The rate of the reaction Essay Example for Free

The rate of the reaction Essay

William Blake Essay -- Biography William Blake Papers

William Blake William Blake was born in 1757 during a time when Romanticism was on the rise. Romantic poets of this day and age, living in England, experienced changes from a wealth-centered aristocracy to a modern industrial nation where power shifted to large-scale employers thus leading to the enlargement of the working class. Although Blake is seen as a very skillful writer his greatest successes were his engravings taught to him by a skilled sculpture. Blake differed from other poets in that he never received a formal education. His only education consisted of the arts, and therefore he enrolled in the Royal Academy of the Arts around the age of twelve. It was only in his spare time that he showed any interest in poetry. At the age of twenty-four he married Catherine Boucher who in fact had been illiterate at the time but Blake soon taught her to read. From there he pursued teaching in drawing and painting, illustrated books, and engraved designs made by other artists. It was only after many failures at the attempt of public recognition, and after years of isolation, that Blake had experienced his first audience. It was a small group of painters that admired his works and listened to every one of his talks. Blake is best known for intertwining his artistic talent and poetic flow. Proof of such success is seen in "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience", in which almost every poem has been engraved and beautifully sculpted onto a plaque. These two sets of poems represented what Blake believed to be the "two contrary states of the human soul". Blake was considered a social critic of his own time and often thought of himself as a prophet. His criticism was a reflection of his own country and of an era in time that... ...rth to awake, he is asking not to physically wake up but to really open your eyes to the world around you and see what you have become. See how materialistic and self-centered you have become. He says not to turn away because turning away won’t solve your problems only surpress them for the time being. The poem is drawn in a night’s sky to give the Earth the opportunity to wake up with the new morning.http://members.aa.net/~urizen/experience/soe02.html When Blake combined the two titles "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience" he added a phrase that sums up the meaning of the two. He added "Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul", these two states being childhood and adulthood. Childhood represents Innocence and adulthood represents Experience and what we do with our lives comes from childhood imagination and adulthood determination and judgment.

Religion and So-called German Christians Essay

Religion continues to be one of the most influential forces in the world. It has been seen to provide great peace and harmony to believers, but it has also been the cause if not an actual reason for some of history’s greatest wars. It can be used as justification from leaders of war, can it also serve as an instrument of resolution as well? Religion has come to be a much stronger force than any material incentives. It is far better at directing positive behaviour towards social betterment than any laws or physical force. For instance, Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr conducted non-violent protests based upon religious beliefs. Religion can also be used to help bring people together as they are more willing to work together. By contrast, places that reject religion, such as Revolutionary France, communist Russia and China, or Nazi Germany are often very brutally oppressive. However, it is not always the case. For example, Iran: a country where religion is so prevalent is equally as oppressive as these countries. Incidentally, religion can be very dangerous because it can and has been used to justify horrific acts. Crusaders not only killed many Muslims, they also massacred many Jews and Eastern Christians in the process of attempting to win control of the Holy Land. Adolf Hitler’s followers – among them the so-called German Christians – were believers in their Fuhrer. The Inquisition carried out its torture in the name of God. Religion should never be involved in politics because it can then be used as an instrument of control. However, in places where religion develops freely and people have free access to places of worship, it provides people with a sense of hope, praying serves as therapy and members of a congregation feel a sense of community and friendship. Some of the greatest works of art were created in the name of God. Furthermore, Woodrow Wilson suggested that a strong affinity exists between religious commitment and patriotism. Love of country, just like the love of God certainly inspires good deeds but not always. Furthermore, religion may have led to the creation of the world’s finest art, but it has also caused its destruction. Religion can be a source of extreme nationalism. In Christianity, Islam and Judaism, God is described as â€Å"mighty warrior, â€Å"just king† and â€Å"righteous judge.† He apparently punished the unjust, the unrighteous and the disobedient. The idea that a nation is the instrument of God’s will has led to war and the subjugation of people viewed as ungodly. Fundamentalism clouds everything. There is a need to be right and superior, which develops an ego and once we fall foul to it, we are lost. Conversely, biblical commandments are the basis of Western ethical and legal systems. It has seen to teach us tolerance for people with other beliefs and opinions. Usually believers are more peaceful, law-abiding and tolerant than the non-believers in the world. Some people need it psychologically and without it may step to extremism such as suicide or anarchy. However, some live in a delusion and in a constant state of intellectual dishonesty. Some people, who are so far devout in their own beliefs, use them to beat other beliefs and religious groups into submission. Religions like Islam justify ‘holy’ wars against the unfaithful, meaning those of other religions. This can also be seen in the violence of the crusades launched by Christians in the medieval period and by later wars between Protestant and Catholic. Religious conviction like the extremist Hindu groups against Christians and Muslims in India has paved the way for the terrorist attacks in New York City on September eleventh 2001. Religious clashes have led to some of the most heinous human behaviour in recorded history. Western states grew as a result of religion and religious philosophy. Western European and North American societies are still based on Protestant ideals of diligence, thrift and moderation. The very existence of theocratic state, proves that governments in these states are much more stable than regimes in secular countries because leaders are viewed as appointed by God. Political stability, in turn, leads to economic welfare. Despite this, Theocratic states become totalitarian regimes because they are based upon obedience to a ruler who is seen as God’s representative rather than a democratic constitution. They may be stable but they are not essentially concerned with their people’s welfare. By prioritising religious imperatives over economic development and by their intolerance of the questionable types who drive economic process states like Iran have become corrupt, authoritarian and poor. In conclusion, I believe that religion provides many opportunities and hope for those who have nothing else to turn to, it helps bring unity and sometimes peace into communities. However, I also believe that it has become a perversion of the redemptive message of Jesus, by so-called devout humans using their beliefs to ruin and destroy the lives of many others. I myself am agnostic and am very open-minded.

