Playing Upon the String of Emptiness Essay Example for Free

Playing Upon the String of Emptiness Essay Nowadays, the search for something new has been greatly pursued. The availability of resources helped individuals to innovate. It impels them to work beyond the existing rules and surpassing limitations, be it in the field of music, architecture, literature, etc. The modernity of this world brought upon by globalization made it easier to reach cultures. Cultures that were bound by their physical territories before have been accessible because of modern technologies. This easy, unlimited exposure provides endless ideas and innovations that bring about different works of art. For Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, this infinite flow of innovations or novelties offers unrestricted venues for artists to produce their works—venues that are free from rules and do not conform to a certain set of standards. According to him, this poses a threat to the morality of society as well as of the artists’. He argued that novelty is an art with unlimited freedom and thus equates to a soulless art. This perspective was explained in the context of Russian’s struggle with communism which Solzhenitsyn directly experienced. He focused on the deterioration of arts’ standard after the fall of Communism, specifically with literature. Due to the given freedom, arts do not fall under a set of standards, causing the artistic value to suffer. He then related that Communism promoted a new society. To be able to build a new one, the old cultures and traditions should be thrown away: To start a new world is to start from scratch. Solzhenitsyn then compared this situation to the literary artists in his country. They were writing outright criticisms of every aspect of Russian roots like language, religion, and traditional cultures—a move that was so desperate for a change to be made by who he termed as ‘desperate innovators’. The author disapproved of forgetting the roots of any artistic work, for this is important in the development of a new face of art. Solzhenitsyn does not believe in the aggressive step of aiming forward in the arts starting from nothing. Novelty becomes relentless with the absence of ancient roots. It is an unintelligible art with no significant value to the world—an art without a purpose and is useless. Solzhenitsyn cited what kinds of arts were produced because of the frantic novelty frenzy. The arts arising from novelty does not have that spiritual connection from the artist with the world. Since the ‘great cultural tradition’ has been detached, the spiritual grounds that were developed from it are missing as well. Arts were not produced for a greater purpose anymore. Thus, it does not emanate a higher sense of value for the world. It is reduced to a mere display without a profound significance. It was from the author’s observation that the absence of artistic limits has resulted in irresponsibility and apathy. Solzhenitsyn mentioned the ‘what do you care’ attitude of the Russian writers who created literary works when the censorship has been lifted after the downfall of communism. This kind of artistic mindset alienates the welfare of its audience. The line between right and wrong has become thinner, its boundaries blurry and sometimes interchanging. The arts, according to Solzhenitsyn, have been turned into more of a personal ambition of the artists rather than an intentional product of passion and love. He stressed that artists do not bring the world as the subject; they are the focal point. The arts became a movement of personal interests of the artists. Novelty becomes like a venue for affectation. Going back to Solzhenitsyn main argument, novelty became ruthless because it eradicated the classical foundation of arts. Arts cannot push for development if its foundation will be forgotten. It would be more disruptive if it will be forced to progress aggressively without any fundamentals to back it up. Alexander Solzhenitsyn sees novelty as a cause for a more individualistic nature rather than being communal in interaction. He was alarmed by how the current generation responded to old traditions. These traditions were treated as something useless and irrelevant in the present. Novelty was portrayed by the author as something anti-cultural and antagonistic of anything universally accepted. The saying ‘to each his own’ in arts or in general constitutes obscure distinction between good and evil. Another supporting factor for Solzhenitsyn’s argument is that this particular freedom attached with novelty developed into a negative relativity. This has been embraced by young artists who turn self-expression into a lack of sensitivity with regard to the effects of their work to other people. Social responsibility slowly ceased to exist anymore. Artistic freedom has always been believed to be helpful in maximizing an artist’s work. However, Alexander Solzhenitsyn presented an opposite view. The freedom vested on the artist implies a threat of producing an art with is a much lesser value. With no artistic limitations and no principles to follow, art becomes less of a recreation instead of serving a higher purpose. Solzhenitsyn emphasized the need to take the cultural tradition into account because without it, progress will be impossibly successful. He sees novelty as a trend resulting in chaos—socially and morally disruptive. It promotes an individualism that is obviously selfish and divides humanity even more. Innovations should be created for the benefit of others. Arts may be a compiled output of an individual’s unique skills and talents, but there will always be a responsibility attached to it because people get to grasp these works. An art is a huge factor in contributing to the formation of an ideology in a society. It is a powerful tool to propagate a message that can reach a huge number of people. Hence, Solzhenitsyn sees its development as critical because this will determine where the world will be heading to. The world will not be able to move forward without revisiting and considering the past. The cultural traditions within human society should be embedded for development. It is an important basis to learn from past mistakes and to improve on the present. It can be seen that Solzhenitsyn somehow views relentless novelty as the anarchism of art that will later on transcend into society. He mentioned the absence of laws in the process of arts and the lack of absolute truth. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn provided the view of novelty enclosed in a reckless handful of freedom and a lack of traditional grounds. He presented it as something negative because he had witnessed what it did to his people especially to the younger generations. As an artist himself, the author poses a huge concern on what kind of directions the arts would take since he knows the powerful influence of it to the society. He hopes to spread his view to make the younger generations be exposed of what history has brought the Russian country and what were its implications. Solzhenitsyn firmly believes that through history, it may shape the new artists to work for a greater purpose for humanity.

