The Concept To The Contemporary Security Agenda Politics Essay

The Concept To The Contemporary Security Agenda Politics Essay Is the concept of human security, which is the most controversial and debated issue in international organizations since 1994, simply hot air, as seen by its critics? Or does it contribute to the concept of contemporary security agenda where the whole world is increasingly interconnected (Paris, 2001). This paper introduces to the international theories which can help understand human security better and the extent to which human security contributes the contemporary security agenda. There is no single definition of human security as human security goes beyond traditional notions of security to focus on such issues as development and respect for human rights. Definition of human security remains an open question. The simplest definition of security is absence of insecurity and threats (Shahrbanou, 2004 cited in McIntosh, Hunter, 2004: 139). In context, to have security is to have freedom from both fear of psychological, physical or sexual abuse and from want of food, employment and health. Human security therefore deals with the capacity to identify threats and to avoid them when possible. It means to help people cope with the insecurities resulting from wars, conflicts human rights, violations or massive underdevelopment (Owen, 2004: 15). The on-going debate of human security among its advocates is that there should be a shift of attention from a state centric to a human centric approach to security. That is, concern with the security of state orders should give way to concern with the security of the people who live within those borders (McDonald, 2002: 279). Traditionally, in state- centric or realist view security means protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states from external military threats, rather than the protection of individuals (Newman, 2010: 85). By contrast human centric or liberalist view places individuals at their main priority and proposes some essential conditions, for example adoption of universal human rights to ensure the protection of the people. Thus in 1970s and 1980s, people responding to the Middle East oil crisis and the growing awareness of environmental degradation, began to think of security in broader, non- military terms. After the end of the Cold War, many scholars st arted to see state- centric security as essentially in narrow terms (Hough, 2004).Thus the concept of human security developed which attempted to redefine and expand the meaning of security. However, it does not challenge the relevance of state- centric arguments in so far as these concern the protection of the state from external military violence and accept the state as the main provider of security. Some analysts still argue that external military threats are bigger than ever in the post-Cold War era as there is no balance of power which for years ensured state and individual security (Hough, 2004). However, even if these threats are bigger at the moment, they definitely are not the only threat to the lives of people all around the world. Issues like environmental degradation, diseases, and famines are also huge threats affecting people (Shahrbanou, 2005: 30). Constructivism is also one of the theories in international relations which can be adopted as way of interpreting human security. It provides a useful framework for understanding the true nature of issues relating to human security such as race, class, violence and gender (Conteh-Morgan, 2005 cited in Tsai, 2009: 28). Constructivism can be found to be more beneficial in approaching the concept of human security, in contrast to structural realism. Constructivism believes that language, customs, norms and culture can change the behaviours and interests of people living in that country. Unlike realism, which sees anarchy as the inescapable outcome of self-help, constructivism sees it as state created which can be changed by state intervention (Wendt, 1992 cited in Tsai, 2009: 24). Onuf stresses on language and the role that plays in constructing human beings, interests and principles. He considers language and rules as the fundamental norm of constructivism, and regards the human being as the first point of research and the hub of human security. In the contemporary world with the growing knowledge, language has become one of the key elements of building human security. Onuf also stated that people use language to interpret the rules and therefore it is the most important way of constructing a society (Onuf, 1989). For instance, the on-going interaction of human society has been eventually generated into international norms (Bedeski, 2007: 46). Peter J. Katzenstein also challenges the traditional realist theories of security by emphasising the norms and culture of constructivism as his main concern in solving the human security issue in international relations theories. He states that the concept of culture defines the state actors in the system and the intera ctive associations among actors and society. Katzenstein asserts that culture can be defined by looking at the social customs and laws of that society (Katzenstein 2005: 6). For example, Due to the lack of knowledge of internal factors within the Soviet Union, neo-realism and neo-liberalism failed to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Thus culture can play a major role in influencing state actors, institutions and even respect for international law and human rights. More recently, analysts, following the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) 1994 Human Development Report and their notion of security as freedom from fear and want (Hough, 2004), have settled on the phrase human security to emphasise the people-centred aspect of these efforts. In 1994, Human Development Report (HDR) issued by the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) presented a different philosophy about the integration of security issues and globalization. Thus, this report defined human security according to seven dimensions such as economic security, environmental security; personal, political, community, health, and food security .The report