Thomas Aquinas Essays - Divine Command Theory, Religious Law

Thomas Aquinas Saint Thomas Aquinas, as a philosopher, wrote several works that justified Christianity in a philosophical context, taking cue on Aristotle's old writings. Naturally, Aquinas took up on the Church's ultra-conservative views on sexuality and worked to rationalize them through his own theory of natural law. Aquinas argues against any form of sex where the intention to produce children is not involved. He explains this through his theory of natural law, where sex is purely for the purpose of reproduction to ensure the continuance of the human race, only in the context of a monogamous relationship, and not for simple physical pleasure. There are many laws that Saint Thomas Aquinas speaks of, such as eternal law, human law, divine law, and natural law. All humans are part of God's plan and therefore subject to eternal law, where we are guided to God's supernatural end in a higher way (47). According to Aquinas, humans in particular follow God's eternal law through a natural law, and inborn instinct to do good. Something is said to be part of natural law if there is a natural inclination to it and if nature does not produce the contrary, (51-52). Natural law includes such ideas as self-preservation, union of the male and the female, and education of the young, which is easily found in nature. Humans also have a unique knowledge of God and were meant to live in a society. Aquinas explains that even though concepts such as slavery and personal possessions are not found alone in nature, they were created by human reason, and in such cases the law of nature was not changed but added to (52). Because we can do such things , we are separated from the rest of God's creatures. After explaining his theory of natural law, Aquinas goes on to explain sexuality in the context of it. According to him, promiscuity is contrary to the nature of man because to bring up a child requires both the care of the mother who nourishes him and even more the care of the father to train and defend him and to develop him in internal and external endowments (78). Therefore, he finds fornification to be a mortal sin because it is contrary to the good of the upbringing of the offspring (79). Curiously, though, he does not bring up the more likely scenario where fornification does not result in the impregnation of the woman. His reasoning makes much better sense in the case of adultery. Not only does it upset one's obligations to his family, but also because the Ten Commandments specifically condemn adultery as a great sin. The Ten Commandments are God's laws and are not relative, so there is no disputing their validity. However, Aquinas' argument that monogamy is natural for human s is not easily justified. If we look carefully at nature, most mammals have to be raised by their parents just as humans are, but only for a few years. Also, in many cases, the mother may raise her young with a different male, or on her own altogether. Therefore, this makes it harder for Aquinas to appeal to natural law to prove his case for monogamy and life-long relationships. Also, Aquinas does not agree that a male should have the option of leaving a female who has had a child even if it is properly provided for, making an indirect case against divorce (79). Curiously, in Islam, the Koran allows divorce and remarriage, and it is based for the most part on the very same Bible that Aquinas defended. Aquinas makes clear that sex is right only when it is for the purpose of reproduction and it should only be between a male and female in a monogamous relationship; all other forms are sinful. However, he brings up a very striking exception. The acts of fornification or adultery are not considered sins at all if they are performed under the command of God (52). This is simply a case of common sense, but it explains clearly any such indiscrepancies to natural law in the Bible. Aquinas goes on to define more serious mortal sins which he refers to as indecent sex. This includes homosexuality and bestiality. He quotes bestiality from the Thomas Aquinas Essays - Divine Command Theory, Religious Law Thomas Aquinas Saint Thomas Aquinas, as a philosopher, wrote several works that justified Christianity in a philosophical context, taking cue on Aristotle's old writings. Naturally, Aquinas took up on the Church's ultra-conservative views on sexuality and worked to rationalize them through his own theory of natural law. Aquinas argues against any form of sex where the intention to produce children is not involved. He explains this through his theory of natural law, where sex is purely for the purpose of reproduction to ensure the continuance of the human race, only in the context of a monogamous relationship, and not for simple physical pleasure. There are many laws that Saint Thomas Aquinas speaks of, such as eternal law, human law, divine law, and natural law. All humans are part of God's plan and therefore subject to eternal law, where we are guided to God's supernatural end in a higher way (47). According to Aquinas, humans in particular follow God's eternal law through a natural law, and inborn instinct to do good. Something is said to be part of natural law if there is a natural inclination to it and if nature does not produce the contrary, (51-52). Natural law includes such ideas as self-preservation, union of the male and the female, and education of the young, which is easily found in nature. Humans also have a unique knowledge of God and were meant to live in a society. Aquinas explains that even though concepts such as slavery and personal possessions are not found alone in nature, they were created by human reason, and in such cases the law of nature was not changed but added to (52). Because we can do such things , we are separated from the rest of God's creatures. After explaining his theory of natural law, Aquinas goes on to explain sexuality in the context of it. According to him, promiscuity is contrary to the nature of man because to bring up a child requires both the care of the mother who nourishes him and even more the care of the father to train and defend him and to develop him in internal and external endowments (78). Therefore, he finds fornification to be a mortal sin because it is contrary to the good of the upbringing of the offspring (79). Curiously, though, he does not bring up the more likely scenario where fornification does not result in the impregnation of the woman. His reasoning makes much better sense in the case of adultery. Not only does it upset one's obligations to his family, but also because the Ten Commandments specifically condemn adultery as a great sin. The Ten Commandments are God's laws and are not relative, so there is no disputing their validity. However, Aquinas' argument that monogamy is natural for human s is not easily justified. If we look carefully at nature, most mammals have to be raised by their parents just as humans are, but only for a few years. Also, in many cases, the mother may raise her young with a different male, or on her own altogether. Therefore, this makes it harder for Aquinas to appeal to natural law to prove his case for monogamy and life-long relationships. Also, Aquinas does not agree that a male should have the option of leaving a female who has had a child even if it is properly provided for, making an indirect case against divorce (79). Curiously, in Islam, the Koran allows divorce and remarriage, and it is based for the most part on the very same Bible that Aquinas defended. Aquinas makes clear that sex is right only when it is for the purpose of reproduction and it should only be between a male and female in a monogamous relationship; all other forms are sinful. However, he brings up a very striking exception. The acts of fornification or adultery are not considered sins at all if they are performed under the command of God (52). This is simply a case of common sense, but it explains clearly any such indiscrepancies to natural law in the Bible. Aquinas goes on to define more serious mortal sins which he refers to as indecent sex. This includes homosexuality and bestiality. He quotes bestiality from the

Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essays

Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essays Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Essay Topic: The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper is about a husband trying to help his wife deal with her emotional disorder† as best as he can. The novel allows the reader to witness woman being driven to madness by a Victorian rest cure, a once frequently prescribed period of inactivity thought to cure female hysteria, depression, nervousness and anxiety. In the period of which this specific piece of literature was written, women had minimal rights, even concerning their mental status and rights. There were instances where not having a menstrual cycle was considered abnormal and a symptom of insanity. Symptoms such as depression after the death of a loved one, use of foul language were also reasons a woman would be admitted. Haney-Peritz, Janice. â€Å"Monumental Feminism and Literature’s Ancestral House: Another Look at ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.† Short Story Criticism 62. (2003): 95-107. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. (hysteria) As she remains in the room, she begins to slip into depressive psychosis. She begins to see a woman trapped in the yellow wallpaper. The story concludes with the woman circling the room, now completely immersed in her mental illness, removing the wallpaper and stepping over her unconscious husband who had fainted at the realization of his wifes mental state. The feminism literary views show how the piece suggests patriarchal ideology and how it proves itself in 19th-century marriage and medical practice. The wallpaper itself is a metaphor whereas the nameless wife is herself trapped just like the woman she sees in the wallpaper. She could be seeing herself in the wallpaper and tries to free herself by ripping the wallpaper off the walls. She is trapped behind her husband, with no rights and no say she is essentially a Guinea pig for him. The woman inside the wallpaper represents the pervasive and inescapable injustice, much like the rules the wife hides behind. The wife in the story is the embodiment of struggle

