Naturalism And Anti Naturalism Philosophy Essay

Naturalism And Anti Naturalism Philosophy Essay Naturalism is the natural state where there is no other types of knowledge other than scientific knowledge and aims to explain all known or other apparently un natural. Naturalism is justified by empirical evidence, experiment, empiricism, theory, data collection and laws. Anti-Naturalism denies the claim of human behaviours and evidence supporter but do not have the same positive route instead comes from hermeneutics. Example Human action is characterized by intentionality, rationality and reflexivity. ii. falsificationism and hermeneutics The falsificationism is proposed by scientist K.Popper. According to him, the scientific knowledge has to be at least in principle, if principle or theory is refutable and the logic behind no matter how large is empirical evidence, scientist does not attempt to prove or make their theory plausible by means of observations and experiments. Scientist should put the theory on trial by falsification. This methodology is falsificationism. If the theory is not stand by falsification the theorem is not true. Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation and understanding. It has broad scope; its base is in literary criticism rather than linguistics. It is one of the most sophisticated ways of reading text and concerns with understanding its meaning, how it is related to its own contemporaneous world and in turn, how it is related to our present world. It is criticized for having no any theoretical base that, some argue and leads practitioners to invent underlying structures rather than discover them. iii. realism and anti-realism Realism is the position that maintain, there is a real world and that is independent of us. It is concerning with science and should therefore be to give true or approximately true description of reality. Anti-realism means there is no possible justification of believing in reality other than constructed in human mind. In anti-realism we make our own world in mind or we can say Anti-realism and idealism is very much similar. iv. Marxism, feminism and humanism Marxism is historical materialism. This theory revolves round material condition of human existing and different modes of production of societies called the capitalism. These modes create certain relationship and attitudes towards nature. This relation reforms economical based of society and its activity, it could be living matter, political system and religious belief etc. In Classical sense Marxism is a historicist in which it past detailed knowledge in order to know something about present. Feminism is holistic theory in comparison with individual conduct explained by laws, scale and social facts. Mass of feminism is related with economic of society. It is the way of justify the knowledge claims. Humanism is more of precision and assumes that human beings have consciousness, intentionality and we all are moral beings. All human being actions are voluntarily and which allowed individual exercise with their free wheel in the machine of societies. The structure of society is influenced by human and its activities. v. post-modernism Post-modernism is against the grand theory (other social theories and methods) in Post modernistic methods, several voices and theories not just only one are allowed to say and no theory is privilege over known. Post-modernism creates differences, often uses construction and analysing tool and way to understand research and difference discourses involved. In Post-modernism, knowledge is multiple and situated which means situation is depended upon circumstances. 2. What can post-modernism be accused for and what do you think about it? Post-modernism can be accused for its relativism, it makes some time impossible to choose between two different interpretations. In different prospective we have different answer in those case both answer are right and it is difficult to act which is correct and which should be judged correctly. 3. Do you think it is possible to be a pure realist or anti-realist, and naturalist or anti-naturalist? I think it is not possible to be pure realistic or anti realistic and naturalist or anti realist as a practical matter. Its depend upon in which field you are conducting your research. Realist is based on scientific theories who describes that there is real world which is independent us, while Anti realist is who takes scientific theories which is not true. Realist and anti realist behave identical in doing scientific research. The only difference is that the realist adds an extra and unnecessary assumption that the reason our best theories are so empirically useful is that they accurately describe the world as it is, whereas the anti-realist prefers not to make that assumption (Pigliucci, 2012). As an example, theory A is true or false on the basis of some empirical evidence or test and it may not in other evidence or test because there might be many theories logically coherent to give empirical evidence. Similarly, Naturalism is the way of scientific methods on the basis of empirical evidence. For doing research in natural science is based on theory, laws, data collection and experiment but in case of social science like human geography is not always based on such evidences, its also based on human behaviour and experience and its support anti naturalism. 