also adopted a people-centric security concept instead of the traditional state-centred concept (UNDP, 1994: 24-33). Realist would contend that the above list has clear military security implications. The report makes it clear that the real security protects individuals from threats such as disease, hunger, unemployment, politi cal oppression and environmental degradation (Tsai and Tan, 2007: 8-9). Due to the broadness of the concept, the human security includes both traditional and non-traditional elements of security (Paris, 2001: 88). On the contrary, to the critics, the concept and definition provided by UNDP is very broad. Gary King and Christopher Murray criticizes the overly broad and understanding of human security. By broad it means trying to include all the well-beings, which makes no sense. For example, the seven dimensions of human security defined by UNDP indicates a ray of dimensions centred on human-dignity, which are potentially interrelated and overlapped, and fails to provide a coherent construction with a single and integrated concept'(King Murray, 2002). For Roland Paris human security is nothing more than hot air. In his view those who support the concept of human security are the ones who want to keep the broadness and fuzziness of the concept just for their motive (Paris, 2001). Lincoln Chen has a similar opinion as well. In his view the concept is so wide and broad that it is difficult to make a choice which threat should be taken as first priority and which can be neglected (Chen Narasimhan , 2003). Deriving from the UNDPs interpretation of the human security concept and putting aside the differences between state-centric and human-centric positions for the moment, the meaning of human security is also contested by different schools of human security. The dispute over types of threats that should be included has divided advocates into the narrow and the broad schools. Mack, an advocate of narrow school, argues that threat of violence to people by the state or any other institution or a political actor is the proper focus for the concept of human security. On the other hand, Thakur a proponent of broad theory, asserts that human security is concerned with the protection of people from critical life-threatening dangers, regardless of whether the threat are rooted in anthropogenic activities or natural events, whether they lie within or outside states, and whether they are direct or definition of narrow school can be simplified as freedom from fear, similarly broad school can be de fined as freedom from fear but also from want which is also the focus of human development in UNDP Report (UNDP, 1993: 2). Japan promotes the human security idea of freedom from want whereas Norway, Canada and other members of the human security network promotes freedom from fear (Shinoda, 2007, Dedring, 2008 cited in Tsai, 2009).Thus Kofi Annan has pointed out the three pillars of this wider conception of human security, freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom to live in dignity. However, the differences between the two conceptions of human security can be exaggerated, as both perceive the individual as the main object of the security and stresses on safety from violence. Both of them even acknowledges the role of globalization and its changing nature of armed conflict that is generating new threats to human security, besides both calls for a rethinking of state sovereignty as an important part of promoting human security. Therefore, both the concepts overlap each other as here to a large extent. Seeking freedom from fear without addressing freedom from want would amount to addressing symptoms without the cause (Baylis, Smith, Owins, 2011: 483). With the on-going wars, conflicts and problems, human security also deals with issues like climatic change and environmental degradation as everything is interconnected with one another. Death caused by armed conflicts has declined in relation to other challenges to the safety of individual. Wars and violent conflict often leads to environmental degradation, economic disruption or levels of poverty. For example Vietnam War or the Gulf War in which Saddam Hussein burned Kuwaiti oil which ultimately led to air pollution and land degradation. Similarly, environmental problems also lead to wars and conflicts. Such as scarcity of resources in over populated countries like India, Pakistan leads to dispute. For example Indo- Pakistan dispute over the Wular Barrage. While no direct link can be found between terrorism and poverty, terrorists often exploit poverty and exclusion in order to tap into popular discontent -taking advantage of fragile states such as Somalia, or undemocratic regime s uch as Afghanistan in the 1990s, to plan violence'(UNDP 2005: 47). Poverty and lack of economic opportunity can also lead to terrorism. For example, Orissa in India is the perfect example of how poverty deprivation can trigger acts of terrorism, signifying how freedom from fear and freedom from want are intricately connected (Baylis, Smith, Owins, 2011: 486). In the contemporary world climatic change or natural disasters has also emerged as a human security agenda especially for the western countries. Potential disasters like global warming or tsunami pose a threat to individuals and societies around the world. Most scholars tend to view this challenge as a national security challenge rather than human security. However, climate change and natural disasters can be linked to human securities issues like state failure, food shortage, water crisis, which are genuine human security issues. Communicable disease like the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which alarmed the whole world in 2003 became the main issue of concern in the human security agenda (Curley, Thomas, 2004: 18). Diseases can travel rapidly across borders. It has become a major global issue and no country can protect the human security of individuals and communities within its national borders on its own. Another issue which falls under human security is protection of wo men against violence, womens human rights, gender inequalities in control over resource or inequalities in power and decision