Classical Education Essay Example for Free

Classical Education Essay Some people hold the view that the classics are classics because they have stood the test of time. Therefore, they are to be treasured by people of all generations, ours being no exception. Others believe that the classics represent the wisdom of the past. As we are advancing towards the future, it is our responsibility to venture into the unknown and generate new understanding of man and nature. What is your view on this issue? Write an essay in 300 – 500 words in response to this question and give reasons to support your position. Classical education is ‘ communicates to the mind †¦ a high sense of honor, a disdain of death in a good cause, and a passionate devotion to the welfare of one’s country’ , which proposed by Oxford classicist Edward Copleston. Classics studies indeed have stood the test of time and represent the wisdom of the past which treasured by all generations. Therefore, it is our responsibility to venture into the unknown and generate new understanding of man and nature. Traditionally, the study of classics was the principal study of the humanities. It is connected to the study of languages, history, art, literature, philosophy, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean word, especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. For example, every European language today such as the Romance languages and Modern Greek was evolved and influenced by the classical language of the Ancient Mediterranean. Nevertheless, classical study now expanded to Northern Africa and Middle East. It has become our references in many different arenas and immensely contributed to our culture today which proves that classic studies have the ability to transform self’s understanding. According to Charles Augustin Sainte-Beure’s idea and belief, a true classic is an author who has enriched the human mind and revealed some eternal passion through his thought, observation, or invention. Therefore, it could be opposed by anyone since each and everyone have different thoughts and ideas influenced by their present lifestyles, culture or even discovery.

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Foreign scholars had many empirical studies on the price level and price dispersion in the E-commerce market. They were as the follows: 1) In 2000, Brown and Goolsbee had discovered that the insurance price became lower and the dispersion degree varied from high to low with the gradual perfection of the selling channel on the internet. Morton, etc. (2000) had studied the vehicle price and found out that the vehicle price online was lower than the price offline and the price dispersion varied from high to low. Erevelles, etc. (2001) took a research on the price of vitamin (health products) and discovered that the price was lower online and the price dispersion was lower than that of the traditional market. Durisin and Carimarti (2003) inspected the price of books and CDs and they came to a similar conclusion that the price of these products was lower on the internet. These scholars had taken researches on the price of books, CDs, medicine, vehicle and insurance and they observed that the utilization of internet had not only reduced the market price but also the price dispersion in E-commerce market. 2) Clay, etc.(1999) had collected the prices of over 100 kinds of books in 13 online bookstore and 2 traditional bookstore and the study results revealed that even though the average price of online bookstore and traditional bookstore were basically the same, there was an obvious price dispersion among the online bookstores[11]. Brynjolfsson and Smith (2000) had studied the prices of books and CDs online and in the entities stores and they concluded that the price in the E-commerce marker was lower than that that of the traditional market and the price dispersion degree was higher. To further their study, Clay and Tay (2002) had made a... ...led the multi-channel retailers. Many scholars had compared and studied the price and price dispersion of Dotcoms and multi-channel retailers. Pan, etc.(2002) observed that Dotcoms’ prices of CD, DVD, desktop computer and laptop were lower than that of the multi-channel retailers; Dotcoms’ prices of books and software were higher than that of the multi-channel retailers; Dotcoms’ prices of PDA and electronic products were similar to that of the multi-channel retailers. What’s more, the price divergence of these eight kinds of products declined as time went on but it always existed. Pan, etc.(2002) took another research and it illustrated that Dotcoms’ prices of clothes and ornaments, presents, flowers, health care, beauty treatment, gardening, sports, computer hardware, electronic products and the office products were lower than that of the multi-channel retailers.

