Public Vs. Private Schooling Essays - Youth, School,

Public Vs. Private Schooling As American support for the public education system dwindles, many parents find the only place for their children to receive a quality education is in a private school. The areas that are most important to a private school are also the ones that seem to be lacking in public schools. These include safety, order, teaching the basics and challenging young minds. Across the nation, public education systems continue to fail students, therefore many have chosen, like myself, to attend private Catholic high schools to receive an education that will better prepare them for college. Overcrowded public high schools have been dealt with the problems of insufficient funding, large class sizes, students who simply refuse to learn and are disruptive. Due to an increase in violent acts committed, many public high schools have instituted low level security measures to ensure the safety of students. The types of security found in these schools include closed campuses, controlled access to the school building and grounds, random drug and metal detector, banning certain types of clothing, and either full or part time security guards have been assigned. How can students be expected to learn and teachers educate in an environment like this? Through personal experience I have found out that it is almost impossible to focus on learning in an atmosphere that is forced to emphasize personal safety rather than education. My first eight years of education were spent at area public schools in and around Chicago, IL. During this time I witnessed approximately 100 fights, 3 teachers being assaulted by students and numerous drug and weapons arrests. Many of these acts were merely boyish fights and left no lasting impression. One incident that has scarred me for life was when a student came to school with a five-inch knife and proceeded to stab an administrator in front of approximately seventy students, myself included. I simply stood there not knowing what to do, too shocked to blink, too terrified to move. The victim recovered fully and the perpetrator, who at the time was fifteen, is now in jail. Is this the atmosphere that children should be placed in to receive the fundamental elements of education that will prepare them for high school and eventually college? There is enough concern about the quality of education in public schools that many private schools have been bombarded with applications in recent years. This is the case with my alma mater, Saint Mary's High School. Run by the Archdiocese of Chicago, it is a small, coeducational, Catholic school located in downtown Chicago, IL. With a graduating class of less than 150, Saint Mary's fosters a college curriculum with small controlled classes and an emphasis on personal, intellectual and religious growth all in a morally sound environment unlike anything found in public schools. The problems facing many public schools are non-existent at most private schools. They have no need to institute security measures because discipline is not a problem. Students know that the school board can expel anyone that hinders learning in the classroom. Disruptive and violent actions are taken seriously and are not tolerated under any circumstance. At Saint Mary's there are various types of honors course s designed for students that have specific interest in a particular subject. There is also a program set up for students to receive not only tutoring but instruction from Midshipmen attending the United States Naval Academy, located only a few blocks from the high school. This type of program not found in any public or private school is one that places Saint Mary's on a far superior level. For those who choose not to take any honors courses there is a challenging curriculum that places students in small classes therefore making learning a very personal experience between teacher and student. I found the most intriguing part of attending Saint Mary's was the emphasis they placed on religion. From the classroom to the athletic field students know that they are representing not only there family but Saint Mary's High School and the whole Archdiocese of Chicago. The mandatory religion classes taught were not focused on right and wrong but how to improve your own personal view of life. T hey challenged us

Biography of Mohandas Gandhi, Indian Freedom Leader