making. Recent conflicts have shown women as victims of rape, sexual slavery and torture. Such violence against women is now recognised as a crime against humanity (Rehn, Sirleaf 2002 cited in Baylis, Smith, Owins, 2011: 488). The aspect of human security has become irresistible nowadays .It deals with so many issues and it is so broad that it includes almost all type of human securities even if it is criticised over and over again. Weather viewed as freedom from fear or freedom from want, the concept of human security has not replaced national security. The Human Development Report estimates the rich countries of the world spend more in the military budget than in contentious issues like HIV/AIDS. However, it reflects a number of developments that have constantly challenged the traditional view of security as the protection of states from military attack. It originally began as a rejection of orthodox notions of economic growth in favour of a broader notion of human development, but now has been reinforced by new security threats such as genocide in the Balkans and Africa (Baylis, Smith, Owins, 2011: 491). Human Security has grown into an important aspect in the contemporary security agenda. Responsibility to protect is an issue that supports human security and its three practical objectives, the responsibility to prevent, reach and rebuild. It was developed in the 2001 report The Responsibility to Protect which was produced by Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty. The commission argued that the primary responsibility to protect their citizens is in the hands of the state. If a state is unable or unwilling to do so or if they deliberately terrify their citizen then this leads to the international responsibility to protect the citizens of that particular state through humanitarian intervention. Development of this agenda for human security through the Right to Protection agenda is a point of debate and some contention (Gottwald, 2012: 9). Humanitarian intervention to protect state sovereignty is one of the most important attribute of human security. The concept of humanitarian intervention was endorsed by the report of the UN Secretary Generals High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. It was developed to help the state and its citizens from any threats external or internal. Despite the valuable articulation of such responsibility, Humanitarian intervention can always not be justified. An intervention can be manipulated and inevitably shaped by powerful actors. Skilled lawyers or diplomats can convince arguments, both for and against particular interventions, like they did in the case of Darfur (Bellamy 2010). Just by accepting the idea of human security and treating it positively, the state cannot be benefitted. They have to make certain effort to implement the human security concerns in its political practices (McDonald, 2002).Canadian government made the same move and exploited the state human security aspect. Canadas middle power status in the world system indicates that accepting the security theory of such agrees basically with its national interests. Based on the claims of Jockel and Sololsky, Canadas acceptance of the idea of human security altered the political nature of intervention. The Canadian government have continued to intervene in the name of human security anytime anywhere (Newman, 2001). As some scholars have already noted, there is risk in confusing the pursuit of human security concerns with the pursuit of traditional security concerns. NATO intervention in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with as said was for the objective of preventing ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. However Ramesh Thakur argues that, it is still questionable that whether this intervention actually produced more damage than benefit (Thakur, 2002 cited in Glusac, 2010: 90).Noam Chomsky shares a similar view and sharply criticises the war against Yugoslavia. He believes that the bombing campaign only hastened the flow of refugees from Kosovo. The consequences of bombing campaign included the collateral damage in the form of refugees and long-term damage caused to the economy, which caused a creation of a state which ultimately became dependent on foreign aid. Multiple refuges, broken infrastructure, damage incurred by economy were the direct consequences of the bombing campaign (Chomsky, 1999: 81). Keeping this in mind, its difficult to say that the goal of human security was reached by this intervention. If we recall the seven dimension of human security that was pointed out in the Human Development Report, we can draw a conclusion that the bombing campaign has affected almost all of them, and surely not favourably. US invasion of Iraq can be another example of humanitarian intervention. Although US intentions for invasion were always unclear but when the post invasion period accelerated into the chaos the US raised the human security agenda as a justification for the war in Iraq, arguing that the US aim was to rescue the people of Iraq from the human insecurities caused by Saddam Hussein. However even USA did little to restore law and order through implementing pol justice procedure (Collins, 2007: 130). Therefore, if the goal of an intervention is to protect the human security and the avenue to achieve these goals are the same that affect the human security, then the question that should be asked here is whether we have chosen the wrong means. To conclude, Human security can be best understood under liberalists and constructivists theories. Realism therefore cannot be considered as the dominant theory of security. Human security has a long way to go before being universally accepted by everybody. The connections between wars, famines, disease, poverty and environmental degradation are still not understood by many, thus needs more clarification and explanation. Data from the Human Security Report Project shows there has been a remarkable decline in internal and global political violence since the mid-1990. If the world had to do without such aspect of human security, it would have been fairly difficult to deal the with the on-going security problems.