4. Do you think it is possible to exclusively have only an empiristic or hermeneutic perspective in the search of knowledge? It is not exclusively possible either empiristic or hermeneutic in the search of knowledge. The main question arises here in which field you are doing your research; natural science or social science. Empiristic way of searching knowledge always emphasis on evidence such as; observation, data collection and experiment as the basis of scientific knowledge to justify its claim. Empiristic supports naturalism. But hermeneutic way of searching knowledge is based on number of ways of interpreting human action such as, idealism, phenomenology, postmodernism, and post -structuralism. Hermeneutic supports anti naturalism. As a researcher both prospective have to choose according to research field. The following problem requires a little bit more of time and space: 6. Write a short essay (2-3 pages long) describing some different scientific philosophies in relation to your own research area. GIS and its Philosophy: Introduction: The term Geographical Information system (GIS) or geographic information system is recent phenomena, was used in North America and frequently applied to geographically based computer technology. It is very difficult to exactly define the term GIS due to number of reasons. There has been some debate about its origin and first application in the field although there have been several technological and theoretical organizational developments during the last thirty years. The rapid rate of progress has not been conductive to the analysis and definition of GIS (Maguire: 1991). The GIS is broad field, it is characterized by diversity of applications because it is integrated systems which brings many developed ideas including agriculture, botany, computing, economics, engineering, mathematics, photogrammetry, surveying, zoology and mostly Geography together in the same platform. There is not specific theory or philosophy which exactly defines the GIS because there are many different ways of defining and classifying objects and subjects. Due to diversity application of GIS in different field, many different methods have been applied to GIS. Classifications based on functionality have been popular and some other tried to develop schemes based genealogy, cost size, platform, application area and data model (Maguirie: 1991). There are theoretical difficulties of genuine academic debate about the central focus of present GIS activity. Some people believe that GIS focuses hardware and software, other argues that the main element is information processing, some people think that GIS is just tools or is it social process? Here are some definitions given by GIS philosopher: Aronoff (1989): any manual system or computer based set of procedures used to store and manipulate geographically referenced data. Carter (1989): an institutional entity, reflecting an organizational structure that integrates technology with a database, expertise and continuing financial support over time. Parker (1998): an information technology which stores, analyses and displays both spatial and non spatial data. Dueker (1979): a special case of information systems where the database consists of observations on spatially distributed features, activities, or events ,which are definable in spaces as points, lines or areas. A GIS manipulates data about these points, lines and areas to retrieve data for ad hoc queries and analyses. GIS and Feminism: Kwan (2002) argued how some of most influential feminist were used in the critical disclosure of GIS. For example Donna Haraway (1991), Liz Bondi and Mona Domosh (1992) were criticized GIS for objectifying way of knowing and the transcendent vision or the Gods eye view it enables. But Haraway (1991) proposition about possibility for feminist to undermine the views towards the main subjects was ignored, an important aspects of her cyborg agenda was lost in critical disclosure. According to Kwan (2002), using of Haraway in asserting GIS impose systems of monitoring misses her emphasis on womens participation in science and technology. He mentioned that women engagement with GIS as an important feminist strategy for writing cyborg and warns that failure to do so can severely impact upon gender equality in Geography on the basis of recent result of enrolment and employment trends of Women Geographers. The form of another engagement with GIS is to raise the voices of feminist GIS users and researchers who spoke their personnel experience on the issue of GIS. Carol Hall (1996) explored the link between the masculinist culture of Computer work and GIS lab, where women cultural identity is dominated by constituted technology culture and turn affects their attitude towards GIS technology. Hagger (2003) mentioned about the discomfort experienced in the GIS lab, which she described as the domain of white, middle to upper class graduate geography students. GIS and Post modernism: Postmodernism theory argue for the productive view of the objects either objects in reality with essential attributes or such objects are indirectly created by people for their needs. GIS is objective subscriber because objects are located in Cartesian space. There are at least three aspects of GIS (Yapa: 1998)- it technology, disciplinary location and methodology, which maintained the distance from concern of modern social theory. In this instance, GIS played the very limited role for addressing the social problems and question related to social policy.

