Computer Ethic and Privacy

Computers and the world of information technology are advancing quickly in this generation. Moor in his 1985 article â€Å"What is Computer Ethics? † stated that, â€Å"Computers provide us with new capabilities and these in turn give us new choices for action†. Hence, arguments about privacy and ethics in computer technology arise. With the birth on computers there â€Å"was concern right away that computers would be used inappropriately to the detriment of society†(Herold, 2006). I believe that the good is outweighing the bad when it comes to computers.I also believe there is a degree of user Alana Northrop states in her paper that, â€Å"Computerized search systems have been one of the most widely deployed management science technologies in the fight against crime†(1993). Police officers use computers in their cars now. The computers gives them access to information on citizens and also has the ability to give them directions to where they want to go. E verybody benefits from the use of GPS. At some point everyone has used Google Maps and perhaps even Google Street View to find an address.But is Street View seen as an invasion of privacy? Or is it just another stride in computer and information advancement? I believe the way people use computers and information play a big role in the social benefits. People and corporations alike use computers and information as a tool for more information or for leverage. What users do not often understand is that â€Å"they also have a responsibility to consider the ramifications of their actions and to behave accordingly†(Herold, 2006).Software piracy and plagiarism are examples of what happens when computer users decide to ignore ethics and use the computer and information for their own personal gains and/or pleasure. Hackers believe that it’s acceptable to do anything with a computer as long as the purpose is to learn. This utilitarian way of thinking, that anything is ok as long as it is for the greater good (Beauchamp, Bowie, Arnold, 2009), contributes to harming the social good. Hacking, piracy, plagiarism; these are the things happen because of how a person decided to use information.The information in and of itself is not harming the social good. That being said; the benefits of computers and the information they gather and store will always outweigh the harming of the social good. If you look at how far mankind has come with the help of computers and information technology, you will find evidence of this. Hospital records and now easier to access and store. Credit reports no longer takes weeks to obtain. We could go on and on with examples of how computers benefit society. I’m not sure that there is a way to effectively embrace computers while preventing the harm of the social good.With good things come the bad. We just need to accept that. Laws and regulations are in place to help minimize damage to the social good but even those have their li mits. It really leans heavily on the moral character of the people that live in today’s world. Yes, without computers we wouldn’t have these issues. But we do have them and they mostly make our lives easier and simpler and I would say the trade-off is fair. References: Beauchamp, T. L. , Bowie, N. , & Arnold, D. (2009). Ethical Theory and Business, (8th ed. ).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Herold, R. (2006). Introduction to computer ethics. Retrieved from http://www. infosectoday. com/Articles/Intro_Computer_Ethics. htm Moor, J. (1985). What is computer ethics?. Metaphilosophy, 16(4), 266. Northrup, A. (1993). Police use of computers. Informally published manuscript, Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations, University of California- Irvine, Irvine, California. , Available from Escholarship. org. (qt71x0h7hb)Retrieved from http://escholarship. org/uc/item/71x0h7hb

Audience in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Essay

Williams creates dramatic tension in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ through the interactions between the important characters in the play, such as the conflict between Blanche and Stanley, and their contrasting styles of communication. The first instance of this occurs in the second scene. Blanche is bathing, whilst Stanley questions Stella about the loss of Belle Reve, referring to the so-called â€Å"Napoleonic code†. As an audience, we sense the tension being created when he says â€Å"And I don’t like to be swindled.† We see Stanley’s aggressive nature and his increasing anger towards Blanche through his actions and words, â€Å"Open your eyes to this stuff!† When Stella cries, â€Å"Don’t be such an idiot, Stanley†, he becomes even more enraged, â€Å"[he hurls the furs to the daybed]† and â€Å"[he kicks the trunk]†. Tension is created here and, as an audience, we sense the drama that is about to come. The atmosphere is tense, and as Blanche comes out of the bathroom antithetically â€Å"[airily]†, the contrast between Stanley and Blanche becomes apparent and the unease is developed further. Although Williams successfully achieves dramatic tension in the play, he does not use Acts, but divides the play into eleven scenes, perhaps because he was unable to sustain dramatic tension for the length of a conventional Act. However, as with all of the scenes in the play, this scene leads to a natural, dramatic climax. Blanche talks casually with Stanley, who’s increasing fury is illustrated in the stage direction, â€Å"[with a smouldering look]†. Finally, the tension is released by Stanley, â€Å"[booming] Now let’s cut the re-bop!† This dramatic cry and instantaneous discharge of tension shocks the audience, but Blanche appears unmoved, speaking â€Å"[lightly]†, â€Å"My but you have an impressive judicial air† and acting â€Å"[playfully]† towards Stanley. Her contrasting manner further infuriates him, again resulting in a build up of tension. However, as Stanley appreciates the tragic loss of Belle Reve,†[becoming somew hat sheepish]†, he allows the conversation and the audience’s attention to be diverted away from himself, and instead to Stella’s pregnancy, diffusing the tension. William’s persistent use of detailed stage directions in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ implies that the visual settings of the play are very important. Williams uses this attention to detail to create an atmosphere that  heightens the impact of the drama, and emphasises the tension created within each scene. This is demonstrated in the third scene, where a Van Gogh painting is evoked in the stage directions, which relates to William’s description of the men as â€Å"[as course and direct and powerful as the primary colours]†, enhancing the atmosphere of rife masculinity that contrasts with Blanche’s feminine presence and pale pastels thus accentuating the subsequent dramatic tension that is created. The same applies to the settings surrounding Blanche; for example, in Scene Nine the â€Å"[blind Mexican woman]† is a portent of death, the memory of which terrorizes Blanche, and in Scene Ten imagined â€Å"[lurid reflections]† and â€Å"[grotesque and menacing]† shadows that Blanche sees reflect her madness and fear, enhancing the tension of the scene. Coupled with William’s use of visual effects, sound effects are used to create dramatic tension. The Varsouviana, polka music, plays regularly throughout the play. It is heard only by Blanche and is used to illustrate Blanche’s feelings of guilt towards Allan’s suicide, and plays whenever she is particularly disturbed, creating tension. Her response is to drink heavily, in an attempt to overcome the sound. The music continues to grow louder and so the tension is amplified. Only when she is drunk enough, does the music subside with the final shot, and a dramatic climax is reached. For all the drama created by the music, Blanche seems to have accepted this part of her torture, as demonstrated when she states in a matter-of-fact manner â€Å"there now, the shot! It always stops after that!† as though the reliability of the music’s regularity is a comfort to her. In Scenes Four, Six and Ten, Williams introduces a roaring locomotive at dramatic moments: Blanche’s criticism of Stanley, her account of Allan’s death and before Stanley rapes her. The result of which is developing tension, to be released in the climax of the scene. The locomotive also has connotations of fate, in that, like the streetcar, it can only travel on one line, and in one direction, to one destination. Also, the locomotive’s headlight illustrates Blanche’s fear of exposure; she crouches and shuts her ears whenever it approaches, in an attempt to shield herself from the harsh reality, also creating tension.

Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding BY adam5701 When a bodybuilder, fitness, figure, or physique competitor begins to prepare for a contest there are so many different variables that go into how you are supposed to train. From personal experience, exercise order has not made a huge impact for the results I was striving to achieve. As long as I do not work the same muscle group within a 48-hour period (since that is the typical recovery time for your muscles to fully repair), I have achieved amazing results. Here are a few other things I highly recommend doing, which if not done properly it almost makes it impossible to ucceed. First hire a reputable coach, I initially made the mistake of taking a shortcut and hired someone because they were cheap which made me place dead last in my first competition. Since then I paid the money and hired someone who knew the ins and outs of competing and it has done wonders for me. A coachs Job is to typically plan out your diet, workout routine, supplementation, posing routine, and best of all its great to have someone else looking at you once or twice a week to see how you change and what else you need to improve on. Yes, I could have done all this on my own but this outside eye makes a huge difference and trying to plan all this out while youre brain dead from dieting can be difficult at times. Next thing is to plan out every little detail in your workout, diet, and sleep schedule for every hour each day. Consistency is a big part of competing and if you are not consistent you will not see any of the results you desire. When attempting to gain muscle mass or density, most people automatically think they have to lift heavy in order to grow. Personally I have found it much more useful o lift at a lower weight with a rep range from 8-20 depending on the exercise. I still see amazing results because each time I do this I make sure I fatigue the muscle and push it until failure. The way I achieve this is by making my rest time between sets and exercises no more than 60 seconds for a single workout, and up to 90 seconds for a drop set (which is starting off with a high weight for a low amount of reps and increasing the reps as you drop the weight, I typically drop the weight about 3-4 times). There was also a study performed where Regardless of the number of reps erformed, the subjects burned 52% more calories when they rested Just 30 seconds between sets as compared to three minutes or more. Working at 10 reps per set burned about 7% more calories than five-rep sets did (Stoppani, Jim, Flex pg. 1). There are also other things I do in order to fatigue my muscle and cause growth, rather than Just focusing on rest time. As shown in my workout plan notes you will notice that my 1 5 to 20 repetition exercises are more towards the beginning of my workout. I have it set up this way because I do not do conventional stretching before orking out since it essentially lowers the amount of weight or reps I can perform. Instead I do these warm up sets of 15 to 20, and this isnt Just light easy rep weight, I make sure its enough to where once I get to those last two reps I feel as if my muscle will give out. This enables blood to flow into the muscles and essentially gets them warmed up and ready for the heavier tasks. Another thing I love incorporating are three workouts of 1 or 2 muscle groups you are training, which I normally choose exercises that are opposite in movement), focus on the time and length of ontraction, and lastly a rest pause (which if I do not perform all 20 reps and only get to 13, I will rest for 20 seconds and complete the remaining 7). Training with these different intensities on random workouts makes a huge difference for strength and muscle gain. The main reason I have found this effective is because I am constantly tearing down my muscle fibers with a different method each workout. Another big thing to think about when training for competitions, or even Just working out in general is to achieve the mind and body connection. My theory on this s that its impossible to workout the muscle you are targeting if you are unable to feel it. In other words an isometric contraction, because any type of muscle growth and performance depend primarily on the neuromuscular system (Yessis pg. 1). A good way to practice would be Just to attempt to flex each individual muscle, which at first is very difficult for someone who is Just starting out. Also doing this between sets for 6-10 seconds can actually promote muscle growth and density. Flexing the targeted muscle(s) between sets lets you know the feeling you want to duplicate during the set. With practice, this will strengthen your focus so you can better work that area (Flex pg. 98). If you talk to almost any bodybuilder or physique athlete, they would be able to make almost any muscle they train contract on its own and will be the first to tell you its extremely difficult to hold. If you continue to train your muscles with these so-tension types of exercises you essentially get them accustomed to being in that position which is crucial for stage presence. If you do not practice this before going onto a stage, you tend to be more susceptible to cramps or its difficult o hold the pose for minutes and points will be deducted from shaking or relaxing on the pose. When training or developing a program, each muscle group needs to be trained for this sport. For me personally I have a few weak areas, which is why my individual workout I train deltoids twice a week and only incline chest workouts on there respected day. Also notice the time spread between the deltoid workouts, its Monday and Friday so I am staying within that time frame for optimal muscle repair. The reason I have so much attention on these two muscle groups are because Judges in hysique competition love the big rounded shoulder look, and a full chest. I have a disadvantage in these areas mainly because I am still only 21 so I dont have fully matured muscles yet, and many other competitors are 24 and above. The only way I compensate for this lack of size is to focus on them more than everyone else. Also for the deltoids I have a day that is more heavy, but still at that 12 rep range and another that goes up to 20 reps known as my day. I find it great to have two different variations for optimal muscle growth, especially since it is a small muscle group and s extremely easy to over stress with too much weight in turn causing injury (which I had when I first began lifting at 18). When training this muscle group I focus on the contraction, as well as the time it takes me to fully go through the concentric and eccentric motion. This method insures for me ensures optimal stress without the risk The sport of fitness competing is always plagued for injury, and there will always be that risk. Basically every muscle you train will be susceptible to injury, and there is no way to get around it. However, there are ways to significantly minimize the risks. Workout form has to be at the top of this list hands down, I see many people training and sometimes I cringe Just watching them because it looks as if they will snap their back or tear a muscle. Always make sure to have great form and control with each exercise, and this in my opinion should be applied to any workout you do not Just resistance training. Second thing would have to be the amount of weight you choose to use. I see so many individuals, guys in particular try to do so much damn weight in order to impress that pretty girl, and in turn end up getting hurt and making a fool ut of themselves. Always keep in mind everyone has to start somewhere, and remember no girl is going to care how much weight you can bench. Also perform exercises that are plausible and not these ridiculous crossflt types of movement exercises. I am sorry, but I am not a firm believer in picking up 2001b from the ground and lifting it over your head. That to me is an instant sign for so many different injuries, and not to mention the trainers instructing you allow you to do it with the most horrendous form. Make sure to stretch before working out with warm up sets to et the blood flow throughout the muscle, and after working out with conventional stretches to increase flexibility. Lastly, mind your peers when training because you in fact can injure someone else. I had an incident with a New Years resolution individual that was doing 801b with dumbbell press, and he decides it is too heavy and Just throws them on the ground and it almost bounced onto my foot, which most likely would have broken it. Now with all that being said there are some freak accidents I have seen people with perfect form and mediocre weight have one of heir muscles Just tear, and it is one of the most painful things to witness. I personally had an incident when I was doing incline dumbbell press with 1001b, I performed the exercise without any issues. However when I set the weights down on my knees to put them down, my wrist Just snapped and made this loud popping noise and it hurt terribly. I have no idea what happened and Just took a break for a few weeks because it was painful to grip anything, and it slowly went away for the most part. Since then I use wrist straps and weight belts to help stabilize those parts of my body, which I have found to help. The goal with this program is not only strength gains, but to basically look the best you can physically. It is not all about size, you want to find a nice balance between size, lean muscle mass, and proportionality for your specific division. The program I have set up is the one I currently use for my offseason training (typically the time when there are no shows for 4-6 months). This specific one is to help me gain size, while retaining majority of my lean muscle mass and density so when I have to prepare for a show I will be able to do so with an 8 week program. While prepping for show a lot of my training changes, and I add a few plyometric workouts in as well as interval cardiovascular training 4-6 days a week depending how far out I am from competing. Any type of cardiovascular training I typically do fasted in the morning, difference personally. There are millions of different workouts for different individuals, this specific one I wouldnt say should be used by every competitor since I conformed it to address my weaknesses. For a basic individual who is intermediately experienced with training, and is trying to look great however this would be a great tarting point.

Business Plan for E-commenrce company Coursework

Business Plan for E-commenrce company - Coursework Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is MyName-MyShop, an online business that will focus on customizing its products with labels that its clients identify with to attract and retain a large pool of customers. It plans to deal in beauty products like chains, necklaces, earrings, wrist chains and caps to start with. These products appear to be so common in the market but less personalized with names that buyers find appealing to them. It therefore gives buyers a chance to have their various products designed with the names they prefer engraved on them. The mission statement of the company shall be â€Å"Committed to letting the small things we have bring happiness in big ways.† This is reflective of the nature of the products being offered in the market by the company. The characteristic customization is what would actually â€Å"create happiness in big ways† for the clients. Working to attain this is imperative in enabling the company to uphold q uality production at all times. Current trends indicate that the sale of customized beauty products in the US market contribute a significant 5.5 billion US dollars to the national economy annually. This is all inclusive comprising of various products such as caps, wrist watches, anniversary jewelry and so forth. Further, the market is relatively fragmented and seasonal in nature. Thus during holidays, sales tend to soar to very high levels. This is attributed to the gift giving practice that occurs during this time. Also, the market is categorized in to three main echelons: low end, middle end and premium end. In the upper echelon, there are companies such as the BlueNile while the middle end is dominated by Best Gem Diamond Company. MyName-Myshop seeks to assume the upper echelon position because it would place particular emphasis on high quality production. Business Goals and Objectives The business aims at starting its operation in ten major cities and expands to cover the whole nation in five months, five states in a year and 50 states in the whole year. This expansion would enable it to attain its goals within a specified time period. In addition, it would enable it to explore the available niches and maintain an upward growth. Business Models The business model will focus in providing quality and affordable trendy products to customers. These trendy products will be customized to customer’s specifications. According to Pinson (2004), customization of products would be imperative in enabling the business to maintain

Islamic Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Spirituality - Essay Example As the study declares that on his part, Imam ‘Ali held the view that spirituality is a higher value that should be possessed by all believers. To him, it is not a simple thing to obtain by everyone because it requires a lot of commitments and devotion. One of the best ways of achieving spirituality is to gain knowledge because it can provide a true understanding which is of course required for a proper understanding and acceptance of Allah. And at the core of all these is human heart, which, according to Imam, can help in protecting Muslims from committing sins and block them from acquiring the right knowledge and spirituality.From this research it is clear that  Rumi, though not a prophet, presents insightful teachings on the role of spirituality in the life of a Muslim. Through a wise use of music, poems and dances, he explains how the knowledge of truth provides a good path to spiritual fulfillment. According to his philosophy, spirituality can be gotten through the acquis ition of right knowledge. Religion is a personal experience which requires unconditional surrender to a divine power.  Imam ‘Ali held a strong view on the concept of faith. In his teachings, he emphasized that faith is a necessary requirement for spirituality.  He said that for one to be closer to God, one needs to be a strong believer who not only believes in God, but submits to His will and does everything required by Him.'

