Meaning for Life Essay Example

Meaning for Life Essay Meaning for Life Thomas Nagel and Richard Taylor represent diverging thoughts in the meaning for life. This disparity is well articulated in their books, Mortal Questions and Good and Evil respectively. Nagel argues for the absurdity of life in all its forms while Taylor talks about the meaning of life embedded in its subjectivity. In his book, Nagel questions Taylor’s standpoint on the meaning for life being derived by alluding to that which is objective and subjecting it to the law of relativity. Nagel disputes the very pillars that form the basis of Taylor’s argument on the meaning of life. This paper will compare and contrast the two opposing school of thoughts with the aim of shedding light to the phenomenon that is the meaning for life. We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning for Life specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning for Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning for Life specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"The meaning of life is from within us, it is not bestowed from without, and it far exceeds the in both its beauty and permanence any heaven of which men have ever dreamed or yearned for† (Taylor 588). Richard Taylor articulates a meaning for life that goes beyond the very act that man does. The author aptly utilizes the analogy of the myth of Sisyphus to articulate man’s perspective of the meaning and purpose of life. He narrates of the character Sisyphus whom the gods sentenced to roll a stone up a hill. The substance of his punishment came about when the stone kept on rolling back and Sisyphus relentlessly pushed it back up, subsequently fuelling the vicious cycle. Taylor paints out the picture that the efforts of the mythological character bore no fruit in spite of his resilience. The author then uses this to draw parallels to the life of man that is filled with endless activities that deprive his life of meaning. This he expounds by arguing that though man wor ks to produce and bear fruit, his fruits are only temporary and influence the fanning of the process of endless and meaningless activities. â€Å"Where otherwise he might have profoundly have wished surcease, and even welcomed the quiet of death to release him from the endless boredom and meaningless, his life is now filled with mission and meaning and he seems to himself to be given an entry to heaven† (Taylor 584). Meaningfulness is introduced into the lives of human beings by subjecting the truth to the law of relativity. Richard Taylor paints out this picture by allowing the life of Sisyphus to experience individual fulfillment. This stands as the basis for Taylor’s argument on the meaning of life. He points out that although his situation remains constant and his life remains fruitless, an intervention by the gods to give him an uncontrollable desire to push stones would give his life meaning. An objective outlook will allow man to see the fact that the activities he does do not bear fruit. However, the introduction of a contrary outlook will allow him to see the satisfaction that he gets in fulfilling the desire to live life as he does. In essence, this represents a disregard of man’s actions and gives scrutiny to the state of mind that engulfs him as he carries out theses meaningless activities. â€Å"The meaning of life is from within us, it is not bestowed from without, and it far exceeds the in both its beauty and permanence any heaven of which men have ever dreamed or yearned for† (Taylor 588).Richard Taylor argues that the meaning for life comes from within an individual. The position of an actor defines the meaning for his life rather than the results of his action. This is to imply that meaningfulness exists when an individual is satisfied in the achievement of his desires. Taylor points out that though the actions in the lives of men may denote the lack of productivity, the denial of this productivity serves as the essence for the meaning of life. He uses the life of Sisyphus to show that his inability to build a temple through the stones that he was instructed to roll up the hill, would imply redemption from eternal boredom. Meaningless activities in the lives of man ensure that he is constantly engaged, contrary to the boredom he would have experienced if hi s actions bore fruit. The author recommends that man look beyond his actions and focus on the state of his mind and heart. The thoughts of Taylor and Nagel diverge at the point where Taylor believes that in subjectively taking up the objective standpoint of life, then life gains meaning. â€Å"In ordinary life a situation is absurd when it includes a conspicuous discrepancy between pretension and aspiration and reality† (Nagel 13). According to Nagel, the very essence of life’s meaninglessness exists when there is a discrepancy between that which is real and that which man desires to achieve. This thought might be one of the pillars that anchor the difference in ideologies between the two authors. In subjecting the truth to the law of relativity, Richard Taylor expresses the same disparity that Nagel attributes to making life absurd. The ideologies of Taylor advocate for a disregard to that which is the actual truth and settle for notions that cannot be verified. In light of Nagel’s arguments, one can infer that the actions of man remain futile. This is because they do not bear susta inable and eternal fruits. â€Å"Where otherwise he might have profoundly have wished surcease, and even welcomed the quiet of death to release him from the endless boredom and meaningless, his life is now filled with mission and meaning and he seems to himself to be given an entry to heaven† (Taylor 588). However, Taylor finds justification for these actions by arguing that they create meaning for life through the exclusion of eternal boredom and satisfying the desires for man to do those very actions. This therefore serves as the basis for Nagel’s dispute against Taylor’s ideologies. â€Å"Consequently, the absurdity of our situation derives not from a collision between our expectations and the world, but from a collision within ourselves† (Nagel 17). Nagel argues that the meaninglessness of life is because of the collision that occurs within an individual. Contrary to Taylor’s school of thought that argues that the very meaning of man’s life originates from the man himself, Nagel believes that man himself makes his life meaningless. This is because the world in which man lives cannot justify the rise of inescapable doubt. For this reason, the world cannot be blamed for failing to meet man’s demands for meaning. Therefore, the inhabitation of the world remains to be the sole reason as to why his life is meaningless. Nagel and Taylor seem to agree, concerning the relevance of time in the meaning of life. However, in this convergence there appears to be a disparity. â€Å"Whether what we do now will matter in a million years could make the crucial difference only if its mattering in a million years depended on its mattering, period† (Nagel 11). The disparity occurs when Nagel questions the relevance of raising concerns of whether an individual’s life will be of value in a million years to come. He argues that the very essence of life begins to show in the present time, and its meaningfulness can be projected and will be reflected, in the years to come. He therefore advocates for a focus in the course of one’s life instead of worrying whether the life in question will be significant in years to come. He imposes a realistic outlook to the nature of life instead of taking a presumptuous attitude. However, Taylor, on the other hand, isolates the value of life in the current time to its forecasted value. He even goes further to argue that the value of an individual’s life can be realized years after the death of the individual in question. Taylor articulates this by saying, â€Å"Activity, and even long, drawn-out and repetitive activity, has a meaning if it has some significant culmination† (Taylor 584). He illustrates this through the life of the larva of a cicada that burrows in the earth for seventeen years. The efforts that seem futile eventually culminate to the process of life. The philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche agrees with Taylor’s school of thought of subjectivity in order to find the value of life. He argues that there lies a correlation between the perception of reality and myth. The objective truth, with regard to the meaning of life, must therefore be interpreted through subjectivity. The correlation between objectivity and subjectivity in deriving the meaning of life is similar to that of Richard Taylor. Nietzsche goes further to argue that the perception of life is seen in the metaphor of art. He says that, ‘music struggles to show us about the nature in Apolline images,’ (Nietzsche 79). He uses the analogy of language to express that the diversity that exists in languages represents the diversity of truth and expression. Language therefore remains to be an incomprehensible creation for which it is not worth striving. In the same way, life seems vain but holds its meaning in its very complexity. The justification for the existence of life marks the conception of its meaning. Yuval Lurie argues that, ‘the question about the meaning of life seems to be directed escaping the flow of life and the familiar contexts of supplying practical information,’ (Lurie 2). Richard Taylor and Thomas Nagel both agree on the concept of a meaningful life but diverge on its occurrence. Nagel argues on the objectivity of life and criticizes the subjectivity that Taylor employs in arriving to the meaning of life. However, it is in the very subjectivity that Nietzsche agrees with and the subjective approach to life. The meaning of life cannot lie in the objective truth that its actions express, however such meaning should be derived from the state of the owner of the life. Work Cited Lurie, Yuval. Tracking the Meaning of Life: A Philosophical Journey. Columbia, Mo: University of Missouri Press, 2006. Print. Mencken, H L. The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Port Washington, N.Y: Kennikat Press, 1967. Print. Nagel, Thomas. Mortal Questions. Cambridge [Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 1979. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich W, Raymond Geuss, and Ronald Speirs. The Birth of Tragedy and Other Writings. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Taylor, Richard. Good And Evil. Buffalo NY: Prometheus books, 1984. Print.

