Sunday, November 3, 2019
OUTLINE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
OUTLINE - Assignment Example In the present age where there is growth hence need for more food, the pesticides should be used as much as critics may perceive them to be poisonous. The Environmental protection Agency provides that food may not harm individuals if they are washed (Robin, pp.30) I. To know if the food that individuals eat is safe, one should be aware of the amount of pesticides left on the food consumed. This amount of pesticide is referred to as pesticide residue. According to the Environmental Agency, there is an amount that when left on the food makes it safe. This amount that is permitted on the food is known as pesticide tolerance. For the determination on what is to be left, the Environmental protection Agency dictates environmental and health risks that pesticides pose (Robin, pp.30) a) For the persons who do not consume organic foods, there are measures that can be considered to make the food harmless. Firstly, if foods are washed the consumption of pesticides are reduced to some amounts. The most effective way of washing is by the use of running water rather than soaking or dunking as it washes away pesticide on the surface unlike the other two that scatter them on the surface b) Apart from the washing effectiveness can be achieved by scrubbing vegetables and fruits like root and melon vegetables like root and melons vegetables. The leafy vegetables outer layer should be cast off to lessen exposure. Peeling vegetables and fruits if need be may be of help. Skin and fat can be sheared from poultry, fish and meat to lessen the pesticide residue amount that is in fats. In addition, eating various vegetables and fruits limits exposure to one pesticide type. A dry cloth should be used in drying of food to avoid contamination from towel. The consumers ought to know that organic food contains pesticides. In fact 95% of additives in organic food are organic. I. There are ways to decrease the pesticide amount that are got on foods, although
Friday, November 1, 2019
Responsibility of government for supporting the arts Essay
Responsibility of government for supporting the arts - Essay Example Classical example they can draw is governmental support of arts in the former Soviet Union. Soviet leaders have been carried out their control of arts in the Soviet Union, but they thought that there was necessity to control artists and for many internal ideological reasons. In spite of the control, Soviet government supported the arts through different state organizations and institutions, and many real masterpieces were created by the Soviet people in that period. Government must support arts, but not widely control it. There are some good examples of such supporting. The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) is a governmental organization the purpose of which is providing grants for different art organizations, institutions and festivals. "These grants generally are for the purpose of increasing their accessibility for people from other parts of the state or for people of lower income, but grants also may support special programs and exhibitions" (1). These programmes must be supported by government, because only state support can provide high level of arts development. Private organizations cannot always appropriate necessary funds for arts development.There are some more examples from the US history. "Government support was provided to artists during the Great Depression through the Works Project Administration (WPA). The purpose of this government largesse, however, seems to have been motivated primarily by the interest in providing work to the unemployed" (2). The governmental support of the arts also provides help for people who create masterpieces i n such trouble time as the Great Depression. Non-state organizations couldn't support artists in trouble time - only government can provide arts and artists with all means needed. Eloquent example of the necessity of governmental support of the arts is a copyright system which is established by the government. It allows "creators to retain the financial interests in their intellectual property, so the theory runs, they would be encouraged to create, which would be in the interests of the nation" (2). Government supports authors to gain material stimulus for their work and protects them from illegal use of their creations. Copyright system is widespread in all civilized countries that understand the necessity of the state support of the arts and artists who are always gold fund of any country and nation. Only government is able to support the arts and artists with the copyright system by all means of legislation.3. I have argued that government has a responsibility to support the arts, but if that support is going to produce anything of value, government must place no restrictions on the art that is produced. This view will become increasingly dominant in the coming century, because in our time it is especially important to provide high level support of arts. Many of these issues can never be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, but in the long run, promoting the idea that government is
