Thomas More Utopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thomas More Utopia - Essay Example It appears that everyone has a common desire for the best life attainable. "Utopia" is the word used to denote the best life attainable. Since each person has their own unique vision of Utopia, the only universally agreeable description of Utopia is, "the ability for each person to live in their own vision of paradise." Humanity should strive to obtain that ability. Thomas Moore's Utopia was a description of such an ideal land where social structures had been molded to afford evry individual this very ability to have the fullest from life.In following paragraphs we examine the description of a compelling aspect of humn life viz.religion as dealt in Thomas Moore's UTOPIA. Moore began his description of religious practices in his utopian society with the statement that there were no fetters on religious practices. There was multiplicity of religions. For instance, people worshipped awe inspiring natural object such as the sun and some worshipped even local heroes and distinguished personalities-past and present. Such worshippers were divided in their treatment of such objects of worship. While many treated such objects of worship as ordinary deities others equated them to Supreme God. Moore distinguishes between such believers and a layer of wiser and deeper persons who did not have such identifiable objects of worship but who ," adored one eternal, invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible Deity; as a being that is far above all our apprehensions, that is spread over the whole universe, not by His bulk, but by His power and virtue; Him they call the Father of All, and acknowledge that the beginnings, the increase, the progress, the vicissitudes, and the end of all thin but to Him alone. And indeed, though they differ concerning other things, yet all agree in this, that they think there is one Supreme Being that made and governs the world, whom they call in the language of their country Mithras"(Moore, Book II).In Moore's world, idol worship was clearly distinguished from the concept of the essence of Supreme Being and it was common to find both idol worshippers and believers in essence of the Supreme Being .However it was clearly understood that even idol worshippers acknowledged the limitations of their idols and had an overall belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. In Utopus several religious superstitions had been rationalized and the people were not only willing to hear the merits of various religions but also to adopt and follow them. The role of priest in the society was acknowledged and all the functions and duties they could attend to were identified. Religious intolerance in violent and seditious manner was not al lowed as utopians had a bitter experience in the past of the divisive qualities of religion and their land had suffered under subjugation due to that. Moore writes," he made a law that every man might be of what religion he pleased, and might endeavor to draw others to it by force of argument, and by amicable and modest ways, but without bitterness against those of other opinions; but that he ought to use no other force but that of persuasion, and was neither to mix with it reproaches nor violence; and such as did otherwise were to be condemned to banishment or slavery"(Moore, Book II). Such a law was made not only to preserve societal peace but to prevent daily bitterness amongst

Structures That Influence A Childs Development Education Essay

Structures That Influence A Childs Development Education Essay In this paper I will be discussing the bioecological model of human development. In the bioecological model, development is defined as the phenomenon of continuity and change in biophysical characteristics of human beings(Bronfenbrenner Morris, 2007, p. 793). The main focus of the paper will be on Urie Bronfenbrenners bioecological theory of human development. This model provides the whole picture of the developing child, encompassing relevant theories within it(Berns, 2013, p. 16). Bronfenbrenner looks beyond general developmental patterns; he proposes that researchers examine various ecological settings in which the child participates, such as family and child care, to explain individual differences in childrens development (in this case, cognitive development)(Berns, 2013, p. 17). The social interactions of a child will determine how that child will grow and what type of adult that child will become. The type of environment a child is brought up in impacts the childs ability to l earn. It effects how they develop intellectually, cognitively, and emotionally. This is also when a child learns his morals and values. Bronfenbrenners bioecological model of human development has four basic structures. They are the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. This paper will show how the four structures of human development influence a childs development. The first system that influences development is the microsystem. It refers to the activities and relationships with significant others experienced by a developing person in a particular small setting such as family, school, peer group, or community (Berns, 2013, p. 18). This systems communications are in a close setting of their direct environment and would be considered the most important system of the developing human. The microsystem is the most influential THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES system. This is because it is the first time a child interacts with family, schools, and neighborhoods(Swick Williams, 2006, p. 374). This interaction occurs for a long period of time. The most significant relationship of the microsystem is family. Once a child is born they spend most of their time with their family. Their family is responsible for giving them a place to live, feeding them, clothing, keeping them warm, changing their diapers, and buying them anything that is needed. When children are still babies the family basically does everything for them. The family provides a child with the essentials child to live but that is not the only important role of a family. How parents teach their children, interact with them, and talk to them is the probably more important. This is what helps a child develop in the world. There are several different types of parenting styles. The type of parenting style can determine how a child will eventually end up as an adult. Parenting can affect the way a child does in school. It can also affect a childs mental state. Certain parenting styles can lead children into a life of depression others can lead children into a life of achieving. There are four different parenting styles. They are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and non-involved. Authoritarian parenting is a style of parent-centered parenting characterized by unquestioning obedience to authority is strict and demanding (Berns, 2013, p. 62). These types of parents expect a lot from their children. This can lead to children having low self-esteem or being depressed. However the children are usually obedient. Perhaps the complete opposite of an authoritarian parenting style would be a permissive parenting style. Permissive parenting is THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES a style of child-centered parenting characterized by a lack of directives or authority(Berns, 2013, p. 62). These types of parents do not ask a lot of their children. They usually act more like a friend than a parent. This parenting style can lead to children that do not do well at school and they may suffer from depression as well. These children might also end up having problems with authority. Their parents never told them what to do so when an adult does show some authority the child acts out because they do not know how to handle it. Some may say the healthiest parenting style is authoritative. Authoritative parents are more democratic. They have rules that they expect their child to follow but if their child breaks these rules they are nurturing rather than punishing. Authoritative parenting style leads to a child being happy, assertive, and successful. The last parenting style is uninvolved. These parents are not involved with their child at all. They may provide their child w ith the basic needs necessary to survive but the might not even do that much. Children of uninvolved parents lack self-esteem, they do not do well in school, and they may act out in school. Parenting styles have a significant impact on development. The family structure also impacts development. The nuclear family consists of a husband, a wife, and their children. The nuclear family used to be the most popular but in todays society not all households are structured this way. Today it almost seems that divorce is the norm rather than the nuclear family. 30% of first marriages end in divorce(Kallaman, 2012, p.1). Almost everybody knows someone that is divorced. Even though divorce is becoming more of a normal experience that does not make it any easier on children of divorced parents. In a divorce the children may have to take increased THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES responsibility for themselves and may have less time available to spend with parents to receive love and security (Berns, 2013, p.82). Counseling, mediation, custody battles, and fighting are situations that a child might have to face when their parents are going through a divorce. In many occasions there is also a financial consequence. Usually the mother receives custody of the children and the mothers usually make substantially less than their husband. So the type of comfort the children were used to will most likely change. Peers, community, and schools also have an emotional impact on children. Children can have positive experiences with peer groups but they can also have negative experiences. When it is a positive experience peer groups can offer children independence and help them to find their sense of self. When it is a negative experience children can lose their ability to communicate and socialize with peers. It can also cause them to have low self-esteem. An example of a negative experience with peers is bullying. School is a tremendously beneficial experience for children. School is where children learn most of the skills they will need to be a productive adult. School also teaches children how they are expected to behave. The values of the school or teachers are passed on to their students. Children learn in different ways. They may be visual, spatial, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. It is the teacher and the schools responsibility to discover which type of learning best fits each child. The second system that influences development is the mesosystem. Mesosystems consists of linkages and interrelationships between two or more of a developing persons microsystems, such as the family and the school, or the family and the peer group (Berns, 