Biography of Mohandas Gandhi, Indian Freedom Leader Mohandas Gandhi (October 2, 1869–January 30, 1948) was the father of the Indian independence movement. While fighting discrimination in South Africa, Gandhi developed satyagraha, a nonviolent way of protesting injustice. Returning to his birthplace of India, Gandhi spent his remaining years working to end British rule of his country and to better the lives of Indias poorest classes. Fast Facts: Mohandas Gandhi Known For: Leader of Indias independence movementAlso Known As: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Mahatma (Great Soul), Father of the Nation, Bapu (Father), GandhijiBorn: October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, IndiaParents: Karamchand and Putlibai GandhiDied: January 30, 1948 in New Delhi, IndiaEducation: Law degree, Inner Temple, London, EnglandPublished Works: Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Freedoms BattleSpouse: Kasturba KapadiaChildren: Harilal Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, Ramdas Gandhi, Devdas GandhiNotable Quote: The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. Early Life Mohandas Gandhi was born October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India, the last child of his father Karamchand Gandhi and his fourth wife Putlibai. Young Gandhi was a shy, mediocre student. At age 13, he married Kasturba Kapadia  as part of an arranged marriage. She bore four sons and supported Gandhis endeavors until her 1944 death. In September 1888 at age 18, Gandhi left India alone to study law in London. He attempted to become an English gentleman, buying suits, fine-tuning his English accent, learning French, and taking music lessons. Deciding that was a waste of time and money, he spent the rest of his three-year stay as a serious student living a simple lifestyle. Gandhi also adopted vegetarianism and joined the London Vegetarian Society, whose intellectual crowd introduced Gandhi to authors Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy. He also studied the Bhagavad Gita, an epic poem sacred to Hindus. These books concepts set the foundation for his later beliefs. Gandhi passed the bar on June 10, 1891, and returned to India. For two years, he attempted to practice law but lacked the knowledge of Indian law and the self-confidence necessary to be a trial lawyer. Instead, he took on a year-long case in South Africa. South Africa At 23, Gandhi again left his family and set off for the British-governed Natal province in South Africa in May 1893. After a week, Gandhi was asked to go to the Dutch-governed Transvaal province. When Gandhi boarded the train, railroad officials ordered him to move to the third-class car. Gandhi, holding first-class tickets, refused. A policeman threw him off the train. As Gandhi talked to Indians in South Africa, he learned that such experiences were common. Sitting in the cold depot that first night of his trip, Gandhi debated returning to India or fighting the discrimination. He decided that he couldnt ignore these injustices. Gandhi spent 20 years bettering Indians rights in South Africa, becoming a resilient, potent leader against discrimination. He learned about Indian grievances, studied the law, wrote letters to officials, and organized petitions. On May 22, 1894, Gandhi established the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). Although it began as an organization for wealthy Indians, Gandhi expanded it to all classes and castes. He became a leader of South Africas Indian community, his activism covered by newspapers in England and India. Return to India In 1896 after three years in South Africa, Gandhi sailed to India to bring his wife and two sons back with him, returning in November. Gandhis ship was quarantined at the harbor for 23 days, but the real reason for the delay was an angry mob of whites at the dock who believed Gandhi was returning with Indians who would overrun South Africa. Gandhi sent his family to safety, but he was assaulted with bricks, rotten eggs, and fists. Police escorted him away. Gandhi refuted the claims against him but refused to prosecute those involved. The violence stopped, strengthening Gandhis prestige. Influenced by the  Gita, Gandhi wanted to purify his life by following the concepts of aparigraha  (nonpossession) and  samabhava  (equitability). A friend gave him Unto This Last  by  John Ruskin, which inspired Gandhi to establish Phoenix Settlement, a community outside Durban, in June 1904. The settlement focused on eliminating needless possessions and living in full equality. Gandhi moved his family and his newspaper, the  Indian Opinion, to the settlement. In 1906, believing that family life was detracting from his potential as a public advocate, Gandhi took the vow of  brahmacharya  (abstinence from sex). He simplified his vegetarianism to unspiced, usually uncooked foods- mostly fruits and nuts, which he believed would help quiet his urges. Satyagraha Gandhi believed that his vow of  brahmacharya  allowed him the focus to devise the concept of  satyagraha  in late 1906. In the simplest sense,  satyagraha  is passive resistance, but Gandhi described it as truth force, or natural right. He believed exploitation was possible only if the exploited and the exploiter accepted it, so seeing beyond the current situation provided power to change it. In practice,  satyagraha  is nonviolent resistance