Thomas Aquinas and the Proof of Gods Existence

Thomas Aquinas and the Proof of Gods Existence Introduction Discussion Several theories have been explained by philosophers in attempt to prove that God exists. However, it is important to defend faith by first beginning to understand the fact of the existence of the world as a way of proving existence of God. Such lines of arguments are referred to as â€Å"cosmological† arguments (Thompson 284). My objective in this paper is to state and explain St Aquinas’s five ways on proving the existence of God.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Thomas Aquinas and the Proof of Gods Existence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thomas Aquinas was a Christian theologian of the thirteenth century who applied Aristotle concepts to Christian theology. He endeavoured to devise a rational proof of existence of God by incorporating in part, upon conjectures of Aristotle that there must be a first cause (Owen 14). The first cause was the prime cause for creation. Initially, he devised five ways to prove existence of God; however, the first cause was termed by Thomas Aquinas as one which proceeds from the movement of sensible things. The argument St. Thomas gives from motion had long and varying history. In regard to that history, it would seem at initial glance to be anything but an easy and manifest prove that God exists as Thomas understood as a Christian. The paper begins by reviewing literature related to Thomas Aquinas and the Proof that God Exists by examining (Owen 16). A Review of Related Literature Cosmological Argument for God’s Existence Cosmological arguments are arguments presented to justify the existence of God. St Thomas Aquinas finds it useful to defend faith by presenting a way of proving that God’s existence emanates from the fact of existence of the world. The term cosmological refers to as ‘based on the fact of the cosmos’ (McKeon 14). The term has to do with cosmology a branch of metaphysics c oncerned with the universe as an orderly system. Obviously, the world exists and yet cannot explain its own existence. As such, something else must account for it. But, if we still don’t develop another unexplained existence of some kind, this â€Å"something else† must have within itself the cause of its own existence. Such example of an uncaused being is God (Thompson 284). This simple explanation provides the essence of cosmological argument; however it is enhanced and made logically defensive when stated more candidly. St Thomas Aquinas developed five ways of explaining the existence of God. The first three arguments are cosmological in nature (Wadia 54)). The First Argument from Change The first way of proving God’s existence is the argument from change. St Thomas thinks that our senses indicate without doubt that some of the things in the universe are changing. In essence whatever change must be caused to change by something other than itself (Thompson 330 ). As a Christian theologian, Thomas embraced the concepts advanced by Aristotle to explain God’s existence. The argument when looked at in this way has its sources in physics and metaphysics (Thompson, 410). In physics, proof from motion seems to reach nothing further than a celestial soul. In metaphysics, Aristotle’s demonstration arrives at a plurality of separate substances, each of which, although act without any mixture of potency, is nevertheless a finite entity. His argument in either case, that is, both physics and metaphysics, does the result of the proof at all resemble the Christian God (Thompson 284).Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Prima Via structure in the Summa Theologiae is remarkably clear (Reinchenbach 30). Its beginning point is situated in things of the sensible world, things which are evidently perceived through sens ation to be in movement. Thomas Aquinas gives examples of fire heating wood and hand moving the stick which pushes something else. Analysis of this movement of sensible things reveals emergence of two successive propositions (Thompson 318). In the first proposition, whatever is being moved is being moved by another; and second that an indefinite series of movents that are being moved cannot account for this motion. The conclusion from the analysis of the movement seen in sensible things is therefore that there is a first movent which is not being moved by anything, and this is all understood to be God (Wadia 420). Accordingly, St Thomas constructs the arguments as follows: first, the starting point where some things in the sensible world are being moved; second, propositions where whatever is being moved is being moved by some thing else. In addition, an indefinite series of moved movents cannot account for motion; and three, the conclusion where there is a first movent which is not being moved by anything at all, and this is understood as the existence of God (Wadia 416). The first of the two propositions emerges from a metaphysical examination of the movement witnessed in sensible things. It is not agreeable in any a priori way, either analytic or synthetic, but is reached as a conclusion from what is seen happening in the sensible world. Thomas Aquinas reasoned with an evident example before his mind. â€Å"A piece of wood which is cold is being heated by a fire. The movement in this case is alteration, change in quality. Insofar as the wood is being moved from cold to heat, it is in potency to being hot. This is at once seen to be the necessary condition for being moved. The thing that is being moved has to be in potency in the same respect. So nothing can move itself. If it is being moved, it is being moved by something else. The basis of this argument is that the act is something over and above the potency, something more than the potency, and so has to come from something which already has or is that act (Reinchenbach 96). The Second Argument from Causation The second proposition follows from a continuation of this study of sensible movement in terms of act and potency. If that which is causing the motion is thereby being moved itself, it is also necessary being moved by another. If this third is also a movent that is being moved, it is likewise being moved by still another. But one cannot proceed this way indefinitely, for there will be no first movement. Therefore there must be a first movent which is not being moved by anything; and this is all understood to be God (Fredrick 64).