Frankenstein, Blade Runner Context Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein, Blade Runner Context Essay Good morning/ afternoon miss, today I will be speaking about the themes of two texts and the context in which they were written. The two texts ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Blade Runner’ both embody themes of science, creation and nature that are reflected in the author’s life and what was happening in the world around them. By examining Mary Shelley’s life we can see many of the key themes of her time reflected in Frankenstein. The novel Frankenstein was written in 1818 and follows the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein and his quest for creating life. However his experiment goes wrong as his creature goes on a rampage after he has been rejected. One theme from this novel that is part of Shelley’s life is the natural world. The theme of the sublime natural world was embraced by Romanticists such as Mary Shelley who, in their writing, glorify the natural environment. By showing nature as a powerful force it gives an idea that nature is a great and controlling force, somewhat god like. Victor, depressed after the deaths of William and Justine for which he feels responsible for, heads to the mountains. A cold†¦ breeze†¦ upon my cheeks †¦ fills me with delight† is a shortened quote from Victor which expresses his feelings towards nature as a joyous one. The influence of nature on mood is evident throughout the novel and just like Victor feeling happy in the embrace of nature; the monster also feels his heart lighten as spring arrives after a being abandoned in the cold winter. â€Å"The weather became fine and the skies cloudless†. Contrasting to Frankenstein that explores the beauty of nature, Blade runner explores how when the natural environment fades the consequences for both humans and the planet are terrible. Blade Runner is a film directed by Riddley Scott in 1982 and follows the story of a blade runner named Deckard as he sets out on destroying artificial humans known as replicants. In the 1980s many Americans, including Scott feared their country was in a great decline and depression of the war and industrialization. These somber themes are evident within the film. At the beginning of the film we see a montage of manmade buildings and structures that overwhelm the landscape as there are no natural elements. Symbolism is very important in this opening scene as we also see setting in the background, the sun. The sun setting symbolizes the end of the earth and that humans are entering into the dark. Rain in many parts of this film and is used as a visual metaphor to suggest that nature is crying for its destruction by humanity. The effect of this impression is that when nature dies everything will mourn. The setting of this post apocalyptic film is not the only thing that has been urbanised. Many animals have been created artificially. When Deckard first goes to Tyrell he is shown an artificial owl, to which he responds â€Å"must be expensive†. The repetition of animals being artificial and expensive highlights that nothing natural remains and that nature has been taken over by commerce. Scott uses the animals as a symbol to represent how artificial the world has become. Another theme that is evident in both Frankenstein and Blade Runner is science and creation. Frankenstein was written in a period of technological advancement where science was just beginning to take shape and the thought of recreating life was evident. An event in Shelley’s life that impacted her was the work of Luigi Galvani who discovered that the muscles of dead frog’s legs twitched when struck by a electricity. This advancement leads Shelley to critique the ideals of science contrasting to the value of nature. Shelley is clear on her feelings about the use and abuse of technology. The reanimation of a man from the dead can be useful so we can always be with loved ones, but what responsibility should we take once we bring people back from the dead? How far can we go in raising the dead without destroying the living? Shelley seems to portray the idea that man cannot handle becoming like God without difficulty. Victor Frankenstein learns all he can about the field of science, both before, during, and after his work at the university and is continuously obsessed with creating life. The effect of uses a character obsessed with creating life, then later rejecting it further shows how Shelley feels about miss using technology. Similarly to Frankenstein, Blade Runner also questions the values of science and creation. Scott created his film when industrialization and when technology is rapidly becoming part of everyday life. As the creator of the replicants, Tyrell simply creates the androids for money and power then immediately outcasts them. Scott makes the company of Tyrell seem very dark and large to emphasize his power within the city. Both Mary Shelley and Riddley Scott draw inspiration from the events and other themes that are impacting their life, whether it is nature, the advancement of technology or creation issues at the time of writing.

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSED RESEARCH (State succinctly the problem which is to be addressed. Clearly outline the importance of the problem, the originality of the approach and the impact it may have on the field if successful. Give an overview of the broader significance as well as the immediate impact of this research.) The main purpose of this research is to create a gypsum wallboard with enhanced fire resistant property. Gypsum owns a property of combined water content, is a noncombustible and acts as effective fire proofing material. When heat from fire comes in contact with a plaster wall (or gypsum wallboard), it begins to lose combined water as steam thus making the hemihydrate form of gypsum (stucco) rehydrated and it reverts back to dihydrate. Wide range requirements such as fire resistant, increase moisture resistant can be achieved by the use of different calcining methods and additives. The wide applicability of gypsum is in construction. It is also used in the chemical industries In producing the fire resistant gypsum wallboards, the various properties of GWB like thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics are to be studied which plays a major role in controlling the spread of fire in buildings. Gypsum wallboard consists mainly of gypsum i.e. calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate in nature is mostly available in two forms: Calcium sulfate dihydrate is commonly referred as gypsum, which is one of the oldest construction materials. It naturally occurs in sedimentary deposits from ancient sea beds. The most distinguishing feature of Gypsum is that it is moderately soluble in water at room temperature and exhibits a special feature of retrograde solubility i.e. gypsum becomes less soluble at elevated temperatures. Another form of calcium sulfate is the calcium sulfate anhydrite. At a temperature of 58 ËÅ ¡C Gypsum and Anhydrite coexist, also the anhydrite exhibits the strong retrograde property but it does not revert back to gypsum as its solubility decreases with increasing temperature. Gypsum wallboard is used to make interior walls and ceilings in residential and commercial applications that often require specific fire rated assemblies. Various types of gypsum wallboard are manufactured, with the most common variety and specialized varieties such as fire resistant, water resistant, and plaster lath. Combination of beta hemihydrates stucco, water and other additives form slurry which is used in the manufacture of the gypsum wallboard. Additives such as asphalt emulsion, vermiculite, chopped fiberglass and paper fiber impart to the wallboard characteristics such as water resistance, fire resistance and strength. The fire resistance property is mainly attributed to the absorption of energy related with the loss of hydrate water going from the dihydrate (CaSo4.2H2O) and from the hemihydrates to the anhydrous form (CaSo4). Impinging heat of gypsum wallboards initially operates to reverse the hydration reaction resulting in controlling the spread of fire and penetration of flame through set gypsum structures. Fire resistance can be achieved by using appropriate additives such as fiber, glass textile fibers, vermiculite, which expands when heated, which acts against the gypsum shrinkage. Because of its worldwide occurrence and huge potential reserves, however its uses are not considered basic to survival in a national emergency, gypsum is not considered a strategic mineral. This has permitted natural economic factors to prevail in the development of the mineral worldwide, which overall is a healthy situation that should continue to prevail. PLAN OF PROCEDURE (Outline the initial approach to the problem and its feasibility. Point out innovative features, relate it to previous work including pertinent references, and indicate how this plan may contribute to the solution of the broader problem proposed.) Gypsum manufacturing process consists of three main steps (1) rock preparation, (2) calcining and (3) formulating and manufacturing. Though we start with buying the gypsum material from one of the providers so the next important step ahead is the calcination process. Gypsum is usually referred to be CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate dIiydrate undergoes calcination to form hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or anhydrous form (CaSO4). Initially the calcination process was achieved by heating the raw gypsum material in an open environment, later on with the development in science calcination was achieved by heating the gypsum material in a kiln. Kinetic studies of calcination process plays an important role in determining the gypsum product parameters. We are interested in knowing the time, temperature and rate at which the calcination process can be achieved. Initially a small amount of the gypsum material is taken and X- Ray diffraction studies are conducted on it to know its composition i.e. CaSO4. 