Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Agent Causality Theory Of Free Will - 1540 Words

1. The agent-causality theory of free will is the theory that agents can start new causal chains that are not pre-determined by the events of the immediate or distant past and the physical laws of nature. Chisholm argues that the agent causes free actions, and that actions are self-determined, making them agent-caused. The theory states that we can bundle together all of an individual’s emotions, aspirations, dispositions, personality traits and we can then consider that the person’s character. Then this character has a great deal of influence on an individual’s decision. According to agent causation, there is another key factor: the self. The self stands apart from the individual’s character and it can either go along with the character or resist the character. The relation between an agent and an action cannot be reduced to or fully explained by the usual kind of causation, meaning that our actions are instances of direct causation by an agent. Reid deve lops the theory of Agent Causation. We have the power to initiate new causal chains. Agents have the power to cause something without being the effect of something previously. Reid thinks that we would not be able to formulate the doctrine of causal determinism if it were not for the experience we have of causing our decisions, and thus, this is where the idea of agent causation comes from. According to Reid, the notion of causation that determinism counts on is itself, grounded in our own experience of ourShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Determinism, Libertarianism, And Compatibilism1161 Words   |  5 Pagesmauled over mankind s free will and its connects to moral responsibility. In such discussion they have come up with multiple theories. The three I’ll address today are determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism; are we products of our past unable to choose another course, or are our actions free from the chain of causality and thus our own? I believe that you can’t ta ke these two questions as black and white. In my opinion compatibilism - which attempts to merge free will and determinism - explainsRead MoreThe Theme of Fatalism in Antigone1032 Words   |  4 PagesTragedies involve a regular person experiencing a reversal in fortune because he or she results in a catharsis arousing fear and pity of the audience. In Greek tragedies, fatalism plays a dominant role in doing so as one is not a free agent because future(in tragedies, reversal of fortune) is predetermined - even if one knows and attempts to avoid it. Antigone is the daughter of the Oedipus and the sister of Polyneices and Eteocles. King Creon passed a royal edict banning anyone from burying disgracedRead MoreDavid Hume s Theory Of Free Will1559 Words   |  7 Pagesconstrained by the laws of nature? David Hume describes The Problem of Free Will as ‘the most contentious question of metaphysics’. Initial exploration into this school of thought gave rise to several philosophical viewpoints supported by modern thinkers. Hard determinism bases its viewpoint on the strict theory of causality, rejecting the idea of free will. On the contrary, Libertarianism opposes this, supporting the concept of free will and denying that a deterministic universe exists. Both of theseRead MoreThe Matrix Of Free Will And Determinism Essay2191 Words   |  9 Pagesto determinism. Determinism is the theory that every event that occurs is caused to occur such that what obtains in the future could not have been different given what has obtain ed in the past. This issue persists throughout the entire trilogy and shapes the development of the characters and the story. The films borrow ideas from various forms of media, including philosophers like Baron Paul Henry d’Holbach, to create a film series that questions the idea of free will and determinism. The films illustrateRead MoreThe View That Determinism Is Not Incompatible With Free Will3559 Words   |  15 Pageswith free will.