... an abridged account of what I believe to be the American Dream. The American Dream is, to me, not an individualistic concept, but rather, a collective one. It is the achievement of a higher-order state of being on a national scale; a collective consciousness that is unified in its enlightenment and reform. A dream not centered on any individual's capacity to acquire materials, but one that places ... its emphasis on psychic harmony as the necessary predicate to ultimately achieve a higher standard of living for all. My ... affiliated institutions, should be entirely outlawed. Aside fro...

• Word Count: 955
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... we are capable of reining them. Shelley predicts a dangerous circumstance through women's sensitivity and acuteness, which scientism, which means too much reliance on science to transform the human interests and environment, enables humans to boundlessly idolize it, becoming indefeasible. The irrational exploration of knowledge and technology ... much more likely to diverge blindly from its original intention, they are potentially ultimately to destroy all the glorious triumphs that humans attained based on science, and it is humans' duty to fix the value of science for our future from ...

• Word Count: 1916
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... as it was practiced in the United States. Emerson's controversial critique, delivered six years after he resigned from the Christian ministry, was read to the students of Harvard's Divinity College on July 15th, 1838. Just under a decade later Frederick Douglass, a former slave, published his criticism in Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass. These writers, in spite of their criticism, ... abandon their "primary faith," an abandonment Emerson proclaims as the very "presence of degradation" in the Church. (Selections 104) Emerson's alternative to this flawed Christianity is a form...

• Word Count: 1276
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Influence of Atrahasis on Mesopotamian Beliefs of Human Nature To the ancient Mesopotamians, founders of archaic civilization and architects of history, the belief in many higher, ... previously existing cultures, but also in religious writings, a milestone innovation of the Sumerians. Myths and other religious tales could henceforth be written down, augmenting their impact on nearly every aspect of Mesopotamian life. One such myth, Atrahasis, illustrates the potent Mesopotamian beliefs of creation, the untold power of the many irritated, exalted gods to ... horror (Heritage of World Civi...

• Word Count: 1127
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , so cultures can do no wrong" (Doing Philosophy, 309). To completely understand cultural relativism it is important to understand the term culture or depends on how you actually view culture. The falseness of cultural relativism can be shown in many different counter examples, but only one well known will be discussed ... is faulted given that, as history has often shown us, certain societies have been forced, or manipulated into, accepting and carrying out certain acts on behalf of the authorities within the society. The most common example of this would be Hitler's powerful influence ...

• Word Count: 905
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... I agree with the teachings of the bible and the Christian faith. Tradition, faith, and community drive the religion today this is my perspective on Christianity. The word religion means to bind together, this is a key idea to members of the Christian community because the worshipers are very community ... is the state of being ultimately concerned. People who believe all seek transcendence; their faith in God and Christianity is required to achieve transcendence on earth and beyond. Faith isn't always religiously motivated, you can have faith in someone or something without being religio...

• Word Count: 886
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... ndash; from the most primitive to the most highly developed – is constituted by a great number of hierophanies" (276). By understanding religion on its own term, Eliade contends that "the sacred is equivalent to power [and] to reality , thus it is easy to understand that ... origin of the concepts and categories that we need to understand, reason, and communicate. Ultimately, concluding that religious experiences are socially constructed notions. On the other hand, Weber's approach to religion is not reductionist in the way that Durkheim's is. For Weber, religious beliefs are so ... ...

• Word Count: 1378
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

MEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION Can we justify medical experimentation on animals? Researchers say we can; because of the enormous benefit to human beings. Although, single experiments will not lead to any medical discovery, ... and moral responsibilities resulting from the use of animals in research we must not fail to place on the scales the terrible pains that would have resulted, would be suffered, and the continued suffering had medical experimentation on animals not been used. Every disease eliminated, vaccine developed and treatment prescribed was due in whole or ... reality is animal exploit...

