Dialogue between an Atheist and a Theist on The Problem of Evil from Speech or Presentation

Dialogue between an Atheist and a Theist on The Problem of Evil from Hick - Speech or Presentation Example Amy: Uhh...I guess so. Why do you ask? John: Well, a retired old man doesn’t have much to do these days, and I want to see what these professors are teaching you kids these days. But let me ask, how come you are reading Russell? Are you an Atheist? Amy: Yes. John: May I ask why? Amy: See, my main problem with believing in God, is that when you look around the world, there are so many problems. Not just small problems, but real, serious, heartrending problems. There is world hunger and starvation. There is violence, hatred, war and genocide. There are natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and volcanoes, which wreak havoc and cause terror amongst fellow humans. There are egregious crimes we commit against each other, like rape, kidnapping and murder. If God really exists, how could he ever allow all of these terrible things? John: Ah, I as most other practicing Christians have ran into some of these existential type worries, which have caused me to doubt my faith. But in th e end, after working hard and maintaining my relationship with God, the answers have been revealed to me, and my faith has in turn become stronger. Amy: That’s all well and good to the practicing Christian. However, I admit that I am not too familiar with the bible, many of your religious teachings, and your personal esoteric spiritual experiences, so before we can have this discussion, we are going to have to define God in purely ontological terms. Exactly what sort of entity is God? What are his characteristics? John: Fair enough. As a theologian, I had to read many of the works of the great metaphysicians back in divinity school, so I am comfortable having this sort of discussion. It seems to me that God would have to be the best possible being, with all the best possible characteristics. Amy: And why is that? John: Because as the creator of the Universe and all of being itself, God must be the best possible being because nothing created can be greater than its creator. Am y: But certainly you have seen instances where a child grows up to be far more powerful and noble than his or her parents. Is this not an example of a creation being greater than its creator? John: Well in my opinion God created humanity. So even though a child may be born from parents, they descend from a long line of human history that started with God’s creation of Adam and Eve, and thus are technically God’s creation. Amy: Well, that theory may work for you. But it assumes the existence of God, and that God created Humanity. However I do not believe in God, and I believe that life evolved on Earth. John: Touche my friend. It’s good that you caught me in my assumptions. I must point out though, that even if you believe in the theory of evolution, their parents do still not create children. Rather, human genes are passed on through Natural Selection. If the female attracts a strong mate with good genes, and the chance combination of those genes results in stro nger offspring, then it seems it’s not the case that the parents are creating the children. The situation can better be described as resulting from the biologically necessary process of natural selection, combined with luck in the genetic lottery. Amy: Wow, I must say I am impressed by your knowledge of Biology! You are certainly no ignorant believer, who detests science and seeks to explain everything strictly through religion. And I admit that what you say is true. Furthermore, I cannot think of any more counterexamples to the assertion that no creation turns out

How the media portrayals Los Angeles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How the media portrayals Los Angeles - Essay Example However, issues such as homelessness, poverty, and unemployment are seldom brought to the limelight. In this perspective, the paper will argue that although there are people who lead lavish lifestyles in Los Angeles, there are numerous poor people who are unemployed and some even do not have houses to live in. LA is known for its celebrity culture as well as the film and television industry (Time Out). LA, nicknamed the City of Angels is known around the globe for the creation of television productions, recorded music, and video games, thus being the leader in the production of motion pictures as shown in the documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself. The media has often portrayed LA as place where people live lavish lifestyles and is full of celebrities, including dancer, filmmakers, musicians, actors, and writers living and working in LA. Such media include movies, television series, music, and video games. Some of the movies that talk about LA comprise of the following: Blade Runner (1982) that shows the dystopian LA in November 2019; the Terminator series that depicts the post-apocalyptic 2029 LA; LA Confidential (1997); Escape from LA, and The Core (2003) among others. Furthermore, some of the most popular television series that reference LA include FOX, Angel TV series, Law & Order: LA, Entourage TV series, L.A Law, and Real World: Los Angeles among others. However, in spite of the media showing LA as a place that is full of celebrities who own expensive cars and live in luxurious homes, there are numerous unemployed people and some are even homeless. Many are of the belief that homelessness is as a consequence of laziness or poor work ethic. Baker (417) argues that the increasing costs of acquiring living and poverty are other factors that contribute to homelessness in addition to unemployment and global conflict. Hafetz (1215) defines the homelessness as a person or family that has no access to fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime

Personnel Management and Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Personnel Management and Organizational Behavior Essay Four ways to shape employee behavior are: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Positive reinforcement is following a reaction with something enjoyable (Robbins Judge, 2007). Employees need recognition for exceeding the organization’s standard on job performance. A well-organized reward program will motivate employees to excel the organization’s standard. Example of this are: employee of the month, quarter or year, and recognitions to employees for presenting ideas to improve the organization’s operation. Negative reinforcement is also referred as â€Å"looking busy†. Supervisors should explain the task to the employee, provide necessary resources, and ensure the work is performed to standard. These actions will help eliminate negative reinforcement. Punishment and knowing the organization’s standard are directly related. The organization’s standard, duties and responsibilities of the employees have to be established in order to hold employees accountable for their incorrect behavior. Punishment can be used as the way to unsure employees follows the standard. The different type of punishments have to be included in the workplace policy to ensure the employee knows what could happen if he/she does not follow the standard. Extinction is a behavior not reinforced, causing it to disappear (Robbins Judge, 2007). Adequate supervision and communication in the workplace are two key elements to assess this behavior and eliminate when is not needed. Managers have to develop ways to shape employee’s behavior in order to improve performance. Shaping the employee’s behavior starts with adopting practice that encourage employees to be responsible, loyal, and committed to an organization’s goal (â€Å"Strategic Planning in the Payroll Department†, 2007). Some of these practices include setting standards, establishing duties and responsibilities, and direct supervision. Discuss the three components of an attitude. The main components of an attitude are: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Cognitive component is a consciously held opinion or belief (Colborn, 2007, p. 68), such as â€Å"sexual harassment is wrong†. Managers should enforce values, high standard, group and cultural behavior awareness to improve the working environment. The affective component is the emotional tone or feeling of an attitude (Colborn, 2007): â€Å"I don’t like Charles, because he harasses his female employees†. Leaders should maintain open communication with their employees to let them express their feelings and emotions. Behavioral component is the intent to behave in a certain way toward something or someone (Robbins Judge, 2007), such as â€Å"I’m going to avoid Charles because of his improper conduct†. This action could cause problems in the work group and if not handle properly it will set a bad example to the employees. In conclusion leaders should understand the components of an attitude in order to establish means to avoid these in the working environment. Enforcing values, high standards, open communication and continues supervising are key to success. How is bounded rationality related to decision making? Bounded rationality is defined as making decisions by constructing simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity (Robbins Judge, 2007, p. 161). This concept used a method where a satisfactory solution is obtained in stade of the optimal solution. This approach is driven by previous experiences, limited information and selecting the first solution that satisfies the constraints. Decision-making process is a detail process to obtain the best solution. During this process all alternatives and courses of action are considered and evaluated completely. This approach consumes time and resources because every alternative has to be evaluated in order to obtain the best solution. In my opinion the decision-making process should be exercise as much as possible in order to obtain the optimum solution to a problem. Leaders should be aware of both approaches and select one based on time, safety concerns, priority of the task, and resources available. What is a quality circle? Quality circle is a work of employees and supervisors, who meet regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions (Robbins Judge, 2007, p. 237). A successful quality circle should include the following: a comptroller, individual assignment, tentative times, progress report, implementation and performance monitoring. The comptroller will be in charge of conducting the meetings, keeping record of the problems, progress and implementation. Problems should be brainstorm by the group and assigned to the best qualify employee. Each problem should have a tentative time to obtain a solution. During each meeting a progress report is required in order to ensure timely solution of the problem. Implementing the solution and monitoring its performance will ensure employee’s satisfaction and develop credibility to the quality circle. The end statement of the quality circle is to fix problems in the organization.

