Catholic View of the Death Penalty Research Paper

Catholic View of the Death Penalty - Research Paper Example In 1992, the church approved the first universal catechism. According to Pope John Paul II, the text was a complete exposition of catholic doctrine. This would enable everyone to understand what the church believes, celebrates, lives and prays (Daly, Doody, and Paffenroth, pp. 50). However, the publication was revised within a short time and particularly the section dealing with the death penalty. The first section of the death penalty was based on the traditional catholic principle, which gave the death penalty a moral definition. It gave the public authority the right and duty to punish offenders with the gravity of the crime which included the death penalty. This was to redress the disorder and damage caused by the crime. However, it proposed bloodless means as a way of defending human lives against aggressors and provide public safety (Hodgkinson and Schabas, pp 97). The public authority was supposed to use bloodless means to conform to human dignity of the offender. This was the earlier catholic teaching permitting capital punishments to defend life and maintain public order. The use of bloodless means was preferred in line with Christian calling to show mercy instead of vengeance. When the catechism publication was revised in 1997, the purpose of capital punishment had been removed. The notion of capital punishment as deterrence to other capital crimes was also reduced. Prior to this release, the pope had issued a letter about human life that addressed several moral issues regarding defending human life. This letter revealed capital offender as human beings who deserved humanity and condemned death penalty. This letter had an impact on Vatican commissioners overseeing the revisions. The catechism was supposed to be a teaching guide that upholds morals to about 1.1 billion Catholics around the world. The argument of the death penalty as a protection of public order was scrubbed and justified with the defense of human life against aggressors. Death penalty could only be used to protect the society from capital criminals (Owens, Carlson, and Elshtain, pp. 60). The document provided a restricted application of the death penalty and the cases requiring execution were very few or nonexistent. This issue was given a broader discussion of legitimate defense and human morality. The public authority had to respect personal and social rights of the criminal. Criminals were also provided with the opportunity to regain their freedom by including remedies for both the offender and the criminals. The church had considered introducing morality on the death penalty before the first catechism publication. Biblical convictions about good and evil, sin and redemption, justice and mercy acted as the basis for shifting the view of the death penalty. According to the bible, life is a precious gift from God and human beings were created in God’s image. Jesus was crucified between two capital criminals as a way of redeeming human beings. Individuals who deny the dignity of fellow humans required dignity as a gift from God rather than something earned through behavior. However, the Law of Moses in the Old Testament prescribes death for about thirty six offenses (Campbell, pp. 15). Early Catholic Christians used this justification to punish capital offenders by convicting them to death. Biblical excerpts such as a limb for limb, tooth for tooth, and eye

The development of petroleum refinery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The development of petroleum refinery - Essay Example of the first oil well in 1859 at the state of Pennsylvania where developing larger-scale processing systems were sought to refine massive quantities â€Å"rock oil†. Basically, petroleum refinery is established to perform the core duty of fundamental distillation by which the components of ‘crude oil’ are separated into fractions when crude oil is heated in the distillation column after which different hydrocarbon products may be obtained at varying temperatures. Under low temperatures conditions, light distillates at the top of the column include liquid petroleum gases (LPG), ‘straight run’ gasoline, and naphtha. Out of the middle streams are recovered moderately heavy products such as kerosene and jet fuel whereas the through column’s bottoms are distilled the heaviest of yield being the residual fuel oil. Since production is chiefly concerned with an optimum output, schematic plant and equipment designs for refinery are developed such that desired products are maximized at minimum operating costs as much as possible. On this ground, certain refineries customize plant structure in such fashion as to recycle streams particularly those at the bottom to be fed back to lines where lighter products are processed in order that heavy distillates may be taken advantage of further upon conversion to less heavy form. Manufacturers may also opt to decide on the feasibility of adjusting other factors that directly or indirectly impact the efficiency of distillation such as the number of column plates or stages, the type, design, or number of auxiliary equipments used if necessary, and more essentially, a strategic approach with separating components to remedy relatively close boiling points for the purpose of increasing percent purity of the desired yield. Moreover, refineries of crude petroleum have become enhanced through a system of downstream processing facilities utilized to change the molecular structure of the input whether by catalytic or non-catalytic

Community Care for Substance Misuse | Evaluation

