Chinese and Western International Relations Theories

Chinese and Western International Relations Theories Chinese ancient school of thoughts[1] and Western International Relations theories: A comparative study Introduction Background of the study The study of international relations has classically focused on the cause of war and the conditions of peace. With China’s overwhelming economic growth and active diplomacy engaging in international affairs, numerous concerns of China’s emerging power have become priorities on international political agendas, which also lead to many academic researches on the manner in which China rises. The increasing attentions are drawn to Chinese perspectives of inter-states relations, because there are remarkable different perspectives and actions between China and western countries, for example, China’s outspoken opposition to international action against Libya, Syria, North Korea, and Iran. China’s no-string attached foreign aid policy on African countries has been frequently accused as support to corrupt and brutal dictators and a barricade of democratic progress, while most of western countries impose reform conditions when providing aid. As such, the rise of Chin a has not simply challenged the international status quo, but also challenged the conventional wisdom on international relations.[2] (Deng, 2008) As a consequence, debates are centered around questions on whether China’s rise will be a threat to the regional peace and world security. Over the past three decades, many western scholars have speculated that China will overthrow the current western-oriented international order and reshape the rules of the world in order to service its interests; can China peacefully replace U.S as a superpower; will China’s rise result in military conflict with its neighbor countries? Statement of the problem There has been no shortage of research on China’s potential to become a superpower. However, the western experience and thoughts usually conclude that China’s emerging power will be highly problematic and dangerous to the rest of world. It is hard to obtain a holistic explanation of the aforementioned differences from the obvious economic and geopolitical point of view alone. One needs an understanding of the Chinese core values and worldview which stems from Chinese philosophy. Although contemporary China has incorporated foreign thoughts including Marxism and Capitalism into its political and social system, ancient philosophy still plays a considerable role in its policy-making and in the international relations. As Rosita Dellios pointed out, for western politicians and scholars, any country whose actions have enormous impact on the â€Å"high politics† on the international stage, is worth studying at a deeper theoretical level, in particular its philosophy and perspective on the world order. The importance of the Chinese schools’ teachings on inter-state relations cannot be overestimated. It shapes policy-makers’ ideas, which in turn influence China’s foreign policy and behavior. A proper understanding of China’s philosophy concerning International relations and the view of the world affairs will help to increase the understanding, the causes of conflict and the condition for peace with regard to the rise of China. More over, the importance of culture and philosophical thoughts in IR theory has recently been highlighted by the publication of a book titled â€Å"The return of culture and identity in IR theory†, which pointed out that the question of culture, philosophical thought and identity have always been part of our analysis of the social world, even if often times underestimated. The return of culture and philosophical thoughts has been brought about partly by the failure of the traditional, positivist, neo-realist school to predict events associated with the ending of the Cold War. IR scholars are now reclaiming culture and identity in response to their mounting difficulties with exponential increase in global heterogeneity and diversity. (Chan,1999) Aims and objective The objectives of this study are two-fold. Firstly, it seeks analogies and dis-analogies between major Western International Relations theories and the philosophical traditions of China’s Spring Autumn and Warring states period. This is performed with the question of commensurability in mind. Secondly, it will examine the influence of ancient Chinese philosophical thoughts on contemporary Chinese policy-maker’s conception of international relations in approaching global affairs. These two objectives are closely related. As Dr. Henry Kissinger was cited in Yan Xue Tong’s book: If China became a strong world power, the Chinese government would adopt ancient Chinese philosophy rather than Marxism or Liberalism to guide its foreign policy and the people outside China would be eager to learn about these ancient Chinese philosophical thoughts. (Yan, 2013) This research aims to bridge the gap between Western studies of the Chinese interstate relations and China’ s own perception of its rise in world politics. My concern is not only to explore the commonality but also to induce the recurrence of a wide variety of philosophical practice in contemporary world politics. Limits of the Study There is