to injustice. A  person using satyagraha could resist injustice by refusing to follow an unjust law or putting up with physical assaults and/or confiscation of his property without anger. There would be no winners or losers; all would understand the truth and agree to rescind the unjust law. Gandhi first organized satyagraha  against the Asiatic Registration Law, or Black Act, which passed in March 1907. It required all Indians to be fingerprinted and carry registration documents at all times. Indians refused fingerprinting and picketed documentation offices. Protests were organized, miners went on strike, and Indians illegally traveled from Natal to the Transvaal in opposition to the act. Many protesters, including Gandhi, were beaten and arrested. After seven years of protest, the Black Act was repealed. The nonviolent protest had succeeded. Back to India After 20 years in South Africa, Gandhi returned to India. By the time he arrived, press reports of his South African triumphs had made him a national hero. He traveled the country for a year before beginning reforms. Gandhi found that his fame conflicted with observing conditions of the poor, so he wore a loincloth (dhoti) and sandals, the garb of the masses, during this journey. In cold weather, he added a shawl. This became his lifetime wardrobe. Gandhi founded another communal settlement in Ahmadabad called Sabarmati Ashram. For the next 16 years, Gandhi lived there with his family. He was also given the honorary title of Mahatma, or Great Soul. Many credit Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913  Nobel Prize for Literature, for awarding Gandhi this name. Peasants viewed Gandhi as a holy man, but he disliked the title because it implied he was special. He viewed himself as ordinary. After the year ended, Gandhi still felt stifled because of World War I. As part of  satyagraha, Gandhi had vowed never to take advantage of an opponents troubles. With the British in a major conflict, Gandhi couldnt fight them for Indian freedom. Instead, he used satyagraha  to erase inequities among Indians. Gandhi persuaded landlords to stop forcing tenant farmers to pay increased rent by appealing to their morals and fasted to convince mill owners to settle a strike. Because of Gandhis prestige, people didnt want to be responsible for his death from fasting. Confronting British When the war ended, Gandhi focused on the fight for Indian self-rule (swaraj). In 1919, the British handed Gandhi a cause: the Rowlatt Act, which gave the British nearly free rein to detain revolutionary elements without trial. Gandhi organized a hartal (strike), which began on March 30, 1919. Unfortunately, the protest turned violent. Gandhi ended the  hartal  once he heard about the violence, but more than 300 Indians had died and more than 1,100 were injured from British reprisals in the city of Amritsar.  Satyagraha  hadnt been achieved, but the Amritsar Massacre  fueled Indian opinions against the British. The violence showed Gandhi that the Indian people didnt fully believe in satyagraha. He spent much of the 1920s advocating for it  and struggling to keep protests peaceful. Gandhi also began advocating self-reliance as a path to freedom. Since the British established India as a colony, Indians had supplied Britain with raw fiber and then imported the resulting cloth from England. Gandhi advocated that Indians spin their own cloth, popularizing the idea by traveling with a spinning wheel, often spinning yarn while giving a speech. The image of the spinning wheel (charkha) became a symbol for independence. In March 1922, Gandhi was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison for sedition. After two years, he was released following surgery to find his country embroiled in violence between Muslims and Hindus. When Gandhi began a 21-day fast still ill from surgery, many thought he would die, but he rallied. The fast created a temporary peace. Salt March In December 1928, Gandhi and the Indian National Congress (INC) announced a challenge to the British government. If India wasnt granted Commonwealth status by December 31, 1929, they would organize a nationwide protest against British taxes. The deadline passed without change. Gandhi chose to protest the British salt tax because salt was used in everyday cooking, even by the poorest. The Salt March began a nationwide boycott starting March 12,  1930, when Gandhi and 78 followers walked 200 miles from the Sabarmati Ashram to the sea. The group grew along the way, reaching 2,000 to 3,000. When they reached the coastal town of Dandi on April 5, they prayed all night. In the morning, Gandhi made a presentation of picking up a piece of sea salt from the beach. Technically, he had broken the law. Thus began an endeavor for Indians to make salt. Some picked up loose salt on the beaches, while others evaporated saltwater. Indian-made salt soon was sold