2H2O or CaSO41/2 H2O or CaSO4 .Later after determining the form of gypsum material, thermogravimetric studies (used for the determination of weight change at different temperatures and time) are conducted on the CaSO4.2H2O to determine the temperature and time required to convert from dihydrate form to hemihydrate and anhydrite form. Again the obtained product is first subjected to XRD and SEM studies to investigate the state of gypsum i.e. dihydrate, hemihydrate or anhydrous form. This can be studied by interpreting the obtained results with the earlier established results. Later gypsum powder is subjected to different temperatures at different time intervals to determine the time and temperature required for the calcination process to finish by using Thermogravimetric Analysis Instrument also Differential Scanning Calorimetry (which determines the melting and boiling temperatures) studies are also conducted to know the melting temperatures of the product Until now the calcination process is studied by using a very small amount of the sample in a laboratory environment, the obtained results from these experiments is used to correlate with the calcination process which is done in hot air oven by using a large amount of samples. The temperature obtained from the thermogravimetric studies is used as basis for the calcination process in hot air oven. These studies are done to know the reproducibility for large scale samples. This encompasses the first step in our research. The importance of these kinetic studies related to calcination is very useful to determine the conditions for achieving the hemi hydride from calcium sulfate which undergoes rehydration process i.e is addition of water molecules to the hemi hydride form to form the gypsum wallboard. Calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or Calcium sulfate anhydrite (CaSO4) undergoes rehydration in the presence of water. Rehydration plays an important role as it allows to add the additives such as glass material, vermiculite etc. to the slurry which is referred as stucco. Chemically stucco is referred as the hemihydrate form of CaSO4. These additives are added to increase the fire resistant property in addition to the strength of the wallboards. The kinetic studies related to the rehydration process are studied similar to the calcination step. These kinetic studies gives us scope for better understanding the process of gypsum wallboard. i.e the amount of water required for rehydration and also the amount of additives that can be added to the gypsum mixture to retain the chemical stability of the gypsum composition required for the wallboard manufacturing. Similar to the first step this step is studied for the time, temperature and rate of reaction in the open environment and later in the laboratory environment by using kettle. In the kettle the hemihydrate and hydride forms of calcium are reacted with the water and the obtained product is subjected to the XRD and SEM studies to determine the state of product. This is the second step in our research. The final step in our research is the lab scale preparation of gypsum wallboard which involves the dihydrate form of calcium sulfate react with the sufficient amount of water to form slurry. Theoretically about 18.6 parts of water is required to react with the 100 parts of gypsum but to get a slurry, excess of water (about 80 to 85 parts) is reacted with 100 parts of gypsum. In this step water along with 10-30 wt. % of starch such as corn starch is added to obtain milk of starch. Next about 0.1 -1.5 wt.% of amolytic enzyme such as ÃŽ ± amylase based on the starch is added and heated to the decomposition point of the starch with stirring. After the heating is stopped enzyme deactivating agent based on the starch is added in the range of 0.8 to 1.0 wt. % and mixed with water to obtain a starch paste. To the prepared starch material the calcination product is added along with water and vermiculite, glass materials which improve the fire resistance property of the gypsum wallboard. This mixture is agitated in slow motion to obtain a slurry. This slurry form of gypsum is poured into a paper sheets such as paper boards. The edges of the paper is folded upwards to retain the slurry form of gypsum. The other end of the product is covered with another paper material which helps to retain the structure of the gypsum board. This mixture is subjected to heating by using hot air press which is useful to remove the excess water and to obtain a specific structure of the gypsum board. This process is continued until all the excess water is removed. It is dried in the temperature range of 50 ËÅ ¡C-200 ËÅ ¡C. Starch paste such as denatured starch and dextrin is used as an auxiliary adhesive to prevent calcination of the crystal of gypsum dihydrate and dehydrated to give a gypsum hemihydrate in drying at high temperatures. Also to prevent separation of the gypsum core member from both paper board, hardening modifier are added to the raw material of the gypsum core member. It is effective that starch paste along with water in the gypsum core member and both paper boards migrate during drying at high temperatures, and cover the crystal of gypsum dihydrate due to water retention capability of the starch paste which developed into the fiber of the paper boards so as to prevent the calcination and dehydration of the crystals. The obtained wallboard is subjected to different analytical techniques such as Thermogravimetric analysis, Thermomechanical analysis, XRD, SEM and Differential scanning calorimetry as discussed in the calcination and rehydration step. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION LAB SCALE PREPARATION OF GYPSUM WALLBOARD: Materials and supplies: A minimum of 50 pounds of raw gypsum is required to make the gypsum wallboard and test its fire resistant property by adding the additives such as starch, dextrose, glass fibers. Initially a wallboard is made without adding any additives and for that about 5 pounds of the powder is used and tested for its properties. Similarly by adding the additives wallboard are made and tested for its properties. If the properties observed are similar to the standard fire resistant properties, variations in the additives is done and another wallboard is made to test for its fire resistant property. This procedure is followed until a wallboard with improved fire resistance is observed. REFERENC5 ASTM C1396/C1396 M-01. Standard specifications for gypsum board. ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2001. Yu, L.; Brouwers, J.H. Thermal properties and microstructure of gypsum board and its dehydration products: A theoretical and experimental investigation. Fire mater.2012, 36,575-589. Baux,C.; Melinge , Y.; Lanos , C.; Jauberthie,, R. Enhanced gypsum board panels for fire protection. J. Mater civil eng. 2008, 20, 71-77. Isa, K.; Oruno, H. Thermal decomposition of calcium sulfate dehydrate under self-generated atmosphere.Bull. Chem.Soc.Jpn. 1982, 55, 3733-3737. Borrachero, M.V.; Paya, J.; Bonilla,M.; Monzo, J. The use of Thermogravimetric analysis technique for the characterization of construction materials-The gypsum case. J.Therm.Anal.Cal.2008, 91, 503-509. Anderson, L.; Jannson, B. Analytical fire design with gypsum: Atheoretical and experimental study. Lund, Institute of Fire Safety design, 1987. Green, G.W,; Sundberg, D.G. Fire resistant gypsum- core wallboard. U.S.Patent 3,616,173.1971. Freyer, D.; Voigt.W. Crystallization and phase stability of CaSO4 and CaSO4 based salts. Monatsch chem.2003, 134, 693-719. Sultan, M.A.; Roy, P. Gypsum board fall off temperature in floor assemblies exposed to standard fires. 11th International fire science engineering conference, London, UK, 2007, 979-991. Thomas,G. Thermal properties of gypsum plaster board at high temperatures. Fire mater, 2006, 26, 37-45. Benichou, N.; Sultan, M.A. Thermal properties of light weight framed construction components at elevated temperatures. Fire Mater.2007, 31, 425-442. Wakili, G.k.; Hugi, E. Four types of gypsum plaster boards and their Thermophysical properties under fire condition. J.Fire Sci. 2009, 27, 27-43. Beard, A.; Carvel, R. The hand book of tunnel fire safety, ed.; Thomas Telford publishing; Heron Quay, London, 2005. Elliott, C. Plaster of Paris Technology. Chem. Trade J. 1923, 72, 725-726. Manzello, S.L.; Gann, R.G.; Kukkuck, S.R.; Lenhert,D.B. Influence of gypsum board type (X or C) on real fire performance of assemblies. Fire Mater.2007, 31,425-442. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION 1

Case Study Eastman Sports Cars Management Essay

