Technology, Privacy, and the Person

Table of Contents Introduction Internet Privacy Threats Counter Measures Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Advancement in information technology is one of the greatest achievements realized in human history. This has significantly shaped the manner in which people communicate and share information around the world. At a click of the mouse, it is possible to access and share information with friends, workmates, employees and the general public.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technology, Privacy, and the Person specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless the internet has redefined information technology and taken it to another level (Castells 45). Consequently, these developments have led to emergence of privacy and security issues especially in the 21st century with many people arguing that massive use of the internet puts users at risk of having their private information accessed and shared without their consent. It is more obvious than not that the use of internet is a threat to human privacy and has to be addressed to mitigate cyber-related crimes. This essay explores ways in which technology affects human privacy and how internet users and victims respond to these challenges. Internet Internet is a global network which allows connection of computers, computer programs and enormous information. This connectivity permits sharing and transmission of information regardless of ones destination on the global map. As a result, the internet is regarded as a resource center for a wide range of people (Castells 45). It has become a space where people deposit and share private information, becoming victims of identity theft and privacy related cases. It is however important to underline the fact that the internet is largely unregulated on an international scale thus internet laws have limited legislative authority over internet activities in other countries (Levmore and Nussbaum 22). Altho ugh the internet was initially used for communication in organizations, institutions and in business, it has found massive application among individuals around the world. Besides computers, internet usage has been facilitated by the emergence of internet-enabled mobile phones (Castells 45). People around the world are able to search the internet, post personal information and view other people’s profiles. Additionally, commencement of the 21st century has witnessed rise in use of social networks like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace among others. Most of these sites allow users to create personal accounts under which they store personal information. Even though the accounts are usually managed by individual users, the privacy of such information has always remained a major point of concern among internet experts.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By posting personal information online, man y people become vulnerable to cyber terrorists. While many believe that their social network accounts are solely managed by themselves, it is possible to access private information including physical addresses and other contact information among others (Dixon and Gellman 1). This makes it possible to be stalked online and puts the private life of an individual at risk. Unless internet users are sensitive and have customized their settings not to allow strangers to view their profiles, social networks allow friends and other users to access their private data. Privacy Who doesn’t need privacy? In fact, privacy is so crucial that most legislation around the world recognize the need of having secure and private life. This equally applies to information technology and its ability to facilitate flow of information. Privacy allows internet users to have a personal space that is free from external interference (Kendrick 20). It encompasses a wider range of dimensions which define pe rsonal information that have the power to reveal the identity of individuals. They include but not limited to privacy of personal data, physical privacy, behavioral privacy and privacy of communications (Dixon and Gellman 1). It is the claim of every person to have total control of their personal information in order to limit public access. With current technological advancements, there is a lot of online data surveillance which threatens total privacy of online data. Threats Threats to private data are considered common especially when using the internet for communication. For example, data which is transmitted online is subject to a wide range of risks including delivery of information to the unintended person or organization, information being accessed by unintended person, change of content during transmission and denial of the recipient to have received such information (Kendrick 21). Another transmission threat is the existence of transaction trails which are able to record in ternet activities performed by individuals. These may include records of sent and received emails, visited sites and transactions performed using other internet gadgets and services. Exploitation of these trails can be used to reveal important private information which could be used against criminally (Dixon and Gellman 9). In addition, threats to personal identity are a major challenge to internet users as it is augmented by technological advancements (Finklea 1). Such threats revolve around available personal information revealing contact details. An example of this risk which is common in the United Sates is identity theft where people masquerade and use different identities to perform transactions and countless malpractices (Dixon and Gellman 10). Unsolicited communication is also common when using the internet to transmit information.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technology, Privacy, and the Person specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/pag e Learn More Internet users are likely to receive bulky mails from unknown people when using the web for communication (Smith and Kutais 4). Common implication of such mails is that they waste the recipient’s time and may turn out to be offensive depending on the content. Correspondingly, emails sent across the internet identify the sender to the recipient without the former’s knowledge. This causes personality threat that could be used against the sender. Counter Measures It is clear that the internet exposes users to enormous threats most of which are identity-related. The question we need to ask is how these threats could be avoided. Notably, security of personal information is essential and has to be emphasized at all levels including personal and corporate. Among the ways IT experts respond to personal data threats is through encryption of sensitive records. Encryption allows protection of information being transmitted using codes or passwords which can only be decrypted by the recipient (Kendrick 162). Besides coding of private information, web users are discouraged from posting personal information online, to avoid being preyed on by cyber terrorists (Smith and Kutais 4). In cases where such information is posted, it is important to customize access settings in order to limit public access to private information. The use of firewalls and authentic antivirus software is also one of the ways in which most people are responding to secure their privacy. Firewalls are able to detect web trails although they do not reveal specific information being trailed. Lastly, stringent legislation should be formulated and implemented to guard against cyber terrorism across the globe (Levmore and Nussbaum 22). Conclusion The Internet is undoubtedly the leading means of communication which has been realized through technological advancement in the world. Having hit the peak in the 21st century, the internet has become a basic communication too lkit for both private and individual usage. While these momentous achievements engulf the world of communication, internet privacy has emerged as a costly threat to all internet users. These threats revolve around personal information and all efforts have to be put in to protect the privacy of internet users. Works Cited Castells, Manuel. The rise of the network society. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print. Dixon, Pam and Gellman, Robert. Online Privacy: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finklea, Kristin. Congressional Research Service. Identity Theft: Trends and Issues. Philadelphia: DIANE Publishing, 2009. Print. Kendrick, Rupert. Cyber Risks for Business Professionals. NYC: IT Governance Ltd, 2010. Print. Levmore, Saul and Nussbaum, Martha. The offensive Internet: privacy, speech, and reputation. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2011. Print. Smith, Marcia S., and Kutais B. G.. Spam and internet privacy. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Publishers, 2007. Print. This essay on Technology, Privacy, and the Person was written and submitted by user Trystan U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy Gene therapy shows promise for Parkinson'sSevere tremors, rigidity of the limbs and loss of muscle control characterize Parkinson's disease, strikes as many as 100,000 Americans each year. The cause is unknown and the disorder results from death of brain cells that produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine. The dopamine plays a key role in transmitting commands from the brain's muscle control centers.Researchers had two teams that used the same technology for performing gene therapy. They inserted a desired gene into a common virus called adeno-associated virus. The genes each team used where very different. Both teams' leaders had no financial ties to the company.One team study, led by Dr. Matthew J During, used a gene that is the blueprint for an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase. This enzyme converts chemicals in the cell into a neurotransmitter called GABA, which is important for controlling muscle movements. Injecting GABA directly into the brain ease symptoms of the di sease but the hormone is quickly cleared out of the system.Steve SelkirkGene Therapy: Historical OverviewGene therapy is by no means a new field of scientific query. The idea was first proposed back in the 1950's when James Watson and Frances Crick described a model of the double-stranded helix of DNA and basically discovered the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. At that time, Crick was quoted as saying, "We used to think that our fate was in our stars. Now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in our genes" (Barker, 1995, p. 12).Knowing that DNA is composed of nucleotide base pairs in certain patterns, scientists began to ask questions about the DNA structure and how it could be manipulated. Scientists understood that the base pairs could be arranged incorrectly, and this prompted them to wonder if it would be...