The Souls Journey Death And Rebirth - 1156 Words

In this essay i will argue for the idea of the soul surviving death. The idea of surviving death has been floating around for years and has been debated by many. It is undeniable that the physical body cannot survive death, but the soul is a whole other matter. The soul itself, the containment of our thoughts, personality and experiences, survives the biological death of the body. The belief in the soul requires the belief in reincarnation based simply on science because of the laws of thermodynamics. Energy cannot be created or destroyed- it can only change its form. The soul it’s self can never be destroyed or die, thus must be reborn. Since the body is recycled by decay and decomposition after death, so does the soul, the soul is recycled by taking birth in a new form. To become something new while containing something old. We are all born with a full soul that has a personality, but as we grow, we grow into our personalities; we become more us as we age. The soul doesnâ₠¬â„¢t require an actually body to live but without a body the soul can’t gain new knowledge or experiences. The soul takes the form of many different species to obtain the greatest experience of physical life. The two philosophical articles i will be using in this essay are Rosenberg’s â€Å"life after death† and Suits’s argument. Summarization of the two articles: Rosenberg â€Å"life after death†: claims death is one of five things: end of existence, end of life, end of the condition of life, end of life historyShow MoreRelatedPhilosophy 108 (Death and Dying) - Transcending Death Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Transcending Death Introduction The anthropology of death is a fascinating field of study which depicts the conceptualization of death, the modes of death, and from various funerary rites/rituals that a Western society might even find repulsive or enchanting. Why is it that the most appealing form of media among kids is about superheroes overcoming adversity or death, and then the hero comes in to save the day? The answer is quite simple, because humans find death interesting. Is it due to theRead MoreThe Five Stages Of Grief951 Words   |  4 PagesDeath is just another state we encounter in the human life. Death is the state of being when the brain and brain stem stop working and the effects become irreversible. Once a person passes, his or her love ones go through many stages of grieving. The famous Kubler-Ross model, commonly referred to as the â€Å"five stages of grief,† is a great representation of the stages. These stages do not occur in any particular order, but it is predicted these stages do occur in most people. The grievers notRead MoreA Green Crabs Shell by Mark Doty847 Words   |  3 Pagesboth the positive and negative aspects. Doty starts the poem with the speaker’s description of the shell as â€Å"something retrieved / from a Greco-Roman wreck† (5-6). Rather than just noting the shell, he uses â€Å"retrieved† to encompass the metaphoric journey of bringing and connecting the Roman and Greek empires to the present day through the shell (5). By comparing the shell to the Greek and Roman Empires, which have become symbols of strength and power, he emphasizes the magnitude of the shell and itsRead MoreBuddhism : The Four Noble Truths859 Words   |  4 Pagespractice of Buddhism have largely based teachings today across the world. The teachings consisted of â€Å"The Eightfold Paths,† â€Å"The Four Noble Truths† and some other breathings or meditations. The religion has taught their followers to shadow their own journey in ord er to assist them in their own lightning way. Some of the