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Ansel Adams was one of the most famous photographers in his day. He was born in 1902 in San Francisco, California. Growing up, Adams was high-strung and shy. He did not perform well in school due to his behavioral problems and an earthquake accident that left his nose crooked, making him self conscious. As a result, he was homeschooled by members of his family and tutors starting at age twelve. It is important to note that Adams’ unique and solitary childhood led to him developing an early relationship with nature, often taking long walks or hikes in the San Francisco area. Adams developed an early passion for piano, teaching himself and eventually getting a teacher who strictly demanded excellence, giving Adams direction and discipline that would later shape his photography career. At age fourteen, Adams’ family visited Yosemite, and he used a camera he received as a gift to capture the incredible sights he witnessed. This would later be recognized as the beginning of his lifelong love for photography and nature combined. In 1917 Ansel Adams made his second trip to Yosemite. He came better equipped with better supplies and cameras, and took up a part time job as a dark room assistant, learning to develop photos and print film. Adams’ experiences at Yosemite were key in shaping his career and lifetime.
Get original essayIn 1919, Adams joined the Sierra Club, an environmental organization founded by John Muir, an influential naturalist and conservationist. Adams took a job as a caretaker at the Sierra Club LeConte Lodge in Yosemite and his stay during this time allowed him to expand his photography and conservationist career. His residence at Yosemite also made it possible for him to connect with many important people of his time, including Joseph LeConte, a leading conservation scientist. The Sierra Club was essential to Adams’ success. According to William Turnage and the Oxford University Press, 1922 was the first year in which Adams’ photographs appeared in the club’s bulletin, truly allowing his career to take flight. By 1934, Adams had been voted onto the board of directors and “was well established as both the artist of the Sierra Nevada and the defender of Yosemite” (William Turnage, 2016). Yosemite was such a meaningful part of Adams’ life - he even met his wife there and they married in 1928.
Ansel Adams used his photography to influence politics. In 1936 Adams represented the Sierra Club at a parks conference in Washington. The club selected him to present a proposal for a park in the Kings River Sierra, because they felt that his photographs would be very influential to those making the decision. The Sierra Club was smart in choosing Adams to represent them, because photography had been a key part of the creation of other popular parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. After presenting his proposal, Adams received an invitation from the Secretary of the Interior to create a photomural of his landscapes to reside in the new Interior Department building. That indeed was a great honor, but the park proposal had not been accepted yet, so Adams continued his efforts. In 1938 he published a book, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, which ended up being highly praised by respected artists and photographers. This book may have been the reason the National Parks Service took a second look at Adams’ Sierra Nevada portfolio, and wrote him: “Recently we transmitted to Secretary Ickes the complimentary copy of your new Sierra Nevada portfolio which you sent to the National Park Service. Yesterday the Secretary took it to the White House and showed it to the President, who was so impressed with it that the Secretary gave it to him. In later discussion, Secretary Ickes expressed his keen desire to have a copy for his use also” (Robert Turnage, 1980). Shortly after that, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes wrote Adams, saying “My dear Mr. Adams: I am enthusiastic about the book— The John Muir Trail —which you were so generous as to send me. The pictures are extraordinarily fine and impressive. I hope before this session of Congress adjourns the John Muir National Park in the Kings Canyon area will be a legal fact. Then we can be sure that your descendants and mine will be able to take as beautiful pictures as you have taken—that is, provided they have your skill and artistry” (Robert Turnage, 1980). It is truly remarkable that Adams’ photos were able to speak on such a level that they impacted the decision to make the park a reality. Finally, in 1940, Kings Canyon became a national park. Adams received a message from the National Parks Service declaring that his book, Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail, was the most influential piece in creating the park. National Park Service Director Arno Cammerer wrote: “So long as that book is in existence, it will go on justifying the park” (Robert Turnage, 1980). This truly demonstrates how significant Adams’ works were in the political realm.
Adams continued to be involved with the government, beginning his photomural project for the Interior Department in 1941. He ended up having to pause his work because of World War II. During this time he worked as a “photographic consultant” to the Armed Services and in addition worked for the Office of War Information. He visited the Manzanar War Relocation Center and documented the Japanese Americans in the camp, ultimately “breaking new ground for civil rights” (Wilderness.net, 2006). In 1968 Adams received the Conservation Service Award by the Department of the Interior, and he was pictured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1979. In 1980 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Carter, the highest honor a citizen can receive. For all his influence in politics, Adams was also inducted into the California Hall of Fame by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the First Lady Maria Shriver in 2007.
Every single photograph that Adams captured held significance, but some works stand out as being the most influential. Among those works is a very famous photograph titled “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome” (See Appendix A). This photograph was part of Adams’ first complete portfolio, released in 1927. It was considered his “first fully visualized photograph” (William Turnage, 2016) and for the rest of his career Adams would be recognized for this stellar image. The photo captures a sight that the general public likely would not have been able to easily see. Adams had to climb four thousand feet through a substantial amount of snow to get to a granite outcropping. From there he set up his camera and waited for the light to fall on the cliff, eventually capturing the iconic shot. The image lets the public see what has been so important to Adams for so many years. By exposing citizens to these images, Adams is able to impress upon them the importance of national parks. Even though the concept of sustainability is a relatively new one, as an environmentalist, Adams had many of the same ideas in mind when he was photographing parks such as Yosemite. “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome” is a great representation of a photograph that introduces nature to the public and shows them that it needs preservation.
Another notable work from Ansel Adams is his photograph titled “Clearing Winter Storm” (See Appendix B). Taken in Yosemite National Park in 1940, this photograph clearly demonstrates Adams’ intimate relationship with photography and Yosemite. He knew the park so well that he always knew where to go to capture the perfect moments, and his passion for nature always came through in his photographs. This forced anyone who viewed them to feel eagerness for the environment in the way that he did. By eloquently capturing the view of Yosemite Valley in this photograph, Adams was able to portray the importance of preservation. Environmentally speaking, Adams’ top issues were Yosemite National Park, the National Park System, and the preservation of wilderness (William Turnage, 2016). He especially resisted the National Parks Service’s attempts to over-develop parks, insisting that nature should remain in its most natural form. “Clearing Winter Storm” exhibits his ideal picture for all parks. The photo is so raw, clearly demonstrating how the environment should remain forever.
Adams’ images are all about inspiration. They inspire audiences to care about the world that they live in. A particularly inspirational Ansel Adams photograph from 1944 stunningly portrays the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. He titled the image “Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine” (See Appendix C). This photograph, displaying the expansive scale of the mountain range, is a great motivation to the public. They see this grand encapsulation of the mountains and realize that the land is precious and valuable. It is wild, magnificent and awe-inspiring and thanks to Ansel Adams, every American is now aware of the vast features that make America unique. This photo is widely praised for the technique used as well. Adams always carefully considered every element in his photos, making sure the light was perfect and the situation was just right for a photo. “The varying light and dark composition endures as a mystical and enchanting image of the wilderness. Adams uses his visualization techniques to create a rich and powerful landscape scene that inspires the viewer to share in the beauty of nature” (Kaela Nurmi, 2014). Adams’ impeccable technique adds to the effectiveness of the message being portrayed through his photos, and as a result, he is largely successful in motivating the American people to care about the natural wilderness that surrounds them.
Ansel Adams was not alone in his powerful desire to preserve what remained of the wilderness and natural beauty of the United States. Rachel Carson, born five years after Adams, had very similar values and opinions as Adams. Carson, a well-known author, published a book titled Silent Spring in 1962. Carson’s ideas in her book focused on the harmful use of chemicals and pesticides, a concept that was not widely accepted at that time. She even wrote to Reader’s Digest to suggest the publishing of an article documenting a series of tests on DDT, but the magazine rejected her proposal (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2015). Thirteen years later, Carson tried again to generate public interest regarding the harmful effects of DDT, and she was again rejected. Carson decided to take control of the subject and began to write Silent Spring, which encompassed the effects of chemicals (specifically DDT) on nature and the planet. She received some negative feedback from chemical industries and general panic from the public, because those issues had not yet been brought to light and it was the first time they were being put into consideration. Eventually Carson was recognized and praised for her dedication to bringing these environmental issues to the public. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980, the same year Ansel Adams did.
Like Ansel Adams, Rachel Carson enlightened the public with new information about the environment and the future. On page ten of Silent Spring, Carson states: “Nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has displayed a passion for simplifying it. Thus he undoes the built-in checks and balances by which nature holds the species within bounds” (Silent Spring, 1962, 10). Carson essentially asserts that humans have gotten into the habit of undoing nature’s natural way and interfering with natural processes. Adams shared this opinion, as he worked tirelessly to convey the importance of preserving our natural world through his incredibly influential photographs. Adams was particularly adamant about the over-development of parks. He often stressed the concept of the “spiritual-emotional aspects of parks and wilderness areas” (Digital Public Library of America, 2016) and frequently voiced his negativity toward excessive tourism and over-development in parks. Adams knew that too much human activity in such natural places would upset the ideal balance between humans and nature. Rachel Carson felt similarly, stating “The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials” (Silent Spring, 1962, 6). It is evident that both Carson and Adams felt strongly about the preservation of natural beauty in the world, and both dedicated their lives to voicing their opinions through their craft.