2013, THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES p.20). These interrelationships involve a variety of settings that the child is immersed in; the influences bind them together (Bronfenbrenner Morris, 2007, p. 820). Mesosystems can benefit a childs development but that depends on the type of microsystems that come together and the quality of their relationships (Berns, 2013). One of the most important examples of a mesosystem involves schooling. Family and schools link together for the development of children. Children develop better when they have parents that are extremely involved in their education. These children will get higher grades, they will do better in school in general, and they will be more likely to attend college after high school. Families that are involved with school will attend family teacher conferences and they will participate in schools activities. Some parents may even volunteer at their childs school. It is also important for families to ask their children how school was and to help them with their homewor k. This will have a positive effect on children and the children will gain confidence (Berns, 2013, p. 142). The link between school and community is also a vital connection in a childs life. Schools that are located in richer in communities are better funded. The community supports the schools in their neighborhoods because these are the schools their children attend. They receive better books, computers, more funds for sports teams, more money for field trips, and better resources in general. The more funds a school has the more the learning process can be extended Children that attend these schools are in a better environment for learning and it gives them a positive outlook on life. These children have a better chance of doing well in school and doing well as adults. THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES The exosystem is the third system of Bronfenbrenners theory of human development. They are settings in which children do not actually participate, but which affect them in one of their microsystems(Berns, 2013, p. 21). Parents socioeconomic status is an example of this. Children dont participate in a familys socioeconomic status but it does affect them. If they are in a family that is in the low economic status they will not have the means to purchase items a child may need. This could be food or school supplies. They will not live in a nice community and therefore will not attend the best schools. Children born into poverty statistically have lower self-esteem, are less likely to excel in school or are more likely to drop out, and they are more susceptible to violence and crime (Bronfenbrenner Morris, 2007, p. 793). On the other hand if they are born into a family that has a high socioeconomic status they will get anything they want. They will go to the best schools. They will get to go on vacations. They will have the best school supplies. They may have a computer for home and then one at school as well. A parents job also affects a child indirectly. If the childs parents do not make a lot of money and they have to work two jobs their childs socialization will be effected. The parent will not be home to help the child do their homework, play games with them, fix dinner for them, or just to talk to them. The parent also may travel a lot for work or stay overnight for a job. In this case their child is placed in non-parental child care. There are different types of non-parental child care. There are child care centers, family day cares, and in-home care. The different types of non-parental child care can affect the child differently. Where the child is cared for is different. Some are cared for in the childrens home but other times the child is taken to a center. The THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES accreditation of the care takers is different. That is, if the care taker is accredited at all. Each type of care also has different learning programs. Some programs have structured activities set up for the children while others basically let the children do whatever they want. Being in child care can be beneficial and detrimental to children. The child will be able to socialize with peers more easily, but they tend to be less cooperative and unresponsive with adults (Berns, 2013, p.156). The last system involved is the macrosystem. The macrosystem consists of the society and subculture to which the developing person belongs, with particular reference to the belief systems, lifestyles, patterns of social interaction, and life changes (Berns, 2013, p.22). There are many examples of macrosystems. Republican, upper class, lower class, Baptist, and Asian ancestry are all examples of macrosystems. The macrosystems we live in influence what, how when, and where we carry out our relations(Swick Williams, 2006, p. 377). This system effects the development of a child in a larger context. The beliefs of the family and their lifestyle, education, religion, and mass media all influence a childs development. Macrosystem influences come from cultural views in society. There are certain roles in society that people are expected to live by. For example, gender roles are still seen strongly in the American culture. Parents may expect a boy to be tough and to never cry, while parents expect girls to be domesticated and nurturers. Family values are huge influences on children. There are many values parents impose on their children. They may expect their children to go to college, get