sufficient research on various ancient Chinese schools of philosophy on moral notions and domestic governance. This study will only discuss classical Chinese thought on inter-state relations, interstate order, transfer of hegemonic power and world leadership. The aim of this research is to lay a foundation for genuine dialogue of civilizations between East and West in terms of perspectives of international relations. This is expected to be conductive to a mutual learning process and has potential to enrich modern IR theory by casting Chinese thoughts. Research Questions Is there any commonality between Western IR theories and ancient Chinese schools of thought, where does it arise and what form does it take? Does ancient Chinese school of thought of interstate relations still have implications on contemporary Chinese foreign policy? Methodology This research will horizontally juxtapose Western IR theories and major ancient Chinese schools of philosophy (Legalism, Confucianism, Daoism and Guan Zi’s thoughts) by comparing their analytic methodology, main arguments, views on hegemony, and their empirical implications for China’s rise. Analogies and dis-analogies in those philosophical practices will be traced out between Chinese and Western thinking. Vertically, comparison among thoughts of Chinese philosophers will also be employed. According to Waltz’s three levels of analysis of international relations (Individual, State, and System), Confucius analyzed interstate relations based on individual moral values. Guan Zi and Han Fei Zi’s analyses however, emphasize the level of the state. Lao Zi (Daoism) conducts his analyses at the system level, from the perspective of the abrstract world. Comparisons between Chinese classical schools of philosophy and western IR theory will be employed as follows: Legalism (Xun Zi and Han Fei Zi) VS. Realism Briefly speaking, Xun Zi (313-238 BC) and his students, such as Han Fei Zi, have a dark notion of the human-nature just as realism. This is not unlike Machiavelli’s and Hobbes’s state of nature, which they described as a condition where men are engaged in a war of all against all, constantly struggling for survival. According to Classic realism scholar Morgenthau, the human nature is rational, egoistic and constantly seeking to maximize power. These anthropologic premises can be transferred to the behavior of a state in an international system. Xun Zi and Han Fei Zi also described human nature are vicious, constantly pursuing self-interest and benefit. Xun Zi believed that the ideas of a state’s leader have a determining role on its nature. The stability of the international system depends on the nature of the state. Xun Zi listed basic moral principals, such as credibility and trust among allies as necessary for a leader to gain world leadership. If an issued de cree turns out to incur loss for the government but benefit the people, the leadership should uphold it rather than lose the trust of his people by abandoning it; if a ratified treaty between allies is in conflict with a state’s self-interests, the state should not withdraw from it as to not lose the trust of his allies. A recent example for this is the protocol of Kyoto; the US, typically assuming the role of the world leader, shirked its responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emission and has been blamed for this by other nations. Xun Zi emphasizes the importance of credibility among allies to gain hegemonial power, rather than employing tricks to cheat its allies. In addition, the comparison not only reveals parallels between Machiavelli’s and Han Fei Zi’s thoughts about the politic reality and morality, but also display subtle differences between them. Guanzi’s thoughts VS. Neoliberalism Guan Zhong (d. 645 B.C.) was a prime minister of the State of Qi in the Spring and Autumn period, the Guan Zi is one of theà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬collections of Guan Zhong’s thoughts concerning statesmanship. Guan Zhong’s domestic policies and diplomatic strategy helped the Qi state to become the leading state and hegemon in the Spring and Autumn Period. Guan Zhong believed that the economic well-being was the foundation of a state. â€Å"When the granaries are full, the people will know propriety and moderation. When their food and clothing is adequate, they will know the honor and shame†[3]. This reflects the underlying notion of the rational individual. People with sufficient wealth would be easily cultivated with decency and etiquette, and be more like to obey the regulation. Then, a rational individual can enjoy their freedom and pursue their interest. Guan Zhong’s reform motivates farmers, handcraft men, and businesses by lowering tax and reducing government interference in order to promote production and free economy mechanism. Meanwhile, due to beneficial trade policies, the Qi state became the busiest trade center in ancient China. Guan Zi’s perspective has commonality with contemporary liberal assumptions associated with John Locke and Immanuel Kant. According to Kant, the rational quality of the indivi dual, despite their self-interest, will lead individuals to cooperate and construct a peaceful world. Moreover, Guan Zhong also recognized the anarchical