Love in a Fallen City - 700 Words

â€Å"Love in a Fallen City† written in 1943 by Chinese writer Eileen Chang(1920-1995). Eileen Chang is one of the most writers of twentieth- century in China. She was born into an aristocratic family in Shanghai. Chang’s grandfather is Hang peilun who is son in law to Li hongzhang, an influential official in Qing dynasty. Her grandmother Li juyu is the oldest daughter of Li hongzhang. Chang studied literature at the university of Hong Kong. However, in 1941 Japanese attacked on Shanghai, and she had to returned to occupied Shanghai. At that time, she was able to publish some stories and essays which made her to be a literary star. But, due to some reason that The rise of Communist influence made a difficult for her to stay in Shanghai, and she†¦show more content†¦Therefore, they meet in a hotel to infight who will first hunting each other’s heart. However, this just a silent war and no results and no progress between their relationship. Then, Bai liusu decides to go back to Shanghai and hopes that Fan liuyuan will follow her to go there. But during that time, Japanese military occupied her hometown, and at that life-and-death matter’ time Fan liuyuan trying to protect Bai liusu, then they fall in love with each other and vow solemnly. Many readers think Bai liuses suffering is similar to Eileen Changs experience when she was young. And Eilleens fallen is started from the time when she born. That way, Bai liusu has a poor family and when Eileen born, her whole family already declined. However, Eilleens parents marital status also conform with Bai liusu who is a divorced womans identity. During this situation, Eileens character become cold and introvert. She seldom talk with people, and she have a major emotional upset. So, she use Bai liusu to be her character to show her inner thought. In this story, Eilleen focus more on Bai liusus tear and her inner thought which can let reader know Bai liusu insists more is financial security and true love is not important to Bai liusu. And she has no hope from love. Bai liusu just an ordinary selfish women at time time. Fan liuyuan a playboy who put the woman as his mud under his feet. He does not want to gain love from any women. He hunts love by some purposes, and he areSho w MoreRelatedAnalyses of Love in a Fallen City and the Golden Cangue Essay2315 Words   |  10 PagesA Woman’s Position in the Family: Analyses of Love in a Fallen City and The Golden Cangue For the bulk of the mid- to late-20th Century, Eileen Chang’s name and literary prowess fell into obscurity as a result of events related to the Cultural Revolution and her own reclusion. In C.T. Hsia’s A History of Modern Chinese Fiction, he praised Chang for her use of rich imagery and profound exploration of human nature.† In his book, he also claimed Chang to be â€Å"the best and most importantRead MoreHow Olympus Has Fallen Made Similar Strides For Success1166 Words   |  5 PagesFor a world fearful of terrorism, we sure do love to watch mad men run amok in a fictional capacity - and do so in epic fashion. Usually it’s aliens devastating the world’s largest cities, but on occasion, it’s nothing more than a evil-doer with a vision. Popular films, like Die Hard, Air Force One, and Speed have previously created concentrated environments for terrorists to thrive with their grandiose, sinister schemes - creating timeless heroes and memorable climaxes in the process. And, whileRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Trojan War 872 Words   |  4 Pagesof Troy Paris, fell in love with the world most beautiful woman, Helen. Upon his depart Paris decide to kidnap the queen of the Greeks, and take her with him to his homeland of Troy. Seeing this as an excellent opportunity to bring down the great wall of Troy Agamemnon decide it was best to wage war. King Menelaus, Helen husband at that time and king of Greek feel with such anger he agreed with his brother Agamemnon plan. He gave two order bring back Helen, and burn the city of Troy. This led AgamemnonRead MorePericles Funeral Oration628 Words   |  3 Pagesthey saw the warriors as a ring of the higher circle of the society. The Athenians were very proud of Athena and its traditions, as well. Athenian’s thought that Athena was the best, none could be better. The funeral oration was aimed to respect the fallen as well as to keep up the national pride and it s passion to protect their nation. The speech was a eulogy which focused on the eminence of Athens and its predecessors. Usually a son was chosen to give the eulogy. The law required the speech to haveRead MoreI Had Known George For As Long As I Could Remember1306 Words   |  6 Pagespushed me through the ice when we were ten or the time he locked me out of the house during a thunderstorm when we were fifteen, it wasn’t until he left that we fell in love. George had been drafted in the