† In this holding, if determinism were valid, a person still has free will. One of the initial forms of compatibilism is the holding that to be imbued with free will â€Å"is simply for one’s choice to cause one’s actions. Free will is basically doing what one wants; in the example of Hume, free will is basically defined as â€Å"a power of acting or not acting, according to the determinations of the will (Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding 159). Nevertheless, determinism exposes free willRead MoreHuman Beings as Being Genuinely Free Essay781 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Beings as Being Genuinely Free To be able to answer this question successfully we must first understand what is meant by the term genuinely free. By this do we mean to have limitless freedom where each choice is our own or rather freedom within certain boundaries? There are of course many different views which consider the extent of our freedom and what being free really means, ranging from ultimate, unlimited freedom to us having absolutely no freedom. Read MoreThomas Reid versus Roy Baumeister Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe evolution of mankind has seem to have established a complex form of control that is directly connected to popular conceptions of free will. Highly adaptive aspects, designated by self-control and the idea of rational choice are crucial to successfully functioning within a given culture or community. The processes that conceive such forms of free will could be biologically costly and thus used only on occasion. Thus most individuals will tend to be only somewhat not completely rational, disciplinedRead MoreFreedom and responsibility2848 Words   |  12 Pagesthis paper I have discussed the free will of human mind and their freedom in choice of action. It is said that we are responsible for our actions that we do out of our free will, thus I have discussed freedom of human mind and the responsibility that comes to us with the freedom of will. There are some doctrines in philosophy that opposes free will s aying that all our actions are dependent on certain predetermined causes and thus no human is free to exercise his free will. I have written some pointsRead MoreThe Dualists Essay1846 Words   |  8 Pagesmagnitude of different philosophical theories that try to posit our existentiality. Consequently, these theorists try to find the answers to the causality of how the mind and the brain truly interact: Are we our synapses, or are we something more than that? However, one theory that has been of interest to many recent scientists and philosophers alike is one that has been around since its conception by a famous mathematician and philosopher named Rene Descartes. This theory is called substance dualism; andRead MorePhilosophy Midterm Notes Essay examples900 Words   |  4 PagesAquinas-all PKG god. ((((1. Motion. Objects in motion are moved by other objects. Causes must precede effects. No infinite cause/effect chains. There is an entity outside of the natural world which causes the first object to move. God exists 2. Causality. Every event has a cause and no event causes itself. Causes precede effects. No infinite cause/effect chains. Entity that causes the first event. God exists. 3. contingency. Contingent things now exists, so if everything is contingent, there is

