Confucianism as a Philosophical System Essay Example

Confucianism as a Philosophical System Essay Confucianism is a philosophical system that was developed by Confucius. It mainly focuses on humanism i. e. treating others well. This can be described by Confucian idea Ren which means showing humanity by acting appropriately and benevolently toward others (lecture, Oct 2). It basically means to love others. Confucius defines an ideal person as the one who knows how to act nicely in all situations (Analects, 165). The master said, A young man should be a good son at home and an obedient young man abroad, sparing of speech but trustworthy in what he says, and should love the ultitude at large but cultivate the friendship of his fellow men (Analects, 165). This statement describes what an ideal person has to be like. He has to be true and honest with his relations, and be responsible toward them. The 5 main relationships are between a parent and child, husband and wife, ruler and subject, between siblings, and friend to friend. An ideal person will maintain his relations responsibly. These relationships play an important role in connecting one person to another, and lead to harmony in society. Performing sacred rites and education are also important for Confucius. Once a person becomes a responsible and principled human being, he is called Junzi which means a gentleman or an accomplished person or a scholar (lecture, Oct 2). Confucius emphasized social harmony by stressing more on interpersonal values and proper behavior. Unlike the Chinese legalists that said social harmony can be achieved through strict laws and rewards, and the Mohists that said it could be achieved through love among people, Confucius believed that social harmony can be achieved by emphasizing sacred rites and education because if everyone learns the humanistic values, they can act according to what they learned, nd then make rational decisions. A person needs to learn these values in order to become a gentleman. He also needs to know his place in the family and the society, and perform the required duties to keep a positive relationship. We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The recognition of the relation is the key point because that is what will lead to the right behavior toward the relationship. An accomplished person needs to be able to understand the use of language meaning that he needs to know how to use language wisely and correctly. (lecture, Oct 2) The phrase from Confuciuss Analects: The master said, When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self shows that Confucius believed in learning from others (Analects, 166). He believed in learning the good points from others and if you find something bad in others, you can find that in yourself and correct it to become an accomplished person with moral values and humanity (Analects, 167). Practicing arts and culture (Wen) such as music can also help to bring harmony to thoughts by appreciating those traditions (lecture, Oct 7). These are the processes that a person needs to go over in order to become an ideal person and achieve social harmony. According to Daoism an ideal person has three key ideas: Dao, Wu-Wei, and Ziran. An ideal person is the one who does things according to the way they are naturally done (Dao), acts without agenda (Wu-Wei) by working with the natural processes, and be the own self (Ziran) are similar but the only difference is that in wu-wei there is no action involved, you let things happen by themselves, and in ziran you are actually acting naturally. (lecture, Oct 7) The goal of Daoism is to be in harmony with the nature. To be in harmony with Qi, a balance of Yin and Yang is needed. Qi is the generating force that is in every living thing that connects them to universe. Yin and Yang are the opposite forces of each other that create a rhythm when they interplay, but one cannot exist without the other. So if one has Yin but not Yang, harmony will not be achieved because Qi is not generated. The goal should be to harmonize ones own qi with the qi of universe. And a balance is needed between yin and yang to achieve harmony. Practicing Taichi which is a form of physical exercise is also important for health in Daoism, and it helps to achieve harmony. Philosophers of Daoism such as Laozi and Zhuangzi are the competitors of Confucius, and following their teachings of Daoism can help a person to become an ideal person in terms of Daoism. (lecture, Oct 7) Confucianism and Daoism differ in many subjects. Both use the word Dao, but they have different meanings. Dao in Confucianism means the right way of performing human activity and moral activities that were performed by the people from past, that will help to bring harmony in the society (lecture, Oct. 7). While in Daoism it eans to make way according to the way things are naturally. De in Confucianism means when a person behaves with high moral standards by being truly what he is. While in Daoism it is the power of the things to be themselves when they make a way to the way things are naturally. (lecture, Oct 7) Both have their own sets of values. While Confucianism focuses more on developing moral values, Daoism focuses more on emphasis in naturalness of human being for becoming an ideal person (lecture, Oct 9). In Confucianism an ideal person needs to have a set of principles