, the Allies sought to liberate Italy but were facing stalemate north of Naples.4 Despite a successful landing, the Americans and British were pinned down by the Germans but managed to hold the beachhead, finally breaking through to Rome and liberating the city. The fighting at Anzio occupied German troops that could not be committed to the defense of Normandy on D-Day, with the Germans eventually committing approximately 80,000 additional troops to the defense of Italy. 5. Operation Fortitude was the name the Allies used for a campaign of deception prior to the Normandy landings. Aimed at keeping the Wehrmacht off balance and confused, it led the German high command to believe that the Allied landing would take place at Pas de Calais. Ultimately, the objective of Operation Fortitude was to keep (Name) 4 the Germans from concentrating their forces in Normandy. One of the war’s most successful deception campaigns, Operation Fortitude had the desired effect: â€Å"As a result, (the Germans) embarked on relatively few defensive preparations, mostly along the Pas de Calais on the Channel Coast north of the River Seine.†5 6. The Battle of Kursk technically marked the end of the German initiative in the eastern war. From a tactical standpoint, the Soviet victory at Kursk was a triumph of the Red Army’s use of â€Å"redundant† defen se, or defense in depth, which utilized a devastating and meticulous combination of artillery, tank units and other defensive weapons. This approach proved the undoing of the Wehrmacht’s famous Blitzkrieg approach to offensive warfare. Designed to overwhelm a foe in a single massive stroke, the German Blitzkrieg broke against a series of Russian defensive positions. â€Å"

