Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Duties Of A Police Officer - 929 Words

The duties of a police officer, also known as a law enforcement officer, focuses on protecting and serving; people and property. They patrol the areas they are assigned, respond to calls, enforce laws, make arrests, issue citations, conduct investigations and occasionally testify in court cases. Rush is a movie that takes viewers into the undercover work of two police officers, Kristen Cates and Jim Raynor; who went undercover to catch a major drug dealer. While undercover both got sucked into the drug culture and compromised their assignment. When dealing with such assignments police officer should be careful because one does not know what the outcome of the assignment might be or even so how the assignment might affect them in the long run. In order to become a successful police officer, a lot of training is required. One should be able to pass a written examination assigned by the police department. An officer has to go through the police academy and perform various tasks that wil l test their physical and mental abilities. Cates became Raynor’s partner for the undercover investigation after she was chosen from a group of recent police academy graduates. Cates had no experience what so ever. Cates was taught how to expertly fake drug use at the academy. However, she got a rude awakening when Raynor taught her how to properly shoot up heroin. He informs her in no uncertain terms that she will be put in situations where she will have to take the drugs they will be buying.Show MoreRelatedDuties Of A Police Officer1949 Words   |  8 Pages Makayla Harris Ms. Susic Research paper 5 June 2015 The duties of a police officer are to protect the people around them and their property. They also patrol areas they are assigned, make arrests , respond to 911 calls, also known as emergency situations, testify in court situations, directing traffic, and most recently dealing with riots. As a police officer you leave your family to protect others but in more recent situations they have been taking away loved ones who do not deserve forRead MoreDuties Of Care Police Officers2270 Words   |  10 PagesLGLS-29404-001 This paper discuss the duties of care police officers owe to citizens in their control (under arrest, in custody), and how these duties of care can best be fulfilled. I will be discussing the good and bad stories of police officers when it comes to them fulfilling their duties, police officers’ duties while on the job, and how they react when there is misconduct. This paper will also be expressing the different ways in which police officers could handle situations better or if itRead MorePolice Officers Handle Duties And Property Of The Public Essay842 Words   |  4 Pages Police officers handle many duties in order to protect the life and property of the public. These duties ranges from simple jobs like serving injunctions, patrolling a particular neighborhood, to more stressful assignments. One should remember that the world is a place filled with surprises, and that what, retired, Deputy Bill Myers came to find out one fateful morning; sadly, for Officer Myers, he had n o idea that this day would be his last (Helsel The Associated press, 2015). Helsel and TheRead MorePolice Duties On The Private Lives Of New Zealand Police Officers887 Words   |  4 Pagesof New Zealand Police Officers. This article studied the impact police duties on the lives of rural police officers in comparison to those working in urban areas. A total of 16 officers from the national police force of New Zealand were interviewed; 7 were from urban areas, and 9 whom worked in rural assignments. The information gleaned from the interviews indicated there are significantly different impacts on the lives of police officers between the two areas. Rural officers felt a heightenedRead MoreThe Use Of Surveillance And Police Officers Carry Out Their Duties1950 Words   |  8 Pagesfrom failure to use technology. Law enforcement agencies such as police and military have no choice but exploit technology so as to prevent as well as deal with crime. This paper will explore how the use of cameras surveillance by police continues influence mixed reactions within from different people. Introduction The use of cameras in policing has changed how the police officers carry out their duties. In the past police officers relied on eye witnesses to provide details on how crimes events tookRead MoreShould Police Officers Be Required For Wear Cameras While On Duty?854 Words   |  4 PagesBody Cameras Should police officers be required to wear cameras while on duty? Police stations in all states should agree on letting officers wear a body cam that are the size of a cigarette stick that can be attached to hats, helmet, or the collars on their uniforms. That way the camera is small and convenient. The cameras on these police officers will be able to keep track of all the evidence from the scene of the crime and will guarantee accurate statements and facial recognition from theRead MoreThe Stress That Each Police Officer Is