of what is right and wrong, and then act according to it. Daoism focuses more on acting without any principles and leaves everything on the nature. An ideal person according to Confucianism has a self that is social, and it respects the relations like a relation to parent, or sibling, or a friend, etc, and values social harmony. In Daoism the self of an ideal person is completely natural and is individual, but is in harmony with the nature. (lecture, Oct 9) Gentle man- a scholar Social harmony last paragraph De and Dao- compare and contrast in Junzi Translated as rites, propriety, ritual, or appropriate behavior Holy Rite. Appropriate behavior within the five constant relationships out of which society is built. parent-child husband-wife elder-younger sibling friend-friend Wen- The arts†specifically music, literature, song/poetry, painting† practiced by the chon tzu. The practice of wen brings harmony to thoughts and feelings by appreciating and renewing tradition Li- rites Chun Tzu- a man with highest ethical standards, prince. Ren Cen)- goodness, benevolence 5 realtionships Daoism Chi- Chinese word for vital or generative force that is a matter-energy throughout the universe and within each thing or person. The goal is to harmonize ones own qi with the qi of the universe. Yin and Yang: The Chinese name for two complementary but opposite forces in the the two in any given situation Balancing yin and yang is harmony. Connect it with chi and acupuncture (become an ideal person) wu wei- action through non action. The principle teaches that unnecessary action is usually not productive. Instead, it urges aligning one s inner self in harmony with the Tao, so that energy and activity will flow spontaneously and naturally. (how to become ideal person) The goal of Taoists is to attain harmony with the Tao. This attainment of harmony with the Tao is also seen as living in accord with nature. Taoism is profound in its naturalism. Nature is something that should not be exploited and abused, it should be befriended not conquered. The ideal man in Taoism is one who through the naturalness of his existence became self-sufficient and not dependent upon wealth or social realms. It was this way that true happiness could be found Ziran- self or auto- + being so Daoist term for the Way of Nature to be emulated by the Daoist sage: the spontaneity of acting naturally so that things automatically happen of hemselves. (ideal person) Being in harmony with Ying and yang, has qi, through the practice of Taichi, practicing Taichi brings you to harmony with nature, and thats the goal of Taoism. Question: In her book on Indian philosophy, Sue Hamilton argued that Indian philosophy generally has a soteriological or personally transformative purpose, meaning that philosophy is supposed to make the person a b etter person in some way. Apply that thesis to Chinese philosophy. In what sense do both Confucian and Daoist philosophies try to make people better or more sagely? Compare and contrast Confucianism and Daoism in terms of: (b) the process by which one can become such a person. Note: This is an exam, not a term paper. Therefore, to answer the question requires nothing other than material from assigned readings and lectures. No special research is needed. To cite those materials you can simply use the following system of notation: For articles, Just put authors last name plus page number in parentheses, for example: (Ames, 23) For material from lectures, Just state lecture plus date of the lecture as given on the title pages of the PowerPoint slides, for example (lecture, Aug 1) No need for bibliography at end. Please remember the plagiarism warning given on the syllabus. In submitting your paper, be sure each page is numbered with you name on it and that the pages are stapled together (not paper-clipped). That is the best way to ensure your pages are kept together and you can get full credit. Compare and Contrast De and Dao- compare and contrast in last paragraph Confucianism focuses more on developing moral values, while Daoism focuses more on emphasis on naturalness and spontaneity for becoming an ideal person. (Oct 9) Confucianism as a Philosophical System Essay Example Confucianism as a Philosophical System Essay Confucianism is a philosophical system that was developed by Confucius. It mainly focuses on humanism i. e. treating others well. This can be described by Confucian idea Ren which means showing humanity by acting appropriately and benevolently toward others (lecture, Oct 2). It basically means to love others. Confucius defines an ideal person as the one who knows how to act nicely in all situations (Analects, 165). The master said, A young man should be a good son at home and an obedient young man abroad, sparing of speech but trustworthy in what he says, and should love the ultitude at large but cultivate the friendship of his fellow men (Analects, 165). This statement describes what an ideal person has to be like. He has to be true and honest with his relations, and be responsible toward them. The 5 main relationships are between a parent and child, husband and wife, ruler and subject, between siblings, and friend to friend. An ideal person will maintain his relations responsibly. These relationships play an important role in connecting one person to another, and lead to harmony in society. Performing sacred rites