Anselm and Aquinas Perspective Essay Example for Free

Anselm and Aquinas Perspective Essay Anselm of Canterbury and Thomas Aquinas had conceptualized their own justification for the existence of God. For Anselm, he chiefly indicated his strong defense of intellectual foundations of Christianity under the concept of â€Å"ontological argument† for the existence of God. Anselm argued that the existence of God is not only in human minds but rather in reality. The idea of Proslogion had become the main argument of Anselm, which he used in order to defend his idea of God’s existence. The idea of ontological proof of had considered the concept of justifying the logic behind the existence of God. On the other hand, the ideas of Aquinas had provided significant approach of cosmological theology in order to prove the existence of God. Aquinas had utilized the five components of reason that justify God’s existence in a logical perspective. Discussion Ontological Proof of Anselm The ontological argument of Anselm considered the idea of Proslogion, which argued the logical being of God. According to the perspective of Anselm, the being of God is so evident that the definition present in the character of God is already enough to justify His existence. As stated in the book of McGrath (1998), in Anselm’s Proslogion, he offers the definition of God as â€Å"that than which no greater thing can be thought† (89). From the idea of Anselm, the existence of God came from the statement, â€Å"that than which nothing greater can be conceived. † The arguments of Anselm’s ontological proposal involve, God as the greatest possible being. Anselm argued that the notion and the nature of a being existing only in the minds of human being and society could not be considered as great or powerful. Hence, if God is to exist, He must exist in reality for Him to commence His power overall. In this logic, Anselm justified the existence of God, in not only the mind of Human beings but most of all in reality. In the perspective of Anselm, he utilized the idea of faith and logic in order to justify God’s existence. The idea of using faith gave the thought of God’s presence as determined by belief of His presence. For Anselm, in order for one to understand God’s existence, one should first believe that God exist in reality and not only in human minds. Faith had been viewed by Anselm as an important component in understanding the nature and the mystery for God’s existence. In the idea of faith, one does not have to consider the validity of truth or false in believing God’s existence, but only a simple indication of believing or not believing. In the context of faith, he argued that the existence of God is not the ones in the mind of men, but rather the agreement of faith. The human minds had their control on whether believing or not believing the thoughts of God’s existence. On the other hand, Anselm’s use of logic to prove the argument of God’s existence occurred in the concept of Proslogion. Within the logic of Proslogion, Anselm mentioned that the being of God under His characteristics of being transcendent and immanent were the main points to consider His existence. According to Hogg (2004), if God were not transcendent then there would be no reason to assume His necessity. If God were not immanent, then no one could know Him (95). Under the theology of Anselm, the concept of faith should facilitate the belief for the revelations of God’s existence, while the idea of Prologion gave rise to the logical reasoning of explaining the existence of God. Cosmological Proof of Aquinas Aquinas’ argument of the cosmological evidence of God’s existence revolved around five components, which provided the argument of his defense. In Summa Theologia of Aquinas, he argued using these five ways of justifying the existence of God under the basic thought of man’s relation with God as Creator and creation. In his first argument, Aquinas provided the â€Å"argument of motion† in order to depict the concept of change. He argued that the presence of dynamics in this motion was brought by a cause that possessed significant purpose. In addition, he mentioned that from a single cause of motion, another cause is employed, and from there, under still until the concept of unlimited causation arrived. Aquinas thought that the origin of this greater chain cannot possibly come from human nature but more significantly from God, which proved the He existed. In Aquinas’ second argument, he utilized the aspect of â€Å"cause and effect† argument that gave the idea of an event as being the effect and influenced by a cause. Somehow, the idea of the second argument had been derived from the concepts of motion wherein the cause-and-effect motion should always possess the original cause. In Aquinas’ argument, he pointed this original cause as God. In the third argument, Aquinas introduced the idea of contingent human beings, which he argued the purpose of the presence of non-necessity being (human beings) and the presence of necessity being (God). According to the perspective of Aquinas, the non-necessity being was able to come since the existence of the necessity being had always been present. Aquinas provided his declaration and personification of necessity being as God, who is the necessity being and facilitated every creation. The fourth argument of Aquinas, he proposed the idea of values origin. He considered that the values of goodness, grace, love, forgiveness, etc had all been originated from the positive background of God. The only nature that can provide the true intent of these values is God’s nature; hence, justifying the existence of God. Lastly, the fifth argument of Aquinas involved the necessity for a being to facilitate the task of supervising the creation, which can only be facilitated by God. Conclusion Within the study, the existence of God had been proven under two perspectives of Anselm and Thomas Aquinas. With Anselm’s Ontological proof of God’s existence, he defended with the two components of faith and logic. He argued that God is present not only in the human mind for God is great, and no being can be great if he only exists in the minds of men. Hence, with faith that God is existing, God indeed is existing, and because He is great, His existence is justified. On the other hand, Aquinas provided the five components that defended the existence of God. He introduced the argument of motion (God facilitated the change), argument of cause and effect (God as the very cause), argument of non-contingent being (God as the essential being), argument of the origins of values (God provided all the positive values), and lastly the argument of supervisor of creation (God sees and manages the happenings in the Earth). Works Cited Hogg, David S. Anselm of Canterbury: The Beauty of Theology. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. , 2004. McGrath, Allister E. Science Religion: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 1998.

