The Art of Frida Kahlo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Art of Frida Kahlo - Essay Example The essay "The Art of Frida Kahlo" examines Frida Kahlo and her art. Kahlo skillfully but unabashedly reveals herself topless in this painting, wrapped in a brace and adorned with pins in her flesh. Kahlo pays particular attention to the element of both her femininity and her physical pain in this piece. We see her bare breasts but more obvious is the fact that she is riddled with pins all over her body. As a woman, Kahlo experienced the gravity of love (the love of her life was Diego) but also the betrayal of that love. Her marriage to Rivera was turbulent as Rivera was unfaithful throughout their relationship. Kahlo herself dabbled in extramarital relationships as well as bisexuality. Kahlo expresses this side of her in one particular piece where she dresses as a man. She challenges the assigning of gender roles within society. Kahlo also lets her work tell a rich story detailing her inner most feelings and struggles. This is particularly apparent in the famous piece entitled The T wo Frida’s. Kahlo is able to materialize the inner struggle experienced by so many woman, making her an icon in feminist art. In another piece by Kahlo, Tree of Hope, Kahlo is illustrating herself in a colorful landscape back drop. At first glance, Kahlo appears to be something of a goddess or royalty. This piece perhaps irradiates some of her other work that may allude to self loathing or self perceived deficiencies. In much of Kahlo’s work, she used herself as a focal point making it a true and honest expression of herself.

Confucius vs Taoism Essay Example for Free

Confucius vs Taoism Essay Good governance and political system has always been a cry for many nations especially developing countries Zambia inclusive. It is believed that good governance yield more economic and social development. Numerous scholars have written a number of books concerning good governance. Confucius believed to have been born in 551 BCE in Zou, Shandong Province and Lao Tzu said to have lived in the sixth century BCE are such examples of people who attempted to contribute to how people should be governed. Thus, this essay analyses the kinds of governments proposed by Confucius and Leo Tzu. Thereafter, it shall select one which is appropriate for the Zambian government and explains why it is ideal for the Zambian government. Although Confucius had a great education and became a teacher, teaching earned him little money and he was forced to take on other jobs. Before he died, there is evidence that he had many students who traveled around with him. However, Matt Rank (2007) argues that Confucius himself never achieved a very high office in government. He spent many years of his life trying to achieve a change in society through the right leadership, but he was never able to find a leader who would listen to him. Dubs H.Homer (1946; 275), on the other hand asserts that Confucius came to be appointed to the minor position of governor of a town. Eventually, he rose to the position of Minister of Crime in 501 BC. However, Confucius proposed through what might be called the bible of Confucianism the Analects, how the government and people generally should live in society. The Analects contains the wisdom of Confucius as written down by his students while he was alive and after he was alive. Its clear that Confucius prioritized certain principles over others. He was not concerned with the ingenuity of humanity, with whats been invented or thought up. He was not concerned with who is more intelligent than whom. He would have been unimpressed by Einstein. For Confucius, human society begins with (and is sustained by) society, government, custom, and personal virtue. Confucius was probably the most obvious humanistic philosopher. He emphasized the idea that humans could change and better their present circumstances through their own intelligence and effort. Confucius was, in modern terminology, a down-to-earth philosopher. He reasoned that we should not think about things outside of the realm of immediate human existence. Confucius stressed the social over the individual. Confucius political thought is based upon his ethical thought. He argues that the best government is one that rules through rites and peoples natural morality, rather than by using bribery and coercion. He explained that this is one of the most important analects: If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of the shame, and moreover will become good. (James Legge 1880; 345). This sense of shame is an internalisation of duty, where the punishment precedes the evil action, instead of following it in the form of laws as in Legalism. â€Å"Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously. † (Analects II, 3) Confucius asserts that an emperor would rule, and his rule would be established through benevolence and virtue. Even though laws could be instituted and punishments for breaking each said law would be enforced, the only true way for people to follow what was good was to see that their leader was good. In other words, Confucius taught that rulers should lead by example, and this was the only way a truly great empire could be created at last. Confucius taught his students about the old ways. He thought that the social hierarchies of the ancients were what kept society intact. To us, this might seem a conservative positionkeep the old, reject the newbut during his time it was a more radical position. This is partly because Confucius advocated moving away from worshipping spirits and ghosts, and embracing that part of Chinese wisdom that focused on ceremony and personal virtue. While he supported the idea of government by an all-powerful sage, ruling as