Galileo Galilei And His Impact Theology Religion Essay

Galileo Galilei And His Impact Theology Religion Essay Galileo Galilei was a pioneer of modern science during a time period that revolved around religion, causing the great debate of religion versus science. His effect on his time period changed how people thought about the world and introduced science to everyone, rather than just the wealthy. His lasting accomplishments have made him one of the most influential scientists in world history. He made astounding discoveries in astronomy, mathematics, and physics; many of which are still used today. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy in 1564. He was born to a noble family but had financial struggles which his father, an accomplished lutenist, tried to fix by giving music lessons (Fermi, 1996). Galileo had displayed an exemplary ability to learn at an early age, and his father decided that Galileo should attend the University of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Fermi, 1996). During his time at school, Galileo became interested in natural processes and science, and his life as one of the most renowned scientists ever had begun. During the 16th and 17th centuries when Galileo lived, the Scientific Revolution was slowly gaining more influence. The revolution began with Nicolas Copernicus with his heliocentric ideas and ended with Sir Isaac Newton and the discovery of multiple natural laws (Hatch, 2002). The reason this explosion of scientific discovery was known as a revolution was due to the radical ideas that scientists had put forth in relation to the ideas the Church had established in Western civilization. Before the Scientific Revolution began, the general understanding of the world was solely based on religion. The Revolution allowed people to replace their religious belief with facts and reason. This was not an easy transition, however, because religion and science have opposing ideals and during the Scientific Revolution these ideals clashed. The Roman Catholic Church, the largest and most influential Christian Church throughout history, had massive influence in Western civilization in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Church dominated most of the Western social life as their interpretation of the bible was the only accepted explanation to natural occurrences in the world (Hatch, 2002). Most scientific theories at the time were proposed by theologians, and all science that was taught was through the texts of these theologians and was universally accepted as true (Newall, 2005). Aristotle and Ptolemy were also referenced heavily in the Church. Church influence had begun to wane early in the 1500s, however, because of the Protestant Revolution and the rise of scientific theories proposed by scientists. These scientists, such as Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, had done experiments and discovered that their results didnt match up with the Churchs results. This led to a conflict between scientific and theological scien ce (Newall, 2005). The beginning of the differences between accepted scientific laws given by the Church and the actual scientists began with the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and his De Revolutionibus, a book that explained that the earth revolved around the sun. Copernicus was timid about publishing the book because it went against almost 1400 years of the belief that the earth was the center of the universe, and the sun revolved around it (Fermi, 1996). Unfortunately for Copernicus, his book was very difficult to understand and did not gain any popularity. The small group of scientists that could understand Copernicus book would usually lecture about it, as it proposed more factual evidence as opposed to the theological teachings (Fermi, 1996). These scientists who agreed with Copernicus were known as Copernicans, and sought to spread his ideas. One of the most prominent Copernicans was Galileo Galilei. Before Galileo began his research on the Copernican Theory, he conducted experiments on laws of motion. Galileo was taught Aristotelian science, which was very inaccurate at the time. Galileo believed that Aristotles theory that objects fall according to their weight was false, so he publicly demonstrated an experiment where he dropped a large ball and a small ball from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, noting that they landed at about the same time (Drake, 1980). Galileo states the difference in his experiment and Aristotles in his book De Motu (meaning On Motion), stating Aristotle says that a hundred-pound ball falling from a height of a hundred cubits hits the ground before a one-pound ballà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I say they