The Reasons for Adopting a Single Set of International Financial Essay

The Reasons for Adopting a Single Set of International Financial Accounting Standards - Essay Example The preceding arguments will employ IFRS as a proxy to IAS. The structure of the paper will comprise of the discussion and the conclusion. The discussion section will critically evaluate presented reasons for the adoption of IFRS. The Key highlight of the reasons will include: IRFS advancement of timely information for investors, better quality accounting, comparability, improved earning and management, political incentives and the capital market benefits. The essay will conclude with a summary of the identified driving factors for the implementation of IAS. According to Chua and Taylor (2008), IAS highly promotes timely access to information by investors. The adoption of a single set of IAS enhances the evaluation of companies across regions by investors based on a single standardized accounting framework. IAS underpin timeliness through the standardization of accounting procedures and reporting formats thereby eliminating time lag that has traditionally emanated from the analytical adjustment of the financial statements for the purposes of international comparison. Apart from time aspect, the existences of IAS also leads to cost reduction that could have been incurred in the processing of the financial information in a manner that will allow comparison to be conducted. In light of the globalization effect, it is further imperative that the multinationals adopt a single accounting standard that reconciles financial statements globally across their entire branch network. The provision of financial statement on single IAS further underpins the significance of the value relevance for investors. According to Edwards (2009), value relevance refers to the ability of the financial information documented in the financial statement to adequately expound on the predominant parameters in the stock market.

Law of Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law of Trusts - Essay Example Since the repeal of the Preamble, the law has progressed on the back of judicial decisions arrived at in the light of the Preamble. The traditional definition of such trusts came from Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel (1891), which divided charitable trusts into four categories: trusts for 'Relief of Poverty', for 'Advancement of Education', for 'Advancement of Religion' and, trusts for 'Purposes Beneficial to the Community'. Trusts for the advancement of education, includes conventional education and training. Thus trusts for schools, colleges, universities and other institutions of learning are valid. But this head extends to any mode of acquiring useful knowledge from literary learning to scientific researches etc. In the case of Re Shaw (1957) it was held that a gift by George Bernard Shaw in his will for research of a forty letter alphabet and translation of one of his plays into it was not charitable. It is arguable whether the same result would have been reached under the principle laid down in the later case of Re Hopkins (1965). It concerned a gift to Francis Bacon Society to be used to find manuscripts proving that the plays of Shakespeare were written by Francis Bacon. The gift was held charitable. The result of research must also enter the public ... Therefore research carried out by companies and kept for their exclusive commercial use is not charitable. Although far from the concerns of the Preamble, trusts for animal welfare such as that of the preservation of wildlife through animal sanctuaries have been held to be charitable, this has been due to a change in the general approach that was adopted by the courts in the mid-nineteenth century, where charities of this kind were likely to be held to be a failure because of various reasons. Trusts for animals would be charitable if they 'tend to promote and encourage kindness towards animals and to stimulate humane and generous sentiments in man towards lower animals': Re Wedgewood. However in Re Grove Grady (1929), the Court of Appeal held that a gift for an animal sanctuary which specifically excluded humans so that the animals would not be molested was not charitable, for such a gift produced no public benefit. If it is found that the charitable purpose would be a failure because the means for its implementation as chosen by the testator are either impractical or impossible to carry out then the doctrine of cy-pres or ss13 and 14 of the Charities Act 1993, can be applied so that it would not fail. The cy-pres doctrine allows the courts to direct that the trust property be applied to a purpose as close as possible to the one intended by the settler. Cy-pres can save charitable trusts from failure at the outset or from subsequent failure when carrying out the purpose becomes impossible or impractical. The doctrine only applies to a purpose which already counts as a charitable purpose. In order for the courts to re-direct trust money intended for charitable purposes, the courts must find that the donor

