The Absence of Knowledge :: Essays Papers

The Absence of Knowledge â€Å"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into a long night†¦ never shall I forget that smoke†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Night doesn’t always represent the absence of light, but is a symbol for the absence of knowledge. Elie Wiesel’s book Night is a true account of what the Holocaust did, not only to many Jews but to humanity as well. The night was dark, flooded with death and decay, in the silent gray sky, secreting all that happened in Germany at that time. Crematories filled the night sky with the horrific odor of burning flesh, searing your nostrils. In this night, a concealed operation was occurring. Millions of Jews, including Elie’s family suffered horrible deaths of incineration, being shot to death, lack of food, and terrible death marches. This book was titled Night because of the worlds ignorance towards the slaughtering in Germany by the Nazis. Elie and his family were transported by train; cramped, starved, and fearful of death. These massive trains carried thousands of women, children and men to an unknown destination, leaving them in the dark, without windows or fresh air they were living in an everlasting night. Many Jews went crazy and tore their hair out from living in a cramped space. They were not given food or water for many days so they became dehydrated and desperate for just a bite of hard bread. There was no sanitation in the boxcars. Not having bathrooms and sinks made the train cars reek of waste. Many people went crazy like the woman in Elie’s car who had images of smoke and fire, screaming and yelling till she got knocked out. Because the train cars were so dark and dim it gave everyone within them a long night, full of fear. Gleiwitz concentration camp was one of the nastiest camps he had been to. Elie Wiesel worked endless nights, trying to stay alive, and keep his father alive. Many Jews were worked to death by hard labor and no food. His father was getting weak, so Elie gave him extra rations of food to keep him living.

Deborah Ellis Essay

Deborah Ellis started writing at age 11-12 inspired at a young age she grasped her talent. As a kid she was constantly moving from place to place due to her father’s work, and used writing as a coping method. When she grew up, her work and writing was mainly done by traveling and talking to others that have problems and taking note of everything. She started to write the book I am currently the Breadwinner her first book. The Breadwinner takes place in Afghanistan and the main character at only 12 years old is faced with the discrimination against women when her father is arrested by the Taliban and with no other way of providing for her family she dresses up as a boy and tries to find work. Coincidentally Ellis traveled to Afghanistan in 1997 to interview women located in refugee camps. These interviews helped her write her four part series of The Breadwinner. Her writing of this book was inspired by an interview with a mother living in one of the refugee camps. Ellis has become considered of the most beloved young adult writers today as well as being a philanthropist who donates almost all of her profit’s from her books to organizations like â€Å"UNICEF† and â€Å"Women for Women in Afghanistan†. Deborah Ellis is a very motivated person who feels strongly for the rights of women and takes that inspiration and uses it to write compelling stories. Of all the books she has wrote which has come to 18 in total, all of them have been moving stories of injustices. Deborah Ellis has achieved international recognition with her incredibly dramatic books that give readers a glimpse into the life of children in far out developing countries. Ellis has won the Governor General’s Award, Sweden’s Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California’s Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. Deborah Ellis constantly finds new ways to express her feelings about the wrongs in the world and inspires us all when she writes about it.