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Decline of the Medieval Church at the End of the...

Towards the end of the Middle Ages and into the duration of the Renaissance, the Medieval Church’s social and political power dwindled. Centuries prior the Catholic Church gained a surplus of control, largely due to the stability it maintained during the chaotic breakdown of the Western Roman Empire . Yet toward the end of the Middle Ages the Church set in motion factors that would ultimately lead to its downfall as the definitive figure of authority. However, despite political and social controversy surrounding the church, the institutions it established cleared a path for a new way of thinking, shaping society in an enduring way. The devastating effect of the Crusades coupled with the spread of the Black Plague launched a changing public view of papal authority. This resulted in a more analytical mindset creating a foothold for the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution . An overtly secular focus took precedence over religious matters and the moral decay of the Church was ca lled into question. This obsession of secular control is most clearly exemplified by the Great Schism that took place from 1378 to 1417 . The Great Schism was the result of the Babylonian Captivity, in which the papacy was forced to relocate to Avignon . Soon after returning to Rome, conflict arose within the papacy resulting in three popes fighting for the title. â€Å"When the Council of Constance unified the papacy in 1417 with the election of Martin V, the pope’s political authority outside of theShow MoreRelatedThe Renaissance And The Middle Ages1516 Words   |  7 PagesThe Middle Ages were regarded as a dark and desolate time period in history. Society during this time had no social progress, incessant wars, extreme violence, and no improvement to intellect or education. The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages lasting roughly from the early 1400s to the 17th century. The Renaissance was exceptionally different from the Dark Ages because the human intellec t, social climate, and the beliefs of Renaissance men was the opposite of the Middle Ages. ActingRead MoreMedieval Church And The Middle Ages1435 Words   |  6 Pages The time period lasting from approximately 800-1500 A.D. was known as the Middle Ages. The most important component of the Middle Ages was feudalism, a system of social hierarchy. In the European feudal pyramid, the uppermost ranking was the king, followed by nobles and church officials, knights, and peasants. One’s social ranking determined their place in society as well as their amount of power. The manor system was the economic system associated with feudalism. In the manorial system, a landownerRead MoreThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages The Christian Church in the Middle Ages played a significant role in society. Unfortunately though, the church is often regarded as the capital of corruption, evil, and worldliness. Today, so many people depict the medieval church as being led by materialistic popes, devouring tithes from poverty-stricken peasants, having various illegitimate children, and granting indulgences for money from wayward believers. Yes, circumstances like this may have beenRead MoreMedieval Period in European History1575 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The medieval period in European history begins after the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 C.E., and continued until the early modern period beginning around 1500. The medieval period is split into the sub-categories of early medieval (500-1000), central middle ages (1000-1300), late medieval (1300-1500), and followed by the early modern period (1500-1800). At each of these periods of time important political, economic, social, cultural, religious and scientific changes were beingRead MoreHow Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans1696 Words   |  7 PagesEric Green Urban British Literature 1st 3 December 2015 How Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans In life majority of people believe telling the truth is the correct way of living. Truth has endured the world throughout time and is seemingly unanswerable to those who do not understand it because this subject appears in every culture. Truth goes along with universal questions such as what is beauty, justice, and power. And love but none have a direct answer because they are all dependent onRead MoreEurope During The Medieval Period986 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the medieval time period of 200 AD to 1650 AD, Europe experienced a fluctuation in population numbers. Factors such as disease, famine, war, and others all contribute to the changes in population. A trend to help represent the medieval demography show a population decline during the Late Antiquity, slow population growth during the Early Middle Ages, large population expansion during the High Middle Ages, and a variation of population decline and growth during the Late Middle Ages. The LateRead MoreLife on a Manor790 Words   |  4 Pagesmerchants, a church, the lords castle where he and his servants lived and the farmland the serfs worked on. This way of life became known as feudalism, an exchange between the people and the lord that dealt with protection from invaders for loyalty to the lord. Feudalism came about when the period known as The Dark Ages began. Life was a struggle in Europe at this time. The Byzantine Empire suffered from numerous invasions and warfare from the Northern Vikings. Charlemagne brings the end of this feudRead MoreCultural Influence Of The Early Medieval Era1570 Words   |  7 Pagesallow for new types of artwork to be produced. Artwork during the Early Medieval era, Romanesque era, and Gothic era demonstrates how local and imported ideas intermingle to produce new things. In order to fully express the idea of cultures integrating local ideas with ideas of other cultures to form new artworks, focusing specifically on architecture will allow for the theme to be fully justified. During the dynamic Early Medieval era, which dates back to 500-1000 BCE, European identity was developedRead MoreEssay about The Emergence of Europe1417 Words   |  6 PagesThe Emergence of Europe In the Early Middle Ages: The Germanic Tribes, the Roman Legacy, and the Christian Church Marina Lundstrom History 114 – Western Civilization The World I Due: November 8, 2014 After the fall of the Roman Empire around the fifth century, it took â€Å"hundreds of years† for the western part of Europe â€Å"to establish a new society.†1 The emergence of this new European civilization during a period known as the Early Middle Ages, included three major components: theRead MoreThe Decline Of The Middle Ages1392 Words   |  6 Pages The Middle Ages was a period that lasted for over 1000 years, beginning in 400 CE and ending in 1500 CE. This era is known as the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. The medieval era is split up into three sections; early Middle Ages (400-900 CE), High Middle Ages (900-1250 CE) and the late Middle Ages (1250-1500 CE). Medieval Europe was a time of key advancement in society and a period where a distinct cultural unit emerged. This was influenced by different

