japanese religion :: essays research papers

Japan Religious and Philosophical Traditions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The values described in the preceding section are derived from a number of religious and philosophical traditions, both indigenous and foreign. Taken together, these traditions may be considered the Japanese worldview, although the personal beliefs of an individual Japanese may incorporate some aspects and disregard others. The Japanese worldview is eclectic, contrasting with a Western view in which religion is exclusive and defines one's identity. Contemporary Japanese society is highly secular. Cause and effect relations are frequently based in scientific models, and illness and death are explained by modern medical theories. Yet the scientific view is but one of the options from which an individual may draw in interpreting life's experiences. The Japanese worldview is characterized also by a pragmatic approach to problem solving, in which the technique may be less important than the results. Thus a Japanese who is ill may simultaneously or sequentially seek the assistance of a medical doctor, obtain medication from a person trained in the Chinese herbal tradition, and visit a local shrine. Each of these actions is based on a different belief in causation of the illness: the physician may say that the illness is caused by a bacterial infection; the herbalist regards the body as being out of balance; and the basis of the shrine visit is the belief that the mind must be cleansed to heal the body. In the West, these explanations might be viewed as mutually exclusive, but the Japanese patient may hold all of these views simultaneously without a sense of discord. Similarly, a student studying for university entrance examinations knows that without extraordinary hard work, admission is impossible. Yet the student will probably a lso visit a special shrine to ask for the help of the spiritual world in ensuring success. The roots of the Japanese worldview can be traced to several traditions. Shinto, the only indigenous religion of Japan, provided the base.

The Portrayal of Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Ha

In the novel Far from the Madding Crowd written by Thomas Hardy, I will be observing in detail the main character, Gabriel Oak, a young sheep farmer. I am going to determine how he is described as a heroic character in the first seven chapters. Gabriel Oak is portrayed to the reader as a heroic character in several different ways. In chapter one, there is no action or events. Alternatively, in the first paragraph, there is a description of Oak, which is mainly focused on his broad smile. His smile is compared using a simile, 'like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun.' This immediately implies that he is a cheerful, good-natured character. Secondly, he is referred to with many different names. Farmer Oak illustrates his status, respect and authority. His Christian name, Gabriel has a reference towards the bible, as Gabriel was the good angel of God. Lastly, his surname, Oak, this may refer to wood as Oak is strong and durable which may represent his strength and durability. This is stressing the positive quality of Oak's character. The reader starts to get an encouraging image of Gabriel once reading the first two paragraphs. Farmer Oak's background is rather straightforward although he has had many jobs. He is conscientious and thorough as he cares greatly on how everything is presented and what people think of him. He was firstly a shepherd and then a bailiff before becoming a farmer. His father was a shepherd, so he had grown up on a farm learning the skills required from his dad. Moreover, the clothes Gabriel wore were not pretentious. I know this because on his working days he wore his clothes ... ...ently told everybody what had to be done to help and soon the fire was under control. Without Gabriel's good sense and bravery the fire would have been unmanageable. Oaks courage was admired by all of the spectators and many compliments soon spread through the crowd. Once Gabriel had found out that Bathsheba was in need of a shepherd, he was not too modest to ask her. He did not let what happened in the past effect his decision in asking her for a job and did not seem embarrassed. This shows his respect towards people and shows that he is a highly regarded man. All these positive qualities show that Gabriel Oak is a reputable man and is willing to help anyone, even if he does not know them. It shows that he is courageous and not a proud man. All of which portray to the reader that Gabriel Oak is a heroic character.

To What Extent Did the American Revolution?