RBG Colour Model Experiment

RBG Colour Model Experiment Introduction Color is a visual attribute of objects that results from the light they emit, transmit or reflect. [1] These colors give us the ability to appreciate things around us. With this, we can easily define or give meaning to the things we see almost every day. We can see these colors in paintings, surroundings, the food we eat, and almost everything, as almost everything has color. Electronic systems use different color models to represent data visually. [2] One of these color models is RGB color model. A color in RGB color model is expressed by how much of each red, green, blue is included [2], hence the acronym RGB. In this experiment, we lit the RGB LED with different colors in Arduino, with the use of RGB color model. Materials with Description DFRduino Uno R3 (1) The arduino circuit board. Jumper Cables M/M (4) Serves as the connector to different pins in the circuit. RGB LED (1) A diode that emits light and to be used as an output in the circuit. It provides different colors of light by setting its RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values. It consists of 3 anodes, one for each color in RGB, and one cathode. 220 ÃŽÂ © Resistor (3) An electric device that will control the flow of current through the circuit. Procedure (self-explained) Connect the components to the breadboard base on the tables below. Resistor Breadboard Start End A D9 G9 B D7 G7 C D6 G6 Table 1 Resistor Positions RGB LED Red Cathode(-) Green Blue Breadboard I9 I8 I7 I6 Table 2 RGB Led Position Jumper Wires Breadboard Arduino Start End 1 C6 DP 10 2 C7 DP 11 3 C9 DP 9 4 H8 GND Table 3 Jumper Wire Positions After plotting the components to the breadboard. Connect the USB cable to the computer and the circuit. Compile and upload the code. Circuit Diagram Code Code Analysis int redPin, greenPin, bluePin this code sets the pin numbers of each color from RGB LED to their respective pin slot in the Arduino. void setup(){à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦} a one-time initialization method. Set all redPin, greenPin, and bluePin as output by using pinMode(pin, pinType) built-in function. void loop(){à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦} a method that constantly iterates the statements inside the block. In this experiment, we created different colors, by generating random numbers from random(min, max) each color from red, green and blue. random(0, 255) a built-in function that generates random number from range 0 to 255. void colorRGB(int r, int g, int b){à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦} a user-defined method that accepts values of r, g, and b. This method is also responsible for assigning the values/colors for the pins of the RGB LED by using analogWrite(pin, value). When these colors are combined together, the RGB LED will create a different color based on the values of the RGB written by analogWrite(). constrain(value, min, max) a built-in function that checks whether value is in the range of min and max. If so, return the value. If value is greater than max, this function will return max. If value is less than min, this function will return min. This code is essential to check whether the value is less than 0 or greater than 255, as analogWrite can only accept values 0-255. Also, the color values for each color in RGB can only be 0 255. For example: R = 255,   G = 0, B = 255, this will create a violet color. delay(n); lets the circuit sleep or pause for n milliseconds. Comparison of Code vs. Hardware Output It is noticeable that the code controls and manages how will the hardware provide an output. It is also important that the pins used in the hardware should be the same in the code.   This experiment introduced a new kind of LED that can represent or display different colors. The RGB LED changes its color by using random number generation as part of the code, and setting those values to each color in RGB pins in the LED. Recommendation/Enhancement The experiment can be integrated in disco bars, to produce different colors of lights. This can be also used for medical purposes for people who may suffer color blindness. For example, an RGB LED, will produce colors, and the individual will describe the color he or she saw. A billboard composed of multiple RGB LEDs can be used to act like as pixels in a graphic image. [1] WordNet Search 3.1, [Online]. Available: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=colorsub=Search+WordNeto2=o0=1o8=1o1=1o7=o5=o9=o6=o3=o4=h=. [2] RGB Color Model Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RGB_color_model. [Accessed 9 January 2017].