Magnifying and Obscuring Essay

The stories of John Updike’s â€Å"A&P† and William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† both make use of the first person point of view in narration but with very different and quite powerful effects that also affect other elements of the story. The ways in which these two stories play with the individual elements of a piece of fiction show just how important it is to make sure that these individual elements are all taken cared of and built-up with equal care and attention, because a problem with one element can result into a problem with the entire story; the elements must all be able to work together to support each other and to weave a tight story. â€Å"A&P† uses the first person, non-omniscient, singular point of view (POV) narration to build rapport with the main character, Sammy [for example: â€Å"I’m in the third check-out slot, with my back to the door, so I don’t see them until they’re over by the bread; I could see Lengel in my place in the slot, checking the sheep through. † (Updike 560)]. This connection with Sammy is a very important one because it is pretty much the driving force of the story; learning of what’s going on in a teenage boy’s head while there are half-naked girls walking about can make an interesting read. This point of view is really what helps push the reader on along as she or he plods through the â€Å"A&P† plot. With â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, on the other hand, we are given the first person, non-omniscient, plural point of view. Obviously, because it is plural it cannot be the view of the main character, Miss Emily Grierson. Instead we seem to have the entire story narrated to us by the entire town [â€Å"When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral; for a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin† (Faulkner)]. This works to increase the mystery that surrounds Miss Emily and her house because we never really knew what she is thinking or feeling. This point of view, giving an air of mystery, again, helps push the reader on to discover what happens throughout the story. Relating with the use of the POV are the different story plots. Here, we can see a great difference between â€Å"A&P† and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† because we find that one is mainly character-driven while the other has a strong plot that keeps the readers going through the story. It is â€Å"A&P† that is, obviously, character-driven because of its simple plot of a boy wanting to elicit the attention of some pretty girls, which is quite common. Even the events in the story and the simple chronological way that it folds are quite ordinary; it is really Sammy – his thoughts and his feelings – that make a reader interested in the story. And, even up to the ending, readers are all interested only in Sammy’s fate and no one else’s [â€Å"I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter† (Updike 564)]. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, on the other hand, we have a story with a strong plot, aided by the effective point of view narration, which moves the story along. The story hooks readers into the plot by making them curious about who Miss Emily Grierson is from the very beginning – readers are wondering why she is a â€Å"fallen monument† and what is so interesting about the â€Å"inside of her house† (Faulkner). The non-linear timeline that the story follows also strengthens the mystery of Miss Emily because the building block to her life must be pieced together slowly and with a certain amount of intuition, at first. Now, the characters of the two stories are also very different – one is as open to us as a book laid flat-open, while the other is mystery to the very end. With Sammy of â€Å"A&P†, we never seem to see a concrete glimpse of in terms of physical appearance but the readers would all know him if they met him. The first person narration lets us in on all the things that makes Sammy think and tick with that little grocery stop. In his observation of the girls, we find a young man with a keen eye and, also, an eye for beauty. He also shows us the ability of a good imagination when he imagines how the girls behave and how their relationships with each other must be like as when he describes the tall girl as: â€Å"a tall one, with black hair that hadn’t quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long — you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very â€Å"striking† and â€Å"attractive† but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much. † (Updike 561) Sammy, as we can surmise, is a boy that is very much in-touch with his surroundings and his imagination. The characterization of Miss Emily, in contrast, is one that is left murky and shadowy. Because we only see her through the townspeople’s eyes, we never really see her clearly; we can only watch her through the stories, the memories, and the patchwork guesses that these observers give us. But even from this blurry view of Miss Emily through a window, we can see how guarded and closed-off she is from her environment [as when she acted ignorant of Colonel Sartoris’ death (Faulkner)] – the total opposite of Sammy. In â€Å"A&P†, we are set-up in a small grocery store that effectively concentrates our attention on no one and nothing else but Sammy and his current preoccupation. The A&P grocery store acts as the perfect magnifying glass to help us focus on our main character and how he deals with the current situation. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is set-up up throughout decades of a life and in different places of the town; this manner of a setting makes for even more mystery as the reader tries to fill in all the gaps between the years that the narrators had no contact nor any knowledge of what went on in Miss Emily’s life. The vast setting diffuses the readers’ minds and it wanders across time and space, searching for a complete picture of Miss Emily Grierson. These two stories, perhaps more different than alike, prove that good stories don’t need to follow a certain pattern to mold in order to be good; it is in the writer and the dedication to his work that makes a story count. Works Cited Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose For Emily. † 16 February 2008. Fu Jen University: Department of English Language and Literature. 26 June 2009 Updike, John. â€Å"A&P†. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature Eighth Edition. Ed.

