Decision making software Essay Example for Free

Decision making software Essay The choices we make in our lives play a major role in whom or where we are going to be later in the future. There may be a time in our lifetime where we are faced with two or more choices. That is where we have to use the right judgment and decide what is more convenient. Two of Robert Frost most famous poems â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and â€Å" Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† demonstrates several similar subjects. The main two similarities in these two poems are choices and the love for nature. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, the speaker comes across two roads. We can see this when he states in the first stanza â€Å"two roads diverged in a yellow wood† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 613) but then says â€Å" Had worn them really about the same† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 613) in the last line of the second stanza. One that the majority had taken and one that was less taken. He makes the decision not to go with the majority, but to be himself and takes the path less traveled. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† talks about stopping on a property that was someone else’s, but the speaker wanted to watch  the snow fill the trees. The conflict for each speaker in both of Robert Frost poems was that they had to make a concrete decision. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, the speaker resolves his conflict by taking the road less taken. Although we can see that in the last stanzas he rethinks his decision on what would have been if he had taken the other road. After observing them he came to the conclusion that they were both equally the same. In â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† the speaker bases his decision  when he says, † but I have promises to keep† (Robert Frost, 2013, p. 611) which might have been promises he made to his village. 3 POETRY ANALYSIS Both of these poems are similar in a way that they both relate to nature and decision making. Reading them together, gives you the impression that choices are important. We should choose every decision we make in life wisely. What we choose today will reflect on us the day of tomorrow. We might think back at the time when we made the decision at that precise time, but know that we cannot go back in time and therefore  made the right choice. Positive or negative we cannot blame destiny or others for our choices we do, make or have made through our life time. 4 POETRY ANALYSIS References Frost, R. (2013). â€Å"The Road Not Taken† † Pearson Custom Library of American Literature , Introduction to American Literature. Boston: Pearson Publishing. Frost, R. (2013). â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† Pearson Custom Library of American Literature , Introduction to American Literature. Boston: Pearson Publishing. 5 POETRY ANALYSIS.