In addition to Rachel Carson, Adams’ views were shared by Aldo Leopold, an American author, scientist, ecologist, conservationist and environmentalist. Aldo Leopold was born in 1887, fifteen years before Adams, and was “considered by many the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system” (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016). An advanced writer and scholar, Leopold developed an idea for a book appealing to public audiences discussing “humanity’s relationship to the natural world” (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016), and in 1949, Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac was published. A Sand County Almanac provides intricate explanations and observations of the different types of plants and animals Leopold found on the farm he was trying to restore to its natural state (Richard Pierre, 2016). A Sand County Almanac is believed to be “one of the most respected books about the environment ever published” (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016), leading Leopold to be recognized as “the most influential conservation thinker of the twentieth century” (Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2016). A Sand County Almanac introduces Leopold’s idea of the “land ethic” - an idea that human beings should start being more responsible and aware of the biotic community. Ethics deal with what is right and wrong, and the land ethic applies the idea of morals to our environment around us. Aldo Leopold’s central theme can be found in this excerpt from A Sand County Almanac: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (A Sand County Almanac, 1949). This statement directly aligns with Ansel Adams’ beliefs that nature should remain pure as captured and portrayed through his photographs. Both Leopold and Adams widely understood that nature was precious and special, and it was to be treated in that way. “...a land ethic changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and also respect for the community as such” (A Sand County Almanac, 1949). Aldo Leopold understood the importance of respecting the biotic and natural community, and Ansel Adams’ photographs exhibited the same idea. By rarely including people in his photographs, Adams commanded the idea that nature is sacred and should be preserved in that way.
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Get custom essayBoth Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold captured the same ideas that Ansel Adams did , but Adams differs in the way that he exposed his ideas to the public. He used photographs, which proved to be the most powerful way of conveying his environmental message. He was greatly successful but overall put his love for nature above everything else. When he died, he chose not to have a funeral. He wanted to have a small concert put on for his friends and family, demonstrating his appreciation for art and relationships. Ansel Adams was an incredibly influential photographer whose works will never be forgotten. In 1984, the year that Adams died, Congress enlarged the Minarets Wilderness, near Yosemite, to over 200,000 acres and renamed it the Ansel Adams Wilderness (Wilderness.net, 2006). In addition, his memory continues to live on through Mount Ansel Adams, an 11,760 foot-tall peak in the Sierra Nevada, named after Adams in 1985 (Masters of Photography, 2016). Ansel Adams is recognized as one of the most widely-acclaimed photographers in conservationist history, and his photographs are thought to be the most famous and significant in the history of conservation. His images have been famous for years and they will continue to be impactful for generations to come.
This essay is meant to give the reader insight and talk about a certain position on a highly public and controversial topic, that topic being whether or not video games cause violence in people. Across the world, there are video games that have uncensored violence and gore throughout them. Games such as Grand Theft Auto 5 and Call of Duty simulating shooting and running people over with little to no consequences. This has raised a debate among people all across the world. Some people say it depends on the person playing the game. While other people believe that if you play a violent video game no matter your age or mentality, you will become the next mass shooter. This debate can be easily settled by facts and data from copious creditable sources.
Get original essayMany things can cause a person to do serious criminal acts such as mass murder and genocide. A person with a stable mindset doesn’t just wake up thinking it would be a great day to kill a large amount of people. The following explanations are to help prove what could cause a person to be mentally unstable and prepositioned to commit such crimes.
Genetics come from both parents as DNA. DNA makes who you are, therefore you will be like your parents. For example, having an alcoholic father growing up, as well as a drunk before you were conceived. Through Genetics/DNA you are prepositioned to become an alcoholic when you become older. The same can be said about violence. If your father had a very violent past, you are prepositioned to be a more volatile person, compared to a person who didn’t have a father with a violent history.
Your environment shapes you from a very young age and has a huge impact on your development process. The environment can shape people into a very nice and nurturing person, but it can also shape a person into an angry and bitter person. This tends to happen in the early stages of life (0-12 years of age.) A kid with an abusive parent will not grow up in a safe or comfortable environment. This will preposition the kid to have a dark and violent outlook on the world, but it is not always just there. There, more times than not, have to be a “first reaction” or interaction that brings back that part of their mindset. In this case, it would be video games. “The video games would glorify horrific crimes and show the player another way to be violent in the world.” There also tends to be very little repercussions for committing such action in video games, which makes it seem fun.
Desensitization is a process that diminishes emotional responsiveness to a negative. But is there desensitization to prolonged use of video games? For those who are able to separate fantasy from reality, the answer is no. For others who are unable to understand and separate life from fiction, I don't think it desensitizes them, but I do think it gives them ideas for how they can 'take it to the next level' by acting out the games in real life. “Some want to see if they get the same exhilaration by committing the acts in life as they do in the video games.” If a stable minded individual plays a violent video, it doesn’t matter how much time they spend playing While if a mentally unstable person was to play the exact same game, it would. The more they play, the more graphic material they would be exposed too, possibly giving them more ideas.
Some people with a lack of companionship or reinforcement, may seek attention through committing severe crimes. For example, multiplayer games, there is a great deal of positive reinforcement by other players for success in the games, which would be to engage in extremely violent behavior. As you know, Positive Reinforcement is inordinately powerful, therefore some may believe that if they get that much positive attention for killing in a game, they will receive even more if they demonstrate it in real life. This is faulty reality testing.
Let's take schizophrenia for example, schizophrenia has many symptoms, which include (but are not limited to) aggression, agitation, compulsive behavior, hostility, self-harm, lack of restraint, delusion, anger, anxiety, apathy, inappropriate emotional response, hallucination, paranoia, hearing voices, depression, fear, and persecutory delusion. To me, that does not sound like a person who should be playing games where you very graphically and realistically kill people for entertainment. This could give them ideas to commit cries exactly like the ones in the video games in real life.
Violent video games do not influence people that have a steady mind, aren’t pre-positioned to have anger problems, have any mental illnesses, and can differentiate fantasy versus reality.
On the other side of the argument, there are some people that think that all violent video games cause people to commit violent acts like the ones in the video games. They don’t take into account if the person was mentally ill or unstable, they think that ordinary people pick up a shooter game and instantly become the next mass shooter.
People firmly believe that video games can easily change a person’s mind, some even deeming gaming a “sin” and that it was made by the devil. Some people believe gaming can make you mentally ill and change your brain chemistry and turn you into a mass killing machine.
There is no scientific merit that proves or supports this theory. The only website(s) or people that could be found supporting this theory are from people that have no degrees and have never done any studies.
The study from James Avery (2019) states 'Another reason we like point to video games is because we don't want to talk about other things that we know are much more likely to be relevant. Strong predictors of violent crime include things such as poverty, substance abuse, and child abuse.” Which helps disprove that video games cause bad in all people.
Overall, violent video games can cause or help procure the idea of causing violence in people that have mental illness or may be unstable. As well as in very young kids that are subjected to violent and gory acts. People who have no mental illness and is mentally stable won’t be affected by the violence at all, no matter how often, or how long they play for.
There is a stacking amount of data and facts that prove this position and disprove the theory that all video games cause violence in anyone who plays them.
Antagonistic relationships are as human as harmonious relationships, perhaps even more so. ‘The Rival’, a powerful poem by acclaimed American poet Sylvia Plath, centers around a universal theme of rivalry and conflict, masterfully depicting the complexity of the state of being against someone. Literally, the poem describes the similarities between a so identified ‘rival’ and the moon, while figuratively, it portrays this same rival as something more than human. The form of the poem follows a stanzaic structure consisting of four stanzas whose lines vary in length and ending. Throughout these four stanzas, Sylvia Plath utilizes a collection of paradoxes with the purposes of exploring a theme of antagonism and the conflicting feelings one might experience towards a superior adversary. The contrasting ideas that appear all through ‘The Rival’ serve to highlight the natural animosity that characterizes rivalry and portray the less talked about involuntary admiration for the greater individual.
