The Social Development Of Children And Adolescents

The social relationships of children and adolescents are really important, especially with their family, siblings and peers at school. At different ages, the ways we socialize with different people various in different situations base on the social experiences that we have gained in the past. The word â€Å"friends† refers to people who have a mutual and close relationship with each others, the definition of â€Å"peer group† is an individual’s small relative group that consists of individuals who share the same friendship and interact with each other (Ryan, Wentzel, Baker, Brown, Davidson and LaFontana, 2009). In this essay, I would like to describe how the social development of children and adolescents is affected by their peers and friends. Except parents, siblings are probably the family members that we communicate with the most. Even though all of them belong to the same family, the relationship experiences, daily activities and roles that children and adolescents have with their siblings are different from those with parents (Tucker and Updegraff, 2009). The way children communicate with their siblings changes from one age to another. When a child is six months old, he or she shows mutual interest such as touching others, pulling hair and reaching for clothing. When children reach fourteen to eighteen months old, they start playing with toys on their own or sometimes play with each other as well. Children start to play together more often when they reach eighteen months old,Show MoreRelatedThe Social Development Of Children And Adolescents Essay1644 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant role in the social development of children and adolescents. The peer group is defined as a â€Å"set of people who share at least one trait, like age,  profession,  education,  cultural  status, or economic status† [as cited from http://psychologydictionary.org/peer-group]. These individuals are likely to consist of friends, siblings and relatives in order to form a peer group. Some developmental psychologists may argue the relative importance of peers in social development; the extent to whichRead MoreThe Process of Adolescent Development Essay1566 Words   |  7 Pagessignificant that it is useful to talk about adolescence as a distinct period of human life cycle. This period ranges from biological changes to changes in behavior and social status, thus making it difficult to specify its limits exactly (Damon, 2008). Adolescence begins with puberty, i.e. a series of physiological changes that lead to full development of the sexual organs and the ability to breed and sex. The time interval that elapses begins at 11 to 12 y ears and extends to 18 to 20. However we cannot associateRead MoreEssay about Cultural Influences on Identity Development1502 Words   |  7 Pagesculture influence identity development? By the end of this paper you would be able to conclude that no matter what the surroundings of an individual is it will have some sort of an effect on either the physical or mental aspects of an individual. In order to answer this question we must understand how identity is developed, what culture consists of and concluding how culture influences identity development. First and Foremost in order to know what motivates identity development we must understand howRead MoreLearning Styles And Sociocultural Influences On Child And Adolescent Development1641 Words   |  7 Pagesessay will describe child and adolescent behaviours reported in the media and will examine the link to development theories, learning styles and sociocultural influences on child and adolescent development. As a developing secondary school preserve teacher, my focus will be mainly on adolescent behaviours and development. I will be examining an article from a media how these developmental theories analyses and helps us to understand the behaviour of child and adolescents. I will also try to explainRead MoreAdolescent Relationships with Parents and Peers Essay examples1380 Words   |  6 Pagesperson feels good about him or herself in a variety of areas that either promote or discourage positive relationship between adolescents and their respective parents. The evidence of the changes in peer and parent-child relationships during early adolescence suggests that early adolescence is a critical period of transformation in childrens relationships. Early adolescents may orient toward peers while distancing themselves from their parents because their peer relationships fit some of their developmentalRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Children s Development1067 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract As children are exposed to more and more social media with the increase of technology, it is important that parents minimize the exposure of social media to their children. There are multiple extensive ways in which social media can influence a child’s well-being and development: An influence on their social ability with others, the content of the social media, and the activities that social media replaces such as exercise. Methods that could potentially improve the risk of a child’s well-beingRead MoreChildren and Sports Essay1053 Words   |  5 PagesChildren who participate in sports are developing rapidly in sports skills, sportsmanship, and psychologically, but does this come from organized sports are just nature’s process. Children develop emotional and social benefits from participating in sports. Children experience character and leadership development through peer relations leading to an increase in self-esteem and a decrease in anxiety levels. Childre n will get opportunities to experience positive and negative emotions throughout theirRead MoreMedia’s Influence on Children and Adolescents Essay examples574 Words   |  3 PagesUnlike previous generations who were â€Å"introduced† to the internet, television and social media, the present generation is â€Å"born† in it. By this statement, it is implied that children today are much closer to technology and media than adults are, and so, are more likely to be affected by it. Perhaps, the highest impact on the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children and adolescents is by media due to its ready availability through Smart phones, tablet PCs and other portableRead MoreAdolescent Stages of Development1500 Words   |  6 PagesAdolescent Stages of Development Adolescence is probably the most difficult period in life of every individual since it is a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood. In this period adolescents undergo significant changes in physiological, psychological and social aspects. Naturally, these changes produce a significant impact on their lifestyle, behaviour, psychology, etc. Traditionally, adolescence is considered to start at preteens, mostly from around 9-10 years of age till 19-20 yearsRead MoreInfluence Of Peer Culture On The Social Interaction Of High Schools Students892 Words   |  4 PagesThe influence of Peer culture on the Social Interaction of high schools students in Japan Abstract In our world today there is a growing need to understand the influence peer culture has on the adolescent population due to the increase in rates of suicides, alcohol abuse, drug use, truancy and premarital pregnancy and bullying which are attributed to a separate youth culture. This study seeks to investigate into how peer culture influences the social interaction of high school students in our society

The Genetic Testing Controversy Essay - 2003 Words

