...or Becoming Heraclitus (535-475 B.C.) (Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 2010) and Parmenides (515-440 B.C.) (Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 2010) took philosophy to a new level from trying to understand the changing world to trying to understand change itself. Parmenides being one of the most miss-understood philosophers theorized that “being is; and non-being, is not.” His philosophy was based on that change was simply an illusion and believed that the senses can be deceiving so in order to reconcile the perpetual change he perceived with his sense. Heraclitus focused on the circle of life such as the human body and water. (Hooker, 1996)He explains change and becoming by the theory of “it is not possible to step twice into the same river.” As an example Heraclitus uses the river to make a connection with time. Rivers flow only in one direction such as time, the flow of the river can’t be changed nor the flow of time. (Hooker, 1996) Although their theories are meant to provide concrete vicarious the encounters with the world, Heraclitus and Parmenides adhering to some abstract principles begin to govern the world. Heraclitus didn’t belong to a school of thought. He had independent thinking and actually criticized many philosophers. He developed many important philosophical ideas that are still admired today. Among his most important ideas are "Flux" and "Unity of opposites". Heraclitus is called a monist because he believes fire is the underlying principle. Heraclitus works have influenced...
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...himself with the problem that behaviorists often just name or label instincts and he cautions what will happen when this phenomenon assumes that no learning is involved in this process. Beach states that from the beginning, instinct has been defined and discussed in terms of its relation to reason and the human soul. During the fourth century B.C. the Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated that there are two types of creation. Men and gods were the products of rational creation, and irrational beings were in a separate category of living creatures. Heraclitus observed that only gods and men possess souls. This close relation between rational powers and the possession of a soul would be reaffirmed again during the next 2500 years. Heraclitus in all actuality laid the groundwork for the development and concept of instinct. Philosophers of the first century A.D. held that men and gods belong to one community since they are rational beings. All animals were excluded since they are not creatures of reason and their most complex behavior takes place without reflection, as stated by Seneca. Neither Heraclitus nor the Stoics based these conclusions upon objective evidence. They assumed that animals lack a rational soul. Aristotle placed man above the Indian elephant, with superior intellectual powers, but none distinct from those of other species. In the thirteenth century Albertus Magnus removed man from the scale stating he is unique because of the gift of reason and the...
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...ANAXIMANDER Anaximander (610 BCE - 546 BCE) was a Milesian School Pre-Socratic Greek Philosopher. Like most of the Pre-Socratics, very little is known of Anaximander’s life. He was born, presumably in 610 BCE, in Ionia, the present day Turkish west coast, and lived in Miletus where he died in 546 BCE. He was of the Milesian school of thought and, while it is still debated among Pre-Socratic scholars, most assert that he was a student of Thales and agree that, at the very least, he was influenced by his theories. He is infamously known for writing a philosophical prose poem known as On Nature, of which only a fragment has been passed down. In that fragment Anaximander innovatively attributes the formation of a regulating system that governs our world, the cosmos. Furthermore, he put forth the radical idea that it is the indefinite (apeiron), in both the principle (archē) and element (stoicheion), from which are the things that are. In addition to such ingenuity, Anaximander also developed innovative ideas and theories in astronomy, biology, geography, and geometry. For Anaximander, the origination of the world could not be reduced to a single element or a collection of elements alone. Rather, one needed to understand that the origin was in both principle and element not definable in a definite sense or attribution. While this was a radical perspective in relation to the more determinate theories of others from the Milesian school, it does seem to have some derivation from older...
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...History of Evolution The word "evolution" in its broadest sense refers to change or growth that occurs in a particular order. Although this broad version of the term would include astronomical evolution and the evolution of computer design, this article focuses on the evolution of biological organisms. That use of the term dates back to the ancient Greeks, but today the word is more often used to refer to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. This theory is sometimes crudely referred to as the theory of "survival of the fittest." It was proposed by Charles Darwin in On the Origin of Species in 1859 and, independently, by Alfred Wallace in 1858—although Wallace, unlike Darwin, said the human soul is not the product of evolution. Greek and medieval references to "evolution" use it as a descriptive term for a state of nature, in which everything in nature has a certain order or purpose. This is a teleological view of nature. For example, Aristotle classified all living organisms hierarchically in his great scala naturae or Great Chain of Being, with plants at the bottom, moving through lesser animals, and on to humans at the pinnacle of creation, each becoming progressively more perfect in form. It was the medieval philosophers, such as Augustine, who began to incorporate teleological views of nature with religion: God is the designer of all creatures, and everything has a purpose and a place as ordained by Him. In current times, to some, the terms "evolution" and...
