Explain Augustine’s temporal paradox

Augustine’s temporal paradox can be explained by starting with our typical beliefs about time, to wit: the past does not exist, the future is yet to exist and only the present actually exists.   However the actual existence of the present has no duration because it immediately becomes the past or the future the moment we try to isolate it. In the words of St. Augustine, â€Å"The present hath no space†.   The temporal paradox refers to the existence only of the present which however does not have a â€Å"duration†.Following this temporal paradox and Augustine treated time in ontological terms, i.e. in relation to the nature of being and existence.   We derive the notion of time by perceiving something that has passed, something that exists and something that will exist in the future.   Time is embodied and manifested through the duration of things that come into being to the present that passed away in an incessant continuum of past and future.   Conseq uently, material things move from none existence to existence to non existence (past, present and future).The perpetuation of the time continuum entails that â€Å"the mind expects, and attends, and remembers, so that what it expects passes by way of what it attends to into what it remembers.† (Augustine, 2002, p236) What the mind expects is the future, what is remembers is the past and what it attends to at the moment is the present, which is what exists.   Attending to the present does not refer to our location or inhabitance in this time continuum but one’s capturing of the immediate past in the memory. This is precisely because the present has no duration or no space and it is only through memory that we can attend to it.For St. Augustine, even â€Å"time† is created by God and therefore he is beyond the continuum of the time series to which people and all other things are bound.   God is in a state of â€Å"Eternal Now†, where the present, past a nd future are at all once.   However, while St. Augustine’s idea of time is very revolutionary, it nevertheless has critical repercussions that run inconsistent which Christian principles which he originally wanted to justify and defend.With the past and future all happening in the present for God, people therefore are already predestined to what will happen to them. People were not really given the gift of choice or freewill but are doomed to end up to how God have designed their world. What seemed to be a series of choices for people in this space of time is actually a finished or done design for God.   (Von Martelsand Schmidt, V, 2003, p79-102)2-Imagine that Russell and Berkeley are sitting across from each other at table. Write a short dialogue (about 500 words) that captures each philosopher’s views with respect to the ontological status of the table. Be sure to bring out areas of agreement and disagreementIn order to appreciate Bishop Berkeley, one must first fully understand that ontology focuses on the nature of essence and meaning of being. Berkeley is a major proponent of subjective idealism in which ultimately argues that the world including all the material objects are not real but are mere collections of perceptions of human experience, which is what is real.   It highlights that significance of mind before matter and the preordained connection of mind and body.Thinking is function that people constantly do, consciously, unconsciously or subconsciously in relating to their environment.   The mind is essential to be considered in understanding the nature of the universe because everything entailed the consciousness of the mind.   Thus, the universe is the product of the mind. (Bourgeois, 2003, 162-163)Berkeley will not deny that the table being observed is definitely real but it needs to be subjected to one’s consciousness before we know it is real.   Moreover, the real essence of the table or that which makes a tab le what it is resides in the â€Å"idea† of the table which is in the mind of God.   It does not rest on the â€Å"physical table† which we perceived because our experiences of the table vary.   While we see the table is brown, solid and smooth, our experience of the brownness, solidness or smoothness of the table differs. There is a disparity between what at we perceive† and â€Å"what is real†.Russell agrees with Berkeley’s idea that the act of perception is dependent on the mind but the mind is only the mental functioning of the brain hence, the perceptions therefore do not actually exist in the mind.   We only get to have a mental idea of what a table is through our perception of the physical table.   Perception is the prime source of knowledge (Engel, S., 2001, p 250-260).Knowledge is mainly based on the acquisition, interpretation, selection and organization of information what we perceive.   In Bertrand Russell’s own words, à ¢â‚¬Å"our ideas are derived from two sources, sensation, and perception of the operation of our own mind, which may be called internal sense†. (Russell, 2004, p556) Hence, we form our idea of table from the perception.This approximation of what reality through our senses, despite differences in the intensity of what brownness, solidness and smoothness of the table is real knowledge we can establish by observation and generalization. Incidentally, this is the underlying philosophy of science. In the end, we gain our knowledge about the â€Å"table† not from an innate idea of a table but through an observation of the table.We know that a table is brown, solid and smooth, irregardless of the intensity of these descriptions from different people. â€Å"Perception is the first step and degree towards knowledge and the inlet of all the materials in it†. (Russel, 2004, p556) And that is what is real regardless of the ideal table that we can conceive.ReferencesAugustine and Outler, A. (2002). The Confessions of St. Augustine. Translated by Albert Cook Outler. Courier Dover PublicationsBourgeois, W. (2003). Persons: What Philosophers Say about You. 2nd edition. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.Engel, S. (2001). The Study of Philosophy. Rowman & Littlefield,Russell, B. (2004). History of Western Philosophy. 2nd edition. RoutledgeVon Martels, Z. R. W. M. and Schmidt, VM. Antiquity Renewed: Late Classical and Early Modern Themes. PREDESTINATION AND THE LOSS OF DRAMA FROM AUGUSTINE TO CALVIN by MB Pranger. Peeters Publishers   

