Diamond cites multiple factors Essay Example for Free

Diamond cites multiple factors Essay A tale of two very similar farms, 500 years apart in time, in Montana and in Greenland respectively, sets the scene for Jared Diamond’s romp round the known world with an ecological bee in his bonnet. One farm prospered, and the other collapsed. Here ends the first reading, and sure enough, another few dozen parables of human folly follow immediately after. The book reads like a sequel to Diamond’s Pulitzer Prize winning title of 1997: Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies even though the focus this time is more firmly on the societies that failed. The same cherry-picking formula is used, and the same breezy tone makes Collapse a fairly easy read, despite its heavy theme and expansive range. The book’s central thesis is that it is geography, more than history, that ultimately causes the demise of individual human communities and societies. This is perhaps not surprising from a professor of geology and physiology at the University of California in Los Angeles. The frozen wastes of Greenland and the striking stone heads of Easter Island are presented as grim reminders of past civilisations. Diamond cites multiple factors such as environmental change, climate change, hostile neighbours, loss of trading partners and a poor response to emerging environmental problems as the causes of decline and ultimately the collapse of these societies. He is at his best when he talks about smaller, more isolated and pre-industrial groups, putting us all in mind of an earlier time when people generally lived in villages rather than cities. The book shifts, however, and applies the same kind of analysis to large city-based civilizations like the ancient Maya of South America and more mixed modern economies such as China and Australia. In these cases, as they say, the plot thickens and when Diamond gets his crystal ball out, he predicts that China, â€Å"the lurching giant† will have to apply its typical top-down draconian pressures to environmental issues in the same way that it enforced a strict curb on the birth rate. Diamond’s innocuous description of China’s brutal one child ruling as â€Å"family planning policies †¦ bold and effectively carried out† underplays the culture shift that would need to occur if ever a western democracy were to try a similar tactic in aid of environmental reforms. One can’t help thinking that Diamond has not yet got his head round the concept of globalization and the astonishing capacity that modern democracies have for technological solutions to the old crises of supply and demand of raw resources. His rather glib conclusion â€Å"Globalization makes it impossible for modern societies to collapse in isolation†¦ for the first time we face the risk of a global decline† simply expands the primitive pattern to a bigger scale. This book is a wake up call. Some of its claims are exaggerated, as when the situation of modern Australia is compared to â€Å"an exponentially accelerating horse race† which for Diamond means â€Å"accelerating in the manner of a nuclear chain reaction. † The metaphors may be hopelessly mixed, but the point he is making is clear and critically important. After a leisurely wander through most of human civilisation as we know it, Diamond draws sobering conclusions about the cost of mistakes that we should, theoretically at least, be able to predict and deal with before they become fatal and final errors. While we may not be able to agree with all of his conclusions, we certainly are in debt to Jared Diamond for providing us with, yet again, a gripping sequence of well-drawn episodes and plenty of food for thought.

Confucius Paper :: essays research papers

According to tradition, Confucius was born in the state of Lu (present-day Shandong Province) of the noble K'ung clan. His original name was K'ung Ch'iu. His father, commander of a district in Lu, died three years after Confucius was born, leaving the family in poverty, but Confucius nevertheless received a fine education. He was married at the age of 19 and had one son and two daughters. During the four years immediately after his marriage, poverty compelled him to become a sevant for the chief of the district in which he lived. His mother died in 527 BC, and after a period of mourning he began his career as a teacher, usually traveling about and instructing the small body of disciples that had gathered around him. His fame as a man of learning and character and his reverence for Chinese ideals and customs soon spread through the principality of Lu. Living as he did in the second half of the Zhou (Chou) dynasty (1027?-256 BC), when feudalism degenerated in China and conspiracy and evildoing were constant, Confucius deplored the contemporary disorder and lack of moral standards. He came to believe that the only remedy was to convert people once more to the principles of the sages of antiquity. He therefore lectured to his pupils on the ancient classics. He taught the great value of the power of example. Rulers, he said, can be great only if they themselves lead free lives, and were they willing to be guided by moral principles, their states would sure become prosperous and happy. Confucius had, however, no opportunity to put his theories to a public test until, at the age of 50, he was appointed magistrate of Chung-tu, and the next year minister of crime of the state of Lu. His administration was successful; reforms were introduced, justice was fairly dispensed, and crime was almost eliminated. So powerful that Lu became the ruler of a neighboring state maneuvered to secure the minister's dismissal. Confucius left his office in 496 BC, traveling about and teaching, vainly hoping that some other prince would allow him to undertake measures of reform. In 484 BC, after a fruitless search for an ideal ruler, he returned for the last time to Lu. He spent the remaining years of his life in retirement, writing commentaries on the classics. He died in Lu and was buried in a tomb at Ch'Ã ¼-fu, Shandong.