arrive at the same time. You find, on making the test, that the larger ball beats the smaller one by two inchesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Speaking only of my tiny error, remain silent about his enormous mistake (Drake, 1980). Galileo called this the Law of Falling Bodies, stating that objects fall with the same acceleration (Drake, 1980). This was the precursor to Isaac Newtons first law of motion, which is still accepted today. Galileo made other great strides in physics and mathematics before he moved onto different subjects in science. Galileo has shown his mathematical skill when he created his military compass, or sector. This sector consisted of two rulers and an axis, and was used for many mathematical calculations (Fermi 1996). The sector was able to do many mathematical problems similar to our calculators today. During the sixteenth century, when there were many wars going on, it was especially helpful in military situations, such as figuring the formation of an army, the weight and arc of a cannonball, or the incline of certain environments (Fermi, 1996). This led to the sector being known as the military compass. In the early 1600s Galileo became interested in the invention of the early magnifying glass. He attempted to make his own version of the magnifying glass, and according to Stillman Drake (1996), he reasoned that one of the two lenses must be convex and the other concave, and on fitting such a spectacle lenses in a lead tube he found that it worked (pg. 46). His first magnifying glass was powerful enough to see ships approaching a couple of hours before they could be seen by the naked eye (Drake, 1980). After many hours of grinding and experimenting with different lenses, Galileo was able to create the first telescope. With his telescope, which was incredibly powerful for the time period, Galileo began his career as an astronomer. In May of 1609, Galileo used his telescope to look at the moon. He discovered that, contrary to everyones belief, the moon had mountains and craters all over it. Soon by January 1610, he had improved his telescope to be able to see Jupiter. Galileo noticed objects revolving around Jupiter and discovered them as moons (Shea, 2003). This was a huge step for Galileo in proving that the earth revolved around the sun and that the earth had a moon that revolved around it. After Galileo made his discovery, he published an article, saying: Here we have a powerful and elegant argument to remove the doubts of those who accept without difficulty that the planets revolve around the sun in the Copernican system, but are so disturbed to see the Moon alone revolve around the earth while accompanying it in its annual revolution about the Sunà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ our eyes show us four stars that wander around Jupiter, as does the Moon around the earth and these stars together with Jupiter describe a large circle around the Sun in a period of twelve years. (Shea, 1993) As Galileo observed the skies more frequently, he made more discoveries that proved Copernicanism was correct. While he made these discoveries, the Church had begun to persecute Galileo. Galileos work was censored by the Church while he published, so many of his studies werent completely published. The reason that Galileo was persecuted as opposed to other scientists before him was because of his ability to write in common Italian (as opposed to Latin) in a popular tone. This allowed everyone from scientists to bakers to read his works, and his works became immensely popular and were translated into several languages (Fermi, 1996). Because these works were so popular, it weakened the Churchs influence rapidly, forcing them to put Galileo under house arrest for the rest of his life. Galileo lived almost 400 years ago, but his contributions to science and astronomy have made a lasting impression on our world today. His creation of the telescope and his studies of the universe completely revolutionized how we view space, and without him it might have taken longer for mankind discover the earth revolves around the sun. Galileo was also able to make great strides in physics, such as discovering that everything that falls will fall at a uniform rate. Many people credit Newton with discovering this law of physics as it is stated as Newtons First Law of Motion, but Galileo was the one responsible for creating the first experiments to prove the law true. Galileo was also one of the first scientists to take a stand against theological thinking and promote scientific evidence, which is still a conflict that exists today. Considering Galileos accomplishments throughout his life, he is one of the most important and influential scientists in world history.