How convincingly the book creates a sense of social environment in which subject grew up?

Frank McCourt has used the main themes of his autobiography Angela's Ashes convincingly to create a sense of social environment he grew up in. Main themes include poverty, pauperized living conditions, poor sanitation and power of the Catholic Church. Alongside the main themes, McCourt uses symbols, memories, vivid descriptions, outside and narrative comments and events relating to the main themes. Poverty is the leading cause of pauperized living condition as well as poor sanitation, these lead to the social environment Frank spent his childhood growing up in. The living conditions in the slums of Limerick itself details Franks environment. The McCourt family leaves New York for a new start in Ireland and settle in Limerick during the depression. The Deprsssion symbolize hardship for many. Alcohol is a major concern that affects the McCourt's. Malachy's alcohol problem makes his family suffer. Any chance of the basic needs of survival is dependent on Malachy's wages. â€Å"Are you coming home so that we can have a bit of supper or will it be midnight with no money in your pocket and you singing Kevin Barry and the rest of that sad songs†. Angela is asking Malachy if the kids will be fed tonight or will they starve. The fact Malachy drinks way the money convinces us the family have no other means of survival and healthy state of living. Without money we sense and imagine the state they live in. â€Å"Out in the Atlantic Ocean great sheets of rain gathered to drift slowly up the River Shannon and settle forever in Limerick. The rain dampened the city from the feast and the Circumcicin to New Year's Eve. It created a cacophony of hacking coughs, bronchial rattles, asthmatic wheezes, consumptive croaks. It turned roses into fountains, lungs into bacterial sponges†. Franks description of Limericks sums up the environment. Miserable weather creating misery and diseases taking lives of many. McCourt's description gives us a visual images that somehow convinces us how miserable the conditions are. Franks gets a job delivering newspaper. One day there is an emergency and mayhem erupts. McCaffey and Frank and another boy Eamon are to rip out page 16 of the John O' London's Weekly. Ever single issue in the city no matter what people say. Here the boys are hysterically running around town ripping out the pages on birth control. McCaffrey shows such determination when the shopkeeper has said they have sold many issues he demands their names that they are in danger of losing their â€Å"immortal souls† This event convinces us the power of the Catholic Church is and the it impact on society. Birth control in â€Å"the holiest city† was banned. A one page article emphasizes the lengths Catholics go to protecting their religious beliefs. McCaffrey's biggest customer Mr. Hutchinson in cursing him for storming into his shop and creating havoc, and McCaffrey replies to him † See what happens when you're not a member of the True Church†. Protestants and Catholics dispute over religion. People in Frank's Community are greatly religious. School masters makes sure you know everything about Christ. Malachy treats the portrait of the Pope as though it is sacred and valuable. The honor of the Catholic Churc h is overwhelming and creates a sense of how holy the society is. The fact people followed the rules and were faithful to the Church gives us a sense of how religious the environment was. McCaffrey was prepared to go lengths to protect the faith and beliefs fellow Catholics. Frank has many memories of his childhood. There has been pain, misery and some happy times. The memories of his small house in Roden Lane holds many memories. In winter, downstairs floods, the family are forced to move upstairs. â€Å"It's like going away on our holiday to a warm foreign place like Italy,† Malachy assures the kids. Abandoning downstairs convinces us, the flood is extremely bad. We sense the condition are undesirable and deplorable. Convincingly this house creates a sense of social environment, the state of the house simply shows it. Symbol of the environment are seen in this book. The lavatory in the McCourt's rented home is a communal toilet shared by 12 families. It symbolizes poor-sanitation and lack of finances. It emphasizes the need for cleaner conditions, † the lavatory will kill us all with diseases,† Angela's says. In fact it is a concern, their health is at risk of germs that fill the household. Frank is awakened at night by sounds of people emptying their chamber pots suggesting no privacy. People coming in and out. It convinces us how rundown the society is. They can only afford one toilet a lane for 12 families. I can imagine from the lavatory the house is shabby making the society just as bad. We sense poor hygiene creating a sense in our mind of how Frank grew up. McCourt himself said if he † were to pick a symbol for my life, and image, it would be that lavatory that all the people emptied their buckets into. † Franks childhood was about surviving each day and feeding his family, his goal to reach America. He says, the lavatory symbolizes his life struggling to get through each day. Angela's Ashes includes many details used to create a sense of Frank's childhood social environment. Throughout the book many descriptions of memorable experiences and sights are used to detail the surrounding he grew up with. This whole book is about dealing with the slums and the dreadful conditions that we strongly sense in our heads. After reading Angela's Ashes you will be left with many visuals McCourt has got you to create and picture in your head that make out his â€Å"miserable Irish Catholic Childhood†.

