Does it make sense to believe in life after death? Essay

In this essay I will be arguing that you can almost make no sense to believe in life before and after death and that there is no humanly logical way of proving either side of the argument. Plato acts on the words of his teacher, Socrates, and how he considered the soul to be separate from the body but linked until death. He says that the soul influences how we behave and tries to sway us from bodily desires. He says that the soul moves from one body to another when death occurs and to be born into subsequent bodies. This is a good indication from Plato to show life after death because he says the life of the soul is everlasting like an infinite line or a circle. Plato said that the soul is made up from three parts: the Logos, which is the mind and allows logic to prevail. Thymos is emotion and drives us to do heroic acts of bravery and courage. Eros equates to the appetite that drives humankind to seek out its basic bodily needs. There is no scientific way of proving life after death with this theory is correct and no way of proving it incorrect so it would be false to say that Plato’s theory is wrong because it made sense for Plato because they were his ethics, it would be bad to say that someone’s ethics were wrong because they aren’t like yours. Aristotle’s view however is quite similar in the characteristics but the concept of an everlasting soul to him makes no sense because he believed in the soul being created at birth and dying at death. This doesn’t correspond with Plato because he said that the souls come from the Forms (which is space-less and timeless) so the soul must also last forever. Aristotle believed that the soul wasn’t made from physical tissue but of powers or skill, so therefore pointless talk about separation from the body because it just wasn’t logical. The flaw in this statement is that it is impossible to connect meta-physics with logic so there is no way to measure, see, touch or knowing what the answer is. Thomas Aquinas once said that the soul has the appetite for knowledge because he said, â€Å"since the intellectual soul is capable of knowing all material things, and since in order to know a material thing there must be no material thing within it, the soul was definitely not connected and that it was an individual spiritual substance and that it could survive on its own†. Aquinas said that the soul is subsistant and therefore can’t die with the body and cant be born with it. This is like saying the soul doesn’t even exist in this form of life properly and only exists partly with your body and outside it. John Hick, a 20th century philosopher said that life after death is no where near provable but he said that a rational person would be able to accept it. John Hick discussed a theory he had that when you die, your separated soul and body will resurrect and be re-united in a new and glorified form. The example he uses is that he is giving a lecture in London at 2:00pm and died at that exact moment, his living tissue and soul were transported to New York in a new and glorified form at 2:00.0000001pm (London time) giving the exact same speech as he was in London. Once again there is no rational way of explaining life before and after death because the soul isn’t a rational thing. A philosopher, Derek Parfit created a scenario where in the future and teleportation device was created to transport a person from one place to another without any physical movement from the person or anyone or anything around that person. The teleportation device copied your living tissue and you’re DNA and even your thoughts and memories. Once the copying stage is complete, the machine will disintegrate your body and a machine at the receiving end will create an exact replica of you with everything perfectly the same (a clone). If you had done this 100 times and then one time it didn’t work to plan and it would take 30 minutes to incinerate you, you would see an exact replica of you at the other teleportation receiver. Which one are you another person would ask, but the answer would be neither of them because the real person would be the very first incinerated person because only clones were created afterwards. I think this is one of the most valid arguments because he uses knowledge and common sense in his story but doesn’t explain where the soul went. I think that there is no logical way of making sense of life after death because to have sense, you must have proof and because there is no proof of and sides of the arguments aren’t logical there is no way of making sense of them. I think that it is still rational be open to the concept of life after death.

Television Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Television - Case Study Example Virgin Media, the Cable Company in which Sir Richard Branson's empire is a major shareholder accused Sky of using its dominant position in Pay-TV to stifle competition. According to Sky, the row between the companies started because of the Virgin's refusal to pay the asking price. Virgin says that Sky is trying to dominate the market by asking 'more than double' charges for its channels with a view to 'coerce' virgin customers to switch to new providers by denying access to basic channels. Sky maintains that the price it wants is 'reasonable' taking into account the benefits it provides to the Virgin customers. It also says that it has adopted a 'product differentiation' along with the 'price increase' by offering new 'high definition' service, where the quality of the broadcasting will be better. "It denies allegations by Virgin that it is demanding "more than double" the amount currently paid." (BBC News 2007) According to Richard and Mark (2007) "Sky added that its offer of 3p per Virgin Media customer per day is still on the table should the cable group wish to return. Sky added that it is still willing to supply its channels directly to cable households." Marketing The strategy behind the move of Sky is to reposition its channel Sky one by revamping it to include live football and UK TV premieres of big US films giving Sky One a content which is being currently offered under Sky's premium sports and movie channels. Couple with this Sky is providing programmes in High Definition (HD), which it claims as a key selling point. With this differentiation and improvements in the products Sky demanded higher charges from Virgin. Virgin Media's View Point: Virgin Media implies that Sky is using its dominance in the market to its advantage. Steve Burch, the Chief Executive of Virgin says "we will not allow Virgin Media or our customers to be the victim of Sky's market power." Virgin says that it cannot afford to pay the charges being demanded by Sky since as per the costing calculations virgin would end up in paying Sky 1.23 per month per subscriber that is more than one third of the 90p cost outlined by Sky. Moreover Sky is also demanding a 'minimum guaranteed payment' that is twice the current annual payment being made by Virgin to Sky. "Virgin has closed the gap with Sky to some extent by signing deals with major content owners to offer programmes on demand - though these do not include US drama 24 and mainly cover older series" (Chris Tryhorn 2007) Strategy of Virgin Media: To combat the pressure from Sky Virgin had already signed deals with some content owners to provide programs on demand. Virgin Media would continue to charge the customers at the same level without any reduction for the loss of Sky channels. Virgin says it would compensate the viewers with 2700 hours of on-demand viewing. Effect on the Customers of Virgin: With the Sky basic channels going off the cable, the viewers would end up paying more for lesser channels, although Virgin says it will compensate the customers with more hours on-demand viewing. Around 3.3 million subscribers of Virgin would loose channels like Sky One, Sky Travel, Sky News and Sky Sports News. They will not get the value for the money they pay to Virgin. This would result in the subscribers switching over to other providers where they may get full value for their money. Effect of BSkyB and Virgin

