Philosophical Outlook of Ancient China Essay

The Hundred Schools of Thought was an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China that lasted from 770 to 222 BCE. In around 500 BCE, after the Zhou state weakened and China moved in to the period of warring states, the classic period of Chinese philosophy, known as the Golden Age, began. This period saw the rise of numerous Chinese philosophers and academics. Many of the great Chinese texts have intensely enriched Chinese lifestyles and social awareness up to the present day. However, of the many schools founded at this time and during the subsequent Warring States Period, the three most influential ones were Legalism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Legalism, the political philosophy concerned with the most effective way of governing society, is exemplified in the style, attitude, and philosophical outlook of the passage. Legalists portray humans as inherently evil and inclined toward criminal and selfish behavior. Thus, if humans are allowed to engage in their natural proclivities, the result will be conflict and social disorder. They must be shaped and guided. If humans are not â€Å"straightened and bent† like the wood in the passage, which must be changed to be useful, they will not fit the proper description and always be essentially bad or ineffectual. Legalists have said, â€Å" Those who show capacity for their work†¦ [will be] promised and rewarded, those who show incapacity†¦ [will be] punished † (Waley 178- 179) . The manipulation of the wood through its shaping may be compared to the rewards and punishments given to the people in a legalist society to maintain order in the community. The idea of depending on the law is also imperative throughout the passage. The passage reveals that â€Å"laws of the state must not be neglected†, indicating their importance and necessity. It may be simply stated, â€Å" [the legalist] does not prize morality, he prizes the law† ( Waley, 155). This shows that there is an attitude of placing the law above all in this society. Thus, the passage indicates for the mentioned reasons above that it belongs to the legalist school of thought. As a result of these legalist beliefs there was a great emphasis placed on controlling human behavior through written law rather than through ritual, custom or ethics. Another school of thought was based on a system of ethics. This school of thought was known as Confucianism. These teachings placed a high value on learning and devotion to family, as well as a display of peace and justice. The passage does not represent Confucianism because this school of thought emphasizes the goodness of all people. Contradicting this belief, the passage indicates, â€Å" the enlightened ruler does not value people who are naturally good. † Waley reveals a conversation between the King of Wei and Mencius. Mencius concerns himself with providing the king with something of profit. In reply the King says to him, â€Å" All that I have to say to you is concerned with goodness and right, and nothing else at all† (90). This indicates that there is a strong base of integrity and goodness that creates the foundation of Confucianism, and the main attitude toward others were that they were filled with righteousness. The attitude of being â€Å" naturally good† can also be seen as â€Å"people†¦ [cultivate] condition[s] of liberty† (Waley, 87). This means that it is human nature, which is responsible for nurturing and promoting the growth. It is the character of all human beings to do the right thing that is essentially full of decency and honesty. In this way, Confucianism was primarily a system of ethical precepts for the proper management of society. The last school of thought is characterized by inaction, the uselessness of knowledge, spirituality, and the guidance by nature and instinct. This school of thought is known as Taoism. The passage does not share any of the above-motioned characteristics of being â€Å"middle of the road†. In fact, the passage contradicts this particular philosophy quite clearly. It states, â€Å"the ruler who has the technique does not follow the good that happens by chance. † In a Taoist society people believe in inaction as seen in the story of the man who spent every moment in life caring for his horse. â€Å"One day,† the story goes, â€Å" a fly attached itself to the animal, and this man scotched it†. He took an action, and as a result of taking an action the horse taken by surprise, it became severely injured and â€Å"tore its breast† and â€Å"bruised its head† (Waley, 77). This proves, according to Taoism that you should not seek to take things into your hands. If the care giver of the horse never would have made an effort to help the horse it would have been no better off or worse off than it was before, it would just â€Å"be†. This philosophy is also seen in another part of Waley in which it is said that, â€Å" You will stumble, you will stagger, you will topple and expire† (76). The way of the Taoist is to achieve happiness is by learning to â€Å"go with the flow. † Instead of trying to get things done the hard way, people should take the time to figure out the natural, or easy way to do things, and then everything would get done more simply. This shows the beliefs of Taoism, that not acting, but just functioning and being, by seeking a higher reality within one’s self, is enough. In conclusion, after considering all the schools of thought, it can be said that the passage is firmly believed to belong to the Legalist school of thought. Legalism portrays humans as obtuse, useless individuals that are inherently bad. The emphasis on laws, punishment and reward are shown by the â€Å"straitening and bending† of society to fit a particular, useful â€Å"mold†. The reasoning for the passage not belonging to either the Taoist or Confucian schools of thought are because there is no emphasis on goodness as seen in Confucianism. However, it does show how people as being inherently bad. It also shows how people should act and take matters into their own hands, which derives from the Taoist philosophy of staying neutral. Therefore, the style, attitude, and philosophical outlook of the passage would be legalism because it is clearly portrayed by the values, attitude and the teachings illustrated in the passage.

