Summary of Kant's theory of knowledge, and how it contributes to Essay

Summary of Kant's theory of knowledge, and how it contributes to our understanding of the mind-body problem - Essay Example These former theories that had been set before Kant’s Theory were majorly classified as Empiricism and Rationalism. The Empiricists had earlier argued that knowledge of the environment and reason required a prior experience. The Rationalists, on the other hand, had stated that knowledge had to come first before experience; that one needed to have a prior experience of something before having the knowledge of the same. As can be seen, these two classical theories contradict each other. Therefore, Immanuel Kant was motivated to try and reconcile the two sides and bring to an end, what he had seen as an era of primitive and unsupported theories of knowledge and human experience. At the same time, he wanted to oppose the concepts and perceptions of Skepticism. In coming up with a more plausible theory of knowledge, Kant combined the two previously contradicting school of thoughts and argued that the understanding of the world by the human required both knowledge and experience. According to him, the Experience depends on both perception of the objects in the environment and the prior knowledge acquired about the very objects. In this manner, the external environment is very essential for the ‘self’ establishment. Kant further stated that the human experiences are well structured by the vital features of the mind. This concept implies that the human mind plays the sole responsibility of shaping and structuring our experiences such that all experiences have certain structural designs in common. Kant’s theory of knowledge helps us to understand that every aspect of the human is all in the mind and that one cannot perceive what he or she cannot experience. In as much Kant’s theory of knowledge seems to stand on a neutral ground, it has its potential problems, biasness and objections from some of the most recent philosophers. For

