Definition of Humanities Essay Example for Free

Definition of Humanities Essay The dictionary definition of humanities is the languages and literatures of ancient Greece and Rome; the classics. A second definition I retrieved was those branches of knowledge, such as philosophy, literature, and art, that are concerned with human thought and culture; the liberal arts. So basically its a combination of art, literature and history. To me humanities are the study of culture and myths. It explains how different cultures communicated through story telling and old hymns. I believe humanities can be used to understand how the past effects the way the world operates in the present day. The culture which we have was shaped by the past. Facts, findings, and literature of even thousands of years ago have changed our world today. Its important to know your past can allow people to understand our present. The study of the humanities can also be used to realize different views of life and history. Studying facts of the past helps to understand literature of the past. Poetry was another form of expression 4 those who didnt want 2 sing or tell stories. There were different types of poetry there were some poems that rhymed from line to line and others that were just written out as a thought. According to the Humanities in the Modern World, humanities attempts to navigate what we value or we despise, what we to do or what limitations hold us back. To me humanities will elaborate on how different cultures passed down traditions from generation to generation. From those traditions different family values and expectations were set for parents, children and every body to live by. Without these specific traditions people cannot decipher what is wrong and what is right and have no idea how to adjust to change in the present and future. Humanities seem to be interesting and hopefully Ill get a better view from this class.

Heroes :: essays research papers

Heroes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hero. When we think of a hero, what automatically comes to mind? To some it may be someone legendary. Others might think of a hero as someone of great strength or ability. Perchance an illustrious soldier or warrior. Perhaps someone admired for their achievements and great qualities. To me, it once meant someone that showed great courage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two characters that remind me of heroes are Bernie, from the movie Hero, and Arthur, from the story â€Å"Arthur Becomes King†. These two characters have many similarities. One similarity is that in both stories, the hero is the last one who would be thought of as a hero. The reason being that Arthur is a meager squire. In Bernie’s case, well, as his ex-wife said, â€Å"It was against his religion to be nice†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another similarity is that both were not liked by all. Arthur was not liked by Sir Kay. Bernie was not liked because of his cynical way of being. Also, both were not believed when they first told their stories. It took Arthur three or four times to prove that he indeed was the one who pulled out the sword from the stone. Bernie did not even get the chance to tell some one what he had done.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is also the similarity in that both, Arthur and Bernie, did not realize that they were special or in some way heroes. Arthur thought he was merely getting a sword for Kay. Bernie was so preoccupied with his illegal selling of stolen credit cards and finding a way to buy time for him not to go to jail. Also, both of their actions cause good to happen to the people around them. With these examples we can see that Arthur and Bernie were a lot a like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Bernie and Arthur had many similarities, they also had many differences. A considerably significant difference is that Bernie’s and Arthur’s personalities were as diverse as heavy metal and classical music. Arthur was humble and forgiving. Bernie, on the other hand, was a cynical man who had nobody's interest but himself in mind. There is also the difference in the plot. In†Arthur Becomes King†, Arthur is a young boy who makes everything peaceful in his kingdom. Bernie causes John Bubber to want to commit suicide, although he does save fifty-four lives, including a little boy who receives mass media attention.

