Is My Teacher Told Me - 862 Words

Robert Kiyosaki stated, â€Å"French fries kill more people than guns and sharks, yet nobody s afraid of French fries.† inferring that people are only afraid of what causes immediate danger or disturbance. What we refer to as â€Å"history† causes such disturbances, proving that we live with the scars we choose to show by our everyday decisions based on our past everyday mistakes, so by editing our recorded history to all facts, the gates of perception will cleanse everything. Those following theses false stories in â€Å"history† live in ignorance which is deceitful bliss and when an individual doesn’t know reality they have no choice but to relish in lies. James Loewen highlights this clear case of living in ignorance throughout the novel Lies My Teacher Told Me, analyzing how our history is taught from perspectives rather than the total truth which creates false heroes and eliminates other perspectives to a situation, here we see reality versus the perc eption. Furthermore, throughout chapter 1 (Handicapped by History: The Process of Hero-making) in the novel Lies my teacher told me Loewen shows how false heroes can be created when history is told from a perspective rather than straightforwardly. He states, â€Å"Textbooks typically fail to show the interrelationship between the hero and the people. By giving credit to the hero, authors tell less than half of the story†, meaning that authors in textbooks are missing the majority of stories being told. He brings false icons in AmericanShow MoreRelated Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen Essay1948 Words   |  8 PagesLies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen High school history textbooks are seen, by students, as presenting the last word on American History. Rarely, if ever, do they question what their text tells them about our collective past. According to James W. Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, they should be. Loewen has spent considerable time and effort reviewing history texts that were written for high school students. In Lies, he has reviewed twenty texts and has compared them to the actualRead MoreLies My Teacher Told Me1094 Words   |  5 Pages The book Lies My Teacher Told me, by James W. Loewen, was written with the intention to inform anybody that has ever learned about history, in the United States, using a textbook that they have, most likely, been given false information. The books and information that has been in Elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and even college classes are skewed, by mostly telling stories in the United States favor. Loewen wrote the book to tell the real stories of our nation s h istory. The bookRead MoreEssay on Lies My Teacher Told Me910 Words   |  4 Pagespast. This is where we get the misinterpretation of history. In chapter five of the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, these contradictions are brought into light and force us to look at them again. As I have learned in my history courses we can always question the accuracy of a story but we may never fully understand the truth. There have been three important times I have been through that have shaped my understanding of history today, specifically the part of history dealing with slavery and racismRead MoreSummary Of Lies My Teacher Told Me2933 Words   |  12 PagesThe book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, begins with an introduction in which author James W. Loewen empathizes with the students. He discusses how History, specifically American History, is taught incorrectly. Loewen is able to share his understanding of why high school students think history is boring. He begins his argument with facts and n umbers by saying that out of all the subjects in school, history is almost every students least favorite subject. He goes on to say that teachers also misrepresentRead MoreLies My Teacher Told Me Essay3234 Words   |  13 Pagescountry. It is held as a core curriculum for every American student because of the importance found in teaching our youth of our â€Å"perfect nation† and our â€Å"perfect past†. However, contrary to popular belief, James W. Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, has found American history to be taught with a completely nationalistic approach. Not only is the history of our country taught with a horribly strong patriotic sentiment, but generally with a misunderstood concept of the history of AmericaRead MoreEssay on Lies My Teacher Told Me Heroification821 Words   |  4 PagesAshley Walker Mr. Scott INTD 101-18: The Art of Seduction 29 September 2011 A False History James Loewen uses his piece Lies my Teacher Told Me to reveal the flaws in America’s mainstream textbooks. Loewen points out the fact that textbooks try to â€Å"indoctrinate blind patriotism† (Loewen 6) and â€Å"keep students in the dark about the nature of history† (Loewen 8). Almost every American textbook sells history using the â€Å"soft seduction† approach, as explained in Robert Greene’s book, The Art ofRead MoreEssay on A Critical Analysis of Lies My Teacher Told