Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Example

Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Example Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Metaphysics in Kants Work In Immaneul Kants work, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, the principle idea or question of discussion is whether or not metaphysics is possible.Although this is clearly the objective of his argument, the author is not concerned with constructing metaphysics.Rather he uses this question as a method of articulating the problem of modern philosophy, for by creating an inquiry of the theory of metaphysics one is forced to examine its conditions of possibility.This problem of modern philosophy is based on the gap between the phenomenal and the noumenal, or the experience of reality and the knowledge of reality, as illustrated by the renowned empiricist, David Hume.According to Hume, we are fundamentally limited to the phenomenal, holding only our impressions as true based on perception.In contrast, Kant introduced the idea that the mind leaves an impression on perception, which illustrates cooperation between the mind and experience based on their conformity, t! hus explaining know ledge.This innate form has been given to us, and through time and space we are allowed a certain amount of flexibility within boundaries.The genius of Kant lies in the fact that he created an image of reality that was not possible with Hume, for he instilled a level of confidence through recognition of our limits.Therefore, the significance of Kants work is that it portrays the parameters within the mind, which in effect turns Humes skepticism into positive reinforcement of experience. It was Humes belief that you must have experience to have anything at all, for existence must be perceived through impression.The problem of this lies within the fact that our knowledge is restricted to appearances, for we will never know the true nature of things as they are in themselves. Moral law in Kants Conception Kant identifies something as the moral law as it is this purity that Kant acknowledges to exist withoutfirst needing to be perceived (which would therefore rely on that perception to validate it), and rightly claims as the absolute.He further argues that since this true and pure is omnipresent, then it is humanitys duty to hold itself to it, no matter how the inclination or desire to reason away from, or to ignore it, may tempt us.Kant then concludes that since it is this moral law that all beings are based, it is thusly imperative for the collective method, which we so direly depend upon to interpret and utilize the universe, should at its roots solely rely upon that knowledge given to us innately, and not upon empirical and anthropological grounds. Kant identifies this moral law by recognizing the innate sense of duty bestowed upon every being. That there must be such a [pure] philosophy is evident from the common idea of duty and of moral laws.Everyone must admit that if a law is to be morally valid, i.e., is to be valid as a ground of obligation, then it must carry with it absolute necessity. If a being has this idea of duty, of the need to fulfill, it is obvious that it should and must live in accordance to that obligation at every moment and in every way.The concept of survival in the animal kingdom supports this idea well.If we examine an animal and its daily activities, such as hunting for food, protecting its territory, and mating among others, we observe a duty in that animal to stay alive, to see another day. Those who have a Kantian way of thought believe in the universal laws which is when something is commonly known as right or wrong. People like this believe that an action has moral worth if it is done as the right thing to do. In this situation, the right thing to do would be to not cheat on the test because it is commonly known that cheating on a test is wrong. Kantians dont think too much about the consequences of the action or the effects it will have on others. They believe that people should treat others the way they want to be treated. For example, would you want someone in your class to cheat on a test when you’ve worked hard studying? This is known as the Categorical Imperative.

