Reflections Through the Looking Glass Essay Example for Free

Reflections Through the Looking Glass Essay Gazing at who the world perceives me to be†¦..A hesitant glance, my mind is flooded with questions. Who am I? Is this reflection a true representation of me? The looking glass offers up an image. An image that I know not to be true. It is a temporary snapshot of, supposedly, who I am. Am I to believe that this blunt and uncomfortably â€Å"honest† silver artist truly portrays ME, and all those that make use of the looking glass? It occurs to me that maybe it is not what one sees in the reflection that defines who I am, but rather what I feel. Sadly the reflection can be misused. We so often search for not who we are but who we want to be. The looking glass can begin to form part of an addiction to some and just like all other addictions, it damages the user. This ritual becomes, in some ways the source of a self-inflicted pain. Instead of pain in a physical sense, it takes its toll on one’s self esteem. I think that we all experience this at some stage in our lives where we simply loath that which is reflected in the mirror and feel pressured to change our image so as to fulfil the supposed requirements of society. In Sylvia Plath’s poem ‘Mirror’ she describes the arrogance of a woman’s mirror. In the last two lines she describes how the mirror has changed her self-perception and how she has aged. â€Å"In me (the mirror) she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises toward her, day after day, like a terrible fish.† I believe that Sylvia Plath’s poem addresses our concern with our outward appearance. However I think that, like in this poem, as in society, the most important aspect of one’s reflection is not made clear. We need to realise that our outward appearance is not all that the looking glass reflects, for indeed, if we look deeper, beyond the physical bonds of the looking glass, the heart becomes clear, for it is the reflection of our heart on the silver that truly defines who we are Don’t become a prisoner to the bondage of the looking glass. The only true facets of you are absent in the echo of the reflection. Shatter the glass with your inner truth and be liberated to see beyond the silver reflection – into your heart, where the Glory of God resonates the truth of who you are and let the shattered lies of the looking glass tumble into a heap of debris where they belong!