and education are also important for Confucius. Once a person becomes a responsible and principled human being, he is called Junzi which means a gentleman or an accomplished person or a scholar (lecture, Oct 2). Confucius emphasized social harmony by stressing more on interpersonal values and proper behavior. Unlike the Chinese legalists that said social harmony can be achieved through strict laws and rewards, and the Mohists that said it could be achieved through love among people, Confucius believed that social harmony can be achieved by emphasizing sacred rites and education because if everyone learns the humanistic values, they can act according to what they learned, nd then make rational decisions. A person needs to learn these values in order to become a gentleman. He also needs to know his place in the family and the society, and perform the required duties to keep a positive relationship. We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Confucianism as a Philosophical System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The recognition of the relation is the key point because that is what will lead to the right behavior toward the relationship. An accomplished person needs to be able to understand the use of language meaning that he needs to know how to use language wisely and correctly. (lecture, Oct 2) The phrase from Confuciuss Analects: The master said, When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self shows that Confucius believed in learning from others (Analects, 166). He believed in learning the good points from others and if you find something bad in others, you can find that in yourself and correct it to become an accomplished person with moral values and humanity (Analects, 167). Practicing arts and culture (Wen) such as music can also help to bring harmony to thoughts by appreciating those traditions (lecture, Oct 7). These are the processes that a person needs to go over in order to become an ideal person and achieve social harmony. According to Daoism an ideal person has three key ideas: Dao, Wu-Wei, and Ziran. An ideal person is the one who does things according to the way they are naturally done (Dao), acts without agenda (Wu-Wei) by working with the natural processes, and be the own self (Ziran) are similar but the only difference is that in wu-wei there is no action involved, you let things happen by themselves, and in ziran you are actually acting naturally. (lecture, Oct 7) The goal of Daoism is to be in harmony with the nature. To be in harmony with Qi, a balance of Yin and Yang is needed. Qi is the generating force that is in every living thing that connects them to universe. Yin and Yang are the opposite forces of each other that create a rhythm when they interplay, but one cannot exist without the other. So if one has Yin but not Yang, harmony will not be achieved because Qi is not generated. The goal should be to harmonize ones own qi with the qi of universe. And a balance is needed between yin and yang to achieve harmony. Practicing Taichi which is a form of physical exercise is also important for health in Daoism, and it helps to achieve harmony. Philosophers of Daoism such as Laozi and Zhuangzi are the competitors of Confucius, and following their teachings of Daoism can help a person to become an ideal person in terms of Daoism. (lecture, Oct 7) Confucianism and Daoism differ in many subjects. Both use the word Dao, but they have different meanings. Dao in Confucianism means the right way of performing human activity and moral activities that were performed by the people from past, that will help to bring harmony in the society (lecture, Oct. 7). While in Daoism it eans to make way according to the way things are naturally. De in Confucianism means when a person behaves with high moral standards by being truly what he is. While in Daoism it is the power of the things to be themselves when they make a way to the way things are naturally. (lecture, Oct 7) Both have their own sets of values. While Confucianism focuses more on developing moral values, Daoism focuses more on emphasis in naturalness of human being for becoming an ideal person (lecture, Oct 9). In Confucianism an ideal person needs to have a set of principles of what is right and wrong, and then act according to it. Daoism focuses more on acting without any principles and leaves everything on the nature. An ideal person according to Confucianism has a self that is social, and it respects the relations like a relation to parent, or sibling, or a friend, etc, and values social harmony. In Daoism the self of an ideal person is completely natural and is individual, but is in harmony with the nature. (lecture, Oct 9) Gentle man- a scholar Social harmony last paragraph De and Dao- compare and contrast in Junzi Translated as rites, propriety, ritual, or appropriate behavior Holy Rite. Appropriate behavior within the five constant relationships out of which society is built. parent-child husband-wife elder-younger sibling friend-friend Wen- The arts†specifically music, literature, song/poetry, painting† practiced by the chon tzu. The practice of wen brings harmony to thoughts and feelings by appreciating and renewing tradition Li- rites Chun Tzu- a man with highest ethical standards, prince. Ren Cen)- goodness, benevolence 5 realtionships Daoism Chi- Chinese word for vital or generative