Distinguishing Men From Animals With Culture

Distinguishing Men From Animals With Culture For culture is the sociological term for learned behaviour: behaviour which in man is not given at birth, which is not determined by his germ cells as the behaviour of wasps or the social ants, but must be learned anew from grown people by each new generation. The degree to which human achievements are dependent on this kind of learned behaviour is mans great claim to superiority over all the rest of creation; he has been properly called the culture being animal. Benedict Different people may have different definition of culture. The most common definition of culture is that culture means the mode of human activities, such as human knowledge, learning and belief which are integrated in the symbolic thoughts. Culture includes ideas about identity, nature, social relationship and so on, as well as artifacts. This topic is based on several assumptions. Firstly, this essay assumes that humans are not animals and only men have culture while animals do not have any. I also assumed that culture can be definite. In the following, I will discuss the perspective of human in the point of view for zoologists, and also the inter-specific relationships between human and animals. This might counter my argument of culture distinguishes men from animals. Secondly, I will discuss Zoologist accounts on the human-animals inter-specific relationship To zoologists, all animals (including human beings) are equally interesting. For them, all animals undergo the inter-specific relationship which is in the food chain, i.e. prey, symbiont, competitor, parasite and predator, and human beings exist in these pair of species. According to The Naked Ape (1967) by British zoologist, Desmond Morris, Any species which competes with us for food or space, or interferes with the efficient running of our lives, is ruthlessly eliminatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Large carnivores have been out other serious competitors and these too have been eliminated wherever the population density of out species has risen above a certain level. Same as in the predator relationship, we humans are involved in it. Morris (1967) stated that larger carnivores such as sharks which are the killers are accounted for more humans deaths than any other is one cannot devour the nutritious corpuses it produces. Moreover, Morris (1967) also pointed out that the inter-specific relationship appears to human and other animals not only in the food chain, but also in other ways. For example, human beings could not resist to say Hi or any other greetings to his/her own pet, such as his/her own dog. Even we all know the animals will not understand, we still could not resist the temptation. We could not explain that. The response was just triggered off inside us when we see the animal. Furthermore, Morris (1967) also pointed out that out love or hatred to the animals is also included in the human-animal relationship. Through this, we can see the inter-specific relationship between human beings and animals exist in the vast amount of cultures, or even, we carried further in these relationships than other animals. Therefore, to zoologists, humans are not unique in these respects. Biological differences between human and other animals However, biologist anthropologists and other biologists may argue that there is something which is different in human than in other animals, which this will lead to human are not animals (which I assumed before). So what distinguishes us from other species on animals? Gorillas and chimpanzees are close primate relative to humans. Compare to chimpanzees, human has 98 percent of genes same as the chimps. The differences between human and chimpanzees were brought by the 2 percent difference in our genes. Biological anthropologists believe that human beings have got a familiar skeletal hallmark. The major difference is that humans are bipedalism (standing on two legs) and the adaptation of the straight, upright gaits. Humans are having particular small teeth and large braincase as well. The 2 percent difference also brought the difference of using modern language to communicate idea. Human beings also use culture, which are complex ideas to survive. These are all the anatomical character of human beings. Human evolution in human brains: What is in the Homo sapiens mind? According to Jerome Kagan (2004), at the end of the first year, human and chimpanzee infants are similar to each other, Both of the species locomote, attend to unexpected or unfamiliar events, and remember where an attractive object disappeared ten seconds earlier. However, 24 months later, maturational changes occur in human brain and it brought four unique quantities for humans: (1) Children can infer varied thoughts and feelings in others; (2) Children use a symbolic language with a grammar and semantic categories for events that share no physical feature; (3) Understand for the concepts of good. Bad, right and wrong; (4) Become consciously aware of some of their intentions and feelings. Moreover, Kagan also stated that chimpanzees are incapable of appreciating the partner intends to engage in reciprocally cooperative act has no implication for the gaining of food or protectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Every two-year-old child makes this simple assumption automatically. Therefore, it is beli eved that a pair of chimpanzees could not throw a ball back and forth between them, while a pair of humans will assume to throw the ball back. One of the unique characteristic in human brains is the feeling of guilty. Human is the only animal species which will feel guilty, it is not possible even in our close primate relatives such as the chimpanzees. Kagan explained that Guilt requires an agent to know that a voluntary act that could have been suppressed has hurt another. Guilt requires the ability to reflect on a past action that injured another in some way, to realize that the behaviour could have been inhibited, and to appreciate that the self was the cause of the ethical violation. During human evolution, human developed to be conscious and aware to others feeling, while other animals did not. Thus, the feeling of guilty is one feature which makes human unique. Kagan pointed out another unique quality of Homo sapiens is the consciousness of ones feelings, intentions and properties, which is called sensory awareness. According to Kagan, there is not just only one form to awareness. It is believed that all these awareness require the brain circuits. There is awareness in properties such as consciousness in ones physical features, beliefs, talents and social categories. The other form of awareness is the awareness that one is about implement or suppress an action. Neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga believes that there is another form of consciousness which is the interpretation of ones feelings and perceptions. However, these four forms of consciousness are not evolved in the same time, they evolve in different ages in the humans early childhood. In the first year, there will be the appearance of the awareness of sensory. In the second year, children will smile after completing a difficult task. It is not until the third year of life that childr en will be aware of their intentions and that they can describe what they are doing. Finally, in the fourth year, children can regularly integrate the present moment with their recollections of the past and begin to be able to interpret others feeling and perceptions. However, for apes, they do not possess any other forms of consciousness apart from the sensory consciousness. In terms of consciousness, human is unique. Another unique quality in the Homo sapiens is that they are the animal species which are willing to limit their offspring from inclusive fitness (the ability of an organism to ensure the survival of their own offspring or to see how their genes pass on). The family size in human families is thus decreasing. Meanwhile, in other species, they will reproduce the offspring as much as they can, so that their species would not extinct due to any environmental factors, such as drought, lack of food, lack of shelter, disease and so on. For example, female fish will lay their eggs as much as possible so that there will be a greater chance for the eggs being fertilized. Moreover, this will increase the survival rate as most of the eggs will be eaten by other marine animals or bigger fishes. This will ensure their species would not be extinct. The same theory to increase the chance of survival of offspring is also applied in all other animals, such as dogs, cats and turtles. Therefore, human is unique by limiting their offspring. Human cognition Michael Tomasello brought up the idea of ratchet effect in human cultural evolution . The most distinctive characteristic of human cultural evolution as a process is the way that modifications to an artefact or a social practice made by one individual or group of individuals often spread within the group, and then stay in place until some future individuals make further modifications and these then stay in place until still further modifications are made. The major part of the ratchet effect takes place in childhood. Taboos For Vezo people, what makes human different from animals is taboos. They believe that it is taboos which make us humans. Human beings practice a whole range of taboos which animals dont. Lambek (1992) noted that taboos are distinctive at every level of social inclusion, from humanity viewed as a whole down to the individual. The Vezos have different taboos to show respect to animals. According to Astuti (2000), Vezos do not hunt or eat dolphins because they are generous towards human. Therefore, taboos on eating or hunting dolphins as dolphins saved peoples lives by gently keeping them afloat and pushing them back to the land after their canoes had capsized. However, children are too young to know about taboos and moral issues. They do not have taboos. If taboo is the unique quality of human beings, are children considered as animals? For me, children are considered as premature humans, which they do not have much experience on what is happening in the world. Even as I mentioned above, the brains undergoes human evolution and become more consciousness and awareness in their first four years of life. They are unwise and do not understand anything. However, as they grew up, and their perspectives will be changing. For example, after they have faced the life and death of their animal pets or toys, they will understand more about human death. And as what Astuti mentioned, this will contribute to transform their appreciation of the boundary between animals and people Until they understand and appreciate the boundary between animals, they will become a mature human. It takes 5-12 years for a child to become a mature human. Therefore, taboos ma y be a unique quality for Homo sapiens.

