Love and Desire -A Sober Approach to Gender Equity Essay

Love and Desire -A Sober Approach to Gender Equity - Essay Example It was more of an attempt to subject men to women. Sommers recognized this and rose against it as subjection was not the aim but assimilation and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities across all sexes. There is perhaps no single statement that captures her ideas in entirety as the provided argument. This study seeks to explicate the meaning of her argument and the means she uses to present this argument. At the same time, the study also attempts to offer a personal view on the accuracy, and persuasiveness of the reasons she offers in support of her conclusions. Additionally, the study also traces the quality and accuracy of her argument when representing the views of an average woman and while discrediting the views of radical feminists. Lastly, we weigh her view against a probable response or view by staunch radical feminists such as Marilyn Friedman.This is one that starts with discrediting the views of radical feminists who consider feminism as a representation of two extremes, sexism and assimilation. In understanding these terms, sexism is discrimination based on sex largely defined by long-held stereotypes and traditions. On the other hand, assimilation refers to absorption of the minority by the majority to create a harmonious unit. In this regard, we can understand radical feminism as a fight to absorb the female gender into mainstream masculine activities as a means of fighting existent stereotypes on female inferiority. Sommers views this extreme as misguided as a woman can be free of these stereotypical and oppressive situations and still retain her feminine nature, simply, she does not have to fight to be a ‘man’. In trying to underline this argument, that a woman can enjoy her feminine nature without taking on the roles and mind frames of men, she cites what would satisfy an average woman. She notes that, an average woman is one who would derive utmost satisfaction from bearing children, having ample time to care for th ese children, having fair opportunities and being treated equally with their male counterparts. In summary, she notes that irrespective of the simplicity of these demands, it is still difficult for women to achieve them. It is at this point that she acknowledges that indeed a struggle must ensue for the average woman to achieve these goals. However, she is categorical that such dreams and aspirations cannot be achieved if they are sought through radical means. According to Sommers, a radical approach only underlines furtherance of false consciousness, one that is far from the actual concerns and priorities of a majority of women. This is understandable as a radical means represents a reactive force and not a reasonable force. In essence, a fight for fair inclusion of women is not a fight that can solely be won by women but one that also requires the input and participation of men. Having this in mind, it is quite apparent that men would be open to a reasonable means as opposed to a radical means. It is quite clear that Sommers’s argument is guided by this sobering reality.  Ã‚  

Water is Life Essay Example for Free

Water is Life Essay The slogan: â€Å"Water is Life,† is so true considering that nature’s life cycle revolves around it. The factuality of the statement can be easily seen in the light of what water is to the environment and how it is being taken for granted for its familiarity. The space that it occupies in and around the earth is so invasive it is almost all-encompassing in its existence. â€Å"It covers around 75% of the Earth’s surface† and is contained deep in the earth’s groundwater reserves called aquifers (Godrej, 2003). Despite that much of life depends on water, its purity essential to all our sustenance is being threatened because humans overuse it. Gone are the days when people simply drink directly from a brook. To secure safe drinking water, it has to undergo certain processes; either distilled or purified. This becomes a huge source of financial profit to big businesses such as the proliferation of bottled waters. But, â€Å". . . once we start using water in excess and beyond the rate which it can be replenished again, we endanger the hydrological cycle† (Godrej, 2003). In First World countries, water is used to beautify gardens, maintain greener lawns, and fill up swimming pools. In California, officials predicted that by 2020, water shortage is a surety due to the way it is being used today in that state (2003). Although many factors affect and cause this water crisis, mainly it is the misuse that causes the water crises. The problems range from water’s scarcity and depletion, lack of sanitation and pollution, inequalities in distribution . . . to extravagant use . . . , etc. (Godrej, 2003). Things that contribute to the world’s water crisis are untouched in this essay. Nonetheless, the reality of this crisis that has crept in the usual order of things in the environment cannot be taken for granted. We need to wise up and save this essential element of life. Reference 1. Crystal, David. 1990. Water H2O. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia. Cambridge University Press, p. 1285. 2. Godrej, Dinar. 2003. Crisis and challenge. Precious fluid. New Internationalist magazine, volume 354, pp. 9-12. 3. New Internationalist called Water: The facts. March 2003. volume 354,p. 18 4. Vidal, John. August 2002. Blue gold: Earths liquid asset. The Guardian, p. 6.