Get original essayStructurally, the poem is not significant, while the narrative voice is, as the speaker’s contrasting tone towards the rival, spiteful yet awed, resembles the conflicting emotional response an individual may experience when confronted by a superior adversary. The poem’s structure is stanzaic, consisting of four stanzas, the first three of which are made up of five lines, while the last one only has two lines. The narration, a much more interesting aspect of this particular poem, is admirable in the fluctuating tone of the speaker, who takes on the persona of someone who was wronged by a so called ‘rival’. The contrasting characterization of this rival between lines 1 to 3 of the first stanza, and lines 1 and 2 of the second stanza, perfectly illustrates this variance in tone. In the first stanza, particularly in line 3, where Plath writes, “Of something beautiful, but annihilating.” she attributes negative qualities to the rival, however these are second to its admirable features. In lines 1 and 2 of the second stanza, on the other hand, Plath writes that the moon, like the rival, “abuses her subjects”, thus ascribing a malevolent quality to it, and furthers the unfavorable characterization by stating that, again in comparison to the rival, the moon, when day comes, “is ridiculous”. In this divergent characterization, the rival is first described as an attractive individual, even when its destructiveness is recognized. Later on, in contrast, the rival is depicted as an abusive force, which is “in the daytime”, possibly signifying when clearly seen, absurd and laughable. This is significant, as it creates a tone of admiration towards the rival on the first stanza, and a dissimilar tone of resentment and critique in the second stanza. The effect of this changing, contrasting tone on the theme of antagonism is important, as it reinforces the idea of a contradictory, complex response to a rival, which is further developed in the poem’s literal and figurative meaning.
The poem’s literal meaning suggests that a rival has similar qualities to the moon, while the poem’s figurative meaning, a much more important feature, elevates this same rival to a supernatural being. On a literal level, the poem is focused on the resemblances between the rival and the moon. On a more profound, figurative level, the poem depicts the rival as something more than human, whose almost ethereal characteristics are both admired and rejected. In the fourth line of the first stanza, for instance, Plath compares the rival to the moon with the words “Both of you are great light borrowers”. Through her choice of diction in the use of the word “both”, Plath attributes the same quality of “light borrower” as the moon to the rival. This is significant, as the power to borrow light goes beyond any human capacity, which places the rival on a supernatural plane. Moreover, as it implicitly suggests the power to create darkness, it brings to mind a quality of evil and wickedness. Plath’s diction is also relevant in this line in the use of the word ‘borrow’. Borrowing implies a certain connection between individuals, as well as an assumption by the lending party that the borrowing party will take care of whatever has been shared. Possibly, Plath chooses this word instead of a more traditional ‘taker’ to hint at the nature of the relationship between the speaker and the rival, suggesting that they were close prior to being enemies, which makes their confrontation even worse. Likewise, Plath’s employment of the word “light” is noteworthy, as it could provide insight into what or who has been borrowed. Connotatively, the term light brings to mind a sense of joy and contentment, or something or someone who provides guidance and direction. This could mean that the rival has taken the speaker’s happiness and comfort, likely in the form of a person. Arguably, Plath’s intention in utilizing these two words is to develop the figurative meaning of the poem by subtly representing the relationship the speaker and the rival used to have, and touching on the quality and importance of that which the rival took. The effect of giving the same status to the rival and the moon, suggesting that the rival, like the moon, can be a great light borrower, has a dual impact on the audience’s perception of the rival; the reader is both awed by the rival’s supernatural abilities, and horrified at its mysterious and likely evil power. Similarly, the effect of the diction utilized to describe this capability on the reader’s understanding of the conflict between the speaker and the rival is remarkable, as it hints at a possible cause for its initiation and provides a feasible explanation to one of the reasons why the speaker might have such a contrasting view of the rival.
Another instance in which Plath depicts the rival as a supernatural being through the figurative meaning of the poem is in the first line of the second stanza, where she writes that the rival’s first gift is “making stone out of everything”. Through this clear allusion to Medusa, a monster in Greek mythology who possesses the power to turn those who gaze into her eyes to stone, the author gives the rival a fantastical, eerie quality. This is of considerable importance, as it reinforces the speaker’s perception of the rival as a powerful being with admirable yet detestable attributes. The audience can infer that the speaker admires the rival’s power based on Plath’s use of the word “gift” to introduce this capability, as it suggests that it is something to be desired or craved. At the same time, readers can deduce that the speaker rejects this ability as “making stone out of everything” is indicative of death and destruction. The effect of this allusion on the characterization of the rival is profound, as it aids in Plath’s portrayal of the speaker’s antagonist as an adversary whose superiority is both awe-inspiring and loathsome. This contradictory image of the rival, and the impact this has upon the audience’s understanding of it and the idea of conflict, is further constructed through a number of literary devices, the most relevant of which are paradoxes.
Plath employs paradox throughout the poem to develop a theme of antagonism and explore the complex dual reaction one might experience towards a rival. An example of this can be found in the first stanza, where Plath begins the rival’s characterization through a metaphorical comparison of the rival and the moon. In line three, Plath describes the impression the rival has upon the speaker with the words, “Of something beautiful, but annihilating”. The diction she employs is significant in her choice of adjectives, as their connotative meanings construct a seemingly irreconcilable image. The word ‘beautiful’ connotatively suggests that the rival is fair, kind and virtuous, while the term ‘annihilating’ has contradictory connotations of malevolence and evil. This is remarkable as in making the speaker address both the positive and negative attributes of its rival, Plath emphasizes the intricacy of antagonistic relationships where opponents cannot be completely dismissed as flat, one dimensional, cruel characters with no laudable qualities. This has an effect on the theme of antagonism, as by depicting the speaker’s contrary perception of the rival, Plath explores the idea that antagonistic relationships are made harder to bear by one’s inability to disregard the positive attributes of the opposing party. This, in accordance to the possible interpretation of the ability to ‘borrow light’, where the diction is indicative of a certain level of acquaintance and a loss of something or someone valuable, could arguably be a consequence of the speaker’s previous amiable or even close relationship with the rival.
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Get custom essaySylvia Plath's “The Rival”, is an admirable poem that discusses one of the most impactful human relationships, rivalry. Through a masterful employment of literary elements, notably the use of paradoxes to present a contradictory image of the rival, the poet explores a theme of antagonism, centering on the complexities of an individual’s response to a superior adversary. The narration, specifically the fluctuating tone of the speaker towards the rival, is also of critical importance in developing this theme, as it portrays how the speaker, who arguably represents all those who have been wronged, perceives its rival, who likewise embodies all adversaries. Similarly, the figurative meaning of the poem highlights this theme by further characterizing the rival as a complex being who the speaker, although aware of its detestable attributes, cannot help but admire. Arguably, this theme is connected to Plath’s life experiences, and could refer to the relationship she had with her husband’s mistress. If so, it is possible that they were close before being rivals, which would explain the speaker’s conflicting feelings. Regardless, “The Rival” is a masterful exploration of antagonism and should be held in high regard because of the honest depiction of how individuals are affected when in conflict with others.
According to Genesis, “humans occupy a privileged position in all creation” (DesJardins 98). Naturally, those who subscribed to Western Christian philosophy assumed this position as well, considering themselves the closest thing to the Creator, as they were created in His image. Thus, the Western world blossomed by living without much concern for the environmental wellbeing of the planet. Today, we are realizing that the irresponsible way we used resources and polluted the Earth has done significant damage to the ecosystem in which we live. Based on the new circumstances that previous generations have created, we must take care of the environment for the wellbeing of future generations, the knowledge attainable by having a healthy environment, and for the welfare of those people alive today.
Get original essayThe damage done on the Earth’s environment today will impact those for generations to come. According to John Passmore’s Man’s Responsibility for Nature, “And we have now discovered that the disposal of wastes into sea or air, the destruction of ecosystems, the procreation of large families, the depletion of resources, constitute injury to fellow-men, present and future” (DesJardins 99). Each of these activities that Passmore presents is a self-serving want by the human community. Disposing of waste in an irresponsible manner is always presently convenient and less expensive than the alternative. This is yet another example of humans seeking instant gratification, as opposed to taking the responsible course of action. However, an anthropocentric idea would discourage putting the desires of now above the health of the Earth for future people to use. “We can identify the practice of extending moral standing to include future humans or to develop new human rights as anthropocentric extensionalism” (Desjardins 104). This idea is a reason to protect the environment from a human-centric point-of-view. From a deontological perspective, “Blackstone further argues that we can realize none of those basic human rights that follow from out nature as free and rational beings—equality, liberty, happiness, life, and property—without a safe, healthful, and livable environment” (DesJardens 101). If human activity continues in the way that it currently is, the Earth will no longer be able to support human thriving. There is currently “enough oil to last the world 53.3 years at the current production rates” (Smith 2). Not only does the consumption of fossil fuels poison the environment, but the next generation will not be able to rely on them as an energy source like they have been in the past. Because of the polluting qualities of using fossil fuels and the lack of supply, humans must turn to Thus, out of duty to the future of mankind, the global community must come together to reduce their environmental footprint.
Past and present human activity is the cause of the environmental crisis occurring today. In relation to the animal kingdom, global warming, introduction of exotic species, and the repurposing of habitat are propelling species extinction (“The Extinction Crisis” 1). Although the current human inhabitants of the Earth are not entirely responsible for the damage done to the ecosystem, living people are the only beings that can try to fix the damage. As rational thinkers concerned about the wellbeing about our home planet, we must recognize that if we do not do anything about these issues, no other organisms will.
