Early Western Philosophy of Religion Essay Example for Free

Early Western Philosophy of Religion Essay of the classical three laws of rational thinking. Claiming that every proposition is either true or not true, the first law summarily excludes the possibility of a middle-of-the-road alternative between two extremes. The second law states that it is not possible for something to be both true and not true at once and in the same contextual framework. The third law ascribes specific traits to everything. In other words, no two things are similar to each other (De Riemer, 2009). Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury and one of the torchbearers of the Gregorian mission, challenged the validity of the law of the excluded middle by raising questions about the moment of death, when a person is alive and yet to die. Such a brief transition, according to him, does not conform to the basic assumption stated in the law of the excluded middle, for the dying instance falls in a temporal void where this law is nonfunctional (Stump Kretzmann, 2001, p. 112). He, however, supported the law of noncontradiction on the basis of having certitude of knowledge about a given statement. Thus, he argued that â€Å"If there is one sun, there are not two† (Ibid, p. 163). In a way, Augustine endorsed inductive reasoning to substantiate his viewpoints on the foundational laws of thought. However, when it came to analyzing the law of identity, he discarded epistemological reasoning and embraced the core of Christian worldviews. The law of intrinsic essence of every being was, according to his opinion, a hypothesis that is relative to the monistic identity of the highest form of Being, e. g. God Himself. In other words, it is possible to develop collective identity given that it finds a stake similar to God’s image (Ibid, p. 87). Cosmological accounts of creation have been put forward by many of the early as well as modern thinkers. Various scientific theories have proved beyond doubt that our universe is not infinite. This proposition is tempting enough to ask what lies beyond the periphery. St. Thomas Aquinas, the medieval theologian and one of the seminal thinkers of his time, argued vociferously in favor of God’s existence on a cosmic level. His magnum opus Summa Theologiae is considered to be one of the treasure troves of philosophical treatises on creationism. Aquinas takes natural theology as the starting point of his argument. For nature, laws of existence are not rigid. It is possible for natural things to be born and destroyed, implying that everything is and is not at the same time. But it is truly impossible for anything to outlast its own expiration. What this means is that any form of existence is preceded by another form and that this chain continues backward till the creation of something that served independent of its own necessity for the sake of its succeeding creations. That something is nothing but what we believe as God (Meister, 2009, p. 67). I, despite being an atheist, strongly endorse the line of reasoning Aquinas used to prove God’s existence. He arrived at his intended position by means of teleological assumptions and subsequent cancellations – if A is true, A cannot be not true. This method of double negation, I believe, holds the secret to success of his originative theological account. References De Reimer, H. T. (2009). Infallible Logic, A Visible and Automatic System of Reasoning. Charleston, South Carolina: BiblioBazaar, LLC. Meister, C. (2009). Introducing Philosophy of Religion. New York: Taylor Francis. Stump, E. , Kretzmann, N. (2001). The Cambridge companion to Augustine. New York: Cambridge University Press.

History And Philosophy Of Vegetarianism :: essays research papers

Vegetarianism is the theory or practice of living solely on vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. It is practiced for moral, ascetic or nutritional reasons In Western society today meat in many different forms is readily and economically available, yet the current trend shows a growing number of voluntary vegetarians around the world. In the United States, roughly 3 to 4 percent of the total populations are considered vegetarian. The origins of modern day Vegetarian philosophy and its influences can be traced back nearly three thousand years. . Most vegetarians are people who have understood that to contribute towards a more peaceful society we must first solve the problem of violence in our own hearts. So it's not surprising that thousands of people from all walks of life have, in their search for truth, become vegetarian. Many well known influential philosophers have both preached as well as practiced its inherent advantages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The earliest archeological data we have that suggest a voluntary partial vegetarian diet is the Old kingdom of Egypt. There are hieroglyphic inscriptions, which suggest the avoidance of eating some animals. The priests avoided eating pig for its lack of cleanliness, and cow for their belief that it was sacred mainly did this. This is believed to been practiced as early as 3000 BC. There are few historical sources on the practice of abstaining from meat in ancient Egypt, but we do know it directly influenced the beliefs held across the Mediterranean in Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pythagoras was born off the coast of Turkey on the Island of Samos in the 6th century BC. He is most famous for his well-known proposition about right angle triangles, known as the Pythagorean theorem. Having spent time in Egypt and Babylon, much of his main philosophical teachings are a combination of ideas expressed in the places he traveled to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pythagoras preached the soul as being abstract and immortal. A soul is within all living creatures, and therefore all creatures, man or beast deserve to be treated compassionately. The soul was said to pass between lives into different living creatures. Therefore in eating the flesh of an animal, one could be eating the flesh of a deceased cousin. This was somewhat revolutionary for a world in which religious ritual was centered on animal sacrifice. He also believed in the concept that an eternal world which was revealed to the intellect through continuous ascetic routines rather then the senses.