Flag Football :: essays research papers

Whether it's running around and grabbing the opponents flag, or running around and pushing people out of the way for the touchdown, flag football is a great sport to increase adrenaline. Playing flag football gives players energy and helps keep them in shape. The constant movement helps work ones cardio and keeps one active. It is fun to play because players gat to play with friends and meet new people. It helps players work together and have competition. Everyone who likes doing a variety of exercises and likes to have fun could enjoy flag football in more ways than one. Flag football is not only a great sport, but it is also getting exercise in without one knowing it. Flag football requires moving around all the time. It keeps cardio up and keeps one on the move. Running around with a football gets the players? legs moving and other players as well because they chase the football. Flag football keeps ones arms active. Throwing a football or catching it can help the players? muscles in their arms. Most players like using their arms and legs to play which makes flag football a popular sport. With flag football being a well-known sport, most students want to try it out. Other students will most likely end up playing with people they know or can get to know. When playing with friends, players will get more active and try harder. It gets more out of them because they are excited to play. Trying to impress someone with mad throwing skills or speed could increase a player?s performance. Some players may meet new people and get new friends. Flag football is a social yet active sport that helps players get together. With friends, enemies, and other players playing flag football, most players will get along and work together. When not working together, there is even competition. Players need to throw a ball to get it across the field. They have to plan with teammates how to do that. In flag football, there is good, clean competition. To get some one tagged, all the players have to do is pull the flag without hurting the players.

Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller Essay -- Arthur Miller

Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller One of the central themes of All My Sons is the disillusionment of the young, and this theme can be traced through the character Chris, who comes to be disenchanted with his family, society and himself by realizing that none of these is as moral as he once believed. When he finally finds out through questioning his father that his father is, in fact, guilty of knowingly shipping out the cracked cylinder heads, he says to his father â€Å"What the hell are you? You’re not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you? What must I do to you? I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth, what must I do?† This is the point where Chris becomes disillusioned with his family. His father is guilty of doing the crime, and his mother is guilty of hiding the information. Chris now believes that his father is worse than an animal and is disgusted that he has lived with his parents since the crime happened without being aware of it. He sees his parents now as evil people rat her than role models, and feels that if even his parents are capable of such a thing, then society as a whole must be the same or worse, because he tells his father that he once believed him to be better than most men. He says â€Å"That’s the principle; the only one we live by – it just happened to kill a few people this time, that’s all. The world’s that way, how can I take it out on him?† He now believes that everyone in society is only looking out for his or he...

