Abstract The paper compares and contrasts the theories of Darwin revisionist Stephen JayGould and creationists. The paper explains the major beliefs of creationist thought and includes Gould's belief that creationism is a pseudo-science.
From the Paper "Stephen Jay Gould's Non moral Nature. Stephen Jay Gould prior to his death was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University and has been described by Phillip E Johnson as a Darwinian revisionist, who rejects the tendency in Darwinian thought to insist on the absolute primacy of natural selection as a regulatory mechanism operating in the evolutionary process."
Tags: Stephen JayGould, Creationism, Darwin, natural selection, evolution
Abstract This paper discusses the life of Stephen JayGould, a paleontologist and evolutionary theorist. According to the paper, his concepts conflicted with many theorists who suggested that certain human elements, such as brain size, would determine intellect. Gould published many works in his lifetime, and was well known for his concepts that brought evolutionary theory toward modern day thought.
From the Paper "Throughout history there have been many theories regarding the evolution of the world, and of the many creatures that have existed in it. Charles Darwin, perhaps the most famous evolutionary theorist, had writings that were immediately taken out of context. For many years these misconceptions of Darwin's writings were considered facts, and the world consistently argued over their worth. Yet, there were many people that often expanded on these assumptions to use them as excuses for societal inequalities, and personal gain. By the late 1960s Stephen Jay Gould began to develop his own theories of evolution, while at the same time examining these past conclusions. His work left a profound affect on society because it posed new evidence for the world to contemplate in the realm of evolution. Furthermore, just as Darwin's writings had been so controversial, Gould's became the new controversy in the theory of evolution."
Abstract In this paper the author looks at the concept of critical thinking. He examines the world of academia, which he suggests is saturated with ideas, assumptions and statistics. He suggests that many educators strive to teach the skills to utilize these ideas, assumptions and statistics in both a scholarly context and in real life situations. He then contends that to assume that critical thinking skills are so easily transferable is far more complex. With this in mind he moves on to look at Stephen JayGould's essay, "The Median Isn"t the Message,? in which he suggests that Gould describes the difficulties of taking statistics and academic studies out of context. Gould does this by referring to a time when he was diagnosed with a disease and how easily he could have been misled by the statistics had he chosen not to use his own critical thinking.
From the paper:
?Gould points out these personal experiences to send a message to his readers. Generally one does not relate such personal details of one's life to simply prove some academic concept. Gould wants his readers to take his experience and apply it. He tells the reader through his own account, to question everything, especially statistics. Humans have a tendency to hear statistics and interpret them without questioning what is really being said.?
This paper presents Stephen JayGould's argument from his article "Darwin's Untimely Burial" against philosopher Tom Bethell who questions Darwin's Theory.
Abstract This paper explains that, ever since Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, individuals involved with science and religion, such as British philosopher Tom Bethell, have tried to negate his thesis; others, such as scientist JayGould, recognize Darwin as one of the most brilliant people in history. The author points out that Gould responds that "survival of the fittest" is not a tautology, as claimed by Bethell. The paper relates that Gould concludes that unabated popularity must have something to do with its success in explaining the admittedly imperfect information we now possess about evolution.
From the Paper "Bethell says he does not support Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection because: "Darwin made a mistake sufficiently serious to undermine his theory. And that mistake has only recently been recognized as such....At one point in his argument, Darwin was mislead." In the first place, Bethell has a problem with the idea of "survival of the fittest." This term normally means no more than "differential reproductive success"-the production of more surviving offspring than other competing members of the population-which is a needless repetition of the same meaning."
Abstract This paper begins with a short description of the scrub jay. It continues to explain that the scrub jay is an endangered species. The paper explains that as the scrub jay is a protected bird, land where these birds reside may not be developed. The author concludes with an explanation of the controversy in Florida surrounding development and the scrub jay.
From the Paper "Scrub jays, aside from being on the Endangered Species list, are attractive.
