The Problem of the One and Many Essay Example for Free

The Problem of the One and Many Essay Introduction In a quest to inquire into being, metaphysics is confronted by one fundamental question that; is reality constituted by one being or are there many beings? This question establishes the central problem of metaphysics that is known as the problem of the ‘one’ and ‘many’. Parmenides who first dealt with the nature of being and considered ‘being as being’ as the source of unification of all reality, held that â€Å"ultimately there exists a One Being†. It follows that this being is changeless, indivisible and is the source of sameness insofar as it is one; nothing differs from it. Hence, according to Parmenides, the senses deceive us in reporting reality as many. This doctrine of seeing reality as one is called ‘monism’. On the other hand, empirists also hold a pluralistic view of reality when they reject the notion of being and favour the reality of observable or concrete beings existing positively. Many philosophers endeavor to give a philosophical solution to the aforementioned problem that takes into account both doctrines, monism and pluralism. St. Thomas Aquinas is credited with providing such a solution to the problem of the one and many. It is precisely the objective of this paper to discuss the one and many as a metaphysical problem vis-a-vis the solution proposed by Aquinas. To do this, we shall firstly present the nature of the problem in relation to Parmenides’ earliest view of being. Further we shall expose the standpoint of Plato who earlier made strides in a bid to solve the problem. Lastly, we will discuss the solution suggested by Aquinas. Exposition of the problem and Parmenides’ view of being Common sense experience affirms that there are distinct beings existing in reality. Regardless of the differences subsisting among concrete beings, they are similar and related by one common denominator that is ‘actual existence’. Thus, beings are identical by the fact that they exist and distinct simply on grounds that each being ‘is’ insofar as it is not the other. From this observation we can derive two underlying elements that lie beneath the notion of being. These are distinction and similarity. When we analyze and assert the elements separately we are able to discover that each element constructs a concept of its own pertaining the nature of being. For instance, the affirmation of distinction within being implies multiplicity of being or being as ‘many’. Equally, when we approve of similarity in being, the resultant concept affirms being as ‘one’ insofar as nothing negates this sameness of being. Meanwhile, the simultaneous affirmation of the said elements demonstrates that, the sum total of being is both one and the many. The preceding observation poses a great challenge on how to reconcile the affirmation of distinction in being which imply plurality, on one hand, and similarity in the same being which signify oneness of being, on the other hand. The potential danger of affirming either one of the concepts results in a monistic or pluralistic conception of being. As noted earlier, Parmenides who negated diversity within being as this would imply that reality is a composition of distinct beings, fell prey to the former doctrine. Nonetheless, his contention that being cannot differ from being unless by non-being. And that, insofar as non-being is nothing, not real, it cannot differentiate being, thus reality cannot be many, exerts an enormous challenge on the task of philosophers to prove the reality of non-being so as to account for the multiplicity of being. Plato’s standpoint on the problem of the one and many Plato somehow agrees with Parmenides that in order to account for the multiplicity of being, being cannot differ from being by being because it is the same being in question. Rather only by non-being can it differ. In contrast with the aforesaid Parmenides’ argument, Plato argues that â€Å"what is not in some sense also is†. According to Plato non-being is real in the sense that it is an exclusion of other possible beings beyond a certain point. In other words, non-being is that which lacks in a given being, thus making it differ from the other. For instance, the exclusion or lack of rationality in a dog is something real as it differentiates it from a man. Thus, Plato identifies non-being with the principle of limitation in being. This principle of limitation denotes an exclusion of no-more being or a confinement of this being within its nature so that it is distinct from the other. Thus far, we can then infer that the principle of limitation in being according to Plato allows each being to participate in existence in a certain manner as determined by its limitation in it. Consequently, the participation of each being in reality as determined by its principle of limit entails distinction and thus, indicates the plurality of beings. Apparently, we may deduce that Plato has given a preliminary solution to the problem; however his solution remains basic and vague in relation to what really is meant by the principle of limit. ST. Thomas Aquinas solutions Aquinas begins by analysing the structural composition within the dimension of being. This inquiry into the inner nature of being is ignited by Aquinas’s contention that â€Å"every real being compared to every other is both like other being in that it actually ‘is’ [†¦] and unlike it in that it is this being and not that one†. The idea of likeness and unlikeness perceived in real beings correlates precisely with an assumption that within each being there exists a composition of two co- principles that accounts for the likeness and the unlikeness of