Organizational behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational behavior - Essay Example suffering from any negative experiences depression started to dominate the entire aspects of life. It is therefore, reflected on the scenarios of everyday activities. It can cause drastic changes in the daily activities such as eating, working, and even in sleeping. It feels so helpless and hopeless; and there are lack of confidence and focus on the daily activities, if mentally and physically weak. But it would be more advantageous if you work out on it with boost of happiness, and can be prevented by letting yourself busy with working in the daily endeavors. .Definitely positive feelings correspond to positive work. Conclusion In conclusion to this topic, feelings, emotions, and moods affect the whole system of our body, physical and emotional aspects of our behavior. Some of our great philosophers like Aristotle, Plato and other philosophers are best examples of achievers who definitely known for their works because they have positive emotions that lead them to motivation, strengt hs and desire to succeed. Reference Psychology Information Online, (1993). What is a depressive order? Retrieved from http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/description.html

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) - The Assignment

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) - The International Corporate Reporting Issues - Assignment Example Wood and Sangster (2008) highlights that the IASC was initially founded by an Accountant’s International Study Group particularly in 1973. The IASB is an international but independent accounting setting body. Soon after becoming the international accounting standards setting body, the members of IASB finalized and decided to discuss, develop, in the global public interest, a single set of high quality international accounting standards. (About Us, n.d.). However, as IASB is UK-based and its standards are mostly applied to the UK based corporations, the U.S. corporations follow the accounting standards by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The globalization and increase in cross border transactions necessited both boards to work closely and issue collective international accounting standards. This process begins the convergence between the IASB and the FASB particularly in 2002 Norfolk agreement, where both regulatory bodies developed a consensus to develop and is sues a set of high quality compatible standards (Carmona and Trombetta, 2010). However, there exist various challenges that make it substantially difficult for the both bodies to ensure the global but uniform application of the international accounting standards. ... Since the IASB possesses no legal backing to implement its own developed international accounting standards, it would be substantially difficult for the IASB to ensure and monitor the global recognition and uniform application of the IFRS. Ironically, soon after the establishment of the IASC in the United Kingdom, the foundation of the FASB took place in the U.S. it would not be incorrect to say that the creation of the FASB was a counter measure to the existence and function of the IASC. Moreover, in the same year 1973, the FASB developed and drafted its own accounting standards and issued within the United States. Consistently, the FASB has been developing the Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) as a counter measures for the IASs being produced by the IASB till the year of 2002. Furthermore, the FASB works as a competitor to the IASB. Both have agreed to the IFRS would be implemented in the United States of America by the end of 2015. This is an endeavour to introduce th e global uniform application and practice of the IFRS and this would bring a forward step toward the attainment of the global application and practice of the international accounting frameworks and standards. However, this global and uniform application received a severe blow when the FASB independently and separately outlined, developed and published its own vision on how to carry out the process of reforms in the accounting of financial instruments (Veron, 2010). Also, the IASC Foundation has been widely criticized on its approach towards entertaining its mission. In this regard, the European banking sector highlights its reservations over the certain announcements of the IASC. Consequently, it has heightened hostitlity between the two; the hostility becomes

Global operation and supply chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global operation and supply chain - Essay Example nventory can be referred to as the quantity of goods and materials on hand.   A stock includes finished products, goods undergoing production process, and raw materials. The main purpose of inventory management is to keep enough inventories to meet customer demand, maintain independence of operations, allow flexibility in product scheduling and be cost effective (Allen, 2008: 881).   Inventory management usually ensure the availability of raw materials in sufficient quality and quantity, thus it is of great importance to have a proper control and management inventory (Axs.ater, 2010: 1329). Inventory management is necessary as it prevents leakage, deterioration, spoilage and wastage of materials. Its aim is to improve material handling, saving in material cost, increase production and large profits (Allen, 2008: 883). First-In, First-Out method: this is a method of valuing the cost of goods sold that uses the cost of the oldest items in inventory first.   This is based on the assumption that goods that are sold or used first are those goods that are bought first (Axs.ater, 2010: 1330).   Last-In, First-Out method: This is an inventory valuing method that assumes that the last items placed in inventory are the first sold.   Therefore, when the Last in First Out method is applied, the year-end inventory consists of the goods placed in inventory at the beginning of the year, rather than at the end.   During inflation, when prices are rising, this method yields a lower ending inventory, lower gross profit, higher cost of goods sold and a lower taxable income (Anderson and Narus, 2011: 99).   This method is preferred because it reduces a company’s taxes and increases cash flow. Specific Identification method: this is the simplest method of valuing inventories.   The sale of inventory requires the inventory account to be credited or reduced, and cost of goods sold should be debited or increased for the amount paid for each inventory item.   This method works

