Modern Political Thought

Modern Political Thought The â€Å"after seventeenth century modernity spectaculum† The global development in the sense of modernization as per seventeenth century has given the world no more than decaying senses which has been accompanied by perverted human roles, with concentration of hatred and aversion between human kind and between them and the environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Political Thought specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The known good deeds were integrated into intensive definitions incorporated in evil, human contempt, vile as well as inconsiderable. Despite this, the irony is that what used to be good became shunned while the scramble of the vices introduce, became significantly rampant. Long-living practices began to be viewed as being mundane and the short-lived practices accompanied by threats and fears completely replaced the good-old world. As the sense of independent and development sunk in peopl es mind, the aspect of communism disintegrated and in its place individualism and the sense of â€Å"I† was adopted that is embraced world-wide. As a result, man’s life was affected, as the bond between people gradually melted and in its place a trench evolved. This has put man’s life in a solitary situation, bringing with it massive poverty, nasty living style, brutish undertakings whose combination has shortened the life of human being. This has made the man race to indulge into daily conflicting activities, pertaining competition, diffidence and glory as state of nature. This has created one of man’s rule which entails that Thomas Hobbes (215) states that â€Å"every man has to endeavor peace, as far as he has hopes for obtaining it. If he cannot obtain it, he can use all helps and advantage of war.† In addition, human beings have been assumed as having right of everything even to one another’s body. What does this bring to the race of hu man being? It only gives a room to the stronger in having their ways right which means that the life of the majority-minorities depend on the mercy of the few powerful. In other words, it became the survival for the fittest. This has contributed to excessive injustice between individuals as well as in the governmental law bodies (Hobbes, 113) Moreover, the introduced civil society had brought separation of power that initially was not there. This has been met by rejection from individual and parties affected by this power division. Consequently, civil war has been a major occurrence in many nations as they tend to fight against the abuse of power by the acting government or other nations that creates an effect or pressure to them. This has expanded gaps existing between parties and every party is seeking its own way of dealing with any threat that can be imposed to it by the other parties. However, instead of this being a channel of peace and comfort within the societies involved, f ear concerning the massive destructing weapons manufactured by the name of defense, such as atomic weapons, has taken over the climate and the element of peace has scrambled off (Hobbes p.131).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, people’s perspectives have been readjusted and believe that people can’t function without a powerful body over them, which creates fear and suppression had settled in people minds, and as a result oppression and dictatorship has based people’s ways of living (Machiavelli, 57). Religious perspective has also been altered. For instance, the scripture has been reinterpreted in a materialistic assumption. For example, Hobbes has tried to bring out the contradiction concerning incorporeal entities, claiming that both Heaven and Hell were in this world, as well as opposing some of sync which are incorporated in churc h teachings. Thus, morality has acquired a definition as an â€Å"acceptable cruel action†, which involves decisiveness and swiftness in dealing with material matters. For instance, according to Niccolo Machiavelli, it is ironically that good result comes out of evil actions. In addition, the philosophy in the middle age was primarily based on Christian philosophy. However, different lines of philosophical argument came up, with one bringing a sense of nationalism threatening the position of church-men, by introducing a powerful secular based perspective. The other one widely secularized the knowledge reducing the control of ecclesiastical elite and in its place introducing, what Descartes (102) describes as â€Å"philosophical classics of Greece and Rome.† As time goes by, the power of a single religious authority was gradually effaced giving power of vernacular tongues by the influence of protestant ethics which resulted to philosophers becoming less recognized in th eir ecclesiastical hierarchy but instead their recognition was shifted to their national origin (Descartes, 77-8). In studying the way people live, Machiavelli (312) agrees that the way people lived traditionally was a true way of living. Everyone was required to live virtuously and this was clearly observed. However, living virtuously didn’t mean that people could live happily. The adaptation to the modernized ways pushed the leader to try making people to both fear them as well as love them. But since these two factors couldn’t go hand in hand, they saw that significant security would be obtained in making people to fear them. This was associated with suspicious from other opposing parties concerning any acts of insecurities that can be thrown toward the leader in question. As a result, any action to suppress the other party or individual was seen as a gateway to remain feared and recognized (Rousseau, 37). According to Rousseau (87), civil society has introduced ine qualities in human kind which mostly concerning moral inequality, whose relation is in power and wealth. This has been attributed to man’s act of straying out of the natural state and stepping in his own cocoon of individual need and desire. As a result, those who first took the advantage of people’s naivety and grabbed shares of the available properties moved up the ladder where they perpetrate the weak so that they can maintain their wealth and power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Political Thought specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was the beginning of evil, where unlike the early man who was strong, fast and in prime condition and who only killed for his self prevention, the civil man started using all means, including killing his fellow to maintain what he has obtained. (Rousseau, 62). In conclusion, modernization has accompanied its countable good aspect with uncountable vices which h as greatly eroded natural state of human being’s moral in relation to other and environment and in place redefined these moral in a self centered perspective, attributed with a lot of evils. Descartes, Rene. The principal of philosophy. Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Print. Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Johnston: Norton, 1997. Print. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The prince and the discourses. Modern library, 1950. Print. Rousseau, Jean. Discourse on the origin of Inequality. Filiquarian Publishing, LLC., 2007. Print.