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...The only thing constant is change” (Heraclitus). With technology on a continuous rise and the increasing demographic changes in contemporary America, saying that the future of law enforcement is unpredictable is being very modest. Through the use of computer-aided dispatch (CAD), mobile computing, records management systems and database and information technology police and other law enforcement agencies have become much more efficient. Many other tools have help to protect the safety of officers, Kevlar and the Taser for example. Tools such as closed-circuit televisions, global positioning systems (GPS), fingerprint identification systems and facial recognition software also help a great deal with apprehending offenders. These technological advances are not without their share of problems, most of which stem with infringing on the personal rights of civilians and having agents and officers educated in the use of these new technologies. The future of policing is a double edged sword, with the increase of technology and its uses comes the need to safeguard American rights. It is very easy to take an advantage and run with it, this may be the biggest challenge for policing in the future. Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) is a method of managing calls from the public. This also increased communication with dispatch and patrol officers. This created more efficiency and safety for officers. Mobile computing has also experienced a growth in the past couple of decades. Through the use of...
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...what is bad. First, I made the case that good/bad/virtue are words constructed within our imagination, hence they are necessarily subjective, therefore cannot be proven to have any power within the objective world. Then, Socrates appeared as my interlocutor to show me that we only live according to a subjective world, hence even if good/bad/virtue are subjective and relative, they are still important concepts that shape our objective world. My final argument will rest around the fact of the constant chaos/entropy of our subjective world to prove that we can never have a resolute definition of good/bad, so the terms are meaningless. Into the same rivers we step and do not step, we are and are not. -Heraclitus Homericus [ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/#Flu ] Heraclitus posited that our world is in constant flux, thus anything we once knew about the world is entirely different from how it now is. For the sake of the simplicity of this paper, I will avoid references to modern science, so without that I must show that good/bad are the same, hence when one is under the impression of achieving something good, they are in fact achieving something bad. To do such, I will construct a paradox: (1) The following sentence is false. (2) The preceding sentence is true. This is an example of a classic paradox – a strange loop. It casts doubt on our notions of absolute truth. Now, I will replace the words false/true with good/bad: (1) The following action is bad. (2) The preceding...
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...What is knowledge? Where did it come from? Knowledge is the familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report. Rationalists believed that there is an innate knowledge. We have ideas on certain things before we experience them. On the other hand, Empiricists believed that knowledge comes from experience. Whenever we experience something, there we get the knowledge. According to Plato, we have innate ideas. They are buried in the depth of our soul. Senses are only used to jog are memories about certain things. In the Allegory of the Cave, it shows that we, humans, are contented on what we see. We lack courage to know and explore reality. We are blinded by the things perceived by our senses. In contrast to Plato’s theory, Aristotle believed that...
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...Kenneth Rose (Rose, 2003), in his article reviewing John Bennett’s models of leadership (Bennett 2001), mentioned two philosophers who spoke about change. ‘In 513 B.C., Heraclitus of Greece observed, “There is nothing permanent except change.” And in the 16th century, Niccolo Machiavelli stated in his political treatise, The Prince, “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”‘ Change is inevitable, but it can also be uncomfortable. Because it is uncomfortable, most people tend to resist change. One of the most important responsibilities of an effective leader is to reduce people’s resistance to change in order to promote growth in the organization. According to John P. Kotter, retired Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School in Boston, most organizations do a poor job of implementing large-scale change because of resistance within the organization (Fandray 2003). In a study of 288 companies who shared lessons and best practices in change management (Creasey 2003), Tim Creasey found that the top obstacle to change was employee resistance at all levels. In this report, “participants indicated that there is a natural human resistance to change that impacted project success.” According to William Bridges and Susan Mitchell (Bridges & Mitchell, 2000), change is difficult because of the uncomfortable...
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...“I think that we should see other people.” Hmm… it’s a common line in our worldly relationships, and not always the most pleasant to hear, but what implications would those words have on our relationship with the church, the so-called “bride of Christ.” Before answering that question, bounce a bit with me, back to my years of seminary; a time when I balanced (and paid for) the theological world of academia by working as personal trainer at the local YMCA. There were many perks that came from working at the gym, of which relationships ending with the aforementioned line were the first. The free membership allowed me to sweat off the Hebrew scribbles ceaselessly swirling around my head, the community allowed for conversations void of the terms “systematic theology” or “documentary hypothesis theory,” and a steady paycheck provided worldly bread to fill my stomach as I studied and sought the metaphoric, “bread of life.” In light of today’s question though, the YMCA provided an interesting analogy for our relationship with, and development as disciples of, the congregational and universal Church. Many a fitness fanatic will refer to the gym as their “church,” sees sweat as their tithe, and may even view their trainer as a pastor. A workout quickly becomes a religious ritual for many, and after a mere two weeks on the job I could set my watch according to who was on the floor at any given time as well as recite the exact workout routines, choice machines, and even the magazines...