an Emperor, his ideas contained a number of elements to limit the power of rulers. He argued for according language with truth, and honesty was of paramount importance. Even in facial expression, truth must always be represented. Confucius believed that if a ruler were to lead correctly, by action, that orders would be deemed unnecessary in that others will follow the proper actions of their ruler. In discussing the relationship between a king and his subject (or a father and his son), he underlined the need to give due respect to superiors. This demanded that the inferior must give advice to his superior if the superior was considered to be taking the course of action that was wrong. Confucius believed in ruling by example, if you lead correctly, orders are unnecessary and useless. Confucius proposed another new idea that of meritocracy, led to the introduction of the Imperial examination system in China. This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honor to the whole family. Having looked at Confucius’ way of governance on the other hand, Lao – Tzu’s philosophical teachings were more religious than political. However, potential officials throughout Chinese history drew on the authority of non-Confucian sages, especially Lao Tzu to deny serving any ruler at any time. Lao Tzus most famous follower in traditional accounts had a great deal of influence on Chinese literati and culture. Politically Lao Tzu advocated humility in leadership and a restrained approach to statecraft, either for ethical and pacifist reasons, or for tactical ends. In a different context, various anti-authoritarian movements have embraced the Lao Tzu teachings on the power of the weak. James A. Dorn(2008;45) states that Lao Tzu proposed that minimizing the role of government and letting individuals develop spontaneously would best achieve social and economic harmony. He also asserts that wisdom and understanding of the opposition between political power and the cultural activities of the people and community. In his 1910 article for the Encyclopedia Britannica, Peter Kropotkin also noted that Lao Tzu was among the earliest exponents of essentially anarchist concepts. More recently, anarchists such as John P. Clark and Ursula K. Le Guin have written about the conjunction between anarchism and Taoism in various ways, highlighting the teachings of Lao Tzu in particular. In her translation of the Tao Te Ching, Le Guin writes that Lao Tzu does not see political power as magic. He sees rightful power as earned and wrongful power as usurped He sees sacrifice of self or others as a corruption of power, and power as available to anyone who follows the Way. No wonder anarchists and Taoists make good friends. Le Guin, Ursula K. (2009; 20) Having looked at both Confucius and Lao Tzu’s kinds of government proposals, it is clear that the government proposed by Confucius is ideal for the Zambian government. Confucius sought to become an advisor to a ruler and directly to change society for the better, using heroes of the past as models (Moore Bruder, 2005; 503). According to the text; Tzus vision to change society was very different than Confucius. Moore Bruder (2005) state that, Tzus ideas are used to gain power and stay in power. This kind of government will not promote democracy as preached by Zambia to the rest of the world through its democratic free and fair election. Confucius embraced education and according to the text, was committed to the study of wise men at a young age. This is very ideal for Zambia because leadership skills will be learnt at a tender age and people will know what is required of them when they ascend to government offices. Moore Bruder (2005) state that, Confucius supposed that a person can always improve themselves through education and study. According to the text, he believed that once a person had knowledge of the Tao they had a purpose and would not leave this world in vain. Confucius believed also in a philosophy of helping others and treating others in the way that one would want to be treated themselves (Moore Bruder, 2005). For example, if a person wants kindness shown to them they should show kindness to other people. Likewise, according to Confucius, A virtuous man wishing to establish himself seeks also to establish others, and wishing to enlighten himself, seeks also to enlighten others' (Moore Bruder, 2005; 512 ). In conclusion, it is clear that Confucianism is more persuasive because he believed in education and that everyone can better themselves. The philosophy of Taoism concluded that not everyone can attain wisdom and Tzu did not feel that his philosophy needed to be improved upon. I was also more persuaded by Confucius because he believed in the kindness of others; treat others as you would like to be treated. Lao Tzu (Taoism) these were ways to change the world; he instead believed you must obtain power. A good philosopher has respect for anothers views and Confucius showed appreciation for Lao Tzus philosophies while it seemed Tzu was more bent on convincing Confucius he was wrong in his beliefs. For these reasons I was more persuaded by Confucianism than Taoism. Reference Dubs Homer (1946). The political career of Confucius. Journal of the American Oriental Society 66 (4). James Legge (1880). The religions of China: Confucianism and Taoism described and compared with Christianity. London: Hodder and Stoughton. Le Guin, Ursula K. (2009), Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way, Washington, D. C: Shambhala Publications Inc. Moore, B. N. Bruder, K. (2005). Philosophy: The power of ideas (6th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Roberts, Moss (2004), Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way, Berkeley: University of California Press.

