Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Totalitarian Individualism Essay Example for Free
Totalitarian Individualism Essay Thesis:            Through the analysis of Hannah Arendt`s The Origins of Totalitarianism, Frederick Nietzche`s Morality as Anti-Nature, and contemporary philosopher Scott Adam’s God’s Debris, this author will shed light on the human desire to follow trend, and validate Nietzche’s argument that devout faith in cause is the product of anxiety about the unknown. This anxiety requires that their must be some form of structure, not necessarily full on totalitarianism, but not a society full of free thinking individuals either. Introduction:            In Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism, he speaks on the origins of racism and what eventually led to Nazism. He argues that the movement Hitler was able to form started as the result of apathetic and neutral masses that were oblivious to workings of their governments. It is this type of majority that he credits as being the main provider of opportunity for a totalitarian minority to rule. He talks about the social necessities for totalitarianism to strive, noting that those who aspire to total domination must liquidate all spontaneity, such as the mere existence of individuality will always engender, and track it down in its most private forms, regardless of how unpolitical and harmless these may seem (Arendt) The main focus of this ideology is to make one whole unit operating in the same given direction with absolutely no individual diverging parts. Though Arendt acknowledges this to be a political tactic starting within national cultures and then working its way outward, the ideals inherent with this system of control are very telling about the human nature, and the human tendency to follow trend and form groups. This concept is very compatible with Scott Adam’s argument in his book God’s Debris. Adam’s initially presents his novel as a replacement for modern religions that find it hard to accommodate science within their canons. He markets it as a new age creed to be followed by the next generation of masses. Ironically, I fell for his ploy until reading Nietzche. Scott Adams’ novel has become highly talked about and critically acclaimed in the contemporary philosophical community since its publication in 2001. In the introduction, he describes his novel as a thought experiment that poses philosophical questions to the common stances held in both religion and science. The key argument of the book is: the purpose of life is to create communication systems (i.e. the internet, the radio and television). As convincing as his novel is it is very clear that it adheres to some totalitarian ideals, and also to the human desire to know the cause of existence. Analysis: The Bible poses that God made man in his image. Scott Adams identifies with this concept in that he views god as an entity that thinks like man. He argues, if God is all knowing, than the only thing God wouldnt know is what would life be like without he/she/itself. (Adams, pg14)  This curiosity leads to Gods self destruction and is Adams explanation for the Big Bang Theory. This is very ironic considering that Nietzche argues that man is anxious about the unknown. He says, with the unknown, one is confronted with danger, discomfort, and care,â€â€the first instinct is to abolish [wegzuschaffen] these painful states (Nietzche, 5).  This is the first point where Adam’s argument is lacking, because he is treating God like a man and having him act exactly as a man would in this position. Since the Big Bang is credited for the creation of the universe, Adams comes to the conclusion that we are all Gods Debris reforming God again. The again in the statement is key, because it poses the possibility that this is not the first time any of this has happened. Of course, until there is a universe, there can be no such thing as time. Plus, it only makes sense that God would be in a continuous cycle of self-destruction and rebirth, since everything else we are used to in our natural world operates in cycles. The main purpose of Adam’s argument is to pose that we are all attempting to form into one all knowing being through the creation of communication systems. He is essential promoting a global form of totalitarianism. He has also basically explained the meaning of life and the cause of creation. This is all very comforting for one unfamiliar with Nietzche, who says, to derive something unknown from something familiar relieves, comforts, and satisfies, besides giving a feeling of power (Nietzche, 5). This statement is true, because after first reading Adam’s ideology on creation I felt very powerful like I had the answer to the eternal question. I literally felt like I was contributing to something larger than myself and that was my core purpose in life. I also no longer felt like an individual, but insignificant unless I was a contributing to the whole. This feeling I felt even furthermore validates the view that Adam’s theory is one in the pursuit of global totalitarianism. Arendt justifies it when he says, any neutrality, indeed any spontaneously given friendship, is from the standpoint of totalitarian domination just as dangerous as open hostility, precisely because spontaneity as such, with its incalculability, is the greatest of all obstacles to total domination over man (Arendt).  