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Thomas Aquinas and the Proof of Gods Existence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Quite evidently, this evidence derives its force from the doctrine of act and potency explained in the proof of the first preposition. Anything that is being moved does not have of itself the act towards which it is being moved. So in an indefinite series of moved movents, none would have the act of itself. Therefore, such a series would never be able to account for the motion. Since there is sensible motion, then there must be something which of itself is act, in the sense that it is in no way being actualized by anything whatsoever in causing the motion. Such a movent, Thomas notes without least hesitation, to be understood by all to be God (Fredrick 62). In sum, Aquinas argues that there must be something on which this entire causal order depends for its existence. To him, God is this first cause who makes things to be and sets them in motion in turn makes other things to occur. It is therefore important to note that for Thomas the strict idea of temporal beginning of creation, as distinct from its eternal dependence on God as its first cause, cannot be derived from the basis of human reason, but must rather, come from revelation (Wippel 32 3). Aquinas Argument from Contingency St. Thomas third argument of contingency has become synonymous specifically as cosmological argument. He viewed it as an observed fact that some things have a start and an ending. These items are thus capable of either to exist or not to exist. This implies they are not necessary but contingent. For if these things were necessary, they could not have had both the beginning and the ending. This leads to the conclusion of the presence of the necessary being to cause contingent beings; if not nothing could exist (Fredrick 60). Reichenbach (1972, 19-20) provides a modern angle of this argument when he states: A contingent being exists. This contingent being is caused either by itself or by another. If it were caused by itself, it would have to precede itself in existence, which is impossible. Therefore, this contingent being is caused by another, that is, depends on something else for its existence. That which causes (provides the sufficient reason for) the existence of any contingent being must be either another contingent being, or anon-contingent (necessary) being. Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If then this contingent cause must itself be caused by another, and so on to infinity. Therefore, that which causes (provides sufficient reason for) the existence of any contingent being must be either an infinite series of contingent beings or a necessary being. An infinite series of contingent beings is incapable of yielding a sufficient reason for the existence of any being. Therefore, a necessary being exists. We note that both Thomas and Reinchenbach’s forms of arguments commence with the existence of a contingent being. Contingent beings are vividly described by St. Thomas whereas Reinchenbach does not as it is an assumed fact that such exists. They postulate that a being that is contingent is one that doe s not need to exist. In other words, it does not have the cause of its existence within itself, but relies for its being upon one or more other things. Contingent in terms of explaining God’s existence can be proved on the basis of time and change. All that ex ists in nature survive in the context of time (Reinchenbach 20). Consequently, everything existing time undergoes change. In case change does not happen, imperatively, time has not elapsed. In other words, everything in nature undergoes changes. Nevertheless, everything that changes does so because it is affected by other things. If it had its various forms all together within itself, all these forms would exist at once, and in essence no change could happen. Thus, since everything that is affected by other things is contingent, everything in the universe is contingent (Thompson 312). As a result of everything contingent being caused by something else, every being or item had to have a cause when people them in the natural realm. When people locate this cause, it is contingent and thus has a cause. This process may continue to infinity and still have a series of caused beings. Because none of these could cause itself, none could exist unless there were anon-contingent being. Such a non-contingent being has its own cause in itself, thus is different from the other beings in that it must exist. In sum, it is possible to prove the existence of a non-contingent being because contingent beings exist (Ariel 298). Aquinas third way differentiates between necessary and contingent beings. Human beings for instance, are contingent beings which come into existence and which can cease to exist. However, St Thomas argues contingent beings can only come into existence if they are caused to do so by an original cause of being whose existence is there as a matter of necessity. Aquinas claims as before that this idea of a necessary being is what people refer to when speaking of God. Cosmological argument also offers distinction between existence and essence. For instance, the essence of man consists of all properties that make him a man, that is, his characteristics (McKeon 434). The properties that make the individual man do not make him exist. Therefore, a man’s essen ce is separate from his existence, and he is a contingent being. Essence and existence in the eyes of God are identical. In other words, the essence of God is existence (Owen 14). God is a necessary being since it is God’s very nature to exist. God offers His creatures existence. However, the existence that he provides to them, though real, is not self existence like His own, but