Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Analysis Of Rhonda Copelon s Article Intimate Terror
Rhonda Copelonââ¬â¢s article entitled ââ¬Å"Intimate Terrorâ⬠is really well written. She uses strong and robust comparisons to effectively convey her message. In addition to this, she offers a fairly unbiased perspective and maintains focus on the primary issue being written about. These writing tactics are powerful tools, keeping the reader interested, curious, and open-minded. Because the topic of this article is so controversial and uncomfortable, the usefulness of such writing tools increases exponentially. Through a bold and intense use of written word, Copelon presents her ideas on domestic violence within the private household very successfully. In this article, the authorââ¬â¢s primary focus is comparing violent domestic abuse to official torture. This comparison could understandably be misinterpreted. However, Copelon is very quick to ensure that the two are not generalized and looked at as being the same. She assures that ââ¬Å"[o]fficial torture and d omestic violence are not the same; each is unique in its egregiousnessâ⬠(Copelon p.117) . Because the author continues this style of unbiased text through most of the article, it is easy to read and comprehend the information in an individualized and unique way. Regarding scholarly articles, this level of impartiality is crucial and provides a heightened sense of credibility to the reader. Once Copelon begins the actual comparison of domestic violence in the home and official torture by government entities, she begins a
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Arts In Schools Essay Example For Students
Arts In Schools Essay What do you plan on accomplishing within the week? What concepts, ideas, or theories will you teach? Remember, these should relate to the Big Picture and Bridges you outlined in your Project Description. Set at least 3 objectives for each week. Some words you may want to use: enhance, expand, continue, address, build, foster, develop, increase, identify, demonstrate, etc.: * Apply their knowledge of the universal principles of dance to a new form of technique * To show they have the ability to transition from one way of moving and using the body to a completely new way * To incorporate their skills in performance throughout both lessons or rehearsals * To be able to translate American ideas and customs into their interpretations of those from another country, and to be able to connect with them well enough to recreate an African Mask ceremony * Develop appreciation and abilities in the area of smaller more precise movement. * To foster and understanding of festivals to celebrate harvests and how that often incorporates dance. * To become familiar with the use of props and costumes in dance. II. Assessment: Plan how you will assess whether you have met your weekly objectives. What are the specific ways the children will demonstrate theyve learned what you hoped they would. Use the ABA Categories of Learning sheet to guide you. You want to make sure that you choose assessments that reflect basic learning and assessments that show more complex understanding. Will you document any assessment this week? How?: The children have been training their bodies to be utilized in a very specific way for the Native American and African dance units. They will have to show that they can make a transition to a new kind of dance form, adopting new techniques while keeping some elements consistent. The first half of the project was spent on learning and developing skills which appear in every form of dance. They will demonstrated their comprehension of these this week by following a new tempo, identifying its characteristics (either allegro or adagio), portraying a new story using their mime or acting skills, and also they will have to show their mastery of stage and performance etiquette. The African dancing requires a much more upbeat and vigorous movement with the body compared with the symmetrical and even pulse of the Native American. The Vietnamese dance will have them learning to use smaller and more simplified steps to convey the celebration of a harvest, and also using additional props to enhance the choreography. They will be able to give their own interpretation of the technique used in Vietnamese dance, discuss the presence of festivals and ceremonies, and compare and contrast the costume/prop of this new dance to dances of our past lessons.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
010 Annotated Bib and MLA Professor Ramos Blog
010 Annotated Bib and MLA Annotated Bibliography Quick Write How do we use sources in college? Using Sources What are the ways you can use sources in your essay? Explain Provide information Examples Credibility Quotes Research data Ideas! Annotated Bibliography An annotated bib is a works cited or references page with additional information added to each citation. You begin with the correct reference citation for your sources. For this assignment we will have at least five sources. Here is a good explanation ofà citations in MLA. Explanation and example of anà Annotated Bibliographyà from Cornell Example 2à Annotated Bibliographyà from Purdue OWL Here is the format: Author(s). ââ¬Å"Article Title.â⬠à Source, vol. #, no. #, season year, pp. xx-xx.à Database,à URL. Example: Kong, Les. ââ¬Å"Business Sources for Education Majors.â⬠à Education Graduate Students Journal, vol. 75, no. 4, 2014, pp. 12-19.à JSTOR,à jstor.org/stable/52506788. To each entry you will add the annotation, the paragraph or two that explains the source, why you are using it, and its reliability. Each professor you will have in the future may have specific guidelines for what to include in an annotated bibliographic entry. Always follow their instructions. For this assignment, you should include: Summary of Source, 2-4 sentences How you are using it in your report, 1-3 sentences Reliability of source, 1-3 sentences In total, you should have a short paragraph, 4-10 sentences, explaining the three points above. MLA Style We will be going over the 8th edition MLA citation Style. You can look under ourà resources pageà for MLA or APA guides. There are three things to consider for each style guide you use: Page Formatting In-Text Citations /References Page Here is aà Power Point presentation covering MLA style 8th editionà and the recent changes. Krikorian, Mark. ââ¬Å"Two Immigration Priorities.