Intellectual Traditions In Islam Religion Essay

Intellectual Traditions In Islam Religion Essay Islam after the death of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) spread far and wide and was accepted by different people of different languages, culture and lands. Hence it became enriched by the intellectual contribution of many individuals and communities in various diverse fields of learning such as philosophy, literature, law, theology, arts, mysticism and natural science. Thus, Islam was elaborated in a multitude of forms and interpretations and by the 1oth century, it completely flourished as a civilization To discuss the significance of these issues, a seminar entitled INTELLECTUAL TRADITIONS IN ISLAM was organized by the institute of Ismaili studies at the Mellor centre, Churchill College, university of Cambridge during 14-20 august 1994. This book contains the edited and reviewed versions of the papers presented at the seminar excluding Professors M. Mahdi, M. Arkoun and A Sachedinas contributions. The report is an overview of all the essays presented in this book excluding the essay Some Observations on the Religious Intellectual Milieu of Safawid Iran by John Cooper and Present Day Islam Between its Tradition and Globalization by Mohammed Arkoun. It discusses all the key points and topics addressed by different authors in their respective essays. ABOUT THE BOOK (SUMMARY) The concepts and the key points described in the book are discussed below with respect to each chapter: 1. Introduction The introduction is the key note address which was presented at the seminar by Dr. Aziz Esmail. He in his essay explores the key concepts of Intellectual Life, Tradition and Islam. He raises many questions about concept of an intellectual life. He asks about the designation and position of an intellectual in the society. He asks whether the intellectual thoughts and the intellectual themselves are very distantly placed from the society. He further confronts the readers by asking questions such as what is the place of intellect in ones persona. What is the relationship of intellect with feelings, character and most importantly with the faith of a person? He further explores the role of intellectual life in the development of personality and character and in the making of identity of a person. He asks what is the relation of intellect in our daily lives. What is its relation to ones relationship with God? How does it effect the relation of an individual with its society? Does the intellect enable any participation in the society or does it retards it? He confronts the readers with such questions and enables them to think, to review and to divulge in his thoughts. Furthermore, he deals with the concept of tradition and traditionalism. He defines the relationship of old age and youth with tradition. He says that the old age identifies with the past whereas the youth has a relationship of dependence of defiance with the past. He identifies the different models of schooling which provide the basis of relationship of an individual with his traditions. The author explains that the tradition becomes an object of anxiety and attention when it ceases to work not when it is actually at work. He says that you cant find the idea of traditionalism or tradition in traditional societies. He explains that the main confronting question facing the people today is that in this world which is characterized by a pluralism of tradition which tradition one should uphold? The other question is what is the future of any traditions in such a rapidly changing world? When the author talks about Islam he asks the meaning of Islam. He also asks what is the relationship of past and present in Islam. The author describes the challenge of relativism in todays world. Relativism says that all doctrines, ideas and values can be explained by reference to time and place. But if all ideas and values are thus explained, ones confidence in upholding a single culture or tradition is shattered. The author says that today the culture is becoming a supermarket of ideas, values and doctrines where one chooses according to taste not according to objective essence. It the past, community came first and the individuals second, today, the scenario is opposite. Today, in such a pluralistic world, there is a need of a genuine mutual appreciation between faiths. The author says that engagement with other faiths doesnt mean to surrender, for criticism too is a form of engagement. How Islamic theology may engage with the modern world without becoming a prisoner of the mode rn understanding of modernity is one of the major challenges facing Islamic thought today? 2. Intellectual Life in the First Four Centuries of Islam by Hugh Kennedy: The author in his essay surveys the intellectual life of the Muslims in the first four centuries of Islam. He also describes the development of the intellectual life in this era. He explains that the first main issue that confronted the Muslims after the death of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was that of the leadership of the community. People raised many questions such as who should lead the community. How they should be chosen and what powers they should enjoy? There were two different groups of people who had two different view points. One group believed that the leadership should be inherited by the Ahl al-Bayt (family of the Prophet). The other idea that found favor was that of a tribal Sheikh. The early Islamic intellectuals faced a very important issue that how they were going to preserve and record the utterances and deeds of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and his companions, secondly, they faced the issue of explanation of Quran Sunna to the new Muslims who were Non-Arabs. Consequently, a whole series of sciences developed in order to solve these problems. These sciences include grammar, genealogy, poetry and history and were known as the Islamic sciences. Grammar was a part of such sciences. It became the essential constituent of all the intellectual activities as it was vital to understand the basis of religion. Science of genealogy also found its way in the minds of the Muslims intellectuals. It was used to establish relations between different tribes and people. To understand the Quran completely, it was equally important to learn the language and thoughts of the Prophets contemporaries. So, poetry of pre-Islamic Arab and the early days of Islam became a very important part of the Muslim Intellectual life. History was another aspect of systematization of learning. Historical writing came into form just due to the need to record the life of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and the events of the Islamic conquests. The non-Islamic sciences that Muslims were concerned with were medicine, philosophy, astrology and astronomy. All these sciences were brought into the Islamic tradition by translations made from Greek language in the 9th century. The Muslims in the early era of Islam pursued only those sciences that they thought were practically useful for them. Philosophy was studied by Muslims because it was required for analysis of arguments and logic study of medicine was required for obvious reasons. Astronomy and astrology were regarded as practical sciences by Muslims because many of them believed in the influence of planets on peoples lives. The author highlights that in the early intellectual life of Islam certain subjects were studied because they were perceived to be useful and there was no structure of intellectual life for there did not exists any academic profession. Thus, in the first four centuries of Islam, there was no institutional frame work for intellectual life; people who were engaged in such activities lived on their private income. Overall, the Muslims in the four centuries of Islam were pre-occupied by Islamic sciences which developed from just being recordings of the early days of Islam to becoming immensely rich