The Problem of Evil

The Problem of Evil The Problem of Evil Does such problem contradict the existence of God? Why does our world contain so much evil? Why does it contain any evil at all? These questions and many others, particularly the presence of evil, reflects the most persistent argument raised against theism. The problem of evil is usually seen as the problem of how the existence of God can be reconciled with the existence of evil in the world. The problem simply stems from basic beliefs or assumptions pertaining to the attributes of God: God is perfectly good, omniscient, and omnipotent. From this, such a God should want to prevent evil, yet much evil exists. There have been many proposed solutions to problem of evil, one being the free will defense/argument. According to this argument, God must allow His creatures to do evil sometimes in order to promote free will. So even if God wants to prevent evil, he cannot because free will is important. The free will defense successfully solves the problem. Some critics believe that this argument fails due to the fact that God could give us f ree will and still stop people from doing evil. But if that were the case, people would not really have free will; they would know they could not freely do anything they wanted. In this paper I will further explain the problem of evil and examine the concept of the free will argument. Furthermore, I will present J. L. Mackies argument regarding the issue, while exploring Alvin Plantingas defense. Despite Plantingas success and acceptance, his free will defense still presents a conflict between reasoning and the characteristics of God. The problem of evil arises because the concept of God seems to entail that there should be no evil in the world. The existence of evil seems to indicate that God is not preventing this evil. If such notion were true, why would not God step in to intervene? Many philosophers, particularly J.L. Mackie, details the problem of evil as a simple case of logical inconsistency, which arises from the attributes of God all being true at the same time. The religious believers assume that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent, yet evil exist. Simply stated or broken down, the problem of evil claims that the following prepositions cannot be held consistently together: 1. God is omnipotent (all powerful) 2. God is omniscient (all knowing) 3. God is omnibenevolent (all good) 4. Evil exists If God has these features, then it follows that God can and should want to prevent evil. As Mackie states, â€Å"Good is opposed to evil, in such a way that a good things always eliminates evil as far as it can, and that there are no limits to what an omnipotent thing can do. From these it follows that a good, omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely, and then the propositions that a good, omnipotent thing exists, and the evil exists, are incompatible (174).† For sake of clarity, I will define the terms â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil†, as they will be used throughout this paper. Good is interpreted as anything in harmony with Gods character, will, and goal, whereas evil is any state or condition that is contrary to His character, will, and goal. Speaking in terms of evil, I will further examine two types of evil, as one will be introduced later on in the paper. Moral evil is evil that results from an act, or failure to act, by man. For instance, murder is an evil brought about by man and therefore it is a moral evil. On the contrary, natural evil arises through no fault by man. He has no control over natural evil and is completely powerless to prevent its occurrences. Examples of natural evils are sufferings caused by diseases or natural phenomena such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and tsunamis. The problem of evil can be distinguished between two types of philosophical aspects or challenges to faith in God: the evidential challenge and the logical challenge. The evidential challenge (also known as the inductive argument) seeks to show that the existence of evil counts against the probability of the truth of theism (defined as the belief in at least one deity). Philosophy William L. Rowe illustrates this challenge as such: 1. There exist instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse. 2. An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the occurrence of any intense suffering it could, unless it could not do so without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse. 3. Therefore, there does not exist an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being (Rowe, 201) In these statements, Rowe suggests the inductive, probabilistic view of the evil argument justifies atheism (defined as either a rejection of theism or a position that deities do not exist). Evidential arguments claim that there is no good reason for Gods permission of evil. On the other hand, there is the logical challenge to belief in God, which says that it is both impossible and irrational to believe in the existence of a good, powerful God with the existence of evil in the world. A sample logical challenge would in the following form: 1. A good God would destroy evil. 2. An all-powerful God would destroy evil. 3. Evil is not destroyed. 4. Therefore, there cannot possibly be such a good and powerful God. The logical challenge attempts to demonstrate that the assumed propositions lead to a logical contradiction and cannot therefore all be correct. In his argument from evil, David Hume inquires about the existence of God, stating that the assumed God would not possibly allow evil to exist. He asks, â€Å"Is He willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil (150)?† Being that there is more evil than good in the world, it is difficult to see how one can reconcile the existence of evil with the existence of an all-powerful, omnibenevolent God. So it seems that either God does not exist, or His characteristics are very different from what we think. It seems that either choice contradicts the traditional belief in God. However, the conclusion that were wrong about God follows only if God has no good reason for allowing evil. Perhaps if one can explain Gods reason for allo wing evil, then the belief in God may still be rational. There are many possible replies and solutions to the problem of evil, but I will only limit focus to one particular argument. The free will defense illustrates that God allows evil for the sake of human free will. Moreover, evil occurs because God does not want to compromise this free will be preventing evil. Speaking in terms of free will, what does it mean to necessarily be free or possess free will? As used in this paper, free will is identical to freedom of choice, or the ability to do or not to do something. The concept implies that an omnipotent God does not assert its power to intervene in choice. Gods creation of beings with considerable free will is something like the greatest gift that can be given, or in another sense, the greater good. He could not eliminate evil and suffering without eliminating the greater good of having created beings with free will. The argument simply says that God is not responsible for the evil that takes place, but rather, beings are at fault; at some point in life, a being will be faced with a situation that requires moral choice and the ability to act freely, and they may possibly choose evil (Cain). The argument gives the impression that God knows that evil occurs, God does not want evil to occur, and God has the ability to prevent evil, but evil still exists because God wants us to have free will. In Evil and Omnipotence, Mackie argues that the traditional conceived God cannot possibly exist with so much evil and suffering in the world. Thus, the problem of evil leads to a contradiction in at least one, if not all, of the attributes of God (that being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent). In his essay, Mackie examines what he calls â€Å"so-called† solutions to the problem: evil being a necessary counterpart to good, the universe being better off with some evil, evil acting as a means to good, and evil being the result of human free will. For objective purposes of consistency, I will only touch basis on Mackies response to evil being the direct result of freedom. For Mackie, the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of a Christian God. He maintains the idea that God granted free will, but then asks, â€Å"If God has made men such that in their free choices they sometimes prefer what is good and sometimes what is evil, why could He not h ave made men such that they always freely choose the good (Mackie, 178)?