Mating for life, one of their characteristics seems always to attract humans. These birds build a nest about 8 feet above ground, build a shallow nest basket of twigs and palmetto fibers, and raise one or two broods of hatchlings from clutches of three to four eggs. For a long while, it was thought that displaced bird families would simply move on to another scrub brush stand. However, that is not so. Scrub jays are "highly territorial. Disruption of habitat quickly leads to upset reproduction, rejection and isolation" (ecofloridamagazine Web site, 1999-2000) and disruption of habitat has already diminished the scrub jay population to about 2,000."
Abstract This paper examines the essays contributed by John Jay to "The Federalist". The paper explains that, in these essays, Jay advocated a strong united government as a means to protect the United States against threats posed by foreign powers, including Native Americans and European countries. The paper also looks at how Jay's essays explain the advantages of united, opposed to independent, American States. One large country is better suited than many small countries to avoid or win wars, to deal with foreign policy, and to protect itself from foreign interference.
From the Paper "John Jay justified his argument by citing the three major powers in Great Britain. He held up Great Britain as a model of different states uniting as one nation. Although Great Britain was composed of three strong independent powers, England, Scotland and Wales, these kingdoms worked together within the framework of the British government. Jay strongly believed that if states had different policies, especially in foreign affairs, they could someday damage the United States as a whole."
Tags: colonies security, foreign powers, britain, common goal
A comparative analysis of how the characters of Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman" face their pasts.
Abstract This paper examines how in "The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald created Jay Gatsby, a man with a mysterious past that is bared over the course of the novel. It also looks at how in "Death of a Salesman", Arthur Miller created Willy Loman, a man haunted by a past that he does not understand. It discusses how Jay Gatsby knew what his past was, and concealed it. Nevertheless, he could treat his father with generosity, if only from a distance. In comparison, the paper looks at how Willy Loman longs to recapture his past, but it is a past he has idealized almost beyond recognition. He does not realize that in the venality of his failing life, he already has it.
From the Paper "Fitzgerald gives only a glimpse of young Jimmy Gatz, through his father. Henry Gatz comes to New York for the funeral, "a solemn old man, very helpless and dismayed" (Fitzgerald, 111), after reading of Gatsby's death in the Chicago papers, and Fitzgerald does not explain how Mr. Gatz connected Jay Gatsby and his son. The old man confronts Gatsby's edifice with grief "mixed with awed pride" (Fitzgerald, 112), blind to the fact that "foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams" (Fitzgerald, 2). His worn-out photograph of Gatsby's house is "more real to him now than the house itself" (Fitzgerald, 115). "
Abstract This paper explores the concept of denial in Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", where the creation of an image prevented Gatsby from realizing that he was ignoring important aspects of reality.
Abstract This paper discusses the greatness of the character, Jay Gatsby, in the novel, "The Great Gatsby," written by Scott Fitzgerald. The paper looks at Gatsby's relationships with other characters in the novel. It suggests that Gatsby is great, but not in terms of integrity and concern for others. Rather, the source of Gatsby's greatness is his drive or ambition.
From the Paper "When Tom's lover, Myrtle Wilson, is killed in a hit and run accident, everything that occurs is ironic. Gatsby is shot and killed by Mr. Wilson because the car is his. In addition, Tom believes that Gatsby was responsible for the death because Daisy continues to let Tom believe that Gatsby was at the wheel. Not one of the many guests who had attended Gatsby's parties bothered to attend his funeral. The only people in attendance are Gatsby's father, Nick, and Gatsby's servants. It is this lack of memory and respect for Gatsby that seems to deny his greatness. At the same time, Nick states that "Gatsby turned out all right at the end" (8). The reader can only be sympathetic to Gatsby if he or she holds capitalist and materialist values."
Abstract This paper explains that Jay Conger's "Learning to Lead: The Art of Transforming Managers into Leaders" is an insightful and interesting book discussing the topic of leadership in depth. The paper points out that Conger spends some effort attempting to prove the theoretical foundation in which leadership must be grounded. The paper also points out that Conger argues that many leadership qualities are inherent at birth and require consistent nurturing and still many others leadership qualities can be developed. The paper then states that Conger presupposes that situational and transformation leadership models are the only two effective models for the contemporary business environment. The paper describes these models.