contingent existence (Thompson 345). Argument of God’s Existence from Degree of Perfection St. Thomas fourth proof of God’s existence is extracted from hi argument found in finite objects. He postulates that some things appear to be better, truer, nobler compared to other things. Every individuals has the ability to rate specific objects to be superior or more superior to other objects. However, the degree of perfection can only be determined if there exists a being that is more perfect. To insinuate that something is more perfect than something else is to concur that it more closely ap proximates the perfect. In affirmative, the perfect must exist (Caputo 686). Aquinas fourth argument observes values in human beings such as beauty, goodness and truth. He inquires where such things come from. He argues that existence of such values means that something must exist that is the most good, beautiful and true and this brings such human values into existence. Infact, that something is God who is the perfect and original cause of these values (Caputo 680). Aquinas’s Argument of God’s Existence from Design In this way of explaining the existence of God, St. Thomas argues that there exist clear signs of design within what terns as natural order. According to him, things don’t just occur; they appear to have been designed with some form of purpose in mind. This aspect of nature has been examined often in relation to natural sciences. The orderliness of nature evident, for instance, in the laws of nature, seems to be a sign that nature has been designed f or some purpose. It essentially for this point that naturalists approaches to science especially those that argue that matter possesses an intrinsic capacity to organize itself, are viewed as such a threat by some modern Christian apologists (Southgate 52). Aquinas’s design argument became popular following the scientific revolution. The universal law of gravitation and laws of motion by Sir Isaac Newton suggested a mechanistic universe, carefully designed with a purpose in mind. However, the weaknesses of this argument were philosophically exposed by Hume David who intimated to the degree of disorder or natural evil in the world as a significant countervailing fact. It was also exposed by Charles Darwin when he provided an alternative explanation of apparent design of the natural world in his evolution theory by natural selection (McGrath 182). Aquinas viewed creation as both depending on God for its existence at every moment, but as also having been granted its own integrit y to unfold according to its God given nature through the action of secondary causes striving, under inspiration change drawn from God’s spirit, too attain their desired end and fulfillment in God. The fifth way views the intelligent design in the world, that is, things seem to be adapted with certain purposes in mind. The source of this design or natural ordering must, St. Thomas reasons, in be some intelligent being, God, who works out God’s purposes in creation (Southgate 52). With his arguments for existence of God, Thomas developed the concept that nature had purposes deriving from God’s design. These purposes did not only offer evidence of God, they also provided a natural revelation of the end of creation. Thus, the eternal law of God is revealed in divine law through the scriptures and in natural law, reflected in the nature of creation itself. If every part of creation naturally tends to seek its natural end or good, in the case of human beings this tak es particular form in the search to know God and to construct an ordered society reflecting the well being of God’s good order. In constructing such a society, in addition to biblical commands, natural law means that human beings can identify universal and eternal moral standards. Human law is therefore laid on these moral standards, and indeed the natural law provides a framework for laws in specific situations. The advantage of this is that it offers the opportunity of agreement on international law across different countries and cultures. This is evidenced in the role it played in developing concepts such as just war theory. Objections to Cosmological arguments Cosmological arguments received a number of objections from various philosophers. Kant Immanuel and others are among those who have objected that Aquinas cosmological arguments are depended upon ontological (Runyan 56). According to objectors of cosmological arguments views, they eliminate cosmological arguments as an independent proof. Kant noted that the argument proves the existence of a necessary being. He however, alleged that it relies upon the ontological argument to indicate the properties of that being are those of God (Ariel 298). Reichenbach on the other hand objected to this argument. He intimated that Kant classified cosmological argument into two categories; one, which Kant contented to be sound to prove existence of a necessary being, and two, which Kant claimed to, disagree, indicates that this being is God (Reichenbach 142). Ariel R. Theistic Proof and Immanuel Kant. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 1974. Caputo, John D. Kant’s Refutation of the Cosmological Argument. Journal of American Academy of Religion, 1974, 686-691. Fredrick, Copleston B. A History of Philosophy. New York: Image Books, 1962. McGrath A. Christian Theology. New York: Wiley Sons, 2010. McKeon R. Thomas Aquinas Doctrine of Knowledge and its Historical Setting. Journal of Medieval studie s, 1928, 434:14. Owen H. Concepts of Deity. New York: Herder and Herder, 1971. Reichenbach, Bruce R. The Cosmological Argument. Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. Runyan, Mary E. The Relationship between Ontological and Cosmological Arguments. Journal of Religion, 40-60. Southgate C. God, Humanity and the Cosmos. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. Thompson, Samuel M. A Modern Philosophy of Religion. Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1955. Wadia P. Cosmological Argument. Religious Studies, 1975, 416-476. Wippel, John F. The Metaphysical thought of Thomas. New York: CUA Press, 2000.