Goup Decision Making Essay -- Managing Management Business Essays

Group Decision Making Let?s define what is Group Decision Making, decisions made by committees, think tanks, teams and groups. They may include borrowers, lenders, producers, buyers, scientists and other experts, environmentalists, and real estate developers and so on. Decision making skills is one of the most important aspects of management. It involves personal and interpersonal skills, fact finding, logical thinking, creativity, analytical ability, sensitivity to others and assertiveness What are the key steps in making a decision? Whether decisions are straightforward or complex, a systematic approach will lead to success. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting objectives An objective is a specific step, a milestone, which enables you to accomplish a goal. Setting objectives involves a continuous process of research and decision-making. Knowledge of yourself and your unit is a vital starting point in setting objectives. Strategic planning takes place at the highest levels; other managers are involved with operational planning. The first step in operational planning is defining objectives - the result expected by the end of the budget (or other designated) cycle. Setting right objectives is critical for effective performance management. Such objectives as higher profits, shareholder value, and customer satisfaction may be admirable, but they don't tell managers what to do. They fail to specify priorities and focus. Such objectives don't map the journey ahead - the discovery of better value and solutions for the customer. The objectives must be focused on a result, not an activity, be consistent, be specific, be measurable, be related to time, be attain able. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Collecting information There are several ways to gather information. You can collect information from people, documents, performance data, and observation of events. Also, there are a number of methods for gathering information, including traditional measurement approaches such as tests and ratings, as well as more investigative procedures such as observation, interviews, case studies, and literature review. Each of the chapters in this handbook contains key criteria for the development and use of an effective technology infrastructure. If you employ these criteria as a guide, the first part of your evaluation will really be an audit in the sense that you will be looking retrospectively at the work ... ...sunderstood and sometimes resentful. Second, the minority members often feel that the voting has created two camps within the group and that these camps are now in a win-lose competition: The minority feels that their camp lost the first round, but that it is just a matter of time until it can regroup, pick up some support and win the next time a vote comes up. In other words, voting creates coalitions, and the preoccupation of the losing coalition is not how to implement what the majority wants, but how to win the next battle. If voting is to be used, the group must be sure that it has created a climate in which members feel they have had their day in court--and where all members feel obligated to go along with the majority decision. Summary Complicated issues often require the creation of a complex group and cooperation of the group's members to resolve the issues. In order to achieve consensus between members, the group should employ a facilitator and apply rules and guidelines of behavior. The chances that a diverse group can attain the goal of consensus are greatly increased when the group follows an established set of rules with the assistance of a facilitator.

