The Chemistry of Knowledge Essay -- Philosophy Knowledge Knowing Plato

The Chemistry of Knowledge Hippeas thought he had all the answers. â€Å"I have never found any man who was my superior in anything,† he boasted. Then he meets Socrates. Though he had made thousands of public speeches about virtue, a dialogue with the wisest of Athenians leads Hippeas to confess that he â€Å"cannot even say what [virtue] is† (Hippeas 70). Lesser Hippeas discredits Hippeas but offers little more than a negative definition of knowledge. Meno, Phaedo, and the Republic provide a more comprehensive discussion of the definition, the good and the teaching of knowledge. The following pages will explore Plato’s theory of knowledge and will conclude with an examination of organic chemistry at Swarthmore College. According to Plato, knowledge requires the reasoned understanding of essences. To know the qualities something possesses, one must grasp â€Å"what something is† (Meno 60). Knowledge entails an active understanding capable of weathering the rigors of a probing discussion. In Lesser Hippeas, Socrates uncovers the knowledge deficit underlying Hippeas’ opinions and skills. Plato makes a clear distinction between Hippeas’ mastery of facts and the possession of true knowledge: â€Å"I certainly do not think I am guessing that right opinion is a different thing from knowledge† (90). Facts and opinions require little more than memorization and regurgitation. Acquiring knowledge, on the other hand, can only be done â€Å"with an effort† (Republic 776). Plato’s Cave analogy in the Republic likens the path to knowledge to the transition from a dark cave to a sunny hilltop. Plato allegorizes the â€Å"ascent of the soul† (776) from a world of shadows, reflections and half-truths into the â€Å"world of knowledge† (776). Plato maintains that cave dw... ...nt of the reason why† (90). Only knowledge boasts longevity. For me, perhaps the most disconcerting thing about organic chemistry is the rapidity with which my memory of it has faded. Some three months removed from a final exam, I recall virtually nothing. So why don’t we get knowledge, if it would serve us so much better than limited-warranty opinions? Thinking takes time. And there are only fifteen weeks to a semester. Professors need empirical measurements of student progress in finite periods of time, even when it is clear that cursory thought emasculates knowledge. After all, â€Å"All late papers will be penalized" Professor Richard Schuldenfrei Works Cited Plato. Five Dialogues : Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. Trans G. M. A. Grube. Hackett Publishing Company, 2002. Plato. The Dialogues of Plato. Trans. B. Jowett. New York: Random House.

