INITIAL POST FROM STUDENT

Descartes had realized that humans ability to observe the world around them, mainly the senses, were susceptible to misinterpreting the input that was received. This is exemplified in the line “I received either from or through the senses. I observed, however, that these sometimes misled us…” from the third paragraph of Meditations I (Descrates). An example of the interpretations of our sense being wrong would be the mirage seen on the roads in a hot summer day.  Sometimes these mirages make it appear that there is water on the road surface at a distance away. 

When Descartes states “I am; I exist” is a phrase that is more commonly associated with “I think, therefore I exist.  What he is stating that up until this point he believes it is possible that what we perceive is a deception.  But in order for that to happen, he would have to exist in order to be deceived.  Descartes does admit further into the Meditations II that all he is sure of that he is a thinking thing, that his physical state could still be in question.  This is shown when he says “I am therefore, precisely speaking, only a thinking thing, that is, a mind.” (Descrates).

So when Descartes uses “I” he is referring to the thinking self.  He is referring to the mind because that is the only thing that he can be sure that is real.  His argument is that his perception of a physical body could be a deception, however in order to be deceived he would need to be able to think.  So in his belief, the only thing that he can be sure actually exist is his ability to think.  While it is circular logic in a way, that does not make it any less plausible.

PROFESSORS RESPONSE:

Matthew, you make interesting points in your post.  Descartes’ distrust of sensory experience as a means to truth is perhaps understandable, yet how are we to make the leap with him to the confirmation of the supernatural?  What method allows Descartes to make this assertion (there is a supernatural or a god), and did you agree with his logic in getting to his conclusion?

INITIAL POSTERS RESPONSE:

            Sir,

Unlike today, with the common knowledge of virtual reality, Descartes had no concept of what could possible deceive his sense beyond something with powers beyond that of a normal human.  This would naturally lead him to believe in a supernatural force.  It is interesting that to this day, we has humans are still asking these questions.  Physics Professors at Cambridge University and MIT have been considering the possibility that our universe is actually a computer simulation, and are in the process of trying to develop ways of testing this (Merali).

Given the knowledge that Descartes had at the time, his logic would be sound.  No more than we could expect a Descartes to understand how flight works, could we expect him to understand that forces other than a supernatural entity could be capable of deceiving him. Show him a television with a show playing, and he could very easily mistake it for message from a deity.

 

STUDENT A’s RESPONSE

Matthew,

  You made some great points in paraphrasing a few of Descartes’ ideas on rationalizing our existence. There were a few times where I saw and understood the same ideas you did. It seems that he constantly brought up different ideas to both prove and also disprove sensibility as to if we are actually real or tangible beings. I used the very same point in my response this week because I liked and agreed with it so much, that being we can only deceive our existence only therefore if we do actually exist. To me it seems as if some points his arguments actually somewhat collapse on themselves.

 Also, the very last portion of your response is, yet again, highly agreeable. I believe he went in quite a few circles to arrive at a point in which is very difficult to understand and make sense of.

STUDENT B’s RESPONSE

Hello Mathew,

     I agree that our senses deceive of at times, but we also understand and recognize false information, to a certain extent.  Through experience, whether our own or others, we understand that our perception is skewed, and for example, that there is no water in the desert, just more sand.  

     I like how you rephrased Descartes statement from “I am; I exist” to “I think; therefore I exist.”  This simplifies Descartes very wordy writing into an easy to understand statement.  Being able to question ones own existence is proof enough that one does exist.  I noticed that he understood himself as something that thinks as well.  Descartes poses questions as to what form he takes and quickly discredits himself  and makes reference to being deceived, or having a false perception of reality.

 

     I agree that Descartes is referring to the thinking self, but I disagree that it is his mind (that is if you are referring to a brain as we see it).  I get the impression that Descartes is referencing “I” as his soul, and that the body that houses it is what he questions.  Descartes mentions an all powerful being or God, and that is why Descartes exists.  Descartes also mentions that he could be deceived into a false reality, but he exists and God has allowed him to gain control of his mind (Descartes).  When Descartes mentions gaining control of his mind I do not think he means a brain, I think he means his soul. 

Exercise 2: Proper Acknowledgement

Due Day 2

 

Post your answers to the following exercise by clicking Reply.