nationwide. Peaceful picketing and marches were conducted. The British responded with mass arrests. Protesters Beaten When Gandhi announced a march on the government-owned Dharasana Saltworks, the British imprisoned him without trial. Although they hoped Gandhis arrest would stop the march, they underestimated his followers. The poet  Sarojini Naidu  led 2,500 marchers. As they reached the waiting police, the marchers were beaten with clubs. News of the brutal beating of peaceful protesters shocked the world. British viceroy Lord Irwin met with Gandhi and they agreed on the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which granted limited salt production and freedom for the protesters if Gandhi called off the protests. While many Indians believed that Gandhi hadnt gotten enough from the negotiations, he viewed it as a step toward independence. Independence After the success of the  Salt March, Gandhi conducted another fast that enhanced his image as a holy man or prophet. Dismayed at the adulation, Gandhi retired from politics in 1934 at age 64. He came out of retirement five years later when the British viceroy announced, without consulting Indian leaders, that India would side with England during  World War II. This revitalized the Indian independence movement. Many British parliamentarians realized they were facing mass protests and began discussing an independent India. Although Prime Minister  Winston Churchill  opposed losing India as a colony, the British announced in March 1941 that it would free India after  World War II. Gandhi wanted independence sooner and organized a Quit India campaign in 1942. The British again jailed Gandhi. Hindu-Muslim Conflict When Gandhi was released in 1944, independence seemed near. Huge disagreements, however, arose between Hindus and Muslims. Because the majority of Indians were Hindu, Muslims feared losing political power if India became independent. The Muslims wanted six provinces in northwest India, where Muslims predominated, to become an independent country. Gandhi opposed partitioning India and tried to bring the sides together, but that proved too difficult even for the Mahatma. Violence erupted; entire towns were burned. Gandhi toured India, hoping his presence could curb the violence. Although violence stopped where Gandhi visited, he couldnt be everywhere. Partition The British, seeing India headed for civil war, decided to leave in August 1947. Before leaving, they got the Hindus, against Gandhis wishes, to agree to a  partition plan. On August 15, 1947, Britain granted independence to India and to the newly formed Muslim country of Pakistan. Millions of Muslims marched from India to Pakistan, and millions of Hindus in Pakistan walked to India. Many refugees died from illness, exposure, and dehydration. As 15 million Indians became uprooted from their homes, Hindus and Muslims attacked each other. Gandhi once again went on a fast. He would only eat again, he stated, once he saw clear plans to stop the violence. The fast began on January 13, 1948. Realizing that the frail, aged Gandhi couldnt withstand a long fast, the sides collaborated. On January 18, more than 100 representatives approached Gandhi with a promise for peace, ending his fast. Assassination Not everyone approved of the plan. Some radical Hindu groups believed that India shouldnt have been partitioned, blaming Gandhi. On January 30, 1948, the 78-year-old Gandhi spent his day discussing issues. Just past 5 p.m., Gandhi began the walk, supported by two grandnieces, to the Birla House, where he was staying in New Delhi, for a prayer meeting. A crowd surrounded him. A young Hindu named Nathuram Godse stopped before him and bowed. Gandhi bowed back. Godse shot Gandhi three times. Although Gandhi had survived five other assassination attempts, he fell to the ground, dead. Legacy Gandhis concept of nonviolent protest attracted the organizers of numerous demonstrations and movements. Civil rights leaders, especially Martin Luther King Jr., adopted Gandhis model for their own struggles. Research in the second half of the 20th century established Gandhi as a great mediator and reconciler, resolving conflicts between older moderate politicians and young radicals, political terrorists and parliamentarians, urban intelligentsia and rural masses, Hindus and Muslims, as well as Indians and British. He was the  catalyst,  if not the initiator, of three major revolutions of the 20th century: movements against colonialism, racism, and violence. His deepest strivings were spiritual, but unlike many fellow Indians with such  aspirations, he didnt retire to a Himalayan cave  to meditate. Rather, he took his cave with him everywhere he went. And, he left his thoughts to posterity: His collected writings had reached 100 volumes by the early 21st century. Sources Mahatma Gandhi: Indian Leader. Encyclopaedia Britannica.Mahatma Gandhi. History.com.