Me1014 Words   |  5 PagesA Critical Analysis of:Lies My Teacher Told Me It would be better not to know so many things than to know so many things which are not so. -FELIX OKOYE Out of all forms of literature currently known to man, educational textbooks are arguably the least interesting. On top of being incredibly boring, textbooks, especially American history ones, neglect to include the entirety of the information that it should. Because American history textbooks wish only to paintRead More Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen Essay example1439 Words   |  6 Pages James Loewen wrote the book ?Lies My Teacher Told ME? to help the students of the United States become aware of their true history. This book attempts to show how and why American history has been taught the way it has without regard for the truth. Mr. Loewen had compared twelve different history textbooks they are: The Great Republic, The American Way, Land of Promise, Rise of the American Nation, Challenge of Freedom, American Adventures, Discovering American History, The American TraditionRead More The Lies My Teacher Told Me and People’s History of the United States1462 Words   |  6 Pagesmeans it is always accurate. Historical facts, similar to words whispered in the child’s game, â€Å"telephone,† are easily transformed into different facts, either adding or subtracting certain details from the story. James Loewen, in The Lies My Teacher Told Me, reveals how much history has been changed by textbook writes so that students studying the textbooks can und erstand and connect to the information. In Howard Zinn’s, People’s History of the United States, the author recounts historical talesRead MoreThe Lies My Teacher Told Me And A People s History Of The United States1691 Words   |  7 Pagesfocuses in a lighter manner and leaves the learner asking questions. In their novels, The Lies My Teacher Told Me and A People’s History of the United States, James Loewen and Howard Zinn divulged the missing facts that textbooks omit. Loewen and Zinn highpoint the important facts that people were not exposed to in the textbooks or other novels. In the case of young children, it is understandable for teachers to leave out such facts and only promote what is relevant at the time. However, for high school

Project Management Process - 3879 Words

Projects are composed of process. A process is â€Å"a series of action bringing about a result†. Project processes are performed by people and generally fall into one of two major categories: 1. Project management processes are concerned with describing and organizing the work of the project. 2. Product-oriented processes are concerned with specifying and creating the project product. These processes are known as project life cycle. It is important to note that many of the processes within project management are iterative in nature. This is mainly due to the existence of and the necessity for progressive elaboration in a project throughout the project life cycle. This means that the more you know about your project, the better you are able†¦show more content†¦3. Project cost management This is also a key element of project management. It is important to manage a project within its budget. Underspending can be as dangerous as overspending. Good planning and paying close attention to spending money carefully will mean that you can achieve all the goals you set for your project. 4. Project quality management This aspect is more relevant in fields like construction, where the builders have to make sure that all technical specifications are met to a high standard. But it is important when delivering projects in the community that you do so to the best of your ability. 5. Project human resource management You need to make sure that you identify the skills you will need for the project. Make sure you use the skills of the people working on the project in the most effective way possible. Project teams also need to work together effectively. There are tools to help you to do this. There are also ways of thinking about people and the day-today dynamics that will affect your project. These tools are included later in the notebook. 6. Project communication management It is useful to plan how you will communicate with stakeholders, donors and the project team. This will ensure that the project is implemented in a smooth manner. 