Enduring While On Duty And How It Affects Their Personal Life825 Words   |  4 PagesChapter 11 and focusing on the stress that each police officer is enduring while on duty and how it affects their personal life during and after their police career. There are multiple different tables and figures in Chapter 11. The first Figure is listed on page 380, talks about quid pro quo harassment. That usually occurs in a workplace and involved sexual act. When one ind ividual is forced to engage into sexual contact in fear of losing their job or other consequences. Figure 11.2 on page 381Read MoreBlack Man Who Was Suspected As The Killer Of A White Off Duty Police Officer Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagessuspected as the killer of a white off-duty police officer, was executed in 2011 with insufficient evidence in the state of Georgia (Bedau). There was no physical evidence or weapon presented in the prosecution and so they had to base their judgement all from eyewitness (Bedau). His execution raised an â€Å"international outcry† due to seven out of nine eyewitnesses contradicted their trial testimony and many of them confessed that they felt pressured or threatened by the police at the time (Bedau). Troy DavisRead MoreCase Study #2 Police brutality is becoming more and more apparent in the news today because it1400 Words   |  6 PagesCase Study #2 Police brutality is becoming more and more apparent in the news today because it seems to be occurring more than before. In 2012, the NYPD killed 21 people that year which was an increase by 7 from the previous year (W.A.T.E.R, 1). The numbers are rising in the big cities where more crimes are likely to happen. Toronto isn’t as big as New York City, but it comes to show that police officers are killing more individuals each year. In 2009, in the little city of Cabbagetown near TorontoRead MoreAnalysis Of Lon Fuller s Principle, Real Life Issues Within The Field Of Criminal Justice954 Words   |  4 Pagesand comprehensive enough to address the topic. In Scenario One an off-duty police officer is at a party at the house of an old high school friend when he enters the house to use the restroom and sees several individuals snorting cocaine. The off-duty police officer does not know whether or not his friend has knowledge that the people are using drugs in his house. The moral problem in this scenario is the off-duty police officer has an obligation to withhold the law and must decide whether or not

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Tyranny And The Social Wellbeing Of Citizens - 1750 Words

During the 19th century, in the age after the French Revolution, the vast majority of political and philosophical thinkers concerned themselves at some point with the issue of tyranny in society. Such writers spanned from Alexis de Tocqueville, to John Stuart Mill, to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The interpretations and approaches taken to the subject of tyranny and how to protect against it, though, were as varied as the collection of authors who addressed it. From de Tocqueville’s stringent observations in Democracy in America, the concept of a purely political tyranny is delineated. In contrast, Mill’s essay On Liberty focuses on a particular strain of despotic oppression that threatens the social wellbeing of citizens. Yet another†¦show more content†¦In contrast, John Stuart Mill’s essay On Liberty focuses almost entirely on Mill’s idea of how forms of tyranny have evolved throughout history, and how the most pressing form is a new â€Å" tyranny of the majority† in which the force of the public opinion is used to silence individuals. Mill seeks to describe how in the past, â€Å"protection against the tyranny of political rulers† was necessary to ensure the liberty of individuals, but the problem now has evolved from tyrannical political leaders to an oppressive public that â€Å"may desire to oppress a part of their number† (Mill 7). Similar to Mill, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels make the subject of tyranny the focus of The Communist Manifesto; choosing to utilize the manifesto to dissect the tyrannical ways that the bourgeoisie operates in society. Written as an observation of the struggles of the working class stemming from the Industrial Revolution, The Communist Manifesto delineates how bourgeois society â€Å"has established new classes, new conditions of oppression, [and] new forms of struggle† for the working class proletariat (Marx Engels 3). As Marx and Engels were commissioned to draft the manifesto for the Communist League, it makes sense that the piece is intended to provoke the common citizen into recognizing their potential exploitation. Additionally, the actual definition that each authorShow MoreRelatedThe United States : Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health1416 Words   |  6 Pageshealth insurance premiums help curb poor health habits? In Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health - Edition 1 by Donald Barr, the author explores the questions, â€Å"What is health? How should we define it? How should we measure it?† Barr addresses the â€Å"danger of approaching health as a moral imperative† and references Faith Fitzgerald, who points out the â€Å"tyranny of health†, where those who are unhealthy in some way are deemed to have behaved poorly. The authorRead MoreThe United States : Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, And Health1447 Words   |  6 Pageshealth insurance premiums help curb poor health habits? In Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health - Edition 1 by Donald Barr, the author explores the questions, â€Å"What is health? How should we define it? How should we measure it?† Barr addresses the â€Å"danger of approaching health as a moral imperative† and references Faith Fitzgerald, who points out the â€Å"tyranny of health†, where those who are unhealthy in some way are deemed to have behaved poorly. The authorRead MoreThe American Democratic Republic1391 Words   |  6 Pagesrepublic government, by definition, celebrates freedom and individual rights but views too much government and majority rule as threats to individuals. (pg. 5) A democratic government is ruled by the majority without consideration of the thoughts or wellbeing of the minorities. By basing the new government on a republic ideal, the framers were hoping to create a system in which all men are created equal and have certain unalienable rights . (pg. 7) However, this equality and rights were not extended toRead MoreIs Homelessness Not Just A Problem?1714 Words   |  7 Pageschallenge to social justice. Through the tenets of the Critical Race Theory, it’s been statistically qualified and quantified that minority groups are frequently targeted and suffer from socioeconomic neglect, resulting in homelessness. The Lack of equal access to supportive political policies, as well as, economics, healthcare, mental health care, and other resources that are vital to survival. Yet this group of people continue to display resilience. It’s the civic duty of the social worker communityRead MoreEssay on 2005 State of the Union Address1468 Words   |  6 Pages After watching the 2005 State of the Union address. I think that the President, Mr. George W. Bush, has made it clear to the Speaker of the House, Vice President, Membe4rs of Congress, and the citizens of the United States that he has a clear plan to improve t he welfare of the United States in present days and days to come. The President put forth that he has now a plan for a budget that holds discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and to cut the deficit in half by theRead MorePlato Was An Ancient Greek Philosopher Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesPlato was an ancient Greek philosopher thought to have been born in 428 B.C, he was the son of Ariston and was brought up in an aristocratic way of life. Because of his social status and connections he obtained through his family, it was thought he would inevitably end up involved in Athenian political life, but this did not happen to such an extent, a friend of his, Socrates had an enormous effect on him and why he did not end up with a prominent role in politics. He explains this in his SeventhRead MoreThe Desert Tortoise Essay1794 Words   |  8 Pageswere necessary to insure the wellbeing of his livelihood. Furthermore, the US government should have attempted to collaborate or compromise with Bundy before confiscating his catt le. Americans have a right to object to laws they do not support. The U.S Bill of Rights clearly outlines the rights all American citizens have to safety, security, fair judicial sentencing and freedoms of speech, religion and even gun ownership. Specially Amendment one states American citizens have the right to openly objectRead MoreThe Responsibility Of Advocate For Social Workers And Counselors Essay2016 Words   |  9 PagesThe Responsibility to Advocate for Social Workers and Counselors An advocate strives to merit individuals of the utmost vulnerable kind with the power of speech and expression, on matters that hold delicate significance to the client. Activism for the susceptible comprises of the fortification and conservancy of their human rights. Social workers and counselors play a vital role in advocacy in the local, state and federal government and should deed as a voice not solely for their patrons but forRead MoreA Utopia And Dystopia By George Orwell1831 Words   |  8 Pagescan be real or imaginary as long as the person believes that they are equally happy. In contrast, a dystopia is a state in which an environment is extremely unfair and unjust, typically caused by oppression and dictatorship. In the book 1984, the citizens believe that they are living in a utopia because of the brainwashing of the party. The truth of this society is that the people are oppressed so much that an illusion of a utopia is created. In actuality, this society is deprived of their privacyRead MoreTraditional And Modern Society And Its Values2119 Words   |  9 Pagestraditional and modern societies contain values that pertain to the realms of family, work, and the markets, however I find myself more sympathetic to traditional societies because the way of life was much more simplistic than its counterpart. The social roles and family values evident in traditional society created a structured method of living. One that was commonly found where the family unit symbolized patriarchy, as fathers were the highest authority figure, until they became too old to properly