force that is a matter-energy throughout the universe and within each thing or person. The goal is to harmonize ones own qi with the qi of the universe. Yin and Yang: The Chinese name for two complementary but opposite forces in the the two in any given situation Balancing yin and yang is harmony. Connect it with chi and acupuncture (become an ideal person) wu wei- action through non action. The principle teaches that unnecessary action is usually not productive. Instead, it urges aligning one s inner self in harmony with the Tao, so that energy and activity will flow spontaneously and naturally. (how to become ideal person) The goal of Taoists is to attain harmony with the Tao. This attainment of harmony with the Tao is also seen as living in accord with nature. Taoism is profound in its naturalism. Nature is something that should not be exploited and abused, it should be befriended not conquered. The ideal man in Taoism is one who through the naturalness of his existence became self-sufficient and not dependent upon wealth or social realms. It was this way that true happiness could be found Ziran- self or auto- + being so Daoist term for the Way of Nature to be emulated by the Daoist sage: the spontaneity of acting naturally so that things automatically happen of hemselves. (ideal person) Being in harmony with Ying and yang, has qi, through the practice of Taichi, practicing Taichi brings you to harmony with nature, and thats the goal of Taoism. Question: In her book on Indian philosophy, Sue Hamilton argued that Indian philosophy generally has a soteriological or personally transformative purpose, meaning that philosophy is supposed to make the person a b etter person in some way. Apply that thesis to Chinese philosophy. In what sense do both Confucian and Daoist philosophies try to make people better or more sagely? Compare and contrast Confucianism and Daoism in terms of: (b) the process by which one can become such a person. Note: This is an exam, not a term paper. Therefore, to answer the question requires nothing other than material from assigned readings and lectures. No special research is needed. To cite those materials you can simply use the following system of notation: For articles, Just put authors last name plus page number in parentheses, for example: (Ames, 23) For material from lectures, Just state lecture plus date of the lecture as given on the title pages of the PowerPoint slides, for example (lecture, Aug 1) No need for bibliography at end. Please remember the plagiarism warning given on the syllabus. In submitting your paper, be sure each page is numbered with you name on it and that the pages are stapled together (not paper-clipped). That is the best way to ensure your pages are kept together and you can get full credit. Compare and Contrast De and Dao- compare and contrast in last paragraph Confucianism focuses more on developing moral values, while Daoism focuses more on emphasis on naturalness and spontaneity for becoming an ideal person. (Oct 9)

What We Know About Dinosaur Life Spans

What We Know About Dinosaur Life Spans The bleached skeleton of a hundred-million-year-old Deinonychus can tell us a lot about what this dinosaur ate, how it ran, and even how it interacted with others of its kind, but not much about how long it lived before dropping dead of old age. The fact is, estimating the lifespan of the average sauropod or tyrannosaur involves drawing upon numerous strands of evidence, including analogies with modern reptiles, birds and mammals, theories about dinosaur growth and metabolism, and (preferably) direct analysis of the pertinent fossilized dinosaur bones. Before anything else, of course, it helps to determine the cause of death of any given dinosaur. Given the locations of certain fossils, paleontologists can often figure out if the unlucky individuals were buried by avalanches, drowned in floods, or smothered by sandstorms; also, the presence of bite marks in solid bone is a good indication that the dinosaur was killed by predators (though it’s also possible that the corpse was scavenged after the dinosaur had died of natural causes, or that the dinosaur had recovered from a previously inflicted injury). If a specimen can be conclusively identified as a juvenile, then death by old age is ruled out, though not death by disease (and we still know very little about the diseases that afflicted dinosaurs). Dinosaur Life Spans: Reasoning by Analogy Part of the reason researchers are so interested in dinosaur lifespans is that modern-day reptiles are some of the longest-lived animals on the earth: giant tortoises can live for over 150 years, and even crocodiles and alligators can survive well into their sixties and seventies. Even more tantalizingly, some species of birds, which are the direct descendants of dinosaurs, also have long lifespans. Swans and turkey buzzards can live for over 100 years, and small parrots often outlive their human owners. With the exception of humans, who can live for over 100 years, mammals post relatively undistinguished numbers, about 70 years for an elephant and  40 years for a chimpanzee, and the longest-lived fish and amphibians top out at 50 or 60 years. One shouldnt rush to conclude that just because some of the relatives and descendants of dinosaurs regularly hit the century mark, dinosaurs must have had long life spans as