Cognitive linguistics Essay

The cognitive linguistics enterprise is characterized by two fundamental commitments (Lakoff 1990). These underlie both the orientation and approach adopted by practicing cognitive linguists, and the assumptions and methodologies employed in the two main branches of the cognitive linguistics enterprise: cognitive semantics, and cognitive approaches to grammar, discussed in further detail in later sections. The first key commitment is the Generalization Commitment (Lakoff 1990). It represents a dedication to characterizing general principles that apply to all aspects of human language. This goal is just a special subcase of the standard commitment in science to seek the broadest generalizations possible. In contrast to the cognitive linguistics approach, other approaches to the study of language often separate the language faculty into distinct areas such as phonology (sound), semantics (word and sentence meaning), pragmatics (meaning in discourse context), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), and so on. As a consequence, there is often little basis for generalization across these aspects of language, or for study of their interrelations. This is particularly true of formal linguistics. Formal linguistics attempts to model language by positing explicit mechanical devices or procedures operating on theoretical primitives in order to produce all the possible grammatical sentences of a given language. Such approaches typically attempt precise formulations by adopting formalisms inspired by computer science, mathematics and logic. Formal linguistics is embodied most notably by the work of Noam Chomsky and the paradigm of Generative Grammar, as well as the tradition known as Formal Semantics, inspired by philosopher of language Richard Montague. Within formal linguistics it is usually argued that areas such as phonology, semantics and syntax concern significantly different kinds of structuring principles operating over different kinds of primitives. For instance, a syntax ‘module’ is an area in the mind concerned with structuring words into sentences, whereas a phonology ‘module’ is concerned with structuring sounds into patterns permitted by the rules of any given language, and by human language in general. This modular view of mind reinforces the idea that modern linguistics is justified in separating the study of language into distinct sub-disciplines, not only on grounds of practicality, but because the components of language are wholly distinct, and, in terms of organization, incommensurable. Cognitive linguists acknowledge that it may often be useful to treat areas such as syntax, semantics and phonology as being notionally distinct. However, given the Generalization Commitment, cognitive linguists do not start with the assumption that the ‘modules’ or ‘subsystems’ of language are organized in significantly divergent ways, or indeed that wholly distinct modules even exist. Thus, the Generalization Commitment represents a commitment to openly investigating how the various aspects of linguistic knowledge emerge from a common set of human cognitive abilities upon which they draw, rather than assuming that they are produced in encapsulated modules of the mind. The Generalization Commitment has concrete consequences for studies of language. First, cognitive linguistic studies focus on what is common among aspects of language, seeking to re-use successful methods and explanations across these aspects. For instance, just as word meaning displays prototype effects – there are better and worse examples of referents of given words, related in particular ways – so various studies have applied the same principles to the organization of morphology (e.g., Taylor, 2003), syntax (e.g., Goldberg, 1995), and phonology (e.g., Jaeger & Ohala, 1984). Generalizing successful explanations across domains of language isn’t just a good scientific practice – it is also the way biology works; reusing existing structures for new purposes, both on evolutionary and developmental timescales. Second, cognitive linguistic approaches often take a ‘vertical’, rather than a ‘horizontal’ strategy to the study of language. Language can be seen as composed of a set of distinct layers of organisation – the sound structure, the set of words composed by these sounds, the syntactic structures these words are constitutive of, and so on. If we array these layers one on top of the next as they unroll over time (like layers of a cake), then modular approaches are horizontal, in the sense that they take one layer and study it internally – just as a horizontal slice of cake. Vertical approaches get a richer view of language by taking a vertical slice of language, which includes phonology, morphology, syntax, and of course a healthy dollop of semantics on top. A vertical slice of language is necessarily more complex in some ways than a horizontal one – it is more varied and textured – but at the same time it affords possible explanations that are simply unavailable from a horizontal, modular perspective. The second commitment is termed the Cognitive Commitment (Lakoff 1990). It represents a commitment to providing a characterization of the general principles for language that accord with what is known about the mind and brain from other disciplines. It is this commitment that makes cognitive linguistics cognitive, and thus an approach which is fundamentally interdisciplinary in nature. Just as the Generalization Commitment leads to the search for principles of language structure that hold across all aspects of language, in a related manner, the Cognitive Commitment represents the view that principles of linguistic structure should reflect what is known about human cognition from the other cognitive and brain sciences, particularly psychology, artificial intelligence, cognitive neuroscience, and philosophy. In other words, the Cognitive Commitment asserts that models of language and linguistic organization proposed should reflect what is known about the human mind, rather than purely aesthetic dictates such as the use of particular kinds of formalisms or economy of representation (see Croft 1998 for discussion of this last point). The Cognitive Commitment has a number of concrete ramifications. First, linguistic theories cannot include structures or processes that violate known properties of the human cognitive system. For instance, if sequential derivation of syntactic structures violates time constraints provided by actual human language processing, then it must be jettisoned. Second, models that use known, existing properties of human cognition to explain language phenomena are more parsimonious than those that are built from a priori simplicity metrics. For example, quite a lot is known about human categorization, and a theory that reduces word meaning to the same mechanisms responsible for categorization in other cognitive domains is simpler than one that hypothesizes a separate system for capturing lexical semantics. Finally, it is incumbent upon the cognitive linguistic researcher to find convergent evidence for the cognitive reality of components of any proffered model or explanation. Having briefly set out the two key commitments of the cognitive linguistics enterprise, we now briefly map out the two, hitherto, best developed areas of the field. Cognitive linguistics practice can be roughly divided into two main areas o research: cognitive semantics and cognitive (approaches