International Business Law (ARTICLE WILL BE GIVEN ) Essay

International Business Law (ARTICLE WILL BE GIVEN ) - Essay Example In this regard McDodgy has various defenses as stipulated by the law. McDodgy established his business as SpuEx which is different from FedEx. The two companies deal with totally different issues. FedEx being an international deal with freight issues while SpudEx was to provide delicious hot French fries. Therefore there is likely to be no confusion caused to both customers as they deal with different business. This is evident from Victoria case where the court held, " The record in this case establishes that an army officer who saw the advertisement of the opening of a store named "Victor's Secret" did make the mental association with "Victoria's Secret," but it also shows that he did not therefore form any different impression of the store that his wife and daughter had patronized. There is a complete absence of evidence of any lessening of the capacity of the Victoria's Secret mark to identify and distinguish goods or services sold in Victoria's Secret stores or advertised in its catalogs. The officer was offended by the ad, but it did not change his conception of Victoria's Secret. His offense was directed entirely at petitioners, not at respondents. Moreover, the expert retained by respondents had nothing to say about the impact of petitioners' name on the strength of respondents' mark. (Wardman 2002) Section 1055 of the Lanham Act clearly specifies that "where a registered mark or a mark sought to be registered is or may be used legitimately by related companies, such use shall there to the benefit of the registrant or applicant for registration and such use shall not affect the validity of such mark or its registration, provided such mark is not used in such manner as to deceive the public. If for first use of a mark by a person is controlled by the registrant or applicant for registration of the mark will respect to the nature and quality of the goods or services, such first use shall inure to the benefit of the registrant or applicant, as the case may be" (www.bitlaw .com) McDodgy can rely on the fact that the trademark in contention is not famous and that the clients of FedEx will not be deceived by the use of such trademark by him. Given the nature of goods and services provided by McDodgy's business and that of FedEx then clients of FedEx are unlikely to be confused. The point however, is McDodgy's use of trademark is not an

The challenges and opportunities of BMW Assignment

The challenges and opportunities of BMW - Assignment Example After conducting a thorough review of the literature it has been established that in order to offer high speed, sporty and designer cars to customers the company is neglecting the EU emission norms. There has been several news of the company taking political support to escape penalties and norms immorally. However, strict legal framework is compelling them towards thinking about other opportunities. In this backdrop a qualitative research has been conducted to know about customers’ perception and buying interest after knowing about the challenge. Primary data has been collected through a questionnaire survey among a sample size of 20 respondents. It was found that though customers check size, style, brand name and colour first, when it comes to buying a car but they would not prefer to buy a vehicle which does not meet legal emission standards. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 Background 4 1.2 Research Problem 4 1.3 Research Objectives 4 1.4 Research Questions 5 SECTION 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Right to Information Act, 2005 | Analysis

Right to Information Act, 2005 | Analysis RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 VIDYA SAGAR KOMMU INTRODUCTION: The knowledge and the freedom of information are playing an important role in the society for the advancement. For a country like India, which is one of the biggest democracy in the world it is necessary to provide accountability and transparency in the governance. To achieve this there should be freedom of information to the citizens of the country and this as a right. It is the responsibility of the state. So, in the Indian constitution under the fundamental rights article 19 talks about protection of certain rights of all citizens. And article 19 (1) (a) talks about freedom of speech and expression. It is meaningless unless until it provide the access to get information. So, under this article the right to information emerged to facilitate the access to the information. Even though it is recognized as fundamental right we need a process through which we can exercise this there created a necessity for an act to come. As a result, The Right To Information Act came to exist in 2005 i n India. Various countries in the world have already been practicing this Act with different names for many years. This act is referred to as Freedom of Press Act in Sweden, in USA and UK this act is called Freedom of Information Act, in South Africa it is Promotion of Access to Info Act, in New Zealand it is Official Information Act, in Pakistan it is called Right to Information Act. 90 countries in the World have been practicing this Act. Before this act was passed in the center different states of India have also been practicing this act. Tamil Nadu and Goa has been practicing this Act since 1997 and Rajasthan and Karnataka have been practicing since 2000. Delhi since 2001 and Maharashtra and Assam enacted this since 2002. Actual journey of the Right to Information Act in India has started in 1923 through the Official Secret Act. Later in early 1990s it again gained some importance and in the year 2005 after repetitive petitions the RTI Act was passed. ABOUT THE RTI ACT, 2005: This Act was enacted by the permission and the authority of the President of India. In the Parliament, it was enacted in June, 2005. This Act is applicable to all the states in the country but not to Jammu and Kashmir. This Act main objective is to facilitate the access to get information to citizens of