Epistemology

Education philosophies are philosophical thinking and ideas that are used in the field of education to develop curriculum and improve instruction. One such philosophy is the use of education to enhance critical consciousness and enabling human beings to pursue completeness by acting consciously upon their abilities and limitations. This basically implies using education to enhance human creativity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Epistemology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Creativity as a concept signifies the ability to cause to exist or bring into being something that never existed before. The second philosophy entails epistemology or the concept of knowledge. Education basically involves acquisition of knowledge, skills, and other type of information by the learners. Therefore epistemology entails, examining the nature, condition and extent of knowledge in the learners. The concept of epistemology used in ed ucation influences several aspects about education such as development of curriculum, teacher learner interaction, and methodology. Knowledge that is gained in the classroom takes two forms: knowledge involving practical skills and knowledge involving the mind. The knowledge involving the mind is basically theoretical and is expressed as ideas in propositions and statements. When applied in education the concept of knowledge is important in both forms of theoretical and practical. Theoretical knowledge is necessary for general knowledge while practical knowledge is important for providing evidence to theory. The source of learner knowledge will come through both empiricism and rationalism. The learners have to be engaged to use their minds to extract knowledge from experience they go through in their daily lives. In the development of curriculum, there has to provision for learners to make use of their experiences and come to the knowledge of things. At the same time, practical sess ions especially for certain disciplines help the learners acquire knowledge by getting their hands on experience. Every other discipline creates uses practical means to explain concepts; these are the circumstances that the learners experiences on daily basis, and also the objects that they interact with in their immediate surroundings.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However in the field of mathematics, rationalism is the main source of knowledge among learners. Even though mathematics tries to relate problems to real life situations, the way in which the mind creates ideas mathematically is through rational thinking. Based on the concept of epistemology, it therefore means that the teacher needs to develop a teaching strategy that is centered on the learners. This is giving the learners the opportunity to discover ideas and concepts on their own with little involvement of the teache r. The teacher only offers guidelines to the learners. The curriculum is also developed in a way that allows the learners to acquire knowledge through rationalism and empiricism Creativity on the other hand is a concept that would allow the learner to be more human by exploiting their humanly abilities. It is only through creativity that human beings are able to make the environment around them a better place of living and a place that meets their needs. Human beings have to therefore assume a subjective role in their immediate environment by being involved in creation of objects and ideas that never existed before. This concept can be applied in the execution and implementation of curriculum especially during instruction. The curriculum gives the learners opportunity to exploit their abilities and create ideas or improve on the ideas that already existed. K-12 students are already advanced and can be co-researchers with their instructors. This essay on Epistemology was written and submitted by user Libby Blake to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saving Private Ryan Essays - English-language Films, War Epic Films

Saving Private Ryan Essays - English-language Films, War Epic Films Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a movie that generates strong responses from most people that see it. While interviewing four individuals and reading three movie reviews, I found that each of my subjects would recommend it, not one of the individuals interviewed felt the violence was senseless, and all of them left the movie with a strong emotional response of some kind. It appears that Saving Private Ryan is the kind of movie to which many can relate. Saving Private Ryan is not a romantic, feel-good movie, but it is probably one of the best movies released this year. It is without a doubt one of the most realistic films produced. Each person that I spoke with, and all three of the internet criticisms that I read voiced positive opinions about this movie. It has different types of entertainment for all kinds of viewers. It has elements of violence, patriotism, sentimentality, and heroism all rolled into one film. All of my subjects, including the internet critics, feel that Saving Private Ryan will receive many awards, and that it is a credit to Steven Spielberg as a director. When asked if they would recommend the film to another each of my interviewees responded positively. One widely talked about part of this film is the huge degree of violence. In this case however, contrary to the usual attitudes, the violence is not described as senseless or excessive by anyone that I spoke with. This movie is obviously set against the backdrop of World War II, beginning with D-Day and the battle of Omaha Beach. The killing appears to be overdone as the young men step off the transport boats only to be killed one after the other, but when consulting the history of this battle, it is almost exactly how this battle took place. The beaches were indeed covered with bodies, and the water was red with the blood of the slaughtered soldiers. The recreation of this battle by Steven Spielberg has succeeded in bringing this war, this battle in particular, out of the history books and into larger than life color on Americas movie screens. Everyone I interviewed already knew of the terrible acts of the Germans during World War II, but hey had not, however, ever really been able to comprehend the degree of loss that many families experienced. They had also never really been able to picture the battles of the soldiers themselves in quite the detail that Saving Private Ryan provided them with. This is one movie that should not be negatively reviewed because of the degree of violence. Saving Private Ryan is about a horrible war, that took place because of a madmans craziness, and this war was an ugly thing that happened very much like this movie portrayed it. The continuous gore is difficult to watch at times, but leaves the viewer with a greater appreciation of their nations military, and the sacrifice of the soldiers who serve willingly. It is clear that above all else, Private Ryan is intended to create an awareness of the sacrifice of the soldiers that gave their lives during World War II. In doing that, Steven Spielberg very successfully in brings out intense emotions in the spectator. While this movie had a great deal of violence that was sometimes difficult to watch, the sheer sentimentality behind the mission of the soldiers who have to find Private Ryan and bring him back was heart wrenching to say the least. It would take a cold-hearted individual indeed to feel no sorrow for the pain of the mother of Private Ryan when the military officials arrive at her home to tell her that three of her sons have been killed in battle. The way she falls to her knees on the porch and begins sobbing at the sight of the military vehicle is without a doubt a mirror of any mothers reaction to the same situation. Simply said, the moviegoer feels her pain. Even the hard-core attitude of the soldiers during the capture of the Germ an soldier that has just shot their friend, the medic, brings on conflicting emotions. The German, while digging graves for the dead American soldiers, pleads for his life, insults Hitler, and

Macroeconomics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Case Study Example Due to this fact among others, there has been a suggestion that the unemployment rate that has been released by the government are not exactly accurate and may actually be higher than the numbers stated (Nutting). However, taking this mode of argument means that one has to consider a number of factors before they are in agreement with the authors of these articles. For instance, the fact that one may be hindered from looking for a job by circumstances such as other duties and responsibilities like childcare and homecare does not mean that given the chance these individuals would actively search for employment opportunities. One has to factor in the issue of willingness as well as determination especially in a time where one can easily search for jobs online without having to leave the comfort of their homes. There are also various jobs that one can perform from their homes and thus if these individuals have not tried to get these kind of employment opportunities it can be established that they would look for the more traditional forms of work had they had an opportunity. The issue of being discouraged by the current economic situation and perhaps their failure in the past can also not be seen as a serious hindrance as this is a factor that can be overcome by willpower and determination. It can thus be correct to come to the conclusion that the real unemployment rate is not as accurate as one would think (Nutting). The issue of long term unemployment is also another subject that should be considered in matters of unemployment in relation to the available job opportunities that currently exist in the market. It has been seen that those who experience longer periods of time without employment have a lesser chance of getting a job as time goes on. This is because many employers tend to favor individuals who have a smaller gap between their status of unemployment and their last job (Coy). Long term

Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership Essay

Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership - Essay Example Presidential leadership can be affected by the personal capacity of the individual for leadership (Patterson 338). This is especially the case where the nation is facing a crisis and it needs the leadership of the president to see it through. The personal leadership capacity of a president often proves to be a decisive factor in the exercise of executive power because it determines whether or not his leadership is a success. The current expectation of presidential leadership in the United State is for the president to be very assertive in his actions because it can be considered to be a show of strength. This was especially the case where after the 9/11 attacks, President George Bush took the decisive action to launch the war on terror and go after al Qaeda by invading Afghanistan (Patterson 342). Therefore, the exercise of presidential power can be considered to rely heavily on the president’s personal leadership as well as how he conducts himself in diverse situations that a rise.National and international conditions have a significant effect on presidential leadership (Patterson 361). This is especially the case considering that the United States has become the most powerful country in the world and that it has to show leadership in order to not only serve its own national interests, but also those of its allies. In times of crises, both national and international, the president of the United States is often expected to display leadership and to chart the way towards finding a solution.

Astronomy - Black Holes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Astronomy - Black Holes - Research Paper Example A black hole is a section in the space-time that traps everything passing across the area because of its exceptionally strong gravity force (Raine, & Thomas, 1). It is significant to note that light is also absorbed by the gravity. It is proven and established that an adequately compact mass is capable of distorting space-time to create a black hole. ‘Event horizon’ is a section around the black hole that is mathematically known as a ‘point of no return’. The absorption of light that passes the region resulted to the name ‘black’ hole since there is total darkness at the region. Astronomers are still making expeditions, and have managed to discover the largest black hole referred to as abyssal a yawn that is believed to be 10 times the size of the solar system. The black hole is believed to have absorbed billions of suns existing in the galaxy (Raine, & Thomas, 1). Black holes are created from heavy stars that have a mass of 20 to 25 times compared to the sun. Their gravity overpowers any force that is holding the stars up, making the cores collapse when the heavy stars ‘die’ (Raine, & Thomas, 1). Next, the star collapses exceptionally that is forced to be contained within its Schwarzschild radius, or event horizon, a region where light is absorbed. It is remarkably tiny, and is believed that a black hole fitting a town is probably having a mass of the sun, and the one fitting on a palm of a person has a mass of the earth. At this point, the materials that are enclosed within the Sachwarzschild radius will continue to fall and collapse indefinitely. The collapsing of the materials will reach a point where laws of physics shatter. Finally, ‘super-massive’ black holes are formed differently from the combination of earlier smaller black holes that were formed at earlier stages of the history (Merloni, Nayakshin & Sunyaev , 18). It is believed that small black holes had grown and sucked in gas from their nearby environment (Merloni, Nayakshin

Geography of the Hoh Rainforest

Geography of the Hoh Rainforest Brian Moody The Hoh Rainforest The Hoh Rainforest is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Northwestern Washington state, USA (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). It lies on the west side of Olympic National Park, surrounded by the Olympic National Forest (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). The absolute location is between 47-48 degrees North latitude and 123-124.5 degrees West longitude (Broker, 1994). Temperatures within the Hoh Rainforest range from the 20s (Fahrenheit) up to 80 Fahrenheit (USDA, 2014). The temperature ranges fluctuate by season with nighttime winter temperatures reaching the coldest point into the 20s. Winter daytime temperatures hover in the 40s (USDA, 2014). Spring temperatures range from 35-60 Fahrenheit (USDA, 2014). Summer temperatures range from the low 50s at night to daytime temperatures range between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA, 2014). Fall temperatures can fluctuate between 35-65 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA, 2014). As the name suggests, the Hoh Rainforest experiences an extensive amount of precipitation. The precipitation can take the form of rain or snow, with the latter typically occurring significantly only at higher elevations (Marietta College, 2014). The Hoh Rainforest experiences 140-170 inches (12-14 feet) of annual precipitation (National Park Service, 2014). Temperature and precipitation in the Hoh Rainforest are influenced primarily by mountains and the Pacific Ocean (National Park Service, 2011). While not a part of the Olympic National Park, home of the Hoh Rainforest the Cascade Mountains play a major role in temperature regulation within the park (National Park Service, 2011). The Cascade Mountains protect the Hoh Rainforest from masses of cold air brought down by polar jet streams from Canada (National Park Service, 2011). As a result, most of the polar air stays east of the Cascades, resulting in warmer temperatures within the Hoh Rainforest (National Park Service, 2011). The Pacific Ocean is simply the largest temperature moderator of the Hoh Rainforest (National Park Service, 2011). The Pacific Ocean also plays a critical role in precipitation levels experienced in the region as maritime polar air masses are pushed inland by westerly wind patterns (Christopherson, 2010). The Olympic Mountains are another major influence over temperature and precipitation levels in the Hoh Rainforest. The mountain range causes orographic lifting to occur (National Park Service, 2011). As air is pushed inland from the ocean, air pressure decreases, pushing it upward as it approaches the mountains (Christopherson, 2010). Simultaneously, the air increases in elevation and gets colder (Christopherson, 2010). Precipitation then occurs when the atmosphere reaches 100% relative humidity as a result of moisture entering it from the ocean (Christopherson, 2010). Most of this precipitation is experienced on the windward side of the Olympic Mountains (National Park Service, 2011). The Hoh Rainforest has not experienced any extreme weather events, with the exception of flooding which will be addressed in an upcoming section of this paper. It is worth noting, that while the Pacific coast of Washington is susceptible to tsunamis, the Hoh Rainforest is situated far enough inland to be protected from such an extreme weather event. The Hoh Rainforest is classified as a marine west coast climate type (Christopherson, 2010). It is therefore characterized by few temperature extremes and plenty of precipitation in all month of the year (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). The Hoh Rainforest is made up geologically of sedimentary and extrusive igneous rock (Christopherson, 2010). Sedimentary rocks are formed from the processes of weathering, transportation, and deposition (Christopherson, 2010). Within the Hoh Rainforest, the sedimentary rock make up consists of shale and limestone (Broker, 1994). The outward igneous rock composition is a result of lava seamounts (Broker, 1994). The major tectonic activity experienced in the Hoh Rainforest was plate tectonic activity (Broker, 1994). The land altering processes of faulting and glaciations are responsible for the formation of the peaks and valleys of the Hoh Rainforest (Broker, 1994). Additionally, the creation of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound are results of glacial advances and retreats (Broker, 1994). The topography and prominent features of the Hoh Rainforest and surrounding area consists of valleys, lakes, and mountains. There are 5 major valleys in the Olympic Peninsula region: Soleduck Valley, Bogachiel River Valley, Hoh River Valley, Queets River Valley, and Quinault River Valley (Broker, 1994). There are also 5 lowland lakes made by glacial activity: Lake Ozette, Lake Crescent, Lake Cushman, Lake Wynoochee, and Lake Quinault (Broker, 1994). The Olympic Mountain Range provides a mountainous terrain associated with the surrounding area (Broker, 1994). The major structural controls of the Hoh Rainforest are the mountains within and surrounding the area, primarily the Olympic Mountain Rang. The structural formation of the mountains helps develop a radial drainage pattern (Christopherson, 2010). This pattern occurs when streams flow off a central peak or dome (Christopherson, 2010). As streams within the area flow down the Olympic Mountains, they drain into the Hoh River. The peak discharge ever estimated for the Hoh River is 60,000cfs occurring on October 17, 2003 (US Department of the Interior, 2004). The mean daily flow of the Hoh River is 2,524cfs (US Department of the Interior, 2004). The Hoh rainforest is subjected to flooding by the incumbent Hoh River (NIFC, 2007). While flooding occurred only 1-2 times per decade prior to 1970, the recurrence has elevated to 3 times per year (US Department of the Interior, 2004). The increase in flooding has been blamed primarily on human influence through the introduction of rip rap for bank stabilization; the rip rap while stabilizing the bank also speeds river flow creating higher discharge rates and flood conditions downstream (NIFC, 2007). Other factors contributing to increased flood recurrence include changes in weather patterns and deforestation (US Department of the Interior, 2004). The increase in deforestation for road construction and timber harvesting has not only created impervious surfaces that speed stormwater flow into the Hoh River, but has also decreased canopy cover which helps slow the speed of precipitation reducing the amount of runoff reaching the river system (US Department of the Interior, 2004). The Hoh Rainforest is belongs to the temperate rainforest biome (Marietta College, 2014). The vegetation characteristics of the ecosystem are evergreen and deciduous trees on windward slopes and redwoods (Marietta College, 2014). Indicator plant species of the temperate Hoh Rainforest are mature strands of conifers, including: Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Mountain Hemlock, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Lodgepole Pine (Marietta College, 2014). The dominant deciduous tree species is the Big-leaf Maple, while mosses, lichens and epiphytes are also hey indicator species of the biome (Marietta College, 2014). The indicator animal species of the temperate Hoh Rainforest include slugs, birds such as the Clark’s Nutcracker and Blue Grouse, and Roosevelt Elk (Marietta College, 2014). The ecosystem of the Hoh Rainforest is characterized primarily by rain or precipitation and moderate temperatures (National Park Service, 2014). Other key characteristics include: large old trees, dead wood, epiphytes, nurse logs, and Roosevelt Elk (National Park Service, 2014). The temperate rainforest is the fourth most productive ecosystem type; it has a net primary production rate of 600-2500g/sm/yr (Christopherson, 2010). The ecosystem provides an abundance of ecosystem services. The trees of the rainforest filter air by capturing carbon dioxide and other pollutants (National Park Service, 2014). Additionally, the trees help manage stormwater by capturing and slowing precipitation in the canopy and water absorption and filtration by plant roots (National Park Service, 2014). The Hoh Rainforest provides much to animals and humans in the way of habitat and recreation (National Park Service, 2014). There are four distinct habitats in the Olympic National Park and Forest (Broker, 1994). First, there are the marine and estuarine coastal areas (Broker, 1994). Second is the temperate rainforest (Broker, 1994). The third habitat is the alpine meadows and unvegetated glacial peaks (Broker, 1994). Finally, the national park and forest contains the rain shadow forest and field habitat (Broker, 1994). The dominate plant communities within the Hoh Rainforest are large old coniferous trees, including Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Mountain Hemlock, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Lodgepole Pine (Broker, 1994). Dominant deciduous trees of the Hoh Rainforest include Big-leaf Maple, Vine Maple, Red Alder, and Black Cottonwood (Broker, 1994). Ferns, mosses, and lichens are also dominant plant types within the ecosystem (Broker, 1994). The dominant animal species within the Hoh Rainforest are fish, such as trout, amphibians, and primary consumers, such as Roosevelt Elk and Black-tailed Deer (Broker, 1994). The Hoh Rainforest follows a food chain and web similar to that of all temperate rainforest. The food chain and web progress beginning with producers like grasses and blackberries (Christopherson, 2010). The primary consumers such as deer and elk consume the producers (Christopherson, 2010). Secondary consumers, such as black bears, tick, or insects then feed off or on the primary consumers (Christopherson, 2010). Meanwhile, tertiary consumers like birds feed on the secondary consumers (Christopherson, 2010). Decomposers, such as soil bacteria and fungi feed on each of the previously mentioned members of the food chain and web, as they breakdown the plant animal remains (Christopherson, 2010). The producers are then fed by the decomposers, starting the chain and web over again (Christopherson, 2010). The Spotted Owl is an example of an animal occupying a niche within the Hoh Rainforest (Broker, 1994). To thrive, the Spotted Owl has very specific habitat requirements consisting of. â€Å"dense, mature strands of trees and a minimum of 3000 acres of contiguous forested land with mature, multi-layered, multi-aged canopy, large snags, deformed branches for perches, and internal defects for nest cavities,† (Broker, 1994). The Hoh Rainforest therefore is the ideal place for this animal population to exist. Many symbiotic relationships exist within the Hoh Rainforest. Such relationships are often illustrated by fungi and plant species. An example occurring in the Hoh Rainforest are the fungi, Conk’s and Turkey Tails feeding off organic matter on trees (Broker, 1994). The Human-Land relationship within the Hoh Rainforest can be both positive and negative. Recreational activities like camping, hiking, birding, and fishing are all examples of the positive relationship between humans and the rainforest (National Park Service, 2014). Conversely, clear-cutting and logging illustrate the negative relationship between man and the Hoh Rainforest (National Park Service, 2014). Such actions are responsible for landslides, the choking of rivers and streams with sediment caused by downed logs, and diminished wildlife habitats (National Park Service, 2014). The ecosystem of the Hoh Rainforest is of stable, high quality. The area is home to many endangered species, such as Spotted Owls, Marbled Mureletts, fishers, salmon, and Bull Trout (Olympic Coast Alliance, 2005). Each of these species depend on the highest quality forest conditions and their presence reflects the stability and quality of the Hoh Rainforest (Olympic Coast Alliance, 2005). The major threat to the Hoh Rainforest ecosystem and the species within is logging (Olympic Coast Alliance, 2005). Many conservation strategies have been implemented in an effort to control logging in the rainforest. The most successful strategy has been to include the Hoh Rainforest in the Olympic National Park, Olympic National Forest, Olympic Experimental Forest, and Quinault Indian Reservation (Olympic Coast Alliance, 2005). Inclusion in these larger systems provides rigid and strict regulation over logging within the Hoh Rainforest. References: Broker, Stephen P. (1994). Climate and Ecology. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. Retrieved from http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1994/5/94.05.04.x.html. Christopherson (2010), Elemental Geosystems, 7th Ed. Marietta College, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences. (2014). Biomes of the World. Retrieved from http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/temprain.htm. Marine West Coast Climate.(2014). InEncyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved fromhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/365348/marine-west-coast-climate. Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NIFC). (2007). Hoh River Flooding: Needs of Fish and People Must be Balanced. Retrieved from http://nwifc.org/2007/12/hoh-river-flooding-needs-of-fish-and-people-must-be-balanced/. National Park Service. (2014). Olympic National Park Washington. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-the-hoh.htm. National Park Service. (2011). Olympic National Park: Weather and Climate Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/upload/weather.pdf. Olympic Coast Alliance (2005). Olympic Coast Rainforest. Retrieved from http://www.olympiccoast.org/rainforest.html. Olympic National Park.(2014). InEncyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/428124/Olympic-National-Park United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. (2014). Olympic National Forest. Retrieved from http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/olympic/about-forest/?cid=fsbdev3_049559. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center (2004). Geomorphic Assessment of Hoh River in Washington State. Retrieved from http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/sma/cma/pdf/Hoh_CMZ.pdf. Radical Botany (2014). Restoring the Connection Between Native Plants and Humans. Retrieved from radicalbotany.com/category/fungi-and-mushrooms/.

Distance Education Essay -- Essays Papers

Distance Education Distance learning is a form of education in which the instructor and student are separated. As advances in technology rapidly progress, the interest in distance education has grown as well and has thus become more common. Technology has given this kind of learning numerous possibilities. There are various forms of distance education used alone or in combination. These technologies provide many opportunities for education, but not with out a few restrictions. There is a wide range of technological options for delivering information to the distance learner. There are many different forms of communication and media to contain course material and to overcome physical distance of the teacher and student. These methods include various types of voice, video, data, and print. Instructional audio tools include audio-conferencing, tapes, and radio. Instruction is delivered through lectures and discussions. Tapes and radio allow the student to listen to lectures one way, whereas audio-conferencing allows students to participate and interact with others. Audio tools allow access to the learner from their choice of location; however, with audio-conferencing there is usually a scheduled time for discussions. Another form of distance education is visual learning. This includes broadcast television and compressed video systems. â€Å"Broadcast television delivers distance education by sending analog or digital audio and video signals by microwave relay over short distances or by satellite over longer distances† (Ludlow and Duff 13). Television broadcasts can be used for one-way video and audio presentations. This can also be used in conjunction with by audio conferencing in which the stude... ...cators and institutions to examine the positives and negatives involved (Ludlow and Duff 10). Works Cited Clark, Tom and David Else. Distance Education, Electronic Networking, and School Policy. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. 1998. Cox, Lois. â€Å"A Descriptive Analysis of the Opinions of College Students and Faculty Toward Distance Learning.† Diss. U of Dayton, 1997. Feyten, Carine M. and Joyce W. Nutta. Vitrual Instruction: Issues and Insights from and International Perspective. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. 1999. Ludlow, Barbara L. and Michael C. Duff. Distance Education and Tomorrow’s Schools. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. 1998. Mood, Terry Ann. Distance Education. Englewood, Colorado: 1995. 3 Nov. 2001. http://emedia.netlibrary.com/reader.

A Dirty Job Chapter 16

16 THE CALL OF BOOTY II: REQUIEM FOR A FUCK PUPPET Ray threw the door open so hard that the little bell went flying off its holder and tinkled across the floor. â€Å"Oh, jeez,† Ray said. â€Å"You won't believe it. I can't believe it myself.† Lily looked at Ray over her half-frame reading glasses and set down the French cookbook she'd been looking at. She didn't really need reading glasses, but looking over the top of them conveyed instant condescension and disdain, a look that she felt flattered her. â€Å"I have something I need to tell you, too,† Lily said. â€Å"No,† Ray said, looking around to make sure there were no customers in the store. â€Å"What I have to tell you is really important.† â€Å"Okay,† Lily said. â€Å"Mine's not that important to me. You go first.† â€Å"Okay.† Ray took a deep breath and launched. â€Å"I think Charlie may be a serial killer with ninja powers.† â€Å"Wow, that is good,† Lily said. â€Å"Okay, my turn. A Miss Me-So-Horny called for you. She wanted you to know that she's packing eight inches of luscious man-meat.† Lily held up Ray's cell phone, which he'd left under the register. â€Å"Oh my God, not again!† Ray cradled his head in his hands and fell against the counter. â€Å"She said she was eager to share it with you.† Lily examined her nails. â€Å"So, Asher's a ninja, huh?† Ray looked up. â€Å"Yes, and he's stalking a fuck puppet from my gym.† â€Å"Think you're living a rich enough fantasy life, Ray?† â€Å"Shut up, Lily, this is a disaster. My job and my apartment depend on Charlie, not to mention that he has a kid, and the new light of my life is a guy.† â€Å"No, she's not.† Lily wondered about herself, giving in so early – she didn't enjoy torturing Ray the way she used to. â€Å"Huh? What?† â€Å"I'm just fuckin' with you, Ray. She didn't call. I read all of your e-mail and IMs.† â€Å"That stuff is private.† â€Å"Which is why you have it all here on the store's computer?† â€Å"I spend a lot of time here, with the time difference†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And speaking of privacy, what's the deal with Asher being a ninja and a serial killer? I mean, both? At the same time?† Ray moved in close, and talked into his collar, as if revealing a huge conspiracy. â€Å"I've been watching him. Charlie's been taking in a lot of stuff from dead people. It's gone on for years. But he's always having to take off on a moment's notice, having me cover his shifts, and he never explains where he's going, except soon after that happens, one of the dead people's things shows up in the shop. So today I followed him, and he was after a woman who goes to my gym, who we might have seen the other day.† Lily stepped back, crossed her arms, and looked disgusted with Ray, which was fairly easy, since she'd had years of practice. â€Å"Ray, did it occur to you that Asher handles estates, and that we've been doing much better business since he started doing more estates – that the quality of the merchandise is much higher? Probably because he gets there early?† â€Å"I know, but that's not it. You're not around as much now, Lily. I was a cop, I notice these things. For one thing, did you know that there was a homicide detective keeping track of Charlie? That's right. Gave me his card, told me to call if anything unusual happened.† â€Å"No, Ray, you didn't.† â€Å"Charlie disappeared, Lily. I was watching him, and he just blinked out of existence, right before my eyes. And last I saw him he was going into the fuck puppet's building.† Lily wanted to grab the stapler off the counter and rapidly drive about a hundred staples into Ray's shiny forehead. â€Å"You ungrateful fucktard! You called the cops on Asher? The guy who has given you a job and a place to live for what, ten years?† â€Å"I didn't call the black-and-whites, just this Inspector Rivera. I know him from when I was on the force. He'll keep it on the down low.† â€Å"Go get your checkbook and your car,† Lily barked. â€Å"We're going to bail him out.† â€Å"He probably hasn't even been processed yet,† Ray said. â€Å"Ray, you pathetic toss-beast. Go. I'll close up the store and wait for you out front.† â€Å"Lily, you can't talk to me that way. I don't have to put up with it.† Because he couldn't turn his head, Ray wasn't able to avoid the first two staples Lily put in his forehead, but by then he had decided it was best to go get his checkbook and his car, and backed away. â€Å"What's a fuck puppet, anyway?† Lily shouted after him, somewhat surprised at the violent intensity of her loyalty to Charlie. The policewoman fingerprinted Charlie nine times before she looked up at Inspector Alphonse Rivera and said, â€Å"This motherfucker got no fingerprints.† Rivera took Charlie's hand and turned it palm up, and looked at his fingers. â€Å"I can see the ridges, right there. He's got completely normal fingerprints.† â€Å"Well, you do it, then,† said the woman. â€Å"‘Cause alls I got on the card is smooth.† â€Å"Fine, then,† Rivera said. â€Å"Come with me.† He led Charlie over to a wall that had a big ruler painted on it and told him to face a camera. â€Å"How's my hair?† Charlie said. â€Å"Don't smile.† Charlie frowned. â€Å"Don't make a face. Just look straight ahead and – your hair is fine, though now you've got ink on your forehead. This is not that hard, Mr. Asher, criminals do this all the time.† â€Å"I'm not a criminal,† Charlie said. â€Å"You broke into a security building and harassed a young woman, that makes you a criminal.† â€Å"I didn't break into anything and I didn't harass anyone.† â€Å"We'll see. Ms. McKerny said you threatened her life. She's definitely going to press charges, and if you ask me, you're both lucky I showed up when I did.† Charlie wondered about that. The fuck puppet had started screaming and backed into her apartment, and he had followed her, trying to explain, trying to figure out how this was going to work, and at the same time paying way too much attention to her breasts. â€Å"I didn't threaten her.† â€Å"You said she was going to die. Today.† Well, they had him there. Charlie had, in all the confusion and screaming, mentioned that he had to get hold of her breasts because she was going to die today. In retrospect, he felt he probably should have kept that information to himself. Rivera led him upstairs and into a small room with a table and two chairs. Just like on TV, Charlie looked for a one-way mirror but was disappointed to see only concrete-block walls painted in easy-clean moss-green enamel. Rivera had him sit, but then went to the door. â€Å"I'm going to leave you here for a few minutes, until Miss McKerny comes down to file charges. It's more hospitable here than the holding cell. You want something to drink?† Charlie shook his head. â€Å"Should I call an attorney?† â€Å"It's up to you, Mr. Asher. That's certainly your right, but I can't advise you one way or another. I'll be back in five. You can make your call then if you'd like.† Rivera left the room and Charlie saw the inspector's partner, a gruff, bald-headed bull of a guy named Cavuto, standing outside the door waiting for him. That guy actually scared Charlie. Not as much as the prospect of having to retrieve Madison McKerny's breast implants, or what would happen if he didn't, but still scary. Cut him loose,† Cavuto said. â€Å"What, cut him loose? I just got him processed, the McKerny woman – â€Å" â€Å"Is dead. Boyfriend shot her, then, when our guys responded to the shots-fired call, did himself.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Boyfriend was married, McKerny wanted more security and was going to tell the wife. He flipped out.† â€Å"You know all that already?† â€Å"Her neighbor told the uniforms as soon as they arrived. Come on, it's our case. We need to roll. Cut this guy loose. Ray Macy and some Goth-chef chick are waiting for him downstairs.† â€Å"Ray Macy is the one who called me, he thought Asher was going to kill her.† â€Å"I know. Right crime, wrong guy. Let's go.† â€Å"We still have him on the concealed-weapon charge.† â€Å"A cane with a sword in it? What, you want to go before a judge and tell him that you arrested this guy on suspicion of being a serial killer but he plea-bargained it down to being a huge fucking nerd?† â€Å"Okay, I'll cut him loose, but I'm telling you, Nick, this guy told McKerny that she was going to die today. There's some weird shit going on here.† â€Å"And we don't have enough weird shit to deal with already?† â€Å"Good point,† Rivera said. Madison McKerny looked beautiful in her beige silk dress, her hair and makeup perfect, as usual, her diamond-stud earrings and a platinum-diamond solitaire necklace complemented the silver handles of her walnut-burl casket. For someone who wasn't breathing, she was breathtaking, especially for Charlie, who was the only one who could see her hooters pulsing red in the casket. Charlie hadn't been to a lot of funerals, but Madison McKerny's seemed nice, and fairly well attended for someone who had been only twenty-six. It turned out that Madison had grown up in Mill Valley, just outside San Francisco, so a lot of people had known her. Evidently, except for her family, most of them had lost touch and seemed somewhat surprised that she had been gunned down by her married boyfriend who had kept her in an expensive apartment in the city. â€Å"Not like you vote ‘most likely' for that in the yearbook,† Charlie said, trying to make conversation with one of her classmates, a guy he'd ended up standing next to at the urinals in the men's room. â€Å"How did you know Madison?† said the guy, a condescending tone in his voice. He looked like he'd been voted â€Å"most likely to piss everyone off by being rich and having nice hair.† â€Å"Oh, me? Friend of the groom,† Charlie said. He zipped up and headed to the sink before hair guy could think of something to say. Charlie was surprised to see a few people at the funeral whom he knew, and each time he walked away from one, he'd run into another. First Inspector Rivera, who lied. â€Å"Had to come. It's our case. I've gotten to know the family a little.† Then Ray, who lied. â€Å"She went to my gym. I just thought I should pay my respects.† Then Rivera's partner, Cavuto, who didn't lie. â€Å"I still think you're kinky, and that goes for your ex-cop friend, too.† And Lily, who was also honest. â€Å"I wanted to see a dead fuck puppet.† â€Å"Who's running the store?† Charlie asked. â€Å"Closed. Death in the family. You know Ray called the cops on you, right?† They hadn't had a chance to talk since Charlie had been released. â€Å"I should've figured,† Charlie said. â€Å"He said he saw you go into the dead chick's building and just disappear. He thinks you have ninja powers. That part of the thing?† She bounced her eyebrows – a Groucho Marx conspiracy bounce – made less effective by the fact that her eyebrows were pencil thin and drawn on in magenta. â€Å"Yeah, it's kind of part of the thing. Ray doesn't suspect about the thing, does he?† â€Å"No, I covered for you. But he still thinks you might be a serial killer.† â€Å"I thought he might be a serial killer.† Lily shuddered. â€Å"God, you guys need to get laid.† â€Å"True, but right now I'm here to do a thing regarding the thing.† â€Å"You still haven't gotten her thing thing?† â€Å"I can't even figure out how to get it. Her thing is still in the thing.† He nodded to the casket. â€Å"You're fucked,† Lily said. â€Å"We have to go sit now,† Charlie said. He led her into the chapel, where the service was beginning. Behind him Nick Cavuto, who had been standing three feet away with his back to Charlie, made a beeline for his partner and said, â€Å"Can we just shoot Asher and find cause later? I'm sure the fucker's done something to deserve it.† Charlie didn't know what he was going to do, how he was going to retrieve the soul implants, but he really thought something would occur to him. Some supernatural ability would manifest itself at the last minute. He thought that all through the ceremony. He thought that when they closed the casket, during the funeral procession to the cemetery, and all through the graveside ceremony. He began to lose hope as the mourners dispersed and the casket was lowered, and by the time the ground crew started throwing dirt down the hole with a backhoe, he'd pretty much given up on having an idea. There was grave robbing, but that really wasn't an idea, was it? And even with his years of experience in the death-dealing business, Charlie didn't think he was up for breaking into a cemetery, spending all night digging up a casket, then cutting the implants out of a dead woman's body. It wasn't the same as swiping a vase off the mantel. Why couldn't Madison McKerny's soul be in a vase on the mantel? â€Å"Didn't get the thing, then,† said a voice beside him. Charlie turned to see Inspector Rivera standing not a foot away. He hadn't even seen him since they'd left the funeral home. â€Å"What thing?† â€Å"Yeah, what thing?† Rivera said. â€Å"They didn't bury her with those diamonds you saw, you know that, right?† â€Å"That would have been a shame,† Charlie said. â€Å"Sisters got them,† Rivera said. â€Å"You know, Charlie, most people don't stay to watch them actually cover the box.† â€Å"Really?† Charlie said. â€Å"I was just curious. See if they used shovels or what. How about you?† â€Å"Me? I'm watching you. You ever get over that thing with the storm sewers?† â€Å"Oh, that? I just needed a little adjustment in my medication.† It was an expression that Charlie had picked up from Jane. She wasn't actually on medication, but the excuse seemed to work for her. â€Å"Well, you keep an eye on that, Charlie. And I'll keep an eye on you. Adios.† Rivera walked off. â€Å"Adios, Inspector,† Charlie said. â€Å"Hey, by the way, nice suit.† â€Å"Thanks, I bought it from your store,† Rivera said without turning around. When was he in my store? Charlie thought. For the next couple of weeks Charlie felt as if someone had dialed his nervous system up past the recommended voltage and he was nearly vibrating with anxiety. He thought that perhaps he should call Minty Fresh, warn him of his failure to retrieve Madison McKerney's soul vessel, but if the sewer harpies weren't rising because of that, maybe the contact with another Death Merchant would put them over the top. Instead he kept Sophie home and made sure that she was never out of sight of the hellhounds. In fact, he kept the hellhounds locked in her room most of the time; otherwise they kept dragging him to his day planner, which had no new names. Only the overdue Madison McKerny and the two women – Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich – who had appeared on the same day, but still had some time left before expiration – or whatever you called it. So he started his walks again, listening as he passed storm drains and manhole covers, but the darkness didn't appear to be rising. Charlie felt naked walking the street without his sword-cane, which Rivera had kept, so he set out to replace it, and in the process found two more Death Merchants in the city. He found the first at a used-book store in the Mission, Book 'em Danno. Well, it wasn't really a bookstore anymore – it still had a couple of tall cases of books, but the rest of the store was a bricolage of bric-a-brac, from plumbing fittings to football helmets. Charlie understood completely how it happened. You started with a bookstore, then you made a single innocent trade, a set of bookends for a first edition maybe, then another, you picked up a grab-all box at a yard sale to get one item – pretty soon you had a whole section of unmatched crutches and obsolete radio tubes, and couldn't for the life of you remember how you'd acquired a bear trap, yet there it was, next to the lime-green tutu and the Armadrillo penis pump: secondhand out of hand. In the back of the store, by the counter, stoo d a bookcase in which every volume was pulsing with a dull red light. Charlie tripped over a spittoon and caught himself on an elk-antler coatrack. â€Å"You okay?† asked the proprietor, looking up from the book he was reading. He was maybe sixty, skin spotted from too much sun, but he hadn't seen any in a while and he'd gone pasty. He had long, thinning gray hair and wore oversized bifocals that gave him the look of an educated turtle. â€Å"No, I'm fine,† Charlie said, ripping his gaze off the soul-vessel books. â€Å"I know it's a little cluttered in here,† the turtle guy said. â€Å"I've been meaning to clear it out, but then, I've been meaning to clear it out for thirty years and I haven't managed it yet.† â€Å"It's okay, I like your store,† Charlie said. â€Å"Great selection.† The owner looked at Charlie's expensive suit and shoes and squinted. It was clear he recognized the worth of the clothes and was qualifying Charlie as a rich collector or antiques hunter. â€Å"You looking for anything special?† he asked. â€Å"Sword-cane,† Charlie said. â€Å"Doesn't have to be antique.† He wanted to buy this guy a coffee and share stories of snatching soul objects, of confronting the Underworlders, of being a Death Merchant. This guy was a kindred spirit, and from the size of his collection of soul objects, all of them books, he'd been doing this longer than Minty Fresh. Turtle guy shook his head. â€Å"Haven't seen one for years. If you want to give me a card, I'll put out feelers for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'll keep looking. That's part of the fun.† He started backing down the aisle, but he couldn't leave without saying something else, getting some kind of information. â€Å"Hey, how is it, doing business in this neighborhood?† â€Å"Better now than it used to be,† said the guy. â€Å"The gangs have settled down some, this part of the Mission has turned into the edgy, artsy-fartsy neighborhood. That's been good for business. You from the City?† â€Å"Born and raised,† Charlie said. â€Å"Just haven't been to this neighborhood much. You haven't had any weird stuff on the street last couple of weeks, then?† The turtle guy looked fully at Charlie now, even took off his giant glasses. â€Å"Except for the thumper sound systems going by, quiet as a mouse. What's your name?† â€Å"Charlie. Charlie Asher. I live over in the North Beach – Chinatown area.† â€Å"I'm Anton, Charlie. Anton Dubois. Nice meeting you.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"I have to go now.† â€Å"Charlie. There's a pawnshop off Fillmore Street. Fulton and Fillmore, I think. The owner carries a lot of edged weapons. She might have your cane.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"You watch yourself, Anton. Okay?† â€Å"Always do,† said Anton Dubois, and he looked back to his book. Charlie left the store feeling even more anxious, but not quite as alone as he had five minutes before. The next day, he found a new sword-cane at the pawnshop in the Fillmore, and he also found a case of cutlery and kitchen utensils that pulsated with red light. The owner was younger than Anton Dubois, late thirties maybe, and wore a.38 revolver in a shoulder holster, which shocked Charlie less than the fact that she was a woman. He'd envisioned all the Death Merchants as being men, but of course there was no reason to think that. She wore jeans and a plain chambray shirt, but was dripping with mismatched jewelry that Charlie guessed was a self-indulgence she justified for being â€Å"in the business† the same way he justified his expensive suits. She was pretty in a lady-cop sort of way, with a nice smile, and Charlie found himself wondering if he should maybe ask her out, then heard an audible pop in his head as that bubble of self-destructive stupidity exploded. Sure, dinn er and a movie, and release the Forces of Darkness on the world. Great first date. Everyone was right, he really needed to get laid. He bought the sword-cane for cash, without quibbling, and left the store without engaging the owner in conversation, but he took a business card from the holder on the counter as he left. Her name was Carrie Lang. It was all he could do to not warn her, tell her to be careful of what might be coming from below, but he realized that every second he was there, he was probably increasing the danger to all of them. Watch yourself, Carrie, he whispered to himself as he walked away. That evening he decided to take action to ease some of the tension in his life. Or at least it was decided for him when Jane and her girlfriend Cassandra showed up at the apartment and offered to watch Sophie. â€Å"Go, find a woman,† Jane said. â€Å"I got the kid.† â€Å"It doesn't work that way,† Charlie said. â€Å"I was gone all day, I haven't spent any quality time with my daughter.† Jane and Cassandra – an athletic, attractive redhead in her midthirties, who Charlie promised himself he would have asked out if she hadn't been living with his sister – pushed him out the door, slammed it in his face, and locked it. â€Å"Don't come home until you've gotten some,† Jane shouted over the transom. â€Å"Does that work for you?† Charlie shouted back. â€Å"Just go find someone to do you, like a scavenger hunt?† â€Å"Here's five hundred dollars. Five hundred dollars works for anyone.† A wad of bills came flying over the transom, followed by his cane, a sport coat, and his wallet. â€Å"This is my money, isn't it?† Charlie shouted. â€Å"It's you that needs to get laid,† Jane shouted back. â€Å"Go. Don't come back until you've done the dance of the beast with two backs.† â€Å"I could just lie.† â€Å"No, you can't,† Cassie said. She had a sweet voice, like you'd want her to tell you a bedtime story. â€Å"The desperation will still show in your eyes. And I mean that in a nice way, Charlie.† â€Å"Sure, how else could I take it?† â€Å"Bye, Daddy,† Sophie said from the other side of the door. â€Å"Have fun.† â€Å"Jane!† â€Å"Relax, she just came in. Go.† So Charlie, thrown out of his own home, by his own sister, said good-bye to the daughter he adored and went out to find a total stranger with whom to be intimate. Just a massage,† Charlie said. â€Å"Okay,† said the girl as she arranged oils and lotions on a shelf. She was Asian, but Charlie couldn't tell from where in Asia, maybe Thailand. She was petite and had black hair that hung down past her waist. She wore a red silk kimono with a chrysanthemum design. She never looked him in the eye. â€Å"Really, I'm just tense. I don't want anything but a completely ethical and hygienic massage, just like it says on the sign.† Charlie stood at the end of a narrow cubicle, fully dressed, with a massage table on one side of him and the masseuse and her shelf of oils on the other. â€Å"Okay,† said the girl. Charlie just looked at her, unsure of what to do next. â€Å"Clothes off,† said the girl. She placed a clean white towel on the massage table near Charlie, nodded to it, then turned her back. â€Å"Okay?† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said, feeling now that he was here, he needed to go through with it. He'd paid the woman at the door fifty dollars for the massage, after which she made him sign a release that stated that all he was getting was a massage, that tipping was encouraged, but did not imply any services beyond a massage, and that if he thought that he was getting anything but a massage he was going to be one disappointed White Devil. She made him initial each of the six languages it was printed in, then she winked, a long slow wink, exaggerated by very long false eyelashes, and performed the internationally accepted blow-job mime, with round mouth and rhythmic tongue pushing out the cheek. â€Å"Lotus Flower make you bery relax, Mr. Macy.† Charlie had signed Ray's name, not so much as a small revenge for calling the cops on him, but because he thought the management might recognize Ray's name and give him a discount. He kept his boxers on and climbed on the table, but Lotus Flower slipped them off him as deftly as a magician pulling a scarf from his sleeve. She draped a towel over his bottom and dropped her kimono. Charlie saw it fall and glanced back to see a tiny, seminaked woman rubbing oil on her palms to warm it. He looked away and slammed his forehead into the table several times even as he felt his erection struggling for freedom beneath him. â€Å"My sister made me come here,† he said. â€Å"I didn't want to come.† â€Å"Okay,† she said. She rubbed the oil into his shoulders. It smelled of almonds and sandalwood. There must have been menthol or lavender or something in it, because he felt it tingle on his skin. Every place she touched hurt. Like he'd dug a ditch to Ecuador the day before, or pulled a barge across the Bay with a rope. It was like she had special sensory powers, she could find the exact spot where he carried his pain, then touch it, release it. He moaned, just a little. â€Å"Bery tense,† she said, working her fingers up his spine. â€Å"I haven't slept well in two weeks,† he said. â€Å"That nice.† She reached across to work his rib cage and he felt her small breasts press against his back. He stopped breathing for a second and she giggled. â€Å"Bery tense,† she said. â€Å"I had this thing happen at work. Well, not at work, but I'm afraid I did something that could put everyone I know in danger, and I can't make myself do what needs to be done to fix it. People could die.† â€Å"That nice,† said Lotus Flower, kneading his biceps. â€Å"You don't speak English, do you?† â€Å"Oh. Little. No worries. You want happy ending?† Charlie smiled. â€Å"Can you just keep rubbing?† â€Å"No happy ending? Okay. Twenty dollar, fifteen minute.† So Charlie paid her, and talked to her, and she rubbed his back, and he paid her again, and he told her all the things that he couldn't share with other people: all the worries, all the fears, all the regrets. He told her of how he missed Rachel, yet how sometimes he would forget what she looked like and would run to the dresser in the middle of the night to look at her photo. He paid her for two hours in advance and dozed off, feeling her hands on his skin, and he dreamed of Rachel and sex, and when he woke up Lotus Flower was massaging his temples and tears were running into his ears. He told her it was the menthol in the oil, but it was the lonely coming up in him, like the pain in his back that he hadn't known he'd had until it was touched. She massaged his chest, reaching over his head and letting her breasts rub against his face as she worked, and when he rose again under the towel, she asked, â€Å"You want happy ending now?† â€Å"Nah,† he said. â€Å"Happy endings are so Hollywood.† Then he caught her wrists, sat up, kissed the back of her hands, and thanked her. He tipped her a hundred dollars. She smiled, put on her kimono, and left the cubicle. Charlie dressed and left the Happy Relax Good Time Oriental Massage Parlor, which he had walked by a thousand times during his life, always wondering what was behind the red door with brown paper taped over the window. Now he knew: the pathetic puddle of lonely frustration that was Charlie Asher, for whom there would be no happy ending. He made his way up to Broadway and headed up the hill into North Beach. He was only a few blocks from home when he sensed someone behind him. He turned, but all he saw was a guy a couple of blocks back buying a newspaper from a machine. He walked another half block and could see the activity on the street up ahead: tourists out walking, waiting for tables in Italian restaurants, barkers trying to lure tourists into strip clubs, sailors barhopping, hipsters smoking outside of City Lights bookstore, looking cool and literary before the next poetry slam, which would go off in a bar across the street. â€Å"Hey, soldier,† a voice at his side. A woman's voice, soft and sexy. Charlie turned and looked down the alley he was passing. He could see a woman in the shadows, leaning against the wall. She was wearing an iridescent body stocking or something and a mercury light at the other end of the alley was drawing a silver outline of her figure. The hair rose on his neck, but he felt something twinge in his loins as well. This was his neighborhood, and the hookers had been calling to him since he was twelve, but this was the first time he'd ever stopped and paid more attention than a wave and a smile. â€Å"Hey,† Charlie said. He felt dizzy – drunk or stoned – maybe all the toxins had broken loose from the long massage, but he had to lean on his cane to steady himself. She stepped away from the wall and the light silhouetted her, highlighting outlandish curves. Charlie realized he was grinding his teeth and his right kneecap began to bounce. This was not the street-worn body of a junkie – a dancer maybe, a goddess. â€Å"Sometimes,† she said, hissing the last s, â€Å"a rough fuck down a dark alley is the best medicine for a weary warrior.† Charlie looked around: the party a block ahead, the guy reading his newspaper under the streetlamp two blocks back. No one down the alley waiting to ambush him. â€Å"How much?† he asked. He couldn't even remember what sex felt like, but all he could think about right now was release – a rough fuck down a dark alley with this†¦this goddess. He couldn't see her face, just the line of a cheekbone, but that was exquisite. â€Å"The pleasure of your company,† she said. â€Å"Why me?† Charlie said, he couldn't help himself – it was his Beta nature. â€Å"Come find out,† she said. She cupped her breasts, fell back against the wall, and propped one heel up on the bricks. â€Å"Come.† He walked into the alley and leaned the cane on the wall, then took her uplifted knee in one hand, a breast in the other, and pulled her against him for a kiss. She felt like she was wearing velvet, her mouth was warm and tasted base, gamy, like venison or liver. He didn't even feel her undo his jeans, just a strong hand on his erection. â€Å"Ah, strong meat,† she hissed. â€Å"Thanks, I've been going to the gym.† She bit his neck, hard, and he squeezed her breast and thrust against her hand. She threw her uplifted leg around his back and pulled him hard against her. He felt something sharp, painful digging into his scrotum and he tried to pull away. She pulled him tighter with her leg. She was incredibly strong. â€Å"New Meat,† she said. â€Å"Don't fight me or I'll tear them off.† Charlie felt the claw on his balls and the breath caught in his throat. Her face was an inch from his now, and he looked for her eyes, but could see only an obsidian blackness reflecting the highlights from the streetlight. She held her free hand in front of his face and he watched as claws began to grow out of her fingertips, reflecting the streetlight like brushed chrome, until they were three inches long. She poised them over his eyes and he reached for his sword-cane against the wall. She knocked it away, and the claws were at his face again. â€Å"Oh no, Meat. Not this time.† She hooked a claw into his nostril. â€Å"Shall I drive it into your brain? That would be quickest, but I don't want quick. I've waited so long for this.† She released the pressure on his balls, and to his horror, he realized that he was still hard. She started rubbing his erection, pushing the claw deeper into his nose to hold him steady. â€Å"I know, I know – when you come, I'll put it in your ear and yank. I've taken off a half a man's head that way. You'll like it. You're lucky, if Nemain had been sent you'd be dead already.† â€Å"Bitch,† Charlie managed to say. She was stroking him harder and he was cursing his body for betraying him this way. He tried to pull away and her leg wrapped behind him crushed the breath out of him. â€Å"No, you come, then I'll kill you.† She pulled the claw from his nose and put it next to his ear. â€Å"Don't make me leave unsatisfied, Meat,† she said, but in that instant her claw caught the side of his scalp and he hit her as hard as he could in the ribs with both of his fists. â€Å"You fuckface!† she shrieked. She let her leg fall; yanked him aside by his penis, and reared back for a full slash of her claws to his head. Charlie tried to raise his forearm to take the blow, but then there was an explosion and a piece of her shoulder splattered on the wall, spinning her around. Charlie felt her release his penis, and he threw himself across the alley. She rebounded off the wall with both claws aimed at his face. There was another explosion and she was knocked back again. This time she came up facing the street, and before she could brace to leap, two more shots hit her in the chest and she screeched, the sound like a thousand angry ravens set afire. Five more quick shots and she was danced backward by the impacts; even as she went she was changing, her arms getting wider, her shoulders smoothing. Two more shots, and the next screech wasn't even remotely human, but that of a huge raven. She rose into the night sky trailing feathers and spattering a liquid that might have been blood, except that it was black. Charlie climbed to his feet and staggered out of the alley to where Inspector Alphonse Rivera was still in shooting stance, holding a 9 mm Beretta aimed at the dark sky. â€Å"Do I even want to know what the fuck that was?† Rivera said. â€Å"Probably not,† Charlie said. â€Å"Tie your coat around your waist,† said the cop. Charlie looked down and saw that the front of his jeans had been shredded as if by razors. â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"You know,† Rivera said, â€Å"this could have all been avoided if you'd just taken the happy ending like everybody else.†

Free Essays on Plato

Some assumed that homosexuality alone is capable of satisfying â€Å"a man’s highest and noblest aspirations†. Whereas heterosexual love is placed at an inferior level, being described as only existing for carnal reasons; its ultimate purpose being procreation. There are differing views in these dialogues, Aristophanes contradicts his peers by treating heterosexuality at the same level as homosexuality, arguing that both are predestined. Aristophanes considered himself as the comic poet and he began his discourse as such. Yet as the speech continued, he professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way, unlike that of either Pausanias or Eryximachus. â€Å"Mankind†, he said, â€Å"judging by their neglect of him, have never at all understood the power of Love†. He argued that if they had understood him they would have built noble temples and altars, and offered solemn sacrifices in his honor. He sought to describe his power and wanted to teach the rest of the world what he was teaching at that moment. Aristophanes spoke first of the nature of man and what had become of it. He said that human nature had changed: The sexes were originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two. At one time there was a distinct kind, with a bodily shape and a name of its own, constituted by the union of the male and the female: but now only the word 'androgynous' remains, and that as a term of reproach. Aristophanes proceeded by telling an anecdote about the terrible might and strength of mankind and how â€Å"the thoughts of their hearts were so great that they made an attack upon the gods†, leaving the celestial councils to decide whether or not to kill them. Zeus found a solution, and decided to cut them in two so as to divide their strength. As he cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that man might contemplate the secti on of himsel... Free Essays on Plato Free Essays on Plato In Plato’s parable of the misgoverned ship to a poorly run city government he believes that the ship, Athenian democracy, is headed for destruction. Each person is acting in his own interest’s not keeping in mind what he is best for the entire crew. The captain on the ship is physically stronger and bigger then all others onboard the ship, but his hearing, eyesight and knowledge of seafaring are lacking. This captain is being compared the main rulers or leaders of a city; rulers must be propionate members of their society and well as respected just like a captain must be the propionate member on his ship. The captain can not be expected to understand and run all aspects of their everyday city operation just as the ruler can not be. Plato’s captain is not given credit for his work and functions onboard a ship. Not all captains/leaders suffer from â€Å"blindness† about what is happening under their rule. Also Athenian democracy did not have a distinct ruler that stayed in a position of overwhelming power for very long; so the captain is not represented very well. The sailors are constantly arguing with each other, each thinking that they should be the pilot, even though none of them have education on how to navigate. They also think that navigation can not be taught, so they are constantly trying to control the captain through flattery and deceit. They are not skilled in the art of navigation and do not feel that they should have learn it because it is something that we are all inherently born with. The sailors are seeking to control the ship for their benefit and not for that of everyone on board. Once they do get control they drink and eat all the supplies onboard and do not leave supplies for trading which is their reason for sailing. The sailors are a representation of politicians who act in their own interests. These people get in positions of power through flattery and once there suck money from the society or ... Free Essays on Plato Class Divisions in Plato’s Ideal State In his search for justice in The Republic, Plato describes three separate class divisions in the ideal state. The philosophers who possess knowledge, the warriors who possess courage, and the common man who lives to fulfill their wants make up the Plato’s class hierarchy and form the basis for Plato’s efficient city. The three virtues that Plato describes are wisdom, courage, and moderation. Wisdom or â€Å"the love of knowledge† describes the rulers of the city. Since philosophers innately possess this love of knowledge, Plato believes the philosophers should be the ruling class. The other â€Å"guardians† that Plato describes possess courage achieved through an unconquerable spirit. Plato states that, â€Å"a man that is devoid of†¦spirit cannot possibly make a good guardian.† This constitutes a second class of warriors in Plato’s ideal state. The third class or the â€Å"common man† lives only to fulfill his desires. The virtue he’s in search of is moderation and he is in need of this because unlimited desire is evil in Plato’s ideal state. Philosophers are the only ones that possess the knowledge necessary to be the rulers of the ideal state. Philosophers possess this so-called â€Å"love of knowledge† that makes them the best of the guardian class. The common man is not qualified to be in the ruling class because he is concerned only with satisfying his own desires thus incapable of fulfilling the citizens’ needs and serving the general welfare of the state. They are in need of moderation and this occurs only when desires are controlled by the rulers. The problem with this scenario lies in the fact that this is not the way the world works which can be verified through empirical evidence. These characteristics cannot be separated into three different classes; all three characteristics exist in each man. In Plato’s ideal state the ruling class is required to give up thei... Free Essays on Plato What are some of the ways that love can help humans to achieve happiness and fulfillment? There are many ways in which love can help humans to achieve happiness and fulfillment. In Plato’s discussion on love, he explains to us that love offers us a pathway from chaos (25-31 Plato, Aristophanes), the romantic companionship that it offers can lead people out of loneliness. Love also leads us to happiness and fulfillment by leading us too our matching half who we can spend the rest of our lives with. Love can also make us feel different emotions depending on how the love is carried out. Phadreus claims that love gives us a sense of shame for acting badly and a sense of pride for acting well. Another positive aspect of love is that is helps us to overcome selfishness therefore leading to happiness and fulfillment. What are some of the ways that CERTAIN forms of love can pose an obstacle to human’s achievement of happiness and fulfillment? There are many ways in which different kinds of love such as sexual love, romantic love, friendship love, love of god, ect†¦ can in turn pose as an obstacle for human’s achievement of happiness and fulfillment. Firstly, if we take sexual love, Augustine believes that his desire for sexual love pushed him away from achieving happiness because sex prevented him from figuring out what he should believe in the area of religion. The focus on sexual love prevented Augustine to form a strong spiritual relationship with God and a healthy relationship with his wife as he mentioned in book VI. Another problem that Augustine was faced with which many of people today are faced with is winning the love of your friends. In the Theft of Pears, Augustine presents a perfect example of one trying to obtain the love of his friends by stealing the pears and gaining praise by doing so. Thus he was trying to imitate God in order to obtain happiness and fulfillment, however, â€Å"Happin ess doesn’... Free Essays on Plato Plato was born in Athens, Greece in about 427 B.C (based on the Gregorian Calendar). Born into a family of aristocrats, Plato’s father, Ariston, was said to have been a descendant of the royal kings of Athens. This might explain Plato’s why as a young man, Plato’s interest were in political leadership. He was disillusioned by the low level of politics in his time and felt that the only hope for Athens political state was to found a school and create a new kind of political character. Socrates, a great philosopher at that time, was said to have been the reason for Plato renouncing his political practice. Plato became a disciple of Socrates, following in his basic philosophy and dialectical style of debate. The relationship between Plato and Socrates was cut short by the death of Socrates at the hands of the Athenian democracy in 399 B.C. Afraid for his life; Plato left Athens and began to travel. Plato continued in the pursuit of truth through questions, answers and additional questions. Plato traveled around to many Greek cities in search of more knowledge and truth. It wasn’t until about 385 B.C that Plato returned to Athens. There, he founded the Academy, which is said to be the first University in history. This school provided a comprehensive curriculum for those future scholars that would follow in Plato’s path. The great philosopher, Plato wrote many dialogues, which can be defined as the parts of a literary or dramatic work that represents conversation. For him, dialogues were a part of his conception of philosophy. Although his works are not dated, they all come from one of three periods; the early, middle or late periods. Plato also wrote some letters, but his dialogues are what made him great. His early dialogues such as Lysis, (a discussion of friendship), and Book I of the Republic (a discussion of justice) were dedicated solely to the memory of Socrates. His middle to late while still using Socrates in them re... Free Essays on Plato Some assumed that homosexuality alone is capable of satisfying â€Å"a man’s highest and noblest aspirations†. Whereas heterosexual love is placed at an inferior level, being described as only existing for carnal reasons; its ultimate purpose being procreation. There are differing views in these dialogues, Aristophanes contradicts his peers by treating heterosexuality at the same level as homosexuality, arguing that both are predestined. Aristophanes considered himself as the comic poet and he began his discourse as such. Yet as the speech continued, he professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way, unlike that of either Pausanias or Eryximachus. â€Å"Mankind†, he said, â€Å"judging by their neglect of him, have never at all understood the power of Love†. He argued that if they had understood him they would have built noble temples and altars, and offered solemn sacrifices in his honor. He sought to describe his power and wanted to teach the rest of the world what he was teaching at that moment. Aristophanes spoke first of the nature of man and what had become of it. He said that human nature had changed: The sexes were originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two. At one time there was a distinct kind, with a bodily shape and a name of its own, constituted by the union of the male and the female: but now only the word 'androgynous' remains, and that as a term of reproach. Aristophanes proceeded by telling an anecdote about the terrible might and strength of mankind and how â€Å"the thoughts of their hearts were so great that they made an attack upon the gods†, leaving the celestial councils to decide whether or not to kill them. Zeus found a solution, and decided to cut them in two so as to divide their strength. As he cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that man might contemplate the secti on of himsel... Free Essays on Plato The Allegory of the Cave is Plato's explanation of the education of the soul toward enlightenment. He sees it as what happens when someone is educated to the level of philosopher. He contends that they must "go back into the cave" or return to the everyday world of politics, greed and power struggles. The Allegory also attacks people who rely upon or are slaves to their senses. The chains that bind the prisoners are the senses. The fun of the allegory is to try to put all the details of the cave into your interpretation. In other words, what are the models the guards carry? the fire? the struggle out of the cave? the sunlight? the shadows on the cave wall? Socrates, in Book VII of The Republic, just after the allegory told us that the cave was our world and the fire was our sun. He said the path of the prisoner was our soul's ascent to knowledge or enlightenment. He equated our world of sight with the intellect's world of opinion. Both were at the bottom of the ladder of knowledge. Our world of sight allows us to "see" things that are not real, such as parallel lines and perfect circles. He calls this higher understanding the world "abstract Reality" or the Intelligeble world. He equates this abstract reality with the knowledge that comes from reasoning and finally understanding. On the physical side, our world of sight, the stages of growth are first recognition of images (the shadows on the cave wall) then the recognition of objects (the models the guards carry) To understand abstract reality requires the understanding of mathematics and finally the forms or the Ideals of all things (the world outside the cave). But our understanding of the physical world is mirrored in our minds by our ways of thinking. First comes imagination (Socrates thought little of creativity), then our unfounded but real beliefs. Opinion gives way to knowledge through reasoning (learned though mathematics). Finally, the realization of the forms is mirrored ... Free Essays on Plato The message of Plato’s myth of the cave conveys his theory of how we come to know or how we attain true knowledge. In the cavern people are chained so they can look forward only at the wall of the cave. Behind them, a fire burns which they are never able to see. Nevertheless, between them and the fire runs a path with a low wall, along which people carry pictures, puppets, and statues. The prisoners cannot see the exit out of the cave, the fire burning behind them, or the people carrying objects in front of the fire. They only see the shadows. Plato makes an Appearance/Reality distinction. For example, the relation between what things appear to be to the senses and what they really are. The prisoners are only familiar with the appearances of shadows and thus they mistake appearance, which are the shadows, for Reality. Furthermore, they do not know what causes the shadows. We can reach the forms through the mind much like a sixth sense. We apprehend the higher world through min d in much the same way that we apprehend this world with our eyes. The cave allegory also proves that the role of education is not to teach in the sense of feeding people information they do not have, but rather to shed light on things they already know. Since the soul is immortal, we are born knowing everything we will ever know. All we have to do is remember it or be guided into remembering it. Professors often say that they give the knowledge just as we give gifts, but in all reality we are born with this knowledge which must be inspired and turned on to fully acquire true knowledge. A professor’s job is to guide students into remembrance of things known, rather than filling them with new things. The light of the Sun, or the Good, shines down upon things and helps the man to a remembrance of them. Knowledge is within us, going inward, not mere surface appearance. Therefore he does not have to be told what they are once the light is on them, he recognizes wh... Free Essays on Plato Society today is changing at a phenomenal rate. Many people are left behind only to find themselves being forced to catch up. More than 2000 years ago, Plato wrote â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† which contemplates the process of change and the acceptance of it. The views Plato expressed in his writings can still be used to describe the world today. Everyone begins in the dark. We enter this world a blank slate where our parents and the formal education system nurture, protect, and try to prepare us for life. After we finish school and move out of our parent’s home we are rudely awakened by the harsh reality of the real world. The enlightenment we experience when we reach adulthood is only the beginning, but it is enough for us to know we don’t want to go back where we started. As infants we see things in the most basic form; we do not have any understanding of what we see or hear. Our parents teach us what they think we should know, and how we should act. Our schools teach us what we need to know to survive in today’s economic society. We accept what they teach, and do not question why because we do not know for sure what lies ahead. Plato symbolizes this when he writes â€Å"human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light†¦their legs and neck chained so that they cannot move† (315, 316). We finally finish school and leave the comfort of our parent’s home; we are tossed into the midst of the real world and all of its harshness. At first it is a struggle, in most instances we are afraid, and many are not ready for the change. We are eventually able to meet the challenge; we settle into our routine and welcome the next challenge. Plato sums this up when he writes â€Å"when any of them is liberated and compelled to suddenly stand up and turn his neck around and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains†¦ and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision† (3... Free Essays on Plato Plato believed that education of the guardian starts in the early childhood. "Don’t you know that the beginning is the most important part of every work and that this is especially so with anything young and tender? For at that stage it’s most plastic, and each thing assimilates itself to the model whose stamp anyone wishes to give to it" (377 b). He then proposes children must learn speech or logic (376 d), gymnastic and music (376 e). American elementary schools implement his ideas by teaching reading and writing for logic exercise, physical education and athletics for gymnastic, and specialist session for learning music. For reading, or storytelling for preliterate children, Plato suggests telling stories that enlighten children about the good values – in this case justice in the society – so they will not be contaminated with lies and injustice. For example, children should learn about the history of America, the biography of American founding fathers, and the values that the United States of America is based upon, such as patriotism, freedom, and justice. Considering Plato’s suggestion, we should not allow children to listen to or to read stories about sexual scandals and other misconduct among politicians in the higher public offices. Plato recommends it is equally good for children to learn divine aspects about God. He insisted that the God’s works were just and good (380 b), and the God and what belongs to the God are in every way the best condition (381 b). He disagrees to any effort to tell children about God as wizard, God as a high-tempered figure, or even about the thoughts that God is a liar. Plato criticized poems, tales and stories that undermined God. It seems that Plato believed in God. It is difficult to implement Plato’s ideas about teaching about God’s existence in American public schools because religion is not part of the subject matter. In fact, it is prohibited by the Constitution. Educator... Free Essays on Plato Plato’s â€Å"Crito,† begins with dialogue between Socrates and Crito which takes place in Socrate’s prison cell, where he awaits execution. Crito had been watching Socrates for a long time and was amazed how peacefully he slept awaiting death. But Socrates replies that it would be odd to fear death at such an old age Crito has made arrangements to smuggle his friend Socrates out of prison to safety. But since Socrates is willing to wait for his execution, Crito presents many arguments to persuade him to escape. He first tell Socrates that he should not worry about the risk or the financial cost to his friends. The next two arguments state that if Socrates remained in prison, he would be helping his enemies in wrondoing him unjustly, and this would result in acting unjustly himself. Crito also mentioned that he would be abandoning his children and leaving them without a father. Socrates replies to Crito that he should not worry about public opinion and to only listen to expert and wise advise. He tells Crito that if escaping from prison is just, he will go with Crito, if it is unjust, he must remain in prison and face death. Next, Socrates begins to tell about the Laws of Athens, which speaks to him and explain why it would be unjust for him to leave his cell. He believes that breaking one rule means breaking them all which would cause great harm since these laws provided for his upbringing and education. Socrates provides a very convincing argument of why he should not escape from the Athenian prison. He states that if he does as Crito suggests and escapes, it will not be justifiable nor true. Although his family and friends will be much happier if he escapes, he will not follow the justice or moral code of the state in which he was born and raised. Socrates also gives the idea that if he were to escape, his family and friends would be happy for him, but their fellow citizens and their state in which they reside would no... Free Essays on Plato Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† and Black Elk’s â€Å"The Great Vision† each make a case for a particular way of knowing through a vision or higher realm. Black Elk describes a far more detailed version of his own vision as a young child. His experience provides a way of knowing the spiritual world. Plato describes a man imprisoned in a cave who finds a way of knowing and understanding the world through an enlightening experience. Both authors share similar ideas of gaining knowledge at a higher level, but smaller details of their writings show the differences in their positions. In â€Å"Allegory of the Cave,† Plato created a metaphoric story beginning at the far end of a cave, a long way from the outside world where men had lived since childhood with their legs and necks tied up in a way that kept them in one place and only allowed them to look straight ahead. Further up the cave, a fire was burning which allowed minimal lighting. There was a wall between the fire and the men, behind which people carried all sorts of artifacts. The men were only able to see shadows of these artifacts. They did not have any knowledge of definite objects. One of the men was untied and dragged into the sunlight. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he feasted his eyes â€Å"on the heavenly bodies and the heavens themselves.† He was told he was now closer to reality and was seeing more accurately. When the man saw the sun, he deducted that it was â€Å"the source of the seasons and the yearly cycle that the whole of the visible realm is its domain.† Plato called the upward journey the mind’s ascent to the intelligible realm. â€Å"In the realm of knowledge is goodness† which is responsible for everything that is right and fine and â€Å"is the source and provider of truth.† Plato deducted that after visiting the higher realm, one would not want â€Å"to engage in human business† in the lower realm because his mind would rather be in the upper regi... Free Essays on Plato Plato's Theory of Knowledge Plato’s Theory of Knowledge is very interesting. He expresses this theory with three approaches: his allegory of The Cave, his metaphor of the Divided Line and his doctrine The Forms. Each theory is interconnected; one could not be without the other. Here we will explore how one relates to the other. In The Cave, Plato describes a vision of shackled prisoners seated in a dark cave facing the wall. Chained also by their necks, the prisoners can only look forward and see only shadows, These shadows are produced by men, with shapes of objects or men, walking in front of a fire behind the prisoners. Plato states that for the prisoners, reality is only the mere shadows thrown onto the wall. Another vision is releasing a prisoner from his chains, how his movements are difficult, his eye adjustment painful and suggestions of the effects of returning to the cave. The Cave suggests to us that Plato saw most of humanity living in â€Å"the cave†, in the dark, and that the vision of knowledge and the â€Å"conversion† to that knowledge was salvation from darkness. He put it this way, â€Å"the conversion of the soul is not to put the power of sight in the soul’s eye, which already has it, but to insure that, insisted of looking in the wrong direction it is turned the way it ought to be.† Plato’s two worlds: the dark, the cave, and the bright were his way of rejecting the Sophists, who found â€Å"true knowledge† impossible because of constant change. Plato believed there was a â€Å" true Idea of Justice†. The Cave showed us this quite dramatically. The Divided Line visualizes the levels of knowledge in a more systematic way. Plato states there are four stages of knowledge development: Imagining, Belief, Thinking, and Perfect Intelligence. Imagining is at the lowest level of this developmental ladder. Imagining, here in Plato’s world, is not taken at its conventional level but of appearances seen as â€Å"tru e re... Free Essays on Plato The Greek philosopher Plato (428-347 BC) was among the most important and creative thinkers of the ancient world. His work set forth most of the important problems and concepts of Western philosophy, psychology, logic, and politics, and his influence has remained profound from ancient to modern times. Plato was born in Athens in 428 BC. Both his parents were of distinguished Athenian families, and his stepfather, an associate of Pericles, was an active participant in the political and cultural life of Periclean Athens. Plato seems as a young man to have been destined for an aristocratic political career. The excesses of Athenian political life, however, both under the oligarchical rule of the so-called Thirty Tyrants and under the restored democracy, seem to have led him to give up these ambitions. In particular, the execution of Socrates had a profound effect on his plans. The older philosopher was a close friend of Plato's family, and Plato's writings attest to Socrates' great infl uence on him. After Socrates' death Plato retired from active Athenian life and traveled widely for a number of years. In 388 BC he journeyed to Italy and Sicily, where he became the friend of Dionysius the Elder, ruler of Syracuse, and his brother-in-law Dion. The following year he returned to Athens, where he founded the Academy, an institution devoted to research and instruction in philosophy and the sciences. Most of his life thereafter was spent in teaching and guiding the activities of the Academy. When Dionysius died, Dion invited Plato to return to Syracuse to undertake the philosophical education of the new ruler, Dionysius the Younger. Plato went, perhaps with the hope of founding the rule of a philosopher-king as envisioned in his work the Republic. The visit, however, ended in failure. In 361, Plato went to Syracuse again. This visit proved even more disastrous, and he returned to the Academy. Plato died in 347 BC. Plato's published writings, of ... Free Essays on Plato Socrates' ideal city is described through Plato in his work The Republic, some questions pondered through the text could be; How is this an "ideal" city formed, and is justice in the city relative to that of the human soul? I believe Socrates found the true meaning of justice in the larger atmosphere of the city and applied that concept to the human soul. Socrates describes his idea of an "ideal city" as one that has all the necessary parts to function and to show that justice is truly the harmony between the three stages of the city and soul in the human body. Plato introduces the idea of the happiness. Socrates says, "†¦in establishing our city, we aren’t aiming to make any one group outstanding happy but to make the whole city so, as far as possible " (Plato 420b). I agree that in order to examine one thing that is difficult to comprehend, it is wise to look on a larger scale. In this case, Socrates had to examine the difference of a whole city and other concepts of ci ties in order to determine justice in the world and inner soul. In order to develop the perfect city Socrates had to develop the other ideas that contribute to the "ideal city", the City of Need, and the City of Luxury in order to develop the Perfect City. I believe Socrates in-depth discovery process for the perfect city is a great philosophical look into the idea of justice. Socrates brought up a subject many men at that time would never have thought about and Plato believed that the idea of justice was worthy of writing a literary work to pass his philosophy on to future generations. Since the crucial elements of justice may be easier to observe on the larger scale like a city than on one individual. The focus for Socrates is a perfect city, because the city will represent human soul, Socrates says; "we'll go on to consider it in the individuals, considering the likeness of the bigger in the idea of the littler?"(Plato 369a). Plato's "ideal city" is really the sea... Free Essays on Plato Plato and Aristotle, 4th century philosophers, hold polar views on politics and philosophy in general. This fact is very cleverly illustrated by Raphael's "School of Athens" , in which Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; as Aristotle points down emphasizing his leanings toward the 'second philosophy' of the natural sciences. In a discussion of politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It is not coincidental that Plato states in "The Republic" that Philosopher Rulers who possess knowledge of the good should be the governors in a city state. His strong interest in metaphysics is demonstrated in The Republic various times: for example, the similes of the cave, the sun, and the line, and his theory of the forms. Because he is so involved in metaphysics, his views on politics are more theoretical as opposed to actual. Aristotle, contrarily, holds the view that politics is the art of ruling and being ruled in turn. In "The Politics", he attempts to outline a way of governing that would be ideal for an actual state. Balance is a key term in discussing Aristotle because he believes that balance is the necessary element to creating a stable government. His less-metaphysical approach to politics suggests that Aristotle could be in tune with the modern world, although millennia removed from it. Plato's concept of what politics and government should be is a direct result of his belief in the theory of forms. The theory of forms basically states that there is a higher "form" for everything that exists in the world. Each material thing is simply a representation of the real thing which is the form. According to Plato, most people cannot see the forms, they only see their representation or their shadows, as in the simile of the cave. Only those who love knowledge and contemplate on the reality of things will achieve understanding of the forms. Philosophers, who by definition are knowledge lovers, ar...