to) grammar. The area of study known as cognitive semantics is concerned with investigating the relationship between experience, the conceptual system, and the semantic structure encoded by language. In specific terms, scholars working in cognitive semantics investigate knowledge representation (conceptual structure), and meaning construction (conceptualization). Cognitive semanticists have employed language as the lens through which these cognitive phenomena can be investigated. Consequently, research in cognitive semantics tends to be interested in modelling the human mind as much as it is concerned with investigating linguistic semantics. A cognitive approach to grammar is concerned with modelling the language system (the mental ‘grammar’), than the nature of mind per se. However, it does so by taking as its starting points the conclusions of work in cognitive semantics. This follows as meaning is central to cognitive approaches to grammar.4 It is critical to note that although the study of cognitive semantics and cognitive approaches to grammar are occasionally separate in practice, this by no means implies that their domains of inquiry are anything but tightly linked –most work in cognitive linguistics finds it necessary to investigate both lexical semantics and grammatical organization jointly. As with research in cognitive semantics, cognitive approaches to grammar have also typically adopted one of two foci. Scholars such as Ronald Langacker have emphasized the study of the cognitive principles that give rise to linguistic organization. In his theory of Cognitive Grammar, Langacker has attempted to delineate the principles that structure a grammar, and to relate these to aspects of general cognition. The second avenue of investigation, pursued by researchers including Fillmore and Kay, Lakoff),Goldberg and more recently Bergen and Chang (2005) and Croft (2002), aims to provide a more descriptively and formally detailed account of the linguistic units that comprise a particular language. These researchers attempt to provide a broad-ranging inventory of the units of language, from morphemes to words, idioms, and phrasal patterns, and seek accounts of their structure, compositional possibilities, and relations. Researchers who have pursued this line of investigation are developing a set of theories that are collectively known as construction grammars. This general approach takes its name from the view in cognitive linguistics that the basic unit of language is a form-meaning pairing known as a symbolic assembly, or a construction. Cognitive semantics, like the larger enterprise of which it is a part, is not a unified framework. Those researchers who identify themselves as cognitive semanticists typically have a diverse set of foci and interests. However, there are a number of guiding principles that collectively characterize a cognitive approach to semantics. In this section we identify these guiding principles (as we see them). In section 5 we explore some of the major theories and research areas which have emerged under the ‘banner’ of cognitive semantics. The four guiding principles of cognitive semantics are as follows: i) Conceptual structure is embodied (the ‘embodied cognition thesis’) ii) Semantic structure is conceptual structure iii) Meaning representation is encyclopaedic iv) Meaning construction is conceptualization Conceptual structure is embodied Due to the nature of our bodies, including our neuro-anatomical architecture, we have a species-specific view of the world. In other words, our construal of ‘reality’ is mediated, in large measure, by the nature of our embodiment. One example of the way in which embodiment affects the nature of experience is in the realm of color. While the human visual system has three kinds of photoreceptors (i.e., color channels), other organisms often have a different number. For instance, the visual system of squirrels, rabbits and possibly cats, makes use of two color channels, while other organisms, including goldfish and pigeons, have four color channels. Having a different range of color channels affects our experience of color in terms of the range of colors accessible to us along the color spectrum. Some organisms can see in the infrared range, such as rattlesnakes, which hunt prey at night and can visually detect the heat given off by other organisms. Humans are unable to see in this range. The nature of our visual apparatus – one aspect of our embodiment – determines the nature and range of our visual experience. The nature of the relation between embodied cognition and linguistic meaning is contentious. It is evident that embodiment underspecifies which color terms a particular language will have, and whether the speakers of a given language will be interested in ‘color’ in the first place (Saunders, 1995; Wierzbicka, 1996). However, the interest in understanding this relation is an important aspect of the view in cognitive linguistics that the study of linguistic meaning construction needs to be reintegrated with the contemporary study of human nature. The fact that our experience is embodied – that is, structured in part by the nature of the bodies we have and by our neurological organization – has consequences for cognition. In other words, the concepts we have access to and the nature of the ‘reality’ we think and talk about are a function of our embodiment. We can only talk about what we can perceive and conceive, and the things that we can perceive and conceive derive from embodied experience. From this point of view, the human mind must bear the imprint of embodied experience. This thesis, central to cognitive semantics, is known as the thesis of embodied cognition. This position holds that conceptual structure (the nature of human concepts) is a consequence of the nature of our embodiment and thus is embodied. Semantic structure is conceptual structure The second guiding principle asserts that language refers to concepts in the mind of the speaker rather than, directly, to entities which inhere in an objectively real external world. In other words, semantic structure (the meanings conventionally associated with words and other linguistic units) can be equated with conceptual structure (i.e., concepts). This ‘representational’ view is directly at odds with the ‘denotational’ perspective of what cognitive semanticists sometimes refer to as objectivist semantics, as exemplified by some formal approaches to semantics. However, the claim that semantic structure can be equated with conceptual structure does not mean that the two are identical. Instead, cognitive semanticists claim that the meanings associated with linguistic units such as words, for example, form only a subset of possible concepts. After all, we have many more thoughts, ideas and feelings than we can conventionally encode in language. For example, as Langacker (1987) observes, we have a concept for the place on our faces below our nose and above our mouth where moustaches go. We must have a concept for this part of the face in order to understand that the hair that grows there is called a moustache. However, there is no English word that conventionally encodes this concept (at least not in the non-specialist vocabulary of everyday language). It follows that the set of lexical concepts, the semantic units conventionally associated with linguistic units such as words is only a subset of the full set of concepts in the minds of speaker-hearers.

