The Spread of Salvation Religions in the Roman and Han Empires

The Spread of Salvation Religions in the Roman and Han Empires ‚“Politics shaped religion, and religion shaped politics‚” (Tignor, 322)Religion for many of us is a tool we use to explain the world around us. Religion helps us define a standard of living, a code of conduct that describes the most appropriate way to live our lives and deal with situations. Religion also provides us with a meaning for our existence. In other words, religions such as Christianity and Buddhism for instance are a means of solace, a safety net that explain our adversities and consoles us with a better tomorrow; it assures us with salvation. The above mentioned salvation religions evolved under the framework of political institutions and states. Therefore, the salvation religions of Christianity and Buddhism were able to spread through the Roman and Han empires respectively because the political structure and the principles of the religions were able to find some common ground. This enabled a collective framework to emerge in the light of several politic al, economic and social factors.Queen Maya With Infant Buddha. Gandhara 2nd Centur...These elements include weakening political stability, nomadic invasions, economic hardships and class struggles. The purpose of this essay is to place the spread of Christianity and Buddhism within the context of the factors mentioned above and examine how the political and religious elements were able to reconcile within the Roman and Han Empires.The Roman and Han Empires established themselves as the epitome of empire building in the Mediterranean and East Asia around 2 BCE (Tignor, 277). Both the Roman and Han Empires were complex political and social structures that governed vast distances of land and large numbers of people. The paths for socio-political and economic developments were different for the Roman and Han Empires. Where the Han Empire built up on the tradition and the imperial culture of the previous empires, the Roman Empire without the past...

The Invention and History of the Altimeter

The Invention and History of the Altimeter The altimeter is an instrument that measures vertical distance with respect to a reference level. It can give the altitude of the land surface above sea level or the altitude of an airplane over the ground. French physicist  Louis Paul Cailletet  invented the altimeter and the high-pressure manometer. Cailletet was the first to liquefy oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and air in 1877. He had been studying the composition of gases given off by iron in the blast furnace of his fathers ironworks. At the same time, Swiss physician Raoul-Pierre Pictet liquefied oxygen using another method. Cailletet had an interest in aeronautics, which led to developing an altimeter to measure the altitude of an airplane. Version 2.0 AKA the  Kollsman Window In 1928, a German-American inventor named Paul Kollsman changed the world of  aviation with the invention of the worlds first accurate barometric altimeter, which was also called the â€Å"Kollsman Window.† His altimeter converted barometric pressure into the distance above sea level in feet. It even allowed pilots to fly blind. Kollsman was born in Germany, where he studied civil engineering. He emigrated to the United States in 1923 and worked in New York as a truck driver for Pioneer Instruments Co. He formed the Kollsman Instrument Company in 1928 when Pioneer didnt accept his design. He had then-Lieutenant Jimmy Doolittle conduct a test flight with the altimeter in 1929 and was eventually able to sell them to the United States Navy. Kollsman sold his company to the Square D Company in 1940 for four million dollars. The Kollsman Instrument Company eventually became a division of Sun Chemical Corporation. Kollsman also went on to file hundreds of other patents, including those for converting salt water into fresh water and for a slip-resistant bathroom surface. He even owned one of the earliest ski areas in the United States, Snow Valley in Vermont. He married actress Baroness Julie Luli Deste and purchased The Enchanted Hill estate in Beverly Hills. The Radio Altimeter   Lloyd Espenschied invented the first radio altimeter in 1924.  Espenschied was a native of St. Louis, Missouri who graduated from the Pratt Institute with a degree in electrical engineering. He was interested in wireless and radio communications and worked for telephone and telegraph companies. He eventually became the director of high-frequency transmission development at Bell Telephone Laboratories.   The principle  behind how it works involves monitoring a beam of radio waves transmitted by an aircraft and their time to return as reflected from the ground to calculate altitude above the ground. The radio altimeter differs from the barometric altimeter in showing altitude above the ground below rather than above sea level. That is a critical difference for improved flight safety. In 1938, the FM radio altimeter was first demonstrated in New York by Bell Labs. In the first public display of the device, radio signals were bounced off the ground to show pilots the altitude of an aircraft. Besides the altimeter, he was also the co-creator of the coaxial cable, an important component of television and long-distance telephone service. He held over 100 patents in communications technology.