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Language Literature Coursework Shakespeare; Romeo Juliet Essay Example For Students

Language Literature Coursework: Shakespeare; Romeo Juliet Essay Q. How does Shakespeare maintain tension and interest in Act 1 scene 5 and who do you blame for Romeos and Juliets death? Shakespeare maintains interest in Act 1 scene 5 using dramatic devices like dramatic irony, mood/atmosphere, shifts of focus, contrasts of emotion language etc. As well as imagery, hyperbole, contrast of language and so on. Shakespeare tends to use contrast which means placing two things in comparison (in this case probably two characters) highlighting the qualities of one thing to the less apparent one. For instance when the feeling of pain is contrasted with the feeling of relaxation people would appreciate relaxation because they wouldnt know what I would be talking about unless they felt pain. In other words, contrast shows the reader the appreciation of one quality only through the experience of both the qualities that are being juxtaposed. The essay that I will be writing will be about what characters are the most to blame for Romeo and Juliets death, but first I will be writing about how Shakespeare maintains tension and interest in Act 1 scene 5. At the end of Act 1 scene 4, the mood of the play is foreboding this is due to Romeos soliloquy as it seems that he has foreseen his death, Romeo expresses this by saying a consequence, yet hanging in the stars knowing that fate doesnt allow him to be with Juliet. Also Romeos soliloquy consists of dramatic irony Shakespeare shows this vile forfeit of untimely death which means that Romeo is having a premonition of something that might happened to him gravely. This is dramatic irony as the audience knows what will happen to Romeo and that his premonition is of his death. Furthermore Shakespeare creates tension by Romeos carefully chosen words announcing his strong belief in God. He that hath steerage of my course and Direct my sail these are also metaphors that Shakespeare uses describing a ship carrying Romeos fate and God as the ships captain. He is also representing fate as the sea; the reason for this is that the sea depicts a force of power and unpredictability. Shakespeare continues using dramatic irony in this scene as the audience already know that Romeos fate is fixed. Also Shakespeare represents God as stars; this could be because they were seen as mystical and powerful objects during Romeos time. From this scene the reader can see that Romeo is troubled and doesnt know whether to go to the Capulets ball or not. In anguish he expresses his great belief in religion and rests his fate in God, showing his fatalistic bravery. Basically, in this scene the atmosphere is serious as there is tension because of Romeos soliloquy. In the opening of act 1 scene 5, Shakespeare relieves the tension of Romeos soliloquy from the last scene with servants of the Capulets getting ready for the ball; the atmosphere is wholehearted with the servants in a happy mood joking among each other. The scene changes to Lord Capulet and his cousin inviting the guests to the ball whilst reminiscing about their youth when they once used to go to balls and dance. The mood at this point is one of excitement, anticipation, nostalgia and humour. This positive sense among the Capulets continues when the pay suddenly switches to Romeo once he gatecrashes. Once Romeo sees Juliet he considers her to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen as he had neer saw true beauty till this night. The effect of this is instantaneous as Romeo is captivated by her beauty. Romeo expresses his love for her by contrasting her to a rich jewel he also associates her with a glowing light and compares her to a dove among crows presuming that her beauty outshines every other girl, he then concludes his speech with a question Did my heart love till now? this suggests that Romeos love for Juliet is so strong that he cannot think that he loved a girl as much as this. Shakespeare uses metaphors i.e. a rich jew el to portray to the reader Juliets beauty and Romeos love for her. Romeos emotions and thus the tone of the play at this point are the ones of desire, love and passion. Shakespeare immediately juxtaposes these emotions with ones of anger, hatred and frustration as Tybalt enters and sees Romeo. Shakespeare contrasts Romeos gentle love speech and Tybalts hatred for Montagues. The reader can notice that Tybalt is as eager to hate as Romeo is to love. Whilst Tybalt is rearing for a fight with Romeo, Capulet is a calming influence and stops him due to Romeos good reputation, yet Tybalt persists to fight Romeo saying Ill not endure him. Capulet becomes angry at Tybalts disobedience but still restrains him. Nevertheless, Romeo pursues Juliet; Shakespeare shows their connection by making a duet take place between them in sonnet form. The sonnet consists of words related to religion as words are mentioned pilgrims, holy shrine, saint, faith, prayer etc. these somehow cause isolation to the rest of the ball, focusing on their passionate love. As Romeos and Juliets speeches towards each other contains religious overtones but most of the sonnet refers to the human body and touching and kissing and they actually touch and kiss each other. However their formal use of language has a dignified tone which focuses on sincerity and purity of their love for each other. The mood at this stage is again one of desire, passion and love. After their sonnet, the atmosphere changes to a dramatic one as Romeo learns that Juliet is a Capulet, the family that is at a feud with his own. Romeo is at distraught and expresses this saying My life is my foes debt. As the guests leave Juliet also discovers that Romeo is from her familys enemy, she becomes distressed with the idea of Romeo being a Montague and says if she cannot marry him she will die- this is an ominous comment. Juliet continues saying My grave is like to be my wedding bed this tells the reader that death is portrayed as a bride groom, although this image occurs again at the end. Moreover Juliet now feels devastated due to the fact that she has found her only love within the family that she was brought up to hate as she says My only love sprung from my only hate! Shakespeare ends this scene on a cliff-hanger, creating tension between the characters. This scene also gives it away to the audience what might befall Romeo as the scene leaves them with questions, lik e Is Romeo going to carry on seeing Juliet and at what cost-death? Overall, we can see that Shakespeare uses a variety of dramatic devices suited to what atmosphere he wishes to create or how much tension he may inflict upon the characters. He maintains interest by using contrast which is to highlight one quality by placing to another quality so the reader may see the appreciation of it. He also uses things like a sonnet to portray how strong the connection between Romeo and Juliet is, as well as imagery which was used in Romeos soliloquy. William Shakespeare - Taming of the shrew EssayThe Montagues, who are the family of Romeo, do not appear much in the play but are obviously in the feud with the Capulets. The Capulets who are Juliets family are much involved as they are the ones who host the ball and Lord Capulet-Juliets father-is the one who pressurizes her to get married to Paris like making an ultimatum. But at some other times he acts as a loving father, this makes it very difficult to analyse Lord Capulets character as he behaves quite contradictory. Juliet compared to Romeo is more involved in her familys situations, her mother who in those times didnt care for her when she was young but was rather given to a maid to look after, this shows how much their is a connection with Juliet and her mother which is hardly any. Juliet also shows much more maturity and independence even though she is under the age of fifteen. At the beginning of the play the reader can suggest that Juliet is an obedient daughter to her parents but she suddenly changes this when she meets Romeo, yet Shakespeare makes Juliet seem more perceptive and intelligent than Romeo she is also aware of the problems she will face because she says O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo. Deny thy father and refuse thy name She probably obeys him because of their utmost love towards each other, this is shown at the end of the play when Juliet kills herself, there is irony due to the fact that it was fate that had brought them together and it was fate that had destroyed t hem both. The Nurse also acts as a confidant, and she ahs a much stronger bondage with Juliet then Juliets mother, Shakespeare shows this when Lady Capulet wanted to talk to Juliet about Paris proposal however she had found it uncomfortable and then called for the Nurse as they had a stronger connection. The reason for this is that The Nurse had a daughter about the same age as Juliet but sadly died while an infant, she was then looking after Juliet and saw her as her daughter caring for her, giving her a mothers love that she never had from her own mother. Furthermore this could suggest that Juliets absence of love from her own parents-which should have happened naturally-acted as a catalyst for her to love Romeo that bit more and was willing to defy her parents name for it. The Nurse is a sincere intended person although she has a bawdy sense of nature, all the actions that the Nurse does is seen by her for Juliets benefits. As I had said before, the Nurse acts as Juliets confidante and help ing her throughout the ordeal she faces but Juliet thinks of her disloyal and is shocked once she the Nurse advises Juliet to marry Paris and reconsider Romeo. Benvolio is basically the peacekeeper of the play as he says I do but keep the peace This in juxtaposition to Tybalts character