The Case Against Science Essay -- Philosophy Religion Papers

The Case Against Science Science has become an unreliable epistemological resource for several reasons. First, the assumptions of science are suspect. Second, the scientific method exhibits narrow limits to the acquisition of universal knowledge. Third, the conclusions of the scientific community at large are questionable and inadequate. Fourth, the practice of science has developed a particular perspective about its place in the world of knowing that diminishes all other avenues of knowledge, to its detriment. Finally, the practice of science involves a philosophical approach which makes scientism and "pure science" hard to differentiate. Thus, science itself, as an epistemological discipline, has been discovered to be unworthy of the extreme admiration granted it by the present technology-loving world. 1. The assumptions of science are suspect. Historically and philosophically, empiricism has been shown to have clear limitations, since many persons recognize that reality consists of things which can be known through the human senses as well as things which are not known by them. In fact, the very foundational assumptions of science are suspect. Markos indicates that "many of the givens we take for granted (most notably, that the foundation of all true knowledge is material, empirical, and quantifiable) are as recent as they are unproven" [1]. There also appear statements that seem to indicate that scientific assumptions should not be challenged. "No one would today think to ask why the interior angles of a Euclidian triangle sum to precisely 180 degrees. The question is closed because the answer is necessary "[2]. The answer may be necessary but perhaps is not true; perhaps it is only a convention for the use of th... ...rk: New American Library and University of Chicago Press, 1986. Lewis. C.S. Miracles. New York: Macmillan, 1978. Markos, Louis A. "Myth Matters," Christianity Today. Christianity.com, 16 April 2002. Otto, Rudolf. The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry into the Non- Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational. London: Oxford University Press, 1970. Park, Robert. Voodoo Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Schleiermacher, Friedrich. On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers. New York: Harper and Bros, Publ., 1958. Singh, Jagjit. Great Ideas of Modern Mathematics. New York: Dover Publ., Inc., 1959. Trefil, James and Robert M. Hazen. The Sciences: An Integrated Approach. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2000. Trueblood, D. Elton. Philosophy of Religion. New York: Harper and Bros. Publ., 1957.

Poverty and Illiteracy Essay

The world of illiterate and poverty-ridden people is like a vast endless desert where literacy is like an oasis, a fertile land with fresh water flowing and majestic palm trees growing. Illiteracy keeps people chained to ignorance and superstition and is an obstacle in the path of civilization. With literacy comes awareness and awareness brings progress, culture and civilization. Illiteracy brings ignorance, and ignorance leads to wars and controversies. God made man in his own image but today humans stand divided in the name of religion, colours and borders. Earth is the blue planet of our solar system, but today, humans are painting it red with each other’s blood. The main cause of all this, undoubtedly is illiteracy. The written word is the most powerful of weapons and once illiteracy and poverty are given an extinct status, a revolution greater than ever witnessed in history might occur, leading to the creation of a progressive and peaceful world. Poverty and illiteracy are indeed like the curse on human race. Instead of believing in family planning, illiterates believe that more the children they have, more the bread earners they will have. These poverty-ridden people cannot afford to educate their children and as a result, the children end up working for low wages at a small age, being deprived of their precious childhood. Instead of taking medicines to cure diseases, illiterates go to quacks, who give them charms, promising miracles that never actually happen. Poverty and illiteracy lead to social evils and malpractices like child marriages and untouchablity. Increased literacy in agrarian areas can lead to improved productivity with adequate use of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. Educated politicians can make informed decisions, leading to better policies. Poverty and illiteracy are indeed the greatest of the problems affecting mankind as they stand as obstacles in the development of an advanced, progressive and peacefu l world.

