Assess the Ontological Argument Essay Example for Free

Assess the Ontological Argument Essay The ontological argument was first formulated by St. Anselm in the 11th century. It argues the existence of God from a deductive and a priori stance. God is a being than which none greater can be conceived. This is the response given by St Anselm to the fool in the psalm who believed there was no God. St Anselm the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the Benedictine Order explained that for God to exist in the mind he would not be the greatest being. However were God to exist in the mind and reality this would make a being ‘than which none greater can be conceived’, this means God must exist. This demonstration for the existence of God was immediately criticised by his contemporary Gaunilon. He argued that Anselm’s argument could easily be used to prove the existence of many different beings or even places. In Gaunilon’s ‘response on the behalf of the fool’, he argued that he could conceive of a perfect island ‘blessed with all manners of delight’, yet it did not mean it must exist. However, Anselm responded to this claim arguing that a perfect island contains contingency; it is dependent, whereas God possesses aseity, is self-sufficient. This means that God’s existence is therefore, necessary, independent. Descartes famously wrote his version of the ontological argument in the ‘Meditations’ in which he argued that God is an infinite being, perfect. For God to remain perfect he must then retain existence. He used the illustration of a triangle with three angles which all add up to 180 degrees. This quality of the triangle allows the triangle to be perfect and to be defined as a triangle. If the angles were taken away from the triangle it would no longer be a triangle. This is similar as to God; he could not be God if he did not exist. This proves according to Descartes that God’s existence is necessary. But, it can be argued that the ontological argument is using an analytic format to define God as existing. Immanuel Kant refutes this as he believes that existence as a predicate or property cannot define God. For instance, the analytic statement ‘a spinster is an unmarried woman’ is tautological and true by definition. But if you were to add the predicate existence it would have no direct effect on the statement, this means that existence cannot be a property of God. David Hume also went on to support this idea, as we cannot prove that existence is even a positive attribute, we know that ‘evil’ exists yet could this ‘existence’ be the same as the ‘existence’ of God? They would argue that the ontological argument failed to understand and make existence a meaning of God. However, there have been responses by other philosophers such as Frege who argues that existence is actually a first level predicate which is able to explain the second level predicate. For instance, the ‘greenness of the apple’ is known through our senses but by adding ‘the greenness exists’ we are able to understand that such a predicate exists in reality. This means that ‘God exists’ allows us to understand that such a being as powerful as God does exist in reality as well as the mind. However from an empirical view, Thomas Aquinas would argue that the flaw in the ontological arguments attempt to demonstrate God’s existence stems from the fact that Anselm wanted to argue that God’s existence can be proven from ‘de dicto’ instead of what is ‘real’, and this caused the argument to be weak. On the other hand, some will still argue that St Anselm and the ontological argument is still strong in the second half, ‘God is a necessary being’. This is due to the fact that only God’s existence can be either necessary or impossible and because it is possible, God is proven to exist. To evaluate the whole ontological arguments’ attempt to prove and demonstrate God’s existence, it is clear due to the deductive stance, it shouldn’t be argued as the conclusion drawn must be ‘God is a necessary being’, ‘God is a being than which none greater can be conceived’. But as soon as you understand that definition you will find that it could be used to prove the existence of many things and beings. The ontological argument proves the idea that if God exists he is going to be a necessary being, but it does not prove that he actually does exist. Therefore as Richard Dawkins would describe it ‘infinite, playground argument’ and does not demonstrate God’s existence.