A lot of controversial issues present themselves in psychology. Two topics that I will be discussing in this essay are the controversy over genetic testing and what things would be like without genetic testing. I will be describing what genetic testing is, and how it can affect an individual’s family life. I will be discussing the benefits of genetic counseling, as well as the positives without genetic counseling, and how this issue is debated in a psychological view. Genetic testing, can affect a person’s life in many ways. Genetic testing is a type of medical testing that identifies changes that occur in chromosomes, proteins, and genes. These changes that occur can be associated, and often are associated with inherited†¦show more content†¦As her husband was fighting in the war, there were troubles that this wife had to face with their child. She did genetic testing on her daughter to find out that her daughter happened to be diagnosed with Rett syndrome. Re tt syndrome is a neurodevelopmental problem that occurs in the nervous system (Tarquinio). The wife stated â€Å"I think as a military spouse you learn to adjust easily and expect that your life might change at any given moment, but nothing can prepare you to learn that the change in life is coming from your child.† Since the wife was able to know that her daughter was diagnosed with the syndrome, she was able to do research to help with what she needs to do (Steveton). This goes back to family planning and how genetic testing can be beneficial for families. Not only are there benefits with genetic testing, but there are benefits by not going through genetic testing. Genetic testing can be costly, and therefore will be less expensive by not following through with the tests. Genetic testing is usually not covered by insurance; therefore, many families would have to decide if the costly payments are worth their budget. More than one test may have to be used to detect if there i s a disease taking course. Back to the military wife, two of her daughter Riley’s tests came back negative. At first, her daughter was diagnosed with developmental delays. Not only did she go through doing genetic testing, but she also did an MRI. Both of these tests didn’tShow MoreRelatedGenetic Testing And The Human Genome Project1429 Words   |  6 Pagessignificant scientific findings to the world, but raises a lot of controversies. Many of these controversies concern the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project, once aimed towards mapping the human genome in hope for curing diseases, are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the results of such screeningRead MoreGenetic Testing And The Human Genome Project1357 Words   |  6 Pagesfinding to the world, b ut raises a lot of controversies. Many controversies related to the Human Genome Project are issues concerning the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project that once has an aim to map the human genome in hope for curing diseases are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the resultsRead MorePrenatal Genetic Testing Raise Ethnic Issues1570 Words   |  7 PagesIn Improvements in Prenatal Genetic Testing Raise Ethnic Issues, R. J. Crayton produced an article about prenatal testing and whether or not parents should be allowed to have these tests done. First the situation of a high risk baby who will have a disability or defect after birth, so the parents decide to abort the child is being viewed as an inequality to the disabled community. Secondly, certain adoptions are put on hold since the biological parents chose to not carry the unborn child throughRead MoreGenetic Research Is Destroying Humanity1260 Words   |  6 PagesIs genetic research the breakthrough to improving our lives, or the beginning of the end of humanity as we know it? This has been the debate since the mid-nineteenth century when the science of genetics as well as humanities’ desire to use this science to their advantage, began. Since that time genetic research has resulted in advancements in science and medicine, but yet the controversy remains. Many believe that the act of genetic research is improving lives’, while others think the exact oppositeRead MoreShould Scientists Be Allowed to Perform DNA Tests on Selecting Human Embryos?1206 Words   |  5 Pagesextracting several eggs from a woman’s body and then fertilizing them in a laboratory. A couple days after fertilization, genetic tests can be applied on a cell that is removed from the embryo. The DNA test ing process is called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and usually triggers the diagnosis of the embryos with genetic abnormalities but can also identify other genetic traits of the future progenitor such as sex, athletic ability, special talent, and certain physical appearance. The researchersRead MoreThe Controversy Of Genetically Modified Foods And Plants850 Words   |  4 PagesWhat exactly is the controversy surrounding genetically modified foods and plants? An immense amount of advocacy for and against the implementation of genetically modified method in the development of food and the agricultural development of crops and plants. The intention of this report is to definitively explore both aspects of advocacy surrounding genetically modified foods and plants or crops. As their is a significant population of individuals, organizations and groups that strongly supportRead MoreShould Animals Be Torture And Abused?1178 Words   |  5 PagesAnimal use for drug experimentation has sparked controversy around the world. So why are animals for harmful testing? Each year millions of animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, and primates suffer through excruciating amounts of physical and mental torture. In recent years, the use of these animals has been has been strictly criticized by numerous animal rights groups. The testing has lead and severe injuries to the animals and even death. Drug testing on animals came to significance in the 20th centuryRead MoreArguments For and Against Testing Childrens Genetics Essay617 Words   |  3 Pages The diseases that exist in our world are enough to make medicine and testing the only option of hope in times of need. People grow up happy and healthy, only to be diagnosed, in their middle age, with an adult-onset disease. These diseases only become a burden as the victim gets older. Some commonly known ones are Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease. There is no cure or treatment for adult-onset diseases like this. Knowing that the victims have these diseases written in their DNA from the momentRead MoreIs Animal Testing Wrong or Right? Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagesanimal testing that is effective on animals are ineffective on humans (ASPCA). Despite this alarming statistic, scientists still use animals in these experiments. Scientist give the animals no choice in whether they or going to be used in an experiment . Animal testing is when scientist use products, vaccinations or other things they develop for humans and use on animals. Scientist use all types of animals, but the most common are rats, mice, birds, reptiles and amphibians (ASPCA). Animal testing canRead MoreEthical Issues of Genetic Research Essay1268 Words   |  6 Pagesother attempts to further understand the human genetic code clearly demonstrate the basic principles of social benefit versus social cost. The desired effect is obviously one in which the benefits significantly outweigh the costs. The actual impact of such technology, however, remains only an estimate until this scientific advancement becomes a reality. It is out of this inability to predict how new technology may transform society that controversy arises. For if one estimates the value of knowledge

Computer and Long Distance Education Free Essays