Is the development of oilsands essential to Canadas future prosperity Assignment

Is the development of oilsands essential to Canadas future prosperity Give Pros and Cons - Assignment Example Oil sand is a composition of many substances including water, soil, sand and bitumen. The bitumen is the thick and vicious oil. For bitumen to gain importance, it must be subjected into a series of treatments (Alberta Energy 4). The Alberta’s oil sands are of immense importance to both Canada and the rest of the globe as it supplies energy is not only more stable than other energy sources, but also reliable. Alberta’s oil sands utilize the most advanced form of technology in the extraction of oil, in addition to being the most developed in the whole world. Alberta’s oil has very many uses. Some of the uses include use of oil in driving cars, manufacturing of cosmetics, bubble gums and other substances like toothpastes. Researchers and developers have estimated that Alberta’s oil sand deposits will sustain Canada for a period of over a hundred and fifty years. However, with the current rate of extraction of oil at Alberta, the period of sustainability may fall below the 150 years. Even with the high rates of extraction, it is estimated that only a portion of about 20% has been extracted and the rest, 80% is yet to be extracted because of the huge depth the oil lays (Albertas Oil S ands Economic Benefits, pars. 2-3, 4). The major method of oil extraction at Alberta oil sands is through steam injection. The steam is exerted to liquefy the bitumen, and water has to be pumped in to mix with melted bitumen, to facilitate it to flow the surface, from the underground. During the separation process, bitumen is obtained and the rest of the mixture is poured away. It is estimated that 75% of bitumen is obtained, and 25% is lost to waste during the separation process (Albertas Oil Sands Economic Benefits, pars. 2 & 3, 4). Alberta’s oil sands are a great source of future prosperity to Canada. Oil is a major driver of a country’s economy. It is evident that all oil producing

Homosexuality in ancient cultures Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Homosexuality in ancient cultures - Case Study Example Duels and accounts of epic gladiatorial contests craft a large proportion of the modern day perception of this epoch. The exercise of these macho tendencies seems immediately at odds with Homosexual practice, and it is indeed intriguing to question the prevalence and attitudes' toward Homosexuality in said societies. Before continuing, it should be noted that it is simply impossible to assess, with respect to the question, each "culture" simultaneously: differences between Spartan, Roman and Greek societies would not allow for a detailed, thorough study if categorised together. Instead this essay will attempt to deal with each separately, before bringing its findings together in a broad conclusion. While it may appear a simplistic approach to adopt it is, quite simply, the best manner in which to approach the question. Spartan society was in many ways driven by military ambition. Textbooks refer to the Spartans in such terms as: "an armed camp," "brutal," "culturally stagnant," "economically stagnant," "politically stagnant"[1]. From the age of six, Spartan boys were taken from their mothers to train to be a soldier. It was common throughout this transitory period for the youths to engage in homosexual relations with older men, in fact it was regarded as an important part of their education. Indeed, the Spartan military actively pursued the placing of Homosexual lovers together in combat: while in Thebes, the general Epaminondas commanded a regiment composed of 150 pairs of lovers. This 'Band of Lovers' became a formidable fighting force, with lover defending lover until death. 1: Whitby, 63. Few members of Spartan society frowned upon this practice. Conversely, once the youth reached full adulthood opinions toward this practice shifted greatly. This was mainly because it placed one of the participants in a position of submission: which Spartans regarded as being completely unacceptable for a man holding full citizenship. The best ancient source on Sparta, Xenophon, refutes the already suggestion about widespread pederasty. [2] There is no Spartan/Laconian art that depicts explicitly homosexual motifs-as there is from Athens. The notion that Spartan men tended to wed relatively young, by Greek standards anyway, insinuates that they simply had much less time for the pederasty that characterized the coming to manhood in the rest of Greece. The state considered men who did not wed a public disgrace, and a citizen who did not marry and procreate was not afforded the luxuries that a Father would be. Sparta was known for the extent to which women were so well integrated into society: this goes against the very essence of a homosexually prevalent society. Based on the evidence, it is clear that Homosexuality-in the form of pederasty-- was at the very least, tolerated by the Spartans. Rather than full Homosexual affairs between grown men, much more common were "grooming" relationships between Adults and adolescents, seen as an intrinsic aspect of military training and development. Such as the ancient world is, many accounts become skewed or simply "lost in translation", and thus the account of Xenophon should not be regarded as providing a definite answer. Pederasty or the practice thereof, was undoubtedly a facet of Spartan life. The Historical accounts of Epaminondas at Thebes support this,

