Rationalism vs. Empiricism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rationalism vs. Empiricism - Essay Example . Contrary to empiricists, rationalists embrace deduction. This means being able to prove something by relying on certainty and not reason. For instance, Descartes relied on deductive reasoning as a way of proving God’s existence. Conversely, empiricism denotes a belief in the sense perception as the source of knowledge. For example, John Locke explained this belief by dividing sense perception into two parts that include simple and complex ideas. The simple ideas emerge from only on perception. This may include for example, perception of color or size. On the other hand, complex ideas are derived by combining the simple ideas (Alexander 58). Further, another belief that separates empiricism from rationalism involves the acquisition of ideas through experience. In essence, ideas according to empiricists, are not acquired through an innate process. Empiricism does not embrace innate ideas in the sense that, knowledge varies. For instance, a child’s mind is a tabula rasa, but learns from experience. In essence, if they possess the knowledge, they should use it from the start. According to Lock, simple ideas emanate from experience, and those ideas are combined to form complex ideas. In addition, empiricism contrary to rationalism endorse a belief in induction. This is the belief that only a few phenomenon are proven conclusively. For example, people identify things through their sense perception. However, most perceptions cannot be concluded to agree with the objects being perceived (Alexander 65).

Improvement of standard living contributes to damage to environment Essay Example for Free

Improvement of standard living contributes to damage to environment Essay In the last decade, many countries over the world have to experience the inevitable consequences of damage to environment. The environment has been sacrificed as the people’s standard living has been improved, which is including the rising of new technology. Sometimes, the new technology that has been invented can cause environment’s devastation enhancement and also harms the ecosystem on it. Many forests and parks have disappeared so that animal extinction for some species cannot be avoided. Nowadays, many developer company compete each other to build residences, apartments, hotels, malls, entertainment centers, such as cafes, cinemas as the enhancement of our standard living. People need a living place more than just a place to sleep and take a rest. The more facilities that one residence area or apartment has, such as swimming pool, golf area, gym, supermarket; the more benefit they can offer to attract customer. It means, one developer company needs bigger areas to construct a residence or apartment. Besides that, we can see the increasing amount of skyscraper buildings in big cities. Along with many constructions, it means that many green areas has to be cut off to be changed into a commercial area and people do not contemplate the consequences of not having enough trees and green areas. In addition to this, many constructions also are not built with a good drainage system. Due to this matter, flood happens everywhere. For instance, in Jakarta, Indonesia, flood happens at least once per year during peak rainy season as the result of constructing park and forest to be a commercial building. Industrial companies also contribute to environment’s devastation. High technology system is developed to support the industrial business. Some of new technology system that has been invented are not eco-friendly. For instance, in Agriculture industry, pesticide is used for controlling the pest that can harm the plant. The consequences of using pesticide that can contaminate the soil, the plants, and harm the ecosystem surrounding it are being ignored and also it can harm the people who consume the fruits or vegetables of those plants. In addition to this, many wastes are produced every year and most of the waste cannot be recycled. Some of the waste fills the river and harm the ecosystem that live in the river, such as fishes. Later on, consuming fish from contaminated river can jeopardize human’s health. In the end, we have to realize that along with standard living improvement, often we neglect our environment and abandon the balancing of ecosystem in our planet. Besides environment devastation, we also harm our lives and our next generation lives. It is suppose that now is the perfect time for us as human being to look after our planet; maintain, protect and nourish our environment surrounding us to build a better health life in the future.