world order is a reason for world’s instability. He called for all states to honor the king of Zhou and to set up international norms, to avoid anarchy and restore the hierarchy of the Zhou dynasty, which would reduce the likelihood of war. In addition, he proposed a confederation. Its member remained sovereign, linked only by partially federal institutions and by collective security alliances against barbarian in the northern China as in Europe today. In contrast to most liberals’ perspectives of the equality of state sovereignty, Guan Zi believed that there was hierarchical structure between members of a confederation. States are not equal, powerful states should take greater responsibility. Perhaps, the account of Guan Zhong may better explain reality of the international system. We can notice that the features of hierarchical structure and power relationships among members of the main international organizations today: Permanent members of United Nations, voting structure of World Bank and International Monetary Fund[4]. The aim of Guan Zhong’s reforms were to build a justified hegemony status for Qi, similar to Charles P. Kindleberger[5] and Robert Keohane’s hegemonic stability theory, which argues that to maintain the stability of the international system, a single dominant world power is needed to enforce and develop the rules of the system. Confucianism VS. Idealism Confucianism has been an essential element in Chinese society, politics and international relations. Confucianism highlights the role of virtue for harmony and peace (à ¥Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã…’). Moral standards of â€Å"ren† (benevolence)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬and â€Å"li† (rituals, moral standards)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬will be able to maintain harmony in family, stability in a nation, and peace in the whole world. Confucius emphasized that good government and internal peace and prosperity of a nation would play a significant role in the world and serve as a universal paradigm for other nations. Confucius’s scholar, Kang You Wei, advocates moral reforms to extend Chinese benevolence to the Westerners to avoid direct conflict (Feng, 2007). To some extent, Confucianism perspectives parallel classical liberalism, which rests upon the normative premise: although liberals accept that different societies have different values and norms, they believe in peace as the one common interest of all societies. Daoism Daoism is brought about by Lao Zi and developed by Zhuang Zi and Sun Zi. Dao means the universal objective laws. Lao Zi summarized the law of universe by observing regular patterns of nature and human beings. This can best be understood by observing the parallel to the modern notion of the laws of nature. According to modern understanding, the universe and all beings and objects within it, rely on a small set of universal objective laws. Everything that evolves within the universe can be derived from these laws, even if enormous complexity can obscure this fact. Indeed, it is widely believed that a final, single law (GUT) can be found from which everything else can be derived. In this spirit, one should understand Lao Zi’s sentence â€Å"The dao bears one, one bears†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"à ©Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å"à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ §Ã¢ € Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ). This principle is reflected in the principle of the scientific method. The outset is the scientific mind observing its environment and recognizing a pattern (à ©Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å"à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬), by continued research, the pattern can be refined into a law (à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’), which itself is the starting point for further refinement (à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °). This chain bears the potential to create a whole universe (à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ©). There is an incisive exposition in regard to international relations in Chapter 61 of â€Å"Dao De Jing†, which reads as follows: The great country may be compared to a low-lying lake where many rivers converge;à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨it is the mixing place of the world, the reservoir of all under heaven, t is said that by practice of quiescence and humility the great can absorb and conquer the small witho ut effort,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨and the small and insignificant can gain riches and treasure by submitting to the great.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨The great state wishes to keep and nourish its people, and help others.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨The small state wishes to help its people by joining with the peace and strength of the larger state.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Both states get what they wish by submitting.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Greatness lies in placing oneself below.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬(Translated by John Dicus, 2002).