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...Parmenides challenged philosophers by introducing the impression that change is logically impossible if the materials that lay the foundation of the world are said to be entirely static. These ingredients are the first principles that pre-Socratic philosophers moreover agreed to be originating substance of our universe. Thales believed it to be the element water, Anaximander believed it to be the non-material property of the ‘indefinite’ or Apeiron, Anaximenes sought air, and Heraclitus deemed it to be fire. Heraclitus assumed the most definitive matter to be fire because it appeared to be the element that underwent the least amount of change and had potential to be the constant in a world that was ruled by logos. In opposition, Parmendies...
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...approach to the criminal justice. This approach improved coordination among the law enforcement, courts, and correctional agencies. The President’s Commission defined the criminal justice system as the means for the society to enforce the standards of conduct that is necessary to protect individuals and the community. The criminal justice system aims to reduce crime by bringing more offences to justice, and to raise confidence that the system is for the law-abiding citizens. They want to be able to balance the goals of crime control, prevention, and justice. The overarching goal for the criminal justice system plays a big role throughout the society when it comes to protecting our society. “The only thing constant is change” (Heraclitus). With technology on a rise and increasing demographic changes in contemporary America, saying that the future of law enforcement is unpredictable is very modest. Through the use of computer-aided dispatch (CAD), mobile computing, records management systems and database and information technology police and other law enforcement agencies have become more efficient. There are many other tools that are able to help officers protect our society. There are tools such as...
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...| Greeks | CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 1 Chinese | Indians and Hindus | Islam | God | Ancient Greek theology was polytheistic, based on the assumptions that there were many gods and goddesses. | The idea of Heaven (T’ien) plays a prominent role in indigenous Chinese religion. The term can refer to a god, an impersonal power, or both. The concept Is now well-defined, and religious scholars have had a difficult time deciding whether T’ien was believed to be a force like fate or a personal identity. It is also unclear whether the ancient Chinese believed T’ien responded to human supplication or simply worked in accordance with the principles of T’ien. | God created human beings and everything. | Monotheism, belief in one God, is the most important and foundational concept in Islam. Muslims believe in one God who created the universe and has power over everything within it. He is unique and exalted above everything. He creates, and His greatness cannot be compared to His creation. | Man | Men had the dominant role in public life in ancient Greece. They were engaged iin politics and public events, while women were often encouraged to stay in the home. | For the Chinese then, Philosophy is the translation of words into action or the application of theory into praxis. Thus for the Chinese, philosophy singles out a person to live on what he says/teaches thus, a man/woman of integrity who has word/s of honor. | In Hindu tradition, Manu is the name accorded to a progenitor of humanity...
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...As much as I favorite Heraclitus for his obscure, negative outlooks, and mysterious sayings, I would have to say that Thales of Miletus (in my opinion), has the most compelling ideas and philosophies in the pre-Socratic ages. He was usually credited for being the first systematic philosopher of the Western World. He believed that there was an explanation for everything instead of believing/ promoting supernatural causes. "Aristotle, the major source for Thales's philosophy and science, identified Thales as the first person to investigate the basic principles, the question of the originating substances of matter and, therefore, as the founder of the school of natural philosophy. Thales was interested in almost everything, investigating almost all areas of knowledge, philosophy, history, science, mathematics, engineering, geography, and politics." (Thales of Miletus, http://www.iep.utm.edu/thales/) He often developed logical, geometrical theories, such as devising some that allowed hi to measure the height of the pyramids from the ground, and used his intelligence and understanding of the world to predict crop outcomes, and be very profitable at it. It is also pretty interesting to find out that he was technically the first person to study electricity. "LORDZB" states, "It had been noticed that amber, when rubbed, attracted threads of fiber to it. It was this static electricity which Thales’ studied. When the negative particle of the atom was named it was called...
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...University of Phoenix Material Philosophy Matrix | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Historical Developments | | | | | | | | | | | | ...
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...which focuses on gaining knowledge through reason- without the senses. This is also called a priori knowledge. Plato was taught by a Greek philosopher called Socrates. Socrates didn’t trust society and he believed that we don’t know the truth and that the truth doesn’t exist in this world, because everything changes here. Plato’s views on society are shown within ‘The Analogy of the Cave’. Plato believed that the perfect world, where we could find truth, was the world of forms. He said that the world we live in now, is full of illusions and is therefore known as the world of appearance. Plato’s theory of forms is built on the beliefs expressed through the analogy of the cave. Socrates was influenced by another Greek philosopher called Heraclitus. Plato created the analogy of the cave to represent how people were living in the world of appearance and not knowing the truth. He also represents the whole society in not being like a philosopher, and not wanting to find the truth. Plato’s analogy of the cave is as follows: There were 3 prisoners in a cave, who had been imprisoned in the cave for a very long time. They were chained up with their backs against the entrance, they were unable to move. The entrance to the cave was blocked by a fire. Behind the fire, there are people walking passed the fire, resulting in shadows projected on the walls of the cave and their voices echoing around the cave. After being imprisoned in this cave for such a long time, this is how the prisoners...
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