Elimination of Television Jerry Mander Essay

Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television Jerry Mander thinks that with television â€Å"there is ideology in the technology itself. † The four claims in this particular article are that: (1) television itself had come to define the people who use it, (2) the forms by which it is used, (3) its influence on people, (4) as well as the other significant outcomes that may later come from its use. He argued that television is a medium or a means through which people derive, process, and build ideas from. He used parallelism in his challenge or rebuttal argument when he likened television to the army. The army’s mandate is to fight wars that necessitate fighting, killing, defeating and winning over the enemy. It does not follow that the generals chosen to lead the army are the kind born to fight and kill, the same way that television was not conceived to breed the kind of people who watch it. In the concept of the automobiles, he used the climatic word order in his narrative argument. He enumerated the consequences of the invention of the automobile, the need for gas, oil to source it, refineries to process the oil, stations to pump gas into the car. Mander used emotive language in his causal argument to emphasize the change cars brought to people, like when â€Å"they evolved into car people †¦. Cars replaced human feet. † Television like the automobile triggers a lot of reaction from its existence and subsequent use. Advertisements are made on television because consumers watch TV, manufacturers make big sales because their products are advertised, and the line goes on. This argument is related to Mander’s take on Advertising. The evaluative argument on the comparison of television to advertising used a balanced sentence with equal and parallel ideas, when Mander wrote that advertising was â€Å"designed to persuade and dominate by interfering in people’s thinking patterns. † Television for its part has a strong influence on people to take a side of an issue, or to change their minds on others. In his concluding argument he takes the strong position of getting rid of television quickly if ours is to be restored to a sensible and rational and free-thinking society basis the above reasons. Reference Mander, Jerry. (1978). Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television. Harper Perennial.

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Stress-induced Stimuli Essay

Psychological and Physiological Effects of Stress-induced Stimuli - Essay Example Stress and human health often go hand-in-hand as much clinical research supports that each individual's response to stress has immediate, and sometimes long-term, effects on mental and biological health. The stress reponse is the reaction to stressors, or the events and circumstances that trigger sensations of pressure, frustration or anxiety. There are distinct biological and psychological changes that occur in an individual when exposed to stressful situations and, depending on the nature of the stressful event, the body's stress response can become more intense. Each individual maintains a variety of potential stressful stimuli, including life changes, work-related pressure or even self-induced stress brought on by psychological irrationality in which the individual maintains a self-defeating attitude towards their self value. There are any number of situations in which a person might feel overwhelmed by life situations, however, the response to the stress (whether catastrophic or perceived) varies in intensity based on each individual's ability to cope with the stressors. It is often the cognitive approach to coping with stress that makes the distinct difference between a healthy or a rather unhealthy stress response. Almost immediately after being exposed to a stressful si... Almost immediately after being exposed to a stressful situation, the brain's hypothalamus stimulates the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and the adrenal glands to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood - leading to increases in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and perspiration (Morris & Maisto, 2005). From a physiological standpoint, the stress Stress Response 4 response can be related to the physical, chemical effects on the body and the severity of long-term health effects vary by individual. A well-adjusted person, who purposefully recognises these physical changes when confronting stress, might begin a regimen of stress-relieving practices, such as meditation or breathing exercises, to bring the physiological effects down to a more controlled level. A person who is easily overwhelmed by stress may act inappropriately to these hormonal changes or become, in the long-term, a maladaptive person based on an inability to mentally cope with the stress. This indicates the relationship between the physical stress response and the psychological effects of long-term exposure to stress stimuli. Physiological Effects of Stress When the body recognises stress-related environments, the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system affords the body an opportunity to perform vigorous muscle activity, suggesting that the biology of this stimulation is to prepare the body for increased activity; sometimes viewing stress as a perceived threat. The sympathetic nervous system increases arterial pressure and increases blood flow to active muscles, thus increasing glycolysis and increasing muscle strength (Loomis, 2005). Glycolysis, by simple definition, is a metabolic process that