Case Analysis of Rogers Chocolates Essay

There are multiple issues facing Rogers’ Chocolates. Rogers’ has a dated value proposition. In order to expand they need to compromise the history behind the brand. The service tactics and packaging is old fashioned. The need for a different look was further backed by a consultant hired by Rogers’. Their current traditions may be well received in Victoria but they aren’t working to fully expand markets. Rogers’ brand image was tarnished due to the import of raw materials from West Africa. West Africa was faced with issues of forced labor and child labor used in the production of cocoa beans. In Victoria, matters concerning the social and community environment were important to consumers. This poor brand image had forced some consumers to switch brands. Although one cannot make every consumer happy, it is best to keep an appealing imagine in the media. The company had issues keeping track of demand, supply and the production of chocolate on an annual basis. This created issues with inventory. Production was also slowed, due to the daily setup and equipment. Production was one shift daily and it was very labor intensive. Rogers’ also had issues with demand forecasting as it was difficult to track due to seasonality of sales. Rogers’ product had a shelf life of 6 months but smaller wholesalers were selling expired products, another area where the supply to wholesalers should be tracked. Another key issue with Rogers’ was the market they served. Since Rogers’ relied on serving a niche affluent segment of the market who sought luxury and supreme quality, they lost consumers. Their premium price point scared consumers and wholesale accounts away. The consumers of Rogers’ were also tourists who were steadily declining. Rogers’ Chocolates was also experiencing the decline in its foreign consumer base, as the ratio of tourists visiting Victoria had declined over the years. Recommendations Rogers’ Chocolates has to target the younger market and update the design of its packaging, for some of the items. They should use flashier tins and wrappers to gear to those consumers outside of Victoria. However, they should maintain what works for consumers in Victoria. They should take advantage of social media which is less costly as compared to other means of  advertising to lure in new consumers. This will boost sales and revenue. They need to increase brand awareness and reach out to a greater number of consumers through electronic or print advertisement. Television advertisement should also be used in a larger scope. They need to communicate to consumers about what they are doing to play their part in the community. Rogers’ should go public on what are they doing to promote themselves in the realm of social responsibility. Rogers’ should tie the community into charity events to create brand awareness. They need to improve consumers’ thoughts about their brand due to the issues in West Africa. They need to adopt effective public relations avenues as a means of promoting the positive image of the brand. Sam’s Deli needs a clearer vision, better management and more recruitment. They need to decide whether franchising would be a viable and profitable option. Rogers’ should also add a section of Rogers’ chocolates at Sam’s Deli so that the visitors to the restaurant may also purchase the assortment, which could secure new loyal consumers. They should provide free chocolate samples at Sam’s as a marketing ploy. Rogers’ production needs improvement. They need to establish effective tools to forecast changes in the consumer’s demand of chocolate in the local market, and match the production accordingly to avoid extra expenses and excessive waste. They should consider adding more shifts. This will put further stress on recruiting better workers, however it will make them more efficient. Rogers’ should adopt better opening, closing and cleaning procedures. They should look into the costs behind mechanical production vs hand made. This can potentially make them more efficient as well. All this should be done without compromising quality. They should consider offering a more price friendly product vs high price point to open the market up to those who aren’t affluent but still will pay for quality chocolates. In their retail stores they should continue creating a positive image of the brand in the mind of the visitors. They should also continue to create strong brand loyalty and continue to market themselves as a unique gift item which can be given to others. Porters Model Threat of New Entrants The growth rate in the chocolate industry is falling, which makes the threat of new entrants low. However, the traditional manufacturers are moving toward premium chocolate in an effort to maintain significant profit margins. This makes a moderate threat of entrants. They are doing this through market acquisitions or up marketing. There is also a greater profit margin in case of premium chocolate which makes it a more attractive tactic for the new entrants. Bargaining Power of Consumers Consumers have a moderate level of bargaining power. The loyal Rogers’ consumers dictate the packaging and store experience. Rogers’ has held onto this traditional view for their consumers. Consumers will pay the higher price because they value Rogers’ and will not switch brands. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The suppliers have moderate level of bargaining power. Consumers wanted healthier options but Rogers couldn’t gain any support from suppliers to be a part of its organic or fair trade plan of action. Threat of Substitute products and services The substitute products can be any other non-premium chocolate bar, chocolate products or candy. There are many different chocolate products available and most are an easy to find. There are about 20 options at close reach in the checkout line at the grocery store. Chocolate is readily available and this is a large threat. Most will take advantage of that availability. There are also other services available; there may be smaller private chocolatier companies that play a role in substitute products. Intensity of Rivalry among competitors in an industry The chocolate industry has a high level of competitive rivalry. There were many organizations manufacturing and selling high quality premium chocolate including Godiva, Bernard, Callebert, Lindt and Purdy’s. The competitors were making efforts to gain a larger market share through offering high quality products, but they had more affordable prices in comparison to Rogers’. SWOT Analysis Rogers’ Strengths †¢High pre-Christmas sales. †¢Premium ice cream. †¢Loyal consumers. †¢High quality, luxurious brand image. †¢Market penetration through various outlets retail, wholesale, online mail and phone orders. Sam’s Deli playing a significant role in the sales and profitability of the chocolate sold by the company. †¢The retail store run by the company was capable of creating a positive image of the brand. †¢Viral marketing more effectively. †¢Internet as a source of marketing, with high quality websites that were easy to use. Rogers’ Weaknesses †¢The company had issues in case of keeping a record of demand, supply and production of chocolate on an annual basis, which inevitably resulted in inventory issues. †¢Poor community outreach. †¢Inefficient daily processes. Opportunities Rogers’ has the option to penetrate more locations outside of Victoria with better media coverage and advertising. †¢The can produce more if they streamline their production process, which will avoid inventory shortages. †¢Rogers’ can look into acquisitions or up marketing also to better position themselves in the market. Threats †¢Godiva, Bernard, Callebert, Lindt and Purdy’s. †¢Competitors were making efforts to gain a larger market share through offering high quality products, but they had more affordable prices. †¢Substitute products †¢Multiple chocolate manufacturers not listed, ie Nestle, Hershey etc.

Mind and Body - 866 Words

Mind and Body The concept of mind and body interactions has been debated among many modern philosophers. Some believe that our minds and bodies are different things, thus existing separately, while others believe that they exist as a whole. In this paper, I will be introducing two rationalist philosophical views regarding this topic, one which is by Rene Descartes and the other by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Rationalists, in philosophical terms, are the ones who obtain their knowledge through reasoning rather than the human senses. Descartes and Leibniz both have similar perspectives, but Leibniz takes a slightly different approach to improve Descartes’ argument. This paper will first show Descartes’ original argument, an example that proves the argument to be invalid, and then lastly, a revised version of the argument with Leibniz’s help. Rene Descartes is a modern French philosopher, who is famous for his line, â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† The meaning of this quote is that he must exist because he has the ability to think. In Descartes most famous work, The Meditations, he starts off by doubting everything, which is known as the Method of Doubt. He believes that our senses are always deceiving us in some way and so our senses are unreliable in proving anything. By this, he means that when we use our senses, such as our vision, to look at something, the way that the object looks from afar is different from the way it looks upfront, thus, deceiving us. However, DescartesShow MoreRelatedMind/Body Practices: Ancient Traditions with Contemporary Benefits3290 Words   |  14 Pagesyears later, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) became an official branch of the National Institutes of Health. Although alternative medicine has only recently gained official recognition in the United States, the mind/body practices that pervade NCCAM’s research have ancient roots. For example, the some forms of meditation, a t echnique originating in Eastern religions, can be traced back thousands of years. The American Yoga Association