Impacts Of Globalisation On The Economy Politics Essay

Impacts Of Globalisation On The Economy Politics Essay Globalization is driven by a combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural, political, and biological factors, integrating worldwide government policies and financial markets through trade and exchange of ideas. Several Factors has fuelled the pace of globalisation; technology, especially communications technology, transportation, deregulation and liberalisation of economic policies, free trade, removal of capital exchange controls, change in consumer awareness and wants and emerging markets in developing countries (MOHAMMED). The world is undergoing a continual transitional process as numerous people, societies, institutions and organisations of varying interests across the globe partake in this expansion. (Mohammed R). Also, whilst economic, social, political and cultural systems across societies become increasingly interdependent and complex, the old world order of managing economies and international relations is being rendered inadequate (Mohamed R). In this transitional flux, the future of the world society appears far from stable (Wallerstein). (i)Economy The ever growing dependence between global economies resulting from international trade of goods, services, finances and technological development paved the way for a global economy. Economic globalisation refers to the continual growth and reciprocated integration of world markets and is an unalterable trend which has been developing at an unprecedented rate since the turn of the twentieth century. Rapid technological development, particularly in areas of information and communication, are the two main forces that have fuelled economic globalisation (Gao). Further the expansion of science and technology has substantially reduced the cost of transportation and communication, making economic globalisation a smoother process (Gao). Centralised economies shifted focus to market economies and market oriented reform through world bodies like GATT, WTO, IMF and World Bank galvanised this process. Many countries have steadily reduced their tariff and other blockades whilst implement flexibl e financial policies (Gao). The development of the financial sector to serve the needs of international trade and investment actions has come to be the most influential aspect of economic globalisation. As the main ambassadors of globalisation, Multinational Corporations (MNC), like McDonald, Coca Cola and Levi amongst others are organising production and allocating resources worldwide with a view to maximising profit. Their global developments are altering and restructuring macro-economic systems across global economies.(Gao) The expansion of economic globalisation also resulted in the reshaping and restructuring of global industrial structures and activities. In recent years, developed western countries and the US, whilst taking advantage of the knowledge economy, have shifted many of their labour intensive industries with poor global competitiveness, to developing countries. Conversely, due to the existence of productivity surplus since the dismantling of the Soviet Union, international competition has intensified amongst enterprises from different countries. In order to leverage their international competitiveness, enterprises are resorting to swift mergers and acquisitions, resulting in a wave of industrial reorganization. Similarly, developed countries, taking advantage of the low wage structure in developing nations, set up factories there. However, if the labour laws are altered or stricter rules introduced to govern the manufacturing process, then these factories are closed down and relocated to o ther countries with more favourable policies.(shanta Sharma). With better access to technology and liberalising of policies, developed countries are capable of producing higher quality goods at lower prices. This gives them the advantage of favourable balance of trade and thus a greater control over global financial resources and wider markets. As the biggest benefactors of economic globalisation, the United States and other Western countries have wielded considerable economic and cultural power by taking advantage of their control over international economic and financial organisations to encourage and determine the development of globalisation.(Wallerstein) Developing countries have been playing a central role in the process of economic globalisation and this is mirrored in the fact that they establish the regulations for international economic exchanges. Whilst the globalisation process has enabled developing economies to strengthen their market position by, initiating better technologies, introducing foreign capital and management experience, they also face enormous risks. Several reports indicate that globalisation has increased rather than reduced the gap between the developed and developing countries. Secondly, these countries also face the threat of being unfavourably impacted by external factors. Under open market situations, the difference between the realisation of outside economic stability and internal economic stability puts a substantial limit on their macro-economies, weakening their control and regulation.(Gao) According to a recent United Nations Development Report (1996), whilst globalisation has been a catalyst in reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life worldwide, for e.g. since the 1970s significant developments in China and India have played a major role in reduction of world poverty, the fact remains that economic growth is not balanced across the globe.(Shanta Sharma) The world today is so interconnected that the collapse of the subprime mortgage market in the U.S. has led to a global financial crisis and recession on a scale not seen since the Great Depression. Government deregulation and failed regulation of Wall Streets investment banks were important contributors to the crises.(Shanta Sharma) Globalisation in itself cannot bring about an equitable and rational new international economic order and an expansion in which developing countries are unable to evade the boomerang effects of globalisation or fully enjoy its benefits. (Wallerstein). (ii) Social As a consequence of the continual process of globalisation a diverse world in transition is surfacing, with significant de-localisation in social and economic changes (Mohamed R). Its one where change in socio-economic conditions is rendered by impersonal, non-institutional and non-ideological forces. Whilst the last quarter of the twentieth century has seen significant increase in communications, there is considerable decrease in person to person contact (Mohamed R). Many of the activities that involved face to face dealings are now conducted over larger distances. Activities and dealings have been displaced from local origins and cultures increasingly causing people to deal with distant systems. Banking and retailing for instance have implemented new technologies that entail less person to person interaction..(infed globalization) As a social and cultural process, globalization is increasingly exposing people to different ways of thinking, cultural values and family norms. (Jorg Grahm). Globalization is a phenomenon created through human activity and that in turn constantly changes human behavior and activity and has helped shape online communities. This has led to the evolution of new identities for people and a new phase of acculturation; new ideas, new methods of work, life and governance are being shared worldwide. Now more than ever, not only societal, but intra-familial issues are also being influenced by globalization (Jorg Graham). Globalizations most profound effect is on changing gender roles and the empowerment of women. Global proliferation of communication carries ideas and currents across continents, sensitizing people in remote areas to similar agendas and promoting mutual programs, promoting greater social justice and equality. One such example is the global campaign against brand names that exploit child labor. Whilst universal equality was the fundamental social and cultural value of traditional internationalism, contemporary globalizations only commitment is in perfecting the market it turns, including all cultural products into commodities. Whilst selling is universal, production is always local. In a social context, the basic ideology of globalization is not equality, but difference. Globalization unites the markets and divides individuals, as humans can be best used for purposes of global marketing if they act as individual consumers (shanta Sharma). Religion, region, language, caste, nationality and ethnicity are used to dismantle working class solidarities or to prevent them from emerging at the work place or residential communities. (Shanta Sharma). Whilst the current social order pretends to be an active one, increasingly headed towards a growing similarity of living conditions in all countries, it cannot counteract the fact that several thousands are still deprived of the basic ne cessities of a decent life. Racial unrest in Europe today is also a direct result of unrestricted legal and illegal immigration of people of different values, particularly those from North Africa and Asia. Whilst immigration has caused a sense of loss of their identity, they refuse to integrate into the host society to hold on to their allegiances. (Maddock) (iii) Cultural Cultural globalization refers to an increase in the exchange of cultural practices between countries and peoples involving the movement of ideas, information, images and people. Although practiced for thousands of years, economic and political globalization has contributed to a spurt in cultural globalization in recent decades. Giant strides in technology and communications, particularly the internet has been the single most important factor in breaking cultural boundaries across the globe facilitating immediate communication between people of varying lifestyles and cultures.