Community vs. Individualism

Community vs. Individualism Individual and community are two words whose meanings contrast each other. An individual is one who is self-sufficient and not reliant on outside forces to get whatever task complete. A community however, is a group of individuals whose sufficiency is intertwined with one another, and therefore can rely on each other. In her narrative essay, â€Å"Community and Diversity†, Rebekah Nathan unveils the individualistic society that was her college experience. She describes life as a freshman from her own point of view and examines the characteristics of the student population at her university.She uses her own experience as a microcosm of university life throughout the country, but her account does not represent all schools appropriately. She says, â€Å"They (students) genuinely want to have a close community, while at the same time they resist the claims that community makes on their schedule and resources in the name of individualism, spontaneity, f reedom, and choice†(Nathan 233). Her description exposes the student body as being largely individualistic, which is not always the case.In this essay, I will argue that not all campus life in universities today is individualistic, because there is still a great deal of community amongst the student body. To begin with, saying that campus life is geared towards being an individual is not always true. Students go out of their way to join clubs and participate in study groups and review sessions. They want to come together and form an alliance for academics or just to be social. In her essay, Nathan claims that our nation as a whole is becoming an advocate of â€Å"individualism†.While this may be true, it in no way means that university life is affected by this. People come to college to not only further their academic quest, but to expand their horizons and to network with their peers. For example, an incoming freshman has the capability of joining a learning community related to their interests or what they think their future major might be. If a business major wants to get involved outside the classroom, there are a number of options available to them, such as an academic service learning program, or joining a business fraternity.The variety of choices one has is overwhelming, and these programs and clubs would not be available if they were underused, they would simply turn over. Equally important, is the fact that in today’s classrooms, group work is often either encouraged or required. Professors expect classmates to get along and collaborate (just not when their teaching), either during an assignment in class or for a project assigned to work on outside the classroom. How so then, as Nathan puts it, are students getting more and more individualistic? In his essay, James Surowiecki explains that there is power in the form of the small group.He says â€Å"small groups have the opportunity to be more than just the sum of their parts† (441). This means that a group can outperform even the smartest of its individuals on their own. That said it isn’t hard to see the benefit of community values in an academic workplace, rather than individualism. A good example of this is if you were to put five students in a group to complete a series of math equations. If it took the smartest individual thirty minutes to complete twelve problems, it would likely take much less time for the group, including that same individual, to finish the task.For this reason, privatizing the campus experience is not beneficial to the learning process, rather it is harmful. Integrating students from group work keeps them from building social skills that they will need in the real world after college, and it additionally gives students an absence of the cognitive diversity one could discover while working in small groups. Moreover, if an institution wants to inspire a common education goal amongst its students, there are several ways i t could initiate it.For one, the university could instill living learning communities into the student housing. This allows students with the same majors or interests to live in the same suites, as well as giving them the some of the same core classes. Consequently, students can share information about classes and even form study groups without even leaving their dorms. Another way to instill a sense of academic community throughout the campus is to organize free events such as study sessions and reviews for certain classes.For example, offer a math tutoring session available to all students with refreshments, or maybe even ice cream, would be a great way to attract people and get them involved with not only in their studies, but with the