World History

During the medieval times, feudalism was the institution that characterized the political and economic landscape of Europe. What began as a contract between a lord and vassal eventually became the means for social organization in Europe. The term â€Å"feudalism† was said to have originated from â€Å"vieh,† the German word for cow (Nelson, 1999). This was because cows were the determinants of wealth for the early Germans (Nelson, 1999). Consequently, the term â€Å"fief† was used, which means â€Å"something of value† (Nelson, 1999). In the medieval era, land was the most valuable. Essentially, feudalism is â€Å"the contractual relationship among the European upper classes, by which a lord granted land to his man in return for military service† (Alexander, 1992, p. 64). This relationship between the lord and the vassal has political implications; the most crucial political characteristic of which was the localization of power and authority. The localization of power was a result of the Civil wars and the many invasions that occurred in Europe (Alexander, 1992). The invasions of the Magyars and the Vikings were instrumental in making the issue of defense a local concern (Alexander, 1992). This situation provided the opportunity for landowners to gain civil and military powers (Nelson, 1999). Due to the attacks, the feudal lords felt the need to hire men to protect their lands, while the people supported the landowners who could offer them protection. Hence, all government power was transferred to the local level, giving the landowners the most authority. Feudalism also dictated the economic atmosphere. Since the the feudal lords already had political authority, it followed that they had economic power as well. Through the fiefs they had given to their vassals, the landowners began influencing the areas within their territories. All the trees within the lord's land were his possession, and those trees may not be cut for any purpose (Nelson, 1999). The people were also asked to be economical in their fuel consumption (Nelson, 1999). Moreover, for every resource the villagers use, the lord must be paid (Nelson, 1999). This includes taking wood and hunting for animals. In addition, the lord has the monopoly over structures like grain mills and public baths (Nelson, 1999). The villagers also had to pay for the use of these structures. Nonetheless, the lords did not keep all income gained from these endeavors. They also shared it as non-land fiefs; examples of which include profits from the mills or fishing rights in streams (Nelson, 1999).Ap World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Aside from the economic rewards of being a feudal lord, he also received â€Å"relief† from his vassals. This was the payment given to the lord for taking a vassal (Nelson, 1999). At the same time, this payment would be used for his crusading expenses, or for the lord's ransom the moment he got captured (Alexander, 1992). In conclusion, feudalism was marked by two characteristics. On one hand, it was characterized by the localization of power. On the other hand, the economy was dominated by the lords. World History During the medieval times, feudalism was the institution that characterized the political and economic landscape of Europe. What began as a contract between a lord and vassal eventually became the means for social organization in Europe. The term â€Å"feudalism† was said to have originated from â€Å"vieh,† the German word for cow (Nelson, 1999). This was because cows were the determinants of wealth for the early Germans (Nelson, 1999). Consequently, the term â€Å"fief† was used, which means â€Å"something of value† (Nelson, 1999). In the medieval era, land was the most valuable. Essentially, feudalism is â€Å"the contractual relationship among the European upper classes, by which a lord granted land to his man in return for military service† (Alexander, 1992, p. 64). This relationship between the lord and the vassal has political implications; the most crucial political characteristic of which was the localization of power and authority. The localization of power was a result of the Civil wars and the many invasions that occurred in Europe (Alexander, 1992). The invasions of the Magyars and the Vikings were instrumental in making the issue of defense a local concern (Alexander, 1992). This situation provided the opportunity for landowners to gain civil and military powers (Nelson, 1999). Due to the attacks, the feudal lords felt the need to hire men to protect their lands, while the people supported the landowners who could offer them protection. Hence, all government power was transferred to the local level, giving the landowners the most authority. Feudalism also dictated the economic atmosphere. Since the the feudal lords already had political authority, it followed that they had economic power as well. Through the fiefs they had given to their vassals, the landowners began influencing the areas within their territories. All the trees within the lord's land were his possession, and those trees may not be cut for any purpose (Nelson, 1999). The people were also asked to be economical in their fuel consumption (Nelson, 1999). Moreover, for every resource the villagers use, the lord must be paid (Nelson, 1999). This includes taking wood and hunting for animals. In addition, the lord has the monopoly over structures like grain mills and public baths (Nelson, 1999). The villagers also had to pay for the use of these structures. Nonetheless, the lords did not keep all income gained from these endeavors. They also shared it as non-land fiefs; examples of which include profits from the mills or fishing rights in streams (Nelson, 1999).Ap World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Aside from the economic rewards of being a feudal lord, he also received â€Å"relief† from his vassals. This was the payment given to the lord for taking a vassal (Nelson, 1999). At the same time, this payment would be used for his crusading expenses, or for the lord's ransom the moment he got captured (Alexander, 1992). In conclusion, feudalism was marked by two characteristics. On one hand, it was characterized by the localization of power. On the other hand, the economy was dominated by the lords.

