Being Is Not Everything The Importance Of Becoming Nothing

Leah B. Mitchell Professor John Gist Philosophy 300-70 10 November 2016 Being Is Not Everything: The Importance of Becoming Nothing Heidegger believed that â€Å"Philosophizing is questioning the extra-ordinary† (Heidegger, et al. 14). He suggests, however, that when science questions existence, it simply focuses on what is, while dismissing that which is not (the nothing), and that because of this oversight, scientists do not see the full picture of existence. As a philosopher, Heidegger sought a deeper understanding of the purpose of human existence − his secular version of â€Å"God†, if you will, and he may have discovered it in the Nothing. After contemplation of Martin Heidegger’s philosophies, one could reasonably argue that his â€Å"Nothing† is none other than that which humanity collectively refers to as â€Å"God† – i.e. the source of all that is. Further, that becoming is the telos of our existence; the result, Being, is far less significant. Throughout the history of humanity, the concept of â€Å"God† has been interpreted and used in many ways. God has been considered to have created the universe, to exist separately and have power over it. God has also been considered to be the universe, existing within everything that presents itself as being. God has been denied existence by some, and only believed to be something that can never be known or proved by others. To simplify the term God, from this point we will understand â€Å"God† to be the creator/source of all of existence. Prior toShow MoreRelatedThe Sheep Car Complex By Thane Rosenbaum1043 Words   |  5 Pages Over time everything falls apart. Everything starts to fade away into nothingness. Regardless of its magnitude or importance it all fades away. In Thane Rosenbaum’s The Cattle Car Complex, the author says, â€Å"The Holocaust fades like a painting exposed to too much sun.† (Rosenbaum, 5). 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Japan s Laws Of The Trafficking Of Women And Children Is...

Japan is a Tier 2 source, transit, and destination country for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and forced marriages. Men, women, and children are all susceptible to trafficking. The government actively participates in the exploitation of its people, especially through the program of TITP, or the Technical Intern Training Program. The proliferation of the sexual trafficking of women and children is driven by sex tourism. Runaway girls are among the victims of this horrific trade. Japan does not meet the minimum standard of the 2000 UN TIP Protocol and is the only G-8 member who did not accede to neither its standards nor the 2000 Transnational Organized Crime Convention. There are no convictions for perpetrators of forced labor and no laws enacted to prosecute traffickers. Japan’s laws are not collusive with international definitions of trafficking. In 2015, Japan had a modest increase in the enforcement of ant-trafficking laws. However, Japan’s laws do not exclude al l forms of trafficking, rather there are large gaps in their criminal laws. Under the 1956 Prostitution Prevention Law, Articles 7 through 12 criminalizes the procurement of prostitutes and forced prostitution. Article 226-2 also criminalizes the buying and selling of humans. Under the 1947 Employment Security Act, it criminalizes the engagement of labor recruitment through violence, intimidation, or confinement. It also criminalizes the recruitment of labor for work that is harmful to public health and moralShow MoreRelatedSex Tourism Essay4993 Words   |  20 PagesTO5101: Tourism systems analysis Sai kumar Nalla Student ID- 12325398 Executive summary: In the recent years Sex tourism is the most attracting and increasing sector in terms of tourism studies. There are increased research, paper work, books, articles and several magazines released in the market related to sex tourism. Today there are many forces at work in the normalization of the international sex industry (Jeffeys, 1997). As sex industryRead MoreItaly - Research Paper10557 Words   |  43 Pagesconstitutional court holds the supreme judicial power in Italy, while a lower and upper house were set up and were given the legislative power. (Killinger, 2002) After World War II, Italy entered a period known as the ‘Economic Miracle’, which was driven by multiple industries and firms that contributed to the production of cars. These included the steel, rubber, and oil industries. (Amyot, 2004) Oil was discovered in the South, in the Northern Po Valley, and in Sicily in 1949. Natural gas was foundRead MoreCultural Analysis Thailand9709 Words   |  39 Pagesof 2004, the government coup in 2006, the flooding of 2011 and is preparing for a change in the views of the nation with the demise of their king. The AIDS explosion in the late eighties and early nineties seems to have targeted the country and the sex industry placing Thailand on the map for many of the wrong reasons. As Thailand continues to confront its own inner demons, the country is attempting to emerge as a major player in the developing nations field. This paper will focus on the idealsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesPolitical Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by Michael Adas forRead MoreThe Walt Disney Company and Disney Management25371 Words   |  102 PagesUltrasound Machines, India, China, and a Skewed Sex Ratio CASE 2ïš º1 The Not-So-Wonderful World of BONJOUR, MICKEY! In April 1992, EuroDisney SCA opened its doors to European visitors. Located by the river Marne some 20 miles east of Paris, it was designed to be the biggest and most lavish theme park that Walt Disney Company (Disney) had built to date—bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California; Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida; and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan. Much to Disney management’s surprise, Europeans