DbKatie Gordon APUSH Mr. Vieira September 24, 2012 DBQ: To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social and economic effects of the Revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800. After the American Revolution, Americans, who were free of British control, started to reevaluate politics, the economy and society. After breaking away from what they thought was a corrupt and evil government, Americans changed how they wanted to govern their society, even though they ultimately reverted to a more centralized government similar to Britain.The uneducated masses, as viewed by the elite, didn’t experience a lot of change though the ideals from the revolution still guided some to seek better financial opportunities. Women, slaves, and loyalist experienced a considerable amount of change in society as women experienced more freedoms, some slaves were set free, and loyalist left America. Overall, Americ a didn’t experience a lot of economic change, but it did experience, to varying degrees, political and social change. Politically speaking, the Americans did not want their government to resemble that of the British government.Which brings about the development of the Articles of Confederation. However, there were many holes in the Articles: there was no executive branch, the federal government could not implement taxes and overall the government did not have much centralized power. Everyone knew that a change needed to be supplemented and quick. This brings about the writing and ratification of the Constitution. In order to persuade states to ratify the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton wrote and circulated the Federalist Papers.James Madison also writes, â€Å"ambition must be made to counteract ambition† (Document I), insinuating the system of checks and balances that the Constitution insures. This active separation of power was pivotal in the ratification of the Con stitution, which contrasted the American government from the British government. Americans did not experience much change economically. The Philadelphia society for the promotion of agriculture in 1786, handed out a medal, which said, â€Å"venerate the plough† (Document F). This demonstrates how the elite were still â€Å"rewarding† the common people who weren’t financially better off than before the revolution.Similarly, in Shay’s Rebellion farmers led by the ex-military officer â€Å"[stopped] the courts of justice in several counties†¦crying out for a paper currency, [or] for an equal distribution of power† (Document G). A particular example of the downfall of American economy was Shay’s rebellion. This represented economic strife that the common people were enduring and ultimately rebelled. Two important socio-economic issues the founding fathers discussed were the rights of women and slavery. Women’s roles increased greatly during the revolution. While me were away fighting or running the country, women were at home running and defending the farm.This can be seen in the woodcut (Document A) and in Abigail Adam’s letters to Thomas Jefferson (Document G). Women had, for a time, the right to vote in New Jersey. The revolution also increased the education of women and encouraged them to be more involved in public life. However, all women were not content to go back to their household chores after the revolution as seen by Molly Wallace who says â€Å"if [taught] to read, why not speak? † (Document J), illustrating how some women wanted to further their domestic roles and play a larger role in society.Women were not ultimately granted the right to vote until many years later, but that foundation started during the American Revolution. The practice of slavery was common during the time period of the American Revolution in the colonies and in Europe. At the time, it was the primary economic eng ine in the south and Caribbean. American revolutionaries thought about the morals of slavery, but were unable to change much at this time. However, slavery could be banned in the Northwest Territories, where it wasn’t too important to that region’s economy.The Northwest Ordinance specifically says, â€Å"There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory† (Document H). Although the revolution was not directly able to ban slavery, it cased the issue and allowed future generations to solve it. The revolution also enabled religious freedom to be written into the fabric of our nation. Many European nations had state religions of this time. Some of the first settlers to the colonies came in search of religious freedom. However, some of them instituted theocratic governments once here. But the revolution showed that America was a melting pot of ideas and people.They believed that our government should not sponsor one particular religion. Virgin ia enacted such a law in 1786. Politically Americans experienced some change by forging a new government even though they revised it in the end. Economically, the common people, who fought for better lifestyles, still lived under the heel of the elites. However a significant amount of change occurred for women, slaves and loyalist, although the loyalist position in changed in society in a very negative manner. In these ways American society experienced change in respect to political and social life, but not economically.