5 Tips for LGBTQ Students How to be Gay at College

5 Tips for LGBTQ Students How to be Gay at College 5 Tips for LGBTQ Students: How to be Gay at College The focus of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17) this year is â€Å"mental health and wellbeing.† This is particularly relevant to students, as college is a place of self-discovery, and somewhere many LGBTQ people choose to come out or experiment with their identity. Photo: William Murphy As such, we’ve got a few tips for making your college experience a happy one, as there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy your education just because you’ve rejected the norms of heteronormativity. 1. Research Different Colleges If you’re thinking of applying to college but want to study somewhere that welcomes LGBTQ students, it pays to do a little research beforehand. One way to do this is to ask current students about their experiences, but there are plenty of online resources if you’re not sure who to ask. 2. Look for Funding College can be expensive, so any financial help is usually welcome. What you might not know is that there are scholarships available specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. 3. Meeting New People Making new friends is part of the college experience for any student. But when you’re LGBQT, or simply want to explore that side of your personality, you might be particularly keen to meet like-minded people. A good option is to join an LGBTQ advocacy group. Most colleges these days will have at least one LGBTQ group on campus, often affiliated with national organizations like the Gay-Straight Alliance. Likewise, look out for LGBTQ events at your college. Photo: Wikimedia Alternatively, you could venture off campus to find any LGBTQ community centers in your local area. It also helps to research gay-friendly businesses, such as bars, cafes and shops. 4. Get Online Of course, if you don’t have any luck meeting people in meatspace, you always have the World Wide Web as a backup source of awkward first dates (a characteristic feature of any college romance, straight or gay). More seriously, the internet is also a great resource for advice on LGBTQ issues, as well as message boards and forums where you can ask for guidance on just about any topic imaginable. 5. Try Not to Worry†¦ It’s natural to feel a little freaked out when you first go away to college, especially if you’re not sure how other people in your dorm will react when they find out you’re LGBTQ. The first thing to remember here is that you’re under no pressure to reveal anything about your sexuality to other people if you don’t want to. It is entirely your decision when and with whom to discuss your personal life, so move at a pace with which you’re comfortable. The second thing is to realize that most people will support you when they do find out – or simply won’t care! Your friends should always accept you for who you are.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 37

Essay Example These articles include Donald Antrims "He Knew", Ruth Prawer Jhabvalas "Aphrodisiac", and Nalini Joness "Tiger". In these articles, the setting has concentrated on a modernized world where even the parents are allowing their children to make decisions of their own without interference of dictation, as was the case in the past. In addition, the setting has been concentrated in countries in the developed world. The issues that the individuals go through are also specific to college age individuals. Therefore, the setting is a critical element in these narrative works because it is responsible for the establishment of a mental image, which is essential to understanding the message being passed by the author. Taking Ruth Prawer Jhabvalas â€Å"Aphrodisiac† into consideration, it is clear that the characters that the author has chosen are college students. This can be seen from the very first paragraph where the author reveals that university friends were discussing the novel that that would best fit the Indian context of lifestyle. Here, Kishen, the main character, suggests that the best novel that ought to fit the Indian context would incorporate the urban slum dwellers, indecently rich commerce and landless laborers. The author also shows that traditions are important to most societies and are always exhibited and observed when certain activities are done from the traditional perspective. For instance, in Aphrodisiac, the author makes it clear that the Indian culture observes its traditions by maintaining that while Kishen was away studying at Cambridge, his elder brother Shiv had got married in a traditional wedding. This creates an image in the audience’s minds of how t he scene of the marriage was and how the practices were performed. To show that this context was set in the modern world, Kishen went to the U.S to study there, which is what is currently happening as most

Refugee Crisis in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Refugee Crisis in Europe - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the division like treatment and differing opinions on the acceptance of the refugees has led the countries to take a different stance on the refugee policies. The situation threatens to compromise the strength of the European countries’ unity and derail the ambience that was enjoyed by the countries before the crisis greatly hit the continent.  As the discussion stresses  Germany had initially thrown free its borders to the refugees that were trying to enter the country through Hungary, the Balkans and Greece and introduced passport-free travel to the country. The twenty-eight-nation bloc had agreed to share the responsibility of forty thousand of the refugees that were to access the burden Italy and Greece.   As a result of the reluctance of other member countries, Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Slovakia have all introduced border controls in a bid to have a record of the thousands of people who arrive from Middle East, Africa and Asia. The once open German borders have now had police on the borders and trains in a bid to control the huge number of migrants who are trying to access the European Union heavyweight. The strict controls introduced as a result of lack of commitment and cooperation from other member states.  Hungary has taken a great stand against the refugees who are trying to enter its borders.  The nation has warned those trying to enter the country that they risk great rejection and possibly being deported back to their homelands.  

