Perspectives on Human Nature Essay

For the past five weeks we have studied three different but influential people in our perspective on human nature class. They are Freud, Plato and Tzu. The main discussion between all of them is nature versus nurture. I will discuss the difference between nature and nurture and then I’ll apply to each of these philosophers and how they react to it. When looked up in the dictionary the term nature means the universe and its phenomena or one’s own character and temperament. When discussed with these philosophers it is meant as one’s own character revolved around the universe for which they live in, basically they’re surroundings. At the same time when I looked up the word nurture it said the upbringing, care or training of a child. And in this meaning it stands on its own. Meaning exactly how it’s listed in the dictionary. Freud’s point of view on this topic is that the human development depends on nurture and nature at the same time. Freud believes that human nature contains powerful uncontrollable innate drives and repressed memories. The only way that these can happen is by nurture, because of some of the innate drives have been brought up through one’s upbringing. In a way Freud’s point of views are definitely supported by both nature and nurture. Another reason for this is because if you look at just Freud’s Psychoanalytic Perspective they too support both. As an example look at the id, the id is all due to nature, the reason being because hunger, thirst, sex and aggression is in nature. But if you look at superego, you find out that it is supported by nurture for the simple fact that the superego is brought through the upbringing by the training of the child. Another example of Freud’s use of nature and nurture together was stated by Freud on page 15 of his book and it says, † Originally the ego includes everything, later it separates off an external world from itself. Our present ego feeling is, therefore, only a shrunken residue of a much more inclusive indeed, an all-embracing-feeling which correspondence to a mere intimate bond between ego and the world†(15). In my opinion I also think that Freud’s analyses both support nature and nurture. A perfect example is the quote I left in the last paragraph. Therefore, a lot of Freud’s points support nature and nurture. Perfect examples of this are his Psychoanalytic Perspectives. Examples of that topic are the topological model which would represent nature for the simple fact that the three main things described about it are all things that we have had in our minds for a long time and are in the subconscious mind. Not because we were taught those things but for the fact that they are instincts embedded in our minds for survival. For nurture the psychosexual development is due majorly because of nurture. From oral to anal-retentive these are all due to expressive characteristics that are given or raised from birth. The one that has the most effect is the structural model. Reasons for me stating this is because the id is the primitive part of the mind that is basically a natural instinct. At the same time the ego is also because of natural instinct simply because of the reality principle. Freud even went as far as stating, â€Å".. adults ego-feeling can’t have been the same from beginning. It must have gone through a process of development†(13). The part where it changes is the superego, which is the only form of nurture in the psychoanalytic perspective, which is because the superego only developed because the child began to incorporate parental values and also operates according to the raising and discipline of the parents. Now if you look at Plato’s point of view Plato supports nurture more than nature. The only points that Plato made that would seem to support nature is the point he made for example is when he talks about female guards. The reason for this is also because he feels that women should be given lighter work. Because of nature it has always been seen that the women would do the weaker work compared to man. At the same time it could also be seen as nurture for the simple fact that the cultures are raised in a way such that women are seen as not being able to handle the workload of man. My reasons for choosing nurture is because Plato through out his book makes many distinguishes which in these cases requires very well organized societies which could only be accomplished through nurture and not nature. The reason for nurture is because every position held in these societies are well thought up which would require training from the upbringing to adulthood in order for these societies to run properly. I have to admit though I found Plato a little more difficult to talk about for the simple fact that Plato spent more time discussing about society. So when reading Plato, I came to the conclusion that Plato supports nurture more than nature. My reason for this is societies through out history have to be developed and when they are it is because of strong influence from a group of people. Rather than nature where people would just live amongst each other without order or authority that comes with a selection process. The final person I’ll talk about is Chuang Tzu. In reality Chuang Tzu stated what he supported from the beginning of the book and that is the simple fact that he supports nature over nurture. Chuang Tzu even went as far as making the statement that, â€Å"Nurture keeps you out of touch with your true self†(Healey). Chuang Tzu spoke greatly about other things, which had a deep routed meaning, but in all that he talked about he made one distinction and that is the fact that he supported nature over nurture. As Chuang Tzu said, â€Å"Those who go quietly with the flow of nature are not worried by either joy or sorrow. People like these were considered in the part as having achieved freedom from bondage. These who cannot free themselves are constrained by things†(53). Chuang Tzu made many comments like this after all, â€Å"?if you are prepared to accept this and flow with it, then sorrow and joy cannot touch you†(24) † The best thing to do is leave it all to fate, even if this is not easy to do†(32). In reading Chuang Tzu I had felt that the things he said did not need any explanations. At the same time his view on life have deep meanings to me. His view on nature was incredible and reasonable but at the same time I feel that through the right influential nurture mankind can develop the right spiritual and psychological mind to understand why nature alone should work. In simple meanings I see nurture as way to lead to the utopia that Mother. Nature provides. My reasons are that without proper understanding that would be taught by nurture, mankind wouldn’t know how to handle the freedom from nature. In conclusion reading these books from Plato, Freud and Tzu on nature versus nurture was very intriguing although it does leave one especially me pondering what life would be like if we lived on nature. But at the same time the reasons for wondering reasonably or realizing the reality of how it would be done is all because of nurture. Through nurture I’ve had time to rationalize and mature as one person.