Case Study Eastman Sports Cars Management Essay First, to answer the case study about Eastman Cars Sports Ltd. This will be done by identifying issues relating to LD within this company. Secondly, to propose solution in connection to LD aiming at improving both the performance and the workplace at Eastman cars Finally, this report will try as much as possible to predict potentials barriers to face in the process of introducing LD strategies. 2.0 Issues identified with proposition regarding LD After readiing the case study, I discovered that the company is so antiquated that they are not worth functionable. According to the case study staff have lack of limited resources. This means that the leaders in the company have rigid culture and negative mindset of managers. I therefore encountered numerous problems that the organisation is facing, these were: The company was sort of having a unilateral decision making managing director Lack of communication Lack of Management system and style of leadership Lack of technology and training Lack of human resource management Health and safety system wasnt put in place Low staff morale All these had an extremely negative effect on the company performance and infastructure. And I consider this as a bad aspect of a stituaton where the leaders should guide and inspire the team, but the issues I would like to discuss is the following: 2.1 Communication within the organization Problems occurring within business can easily be solved through teamwork discussions. Teamwork discussions refer to internal meeting held within organizations comprising of staff from various organizational departments. According to business professionals, effective communication within company acts as a major factor that leads to its development (Thetimes100, 1995-2009). Eastman requires having effective internal communication for it to succeed. This is as it will help in effective flow of information within the company thus helping each department carry out its respective responsibilities smoothly. However, communication may prove to be complicated for the company due to each department having its own mannerism, biases and capabilities. On the other hand most of the information to be conveyed to the departments will be intended for particular groups. Therefore the company need to take great attention on information intended for particular groups. Eastman Company has various groups ranging from formal to informal. Formal groups are those that have been assigned vital roles by Eastman Company and are established by the management which includes sales department, managers, administrators and accounting staffs. As these departments are allocated in different sites within the company, there is great need for information flow within them to be ensured for Eastman to attain its goals and objectives (Susan, 2009, p 1-3). Employee relation with their supervisors can go far in helping or hampering the attainment of organizational goals. Workforce, being the ones involved in day to day operation of the company, may identify various areas within the company that requires to be improved. If supervisors within Eastman prove hard to deal with, employees might opt to continue operating the company without reporting any hitch that occurs within the company. This would lead to the company not attaining its goals. In most cases, companies crumble due to poor relationship between managers and employees (David, 2009, p. 5). With some employees in Eastman admitting that some equipment are poorly managed within the company but they cannot help it as their supervisor is not willing to listen to their suggestions, it implies that the company is likely to collapse. Good relationship between employees and their managers would improve employee motivation leading to increase in their productivity. There is great need for Eastman supervisors to ensure that they are always ready to listen to employees opinions and work on them accordingly. Commending employees whenever they have done well will also help in improving their morale. In most cases, supervisors try to look for the negative deeds that their subjects commit forgetting about the many good things they do (Andrew, 2009, p. 2-4). It is the duty of supervisors to listen to what their subordinates tell them. This does not mean that they agree with all that is said by their subordinates. Sometimes, employees being the ones carrying out the daily operations of the company may have ideas on how to improve some of the processes within the company such as development of the cars bodies. Failure to listen to employees opinion is what is leading to the growth of dont care attitude among staffs within Eastman company. If not dealt with urgently, it would lead to the company incurring a lot of expenses in purchasing and repairing damaged equipments. In practice therefore Eastman should arrange and encourage the departments in looking after employees interest. From this mayo (1980-1949) suggest that employees are motivated when there is a better communication between managers and workers. He also concluded there should be a greater management involvement. It is manager requirement to educate, influence, motivate and lear n to approach his employees. 2.2 Lack of technology / Training With increased development in technology, business organizations need to regularly conduct training to their staffs to improve their productivity. Bearing in mind that Eastman only conducts only technical training to its staff when they are employed, the company requires to conduct training to it staffs. To conduct effective employee training and development, Eastman requires being aware of all changes that will result from the training. For it to maintain its competitive power in the market, it needs to impart new knowledge within its employees and not rely on what employees already know. Continuous employee training and education has proved to be a key factor in improving organization performance. In conducting the training, Eastman need to encourage creativeness among the staffs as it is the major element that will lead to the company gaining competitive advantage in the market. Training will help in introducing new inventions within the company making it more unique from its comp etitors (James, 2009, p.2-4). In todays business environment, the only way for a company to survive is to be innovative. This depends entirely on the level of training being conducted within a company. It does not imply that Eastman has to go out looking for means to impart knowledge on its staffs. If knowledge does not bring positive changes to the company it is as good as when the staffs are not trained as the company will incur unnecessary expenses. Eastman needs to ensure that it has harmonized its training with its needs, goals and the goals of its staffs. Business training has been faced with opposition from managers who perceive it as expensive and time wasting. Some claims that training is not fruitful while others term it as for young people who get in companies without knowledge. Eastman managing director may see as if conducting staff training is expensive but failure to conduct the training would prove even more expensive. Studies have shown that empowering employees through training and development h as great impact than investing in machineries and other physical resources (Patrick and Bruce, 2000, p.225). Its essential that Eastman supervisor ensure all employees are not exposed to exploitation in case they fail to undergo the training. Some companies use training to scare employees by threatening to sack them in case they fail to complete the training successfully. Instead, LD should be used to add value to the organisation and not the reverse. Clear goals are necessary for an organisation before it embarks on training of workers. If the company goes into training without clear goals of the values that need to be added to the company, such an organisation is courting failure. Eastman Sports Cars needs clear objectives for training the workers. Learning and development requires resources. An organisation must set aside resources to be used in training workers. The amount will depend on the kind of training they need. The learning resources must be easily accessible to the workers. They should be of high quality and cost effective. The cost of training should not be very high such that it hinders the smooth running of the organisation. Eastman Sports Car has not been doing very well lately and cost of training workers needs careful consideration. In addition, be timely and relevant to the learning needs of the workers. More importantly, training intervention should provide value for money (Thomas and Ploman, 1986, p. 64). The barriers that are likely to be encountered are lack of enough funds to finance the training. Time is also a barrier to training this is because some workers may have little spare time on their hands to attend classes. They may also be free at unusual hours (Thorne and Mackey, 2007,p.39). Accessibility is another challenge some sources may not be accessible to workers and the quality may not be satisfactory such that at the end of training the individuals gain very little to help them improve their skills. Lack of proper communication also leads to inadequate information and advice. (Sandler, 2007, p. 93). Lack of management support is another barrier to LD due to Mr Eastmans lack of interest for training. 3.0 Conclusion Whereas every employee in Eastman performs a specific task, the company can initiate cross training. This is where employees are trained on various jobs to ensure regular operations within the company. If an employees job cease to exist in the company or one department happen to require more staffs, staffs can be transferred to this department without the need for Eastman to employ new staff. This can also assist in expanding companys capacities without having to recruit new staffs. For instance, cross training has been said to be secrete behind the success of Toyota automaker in Japan. Another type of training that can be productive in Eastman is the just-in-time training. This is where employees are trained when need arise to meet the required skills. These training can be conducted at work place and requires short time hence not expensive for the company (VemiĆ¡, 2007, p. 209-216). There are many issues in learning and development such as strategies, intervention and res ources. In addition, during learning and development the barriers may arise. However, the barriers can be overcome. Thus, the company achieves its objectives in learning and development. 