Computers in the Classroom: Benefits for Different Learning Styles :: Education Teaching

Computers in the Classroom: Benefits for Different Learning Styles Who could have ever known that technology would rock the new era! Its constant growth has what made its presence so predominant in today’s world, and now even in today’s classroom. More and more classrooms are being infiltrated by this growing technological genius. From the internet, to software, it offers endless amounts of resources and knowledge to it’s user with just the touch of a button. In fact, computers give benefits to any student in the classroom even if they may have a different learning style. Whether the student is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, the computer offers something for everyone. The computer brings many benefits to the classroom environment even without focusing on separate learning styles. The internet of course is a humongous advantage! With its millions of sources and websites, the internet allows us to find basically any kind of information we need without even having to open a book. Also you can take your work with you anywhere you want to go, even home. â€Å"Nationally, only about 40% of homes have computers in them† (Foulger p1). This is a very sad statistic considering the flexibility computer databases allow. You can even save your work to a disk and upload it onto another computer if you do not have access to the original computer you started working on. This is a major plus for many teachers and students because it allows them to keep grades calculated, and keep work organized. The use of computers in the classroom also can significantly decrease the amount of paper use making it more environmentally friendly. The only time a computer cal ls for the use of paper is when someone needs to print something out, where as with manual work there is always the constant use of paper as a writing canvas. Computers give teachers the option to have students save their work either to a disk, the hard drive or to an internet software program (such as Blackboard) for grading. This benefit also decreases the chance of those disorganized type teachers from losing your paper or having piles and piles of papers upon their desk just waiting for grading. With the use of technology and all the new intelligence coming out, computers and computer programs are becoming more and more beneficial. There are hundreds of programs now out there that can help students to learn any subject matter from spelling and reading, to physics and philosophy.

