Confucius “The Analects” Essay Example for Free

Confucius â€Å"The Analects† Essay From ancient time, the question of good and decent society has been the major concern in philosophical thought. Philosophers and political figure, clergy and common people have tried to answer the question â€Å"What makes of a good society?† Confucius creates its own values and moral rules changing understanding about a self and the decent society. His philosophy can be describes as a critical thoughtfulness which has a great influence on his world interpretation and views on decent society.   Confucius states that individuals should be free from committing immoral acts. â€Å"The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration;-this may be called perfect virtue (Confucius, n.d.). Decent society can be constructed by doing what is right, and only when a person can reach the state of true utility he lives in a good society. All actions of people are aimed toward the positive, and purpose is in nature. Confucius is against formal laws which limit freedom and welfare stating that only moral principles play a crucial role in social order. On the other hand, Confucius believes this to be a sort of self-deception, demeaning freedom and turning lives into something which is determined. â€Å"Extravagance leads to insubordination, and parsimony to meanness. It is better to be mean than to be insubordinate (Confucius, n.d.). Every personal can be a leader if he keeps strong moral principles and values. Confucius underlines that if a person follows moral rules there is no need to guide this person. Living opposed to such wisdom has caused stress and unnecessary war which led to social and moral decay. To do so one must make choices in the full recognition in order to become consciously free and take responsibility for actions. An inauthentic life on the other hand is that which pretends and tries to reject the idea that humans are free. This approach is a very attractive one to take because freedom can be agonizing and people often make excuses to detach themselves from the choices they make. If the state guides and controls its citizens it deprives them freedom and free will which lead to stress. If people cannot control their needs and desires they can be compared with animal driven by instinct of self-preservation and fear. This leads to unnecessary wars and conflicts such as the thirty years war (1618-1648), Nazism, Napoleonic wars, etc. If rulers do not follow moral principles, it leads to wars. Confucius states that a society should live nobly and in peace for at least a hundred years before people can count on the continuity of a society that remains noble and peaceful. This argument can be explained by the fact that a hundred years is a period of time when three generations of people will change each other living no space for old virtues and traditions. If a truly royal ruler were to arise, it would stir require a generation, and then virtue would prevail (Confucius, n.d.). Their values, religious and ethical, reflect on their relationship to a higher order of existence, whether one perceives it as an eternal force, the universe, a defined spiritual entity, or a concept that answers to a basic human need for a sense of order behind the turbulent appearance of everyday life.   Notions of the noble society are based in the instinctual/intuitional self that has been covered over and ignored by modern thought (Jensen, 1997). Any part of the world will resemble an utopian society because the society cannot be classless. Every society is based on the opposition between poor and rich classes, labor and capital, rulers and subordinates. Economic equality is impossible, because the core of the society is the division of labor and resources which determine social class and economic conditions of its citizens. Increased freedom causes frustration among members of the society because it limits their behavior and their attempts to satisfy their personal goals. Also, a society cannot exist without rulers and military, because it has to protect its citizens from foreign intervention. References Confucius The Analects. n.d. Available at: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/conf/Analects.html Jensen, L.M. Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese Traditions Universal Civilization. Duke University Press, 1997.

