Freelance essay writing
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Celebrity Role Models
Todayââ¬â¢s society revolves around the lives of those we call ââ¬Å"famousâ⬠or ââ¬Å"celebritiesâ⬠, we are more focused on the lives of these people then our own. Todayââ¬â¢s children see Celebrities as role models, however they are seen as role models for the wrong reasons and set a bad example for children. Although not all Celebrities are bad role models, a frightening amount are. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Robin Thicke are prime examples of bad celebrity role models. Cyrus is well known for glorifying drug use and dressing inappropriately, Bieber is famous for using his money inappropriately and having several run-ins with the law and Thicke is known for his song ââ¬Å"Blurred Linesâ⬠which hints at rape on several occasions, although they have been involved in controversies they are still seen as good people by todayââ¬â¢s youth who seem to ignore the negatives these people portray. Celebrities seem to be involved in all kinds of controversy, Ranging from Affairs, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Driving under influence and discriminatory comments. These celebrities pose a danger to todayââ¬â¢s youth as they start to think there are little consequences to doing these things which is not true at all. One specific celebrity that is held in high regard to thousands of young boys in England predominately is Paul Gascoigne or ââ¬Å"Gazzaâ⬠. Paul Gascoigne was an English football player who rose to fame worldwide during the 1990 World Cup held in Italy. Gascoigneââ¬â¢s heroic performances earned him a place in the nationââ¬â¢s heart and made him one of the most famous Football players in the last 100 years. However ââ¬Å"Gazzaâ⬠quickly found himself in a downwards spiral with his troubled childhood and addiction to Alcohol turning him into a mess. In 1998 he first entered sustained therapy sessions when he was admitted into Priory Hospital after a drinking session where he drank 32 shots of whisky which left him at rock bottom Since 2004 he has battled with addictions to: Cigarettes, Alcohol, Red Bull, Junk Food, Gambling and exercise. In 2008 he was taken into protective custody after he attempted suicide while drunk. On 9th July 2010 Gascoigne appeared at the scene of the tense stand-off between the police and Raoul Moat, claiming to be a friend of Raoul Moat and stating that he had brought him a can of lager, some chicken, fishing rod, a Newcastle shirt and a dressing gown. After all the controversies he has been involved in Gascoigne is still held high in the hearts of England fans and somehow is thought of as inspirational.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Self regulation and adolescent choices in friends Essay
Self regulation and adolescent choices in friends - Essay Example Hence, Self efficacy and Choice is the topic that deserves to be analyzed and substantiated for. Recent studies on self regulation have provided an insight into how students effectively respond to influences from the outside and then integrate them with their personal experiences. In the opinion of Michael Blocher, who has analyzed individual behavior, ââ¬Å"Self- regulation has been recently studied to provide understanding for attributes of how traditional classroom students use their cognition, meta cognition and motivation to provide a successful learning experience. Locus of self- control, learning style, self regulation skills form a part of the wholesome development of the individual as a student, a researcher and as a learned scholarâ⬠(Blocher). This fact is crucial enough to provide proof to the fact that self regulation skills are essential to the formation of attitudes, behavior styles as well as response to external environment. Further, linkages between self regulatory processes and achievement are noted to be co existent factors. In a certain assessment for 3 years, among 732 children, who were identified as possessing lower grades, it was deduced that lower achieving students were not given initiation into self regulatory methods. This draws insight into the fact that early efforts to promote self efficacy in children, self regulatory skills would enhance further academic performance, promote self belief and enhance achievement, particularly in literacy. (Liew, p.515-526). Academic performance depends largely on the ability of the student to integrate scholastic knowledge with personal experience. The ability to synthesize knowledge with experience is the chief faculty of adolescents. ââ¬Å"They posses increasingly higher levels of abstract thinking, engage in more sophisticated and elaborate information and their processing
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13
