Definition and Examples of Sorites in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Sorites in Rhetoric In logic, sorites is a  chain of categorical syllogisms or enthymemes in which the intermediate conclusions have been omitted. Plural: sorites. Adjective: soritical. Also known as  chain argument, climbing argument, little-by-little argument, and polysyllogism. In Shakespeares Use of the Arts of Language (1947), Sister Miriam Joseph notes that a sorites normally involves repetition of the last word of each sentence or clause at the beginning of the next, a figure which the rhetoricians called climax or gradation, because it marks the degrees or steps in the argument. Etymology:  From the Greek, heap​Pronunciation:  suh-RITE-eez Examples and Observations Here is an example [of sorites]: All bloodhounds are dogs.All dogs are mammals.No fish are mammals.Therefore, no fish are bloodhounds. The first two premises validly imply the intermediate conclusion All bloodhounds are mammals. If this intermediate conclusion is then treated as a premise and put together with the third premise, the final conclusion follows validly. The sorites is thus composed of two valid categorical syllogisms and is therefore valid. The rule in evaluating a sorites is based on the idea that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If any of the component syllogisms in a sorites is invalid, the entire sorites is invalid.(Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 11th ed. Wadsworth, 2012)   St. Paul uses a causal sorites in the form of a gradatio when he wants to show the interlocking consequences that follow from a falsification of Christs resurrection: Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there be no resurrection from the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our teaching vain, and [if our preaching is vain] your faith is also vain (I Cor. 15:12-14).We might unfold this sorites into the following syllogisms: 1. Christ was dead / The dead never rise / Therefore Christ did not rise; 2. That Christ did rise is not true / We preach that Christ is risen / Therefore we preach what is not true. 3. Preaching what is not true is preaching in vain / We preach what is not true / Therefore we preach in vain. 4. Our preaching is vain / Your faith comes from our preaching / Therefore your faith is vain. St. Paul, of course, made his premises hypothetical to show their disastrous consequences and then to contradict them firmly: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead (I Cor. 15:20).(Jeanne Fahnestock, Rhetorical Figures in Science. Oxford University Press, 1999)   The Sorites Paradox While the sorites conundrum can be presented as a series of puzzling questions it can be, and was, presented as a paradoxical argument having logical structure. The following argument form of the sorites was common: 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap.If 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap then 2 grains of wheat do not.If 2 grains of wheat do not make a heap then 3 grains do not...._____∠´ 10,000 grains of wheat do not make a heap. The argument certainly seems to be valid, employing only modus ponens and cut (enabling the chaining together of each sub-argument involving a single modus ponens inference.) These rules of inference are endorsed by both Stoic logic and modern classical logic, amongst others.Moreover its premises appear true. . . .The difference of one grain would seem to be too small to make any difference to the application of the predicate; it is a difference so negligible as to make no apparent difference to the truth-values of the respective antecedents and consequents. Yet the conclusion seems false.(Dominic Hyde, The Sorites Paradox. Vagueness: A Guide, ed. by Giuseppina Ronzitti. Springer, 2011)​ The Sad Sorites, by Maid Marion The Sorites looked at the PremissWith a tear in his wistful eye,And softly whispered a Major TermTo a Fallacy standing by.O sweet it were to wanderAlong the sad sea sand,With a coyly blushing PredicateClasping thy willing hand!O happy are the Mood and Tense,If such indeed there be,Who thus Per Accidens may roamBeside the briny sea.Where never Connotation comes,Nor Denotation een.Where Enthymemes are things unknown,Dilemmas never seen.Or where the tree of PorphyryBears stately branches high,While far away we dimly seeA Paradox pass by.Perchance a Syllogism comes,In haste we see it flyHither, where peacefully it restsNor fears Dichotomy.Ah! would such joys were mine! AlasEmpiric they must be,Till hand in hand both Mood and TenseAre joined thus lovingly.(The Shotover Papers, Or, Echoes from Oxford, October 31, 1874)