4.0 Recommendations I recommend that the managers in Eastman should identify and promote learning and development. The company can do this through personal interviews of the workers. The company can also look at its priorities and match them against the individual needs (Thorne and Mackey 2007, p. 16). Once the needs identification is through the company should provide a solution to the needs. The solution comes in for of training or learning. The company develops and delivers the most appropriate learning to meet the need. During this stage, the company works with external experts on the subject matter to design learning packages. The learning can take various forms for instance the course can be computer-based, paper-based, work experience, structured activities or self-paced activities. The learning resources must be easily accessible to the workers. They should be of high quality and cost effective. Further recommendations include the following: The company should avail funds to train workers. Incentives can also be given to the workers who commit to training. The employer can give them subsidies. The leaders should consider In determining the most appropriate style of leadership in the work place which includes: the characteristics of the manager, personality, attitude, abilities, value system and the personal credibility of managers( mullins, 2007, p 390) The type and nature of the organisation, organisation culture, and different stages in innovation and development. I completely recommend the managing director (Kayleigh) to act as a coach and a mentor to the organisation. Employers have the right skills to support the success of their businessess, and individuals have the skills they need to be both employable and personally fulfilled (Harrison, 2005, p.26). The learning and development plan should be meaningful to the workers by linking skills to be learnt with the company objectives. The company should allow worker time flexibility during the course period. The company can assist in developing part-time learning as well as distance learning. The trainers should also train the workers at the workplace to save on time spent on travel. The company should conduct background check on the trainers to ensure that the relevant authority accredits them. The company should stick to high quality training standards to give the workers high quality learning. Communication between the workers and leaders should be improved so that information is passed upwards or downwards effectively. Evaluation should be on learning and development after training to see the value of the training packages.

Metaphor, Sociobiology, and Nature vs. Nurture: The Biological Battle o

Metaphor, Sociobiology, and Nature vs. Nurture: The Biological Battle of the Century Ladies and Gentlemen! I am proud to present one of the biggest and longest-running biological battles of the century! Tonight we recap the surprising nature vs. nurture fight. The following pages will explain the highlights, but if you want to learn about this war in its entirety, you’ll find the blow-by-blow account available to the public in Connie Barlow’s collection, From Gaia to Selfish Genes, in a chapter entitled "Nature, Nurture, and Sociobiology." What began this brawl of the biologists? Was it a woman? No. Was it a war? No. It was a metaphor. And the metaphor states that society is an organism. This metaphor believes that individuals in a society work together in order to function like an organism. But this isn’t the dispute—the real fight lies within the question, How is this organism organized? In other words, do we inherently possess the knowledge to function like an organism or are we taught this skill? Here come the returning champs now! In the Blue Corner—The Returning Champs: The Anti-Sociobiologists Weighing in with a professor from Harvard, a chair of neurobiology from the Open University, and a chair of psychology from Northwestern University, the anti-sociobiologists defend the idea that genes and environment work together, much like a dance, in which the individual is taught social behavior. In an excerpt from their book, Not in Our Genes, theorists Richard Lewontin from Harvard, Steven Rose from the Open University, and Leon Kamin from Northeastern University propose, as the title suggests, that social behavior is not genetic. Rather, it is taught or influenced by an individual’s surrounding environment... ...as hard, scientific evidence, both are lacking. For example, the sociobiologists cannot prove that altruism is a gene, yet the anti-sociobiologists cannot prove otherwise. Thus, the both the sociobiologists and the anti-sociobiologists attempt to answer how an organism is organized with theory—and neither have produced a hypothesis that is agreed upon by a consensus. Yet both positions assume that the metaphor that society is an organism is a commonly accepted idea. Robert Wright reflects my skepticism perfectly when he warns, "this blurring of the line between society and organism is a delicate matter" (150). It appears that, at least for the time being, both sides are going to have to agree to disagree. Work Cited Barlow, Connie, ed. From Gaia to Selfish Genes: Selected Writings in the Life Sciences. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT University Press, 1991.

Effects of the War on the Students of Devon in A Separate Peace Essay

Effects of the War on the Students of Devon "Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it" ( Knowles 5). In this novel A Separate Peace, using these words, John Knowles reveals the fear that haunts the students at Devon and when they proceeded with all their training for the war they mature into adults. A Separate Peace shares the lives of students at Devon that are forced into an unknown world of fear, problems, and uncertainty as they head off to World War II in training to fight and represent their country where they will find or lose themselves and make important decisions that will impact their future. The students at Devon are put into adulthood at an early age, having to fight and make their country proud, but they are left feeling pressure for a war they do not start. The students enter a world of unexpectedness and dread where they are forced into adulthood through war, and are exposed to self sacrifice, physical awareness, and patriotism. Self-sacrifice is a major value that effects the students of Devon as they decide to enlist and sacrifice their luxuries. The students are faced with the unfamiliar pressures of the adult world where they must sacrifice themselves for the good of their country. For example, when a recruiter comes to Devon to encourage the students to join the ski-troops in the army, Leper Lepellier decides to enlist because even though he fears the war he knows he is pressured to make a decision ( where to enlist ) and this is one war job, he can execute. Leper , a loner, has finally found wh... ... and in doing so represent their country even more. Trying to be patriotic becomes hard for Brinker when his father wants him not to embarrass himself and do more for the country because Brinker feels that his father doesn?t understand that he is afraid to go to war. Brinker says", He and his crowd are responsible for it and we're going to fight it " (190). This quote shows how agitated Brinker is with his father for trying to tell him to accomplish more in a dangerous war, that Brinker wants nothing to do with, that can possibly lead to his own death. To sum up, patriotism is a necessity in going to war and representing the country because it shows feelings from the fighter to his or her country. To sum up, the boys at Devon have endured a lot as teenagers. They are faced with pressures and values that cause them to develop into adults, at an early age. Effects of the War on the Students of Devon in A Separate Peace Essay Effects of the War on the Students of Devon "Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it" ( Knowles 5). In this novel A Separate Peace, using these words, John Knowles reveals the fear that haunts the students at Devon and when they proceeded with all their training for the war they mature into adults. A Separate Peace shares the lives of students at Devon that are forced into an unknown world of fear, problems, and uncertainty as they head off to World War II in training to fight and represent their country where they will find or lose themselves and make important decisions that will impact their future. The students at Devon are put into adulthood at an early age, having to fight and make their country proud, but they are left feeling pressure for a war they do not start. The students enter a world of unexpectedness and dread where they are forced into adulthood through war, and are exposed to self sacrifice, physical awareness, and patriotism. Self-sacrifice is a major value that effects the students of Devon as they decide to enlist and sacrifice their luxuries. The students are faced with the unfamiliar pressures of the adult world where they must sacrifice themselves for the good of their country. For example, when a recruiter comes to Devon to encourage the students to join the ski-troops in the army, Leper Lepellier decides to enlist because even though he fears the war he knows he is pressured to make a decision ( where to enlist ) and this is one war job, he can execute. Leper , a loner, has finally found wh... ... and in doing so represent their country even more. Trying to be patriotic becomes hard for Brinker when his father wants him not to embarrass himself and do more for the country because Brinker feels that his father doesn?t understand that he is afraid to go to war. Brinker says", He and his crowd are responsible for it and we're going to fight it " (190). This quote shows how agitated Brinker is with his father for trying to tell him to accomplish more in a dangerous war, that Brinker wants nothing to do with, that can possibly lead to his own death. To sum up, patriotism is a necessity in going to war and representing the country because it shows feelings from the fighter to his or her country. To sum up, the boys at Devon have endured a lot as teenagers. They are faced with pressures and values that cause them to develop into adults, at an early age.