Human Resources Essay

Human Resource Policies Assessing personnel needs HR must be approachable if an employee seeks advice regarding employment Recruiting personnel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recruitment must be objective and has to meet the standards of the company Screening personnel Applicants must be screened in an objective manner and test their aptitude for the job Selecting and hiring personnel   Upon selection, the hired applicants will be more than qualified for the job applied for Orienting new employees to the organization   Newly-hired employees are oriented by the company guided by its mission and vision Deciding compensation issues Compensation and other benefits should be discussed upon signing the contract. Benefits and Compensation Basic Salary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The monthly wages that an employee must received due to work rendered. Night Differential   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An employee who works from 10pm until 6am will get a 30% of his basic salary Fringe Benefit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employees should be   complemented with the following: housing, group insurance (health, dental, life etc.), income protection, retirement benefits,daycare, tuition reimbursement, sick leave, vacation (paid and non-paid), social security, profit sharing, funding of education, and other specialized benefits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employee awards Prolific   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An employee is award because he works more than is required. Efficiency   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An employee is awarded because of his work ethic and objectivity Resourcefulness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     An employee is rawwarded due to his ability to find alternatives for the betterment of the job Customer Satisfaction It is always a company standard to treat a client in a proper manner, so as to make an increase in sales. Such award given to the employee makes him a role model for other employees. Innovative An employee is given this award because he strives for progress Salesmanship An employee makes a transaction beyond his quota, sales of the company would increase and will give the company and the manufacturer a boost on their public relations. Citation: The Art of Motivation: An Incentive Industry Primer

Kate Chopins The Awakening Womens Role In Society Essay

Have you ever wondered what the lifestyles of Nineteenth Century women were like? Were they independent, career women or were they typical housewives that cooked, clean, watched the children, and catered to their husbands. Did the women of this era express themselves freely or did they just do what society expected of them? Kate Chopin was a female author who wrote several stories and two novels about women. One of her renowned works of art is The Awakening. This novel created great controversy and received negative criticism from literary critics due to Chopins portrayal of women by Edna throughout the book. The Awakening is a novel about a woman, Edna Pontellier, who is a confused soul. She is a typical housewife that is looking to†¦show more content†¦In The Awakening, Kate Chopin portrays women as being loving wives and mothers that live their life to care for their family and worship their husbands. According to literary critic, Dana Kinninson, this story indicates two types of women, which are expressed by Adele Ratigndle and Mademoiselle Reisz. Adele Ratigndle is the ideal wife and mother who never experiences an impulse that deters her from the sole concern of caring for her family. She also embodies every womanly grace and charm. Then you have Mademoiselle Reisz, which is the complete opposite of Adele. She has devoted her time and energy to the development of her own abilities instead of a husband and home. Reisz is a pianist older woman who lives alone and is depicted as homely and disagreeable. (Kinnison, 22) Adele and Mademoiselles lifestyles seem to be the only two options for Edna. Kinninson believes that Ednas options are the reward of complete self-sacrifice versus the reproof of female self-assertion. No middle ground exist, just these extreme contradictions. Edna is a mother of two children but being a mother or mother-woman doesnt satisfy her soul and her desire for self-hood. This is all part of her awakening and finding herself. ( Kinninson, 23-24) James Justus, who is also a critic of American literature, questions what Edna awakens to and if in fact her awakening is atShow MoreRelatedKate Chopin s Life And Feminism1281 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s Life and Works- Feminism Kate Chopin, born on February 8th, 1850, was a progressive writer in the midst of a conservative and unequal time. She exposed the unfair undertones of society in such a way that made people outrage and condemn some of her works. However, in the early 1900s, her works were examined again and people started to listen to her ideas. One of these main motifs that Chopin’s works kept bringing up were feminism and equality. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a radicalRead MoreEssay about Feminism in The Awakening986 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel The Awakening, by Kate Chopin the critical approach feminism is a major aspect of the novel. According to dictionary.reference.com the word feminism means, â€Å"The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.