† Being all powerful, God could have created a world with both free will and no signs of evil. In other words, God could have created a world where man had the ability to choose between two actions (good or bad), but from his omnipotence, He would always see it that man choose what was right. It is obvious that such a world was not created, so what does this say in terms of Gods power? According to Mackie, Gods inability to offer this possibility is a rational contradiction and limits not only his power, but his goodness as well. Plantinga, in his response against Mackie, suggests that atheologicans (specifically Mackie) are wrong to believe that evil and God are incompatible. He argues that God, even being omnipotent, could not create a world with free beings that never chose evil. Furthermore, it is possible that even an omnibenevolent God would want to create a world that contains evil, only if such would bring moral goodness. God uses evil as a vehicle for bringing about the greater good. In efforts to refute the logical problem of evil, Plantinga tries to show that Mackies argument is not contradictory. In order to do so, he finds a statement that could make the claim a reasonable one and makes an addition of a necessarily true proposition to Mackies. He says that â€Å"The heart of the Free Will Defense is the claim that it is possible that God could not have created a universe containing moral good (or as much moral good as this world contains) without creating one that also contained moral evil. And if so, then it is possible that God has a good reason for creating a world containing evil (Plantinga, 190-191).† It is not to be taken in any way that Plantinga declares his proposition is true, but rather logically sound. The free will defense, in my opinion, is a partial success. Plantingas argument is a valid justification for Gods permission of evil, but he seems to speak only in terms of one nature of evil. Yes, the evil that exists around us is a consequence of the abuse of our freedom. Not all natures of evil, however, can be explained in this way. There is much evil that is not inflicted by man. Natural evils (as described earlier in the paper) or disasters, for instance, cause great destruction, but there is nothing that man could have done to prevent them. So if the blame does not fall on man, who can we hold accountable for such occurrences? Would it be safe and logical to say that God, being the Creator of all things (nature in particular), is to blame? Of course for Plantinga he would rely on Augustines perspective to say that these particular evils are a result on moral evil, relating the incidents of Adam and Eve and the concept of original sin. This response would probably be the safe way out, but again it does not necessarily pose a solution to the problem of natural evils. Not everyone hold the same beliefs or interpretations of Adam, Eve, and the forbidding fruit scenario. And at this rate of thinking, his argument would only hold strong for the theist himself. On another note, I believe that it is reasonable to say that it is better that the world contain beings with significant freedom than that it contains only automata. Evil can be seen as an instrument of God to correct, purify, and instruct (as a parent punishes his/her child). God is justified in permitting evil and suffering in terms of promoting character development; it seems that His goal would be to bring man to a point spiritual well-being and maturity. It is deemed necessary that man go through struggles in order to gain strength, a means of soul promoting, or to be conscious of certain emotions. For instance, in order for a person to know â€Å"hot†, they must inevitably know â€Å"cold†. Without being aware of the one, chances are you would not know how to distinguish between the two. In this case, in order for a person to possess happiness or feel sorrow, they must have been faced with a situation that evokes such feelings or emotions. Ultimately, perhaps God allows evil and suffering so that in the end, man will be born again and accept Gods grace and live by His word. In addition to this thought, a world without evil may not be a feasible world for those who possess free will. Everyone would always freely choose to do good acts because God would constitute everyone to do so. But if no one can choose otherwise, then no ability to choose really exists. Therefore, free will does not exist. When it comes to the problem of evil and Gods existence, there are many questions and concerns that come to mind. Firstly, it is written in the Book of Genesis that God created man in His image. But what exactly is Gods nature? Earlier in the paper, it was established that God, particularly the Christian God, is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all good. I take this as saying that God acts as an accomplice to evil because He knows what will happen before the action is done, and yet he does nothing to get involved. He is all powerful because â€Å"through Christ all things are possible†, or at least all things logically possible. He is also all good meaning He cannot sin nor do evil. Taking this into deliberation, man (being created in His image) has the ability to do wrong and create evil. Thus, we are not â€Å"all-good†. So does this fact alone contradict Gods omnibenevolence? Secondly, God granted free will, but has no means of intervening or preventing the consequenc es; if this was false, then evil would not exist. Does this inability take away from His omnipotence? In a sense, I think of it as a limitation on his power because He created something that He has no control over or at least it seems that He does not. Thirdly, it is argued that God cannot actualize a world with free will and no presence of evil. If this is true, then what do you consider heaven? Heaven is supposed to be a â€Å"perfect† world. I am sure that there is free will and absolutely no evil and suffering. Why could not have God create the physical world (in which we live) as such? In conclusion, the problem of evil exists because man believes in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent creator. Many philosophers, such as Mackie, argue that if one abolishes God himself, or at least some of His attributes, then evil needs no explanation. In response, some philosophers offer justifications for God permitting evil. The most credible of these is the free will defense, which states that there are no contradictions in Gods attributes; He is capable of destroying evil, but not at the expense of taking away free will. In my paper, I have examined the problem of evil and the concept of the free will argument, using Mackie and Plantingas arguments on the subject. I have given reason to both accept and reject the notion that it can be logically established that the existence of both evil and God are not incompatible. Perhaps no one will really understand Gods reason for allowing some things to happen. More so, there is a possibility that such knowledge is beyond our means of reasoning at present. Bibliography Cain, James. Free Will and the Problem of Evil. Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion (2004): 437-456. Gale, Richard M. Freedom and the Free Will Defense. Social Theory and Practice: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal of Social Philosophy (1990): 397-42. Gillett, Grant. The Problem of Evil and the Problem of God. Journal of Applied Philosophy (2007): 435-438. Hume, David. The Argument from Evil. Pojman, Louis P. and Michael Rea. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2008. 147-152. Mackie, J. L. Evil and Omnipotence. Pojman, Louis P. and Michael Rea. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2008. 173-180. Plantinga, Alvin. The Free Will Defense. Pojman, Louis P. and Michael Rea. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2008. 181-199. Schellenberg, J. L. The Atheists Free Will Offence. Internal Journal for Philosophy of Religion (2004): 1-15.