The behavior of a nonverbal student with autism Essay

The behavior of a nonverbal student with autism - Essay Example According to 2013 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the Lamar Elementary School met 14 of 17 AYP criteria. In 2013, the school also earned API of 940, and the 2012-13 API Growth was -9. Sam is enrolled in an instructed classroom in which routine and visual structure are provided. A new program called SUCCESS is applied in the classroom, and the classroom is divided into four areas: 1:1, I.W.S., Group Area, and Small Group. In 1:1 area, an Intensive Behavior Interventionists (IBI) works with the students on their individual behavior goals. The students at the Independent Work Station (I.W.S.) are assigned tasks that they already know how to do. Moreover, the goal is for the student to come to the station, sit down, go through the tasks, and do so all independently and without needing reminders to stay on task. At Group Area, the teacher does whole group activity at the table where the purpose is mostly acquiring social skills, such as learning to sit in a group, waiting for their turn, and staying attended to the task. The teacher works with his students to cover Early Literacy Skills Building, Math curriculum, Handwriting without Tears, and the students’ IEP academic goals. Eight students are grouped for instructions based on behaviors and how the adults can best manage the students as well as their station. The overall classroom management has been more so based on behaviors of the individual students. In addition to their behavior support plans, the teacher uses token boards to reinforce desired/correct behaviors.

How does Greek translate into English in Bible Essay

How does Greek translate into English in Bible - Essay Example According to dictionary definitions, the core meaning of the Greek word is weakness, feebleness and being without strength, powerless. (blueletterbible.org) The Bible uses this word astheneo very often in connection with the healing miracles of Jesus, for example when he healed lepers (Matt. 10:8), â€Å"any sick with divers diseases† (Luke 4:40), Lazarus (John 11:1-6) and the Authorised Version often uses this same word â€Å"sick† to translate them. There are some cases, however, where this same word astheneo translated with different English words. In John 5:3-4 there is mention of an â€Å"impotent man† and in John 6:2 this same astheneo is translated as â€Å"diseased.† Having seen examples of the healing miracles of Jesus, the disciples were sent out by Jesus with a dual mission: â€Å"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick† (Luke 9:2) This gospel usage focuses on medical sickness, and the curing of disease as a de monstration of the power of Jesus. In the New Testament letters of Paul, however, the word astheneo is applied not only to physical causes, but also spiritual causes, and the most common translation here is the English word â€Å"weak†, as for example: â€Å"it (= the law) was weak through the flesh† (Romans 8:3) and â€Å"And being not weak in faith†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Romans 4:19) Paul uses astheneo to contrast the weakness of human beings with the power of God: â€Å"For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God.† (2 Cor. 13:4) In the next verse of the passage in the book of James the author uses a different Greek word, kamno, which has a primary meaning of â€Å"weary† and a secondary meaning â€Å"sick† (blueletterbible.org). The translation into English repeats with the same word â€Å"sick†, however: â€Å"And the prayer of the faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have commit ted sins, they shall be forgiven him.† (James 5:15) There are only two other New Testament examples of the word kamno and they both concentrate on the primary meaning of â€Å"weary† : â€Å"†¦lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds† (Hebrews 12:3) and â€Å"And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake has laboured and hast not fainted.† These examples show that the New Testament uses two Greek concepts which range from purely medical disease to spiritual weakness and to weariness in maintaining actual life or spiritual life. The two terms astheneo and kamno overlap somewhat in their basic meaning and so translators do have some lee-way in choosing which of these emphases to bring out in their version. The English words â€Å"sick† or â€Å"diseased† tend to have a connotation of the physical condition of a person, while â€Å"weary† or â€Å"faint† tends to have a connotation of the mental or spiritu al condition of a person. In the Bible there is sometimes a clear distinction between these two dimensions, as for example when a person who suffers from a disease like leprosy is healed, but very often it is not clear whether a physical affliction is referred to, or a spiritual one. Looking at the letter of James it appears that the first verse echoes the gospel emphasis on physical healing. The work of Jesus wandering through the region, preaching the gospel and healing people is the inspiration for this usage. The second verse, which stresses the weariness aspect of kamno, leans on the emphasis of Paul, however. The connection between sin and sickness is much stronger, and the healing power of Jesus is shown as