Interpersonal Communication Project Research Paper

Interpersonal Communication Project - Research Paper Example basic concept that I learned from the research is that when a motivated teacher blends â€Å"innovative and traditional strategies† the students become more motivated to learn and incorporate necessary changes in their attitudes (Bernaus, Wilson & Gardner, 2009, p.32). Thus, when the concept of education encompasses character development, aligned with the traditional learning processes, it can nourish in students qualities of â€Å"justice, diligence, compassion, respect, and courage† as well as imbibe in them a drive to live with these values (11 Principles, 2010, p.1). Similarly, I have also learned that as opposed to conventional notions of education giving high levels of intelligence, I believe a stronger foundation on values and ethics should be the ultimate objective of learning. I also understand that once such values are imbibed in students they will become diligent, perseverant and hard working. Besides, it will also facilitate them the traits of â€Å"critica l thinking and positive attitude† (p.2). I also learned that while mugging up parts of lessons may fetch a student higher percentage of marks, one who acquires the ability to critically think will fare better in practical life when assigned a task to execute. I consider the element of interest as the basic component of motivation and thus I strive to design lessons and projects that evoke the interest of students. Similarly, I have come to appreciate the fact that though motivation often determines success, the activity that leads to the attainment comes from one’s character, which facilitates â€Å"natural ability and competence† (Kheruniah, 2013, p.108). Thus, I have learned that building up students’ character will go a long way in making them successful by pursuing their goals more vigorously. My understanding of above concepts will enable me to employ suitable skills to design my teaching plans as well as solving problems. Besides, it signifies the importance of making children adhere to the

Competency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Competency - Assignment Example Then the key problem requiring to be solved is where the gap is. Does the problem lay in the soldier’s lack of effort, his/her inabilities, or is the training inadequate. A soldier’s qualification is dependable on certain elements, which are inclusive of the soldier, and determinant factors that surround him. The soldier’s attitude may affect his progress to realize top form. In addition, the environment and trainers input is essential. The principles governing the procedures will act as a measure of his progress. Action theory is applicable in this situation since the diligence of the soldier can be resultant of his belief system. This three-page essay is about learning cultures in the Army are introduced in the beginning of a soldier’s career. Training is the key characteristic of learning. Training increases morale, motivates a soldier to learn, creates order and discipline and enhances learning. In order to use training to its utmost potential military trainers, instructor’s and staff have to be familiar with policy and procedures, lessons plans and outlines. Policy and procedures keep soldiers fully aware of the proper way to train and the lesson and outlines keep the soldiers informed about what is expected and what will be taught in the training. I am now able to teach this to others. This activity taught me that an excellent way the produce a culture of learning in a training environment is to get leaders involved. Leaders’ involvement and input has improved training, increase morale, motivation, order and discipline as well as enhance learning. The first recommendation was that all leaders, soldiers, and NCOs sign letters of agreement to do everything possible to benefit the student’s academic advancement. Ensuring training enhances a culture of learning by making sure evaluations of all soldier training is done monthly. This will help you know if there are any

Media Usage Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Usage Behavior - Essay Example In this scenario, the website is offering enhanced techniques of business management and corporate recognition. This business website contains a large amount of research material for others to analyze and investigate. This business website offers a variety of marketing techniques and methods for the business improvement and management through online business marketing management. In addition, this business website offers corporate support and advocacy for the business management in case of marketing business. This business website also conducts the business marketing educational programs. At this web site, we can see technical support and conferences for the business management and potential enhancement of the business management. This web site also contains an online business registration facility that helps the organization improve its working structure. Through this business registration capability we can potentially gain a better business support for the business and corporate management. The second business promotional website that I have selected is promotion marketing association (www.pmalink.org). This business website is aimed at helping the businesses to improve their working. This business website contains online newsletters those are very effective for business enhancement and corporate management. This business website is offering marketing support in form of shopper marketing, digital marketing, entertainment marketing and experimental marketing. Additionally, this business website is offering advocacy and promotional support for a variety of the business arrangements. The business website is also offering very effective management capability for improving business operations. This is aimed improving the overall corporate working and business recognition to customers. In addition, this business website encompasses a variety of resources and research publications for the businesses. In this scenario, this web

China's pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

China's pollution - Research Paper Example This essay will focus and discuss the environmental challenges in China, the causes and how environmental pollution affects the people1. In my research, the weather has appeared to be the main cause of flooding in China. People in China happen to prefer flooding areas without considering the negative effects that floods have in their lives. Hence, it happens that the areas that experience floods are the most populated areas in the country. The high populations in such areas increase the ability of the areas to be struck by floods. Crowded areas have increased surface run-off that flows into the rivers causing the breaking of their banks, hence flooding. Places with high populations need to be watched carefully to ensure that help always give whenever it is needed.2 Floods have a lot of negative effects on the lives of the people. According to research, the air pollution in China has been considered to be one of the worst. The increased air pollution in China has caused the big population of China several respiratory diseases. Women suffer the biggest effects of the pollution having biggest numbers of lung cancer.3In most cases, it happens to women who live near industrialized areas. The increased air pollution in China is caused by mostly its increased production activities of their industries. During the production, the industries emit smoke that has sulfur dioxide in the air which is harmful to the human body when inhaled. China also relies heavily on coal for their energy production. This also has played a big part in the polluting of air in China. The combustion of coal sends some unwanted gasses and smoke into the air and smoke that may lead to the greenhouse effect apart from air pollution3.Manufacturing industries and cars also play a major role in the pollution of air in China. Most experts have blam ed the coal-burning that produces their energy and highly support their economic growth4.The emission of sulfur

A Real Divide Between the Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Real Divide Between the Law and Ethics - Essay Example Virtue ethics does not really provide clear cut criteria for the rightness or wrongness of an act but, it can tell you whether the person is good or bad depending on behavioural manifestations. Moreover, virtue ethics does not address the problem of relativism – one good trait may not be considered as good in another culture. Another theory is utilitarianism. In this theory, the rightness or wrongness of the act is dependent on the entailed consequences of the act (Velasquez, 2006). If there will be many beneficiaries from the act, then the act is good. In other words, if the act will make more people happy, then the act is good. In this sense, as the focus is turned on the consequence of the act, counting how many will be happier or how many will benefit from the act becomes the parameter for the rightness or wrongness of the act. This theory is criticised because it is vague as to what is happiness and how happy will be measured. Moreover, the question of relativism and the danger of the fallacy of the majority become an inherent concern of this theory. Duty-based ethics is the last theory that will be briefly discussed. According to this theory, rightness or wrongness of the act does not depend on its consequence, rather, rightness or wrongness is inherent in the act itself. As such, there are acts that one ought to do and acts which one ought not to do. This theory provides a straightforward directive on what ought to be done. This is because the theory rests on the assumption that all human beings are a rational human agent and as rational agents, they will do the right act and avoid the wrong one.

