Dwight Eisenhower Fast Facts

Dwight Eisenhower Fast Facts Dwight Eisenhower (1890 - 1969) was chosen for the White House in 1952. He had filled in as the Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and was a tremendously well known figure in the United States. He had the option to convey 83% of the appointive vote. Unexpectedly, he never observed dynamic battle regardless of his numerous years in the military.â Following is a rundown of quick realities for Dwight Eisenhower. For more inside and out data, you can likewise peruse the Dwight Eisenhower Biography. Birth: October 14, 1890 Passing: Walk 28, 1969 Term of Office: January 20, 1953 - January 20, 1961 Number of Terms Elected: 2 Terms First Lady: Marie Mamie Geneva Doud Graph of the First Ladies Dwight Eisenhower Quote: No individuals can live to itself alone. The solidarity of all who abide in opportunity is their own sure. ~Second Inaugural AddressAdditional Dwight Eisenhower Quotes Significant Events While in Office: End of the Korean War (1953) Brown v. Leading group of Education (1954) Interstate Highway System Created (1956)Eisenhower arranged Federal soldiers to Little Rock, Arkansas to uphold incorporation (1957)Eisenhower Doctrine (1957) States Entering Union While in Office: The Frozen North (1959)Hawaii (1959) Related Dwight Eisenhower Resources: These extra assets on Dwight Eisenhower can give you additional data about the president and his occasions. Dwight Eisenhower BiographyWant a progressively itemized take a gander at Dwight Eisenhowers life from his youth through his time as president? This life story gives point by point data to assist you with increasing a superior comprehension of the man and his organization. Outline of World War IIWorld War II was the war to end animosity by savage tyrants. The partners battled for empathetic treatment surprisingly. This war is portrayed by limits. Individuals recollect the saints with affection and the culprits of the Holocaust with scorn. Earthy colored v. Leading group of EducationThis legal dispute upset the regulation of Separate yet Equal that had been permitted with the Plessy v. Ferguson choice in 1896. Korean ConflictThe war in Korea kept going from 1950-1953. It has been known as the overlooked war due to its arrangement between the greatness of World War II and the desolation brought about by the Vietnam War. Graph of Presidents and Vice PresidentsThis instructive outline gives snappy reference data on the presidents, VPs, their terms of office, and their ideological groups. Other Presidential Fast Facts: Harry TrumanJohn F. KennedyList of American Presidents

Visual Representations of Organization Theory Essay

Visual Representations of Organization Theory - Essay Example As cited by Morgan, ‘communications scholar Marshall McLuhan noticed that the exact opposite thing a fish is probably going to find is the water it is swimming in. The water is so key to the fish’s lifestyle that it isn't seen or questioned.’ (2006). Through this Morgan guides our focus toward the idea of trap of supported perspectives. The principal pretended by water to the fish analogs numerous instruments, philosophies, ideas whereupon associations are framed. Simply the way, water is the world for a fish, and a fish can't live out of water, so do associations act all the time. Associations will in general receive certain culture, instruments, apparatuses and rehearses which in the end become the essentials of the association and its objectives. These highlights reflect in the persuasive parts of the association too which powers the representatives to work toward that path ‘only,’ in this way blocking inventiveness and other shrouded business pote ntial. In this course, associations will in general embrace a sort of language, called as the authoritative language which turns into the key factor of hierarchical development as correspondence is essential for any organization’s achievement. Morgan relates this circumstance to the clairvoyant jail allegory relating it to the snare of supported perspectives, and gives direction to release shrouded force and innovativeness. The snare of supported perspectives prompts conclusion of different roads and openings, in the long run prompting the circumstance of work getting to a greater degree a standard or custom and loss of development and imagination. During the time spent supported perspectives, we will in general observe just those things are recognizable to us, and will in general overlook the rest. Despite the fact that presence of imagination may not be the deciding variable of any business, it can in the end turn so and, subsequently, absence of inventiveness must be taken note. At the point when the concealment of rationale of what is critical is forced by authoritative control, this