Computer and our life Importance of computer: Computer is an important machine in our life. Without computer our life is nothing. We need to use it in every sector of our life. We will write a custom essay sample on Computer and Long Distance Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now What type of work sector that is we are using computer. It makes our job easier and simple. Computer creates a great opportunity for us. We are changing our life style quickly through computer. We are using it in education sector, medical sector, research and experimental job, designing, architectural designing, planning, public administration and etc. Computer changed our education system. We can learn through long distance education system. Now we do not need to go far from home to learn something. We can save our time and money by this. Without that we are able to get every service at home. Computer is also able to provide us another service. Now doctor can do operations through computer. It resumes risk for a patient. Doctors do not need to work more. Computer also helps us in research like educational, scientific, medical and etc. Really, computer is a great invention of human life. Computer and communication: ————————————————- Without helping in our work we can communicate through computer. Now-a-days computer is the powerful communication media. Generally it communicates through network and internet is the well known network system. We can talk, chat, mail through computer. We can keep contract with international community by internet. E-mail is a blessing for us. We can communicate with anyone easily for e-mail. It is a cheapest communication in the world. We are doing corporate dealing through it. It plays a role in our economy. It makes our life easier. Without that we can do video chat trough internet. Facebook and other social sites are a blessing for us. By using of those we can make an international brotherhood. Without those facilities we are also sharing videos and other important things like as usual important information. We can read newspaper by internet. Newspaper also updating continuously and we can able to get news quickly. Simply internet is a fastest way to get information. It becomes a part of our life. Type of computer: There are many kind of computers. We use them in various works. They are given below: No. | Type of computer| Working ability| Using sectors| 1| Personal computer| Capable to do personal works. | Most of time using for personal works. | 02| Embedded computer | Do specific jobs. | 1. Microwave 2. Washing machine | 03| Network Servers| Do clients job, act like a server. | Internet browser | 04| Mainframe Computer | Capable to do sharing work. | 1. Bank 2. Insurance| 05| Mini computer | Mid ranger computer. | | 06| Super Computer| Able to do lots of job . | 1. Experimental jobs 2. Scientific jobs| H2O X2+2? +? +? c 32 °c TEXT 2 TEXT 1 1. PLABON I. VAI II. BOSS 2. ANDROID I. W 5 II. W10 * 5700TK 7000TK 3. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. * †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * 456321 * 566986 * †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Computer is an important machine in our life. Without computer our life is nothing. We need to use it in every sector of our life. What type of work sector that is we are using computer. It makes our job easier and simple. Computer creates a great opportunity for us. We are changing our life style quickly through computer. We are using it in education sector, medical sector, research and experimental job, designing, architectural designing, planning, public administration and etc. Computer changed our education system. We can learn through long distance education system. Now we do not need to go far from home to learn something. We can save our time and money by this. Without that we are able to get every service at home. Computer is also able to provide us another service. Now doctor can do operations through computer. It resumes risk for a patient. Doctors do not need to work more. Computer also helps us in research like educational, scientific, medical and etc. Really, computer is a great invention of human life Computer is an important machine in our life. Without computer our life is nothing. We need to use it in every sector of our life. What type of work sector that is we are using computer. It makes our job easier and simple. Computer creates a great opportunity for us. We are changing our life style quickly through computer. We are using it in education sector, medical sector, research and experimental job, designing, architectural designing, planning, public administration and etc. Computer changed our education system. We can learn through long distance education system. Now we do not need to go far from home to learn something. We can save our time and money by this. Without that we are able to get every service at home. Computer is also able to provide us another service. Now doctor can do operations through computer. It resumes risk for a patient. Doctors do not need to work more. Computer also helps us in research like educational, scientific, medical and etc. Really, computer is a great invention of human life http://www. search-document. com/doc/1/1/law-of-diminishing-marginal-utility. html How to cite Computer and Long Distance Education, Papers

Management Accounting Questions and Problems on Incremental Analysis free essay sample

1. An important step in managements decision-making process is to determine and evaluate possible courses of action. 2. In making decisions, management ordinarily considers both financial and nonfinancial information. 3. In incremental analysis, total variable costs will always change under alternative courses of action, and total fixed costs will always remain constant. 4. Accountants are mainly involved in developing nonfinancial information for managements consideration in choosing among alternatives. 5. Decision-making involves choosing among alternative courses of action. 6. Financial data are developed for a course of action under an incremental basis and then it is compared to data developed under a differential basis before a decision is made. 7. A special one-time order should never be accepted if the unit sales price is less than the unit variable cost. 8. If a company has excess capacity and present markets will not be affected, it would be profitable to accept an order at a special unit price even though the price is less than the unit variable cost to manufacture the item. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Accounting: Questions and Problems on Incremental Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 9. A company should never accept an order for its product at less than its regular sales price. 10. A decision whether to continue to make a product or buy it externally, depends on the external price and the amount of variable and fixed costs that can be eliminated assuming no alternative uses of resources. 11. An opportunity cost is the potential benefit obtained by using resources in an alternative course of action. 12. If an incremental make or buy analysis indicates that it is cheaper to buy rather than make an item, management should always make the decision to choose the lowest cost alternative. 13. In a sell or process further decision, management should process further as long as the incremental revenues from additional processing exceed the incremental variable costs. 14. It is always better to sell now rather than process further because of the time value of money. 15. In a decision concerning replacing old equipment with new equipment, the book value of the old equipment can be considered a sunk cost. Test Bank for Managerial Accounting, Second Edition 16. In a decision to retain or replace old equipment, the salvage value of the old equipment is relevant in incremental analysis. 17. It is better not to replace old equipment if it is not fully depreciated. 18. From a quantitative standpoint, a segment should be eliminated if its contribution margin is less than the fixed costs that can be eliminated. 19. The elimination of an unprofitable product line may adversely affect the remaining product lines. 20. Sales mix is the relative combination in which a company’s products are sold. 21. Break-even sales can be computed for a mix of two or more products by determining the total contribution margin of all the products. 22. Net income will be greater if more high contribution margin units are sold than low contribution margin units at any given level of units sold. 23. When a company has limited resources to manufacture products, it should manufacture those products which have the highest contribution margin per unit of limited resource. 24. If a company has only a certain number of machine hours available for production, it is generally more profitable to produce and sell the product with the highest unit contribution margin. 25. Contribution margin per unit of limited resource is usually the same as contribution margin per unit.

Aquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals free essay sample

Thomas Aquinas established himself as the New Aristotle of the 13th century, Dante Alighieri established himself the new Virgil. The two men made an immense impact in their respective fields (poetry and philosophy). Yet surprisingly, the two share common ideals. In each of their respective literary and philosophical views, they establish the importance of the relationship between nature and grace. In Dante’s Inferno the unique relationship of grace and nature is made apparent and reflects the writings of Aquinas’ â€Å"Summa Theologica†. Dante’s pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise exhibit and reflect St. Thomas’ understanding of the relationship of nature and grace. Dante mirrors grace through Beatrice and reflects nature in Virgil. These symbolic representations show how Aquinas views are instilled in Dante’s writing. In St. Thomas Aquinas’ â€Å"Summa Theologica† he bases the relationship between nature and grace on the human purpose. Since we are all rational beings with an ultimate goal of reuniting with God, Aquinas’ believes that both grace and nature will allow us to achieve the human goal. We will write a custom essay sample on Aquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Aquinas explains that reason and revelation parallel moral development of virtue and grace. Reason is something you can practice, much like the four cardinal virtues temperance, courage, justice, and wisdom. These three theological virtues faith, hope and love help you achieve grace. These virtues come from gift of God’s grace and perfect the natural abilities of humans to know and love. â€Å"According to Thomas natural reason can know the external world without divine illumination and can discern the structure of created things through its sciences. Reason has a legitimate domain in analyzing the human person, ethics and politics. Thomas even extends reason’s competence to certain ‘spiritual’ truths; he believes that reason can prove the existence of god† (Reid pg 243) In this excerpt Aquinas explains that natural reason only takes you so far in an individuals journey to God. Although he has a great respect for natural reason, Aquinas’ philosophy suggests that to achieve this unity with god in heaven, God’s grace is needed. Aquinas establishes â€Å"Thomas nevertheless insists that there are supernatural truths which transcend beyond reason that humans would not know if god had not revealed them through the sacred scriptures and the church’s eaching†¦However, even in these matters, reason had the capacity to clarify, but no exhaust or fully comprehend, these truths and to order them in a coherent way. † (Reid pg. 243) Aquinas proposes that we would be nothing without grace. To reach our ultimate salvation and reunite with God we must arrive at certain truths. His philosophy states that the human mind is weak and would only be able to arrive at some truths about God after a long time. St. Thomas Aquinas argued it is necessary for God to reveal the truths that are essential for salvation. Reid) This reoccurring trend in Aquinas’ writings connects both grace and nature, while separating him from other philosophers. Through Aquinas’ writings Dante created his divine comedies to emulate the relationship between nature and grace presented by Aquinas. About 40 years after the birth of St. Thomas Aquinas, Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy in the year 1265 A. D. ( Dante 1) Throughout this famous poet’s tales, it is evident that there are underlying theme of nature and grace. The relationship between grace and nature that Dante writes about in his pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise is derived from St. Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical views. Dante’s Inferno begins in a dark forest, a place of confusion, because he lost his way on the â€Å"true path†. Seeking an escape, Dante finds a hill where the sun glares down on him. This light seen in Dante’s Inferno symbolizes clarity as the sun represents God. After encountering three beasts and turning back to the murky forest, Dante crosses paths with the great Roman Poet, Virgil. Virgil is an aid and guide to Dante to Heaven, the ultimate Paradise. He warns Dante he must pass through Hell and Purgatory in order to reach his salvation in heaven. Virgil is depicted as nature or human reason perfected by virtue. It is strongly emphasized that Virgil can only take Dante so far in his journey by guiding him to heaven. Much like St. Thomas Aquinas’ reasoning, nature or human reason can only bring you so far in the journey to God. As Virgil and Dante approach the mouth of Hell, Virgil preaches to Dante about a woman in Heaven who took pity upon Dante when he was lost in hell. The woman Virgil speaks of is Dante’s departed love Beatrice. After Dante hears that Beatrice is heaven he now sheds the fear of traveling through Hell and Purgatorio. But Virgil rebukes his cowardice, and relates the chain of events that led him to come to Dante. The Virgin Mary took pity on the Pilgrim in his despair and instructed Saint Lucia to aid him. The Saint turned to Beatrice because of Dante’s great love for her, and Beatrice in turn went down to Hell, into Limbo, and asked Virgil to guide her friend until that time when she herself would become his guide. The pilgrim takes heart at Virgil’s explanation and agrees to follow him. †(Reid pg. 9) Dante the Poet establishes Beatrice as God’s Grace, because Beatrice is able to take Dante to the next level and attain Paradise. This is quite similar to St. Thomas Aquinas’ explanation that without grace (Beatrice), nature (Virgil) can only take an individual so far on their journey. Dante strongly emphasizes the progression from Purgatory to Paradise in Canto XXX. â€Å"Through the flowers, Beatrice appears. The Pilgrim turns to Virgil to confess his overpowering emotions, only to find that Virgil has disappeared! †(Dante pg. 363) The emergence of Beatrice and vanishing of Virgil is meant to represent the exact transitional moment between nature and grace. Virgil has taken Dante as far as he could in his quest for paradise; at this exact point in time Beatrice’s appearance and purpose was to help Dante attain salvation. The fact that nature (Virgil) and grace (Beatrice) are so strongly correlated in Dante’s pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and paradise makes it evident that Dante’s writing reflects St. Thomas Aquinas’ ideals. The relationship between nature and grace can be described as dependent. Both grace and nature are necessary to complete our cycle to God. St. Thomas Aquinas and Dante Alighieri clearly illustrate this unique relationship respectively in â€Å"Summa Theologica† and â€Å"Dante’s Inferno†. Dante’s writings reflect upon St. Thomas’ understanding is most thoroughly conveyed through the appearance of Beatrice and Virgil to represent grace and nature. Throughout literature and philosophy there are often disagreements amid colleagues, yet Dante and St. Thomas Aquinas both seem to agree upon the relationship between nature and grace.