is hugely diverse, as Tybalt is more or less the opposite of Benvolio. Also Benvolio is a person which can be trusted as it was him that the Prince asked for information about the feud, Benvolio is also more cautious than Romeo in love and has the tendency not to fall in love deeply. Mercutio on the other hand is of a lively nature rather than a peacekeeper; he also uses imaginative language such as Queen Mab to describe his views of abstract things e.g. love, peace and so forth. Mercutio who is clever and eloquent in speech indicates that he cares little for life or death, but even though they have contradicting views of life Mercutio is considered to be loyal to Romeo and interferes on his behalf to fight against Tybalt causing him to die. Tybalt who by far surpasses everyone else in hate and anger towards the feud held between the two families. He proves this by attacking not only Benvolio seen as a peacekeeper but then was encouraging his uncle Lord Capulet to fight against Romeo and Mercutio who had gate crashed at the time. Tybalt expresses his hate and enmity towards the Montagues and everything that stands in its way like for instance peace saying What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. This further shows his ever increasing passion towards hate and loyalty towards his family. In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy which consists of tension, amusing parts and the climax of several characters actions. Thought and emotion play a major role as they all somehow revolve around each other. In addition to this every character has a part to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet however fate which people at the time believed in or were fatalistic- that life was controlled by a more powerful force or presence. There are numerous key characters that are to be blamed for the death of Romeo and Juliet, but fate is the most to be blamed. It is as if fate will not allow these two to be together and in result a tragic event occurs. This takes a toll on both the families as well as the royals as Paris and Mercutio were killed. When Romeo and Juliet die it causes the feud to end as both families finally recognize their wrong and mourn for the death of their young. Furthermore the Princes family were affected by the feud as well, as two of their relatives were killed; Paris and Mercutio. Actually both of them had died due to their own fault as it was Mercutios pride and quick temper and Paris anger and misunderstanding. But what plays mostly in everything of this play is fate. However there was a minor repelling force which allowed Romeo to meet Juliet but fates course was to repel these two lovers as they werent meant to be, all these actions are against fate. Also once fate culminates it becomes unstable as it reaches its peak, finally it then releases the mounting pressure and a tragic event occurs time after time leaving death behind its trail; Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Romeo and Juliet.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience Essay Example

Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience Essay The philosophical sub stream of epistemology concerns itself with questions surrounding the modes, methods and capacities of human knowledge acquisition. It is a very complicated subject with a lot of debate and disagreement among scholars. There are those like John Horgan, who envision the decline of scientific scrutiny into these questions. They contend that the tools offered by science are inadequate to grasp a highly complex and variant natural biological process. For example, in his book The End of Science, John Horgan gloomily predicts â€Å"an impending dissolution of science, that the great era of scientific discovery is over or very nearly so†¦ the great discoveries and revelations that have made up the history of science as now yielding to incremental, diminishing returns.† (Horgan, as quoted in Bauer, 1997) While this kind of doomsday pessimism might come across as overblown to some, they are not without any merit. Some of the observations made by scientist s like Horgan are true. For instance, they reckon that modern science is becoming more and more speculative and less concrete-evidence based. One can see this trend as science entering a â€Å"post-empirical mode†/†ironic science† where â€Å"scientists from a vast array of fields are generating questions that will never be subjected to experimental test.† (Bauer, 1997) Science’s constant pursuit of knowledge and truth leads to a quandary, whereby all scientific inquiry is directed toward gaining understanding of a few fundamental questions relating to the universe and human consciousness. If scientists are unable to unlock these basic secrets of our world, then science might soon hit a stumbling block around which it cannot get around. Those who are critical of the utility of scientific inquiry point out, that, even ascertaining answers to these fundamental questions might quench our curiosity but might prove of little practical utility. So, either scenario suggests an End of Science. On the other people like Thomas Kuhn and Derek de Solla Price, who celebrate the possibilities of science and its centrality to understanding limits of human knowledge and experience. These proponents of science emphasize that instead of a linear-progressive model, scientific inquiry can just as well undertake a paradigm shift toward achieving more dynamism. They foresee â€Å"the capacity of human imagination and its potential-not just in pushing the limits of science.