Thursday, November 28, 2019

Confucius And Confucianism Essays - Philosophy, Confucianism

Confucius and Confucianism LIFE OF CONFUCIUS Confucius was believed to have been born in 551 BC., in the state of Lu, known today as the Shandong province. His parents, who died while he was a child, named him Kong Qui. Confucius was derived from the Latin word Kongfuzi which means Great Master Kong. Confucius was the most influential and respected philosopher in Chinese history. His ideas were the single strongest influence on Chinese society from around 100 BC. to the AD. 1900's. The Chinese government made his ideas the official state philosophy and many nearby countries honored his beliefs. Confucius wanted to gain the position as an adviser to a wise ruler, but he failed. He hoped to do this in order to be able to employ his ideas for reforming society. If it wasn't for the disciples of Confucius his teachings would have never been spread around China, and he would have never been made known. His teachings were never written down by him, but his conversations and sayings were written down by his disciples in the analects. CONFUCIANISM Confucianism was the single most important thing in Chinese life. It affected everything in China; education, government, and attitudes toward behavior in public and private life. Confucianism is not a religion, but it is more a philosophy and a guide to morality and good government. At the time Confucius was born, China was in a conezt state of war, and rapid political change altered the structure of Chinese society so much that people no longer respected the established behavioral guidelines. Confucius stated that the ideal person was one of good moral character. The ideal person was also truly reverent in worship and sincerely respected his father and his ruler. He was expected to think for himself, guided by definite rules of conduct. As Confucius said, he was expected to take "as much trouble to discover what was right as lesser men take to discover what will pay". Confucius believed that this type of behavior by rulers had a greater effect on the people than did laws or codes of punishment. So when these types of people were rulers, their moral example would inspire the people to lead good lives. Confucius died sometime around 479 B.C., and his philosophy was not very well known. If it weren't for his disciples his ideas would probably still be unknown. Confucius never wrote anything down himself; his disciples wrote all of his sayings down in a collection of books called the Analects. These contain all that modern day man knows about Confucius. There existed two important Confucian philosophers-Mencius (390-305 BC) and Xunzi (mid 200's B.C.). They held beliefs similar to Confucius but they were somewhat different. Mencius's viewpoint was that people were born good, and that they had to "preserve the natural compassion of the heart". Xunzi opposed this by saying that people could be good and live peacefully only if their minds were shaped by education and conduct. Both of these ideas parallel Confucius', in that they both state that people can be good. Confucianism was concerned primarily with the needs of society, and unlike Buddhism and Taoism, not the ability for a person to live in harmony with nature. Beginning in the 200's B.C. Buddhism and Taoism began to affect and reshape the ezdards of Confucianism, and things such as nature came into play. Around A.D. 200 to 600, there was a rapid decline in the Confucian Beliefs in China. This was partly because Confucianism now had to compete with Buddhism and Taoism, which were developed around this time. These religions were to Confucianism as night is to day, in other words, they were exact opposites. Buddhism and Taoism were largely concerned with the meaning of suffering and death, while Confucianism largely ignored these. The revival of Confucianism began around the 600's and was fully revived by the 700's. In the 1100's, there was a movement lead by Zhu-Xi called the Neo-Confucianism movement. He developed a branch of this movement known as the rational-wing, it dealt with the study of Li, the relationship between humans and nature. Another branch was called the intuitional-wing and it dealt mostly with enlightenment by a combination of meditation and moral action.In the 1900's there was a

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Land Biomes - Tropical Rainforests

Land Biomes - Tropical Rainforests Biomes Biomes are the worlds major habitats. These habitats are identified by the vegetation and animals that populate them. The location of each land biome is determined by the regional climate. Tropical Rain Forests Tropical rainforests are characterized by dense vegetation, seasonally warm temperatures, and abundant rainfall. The animals that dwell here depend on trees for housing and food. Climate Tropical rain forests are very hot and wet. They can average between 6 and 30 feet of precipitation per year. The average temperature is fairly constant ranging from about 77 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Location Tropical rain forests are typically located in areas of the world that are near the equator. Locations include: Africa - Zaire basin and MadagascarCentral America - Amazon River BasinHawaiiWest IndiaSoutheast AsiaAustralia Vegetation A great variety of plants can be found in tropical rain forests. Enormous trees as tall as 150 feet tall form an umbrella canopy over the forest that blocks out the sunlight for plants in the lower canopy and forest floor. Some examples of rainforest plants include: kapok trees, palm trees, strangler fig trees, banana trees, orange trees, ferns, and orchids. Wildlife Tropical rain forests are home to the majority of plant and animal species in the world. Wildlife in the tropical rain forest is very diverse. Animals include a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Examples are: monkeys, gorillas, jaguars, anteaters, lemurs, snakes, bats, frogs, butterflies, and ants. Rain forest creatures have characteristics such as bright colors, distinctive markings, and grasping appendages. These traits help the animals adapt to life in the rain forest.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Learning Styles and Career Preference Coursework

Learning Styles and Career Preference - Coursework Example There are many factors which researchers believe to have some effect on the learning process in the lifecycle of an individual hence affecting career choice (Reid, p.27). Some of these factors are negative while others are positive in nature. The purpose of this research study is to determine whether the different learning styles have an impact on the career choice of an individual. The term learning style has had many definitions and one of them is the process of organizing facts and coming into touch with the reality. Career preference, on the other hand, may be defined as the choice of occupation necessary for one to make a living. The learning style, in this case, is the independent variable whereas the career preference is the dependent variable. The problem under investigation, in this case, is the effect of inadequate knowledge in learning styles on career preference. The purpose or objective of the study is important in that it gives a sense of direction to the researcher. The purpose of this study will be to determine whether there is a correlation between learning styles and the choice of occupation or career an individual selects. A hypothesis is important in any form of research and assists the researcher in sticking to the topic under investigation. The hypothesis of the study, in this case, is: there is a correlation between the learning styles and career choice of an individual. The significance of this study would be to assist tutors in different academic institutions to come up with the best strategies in assisting students in learning. It would also assist in assisting tutors to determine the best learning styles to be adopted for students on different career paths. This would enhance the education system and assist in ensuring that students acquire education in the most effective and efficient way possible. On the other hand, the research would ensure that the needs of the students are fully catered for in that they would feel comfortable learning through.