Kierkegaards View On Faith And Knowledge

Kierkegaards View On Faith And Knowledge Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, is often seen as a philosophical iconoclast, who rejects excessive formalism and instead believes in the subjectivity of the autonomous individual; autonomy for him is the best guide to what people should do ethically and ethics could in its turn enable the individual to approach knowledge through faith. This philosopher was thus often concerned with the nature of truth and knowledge especially in regard to articles of faith. It is commonly known that biblical Christianity is founded on the truths of Gods word. Kierkegaards claim that knowledge or truth can be achieved through subjectivity is therefore at first glance incomprehensibly elusive. However, it should be taken into account that Kierkegaard is basing his ideas on a criticism of Hegels approach to the nature of absolute knowledge. Hegel claimed namely that human beings could possess absolute knowledge and certainty through a careful and rational analysis of human existence. John Cli macus, a 7th century monk, argued in his turn against this idea by noting that an acceptance of this approach would imply that knowing is more important for Christians than believing; two acts that are very different at the core because of the qualitative difference between knowledge and faith. (Garrett) Kierkegaards major emphasis in this regard is that Christian life is founded on more than a simple belief in an orthodox doctrine. For this reason, when Kierkegaard underlines the need for subjectivity to reach knowledge he is merely claiming that all human beings must appropriate the truth of whatever they believe if it is truly to take hold of their lives. (Garrett). In short, Kierkegaard argues thus that a rational life is indeed a moral life, and a moral life is a religious life. Morality and ethics consequently inevitably lead to religion. Under such a supposition, the ethical individual would surmise his task as becoming less the individual or particular and more the universal (JSTOR 161). The goal becomes the unification of the particular and the universal. Under such a unity, truth is revealed as truth is in what is ethical, and what is ethical is determined by reason. Contrasting Kierkegaards views with the Kantian approach to faith and knowledge enables also for a closer understanding of the philosophers ideas. To Kierkegaard is it not Kantian reason which leads to God but faith. One cannot make a rational decision towards that which has no facts, no proof, and no certainty. The ethical thrives on the certainty of truth through reason. The religious cannot have such a luxury. It is not rational decision-making, rather, it is faith. Kierkegaard refers to the transition from the ethical to the third stage as the Leap of Faith. The Leap of Faith is the third stage in Kierkegaards theory of overcoming the paradox which is an apparently true statement that however leads to a contradiction or a situation that goes against ones intuition. It can only be resolved when the contradiction is shown as apparent. Kierkegaards story of Abraham exhibits such a paradox. Abraham could not prove he heard a voice yet he believed and was willing to risk his son based on this belief. Through Abrahams story Kierkegaard shows that the paradox of faith rests on the idea that the believer acts on less than complete knowledge. Kierkegaard believed however that humans ought to have faith by the virtue of the absurd, which is because something is contradictory at nature. (Kierkegaard) The leap of faith, that is often associated with the emergence of existentialism, is therefore Kierkegaards response to a problem which is essentially Kantian in origin and structure. Kierkegaard wants to accommodate both the Kantian interpretation of morality as a rational command and Kants insistence on morality as the sole point of access to religion, while rejecting the Kantian moralization of religion and rationalization of faith. The leap of faith is not, as existentialism would have it, an absolute beginning in philosophy or in individual reflection but a transition from morality to religion within an essentially Kantian context. This point is not only of historical but also of systematic value. From the standpoint of Kantian philosophy its value lies in the attempt to establish a connection between morality and religion which preserves morality as a rational command but which also avoids the Kantian reduction of religion to morality and faith to reason. From the standpoint of Kierkegaards existentialists successors it advances the argument that morality understood as a rational command is that condition without which the subject can make no progress toward objective and universal truth, which leads to its avoidance of the separation of reason and choice and ends consequently in subjectivism. Kierkegaard sees faith as the abandonment of all else before it in order to wholly accept it. One cannot coldly and rationally choose to accept faith because it has the greatest utility or merit. This would still be the ethical stage in religious clothing. The third stage, according to Kierkegaard, needs passion to survive; it needs the unknown, and the Leap of Faith. If the particular is not faithfully accepted but is rather critically scrutinized, then the religious stage will inevitably suffer the same fate of a moral dilemma that deprives the ethical stage from eternal happiness. According to Kierkegaard, the religious stage is spared only by the ethical paradox through faith. . It is interesting to note that while philosophers as Kant believe that morality and religion are one so the jump is seamless, Kierkegaard believes the step requires an evolution of thought because one cannot move from a set of moral premises to a religious conclusion if morality, which is expressed concep tually, is understood as commands based on reason while religion, which is expressed paradoxically, is understood as promise based on faith (JSTOR 164). Kierkegaards views regarding the nature of rational knowledge attainment through faith rests thus on several principles as has been illustrated. The Leap of faith has been discussed. Another aspect to his ideas is the ethical individual as part of this complicated process. The ethical individual must be like a judge, closely and impartially evaluating all information and evidence presented before making an educated decision. The imagery of the judge represents the epitome of rationalist ideology. He is a character which tries to equate ethics with rational decisions. The judge seeks to distance his self from social relations and personal desires so that he is like a force of nature. With such impartiality, he hopes that he can logically deduce the correct decision to any situation like an artificial intelligence. The judge attempts to watch the scales of relative merit and announce ones choice only after observing a clear tip in one direction. It is, the Judge might say, a foolproof method for determining which choice will produce the most appropriate action (Friedman 160). Through such certainty, an ethicist could be said to demystify the world. One who can act without doubt and knows exactly what decision to make. If a person was truly capable of such power, they could be said to be making their self into that of the divine, with omniscient knowledge In conclusion, whereas as other theorists who argue against secular enlightenment, such as Immanuel Kant, would say that the individual has a logical inescapable path to religion based on factual reasoning, Kierkegaard disagrees. Kierkegaard soundly rejects such assumptions when he declares: I do not believe that Kant himself, or any of his successors, have managed to show that any serious moral constraint can be derived from simply considering the conditions of rational agency. Nor do I think that this can be done. What follows rests on the premise that the Kantian project is a failure (Rudd 13). According to Kierkegaard, is it not rational thought or morality which leads to God, but rather faith alone. The ethical depends on certainty of truth through reason, but the religious cannot have such a luxury. They depend on the very suspension of reason and certainty of knowledge; they depend on faith. This transition from the ethical to the religious is what Kierkegaard refers to as the Leap of Faith. The Leap requires one to accept that their capabilities alone are insufficient, and that only by placing their faith in God can they hope to achieve true knowledge.