Industrial revolution Essay Example for Free

Industrial revolution Essay The Industrial Revolution was a time of drastic change and transformation from use of hand tools and handmade items to machine-made and mass produced goods. This change generally helped life, but also hindered it as well. Pollution, such as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, rose. Working conditions declined, and the number of women and children working increased. The government, the arts, literature, music, architecture, and mans way of looking at life all changed during the period. Two revolutions took place, both resulting in productive, but also dire consequences. The Industrial Revolutions impact on Europe like the mechanization of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The Industrial Revolution provided both the mechanical engine of progress and the emotional engine of progress. These two things, the capacity to expand and the will to expand, fed directly into imperialism. Marxist Theory also made a huge because it developed socialism and communism, by placing more emphasis on value, rather than generating profit. Before the first Industrial Revolution, Englands economy was based on its cottage industry. Workers bought raw materials from merchants and took it back to their cottages, and produce the goods at their home. It was usually owned and managed by one or more people, who were generally close to the workers. There was a good worker/boss relationship, which was demolished and destroyed by capitalism (Wyatt 7). This industry was efficient but the workers productivity was low and it made costs higher. The longer it took one person to manufacture a product, the higher the price. Subsequently, goods were more expensive and exclusive only to the wealthy people. In 1733, the demand for cotton cloth was high, but production was low. This crisis had to be solved or Englands economy would be hindered. The answer came from a British weaver, John Kay, who invented and fashioned the flying shuttle, which cut weaving time in half. John Kay was a pioneer and his invention paved the way for numerous inventors (Wyatt 13). Although at first many workers didnt accept machines, in fact, many inventions were destroyed. But what was inevitable, couldnt be stopped. By the 1750s, the Industrial Revolution had begun. At first, inventions were strictly limited to cotton weaving. Inventions such as the spinning jenny and the water-powered frame, both of which provided spinning yarn faster, the spinning mule, the power loom and the cotton gin all helped the manufacture of cotton goods by speeding up the process (Wyatt 35). Mass production had begun, along with capitalism. Capitalists, people who have their own materials, money and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory. They hired people to run the machines and produce manufacturing goods. The factory system had replaced the cottage industry. Mass production made usually expensive items, such as shoes, but now they make less expensive and affordable to more people. The quality of life had improved. In the 1800s, inventions werent just limited to the cotton industry. Steam engines were invented, providing a faster mode of transportation, instead of the use of horses and carriages. With steam engines, cities were able to move farther away from rivers and sources of water, to thrive (Wyatt 58). The First Industrial Revolution merged into the Second Industrial Revolution around 1850, when technological and economic progress gained momentum with the development of steam powered ships and railways, and, later in the nineteenth century, with the internal combustion engine and electrical power generation. The torrent of technological innovation and subsequent social transformation continued throughout the twentieth century, contributing to further disruption of human life circumstances (Beard 25). Today, different parts of the world remain at different stages in the Industrial Revolution with some of the countries behind in terms of industrial development being in a position, through adopting the latest technologies, to leapfrog over even some more advanced countries that are now locked into the infrastructure of an earlier technology. The first Industrial Revolution had forever changed England, and later the world. England was now ready for another change, as life with machinery had already been assimilated into society. The second Industrial Revolution proved more drastic not only in inventions, but in social and government policies and reforms. Art and culture flourished and was transformed into many different and unique styles. The second Industrial Revolution utilized the power of electricity to help develop technology, to help social and home life. Michael Faraday, a British scientist, demonstrated how an electric current could be made. This concept and principle is still used today. Electricity improved life by supplying people with light and electricity to power machines (Thomas). Communications improved as a result of electricity (Thomas). The telephone and telegraph were the first communicational devices that were for public use (Thomas). With the development of technology, radio waves were discovered (Thomas). Now messages could be sent over long distances in virtually no time. Advances in science were also made. The discovery of radioactivity by Marie Curie used radioactivity as a power source, but also led to the discovery of the nuclear bomb. During the 1800s over 70,000 chemical compounds were broken down (Beard 45). Some of these were Portland cement, vulcanized rubber, synthetic dyes, and petroleum products. Petroleum began to be widely used as an alternate energy source (Beard 46). Gasoline was also needed for transportation, which evolved from steam engines to the internal combustion engine (Beard 47). The internal combustion engine made transportation faster and decreased the need for public transportation because people could own a their own cars. During this time, another a new technology was born in the field of transportation. Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully completed the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk. The air plane industry was born (Hudson 15). Prior to vaccinations, medicine before the 1750s and in the 1750s wasnt well developed. Once infection set in, nothing was possible to save the patient. Various diseases couldnt be stopped or controlled because of limited technology. In the 1850s however, vaccinations were discovered and administered. X rays were also discovered and provided doctors with a faster way of diagnosing medical problems. Louis Pasteur discovered and fabricated a way to eliminate all germs in milk. Called pasteurization, this technique is now widely used on all milk. The technique involves heating the milk to slow the fermentation process (Clare 23). Darwin was a naturalist who devised the theory of evolution. It stated that all animals and plants evolve from a lower species. He also developed the concept of Social Darwinism that the strongest survive. Many people contested his ideas and argued against them (Doty 25). Life was drastically changed during the Industrial Revolution. People were living in germ infested, crowded and very unhealthy conditions, much like their place of work (Hudson 45-46). Children and women labored in harsh conditions, working long hours with little pay (Hudson 34). The British Parliament stepped in to limit and control child labor (Hudson 34). This sparked a rebellion. People, especially wealthy capitalists, wanted the government to stay out of its issues. It was called the laissez-faire system (Hudson 56-57). Many people opposed the laissez-faire system, saying the capitalists would gain too much power and people would be mistreated. The laissez-faire system was disregarded after a few years, and it is still used today. Art changed with the different ideas of social Darwinism, the laissez-faire system and the Industrial Revolution. Romantic artists painted emotions that they had no control over, such as love, religion, and beauty. It showed more of how people felt at one moment in time. Realism tried to capture what was really happening, all of the sadness, and tried to make people work to change what was happening (Wyatt 65). Socialists were reformers who wanted to construct a better life for all people. Among them, Robert Owen, an owner of a textile mill, whose reforms reshaped the working class. He raised pay, improved working conditions, and didnt allow children younger than eleven to work. Directly related to Owens reforms, crime and disease rates dropped and life improved. Marx, another socialist, started the class struggle (Wyatt 68). The conflict between the different classes of people, made an impact on the changes that occur in history. The Industrial Revolution brought on more technology, wealth and power, but at what consequence? The people were living in filth, working unthinkable hours and being paid very little. The revolution shaped modern society to what it is today. As Rousseau said, Civilization spoils people (Montagna), but did people spoil civilization by implementing machines to do our work? The Industrial Revolution provided both the mechanical engine of progress and the emotional engine of progress. These two things, the capacity to expand and the will to expand, fed directly into imperialism. On a more direct, grounded level, the Industrial Revolution gave Europeans the ability to mass produce weapons and technologies. This gave rise to a need to export manufactured goods and under the Mercantile Economic System (which was in its final days) export regions were taken as colonies to be administrated by the producing power. The weapons that were mass produced made warfare much easier. The technologies and products that came out of the factories raised the standard of living of Europeans, which lead to an increased value in how they saw their civilization. Europeans believed that their culture was behind their consistent technological progress, and moved to annex regions to improve their culture. This mentality was encapsulated by the White Mans Burden (Newton). The Expansion of Empire itself was also symbolic of European dominance and cultural superiority as they reasoned that only powerful empires can expand over new territories. Even though the Industrial Revolution significantly helped the United States and Western Europe, there were few consequences with the Industrial Revolution. Economic decline arose because, proportionate to its population, England produced so much fewer educated people than Europe or North America. The pioneers who had done so well with first-generation approaches, technology, and general attitudes saw little need for improvement until too late. Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm was a British Marxist historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism, and nationalism. Hobsbawn claimed that since the British middle class made money so easily in the first years of the Industrial Revolution, they simply did not work as hard as their rivals in other countries. Workers, which were average people, were disadvantaged because the Industrial Revolution brought massive greed from big businesses run by people like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J. P Morgan. These employers demanded longer working hours (usually 12-hour shifts) and lower pay (Clare 34-37) . There were harsh conditions and no regulations that protected the workers (Clare 42-44). No unions. This was what led to the rise of socialism/communism and the unions (Clare 45). During the Industrial Revolution, big business controlled the government more than the government controlled itself. Thus, there were no environmental pollution laws. Factories could spit out as much pollution as they wanted and freely dump into the worlds oceans (Clare 55). Its effects are still today, and has devastated certain parts of the world. Due to the Industrial Revolution, many Western European nations, particularly England, France, Portugal, Germany, and Spain, had a massive need for resources. Thus, they occupied underdeveloped and weak civilizations in Africa and the Americas (Princeton). This was an easy way to get free resources and feed their growing industrial might. But it had a devastating effect on the people living there, as they were often treated harshly and without care. The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in Earth’s ecology and humans’ relationship with their environment. The Industrial Revolution dramatically changed every aspect of human life and lifestyles. The impact on the world’s psyche would not begin to register until the early 1960s, some 200 years after its beginnings. From human development, health and life longevity, to social improvements and the impact on natural resources, public health, energy usage and sanitation, the effects were profound (Princeton). The onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human history, almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way. It started with the mechanization of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques, and the increased use of refined coal (Doty 2). Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. The introduction of steam power fuelled primarily by coal, wider utilization of water wheels and powered machinery (mainly in textile manufacturing) underpinned the dramatic increases in production capacity (Doty 3). The development of all-metal machine tools in the first two decades of the 19th century facilitated the manufacture of more production machines for manufacturing in other industries. The effects spread throughout Western Europe and North America during the 19th century, eventually affecting most of the world, a process that continues. The impact of this change on society was enormous (Doty 4). The Industrial Revolution witnessed the triumph of a middle class of industrialists, and businessmen over a landed class of nobility and gentry. Ordinary working people found increased opportunities for employment in the new mills and factories, but these were often under strict working conditions with long hours of labor dominated by a pace set by machines. However, harsh working conditions were prevalent long before the Industrial Revolution took place. Pre-industrial society was very static and often cruel—child labor, dirty living conditions, and long working hours were just as prevalent as before the Industrial Revolution (Corrick 42). The factory system was largely responsible for the rise of the modern city, as large numbers of workers migrated into the cities to work in factories. The transition to industrialization was not without difficulty. For example, a group of English workers known as Luddites protested against industrialization and sometimes sabotaged factories. Child labor had existed before the Industrial Revolution, but with the increase in population and education it became more visible. Many children were forced to work in relatively bad conditions for much lower pay than their elders (Corrick 46). Living conditions during the Industrial Revolution varied from the splendor of the homes of the owners, to the squalor of the lives of the workers. Poor people lived in very small houses in cramped streets. These homes share toilet facilities, had open sewers and were damp (Corrick 67). The Industrial Revolution concentrated labor into mills, factories and mines, thus facilitating the organization of combinations, or trade unions to help advance the interests of working people. The power of a union could demand better terms by withdrawing all labor and causing a consequent cessation of production. They forced employers to decide between giving in to the union demands at a cost to themselves, or suffer the cost of the lost production. Skilled workers were hard to replace, and these were the first groups to successfully advance their conditions through this kind of bargaining (Corrick 45). During the Industrial Revolution, the life expectancy of children increased dramatically. The percentage of the children born in London who died before the age of five decreased from 74. 5% in 1730–1749, to 31. 8% in 1810–1829 (Corrick 43). Also, there was a significant increase in worker wages during the period 1813-1913 (Corrick 52-54). According to Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore, the population of England and Wales, which had remained steady at 6 million from 1700 to 1740, rose dramatically after 1740. The population of England had more than doubled from 8. 3 million in 1801, to 16. 8 million in 1851 and, by 1901, had nearly doubled again to 30. 5 million (Corrick 55). As living conditions and health care improved during the 19th century, Britains population doubled every fifty years (Corrick 56-57). Europe’s population doubled during the 18th century, from roughly 100 million to almost 200 million, and doubled again during the 19th century, to around 400 million (Corrick 58). The growth of modern industry from the late 18th century onward led to massive urbanization and the rise of new great cities, first in Europe elsewhere, as new opportunities attracted huge numbers of migrants from rural communities into urban areas. In 1800, only 3% of the worlds population lived in cities (Corrick 59), a figure that rose to nearly 50% at the beginning of the 21st century (Corrick 60). In 1717 Manchester was merely a market town of 10,000 people, but by 1911 it had a population of 2. 3 million (Corrick 61). The Industrial Revolution had a huge impact on the United States and Western Europe. We still use technological advances today and if it wasnt for such advancement we wouldnt have these technologies. Before the Industrial Revolution, each generation of people produced a roughly similar amount of products to their predecessors and overall economic wealth was fairly stagnant. After industrialization, production grew quickly and it generally increased each year. The Industrial Revolution led to many new theories, especially in social, economic, and scientific areas. Many of these theories had positive effects, but quite a few had negative effects. The new scientific theories were mostly positive because many resulted in inventions that improved the quality of life for most people. Social changes had both positive and negative impacts. However, many of the negative impacts, such as poor working conditions and child labor were reformed through formation of labor unions and passage of child labor laws. Economic changes were also mostly positive. However, the inequality between countries began to grow, depending on if the country was industrialized or not.