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Philosophy questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Philosophy questions - Assignment Example Also, in a utilitarian context, the outcome of prop 30 will be propitious in the sense that the proposed increase in taxes will not impact the high income segments that drastically, since they will yet be left with much money to support their lifestyle, and will still lead to an outcome that will be favorable and good for the entire society that is the best possible outcome (Scarre 126). Answer 2. Given the context that a CEO decides to lay off 10 percent of the workforce to restore profitability of a firm that has shown looses for two consecutive quarters; Gandolfi will certainly disagree with this strategy. In the vast body of literature produced by Gandolfi on the concept of downsizing, he has immaculately proved beyond doubt that the firms opting for large scale layoffs in response to constrained financial and economic scenarios are not only very rarely able to outperform financially, but layoffs also lead to debilitating consequences, which negatively impact the moral of the left over employees and managers (Gandolfi 3). Yet, most of the CEOs prefer to opt for downsizing, which though registers favorably in the financial statements in the short run, leads to unfavorable long term consequences like lose of the trained and skilled labor, creation of distrust and apprehension in the human resources, depletion of moral, shaking of the investor confidence, falling of stock prices and unemployment. This viewpoint will certainly be supported by Aristotle, who held that the highest good was desirable for itself and all the other goods were subservient to it (Peters 10). Hence, retaining the workforce during tough times is a good that brings within its fold many other goods like employment, investor confidence, high moral and profitability in the long and the short
Monday, October 28, 2019
Business Process in The Wedding Planning
Business Process in The Wedding Planning Introduction: The report focuses on the business process associated with the wedding planning which ultimately proves to be very helpful in establishing the business in this field. Wedding planning is considered as the emerging business area due to the busy lifestyles of people; people themselves have limited time due to their vocations and thus require an institution which can manage all the activities associated with the wedding event. The report thoroughly identifies the information regarding the wedding planning and its functions, business description of the wedding planning, requirements of customers regarding wedding event, scope of business, targeted customers, market analysis, porters 5 forces model, marketing strategies, and financial feasibility associated with the business of wedding event. The report proves to be very helpful in identifying and implementing the strategies for the commencement of wedding planning business. Wedding Planning: Wedding planning may be regarded as formulating plans associated with the wedding for their effective implementation in the event so as to ensure its success. The business pertaining to the wedding planning includes: Conducting the interview of the couple and their family in order to recognize their requirements regarding wedding event. Preparation of budget for the wedding related expenses. Formulating the elaborated checklist near about one year before the event. Preparation of the guest list. Recognizing various venues for the event like hotels, marriage gardens, wedding manor etc. Planning associated with the decoration as per the customers requirement. Recognizing and recruiting various wedding service providers and professionals like photographers, videographers, caterers, florists, decorators, beauticians, musicians, bakers etc. Preparing and executing various contracts with all the parties. Management of various services and deliveries on the day of wedding event. Preparation of a alternative back up plan in case of any emergency or disaster. Managing the schedule of wedding with the help of software. Preparation of legal translations and documentations for the destinations of the event. Planning associated with the gift distribution to the guests. Providing various honeymoon packages to the couple (Lets Get Planning !). Business Description: Wedding Planning business in the recent time is considered as the most innovative and growing business in the world. In todays scenario, due to busy nature of engaged people no one is able to plan marriage in systematic manner. For overcoming this problem the business of wedding planner came into light. The United Arab Emirates is the place where people are rushed for marriage purpose and for these emirates has become a world class destination for tourists (UAE Customs and Traditions). Requirements: The United Arab Emirates is the best place for tourism. This country is a corporate hub in the world. As a tradition in the UAE, the beginning of wedding starts with the setting of wedding date. This event requires lots of preparations and planning and for this purpose Wedding Planning business facilitates means to the groom and bride to make their marriage memorable (UAE Customs and Traditions). Scope of Business: The wedding planning business has enormous scope in the todays existing world similarly it also plays significant role in the UAE economy. The scopes of wedding planning business in the UAE are as follows: One of the advantages of having wedding planner is, it facilitates everything that we want for wedding. It organizes and plan wedding in accordance to clients desire. It facilitates best deal with money because they are experienced in the searching of best wedding deals and also easily deal with vendors. Although wedding planners are also able to handle emergencies in the wedding. The main advantage of having wedding planner is it saves lot of time. They are responsible for each planning such as contacting vendors, budget, selection of wedding items etc (Wedding Planning Scope Statement ; Benefits of having a Wedding Planner). Target Consumers: The target customers of wedding planner are people who are living in United Arab Emirates. Wedding planning business is aimed for facilitating services to the consumers by offering various facilities at optimum cost and time. The targeted group of customers is between the age group of 18 to 40 years. Market Analysis: A thorough market analysis and research is required for the establishment of wedding planning business, market research will helpful in the systematic identification of customers need and requirement associated with the wedding event compliance with the latest market trends. Market analysis helps the business in following ways: Identification of tastes and preferences of customers regarding the wedding event so as to provide customized services. It helps in deliverance of augmented services as per the latest market trends. It helps in gathering the information associated with the competitors in the same business field and which ultimately assist in having competitive advantage over others. It helps in formulation of various marketing strategies associated with the business like pricing, promotion, location, enhancement of services etc. It helps in expanding the market intermediaries of the business. It helps in target market, market positioning and market segmentation of the business. 