Distance Education Versus Face-to-Face Learning free essay sample

December 1 , 2009 Persuasive Essay Game Theories Has Virtual Reality Taken Things Too Far? Distance Education versus Face-to-Face Learning In Clive Thompsons Game Theories, the author illustrates how virtual worlds, such as Everquest and Second Life, have surprisingly become much like the real world. Everquest is an online virtual reality video game that allows individuals to create fictional characters to generate goods as they play, often by killing creatures for their treasure and trading it (Thompson 332). This has created an economy-like setting in he game but has eventually evolved to leak into the real world economy by exchanging real money for the purchase of virtual characters and their winnings. Thompsons article shows how the line between virtual reality and real world reality often becomes blurry, encouraging people to consider ways where virtual technology can enhance and possibly replace the current systems already in place. However, not everything done through computers and virtual technology are as effective as one thinks. Sometimes, the traditional way of doing things are perfectly fine and more effective Just the way they are. Distance education, in particular, is a phenomenon that has been a growing popular alternative to traditional face-to-face education. I am here to argue that learning behind a computer at home cannot effectively replace the traditional face- to-face education offered at colleges and universities. Difficulty in self-directed learning and instructional misunderstandings can occur in any online course, a lack of a set schedule allows for distractions and procrastination, non-existent interaction inhibits growth and learning, and the probability of cheating is greater among online tudents versus campus students. Although there are many people who favor the online-learning alternative, this paper will challenge their confidence and counter- arguments on the issue. Distance education can be quite difficult. There are several courses that have concepts that can be quite tricky and complicated to understand, especially if one is learning on their own using a textbook. Shelia Tucker, an assistant professor at East Carolina University, stated that students learn far too little when the teachers personal presence is not available because the student has far more to learn from he teacher than texts (par. 2). For example, an accounting teacher can easily explain the advanced calculation of earnings per share and diluted earnings per share through the use of their own methods and organizational charts. Learning the same topic but reading texts from a course book can be quite challenging without a teacher to provide tips and tricks for remembering the formulas. As I am an accounting student aspiring to be a CGA, I am tremendously afraid of entering their factors influencing completion and non-completion of community college online ourses, students indicated that online learning did not fit their learning style preference. Comments were received from students that they could not get a response from their instructor, the materials were not available, and the course was confusing (Aragon Johnson 155). Because of the difficulty experienced in online courses, some community colleges are reporting drop-out rates 20% higher than in face-to- face classrooms (Aragon Johnson 146). Another drawback of online learning is the lack of a set schedule. Without a fixed timetable, the opportunity for distractions and procrastination often presents itself. These online courses require motivation and self-discipline to complete the courses and programs in a timely manner. This will be especially hard for those who tend to procrastinate and need the extra push from teachers to complete the work or require constant reminders of assignment due dates and examination dates. Because the online courses are quite flexible, these courses can often be put on the backburner, because the students are aware that some of these courses are self-paced. One major downfall of distance education is non-existent interaction that results from learning and working behind a computer. Communication with the teacher is limited to text correspondences and even replies to the emails may be delayed. Comparing this scenario to a classroom course, questions are answered and uncertainties are clarified immediately after the teacher is asked. There is no personal attention given to students and these learners are expected to find their own resources for completing assignments. Not only is interaction limited with teachers, but interaction with other students is limited as well. Randy S. Hanson, Ph. D. , made a point that the only interaction with classmates are through email, chat ooms and discussion boards. Parties and offline get-togethers [were] rarely experienced among online students (par. 17). In her article about the controversy of distance education, Roda Joanna Abaya asserts that students do not learn only on formal and educational conversations. As social beings, it is important that they too interact with others and have informal talks or converse with lighter topics (par. 8). Another concern that Abaya has about distance education is the lack of hands-on training in online courses (par. 7). Interaction with people and objects are vital in the earning process and because of these missing components in online courses, the effectiveness of education falls short when compared to the traditional face-to-face classes. According to an article about academic honesty in online courses, some claim that because students and faculty do not interact directly in such classes, online classes will invite more cheating than traditional classes (GriJalva, Therese C. et al. par. 2). This is