Free Essays on Descartes

â€Å"Therefore, now that I have freed my mind from all cares, and I have secured for myself some leisurely and carefree time, I withdraw in solitude. I will in short, apply myself earnestly and openly to the general destruction of my former opinions.† (Rene Descartes, Meditation I) â€Å"Whatever I had admitted until now as most true I took in either from the senses or through the senses; however, I noticed that they sometimes deceived me. And it is a mark of prudence never to trust wholly in those things which have once deceived us.† (Rene Descartes, Meditation I) Descartes’ Mediations combined equal the embodiment of an effort to establish a foundation for knowledge. Each mediation serving almost as a mental/intellectual rung to achieve the heights of just how we as humans arrive at knowledge. A feat tackled by many a philosopher, Descartes’ method is one that begins with the practice of doubt, systematic doubt. Exemplified in the excerpts from the first meditation, Descartes’ cast himself and the reader into a role of the perplexed being. Perplexed, for all that was or is known may in fact be false if doubt is added into the equation. This addition, thus negating the experiences brought about by the senses. Descartes points out the fallibility of the senses, for they often deceive. The experience of the fallible senses is one that is a commonality, for many have thought an object was closer than it was, or could swear that they heard their name called in the distance. It is agreeable then, that Descartes is right, the senses do deceive, so how can we trust that which does deceive? Descartes says that we cannot, and we should apply doubt, in order to avoid the fallible. In this First Mediation, Descartes’ acknowledges the existence of God or a Supreme Being, as it is already present in his mind. With an ultimate being, God, the creator, as responsible for all things, Desc artes challenges the motives of God.... Free Essays on Descartes Free Essays on Descartes The classical way of thinking was that what we know first, and best is what we perceive with our senses. Rene Descartes was a revolutionary philosopher because he went against the classical Aristotelian way of thinking. Descartes stated, that what we know through the senses is more doubtful then what we perceive through our own reason. Therefore what we know first, we know with the greatest certitude, because he does not want to believe anything else that he has learned in the past, and wants to believe what he discovers for himself. He also said that anything that we can doubt, we should not take to be true because our senses can deceive us. Descartes goes against all other ways of thinking, and believes that what we know through reason and what we learn first is what we know with the most certainty. The order in which we know things, according to Descartes, all stems out from his base philosophy, which is â€Å"I think therefore I am.† â€Å"I think therefore I am† is the basis of Descartes’s philosophy. Because â€Å"I think therefore I am† is the first thing that Descartes bases his philosophy on, and it is what he knows the greatest. Since it is the first thing that he learned, it is also the thing that he knows with the greatest certainty. We know things according to Descartes by what we know first, and since we know â€Å"I think therefore I am† first that is where we begin to learn all things according to Descartes. â€Å"In order to think, it is necessary to exist.† By thinking Descartes comes to the conclusion that he does in fact exist because he thinks. If he thinks, he exists, therefore that is the order that we know things according to Descartes. We must first come to the realization that we exist because we think , and then we can begin to understand Descartes’s other steps. â€Å"†¦ That the things we conceive very clearly and very distinctly are all true.† This is another of Descartes’s most bas... Free Essays on Descartes In this essay, I propose to explain Descartes's system of methodic doubt. It will be necessary to look at his thoughts throughout his work in â€Å"The meditations†. I will also show how Descartes subjected to doubt, all that could be possibly doubted, and arrived at the indubitable proposition: Cogito ergo sum, or I think, therefore I am. I will also explain how Descartes proceeded from this basis to prove the existence of God. Finally, I will conclude with how these two propositions together, for Descartes, established the certainty of human knowledge. Descartes devised his system of methodic doubt in order to discover an indubitable belief, which he could use as a certain, and secure foundation as the basis for knowledge. For Descartes it was necessary to look inside himself at all the beliefs he once held as true, and subject them to the strongest of doubts. For the purpose of freeing himself from all preconceived opinions, he allowed himself to believe that all his past beliefs were false and imaginary, as he states in the first meditation: " So, for the purpose of rejecting all my opinions, it will be enough if I find in each of them at least some reason for doubt." (Cottingham 1984, p12). This provided Descartes with the easiest path by which to lead the mind away from the senses. In considering how far doubt can be extended, he begins by questioning his sense perception. Descartes realises that everything that he has up till now accepted as true has been acquired either from the senses or through the senses. However there have been times when he has found that his senses can deceive, such as when objects may appear differently from various points of view, and that therefore it is highly probable that other things which appear certain through the senses may in reality be illusions. On further reflection, Descartes ponders the proposition of being asleep or awake. He wonders if this is something that cannot be doubted. Ho... Free Essays on Descartes Upon cursory examination, one might assume that Rene Descartes is a â€Å"non-believer† in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. However, this is simply not the case – Descartes is simply trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about by the attempted scientific explanations of such a supreme being. For Rene Descartes and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations on First Philosophy. What follows is a brief account of the third and fifth meditations, which provide Descartes’ response to the masked question, â€Å"What is God?† Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God? In order to determine the answer we mu st start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects’ existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion – the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the â€Å"cause and effect profile.† The third point is the one that we will primarily spend our time with. Descartes drills us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in one’s intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. â€Å"And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the ar chetype in which all the rea... Free Essays on Descartes â€Å"Therefore, now that I have freed my mind from all cares, and I have secured for myself some leisurely and carefree time, I withdraw in solitude. I will in short, apply myself earnestly and openly to the general destruction of my former opinions.† (Rene Descartes, Meditation I) â€Å"Whatever I had admitted until now as most true I took in either from the senses or through the senses; however, I noticed that they sometimes deceived me. And it is a mark of prudence never to trust wholly in those things which have once deceived us.