(infed) . Additionally, new technologies and their utilization like commercial air travel, satellite television and mass communications and the internet have created a world where billions now consume and share identical cultural products sports, music, lifestyles, languages, entertainment as not evidenced before, determining a new global culture(Fabian global forum global know- gloablisation). In recent decades, there is a growing shift in power away from the nation state toward multinational corporations with the rise and globalization of brands like Coca Cola and McDonald. Employing a market strategy to establish their brands as an essential part of the way people see themselves they have captured a large global market, particularly the younger generation.(infed). With rapid strides in technology and communication, a new modern wave is emerging from the West and America; something that is defined as a popular culture. This new cultural globalization has easily transcended borders, reaching poor and rich countries alike, making no distinction. In developing countries it can be witnessed in a western style of dressing, use of cellular phones and popular usage of the English language among other things, bring about deep-seated changes in conventional local cultures, values and traditions (Louis de Lamare) Rising as a tributary to economic globalization, cultural globalization is slowly replacing the traditional nation-state and homogenizing cultures and conversely a loss of individual, national and ethnic cultural identities. Whilst cultural globalization can be a profoundly enriching process, opening minds to new ideas, experiences and strengthening the finest universal values of humanity, it also brings intrusions into the local norms, cultures and traditions of individual countries. Many cultures, particularly indigenous people, treasure their culture as their richest heritage, without which they have no roots or soul. Their culture cannot be quantified. (Levin). Many believe that such rampant exposure to foreign culture is undermining their own cultural identity. Whilst capitalism favors a fast paced environment and consumer culture, its a matter of conflict for other socialist societies are used to a different lifestyle and want to preserve their traditions.(lous Lamare) . Violen t reactions against the West by elements within Islamic society can be seen in this light.(Levin). Asian values are described as those embodying the ideals of respect, hard word, thrift and the belief of the importance of the community over the individual. These are coupled with preferences for economic, social and cultural rights, rather than political ones..(Mohamed R) In doing so, they have been able to protect and nurture their traditions in the face of utilitarian modernity, slack morals and globalization (Mohamed R) Another dimension to the negative aspects of cultural globalization is the imposing of one nations culture on another. The early 1990s attempts by the United States to dolphin ban sanctions against Mexico lead to heated governmental confrontations between the two countries. The issue was not that dolphins were endangered or even threatened species, but simply American cultural mores against the killing of these animals. The Japanese whaling issue has also come under a similar cultural scanner.(Levin) Conversely, many researchers also believe that globalization has a positive impact on the homogenizing effect of national cultures. Large television networks in India have given people a wider exposure and understanding of cultures in their own nation, reaffirming their own local traditions. (iv) Political Political globalization refers to an increasing trend toward multilateralism, in which the United Nations plays a key role, toward an emerging transnational state, and toward the emergence of national and international nongovernmental organizations that act as guardians over governments. Far reaching political changes have arisen from increased economic and social globalization, with developing or newly developed economics becoming even more dependent on the activities of developed economies such as the US where there is a centralization of capital and technical expertise.(Mohamed R) . The policies of national governments in capitalist countries are mainly determined by two important dynamics: the first is the state of the national process of capital accumulation and its relative international strength; the second is the balance of class forces both nationally and internationally.(Mohamed R) As a result, globalization has reduced of power of national governments to direct and influence their economies. Shift in economic activities in Japan or US are impacted all over the globe. The internationalization of financial markets, of technology and of some manufacturing and services bring with them a new set of limitations upon the freedom of action of nation states.(Mohamed R). To survive this market drive political globalization, it is deemed necessary for governments to handle the pressures of trans-national market forces as well as domestic economies. Whilst the influence of the nation states may have diminished as a part of the globalization process, it has not all together disappeared. The nation state remains as pivotal institution in creating conditions for effective national governance (Mohamed R). On a political map, whilst national boundaries are well demarcated, those indicating financial and industrial activity have largely overlapped or disappeared. Globalization has undermined the nation state, not only by shrinking resources under the national control for shaping economic and social outcomes, but it has reduced government legitimacy and control in the eyes of the public. (Mohamed R). The decline in national power and sovereignty in globalization is attributable to two important factors. One reflects the magnitude and velocity of international economic exchanges eroding the states capabilities and the other is the extent to which market relations across borders is diminishing the citizens attachment to national authority, reducing the states legitimacy. Citizens increasingly understand the relative economic strengths and weakness of their countries as products of specific national political arrangements and of different national cultures and not as the result of diverse national advantages. Contemporary politics in developed nations shows an increasing distrust of elected representatives. Unregulated flow of capital, labor, information from outside their country, resulting in unemployment delocalization of industry, immigrants, infiltration of undesirable material through the net are all attributed to poor government policies in allowing such lapses. Paradoxically , this one outcome of globalization is assisting governments to refocus political attention on the role of the state on the boundaries of national territory. In many advanced countries a new political camp has emerged to reinforce national control at the frontiers. (Mohamed R). Conclusion Globalisation involves the diffusion of ideas, practices and technologies and the increase of worldwide social relations which link distant localities, significantly impacting on the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of nations and its peoples. Globalization, however, is not a new phenomenon. It has existed in at various levels since the development of agriculture (Mohamed R). While it saw a spurt in the late nineteenth century, it slowed down during the period from the First World War until the third quarter of the twentieth century (Shanta Sharma). This slowdown can be attributed to the inward-looking policies pursued by a number of countries in order to protect their respective industries. However, it was with the dismantling of the Soviet Union and destruction of the Berlin Wall that contemporary globalisation commenced, giving rise to a transitional world society. The recent recession has seen corporations and institutions from developed nations moving their focus to developing countries, particularly in the East. Cheap labour, relaxed industrial norms and the capacity to shift base at short notice to countries with more favourable policies have all significantly impacted on economic globalisation. The import of raw materials from developing nations is another advantage. Multinational corporations have shifted power away from the nation state with their brand globalization. However, whilst research does indicate that globalisation has been able to alleviate global poverty, it has in many respects deepened the gap between the rich and poor nations. Economic globalisation has brought in its wake significant and far reaching changes in socio-cultural activities as well as politics. With an increase in the exchange of cultural practices, attributable largely to the internet, there is on one hand a homogenization of cultures and the transgression and loss of national ethnicity and cultures. Further, globalization has undermined the nation state, not only by shrinking resources under the national control for shaping economic and social outcomes, but it by reducing governmental legitimacy. There is an increasing trend toward multilateralism, in which the United Nations plays a main part, toward an emerging transnational state. In this constant state of flux, it is difficult to say whether an equilibrium state of world society can be achieved.