campus as well. A university could even go as far as providing incentives for good work, such as raffling off high end electronics and skateboards. The cost of the raffle ticket: â€Å"A† papers. On the other hand, Nathan argues, â€Å"Rath er than being located in its shared symbols, meetings, activities, and rituals, the university for an undergraduate was more accurately a world of self-selected people and events† (237).This cannot be said for American universities as a whole. Many if not most colleges have strong on-campus communities starting at the roots of student living; the dorms. Every week you will find a plethora of activities and events going on no farther than the students’ downstairs lobby. From events like â€Å"Residents Fest†, where the different dormitories face off in multiple competitive events, to comedy shows and entertainers that come to the campus auditorium and perform live for the students, free of charge and welcome to everyone on campus.At the same time, there is still room for individualism in a functional community. Any given community that is profiecient needs individuals to lead operations. In our everyday society, we rely on politicians and small businesses led by h eadstrong individuals. But the individualism that is essencial for these people is also essencial for the community as a whole, much like that which is found in university life. Resident Assistants or, â€Å"RA’s†, are hired in order to not only control the students living in on-campus housing, but to bring them together as one solid body.It is not uncommon for RA’s to request input of those students living on their floor during floor meetings. For example, most RAs give each room on their floor living agreement forms. Nathan remembers, â€Å"After pizza, M&Ms, and yet another icebreaker game, the RA introduced our charge of creating a joint compact and handed out cards and pens, asking each person to write down something in the way of a rule or a ‘don’t’ that she would like to obtain for the hall† (234).On it, residents are allowed to make rules for their specific suite to make sure everyone gets a say in what goes on in their living space. They want everyone involved with the building they are living in, but also to know that the RA is ultimately the one in charge over them. Interestingly enough, Surowiecki points out, â€Å"One of the real dangers that small groups face is emphasizing consensus over dissent† (444). This concept could lead floor members to agree more readily with the majority, rather than be the black sheep to stand out and argue against it.Without doubt, college campuses around the country display a strong sense of community. In the classrooms students display cooperation with each other in the form of groups and in-class discussion, and review sessions before tests are no rare occurrence. There are a variety ways to get students involved, and it seems that many are eager at the opportunity to gather and strive for academic improvement. From learning communities to social events and clubs, there is no lack of student involvement on campus for many universities.Although Nathan says †Å"The university community was experienced by most students as a relatively small, personal network of people who did things together,† this is simply not true everywhere across the country (237). While there are hints of â€Å"individualism† in the student body, it is overwhelmed by the power of the community that is found in most universities across the states. This is good thing, because an emphasis on â€Å"individualism† could affect the development of cognitive diversity which is a valuable characteristic in society, especially on a college campus.Surowiecki states, â€Å"Diversity of opinion is the single best guarantee that the group will reap benefits from face-to-face discussion† (446). By this, he is saying cognitive diversity sparks a flame in the classroom, whether it through arguing or open discussions with classmates and teachers. If students were not exposed to such diversities in the classroom, they would be unprepared to face them in the real world. Besides, giving students a strong sense of community is almost always more effective than the alternative.Works Cited: 1) Surowiecki, James. â€Å"Committees, Juries, and Teams: The Columbia Disaster and How Small Groups Can Be Made to Work. † Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed Barclay Barrios. Boston, MA. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 439-452. Print. 2) Nathan, Rebekah. â€Å"Community and Diversity† Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed Barclay Barrios. Boston, MA. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 439-452. Print.