CELLULAR PHONES essays

CELLULAR PHONES essays Each day something like 30,000 people in the United States sign up for and start using a cellular phone. With a cell phone you can talk to anyone on the planet from just about anywhere (80% of the U.S. has coverage). A cell phone is really an extremely sophisticated radio. A cell phone is a duplex device which uses one frequency for talking and a second, separate frequency, for listening. A cell phone can communicate on 1,664 channels and operate within cells. They can switch cells as they move around. Cells give cell phones incredible range. Someone using a cell phone can drive clear across a city and maintain a conversation the entire time. The way a cellular phone does this is the carrier chops up an area (such as a city) into cells. Each cell is typically sized at about 10 square miles (perhaps 3 miles by 3 miles). Cells are normally thought of as hexagons on a big hexagonal grid. As you move toward the edge of your cell, your cell's base station will note that your signal strength is diminishing. Meantime, the base station in the cell you are moving toward, which is listening and measuring signal strength on all frequencies, will be able to see your phone's signal strength increasing. The two base stations coordinate themselves through the MTSO, and at some point your phone gets a signal on a control channel telling it to change frequencies. This handoff switches your phone to the new cell. Roaming makes things a bit more interesting. In modern systems, the phones listen for a System ID (SID) on the control channel at power-up. If the SID on the control channel does not match the SID programmed into the phone, then the phone knows it is "roaming". The phone also transmits a registration request and the network keeps track of your phone's location in a database. This way the MTSO knows which cell you are in when it wants to ring your phone. As you move between cells, the phone detec ...