certainly true in that distance education is being carried out at home, away from teacher supervision. Anne Mullens exclaims that cheating appears to be ncreasing at universities, especially at the larger campuses and impersonal classes (23). In an examination of cheating in both traditional and online criminal justice and legal studies courses, Lanier (2006) found the behavior to be more common in online courses (Dobbs, Rhonda R. et al 13). Who knows how many students cheat during an online exam, having their books open in front of them while actual student writing the exam? Cheating is unethical and universally wrong but there are many students who cannot help themselves from getting all the help they can get to score th e good grades. There are several counter arguments that can be raised against the thesis of this paper. After googling and researching the pros of distance education, the recurring and most significant point was the flexibility of online courses. There are no set class times and it is the students discretion when to complete the assignments and readings so those with busy schedules are able to accommodate education. Stephen Downes states that there is more work in the distance ed version simply because it tries to make up for the lack of any class contact (par. 1). I have heard students and riends complain about the amount of work required for the online LIBS 7001 course at BCIT, where as the in-class version compares much favorably. With the course load being heavy for online courses, the flexibility to dedicate time to other priorities is hindered with the stress of work to be done for distance education. Some argue that online learning benefits those who requires more time, are language challenged, or are introverted. But on the contrary, it hinders rather than allows growth and learning. Those who require more time will always have that excuse to fall back on. Next thing they know, a year has passed since having started the course. The things learned at the beginning of the on-line class will have been forgotten and time would have been wasted. Those who are foreign students that struggle with the language barrier would benefit much more with an available teacher who is able to give them personal attention and needed help. To leave them on their own, trying to understand the course concepts from a textbook or a set of written notes can leave them overwhelmed and confused. Even those who are shy do not gain any benefit for enrolling in online courses. In fact, it is more of a detriment to their development and knowledge. Attending campuses and universities allows students to interact with classmates, and even encourages group projects to develop team buildings skills for individuals. At BCIT, students are often required to do presentations in front of the class and even in lecture halls. This is because the real world will often put people in similar situations and the training for that is attained easily when attending school on campus. This will also develop individuals interpersonal skills, and will help them overcome any shyness they may have. Another counter argument that can be raised is that costs are reduced when taking distance education. Not only are travel costs and commuting time decreased, but the necessary housing costs and meal plans are also saved if one is required to move to campus for attending university. However, the cost of training teachers, the cost of hardware and software, human resources such as technicians and other people involved are to be considered, we can say that establishing online education is not as cheap as it may seem for others (Abaya par. 6). These costs will certainly rickle down to the students, eventually having them pay through the increasing course fees.

Kuhn’s Concept of Paradigm Essay Example

Kuhn’s Concept of Paradigm Essay Thomas Kuhn’s concept of the paradigm has greatly influenced the way that ideas and concepts evolve. Although his ideas were largely applied to the history of science, his concept of paradigm is also applicable to other branches of study such as philosophy and the social sciences among others. Kuhn (1962) showed that science is not merely an accumulation of knowledge. Rather, there are different periods of revolution, which he called paradigm shifts. During these paradigm shifts, the main ideas about science and the processes governing scientific inquiry change dramatically. He said that science can be understood through three stages. The first one is pre-science, which does not have an over-arching paradigm. Prescience is succeeded by normal science, which is characterized by the attempts of scientists to develop and expand the central paradigm through the process of solving a problem, usually characterized as a puzzle. The paradigm takes into account several variables and factors and seeks to explain different phenomena in the world. When there are anomalous results, meaning that there are results, which cannot be sufficiently explained by the dominant paradigm, and they accumulate, there develops a point of crisis. The old paradigm can no longer deal with new variables and new trends, hence there emerges a new paradigm, which takes into account the older one and successfully deals with the factors that cannot be explained away by the old paradigm. The anomalous results will then be integrated into the new framework alongside the old one. We will write a custom essay sample on Kuhn’s Concept of Paradigm specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Kuhn’s Concept of Paradigm specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Kuhn’s Concept of Paradigm specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Kuhn’s work is a revolutionary one. But what exactly is a paradigm? How useful is this concept? What evidences does he present in discussing this concept? Paradigm A paradigm is more than