Nuclear Weapon and Science

SCIENCE IS A THREAT TO HUMANITY * Science has greatly increased the capability of man to kill each other, literally threating humanity. Although science is not always the cause of wars the advances in nuclear weaponry have given the man the power to destroy the world. At certain points in history, such as the Cuban missile crisis, the world has stood on the brink of destruction. *The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba that occurred in the early 1960s during the Cold War.The crisis ranks as one of the major confrontations of the Cold War, and is often regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to a nuclear war. * Our air is polluted with toxins and our water is polluted with waste from manufacturing. There are people suffering everywhere and yet science is so far behind where it matters. A satellite can be launched into orbit and bring back images millions of miles away but our water filled, with pharmaceutical s, cannot properly be cleaned? Why on earth would cloning another living being come before finding cures for diseases!I truly believe science to be a good thing but there is far too much depravity coming from it. We’re stuck finding cures for the ailments caused by technology and yet people latch on to technology, expecting it to solve all our problems. Most haunting, society is becoming desensitized to all of it. We are very close to stripping away what little humanity we have left and becoming robotic in nature, looking at everything in a scientific lens. Society expects instant gratification and is consistently undervaluing the very things that make us humane.As a whole we’ve becoming needy, less principled, and incapable of doing things without relying on technology. We’re on the verge of becoming nothing more than sponges for gratification without purpose. It’s sickening. * Our lives are in danger because bombs are made to blast thousands or millions of people. New guns are made for robbery. People are rebelling against their own blood, and it's not fair. This all is done by the cruel advancement of science. Can you believe science has increased the capability of men to kill each other? It's true we owe a lot to science, all the convenience and creature comforts we enjoy on earth wouldn't have been possible without advances in science. The downside is that all this technology can and will be used against us. Look at the atomic bomb, with the destruction it caused and that was almost seventy years ago. The weapons we have now, would make the atomic bomb look like a firecracker. Then you have people who get greedy for profits and use technology for their own benefit; not worrying about the welfare of anyone or anything else.As much as I would like to say no, as long as we have a world full of greedy people in power, who are only thinking about the next big payday; science will always be a threat. * Although I understand the view that science has brought us many benefits, I think people often forget its consequences. It has enabled countries to create terrifying Weapons of Mass Destruction, has caused numerous ethical questions to be raised and is a constant threat to humanity with the danger that it may never stop, and we will become our own worst enemy.Even some of science's greatest achievements like the discovery of antibiotics has caused massive implications through the uncontrollable population increase. For these reasons and many more I think scientists should be very careful about how far they go to improve society as it could in fact turn into a serious threat to humanity. * We may be living in a modern world with the influence of science however does it makes any difference? many people are still suffering the effect of science. The floods, global warming and etc.Science may help us, but the total destruction it causes us is just one-fourth of the benefits it give us. * It is true that science has brought many great advancements. But because of these advancements humanity is ruined. The world is in corruption because of science. For example, the global warming which lead to the melting of Antarctica. Hacking and cracking of information. The invention of dangerous bombs like nuclear weapons and atomic bomb. The viruses and the diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.These declines are started and caused by science and these type of situations will keep worsening by the minute as long as there is an existence called science. * People keep saying that it is humanity that controls science and therefore science is not the actual threat to humanity but rather it is humanity iteself? If it is an innate part of humanity to want to explore then surely so is violence and science is making our violence potentially more and more destructive. SCIENCE IS NOT A THREAT TO HUMANITY * Look back in time a couple hundred years.Since then the quality and length of our life has increase d significantly. If you live in a first world nation then you benefit from these advances the most. For example: when was the last time you went a day without being able to eat? How long does it take you to travel thousands of miles? How quickly can you research information on a computer? All of these great advancements are thanks to science. * The only thing that will lead to destruction of people, is people. There’s rarely knowledge that can’t be construed for purpose of mal-intent. If you hand out knives to convicts, someone most likely will be stabbed.Would you deem knives as something to be diminished simply because cutting a steak isn’t as significant as killing someone? Knowledge, like a knife, is a tool and it, like any other tool, most be handled appropriately. * Science has transcended the boarders of human understanding and expanded our knowledge of the things that were once unknown, making everything easier, faster, lighter and better. Scientific stu dies about human have given a huge progress for Medicine and Surgery; diseases that were once incurable are now easily cured, and even changing parts of our body is made possible.The modern facilities of communication have made contact between people who are miles apart be easily patched within seconds. * It is true that Weapons of Mass Destructions are deadly weapons that could bring an end to humanity as we know it. However, is it right to blame all of these potential threats on science? Albert Einstein became a vegetarian because he believed that, in every human, there is barbaric emotion. These barbaric human impulses, not Science, may bring an end to humanity.Science, however, improves our lives, makes us realize the truth and sometimes brings miracles. Firstly, the birth of internet has made our lives more efficient and comfortable. The internet is the reason why people could express their own opinions on websites, send mails in a matter of seconds and explore the world. Secon dly, science has also improved our lives in terms of health. Consider the potential of stem cell research. * Simply put, I believe that it is an innate part of the human psyche to want to explore and to find out more about the world.Science is literally our knowledge of the physical/material world gained through observation so to say that advances in science would be detrimental to humanity is like point your finger at a gun and saying that it was the one that killed the person, not the soldier. People can choose what they want to do with new developments in science, whether they want to use it to better modern society or otherwise. * Although the fact that WMD's (weapon of mass destruction) are a result of research in science, this does not mean it is, generally, science's fault. It is a human ‘s need to be the powerful one.To be the superior. It is human nature to want to create a bomb that could kill millions, they just use science to find out how to use it. We take advanta nge of the discoveries of others before us and use it to kill, manipulate, or destroy. * Science helps humanity because it is how we heat our homes up, how we keep our food fresh. Science is how we know the world around us. Science is also even a solution to things like global warming. Science does not pose a threat to humanity unless it is misused or used irresponsibly. * No, humanity is a threat to humanity.Science hasn't 'caused' those things, humans have, societies and governments have, usually to the screaming objection of actual scientists and the scientific consensus. They seem to be the only ones playing by reason or empiricist rules yet they get the blame for the rest of society ignoring their warnings. * Reason why science is threatening to humanity is because humanity itself has conjure up ways to apply science destructively with or without intention. If we blame science generally, we are merely saying that everyone is a threat to humanity just by existing.

