Essays --

The Hagia Sophia was a former Greek Orthodox basilica church, and later became a mosque, and now is a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It is definitely a architectural beauty. The name means "holy wisdom". It contains two floors centered on a giant nave and has a dome ceiling, with smaller domes that tower above. From 537-1453 it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral, except between the dates 1204-1261, where it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 1453-1931. It was then opened as a museum in 1935. There are many original parts of this structure, although it has gone through two fires. The first fire occurred in year 404, when rioters burned the church down in protest. The church took 10 years to be re-built. It was burned down again about 100 years later by the Nica Riots. The church was again rebuilt, but then in 1346 the church faced some damage due to an earthquake (Hagia Sophia: Facts, History & Architecture). The Dome of the Rock is a edifice that is located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Jewish belief, Abraham offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. It has also survived earthquakes. The inscriptions on the inside of the dome glorify and praise Islam as the true revelation of the faiths of Judaism and Christianity. The building is not considered a mosque, but a "scared site". It "enshrines" the rock from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. The Dome of the Rock was the first domed shrine to be built, and is considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It's significance stems from religious traditions regarding the rock, also known as the Foundation Stone, which is considered the "heart" of the structure (About Dome of ... ...as crossed boundaries and tested the limits of arts, and has inspired art to tell stories. Technology has definitely changed the way we view art from prehistoric times to now. For example digital art. Modern technology has transformed from more traditional art such as paintings, sculpting, or drawing, and allows artists to use digital technologies in the production of their pieces. Graphic designers are now able to create images through programs through the computer that can't be done by a simple piece of paper. 3D art looks more detailed, and art can often be flawless with the use of technology and computers. So to summarize what I just said, there are many different factors in the evolution of art throughout the years. Cultural change, new materials being used, values, technology, religion, belief systems, increased freedom have contributed to the change of art.

On philosophy

Virginia Held, in her article Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory, claims that the historical groundings of the precepts of philosophy, including the sets of ethical theories and positions, and philosophy in general have been erected from the viewpoints of men and that the ideas involved are not entirely â€Å"gender-neutral† as they appear to claim themselves (Held). One can observe that throughout the stretch of the time that encompassed the early stages of philosophy up to the time of the industrial revolution and the onset of the age of globalization, men have dominated the field of philosophy. Women in the past societies in particular were given very minimal role in social activities and endeavors inasmuch as most of these women were simply confined to their homes and their tasks were greatly deprived of social participation (Claassen and Joyce). This observation leads us to the assumption that, because of these deterring factors on the very presence of women in the society, women have also played very little part in the development of philosophy in general and the number of philosophical discussions all-over the world. The rise of feminism alongside and the shift in the patriarchal patterns that loomed over societies, however, have appeared to dissolve one by one the barriers that isolate women from having a part in the philosophical plane. One can further analyze that Virginia appears to argue that what the philosophy we know of today is the product of the past philosophizing done in large part by men. Richard Brandt, for this matter, has principally endorsed in some of his works the idea of overcoming bias and prejudice in the very precepts of morality (Stevenson). This observation appears to relieve Brandt of the accusations hurled by Virginia towards the evolution of philosophy throughout the decades that humanity has dwelled on its rough, intricate, and oftentimes bewildering edges. Brandt argues that passion should not be allowed to intervene whenever we are to delve into matters that concern morality for it blurs the capacity of our reason and thinking on equally significant moral issues (Brandt). If this is the case, indeed Brandt may have already swung himself off the reaches of Virginia’s accusations with regards to traditional philosophy for the reason that traditional philosophy has been seen to be relished with all sorts of manly traces. The suggestion being offered by Brandt is one that relieves philosophy of any bias towards a specific gender in any working context, one that seeks to salvage the philosophy we know today from the dregs of traditional philosophy. However, there remains the contention that even if Brandt is arguing for an objective quest, at least in terms of the moral precepts and moral traditions that humanity has strongly held through time, the very fact that Brandt sees his world from a man’s point of view can be a point of contention. This taunts one to pose questions of uncertainty and credibility with regards to his claim of a rationalizing empty of passion and bias. If Virginia Held is aptly precise and right with her argument, it appears, then, that Brandt’s perception on philosophy and that of morality is not thoroughly empty of bias for the reason that the latter sees the world from the understanding and vision of man whereas women might have a differing view with regards to what they know of about the world they both live in. This leads us to the assumption that, granted Virginia’s arguments are strongly founded, Brandt’s ideas and the rest of his arguments cannot entirely be empty of bias given the fact that he is a man and that a woman thinks rather differently to those of males. And there has indeed been numerous interpretations that separates from traditional philosophy, especially from a feminist approach where women are treated as individuals who also share roles in the society in general. Capital punishment and killings in war Capital punishment is typically utilized in order to put unlawful people before the justice system of societies and put an end to their unlawful means—and to their lives—thereby removing further instances of committing heinous crimes by the same criminal. War killings, on the other hand, are primarily taken to be understood as killings in the battlefield, especially in times of war wherein combatants or armies from the opposing sides are granted by their authorities to obtain their mission through every possible means—such as gunning down the enemy—in order to not only deter the enemy from advancing further but also to finally put an end to the enemy’s existence. From a Kantian perspective, both capital punishment and killings in war are immoral acts in the sense that both of these essentially take away the lives of men which is, on the other hand, strictly against the moral imperatives. Basically, Kant suggests that taking away the life of another individual cannot be justified because it is not the right thing to do at whatever given situation. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, provides us with another view that implies that both capital punishment and war killings can be morally justified given that both of these promote the general good or the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. That is, taking away the life of another individual can be justified in the ethical issues given that the basis for the action is justifiable. And this moral theory asserts that actions can indeed be justified, specifically in the context of the measurement of happiness and its consequent effects on the welfare and happiness of the greatest number of individuals. However, the strand of rule utilitarianism splits from this claim because it argues that rules should not be bent just for the attainment of general happiness which, in this case, is taken to mean that moral precepts and legal rules concerning life should never be flexed in order to fit the situation. Quite on the contrary, the very situations of capital punishment and killings in war should be critically analyzed based on these precepts and rules in order to arrive at the greatest happiness for the greatest number. William Godwin William Godwin is not inclined towards prejudice and thought it as the source of much that is wrong in the world as he also stressed the significant role of impartiality. The value of human life should be taken as a central part of the analysis of Godwin’s claim primarily because in order for the individual to be able to arrive at a sound judgment the individual should nevertheless take a look into the course of the years that have molded the life that he or she possesses (Monro). Prejudice, on the contrary, creates the notion of selectivity wherein the individual may be inclined to prefer this from that or, in another context, this person from another person for a number of reasons pegged on the selective attitude of the person. Without a concern for the value of human life, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to arrive at an impartial attitude towards others primarily because without having a universal sense of benevolence towards mankind in general impartiality can hardly be attained. Hence, in order for one to be able to embrace the idea that prejudice is the source of much that is wrong in the world, one ought to be impartial both in deeds and in thoughts. With a firm consideration on the value of human life among all of humanity, one cannot easily stray away from the holds of an impartial treatment towards other people and that one cannot straightforwardly resort to prejudice. Without having a sense of attachment towards the primacy and value of human life, it would be quite difficult as well, if not more, to act truthfully as a benevolent individual empty of prejudice in thought and deed or to at least pretend to be like an impartial individual. Kant and Singer’s animal rights Kant says that duty is the inevitability or necessity of functioning out of a strict observation for laws that are universal. Consequently, the worth or value of the action done by the individual in terms of moral contexts is essentially drawn from the intention of the action. Moreover, Kant’s treatment of a maxim can be briefly summarized as a given principle upon which one acts such that its nature is based on the manner in the expression of the intention. Thus, the content of the actions in terms of intent have an important role in Kantian ethics. This content can be further expressed in two manners. The first states that there are maxims or imperatives which stipulate that there are acts based on the desires of the individual. This is what Kant calls the hypothetical imperative. On the other hand, those which are based on reason and not merely dependent on one’s desires belong to the categorical imperative. The latter type deals with what ought to be done. All these can be roughly transposed and summarized into Kant’s conception of the practical imperative which claims that one ought to act to treat human beings as ends in themselves and never merely as a means to any given end, whether the individual is the self or another person. Peter Singer argues that ethical precepts should be extended so that it will encompass animals as well. If this is the case, and if we are to place this in the context of Kant’s proposition, then we are to arrive at the idea that, after ethical precepts have been made to be understood to encompass animals, no one is to treat any animal as means in order to arrive at certain ends but rather as the very ends themselves. Kant would disagree with Singer in the sense that the former’s theory is anchored on the rationality of human beings whereas animals are empty of rational capacity. Singer, on the other hand, would disagree with Kant in this notion primarily because animals also have rights and that these rights should be also recognized within the ethical sphere. References Arthur, John. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy. 7th ed: Prentice Hall, 2004. Brandt, Richard B. â€Å"A Motivational Theory of Excuses in the Criminal Law.†Ã‚   Morality, Utilitarianism, and Rights. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 252. Claassen, Cheryl, and Rosemary A. Joyce. â€Å"Women in Prehistory.† American Antiquity 63.1 (1998): 175. Held, Virginia. â€Å"Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory.† Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 50.Supplement (1990): 321. Monro, D. H. â€Å"Godwin's Moral Philosophy: An Interpretation of William Godwin.† Ethics 64.2 (1954): 134. Stevenson, Charles L. â€Å"Brandt's Questions About Emotive Ethics.† The Philosophical Review 59.4 (1950): 529.   

Macbeth Analysis Essay

How is one able to control his or her emotions when the surrounding environment is influencing one personally? Lady Macbeth finds the answer to this simple; impossible. Lady Macbeth continues to be controlled by others subconsciously whether it is through her own control, other actions or pure guilt. The actions of characters and events that occur in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth affect the life and mental wellness of Lady Macbeth directly and cause her to digress from dominant to voyeur, and then finally to victim, causing the play to be more enticing. To start, Lady Macbeth is a dominant, deceiving and determined woman. For example, Lady Macbeth’s dominance and control are shown when she and Macbeth are discussing the plan for King Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Your hand, your tongue; look like th’innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under’t.† (1.5.64-65). Lady Macbeth’s control is revealed when she says this because she is openly manipulating Macbeth and telling him how to act and what to do. Also, Lady Macbeth’s dominance is shown while she and Macbeth discuss the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"We fail?/ But screw your courage to the sticking-place† (1.7.59-60). When Lady Macbeth says this she shows the audience that she is able to overpower her husband’s courage with her own. Another example of Lady Macbeth’s persona is when she uses her ability to deceive while talking with Duncan upon his arrival to her castle. Lady Macbeth says to Duncan, â€Å"All our service,/ In every point twice done then done double† (1.6.16-17). Her deception is proved when she says this because she is acting like a pleasant host to Duncan’s face but her motives are much less than pleasant. The deception Lady Macbeth shows while talking to Duncan is successful when Duncan falls for it with no suspicion. This is proved when Duncan says, â€Å"Give me your hand;/ Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly/ and shall continue our graces towards him./ By your leave hostess.† Duncan allowing Lady Macbeth to hold his hand indicates that he has a trust in her and does not have a doubt upon the person he see Lady Macbeth as and has no idea about the motives of his host and hostess. Lady Macbeth is able to use her deceptive abilities after the murder of Duncan is committed. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"[Her] hands are of [his] colour, but [she] shame[s] to wear a heart so white.† (2.2.62-68). This quotation means that Lady Macbeth still bares the innocence she had before the deed to the eye of others, hence, having a heart so white. This proven to be true because everyone looks at Lady Macbeth as innocent and pure, as if she could do no harm, but the truth is the total opposite. Also, Lady Macbeth’s determination shows through when she calls upon the dark spirits to give her the courage and strength of a male figure and to relieve her of the womanly kindness she possesses. Lady Macbeth asks for this by saying, â€Å"Come you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull/ Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood† (1.5.39-42). The determination of Lady Macbeth is shown in this quote because she is doing something as drastic as calling upon the dark spirits to assist her in committing murder. As a result, Lady Macbeth’s dominating personality is able to pursue to her plan of murdering King Duncan successfully, without resistance from her husband. Secondly, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s roles switch, leaving Lady Macbeth standing off, with less control and becoming more of a voyeur to the plans of Macbeth. To start, Lady Macbeth is first being stripped of her control right after Duncan’s death is discovered and Macbeth has killed the guard in order to remove suspicion from him. The audience is aware of this deed when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury/ That I did kill them.† (2.3.102-103). Lady Macbeth begins to lose control over this because she had no idea or warning of Macbeth’s killing of the guards. This act also takes a toll on Lady Macbeth’s physical state when it causes her to faint. Lady Macbeth fainting is a sure sign of her losing the control she had earlier because not only are other characters leaving her out but also, her own body is causing her to be in that state as well. Next, Macbeth kills Banquo upon his intuition that Banquo has suspicion towards him in the case of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth was ill-informed on this matter which is yet another sign that she is losing control over the characters that she had control over previously and is now watching the action happen. Also, at a dinner, which Lady Macbeth and Macbeth were hosting together, Lady Macbeth first could not get Macbeth the welcome his guests. This is proved when Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, â€Å"My royal lord,/ You do not give the cheer; the feast is sold/ That is not often vouch’d while ‘tis a-making ,/ ‘Tis given with welcome. (3.4.33-36). She (Lady Macbeth) als o loses more control over Macbeth at this dinner when she is unable to calm him down when he sees the ghosts of Banquo and Duncan. In this situation Lady Macbeth attempts to gain some control by saying to him, â€Å"You have displac’d the mirth, broke the good meeting/ With most admir’d disorder.† (3.4.109-110). The acting-out of Macbeth leaves Lady Macbeth both astonished and over powered. These two instances especially show Lady Macbeth losing control over, not only situations but other characters themselves. Lastly, Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and children upon suspicion without Lady Macbeth’s push or permission and neglects to inform her of the deed directly and chooses just to imply it during conversation with her. As the two (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) are talking Macbeth says, â€Å"Come, we’ll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse/ Is the initiate fear that wants hard use;/ We are yet but young in deed.†(3.4.143-144). When Macbeth says this it has the implication of the commitment of another foul deed which Lady Macbeth is only aware of at this point. Macbeth’s drastic actions cause Lady Macbeth to fall uncontrollably uninformed and into the background. Finally, Lady Macbeth ends the play being dominated by her feelings of guilt and the consequences of Duncan’s murder and ultimately becomes a victim to it. To start, Lady Macbeth begins to sleep walk and admits her affiliation in Duncan’s murder. Proof of Lady Macbeth’s sleep walking is proved when the Gentlewoman (a spectator of the situation) says, â€Å"Ay, but their senses are shut.† (5.1.23). She says this after the doctor (the second spectator of the situation) mentions that Lady Macbeth has her eyes open. The Gentlewoman’s line lets the audience know she is indeed sleep walking for her eyes may be open but there sense is disabled. Also in this scene Lady Macbeth’s self control is shown to have weakened further, when she speaks of Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Out, dammed spot! Out, I say! One, two. Why then ‘tis/ time to do’t. Hell is murky, Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier,/ and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when/ none can call our power to account? Yet who would/ have thought the man to have had so much blood/ in him?† (5.1.31-36) and also when she says, â€Å"The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What,/ will these hands ne’re be clean?† (5.1.38-39). These quotes both prove that she knew and was involved in the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family and shows that these events are the reason for her stress, guilt and sleep walking, hence being dominated/ being victim to these emotions. Next, Lady Macbeth is being dominated by her feelings of guilt when she is seen washing her hand continuously during her sleep walking. While she is doing this she says, â€Å"Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of/ Arabia will not sweeten this litt le hand. O, O, O.† (5.1.44-45). This quote shows that Lady Macbeth is overcome by her guilt because she mentally imagines the blood still being there, following her, her mind lets her believe she is still covered in the blood when in reality the blood is just representing the guilt she is feeling. A second example of Lady Macbeth being dominated by her guilt symbolically is when she is dreaming of/ replaying the scene in while sleep walking. Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come,/ come, come, come, give me your hand; what’s done/ cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.† (5.1.58-60). This quote directly shows the audience that it is indeed the murder of Duncan which Lady Macbeth is stressing over as it is a deed which â€Å"cannot be undone†. Lastly, Lady Macbeth shows that she is becoming victim to the outcome of events, and more directly herself when she commits suicide. The audience discovers her death when Seyton (another Thane) informs Macbeth of the incident. Seyton says, â€Å"The queen, my lord, is dead.† (5.5.16). Lady Macbeth becomes victim to herself in the way that she sees the only option to relieve her of her painful emotions is to kill herself. Therefore, Lady Macbeth is ultimately dominated and falls victim to the guilt she feels caused by the actions of herself and others. To conclude, the mental state and physical well-being of Lady Macbeth is influenced by the dominance and control of both herself and other characters in the play. Lady Macbeth went from being dominant, deceiving, and determined to being uninformed during the murders Macbeth commits to being over some by her emotions that had built up inside her during all of this. Therefore, Lady Macbeth’s life as the audience knows it is dependable on the outcome of events that Lady Macbeth herself is involved in and/ or witnesses. Temptation was the base of all Lady Macbeth’s problems; it is said â€Å"temptation is the Devil.† What would you risk to get what you want?

Article Rebuttal Essay

The author stated that, â€Å"There is a difference between a married couple and a same-sex couple in a long-term relationship. The difference is between the duties that marriage imposes on married people–not rights, but rather onerous obligations–which do not apply to same-sex love. † This statement, in my opinion, is completely untrue. All relationships can be difficult and time consuming, the statement would have more truth if the author of was talking about all relationships or marriages. When reading the article, I took every word as people that are in a same sex relationship can’t have a normal marriage or a normal family and normal life and that is why same sex marriage will ultimately fail. The only thing that is different about same sex marriage is that the genders of both people are the same. This doesn’t mean that the two people can’t have children, it just means they can‘t have them in the traditional way. Homosexuals that are married can have a normal life; they just might have to face other judgmental people, which they face even without being married. This author had no credibility, no fact or anything to back up his argument. There were not any reliable sources in this argument which makes me believe that everything about this article was just the opinion of the author. While I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I believe one should have reliable sources and make valid points before writing an article and making it public especially on such a controversial topic. Reference; http://www. weeklystandard. com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/533narty. asp

Alternative hypothesis Essay

A hypothesis is a statement about the value of a population parameter. The population of interest is so large that for various reasons it would not be feasible to study all the items, or persons, in the population. Analternative to measuring or interviewing the entire population is to take a sample from the population of interest. We can, therefore, test a statement to determine whether the empirical evidence does or does not support the statement. Hypothesis testing starts with a statement, or assumption, about a population parameter – such as the population mean. As noted, this statement is referred to as a hypothesis. A hypothesis might be that the mean monthly commission of salespeople in retail computer stores is $2,000. We cannot contact all these salespeople to ascertain that the mean is in fact $2,000. The cost of locating and interviewing every computer salesperson in the whole country would be exorbitant. To test the validity of the assumption (population mean = $2,000), we must select a sample from the population consisting of all computer salespeople, calculate sample statistics, and based on certain decision rules accept or reject the hypothesis. A sample mean of $1,000 for the computer salespeople would certainly cause rejection of the hypothesis. However, suppose the sample mean is $1,995. Is that close enough to $2,000 for us to accept the assumption that the population mean is $2,000? Can we attribute the difference of $5 between the two means to sampling (chance), or is that difference statistically significant? Hypothesis testing is a procedure based on sample evidence and probability theory to determine whether the hypothesis is a reasonable statement and should not be rejected, or is unreasonable and should be rejected. The null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis The null hypothesis is a tentative assumption made about the value of a population parameter. The alternative hypothesis is a statement that will be accepted if our sample data provide us with ample evidence that the null hypothesis is false. Five-step procedure for testing a hypothesis There is a five-step procedure that systematizes hypothesis testing. The steps are: Step 1. State null and alternative hypotheses. Step 2. Select a level of significance. Step 3. Identify the test statistic. Step 4. Formulate a decision rule. Step 5. Take a sample, arrive at decision (accept H 0 or reject H 0 and accept H 1 ). The first step is to state the hypothesis to be tested. It is called the null hypothesis, designated H 0 , and read â€Å" H sub-zero†. The capital letter H stands for hypothesis, and the subscript zero implies â€Å"no difference†. The null hypothesis is set up for the purpose of either accepting or rejecting it. To put it another way, the null hypothesis is a statement that will be accepted if our sample data fail to provide us with convincing evidence that it is false. It should be emphasized at this point that if the null hypothesis is accepted based on sample data, in effect we are saying that the evidence does not allow us to reject it. We cannot state, however, that the null hypothesis is true. That means, accepting the null hypothesis does not prove that H 0 is true – to prove without any doubt that the null hypothesis is true, the population parameter would have to be known. To actually determine it, we would have to test, survey, or count every item in the population and this is usually not feasible. It should also be noted that we often begin the null hypothesis by stating: â€Å"there is no significant difference between†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . When we select a sample from a population, the sample statistic is usually different from the hypothesized population parameter. We must make a judgment about the difference: is it a significant difference, or is the difference between the sample statistic and the hypothesized population parameter due to chance (sampling)? To answer this question, we conduct a test of significance. The alternative hypothesis describes what you will believe if you reject the null hypothesis. It is often called the research hypothesis, designated H 1 , and read â€Å" H sub-one†, so the alternative hypothesis will be accepted if the sample data provide us with evidence that the null hypothesis is false. The level of significance The next step, after setting up the null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis, is to state the level of significance. It is the risk we assume of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true. The level of significance is designated ï  ¡ , the Greek letter alpha. There is no one level of significance that is applied to all studies involving sampling. A decision must be made to use the 0.05 level (often stated as the 5 percent level), the 0.01 level, the 0.10 level, or any other level between 0 and 1. Traditionally, the 0.05 level is selected for customer research projects, 0.01 for quality assurance, and 0.10 for political polling – and the chosen level is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true. The test statistic The test statistic is a value, determined from sample information, used to accept or reject the null hypothesis. There are many test statistics: z , t , and others. The decision rule; acceptance and rejection regions A decision rule is simply a statement of the conditions under which the null hypothesis is accepted or rejected. To accomplish this, the sampling distribution is divided into two regions, aptly called the region of acceptance and the region of rejection. The region or area of rejection defines the location of all those values that are so large or so small that the probability of their occurrence under a true null hypothesis is rather remote. Chart 4.1 portrays the regions of acceptance and rejection for a test of significance (a one-tailed test is being applied and the 0.05 level of significance was chosen). Note in Chart 4.1: ïÆ'Ëœ The value 1.645 separates the regions of acceptance and rejection (the value 1.645 is called the critical value). ïÆ'Ëœ The area of acceptance includes the area to the left of 1.645. ïÆ'Ëœ The area of rejection is to the right of 1.645. Thus, the critical value is a number that is the dividing point between the region of acceptance and the region of rejection. Chart 4.1. Sampling distribution for the statistic z ; regions of acceptance and rejection for a right-tailed test; 0.05 level of significance