well. Part of the reason a giant tortoise can live so long is that it has an extremely slow metabolism; its a matter of debate whether all dinosaurs were equally cold-blooded. Also, with some important exceptions (such as parrots), smaller animals tend to have shorter lifespans, so the average 25-pound Velociraptor might have been lucky to live beyond a decade or so. Conversely, larger creatures tend to have longer lifespans, but just because a Diplodocus was 10 times bigger than an elephant doesn’t necessarily mean it lived ten times (or even twice) as long. Dinosaur Life Spans: Reasoning by Metabolism The metabolism of dinosaurs is still a matter of ongoing dispute, but lately, some paleontologists have advanced a convincing argument that the largest herbivores, including sauropods, titanosaurs, and hadrosaurs, achieved homeothermy, that is, they warmed up slowly in the sun and cooled down equally slowly at night, maintaining a near-constant internal temperature. Since homeothermy is consistent with a cold-blooded metabolism, and since a fully warm-blooded (in the modern sense) Apatosaurus would have cooked itself from the inside out like a giant potato, a lifespan of 300 years seems within the realm of possibility for these dinosaurs. What about smaller dinosaurs? Here the arguments are murkier, and complicated by the fact that even small, warm-blooded animals (like parrots) can have long life spans. Most experts believe that the life spans of smaller herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs were directly proportional to their size, for example, the chicken-sized Compsognathus might have lived for five or 10 years, while a much bigger Allosaurus might have topped out at 50 or 60 years. However, if it can be conclusively proved that any given dinosaur was warm-blooded, cold-blooded, or something in between, these estimates would be subject to change. Dinosaur Life Spans: Reasoning by Bone Growth You might think that an analysis of actual dinosaur bones would help clear up the issue of how fast dinosaurs grew and how long they lived, but frustratingly, this isnt the case. As the biologist, R.E.H. Reid writes in The Complete Dinosaur, [bone] growth was often continuous, as in mammals and birds, but sometimes periodic, as in reptiles, with some dinosaurs following both styles in different parts of their skeletons. Also, to establish rates of bone growth, paleontologists need access to multiple specimens of the same dinosaur, at different growth stages, which is often an impossibility given the vagaries of the fossil record. What it all boils down to is this: some dinosaurs, such as the duck-billed Hypacrosaurus, grew at phenomenal rates, reaching adult sizes of a few tons in a mere dozen or so years (presumably, this accelerated rate of growth reduced the juveniles window of vulnerability to predators). The trouble is, everything we know about cold-blooded metabolism is inconsistent with this pace of growth, which may well mean that Hypacrosaurus in particular (and large, herbivorous dinosaurs in general) had a type of warm-blooded metabolism, and thus maximum life spans well below the 300 years ventured above. By the same token, other dinosaurs seem to have grown more like crocodiles and less like mammals, at a slow and steady pace, without the accelerated curve seen during infancy and adolescence. Sarcosuchus, the 15-ton crocodile better known as the SuperCroc, probably took about 35 or 40 years to reach adult size, and then continued growing slowly for as long as it lived. If sauropods followed this pattern, that would point to a cold-blooded metabolism, and their estimated life spans would once again edge up toward the multiple-century mark. So what can we conclude? Clearly, until we establish more details about the metabolism and growth rates of various species, any serious estimates of dinosaur lifespans have to be taken with a gigantic grain of prehistoric salt!

How does Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer qualify as a new narrative Essay

How does Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer qualify as a new narrative - Essay Example Pop culture references of the film greatly contribute to the overall feel of the movie as a New Narrative. The first observable feature of the film is the sequence of events. It does not follow the linear narrative as what other movies do. Although the characters could resemble a next door neighbor, their beliefs are likewise, not typical. Mostly in other movies with the same genre as (500) Days, it is the female characters who are seen to be in the depressive mood every time there is a break-up. On the contrary, Summer, the female lead character possesses a more masculine outlook about love, believing that there is no such thing as â€Å"true love† and is not interested in finding a boyfriend. In one of the scenes where Tom, Summer, and another character were having a conversation, he referred to Summer as â€Å"She’s a dude† (Webb). Tom, on the other hand, is a hopeless romantic. There was even a scene where the ecstatic feeling of Tom was portrayed in a way th at it involves the whole setting of the film. A series of dance routines and an appearance of a cartooned bird were used to serve as exaggeration elements to connote Tom’s happiness. A distinct characteristic of New Narrative is its emphasis on sex and emotions.