Community Care for Substance Misuse | Evaluation From a service users perspective, critically evaluate people with substance misuse who live in supported housing. Introduction This paper discusses some salient aspects of community care of people with substance misuse who live in supported housing in the UK. Some of the issues that would be discussed include community care provisions with reference to legislative enactments; policy and practice initiatives in service sectors; a short review of the developments of community care policy and practice; an evaluation of the experiences of community care in a district and on different service users and carers– all these keeping in mind the requirement of anti-oppressive practice in working with service users and carers in community care. To keep the arguments within the ambit of the meaning and implications of the topic of discussion, and to impart clarity and precision to them, it is thought prudent to define at the outset the terms and concepts used in the course of discussion. A contextual definition of ‘service users’ adopted from the one given by Hanley et al in their 2003 INVOLVE report is that ‘service users’ are ‘patients; unpaid carers; parents/guardians; users of health services; disabled people; members of the public who are the potential recipients of health promotion/public health programmes; groups asking for research because they believe they have been exposed to potentially harmful circumstances, products or services; groups asking for research because they believe they have been denied products or services from which they believe they could have benefited; organisations that represent service users and carers† (Hanley, B et al, 2003, p.13). The words or the phras e â€Å"substance misuse† means the use of illegal drugs, or the improper use of alcohol, or prescribed medication, or over-the-counter medicines, or volatile substances such as aerosols and glue. ‘Substance misuse’ has become as much a serious problem among older adults as among the young; causing physical and mental health problems for them. Substance misuse has also the wider impact of affecting not only the lives of those directly involved but also those of their families and the communities in which they live. Gavin defines supported housing as â€Å"accommodation wherereceipt of housing supportservices is a condition of residence† (Gavin, n. d.) He continues to say that such â€Å"accommodationcan be grouped individual self-contained flats, or may be shared housing, with or without shared communal facilities. Support staff may be based on-site or be visiting staff. This type of housing is usually provided for groups of people with similar needs, e.g . older people, homeless people, people with mental health problems or those recovering from alcohol problems. People can live in supported housing for varying lengths of time, dependent on their individual needs and the type of service† (Gavin, n.d). Government Policy in respect of service and care In one of its published documents (DH 2002), the Department of Health has given detailed guidance about the regulation on ‘Supported Housing and Care Homes’. The document begins by saying that â€Å"Government policy for community care aims to promote independence, while protecting service users’ safety† (DH 2002). Contextually, here ‘independence’ would obviously imply the freedom for individuals to choose on their own the housing, the care and support, including the embedded choices in respect of risk and protection. One objective of the Care Standards Act, 2000 has been to ensure high standards of care and to protect vulnerable people. The Act, however, has not changed the definition of a care home and matters implicit in that definition. â€Å"In respect of personal care the specified types of care include assistance in physical activities such as feeding, bathing, toileting, and dressing; in non-physical tasks such as encouragement, advic e and supervision relating to physical activities; and emotional and psychological support in social functioning, behaviour management, and assistance with cognitive functions† (DH 2002). Anti-oppressive stance in service users and carers in community care In a multi-racial and multicultural society such as that of the UK, it is imperative that service users and carers should rise above common prejudices and discriminatory practices to be true to the requirements of their profession. To assist voluntary adherence to such practices, the UK has enacted legislation mandating anti-discriminatory practices in the provision of ‘social services’ and care facilities. This requirement is incorporated in the Sex Equality Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Children Act 1989; and reinforced by other legislations such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1998. Anti-oppressive practice demands knowledge of the legislation and an understanding of the personal values of service users. An Open University document says that some of the ways in which anti-oppressive practice enter into practice include â€Å"‘colour-blindness’ (or blindness to other aspects of identity): ‘multi-culturalism’: thinking that it is enough to learn about other people’s culture and to celebrate diversity without examining our own attitudes; concentration on one aspect of identity to the exclusion of others; failing to ask service users how they like to be thought of, in other words asking them to define their own identity; cultural relativism: excusing abusive or criminal behaviour on the grounds of culture or other aspects of identity; failing to act for fear of being thought racist (or sexist, ageist or disablist). Social workers need to examine and question the sources and nature of their own power and the ways in which this is exercised in their relations with children and families and service users† (OUL, p. 107). It is also necessary to encourage the use and implementation of the GSCC’s Codes of Practice to social care workers, service users and carers (GSCC, 2002). Service users relation with anti-oppression practices (AOP) need a little further