† The Awakening takes place during the late eighteen hundreds to early nineteen hundreds, in New Orleans. The novel is about Edna Pontellier and her family on a summer vacati on. Edna, who is a wife and mother, is inferior to her husbandRead MoreThe Awakening: An Emergence of Womens RIghts in the Late Nineteenth Century1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe Awakening: An Emergence of Women’s Rights in the Late Nineteenth Century Kate Chopin’s The Awakening addresses the role of women within society during the late nineteenth century. The novel is set in South Louisiana, a place where tradition and culture also play a vital role in societal expectations. The novel’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, initially fulfills her position in society as a wife and as a mother while suppressing her urges to live a life of passion and freedom. Edna’s relationshipRead MoreKate Chopin s Literary Creativity And Women s Independence1097 Words   |  5 Pages Kate Chopin has become one of the most influential feminist writers of the century. From Chopin’s literary rejection of The Awakening, the rejection sparked a fire in Chopin’s feminist side. Chopin began writing short stories that would become society’s lead in literary creativity and women’s independence. Kate Chopin’s biography is astonishingly intriguing and the importance Chopin plays to the feminist literature genre is exceptional. Critics either rave Chopin’s work or completely destroy itRead MoreKate Chopin and How the Feminist Movement Inspired Her Writings1666 Words   |  7 PagesKate Chopin and How the Feminist Movement Inspired Her Writings Kate Chopin was an American author who wrote novels as well as short stories. Her work was extraordinary and some of her greatest work was based on the feminist movement. Kate Chopin became known throughout the world as one of the most influential writers during the feminist movement. She has attracted great attention from scholars along with students, and her work has been translated into many different languages. Kate Chopin wasRead MoreHow Did Kate Chopin Influence Literature949 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s distinct influence in literature Kate Chopin was an innovative influence for literature in the late 1800’s. Her stories and characters conflicted with the societal norms of inequality towards women. Women in the 1800’s were oppressed, and treated more like property than individuals. Living in the 1800’s as a woman meant they had no rights, or power to create a life of their own. The men, in that period of history, held all prestige positions; therefore, formed all of the laws, and socialRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1135 Words   |  5 PagesDoll’s House† by Henrik Ibsen, and the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the two protagonists named Nora Helmer and Edna Pontillier depict feminist ideals during the Victorian era in their struggle for independence, both sexually and emotionally. Nora and Edna are feminists in the late 1800s, trapped in an era and a society dictated by men. Both works parallel together and are significant because they show how Edna and Nora awaken, as their roles and self-realization progress in their respectiveRead MoreKate Chopins Writing Career and Influence on Society Essay1091 Words   |  5 PagesKate Chopin was a influential author that introduced powerful female characters to the american literacy world. She was most known for her brilliant book The Awakening. However at that time it received many negative reviews, causing the downfall of Kate’s writing career. Now the book is such a influential story that it is being taught in classrooms throughout the world. This essay will discuss Kate Chopin’s writing career and the impact her writing has on society. Kate Chopin was an author bestRead More Kate Chopin Gives a Womans Voice to Realism Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesKate Chopin Gives a Womans Voice to Realism Kate Chopin succeeded in giving a womans voice to realism. While doing this she sacrificed her career. This seems to be a higher order of feminism than repeating the story of a woman as victim...Kate Chopin gives her female protagonist the central role, normally reserved for the man, in a meditation on identity and culture, consciousness, and art. (Robinson 3) The role of woman in the society Chopin creates is of special interest and relevanceRead MoreThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality through

Multiple Meanings of the Chinese Character æ¥ (rì)

The Chinese character æâ€" ¥ (rà ¬) can be defined as day, sun, date, or day of the month. Besides being an independent character, it is also a radical. This means that æâ€" ¥ (rà ¬) is a component of other characters that often have to do with the sun or with the day. Character Evolution The character æâ€" ¥ is a pictograph depicting the sun. Its earliest form was a circle with a dot in the center, and four rays extending from the circle. The central dot has become a horizontal stroke in the modern form of this character, which makes it similar to the character ç› ® (mà ¹), which means eye. Sun Radical Here are some characters that incorporate the radical æâ€" ¥. Many Chinese words that include the sun radical are associated with daytime or brightness, but that is not always the case. æâ€" © – zÇŽo – early; morning æâ€" ± – hà  n – drought æâ€" ´ – xÃ… « – rising sun 明 – mà ­ng – bright; clear 星 – xÄ «ng – star æ˜ ¥ – chÃ… «n – spring (season) 晚 – wÇŽn – evening; late; night æ™  – zhà ²u – daytime æ™ ¶ – jÄ «ng – crystal æ› © – nÇŽng – in former times Mandarin Vocabulary With Rà ¬ The Chinese word for sun can also be incorporated into other vocabulary words and phrases. See this chart for a few examples: Traditional Characters Simplified Characters Pinyin English n w tin r complete darkness b r within the next few days ch shng r q date of birth gung tin hu r in broad daylight ji r holiday xng q r Sunday r ch sunrise R bn Japan r j diary shng r birthday

The s Organizational Behavior, Decision Making, And...