1920s in The Great Gatsby Essay example -- essays research papers

Written during and regarding the 1920s, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald is both a representation of this distinctive social and historical context, and a construction of the composer’s experience of this era. Beliefs and practises of the present also play a crucial role in shaping the text, in particular changing the way in which literary techniques are interpreted. The present-day responder is powerfully influenced by their personal experiences, some of which essentially strengthen Fitzgerald’s themes, while others compete, establishing contemporary interpretations of the novel. Dubbed the ‘roaring 20s’, because of the massive rise in America’s economy, this social and historical context is widely remembered for its impressive parties and sensationalist attitude. However, Fitzgerald also conveys a more sinister side to this culture through numerous affairs, poverty and a rampage of organised crime. By exposing this moral downfall, Fitzgerald reveals to the responder his value of the American dream and his belief of its decline. As a writer, Fitzgerald was always very much concerned with the present times, consequently, his writing style and plot reflects his own experiences of this era. So similar were the lives of Fitzgerald’s characters to his own that he once commented, â€Å"sometimes I don't know whether Zelda (his wife) and I are real or whether we are characters in one of my novels†. In 1924, Fitzgerald was affected by Zelda’s brief affair with a young French pilot, provoking him to lock her in their house. A construction of this experience can be seen in the way Fitzgerald depicts the 1290s context. For example in ‘The Great Gatsby’, there are numerous affairs and at one point, Mr Wilson locks up his wife to pre... ...der an intense image of the pretence that he believed the upper-class felt during the 1920s. In literature, the rose is usually a symbol of beauty and love, however Fitzgerald makes the comment that in reality, the 1920s are not entirely the wonderful era they are portrayed to be. While the issue of materialism is still very relevant in a modern-day context, the force behind it is quite different. Materialism is less a result of society’s search for love and happiness in an unethical culture, rather, high wages and relatively inexpensive commodities mean that modern, upper-class society obliges to the world of consumerism simply because it can. Through his remarkable use of techniques and style, Fitzgerald has created a realistic construction of his experience of the 1920s which is also heavily shaped by the present-day responder’s own beliefs and practices.