a career, get married, and have 2.5 children. All of this should be done in that exact order. Many familys morals and THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES values come from their socioeconomic status, their culture influences, and their religious influences. There are some universal parenting goals that are the same no matter what type of cultural or religious beliefs affect them. These are ensuring physical health and survival, developing behavioral capacities for economic self-maintenance, and instilling behavioral capacities for maximizing cultural values, such as morality, prestige, and achievement (Berns, 2013, p. 210). Even so, for the most part, parenting styles in the United States can vary greatly. Urie Bronfenbrenner was correct in his theory of the bioecological model of human development. There is an enormous amount of data that shows how the four systems influence a child. The microsystem can be seen as the major system of influence. It is important to have healthy, safe, positive relationships. These relationships will help the childs development as the other systems come into their lives. A mesosystem can be described as the links in the chain(Welzel Inglehart, 2010, p. 52). School and family individually influence a child and together they make so much more of an impact. This does not only consist of these two relationships, but all relationships in the microsystem. The indirect effects of the exosystem, such as parents careers, have their own influences. Long hours at work and little pay can lead to a child missing out on necessities needed for life but more importantly, the child will miss out on early socialization with someone he trusts. Finally, the macrosystem is the combination of culture, religion, mass media, and other influences that are widespread. Put the four different systems of human development together and they make a huge impact on the socialization and THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES cognitive development of a child THE FOUR BASIC STRUCTURES

Schizophrenia Essay -- essays research papers

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. It is a disease that makes it difficult for a person to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses to other, and to behave normally in social situations. People with schizophrenia may also have difficulty in remembering, talking, and behaving appropriately. Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental illnesses. About 1% of the world population has schizophrenia. In the United States, there are about 2.5 million people with the disease. Schizophrenia is the cause of more hospitalizations than almost any other illness. Schizophrenia most commonly begins between the ages of 15 and 25. Although it strikes men and women equally, the symptoms may appear later in women than in men. Very rarely, the symptoms of schizophrenia can appear before the age of 12. Childhood schizophrenia has a more chronic disease course and involves poor early language development. People with schizophrenia can have a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, these symptoms come on suddenly. Usually, though, the illness develops slowly over months or even years. At first, the symptoms may not be noticed or may be confused with those of other conditions. For example, people with schizophrenia may feel tense, be unable to concentrate, or have trouble sleeping. They often become increasingly isolated and withdrawn as their grip on reality loosens. They do not make or keep friends. They may stop caring about the way they look. Dropping out of school or doing badly at work are other early signs of schizophrenia. As the illness progresses, symptoms of psychosis develop. The person starts to act strangely and talk nonsensically. People with schizophrenia may develop paranoid delusions. Examples of this would be that they might see, feel, smell, or hear things that are not really there. They may have physical symptoms, like frowning or unusual movements, and may stand or sit in strange positions. Some people become almost motionless. Others move around constantly. The severity of symptoms will vary from one person to another. The symptoms also tend to worsen and improve. When the symptoms are improved, the person may appear to behave relatively normally, but usually there will be re... ...therapy may help person with schizophrenia learn to sort out the real from the unreal. Group therapy may help them learn to get along with others. Self-help groups may help persons with schizophrenia feel that others share their problems. The best way to prevent relapses is to continue to take the prescribed medication. People with schizophrenia may stop taking their medications for several reasons. Side effects are one of the most important reasons that people with schizophrenia stop taking their medication. It is hard for people to put up with unpleasant side effects for months or years. It is especially hard when the person feels well. It is very important to find the medication that controls symptoms without causing side effects. Convenience is also important. Some medications need to be taken two, three, or even four times a day. Others may be taken just once a day. People are more likely to remember to take a medication once a day than several times a day. Some people profer to get injections every month of long-lasting medication. Taking medications regularly is the best way to prevent repeated illness and hospitalization.