elaboration, as it is a much debated issue and an equally ‘sore’ one in the repertory of the social workers’ kitty. It can be said that in recent years public conscience has been outraged at an all-pervasive emergence of AOP in the work of service users and a simultaneous emergence of the ‘philosophy of ‘anti-oppressive practice’ in social work challenging discrimination in all forms and along all lines of disparity, including race or ethnicity, culture, sexuality, gender, disability and age. It is to the credit of ‘social work providers’ to have pioneered this development and to come in for the brunt of much criticism (Wilson and Beresford, 2000). We find that in 1970 an influential document, The Client Speaks did not include in its sample service users people not born in the UK â€Å"since the reaction of ‘non-natives’ to social work ar e likely to be complicated by cultural differences, language problems and so forth† (Meyer and Timms, 1970). However, despite social work’s ‘commitment’ to AOP policies and practices, equal access to services and support, and the provision of â€Å"culturally appropriate services and support have continued to be qualified† (Watson and Riddell, 2003). Inadequate access, or repeated denial of it, to important social work and social care services were reported by minority ethnic service users, who also said to have been ‘pushed’ as it were to the use of less valued areas of intervention in care services (Beresford and others, 1987; Vernon,  1996). Morris (1996) says that there is a wide prevalence of ‘inappropriate assumptions about BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) service users’; â€Å"for example, the levels of informal support available to them, continue to be reported (Morris, 1996). Some issues relating to refugees and asylum seekers, â€Å"where social work may be expected to be part of the policing and control processes introduced where citizen rights have not been granted or have been refused† were also said to worrying issues. (Shah, 1995). Other issues pointed out by service users in which they experience problems relate to their social work practice on the basis of gender, disability and age (Morris, 1991). Another issue concerning community care, although not directly related to AOP, has been the ‘inordinate pressure’ for people to be placed in residential care. Large number of people is estimated to be living in such provisions and they include older people and disabled people of younger age, who according to service users could be supported to live in their own homes n accordance with the objectives of the community care paradigm. Along with the increase in the number of people in supported housing, another development has been that the service users have been able to impact on policy (Thompson, 1991). This has been evident from the introduction of direct payments schemes with new legislation in 1997 (Glendinning and others, 2000). People receiving direct payments have steadily increased in number along with the expansion of the range of service users receiving direct payments. (example, Newbigging with Lowe, 2005). It may be recalled that direct payments were pioneer by the disabled people’s movement. The aim was to put the individuals who received support to be in charge of the cash that the support would cost; and for them to decide on what support they wanted; from where to have that support (from disabled people’s organizations, for instance); to initiate and run such schemes; and for the support to be sufficient to make it possible for them to have ‘independent living’; that is to say for people to live their lives as far as possible on equal terms to non-disabled people or non-service users (Barnes, 1993). Direct payments scheme, however, met with serious problems and obstacles which undermined it. Local Authorities officials opposed it because they in the scheme a steep erosion of their control over their own services. In many instances the prescribed budgetary limits have meant that direct payments have often not been sufficient to ensure independent living. Further, â€Å"frequently there has not been equity between service users; the process of assessment has continued to be dominated by traditional professional values, direct payments appear often to have been understood officially in consumerist terms (as if people were just buying services), rather than as a means of empowerment, requiring infrastructural support; and contracts have increasingly been placed away from disabled people’s  organisations to commercial organisations which have undercut them and offered an inferior service. The cumulative effect has been to subvert direct payments as a truly different approach to personal and social support (Beresford and others, 2005). The government has reiterated its policy of individualised approaches to support a central plank in social care policy by bringing together different funding agencies to provide support for service users (Duffy, 2004, 2006). Care-service in Bradford To examine a representative district-centred programme to tackle the ‘evil’ of alcohol misuse, a brief account of the Bradford district’s ‘alcohol harm reduction strategy’ is considered here. According to a ‘Draft Status Report’ on the subject,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bradford is in the highest (worst) quartile for all three types of alcohol-related crime (all crimes; violent offences; sexual offences) included in the 2006 Local Alcohol Profiles for England (NWPHO). The number of all crimes in Bradford attributable to alcohol in both 2004-5 and 2005-6 was just over 12 per 1000, down from nearly 15 per 1000 in 2003-4; alcohol related violent offences for all three years was fairly stable at between 8 and 9 per 1000 population. Alcohol-related sexual offences increased significantly in 2005-6 to a three-year high of around 0.16 per 1,000 (NWPHO, 2006 – this data is based on the Government Strategy Unit’s formula for alcohol attributable fra ctions for each crime, which was developed from survey data on arrestees who tested positive for alcohol). 