The Role of hospitality in the Homeric world

The Role of hospitality in the Homeric world In the Homeric world the theme of hospitality has been used in a rather obsessive manner with the author raising it very more often, in this writing the social world is complicated and confused.Within the society comprising Homer’s world are the hospitable and noble people on one side and the exploiters on the other side.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of hospitality in the Homeric world-Odyssey specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The exploiters are ungrateful of the favors extended to them and they grab every chance that comes their way to wreck havoc amongst their host, they hold their host ransom at their own backyard. It’s prudent to say that majority of the Homeric world as portrayed in the first book is a socially spoilt world. None the less the Homeric world gives a glimpse of the noble men and women who live within that society, they appreciate and acknowledge the little favors and hospit ality extended to them and in some instances they returned this favors to their fellow honorable men of the society. When Minerva visited Ithaca ,after descending from Olympus to Ulysses house disguised as a visitor she found Penelope’s suitors seated on hides of skins from oxen which they had slaughtered and eaten ,the suitors were so comfortable and felt at home within Penelope’s and Telemachus’ (Ulysses son)house. As Homer put it, they were cutting great chunks of meat and mixing wine while the servants were waiting upon them (8:13)1, that was the scope of Penelope’s hospitality. However, the suitors were themselves inhospitable; they could not extend the kindness shown to them to other people as they don’t take notice of the visitor at the gate (Minerva). Telemachus is a great host and he is kind to his visitor, he is surprised that a stranger could be kept for long without being welcomed. Telemachus is socially upright, he first welcomes his g uest to partake of food before he engages her in any conversation (9:9)1, he receives her spear and sets it up on the bearing post and set up a â€Å"richly decorated seat for her† and her feet away from the annoying suitors(10:1)1. Further, the extent of Telemachus hospitality has been portrayed when the suitors were served with â€Å"good things† by men servant and maids (12:4)1. Unfortunately, they exploited this hospitality, for instance when they had finished eating they forced Phemius to sing and as Minerva soon observed â€Å"singing come cheap to those who do not pay for it† (13:2)1.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Minerva is disgusted by the unreasonable behavior of the suitors and criticizes them as being atrocious. On the other hand Minerva is offered a gift but he modestly declined but promises to accept it the next time they meet and in return he will give him another of no less value. The behavior of these two characters in this epic indicates the hospitability that existed in this society especially in relation to the host (Telemachus) and the responsiveness of the guest. In the third book when Minerva and Telemachus go to Pylos to look for odyssey they were received well by their hosts, Homer writes that Nestor’s son offered them a hand (Minerva and Telemachus) and sat them on soft sheep skin. The Pylos society is a religious society as is indicated in their insistence that the guest pray for the drinks that they were about to partake. Their excellent religious believes are also reflected in their good social behavior especially for their being great hosts, they offered dinner to the guests without even inquiring who they were. This shows as how they use hospitality as away of worshiping their gods. When night came the guest were given drinks and they as much as they could. As they were heading to their ship Nestor made them to stay exclaiming that heaven and the immortal gods forbad their leaving of his house and going to sleep on board a ship. Nestor is an excellent host and he rebukes the guests attempt to live, informing them that he had the means and ability to not only get beddings for his guests and himself but also clothes for them as well. When they had agreed to come back, they were mixed the best wine (eleven year old wine) they were put to bed comfortably by their host and when morning come their host extended his hospitality to the remaining crew, he sent for the remaining crew of the ship to come so that they can merry for he ordered that a heifer be slaughtered. Hospitality in this instance is a way of offering respect to their gods. In book three we are told how hospitality plays a big role in fostering the relationships that exists between the gods and the people. The Homeric society has a lot of respect for their gods as it was illustrated by Nestor upon re alizing that Minerva was a goddess, she pampered her guest with food and excellent boarding which culminated in him sending Telemachus on a tour of the country with his son, giving him with a chariot and provisions of wine, bread and other things for their journey (4:2, 3)4 Hospitality plays a big role in fostering peace and tranquility in the Homeric world, when Pisistratus and Telemachus got to Menelaus house and Eteoneus informs him of the strange visitors and how he should deal with them, Menelaus rebukes him for failing to invite the visitors and showing kindness to them, he acknowledges that he himself has been shown kindness before in the places that he visited and he states that that’s gods way of bringing a peaceful coexistence in the society henceforth.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of hospitality in the Homeric world-Odyssey specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The suitors disregard the hosp itality given to them and this time they take it higher by being completely ungrateful and having a plot to completely bring down Telemachus, the servant Medon tells her mistress ,Penelope, that the suitor s were plotting something more dreadful against Telemachus on his way home from finding out what befell his father (69; 1)4. The suitors portray these society badly but they defend their action by blaming Penelope for keeping them waiting instead of choosing one of them or going back to her father where she will be bestrode to another mate, they accuse her of spinning a loom in the day and when the night came she undid it and thus keeping them waiting for the day she will finish spinning the loom for she had promised that on finishing she will choose a suitor amongst the men. To them they use inhospitality is a revenge tactic. Conclusion Much of the Homeric society is a fine society especially in regard to hospitality; most of them treat their visitors in the most excellent way. T hey do not ask any questions to the visitors until they have been welcomed, washed and given food and drinks to their full. However, the suitor bring a rather heavy contradiction on this noble vise that the society in Homer’s world has portrayed, they exploit, reciprocate in a rather mischievous way and want to do something dreadful to their host. In the first book we are told of how they tell Telemachus to his face that they won’t get out of his fathers house. Hospitality plays many roles in this society and is the pillar stone of that society as it has been demonstrated in the ways to which they grab every opportunity to extend hospitality to their visitors. Work Cited Homer, The Odyssey, Butler, S. ed,United States: Orange Street Press Classics,1998.pdf.