Here Arendt points out that a totalitarian system can not permit any individuality whatsoever; and by Adam’s definition, God can’t be reformed until every being knows what the others know. His view does not promote racism, but it does imply the alienation of anyone unwilling to conform with the expectations of the information age.  Arendt goes on to explain what totalitarian systems do to individuals like this with an example from the Nazi regime: if he is purged from the party and sent to a forced-labor or a concentration camp. On the contrary, to the wonder of the whole civilized world, he may even be willing to help in his own prosecution and frame his own death sentence (Arendt). This is only the natural fellowship that forms when people congregate, and it has all of the symptoms of a cult. The main thing that both the Nazi regime and Adam’s theory have in common, are its use of God as a core motivator. With god as the center of Adam’s argument, there is a sense of obligation to adhere to his laws. This is very similar to the Nazi regime that felt it was chosen by God as the racial elite to purge the world of those who were inferior. Nietzche acknowledges the powerful hold that God has on the rational of man. In fact, it is the entire theme of Morality as Anti-Nature. He says: the world does not form a unity either as a sensorium or as spiritâ€â€that alone is the great liberation; with this alone is the innocence of becoming restored The concept of God was until now the greatest objection to existence We deny God, we deny the responsibility in God: only thereby do we redeem the world. (Nietzche, 8) Basically arguing that to deny God is to liberate oneself from burden, his argument has a very ironic undertone considering the number of wars that have been declared in God’s name, and the vast number of people who sacrifice their happiness to do what they deem to be God’s will. The prime example of this is World War II.            The key argument that both Arendt and Neitzche propose is that some people have weaker wills than others. Arendt argues this when he points out that the societies most vulnerable to totalitarian governments are those that have a non caring apathetic majority. Those who don’t have the will power to get involved with their own governments, or to make a conscious effort to vote, these people tend to be taken advantage of and eventually disregarded by powerful totalitarian structures formed under their noses. Neitzche argues this notion when he says, †¦in the fight against a cravingâ€â€castration, extirpationâ€â€is instinctively chosen by those who are too weak-willed, too degenerate, to be able to impose moderation on themselves; by those who are so constituted that they require ‘la Trappe’ (Nietzche,2). Here he identifies that some people need to have a structure forced upon them by nature, because they are too weak minded to think for themselves. They have no choice but to follow trend, or Hitler, whichever it may be. Ironically, what Neitzche and Arendt deem to be weak will, Socrates refers to as ignorance and credits it as the cause for evil. Socrates was a man filled with faith in human nature. Socrates’ philosophy of human nature doing evil was that a person only does evil in ignorance, for he believed everyone, just as himself wants only what is good. The source of someone doing evil is brought about by unlimited desire. Something that goes unmitigated becomes possessive of that person and they in turn want, and want, without satiation. This is when the appetitive part of the soul (the part of the soul that wants sex, food, etc.) overtakes the rational (part seeking truth, and reason) of the soul resulting in moral weakness or akrasia. This idea is very compatible with the opening line of Morality as Anti-Nature, when Neitzche says, all passions have a phase when they are merely disastrous, when they drag down their victim with the weight of stupidity (Neitzche, 1). Though Socrates and Neitzche agree on this aspect, they would disagree on Neitzche’s point that God should be disregarded. In Neitzche’s defense Aristotle argued that by Socrates inciting a belief in God, he was also placing too much blind faith in the human nature to be virtuous. It is no wonder why religious canons focus so much of their effort on regulating pleasure and passion; and as Scott Adam’s shows God can still be used to herd people in a totalitarian direction, even today.            In sum, confronting this idea that to deny God is to liberate one’s self, it brings up many questions. Theoretically speaking, if there is no God, what is their to prevent chaos, but the structure of man made law and a totalitarian society? Even if God is used as a catalyst to erupt corrupt governments, these governments keep more piece than chaos can bring. It is the anxiety of the people that needs to be controlled, the anxiety of what life would be like without governmental control, the anxiety of what life would be like without God. Though Nietzche speaks rationally for the individual who wants complete freedom, his words are lost on the Arendt’s masses, and especially those who devoutly follow the Reich. The only hope within acknowledging that all societies’ sanity reside in the use of a mildly totalitarian system, is to have some citizens who pride themselves on being free thinking individuals, a totalitarian individualist culture. Work Cited Adams, Scott. Gods Debris. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2004. Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York: Schocken, 2004. Nietzsche, Friedrich et.al. Twilight of the Idols. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Plato. Complete Works. Ed. John M. Cooper. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1997