Changed My View Of Being A Christian Theology Religion Essay

Changed My View Of Being A Christian Theology Religion Essay There are multiple principles that have been taught in this course that have changed my view of being a Christian but here I would like to focus on temptation and the Crown of Life. These two topics shed new light in my understanding of resisting temptation and the reward for doing so. Not all Christians know how to deal with temptation nor that their efforts go unnoticed in the grand scheme of things. Resisting temptation can prove to be very difficult at times and one of the biggest temptations can be to avoid persecution for being a Christian. But not only does resisting temptation help one stay on the way to Heaven, God will single out those who resist temptation and are willing to die for their faith, and reward them justly. Temptation can be theologically defined as a trial; a being put to the test (Easton, 2007). In basic terms, it is the enticement to sin. The devil brought temptation into the world. Thankfully, Jesus Christ sacrificed his life to save us from sin and overpower Satan. It is up to each person to make a concerted effort to resist temptation, just as Jesus did in the wilderness. In the Old Testament, the word for temptation is the Hebrew word maccah, which translates to temptation or trial. In the New Testament, the word in Greek is peirasmos, which means temptation(s) or to try. According to the Blue Letter Bible website, the word temptation appears in the King James Version sixteen times in fifteen verses. One of the foundations for the doctrine comes from Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (KJV). The first recording in scripture of Satan tempting humanity is when he tempted Eves loyalty through her lust of the flesh to God, which led her to eating the forbidden fruit. He also appealed to her lust of the eyes whereby the appearance of the fruit caused her to desire what she did not already have as well as feeding on her basic feeling of self-worth and self-preservation. Temptation is even mentioned in The Lords Prayer: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil (Luke 11:4, KJV). There are several practical applications regarding the issue of temptation. One of the best ways to protect oneself is to stay alert at all times and remember that the flesh is weak. Be sure to test everything that comes across your path and question whether it is from God or not. People should make every attempt to avoid conditions that might lead them to temptation. It is always important to focus on the truth and if we follow Christ, He will show us the truth, and it will set us free. When a person feels tempted, if they turn to prayer, God will always provide another way. You just have to be vigilant in looking for His way. Crown of Life The Crown of Life is one of the rewards for believers that will be given by Jesus from his seat of judgment. Theologically defined, the Crown of Life is not something that is received as soon as someone becomes a Christian but something the Christian will receive from God after proving firmness in faith. It is also sometimes referred to as the martyrs crown. This crown has a guarantee and is a promise to those that suffer deprivation now and to those specifically who love God and honor Christ. Simply put, the Crown of Life is Gods reward to humanity for his perseverance in faith and his honoring of Jesus Christ. There is a lot more biblical foundation for this doctrine than I thought I would find when I began my research. Revelation 2:10 stands out the most to me: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life (KJV). Jesus specifically tells us that we will be tempted throughout out lives and we will more than likely receive persecution for our faith in Him. It is our duty to keep Satan beneath our feet and proclaim the truth in Jesus in order to receive this honor. James 1:12 is also another great reference for this doctrine: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him (KJV). Dr. Towns pointed out that the author could have been referring to temptations of Christians to compromise their witness inste ad of dealing with the discrimination of being one of the faithful at the cost of their lives (Towns, 1983). The applications of this doctrine are more than practical but one must be very cautious because this is not a reward to be making bets for when you choose to live a life in faith. You do not live in faith just to receive this reward, quite the contrary. You receive this award for living in faith without regard to being rewarded for it. Making it through the temptation and persecution is of way more value than the gaining of the crown itself. If a Christian loses everything they have, Christ is still worthy of honor and the Crown of