World War II and Civil Rights Movement Impact on Democracy

World War II and Civil Rights Movement Impact on Democracy According to president Franklin D. Roosevelt the future world shout be a world that people have essential human freedoms also known as the four freedoms; freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The reason of the United States took part in the World War II was to fight for human’s freedoms to liberate humanity in Europe and Asia, and to spread the American democracy to the entire world. â€Å"A revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting itself to changing conditions without the concentration camp or the quick –lime in the ditch† (Franklin D. Roosevelt 1941). However the war enhanced the commitment of many white Americans to maintain the existing racial order in the United States. The war also gave birth to the civil right movement. While we were fighting for the freedom of other nations there were still inequality exist in the United States. The World War II didn’t directly push forward the democracy in the United States; on the contrary it created many inequalities on non-white races during the World War II and post war that directly lead to the civil right movement. The civil right movement is a â€Å"war† that African-Americans against inequality in education, social rights, and human rights it given people the idea that the existing racial order in the united states was wrong, so the civil rights movement directly push forward the American democracy to a step forward. During the World War II many non-white American joined the army that fight for the United States. More than one million African Americans served in the armed forces. But those armed forces they served were segregated units and they only participated in noncombat tasks. After the war when these black veterans returned home they encountered that benefits such as GI bill were refuged to give them. The segregation of education was the most serious inequality that education benefit of black veterans could only be used at segregated school. These segregated schools were inferior schools with a bi-racial system. Moreover salary, training of teacher, and school facility and equipment were all not the same to the non-segregated schools. As a consequence the out come of education from these segregated school would be a huge different from the non-segregated school. There were also Asian Americans that served the World War II for the United States such as Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans. However Japanese Americans that served the war were in a special case. The attack of Pearl Harbor produced hatred of Japan also the fear of Japanese invasion from the west coast pushed president Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue an Executive order. In February 1942 authorities removed more than a hundred and ten thousand Japanese Americans into internment camps. A large majority of these people were American born Japanese that they didn’t even speak Japanese. These people didn’t committed any crime the only thing they did wrong was being an American. Some of male Japanese Americans were convinced to serve the military to show their loyalty to the United States. However according to president Franklin D. Roosevelt the four freedoms that all Americans shared, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear were n ot applied to Japanese Americans. The image that the United States actively promoted was a country that people of all races, religion, and originally from different countries will share freedom and equality all exceptions to Japanese Americans. The war was to fight for freedom but whose freedom, freedom people in Europe. However there were still inequalities in the United States why should these black solders fight for someone else’s freedom but not their freedom. â€Å"I would rather die for democracy here than in Germany† (Charles Wesley 1944). The war that fights for freedom and democracy should started at home, the United States where inequalities exists all the way in non-white Americans’ life. Otherwise how should the United States bring freedom and democracy to people in Europe at the same time the home were largely full of racial inequality. The civil right movement reached its climax when Rosa Parks refused to give her sit to a white man on a bus in Montgomery. The bus boycott launched the movement for racial justice which lead to the Supreme Court ruled the segregation in public transportation was unconstitutional. Earlier in the time the Supreme Court had already outlawed the racial segregation in public school however the decision of Supreme Court didn’t represent the thoughts of white-Americans lived in the South. In the South more than one hundred congressional men signed the document of against school desegregation, â€Å"The Southern Manifesto†. They stated that the 14th Amendment didn’t mention education nor did any other amendment. So the Supreme Court decision of school desegregation of different races was based on no legal base. The idea was not the thought of one congressmen but the whole that indicated all the whites lived in the south were against the school desegregation. This brought the civil movement to a deeper level that African Americans were not just fight for their freedom against the constitutional system in the United States but also the racial biases and racial order that existed on entire white-Americans race. Martin Luther King JR. was arrested with other marchers during marches against  racism  and  racial segregation  in  Birmingham. While in prison he wrote a letter to express his feelings toward the unjust events. Injustice should not be tolerated that the white power structure left the black community with no other choice. The demand of equal rights on non-white races should not be depended on anybody else but themselves. They must realize that equal rights should not be given by whites or the Congress, but they should actively pursue by themselves. Also it was crucial to let the white-Americans to realize that it was wrong to have the idea of racial order. No one was born to be slave or second class citizens. If equal rights such as equal education could bring to African Americans that they could be educated people as white-Americans. The only way that African American can achieve equal right among white Americans is that all African Americans must be unionize, directly fa ce the injustice, and â€Å"fight† against injustices. He and his fellow demonstrators were using nonviolent direct action in order to cause tension that would force the wider community to face the issue head on. King responded that without nonviolent forceful direct actions, true civil rights could never be achieved. This letter explains events in Birmingham in 1963 as well as in the rest of America and it demonstrates the approach King took through out the whole civil-rights movement of 1950s and 1960s. The World War II inspired the African Americans struggle for equality in the United States while the united states were still fight in the war to give people freedom in other country. The racial inequality posed a challenge to the United States that it conflict with the â€Å"American heritage of freedom†. In another word even thought the World War II didn’t have a positive effect on equal rights among races in United States but it sparked the civil right movement that African Americans battle the â€Å"war† of equal rights on there own demand. Again the World War II didn’t directly push the democracy in the United States to a step further but it leads to the civil right movement, which had a huge leap of the democracy to forward.

The Fantasy World of The Fixer :: Bernard Malamud The Fixer

The Fantasy World of The Fixer In Bernard Malamud's The Fixer, almost all of Yakov Bok's time is spent in prison. The Fixer is an examination of freedom and its compliment, commitment (Helterman 67 ). Though Bok has no physical freedom, the longer that he is imprisoned, the more true freedom he obtains. Bok is able to attain this freedom through his dreams and hallucinations. These sequences are important because they prevent the story from becoming static, but more important, they illustrate that true freedom lies within one's self. Yakov Bok is tortured in the government's attempt to obtain his confession to the ritual murder of Zhenia Golov. He is poisoned, strip searched, chained, and nearly frozen to death: The fixer was chained to the wall all day,and at night he lay on the bedplank, his legs locked in the stocks...the leg holes were tight and chafed his flesh if he tried to turn a little...the straw mattress had been removed from his cell...now in chains, he thought the searches of his body might end but they increased to six a day, three in the morning and three in the afternoon.( 236 ) These tortures leave Bok with no conscious energy to focus against his captors. Thus, it is only through Bok's dreams and hallucinations that he can escape and deal with his imprisonment. One of the most important freedoms which Bok finds within himself is the freedom to accept his religion. In one of his dreams he dreams that his father-in-law, the only father that he has really known, has died. When he wakes, Bok says to himself, "Live Shmuel, live...let me die for you" (287 ). Bok experiences a kind of panic after awakening from this dream. He cannot fathom that he will not see this man again, even though he knows that their ever meeting again is nearly impossible. Bok realizes through this dream his true feelings towards the old man whom he called "father." Furthermore, Bok knows that through his death for a crime he did not commit, he can save many of his Jewish brothers from death in the riots which would ensue if he were released. Therefore, Bok's saying "let me die for you" is directed not just to his father-in-law, but to all those who, had they been in the wrong place at the wrong time as he was, could just as easily have been accused of this same crime.

