...Holocaust, it is extremely difficult to maintain the same level of professional distance and objectivity that one practices with other subjects. Obviously, the magnitude of the destruction and suffering, the millions of lost lives and their untold stories, their unfulfilled hopes and dreams can be overwhelming. Furthermore, thoughtful and honest investigators will occasionally find that they have encountered an area of the Holocaust wherein are found agonizing personal ramifications. That is to say, the scholar is studying an event or a complex of issues that share key components of one’s personal background, beliefs, and values. It is highly unlikely that the scholar will be able to maintain absolute objectivity, feeling completely uninvolved in what is being examined. Instead, the person will most likely be compelled to ask some rather pointed personal questions, or probe into realms in which the investigator has close personal ties. When this occurs, it can be very distressing and painful. 2. A short insight on the background of Jews in Poland, Germany and Russia Several Polish noblemen of the middle ages showed special favour to Jews who immigrated because of persecution in Germany, coupled with a Polish desire for Jewish expertise in commerce. Autonomous systems of Jewish community government (the kahal) flourished in Poland, while the lower or grade school (heder) and Talmudic academy (yeshiva) were found everywhere. A deterioration of Jewish life set in during the long reign...
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...a. Dietrich Bonhoeffer i. Biography ii. Christianity and War iii. Thesis: As demonstrated by Bonhoeffer in his war against socialism, religion cannot be looked at as a dogma and instead should be a malleable doctrine that is subjective to history. II. Body b. Christian Doctrines iv. Fundamental guidelines v. Use of the bible 1. Hitler a Christian? vi. No rules in war c. Moral Ethics vii. Ethics of Conviction vs. Ethics of Responsibility viii. Rationality d. Just War Theory ix. St. Thomas Aquinas x. Guidelines for a Just War xi. Just War is applicable e. What about Christians and Pacifists? xii. “Put your sword away” xiii. No such thing as a “Just War” III. Conclusion f. Summary xiv. Thesis: As demonstrated by Bonhoeffer in his war against socialism, religion cannot be looked at as a dogma and instead should be a malleable doctrine that is subjective to history. g. So what? xv. Accomplishments xvi. Interpretation xvii. Cost-benefit analysis Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian living in Germany during the time of Nazi dictatorship. Originally moved by the exclusion of his fellow pastors after the early Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service was passed, Bonhoeffer’s compassion began to turn to radical opposition...
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...his time. His ideas challenged Christianity, contemporary German culture and traditional morality, which as a result, created a great deal of controversy. Nietzsche is also one of the most misunderstood philosophers and his work is often misconstrued, never more than with the Nazis. The Nazis claimed that Nietzsche was one of their biggest inspirations. They had an attraction to Nietzsche's ideas, such as his attacks against Democracy, Christianity, and Parliamentary Governments. They took a lot their like-mindedness towards Nietzsche from his work The Will to Power. The controversy comes from whether or not this was Nietzsche’s intention or if his work was taken out of context by the Nazis for their own interpretation. Although Nietzsche may have had a similar attitude towards concepts such as religion, the will to power, and the idea of an Übermensch (Superhuman) that the Nazis coincided with, his work was not intended to be used in reference to, or in support of, Nazism and/or Fascism. The Nazis misused Nietzsche's philosophy, misinterpreted his views and distorted his intentions to further support their own objectives. One must first know a little history of both Nietzsche and the Nazis before being able to establish any connection between the two. Friedrich Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844 in the small German village of Röcken bei Lützen. He was named after the Prussian King, Friedrich Wilhelm IV because of the fact that he was born on the...
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...Adolf Hitler. It would not, however, be so readily connected to Martin Luther. However, in a 1543 essay "Concerning the Jews and their Lies," Luther outlined such a plan. This does not necessarily suggest that Luther was analogous to Hitler in action or deed, but rather that Luther, the spark of the Protestant Reformation and father of German nationalism, and his teachings had a profound impact on the anti-Semitic thinkers that came to follow (Prager 106). It is possible that Hitler and Luther shared a common ideological base. Luther's attitude toward the Jews is confusing. He made a drastic transition during the course of his life and writings from sympathy to hateful fear. Early in his Protestant writings, Luther composed an essay entitled "That Jesus Christ Was Born A Jew". In it Luther calls for tolerance, compassion, and peaceful conversion. "...they [Catholics] have dealt with the Jews as if they were dogs and not human beings" (Luther "That" 33). Luther thought that if he made a new, purified Christianity, Jews would more readily convert (Patterson 16). Only through a demonstration of the scriptural basis, however, could Jews by truly converted to Christianity. To Luther, a Jew was a person worth converting and bringing into the fold of Christianity. Luther wondered how Jews could improve society (Luther "That" 34). He questioned those who supported violence against the Jewish people. In his mind, a Jew could not become a contributing member in a Christian society...
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...involved in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Merriam-Webster). Anti-Semitism is believed to have originated from the time period when Jesus Christ was crucified. Some believed that all of the Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death and began to despise anyone who practiced the religion. Daniel Barenboim, an Argentinian musician, asserts his opinion of how anti-Semitism came to be by claiming: “Anti-Semitism has no historical, political and certainly no philosophical origins. Anti-Semitism is a disease” (Anti-Semitism Quotes)....