war when we were 18, and while he was gone he wrote me letters. Through the letters I saw a different side of George and I fell in love with him. He was poetic and kind. We wrote letters back and forth for the entire two years he was gone and started dating not long after he returned. And not longRead MoreThe Sky - Original Writing882 Words   |  4 Pages The sky was silent. Leslie watched it, trying to see the stars beyond the red smog. The cabin was far from the city, but the noises and the lights still carried across the river. She didn’t notice, she only watched the sky. There was nothing between her and the starless sky and the red smog. Paul came out onto the porch, she knew it was him before she turned and saw his shadow in the soft, yellow light. The floorboards creaked softly as he came across the porch and settled into the chair nextRead MoreMy Life - Original Writing1433 Words   |  6 Pagesto live in. We’ve lived from the smallest of towns to big city places and all around Texas but I’ve never complained because i love to move around and meet new souls as my dad said. Originally living in Houston, i got used to the city never sleeping but once the moving began i changed my mind quickly. From all the places i’ve had the pleasure of living in, there is one thing i have learned from my travels as we’ve finally stopped in a city like town, nothing beats living in the country. It was myRead MoreEmilys Rose Essay652 Words   |  3 Pagesknown. Years of solitude couldn’t change her reputation. Emily obviously lived a sad and lonely life. Her father had taken every hope for love from her because of the regarded â€Å"August† name. I believe because of her father’s death and the sweetheart who deserted her, she realized that she had one last chance to form a new life, and she had a new chance for love (or just companionship). When she reappears after the burial of her father, she has a new look of a young girl. I believe this was Emily’sRead MoreMortal Instruments1394 Words   |  6 PagesClarissa Clary Fray (also referred to as Fairchild and Morgenstern) is described to have long, curly red hair and bright green eyes. She is very small and thin and often viewed as younger than she actually is. Clary is an artist and in the first book, City of Bones, she believes she is a mundane, or a human without angelic powers. It is later r evealed she is in fact a Shadowhunter, or a human with angelic qualities. Clary is described as being incredibly stubborn and often rushes into dangerous situationsRead MoreHelen Of Troy And Greek Mythology1179 Words   |  5 Pagesreturn and eventually Menelaus brother of Agamemnon become the victor. All the suitors who tried to court Helen were bound by an oath to assist, in case Helen was abducted again in the future. Marrying Menelaus, king of Sparta Helen became queen to the city of Sparta. Paris the prince of Troy was visiting Sparta for the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. However Eris the goddess of discord was not invited which infuriated her so she dropped a golden apple from the garden of the Hesperides which had â€Å"To the

AHORRO DE ENERGA Essay Example For Students

AHORRO DE ENERGA Essay El ahorro de energa en la industria lo podemos tratar desde dos puntos de vista: cambio o sustitucin de equipos, las cuales generalmente tienen un alto costo inicial para el usuario, o de baja inversin, pero que tambin son excelentes oportunidades para ahorrar energa. Primero expondremos en que mejora la sustitucin o mejora de equipos en una industria basndonos en la informacin obtenida de la compaa INELAP y posteriormente los pasos a seguir en cuanto al ahorro de baja inversin. Finalizando con un ejemplo de un plan de ahorro de energa a nivel regional. Instalacin de bancos automticos con relevador BELUK BRL-CAcompaa que se dedica a la fabricacin de:Bancos de capacitores, fijos y automticos en baja y alta tensin. Filtros de armnicas en baja y alta tensin. Tableros de proteccin y medicin en alimentadores y lneas de transmisin. Filtros o capacitores para conectar a motores. Para entender la necesidad y la importancia de los bancos de capacitores tenemos que revisar algunos conceptos utilizados en esta rea. Factor de potenciaFP = K W / KVAEl factor de potencia es el termino utilizado para describir la relacin entre la potencia de trabajo o real (KW) y la potencia total consumida (KVA). Las cargas puramente resistivas tales como calefactores o lamparas incandecentes no usan potencia reactiva en su funcionamiento. Entonces la potencia real y la potencia total son iguales (FP=1). Sin embargo el equipo elctrico que emplea corrientes de magnetizacin para la creacin de campos, tal como motores transformadores o balastros consume adems potencia reactiva (KVAR), para compensar dicho consumo se emplea el uso de capacitores. Con las reglamentaciones del 10 de noviembre de 1991 los capacitores