Economic questions Essay

1. It has to do with game theory. In the prisoner’s dilemma, two suspects are taken by the police and each told separately that they can gain their freedom by testifying against each other. If neither testifies, they each will serve a six months sentence. If one testifies the other stays silent, the one will go free and the other will serve 10 yrs. If both testify then both will serve 5 yrs. The best thing is for both to be silent, but the more likely scenario is that each, fearful of a long sentence, bails on the other and nobody wins. In economics it is the investors hoping to ride the high flyers into the New Year; the best outcome is for nobody to sell. Most years, that is how it works and year end rallies leave everyone satisfied. 2. Economic theory. Through regulation is the best way market failure or externalities are dealt with when they are harmful to society. Externality is an economic side effect. They are the costs or benefits that come from economic activities that affect others than the individuals that re engaged in the economic activities. Some solutions are negative- taxes, positive-subsidy. 3. Sources of income in a capitalist economy would be their property rights that entitle them to earn a profit for the use of their capital as risk in some form of economic activity. They would be related through labor by human capital. The knowledge and skill acquired by labor through education and labor. 4. The rate is determined by a percentage of its turnover or sales. 5. Investment is something investors decide how much they will spend on new investment. Example: Producers have to decide whether to replace used up or obsolete machinery, whether to expand production these costs will become an investment that in turn should make them money. There are four principal determinants of autonomous investment, the level of technology, rate of interest, expectation of future economic growth and the rate of capacity utilization. 6. With an equilibrium price. The price that equates quantity demanded to quality supplied. If any disturbance from that price occurs, excess demand or excess supply emerges to drive price back to equilibrium. 7. The classical view of how our economy behaves is this: If the economy were left on its own without the interference of government or the Fed. It would move towards an equilibrium rate of growth that would produce with only minor interruptions, full employment without inflation. This hands off rests upon two simple propositions about market, one that all markets are basically competitive and two, all prices are flexible upward and downward approaching equilibrium. Unemployment is only a temporary condition caused by wage rates climbing above the equilibrium rate. A shift in the extraction curves is the economy’s rate of unemployment and rate of inflation. 8. Supply-side economists emphasize the importance of reducing tax rates. They accept the Keynesian idea that lower tax rates will increase consumer demand, but they believe a more important consequence is the added incentive it provides suppliers. For example; lower corporate tax rates increase after tax profit, which induces suppliers to increase aggregate supply. Lower income tax rates encourage more people to work longer, adding as well to aggregate supply. 9. Savings automatically converts to investment; so that investment induced growth is dependent on saving. 10. The division of labor into specialized activities that allow individuals to be more productive. The idea that labor productivity is a function of the degree of labor specialization. 11. Upward sloping trend cutting through the cycle traces the economy’s output performance over the course of a business cycle, measured either from recession to recession or from prosperity to prosperity. The upward sloping character of the trend line signifies economic growth. 12. Every economy, whatever its level of national income, includes people earning different incomes. Knowing someone’s absolute income tells us little about that person’s income status. 13. Consumption spending is rooted in Status. High income people not only consume more goods and services than others, but also set consumption standards for everyone else. 14. Aggregate supply is the total supply of goods and services that all firms in the national economy are willing to offer at varying price levels. Aggregate demand is the total quantity demanded of these goods and services by households, firms, foreigners, and government at those varying price levels. Macroequilibrium is reach when aggregate supply equals aggregate demand. 15. Consumption spending has tended to be more stable than investment spending in the past. MPC can be counted on to remain pretty much unchanged. Autonomous consumption is hardly likely to change. Investment spending is considered volatile. Economists identify changes in aggregate expenditure as the key to understanding why national income changes. Changes in investment have highly magnified effects on national income. The income by which income changes as a result of a change in aggregate expenditure is called income multiplier. 16. The economy’s output or gross domestic product is the total value, measured in current market prices, of all final goods and services produced in the economy during a given year. 17. One solution is to combine wage and price controls with a Keynesian style job creating policy. Stabilization policy is one option. 18. Four principle factors contributing to a nations economic growth, the size of the labor force, the degree of labor specialization, or the division of labor, the size of its capital stock and the level of its technology. Savings automatically converts to investment; so that investment induced growth is dependent on savings. 19. Demand deposits are only half of a banks business. Loans are the other. The bank makes a profit only on the loans it provides, not on it deposits. Borrowers benefit from inflation where lenders, where as lenders lose money. 20. Through the circular flow model, how the economy’s resources, money, goods and services flow between households and firms through resource and product market. 21. Economies with negative balances on current account will find their exchange rate falling. And unless these rates are propped up by government intervention, they will fall to stem the currency outflows exist; the exchange rate will keep falling. Eventually the rate will reach the level appropriate to a zero balance on current account. It takes only time. He would think we were habitual borrows. 22. They are the â€Å"what is† and â€Å"what it should be† 23. Nothing because the infrastructure is what an economy’s ability for development depends upon. Such as with education to educate people involves not only the task of acquiring compliance but the funds needed to build the school and staff them.