Kigu Essay Example for Free

Kigu Essay Using TPCASTT for Analysis T| Title| There is a field on the Canadian border that has a monument that is either forgotten, unimportant or both.| P| Paraphrase| On the Canadian border, there’s a beautiful field that isn’t famous, but it shouldn’t be known in order to preserve its beauty. | C| Connotation| What meaning does the poem/story have beyond the literal meaning? Fill in the chart below.| | | Form/GenreIt’s structured in the form of a free verse. The author chose to describe the beauty of nature, and says we should protect it.| DictionThe author uses â€Å"no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and†did not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  because he is showing us that this field is important, even though nothing significant happened there.| ImageryI see a green, open, big field with birds silently flying overhead, with the wind blowing across the field.| | | Point of ViewThe author is the narrator. He is speaking in 1st person. He may have a lot of reliability. | DetailsThere is a naturally beautiful field that the author doesn’t want to be destroyed by any human or anything else.| AllusionsIt refers to the unknown soldiers that died. None of them died there, or were buried there.| | | SymbolismIt’s referring to purity. | Figurative LanguageThis is the field where grass joined handshallowed by neglect and an air so tame| Other Devicesâ€Å"People celebrate it by forgetting its name.†| A| Attitude| The speaker feels that the field is a beautiful place, and it should be protected.The author likes nature, and wants everyone else to try to protect it and to keep it as long as possible.| S| Shifts| There was no shift in this poem.| T| Title| The title means there is a beautiful piece of nature that it should be its own monument, even though nothing happened there.| T| Theme| Things in nature that are forgotten are the things that last.| In William Stafford’s poem, â€Å"At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border,† I think the author is telling everyone that nature is precious. We should try to protect and keep it clean. Nature is a beautiful thing. You only have nature as long as you keep it pure. Another point is that monuments aren’t always going to be man-made structures. Sometimes, the most beautiful monuments are naturally made. The third idea is that the field is  like the opposite of a warzone. Instead of planes flying over, dropping bombs, birds are flying over. Instead of dead bodies on the ground, big, grassy plains are there. The last thing the author is telling us is that this field will last a long time because people are forgetting about it.

The Power of Media in the Digital Age Essay examples -- Exploratory Es

The Power of Media in the Digital Age      Ã‚   Across from my old high school, where once a pool hall seduced us away from classes, there is now a trendy bar and grill frequented by the recently-graduated. I visited this establishment to reflect upon the nature of media, culture and what it means to be literate in the 21st century. The implications for teachers, libraries and society in general may be daunting, but they hint at excitement, too. There I was, an English major, a man of the book as it were, all ready to cast aspersions left, right and center at these clearly illiterate, shallow young hipsters. Within sight of my old high school library, I was ready to join the crowd of experts and decry the decay of our culture, the inevitable devolution to a monosyllabic, non- print bunch of video heads. This was culture at its lowest brow, with no concept of canonical values or the means to access them. Media shaped these minds and what a mess had been made. Such doom and gloom scenarios are common enough. Fortunately, I paused and took a slightly deeper look at what I was really seeing.    The room featured eight television sets, three of them nearly theatre size, with no two featuring the same show. There were a few sporting events, CNN Headline News on one, at least two different music videos, while a number of the sets were broadcasting an interactive trivia game played by patrons on small portable keyboards. Sprinkled throughout the bar were a variety of entertainment newspapers, some magazines and at least one person was reading a book in the relative solitude of a corner. People talked with others around them and interspers... ...the media-cultural soup around them to worry about what is media and culture. The question of literacy in the face of such change is still up in the air at this time, but is worthy of further discussion. Digital media, however, continue to be the major shapers of the path of our culture. We can argue that the bus is going too fast, but we do not necessarily want to make this observation from behind in a cloud of dust at the stop.       Works Cited Ayer, Pico. "History? Education? Zap! Pow! Cut!". Echoes 12. Toronto: Oxford UP. 2002 Burke, James. The Knowledge Web. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1999 De Kerckhove, Derrick. The Skin of Culture. Toronto: Somerville House. 1995 Manguel, Alberto. A History of Reading. New York: Penguin Books. 1996 Postman, Neil. Technopoly. New York: Vintage Books. 1993   

Reasons for inefficiency in monopolies Essay

1 Reasons for inefficiency in monopolies 1. 1 Monopolies and pricing A monopoly prices its products where marginal costs meet marginal revenues to maximise profits. Due to the fact that this price is higher than the market price in perfect competition, many consumers are not able or willing to buy at the higher price. This deadweight loss is an allocative inefficiency. Figure 1: Pricing in monopolies and perfect competition The consumer surplus in perfect competition is 1+2+4, and the producer surplus is 3+5. The consumer surplus in a monopoly is 1, the producer surplus is 2+3, and the deadweight loss is 4+5. 1. 2 Monopolies and productive efficiency In theory, a monopoly does not have to be less (productive) efficient than perfect competition. In reality, however, almost all monopolies tend to be inefficient. This may be for the following reasons: 1. 2. 1 Pressure for productive efficiency In perfect competition the price within an industry is determined by the market, or in other words, by demand and supply. Profit maximisation is achieved where the marginal cost curve intersects the demand curve (see figure 1). This means that in perfect competition, the company maximises its profit at the minimum point of its average cost curve. A company in a perfectly competitive environment tries, therefore, to be as efficient as possible in order to meet the minimum average cost. This causes a lot of pressure to achieve productive efficiency. A company in a monopolistic environment is able to change not only its cost, but also its prices. There is far less pressure for productive efficiency. 1. 2. 2 Diseconomies of scale A monopoly may increase its output to the point where it exceeds the minimum point of cost on its long-run average total cost curve. In this case, diseconomies of scale occur. 1. 2. 3 X-inefficiency. In perfect competition, X-inefficiency of one market participant will have almost no influence on the market and the market price. X-inefficiencies in a monopoly increase cost and, therefore, price. X-inefficiencies are more likely in monopolies because there is no benchmark to monitor the performance of management and less pressure from shareholders and markets. 1. 2. 4 Principal Agent There are no benchmarks and most shareholders and regulators do not have the insight into the company to evaluate management. 1. 2. 5 Case study: Deutsche Post AG (DPAG), Germany. The privatisation of most regulatory monopolies during the last few decades shows that competition decreases costs: Figure 2: Deutsche Post AG: Postal items delivered and employees (FTE) 1999-2005 The Deutsche Post AG lost its monopoly on the delivery of letters over 100 grams in 1998 and on the delivery of letters between 50-100 grams in 2005. From 1999- 2005, employees were reduced by 16% despite the fact that the total number of items delivered increased by over 3%. This means that during the monopoly the DPAG had a lower productive efficiency, delivering fewer items with more people and higher costs.