Life is still worth the steadfastness. Do not get wrapped up in things of this world such as money being the source of self-worth, security, and/or power. These things can only be appropriately received through faith in God and if a person lives by biblical principles with a true heart and without regard to their own humanly wants and temptations, they will receive their just reward the Crown of Life. If a Christian loses everything they have, Christ is s till worthy of honor and the Crown of Life is still worth the steadfastness. Conclusion Everybody gets tempted in life. Pleasing God is all in how you deal with those temptations. The world today is so far gone from what God seeks from His people now that temptation is rampant. So many sinful behaviors are seen as normal everyday things that are okay for people to do. This denial of Gods truth will keep His people from grace and all of His rewards, including the Crown of Life, which is eternal and assured for all of those who live righteously. People should not resist temptation just to receive the crown reward but rather should earn it by living everyday in light of Gods desires. Resisting temptation is a huge part in earning the Crown of Life. It is not going to be easy if one does it alone, but if they look to God, he will help make it a little more bearable.

ADHD, Ritalin, Families, and Pharmaceutical Companies Essays -- Drug C

ADHD, Ritalin, Families, and Pharmaceutical Companies In today's fast-paced society, it seems that prescription drugs are a more reasonable and reliable solution for children and adults than diet and exercise for the "disease" known as ADHD. Rather than take the time to play with their children, or institute a proper diet, it seems that increasing numbers of parents would rather treat their children's unexplained zest for life with pills and doctors. While there are some explanations and reasons for the diagnosis of this popular disease, most children are improperly diagnosed, and are therefore taking unneeded medication. This medication is costly and it can be argued those who benefit from the sale of these drugs most are the pharmaceutical companies who develop, advertise, and sell them. According to Goodman in The Journal of Special Education (1992) The most well known drug used to treat ADHD is Ritalin, which is a Class 2 drug, in the same category as cocaine and morphine. Some of the side effects relate to lack of or increase appetite, lack of or increased sleep, and lack of growth. Because of the fairly recent introduction of this drug to cure this disease, the social and psychological implications have not yet been seen. If this trend of cure before prevention continues, pharmaceutical companies will become ever richer at our children's expense. Most people think that Attention Deficit Disorders are simply linked to children and their inability to concentrate, pay attention or sit still for long periods of time, but it can affect adults as well, making it hard to function at the work or in school. People also dismiss signs and symptoms of ADHD as misbehavior or lack of discipline by the parents. Ho... ... http://my.webmd.com/article/79/96235.htm (April 30 2006) 3. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 2006 [Online] Available: http://nimh.nih.gov (May 3, 2006) 4. Information for patients or their parents or caregivers: Strattera (atomoxetine HCI) 2002. Eli Lily and Company. [Online] Available: http://google.fda.gov (April 27, 2006) 5. What Drug Companies Aren't Telling You. 2006 (Online) Available: http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/magazine/0503_bigfix.cfm (April 15, 2006) 6.Concerta for ADHD 12/04 (Online) Available:http://www.adhdhelp.org/concerta.htm (May 10, 2006)

Arthur Miller’s Crucible? Essay

Even until the last few scenes of the play in Act VI Proctor still feels guilty. He states: â€Å"I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. † Just like in Act II he lets his guilt dictate his behaviour. He feels he has already condemned himself to Hell so doing any more lying will make no difference. It is only in the very last scene, when he refuses to allow his confession to be pinned to the church door, that he realises he can still be good and does the right thing. If the paper was nailed to the door the villagers would see that Proctor admitted to witchcraft and assume the others were liars. Some may argue that he is not a good man even at the end of the novel because when he does not allow for the confession to be nailed to the door this is showing his pride; he even shouts: ‘Because it is my name’ In his speech he repeats the word ‘name’ many times which shows how significant his good reputation still is to him and this could be seen as him having dishonourable intentions. However this could be interpreted, I