Best Philosopher essays

Best Philosopher essays In the novel, Sophies World, the philosopher that I was indeed intrigues by was Aristotle. I was astonished by his view over the world. How he was able to go ahead and disagree with his teacher all the time and brought up good explanations to back up on his belief. He not only brought his philosophical views but also brought even more, on how to have the government operate and how it should be limited as well. It was his way of thinking that I love; it would always amaze me on how he would always come up with his stunning ideas. Scientifically and how it was best to have the government work in favor of that wouldnt lead to catastrophic arguments in the long run. His system of checks and balances was a system that would bring government in check so that it wouldnt result that the government would have absolute power. I would like to learn more about Aristotle to get a further understanding of his ideas. What I mean is that I would like to go into depth in his ideas of politics, natures scale, and logic. I also have questions regarding to his teachings and his view of life. In addition, I would like to know personally how he was criticized and he was able to continue his studies without no support from anyone nor having the efficient tools like he have today. Overall, I want to get to know Aristotle from childhood and how he was influenced to become a philosopher. Just want to have some knowledge over Aristotle and his history. I guess the way I would go ahead and seek the information toward Aristotle to personally read his book, The Republic, which focuses on politics and how it should be structured. Also, to go ahead and speak w/ a historian who knows the background of Aristotles days. Finally, another way is to go to an old library that owns books toward the philosophic days and that focuses on Aristotle. This should give me a more clear understanding of the life of Aristotle. ...