5 Forces Model: Porters five forces are applied to business strategy and then analyzed the needs of indusial sectors. These forces are competitive factors and comprises of suppliers, substitute products, rivalry within an industry, customers or buyers, and new entrants. These forces have significant effects on the wedding business. The model of five forces is shown below: http://www.smartkpis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/5-Forces-Model1.png Source: http://www.smartkpis.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/5-Forces-Model1.png Industry Competitors: Rivalries strategies in the market have significant impact. They use means such as advertising, more attractive customer service, prices competition, introduction of new products etc. before establishing wedding business there is need to analyze industry competitors. Pressure from Substitute Products: Substitute products are the results of industry competition and involve identification of other products that can perform same function. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Suppliers have a significant influence over an industry because they influence the product quality and prices also. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers forces for prices down with the demand of high quality services and products and that resulted as loss of business. There is need to set prices of services by keeping in mind about the price strategy according to the buyers bargaining power. Potential Entrants: The existing entrepreneurs are responsible for the new entrants and it depends on the barriers to entry. If the existing businesses are not satisfying their consumers need and with this they are not updating according to the market needs then there is possibility of entering new entrants (Porters 5-Forces Model). Marketing Strategies: Marketing strategy ensure the marketing activities remain associated with the business goal and maximizing the returns through the marketing efforts. http://www.easy-marketing-strategies.com/images/Mktg-Strategy-Process.jpg Source: (The Marketing Strategy Process) The marketing strategy of wedding associated with the understanding of customers needs and on the basis of these needs market and competitors analysis are performed. Marketing strategies in wedding planning business comprises of several strategies such as bridal segmentation, competitor research strategies, market research for bridal wedding, development of new business, planning for wedding media, strategies for networking etc (Wedding Marketing Unveiled; The Marketing Strategy Process). Financial Feasibility: The financial plan for a business comprises of estimated sales forecasting in order to evaluate estimated pricing, sales and menu etc. This financial plan gives ray for establishing business by arranging all expenses within budget. Financial plan for a business comprises of following heads: Summarize the financial needs. Forecasting sales through the analysis of market. Specify profit margin. Plan for income statement. Balance sheet Forecasting for flow of cash. Planning for capital spending (Weinberg). Conclusion: Wedding planning business is the emerging field, due to the time constraints. In todays era people are too busy in their vocations and business and thus could not get time to plan and execute the wedding event. This leads to creation of wedding planning business. Wedding planning includes the identifying and formulating the strategies associated with the event as per the requirement of the customers. It covers arrangements of all the activities along with the market and financial aspect. Wedding planners are very helpful in making the event successful and memorable.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
Sarah Miller Mr. Maltby Senior Project 3-11-14 The History of Interior Design Think about the things that make a home look nice. Think about the specific components that pull the whole place together. The paint or wallpaper on the walls, the hardwood or carpet on the floor, the furniture, and even the paintings or decoration on the walls. All of these important characteristics make up interior design. Interior design has been around for as long as the very first homes were built. But, what many people don’t know about are the continuous changes in interior design throughout history. From the looks of the early 17th century home, or the introduction to neoclassicism in the 18th century, to the move towards modernism in the 1900s..Interior design is an ever changing feature. Technology played a key part in the 17th century home. The introduction of the 17th century inventions such as the internal/external brick, house partitions, and stone walls substantially changed how the average interior was used and exposed. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, the fear of fire was huge in the homes of 1700. The brick, partitions and stone not only created more effective protection against fire, but they allowed for better structural strength, improved insulation, and created opportunities for greater and more elaborate use of interior plasterwork. (Parissien 18) The use of coal in Northern Europe began to increase, making many innovations in fireplace technology. People began to realize that the size of the fireplace didn’t necessarily mean more heat and the bigger the chimney piece opening meant the more heat was wasted up the flue. Therefore, the fireplace opening was made smaller and the chimney piece began to serve as a decorative,... ... more spacious kitchen environment. (Ferebee 116). In conclusion, interior design has seen its fair share of changes throughout history. The looks of the early 17th century home with its emphasis on the chimneypiece, the introduction to neoclassicism in the 18th century which stressed principals and proportion, or the first steps toward modernism in the 1900s when hygiene was the main focus. Interior design would not be the same today without the ideas of designers throughout history. I believe that our current style of interior design with its extremely modern look was a result of those very first steps toward modernism way back in the early 1900s. Next time you are admiring how wonderful your home looks, give a silent thank you to those early designers who planted the seed of interior design in many minds that has been passed down, time to time to our generation.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Far Horizon convention centre
1.0   IntroductionThe 4 Ps of marketing are in more than one way interdependent. They together help customers in making purchase decisions. If planned properly, 4Ps can also help companies identify the right segment of customers.A product must satisfy a consumer’s need. It comes with a cost. Production costs must be kept in check and at the same time quality should not be compromised on. A brand must keep its consumer’s interest in mind always.Price is next. Price escalation takes place when a product moves through the distribution channel.  A manufacturer's selling price becomes a distributor's cost price. This hurts dealers who end up paying more to the distributor. Ultimately, this affects competition and sales. This escalation in prices forces many consumers to look elsewhere. There are many strategies employed by companies to beat competition. There are some who find it hard to offer at reduced price because of brand. There are others who reduce their price in the face of stiff competition. Then there are those who, while retaining their image, launch products that are branded but service a different segment of demographic. Thus, price plays an important role in a consumer’s behaviour.                                                                                                                                                                                                    Place can also determine price. Factors like who the final consumer will be and what he or she looks for must be considered. Where does a consumer look for in a convention centre? Are the major needs of the client met by the infrastructure available? Distance is also considered to be an issue that determines choice. No client would think of going beyond his/her convenience to book a hall. Distances also determine transportation costs, which could cause price escalation for the client. Distribution gets affected, and time and money is lost. So, choice of place is also important.Promotion relates to publicity. Promotion can take many forms: advertising in various media, events, press releases, trade shows, brochures, flyers, internet and so on. This is where a company focuses on projecting itself and its product. Promotion creates awareness, the first step to sales.Thus, branding and 4Ps play a vital role in consumer buying rationale (Volker.M, 1998).2 .0   AnalysisIn any business the marketing environment, production costs, logistics, distributor/dealer margin and the manufacturer’s margin are considered before a product is priced to the consumer. All these are directly influenced by the 4 Ps of marketing. Far Horizon, a well structured organisation is in the process of expanding its activities to incorporate a convention hall that can accommodate 850 people in a single sitting; a first of its kind in that community.Far Horizon already has a full-fledged catering wing that is operational and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to the local inhabitants. The idea of the proprietorship organisation is to project Far Horizon as a one-stop solution for any activity like weddings, business meetings, conferences, trade shows and so on. Once the convention centre becomes fully operational, it will enjoy complete ascendancy in business against a rather tame competition. However, there are factors that can determine the success of a business in any environment; the factor of the 4 Ps.Product StrategyIdentify three factors that influence product strategy decisions: Size, Facilities, and Availability. The size of the convention centre will be bigger than any existing hall available in the community, and can cater to any kind of programme. The availability of a full-fledged restaurant and bar makes food and beverage ordering convenient, without requiring external catering services. The hall is large enough to accommodate any number of people in one sitting and its availability round the year will make it a very attractive proposition to time-conscious customers.Place StrategyIdentify three factors that influence place strategy decisions: Proximity, Location, and Connectivity. Far Horizon is located close to the airport and is thus a little far from the commercial hub of the community. However, because of its existing restaurant and bar, it has its share of regular customers, for whom distance may not be an issue. The idea to tie-up with the local transport authorities may be short-sighted, but customers who require larger halls with more facilities will be inclined to travel a little more to minimize responsibilities.Promotion StrategyIdentify three factors that influence promotion strategy decisions: Word-of-mouth communication, events and media presentations. Far Horizon will get that distinct advantage that its competitors lacked from their regular customers. Customer’s feedback is a sound way to project an organisation for its products or service. How many times have one seen friends influence the buying behaviour of others. The same principle applies in this case too. Events taking place at such venues as Far