Individual Behavior (Organizations) Essay

Individual behavior is considered as one of the main determinants of the productivity of a given organization. The said relationship is believed to be very important that an entire academic discipline was created to focus on its study. Organizational behavior is a field of study that concentrates on describing, understanding, predicting and controlling human behavior in an organizational setting. It is divided into four sub-fields – individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure and organizational processes. These allow organizational behavior to study a wide range of topics, such as personality, job satisfaction, leadership, group dynamics and the impact of stress on work (Answers, 2008). Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations It is true that human behavior varies from one person to another due to their individual differences. However, organizational behavior scientists argued that individual behavior is made up of the same elements. These elements must be identified in order to establish predictability in the study of human behavior. The consistency of these elements result in the development of reasonably accurate predictions of individual behavior (NEU-CBA, n. d. ). Understanding Individuals in Organization Organizational behavior scientists use the psychological contract in their study in order to understand the members of a particular organization. Psychological contract refers to a member’s expectations based on his or her contributions and the organization’s inducements. Contributions are what the member provides to the organization. Inducements, on the other hand, are what the organization will provide the member in exchange for the latter’s contributions (Abelson, 2006). Personality and Individual Behavior In sharp contrast to psychological contract, the element of personality and individual behavior assert that individual behavior within an organization is determined by â€Å"the relatively permanent set of psychological and behavioral attributes that distinguish one person from another† (Abelson, 2006). One of the most popular personality frameworks is the â€Å"Big Five† Personality Traits. It is composed of the following: a) Agreeableness – A person’s ability to establish good relationships with others b) Conscientiousness – The number of goals of which a person strives hard to achieve c) Negative emotionality – The extent to which an individual can remain poised, calm, resilient and secure d) Extraversion – The level of comfort a person has with interpersonal relationships e) Openness – An individual’s flexibility in terms of beliefs and interests (Abelson, 2006) Attitudes and Individual Behavior Attitudes are the beliefs and feelings that people have regarding certain ideas, situations or other people. Cognitive dissonance occurs when an individuals encounters other people who does not share his or her attitudes. The element of attitudes and individual behavior believe that members of an organization behave the way they do because it is their means of dealing with people who possess attitudes that are different from theirs. For an organization to be productive, its member must learn how to respect each other’s differences and work as a team despite their diversity in beliefs, attitudes and values (Abelson, 2006). Work-related Attitudes It must be noted, however, that individual behavior in an organization can also be influenced by attitudes that were developed in the workplace. Some examples of work-related attitudes are the following: a) Job Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction – An attitude that reflects the amount of pleasure or fulfillment that an individual achieves from his or her work b) Organizational Commitment – An attitude that measures a person’s degree of affinity with the organization itself c) Affect and Mood in Organizations i. Positive Affectivity – A tendency to exhibit an overall sense of optimism and well-being; sees things in a positive light ii. Negative affectivity – A tendency to exhibit an overall sense of pessimism and gloom; sees things negatively (Abelson, 2006). Perception and Individual Behavior This element defines a person’s behavior as a result of his or her perception, or the set of processes by which he or she becomes aware of his or her environment and starts to interpret information about it. One of the most detrimental forms of perception is selective perception, or the practice of disregarding information that a person feels uncomfortable with or goes against his or her own beliefs. Selective perception may lead to stereotyping or the usage of a single attribute to categorize or label other people. Selective perception may also result in scapegoating or making other people take responsibility for one’s own faults and shortcomings (Abelson, 2006). Stress and Individual Behavior Stress is â€Å"an individual’s response to a strong stimulus,† called a stressor (Ableson, 2006). The general cycle of the human body experiencing and recovering from stress is the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). Often caused by task, physical, role and interpersonal demands, one of the major effects of stress is burnout, or the feeling of exhaustion produced by undergoing stress for prolonged periods of time (Abelson, 2006). Experts categorized people into two types, depending on how much they can endure stress. â€Å"Type A† people were those who are very competitive, hardworking and are extremely particular when it comes to time. â€Å"Type B† people, on the other hand, were those who were not as hardworking, dilligent and