Karl Marx :: essays research papers fc

Karl Marx The most influential person pre-1900   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"If a fair list were given, †¦, it would seem reasonable to say that he was bad tempered, caustic, fierce, vain, self-sacrificing, selfish, whining, capable of great love, a good father, a lover of mankind, fatherly to all, honest, scrupulous, tender, brilliant, eminently rational, racist in an off hand manner, irony as an art, a person obsessed with irony, obsessive in general, flexible, a brilliant politician, but a candid one as they go.†(Olson 11) Hopefully we have all heard the name Karl Marx at some time or another, but what did he do that’s so important? Marx was a great influence from before 1900, but his influences are also felt throughout this century. Marx was the most influential person in world history before 1900 because he developed a new form of government, Marxism influenced several world leaders, and Marxism can be linked to such important events as the Russian Revolution and the Cold War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main reason Marx is so important is because of the political philosophy that he developed, appropriately dubbed Marxism and commonly called Communism. Marx’s goal was to spiritually release mankind by freeing him of his economic chains and allowing him to find harmony with his fellow man and with nature (Fromm 3). Marx’s interests in economics started when he wrote two extensive essays on the position of Eifel peasants and Moselle vinegrowers (Leonhard 4). His interests were also engaged by the labor movement, which the effects of were just becoming apparent (Leonhard 4). As talk about communist ideas first began to rise, Marx was reserved about his opinions (Leonhard 4). In spite of his reservations, Marx heavily researched the contemporary French literature on socialism and Communism, and in 1843 moved to Paris, the heart of the revolutionary movement (Leonhard 4). While in Paris, one of the most important events of his stay occurred, his meeti ng with Friedrich Engels. â€Å"This was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and collaboration of the founders of scientific socialism.† (Leonhard 5) Marx and Engels emphasized the connection of socialist aims, economic reality, and the struggle of the working class (Leonhard 5-6). In 1847 Marx was invited to join the â€Å"League of the Just† which was later renamed the â€Å"Communist League†(Leonhard 6). Marx and Engels were instructed to work out a political program form the Communist League (Leonhard 6-7). Engels sketched a draft of questions and answers know as the Principles of Communism, after reworking by Marx this became the Communist manifesto (Leonhard 7).

Software Requirements Specification Template

Software Requirements Specification Template CptS 322—Software Engineering 9 February 2005 The following annotated template shall be used to complete the Software Requirements Specification (SRS) assignment of WSU-TC CptS 322. The instructor must approve any modifications to the overall structure of this document. Template Usage: Text contained within angle brackets (‘’) shall be replaced by your project-specific information and/or details.For example, will be replaced with either ‘Smart Home’ or ‘Sensor Network’. Italicized text is included to briefly annotate the purpose of each section within this template. This text should not appear in the final version of your submitted SRS. This cover page is not a part of the final template and should be removed before your SRS is submitted. Acknowledgements: Sections of this document are based upon the IEEE Guide to Software Requirements Specification (ANSI/IEEE Std. 30-1984). The SRS templates o f Dr. Orest Pilskalns (WSU, Vancover) and Jack Hagemeister (WSU, Pullman) have also be used as guides in developing this template for the WSU-TC Spring 2005 CptS 322 course. Software Requirements Specification Lead Software Engineer Prepared for WSU-TC CptS 322—Software Engineering Principles I Instructor: A. David McKinnon, Ph. D. Spring 2005 Revision History Date |Description |Author |Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Document Approval The following Software Requirements Specification has been accepted and approved by the following: |Signature |Printed Name |Title |Date | | | |Lead Software Eng. | | | |A.David McKinnon |Instructor, CptS 322 | | | | | | | Table of Contents Revision Historyii Document Approvalii 1. Introduction1 1. 1 Purpose1 1. 2 Scope1 1. 3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations1 1. 4 References1 1. 5 Overview1 2. General Description2 2. 1 Product Perspective2 2. 2 Product Functions2 2. 3 User Characteristics2 2. 4 General Constraints2 2. 5 Assumptions and Dependencies2 3. Specific Requirements2 3. 1 External Interface Requirements3 3. 1. 1 User Interfaces3 3. 1. 2 Hardware Interfaces3 3. 1. 3 Software Interfaces3 3. 1. 4 Communications Interfaces3 3. 2 Functional Requirements3 3. 2. 1 3 3. 2. 2 3 3. 3 Use Cases3 3. 3. 1 Use Case #13 3. 3. 2 Use Case #23 3. Classes / Objects3 3. 4. 1 3 3. 4. 2 3 3. 5 Non-Functional Requirements4 3. 5. 1 Performance4 3. 5. 2 Reliability4 3. 5. 3 Availability4 3. 5. 4 Security4 3. 5. 