The Success Of Michael Crichtons Novels In The Media Industry :: essays research papers

The Success of Michael Crichton's Novels in the Media Industry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One only has to look at the astonishing opening weekend of Paramount Pictures' action adventure thriller Congo which was universally panned by critics, to be reminded of the power of the person who created the underlying material: Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton. The film's whopping $24.6 million opening, which shocked insiders, underscored the value to Hollywood of an exclusive club of best-selling writers (Eller 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Chrichton's novels all have their similarities. He seems to follow a pattern which is working very well for him. He picks a hot-button subject and uses it to lend his novels a glossy veneer of topicality. He casts his novels with some really detestable villains so attentive readers will automatically know who to root for. He ends each chapter on a scary, cliff- hanging note to make sure that readers will keep reading, regardless of the characters vapidity. He includes many frantic chase scenes or race-against-the- clock scenes that will translate graphically onto the screen. He puts plenty of technical, pseudo-specialist talk into his characters' mouths to give readers the illusion that they're learning something as they quickly flip the pages (Kakutui 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Crichton has definitely made a boom in the entertainment industry. Whether it is his top grossing movies or his top rated television shows like E.R. which took a leading twenty prime-time Emmy nominations last year including best drama (Carter 23).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crichton's latest movie Congo, which had a great opening weekend, was one of his successes. This movie was based on a book that Crichton wrote in the early 80's, long before he became the entertainment powerhouse that he is now. Chrichton's novels seem to be written for big screen translations (Brom 14). Publishers say that they can't recall a time since Jaws and The Exorcist, two decades ago, when movies gave such a boost to the books that inspired them (Romney 5). Michael Chrichton indefinitely tops this long list of authors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crichton's novels cover many subjects such as genetic engineering in Jurassic Park, sexual harassment in Disclosure, or Japan's threat to America in Rising Sun (Denby 12). I think that it is this wide variety of subject matter that keeps his readers coming back for more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crichton's biggest success by far was the novel Jurassic Park. This book made a sales record in both the novel and on the screen (Turan 11). It ended up grossing over $913 million total in ticket sales and holds the privilege of being the top selling live action movie ever on home video (Wall Street Journal B5). It was such a success that its director, Steven Spielberg,