intellectual work. 3. Scientific and Philosophical Enquiry Achievements and reactions in Muslims history by Oliver Leaman: The author in his essay describes the development of scientific philosophical enquiry in the Muslim history. The author says that after the death of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H), the Islamic empire expanded and extended to the various parts of Middle East where a variety of civilization were established for a very long time. The new Muslim rulers came into contact with people who had very sophisticated ideas about theology, medicine, astronomy and mathematics. Now they had to decide whether to reject this kind of learning or to study it. They chose to study it and learn from it and as a result a pluralistic society of different cultures and religious was formed There were basically two reasons for using the discoveries and theories which were present in the Middle East at that time. One was the need to argue and debate with the people of other religions and to persuade them to become Muslims. It was necessary to use the methodologies of the older religious to defend Islam and to prove to people what improvements Islam has brought. The other rational for using science and philosophy of existing cultures was a practical one. When the Muslims came to Syria, Iraq and later on Persia, they found out that those people had a high standard of living. They were relatively more educated and healthy. They had better management skills. The Muslims wanted to learn how they achieved this state of affairs. This resulted in a great deal of interest in early Islamic world for philosophical, scientific and medical discoveries which were all around them. The author further explains that these new communities had a bulk of philosophical works especially those of Aristotle and Plato. Philosophy is all about the ability to debate, to argue. There was a great demand by the people for philosophical material with which they could persuade others about the validity of their point of views. The philosophical literature was widely read in the first few centuries of Islam and great evidence of scientific work is also found. The author further explains that to the positive approach of the philosophers, thinkers and intellectuals towards ancient philosophy and science, the ulama had a different approach. They thought that if the Muslim intellectuals were forming a philosophy based on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle then they were developing a philosophy based on pagan thought. They thought that Islam in itself contains the solutions of all the problems faced by the people. They argued that we need not approach ancient Greek philosophy for solutions of our problems. But the philosophers thought that if something is good or true there is no harm in incorporating it in our daily lives. The author says that the questions that arose as a result of all this debate were: how much is it acceptable for one to borrow from a culture that is not ones own? How far could Muslims incorporate secular knowledge in their own culture and still maintain their culture? The above mentioned debate was a dispute about who would sort out the theoretical problems of the Islamic world. Would it be the philosophers inspired by the Greek science and philosophy, or would it be the ulama and the fuqaha, the traditional Islamic scholars and jurists? 4. The Rational Tradition in Islam by Muhsin Mahdi: I would like to focus on the historical perspectives of the rational tradition in Islam. The author points out in the start of his essay that whenever in history Muslims including scientists, philosophers and mystics tried to express themselves, they had to use reason. The author traces back the history of rationalism from the age of enlightenment and the French revolution in European culture and history in the 17th and 18th centuries. It happened that some learned encyclopaedists started destructive rationalism by trying to get rid of religion and religious ideas, thoughts and prejudices. They wanted to establish a society that is purely based on reason. The author asks a question: how the rational tradition arose in Islam in the first place? He replies by saying that it arose after the death of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) when Islam and Muslims faced the crisis of leadership. The question: who has the claim to rule Muslim religious community after the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)? Is it by the prophets designation of an imam or is it by election? The origin of Islamic religious thought and theology is based on this question. And, thus, begins the whole process of rationalism in Islam. Within the tradition and knowledge that came in from other cultures and societies to Muslims, the concept or idea of Neoplatonism also found its way. Neoplatonism is the theory that speaks of god as something that is hard to understand, that is above and beyond reason. Thus, Neoplatonism provided the revealed religions with a support. It taught them that the divinity is active; its not just a mind it is something that acts and causes things to be. Now as the rationalist ideas began to develop, the contradictions between the rationalists and the fundamentalists began. One illustration of rationalism in Islam was Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Razi, the physician who opposed all forms of human authority in matters of religious knowledge, even that of the prophet. He completely opposed prophecy and criticized religion. He proposed that organized religion was a device used by the evil men to establish their rule over mankind and that it leads to violence, conflicts and wars. The whole idea of extreme rationalism is to get rid of all religions and to form a society based purely on reason. But no tradition ever thought of a society completely based on reason. One can make justifications about prophecy, revelations and religious transactions. The author here states his point of view that the only way that a society can be held together and the only way that people can be encouraged to pursue virtues and avoid vices which may not always be in their rational interests is by a divine law and through a doctrine of reward and punishment hereafter. In Islam two kinds of rationalist traditions are found. One is that of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) who believed in acquiring rational knowledge to find a way to the divine. He believed that as one perfects it to its limits, then he has a vision of what is beyond it. The other tradition is that of Ibn al-Arabi who believed in practicing and learning from people and experiences to find the way to the divine. 5. The Limits of Islamic Orthodoxy by Norman Calder: Norman Calder in his essay firstly explains that in this essay he wants to discover the outside limits of Islamic Orthodoxy with respect to the Sunni Islam. The author defines the terms Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy. Orthodoxy means the right teachings whereas Orthopraxy means the right practice. According to the author, the Sunni Islam is a religion of Orthodoxy. The author describes that one of the places where the right teachings of Islam can be found are those books which are called Aqida or Aqaid in Arabic meaning creed. These books set out the agenda of beliefs that represent being a Muslim. The author gives the example of Christianity, that in the first five centuries of Christianity, they faced a debate about what it was you had to believe to be a Christian and they decided a creed under the authority of a council and the pope. But there is no such source of authority in Islam. There is no such council and there is no such creed that is found in which all the Muslims believe. According to the author one thing found common in all the creeds is the components of the Shahadat i.e. the belief that God is one and Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is the messenger of God. The