practice teachings include meditation and breathing exercise, and chant. Buddhism is a religion that has been around for centuries. Religion can be greatly influenced by its surroundingsRead MoreThe Concept Of Self And Selflessness1622 Words   |  7 Pagesself and selflessness is prime to all Indian philosophies. Two of India’s most popular religious systems, Jainism and Buddhism, teach renunciation of the self in order to reach Samadhi and Dharma (i.e. enlightenment, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth and correct living) (Collins, 1990). While Jainism vehemently espouses denial of self, both as an ideological concept and as a tangible reality, Buddhism teaches renunciation of self by way of still using the self as a vehicle for such understandingRead More Life of the Soul Revealed in Sailing to Byzantium and Shadows2598 Words   |  11 Pagesthe Soul Revealed in Sailing to Byzantium and Shadows  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The view of death from an aged individual can be one of acceptance of his life’s end or one of mystified wonder over the immortality of the soul. Both William Butler Yeats and David Herbert Lawrence take the latter view in their respective poems, Sailing to Byzantium and Shadows. By viewing death as a continuation of their soul’s life in a different realm of being, they provide a comforting solution to the fear that death mayRead MoreBuddhism : Religion Of Buddhism1282 Words   |  6 Pagesor Way of Buddha . Which means following the teachings of the enlightened one. Buddhism is the religion of spiritual enlightenment through the suppressing of one’s worldly desires. Buddhism takes one on the path of a spiritual journey, to become one with their soul. It teaches one how to comprehend life’s mysteries, and to cope with them. In this essay, I will first start of will how the religion began and who was the founder of Buddhism. Next I would be explaining where and how this religionRead MoreThe Concept Of Hinduism And Buddhism1513 Words   |  7 Pageson a path to enlightenment. Hinduism believes that a person’s life is the journey of the soul, the Hindu goes through a series of reincarnations that finally leads to â€Å"Moksha† or Salvation, which refers to freeing the body from the cycle of rebirths (this is only attainable after reaching spiritual perfection). Buddhists seek to attain a state of Nirvana. Nirvana is believed to be the end of the cycle of death and rebirth and Buddhism teaches that Nirvana is attained when all want and suffering isRead MoreEssay about Journey Of The Magi1248 Words   |  5 Pages T.S. Eliot’s Journey of the Magi This Christmas poem is about the Epiphany and was created the very year of Eliot’s conversion to Christianity (Fleisner, 66). Therefore the theme of religion is an important one if we are to analyse the poem correctly. In the book of Ephesians in the Bible, Paul describes the rebirth of the world upon Christ’s death, emphasising the Ephesians’ new life (2:4-5). This theme of death and rebirth is present in the poem Journey of the Magi, which, I will argue, isRead MoreThe Concept Of Self And Selflessness1619 Words   |  7 Pagesconcept of self and selflessness is prime to all Indian philosophies. Two of India’s philosophical systems, Jainism and Buddhism, teach renunciation of the self in order to reach Samadhi and Dharma (i.e. enlightenment, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth and correct living) (Collins, 1990). While Jainism strongly espouses denial of self, both as an ideological concept and as a tangible reality, Buddhism teaches renunciation of self by way of still using the self as a vehicle for such understanding