Polynomial Matrix Decompositions

Polynomial Matrix Decompositions The interest and dramatic increase in demand for high-speed data transmission has exploded since the introduction of triple play multimedia services. One of the pioneering contributions is the increasingly higher data rates achievable through the use of multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) channels. A further increase in data rates is possible through a well-coordinated multiple channels. Precoding and equalization transmission blocks represent a typical coordinated strategy that enhance the channel capacity of a deterministic narrowband MIMO channel. This strategy can be derived by performing a singular value decomposition (SVD) of a channel matrix. These blocks allow a MIMO channel matrix to solve a host of special multicarrier problems using the orthogonal property of the system. It can also be exploited to approximate low-rank channel matrix by reducing the dimensionality of high-dimensional data sets. The technique referred to here as an orthogonal spatial multiplexing (OSM) method. OSM allows multiple users to use a given bandwidth simultaneously by dividing the available channel into multiple narrow orthogonal bands that are spectrally spaced. Each band is then divided into numerous subcarriers, which are structures so as not to interfere with one another. The transmit signal is then modulated onto these subcarriers. The technique exploits physical separation methods that permit the sharing of channel resources simultaneously.   Every users becomes spatially spaced far enough from each other to counteract interference.   In addition to spacing, dual polarizations are introduced to further avoid interference. When signalling over MIMO channels using an orthogonal spatial multiplexing, an SVD can be used to derive every sub-carrier/tone. In the traditional method, an increase in the number of tones also increase the complex computational load.   It is therefore the focus of this study to investigate an alternative means for obtaining an efficient decomposition. A MIMO channel can be modelled as a weighted sum of the past and present samples of transmit data. The channel considers a finite impulse response (FIR) filters that can be represented by a covariance matrix whose elements are polynomials. This study focuses on investigating algorithms that decompose the covariance matrix directly. Approximation factors can then be introduced to obtain the Precoding and equalization transmission blocks. Existing polynomial singular value decomposition algorithm is used and studied in the context of channel quality and computational complexity settings. The decomposition algorithms were shown to give decompositions of good channel quality, but if the goal is to obtain Precoding and equalization transmission blocks, the computational load is restricted with higher multidimensional channels. An algorithm for approximating direct decomposition of covariance matrices is investigated. Although we discuss simple cases resulted in excellent decompositions but analyse with numerical stability of a spectral factorization steps for large-case decompositions. For high frequency selective MIMO channels, the performance achieved by utilizing the polynomial SVD algorithm were compared to the channel capacity. It was shown that if the transmit sequences are approximated individually at the receiver, as done in the traditional approach, the performance more likely to be sensitive to errors in the decomposition. An equalizer with a spatially joint detector seems promising to achieve a better performance close to the single-user transmission. With such an equalizer, the low complexity property of the traditional approach is compromised with performance. Summarizing, this study has shown that a MIMO channel can be diagonalized in space and frequency using spatial multiplexing method in conjunction with a polynomial SVD algorithm. In order to reach better performance close to the achivable of a single-user, the computational load becomes restraining compared to the traditional approach, for channels with higher multidirectional channels.

The Implications For Social Work Practice Social Work Essay

The Implications For Social Work Practice Social Work Essay What are the implications for social work practice? What more can social work as a profession do to actively promote an education agenda for looked after children? What might an individual social worker do? There is an inherent barrier between social workers and looked after children and young people. This has been formed over time because of a number of factors, firstly the turnover of staff makes it near impossible for children and young people to form relationships with the social worker, reducing their confidence in discussing issues that may be of a great concern to them. The status alone of a social workers can prevent some children from wanting to discuss matters because of the societal stigma attached to having a social worker. The stigma is not something that social workers alone as professionals can eliminate, society can and only when society accepts that social workers are doing positive work, and start to learn about the positive work they are doing, through the media and other resources. Then we can start to break down the stigma attached to social workers and enable all individuals to have the confidence of discussing issues with their social worker. Staff turnovers within children services have been high and highlighted in the media on numerous occasions (ref). To reduce the turnover, staff need to feel confident in the work they are conducting and safe from media scrutiny when the problems lie out of their hands. The caseload they have could also be investigated to ensure that the number of cases they have does not start to affect their practice. When there are particular cases that are quite complex and need lots of time allocated to, meaning other cases may be neglected. In 2010, the Ofsted safeguarding and looked after children national