Original intent of Second amendment Essay Example for Free

Original intent of Second amendment Essay The second Amendment text is very clear to most of us, â€Å"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed† (Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution). Is such a text so complex to comprehend? It appears that yes, it is complex. Even a number of those who back it are not fond of the wording of the text, since it supposedly raises misunderstanding. However, the Second Amendment is in fact a well-formulated statement. By this it means that, the wordings of Second Amendment only allow one logical interpretation of the intended meaning, â€Å"the right of individuals to own firearms need to be upheld and respected† (Van Alstyne, 1242). This essay aims at discussing the original intent of the second amendment, to discuss this issue; the paper will start by explaining the founding father’s viewpoint of their intent in writing the second amendment. Then, the paper will explore the meaning of the word â€Å"militia† as it was used in its historical perspective for a clear theoretical understanding. The essay will also review the Miller vs.  US (1939), court case which is related to the subject under discussion, and lastly a brief conclusion will be provided to sum up the essay. The founding fathers’ view of second amendment The founding fathers of America who founded the American nation were well educated, and a lot of them studied Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages which allowed them to study the classic literature from their original scripts. The founding fathers were as well influenced by different great philosophers who lived before them like Aristotle, Plato, Richard hooker, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Sir William Blackstone and many others (Skousen, 67). Sir, Blackstone an English law scholar and lecturer at the Oxford University was the most influential since he lived at same era with the founding fathers. In his well-known commentaries about England laws, he for instance incorporated the right to firearms as one of the five â€Å"absolute right of Englishmen† (Gottlieb, 72) When the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, he recognized ‘unalienable rights’, which included life as well as liberty. These two rights are as well called natural rights, and are believed to have been given to man by nature or God and these rights can not be lawfully denied (Gottlieb, 72). During this period, John Adam in his writing wrote that there exists a law though not written down at anyplace, but which is inherent, a law that comes to human beings without any training or tradition or learning but which is derived and absorbed and adopted from nature. He added that this law had came to man by practice and not theory, and through natural intuition and not by instruction. He concluded that he was referring to the law which stipulates that, if an individual life is endangered by armed robbers or violence or by an enemy, then an individual had a moral obligation to use any method possible to protect himself. Thus, John Adams had a conviction that every person was born as a free individual and with his independence, and such a person had some natural, basic and undeniable rights, and one of the rights was the right to defend one’s life and liberties (Cooper, 25). During the month in which the Declaration of Independence was written, Thomas Jefferson had written a model constitution for the state of Virginia which stipulated that â€Å"no free man shall be denied the use of firearms† (Gollieb, 68). The American founding fathers had personal experienced the pain of being occupied by the British troops and they understood how it felt to be occupied by foreign forces. In addition, they understood the essence of having prepared citizens to challenge the power of a suppressing government or an attacking army. Without the armed citizen, victory and success of Americans in the revolutionary war fought to liberate the country would possibly have not been achievable. In addition, Richard Gardener who was a Director of the National Rifle Association (NRA) explains that during the period of American Revolution, the English law had established a custom of keeping and carrying firearms which went back for nearly 100 years. Thus, it was in this custom of an individual’s right to own and use firearm for personal defense, and also to for defending the country that sparked off the American Revolution when the British army that was occupying America tried to takeover powder stores and disarm the people of Boston, seeking to deny them the ability of protecting their natural rights. After the revolution war and victory to the Americans, the founding fathers were faced with a new challenge; this challenge was establishing a constructive government for the new independent nation. Naturally, the founding fathers utilized their vast knowledge of philosophy and history together with spiritual beliefs, to formulate a government for the people of America which above all would preserve and maintain individual liberties and govern the people through their consent. Among the freedoms which were not to be interfered by the government were speech, religion and press. But, the founding fathers of the nation were also firm in their conviction that firearms were legitimate, valuable and essential component of a free nation. Richard Henry Lee wrote that, to protect and maintain liberty, it was necessary that the entire mass of people always should possess arms and more so, they should be taught particularly when they are young on how to use these arms (Gottlieb, 74). Accordingly, it can be seen that the fathers who founded America were not ashamed in any way about their liking of fire arms. For instance, Thomas Jefferson got a handgun when he was only ten years. Jefferson had a conviction that each boy ought to be given a chance to carry a gun. Below is an extract form one of the letters he sent to his nephew. †¢ A body that is strong makes the mind to be strong. For exercising your body and mind, I recommend a gun, whereas this provides a modest exercise to ones body, it as well offers boldness, activity and autonomous to the mind. Ball games and some other games are extremely violent to the body and they do not provide any character to the mind. Therefore, let your firearm be the usual escort as you work (Gottlieb, 70) During the ratification of the constitution, Van Alstyne (1237) explains that, both sides on the political divide supported the right of citizens to own firearms. John Adams and his cousin Sam Adams on opposing sides of the debate to make the ratification both agreed that, citizens had a right to own and carry firearms. At the Massachusetts conference, Sam opposed any ratification unless if accompanied by a stipulation â€Å"that the said Constitution be never construed o prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms. † (Gottlieb, 73) On the other hand John Adams, who later became president of America, wrote that firearms being owned by citizens might be used according to a person’s judgment, to defend his country, overthrow an oppressive regime, or defend himself (Gottlieb, 73). Indeed, those opposing the federalist government, like George Mason opposed the ratification of the constitution because it did not contain the Bill of Rights. Mason, who earlier had taken part in the constitution writing left, Philadelphia earlier and refused to endorse the document, since it did not incorporate a particular bill of rights, He reminded the delegates at Virginia that the revolutionary war fought earlier had been started by the attempt of the British to impound the firearms of the patriots of Concord. Thus, Mason liken the British approach of trying o disarm people, as a way to try and enslave them. Gottlieb, 59) However, Alexander Hamilton argued that it was not necessary to include the bill of rights since the individuals were already having those rights and they could not be denied or taken away from them. He added that, if the government which represented the people betrayed its people, then the citizens will not have any option apart from exercising their initial right of defending themselves, he further argued that, this right is important, and should be given to the people by all positive governments. But, supposing the government creates an army to force its will; then such an army will never be strong enough to defeat people ready and willing to defend their won rights. Madison as well was against the bill of rights (Van Alstyne, 1234). However, he gave in because of pressure from the Anti-Federalist (who wanted a fresh constitutional convention) so that he could preserve what had been already achieved regarding the constitution. But, Madison made a promise to propose some amendments to include the Bill of Rights supposing the constitution was ever ratified. As we are aware, the constitution was later ratified and true to his words, Madison fulfilled his earlier promise. Here is an original wording amendment that Madison initially proposed in the House of Representatives in August of 1789 â€Å"A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms†. (Halbrook, 77) But, Halbrook (78) explains that there was a debate afterwards and thus some alterations on the wording of the text were done, for example the mention of religious people was removed. To add on that, Halbrook also explains that since there was a general understanding on the meaning of the word ‘militia’, the expression â€Å"composed of the body of the people,† was removed from the text to make it short and clear (Halbrook, 78). At the time the first congress adopted the Bill of Rights, there was an understanding that the federal government had limited powers over the citizens. Presently a number of people dispute the understanding that the Second Amendment provided each and every citizen the right to own and carry firearms. They argue that the right stated in the Amendment implies a ‘collective right of the nation’ however such a viewpoint ignore the phrase â€Å"the right of the people† a phrase used in the first, then the second and also in the fourth amendments. Moreover, supposing that the collective concept is used on some other amendments which acknowledges natural rights of an individual or on individual rights like speech and religion, then it will mean that the state would as well have power over these rights also! A notion that would shock and outrage the country. In addition, the positioning of the Second Amendment within the Bill of Rights, which is amidst the rights of speech, right to assembly and the right of individuals from unnecessary searches and confiscations clearly indicates that the concept of collective right by the state is incorrect. In deed, Alan Gottlieb, president of The Second Amendment Foundation, asserts that each of founding fathers who debated arms categorically endorsed possession of firearms as a basic individual right (Gottlieb, 76). To explore this observation we shall outline the thoughts of George Washington.