As humans, we are unique in the way we perceive our lives. Homo sapiens are the only species know to be moral agents. To be a moral agent “means to be a being capable of acting with reference to right and wrong, and rationality is often associated with this capability” (“Moral Agency” 1). If an invasive species of a worm begins ravaging all of the trees in a forest, diminishing the food sources for other animals which are native to the area, we as moral agents can look to exterminate the worm. Moral agents are able to reason that what the worms are doing is damaging the ecosystem for the other animals. Thus, they can maximize the utility of the environment by killing the worm, protecting primary and secondary human resources. By ridding the area of the one invasive species, the diverse set of animals that rely on the stability of the ecosystem can thrive again, helping humans by keeping biodiversity.
Naturally, extinction “occurs at a natural ‘background’ rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1.000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day. It could be a scary future indeed, with as many as 30 to 50 percent of all species possibly heading toward extinction by mid-century” (“The Extinction Crisis” 1). Because of the immense discrepancy between the background and actual extinction rates, the rest of the community of life is taking an enormous hit. Biodiversity gives humans more variety of resources to choose from in order to best serve mankind.
By definition, the world of scientific understanding is not complete. There will forever be more to know, which is especially evident when considering the ground that has been gained in the past century. Throughout human history, we have found different chemicals that occur naturally to hold medicinal value to humans. For example, humans have been using the gel from aloe vera leaves to heal damaged skin for thousands of years. Over the years, we have found a myriad of uses for different things in nature, and this expansion of understanding continues daily. It is a fact that there are still some undiscovered, humanity-changing medicinal uses for natural organisms. When paired with the scientific method, the sustained growth of technology will continue to provide mankind with more tools to find different uses out of the natural world. However, if we do not protect biodiversity, we will be limiting the variety of the organisms that scientists can apply research and new technology to. This may seem like a weak reason to protect the environment, but it must be kept in mind that some predictions forecast half of all species may be winding up extinct during our lifetimes. Half is For science, this decimates the amount of potential organisms to study to see if we can extract or create something that will help human society. Sometimes, the instrumental value of organisms is not immediately apparent and requires further study in order to fully utilize them. For example, there may be a plant that contains a compound that stunts the growth of cancerous cells. If we let this species go extinct prior to having the opportunity to study its capabilities, humans may never be able to reap the benefit of the plant.
Most importantly from an anthropocentric point of view, having a damaged environment can cause direct negative impact on humans currently alive. The conditions required for the Earth to be able to support human life are very specific. Global warming can hurt humans in any number of ways. The rise in global temperatures due to pollution may increase the rate of the spread of diseases. “Scientists expect a warmer world to bring changes in ‘disease vectors’—the mechanisms that spread some diseases. Insects previously stopped by cold winters are already moving to higher latitudes(toward the poles). Warmer oceans and other surface waters may also mean severe cholera outbreaks and harmful bacteria in certain types of seafood” (“Climate Hot Map” 2). The higher these temperatures rise, the better the mobility of disease will be. We cannot continue to poison the Earth, as we, as residents of this planet, are essentially poisoning ourselves. Change in climate due to human activity is even predicted to cause more natural disasters. For example, the mega-drought in California this past summer caused rampant wildfires of unprecedented levels in the mountains. The three fires combined to burn down over 280,000 acres of forest, destroy over 1,000 homes, and take the lives of five individuals (Weather.com). Clearly, a sickly Earth negatively affects humans.
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Get custom essayFrom an anthropocentric perspective, caring for the environment is beneficial because it allows humans the most opportunity for expansion of knowledge and the present and future wellbeing of mankind. As the only moral agents of the Earth’s living community, we must realize that action by us in necessary in order to keep our home inhabitable.
A person's religious views, and how they are raised in religion can greatly affect their moral compass, values, and general outlook on life. With over 4,200 religions out there. It is difficult for humans as a society to respectfully understand one another's beliefs. One of the most misunderstood religions is known as Shintoism which is The Way of Kami (Hirai).
Get original essayShintoism is a religion based in mainly Japan. With over 119 million people following its belief today. People who follow Shintoism mainly focus on the following of spirits known as Kami. These spirits are close to human beings and are said to respond if prayed too. These Kami Earth’s shapes range from different portions of landscapes likes rivers and mountains, to weather such as winds and rains, and even animals, and plants. These Kami spirits are in practically everything that is alive.
The Shinto followers believe when Kami are treated with respect, kindness, and prayer, they change the course of a person’s situation and way of living. Either stopping misfortune and pain or even bringing good health and better opportunities. That is a quick basis on why people follow the ideology of Kami.
A brief history of Shintoism is the religion itself is seen as a fairly older religion even though most of its popularity is through Buddhism. Shintoism began as a primitive religion focusing on nature, which it still does, but it had way less moral ideals. It began a more focused development between 400 B.C.E. and 300 B.C.E. in the Yayoi Period of Japan. Where back then, Japan was mainly sustaining itself by growing rice and making materials and weapons out of bronze and supplementary metals (Hardacre 18).
The people of Japan began developing these small sites and shrines near waterfalls and rivers. For Kami to enter. Leading to around 450 C.E. Japanese people began building tiny objects near anything of value. Mainly being the rice farms in hopes of good weather for crops to grow in. Along with new homes in hopes of good fertility and health. This small ritual based idea continued until about 700 CE. Eventually, Buddhism started rising in popularity in Japan, and believers of Shinto started picking up some major Buddhists ideals. Having even to this day no real official one founder of the religion.
The religion followers didn't mind changing its objectives as history would move forward. Some of the beliefs that were added on were how funerals would undergo, and how we as people should control our own lust and hatred. As mentioned before Shintoism has a more unique base of philosophy. They believe in many different spirits. With Shintoism having over eight million Kami spirits. All Kami have different practices that show them respect. Yet, if treated with disrespect or greedy intentions these Kami’s may act in rebellion against humans.
The main two Kami in Shintoism are Amaterasu and Susanoo. Amaterasu being the Sun Kami who is a kindhearted and warm-spirited Kami (Reader, Ian-Tanabe, George Joji, and Tanabe, George J). She is always feuding with her younger brother Susanoo, who is the Kami of storms. The two are in many famous myths. The most famous myth of Amaterasu and Susanoo dates all the way back to 712 CE. Where Susanoo was telling his sister he was being called to go to Heaven; even though their father was always upset with him for causing mischief throughout Japan. His sister being skeptical, and not believing if he was telling the truth about his goodbyes. Lead to Susanoo placing a wager who could make gods out of objects, and if he summed five gods he was telling the truth. Amaterasu was able to bring three women from Susanoo’s Totsuka-no-Tsurugi ( Sword of Length of Ten Fists).
While he birthed five men from her beloved necklace. Having Susanoo claiming to be the winner. Even though Susanoo won the bet, he began filling up with rage, and with that rage destroyed his sister’s rice fields and attendees. Out of fear and rage, Amaterasu hid herself in Ama-no-Iwato (heavenly rock cave) causing darkness across Japan. Eventually, she was convinced out of the cave, and Susanoo was eradicated from Heaven and sent to Hell. Where he continued to fight an eight-headed serpent, until it was killed and known and gave Amaterasu the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Grasscutter Sword), as a way of forgiveness (Hardacre 52). T
his story is so often referred to even nowadays Japan. Not only for being used in multiple different animes and shows but to demonstrate one must not act in anger and jealousy. Which became a huge ideal in Shintoism, and even more so once combined with Buddhism.
Some of the main practices to be good in the Kami’s eyes including Amaterasu and Susanoo is going to a Jinja. “Where one or more Kami are enshrined.” Which is basically a Japanese shrine for specific or many variations of Kami. With over 100,000 recognized Jinjas in Japan. With some of the largest being Ise Grand, Izumo Taisha, and the Meiji Shrine. Shintoism, unlike Christianity and Judaism, don’t have weekly meetings at their shrines. Usually, people arrive when they want, and meetings, if held at all are the 1st and 15th dates of the month.
What mainly is done when going to a Jinja is when approaching the building the person will approach the symbol known as the Torii (bird perch), and one must show respect to the Torii and the symbol of whichever Kami the Jinja is for. Since the Torii’s represent you are passing regular land and entering holy land. Once someone passes the Torii they should be grateful for the blessing of Kami and their ancestors.
They may pray or meditate quietly, but mainly people are just to be at peace with oneself, and appreciate where one is in life do the Kami ’s. Yet, Shintoism isn’t limited to that one ideal, it continues in many different branches. Some of the most important values and concepts that must be followed in the practice of Shintoism is one is constantly impure. Leading to every person should always be trying to purify ourselves. Whether it be physically at Shrines with holy water, or through prayer to Kamis.