Instruments Of The Orchestra :: essays research papers

Instruments of the Orchestra Strings: The viola is an important member of the orchestra, but is not often heard by itself. Because it is bigger than the violin, with longer strings, it makes a rich, warm sound that is lower in pitch. In contrast to the viola the violin is the smallest member of the string family. Because its strings are the shortest, it produces the highest sound. The viola is a little heavier, and its shape is slightly different, too. But it is still played on the violist’s left arm, just like the violin. Unlike the viola, the violins play in two different groups: with the first violins playing the highest-pitched part and the second violins playing the second highest. Both the viola and the violin are placed to rest on one shoulder, and held in its place by the chin and the left hand. You have to hold the bow in your right hand, and draw it across the strings. Pitches can be change in two ways: by drawing the bow across different strings, and by pressing on the strings with the fingers of his left hand. The viola plays a beautiful â€Å"middle† part in the orchestra’s harmony. The violas can be hard to pick out when the whole orchestra is playing, but you would really miss the violas if they weren’t there! In the other hand the violin has stayed pretty much the same ever since the 1500s. That’s almost 500 years! The modern violin has four strings, but the earliest ones had only three. Fiddlers played them on the streets, which hoped that people passing by would like their tunes and toss them a few pennies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viola  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Violin Woodwinds: The bassoon is a double-reed woodwind instrument. It has almost 8 feet of wooden tubing, bent into a narrow U-shape. The reed is secured in a curved metal tube. Bassoons are the largest woodwind instruments in the orchestra - except for the contrabassoons, which are much bigger and plays a whole octave, lower than the bassoon! In contrast to the bassoon, you can hear the smooth, velvety sound of the clarinet in the orchestras, military bands, and in jazz groups. Clarinets are made of wood or molded plastic, and can be found in the different range of notes. The standard â€Å"B-flat† clarinet is a little more than two feet long. An orchestra also often includes an â€Å"E-flat† clarinet, which is smaller and plays a higher range of notes, and a bass clarinet, which plays an octave lower.

Evaluate Is Acceptance Model Essay

There are many models have been developed to understand the factors affecting the acceptance of computer technology such as Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975, Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985, 1991), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989), Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) (Taylor & Todd, 1995), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003). TRA proposes that individual beliefs influence attitudes which will create intentions that will generate behavior. There are two major factors that determine behavioral intentions which are the person’s attitude toward the behavior and subjective norms. Attitude toward the behavior refers to the person’s judgment that performing the behavior is good or bad according to his or her belief. While the subjective norms are a function of normative beliefs that reflect the person’s perception of social pressures put on him or her to perform or not to perform the behavior in question. TRA model TPB is an expansion of the TRA. TPB includes the construct, perceived behavioral control to measure and account for the extent to which users have complete controls over their behavior. Perceived behavioral control relates to the extent to which the person believes that she or he has control over personal or external factors that may facilitate or constrain the behavioral performance. TPB model TAM pioneered by Davis advances the TRA by postulating that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) are key determinants that lead to the actual usage of a particular technology or system. Perceived usefulness is the degree to which an individual believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her productivity while perceived ease of use is the degree an individual believes that using a particular system would be free of effort. TAM model DTPB was formulated through combination of both TAM and TPB, which was intended for providing better understanding of behavioral intention by concentrating on the factors that are likely to impact systems use. This model explores dimensions of subjective norms and perceived behavior control through decomposing them into particular belief perception whilst constructs from the innovation characteristics has also been regarded as the basis of DTPM formulation. DTPB also offer a clearer understanding of behavior and behavioral intention by giving detailed information about impacts of normative and control beliefs over system usage. DTPM model UTAUT had synthesized the eight prominent user acceptance models including the TRA, TAM, the motivational model (MM), TPB, a model combining the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behavior (C-TAM-TPB), the model of PC utilization (MPCU) (Ronald et al., 1994; Thompson & Higgins, 1991), the innovation diffusion theory, and the social cognitive theory (SCT) (Compeau et al., 1999 and Compeau & Higgins, 1995). This model was formulated with four core determinants of intention and usage including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence and facilitating conditions and also with up to four moderators of key counting gender, experience, age and voluntariness of use. However, the authors argue that in order to strengthen this model, the culture also need to take consideration since different culture can affect the acceptance behavior among user towards the computer technology. UTAUT model There are more theories that had been developed and many variables had used to evaluate the IS/IT acceptance rate. For example, the interactive model of technology acceptance and satisfaction (IMTAS) which integrate the user satisfaction with and user acceptance of IT. This model expands user satisfaction and user acceptance into SME sector simultaneously as two basic constructs of system usage behavior (as the key measure of IT success) while addresses specific characteristics of SMEs such as resource constraints, management method and direct interaction of SME users with external environments. Base on this model, user satisfaction can be influenced by user involvement, system quality, and information quality. High quality of information and system enable the user to produce good decision making, hence, increase the user satisfaction. However, user involvement is the key determinant of user satisfaction since high user involvement allow the user  involve in major area of the system which this give the user opportunity to enjoy most of the benefits of the system. User satisfaction will increase the usage of the system and the usage will be even higher if the system has high user friendliness. Another key determinant that influence the system usage in SMEs is user computer competence. User computer competence can be enhance through providing training by assuming that assistance of SMEs’ external environment have a crucial impact on the success of newly implemented IS by increasing SME user acceptance and satisfaction since SMEs are typically suffering from lack of resources such as internal expertise, knowledge and user skills. The training can influence the perceived ease of use and perceived of usefulness among user, hence, influence the user attitude and intention which than influence the actual usage of a system in SMEs.