Blog Archive Georgetown McDonough Essay Analysis, 20182019

Blog Archive Georgetown McDonough Essay Analysis, 2018â€"2019 *Please note: You are viewing an essay analysis from the 2018-2019 admissions cycle.  Click here  to view our collection of essay analyses for the current admissions season. We have noted in the past our appreciation for the opportunity Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business gives its candidates to share who they are beyond the statistics and other facts presented in the rest of their application, and the school’s essay prompts for this season continue to support that approach. McDonough’s required first essay now involves three options from which candidates can choose, so applicants can select the one that addresses an aspect of their candidacy they most want to highlight for the admissions committee. The school’s video essay then allows candidates to creatively showcase their individuality and personality. And any aspiring McDonough MBAs with specific concerns about or issues in their profile can use the program’s optional essay to address and mitigate them. In our analysis that follows, we give our ideas and advice for addressing all the school’s prompts for this year. We want to hear your story. When responding to our required essays, be authentic and take time to reflect on your goals and past experiences. Craft a response that explains how these experiences led you to pursue an MBA. Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 500 words or less and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission. Essay Option One: It can be said that life begins outside your comfort zone. Describe a situation when you were asked to lead outside of your comfort zone. What leadership characteristics did you exemplify in this situation that allowed you to succeed? Success tends to come easily when one is engaged in something he/she is already good at and does so in a familiar and comfortable setting. However, business school is not a familiar environment for most and definitely requires individuals to regularly step outside their comfort zone. It is a dynamic, rigorous, demanding, intense, and exacting experienceâ€"albeit in exciting and rewarding ways, of courseâ€"and McDonough wants to know you are truly ready for the challenge ahead and that your time in its program will extract the best from you. With a 500-word allowance for this essay, you should have ample space in which to present a narrative-style description of the incident you choose. The school does not specify that the story must come from your professional endeavors, so consider incidents from your personal life and community work as well to ensure you select a topic that effectively addresses and provides what the school is seeking with this prompt. Note that you are being asked to share a leadership experience, not simply one in which you found yourself. Once you have introduced the basic situation, be sure to clarify what about it made it unfamiliar or uncomfortable to you. Ideally, to better illustrate the contrast between your usual style and the one you were required to take in this specific instance, touch briefly on what you might have normally done in the situation or what approach you would have taken. Then explain how you arrived at your novel idea/attitude/approach/strategy. For example, did someone or something in particular inspire you? The admissions committee is interested in hearing your thought process and influences and in understanding how you assess new situations, digest information, and subsequently react. Next, describe the actions you took and, of course, the situation’s outcome. Be sure to pinpoint which attributes you relied on to make your contribution effective and ultimately successfulâ€"and, if applicable, how these attributes affected those you led. Essay Option Two: “Failure is not something to be ashamed of, it’s something to be POWERED by. Failure is the high-octane fuel your life can run on. You’ve got to learn to make failure your fuel.” â€"Abby Wambach. Describe a situation when failure has been your fuel. What was your failure (or when did you not succeed to your full potential), and how did you use this as motivation to move forward and be successful in a future situation? We feel fairly confident saying that no one proceeds smoothly through life without ever encountering a failure or setback, so no doubt you have at least one story from your past that could be fitting for this essay. The key is to identify a time when you were derailed or prevented from achieving an objective and were subsequently inspired to try again or to attempt something different but equally (or even more) challenging. The admissions committee wants to know that you are the kind of individual who gets back up after being knocked down and is not easily deterred. For this essay, start by thinking of a time when something got in the way of you attaining a goal you were pursuing in an important area of your life. This could be an internal issue or an external force. Consider incidents from your career, personal life, and community activities to find the one you feel is most compelling and reveals the most about you. For example, perhaps you miscalculated the budget on a critical work project, suffered an injury at mile 20 of your first attempt at running a marathon, or had a volunteer event you organized be shut down by inclement weather. The way the school’s essay prompt is worded leads us to believe that McDonough is less interested in hearing the minute details of your failure storyâ€"though you will need to sufficiently explain what happened, of courseâ€"and more interested in what you took away from the experience. You will need to expound on how the defeat taught you a specific lesson of some kind and how this has influenced your subsequent actions and/or decisions. The incident you share in this essay needs to have compelled you to pursue another goal down the line. Begin your essay by providing some narrative context that sets the stage for the significant moment or experience, showing your progress and mind-set to that point and setting the baseline as far as what you expected to do or gain. Then, describe the incident or issue that foiled your efforts and detail your reaction and thought processes. Finally, share how the experience altered who you are and/or how you view or interact with the world and later inspired you to strive for a new objective of some kind. With 500 words, you should have sufficient space to present all these facets of your story, especially if you jump directly into your narrative and avoid unnecessary preamble. With this essay, McDonough hopes to understand how the situation has contributed to the person you are today and how you might function in similar situations in the future, whether in its MBA program or your post-MBA career. Clearly presenting this will help demonstrate your self-awareness, capacity for growth, and ambition. Essay Option Three: Your personal brand reflects your values and beliefs, and impacts your relationships and community. Describe the personal brand that you will bring to business school using examples or experiences that support how youve developed it. How do you believe your personal brand will strengthen the McDonough community? As you complete your MBA program, how do you hope to see your personal brand evolve through the transformative experience of business school? First, do not assume the phrase “personal brand” means that McDonough expects you to be the next famous business mogul or celebrity with thousands of eager Instagram followers or the like. At its core, this prompt is basically asking, “Who are you as an individual? What are some key experiences and influences in your life that have helped make you into the person you are today? How will your personality and skills contribute to the McDonough community? And how will McDonough in turn influence who you are and hope/expect to be in the future?” We hope this translation of sorts helps allay any trepidation this prompt may have initially triggered in you. At its core, this essay is largely about two key things you should already know rather wellâ€"yourself and McDonough. We would venture that “brand” in this case encompasses personality, individual strengths and characteristics, and a sense of conviction and ownership. First, think about the aspects of your personality and profile that you believe truly define you as an individualâ€"not just what you do and have done, but who you areâ€"and fully explore your background, hobbies, talents, experiences, values, goals, and quirks. Brainstorm an extensive list and then eliminate any items that seem too common (e.g., a BA in finance) or basic (e.g., your hometown) until you have a collection of truly distinctive qualities you can weave into your response. Your goal is to provide a well-rounded picture of yourself that draws from multiple areas and shows that you possess characteristics and/or knowledge that would make you a positive addition to the McDonough community. You will then need to go one step further and spell out how you came to possess these qualities. Were you influenced by someone in your family or community to learn a particular skill? Did you encounter a subject or activity in school that has since become a passion of yours? Once you have presented some of what you believe are your distinctive characteristics, describe for the admissions committee where you feel those characteristics originated. The next element of the essay concerns how your particular personality and attributes will contribute to the community and environment at McDonough. And to know how to contribute, you must first understand the community and environment in question. So, if you have not already done so, start researching the school in depth. Ideally, this means moving beyond the school’s website, viewbook, and related marketing materials and making direct contact with students, alumni, and even school representatives. Attend an admissions event in your area, if available, and schedule a campus visit and sit in on a class. This kind of firsthand observation of what and who the McDonough program truly entails, paired with a profound knowledge of how it works, is key in identifying what is unique about you viewed against this backdropâ€"and will help highlight what you can bring to the mix and how.   Pay special attention to aspects and areas that speak to you personally in some way, and consider social events/clubs and professional development opportunities along with course work and academic offerings. Business school is meant to be a comprehensive environment and experience that enriches students in ways not just related directly to business, and perhaps your best potential for contribution lies in one of these areas. If you have years of experience teaching, for example, you could perhaps help facilitate discussions among the students in your study group or on team projects. If you have a depth of knowledge or years of experience in a particular area, whether through your job or in a personal capacity (such as being a dedicated wine aficionado), you could serve as a kind of subject matter expert for those around you in the program or even a valuable component in someone’s recruiting network. If you are particularly funny, creative, or athletic, you may be the ideal fit to l ead an extracurricular group or play a significant role in a nonacademic project or event. Lastly, you need to explain how you see the McDonough experience contributing to who you are and who you want to be by graduation and going forward. In a sense, you need to spell out “Why McDonough?” The assumption is that something you have learned about the program leads you to believe the school is the right fit for you and where you want to go in the future. So what makes you feel this way? The admissions committee wants to know that you are are truly excited to be a part of the community and expect to benefit from your learning experience there. Demonstrating your authentic interest in the program by outlining a clear connection between who you want to be and what the school offers is key to crafting a compelling essay response. Video Essay:  We ask that you introduce yourself to your cohort in one minute or less. The Admissions Committee would like for you to appear in person during part of your video, and we strongly encourage you to speak outside of the experiences we can read on your resume. Use this video as an opportunity to bring life to your application. For more instructions, view our Video Essay Guide. You may use your phone, computer, or other means to record the video, but please ensure all audio and visual components are clear. We recommend a well-lit room and minimal noise distraction. Upload your video to an accessible website (such as Youtube, Vimeo, Youku, or Tudou), and submit the direct video URL into your online application. Please note that all videos must remain active and accessible to the admissions committee online for a minimum of five years for record retention purposes. For your privacy: Do not include your name in the title of your video. You may submit “unlisted” videos via YouTube or password protected videos through Vimeo. If using a password, please include immediately after your link in the text box below. [Ex: www.youtube.com/123, password: Hoyas] McDonough’s video essay is another opportunity for you to offer the school a glimpse into your character and personality. As the prompt says, this is a chance to “bring life to your application,” so your focus should be on ensuring that it as authentic and natural as possible. This is not a job interview, and the school specifically states that you should consider your future cohortâ€"your fellow studentsâ€"as your intended audience, which certainly implies that a less rigid and traditionally “professional” demeanor is okay, though we of course caution you to always be appropriate and inoffensive. Do not use the video as an opportunity to pitch your candidacy or to pander to the school, and avoid repeating any information that is already clearly conveyed in your resume. (When an admissions committee tells you so specifically what to do [or not do] in an essay prompt, pay attention!) This is also not the time to detail your career goals or express your admiration for the pro gram. You have only one minute in which to make an impression, and even without knowing you personally, we are confident in our belief that you have more to your character than can be conveyed in a mere 60 secondsâ€"so do not waste any of them! Given that this is a video, you will obviously need to think beyond what you will say and consider the clothing you will wear, the setting or background of your video, your tone of voice, your language style, whether you will include music, and a host of other details. Brainstorm ways of nonverbally communicating some of your strongest attributes and key aspects of your life to help permeate your submission with as much information as possible. For example, if you are an avid biker, consider using a GoPro or similar camera to film your video while you are actively riding. If you are a dedicated guitar player, perhaps strum your guitar as you speak (or, if you are especially confident, you could even sing about yourself!). Think about what makes you who you are today, decide what you most want to share with your future classmates, and then let your creativity flow. On a practical note, be sure to speak clearly in your video. You naturally do not want any part of your message to be lost or misunderstood, and the admissions committee may view your communication skills and style as indicators of how you might interact with your classmates and/or speak in the classroom. Spend some time practicing in front of a mirror or a friend, but do not overrehearse. You still want to come across as genuine and natural. Optional Essay: Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included. (500 words or fewer) We tend to believe that the best use of the optional essay is to explain confusing or problematic issues in your candidacy, and this prompt offers an opportunity to do just that. However, because McDonough does not stipulate that you can only discuss a problem area in this essay, you have some leeway to share anything you feel is that you think may be pivotal or particularly compelling. So, if you need to, this is your chance to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your profileâ€"a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, a gap in your work experience, etc. In our mbaMission Optional Essays Guide, we offer detailed advice on how best to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application. However, because the question can be interpreted rather broadly, it does open the door for you to discuss anything that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and that you feel is truly critical for the admissions committee to know to be able to evaluate you fully and effectively. We caution you about simply trying to fill this space because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. Remember, by submitting an additional essay, you are asking the admissions committee to do extra work on your behalf, so you need to make sure that time is warranted. If you are using the essay to emphasize something that if omitted would render your application incomplete, take this opportunity to write a very brief narrative that reveals this key new aspect of your candidacy. Re-Applicant Essay: Required for re-applicants. How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally. (500 words or fewer) Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. McDonough wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a McDonough MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible. Share ThisTweet 2018-2019 Business School Essays Georgetown University (McDonough) MBA Essay Analysis