A person shouldn’t be dwelling on grudges or hatred. Letting it go helps purify the soul. Since, once a person dies, Shinto followers believe we become Kami. If you were constantly filled with anger, jealousy, and hatred your soul after it leaves your body, will turn into a mischievous evil Kami. Always seeking revenge on the living for eternity in the land of Yomi a place similarly described as the Greek Hades. Which is a place separating the real world and Yomi through a river (Littleton 88).
Never being allowed to visit the real world again unlike to Kami’s that are free to travel Heaven and the real world as they wish. While the good Kami with pure souls are also celebrated constantly and given gifts at the shrines they may inhabit. Most of the Shinto holidays are used to celebrate and give admiration to Kamis. One of these festivals is Daij?sai Matsuri known as their Fire Festival and dates back all the way to 794 CE. Which is held around January 15th every year, depending on the Lunar Calendar.
Where the Japanese light big bonfires, and burn writings of calligraphy, in hope for it to fly to the mountains where Daij?sai, the spirit of stones lives. In response, Daij?sai usually gives the people a lucky new year without pain, disease, and blocking evil spirits with his mountains. Then as a community, all Shinto followers would get together and have a huge meal in the Jinja.
Another huge holiday that was adapted into the religion is Obon. Celebrated from August 13th through August 15th. Originally Obon is a Buddhist holiday to celebrate the return of the dead. Yet, the Shinto religion does add their own spin on Odon, especially in modern day times. Normally, people visit their families ancestors graves and clean them, and say prayers for the departed. Additionally, Shinto believers would partake in the Odori which is a dance to honor the deceased (Littleton 80). To show they are still thought about, loved, and knowing they had great lives.
After leaving the cemetery most families burn these candles in a paper like boxes and set them to float in lakes, to end the celebration as a goodbye till next years celebration. A final holiday is different from community to community. It is known as a Taisai. Which is a big festival of the entire town to celebrate that town’s local Kami. Usually celebrated in early spring (Littleton 83). Children carry and show to their neighbors a small Mikoshi, and in the evening the Kanusshi which is similar to a priest for Shintoism purifies the local shrines. Then a local festivities continue into the night with food, dance, and overall gratefulness.
Overall, Shintoism is a quite beautiful and peaceful based religion. A religion full of spirits and humans attempting to live this life on Earth, as a pure one. Attempting to fix problems and make amends. To clear mistakes, and to minimize impurities. The Shinto community starting from all the way back in 400 BCE is filled with celebrations and connections that unify the community from the start of the new year and its new blessings. To the final farewells, and passings of loved ones into the Kami realm.
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Get custom essayShintoism is a religion similar to other religions our societies believe in. With a base understanding that one should live with good morals, and not focus on one’s ack off, but all that we should be grateful for. That is something that unifies almost all religions and is something that should be understood more often by us humans then bicker about which way is the right way.
In Maus, Art Spiegelman produces what can be seen as a reaction to the Holocaust and its complicated aftermath. It is a graphic representation of the various horrors of the Holocaust and he chooses to make his characters anthropomorphic. One may argue that in an individual story that is as hard hitting as Vladek’s, the use of the same animal caricature-like heads to denote various races serves to trivialize the story. However, Spiegelman’s use of anthropomorphic characters serves a number of important purposes that, it may be argued, justify his technique and counterbalance the negative viewpoints that can be expressed against it.
Get original essayIt must be kept in mind that Spiegelman is not simply dealing with the Holocaust in an academic, somewhat detached and objective manner. He is dealing with the very personal reality of the Holocaust survival story of his father and mother and simultaneously his own often ambivalent feelings about them. Everything about his life, it may be argued, has in some way been essentially touched by the Holocaust because his parents both went through it. Thus, Spiegelman is bound to feel very strongly about the subject matter involved.
In the “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” we see that these strong feelings are portrayed in a very hard hitting and disturbing manner. This is something that Spiegelman has worked on earlier to express his feelings about his mother’s death, and one gets the feeling that this technique has not been particularly successful as far as Spiegelman is concerned. In using the animal faces, he is removing the starkness of the horror, and provides both himself and the readers with a space to explore the story without getting too emotionally disturbed. For people who have not survived the Holocaust, it is difficult to imagine the kind of horrors that were inflicted upon people in the concentration camps, so Spiegelman has made the story telling possible by creating a detachment and a humor to a very dark and tragic incident.
There are also several other important reasons why Spiegelman’s technique is justified. In giving the Jews mice heads, he is making a sarcastic statement about the treatment of the Jews as vermin by the Nazis. It also refers to the resilience of mice as a whole, which can be seen as a veiled compliment to the community for surviving the Holocaust. It can be argued that instead of enforcing racial stereotypes, Spiegelman actually satirizes them and ultimately influences the readers to question them. In deliberately playing up racial stereotypes, for example in the portrayal of the French as frogs, he is actually pointing out the futility and hollowness of these stereotypes.
In making his protagonists look all the same, Spiegelman is communicating to the audience that although this particular survivor’s story is of Vladek’s, there are many more similar stories of Holocaust victims and survivors that have never been told. Thus, even as he highlights Vladek and Anja’s individual plight, he also pays homage to the millions whose stories he cannot possibly tell individually. Hence, while it is a personal memoir, it becomes at the same time removed from its subject and manages to encompass the enormity of the Holocaust.
Oftentimes in Maus the idea of racial identity becomes a confusing one. This is because while at one level race and ethnicity seems to be so deeply rooted that one cannot escape it without escaping the book altogether, at another level it seems like it is more subjective. For example, the various identities ascribed to the different races never change in the novel. All the Germans are cats, the Poles are pigs, and so on. From this standpoint there is no escaping the racial identity of every character in the novel. On the other hand, certain characters are more flexible than that and can be less easily categorized. Art himself is an excellent example of this ambiguity. Although he has a European Jewish heritage, he identifies himself as an American. However, he acknowledges the effect of his racial heritage on his present personality. Here, his race is mutable and stands as a matter of perception.
Even Francoise’s racial identity is complicated. Although she is French, she is still depicted as a mouse because she is Jewish. One wonders in this scenario if she had not been the positive character that she remains in the Art’s life – for example, if she had been a French woman who he did not know or a French woman with Nazi leanings or even a French woman who identified herself as American – then what would her ascribed identity have been. She could easily have been a frog, a dog or even a cat. This racial confusion is also present in the pages where Spiegelman has drawn the characters in such a manner that it is apparent that they are wearing masks. This may be interpreted as Spiegelman’s way of saying that external characteristics that help to identify race actual hide more than they reveal, that people’s identities – racial or otherwise – are too complex to classify into separate boxes, so to speak and also that race itself is ultimately farcical.
With the ambiguity in Art and Francoise’s racial identities, we thus identify a racial complication that may be more applicable to the newer generation than the older. This complication is because of various heritages coming together and also migration. However, this phenomenon is by no means limited to only the younger generation, even though it might be more widespread there. The character of the Polish nanny might be recalled, the one who was kind to Art and Anja, lending her quite a different aura in the eyes of the audience as opposed to the other Poles seen in the graphic novel. Thus, Spiegelman’s various explorations of racial identity, especially of his own family’s, reveal his personal view of race as a farce while at the same time affirming the impact of the racial heritage on his own identity as well as that of those around him.
Anti-Lock Braking Systems (AB) are designed to maintain driver control and stability of the car during emergency braking. Locked wheels will slow a car down but will not provide steering ability. ABS allows maximum braking to be applied while retaining the ability to 'steer out of trouble' The theory behind anti-lock brakes is simple. A skidding wheel (where the tire contact patch is sliding relative to the road) has less traction than a non-skidding wheel. By keeping the wheels from skidding while you slow down, anti-lock brakes benefit you in two ways: You'll stop faster, and you'll be able to steer while you stop. An ABS system monitors four wheel speed sensors to evaluate wheel slippage. Slip can be determined by calculating the ratio of wheel speed to vehicle speed, which is continuously calculated from the four individual wheel speeds. During a braking event, the function of the control system is to maintain maximum possible wheel grip on the road - without the wheel locking - by adjusting the hydraulic fluid pressure to each brake by way of electronically controlled solenoid valves.
Get original essayAuto producers worldwide are competing with each other to imagine more dependable contraptions thereby coming nearer to the fantasy of the 'Propelled wellbeing vehicle' or 'Extreme security vehicle', on which innovative work has been continuing for as far back as a few years. The greater part of the more up to date vehicle models offers ABS as either standard or discretionary gear.Wheel lockup amid braking causes slipping which thusly cause lost footing and vehicle control. This diminishes the controlling capacity to alter course. So the auto slides crazy. In any case, the street wheel that is as yet pivoting can be directed. That is the thing that ABS is about. With such a framework, the driver can brake hard, make the sly move and still be responsible for the vehicle in any street condition at any speed and under any heap. ABS does not diminish halting separation, but rather repays the changing footing or tire stacking by averting wheel lockup. Amid freeze braking when the wheels are going to lock up, sensors sense that the wheel has recently started turning slower than others on the vehicle. So they quickly diminish braking power on the influenced wheel. This anticipates sliding of the wheels on the asphalt. At the point when the wheel resumes moving, full braking power is again connected. ABS rehashes the procedure until there is never again any requirement for balanced braking. ABS acts speedier than any driver could, pumping the brakes a few times each second. Contingent upon the kind of framework, ABS changes the braking power at each wheel or set of wheels, though a driver's foot on the brake pedal works every one of the brakes without a moment's delay in typical braking.