Mixed Schools Is the Optimum

Mixed Schools is the optimum Coeducation or mixed-gender education is the integrated education of male and female students in the same environment, while unisex education is the education where male and female students attend in separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. In the past, mixed schools were not acceptable, but by the time it became popular. Mixed schools are better for students socially, and it also develops their educational skills and psychological things.Parents recommend mixed schools because it develops many skills for the kids. Mixed schools make students get used to the social life. Supporters of the unisex schools believe that the school is not a place for developing your social life skills, but just for studying. Also, some parents do not want their children to be in mixed school because at certain ages, students of the opposite sex can be a distraction. However, the best place that helps children to get ready for the real social life is the school. St udents in single-sex classrooms will one day live and work side-by-side with members of the opposite sex. Educating students in single-sex schools limits their opportunity to work cooperatively and co-exist successfully with members of the opposite sex† (Stanberry, 2009). It's so important to have friends from both sides of the fence. â€Å"You would never find a workplace with only females, so this prepares you for the outside world much better† (Davidson, 2003).According to the Education International, statistics indicated that mixed schools students have recorded the highest success rate. People who believe that unisex schools are the best say that mixed schools distract students’ attention. On the other hand, the researchers conducted extensive interviews with individual students and found excellent students do not get distracted. In the 1960s and 70s, Dale reported (1969, 1971, 1974) that boys, girls and teachers were happier in co-educational secondary scho ols, and boys did better academically within them. Professor Analia Schlosser, an economist from the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv, found that elementary school, co-ed classrooms with a majority of female students showed increased academic performance for both boys and girls† (Schlosser, 2006). In high school, the classrooms with the best academic achievement were consistently those that had a higher percentage of girls. Moreover, mixed schools will provide creative environment because both genders think differently so that they could share information and get more experience to come up with better results. We often hear of things like boys and girls learn differently, but the biology of learning is exactly the same† (Halpern, 2002) On the psychological side, students in the mixed schools feel as they were one family. Some parents who support the unisex schools think that their children get affected psychologically because they get shy from the opposite s ex. However, children must get used to deal with the opposite sex to get more social skills and feel comfortable when dealing with the opposite sex.Males and females who do not regularly interact with each other are likely to entertain stereotypical beliefs about the other sex. To sum up, boys studying in mixed schools become kind and not aggressive because they deal with the soft gender. Both genders also become in a good psychological conditions. Students also feel free in mixed schools because they feel as they were in their home. Mixed schools provide better environment and atmosphere for the students. Students studying in mixed schools get common with members of the opposite sex.Also, these schools provide the students with an environment that helps them to share ideas and become experienced. Dealing with the opposite sex makes you feel free because you deal with each other as relatives. Works Cited Davidson, M. (2003). Single-sex and mixed schools. Ms Davidson. Halpern, D. (20 02). Diane Halpern. Schlosser, A. (2006). Mixed schools. Analia Schlosser. Stanberry, K. (2009). Single-sex education. Kristin Stanberry. Dale, A. and Egerton, M. with Joshi, H. and Davies, H. (1997) Highly Educated Women: Evidence from the national child development study, DfEE (HMSO, London). Mixed Schools Is the Optimum Mixed Schools is the optimum Coeducation or mixed-gender education is the integrated education of male and female students in the same environment, while unisex education is the education where male and female students attend in separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. In the past, mixed schools were not acceptable, but by the time it became popular. Mixed schools are better for students socially, and it also develops their educational skills and psychological things.Parents recommend mixed schools because it develops many skills for the kids. Mixed schools make students get used to the social life. Supporters of the unisex schools believe that the school is not a place for developing your social life skills, but just for studying. Also, some parents do not want their children to be in mixed school because at certain ages, students of the opposite sex can be a distraction. However, the best place that helps children to get ready for the real social life is the school. St udents in single-sex classrooms will one day live and work side-by-side with members of the opposite sex. Educating students in single-sex schools limits their opportunity to work cooperatively and co-exist successfully with members of the opposite sex† (Stanberry, 2009). It's so important to have friends from both sides of the fence. â€Å"You would never find a workplace with only females, so this prepares you for the outside world much better† (Davidson, 2003).According to the Education International, statistics indicated that mixed schools students have recorded the highest success rate. People who believe that unisex schools are the best say that mixed schools distract students’ attention. On the other hand, the researchers conducted extensive interviews with individual students and found excellent students do not get distracted. In the 1960s and 70s, Dale reported (1969, 1971, 1974) that boys, girls and teachers were happier in co-educational secondary scho ols, and boys did better academically within them. Professor Analia Schlosser, an economist from the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv, found that elementary school, co-ed classrooms with a majority of female students showed increased academic performance for both boys and girls† (Schlosser, 2006). In high school, the classrooms with the best academic achievement were consistently those that had a higher percentage of girls. Moreover, mixed schools will provide creative environment because both genders think differently so that they could share information and get more experience to come up with better results. We often hear of things like boys and girls learn differently, but the biology of learning is exactly the same† (Halpern, 2002) On the psychological side, students in the mixed schools feel as they were one family. Some parents who support the unisex schools think that their children get affected psychologically because they get shy from the opposite s ex. However, children must get used to deal with the opposite sex to get more social skills and feel comfortable when dealing with the opposite sex.Males and females who do not regularly interact with each other are likely to entertain stereotypical beliefs about the other sex. To sum up, boys studying in mixed schools become kind and not aggressive because they deal with the soft gender. Both genders also become in a good psychological conditions. Students also feel free in mixed schools because they feel as they were in their home. Mixed schools provide better environment and atmosphere for the students. Students studying in mixed schools get common with members of the opposite sex.Also, these schools provide the students with an environment that helps them to share ideas and become experienced. Dealing with the opposite sex makes you feel free because you deal with each other as relatives. Works Cited Davidson, M. (2003). Single-sex and mixed schools. Ms Davidson. Halpern, D. (20 02). Diane Halpern. Schlosser, A. (2006). Mixed schools. Analia Schlosser. Stanberry, K. (2009). Single-sex education. Kristin Stanberry. Dale, A. and Egerton, M. with Joshi, H. and Davies, H. (1997) Highly Educated Women: Evidence from the national child development study, DfEE (HMSO, London).