An Overview of Gentrification

An Overview of Gentrification Gentrification is defined as the process by which wealthier (mostly middle-income) people move into, renovate, and restore housing and sometimes businesses in inner cities or other deteriorated areas formerly home to poorer people. As such, gentrification affects an areas demographics because this increase in middle-income individuals and families often results in an overall decline in racial minorities. Additionally, household size decreases because low-income families are replaced by young single people and couples desiring to be closer to their jobs and activities in the urban core. The real estate market also changes when gentrification occurs because increases in rents and home prices increase evictions. Once this happens rental units are often switched to condominiums or luxury housing available for purchase. As real estate changes, land use is also altered. Prior to gentrification these areas usually consist of low-income housing and sometimes light industry. After, there is still housing but it is usually high end, along with offices, retail, restaurants, and other forms of entertainment. Finally, because of these changes, gentrification significantly affects an area’s culture and character, making gentrification a controversial process. History and Causes of Gentrification Since Glass came up with the term, there have been numerous attempts to explain why gentrification occurs. Some of the earliest attempts to explain it are through the production- and consumption-side theories. Production-side theory is associated with a geographer, Neil Smith, who explains gentrification based on the relationship between money and production. Smith said that low rents in suburban areas after World War II led to a movement of capital into those areas as opposed to inner cities. As a result, urban areas were abandoned and land value there decreased while land value in the suburbs increased. Smith then came up with his rent-gap theory and used it to explain the process of gentrification. The rent-gap theory itself describes the inequality between the price of land at its current use and the potential price a piece of land could attain under a â€Å"higher and better use.† Using his theory, Smith argued that when the rent-gap was large enough, developers would see the potential profit in redeveloping inner-city areas. The profit attained by redevelopment in these areas closes the rent-gap, leading to higher rents, leases, and mortgages. Thus, the increase in profits associated with Smith’s theory leads to gentrification. The consumption-side theory, professed by geographer David Ley, looks at the characteristics of people performing gentrification and what they consume as opposed to the market to explain gentrification. It is said that these people perform advanced services (for example they are doctors and/or lawyers), enjoy arts and leisure, and demand amenities and are concerned with aesthetics in their cities. Gentrification allows such changes to occur and caters to this population. The Process of Gentrification Over time, these urban pioneers help to redevelop and â€Å"fix-up† run down areas. After doing so, prices go up and the lower income people present there are priced out and replaced with middle and upper-income people. These people then demand greater amenities and housing stock and businesses change to cater to them, again raising prices. These rising prices then force out the remaining population of lower income people and more middle and upper-income people are attracted, perpetuating the cycle of gentrification. Costs and Benefits of Gentrification The largest criticism of gentrification though is its displacement of the redeveloped area’s original inhabitants. Since gentrified areas are often in the run-down urban core, lower-income residents are eventually priced out and are sometimes left with no place to go. In addition, retail chains, services, and social networks are also priced out and replaced with higher-end retail and services. It is this aspect of gentrification that causes the most tension between residents and developers. Despite these criticisms though, there are several benefits to gentrification. Because it often leads to people owning their homes instead of renting, it can sometimes lead to more stability for the local area. It also creates an increased demand for housing so there is less vacant property. Finally, supporters of gentrification say that because of the increased presence of residents in the downtown, businesses there benefit because there are more people spending in the area. Whether it is viewed as positive or negative, however, there is no doubt that gentrified areas are becoming important parts of the fabric of cities worldwide.

Cell Phones, Do They Really Cause Brain Tumors Research Paper

Cell Phones, Do They Really Cause Brain Tumors - Research Paper Example This research is intended to ascertain the fact that cell phones are not associated with brain tumor. The use of cell phones began in 1980s and its wide spread use began in 1990s (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Since then, the technology has been constantly evolving and there has a soar in the use of cell phones all over the world. In 2009, in United States alone, there were more than 285 million cell phone users (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Thus, any health implications of cell phone usage target a large number of people. Cell phones use non-ionizing radiation, a type of electromagnetic radiation for their functioning. This radiation is actually different from the radiation used in X-rays which is ionizing and associated with risk of development of cancer. The radiation of cell phones falls into the same band of radiofrequency waves which are used in microwave to cook food. However, the radiowaves from cellphones do not cause damage to the genetic material DNA and thus does not cause cancer. The main source of radiofrequency energy for a cell phone comes from the antenna, which, in the newer cell phones is in the hand set and while taking, the portion of antenna lies along the side of the head (Wenner, 2008). Thus, closer the antenna towards the head, greater is the exposure to radiofrequency energy. The absorption of radiofrquency energy is directly proportion to the distance between the users head and the antenna and the intensity of the signal which is again, dependent on the level of the signal (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Thus, the levels of exposure to radiofrequency energy depends on various factors like the number and duration of the phone calls, the amount of traffic of cell phone at the time of talking over phone, the distance of the antenna of the cell phone from the nearest based station, the quality of radiofrequency transmission, the size of the hand set, extension of the