the country in a secure way and by this to encourage accountability and transparency in governance. Here the information seek by the citizens is may be in any form. It may be physical form like records, papers, documents, etc or it may be in digital form like e-mails or in any electronic form. There are some exceptions to reveal the information in this Act also. Information that cannot have access to reveal is information related to sovereignty and integrity of India, information prevented by Courts, Cabinet papers, information related to issues under investigation, trade secrets, intellectual property, information related to fiduciary relationship. In Indian constitution, article 19 (2) talks about this. If anyone wants to get some information he/she has send a request to public authority with whatever the fees applicable. They can send their request by writing it on paper, letter or even by electronic media also. They have to mention the full address of the public authority. After receiving the request by the Public Information Officer (PIO) he has to check whether the seeking information is allowed or not. If it is allowed then the PIO will send that information within 30 days. Otherwise it may reject due to some reasons like security, copyright, commercials, etc. If the person, who requested do not get the requested information or proper response from the public authority within 30 calendar days, the person has a chance to give a complaint either to Information Commission or to first appellate authority. This type of complaints can give due to various reasons like late response, demand of cost of information that is not at all reasonable. For the first appeal, the applicant has to application fee along with his/her application. There is no fee when one appeals to Central Government offices. The officer senior to Public Information Officer is called first appellate authority. After one’s appeal reached to this appellate authority they will ask an explanation from PIO. They might invite the person to hear. They will pass a reasonable order within 30-45 days. If the person is not satisfied then also he /she can file second appeal either with State Information Commissioner or with Central Information Commissioner, according to the case. There is no such given time limit for getting response at this level. Too many cases are filed up with these offices. IMPORTANT SECTIONS OF RTI ACT: The RTI Act consists of more than 30 sections and its subsections. In order to get response every time, one has to know about all sections and amendments related to this act. Here are the some important sections of this act Section 3 tells that all citizens have the right. Section 4 tells about proactive disclosures by authorities. Section 6 deals with the request for obtaining information. Section 7 tells about how a person request will be treated. Section 8 tells about exemptions. Section 19 (1): First appeal Section 19 (3): Second appeal Section 20: Penalties and Disciplinary actions. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This act has been utilized by the people to get information and acted as a tool for judicial approachability wherein the effectiveness may vary from state to state. It has always stood as the authentic means to get information in a formal way in various sectors from education to land. This has also disclosed the regularities to inefficiencies. An empirical evidence for RTI success is the RTI filed by Activist Anil Galgali for Reliance Infra regarding meter connection details. Initially, he was denied information that it was for the public authority, later he complained to the State Information Commission of Maharashtra for deny of information. Due to intervention taken by SIC even the case moved to Bombay High Court, stay was given by Bombay HC on the decision of SIC Maharashtra. RTI has played a vital role and have attained success in various cases such as monitoring of attendance of village in UP school teachers, payment of pension dues from railways, corruption in the master of role in the employment guarantee schemes. RTI also gives the privilege of filing a case irrespective of age which was utilize by an 9 year old student to monitor over the over-speeding of vehicles. Though the Central Information Commission as the power to penalize the politicians does not provide information about their assets and liabilities within stipulated prescribed time but until now this provision is not often used. Our former Prime Minister had stated that even though the RTI Act had been working good there were few concerns regarding public servants expressions. Aruna Roy had criticized the former Prime Ministers view saying the Government has always been inefficient. RTI has also resulted in violence like threatening and in some cases it has also costed lives about 250. The most famous killings were of Satish Shetty from Pune who exposed the land scam, Lalit kumar Mehta for exposing corruption in MGNREGA, and Shela Masood being shot dead at Bhopal. Though the RTI was brought with a noble intention, it is also misuse by pseudo activist where they tend to get an incentive by blackmailing the people wherein it is further leading to ill practices in the society. CONCLUSION: The RTI has brought a sort of monitory and accountability to check the irregularities and inefficiencies in the government. The awareness regarding RTI is low in terms of how to apply, initiation, and some feel that the government is not towards the positive approach of it. The long urge of RTI activists were addressed through Whistle Blowers Protection Act in 2014 wherein it gives power to complainant to make complaint to Competent Authority. For making RTI Act more feasible it has to adopt a type of single window clearance system through appointment of officers and staff for making the process and getting information quickly. Further, the government should show keen interest to protect the interest of whistle blowers and activists. RTI can be seen as an ultimate tool for the public to make informed choices that would help to re-imagine future and build a better society.