Bonaventures art - Christian artists Assignment

Bonaventures art - Christian artists - Assignment Example The essay "Bonaventure’s art - Christian artists" discovers Christian artists and focuses on the art of Bonaventure. Bonaventure strived to have a personal meeting with Francis’ companions; still alive as early as in 1260. Although Bonaventure really sought for the Saint’s companions, it is hard for one to conclude that Bonaventure’s intention was to present a trustworthy figure of Francis the Saint. A school of theology has argued that Bonaventure’s effort was to realize a theological history, that made him an icon of Francis’ background; this was the Bonaventure’s intended paint; â€Å"a stigmatized saint.† Additionally, Bonaventure brings out Francis as the founder of â€Å"a new religious order.† He also presents a conformity image between Francis the Saint and Christ. According to Bonaventure, St.Francis had a visionary experience while praying on top of a mountain in alone. During the experience, St.Francis was impr inted the wounds of Christ at the crucifixion; Christ’s wounds were referred to as the stigmata, while the experience the stigmatization. Consequently, Bonaventure a Franciscan’s leader wrote about St.Francis, and thereby making St.Francis canonical. This piece of work can also be analyzed by dividing it into three sections: foreground, middle-ground, and the background. Every figure, symbolically communicates to the observer. Additionally, the positioning of each figure is an important attribute of the artist. The wall painting and the panel painting reveal similar features.

Principles in non- profit leadership Research Paper

Principles in non- profit leadership - Research Paper Example Successful leaders, however, are not just adepts in formulating plans that are in line with the organizational dynamics, but also implement of those plans keeping in view the social dynamics of the organization. In addition, leaders provide the necessary support, communicate effectively with employees and motivate them sufficiently to ensure successful execution of the formulated strategy (Mumford et al.). It is an undoubted fact that the birth and growth of non-profit organizations has placed new demands on leadership. According to two famous researchers, Herman and Heimovics, the role of leadership in non-profit organizations is demanding and intricate. There are many instances where the leadership is faced with the daunting task of reconciling various responsibilities and functions with organizational goals (Herman and Heimovics). Furthermore, there has been a pressing need for successful leadership in non-profit sectors lately. One fundamental aspect of leadership in non-profit organizations is that it must manage articulately the relationship between itself and the Board of Directors (Carver). Researchers have mostly viewed non-profit corporations as hierarchical structures defined by formal lines of authority. The law in some countries, such as the United States, defines the Board of Directors as having an authority superior to that of the executives and leadership (Carver). Thus, the Board explicitly lays down the rules, regulations, policies and procedures for the company, has the authority to accept or deny proposals or plans and settles the budgets, plans and other aspects of the organization. This is based on Max Weber’s model of bureaucracy whereby decision making is determined by formal lines of authority and chain of command (Carver). Research with respect to non-profit organizations suggests that the Board formulates the strategy and decisions, whereas, the leadership simply executes thos e

Events that lead to the atomic bombings in Japan during the world war Research Paper