The Trump Effect in Schools

The Trump Effect in Schools A ten-day surge of hate crimes followed the election of Donald Trump in November 2016. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) documented nearly 900 incidents of hate crimes and bias incidents, most committed in celebration of Trumps win, in the days following the election. These incidents occurred in public places, places of worship, and at private homes, but across the country, the largest proportion of incidents- more than a third- occurred in the nations schools. Zeroing in on the problem of Trump-related hate within U.S. schools, SPLC surveyed 10,000 educators from across the country in the days following the presidential election and found that the Trump Effect is a serious nationwide problem. The Trump Effect: Increased Hate and Bullying and Heightened Fear and Anxiety In their 2016 report titled The Trump Effect: The Impact of The 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nations Schools, SPLC reveals the findings of their nationwide survey. The survey found that the election of Trump had a negative effect on the climate within the vast majority of the nations schools. The research reveals that the negative aspects of the Trump Effect are two-fold. On the one hand, in most schools, students who are members of minority communities are experiencing heightened anxiety and fear for themselves and their families. On the other hand, in many schools across the nation, educators have observed a sharp uptick in verbal harassment, including the  use of slurs and hateful language directed at minority students, and have observed swastikas, Nazi salutes, and display of Confederate flags. Of those who responded to the survey, a quarter said that it was clear from the language students used that the incidents they observed were directly related to the election. In fact, according to a survey of 2,000 educators conducted in March 2016, the Trump Effect began during the primary campaign season. Educators who completed this survey identified Trump as an inspiration for bullying and a source of fear and anxiety among students. The increase in bias and bullying that educators documented in the spring skyrocketed in the aftermath of the election. According to reports by educators, it appears that this side of the Trump Effect is found primarily in schools in which the student population is majority white. In these schools, white students target  immigrants, Muslims, girls, LGBTQ students, disabled kids, and Clinton supporters with hateful and biased language. Attention to bullying in schools has increased in recent years, and some might wonder if what is being called the Trump Effect is simply run-of-the-mill behavior among todays students. However, educators across the country reported to SPLC that what they have observed during the primary campaign and since the election is new and alarming. According to educators, what they have witnessed in the schools where they work is an unleashing of a spirit of hatred they had not seen before. Some teachers reported hearing openly racist speech and seeing racially inspired harassment for the first time in careers of teaching that spanned multiple decades. Educators report that this behavior, inspired by the words of the president-elect, have exacerbated already existing class and racial divisions within schools. One educator reported witnessing more fights in 10 weeks than in the previous 10 years. Studying and Documenting the Trump Effect on Americas Schools The data compiled by SPLC were collected via an online survey that the organization disseminated through several groups for educators, including Teaching Tolerance,  Facing History and Ourselves, Teaching for Change, Not in Our Schools, the American Federation of Teachers, and Rethinking Schools. The survey included a mix of closed- and open-ended questions. The closed questions offered educators the opportunity to describe changes to the climate in their school after the election, while the open-ended ones gave them the opportunity to provide examples and descriptions of the kinds of behavior and interactions they had witnessed among students and how educators are handling the situation. The data gathered through this survey are both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Between the 9th and 23rd of November, they received responses from 10,000 educators from across the country who submitted more than 25,000 comments in response to the open-ended questions. SPLC points out that, because it used a purposive sampling technique to gather the data- sending it to selected groups of educators- it is not nationally representative in a scientific sense. However, with its large nationwide set of respondents, the data paint a rich and descriptive picture of what is happening in many of Americas schools following the 2016 election. The Trump Effect by the Numbers Its clear from the results of SPLCs survey that the Trump Effect is prevalent among the nations schools. Half of the educators surveyed reported that students in their schools were targeting each other based on which candidate they supported, but this goes beyond teasing. A full 40 percent reported hearing derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslim students, immigrants and those perceived as immigrants, and at students on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation. In other words, 40 percent reported witnessing incidents of hate in their schools. The same percentage believe that their schools are not equipped to deal with incidents of hate and bias that occur so regularly. The survey results show that it is​ an  anti-immigrant bias that is at the center of the Trump Effect on Americas schools. Of the more than 1,500 incidents that SPLC was able to categorize, 75 percent were anti-immigrant in nature. Of the remaining 25 percent, most were racially motivated and racist in nature. Types of incidents reported by respondents: 672 reported hearing threats of deportation476 reported hearing references to build the wall117 reported hearing the N-word used as a racial slur89 reported that Black students were told to go back to Africa54 reported presence of swastikas on campus40 reported references to the Ku Klux Klan  http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/History-Ku-Klux-Klan-KKK.htm31 reported seeing the Confederate flag20 reported references to a return to slavery18 reported references to pussy (as in, grab her by)13 reported references to Nazi and/or use of the Nazi salute11 reported references to lynching and nooses How School Demographics Filter the Trump Effect The SPLC survey revealed that the Trump Effect is not present in all schools  and that in some, only one side of it manifests. According to educators, schools with majority-minority students populations are not seeing incidents of hate and bias. However, they report that their students are suffering from increased fear and anxiety over what the election of Trump means for them and their families. The Trump Effect on majority-minority schools is so severe that some educators report that the students in their schools appear to be suffering from ​a  trauma that hinders their ability to focus and learn. One educator wrote,  Their brains can literally handle a fraction of what students could learn in these same classes in the previous 16 years I have taught them. Some students at these schools have expressed suicidal ideation, and in general, educators report a loss of hope among students. It is in schools with racial diversity that both sides of the Trump Effect are present, and where racial and class tensions and divisions are now heightened. However, the survey revealed that there are two types of schools where the Trump Effect has not manifested: those with overwhelmingly white student populations, and in schools where educators have intentionally cultivated a climate of inclusion, empathy, and compassion, and that have established programs and practices in place for responding to divisive events that occur in society. That the Trump Effect is not present in majority-white schools but prevalent among those that are racially diverse or majority-minority suggests that race and racism are at the heart of the crisis. How Educators Can Respond Together with Teaching Tolerance, SPLC offers some informed recommendations for educators on how to manage and mitigate the Trump Effect in their schools. They point out that it is important for administrators to set a tone of inclusion and respect through school communications and everyday actions and language.Educators must acknowledge the warranted fear and anxiety that many students are experiencing, and develop and implement plans for responding to this particular form of trauma and make the school community aware that these resources exist.Raise awareness within the school community of bullying, harassment,  and bias, and reiterate school policies and expectations for student behavior.Encourage staff and students to speak up when they see or hear hate or bias directed at members of their community or themselves so that offenders are made aware that their behavior is unacceptable.Finally, SPLC warns educators that they must be prepared for a  crisis. Clear policies and procedures must be in place and all educators within the school community must know what they are and what their role is in carrying them out before a crisis oc curs. They recommend the guide, Responding to Hate and Bias at School.