5 Maintainability4 3. 5. 6 Portability4 3. 6 Inverse Requirements4 3. 7 Design Constraints4 3. 8 Logical Database Requirements4 3. 9 Other Requirements4 4. Analysis Models4 4. 1 Sequence Diagrams5 4. 3 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD)5 4. 2 State-Transition Diagrams (STD)5 5. Change Management Process5 A. Appendices5 A. 1 Appendix 15 A. 2 Appendix 25 1. Introduction The introduction to the Software Requirement Specification (SRS) document should provide an overview of the complete SRS document.While writing this document please remember that this document should contain all of the information needed by a software engineer to adequately design and implement the software product described by the requirements listed in this document. (Note: the following subsection annotates are largely taken from the IEEE Guide to SRS). 1. 1 Purpose What is the purpose of this SRS and the (intended) audience for which it is written. 1. 2 Scope This subsection should: (1) Identify the software product(s) to be produced by name; for example, Host DBMS, Report Generator, etc (2)Explain what the software product(s) will, and, if necessary, will not do (3)Describe the application of the software being specified. As a portion of this, it should: (a) Describe all relevant benefits, objectives, and goals as precisely as possible.For example, to say that one goal is to provide effective reporting capabilities is not as good as saying parameter-driven, user-definable reports with a 2 h turnaround and on-line entry of u ser parameters. (b) Be consistent with similar statements in higher-level specifications (for example, the System Requirement Specification) , if they exist. What is the scope of this software product. 1. 3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations This subsection should provide the definitions of all terms, acronyms, and abbreviations required to properly interpret the SRS. This information may be provided by reference to one or more appendixes in the SRS or by reference to other documents. 1.4 References This subsection should: (1)Provide a complete list of all documents referenced elsewhere in the SRS, or in a separate, specified document. 2)Identify each document by title, report number – if applicable – date, and publishing organization. (3)Specify the sources from which the references can be obtained. This information may be provided by reference to an appendix or to another document. 1. 5 Overview This subsection should: (1) Describe what the rest of the SRS cont ains (2) Explain how the SRS is organized. 2. General Description This section of the SRS should describe the general factors that affect ‘the product and its requirements. It should be made clear that this section does not state specific requirements; it only makes those requirements easier to understand. 2. 1 Product PerspectiveThis subsection of the SRS puts the product into perspective with other related products or projects. (See the IEEE Guide to SRS for more details). 2. 2 Product Functions This subsection of the SRS should provide a summary of the functions that the software will perform. 2. 3 User Characteristics This subsection of the SRS should describe those general characteristics of the eventual users of the product that will affect the specific requirements. (See the IEEE Guide to SRS for more details).2. 4 General Constraints This subsection of the SRS should provide a general description of any other items that will limit the developer’s options for des igning the system. See the IEEE Guide to SRS for a partial list of possible general constraints). 2. 5 Assumptions and Dependencies This subsection of the SRS should list each of the factors that affect the requirements stated in the SRS. These factors are not design constraints on the software but are, rather, any changes to them that can affect the requirements in the SRS. For example, an assumption might be that a specific operating system will be available on the hardware designated for the software product. If, in fact, the operating system is not available, the SRS would then have to change accordingly. 3. Specific Requirements This will be the largest and most important section of the SRS.The customer requirements will be embodied within Section 2, but this section will give the D-requirements that are used to guide the project’s software design, implementation, and testing. Each requirement in this section should be: †¢ Correct †¢ Traceable (both forward and backward to prior/future artifacts) †¢ Unambiguous †¢ Verifiable (i. e. , testable) †¢ Prioritized (with respect to importance and/or stability) †¢ Complete †¢ Consistent †¢ Uniquely identifiable (usually via numbering like 3. 4. 5. 6) Attention should be paid to the carefuly organize the requirements presented in this section so that they may easily accessed and understood.Furthermore, this SRS is not the software design document, therefore one should avoid the tendency to over-constrain (and therefore design) the software project within this SRS. 3. External Interface Requirements 3. 1. 1 User Interfaces 3. 1. 2 Hardware Interfaces 3. 1. 3 Software Interfaces 3. 1. 4 Communications Interfaces 3. 