Donne as a Metaphysical Poet Essay

Introduction During the past forty years there have been two major theories of language learning by children. But there are two major schools of thought known as, ‘Behaviorists’ and ‘Mentalists’. One school is of the view that language learning is entirely the product of experience and that our environment affects all of us. Others have suggested that everybody has an innate language learning mechanism. Let us discovery with the help of these two schools of thought that how do children acquire their mother tongue. How do they grow up linguistically and learn to handle the stylistics varieties of their mother tongue? How much of the linguistics system they are born with and how much do they discover from their exposure to language? a) The Behaviorist School B.F. Skinner and his followers are known as behaviorist. According to them language learning is process known as operant conditioning. Conditioned Behavior is behavior which is the result of repeated training. Operant means that it is voluntary behavior, it is result of learner’s own free will, and it is not forced by any outside person or thing. The learner demonstrates the new behavior first as a response to a system of reward or punishment, and finally as an automatic response. In order to prove their theory they conducted an experiment. EXPERIMENT They put a rat in a box containing a bar. If it presses a bar, it is rewarded with a pellet of food. Nothing forces it to press the bar. The first time it probably does so accidentally. When the rat finds that the food arrives, it presses the bar again. Eventually it finds that if it is hungry it can obtain food by pressing the bar. Then task is made more difficult. The rat only gets rewarded if it presses the bar while a light is flashing. At first rat is puzzled. Eventually it learns the trick. Then the task is made more difficult again. This time the rat only receives food if it presses the bar a certain number of times. After initial confusion it learns to do this also. And so on, and so on. Operant condition can be summarized thus STIMULUS RESPONSE REINFORCEMENT REPETITION In operant conditioned, reinforcement plays a vital role. There are two kinds of reinforcement: A) Positive Reinforcement Praise and rewards are positive reinforcement. Experiments have shown that positive reinforcement works much better in bringing about good learning. B) Negative Reinforcement Rebukes and punishments are negative reinforcement. The behaviorists also claim that we learn language by imitation and association. For example, a young child hears the word â€Å"water† with the actual thing. He then makes this sound himself, imitating what he has heard. His parents are pleased that he has learnt another word and so his response is reinforced. The thoughts of behaviorist school can well be understood according to following tree diagram. The Behaviorist School Language learning is Positive Imitation Operant conditioning and and Negative Association Reinforcement Noam Chomsky explicitly rejects the behaviorists’ position that language should be thought of as verbal behavior, arguing that it should be thought of as knowledge held by those who use language. Chomsky suggests that the learner of any language has an inbuilt learning capacity for language that enables each learner to construct a kind of personal theory or set of rules about the language based on very limited exposure to language. b) The Mentalist School Chomsky and his mentalist followers claim that a child learns his first language through cognitive learning. They claim that language is governed by rules, and is not a haphazard thing, as Skinner and his followers would claim. According to Chomsky, the child is born with a mental capacity for working out the underlying system to the jumble of sounds which he hears. He constructs his own grammar’ and imposes it on all the sounds reaching his brain. This mental grammar is part of his cognitive framework, and nothing he hears is stored in his brain until he has matched it against what he already knows and found a ‘correct’ place for it within this framework. Chomsky argues that language is so complex that it is almost incredible that it can be acquired by a child in so short a time. He says that a child is born with some innate mental capacity which helps the child to process all the language which he hears. This is called the Language Acquisition Device, and he saws it as comprising a special area of the brain whose only function was the processing of language. This function, he argues, is quite separate from any other mental capacity which the child has. When Chomsky talks about ‘rules’, he means the unconscious rules in a child’s mind these rules enables him to make grammatical sentences in his own language. Chomsky does not mean that a child can describes these rules explicitly. For example, a four or five year old child can produce a sentence like I have done my work; he can do that because he has a ‘mental grammar’ which enables him to form correct present perfect structures and also to use such structures in the right and appropriate situations. But he is unable to define the formation of present perfect tense. The thoughts of Mentalists can well be understood with the help of the following tree diagram. The Mentalists School Language learning Input Mental grammar Is an (own rules) Innate ability LAD Grammatical Output sentences Both the schools have said significant things, yet neither is perfect. The mentalists’ emphasis on the rule-learning is over enthusiastic, and the behaviorists’ rejection of meaning is entirely unjust. Language acquisition seems to be a process both of analogy and application, both nature and nurture. The differences between the empiricists approach and that of the rationalist can be summarized in the following manner: BEHAVIOURISTS APPROACH MENTALIST APPROACH Conclusion This comparative study makes one thing clear: nature and nurture, analogy and application, practice and exposure are important. Innate potentialities lay down the framework. Within this framework, there is wide variation depending on the environment. The kind of language that children ultimately grow into shaped by the culture-based responses of the family, if not in a way that can be called imitation, then at least in terms of things the child chooses to do with its language. But we should be wary of the idea that all children experience the same practices and follow the same development path as they grow into their language. Having been exposed to a small number of utterances, the child begins to extract the principles underlying the utterances and compose new utterances of his own. This is the way every child grammar to communicate in an intelligent manner. He makes mistakes and produces ungrammatical sentences. His elders correct him; he feeds the information into his mini-grammar, modifies some of the rules, and again produces new utterances. In a period of about four years, he is able to master and internalize all the essential rules of language. This is a proof that a child’s own rules of grammar are more important to him than mere imitation.