• Word Count: 298
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... society is that religion promotes violence, and any association with religion is an almost direct association with violence (de Vries 189). This perception reflects that the state of literature on religion displays religion as violent and extreme. However, through adequate research, there seems to be a lack of literature amplifying the peaceful points of religion. Academic literature as ... well as common literature apparently concentrates on the very few and minute violent characteristics of the major religions, when in actuality the major religions promote peace and harmony among all p...

• Word Count: 1748
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.'2 Here arises the discussion into how extensive this influence has been on religious philosophy. During the time of Plato in Ancient Greece, religion was irrationally theorised to account for acts of nature that were unexplained. The myth of Zeus's lightening ... how reasonable his conflicting points are with respect to the original argument. These cosmological debates within western religious philosophy have been influenced by the works of Plato. Aquinas also b...

• Word Count: 2979
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... differences between Eastern and Western religions will help to explain the different ecological problems facing these areas at present day. The Christian attitude towards nature is one that relies heavily on human being's mastery over nature. Christianity's beliefs and religious documents justified the possibility of utilizing and exploiting nature for the sole benefit of the human race without taking into ... been increasingly causing over the last few centuries. In regards to the Western world, who have a strong tradition of Christianity, to fix the problem of the destruction of our ...

• Word Count: 4374
• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... between psychosis and mystical or religious experiences is worthy of discussion. To begin to understand schizophrenia and mysticism, one must first have a functional definition of both. Most experts on mysticism cite the same qualities when attempting to define mystical experience: experience of unity, intense affective experience, time/space distortion, "noetic" quality, ineffability, and a sense of ... his writing "The Diagnosis of Mystical Experience with Psychotic Features," the criteria for the label "psychotic" includes: "The phenomenology (imagery, cognitions) of the psychotic con...

• Word Count: 978
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... a wedding ceremony they call Mutimba. After the lobola have been paid, they (vanatete) accompany her (the bride) to her in-laws. That same night, the girl will have her first sexual encounter, instead of having it with her husband; she will have sexual relations with her father in-law. ... practical terms, however, it should be noted that no "pure" descriptions are possible as this stage includes a strong attitudinal component on the part of the observer. Although the scholar may try to present data just as the believer would, his own judgements will inevitably influence ... or can end...

• Word Count: 1502
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... scientific theory of a finite universe was expanded to include an infinite void space to accommodate the Christian doctrine. The political arena also significantly impacted the basis of scientific theories. Jacob notes that rulers of 17th and 18th -century Europe encouraged the progression of science via the improvement of research facilities and the formulation of scientific meeting circles.5 This movement of scientific ... people. This manner of judgement is essentially universal, in that it remains present even in today's society. Moreover, the populace was faced with the shifting tho...

• Word Count: 1480
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... or white, gay or straight, young or old, you are both blessed. Protestant and American Dream The Americans for a long time are proud of their American Dream, that is, one can move towards Prosperity through their own hard work, courage, creativity and determination, rather than rely on specific social classes and other assistance. The considerable economic freedom and the limited role of government ... have made the American Dream come true. The American Dream attracts more than one million of the immigrants every year and has made America the most popular country ... , the civilians en...

• Word Count: 981
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... in efforts to prove themselves worthy again by the time of their death. The Native Americans on the other hand, believe that the spirit world is more closely related to the earth than the early European settlers. Their ceremonies were connected with, as Ruth Underhill notes, "the very fabric of life. They furnished the chief opportunities for learning, for feasting, for ... lovemaking " (5). Their cosmology did not dictate a world where spirits were primarily a part of a different world as was in the European settlers, but rather, right there on earth. Of course, the cosmologies of both...

• Word Count: 1611
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... as to the coherence of giving varying species members equal consideration morally. Philosopher Evelyn Pluhar notes the sharp distinction most humans wish to draw between racist and sexist bigotry and that of speciesism when she writes "Racism and sexism are plainly irrational because they do not discriminate on the basis of morally relevant differences. All humans have basic moral rights as autonomous ... is inconceivable to equate the moral consideration of a human with a non-human animal. Appearances aside, perhaps the only remaining difference is one of interests, and varying kinds. ...