7. Project risk management There is always the possibility that things might go wrong during a project. It helps to think atShow MoreRelatedProject Management : Management Process770 Words   |  4 PagesProject management is a procedure to arranging and directing project methodologies from beginning to end. Project managers should be able to meet scope, time, expense, and quality objectives of activities, also they ought to encourage the whole methodology to address the needs and desires of individuals included in the project. It is a job to manage project’s goals, timeline and budget clearly. Project management process have these key components. †¢ Integration Management †¢ Scope Management †¢ TimeRead MoreProject Management And Control Process1473 Words   |  6 Pages1. Explain how the project management and control process occurs throughout the project lifecycle. When does it begin and end? The process of controlling and monitoring the project occurs in continuous fashion throughout the project lifecycle. Monitoring and control begins as soon as the work begins on the project charter and work of several people is coordinated in order to produce a well written charter so that it is accepted by the project stakeholders. â€Å"From Brewer, Jeffrey L.; Dittman, KevinRead MoreProject Management – the Managerial Process1609 Words   |  7 PagesInitial Planning Name: David T. Browne Instructor: Dr. Penny Wilkins Bus 517: Project Management – The Managerial Process Date: January 29th, 2011 Describe the elements of scope for the project In discussing the elements of scope for the project, we can look at the scope checklist which gives us the ingredients of the scope definition. These elements in the checklist are as follows: project objective, deliverables, milestones, technical requirements, limits and exclusions, andRead MoreProject Management Developing The Process970 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: PROJECT MANANGEMENT DEVELOPING THE PROCESS 1 Project Management-Developing the Process Natasha Bing Grantham University PROJECT MANANGEMENT DEVELOPING THE PROCESS 2 Abstract Project management consists of primarily development and execution of an arrangement of interconnected activities to ultimately receive one common project goal. When dealing with any typeRead MoreManagement And Project Review Process1361 Words   |  6 PagesGovernance 1) Management and Project Review Process: a) Medical Executive Committee- will commit the time and financial resources necessary to implement and maintain the LACE Index CDS Tool. b) Decision Support Project Steering Committee- responsible for the oversight and direction of the CDS program. Will review the project progress in the areas of cost, quality, and timeline. c) Decision Support Operations Team- responsible for managing the CDS program execution and operates under the directionRead MoreBuilding A Project Management Process1948 Words   |  8 Pageskey roles in the project management process. The presence of triple constraint will impact the project process. The relationship between the project scope, cost, and time will determine what changes will be implemented. These factors also impact the quality of the project and the knowledge of this will aid in the decision making process. The initial planning process of a construction project will be examined. A statement of need, goals and objectives, the stakeholders and project requirements, andRead MoreThe Process of Project Management Essay1831 Words   |  8 PagesA project is a temporary activity undertaken to produce a unique product, service or result. This activity called project, has three clearly defined components to it, namely Time: A definitive start and end date. Cost: A definitive budget for the activity to take place. Scope: Magnitude of work including the deliverable and/or goals that has to be accomplished. On the other hand, project management is a practice of applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to the project activities toRead MoreProject Management : Planning And Guiding Project Process1939 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Project management Project management is a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes from start to finish. According to the Project Management Institute, the processes are guided through five stages: initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Project management can be applied to almost any type of project and is widely used to control the complex processes of software development projects (Rouse, 2008). Project procurement Project procurement management is aboutRead MoreOrganizational Portfolio Management Process Project Management1102 Words   |  5 PagesORGANIZATIONAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT PROCESS Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is the management of one or more portfolios through evaluation, prioritization, selection, review, execution and monitoring of projects in the portfolio. The goal is to keep the portfolio(s) aligned with the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the organization while effectively and efficiently allocating internal resources to maximize the overall value to the organization. Because UPS has a very open and consensusRead MoreAnalysis Of Project Management Process Group1599 Words   |  7 Pagesit could bring new insights into the project which may require some of the previous created project documents to be updated. The processes in the Planning Process Group may be repeated or re-addressed several times as the project progresses. It is also important to note that the outputs of certain processes serve as inputs to other processes within the Planning Process Group. Among all the Process Groups within the project management process, the Planning Process Group contains the most processes.