Religion and International Relation - West and Islam Research Paper

Religion and International Relation - West and Islam - Research Paper Example This approach made the Muslim world hate the West to an extent that they disregarded all the successful ways of government of the West also and refused to modernize as they saw modernization as copying the West. This hatred became strong because of the continuous attack of the West for their interests. Be it Iran, Iraq, Palestine or Afghanistan; the decisions of the West were always seen as undemocratic and hostile. West always chose to meet their personal interests and not considering the interest of the people of the country it attacked. This selfish approach of the West made the Muslim world hate the West and these anti-West sentiments developed into religious extremism and made the non-state actors in these Muslim countries to spoil the image of Islam in the global world. The West should understand that it is largely responsible for this treatment of the people in the Muslim world; therefore, it should try to sincerely make efforts to help the Muslim countries develop and regain their past glory. TABLE OF CONTENTS ISLAM AND THE WEST – AN INTRODUCTION 3 ISLAM AND WEST- AN IDEOLOGICAL CLASH 5 INCIDENTS THAT EXACERBATED THE CONFLICT 5 The 9/11 attacks 5 The Arab spring 7 Post Arab Spring, West and the US 8 Palestine-Israel Issue 8 RELIGION AND POLITICS – A BACKGROUND 10 MARX AND FREUD ON RELIGION 11 ISLAM AND CHRISTINIATY – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES 13 ROOT OF THE CLASH 14 HOW TO RESOLVE THIS CLASH? 17 FORMING A MODERN SOCIETY – A CONCLUSION 18 ISLAM AND THE WEST – AN INTRODUCTION Islam and the West are different entities in many ways, but because of the globalization in the world; we see that there is an increasing interaction between these two entities, which becomes a reason for conflict in many situations. Islam, being one of the oldest religions in the world, and being the second most followed religion in the world after Christianity is seen as a threat to the West. There are many things similar between Christianity a nd Islam including monotheism; however, there is a clear ideological clash between the two due to their very believes and ideas. Islam believes in oneness of God, finality of the prophet-hood and the Qur’an. Muslims can be categorized as very religious and not very religious and they belong to every part of the world, and belong to varying ethnic backgrounds and social classes. They believe in traditions and family and try to keep themselves as aloof from the worldly pleasures as possible. They are proud of their rich culture and their glorious past and want that past to come back. On the other hand, West means the Europe, North America and Australia which is predominantly Christian. The term is more of a geographical classification based on their concept of valuing modernization and technology. They highly regard material pleasures and are secular in their attitudes and beliefs. There is a clear difference in the belief system of the two entities; however, it will be wrong t o say that they are completely two different entities. These days, the Muslim minority of the West is increasing which is making the West to make effort to integrate this minority. These Muslims living in the West are Muslims belonging to different parts of the world, sharing different backgrounds but united because of the concept of monotheism, prophet hood and the holy Qur’an. These Muslims are increasingly taking part in every field of life in the West and are playing an important role in the economic development of the West. Similarly, there are many people living in the Muslim countries that belong to the West and