Quiz - Essay Example Law argues that with the advocating for use of paper money the cost of gold and sliver will radically reduce. Lawââ¬â¢s assertion that the value of goods is independent of the quantity of money made meaning and answered questions on the freedom to purchase any quantity of a product on an agreed price or cost. In addition, Law believed that. If paper money was in use trade will be made easier and the level of demand and supply will be eventually influenced. On the other hand, the James Steuart argues on the need for demand in the industry, which will result to a certain level of supply, which can take both regular and irregular trends. This situation creates competition in the market milieu and helps in increasing the quality of products in the most natural manner. This implies that with help of paper money, a product will bought or sold at its value. In the case of the Allan Meltzerââ¬â¢s assertion on redistribution and sustainability, the problem of capitalism is created by unequal distribution of resources and income. This aspect does not only affect a particular group of class of people, but also the universal economic structure of a country. Meltzer asserts that capitalism has grown because of leadersââ¬â¢ hostility to reward their selfish interests. Meltzer argues that, the wealth generated by the market system should be equally redistributed to ensure a strong economic foundation (OBrien,
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Black studies 1019--opinion paper--choosing two topics and describing Essay - 1
Black studies 1019--opinion paper--choosing two topics and describing their ideas and how they affected african americans in the - Essay Example The Sharing of Culture The exposure of one African ethnic group to the other had resulted to the sharing of cultures and traditions. As claimed by Michael Angelo Gomez, during the slavery period in America, the Africans coming from different cultural backgrounds had assembled themselves to form a single society of African Americans (88). It is contended that their cultural formation was not triggered by any form of racial discrimination but by the realization that they are different from the other people within the American society. What made them different is not just the color of their skin but their social status. So as to have a unified foundation for the expression of their common interest, the different ethnic groups decided to fuse their various traditions. It is in this sense that the Africans appreciated the advantages of creating a community. Nonetheless, it is worthy to emphasize that the fusion of the different beliefs and practices had not been easy for the different eth nic groups. Actually, the traditional people in Africa did not view the members of the other ethnic groups as belonging to their own (Freeman 25). They even had the propensity of seeing their ethnic group as more influential than the others. This suggests that during the process of cultural integration, the various African ethnic groups were struggling to make their beliefs and practices part of the new identity. Nevertheless, due to their slavery experience, these ethnic groups could have considered to be submissive to whatever way that could serve the best interest of all the Africans in America. The African American Music The formation of African-American music is one of the products of the cultural integration that the different ethnic groups had experienced and embraced during the slave era in America. After the abolition of slave trade in America, there had been many African-American singers and songwriters who became part of the American entertainment and music industry. As m embers of the African-American community, the African-American music artists are expected to express their cultural identity in their musical compositions and even in their everyday dealing. Their way of expressing the cultural identity of African-Americans has caught the publicââ¬â¢s attention. The African-American music artists living in America have been subjected to a very controversial question, that is, whether they view themselves primarily as individuals of African descent who happened to be in the American soil or primarily as Americans who happened to be of African descent. A Discussion of the Distinction It is claimed that the new generation of African-Americans could consider themselves belonging to the second option. In a way, since they have been part of modern America, they have the tendency to behave in the American way. This connotes that for them, their American identity weighs more than their African ancestry. Their ancestral root has become a second or subsidi ary identity. Nonetheless, they still recognize the fact that they have a unique cultural origin. It is in this sense that they have the tendency to reshape and improvise a musical composition or simply ââ¬Å"to blackenizeâ⬠it, giving it an African-American touch (Maynard-Reid 71). Examples of African-American singers born during the post-slavery era are Michael Jackson and
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Developing a Compensator using Cerrobend Materials