Aero-Space Engineering †The New Field of Engineering

Aero-space engineering is a new field of engineering that has tight links with the fields of astro-physics, theoretical physics, chemistry, structural engineering, and space dynamics. It is definitely an old form of engineering if we refer to the space launch in the 1960’s, but this field is considered new because the new theoretical propositions in both space chemistry and astro-physics were put to test. New methods deserved new application. First, aero space engineers takes part in the designing of launch pads stationed in a body of water, say in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Engineers in the 1960’s to 70’s faced the difficulty of achieving bouyancy of launch pads due to some miscalculations or rudimentary tools. Because of advances in theoretical physics, these calculations were corrected. Aero-space engineers were able to develop launch pads that can be released from bodies of water. They were also able to develop spacecraft parts that can withstand the temperature in space. They were also the once who developed highly efficient landing tools for rovers and the Viking satellites. Because of the difficulty of their work, an aero-space engineer has to study the environment of a place (a planet or satellite) before the major design for a landing probe start. They would have to consult with other scientists trained in other fields to get data and advice. They would have to coalesce these pieces of data to dvelop or modify space equipments. The more complicated the data, the more complicated is the resulting technology. It is then of no doubt that an aero-space engineer would have to take a wide range of courses from ecology to physics to astro-physics. This would ensure that the would-be aero-space engineer has a wide-range of knowledge when it comes to design and modification. Although aero-space engineering is offered only in some American universities, its prospect for the future is great. There is a wide array of possibilities waiting for any graduate of the new field. NASA is offering wide range of job (highly paid) for these graduates. Reference: The Princeton Review. Career Profiles: Aero-Space Engineer. Princeton Review Publishing, 1997. Related links: http://www.discoverengineering.org/Engineers/aerospace_engineering.asp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospace_engineering   

