Choosing the Right Topic for Your Report Essay

Choosing the Right Topic for Your Report EssayStudents who are looking for a fun way to learn about research and writing, can do so by choosing among the many different report essay topics. Many of these topics are fun, such as medical and health, women's history, and others. Others are more serious, such as the study of religion or race relations.By choosing an essay topic, students can take a step towards improving their own writing skills, while also helping their classmates. Students who take an interest in their classmates' work will be more likely to want to write essays themselves. If students start a competition, they can even help their classmates become better writers in the process.Most of the time, students can select from several different report essay topics. They just need to decide which of the topics is most appropriate. Here are a few of the more popular ones:Personal Life: This may be a no-brainer, but this paper contains enough information to make this paper inter esting. Students should write about their life experiences, such as having been homeless, how they got into college, etc. It is also important to be specific when describing their personal lives.College Admissions: It is important for students to know the requirements of colleges before deciding on which college to apply to. The types of college admissions that students should consider including acceptance, rejection, and which university they wish to attend.Research: Students can choose this essay topic if they are doing research on a topic, such as looking at the history of the Cold War. Students should be clear in their description of the research and should be able to cite any sources. Any information that students do not have the ability to use can be included in an outline.Public Records: Students should be careful when writing about public records, because many times they are inaccurate. They should be specific and be willing to explain where they were wrong. Some examples of public records include birth records, marriage records, bankruptcy records, etc.When it comes to writing report essay topics, students have many options. However, one of the most popular essay topics is health, since many people enjoy learning about health topics. Other topics include the life of Queen Victoria, military history, and many others.

Road to Revolution

The American Revolution was one of the key events that took place in America during the second phase of the eighteenth century. In 1607, the British brought many drastic changes in the American society that interfered with their civilization. During this time, Britain was much preoccupied with advancing its economy. In this regard, Britain enacted colonial policies that would favor its maximum exploitation of its colonies. This paper discusses the road to American Revolution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Road to Revolution specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The revolution started in 1763 when the ‘French and Indian war’ ended. The British Proclamation of 1763 was meant to help them create governments for the new colonies, forester peace among vanquishers, and facilitate British commercial interests in the colonies (Allison 2-17). The British government had incurred many expenses during the war and i t was keen on regaining its lost resources through taxing its colonial subjects. Accordingly, many taxation measures were implemented in order to generate revenue for the British army in America. The Sugar Act was implemented in 1764 and it was meant to reduce tariffs charged on non-British merchandise sourced from West Indies. It was also supposed to facilitate the collection of those goods. This act was followed by the first Stamp Act, which was implemented from 1765 in order to provide income for the army (Brinkley 23-105). Soon after the enforcement of this act, the Quartering Act was also put in place in 1765, and it was intended to enable the British army to have access to social amenities. More taxes were levied on goods that were imported through the enforcement of the Townshend Act that was introduced in 1767. The British also implemented the Navigation Acts, which further strained the economy of the Americans. The Americans resisted the new taxes imposed on them through va rious methods. For example, they refused to buy goods imported from Britain. The harsh economic policies led to serious economic disillusionment, which sparked off violence in various parts of America. In March 1770, a serious picketing incident in Boston led to the gruesome massacre of five Americans by the British troops. This was followed by the burning and sinking of a British mercantile vessel in Rhode Island in 1772. â€Å"On 16 December 1773, some colonialists destroyed many tons of tea in Boston and the event was termed the Boston Tea Party† (Middlekauff 56-89). In reaction to the spate of violence, the British government immediately responded by imposing more punitive measures on its subjects. In mid 1774, the Boston Port Act was sanctioned and it led to the cordoning of the Boston Port, which later resumed its operations after the compensation of the East Indian Company. â€Å"The British Congress further proclaimed Quartering Act, Administration of Justice Act and Massachusetts Government Act in the same year† (Guevara 78-109).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Americans argued that these Coercive Acts were arbitrary infringement on their prerogatives. Consequently, in late 1774, the colonists organized a demonstration during the First Continental Congress. As the hostility escalated, many colonists engaged in chaotic protests that culminated to American Revolution in 1775. Independence was finally granted to the American colonies in 1776. From 1777, the Americans started making constitutional changes that would enable them develop their country. The struggle for independence was very difficult for the Americans. However, through a concerted effort they managed to dislodge the British from their territory. Works Cited Allison, Robert. The American Revolution: A Concise History, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Brinkley, Alan . American History: A Survey, New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hil, 2009. Print. Guevara, Che. The Economics of Revolution, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Print. Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. This essay on Road to Revolution was written and submitted by user Retr0G1rl to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Ecology versus Technology