Developing a Compensator using Cerrobend Materials ABSTRACT In external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), dose optimization is achieved by conforming the dose distribution to the shape of the intended target whilst minimizing radiation to normal tissues in close proximity to the target. This is achieved by modulating the intensities of the radiation across the radiation portals forming the irradiation geometry used for the treatment. Compensators may be used to achieve the above effect and can be used to approximate the fluence map by appropriate linear attenuation coefficient of individual beamlets making up the original open beam fluence. This may be done with a treatment planning system (TPS) with inverse planning capabilities or with a bolus placed on the surface of the patient at the beam entrance point. This work describe the procedures for designing, constructing and dosimetric considerations of cerrobend compensator for high energy photon beams, using the bolus option on the surface of the phantom planned with Prowess Panther TPS. Also correc tion factors that account with effects of field size, treatment depth and changes in thickness ratio because of using bolus were introduced. The cerrobend compensator was adjusted to account for beam divergence and reduction in dose contributed by scattered radiation. The correction factors were applied to the thickness ratio for determination of appropriate thickness of cerrobend that mimic bolus. The measurements were done in Theratron Equinox 100 cobalt-60 teletherapy unit using Cerrobend slabs constructed to account for divergence of the beam for the maximum field size considered in this research (3030 cm2). The narrow and broad beam linear attenuation coefficient for cerrobend were determined using simple attenuation model, varying the field size from 44 cm2 to 3030 cm2 field sizes in air, and also varying the thickness of cerrobend from 0.5cm to 4.6cm. The value found was 0.4574cm-1 and also the field size dependence of linear attenuation coefficient were investigated. The sca tter produced by cerrobend was accessed and evaluated. The scatter-to-primary ratio dose contribution was found to be negligible for small field size as reported by Dimitriadis (2002), and can cause error in the final dose calculation up to 13.3% for 3030 cm2 and 4.09 cm thickness of cerrobend. The cerrobend compensator was successful designed and constructed. The dosimetric accuracy for constructed cerrobend compensator was found to be deviating with that predicted with Prowess Panther Treatment Planning System with percentage error ranging from 0.365 to 25%, which is associated with limitations in producing precise thickness of cerrobend with the same accuracy of that generated by the equation 3.04 and limitations in generating flat surface topography and also the presence of air bubble in the cerrobend compensator which was not investigated in thiswork. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Cancer is a significant health care problem. On average about half of all cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy worldwide (IAEA, 2004). Radiotherapy, also referred to as radiation therapy, radiation oncology or therapeutic radiology is one of the three modalities used to treat malignant disease (cancer) the other two being chemotherapy and surgery (Suntharalingamn et al, 2005). Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation to eradicate cancerous cells with the least possible damage to normal tissues. The first therapeutic use of ionizing radiation was demonstrated in 1897 by Wilhelm Alexander Freud, a German surgeon before Vienna Medical Society when he demonstrated the disappearance of a hairy mole following treatment with x-ray (Hall, 2000). The first recorded experiment in radiobiology was also performed by Becquerel when he advertently left a radium container in his vest pocket and subsequently described the skin erythema two weeks later (Hall, 2000). The modalities of radiotherapy are divided into two types, tele-therapy and brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is a method of treatment in which sealed sources are used to deliver radiation at short distances by interstitial, intracavitary or surface application (Khan, 2010). Tele-therapy is a treatment modality in which the source of radiation is at a distance from the patient, also called external beam radiation therapy, it uses photons ranging from kilo voltage to megavoltage photons, and electron beams from linear accelerators or Co-60 tele therapy units. In External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT), the methodology of treatment depends on different factors, which may include the shape and size of the tumour to be treated within the patient, sparing of normal tissues within the vicinity of the target from excessive irradiation, financial constraints and the quest of optimization of radiation dose to the target. There are different treatment techniques ranging from 2-D conventional radioth erapy to more advanced Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). IMRT is a treatment planning and delivery technique that can greatly improve the process of conformal radiotherapy which refers to the process of blocking a beam with irregular shaped beam portal so that the dose delivered corresponds more closely to tumour whilst reducing the dose to normal tissue. In developing countries, most of the centrees are restricted to a Co-60 tele therapy unit with basic treatment planning and simulation