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay and other methods for the evaluation of antioxidants :: essays research papers
1. Introduction Most people know about antioxidants and belive in them as preventers against cell damage, which in the most severe case can cause cancer. Almost all nutritions contain a certain amount of antioxidant – both chemical and/or biological. To measure the activity and amount of the antioxidants present in a sample, some distinctive but easy assays have been established. This paper will give a short overview of the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance cacpacity) assay and compare it with other antioxidant assays. Besides that, the paper introduces some preliminary results on antioxidant activity of the plant Apocynum venetum conducted by the author. Fig. 1 on cover page from [9] Table of Contents 1. Introduction     2 2. The ORAC assay – a brief introduction     4 3. Biochemical background of antioxidant activity     6 4. Comparison of ORAC with other antioxidant activity assays     7 5. Results in current research     8 6. Discussion and conclusions     9 References     10 2. The ORAC assay – a brief introduction 2.1 Theoretical background The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay is a method for measuring the total antioxidant activity in a biological sample. Biological samples include body fluids of animals and humans (serum, plasma, urine, saliva), plant extracts, agricultural and food products, and pharmaceutical products.[6] The advantage of the ORAC assay is the wide range of applications as it can be used for both lipophilic and hydrophilic samples and compounds. Besides measuring the total antioxidant capacity, the assay can also qualitatively measure the amount of fast versus slow acting antioxidants in a sample. The principle of the ORAC is based on the following scheme: Fig. 2: Principal order of the ORAC assay[10] The sample contains a certain amount of compounds with an antioxidant activity. In water soluble samples, fluorescein is used as the probe which is protected by the antioxidants.[3] After adding a certain amount of a free radical, the loss in fluorescence over time is measured until the whole fluorescence is eliminated and the scavenging activity of the antioxidant is vanished. By integrating the area under the kinetic curve relative to the blank, the concentration of all antioxidants present in the sample can be calculated. Trolox, a water soluble tocopherol derivative, is used as a standard to calculate the antioxidant activity of the sample in trolox equivalents (μmol TE/g). 2.2 Fluorescein reaction Fluorescein belongs to the group of triphenylmethane dyes with a xanthene structure. Its fluorescence is based on the oxygen withdrawing groups and the intermittend double bounds shifting the wavelength towards the visible light range. Radicals can distubr this structure and erase the fluorescence by destructing one aromatic ring structure as seen in the reaction scheme.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Psychoanalytic, Jungian and Individual Psychology Theories Essay
The counseling roadmap for this learner essentially begins on an angle, with a number of major theories of degree. Some of the major counseling theories the learner will study, in this course, include: classical psychoanalysis, individual psychology, analytical theory, person-centered therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, existential therapy, solution focused therapy, behavior therapy, gestalt therapy, cognitive therapy, reality therapy, interpersonal approaches to psychotherapy, feminist therapy, and family systems therapy. The learner believes that there will be periods of time with clients, in which one theory will work more effectively than another, or even where eclectic combinations of two or more theories are most appropriate used. Because of times like these, the learner supposes, it is imperative she be well-versed in the foundational elements of a number of major counseling theories, in order to provide the greatest assistance to her future clients, regardless of if she finds herself currently aligned with only one or two of said theories. So, whether you turn out to be an eclectic or a single-theory proponent, knowing the major approaches to counseling and psychotherapy is essential. Even eclectics need to know the approaches from which they borrow. †(Murdock 2009) â€Å"According to Maddi (1996), theories are meant â€Å"to foster understanding of something hitherto not understood†(Murdock 2009). The learner is also of the opinion that counseling theories should elucidate and even forecast, to some degree, the client’s behavior in hopes of contributing to the therapeutic end. The learner accepts as true that utilizing one or more recognized counseling theories makes the forecast unambiguous and more open to assessment. The client’s hopes, goals, perceptions, actions, personality, individuality, creative opinion/s about oneself and his or her problems and attitudes towards treatment will contribute greatly to the theory or theories used. In order to utilize the client’s theory of change and to effectively guide the choice of technique or integration of various therapy models best, the learner must be cognizant of the client’s uniquely