results of the childrens social work practitioners survey stated that social workers caseloads are unmanageable and because of an underlying ethos of disciplinaries, those who were struggling with their workload were too frightened to say that they could not manage. To enable a change within this area of social work, management and Local Authorities need to look at a different approach to caseload work, and to facilitate their staff to have the confidence when they cannot manage the caseload they have (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children third report, 2009). Social workers who work with children and families also need the best possible training and support to meet the usual and complex demands of their work. Looked after children, their families and carers need to know that the social workers whom they are working with have the right skills, knowledge, and experience to help them through often complex situations. Since 2008 the Childrens workforce Development Council has focused on ensuring social workers have more support within their role in childrens services. Social workers can embrace this change to ensure that they can stay within this area of social work. The opportunities of training will enable more experienced social workers to remain in childrens services. Looked after children have a number of needs that must be met to ensure their educational outcomes can be achieved. Recent legislation (Jackson et al, 2002) has attempted to address the factors that can contribute to successful educational outcomes including stable and consistent care, regular attendance at school, if they miss any school to catch up so they are at the same level as their peers. Research (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children third report, 2009) has shown that looked after children and young people need support from their carers whether foster carers or carers within residential homes in all areas of their lives. The carers need to understand the importance of education so the child can have educational opportunities in the future. They also need to be informed by social workers about the financial support that is available for those children who are not reaching expected standards of attainment. The paper Care Matters: Transforming the Live s of Children and Young People in Care (2007) proposed new initiatives and recommendations including agency links between adults and childrens services to ensure that professionals within the departments ensure they see the family as a whole. To implement a tired framework of foster carers that work at different levels of need. To implement new recruitment changes of foster carers so those with more experience and higher qualifications are suitable for those children who have more needs to meet. Social workers are responsible for placing looked after children and young people within placements that match. Having more understanding of the importance of education both as individual social workers and as a profession will enable them to highlight how important it is to their possible carers. The reasons why young people in care are in need of educational support are because the Local Authority is the corporate parent social workers should advocate for them like they would their own child. As Local Authorities have a legal duty to promote the education of children in care, specifically children in care because of the research (Jackson et al, 2002) that shows the number of looked after children who considerably underachieve at school. Research has shown that (Jackson et al, 2002) a good education can help provide a basis to enter adulthood successfully (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children third report, 2009). To ensure that young people in care attend school social workers must promote the value of a good education. Discuss with the young person their ambitions, expectations and achievements like any other parent would. The Children Act (2004) states that Local Authorities are required to ensure appropriate education provision can be provided before the young persons placement starts, unless in an emergency. Social workers are also required to support those care leavers who have entered higher education until they are 24, and until 21 otherwise. Social workers need to continue to promote the education of looked after children, be available to give advice and support to professionals as well as family, the child and their carers. Social workers must also promote a stable environment for the young person in care. Jackson and Thomas (2000) maintain that stability is universally seen as a desirable goal in relation to  looked  after  children. This is because staying in the same place lets  children  to recover from separation  and  adverse experiences, it provides them with the opportunity to make new attachments. Jackson and Thomas (2000) argue that if they are of school age, it will probably allow them to progress at the same school, enabling them to keep their friends and stay near to their usual environment. Stability gives  children  the opportunity to learn, to feel they belong to someone  and  to be nurtured. When  children  cannot have stability in the place where they live, it is important for them to have consistency as far as possible (Jackson  and  Thomas 2000). For example maintaining the same school  and  social  worker are very important. There are many reasons why  children  change placements. There can be changes to the child  and  familys circumstances. Sinclair (2005) suggests that when foster care breakdown has occurred lack of  social  work support may have contributed to placement breakdown. Unless looked after young people have the stability to form relationships, engage within school and have educational achievements how can social work as a profession promote entering tertiary education when the basics of meeting the childs needs are not available. Within research (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children third report, 2009) there seems to be a