Should the tv media (television shows and ads) be required to present Essay

Should the tv media (television shows and ads) be required to present women in a realistic and respectful way at all times - Essay Example Most people have different views, and this is what we will try to explore and come up with our point of view by the end of the day (Parker and Adrian 1-4). Different writers have featured on this topic, and this is where we will get ideas and arguments so that we can come up with a substantive opinion on the topic. First, I think television should and must present women in a respectful and a more realistic way all the time. The reason behind this is that women play important roles in our society, and most people look unto them as their role models (Richmond and Hurtman 58-59). For instance, when a child is being brought up, he or she believes that her mother is always right. However, when they grow up and understand what the world means to them, they start to change they mentality and way of view on very many issues. One of the things that greatly influence them is the role and impact of media on their lives. Televisions plays are important role in our lives as they give and update us on all the information on what is happening both locally and internationally (Berger 16-29). Almost every household can afford a television in our homes today and easily accessible to our children. Most of the advertisements that are aired on television focusing on various products use women to convey these messa ges. A good example could be women who are used to advertise toilet soaps where most of them are mostly naked. From a recent study, it showed that women are mostly used as sex objects in most television adverts. This study mostly focused on specific environment under certain conditions. The main aim of this study was to help promote gender stereotypes in response to social views and perceptions. Behavior was also an important factor was also considered. This is because this is where young children and teenagers where they learn and emulate these people as their role models. In most cases, television advertisements are normally very persuasive and suggestible.