Explaining Second Language Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explaining Second Language Learning - Essay Example After evaluating and analyzing all theories presented by Lightbown and Spada, we shall conclude which theory has consistencies. Cognitive theory is consistent because it draws how the mind can achieve second languages irrespective of the role of environment and social context. Therefore, cognitive theory has proven to be consistent than sociocultural and social interaction theories. This is because sociocultural and social interaction theories focus on the role of environment and social context, thus making these theories be inconsistent (Lightbown, & Spada, 2012). Cognitive theory helps us understand that all second language learners, irrespective of their environment and social context have at present learned and acquired at least one language. It also elucidates that the human mind has the capability of learning anything new. Thus, it explains that human cognizance can be divided into twofold complex kinds of representation: prior knowledge and procedural knowledge (Lightbown, & Spada, 2012). Prior knowledge represents first language acquisition that is stored in long-term memory through schemas and images, and procedural knowledge represents L2 and this indicates that the human minds have the aptitude of learning anything new successfully. So, the central fact that makes cognitive theory consistent is the ability to expound that learning begins with prior knowledge, which is slowly modified to become proceduralized knowledge (Lightbown, & Spada, 2012). This means that learners of second languages have a conscious mind with advanced fluency and competency of the first language, and this will orient their thinking and speaking toward second language acquisition. Subsequently, cognitive theory expounds that the mind work in an information-processing model and this help human learning to achieve. For second language acquisition to be

Yahoo! Inc. Essay examples -- Business Marketing Case Studies

Yahoo! Inc. is a global Internet communications, commerce, and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 120 million users each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the World Wide Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household, and business user reach, and is one of the most recognized brands associated with the Internet. The company also provides online business services designed to enhance Yahoo!'s clients' Web services, including audio and video streaming, store hosting and management, and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 21 World properties. Yahoo! has offices in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Canada and the United States, and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Yahoo! was developed and first made available in 1994 by the Company's founders, David Filo and Jerry Yang, while they were graduate students at Stanford University. The Company was incorporated in California on March 5, 1995, and commenced operations on that date. On May 18, 1999 the Company reincorporated in Delaware. In August 1995, the company commenced selling advertisements on its Web pages and recognized its initial revenues. The company experienced dramatic growth providing broadcast media, communications, and commerce services. Yahoo! completed several major acquisitions including GeoCities, an Internet company specializing in publishing tools and online communities, and Broadcast.com inc., an Internet company specializing in audio and video broadcasts over the Web. These acquisitions as well as many other ones have helped Yahoo! diversify the properties and services it offers to its clients, helping to establish it as a one-of-a-kind, all encompassing web portal. Yahoo! is the number-one destination of users of the Internet the world over. With over 110 million unique users and 485 million average daily page views during December 1999, Yahoo! has clearly proven its ability to attract Web users like moths to light. With Yahoo!'s customizable services available in the U.S. and in 21 countries in 12 languages, Yahoo! users worldwide can pay their bills, track their stock portfolios, purchase virtually any product imaginable, and find a host of other services including email and chat rooms, all within the virtual borders of the prime ... ... for the short-term it still faces possible downside. As good as Yahoo!’s prospects are for the future, with all of its new sources of revenue as well as with the new pay services it is implementing, Yahoo! still faces near term uncertainty for shareholders. With all of the market turmoil over the possibility of recession and economic downturn, Yahoo!’s current instability leaves it with room for a greater decrease in share price. I do however believe that over the long term Yahoo! has a strong outlook and will perform well for its shareholders. Although compelling at these levels, I would not buy shares in Yahoo! for the short term, as in the next 6 months I don’t see any improvement in Yahoo!’s finances. I would therefore buy a July-01 Put on Yahoo (Symbol: YHQSF), with the exercise price of $30, based on Friday February 23rd’s closing price of $25.43. This Put is $4.57 â€Å"in the money† and its last trade went through at 9 and 7/8. T his is less than the value computed by Black-Scholes of 11 and 1/64. I believe that over the next few months, Yahoo!’s shares will be trading below the current market price of $25.43, therefore making the Put a profitable investment with minimal risk.