à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Lao Zi emphasized stillness and humbleness in inter-states relations.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬The legacy of Daoism has influenced contemporary Chinese foreign policies and has been well laid out in the five principles of Deng Xiao Ping’s foreign policy guidelines. The essence of Deng’s foreign policy is to keep a low key in international affairs and strengthen domestic affairs. According to Daoism, staying in neutral (à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¸) is safest and yields the most sustainable p rofit. â€Å"Don’t stick your head out† entirely discourage a state to pursue hegemony. This can be understood in terms of the western IR concept Balance of Power, which states that the power of a hegemon will always be counterbalanced by a strategic alliance of rivals in order to secure their interests. Conclusion In the course of this work we will compare major ancient Chinese philosophies to western theories and concepts in International Relations. We will pick a subset of each group and draw direct one-to-one comparisons in horizontal pairs. The choice of pairs is guided by the rough degree of similarity in the general framework. In particular we will compare Confucianism to Idealism, Guan Zi to Neoliberalism and Legalism to Realism, with the Chinese and the western part respectively. Complementarily, we will draw vertical comparisons among the ideas of the Chinese schools of philosophy. Preliminary Bibliography Acharya, A. (2011). Dialogue and discovery: in search of international relations theories beyond the West. Millennium-Journal of International Studies, 39(3), 619-637. Chad Hansen, (1992), A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought: A Philosophical Interpretation, Oxford University Press Gerald Chan,(1999), Chinese Perspectives on International relations: A Framework for Analysis, London, Macmillan Press LTD. Feng Huiyun (2007)Chinese Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Decision-making: Confucianism, leadership and war, London, Routedge Yan Xuetong,(2011) Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power,Edited by Daniel A. Bell Sun Zhe. Translated by Edmund Ryden. Princeton Oxford: Princeton University Press Zhang, C. (2013). Understanding China’s attitude toward international order: from general delegitimization to selective embeddedness. Jeffrey W. Legro, (2007) What China Will Want: The Future Intentions of a Rising Power, Perspectives on Politics, American Political Science Association http://www.chinaguanzi.com/newsview.asp?id=790 Jack Snyder, ‘Some Good and Bad Reasons for a Distinctively Chinese Approach to International Relations Theory’, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the APSA, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, Massachusetts, 28 August 2008, 9, 10. [1] The tradition Chinese philosophy on inter-state relations originated from the Spring and Autumn Period ( 770bc-476bc) and the Warring States era (475bc-221bc). During these periods, the competition for territory and hegemony status among princely states forced states seek to balance of power and develop relationship among them. [2] Yong Deng, 2008, China’s Struggle for Status: the Realignment of International Relations, Cambridge University Press [3] à §Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚ Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ °Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ [4] Daniel A. Belll, p11 Introduction, [5] Charles Kindleberger, The World in Depression, 1929-39, Chapter 14, An Explanation of the 1929 Depression, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973), pp. 291-308

Mentoring to Adolescents

The success of many adolescents in their careers can usually be tied back to others who influenced them. These adolescents frequently mention coaches who were particularly helpful as career developers. Many of these adolescents also mention others at high grades that given guidance and support to them in the development of their careers. These coach, adviser, and supporting teachers called mentors.â€Å"Results indicated most students had a mentor, and mentors were most helpful through role modeling, verbal encouragement, personal support, and providing career guidance. Gender differences were found on several outcome variables but were not detected based on sex or ethnic match, or the presence of a mentor† Lisa Y. Flores, Ezemenari M. Obasi; 2005).Generally, the mentor initiates the relationship, but sometimes adolescents will approach a potential mentor for advice.Most mentoring relationships develop over time on an informal basis. However, in proactive organizations there i s an emphasis on formal mentoring plans that call for the assignment of a mentor to those employees considered for upward movement in the organization.Under a good mentor, learning focuses on goals, opportunities, expectations, standards, and assistance in fulfilling one’s potential (Starcevich and Friend, 1999). Also Available at http://www.indiana.edu/~busx420/Book-Excerpts/chap07.doc.Mentoring roles vary, according to need, from a vocational to an interpersonal focus:Vocational mentoring roles include: enhancing the subject’s