Animal Farm. The Great Purges Free Essays

Emily Mills The Great Purges As previously quoted by George Orwell, â€Å"Political language†¦ is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind†. In many cases, a historical significance used in literature can be very effective and can be used to get an event or message across using symbolism and metaphors. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, incorporates both a children’s read of talking animals taking over a farm and the historical horrors of the 1900’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Farm. The Great Purges or any similar topic only for you Order Now One of the many underlying events that the book includes is the Great Purges. Both metaphorically introduced in Orwell’s satire version, and historically researched, the Great Purges were displayed as â€Å"respectable† murders and ways to gain power and leadership. George Orwell’s Animal Farm demonstrates how the unwillingness to deny those of higher importance or authority condemns the lower classes to bear the oppression of those in command. The murders of innocent victims, or purges, with which Josef Stalin eliminated any potential threats and demanded his political title find expression in Animal Farm when the forced confessions and executions of animals, such as other pigs, sheep, and hens whom Napoleon finds distrustful following the collapse of the windmill. Though thought to have been merely out of fear, the confessions were previously coerced and forced by Stalin. In fact, the fear was instilled in Napoleon who warned the other animals to â€Å"†¦ keep [their] eyes open. For [they had] reason to think that some of Snowball’s secret agents [were] lurking among [them] at this moment! † (Orwell, 82). Those animals who showed even the slightest hesitation in one of his orders or disapproval toward Napoleon, such as the pigs who opposed the cancellation of Sunday Meetings, were executed immediately. Similar to the 1930s, when Stalin staged a number of infamousâ€Å"purges,† trials where Stalin and trusted allies forced government members and citizens to â€Å"confess† their disloyalty to Stalinist actions. Napoleon forced confessions from other animals with the use of the terror installed by his hounds. In most cases, the victims of the purges would admit to assisting in these illegal actions in which they had never engaged in in order to eliminate further torture. Unfortunately, once confessed, the alleged traitors were murdered as â€Å"enemies of the people. † Both the pigs who admitted to forming an alliance with Snow ball and the goose who confessed to â€Å"having secreted six ears of corn during the last year’s harvest and eaten them in the night† (Orwell, 84) where both slaughtered along with three hens and a sheep. Stalin and Napoleon used their purges to terminate any form of disloyalty or mutiny among their people or animals and to instill fear in the eyes of their societies. The Great Purges were a mass of killing streaks lead by Joseph Stalin in the late 1930’s. The purpose behind the purges was so that Stalin had a way of keeping his party loyal to him. Also, he executed anyone with power or thought to have power who opposed or challenged him. Before Stalin, it was Vladimir Lenin who had planted the seed, but Stalin who took the initiative to proceed with the idea. Instead of expelling members of his party, like Lenin had suggested, Stalin took the drastic and unnecessary route of execution. Another huge part of the Great Purges was known as â€Å"the confessions†. Stalin’s policeman, the NKVD, would round up innocent people and accuse them of crimes against society and proclaim them as traitors. Then, through methods of torture, confessions would be signed, and they would be executed. Killing nearly 500,000 people and sending many more to concentration camps, Stalin left a huge and unforgettable bloodstain on Soviet Russia’s history. This historical event connects to George Orwell’s story Animal Farm in several ways. The actual event of the Great Purges is shown in chapter seven when Napoleon has all of the animals executed for helping out Snowball. This is exactly what Joseph Stalin did when he executed the men of his party and all of the innocent people for being traitors. Also when all of the animals confess to the crimes that they didn’t commit connects to how during Stalin’s reign, the NKVD tortured people until the confessed to the crimes they didn’t even commit. While reading Animal Farm, it is easy for the reader to find the similarities in characters and events and connect them to the real life events that took place. George Orwell incorporated and captured the horror of the Great Purges in Animal Farm. He truly grasped the main ideas of the evil ways of Stalin, the tremendous loss of lives, and â€Å"the confessions†. The terror of the Great Purges is so hard to comprehend, but through reading Orwell’s satire version it helps society understand, in a more simple way how awful he Great Purges were. In the very few pages that he wrote relating to the Great Purges he really did capture the horrible losses and ghastly events that took place back in the late 1930’s during Stalin’s reign. Works Cited Page 1. â€Å"George Orwell Quotes. † BrainyQuote. Xplore, n. d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013 2. Orwell, George. â€Å"VII. † Animal Farm;. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1954. 82-84. Print. 3. â€Å"Union of Soviet Soci alist Republics: Chapter 3C. Stalin and Stalinism. † Countries of the World. 1991. eLibrary. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. How to cite Animal Farm. The Great Purges, Papers