Events that lead to the atomic bombings in Japan during the world war II - Research Paper Example For most of the people then and now, the full account of the events, the number of casualties as well as the internal decisions of all people involved in the Second World War were and still are vague. This paper aims to provide some information regarding several figures and concepts related to the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as to connect the said figures and concepts on these events in chronological order. Niels Bohr and the Development of the Nuclear Bomb While the whole development of the Nuclear Bomb can’t be solely attributed to Niels Bohr, he was an instrument for scientists in America to understand the processes by which nuclear energy from radioactive elements can be harnessed to produce a weapon stronger than the prevailing bomb formulations at that time. Bohr was working on particle bombardment, and initially he believed that the chances of being able to use nuclear particles in a controlled setting may be far from happening anytime soon (Gosli ng 2). However, upon learning about the results of Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann about the splitting of the uranium atom into two lighter elements as well as the release of a large amount of energy and highly-reactive neutrons, which would trigger the repeat of the same process on other uranium atoms, and so on. This process became known as nuclear fission, and became the core concept of the process of harnessing nuclear energy (Gosling 3). Bohr presented Hahn and Strassmann’ results in a conference around 1939, as well as having them published in that same year which enlightened many scientists, most especially those belonging to the Manhattan project (Rose 83). Bohr eventually assisted in the testing of the bombs at Los Alamos in 1944, a year before the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. He recognized the fact that if the allies were not able to produce an atomic bomb, the Germans might beat them to it, causing even more destruction (Rose 30). Through these efforts, the firs t nuclear bomb was finished and was used to bomb Hiroshima in August 6, 1945. The Formation of the Interim Committee Before the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ensued, President Harry S. Truman formed the Interim Committee, an advisory group in charge of making recommendations on the use of atomic weapons during wartime as well as making a position for the U.S. on postwar atomic policy (Gosling 45). The group was consisted of members from different government groups: Secretary of War, Henry Stimson; George L. Harrison, Deputy Secretary of War; Vannevar Bush, Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development; Karl T. Compton, from the Manhattan project; Navy Undersecretary Ralph Bard; Secretary of State Will Clayton; and James Byrnes (Brune 606). The committee also had a scientific advisory team consisting of: Robert Oppenheimer, the Scientific Director of the Manhattan Project; Enrico Fermi, a Nobel Laureate for physics; Arthur Compton of the University of Chicago; an d Ernest Lawrence, a well-known physicist, with General George C. Marshall as their military representative (Gosling 45). During the meeting of the Interim Committee on May 31, 1945 they have concluded that the atomic bomb must be used against Japan in order for them to surrender as early as possible, and by doing so would send them the message that further resistance is futile (Brune 606). This conclusion was sent as a report on June 16 of the same year, as well as the additional advice that Japan must

U.S. Commercial Rayon Fiber Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

U.S. Commercial Rayon Fiber Production - Essay Example But this artificial production of the fibers is just a century old. It was in 1890s that the first artificial silk, which was nothing but rayon made its beginning as a commercially produced fiber and it was in the year 1911; American Viscose Company, the first company to pioneer artificial fiber production began producing rayon.2 Though the fiber revolution begun in later half of 19th century, its roots have got a beginning with the description on minute bodies in the book â€Å"Micrographia† by Robert Hooks in 1665.3 That humble beginning got translated into the production almost two centuries later and now this man made fiber production has reached up to 24 million ton. These artificial fibers have got its application not only for apparel manufacturing but also for home furnishings, medicine and many others.4 Rayon was first artificially produced fiber and was called as artificial silk. Developed in France by Count Hilaire de Chardonnet, this fiber despite being a man-made product is still not synthetic.5 Its production involves wood pulp which is a naturally occurring raw material. The basic nature of rayon is very much like naturally occurring fibers such as cotton or linen. The industry as of now produces four different types of rayon namely Regular rayon, High Wet Modules (HWM) rayon, High Tenacity Rayon and Cupramonium Rayon. The production of these different types is due the use of two different chemicals and varying manufacturing techniques.6 The United States at one time was the leading producer of rayon with companies like Viscose Co. and DuPont being the two largest producers in US. But as of now there is not even a single rayon manufacturer in United States.7 Rayon still forms a major part of total fiber consumption with companies mostly from Europe and Asia are making it avai lable to the customers. The production of rayon made its beginning in US in the year 1911. It was the American Viscose Company (A. V. C.) who started the

Engagement Letters Essay Example for Free

Engagement Letters Essay Engagement letters are a great tool to enhance and clarify expectations between CPA’s and their clients. When engagement letters are used consistently, they can help build client relationships. CPA’s can also use them as a marketing tool, letting the client know what services they are being offered, and identifying supplemental services that may be beneficial to them. Such as discussing in the engagement letter for a tax client that tax planning services could be offered with a new signed engagement letter. Professional Standards While the AICPA does not require engagement letters, the standards do discuss establishing an understanding with the client, and it is preferable that this communication be written. Protection from Legal Liability Engagement letters can be a good basis of defense in the event of a malpractice claim. Also, if the intended users are identified in the engagement letter, it can limit those who can sue the CPA for use of the work product in some states. Our firm does not happen to be consistent with getting signed engagement letters before services are performed. Recently, we did some valuation services for one of our larger clients that was quite intensive and took a good deal of time. The client received the information and then the bill. He called and told the CPA that was working with him that he did not ask for the valuation services to be done that he was just asking about such services. This is interesting, since the client forwarded the information necessary to complete the services. However, such confusion could have been avoided had a signed engagement letter been in place for the valuation services. I also really like the idea of using them as a marketing tool. Engagement Letters: Why Use One? Retrieved from http://www. proaccess1. com/downloads/CPA_Engagement_Letters_Why. pdf What is audit risk? Audit risk equals inherent risk times control risk multiplied by detection risk. Inherent and control risk cannot be controlled by the auditor as they are a function of the client and its internal control environment. Detection risk is however a function of the effectiveness of the audit procedures performed. Misstatements that make it through the client’s controls and through the audit would be considered the audit risk.