How important was individuality to the composers of the Clas essays

How important was individuality to the composers of the Clas essays In order to assess how important individuality was to composers of the Classical period the question of what exactly individuality is must first be tackled. It can be defined as the aggregate of qualities and characteristics that distinguish one person or thing from others and in a musical context I believe this would refer most specifically to style and overall effect. It is perhaps easiest to detect individuality by simply listening to a piece of music, (although conductors and performers interpretations must be acknowledged), and it is then possible to analyse the music in detail in order to locate the specific devices, harmonies and textures which give it this unique sound and effect. During the Baroque period a great deal of music was composed explicitly for a particular means or setting such as the church. It is therefore not entirely surprising that the word individuality has come to be associated less with this period and more with that of the Classical and composers such a s Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart. The Classical period and the emergence of the galant style, brought with them a much greater interest in public displays of music than had previously been prevalent. It is therefore likely that this was one reason behind composers striving for a more individual style. Less complicated (more homophonic) textures than in the Baroque period also allowed more scope for composers of the time to experiment with style and so take a more individual approach. There was more focus on melody, sharp contrasts, contrasting phrasing within movements, and antecedent and consequent phrases. The use of one mood to unify a whole movement was abandoned and many new musical forms were introduced. Of these one of the most prominent was the string quartet. The string quartet (A composition for four solo string instruments, usually two violins, viola and cello ) was born out of the divertimento &ndas...

Heathcliffs Motives in Wuthering Heights Essays

Heathcliffs Motives in Wuthering Heights Essays Heathcliffs Motives in Wuthering Heights Essay Heathcliffs Motives in Wuthering Heights Essay Essay Topic: Wuthering Heights Concerning Heathcliff, the antagonist of Emily Bronte’s masterpiece â€Å"Wuthering Heights,† man or monster seems to be the resounding question. Throughout the book Heathcliff is shown to be a bitter fiend, but his story may also draw sympathy from the reader; his battle throughout life to be with the woman he loves is perhaps one of the most wretched love stories in all literature. Although raised by an upper-middle class family, Heathcliff cannot hide the fact that his ancestry is anything but gentry. His physical appearance is often described as that of a â€Å"gypsy. † Had Heathcliff’s physiognomy been fairer he may have been able to ascend to the higher class of the family he was raised by, but ultimately he could not. This forever puts him at a disadvantage when it comes to the woman he loves: Catherine. His status in society makes it nearly impossible for her to marry him. Although Heathcliff is raised by a family of high status in that area of northern England, he is not given that status himself. However, as his story is revealed, it is clear that he has riches that come from unknown sources and the amount of debt owed to him which eventually leads to his ownership of Wuthering Heights. This lack of family class takes away his ability to have Catherine’s hand in marriage and tears her away from him. Catherine’s upbringing and character combine to make her oblivious to the fact that she keeps hurting Heathcliff. Catherine’s stubborn nature and uncontrolled tongue are one of reasons Heathcliff departs Wuthering Heights for several years. With the marriage of Catherine to another man, and the burning hatred Heathcliff feels for Edgar Linton, it seems reasonable to infer that he becomes obsessed. These events lead him to plot revenge and suicide, but just the sight of Catherine steals these plans from him. After Catherine’s death, further evidence of Heathcliff’s obsession is apparent when he excavates the mools from over her grave. Since he does not attend her funeral, and does not pry open her coffin, he convinces himself that she is not dead and spends much of his life waiting for her. Frustration leads to his development of an even harsher character throughout the book and he becomes totally misanthropic in nature. After his death, Wuthering Heights appears to become a much happier place as the people there begin a relative healing process. The character of Heathcliff is plagued by his lack of status in the era of Wuthering Heights, and this affects his development as a person and eventually his responses. His inability to have the woman he loves is the main thread that ties the book together, and give Emily Bronte the opportunity to make a statement about mankind.