Descartes Meditations Essay Example For Students

Descartes Meditations Essay Descartes Cogito Ergo Sum (I am, I exist) argument is a complex one. In many ways, he constructs a convincing argument for the existence of the self, and for the process of the thinking being, the essence of that self. In this meditation on his philosophy, Descartes on numerous attempts tries to convince both the readers, as well as himself, of his theory that we must reject all of our present ideas and beliefs and start from nothing. He believes that the only thing that has any certainty at this point is his own existence as a thinking being. Everything else, which he has learned throughout his entire life and believed in, is to be thrown out because it is not known clearly and distinctly. Descartes method and theory on knowledge was well planned and carefully thought out. It is evident that he spent a great deal of time determining the principles that he would use as determinants for judging whether a specific idea was justified and true. In my opinion, there are some flaws contained in Descartes argument. Among these flaws are Descartes apparent determination to prove his theory on his individual existence in the world and the existence of G-d to backup and prove himself and his theories. At the beginning of meditation two, Descartes is stuck in the middle of nothingness. He has nothing, nothing to believe in and everything around him he regards as false. This is because he cannot believe what he has learned and he is alsounable to trust his senses due to the fact that they deceive him. He feels like he is drowning in a whirlpool and cannot reach the top and get out nor can he put his feet on the bottom and stand. Everything in the world at this point he has called into doubt, including himself. Everything that he has ever seen, learned or thought is now external from what he deems to be true and he is beginning his knowledge from non-existence. Descartes although is certain of one thing, nothing (but to be certain of nothing is still to be certain of something?). Descartes is a rational thinker and he rationalizes through his studies that nothing in the world is known. He decided to re-start his belief process and call everything he has ever believed in, into doubt. He is debating complex ideas in his head, changing his mind and objectively making decisions, so his existence in a world has to be a certainty. The fact that he is having these thoughts, whether right or wrong proves mental capacity. Descartes then states with certainty Cogito ergo sum (I am, I exist). This is the first accurate idea that Descartes knows with any conviction, he knows that he is a thinking being. Descartes still does not know what he is, he says but what then am I? A thing that thinks. What is that? A thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, and that also imagines and senses. He is aware of his mental capacity and knows he thinks, deliberates and makes decisions, but he still rejects his body and his senses. One major flaw found in Descartes argument is that while critically examining, and then rejecting, mostly everything in the world around him, he maintained that he could prove the existence of G-d, beyond a shadow of a doubt. For thousands of years,people have been trying to prove G-ds existence but he has yet to be successful. It seems to me that Descartes showed a display of arrogance in supposing that he could devise a method of proving the existence of G-d, doing so without a great deal of difficulty. At one point in his discourse on method, Descartes sets out a code of morals, which he plans to abide by. Descartes states that he plans to obey the laws and the customs of my country, constantly holding on to the religion in which, by G-ds grace, I had been instructed from my childhood . It is quite apparent from this passage, that Descartes had accepted and embraced the idea of G-d long before he even began to question it. With this pre-judgement of G-ds existence, he could not po ssibly have made a fair and accurate conclusion as to whether or not G-d really exists. The fact that he was so ready and willing to accept G-ds existence, while being so critical of everything else around him illustrates how careful he was to prove a G-d of power and benevolence. He then used his idea of G-d to explain and justify his existence and everything else he wants to prove as clearly and distinctly in his argument. If Descartes were to have rejected the ideas of G-d and religion, he would have had a much harder time proving his own existence and the existence of elements which he believed to be true. Had this not been the case, I see no way in which Descartes could have come to feel that he had been able to provide such a secure proof of G-d and his own existence. The Panopticon, an architectural project developed by Jeremy Bentham EssayTo evaluate the Cogito argument, we must first understand it clearly. Thereare four key statements in meditation two that lead Descartes to the certaintythat he exists. Herewith is a summation of Descartes argument:1) Am I so tied to the body and to the senses that I cannot exist without them?2) But certainly I should exist, if I were to persuade myself of something. 