Ecology versus Technology Views on ecological sustainability remain controversial despite clear eco-optimist verses eco-pessimist stands. This is reflected on different perceptions on ecological metamorphosis from previous, current, and future time span. Generally, ecology has created heavy impact in the temporary society as the world turn into a global village.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ecology versus Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These impacts generate macro and micro climate changes characterized by disasters such as floods. Ecological sustainability is the solution to future balance between nature and survival of mankind. Since childhood, conservation has been part of our family belief on environmental sustainability and this has had an impact on career choice. Thus, this reflective treatise address issues surrounding ecological sustainability in the following arguments. As a matter of fact, standards of living in the contemporary society are much better than that in the previous century. Technology as part of ecological orientation has facilitated efficiency and better life. Despite numerous negative impacts human activities have introduced into the environment, technological advancement is still the most practical solution towards sustainability (Goklany 34). To begin with, introduction of communication gadgets, social networking sites, efficient means of message delivery, and transportation have contributed positively towards cost cutting and knowledge acquisition. As a result, the world has forged a working relationship with the environment through introduction and implementation of policies on environment. As technology progress, enhanced knowledge has necessitated the need for behavior change, adaptation of greener sources of energy, and production of green goods. For instance, introduction of the hybrid cars and other machines in the market aim at reducing the magnitude of carbon dioxide e mission to sustainable levels. These green products are produced from the outcome of technological research policies designed to create a balance between production and consumption habits of mankind. Despite the side effects of some of the instruments used in health environment, introduction of antibiotics, x-rays, and respirators among others have made life bearable and saved resources and lives. Besides, the genetically modification of food production has had unequivocal positive impact in fighting hunger and maintaining sufficient food security for the world population. For instance, technological advancement such as agricultural biotechnology proliferation, genetic engineering, and research has evolved into practical solutions against hunger and starvation.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, population explosion is a serious environmental challenge on survival of humanity in the future (Graedel and Allenby 56). At present, the population grows arithmetically as the food production increases geometrically, that is, food production increases only as a portion of the population growth rate. As technological environment advance, invention of an automated crop/food control and production system that would serve the increasing population is within reach. Moreover, this system would facilitate production of green housing units that are affordable and friendly to the ecological system (Lomborg 54). Reflectively, technological advancement is a factor of human behavior response to environmental challenges facilitated by unplanned activities. Everyday, the media reports diverse effects of global warming on the face of planet Earth. These effects are associated with the prevalent occurrence of large scale disasters and calamities ranging from hurricanes, flooding, to desertification. However, solutions to these challenges lie within the brackets of con trolled technological innovations which are friendly to the environment (European Commission 32). Therefore, it is in order to affirm that technological transition is only a component of the larger ecological indicator that determines the affluence and definability of equivalent development levels. Arguably, environmental problems are contributed by social human behaviors and habits and might not be fully solved by technological approach. Thus, a properly formulated change in attitude and consumption habits might be the sustainable solution to future food security when aligned towards natural sustainability. This mix is achievable when food distribution, energy consumption, and production are harmoniously attached to ecological capacity building calculus. In the process, technological know-how only become useful in facilitating resource allocation, preservation, and optimal use for sustainability (Lovelock 22). Therefore, corollary of this projection on future of sustainability is i ndependent of technology on the facet of affluence and time despite simultaneous