Yersinia Pestis And The Plague - 872 Words

Yersinia pestis and the Plague The infectious disease known as â€Å"the Plague† is spread by a bacterium classified as Yersinia pestis, which is usually transmitted in the bites of fleas or infected animals or people. Infectious Disease: Signs and Symptoms The plague has three different forms: Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic. The signs and symptoms of the bubonic plague usually include fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes. A flea will typically bite a human, and the bacteria will travel to the nearest lymph node where it will multiply before it spreads to other parts of the body. The signs and symptoms of the Septicemic plague also generally include fever, chills, extreme weakness, as well as abdominal pain, shock, and possibly bleeding into the skin and other organs. Just like the bubonic plague, it usually comes from the bite of a flea, or from contact with an animal that has also been infected. In the case of the Pneumonic plague, the patients will also experience fever, headache, weakness, but it will usually be accompanied by a rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, may develop a cough, chest pain, and sometimes blood y and/or watery mucous, and may cause respiratory failure, all of which can lead to shock. This is also the most serious form of the disease, and is the only one of the three forms that can be spread from person to person. Causative Agent(s): Distinguishing characteristicsShow MoreRelatedYersinia Pestis And The Plague1131 Words   |  5 PagesYersinia pestis and the Plague Jin You MMI 133 Dr. Judith Gnarpe One organism that commonly causes diseases in humans is Yersinia pestis. This bacterium is the causative agent of the infamous bubonic plague, primary septicaemic plague, and primary pneumonic plague. Y. pestis was first discovered by Shibasaburo Kitasato and Alexandre Yersin, but due to Yersin’s description of the bacteria being more accurate, this bacterium was named after him (3). There are still disputes going on for who had correctlyRead More Plague - Bacillus Yersinia Pestis Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesIdentification and Prevention of What Makes Life â€Å"Nasty, Brutish, and Short† Plague is caused by the bacterium bacillus Yersinia pestis, and is carried by rodents, fleas, and mammals. Plague takes three forms: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. Bubonic plague affects the lymph glands, while the pneumonic and septicemic forms affect the lungs and the blood. Today, plague can be prevented by antibiotics and strict public health measures. Three methods of controlling carriers involve sanitizingRead MoreEssay Yersinia pestis - Bacteria Virulence and Symptoms1438 Words   |  6 PagesYersinia pestis - Bacteria Virulence and Symptoms Yersinia pestis appeared fairly early in history and is still prevailing today. Humans have come in contact with this bacterium in massive outbreaks throughout history, including the most famous Black Death of the 14th century. From the lack of knowledge of the bacteria and its ability to infect populations rapidly, the human race has suffered immensely. The bacterium is specialized with specific plasmids, Yersinia outer proteins as well as otherRead MoreEssay on How the Black Plague Effected Society741 Words   |  3 Pages The plague is a dangerous and deadly disease. The plague is one of the oldest diseases known to the human race. Back when Europe was still in the middle ages all the people including serfs, royalty, jews, and church members were devastated by disease that was unknown to them. The disease spread rapidly through Europe through a variety of means. The plague possesses many names like the black death or the black plague. No matter what the people referred to it as i t greatly affected the society inRead MoreAn Educational Presentation By Caitlin Gibbs1314 Words   |  6 PagesYersinia pestis An educational presentation by Caitlin Gibbs General Outline Covering: ï‚ § History and Relevance ï‚ § Biological Characteristics ï‚ § Pathogenesis ï‚ § Detection Not covering ï‚ § Its use as a biological warfare agent The Plague Considered by many to be the greatest pandemic in the history of the world, the Plague is a disease that has ‘plagued’ the world for over a millennia. Three major pandemics recorded throughout history— claimed an estimated 200 million lives. History of the Plague TheRead More Yersinia pestis – Infection, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment1572 Words   |  7 PagesYersinia pestis – Gerneal Infection, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the infamous Black Death, spread by rat fleas, has cast a shadow over human civilization, taken the lives of countless peasants and nobles alike like a violent brute who murders invariably. There are three major forms of infection stages, the bubonic plague, the septicemic plague, and the pneumonic plague (primary and secondary), all are lethal if not treated with proper antibiotics. DueRead MoreThe Plague Of The 19th Century926 Words   |  4 PagesThe plague that struck Europe and Asia in the 14th century was undoubtedly the most devastating disease or natural disaster the world ever faced. The Bubonic Plague or Black Death killed an estimated 25 million people from 1347 to 1352 in Europe, which accounted for one third of Europe’s population.-1 Historians believed that the Plague started in Asia and then spread to Europe. The plague lasted for five devastating years, but it’s wrath did not end in 1352. The Plague would reappear throughRead MoreThe Black Death And The Plague Outbreak1331 Words   |  6 Pagesoutbreaks in history was the plague outbreak which peaked in 1346 to 1353, in Europe, commonly known as the Black Death. This plague outbreak was extremely deadly and killed 30-60% of the European population at the time of the outbreak. The outbreak is commonly believed to have been caused by the bubonic plague, but modern evidence suggests that the Black Death was caused by pneumonic plague, a much more contagious and deadly infection. The Black Death was the second major plague outbreak in history, theRead MoreEssay about Transmission of the Plague to Humans1477 Words   |  6 PagesTransmission of the Plague to Humans Abstract Yersinia pestis is a bacterium that has been well known to mankind for centuries. Its mechanisms of survival in wide variety of species are extraordinary. The power of this bacterium is dependent on its manipulation of the immune system of its host’s. Its means of survival in the flea and its use of the flea as a vector to other desirable hosts portray this bacterium’s true capability. This flea is the main cause of the bacterium to other animalsRead MoreThe Black Death : A Widespread Disease1148 Words   |  5 Pagesidentify the same new type of bacterium that’s present in the blood and tissues from plague patients, further succeeding in isolating samples and cultivating in culture. In time they managed to link the bacterium to that of the bacterium in dead rats showing that both are the same. As time went on both Kitasato and Yersin gathered sufficient research to produce the first important breakthrough relating to combating plague. Much of the success was do wn to the improved medical knowledge and technology resulting