† (Rene Descartes, Meditation I) Descartes’ Mediations combined equal the embodiment of an effort to establish a foundation for knowledge. Each mediation serving almost as a mental/intellectual rung to achieve the heights of just how we as humans arrive at knowledge. A feat tackled by many a philosopher, Descartes’ method is one that begins with the practice of doubt, systematic doubt. Exemplified in the excerpts from the first meditation, Descartes’ cast himself and the reader into a role of the perplexed being. Perplexed, for all that was or is known may in fact be false if doubt is added into the equation. This addition, thus negating the experiences brought about by the senses. Descartes points out the fallibility of the senses, for they often deceive. The experience of the fallible senses is one that is a commonality, for many have thought an object was closer than it was, or could swear that they heard their name called in the distance. It is agreeable then, that Descartes is right, the senses do deceive, so how can we trust that which does deceive? Descartes says that we cannot, and we should apply doubt, in order to avoid the fallible. In this First Mediation, Descartes’ acknowledges the existence of God or a Supreme Being, as it is already present in his mind. With an ultimate being, God, the creator, as responsible for all things, Desc artes challenges the motives of God.... Free Essays on Descartes Since Descartes’ brain-in-a-vat analogy, people have pondered whether they really exist. Even in today’s modern times, movies like ‘The Matrix’ exemplify the modern paradigm of Descartes’ example. So can we prove we exist? In this paper, I hope to show that we can, but not the context we exist within. I will use the example of ‘The Matrix’ to not only show that a theoretical Matrix could deceive us, but also a more plausible and finite Matrix. Descartes’ ‘cognito ergo sum’ (‘I think therefore I am’) is a perfectly valid method of proving we exist. The fact that we are thinking about our existence proves we exist! Unfortunately, this is as far as Descartes and myself agree - he uses this argument to corroborate the idea that the mind can exist without the body. Yet how can a non-physical entity think? I firmly believe that the act of thinking is a physical process - sensory information (or other events) triggers neurons to fire within the brain that in turn excites various other areas and causes chemical reactions that consequentially affects what we think and feel. Therefore, an entity that does not physically exist cannot think. Dualism complicates matters by creating a double meaning for ‘am’ (and any other word related to the person or being). There is the physical meaning of ‘am’, existing within the physical world. Then there is the more abstract meaning of ‘am’ - one’s personality, one’s being and (dare I say it) one’s soul. Therefore, I may be taking Descartes’ meaning of ‘am’ out of context by using it as a combination of both the physical and the mental (since the mental is physical). The problem that surfaces here is the degree of physicality that has to be associated with ‘being’ (or am-ness). How much of our physical body must be intact to consider us being. Our current Matrix example is safe, since the body is kept intact. Yet, the brain-in-a-vat example is different... Free Essays on Descartes â€Å"I am something real and really existing, but what thing am I? I have already given the answer: a thing which thinks.† Rene Descartes was a modern European thinker. Throughout his meditations he constantly implies that we are â€Å"things that think†. Our bodies, these things, are just a jumbled mess of flesh, blood and bone. It is thinking that creates the person. Thinking is what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. In â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy†, Descartes says â€Å"I am something real and really existing, but what thing am I? I have already given the answer: a thing which thinks† (pg. 26). This passage explains that the best way to learn is by questioning our very existence. I agree with this belief wholeheartedly. It is up to us to use our senses and minds to develop and explore our beliefs on life. Life would be quite boring if we believed everything we heard. Ineffability, or an individual experience which makes it incapable of being imparted, is when one feels most alive and what sets us apart from others. Skepticism is described as doubting everything and is a frequently used method by Descartes. He doubts the fact that he is really living; maybe what he is doing at this moment is dreaming. â€Å"As if I did not remember other occasions when I have been tricked exactly similar thoughts while asleep! As I think about this more carefully, I see plainly that there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep† (pg.19). This quote is found in Descartes first meditation where he doubts many physical things. He is not saying that nothing exists. He is simply saying that there is no way to know; no proof they do exist. I agree very much with this declaration that Descartes made. He knows that there is no proof that the world doesn’t exist and he states that. I certainty agree that it is not certain that the world we are living in is act... Free Essays on Descartes DESCARTES’ IDEA OF A PERFECT BEING In his meditations, Descartes points out that there are three types of ideas; they can be innate, adventitious, caused by things outside of one’s self, and others that can be invented by us, such as ideas of mermaids or unicorns. After he concludes that God must necessarily exist, which will be discussed in more detail later on in this paper, he closes in to the fact that his idea of the Perfect Being cannot be adventitious, coming from without, nor can it be invented by him. Thus, this idea must be innate since he has a clear and distinct perception of God’s existence, and that Descartes must have been created by God with such an idea already in him. The idea of a Perfect Being in Descartes’ mind consists of an infinite, eternal, immutable, independent, supremely intelligent as well as a powerful substance, which created him and everything else. Thus he realizes that the idea of God must have far more objective reality than he has formal reality because God is an infinite substance where as he himself is only a finite substance. Having explained the idea of Descartes’ perfect being lets go into more detail on the process he uses to prove that such being actually exists. Descartes’ proof of the existence of God occurs in the Third Meditation. He builds his entire argument upon his proof in the previous meditation that in order for him to think, he must exist. From this single observation, Descartes notices that the idea of his existence is very clear and distinct in his mind; based upon this clarity and the fact that he has just determined his own existence, he deduces a rule such that the things that he sees as very clear and very distinct are all true. Descartes starts his proof by dividing â€Å"thought† into four categories; ideas (concepts), volitions (choices), emotions (desires), and judgments (beliefs). He then breaks down these categories to discover which types of tho... Free Essays on Descartes In this essay, I propose to explain Descartes's system of methodic doubt. It will be necessary to look at his thoughts throughout his work in â€Å"The meditations†. I will also show how Descartes subjected to doubt, all that could be possibly doubted, and arrived at the indubitable proposition: Cogito ergo sum, or I think, therefore I am. I will also explain how Descartes proceeded from this basis to prove the existence of God. Finally, I will conclude with how these two propositions together, for Descartes, established the certainty of human knowledge. Descartes devised his system of methodic doubt in order to discover an indubitable belief, which he could use as a certain, and secure foundation as the basis for knowledge. For Descartes it was necessary to look inside himself at all the beliefs he once held as true, and subject them to the strongest of doubts. For the purpose of