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Depression is a chronic mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and irritability. Many people do not realized that depression is a disease, it’s a real medical disorder where changes occur in the brain, and they have medicine that helps correct these imbalances. Depression has been described as a â€Å"whole-body illness† because it doesn’t only affect the person’s mood but can affect every aspect of a person’s life. Depression is an illness, not a state of mind or a weakness. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, but there are also other factors that may play a role as well, such as: environment - a significant loss, a difficult relationship or financial problems all produce stress. The body, by secreting extra amounts of certain hormones persisting for a long time, can produce changes in the brain actually killing some of the nerve cells. psychological - peoples whose personalities involve pessimistic thinking, low self-esteem and excessive worrying are more likely to develop depression. Genetics could also play a part - parents, siblings and children of depressed people are four times more likely to get depressed than a non-relative. Depression can affect anyone, any age. Even infants can become depressed, and may even die when they receive only a limited amount of human contact. Out of the estimated 17.6 million Americans suffering from depression each year, 1.5 million are children under eighteen. In teens depression is sometimes masked, shown in different ways like drugs, alcohol use, trouble in school, at home or with the law, withdrawal from social activities and sulkiness, grouchiness, and over-sensitivity. Sadness may be shown by wearing black clothes, writing poetry with morbid themes or music with nihilistic themes. Sleep disturbances may be shown by watching television all night, difficulty in getting up for school, or sleeping during the day. Lack of motivation and lowered energy level is reflected by missed classes. Getting lower grades than usual can show loss of concentration and slowed thinking. Boredom could also be a sign of depression in teens, loss of appetite may become anorexia or bulimia. Depression can appear to come out of nowhere, or it can be triggered by a life event such as the death of ones mother or the divorce of ones parents. According to the American Psychiatric Association, someone is depressed when loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities, or feelings of sadness last without relief for at least two weeks.

Concept and Nature Essay

1. Introduction Chapter 1. Concept- a notion or statement of an idea 2. 1 A concept is a fundamental category of existence. 2. 2 Ð ¡oncepts as mandated by a particular mental theory about the state of the world. 2. 3 A concept is a common feature or characteristic 2. 4 The notion of sense as identical to the notion of concept 1. A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences. 2. Something formed in the mind; a thought or notion. See Synonyms at idea. 3. A scheme; a plan: â€Å"began searching for an agency to handle a new restaurant concept†(ADWEEK). 1. an idea, esp an abstract idea the concepts of biology 2. (Philosophy) Philosophy a general idea or notion that corresponds to some class of entities and that consists of the characteristic or essential features of the class 3. (Philosophy) Philosophy a. the conjunction of all the characteristic features of something b. a theoretical construct within some theory c. a directly intuited object of thought d. the meaning of a predicate 4. (Engineering / Automotive Engineering) (modifier) (of a product, esp a car) created as an exercise to demonstrate the technical skills and imagination of the designers, and not intended for mass production or sale [from Latin conceptum something received or conceived, from concipere to take in, conceive] A notion or statement of an idea, expressing how something might be done or accomplished, that may lead to an accepted procedure. concept noun idea, view, image, theory, impression, notion, conception, hypothesis, abstraction,conceptualization She added that the concept of arranged marriages is misunderstood in the west. World English Dictionary concept (? k? ns? pt) | | — n| 1. | idea, especially an abstract idea: the concepts of biology| 2. | philosophy a general idea or notion that corresponds to some classof entities and hat consists of the characteristic or essentialfeatures of the class| 3. | . philosophy| | a. the conjunction of all the characteristic features of something| | b. a theoretical construct within some theory| | c. a directly intuited object of thought| | d. the meaning of a predicate| 4.| ( modifier ) (of a product, esp a car) created as an exercise todemonstrate the technical skills and imagination of the designers,and not intended for mass production or sale| | [C16: from Latin conceptum something received or conceived, fromconcipere to take in, conceive ] A. In general usage the term mainly denotes ‘idea’ or ‘notion’. It is envisaged as an abstract or psychological thing presupposing conscious minds which at least potentially ‘have’ the concept, i. e. , understand it, operate with it, apply it, etc. In philosophy and the social sciences (and other sciences too) concepts enter as (a) the most general tools of inquiry as such and as (b) the content or object of some specific inquiries, notably in comparative studies. What follows refers principally to (a) rather than (b). The nature of concepts, and their relation to the things ‘of which they are the concepts’, and to the minds which use or contemplate them, are among the most hotly disputed subject in philosophy. The present definition is not intended to prejudge or settle any of these issues, even if limitations of space make it appear to do so. B. Defined as an aspect of thought, a concept is a kind of unit in terms of which one thinks; a unit smaller than a judgement, proposition, or theory, but one which necessarily enters into these. In an assertion, something is predicated of a concept, and the predicate itself can generally be re-described as a concept. At the same time, however, the concept is by no means an ultimate or indivisible unit, for concepts can be augmented or diminished by addition or subtraction of some feature. (For instance, one may say that someone’s concept of social class does, or fails to, include the notion of differences in material rewards. ) Moreover, while concepts occur within assertions or theories and are thus distinct from them, a proposition or theory or thesis as a whole can in turn be referred to as a further concept. For instance, R. Firth writes that ‘some of Dr. Leach’s concepts are of a special order†¦I refer to his thesis that seeking for power is the basis of social choice’ (Foreword to E. R. Leach, Political Systems of Highland Burma, London: G. Bell, 1954, p. vii). C. Concepts correspond to or ‘are the meaning of’ all meaningful words, with certain qualifications: (a) only one concept corresponds to two or more words with the same meaning; (b) there is a tendency to speak of concepts only with regard to words which do, or at least can, refer either to something that can exist or be imagined or to an operation that can be performed, and not in connection with words whose role is grammatical rather than designative (for instance, one may speak of the concept of sovereignty, of infinity, of addition, but not of the concept of ‘and’ – though one must add that the drawing of the lines beetween these kinds of meaning is difficult, unsettled, and controversial part of philosophy: (c) there is a tendency to speak of concepts in connection with general rather than singular terms (one is unlikely to speak of a ‘concpet of John’ or of a ‘concpet of London’; in those cases the term ‘conception’ is more likely to be used. There are, however, exceptions, e. g. , ‘the concept of God’). The fact that concepts may be seen as the meanings of terms should not lead one to suppose that concepts are in some narrow sense linguistic entities: although concepts may be defined in terms of the rules governing the use of the words said to designate them, those rules determine (a) what things in the world are classed together (as ‘falling’ under the same concept’), (b) what features are grouped together (as ‘being various characteristics of the same thing’), (c) what operations of measurement, classification, discrimination, etc. , are performed by the man ‘using the concept’, and so on. D. Discussions of concepts in the social sciences tend to be a matter of the choice of terms and, more importantly, of their definitions. One may talk both of discovering and of inventing concepts; also