Cultural Differences in the Perception of Geometric Illusions

Cultural Differences In Geometrical Perceptions The study chosen is called Cultural Differences in the Perception of Geometric Illusions. The research specifically focused on the psychological processes of depth perception and visual perspective. The first example is the Muller-Lyer illusion which is an optical illusion consisting of stylized arrows in which viewers tend to perceive one as longer than the other.The second example used is the Sanders Parallelogram in which a diagonal line bisecting the larger, left-hand parallelogram appears to be slightly longer than the diagonal line bisecting the smaller, right-hand parallelogram, but it is in fact the same length. The last example used in the stimulus is the horizontal-vertical illusion, in which observers have the tendency to perceive the vertical as longer than a horizontal line of the same length when the lines are perpendicular.All of these relate to how a subject is able to understand the spatial qualities. The researchers hy pothesize that the cultural differences between the people tested affect their perception of the lines. The researchers dispersed the tests to 14 non-European countries including those in Africa, Philippines, and America. All in all this amounted to 1,878 samples. The differences in these cultures can change from those of habitat, where some may be living in a dense, urban environment to those who live in rural land.Language may also affect how one may perceive their surroundings, another factor that differs between the test samples is the school of thought between different cultures. The result of the research showed that on both the Muller-Lyer and Sanders Parallelograms the European and American samples made significantly more illusion-produced responses than did the non-European samples. On the two horizontal-vertical illusions, the European and American samples had relatively low scores, with many of the non-Western samples scoring significantly higher.All samples appeared to b e minimally susceptible to the perspective drawing. These findings point to cross-cultural differences that perhaps can be attributed to ecological and cultural factors in the environment. For example, in the study they provide an explanation for the factor of spatial perception, they believe that if one were to live in a highly urbanized community, in which there is a high prevalence of rectangles, then the subjects are more inclined to interpret two dimensional cute and obtuse angles as representative of rectangles in three dimension drawings. This can also be the opposite, if one were to grow up in the countryside where they are exposed to large horizontal vistas, then their perceptions would change. Works Cited: Segall, Marshall, Donald T. Campbell, Melville J. Herskovits. â€Å"Cultural Differences in the Perception of Geometric Illusions. † Science, New Series, Vol. 139, No. 3556 (Feb. 22, 1963), pp. 769-771

Reusing Plastic Bottles Can Pose Serious Health Hazards

Most types of plastic bottles are safe to reuse at least a few times if properly washed with hot soapy water. However, recent revelations about some of the toxic chemicals found in Lexan (plastic #7) bottles are enough to prevent even the most committed environmentalists from reusing them—or buying them in the first place. Studies suggest that food and drinks stored in such containers—including those ubiquitous clear water bottles hanging from just about every hiker’s backpack—can contain trace amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that may interfere with the body’s natural hormone messaging system. Reused Plastic Bottles Can Leach Toxic Chemicals Repeated re-use of plastic bottles—which get dinged up through normal wear and tear while being washed—increases the chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop in the containers over time. According to the Environment California Research Policy Center, which reviewed 130 studies on the topic, BPA has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, increased risk of miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels. BPA can also wreak havoc on children’s developing systems. (Parents beware: Some baby bottles and sippy cups are made with plastics containing BPA.) Most experts agree that the amount of BPA that could potentially leach into food and drinks through normal handling is probably very small. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the cumulative effect of these small doses over time. Why Plastic Water and Soda Bottles Shouldnt Be Reused Health advocates advise against reusing bottles made from plastic #1 (polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET or PETE), including most disposable water, soda, and juice bottles. According to The Green Guide, such bottles may be safe for one-time use but reuse should be avoided. Studies indicate that the containers may leach DEHP—another probable human carcinogen—when they are structurally compromised and in less than perfect condition. Millions of Plastic Bottles End Up in Landfills Every year, consumers go through millions of plastic bottles. Fortunately, these containers are easy to recycle and just about every municipal recycling system will take them back. Still, using them is far from environmentally responsible. The nonprofit Berkeley Ecology Center found that the manufacture of plastic #1 not only uses large amounts of energy and resources but also generates toxic emissions and pollutants that contribute to global warming. And even though PET bottles can be recycled, millions of them find their way into landfills every day in the United States alone. Incinerating Plastic Bottles Releases Toxic Chemicals Another bad choice for water bottles, reusable or otherwise, is plastic #3 (polyvinyl chloride/PVC), which can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals into the liquids stored in them and also release synthetic carcinogens into the environment when incinerated. Plastic #6 (polystyrene/PS) has been shown to leach styrene, a probable human carcinogen, into food and drinks as well. Safe Reusable Bottles Do Exist Plastic bottles are not the only reusable containers available to consumers. Safer choices include bottles crafted from HDPE (plastic #2), low-density polyethylene (LDPE, or plastic #4), or polypropylene (PP, or plastic #5). Aluminum and stainless steel water bottles, such as those youll find at online retailers and in many brick-and-mortar natural food markets, are safer choices that can be reused repeatedly and eventually recycled.