Dracula As an Outsider Essay -- Literary Analysis

Dracula, as it was written by Bram Stoker, presents to us possibly the most infamous monster in all of literature. Count Dracula, as a fictional character, has come to symbolize the periphery between the majority and being an outsider to that group. Dracula’s appeal throughout the years and genres no doubt stems from his sense of romanticism and monster. Reader’s no doubt are attracted to his â€Å"bad-boy† sensibilities, which provide an attraction into the novel. Looking first at his appearance, personality, and behaviour at the beginning of the novel, we can easily see Dracula’s blurred outsider status, as he occupies the boundaries of human and monster. Related to this is Dracula’s geographic sense of outsider. For all intents and purposes, Dracula is an immigrant to England, thus placing him further into the realm of outsider. To look at Bram Stoker’s Dracula as solely a monster in the most violent sense of his actions would to be look at a sole aspect of his character, and so we must look at how he interacts with the outside world to genuinely understand him. The purpose of Dracula’s physical description is to place him against humanity and see how he stacks up. He has various features which obviously make him a vampire, such as a set of sharp teeth. But there are other peculiarities to his description which mark him as being an outsider. For instance, when Jonathon Harker, and by extension the reader, first meets Dracula, he describes him as being â€Å"a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot† (Stoker 15). At this point, he is a regular looking man, or at least normal enough that nothing elicits a reaction in Jonathon. Later, however, the aberrant constitution of Dracula co... ...elf by taking other shapes and become something that no longer even reveals a human. Every part of Dracula’s â€Å"adventure† in England is a reaction to his outsider status, but more so because he attacks the readers, or at least the readers that Stoker was writing for, in their native land. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, Dracula’s otherness stems from the fact that he is an immigrant from a foreign land, a land that is itself removed from certainty as it is culturally between. This immigrant status first starts out as basic hatred, then turns into a fear as Dracula attempts to colonise England and dominate it. Works Cited Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Toronto: Project Gutenberg Publishings, 1897. Kane, Michael. â€Å"Insiders/Outsiders: Conrad's "The Nigger of the "Narcissus" " and Bram Stoker's â€Å"Dracula†Ã¢â‚¬  The Modern Language Review. 92.1 (1997): 1-21. Print.