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...under County X’s tacit control. Germany does not fit that mold, however. This is a country who was globally defeated twice by several antagonistic powers and rose again to become a rich and influential state. A nation, who was responsible for some of the most reprehensible war crimes known to man within the last century, sits among its contemporary peers in the UN and decries similar actions perpetrated by other states. Germany has been able to replace its power in the region from military dominance to economic and political dominance, allowing it to become one of the most influential member-states of the EU and a model for peaceful democratic capitalism. Germany has played a central role in the history and major events within the European continent for the past hundred years. Germany invaded neutral Belgium in 1914 following the assassination of Austro-Hungary Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Due to complex diplomatic alliances within the region and globally, the result of this action spiraled into a global conflict. This conflict split the region into two sides, the Triple Entente and the Central Powers. The Triple Entente originally consisted Britain, France and Russia. The United States and Japan would later join. The Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers shortly after the breakout of war. Know at the times as was “to end all wars,” the conflict lasted from 1914-1919. The defeat of the Central Powers and Germany...
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...Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April, 1889, in the small Austrian town of Braunau near the German border. Both Hitler's parents had come from poor peasant families. His father Alois Hitler, the illegitimate son of a housemaid, was an intelligent and ambitious man and later became a senior customs official. Klara Hitler was Alois' third wife. Alois was twenty-three years older than Klara and already had two children from his previous marriages. Klara and Alois had five children but only Adolf and a younger sister, Paula, survived to become adults. Alois, who was fifty-one when Adolf was born, was extremely keen for his son to do well in life. Alois did have another son by an earlier marriage but he had been a big disappointment to him and eventually ended up in prison for theft. Alois was a strict father and savagely beat his son if he did not do as he was told. Hitler did extremely well at primary school and it appeared he had a bright academic future in front of him. He was also popular with other pupils and was much admired for his leadership qualities. He was also a deeply religious child and for a while considered the possibility of becoming a monk. Competition was much tougher in the larger secondary school and his reaction to not being top of the class was to stop trying. His father was furious as he had high hopes that Hitler would follow his example and join the Austrian civil service when he left school. However, Hitler was a stubborn child and attempts by his parents...
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...SECTION 1: THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT 1918-OCTOBER 1933 |9 November 1918 |Abdication of the Kaiser | |January 1919 |Spartacist Uprising | |February 1919 |First Weimar elections | |28 June 1919 |Treaty of Versailles signed | |July 1919 |Weimar Constitution announced | |March 1920 |Kapp Putsch signed | |January 1923 |Occupation of the Ruhr | |January-November 1923 |Hyperinflation | |8-9 November 1923 |Munich Putsch ...
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...deadlock resulting from high levels of defence. The stalemate developed from four major reasons: i. The Faults of the Schlieffen Plan ii. The Faults of Plan XVII iii. Problems with Communications and Tactics iv. Problems with the High Command • The Faults in • There was an incredible reliance on speed – quick defeat of the France and a slow response by Russia Schlieffen • Unexpectedly strong resistance by Belgian forces – sabotaged Plan railway lines • Strong resistance from French • Troops were diverted from the West to the Eastern front • The “hammer swing” was shortened, so they approached Paris from the East which was expected • The Treaty of London was disregarded as a scrap of paper • Germans weren’t adequately trained for modern warfare strategies • The Faults in • French underestimated number of soldiers available to Plan XVII Germany • French were preoccupied with revenge for Alsace-Lorraine • Insufficient forces were given to the French left wing • Too much attention was on offensive tactics • Officer training was poor • Belgian and British armies were small • Napoleonic Wave Assault (continuous assault) occurred in open countryside=decimation • Problems • Rail was quick, but too few tracks were available to be used with Tactics • Guerilla attacks frequently destroyed the rail infrastructure and • Muddy conditions...
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...revealed one of America's most dishonorable medical studies, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. From this very moment, the public knew the long-hidden truth about this notorious study. In 1932, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) initiated the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Their goal was to investigate stages in advancement of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacterium that may cause death if untreated. (CDC) Furthermore, the study wanted to investigate how syphilis affects blacks compared to whites. They hypothesized that whites experienced more neurological complications while blacks experience more cardiovascular complications. The study used 399 poor black sharecroppers from Macon County, Alabama with dormant syphilis. An additional 201 healthy, unaffected men that were part of the study served as control subjects. Many bioethical values were largely violated. The physicians conducting the study misled the men from the beginning of the experiment. They purposely told men that they had “bad blood” and that they would treat them. Instead, these men were given a placebo. Physicians made sure that they did not receive treatment or help from anyone else. The reward for this “therapy” was free meals, free medical examinations and free burial insurance. It took more than 20 years to reveal the details of this famous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Tuskegee became a symbol of discrimination in health treatment, ethical misbehavior in human research, and government abuse...