freeing himself from all preconceived opinions, he allowed himself to believe that all his past beliefs were false and imaginary, as he states in the first meditation: " So, for the purpose of rejecting all my opinions, it will be enough if I find in each of them at least some reason for doubt." (Cottingham 1984, p12). This provided Descartes with the easiest path by which to lead the mind away from the senses. In considering how far doubt can be extended, he begins by questioning his sense perception. Descartes realises that everything that he has up till now accepted as true has been acquired either from the senses or through the senses. However there have been times when he has found that his senses can deceive, such as when objects may appear differently from various points of view, and that therefore it is highly probable that other things which appear certain through the senses may in reality be illusions. On further reflection, Descartes ponders the proposition of being asleep or awake. He wonders if this is something that cannot be doubted. Ho... Free Essays on Descartes The classical way of thinking was that what we know first, and best is what we perceive with our senses. Rene Descartes was a revolutionary philosopher because he went against the classical Aristotelian way of thinking. Descartes stated, that what we know through the senses is more doubtful then what we perceive through our own reason. Therefore what we know first, we know with the greatest certitude, because he does not want to believe anything else that he has learned in the past, and wants to believe what he discovers for himself. He also said that anything that we can doubt, we should not take to be true because our senses can deceive us. Descartes goes against all other ways of thinking, and believes that what we know through reason and what we learn first is what we know with the most certainty. The order in which we know things, according to Descartes, all stems out from his base philosophy, which is â€Å"I think therefore I am.† â€Å"I think therefore I am† is the basis of Descartes’s philosophy. Because â€Å"I think therefore I am† is the first thing that Descartes bases his philosophy on, and it is what he knows the greatest. Since it is the first thing that he learned, it is also the thing that he knows with the greatest certainty. We know things according to Descartes by what we know first, and since we know â€Å"I think therefore I am† first that is where we begin to learn all things according to Descartes. â€Å"In order to think, it is necessary to exist.† By thinking Descartes comes to the conclusion that he does in fact exist because he thinks. If he thinks, he exists, therefore that is the order that we know things according to Descartes. We must first come to the realization that we exist because we think , and then we can begin to understand Descartes’s other steps. â€Å"†¦ That the things we conceive very clearly and very distinctly are all true.† This is another of Descartes’s most bas... Free Essays on Descartes I am going to discuss Descartes’ first and second Meditations concerning doubt. I will first summarize what Descartes was trying to say and prove, and explain why he was unsuccessful in his search for a foundation in which he could build knowledge from. In Descartes first meditation he discusses that he has come to the conclusion that many of his beliefs and opinions he had as a child are doubtful. Descartes decides that in order to find out the â€Å"truths† he must disprove his current â€Å"knowledge.† He goes about this by a radical system of doubt and says that he must â€Å"attack those principles which supported everything I once believed (144).† His method of doubt allows him to eliminate anything and everything that has even the smallest possibility of not being factual. Descartes does not necessarily doubt everything that he brings up. In Descartes’ first meditation, he tries to disprove all of his fundamental beliefs. First, he doubts that he can trust his senses because they can be fooled. An example of this is the refraction that happens when a pencil is placed in water; it looks broken, even though it really is not. Descartes then states that there are no definitive signs for him to tell weather he is awake or asleep. And since he cannot trust his senses, he concludes that there is no way to determine whether he is awake or asleep. He does say that there are some things that remain consistent when he is awake and asleep; namely, math. 2 + 2 still = 4 in a dream, and a square will still have four sides whether you are asleep or awake. His point is that even though there a things that remain constant in a dream, they are so vivid sometimes that you cannot tell if you are really conscious. To disprove these beliefs Descartes abandons the idea of a supremely good God like he has believed in all his life and brings up the argument that God is an omnipotent, omniscient, evil genius whose entire purpose is to dec... Free Essays on Descartes DESCARTES (1596-1650) Descartes was a French mathematician and philosopher. It was Descartes who formulated the adage, Cogito ergo sum, "I think therefore I exist." Also, something that really sticks with me is his reasoning in lui of Copernican theory- Descartes also said that knowledge cannot be based on perception (our senses, etc) alone. Descartes was a product of the church and his philosophy reflected the times in which he lived. Descartes was a dualist believing a man was of two natures, a spiritual nature and a temporal nature. Now whether this was a belief held deeply, might be a matter of some question. What is clear is that he would have professed his beliefs, such, that, they were in keeping with the doctrine of the time, as spread by the all powerful church. As a dualist, Descartes, would have accepted that there exists a priori truth (truths not derived from experience; truths such as the existence of God). And, while Descartes accepted some ideas were developed from experience, he was firm in his belief that certain ideas were innate. By pure deduction Descartes evolved for himself entire universes that neither he, nor anyone else, could perceive by the use of their natural senses. All that was necessary, for Descartes, was intense self examination and intense reason, and, through this process, all would b e revealed. Descartes, it would seem, in his philosophical work, continued along the same lines of the church philosophers: the deductive approach, accepting notions which have no basis in reality, and then to proceed to build on those. Something the church was famous for (Catholics still are!). No one can trust the result of such a process: a conclusion can never be more trustworthy than the premises on which it is built. For one to profess a belief in such a process in such a philosophy is to profess one's ignorance of the fundamental universal principles, or natural laws, which have guided man along ... Free Essays on Descartes In the â€Å"Mediations of First Philosophy† Descartes tries to prove the existence of God in the third meditation. He does this by coming up with several premises that eventually add up to a solid argument. First, I will explain why Descartes ask the question, does god exist? And why does Descartes think he needs such and argument at this point in the text. Secondly, I will explain, in detail, the arguments that Descartes makes and how he comes to the conclusion that God does exist. Next, I will debate some of Descartes premises that make his argument an unsound one, including circular reasoning. Finally, I will see if his unsound argument has diminished and undermined his principal goals and the incorrigible foundation of knowledge. In earlier meditations Descartes proved that he existed through the Cogito argument. Descartes must now move on to examine and explore questions about the world around him, but instead of doing this he