Change Must Occur for Progress to Proceed in the Post-Civil essays

Change Must Occur for Progress to Proceed in the Post-Civil essays Change Must Occur for Progress to Proceed in the Post-Civil War America Many people may define progress as moving forward, advancing, or the growth of a concept for the good of the people that it affects. The vision of progress held by Terence V. Powderly was clearly expressed in the document Terence V. Powderly, The Knights of Labor, 1889. Booker T. Washington also expressed his vision of progress in an address given in Atlanta in 1895. These men had a vision which was to unite the peoples of America to work toward bettering the nations economy and the working and living conditions of its citizens. In order for this progress to occur in post-Civil War America the people had to see how the current conditions of the country, poverty, segregation and racism, and poor working atmosphere were hindering the potential progress of the free workforce. Once these problems were identified, a change had to be accepted by all. Terence V. Powderly was the Grand Master Workman for the Knights of Labor in 1889. In a constitution adopted by the Industrial Brotherhood, he addressed his vision of what needed to be done for workers to ensure a better life for the citizens and advancement of the country. Powderly fought for fair, safe conditions in the workplace (miners, manufacturers, or builders), the enactment of an eight hour work day, and for workers to receive a proper share of the money that they earn. Also he fought for the prohibition of child labor defined as any worker under the age of fourteen. Powderly believed, It was necessary to teach the laborer that it was not essential for him to grovel in the dust at the feet of a master in order to win his title deed to everlasting bliss in the hereafter, 1 Most significantly Powderly wanted to teach the masses not be controlled by the forces in charge without just compensation and conditions for their work. Sharecropping was a common means of living on the South ...