Debate Torturing terrorists is a tool to get the right feedback and answers Essay

Terrorists have caused so many deaths in the world. Whenever a terrorist attack occurs, it leaves behind many deaths and destruction of property. Those who survive the attack often end up with serious injuries. Some become crippled for the rest of their lives. Some become traumatized in their entire lives. The memory of the attack keeps on haunting them. Such trauma continues to an extent that some people become depressed. In this regard, terrorism is a vice that should be fought by all means. In a ‘ticking-bomb scenario’, there is a bomb that may detonate in an unidentified public place very known. The person who planted the bomb is the only person who knows where it is. The person is held up by the police. However, person is not willing to give the information to the police. Torture will be the only means to extract the information. A suspected terrorist should never be forgiven for a terrorism activity (Aringo, 2004: 13). Therefore, torturing a terrorist to get import ant information that can save people is a justifiable means. There are many reasons to support the argument of torturing a terrorist to get information that is relevant to save the general public. First of all, when a terrorist or a suspected terrorist is tortured, he or she is likely to give relevant information that can be used by the security agency to protect innocent people. For instance, if a terrorist is captured and through torture he or she reveals that there is a planned attack in the future, then the government or the appointed people will take necessary measures to ensure that the planned attack does not occur. Suppose torture was not used, it is possible that such information would not have been obtained. Consequently, the planned attack would have been executed and the result would be deaths and injuries. Therefore, torturing is justified as long as the security officials are very sure that they have the correct suspect. Secondly, terrorists are never co-operative. They cannot give any information concerning their plans or other members willingly. Force has to be used to extract such information. The force used is in form of torture. When suspected terrorist is subjected to painful procedures, he or she is likely to give the information that can help in the intelligence service (Meisels, 2008: 21). Usually, terrorists have information about the future planned attacks as well as other members of the gang. If the government and the security officials get such information, it becomes very easy to avert potential fatal attacks. Since terrorists can never reveal such information willingly, then torture becomes the best alternative. Another reason that supports the use of torture to get information from a terrorist is that usually, the information obtained is timely. A terrorist who is subjected to torture can reveal so many things that are yet to be accomplished by the gang. That timeliness is essential in order to save the public from the hands of terroristic attacks. Without torture, the terrorist would take time before giving correct information. The worst scenario is that without torture, terrorists would not give any information at all. In this respect, torture is important if it can enable obtaining of information in a timely manner. Many people would be saved in time before the planned attack occurs. Moreover, terrorists cause more pain themselves to soldiers when they capture them. Therefore, if terrorists can cause pain to soldiers who are responsible for our security, there is no reason why a terrorist should be spared from pain as well. Accordingly, terrorists should be put through a painful experience. If the pain they are subjected to makes them give information that is relevant in the intelligence service unit, then they should never be spared it. Since terrorist are dangerous people in the society, no mercy should be accorded to them. They should be forced by all means to give all the relevant information that can help get rid of or capture other terrorists. Torturing terrorists may prove successful because it sometimes leads to obtaining more information than anticipated. When a terrorist is tortured, he or she may end up revealing a lot of information that was not even expected (White, 2012: 32). For instance, one may be interrogating a terrorist about a planned attack in a given place, only to be told that there are many attacks planned in different places. Therefore, while security forces thought that there is one attack that is planned by terrorists, they get surprised to learn that there are many attacks that have been planned. Such information becomes crucial because it opens the eyes of the security forces to other possible attacks other than the one that they anticipated. With regard to this argument, then it is justifiable to use torture to extract information from the terrorists. Moreover, terrorists cause too much pain and suffering to innocent people in the general public. They plan and execute their plans against innocent people who are otherwise helpless. Women and children get trapped in the thick of things when an attack occurs in a crowded place. Women and children are most vulnerable group for one reason. Children cannot run or hide from the spot of the attack. As a result, women who are mothers of the children in the scene get caught up while trying to save their children since they cannot go without them. That is not to say that men are spared from the attacks. Many of them die and others get injuries if they get themselves in the midst of the problems. Considering this pain that a terroristic activity can cause innocent people, terrorists deserve to be tortured without mercy. They are evil and merciless. There should be no mercy on them. If terrorists do not reveal relevant information that can save other people, the situation can be very dangerous . Torture is justified to be used on terrorists. In addition, if one considers that a single terrorist has potential to cause deaths of very many people one would find that torturing a suspected terrorist would be the least form of punishment that he or she would get. Pain on one person cannot be compared to the pain that may affect many innocent people in an event a terroristic attack succeeded in happening. If one person can be made to reveal other members of the gang it can very fruitful. Sometimes, a single person who is a suspected terrorist can be used to track down all other members of the terrorism group. If security manages to nub down many terrorists, it can be very successful because by so doing, many potential future attacks can be averted. It is important to note that when terrorists are free mingling with other innocent people, it is not possible to trace them. It is until they are