Philosophy And Development Of Greek And Chinese Mathematics Philosophy Essay

Philosophy And Development Of Greek And Chinese Mathematics Philosophy Essay At a glance, Greek mathematics would appear to possess the most influence on modern mathematics from methods of integration (developed from Eudoxus method of exhaustion) to the rigid logic adhered to in modern mathematics and would thus explain this thesis choice of comparing Greek mathematics. On the other hand, ancient Chinese mathematics appears to have differed largely from Greek mathematics in terms of development and for that reason was chosen for comparison in order to explore the possibilities of philosophical influence in mathematical development. Not only will this thesis explore the differences in the development of the respective mathematics and the factors involved in these differences, it will also explore the possible relevance of such findings to mathematicians in the further development of modern mathematics. However, given the rich history of each respective cultures mathematics, it would be next to impossible to explore their developments in vivid detail and as a result, only a basic overview of the characteristics of the mathematics prior to their interaction (when Matteo Ricci western missionary began introducing western concepts of mathematics to the Chinese) would be explored. Greek Mathematics? Easily identified by its focus on generalized mathematical theories and proofs, the Greeks seemed to have an idealized perception towards mathematics where instead of grounding them in reality, it was a goal to make mathematical concepts even more abstract. At the foundation of Greek mathematics were basic assumptions known as axioms. These axioms could neither be proven correct or wrong, and are considered self-evident. New theorems were derived from these axioms, and this happened in a process where conclusions were drawn from premises through the use of logic, otherwise known as deductive reasoning. An example of such use of deductive reasoning would be the 10 postulates (similar to axioms) seen in Euclids Elements which were used by Euclid to prove his various geometric theorems. Such a method of proving and deriving theorems deductively could be effectively seen as a form of abstraction, where abstracted theorems could be applied in any case related to the theorem. For instance, (Pythagorean Theorem) would be true for all cases of right angled triangles regardless of the numbers substituted into the theorem. Pythagoras was thus attributed to be one of the first men to grasp numbers as abstract entities.  [1]   With the prevalence of the use of deductive reasoning in the ancient mathematical schools of thought from the Sophist School to the Platonic School, it could be generalized that ancient Greek mathematics was characterized by abstract theories and generalized proofs. Chinese mathematics? The concept that the Chinese had of mathematics was radically different from the way the Greeks handled math. Instead of an axiomatic approach to mathematics (developing mathematics based on assumed axioms), the Chinese developed a far more practical approach. Science was valued for its many practical applications and astronomers in ancient China were also mathematicians who calculated planetary movements through the applied use of mathematics. Applying mathematics was seen even in the Jiuzhang Suanshu (considered one of the most important mathematical manuals in China to be written) which was in essence a collection of problems and rules that was applied practically. For instance the second chapter (Su Mi) of the book dealt with percentages and proportions for exchange of cereals, millet, or rice and helped in the production and management of grain. Chapter 6 (Jun Shu) allowed the calculation of proper distribution of grain and labour and dealt mainly with the problems of taxation of the people.  [2]   This problem-based approach revolved around the idea of applying the solutions of one problem to another in such a manner that would allow the other problem to be solved. For instance, the Jiuzhang Suanshu or Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art is in reality a collection of mathematical problems and their solutions. Mathematicians were then expected to extrapolate from these solutions other solutions to other problems. In the words of the Zhoubi Suanjing (one of the oldest complete mathematical manuals found in China), a person gains knowledge by analogy, that is, after understanding a particular line of argument they can infer various kinds of similar reasoning.  [3]   Given that the majority of the mathematical manuals discovered in China possessed the attribute of problem-based approaches (Jiuzhang Suanshu, Xu Shang Suanshu, Suan shu shu) are just some examples), we can easily conclude that the ways in which the Chinese approached mathematics was radically different from that of the Greeks. Greek and Chinese Philosophies Having understood the differences between the mathematics of both cultures, we must now begin to explore the possible causes of such a difference, and we first take a look at the philosophy that has guided the respective cultures. Greek Philosophy? Although it is commonly agreed that Socrates, Aristotle and Plato were one of the few greatest philosophers originating from the Greeks, the father of deductive mathematics Thales, contributed to ancient Greek philosophy even before the great philosophers and with his close association with the origins of Greek mathematics, it would be a mistake not to consider Thales contributions to the philosophy. Thales belonged to a school of thought called the Milesian school and these philosophers believed that all things were defined by their quintessential substance, which Thales thought was water.  [4]   Regardless of what Thales or any other philosophers from the pre-Socrates period of philosophy thought, it was clear that from the beginning the Greeks had already begun to seek out a basic form or substance that all things would be defined by. We thus begin to see similarities between their goals of having a unifying substance that would define all things in philosophy and in mathematics, where they sought abstracted theorems and mathematical proofs that would have applied to all cases of any related problems. Even Plato, in Book VII of The Republic, argued for the existence of Forms in his allegory of the caves. He believed that what we thought to be real were simply shadows cast by actual Forms that we could not really see. Plato argued that these non-material abstract Forms did not exist in time and space, and were not the material world that we perceived with our senses. Plato even suggested that only through the study of these Forms were we able to attain genuine knowledge. Through these ideas of abstract forms and substances that Greek philosophy seemed to follow, we begin to see that there is a general direction in which both philosophy and mathematics went: abstraction. Chinese Philosophy? When compared, it is clear that the philosophies of the Chinese differed greatly from that of the Greeks. Where the Greeks asked questions about the possible existence of a monotheistic deity, the Chinese were more concerned about the development of philosophy as an ethical and practical guide. Confucius was a philosopher who taught the importance of virtue and moral perfection. He explored ideas of humanity, loyalty, piety and the characteristics of a gentleman (a perfect man) in his teachings. The most fundamental of which, humanity and righteousness have since been argued to form the basis of morality.  [5]  In the Analects of Confucius, he explores these concepts of moral perfection and explains the importance of individuals of authority possessing these attributes. Confuciuss philosophy possessed dimensions of practicality which was seen from that fact that his teachings about piety were essentially descriptions of specific duties that an individual had according to his relationship with another. For instance, Confucius believed that a child should have respect for his parents and that parents should in turn love and care for their children. Being one of the main schools of thought in Chinese philosophy, Confucianism is thought to have had tremendous influence on the culture and history of China.  [6]  Additionally, in other Chinese philosophies such as Buddhism and Taoism teachings we see a form of instruction on a practical level (Buddhism instructed on how one should live in order to attain enlightenment). Although a lack of credible literature fails to either prove or disprove the influences of Chinese philosophy on their mathematics, one might argue that the general direction in which Chinese philosophy has taken appears to be similar to that of their mathematics. Other factors influencing mathematics? Although little is found regarding the history of the Greeks that could have affected the development of Greek mathematics, aspects of Chinese history might suggest the problem-based approach towards mathematics that was developed. Plato believed and explained in Book VII of The Republic that mathematics was important in understanding and attaining the idea of good which is the ultimate objective of philosophy. Plato believed that arithmetic and geometry allowed the mind to reflect and thus come closer to the truth, and also that the true use of arithmetic is in compelling the soul to reason about abstract number and repelling against the introduction of visible or tangible objects into the argument.  [7]  It has thus been argued that Plato believed that the ultimate aim of philosophy was to help the mind to understand and acquire the idea of good and that mathematics was a tool that helped to achieve that end. On the other hand, the Chinese clearly believed in the practical value of mathematics and a quick study of Chinese history revealed that mathematics was developed with practicality in mind. One clear example would be the earlier mentioned chapters of the Jiuzhang Suanshu on grain growing and taxation with the Chinese placing great emphasis on the importance of proper governance, mathematics was developed in order to calculate optimal methods of fair governance. The fact that the Chinese wrote mathematics with characters instead of alphabets would have also explained the need for them to discover the decimal system before other civilizations.  [8]  As mathematics was written with characters, the decimal system was invented to prevent the memorization of countless characters in order to recognize large numbers such as the date. With a decimal system, Chinese mathematics was thus able to gain an advantage over other civilizations in terms of the development of mathematics. Furthermore, during the period of Chinese mathematical development before 100 BC, the Chinese were interested in the areas of astrology and had a need to construct the calendar. As a result, many of the works produced in that time were related to astrology such as the Zhoubi Suanjing which provided instructions on measuring the positions of heavenly bodies using shadow gauges termed gnomons.  [9]  With the need to measure heights and distances that could not be measured directly (heights of structures or the distance of an island away from the mainland), the Chinese also developed their own variation of the Pythagoras theorem, which Liu Hui demonstrated in his Haidao Suanjing. As a result of some of the problems that the Chinese faced, we see the development of mathematics in China as a solution to some of these problems. Taking into consideration these other factors, there is clearly a relationship between the physical and cultural factors affecting China and their development of mathematics. On the other hand, while geometry had its practical uses for the Greeks, their main purpose for the study of mathematics was for instruction and loftier ideals of perfecting their souls. Concluding on the Extent of Influence on Mathematics Having considered the factors both philosophical and practical that might have affected the development of mathematics, one can see the distinct similarities between the cultures respective philosophy and how it has caused mathematics to develop. Ancient Greek mathematics developed in a manner that sought to separate concept from object, as could be inferred from their development of generalized mathematical theories in geometry (concept) discerned from postulates (object) since these postulates were observable truths such as All right angles are congruent. At the same time, the philosophy of the Greeks had similar objectives as could be seen from the above mentioned Forms and quintessential substances that the Greeks believed in. On the other hand, Chinese mathematics followed similar trends to that of their philosophy. With a focus on concrete examples and using analogies to solve other problems, the Chinese were clearly more concerned with matters of reality and had a pragmatic approach towards mathematics. Philosophically, there is a similar trend of practicality with the Chinese exploring the duties and proper etiquette of what they believed to be the perfect man. Again, the lack of credible literature seemingly undermines the entire relationship, yet it would be foolish to simply discount the fact that both philosophy and mathematics take on a similar direction in terms of development. Thus in conclusion, one could easily argue that the method by which philosophy was approached has been similar to that of the way mathematics was developed. Relevance to Modern Mathematicians? Truth and Mathematical Certainty? Having affirmed the relationship between philosophy and mathematics, we begin to question the relevance of such a relationship to modern mathematicians. One of the greatest questions of mathematics is its relevance to truth, and how mathematical inquiry may lead to certainty and truth. Before we begin to explore the question of which mathematics (Greek or Chinese) was closer to mathematical certainty and thus truth, we must keep in mind that Greek and Chinese mathematics were radically different in terms of method as was previously shown. Based on those methods, we can categorize the mathematics according to the theories of truth that they appear to abide by. The Chinese appeared to base their system on the modern theory of truth that is pragmatism. According to the theory in a simplified form, a concept may be considered true if it is directly relevant to reality. This meant that a concept would be true if it had any practical consequence and was thus judged based on its practical value. Pragmatism is thus highly pertinent to the method of Chinese mathematics, which was in essence a study of the practical effects of theories of mathematics. On the other hand, the Greek method appears to follow the theory of coherentism, which in simple terms was the theory that the truth of a system of beliefs could be determined based on how well it coheres with other systems of belief. This seems to be applicable to the Greek method of approaching mathematics, where axioms were the basic beliefs and entire systems (theorems) would be developed from these axioms. The truth of these systems would then be appraised according to how well they cohered with the basic sets of beliefs. One might argue that foundationalism would have been a more applicable theory to the Greek method, yet the Greeks did not simply base their theorems on noninferential knowledge such as axioms, and instead used postulates (inferential knowledge) in geometry. As a result, the axiomatic method of the Greeks would have appertained to the theory of coherentism. It is important to note that despite these theories of truth being modern, the concept behind method of mathematics and theory of truth appear to be similar, and would thus be applicable in the exploration of mathematical certainty. Who was more Certain? Having ascribed to Greek and Chinese mathematics coherentism and pragmatism respectively, the question of who was closer to mathematical certainty becomes apparent. Both schools clearly had their strengths and weaknesses in such a comparison, with the Chinese being directly relevant to reality and thus closer to certainty in terms of practicality. On the other hand, the Greeks would have believed that they were aspiring towards certainty through the separation of concept from object (abstraction), where truth in the complete discovery of all Forms would have been certainty. Given the extent of influence on modern mathematics that Greek mathematics has, one would easily consider the adopted Greek mathematics as more certain. Yet the idea of complete mathematical certainty seems to be impossible, as proved by Kurt Godel with his theorems that a system is either complete or consistent and thus impossibleto fully prove any proposition.  [10]  The ramifications thus being that certainty is impossible to achieve, and that in terms of the axiomatic method, mathematical certainty can never be fully arrived at. Furthermore, the existence of various theories of truth might already suggest that there is a lack of existence of complete certainty, and this thus suggests the probability of the quest for mathematical certainty being futile.