Xavier Zubiris Critique of Classical Philosophy :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Xavier Zubiri's Critique of Classical Philosophy ABSTRACT: The contemporary Spanish philosopher Xavier Zubiri (1893-1983) developed his philosophy in constant dialogue with the past. Zubiri believed that there are fundamental flaws with classical philosophy that require a fresh approach. His critique of classical philosophy falls into three areas: conceptual, factual, and scope. The first is treated in this paper with respect to five subjects. Zubiri believed that the structure of human intellection is incorrect in classical philosophy. This error contributes in large part to two key errors which he termed "entification of reality" and "logification of intellection." Closely related are errors concerning essence and the relationship of truth and reality. Introduction 'Classical philosophy' may be loosely defined as the set of beliefs, assumptions, and analyses of experience, together with the intellectual edifice erected upon them, worked out by Ancient Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle, and further developed by Medieval and post-Medieval thinkers, foremost among them Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Francisco Suarez. The tradition has continued to our own day, in the persons of Jacques Maritain and Etienne Gilson, among others. Extending over a period of 2500 years, classical philosophy has undergone many changes; but some basic underlying ideas and ways of viewing the world have remained remarkably constant. It is these which are the subject of the present study. In the course of developing his own philosophy, Xavier Zubiri (1898-1983) has thoroughly and incisively analyzed much of classical philosophy. Zubiri ultimately parts company with Aristotle and classical philosophy because he believes that despite its successes and insights, it suffers from fundamental errors with respect to both point of departure and the answers given to certain critical questions. In many cases, these errors have been set into high relief by developments in modern science; in others, they have been made visible by the critique of philosophers not in the classical tradition. Zubiri's analysis of the errors of classical philosophy may be grouped into three broad areas: Conceptual: (1) Structure of human intellection. (2) Confusion of reality and being, the "Entification of reality". (3) Subsuming of intellection under logos, the "Logification of intellection". (4) Nature and function of definition. (5) The notion of truth. Factual: (1) Inconsistency with modern science. (2) Disagreement with empirical facts. (3) Failure to reach legitimate goals. (4) Foundations and nature of mathematics. Scope: (1) The division of philosophy. (2) Ability of unaided mind to penetrate secrets of nature. (3) Structural complexity of reality. (4) Hierarchical nature of reality. (5) The canon of reality. The first category is the subject of this paper. Xavier Zubiri's Critique of Classical Philosophy :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays Xavier Zubiri's Critique of Classical Philosophy ABSTRACT: The contemporary Spanish philosopher Xavier Zubiri (1893-1983) developed his philosophy in constant dialogue with the past. Zubiri believed that there are fundamental flaws with classical philosophy that require a fresh approach. His critique of classical philosophy falls into three areas: conceptual, factual, and scope. The first is treated in this paper with respect to five subjects. Zubiri believed that the structure of human intellection is incorrect in classical philosophy. This error contributes in large part to two key errors which he termed "entification of reality" and "logification of intellection." Closely related are errors concerning essence and the relationship of truth and reality. Introduction 'Classical philosophy' may be loosely defined as the set of beliefs, assumptions, and analyses of experience, together with the intellectual edifice erected upon them, worked out by Ancient Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle, and further developed by Medieval and post-Medieval thinkers, foremost among them Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Francisco Suarez. The tradition has continued to our own day, in the persons of Jacques Maritain and Etienne Gilson, among others. Extending over a period of 2500 years, classical philosophy has undergone many changes; but some basic underlying ideas and ways of viewing the world have remained remarkably constant. It is these which are the subject of the present study. In the course of developing his own philosophy, Xavier Zubiri (1898-1983) has thoroughly and incisively analyzed much of classical philosophy. Zubiri ultimately parts company with Aristotle and classical philosophy because he believes that despite its successes and insights, it suffers from fundamental errors with respect to both point of departure and the answers given to certain critical questions. In many cases, these errors have been set into high relief by developments in modern science; in others, they have been made visible by the critique of philosophers not in the classical tradition. Zubiri's analysis of the errors of classical philosophy may be grouped into three broad areas: Conceptual: (1) Structure of human intellection. (2) Confusion of reality and being, the "Entification of reality". (3) Subsuming of intellection under logos, the "Logification of intellection". (4) Nature and function of definition. (5) The notion of truth. Factual: (1) Inconsistency with modern science. (2) Disagreement with empirical facts. (3) Failure to reach legitimate goals. (4) Foundations and nature of mathematics. Scope: (1) The division of philosophy. (2) Ability of unaided mind to penetrate secrets of nature. (3) Structural complexity of reality. (4) Hierarchical nature of reality. (5) The canon of reality. The first category is the subject of this paper.