â⬠à National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,à www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. Krikorian, Mark. ââ¬Å"Two Immigration Priorities.â⬠à National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,à www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. In total, you should have a short paragraph, 4-10 sentences, explaining the three points above. Any questions before we move on? Chp 5, ââ¬Å"And Yetâ⬠Distinguishing Whatà Youà Say from Whatà Theyà Say Chapter 5 (p. 68) introduces you to the termà voice markersà in order to help you distinguish the ââ¬Å"I sayâ⬠from the ââ¬Å"They say.â⬠This is a very important move since we are now including the ââ¬Å"They sayâ⬠in your writing. If you do not do this clearly, the reader will be confused as to your position and you may seem to contradict yourself. The templates help you with specific ways of signaling who is saying what, and to embed the voice markers. Being able to distinguish your own view from the common view is a ââ¬Å"sophisticated rhetorical move.â⬠Using ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Weâ⬠The chapter also covers using the first person in academic writing, ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠or ââ¬Å"we.â⬠You have likely been told to not or never use the I in college writing. The book argues that well-supported arguments are grounded in persuasive reasons and evidence, not in the use of or nonuse of pronouns. Free Write Take the topic you are thinking about researching for your report and write it at the top of a page. For the next five minutes I want you two write down everything you know about it. Do not edit as you write. Just keep writing and see where it takes you. Just keep writing. If you thought runs out, skip a line and start a new thought. Keep writing. Figure out what you know and what you need to research.
Monday, March 9, 2020
Free Essays on African Americans And Nursing
As a child, one may recall an adult asking them the famous question, ââ¬Å"What do you want to be when you grow up?â⬠Even today, children continue to respond with traditional professions such as a police officer, doctor, firefighter, teacher and so on. A similarity between these occupations is that they all provide some type of service. Our society greatly depends on the service of these individuals and would be in a deal of trouble if there ever became a shortage in these fields. Another occupational field that provides service to our society is nursing. Although it is doctors who receive the majority of credit when it comes to the medical field; nurses play a vital role in the medical field as well. Registered nurses have a great deal of responsibility because they have to ensure that the doctorsââ¬â¢ orders are carried out, which promotes recovery and prevents patients from getting ill. Nursing is one of the few fields that have no limitations to minority acceptance. Af rican American nurses have been around since the 1800s. This can be credited to a woman by the name of Mary Eliza Mahoney. A lot of people donââ¬â¢t realize that registered nurses carry on a lot of tasks and responsibilities. Although most nurses fulfill the same graduation requirements, the type of work setting determines the nature and amount of work that is completed. Nurses that work in hospitals are usually assigned to a certain department. These departments consist of pediatrics, maternity, ICU, emergency room, and surgery just to name a few. The department of Labor reveals that, ââ¬Å"when providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress in patients; assist physicians during surgeries, treatments, and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitationâ⬠(par. 1). Nurses that work in an office environment have quite different duties. Their workload consists of assisting with examinatio... Free Essays on African Americans And Nursing Free Essays on African Americans And Nursing As a child, one may recall an adult asking them the famous question, ââ¬Å"What do you want to be when you grow up?â⬠Even today, children continue to respond with traditional professions such as a police officer, doctor, firefighter, teacher and so on. A similarity between these occupations is that they all provide some type of service. Our society greatly depends on the service of these individuals and would be in a deal of trouble if there ever became a shortage in these fields. Another occupational field that provides service to our society is nursing. Although it is doctors who receive the majority of credit when it comes to the medical field; nurses play a vital role in the medical field as well. Registered nurses have a great deal of responsibility because they have to ensure that the doctorsââ¬â¢ orders are carried out, which promotes recovery and prevents patients from getting ill. Nursing is one of the few fields that have no limitations to minority acceptance. Af rican American nurses have been around since the 1800s. This can be credited to a woman by the name of Mary Eliza Mahoney. A lot of people donââ¬â¢t realize that registered nurses carry on a lot of tasks and responsibilities. Although most nurses fulfill the same graduation requirements, the type of work setting determines the nature and amount of work that is completed. Nurses that work in hospitals are usually assigned to a certain department. These departments consist of pediatrics, maternity, ICU, emergency room, and surgery just to name a few. The department of Labor reveals that, ââ¬Å"when providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress in patients; assist physicians during surgeries, treatments, and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitationâ⬠(par. 1). Nurses that work in an office environment have quite different duties. Their workload consists of assisting with examinatio...