lack of focus on education and achievement of looked after children from the earliest point. Children do their best when there is stability and consistency. Giving education a priority seems too risky. Most social workers would place the child nearer to the family rather than to keep the stability of the childs education. When making these decisions around placements social workers and management seem risk averse, they focus on the childs present situation not taking account of the long term impact of how much a good education can offer. There has often been a short sightedness within social work of looked after young people leaving care at an early age of 18 when legally the Local Authority is still responsible for them until 21 or until 24 if in higher education. In 2008, of the young people who left care aged 16 or over, 39% were aged 16 or 17, and 61% left on their 18th birthday (Department for education, 2008). The average age of young people not in care who leave home is 24 (Care matters, green paper, 2006). Some looked after young people may have chosen to leave care at the earliest possibility because the time spent in the placement has been so miserable. But they should still be given the option to stay within care until the Local Authority is no longer legally obliged to care for them. Do parents stop being parents at 21 or 24? Why should the Local Authority be able to stop and cut off their support that the young person has relied upon. Consequently, those looked after young people who are particularly vulnerable who have been supported hopefully positively by social workers and carers who when the child turns 18 are no longer entitled to benefits to accommodate them, its only on their good will the young person is then expected to cope with life with very little help and support (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children third report, 2009). As a profession and individually social workers need to recognise that young people will transition into adulthood at different times and in different ways. Many may take to it easily and enjoy the independence it brings, some may find it harder and need extra support. Social workers should show more commitment to reducing the age gap of those leaving care and those young people whom leave their families homes independently (Children, Schools and Families Committee, looked after children, third report, 2009). The White paper care matters (2007) introduced new schemes which addressed the number of looked after young people who were leaving care too early. These included the Right2BCared4 and Staying put. The right to be cared for allows the young person to make decisions around leaving their placement, with the Children and Young Persons Act (2008) a looked after child has to have a statutory review before they are moved from a care placement. The staying put scheme allows a looked after young person to stay in foster care until 21. If young people in care have the desire to continue their education and enter higher education then social workers should support them as much as possible to help them achieve their goals. The main implication for social work practice is arguing for resources. If you help one young person in care get resources for extra tutoring, like most parents are now seen keen to do can we help all? Whether it is fair or not within different Local Authorities young people in care are now offering more than others, the postcode lottery could mean going onto further education, getting a better job or finishing care early and coping on the fringes of society. Some would argue that it is unfair to offer an assessment, but as long as the social worker can evidence the different needs then why should they not argue and advocate on behalf of the young person like any other parent would, especially when the young person is particularly bright, if not given the help these are the individuals who would be hurt the most. When the young person in care has decided that further education is a goal they may find it difficult to enter University straight away because of their psychological state. Not everyone who has not in care enters University at 18, because of age limits and support available until a certain age young people in care are given a time limit of when they can enter University. As a profession social work can promote the possibility of entering University at an older age and highlighting to the Local Authorities and Governments that they can be available for support until the young person has finished their University course. The practical arrangements of entering University can be that daunting that some young people in care may decide its too much. Unlike others who can go home when time term has ended, where can the young person in care go? Who takes the responsibility to provide accommodation during this time? Social workers should understand the benefits of further education. Therefore employ the role as advocates on behalf of all young people in care to highlight these potential problems and how to overcome them, for example work with foster carers to be able to provide accommodation on short term basis whilst not at University, Investigate into other young people in care within the Local Authority accessing tertiary education and see what voluntary organisations can provide if resources are low. Social workers should also promote the approaches other countries use, as they have a higher amount of young people in care accessing tertiary education, it may be that the style of social work could change. Social work may have to employ more resources into residential care, some of the most vulnerable and challenging young people in care are accommodated within residential care, why should these individuals have fewer opportunities than those who are easier to place and care for. They may also have to be more involved with foster carers and families to ensure that they understand the importance of education, and its potential benefits if the young person has good educational achievements.