Lord of the Flies †Character Analysis: Piggy Essay

Examine the significance of the character Piggy in the novel â€Å"Lord of The Flies† consider his purpose, key role and relationship with the other boys at important points in the novel. To mimic men’s actions and lost of civility in times of war and need, William Golding, narrates a story in which all characters are boys, with the intention of taking the reader through the journey made by those who descend to savagery when facing certain conditions. This essay is going to explore and explain the symbolism behind one of the novel’s main characters and how his presence influences other characters’ actions and the way things turn out. Piggy is a Short and heavyset boy who wears spectacles and is disadvantaged by asthma. At first he appears to be a desperate childish boy by panicking over the rest of the world’s lack of information regarding his and the boys’ whereabouts, – while the others see this as an opportunity to be free and independent – which makes him seem like a dependable, desperate young boy. However, as the story unfolds we come to understand that his worrying at the beginning is related to his analytical way of thinking. And even though the other boys put him down due to his physical appearance, we come to learn how necessary he is on the island as a source of intelligence and insight. Due to his unfortunate looks and his nickname, the boys on the island refuse on sympathizing with Piggy and collectively make fun of him, making him an outcast – â€Å"The boys were a circle of sympathy with Piggy outside†. Bullied and brutalized by Jack, he maturely shields away the mocking and focuses on increasing their chances of being rescued and meanwhile living in an organized environment. However, as soon as his intellectual side starts to show, and his critical thinking becomes a crucial part in assembling a new community, – â€Å"I expect we’ll want to know all their names,† said the fat boy, â€Å"and make a list. We ought to have a meeting. † – he slowly begins being accepted. His clever ideas introduce important concepts to the rest of the boys. For example, the use of the conch: the power to speak and be heard given to whoever held it in hands. The way he thinks endears him especially to Ralph who starts to admire him. â€Å"Piggy rubbed his glasses slowly and thought. When he understood how far Ralph had gone towards accepting him he flushed pinkly with pride. †- Thankful for being accepted, Piggy shows loyalty and respect for Ralph. At a certain point, Ralph questions his leadership skills and compares himself to Piggy who stands up for him – â€Å"You said Ralph was chief and you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something you rush off†. He protects Ralph and reminds the others that they all collectively chose him to be their leader. Once again, Piggy shows he hasn’t lost his values and instincts. Although he might not entirely fit in with the others, he manages to get his point across with Ralph’s help. His ideas frequently lead to innovation and his way of thinking is what gets them by the first stages of civilized survival. He represents democracy by presenting his ideals to the others and hoping to come to a mutual agreement on the way of executing things; and clings onto civility throughout the whole novel, by pointing out whenever one of the other boys take a step away from civilization. Underestimated by many at the beginning, Piggy’s role in the story carries a very important meaning and stands for great attributes found in men. The sensible understanding of reality shown by the character stands for the rational scientific side of civilization. His maturity differentiates him from the others – â€Å"With the martyred expression of a parent who has to keep up with the senseless ebullience of the children† – and becomes essential in avoiding savagery and barbaric behavior from the boys. His character is related to a great part of the symbolism used by Golding and has a very important role in preventing the descent from civilization to savagery, however, he sadly he witnesses the turnover. Piggy’s glasses represent many different ideas. The initial importance of the specs is that they represent the ability to make fire, which they hoped would provide the rescue they needed. Piggy’s glasses also signify Piggy’s ability to see literally and figuratively. Without them, he is helpless and blind. He is unable to serve as well as Ralph’s right-hand man and voice of logic. When Piggy is â€Å"blinded† it symbolizes the blindness of the Jack’s tribe to the evil to which they are succumbing. Piggy’s murder completes the boys’ lost of sight (figuratively speaking) and forces them into total darkness, which leads to the hunting of Ralph. When his glasses are broken and he tragically dies, so does what is left of order and civilization in the island. Of all the forms of symbolism present in the book, Piggy’s character carries a relation to many of them. To being with, his nickname isn’t only related to his physical structure, but it also suggests vulnerability, like the pigs on the island that rapidly become Jack’s targets. Another important symbolic element related to Piggy is the conch he and Ralph found at the start of the novel. They used it to call the boys and assemble them. After the conch is crashed along with his body, the boys divide themselves representing the loss of the civilized instinct once present in each and every boy. Piggy is significant in the novel not only because he is one of the main characters, but also because his purpose is directly related to the main theme of the story: civilization vs. savagery. Although he wasn’t able to make the concept of civilization permanent, he spends the whole novel trying to get his values across, and reminding the others of who they were and how they were expected to behave. His intelligence gives him the voice of sanity and reason.