Billy's Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Billy's Case - Essay Example A man gauges his position, his benefits, and losses and thus makes a rational choice. A crime or misdeed always comes with its consequences and the person who is guilty of violating the law is liable to punishment. The penalties of crimes differ with the nature of the offense and the circumstances under which the crime was committed. Shoplifting can be defined as the theft of goods or merchandise from a retail establishment. The penalty of shoplifting depends upon the penal code of the state where the theft has taken place. The penalty usually depends upon the retail value of the stolen goods; it can result in a fine or sometimes imprisonment as well in case the retail value of the stolen merchandise is very high or if the shoplifter has a criminal record (Shteir, 2011). In some states, shoplifting comes under the provision of theft or larceny. But even then it is considered a petty theft and the offenders are not charged and sentenced too harshly. While other states differentiate shoplifting from other theft offenses, shoplifters are charged lightly as compared to other theft offenders. Shoplifting is one of the most common types of property theft because the penalty for it is not too high. Rational choice theory posits that crime is a result of rational choices; people weigh both the ends before committing a certain crime. So, if people are under the impression that shoplifting is a petty crime with a low penalty and shoplifters are not sentenced heavily, there is a chance that they might get indulged in shoplifting more than in other crimes, for which the penalties are high. Unlike major thefts, there is a big chance that the offender might get away with shoplifting as it is done during working hours. Surveys and research have proved that most of the shoplifters are amateurs. If the penalties are increased, the people who are not professional criminals will think twice before committing a crime. If the outcome of the offense is not beneficial

John Hancock, Boston Massacre Oration, March 5, 1774 Essay

John Hancock, Boston Massacre Oration, March 5, 1774 - Essay Example enderness, what regard, respect, or consideration has Great Britain shown, in their late transactions, for the security of the persons or properties of the inhabitants of the Colonies? Or rather what have they omitted doing to destroy that security?† He also told that such event was British act of â€Å"trampling on the rights and liberties of his most loyal subjects in Americaâ€Å" and that instead of protecting it as the King should, Britain did not and as a result â€Å"Our streets nightly resounded with the noise of riot and debauchery; our peaceful citizens were hourly exposed to shameful insults, and often felt the effects of their violence and outrage† and of course, the blame is pointed against the Britons to agitate the public. Hancock was actually agitating the crowd through his speech to revolt against Great Britain although it was not obvious. He did so by citing what a virtuous government ought to be and that as citizens, John Hancock and his fellow American must support. In the speech, he enumerated how Great Britain is not this virtuous or honorable government but rather â€Å"it is to the last degree vicious and infamous to attempt to support a government which manifestly tends to render the persons and properties of the governed insecure†. This statement is a subtle way that Britain is not fitting to rule them but has rather arrogated to â€Å"have declared that they have ever had, and of right ought ever to have, full power to make laws of sufficient validity to bind the Colonies in all cases whatever† evident with the Boston Massacre. In short, this speech was designed to sow discontent against the British by pointing out how she has arrogated her powers. In the process of agitating the public, people will look for ways on how to fight Britain of which they can later provide that eventually led to American Independence. 3. How should we evaluate Hancocks oration below in light of the real events of the Boston Massacre? In your opinion, was the