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...actions and feelings based on a philosophical concept. Both are linked together, like the concept of ying and yang; one cannot exist without the other, they form a balance. According to team member Erika Alati, when using the word values, you must think of the subjects that a person views as important to his or her life. For example, a person with strong familial values may put family before other facets of life. A person’s morals refer to what is internally viewed as right or wrong. Morals are almost like personal traits; they are inborn into an individual’s character. As a person is growing older, they are exposed to many different ideas. Using this input of information, a person forms different beliefs. One of the most common examples refers to religious beliefs, for example Christianity. Team member Kelly O’Brien believes that a moral, a value and a belief are all uniquely correlated. There are some distinct differences, but all combine to determine the good or evil nature of an individual. A moral is an internal sense of what we believe to be right and wrong. Values are the principles by which we construct decisions about right and wrong; while prioritizing the importance of the value(s). Morals encompass more about good and bad leading to a stronger contradictory judgment, such as being immoral. A belief, however, is a more incendiary device. Satre (1956/2003) stated “we are always ready to take refuge in a belief in determinism if this freedom weighs upon us...
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...Medieval Latin Europe; Mark R. Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages; Solomon Grayzel, The Church and the Jews in the Thirteenth Century 3. What was the position of prostitutes in medieval society? Ruth Mazo Karras, Common Women; Leah Otis, Prostitution in Medieval Society; Margaret Wade Labarge, A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life 4. Why did the French choose to follow Joan of Arc during the the Hundred Years War? Kelly DeVries, Joan of Arc: A Military Leader; Bonnie Wheeler, ed., Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc; Margaret Wade Labarge, A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life 5. Discuss the significance of siege warfare during the crusades. You may narrow this question down to a single crusade if you wish. Jim Bradbury, The Medieval Siege; Randall Rogers, Latin Siege Warfare in the Twelfth Century; John France, Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade 6. Why did the persecution of heretics increase during the high and later Middle Ages? You may focus on the persecution of one heretical group if you wish. R.I. Moore, The Formation of a Persecuting Society; Malcolm Lambert, Medieval Heresy; Gordon Leff, Heresy in the Later Middle Ages 7. To what extent did the ideals of medieval knighthood match its realities? Maurice...
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...or ideology of Social Darwinism, which was prominent during the late 1800s, was a source of both controversy and conflict in Victorian Society and other nations, where imperialists, capitalists and colonialists manipulated Social Darwinism to justify horrific acts of genocide and cultural destruction. Upon the publication of Darwin’s revolutionary theory of evolution, The Origin of Species, uproar was caused in Victorian Society at the notion that humans were related to apes, to animals, which was unthinkable at the time largely because it contravened prevailing religious beliefs. This upheaval was the very beginning of a new age of political thinking and sociological ideas. Society was very quickly divided into those who applied Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection to society and philosophy, and those who opposed the idea, maintaining that Darwin’s theories should not be applied to Homo sapiens…us and that these theories contradicted the most fundamental of moral beliefs and principles. Hence, Social Darwinism was born in all its controversy. However, despite the controversial nature of Darwin’s theories, science and its trends were held in high esteem in Victorian England. Through this, fraudulent governments and individuals motivated by greed for wealth and power were able to justify their actions by manipulating Social Darwinism to fit their purpose, claiming that if science said so, then it must be so. However, Social Darwinism was not confined to Victorian Society, for...
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...individual decision making in cases of active euthanasia The BBC wrote in an Aug. 3, 2009 online article titled "Religion & Ethics - Christianity: Euthanasia - the Christian View" on www.bbc.co.uk: "Christians are mostly against euthanasia. The arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Some churches also emphasise the importance of not interfering with the natural process of death... Christians believe that the intrinsic dignity and value of human lives means that the value of each human life is identical. They don't think that human dignity and value are measured by mobility, intelligence, or any achievements in life. Valuing human beings as equal just because they are human beings has clear implications for thinking about euthanasia: • patients in a persistent vegetative state, although seriously damaged, remain living human beings, and so their intrinsic value remains the same as anyone else's • so it would be wrong to treat their lives as worthless and to conclude that they 'would be better off dead' • patients who are old or sick, and who are near the end of earthly life have the same value as any other human being • people who have mental or physical handicaps have the same value as any other human being... Some features of Christianity suggest that there...
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...HISTORY: * Historical truth & historical books doesn’t always actually say or what it meant in the books. * They books are changed from time to time according to the situations and conditions. Example of Christopher Columbus who discovered America has been discussed in the class, where the actual evil intentions of Columbus were discussed who started his journey in search of India and discovered America. Here the myth is said as a history but the factual reality is left behind. Perennial philosophy: The perennial philosophy says about the whole world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which the foundation of all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. In the perennial philosophy the several representations of different countries such as kundalini of India where the seven chakras represents seven energies present around the spine, Greece and the Caduceus / Homer and the Odyssey, Egypt and the Uraeus-Cobra & vulture, South America’s the oroburos, Chinese Dragon and the European alchemy which representation has different meaning has been discussed. Europe and Christianity: The Catholic doctrine teaches that Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. It interprets the Confession of Peter as acknowledging Christ's designation of Apostle Peter and his successors to be the temporal head of his Church. In 380, Christianity became the state religion for Roman Empire till it falls. In the...
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