Existentialism and Human Nature Essay

Absolute individuality and absolute freedom: the basis of all existentialist arguments. The existentialist’s conceptions arise from their held views that since we are all ultimately alone, we have absolute freedom over our nature. Existentialists emphasize the â€Å"free and conscious self† which opponents constantly attack, exclaiming that there is a â€Å"higher power† enabling our consciousness. But are humans so simple? Can things be explained solely on blaming ourselves or another being for our nature? The existentialist generally believes in a sole existence; meaning that we are alone in the world, and that we have no one but ourselves. They also believe in the human being’s capacity to feel more than one kind of pain, and that there are three different levels to our pain, physical, psychological, and emotional. All of these types of pain can cause us to become irrational and anxious. But are we really anxious because of this pain, or is it because we ultimately feel alone? And if we are all individuals, can we really feel the same kind of pain as someone else? Existence precedes essence is also dominant in the mind and thoughts of the existentialist. That is, the idea that we are born into this world without a predetermined nature, and only later in life do we shape out nature through actions and choices. This opposes the traditional view that is that essence precedes existence, according to which we are seen as having a purpose, and values, all of which is determined before birth. (I personally think that the idea of essence preceding existence is rather obscure. There is no way that our values and purpose can be determined by genetic code. DNA is what we are, not who we are. ) Existentialists pose another question to the opposition: how can we be happy in a world devoid of significance and meaning? The loss of external values allows us to derive value from within ourselves. This value is greater than any imposed by outside forces, and thus cannot be taken away from said sources. Although many human beings live a life devoid of true happiness, it does not mean that we are incapable of attaining such a goal. If a person finds the meaning for their life, whether it be one meaning, or many, there is a large chance that they can achieve such a utopia without recognizing outside influences. People of different viewpoints follow different methods, as well as believe in different forces that shape our nature. It is in my opinion, as well as that of the existentialist, that we shape our own nature through decisions and actions made by our own free will; that we are ultimately free to act independently from the influences of outside forces. That we can ultimately ignore the views imposed on us, and achieve a sustainable level of happiness in the process. Human nature is a frail thing; people are just looking for someone else to blame for their actions and for who they are, even when there isn’t any. Therefore, there is no one to blame for who we are, but ourselves.

Ancient Religions Essay Example for Free

Ancient Religions Essay The ancient Norse religion was commonly followed and practiced by people in northern regions of the world, such as Scandinavia, Norway, Iceland and surrounding countries. It was believed that the world first came about when a northern and southern land, Niflheim and Muspellheim, both joined together. Niflheim (â€Å"house of mists†) , an extremely cold, icy land and Muspellheim (â€Å"home of desolation†) the seemingly opposite of Niflheim, a hot, fiery land. As both lands joined together, the reaction of the contrasting temperatures caused the ice of Niflheim to melt creating the first two living creatures Ymer, the giant and Audhumla, a female cow. From these two the first Gods were created (Odin, Vile and Ve), and from them the first human beings were created by Odin from an elm and ash tree. Due to a disagreeance between Ymer and the God’s, the giant was killed and from his body, landforms and other living races were created. The gods were revered by many as they were the creators of the races and established the different parts of the world, the world tree or Yggdrasil included. The Yggdrasil is one of the principal beliefs in Nordic religion as it was known as the centre of their nordic universe, the world tree was said to have held nine different realms within its branches. The realms were situated in different areas of the tree at the top, within the canopy; Asgard (heaven) was located. This is where many gods lived including Odin in Valhalla. In addition to Asgard two other realms Vanaheim (home of the fertility god) and Aflheim (home of light elves) were located at the highest level of the world tree. These realms were known as â€Å"divine†. Norse folk believed that Midgard, the middle section of Yggdrasil held the human world. Along with midgard, Nidavellir, Jotunheim and Svartalfhiem, home of the dwarves, giants and dark elves were also present here. At the third and bottom level of the tree the two lands that created the first living beings are found. It is believed that Hel, the place of death, is part of the harsh, destitute lands of Niflheim. Hel is connected to one of the three main root of the world tree and it is known as the underworld, the second root leads to Jotunheim( realm of the giants) and the third is connected to the divine realm, Asgard. The roots linked together the different levels and realms of the tree, likewise Bifrost, a magical bridge located between Asgard and the human world, Midgard was another connection between realms, allowing gods an entrance into the mortal world. The Influence of the Nordic beliefs in society was great as followers of the ancient religion could identify with the extreme life conditions and harsh weather that was also portrayed in the Nordic creation story. The Norse saw their conditions of life as a blessing from the gods and often used these gifts to the greatest advantage for example men often became farmers, cultivators, tradesmen or traders. Women in Nordic society also searched for meaning and insight from the gods as they held powerful positions in the religion. Women played a strong part in the community and often had to run the villages when the Viking warriors were away. The Norse strived to maintain a balanced lifestyle from the influence of what they had learned and incorporated from the gods. Odin was known as a wise and great warrior and many Viking men chose to follow the same path by becoming a warrior also. I was believed that one of the only worthy ways to die was to die in battle. This factor greatly contributed to the decisions of the Norse men. When a warrior died in battle he would go on to Valhalla, in the divine realm, if not they would go to Hel. The Norse people not only sought meaning from the gods, but from the actions and rituals they performed. Ancient Religions. (2018, Nov 04).