Airbnb and Ebay Are Similar in That Both Companies

1. Airbnb and eBay are similar in that both companies run online marketplaces that ‘match’ buyers with sellers. How should Airbnb’s reputation system differ from that of eBay? Although both Airbnb and eBay provide online marketplaces to match buyers and sellers, Airbnb focuses on one specific area: online marketplace for accommodations whereas eBay runs online marketplaces in a much broader scope, from Fashion items electronics all the way to collectibles, in other words, the transactions happening on eBay everyday are related to almost every corner of our daily life.More specifically, Airbnb's customer base can be narrowed down to hosts (sellers) and guests (buyers) respectively while eBay serves everyone who performs online transactions. Also, in many cases eBay transactions occurred when the buyers purchased concrete merchandises from the sellers while Airbnb marketplaces are for virtual services accommodations. A lot of details can be put in place to describe concrete merchandises but it is much harder to do so for service like â€Å"virtual† commodities.The most direct impact of such differences regarding to the reputation system is that we need to take into account the special needs of Airbnb's special customer base in addition to what hold true to both eBay and Airbnb customers in general: people who perform online buying and selling. Some of the issues mentioned in the 2011 paper may have been fixed but the below statements are based on the description of 2011 paper for Airbnb. 1. When it comes to accommodations, we know the guest wants to know if the room the host posted satisfies his/her needs.Airbnb should provide a neutral system to rank the houses/apartments based on some standard criteria. The host can certainly brag about how good of the house is (e. g. location close to nearby grocery stores) but only those houses/apartments that satisfy the Airbnb standards can be â€Å"certified†. For example, in addition to t he number of positive/negative feedbacks a host received, Airbnb can also hire independent investigators to ensure the accommodations the hosts claim to provide do in fact have all the highlighted options available.This will increase the operational cost for Airbnb but will help the guests gain much greater confidence on the prospective accommodations. On the other hand, the hosts are also eager to make sure the guests will behave appropriately while they stay in the hosts' properties. In addition to the past records of stays that the guests have made in Airbnb, Airbnb can also work with partners (such as travel agencies, hotel chains, credit history investigation agencies) to get more information about the guests.Airbnb can also hold certain amount of money during the stay of the guest and release the money if the host confirms no damage happened or such. In fact, keeping the house/apartment in good condition should be one of the standard feedback items that the host can provide to the guest. 2. To make the reputation system works better, the feedback on both hosts and guests should be standardized (the feedback providers are certainly welcome to provide additional comments though) rather than free-formed so that more objective evaluation can be made. . An award and penalty process can be integrated into the reputation system so â€Å"good† hosts and guests will be awarded (e. g. paying less Airbnb fees or cash rewards) and â€Å"bad† ones will be penalized (e. g. paying more Airbnb fees all the way to terminate accounts). This additional incentive can help motivate both hosts and guests do better whenever they can. 4. Airbnb needs to provide a worry free evaluation process for both hosts and guests.Specifically, the hosts hesitate to give negative feedbacks to the guests as the guests may in turn provide negative feedbacks to the hosts as well. The same applies when the guests are providing feedbacks to the hosts. Some technical way can prevent this from happening. For example, a guest can only see the feedback from the host after the guest successfully submitted his/her feedback to the same host.In summary, instead of completing the transaction right after the buyer paid the money, the Airbnb transaction should last during the whole course from the time a guest submits the accommodation request to the time the feedbacks from both hosts and guests have been submitted and approved. Such long-living transaction essence should be reflected in the reputation system so that each stage of the transaction is well defined and well evaluated. The reputation system can become more reliable if the aforementioned steps are implemented.