author further explains that there are five possible forms of religions beliefs including scripture, community, gnosis, reasons and charisma. Some people claim that the way towards the knowledge of God is through scripture i.e. Gods revelation others claim that Gods self-revelation to man is through a community that has been chosen by God and in which correct belief is preserved. A third group claims that way towards knowledge of God is through gnosis i.e. mystic knowledge, experience or just mysticism. A fourth group claims that way towards understanding God is by using reason or by being rational. Finally, there are communities that believe that God has appointed throughout the generations one particular person to express His message, they are also claim that this particular person has the knowledge of God. All great religious traditions of the world including Hinduism, Islam Christianity have all fine elements described above. The author classifies different groups of believers according to the above mentioned forms. Within Islam, the Twelve Shia the Ismaili Shia are the communities which lay stress on charisma as the most important form of achieving knowledge of God. There are two sets of people in Islam which lay great stress on reason as the means of achieving knowledge of God. One group is represented by philosophers like Al-Farabi and Avicenna i.e. Ibn Sina. The other group is the Mutazila which are rejected by the Sunnis because they claim that they overstress the role of reason. The group representing gnosis or mysticism in Islam is the Sufis. According to the author, the Sunnis are the group that lie somewhere between scripture and community. The author further explains that the Sunnis have formed intellectual writing traditions, there literature to which they refer as the expression to their understanding of their relationship to God and His Prophet (P.B.U.H). This list of literary genres is as follows: Qisas Al Anbiya, Sirat Al-Nabi, Quran, Hadith, fiqh, Kalam, Tafsir and Sharh Al Hadith. At intellectual level, the limits of orthodoxy are represented by the contents of the set of books defined above. 6. Intellectual Life Among the Ismaili: An Overview by Farhad Daftary: The author firstly explains the history and beliefs of Ismailis. He says that the Ismailis maintain that the Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) has appointed his cousin and son-in-law- Ali b. Abi Talib as his successor and that this designation or nass has been made divine command. They also believe that there is a permanent need of a spiritual leader with a particular Kind of knowledge (ILM) for guidance of mankind. They believe that after the death of Prophet, only Ali and succeeding imams possessed the required ILM and religious authority which enables them to act as the sole authority for interpreting the Islamic revelation. Thus, this doctrine of imamate forms the foundation of all the teachings and literary works of the Ismaili Shi is. The early Ismailis developed a cyclical history of revelation and a cosmological doctrine. These two concepts became the main components of theology. These two doctrines also explain the great appeal and popular success of the early Ismailis Dawa (the guiding mission led by teachers known as dais or missionaries. The establishment of the Fatimid state in 909 in North Africa proved to be a mile stone for the success of dawa. The Fatimid period is often known as the Golden Era of Ismailism. After the acquisition of the Fatimid state, the Fatimid Caliph-Imams didnt abandon their dawa activities aiming to extend their rule over the entire Muslim Umma, they retained their dawa and network of dais, operating both within and outside Fatimid states. Special institution was setup for the training of dais and instruction of ordinary Ismailis. The dais who were educated as theologians, themselves were the scholars and authors of Ismaili community. They produced great literary works on theology, law, philosophy and exoteric and esoteric subjects. In Egypt, the Fatimids created major libraries in Cairo, which grew into a centre of art, culture, Islamic and natural science. The Dais themselves were trained in jurisprudence and were acquired with knowledge of Hadith and other religious sciences as well as the languages and cultures of regions in which they operated despite being the sole representative of the Ismaili Dawa it Seems that very little is written by Ismaili authors on Dais who acted as missionaries, teachers and judges for the Ismailis of their community outside the Fatimid dominion. The high yearn for learning in Ismailis led them to conduct Majalis i.e. Lectures or teaching sessions for public. In 1005 Fatimid Caliph-Imam Al-Hakim (996-1021) formed an institution of learning known as Dar al-ilm, the house of knowledge or Dar al-Hikma in a section of Fatimid palace in Cairo. A multitude of religious and non- religious sciences were taught at Dar al-ilm which was equipped with a major library. Many Dais received training in Dar al-ilm. In the Fatimid period, the Ismaili law was codified by Al-Qadi Al-Numan under the guidance of the Fatimid Caliph-Imam Al-Muizz. His compilation the Daaim-al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam) served as the official legal code of the Fatimid state, Al-Qadi Al-Numan, on Fridays after the mid-day prayers conducted public sessions in Cairo at the mosques of Al-Azhar, Amr Al-Hakim, to explain the legal doctrines of the Ismailis jurisprudence to Ismailis. Much of the literary work and chronicles of Ismailis perished as a result of the Ayyubids harassment of Ismailis. These libraries were also destroyed and hence much of the literary work was also perished. After the persecution of Ismailis by Ayyubids in the Fatimid states, Hassan Sabbah founded the Nizari state in the fortress of Alamut in northern Persia. Hassan Sabbah was a learned theologian and he established an impress library at Alamut. Other major Nizari Fortresses in Persia Syria were also equipped with a signification collection of books, documents and scientific instruments. The Nizari Ismailis of the Alamut period used to compile chronicles in which events of the Nizari states were recorded accordingly. But most of these official chronicles preserved at Alamut and other Nizari fortresses perished in the Mongol attacks of 1256 or later on. After the invasion of Mongols in 1256, the Nizaris how began to observe taqiyya for extended period. Until the end of the 17th century, the Nizari Dawa met with particular success in Central Asia India. In the Central Asian tradition, the authentic works of Nasir Khusraw occupy a prominent role. Central Asian Nizaris have also preserved a bulk of Persian Nizari literature produced during the Alamut period in later times. The Syrian Nizaris have also formed another literary tradition based on Arabic, in which local ideas as well as Fatimid Ismaili thought found expression. The Nizari Khojas of the Indian sub-continent developed a distinctive tradition known as Satpanth or true path which is expressed in their hymn like Ginans written in different South Asian languages and later on recorded in the Khojki Script in Sindh by the Khoja community. These Ginans were written by Pirs or Dais to increase their appeal of message. The author acknowledges Ismailis as a community with the doctrine of Imamate as their central teaching. He successfully traces back the Ismaili literary traditions in his work. 7. Nasir Khusraw: Fatimid Intellectual by Alice C. Hansberger: The author Alice C Hunsberger in her essay focuses on the great Fatimid thinker and intellectual Nasir Khusraw. Nasir Khusraw who lived primarily in Khurasan in the 11th Century was an eminent Persian philosopher, writer and poet. He was a successful preacher of the Ismaili faith in Central Asia renown for his poetic teachings. He was so successful in preaching among people that those of other Islamic school turned viciously against him and he had to spend