American Revolution and the Battle of the Chesapeake

The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes, was fought September 5, 1781, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Fleets and Leaders Royal Navy Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves19 ships of the line French Navy Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse24 ships of the line Background Prior to 1781, Virginia had seen little fighting as the majority operations had taken place far to the north or further south. Early that year, British forces, including those led by traitor Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, arrived in the Chesapeake and commenced raiding. These were later joined by Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis army which had marched north following its bloody victory at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Taking command of all British forces in the region, Cornwallis soon received a confusing string of orders from his superior in New York City, General Sir Henry Clinton. While initially campaigning against American forces in Virginia, including those led by the Marquis de Lafayette, he was later instructed to establish a fortified base at a deep-water port. Assessing his options, Cornwallis elected to utilize Yorktown for this purpose. Arriving at Yorktown, VA, Cornwallis constructed earthworks around the town and built fortifications across the York River at Gloucester Point.   Fleets in Motion During the summer, General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau requested that Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse bring his French fleet north from the Caribbean for a potential strike against either New York City or Yorktown. After extensive debate, the latter target was chosen by the allied Franco-American command with the understanding that de Grasses ships were necessary to prevent Cornwallis escaping by sea. Aware that de Grasse intended to sail north, a British fleet of 14 ships of the line, under Rear Admiral Samuel Hood, also departed the Caribbean. Taking a more direct route, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake on August 25. That same day, a second, smaller French fleet led by the  Comte de Barras departed Newport, RI carrying siege guns and equipment. In an effort to avoid the British, de Barras took a circuitous route with the goal of reaching Virginia and uniting with de Grasse. Not seeing the French near the Chesapeake, Hood decided to continue on to New York to join with Rear Admiral Thomas Graves. Arriving at New York, Hood found that Graves only had five ships of the line in battle condition. Combining their forces, they put to sea heading south towards Virginia. While the British were uniting to the north, de Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake with 27 ships of the line. Quickly detaching three ships to blockade Cornwallis position at Yorktown, de Grasse landed 3,200 soldiers and anchored the bulk of his fleet behind Cape Henry, near the mouth of the bay. The French Put to Sea On September 5, the British fleet appeared off the Chesapeake and sighted the French ships around 9:30 AM. Rather than swiftly attack the French while they were vulnerable, the British followed the tactical doctrine of the day and moved into a line ahead formation. The time required for this maneuver allowed the French to recover from the surprise of the British arrival which had seen many of their warships caught with large portions of their crews ashore. Also, it allowed de Grasse to avoid entering battle against an adverse wind and tidal conditions. Cutting their anchor lines, the French fleet emerged from the bay and formed for battle. As the French exited from the bay, both fleets angled towards each other as they sailed east. A Running Fight As wind and sea conditions continued to change, the French gained the advantage of being able to open their lower gun ports while the British were prevented from doing so without risking water entering their ships. Around 4:00 PM, the vans (lead sections) in each fleet opened fired on their opposite number as the range closed. Though the vans were engaged, a shift in the wind made it difficult for each fleets center and rear to close within range. On the British side, the situation was further hampered by contradictory signals from Graves. As the fighting progressed, the French tactic of aiming for masts and rigging bore fruit as HMS Intrepid (64 guns) and HMS Shrewsbury (74) both fell out of line. As the vans pummeled each other, many of the ships to their rear never were able to engage the enemy. Around 6:30 PM the firing ceased and the British withdrew to windward. For the next four days, the fleets maneuvered within sight of each other. However, neither sought to renew the battle . On the evening of September 9, de Grasse reversed his fleets course, leaving the British behind, and returned to the Chesapeake. Upon arriving, he found reinforcements in the form of 7 ships of the line under de Barras. With 34 ships of the line, de Grasse had full control of the Chesapeake, eliminating Cornwallis hopes for evacuation. Trapped, Cornwallis army was besieged by the combined army of Washington and Rochambeau. After over two weeks of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered on October 17, effectively ending the American Revolution. Aftermath and Impact During the Battle of the Chesapeake, both fleets suffered approximately 320 casualties. In addition, many of the ships in the British van were heavily damaged and unable to continue fighting. Though the battle itself was tactically inconclusive, it was a massive strategic victory for the French. By drawing the British away from the Chesapeake, the French eliminated any hope of rescuing Cornwalliss army. This in turn allowed for the successful siege of Yorktown, which broke the back of British power in the colonies and led to American independence.

Leroy Karas Ecomap Review Essay - 1019 Words

LeRoy Karas Ecomap Review Deborah Spann Kaplan University HN144 Human Behavior and the Environment Professor Joanna Pintar November 17, 2012 LeRoy Karas seemed to be a young man who had a future in sports stemming from his athletic abilities and physical build which lead to a scholarship in football. His outgoing personality and good looks made him popular with the ladies and on the party scene. He was also favored by his parents over his year younger brother Elroy. After entering college on a scholarship, LeRoy spent more time parting than studying and he became more dependent on alcohol and lost his scholarship. Soon after he dropped out of college he met his first wife, she became pregnant, they married and after 2†¦show more content†¦LeRoy is now at 64 is in middle adulthood but is transitioning into his late adulthood where his biological capabilities would have been reduced on their own but now exacerbated by his chronic alcoholism. At this age his social responsibilities would be increasing yet his social skills and circles of friends and families are non existent. According to Levinsons life structure, LeRoy will be forced in this transition period of his life to face review of the relationships and structures that have been built or destroyed and will face the need to explore his options or either to move forward and try to repair the damage he has caused or find an escape route through suicide. According to Eric Eriksons theory of psychological development LeRoy suffered from identity confusion in adolescence expressing itself in continued adolescent behavior, poorly thought out actions in his lifestyle with child like behaviors that lead him to evade acting as a responsible adult. According to Erickson LeRoy in entering into stage 8 which is integrity versus despair, where he will be reflecting on his life and accepting the choices he has made. LeRoy is currently lacking generativity and has become self-absorbed in himself and his needs with disregard for others. He has no drive is not a productive member of society. If I

FEU Admission Policies for incoming Freshmen free essay sample

The result of the qualifying examination is final and not subject to appeal; no retakes are allowed. Non qualifiers shall be advised to shift to another ABS major. Non qualification after this first qualifying examination is a permanent disqualification from the ABS-IA program. 4. To remain in the ABS-IA program the student must meet all of the following requirements: A. AWG of 2. 0 or better in all accounting, law, and taxation subjects, with no grade lower than 2. In any of these subjects B. Students may continue in the program only if the non-qualified subjects are re-enrolled and the required passing grade is attained. C. Pass a comprehensive examination at the end of each academic year covering all major subjects in the year level for the academic year; unsuccessful examinees may be advised to shift to another major, re-enroll some courses, or retake the examination.Students who do not meet the grade requirement are barred from taking the comprehensive examination. We will write a custom essay sample on FEU Admission Policies for incoming Freshmen or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 5. All 4th year ABS-IA students who have completed all course requirements shall be eligible for graduation with the ABS-IA degree. To be admitted to 5th year BBS Accountancy, the student must pass a written comprehensive examination to be taken at the end of the Thayer, ABS-IA, Non-qualifiers may retake the comprehensive examination any number of times to qualify for 5th year ABS 6.To qualify for graduation with the ABS degree, the student must pass a comprehensive written examination at the end of the 5th year; non passers may retake the examination any number of times until finally qualified. Students who fail for the third time shall re-enroll at least 6 units of 5th year subjects as recommended by the Dean or Associate Dean. Passing the written comprehensive examination is an absolute requirement for graduation.