My Nursing Journey and My Personal Philosophy of Nursing Essay

Introduction My journey to nursing began with my personal healthcare experience, and has continued to evolve since entering the nursing program at State University. My personal philosophy of nursing is related my life experience and my personal philosophy of life. Using reflection-on-action, I have begun to understand the influences that have lead me to nursing. I discovered client and family centered care to be an important quality when I look at the influential nurses in my life. To develop a positive therapeutic nurse-client relationship, nurses must integrate all 5 dimensions of the therapeutic nurse-client relationship into their practice (CNO, 2006). When it comes to providing client-centered care, the dimensions of trust, empathy and respect are particularly important (CNO, 2006). Illness can be a traumatic experience for patients and their families, and it is important to be empathetic to the patient’s needs, while still trusting the patient to be an expert in their illness and car e. Client Centered Care Client centered care is what creates the foundation for the therapeutic nurse-client relationships. The Registered Nursing Association of Ontario (RNAO) recommends that nurses embrace the values of respect, human dignity, client as expert, and clients as leaders, to foster patient centered care (RNAO, 2002). A study done at Coventry University found that there were serious implications to care that was not family-center. Effective communication plays a large role in how the care is perceived by families and patients. It is extremely important for clients to receive constant and continual information from their healthcare professionals (Beckwitt, 2014). Relaying critical, sensitive information is difficult, but when t... ... Stories. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://stellabrunermethven.com/ Methven, M. (n.d.). Stella Joy. Thinking About Death. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://stellabrunermethven.com/ Miller, E. T. (2014). Why Passion Counts!. Rehabilitation Nursing, 39(2), 61. doi:10.1002/rnj.158 Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2002). Best Practice Guideline. Client Centered Cared. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/client-centred-care. Siviter, B. (2014). A culture where compassion is the expectation. Primary Health Care, 24(2), 16. Sullivan, P. (n.d.). Team Finn. Battles Are About How You Live. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://www.teamfinn.com/about-team-finn/battles-are-about-how-you-live/ Whitman, B., & Rose, W. (2003). Using art to express a personal philosophy of nursing. Nurse Educator, 28(4), 166-169.