his last 15 or 20 year in exile in Yumgan in Badakhshan under the protection of a local Ismaili Prince. The author in her remarkable essay sheds light on his personality and his teachings. She narrates the story of an eagle from one of his poems. The essence of the story is that human beings have it all in them that carries them to the sky and brings them to the dust. The author is found to be saying that Nasir khusraw is far away from being a mystic and neither he is an ascetic rather he preaches his readers to become the best human beings they can by being fully in this world and using it for achieving self-perfection. Nasir Khusraw is the only philosophical writer of his era to have written all his writings in Persian language. He leaves us with three different genres of writing: a prose memoir of his travels, the safarnama, and his poetry gathered in his diwan and a no. of philosophical works in which he lays out the doctrines of Ismailism. His famous edited and published books include: Gushayish wa Rahayish, Jamial-Hikmatayn, Khwan al-Ikhwan, Shish Fasl, RawshanaI-nama, Wajh-i-din and Zad al-Musafirin. Nasir Khusraw earned his title Hakim through his broad training in philosophy and other sciences including finance and mathematics. In his writing, Nasir Khusraw shows a certain honesty and directness. He talks his hopes. His prose and poetry is so admired by people because it is plain and complex. Around his fortieth birthday Nasir Khusraw underwent a spiritual reawakening and left his privileged life in the royal Saljuq court and set out for a journey which was much esoteric rather than exoteric. The authors sheds light on a very important concept from Nasir Khusraws teachings that one must be in this world in order to achieve the higher world. He explains in his teachings the need of physical world for a life of faith because according to him it is the physical world that holds the tools for learning true wisdom, namely reason (or intellect and knowledge i.e. aql and ilm). Nasir Khusraw gets irritated by people who are ignorant. He compares them to all sorts of animals including donkeys, asses and noisy birds. In his book Wajh-i-Din Nasir Khusraw explains that animals act without knowledge, while angels know without acting. But it is human beings who must combine both action and knowledge. For Nasir Khusraw, intellect leads a believer to proper faith and strengthens his faith. The other concept that Nasir stresses in his teachings is the observance of the sharia. He criticizes people that they must observe sharia. He compares the observance of sharia with taking medicine when we are sick. Although we may not like the medicine but we have to do in order to heal our body. Similarly, the Prophet (P.B.U.H) is the physician and the medicine he brings to heal our souls is the sharia. Nasir Khusraw stresses that it is through the body that ones soul can be perfected by carrying out sharia. Since man is responsible for his actions, the effects of his actions are transferred to his soul leading ultimately to the purification or perfection of mans soul by observing the sharia. The author gives a great overview of the teachings of Nasir Khusraw in her essay. 8. Reason and Mystical Experience in Sufism by Annemarie Schimmel: The author in her essay sheds light on the concept of love, intellect, reason and experience in mysticism and in religion. She sheds light on different concepts by using references of Maulana Rumi and Iqbal. She starts her essay with some verses by Maulana Rumi and Iqbal in which they both in their own words point out the difference between intellect and love. According to them, intellect first ponders over things whereas love just jumps into the hearts of the matter without thinking of the consequences. Intellect is necessary to give us information i.e. Khabar whereas love gives us the direct vision i.e. nazar, The author quotes the story of a moth and a burning candle which Al-Hallaj has written in his Arabic book, Kitab al-Tawasin in which the moth is not satisfied with the sight and feeling, it want to burn itself and led to a new higher life. The Sufis present the idea of die before you die. The Sufis desire for Nazar i.e. the true experience that comes from love. The author also describes in the analysis of intellect and love, two other modes of perception, dhikr and fikr. Fikr literally meaning thought is necessary to understand the creations of this world. And dhikr literally meaning the constant remembrance of god is supposed to polish human heart and make it shine like a mirror. These two modes of thinking of fikr, intellectual thinking and of dhikr remembering god with love are always used together. Iqbal presents another idea about the intellect that as it makes to think and ponder over things it creates new idols every moment. But again in his poetry he tells us that these idols of intellect bow to love. The author highlights another aspect of mysticism that is expressing the love in words. She quotes Rumi as saying that when the pen comes to write the word love, its break into pieces. The pen breaks when it comes to write about love but the same pen has written a bulk of books and poetry about this very love. It is a paradox in literature that the mystics who stressed that ones who wrote numerous books. The mystics have been found to say that whatever they write is not by their intellectual powers it is all waridat things that come to the mystics. These literary works are produced even by illiterate people and when you read them if it looks as if it has been crafted with much intellectual effort. We have the examples of such writers such as Ibn al-Arabi and khwaja Mir Dard who claim that they didnt even think of it. These mystical writings have been opposed by Ulama and many scholars as dangerous and poison for untutored minds. The traditional saying finds its way here that: think about the work of god and the qualities of god, but do not think of gods essence. Again Iqbal quotes in his works that Quran also invites to seek signs in the horizons of this world and in ourselves. Thus, the author concludes by saying that intellectual activities are not to be excluded from the way of Sufis or the Muslims. The idea of looking at signs and pondering over them may be of great help to understand religion in a better context. At the end she quotes a verse by Rumi that I quote here: when you make a house for your chicken, a camel does not fit into it. And she concludes that intellect is a chicken and love is a camel- a great, proud and beautiful camel. 10. Woman, Half-the-Man? The Crisis of Male Epistemology in Islamic Jurisprudence by Abdulaziz Sachedina: The author introduces the readers to the sharia, the Islamic sacred law and the two spheres of human activity: those actions that relate humanity to god categorizaed as Ibadat (literally acts of honouring god, technically god-human relationships), and those actions that relate humans to fellow humans categorized as Muamalat (literally transactions, technically inter-human relationships ). According to the author the area of inter-human relationships demands rethinking and reinterpretation of the normative sources like the Quran and the sunna, under changed social conditions. One area particularly in inter-human relationships which is retarded in progress by interpretation by Muslim jurists is the personal status of muslim women. The madrasa tradition of learning in Islam has disregarded female voices in emerging issues of women and human rights. The redefinition of status of a muslim woman is a major issue that confronts the Muslim jurists in todays modern world. Muslim womens participation in legal-ethical matters where situational aspects can be best determined by women themselves only, is very essential. Without their participation in such discussions, womens rights will always depend on the patriarchal society. The author further discusses the male jurists and their female related rulings. He narrates his exp