The Suppliants monologue Essay Example For Students

The Suppliants monologue Essay A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. ii. Trans. Shelley Dean Milman. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1922. IPHIS: Why was this privilege, alas! denied To mortals, twice to flourish in the bloom Of youth, and for a second time grow old? For in our houses, we, if aught is found To have been ill contrived, amend the fault Which our maturer judgment hath descried; While each important error in our life Admits of no reform: but if with youth And ripe old age we twice had been indulged, Each devious step that marked our first career We in our second might set right. For children, Seeing that others had them, much I wished, And pined away with vehement desire; But if I had already felt these pangs, And from my own experience learnt how great Is the calamity to a fond father To be bereft of all his hopeful race, I into such distress had never fallen As now o\erwhelms me, who begot a youth Distinguished by his courage, and of him Am no deprived. No more. But what remains For mewretch that I am? Shall I return To my own home, view many houses left Without inhabitants, and waste the dregs Of life in hopeless anguish, or repair To the abode of Capaneus, with joy By me frequented while my daughter lived? But she is now no more, who loved to kiss My furrowed cheeks and stroked this hoary head. Nought can delight us more than the attention Which to her aged sire a daughter pays: Though our male progeny have souls endued With courage far superior, yet less gently Do they these soothing offices perform. Will ye not quickly drag me to my home, And in some dungeon\s gloomy hold confine, To wear away these aged limbs by famine? Me, what, alas! can it avail to touch My daughter\s bones! What hatred do I bear To thee, O irresistible old age! Them, too, my soul abhors who vainly strive To lengthen out our little span of life; By th\ easy vehicle, the downy couch, And by the boasted aid of magic song, Labouring to turn aside from his career Remorseless death: when they who have no longer The strength required to serve their native land Should vanish, and to younger men give place. We will write a custom essay on The Suppliants monologue specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

The Women of Brewster Place, Dawn, Mattie Michael Essays

The Women of Brewster Place, Dawn, Mattie Michael Essays DaTaesha Brown English 103 Professor Kennedy April 4th, 2016 Journals The Women of Brewster Place, Dawn, Mattie Michael The opening of the book starts with Dawn which gives description of the unmanned city which Brewster Place is created in. Mattie Michael is a southern bell who ends up pregnant while being shelter and protected all her life by her strong willed and religious father. She moves away to survive on her own with her child. She becomes a working parent whose main purpose is to provide and survive for her child. She then turns into her father by sheltering her child into nothing but undisciplined loved. As he grows older with a passive mother he gets into some legal trouble that he cannot manipulate his way out of. Basil is locked up for involuntary murder and his mother puts up her house up for his bond, and Basil subjected to his selfishness fled the city and forced his mother into moving to Brewster place. The Women of Brewster Place, Etta Mae Johnson, Kiswana Browne Etta Mae Johnson is Mattie Michaels childhood friend and a free spirited woman who struggles with the desire and love she wants from a man. Etta Mae goes from man to man searching for her desire of love from a man she is willing to stay with. She searches for her love in the men who are flashy in appearance. She attends church with Mattie and meets Reverend Woods who she has a fling with, and only to realize after having sexual intercourse with him that it was all another desire and she didnt truly want him. Feeling yet again used and broken by herself she is delighted to find that the one person who loves her dearly and unconditionally is waiting up for her playing her songs. Kiswana Browne, unlike the previous two characters, chose to live in Brewster Place. Kiswana has dropped out of college running away from her past, in search of finding herself. She has changed her name and has family issues with her parents. When her mother returns she asks why has she changed her name and Kis wana releases anger and rage upon her mother telling her how she is a white mans nigger. Kiswanas mother explains to her the pride and heritage of her name and how proud she should be to carry on and be in this bloodline. The Women of Brewster Place, Luciela Louise Turner Luciela Louise Turner who appeared in the beginning of the novel as Miss Evas granddaughter who was abandoned by her parents and being raise by her grandmother until she passed away. Luciela is now all grown up with a child name Serena by Eugene. Eugene is portrayed as the typical man who had a baby with a woman that he was not ready for so in return he takes his regret and rage out on how he treats them. Eugene is jobless and does not help when it comes to their daughter. Eugene comes home one day lying about a job he was offered in Maine and how he had to leave immediately. Luciela knowing that it was all a lie began to argue with him and take her attention off Serena. Serena chasing a roach in their home while her parents fight sticks her hands into an electrical socket and dies. Luciela left with no child and an aborted child deals with her grief by sobbing into Matties arms. The Women of Brewster Place, Cora Lee Cora Lee had an enormous obsession with baby dolls when she was younger. Of course every child has a huge obsession that their parents think they will grow out of but this continued into adulthood. Cora Lees aunt told her when she was 16 years old that she should have some babies of her own and this sparked lightbulbs. Cora Lee was so infatuated with the ideas of babies that she conceived them for the idea alone not realizing that they grew older. Cora Lees children are neglected by her because she only knows how to care for them as infants. Kiswana notices Cora Lees children are neglected and invites them along with Cora to a Shakespeare play. Cora was inspired by the play

Morality vs. In vitro fertilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Morality vs. In vitro fertilization - Essay Example Although the procedure may indeed benefit the ailing son, it would also bring harm and potential risks to the baby. The manipulation process which would be carried out on the embryo includes personhood qualities which may be lost or destroyed in the process of manipulation (Dane and Finkbeiner, 2007). Even if such harm or risk may not be actually proven in the medical or clinical context, religions and cultural dictates may declare such risks as significant. The scientific and medical way of assessing and declaring the presence of risks cannot be the sole basis for defining harm; â€Å"to do so also would lead to a lack of respect for other religious and cultural beliefs† (Dane and Finkbeiner, 2007, p. 5). In effect, although clinicians may rule out the risk which may be incurred from the procedure as minimal, such risks cannot be overlooked in favor of potential benefits. The justice consideration is also crucial in this discussion. The principle of justice basically sets for th that all people must be given their due. The potential child in this case is being unjustly viewed already not as an individual person, but as a tool – a means to an end. Granting that he was chosen to live for such purpose, justice requires that he be given his due – that of living his life beyond the nefarious purposes of his parents (Hug, 2010).

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Strategic Management - Essay Example As can be seen in industries which become an icon for nations, there are strong sentiments attached with the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry. This factor is a very dominant contributor to industry dynamics and strategic shape of the industry. The strategic importance of national sentiments attached to some companies is explained by Lou Gerstner in his very famous book ‘Who says elephants can’t dance?’ According to Gerstner one of the major reasons he took up to task of bringing IBM back from brink of bankruptcy was the cultural significance and sentiments attached with IBM of both American businesses and people. The same cultural significance lies with the dominant players of the commercial aircraft manufacturers. This factor is significant for both Boeing and Airbus and holds a very significant importance in determining the analysis provided below. The best method to understand the dynamics of any industry is through the porter’s five forces analysis. This model gives a comprehensive analysis of the different forces functioning in the industry and determines industry’s strategic positioning. This model is also very useful in providing a comprehensive analysis of the individual analysis and more importantly contribution to determining the overall positioning of the industry. The model is used for this example is as follow: The most important factor for any industry is the bargaining power of customers. This is a very economics driven phenomenon. This is because the customers function as a whole on factors of demand and supply. The demand factors for an industry determine the power of firms operating in the industry. The substitutability of a product is the key to bargaining power of customers. This can be analyzed by using exampling of medicines and burgers. The customer when buying medicines will have a very small power because this product has a low elasticity of demand. However,