functionality (Nordhaus 16). On the magnitude of influence, technology has affected ecology in positive and negative ways. When properly balanced, a middle ground result is achievable when technology embraces the immediate need for sustainability. Generally, technology cannot quantify adoptive capacity or account for the mess human activities have created on the environment. However, it is important to note that technology has made food more affordable despite the challenging economic climate. Challenges brought about by technological emancipation can be solved by applying ecological modification in terms of changes in consumption patterns, behavior, and policy formulation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ecology versus Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusively, in the cycle of progress, that is, the mix between ecology a nd technology, ecology is of greater essence than technological influence. Ecology determines the mortality rates, poverty, malnutrition and hunger, and life expectancy. In fact, sustainability revolves around consistent transitional ecological tools which facilitate technological development and the quality of the environment in the long-term. Ecological regulation maintains accelerated momentum of imperative economic efficiency. Since ecological sustainability is largely influenced by behavior change, the impacts are simple and easily adoptable irrespective of cultural systems existing in the society. This approach might be the most cost effective and friendly towards future sustainability at micro and macro levels when properly balanced and embraced by the surging population. Goklany, Indur. The Improving State of the World. Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 2007. Print. Graedel, T and Allenby, B. Industrial Ecology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995. Print. Lombor g, Brian. Global Crises, Global Solutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. Lovelock, James. The Vanishing Face of Gaia. New York: Basic Books, 2009. Print. Nordhaus, Walton. A Question of Balance: Weighing the Options on Global Warming Policies. Yale: Yale University Press, 2008. Print. The Kyoto protocol – A brief summary. European Commission, 18 Oct, 2010. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Assigment leaderships week 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assigment leaderships week 3 - Assignment Example ies of APN leaders can be broadly categorized into scientific foundation, quality practice, leadership, practice inquiry, policy, literacy in technology and information, ethics, health delivery and independent practice. The technical changes in the health care domain have resulted into various shifting in the substantial portion of care. These shifts are normally from single handed health care systems to the home environments where patients and their care partners are responsible for care previously ordained by the nurses in their acute care settings. Competencies necessary for the advanced practice Nursing (APN) role development are adversely dependent on the nursing registration. Through an advanced registration of nurses, each and every individual nurse will be ethically stable and liable to any nursing practice consequences arising as a result of unreasonable competencies. Nursing field is a very noble field of professionalism hence it should be guided to the later by the codes of conducts regarding competencies necessarily required in this field of professionalism. This research paper explains the competencies necessary for Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role development. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a post-graduate education nurse. APRN’s are well-enlightened with advanced clinical and didactic education, skills, knowledge and clinical nursing scope practices at large. APRN basically defines a nursing practice level that utilizes the expanded and extended nursing skills, knowledge and experience in planning, assessment, diagnosis, implementation and overall evaluation skills in the care required. Nurses practicing at this noble level are distinctively educationally prepared at the post-graduate level and may unconditionally work in either generalist or specialist capacity. Nonetheless, the basis of advanced practice is linked to higher knowledgeable extents (NONPF 2011). The APRN skills and experience must be ethically applied within the

The Canadian Dollar and the Effects of the Foreign Exchange on the Research Paper

The Canadian Dollar and the Effects of the Foreign Exchange on the Country's Macro - Research Paper Example Tracing the Relationship between the Canadian and American Dollar Canada in 1841 adopted a Canadian pound equivalent to 4 U.S dollars. The country in 1850 faced challenges of adopting a solitary currency for the four provinces. The country also faced challenges of whether to adopt a U.S based monetary system or the sterling monetary system. The local population, because of trading and influx into Canada by the neighbouring Americans, preferred the American dollar as their sole currency (Bordo, & Schembri, 2010). However, the colonising authority in London preferred the sterling pound, as the sole currency in all its colonies or empires. The Canadian Legislative Council in 1851 introduced the sterling pound and the American dollar as the two currencies for Canada. The idea was to correlate the Canadian monetary to the American fractional coinage. In 1853, the Gold Standard was introduced, followed by the demonetization of all other currencies. The creation of Dominion of Canada led to the unification of the different currencies in Canada; dominion currency system based on the American dollar (Bordo, & Schembri, 2010). ... The bank