Could machines have minds ( in answering, explain what you mean by Essay

Could machines have minds ( in answering, explain what you mean by mind) - Essay Example When the computer was in its early development stages, it was thought of as an electronic, thinking device, the mechanical equivalent of the human brain. This misconception is a gross oversimplification of the seemingly limitless boundaries of the human mind. The potential of machines were thought to be able to eventually encompass â€Å"an inductive and creative mind, capable of taking initiative, to which human beings could confide all their problems and obtain instant solutions in return† (Ifrah, 1997: 1679). This misconception in the early days of the computer has carried over even to today. This discussion examines the functions of the computer brain along with the similarities and differences to the human brain in addition to the meaning of knowledge and the limitations of machines as compared to the human mind. It also delves into the complex definition of consciousness in some depth so as to illuminate the distinctions between the human mind and the ‘mind’ of the machine. Simply stated, computers are machines which effectively carry out algorithmic functions. The machine discerns formalized input through a sequence of fixed stages through a predetermined, straightforward set of rules of a standardized and exacting description. This allows computers to perform procedures in a precise number of steps. Mechanical computers, unlike the functions of the computer-like brain do not have the capability to determine right from wrong nor can they make judgments, have no feelings and cannot think on their own. It cannot be denied that some types of intelligence can be attributed to computers but this capacity is very limited when balanced against the boundless intricacies in a human’s brain. However, the computer is superior when considering its capability to process information at a higher speed. This has provided humans a useful tool for a myriad of endeavors. Nevertheless, computers cannot reason, imagine, invent, create, express

Cassius’ Logical Persuasion Essay Example for Free

Cassius’ Logical Persuasion Essay From Julius Caesar, Act 1 Scene 2, Cassius attempts to persuade Brutus on joining the conspiracy against Caesar through logos. To convince Brutus to join the conspiracy, Cassius starts telling Brutus that â€Å"I was born free as Caesar. So were you. We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter’s cold as well as he† (I. ii. 100). When Cassius states Caesar as someone like them, Cassius is using logic to explain to Brutus that they are all equal to Caesar, not inferior. Cassius believes that Brutus and he deserve just as much power as Caesar, so he does not want Brutus to be supporting Caesar, but going against him. Even though Cassius says he is equal to Caesar, he then tells Brutus a story about how he saves Caesar from almost drowning and also recalls a story of Caesar in Spain saying â€Å"’Alas,† it cried, ’give me some drink, Titinius,’ as a sick girl† (I. ii. 139). The connotation of â€Å"girl† is a female child, not manly and powerful. So by telling the stories, Brutus now acknowledges that Caesar is weak because he is able to drown and get sick and Brutus will no longer look upon someone who cries â€Å"as a sick girl†. Brutus is persuaded by Cassius’ story that Caesar is not all that power and that they should not be serve Caesar as if he is a god. On the other hand, Cassius contradicts himself multiple ways by saying Caesar is â€Å"like a Colossus and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates. † (I. ii. 137). Cassius portrays Caesar as a power person who will become a tyrant and that he is more superior to everyone else. Because Cassius and Brutus does not like tyrants or dictators, Cassius indirectly tells him to not support Caesar, and instead, tries hinting to Brutus that it is time for him to take control of Rome. The logos Cassius uses persuades Brutus to not let someone who is equal to him, such as Julius Caesar, to rule Rome.

Christian Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies

Christian Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies In the novel the Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, strong parallels have been drawn between Simon and Jesus Christ. In the novel, Simon is described as a Christ-like figure. Although William Golding does not directly connect the Christian symbolism to The Lord of the Flies, we can clearly see that Simon is indeed the resemblance of Jesus Christ for he is a wise, mature and insightful character just as how Christ is known as, being sacrificed as a consequence of discovering the truth regarding the beast, and also, his conversation with the Lord of the Flies corresponds to Jesus Christs confrontation with the devil during Jesus forty days in the wilderness, as told in the Christian Gospels. In the Lord of the Flies, Simon portrays many characteristics similar to those Jesus Christ had while he was on earth. He is a wise, mature, and kind-hearted boy, just like how Jesus Christ is known by all people. These characteristics can be shown during the time when Simon sneaks off and goes into the jungle alone after he has finished helping Ralph in building the shelter. He turned his back and walked into the forest with an air of purpose (Golding 55). From this, we can see that Simon is indeed wise and mature in the sense that he does not want to be involved in the argument between Ralph and Jack. To him, it is merely something of no great concern. Similarly, Jesus withdrew himself from his disciples and went into the wilderness to pray alone, in order to seek the face of God (Holy). Besides, Simon finds and picks fruit for the littluns from spots they cannot reach, then he passes the fruits to their hands (Golding 56). Simon was not at all required to perform this service, yet he did. He did the best he could (Sparknotes). Likewise, Jesus cares for little children too. The Lord even once said, Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Holy). Hence, this has shown that Simon and Jesus Christ do have something in common in their personalities. Apart from that, as written by William Golding, Simon is killed sacrificially by the other boys on the island as a consequence of having discovered the truth about the beast. Initially, Simon attempts to explain that the boys themselves, or something related to the human nature could be the beast that all of them are afraid of. He tells them that maybe there is a beast. However, none of boys actually believe him. Furthermore, Ralph even stands up in amazement in regards to Simons point of view about the beast (Golding 89). Nevertheless, Simon knows that the beast is harmless; therefore he must reveal the truth to them. This is due to the fact that he sees the need for the boys to understand the true identity of the beast. In the end, Simon eventually dies as a result of being made the scapegoat for the boys unshakeable fear. As a result of being mistaken as the beast, Simon is leapt on, struck, bit, and tore (Golding 153). Similarly, Jesus Christ is killed for spreading the gospel to all people, as there were some who refused to believe in him. This is the main reason why He was crucified 2000 years ago. The Jewish mocked him, took off his robe, then they led him away to crucify him (Holy). Although Jesus is not sinful, he was killed simply because people did not believe his words. During that time, no one believed that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God. This is exactly like what happens to Simon in the Lord of the Flies, in which both of them are sacrificed because no one believed in them. Furthermore, Simons conversation with the Lord of the Flies demonstrates some characteristics similar to Jesus Christs confrontation with the devil during His forty days in the wilderness, as told in the Christian Gospels. In the novel, the Lord of the Flies tells Simon that evil lies within every human and because of that, he is going to have some fun. It even tells him to run off and play with the others (Golding 143). Besides, Simon is once again told by the Lord of the Flies that all of them will be unable to escape him, the beast, for it is inside the boys themselves. This somehow foreshadows Simons death in the later part of the novel. This shows that the Lord of the Flies, which is also the physical manifestation of the beast, has now become the symbol of power and evil as well as a kind of Satan figure who induces the beast within each human being (Sparknotes). Therefore, through Simons conversation with the Lord of the Flies, the readers of this novel are then able to know t he truth about the beast that has been haunting all the stranded boys on the island all the time. At the same time, 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ experienced the same thing as Simon does in the Lord of the Flies. Jesus encountered the devil during His forty days in the wilderness. During that time, He had to face Satan. Satan offered Him food, power, and wealth. However, all those were completely rejected by Jesus. He answered Satan by saying Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Holy). Hence, from what Simon and Jesus Christ have encountered, where both of them had to face this situation when they are alone, William Golding has clearly portrayed Simon as a Christ-like figure in the novel. As a whole, the character Simon, in the Lord of the Flies is indeed portrayed as the resemblance of Jesus Christ for he is wise, mature, and insightful, having been sacrificed as a consequence of discovering the truth, and also, his conversation with the Lord of the Flies parallels the confrontation between Jesus and the devil during Jesus forty days in the wilderness, as told in the Christian Gospels. William Golding has shown some Christian ideas and themes in his story by developing some parallel ideas between Simon and the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, readers of the novel ought to always remember that the biblical parallels between Simon and Christ are not exactly complete; hence, they should not necessarily be the primary basis to interpreting the story (Sparknotes).

Shop Until You Drop: The Stigma About Consumerism Essay -- Economics

Introduction Today, people consume for pleasure. The act of consuming goods may allow one to fit in, feel confident, or participate socially in shopping culture. Consumerism has become a universal behaviour amongst most people and groups. According to Sharon Boden, consumption is affected by both external and internal constraints and expectations (150). I argue that consumerism and consumption is no longer an accurate indicator of a person’s actual status and wealth. As a society, we have increased accessibility to commodities and experiences. For example, driving a Mercedes-Benz is no longer a symbol of being wealthy or belonging to the upper class. Leases or loans have brought such luxuries to a broader spectrum of social classes. We see outrageous disparity in wealth everywhere today. Although stereotypes and emphasis on public image are common within this judgement-based society, they do not measure up when it boils down to ‘who is purchasing what.’ This paper analyzes five different scholarly books to determine why consumerism and consumption is no longer an accurate representation of wealth and status. First I will provide a theoretical and historical background on the topic of consumption, then I will discuss the following categories: symbolic indulgence, symbolic deprivation, and finally, the convergence of classes. Research and Discussion The five scholarly books examined are as follows: In Longing and Belonging, Allison Pugh discusses the role of parenting and the effects of consumerism and consumption on children. Foodies, by Baumann and Johnston, discusses how foodie culture falls under the umbrella of both democracy and distinction. Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience by Sharon Boden de... ... with less capital to consume and experience commodities that were historically out of reach. Consumerism and consumption is largely driven by the actions that individuals take each and every day when buying groceries, or going on vacation. References Aspers, Patrik. 2010. Orderly Fashion: A Sociology of Markets, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Boden, Sharon. 2003. Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience, Houndmills, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Johnston, Josà ©e and Shyon Baumann. 2010. Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape, New York: Routledge. Pugh, Allison J. 2009. Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture, Berkeley, CA: University of Berkeley Press. Zukin, Sharon. 2005. Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture, New York: Routledge.