Infomatics Needs Assessment Essay

Changes in healthcare and advancements in technology have allowed for new and exciting opportunities to intergrade in the two fields. The government has supported healthcare facilities during this transition since 2009, by providing stimulus money to assist in the transition from paper to electronic medical records (EMR). The Obama administration will start fining healthcare facilities that have not made this transitioned to EMRs by 2015. In order to take advantage of this opportunity and to avoid fines, we must heed this mandate. Many facilities are finding it difficult to find the right system for their work places. This proves the importance of a needs assessment. â€Å"A needs assessment is a systematic set of procedures that are used to determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and set priorities for future action.† Need for Needs Assessment A needs assessment is an integral and necessary part to implementing change. Preforming this assessment will save money by preventing facilities from spending money on needless changes. During the process it is determined if there really is a need for this change. It also can provide alternative options if the original plan was found to be suboptimal. If the assessment determines that the plan for change is appropriate, the assessment will help set priorities and determine how to allocate resources such as people, money and facilities. Important considerations There are a few important aspects of this assessment that must be considered such as: definition of the need, the targeted group and consequences. During a needs assessment the â€Å"need† will have to be clearly defined. â€Å"A need is a discrepancy or gap between what is and what should be.† For the purposes of healthcare the gap is between paper medical records and electronic medical records. The targeted group most also be defined to ensure that the need fits the group. The question; is this a critical  change? Must be answered. Finally, the consequences for misfortune must also be addressed. In healthcare the facility must consider the consequences if implementation of the electronic medical record failed. They would be at a great finical loss. Collection of data Data from internal and external environment must be collected. Internal data can be collected from employees, and current technology. Employees can be interviewed for data or the facility can request surveys be filled out. External data can be collected from published literature, information from vendors, regulatory and accreditation requirements, information trending, and organizations like HIMSS or KLAS. HIMSS. Health care information and management systems, vision is to improve health care through incorporation of information technology. KLAS is an organization that collects feedback about healthcare systems and produces ratings. Both these organization can help narrow down the electronic medical record that will fit this facility. Members involved in needs assessment During the assessment the people affected should be consulted and directly involved in both the needs assessment and the designing of the program. In healthcare, doctors and nurses should be involved because they will be using the systems. Unit manger will be able to give a unique perspective to help with the functionality of the system and will also be able to boost morale regarding the change. Finally, the designers of the system should be included in the conferences with all other stakeholders. It is important the designers are present to help keep expectation as close to reality as possible. Conclusion All medical facilities are faced with the need to implement an electronic medical record in the upcoming years. It is important that this facility finds the right system the first time to avoid unnecessary finical loss. Preforming a needs assessment is the best way to aid in making the best decision. References (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/compneedsassessment.pdf Why Is Assessment Important? (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/assessment-guide-importance DeSilets, Lynore D, EdD,R.N., B.C. (2006). Needs assessment. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 37(4), 148-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223317102?accountid=458 Hebda, T., & Czar, P. (2013). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson. KLAS Helps Healthcare Providers by Measuring Vendor Performance. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.klasresearch.com/ HIMSS – Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.himss.org/ Jackson, D. (2013, September 23). Most health care records now are electronic. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/07/16/obama-electronic-health-care-r ecord-keeping/2521217/