indus valley :: essays research papers fc

Beneath the Himalayas, Northwestern sector of the Asian subcontinent was beginning stage of an evolved city life. It was the earliest known civilization in South Asia. It is called the Indus Valley Civilization. It was the first civilization to flourish in India. This lasted from 2500 BC until 1500 BC. It is sometimes referred to as the Harappan civilization, named for the site of Harappa, one of its major centers. Sir John Marshall and his colleagues discovered this civilization. The Indus peoples used wheeled carts, designed creative jewelry and toys, and had written languages. The Indus valley civilization had reached it’s heights around 2500 BC â€Å"Among the indigenous people of ancient India, the Indus valley civilization stands out particularly advanced an impressive (Ludwig pg.65.)†. Researchers say that the Indus Valley civilization is far more advanced that prehistoric Egypt, Mesopotamia or anywhere else in the Western Asia. The Indus Valley stretches for thousands of miles. It had many cities, which included the two largest cities Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. These two cities had the population of more than 40,000 each while Sumerian cities only had 10,000 each. In the entire Indus valley civilization had about seven hundred towns and villages. The Indus valley people lived off of agriculture, and trade. They grew barley, wheat, rice and etc. There was remarkable achievement on cotton. It was the earliest traces of cotton. Trade and agriculture was their source of wealth and survival. The Indus people used bronze and copper greatly. They use it to make spears, knives, short swords, axes and fish-hooks. Gold and silver was used to create ornaments, amulets, and charms. These were used to protect them from evil sprit or people that were going to be of harm to them. There was also trade with domestic and international trafficking by water. â€Å"Archaeology and Ecology show that imports included gold from Southern India or Afghanistan, copper from Rajasthan or Afghanistan or even farther afield, turquoise from Iran and etc. (Wheeler pg. 64)†. The Indus civilization had a polytheistic religion. The Indus people worshipped natural forces such as trees, animals, water, and mother goddess. These are also important in the Hindu religion. They believed that water had a purifying power. Many clay figurines of animals, women, and men were found. Sometime after 2000 B.C. the Aryans migrated into India from the northwest, it became dominant, but some of the Indus people and their religion ideas were absorbed into the Hinduism religion.