20% of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued by WY Police in 2004 to 16 and 17-year olds, and 24% of those to adults, were for alcohol-related disorders† (Smith, 2006). To tackle this problem of alcohol misuse Bradford District has put in place ‘the Bradford District Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy’ based on the 2004 National strategy for the purpose. The Bradford Strategy has the objective of â€Å"continually reducing alcohol misuse and the personal and social harms it causes, so enabling ever-increasing numbers of Bradford residents and visitors to live healthy and fulfilling lives, free from crime, disorder, intimidation, anti-social behaviour and avoidable health problems† (Smith 2006). Specifically the strategy aims to â€Å"reduce the number of people who drink alcohol above recommended limits; to reduce alcohol-related crime, disorder, nu isance and anti-social Behaviour; to reduce the harm caused by alcohol misuse within families; to reduce the prevalence of harmful drinking by children and young people aged under-18; to reduce alcohol-related accidents and fires; and to ensure that Bradford City Centre and outer town and village centres are areas that the local population and visitors can enjoy without fear of alcohol-related violence and victimization† (Smith 2006). The Bradford Metropolitan District Council APA Impact Analysis 2007, says that â€Å"134 young people in substance misuse treatment (April – Feb 07) shows 54 YP currently  Receiving substance misuse treatment from Specialist CAMHS [Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Service]; 100% of young offenders are screened for substance misuse in 2006/07, and 92.9% of those testing positive were referred for specialist assessment, an improvement of 16.4% on the previous year. The figure for entry to treatment also increased by 9.6%. In 06/07 there have been 4 substance related admissions to hospital in young people aged under19 years mirroring figures for 2005/06† {Bradford Metropolitan District Council APA Impact Analysis, 2007). Development of community care policy The UK community care policy is based on three planks of ‘autonomy’, ‘empowerment’ and ‘choice’ (Levick 1992). There have been disputes going on since the introduction of the NHS and Community Care Act (1990). On the one hand, the Act and its policy guidance have been seen as a significant development in the care reform for older people. Three factors have contributed to the enactment of the legislation: first ‘the marketisation’ of the public sector from 1979 onwards (Means and Smith 1997); second, in theory, joint planning between health and social services promoted integrated and multidisciplinary community services; in practice, such arrangements failed to realise such services and were criticised as pedestrian and patchy; and third, the government policy of privatisation encouraged people to enter private residential homes through a system of social security financing different from that of local and health authorities. (Mooney 1997). This policy essentially channelled public sector funds into the private institutional sector while leaving the domiciliary sector chronically under-resourced. It is the older people who were adversely affected in a serious manner by the policies of the 1980s in respect of community care. The Audit Commission (1986) pointed out the principal fallacy of the perverse fina ncial incentive which supported the development of private institutional care at the expense of community care, through the income support system. In 1989 government accepted the findings of the Griffiths Report of 1988 and came out with a three-pronged policy: user choice, non-institutional services promotion, and targeting. In 1990, the Community Care Act was put on the statute book. Conclusion In concluding this essay it may be recalled that this paper has been an exercise in delineating some important aspects and issues relating to people with substance misuse who live in supported housing in UK. In the course of discussion issues relating to the various concepts and concerns of the subject matter of the discourse have been explored and analysed. It was seen that service users want to see social work which will be non-discriminatory and which will intervene on their behalf, offer support to secure their rights and needs. It has also been seen argued that â€Å"social work could be more effective in safeguarding service users (both adults and children) from the risks that they currently encounter in the social care system, including serious risks of neglect, abuse, denial of rights, bullying, racism, etc† (Beresford and others, 2005; Branfield and others, 2005). References Audit Commission (1996) Balancing the Care Equation: Progress with Community Care, HMSO, London. Barnes, C. (1993), Making Our Own Choices: Independent living, personal assistance and disabled people, Derby, British Council of Organisations of Disabled People. Beresford, P. Shamash, 0. Forrest, V. Turner, M. and Branfield, F. (2005), Developing Social Care: Service users’ vision for adult support (Report of a consultation on the future of adult social care), Adult Services Report 07, London, Social Care Institute for   Excellence in association with Shaping Our Lives. Bradford Metropolitan District Council APA Impact Analysis, (2007): at www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7697DD51-729F-45D6-BF6E/0/BradfordMDCImpactAnalysis2007FinalVersion.pdf [accessed Oct. 26. 