Ideas of Nature Versus Nurture in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

When asked this question; are people born blank slates that are formed by experiences and their surrounding environment, or are we born with specific traits? This brings up the question of genetics; can people be born with evil traits? As Mary Shelley writes Frankenstein, we can see little details in Victor’s childhood that could indicate he was shaped by his surroundings and not born with evil characteristics. As children grow up they start to form ideas about what is good, bad, and right or wrong, just like Victor does as he admires his father and his job. Most children follow in their parent’s footsteps in some sort of way, and since Victor’s parents were shown to be noble and smart, he took this as that is how he should be. If Victor were born with negative traits, he would not have wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps. The reason for him creating the monster was because of his surroundings at Ingolstadt. His professors, such as, â€Å"M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy. He was an uncouth man, but deeply embued in the secrets of his science†¦ The professor stared: ‘Have you,’ he said, ‘really spent your time in studying such nonsense?’† (Shelley 51) pushed the new ways of science on him causing him to see the possibilities of modern society. The movie portrays this more than the book does, which is good. We see Victor’s professor try to keep him away from the notes and readings on how to create life; if Victor never saw these notes, would he have been able toShow MoreRelatedMary Shelleys Frankenstein1689 Words   |  7 PagesSon, Frankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. I will be looking at some of the contemporary social issues that affected Shelley’s life at the time she wrote her novel. These will include Nature versusRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture In Frankenstein By Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1158 Words   |  5 PagesNature versus nurture has been a popular topic of discussion among psychologists, scientists, educators, and parents. The main focus of the nature versus nurture debate is how it affects human behavior and development. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley emphasises the idea that parents and families have a powerful influence on human behavior, which is demonstrated in the relationship between Creature and Victor. â€Å"Folding Beijing† written by Hao Jingfang takes a different perspective on the ideaRead MoreThe Value And Knowledge Of Literature818 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge gain to the majority, is one of the most well-known and highly acclaimed novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Analysis of biased nature and lack of multiple perspective analyses are problematic enough to depreciate the value of Frankenstein as innovative literature to low level horror story. It’s not a obvious social problem but a direct hit to the knowledge of Frankenstein’s millions of readers. Frankenstein is a fine example confronting a majority of its readers that are only able to analyzeRead MoreNature and Nurture in Frankenstein1357 Words   |  6 Pagesphysical characteristics are hereditary by nature, nurture is mostly in control when it comes to an individuals manners and character. Nature and Nurture are both major contributors to the development of the monster’s behavior in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Since the beginning of life, nature and nurture have influenced all living things to learn, live, and survive. Nature represents the biological qualities that organisms inherit at birth, while nurture represents the qualities that organisms acquire Read More‚Äà ²for Me, the Story Is Less a Horror‚Ä ¶Than a Larger Than Life Gothic Fairytale‚Äà ´ (Kenneth Brannagh) How Far and in What Ways Do You Agree with This Description of the Text?1960 Words   |  8 Pagesyou agree with this description of the text? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a novel which forces the reader to question whether it is a simple horror story or whether it is a gothic fairytale of many depths. Frankenstein is considered by many critics as the first modern horror story ever written, and it opened a whole new world of ideas for novels and has inspired many similar works since its publication in 1818. As we see by the prelude, Shelley’s first ambition is to horrify the reader as sheRead MoreEssay about The Reasons for Victor Frankensteins Emotional Turmoil1140 Words   |  5 Pagesand 10. Explore the basis for this turmoil and Mary Shelley’s portrayal of Victor’s state of mind. In this Essay I shall explore the reasons for Victor Frankenstein’s emotional turmoil in chapters 9 and 10 and look at how some events in Mary Shelley’s life mirrors some events in the book. I will also look at a few of the themes running through Frankenstein. Such as religion, parenting, hate, revenge, guilt and compassion. At the time that Frankenstein was published most people still believed theRead MoreReview Of Frankenstein By James Whale1840 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Review Critical Analysis of Frankenstein The 1931 film, Frankenstein, which was directed by James Whale changed the mad-scientist/horror movie scene permanently. Although it is almost a century old, people are still reenacting it and discussing it. This film is about a young man named Henry Frankenstein. Henry has an obsession with creating life. Fritz, Henry’s assistant, helped collect body parts from recently deceased corpses. The two men got to work, binding the parts together, toRead MoreFrankenstein And Frankenstein Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesconsiders the difference between nature and nurture. Sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and other professionals have tried to pin down the exact distinctions between these two types of upbringings. In literature, the same questions have been asked and studied using fictional characters, most famously in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in 1667, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818. The complexity of the characters in these texts creates the theme o f nature versus nurture before they diverge and arriveRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : The Nature Versus Nurture1268 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most popular debates among people is the idea of nature versus nurture. According to psychology.about.com: The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest philosophical issues within psychology†¦nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are – from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics [while] nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raisedRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Chapters 5 and 11-16 in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1519 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelley wrote Frankestein when she was 18, in 1816 but it was published in 1818. Frankenstein is about a man, Victor Frankenstein, who is obsessed with science and who learns how to create life and creates a being in the likeness of man. The being is referred to as ‘the creation’ or just Frankenstein. Mary Shelley was married to Percy Bysshe Shelley who was a Romantic Poet and a great philosopher. In this essay I’ll be comparing and contrasting chapters 5 an d 11 – 16 and exploring the language