The Economic Riddles of the Institution of Slavery Assignment

The Economic Riddles of the Institution of Slavery - Assignment Example They discovered that the common situation of the black community, particularly the degree of slave breeding, licentiousness, and sexual abuse, to have been very much overstated or inaccurate (Thornton 1994). In reality, the material or physical situations of the slave were not considerably different from that of the free worker; they assumed that slaves were permitted to own ’90 percent of lifetime productivity (only 10 percent exploitation)’ (Thornton 1994, 25). Therefore, if the assumption of Fogel and Engerman is valid, then what were the possible economic reasons for the demise of slavery in antebellum South? Economic Inefficiency of Slave Labor Given Fogel’s and Engerman’s argument, free labor and slavery becomes similar to servitude in the sense that they may give to the owners all the profits of trade beyond what is needed for the subsistence of the workers; but they have this distinction, relevant for American rationales, that they allow labor to b e geographically transferred, as servitude keeps it provincially bonded. By opting for these enabling types of servitude instead of the one which would have tied the workers to the land, the pioneers of the colonial administration in trade probably believed they had prevented all economic obstacles in the territories. Nevertheless, their mechanism was projected to resolve the problems of a situation where the option was between free labor and slave labor. As decades passed and laborers mushroomed in America, the servitude structure for White settlers was rapidly abolished; but bonded labor or slavery for most of the Negroes continued as an essential aspect of economic life (Phillips 1959). Whether this was beneficial or unfavorable to the... This paper presents a comprehensive review of economic views of Fogel and Engerman on the efficiency of slave labor. The long-established analysis of the economics of slavery in the United States is evidently wide-ranging and intricate: slavery was economically primitive, unproductive, and futile. Yet, Fogel and Engerman argued against the premises and tried to prove that slavery was quite cost-effective.In order to support their thesis, they computed the ‘ratio of output to a weighted sum of inputs’ in free and slave agriculture, and compare the results. Rooted in a historical procedure that depends on the unearthing of new information and depends on ‘technical mathematical points’ , this model transformed slavery in the antebellum South from an oppressive structure to one that is currently regarded to have been more efficient and cost-effective than the North’s free labor structure. Starting with a description of the relative primitiveness of the South in economic progress, several scholars argue, mostly in reaction to Fogel’s and Engerman’s controversial thesis, that the institution of slavery is the root of the South’s backwardness.The individual prosperity which has taken that shape has contribute nothing to the community’s riches: Slavery merely serves to appropriate the wages of labor—it distributes wealth, but cannot create it. It entails cost in obtaining early population, then functions to hamper industry diversification and land developments, limiting, in fact, even the expansion of agriculture

How would you characterise Martin Luther Kings strategy for gaining Essay

How would you characterise Martin Luther Kings strategy for gaining civil rights In what ways did it differ from the approach espoused by Malcolm X or Stokely - Essay Example Being raised Christian gave King a moral and forgiving outlook on life, that later showed in his approach to civil rights. Garrow explains King stated: We must keep God in the forefront. Let us be Christian in all of our action. The protesters must not hate their white opponents, but be guided by Christian love while seeking justice with their demands. Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice. And justice is really love in calculation. (24) Baptist believed that Jesus did for every mans sin. All that man has to do is ask for forgiveness, inviting Jesus into to his heart. Once Jesus blood covered a sinner, the sinner became perfect in Christ. If someone is perfect, no matter the color, they are equal. King felt that every sinner could be forgiven, even Ku Klux Klan members or white supremacists. This led him to be forgiving of the white oppressors. Forgiveness in the Christian religion did not mean acceptance for the Jim Crow laws in place at the time of Kings birth. Jim Crow laws did not abide by national laws. King felt â€Å"civil disobedience to local laws is civil obedience to national laws† (Garrow, 92). Although the North won the American Civil War, the South won the battle of Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were laws created to keep white and black separated (Cook, 10). An example would be separate bathrooms, water facets, eating facilities, and even separate places on public transportation. King felt that Jim Crow laws were illegal. Technically he was right. The North won the war, which made federal laws superior to state laws. However, the Southerners did not acknowledge this fact. The reality was the North did not want to deal with civil rights after the American Civil War until activists like King started pressing the issue. King realized that, â€Å"that our refusal to accept jim crow in specific areas challe nges the entire social, political and economic order that