Islamism and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islamism and Terrorism - Essay Example This paper seeks to refute this controversial claim by supporting that Muslims are not terrorists. Undeniably, there have been extreme cases of terror attacks in different parts of the world. Most of these terrorist attacks, if not all, have been associated to Islam. Islamic terror group referred to as al-Qaida supposedly did the infamous September 11 attack. However, controversy theories have refuted these claims and posited that the September 11 attacks were conducted out of the realms of Islam. Terrorism refers to acts of violence or otherwise that are meant to pressurize a ruling regime to act in favor of the terror instigators. Although the definition of terrorism varies widely, it can be generally agreed that terrorism has a political orientation. Most of the terrorist attacks that have happened in recent times have been directed towards political leadership regimes. Terrorism may be a physical act such as the September 11 attack or it may be non-physical such as cyber terroris m. Largely, physical terrorism has been associated with radical Islamism. Whenever there is a potential terror threat, Muslims are always the first prime suspects. Actually, a large number of Muslims have been questioned or detained in various parts of the world as being suspects of terror. On the other hand, the Muslim community has heavily contested involvement in terror activities claiming that it is in fact against their religious beliefs. According to the Muslim community, Allah is against killing of innocent people. Indeed, â€Å"Terrorizing innocent people is not acceptable in Islam, it is totally against the religion† (Abdullah, 2007). More notably, the jihad is also not holy although it is justified. They believe that the world is supposed to live in peace and harmony despite the differences in religious affiliations. Muslims contest that most terror instigators hide behind the curtains of Islamic religion to pursue their inhumane interests. Although they support mar tyrdom and jihad, they are solidly unified against terrorism. However, the characteristics of radical Islamism are quite similar to characteristics of terrorisms and perhaps the primary reason why the controversy over the relationship between Islam and terrorism exist so strongly. Therefore, differentiating between radical Islamism and Islamic terrorism becomes difficult. Despite the similarities between them, terrorism and radical Islamism are certainly different. Accordingly, radical Islamism is not democratic in nature and does not, in any way take advantage of political or democratic loopholes in the society to express their dissatisfaction. Instead, radical Islamism seeks to express their faith in religion by use of religious platforms and means. Their acts are religiously propelled and as such do not use terrorism as a means of communicating their dissatisfaction. This concludes us that neither Islam nor radical Islamism is synonymous to terrorism. Even the violent activities of radical Islamism do not count towards terrorism. The two oppositions on clarity of definition of the term terrorism make the issue complicated. However, there is overwhelming evidence supporting that Islam is indeed not synonymous with terrorism. More clearly, Islam is not associated with terrorism. According to leaders of North American Islamic organizations â€Å"As American Muslims and scholars of Islam, we wish to restate our conviction that peace and justice constitute the basic principles of the Muslim faith. We

Narrative Exposition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Narrative Exposition - Essay Example ds every single day, without knowing how much force they had in his life; simple things like taking the bus to work or to the library, cleaning up the dishes at home, everything was done in a very mundane manner because he was getting very bored with living his life. He wanted something new to be offered to him without realizing that only he could make the difference. Academics was something that his parents put a great deal of pressure upon; they had invested a great amount of money for the purpose of John’s education and thus wanted him to excel more than he personally wanted to. John was never good in studies, but he always spent time trying to make his parents happy by trying his best to get good grades. The high school he attended had a number of clubs and associations attached with its prestigious name and as students John and his friends were always encouraged to be a part of them. One fine day, an announcement was made regarding the elimination of a few clubs that did not have many members or donations to remain as part of the school and had to be scrapped off the list because of the decisions taken by a few faculty members who did not have time to invest in the same. This was a social service unit that did not have too many students as a part of it and thus the student body always urged students to join. The main aim of the club w as to help the special children or differently-abled children that lived in and around parts of the city. However, the club was never able to attract a lot of attention towards itself because not everyone wanted to become a part of a social unit designed for the welfare of differently-abled children. A few days later upon looking at the notice of this club, John and his friends went to a nearby cafe to spend some time and as they were happily sipping their lattes, John’s eyes happened to glance over a child on the street; the child seemed helpless and restless and his mother was scolding him. They entered the cafe and