The Non Voting Millennial Essay - 1719 Words

I first came to hear the argument of the non-voting millennial in a shared Facebook article post amongst my friends. As well, so many of them posted personal written statuses explaining why they had confidently decided against voting in this most recent and very heated election that pitted Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. Being considered a millennial myself, apart of the younger generation comprised of people ages 18 to 29, I feel in sync with my peers’ viewpoints on voting. Not only in this current Presidential Election, but in any election, whether it is state or superior. Now, if I or one of my peers were to state this in a public forum we would immediately be subject to bashing or have the fact that it is our civil duty to get out and vote brought up, with little to no one that would lend a listening ear to hear our honest reasoning. But the younger generation not fulfilling their civil duty is not a new concept nor is it a minor issue. So, instead of criticizing and before we ask why, let us look at the facts. According to The Economist, a print and online publication offering news in business, finance and politics, only 24 percent of millennials, ages 18 to 29, took to the polls in 2010 during midterm elections. Meanwhile, a significantly larger 51 percent of Americans ages 30 and older voted. In 2012, as well as the 2016 Presidential Election, millennials made up an even smaller portion of voters at 19% (Mosendz, 2016). These and many other polls show that itShow MoreRelatedThe Political Apathy Of America s Youth1447 Words   |  6 Pagesebbed Millennials faith in their government. Their numbers are stagnant in the polls and yet their willingness to emphasize political correctness seems to magnify when a politically related hashtag erupts on Twitter. 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The media in the United States can influence many things, especiallyRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On The Voting Booths Of America Are Empty1233 Words   |  5 Pagesthere is not a considerable effort toward realizing the before-mentioned practice in Michigan. The core of the article aims to bring attention to why low voter turnout should be a topic of anxiety for liberalists and the likes. I think this early vo ting study will help aid thoughts on what works and what is still flawed about the overall convince citizens to cast their vote. I found the source by searching â€Å"Low Voter Turnout† in the Academic Search Premier database. McCutcheon, Chuck. Young VotersRead MoreYouth Participation In New Zealand973 Words   |  4 Pagespast five years has created a policy problem for the government to represent the interests of the total population with an overall declining interest in voting. 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A few states in America have already legalized it and even more have actually decriminalized its use. David and Jack Cahn, Millennial debaters and credible authors, emphasize a pro legalization argument in their book, When Millennials Rule- The Reshaping of America. Throughout their chapter titled â€Å"The Weed Warriors are Back:Read MoreLiterature Rev iew : Social Capital3405 Words   |  14 Pagesdevelop the â€Å"I† into â€Å"we†, allowing for the collective actions of a network of people. This collective action is then able to impact government effectiveness dramatically as this vast network and their concern for one another encourage civic engagement, voting, political participation, the consumption of news and current events, and the sharing of leisurely activities such as choral activities or bowling clubs (Lipman 2009). The notion of positive social capital and the impact that it can have is essentiallyRead MoreRethinking Age And Aging, By Warren Sanderson And Sergei Scherbov860 Words   |  4 Pagesdeveloped nations. The younger generations paying into Social Security systems must support a much larger elderly population than they are capable of. The example of the aging Baby Boomers in the United States is a particularly poignant one. The Millennials are now responsible for the aging costs of their parents and grandparents as retirement and 20 years of supported living begins. For this reason, prospective age becomes massively important. Prosepctive Age is essential in determining the actualRead MoreMillennials Drive For School Choice1894 Words   |  8 PagesMillennials’ Drive for School Choice It is notable that the school system has major flaws where variation in methods has caused success and failure to come from different students; this is partially due to the way types of schools function. 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