capabilities. Patients present irregular surface topographies and tissue heterogeneities. According to Chang (2004), a compensator is a traditional tool for modern application and is an alternative IMRT delivery technique. In IMRT, the compensator is used not in the sense of compensating for missing tissue or tissue heterogeneity but as beam intensifier like dynamic wedges and multileaf collimators (MLC). The goal is to achieve dose uniformity throughout the whole target volume and, more importantly to spare critical structures according to the dose and dose volume constraint prescribed by the clinicians for specific patients (Jiango et al, 1998). Therefore, compensators are designed to produce an optimized primary fluency profile at the patientââ¬â¢s surface. This is achieved by modulating the intensities of the radiation across the radiation portals forming the irradiation geometry used for the treatment. There are various methods by which compensators can be made. According to Williams and Thwaites (2000), the three main types are grid-blocking system, contour system and a system using machined compensator. The first compensators made by Ellis et al. (1958) were constructed by stacking aluminum pillars. Another method reported by Lam et al. (1983) describes the construction of compensators from thin sheets of lead. Today compensators are more commonly made from molds filled with molten alloy or wax. Using molds is advantageous since it results in compensators with smoother surfaces and thus greater accuracy. To make a compensator for an IMRT practice, it is required to calculate the effective attenuation coefficient () of its materials, which is affected by various factors as field size, depth, off- axis distance, compensator thickness (Haghparast et al, 2013). A number of elements have been used to form compensators which include tungsten-epoxy mixture (Xu et al, 2002), Lucite (Khan et al, 1970), gypsum (Weeks et al, 1988), tin-wax (Van et al, 1995), tin (Chang et al, 2000), cerrobend (Waltz BJ et al, 1973), steel (Van et al, 1995), aluminum (Ellis et al, 1959), brass (Ellis et al, 1959; Tess, 2014), lead (Leung et al, 1974; Cunnighan et al, 1976; Andrew et al, 1982; Spicka et al, 1988), coper (Tess, 2014). In this study, a cerrobend compensator will be constructed using a simple attenuation model to determine its effective attenuation coefficient. Film and an ionization chamber will be used for dosimetric measurements and for verification of measured dose distribution and compared with those calculated with the PROWESS Panther TPS software at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. PROBLEM STATEMENT In external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), dose optimization is achieved by conforming the dose distribution to the shape of the intended target whilst minimizing radiation to normal tissues in close proximity to the target. Most dosimetric measurements are done on flat surface and homogenous medium, however patients surface is highly irregular and internal tissues are heterogeneous. The main aim of radiation therapy is to deliver uniform dose distribution within +7 % and ââ¬â5 % (ICRU report 50, 1993) of the dose prescription without exceeding the tolerance dose of the critical structure around tumor volume. To achieve this goal, the above irregularities should be corrected. Thus different studies suggested and implemented bolus which is a tissue equivalent material placed at the surface of the patient to compensate the missing tissue. However, this technique doesnt spare the skin beneath the bolus. This is because, the buildup region is in the bolus and Dmax (depth of maximum dose) will be at skin surface. To solve such complications compensators have been introduced by different people on different approaches to correct both surface irregularity and tissue heterogeneity which is now done by using MLC based IMRT. Advanced technological innovations in anatomic and functional imaging modalities (CT, MRI, PET, and US) have led to improved visualization and the delineation of tumour. Radiation treatment planning and delivered techniques have also seen a marked improvement. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) provides a high degree of dose conformity to the planning target volume (PTV) and the conformal avoidance of organs at risk. Therefore radiation field is not only geometrically shaped to conform to the outline of the planning target volume at the beams eye view, but is also intensity modulated. The National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) presently uses paraffin wax for construction of a compensator and cerrobend for shielding blocks, but there is a need to implement physical compensator based IMRT using materials which are available in the Centre and is inexpensive. This research will focus on design and construction and dosimetric considerations of cerrobend compensators to modulate the intensities of the radiation across the radiation portals forming the irradiation geometry used for the treatment. OBJECTIVES GENERAL OBJECTIVE The general objective of this work is designing and constructing a compensator using cerrobend materials. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES To clarify the effect of scattered photons generated within the compensator on head scatter factor. To evaluate dosimetric accuracy and dose coverage. To compare and evaluate measured and predicted data. To evaluate the variation of dose distribution by the compensator. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The scope of this thesis is in the area of the IMRT by means of physical compensators specifically using cerrobend which are manually fabricated. In most centres which are practicing IMRT, the construction of the compensator to provide the needed modulation is done by generating a fluency map of the radiation portal needed. This is done with a treatment planning system (TPS) with inverse planning capabilities or with a bolus placed on the surface of the patient at the beam entrance point. The bolus option will be used in this research as currently there is no TPS in the country that can do inverse planning. In this case, the cerrobend compensator will be used to replicate dosimetric effects of the bolus placed on the surface of the patient. According to Jiang et al (1998), the calculation of compensator thickness profile (an optimized primary fluency profile) is straightforward typically using the exponentially attenuation model. With reference to this, the shape of the compensator w ill be adjusted to account for beam divergence and reduction in dose contributed by scattered radiation. Thus the dosimetric considerations is part of the scope of this research. The measurement will be made from a Co-60 tele therapy machine at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT WORK In radiation oncology, a patient should get the best treatment option as much as possible in order to improve quality of patient care. So the expected results such as correction factors to account for reduction in scatter for using the cerrobend compensator to mimic bolus would have immense contribution to scientific and technical knowledge. From this work, it will be possible to implement IMRT delivering technique at National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear medicine of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The clinical implementation of IMRT technique requires at least two systems (Khan, 2010), which are: treatment planning computer system that can calculate non-uniform fluence maps for multiple beams directed from different directions to maximize dose to target while minimizing dose to critical normal structures. This may be done with a treatment planning system (TPS) with inverse planning capabilities or with a bolus placed on the surface of the patient at the beam entrance point. The s econd one, is a system delivering a non-uniform fluence as planned, so each of these systems must be appropriately tested and commissioned before the actual clinical use. The bolus option will be used in this research as currently there is no TPS in the country that can do inverse planning. The cerrobend compensator will be used to replicate dosimetric effects of the bolus placed on the surface of the patient. Similar research was done using different materials by Teclehaimanot (2014) in which the results were not in the clinically acceptable levels, so with this work we are expecting to reach such clinical levels with deviation less than 5%. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is widely used in clinical applications in developed countries, for the treatment of malignant and non-malignant diseases. This technique uses multiple radiation beams of non-uniform intensities. The beams are modulated to the required intensity maps for delivering highly conformal doses of radiation to the treatment targets, while sparing the adjacent normal tissue structures. This treatment technique has superior dosimetric advantages over 2-dimensional (2D) and conventional 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) treatments. It can potentially benefit the patient in three ways. Firstly, by improving conformity with target dose, it can reduce the probability of in-field recurrence. Secondly, by reducing irradiation of normal tissue, it can minimize the degree of morbidity associated with treatment. Finally, by facilitating escalation of dose, it can improve local control (Cheung, 2006). Compensator based IMRT has a lot of advantages over MLC, many literature reported by Taherkhani (2010), report that the penumbra regions created by MLCs are larger than those generated by cerrobend blocks. Compensators provide more consistent dose, impose no limitations on the dose delivery rate, reduce skin surface doses, and because of the high density of the cerrobend allows improved skin sparing with low production rate of secondary electrons (Gray, 1979; Hine, 1951) reported by Shery (1987). It gives continuous intensity modulation, high spatial resolution, gives room to treat large field size, easy quality assurance (QA), shorter treatment time delivery with some drawbacks which are lack of automation (Chang, 2004), but there are some disadvantages like the therapist having to go to the treatment room to change the