observes analysis and highlights the domestic and global financial trends, which enable it to advise the government on the nation’s financial goals (Bailliu, & King, 2009). The Canadian government influences the value of the Canadian dollar. The government intervenes regularly in the exchange market; to influence supply or demand of the Canadian currency. The Canadian government policy on its currency (monetary policy), prefers the currency not to have a fixed price, but flow with international trends. The policies prefer a moderate and slow foreign exchange to an extreme and drastic change. The government also prefers the Canadian dollar not to be too strong or weak to the U.S dollar (Kozak, & Staskow, 2011). Trade is another influential factor in the association between the two nation’s currencies. Canada’s main international trading partner is the United States. This is favoured by the fact that the two nations neighbour each other. The foreign exchan ge rate plays a vital role in this trade. Therefore, it is crucial for the Canadian dollar to maintain its stability to the U.S dollar so that it does have an effect on the trading activities. A higher Canadian dollar means that Canadian producers can produce at lower prices favouring its competitiveness. A lower rate of the Canadian currency to the United States dollar increases production cost disadvantaging Canadian producer’s competitiveness. The Canadian currency is commonly referred to as petro-dollar because of the influence that oil prices have on the currency. Most nations prefer to trade using the Canadian dollar; because of its ease on the international, foreign exchange, and its relationship with the United States dollar (Kozak, & Staskow, 2011). Effects of the Foreign Exchange

Reality Television and Audience Interaction

Reality Television and Audience Interaction RESEARCH PROPOSAL How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Research aim and significance This study examines voting – a feature of interaction and engagement of audience with reality television. The study aims to investigate which factors influencing on television viewers’ decision to vote and also provide an exploration on their psychological side which may be vital for understanding their interactive behaviors. In the context of greater interaction between the programs and its audiences has been stimulating by television producers, it is significant to research this interactive form of reality television that encourages deeper audience participation. The findings of this study offer view on multiple sides involving opportunies and challenges for broadcast media companies and digital platform partners to exploit audience participation for the purposes of profit and the strategic expansion to multi-platform formats. Literature Review and Theory Since the very first reality show launching in 1990, the reality genre has rapidly developed to become the most popular experience of television nowadays. A plethora of research has been undertaking in recent years to identify the origin of reality shows’ appeal which concentrated mainly on the psychological side such as the theory of human motivations called ‘16 basic desires’ which linking the most fundamental purposes of human life to aspirations with their attention to media conducted by Reiss and Wiltz (2004) or the element of mastery sense named ‘schadenfreude’ introduced by Hall (2006). More recent studies in the last decade have focused on the power relation between the media and their publics as a key factor contributing to the growth of the reality television around the world, based on the concept of ‘audience activity’ which illustrates the level of selection when people use media and the level of involvement with the content (Rubin, 1993). Unlike many traditional television programs that only focus on the content without paying attention on audience interaction, reality program really provide the audience a participatory mode in which they are invited to influence the program’s story (Godlewski Perse, 2010; Enli Ihlebà ¦k, 2011). In its most famous form (in such series as Big Brother, The X Factor, Idol and The Voice), reality television has been transformed into interactive cross-platform media experience, soliciting direct audience participation, by telephone and the use of interactive functions of digital technology (Charles, 2012). Gr iffen-Foley (2004) argued that all of these media outlets have sought to attend their consumers as ‘textual actors’ which boosted the perception of engagement and generate a ‘loyal community’ of audience. Among them, voting is assigned as a prominent and lucrative option of viewer feedback, particularly in talent-based reality shows (Enli Ihlebà ¦k, 2011). Godlewski and Perse (2010) developed the theory of audience activity to scrutinize the relationship between viewing motivations, recognition of the participants, ‘cognitive and emotional involvement’ before, during and after exposure to media content. The scholars discovered that, instead of according with the levels of cognitive and emotional involvement during exposure, reality television provides to the audiences new kinds of post-exposure activity and also opportunities for finding previously unavailable ‘additional gratifications’ through voting to affect the program’s result. Such interactivity creates involving experiences via the active control of the media. In addition, there is a higher level of psychological engagement relating to thinking about and spending attentiveness of viewers who vote to whom they chose to vote for. Interestingly, Nightingale and Dwyer (2006) took the form on a larger scope that examined wider cultural significance and the translation into national format. This means that in multicultural nations, the