Erich Hartmann - World War II Ace - Luftwaffe

Erich Hartmann - Early Life Career: Born April 19, 1922, Erich Hartmann was the son of Dr. Alfred and Elisabeth Hartmann. Though born in Weissach, Wà ¼rttemberg, Hartmann and his family moved to Changsha, China shortly thereafter due to the severe economic depression that struck Germany in the years after World War I. Residing in a house on the Xiang River, the Hartmanns lived a quiet life while Alfred established his medical practice. This existence came to an end in 1928 when the family was forced to flee back to Germany following the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War. Sent to school in Weil im Schà ¶nbuch, Erich later attended schools in Bà ¶blingen, Rottweil, and Korntal. Erich Hartmann - Learning to Fly: As a child, Hartmann was first exposed to flying by his mother who was one of Germanys first female glider pilots. Learning from Elisabeth, he received his glider pilots license in 1936. That same year, she opened a flying school Weil im Schà ¶nbuch with the support of the Nazi government. Though young, Hartmann served as one of the schools instructors. Three years later, he earned his pilots license and was permitted to fly powered aircraft. With the beginning of World War II, Hartmann entered the Luftwaffe. Commencing training on October 1, 1940, he initially received an assignment to the 10th Flying Regiment in Neukuhren. The following year saw him move through a series of flight and fighter schools. n March 1942, Hartmann arrived at Zerbst-Anhalt for training on the Messerschmitt Bf 109. On March 31, he violated regulations by performing aerobatics over the airfield. Sanctioned to confinement and fines, the incident taught him self-discipline. In a twist of fate, the confinement saved Hartmanns life when a comrade was killed flying a training mission in his aircraft. Graduating in August, he had built a reputation as a skilled marksman and was assigned to Fighter Supply Group, East in Upper Silesia. In October, Hartmann received new orders assigning him to Jagdgeschwader 52 in Maykop, Soviet Union. Arriving on the Eastern Front, he was placed in Major Hubertus von Bonins III./JG 52 and mentored by Oberfeldwebel Edmund Roßmann. Erich Hartmann - Becoming an Ace: Entering combat on October 14, Hartmann performed poorly and crashed his Bf 109 when it ran out of fuel. For this transgression, von Bonin made him work for three days with the ground crew. Resuming combat flying, Hartmann scored his first kill on November 5 when he downed an Ilyushin Il-2. He shot down an additional aircraft before the end of the year. Gaining in skill and learning from skilled compatriots such as Alfred Grislawski and Walter Krupinski, Hartmann became more successful in early 1943. By the end of April he had become an ace and his tally stood at 11. Repeatedly encouraged to get closer to enemy aircraft by Krupinski, Hartmann developed his philosophy of when he [the enemy] fills the entire windscreen you cant miss. Using this approach, Hartmann began rapidly increasing his tally as Soviet aircraft fell before his guns. In the fighting that occurred during the Battle of Kursk that summer, his total reached 50. By August 19, Hartmann had downed another 40 Soviet aircraft. On that date, Hartmann was aiding in supporting a flight of Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers when the Germans encountered a large formation of Soviet aircraft. In the resulting fight, Hartmanns aircraft was badly damaged by debris and he came down behind enemy lines. Quickly captured, he feigned internal injuries and was placed in a truck. Later in the day, during a Stuka attack, Hartmann jumped his guard and escaped. Moving west, he successfully reached German lines and returned to his unit. Erich Hartmann - The Black Devil: Resuming combat operations, Hartmann was awarded the Knights Cross on October 29 when his kill total numbered 148. This number increased to 159 by January 1 and the first two months of 1944 saw him shoot down another 50 Soviet planes. An aerial celebrity on the Eastern Front, Hartmann was known by his call sign Karaya 1 and the distinctive black tulip design that was painted around the engine cowling of his aircraft. Feared by the Russians, they gave the German pilot the sobriquet The Black Devil and avoided combat when his Bf 109 was spotted. In March 1944, Hartmann and several other aces were ordered to Hitlers Berghof in Berchtesgaden to receive awards. At this time, Hartmann was presented with the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross. Returning to JG 52, Hartmann began engaging American aircraft in the skies over Romania. Clashing with a group of P-51 Mustangs on May 21 near Bucharest, he scored his first two American kills. Four more fell to his guns on June 1 near PloieÅŸti. Continuing to run up his tally, he reached 274 on August 17 to become the top-scorer of the war. On the 24th, Hartmann downed 11 aircraft to reach 301 victories. In the wake of this achievement, Reichsmarschall Hermann Gà ¶ring immediately grounded him rather than risk his death and a blow to Luftwaffe morale. Summoned to the Wolfs Lair in Rastenburg, Hartmann was given the Diamonds to his Knights Cross by Hitler as well as a ten-day leave. During this period, the Luftwaffes Inspector of Fighters, Adolf Galland, met with Hartmann and asked him to transfer to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet program. Erich Hartmann - Final Actions: Though flattered, Hartmann declined this invitation as he preferred to stay with JG 52. Galland again approached him in March 1945 with the same offer and was again rebuffed. Slowly increasing his total through the winter and spring, Hartmann reached 350 on April 17. With the war winding down, he scored his 352nd and final victory on May 8. Finding two Soviet fighters performing aerobatics on the last day of the war, he attacked and downed one. He was prevented in claiming the other by the arrival of American P-51s. Returning to base, he directed his men to destroy their aircraft before moving west to surrender to the US 90th Infantry Division. Though he had surrendered to the Americans, the terms of the Yalta Conference dictated that units that had largely fought on the Eastern Front were to capitulate to the Soviets. As a result, Hartmann and his men were turned over to the Red Army. Erich Hartmann - Postwar: Entering Soviet custody, Hartmann was threatened and interrogated on several occasions as the Red Army attempted to compel him to join the newly formed East German Air Force. Resisting, he was charged with bogus war crimes which included killing civilians, bombing a bread factory, and destroying Soviet aircraft. Found guilty after a show trial, Hartmann was sentenced to twenty-five years of hard labor. Moved between work camps, he was finally released in 1955 with the aid of West German Chancellor Conrad Adenauer. Returning to Germany, he was among the last prisoners of war to be released by the Soviet Union. After recovering from his ordeal, he joined the West German Bundesluftwaffe. Given command of the services first all-jet squadron, Jagdgeschwader 71 Richthofen, Hartmann had the noses of their Canadair F-86 Sabres painted with his distinctive black tulip design. In the early 1960s, Hartmann vigorously opposed the Bundesluftwaffes purchase and adoption of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter as he believed the aircraft to be unsafe. Overruled, his concerns proved true when over 100 German pilots were lost in F-104-related accidents. Increasingly unpopular with his superiors due to continued criticism of the aircraft, Hartmann was forced into early retirement in 1970 with the rank of colonel. Becoming a flight instructor in Bonn, Hartmann flew demonstration shows with Galland until 1974. Grounded in 1980 due to heart problems, he resumed flying three years later. Increasingly withdrawing from public life, Hartmann died on September 20, 1993 in Weil im Schà ¶nbuch. The highest scoring ace of all-time, Hartmann was never downed by enemy fire and never had a wingman killed. Selected Sources Aces of World War II: Erich HartmannLuftwaffe: Erich HartmannWorld War II: Erich Hartmann