compensator in multiple fields and production cost, being labor intensive and time consuming. But now these drawbacks have been fixed in many developed countries by introducing a milling machine which is incorporated with the Treatment Planning System (TPS), and an automated compensator-IMRT technique (Javedan et al. 2008). Other main advantage of using cerrobend in this research are: its low melting point of 1580F (700C) which makes it easy to be recycled. It is readily available, inexpensive, high density (9.8g/cm3) and is used as shielding blocks in EBRT where doses are reduced by 95% or 99% of their initial value. As a material for compensation with high energy photons, cerrobend provides several advantages over tissue equivalent material (Shery, 1987). In the past, Cerrobend had not been considered as an excellent compensator material despite its high density. Recently Chang et al (2004) found that there are cerrobend filling techniques that produce smooth and accurate compensators with consistent density. Solidified Cerrobend in the compensator mold becomes one of the top choices of compensator material. And it can be easily shaped to the intended form with uniform density using the technique described by (Chang, 2004). Chang et al (2004) showed that compensator-IMRT technique has several benefits for delivering continuous intensity modulation and have shown that the finer resolution compensator-IMRT technique can also produce dosimetry that is closer to the ideal IMRT treatment (without any delivery limitation) compared with the segmental MLC IMRT technique. From this work the patients treated at the National Centre of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine will benefit from all the advantages of IMRT techniques mentioned above. Consequently patients will also get a better and inexpensive treatment option.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Essay -- Papers
Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Street prostitution. St Kilda has been dogged by its presence and consequences for decades, and is subsequently a major community concern. There have been innumerable attempts to address the problem, however it is only until recently that an extensive and resourced approach, incorporating supporters representing all political parties and many community stakeholders, has come into force. In a report released by the Attorney General's Street Prostitution Advisory Group (established in March 2001 and consisting of parliamentary, government, residential, police, welfare, trade, and sex worker representatives), it has been proposed that tolerance zones and street worker centres should be established in the City of Port Phillip in an attempt to efficiently manage street prostitution in the area. This said proposition has been met with much acclaim, but, inevitably, not without opposition. One of the world's oldest professions, street prostitution first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Initially confined to the penal settlements, the industry changed dramatically in the nineteenth century, with the gold rush attracting many prostitutes to Victoria. Prostitution became densely concentrated in the city, however, the development of Melbourne, the impact of the First and Second World Wars, economic depression and legislative change saw the industry decline and spread into the inner city suburbs, such as St Kilda, Fitzroy and South Melbourne. Reports do exist of prostitution in St Kilda occurring as early as the late nineteenth century, however it was not common in the said are... ...the proposal cannot go ahead in good stead. The issue of street prostitution is not a pretty one, but nor is it uncommon. The only way that the problem can be properly addressed is if all parties involved realise the extreme need for the industry's management. The establishment of tolerance zones and street worker centres, as well as all that is proposed to go hand in hand with them, is an innovative, practical, and much-needed incentive that will undoubtedly reduce, and possibly open the gateway to the eventual eradication of street prostitution. The industry has gotten completely out of hand in the St Kilda area, and needs to be tightly controlled. The report released by the Street Prostitution Advisory Group, of which the government supports, holds the key to ultimately accomplishing this essential goal.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Comparative Analysis of De Montaigne and Donne on Mind and Body