Wurthering heights study

Wurthering heights study WUTHERING HEIGHTSEmily BrontÂÆ' «, 18471)The story takes place in the early XIXth century. There are two characters in this extract : Mr Lockwood and Catherine Linton. Mr Lockwood is the first narrator of this novel, he was one of Mr Heathcliff's tenants. At the beginning of the story , there were three characters : Heathcliff, a foundling, his sister Catherine and his brother Hindley. Catherine fell in love with Heathcliff, but was married with Edgar Linton. So, the second character we meet here is Catherine Linton, Edgar Linton's daughter. This extract belongs to the end of the novel. Catherine comes back to the farm Wuthering Heights, she tries to get in the house trough the window. Mr Lockwood, which had read Catherine's diary, does not recognize her.2)In this text, Mr Lockwood is in his bed room at Wuthering Heights, he is alone and he had to stay in the farm because of the snow.English: Emily Brontà «'s novel Wutherng Heights ca...He is disturbed by the gusty wind and the i ncessant move of the fir-bough. So he tries to stop this teasing noise, opening the window and seizing the branch. When his fingers grabbed the branch, another cold hand caught his. Then the context makes the text become an ambiguous experience and we can say that this extract is set between sanity and madness to some extents.First of all, we will see that this text relates an ambiguous experience. The atmosphere is gloomy : Mr Lockwood is alone in an isolated farm, everithing is dark around him and there are many teasing noises. So we can say that the atmosphere is quite nightmarish. Mr Lockwood had found Catherine Linton's diary, and he had read it. So he knows the passion between Catherine Linton and Mr Heathcliff, the owner of Wuthering Heights. The first contact between Catherine and Mr Lockwood in this text is physical : Catherine catches Mr Lockwood's hand by surprise, in the dark. So Mr Lockwood does not see her, and when she says that she is Catherine Linton, he does not be lieve her because he had never seen her. We see that Mr Lockwood is shocked ; the situation is ambiguous for him because he meets in a very unusual way the person who had written the diary he had just read.But for the reader, the situation is not ambiguous because we know who is Catherine Linton. We know that the scene is a combination of cicumstances ; Catherine wanted to come back to Wuthering Heights, she just wanted to get in the house. The combination of circumstances makes that Mr Lockwood, trying to catch the branch, had been surprised by Catherine. But she has no intention of surprising Mr Lockwood. So, we could say that the gloomy atmosphere leads Mr Lockwood to confused feelings, between sanity and madness.The text could be set between sanity and madness for different reasons with regard to the two charcters present in this scene : Mr Lockwood and Catherine Linton. Both charcters can be indeed considered as mad but in the same time, they show sanity in their actions and re actions. Catherine Linton came back to Wuthering Heights because she wanted to find her origins in this place where her mother lived and above all because she had an affair with the owner of the farm : Heathcliff. But she had never lived in this farm, so she didn't know how to get in and maybe noone could let get in. It is obvious tah the only way she had found to enter, in by the window. There is nothing really mad in this action, that is just a woman who wants to get into a farm where she could find and discover her roots.In the same way, Mr Lockwood does not show madness at all. He is in his bedroom, disturbed by the noise of a fir-bough, he opens the window and tries to stop this teasing sound. But when he puts his fingers on the branch, a hand catch them. Moreover when he tries to draw back his arm, the cold hand keeps it with force. As we have said before, the atmosphere is gloomy and oppressive, Mr Lockwood is alone in a farm which he does not know really. He inevitably surpr ised