IMAX CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IMAX CASE STUDY - Essay Example Large screen formats are a relatively new concept and it offers a wide range of exciting opportunities. There are very few players in this segment and it is primarily dominated by IMAX which is in this business for a long time now. PESTEL analysis is done to understand the current situation. It has been established from PESTEL Analysis that technology is the most crucial factor for large screen formats. US is a tech savvy nation and hence this was the first market which was targeted by this industry. IMAX has developed superior technology in due course of time which provides a competitive advantage to it. With the growing popularity of movies like Avatar and Alice In Wonderland new players are lining up to take advantage of the opportunity. Vertical Integration is a prime charecterstic of this industry and IMAX’s biggest buyers Regal and APC are coming up with their own large screen formats. Next the report tries to identify the internal factors which affect IMAX. IMAX’s strength and weakness is established in this part. It is followed by understanding the opportunities and threats that IMAX has. Political: The Federal Communications Commission has plans to implement a National Broadband Plan ensuring internet for all (Hanchard, 2010).This would mean that pay per views would increase which might affect box office sales. Economical: America has been through the worst financial crisis. However it is on a recovery path with things getting back to normal. The per capita income of US in 2009 was $39,138$ (Bureau of Business & Economic Research, n.d.). US has the highest number of movie audience per capita of population which stands at 5.3 films each year. Out of this if people who didn’t watch atleast a movie in one year, then the figure goes to 8.6 films. Legal: Piracy is a major problem in US. Motion Picture Association of America estimated an annual loss of more than $3 billion because of piracy. The

England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

England - Essay Example This has resulted in the death of many people and some have become physically impaired and cannot be able to fend for their families. Minors are also employed under these severe working conditions (Mokyr 101). We would like the government to pass laws that will set the minimum wage and minimum working hours to prevent employers from exploiting us. We would also like the government to put in place laws that will ensure our safety is guaranteed while working. For example: factory owners should be required to purchase protective gear for their employees and compensate those who lose their lives or become physically impaired in the line of duty. Finally, we would like the government to improve on sanitation facilities within the city, build more schools for our children, hospitals and improve on security. This is because the population has grown tremendously and some of these facilities already in place cannot cater for the needs to the city residents. This will go a long way in improving our

Mexico Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Mexico - Term Paper Example Since 1920, the country went through various changes and reforms in social, agriculture, and political sectors that molded it into what it is now today. The country’s climate varies considerably from one region to another. While the southern region is mostly a tropical jungle, the northern region of the country is an arid desert. The central plateau is a colder region, particularly during winter. Its highest point is at 18,700 feet and -32 feet is its lowest point. The prevailing climate is tropical or desert. The highest average temperature registered in the capital city is 80˚F during April and every January, the temperature can reach as low as 42.4˚F. In the early 16th century, the country’s regions of advanced Amerindian civilizations became colonies of Spain until the beginning of the 19th century. These include underemployment, unequal distribution of income, and the huge economic gap between the rich and the poor. Further, powerful drug-trafficking organiza tions in Mexico are the country’s major cause of peace and order problems and crimes since 2007. In 2011, Mexico’s economy grew by 3.9%, but it is still susceptible to U.S. business cycle and euro zone crisis. That is when the U.S. suffers another economic downturn or the euro zone crisis spills over, Mexico’s economy will surely be dragged down. On the other hand, if the eurozone crisis is contained and the U.S. economy improves, Mexico will gain benefits from the dynamics of its export-based manufacturing sector.

Research on Using handphone to activate and deactivate the car camera Paper

On Using handphone to activate and deactivate the car camera - Research Paper Example This paper analyses the usage of hand phone to activate and deactivate the car camera. â€Å"Camera security systems usually incorporate a central computer or storage device to record video. Most can also be hooked up to monitors for immediate viewing. In recent years, wireless technology has made it possible to eliminate cumbersome wires and make camera security systems more versatile. These wireless cameras can integrate with a personal computer, and some can even be monitored by cell phone. Wireless cameras transmit to a wireless receiver that can translate the signal back into analogue video or simply send it to a digital storage device, such as a DVR† [8] Car cameras can be used as an electronically controlled security guard robot to the cars. Car cameras or electronic surveillance system excels where the manual security measures fail. Car cameras can be used to photograph robbery or intrusion or destruction of the vehicle using remote control. It can be controlled using a hand phone as well. Car camera has various features like remote control, motion sens or to automatically activate the Mobile Cam, photo documentation of vandalism, theft, and altercations, ability to take and store up to 680 digital images, view playback on home TV and monitors, record images on any VCR, displays date and time, ability to capture images at night or in very low light, easy to adjust and install. [1]. It is easy for the vehicle owners or the police force to track the activities of the intruders using the combinational services of car cam and hand phone. In â€Å"Normal† mode, the car camera begins taking pictures as soon as it is switched on.   The camera function is so designed that when the memory becomes full it can overwrite on the pictures starting from first. It is possible to switch off the overwrite mode if needed. As per the United States law, as long as the