skills and intellectual development; helping to build up a set of educational values; consulting to help the subject to elucidate goals and ways of implementing them; helping to set up a set of personal and professional standards; and networking and sponsoring by providing opportunities for the subject to meet other professionals.These roles help lately qualified teachers, new appointments, and those new to middle management or headships to adj ust to changes in their career pattern and to advance within the profession.Interpersonal mentoring roles include: sharing; role modeling; and allowing the subject to get insight into how the mentor works in a professional capacity. A mentor must also encourage the subject to build his or her self-confidence by acknowledging successes.A mentor is also a counselor who listens to but does not tell the subject what to do. Not all mentors will fulfill all of these roles, but the more extensive the roles, the richer the relationship. These roles enable the subject to explain his or her identity and to develop professional confidence and self-esteem.Basically, mentoring is an idea and a practice that has progress eventually in different cultures and contexts. Natural mentoring occurs incidentally in a diversity of life settings through friendship, teaching, coaching and counseling. ‘Planned' mentoring involves structured programs with clear objectives, where mentors and mentees are matched using formal processes.It is unsurprising; therefore, that today there is considerable confusion over its meaning. The essential elements of a mentoring relationship areA recognizable procedure, formal or informal;A clear understanding of the procedure and of the roles of mentor and subject;Trust, privacy, discretion and a rapport between both parties;Mentors with the requisite professional reliability and honesty and a range of suitable skills, including counseling, listening, sensitive questioning, analysis and handing back responsibilities;Subjects who are aware of their own needs;Attitudes suitable to the roles of mentor and mentored: for instance, professional concern on the part of the mentor to challenge the subject, and the self-motivation on the subject’s part to keenly take the necessary action.Mentoring is a optimistic mechanism for developing management skills, while those who have been subject to mentoring will have gained from the experience a sense of w hat their ongoing professional development will entail (Leuenberger, Whitaker, and Sheldon 1993).Because a personal relationship is at the heart of mentoring, volunteers' variations and terminations can touch on adolescent's vulnerabilities in ways that other, cannot.If adolescent have begun to value the mentoring relationship and to recognize with their mentors, they can feel profound disappointment if the relationship does not progress. Such feelings of rejection and disappointment can lead to a variety of negative emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes (Downey & Feldman, 1996).A frequent observation amongst mentors and parents is that close connections with mentors can promote improvements in adolescents' relationships with others, especially their parents. Through constantly warm and accepting interactions with their mentors, youth can start to distinguish the benefits of close relationships and open themselves to the people around them, mainly their parents.In some cases, mentors can serve as alter native or secondary attachment figures, helping youth to realign their conceptions of themselves in relation to other people. In other cases, mentors can act as sounding boards, providing models for effective communication and help adolescents to better understand, express, and control both their positive and negative emotions (Pianta, 1999).Mentoring relationships led to improvements in adolescents' perceptions of their relations with their parents (i.e., higher levels of intimacy, communication, and trust). Those improvements, in turn, led to optimistic changes in adolescents' sense of self-worth, scholastic competence, and scholastic achievement.If a mentor views a youth positively, that can initiate to change the youth's view of her and can even initiate to change the way she thinks parents, peers, teachers, and others view her. In such cases, a mentor's positive evaluation can gradually become incorporated into the adolescent's stable sense of self.T his self-appraisal process is facilitated by the growing ability of adolescents to understand the world from the perspective of others and to view them from that standpoint.Many lower income youth, particularly, have limited personal contact with positive role models outside the instantaneous family and believe that their opportunities for success are restricted (Blechman, 1992). Even among middleclass young adolescents, adult occupations and skills can seem ambiguous and inaccessible (Larson, 2000).Mentors can serve as concrete models of success for youth, demonstrating qualities that adolescents might wish to imitate, and providing training and information about the steps necessary to achieve various goals. By observing and comparing their own performance and that of their mentors, adolescents can start to adopt new behaviors. This