Lab Report Analysis

Memorandum TO: Emma Mackenzie, Writing Instructor; Montana Tech FROM: Sarah Hambidge, Montana Tech Student DATE: 6 November 2012 SUBJECT: Lab Report Analysis This memo proposes the observations and claims I collected from reviewing three different lab reports. Three fields of study are composed within this memo that includes Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering. â€Å"Electrical Filters,† (Electrical), written by Joe Schmoe, is a lab report made by a student at a university.The College Board produced an environmental lab report named, â€Å"Monitoring Air Quality,† (Air), for the purpose of student education as a lab template. Monitoring Air Quality was written by Dr. Angela C. Morrow who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. Within the Energy Engineering field, I found, â€Å"NETL Extreme Drilling Lab Studies high temperature drilling Phenomena. † (NETL). This lab was created by the U. S. Department of Energy and was found in the work of the U. S. Government. This lab report was written by K.David Lyons, Simone Honeygan, and Thomas Mroz. All three lab reports’ features have been compared and contrasted using analytical techniques in this memo. Observation of Whole Document All three documents are close in terms of length of paper. They are in the range between 6 and 9 pages long. The NETL Drilling High Pressure High Temperature Drilling Phenomena and Electrical Filters lab reports have 4 or 5 figures to represent the purpose of the lab report. The Air Quality lab only has one figure, a picture of a tree.College Board’s Monitoring Air Quality figures were labeled underneath the pictures in regular font. The petroleum lab report used bold lettering underneath the figures. The electrical report’s figures were labeled with italics underneath the picture as well. * Paragraph styles All three labs differ strongly when it comes to the style of how the paragraphs were writt en. Drilling lab reports within Petroleum Engineering are most elaborate and long. The petroleum lab report has 3 paragraphs in the Abstract section while the other two reports have one short paragraph.The Petroleum lab includes specific numerical details such as different depths, fluid pressures, and temperatures. The other reports did not include quantities inside the opening paragraph that is why Drilling labs are more elaborate and precise when it comes to representing information. As a reader is reading the NETL Drilling Lab, they could be more confused than reading the other two labs. The quantities are not explained how they are derived very well, so this could result in a comprehension problem for a basic reader.I think this would make a reader with basic comprehension levels frustrated. * Headings According to the example lab report(Doyoyo,2002), paragraph titles should follow this format in order of title page, Abstract, Experimental Procedure, Results, Discussion, Conclus ion, Appendices, and References. The lab report composed by the College Board follows this format most concisely. The College Boards paragraphs are titled Abstract, Objectives, Introduction, Materials, Procedure, Data/Observations, Analysis, and Additional Resources.The procedure in this report is quite long because it has 3 sub headings within it that precede three different subjects. The analysis goes quite in depth as well and has 2 different parts in it. The electrical lab report follows a similar paragraph order; Objective, Background, Experiment, Results, Conclusion, and References. The background paragraph is 2 pages long; this is longer than any of the other documents. I believe in order to completely comprehend this document, you would have to know a great deal of background and have expierence in this field.The petroleum drilling lab report also follows a different format; Abstract, Introduction, Acknowledgments, and References. TheNETL Drilling lab stands out from the res t of the labs too because between the introduction and acknowledgments, there are 4 paragraphs that explain descriptions, efforts, and future plans. This lab is farthest from following the standard lab report format. The NETL Drilling Lab was written by the government so they may follow a stricter lab format than they teach in schools. They might make up their own order of headings and paragraphs because they are on top of the chain. Font choice The NETL lab Report uses ten point font in Times New Roman. The Electrical Engineering lab Report uses Times New Roman as well but its double spaced and typed in twelve point font. The environmental lab uses Calibri with twelve point font and multiple spaces between every paragraph. The NETL lab is the most professional looking lab because it looks formal and fits more information within a page than the other labs. A reader could get the most information out of the NETL lab because it is constructed elaborately but also concisely. Overall to ne The NETL lab has by far, most formal tone of voice. The lab created by the College Board is built for mainly educational purposes; therefore it uses a smaller vocabulary for easier understanding. The Electrical lab report was made by students so it’s not that complex. The NETL lab is professional because it is a work of the government. This lab uses many big words, acronyms, references within text, and many numerical conversions. The lab written by students has the least informal tone, most likely because they are least educated.Reading the Electrical Filters Lab could leave a reader lost in some places, and readers may want to read a different lab on Electrical Filters written by