audience is more likely to compose members of various dispersive communities with different degrees of loyalty. As a result, while votes are asked for supporters, the result always represents on a national scale. Audiences pay money to protect and attract the focus on their local contestants and even on their hometowns and regions. This study does not merely to understand why audience lodging vote in reality television but also explore what portrays them in regards to motivations and interactive behaviors such as the differences between age, gender, culture, socio-economic background and psychological aspect for example the level of activeness. Through this program producers could understand the desires of audience for interacting with the content via voting. Methodology Based on similar case studies involving audience activity (Godlewski Perse 2010), I will conduct one-hour interviews with five people of various age, gender and socio-economic backgrounds who are reality shows’ audience and regularly vote for their favorite shows or contestants. These interviews allow participants to elaborate on given open-ended qualitative questions and to explore from their personal experience of interaction and engagement. Before the interview, a copy of the plain language statement will be given to the participants for reading and keeping. They will be also asked to sign and return the consent form to the researchers. The interview will be recorded and transcribed for the purposes of the research paper. In the first part of the interview, participants will be asked to mention the kind of reality genre they are more likely to watch and their voting frequency. In the remaining part, participants will be invited to show how they interact with their most-liked reality shows through voting, for example explaining why they vote and determining which factors affect their decision. The information gathered will be compared and contrasted, using arguments discussed above in order to provide an insight into television producers targeted at the capitalization of audience fancy to maximize the shows’ outcome in terms of both revenue and viewer loyalty. The plain language statement, consent form and interview questions are provided below in the appendix. [918 words] Bibliography Charles, A 2012, Interactivity: New Media, Politics and Society, Peter Lang Oxford, Oxford. Enli, GS Ihlebà ¦k, KA 2011, ‘Dancing with the audience: Administrating vote-ins in public and commercial broadcasting’, Media, Culture Society, 33(6), pp. 953-962. Godlewski, LR Perse, EM 2010, ‘Audience activity and reality television: Identification, Online Activity, and Satisfaction’, Communication Quarterly, May, pp. 148-169. Griffen-Foley, B 2004, ‘From Tit-Bits to Big Brother: A Century of Audience Participation in the Media’, Media Culture Society, vol. 26, no. 4, July, pp. 533-548. Hall, A 2006, ‘Viewers Perceptions of Reality Programs’, Communication Quarterly, vol. 54, issue 2, May, pp. 191-211. Hill, A 2007 , Reslyting Factual TV: Audiences and News, Documentary and Reality Genres, Taylor Francis, New York. Holmes, S 2004, ‘Reality Goes Pop!: Reality TV, Popular Music, and Narratives of Stardom in Pop Idol’, Television New Media, vol. 5, no.2, May, pp. 147-172. Holmes, S 2004, ‘‘But this time you choose!’: Approaching the ‘interactive’ audience in reality TV’, International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 213-231. Kajus, Y 2009, ‘Idolizing and Monetizing the Public: The Production of Celebrities and Fans, Representatives and Citizens in Reality TV’, International Journal of Communication, pp. 277-300. Nightingale, V Dwyer, T 2006 ‘The audience politics of ‘enhanced’ television formats’, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, vol. 2, no.1, pp. 25-42 Papacharissi, Z Mendelson, AL 2007, ‘An exploratory study of reality appeal: Uses and Gratifications of reality TV shows’, Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media, vol. 51, issue 2, June, pp. 355-370. Reiss, S Wiltz, J 2004, ‘Why people watch Reality TV’, Media Psychology, vol. 6, issue 4, November, pp.363-378. Roscoe, J 2010, ‘Multi-Platform Event Television: Reconceptualizing our Relationship with Television’, The Communication Review, vol. 7, issue. 4, pp. 363-369. Ytreberg, Y 2009, ‘Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats’, New Media Society, vol. 11, issue 4, pp. 1-19. Interview questions 1. What kinds of reality television do you often interact with through voting? + How many times do you vote for your favorite reality programs on average? 2. Are you member of a fanclub of any reality show’ or reality show’ contestant? + Do you mobilize your family/ relatives/ friends/ community to vote for your favorite contestants? 3. Which factors do you think will affect your decision for vote? + Are the contestants’ performance and the estimations of the judges important to you? + If your favorite contestant is facing elimination, do you try your best to keep he/she staying in the competion? 4. Do you think that voting is a symbol of audience democracy? + To what extent do you believe that audience can control the result of a reality show by voting? + Do you think the results reflect properly the audience desire? 5. How do you feel if the contestant that you voted for lose? + Do you often compare between your local contestants and contestants from other regions? 6. Do you think voting is the best way to interact and engage with your favorite reality shows? + Which other kinds of interction and engagement do you like? GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS Project Title: Reality television and audience interaction – How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Name of participant: Name of researcher: Truc Tuong Thi Lam 1.I consent to participate in this project, the details of which have been explained to me, and I have been provided with a written plain language statement to keep. 2. I understand that after I sign and return this consent form it will be retained by the researcher. 