Child Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Child Marriage - Essay Example 1. The law in Yemen set the minimum age at one that is approved for marriage to be 15 years, but traditional customs more often than not continuously flout this law. However, the law was abolished in 1999 with the minimum age being set as at when the girl attains the puberty age 3. In the actual practice, it can be said that the law in Yemen allows women of any age to be able to wed, but it is forbidden to practice sex with them until they achieve the age where it is now suitable to do so 4. The law was later to be raised from the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years after a girl, Nujood Ali, 10 years of age, in April 2008 was able to be granted divorce successfully after being raped under the set circumstances 5. Much later in 2008, a council for maternal care and Childhood came up with the proposal for the minimum age to be defined at 18 years and was passed as laws in April 2009, but age was set at 17 years 6. However, inspired by Nujood Ali, Yemenis continued pushing for change with her involved in some of the rallies held. Some of these campaigns can even claim to have barred some early marriages in Yemen specifically in the State of Amran 1. This has been justified by clerics in Saudi Arabia with some even marrying off small girls who are at the age of 9 years, this being sanctioned even by law. The Saudi Arabian laws define the minimum marriage age to be as young as 8 years 2. Families take advantage of religion to condone and spread early marriages arranging for girls to be married in religious ceremonies, using the tactic of not registering officially them until the girl is of legal age. This practice disadvantages the girl, leaving her with no legal base to inherent, no alimony or support in case the husband was to pass away prematurely or divorce her 3. Middle East statistics regarding the child marriages are

Pablo Picassos Sculptures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pablo Picassos Sculptures - Essay Example The essay "Pablo Picasso’s Sculptures" will describe the figure of Pablo Picasso not only as a painter but as a sculptor. There will be discussed "Head of a Woman", one of the first works of the artist. The bronze figure is indeed a masterpiece not because it just represents the surface, more than that it demonstrates the essence and the structure of a woman’s face. Solidity of the sculpture shows that Picasso intended not only to see the beauty of the world, but also to feel it by means of touching physically. The fractured texture of her face, gorge, and hair draws the parallel with human nature; it represents a metaphor for the way people usually experience other human beings. To my mind, the sculpture is about unsolved mystery of being close to a different person. I like the way the sculpture is transformed every time I move my own head, circle it, look closer at the head, or move away from it. I also like the contrast between the clearly showing up soft touches of the master and the sharp lines and contours of the woman’s face. It helps to create the illusion that the artist intends to look beneath the skin of the sculpture. However, it does not seem violent the way he does it. It is a well-known fact the sculpture Head of a Woman helped Pablo Picasso to see the essence of things in a new perspective and served as the basis of the development of Cubism. In fact, one can see with half an eye the connection with the earliest stage of this style of abstract art – Analytical Cubism.