Result of learning behavior test

This class has taught me a lot about myself as a learner and what works best for me when it comes to how I study. EXP 105 has given me the ability to know how I learn and what my strengths are in my learning process. It has shown me that not everyone learns the same way by just reading and responding. That everyone is learning behavior is as unique as one’s fingerprint. My learning behavior is Sequence – 27, Precision – 26, Technical Reasoning 26 Confluence -23, and I am ranked as a Dynamic Learner. My strengths are in my organization skills as well as my ability to be able to plan.In everything I do I lead by planning things out as well as being very organized with list and time schedules. These techniques work very well for me and the more I have learned about them the better I have become in strengthening my learning behavior. I have learned that my LCI not only tells me how I learn but also how I do my discussions and my assignments. I FIT all of my learning behaviors in to everything I do in studying, learning, writing, note taking, and even in tests. I follow a format every time and have become more aware of this the further along I have come in this class and in the assignments.It is almost as if I follow the same exact pattern every time I begin to read or write. I am continuously learning more and more about myself as an intentional learner and will continue to do so thru out my collage experience. In all my assignments, I always begin with making an outline of what I want to cover in my discussions. I make a list of all points that I want to cover and bring up in my papers. I also like to take extensive notes when I read each chapter so that I can always look back and refresh my memory on what I have read.It also makes for an excellent study guide. By learning how I learn it has made it easier to understand the best way for me to write my papers or study in general. As I just get started in my online education, this class has help ed me in how I approach each assignment. I started this journey because I am a single mother of two and want to better our lives. Going to school online gives me the ability to do my class work and studies around my children’s schedules. It enables me to be there to take care of my children, be there for their school and for them in general.It was very important to me that I wanted to go back to school and better myself and my family, but I did not want my children to be neglected or feel pushed aside, and also for me to be able to study and work at my pace. Ashford University has allowed me to do all of this. The faculty has been so wonderful and beyond helpful that I have not felt alone or lost during this new start in my life. I am grateful for this new chapter in my life and all the help from advisors and teachers that I have received and am looking forward to continuing my education with this university.

Painting Critique Research Paper of Salvador Dali Essays

Painting Critique Research Paper of Salvador Dali Essays Painting Critique Research Paper of Salvador Dali Essay Painting Critique Research Paper of Salvador Dali Essay 1. Choose 3 books from the McCormick Library collection of art books.List them below with their call numbers. a. Dali: The Salvador Dali Museum Collection, oversized, 759.6, D143 b. Dalis Optical Illusions, 709.24, D143 c. Dali Dawn Ades, 709.24, D143, C.1 d. The Shameful Life of Salvador Dali, 709.24, D143 2. Page through these books until you find an artist or painting or style that particularly appeals to you.List the painting/ artist/style below. b. Painting is the Persistence of Memory 3. Using an encyclopedia of art or other print resources, find out some information on the artist, painting, or style.List your resources(s) below. a. I chose the encyclopedia and I found out that Dali was born May 11th 1904 and died January 23rd 1989. c. He is most known for his surrealism work 4. Using the internet (at the library or home), visit a virtual museum to find out more about this artist, painting, or style.List the internet site here. a. moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_ id=79018 a. That this painting hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.This painting was made to look like a dream like state. I believe that Salvador Dali was considered as the greatest artist of the surrealist art movement and one of the greatest masters of art of the twentieth century.Dali was born in Figueres, Spain on May 11th 1904 at 8:45 in the morning. His birth name that was given to him was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali Domenech.Needless to say trying to sigh that name to a piece of art just wouldnt look right to he shortened it to Salvador Dali.He was born as the second child to Salvador Dali Cusi and his wife Felipa Domenech Ferres.