Impact of christianity Essay

Christian dogmas have always been intertwined with philosophy regardless of the fact that most of the time both philosophers and theologians had polar opinions associated with religion and philosophy respectively. The first mentioning of philosophy in the Bible was encountered in the New Testament: See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8) Nevertheless, one of the earliest Christian representatives Tertullian always disagreed with the combination of ordinary temporal philosophical views and spiritual exalted religious dogmas. To the contrary, another religious thinker St. Augustine of Hippo defended the idea of inter-complementation of abstract science and Christian faith only in case of their mutual compatibility. St. Thomas Aquinas made great contribution to the Christianity’s impact on philosophy, as he was the first to distinguish these two important sectors of human perception of surrounding environment. He claimed that o Owing to philosophy information is being received through basic sensory functions: smell, touch, vision, hearing, and taste. Also, it is possible to prove and check the data according to laws of physics initially based on philosophy as well. o Owing to Christianity, information is not something to be proved or argued. It is to be accepted axiomatically especially when it is closely connected with God and Divine. After the Middle Ages the double nature of Jesus Christ (divine and human) was put in doubt and required explicit evidence regarding the origin and function of God. Philosophy could not succeed in answering this question, as the notions of humanity and divinity do not logically coincide with each other. Therefore, certain attempts were made with the help of Christianity to resolve the issue of imbalance. Thus, we need to mention three major reasons why philosophy was isolated from Christianity. ? First of all, philosophers from English-speaking world were predominantly atheists and rejected all spiritual and divine aspects of human activity. They required strong logical evidence and proof for subjects of their investigation and discussion ? Secondly, rejecting Christian dogmas philosophers were constantly seeking alternative ways to find proof for their arguments and new methods and evidences hidden in other religions.? Thirdly, philosophers believed that the language of religion and theology is too incoherent, irrational, and inconsistent that the meaning, no matter how important or of current importance it may be, loses its significance. Philosophical issues that have become Christianized include: ? Trinity: it was no clear for many thinkers why God consisted of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the 7th century the Council of Toledo announced: â€Å"we may say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; but they are not three Gods, he is one God†. Similar to how a solar system may consist of numerous cosmic bodies. ? Sacrifice and atonement: philosophers believed that one punishment is enough to give birth to another, which is not always fair. However, Christianity responded by proving that punishment has moral nature and it is not something that exceptionally deals with evil. In conclusion, we may add that Christianity had a great impact on philosophy since early times. References Moore, N. B. , & Bruder, K. (2004). Philosophy: The Power of Ideas. 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities.

Free Essays on The Souths War

The South’s War The American Civil War was an event that changed the future of the United States of America. The outcome of the war determined whether there would be two countries instead of one united nation. Throughout the war the North and the South had completely different aspects of what happened. Many written accounts are based solely on the North’s view of the Civil War. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind discusses the Civil War from the South’s perspective, while intertwining a wonderful, page turning story. The adventurous life of Scarlett O’Hara is full of trial and tribulations before, after and during the war. Scarlett’s experiences tell how an average southern plantation family was affected by the war. Throughout Margaret Mitchell's compelling story of Scarlet O'Hara’s life, is a historical account of the Civil War from the South's perspective shown in the life of plantation owners before the war, city dwellers during the war, and b oth plantation owners and city residents trying to get life back together after the war ended. Before the war plantation life in the South was complicated, but enjoyable. Families owned and ran large plantations and had relatively easy lives, but still worked hard for their own plantation. The O'Hara family owned and ran a plantation named Tara. It was a large cotton plantation with many slaves working the fields, in the house and as personal servants, which was typical plantation life of the era. Margaret Mitchell brought the reality of war into the lives of her fictional characters. Among men and boys war was a popular subject, but among the women it was not. When Scarlett was chatting with the Tarleton twins they brought up war excitedly and she exclaimed, "Why there isn't going to be any war!" as though it was certain(7). At a large picnic on a neighboring plantation, Twelve Oaks, the main topic of conversation was the coming war. As the barbecue was ge... Free Essays on The Souths War Free Essays on The Souths War The South’s War The American Civil War was an event that changed the future of the United States of America. The outcome of the war determined whether there would be two countries instead of one united nation. Throughout the war the North and the South had completely different aspects of what happened. Many written accounts are based solely on the North’s view of the Civil War. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind discusses the Civil War from the South’s perspective, while intertwining a wonderful, page turning story. The adventurous life of Scarlett O’Hara is full of trial and tribulations before, after and during the war. Scarlett’s experiences tell how an average southern plantation family was affected by the war. Throughout Margaret Mitchell's compelling story of Scarlet O'Hara’s life, is a historical account of the Civil War from the South's perspective shown in the life of plantation owners before the war, city dwellers during the war, and b oth plantation owners and city residents trying to get life back together after the war ended. Before the war plantation life in the South was complicated, but enjoyable. Families owned and ran large plantations and had relatively easy lives, but still worked hard for their own plantation. The O'Hara family owned and ran a plantation named Tara. It was a large cotton plantation with many slaves working the fields, in the house and as personal servants, which was typical plantation life of the era. Margaret Mitchell brought the reality of war into the lives of her fictional characters. Among men and boys war was a popular subject, but among the women it was not. When Scarlett was chatting with the Tarleton twins they brought up war excitedly and she exclaimed, "Why there isn't going to be any war!" as though it was certain(7). At a large picnic on a neighboring plantation, Twelve Oaks, the main topic of conversation was the coming war. As the barbecue was ge...