Friday, February 21, 2020
Logistics and Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words
Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example In the modern world, when supply chain management and the philosophy of logistics are combined in an efficient manner a company can become richer and more powerful than any emperor of the past. Supply chain management not only allows the right people to have the right things at the right time, it also makes sure that there is no wastage in the process and the overall costs of the business are reduced (Van Hoek, 2005). Every business decision and every business choice comes with an associated cost which must be borne by the shareholders or the owners of the business which means that costs need to be reduced to ensure a healthy profit. Supply chain management does exactly that by cutting down costs in several important areas of business (Christopher, 2005). Lummus and Demarie (2006) give the example of supply chain management experts such as Renee Gregoire and James Correll who discussed the importance of supply chain management at the end of the last century. The future predictions made by them suggested that global competition and heightened customer demands of quality and speed would cause drastic changes in supply chain management. They further suggested that heavy industry, manufacturing and retail would be primary areas in which the supply chain management process as well as the philosophy of logistics would change in a significant manner. Of course the threats to the global supply chain today extend far deeper than a lack of insight or mismanagement since security is also a top concern for supply chain management professionals (Blanchard, 2006). We certainly find this to be true today if we examine the current structures of the global corporations which have to deal with new threats against them and new hostilities coming from various sources (Blanchard, 2006). However, in business terms, the primary motivation is the rise in customer expectations that seek individualized products to be delivered to them in record time.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Should taking photos be allowed everywhere Essay
Should taking photos be allowed everywhere - Essay Example Individuals often take photos for different reasons and in different avenues; however, issues may arise regarding where individuals decides to take their photos for various reasons that include privacy or security reasons. On another note, society today is liberal and this puts into question why people should be denied the liberty to take photos where they like. Taking photos needs to be allowed everywhere since this will allow individuals to relive their best memories on planet earth. This is especially important for those taking photos as a leisure, to commemorate a particular event or as a profession for instance photo journalism. In the contemporary world, photography has become part and parcel the working class, the youth and families who wants a piece of past events to keep as a souvenir. In industrialized nations such as the United States, United Kingdom and Japan are more attracted to tourism as a way of spending their vocation. In order to keep the memories of the areas that they visit as a tourist, taking photos is important for such tourists. This allows the tourists take back home part of the regions that they visit during their vocations. When back home such photos give some sense of satisfaction regarding how a person spent his vacation, this is often shaped with workmates or friends back home. The workplace is often hectic for professionals and vacations exist to help individuals to take a leave from the work environment. However, instead of resting home, these individuals often prefer to spend their vacation in a way that they will remember for a longer period. This has led to the establishment of vacation sites across the world. The scenes at these sites are often fascinating and tourists want to remember such sites by taking photos. On the other hand, photos hold a special place for families and in terms of remembering lifetime events such as
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Is Immortality Desirable?