The United States, Iraq, and The Ramifications of War Essays -- Foreig

Operation Desert Storm or otherwise known as the Gulf War was a huge victory for the United States and its allies while at the same time a devastating defeat for Iraq.1 The attack led by the United States on Iraq nearly destroyed the Iraqi's military capabilities which forced Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait and led to changing Iraq’s southern border in a way that was in favor of Kuwait. The attack also instigated differences in opinion in Iraq and generally weakened Saddam Hussein's regime.2 As Robin Wright stated, â€Å"Operation Desert Storm served as a textbook case of how to deal with aggression in the post-Cold War world†.3 Eight years later after the U.S. victory over Iraq in the Gulf War, the United States remained in an ongoing foreign policy disaster with Iraq. As Charles Glass stated, â€Å"a state of war exists between the United States and Iraq†.4 This war was about political pressures and economic sanctions. While there are substantial evidence that the suffering in Iraq was a direct result of this war of attrition, there was little proof that the United States was achieving its objectives. The Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein still remained in power and was considered stronger than ever.5 The United States was also encountering high levels of international opposition to their foreign policies concerning Iraq from both members of the U.N. security council and their Middle Eastern allies.6 Lastly, there were signs that public support for the United State's foreign policy in Iraq was weakening.7 The level of hatred towards Iraq in the United States was so high at the time that it was hard to imagine the U.S. actively supported Iraq at one point in time. However, about a little more than a decade before then, Iraq was viewed by ... ...n for Iraq? Middle East Policy, 5 (3), 1-22. 18. Laipson, E.; Clawson, P.L.; Parasiliti, A. & Francke, R.R. (1999). Symposium: after Saddam, what then for Iraq? Middle East Policy, 5 (3), 1-22. 19. Laipson, E.; Clawson, P.L.; Parasiliti, A. & Francke, R.R. (1999). Symposium: after Saddam, what then for Iraq? Middle East Policy, 5 (3), 1-22 20. Dunn, M.C. (1996). Five years after Desert Storm: gulf security, stability and the US presence. Middle East Policy, IV (3), 30-39. 21. Norton, A.R. (1999). Rethinking the United States policy toward the Muslim world. Current History, February, pp. 51-58. 22. Norton, A.R. (1999). Rethinking the United States policy toward the Muslim world. Current History, February, pp. 51-58. 23. 24. Halliday, D.J. (1999b). The impact of the UN sanctions on the people of Iraq. Journal of Palestine Studies, 28 (2), pp. 29-37.

A Studentss Guide to First-Year Writing :: Personal Narrative Suicide Death

A Students's Guide to First-Year Writing Now, and at the Hour I was not with You I. Laurie is crying again, â€Å"You are not with me,† she says. â€Å"Wait, Rae, don’t move.† I watch the silver image of the Virgin Mary on a swaying chain around her neck as she snaps the shutter to trap me in black and white. Laurie is the photographer of our little society; Michael is the sculptor, Stacy and I are the painters, and George has had a thing for performance art lately. We’re smoking cigarettes in the moldy bowling alley. George says: â€Å"I’m bored of this- all of it. Everyday’s the same shit. We need to fucking do something before my skin rots off.† Laurie is quiet, but Mike shrugs his shoulders, â€Å"What do you propose that we do, George?† â€Å"I don’t know, rob a bank, be punk rock and spread some anarchy... man, I don’t know, just anything.† I look at Laurie. She’s quiet. I motion to the bathroom to take her from George’s little angst party. We stand together in the stall, so I kiss her and touch her hair and say, â€Å"You okay, swe etie?† â€Å"Do you want the truth?† she asks. I nod and she replies, â€Å"No, Rae, I’m not okay. I’m really very, very not okay. I’m losing my shit over absolutely nothing... Rae, I just can’t do it anymore.† I’ve heard Laurie like this before; it makes my stomach go sharp and black because I want her to be okay. I need her to be okay. But she hurts so deep; her depressions come in torrents. Her tears stream the Chanel foundation off of her cheeks into puddles on her black dress, all in such slow motion. She brings a bottle from her bag, clicking and childproof, to her burgundy lips and then shares it with me. We return to the group with hydracodone breath, so that the rest of the day will be a senseless opiate dream. You are not with me. You are not with me. None of you. You stand around and let words drool out of your lips. You speak of punk rock and of anarchy, but you don’t even care... about anything. You don’t even care. You can’t even see me crying. You say, "Laurie, you okay, sweetie?