Both Michel De Montaigne and John Donne argue that the cultivation of the mind is linked to the well being of the body. Both argue that a mind void of proper enrichment and education will lead to an unhealthy body. However, Montaigne argues that the appropriate means of ââ¬Å"education and enrichmentâ⬠are studying and following the works of other great thinkers of history. Additionally, Montaigne declares imagination to be the impetus for the downfall of the body. Conversely, Donne argues that a mind groomed in imagination is the proper mode of finding bodily health. In their writings, both Montaigne and Donne are seeking a unity between the mind and the body. By comparing Montaigneâ⬠s Essays and the poetry of Donne, it is evident that the means for unifying the mind and body can vary for different people. Montaigneâ⬠s general philosophy on the relationship between the mind and the physical health of the body is one that associates a healthy existence with a healthy mind. His idea of a healthy mind is that which is learned through the studies of the ââ¬Å"great thinkersâ⬠of the past, and steered clear of being taken control of by the omnipotent imagination. In Montaigneâ⬠s essay ââ¬Å"On the Education of Children,â⬠Montaigne stresses the importance of education, but only promotes a select few genres of education as appropriate. Montaigne links these few genres of education directly to the well being of the body. First, Montaigne declares that ââ¬Å"The mind that harbours philosophy should, by its soundness, make the body sound alsoâ⬠(pg.67). Here he argues that anyone who is soundly based in the philosophy of the ââ¬Å"great thinkersâ⬠of history will have the wellness of body that they desire. He states that â⬠The most manifest sign of wisdom is a constant happiness; itâ⬠s stateâ⬠¦always sereneâ⬠(pg.67). Montaigneâ⬠s obvious foremost concern is that people be educated in the thinking of great thinkers. Secondly, Montaigne addresses the types of free thinking that are appropriate for a healthy mind and body. He argues that the free thought of a person should be based in the thought of the ââ¬Å"great thinkers.â⬠Montaigne says if a person ââ¬Å"â⬠¦embraces the opinions of Xenophon and Plato by his own reasoning, they will no longer be theirs, but hisâ⬠(pg.56). He encourages people to ââ¬Å"â⬠¦imbibe their [ââ¬Å"great thinkersâ⬠] ways of thoughtâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (pg.56). Montaigneâ⬠s argument is that free thinking not based in the thought of the ââ¬Å"great thinkersâ⬠is simply uneducated freethinking, and thus is unhealthy for the mind and body. Finally, Montaigneâ⬠s essay ââ¬Å"On the Education of Childrenâ⬠reveals Montaigneâ⬠s argument against the learning of ââ¬Å"profitlessâ⬠knowledge, or in other words. He says that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦most of the branches of knowledge in current usage are valueless to usâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (pg.65) and that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦we must limit the extent of our studies in those branchesâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (pg.65). Montaigneâ⬠s apparent argument is that only a certain type of education, one based strongly in the thought of the ââ¬Å"great thinkers,â⬠is the type of education that will provide for not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mind. In Montaigneâ⬠s essay ââ¬Å"On the Power of the Imagination,â⬠Montaigne next argues against the perils of the imagination. He declares that the imagination, unlike freethinking based in acceptable knowledge, leads directly to an unhealthy body. Montaigne first attacks the sheer power of the imagination. Montaigne states regarding the imagination that ââ¬Å"Everyone feels its impact, but some are knocked over by itâ⬠(pg.36). He contends that the imagination is something that slowly begins to take over the mind of a person and drive them further from the appropriate lines of learning. He argues that the imagination leads to the harm of the body. His first claim on this is that bad thoughts, such as having bodily failures (Montaigne uses the example of impotence), are spawned from the imagination. He declares that the ââ¬Å"â⬠¦comical impediments which so embarrass our society that they talk of nothing else are most likely caused by apprehensions and fearsâ⬠(pg.39). These apprehensions and fears are brought on, Montaigne argues, by an imagination that controls the mind and body. Montaigne even goes as far as to call imagination the culprit for many people falling ill, as he says that the reason some people become sick is that their imaginations concoct how bad they could feel, and their bodies simple follow suit. He states that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦the mind must generally be prepared in advance.â⬠(pg.41) in order for the body to feel a certain way. Montaigneâ⬠s whole argument in the essay reflects his distaste for the cultivation of a mind through imagination and his idea that imagination leads to an unhealthy mind and consequently, an unhealthy body. John Donneâ⬠s general viewpoint on the relationship between the mind and the health of the body differs greatly from Montaigneâ⬠s. Donneâ⬠s theory is simply that the path to a healthy body is an imagination. He claims that the imagination is the machine responsible for creating the ideas that make the body feel good. As for education, he argues that the highest forms of education are not from history books or philosophers, but from the deeper and more imaginative forms. In Donneâ⬠s poems ââ¬Å"The Canonizationâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Will,â⬠Donne presents the argument that there is a knowledge to be sought that is much deeper and truer than any book knowledge. In ââ¬Å"The Canonization,â⬠Donne boldly