CORPORATE FINANCE - Minicase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CORPORATE FINANCE - Minicase - Essay Example D0 = 2.00 2.12 2.247 2.382 1.88 1.76 1.65 . . . (2) What is the firm's current stock price (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) = = = = $30.29. (3) What is the stock's expected value 1 year from now (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) = = = = $32.10. (4) What are the expected dividend yield, the capital gains yield, and the total return during the first year (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) Total return = 13.0% Dividend yield = $2.12/$30.29 = 7.0% Capital gains yield = 6.0% The dividend yield in the first year is 10 percent, while the capital gains yield is 6 percent. e. Now assume that the stock is currently selling at $30.29. What is the expected rate of return on the stock (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) s= s= $2.12/$30.29 + 0.060 = 0.070 + 0.060 = 13%. f. What would the stock price be if its dividends were expected to have zero growth (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) 0 1 2 3 | | | | 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.77 1.57 1.39 . . . P0 = 15.38 P0 = PMT/r = $2.00/0.13 = $15.38. g. Now assume that Temp Force is expected to experience supernormal growth of 30% for the next 3 years, then to return to its long-run constant growth rate of 6%. What is the stock's value under these conditions What is its expected dividend yield and capital gains yield in Year 1 In Year 4 (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) 0 1 2 3 4 | | | |...What is the required rate of return on the firm's stock (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) g. Now assume that Temp Force is expected to experience supernormal growth of 30% for the next 3 years, then to return to its long-run constant growth rate of 6%. What is the stock's value under these conditions What is its expected dividend yield and capital gains yield in Year 1 In Year 4 (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) The dividend yield in year 1 is 4.80 percent, and the capital gains yield is 8.2 percent. After year 3, the stock becomes a constant growth stock, with g = capital gains yield = 6.0% and dividend yield = 13.0% - 6.0% = 7.0%. h. Is the stock price based more on long-term or short-term expectations Answer this by finding the percentage of Temp Force's current stock price based on dividends expected more than 3 years in the future (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006). i. Suppose Temp Force is expected to experience zero growth during the first 3 years and then to resume its steady-state growth of 6% in the fourth year. What is the stock's value now What is its expected dividend yield and its capital gains yield in Year 1 In Year 4 (Ehrhardt & Brigham, 2006) j. Finally, assume that Temp Force's earnings and dividends are expected to decline by a constant 6% per year, that is, g = -6%.

Dominant Theological Issue at Stake in the Resolution of the Nicene Essay

Dominant Theological Issue at Stake in the Resolution of the Nicene Creed - Essay Example ext that they formed. In order to truly be able to understand the Nicene Creed, as well as the matters that are significant in relation to it, such as the fact of what was the dominant theological issue at stake and who was represented in regards to the Nicene Creed, then you need to first understand the history of the Nicene Creed itself, where it came from, why it was brought about, and the importance that it plays in the world today. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Basically the Nicene Creed goes as follows: "And in one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remissions of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen." (Creeds, 1997). The Nicene Creed was written by the early Church and adopted in a slightly different version by the Church Council at Nicaea in AD 325 and appears in its present form by the Council at Chalcedon in AD 451. It is has remained in use since that time, and it is truly an essential part of the doctrine and liturgy of the Lutheran Church. As well, the Lutheran Church gives the option of the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed, suggesting the Nicene Creed as the more festive or solemn of the two. It is incredibly important to recognize the fact that the New Testament and the Nicene Creed are deeply entangled with each other, and the wording and the actual concepts in the Nicene Creed, for example, actually come from the New Testament, and in fact, one of the most important debates at the Council of Nicea concerned the matter of whether or not it is proper to include a word in the Nicene Creed that does not occur in the New Testament. "On the other hand, at the time that the Church issued the official canon of the New Testament, it customarily compared writings to the Nicene Creed to determine if they were orthodox. So you are correct if you say that the Nicene Creed proceeds from the New Testament, and you are correct if you say that the New Testament is certified by the Nicene Creed." (Collins, 2006). The interrelation between the Nicene Creed and the Trinity is one of great importance, and it is a matter of which discussion is essential in order to be able to get a better grasp on the matter of the Nicene Creed in general; basically, the Nicene Council truly did not invent the Trinity in the