Definition Essay †Defining the Soul of Man -- Definition Essays

Definition Essay – Defining the Soul of Man "Soul" has, historically, always been tied up with morality and religious dogma, and I believe modern neuropsychology and psychobiology has effectively refuted any scientific basis for a "Soul." To state as fact, "The soul exists," one must first socratically define Soul. More on this later: Soul, or Consciousness, is, without a doubt, tied up within the billions of curious things called synapses and cells, deep inside the brain. There are cases of people without consciousness, without the all important "I." Usually this happens through the onset of a coma, or sometimes the hippocampus is damaged. (which is where short-term memory, a necessary component of consciousness, is located.) These people do not function properly, and are unaware of themselves. (this is very difficult for us to comprehend, as we are self-aware, and so cannot place ourselves in an antithetical position.) Upon death, all brain waves, all mental capacities, and all memories are forever lost. These things are all, again without a scientific doubt, stored in the brain-cells, where they are continually accessed when the brain is alive. But with the onset of death, (which is always and without fail the death of the brain,) these things become locked away in the tiny vaults of a billion cells, never to be accessed again. But this does not irrefutably destroy the belief in Soul. It is much more complex, which is unnerving because a thorough explanation demands numerous paragraphs. There are two major religious beliefs on the soul, and though they may seem diametrically opposed, we must remember that our ideas on the soul exist only because of the conditioned acceptance of these religiou... ...ything that exists is energy, (as is the case), then we undeniably have a "soul." But not in the conscious, creative, spiritual sense, only in a semantic sense. Since consciousness is inextricably linked with soul, and we are only conscious while in our bodies, the "immortal soul" theory breaks down. How do we know it is immortal? Support that. Give empirical evidence for it. You can't, so why believe in something that has no support, aside from an old dogma that has been contradicted a thousand times by science and empirical evidence? But, as I said, if "Soul" means nothing more than "Energy," than we have a soul. But the moment "Soul" means anything else, science refutes it. Works Cited Masson, Jeffrey. "When Animals Weep." New York, Delacorte Press, 1995 De Wall, Franz. "Chimpanzee Politics." John Hopkins University Press, 1989.