proporcionan adems de la eliminacin del cargo por bajo factor de potencia un beneficio econmico que puede llegar al 2.5% de bonificacin en la facturacin. Los capacitores pueden lograr ahorros por menores perdidas de energa entre 4 y 7%. Esto es una inversin altamente rentable. Adems los capacitores son prcticamente libres de mantenimiento y una solucin son los bancos automticos con regulador BELUK fabricados en Alemania. Sus principales componentes en el exterior son: El gabinete metlico y el regulador de factor de potencia. El regulador del factor de potencia es la parte inteligente del banco. Su funcin principal es detectar el FP de la instalacin y conectar automticamente los pasos necesarios para llevar el FP hasta el valor preseleccionado. Diagrama de conexiones, gua rpida de instalacin y conexin, instructivo general del banco, lote de refacciones compuesto por: fusibles de potencia, celdas capacitivas, fusibles para el circuito de control, los cuales podr utilizar componentes que hayan agotado su vida til. Y un transformador de corriente tipo dona que deber instalarse en la red elctrica y conectarse al circuito de control del banco. Interruptor termo magntico, fusibles de potencia para cada grupo de capacitores, contactores, ventiladores extractores de aire caliente, transformador de control, tablilla de terminales para conexiones de control y las celdas capacitivas. El banco puede estar equipado con un medidor SATEC que indica los principales parmetros del sistema como: tensin entre fases, corriente, potencia real, FP, frecuencia, KW / hr, KVAR / hr, as como valores mximos registrados en el sistema. Mediante el transformador de corriente el regulador de potencia mide el FP compara este valor con el Factor objetivo que se ha preseleccionado, si este es menor enva una seal de control a uno de los contactores para conectar un grupo de capacitores encendiendose en el correspondiente el regulador BELUK mide en nuevo FP y si se encuentra aun por debajo del objetivo, enviara una seal de control a otro contactor de tal forma que se conecte otro grupo de capacitores al sistema y as sucesivamente hasta alcanzar el valor preseleccionado de FP. En forma similar se desconectaran los grupos de celdas capacitivas sucesivamente si el factor esta por arriba del objetivo. .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .postImageUrl , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:hover , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:visited , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:active { border:0!important; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:active , .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3 .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u57a6f8500e11ce131d151a074499c2c3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Clinica Romero EssayConectarlo en un lugar limpio y con una buena ventilacin ya que algo que pude llegar a daar a cualquier equipo elctrico es el calor excesivo. Despus se debe aterrizar correctamente, garanta de seguridad para equipos y usuarios. Cuando se haya escogido la toma de alimentacin y realizar la conexin elctrica del banco se identifica la secuencias de fases de luz o cables de alimentacin con un secuencmetro. Para tener secuencias de fases

Yoga Meditation Experience free essay sample

At the beginning of the semester I did not really know what I potentially could take away from this class, or, in particular, the meditation I was assigned to do at home. My mother does Yoga as well and she always keeps telling me how beneficial it is for both your body and your soul; personally, I am not really the type of individual that believes in the vital effects religious philosophies can have on one’s life. However, I am always willing to experience something new and so I decided to engage myself in the practice of Yoga. I chose to do the Concentration Kriya; this mediation technique mostly focuses on empowering mind and body through the practice of controlled breathing. A controlled breath can be extremely beneficial to overcome various obstacles in one’s daily life; this is the reason why I chose the Concentration Kriya as my meditation technique since I usually have struggles developing a calm, constant, and controlled breath. We will write a custom essay sample on Yoga Meditation Experience or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I sacrificed 5 minutes of my time in the morning to go through the cycle; my intent was to do it before the â€Å"real† day had begun since I hoped to go more relaxed and focused into classes and practice. Within the first two weeks, I did not really notice any change after I had meditated; I actually felt pretty awkward sitting on the floor of my room all by myself doing those awkward breathing techniques. However, this feeling went away after some time; I think you have to get used to it before