Clovis Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clovis Points - Essay Example The interesting thing about these objects is the similarity in the technique used to make them and what it reveals about the residents of the area in bygone eras. Named after their first discovery site in Mexico, Clovis, the Clovis points are a representative of the Clovis Culture which is considered to be the earliest group of Paleoindians to occupy the North American regions and their time is believed to coincide with the time the first Americans arrived on the continent from Asia (Haynes, 2002). These tools are seen to be a proof that the people of the culture were mainly hunter-gatherers who relied on the availability of such tools to ensure a living based on hunting large animals. It seems that they built no enduring structures and remained only a few days or weeks in one area usually one which was near water and would have attracted their prey. Given the lack of knowledge about their overall lifestyles the Clovis points provide a unique insight to these people. The oldest Clovi s points date back to 13,000 years ago. Two recent discoveries made with regards to the Clovis Points bring some evidence about these assumptions. Firstly, bio chemical analysis of some of the tools from the Mahaffey Cache, found in  Boulder, Colorado showed the presence of animal protein on them. These tools were used to hunt and butcher ice-age camels and horses which were only present in North America around 13000 years ago- this analysis serves as evidence against the idea that the Clovis Points might have been ritualistic in nature with no practical exercise in mind. These tools were formed purely out a necessary need (University of Colorado, 2009). Another intriguing fact about the Clovis Points is that despite their wide distribution there was a distinctive similarity between the artifacts found in different caches. â€Å"New high-tech 3D computer analysis of 50 spear points made more than 10,000 years ago by North America’s mysterious Clovis people has revealed the stone points display an astounding symmetry despite having been found in caches as far apart as Maryland, Arizona and Colorado.† (Smithsonian science, 2012).The basic theories put forward were based around the ideas that the travelling nature of the people would have resulted in the loss of tools which were left behind or forgotten in places of rest and picked up by other tribes who would have seen the utility in them and attempted to copy the stone work. Or perhaps many different tribes all reached the same method of carving these tools based on trial and error and selection of the best option. But these theories were just that, theories without any scientific data to prove them either ways. Only very recently has a proper study been done to understand the factor behind the similarity and whether there could be anything more than simple coincidence or copy-cat behavior behind the construction of the Clovis Points. The researchers in question used â€Å"portable laser scanne rs to construct 3D surface models† of these artifacts so that they could study the nuances and contours of the scars, where flakes were removed from the stone, in greater depth. â€Å"Individual patterns of variation and symmetry were explored and

Rainwater Harvesting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rainwater Harvesting - Essay Example The first flush is the device that flushes off the water that is received in the first shower while filters remove silt, leaves, dust, and other organic matter to prevent them from entering the storage tank. The technique used to harvest rainwater largely depends on the affordability of the system to the users and the number of users. This is determined by the size of the institution. Large institutions prefer larger reservoirs and in most cases, water is stored in underground tanks. In Oregon, rainwater harvesting system collects water from the rooftop into a storage tank where it is used for domestic purposes. They use simple rain barrels set below a downspout to water the garden and provide a substantial amount of water for home use. Oregon Building Codes Division supports the effort to conserve water through approval of rainwater harvesting system as the alternative method to state plumbing code. The state has introduced new filtration and treatment technologies that are used to harvest rainwater in a relatively simple manner. The harvesting systems are installed in existing buildings and new construction. The system includes roofs, gutters, or roof drains, piping system or storage tank or cistern. The tanks are located either inside or outside the house, partially above or partially below the ground, on rooftops or underground. Basement locations are preferred mostly because the water is gravity-fed and is protected from freezing. Some tanks are enclosed to increase the roof surface catchment area.