a doctor or someone with a professional degree. * Repetition The College Board lab report uses repititon the most because it was created by doctors and doctors are very precise with representing information. It often repeats, â€Å"Please see AP’s licensing for AP Questions and Materials. † It also repeats, â€Å"Clean Air Act,† â€Å"NAAQS,† â€Å"gypsum,† and â€Å"air quality laws. † Within the procedure the paragraphs are repetitive as well.The Electrical lab is the least repetitive but it did repeat input and output signal values. The petroleum lab repeats drilling terms and the process of deep drilling. I think the repetition in all of the labs was necessary because a basic reader would need to be reminded of the information to smoothly flow through reading the documents. Sections The sections within the 3 lab reports differ in body. Some are more like Markel’s sample(Markel,2010) than others. * Abstract The petroleum lab and environmental reflect the major focus of the lab well.The abstract concisely communicates the purpose of the lab, the approach, the results, and the significances of the findings. The electrical lab doesn’t have an abstract but sometimes instructors do not require an abstract section. The en vironmental lab does a better job at writing the abstract because it’s shorter and more direct to the point, therefore easier to understand. * Introduction The petroleum lab does the worst at the introduction. Markel (Markel, 2010, ch10), says the purpose of the lab is clearly stated. The petroleum lab is sort of confusing.It says,† The purpose of this paper and industry projects [1-5] deep wells are defined as wells drilled for oil and gas having true vertical depth (TVD) greater than 15,000 feet (4572 meters. )† The electrical report is more to the point, for example, â€Å"The objective of this lab is to build and test a first order, low-pass filter with resistors and capacitors. † The Environmental lab’s purpose statement is, â€Å"At the end of this lab, you will be able to describe and discuss several air pollutants and methods for detecting them. The environmental lab is a lab template so it is written in a future tense format rather than pas t tense like the other labs. Conclusion In reading this memo, I hope you understand my findings an key points about the three lab reports I analyzed. Electrical Filters, by Joe Schomoe, was poorly written compared to the other lab reports. It did properly use its figures and the abstract section was written correctly. This document was hard to read because the background was very long and in depth. This document also was least appealing to the eye because the lack of professionalism.College Board’s Monitoring Air Quality overall did well as serving the major purpose as a lab template for students. However this lab needs more figures and pictures because it only has one figure. The College Board also followed Markel’s lab format the closest. The repetition used by this lab made the whole document flow more as reading. The NETL Extreme Drilling Laboratory Studies High Pressure High Temperature Drilling Phenomena, is the most professional and formal written document compa red to the other two labs.It did not follow the normal lab report format, but it contained many helpful figures and tables. This lab can be confusing because it is so complex, but most information and data can be obtained from reading this lab report. References * Doyoyo, September 19, 2002, 13. 014J/1. 052J â€Å"Helpful instructions on how to write a mechanics lab report. † * Markel, 2010 Chapters 6,7,9,10,18, Appendix B related to APA documentation * Unit 3 Topics Checklist * (Electrical)

Boys and Girls essays

Boys and Girls essays Boys and Girls is a short story written by the Canadian short story writer, Alice Munro in 1968. The story is about a young girl who struggles against societys ideas of how a girl should be, only to find her trapped in the ways of the world. The story takes place on a farm. The narrator is a woman who is telling in the first point of view of when she was a young girl. Her father was a fox farmer, he was hardworking and she had a great deal of respect for him. She enjoyed working with him. The narrator had problems coming to terms with the role in life that she was expected to lead. By using the first person point of view combined with characterization, the author is able to depict the hardships and successes of passage into adulthood through her portrayal of a young narrator. She was also able to examine the different roles that society has defined for boys and girls. Alice Munro's short story, "Boys and Girls, has a very interesting detail written into it. The narrator's brother is named Laird, which was carefully chosen by the author. Laird is a synonym for lord, which plays an important role in a story where a young girl has society's unwritten rules forced upon her. At the time of the story, society did not consider men and women equal. The name that the author chose for the narrators brother symbolized how the male child was superior in the parents eyes and in general. The name also symbolizes the difference between the sexes when this story took place. The time when this story took place was a time when men and women were not considered equivalent. Mothers had traditional roles, which means that theyre jobs were strictly around the house, while men also had their roles, outside of the house. The male was the dominant figure in the house, while the woman had to be subservient: It was an off thing to see my mother down at the barn. She did not often come out of the house unless it wa...