Free Essays on Jack Danielsh

Jack Daniel’s is a type of whiskey which contains alcohol, a drug that in moderate amounts can cause a euphoric feeling in the individual who consumed the drug. Large amounts, however, lead to nausea, decreased coordination, and alcohol poisoning. Daniel has consumed enough Jack Daniel’s that he has ended up with a case of alcohol poisoning (which is harmful). He has consumed the Jack Daniel’s unaware that the alcohol in it would lead to harm for him. The folk psychological explanation for Daniel drinking the Jack Daniel’s is that he believed that by drinking a lot of Jack Daniel’s he would achieve something achieve something that he desired. The result of drinking that much whiskey is alcohol poisoning which is harmful. Socrates’ argument is that Daniel did not do this to intentionally harm himself. He claims that if Daniel knew that drinking the Jack Daniel’s would lead to alcohol poisoning, that would mean that Daniel desired to be harmed. Nobody desires to be harmed because harm means to be miserable and unhappy and nobody desires to be unhappy. Socrates argues that Daniel falsely believed that by drinking excessively he would achieve happiness. He did not know that the alcohol would lead to unhappiness or he would not have drank it. Socrates’ argument is successful, it is a sound argument. Someone who disagrees with Socrates would argue that people either desire things that lead to harm but they believe that harm benefits, or they desire things that lead to harm and believe that harmful things harm. If there are people that desire harmful things under the false belief that harmful things lead to benefit, which is an obvious contradiction, then there are people who believe obvious contradictions. Nobody believes obvious contradictions. That means there are no people who desire harmful things knowing they are harmful but believe that harmful things benefit. The only argument against Socrates left is ... Free Essays on Jack Danielsh Free Essays on Jack Danielsh Jack Daniel’s is a type of whiskey which contains alcohol, a drug that in moderate amounts can cause a euphoric feeling in the individual who consumed the drug. Large amounts, however, lead to nausea, decreased coordination, and alcohol poisoning. Daniel has consumed enough Jack Daniel’s that he has ended up with a case of alcohol poisoning (which is harmful). He has consumed the Jack Daniel’s unaware that the alcohol in it would lead to harm for him. The folk psychological explanation for Daniel drinking the Jack Daniel’s is that he believed that by drinking a lot of Jack Daniel’s he would achieve something achieve something that he desired. The result of drinking that much whiskey is alcohol poisoning which is harmful. Socrates’ argument is that Daniel did not do this to intentionally harm himself. He claims that if Daniel knew that drinking the Jack Daniel’s would lead to alcohol poisoning, that would mean that Daniel desired to be harmed. Nobody desires to be harmed because harm means to be miserable and unhappy and nobody desires to be unhappy. Socrates argues that Daniel falsely believed that by drinking excessively he would achieve happiness. He did not know that the alcohol would lead to unhappiness or he would not have drank it. Socrates’ argument is successful, it is a sound argument. Someone who disagrees with Socrates would argue that people either desire things that lead to harm but they believe that harm benefits, or they desire things that lead to harm and believe that harmful things harm. If there are people that desire harmful things under the false belief that harmful things lead to benefit, which is an obvious contradiction, then there are people who believe obvious contradictions. Nobody believes obvious contradictions. That means there are no people who desire harmful things knowing they are harmful but believe that harmful things benefit. The only argument against Socrates left is ...

The Power of Awe 5 Proven Benefits to Experiencing Awe in Your Life

The Power of Awe 5 Proven Benefits to Experiencing Awe in Your Life One of the themes at my leadership retreat last week was the power of awe. From the moment we arrived at the campus in Wisconsin, we were called upon to seek out awe-inspiring experiences. The first day, I saw a dragonfly caught in a spider’s web. I heard frogs that sounded like an orchestra. I saw fireflies that looked like sparklers. All of these were moments of awe. During one classroom section out on the grass, a green bug landed on me and I spent many minutes watching its movements. I was fascinated by how it shifted from side to side, bending its legs as it leaned to the left, then straightening and bending them again as it leaned to the right. Why would a bug do such a thing? I was captivated. Every time the bug jumped off my leg I would catch it again so I could watch its do this dance. In each of these moments, time stood still. I felt like I could sit there forever focusing on this one thing – a green bug, a sunset, a frog chorus. I was happy to be alive, for the simple fact that life occurred to me as captivating and miraculous. What I learned over the week is that scientific research supports my experience of awe. Specifically there are four documented effects of awe that make me want to pursue it more often! 5 Major Benefits of Awe We become more generous and caring after experiencing awe! In a study directed by Paul Piff, half the participants were directed to look at the side of a building, and the other half were directed to look at a grove of towering eucalyptus trees. After they looked at the scene, a researcher walked by the participants and dropped a box of pens by â€Å"accident.† The ones who had looked at the trees picked up more of the pens, exhibiting much more ethical and social behavior than the ones who looked at a building. Imagine the world we would live in if more people experienced awe on a regular basis! Awe inspires creativity. When a group of children looked at a series of photos, one beginning with objects like a pencil, and progressing to vast things like the Milky Way, they were more creative than another group starting with vast things and moving to more everyday things. This 2012 study from Tel Aviv University encourages me to look at an awe-inspiring video or photo before attempting any creative pursuit! Awe produces health benefits. A January 2015 study in the journal Emotion found that awe, especially when induced by a deep connection to art, nature, or spirituality, lowers cytokines in the body. Lower cytokines means less risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and depression. Furthermore, if awe is inspired by a physical experience in nature, we get more vitamin D and also benefits related to exercise. Awe expands our sense of time. Researchers at Stanford and the University of Minnesota found that when people experience awe, they report that they have more time available and are less impatient. Awe brings people into the present moment- and the sense of having more time can lead to better sleep, less stress, less engaging in addictions, more motivation to acquire new knowledge, more willingness to volunteer, and overall, more life satisfaction. Awe gives you a better sense of well-being. Awe-inspiring experiences such as looking at a natural wonder, listening to a beautiful symphony, or even looking into another person’s eyes, can make us feel a connection with something greater. This experience is an emotion â€Å"in the upper reaches of pleasure and on the boundary of fear† as described by psychologists Dacher Keltner of UC Berkeley and Jonathan Haidt of New York University. Who wouldn’t want that? When was the last time you experienced awe? Are there awe-inspiring opportunities passing you by on a daily basis? I challenge you this week to have 10 awe-inspiring moments every day. I’d love to hear the difference it makes in your life!

Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Operation Management - Essay Example They could be involved in trading activities. Under such circumstances, there should a clear green channel established which reduces the lead time to a manageable limit. In these cases, the turnaround time could be limited to say, 48 hours. In such exception orders, the customer service executives and managers need to play the role of single window clearance agents. In other words, they need to be the face of the company. The customer service personnel need to be capable of handling all order related communication, product related enquiries and any other pertinent information. There should be no involvement of sales and marketing personnel. In the case, we read about exceptions relating to the prices. Necessary approvals are obtained and the orders are processed. However, we also need to address customers who automatically become eligible for some price cuts, once they have placed a certain defined quantum of orders. This information needs to be decided in coordination with finance and sales personnel. Accordingly, for the specific customers, the applicable price discounts could be automatically applied for either bulk orders or for cumulative orders that have exceeded defined tonnage. We reiterate that this process should be captured in SAP and should not fall within the daily purview of sales and marketing divisions. In our case, we talk about shipments by sea and road. The company also needs to consider air shipment as another possible mode for express delivery. There could be a certain class of customers who are keen on availing this facility. Accordingly, the third party logistics provider should be informed to use this option in specific cases. The customer service team should also make provisions for the right set of documentation relating to air shipment. The case mentions modes of dispatch. We find that it does not talk about measuring supply chain efficiencies. Unless the company measures performance

Spanish Cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spanish Cuisine - Essay Example There are several fantastic contributions as well as influences (from Arabs and Romans who conquered Spain and stayed there) to Spanish cuisine and recipes. However, other dishes came from American and European influences and later adaptations were made to suit the Spanish taste. As a matter of fact, food prepared in Spain is usually abundant, fresh, as well as filled with flavor. In addition, Spaniards dearly love their food. It is important to note that the 2 essential ingredients that are must in Spanish food include garlic and olive oil. However, since Spain comprises of discrete geographical zones, settled by various cultural and ethnic groups, in addition to varying weather from one region to another, the regional cuisines vary a lot. The following are typical Spanish ingredients as well as food. The first ingredient is olive oil which is also called lard. Spain being the world’s largest producer of olive oil grows numerous olives all over the country and it is therefore no surprise that several Spanish dishes are prepared using this ingredient. Secondly is the Ham or jamon in Spanish which is a much cherished food and Spaniards take it very seriously and usually will pay a lot for quality ham. In fact, Spaniards are so proud of their ham that they have many museums for the same. The third common cuisine is seafood and fish. Spain is found in Iberian Peninsula and thus surrounded by water on 3 sides; there is always plenty of fresh seafood in the markets. Spaniards thus consume shellfish or fish every day. Anything, ranging from shrimp to halibut, in addition to octopus as well as baby eels is widespread on restaurant menus and markets. The fourth delicacy is cheeses which are of great quality and can be f ound everywhere in Spain. Spaniards make cheeses from goat, cow, sheep, milk as well as mixed milks. Various kinds vary from soft cheeses like