pinpointed that they become identifiable. It is other terrorists that can tell other people who are involved in the terrorism. If torture can help obtain such information from a single terrorist, then it is beneficial to the general public. Torture should be executed on the suspected terrorists without mercy because a terrorist is not a good person to compromise with. A terrorist is a criminal who is liable to a punishment after all. Other people who commit other forms of crimes are subjected to punishments. Terrorism is even a greater crime that deserves even more severe punishment. Therefore, torture is not unjust to a criminal who is a danger to the national security itself. Since all criminals must be punished for their actions ultimately, torturing terrorists can be taken to be a form of punishment too besides being a mechanism of extracting information from them. Many terrorists end up giving in to torture and surrender. Consequently, they tell the interrogators everything that they know regarding their criminal activities including their history and future plans. As a punishment, terrorists deserve it. As a means of extracting information, torture must be used. That way, torture achieves the objective of obtaining the needed information while at the same time serving as a form of punishment. Many potential terrorists may stop their activities at the prospects of getting caught and get subjected to torture. The torturing mechanism should be so severe that it discourages any person who may attempt a terroristic activity. Those who go through the torture may vow never to get involved in terrorism again in their life. They think of the pain that they went through and they stop any temptation to engage in terrorism. Therefore, the torturing process should serve as a punishment that sticks in the mind of the person even afterwards in the future. In this regard, torture will not only be useful in helping get the relevant information, but also it will help to discourage future attempts of terrorism by the prospective terrorists. Moreover, torturing a suspected terrorist may serve as lesson to other people who may be tempted to get involved in terrorism. They learn from the terrorists who have suffered a painful experience. The thought of getting caught and subjected to the same torture should be enough to discourage any one who may be thinking to engage in terrorism. In this respect, the torture must be so severe that it causes fear in people who may be influenced into terrorism. If torture achieves this objective, it will have helped a great deal in curbing terrorism. Whenever one person is tortured and serves as a lesson, there is overall reduction in the potential occurrence of terroristic events in the future. In addition, that helps to dismantle the unity of terrorists and decrease their numbers. All these results add up to help alleviate the occurrence of terrorism. Under normal circumstances, the risk that a single person may expose many other people to is very great to be ignored. As already stated, a single person has a potential to destroy and kill a large number of people. Considering such a risk, it is justifiable to use any form of torture on a suspected terrorist. Interrogating a single person can be the source of information that can end up saving the entire nation (Ramsay, 2006: 42). Putting one person under pain is justifiable if it can save more innocent lives. Note also that torturing only puts physical pain on the person. The pain is temporary because it ends with time. Such torture cannot be compared to the deaths that such person can cause besides the injuries that leave behind long lasting disabilities. Killing is permanent. There is no reverse about it. In this regard, the benefits of torturing a single person for the sake of the welfare of the many are many and outweigh the cost of torture (Ginbar, 2010: 32). If a person can b e put into a temporary pain and lead to saving of many lives, then it is worth the torture. In addition, it can be argued that with the advancements in technology, it is possible for the intelligence service to get the right person. Exchange of information between different intelligence service agencies around the world makes it even easier. The possibility of subjecting an innocent person to torture is low. In this regard, it means that the person who ends up in the intelligence unit for interrogation is most likely to be the right person. In other words, it is less likely that the person who is caught for the interrogation is the wrong person who is otherwise innocent. Therefore, torture should be applied on the suspected terrorists without considering the possibility of the person being innocent. Terrorism is a criminal activity that should never be subjected to compromise. In conclusion, torturing terrorists as a means of extracting information from terrorists is justified. Terrorists are dangerous people and any means that can be used to get them from the society should be used. Torturing suspected terrorists has proven to be successful for it helps get information from the terrorists. In addition, torturing can be used as a form of punishment to terrorists. It is also used to discourage potential terrorists from engaging in the terroristic activities. It should be argued that pain on a single person should be used if in the end it leads to saving many lives. The only worry is that the person tortured could be innocent. However, considering the argument put forward, in the modern intelligence service, it is rare to arrest an innocent person because before an arrest is done, proper investigation has to be done. Sharing of intelligence information between intelligence units from different places in the world assists in this process. References Arrigo,  J.  M. (2004). A utilitarian argument against torture interrogation of terrorists. Science and Engineering Ethics, 4(3), 11-21. George Andreopoulos,  R. (2011). International Criminal Justice. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Ginbar,  Y. (2010). Why not torture terrorists?: Moral, practical, and legal aspects of the ‘ticking bomb’ justification for torture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Meisels,  T. (2008). The trouble with terror: Liberty, security, and the response to terrorism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Ramsay,  M. (2006). Can the torture of terrorist suspects be justified? The International Journal of Human Rights, 4(1), 23-26. Rumney,  P.  N. (2014). Torturing terrorists: Exploring the limits of law, human rights, and academic freedom. Saul,  B. (2004). Torturing terrorists after September 11. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 3(1), 32-36. White,  J.  E. (2012). Contemporary moral problems. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Source document