you get more comfortable in its practice. Further, during the third week, I could definitely feel some changes coming up; I did not only breathe more concentrated but I also felt more loosened up and relaxed. I started to manage the imbalances of my daily life better; in relation to that, I also started to notice a more vital and well-being daily experience. Eventually, I think it also affected my performance in soccer practices and games since my mind was more focused and, on a physical level, the increased oxygen supported the complying parts of the body. Eventually, there were mornings when I was not really motivated; though, I reminded myself of the benefits I had experienced through meditation and found myself again. I think one has to come out his comfort zone to do it since one just has to invest 5 minutes of his or her day. However, I do not really know if I will continue meditating every morning; I am usually not a person that is that disciplined to follow a certain routine. Yet, I can still see myself meditating in the future to overcome difficult challenges or parts of my life. Looking back on the five weeks I spent meditating I can fairly say that it is totally worth it to spend that little time and effort in terms of the possible ways it can affect one’s lifestyle. I still think that some religious philosophies and practices are sort of questionable, but Yoga and its meditation techniques can definitely have a positive effect on one’s life. Hence, I would not only recommend it to friends and individuals that are striving for a transformation in their body, mind and inmost consciousness, but also to individuals who want to experience something new as I did.

School Culture Report for Pe Essay Example

School Culture Report for Pe Essay Example School Culture Report for Pe Essay School Culture Report for Pe Essay Faline Mariscal June 20, 2011 Special Ed. Curriculum School Culture Report Standardized assessments are useful tools for all school subjects to monitor trends and changes, collect data, and improve programs, curriculum and policy. Just like academic testing, standardized assessments for physical education provide these same benefits and opportunities for improvement. So, why isn’t physical education assessment required in schools? Assessing students in physical education can measure achievement in knowledge, motion skills, and self-management skills. Let’s take a closer look at my schools culture report on physical education. Oh wait! That is right, we don’t have one. My school doesn’t assess the students in physical education. So in this paper I will try my best to answer the questions needed to explain the data. I will try to explain the best I can if we has data on physical education and what that would look like. Let’s take a look at the following information: * Population (race, gender) mobility, income, special needs (whole school) 2010-2011 FXW Students’ Ethnic Diversity African American21% Arab American2% Asian American8% Bi-Racial7% Caucasian American49% Hispanic American13% 2010-2011 FXW Students Gender Male419 Female410 Total829 Who does not do well on standardized assessments? (in my classroom) Since I teach PE, standardized assessment doesn’t apply to me. If my school had standardized assessment performance in physical education, then I would be able to determine who are eligible for services due to their physical and motor needs and those with or without un ique needs in psychomotor domain. * Who gets referred? Those eligible would be based on the following test results that measure aspects of PE: 1. Low motor development. Exhibit motor delay of at least 2 years or performance is one standard below mean in motor development. 2. Low motor skill performance. Fails to meet age- or grade-level competencies or criterion-referenced standards in one or more physical education content area. 3. Low health-related physical fitness. Does not meet specific or general standards of health-related physical fitness. 4. Psychomotor domain. Those with social-emotional needs. School psychologist test. * Who are stakeholders? SchoolPrincipalsHead of SchoolCommunity StudentsParentsBoard MembersTeachers * Positive and Negative aspects of process Positive: 1. Help educators monitor and improve the quality of physical education programs 2. Provide a means of holding programs accountable 3. Enable physical education to be included among the subjects on which students are tested as part of the state education assessment that are increasingly driving school management decisions. 4. Least restrictive environment for the student Negatives: 1. Parents don’t want to believe their child has a problem 2. Parents can’t afford outside help 3. Students not comfortable with placement or considerations 4. Students don’t understand concepts or safety considerations being taught in class 5. Schools can’t meet the needs of the child 6. Teacher is not educated on how to deal with children with unique needs * What is Your Role? . To meet the needs of all my students 2. Modify activities and instructional methodologies so the student’s goals can be met 3. Develop rubrics, checklists, task analysis, or rating scales to measure behavior those students who exhibit some type of social-emotional behavior. I see students from kindergarten to third grade, but l ike I said, I don’t perform standardized assessment in my physical education class. I do more observation with the students. If I have any concerns than I talk to our schools resource teacher, psychologist, principal, and classroom teacher first before taking the next step. If I was performing some type of assessment in PE class, than the students who are struggling would have behavior problems or unique physical and motor skills. For example, I do have several groups of students that have social-emotional behavioral problems. These students have a hard time with following directions, taking turns, showing respect to others, playing fair, and demonstrating good sportsmanship, which is important in physical education and community-based physical activity settings. Students that exhibit low motor development and skill performance have the following delays. By kindergarten through second grade, students should be able to skip, leap, hop, gallop, throw and catch a ball with two hands, be aware of spatial awareness, have body control, change direction without bumping into another person, and balancing on one leg for at least 8 seconds. By third grade, the students should have master the skills in kindergarten through second grade and by now are able to manipulate objects using their hands and feet, catch a ball with one hand, and balance on one foot for at least 15 seconds. These are a few things that I look for when observing the students in my class. It’s hard to say the exact amount of children with disabilities in our since I’m not included in what goes on with the students who do receive special services. From the information that I have gathered from the resource teachers, approximately 30 students from grades k-3 have an IEP out of 60 students that receive help. Our resource teacher sees 18 students twice a week, which actually seven have been tested and have an IEP. Then our psychologist does a full Psycho-Ed which can only be completed by 10 students in a school year due to time. Our speech and language pathologist sees between 28-30 students a year on a consistent basis. All these students have had a speech and language evaluation. Then we have our reading specialist who sees at least 12 students. These students our below grade level in reading and most of them have had a Psycho-Ed with an IEP; and receive addition help from the resource teacher as well. As a PE teacher, I have not been informed on these 60 students that receive services. I do receive recommendation on some of these students, but most of them don’t have physical or motor development or behavior issues. Out of the 60 students, I have noticed at least six students that have some type of physical/motor development delays or behavior issues. Since I don’t have data to help me, I am not able to provide a percentage of children with disabilities and explain how they are accounted for in the data. What I can do is explain how I would teach these students in my class. I would try to modify activities so the students can participate in class. Students who have a hard time with following instructions, I would try to keep the directions short and explain them one more time face-to-face to make sure they understand what to do. To help students with social-behavior problems in class, I can develop a checklist, task analyses, or rating scale to measure their behavior. Coming up with a behavioral intervention plan can reduce unwanted behaviors while increasing more desirable behaviors. Since I work with elementary students, I should be focusing on motor skills instead of sports. By doing this, I will improve the skills needed for them to accomplish at that grade level. In conclusion, there are many reasons for testing and assessing in physical education like increasing motivation, determining strengths and weaknesses, classifying students, determining degree of achievement, evaluating instruction and programs, predicating future success, and conducting research to answer questions and solve problems. Without the data on student performance, physical education will continue to be relegated to a low priority in school reform efforts. Maybe I can bring my concerns to the principal and come up with some guidelines on how to access students in PE for the future. Researchers have said that there is a link between the brain and physical activity. So why isn’t there a state mandate that all schools should be assessing in PE class?