Hysteresis :: essays research papers

Aim: To investigate the pattern in the amount by which a hanging piece of elastic stretches when a load force is applied and the amount by which the stretch is reduced when the load is removed. Aim (in simpler terms): To determine the relationship between the force on a rubber band and its stretch, both during extension and retraction. Hypothesis: Not required. Method 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hang a piece of elastic on a clamp stand. Ensure the elastic is new. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clamp a ruler using the clamp stand. Ensuring the markings on the ruler is as close to the elastic as possible. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Draw a diagram 3) Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. 4) Hang masses on the elastic until it reaches it point of irreversible distortion. Take note of this weight; do not hang more than this weight in the experiment. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Add a weight of 100N (change appropriately). Wait for a few seconds for the system to â€Å"stabilise†. Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. Special care must be taken to ensure that when the mass is added the elastic should not retract. 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Add more weights, till the total weight is close to its point of irreversible distortion or till there are no more weights. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remove the weights one by one. Wait a couple of seconds for the system to â€Å"stabilise†. Measure the length of the elastic and record the data. Ensure that when the mass is removed the elastic should not be allowed to stretch further. 8)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Repeat, till there is no more mass on the elastic. Measure the length of the elastic. Equipment Elastic Clamp stand Ruler Different weights or a weight hanger Variables Independent: Mass hung on elastic Dependant: Length that the elastic extends or retracts. Controlled: Same conditions – thus the behaviour of the elastic is constant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Same equipment Results Force (N)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Length of elastic (m)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Length that elastic was stretched   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During extension  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During retraction  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For extension  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For retraction 0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 100  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.4 .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .. .. .. .. .. .. ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   900  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Note: To find the length that the elastic was stretched. Simple subtract the value â€Å"During extension† by the original length of elastic. Then write the result in the column â€Å"For extension† for the appropriate weight. Repeat for retraction. Construct a graph of this data. For ease of data interpretation, graph force on y axis and length that elastic was stretched (that is the column â€Å"For extension† and â€Å"For retraction) on x axis. Also possible to have intervals of 0.98 N on y axis so that value of mass in grams can be plotted accurately (assuming g=9.8 m/s^2) Plot the points and draw a smooth curve.

Individualism and Conformity in Stephen Cranes Red Badge of Courage :: Red Badge Courage Essays

Individualism and Conformity in Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage    Stephen Crane's pieces are written with the intent to establish individualism as an unfavorable quality. He establishes that group goals are more important than that of the individual and creates groups to which each character should conform. Crane supplies models for the individual to comply to and elucidates that adherence to the group would bring reward but deviation from said groups would be detrimental. Henry, in Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, is created as a child in search of self worth and assurance. Crane establishes Henry as an individual by giving him the ability to think for himself but creates situations that stifle his individualism in order for him to stay within the group. Henry does the one thing that men ought not. He thinks. In his thoughts he sees past the glory and valor that comes with enlisting and comes to question what could happen to him on the battlefield. He acknowledges the presence of something that the other men dare not: death. The realization that lives are at stake, especially his own, cause Henry to question whether he will have to courage to stay and fight or whether he will run. Crane creates Henry as an individual in a mass society. He injects him into the army with aspirations of attaining a sense of identity. Crane establishes Henry as "the youth" to make it apparent that he was not like the other men of the 304th regiment. Henry stands out among the men and "muse[s] seriously upon the radical differences between himself and those men who were dodging implike around the tree"(P.184). Not only Henry's eye catches his obvious detachment from the group. Upon seeing Henry, Wilson responds "What you doing here?"(P.184), extending Henry's exclusivity and insinuating that he is out of place. Henry "continually tries to measure himself by his comrades"(P.181). Consequently, he attempts to quill his lack of confidence by seeking out others from whom he can find confidence. This search leads him to Jim Conklin. Jim states that his actions would be dictated by the surroundings "but if everyone was a-standing and a-fighting, why, I'd stand and fight"(P.180). Jim's claim gave Henry confidence.

osmosis :: essays research papers

Finding out the Rate of Osmosis in a Potato After Being Left in a Solution. What are you trying to find out? I am trying to find out how much water has been diffused into a potato when placed in different strengths of solution. But before the experiment can take place I need to explore all areas in which could produce biased or inaccurate results. What can influence the results of the experiment? Temperature - The temperature in which the experiment is conducted can affect the experiment. If one or more of the samples are at a higher temperature than the others they will diffuse water molecules faster because, when heated, molecules move faster therefore osmosis will occur faster. So I will have to be sure that all of my samples are as close to the same temperature as possible. The amount of solution – The amount of solution that is present in each sample has to be similar as possible as if one sample has more solution than another then the chance of that sample diffusing more water is high which will give an inaccurate result. Where the potato is from – Where the potato is from can influence the result because if some potatoes were grown in a muddy field and the rest were grown in dry fields it is likely that the potatoes from the muddy fields have already diffused a lot of water whereas the potatoes from the dry field would not have diffuse as much as the others. So therefore I need to select potatoes that are produced from the same company so that it is likely that they have being grown in the same place or at least been grow under the same conditions. Size of the potato – The size the potato will affect my results because if one particular potato is larger than the others it will have more cells in which to diffuse more water molecules so therefore will gain a lot more weight in which will bias my results. What have I chosen to investigate? I have chosen to investigate the affect on the potato after it has been placed in different strengths of solution ranging from 0M up to 1M with intervals of 0.2M therefore I will have five results in which will give me and accurate idea of the final result. How am I going to carry out the investigation? First I will cut 15 pieces of potato (of the same shape) this is so I can place three potato shapes in each test tube in which I will be able to take an average from the results to receive a more accurate final result. osmosis :: essays research papers Finding out the Rate of Osmosis in a Potato After Being Left in a Solution. What are you trying to find out? I am trying to find out how much water has been diffused into a potato when placed in different strengths of solution. But before the experiment can take place I need to explore all areas in which could produce biased or inaccurate results. What can influence the results of the experiment? Temperature - The temperature in which the experiment is conducted can affect the experiment. If one or more of the samples are at a higher temperature than the others they will diffuse water molecules faster because, when heated, molecules move faster therefore osmosis will occur faster. So I will have to be sure that all of my samples are as close to the same temperature as possible. The amount of solution – The amount of solution that is present in each sample has to be similar as possible as if one sample has more solution than another then the chance of that sample diffusing more water is high which will give an inaccurate result. Where the potato is from – Where the potato is from can influence the result because if some potatoes were grown in a muddy field and the rest were grown in dry fields it is likely that the potatoes from the muddy fields have already diffused a lot of water whereas the potatoes from the dry field would not have diffuse as much as the others. So therefore I need to select potatoes that are produced from the same company so that it is likely that they have being grown in the same place or at least been grow under the same conditions. Size of the potato – The size the potato will affect my results because if one particular potato is larger than the others it will have more cells in which to diffuse more water molecules so therefore will gain a lot more weight in which will bias my results. What have I chosen to investigate? I have chosen to investigate the affect on the potato after it has been placed in different strengths of solution ranging from 0M up to 1M with intervals of 0.2M therefore I will have five results in which will give me and accurate idea of the final result. How am I going to carry out the investigation? First I will cut 15 pieces of potato (of the same shape) this is so I can place three potato shapes in each test tube in which I will be able to take an average from the results to receive a more accurate final result.