 

Directions

Review the Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Citing reading. Read the following paragraph:

Decision making is a process by which several possibilities are considered and prioritized, resulting in a clear choice of one option over others. Decision making is a fact of life personally and in business. We make dozens of decisions each day. Some decisions are simple, while others are complex. Some are made for us while others require a great deal of analysis and thought. From what to wear to work to what computer system to choose to how to reward top performers to what movie to see, we use a variety of complex thought processes to make decisions from an array of options. Our ability to make decisions helps us to navigate through life, avoiding potential problems and expanding our horizons. Decision making plays a similar role in business. Decision making aids managers in identifying and selecting among potential opportunities, helping them solve immediate problems and make future problems more manageable. Good decision makers are those who are effective at processing information, assessing risks, and making choices that will have positive outcomes for their organization.

• Source 
  • Authors: S. C. De Janasz, K. O. Dowd, & B. Z. Schneider
  • Date: 2002
  • Title of book: Interpersonal Skills in Organizations
  • City of publication: New York, NY.
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill.
  • Page number: 372

Complete the following:

1. Write a brief summary of the main ideas of the paragraph. Create an in-text citation for your summary.

Answer:

 

1. Paraphrase a specific point or points made by the author within the paragraph. Create an in-text citation for your paraphrase.

Answer:

 

1. Identify a direct quote from the paragraph. Create an in-text citation for your direct quote.

Answer:

 

1. Create a reference for your paragraph.

Answer:

 

 

 

 

 

150 words

Now that you have developed an in-text citation for a summary, paraphrase, and a direct quote, and created a reference for the paragraph provided in Exercise 2, reflect on the thought processes you used for each aspect. How did your approach differ when writing each? What different techniques did you employ when developing each? What questions did you ask yourself as you wrote each?

On January 1, 2015, Day Corp. entered into a 10-year lease agreement with Ward, Inc. for industrial equipment. Annual lease payments of $10,000 are payable at the end of each year. Day knows that the lessor expects a 10 percent return on the lease. Day has a 12 percent incremental borrowing rate. The equipment is expected to have an estimated useful life of 10 years. In addition, a third party has guaranteed to pay Ward a residual value of $5,000 at the end of the lease.







The present value of an ordinary annuity of $1 at



12% for 10 years is 5.6502







10% for 10 years is 6.1446



The present value of $1 at



12% for 10 years is 0.3220







10% for 10 years is 0.3855







On Day’s October 31, 2015, balance sheet, the principal amount of the lease obligation was







$61,446.







$58,112.







$56,502.







$63,374.

One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 is to reduce health disparities among populations. Select one of the leading health indicators as identified by Healthy People 2020 and write a research paper of 1,000 words on the health disparities related to that condition. For the health indicator selected, the paper should include a discussion on the following:

Health Problem

1. Definition of the problem
2. Descriptive epidemiology (person, place, time)
3. Etiology (causes, risk factors)

Health Disparities

1. What disparities do we know exist for this disease?
2. Why do these disparities exist?
3. What explanations have been offered or supported?
4. What research questions have not been studied that may provide new, insightful information regarding this health problem?

Public Policy

1. Why is it an important public health problem?
2. What are some social, political, or economic barriers in our current health care system that impede disease prevention and health promotion for this health problem?
3. How would you educate/disseminate information about this health problem to the public? (target group, financial constraints)
4. How could one of a health administrator/manager’s general policies or policies specific to this health condition impact the health status of the target population?

You are required to use a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to Turnitin.

Select a topic of your choice.  Use a sociological theory/perspective to analyze your topic 

 

Choose a topic in your Major or a topic/issue that you are passionate about.  Here is an illustration of how to use one of the sociological theories discussed in the book.

 

 

If you decide to use the conflict theory: you must fully define this theory—make sure that you understand it as well.  Then, use it to analyze, for example, the Affordable Health Care.  What is the Affordable Health Care?  Why do some people support it and others do not?  In other words, discuss the views of those who support it and those that do not support it.  In general, most Democrats and few Republicans support it, while few Democrats and most Republicans oppose it.  In this case, there have been a struggle between the supporters and non-supporters of this healthcare reform .  Amongst other questions, you should explain: What actions has each side taken?  What have been some of the outcomes so far?  Has it been repealed? What types of insurance do the lawmakers have—is their insurance similar to what most Americans have?  You do not have to take a position, but you may if you want to.

 

 

You are required to use at least 5 sources [diversify the sources] (information from books, scholarly articles, news paper articles, personal interviews, and legitimate internet sources). You should include in-text citations within the paper and a Works Cited page as the last page. You must be consistent with the style (MLA ) throughout the paper.

 

Here is the rubric for this paper: The paper should be 7-8 pages long using double-space, normal margins (about 1 inch all around), Times New Roman, and 12 font. You should follow the essay format: introduction, thesis statement, supporting details, and conclusion.

 

*And also, make a good PPT for presentation. It should be 5 min long.( you should also give me a PPT).