An Interesting Place To Visit

It is good to travel. Traveling is instructive, and it is also teaching us about other cultures. That is the best way to learn about people, their way of living, their cultures, and their past history. In fact, Wahoo Bay Beach is very an attractive place to visit. Anybody who likes to travel should plan to visit one day. First, a guest at Wahoo Bay Beach has two options to admire its beautiful view. He or she can choose accommodation near the pool or a quiet location by the garden.There, he or she can relax as he or she watches the surfers gently sweep over the tumbling ocean waves. Seeing the tall palm trees slow movement back and forth in the wind is relaxing as they are making gentle, peaceful sounds. The terrace overlooks the tops green trees and vividly bright color flowers on one side, also a seemingly endless sandy beach and crystal clear water on the other side. During summer time, as anybody lies in the sand, he or she can see kites rise above the clouds and soar gracefully in the wind, which is blowing gently through the trees and sand.Besides the pool and beach, water lovers can sunbath on the stabilized raft. Second, everything on Wahoo Bay Beach has its own unique feature. The multi-tiered grounds are a lush garden of plants and flowers that add to beautiful backdrop of the blue sea and the green mountains. The rooms are large, spacious, and clean exceptionally. The view is to die for. The place is a quiet atmosphere from hustle and bustle of the city. The food is tasty.All meals are specially prepared to the guests liking. Whether it is spicy lobster, beef filet, Creole chicken or any of their menu options anybody chooses, regardless of selection he or she will not be disappointed as Wahoo Bay Beach is noted for its finely prepared cuisine. To sum up, Wahoo Bay Beach is an amazing place to visit mainly because of its view sight, nature sounds. Anybody who visits Wahoo Bay Beach would feel that he or she is in his or her own world.