The theory behind anti-lock brakes is simple. A skidding wheel (where the tire contact patch is sliding relative to the road) has less traction than a nonskidding wheel. If the vehicle has been stuck on ice and if the wheels are spinning then the vehicle have no traction. This is because the contact patch is sliding relative to the ice. By keeping the wheels from skidding while you slow down, anti-lock brakes benefit you in two ways: You'll stop faster, and you'll be able to steer while you stop. Good drivers have always pumped the brake pedal during panic stops to avoid wheel lock up and the loss of steering control. ABS simply get the pumping job done much faster and in a much precise manner than the fastest human foot.
The brakes of the vehicle not furnished with ABS will very quickly bolt the wheels when the driver all of a sudden applies the brake. For this situation, the vehicle slides instead of moves to a stop. The slipping and absence of control were caused by the locking of wheels. The discharge and reapply of the brake pedal will stay away from the locking of the wheels which thus evade the slipping. This is precisely what an electronically monitored slowing mechanism does.
When the brake pedal is pumped or pulsed the pressure is quickly applied and released at the wheels. This is called pressure modulation. Pressure modulation works to prevent the wheel locking. ABS can modulate the pressure to the brake as often as 15 times per seconds. By modulating the pressure to the brakes the friction between the tires and the road is maintained and the vehicle is able to come to the controllable stop. Steering is another important consideration. As long as a tire doesn’t slip it goes only in the direction in which it is turned. But once it is skid it has little or no directional stability. The Maneuverability of the vehicle is reduced if the front wheels are locked and the stability of the vehicle is reduced if the rear wheels are locked. ABS precisely controls the slip rate of the wheels to ensure maximum grip force from the tire and it thereby ensures maneuverability and stability of the vehicle.
Many different ABS are found on today’s vehicles. These designs are varied by their basic layout, operation, and components. The ABS components can be divided into two categories.
Besides these normal and conventional brake parts are part of the overall brake system.
Accumulator: An accumulator is used to store hydraulic fluid to maintain high pressure in the brake system and provide the residual pressure for power-assisted braking. Normally the accumulator is charged with nitrogen gas and is an integral part of the modulator unit.
Antilock hydraulic control valve assembly: This assembly controls the release and application of the brake system pressure to the wheel brake assemblies. It may be of an integral type and nonintegral type. In integral type, the unit is combined with the power boost and master cylinder unit into one assembly. The nonintegral type is mounted externally from the master cylinder /power booster unit and is located between the master cylinder and wheel brake assembly. Both types generally contain solenoid valve that controls the releasing, holding and applying of brake system pressure.
Booster pump: The booster pump is an assembly of an electric motor and pump. The booster pump is used to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid ABS. The pump's motor is controlled by the systems control unit.
Booster/Master cylinder assembly: It is referred to as the hydraulic unit, contains the valves and pistons needed to modulate hydraulic pressure in the wheel circuit during the ABS operations.
Fluid accumulator: Different than a pressure accumulator, fluid accumulator temporarily store brake fluid, that is removed from the wheel brake unit during ABS cycle. This fluid is then used by the pump to build pressure for the brake hydraulic system.
Hydraulic control unit: This assembly contains solenoid valve, fluid accumulator, pump and electric motor. The unit may have one pump and one motor or it has one motor and two pumps.
Main Valve: This is a two position valve and is also controlled by the ABS control module and is open only in the ABS model. When open pressurized brake fluid from the booster circuit is directed into the master circuit to prevent excessive pedal travel.
Modulator unit: The modulator unit controls the flow of pressurized brake fluid to the individual wheel circuits. Normally the modulator is made up of the solenoid that open and close valves, several valves that control the flow of fluid to wheel brake units and electrical relays that activate or deactivate the solenoids through the commands of the control module. This unit may also be called the hydraulic actuator, hydraulic power unit or the electro-hydraulic control valve.
Solenoid valves: The solenoid valves are located in the modulator unit and are electrically operated by signals from the control module. The control module switches the solenoids on or off to increase, decrease, or maintain the hydraulic pressure to the individual wheel units.
Wheel circuit valves: Two solenoid valves are used to control each circuit or channel. One controls the inlet valve of the circuit, the controls the outlet valve .the position is determined by the control module. Outlet valves are normally closed and inlet valves are normally open. Valves are activated when the abs control module switches 12 volts to the circuit solenoids. During normal driving, the circuits are not activated.
ABS control module: This small computer is normally mounted inside the trunk on the wheel housing, mounted to the master cylinder or is part of the hydraulic control unit. It monitors system operation and controls antilock function when needed. The module relies on input from the wheel speed sensors and feedback from the hydraulic unit to determine if the abs are operating correctly and to determine when the anti-lock mode is required.
Brake pedal sensor: The antilock brake pedal sensor switch is normally closed. When the brake pedal exceeds the antilock brake pedal sensor switch setting during an antilock stop, the antilock brake control module senses that the antilock brake pedal sensor switch is open and grounds the pump motor relay coil. This energizes the relay and turns the pump motor on. When the pump motor is running, the hydraulic reservoir is filled with high-pressure brake fluid and the brake pedal will be pushed up until the antilock brake pedal sensor switch closes. when the antilock brake pedal sensor switch closes, the pump motor is turned off and the brake pedal will drop some with each abs control cycle until the antilock brake pedal sensor switch opens and the pump motor is turned on again .this minimizes pedal feedback during abs cycling.
Pressure differential switch: It is located in the modulator unit. This switch sends a signal to the control module whenever there is an undesirable difference in the hydraulic pressures within the brake system.
Relays: Relays are electromagnetic devices used to control a high current circuit with a low current switching circuit. In abs, relays are used to switch motors and solenoids. A low current signal from the control module energizes the relays that complete the electrical circuit for the motor or solenoid.
It can be located on an axle shaft, differential gear or the hub of a wheel. This ring is used in conjunction with the wheel speed sensor. The ring has a number of teeth around its circumference. As the ring rotates and each tooth passes by the wheel speed sensor, an ac voltage signal is generated between the sensor and tooth.
It is mounted near the different toothed ring. As the rings teeth rotate past the sensor an ac voltage is generated. as the teeth move away from the sensor, the signal is broken until the next tooth comes close to the sensor .the end result is a pulsing signal that is sent to the control module. The control module translates the signal into wheel speed. The sensor is normally a small coil of wire with a permanent magnet in its center.
One of the classifications of abs is the integral and nonintegral type. The integral type they combine the master cylinder, hydraulic booster, and as hydraulic circuit into the single hydraulic assembly. In nonintegral type they use a conventional vacuum-assist booster and master cylinder. In addition, they can be classified according to the control they provide.
This is the best scheme. There is a speed sensor on all four wheels and a separate valve for all the four wheels. With this set up the controller monitors each wheel individually to make sure it is achieving maximum braking force.
This scheme is commonly found on pick up trucks with four wheels ABS, has a speed sensor and a valve for each of the front wheels, with one valve and one sensor for both rear wheels. The speed sensor for the rear wheel is located in the rear axle. This system provides individual control of the wheels, so they can both achieve maximum braking force. The rear wheels, however, are monitored together, they both have to start to lock up before the abs will activate on the rear. With this system, it is possible that one of the rear wheels will lock during a stop, reducing brake effectiveness.
This scheme is commonly found on pick up trucks with rear wheel abs .it has one valve, which controls both rear wheels, and one-speed sensor, located in the rear axle. This system operates the same as the rear end of the rear channel system. The rear wheels are monitored together and both have to start to lock up before the abs kick in. in this system is also possible that one of the rear wheels will lock reducing brake effectiveness.
Advancements in ABS Some systems, which work with the ABS, are Automatic traction control and Automatic stability control, which are discussed below.