† (Bauer, 1997) We will write a custom essay sample on Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mathematician Leibnitz has contributed to our understanding of human limitations in acquiring knowledge. He famously coined the term â€Å"human finitude†, behind which were questions such as â€Å"How much can someone possibly know? What could reasonably be viewed as an upper limit of an individual’s knowledge–supposing that factually informative knowledge rather than performative how-to knowledge or subliminally tacit knowledge is to be at issue?† (Rescher, 2005) To essay an answer to these questions, let us consider a hypothetical attempt by a human to acquire maximum knowledge. For this thought experiment, we are assuming that this hypothetical person (whom we shall call H) has perfect recall and an infinite memory. In addition, we assume that he has a life-span of 70 years and spends all the time in pursuit of information and knowledge. For his entire life-span, H spends all the days in reading for at least 12 hours per day, which might yield a â €Å"lifetime reading quota of some 7.4 x [10.sup.9] words†. (Rescher, 2005) This quantity represents the literal consumption of words and not the actual facts and theories understood. Accounting for this, we arrive at a lifetime’s access to some [10.sup.9] truths for H, which approximates to one billion facts, theories, ideas, etc. This theoretical upper limit is several thousand times more than any of us usually achieve in our lifetimes. But the capacity of H is an impressive upper limit â€Å"to the information that a human individual could probably not reach and certainly not exceed.† (Rescher, 2005) While this calculation answers how much knowledge one human being cn possibly acquire, it doesn’t tell how much is in principle knowable. Leibniz comes up with a suggestion based on The Sand Reckoner theory proposed by Archimedes. â€Å"Leibniz took his inspiration from The Sand Reckoner of Archimedes, who in this study sought to establish the astronomically large number of sand grains that could be contained within the universe defined by the sphere of the fixed stars of Aristotelian cosmology–a number Archimedes effectively estimated at [10.sup.50]. Thus even as Archimedes addressed the issue of the scope of the physical universe, so Leibniz sought to address the issue of the scope of the universe of thought.† (Rescher, 2005) In the Western intellectual tradition that has evolved over the last two millennia, knowledge was the â€Å"essential resource for those mortal and particular human beings struggling to cope with a world that could be imagined as being independent from any observer.† Scientific endeavor was thus directed to make knowledge independent of the observer (subjective) into an enduring truth (objective). For a human being to ‘know’ something is one way of gaining access to that aspect of the world. The tradition of ‘reasonable knowledge’ is one that brings into concurrence an individual’s observation through sight, sound and logical analysis with the truth associated with the object being studied. In the philosophical tradition, â€Å"dealing with this difference between the object and subject of knowledge has become the decisive problem. Even Plato distinguishes episteme from doxa, that is knowledge from meaning. The first is infallible and true, the second only plausible and therefore fallible.† (Nassehi, 2004) This distinction has been addressed, updated and altered by numerous other philosophers since Plato. In the Critique of Pure Reason, German philosopher Immanuel Kant distinguishes three modes of mentally representing reality. These are 1.meaning, 2.believing, and 3.knowing. Kant evaluates meaning as â€Å"both subjectively and objectively inadequate. It can neither satisfy an objective examination, nor it can be subjectively appropriate. In the end, meaning is knowledge by pure chance. In comparison belief is also objectively inadequate, but it is subjectively adequate as it stands for an authentic decision. Finally knowledge is both objectively and subjectively adequate. Here Kant stresses the difficult issue of whether knowledge is a representation of the world with objective certainty for everyone.† (Nassehi, 2004) References Bauer, J. E. (1997). The End Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age. Journal of American Culture (Malden, MA), 20(4), 113+. Nassehi, A. (2004). What Do We Know about Knowledge? an Essay on the Knowledge Society. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 29(3), 439+. Rescher, N. (2005). Textuality, Reality, and the Limits of Knowledge *. The Review of Metaphysics, 59(2), 355+.