Comparing poems Nothings changed Essay

The Poem ‘nothings changed’ is based on Tatamkhulu Afrika himself who spent many years in South Africa and his autobiographical poem which describes most of what him and others had experienced and his own feelings expressed during the policy of Apartheid, introduced by the government in his country. This forced many popular attractions such as beaches, buses and even towns to be changed to ‘white areas’ only. For some this meant leaving the country forever all just because of the colour of there skin. The poem itself is set out in six stanzas, each including eight fairly short but important lines. This kind of layout and structure in the poem creates a sense of control, showing how the poet is extremely clear about what he is saying and feeling in his head with no sudden actions leading to rage. Within the pattern of the poem the line lengths do also vary from a whole entire stanza to just two little words. For example: ‘District Six. No board says it is: but my feet know, and my hands, and the skin about my bones, and the soft labouring of my lungs,and the hot, white, inwards turning’. This shows how the structure of the strong poem changes in the stanza’s, gradually getting bigger sentences as the stanza speaks on, giving a feeling of confidence in the poet proving he knows what he is talking about with all the information gathering. The whole poem is written in the present tense, although always recalling past experience he had the poet is constantly reliving the experience as he writes every word. This makes this poem in particular stand out from ‘what were they like?’ due to the fact it is easy to identify what is going on. The poet also clearly states how he is feeling and what he is exactly doing as he writes, describing every little detail by putting us in his shoes. The poem overall describes how he returns to the wasteland that was once his home and relives the anger he felt when the area was first destroyed. With him seeing the restaurant Which consists of being expensive, stylish, exclusive with a guard at the gatepost it makes him think about the poverty around it especially the working mans cafi across from it were people live without eating from plates and on a plastic table top. This makes him reflect that despite the changing political situation, there are still huge inequalities between blacks and whites. Even though South Africa is supposed to have changed, he knows the new restaurant is really ‘whites only’. He feels that nothing has really changed overall. The deep anger he feels makes him want to destroy the restaurant completely – ‘to smash the glass with a stone, or a bomb’. Secondly the poem ‘what were they like’ written by Denise Levertov who wrote poems that opposed American fighting in Vietnam in the 1960’s. This particular poem is against the typical American ignorance of the Vietnam war. She published the poem to show her true feelings about what the American army themselves had done to the people and the way of life of Vietnam. The structure of the poem is like an interview, having the interviewer or questioner ask all the questions together and then the speaker answer each question after one another. Altogether there are six questions followed by six very surprising answers. Also at the end of the poem the answers are followed by a rhetorical question ‘who can say? ‘ This makes the reader think in there head about the answer and shows the unusual treatment Vietnam received by the American army. In the poem itself she compares two different periods, before and after the war had ended showing the interesting experiences people were put in and what she wants answered for. The tone in the first section of the poem includes a thought on curiosity and full of wonder and also could be considered as being questions which are asked quickly and impatiently as when reading them you want to get to the answers straight away. Also the tone of the questioner may seem to be angry and a state of foolishness and insensitivity, yet still having a sense of sadness because of the loss of such an innocent country and the people who lived there during this hectic time. The questioner themselves represent the uninformed Americans and the response being Denise Levertov giving the impression that the questioner should have known more about Vietnam. The responses to the questions seem rather bitter and brutal to the suffering people as when read seem honest and quickly spoken in your head which is what the poet is trying to get at to show the emotion of which happened during the war itself. Overall both poems include some similar qualities, both being completely true and poets experiencing the lives lived out there. Yet ‘nothings changed’ is describing the life long change of the country since introducing the law of Apartheid in the 1960’s and how the country is still living with it, and overcoming the stress and changes the country had to make to change the lives of black and white people which is something of anger and hatred. This is shown by a personal experience form living in the country and visiting local areas and recording the atmosphere of the place. This anger can also be shown in ‘what were they like’ although this particular poet may have had experience from Vietnam she was not there to see it and includes in her poem questions referring to the fact she wants answers to what has happened in the past war against America. This shows the poems are different one including life experience on unfair laws made and the other just wanted answers on what she believes what happened in the Vietnam war is completely wrong.

The Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapped...

The Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapped People nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Music therapy is a controversial but effective form of rehabilitation on mentally handicapped people. A great amount of research has been completed on this subject. It has been proven that our brains respond to music as if it were medicine. Music therapy is not a commonly used health care, but recent studies have suggested it can have a wide range of benefits. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and related strategies, by a qualified therapist, to assist or motivate a person towards specific, non-musical goals. This process is used in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological,†¦show more content†¦In 1950 a professional organization was formed by a group of music therapists that worked with veterans, mentally retarded, and the hearing and visually impaired. This was the beginning of the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT). In 1998, NAMT joined with another music therapy organization to become what is now known as the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). AMTA’s mission is â€Å"To advance public awareness of the benefits of music therapy and increase access to quality music therapy services in a rapidly changing world.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Music therapy helps people in a crisis and assists those who may be dealing with issues of everyday living. The nature of music therapy encourages the development of positive self-esteem. Even though not everyone is supposed to be a musician, music therapy can be a way to explore the human need for self-expression and creativity. Through improvisation and song writing, it can 3 help to identify and resolve conflicts slowing down the emotional and personal growth. It can also assist in the rehabilitation of people with speech difficulties and facilitate learning, which provided opportunities for meaningful communication. Music therapy is a process which builds relationships. Because almost everyone responds to music at some level, it can be used to develop a trust relationship with the therapist and with other people. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There are manyShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapped People2247 Words   |  9 PagesThe Effects of Music Therapy on Mentally Handicapped People Music therapy is a controversial but effective form of rehabilitation on mentally handicapped people. A great amount of research has been completed on this subject. It has been proven that our brains respond to music as if it were medicine. Music therapy is not a commonly used health care, but recent studies have suggested it can have a wide range of benefits. Music therapy is the prescribed use of music and related strategiesRead MoreThe Effects Of Music Therapy On Children With Autism1406 Words   |  6 Pagesthose healing methods is Music Therapy. 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