Wealth Disparity in the United States :: essays research papers

Wealth in the United States has always been unequally dispersed among African Americans and whites, even dating back to the 1800’s. African Americans own less property, are less educated, and are in a lower socioeconomic class than whites. Policies since the 1960’s have been implemented in the United States, such as welfare, to help lessen the gap between the two, but the evidence suggests that these policies have not worked to their potential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore, the question that the author is trying to answer is what can be done to help lessen the wealth gap between African Americans and whites. The author looks at affirmative action, business ownership among blacks, but overall focuses most of his attention on home and property ownership.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author suggests that to achieve the goal of racial and class equality, a policy needs to rely on socioeconomic status, but especially take a person’s assets into account. Whites own substantially more property than blacks, which creates a large gap in assets between blacks and whites. While many blacks want to live in integrated neighborhoods, white neighborhoods do not want their property value declining, so therefore white flight ensues. The author proposes to have a policy that guarantees that black ownership in a neighborhood will not top 15 percent, so whites would be less likely to leave. Also, many incentives have been proposed to help the poor gain prosperity, such as a national wealth tax. This tax would make individuals review their assets and liabilities, and then individuals would be required to pay the government a percentage of that net worth.

Leadership Style- Steve Jobs Essay

Steve Jobs was the CEO of the Apple company. His innovation and vision has had a profound effect on the way technology is being used. He was more People orientated than Task orientated in terms of placing himself in the customer’s position and appealing to what they would desire even if they did know it themselves; â€Å"It is not the customer’s job to know what they want†,â€Å"people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.† Mr Jobs was more a Autocratic leader than a collaborative one he was also a transformational leader in some aspects. Autocratic Steve Job’s decisions were made with minimal consultation, and his decisions were made quicker allowing him to respond to changes in the business environment more quickly. The Environmental changes which includes facing their competitors, such as Microsoft. However, because of his â€Å"manipulative† behavior he is considered by some of his employees as authoritative. His behavior and Autocratic style in meetings for instance was described as being rude, and obnoxious. Because of his desire for perfection he had a domineering presence which made some of the employees fear him;he would walk around and ask his employees what they were doing and if they were facing any problems this made his employees feel that Jobs did not only care about the consumers and the products but the employees as well. He wanted to make sure that he was apart of every intricate detail and was involved in every aspect of the company. Transformational As a transformational leader Steve Jobs highly encouraged innovation and creativity among his Apple employees, a key element of intellectual stimulation. He inspired other by- Story telling of his own path helped team members to envision success and possibilities He was always clear about the direction in which the company was heading to. Steve Jobs fought through illness and stayed as long as he could to bring the company as its best. Steve jobs knew how to inspire and attract people with the same vision and the skill set he needed for the team. Steve Jobs took many risks and made many decisions with uncertain outcomes, however most of his decisions have paid off and have had more positive results than negative; the majority becoming achievements. Introducing the mouse and graphical user interface. â€Å"Jobs changed how people interact with personal computers by replacing the text-based command-line interface with a mouse-driven graphical user interface. Instead of typing in commands with a keyboard, users could click on on-screen icons using a mouse controller.† Launching the smartphone revolution. â€Å"When Jobs got Apple into the mobile phone business with the iPhone in 2007, he didn’t just add cellular phone capabilities to an iPod or vice versa, as some expected. He came out with a landmark device that merged an iPod, full Internet browser and mobile phone into a beautiful gadget with a multitouch-screen interface. The iPhone was an instant hit and begat a thousand copycats.† Changing how software applications are distributed. â€Å"He gave developers a way to write and sell mobile programs to consumers online. Its success created a vibrant ecosystem that has boosted demand for Apple’s mobile devices.†