2008] Branfield, F. Beresford, P. Danagher, N. and Webb, R. (2005), Independence, Wellbeing And Choice: A response to the Green Paper on Adult Social Care: Report of a consultation with service users, London, National Centre for Independent Living and Shaping Our Lives. DH (2002); Department of Health: â€Å"Supported Housing and Care Homes Guidance on Regulation†; File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat; at www.cat.csip.org.uk/_library/docs/Housing/supportedhsgandcarehomes.pdf/ [accessed Oct. 26, 2008] Duffy, S. (2004) In Control, Journal of Integrated Care Vol 12, No 6, December 2004, pp 19-23. Duffy, S. (2006) The implications of individual budgets, Journal of Integrated Care Vol 14, No 2, April 2006, pp 7-13 Galvin, John: â€Å"Supported Housing: Definition†; at www.thehousekey.org/jargon-supported-housing.aspx/ [accessed Oct.25, 2008] Glendinning, C. Halliwell, S. Jacobs, S. Rummery, K. and Tyrer, J. (2000), Buying Independence: Using direct payments to integrate health and social services, Bristol, Policy Press Griffiths, Sir R (1988) Community Care: Agenda for Action, HMSO, London. GSCC (200) General Social Care Council: Codes of Practice for Employers of Social Care Workers, London, GSC Hanley, B et al (2003): â€Å"Involving the public in NHS, public health, and social care research: Briefing notes for researchers† (second edition), INVOLVE at www.invo.org.uk/pdfs/Briefing Note Final.dat.pdf [accessed Oct.25, 2008] Levick, P (1992) The Janus face of community care legislation: An opportunity for Radical Opportunities in Critical Social Policy, Issue 34, Summer 1992, pp.76-81. Mayer, J.E. and Timms, N. (1970): The Client Speaks: Working class impressions of casework: London, Routledge and Kegan Paul Mooney, KM (1997): â€Å"Preoperative Management of paediatric patient†; Plastic Surgical Nursing Journal, 17(2) 69-71. Morris, J. (1991), Pride Against Prejudice, London, Women’s Press. Morris, J. (editor), (1996), Encounters With Strangers: Feminism and disability, London, Women’s Press. Newbigging, K. with Lowe, J. (2005), Direct Payments And Mental Health: New Directions, York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation in association with Pavilion Publishing and Research into Practice. OUL: Open University Learning: â€Å"Anti-oppressive practice†: File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat – http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/3499/K113_1_PracticeCards_p105-112.pdf / [accessed Oct.26, 2008] Powell. Jason L (1990): â€Å"The NHS and Community Care Act (1990) in the United Kingdom: A Critical Review† Centre for Social Science, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Shah, R. (1995), The Silent Minority: Children with disabilities in Asian families, London, National Children’s Bureau. Smith, Nina (2006), Senior Policy Officer, Bradford District Council: â€Å"Status Draft for Consultation; Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy For Bradford District†; at www.bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2EDEB823-302B-4352/0/AlcoholHarmReductionStrategyconsultationDraft070 [accessed Oct. 25, 2008] Thompson, C. (editor), (1991), Changing The Balance: Power and people who use services, Community Care Project, London, National Council for Voluntary Organisations Vernon, A. (1996), A Stranger In Many Camps: The experience of disabled black and ethnic women, in Morris, J. (editor), Encounter With Strangers: Feminism and disability, London, Women’s Press. Watson, N. and Riddell, S. (editors), (2003), Disability, Culture And Identity, Harlow, Pearson Education. Wilson, A. and Beresford, P. (2000), Anti-Oppressive Practice: Emancipation or appropriation?, British Journal of Social Work, No. 30, pp553-573.

President Lincolns Struggle With His Cabinet Essay -- American Americ

President Lincoln's Struggle With His Cabinet Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many historians as the greatest president ever to stand at America's helm. This reputation is extremely well deserved, as Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and gain victory in the civil war, despite his fighting an uphill battle against his own presidential cabinet. Had he not been struggling against this divided government, President Lincoln could have achieved victory with extreme efficiency and a minimum of wanton bloodshed (Angle 659). After Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, he was forced to battle a split cabinet because of campaign promises made to various Republican factions, which made it almost mandatory for certain individuals to be appointed to cabinet posts. He ruled his cabinet with an iron hand, and often acted without cabinet consent or advice. Although his opponents called his method of rule "dictatorial" and "unconstitutional," it was the only effective way to get anything done (Simmons 142). In the beginning, Lincoln's secretar... President Lincoln's Struggle With His Cabinet Essay -- American Americ President Lincoln's Struggle With His Cabinet Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many historians as the greatest president ever to stand at America's helm. This reputation is extremely well deserved, as Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and gain victory in the civil war, despite his fighting an uphill battle against his own presidential cabinet. Had he not been struggling against this divided government, President Lincoln could have achieved victory with extreme efficiency and a minimum of wanton bloodshed (Angle 659). After Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, he was forced to battle a split cabinet because of campaign promises made to various Republican factions, which made it almost mandatory for certain individuals to be appointed to cabinet posts. He ruled his cabinet with an iron hand, and often acted without cabinet consent or advice. Although his opponents called his method of rule "dictatorial" and "unconstitutional," it was the only effective way to get anything done (Simmons 142). In the beginning, Lincoln's secretar...