and afraid of the sudden and unexpected intrusion of this woman. So, the fact that Mr Lockwood is frightened and ends up reversing is normal, there is nothing mad about it.But, to some extents, we must admit that the two characters show madness towards the atmosphere and actions. First of all, the intrusion of Catherine Linton is very violent and sudden and as everyone knows it, thre are only thieves who try to get into a house trough the window. On the first readind, this action is really mad. The madness of this intrusion is inforced by the first mords of Catherine : ‚ « Let me in ! ‚ ». She doesn't say who she is, and why she wants to get in. This action could easily be considered as mad and almost supernatural.Besides, that is this aspect which could make Mr Lockwood go mad. The atmosphere is really supernatural and surreal : the darkness, the coldness of the fingers which keep with force his. At the firts sight, he could think that the coming of this woman sobb ing and begging to let her in is really unbelievable, he could assimilate Catherine Linton to a ghost or even a product of his imagination because he has just read her diary.3)This novel had been written in the middle of the XIXth Century. We can note that the evocation of extreme feelings an natural elements, mixed whith the presence of a nightmarish atmosphere lead us to ascertain that this novel belongs to the pre-Romantic genre. So we will try to see in what way we can find extreme feelings, the use of natural elements, imagination and the supernatural in this text.We can note some natural elements, which show us that Wuthering Heights is an isolated place. The natural elements create a gloomy atmosphere : the fir-bough is creaking in a teasing sound, the night, the snow and the gusty wind force Mr Lockwood to stay in the farm. Another typical natural element that we find in pre-Romantic novels is the moor. In fact the moor, evocated by Catherine, is isolated and not a very reas suring place, above all during the night. These natural elements create a nightmarish atmosphere, which leads Mr lockwood to express extreme feelings. We can note different feelings in this text. On the first hand, there are feelings of annoyance, and on the second hand, there are feelings of fear. The feelings of annoyance are illustrated by different terms and expressions : a ‚ « teasing sound ‚ », ‚ « annoyed me so much ‚ », ‚ « I must stop it nevertheless ! ‚ », ‚ « I muttered ‚ »... all these feelings are excessive, and maybe show that Mr Lockwood is already in a state of anxiety. In the second part of the text, the feelings of fear succeed to feelings of annoyance. We can note this feeling in the following expressions : ‚ « the intense horror of nightmare came over me ‚ » ; ‚ « struggling ‚ », ‚ « terror made me cruel ‚ », ‚ « almoste maddening me with fear ‚ », ‚ « yelled alo ud ‚ », ‚ « a frenzy of fright ‚ ». These feelings of terror are also excessive ; it creates a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, which leads to imagination and unreal.The intrusion of Catherine Linton could make Mr Lockwood go mad and could let him believe that what he is living is a hallucination, a product of his imagination because nothing seems to be real. Maybe that the excessive feelings mentionned are caused by Mr Lockwood's imagination ; for the reader, the atmosphere is not very threatening. As in many pre-Romantic novel, the nightmarish atmosphere, symbolised by the darkness, the moor, the winter, is the source of imagination and also of fear : imagination and extreme feelings like fear are linked together.We could make a link between this novel from Emily BrontÂÆ' « and the short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, like in The Raven for example. Indeed, Poe wrote his short stories in the same period as Emily BrontÂÆ' «. In The Raven, the power of imaginati on, the supranatural and the unreal have also a great place, and we could note, as in Wuthering Heights, that the feelings expressed are often excessive.