beings. Aquinas identifies the co- principles as limitation and the act of to be or simply existence. According to Aquinas the principle of limitation is further linked to the principle of passive potentiality that receives a certain degree of the perfections of existence as it permits. In other words, the principle of passive potentiality limits the received act of to be or existence. Thus, each real being has the potency within it to be this kind of being as determined by the principle of passive potentiality in it. Aquinas names the principle of limitation or passive potentiality as essence. He further calls the combination of essence and existence in finite beings as ‘real metaphysical composition’. Accordingly, he argues that the two principles in finite beings, essence and existence have to be distinct so as to denote their potentiality to be and that existence is not proper and intrinsic to their nature. Contrary to this assertion however, the two principles in God are not distinct because God as Aquinas observes â€Å"[†¦] has no admixture of potency but is pure act†. From the forgoing observation we are able according to Aquinas, to deduce that there are many existing beings in reality because in each being, actual existence, which in itself implies no limitation, is received into a distinct principle, essence, which limits the received act of existence. Hence, essence in this sense, becomes that which makes a being what it is and without which, it would not be that being. In a similar vein, the act of existence is a positive principle with unlimited perfections through which real beings as permitted by the essences receive perfections. Furthermore, Aquinas develops a very important principle pertaining the act of essence or passive potency to receive the act to be, in a being. The principle is called participation. He contends that â€Å"each being participate in the perfections of existence, which in itself is unlimited; that is, each being has a share or degree of perfections of existence to the extent the limiting essence will permit. † For instance, the existence and activities of a man are confined within man’s nature or essence. Therefore, owing to the fact that there are inexhaustible number of potentialities for existence, the principle of passive potentiality as passive potency results in a multitude of beings; each distinct by the degree of no-more being as placed by its essence on the act of existing when each being participates in existence. Conclusion It is thus clear that Aquinas has given a true solution to the problem of the one and many. He has demonstrated and justified the harmony of the one and many as inseparably constituting being. However, in as much as the two principles are inseparable, they are also distinct so much so that neither of them can exist without the other. Thus, the union of the act of existing and the principle of passive potentiality or essence forms a composition in which the two principles are mutually the determination of each other and of the whole being. Further, the solution of Aquinas highlighted the principle of participation of each being in the perfections of existence as determined by their essences. Existence possesses unlimited perfections that are received into distinct essences so that the same existence which implies no limitation in itself becomes a limited act upon being accommodated in a particular potentiality to be. We therefore conclude by acknowledging the comprehensive and substantial solution of St. Thomas Aquinas to the problem of the one and many as discussed in this paper. Bibliography CLARKE, N. W. , The One and Many: a Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics, University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana 2001. CONFORD, F. M. , trans. Plato and Parmenides: Parmenides’ Way of Truth and Plato’s Parmenides, Bobbs- Merrill Company Inc. Indianapolis, N. Y. 1957. HART, C. A. , Thomistic Metaphysics: An Inquiry into the Act of Existing, Prentice- Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. 1959. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa Contra Gentiles, trans. A. C. PEGIS, Doubleday and Company. Inc. , Garden City, N. Y. 1955. Electronic Source PLATO, The Sophist, trans. L. B. VANGHAN, Available at: http://www. schillerinstitute. org/transl/trans_pl_sophist. html Accessed: 18th October 2011. [ 2 ]. F. M. CONFORD, trans. Plato and Parmenides: Parmenides’ Way of Truth and Plato’s Parmenides, Bobbs- Merrill Company Inc. , Indianapolis, N. Y. 1957, 29. [ 3 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics: An Inquiry into the Act of Existing, Prentice- Hall, Inc. , Englewood Cliffs, N. J. 1959, 80. [ 4 ]. W. N. CLARKE, The One and Many: a Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics, University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana 2001, 72. [ 5 ]. PLATO, The Sophist, trans. L. B. VANGHAN, Available at: http://www. schillerinstitute. org/transl/trans pl_sophist. html Accessed: 18th October 2011. [ 6 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 80. [ 7 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 81. [ 8 ]. W. N. CLARKE, The One and Many, 80. [ 9 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 85- 86. [ 10 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 86. [ 11 ]. W. N. CLARKE, The One and Many, 82. [ 12 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 87. [ 13 ]. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa Contra Gentiles, trans. , A. C. PEGIS, Doubleday and Company. Inc. , Garden City, N. Y. 1955, Bk. 1, 1. [ 14 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 86-87. [ 15 ]. A. C. HART, Thomistic Metaphysics, 86.