A rough background on Aquinas

Acquiring the famous reputation as the â€Å"angelic teacher† among the rest of the medieval philosophers because of his overwhelmingly influential and prominent struggle in brilliantly standing on guard the Christian theology during his time which was saw one of the heights of the attacks on Christianity, Thomas Aquinas made use of human reason in resolving the criticisms that beset the Christian Church. Resorting to human rationality and argumentation in providing a substantial justification for the Christian doctrines that meddled specifically on the existence of God symbolized a staunch deviation from the tradition that preoccupied the minds of thinkers during the medieval period. His efforts at utilizing the Aristotelian concepts on metaphysics and epistemology alongside with reason roughly highlights his firm belief that even with the sufficiency of simple faith in establishing religious principles and the very existence of God the role of rational thinking in the strictest sense of the word can all the more fairly demonstrate the basic principles of the Christian faith. One of the most prominent arguments Aquinas proposed is his Five Ways to prove God’s existence. Although Aquinas’ attempt at proving the existence of God has startling parallels to that of Anselm’s Ontological Argument, the former claims that the argument of the latter thinker is unacceptable for the reason that man cannot explicitly demonstrate the existence of God whose nature is beyond the immediate knowledge of man through the straightest means (Oppy). Utilizing what seems to be a sprouting method of his time, Aquinas attempts at filling the structure of the Christian faith by embracing the field of rationality along with faith as the backdrop of his arguments. The Five Ways First of the arguments raised by Aquinas is the argument for The Unmoved Mover. At the center of this argument is the premise that no object moves without a mover, or that all objects move because of a mover in the sense that the leaves of the trees rustle because they are moved by the wind; that the balls in the billiard table collide with other balls or move around the table because of the force delivered through the cue stick. A hundred other more examples can be provided. Nevertheless the very essence of all these illustrations is that no object moves without a mover. Apparently, all the examples eventually lead to an infinite regress where no end can be perceived at first. However, Aquinas tells us that this is not really an infinite regress for there has to be the presence of a first mover which initiated the series of â€Å"movements†. At this point, Aquinas proceeds to remove the infinite regress by arguing that the first mover is God. In a seemingly parallel argument, Aquinas’ second argument rests heavily on cause and effect relation. That is, nothing is caused by itself. In other words, each and every effect ultimately boils down to a certain cause, or that it is of necessity that every effect for it to be an effect in the strictest sense has to be caused by something right at the onset of it being an effect. Again, it might be observed that a line of argument leads to an infinite regress. However, it is not the case for an ultimate cause above anything else has to be responsible for the chain of causes and effects. For that matter, Aquinas resolves the regress by arguing that the first cause is God. This is the uncaused cause argument. The third way offered by Aquinas in primarily proving the existence of God is the cosmological argument. At the core of this argument is the reference to time wherein material objects have not yet come into physical existence. All the objects that we may know today are virtually inexistent at such point in time. However, Aquinas goes on to argue that since all material objects already exist, there ought to be or have been something immaterial or non-physical which brought these objects into physical existence. In essence, Aquinas claims that God is the non-physical entity which brought about the material existence of these objects. Another argument which Aquinas tries to raise is the argument from degree. This argument apparently focuses its premises on certain variations of comparisons between qualities among men and other objects thereby providing a sort of background for yet another claim that all objects in the world, in their numerous manifestations, greatly differ and outweigh any traceable similarity that may hold them together. Thus, individuals may greatly differ in virtues, with one being an altruist and the rest vicious criminals aimed at furthering their personal ends. Nevertheless, even if people vary in these aspects, the contrast between them can only be achieved if we note of a certain referential point for all the degrees of comparison. The reference, then, should be one which is imminently a perfect maximum and that this maximum cannot possibly rest among men themselves. Hence, God is the perfect standard for all comparisons and is the ultimate reference. Lastly, Aquinas raises the teleological argument which is essentially the argument that seeks to prove the existence of God using the perceived design of the objects in the world. If we are to look upon the structure of the things we may either directly or indirectly perceive in the world, it will eventually dawn upon our thoughts that everything has been designed in such and such ways, serving various purposes that are derived from the very configuration of things. Similarly, it can be inferred from such premise that, since everything is so designed accordingly, there ought to be a designer of all these things which is a necessity which follows from the given observation on the design of things. The designer, as Aquinas argues, is God. Aquinas and human knowledge: faith and reason For Aquinas, knowledge is the comprehension of the supreme principles of being which define the very inseparable essences of the ultimate understanding of man—that of the sophia and phronesis. While the former is very much concerned with the individual’s intellectual capacity to exercise speculative thinking or understanding, the latter is primarily concerned with the aligning of the individual’s life in line with its fitting end through the role of practical wisdom. These two are inherently mutual in conception and are basically brought together in man’s attempt at arriving at the knowledge of everything. Moreover, this attempt of man in obtaining knowledge requires the aid of the Divine in such a way â€Å"that the intellect may be moved by God to its act.