Challenges of Social Integration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Challenges of Social Integration - Assignment Example Further, some diseases need no resources to deal with them but to avoid the causing factor. Another issue discussed is the use of technology to advance the health status of the entire world. Most of the machines are built to suit the affordability by all country levels (Berwick, 2004). From my point of view, most of the issues highlighted in the article are right. The health status of the three world categories differs from one class to the other. The more economically grown countries have financed significantly in the health sector. Use of drugs causes some diseases. Cigarette Smoking causes illnesses such as lung cancer (Ladika, 2002). Liver cirrhosis is as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol. The diseases can be controlled by limited use of such drugs especially in the developing countries and also the developed countries. Developing countries have the minimum level of health followed by middle-countries, and the developed countries have the highest. The health sector can be advanced to a better situation by combined efforts of the government and individuals. The individuals are supposed to take charge of their health.one can take the appropriate measures to prevent one from getting infected. Individuals can also educate each other on health risk behaviors and so improving countries health since number of people getting sick will reduce (Kinkade and Verclas, 2008). The government can take part to nourish the health sector. It can increase the budget allocation for enhancing the infrastructure in health centers. It can also fund campaigns to create awareness on people on health related

Common Core of Skills Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce

Common Core of Skills Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce The common core of skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce describes the knowledge and skills that people working with children and young people in the United Kingdom are expected to have. There are six areas of expertise involved in the common core of skills, and these six areas offer a single framework aimed at underpinning an integrated multiagency cooperation, training, qualification and professional standards across the childrens workforce. The common core of skills is inclusive of people working with children all the time, as well as those working with the children on a part time basis. It is also inclusive of paid staff as well as those working as volunteers on the childrens workforce. The common core of skills also sets out common values for childcare professionals, thereby promoting equality and challenging stereotypes, while at the same time respecting diversity. The common core of skills and knowledge was initially launched in 2005, with the goal of enabling professionals and volunteers working in the childrens workforce to carry out their duties more effectively in the interest of the children and young people being cared for. The common core was developed in an effort to underpin successful integration and multiagency cooperation in the United Kingdom. The Childrens Workforce Development Council identified six areas of expertise that are deemed to be essential for people working with children and their families. These include: 1. Effective communication and engagement with children, young people and families 2. Child and young person development 3. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child or young person 4. Supporting transitions 5. Multi-agency and integrated working 6. Information sharing Each of these areas contains information about the required knowledge and skills for childcare workers. These basic requirements enable care providers to do their jobs well. Within the common core of skills, skill is defined as the ability to do something, usually through experience or training, while Knowledge is described as an understanding or awareness gained through learning or experience. (The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce) The common core of skills also sets out that providers should apply these skills and knowledge in their work and take account of the background and circumstances relevant to a situation. (The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce) Recently, the Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC) refreshed and published some new guidance which updates the common core of skills that childcare workers should possess in the United Kingdom. The last update of the common core of skills happened in 2005. In partnership with some other government organizations, the Childrens Workforce Development Council investigated the relevance of the contents of the common core of skills. Thus, the common core of skills was updated to ensure that childcare professionals possess a common set of basic skills and knowledge that would enable them to do their job in harmony with each other. The common core was also refreshed to ensure that childcare professionals can communicate effectively, so as to be able to support the children and their families better. Effective communication and engagement with children, young people and their families Effective communication is vital when working with children, their families, young people and other care providers. Good communication will help in building trust and encourages children in need of childcare services to seek advice and to utilize the care services provided. Appropriate communication is important for the establishment and maintenance of relationships, as well as being an active process which involves listening, asking questions, understanding issues and responding. Effective communication extends to involving children, young people, their parents and caregivers in the design and delivery of services and decisions that affect them. It is important to consult the people affected and consider opinions and perspectives from the outset. Another crucial element of effective communication is developing trust between the workforce and children, young people, parents and care providers as well as within different sectors of the workforce itself. (The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce) Child and young person development This area of the common core of skills and knowledge deals with the intellectual, social, linguistic, physical and emotional growth and development of the children and young people receiving care services, it is important to understand the changes that occur during development in children and young people, and how these changes affect the behavior of the children. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child or young person People in the childrens workforce are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of these young ones. This is a very important responsibility which requires paying close attention to the needs of the children. It involves the ability to recognize situations in which a child or young person is failing to reach his or her developmental potential, or when a childs mental or physical health is impaired. Childcare workers are also required to b able to recognize when a child is displaying harmful or risky or behavior, or when a child is being abused or neglected. Care providers should also be able to identify sources of help for these children and their families. It is important to identify concerns and where appropriate take action as early as possible so that children, young people, their families and caregivers can get the help they need. Supporting transitions It is expected that the use of the common core of skills may vary according to the roles of childcare professionals and the sector involved. Thus, different organizations should be able to find the most appropriate ways of expressing the various areas of expertise indicated in the common core of skills. Those who work with children and young people all the time will use the common core in different contexts and to different levels of depth from those who come into contact with children and young people as only part of their job (The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce.) It is also expected that certain roles in the childrens workforce will focus more on certain areas of the common core. Childcare professionals who interact with children on a regular basis will utilize the common core to a different level of depth and in a different context from part-time or voluntary workers who work with the children and young people less frequently. It should be noted that not every practitioner will be regularly involved in supporting transitions, although all practitioners will have to understand at least the most important aspects of the sections of the common core of skills in a manner that is relevant to their work. Multi-agency and integrated working It has been observed that the common core of skills should be more clearly positioned to work in conjunction with the every child matters initiative, the National Occupational Standards and the common assessment framework, although there should be adjustments in order to take care of any future change in laws or programs related to the common core of skills. There is also the issue of initial training as relates to the common core of skills. This is because currently, the common core of skills applies only in England, and accredited qualifications are based on standards in the United Kingdom. A lot of people believe that the common core of skills should be incorporated into regulation and inspection in order for it to be accepted and embraced by everyone. This is evident in the responses and feedback from questionnaires, and studies carried out about the efficacy of the common core of skills. Information sharing In order to be able to deliver quality childcare services to children in the United Kingdom, it is essential to share information in a timely and accurate manner. Accurate sharing of information can actually help in saving lives, so childcare professionals should be able to work together and share information in a proper manner for the safety and wellbeing of the children. Information sharing also enables childcare workers to understand situations better, and more quickly. When interviewed, most parents were happy about the information sharing requirement of the common core of skills. They responded that information sharing among childcare professionals ensured that the caregivers and the parents did not have to keep repeating information many times over. Sharing information in a timely and accurate way is an essential part of delivering better services to children, young people, their families and care providers. Sometimes it can help to save lives. Practitioners at different agencies should work together and share information appropriately for the safety and well-being of children. It is important to understand and respect legislation and ethics surrounding the confidentiality and security of information. It is crucial to build trust with the child or young person and their family from the outset by clarifying issues and procedures surrounding confidentiality, consent and information sharing. Practitioners should adhere to the correct principles, policies and procedures for information sharing, ensuring that the child or young person, parent or caregiver understands the process. (The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce)