Is Immortality Desirable? Abstract In this paper I discuss whether immortality in the physical form is desirable. In accordance with the deprivation account I seek to defend the commonsense view that death is a bad thing for the individual but will argue that consistency and logic does not require me to believe that an immortal existence is to be desired. I defend Bernard Williams claim that with an immortal life we are doomed to an eternity of never ending repetition, boredom and indifference and that death is a necessary evil if we are to avoid a life devoid of freshness. I will also argue that death and the very limitation that its sets down gives life meaning. In support of Victor Fankl I will defend the claim that it is time pressure that shapes our lives. In developing my argument I will oppose the counter argument that it is death that makes life meaningless not meaningful. Is Immortality desirable? Is it simply a design fault that we age and die? Are we living in a culture of death whereby we die simply because we accept it as an inevitability? ââ¬Å"All men are mortalâ⬠said Socrates, however, a lifetime spent on in-depth research has led pioneering scientists to deem aging not as an inevitable consequence of the human condition but as a preventative disease. Perhaps these scientists are far too optimistic in their search for a virtual fountain of youth, or is it simply the case that death ââ¬â the end of the physical being, is accepted by the mind and embraced through reinforced teachings and observation. Whether you believe that a quest for immortality will or will never be achieved is irrelevant to the question at hand. The focus will be on whether immortality is desirable, assuming something can be desired yet impossible. Clarification of what I mean by immortality is essential; I will focus on what can be described as physical immortality- by this I mean that on e can live for eternity as a human physical being on earth (where everyone is immortal). In my interpretation, I will also assume that there is no get out clause, take for example one is offered an elixir of immortal life, once taken a person cannot change their mind opting for death- immortality is forever. My definition will also incorporate a block on aging; eternity will be lived through a perfectly healthy functioning body. Accidents will be possible but can be fixed with ease. Intentionally, I have painted a picture of immortality which may at first glance seem desirable, as one may be quick to argue that an immortal life where a person is forever aging to the point of an eternity of pain and discomfort and where accidents occurred and could not be fixed is simply not one to be desired. However, throughout this essay I will put forward the argument that those who believe immortality to be desirable have made an irrational choice, it would be a mistake to crave an immortal life and take the elixir of eternal existence. I will approach this issue by initially examining Nagels (1970) question of whether it is a terrible thing to go out of existence, I will agree and defend the deprivation account of the evil and badness of death claiming it is possible to do so while maintaining immor tality would be a bad thing. The idea that boredom will develop if there was no end to human life will be explored, assessing much of the support from Bernard Williams (1973) as well as opposing and tackling one of John Martin Fischers (1994) criticisms of the above view. The second argument that I will present (which overlaps with my first) will be based on the meaning of life, I will argue that death and the very limitations that it sets down gives life meaning and this will be explored by assessing the views of Victor Frankl (1957) as well as counterarguments by Robert Nozicks (1981). Firstly, to determine whether immortality is a good thing, I pose the question of whether death is a bad thing. Death is an ambiguous term so let me be clear of the definition it will take in my essay. I will take death to mean the end of the physical being, the cessation of life. I am aware that defining death in this way is problematic but let us assume for the sake of simplicity that this is correct. My concern at this point is whether death is a bad thing for the person who dies, referring to the state of non existence (at least in the physical form), not the process of dying. For many, a rational response in life is to fear death- after all, it is our most personal and valuable asset, but is it really, as Nagel stated, a terrible thing to go out of existence? There has been extensive philosophical discussion and disagreement regarding this matter, with philosophers such as Bernard Williams (1973), who argue death has its rightful place; a point to which I will later return, and there are those such as Thomas Nagel (1970) who speak of its badness. Lucretius, however, argue that something can only be good or bad for a person if that person exists at the time the event takes place and is experienced, if we take death to mean non-existence where non-existence is nothingness then death cannot be said to be good or bad as only something can be interpreted in this way. I, however, believe that death is bad, agreeing with Nagel in most parts but at the same time believe that immortality, never dying is also bad, this is not a contradiction. I disagree with the Lucretius argument for the very same reason Nagel rejected their reasoning, Nagel presents an example of an individual betrayed unknowingly behind his back, although the person never becomes aware of this, it seems fair to say that the betrayal was a bad thing for the person involved, in this way the Lucretius connection between badness and experience does not hold true (Nagel, 1970:76). It may be the case that something can be intrinsically bad, bad in itself or in its own right, for example, pain is avoided for its own sake. It may also be the case that something