Islam Compared to the Orthodox Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam Compared to the Orthodox Church - Essay Example The essay "Islam Compared to the Orthodox Church" talks about the two religions - Islam and Orthodox comparing their beliefs and origin. The history of Islam includes Prophet Muhammad striving for a society in which the Arabs, who were a divided nation who indulged in several vices, to be united into one nation. And that was his mission and he is the role model and founder of Islam, creating unity and the belief in a dole God and the establishment of laws according to this belief. This movement has led to a vast fraternity over the years, to become a Muslim brotherhood. He also believed that morals and values should be simple and everyone should be able to follow them and this made life easier for the Arabs to accept this new religion. The Muslims were to believe in something credible and it was easy to accept his religion. On the other hand, the Orthodox Christians had to believe in a miracle, and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ who was the son of God, which was beyond the limitations of the human mind. It is his belief that wine becomes Divine Blood as you consume it even in Church and bread is the ‘Lord’s Risen Body.’ There is no such aspect in Islam to believe in the miraculous aspect of this, even though there have been many miracles in Islam as well. There is no aspect of veneration even though there are saints that are heard of in Islam as well, but not as commonly in Christianity. Holy Prophet simply conveyed God’s message to the Muslims and they had to commit to him and follow him.

Diplomatic Mission for the Issue of the U.S.-China Naval Affairs Essay

Diplomatic Mission for the Issue of the U.S.-China Naval Affairs - Essay Example There is the need for a good foreign diplomatic professional to build good relationship between the U.S. and Chinese navies. There is a greater need for an office that will oversee the ticklish problems created by the continued U.S. presence in the region where China is already claiming lot of islands from her neighbors. The presence of the U.S. navy in the region is creating heartburn for the Chinese (Bill Powell). While it would be too much to assume that the U.S. will oblige the Chinese and remove their ships from performing surveillance in the region, the situation certainly warrants greater discretion on the part of the U.S. to start doing exactly what the Chinese are saying. Go away from here and do not come within 200 mile of the Exclusive Economic Zone. The United States has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that is responsible for the Exclusive Economic Zone law (Peter Symonds). It is difficult to perceive what a good foreign diplomatic professional or a diplomatic office can achieve given the potential for hostilities in the U.S. actions. However, the issue is messy enough to need diplomatic interventions 24x7. At least it will act as a cooling agent on an affair that has all the elements for conflagration. The aims of the diplomatic mission will undoubtedly be to avoid full-scale confrontation. The U.S. appears to be banking on its vast superiority in the naval department when compared to the present Chinese naval strength. However, it is only a matter of time before the Chinese have built enough fire power in naval terms to physically evict what it sees as hostile presence in its vicinity. One can only hope that such situation does not arise now or in the future. Conclusion With a diplomatic mission specifically designed for the issue of the U.S.-China naval affairs, there is a fair chance that temperatures will continue to remain cool even in the face of provocations by the U.S. navy. However, the best course of action would be for the U.S. to pull back to a location that can be counted as not lying within the 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zone. The Chinese are known to strike without warning. It is good to not continue testing their patience. Sources: Beth, USNS Impeccable: Chinese Vessels Harass US Navy Ship, http://military.rightpundits.com/2009/03/09/usns-impeccable-chinese-vessels-harass-us-navy-ship/ Bill Powell, The Chinese Navy: How Big a Threat to the U.S. 21 April 2009, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892954,00.html Eric A. McVadon, The Case for U.S.-China Naval Cooperation, 30 November 2007, http://www.feer.com/politics/2008/february/The-Case-for-U.S.-China-Naval-Cooperation Obama Calls for Improved Military Dialogue Between the U.S. and China After Naval Confrontation, 12 March 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/12/obama-meet-chinese-foreign-minister-ship-confrontation/ Peter Symonds, U.S. navy reinforces spying operations in South China Sea, 17 March 2009, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.phpcontext=va&aid=12766 Press conference of U.S.