How to Make Homemade Ink in 4 Easy Recipes

How to Make Homemade Ink in 4 Easy Recipes Ink is one of the practical contributions of chemistry. Using basic materials found at craft supply stores, you can make invisible inks and tattoo inks in addition to writing and drawing inks. Although some ink recipes are closely guarded secrets, the basic principles of preparing ink are simple. All you have to do is mix pigment with a carrier (usually water). It helps to include a chemical that  will allow the ink to flow fluidly and adhere to the paper (typically gum arabic, which is sold in powdered form). Black Permanent Ink  Recipe The most popular ink, black permanent ink can be prepared at home using the following materials: 1/2 tsp lamp black (This you can buy or make yourself by holding a plate over a candle and collecting the soot, or by collecting another form of char.)1 egg yolk1 tsp gum arabic1/2 cup honey Mix together the egg yolk, gum arabic, and honey. Stir in the lamp black. This will produce a thick paste that you can store in a sealed container. To use the  ink, mix this paste with a small amount of water to achieve the desired consistency. Applying a small amount of heat may improve the consistency of the solution, but be careful- too much heat will make the ink difficult to write with. Brown Ink  Recipe Brown ink is a popular alternative to black ink and can be prepared without any char or lamp black. All you need to make it is: 4 teaspoons loose tea or 4-5 tea bags1 teaspoon gum arabic1/2 cup boiling water Pour the boiling water over the tea. Allow the tea to steep for about 15 minutes. Squeeze as much tea (tannin) as possible from the tea or teabags. Stir in the gum arabic and mix until you have a consistent solution. Strain the ink so that you are left with a thick paste and allow it to cool before bottling it. Prussian Blue Ink  Recipe An even simpler recipe, and one that produces a bold color, is this recipe for Prussian blue, which painters have been using since the early 1700s. All you need to make it is: Prussian Blue pigment (sometimes sold as laundry bluing)Water Mix the pigment into the water until you have a rich blue ink with a thick consistency. Unless you happen to have a calligraphy pen, the easiest way to use these inks is with a homemade quill or a paintbrush. Blackberry Ink Recipe Like the recipe above, this one produces a rich blue ink, but one that is darker and made entirely of natural materials. To make it, you will need: 1 cup blackberries1/2 cup water1/2 tsp gum arabic4 drops thyme oil First, heat the blackberries in the water, pressing them to release the juice. Once the mixture is dark blue and all of the juice is released, strain the mixture and stir in the gum arabic until you have produced a thick paste. Add the thyme oil and stir. Allow the ink to cool before bottling it.

Youve Got Mail essays

You've Got Mail essays Email has become a societal norm, and is considered to be an acceptable form of communication. Today email is being used across the country by professors, businesses, for personal use, and marketing and advertising. Email can be utilized for many types of conversations or announcements including day to day conversations between friends, memos throughout an office, communication between teacher and student, college campus announcements, marketing for a company, and many more. There are many advantages to using email rather than the telephone or sending a letter via snail mail. Emailing all began with one engineer, Rob Tomlinson, who sent the first email in 1971 and now email has become the number one form of communication in the United States. As with most things there are people that are for and against the use of emails. Nicholas Negroponte who is for the use of email states, One of the enormous attractions of email is that it is not interruptive like a telephone. You can process it at you leisure, and for this reason you may reply to messages that would not stand a chance in hell of getting though the secretarial defenses of corporate, telephonic life. (Negroponte 672) Rather than guessing who is on the other end of the ringing telephone, email allows you to see who sent the message, when it was sent, and the subject. This allows the recipient to decide the importance of each message and reply accordingly. Email also allows for messages to be sent at anytime, unlike using the telephone which could wake up a family or interrupt dinner. Email is exploding in popularity because it is both asynchronous and a computer-readable medium. (Negroponte 672) Email can be used for the delivery of bad news. Psychologists call peoples reluctance to deliver bad news the mum effect. Dreading the task of delivering bad news, people delay and sugarcoat the m ...