â€Å"A good man will obtain favor from the LORD; But He will condemn a man who devises evil† Proverbs 12:2 (Dake’s Annontated Reference Bible). This verse is the foundation of human behavior it can be either good or it can be evil it can be meant to help people or it can be meant to hurt people. Behaviors inside of organizations differ from organization to organization because people’s attitudes and faith have a lot to do with how people choose to act and perform their lives. This paper will talk about Entergy’s organizational behavior, the processes and structure of the company its effectiveness and any changes or innovations that the company is using and whether or not it honors our Lord. Processes For any organization to succeed it must have three processes including communication, decision-making, and leadership (Ivancevich, Konopaske, Matteson, 2011). The communication process is very important to energy as well as other organizations because it is what links people inside of the organization and allows them to meet the demands of customers. The last 2 years Entergy has discovered that its communication process is not where it should be and they have begun issuing quarterly surveys to help them determine where the link in the communication chain is. They are doing this so that they can improve their communication and find out where the message from the CEO is being miscommunicated and how to improve it. Personal performance reviews is one of the mainShow MoreRelatedHow Leadership Styles Are Interconnected With Cultural And Tradition Of An Organization970 Words   |  4 PagesDescribe how Leadership styles are interconnected with cultural and tradition of an organization . Organizational culture is â€Å"a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs†, which direct how people perform in an organization. This culture has a strong influence on people’s behavior including how they dress, act, and perform their jobs. It also provides guidelines and boundaries for the behavior of the members of the organization. A leader needs to have a good understanding of the organizationalRead MoreMusic Games International ( Mgi )1692 Words   |  7 Pagesup with a good idea for business, the lack of planning, organization, leadership and control presented a key management problem. When the time came to launch the product, the three friends were the only staff of the company. This presented a big problem for Sasha, as he was expected to handle the business operations by himself. The company was not adequately organized to hire more employees who could help Sasha. The company s lack of a business plan also posed a problem— the business could not beRead MoreThe Leadership Journey Of Ronda Harlan1535 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction to a Leadership Journey This paper outlines the leadership journey of Ronda Harlan; an Organizational Leadership student, at Colorado State University (CSU) and how the CSU Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) program helped Ronda to evaluate human behavior within organizations to understand ethical practices, effective leadership, organizational communication, and cogent decision-making principles. Ronda Harlan reflects how the master’s program at CSU aligned withRead MoreA Comparison Assessment Of Leadership Competencies1396 Words   |  6 PagesAssessment of Leadership Competencies in Healthcare Michelle M. 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Proceeding from a definitional overview, the discussion identifies aspects of these dysfunctional behaviors that are relevant to the author. This entry then considers appropriateRead MoreOrganizational Culture And Human Behavior1323 Words   |  6 Pages2014). A major factor of a project’s success is the behavior of the employees. Employee behavior is influenced by organizational culture and leadership. This paper will briefly explore the influence organizational culture and human behavior have on the success of projects, in particular projects plagued with conflict. First, this paper will discuss the influences organizational culture has on the success of projects. Secondly, the role project leadership plays in the success of projects and how projectRead MoreOrganizational Behavior1284 Words   |  6 PagesBachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Course Title : Organizational Behavior Course Code : BUS 250 Year of Study : 2 Number of Credits : 3 credits Duration in Weeks : 12 weeks Contact Hours Per Week : 3 hours Pre-requisite Course(s) : BUS 120 Principles and Practice of Management Course Aims The course provides students with a conceptual and a pragmatic approach to understand the employees’ behavior in the organization. This course equips students with the knowledgeRead MoreLeadership Analysis As An Art Is Critical In The Development1286 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership analysis as an art is critical in the development of the efficient skills relevant to management. The leadership is split into various psychological components for gross analysis that is essential in boosting the necessary skills. The analysis should take care of the social and cultural aspects encountered in the given context. All the subjects in the context must be considered for a non-bias analysis and overall conclusion on the state of leadership. Research has come up with variousRead MoreThe Relevance of Organizational Behavior as a Management Perspective: An Evaluation1478 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Organizational Behavior: Managing People Objective The objective of this study is to assume the position as principal of a school and to undertake a critical evaluation of the relevance of organizational behavior as a management perspective. The response will emphasize the importance of interpersonal relations, facilitation of group/teams and leadership in improving organizational performance and reflect the knowledge and understanding of the key theoretical concepts and best practices. 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Religion and Modernity free essay sample