Feminism Essays (508 words) - Feminism, Philosophy, Gender Studies

Feminism Essays (508 words) - Feminism, Philosophy, Gender Studies Feminism What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men, women, girl or boys. Feminism can also be described as a movement. A revolution that includes women and men who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. These boundaries or blockades are better known as discrimination and biases against gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status and economic status. Everyone views the world with his or her own sense of gender and equality. Feminists view the world as being unequal. They wish to see the gender gap and the idea that men are superior to women decreased or even abolished. Carol Gilligan is one woman who has contributed much time and effort to the feminist theory. Her beliefs and ideas are based upon difference feminism. In this essay I will tie the ideas and beliefs of Carol Gilligan with information from our text, the packet read in class and the book, Faces of Feminism. Carol Gilligan is a lecturer and assistant professor at Harvard University as well as a psychologist. She has many theories that deal with moral reasoning and development. In her influential book In a Different Voice, she sets forth the idea that women make decisions according to a criteria of ethics of care and that men make decisions according to an ethic of rights.(3) In her book, Carol Gilligan also disagrees with Lawrence Kohlbergs' theory, which suggests that Few people matured fully in their moral reasoning...but women hardly ever did.(2) In her opposition Gilligan stated that women make moral decisions according to different but equally mature and morally upright reasoning.(2) She feels that women are different because they posses a different hereditary set of values and beliefs. This opposition to Kohlberg's theory was backed by research. Even though there was research done to support Gilligan, it seemed to have experimenter bias. It was not an open or strong experiment and it only observed the actions of the white middle class. This did not give a clear or objective view on the separate criteria of women and men. The views and ideas on moral reasoning and development set forth by Carol Gilligan are those of many difference feminists. Difference feminism is just one type of feminism. It gives a concept that women should go back to traditional roles(3) set by society. It also states that gender is natural and is not learned by the society in which one lives. Not all Feminists agree with this theory but there are many feminists, such as Carol Gilligan who agree with this idea that even though men and women are different, they each have their own separate place in society. Difference feminism is successful because it tells people what they want to hear: women really are different in just the ways that we always thought. ... And men have power, wealth and control of social