Monday, December 9, 2019

Communication for Sciences Mechanical Energy

Question: Discuss about the Communication for Sciencesfor Mechanical Energy. Answer: Introduction Wind turbine is a propeller with blades that converts wind kinetic energy into mechanical energy when it is blown by wind and rotates. Wind power was driving boats in River Nile as early as 5000BC. Some Asian countries were using wind power for grinding grains and pumping water. Traders took the idea to Europe and USA which saw the wind turbine being used to generate electricity. In 1887 first known wind turbine to generate electricity was built by Prof James Blyth of Andersons college Glasgow. He used electricity produced to light up his cottage and offered surplus to his villagers to light up street in Marykirk. They turn down the offer claiming that was witchcraft! This innovation is very significant because it made work easier produces clean energy. The purpose of this article is to explore major pros and cons of wind energy. Function When the wind blows on the blades of the wind turbine it rotates the shaft connected to it thereby converting the kinetic energy of wind (energy in motion) into mechanical energy (rotation). (Jacobson, Mullaly, 2012) The mechanical energy obtained can be harnessed into electricity production by having the turbines rotating shaft pass through electromagnetism field that results to induction of electric energy when the shafts cuts through the magnetic field as it rotates. The same mechanical energy can still be used in pumping water or grinding grains. (Gr uuml., 2013) Positive Aspects This innovation is advantageous in a number of ways. In earlier days the wind turbines made it possible for the large land to be reclaimed from the sea for Agricultural purposes like the case in Netherlands which wind turbines was used to pump water out of sea to reclaim the land. This was not possible before. With introduction of fuel generated electricity the cost of electricity continually raised with the coast of fuel such that currently wind generated electricity is cheaper on large scale. Wind energy is also green energy not harmful to the environment and is renewable energy that can be used again and again without depleting the resources. The other form of electricity production like nuclear is very harmful to environment as it emits radiations that complicate genetic make up of living things. Fuel generated electricity pollutes environment by emitting smoke to the environment that leads to green-house effect. On remote areas that the national grid can not reach because of hea t dissipations that when cost-effect analysis is done it is advantageous not to connect those areas to the national grid as the power lost through dissipation is substantial compared to the power that will be actually consumed in those areas. In this case wind turbines can be used to have those locations access electricity by setting up wind generated electricity stations in the areas. This will save energy that would have been dissipated along the transmission lines in an attempt to connect the areas affected to the main national grid. (Tavner, 2012) Implementation Challenges Depending on the design and strength of the wind the cost of production of wind generated electricity may not be competitive compared to other forms like hydro-power. In this case therefore the setting up of this plant should be alive to these factors in order for the coast of production to be cost effective regardless of government subsidies. Wind is a resource that is not available everywhere on earth and as such wind generated electricity is not an option in those areas. This is a challenge it limits places where this plants can be installed even when monetary resources are available to install such a plant in area that is maybe not in National grid. (Musgrove, 2010) Most of the places that have strong winds capable of generating wind electricity in a cost effective manner are located far away from cities where the energy is needed most. This necessitate building of transmissions lines from the source to the market i.e. consumers increasing the overhead cost of production as the lines will need initial capital to built them and continuous maintenance cost that adds to the cost of production and cutting on the profit margin of the venture. Depending also on the distance between the source and the location of the main consumers the electrical energy loss in form of heat dissipated on the transmission lines could be significant compared to the quantity of electricity generated at the source. Therefore those setting up this kind of plants usually have to analysis this situation to ensure the venture is viable. (Martin, Roux, 2010) Conclusion In conclusion wind turbines have huge positive impact on the society than the challenges it presents to the society. The factor of renewable energy that can not be depleted, green energy that is clean to the environment as well as the competitive cost of production makes great impact to the society than challenges it offers of implementation. All the governments in the world should consider investing heavily on wind generated electricity in place of hydro and fuel power stations where possible. References Gr uuml.,. (2013). Concrete Constructions for Wind Turbines. Ernst Sohn. Jacobson, R., Mullaly, G. (2012). How wind turbines work. Mankato, Minn.: Child's World. Martin, G., Roux, J. (2010). Wind turbines types, economics and development. Hauppauge NY: Nova Science. Musgrove, P. (2010). Wind power. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Tavner, P. (2012). Offshore Wind Turbines. Stevenage: IET.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Life Of Walt Disney Essays - The Walt Disney Company

The Life Of Walt Disney This book is about the life of Walt Disney, an American legend. The Arthur begins the tale with a view of the family before Walt Disney's birth on December 5,1901. In the first few pages after it goes on into describing the child within the man, his humor and his innocent view of the world through child's eyes. The next few chapters go on to describe various jobs he took as a child, the family conflicts within the home and the stern father that commanded obedience. The book touches slightly on how his brothers one by one left home, mainly because of disagreements with the father. It depicts the struggle of a young artist constantly trying to better himself and the fierce determination to succeed. Walt Disney did his best with every job he took but never gave up his dream of becoming a cartoonist. Everything he did was towards a goal one can say he was a self made man with ambition and drive. Through out the chapters it chronologically documents the successes and disappointments of th e artist and the businessman. The journey that Walt Disney took in order to succeed was one of many obstacles and personal setbacks.