Physics of Fishing :: Physics Science Fish Fishing

Fishing contains a wide variety of physics. when you cast you are using projectile motion and rotational motion. when you hook a fish it will often use the drag from the current agenst you. Immagine draging a fish through a swift current. You deal with the tention of your line, and the friction of the line through the guides. you also deal with friction when you use a drag. Reels One of the key components of your fishing gear is the reel. http://www.eangler.com/eangler/proshop/reels.asp?shopby=D&dept_id=67&dept_image=reels.gif&pageheading=Reels&JEX=101025 These are spinning reels designed for smaller fish. You would probably use a reels like this for lakes. These reels usually have a series of gears that turn the line collecting devices several times for each crank of the handle. The reel on the left is the simpler design. That design has a stationary spindle and a bar that rotates around it to collect the line. On most models the drag works by a screw on the top of the spindle that applies pressure on the spindle to increase or decrease the friction to allow the spindle to spin if the fish applies enough force to overcome the friction. The problem with this design is that once the fish breaks the static friction the resistance to the fish pulling out line decreases and it is very difficult to change while fighting a fish. the closed faced reels have a small peg inside that catches the line and then spins around the top of the spindle. For this design the reel has a plate that can be moved up and down by a dial on the front. This plate is what controls the drag. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to adjust the drag while you are fishing. This reel is designed for off shore fishing. This real is much larger and is geared so you must crank the handle several times in order to get the spindle to make a complete rotation. A handy thing if you have to haul up a fish that is 50kg or more from the bottom of the ocean. This reel works by turning the spindle while the line feeder remains stationary. The drag works by pushing a plate into the spindle. There is a knob on the side that allows you to increase the pressure on the plate. When setting your drag you must take into account more then line strength. You must also take into account your hook and the strength of the flesh that you are probably hooking into.