Discovery in the Theories of Evolution

Discovery in the Theories of Evolution Prologue Throughout his childhood and adult life, Siddhartha Mukherjee, physician and author of The Gene: An Ultimate History, has been troubled by his family history of mental illnesses. His two uncles, Rajesh and Jagu, have suffered from mental illness, and so does his cousin Moni. If mental illness was genetic as recent studies showed, could he be a carrier as well and pass the illness to his two daughters? If his cousins mental illness was genetic, then why had this father and sister been spared? How much of the mental illness arose from nature (i.e., genes that predisposed to mental illness) versus nurture (environmental triggers such as upheaval, discord, and trauma)? Similar unresolved questions arose in his scientific work as a cancer biologist. Many forms of cancer arise from gene mutations that occur during a persons lifetime. Should we be concerned if we have a family history of such diseases? And could we pass these diseases to our children? Genetic engineering has advanced so much that we can treat some of these diseases by using gene therapies. Imagine that if technologies were available to change our genetic codes, resulting in altered identity or sexuality or behavior. Who would control such a technology, and who would ensure their safety for our society, our children, and ourselves? This chapter chronicles the fascinating history of discovery in the theories of evolutions and heredity from early Greek philosophers to the theories developed at the end of the 19th century. It also covers the history of eugenic movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Key concepts covered: Darwins theory of evolution explains why species change. Mendels laws of heredity explain why species stayed the same. Eugenic movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were based on a faulty understanding of genetic science. They used phenotypes (physical or mental attributes) as genetic traits. Early Ideas about Heredity and Evolution Since the earliest times, human has recognized the influence of heredity and has applied its principles to improve crops and domestic animals. In around 530 BC, Pythagoras (570-495 BC), the Greek scholar, proposed one of the earliest theories to explain the similarity between parents and their children. The core of his theory was that male semen carried all the hereditary information. Once inside the womb, semen matured into a fetus via nourishment provided by the mother. A century after Pythagorass death, Aristotle (384-322 BC), A Greek philosopher, rejected the notion that heredity was carried solely in male semen. In around 350 BC, he proposed that male semen carried the instructions to build a child while female contributed the physical raw material for the fetus. The transmission of heredity was essentially the transmission of information. Aristotle was wrong in his partitioning of male and female contributions into message and material, but he had captured one of the essential truths about heredity. No new ideas were introduced in the next two millennia until the 18th century when the idea of preformation was introduced. Using microscopes, scientists imagined that they could see miniature replicas of humans inside human sperms. In 1809, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829), a French biologist, introduced the inheritance of acquired characters as a model for evolution. According to Lamarck, organisms evolve due to two forces: (1) Simple organisms emerge and then evolve to become more complex; and (2) Organisms adapt to their environments by changing their characteristics. He believed giraffes developed long necks because, over many generations, they had to keep stretching their necks to reach higher foliage. Lamarckism fell from favor after August Weismann (1834-1914), a German embryologist, performed an experiment in 1883 showing that changes from use and disuse were not heritable. In that experiment, Weismann had cut off the tails of five generations of mice, then bred the mice to find out if the babies would be tailless. But the babies were all born with their tails intact, not even marginally shorter.

Comparing and Contrasting Relationships in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Comparing and Contrasting Relationships in Hurston’s Novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee In Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee, Zora Neale Hurston creates two protagonists, Janie and Arvay, and depicts their rich relationships with Tea Cake and Jim, respectively. This brief paper compares these two women and their interaction with their husbands. Contrasting the similarities of these relationships helps underscore deeper themes that Hurston draws from two ostensibly different women. Tea Cake and Jim bear substantial resemblance to each other. They both carry a rather unsavory reputation around their towns, they both woo their new wives aggressively; they even take care of their women with occasional recourse to illegal improprieties such as liquor distilling and gambling (although they tend to spend their profits quite differently). Both men reduce to child-like behavior in key moments of affection with their wives; Tea Cake favors having his head in Janie’s lap, while Jim prefers his head resting on Arvay’s breast. Perhaps most crucially, both men exhibit communication and behavior that make their wives frantic with jealousy and fear. Jim, in his teasing of Arvay, and Tea Cake in his long absences, especially right after his marriage to Janie in Jacksonville, make their respective wives boil over with internal anguish. Janie and Arvay respond to their men in similar ways as well. Both women swing from extremes of doubt and distrust to passionate, all-encompassing love for their husbands. Moreover, both women reconfigure themselves to adjust to the man’s world, as when Janie moves to the Everglades with Tea Cake, and when Arvay goes out to sea with Jim on his fishing b... ...her silent thoughts and how they pulled her away from her love for Logan and Jody, now those same silent thoughts preserve Tea Cake for her in perpetuity. And in Seraph on the Suwanee, Jim’s departure allows Arvay to realize the chasm between her and her past, and in so doing, realize that her struggles portray a woman destined to be a caregiver. For both Janie and Arvay, inner turmoil is quelled into a role that reconciles both themselves and their relationship with their men. And, perhaps most remarkably, this idealization of their partners persists despite – indeed, is even enhanced by – the fact that both women see their former love interests, those who came before Tea Cake and Jim, as now standing on cracked or even shattered pedestals. Both Janie and Arvay in the end take comfort in their new-found roles and those men who best compel them to adopt these roles.