modeling process is thought to be reinforced through mentors' support, feedback, and encouragement (Kemper, 1968).Adolescents mentoring often aims to m ake students think better about themselves, particularly when they have a pre-existing low self-esteem that can be holding them back academically or result in challenging behaviors that put them at risk of school exclusion.Enhanced self-esteem can be a by-product of being made to feel ‘special', rather than ‘labeled' as a problem, throughout selection and matching. Self-esteem is also expected to be raised by mentor behaviors that are non-judgmental, encouraging, positive and persistent over a period of time.The befriending function of mentoring can play a significant role in raising self-esteem: the message is ‘this person wants to be and is my friend'. Minority-ethnic programmes that pair mentees with flourishing role models also often aim to heave students' self-esteem.The personal and social skills objective comprises such aspects as building the self-confidence of the mentees, which is often quoted as a constructive outcome of mentoring programmes (Golden and Sims, 1999). The self-confidence gained from mentoring may partially be a product of having sustained one-to-one discussions with an adult over a long period of time.Early discussion of situations that are to be encountered and agreeing managing strategies can build confidence. Similarly mentors often support students to try personal challenges that permit the mentees to succeed and to feel more confident as an effect. Mentors can as well assist with developing interpersonal skills, for example, how to act when greeting and meeting new people. In some forms of mentoring the mentor has an overt role to develop the life skills of the student.The motivational objective is decisive in providing the link between developmental and subject-oriented mentoring. Mentors can apply their questioning skills to discover why students are underperforming in certain subjects.They can give confidence students to set aside personal dislikes of particular teachers and to work harder in a subject as it is significant for them in their future career. Mentors can also help students to prevail over the demotivating impact of negative peer pressure.Grades are only expected to improve if students are making more effort in class and at home, and the mentor has a role in providing additional extrinsic motivation, as well as encouraging students to desire to perform better for themselves.

Has society outgrown religion? Essay

Has society outgrown religion? // A hindrance to society or a useful delusion? Over eighty percent of the planet’s population partake in some form of religion, which would lead you to believe that it really does have a huge benefit to us not only as individuals but as an entire species. But could this be misleading? Once you remove the people from this eighty percent that follow religion only as a family tradition, or because it’s the simplest explanation to the questions for which they don’t have answers and leave the people that truly and honestly believe that religion is still in-date useful to society, one could argue that the number probably isn’t so overwhelming. Why is it that religion seems to have lost its veracity? It could be argued that religion just isn’t what it used to be; it no longer provides believable explanations for the phenomena that we as humans long to understand, such as the origin of the earth or even the origin of life itself. Nor can it provide feasible answers to questions such as â€Å"what is the meaning to life?† or â€Å"what is truly good?† So why is it that we no longer believe the answers and explanations provided by religion to be true (or even feasible)? Most of all, it’s the scientific processes allowed by vast technological advancement. Since the theories of Darwin, Galileo, Einstein, etc, which provide proof along with their explanations, the power of these old-age tales has been massively decreased whilst the urge to search for more and more scientific truths has rocketed. Although the advancement and application of science does not entirely rule out the possibility of a God (or intelligent designer), it does wash away the initial value of religion. Barely anyone believes in the tale of the earth being created in seven days, or that a man called Noah took two of every animal and put them on an arc whilst God caused forty days of floods or even that mankind begun with two people named Adam and Eve, so surely it would take a true idiot to believe in a heaven or hell and thus follow the moral values by which we should abide in order to avoid the misfortunate fate of ending up in â€Å"hell†. Could the idea of heaven and hell be something which is as beneficial to us as the advancement of science? The German philosopher Jurgen Habermas claims that religious thinking is the centre of a just and humane society; he states that things such as human rights and social order derive from Judeo-Christian thinking. â€Å"Even if society wanted to ‘outgrow’ religion, it would struggle to know where to go next.