Advance Paper 2

Centre Number Student Number CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES 2009 TRIAL HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION English (Advanced) Paper 2 – Modules Morning Session Tuesday, 11 August 2009 Total marks – 60 Pages 2-4 General Instructions †¢ Reading time – 5 minutes †¢ Working time – 2 hours †¢ †¢ Write using blue or black pen Write your Centre Number and Student Number at the top of this page Attempt ONE question from Questions 3-7 Allow about 40 minutes for this section Pages 10-11 †¢ Attempt EITHER Question 1 OR Question 2 Allow about 40 minutes for this section Section III 20 marks †¢ Attempt EITHER Question 8 OR Question 9 †¢ Allow about 40 minutes for this section Disclaimer Every effort has been made to prepare these ‘Trial' Higher School Certificate Examinations in accordance with the Board of Studies documents, Principles for Setting HSC Examinations in a Standards-Referenced Framework (BOS Bulletin, Vol 8, No 9, Nov/Dec 1999), and Principles for Developing Marking Guidelines Examinations in a Standards Referenced Framework (BOS Bulletin, Vol 9, No 3, May 2000).No guarantee or warranty is made or implied that the ‘Trial' Examination papers mirror in every respect the actual HSC Examination question paper in any or all courses to be examined. These papers do not constitute ‘advice' nor can they be construed as authoritative interpretations of Board of Studies intentions. The CSSA accepts no liability for any reliance use or purpose related to these ‘Trial' question papers. Advice on HSC examination issues is only to be obtained from the NSW Board of Studies. 5400-1Section I – Module A: Comparative Study of Texts and Context 20 marks Attempt either Question 1 or Question 2 Allow about 40 minutes for this section Answer the question in a SEPARATE writing booklet. In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate unders tanding of the meanings of a pair of texts when considered together †¢ evaluate the relationships between texts and contexts †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form Question 1 – Elective 1: Exploring Connections (20 marks) To what extent are texts enriched through their connection with other texts?Respond to this question in relation to the pair of prescribed texts that you have studied. The prescribed texts are: †¢ Shakespearean Drama and Film – William Shakespeare, King Richard III AND – Al Pacino, Lookingfor Richard †¢ Prose Fiction and Poetry – Patrick White, The Aunt's Story AND – Rosemary Dobson, Selected Poems * Young Girl at a Window * Chance Met * Landscape in Italy * Azay-Le-Rideau * The Rape of Europa * Romantic * Primitive Painters Question 1 continues on page 3Question 1 (continued) †¢ Prose Fiction and Nonfiction * Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice AND * F ay Weldon, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen †¢ Poetry and Drama * * * * * * * * * * John Donne, Selected Poetry Death be not proud This is my playes last scene At the round earths imagin ‘d corners blow If poisonous minerals Hymne to God my God, in my sicknesse A Valediction: forbidding mourning The Apparition TheRelique The Sunne Rising AND * Margaret Edson, W;t End of Question 1In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate understanding of the meanings of a pair of texts when considered together †¢ evaluate the relationships between texts and contexts †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form Question 2 – Elective 2: Texts in Time (20 marks) Compare the ways in which texts offer insights into the human experience. Respond to this statement in relation to the pair of prescribed texts that you have studied.The prescribed texts are: †¢ Prose Fiction and Film – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein AND – Ridley Scott, Blade Runner (Director's Cut) †¢ Prose Fiction and Poetry – F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby AND – Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh and Other Poems – Sonnets I, XIII, XIV, XXI, XXII, XXVIII, XXXII, XLIII †¢ Drama and Nonfiction – Edward Albee, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf AND – Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own Section II – Module B: Critical Study of Texts 0 marks Attempt ONE question from Questions 3-7 Allow about 40 minutes for this section Answer the question in a SEPARATE writing booklet. In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate an informed understanding of the ideas expressed in the text †¢ evaluate the text's language, content and construction †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form Question 3 – Shakespearean Drama (20 marks) How is your person al response to Hamlet shaped by the interaction of characters in the play? William Shakespeare, HamletQuestion 4 – Prose Fiction (20 marks) (a) How is your personal response to In the Skin of a Lion shaped by the interaction of characters in the novel? Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion OR (b) How is your personal response to Cloudstreet shaped by the interaction of characters in the novel? — Tim Winton, Cloudstreet OR (c) How is your personal response to Sixty Lights shaped by the interaction of characters in the novel? Gail Jones, Sixty Lights OR (d) How is your personal response to Jane Eyre shaped by the interaction of characters in the novel?Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre Please turn over In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate an informed understanding of the ideas expressed in the text †¢ evaluate the text's language, content and construction †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audienc e, purpose and form Question 5 – Drama or Film (20 marks) (a) How is your personal response to A Doll's House shaped by the interaction of characters in the play? Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House OR b) How is your personal response to Citizen Kane shaped by the interaction of characters in the film? Orson Welles, Citizen Kane Question 6 – Poetry (20 marks) (a) How is your personal response to the poetry of Yeats shaped by a perception of voice in the poems? In your answer, refer to THREE of the poems set for study. The prescribed poems are: William Butler Yeats, WB Yeats: Poems selected by Seamus Heaney * An Irish Airman * When You Are Old * Among School Children * The Wild Swans at Coole * Leda and the Swan * The Second Coming * Easter 1916OR Question 6 continues on page 7 6 Question 6 (continued) (b) How is your personal response to the poetry of Harwood shaped by a perception of voice in the poems? In your answer, refer to THREE of the poems set for study. The prescribe d poems are: Gwen Harwood, Selected Poems * Father and Child (Parts I & II) * The Violets * At Mornington * A Valediction * Triste Triste * The Sharpness of Death * Mother Who Gave me Life OR (c) How is your personal response to the poetry of Slessor shaped by a perception of voice in the poems?In your answer, refer to THREE of the poems set for study. The prescribed poems are: Kenneth Slessor, Selected Poems * Out of Time * Five Bells * Sleep * Five Visions of Captain Cook * Sensuality * Elegy in a Botanical Garden * Beach Burial End of Question 6 In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate an informed understanding of the ideas expressed in the text †¢ evaluate the text's language, content and construction †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and formQuestion 7 – Nonfiction (20 marks) (a) How is your personal response to Orwell's essays shaped by a perception of voice in these texts? In your answer, refer to THREE of the essays set for study. * George Orwell, George Orwell: Essays The prescribed essays are: * Why I Write * Notes on Nationalism * Good Bad Books * The Sporting Spirit * Politics and the English Language * Writers and Leviathan OR (b) How is your personal response to speeches shaped by a perception of the passion of the speaker?In your answer, refer to THREE of the speeches set for study * Speeches The prescribed speeches are: * Margaret Atwood – Spotty-Handed Villainesses, 1994 * Paul Keating – Funeral Service of the Unknown Australian Soldier, 1993 * Noel Pearson -An Australian History for Us All, 1996 * Aung San Suu Kyi – Keynote Address at the Beijing World Conference on Women, 1995 * Faith Bandler -Faith, Hope and Reconciliation, 1999 * Deane, William – It is Still Winter at Home, 1999 * Anwar Sadat – Speech to the Israeli Knesset, 1977 BLANK PAGE Please turn overSection III – Module C: Representation and Text 20 marks Attempt ONE question from Questions 8-9 Allow about 40 minutes for this section Answer the question in a SEPARATE writing booklet. In your answer you will be assessed on how well you: †¢ demonstrate understanding of and evaluate the relationship between representation and meaning †¢ organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form Question 8 – Elective 1: Conflicting Perspectives (20 marks) You are speaking to an audience of your peers.Compose a speech in which you demonstrate how your understanding of conflicting perspectives is shaped by the construction of the texts. In your response, refer to your prescribed text and TWO texts of your own choosing. The prescribed texts are: †¢ †¢ †¢ Shakespearean Drama Prose Fiction Drama or Film – William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar – David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars – Peter Whelan, The Herbal Bed OR — Barry Levinson, Wag the Dog †¢ Poetry – Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters * Fulbright Scholars * The Shot * The Minotaur * Sam * Your Paris * Red —Geoffrey Robertson, The Justice Game * The Trials ofOz * Michael X on Death Row * ‘The Romans in Britain' * The Prisoner of Venda Nonfiction * Show Trials * Diana in the Dock: Does Privacy Matter? * Afterword: The Justice Game 10 Question 9 – Elective 2: History and Memory (20 marks) You are speaking to an audience of your peers. Compose a speech in which you demonstrate how your understanding of the interplay between history and memory is shaped by the construction of the texts. In your response, refer to your prescribed text and TWO texts of your own choosing.The prescribed texts are: †¢ Prose Fiction – Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs, of a Girlhood Among Ghosts OR – Peter Carey, The True History of the Kelly Gang †¢ †¢ Film Poetry – Stephen Frears, The Queen – Denise Le vertov, Selected Poems * Ways of Conquest * Don't You Hear That Whistle Blowin'†¦ * In Thai Binh (Peace) Province * A Time Past * Libation * A Letter to Marek About a Photograph * The Pilots †¢ Nonfiction or Multimedia – Mark Raphael Baker, The Fiftieth Gate OR Smithsonian National Museum of American History September 11 website End of paper 11 EXAMINERS Pamela Nutt (Convenor) Catherine Anderson Tanya Appleby Nicole Archard Darren Barker Lorna Ciesiolka Marian Henry Katherina Lathouras Alistair Symons PLC Sydney, Croydon St Patrick's College, Strathfield Tara Anglican School for Girls, Nth Parramatta Kincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart OLMC, Parramatta Educational Consultant Marist College, Pagewood Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga Mount St Joseph, Milperra 12