Hamlet Second Soliloquy

In the last scene of act I Hamlet is told by the ghost that his father has been murdered by Uncle Claudius, the brother of the deceased king. Hamlet once mournful and grim turns revengeful, he promises the ghost to â€Å"sweep† to revenge. But he is tormented with doubts. The ghost has taken its toll on Hamlet but has not been convincing enough, he cannot fully trust it given that it might also be an evil spirit willing to make him change course, misleading him to murder an innocent man and be â€Å"damned† as Hamlet puts it in his words full of fear and anxiety.For such reasons Hamlet conceives a plan, he is going to wear a mask of madness, or put on ‘the antic disposition’, which Hamlet considers will make things easier for him: Hamlet under the mask of madness intends getting people talk more freely in his presence and thus he might easily find the truth about his uncle. But, far from working his plan turns to be counterproductive. Soon, Hamlet draws eve n more attention to himself, the royal court is intrigued by his strange behavior and King Claudius summons Hamlet’s school friends Rosencratz and Guildernstern asking them to go spy on him.Hamlet is suspicious of his own friends and soon conceives a new idea to trap his uncle: the reenactment of his father’s murder under the cover of a play called â€Å"The Murder of Gonzago†. In this particular soliloquy, which comes right after, the audience is waiting to see a more determined Hamlet ready to avenge his father’s murder: indeed it has been a while since Hamlet promised to act. Instead we are presented with an even more confused character, not only uncertain of the world surrounding him but also himself. Shakespeare through the soliloquy paints Hamlet’s character.Thus, the audience finds out that Hamlet is self-loathing -Hamlet’s opening words: expression of self-disgust: â€Å" O what a rogue and peasant slave am I! †, Hamletâ€℠¢s self-critic is obvious here, he reduces himself to the state of a slave. The Prince must really be mad at himself. Shakespeare’s choice of the word â€Å"slave† might signify Hamlet’s inaction, passiveness, just like a slave is chained to his master and incapable of acting against his will, so is Hamlet attached to the shackles of thought and meditation, which impede him from acting, acting freely. -The first layer’s acting has left Hamlet with a sense of amazement. How come the actor can get himself to cry for something that is imaginary, for â€Å"Hecuba†, dead thousands of years ago and Hamlet, who has real, true reasons to cry proves unable to express his anguish over the loss of his father and the incestuous remarriage of his mother: â€Å"can say nothing, – no not for a king†. -Hamlet suggests here that his inability to express himself is like a betrayal, for Hamlet seems to have forsaken his duty of avenging his father. He c alls himself â€Å"A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause†.The choice of the adjective â€Å"dull† reminds the audience of what the ghost told him in Act I. If Hamlet didn’t take revenge the ghost said that he would be â€Å"duller than the fat weed/ That roots itself on Lethe wharf†. Hamlet seems to be accusing himself of not having the player's passion, of not hating Claudius strongly enough, of not loving his father strongly enough. Hamlet is mad at himself not because he hasn’t killed Claudius but because he hasn’t said anything. So Hamlet instead of plotting against Claudius dwells on himself.Another character trait is being developed by Shakespeare, one that the audience is very much familiar with since Hamlet’s first soliloquy where he extrapolates his own grief over Denmark, the world in general. It is Hamlet’s egocentric side. -Note the abounding number of personal pronouns (I, my, me) used by Hamlet in the soliloquy. It is as if the world revolved around him. When Hamlet shows the actor’s passion and enthusiasm about his role it is only to stress on his own lack of passion. It is as if the actor were a tool that Hamlet makes use of in order to urge himself into action. The soliloquy is presented as a dialogue between Hamlet and himself. The prince is willing to work himself into a state of passion, revengefulness: â€Å"Am I a coward? † The use of the future tense at the end of the soliloquy when Hamlet confirms his intentions concerning the mouse trap is also significant, in sense that Hamlet seems like convincing himself that he will finally do something, that he has a plan, he projects himself into the future trying to influence it â€Å"I’ll observe his looks, I’ll tent him to the quick (†¦) I’ll catch the conscience of the king.At some stage he seems to imagine someone insulting him, â€Å" Who calls me a vi llain, breaks my pate across, plucks off my beard and blows it in my face†. This helps building his rage which culminates when he remembers Claudius in the following lines†Bloody bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless, villain! Oh, vengeance† Note the emotiveness of the passage, Hamlet breaks into an emotional climax; he is outraged at the simple thought of his father’s murderer.One could imagine him spitting these words out loud with his finger pointed at an imaginary Claudius accusing him of all of his crimes and ultimately stabbing him with an imaginary dagger with† vengeance† in his mind. -But, this is only an imaginary vengeance or Hamlet trying to rehearse in order to get himself in the mood. In the lines that follow Hamlet’s focus is again back on himself and how pathetic the whole buildup of passion has been† What an ass am I†.The prince thinks that it is not fit for him to curse himself, as he sou nd like a â€Å"whore† or a â€Å"drab† or a male whore â€Å" a scullion†. Hamlet here is putting on his misogynist character, he cannot tolerate women that in his opinion are all â€Å"whores†, like his beloved Ophelia who betrayed him, or his mother who betrayed his â€Å"dear† father. This negative vision, attitude toward women is consistent with Hamlet who in his first soliloquy has already made a sweeping condemnation of the latter â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman†. So the prince’s main target in this soliloquy is himself.He is concerned with questions related with whether he is a coward or not, whether he should act or continue â€Å" like a whore unpack my heart with words†. We could therefore ask ourselves what purposes this passage serves in the play apart from characterizing Hamlet. -It has little dramatic value given that there is no action. The tension is released, Hamlet is alone on stage meditating yet again and a part from the bits where he gets over agitated the tension in the passage is kept at the minimum. -The passage has also little value in terms of its contribution to the plot.The plot hardly advances in the soliloquy, the mouse trap idea that Hamlet comes up with at the end has been conceived earlier when he asked the first player to prepare for the Murder of Gonzago right before the soliloquy. -The passage therefore rather confirms the plot and serves as a means of delaying the Murder of Gonzago as well as the eventual Hamlet’s murder of Claudius. The mouse trap seems to be the first practical idea that Hamlet has ever had since the beginning of the play. It is a relatively reliable plan which would help him find out whether or not his uncle has anything to do with his father’s death.But the audience wonders if this is not simply another excuse for not acting. Indeed, if Hamlet really wanted to kill his uncle the soliloquy would be unnecessary. Hamlet’s characte r is pretty ambiguous. On the one hand he considers that his uncle is the most sinful person that has ever existed â€Å"Bloody bawdy villain, remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles, villain†. On the other hand, this enumeration of adjectives that negatively qualify his uncle is counterbalanced by the fact that the ghost might also be a misleading â€Å"devil†, a possibility which Hamlet reconsiders at the end of the soliloquy.This uncertainty that revolves around Hamlet’s character brings us back to the central question of the soliloquy: is Hamlet a coward? Is he ever going to act? The later developments of the play reinforce the doubt. -It is also important to mention the theme of appearance versus reality that is embedded in the central figure of the soliloquy, that of the actor. For Hamlet the actor stands for â€Å"conceit†, or in other words deception, which Hamlet despises and is disgusted with. In this sense Uncle Claudius, the ultimate liar and deceiver of the play is certainly viewed by Hamlet as an actor as well.Ironically enough, in order to uncover the truth and show Claudius’ deceptive nature Hamlet resorts to deceit as well by conceiving the mouse trap. For Hamlet therefore deception is a way of revealing the truth, and he certainly views theater as a powerful tool capable not only of putting masks on but also dropping the others. But, what is more striking is Hamlet’s obsession with the idea that there is often a disconnect between what people appear to be and what they really are â€Å"is it not monstrous.. †.Note the mocking tone with which he relates to the actor’s job, one filled with admiration as well, given that Hamlet finds himself unable to do the same for his genuine reasons. In the case of his uncle, Hamlet has been told by the ghost that he is a serpent, but the ghost itself under his father’s outfit could also be the devil. Hamlet cannot trust anybody, especially not women who he associates with deception; he is disgusted with human nature â€Å"that one can smile and smile and be a villain†, which is again ironic when Hamlet realizes that in his world lies and deceit take a necessary part of the daily life.So the passage is the occasion for Shakespeare to further characterize Hamlet, to show his exacerbated feelings towards himself and those who deceive. Two of Hamlet’s character traits are confirmed in the passage: he is self-loathing and egocentric. Also, this passage explores one of the fundamental themes of the play: the theme of appearance versus reality. Also, Shakespeare through the figure of the actor, and the play within the play demonstrates and acclaims the powers of theater.