Arguments For And Against Use Of Precedent Law Essay

Arguments For And Against Use Of Precedent Law Essay One very important element of the law in the United Kingdom is the precedent. The precedent is a  legal case  establishing a principle or rule that a  court  or other judicial body may utilize when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or  facts.  [1]  These decisions can be used as a map to help the judges navigate through the English legal system. Despite the fact that the precedent can be very useful in the English law in some special cases it can only make things more difficult and it can lead to false results. Generally it is argued that the precedent introduces unnecessary rigidity into the law, thereby preventing legal doctrine from developing as society develops. The first thing that we should consider is why this is happening. To examine this issue we should first start from the meaning of the word >. The word precedent refers to an action that has already happened and that could be argued to be the greatest disadvantage of the precedent. Judges that use precedent to help them make their decision are heavily basing the result of the trial on a decision that was made a lot of years ago and thats the most important problem. Especially when we talk about cases that happened hundred years ago its unorthodox to use them as guidance in modern cases. The reason is that through the years the way that people act and think is changed and something that was radical in 1900 can turn into something normal in 2011. Also we can see that modern society develops and with it the law develops too. So mod ern law cant always be compatible with old decisions. Finally one more issue that rises is that we cant be certain about the thinking of the judge that took the final decision in an older trial or about the reasons and the circumstances under which he took his decision. In addition the application of precedent may sometimes cause injustice. The overruling of an earlier case may cause injustice to those who have ordered their affairs in reliance on it. Precedent may produce justice in an individual case but injustice in the generality of cases. It would be undesirable to treat a number of claimants unjustly simply because one binding case had laid down an unjust rule. The use of precedent also has as a result to limit the development of the law. The doctrine of stare decisis is a limiting factor in the development of the law made by judges. Practical law is founded on experience but the scope for further experience is restricted if the first case is binding. Moreover it could be said is that there are too many precedents resulting to the loss of time and money and sometimes leading to confusion due to the large number of cases that should be considered. The citation of authority in court should be kept within reasonable bounds because it can be costly in terms of time and money. Also Lord Diplock has warned of the danger of so blinding the court with case law that it has difficulty in seeing the wood of legal principle for the trees of paraphrase. In order to avoid all those consequences the House of Lords has decided that it will not allow transcripts of unreported judgments of the Court of Appeal, civil division, to be cited before the House except with its leave. Finally one more disadvantage of the precedent is that it makes the law inflexible. The case-law method is sometimes said to be flexible. However a judge is not so free where there is a binding precedent. Unless it can be distinguished he must follow it, even though he dislikes it or considers it bad law. His discretion is thereby limited and the alleged flexibility of case law becomes rigidity. Judges are forced to apply binding precedents that blocks them from making a new decision about a case. This action introduces an unnecessary rigidity on case-law that doesnt allow for the law to develop. One great example that the precedent cant be used in certain cases can be found at the case of R v R [1992] 1 AC 599. In this case a husband appealed against his conviction of the attempted rape of his wife. The defense of the husband supported that a husband cannot be guilty of rape upon his lawful wife because of the marriage contract. Upon marriage the wife consents to her husbands exercise of his marital rights. They based their defense on case law using : Hale, History of the Pleas of the Crown, 1st ed. (1736), vol. 1, ch. 58, p. 629; Archbold, Pleading and Evidence in Criminal Cases, 1st ed. (1822), p. 259; Rex v. Audley (Lord) (1631) 3 St.Tr. 401;  Reg. v. Cogan [1976] Q.B. 217  and  Reg. v. Kowalski (1987) 86 Cr.App.R. 339 The wifes consent could only be withdrawn in certain circumstances, such as her death, or if the marriage was avoided by a private Act of Parliament, a separation order (see  Rex v. Clarke [1949] 2 All E.R. 448), a decree nisi (see  Reg. v. OBrien (Edward) [1974] 3 All E.R. 663), an undertaking (see  Reg. v. Steele (1976) 65 Cr.App.R. 22), a deed of separation (see  Reg. v. Roberts [1986] Crim.L.R. 188), or a family protection order (see Reg. v. S. (unreported), 15 January 1991, which did not follow  Reg. v. Sharples [1990] Crim.L.R. 198). As none of those factors existed, the appellants immunity was not lost by what happened between his wife and himself. Accordingly he should not be tried for or convicted of rape. However appeal was dismissed. Overturning the principle set out in Hales History of the Pleas of the Crown (1736), that a wife irrevocably consented to sexual intercourse with her husband on marriage, their Lordships confirmed that the assumption was no longer applicable in modern times when marriage was viewed as a partnership of equals. The  Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 s.1(1)  defined rape as unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman who at the time of the intercourse does not consent to it. Th eir Lordships rejected submissions that unlawful meant outside the bond of marriage. It was unrealistic to describe extramarital sexual intercourse as unlawful, particularly as unlawful normally meant contrary to some law or enactment or without lawful justification or excuse. The word unlawful was superfluous in the context of s.1(1). The husband was guilty of attempting to have sexual intercourse with his wife against her will contrary to s.1(1) of the 1976 Act. On the other hand despite the fact that precedent has some disadvantages it also has a lot of advantages because in its favor, the use of precedent is said to bring certainty to the law by enabling people to know how issues will be resolved in the future. At first with the use of precedent people are aware of the law and its consequences and they can predict with exactitude their penalties if they make any unlawful actions and they can avoid them by knowing that its illegal and that they will receive a penalty. Also the precedent is a convenient timesaving device. If a problem has already been answered and solved it is natural that a similar case will reach the same conclusion. The judges can use the precedent to deal with minor offences that came to the jury and that will save a lot of time so that they can deal with more cases in a smaller time period. One of the most important advantages resulting from the use of precedent is that it gives greater certainty in the law and helps the judges to avoid mistakes. The existence of a precedent may prevent a judge making a mistake that he might have made if he had been left on his own without any guidance. Generally the precedent is a very important tool for the judges. When they face a difficult case they can search for similar cases in the past and see what decisions were made. That can help them make a decision and be sure that their decision was lawful and fair. In addition the use of precedent prevents injustice. The doctrine of precedent may serve the interests of justice. It would be unjust to reach a different decision in a following case. Everyone should be equal against the law. In order to realize this we should all be judged as equals and receive the same penalties for the same crimes. The precedent helps with that because the decision is taken based on a previous decision for a similar or same crime. That helps the judges and works like a guidance to help them make right decisions. Also it ensures impartiality of judge. The interests of justice also demand impartiality from the judge. This may be assured by the existence of a binding precedent, which he must follow unless it is distinguishable. If he tries to distinguish an indistinguishable case his attempt will be obvious. Judges that are not loyal to their duty are easy to be corrupted and make decisions that are in favor of one part. The use of precedent helps to limit the pheno menon of corruption of the judges and it ensures a fair legal system. Judges cant make decision and penalties out of their minds. They should follow the precedent if it is binding or if they have worries about taking a decision. Every radical attempt to support one side at the expense of another would be obvious and would be stopped. Finally one more great advantage is that it offers opportunities to develop the law. The making of law in decided cases offers opportunities for growth and legal development, which could not be provided by Parliament. The courts can more quickly lay down new principles, or extend old principles, to meet novel circumstances. A wealth of cases illustrative of a vast number of the principles of English law has built up over the centuries. The cases exemplify the law in the sort of detail that could not be achieved in a long code of the Continental type. The precedent give the opportunity to review old decisions and from reform or create new laws that are representing better the modern time. The use of precedent can become very useful for the judges and is obvious through the case of C v DPP [1995] 2 All ER 43. In that case a boy which was at the age of 12 at the time of the offence appealed against the Queens Bench Division ruling (Times, March 30, 1994; [1994] 3 W.L.R. 888) that the presumption that children aged 10-14 were doli incapax (incapable of committing a crime) no longer applied because the court believed that the common law presumption was superseded and against the public interest. In that case the appeal was allowed because the court believed that except the the actus reus and the mens rea the prosecution must adduce additional evidence to prove the minor knew that what he was doing was not merely naughty but seriously wrong. Especially the court added that proof that the minor had done the acts charged could not per se establish that he had guilty knowledge, however bad the acts. The additional evidence must be obtained from a witness who knew the minor we ll, by interviewing the minor or by psychiatric examination. In para 8.4 of Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public (1990, Cm 965) the government approved the presumption on the grounds that allowance must be made for childrens developing faculties. To change the law by judicial ruling would be inadvisable because Parliament had rejected the opportunity to clarify a known difficulty. Its obvious especially in this trial that the precedent played a very important role in order to reach justice. It was clearly visible that the decision of the court was merely wrong. During the trial, the presumption that children aged 10-14 were doli incapax that means that they were incapable of committing a crime was not taken into account and this mistake led them to a false and unfair decision. The appellant mentioned this mistake and appealed against their decision because it was obvious that it was wrong. This case is a very good example of what happens if during a trial the judge decides or forgets to apply a decision because he judged differently than previous people have judged. In conclusion, the precedent as was firstly argued is a very important and useful tool for the English law. It may have some disadvantages but however problematic we may find the use of precedent in many occasions it can be really helpful in order for justice to come to light. It sometimes prevents legal doctrine from developing as society develops and introduces an unnecessary rigidity but its obvious that its use brings certainty to the law by enabling people to know how issues will be resolved in the future. We cant just decide that the use of precedent should be stopped or should be continued because no matter what its disadvantages are it also has a lot of advantages that have been proved really helpful in everyday life.