Influences on Huck in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberyy Finn Essay

Influences on Huck in Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberyy Finn Throughout the incident on pages 66-69 in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck fights with two distinct voices. One is siding with society, saying Huck should turn Jim in, and the other is seeing the wrong in turning his friend in, not viewing Jim as a slave. Twain wants the reader to see the moral dilemmas Huck is going through, and what slavery ideology can do to an innocent like Huck. Huck does not consciously think about Jim's impending freedom until Jim himself starts to get excited about the idea. The reader sees Huck's first objection to Jim gaining his freedom on page 66, when Huck says, "Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he was most free-and who was to blame for it? Why, me. I could get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way." Huck is hearing the voice of society at this point, not his own. He does not see a moral dilemma with Jim being free; he is opposed to the fact that he is the one helping him. This shows Huck misunderstanding of slavery. Huck does not treat Jim like a slave when they travel together, this shows the reader that Huck views Jim as an equal in most ways. Huck sees having a slave only as owning the person, not actually being a slave to someone. Therefore, when he helps Jim runaway it would be like stealing. This conscience is telling him that Miss Watson, Jim?s master, never di...

Hamlet Analysis :: essays research papers

In Act 1 Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet can be portrayed as either, a harsh, mean, and demanding father or a caring, nice, and understanding dad. This depends on how you manipulate the lighting, actions, which includes speech, and other special effects. By manipulating the lighting on the ghost of King Hamlet, he can be presented as either a demanding and harsh father or a caring and understanding dad. To present the ghost as a demanding and harsh father you could use a bright red light shining on him. Using a red light would portray him as evil because the color red is associated with such things as fire and hell, both which have negative connotations. For example, at the beginning of the scene a single red light can shine down on the ghost from behind casting a dark shadow onto Hamlet. When the ghost says, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.'; The single light from behind could move to directly over the ghost casting a shadow onto his face to make him look even more menacing. Also, lights all over the stage would begin at a low red glow and slowly rise to a bright red engulfing the whole stage when the ghost finishes off the quote saying, “murder';. If you manipulate the light in another way the ghost can be p resented as a caring father. By using a white or a blue light would portray him as good because the colors of white and blue are connected with things such as heaven and angels, both of which have good connotations. For example, when showing the ghost, a white light could be coming at him from all angles, following wherever he goes. When the ghost of King Hamlet says, “Taint not thy mind…aught.'; A white light could be coming from under the stage shining up onto the ghost, and also from all other angles. This would cause the ghost to shine brightly from the light bouncing off his armor. Saying this quote while having white light surround him would further portray him as caring. This is because he is telling Hamlet not to harm, or even think of harming his mother. Not only does lighting show how the ghost of King Hamlet can be portrayed in two different ways, but it can also be displayed by his actions and speech.