Review and Evaluate Strategies in Health and Social Care Environments to Overcome Barriers to Effective Communication and Interpersonal Interactions

There are a lot of useful strategies within a health and social care environment for example a hearing aid would be very useful as a deaf person would be able to hear people talking to them as it picks up and increases the volume of an individual’s voice so the deaf person would hear them clearly but also it has disadvantages as if the hearing aid battery was not working it would be no use to them as they would not hear anything or only hear tiny bits of conversations, also hearing aids amplify background noise and if the background noise was very loud it could put the person in a great deal of pain as everything is 10 times louder to them.Mobile phones have a lot of advantages such as the service user can get in touch with medical professionals if they need to and get advice quickly without them having to travel to the doctors but also it is a disadvantage as not a lot of service users would know how to use mobile phones as they are advanced. Also if a service user was trying to use a mobile phone but failing to it could also make them stressed this could lead to other health problems on top of the ones that they may already have.Hearing loops are a advantage in health and social care as it helps deaf people hear sounds more clearly and also cuts out any background noise so the deaf person could hear what anyone is saying and understand it very clearly, the disadvantages of having a hearing loop is that they can pick up interference from other magnetic fields this may confuse the person who is wearing the hearing loop and also could put them in some discomfort as they are picking up more sounds than they should. In some situations a loop may not be secure, other hearing aid wearers can listen in this could make the deaf person feel as if everyone is listening to what he is saying or listening to and could make the deaf person feel very uncomfortable.Interpreters are a great advantage in health and social care as they can communicate a conversation, whet her it be signed or spoken to someone in a different language that they may understand. A disadvantage of an interpreter may be that they don’t only have to interpret the words and signs but also have to find a way of expressing a meaning if this is not done correctly then the service user may not understand and misunderstand what they are being told and make it into something much worse than they are  actually being told.A translator is really useful in health and social care as they change recorded information such as a written word into another language this would be good for someone who is deaf that cannot hear a interpreter so the translator would write it down for them instead, the disadvantage of a translator is that they also have to convey the meaning as well as the word so if the translator is unsure of the meaning it could then confuse the service user and also because they have to write it down if their hand writing is not clear enough the service user may mista ken it for another word.A signer is a good way of helping the deaf community in health and social care as a signer is a person who uses a signed language to communicate with deaf people this is very useful as the service provide e.g. doctor is not likely to have learned signed language but if a signer came in he could communicate with the deaf individual through the signer it is also a lot easier than lip reading as lip reading may not always be understood. The disadvantages of a signer would be that the signer would have to make every hand movement as clear as possible so that the service user understand 100% what they are being told also the signer would have to use a language appropriate to the service user and not use any words they may not understand such a jargon and slang.

Functionalism and the Family - 637 Words

Took 45 minutes to complete about 659 words Using the material from the Item and elsewhere, assess the functionalist contribution to our understanding of the family.(24 marks) Functionalism is a structural theory as it examines social institutions e.g. economy , education etc. It sees these institutions as a way of moulding and shaping the individual. Functionalism is also a consensus theory and tends to encourage sharing norms and values and promotes agreement rather than conflict , value consensus. Functionalists adopt and organic analogy. This is the idea of seeing society as a living system (human body) , e.g. the skin of our body is like our norms and values. Material from the item says that Murdock (1949) suggests the four†¦show more content†¦Overall , Functionalists have a large contribution to our understanding of the family as they provide functions which most families , especially nuclear families still follow to a certain extent. However , Feminists and Marxists have had a large contribution to our contribution and understanding of the family as well as functionalists as they highlight the family darkShow MoreRelatedFunctionalism in Family1739 Words   |  7 PagesThe affects of Functionalism, Conflict and Interactionist Theory on Family SOC101 Emily Frydrych May 24, 2010 A social institution is â€Å"an organized pattern of beliefs and behaviors centered on basic social needs† (Schaefer, 2009). I believe that family is one of the most important social institutions. Family is a social institution that is always changing. My family has changed greatly over the past years. As a child I went from foster home to foster home. 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This means that philosophies are built by using scientific research methods to create structural perspectives. Positivism is called macro sociology because it looks at society holistically; it also emphasisesRead MoreSociological Perspectives On Life Chances Essay1343 Words   |  6 PagesTask 1 This essay is based on two main sociological perspectives such as Functionalism and Marxism. It will evaluate the view that differences in the life chances between social groups which are dependent on various social factors affecting the society and individuals. Furthermore, it will compare and contrast these two sociological perspectives. Life chances can have a positive or negative effect on individual’s lifetime in terms of their education, health, employment, income and housing. They