• Word Count: 2741
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... are important for spirituality and religion "character and integrity are what politicians used to ask for"(p. 71). West also believes political leadership lacks integrity. On the issue of public speakers West notes how their speeches vary according to their audience. He specially refers to public speakers such as President Obama and argues that Obama lacks integrity but is charismatic ... being an intellectual, questions today's media and culture. The trend in reality TV shows and television sitcoms or exploitations of family dysfunctions and have become part of our culture. West notes t...

• Word Count: 1047
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... does our progress actually make our lives more pleasurable? The philosopher John Mill believed that the progress modern society has made is positive. Based on his fundamental belief that an individual should involve himself with what makes him most happy, Mill beliefs that a happy individual is a positive asset ... It is important to note, however, that Mill did make a distinction between opinions and actions. He believed that one's actions should never impede danger on another person's life. Mill stresses that an individual "carry his own opinion into practice at his own cost" and that ...

• Word Count: 2100
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... issues that Douglass tries to understand is how the whites could justify slavery and the brutality that was encompassed in this institution. In particular, he notes that his Master, Captain Auld, was one Christian who would vocally justify his abuse of slaves with a passage from the Bible that he misconstrued ... and "non-religious slave-holders." Douglass felt that the "non-religious slave-holders" were less brutal because they did not lecture their slaves based on a heavenly command. Instead they were more concerned about reprimanding the slaves when the slaves did wrong as opposed to w...

• Word Count: 1984
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... after her arrival in New York, he took her to the family homestead near Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where they joined Abraham's brothers and parents on adjoining claims. The years that followed involved a struggle to find enough to eat, to devise ways of keeping warm and clean, and to abide by ... Rachel, and they were immediately drawn to each other. Soon, they fell in love, prompting the boy to write Rachel's grandfather for permission to call on her and marry her. However, those who engaged in the occupations of butcher, tailor, shoemaker, or musician were considered hardly better than...

• Word Count: 962
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... its author, E.L. Doctorow. How, then, should one proceed in analyzing the themes in a novel with no storyline? Rather than tediously go through every theme Doctorow offers in his writing, focusing on the overall style of the novel might be a better way to approach the work. Often regarded as a post-modern author, Doctorow tends to show a sarcastic take ... on metaphysical themes in his novels, especially prevalent in City of God. Growing up, Doctorow lived with a "humanist, radical, and Jewish" family in which the "supernatural was not ... City of God discuss the practice of Christia...

• Word Count: 992
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of their power and acted against others making it more like a monarchy. The King and all the heads of families did as they wished and did not mind wasting money on many luxuries without thinking of their people, they "sing solemn canticles of thanksgiving every morning, accompanied by five or six thousand musicians." Also El Dorado lords lied about their actions ... sex. " Even the elderly who less targeted as well as wise and trustworthy are watching their backs at all times "I have a shrewd suspicion of a reverend Grey Friar, who stayed last night in the same inn with us at Badajos " ...

• Word Count: 631
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of them and must ignore them... man must at last wake out of his millenary dream and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, and ... both a science and a religion. Many scientists recognize, especially in the age of quantum theory, that any scientific utopianism is, fortunately, a long dead dream. The physicist, David Bohm, asks: Is there not a kind of "hubris" that seems rather often to penetrate the very fabric of scientific thought, ... and Graham at the ...

• Word Count: 2403
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... about this life. As industrialization and modernity has increased, religion has lost some of its social significance. Two strong positions are held by Bryon Wilson and Roger Finke on the secularization debate. Wilson notes that religious practices in society are a thing of the past. Religion started as a communal group phenomenon and has transformed into a part of one's private life. Finke and his ... secularization. Finke's thesis is supported from both economic and political point of views. A rebuttal has been made by Steve Bruce on the theory stated by Finke and Stark that claims som...

• Word Count: 278
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate