The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Essay Society is like the bully in middle school. It is harsh, it takes money, and it tries to conform people. In life, everyone needs some type of protector. A protector can be a friend, a parent, an uncle, a religious figure, or even a teacher. A protector looks out for others and leads people in the right direction. In Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Jim is the protector of Huck. The lessons that Huck learns through his journey shows the reader that not all black people are what society claims they are. Along Huck’s adventure, Jim lends his guidance and support to Huck, through his actions and advice, which helps mature Huck as an individual. Jim’s actions, specifically his decision to share his family life with Huck, allow Huck to mature. Pap, Huck’s father, never was quite a father figure to Huck. He frequently beats Huck and doesn’t respect the fact that Huck is educated. When Huck runs away from home and meets Jim, it is the first time in his life where he has someone actually care about him. Although the two are not friends before they flee, they form a special bond throughout their adventures and Jim becomes a fatherly figure to Huck. He is the father that Huck never had. It doesn’t take long for Jim to make an impact on Huck. Shortly into their journey, Huck and Jim find a washed out house that has floated down the river past the island. When the two enter, they find the body of a man. Jim goes up to the man who has been shot in the back and says to Huck, â€Å"It’s a deadman. Yes,indeedy; naked,too. He’s been shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face- it’s too gashly. ( Twain 38)† Towards the end of the novel, the reader finds out that the dead man inside the house was in fact Huck’s dad. Jim recognized Pap in the house and he made sure that Huck didn’t see the naked body of his dead father. Even though Huck never had a good relationship with Pap, the sight of his fathers dead body with a bullet hole in his back is one that he does not want to see, especially since he is still a young kid. Jim’s decision was crucial in the development of Huck in the novel. Later on their journey while on the raft Jim mentions his family and how he was separated from them. He says that the first thing he will do when he gets freedom is save up enough money to buy his wife and children back from their owners. He doesn’t think twice before starting the topic and his words catch Huck by surprise. Huck’s conscience begins to stir, trying to lead him in the right direction. He starts to have a conversation with his own conscience and says, â€Å"Let up on me-it ain’t too late, yet-I’ll paddle ashore at the first light and tell†(Twain 67). He contemplates whether to reveal Jims true identity or not and ultimately decided to let Jim have his freedom. The impact of this decision is seen where Jim says, â€Å"Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now† (Twain 67). He goes on to say, â€Å"Dah you goes, de ole tru Huck; de on’y white gentleman dat ever kep’ his promise to ole Jim† (Twain 67). Jim makes it clear that Huck is the first white man to ever treat him with respect. Huck knows the trust that Jim instills in him right when Jim starts the conversation. Huck’s decision to not tell about Jim, shows that going against the flow of things is not a bad thing and that a person can think for himself or herself. There is no need for anyone or anything to make choices for someone else. Jim’s response to Huck’s actions solidifies the strength of their relationship and Huck ultimately wins the battle between what he knows is right and what society thinks is right. Jim’s guidance and support along the journey creates a friendship that appears almost unbreakable. Throughout the entire novel, Huck has an internal struggle deciding whether to follow the code of society and turn Jim in or to follow what he knows is right and to let Jim be a free man. He decides to write a letter that roots from his childhood teachings and societies belief that blacks are not equal to whites. â€Å"The more I studied about this, the more my conscience went to grinding me, and the more wicked and low-down and ornery I got to feeling† (Twain 160).. He writes the letter and to his surprise he feels relieved. Huck says, â€Å"I felt good and all washed and clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now† (Twain 161). Although Huck feels great right after he finishes the letter, he begins to think about what he is about to do. As he sits with the letter, he thinks about all of the experiences and memories that he and Jim have had together. He thinks of all the support, knowledge, and lessons that Jim has taught him. He thinks of all the laughs they shared, the talks they had, and the songs they sung. He thinks of all the positives of their relationship, but he cannot think of any negatives about Jim. He realizes that he has the power to change a life and has the ability make a difference . The reader knows that Jim has succeeded in his goal to make Huck anti-racist when Huck tears up the letter that he has written to Miss Watson. Right before he tears it up he says, â€Å"All right then, Ill go to hell. (Twain 162)† This is the one of the first scenes where the reader see’s Huck make a conscience decision by himself. He weighs the positives and negatives and ultimately chooses what he believes is morally correct. Huck would rather go to hell doing what he knows is right, than to conform to society and hurt the ones that mean the most to him. Huck’s ability to make a conscience decision is a sign of majority and he reached this level of majority through the guidance of his dear friend Jim. Jim is a natural father like figure throughout the whole story. Not only to Huck along their journey but to Tom at the end of the story. Jim’s sacrifice at the end of the novel is one of the bravest sacrifices made throughout the book. After Tom gets shot in the leg, Jim displays concern for the him. He says, No, sah-I doan budge a step outn dis place dout a doctor; not if its forty year! (Twain 207) Despite all of the racism and harsh tricks that Tom has played on Jim, Jim risks his life to save his â€Å"friend†. Not knowing that he is truly free, Jim risks his own freedom to save Tom’s life. This decision has a huge impact on Huck. When Jim sacrifices himself knowing the extent of the situation, Huck makes a huge step in his character development. He learns that all men, including blacks, are equal. Throughout the novel Huck struggles with this concept. This is the first time where Huck see’s Jim as an equal human being rather than just a â€Å"ni****†. Huck thinks to himself, I knowed he was white inside(Twain 207). This quote shows the progress that Huck has made. He has matured to someone who can think on their own and who can see the flaws in society. By thinking this, it is clear to the reader that he views whites and blacks as equal. Jim risked his freedom to save an immature, racist white boy who had treated him, not as an equal, but as an inferior, unequal black person, and that is the ultimate sacrifice that teaches Huck a valuable life lesson. Along Huck’s adventure, Jim lends his guidance and support to Huck, through his actions and advice, which helps mature Huck as an individual. Guidance is a key to success in life. One must have someone or something to show them the ropes of the world. In the case of Huckleberry Finn, shows Huck right from wrong. Each adventure contains some type of life lesson. From the first time that Jim and Huck meet up with each other, to the time where Huck writes the letter about Jim, and to the end of the novel where Tom is racist towards Jim, Jim is always there for Huck. He is Huck’s protector.

The Sioux Tribe From The Great Plains In North America

The Sioux Tribe From The Great Plains In North America Sioux Tribe Before Contact The Sioux Tribe from The Great Plains in North America. The Sioux Tribe had a very different cultural outlook compared to our more modern culture. They did not have our advanced technology standards or the amount of knowledge about the world that we currently have. Although they didnt have the knowledge we have, they knew more about their land than many other tribes. They knew a lot about the animals and resources they had and when they would have to move. The Siouans moved according to the amount of resources they had in their area. This included the amount of water, plants and mainly bison. The Siouans followed the masses of bison as they played a very important role in their lives. The Sioux Tribes most distinguished quality was their religious beliefs. They did everything according to these beliefs which was the foundation of their culture. They actually had a very sophisticated and complicated religion but managed to merge it into their daily lifestyle. The Sioux Tribes held many ceremonies to thank the gods and spirits, who they believed existed within nature itself. Most natural occurrences were believed to be caused by the hateful spirits. Though, the wanted occurrences were thought to be given as a reward from Mother Nature. They believed that the land and all life was sacred and treasured the saying All life is holy the two legged sharing it with the four legged and the wings of the air, and all green things. Timeline of events which occurred before contact with non-indigenous people 6000BC The Siouans changed their food acquisition strategies to meet changing conditions by developing new tools and techniques for hunting bison. 3. Early trade among early peoples found in Manitoba copper from Lake Superior, pipestone from Minnesota, shell from the Gulf of Mexico, volcanic glass from Wyoming, flint from North Dakota. 500BC Climate change appeared to hamper growth of native corn varieties First Nations and The Sioux Tribes gradually switched from agriculture to more hunting, fishing and trapping. Maize was grown but bison hunting appeared to be dominant. Maintained important trading relationships and cultural exchanges with First Nations from the south. 1100 AD 1500 AD Map of where the Sioux Tribes were located During Contact and Comparison To Aboriginal Contact The non-indigenous people who colonized the land were the Europeans such as the Spanish and French and the white men otherwise known as the British. The original intents of the Europeans and British were to expand their land for power and for wealth. After Christopher Columbus first discovered America expecting it to be Asia it alerted other nations. This caused other countries to colonise around these areas and hence the Spanish were the first people to meet with the Siouans. The Spanish spread news about the resources and large areas to other European countries which led to more and more Europeans colonizing in that region. As well as the large amounts of space, the Europeans and British took notice of the valuable resources which then led to the trading and mining of the land. During that time, one of the most valuable resources was gold. Loads of gold was found around that region which caused a gold rush, and because of the overwhelming greed of the Europeans, more and more people began to rush to this region which forced the Siouans to leave their lands and move to other areas where the bison went. The Europeans and others were so greedy that they rapidly colonized the whole area thinking that there would be masses of gold there as well which continually forced the Siouans to move away. The first arrival of the Europeans was quite friendly and they had no evil intentions. They wanted peace with the Sioux Tribes and didnt want to disrupt their beliefs and cultural habits. Even though they had different perspectives and beliefs compared to the Sioux Nation, they didnt really mind their differences until later on. Both groups thought that their cultural practices were acceptable at first but when they gained more knowledge about what each group did, they both detested the others beliefs and despised each other. The Europeans believed that all land could be bought and completely owned which disgusted the because they believed that all land was sacred and holy. They thought that the land could be used by everyone for the benefit of everyone. The Sioux Tribe let the Europeans take over their land only because they wanted peace and thought that everyone was allowed on the land. After the Europeans slowly maintained more and more of the Siouans sacred land and began to break their promises. The Siouans saw their horrible intentions of taking over all of the land which was evil and intolerable hence the Siouans declared war on the Europeans. The first known meeting between any western Siouans and the whites was in 1541, when De Soto reached the Quapaw villages in east Arkansas. The Spanish and the Siouans didnt really fight because they had met had the Valley of Vapors. Members of many tribes had gathered at the valley over many years to enjoy the healing properties of the thermal springs. The tribes had developed agreements to put aside their weapons and partake of the healing waters in peace while in the valley. De Soto and his men stayed just long enough to claim the area for Spain. In 1640 the earliest notice of the main northwestern tribe is that of the French explorers. Some French traders soon followed. These men wanted the furs of animals that lived in the Dakota country such as buffalos. In exchange, they introduced the Dakota to goods such as flint and steel. These traders also brought glass, breads, metal knives, axes, guns, flour and sugar to the Dakota. At first the Siouans were fine with the white Europeans since they brought goods. They were able to enjoy the benefits brought to them by the traders and did not suffer much upset to their way of life because there were only a few white people who lived on their land, but by 1685, the Sioux territory was claimed by the French pushing the Siouans down the Mississippi and away from the Buffalo Plains. The Sioux Tribe despised what the Europeans did so they declared war. The first contact of Europeans or white people was quite different between the Sioux tribe and the indigenous people of Australia. They were different in the sense that the Sioux tribe benefitted a little from the Europeans where as the Aborigines suffered major consequences from the British. When the French traders first met the Sioux tribe, they wanted the furs of animals that lived there and in return the Siouans received some goods such as flint and steel as well as guns and other weapons. This helped both the Siouans and the French because they were able to gain new information and products or resources. When the British first met the indigenous people of Australia, they wanted to claim the land and thought that no one owned it. So they decided to ship their convicts over to Australia because they needed more space. The Aborigines didnt want them there because they were greedy and stole their valuable resources and didnt give much in return. This was terrible and so the Aborigines tried to force them to leave which resulted in the death of many Aborigines. This is very different because the initial result for the Siouans was helpful whereas the result for the Aboriginals was brutal and fatal. Though the end the result for both groups were similar because that they both ended up fighting wars. Consequences of Colonization and Comparison to Aboriginal Experiences The result of colonization for the Sioux tribe started off quite well because they were given new resources and goods such as horses, cloth and guns. Unfortunately, with new resources came new diseases that the Siouans had no immunity over such as small pox which killed many of the Siouans. Cultural differences also caused mass destruction in the Sioux tribe. The Siouans believed in different things compared to the Europeans which caused distrust leading into major arguments and battles or clashes where many people were killed. Treaties were made by both sides, but people changed these treaties which were then ignored. Soon, the Sioux and other nations were given reservation land to live on, but frequently they were relocated when valuable commodities such as gold were found on their lands. After a long period of time with the Europeans, they began fighting at war again because of land and resources that the Siouans were receiving. This caused major conflict between the groups and soon the Siouans were forced to leave their land. For the Spanish and other Europeans, colonization was quite rewarding for them from the beginning and afterwards although it led to the death of many Siouans and Europeans. It was rewarding for the Europeans because they eventually got what they originally intended. They obtained the land and resources they wanted as well as their precious gold. This was wonderful for the Europeans because it meant that they had huge masses of land and they could easily expand their territories across the whole of America. By taking the land, the Europeans became extremely powerful and wealthy. The Spanish also learnt some of the cultural practices from the Sioux Tribes which benefitted them greatly. However taking over the land wasnt all that great because it meant that thousands of people from both colonies had to be killed in the process of conquering the land. Colonization of the Spanish also meant that they would have to adapt to the conditions of that region which also brought them some new diseases and difficulties because they couldnt completely utilize the advantages or conditions of the land. For both the Sioux Tribe and Aborigines, colonization had an extremely similar result. Once the Europeans and British conquered the Sioux Tribes and took their land, the Siouans were left absolutely powerless. Even though the Sioux Tribes tried to fight back with everything they had, it was still disastrous because their technology and numbers were just incapable of winning. This was exactly the same with the Aborigines because once the British came and tried to conquer the land, they were successful and the Aborigines were left defeated and powerless. The British overpowered the Aborigines with their superior technology and speed on horsebacks. Land wasnt the only thing lost from both cultures. Religious beliefs and cultural practices were also lost through colonization. The traditions of both cultures were greatly affected with major losses. Sacred cultures and beliefs slowly faded away because of the massacres which prevented the indigenous people to pass down their stories or Dreamtimes from generation to generation. Both indigenous groups took massive tolls because of the mass annihilation and destruction of colonization. This was horrible because no one was able to live in peace and harmony.

Effects on an Individuals Worldview: A Reflection

Effects on an Individuals Worldview: A Reflection MY WORLDVIEW: REFLECTION PAPER Osvaldo Santos TABLE OF CONTENTS (Jump to) How do we relate to people? The â€Å"isms† Naturalism Deism Existentialism Islamism How To Deal With The â€Å"Isms† How My Education Connects to My Worldview The Constructivism Approach My Worldview As Leader Conclusion Reference list How do we relate to people? The â€Å"isms† Many â€Å"isms† are presented as a form to help people to relate to people and to understand themselves and their worldviews such as Naturalism, Deism, Existentialism, and Islamism. I will present them in a short understanding. Naturalism Naturalism asserts that the world is of a piece; everything we are and do is included in the space-time continuum whose most basic elements are those described by physics. We are the evolved products of natural selection, which operates without intention, foresight or purpose (Tenets of Naturalism, n.d.). According to the Tenets of Naturalism, nothing about us escapes being included in the physical universe, or escapes being shaped by the various processes – physical, biological, psychological, and social – that science describes. Deism Deism presents other view to understand life and related situations. It preaches that Deism has a lot to offer to us and to society (World Union of Deists n.d.). Deism is knowledge of God based on the application of our reason on the designs/laws found throughout Nature; therefore, Deism presents itself as a natural religion and is not a â€Å"revealed† religion. The natural religion/philosophy of Deism frees those who embrace it from the inconsistencies of superstition and the negativity of fear that are so strongly represented in all of the â€Å"revealed† religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam (World Union of Deists, n.d.). They are called revealed because they all claim to having received a special revelation from God and they present many books with its roots in God as the revelator. Existentialism Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice (Mastin, 2008). It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Existentialism focuses many questions such as the question of human existence, and the feeling that there is no explanation that can derive of the core of existence. However, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence (Mastin, 2008). Islamism According to (Islam, n.d.) Islamism is an important religion, which shares many beliefs and practices with Christianity and Judaism. Furthermore, Islam is a rational religion: â€Å"The vilest of creatures are those who choose to be deaf and dumb and do not use their reason.† (Qur’an 8:2). Muhammad reminded his followers that â€Å"The first thing God created was reason†. Therefore, believers must take personal responsibility for one’s actions and faith. Islam’s appeal lies in being able to connect the piety of faith, the covenant, and the mobilizing elements to produce powerful resistance to foreign intrusion. Crucial dimension is not economic but social. Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam (Islam, n.d.). The pillars of Islam are: 1. Faith in ONE God and Muhammed the Prophet; 2. Five daily prayers facing to Meca; 3. Sharing or giving money to the poor is REQUIRED, not optional; 4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan. Muslins cannot eat or drink anything during the daylight hours (period of spiritual and moral renewal); and 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca: Once in their lives, IF they can afford it. Some authorities add a sixth pillar: Jihad or Holy War in defense of Islam. Means active opposition to evil and injustice, more than literal warfare (Dutch, n.d.; Kash, n.d.). DeSantis (n.d.) present six Islamism’s beliefs: 1. Belief in only One God. He is defined as Eternal, Absolute, Infinite, Compassionate and Merciful, the sole Creator and Provider; 2. Engage only in Righteous Actions in all areas: spiritual, intellectual and physical activity; 3. All God’s creation is â€Å"Muslim†. Only humans are given CHOICE to submit (be Muslim) or reject submission to God’s will; 4. All children are born without sin and are Muslim. As they grow older, they make their religious CHOICE; 5. God created human beings with a body and soul. The body is a temporal host for this life, whereas the soul is eternal. It is the soul that will survive beyond death, and 6. Universality of the call. All Muslims are brothers and equals without any distinction of class, race or tongue. Superiority is only based on the greater fear of God and greater piety. How To Deal With The â€Å"Isms† As stated above through the Sire’s seven questions, as a Christian Theist, I believe in God and follow the Bible as my book of revelation about the God becoming knowledgeable Himself through the scriptures and given a variety of instructions belonging to many areas of our lives to us, as human beings. I accept and defend God and His creation, as well as I hope to see Him soon and live together. As simple as is. On the other hand, we can defend our worldview without being arrogant to other’s â€Å"isms† worldviews. So, in some instance, I felt a bit uncomfortable trying to answers some provocative questions that have appeared in many post comments on the related week’s forum about the â€Å"isms†. I believe that the â€Å"tone† on this role play should be a lot different. Instead attacking the worldview of others being provocative, arrogant and/or sarcastic, my point is that we should add knowledge to ourselves and limit some â€Å"personal† thoughts in order to discuss only ideas and beliefs in a non-aggressive tone that are related to the class’ proposals. There is no gain in any type of dispute. Before some people state their position in an arrogant way, these people should go deeply and learn and understand their cultures, and their worldviews they are inciting. They could also learn how to speak their languages so they could say that they know a bit more about them. So, it is always wise to be careful when expelling out the other’s worldviews. How My Education Connects to My Worldview My education also has shaped my worldview. Education and learning are constantly taking place in a person’s life (Knight, 2006, p. 108). Thinking about my personal education and how it has similarities with my actual one. I can divide my education in parts: my home education and school education. The most important part of my home education is that one that I could learn and receive from my parents. They gave me a Christian education and taught me the basic principles, values, ethics, and built the foundation for the person I am today. My father used to say: â€Å"My son, education will always give you the skills and knowledge, but they won’t be enough. Study as much as you can because it will help you to make better decisions in your life. Have a good relationship with God and ask Him humility and wisdom. Finally, do as best as you can for the people around you.† I think that in some level we tend to reflect in our lives the level of education and boundaries we were taught in our early ages. So the education we teach to our children is in some way a combination of that one we received from our parents. If we feel that it was a good one, we automatically transfer to them. If we feel that it was not a good one, we take knowledge and do it in different ways. My children are 10 and 11 years old and I would like to apply the knowledge I have now back few years ago. Even with my knowledge, I would say that I would do some things in a different way. By May 2016, they will celebrate their 50thanniversary and I am very thankful to God for this celebration as well as the education they have given to me. They have helped me as a person, father, husband, friend, son, brother, educator, leader, etc. My school education is a combination Christian and non-Christian education. After I have finished my non-Christian elementary and middle school in a small city in South of Brazil, I left it to live in Sao Paulo and to attend high school in a Seventh-day Adventist Academy. Sao Paulo was among the five biggest cities around the world and an unsafe city to live outside the walls of the school. As soon as I finished high school in Sao Paulo, I moved to Curitiba to continue my studies. In Curitiba I attended the college and took the Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, followed by the Specialization in Finance, and a MBA in Business Administration/Finance. Parallel to these degrees, I took three years as a Bachelor’s in Music (Piano solo). As I had already started my piano soloist career earlier, for multiple reasons, I did not complete this degree. If compared to Anyon (1980)’s study, I can say that I always had the opportunity to participate in the â€Å"Affluent Professional School†, the fourth class of school among the five contained in his study. My parents always looked for giving me the best study they could afford. Repeating my father’s words again, he used to say: â€Å"My son, education will always give you the skills and knowledge, but they won’t be enough. Study as much as you can because it will help you to make better decisions in your life.† I left Brazil to live in US in 2002 and from US to Canada in 2012. So I used to say that my education/learning/schooling is always a working in progress. I am taking the Ph.D. program in Leadership at Andrews University in US and a Bridging program at York University in Toronto. As English is not my first language, every single class I take is a challenge. I would say that for me, it takes almost the double of the time to have a complete understanding about the readings and to elaborate projects and complete assignments. Living, working and studying in these different countries, and receiving a cross cultural education; I can affirm that directly or indirectly, my worldview has been influenced by these cultures. However, Thompson (2014) states that â€Å"Great leaders are always learning† (p.20). The Constructivism Approach I see in my education the constructivism approach where according to Knight (2006) means that I am constantly revising and upgrading my knowledge. It dictates the way I can learn seeking new understanding or ways to fulfill my knowledge with â€Å"new† things. Basically it says that I can construct my own knowledge through experiencing things and reflecting on them. Is some way, is how I construct my worldview about things making some type of measurement about the ideas and experiences already acquired against the new information where I can change or discard them. It is a continuous learning process through life; where we are actively creating our own knowledge. This approach makes me a bit uncomfortable because the quantity of â€Å"knowledge† I have today, may not be enough to keep me as a successful leader, educator and professional five years from now. What does it mean? The education and learning acquisition’s system are in a constant and evolving change. I have to analyze myself constantly and compare to level and quantity of information it is necessary to exceed. My learning process as well as my need to seek knowledge never ends. Through my ideas, education and experiences that promote my actual knowledge I have to be innovative and reflective in order to add more knowledge on it. The principal goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not simple of repeating what other generations have done (Theory of Constructivism Jean Piaget) (Constructivism, n.d.). My Worldview As Leader As leader, I also need to understand who I am. Reading the article â€Å"Learning while leading: The Andrews University leadership program† written by Drs. Freed, Covrig, and Baumgartner (2011), on page 37 it states: â€Å"Leaders need to understand who they are-and they achieve this understanding in part by learning the significance of their own life stories.† This citation caught my attention, and I would like to reflect in the first part where it says â€Å"Leaders need to understand who they are†. As early as 42 B.C., Publilius Syrus proposed: â€Å"It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are† (Whetten Cameron, 2011, p. 57). Freud (1956) once asserted that to be completely honest with oneself is the best effort and individual can make, because complete honesty requires a continual search for more information about the self and a desire for self-improvement (Whetten Cameron, 2011, p. 58). I would like to extend Freud’s point adding that we cannot improve ourselves or develop new capabilities unless and until we consciously know what level of capacity and ability we presently possess. This is a point of recognition and evaluation about our current abilities and deficiencies versus what is expected at end. The realization that we may not be totally adequate or knowledgeable is sometimes difficult to accept because seeking self-knowledge is a prerequisite for our personal growth. However, for a variety of reasons we might be attempted to avoid seeking information as well as evaluate ourselves because it may make us feel inferior. Whetten and Cameron (2011) declares that self-knowledge will help you understand your own taken-for-granted assumptions, trigger points, sensitive line, comfort zone, strengths and weaknesses, and so forth. I would say that this is an important part of our self-awareness which is to understand who we are. As a leader, I am also a proactive person by nature. I try to learn, reach a high level of home and school education, and acquire knowledge as much as possible for few reasons including that they can grow me as a person and as a professional as well. Cloud and Townsend (1992) state that â€Å"Proactive people show you what they love, what they want, what they purpose, and what they stand for† plus â€Å"Proactive people are able to love others as themselves, they have mutual respect, they are able to die to self and not return evil for evil† (p.98). This is me. From the various education philosophies theories I have learned, I sympathize with ontology (being) and epistemology (knowing). Knight (2006) claims that â€Å"Ontology is the study of the nature of being.† It is how we make sense of being or existence. On the other hand, Epistemology is the study of knowledge or how we know the things we know. In a practical way, epistemology is how we make sense of the processes by which we make sense. More broadly, epistemology is about issues having to do with the creation and dissemination of knowledge. So based in these two analyzes, and in a simple philosophical thought, I like to think and I am naturally inclined to consider that â€Å"Ontology comes ‘before’ Epistemology† in the same way I can consider that â€Å"Zero comes ‘before’ One†. I can think that ontology is a sufficient condition for epistemology. Example: you cannot study something which you do not have an example of. In general, this is our life and this is one of the reasons I am taking the leadership program (LP) of Andrews University (AU), always seeking more knowledge. As Christians we believe that everything began with God. God made everything real. Sire (2009) present many question which his first question is What is prime reality-the really real? To this we might answer: God, or the gods, or the material cosmos (Sire, 2009, p. 22). The LP of AU is summarized by these two philosophical dimensions about being and knowing where: being works with the individual bringing his/her personal and professional experiences and sharing with other his/her â€Å"cultures, beliefs, worldviews, and theoretical orientations†. Knowing is represented by the paradoxical unity of theory and practice and as leaders we can transmit and generate knowledge. (Andrews University: Leadership Handbook 2014-15). In my understanding, I am participating actively in these two philosophical dimensions in this LP of AU. So as leader in the position to exert leadership, if I understand the complexity of my own culture, working by worldview and values I am inserted, I can better understand my own behavior and values. As important as the understanding of my own worldview is how I deal, interpret and accept other’s worldviews. I would say that, the leader’s role would be a complete understanding of culture, applying the worldview, values and principles in a right way moving forward the vision. Doing so, I can exert a better and successful leadership. Reference list Anyon, J. (1980). Social class and the hidden curriculum of work. Journal of Education, 162(1), 67-92. Cloud, H., Townsend, J. (1992). Boundaries: When to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Constructivism. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_%28philosophy_of_education%29 DeSantis, A. (n.d.). Understanding Islam: A brief introduction. Retrieved March 20, 2015 www.uky.edu/~addesa01/documents/UnderstandingIslamforweb.ppt Dutch, S. (n.d.). Islam. Retrieved March 20, 2015 https://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/WestTechPPT/Islam.ppt Freed, S., Covrig, D., Baumgartner, E. (2011). Learning while leading: The Andrews University leadership program. Journal of Applied Christian Leadership, 4(1), 26-55. Freud, S. (1956). Collected papers (Vol. 3 and 4). London: Hogarth. Islam. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015 schools.yrdsb.ca/markville.ss/history/religion/ISlam.ppt Kash. (n.d.). The religion of Islam. Retrieved March 20, 2015 mrkash.com/activities/Islam.ppt Knight, G. (2006). Philosophy education: An introduction in Christian perspective (4th ed.). Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press. Mastin, L. (2008). The basics of philosophy: Existentialism. Retrieved April 5, 2015 http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_existentialism.html Sire, J. W. (2009). The universe next door: A basic worldview catalog (5th ed.). Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press. Tenets of Naturalism. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2015 http://www.naturalism.org/tenetsof.htm Thompson, L. L. (2014). Making the team: A guide for managers (5 ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Whetten, D. A., Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing management skills. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. World Union of Deists. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2015 http://www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm 1

US Government - Checks And Balances :: Political Science Government Essays

US Government - Checks And Balances "There is no more important function for all of government to define the rights of its citizens." (Norman Dorsen) In this essay I will give a short history of the government in United States of America (U.S.). Then I will describe each of the three branches of government in the U.S. and the relationship between them. In principle, the U.S. is a democratic republic, they govern themselves by choosing their leaders by secret ballot, and these leaders in turn make the rules. Americans started "governing themselves" as a nation on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia by representatives of the thirteen British colonies in North America. These states joined together formally in 1781 under a first "constitution," the Articles of Confederation. That loose union of the states was replaced by the Constitution of the U.S. in 1789. This document (amended 26 times) is still the political foundation of the U.S. Being based on a written constitution, the U.S. government is committed in principle to the rule of law. To guarantee the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion etc. the first ten amendments, called the "Bill of Rights" were adopted in 1791. There are three levels of government in the U.S. Local government (city/county), state government, and federal government. Here I will pay most attention to the federal government. Many of the concepts of the U.S. government can be traced to progressive thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, e.g. Locke, Spinoza, Blackstone, and Montesquiueu. Out of some of their thoughts the U.S. government system with the three branches were made: A legislative branch (Congress), an Executive branch (President), and a judicial branch (Supreme Court). The Constitution is most of all a document of checks and balances: among the three branches of the federal government; and between the levels of government, nation and state. The legislative branch (Congress) that has the power to make laws valid for the whole country. Powers like the regulation of taxes, regulation of commerce between the states and with foreign countries, the power to declare war, and the power to impeach the President are some of the other matters the legislative branch have to deal with. Congress has two chambers (or "houses"): the Senate and the House of Representatives ("the house"). The Senate consists of one hundred senators: Two senators from each of the fifty states.

Bounty Scandal Essay -- Case Review

When does a contact sport become a crime? That is the question that every National Football League (NFL) fan has asked themselves in light of the former Saints defensive coordinator (DC) Gregg Williams’ â€Å"bounty program.† No one person has wrestled with this question more than the NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell. Goodell was faced with an ethical decision that will shape his tenure as the NFL’s commissioner; his decision will become precedence for many commissioners after him. Using the RESOLVEDD strategy of decision-making developed by Raymond Pfeiffer and Ralph Forsberg (2005), this paper will examine the scandal, scrutinize the decisions made, and determine if the NLF commissioner took the correct action for the league. The first step of the RESOLVEDD process, represented by â€Å"R,† is â€Å"review the case† (Pfeiffer & Forsberg, 2005). The NFL began investigating the New Orleans Saints after their Super Bowl win in 2009, when accusations arose that the organization had organized a cash payout bonus program for injuring players. The extra payouts are against league rules, prohibiting non-contract bonuses. Additionally, these bonuses did not pay for performance; but, specifically cart-offs, concussions, and knock-outs. The sums of these payouts reached up to $50,000 during the 2009 playoffs. Early investigations died out when security personnel interviewed players and coaches; they all denied that such a program ever existed (National Football League, 2012). The league at that time could not prove the allegations, but Goodell wanted to ensure that the league understood this type of program would not be tolerated. The league would send out bi-annual letters to all teams, remind ing them that out-of-contract bonuses are illegal... ...imes.com/2012/03/22/sports/football/nfl-delivers-harsh-punishment-to-saints-over-bounty-program.html?pagewanted=all Cherry, E., Sealey, D., & Mangialardi, L. (1991). Understanding the risks. Journal of Sport Management, 5(2), 198. Kahn, L. (2009). Sports, antitrust enforcement and collective bargaining. Antitrust Bulletin, 54(4), 857-881. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from the EBSCO Host database. National Football League. (2012). Full NFL statement into 'bounty' program run by New Orleans Saints. nola.com. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2012/03/full_nfl_statement_into_bounty.html O'Rourke, M. (2011). Risk on the field and in the headlines. Risk Management, 58(3), 37. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from the EBSCO Host database. Pfeiffer, R., & Forsberg, R. (2005). Ethics on the job: cases and strategies (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Identifying Three Sources of Professional Values

Identifying three sources of professional values and ethics â€Å"Gold existed before barter, money, and systems of economics were invented to use gold. Animals existed before Zoology was invented to study animals. Ethics and morals existed before religions and philosophies were invented to use to study ethics and morals. No religion nor philosophy invented ethics, nor can any religion or philosophy lay claim of being the source or measure of ethics. † (Gowdy, 2008). The sources of professional values and ethics when researched are open to many interpretations.Early philosophers debated whether values and ethics were internal or were they an individual will; or could it be social to justify a moral norm? (Chambliss, 1996). One source of professional values and ethics is the self, or individual. When an individual is born, they began to adopt ethics and values, whether they are good or bad. An article in the Business Ethics Quarterly by Bill Shaw sums up the individual as a sou rce of ethics by stating, â€Å"The acquisition of an ethic is not an optional thing. It is, instead, a way of life.One cannot not have an ethic any more than one cannot not have a personality. An ethic simply â€Å"comes with the territory,† and as one matures that ethic is capable of undergoing change, perhaps even radical change. † (Shaw, 1997) The organization is a source of the professional values and ethics; it is where individuals within a business environment focus on group conduct. The organization has the code of ethics; these codes are a set of rules that guide individuals in decision-making and behavior. (U. S. Legal Forms Inc, 2010).There are normally three types of codes; an aspirational code is a statement of ideals to which professionals should strive. The educational code seeks to buttress understanding of its provisions with extensive commentary and interpretation. The regulatory code includes a set of detailed rules to govern professional conduct and to serve as a basis for adjudicating grievances. (Frankel, 1989) Our societies are the source that examines the pattern of cultural, political, and economic forces that drive individuals and firms.This particular source has many levels, there is not one particular right, or wrong there are many shades of gray here. That is why we have courts with juries who listen to each individual story and makes the best decision based on the evidence provided. (Becker, 2001).References Becker, L. C. (2001). In Encyclopedia of Ethics. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Business Ethics: http://www. credoreference. com/entry/routethics/business_ethics Chambliss, J. (1996). In Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from Ethics and Morality: http://www. redoreference. com/entry/routpe/ethics_and_morality Frankel, M. S. (1989). Professional Codes: Why, How, and with What Impact? Journal of Business Ethics , 110-111. Gowdy, L. N. (2008). Defination of Ethics, Morals, Virtu e and Quality. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Angelfire. com: www. angelfire. com/home/sesquiq/2007sesethics. html Shaw, B. (1997). Sources of Virtue: The Market and the Community. Business Ethics Quarterly, 6. U. S. Legal Forms Inc. (2010). USLegal. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from USLegal. com: http://definitions. uslegal. com/c/code-of-ethics/

Mother’s Day

In most countries, Mother's Day is a recent observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in America. When it was adopted by other countries and cultures, it was given different meanings, associated to different events (religious, historical or legendary), and celebrated in a different date or dates. Some countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations have adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, like giving carnations and other presents to your own mother. The extent of the celebrations varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one's mother not to mark Mother's Day. In others, it is a little-known festival celebrated mainly by immigrants, or covered by the media as a taste of foreign culture (compare the celebrations of Diwali in the UK and the United States). n the Roman-Catholic Church, the holiday is strongly associated with reverencing the Virgin Mary. [25] In many catholic homes, families have a special shrine devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In many Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a special prayer service is held in honor of the Theotokos Virgin Mary. In Hindu tradition it is called â€Å"Mata Tirtha Aunshi† or â€Å"Mother Pilgrimage fortnight†, and it is celebrated in countries with Hindu population, especially in Nepal. It is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Baisakh i. e. April/May. This holiday is based in Hindu religion and it pre-dates the creation of the Western-inspired holiday by at least a few centuries. [citation needed] Some Islamic scholars have published fatwas against dedicating a single day to honor mothers, which detracts from honoring them year round as ordered by the Quran. Mother’s Day In most countries, Mother's Day is a recent observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in America. When it was adopted by other countries and cultures, it was given different meanings, associated to different events (religious, historical or legendary), and celebrated in a different date or dates. Some countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations have adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, like giving carnations and other presents to your own mother. The extent of the celebrations varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one's mother not to mark Mother's Day. In others, it is a little-known festival celebrated mainly by immigrants, or covered by the media as a taste of foreign culture (compare the celebrations of Diwali in the UK and the United States). n the Roman-Catholic Church, the holiday is strongly associated with reverencing the Virgin Mary. [25] In many catholic homes, families have a special shrine devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In many Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a special prayer service is held in honor of the Theotokos Virgin Mary. In Hindu tradition it is called â€Å"Mata Tirtha Aunshi† or â€Å"Mother Pilgrimage fortnight†, and it is celebrated in countries with Hindu population, especially in Nepal. It is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Baisakh i. e. April/May. This holiday is based in Hindu religion and it pre-dates the creation of the Western-inspired holiday by at least a few centuries. [citation needed] Some Islamic scholars have published fatwas against dedicating a single day to honor mothers, which detracts from honoring them year round as ordered by the Quran.