states that earthly knowledge and materialistic cultivation of the mind is far below the education of the mind through love. He says: ââ¬Å"For Godsake hold your tongue and let me loveâ⬠¦ With wealth your state, your minde with Arts improve, Take you a course, get you a place, Observe his honour, or his graceâ⬠¦ Contemplate, what you will approve, So you will let me loveâ⬠(pg.28). Here Donne states that to him the ultimate knowledge is that of love and that he would choose this before all other earthly types of knowledge. Donne argues that love can teach all necessary knowledge in life. He continues this argument in his poem ââ¬Å"The Will,â⬠in which he discusses all of the knowledge that love has imparted on him. He states: ââ¬Å"Thou, Love, hast taught meeâ⬠¦ That I should give to none, but such, as had too much beforeâ⬠¦ Onely to give such as have an incapacatieâ⬠¦ Onely to give to those that count my gifts indignityâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (pg.60). Donne reveals hear some of the lessons that love has taught to him. Donneâ⬠s obvious argument is that the knowledge that is held in a book cannot be paralleled to that which can be learned through the higher ways of learning such as love. In Donneâ⬠s poems ââ¬Å"The Fleaâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Dreameâ⬠Donne lets his imagination go and argues that the imagination can be used in order to achieve a healthy and happy mind and body. First, in ââ¬Å"The Flea,â⬠Donne sets up a very imaginative metaphor as he uses a flea to act as the means of uniting him with his woman. He tells his woman that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦in this flea, our two bloods mingled bee;â⬠(pg.48) and continues to say that ââ¬Å"This flea is you and Iâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (pg.48). This very use of the flea stretches the imagination to a great extent, as it places a seemingly bothersome insect into the place of tying together two people through its blood. It is evident then that Donneâ⬠s support for the imaginative went as far as placing it into the love poems he wrote to try to seduce his woman. Donneâ⬠s belief in imagination was wholehearted. As for relating this use of the imagination to the well being of the body, Donne addresses this as well. Donneâ⬠s imaginatively crafted metaphor is also a well-planned out scheme to seduce his woman. In other words, Donne uses the imagination to help make his body feel better by seducing and sleeping with his woman. His argument to his woman is that since the flea has drawn blood from each of them and the two have already exchanged the most special of bonds, that sleeping together would not be anything wrong. He tells her: ââ¬Å"Thou knowâ⬠st that this cannot be said A sinne, nor losse of maidenhead, And pamperâ⬠d swells with one blood made of two, And this, alas, is more than we would doeâ⬠(pg.48). Here we see Donne putting into practice his argument that the imagination can be used in order to get the body what it desires. In his poem ââ¬Å"The Dreame,â⬠Donne parallels his dreaming, or imagination, to the very woman of whom he is dreaming in the poem. During the poem, Donne dreams of a great sexual fantasie with his woman, and soon enough, she walks into the bedroom to find him dreaming. However, Donneâ⬠s dream is not interrupted, but rather it continues with her entrance. He says: ââ¬Å"Therefore thou wakdâ⬠st me wisely; yet My Dreame thou brokâ⬠st not, but continuedâ⬠st it, Thou art so truth, that thoughts of thee suffice, To make dreames truths; and fables histories; Enter these armes, for since thou thoughtst it best, Not to dreame all my dreame, letâ⬠s act the restâ⬠(pg.45). Donneâ⬠s apparent argument is then one that declares imagination to be the precursor to reality. He argues that if a person does not first imagine how a certain circumstance will result, then they will certainly not have the pleasure of knowing what circumstances may follow. In other words, Donne believes the imagination to be a passageway from mental health and pleasure to bodily health and pleasure. Montaigne and Donne are two people seeking the same result: a unity between the mind and body. Both incorporate their compelling philosophies into their writing and present convincing arguments in order to explicate their theories. Each of the two agree that the body and the mind are related, and additionally that the imagination is a powerful controller of both the mind and body. However, the two disagree in their sentiments towards what types of learning and creativity create a healthy mind and body. Each of the two present their respective theories in very coercive arguments, and yet very disparate arguments. However, the two may have more ecumenically similar qualities when brought into modern society. Perhaps the greater message imparted upon the reader by the two authors is that the unity between the mind and the body is found through different means for different people. Each person must seek out their own form of mental cultivation that will help them to achieve both a healthy mind and a healthy body.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)