first stop to examine the question of whether or not God exists. Descartes wants to know that he was created by an all knowing, perfect creator that is good and wants to make sure that he was not created by an evil spirit or demon. If Descartes can prove that he was created by a perfect all knowing creator then his ideas must carry some semblance of truth, because God is not a deceiver and he must of placed these ideas in Descartes. Descartes has good reasons for searching for the answer to the question of God’s existence, now he has to come up with a good sound argument to prove it. Throughout the â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy† Descartes gives a couple of major arguments about the existences of god, he gives one argument in the third meditation and on in the fifth meditation. The argument in meditation three and the one we will focus on is known as the â€Å"Trademark Argument†. This argument comes from the fact claimed by Descartes that inside of everyone is a supreme being, which is place... Free Essays on Descartes [All page references and quotations from the Meditations are taken from the 1995 Everyman edition] In the Meditations, Descartes embarks upon what Bernard Williams has called the project of 'Pure Enquiry' to discover certain, indubitable foundations for knowledge. By subjecting everything to doubt Descartes hoped to discover whatever was immune to it. In order to best understand how and why Descartes builds his epistemological system up from his foundations in the way that he does, it is helpful to gain an understanding of the intellectual background of the 17th century that provided the motivation for his work. We can discern three distinct influences on Descartes, three conflicting world-views that fought for prominence in his day. The first was what remained of the mediaeval scholastic philosophy, largely based on Aristotelian science and Christian theology. Descartes had been taught according to this outlook during his time at the Jesuit college La Flech_ and it had an important influence on his work, as we shall see later. The second was the scepticism that had made a sudden impact on the intellectual world, mainly as a reaction to the scholastic outlook. This scepticism was strongly influenced by the work of the Pyrrhonians as handed down from antiquity by Sextus Empiricus, which claimed that, as there is never a reason to believe p that is better than a reason not to believe p, we should forget about trying to discover the nature of reality and live by appearance alone. This attitude was best exemplified in the work of Michel de Montaigne, who mockingly dismissed the attempts of theologians and scientists to understand the nature of God and the universe respectively. Descartes felt the force of sceptical arguments and, while not being sceptically disposed himself, came to believe that scepticism towards knowledge was the best way to discover what is certain: by ... Free Essays on Descartes In Meditations on First Philosophy, Rene’ Descartes discusses the existence of external objects, primarily in the First Meditation. Descartes doubts the existence of external objects based upon the idea that an ‘evil genius’ exists instead of an ideally good God. This ‘evil genius’ strives at deceiving Descartes. Descartes now assumes that all external objects- â€Å"the heavens, the air, the earth, colors, shapes, sounds†- are nothing more than hoaxes produced by the ‘evil genius’ and therefore do not exist. At the end of the First Meditation, thinking and perception remains certain because your own thinking and perception is the only thing you can believe because it exists in your mind and not in the external world, which can be altered by things such as the ‘evil genius’. In discussing the existence of external objects, Descartes must also include the existence of God. The existence of God is based upon the ‘ontological argument’. The ontological argument is that God is a â€Å"being than which none greater can be thought†. The meaning of the argument is that the concept of God is the greatest being who can be thought, and therefore He must exist. The counter argument is an argument against the ontological argument. It discusses that existence is an essential property and part of the definition of a thing, that is God. The counter argument says that existence is not a property and cannot be part of a definition. Descartes attempts to prove the existence of God and his own self. Descartes argues that God exists as the necessary thing that first caused all other causes in the world, but Descartes has not yet proved that there is a world. Descartes argues that we can only think of this idea of God because a real God exists whom makes it possible for us to have this idea of God himself. Descartes also argues that without God we would not exist because God causes things in this world to exist, that is...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Research Paper Example Obsessive Compulsive Disorder According to the article entitled â€Å"Psychological Disorders,† mental disorders are defined as â€Å"health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and/or impaired functioning†(Green, 2003). There are a myriad of different psychological disorders including depression disorder, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders (Green, 2003). Anxiety disorders are considered to be the most common form of mental illness within the United States as over 19 million Americans have been diagnosed with one of several anxiety disorders (Green, 2003). Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that has complex symptoms and methods of treatment which can severely impact a person’s quality of life. According to the article entitled â€Å"Associations between miscellaneous symptoms and symptom dimensions in adults with obsessive-compulsive d isorders† obsessive compulsive disorder is characterized by â€Å"intrusive and recurrent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images (obsessions) and repetitive rituals/compulsions that serve to reduce anxiety†(Storch, et al. 2008). ... sociated with this particular disorder include repetitive washing of hands, repetitive counting, and other similar behaviors that are completed to relieve the build-up of anxiety. However, although there are some uniform symptoms, there are miscellaneous symptoms that differ from person to person; therefore, it is important to note that the disorder can present itself differently from individual to individual. Overall, there is specific criteria that must be met in order to be diagnosed with OCD. Within the article entitled â€Å"The Phenomenology of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,† OCD is diagnosed by the elements listed within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(Spitzer and Dieter, 1997). One of the most important factors is that the obsessive behaviors or thoughts cannot be a result of a â€Å"substance, drug, or general medical condition(Spitzer and Dieter, 1997). Primarily, within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the two mai n aspects that make up OCD include obsessions and compulsions. In order to be considered a full blown disorder, the obsessions and compulsions cannot be simply everyday worries, but must be consistent with irrational beliefs and thoughts (Spitzer and Dieter, 1997). The disorder must have also reached the point where it is interfering with the person’s daily life and the general quality of their life (Spitzer and Dieter, 1997). According to an article entitled â€Å"Symptoms clusters in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): influence of age and age of onset,† a study was conducted by researching the charts of OCD patients where it was determined that there was no pattern that could be detected in terms of gender as it pertained to the development of this particular disorder(Butwicka and Gmitrowicz,