Seminar

Professor you started by saying we will be discussing what we have learned throughout the term units one through 9. Also you told the class that you would like us to turn in our unit 9 assignments by Friday, any time by Friday night so you could have the weekend to grade and return back to us. You had a trouble accessing the unit 8 drop box, so you informed everyone who has submitted their assignment that they should email the assignment to you instead, but everything should be working ust fine.We started the seminar with the handout and PowerPoint. Unit9 handout what is this course all about. Some questions raised is how does these skills play out in the legal field, you answered it by saying we really need is a mythological. Step one in the legal field you must always define the facts, someone might come to you asking for advise, you must always define the facts when facts are presented, get facts complete and correct about what has happened. Second step is who are the clients, who do I represent. Step three what is the objective, which is to when on behalf of my client.Step four what are the claims. Step five; you must map the fact against the statutes and common law. Step 6, do the research, step 8 is go for the win, you present your facts and findings. Everything we have learned in the past nine units is what the big picture is in the long run of the legal field. There are three Distinct type of writing; HRAC historical, legal memorandum, brief. We went on to the PowerPoint, which focuses on the legal memorandum. In a legal emorandum you must always keep in mind the analysis, can you win. e discussed using the Legal memorandum on unit 9 assignment, you have us the opportunity if those who want to do a legal memorandum will get an extra 5 points. Putting together a memorandum, Step 1 who are you representing, step 2 what is a win, step3 capture all the facts and discard all irrelevant facts. Step 4 is to do the research, research anything we can get our han ds on. Step five would be to back track and make sure you covered any and all facts possible. Key sites everything. To pile for the client, what is good and what is bad.Step 8 is to do a discussion based on all the information given. You stressed how you would prefer the class to try the legal memorandum that you have discussed in the power point do to it be the way it will be done in the legal field. In the legal field, law firms don't go down the list. the 5 points. For the conclusion portion you stated that is may be 0k, to state that there can be a low chance that the law firm may when the case, do to sufficient evidence, or we ould state that we have a high chance at winning, of course every case is not winnable.Based on the law, that is what are conclusion is based on. A classmate brought up the question of statute of limitation to which you replied that we should assume that there are no statute of limitation that was a really great question. our final exam will cover everyth ing that we have learned from unit 1-9. I understand that this will be our last seminar professor, and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate you feedback and help with regards to turning in my work. I thank you.

Power and Privilege Exclusion by Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power and Privilege Exclusion by Race - Essay Example There is no doubt that the law has been used to further discrimination against racial minorities. The law as a political instrument. In a case called City of Memphis v. Greene, 451 U.S. 100, 123,126-27 (1981), the attempt to use the law as an agent of political discrimination is obvious. A white neighborhood association did not want the members of a black neighborhood to drive through their residential area. The City of Memphis, bowing under the pressure of the whites, passed an ordinance that closed the most convenient street giving access to the center of the city. In what can only be described as a wrong-headed decision, the Supreme Court sided with the residents in the name of "residential tranquility." A more classic use of the law as a political instrument could hardly be constructed. The in-power whites did not want the blacks to drive their streets; evidencing pure racism. Their ability to convince the city to close the street and exclude the black community from conveniently driving to the city center demonstrates a regional disregard for those citizens; and the Supreme Court's action took that disregard to a national level. Imagine, if you were a black resident of Memphis at the time, how disenfranchised you would feel. The city, as well as the nation, is telling you to drive out of your way just to preserve the tranquility of white racists. This is not the use of law, it is the abuse of law to further the agenda of the powerful and keep the out-class down. Justice and fairness. Similar to the case above, and a decision which flies in the face of the notion of fairness, the matter of Hernandez v. New York, 111 S. Ct. 1859 (1991), comes to the fore. In this instance, a prosecutor sought to exclude the plaintiff from sitting on a jury simply as a result of Hispanic ancestry. The claim was made that individual Latinos might have difficulty in understanding written documents submitted during the course of the trial, and should not be allowed to sit as jurors. The implication of this assumption is as bizarre as it is inappropriate. While the Supreme Court sided with the prosecution for technical reasons, the racism implied in the very act is clearly apparent; and its extension as a precedent speaks volumes regarding the political use of power and the law. In fact, it should be noted that "[w]here a rule has such a massively disproportionate impact, it is tempting to equate the impact, exclusion of Latinos, with an intent to exclude that grou p" (Friedman and Israel 1745). While the prosecutor in the case may not have intentionally meant to discriminate against an entire class of people, the notion that Hispanics cannot sit on American juries because they may not speak the language well enough is an ugly message to send. Imagine living in the U.S. as a third-generation Latina and being told that you were unfit for jury duty because you were sub-literate. The point you would get was that you were incapable of participating in the legal system because you were inferior as a result of your race. This is neither just nor fair. Once again, the powerful have designed and are perpetuating the institutionalized structure of excluding any one not resembling the people of privilege.