Do It Yourself Medical Tests: The Real Story Essay

In the past decade or so, the advancement of technology has resulted in the boom of gadgets such as cellular phones, handheld computers, flat screen television sets and the like. However, this progression is not only evident in entertainment and information devices. In fact, these vast technological developments have also made an impact in the field of medicine and healthcare. Through the years, the introduction and use of highly sophisticated equipment has significantly improved the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as cancer. Most of the time, doctors merely have to evaluate their patients and make them undergo a series of machine-based tests to further diagnose the disease or complications. However, more than hospital-based technology, the introduction devices or kits have made it possible for patients to undergo medical tests in the convenience of their own homes. Before, a woman who suspects that she is pregnant had to visit her physician, give him a urine sample and wait for days for the results of the pregnancy tests. Possibly, the only test that could be done at home back then was checking your temperature using a thermometer. Now, however, simple tests like pregnancy tests and blood sugar tests for diabetes can be bought over the counter, which means that patients no longer have to see their doctor often just to undergo these tests. According to the Detroit Medical Center’s online article, Do-It-Yourself Medical Testing Makes Inroads, other do-it-yourself test kits that have been made available for the past years include tests for hepatitis, cholesterol, colon cancer, urinary tract infections and HIV. Impact and Cost of Do-It-yourself Kits  Based on the Detroit Medical Center’s journal, do-it-yourself medical test kits have made a significant impact on patients’ lives, in particular, the amount of time they spend visiting their doctors and the length of availability of the test results. For example, in the past, diabetic patients had to check whether or not there was sugar in their urine to monitor their blood glucose. However, the introduction of testing strips and blood glucose meters, which were usually strapped to a patient’s wrist, made that procedure archaic and provided greater convenience to diabetic patients. The patients can actually measure the changes in their blood sugar without checking their urine and adjust their food intake and medication according to the results of the blood glucose meter. Moreover, based on the article, these meters can monitor blood glucose levels up to six times an hour, decreasing the need to use painful finger pricks, which is one reason why patients hesitate to undergo the test before. In addition, the development of finer lancets and improved meters used for pricking require less of the patient’s blood. Another home test kit that is currently available and commonly used at home is the cholesterol monitoring tests. While this test does not provide an amount of all the cholesterol fractions such as the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol, it gives a patient a fairly simple overview of his or her cholesterol count. Similarly, home-test kits such as tests for ovulation, fecal occult blood, colon cancer, hepatitis, urinary tract infections, HIV as well as blood pressure monitoring machines, have provided patients with the convenience of diagnosing themselves at home. However, while the do-it-yourself home test kit is a significant addition to society, it also comes with a high price. Based on Walton Crocker’s article, Do’s and Don’ts for Do-It-Yourself Home Medical Testing, which was published in the Associated Content’s website, home medical test kits like cholesterol tests, prostate cancer tests, drug tests, HIV tests, hepatitis C tests, test for blood in the stool, and home monitoring machines, such as blood pressure monitoring machines, have a combined cost of more or less $6. 2 billion a year. Moreover, home blood glucose monitoring alone costs about $5. 7 billion a year. The original blood glucose monitoring machine was enormous in size and had to be strapped to a person’s back. Now, in contrast, this machine is only the size of a key chain. In comparison, a patient spends about $75 to $150 dollars on a regular visit to his or her doctor. However, more often than not, a consultation with the doctor regarding a certain disease also includes a large amount of time spent and possible inconveniences as compared to using home test kits which similarly provide diagnosis of a disease. Furthermore, do-it-yourself genetic testing kits have also been developed. Patients use the kits to scrape cells from the inside cheeks and send it for testing. The results are released through e-mail. Risks and Issues of Do-It-Yourself Tests While modern society has warmly welcomed these vast developments in health and diagnosing certain diseases, there have been a lot of questions regarding their accuracy and reliability. For example, the results of the home testing for blood cholesterol levels only gives patients the over-all amount of cholesterol and not the exact breakdown. According to the Detroit Medical Center, tests cholesterol levels should at least include High Density Lipoprotein, the good cholesterol and Low Density Lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol. Usually, the area of concern in this test is the exact amount of bad cholesterol as it more or less determines how unhealthy a patient is and what dietary adjustments a patient should make to control his or her cholesterol levels. Do-it-yourself genetic testing also has major flaws especially in the validation of results. Based on a report cited by Dr. Andrew Weil in his website, a congressional investigation found out that certain firms who are selling home genetic testing kits were produced clinically invalid results. These results, if not checked, can lead to false assumptions of a patient regarding his or her suspected disease. For example, a false positive result of a home genetic test which shows that a woman has a genetic mutation that can lead to breast cancer can make her feel overly worried even though she the results are not factual. On the other hand, a false negative home genetic test result may cause a patient to ignore a potential disease he or she has contracted since he or she believed the test results which are, in fact, invalid. However, despite these issues and controversies however, both the demand and popularity of home test kits are significantly growing. One reason for this popularity, according to Walton Crocker’s article, is that these home test kits provide privacy for patients with possible diseases. People who suspect that they have illnesses or diseases, such as Hepatitis and HIV, would rather want to confirm their suspicions at home through the use of do-it-yourself test kits than go to a doctor and risk other people finding out about their possible disease. The greater convenience and the less time spent are also major factors that contribute to the popularity of home test kits. Furthermore, while doctors and health care professionals are pleased that the diagnosis of certain diseases can be done at home, a major cause of concern is that some patients do not consult a doctor even if they exhibit symptoms of a particular disease mainly because they tested negative in the home test kit. The Detroit Medical Center also raised another concern that patients who use home testing kits think of themselves more as â€Å"consumers† than patients as they can purchase these kits from pharmacies and other drug companies. This basically defeats the primary role of the doctor which is to evaluate a patient’s health condition, diagnose his or her possible diseases, and prescribe a treatment that would eventually cure him or her. Moreover, some companies, especially those accessible online, claim that they are licensed by the government to operate but they are really not. Basically, all the issues, inaccuracies, and flaws of do-it-yourself kits suggest that patients who use them don’t always get the whole story regarding their health condition. The results that patients obtain from these kits are merely bits and pieces of the possible disease or condition that they may have. Doctors still know best  Generally, despite the accessibility of the home testing kits and the convenience that they provide, it is best to consult a doctor first before making conclusions regarding a disease. A patient may test negative for a certain home test kit but the symptoms he or she exhibits may prove otherwise only if he or she consults a doctor, who is the best person to evaluate your health condition. The results of a cholesterol do-it-yourself kit may provide a patient with the amount of cholesterol in his or her body, but it does not say which type of cholesterol he or she has in excess. The patient may have more of the bad cholesterol than the good cholesterol or vice versa, but he or she will never know unless his or her blood is tested in an actual laboratory. Although do-it-yourself kits can give patients an idea about the status of their health, according to the Detroit Medical Center, the tests done on an actual laboratory with certified and experienced professionals is still the best, safest, and most accurate way to diagnose any disease or medical condition. In his article, Walton Crocker suggests that before buying any home test kit, it is best to first consult a doctor to first assess the accuracy and reliability of the home test kit and also evaluate the condition of the patient. Furthermore, patients should also inform a pharmacist of the medications they are taking as some medications can give false negative or false positive results in home test kits.

Modernism And Its Impact On The Environment - 906 Words

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