Horizon will attract immediate attention, because it is located close to the airport for one, and because many people visit this place for refreshments or drinks frequently. Media advertisements are very convenient to attract those people who have never venture d to Far Horizon previously. The sparsely populated community will get to know a lot more through media coverage.Pricing StrategyIdentify three factors that influence pricing strategy decisions: Logistics, Quality and Quantity. Far Horizon will beat competition through its sheer size and facilities. None of its competitors come close enough to even challenge it for its facilities. Because it is close to the airport, the convention centre can attract outsiders to it instantly. The price for organizing shows, events, weddings, conferences are minimized because of its volume of intake. The logic behind such a move to make a big hall is to minimize prices through volume sales. Catering costs will come down drastically as well, and so too would the cost of beverages. Far Horizon will be able to capitalise on the service of space, food and beverages. The client will benefit immensely; enjoy better facilities at lower costs and maintenance.3.0   ReferenceVolker.M, Business basics for Engineers, Marketing & 4Ps of Marketing, www.sfu.ca, Referenced on 09.05.2007
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Descartes vs St Augustine Essay
To examine life, you must first determine existence . I will attempt to determine if their really is existence and then examine two of the most impostant factors in peoples lives; love and religion. Everyone has tried to come to a conclusion on what is love and whether their is a God and people have dedicated their lives to both of these subjects Their are an infinite number of ways of examining love and religion but none of them can be taken as fact and none of them can be guaranteed as false. In this paper, I will examine the ways that Rene Descartes and Saint Augustine examine their lives and what they feel makes their life worth living. In the Meditations, Descartes attempts to doubt everything that is possible to doubt. He is uncertain of the existence of many things from God and himself. Then he goes on to start proving that things do exist by first proving that he exists. After he establishes himself he can go on to establish everything else in the world. Next he goes to prove that the mind is separate then the body. In order to do this he must first prove he has a mind, and then prove that bodily things exist. I do agree with Descartes that the mind is separate from the body. These are the arguments that I agree with Descartes. In his six Meditations, only four contain his argument about corporeal things and establishing himself as a thinking creation. Meditations three and four discuss the existence of God and the matter of true and false. Concerning Meditation three, Descartes proves God’s existence and that He is not a deceiver, thereby allowing us to be sure that we are not deceived when we perceive things clearly and distinctly. The rest of the Meditations deal with him proving himself as a thinking thing and proving that the mind is separate from the body. In Descartes’ first meditation, he goes on to prove that nothing exists. He establishes that knowledge is built upon a foundation; each piece of knowledge rests upon some other part of knowledge. Over the course of ones life, a person establishes one piece of knowledge and builds upon that. Descartes goes on to doubt every particular set of knowledge he has. Descartes says that the most basic set of knowledge we have is our senses. He continues that the senses give us false information. For example, when we look at the sun, we cannot tell how big it is. The same is true for dreams. Senses appear to be real in dreams, but how can one tell whether or not we are dreaming or not. So if we can never determine we are dreaming or awake then we can’t rely on our senses. He believes that a supreme God has created us and has the power to deceive us. If God is perfect then he cannot deceive us. So we must assume that an evil demon is the source of our deceptions. Therefore Descartes has reason to deny the validity of his senses. From this, Descartes assumes if there is a deceiver and he can be deceived then he must exist. In general it will follow from any state of thinking, whether it be imagining, sensing, feeling, or reasoning, that he exists. Since he can only be certain of the existence of himself insofar as he is a thinking thing, then he has knowledge of his existence of only a thinking thing. After he has established himself as a thinking creation, he then goes on to argue that the mind is more certainly known then the body. He goes on to say that it is possible that all knowledge of external objects, including his body, could be false as the result of the actions of an evil demon. It is not, however, possible that he could be deceived about his existence or his nature as a thinking thing. This is true because if he can be deceived about anything, then he can be certain, as he is a thinking thing. Even corporeal objects, such as his body, are known much more distinctly through the mind than through the body. It seems that Descartes finds it necessary to first establish the existence of a non-deceiving God before he can be assured of the existence of anything beyond himself and his mode of thought. He does this by the rationalization that his perception of God is that of a perfect being. In order for a being to be perfect, it must exist. Since he himself is an imperfect being, he cannot conceive the idea of perfection on his own. Therefore, it must have come from some other faculty that must be perfect, which is God. It is after his proof of the existence of God that Descartes comes to accept that clear and distinct ideas can be trusted. Since he proved that God does exist he can says that God can bring anything into existence. But we also seem to know they exist through imagination, which seems to be â€Å"an application of the