3)Then there is no doubt that I exist, if he (evil demon) deceives me. 4) I am,I exist or in other words I think, therefore I am. These claims respectively suggest, that by denying, persuading, and beingdeceived; a certain faculty of thought is being used. By thinking, one can becertain that he exists. Though the argument may seem simple and straightforward, upon closer inspectionthis is not the case.There seems to be some questions concerning the Cogitosinterpretation, the most important being: What is the first certainty thatDescartes uncovers?What perspective does he use to rationalize thiscertainty?, and how does he back it up? By examining the inferential,intuitional and epistemic interpretations, we can discover which interpretationof the Cogito was meant by Descartes in Meditation two. At first it seems obvious that Descartes had meant for the Cogito to be aninferential argument. Of the key propositions in the Meditations all seem tohave the commonality of thinking as their first premise. Similarly the secondpremise and the conclusion seem to follow the same pattern. The second premiseposits the notion: Whatever thinks exists; followed by the conclusion:therefore, I exist. To know something by inference, is to discover something based on previousknowledge.In Descartes case, he has come to know a metaphysical certainty,existence, based on a prior metaphysical certainty, thinking. The soundness ofthis reasoning is good because know matter what we do it is impossible to denythat we think. It seems simple enough, until we consider that Descartes seemsto emphasize that his first absolute certainty is existence. Using the criteriafor inference then, it is impossible that I exist is the first certainty. This is a weak argument for in order for this inference to work; Descartes wouldhave to make revisions to meditation two.However, since he feels so stronglyof this first certainty, I am not convinced that Descartes had meant for thisinterpretation. The intuitional interpretation of the Cogito, maintains that it ismetaphysically certain because Descartes has intuited it. Descartes idea ofintuition is likened to a flash of insight.It can be seen to be true, thesame way we know that that 2+3=5.He simply knows he exists based on a directunderstanding. With this interpretation, cleary the proposition I exist is thefirst certainty. The problem of this argument is that the idea of intuition istoo subjective an interpretation to prove that he exists. There is no way toreplicate this procedure and obtain the same conclusion as Descartes. Theevidence for this interpretation is not strong enough to render it to be theone Descartes intended. The evidence for the epistemic interpretation of the Cogito is good. I feelthat this is the most reasonable interpretation because it seems to be incharacter with the whole of the meditations. Descartes reasoning behind hismetaphysical certainty is that he simply has no reason to doubt it. Previous tothe second meditation, Descartes had used doubt as his tool; in doing so he feltit necessary to suspend all judgment. Here he is able to scrutinize all themajor arguments of meditation two and come to the conclusion that he has noreason to doubt that I exist. It could be conceded that Descartes did notexplore enough sources of doubt. This objection seems inconsequentialconsidering the scope of the problems from the other interpretations. Having established his existence, Descartes finds that his essence is the mind. He places a major importance on the intellect. In further meditations it is themind, through understanding, that leads us to various conclusions. Near theend of Meditation two, Descartes demonstrates how the ideas of the mind are moreattune to finding knowledge than are senses are. The point that he makes here isthat only through the mind can we understand the essential qualities of the wax. Melted a piece of wax exhibits qualities such as extension and mutability. These are concepts that are only clear to the intellect. The main point thatDescartes was trying to get across by using this wax experiment is, that if hecan understand the wax better with his mind, then it certainly follows that heshould know himself better through the same faculty. The Meditations has given me a better understanding of philosophical issues. Ihave learned to suspend judgment so that I may use my intellect to understandthings. Descartes presentation of the mind body problem has given me a newtopic to explore. Is it the mind that rules the body or the body that rules themind. Where does one begin, and the other end? By using some of Descartesmethods I have attempted to see his arguments, and tried to come to my ownconclusions. The mere fact that Descartes found so many certainties in theMeditations is surprising. It is not always easy to find a hypothesis thatstands up to doubt. The Meditations have taught me to be open minded, and toacknowledge that sometimes we make mistakes. However, if we take caution anduse reason carefully we are capable of finding certainty.