2 Functional Requirements This section describes specific features of the software project. If desired, some requirements may be specified in the use-case format and listed in the Use Cases Section. 3. 2. 1 3. 2. 1. 1 Introduction 3. 2. 1. 2 Inputs 3. 2. 1. 3 Processing 3. 2. 1. 4 Outputs 3. 2. 1. 5 Error Handling 3. 2. 2 †¦ 3. 3 Use Cases 3. 3. 1 Use Case #1 3. 3. 2 Use Case #2 †¦ 3. 4 Classes / Objects 3. 4. 1 3. 4. 1. 1 Attributes 3. 4. 1. 2 Functions 3. 4. 2 †¦ 3. 5 Non-Functional RequirementsNon-functional requirements may exist for the following attributes. Often these requirements must be achieved at a system-wide level rather than at a unit level. State the requirements in the following sections in measurable terms (e. g. , 95% of transaction shall be processed in less than a second, system downtime may not exceed 1 minute per day, ;gt; 30 day MTBF value, etc). 3. 5. 1 Performance 3. 5. 2 Reliability 3. 5. 3 Availability 3. 5. 4 Security3. 5. 5 Maintainability 3. 5. 6 Portability 3. 6 Inverse Requirements State any *useful* inverse requirements. 3. 7 Design Constraints Specify design constrains imposed by other standards, company policies, hardware limitation, etc. hat will impact this software project. 3. 8 Logic al Database Requirements Will a database be used? If so, what logical requirements exist for data formats, storage capabilities, data retention, data integrity, etc. 3. 9 Other Requirements Catchall section for any additional requirements. 4. Analysis Models List all analysis models used in developing specific requirements previously given in this SRS. Each model should include an introduction and a narrative description. Furthermore, each model should be traceable the SRS’s requirements. 4. 1 Sequence Diagrams 4. 3 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) 4. 2 State-Transition Diagrams (STD) 5. Change Management ProcessIdentify and describe the process that will be used to update the SRS, as needed, when project scope or requirements change. Who can submit changes and by what means, and how will these changes be approved. A. Appendices Appendices may be used to provide additional (and hopefully helpful) information. If present, the SRS should explicitly state whether the information contain ed within an appendix is to be considered as a part of the SRS’s overall set of requirements. Example Appendices could include (initial) conceptual documents for the software project, marketing materials, minutes of meetings with the customer(s), etc. A. 1 Appendix 1 A. 2 Appendix 2

Bubonic Plague Essay - 2940 Words

When Bubonic Plague visited England in 1348, it was called the Great Mortality. We know it as the Black Death that lasted until 1352 and killed vast populations in Asia , North Africa , Europe , Iceland , and Greenland . In total, it extinguished as much as fifty percent of the worlds population. In England , bubonic plague on average killed at least one-third of all inhabitants between 1348 and 1349. In London alone, one out of two people died during the visitation. The bottom line is that every English man, woman, and child at the time encountered plague in some way, and all feared it. After 1352, the plague became endemic in England , flaring up routinely and then yearly from 1485 to 1670. Within those two centuries, the plague†¦show more content†¦Most major European centers felt the impact of the Black Death. It reached Sicily in 1346, Italy in early 1347, and towards the end of 1347 was in Marseilles , France . In 1348 it attacked Spain and spread throughout Germany and France . It arrived in London early in the same year and by 1349 was in Oxford and spread throughout England where it was present until 1359. Scotland was affected rather later. 2 â€Å"In any given period, the plague accomplished its work in three to six months and then faded from view. The plague came and went like a tornado -- its appearance and movement was totally unpredictable. In northern cities, the plague lay dormant in winter and then reappeared the following spring. In 1349, the plague reappeared at Paris and eventually spread to Holland , Scotland and Ireland . In Norway , a ghost shipped drifted offshore for months before it ran aground with its cargo of death. By the end of 1349, Sweden , Denmark , Prussia , Iceland and Greenland felt the full effects of the plague. The plague left nearly as quickly as it had appeared. By mid-1350, the plague had completed its deed across the continent of Europe †. 3 The mortality rate of the Black Death was horrendous. It is estimated in various parts of Europe at two-thirds to three-quarters of the population. In England it was even higher during the first wave. Some countries were less seriously affected. Shrewsbury, the author of ‘History of Bubonic Plague inShow MoreRelatedThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague896 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Death The Bubonic Plague was likely the first semi-global pandemic that rightfully merits the name which means affecting all people. The period of time in which the disease wreaked havoc was also known as the â€Å"Black Death. Alexandere Yersin was a French bacteriologist and discovered the bacteria in Hong Kong This diabolical disease is characterized by both positive and negative outcomes for the few people that managed to survive the plague. The total number of people who died subsequentlyRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague1848 Words   |  8 Pages The Bubonic Plague killed over twenty-five million people during the Elizabethan Era (David Perlin, PhD and Ann Cohen). â€Å"The origins of the Black Death can be traced back to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the 1320’s (Ed. Geoffrey J. et al).