† Nevertheless Aquinas maintains that man by himself alone has the intrinsic and innate ability to grasp the knowledge of many things even without the special divine revelation. More specifically, natural revelation— ­revelations obtained through reason—is the truth which, due to man’s inherent human nature, is made accessible to each and every man. On the other hand, supernatural revelation allows man to comprehend the knowledge on the details of the existence and attributes of God requiring not merely reason but also faith. It should be noted that Aquinas is not entirely disproving the role of reason in arriving at the comprehension of things. Quite on the contrary, Aquinas strongly argues for the primal role of reason in arriving at knowledge. Nevertheless, even if he ascribes a premium weight on the significance of rationality, he qualifies this claim by stating that faith still holds central importance, specifically in acquiring knowledge of the existence of God and several other religious matters. It appears quite obvious, then, that the philosophy of Aquinas in addressing the inquiry on human knowledge of the world cannot be entirely separated from a religious perspective. In explaining the nature of man’s knowledge and how one is able to grasp an understanding of the universe, Aquinas reinforces his arguments at the bottom by infusing a religious strand in the heaps of his epistemological and metaphysical inquiry. Aquinas on Aristotle The philosophy of Aquinas, in its very focal point, is seen to be heavily tainted with the philosophy of Aristotle. Much of this claim, for one reason, rests on the historical perspective wherein several of the writings on the philosophy of Aristotle eventually reached the shores of Europe during the time of the Crusades. The ancient texts were then a part of French as well as Italian universities and institutions of education around the middle part of the thirteenth century. Like Aristotle, Aquinas himself agrees and proposes the claim that man is in fact a rational animal wherein man is able to grasp an understanding of the world and to arrive at knowledge of the Divine through this reason. Though man is an entity imbued with reason, man can merely arrive at such a comprehension of the universe through empirical means. That is, man is capable of grasping knowledge of the world through his sensory experience. As Thomas Aquinas states, â€Å"whatever is known is known in the manner in which man can know it.† Mortimer Adler argues that for the most part, Aquinas and Aristotle agree on several points. First, they both agree that the form of the state of affairs of material composites, which can be made known, must be received by the knower with the form detached from the corporeal substance. Consequently, by possessing the power to acquire such forms in such a way grants the idea that the knower is â€Å"potentially a knower† and is actualized when the knower receives these forms. Among other similarities in the ideas that exist between Aquinas and Aristotle, both in general put centrality on the rationality of man and the role of experience or sensory perception in acquiring or knowing objects. Owing much of the philosophical content of Aquinas’ ideas from Aristotle, the former has a strong belief that reason and human experience can lead man to realizing and understanding the universe and, consequently, the existence of God. And at the time where philosophy is closely knitted to religious matters, Aquinas sought to further reinforce his arguments by injecting Aristotelian philosophy for rationality during the medieval times was one of the factors that seek to explain the universe from a point of view detached from any religious ascription. Thus, Aquinas appears to have ‘Christianized Aristotle’ in the sense that the former made much use of the latter’s philosophy in a context slanted towards religion. (Jenkins) On theoretical knowledge Aquinas conceived of theoretical knowledge as something which is the result of human rationality juxtaposed with sensory observation. That is, one can arrive at theoretical knowledge primarily through an observation of one’s world and arrive at a logical structure and correlation of these things through the functioning of reason. Though Aquinas may direct us to the premise that this rationality of man is imbued to all men by God, nevertheless this same rationality alongside with sensory perception addresses the question on how men are able to satisfy his inquiries on matters which are at first unknown to him. For example, one may acquire the theoretical knowledge on the how the tides of the oceans rise and fall through visual perception first and foremost which later on proceeds with the functioning of reason in attaching causal relations to the observed phenomenon. A similar view can also be held towards volcanic activity, rise and fall of economic activity, and many others. Bibliography Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World. Reissue ed: Berkley, 1996. Jenkins, John I. â€Å"Intellectus Principorum.†Ã‚   Knowledge and Faith in Thomas Aquinas. Cambridge University Press, 2004. 101-61. Oppy, Graham. â€Å"Some Historical Considerations.†Ã‚   Ontological Arguments and Belief in God. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 4-46.      