think that the reason that Proctor does not want to have his name put on the church door is because he does not want to be the person who is calling his friends witches in the eyes of the villagers. He states: ‘I have given you my soul; leave me my name’. In signing the paper he has lied and committed a sin which due to his strict beliefs he would feel his soul was not worthy of heaven, however he does not want to commit the sin of tarnishing the reputation of the other honest villagers. I think this shows Proctor to be a good man because he does not care that he has committed a lie and so condemned his soul to hell but does care that he should blacken Rebecca Nurse’s. In the same way he does not care if he is hanged as long as Rebecca can die with her good reputation intact. He also places emphasis on his own name because he does not want to commit the sin of lying to the whole village- this shows that he values the morals he believes in and does not want to lie to so many people. I think Miller shows the struggle within Proctor to do the right thing and die or to do the wrong thing and live as a comparison with those who in the McCarthy regime wrongly accused others to save themselves from imprisonment. Miller is telling the audience that people like him who did get imprisoned were making the real sacrifice and doing the right thing whereas those who accused others were weak like Mary Warren and too cowardly to be imprisoned. John’s refusal to name other people who he has supposedly seen with the Devil also shows that he is a good man because he refuses to condemn others to the fate of death. Unlike the girls and many of the other accused witches he does not use this as an opportunity to dispense revenge on his enemies. In doing this he shows himself to be a moral superior to the other villagers and this also draws parallels with what Arthur Miller himself did when he was questioned by the House of Un- American Activities. He refused to be manipulated and went to prison for a short time rather than allowing himself to succumb to petty vengeance bred by the feeling of fear. Arthur Miller shows John as a hero here because he has done the right thing in the end and not lowered himself to the sinful acts of others in his community. Miller shows that people may act good and show good morals like Mary Warren when she shouts: ‘I believe in God’ but this is a facade because although to the society Mary looks like a reformed sinner in reality she is still sinning. However Proctor and others like Rebecca Nurse have to look like sinners and slaves of the Devil in order to keep to good morals. This irony shown by Miller helps him to illustrate how the McCarthy regime like the witch trials instead of causing goodness bred vengeance and evil. At the end of the play we know John Proctor to be a good man. His initial flaws of guilt and adultery were countered by his eventual admittance of his sins and standing up for the truth. His decisions to eventually tell the truth and die rather than lying and tarnishing the reputation of the villager’s show what a good person he was. His flaws were used by Miller to give his message to American society: people in their time who were being prosecuted by John McCarthy may have flaws just like Proctor but really the true evil lay within the House itself and that the people were innocent and just victims to jealousy and the injustice of hysteria just like Proctor was in Salem. The main technique of irony: the judges and accusers seemed like moral superiors yet the judges were manipulative and the accuser’ vengeful whereas Proctor who was flawed and thus seemed sinful did not succumb to either evils. This helps strengthen Miller’s message about the people who accused others of Communism and the House itself. The universal purpose is to remind people that jealousy and hysteria are dangerous things and that even ideal societies like the democracy of America and the theocracy of Salem can be unjust and uncivilised and this is shown brilliantly by the harsh and cruel manipulative manner of the judges. In Salem’s idea of goodness Proctor was a good man at the end of the play because he was sorry for his sins and believed in God; he even demonstrated this by refusing to lie at the end. Like all humans he had flaws but he overcame these by doing the right thing at the end. In Miller’s and modern times, he is also a good man because we respect people who stand up for what they believe in like Proctor did in the courts and also we value truth he stood for in an ever increasing world of media lies and propaganda. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Tuition Increase