time-conscious. It was said that â€Å"Type A† people were more likely to experience burnout than â€Å"Type B† individuals (Abelson, 2006). Creativity in Organizations This element stresses the importance of an organization’s creativity in affecting the behavior of its members. An organization that is always able to come up with new ideas or new perspectives that will improve existing ideas have a greater chance of improving productivity among its members than an organization who strictly adheres to convention and does not welcome innovation. Types of Workplace Behavior The effectiveness of an organization is very much affected by workplace behavior, or the pattern of action exhibited by its members while working. Workplace behavior is categorized into four types: a) Performance Behaviors – The â€Å"total set of work-related behaviors that the organization expects the individual to display† (Abelson, 2006). An organization’s performance behaviors is usually indicated in its manual for its members. Performance behaviors are one of the organization’s ways of communicating to its members what are its objectives and how will these be attained. b) Withdrawal Behaviors – Characterized by the absence of an organization’s members i. Absenteeism – When people develop a habitual pattern of not showing up for work ii. Turnover – When people resign from their jobs c) Organizational Citizenship – When people display behavior that contributes positively and immensely to their organization. d) Dysfunctional Behaviors – Behaviors that are detrimental to organizational performance (e. g. stealing office property, fighting in the office premises, reporting to work in improper attire, etc. ) When a person shows dysfunctional behavior, he or she is sending the message that he or she does not belong to the organization that he or she joined and that he or she has contempt for those who do. In addition, the person who exhibits dysfunctional behavior also has contempt for the organization itself, as well as for its objectives (Abelson, 2006). Conclusion An organization is composed of individual members who have different backgrounds, beliefs, values and principles. Hence, it is very crucial to train them how to work harmoniously with one another despite their differences. By identifying the elements of individual behavior in an organization, employers can establish standards and rules that are firm but at the same time considerate towards the workers’ needs. Not only will the company prosper; the employees will also become better workers and persons as well. References Abelson, M. (2006). Chapter 15 – Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations. PDF File. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://wehner. tamu. edu/mgmt. www/mgmt. 363/non-business_363/Chapter%2015%20%20-%20Griffin%208th%20Edition. pdf. Answers. com. (2008). Organizational Behavior. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://www. answers. com/topic/organizational-behavior? cat=biz-fin Northeastern University – College of Business Administration (NEU-CBA). (n. d. ). Human Behavior in Organizations: An Introduction. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://web. cba. neu. edu/~ewertheim/introd/introd. htm

Iron Jawed Angels Essay - 594 Words

This film was dramatic and inspiring. This film opened my eyes to understand the struggles that woman have gone through to get the freedoms that they experience today. I would have to say that one of the definite strengths of this film was the cast itself. Because of the nature of this film, I could get a real sense of the actual â€Å"suffering† of these women. I would have to admit that I was completely ignorant on how this suffrage movement has literally shaped the voting rights of women in America. All my life I have heard about that great day when women were granted the right to vote. Never in a million years did I expect to witness such hostility towards women according to this dramatization based on American history. Actress†¦show more content†¦The costumes were convincing, the make up, the set designs, and the backdrops, were extremely impressive. One of the most memorable aspects of this movie was the emotional indifferences between Alice Paul and her best friend Lucy Barnes. Lucy expressed a lot of sentiments of being lonely and wanting to start a family in the middle of the struggle. I found great appreciation for this aspect of the film because it shows the emotional and softer side of these women. There was another character in this film that I felt was most dramatic, and that was Inez Milholland (Julia Ormond). She was a radical, strong, deviant-thinking, and outside of the box type of woman. Her character really gave this film a hero, other than Alice Paul of course. The only weakness that I found with this film was during the beginning of the suffrage parade the soundtrack was not consistent with the time period. I would recognize this genre of music as hip hop or some type of cotemporary music. This music was jarring to me being that this film attempted to depict a movement dating back to the 1800’s. There was another character in this film by the name of Emily Leighton which was the wife of a senator. There was one scene in the film that is worth mentioning in this evaluation. Lucy Barnes asked Emily Leighton if she wanted to volunteer to help women gain the right to vote for equal rights. Emily Leighton replies â€Å"IShow MoreRelatedIron Jawed Angels Essay640 Words   |  3 Pageswere seen working in factories or as teachers but they had no say in the government. Thanks to a few women dedicated to making a difference, women have become more independent and now have a say in the government if they choose too. The movie Iron Jawed Angels depicts a group of women who wanted women to have a voice in politics. First thing they had to do was get women the right to vote. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns were the two leaders of the NWP (National Womans Party). The two women are an inspirationRead MoreEssay On The Iron Jawed Angels1418 Words   |  6 PagesEverything they worked hard for did not belong to them but to their father or husband. The fight started gradually until it grew stronger later in the 1900s. With the help of great leaders, they could be more powerful on a state-to-state basis. The Iron Jawed Angels is a movie that was released in 2004. It was set in the 1910s and focuses on the major flaw of women’s suffrage. Directed by Katja von Garneir, the drama film depicts two women activists, Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’ Connor)Read MoreIron Jawed Angels2588 Words   |  11 PagesTitle: Summary, Reaction, and Analysis Paper #1: Iron-Jawed Angels Iron Jawed Angels is a story of two women fighting for women’s rights. They led the struggle for the passage of the 19th amendment to the constitution which gave women the right to vote. These two women along with others petitioned, campaigned, and picketed to publicize the issue. After being arrested for â€Å"traffic violations† a group of women spent time in Occoquan Workhouse. Here they went on a hunger strike to protestRead More Iron Jawed Angels Essays546 Words   |  3 PagesIron Jawed Angels Iron Jawed Angels is a film which portrays the womens suffrage movement during the 1920s. The film is a documentary and a drama which uses live action and music to deliver the sympathetic and distressful mood the film creates. An example of the distressful mood is when the suffragists refuse to eat when they go to prison. This shows how passionate and distressed the suffragists are to get the 19th amendment passed, which would give women the right to vote. The films messageRead MoreIron Jawed Angels: Film Analysis1302 Words   |  5 PagesIron Jawed Angels is the moving 2004 film that highlights how Alice Paul and Lucy Burns fought for womens suffrage. In the film, director Katja von Garnier, follows these women and the efforts they put forth as members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and later the work they did as founders of the National Womans Party (NWP). The film showcases the trials that Alice Paul and Lucy Burns had to overcome, not just from oppo sition found within NAWSA, but also among societyRead MoreIron Jawed Angels By Katja Von Garnier1651 Words   |  7 Pages Iron Jawed Angels, by Katja von Garnier, is a non-fictional drama about a group of women who do everything they can and will do in order to the women’s right to vote during the years between 1912 and 1920, as it was started by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and many others in 1890. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, two of the younger women suffragists, join the NAWSA (the National American Woman Suffrage Association) to try to push for the constitutional amendment for women’s suffrage. CarrieRead MoreTime Periods Represented in The Kid and Iron Jawed Angels1318 Words   |  6 Pagessince then with the addition of not only color and audio, but new techniques and new ideas. Both The Kid and Iron Jawed Angels are very popular films about the early 1900’s. Although they share some common thoughts, but because they were made in two complete ly different time periods their focuses are far off from one another and their ideas contrast for the most part. Iron Jawed Angels is an HBO film that was released in 2004 about the American women’s suffrage movement. The movie is set in AmericaRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Iron Jawed Angels By Martin Luther King Jr930 Words   |  4 Pagesamong black and white people. In Dr. Kings essay â€Å"Three ways of Responding to Oppression, he clearly states three ways to deal with oppression. Dr. King believed the best defense against oppression being that of nonviolent resistance. The film Iron Jawed Angels (IJA) is also great example of oppression with the struggle to women rights in the United States. Mr. King stated that there are three ways of oppression that oppressed people deal with, acquiescence, physical violence, and nonviolent resistanceRead MoreIron Jawed Angels : A Film That Portrays The Cruelty And Brutality Woman Faced1326 Words   |  6 PagesIron Jawed Angels is a film that portrays the cruelty and brutality woman faced throughout the Suffrage movement in the 1900s and the Women faced many issues, but some accepted inequality while others waited patiently as asked to for years. Alice Paul and Lucy burns took a stand and stroke up determination within women. Women who were a part of the movement were referred to as suffragists who stood up to the law and asked for the right to vote. They faced many obstacles such as verbal and physicalRead MoreEssay on Impossible is Nothing: One Woman, One Vote911 Words   |  4 Pagespresent information about wars and the passing of importance legislation, however there remains prominent gaps in our understanding of women suffrage for equality--a war that had been going on for half a century. Jennifer Friedess story Iron Jawed Angels produced by Katja von Garnier, underscores the struggle and grief that women suffragists endured, along with providing the viewer with an in-depth understanding of the events, consequences and heroic actions of the activists of the 1920s womens

Top Irish, Scottish and Welsh Artists of the 1980s