personal presentation, in theoretical terms. The client is actually the single, most potent contributor to outcome in psychotherapy – through the resources they bring into the therapy room and what influences their lives outside it. †(Andrews 2007) One of the primary reasons clients theoretically attend and seek out counseling is to reach a therapeutic goal, tangible result, or change that they were unable to accomplish on their own. â€Å"All of these theories attempt to explain the process of helping clients change; they all offer some sort of prescription for what one person, the therapist, can do to help the other person, the client, who has sought assistance. (Murdock 2009) As the learner finds the connection between learning theory and its’ application in professional practice, with regards to client therapy, theory must in time, take on a real human experience, a life of its’ own, so to speak. Counseling theory and professional practice should work for her as ideally complimentary partners, changing, growing and adapting, as needed, and over time. The learner recognizes the benefit and reality that one or more of the counseling theories she adopts will likely be amended or change at least once during her profession career. As her client base grows and changes and as she personally and professionally develops, so will her theoretical models, structures, assumptions and predictions. â€Å"Theory should be applied in a critical way, with the recognition that other approaches exist (and are apparently valid, too) and that theories contain biases that can be dangerous to clients. Also, starting with one good theory does not mean you will stay with that theory forever. †(Murdock 2009) For any counseling theory to be effectively applied, the learner believes, a positive alliance with one’s client is foundationally vital. In order to effectively utilize studied counseling theories and apply one or more of them successfully, the client must be on-board. â€Å"We now consider our clients’ worldview, their map of the territory, as the determining ‘theory’ for therapy (Duncan et al. , 1992), directing both the destination desired and the routes of restoration, and all but ensuring the experience of a positive alliance. (Duncan, Miller, Sparks 2007) The learner understands that an open and meaningful association with her clients is so essential for any counseling theory or theories she adopts to be effectively utilized, in professional counseling treatment. The learner is obliged, as a future counselor, to form a close and sincerely, authentic connection with her clients, through various measures such as active listening, evoking empathy, compassion, and conveying an almost absolute sense of acceptance of her clients; These measures are in essence crucial in creating a positive alliance with her clients. In summary, the learner has determined she must study quite a few major counseling theories to create her foundational map from which to work from. The learner will begin the application of the fundamentals of one or more of these theories and superlatively navigate her way on the roadmap towards a degree of diminished psychological symptoms in her future clients. â€Å"Good psychotherapy results in increased self-understanding and, ultimately, can produce changes in lives that increase happiness. â€
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Gender, Class And Urban Space Public And Private Space
In the article, â€Å"Gender, Class and Urban Space: Public and Private Space in Contemporary Urban Landscapes†Liz Bondi, puts forth her perspectives about the possible interconnections between gender dichotomy ,urban public /private space or city/suburb dichotomies and how separable or intertwined they are with each other. She attempts to further provide evidence that ‘the ideal of separate spheres’ (Bondi, Pg.162.) continues to affect our lives .She states that gentrification and class is intertwined in this dynamic interaction between gender and space. Bondi identifies these ‘dichotomies’ as duos, be it city/suburb, public /private or male/ female. She points out to the associations between masculinity -public space - city and femininity - private space - suburbs and that these interconnections are look upon as ‘ideologies rather than reality’ (Bondi 2013). The conclusions Bondi presented are based on the empirical evidence she collec ted which seem to lack abstractness, i.e they are specific to certain location at a certain time. But the interpretations and the data collected reflect the complex character of the urban realm, gender and the interplay between the two. They exhibit characters of being separate as well as being interwoven, distinct, ‘disentangled and a dismantled’ as well as overlapping each other. Although Bondi seems to acknowledge this complexity; she overlooks its importance in her selection of the research site and sample size. Following, I present theShow MoreRelatedWhy Are Both Public and Private Interests within Cities Becoming Increasingly Supporting of Creating a Gay Space?1026 Words  | 5 PagesWhy are both public and private interests within cities becoming increasingly supportive of the creation of â€Å"gay space†? Based on the public interest, â€Å"gay space†is important to support creative and high-tech industries. San Francisco, Washington, and San Diego, are all designed as high-tech areas in United States. According to Harvard University economist Edward Glaeser’s statistical analysis, gay workers do a