Teamwork Icebreaker Games and Excercises

Teamwork Icebreaker Games and Excercises Icebreakers are exercises that are designed to facilitate interactions. They are often used at meetings, workshops, classrooms, or other group functions to introduce people who dont know each other, spark conversations among people who dont typically converse or help people learn  how to work together. Icebreakers are usually formatted as a game or exercise so that everyone can relax and fun. Some icebreakers also have a competitive element.   Why Icebreakers Help With Team Building Icebreakers games and exercises can help with team building when they require everyone in the group to work together to accomplish a specific task or goal. For example, the group may have to work together to conceptualize and implement a strategy to achieve the task. This sort of teamwork can improve communication among group members and may even help to energize and motivate a team.   Every Team Needs a Leader Icebreakers can also break down barriers among participants who are at different places in the chain of command in an organization - such as a supervisor and the people they supervise. People who normally dont take the lead on a team may have an opportunity to do so during an icebreaker game. This is empowering for many people and may help to identify people in the group with leadership capability and potential.   Teamwork Icebreaker Games The  icebreaker games shown below can be used for both large and small groups. If you have a relatively large group, you may want to consider splitting the attendants into several smaller groups. Although each game is different, they all have a common goal: get the group to complete a task within a specific amount of time. If you have more than one group, you can add a competition element to the game by seeing which team can complete an assigned task the fastest. Sample tasks to try: Build a house of cards using 10 cards.Form a line according to height (tallest to shortest or shortest to tallest).Think up and write down 20 words that start with the letter T.Create and write down 5 questions that have the same answer. After the icebreaker game ends, ask the teams to describe the strategy they used to work together and accomplish the task. Discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy. This will help all of the group members learn from each other. As you play more and more icebreaker games, you will notice that the group tries to hone their strategies to improve from one game to the next.   More Icebreaker Games for Teams A couple of  other icebreaker games that you might want to try to encourage teamwork and team building include: Team Building Puzzler - This game encourages multiple teams to compete against each other in a puzzle building competition.The Ball Game - This classic group icebreaker is a great way to help people in small or large groups build trust and get to know each other better.

leisure and entertainment essays

leisure and entertainment essays In meiner Freizeit spiele ich FuBball , Kricket und Tennis. Ich hore Musik wenn Eminem singt.Am wochenende treffe ich mich mit meiner freunden und wir spielen FuBball und wir fahren rad. Ich bin sehr sportlich. Ich spiele FuBball, Tennis, Kricket, Tischtennis, Basketball und Hockey. Fruher habe ich fur die Schulmannschaft gespielt aber ich spiele nicht jetzt. Ich spiele nicht in einem Klub. Ich bin nicht so musikalisch aber ich hore Musik. Ich hore Dr DRE und Eminem gern. Ich gehe ins kino einmal pro woche um film zu sehen. Ich habe Scary Movie gern gesehen. Der letzte film, den ich gesehen habe war Any Given Sunday mit Cameron Diaz und LL.Cool.J. Ich gehe in schwimmbad einmal pro woche um zu schwimmen. Ich sehe jeden tag zwischen 5 bis 7 fern. Ich sehe Neighbours und Eastenders weil sie sehr interessant sind. Am wochenende gehe ich mit meinen freunden aus. Wir treffen uns bei mir zu Hause. Dann wir gehen zum Park um FuBball zu spielen. Letztes wochenende bin ich nach Springfield Park gegangen. Wir haben FuBball gespielt und chips gegessen. In den Sommer machen wir Familienausfluge nach Birminghham und Manchester. In Hackney kann man in Park FuBball spielen, schwimmen gehen, ins Kino gehen und Radfahren. Freizeit ist wichtig weil man viel Stress hat in der schule. Ich wurde nach Amerika flieigen, wenn ich die ganze woche frei hatte. Ich will meine Kousin besuchen. Das letzte Buch, das ich gelesen habe war Harry Potter von JK Rowling und es war langweilig. ...