of changing and developing concepts. In as far as given theories require certain concepts, and in as far as concepts can be said to incorporate theories, there is no sharp line between choice of theories and choice of concepts. Nevertheless, whole theories are thought of primarily as true or false, concepts are more naturally described as applicable or inapplicable, valid or invalid, useful or useless. Taken from A Dictionary of the Social Sciences eds. J. Gould and W. Kolb, Free Press, 1964. Concept From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In metaphysics, and especially ontology, a concept is a fundamental category of existence. In contemporary philosophy, there are at least three prevailing ways to understand what a concept is:[1] Concepts as mental representations, where concepts are entities that exist in the brain. Concepts as abilities, where concepts are abilities peculiar to cognitive agents. Concepts as abstract objects, where objects are the constituents of propositions that mediate between thought, language, and referents. Concepts were born out of the rejection of some or all of the classical theory,[4] it seems appropriate to give an account of what might be wrong with this theory. In the 20th century, philosophers such as Rosch and Wittgenstein argued against the classical theory. There are six primary arguments[4] summarized as follows: It seems that there simply are no definitions – especially those based in sensory primitive concepts. [4] It seems as though there can be cases where our ignorance or error about a class means that we either don’t know the definition of a concept, or have incorrect notions about what a definition of a particular concept might entail. [4] Quine’s argument against analyticity in Two Dogmas of Empiricism also holds as an argument against definitions. [4] Some concepts have fuzzy membership. There are items for which it is vague whether or not they fall into (or out of) a particular referent class. This is not possible in the classical theory as everything has equal and full membership. [4] Rosch found typicality effects which cannot be explained by the classical theory of concepts, these sparked the prototype theory. [4] See below. Psychological experiments show no evidence for our using concepts as strict definitions. [4] Prototype theory Main article: Prototype theory Prototype theory came out of problems with the classical view of conceptual structure. [1] Prototype theory says that concepts specify properties that members of a class tend to possess, rather than must possess. [4] Wittgenstein, Rosch, Mervis, Berlin, Anglin and Posner are a few of the key proponents and creators of this theory. [4][5] Wittgenstein describes the relationship between members of a class as family resemblances. There are not necessarily any necessary conditions for membership, a dog can still be a dog with only three legs. [3] This view is particularly supported by psychological experimental evidence for prototypicality effects. [3] Participants willingly and consistently rate objects in categories like ‘vegetable’ or ‘furniture’ as more or less typical of that class. [3][5] It seems that our categories are fuzzy psychologically, and so this structure has explanatory power. [3] We can judge an item’s membership to the referent class of a concept by comparing it to the typical member – the most central member of the concept. If it is similar enough in the relevant ways, it will be cognitively admitted as a member of the relevant class of entities. [3] Rosch suggests that every category is represented by a central exemplar which embodies all or the maximum possible number of features of a given category. [3] Theory-theory Theory-theory is a reaction to the previous two theories and develops them further. [3] This theory postulates that categorization by concepts is something like scientific theorizing. [1] Concepts are not learned in isolation, but rather are learned as a part of our experiences with the world around us. [3] In this sense, concepts’ structure relies on their relationships to other concepts as mandated by a particular mental theory about the state of the world. [4] How this is supposed to work is a little less clear than in the previous two theories, but is still a prominent and notable theory. [4] This is supposed to explain some of the issues of ignorance and error that come up in prototype and classical theories as concepts that are structured around each other seem to account for errors such as whale as a fish (this misconception came from an incorrect theory about what a whale is like, combining with our theory of what a fish is). [4] When we learn that a whale is not a fish, we are recognizing that whales don’t in fact fit the theory we had about what makes something a fish. In this sense, the Theory-Theory of concepts is responding to some of the issues of prototype theory and classic theory. [4] Issues in concept theory A priori concepts Main articles: A priori and a posteriori and Category (Kant) Kant declared that human minds possess pure or a priori concepts. Instead of being abstracted from individual perceptions, like empirical concepts, they originate in the mind itself. He called these concepts categories, in the sense of the word that means predicate, attribute, characteristic, or quality. But these pure categories are predicates of things in general, not of a particular thing. According to Kant, there are 12 categories that constitute the understanding of phenomenal objects. Each category is that one predicate which is common to multiple empirical concepts. In order to explain how an a priori concept can relate to individual phenomena, in a manner analogous to an a posteriori concept, Kant employed the technical concept of the schema. Immanuel Kant held that the account of the concept as an abstraction of experience is only partly correct. He called those concepts that result from abstraction â€Å"a posteriori concepts† (meaning concepts that arise out of experience). An empirical or an a posteriori concept is a general representation (Vorstellung) or non-specific thought of that which is common to several specific perceived objects (Logic, I, 1. ,  §1, Note 1) A concept is a common feature or characteristic. Kant investigated the way that empirical a posteriori concepts are created. The logical acts of the understanding by which concepts are generated as to their form are: comparison, i. e. , the likening of mental images to one another in relation to the unity of consciousness; reflection, i. e. , the going back over different mental images, how they can be comprehended in one consciousness; and finally abstraction or the segregation of everything else by which the mental images differ †¦ In order to make our mental images into concepts, one must thus be able to compare, reflect, and abstract, for these three logical operations of the understanding are essential and general conditions of generating any concept whatever. For example, I see a fir, a willow, and a linden. In firstly comparing these objects, I notice that they are different from one another in respect of trunk, branches, leaves, and the like; further, however, I reflect only on what they have in common, the trunk, the branches, the leaves themselves, and abstract from their size, shape, and so forth; thus I gain a concept of a tree. Embodied content Main article: Embodied cognition In cognitive linguistics, abstract concepts are transformations of concrete concepts derived from embodied experience. The mechanism of transformation is structural mapping, in which properties of two or more source domains are selectively mapped onto a blended space (Fauconnier & Turner, 1995; see conceptual blending). A common class of blends are metaphors. This theory contrasts with the rationalist view that concepts are perceptions (or recollections, in Plato’s term) of an independently existing world of ideas, in that it denies the existence of any such realm. It also contrasts with the empiricist view that concepts are abstract generalizations of individual experiences, because the contingent and bodily experience is preserved in a concept, and not abstracted away. While the perspective is compatible with Jamesian pragmatism, the notion of the transformation of embodied concepts through structural mapping makes a distinct contribution to the problem of concept formation. [citation needed] Ontology Plato was the starkest proponent of the realist thesis of universal concepts. By his view, concepts (and ideas in general) are innate ideas that were instantiations of a transcendental world of pure forms that lay behind the veil of the physical world. In this way, universals were explained as transcendent