Comparing Dziga Vertovs Film, Man with a Movie Camera and Run Lola Run

Comparing Dziga Vertov's Film, Man with a Movie Camera and Run Lola Run " The main and essential thing is : the sensory exploration of the world through film. We therefore take as a point of departure the use of the camera as a keno-eye, more perfect than the human eye, for the exploration of the chaos of visual phenomena that fills space." - Dziga Vertov , Manifesto The Council of Three (1923) The innovative theories and filmmaking techniques of Dziga Vertov revolutionized the way films are made today. Man With a Movie Camera (1929), a documentary that represented the peak of the Soviet avant-garde film movement in the twenties, displayed techniques in montage, creative camera angles, rich imagery, but most importantly allowed him to express his theories of his writings of Kino-eye (the camera). The film has a very simple plot that describes an average day in Russia, yet the final pieces of this film emerge a complex and fast-paced production that excites the audience. Vertov's ability to use radical editing techniques with unconventional filming to present ordinary things has inspired many directors around the world. And still now modern avant-garde movies apply many of these same techniques to dramatize simple and complex stories. Vertov was one of the greatest innovators of Soviet cinema in the post WWI era. During this time, the freedom to make films was limited due to low stock of supply. Vertov and his colleagues had to be very creative and innovative if they were going produce anything at all. 'The Kuleshov Workshop', a workshop class at the Moscow Film School led by Lev Kuleshov included famous Soviet filmmakers like Vsevolod Pudovkin and Sergei Eisenstein, but excluded Vertov. This is significant to the ... ...ught to life these ideas on a new level in Run Lola Run, which glorifies the camera's results with movement in every frame. Run Lola Run feeds the kino-eye with collision, contrast, and conflicting scenes, which make the film a huge success in giving the audience a new type of story with suspense, comedy and drama. Works Cited Bordwell, David (1972a) Dziga Vertov: An Introduction. In: Film Comment 8,1, pp. 38-45 Denkin, H., "Linguistic Models in Early Soviet Cinema." Cinema Journal XVII / 1, Fall 77; p.1-Lynton, Norbert, The Story of Modern Art, Oxford: Phaidon Press Limited, 1980 Mast, Gerald, Kawin Bruce F., A Short History Of The Movies. Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Vertov, Dziga, Kino-eye: The Writings of Dziga Vertov / edited with an introduction by Annette Michelson; translated by Kevin O'Brien. Berkeley, CA.: University of California Press, c1984.

Economic Markets and State Governments: Adversaries or Symbiotic in the

Do economic markets and state governments share an adversarial or symbiotic relationship? Scholars of International Political Economics have been at odds over what role, if any, the state should have in the International Economy. Despite such disagreements, most scholars can concur that IPE is ultimately concerned with the ways in which states shape the systems through which economic interactions are expressed, and conversely the results that economic interactions (including the power of collective markets and individuals acting both within and outside them) have upon political structures and outcomes. The relation between states and markets in the international scene, and whether, the relationship at home affects relationships abroad, is of great importance. One contemporary in particular Ian Bremmer has attempted to explain this relationship in light of the latest economic recession, and what impact the state should have in the future. In his book titled The End of the Free Marke t Bremmer believes that the Free Market Capitalism which has been a staple of American Economic prosperity is still the system that will provide for innovation and the free flow of ideas, information, people, money, goods, and services (Bremmer,183-184). Countries like China, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, and regions like Southeast Asia and Africa have all converted from command economies to a degree into state capitalist countries. These countries have all experienced the positives of the free market system, but are just now seeing the results of unregulated US domestic bubbles. Globalization, therefore, has created a system that requires government regulation of domestic products and services to ensure that a symbiotic relationship between governments cont... ...elationships between states roar back the world will continue down the current recessionary path which quite possibly could lead to war on a truly global scale. The best way to ensure soverignty for all is with the free-market system which Adam Smith made so famous. As long as nation-states continue to exist (and it appears that they always will) their will be a temptation to revert back into protectionist ways. This I feel is only normal as it bolsters the national scene at home. If America and the rest of the world wants to continue to thrive and expand the pie much needed investment is necessary but maybe we should seek foreign investment help/advice when it is offered. One thing is for certain regulation domestically would go far in instilling the confidence foreign governments had in the United States to not only police the world but also police itself.