How Fashion Effects Today’s Society

Fashion has been a major part of our society for hundreds of years. In most societies, years ago, the way an individual dressed may have identified their social class, political standing, or maybe even their respective age group. Fashion has evolved so rapidly over the years, from the zoot suit in the 30’s, to the bell-bottoms and Afros of the 70’s, and finally to the Mohawk and skinny jeans worn by individuals today. However, has fashioned evolved for the better? Fashion has been used as a way to establish a type of individualism and set a person aside from others.Because fads have evolved so rapidly over the years in unique and bizarre ways due to today’s media, they have been unaccepted in today’s society. During a classic discussion of fashion change by George Simmel, a major German sociologist says that, â€Å"fashion was nothing more than a process of imitation. † (Johnson, 2003). This process leads to equalization and ultimately the need to f urther differentiate ones self. â€Å"The innovation of fashion derives from the privileged social classes from those found underneath.† (Johnson, 2003).Simmel proposes that, â€Å"the more elite social class plays a major role in the change in fashion with the â€Å"trickle-down† theory regarding fashion. † (Johnson, 2003). However, in today’s society the media plays a very specific role in pinpointing the trends and styles considered as today’s fashion. People in today’s society, mainly the younger crowd, thrive for a sense of belonging and acceptance. Teenagers view a music video, flip through a magazine, and see an artist or actor portraying a certain image.They immediately want to emulate those images to fit in with society and be accepted by their peers. Some of us can relate to having been young at one point and wanting to buy the newest shoes that our favorite basketball player put out. According to a Speaking of Fashion article, â⠂¬Å"public appearances have been encoded in a panoply of theories concerning topics dealing with morality, individuality, and the relation of appearance to deeper character traits. † (Reference and Research, 2010).The way someone is dressed can affect the likelihood of that person getting chosen for a job. â€Å"The way you dress can discredit a particular event. † (WordPress Admin, 2008). Fashion has become such a major factor in today’s society on so many levels. â€Å"Fashion can effect the way people are perceived by others, especially when it comes to meeting an individual for the first time. † (WordPress Admin, 2008). In this new world, people don’t get a second chance at a first impression.As discussed in the previous paragraphs fashion is amongst one of the things people look at when making  an impression or wanting to appear a certain way in the eyes of others. Fashion has it’s own lifecycle and will eventually make full circle thr oughout the years. What keeps fashion alive are celebrities such as music artists and actors. When the public sees the way these individuals dress their styles are often duplicated from the East Coast to the West and back. When going to a job for an interview we imitate the dress code of the company and wear something to adapt to our surroundings of what the job position is.

The Family Is The Backbone Of Society And Government

Debate Paper – It Takes a Family The family is the backbone of society and government. They are there when we need them most. It is important to protect the family from intervening causes. The sanctity of the family is important because it helps humanity become better people by teaching them to care for others. Our families teach us unity, humbleness, love, appreciation and understanding. Whether you are born into a family or you choose your family, you are part of an everlasting team. Children play an important role in the growth and advancement of society. The stronger the families in our society, the stronger our government is. If government intervenes in the family, then we are not free. â€Å"The family is at risk because of the government and is facing many challenges. Washington today claims to be progressive and making our lives better by trying to convince us that, with enough of the taxpayers’ money and enough bureaucratic control, we can correct all that is wrong with humanity.† (pg. 105). Marriage out of wedlock is a problem. It is important that a child has a two parent family. This does not mean that we will shun those that do not meet this criterion. It means that we need to guide our youth in the right direction. The government needs strong, intact families in order to succeed. Liberals tend to downplay the importance of this ideal family, but at the same time they are â€Å"justifying expanding government in the name of the children. Invoking the children is a lotShow MoreRelatedLong Island Ny, Nassau County905 Words   |  4 PagesLong Island NY, Nassau County Nassau County is a cosmopolitan society with different people from various demographical features. 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