better job than heterosexual (?) individual (Gates Florida, 2002). Thus, creatingRead MoreThe Patriarchal Welfare State, By Carole Pateman945 Words  | 4 Pages One subject that lacked in the previous weeks’ readings is gender and its role in urban democracy. The authors gave women faint mentions. As a consequence of societal, political and financial exclusion, the status of women in municipal power dynamics is restricted and minimal. This week’s authors articulated a variety of limitations that prevent women from benefiting from power dynamics in American cities. Through class, theories of citizenship and race, they explain citizenship and its privilegesR ead MoreDolores Hayden : A Feminist Critique Of Architecture And Urban History1535 Words  | 7 Pages Dolores Hayden: Dolores Hayden is a professor of architecture and urban history, who’s 1980 essay What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like? re-imagined the relationship between the suburb and the city. Hayden’s work formed a significant feminist critique of the modern day challenges facing women who had to balance varied responsibilities and navigate inadequately planned cities. Her vision of new urban communities beneficial to women’s activities became a response to the shortcomings of capitalistRead MoreShedding Light on Gay Culture in New York in George Chauncey’s Gay New York Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World683 Words  | 3 PagesGeorge Chauncey’s Gay New York Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890-1940, goes where no other historian had gone before, and that is into the world of homosexuality before World War II. Chauncey’s 1994 critically acclaimed book was a gender history breakthrough that gave lig ht to a homosexual subculture in New York City. The author argues against the idea that homosexual men lived hidden away from the world. Chauncey’s book exposes an abundant culture throughout the UnitedRead MoreUrban Space And Urban Spaces1983 Words  | 8 PagesUrban space is a material construct determined by a denser built environment in specific geographical settings and with economic roles distinguishing it from its suburban and rural hinterland. The historiographies of pre-industrial towns and cities have been dominated by the characterisation of the city as a market place and a centre of artisanal industries. From this traditional point of view, the city is shaped by its socio-economic and political function and urban space and is implicitly consideredRead MoreThe Poster, By Judith Giesberg1574 Words  | 7 Pagesnot isolated from total wars. However, women’s â€Å"intrusion†into the long-assumed male spaces began much earlier than the birth of th at poster. Judith Giesberg’s Army at Home demonstrates that the Civil War allowed American women to traverse the social boundaries that reserved wars for males and home for females. Instead, marginalized working-class, rural, minority, or immigrant women actively defied such gender demarcation by replacing males in fields and arsenals, confronting state officials inRead MoreBetween The Various Financial Data And Eleventh Grade Students1604 Words  | 7 Pagescompared with district wealth. 2.4. STUDIES RELATED TO EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND SCHOOL TYPE: Dahar et.al (2010) The paper investigates the impact of per pupil expenditures on academic achievement of students at the secondary stage in the rural and the urban areas of Punjab. School expenditures that indicate the provision and allocation of resource inputs into schools play a vital role in the school performance. The term per pupil expenditures is the more specific indication of school expenditures. TheRead MoreAnxious Wealth : Money And Morality Among China s New Rich Essay1588 Words  | 7 PagesAssignment One: Urban ethnography book review. Anxious Wealth: Money and Morality Among China’s New Rich, by John Osburg Main argument: 507 Anxious Wealth is an ethnographic book that explores the background networking strategies of Chengdu’s powerful elite group of entrepreneurs, professionals, and government officials. Themes covered include recreational habits such as gambling, banqueting, drinking, uniting with female hostesses, and a range of other unexpectedly significant facets of relationshipsRead MoreAnalysis Of Winston Churchill s The English Architectural Association1560 Words  | 7 PagesArchitecture and design created precisely for controlling and moderating populations is something that has been happening for a while now. Architects and urban planners have recognised the natural capability of design to impact mood, character, and the physical and social properties of people. A prison is a design in which one can observe the dialogue between space and social control. The production of new technologies had disowned the biases of individuals, forming, which is later be realized by Gilles DeleuzeRead MoreMy Choice For A Space1747 Words  | 7 PagesTomkins Park, my choice for a space which encapsulates both the ideas of diversity and how that urban form and constrains a certain group was challenging to decide upon, both on the side how that space affects a particular group such as women, and how such a space may change, becoming more accepting of that group. I chose a space, which was seemingly public and has a great level of diversity of who uses this public space. I decided to partake in an observational study of Tomkins Park, located in
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)