can be comparatively bad, bad by virtue of what youre not getting while this other thing is present. I take the latter point to be the case for the badness of death. It seems to me that something can be bad even if you dont exist, e xistence is not a requirement, in fact it is the very fact that you dont exist that makes death bad. The central bad about death, about non existence, is that it deprives you of the goods of life you might otherwise be getting, I couldnt fall in love, enjoy a sunset or master philosophy.From this, it should follow that life is good because if I wasnt dead I wouldnt be deprived; more of a good thing is always better than less of a good thing; therefore more life is better than less life; it should follow therefore that eternal life never dying is exceptionally good. However, the rules of logic and reason do not require somebody who accepts the deprivation account to believe that immortality is to be desired. Looking closely at the deprivation account, what it claims is that death is bad insofar as it deprives us of the good things we could have otherwise experienced, but we shouldnt assume that life is good or always good (maybe Nagel does or often seems to assume this) what if it turned out that what you would have hereafter would be in fact a life full of bad things. It would there fore be a bad thing that you would go through the rest of your life which in this case would be an eternity with negative experiences. I will now go on to explain that it is an inevitability that an eternal life will somewhere down the line cease to be good, transforming into an eternity of badness in which case still in accordance with the deprivation account death will no longer be bad. I agree that at first thought immortality may be tempting the argument that life is too short will no longer exist. Think of all the things you could get done, you could devout years to writing great philosophy, you could take pleasure in countless sunsets and sunrises, you could enjoy things endlessly having more time to see and achieve things that you would have otherwise not had time to. Here is my argument, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing, medicine for example is something which is instrumentally good, however, although it is good in small doses in that it cures a disease for example if I take more than the prescribed amount it becomes harmful to my body. In this same way extending human life by 50 or even a 100 years can be good but what if someone added a thousand, a million, an eternity to your life? Having done and seen everything you could possible have imagined everything will start to feel the same, having experienced love and the sunset millions of times t hey would no longer excite you. Eternity is a very long time, forever goes on forever and boredom will eventually set in leaving you existing as oppose to living. It seems that I am in agreement with Bernard Williams, in his essay ââ¬Å"The Makropulos Case:Reflections on the Tedium of Immortalityâ⬠(1973) who also argues that an eternal existence would be intolerable, claiming that as human beings it is inevitable that by our very nature we will get bored we would be doomed to never ending repetition and boredom, life would simply be devoid of interest or freshness. He supports his view by discussing a play by Karel Capek which tells of a woman named Elina Makropulos, who at the age of 42 was given an elixir of eternal life by her father. The play is set 300 years on and Elina is now aged 342, Williams states that ââ¬Å"Her unending life has come to a state of boredom, indifference, and coldness. Everything is joyless: ââ¬Å"in the end it is the same,â⬠she says, ââ¬Å"singing and silence.â⬠She refuses to take the elixir again; she dies; and the formula is deliberately destroyed by a young woman among the protest of some older menâ⬠(Williams,1973:82). EM has lived her life at the age of 42 for 300 years and it seems that everything that could happen to a woman of 42 has already happened to her. John Martin Fischer in an article titled Why immortality is not so bad criticizes Williams argument; Fischer asserts that if there was a sufficiently diverse package of experiences we would not get bored (Fischer 1994). He acknowledges that there are those pleasures that would be self exhausting, those which we would not want to repeat more than once or a few times as we would inevitably get bored. His examples of these self exhausting pleasures include pleasures that are disappointing which one would not want to repeat for that very reason and those non-disappointing pleasures which you do to fulfil a goal to prove something to yourself, for example, to overcome your phobia of heights you climb Mount Whitney but this is an experience you do not want to repeat. He acknowledges that there are those pleasures that are self exhausting but ther e are many repeatable pleasures that we would never get bored of like listening to beautiful music or seeing great art and we would therefore never fall victim to Williams boredom account. I disagree with Fischer, firstly it seems to me his examples of self exhausting pleasures present a distorted view of what pleasure really is. I agree that disappointing pleasures may appear to be pleasurable before the act but after we experience the disappointment they cease to fall into this category. It appears that these disappointing pleasures are not pleasures at all and should not fall into the category of self exhausting pleasures. It is a similar case for his example of non disappointing self exhausting pleasures like climbing a mountain to overcome a phobia, climbing this mountain is not done for sheer pleasure, we may experience pride and we may experience some pleasure from this pride but the very act is done reluctantly and is not pleasurable within itself. To claim that he partly agrees with Williams that there are those pleasure that are self