The Portrayal of Socially Destructive and Over-Ambitious Richard, in Sh

Richard, the main character of the Shakespeare’s play, Richard III is portrayed as socially destructive and politically over-ambitious. His destructive potential is depicted by the way he relates with the other protagonists in the play and also by what he confesses as his intentions. Richard’s political ambition is revealed through his strategic calculations based on the order of birth in his York family which puts him third away from the throne. Ahead of him is his elder brother, George Clarence, a barrier which will have to eradicate. His brother, King Edward, is another political barrier, by simply being alive, in power and equally by being the father of the two young princes . Richard’s creates a political mistrust between his two brothers without directly implicating himself to clear his way to power. The main objective of this essay is to show how well Richard fits the figure of vice character in the Shakespeare’s play. We are going to examine this aspect of Richard from two dimensions. First of all, through his expressed intentions, motivations and deeds. Secondly, through what other characters accuse him of and their attitudes towards him. It will not be possible for us to revisit each character and how he or she relates with Richard. However, Anne, Margaret, the Duchess of York, citizens, the ghosts and finally Richmond will be examined. Richard, the villain From the beginning of the play, the character of Richard is depicted as amiss. Thomas More’s account of King Richard states that King Richardâ€Å"was malicious, wrathful, envious, and, from afore his birth ever forward† (More, 2005:10).King Richard’s mother, the Duchesse of York is said to have had a hard labour at his birth. Richard is said to have come into the wor... ...ueen Margaret, England will remain in turmoil. Conclusion Shakespeare introduces to us a character who is evil according to the moral judgement of the moment. He does not respect the social values and norms. For him social taboos such as incest and crimes such as murder cease to be wrong once they become instruments of power. He is Satan incarnated, cunning, greedy and destructive. He has no respect for those who observe social, norms, family ethics and political loyalty. As a King, he governs with terror and assassinates those whose views differ from his. To us he is a dictator. The citizens are scared at the idea of being ruled by him. Their future is doomed with Richard in power. His own relatives and ghost shower him with curses and wants his downfall. Those who remain by his side are governed by fear lest they loose their lives and those of their loved ones.