Paul Ricoeur’s Philosophy and Theology. Essay

Paul Ricoeur was born to a devout Protestant family and grew up with his aunt since he was two years of age. Because his mother died and his father was killed during the World War I, he grew up as an orphan in a small remuneration afforded to him by the government as a war orphan. He was a bookish and an exceptional student during his time; his family’s influence brought him up with Protestant faith. He studied philosophy at Sourbonne and got influence from Gabriel Marcel. During World War I, he served the French army in 1939, became prisoner of war in Germany for five years. During his stay at the camp, he met other intellectuals like Mikel Dufrenne and read a lot about Karl Jaspers who was to have a great influence on him. After the war, he continued his studies and in 1950, he received his doctorate degree. He was given opportunity to work as the Chair of General Philosophy in his alma mater in 1956; from there he began his work as a prolific writer sharing his philosophy and theology. Throughout his life, he was known and respected as one of the most impressive philosophers of the 20th century. Every event in his life has contributed to what he believed in. His Christian belief was influenced by his family; his philosophical view was influences of people he met, he talk, and read. He is a well-known Christian philosopher yet, his writings were appreciated by both non-Christian and Christian. Paul’s Ricoeur’s Philosophy Ricoeur’s philosophical is central to the meaning of life and self. Recoeur’s philosophy is based on the two questions about the self. These questions answers are about the identity of the self and how should it live. Recoeur viewed self hood as inter-subjective capacity for agency and self self-ascription, and anybody can acquire. It means that self as an agency, and self-ascription. However, in his exploration of the issue, he discussed the philosophical thinking in five aspects namely: hermeneutic philosophy, post-Hegelian-Kantian methodology, narrative theory, philosophy of the self, and a moral-political philosophy. Hermeneutics is defined as a system through which a certain belief is interpreted using a specific theory and method for interpretation. Paul’s hermeneutics philosophy according to Paul Ricceur and Richard Keamey is of twofold source of reflection: the hermeneutics of testimony and the hermeneutics of the self. In their explanation, Paul had come up with a thesis, which concludes that testimony must give something to be interpreted as in history, and this testimony will be the object of interpretation. The hermeneutics of self on the other hand pertains to the role in which attestation has to play. David Kaplan in his article explained that hermeneutics for Ricoeur is interpretation of knowledge through its signs, symbols, and texts; it is interpretation of human works and actions. The Post-Hegelian Kantian philosophy on the other hand, is mediation for Ricoeur in such a way that it is combining two different views. Ricoeur accepted Kant’s claim that ideas of morality and history is understandable, and that it has universal validity because of its theoretical and practical reasons. Hegel on the other hand, viewed evil in the world as the â€Å"cunning of reason† as helpful for man in realizing a reality. Thus, post-Hegelian Kantian means that expectation is a hope for a humanity belonging to a history, which as a whole is a collective singular. This vision of history is the foundation of ethics and laws in Kant. This implies that Ricoeur acknowledges the concept of totality as long as its scope of reflection is limited to universal rationality (or history). He is actually recognizing that any differences could be regarded as related as in plurality of voices (or idea) yet, reasons behind could be recognized when philosophy tries to find it. Ricoeur’s thesis in Time and Narrative presents that human experience and narration exist. Through hermeneutics, one can easily interpret human experience because it has narration or plot. Narration theory therefore, is telling, writing, and understanding of fictional stories, as Kaplan explained. Narration or plot according to Wall, Schweiker and Hall is an integration of philosophy of action and philosophy of language into a synthesis. By means of this integration, a production of narration is come alive through voluntary and involuntary human actions, its symbolic language, and conflicts, which are to be interpreted through hermeneutics methods linking the time and history. The Philosophy of Self or Philosophy of subjectivity is an attempt anyone can do to elucidate the meaning of man’s existence. Ricceur and Kearney explicate Ricoeur’s hermeneutics of self into the sovereign self and the destructive self. The sovereign self according to them represents the idea in its meaning in the modern philosophy, which pervades modern culture and develops the self-image of people in the modern society. The deconstructive self on the other hand presents self as pure extensionless, consciousness, already established in being. Self therefore has the capability of combining knowledge, and it is vulnerable for it seeks certainty and security. At this point, will and reason are very important to human for they are the instruments for self-preservation and self-advancement. Signs and symbols and human experience are essential for man to interpret the meaning of their existence. Moral Philosophy for Ricoeur emphasizes that human being is capable of affirming the limits of one’s own moral perspective and embracing God’s critical transformative power. Being a Bible believer, he believed that everyone has moral responsibility, which accounts directly to moral value. Wall Schweiker and Hall noted that these moral values could be deeply explored from distinctive theological and hermeneutical perspective as what Ricoeur tried to point out. The issue of moral thought or moral responsibility in the study of Ricoeur’s philosophy offers important remedy to present ethical situations or problems. Moral ethics is an expression of human capability though fallible man yet has the ability to embody moral values through the power of God by simply being humble enough to acknowledge weaknesses. Paul Ricoeur’s Theology According to Julisn F. Woods, Paul Recoeur approaches theology by asking questions such as: â€Å"Where is freedom? Or does le coincide with the discovery and understanding of an inner necessity deeper than choice and kind of autonomy? In a word, does the highest degree of freedom consist in the surging up of an absolute power of choosing or in the love fate? † These questions prelude Ricoeur’s ethical approach and hermeneutical approach to theology. Recoeur consider theology and philosophy to be distinct in terms of their contents. He sees theology as hermeneutical, which provides cross-disciplinary, cross-traditional conversational quest for truth. Recoeur was particularly interested in Biblical exegeses and has written an essay in collaboration with other New Testament scholars. He adopted Boltmanian tradition engaging in historical criticism while also affirming the breadth of Biblical genres. In the essay entitled â€Å"Ethics and Considerations on the Golden Rule† Recoeur cited that Christian Ethics or communal ethics in religious perspectives, as he calls it, consist in the tension between unilateral love and bilateral justice, and in mutual interpretation of each of these in terms of the other. According to Mark Wallace, Recoeur’s religious thought that as one attempts to interpret the Bible, it actually begins with the risk of understanding biblical language including symbols and signs. Recoeur himself stated that interpretation of the Bible should be in accordance with testimonies of the witnesses particularly the Jewish community. He regarded that the Christian message is meaningful and is worthy of consideration, and that examining it will it self very fully. For Ricoeur, the God of the Bible cannot be theoretically proven as a staple of reason or as a fact alongside other facts in our empirical experience. He believes that Gods existence cannot be proven by any natural theology that necessitates thought or the knowledge of empirical objects. Wallace pointed out that Recoeur relies on signs, not on proofs in interpretation of the language. Recoeur believed that pertaining to scripture language it relies on the signs and traces of a reality testified to at the horizon of philosophical reflection that demands to be interpreted and understood. In the argument of language interpretations, Ricoeur balances it against the possibility of error in the testimony of the witnessing community and regard it a risk that would result in false testimony. Wallace noted that the risk must be taken because the stakes are so high. Therefore, Ricoeur believed in the truthfulness of the Bible being the ultimate source of God’s words. Interpretation of it should undergo hermeneutical approach based on history by knowing underlying concepts suggested in symbols, signs and text. For Ricoeur, the stakes is the possibility of Biblical language being a faithful trace of God’s presence in the Jewish and Christian communities. He believed that the knowledge of the absolute is never given in an absolute sense but only relative to the contingent and fallible signs that the divine life gives of itself in its generosity. Ricoeur agreed that religion deals with man’s ultimate concern and that the New Testament calls to be Christ like, is the counterpart of the mandated self of the Hebrew Bible.