knowing faculty to a body intimately present to it, hence, a body that exists. †Now he attacks the notion of bodies existing. He says, â€Å"The way of thinking that I call ? sense’ give us a reason to think bodies exist? †Descartes attacks this the answer of this question in three ways: to repeat what was formerly believed and the grounds for them, to consider why they were brought into doubt, and to determine what must now be believed. He relies on the existence of a non-deceiving God to ensure that an external world exists after calling it into doubt by the invocation of the dream argument. In this argument, Descartes suggests the possibility that none of our ideas are caused by external objects and therefore, such objects may not exist. He also raises the idea of a demon that may deceive us and allow us to perceive what is not really there. Although he assures himself of his own existence by his modes of thought, he remains uncertain of the reality of an external world. He doubts whether there is anything of material substance that provokes thought within him rather than it being conceived in his mind completely independent of anything else. Regarding the first point, a long list of beliefs is given: my body, pleasurable effects, appetites, primary and secondary qualities, and different bodies. He then goes on to say that since it seemed impossible that they came from him, it remains that they came from other things, and the only kind that to his mind are those that resemble the ideas themselves. He also says the one’s own body seems in a privileged position, in that one can never separate one’s self from it, and it is the seat of appetites, feelings, pleasure and pain. There is no evident connection between feelings of hunger and the nourishment of bread. He says that he has only been taught by nature. Regarding the second point, Descartes advances the problem of â€Å"perceptual relativity†. That means the judgments of the external senses have deceived him and pains in amputated limbs deceive internal senses. There are two more reasons to consider why the statements in the pervious paragraph may be brought into doubt. He says that dreams fool him about the existence of external objects, waking states might as well. The second on is the he might have been made so as to be deceived. So he concludes that it is possible that there is some faculty in him that produces those perceptions. Regarding the third point, what God can make separately is different from something else. God can make what he clearly and distinctly understands, so if they can be separated in thought, they are distinct. Descartes says he is distinct from him his body because he thinks of himself as distinct from it. His essence is only as a thing that thinks and not as an extended thing. The last thing Descartes goes into is the argument for the distinction of mind and body and the existence of material objects. He starts off with the argument from knowledge. If he clearly and distinctly understands one thing as one thing as distinct from another it is so. He is also certain that he exists as a thinking thing, while he isn’t certain of the existence of his body. Therefore, he is a thinking thing and nothing else. His mind is distinct from his body. He is a thinking thing that thinks and not an extended thing. He has a distinct idea of body as an extended thing. Therefore, his mind is distinct from his body. The body is like a machine. The mind and body are distinct. Only the brain effects the mind, so all signals from the body must travel up into the brain. Signals travel to the brain from the periphery of our body by means of animal spirits, so the system is like a cord running to the brain, which can be pulled at any point along its length. Thus we can get signals in the brain that do not originate in our senses, but which we perceive as doing so. I agree with Descartes proofs of the mind being distinct from the body. He has convinced me with his arguments from above. He has shown that mind operates separately from the body. He proves this point when he talks about the phantom limb. He says that the senses can deceive him with pain from the phantom limb. The senses can deceive him where as his imagination is of intellect and knowledge. He has also stated that he is a thinking thing while he isn’t certain of the existence of the body. The mind and body do interact with the body in some ways. Descartes says that the mind imagines things; you see things in your mind. These things do not just come from anywhere. You get these images from your senses. Say if one sees something with their eyes. Then turns away and closes their eyes. The image is still there. Descartes Meditations does clearly show the distinction of mind and body. He proves himself as a thinking thing. A thinking thing something that can only think and is not associated with corporeal things. Since he knows that one thing is clearly distinct from another, he knows that the mind is clearly distinct form the body. The wax proves this point. Thinking is essence and the body is extension. If you mutate and move your body around it is going to change shape. Essence cannot be changed or mutated in any way. Augustine started out in childhood with a restless heart because he had to live in two different worlds. These worlds consisted of that of his mother’s religious faith, and the world of everything else. These two worlds confused and disturbed Augustine as a child. In his mother’s world, talk consisted of Christ the Savior and about the mighty god who helps us especially to go to heaven. In the other world, talk was about achieving. It seems as if Augustine felt that if he were to live in both of these worlds, his life would turn out to be nothing. He believed he would not accomplish anything he would be remembered for. He became unhappy with the idea of his life amounting to nothing. This is why Augustine turned to love. He felt that love might help him have a direct purpose in life and would help him through his conversion. Love should not be that of