Baruch Spinozas Anti Anthroponcentric View Essay -- Philosophy Spinoz

When Baruch Spinoza composed his philosophical masterpiece, the Ethics, he knew that his ideas (particularly those of God) would be considered heretical in the extreme, leading to any number of unpleasant consequences. This was the reason that the Ethics were published in 1677, posthumously (p.97)1. His apprehensions are well justified in the light of what he writes in the Appendix (p.145-149) to Part1: Concerning God (p.129-145) regarding the prejudices present in the minds of human beings. For, it is here that Spinoza directly challenges the prevalent religious orthodoxy and seeks to remove the very dogma that was the basis of their power. Spinoza asserts in the Appendix (p.145) that there exist certain prejudices in the minds of people that prevent them from understanding (and accepting as true) the conclusions that he reaches after a thoroughly logical and indeed, geometrical process of reasoning. The root of all these prejudices, he further clarifies, is the almost universal belief that all Natural things exist and act with some definite goal being pursued. Further, he presents for scrutiny the very strong anthropomorphism inherent in most human minds that makes these people believe in the universe having been created for their sake. Lastly comes the religious part of this picture, wherein mankind exists so that it may worship God, thereby closing the circle of creation. Spinoza (naturally, considering his philosophy) rejects this picture and thereby attempts in the Appendix to argue on the following crucial points: 1) The reason 1 Roger Ariew & Eric Watkins. Modern Philosophy: An anthology of primary sources. Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1998. Note: All references to Spinoza will be to this text unless otherw... ...e former, Spinoza replies, â€Å"...the perfection of things should be measured solely from their own nature and power† and not with respect to definitions in the imagination. Furthermore, God had no free will in creating the universe, (from Cor. 1 Pr. 32, p.142 as described previously) and (from Pr.16, p.137) â€Å"from the necessity of the divine..(follows)..everything that can come within the scope of infinite intellect†. Therefore, God must, of necessity, be the cause of everything, perfect and imperfect! 6 In conclusion, Spinoza provides an immaculate argument that should readily convince the reader of the truth of his main proposition in the Appendix, i.e. that the major reason for obstacles in the path of understanding is the anthropocentric view of Nature that most people hold on to, irrespective of the enormity of the contradictions inherent in that view. 7

Judaic Art Essay

The form of the human body has been used throughout art’s history: beginning with the Greeks, whose use of the nude form has only been outshined by the Romans, the human body has been a fascination of artists. The lack of the human form in Judaic art is therefore striking against a background so rich in the dynamic presence of the past classical periods all the way to modern culture. The lack of this form will be discussed in this essay and its relevance to the Judaic culture. Judaic art can best be said to have started in the Byzantine era. The early Christian art in fact is a plethora of Judaic art. Religion is the dominating focus of this artistic style (as religion is the dominating focus of most of the art period’s focus). Thus, a proper look at the beginnings of Judaic art is needed in order to have a better understanding of Judaic art in modern times. Early Judaic art is found throughout the catacombs. The focus in these catacombs of the artists was religious symbolism; that is, faith was the main component because it was their faith that the polytheistic society was persecuting them for. Thus, while the human form was found in abundance in previous artistic periods, its presence in early Judaic art is not found because the human body was not the culture’s important faucet of delivering their beliefs. It was God that was the main focus in early Judaic art, either symbolically as a Shepard or even in the colors the artists used. In fact the human body was unimportant until it came to depicting God, and even then the focus was on the symbol of God and not the corporeal. This lack of a focus on the human form is further illustrated in Judaic art during the late 4th century when the presence of animals is seen throughout Judaic art as a symbol of faith (i. e. notice the use of sheep in Good Shepard. 425-50 Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna). There is a consistency of the religious background being the main component of the Judaic artist’s work (i. e. the work of Maurycy Minkowski and Samuel Hirszenberg are great examples of this). Since it is religion that is the main focus of the artistic style the paintings and other art forms reveal a tradition of extolling the landscape of the religious home of Jews, the culture, and religious symbolism through each. This can be seen in Nahum Gutman’s Small Town in which the life and times of the early Jewish immigrant in the promised land can be seen. The scene which Gutman portrays in his painting is that of Tel Aviv a new Jewish town. This painting is aesthetical to the Jewish culture in which new towns were springing up everywhere in which the main religion was Judaism and it is considered a primitive realism which gives way to other Jewish artists such as Cezanne whose portrayal of landscapes in vibrant colors is world renowned. In the basic forms of life, from village portrayals to fruit, Judaic art is extolling God through each painting or sculpture: in these basic forms of land or villages there is an essence that encapsulates the beauty of creation that goes beyond the human form as seen in Roman art, and truly represents the greatness of Yaw-weh. Thus, the importance of the human form in art history can be seen in Greek and Roman periods but for Judaic art there is a higher calling. Works Cited Sporre, Dennis. (2008). The Creative Impulse: An Introduction to the Arts. 8th edition. Prentice Hall.