What extent is it accurate to claim that Australians

Australians are committed to a ;fair go' and that they belong to a classless society? Since Australia opened its doors to the rest of the world it has been widely regarded as a land of ‘golden opportunity well endowed in resources with a small population; it appeared to be an escape from the rigid aristocratic ruling of European nations (Furze, 2008: 349). For such a long time many Australians have been reluctant to recognize that social classes do in fact exist within our society and that these classes perpetuate inequality.To claim that all Australians are committed to a fair go' would be ignorant, and I will explore in this discussion the barriers that prohibit Australians from being equal. I will begin by providing an understanding of class constructs and stratification, I will then go on to highlight the Inequalities Inherent in different spheres of Australian society and how these Inequalities are products of a class hierarchy. I have chosen to concentrate on healthcare; education and the legal system for these are resources that all citizens should have equal access to.Class is a significant force in all societies, understanding class is crucial if we are to see how groups of people within our society have different experiences. Social stratification refers to the way society is organized within hierarchical layers (Furze, 2008:320). It is impossible to live in Australia without coming to realize that these different social classes are employed in deferent types of Jobs, live in different suburbs, attend different schools, receive different incomes and experience crucial differences in privilege and inequality (McGregor, 1997: 2).As we begin to investigate how social, lattice and economic resources are distributed the disparities between groups becomes apparent- the nature of stratification creates a systematic and enduring pattern of Inequality. (Habits & Walter, 2009:2) The Inequalities that arise from class differences are largely based on const raints to access of resources; one of these resources is healthcare. It is evident that health disparities within Australia are linked to different income groups.Lifestyle factors attributed to ill health such as poor diets, drugs and alcohol are most prominent in low income groups and minorities such as the Indigenous. These groups are socially disadvantaged and therefore have limited access to resources such as housing, health information and education. For these reasons, studies have found that pregnant aboriginal women are at a high risk of birthing underweight babies- contributing to a higher infant mortality rate, high rates of morbidity with 20 years less life expectancy than non Indigenous Australians and higher rates of alcohol abuse and self harm (Furze, 2008: 314).Health risks are not just limited to minority groups however, blue collar workers also experience significant occupation related Issues; mining and Intensive Barbour as well as exposure to toxic substances Is li kely to cause subsequent Illness. Contested due to its inaccessibility. The Federal, State and Territory governments share the responsibility of publicly funded healthcare and also provide Medicare- a healthcare system that all wage earners pay a levy toward. Recently however, there has been a growth in private health care investment illustrated by a rise in private hospital beds from 24439 in 2003 to 26988 in 2006 (Furze, 2008:317).Citizens are being encouraged to take out private health care for better and quicker treatment, forever, this causes an ethical debate as public waiting lists are profoundly long and yet private health care is unaffordable by many. It is evident then, that class placement determines opportunity and creates barriers to achieving equal access to healthcare. Another sphere of Australian society divided by class stratification is education and schooling. In many ways education and knowledge are the keys to a prosperous and successful life; however it is not possible for everyone to access this valuable resource (Habit's and Walter, 2009:149).The shift of government funding room public schools to private schools means that a child's class background easily distorts their educational path. As private schools began to emerge, upper class parents would send their children to private school due to the preferred prestige and elite status they were associated with. More recently however, the decision to enroll children in private educational institutions reflects the decline the educational quality provided by public schools.The government have turned to ‘economic rationalism' where their focus is no longer on committing to maximizing general elf through the development of public resources but by operating on economic efficiency (Furze,2008:255). For this reason, private schools have been advantaged and public schools left behind. What is most significant about this change is that it generates socioeconomic inequality; parents with lowe r incomes cannot afford to send their children to private school and this subsequently reproduces the stratification system.Socioeconomic status has further implications within the education system; this is particularly evident within the low socioeconomic groups and indigenous community. Education attrition rates for these groups are as low as 14. 5%; this is significantly low compared to a 76. 4% obtained by higher socioeconomic groups (Furze, 2008:252). Students are sorted by ability and performance indicators through standardized testing; these tests routinely consign Aboriginals to a hard competition for Jobs, income and social mobility (Furze, 2008:261).Aboriginal children concentrated in rural areas suffer inequitable access to education, particularly as schools in remote areas have low achievement levels and staffing problems. In 2004 only 39. 5% of Aboriginals progressed to year 12 whilst 6. 8% of non indigenous students did (Furze, 2008: 263). Social inequalities and class implications are reproduced academically as wealthy schools continue to be subsidized and children of lower socioeconomic status remain disadvantaged.Substantial evidence of class related inequality also exists within the political sphere, lower socioeconomic groups and minorities possess limitations to accessing and actively participating in this sphere in comparison to upper class citizens who are able to actively participate. Great controversy surrounds the overrepresented of Indigenous and lower class citizens in Australia; discriminatory attitudes are prevalent toward these groups due to their higher rates of unemployment.Low levels disenfranchisement and a lack of knowledge (McGregor, 1997; 76) Relative poverty, poor health standards and a lack of educational and social opportunities have underpinned greater Aboriginal representation amongst criminal offenders. â€Å"Aborigines, it is said, make up one per cent of the general population, but nearly 30 per cent of prison in m ates,† (Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 253). This statement is echoed by statements of the Australian Law Reform Commission which claims the Aborigines re 29 times more likely to be imprisoned that non Aborigines. Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 256) As laws of a society are connected with the dominant cultural attitudes of society, it seems the inherent bias of Australian Judicial system is ethnocentric. The ALARM have also alluded to the, ‘many instances [that] exist when Aboriginals have been imprisoned, fined or otherwise sentenced without having understood their rights,' (Wolcott & Dowse, 2004: 259). This can be attributed again to the lack of education available to this community and the lack of access to legal aid due to financial constraints.For Australia to be committed to a fair go' all citizens should possess the same standard of access and equity in the legal system, however, the implications of class inequality prevent this from occurring. We can be certain that class divisi ons do exist in Australian society, and that these divisions limit one's entitlement to a fair go. ‘ Myths of equality aside, the evidence is quite clear that in Australia, as in every other capitalist system, success depends very strongly on one's socioeconomic status (Hillier, 1981 :214); it plays a pivotal role in determining access to political, social and economic resources .