Maximum Megaherzt Case Study

Magali Ekome Ndong MGT 4330 Dr. Margaret Shipley Tuesday November 6th 2012 Case#4 Maximum Megahertz Project Maximum Megahertz Olaf Gundersen, CEO of Wireless Telecom Company, is facing a difficult situation. He accepted a project proposed by 6 of his cleverest R&D specialist, The Maximum Megahertz project. This project is now behind. In order to get out of this â€Å"quandary† and avoid such issues in the future, Olaf Gundersen and his team should ask themselves these questions. How can they learn from their mistake? How to identify a risky project and put an end to it?This particular case is related to chapter 14 of our textbook. This chapter deals with project closure or what to do when your project is done. Although here our project is not done, these chapters discuss the main reason why it is so. It is said on page 505 of the textbook, â€Å"the closure phase is as important as any other phase of the project. Observation tells us that organizations that manage closure and review well prosper. Those who don’t tend to have projects that drag on forever and repeat the same mistake over and over†.It is said in our case that this project is not the first one Olaf and his company as difficulty with. Matter of fact, there were three other projects that could not be completed in the last 5 years. The CEO kept on investing resources into these projects knowing that they were dead end. We can therefore, affirm that Olaf did not learn from his mistakes. He needs to include in his future plan of action a review stage after each project completion. Here, we seem to have a â€Å"perpetual† project which is a never ending project.For instance, completing this project will take 6 additional months when it is already 4 months late. Also, this project initially demanded $600,000 and now requires $800,000 more. The team faces numerous issues such as power reduction, speed increase and use of a new technology battery. In regard to all the informatio n given, I will suggest that Olaf puts an end to this project. He could certainly pour more resources into the project, but doing so will not be a wise decision, in regard to his past failures.Also, Olaf is already discouraged and unmotivated about this project â€Å"his gut feeling tell him the project will never materialize, and he should get out†. In other to avoid having the same issues down the road, Olaf and his team need a plan of action. In this plan he first needs to review past projects and identify recurring issues. For that, he should hire and independent facilitators that will review previous or current projects that will draw lessons learned and advise on future procedures.Second, he needs to evaluate his team members and look for any issues such as effectiveness of group decision, problem solving processes, group cohesion and quality of information exchanged as suggested in our textbook page 512. Also, before accepting any new project, Olaf should make sure he understands all the parts and that his Telecom Company is fit to fulfill the project. An article by Ted Klastorin and Gary Mitchell, suggest that planning is a critical step in project completion.We can read from this extract from the article, Optimal project planning under the threat of a disruptive event, â€Å"A critical part of most project plans is a baseline schedule (or pre-schedule; Herroelen, 2007; Van de Vonder et al. , 2007) that is frequently used for timing resource allocation decisions in supplier contracts as well as communicating with project stakeholders and setting benchmarks for project monitoring and control. The importance of defining stable baseline schedules has been recognized by the Project Management Institute (Project Management Institute, 2008)†.Furthermore, this article adds that â€Å"Given the importance of baseline schedules in the planning process, researchers and practitioners have focused on methodologies for finding schedules that are robu st to random durations†. In this article, the authors propose a model or formula to use in case of disruption as follow â€Å"In this article, we introduce a problem faced by managers who are planning complex projects; that is, how should project managers react when faced with the threat of a possible DE that would stop all work on the project for a given period while overhead and indirect costs continue to accrue?While this problem is related to previous work on project risk, our model analyzes policies that minimize expected total costs under very general conditions†. Although we will not go in dept. into the model, but we are here assure that they ways to effectively deal with disruptions. In conclusion, Olaf should step out of this project and refrain from engaging in any new ones before he consults a review committee that will help highlight the errors he has made in the past. Also, we suggest that looks closer at his planning strategy and eview his team. Works Cit ed Case Megahertz Project page 530 Project Management: the managerial process Erik W. Larson, Clifford F. Gray, 5 ed. Chapter 14 Project Closure pages 504-531 Project Management: the managerial process Erik W. Larson, Clifford F. Gray, 5 ed. Optimal Project Planning under the Threat of a Disruptive Event, Ted Klastorin, Gary Mitchell IIE Transactions Vol. 45, Iss. 1, 2013 ABInform http://wj2gn4jw9z. search. serialssolutions. com. ezproxy. uhd. edu/? ctx_ver=Z39. 