From the Paper "While many of the underlying principles for establishing and building communications in an organization are universal, the approaches to leadership have taken many different tangents in the late 20th and early 21st century in order to raise productivity, to improve motivational response, and create organizational culture in which communicative process as described by Conger are fostered. Thus, for Conger and other leadership authors, these post-modern leadership models are largely based on the willingness if not the responsibility to effectively guide and teach others."
Tags: models, personal growth approaches, innate situational transformation
From the Paper "In Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle, Stephen Jay Gould discusses the evolution of geologists' understanding of the concept of deep time. Gould studied texts by Thomas Burnet, James Hutton, and Charles Lyell--three scientific writers who approached this question in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Traditionally, readings of these three writers tended to focus on the degree to which each man employed the scientific method in investigating the question of the Earth's age. The greater the scientist's dependence on scientific method, the historians reasoned, the closer he came to the truth. Thus, these scientists have often been ranked, and understood, on the basis of their adherence to standards that are familiar to the twentieth century, but were still evolving when they wrote. In the course of his repeated close readings of the texts, in which.."
From the Paper "Stephen Jay Gould's The Mismeasure of Man seeks to demonstrate both the scientific weaknesses and political contexts of biological determinist arguments. As a side argument, Gould attempts to show that science is objective only if performed properly, like anything else. In order for scientists to obtain this all essential objectivity, he shows that they must first "shuck the constraints of their culture, and view the world as it really is" (21).
The primary focus of The Mismeasure of Man is intelligence testing. Long shrouded in pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo, IQ testing has been used to culturally oppress the mental underdogs who occupy the lower rungs of the social ladder. The essential tragedy of such thinking is that biological determinist arguments with regard to IQ are limiting to the individual. As Gould..."
From the Paper " Gould's book The Mismeasure of Man, is not so much a book that promotes a thesis of his own as a book that studies a thesis other people believed and how they used the doctrine of evolution to support it. After chapter 1, in which Gould quotes Plato's attempt to use the propaganda of innate (and therefore unchangeable) differences, In chapter two Gould states the following:
This books treats an argument that, to many people's surprise, seems to be a latecomer: biological determinism, the notion that people at the bottom are constructed of intrinsically inferior material (poor brains, bad genes, or whatever). Plato, as we have seen, cautiously floated this proposal in the Republic, but finally branded it as a lie (p. 31)."
Abstract This paper looks at the tremendous disparities between the rich and the poor during the Gilded Age in America. It does this by comparing the conditions and meager incomes of the masses to those of the well-known, wealthy men of that era: JayGould, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers.
From the Paper "One good way to get an idea of just how terrible the conditions were and how meager incomes were for the masses is to compare their fate with the grand estates of the rich. George Vanderbilt, son of Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of a railroad empire, built himself a 250-room "home" on 8,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (Biltmore Estate Web site, "Visit Biltmore Estate"). Today, the "Biltmore Estate" chateau is a gleaming monument to the opulence of the Gilded Age ? still featuring the priceless artifacts and paintings that the Vanderbilt family had stocked it with. Compared with the poverty and squalor that residents of New York tenement houses had to endure, it could be said that the Vanderbilts ? and people like Jay Gould, and other "robber barons" ? lived in heaven, and New York City tenement dwellers lived in hell."
Abstract This paper explores the main debate that arises when altering human genetics. It discusses the ethical implications, potential deadly side effects and the possibility of genetic discrimination. The paper also looks at the views of Jeremy Rifkin and Stephen JayGould. The author maintains that the solution is to establish an international ban on human genetic engineering. The author is also of the opinion that biological engineering does not have nor ever will have a place in society.
From the Paper "The excitement streamed throughout their bodies as the newlywed couple walked into the doctor's office. Today marks six weeks of pregnancy for the couple, and they have a doctor's appointment to go over their choices regarding the baby's sex, color, height, and personality of the future newborn. One might ask is this health care professional the form of a supernatural being. Indeed, one would consider this situation as the sick plot of a typical science fiction piece, but suppose this story had the potential to become reality. Unfortunately, the doctor is nothing more than a human being misusing science without ethical regard. This hypothetical example poses a scary prospect, which can be made possible through the practice of biological engineering."