Automatic traction control (ATC) Automatic traction control systems apply the brakes when a drive wheel attempts to spin and lose traction. The system works best when one drive wheel is working on a good traction surface and the other is not. The system also works well when the vehicle is accelerating on slippery road surfaces, especially when climbing hills. ATC is most helpful on four wheel or all wheel drive vehicles in which loss of traction at one wheel could hamper driver control. During road operation, the ATC system uses an electronic control module to monitor the wheel speed sensors. If a wheel enters a loss of traction situation, the module applies braking force to the wheel in trouble. Loss of traction is identified by comparing the vehicle speed to the speed of the wheel. If there is a loss of traction the speed of the wheel will be greater than expected for the particular vehicle speed. ABS and ATC systems can be integral and use the common valves. These systems are designed to reduce wheel slip and maintain traction at the drive wheels when the road is wet or snow covered. The control module monitors wheel speed. If during acceleration the module detects drive wheel slip and if brakes are not applied, the control module enters into the traction control mode. The inlet and outlet solenoid valves are pulsed and allow the brake to be quickly applied and released.
In some systems when a loss of traction is sensed, it not only cycles the brakes but signals the engine control module to retard ignition timing and partially close the throttle as well, which in turn reduces engine output. Many systems are equipped with a dash-mounted warning light to alert the driver that the system is operating. There will also be a manual cut off switch so that the driver can turn off ATC operation.
Like ATC, the stability control systems are linked with the ABS. it can also be called the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). Stability control systems momentarily apply the brakes at any one wheel to correct oversteer or understeer. The control unit receives signals from the typical sensors plus a yaw, lateral acceleration (G-force) and a steering angle sensor. The system uses the angle of the steering wheel and the speed of the four wheels to calculate the path chosen by the driver. It then looks at lateral G-forces and vehicle yaw to measure where the vehicle is going. (Yaw is defined as the natural tendency for a vehicle to rotate on its vertical center axis). So it is also called Yaw control.
Understeer is the condition in which the vehicle is slow to respond to steering changes. Oversteer occurs when the rear wheels try to swing around causing the car to spin. When the system senses understeer in a turn the brake at the inside rear wheel is applied. During oversteer, the outside front brake is applied. Relaying on the input from the sensors and computer programming the system calculates if the vehicle is going exactly in the same direction in which it is being steered. In case of any difference between what the driver is asking and what the vehicle is doing, the system corrects the situation by applying one of the right or left brakes.
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Get custom essayABS has been so far developed to a system, which provides rapid, automatic braking in response to signs of incipient wheel locking by alternately increasing and decreasing hydraulic pressure in the brake line Statistics show that approximately 40 % of automobile accidents are due to skidding. These problems commonly occur on a vehicle with conventional brake system which can be avoided by adding devices called ABS If there is an ABS failure, the system will revert to normal brake operation. Normally the ABS warning light will turn on and let the driver know there is a fault.
Despite Greek philosophy not having an accurate meaning of “free will”, it can be either considered good or bad. The act of having “free will” generally comes from what you think is the right thing to do. It is a will that allows us to choose what we feel is right based on how we interpret different ideas and the environment around us. It is believed that everyone has one from the day we are born and we can choose how our actions may cause different consequences and determine our fate.
Get original essayIn the play, Antigone, Sophocles explores the idea of tragedy, rebelliousness, and family. A person that signifies a precise idea of free will and fate is Antigone. Although many characters in the story are flawed, Antigone’s determination, recklessness, and impulsiveness leads to the downfall of everyone, including herself. Antigone is known as one of the four siblings of Oedipus and Jocasta. She is considered to have a tragic family history and because of this, she gives an occasion for the audience to gain sympathy and compassion for her role in the play. At the beginning of the story, she finds out that her two brothers died while fighting in battle and makes it her purpose to make sure they both have a proper burial. “The general has put an edict over the whole city. Have you heard of it? Or have you avoided learning how our friends suffer the fate of foes?” Antigone questions Ismene while talking to her about the tragedies. By friends, she mostly means her dear family. She has heard of the horrible things happening lately, and yet, death has took away her parents, and now both of her brothers.
“For our two brothers, Crean gives honorable burial to one, but dishonors the other. They say that he hid Eteocles beneath the Earth with well-deserved pomp and circumstances, as one honored among the dead…” Antigone cries, “but the corpse of Polynieces, who died so sadly, they say it has been declared to the citizens that no one may bury or mourn him, but must see him unlamented, unburied, a sweet find for the birds to feast upon”. This following quote states how Antigone obviously thinks it’s unfair that one brother will be honored and the other will be left for dead, seen as a person who deserved death, who shouldn’t gain respect from anyone. Furthermore, Antigone’s selfless decisions and what she considered right in her book lead to her own dreadful death. Regardless, she did not regret on exceeding religious law over the law of the state because she knew that she would be rewarded in her afterlife. She strongly agreed with having free will and being able to do what she thought was right as she claimed “Be whatever you want, and I will bury him. It seems fair for me to die doing it. I will lie dear to him, with one dear to me…” while arguing with her sister, who on the other hand, valued and kept it safe with the law of the state.
In the following quote, she implies that in the end, she will make the decision to go out of her way to give her brother a proper burial, even if this act results in death. At the beginning of the story, as Antigone is arguing with her sister, Ismene, she tends to have a completely opposite view than her, asserting “If you say this, you will be hateful to me, and the dead will hate you always-justly. But let me and my foolish plans suffer this terrible thing, for I shall succumb to nothing so awful as a shameful death”. This following quote that Antigone states displays a precise description on how strongly she believes on the act of doing the right thing or what she feels is right, which is to go out of her way and to bury one of her loved one. Due to this judicious step, Antigone lets herself accept the fate of dying to descend into the afterlife, even if she does or doesn’t get caught. Her fall of grace due to a tragic flaw soon becomes a cause of downfall for others, being Haemon killing himself because of his infuriated emotions towards his dad concerning Antigone, his bride and his mother, as she hears of the death of the son and can’t live with herself furthermore. I have a hard time believing that Antigone has admitted her “mistakes and failures” as they didn’t seem like errors to her. She sticks to believing what she considers is right and doesn’t let anyone tell her otherwise, even when Creon discovers that she has disobeyed the law by burying her brother and tries to tell her that she was wrong for doing so. Regardless, she takes accountability for the things she did and is not ashamed to take a stand on what she believes was right. Antigone replies with, “Therefore, there is no pain for me in meeting this fate, whereas if I were to endure that one born from my mother die unburied, that would cause me pain”. She, furthermore, justifies her actions and refuses to give into Creon’s beliefs or anyone’s for that matter. She does redeem herself throughout the story, as she is able to bury her dear brother and wish him an honourable path in the afterlife. “I did not intend to pay the penalty to the gods for violating those laws in fear of some man’s opinion, for I know I will die,” Antigone proclaims. In the following quote, Antigone makes her actions known, she states that she isn’t scared of Creon or what he’s going to do because she would die either way, from getting killed or killing herself, for disobeying god’s will.
Gathering all the thoughts up, Antigone is considered a tragic hero to many. Although many characters in the story are flawed, Antigone’s rebelliousness, recklessness, and impulsiveness leads to the downfall of everyone, including herself. She had been standing by to what she believed was the right thing to do and not letting anyone decide for herself, which turned out to be the cause of her downfall. In the result, she accepted her fate and therefore was ready to die. Going back to the moral that Sophocles might have intended the topic of fate and free will. Fate being the consequences and actions taken between individuals. Free will being the free choices chosen to be acted upon based on someone’s consuosness and how they view the world around them. If Antigone had gave up on thinking the way she did, thinking that she was wrong all along for burying her brother who was conceived as a “traitor”, what would you think would happen to Antigone’s perspective on the situation and the world itself, would she be like her sister?
What does family mean to you? How far would you go to help your family members? Would you go against your ruler and face repercussions for your family? In the theatrical work, Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone daughter and sister of Odysseus has an inner debate with herself on whether or not she is going to go against her ruler and uncle Creon who forbids the burial of Antigone’s brother Polynices. Creon had forbidden the burial of his nephew because Polyneices killed his brother Eteocles and started a war within Thebes. Both brothers were killed during the battle. But Creon gave Eteocles an honorable burial while Polyneices was to be left unburied and to be left out with the dogs. In Greek literature, the Gods play a big role in each of the characters' lives. The gods would have been angry if Polynices was not buried. The gods also would not let Polyneices go to the afterlife. All things considered, Antigone was right in burying her brother. Out of respect of her brother and because of the god's rules Antigone made the right decision to bury Polyneices.
Get original essayReligion had a different role in people's lives during Sophocles' time than it does nowadays. At the time of the setting of this play, Gods played a role in every part of people's days. Gods decided everything in the civilians' everyday lives. Without the burial of a person, They would not be put to full rest. ¨I have been wondering King: Could it be the gods have done this?¨. The choragus thought that the gods could have buried Polyneices. Since Polyneices was a previous ruler it would not be strange for the gods to have done this because it was such an important ritual and it seemed like something the gods would do when in fact Antigone had sacrificed herself to bury her brother. This shows that it was right for Antigone to bury her brother. Especially since Polyneices was a previous ruler it would not be strange for the gods to have done this.