8-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/ProQ%3Aabiglobal&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft. genre=article&rft. jtitle=IIE+Transactions&rft. atitle=Optimal+project+planning+under+the+threat+of+a+disruptive+event&rft. au=Klastorin%2C+Ted%3BMitchell%2C+Gary&rft. aulast=Klastorin&rft. aufirst=Ted&rft. date=2013-01-01&rft. volume=45&rft. issue=1&rft. spage=68&rft. isbn=&rft. btitle=&rft. title=IIE+Transactions&r

Knowledge is Power Essay

With more than nine out of ten Americans believing God (Larson 278), one must speculate the philosophical reasoning behind confidence in something that is unable to been seen, felt, or heard. The Puritan philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) said, Small amounts of philosophy lead to Atheism, but larger amounts bring us back to God. When thinking in terms of ideals and values, it is equally relevant to ponder the significance between fact and faith. Faith is defined as a belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. On the other hand, fact is something that actually exists and is a truth known by concrete experience or observation. For the purpose of clarification, science can be described as an image of truth and religion as an element of faith. And since existence does indeed extend beyond Americas front and backyard, its imperative to note that the three most popular sects in the world include two billion people that practice Christianity, one billion that follow Islam and one billion that are non-religious (National and World Statistics). With the amount of religious groups totaling over four thousand, its safe to say there is a religion tailored to the needs of each person but does religion equal faith?Francis Bacons school of philosophy is empiricism, which describes a theory that emphasizes the role of sensory experience in the development of ideas. In the philosophy of science, empiricism is a theory of knowledge which emphasizes those aspects of scientific knowledge that are closely related to experience, specially as formed through deliberate experimental arrangements. Very practical and utilitarian in nature, Bacon argued for a total separation of reason from personal interest, social conventions, human passions, etc. This reason versus revelation idea would eventually assist in the expansion of science and furthermore the separation of church and state and religion and morality. Although Bacon was seemingly loyal to Christianity and even said, Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of a man (Koth), his philosophical work is important footing for modern skepticism. Because of his empiricism views, Bacon would describe fact as having to be proven through the scientific method; all hypotheses and theories must be tested against observations of the natural world, rather than developed only on reasoning, intuition, or faith. Bacons definition of fact is parallel to the one in Websters unabridged  dictionary. Both definitions distinctly differ from that of faith; faith is not based on logical proof whereas fact is based solely on material evidence. Although its important to acknowledge and understand this separation, both definitions are able to coincide as Albert Einstein declared, Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind. Einstein was remarking that taking one side in order demonize those who take the other, leads to misrepresenting the work of those on the opposing side and prevents us from exploring the issue further (Tannen 497). Science is the knowledge of facts or principles gained by systematic study whereas philosophy is the investigation of these principles. Studying philosophy is essential in order for one to broaden their views and comprehend, if not embrace, thinking beyond superficial ideals. Ethics, metaphysics, logic, and epistemology are all topics that one should study in order to form their own opinions rather than letting their environment shape what they believe. Without understanding our meaning of thought behind particular things, we are bound to follow rather than lead; without leaders, a democracy crumbles. At the heart of evolutionary theory is the basic idea that life has existed for billions of years and has changed over time. Although a doctrine going back as far as ancient Greece, the theory of evolution was advanced extensively in the ninetieth century. The most important development that made the theory the top topic of the world of science was the book of Charles Darwin titled The Origin of Species published in 1859. According