Ethical issues in medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical issues in medicine - Essay Example n europe regarding a suicidal act was that if any person performs a suicidal act upon him, then the court of law used to order the local police to drag the body of that person on the streets, just to set an example for those, who wished to perform a suicidal act upon them (Emanuel, 1805-1810). By the end of the 18th century, Euthanasia was quite a controversial topic of discussion. Many experts had ejected the idea of euthanasia and considered to be morally and ethically illegal. But in 1828, for the first time ever in history of mankind, The constituiton of USA made assisted suicide illegal. However, By 1930, Euthanasia had started to gain strong support in USA and other westernicized socities of the world and they were in favor of it. By the 20th and ealy 21st century, Euthanasia has made strong progress in Europe. Countries like Netherlands and Belgium have made it legal. Even Australia and USA have made steps to legalize it. Euthanasia can be either an active euthanasia or passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia refers to taking the life of the other person, at his request, by removing the life supporting means. There can be two kinds of life supporting means, ordinary life supporting means and extraordinary life supporting means. Ordinary life supporting means, such as food and water, are basic human needs, which are required by a person at regular intervals, in order to continue his life. In addition, any such death which is caused by the failure to provide the ordinary life supporting means does not comes under the definition of euthanasia. However, it is not necessary for a person to use extraordinary life supporting means to continue his life and a person also has an absolute freedom to discontinue any such medical treatment which can be categorized as an extraordinary life supporting mean. This is because, as there are many intricacies involved in deaths which are caused by the removal of extraordi nary life supporting means, so each such case of death

Sociology-East Indian punjabi society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sociology-East Indian punjabi society - Essay Example The growing mismanagement, corruption and increasing migration to Indian Punjab is also posing to threat to the otherwise Indian paradise. There are about 88 million Punjabis. Abut 68 million live in Pakistan Punjab, the remaining 20 million lives in Indian State of Punjab. In 1947, the Punjab province was split into West Punjab (Pakistan) and the East Punjab Province in India (Punjab India. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_India). The Indian Punjab State encompasses Pakistan to Delhi. In 1966, however, the turmoil that arose from Punjabi-speaking state caused the establishment of the current Punjab State. (Punjab state information. Available from http://www.newkerala.com/states-of-india/punjab.php). With the massive river system, majority of Punjab is blessed with abundant plains where irrgination comes from extensive systems of canals. The southeast region is semi-arid and further extends to a desert landscape, the Great Indian Desert. The northeastern part of the state is an undulating Siwalik Ranges extending to the foot of the Himalayas. The Indian Punjab State has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. Climatically, there are 3 major seasons, hot weather from April to June, rainy weather from July to September, and cold weather from October to March. Dust storms are common in the hot weather. The temperature drop close to freezing on winter and hard frosts are common (Punjabi. Available from http://www.punjabi.com/history.html). Because of the fertile land of Punjab, it is most ideal for agriculture. In fact, the world’s leading school of agriculture is found in this region. Indian Punjab is called the â€Å"Granary of India† or otherwise â€Å"bread-basket† of India, since it is the biggest source of wheat in the country. Other produce such as rice, sugarcane, cotton, fruits and vegetables are likewise sourced from Indian