just a theory; it refers to a whole worldview that establishes the relationships between and among different variables in the system (Kuhn, 1962). This is because a theory is more limited in nature and scope. Although his use of the term paradigm has been criticized as vague and ambiguous, he attempted to use the term disciplinary matrix instead (Forster, 1998). Kuhn criticized the adherents of science because of the claim that science is cumulative and that it is advancing toward a certain end. In fact, he even went as far as to claim that science textbooks is misleading and usually relies on history. Kuhn calls history and the occurrence of previous discoveries as normal science—the kind that has already established its tenets and other set of beliefs and assumptions (Neyens Gardner, 2007). Through this discussion, Kuhn presented several characteristics of his concept of the paradigm. One is that the paradigm should be unprecedented, which means that the old paradigm should not have taken into account the features of the new paradigm. The new paradigm should also be an open system so that different scientists will be able to work with its building blocks of ideas and deal with a number of different problems so that the paradigm becomes applicable to a wider range of problems, thereby contributing to its wider acceptance by the people in the scientific community. In developing his concept of the paradigm, Thomas Kuhn looked at several discoveries and advancement in the field of electricity during the first part of the nineteenth century. Normal science, according to Kuhn usually has established procedures, processes, assumptions and rules. Even though the scientific process is still the same, normal science usually works within its own sphere of knowledge and is unable to transcend such sphere (Neyens Gardner, 2007). The Occurrence of Paradigm Shifts In a manner of speaking, normal science tends to be a closed system and does not take much account for the anomalous results that may be produced by the same system. In order for scientific advancements to happen, these anomalous situations and results should be present and that the old paradigm should be unable to explain the existence of such anomalies. To illustrate his points, Kuhn showed several examples in the history of science through the ages. When the number of anomalous results increases, a paradigm shift is impending. A paradigm shift can also be considered as a scientific revolution (Kuhn, 1962). In order to explain the anomalies being discovered by scientists, they would have to transcend the prevailing paradigm and incorporate a new kind of understanding. Usually, the anomalies in a paradigm are explained away as errors. In other instances, they are also simply ignored and other explanations are not sought after. At any particular point in time, the significance of these anomalies varies from scientist to scientist. For a particular period of history, a certain branch of science is dominant while at other times, other branches receive more attention. The anomalous results or variable will grow in terms of volume and momentum. When this happens, the prevailing paradigm enters a period of crisis in which it can no longer effectively work in explaining different variables and occurrences in the field. This crisis is necessary for the testing of the paradigm and its validity as well as the examination of the prevailing paradigm. In fact, without crisis, there can be no paradigm shift (Forster, 1998). Paradigm Shift and Crisis Kuhn illustrated this masterfully by pointing out the example of the paradigm shift that was brought about by Copernicus and his version of astronomy. This new paradigm challenged the prevailing paradigm of Ptolemy’s astronomy during that time. To make matters worse, the earth-centric astronomy of Ptolemy was supported by the Church. Unfortunately, those who supported the revolutionary paradigm did not only have to fight in the arena of scientific inquiry but at times, they also had to fight for their lives because of the danger posed by the church to such individuals. The experience of Galileo is a testimony to this violent crisis between two the old and the new paradigm. Kuhn showed the astronomical system of Ptolemy could no longer offer effective explanations to the observations being made by astronomers during that time. Scientists went as far as offer solutions to such problems. However, over time, the seemingly solved problems of Ptolemic astronomy keep cropping up all over the place (Forster, 1998). As such, the discrepancies, lack of explanations and explanatory difficulties came together and created momentum for the development of an alternative paradigm—that of heliocentric astronomy as proposed by Copernicus. Paradigm shifts may also involve the discovery of new set of data that can undermine the prevailing paradigm and support the revolutionary one. Or it may also involve looking at a different point of view so that the relationships between and among variables take on a new meaning and new interpretation of data. Kuhn also argued that science is non-cumulative and the interpretations of previous scientists may not be drawn upon by the present paradigm that explains the relationships of variables and different. As such, science is not cumulative. When Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity, it was believed that there was not much to be discovered in physics and that physicist would have to labor for better ways of calculations and measurements. Through Einstein’s findings, however, this view changed. Another paradigm shift has entered the picture of the sciences and forever changed the view of people of the world and of the universe. Einstein’s findings also enabled scientists to develop further theories and applications, which up to now are being used all over the world. Impact of Paradigm