Antigone was also right to bury Polyneices because of the importance of family and the love she had for her brother. In the beginning of the play, Antigone asked her sister to help her bury Polyneices, she tells her everything she's planning on doing hoping her sister would feel the same obligation she had felt. When Ismene refuses to help her sister bury her brother. Antigone replies with “Since apparently, the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.” Antigone then went and buried her brother in secret by herself. When confronted by the ruler, Creon. Antigone says to him “'Nevertheless, there are honors due all the dead'. Antigone is not afraid of Creon and would rather die knowing her brother is well buried and respected by the gods than have her brother unburied and anger the gods. This shows the amount of respect Antigone had for her brother and her family.
Towards the end of the play, Creon begins to question his decision. He even begins to realize how important it was to have buried Polyneices. Once he realizes his mistake he goes straight to the chamber they were keeping Antigone in and demanded it to be open. When he gets there he sees his son Haemon was there. Haemon happened to be Antigone's fiance. Haemon threatens his father and then commits suicide because of the grief of losing his fiance because of his father's stubbornness. Creon admits in the end that he was wrong and Antigone was right to bury her brother and he shouldn't have forbidden the burial of Polyneices in the first place.
Antigone buried her brother to honor him. Even though no one supported her in her decision she still did so because she loved him and family was important to her. She was right to do so because not only did she believe it was the right thing to do by the end of the play even Creon, the one who banned the burial because of traitory, even believed it was the right thing to do and regretted it. Also, it was God's law to make sure everyone was buried after death to insure a good afterlife.
The etiology of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is correlated to a myriad of factors without definite certainty as to which is prevalent. This study was conducted to prove that both nature and nurture are, combined, responsible for the etiology of APD. Samples were taken primarily from Willem Martens (2000) and Jonathan Kellerman (1999). The methods of which they obtained their information are adoption, particularly of twins, statistics, and previously conducted studies. Each factor linked to possible causation was analyzed in this study: (1) genetic, (2) biological, (3) environmental and (4) psychological. The conclusion reached was that further research is needed to explain where nature and nurture factors begin and end in the development of APD.
Get original essayCommonly known as psychopathy or sociopathy, Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is a disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel (DSM-5) as “-a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood” (American Psychology Association, 2013). It possesses a completely different connotation than the dictionary definition of antisocial. Rather than introverted, an individual diagnosed with APD, displays erratic behavior (e.g. impulsive, violent, or criminal). Other traits or diagnostic signs include pathological lying, recklessness, irresponsibility, and a lack of empathy (Schacter, 2013). In order to be diagnosed, a person must meet these and other required criterion listed in the DSM-5. Adults who are diagnosed with the disorder are repeatedly described as uncaring, emotionless, manipulative, or cruel because of their remorselessness in harming others, whether physically, emotionally, or economically. Approximately 3.6% of the population has APD, as taken from Grant et al. (Schacter, 2013). But what causes such a personality disorder to form? Is it genetic, the environment, or specific biological/psychological factors? According to one study, “Although the interpersonal-affective and antisocial facets of psychopathy have received extensive empirical investigation, there is a lack of concomitant research exploring their genetic and environmental underpinnings” (Blonigen, 2005). Psychologists have searched for the answer by examining children, particularly adolescent males, who display early conduct disorder behavior and criminals already diagnosed with APD. However, there is no consensus on one, single factor leading to the direct causation of APD. The goal of this paper is to show, rather, that both nature and nurture play a role in the causation of the disorder.
While no single, genetic predictor has been verified yet, case studies do show that genetic factors influence, albeit indirectly, the likelihood of developing APD. Children of psychopaths, or first-degree biological relatives, are hence more at risk than the general populace (DSM-5, 2005, Martens, 2000). It is common to find these children following in the footsteps of their unstable fathers or mothers. Genetic theorists argue that such children inherit the maladaptive traits of the parent, whether those traits are interpersonal or impulsive (Kellerman, 1999). Conduct behavior problems can still be exhibited even without the presence of the psychopathic parent in the home (Martens, 2000). Other genetic factors include a predisposition to trauma and substance abuse. Willem Martens (2000) theorized in an article he wrote that substance abuse users are an at-risk group because they share the same genetic traits as those diagnosed with APD. Jonathan Kellerman adds to this insight concerning drugs and antisocial individuals: “In fact, drugs play a role on both ends-as cause and effect-for in addition to satisfying pleasure drives, psychoactive chemicals lower inhibition, facilitating risky, reckless, sometimes psychopathic behavior” (1999). Furthermore, substance abuse disorder and APD have a long history of comorbidity. Other personality disorders, schizophrenia in particular, serve as negative predictors of APD (Martens, 2000).
A significant amount of data exists that connect biological factors to the causation of APD. One such factor is the correlation of negative effects on prenatal development to APD. Grete L. Bibring studied the psychology of pregnancy and observed that, “-one became increasingly aware of the high percentage of different forms of pathology in children which were associated to disturbances in their mother” (1959). Malnutrition during the earliest stages of development during a child’s life can affect not only its physical health, but its mental health. Insufficient nutrition as such increases the risk of developing personality disorders, especially APD (Schacter, 2013). Teratogens, such as alcohol and drugs, can cause brain damage and learning disabilities, which in turn, also become precursors of personality disorders. Kellerman lists additional facets, including “-birth complications, prematurity, and postnatal damage” (1999).
Studies of brain structure abnormalities and injuries show stark differentiation between normal and antisocial individuals. These deficits are measured by EEG (electroencephalogram), or brain wave patterns. The areas of the brain which are observed are the frontal lobe (lesions) and the amygdala. When tested for emotional reactivity, criminals with antisocial diagnostic traits displayed little, to no, activity in the frontal areas and high activity in the occipital lobe. This same reaction to both neutral and emotional stimuli suggest that the disorder is a result of a deficit in the frontal lobe. It would explain the disinhibition that those diagnosed with APD display, along with other traits, such as the inability to see right from wrong (i.e. social norms, laws). The results of damage to the brain range from attention deficit, conduct disorder behavior, and low IQ (Kellerman, 1999). Cranial injury can be obtained from trauma to the head, as attributed to child abuse (Kellerman, 1999). However, this study is not entirely comprehensive and needs further research.
Biochemical abnormalities also account for causation of APD, or at least certain traits of it. Low levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and serotine (5-HT) are correlated with sensation-seeking tendencies prevalent in antisocial persons (Marten, 2000). High levels of hormones, such as testosterone, T3, and T4, as measured by Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, are also linked to behaviors specific of APD, such as sex and aggression. In the author’s opinion, more research is needed on how chemical and hormonal imbalances create pathological under-arousal.
Besides genetics and biological factors, one must consider the influence of environmental and psychological factors. Aspects of environmental factors that associate with the causation of APD are social factors, such as poverty, educational failure, an abusive or neglectful household, poor peer relations, and class. These are the origins of stress which can correlate with APD behavior, however, they, in themselves, are not predictors (Kellerman, 1999). With that being said, the most influential environment is the home. Parental discord, often resulting in divorce, criminality, disorders in family members, especially the mother, and foster care placement all have negative effects on the mental well-being of at-risk children (Martens, 2000). According to McBurnett, “Poor parent-child relations were associated with aggressive and covert conduct disorders, and socioeconomic status was associated exclusively with aggressive conduct disorders in one study” (Martens, 2000). Depending on the severity of the state of this environment, and other genetic factors, the chances of developing APD during adolescence relatively increase. Conversely, 50% of children with conduct problems raised in such environments do not continue to develop or exhibit them into adulthood (Hill, 2003).
Psychological factors are next to be considered. Two notable factors are impairment of parent-child attachment and emotional deprivation in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, around the first three years of life (Schacter, 2013). Parent-child attachment is the point at which an infant bonds with is caretaker(s) and interpersonal relationships are formed. Infants also begin to display empathy and develop strategies to cope and regulate emotions. When a parent or caregiver neglects or rejects its child’s attempt to develop normally, the child will grow up with an abnormal, technically incomplete, emotional system (Kellerman, 1999). This explanation satisfies why antisocial individuals lack empathy and possess an unrepairable egocentrism. Also, such deprived children are tested to have lower heart rates, similarity to those diagnosed with APD, when prompted to react to stimuli (Kellerman, 1999).
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Get custom essayIn conclusion, it seems that both nature (genetics, biological) and nurture (environmental, psychological) are responsible for the etiology of APD. It is a variation of both factors dependent on circumstances not entirely within psychologists’ understanding. The insight that can be taken from this study is that a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors lead to the highest probability of APD development. Those most at-risk are children in the early stages of development who are genetically predisposed, have a brain structure abnormality or chemical imbalance, and are raised in an uncaring environment. As for adolescents and adults, substance abuse or brain trauma can also lead to the development of APD without prior meeting of all diagnostic criteria. In the author’s opinion, it raises questions that ultimately lead to further research, especially in the case of biochemical and environment factors. However, the author believes that psychologists are drawing closer to understanding the process of APD’s causation and development.