It is widely accepted that the future prosperity of Canada rests on having a well-educated workforce. Yet, the cost to students of post-secondary education has risen rapidly over the last few years as government funding has dropped dramatically. Since the early 1980s, public funding of post-secondary education in Canada has gone down by 30 percent. In addition, across Canada, about 1. 1 million full-time students were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in 2001, but thousands have been turned away because of lack of space or they have not applied for admission because the cost of tuition is too high for them. Ontario has the second-highest tuition fees in the country. On average, tuition fees can cost an undergraduate student close to $5,000 per year. Over 80 per cent of Ontarians believe tuition fees are too high, even with the current freeze. More than 90 per cent of students voted to reduce tuition fees. Yet Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced that tuition fees will be increasing by up to 36 per cent over the next four years. Ontario's post-secondary system, which has 18 universities and 24 community colleges, receives the lowest per-student funding in the country. For the most part, reductions in university funding by both the federal and provincial governments explain higher university tuition. The federal cash transfer payments for education and training have been cut by $7 billion since 1993. In the 2000-2001 federal budget, only a $600 million increase was allocated for both health and education, with no real requirement that any of the money be spent on education. But the Minister of Finance was able to find $55 billion in tax cuts for corporations, the banks and wealthy Canadians. The money is available, but the wrong choices are being made. Students are now paying higher fees for a lower quality education – less access to libraries, less lab equipment, reductions in tenured teaching staff and support staff. Tuition fees are a regressive form of taxation. In 1997, Canadians spent 19 percent more on their household budget than in 1996 on education, but their total household spending did not increase. This does not mean that families are paying more for education, but it does mean that hey are sacrificing other expenses in order to meet the cost of an education. The government is attempting to deflect anger over tuition increases by pointing to changes in student aid. But the fact is the tuition fee increase over the next four years will effectively wipe out more than the student financial assistance investment to be phased in over the same period. In fact, for every dollar invested in student aid more than a dollar will be clawed back through tuition fee increases. In effect, students are borrowing to finance their own student aid program. A post-secondary education is now out of reach for poorer Canadians. Those who can get to college and university often end up with debts on graduation, which can range anywhere from $30,000 for a four-year undergraduate program to $60,000 for those doing graduate studies. Professional faculties can lead to much higher debts: annual tuition at the University of Toronto's medical school, for example, was more than $16,000 by 2003, and half of Canada's 16 medical schools were charging more than $10,000 a year. It can all add up to a six-figure bill after graduation – one observer suggested it's one reason why doctors are opting for specialties rather than family medicine because the pay for the former is much higher. It's been estimated that by 2020, a four-year university education will cost about $90,000. In addition to average annual increases, students are faced with deregulated fees. Deregulation of fees happens when a provincial government abandons all guidelines and legislation and lets individual institutions have complete control of tuition fee levels. Deregulation represents one of the most serious threats to accessibility of post-secondary education, since it always leads to massive tuition fee increases. Dentistry now costs up to $30,000 a year. Even with the maximum federal and provincial student loans and the maximum private student line of credit, this fee can't be met. Deregulation is not a new tuition fee structure, but the downloading of the cost of education onto the backs of students. Deregulation is not limited to university fees. Community college programs in Ontario vary from $1,700 to over $8,000 a year. It is wrong for the public to believe, and even worse for governments to promote the myth that fees can be raised without affecting accessibility. In a study released by the Maritimes Provinces Higher Education Commission in 1997, it was reported that â€Å"there are clear indications of a systemic social inequality affecting accessibility, with students from lower income backgrounds being disadvantaged in their ability to meet the financial demands of attending post-secondary institutions. â€Å"