Kant vs Descartes

Thing in ItselfRene Descartes’ method of doubt provides the argument for the existence of the mind, which is, perhaps, the cornerstone of his philosophy. Immanuel Kant, on the other hand, treats ‘reason’ or rationality as a crucial factor in his philosophical accounts. With regard to Descartes, the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ can be analyzed in terms of his method of hyperbolic doubt, such that he cannot doubt that he exists. As for Kant, the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ can best be understood in terms of his treatment on the distinction between the noumenal or rational world and the spatiotemporal world.Descartes method of doubt tells us that the only thing that an individual can be sure of is his existence, such that the fact that one can begin to doubt one’s existence is proof that there must be that something which ‘doubts’. Given that there is a looming ‘doubt’, it cannot be questioned that t here is indeed something that doubts, and that ‘doubting’ thing is a thinking thing. At the least, the attribute of being able to doubt makes Descartes to believe that he exists for if he did not then he would not have doubted his existence in the first place (Garber, p. 226).As a result, Descartes gives primary emphasis to the mind such that our sensory perceptions cannot wholly provide us with real knowledge. For instance, Descartes provides his classic example of the wax. A wax has a certain size, shape, texture and odor among many others. After the wax is melted, Descartes tells us that many of the physical properties of the wax as observed by our sensory perceptions have changed. Thus, our senses cannot give us the assurance of the essence of the wax, or of things in general. It is at that point that Descartes believes that the deductive mind should be the basis for our inquiries on the essence of objects.Hence, it can be said that the concept of the ‘thing i n itself’ in terms of Descartes’ philosophy stands as something which claims that there is a material, external world outside of the mind. Things by themselves, then, would be as they are whether or not the mind is able to grasp these external entities. Descartes is also known for his belief in the mind and body dualism, such that the mind is a separate entity from the corporeal or physical body. In its entirety, it can be said that Descartes is espousing the idea that the thing in itself is one which is in the external world, although it can also be the thinking thing, or the mind. As for the objects external from the mind, these objects are things in themselves for the reason that the mind is able to acquire knowledge through them, specifically through a deductive inquiry into their nature and essence.Immanuel Kant, on the other hand, espouses the idea of noumenon as synonymous with the ‘thing in itself’, which is that the noumenal realm is the realm whi ch is not accessible precisely because of the limits of the rationality. From here, it can be said that Kant acknowledges that there are indeed ‘things in themselves’ only that human reason is unable to completely grasp these ‘things in themselves’ in the noumenal realm. Kant’s noumenon is to be distinguished with his concept of the phenomenon. On one hand, the phenomenon is that which is grasped by our sensory perceptions or that which is perceived. On the other hand, the noumenon is the actual object which gives the perceived phenomenon (Clarke, p. 55).In order to make the distinction clearer, one can resort to the example of, say, the object ‘pencil’. In terms of Kant’s philosophy, the actual ‘pencil’ is the actual object and the essence of the actual ‘pencil’ cannot be grasped even through our reason and sensory perceptions. On the contrary, what we can only be able to grasp is the phenomenon that ema nates from the actual pencil. That is, our senses are only able to acquire the various attributes of the actual pencil such as size, color, shape and texture among many others. We are never able to grasp the essence of the actual pencil, only the ‘properties’ or the phenomenon that come from it.The contrast between Kant and Descartes’ treatment of the thing in itself resides on their basis for which upon the ‘thing in itself’ can be accessed. Apparently, both Kant and Descartes give a substantial consideration for the mind or reason in trying to understand the material world and the rest of the objects as ‘things in themselves’. Thus, once the mind or reason is deprived of its role in discerning the objects around it, or if the mind or reason is removed from the task of contemplating the ‘thing in itself’, there is strong reason to believe, as far as Kant and Descartes are concerned, that any effort to philosophize about the se things would be futile.More importantly, the distinction between Kant and Descartes resides on the fact that Kant is inclined to believe that we cannot entirely comprehend the essence of any ‘thing in itself’ and that only the phenomenon can be accessed by reason and our sensory perceptions. On the other hand, Descartes does not explicitly make a claim denying the reason of the ability to comprehend the essence of objects. On the contrary, Descartes tells us that we should rely on the deductive process through the minds in our quest for understanding the world of objects and less on the sensory perceptions for they may simply give us a limited account of the world.In conclusion, it can be said that the distinction between Kant and Descartes in terms of their take on the concept of the ‘thing in itself’ differs solely on whether or not the noumenon or the actual objects are accessible. Both Kant and Descartes agree on the substantial function and purpose of reason in discerning the world or at least the ‘thinking thing’ in the words of Descartes. Without the mind, one can hardly arrive at a substantial thought on the world, or that there can be no ‘hyperbolic doubting’ to begin with. The use of the mind is significant in both the philosophies of Kant and Descartes, especially in their analysis of the concept of the ‘thing in itself’.Works CitedGarber, Daniel. â€Å"Descartes and Method in 1637.† PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 2 (1988): 226.Clarke, Michael. â€Å"Kant's Rhetoric of Enlightenmentkant's Rhetoric of Enlightenment.† The Review of Politics 59.1 (1997): 55.

A Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration - 999 Words

Held Captive, but not in Spirit Puritans take their relationship with God seriously, see him as good, and rely on the Bible for guidance by reading it diligently. They look for ways that the Bible resembles their own real life situations and try to carry on similar as they did. This is called typology and is reoccurring theme in the narrative, â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration,† written by Mary Rowlandson. Rowlandson was taken captive by Indians in 1675, she documented those eleven weeks in this narrative (Rowlandson ,256). It is a tragic tale that starts with seeing her family and friends drowning in their own blood, all the while seeing her old life go up in smoke. Mary is a fine example of puritan faith who never gave up hope. In Mary Rowlandson’s narrative she demonstrates her puritan faith through typology and relying fully on God’s providence to revive her spirit daily. Mary having only the cloths on her back, a sick baby, and a moldy cake in her pocket could only rely on God’s providence to keep her and give her favor. She was wounded when taken captive, but God sent her someone to help her and give her medicine to apply to her wound. â€Å"Then I took oaken leaves and laid to my side, and with the blessing of God it healed me also,† (Rowlandson, 261). We may not consider these to be big blessings, but to Mary being in such a desolate state that they became her bread and butter. After the death of her baby and being of low spirits, Mary asked God for aShow MoreRelatedA Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration1562 Words   |  7 PagesNative- European encounters date all the way back to the early 1700’s. They’re countless stories and narratives, which focus on different details of the Native Americans, and Europeans. New England colonies were typically known for the formation and development of American literature. European colonization and territorial cross-over onto Native land, spar ked many of the stories written that scholars still read, to this day. Many different themes are used to characterize the literature created duringRead MoreA Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mary Rowlandson Essay1342 Words   |  6 Pagesthe semester we have discussed a few captivity narratives such as: John Smith, Mary Rowlandson, and Cotton Mather. From a personal standpoint, Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative was one of the best selections we have read in class thus far. It is a prominent source of biblical encouragement to those of the Puritan religion and some other religions that put God above all human and nature. Throughout the short story, a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson, it describes theRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Captivity And The Restoration Of Mary Rowlandson1611 Words   |  7 Pagesthese captives, and the resulting captivity narrative, titled The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, published in 1682, is formed based on her memory. Rowlandson’s captivity narrative carried great significance in that it came to be used as a didactic Jeremiad, leading its Calvinist audience back towards God’s path and away from an allegorical wilderness. As a devout Calvinist, Rowlandson believes her journey through captivity is a test wrought by her God. HerRead MoreA Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1042 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† and â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson† are both nonfiction narratives that describe the struggles of women in some form of captivity. The similarities between these two texts are in some ways incredibly obvious, for instance they are both written in the first person from the perspective of marginalized women struggling to merely survive. â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† specifically deals with the extreme level ofRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1031 Words   |  5 PagesMary Rowlandson Captivity and Spiritual Freedom The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, or also known as The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, written by Mary Rowlandson is a powerful captivity narrative. Mary Rowlandson gives a first person perspective about her experience of being held captive during King Phillip’s War. Rowlandson lost everything by an Indian attack on her town. The Indian’s over took the town of Lancaster, catching homes on fire, killing and capturingRead MoreA Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson982 Words   |  4 PagesA Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson The life one treasures and takes for granted today can be so easily erased in the blink of an eye and gone tomorrow. Therefore, not only is it important to cherish how one lives for today and now, but it’s also important to how one can overcome the misfortunes and hardships they may suffer; tragedy can make a person or break a person. Mary Rowlandson’s experience during her eleven weeks of captivity as documented in â€Å"A NarrativeRead More Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1366 Words   |  6 PagesNarrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson From the violent and brutal clash between Indians [1], and British colonists in Massachusetts during King Philips War (1675-6) grew a new literary genre. After their redemption, some colonists who had been prisoners of the Indians wrote autobiographical accounts of their experiences. These captivity narratives developed a large audience, and interest in the narratives continued into the nineteenth century.[2] After her captureRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson reveals that the ghastly depiction of the Indian religion (or what Rowlandson perceives as a lack of religion) in the narrative is directly related to the ideologies of her Puritan upbringing. Furthermore, Rowlandsons experiences in captivity and encounter with the new, or Other religion of the Indians cause her rethink, and question her past; her experiences do not however cause her to r edirect her life or change her idealsRead MoreThe Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1600 Words   |  7 PagesThe Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson reveals that the ghastly depiction of the Indian religion (or what Rowlandson perceives as a lack of religion) in the narrative is directly related to the ideologies of her Puritan upbringing. Furthermore, Rowlandsons experiences in captivity and encounter with the new, or Other religion of the Indians cause her rethink, and question her past; her experiences do not however cause her to redirect her life or change her idealsRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Captivity And The Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson1422 Words   |  6 Pagesthese captives, and the resulting captivity narrative, titled The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, published in 1682, is formed based on her memory. Rowlandson’s captivity narrative carried great sig nificance in that it came to be used as a didactic Jeremiad, leading its Calvinist audience back towards God’s path and away from an allegorical wilderness. As a devout Calvinist, Rowlandson believes that her journey through captivity is a test wrought by her God. Her