† The Bubonic Plague has picked up many nicknames. For example, it has been called â€Å"The Black Death,† and â€Å"one of the four horsemen of the apocalypseâ €  (Ed. Geoffrey J. et al). The Bubonic Plague was very prominent during its time with many people’s lives beingRead MoreBubonic Plague1154 Words   |  5 PagesBubonic plague is believed to have brought the Byzantine empire to its knees in the 6th century. This is the first ever documented record of bubonic plague in human history. But the fact that bubonic plague continues to afflict human population even today is a matter of concern. Your bubonic plague research paper would revolve around the premise of it being a deadly disease, but we assure you that we won’t scare you by the facts. Bubonic plague is typically differentiated from other infections becauseRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe plague was a catastrophic time in history, and happened more than once. It took millions and millions of people’s lives. It destroyed cities and countries, and many people suffered from it. What is the plague? The plague or referred to as the Black Death, according to the CDC (2015), â€Å"is a disease that affects humans and other mammals and caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handlingRead MoreBubonic Plague2091 Words   |  9 Pageshttp://ponderosa-pine.uoregon.edu/students/Janis/menu.html Abstract Bubonic plague has had a major impact on the history of the world. Caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, and transmitted by fleas often found on rats, bubonic plague has killed over 50 million people over the centuries. Burrowing rodent populations across the world keep the disease present in the world today. Outbreaks, though often small, still occur in many places. The use of antibiotics and increased scientific knowledgeRead MoreThe Plague Of Bubonic Plague1714 Words   |  7 Pagescharacteristics. The diffusion, history, and cure are just a couple universal aspects that contribute to the well known, yet unforgiving disease known as the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague diffused to many people during its time of dominance. To start, the Bubonic Plague is transmitted to other living organisms in a distinct way. The plague bacteria circulates among different populations of certain rodents without causing an excessive amount of rodent die-off (â€Å"Centers for Disease Control andRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague825 Words   |  4 PagesThe Plague Discussion Questions The Black Death was an epizootic bubonic plague, a disease caused by the bacterium of rodents known as Yersinia pestis. The bubonic plague overwhelming effects of European history. The Black Death was considered one of the most â€Å"devastating pandemics† in human history. Whom Did the Black Death Affect The Black death affected mostly Europe. â€Å"The disastrous mortal disease known as the Black Death spread across Europe in the years 1346-53.† (Paragraph 1) â€Å"By the endRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague975 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, was a severe outbreak of disease that spread in Europe in the 14th century from 1346-1353. The disease spread faster then originally expected of killing only twenty or thirty percent but killed 60 percent of Europe s population ( Benedictow). It is believed the population of Europe was around eighty million and that would add up to be fifty million deaths. It was a horrific death for one to experience and can still be found in the world todayRead MoreThe Plague Of Bubonic Plague945 Words   |  4 Pages Essays 3. The bubonic plague was a devastating disease that rapidly swept across Europe. Also known as the Black Death, the plague spread from port to port and started to wipe out entire civilizations. All of Europe was eventually contaminated, with over two-thirds of the population dieing to the infectious disease. Believed to have started in 1346 when the Mongol armies overtook the Genoese trading outpost of Caffa on the Black Sea, over half the soldiers on the boat returned dead. The quicknessRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague1938 Words   |  8 PagesBlack Plague DBQ   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bubonic Plague or Black Plague devastated Europe in the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries killing anywhere from twenty to twenty-five million people or about one-third of the continent’s population. At the time, medical knowledge was not competent for understanding why the deadly pathogen was spreading; therefore, the plague radiated like wildfire. The Europeans believed that the plague was a sort of divine punishment for the sins in which they had committed, and they