International relations/political science Essay

Global Terrorism In the September 11, 2001 attack, commonly known as 9/11, is made up of series of suicide attacks wherein hijackers or terrorists hijacked four commercial airlines. An airline was used to damage, if not totally destroy Pentagon, another was crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The remaining two airplanes were crashed directly at the World Trade Center. Great infrastructures were damaged and a lot of losses were incurred, not only material things but the lives of thousand individuals. As such, this event had raised the spirits of so many people in combating terrorist attacks. Indeed, there is a wide spread determination to end the terror everywhere, but this does not mean that success would be fully attained. It had inspired people to do something against the terrorists, and it’s a good thing. The government, the military and even civilians wanted to eliminate terrorists. But as a consequence, the chances of committing errors or fallacies also increase. Some people resort to drastic or rushed measures of combating the terror without sufficient data or evidences leading to wrong moves or mistaken identities. Suspicion also increases within communities, and in the end, instead of reducing terror today, it just only increases it by spreading fear amongst people. Financial support coming from a lot of sources definitely helps in funding attacks, manpower and weaponries. As they say, money can talk. If an terrorists organization has a lot of financial sources that they could use, then it would be really easy for them to collect data, weapons and other tools for battle, therefore increasing their chance of spreading bigger attacks. As such, cutting off their financial sources would greatly disrupt their activities. Their mobility and rate or number of attacks would be decreased, if not totally lost. But this is not the only thing that should be considered. Aside from the financial sources, terrorists groups have their own principles and beliefs. This powers them, aside from money. Take for example a suicide attack. Even if a lot of money is given to these terrorists conducting such attacks, if they don’t have the will or spirit to do it, they won’t do it for money; money which they can’t really use afterwards. Also, if a terrorist is greatly motivated to attack, suicide attempts would have higher chances to be conducted even if funded poorly. The concentric circles of the global Jihadist Movement are really noteworthy. It gives a solid proof or blueprint of the perspective organizations within and outside their Movement. This may not be able to tell which specific people to catch or hunt but it gives an idea of how their organization works. Learning these things or information would greatly help in formulating or creating tactics or methods on how to defeat them. In parallel to fishing, it is best to catch the small fish first before the big one. In addition to this, catching a fish requires not only skills and equipment but also the knowledge on the behavior of what you are going to catch. The Concentric Circles of the Global Jihadist Movement gives a description of that blueprint which is very crucial in dealing with these organizations. Generally, the descriptions and the â€Å"blueprint† itself is basic or simple, but still a noteworthy information to obtain or understand. The files which were collected regarding the Al-Qaeda show or give an information or proof that their organization is indeed well-organized and well planned. Upon reading the contents, a terrorist member, feeling the same sympathies and situation like the people who made such documents, would be greatly moved and motivated to act against the government and participate in terrorists attacks or movements. Furthermore, it empowers their minds that violence is not a wrong deed or action. It gives them the support that they need to battle their conscience in doing what is morally good or right. For them, terrorists attacks or the actions which they plan to do is the right one and the one that would benefit most people, even if they had to risk their lives. It rests on the power, hope and faith that they have for their god therefore giving them the idea that they are divine warriors who cannot be stopped. They strongly believe that what they are doing is right and in the name of their god. Information Revolution vis a vis Sovereignty, International System and Global Governance Information revolution greatly increases the feeling of one, group of people especially a state’s sovereignty. If one state understands and knows what it is dealing with, then it gives him a higher chance to perform or implement preemptive measures or actions. If overdone, it could give too much feeling of sovereignty which when shattered, could lead to fear, panic or disastrous consequences. Though somehow, it would strengthen the state. As such, the international system of states and global governance would be stricter. It would enforce more power and rule over the laws. As such, new laws and set of regulations would be formulated. Policies would also be enhanced to deal even with the simplest to the most complex situations as based on the information retrieved. Counter intelligence could be considered as a powerful weapon in the information revolution. Civilian education for military officers and leaders is very crucial and is necessary for it enhances their capabilities and education when it comes to leading their subordinates. Civilian education also gives them more educational opportunities all the way through their careers and service for their countries. Competent and confident leaders can be attained through civilian education and these leaders have more capabilities in decision-making and in handling problems or emergencies. Agile leaders with improved instincts and improved knowledge on tactics and technicalities could also be achieved through civilian education. Civilian leaders with military education or experience have the best field in a battle or advantage against the enemy, but his ability to lead should also be considered. Military books and courses may indeed teach a lot of principles, basics and techniques on how to be great leaders, but experience hones better leaders who can react immediately on different situations and would have better chances of making good decisions. References International Terrorism: The Concentric Circles of the Global Jihadist Movement (Publication. Retrieved December 21, 2007: Progress in the War on Terrorist Financing (Publication. (September 11, 2003). Retrieved December 21, 2007: (Publication. (The Al-Qaeda Manual). Retrieved December 21, 2007.

Political Party Logos - Republican Elephant and Democrat Donkey

Republicans have long been associated with elephants, and Democrats have embraced the  donkey for centuries in American politics. Related Story:  Why Republicans Are Red and Democrats Are Blue But where did those icons come from? And why have the elephant and donkey symbols stood the test of time? About the Democratic Donkey The Democrats use of the donkey has its roots in the presidential campaign of 1828, often described as one of the dirtiest political campaigns in U.S. history. Related Story: Do Negative Ads Work? President John Quincy Adams was being challenged by  Democratic Andrew Jackson, who had a colorful history that his opponents sought to capitalize on.  As 19th Century history expert Robert McNamara has written: For those who detested Andrew Jackson, there was a goldmine of material, as Jackson was famed for his incendiary temper and had led a life filled with violence and controversy. He had taken part in several duels, killing a man in a notorious one in 1806. When commanding troops in 1815, he had ordered the execution of militia members accused of desertion. Even Jackson’s marriage became fodder for campaign attacks. Jacksons political opponents took to referring to him as a jackass, a  derogatory term the candidate eventually embraced. Explains Smithsonian: Emboldened by his detractors, Jackson embraced the image as the symbol of his campaign, rebranding the donkey as steadfast, determined, and willful, instead of wrong-headed, slow, and obstinate. Related Story:  Print a Coloring Page Showing  the Donkey and Elephant The image of Jackson as a donkey stuck. In January of 1870,  Harpers Weekly political cartoonist and loyal  Republican  Thomas Nast began using the donkey to represent Democrats on a regular basis and the imagery stuck. The cartoon was titled  A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion. About the Republican Elephant Nast is responsible for the Republican elephant, as well. He first use an elephant to represent Republicans in a  Harpers Weekly cartoon in November of 1874. He would go on to use it many more times, though it remains uncertain why, specifically, Nast chose an elephant to represent the Republican Party. Wrote The New York Times: By the 1880 presidential election, cartoonists for other publications had incorporated the elephant symbol into their own work, and by March 1884 Nast could refer to the image he had created for the Republican Party as â€Å"The Sacred Elephant.†