objects. Needless to say this form of realism was tied deeply with Plato’s ontological projects. This remark on Plato is not of merely historical interest. For example, the view that numbers are Platonic objects was revived by Kurt Godel as a result of certain puzzles that he took to arise from the phenomenological accounts. Gottlob Frege, founder of the analytic tradition in philosophy, famously argued for the analysis of language in terms of sense and reference. For him, the sense of an expression in language describes a certain state of affairs in the world, namely, the way that some object is presented. Since many commentators view the notion of sense as identical to the notion of concept, and Frege regards senses as the linguistic representations of states of affairs in the world, it seems to follow that we may understand concepts as the manner in which we grasp the world. Accordingly, concepts (as senses) have an ontological status (Morgolis:7) According to Carl Benjamin Boyer, in the introduction to his The History of the Calculus and its Conceptual Development, concepts in calculus do not refer to perceptions. As long as the concepts are useful and mutually compatible, they are accepted on their own. For example, the concepts of the derivative and the integral are not considered to refer to spatial or temporal perceptions of the external world of experience. Neither are they related in any way to mysterious limits in which quantities are on the verge of nascence or evanescence, that is, coming into or going out of existence. The abstract concepts are now considered to be totally autonomous, even though they originated from the process of abstracting or taking away qualities from perceptions until only the common, essential attributes remained. Etymology The term â€Å"concept† is traced back to 1554–60 (Latin conceptum – â€Å"something conceived†), but what is today termed â€Å"the classical theory of concepts† is the theory of Aristotle on the definition of terms. [citation needed] The meaning of â€Å"concept† is explored in mainstream information science, cognitive science, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind. In computer and information science contexts, especially, the term ‘concept’ is often used in unclear or inconsistent ways. When writing on the idea of nature as both stable in meaning and of the exchangeability of nature for other conceptualizations in written works, one should probably define nature in a definite way as to allow for comparisons in meaning. When seeking to define nature, whether it be of a human sort or any other, one must consider the parts to fully understand the whole. Everything must have a nature. If nothing had a nature, would that mean nature as we think of it would cease to exists? Or would we have another name for it? When seeking to define â€Å"nature†, there are a few routes to consider. Does a bear have a personality or a nature? Or both? When a bear frolics and plays, is that personality or nature? When it hibernates, is that personality or nature? For the sake of this argument, we shall say that when a bear happens to be frolicking and playing, he is doing so in a certain style, or way that is unique to that bear that sets him apart from his fellows, but not so much so that it alienates him from all bears. From there, we will assume this is because its personality allows it to. When it hibernates, it is because nature forces it to. Nature therefore is uniform; it has no uniqueness within bear kind. So establishing that a bear has a personality and a nature, what does this mean for criticism? Often in our readings we see references to nature, such as Mother Nature, human nature, the nature of plays and poetry, and so on and so forth. The question then, is what does a critic refer to when he says â€Å"nature†? Is he referring to hibernation? Or has he meant that nature is all-encompassing, referring to all actions of the bear as nature? As we have defined an instance of personality and nature within the inner workings of the bear, likewise must be done within the workings of criticism. In An Essay of Dramatic Poesy John Dryden states that a play â€Å"ought to be, a just and lively image of human nature, representing its passions and humors, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject; for the delight and instruction of mankind. † When he mentions â€Å"human nature† here, he is referring to many things at once. He is connecting the emotions one feels (passion and humors), that could easily be said to be part of an individual’s personality, as well as the commonality we all share in that there are no unique emotions to any one person. No one person has only felt happiness their whole life, nor has anyone not experience happiness at all. Dryden’s mention of â€Å"the changes of fortune† requires the alteration of the definition of â€Å"nature† we have thus far defined. When considering the bear, we didn’t count events in the bear’s life as part of his nature or personality. One can, however, predict what the bear will do in a life-changing event based on what we know of his nature. When it beings to get colder, a bear, as mandated by his bear nature, will forage for food to prepare for hibernation. When winter comes he will find a cave and hibernate. So when Dryden says â€Å"the change of fortune to which it is subject,† it can be assumed he means that human nature will react in a certain and specific and mostly predictable way to changes in the fictional character’s life. This means we can add an element of predictability and stability of actions to the definition of nature, with any variation given to personality. Dryden then turns to the notion of imitation. He speaks of imitating the ancient Greeks, who were imitators of nature. He speaketh: â€Å"Those Ancients have been faithful imitators and wise observers of that nature which is so torn and ill represented in our plays[. ]† This statement leads us to believe that nature is something to be observed and imitated. Therefore if one wanted to correctly portray a day in the life of our bear, he would watch the bear play, fish, sleep, and ect. The artist would then consider all of this as the bear’s nature, and imitate it on the stage or on paper in a story. The same process is therefore used when seeking to observe human nature. The poet, the playwright, the artist and novelist must be vigilant, claims Dryden, when observing so that when it is time to imitate, he can do so accurately. Aristotle, of the aforementioned Ancients, also discussed at great length the importance of the imitation of nature in art in his essay Poetics . Aristotlestates: Speaking generally, the origin of the art of poetry is to be found in two natural causes. For the process of imitation is natural to mankind from childhood on: Man is differentiated from other animals because he is the most imitative of them, and he learns his first lessons through imitation, and we observe that all men find pleasure in imitations. Imitation is considered here by Aristotle to be natural to mankind, even being so bold as to claim only humans learn from imitation. This natural tendency to imitate therefore leads us to find pleasure in observing imitations as well the act of imitation itself. Aristotle then incorporates â€Å"imitation† as a part of human nature, meaning that the action of imitation and the enjoyment of imitation is something all humans participate in, much in the way all bears hibernate in the winter. Aristotle continues by saying: Since imitation is given to us by nature[†¦]men, having been naturally endowed with these gifts from the beginning and then developing them gradually, for the most part, finally created the art of poetry from their early improvisations. Poetry then diverged in the directions of the natural dispositions of the poets. At this point, Aristotle’s notion of â€Å"nature† gets a little vague. First he states that imitation comes to mankind naturally. As he continues, however, he states that imitation is then developed, like a skill not an instinct. This concept evolves further to say that only the likes of poets become masters of imitation. Poets are unique in their ability to portray the observations of imitations they see. This uniqueness removes them from our definition of what is natural and applies to humans as a species, as Aristotle claims earlier. What Aristotle is applying here is another version of nature that is microsphere-ish to an individual, hence personality. Aristotle does not make this distinction what-so-ever. If imitation comes naturally to mankind as a whole, yet poetry only comes naturally to the disposition of poets, what exactly does that mean when defining nature? It means the terms â€Å"nature† and â€Å"naturally† in