An Introduction to Hypothesis Testing

An Introduction to Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis testing is a topic at the heart of statistics. This technique belongs to a realm known as inferential statistics. Researchers from all sorts of different areas, such as psychology, marketing, and medicine, formulate hypotheses or claims about a population being studied. The ultimate goal of the research is to determine the validity of these claims. Carefully designed statistical experiments obtain sample data from the population. The data is in turn used to test the accuracy of a hypothesis concerning a population. The Rare Event Rule Hypothesis tests are based upon the field of mathematics known as probability. Probability gives us a way to quantify how likely it is for an event to occur. The underlying assumption for all inferential statistics deals with rare events, which is why probability is used so extensively. The rare event rule states that if an assumption is made and the probability of a certain observed event is very small, then the assumption is most likely incorrect. The basic idea here is that we test a claim by distinguishing between two different things: An event that easily occurs by chance.An event that is highly unlikely to occur by chance. If a highly unlikely event occurs, then we explain this by stating that a rare event really did take place, or that the assumption we started with was not true. Prognosticators and Probability As an example to intuitively grasp the ideas behind hypothesis testing, we’ll consider the following story. It’s a beautiful day outside so you decided to go on a walk. While you are walking you are confronted by a mysterious stranger. â€Å"Do not be alarmed,† he says, â€Å"this is your lucky day. I am a seer of seers and a prognosticator of prognosticators. I can predict the future, and do it with greater accuracy than anyone else. In fact, 95% of the time I’m right. For a mere $1000, I will give you the winning lottery ticket numbers for the next ten weeks. You‘ll be almost sure of winning once, and probably several times.† This sounds too good to be true, but you are intrigued. â€Å"Prove it,† you reply. â€Å"Show me that you really can predict the future, then I’ll consider your offer.† â€Å"Of course. I can‘t give you any winning lottery numbers for free though. But I will show you my powers as follows. In this sealed envelope is a sheet of paper numbered 1 through 100, with heads or tails written after each of them. When you go home, flip a coin 100 times and record the results in the order that you get them. Then open the envelope and compare the two lists. My list will accurately match at least 95 of your coin tosses.† You take the envelope with a skeptical look. â€Å"I will be here tomorrow at this same time if you decide to take me up on my offer.† As you walk back home, you assume that the stranger has thought up a creative way to con people out of their money. Nevertheless, when you get back home, you flip a coin and write down which tosses give you heads, and which ones are tails. Then you open the envelope and compare the two lists. If the lists only match in 49 places, you would conclude that the stranger is at best deluded and at worse conducting some sort of scam. After all, chance alone would result in being correct about one half of the time. If this is the case, you would probably change your walking route for a few weeks. On the other hand, what if the lists matched 96 times? The likelihood of this occurring by chance is extremely small. Due to the fact that predicting 96 of 100 coin tosses is exceptionally improbable, you conclude that your assumption about the stranger was incorrect and he can indeed predict the future. The Formal Procedure This example illustrates the idea behind hypothesis testing and is a good introduction to further study. The exact procedure requires specialized terminology and a step by step procedure, but the thinking is the same. The rare event rule provides the ammunition to reject one hypothesis and accept an alternate one.

Leadership in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership in Organisations - Essay Example To this end, I can try to ensure that all the group members actively participate, and benefit from the study group sessions. The rest of the group members were soon assigned their responsibilities and we set up a study date. Initially I had thought that leading a study group would be easy as we were all friends, took similar classes and lived in the same neighborhood. When I showed up for the meeting, I was dismayed to discover that although I was nearly 15 minutes late, I was actually the only one present. I determined that I would good-naturedly wait for the other group members. After an hour, only two other people out of 8 group members had shown up for the study group meeting. I resolved to start off the meeting as we were already running late. The meeting failed to proceed as I had initially planned as we ended up taking too much time debating on what to study. In the end it was eventually decided that we would study a bit of what each of us suggested. Due to our lack of preparation, the meeting ended nearly 30 minutes early although it had started nearly an hour late. While going home that evening, I felt dejected as I had previously had high hopes for the success of the meeting. However, I resolved that I would try to ensure that the next meeting would be better attended and would run more smoothly. Several days to the next scheduled meeting, I called up all the group members and individually informed them of what topic we would be covering during the next study group meeting. I then undertook to follow this up by sending them emails to encourage them to attended the next meeting and read up on its topic. On the material day, I called up all the members in the morning and they all confirmed their attendance. Most of the study group members were able to show up early, we were able to have a sufficient quorum to allow us to start the meeting promptly. After the study group meeting, all the