Persuasive Essay: Should public schools implement a school uniforms Essay

The issue of implementing a school uniforms is a controversial and lingering subject facing many of the school systems in the United States. Many people see that numerous problems exists within the public school system and they think that school uniform would be a good solution these problems. School uniform is a positive concept in public school because of many advantages such as, a cost savings by eliminating name brand clothing, student security, school spirit and simpler daily school preparation. First of all, uniforms can remove the distraction of symbols that reflect students social status, provide relief from competition for fashion and peer pressure and create equality between more and less wealthy students. In schools without uniforms students always worry about their appearance; those without expensive designer clothes may become outcasts. Many students feel that they are judges by other students, teachers and administrators according to what they wear. Additionally, parents usually support uniform because of its cost. The use of school uniforms is more affordable to families because there is not as much pressure to buy expensive, trendy clothing. Some people say a school uniform is expensive, especially the one in a good quality. But buying different clothes for everyday and season in a long run will be more expensive that buying a uniform which can last longer and, in some cases, can be worn throughout the year. For these reasons, school administrators and parents support this type of dressing code in schools. Moreover, studies have shown that in certain public schools 80% of girls and 62% of boys actually liked the uniforms. Furthermore, school uniforms can significantly reduce violence and discipline problems while motivating students to learn. In many cases, students clothes have been linked to the causes of violence. For example, in Detroit, an 18 year old was shot and killed for his parka and Nike sneakers worth $70 and in a six month period, four Chicago youths were killed for warm-up jackets valued between $900 and $200. In 1995, the school in Long Beach, CA made it mandatory for students to wear uniforms. In 1999, the statistics from these schools have shown that the crime rate dropped by 91%, school suspensions dropped by 90%, sex offenses were reduced by 96% and incidents of vandalism went down by 69%. Also, nine years after implementing school uniforms in one  of the schools in Maryland, the schools principal said that attendance and test scores have increased, suspensions and fights have decreased and students were more focused. Students who wear school uniforms behave more appropriately in the school environment more likely to follow school rules. As the research in school has shown, the mandatory use of standardized dress reduces violence within the school. Every morning, the teenager wakes up and starts thinking about which clothes to wear. School uniforms would save students as well as parents time. Kids in the morning would not have to make up their minds on what to wear. There is less distraction due to uniforms. They set a more serious tone in the classroom that is favorable for learning and can improve student performance. Also, by getting rid of the extra time choosing clothes, students are able to sleep and study more. As a result, students grades will rise. Some say that a child in a school uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on the school uniform signals he or she is going to school just like dad dresses up to go to work. Schools report that when students dress in â€Å"work clothes† rather than â€Å"play clothes† they take a more serious approach to their studies. Even though some people might say that school uniforms interfere with the students right for self-expression, dont prevent violence and place additional economical burden on parents, the pros still outweigh cons. The studies and reports from various schools in the country proved that uniforms can improve discipline and promote the students interest in learning. Uniforms provide students with school uniqueness. Students will stand out in field trips and other school activities feeling a sense of belonging and team unity. The agreement between students will elevate their morale and self-esteem. Students that are together lead to a school that is united. â€Æ'Works Cited Manual on School Uniforms. US Department of Education 29 Feb. 1996. 16 Nov. 2008 . Pro School Uniforms Speech. Onpapers.com 04 Nov. 2008. 16 Nov. 2008 . Public School Uniform Debate. Education Bug 16 Nov. 2008 . Public School Uniform Statistics. Education Bug 16 Nov. 2008 . Reasons to Support School Uniforms. Onpapers.com 25 Jul. 2008. 16 Nov. 2008 . School Uniform. International Debate Education Association 01 Nov. 2000. 12 Nov. 2008 .