How to get a job in medical billing

How to get a job in medical billing You’ve probably heard about how the healthcare job scene is growing by insane amount over the next 10 years. But if you’re not necessarily interested in the medical side of being an allied health professional, where does that leave you? The good news is that there are lots of administrative roles that are growing and opening right alongside the rest of the healthcare field. One such job is medical billing, because a fact of healthcare is that services need to be tracked and paid for accordingly. What does a medical biller do?Medical billers work behind the scenes in a medical office, hospital, or other healthcare facility. This is an administrative role, ensuring that patients (or their insurance companies) are accurately billed for the medical care they receive. Medical billing responsibilities may include:Tracking payment informationAssigning billing codes to a patient’s tests, procedures, and other healthcare servicesSubmitting and following up on invoices to patients and insurance companiesWorking with medical staff (like physicians and nurses) to ensure billing accuracyWorking with patients to set up payment plansMonitoring payment status and collectionsManaging patient records securely and accuratelyThis is typically a 9-to-5 kind of job, with a stable work week, since billers work primarily with data and patient information rather than in direct patient care.What skills do medical billers have?This is an entirely administrative role, so your skill set should be heavy on organization, attention to detail, and financial math.Organizational Skills:Â  Medical billers are responsible for ensuring that all medical procedures are billed accurately, whether to the patient or to the insurance company, so it’s important to have the ability to keep things moving cleanly and efficiently.Attention to Detail:Â  Errors in billing can lead to legal or financial problems, so it’s essential to be able to notice errors and confirm the a ccuracy of data before it goes out.Finance:Â  While this job typically doesn’t require advanced accounting, medical billers should have strong math skills and the ability to analyze billing and financial data.Discretion:Â  Healthcare information is usually highly confidential (and legally so), so medical billers need to be able to maintain that patient confidentiality at all times.What’s required to work in medical billing?Medical billing is a field you can enter without a college degree, though an associate’s degree in medical coding or health information technology can be an asset. Certification is not usually a requirement for medical billing clerks, but if you want to enhance your resume there is an optional certification by the AAPC (formerly known as the American Academy of Professional Coders).How much money do medical billers make?According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical billing professionals make a median annual salary of $38,040 (or $18.29 per hour).What’s the outlook for medical billers?Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for medical records and health information technicians (including billing professionals) will grow by 13% by 2024- faster than average for all jobs.If you want to work in the growing healthcare world, but find yourself drawn to the more administrative end of things, medical billing and coding can be a solid long-term choice for your health-related career path.

To Secure These Rights essays

To Secure These Rights essays To Secure These Rights played a great role in United States history. This book exceeded civil rights activists highest expectations. During a time when men were coming back from World War two. An African American man could go and die for his country but he still had to ride in the back of the bus, he still had to face racism everywhere he went. To Secure These Rights opened the eyes of many people and helped president Truman get elected and fight for civil rights. After Truman was elected president he came up with the idea to set up a national committee to reduce racial conflicts that the white house had been facing since the outbreak of rioting in 1943. Truman decided to create a committee through executive order rather then seek legislation that would not work by a senate filibuster. By doing this the president settled some things. He satisfied civil rights advocates whose ideas he did agree with, he didnt have to talk to southern democratic lawmakers, and most importantly he taught the public the need to extend equality instead of segregation under the law. On December 5, Truman issued executive order creating the Presidents Committee on Civil Rights. After he issued executive order he said, Today, Freedom from Fear, and the democratic institutions which sustain it, are again under attack. Rather then focusing on mob violence, he instructed, The committee to make recommendations in respect to adoption or establishment by legislation or otherwise of more adequate and procedures for protection of civil rights of the people. Truman knew that a war was approaching and he also knew he had to do something about civil rights. By making this committee he must have knew what he was doing because most southern press didnt even print the executive order some even praised that something needed to be done about the horrible crime of lynching. There were many things that led to the c...