Korean wave Essay -- Business, Consumption, Globalization

One Strand of the cultural homogenization argument emphasizes the global reach of consumerism, for which possession of something is a most powerful trait in most human beings. From the perspective of what food preferences are, how people dress, to what music people listen to, how it can pattern every aspect of out lives in contemporary society. In consumerism, this essay will analyze the various theories on consumerism and weight up their pros and cons for offering Ð ° logical conclusion. The consumer products, commodities, enable people to share a sense of pleasure, feeling, taste, feel, and excitement creating the personal expression and satisfaction. This is based on set of beliefs, the first being the idea that consuming goods is natural, and bÐ µnÐ µfÃ'â€"cÃ'â€"Ð °l for Ã'â€"ndÃ'â€"vÃ'â€"duÐ °ls and societies, the second being the idea that everything can be sold or bought for Ð ° monetary value. These two attitudes were historically new and began around the 1750's in the most economically advanced countries such as Holland and BrÃ'â€"tÐ °Ã'â€"n. (Alan J. Kidd and David Nicholls, 1999) Taking it for granted, what would be consumption then? Firstly, consumption was not new. It began with the ‘lÐ µÃ'â€"surÐ µ classes’. They were aristocracies, who had Ð ° monopoly on wealthy and whose main way of life was one of continual consumption. These ‘leisure classes’ displayed what is known as conspicuous consumption. In other words, they displayed thÐ µÃ'â€"r consumption tests and values to others. This is still going on in modern societies; take for instance, current wealthy people who will buy expensive and luxury vehicles to display thÐ µÃ'â€"r economic capital stages. In the development of consumption into modern scale consumerism, as seen, consumption was predominantly restricted to the wealt... ...f studies done into the effects of the introduction of fast shops in the developing world. This leaves people with the final question. Does consumerism affect every aspect of everyday lives? Consequently, people are apparently living in Ð ° society, which function through efficiency, predictability, calculation, and control. It seems every aspect of people's lives from watching television, to driving or catching the taxi into work is now standardized. Whatever goods wÐ µ now buy has already been processed. In a broad sense, it is obvious that progress of reverse flow, hybridization, and fragmentation is quite as strong as the push towards mass homogenization in globalized consumer societies. This begs the last questions, will there ever be Ð ° limit to consumerism? Will there ever come Ð ° point where it is too much?

Thoreau Essay

English Thoreau’s views and morals were very controversial, for he believed that being secluded from society is the best way to live. Thoreau believed in the simple life. He describes this lifestyle by how these people â€Å"will not be frittered away by detail† pg. 382. This means that others lives are based on repetition. People make their own lives busy. Thoreau believed by living a life based on simplicity, others can live in happiness away from society, for tradition, and conformity will be their ticket to success.Thoreau gives valuable advice in his writing. He states that being poor is a simple way of living. By not handling items that are valuable, the poor succeed more in life. They tend to succeed more than an average person because they do not have material things to possess their attention and focus. People are always going to do what the majority is doing. This may be the reason why Thoreau left the Walden Pond, because by living his life secluded, he thoug ht he would not be able to complete more in his life.By saying the statement, â€Å"I had several more lives to live. † He meant that staying by Walden Pond would not do him any good. He wanted his voice to be heard. Thoreau also gave ideas about tradition, and conformity. His ideas about tradition stated that older people will never change the way they do things because that is just how it has been to them. Tradition is hard to change, for it is always how something has been done and people will not stand out and change their views. They will not change their views because they do not want to stand out in society.Thoreau’s view on conformity is that people will do anything to look normal through the public’s eye. They may act completely different in public than they act at home, for they are scared to act out against others. They just want to be similar to everyone and avoid hard treatment. My view on Thoreau’s experience is he is crazy. It is unheard of a man to leave society and live in the wilderness for a long period of time. It is an odd thing to do. It is not a strange happening for one to leave for a short period of time to recollect himself, but leaving for a long time is unheard of.He seemed to think that his own personal welfare was more important than being social. He did not want to be caught up in the personal affairs of others, and leaving society was his way of staying secluded. By leaving society, living a life of simplicity is easy, for he truly was happy in his time being out in the wilderness. Thoreau’s views will be acknowledged among the greatest writers in the world. His views gave society an understanding on how to live. He learned how to deal with society and excelled in his work.

How to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included)

How to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included) The healthcare industry is one of the hottest career paths around right now. As the baby boomer generation ages and people focus more on health and quality of life, the demand is growing for professionals in all corners of healthcare. If you’re already on that path as a physician assistant or looking for a career change, a great resume can be your best ally in finding the right job. Let’s look at sample resumes from three physician assistants who are at different places in their career. First up is Alex, who’s trying to get started as a physician assistant.download this resume in ms wordAlex doesn’t yet have a lot of experience to fall back on, so he wants to focus on his skills and training. The functional resume format works better for Alex than the traditional reverses)How to Write a Perfect Occupational Therapist ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Receptionist Resume (Examples Included)How to Create a Perfect Retail ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Sales Associate Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Social Worker Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Truck Driver Resume (With Examples)