Learning English Essay

Life long learning is the concept that it is never too soon or too late for learning. Lifelong learning is attitudinished that one should be open to the new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviours. English is neccessity of life and the same as lifelong learning when you want to live in the real world; English is very important and neccessity in your life. For example, when I was young I could not speak any language and then after I grew up my parents, my teachers; they tried to teach Thai language to me because they knew if I cannot understand Thai language it would be very difficult to live with another people when I grew up where I studied my teacher taught English to our students because he knew English is very important in the world, but I did not know why at that time I did not study hard. Sometime, English was boring; this is the reason why I did not have interest to study it, perhaps I think, I am lazy and it is not good for me. English is important key to success. If you want to do anything in the world such as, to study, to do your business, to make a new friends, to go aboard etc. Especially when you go aboard to study another course. It is teach in English and then when you graduate and want to get a good job, it is very important for you to do anything in your business. You can use it to make new friends from all over the countrys in the world for your business. It has an adventure over than somebody cannot use English. Your business has a good chance for your success. The real world has a lot of business competitors if you cannot use English maybe you get someone who want to do business with you and may decieve you and then your business may fail or bankrupt. Whatever English enlightens us about how to succeed in the real world eventually I want to study English, but according to my chance when I live in India. My disere is simutnious about studying English and to write research proposal an apply to study in some course at the university because i will hope it would be good for me to improve my English and I will finish maybe it has been good. When I have finished. I will get a good job and I can communicate or contact with foriegners who give a good chance and good work for me. Though I will achieve good things or bad experiences but I think, English is meaningful and worthwhile to study. I will want to study all the time, it cannot stop to learn probably if i will study for a long time, it will help me to succeed in anything. I am hopeful it can improve my life although it is very difficult and very complicated for me, but I will want to try and study. It  has worthiness or worthless it depends on you. If you think and do in the right way it is good for you and anybody, but on the other hand it is good for you only and then it can destroy someone.