Reinforcer Assessment for Applied Behavior Analysis

Reinforcer Assessment for Applied Behavior Analysis The foundational premise of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is that when behavior is reinforced, it is more likely to reoccur. When behavior is repeatedly reinforced, it becomes learned behavior. When we teach, we want students to learn specific behaviors. When students have problem behaviors, we need to teach alternative or replacement behavior. The replacement behavior needs to serve the same Function as the problem behavior, as the function is the way in which the behavior is reinforced for the child. In other words, if a behavior functions to provide a child attention, and the attention is reinforcing, the behavior will continue. Changeability of Reinforcement Many items can be reinforcing for a child. What is reinforcing is related to the function and the value of the function for a child. At different points certain different functions will have more importance than others to individual children: at some point, it may be attention, at another, it might be a preferred item or avoidance. For the purposes of Discrete Trials.  reinforcers that can be readily available and given and withdrawn quickly are the most effective. They may be toys, sensory items (spinning lights, musical toys, squishy toys/balls,) preferred items (dolls or Disney characters) or even escape, access to a break area. Sometimes edibles (candy or crackers) are used, but it is important that they are quickly paired with more appropriate social reinforcers. Not every item that is reinforcing for a child remains reinforcing. It may depend on the time of day, satiation, or the childs mood. Its important to have a rich menu of reinforcement that you can use with individual students when attempting to use ABA to teach or change behavior. Thats why it is important to attempt as many different kinds of reinforcers as possible, from preferred toys to sensory items. Ask About a Childs Preferences Parents and caregivers are a good place to start when exploring reinforcers. You can ask for the childs personal preferences: What does he/she enjoy doing when they can choose themselves? Does he/she have a favorite television character? Does he or she perseverate on that particular character? Parents and caregivers can give you some insight into the childs interests that will give you a sense of the kinds of preferences the child will find reinforcing. Non-Contingent Assessment The first step in assessing reinforcers is to give a child access to a number of items that The first step in assessing reinforcers is to give a child access to a number of items that young children would find appealing. Try to include items that the parent or caregiver has already indicated is a preferred item. It is called non-contingent because access to the reinforcer is not contingent on the childs behavior. To what items does the child gravitate? Note anything that the child picks up to assess again. Note any themes: is there a preference for musical toys, for specific characters? Does the child use cars or other toys appropriately? How does the child play with the toys? Does the child choose self-stimulation instead of toys? Can you engage the child in play with any of the toys? Once you have seen the child in the presence of the toys, you can list preferred items and eliminate those that they have shown little interest in. Structured Assessments Through your unstructured assessment, you have discovered which items your student gravitates to. Now, you want to find your most powerful (A ) reinforcers and which you will keep back for when the student is satiated with his or her A reinforcers. That is done by systematically laying small numbers of items (often just two) in front of the child and seeing what preferences he or she expresses. Concurrent Schedule Reinforcer Assessment: Two or more reinforcers are presented as a response to a target behavior, and the preference is noted. The reinforcers are switched out, to compare later with other reinforcers. Multiple Schedule Reinforcer Schedule: A reinforcer is used in contingent setting (such as social attention for appropriate play) and later in a non-contingent setting (without a requirement of appropriate play.) If the appropriate play increases despite the fact the child is getting non-contingent attention later in the day, it is assumed that the reinforcer is effective for increasing play. Progressive Ratio Schedule Reinforcer Assessment: A reinforcer is checked to see if it continues to increase response when response demand is increased. So, if a reinforcer stops eliciting the response you want when you expect more responses, it is not as powerful a reinforcer as you thought. If it does . . . stick with it. Reinforcement Suggestions Edibles: Edibles are never the first choice of an ABA practitioner since you want to move into secondary reinforcers as quickly as possible. Still, for children with severe disabilities, especially older children with poor functional and social skills, edibles may be the way to engage them and begin building behavioral momentum. Some suggestions: CrackersPieces of fruitSmall individual candies, like Skittles or M and Ms.Preferred foods. Some children with autism love dill pickles. Sensory Items: Children with autism spectrum disorders often have issues with sensory integration, and crave sensory input. Items which provide that input, like spinning lights or musical toys, can be powerful reinforcers for young children with disabilities. Some reinforcers are: Spinning lights or vibrating pens. These kinds of sensory items can be found in catalogs for special educators. If you dont have access to the catalogs, your occupational therapist may actually have some of these items.Gross motor activities, like bouncing on a pilates ball, or a ceiling hung swing.Tickles or direct sensory input. This is most appropriate for very young children, but it may also help pair reinforcement with the therapist/teacher. Preferred Items and Toys Many children with disabilities love television and often perseverate on favorite television characters, like Mickey Mouse or Dora the Explorer. Combining these strong preferences with toys may make some items powerful reinforcers. Some ideas: Sound books with favorite characters. I have found these to be good reinforcers for young children.Jointed action figuresCars, trucks, and track.Thomas the Tank Engine trains.Small animal figures.Blocks. Ongoing Assessment Childrens interests change. So may the items or activities that they find reinforcing. At the same time, a practitioner should be moving to spread out reinforcement and pair primary reinforcers with secondary reinforcers, like social interaction and praise. As children succeed in gaining new skills through ABA, they will move away from the short and frequent bursts of instruction that is discrete trial teaching toward more traditional and naturalistic methods of instruction. Some may even begin to reinforce themselves, by internalizing the values of competence and mastery.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 116