The falliability of sense experience Essay Example for Free

The falliability of sense experience Essay One of the foremost notions concerning the rise of empiricism and the natural sciences, French thinker and mathematician Rene Descartes, also considered as the father of modern philosophy, proposes the use of methodological doubt in order for knowledge to be determined with absolute certainty. His work, Meditations on First Philosophy, contains ontological arguments which deny the reliance on the senses as the ample source in determining absolute knowledge. As a mathematician, his approach concerning the acquisition of knowledge is through substantial proof which forms the groundwork of empiricism, as well as the foundation of the different disciplines in science. Cartesian rationalism provides the understanding of empirical evidence in order for a phenomenon or study to be considered true. The work is narrated in the first person perspective as Descartes acts as the ‘mediator’ on the infallibility of the senses through the use of ontological arguments which determine the source and essence of knowledge as well as the proof of God’s existence. The first-person point of view is essential in understanding Descartes philosophy as an objective refutation of all the given objects that are naturally perceived by the senses. The concept of universality on sense experience, through the narration, provides an objective analysis of the problem which Descartes offers to solve through the use of doubt. This doubt however is not of the skeptic nature which ultimately denies the possibility of acquiring knowledge; the Cartesian doubt is methodological, it offers a complete denial of all existing objects generated by the senses in order to determine the ‘real’ underlying truth which in turn becomes the foundation of true knowledge. As such, the ‘dream argument’ from the first part of the Meditations presents the unreliable nature of sense experience in terms of determining reality or universal objects of experience. The argument generally centers on the distinction between the process of dreaming and the waking experience which completely garbles the concept of a true reality. The Dream Argument The dream argument is narrated as thus: Suppose then that I am dreaming, and that these particulars – that my eyes are open, that I am moving my head and stretching out my hands – are not true. Perhaps, indeed, I do not even have such hands or such a body at all. Nonetheless, it must surely be admitted that the visions which come in sleep are like paintings, which must have been fashioned in the likeness of things that are real, and hence that at least these general kinds of things – are things which are not imaginary but are real and exist. (Descartes, 1996, 13) The first part of the Meditations deals with the proposal of doubt, which argues for the indemnification of the senses as a fallacious source of determining experiences: â€Å"But from time to time I have found that the senses deceive, and it is prudent never to trust completely those who have deceive us even once. † From all experiences that have deceived the mediator, it is deemed prudent to be doubt present knowledge in order to know the truth. The dream argument follows from the methodological doubt as a way of determining real experiences from illusions. Descartes narrates that a dream experience provides him an understanding of an object itself. For example, a dream involving a chair may be interpreted that the chair is indeed real because we sense it. We see the chair in the mind’s eye and there we perceive it to be true. However, when we wake, we still perceive a chair which is outside the dream and therefore can still be considered real. The confusion between two realities is the main thesis of Descartes’ dream argument where he places disregard with the sense. Thus, he relates the relationship between dreaming and real experience as that of a painting. The painter creates a mermaid where each part of the character is based from an existing or real object. The mermaid has a body of a fish and the torso of a human which are two separate objects forming a whole picture. The real object of experience becomes the basis for the formation of objects in dreams and both experiences provide a sense of reality. The problem arises whether the realness in dream experience may be considered to be true. Descartes answers this problem with doubt; an individual cannot doubt the specific parts of a whole. Taking from the painting analogy, doubt can only be applicable to the painting itself (e. g. mermaid) whether it really exists but the parts such as the legs, arms, torso, and body cannot be doubted since they are real that provide the basis of the illusion. Descartes relates the analogy to the study of the different sciences wherein each discipline which depends on the study of composite objects can be considered doubtful (e. g. physics, astronomy) while disciplines that deal with the simplest or general form (e. g. mathematics, geometry) are considered universals or certain. Thus, the dream argument may be summarized as follows: the senses are an unreliable source of determining knowledge since dream experiences may be considered real because it relies on the senses to be real. Therefore, when we wake up, the objects around us lead us to doubt its existence because we perceive such objects through the senses. The dream argument leads to the formation