Critically evaluate the extent to which an organisation’s structure and culture may determine its ability to transform itself The WritePass Journal

Critically evaluate the extent to which an organisation’s structure and culture may determine its ability to transform itself ABSTRACT Critically evaluate the extent to which an organisation’s structure and culture may determine its ability to transform itself ). Organisational structure, on the other hand, is defined as the hierarchy of authority, communication and responsibility within an organisation (Daft Murphy, 2010). From these definitions, it is evident that these two organisational aspects have an influence on the implementation of organisational transformation. This report will critically evaluate the extent to which organisational culture and structure can affect the ability of organisations to transform themselves. 2.Theories of Organisational Change Insights about organisational change can be better developed by understanding the theories that govern these changes. There are six main models of organisational change. These are dialectical, life cycle, evolutionary, social cognition teleological and cultural theories (Kezar, 2001). The evolutionary theory is based on the assumption that transformations in organisations take place in response to external situations, or other circumstantial variables that are faced by all organisations. The teleological model, also referred to as the planned change model, assumes that organisational transformation takes place when stakeholders see the need for change (Bouckenooghe, 2010). This model’s linear nature is comparable to that of evolutionary theory, but managers are more involved in the teleological model. The life cycle model conceptualises change as a developmental process of an organisation over time. The dialectical theory visualizes organisational change as a process that occu rs because of differences in ideologies and beliefs of people within the organisation. The social cognition model assumes that change is connected to learning and changing of behaviours among people in the organisation (Burnes, 1996). The cultural approach to organisational change assumes that change takes place in a natural way to respond to the cultural transformations that are always taking place. Understanding these theories aids in the assessment of change in the macro-levels of organizations. They give reasons as to why, when, how and what changes are bound to occur in organizations (Dawson, 2003). Furthermore, every model that has been explained above stands for a unique ideology that relates with its assumptions about different aspects of the organization. Some of these aspects include the ease of implementing change in the organization. In literature and practice, it has been established that the teleological and evolutionary models are the most prevalent (Kezar, 2001). The teleological model is synonymous with planned change while the evolutionary model is synonymous with incremental change. These types of change have been explained below. 3.Types of Organisational Change There are three types of organisational change, planned, emergent and incremental (Myers et al., 2012, p.58). Planned organisational change is constructed on the assumption that an organisation operates in an environment that is stable. Thus, transformations are pre-meditated and executed systematically. Emergent change is a continuous open-ended process that is characterised by unpredictability and an emphasis on the bottom-up approach to management. Incremental transformation tries to synchronize the performance of an organisation with the situations that characterise its external environment (Daft Murphy, 2010). 4.Effects of Organisational Culture on its Ability to Transform Organisational culture, as aforementioned, is made up of values and beliefs which shape the behaviours and norms within an organisation. Thus, it has an influence on the way organisational processes take place. One attribute of organisational culture that can be used to gauge the extent of its impact on the ability of an organisation to change is its capacity for risk taking (Kezar, 2001; Curran, 2005). According to Curran (2005), research has suggested that risk cultures facilitate adaptability and innovativeness in organisations. When changes take place within an organisation, there is always an element of risk and uncertainty that accompanies it. Organisations that have cultivated a culture of risk enable their managers and employees to comfortably make choices different to those which they might otherwise have made, without being afraid that their choices fail. The social cognition model of organisational change also stresses   the need for organisations to create a culture tha t supports risk, allowing change in organisational processes without fear of failure. According to Kezar (2001), organisations that are characterised by risky and flexible cultures have the ability to make quick responses to sudden issues and crises. In addition to this, they are able to successfully adapt their business techniques to new trends, regardless of the outcome.   A culture that can be described as dynamic and flexible is the ‘adhocratic’ culture. This is exemplified by companies like Google, whose abilities to develop new services to capture markets have made them leaders in their industry. This is a typical display of the evolutionary model of organisational change (Curran, 2005). There are also other aspects and types of organisational culture which slow down transformation. Transformation does not take place until it is planned (Ford et al., 2008). Cultures that fit this description are those that are stable, orderly and are in control. These types of organisational culture tend to be predictable and mechanistic. They tend to believe that   it is better to stick to the known than embrace the unknown. The advantage of these cultures is that they are consistent and sustainable, and offer higher levels of job security. However this type of culture can limit the organisation’s ability to transform. Such cultures do not encourage innovativeness and creativity amongst employees,   and are slow to respond to changes in the environment. This type of organisation tends to be well- established, having been in operation for a long time. 5.Effects of Organisational Structures on its Ability to Transform Like organisational culture, the effects that organisational structures have on   change are varied. Some structures that support change, others do not. Organisational structures can be defined in several ways, for example the formalization, departmentalization and centralization frameworks, or in terms of the hierarchy levels within the structure (Covin Slevin, 1982). All these frameworks have aspects that facilitate organisational change and other aspects which suppress or limit the change. The centralisation framework suggests that centralized organisational structures are characterized by decisions being made at higher levels of the hierarchy. On the other hand, decisions in decentralized structures are made by people who are closest to the issues at hand (Carpenter et al., 2010). Of the two, the decentralized structure is likely to be more suitable for facilitating change. Formalization in organisational structures refers to the extent to which explicit articulation of rules, procedures and responsibilities exist within an organisation. Organisational structures with high levels of formalization have more written rules and regulations than those with lower levels. Because of this, innovativeness and creativity reduce as formalisation increases within the organisation (Juillerat, 2010). Thus, since innovation and creativity are synonymous with organisational transformation, lower levels of formality increase the transformation capability of organisations. The departmentalisation framework is divided into functional and divisional structures. Functional structures have departments based on responsibilities to be carried out., for example the marketing department. On the other hand, a divisional structure creates departments based on unique products in the organisation. Within each department is a replication of functional departments (Carpenter et al., 2010). Divisional structures facilitate organisational change more than functional structures, because they have increased innovation and creativity and reduced response time. Structures that are divided into many hierarchies between top and bottom (tall structures) slow down the decision making process within the organisation. On the other hand, organisations that have flat structures, with fewer hierarchies, have more equality between employees (Carpenter et al., 2010). Therefore, there is more flexibility, innovation and facilitation of change. As shown in all the frameworks above, organisational structures that delegate decision making to the larger employee body as opposed to concentrating it amongst a few managers at the top increase the ability of organisations to transform. 6.Conclusion This paper has highlighted the necessity of embracing change in the contemporary business world. It has also examined   models and theories that define organisational change. Organisational structures and cultures are vital components of any organisation and are considered to play a large role in determining the ability of organisations to transform. More stable, orderly and controlling organisational cultures tend to inhibit organisational transformation. On the other hand, cultures that are flexible and dynamic increase the capability of organisations to transform. With reference to organisational structures, those that delegate decision-making to employees are better suited for transformation than those that give a few managers the responsibility for decision making. Bibliography Alvesson, M., 2012. Understanding Organisational Culture. London: SAGE Publications. Bouckenooghe, D., 2010. Positioning Change Recipients’ Attitudes Toward Change in the Organisational Change Literature. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 46(4), pp.500-31. Burnes, B., 1996. Managing change: A strategic approach to organisational dynamics. London: Pitman. Carpenter, M., Bauer, T. Erdogan, B., 2010. Principles of Management. Flat World Knowledge. Covin, J.G. Slevin, D.P., 1982. The inï ¬â€šuence of organisational structure. Journal of Management Studies, 25, pp.217-34. Curran, C.J., 2005. Organisational Culture. Journal for Nonprofit Management: The Path to Better Organisations, pp.28-40. Daft, R.L., 2001. Organisation Theory and Design. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishers. Daft, R.L. Murphy, J., 2010. Organisation: Theory and Design. Mason: Cengage Learning. Dawson, P., 2003. Understanding Organisational Change: The Contemporary Experience of People at Work. London: Sage. Ford, J.D., Ford, L.W. D’Amelio, A., 2008. Resistance to change: The rest of the Story. Academy of Management Review, 33, pp.362-77. Juillerat, T.L., 2010. Friends, not foes?: Work design and formalization in the modern work context. Journal of Organisational Behavior, 31(2-3), pp.216-39. Kezar, A.J., 2001. Understanding and Facilitating Organisational Change in the 21st Century. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, 28(4), pp.1-144. Myers, P., Hulks, S. Wiggins, L., 2012. Organisational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.