Jalsberg Cheese Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jalsberg Cheese - Essay Example The changing market environment has given rise to the needs of updated information more than ever in the past. The markets have transformed to international from local. With the increase in the exposure to masses and increased geographical market coverage, the need of quick and up to date information has also increased. With the changing business environment the buyers are also changing. With the increasing incomes the buyers have become more selective. For a company to launch its product in a new market it has become important to have the information from the buyer needs to buyer wants. On the other hand it is also important to have the knowledge of how to present the product in effective manner in order to reach the customer in an effective manner. With the changing business needs the new marketing techniques such as product differentiation, branding and advertising are also gaining immense importance. This paper is aimed at finding out the appropriate marketing communication strat egy for Jalsberg cheese which is a famous branded cheese in American Market and ready to be marketed in new European market. Norseland Inc. was founded in 1978. The purpose of the company was to market and distribute Jarlsberg and other Norwegian cheese in United States. The Company is a 100% owned subsidiary of TINE Norwegian Diaries, which has the main responsibility for the production and marketing of Jarlsberg cheese. Jalsberg cheese has some snob appeal. Customers want to show they have ‘good taste’. Without complaining they accept the higher price of Jalsberg compared to other competitive products. The mild and creamy taste appeals to Americans, and many think that the taste of the traditional Swiss cheese, Emmenthaie is too sharp Now the company is aiming to introduce its Cheese brand Jalsberg in the newly extended European market. In order to undertake successful brand positioning Norseland has to design a marketing communication strategy, which should be crafted according to the European market conditions and consumer behaviour.

Women in abusive relationships Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Women in abusive relationships - Research Paper Example Abuse in relationships is of varied forms like, sexual assault, physical violence as well as emotional torment. However, there have been intense debates as to why abusive relationships still exist and why others find it hard to give up on their abusive partners. In many instances, studies show women find it hard to put off abusive relationships where they find themselves as victims (Bracken, 2008). Therefore, they make hard decisions to persevere and suffer in silence. The latter has adverse effects to women who find themselves as victims as well as people around her. For instance, her concentration at work is lost and at times, her children may suffer from the emotional setbacks due to their mother. However, women usually have diverse ways of reacting to abusive relationships (Evans, 2010). Among them include various factors which they safeguard if they choose to be out of those relationships like children or desperation (Stark, 2007). However, interventions of such organizations an d programs have not been enough to curb the menace because the statistics are still high. The main question that comes from these results is what is the main solution to curb the vice? Thesis: Various factors lead to intimate partner violence in the world where the female gender usually comprise majority of the victims in those relationships despite preferring to stay in them for varied reasons. As various institutions, programs and organizations to fight the menace continue to increase, the number of women in abusive relationships is significantly quite evident. Hence, prompting the unlikely question that pops up concerning why women involve themselves in abusive relationships (Hatcher, 2013). One would ask what attracts women to relationships where they experience assault. In many circumstances, women find themselves at the receiving end of an abusive spouse mainly because they lack proper financial support on their part. In most cases, women think usually thing of good lifestyle, which they will enjoy and how they stand to benefit from the marriage (Hatcher, 2013). Because of the latter idea, they involve themselves into abusive marriages blindly not knowing of potential repercussions of their actions. Additionally, researchers cite that a spouse who have become victims or witnessed abuse in their family origin, in many instances learn from the menace and become violent to their spouses.(Stark, 2007). However, the theory is also not widely supported because it does not explain how victims of child abuse or partner violence amongst parent end up being violent against their spouses in future. Research done in various countries indicate that there is a persistent increased risk of intimate partner violence among women who have been on the receiving end of child abuse or witnessed abusive relationships among their parents. Scientists explain the latter through PTSD symptoms, which encompasses of childhood trauma (Evans, 2010). Childhood trauma often occurs in t he wake of an abusive relationship and often combined with depression, which may make it more difficult to escape from an abusive relationship once it occurs (Bracken, 2008). Scientists also show that PTSD or depression may lead to decrease in the ability for someone to recognize and respond to signals of danger. The mental distortion in most cases puts these women at risk of future victimization thus decreasing their chances of escaping after being with an abusive partner. This implies women who are victims of childhood trauma may not only be targets of partner abuse by spouses but also tend to be more likely to