reports that yoga dates backRead MoreThe Mind Body And Body1341 Words   |  6 Pages The Mind-Body problem arises to Philosophy when we wonder what is the relationship between the mental states, like beliefs and thoughts, and the physical states, like water, human bodies and tables. For the purpose of this paper I will consider physical states as human bodies because we are thinking beings, while the other material things have no mental processes. The question whether mind and body are the same thing, somehow related, or two distinct things not related, has been asked throughoutRead MoreThe Mind And The Body1718 Words   |  7 PagesThe mind and the body are two different but unique essentials of an individual. Both the mind and the body play an important role in an individual’s life. From making decisions by using the brain, to being able to sense all five senses from the body, both parts illustrate its importance of existence. In today’s society, the mind and the body have shown a connection between how an individual regulates his or her own daily l ifestyle. Although, it hasn’t always been clear about how the mind and theRead MoreBodies and Minds2165 Words   |  9 PagesHow do our bodies and minds change from early to late adulthood? Joshua Lansberry Ashford University PSY 304 Lifespan Development Prof. Pamela Vincent May 18, 2015 How do our bodies and minds change from early to late adulthood? As we age does our mind simply begin to deteriorate in the same fashion as our body does in regards to it physical capabilities? Have you wondered what affect does peri and post-menopause have inRead MoreIs the mind independent to the body?791 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Is the mind independent to the body? The mind body problem is a philosophical problem that is concerned with the relationship between the mind and the body, whether the mind exists independently of the body or whether the mind and body are one substance. There is a vital difference between the mind and the body some would say, meaning that the mind is held responsible for mental elements such as pain, euphoria, desire, purpose, belief and kindness whereas the body is responsible for the physicalRead MoreThe Between Mind And Body1056 Words   |  5 PagesThere is no real answer for the question about if mind and body are the same or different, a person is made of mind and body and the both have different characteristics. Rene Descartes asked the question what am I. he gives and answer to the question by saying he is a thinking thig, if the body and mind are different from one other, mind can also continue with no body because it is not import for what he is. Moreover body is breakable and extender and mind is not breaka ble and non-extended, that is aRead MoreThe Mind And Body Dualism Essay1363 Words   |  6 PagesAs Descartes says, the mind and the body are one cohesive â€Å"object† that produce the behaviors and actions of a human being, Mind Body Dualism. However, is this concept truly intended to prove that, metaphorically speaking, the mind and body are one and that it is, physiologically speaking, connected through the pineal gland? Or, does it show that Descartes is connecting a material and immaterial substance, that both contain two different ideas in the proper function of a human being? The intentionRead MoreAnalysis Of Body And Mind Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesPaper #3 â€Å"Body and Mind† Recall: In â€Å"Body and Mind†, Rachels describes several popular attempts to resolve the â€Å"Mind-Body Problem†, which is an effort to understand what human mental states are and how they relate to our physical bodies: 1) Mind-Body Dualism asserts that the mind is nonphysical with private states while the body is physical with public states; 2) Behaviorism tries to resolve the problem by observing human behavior and relating that to mental thoughts and states; 3) Mind-Brain IdentityRead MoreThe Mind And Body Problem1046 Words   |  5 PagesPatel December 13, 2014 PHILO 1100-091 The Mind and Body Problem The issue of the origins of consciousness has been a problem that has philosophers and scientists alike, puzzled for years. Is it a matter of science? Can it be explained through neurobiological processes or is it just something that simply cannot be reduced to words? Rene Descartes had struggled to explain this problem through his idea of substance dualism. This idea states that the mind and body are of two separate worlds, the physicalRead MoreAnalysis Of The Body And Mind 855 Words   |  4 PagesProtocol Paper 3 – Body and Mind RECALL: In the Body and Mind chapter by Rachels it goes over many points. 1) Mind-Body dualism in a way to solve the mind-body problem, explains the relationship between mind and body facts. 2) It also points out the problems with mind-body dualism it is hard to see how a nonphysical mind could interact with a physical body. 3) Rachels points out that the mind-body dualism has largely disappeared from science and philosophy because it did not fit the emerging scientific