Free Essays on Who Are You To Judge

Who are you to judge? When I was in seventh grade, I went to Cascade Jr. High School, which is right next to Evergreen High School. One day my friend Jessica and I decided to walk over to Evergreen and try to find her sister who was a junior at the time. On our way, we ran into some cute boys who started talking to us. They were cute and we were â€Å"impressionable young girls† the next thing we knew we were smoking a strange cigarette and passing it around the circle. When we discovered we were smoking weed, it made the high even more exciting. Only the cool kids were brave enough to do an illegal drug and suddenly we felt cool. We had sat through all the D.A.R.E. classes and other lectures about the evils of drugs but none of that stuff worked for us. Marijuana should be legalized because the efforts to make it illegal are doomed to failure. Marijuana is a flowering bud off a bush, which grows naturally. People not make it in a chem. Lab; it does not contain rat poison or deadly substances. What is so wrong with law-abiding citizens occasionally smoking? Who is the government to judge what consenting adults put into their own bodies? The war on drugs is a waste of taxpayer’s money. According to Steven Duke, the United States spends 50 billion or more dollars on the prohibition of drugs (Para. 10). Despite all the money spent on the war on drugs it is not working; marijuana and other drugs are easily available to consumers including young children. I know from my own experiences that it is easier for minors to acquire marijuana then it is legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol. According to Cynthia Rowe 14, million people have admitted to using an illegal drug and almost ten percent of children twelve to seventeen have used an illegal drug in the past thirty days (Para. 1). Elizabeth Hovde asserts that half of all high school seniors in the U.S. have tried illegal drugs (Para. 1-10). These numbers alone prov... Free Essays on Who Are You To Judge Free Essays on Who Are You To Judge Who are you to judge? When I was in seventh grade, I went to Cascade Jr. High School, which is right next to Evergreen High School. One day my friend Jessica and I decided to walk over to Evergreen and try to find her sister who was a junior at the time. On our way, we ran into some cute boys who started talking to us. They were cute and we were â€Å"impressionable young girls† the next thing we knew we were smoking a strange cigarette and passing it around the circle. When we discovered we were smoking weed, it made the high even more exciting. Only the cool kids were brave enough to do an illegal drug and suddenly we felt cool. We had sat through all the D.A.R.E. classes and other lectures about the evils of drugs but none of that stuff worked for us. Marijuana should be legalized because the efforts to make it illegal are doomed to failure. Marijuana is a flowering bud off a bush, which grows naturally. People not make it in a chem. Lab; it does not contain rat poison or deadly substances. What is so wrong with law-abiding citizens occasionally smoking? Who is the government to judge what consenting adults put into their own bodies? The war on drugs is a waste of taxpayer’s money. According to Steven Duke, the United States spends 50 billion or more dollars on the prohibition of drugs (Para. 10). Despite all the money spent on the war on drugs it is not working; marijuana and other drugs are easily available to consumers including young children. I know from my own experiences that it is easier for minors to acquire marijuana then it is legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol. According to Cynthia Rowe 14, million people have admitted to using an illegal drug and almost ten percent of children twelve to seventeen have used an illegal drug in the past thirty days (Para. 1). Elizabeth Hovde asserts that half of all high school seniors in the U.S. have tried illegal drugs (Para. 1-10). These numbers alone prov...

Analysis of Homeland Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Homeland Security - Assignment Example Although security experts agree that the two are the greatest security threats to the country’s homeland security, opinion is still divided as to which of the two poses the greatest security threat to the United States homeland security. However, after conducting a thorough analysis of the operations of the Americanization of terrorist groups and the home has grown terrorists over the past few years, it goes without doubt that the current greatest threat to the U.S homeland security is the home has grown/lone wolf terrorist groups. Firstly, the events that have happened in the recent past shows that the terrorist has changed their tactics to from plotting a large-scale attack on the homegrown or lone wolf attack. With the growth of the internet, homegrown extremists and sympathizers of the so-called American enemies are increasingly becoming radicalized via the internet (Olsson, 2014; Gartenstein-Ross and Grossman, 2009). Some even travel to different countries where they are trained and come back to carry out attacks on their own without any assistance. For instance, investigations have unearthed that the two brothers who carried the Boston Bomb attacks were radicalized through the internet by the Islamist propaganda. These were American citizens who had no any affiliation with the terror groups such as the Al-Qaeda (Zennie, 2014; Herrmann, 2014). The Boston Marathon attack clearly demonstrates that the biggest threat to the U.S. homeland security is the homegrown/lone wolf terror groups and not the Americanization of terror groups as some experts conjecture. The Boston Marathon resulted in the death of three people and left about 264 others wounded after detonating two grenades.  To make matters worse, ISIS has increased propaganda campaign on the social media, which has seen a huge number of Westerners move to Iraq and Syria to support them in the fight (CNN, 2014).   

Alcohol and Tobacco Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alcohol and Tobacco Control - Essay Example Drinking alcohol and smoking are not good for health. Both expose an individual to numerous kinds of health risks. Health risks associated with drinking alcohol include but are not limited to cirrhosis, pancreatitis, hypertension, osteoporosis, and wernicke-korsakoff syndrome. Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver is scarred and its healthy tissue is replaced with the scarred tissue. Malfunctioning of the liver caused by this causes the build-up of bile in the blood. Pancreatitis is another disease caused by drinking alcohol that causes the inflammation of pancreas. This affects insulin production, thus causing intense abdominal pain along with nausea and fever. Hypertension is a condition in which the passage of blood through the arteries can cause the arteries’ walls to rupture, thus causing stroke or heart attack. Alcohol consumption causes loss of the bone mass, a condition known as osteoporosis, thus increasing the risk of bone fracture. Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder, which causes memory loss and blurred vision in the patient. Diseases caused by smoking include lungs’ cancer, oral cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The tar contained in the tobacco deposits in the mouth, throat and lungs thus increasing the smoker’s tendency to acquire cancer. ... Drinking and smoking are addictive habits. An individual who starts drinking and smoking goes a long way to reach the stage where he/she becomes a drug addict. Particularly, smoking often happens to be the first stage in the way of becoming a drug addict for many teenagers. It leads to the consumption of cocaine, marijuana and heroine in the later stages. Smoking all these drugs has potential negative implications on both the individual’s health and social life. The risks to health include all of the diseases that have been discussed before. Risks to the social life of the individual include poor academic performance, declined efficiency in work, laziness, and social exclusion. Teenagers that become drug addicts lose interest in studies. Consequentially, there academic grades start to decline. The poor academic performance has negative repercussions on the professional career of the individual as the eligibility of a candidate for a good job is directly governed by his/her pas t academic performance. This increases the drug addict’s risk of unemployment. In addition to that drug addicts are stigmatized and are subject to humiliation and social exclusion in the long run. Since the society does not accept them, they tend to be alone and are gradually pushed into social exclusion, in which they become depressed and may end up committing suicide. Owing to the myriad of negative effects of addiction caused by drinking and smoking, they should be prohibited. Control of alcohol and tobacco is compulsory in order to keep them out of the reach of children. Children are immature and generally unaware of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on their health. Even if they do know the effects, they tend to underestimate them owing to their immaturity. If alcohol