I will down load the story that it needs to be taken from Essay

I will down load the story that it needs to be taken from - Essay Example Since its inception technology’s infusion into life has transformed the lives of human beings slowly and steadily and has evolved the human society into its present state- the state which is miraculously poles apart from where the society stood just a few decades ago. This infusion of technology and successive increasing inclination is, however having both good and bad effects upon it adapters. One the one hand there is one school of thought which argues that technology is to ma like blood is to human body. They claim that technology is extremely beneficial and it unending benefits make life extremely feasible for man to live their life. From computing devices assisting man at every unit time to the limitless number of software that do thousands of tasks for man, people argue that there is now way by which such a beneficial invention could be non- beneficial for man. â€Å"Digital technologies have had a profound impact on most aspects of human life. The rapid pace of technol ogical development has given the current generation one of the most fascinating eras in which to live. Technological advances are leading to life changing scientific breakthroughs, new business management paradigms, and a more inclusive and connected global society.† (Baldauf, Stair, 2011) On the other hand there is this other school of thought who argues that technology infusion is gaining a dangerous pace among human beings and it is thus becoming highly dangerous for their own personal lives. People afraid of the dangerous inclination of technology towards man contend that people get so very used to checking their connecting gadgets and their office work all the time that they even tend to forget their meal times and their personal obligations towards their families and friends. It is as if technology infusion has actually taken over their lives and their distractions from their personal lives are not even detectable to them. Others even maintain that the thought of assumin g that multitasking enables more productivity is actually not true. While people think that they actually are multitasking and are getting several tasks done simultaneously they originally are unable to concentrate on even one single task. There is absolutely no task of getting creativity done if one is multitasking and is trying to work at the same time on their Smartphone, laptop and tablet etcetera. People become this much freaks that even the thought of not remaining connected to their gadgets for the sixteen seconds in which the train in which they are travelling passes through a subway is not acceptable to them. The look forward to the passing of those sixteen seconds as soon as possible so that the connectivity to their gadgets is maintained again. â€Å"Technological change is the major source of cultural change in any society.† (Andersen, Taylor, 2007) My view is that over exposure to any thing is not safe and not good for anyone. Thus even the overexposure to techno logy is not recommended. Our personal lives are the most cherished things man has been blessed with. Thus we would be taking advantage of the benefits of technology but should not let them take over our minds and souls for all times. When it comes to the topic of the affects of things on the personal lives of human beings, most of us will readily agree that our family and personal lives should have the utmost importance and should not be neglected at all. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether this dangerous

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Taxation - Essay Example Hence the 2009-10 tax year ran from 6 April 2009 to 5 April 2010. The tax year is sometimes also called the Fiscal Year. The Financial Year, used mainly for corporation tax purposes, runs from 1 April to 31 March. Financial Year 2010 runs from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, as Financial Years are named according to the calendar year in which they start. Income tax liabilities of individuals: For individuals this means the UK income tax liability of one who is neither resident nor ordinarily resident in the UK is limited to any tax deducted at source on UK income, together with tax on income from a trade or profession carried on through a permanent establishment in the UK and tax on rental income from UK real estate. Individuals who are both resident and domiciled in the UK are additionally liable to taxation on their worldwide income and gains. Each person has an income tax  personal allowance, and income up to this amount in each tax year is free of tax for everyone. For 2010-11 the tax allowance for under 65s is  £6,475 which was raised to  £7,475 on 22 June 2010. There are three slabs for rate of taxes – basic rate for the slab  £0- £37,400 is 20%, above  £37,400 is 40% and above  £150000 is 50%. The taxpayers income is assessed for tax according to a prescribed order, with income from employment using up the personal allowance and being taxed first, followed by savings income (from interest or otherwise unearned) and then dividends. On Employees: Employees pay National Insurance contributions to build up their entitlement to certain state benefits, including the State Pension. The contributions they pay depend on how much they earn and whether they are employed or self-employed. Employees stop paying National Insurance contributions when they reach State Pension age. They pay National Insurance contributions if they are an employee or self-employed and they are aged