to Darwin, all living beings had a common ancestor and they diversified over time through small changes. Overwhelming evidence supports this fact. Scientists continue to argue about details of evolution, but the question of whether life has a long history or not was answered in the affirmative at least two centuries ago. The history of living things is documented through multiple lines of evidence that converge to tell the story of life through time. These lines of confirmation include fossil evidence, homologies, distribution time and space, and evidence by example. A popular target for creationists is the hoax known as Piltdown Man which was a forged skull discovered in 1912 that was thought to be that of an early human. The lie was exposed in 1953 when it was found to be the lower jawbone of an  orangutan combined with the skull of a fully developed, modern man. Although Piltdown Man didnt fit into the known evolutionary lines of primitive man, it does not mean that those lines do not exist and havent been proved with other evidence such as fossils. Understanding the distinction between fact and faith as well as science and philosophy is important for academic study. The difference in fact and faith is significant for a student to understand so they are able to grasp what is real and what is imaginary. The concept of science and philosophy helps a pupil to understand what is absolute in the world and how to think vitally about living life accordingly. It is critical not only for academia but for those in a democratic society where the power is vested in the people. In order for a culture to make informed decisions, they need to acknowledge this distinction, especially concerning Americas educational system. In terms of evolution, it is of the utmost magnitude for schoolchildren to receive accurate answers regarding where humans originated from and how the earth changed. It is not necessarily meaningful for youth to conceive original ideas of an intelligent designer but rather well rounded ideas that have a scientific basis. After all, science has taken Heaven from the skies, hell from the Earth, and angels from the air. If parents wish their children to understand the Earth in religious terms, it should be taught in the home rather than a setting where other children are subjected to ideas based on faith. Millions of American Christians and members of other religious traditions accept the theory of evolution (Larson 276) which is a step towards commonality in the classroom. The progression of knowledge and education teach us not only that ancient texts arent meant to be taken in literal, modern terms but also that with no exploration of original thought, we are doomed to continue thinking the way of our ancestors. If history is not scrutinized and applied, it will be repeated as Kansas recently demonstrated with its embarrassing examination of science and religions place in public education. What a shame to repeat the 1925 trial of William Jennings Bryan against Clarence Darrow in Dayton, Tennessee, which continues to echo through the century. Religious philosophy has its place, which is a Sunday morning and unfortunately for  Fundamentalists, not in a biology classroom. Evolutionary philosophy on the other hand, is composed of supportive scientific date. In summary, social evolution, rather than revealing truth, develops religious ideas. Even detached scholars have come to realize that a vast number of Americans still believe in the Bible and accept it as authoritative on matters of science. Moreover, if people accept the biblical account of special creation over the scientific theory of evolution, which is, after all, one of the core theories of modern biology, then they most likely defer to biblical authority on other matters. For Americans who do not share this religious viewpoint and who fear that Fundamentalists comprise the majority in some places, concerns about the defense of individual liberty under a government by the people seem all too familiar. Modernists can only hope that scientific intelligence prevails in the educational system. After all, Francis Bacon did assure us that knowledge is power. Works Cited Dictionary.com Unabridged (v1.1). New York: Random House, Inc. 15 June 2007. Jardine, Lisa, and Alan Stewart. Hostage to Fortune: The Troubled Life of Francis Bacon. New York: Hill & Wang, 2000. Kirschner, Marc and John Gerhart. The Plausability of Life: Resolving Darwins Dilemma. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2006. Koth, Amit. Francis Bacon Quotes. 2002. 15 June 2007. National and World Statistics. 2007. 15 June 2007. Millar, Ronald. The Piltdown Mystery: the Story behind the Worlds Greatest Archaeological Hoax. East Sussex: S.B. Publications, 1998. Larson, Edward J. Summer for the Gods. New York: Basic Books, 2006. Tannen, Deborah. The Argument Culture: Moving from Debate to Dialogue. Argument in America, p. 486-500. United States: Penguin Academics, 2004.