exhausting is somewhat misleading what he presents in the above case are not pleasures at all. What Williams said, is to think of the most perfect immortality that you can imagine and imagine doing this forever, the above so called pleasures do not fall into this; it seems obvious they would not want to be repeated. Fischer also goes on to explain a second category of pleasures which he called repeatable pleasures which include listening to music and enjoying art, Fischer believed that if these pleasures were appropriately distributed (not too closely to each other ) they could be repeated countless times. I disagree; although in this case they could be classed as pleasure, it seems we would still inevitably get bored maybe not after 100 or even two hundred years but somewhere down the line of a never ending life we would get bored. I can only enjoy a piece of music a limited number of times before it no longer brings me pleasure. However at this point an objection may arise; some may argue that human potential is endless reducing the likelihood of boredom. There are millions of songs to be heard and millions more that will emerge, there is a countless number of things that can be enjoyed that will never run out so you are not doomed to be repeating the same things over and over, and maybe when things start to get tedious new things will be invented to occupy our minds. The response to this is that having heard a thousand, a million, two million, songs they will all eventually take the same shape, nothing new can be invented that would be so drastically different from all previous inventions. Another point to be made is that Elina Makropulos maintains the same character throughout her life changing only to adapt to her surroundings it could therefore be suggested that the boredom she experienced was a result of her unchanging character not the fact that she lived for such a long period of time. Williams addresses this throughout his article, he argues that as human beings we aim to be, and usually succeed, in becoming a certain type of person, we develop a certain set of interests, a certain way of acting and we become settled as that type of person. His thought is that those who can avoid boredom and continue to find things interesting are not sufficiently mature there seems to be something wrong with them as such immortality is not a life for a hu man being (Williams 1973) . Let us now introduce a way boredom can be avoided in accordance with his argument, a possibility Williams considers is rejuvenation; by this he means you remain a human being in that you maintain the same body but every so often you are rejuvenated, a certain part of your history disappears and is replaced by a new start. Although this seems to deal with the boredom issue Williams does questions whether this is in fact you? Every time I am rejuvenated I have no recollection of my prior self and build a whole new character based on different memories and experiences. It seems wrong to say that I am the same person after being rejuvenated for the hundredth time as I was prior to my first rejuvenation (Williams,1973:92). Even if we are persuaded that you are the same person Williams would argue that it is not giving you anything that you could be interested in, the absence of a continuity of consciousness is a serious problem. Even if it is not death it is as bad as death to be rejuvenated in this way. Another possibility to consider is the gradual deterioration of memory where we forget things as time goes on for example every 200 years. However I believe this raises the same question as above are we really the same person if we live in a 200 year envelope? Williams concludes that death is a necessary e vil; we should hope to die if we are to avoid the alternative of immortality. My second argument to why immortality is not desirable is based on the meaning of life. I believe that death and the very limitations that it sets down gives life meaning. My second argument overlaps with my first but what I wish to specifically argue here is that it is the very fact that we are here for what is comparatively a short time that makes our lives meaningful, in the way we act and behave, this is the idea that it is time pressure that shapes our lives. It is irrelevant whether one believes or does not believe in god or any form of creator or greater being, they will still find life meaningless without death, even if you merely carry on living out of the fear of dying. I believe that all good things have to have a beginning, middle and an end and each is necessary and is enjoyed accordingly. Victor Frankl argues that death itself is what makes life meaningful, his reasoning is as follows: ââ¬Å"What would our lives be like if they were not finite in time, but infinite? If we were immortal, we would legitimately postpone every action forever. It would be of no consequence whether or not we did a thing now; every act might just as well be done tomorrow or the day after or a year from now or ten years hence. But in the face of death as absolute finis to our future boundary to our possibilities, we are under the imperative of utilizing our lifetimes to utmost, not letting the singular opportunities- whose finite sum constitutes the whole of life-pass by unusedâ⬠(Frankl,1957:73). Nozick , however, has a problem with this argument, in his book ââ¬Å"Philosophical explanationâ⬠he wonders whether death in fact makes life meaningless not meaningful, he argues that ââ¬Å"Frankl assumes our only desire is to have done certain things, to put certain things somewhere on our recordâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.However, we may desire to do things; our desire need not be merely to have done them. Moreover, if we had an infinite life, we might view it as a whole, as something to organize, shape and do something withâ⬠(Nozick,1981:579-580) I disagree, firstly it was not assumed by Frankl that we