Can it be truthfully said that organized religion is a barrier to modernity? In order to determine such an accusation, we must first try to identify how we define modernity as well as the role of religion in science and humanity. To think modernism means the present is a very narrow view. â€Å"For many Decades, modernization was depicted in social sciences as a broad series of processes of industrialization, urbanization and social changes through which modern societies arose. (Lu, 2011) For the purposes of this essay, we will try to limit the discussion strictly to the terms of modernity relative to science and the inequality of women. But why bring up religion in the context of mathematics and science? Because Science does not develop in a social and political vacuum. Imagine a world without the simplest understanding of the world that surrounds us. Without science, man may have never been able to navigate the seas, discover new continents, never developed beyond agrarian commerce, without cures for common ailments, electricity, telephones, and running water or with even the basic understanding of natural phenomenon. For example, in ancient times, thunder was seen by primitive people as God expressing his displeasure or showing his power. However, the scientific method has proven that lightning and thunder are caused by complex electrical processes in the atmosphere. Science and mathematics have provided the world with answers to questions and cures to deadly diseases and has touched the lives of every person in the world today. This clash between modernist thought and Christianity has produced centuries of â€Å"accusation, rebuttal and counter-accusation. † (Bogart, 2009) Famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim saw religion as a necessary institution which enabled society to function harmoniously and that religion provides stability by teaching and enforcing a definite moral code. Even with this admirable quality, probably few informed people would want to argue the point that the â€Å"bible and religious tradition has often been used to prevent people from pursuing certain avenues of self-expression† (Bogart, 2009) and to deter people from all sorts of activities. In the current view most would agree that it can easily be seen that basic scientific advancements have been beneficial to mankind and most would agree that without the developments in mathematics, and science, the world as we know it could never have existed but it was not long ago when he Christian church persecuted followers of science as heretics. Throughout history, the religious attacks on modernity in the form of mathematics and science is widely documented, forcing religion into a mostly defensive position. Even today, there are still scientific and medical advancements with potentially hundreds of life altering applications that keep religion and science at a standoff in the moral a nd political spectrum as well as in public opinion. In this essay, we will illuminate how organized religion has been integral in attempting to subvert modernity, from the development of mathematics and science in antiquity, the oppression of art during the Renaissance era, further suppression of secular education through the Age of Enlightenment, the ongoing battle for the rights of women and all of the way through the modern attacks on stem cell research, cloning, family planning and abortion. In as early as In 415 A. D. the last known head of the Department of Mathematics and Philosophy at the Museum of Alexandria, part of the Library of Alexandria, the female mathematician Hypatia was stripped naked in the streets of Alexandria with her flesh scourged from her body by Christian hands and fingers while being dragged to her final death by burning alive by fanatically enraged Christian Coptic mobs, inspired by the leading Christian patriarch, later canonized Saint Cyril of Alexandria. Hypatias invention of an improved astrolabe and her subsequent book Astronomical Canon, a table of star positions for navigational explorers, was subsequently in use by other intrepid sailors and explorers for the next 1,200 years, all of this in addition to her thirteen books on algebra and another eight on geometry. This atrocity was not the first time and definitely not the last time that the church would attempt to use its power and influence, to try and subvert scientific advancement. Only a few hundred years later, at the height of the power of the Catholic Church, another movement created a scapegoat for religious persecution. The intellectual movement called The Enlightenment is one of those rare historical movements which in fact named itself. Enlightenment thinkers and writers, primarily in London and Paris, believed that they were more enlightened than their compatriots and set out to educate them. Many enlightenment thinkers had the admirable belief that â€Å"human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better wor d. † (Brians, 1998) Additionally, â€Å"by celebrating the human race and its capacities they argued they were worshipping God more appropriately than gloomy priests and monks who harped on original sin and continuously called upon people to confess and humble themselves before the Almighty. † (Brians, 1998) While at the time, the â€Å"humanist†, the element responsible for the â⠂¬Å"enlightenment†, did not have an anti-religious association, there were a few that claimed that humans were like God, created not only in his image, but with a share of his creative power. They believed that painters, architects, musicians, and scholars were, by â€Å"exercising their intellectual powers, were fulfilling divine purposes. † (Brians, 1998) While, even within the church, there were notable Christian who pursued and promoted advances in mathematics, astronomy, medicine and science in general, the humanist notions of divine creativity and enlightenment went directly against the basic tenant of the Catholic Church of a single all-powerful, all-knowing, divine god. Because the church could not frame these tools of logic to the uses it preferred, they were afraid that this message could not only diminish the power so long held by the church over the daily lives of the people and over the monarchy and politics, but could cause outright revolt from the church as it had in before in Athens. With so much fear and apprehension, the church struck out on a terroristic mission to shame, humiliate and publicly murder those who could not be tamed. During this time of the â€Å"Inquisition†, trials of witchcraft flourished as they never had during the Middle Ages and thousands were slaughtered as examples at the hands of the church. For those who were so lucky to avoid the execution table, they still faced public humiliation, had