Bob Marley Essay Example for Free

Bob Marley Essay In a time of political, economic, and social unrest, a new way of protest was beginning to emerge from Jamaica in the form of reggae music. It was 1963 when a young man from Jamaica by the name of Robert Nesta Marley, better known as â€Å"Bob Marley†, formed a band called The Wailers, who would undoubtedly become one of the only reggae bands to rise up from the oppression of the third world country. The country of Jamaica had just gained independence from the U. K. in 1962, but was anything but a free nation. Those in power chose to exploit the country’s few main exports, primarily bauxite, a mineral used in the process of manufacturing aluminum. The first ten years of Jamaican independence saw considerable economic growth, but these gains were held back from the country’s urban poor. From his book, Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control, Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"After independence, the Jamaican Labor Party’s â€Å"Five Year Plan† did not produce economic prosperity but, instead, even greater inequity of living conditions† (47). King quotes Adam Kuper, â€Å"As the Jamaican Labor Party encouraged foreign countries to invest in and expand Jamaica’s manufacturing and bauxite industries, the traditional pursuits of agriculture, forestry, and fishing dropped to a low of 10 percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product in 1968 (47). Marley chose to join the Rastafarian movement, a religious program that was a prominent group in Jamaica. The Rastafarian faith helped to fuel Marley’s purpose in music, which was to empower and inspire those who were being kept down by the nation’s wealthier class. A small rural village called Nine Miles located in the parish of Sainte Ann is where Bob Marley was born. Marley lived with his grandparents in the community of Sainte Anne, people who followed traditions they had learned from their early African ancestors. These customs included storytelling which would be one of Marley’s signature qualities during his songwriting career. When Marley was a teenager, his mother decided to take him away from Sainte Anne, and moved him to Jamaica’s capital Kingston in the vicinity of Trench Town. This would be where Marley would begin to embark on his musical journey. Like most urban Jamaican cities, Trench Town was poor and all of its inhabitants including the teenage Marley lived in poverty. During this time Marley learned how to defend himself against the rough town locals, and instead of following them Marley decided to pay closer attention to music. As one author writes,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Despite the poverty, despair and various unsavory activities that sustained some ghetto dwellers, Trench Town was also a culturally rich community where Bob Marleys abundant musical talents were nurtured. A lifelong source of inspiration, Bob immortalized Trench Town in his songs No Woman No Cry (1974), Trench Town Rock (1975) and Trench Town, the latter released posthumously in 1983† (Ruff, â€Å"Bob’s Early Life†). Marley’s beginnings in the music industry were with a form of music known as ska. Ska came about in Jamaica during the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Ska was inspired by American RB music that could be heard through U.S. radio airways on the transistor radio. Ska was a blending of America’s RB and Jamaica’s island beat, a mixture of calypso and mento. Author Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"Perhaps ska can best be characterized as a product of creolization, borrowing heavily from black American music (jazz, gospel, and RB), while also incorporating indigenous (mento) and African elements into its sound† (24). Many citizens of Jamaica could not afford radios to listen to music or keep up on any news reports coming from the island. So the Jamaican sound systems, mobile devices such as vans or musical equipment on wheels, would be used to host dances, and the deejays would also use their sound systems to inform his listeners on political happeni ngs. King states that, â€Å"As one of the few affordable social activities for the poor, the sound system brought music to places where the voice of the poor could be heard without interference by local authorities† (16). Like most of the world during this time, the black population was not allowed any political power, and many began to seek ways to resist. One of the methods used as a means to passively fight back against the imbalance was the Rastafarian religion. The Rastafarian religion was born early in the twentieth century, but its roots date back as far as the late 1800’s when slaves felt compelled to revolt against the plantation owners on the belief that God was calling them to fight for freedom. In 1927, a man named Marcus Garvey brought forth to Jamaicans the basis of the Rastafarian religion, which was to look to Africa for the crowning of a king. This would be a sign for Jamaica that freedom is near. From Africana, the Encyclopedia of the African and the African-American Experience, author Roanne Edwards quotes Garvey: â€Å"Look to Africa for the crowning of a king to know that your redemption is nigh† (Edwards 1592). In 1930 Ras Tafari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia and  baptized with the name Haile Selassie. From that moment on the Rastafarians of Jamaica would recognize the king of Ethiopia as the livi ng messiah. The religion of Rastafarianism was meant to empower Jamaica’s black population by reflecting heavily on African heritage and believed that the western society was today’s kingdom of Babylon, a corrupt city that profited from the oppressed. Part of the Rastafarian faith was to grow dreadlocks, this would become one of Marley’s signature features, but Marley was not following any trends, his purpose for wearing his hair in dreadlocks had deeper meaning than mere fashion. As quoted from Rolling Stone, â€Å"Until Babylon fell, according to one legend; the Rastas would not cut their hair. They grew it long in a fearsome appearance called dreadlocks† (Gilmore 5). Another element from the Rastafarian Movement was the use of marijuana to create a deeper connection with Selassie. Marley used marijuana as a creative outlet in songwriting and Marley, along with many Rasta musicians, followed the ritual of smoking marijuana or â€Å"ganja† for thi s spiritual experience. Marley’s songs came from a deep spiritual determination, to spread the message of the Rastafarian faith and to fight against those who sought to put down the poor and less fortunate of the world. According to author Rex Ruff, â€Å"Bob Marley reaffirms his adherence to Rastafari on Forever Loving Jah from Uprising the final album released during his lifetime. Uprising features the acoustic Redemption Song which implores the listener: emancipate yourselves from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our mind, reiterating the self-empowering convictions that Rastafarian tenets have sought to establish (Bob and Rastafarian Beliefs). The poor of Jamaica were subject to deprivation because of the decisions that were being made by the political parties put in place after Jamaica had become a free nation. On one hand, there was the Peoples National Party, led by Michael Manley, who fought for constitutional rights, and on the other hand, there was the Jamaican Labor Party, led b y Edward Seaga, who desired to put Jamaica’s capital interests abroad before the welfare of the nation. Both the People’s National Party and the Jamaican Labor Party were primarily run by white members and Marley took neither side, but was said to have small favor towards Michael Manley’s People’s National Party. In 1976 the December elections were drawing near and violent protests were taking over the streets of Kingston. Marley had become such a prominent idol for  Jamaican citizens and the People’s National Party thought a concert performed by Marley would help calm the city during the election. Marley agreed to perform with his band The Wailers at the Smile Jamaica concert. Although Marley had expressed political neutrality, some believed that Marley had favor for Michael Manley’s side. During rehearsal, just two days before the concert, Marley and some members of his band were shot at. No one involved in the shooting were killed, but both Marley and his manager at the time suffered injuries. Marley went on to perform at the Smile Jamaica concert to keep the peace, but fled the country immediately after the show ended. After the Smile Jamaica concert Marley performed again at the One Love Peace concert where he persuaded Michael Manley and Edward Seaga up on the stage to shake hands. This concert symbolized Marley’s true desire for peace and harmony between the political parties of Jamaica’s new government. As Gilmore writes, â€Å"On April 22nd, at the One Love Peace Concert, Marley managed to coax both Michael Manley and Edward Saga onstage with him and held their hands together with his in a gesture of coexistence† (Gilmor e 9). Marley died of cancer at the young age of 36, but his music is still alive and reaches hundreds of people every single day. One of the things that made Marley’s music so effective was his ability to speak an intense message through a creative melody. From Rolling Stone, â€Å"He was a superb melody writer, and his songs’ insinuating pop hooks pull the listener into the realities Marley was describing† (Gillmore 12). Although much of the Marley legacy lives on in America as a mere trend, one who chooses to look deeper into his message will feel the power Marley had intended through his poetry that was meant for an oppressed nation.