3.I understand that my participation will involve an interview and observation and I agree that the researcher may use the results as described in the plain language statement. 4.I acknowledge that: (a) the possible effects of participating in the interview and observation have been explained to my satisfaction; (b) I have been informed that I am free to withdraw from the project at any time without explanation or prejudice and to withdraw any unprocessed data I have provided; (c) the project is for the purpose of research; (d) I have been informed that the confidentiality of the information I provide will be safeguarded subject to any legal requirements; (e) I have been informed that with my consent the interview will be audio-taped and I understand that audio-tapes will be stored at University of Melbourne and will be destroyed after five years; (f) my name will be referred to by a pseudonym in any publications arising from the research; (g) I have been informed that a copy of the research findings will be forwarded to me, should I agree to this. I consent to this interview being audio-taped à ¢- ¡ yes à ¢- ¡ no (please tick) I wish to receive a copy of the summary project report on research finding à ¢- ¡ yes à ¢- ¡ no (please tick) Participant signature:Date: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PLAIN LANGUAGE STATEMENT Project Title: Reality television and audience interaction – How viewers interact and engage with reality shows through voting Name of student: Truc Tuong Thi Lam Telephone: 0426 998 078 Email: [emailprotected] Name of lecturer: Dr. Esther Chin Telephone: (03) 8344 3411 Email: [emailprotected] Dear participant, I am a Master of Global Media Communication student at the University of Melbourne currently enrolled in the subject MECM40003 Researching Audiences and Reception. A major component of the subject assessment requires students to carry our research on media audiences such as yourself to understand reception and consumption patterns and to determine how audiences interpret and interact with media types. I will be carrying out open-ended interviews with participants approximately 45 minutes in length. Your honest responses are extremely important in giving validity to this study. With your permission, I will audiotape your responses for transcription and inclusion in my study. Interview responses will be analysed and included in a research report for submission at the end of the current semester. Date will be destroyed after being kept securely at the University of Melbourne for five years. Your responses and identity will be given a pseudonym in the research report and every effort will be made to ensure your confidentiality. As soon as the research report is returned after examination a copy will be made available to you upon request. This research project is being carried out with approval from the University of Melbourne’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). If you have any concerns or further questions you may contact my lecturer (as above) and/or the Human Research Ethics Office: Executive Officer, Human Research Ethics, University of Melbourne VIC 3010 Telephone: (03) 8344 2073. If you would like to participate in this research please read and sign the accompanying consent form. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Truc Tuong Thi Lam

Four Great Revolutions in Philosophy Essay

Throughout the history of the universe, there have been revolutions that shaped the history of the world. However, none have had such a great impact as the four great revolutions in thought and religion. Included, are the philosophy of China, religion in India, religion of the Jews, and Greek Philosophy. They all have many things in common, but each are unique as well. The four great revolutions occurred in or near original river valley systems, and they were all born through a crisis. Each of the reformations is responsible for much of the cultural history of the world, because once the cultural pattern was set, it endured. Finally, it all began when people started to question their existence. When the, relatively speaking, â€Å"modern† philosophy of the east was created, China was going through a crisis. New territorial states were replacing the traditional city-states. Peasant armies with new technology were replacing old nobility. The old etiquette and old rituals were crumbling. People yearned for a new, peaceful society. Thus, Confucianism was born. Confucius was born in 551 BCE in northeast China. He was educated and was a member of the lower-nobility. When Confucius was young, his father died, so he knew what it was like to be without. Confucius didn’t believe in an afterlife, and in the Analects, he was quoted as saying, â€Å"How can you understand death if you cannot understand life?