Tree Disks and the Cross-Sections of Tree Limbs, Trunks

Tree Disks and the Cross-Sections of Tree Limbs, Trunks For those of you who dont know what a tree cookie is, a  tree cookie is a sliced portion of a tree trunk or limb that can show each and every annual ring on a viewable plane. A tree cross-section disk or cookie can be one of the best botanical teaching aids to kids and adults on things happening in a tree and environmental effects on trees. It is especially effective visually in conifer specimens and more specifically pine. Finding the Perfect Tree Cookie Selecting a tree species that shows well is important when showing annual ring structure. Species that display visible dark annual rings are pines, spruces, cedar, and firs. Conifers used as Christmas trees are great for this if you use a real tree over the holiday. The wood is soft, easy to cut, and sand, and always displays nice rings. Deciduous or broad-leaved trees can show nice rings by cutting their thick faster-growing branches (that also contain annual rings). Best trees for branch collections are oaks, ashes, maples, elms, cherry, and walnut. Trunk slices from these trees are often too large for display where rings are usually too tight and light to easily count. The best tool for quickly felling a small tree is the standard curved large tooth pruning saw. A pruning saw will make quick work on a small trees base or when cutting larger branches. At this point, you need to make a decision on whether to cut the cookies without drying or dry larger poles for cutting cross-sections later. These poles should be cut into four-foot segments with no end less than 2 inches in diameter. The ideal slice size for quick production and use for a classroom is about the diameter of a soda can. Slice the logs into cookie segments between 1 to 2 inches thick. Use the same pruning saw or, for a fine surface, use a motor-driven saw such as a radial arm saw. Drying Logs in a Kiln or Under Sheltered Storage Kiln-drying short poles can be a more involved step to carry out but make for a much better tree slice specimen. A sawmill yard supervisor can dry your tree cookie logs in days using their lumber kiln. These logs will be sufficiently dry, feel much lighter and easier to cut with little to no chance of cracking. If you have time and a space you can set the logs in a dry, well-ventilated place for about a year. Drying Cookies From Green Trees Drying cookies cut from green trees is critical. If the sections are not dried properly, they will attract mold and fungus and lose bark. Store your cut cookies in a dry, well-ventilated surface under low humidity for three to ten days. Turn them over daily to allow both sides to dry. Placing them on a driveway on a sunny day also works. Cracking is a major problem if the cookie is not dried over sufficient time with adequate ventilation. Getting the perfect â€Å"uncracked† cookie is a challenge, and the best way to prevent cracking is to cut cookies from a dried, not green, log or branch. Remember that the smaller the cookie, the less likely cracking will occur. Try cutting cookies from dried limbs, as the grain is often tighter in the limbs than in the main stem. Curing Cookies Using PEG Good preserving with less cracking results when you soak fresh-cut green cookies in polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG draws the water out and replaces it with the PEG, which is a waxy material with excellent wood stabilizing properties. It also is not cheap and should be used primarily for your best specimens. The disks from fresh-cut wood should be wrapped in plastic or immersed in water to keep in green condition until they can be treated. The PEG soaking time to obtain sufficient penetration against splitting and checking depends on the solution, the size, and thickness of the disks, and the species of wood. One month is usually sufficient soaking time and there is a drying time also associated.