The Coach That Never Came :: essays research papers

The book, â€Å"The Coach That Never Came† was a very interesting book. In the beginning, John, Steve, Mike, and Craig were all talking about their new baseball coach that they were going to be getting that day. The boys had never heard of the man and no one in the town seemed to know who he was. The boys talk about their new coach all day while they are in school. After school was over that day, the boys went to the baseball field to prepare for their first day of baseball practice. Practice was to start at 3:30. It was 3:45 now, and their new coach hadn’t arrived yet. The boys, along with the rest of the team, waited around for awhile for their coach to come. After waiting for about an hour, they became curious and decided that they would go to Coach Anderson’s house to see why he wasn’t at practice. Craig said that he knew where the coach lived, because he had heard his mother talking on the phone about him. As the boys arrived at the house, they saw that the door was partially open, so they decided to let themselves in since no one answered the door when they knocked. As the boys entered the house, they couldn’t decide on which room they wanted to go in first. They quickly decided on that when they saw a person lying on the floor in the kitchen. The boys quickly ran out of the house and ran to Mike’s house to call the police. When the police arrived to Mr. Anderson’s house, they told the boys that their coach had a heart attack and died. The boys were very upset by this since they had never even met the man. Eventually, the story goes on and the boys get a new coach, but they never really get over what the found that day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that one of the main characters in this book would have to be Craig. He has black hair, green eyes and is of average height. Craig was just a usual guy until all of this happened to him. He received good grades in school, and was a great student. Craig’s parents were very proud of him and thought that he was the greatest son that anyone could ever have. Craig is a senior at Central High School, and was already crowned Homecoming King.