Case Study Example In addition, it strengthens during international turmoil (Balcerowicz, & World Bank Group, 2015). Unfavorable foreign exchange movements cause significant appreciation in Swiss franc against the Euro as well as other main currencies thereby challengingly affecting Swiss managers, employees, and firms (Butcher, 2011). According to the perspective of Swiss importing firms, the unfavorable exchange rate movements normally cause the prices of exports to increase thus weakening the customer demand. It makes the Swiss products to be more expensive abroad thus creating a negative impacts on their demand and this directly affects the sales revenue of companies (Horcher, 2013). On the other hand, unfavorable exchange rate movements greatly affect employees in terms of job loss and pay cuts. Low sales volume and profits due to low customer demand prompts firms to seek ways to survive and adapt by adjusting wages. Finally, it may force the managers to move their production to the euro zone in case they fail to cut wages and this also could cause more job losses at Mopac in Switzerland (Balcerowicz, & World Bank Group, 2015). I would have to move the production or the company to the euro zone because it is cheaper to produce in the region due to the weaker currency. Secondly I would have to cut wages to make the products cheaper thereby raising customer demand which in turn increases the sales volume and profits (Horcher, 2013). Thirdly, I would have to employ cross-border workers and pay them in Euros in order to cope with the appreciating Swiss franc. Finally, I would engage in simple currency diversification or currency hedging just like other large companies (Butcher, 2011). I would gladly accept Euros because it is weaker than the Swiss franc. The four options will greatly assist us in coping with the spike in Swiss franc (Balcerowicz, & World Bank Group,