of the Cartesian doubt, which necessarily denies the reliance of sense perception and offers as logical argument concerning the acquisition of truth. Critical Evaluation The dream argument provides the basis of Descartes methodological doubt where the senses provide a false impression of reality. His propositions are based on the dependence of empirical evidence rather than reliance to illusion. Indeed sense perception may fully deceive the person, through the ‘objects are not what they seem’ argument. The dream argument’s distinctions provide support on method to doubt all existing forms of knowledge perceived by the sense in order to be proven its validity. Descartes’ propositions are considered true in the sense that the dream argument provides substantial evidence supporting the infallibility of sense perception. The evidence provided in the dream argument as well as in the painting analogy offers enough proof to distinguish illusion from reality. For instance, when a person is awake, he or she experiences object through the sense; thus he or she perceives such experiences or objects to be true. These experiences leave an imprint on the mind and when we dream, these objects come into reality because we perceive it as such. This argument reinforces the process of doubt in order to determine with absolute certainty the real foundations of knowledge. The doubt that comes after the unreliability of the senses is then necessary to determine a firm foundation in which true knowledge to be based. This doubt is clearly distinct from the classical conception of skepticism wherein it denies the possibility of existing knowledge and offers doubt as a means of achieving intellectual tranquility: â€Å"It [skepticism] is also the ephetic (suspending) from the experience which the inquirer feels after the search† . The distinction between the two systems of thought is that Cartesian doubt offers a denial of existing knowledge created through perception whereas skepticism doubts the possibility of acquiring knowledge itself. However, the dream argument necessarily implies the universal experience of dreaming or a selective dream experience. The selective dream is identified when an individual is dreaming, he or she wakes up from such and the dilemma lies whether which reality is true. The universal concept of dreaming on the other hand falls under the general experience of individuals that life is in itself a dream and there is no such thing as a waking experience. This poses a problem on the existence of a true reality which leads to confusion between the relationship of the senses, body, and the intellect. If the senses cannot be trusted, then what do we use to determine real objects from mere illusions? It may be considered as one of the weak points in the dream argument as there is no clear identification of what can be considered to be a true reality. The images perceived by the sense ultimately influence the objects in dreams and since it relies on the sense, it is considered to be real. This problem is answered with the Cartesian doubt itself; it merely provides a persuasion for the individual to not rely on the senses and instead empirically categorize knowledge based on substantial evidence and proof through logic and deduction reasoning. This process inevitably leads to the foundation of the scientific method wherein facts are proven through observation, evidence, deduction, and conclusion in order to be construed as valid. From this notion, proof provides objectivity and universality which Descartes does not consider such subjects to be placed under doubt because it is already considered certain. Mathematics and Geometry are considered certain knowledge and physical existence is not a concern because of its deterministic essence. However, objects which fall a composite essence are subject to doubt. In conclusion, Descartes’ dream argument and the dilemma of reality are answered through the use of doubt and logic. Doubt counters the infallibility of the sense; to clearly deny all prior knowledge since the senses provide misinterpretations or illusions. Logic on the other hand answers to the problem posed by the dualistic reality caused by the dream and waking phenomenon. Logic dictates the identification of the true reality even with the problem of the senses as something that can be physically proven in order to be considered real. This physical essence is not of the material sense but instead uses deduction in order to be considered true. For example, a chair conceived in a dream may be logically explained as an immaterial existence because it does not fully provide the ‘real’ essence of a chair (e. g. form, shape, measure) which are considered as certain subjects or universals. As the senses cannot entirely function as a basis in determining true knowledge or experience, logic becomes the characterizing means in order to counter the illusions perceived by the senses. Metaphysically, the use of logic enables the mind to think and prove experiences based on evidence rather than a garbled and subjective conception of an idea. Bibliography Descartes, Rene. Meditations on First Philosophy; with Selections from the Objections and Replies. Translated by J. Cottingham. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Empiricus, Sextus. Selections from the Major Writings on Skepticism, Man God. Translated by Samuel Etheridge. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1985.