Presocratic Philosophy Essay

Introduction As early Greek civilization grew more complex (c. 500 b. c. e. ), mythology and religion began to develop into philosophy (and later into science). As part of this development, a new kind of thinker emerged known as a sophos, from the Greek word for â€Å"wise. † These â€Å"wise men,† and they were almost exclusively men, asked increasingly sophisticated questions about all sorts of things, especially natural processes and the origins and essence of life. Although mythology and religion continued to play important roles in the lives of people for centuries to come, these first philosophers were noted for their attempts to use reason and observation to figure out how the world works. Instead of living a â€Å"normal life,† the sophos devoted himself to asking questions that so-called normal people thought had already been answered (by religion and mythology) or were unanswerable (and thus a waste of time). In respect to public perceptions, it didn’t help that the sophos lived and spoke in ways that were interpreted as showing disregard and possibly disrespect for conventional values, and that set him or (infrequently) her apart from â€Å"regular folks† living â€Å"normal† lives. It is hardly surprising, then, that one of the earliest popular images of philosophers is the stereotype of an odd, â€Å"absent-minded,† starry-eyed dreamer and asker of silly questions. The very first Western thinkers identified as philosophers were initially concerned with questions about the nature of nature (physis) and of the â€Å"world order† (kosmos). Presocratic Rational Discourse The earliest Western philosophers are referred to as the Presocratics because they appeared prior to Socrates, the first major figure in the Western philosophical tradition. Some of the Presocratic philosophers are described as proto-scientists because they initiated the transformation of mythology into rational inquiry about nature and the cosmos. A very general characterization of the development of Presocratic philosophy is helpful for placing subsequent philosophical issues and disagreements in context. Of  most interest for our purposes is the Presocratic philosophers’ struggle to offer rational, â€Å"objective† arguments and explanations for their views. These concerns played a major role in the origins and historical development of Western philosophy. The first philosophers’ intense interest in explanations shaped the development of reason by triggering questions of logical consistency and standards of knowledge that went beyond the sorts of evidence that a craftsman could offer to back up his claims to expertise. The Presocratic Philosophers Thales Thales (c. 624–545 b. c. e.), traditionally said to be the first Western philosopher, seems to have believed that water is in some way central to our understanding of things. This concept was probably based upon a belief that the earth floated on water, and that all things originate with water. Current opinion holds that Thales believed that whatever is real is in some significant sense ‘‘alive. ’’ According to Aristotle, Thales ‘‘thought that all things are full of gods,’’ and as evidence of such powers even in apparently inanimate nature he points to the remarkable properties of what was referred to as the ‘‘Magnesian stone’’. Although Aristotle’s statement is too slight to serve as a sure foundation for judgment, it seems more likely that Thales was arguing for the broader presence of life forces in the world than most people imagined, rather than that the real in its totality is alive. Anaximander Thales’ younger contemporary from Miletus, Anaximander, born toward the end of the seventh century B. C. E. , found the explanatory principle of things in what he called ‘‘the apeiron,’’ a word that might be translated as ‘‘the indefinite,’’ ‘‘the boundless,’’ or both. This opens up the possibility that the apeiron is both immeasurably large in its temporal and physical extent and also qualitatively indefinite in that it is without measurable inner boundaries. The apeiron is further described, according to Aristotle, as being ‘‘without beginning,’’ ‘‘surrounding all things,’’ ‘‘steering all things,’’ ‘‘divine,’’ ‘‘immortal,’’ and ‘‘indestructible. ’’ Some have inferred that Anaximander’s barely concealed purpose was Western philosophy’s first attempt at demythologization. Equally striking is Anaximander’s description of the universe as a closed, concentric system, the outer spheres of which, by their everlasting motion, account for the stability of our earth, a drum-shaped body held everlastingly in a state of equipoise at the center. Whatever the inadequacy in certain details (the stars are placed nearer to the earth than the moon), with Anaximander the science of cosmological speculation took a giant step forward. As far as life on earth is concerned, Anaximander offered another striking hypothesis. The first living things, according to him, were ‘‘born in moisture, enclosed in thorny barks’’ (like sea urchins), and ‘‘as their age increased, they came forth onto the drier part’’ (as phrased by Aetius [first to second century C. E. ]). Pythagoras Although we know that Pythagoras was a historical figure, it is difficult to determine exactly what Pythagoras himself taught. He wrote nothing, and the ideas of other members of the community were attributed to him as a sign of respect and as a way of lending weight to the ideas. Plato and Aristotle rarely assign ideas to Pythagoras himself, although Pythagorean ideas seem to have influenced Plato’s philosophy. Pythagoreans asserted that number is the first principle of all things. They were the first systematic developers of mathematics in the West and discovered that natural events could be described in mathematical terms, especially as ratios. To the Pythagoreans, the â€Å"principle of number† accounted for everything. Number was a real thing. Somehow, numbers existed in space, not just as mental constructs. According to Pythagorean doctrine, the entire universe is an ordered whole consisting of harmonies of contrasting elements. The Greek for â€Å"ordered whole† is cosmos. The Pythagoreans were the first philosophers to use the term cosmos to refer to the universe in this way. The â€Å"celestial music of the spheres† is the hauntingly beautiful phrase the Pythagoreans coined to describe the sound of the heavens as they rotate according to cosmic number and harmony. Xenophanes A fourth Ionian philosopher, Xenophanes of Colophon, born around 580 B. C. E. ,is the first we know of to overtly attack the anthropomorphism of popular religious belief, in a series of brilliant reductio ad absurdum arguments. His own view has been understood, ever since Aristotle, as pantheistic. Xenophanes was also the first philosopher we know of to ask what degree of knowledge is attainable. In B34 we read: ‘‘the clear and certain truth no man has seen, nor will there be anyone who knows about the gods and what I say about all things. ’’ Several ancient critics took this to be an indication of Xenophanes’ total scepticism. On this basis of moderate empiricism and scepticism, Xenophanes offered a number of opinions of varying plausibility about the natural world, one of which—a strong, evolutionary interpretation of the discovery on various islands of fossils of marine animals—is enough to constitute a major claim to fame in natural philosophy and ranks with his other significant steps in epistemology (the theory of knowledge dealing with what we know, how we know it, and how reliable our knowledge is), logic (the study of rational inquiry and argumentation), and natural theology (the attempt to understand God from natural knowledge). Heraclitus One of the most important and enigmatic of the Presocratics, Heraclitus (fl . 500 b. c. e. , d. 510–480 b. c. e. ), said that ignorance is bound to result when we try to understand the cosmos when we do not even comprehend the basic structure of the human psyche (soul) and its relationship to the Logos. The complex Greek word logos is intriguing. It could and at times did mean all of the following: â€Å"intelligence,† â€Å"speech,† â€Å"discourse,† â€Å"thought,† â€Å"reason,† â€Å"word,† â€Å"meaning,† â€Å"study of,† â€Å"the record of,† â€Å"the science of,† â€Å"the fundamental principles of,† â€Å"the basic principles and procedures of a particular discipline,† â€Å"those features of a thing that make it intelligible to us,† and â€Å"the rationale for a thing. † The Heraclitean capital L Logos is like God, only without the anthropomorphizing (humanizing) of the earlier philosophers and poets who attributed human qualities to the gods. According to Heraclitus’s impersonal view of God, the Logos is a process, not an entity. As such, the Logos is unconcerned with individuals and human affairs, in much the same way that gravity affects us but is unconcerned with us. More radically yet, Heraclitus asserted that even though things appear to remain the same, â€Å"Change alone is unchanging. † Traditionally, it has been held that Heraclitus went so far as to claim that everything is always changing all the time. But whether he really meant that everything is always changing, or that individual things are held together by energy (change), remains unclear. Anaximenes Anaximander’s younger contemporary, Anaximenes, who lived during the sixth century B. C. E. appears to revert to a prior and less sophisticated vision in claiming that the earth, far from being a drum-shaped body held in equipoise at the center, is flat and ‘‘rides on,’’ supported by air. The same might be said of his contention that the basic, ‘‘divine’’ principle of things was not some indefinite entity but something very much part of our experience; namely, air. Anaximenes’ view would also no doubt have seemed to be corroborated by the fact that the universe, commonly understood as a living thing and hence needing a soul to vivify it, possessed in air that very ‘‘breath’’ that for most Greeks constituted the essence of such a soul. Parmenides Parmenides of Elea (fift h century b. c. e. ) radically transformed the early philosophers’ interest in cosmology, the study of the universe as a rationally ordered system (cosmos), into ontology, the study of being. By common agreement he was the giant among the pre-Socratics. According to Parmenides, none of his predecessors adequately accounted for the process by which the one basic stuff of the cosmos changes into the many individual things we experience every day. In his search for a solution to the problem of â€Å"the one and the many,† Parmenides turned to a reasoned analysis of the process of change itself. According to Parmenides, all sensations occur in the realm of appearance. This means that reality cannot be apprehended by the senses. Change and variety (the many) are only appearances; they are not real. If this is true, then our most commonly held beliefs about reality are mere opinions. The senses cannot recognize â€Å"what is,† much less can they discover—observe—it, ever. In other words, whatever we see, touch, taste, hear, or smell is not real, does not exist. Perhaps most unsettling of all, Parmenides â€Å"solved† the problem of the appearance of change by concluding—in direct opposition to Heraclitus’s insistence that everything is always changing—that the very concept of change is self-contradictory. What we think of as change is merely an illusion. The logic runs as follows: â€Å"Change† equals transformation into something else. When a thing becomes â€Å"something else,† it becomes what it is not. But since it is impossible for â€Å"nothing† (what is not) to exist, there is no â€Å"nothing† into which the old thing can disappear. (There is no â€Å"no place† for the thing to go into. ) Therefore, change cannot occur. Empedocles posited, against Parmenides, change and plurality as features of reality, but affirmed the eternality of anything that is real; the sphere-like nature of the real when looked at as a totality and the fact that the real is a plenum, containing no ‘‘nothingness’’ or ‘‘emptiness’’. Anaxagoras likewise posited change, plurality, and divisibility as features of reality, yet also affirmed the eternality of the real (understood by him as an eternally existent ‘‘mixture’’ of the ‘‘seeds’’ of the things currently constituting the world, rather than the eternal combinings and recombinings, according to certain ratios of admixture, of four eternally existent ‘‘roots’’ or elemental masses). Leucippus Leucippus of Miletus (c. fi ft h century b. c. e. ) and Democritus of Abdera (c. 460–370 b.c. e. ) argued that reality consists entirely of empty space and ultimately simple entities that combine to form objects. T is materialistic view is known as atomism. Leucippus is credited with being the originator of atomism and Democritus with developing it. Rather than reject Parmenides’ assertion that change is an illusion, Leucippus argued that reality consists of many discrete â€Å"ones,† or beings. Zeno Zeno, who was born early in the fifth century B. C. E. , was a friend and pupil of Parmenides. In his famous paradoxes he attempted to show by a series of reductio ad absurdum arguments, of which the best known is perhaps that of Achilles and the tortoise, the self-contradictory consequences of maintaining that there is a real plurality of things or that motion or place are real. The prima facie brilliance of many of the arguments continues to impress people, though it soon becomes clear that the paradoxes turn largely on the failure or unwillingness of Zeno, like so many Pythagoreans of the day, to distinguish between the concepts of physical and geometrical space. Zeno’s way of constructing the problem makes it seem that his primary object is to defame pluralists by attacking the logical possibility of explaining how there can be motion in the world. Gorgias Gorgias has achieved fame for the stress he laid upon the art of persuasion (‘‘rhetoric’’), although whether he wrote the baffling On What Is Not as a serious piece of persuasive reasoning or as some sort of spoof of the Eleatic philosophy of Parmenides and others remains disputed. Its basic, and remarkable, claim is prima facie, that nothing in fact is (exists /is the case [esti] or is knowable or conceivable. Any exiguous plausibility that the arguments supporting this claim possess turns on our overlooking Gorgias’s failure, witting or unwitting, to distinguish carefully between knowing and thinking, along with his various uses of the verb ‘‘to be. ’’ If the failure was witting, the document can be seen as a skillful device for the spotting of fallacies as part of training in rhetoric and basic reasoning. If it was unwitting, Gorgias still emerges as what he was claimed to be—a deft rhetorical wordsmith on any topic proposed to him. Protagoras Perhaps the greatest of the Sophists was Protagoras of Abdera (481– 411 b. c. e. ). Protagoras was an archetypal Sophist: an active traveler and first-rate observer of other cultures who noted that although there are a variety of customs and beliefs, each culture believes unquestioningly that its own ways are right—and roundly condemns (or at least criticizes) views that differ from its own. Based on his observations and travels, Protagoras concluded that morals are nothing more than the social traditions, or mores, of a society or group. The details of Protagoras’s beliefs remain disputed. When he said, for example, that ‘‘anthropos [humanity] is a/the measure for all things, of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not,’’ it is unclear whether he is talking about one person or the sum total of persons; about ‘‘a’’ measure or ‘‘the’’ measure (there is no definite article in Greek); or about existence or states of affairs or both. The Platonic reading in the Theaetetus, which takes ‘‘anthropos’’ as generic and ‘‘measure’’ as exclusive, led to the assertion that the logical consequence was total (and absurd) relativism. ______________________________ References: The Columbia History of Western Philosophy. Richard H. Popkin. Columbia University Press. 1999. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy. 7th ed. Douglas J. Soccio. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2010.

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