Allegory Essay -- essays research papers

Allegory Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave is a short story specifically discussing the parallels between the shadows the prisoners sees on the wall of the cave, and the illusion, which passes off as truth in today\\'s society. The Allegory of the Cave is about Socrates teaching his student, Glaucon, certain principles of life by telling him one of his allegories. The Allegory of the Cave can be interpreted in many ways; one way is to make a comparison between the story and the way of thinking by individuals in a closed society. Socrates states that the cave is a world many of us would like to see, but is not really how the world is. It is almost like the movie \\"The Matrix\\", where Neo, the main character is to discover that the world he lives in, is not the real world, but a world generated by machines and computers. Only in Socrates\\' allegory, the world is not created by computers, but by individual minds. Socrates wants Glaucon to be a wiser, better-educated man, who will later become a ruler of the State. He wants him to know not only the right, but also experience the wrong, because only a man who knows the bad, can truly understand and appreciate the good. Socrates does this by telling him a story, to let him better understand the principles of life. Men are chained down in a cave and have a wall blocking their view to the outer world. The prisoners can only see the shadows of the objects on the other side of the wall. If the prisoners see the shadows of the men ...

The Effectiveness of the Standardized Tests

Education has always been an issue in everyday life, and continues today to be very important. The effectiveness of statewide testing has been under much discussion as President Bush has made education a top priority in his administration. In my opinion however, the method used in Texas, TAAS testing, is not effective and should not be implemented nationwide because this method pressures teachers to teach specifically toward the test, specifically encouraging memorization and not learning, cramming knowledge for the TAAS, and rearranging school schedules to have time allotted specifically for TAAS reviews. First of all, school districts in Texas are evaluated on how well their school†s TAAS results are, thus urging teachers to repeatedly go over the same topics so the students are â€Å"assured† of passing TAAS. This results in students not learning the subject, but instead, memorizing. This method is great for short term, but often they review questions that might be asked on the test, then six months later the child forgets. For example, math teachers often teach how to work a specific â€Å"TAAS related† problem, rather than making sure students fully understand the total math concept. This can be very detrimental to the student†s comprehension and to other subjects they may take later in their school career. Furthermore, it seems that teachers have to cram as much knowledge as possible to cover certain test areas. Rather than exploring a wide variety of subjects and gaining as much knowledge as possible, the teachers must cram knowledge of certain subjects, knowing it will be part of the TAAS test. They perhaps have students at different levels and learning abilities, but often the brighter students are held back from learning more, until the slower students catch on and catch up to the entire class. This inhibits the gifted or talented students progress and they tend to be negatively impacted. Finally, the time factor must also be considered. Because so much emphasis is put on the TAAS test, it impacts class schedules. For example, teachers at my school have three days of the week devoted to TAAS preparation. Without having statewide testing, these days could be eliminated and other important topics could be learned. Rather than teaching students new information, often class time is taken up reviewing TAAS test questions. Although this class time may be beneficial to students struggling to pass the TAAS, those who do not need the help are wasting valuable learning time. As the saying goes, â€Å"The mind is a terrible thing to waste,† yet this seems to be what we are doing. We are teaching our students how to test, reviewing subjects redundantly, and teaching in such a way that bores even the average student. When time is spent on TAAS skills that a student has already mastered, it is literally a waste of time and talent. I hope that your state will consider doing the right thing, by not mandating statewide testing. Surely there are other ways we can evaluate our school systems and not put students in jeopardy or being held back from the joys of learning new information and our teachers from exploring new and exciting methods of encouraging students to learn.