merely do things to put them on record, what was being said is that we have a limited amount of time to do things but we do not merely do them just to tick a box but to grow and evolve as human beings because pursuing our goals enriches our lives. It is the very fact that we have a finite time that motivates us to make those decisions and do those things that enhance our lives, which would only be forever delayed with an infinite existence. For example why should I go to school if I dont like it? The simple answer is to learn to acquire skills that would help me to achieve and make something of my self before I die and cease to exist. If I was immortal, learning trigonometry would seem less attractive than watching TV or playing computer games all day. I get more pleasure from such things (in the short term at least) and watching TV is certainly easier than studying and Ill get round to learning trigonometry sometime.Time press ure is what makes us set goals, with an immortal life tasks would forever be extended and a consequence would emerge whereby we would be less likely to do things of value, we would become a stagnant society where simple pleasures rule. Even if we are partly motivated by the desire to do things not only to have done things they would still be postponed and contrary to what Nozick claims this would matter as the desire alone to do things does not make ones life meaningful it may contribute to some poor will to carry on living (to do that specific thing) but will not give satisfaction to ones life. Nozick also questions whether death in fact makes life meaningless? Many argue that death renders life futile because we will all eventually die and so there is no point in developing character or studying calculus if our progress is ultimately going to be permanently interrupted and it will all go to waste. It seems to me that to argue that death makes life meaningless is to argue that something can only be meaningful if it lasts forever. The truth is that many things we value and find worthwhile do not last forever. I affirm that most if not all actions other than pleasures within themselves are predominantly motivated by the desire to get things done and enrich our lives from them before we die. Death is a deadline, a necessary evil; we know every day that passes we will never get back and this gives meaning and shapes how we live and thus an immortal life is not one to be desired. So far a strong argument has been provided for the undesirability of an immortal life but is there any situation in which immortality can be desired? In setting out what I meant by immortality I disallowed a get out clause, let us now suppose you would be able to live as long as you wanted and when you eventually had enough it would be possible to take your own life, is the elixir of eternal existence now more attractive? Surely it is, however, this is not all together straight forward. Take for example a mortal who chooses to commit suicide, in taking their own life he/she is giving up for example another 30 years, however, in the case of an immortal he/she is giving up what is essentially an eternity. They may be unhappy now but they could not possibly know that this would be the case in a million or a billion years time, choosing to take an immortal life is of greater consequence. In allowing a get out clause we would also become a very unadventurous and risk- averse society, who would take the risk of bungee jumping, paragliding and so forth if what they are risking is an infinite lifespan? Although this may seem a more attractive model of immortality it is complicated and can it really be called immortality if we allow this get out clause? It seems to me the very fact that we would choose this model supports my argument, that immortality would cease to be good and we would all sooner or later opt to take our own lives. In conclusion immortality in the physical human sense is never a good thing. It should not be desired; whatever perfect life you imagine to want to experience forever it will soon become tedious and boredom will eventually set in. Death is therefore necessary, even in accordance with the deprivation account, as further existence would become a bad thing sooner or later and it will no longer be the case whereby death deprives you of the good things life has to offer but where death provides an end to all that is bad with an eternal existence. It is also the inevitability of death that gives life reason and shape, the very fact that we have a limited lifespan motivates people through a sense of urgency to spend their time doing those things that contribute meaning and enrich their lives which would forever be delayed with inevitable consequences with an immortal life. Without death there would be no such thing as sacrifice, putting a lifes work into something, heroism and courage, we w ould lack appreciation for our existence, life would not be as serious or meaningful. I believe there to be an artistic necessity about dying- in the same way a picture has a frame, one cannot imagine an infinite painting, or a play has a shape and a final curtain, one cant imagine a play going on forever. Why grope for some mysterious realm for which we are not properly equipped to function in? Although I have argued that immortality is bad, this is not to say that it is a good thing that we die when we do, in accordance with all above arguments one can still think that we die too soon. Bibliography Fischer, M. (1994). Why Immortality is Not So Bad. International Journal of Philosophical Studies. 2, 257-270. Frankl, V (1957). The Doctor and the Soul. Alfred Knopf. New York Nagel, T (1970). Death. Nous. 4, 73-80 Nozick, R (1981). Philosophical Explanations. Oxford.à Clarendon Press Williams, B (1973). Problems of the Self: Philosophical Papers 1956-1972. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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