African Americans in the Revolutionary War

Before the Revolutionary War even began, slaves started to realize that the promises to secure their freedom from England and reduce the amount of slaves were seemingly unlikely. The African Americans were segregated and determined as free or enslaved. The Atlantic Slave Trade was setup to be a successful business in the 18th century , it sent slaves to southern states that specialized in agriculture. Slavery in the North was also legal and accepted as well. However, some colonies did allow free African Americans. Even though they had their freedom, rights of these African Americans were still confined.Black Codes consisted of stipulations such as, prohibiting their right to vote, forbidding them to sit on juries, and not allowing them the ability to testify against a white person in court. These codes made it hard to really feel like they had freedom and were in no way shape or form equal to a free white American. At the beginning of the American Revolution, African Americans were d emanded to choose whether to rebel, or to stay committed to the crown. Many African American slaves fought with Britain in the war because they were promised their freedom once again.A significant amount of African American slaves died during the Revolution, some of them got away but not very many. In the United States at this time, about 95% of the African Americans living here were enslaved. They were used by the white Americans during the war because of this. In 1777 George Washington approved the right for African American slaves to enlist, but only a small percentage actually did. A lot of the Northerners thought that the south using slaves on the front line was cruel and that the south needed their slaves in order to continue growing their economy.This made the South seem incompetent without their slaves. The African Americans fought for the United States and England. This was not right to use them and the British even used their heads to make them join and fight against the U nited States. The African Americans could win their freedom and go against their masters. Crispus Attucks was a black man who was considered the first death of the American Revolution. He yelled out â€Å"Don’t be afraid! †, and led a group of protesters against the British soldiers. I believe that the Boston Massacre was one of the final straws for the need of independence.An African American named Paul Cuffe, helped the American colonies by supplying them with goods and sneaking them past British ships. Another African American who was a minute man during the Boston Massacre was Lemuel Haynes. Salem Poor was one of the African American soldiers who fought at Bunker Hill. It is said that he shot Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie, a British officer. Prince Whipple was born in Africa and sold into American slavery at a young age. His master was William Whipple who he fought alongside in the war, but even though he did this he remained a slave throughout the revolutio n.He was was one of the 20 African American slaves who signed the New Hamshire Legislature which was asking for the elimination of slavery within this state. African-Americans were a very helpful and prominent part in fighting at Concord, Lexington, and Bunker Hill. James Armistead successfully petitioned his master to allow him to serve with the Marquis de LaFayette and he became a double agent in General LaFayette's service. He pretended to be a Loyalist slave spying on the Americans and invaded the Bristish General, Charles Cornwallis’s headquarters.All of the knowledge he gave to LaFayette helped the Americans win at the battle of Yorktown. LaFayette was so impressed with his doing that he actually petitioned the Virginia legislature to give him his freedom. When Lafayette saw Armistead in a crowd he called him by name and hugged him in public. James Armistead’s accomplishments in the revolution were so prominent and uplifting. My favorite African American idol dur ing the revolution to learn about is Phillis Wheatley. Not only because she is an intelligent and fortifying women but also for her poetry and strength to find a passion during these times.She was the first African American woman to have her work published as an American poet. . She was born in Gambia, Africa as a slave child and took her name from the Phillis, the slave ship that brought her to Boston and from her master, John Wheatley. Wheatley was a huge supporter of America freedom as well as African American slaves freedom. She published a collection of poems including one that was a memorial for the Boston Massacre. Phillis also wrote a poem for George Washington that she mailed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, the headquarters for the commander in chief.Washington happily replied with an invitation to come and visit him. She accepted immediately and met with him in Cambridge. George Washington also passed her story and excitement on to someone he knew in the publishing industry, and her poem was printed several times for the patriot cause. Phillis Wheatley was one of the most renowned poets of the eighteenth century. She was the first African-American to publish a book of imaginative writing and the first to start the African-American literary tradition.She combined religion and neo-classicism in her poems and most of her poems propose an escape from slavery. She rejoices death and the rewards and liberty of life after death. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family, taught her Latin, religion, English and literature. Apparently brilliant and with an ability for learning, Phillis became fluent in English. She was able to read passages from the bible and also showed interest towards astronomy, geography, history, Latin and Greek classics and British literature. Soon enough she was considered as a full-fledged poet in the art.Wheatley was influenced by the religious beliefs of her master and hence accepted Christianity as her religion. Her story is so outsta nding to me and the most powerful and prominent of them all. Even though she wasn’t actually fighting in the revolutionary war she was making a difference in history, fighting for what she believed in and following her heart and passion. To me this is just as worthy as enlisting in the war. In many ways, George Washington himself embodied the Revolution's mixed message for African Americans.Like many of the Founding Fathers, Washington owned slaves throughout his life and was influenced by contemporary racist views about African inferiority. Initially opposed to black enlistment in the Continental Army, Washington reluctantly agreed to allow certain free blacks to fight after Lord Dunmore's proclamation threatened to bring black patriots over to the British cause. In time the valor of his patriotic black soldiers and his friendship with antislavery advocates such as the Marquis de LaFayette convinced Washington that slavery was economically unsound as well as morally wrong.Ye t he maintained an ambiguous stance toward the institution, anxious to avoid fracturing the delicate sectional balance crafted at the Constitutional Convention. Washington's relationship with African Americans, like that of the new nation itself, was contradictory. He believed in â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† but signed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793, he viewed slavery as a moral evil but did not free his own slaves until after his death. This is baffling to me.Over five thousand African Americans had a role in the fight for the Independence of United States. I believe that the African Americans played just as big of a role in the Revolution as every other white American soldier. Works Cited http://fas-history. rutgers. edu/clemens/AfricanAmericansRevolution. html http://www2. coloradocollege. edu/Dept/HY/HY243Ruiz/Research/revolution. html http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/learning_history/revolution/revolution_slavery. cfm

Can Addiction Be Classified As A Real Addiction - 1932 Words

Can addiction to sex be classified as a real addiction? Features Hypersexual Disorder failed to be included in the appendix of the DSM-V (APA, 2012). This was mainly due to the risks associated with pathologising normal behaviours, and the potential forensic implications associated with such a diagnosis (Kafka, 2010). However, both the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine recognise that a disorder exists in which sexual behaviour is addictive (World Health Organisation, 2007; American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2011) Sex addiction can be defined as an excessive and maladaptive sex drive, which requires the frequency and intensity of sexual behaviours to increase despite†¦show more content†¦These behaviours are often used as coping mechanisms to manage dysphoric affect, as they lack the ability to cope with the emotional pain and shame caused by their behaviour (Carnes, 1999; Kennedy Pendley, 2002). Greiner and Carroll (2008) found that sexually addicted men had higher levels of anxiety, were more likely to have an insecure attachment style, and were distant and avoidant in their close relationships. The mean age of onset is 18.7 years, however, sufferers are most likely to seek treatment during their forties and fifties (Kafka, 2010). Common comorbidites associated with sex addiction include other addictive disorders such as gambling and substance abuse (Kaplan Krueger, 2010), major depression, anxiety and ADHD (Bancroft, 2009). Sex Addiction and Drug Based Addictions Sex addiction and drug based addictions are very similar. They are both characterised by a) a loss of control, b) continuation of behaviour/substance use despite significant adverse consequences, and c) obsession and preoccupation with the behaviour/substance (APA, 2012). Carnes (1991) has identified, as in substance abuse, tolerance and withdrawal components to sex addiction. A sex addict must increase the frequency of their sexual behaviour, just as an opiate addict must take larger doses to achieve the same effect. They also experience distress, anxiety, restlessness and irritability if they are unable to engage in the