Banking Concept Of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banking Concept Of Education - Essay Example Saudi Arabia, many of the students and educators have not realized that system of education is not just ineffective, but to a larger extent harmful. Going to our classes, we all had one goal in mind getting as much information for the test and getting out. Now that I am studying in America I realized how it is. The whole situation seems like feeding us information on a silver spoon. We were expected to stay quiet for the whole 60 minutes. Not knowing that it was wrong, we did what we were told to do. In the essay, The Banking Concept of Education, Paulo Freire argues that modern education is widely recognized as a chance for teachers to feed students with information as the students submissively accept it. In my years as a submissive recipient of information both in the Saudi Arabia and USA, I have come across numerous educators who fit Freire’s cynical description (Freire Paulo, 13). However, not teachers are the same, in that I have also realized a professor whose style of teaching is different from those Freire scorns, and she created a beautiful environment and splendid environment during the learning process. Her meth ods proved that it is very possible to develop a learning environment where students do not suffer from â€Å"narration sickness†.... The class that changed my opinion of education was the chemistry class. The professor, who was as highly educated as the rest of the faculty educators, initially stacked to the idea that she could learn as much from us the students as we from her. Freire demonstrates a number of qualities of the Banking Concept of Education, and argues these qualities are available in each and every classroom, and are reflected by â€Å"oppressive society in general† (Freire Paulo, 75). One of the first qualities demonstrated by Freire is that: the educator educates and the learner is taught. In our chemistry class, the professor had very little to do with the learning process. Every student submitted a new chemistry models every week, and our peers in the class provided with a feedback on our work. The professor was just there to show guidelines and to expound on complex chemistry concepts that we could not understand as a class, and to ask leading questions to prompt discussion. By reading o ur work and having the students explain to her, the professor also learned many things (Freire Paulo, 43). This logic is firmly related to Freire’s second listed quality which states that: the educator knows everything and the learner knows nothing. However, since most of the feedback came from other students, it was usually the opinion of students that was valued highly in the class. According to Freire, knowledge arises only through invention and reinvention, through impatient, restless, continuing, inquiries pursued by human being in the world, with the world and with each other. That is, true comprehension can only be fashioned though questioning, conversation, and

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 20

Business - Essay Example There are various steps involved in developing and implementing organizational strategies. These steps are important part of strategic planning process. According to the requirements of a company, strategic planning process is developed. Based on that planning process a company is able to build strong and effective strategies. In this planning process an organization analyse its external and internal environment. If the strategy fits with the company’s criteria and expectations then as per the plan, strategy is implemented by the organization. In this case study the importance of strategic planning in developing organizational strategies has been critically evaluated. Many explanations are reasons are provided for showing the importance of strategic planning in forming strategies. There are some negative aspects of strategic planning for which this planning process is avoided by some companies. Strategic planning process mainly relies on figures, analysis, forecasts etc. If those data are not updated then the entire planning process and the strategy becomes wrong. Planning process of strategy consumes huge amount of time. As a result it is not always possible for companies to spend so much time in planning strategies. Sometimes strategic planning process increases confusion in developing strategies (Hooley, Piercy, and Nicoulaud, 2012). But if these factors are handled tactfully then strategic planning contributes a lot in developing effective strategies. Companies get a clear idea about its strengths and weakness by conducting strategic planning process. They can utilize its strengths effectively with the help of good strategic which is only possible through strategic plans. Top managers and Board of Directors of a company make strategic decisions. But before forming a strategy they do different types of analysis programs to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.

Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Popular Culture - Essay Example The basic ideas of structuralism are taken from the works of Saussure and his basic concept of language and parole. Saussure played a significant role by being able to distinguish parole (speech) and language. According to him, speech is the actual utterance made by an individual while language is the significant symbol of communication. Therefore, structuralism borrowed heavily from this important achievement. An individual who is not from the same culture might see the cultural festivals as acts of immorality, barbaric and at time a waste of important resources. On the other hand, the other people perceive it as an opportunity to enjoy and have fun. A person who understands the structure would be able to understand the meaning as to why people organize street party, why they are masquerading, and why people are in masks. For example, if one attends the Rio de Janeiro carnival, he/she can be tempted to join the carnival festival and enjoy with the rests of the attendants. A person who understands the culture would be able to know that it is a kind of religious festival that marks the beginning of the Easter festive season (Valdivia, 2004). Someone who does not understand the structure might fear that the people putting on masks are evil, but if one understands the culture, his/her personal view would be completely