this passage needs footnotes. Perhaps when looking at this passage in terms of the way the words â€Å"nature† and â€Å"naturally† are used, Aristotle first uses it to refer to a universal characteristic shared by all humans: imitation. When refereeing to the poet, however, the definition changes slightly to refer to only poets, as though they are their own sub-species. An equivalent statement would be â€Å"All bears hibernate, but black bears hibernate the best. † Longinus also had an opinion of nature in his work On The Sublime. A lofty tone, says one, is innate, and does not come by teaching; nature is the only are that can compass it. Works of nature are, they think, made worse and altogether feebler when wizened by the rules of art. But I maintain that this will be found to be otherwise if it be observed that, while nature as a rule is free and independent in matters of passion and elevation, yet is she wont not to act at random and utterly without system. Further, nature is the original and vital underlying principle in all cases, but system can define limits and fitting seasons, and can also contribute the safest rules for use and practice. Longinus starts his argument out by saying what others have been saying: that the ability to write well comes from a persons’ natural talent; one that is born and not cultivated. Moreover, art is less sublime when confined to rules of art. Longinus argues this point, saying that if one truly observes an artist, they will find that while a natural born talent is a key principle, there is a system and structure to what is considered good art that is outside of nature’s control, which is contrary to the believe stated first. Longinus continues his argument by saying: This we may apply to diction, nature occupying the position of good fortune, art that of good counsel. Most important of all, we must remember that the very fact that there are some elements of expression which are in the hands of nature alone, can be learnt from no other sources than art. Longinus argues that ultimately nature is a catalyst for creation but does not play a role when judging if what has been created is worthy enough to be considered art. Yet in the next statement, he gives nature, the credit for the elements of expression that are observed and imitated in art to gain a better understanding of nature itself. When it comes to critiquing art, Dryden’s argument in An Essay of Dramatic Poesy is that in order for a work of art to be art, it must be the closet to actual nature. â€Å"Ancients have been faithful imitators and wise observers of that nature which is so torn and ill represented in our plays; they have handed down to us a perfect resemblance of her; which we, like ill copiers, neglecting to look on, have rendered monstrous, and disfigured. † When plays or writings don’t give an exact replication of nature, or even what is considered human nature, it loses value. It cannot be considered good art. The Greeks gave us examples of what good art is with their philosophies and ideas about nature and human nature. One advantage Dryden mentions his time period has over the Greeks is the advancement of science. He says: Is it not evident, in these last hundred years (when the study of philosophy has been the business of all the virtuosi in Christendom) that almost a new nature has been revealed to us? That more errors of the school have been detected, more useful experiments in philosophy have been made, more noble secrets in optics, medicine, anatomy, astronomy, discovered, than in all those credulous and doting ages from Aristotle to us? O true it is that nothing spreads more fast than science, when rightly and generally cultivated. As far as Dryden is concerned, that while many virtuous men have been focusing on philosophy, the times since Aristotle have changed. The invention of the microscope and the discovery of cells have altered how the natural world is viewed. There is more to everything in nature that meets the eye. He notes that worthy experiments in philosophy have been made, but that the rapid expanse of information generated by science has eclipsed those of philosophy. As there are no such references to science in regards to philosophy in Aristotle’s time, the philosopher of today must make his own way in regards to managing the way sciences has changed our view of nature. But what does science have to do with philosophy and art? The answer lies in the nature of art to reflect and imitate nature. Now that the secrets of optics, medicine, anatomy, and astronomy have been revealed, our human nature takes these secrets in. Philosophy now must contend and compromise with how these advancements fit into the human condition. The â€Å"new nature† must be negotiated with in terms of how it affects our lives. And of course science gives imitators a new genera in which to work. Painters can now paint the surgeon at work, perhaps teaching pupils. Once something becomes a natural experience, including that of science, it is to be imitated by poets. Nature, in its ever shifting meanings, does seem to have one consistent idea contributed to it, despite the technicalities. It can refer to the literal, organic substances that make up the vegetation, animals, and mankind in the world around us. It can also mean the behavior exhibited by said organic beings, such as the hibernation of bears. It has also been used to describe the emotions and other commonalties experienced by humans as a whole. Aristotle and Dryden have made it clear that within mankind there are certain characteristics attributed by nature, such as the observation and imitation of that which is around us. Simply put, it is in our nature to imitate nature. However, this definition of nature is refined when it comes under the consideration of art. While all of mankind takes delight in imitation, nature has endowed the artist, like say the poet, with a more natural and superior sense of imitation. When it comes to critiquing art of any sort, knowledge and a developed set of skills replaces nature according to Longinus. The act of imitating and creating may have natural causes, but the ability to ascribe worth to these creations can only come from a refined sense of what is makes good art, something that is not obtained from nature. In Dryden’s opinion, only the closest of imitations of nature are art. He also relies on the philosophy and insight into human nature of the ancient Greeks to guide what is valuable when it comes to art. Dryden makes the effort to include science in his argument by stating that science has discovered a â€Å"new nature† that will be observed and imitated and philosophized that the Greeks had no knowledge of. Nature, therefore, is still evolving, as will our concept of the many definitions of Nature. The idea of nature is one of the most widely employed in philosophy, and by the same token one of the most ill-defined. Authors such as Aristotle and Descartes relied on the concept of nature to explain the fundamental tenets of their views, without ever attempting to define the concept. Even in contemporary philosophy, the idea is oftentimes employed, in different forms. So, what is nature? Nature and the Essence of a Thing The philosophical tradition that traces back to Aristotle employs the idea of nature to explain that which defines the essence of a thing. One of the most fundamental metaphysical concepts, the essence indicates those properties that define what a thing is. The essence of water, for instance, will be its molecular structure, the essence of a species, its ancestral history; the essence of a human, its self-consciousness or its soul. Within the Aristotelian traditions, hence, to act in accordance with nature means to take into account the real definition of each thing when dealing with it. The Natural World At times the idea of nature is instead used to refer to anything that exists in the universe as part of the physical world. In this sense, the idea embraces anything that falls under the study of the natural sciences, from physics to biology to environmental studies. Natural vs. Artificial â€Å"Natural† is often used also to refer to a process which occurs spontaneously as opposed to one that occurs as the result of the deliberation of a being. Thus, a plant grows naturally when its growth was not planned by a rational agent; it grows otherwise artificially. An apple, would hence be an artificial product, under this understanding of the idea of nature, although most would agree that an apple is a product of nature (that is, a part of the natural world, that which is studied by natural scientists). Nature vs. Nurture Related to the spontaneity vs. artificiality divide is the idea of nature as opposed to nurture.