evil. Saint Augustine searched for the answer of a question that asked if love reaches out hopelessly and harmfully, how can it turn around to be productive and wholesome to the human soul? Love became a necessity for all people. For Augustine, the answer to this question was love. The first love must be for the love of God in Augustine’s mind. It must come before all other forms of love. Augustine finds many ways in which he can find peace in God. He is genuinely sorry for having turned away from God, the source of peace and happiness. Augustine is extremely thankful for having been given the opportunity to live with God. Augustine uses love as his gate to God’s grace. Throughout The Confessions, love and wisdom, the desire to love and be loved, and his love for his concubine, are all driving forces for Augustine’s desire to find peace in God. The death of his friend upsets him deeply, but also allows him to pursue God to become a faithful Christian. Augustine often experiences darkness, blindness, and confusion while attempting to find rest in God, but he knows that when he eventually finds him his restless heart will be saved. Despite all of the negative aspects of his education on which Augustine focused, it is obvious that his schooling was an essential part of his character. Other than Christianity, his education was the most important factor that shaped his early life. Augustine would have been a different man without this education, and without it his conversion would also have been different. His circuitous route to his final acceptance of God would have been far less significant were it not for this long and difficult intellectual struggle. It is clear that his education in rhetoric provided him with the skills necessary for shaping Confessions into a highly persuasive work. Confessions is not only a self-analysis, but also a testimony to the power of the Lord. Augustine wanted his readers to be fully convinced that the ultimate and only Truth was what he had discovered after his years of conflict between philosophy and faith. â€Å"I believe in order that I may understand,†said much about his attitude towards the relationship between faith and reason. Augustine’s decision of conversion was not easy for him. It came after a long time of thinking and soul searching. When Augustine made the decision to fully convert to Christianity in Book VIII, it was truly a â€Å"leap of faith. †He knew then that he had to leave part of his philosophical pursuits behind and commit himself fully to Christ. â€Å"For I felt that I was still the captive of my sins, and in my misery I kept crying ? How long shall I go on saying, â€Å"tomorrow, tomorrow†? Why not now? Why not make an end of my ugly sins at this moment? ‘†But, adhering to God as love’s priority proved a more extended way than he had imagined. It helped to shape his life, his mind and his beliefs. He never realized until now what a huge difference it makes in one’s life when it is opened up to love and love of Christ. The answer lies in God’s grace for Augustine. These answers are to his utmost difficult questions on life and faith. The subtle and cunning loves of the heart had defined Augustine’s journey from the first. At no time in his life had he been without love, but he had loved in scattered, hidden, and conflicting ways. He had loved Monica. He had loved the image and name of Christ, he even at one point loved evil which scared him. Augustine felt the need to redirect his love and this redirection would lead him in the way and light of God. Augustine seems to be dissatisfied with himself and his need for God. Through The Confessions he leaves himself and his past to praising God and loving him. Augustine hopes to teach others about that love which God placed in him that led him to an eternal relationship with God. All of Augustine’s loves in turn became love of Christ. Although Augustine might not have realized this, it is obviously true. At first he was redirecting his loves directly to Christ, but finally he realized all his love WAS for Christ. Augustine found a place in God that he had never imagined could happen. His guilty restless heart finally found rest in God. Augustine had always believed in God. Yet there is now a love and a passion behind this belief. His love was no longer blind. In fact now it was guided by his newfound feeling of self worth. He finds himself through all of this. His quest to know himself has come to a conclusion. His chooses to forgo the pleasure of sexual relationships and become celibate. Augustine feels that through his celibacy he will show God his efforts to lead a continent life. His love for God has grown and prospered much from his days of youth. Saints are usually looked at as God’s holiest servants, people who have centered their lives around God and the teaching of the Church. Saints are seen as if they are without sin. If these things are true then how does one explain the sainthood of Saint Augustine? Augustine in no way fits the traditional mold of a saint. Quite the contrary, his life was full of sin. People can find it very easy to sympathize with Augustine’s story because of his humanity. He does not place himself above anyone. He shows his life, as it was, a very confused and sinful life. But through his conversion he sets himself apart from the rest. Augustine was affected by many outside factors that lead to his change in a point of view. The outside forces drove Augustine to look inward and see what exactly he was made of. Whether positive or negative his theories of faith were reinforced. The result was a total change in a point of view bringing him closer to God. Friendship played a crucial role throughout all of Augustine’s life. He loved having friends, and he loved being people’s friend. Augustine was always concerned that his friendships were equal in nature. There was always a perfect balance between give and take. His friendships and other love relationships were vital in his conversion and his final evolution.
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