Native American Religions Essay Example for Free

Native American Religions Essay Native American Religions happen to be one of the oldest and most enduring forms of religion. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups. Native Americans arrived on the North American Continent fifth-teen thousand to twenty thousand years ago. Native Americans have literally sources that exist from only the last four hundred years even though Native American life covers perhaps twenty thousand years. Over three hundred tribes have been recognized by the United States government. Native Americans are the only known ethnic group in the United States requiring a federal permit to practice their religion. In the state of Virginia, Native Americans face a unique problem. Virginia has no federally recognized tribes. Native American Religions have also been known as American Indians, Amerindians, Amerinds, Aboriginal, Indians, Indigenous, Original Americans, Red Indians, or Red Men. Native Americans religions are polytheistic. Native American Religions are remarkably free of priesthood. Native Americans are very personal in that they encourage Page 2 individuals to contact the spirit world alone. Native Americans believe that many levels of Gods and Spirits exist in the universe. They think of the High God or Great Spirits as a personal God. They believe in the Supreme Being in a manner found in many basic religions. Native religions have some of the qualities of monotheism, polytheism, and monism. Native American has been exposed to Christian eschatology for more than four hundred years. The influence of Christianity has been so strong that today most Native Americans are Christians. They are interested in the day-to-day life among the multiple spirits found in the world. Native Americans have a reverent attitude toward the land, trees, rivers, and mountains. Native Americans who practiced agriculture revere the soil, plants, and tree. Hunting was an important part of life within many Native American Cultures. The hunter would pray to the spirit of the animal before the hunt. Hunting was a religious pursuit in which the hunters saw the animal as a fellow creature, with a similar spirit. After all hunting’s one would ask the animal for forgiveness. They would basically perform a taboo. A religious action that enables people to avoid doing things that would offend the spirits of nature and the ancestors. This was one of the ways the Native American would protect themselves from possible danger from the spirit world. Another widely observed taboo is the avoidance of the dead. Taboo concerning about Page 3 the dead led Native Americans to be greatly concerned about their final resting places. There is no heaven for those who have been righteous and no hell for those who have been wicked. Native Americans often seek to control the forces of spirit world with ceremonies. The purpose of their ceremonies, rituals, songs, and dances is not necessarily worship. They are a mean of renewing the partnership between humans and the spirit world. Long hours of dancing in this atmosphere prepare the participants for contact with the spirit world. Holy week is also celebrated a song and dance. Native Americans often gain special powers by seeking visions that may place them in connection with the spirit world. Visions are sought by Native Americans at other times in life. The spirit may appear after a period of fasting and prayer, or sometimes without any preparation. The Sweat Lodge is probably the most important Native Ritual. The sweat lodge usually occurs before and after every other major ritual like the Sundance and Vision Quest. It is also a stand alone ritual meaning that it occurs whenever it is needed. Its original purpose was to cleanse or purify individuals. Mother sweat lodge essentially translates in to returning to the womb. The Sun Dance last from four to eight days starting at the sunset of the final day of preparation and ending at sunset. It showed continuity between life and death regeneration. It shows that there is no true end to life, but a cycle of symbolic and true deaths and rebirths. All of nature is intertwined and dependent on one another. This gives an equal ground to everything on the Earth. The sun dance was a significant part of the Crow Indian peoples Page 4 spirituality. It was a spiritual retreat in which a large number of participants would fast, pray and dance for a period of days. They asked for answers to events going on in their lives. Traditional Native Americans seem to believe in two souls, neither of which is considered immortal. One soul is the life, or the breath, that accompanies the body. The other soul is known as the free soul. One of the most common elements of Native American Religions is the use of tobacco and the sacred pipe in religious ceremonies. Tobacco was originally grown and used only for religious purposes by Native Americans. The tobacco used in religious ceremonies is stronger than the tobacco used in cigarettes. The ritual tobacco is occasionally smoked in rolled from corn husks. Most Native American tribes had traditional gender roles. Men hunted, traded and made war, while women gathered plants, cared for the young and the elderly. Women ever had the task of making weapons and tools, they took care of the roofs of their homes and often helped their men hunt buffalos. Many Native American people believed in the unusual power of a woman at these times in life. During a women menstruation she was kept away from ordinary society. Native Americans today have a special relationship with the United States of America. In conclusion, Native Americans can be found as nations, tribes, or bands of Native Americans who have sovereignty or independence from the government of the United Statesry society. Like other religions, Native American belief systems include many sacred Page 5 narratives. Such spiritual stories are deeply based in Nature and are rich with the symbolism of seasons, weather, plants, earth, water, sky and fire. The idea of an all powerful Great Spirit, a connection to the Earth, diverse creation narratives and collective memories of ancient ancestors are common. Traditional worship practices are often a part of tribal gatherings with dance, rhythm, songs and trance.