Shifts on Scientists There are two main impacts of paradigm shifts on scientists. One is that paradigm shifts create important changes in the manner in which scientists view the world. If a particular set of things used to be viewed as one thing, there is a change in such a view. The example provided by Kuhn is the way that the moon used to be viewed as a planet under Ptolemaic astronomy. But through the paradigm shift of Copernicus, it was seen as a satellite (Forster, 1998). Secondly, paradigm shifts tend to change the very way that scientists work. By identifying new variables and introducing different ways of interpreting variables and factors, the way that scientists work is also affected by the paradigm shifts that occur in the fields of science (Forster, 1998). Paradigm shifts may be arrived at because of the technologies available and the discovery of new factors that need to be taken into account in the prevailing paradigm. With the coming of a new paradigm, interpretations change as well as the relationships between and among different variables and factors. Scientific revolutions and paradigm shifts are a necessary component in the development of ideas in the world. These kinds of paradigm shifts do not only occur in the scientific world. In fact, the concept of the paradigm and paradigm shift has been applied to politics, economics and other branches of knowledge. In terms of accepting the changes brought about by paradigm shifts, the non-scientific sectors of the world tend to accept it more quickly than the scientific community. If anything, the acceptance of the scientific community of the paradigm shift is the last straw that indicates that the paradigm shift has already occurred (Neyens Garnder, 2007). Revolutions and their Role in the World Revolutions are usually invisible and they are discerned only after their conclusion. Old paradigms and theories tend to be absorbed into the new paradigm. Otherwise, they tend to disappear altogether. This is also seen in the way that the Copernican view of the world superseded the Ptolemaic paradigm. The Ptolemaic paradigm fell to disuse while the Copernican view gained prominence. Later on, the Copernican view was superseded by another paradigm and it too fell into disuse and oblivion. Revolutions, however, tend to be filled with conflict and at other times violence. Yet, as the merits of the new paradigm becomes more popular and accepted, the paradigm becomes accepted and will supersede the prevailing one. As different revolutions go on in the world, the progress will be readily discernible for those who care to look back and chronicle these revolutions. The impact of the concept of paradigm as developed by Kuhn has spilled over into other fields of discipline such as politics, economics, sociology, and even in organizational behavior. The concept of a paradigm has come to mean a way of looking things and a system of relationships of different factors and variables within the system. As such, in order for progress and change to occur, the present way of looking at things and the manner of running the different factors in the system should change. In short a paradigm shift would be very much needed. Criticism of Kuhn Although the concepts of paradigm and paradigm shift are important in looking at the development of science and of different fields, Kuhn was not able to sufficiently distinguish his concept of paradigm from that of a theory or from the disciplinary matrix that he presented. Apart from the understanding that a theory is more limited in scope than a paradigm, this concept does not seem to have much difference from the concept of worldview or theory. Another criticism of Kuhn is his apparent disregard of the cumulativeness of knowledge in science and the way that scientists use such knowledge for the advancement of knowledge and of science. Even the Copernican heliocentric worldview had to use some of the tools employed by the Ptolemaic system in order to arrive at such a conclusion (Franklin, 2007). Without the previous findings of scientists in any field of study, some of the recent findings of science will not become possible. Kuhn’s argument that rival paradigms could not understand each other appears to be a play on linguistics and the use of different terminologies for the same things. His explanation for this immutability between rival paradigms is not sufficiently explained. Without such comparison, it would not be possible to compare and contrast rival paradigms to assess the effectiveness of each one and arrive at an understanding of which theory has better explanatory value in explaining the phenomenon. Kuhn is also criticized by his non-differentiation of the hard sciences and the humanities and appeared to have espoused a version of relativism and does not take into account the nuances and dynamism of the scientific process. Nonetheless, the concept of paradigm has been elevated from its mundane meaning and is now one of the most famous words in terms of effecting change and transformation. Furthermore, Kuhn also highlighted the importance of effectively addressing new variables and factors in the prevailing paradigm. Conclusion The concepts of paradigm and paradigm shifts have proven to be very useful in understanding the development of theories and of ideas in the world. These concepts have not only been used in the hard sciences such as physics and the like. Rather, they have been used in social sciences and other related fields. Although there are criticisms directed to some of the things that Kuhn disregarded such as the cumulativeness of scientific knowledge and by seemingly promoting relativism, his concepts still have explanatory power in documenting and tracing the occurrences and the quality of the revolutions going on in the world. By using these concepts, it would also be easier to track development and progress.