their life works destroyed in front of their eyes and in some cases like Galileo, were forced into the infamous, unjust house imprisonment. Galileo Galileio, was one of the foremost scientific thinkers of his time, and his works have served to be the basis for the majority of astronomical work to follow. He uses the same logic the seamen had used, reinforced with observation to argue for the notion that the earth rotates on an axis beneath the unmoving sun. † (Brians, 1998) The Church objected to this idea because the Bible clearly stated that the sun moved through the sky and denounced Galileos teachings, forcing him to recant what he had written and beginning in 1633, under Pope Urbans p ersonal authority given by the Congregation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition forced him into house imprisonment, preventing him from teaching further. In this case, the Churchs triumph was short-lived, because while they were successful in silencing Galileo, they could not prevent the advance of science and astronomy. Some of the more caustic clashes between science and religion in modern history is the battle over stem cell research and cloning. â€Å"When news that Ian Wilmut and his team had successfully cloned an adult sheep in 1997, there was an immediate and ill-informed wave of public, professional, and bureaucratic fear and rejection of this new technique. † (Savulescu, 2008) Cloning is the process of multiplying cells and tissue to genetically replicate the host. Almost immediately, cloning of Human tissue was banned, but sampling of plant materials and various offshoots of the science have been allowed, such as limited cell regeneration and stem cell research as a means of treating or avoiding serious diseases. While this technology is a controversial issue, and few people have openly supported it, there are some important advancements that this technology could currently serve and endless possibilities that remain. For example, in agriculture, there are several advantages to cloning including yield, strength, and timing. A cloned plant can yield a thousand new plants from one parent plant. This means that farmers can produce more crops without a lot of seeds. In addition, cloning a plant means you can choose the best plants to clone. An entire crop of healthy, prosperous plants can be cloned from one strong parent plant. Lastly, cloned plants grow at the same rate, so harvesting can become streamlined. In reference to animal cloning, better breeding is a perfect example of the benefits of technology. In animal cloning, the best of the breed can be chosen as the clone subject. This means farmers can have the strongest or best producing animals on their farms. In the current world economy, and with a majority of the world stricken with hunger related problems, cloning could likely be the best option for countries with inopportune growing environments, or who have suffered from natural disasters, but several concerns about health issues and moral issues have stalled attempts to perfect the science. In addition to having multiple benefits in food production, there are also key benefits to the cloning of human tissue. The cloning of human tissues could lead to no longer needing to harvest animal organs to replace dead or damaged human tissue. In many cases, animal organs are rejected by recipients. In the â€Å"United States the discrepancy between the number of potential recipients and donor organs is increasing by approximately 10-15% annually† (Savulescu, 2008) Not only is there a shortage of human tissue, there are still the issues of incompatibility and the need for a lifetime of immunosuppressive therapy and serious side effects. With cloning, there could be abundant sources with near perfect capability. While there are several issues with cloning most notably those relating to the spiritual morality of creating or replicating human tissues. The movement to ban human reproductive cloning appears to draw strength from traditional religious beliefs. Religion is among the most powerful factors shaping attitudes toward human reproductive cloning and remains an influential force in human society, despite the secularization brought about by scientific progress, bureaucratic rationalization, and economic growth. Members of some religious groups, particularly Evangelical Christianity and Roman Catholicism, believe that a soul enters the body at the instant of conception, and that the fertilized ovum is in fact a human person with full human rights. † (Bainbridge, 2003) Another traditional function of religion has been to provide a set of metaphors through which people could think about their own psychological p rocesses. The Christian notion of an immortal, righteous soul offers hope in return for moral behavior and in regard to the cloning of human tissue, the assumption that clones would lack souls seems to be widespread. This worry is not limited to Christians, but also afflicts people in the broad tradition of Hinduism and Buddhism who believe that each being, whether human or non-human, is born with a spirit. â€Å"This spirit may or may not be a reincarnation of a previous spirit and that cloning will prostitute the natural evolution of spirits and life. † (Bainbridge, 2003) For many believers, the crucial quality of a soul is its immortality. In a sense, religion is the death business, and it cannot tolerate any technology that would take away its market. As we have seen throughout the readings, religion has a serious impact in the inequality of the genders and the subjugation of women throughout the world. In Sea of Poppies, Deeti made the difficult decision to abandon Kabutri with her family as the persecution she faced for her refusal to marry her brother-in-law, and then for the shame of disappearing with Kalua. Her village leaders meant to use religious law against her and to beat or kill her for her apparent indiscretions against morality. This example along with various other examples within Season of Migration to the North illustrate the plight of women in extreme religious societies. Particularly, the focus in the books centered around the Middle East and Islam. However, backward thoughts about women are not exclusive to the Middle East or to Islam. All major religions have a storied history of women’s subjection to men. It is not in all cases that women are beaten or shamed, in many cases the persecution is more subtle, but