Metathesis

Metathesis Metathesis Metathesis By Maeve Maddox One of the changes that takes place in the pronunciation of words is the linguistic phenomenon called metathesis: metathesis: The transposition of sounds or letters in a word, or (occasionally) of whole words or syllables; the result of such a transposition. The most commonly cited example of metathesis in an English word is the pronunciation of [aks] for [ask]. The Old English verb acsian is usually mentioned to show that [ask] was a later development. In fact, like modern English, Old English had more than one dialect. Two versions of the verb for â€Å"to ask†acsian and ascianwere in use at the same time in different dialects. Northern ascian happened to be the one that prevailed in the dialect we call â€Å"modern standard English.† Numerous English words acquired their present forms by way of metathesis. We still say three and thrice, but the OE ordinal form thrid morphed into third. Our word foliage was altered by metathesis from an early form that put the â€Å"i† before the â€Å"l†: foillage. The word changed back and forth more than once, coming as it did from the Latin word for â€Å"leaf,† folium. From the same source, Old French foille, â€Å"leaf,† became modern French feuille. The standard pronunciation of foliage is [FOH-lee-ij], although many speakers alter it by dropping one of the syllables, pronouncing it [FOH-lij]. (The word for omitting a syllable is syncope [SIN-cuh-pee].) Burn is another word in the modern vocabulary that has had a see-saw relationship with metathesis. Old English had the verbs brinnan, â€Å"to burn,† baernan, â€Å"to expose to the action of heat,† and beornan, â€Å"to be on fire.† The verbs eventually merged. The forms brune, brenne, and brent occur in Middle English. The Wycliffe Bible (1382) has â€Å"Fyr brennende all dai.† (Fire burned all day.) Isa. lxv. 5.  Ã‚   The King James Bible (1611) has â€Å"Let not thine anger burne against thy seruant.† (Let not your anger burn against your servant.) Gen. xliv. 18.  Ã‚  By the 16th century, the prevailing forms were burn and burnt. Only time will tell if common mispronunciations resulting from metathesis will find their way into standard English. Here are five words frequently mispronounced by changing the order of their sounds: asterisk (*): mispronounced as â€Å"as-ter-iks† cavalry (mounted soldiers): mispronounced as â€Å"calvary† (site of the crucifixion) introduce: mispronounced as â€Å"in-ter-duce† relevant: mispronounced as â€Å"rev-e-lent† prescription: mispronounced as â€Å"per-scrip-tion† I’m sure that my readers can think of many more examples of contemporary pronunciation errors that result from metathesis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Probable vs. Possible150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

American History Since 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American History Since 1865 - Essay Example It was partly successful in doing so for some years but the future events showed that the treaty was a complete failure. The harsh terms of the treaty instilled a desire for revenge in the hearts of Germans and promoted the rise of Nazism which ultimately led to the Second World War. 2. The primary issues of the Scope Trial were education and science v. religion. What were the broader social implications? What did this trial reveal about the American public at the time? How are these issues relevant today? The Scopes trial primarily represented a conflict between science and religion, but it had broader social implications. It triggered a debate on social issues like liberalism, freedom of speech and censorship. The fact that Dayton received massive support across the country even after he was convicted guilty was a clear indication that the American public favored freedom. People favored modernism and liberalism and the freedom of choice over conservative ideology. Regarding any con troversial topic, the general public was of the opinion it should only be a matter of personal choice about what is right. The Scopes trial took place years ago but the issue is still fresh in the present era. The public still debates on the issue of freedom over topics like abortion, gay marriages and sex education in schools. Works Cited Bailey, Thomas, Lizabeth Cohen and David M Kennedy. The American Pageant- Vol. II.