Food Cloning Essay

Food cloning is a very controversial topic to be discussed because of the large number of disagreements associated with it. Just like anything else in the world, it has positive and negative sides to it. The consumers all over the world only see the negative side. It is time that they now witness the benefits that cloned food brings along with it. This paper will outline these controversies and will describe how the media portrays them. It will also demonstrate the effect of food cloning on our culture, if there is any, and will highlight what this new technology can do for man’s future. Discussion Food cloning is basically obtaining food from cloned animals. How exactly does this work? It is as simple as this. Biotech companies clone animals such as cows, pigs and goats etc by taking the nuclei of cells from adults and combining them into other egg cells from which the nuclei have been extracted. Using this method, a large number of livestock have already been cloned for sale to producers (Reuters, 2003). The first cloned animal that was ever produced was a sheep in 1997. Since then, this technology has become more common and common with time. Because of this reason, the Food and Drug Authority asserted its control over cloning (Patel & Rushefsky, 2002). Food cloning is a controversial topic since the time cloning of animals was introduced in 1997. Consumer groups all over the world want authorities to look in ethical and moral issues that are associated with cloning. People are not accepting this new technology and the benefits that come with it for a variety of reasons and controversies. The controversies largely have to do with the degree of safety of the meat, milk and other food products that are obtained from these cloned animals. Why is safety an issue? The answer to this question is obvious. Man is once again trying to intervene with nature and this may not give out the best results because man is subject to errors. Therefore, man will never be able to produce or reproduce animals and food products exactly like the ones present naturally with the help of science and technology and this difference is the main health concern of authorities all over the world. Another reason why cloned food is considered unsafe is that cloned animals usually have higher death rate, low life expectancy and are more prone to diseases (Poulter, 2008). Other safety issues that are considered to pose include the possibility of causing allergic reactions in human and unexpected genetic effects, altering of significant nutrients that are required, containing higher level of toxicants, reducing the effects of antibiotics, and others (Gralla, & Gralla, 2004). After the famous Mary Shelly’s story in which she creates a Frankenstein, people have started to associate cloned animals with that as well. They fear that just like the Frankenstein turned against its creator, the food products obtained from cloned animals may also back fire. They think that just like the Frankenstein turned out to be harmful, cloned food products will also turn out to be harmful. Because of these health concerns, consumers all over are getting worried and concerned regarding whether of not the food products they are having are cloned or not. According to a source, companies now want their produced food products to be labeled as â€Å"clone free† so that their consumers can buy and consume food products without having to worry about safety issues. We can take the example of Ben and Jerry’s. Because of this non acceptance of the consumers, Ben and Jerry’s which is a popular ice cream producing company want to ensure their customers through media that the ice cream they produce comes from normal cows and not clones (The Associated Press, 2008). The media has a huge role to play in this. It made the debate regarding food cloning very open and all the concerns were right there in front of the consumers. Despite being confirmed as safe by the government, cloned food will not be accepted by consumers. However, the reality may be a lot different from this perception that the general public has regarding cloned food. Various legal authorities have given a green light to the use of cloned food as they consider it safe. These include the government, scientists and agencies like the Food and Drug Administration are using media to affirm the fact that there is no difference in food products from cloned animals and from conventional livestock. Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine announced that â€Å"meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day,† Both cloned and natural foods are equally safe and this also goes for the food obtained from off springs of cloned animals (The Associated Press, 2008). They say that there is nothing in the world that is completely natural, therefore there is no reason to stop when it comes to food and not use science and technology to use ways in which abundant food can be made available and that too at better quality. An example of potatoes is given. It is said that potatoes are not edible in their natural form as they are poisonous. Only after selective breeding, they are made edible (Crompton, 2007). Another point put forward to counter the argument of cloned animals being more prone to diseases and having a lower expectancy age is that the milk and meat obtained from cloned animals while they are healthy and alive will not harm the consumers in any way. Therefore there is no reason to be scared to consume such foods. The government and agencies like FDA have confirmed the safety of the foods but still the businesses are not ready to use cloned animals for their products. They fear that if they use such animals, they will have to label their products as ‘cloned’ and because of this people will not go for this product. However, their fear is logical because people are not ready as yet. We are living in a world where the population is increasing at a very rapid exponential rate. This increasing population will eventually demand food and the rate at which we are using up all our resources, it is predicted that