nonetheless ruthless. In religious history, across Christianity, Islam, and even Judaism women were and in some cases still are denied the ability to participate equally in religious ceremonies and rituals. In Judaism, there is a Jewish prayer that men say each morning. â€Å"â€Å"sh’lo asani isha†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ â€Å"that I wasn’t created a woman. † (Torah, 2012) That blessing is only one striking example of many where women are not treated or considered equal in Orthodox Judaism. In most synagogues women cannot be ordained as Rabbis, cannot lead prayer services for a mixed crowd, cannot chant from the Torah, and are discouraged from wearing traditional religious attire. However, Judaism is not alone. Even in Christianity there are direct references to the subordination of women to men. When researching the history of the Catholic Church, one will find that a doctrine against women has always been firmly maintained, and is so today, but not necessarily to the same extent. The Bible has many things to say indicating support of the idea that women are unequal and servile to men. From Genesis III and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee This is the first direct order of the subservience of women to men and that in Christianity, it is ordained by god that men bear rule over the women. Later in the New Testament, women’s subservience is mentioned again. ; all the wives shall give to their husbands honor, both to great and small he sent letters into all the provinces, that every man should bear rule in his own house (Esther, 2002) again like we have seen in all of our readings, women are valued differently and treated differently than men. Based on our readings women’s value is in the home as a servant to the husband and her opinions and thoughts are half of a man’s. As we have seen, the most visibly egregious and violent offender of women’s rights are fanatic Muslims. In Islam, rather than just being ignored and subservient, women were treated like slaves or property. Their personal consent concerning anything related to their well-being is considered unimportant, to such a degree that they were never even treated as a party to a marriage contract. In Islam, Women are needed only for procreation and are then discarded. Similar to the other faiths, the Koran has similar passages that diminish women. Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because men spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those among you who fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. † (Sura, 4:34) Furthermore, in some Islamic ruled counties, Women have no independence, cannot own property, are barred from employment and are not allowed to attend school and can be beaten or sentenced to death only for being seen I public, unaccompanied by a male relative. How can such intolerance and subjugation in the name of religion be considered peaceful or modern? It cannot. As in its dealings with science and modernity, organized religion stands united against progress. In the end, no one can claim that religion and modernity have been indifferent and unbiased towards each other. In addition and neither can it be implied that all the advocates of modernity were opposed to religion. â€Å"Dogmatic religious opposition is not rooted in technical or humanitarian concerns, but in a view of existence that is incompatible with scientific progress. There is no peaceful way to overcome such opposition, short of converting believers away from their strongly-held, literalistic faith. † (Dawari, 2012) On the other hand, it is not as if all the religious authorities have been opposed to modernity or have struggled against it. However, modernity has changed mans relationship with his fellowmen, with the world, and in some cases with the origin of the world. Scientific progress in many cases has served to debunk religious mythology in the eyes of some, while for others, it only serves to reinforce the idea of a higher power. Religious ideals are not bad or wrong. They are just many times wielded by those who wish to maintain power and control over the minds of people. Religious arguments about science will continue to rage as long a modern scientist attempt to understand the minute details of creation and to challenge the validity of a all-knowing omnipresent being. Likewise, in terms of slavery and oppression of women, religion continues to have a chokehold on the minds of many fanatic leaders who continue to brainwash youth into believing that it is gods will for women to be lesser creatures than men. Technological advancements and the distribution of their benefits has not been not equal and modernity has been slower to develop in some places more than others, but that does not change the fact that religion has directly challenged social and scientific progress at every turn. Some of the most basic scientific understandings likely may have not been possible if elements in organized religion had not been defeated. There are still many challenges ahead and it will take education and understanding to find common ground in the struggle against religious idealism and social justice. (2002). Esther. In King James Bible (pp. 1:20-22). Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Bainbridge, W. S. (2003, October). Religious Opposition to Cloning. Journal of Evoloution and Technology. , 13, 1-15. Retrieved from mysite. verizon. net/william. bainbridge/index. htm Bogart, M. (2009, May 25). Modernity vs Religion. Retrieved from Michael Bogart Ministries: http://mbogartministries. hubpages. com/hub/ModernityvsReligion Brians, P. (1998, March 11). The Enlightenment. Retrieved from Washington State University: http://public. wsu. edu/~brians/hum_303/enlightenment. html Dawari, R. D. (2012, 12 12). Imam Reza Network. Retrieved from Religion and Modernity: http://www. imamreza. net/eng/imamreza. php? id=429 Library of Congress. (2010, October 03). The Historic Conflict of Science and Religion. Retrieved from Relativity Calculator: http://www. relativitycalculator. com/conflict_science_religion. shtml Lu, D. (2011). Third World Modernism Architecture, Development and Idenity. New York: Routledge. Savulescu, J. (2008). Should we Clone Human Beings. In N. M. Ezell Shirley, Human Ecosyatems and Technological Change (pp. 417-428). Boston: McGraw Hill Learning Solutions. Torah. (2012). Torah The Five Books of Moses. In A. Simon (Ed. ).