† This view is not dissimilar to that of Friedrich Nietzsche, who theorised that religion created ideas such as â€Å"sin† and thus guilt – which logically leads on to the fact that without the fears and rewards presented by religious teachings, humans would have very little reason to behave â€Å"morally† at all. So is it really the desire to hold society in this state of ‘morality’ and ‘social order’ that prevents the age-old tales religion from vanishing, or could it be something far closer to home? One could argue that religion is merely a means by which people find meaning and direction within their own lives. Organised religion provides us with a set of rules to live by and presents us with â€Å"rewards† for following them; we are given a sense of duty to fulfil our roles as humans by going good not only by others but by ourselves. Religion provides us with a sense of community, it lets us believe that there is a great man in the sky that is always there to listen; it creates a more realistic ‘ear’ in the form of church groups and other religion-based communities. Essentially it gives us the sense that we can do right, and that we can act in order to achieve the ‘ultimate individual goal’ – reaching heaven. Is reaching heaven really the ‘ultimate individual goal’ though? It seems entirely futile to waste potentially your only life aiming for something which may not even exist, and it makes no sense that we as people would be rewarded by God for spending our entire lives taking blind faith in something that we could only eschatologically verify. Looking at things from this point of view it seems that religion is not nourishing or useful to us as human beings, but in fact a complete hindrance. The vast amount of religions and the degrees by which they vary also creates a huge hindrance to us as a species; religion and the conflict between each separate one causes more bloodshed than anything else in the world. When people feel the need to violently attack each other in order to prove one God’s worth over another, and this is allowed (or even encouraged) by the rules within that religion it would seem that something is terribly wrong. It is also in this case that the promise of a heaven or hell for following the rules of religion is something which doesn’t benefit society, but instead leads individuals to believe that it is okay to commit homicide or suicide to fight for their cause, as God will still ‘love’ them. Essentially, religion is both a hindrance to us and a useful delusion. If only we could learn to take the â€Å"good bits† from religion such as the strong moral values, social order and general good will and learn to let go of some of the values that we really are beginning to outgrow – such as the things that science is now taking over – then religion would be of benefit to us all. Such an approach to religion could even take away the strength behind it that not only causes conflict and bloodshed, but causes us to potentially waste our lives by aiming for an afterlife that we cannot even guarantee exists. Either way, it seems that religion (and the values held within it) is going to be here for a long while yet.

The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Essay - 1873 Words

The metamorphosis is an article about the literary work done by Franz Kafka. It is sometimes translated to â€Å"the transformation†. It is studied in many universities and colleges across the western world due to the fact that it is one of the formative literal works of fiction in the 20th century. The story starts with Gregor Samsa, a salesman who travels waking up one day to find himself transformed or rather metamorphosed into huge, monstrous creature with similar features to an insect. The cause of the transformation is never revealed in the novel. The rest of the novel as will be seen below deals with Gregor’s attempt to adapt to his new form as he deals with the being a burden to his sister and his parents who hate the horrible creature he has become (Kafka, 2012). In this novel Kafka talks about solitude of human beings. What we can do and what we can be in this world for other people and for our self. We destroy or life only because people wants to see us the w ay they think about us. What is the price we pay for the opportunity to live in the society where we have to wearing the masks and give up on our self? Gregor was the guy who paid off his price. Part one Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman wakes up transformed into a large insect-like creature. Gregor takes this as a dream and reviews on how bad life as a salesman seems. He gazes at the wall clock and notices that he had overslept and has missed the train for work and thinks over about the effects of thisShow MoreRelatedThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka1052 Words   |  4 PagesFranz Kafka wrote one of his most popular books, The Metamorphosis, during the literary period and movement of existentialism. His novella stresses many existential ideals. The most predominant ideal that is seen through Gregor Samsa and his father in The Metamorphosis is that choice is the opportune of the individual. One’s ultimate goal in life is to successfully find a balance between work and leis ure. It is through the juxtaposition of Gregor Samsa and his father, the conceding tone of the authorRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka867 Words   |  4 Pagesincluding rapid growth spurts. Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develop after birth or hatching. Involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt changes in the animal’s body structure through cell growth and differentiation. The author Franz Kafka, who relatively wrote little in his short life and who published less has been enormously influential on later writers. He is considered an export of German expressionism. The metamorphosis is Kafka’s longest story and oneRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The metamorphosis,† is a story by Franz Kafka, published in 1915 is a story divided in three chapters: transformation, acceptance, and the death of the protagonist. There are many interpretations that can form this tale as t he indifference by the society that is concerned with different individuals, and isolation pushing some cases to the solitude. Some consider The Metamorphosis as an autobiography of the author, which tries to capture the loneliness and isolation that he felt at some pointRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1246 Words   |  5 PagesIt can be hard to understand the meaning of the novella â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† written by Franz Kafka, without thinking of the background. Due to the fact that, â€Å"using† and knowing â€Å"[the] background knowledge† of a story is important to read a â€Å"text† (Freebody and Luke). In the novella â€Å"The metamorphosis†, â€Å"Kafka’s personal history† has been â€Å"artfully [expressed]† (Classon 82). The novella was written in 1916, before the World War 1 in German {Research}. When the novella was written, in the EuropeRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1380 Words   |  6 Pag esâ€Å"I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself†: A Psychoanalysis reading of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† by Kafka The Metamorphosis is known to be one of Franz Kafka’s best works of literature. It demonstrates the interconnection between his personal life and the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, of â€Å"The Metamorphosis.† Franz Kafka was born in 1883 and grew up in a financially stable Jewish family in Prague. He was the only son left after the death of his youngerRead MoreThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka656 Words   |  3 PagesMuch of Franz Kafkas story â€Å"The Metamorphosis† spends its time talking about Gregor as he struggles to live his new life as a bug. Gregor tries to find a analytical reason as to why he has taken upon this form but later on finds on that he has to accept the truth. From being an ordinary travel salesman and provider for his family to a abomination, Gregor becomes hopeless as he cant work or provide for his family. His new life as an insect causes a hardship as he is faced with isolation from hisRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka783 Words    |  4 Pages In the story â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, written by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s family represents the causing factor that prompts Gregor to become a cockroach. Gregor’s family is a symbol of a repressive structure that inhibits Gregor’s every thought and action. When Gregor gets up in the morning to get ready for work and finds that he has been transformed into a cockroach, he ponders about how maybe he should just go in to work late and get fired, but then realizes that he cannot because â€Å"if [he] were not holdingRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Metamorphosis is a novella written by German author Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. The novella tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who one day awoke to discover he had transformed into an insect like monstrosity. Throughout the story, Gregor struggles with the horrible prospect of coming to terms with his situation, as well as copin g with the effects of his transformation, such as the fact that his family is repelled by his new form, and that he is no longerRead MoreThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka1021 Words   |  4 PagesFranz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, is a novella about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes everything to fulfilling the needs of his family. Kafka’s existentialist perspective on the meaning of life is illustrated through the use of the protagonist of Gregor Samsa. Existentialism is a philosophy â€Å"concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility† (Existentialism). Gregor is unable to fulfill the existentialist view of finding meaning in one’s life;Read MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1050 Words   |  5 PagesOn the surface, â€Å"The Metamorphosis† by Franz Kafka is an evocative story of a man transformed into a â€Å"monstrous vermin†. It seems to focus on the dark transformation of the story’s protagonist, Gregor, but there is an equal and opposing transformation that happens within Gregor’s family. Although Gregor has physically changed at the beginning of the story, he remains relatively unchanged as the novella progresses. The family, on the other hand, is forced to drastically change how they support themselves