very soon man will not have a lot to eat. We need to find better and newer ways which enable that we have abundant food supply for everyone in the world. Biotechnology is a new field that has been grown because of this. Cloned food is something that has been developed as a result. There were health concerns in the past regarding cloned food, but since now the government and other authorities like FDA have confirmed the safety of food obtained from cloned animals, we consumers must learn to accept it as in near future, this food will become a necessity and out only option. Conclusion In conclusion, I would once again like to emphasize on the need to accept such technologies. Food cloning was considered unsafe in the past because it is something new. Everything new has to go through a testing stage until it can be made ready to use. Similarly, food cloning has undergone the testing stage and it is now safe and ready to use. It is no longer the Frankenstein that it was once considered and because of this it has been made legal all over the world. References The Associated Press (2008) Cloned food may prompt ‘clone-free’ labels. Retrieved, 4 Oct, 2008, from MSNBC. Web site: http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/16383458/ Crompton, S. (2007) Frankenstein’s monsters or the future of food? Retrieved, 4 Oct, 2008, from Times Online. Web site: http://women. timesonline. co. uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article1461151. ece Gralla, J. D. & Preston Gralla (2004) Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Cloning. Alpha Books. Patel, K. & Mark E. Rushefsky (2002) Health Care Policy in an Age of New Technologies. M. E. Sharpe. Poulter, S (2008) EU gives green light for cloned food to go on sale in UK shops. Retrieved, 4 Oct, 2008, from Daily Mail Online. Web site: http://www. dailymail. co. uk/health/article-507700/EU-gives-green-light-cloned-food-sale-UK-shops. html Reuters (2003) Cloned Food OK by FDA. Retrieved, 4 Oct, 2008, from Wired. Web site: http://www. wired. com/techbiz/media/news/2003/10/61038

King Lear †Analytical Monologue Essay

LEAR: It may be so, my lord. Hear, Nature, hear, dear goddess, hear!Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend 270To make this creature fruitful. Into her womb convey sterility. Dry up in her the organs of increase,And from her derogate body never springA babe to honor her. If she must teem, 275Create her child of spleen, that it may liveAnd be a thwart disnatured torment to her. Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks,Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits 280To laughter and contempt, that she may feel-That she may feelHow sharper than a serpent’s tooth it isTo have a thankless child.-Away, away!In this particular monologue, it explores the theme, nature, immediately. Lear implores nature, to which he worships as a ‘goddess’ or deity to listen to his plea. He strongly believes that the god is capable of doing anything. For example, making her daughter sterile and drying up her womb so that no baby can come out. Before this monologue, Gonerill wishes that Lear would behave in an orderly manner and would listen to her. Lear then starts to question himself and he seems unable to believe that he is listening to his own daughter because he thinks he is their father and therefore should be able to do whatever he wants. â€Å"Are you our daughter?† Lear says. Later on, the Fool shows regret for Lear’s reduced status. Lear then becomes angry and declares he will go to Regan’s castle instead assuming she would welcome him. Lear attacks Gonerill’s ingratitude and defends his followers’ honour. After this, in rage, Lear curses Gonerill with no children and if she did have children, they would be disobedient and unloving. â€Å"Dry up in her the organs of increase, †¦ derogate body never spring †¦ Createher child of spleen, that it may live †¦ disnatured torment to her. Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lear curses. Shakespeare’s King Lear is a play revolving around the themes of human nature, madness and childishness. In the beginning of this play, King Lear is involved in a childish incident where an old king decides to give away his kingdom to the child who loves him the most based on a speech. â€Å"Now, that we have divided in three our kingdom †¦ tell me, my daughters, which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend†Realistically, who would be so foolish ask their children to show their love on some bluffed words and base his will on what they say? (rhetorical question)The words ‘nature’ appear many times in the play. Why is ‘nature’ so important in the play? One major reason is that it is a powerful means of controlling people. Lear along with other characters think that what is ‘natural’ is right. For example, for much of the play, Lear believes everything he does is natural and any person who frustrates him is unnatural, because it is natural that everyone should obey him without question because he is king. Nature herself is a goddess to whom he can talk to. â€Å"Hear, Nature, hear, dear goddess, hear!† As Lear begs. There are two different views of nature in Shakespeare’s play, a good or a bad way. Characters are classified as good or evil accordingly to their view of nature. In this monologue, Lear is ‘mad’ and has the evil nature in him at the moment. An example of when nature is evil is with the characters, Edmund, Gonerill and Regan. The evil nature in them feeds and motivates them and make them behave like ruthless predatorial animals. A major type of image used in the play is that of animals. These are used mainly to compare the character’s behaviours and nature with animals. Animals are seen in the play to be insignificant creatures. In the play, Shakespeare suggests that sometimes humans can be as cruel and insignificant  as animals are. He uses metaphors about serpents and fanged animals to compare with the evil character in the play. â€Å"How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is,† as Lear would say to curse Gonerill. â€Å"Kind Lear†, William Shakespeare