† Later in life, he became a traveling teacher, trying to persuade rulers to buy his ideas to return society back to the times of the Chou Dynasty, where everyone in society had a role to play. These roles consisted of five relationships: Ruler to subject, father to son, husband to wife, older brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. Confucius believed that if everyone stood to their position, society would be in harmony. However, when the well-being of a society depends on individuals living up to their responsibilities, things can go wrong fairly quickly. It became obvious that returning to the Chou Dynasty was impossible. By the time Confucius died, in 479 BCE, he was unable to find a ruler to accept his  teachings, but one thing made sense to the people. The ability to have a good government is dependent on the appointment of good men. This is evident in American society today when we elect a new President every four years. Another revolution took place about fifty years earlier in India. In 600 BCE, India had a priest-centered, cult dominated upper-class that controlled society. They had elaborate animal sacrifices, and believed in magic. In an attempt to bring more people into participation, a group called the Upanishads began to propose meditation on the meaning of ritual. They had two main emphases: 1) Knowledge was over ritual and immortality was escaping afterlife, and 2) â€Å"From the unreal, lead me to the real. From death, lead me to immortality,† which reverts the emphasis back to knowledge. Gods were merely a part of the total scheme. The Upanishads believed that life was a never-ending cycle between life and death. Life after death was known as samsara. The key to resolving samsara is karma (work or action) in which the goal is to have more good deed than bad deeds. There were two basic ways to achieve this goal. First, one sought to maximize good, and minimize bad. Second, a person should seek liberation from existence, escaping all karmic effects. This, when followed out completely, resulted in escaping action itself. This brings us to the Jains. An Indian man named Mahavira found and taught â€Å"the way† to save the soul from its karmic bonds. Jains believed that there is no beginning or end to existence. They believed that the universe was alive and had infinite souls that were all trapped in samsara. Words and deeds have a reaction, and one must take care of everything. Mahavira’s focus was to eliminate evil thought and act that was especially harmful of others. He isolated himself for twelve years, meditating, until he found true enlightenment. When thinking of â€Å"enlightened ones,† many would think of Buddha. Buddhism was â€Å"India’s greatest contribution to religion.† Siddhartha Gautama is the most renowned Buddha. He was born in 566 BCE into an upper-class, if not noble, family. As Siddhartha grew older, he began to think about aging, sickness,  and death. He was disgusted by his sensual desires and sensual pleasures he obtained from the material world, so he set out to find an end to the endless cycle of existence. It is said that Siddhartha Gautama sat under a Bodh tree, smoked, meditated, and found the answer. He then devoted the rest of his life to teaching others his findings, known as The Middle Path. The Middle Path is the core to Buddhist faith and practice, and begins with Four Noble Truths: 1) All of life is suffering, 2) The source of suffering is desiring, 3) The cessation of desiring is the way to end suffering, and 4) The path to the end is eight-fold. The fourth truth is not just metaphorically speaking. The Eight-Fold Path consists of the following: Right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The emphasis on Buddhism was compassion. The goal, through The Four Noble Truths, was to attain nirvana (extinguishing all karmic bonds). To succeed in this, one had to give up many things, so there were very few willing to make the sacrifice. There was no deity. If one just stopped wanting, he or she would stop suffering. Now we come to the first big difference in thought and religion; the religion of the Jews. The Hebrews tried to create a monotheistic life from a polytheistic society. They believed that there was one universal creator/sustainer of the universe, and that was God. All things were linked to God’s â€Å"divine plan.† There were two central ideas to Judaism. First, significance of history on the divine plan. Second, the idea of God (justice and goodness). God was righteous, so he expected humans to be also. He demanded moral behavior. God’s â€Å"divine plan† included a man named Abraham, who is considered the patriarch of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Abraham made a covenant with God that if Abraham and all of his children would worship God alone, then God would protect them. The final Great Revolution took a central â€Å"god† and threw in many different  gods. Greek Philosophy offered different approaches and answers to the same concerns as original monotheists. The Greeks were logical. They looked at the universe as a whole. They investigated cures for sicknesses and didn’t rely solely on the gods for healing. During the mid-fifth century BCE, an influential debate began with professional teachers, called Sophists. They received pay for teaching persuasion and rhetoric, which were very highly valued in Ancient Athenian Society. Sophists preached on the nature of the polis (city-state). This was when the crisis began. All philosophers were concerned that everything was falling apart, because of outsiders. The Sophists argued that the law was in accordance with nature. If everyone followed the law, the polis would be fine and protected. This sounds much like Confucius’ idealistic belief that people could just stay in one role and be happy in that relationship. It is quite obvious that there have been revolutions that shaped the history of the world. However, none have had such a great impact as the four great revolutions in thought and religion. Included, are the philosophy of China, religion in India, religion of the Jews, and Greek Philosophy. They all have many things in common, but each are unique as well. The four great revolutions occurred in or near original river valley systems, and they were all born through a crisis. Each of the reformations is responsible for much of the cultural history of the world, because once the cultural pattern was set, it endured. Finally, it all began when people started to question their existence.