20 Best Christmas Gifts for Students with Imagination

20 Best Christmas Gifts for Students with Imagination 20 Best Christmas Gifts for Students with Imagination Christmas is the time of giving. People around the world spend lots of time, effort, and money to give out to the less fortunate and to their loved ones. And for some students, it means saving enough cash from their allowances and think of imaginative ideas to utilize their budget. Giving Christmas gifts doesn’t mean spending loads of cash on a Christmas present. There are numerous gift ideas for your loved ones, which are creative and personal. Here are 20 examples of best Christmas gifts for students with imagination: 1. DIY pillow cases Are you thinking of something special to give your parents? And get really tired whenever your mom spends loads of time in the department looking for the perfect red and green pillow case this Christmas? Lastly, are you a creative person who enjoys do-it-yourself or DIY projects? This is one the best gift ideas for you. Why? It will save you from spending too much on one gift It is something personal and chances are your mom will appreciate it You will spend more time doing something you like What you need are the following: A meter or yard of plain cloth with any fabric you like, zipper or buttons, and needle and thread. And if you feel like decorating it, you may do so with cross-stitch patterns or embroidery. 2.   A sweet letter One of the best gifts anyone can get are personal letters written from the heart. First, you won’t have to spend anything but a decorative paper and a pen. Think of it as a Christmas writing discount where you improve your skill in writing and become a better writer. Here are some thoughts and guidelines if you wish to pursue this idea: Think of your letter as educational writing. You need to put it time and effort to impress your professor, and in this case your parents or loved ones. This kind of Christmas present can be as personal as you want it to be. Remember the fundamentals of writing like a good introduction, a heartfelt body, and a strong conclusion. And here I say, you’re welcome. Christmas writing is fun. And if you do not have can hire essay writers online and get a Christmas writing discount 3. A video editorial This type of Christmas present is best fit for students who are into film and any related field. You can edit old homemade videos and present it on Christmas day 4. Dough sets for your niece Thinking of creative gift ideas for your cousins and niece? Dough sets maybe the smartest choice. Why? Kids learn creativity and explore new shapes and sizes. 5. Journals or organizers Having a hard time buying gifts for students? Go for the usual journal or organizer. Students sometimes are having a hard time managing their time with all the requirements in school.. If you give them an organizer, they can now schedule their daily errands. Furthermore, if you give a student a journal, he can put to words and in detail all his or her experience in school. 6. Printed socks There are various companies who sell printed socks. It’s very out in the market, meaning you won’t have a hard time finding them. They’re available in different colors, patterns, and sizes. 7. Pencil cases A pencil case is a good gift idea if you’re thinking of a gift for a writers or students who have a collection of color pens, highlighters, and pencils. They now come in different shapes and styles. You can give the usual pencil you used to bring to school in junior high or a leather roll-up pencil case for a more professional look. 8. Ballpen set So there’s something to put in your pencil case. 9. Notepads Sticky notes have been in our lives for a long time and it’s not going to be obsolete even in today’s age of technology. It’s a thoughtful gift and also imaginative. 10. A selection of how-to guides for DIY artists This is a perfect gift for imaginative individuals who enjoy making DIY. 11. Running shoes Imaginative students also need to have a healthy lifestyle. 12. New clothes Buying clothes is an obvious choice for gifts. And young creative minds sometimes forget to dress up because of they are pre-occupied with all their projects they have to accomplish. Most imaginative individuals tend to wear the same style on a daily basis because it saves them the time and effort to think of their wardrobe. This is a good option because you already know what they want. If he or she wears a lot of black, buy a black shirt. This idea saves you the time and the possibility of committing a mistake. 13. Set of pencils Pencils have a variety of shades and function. If you’re giving a gift for someone who is into arts, giving him or her new set of pencils is a great option. 14. A witty mug This is probably the perfect gift for people who loves drinking coffee. There are a lot of options in the market. You can give a mug with pop arts designs or a witty statement that reflects his or her personality. 15. A spa gift certificate Buying gifts for students can sometimes be a painful task. The best gift for hard working students is something that will release them from all the stress through a nice day at the spa. 16. A good novel Reading is both fun and informative. 17. Foot rest This gift idea is perfect for writers who are glued to their couch thinking of the next great love story. 18. Pencil holder This gift idea is perfect for writers who are glued to their couch who writes all their next great ideas. 19. Typewriter This is a good idea for writers who can take a good pun. It’s traditional and retro! 20. Calligraphy writing set A calligraphy set is a great idea for students who have a penchant for writing. They can use it to practice their handwriting or even write an entire book using this just like some of the greatest writers who have walked this earth.

BP Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BP - Article Example Horton applied Bureaucratic leadership style and his major source of influence to get the organization following transformation was the need to increase the profit margins of the oil company. David Simon (1992-1995) was the successor of Horton. His major source of influence was to expand the oil company in continental Europe, Asia and South America. He was to make this possible since he spoke five languages. His main leadership style was control and direction. After Simon becoming the Chairman of the company, he was replaced by John Browne (1995- 2007). His major source of influence was to change the oil company in continuity. He was a charismatic leader (Dumas 2011). The three CEO’s of the company have the desire for the company to expand to other regions and also increase the volumes of sales and profits in the company. The main consequence of these methods of leading is that sometimes it can result to the company operating at losses (Dumas 2011). Simon’s strategy can be referred as market oriented versus resources. This is because he was able to revive the company and also the company was able to pay its debts, which it had incurred during the leadership of Horton (Dumas

Asian history and culture as basis for understanding Asian economies Essay

Asian history and culture as basis for understanding Asian economies today - Essay Example The economic reforms marked a paradigm shift from the previous regime of state dominance based upon interventionist principles which had led to the problems of multidimensional inefficiencies and under-competitiveness of the produce, thereby leading to stagnation of economic growth, before directing it towards a severe macroeconomic imbalance and Foreign Exchange crisis. Given the protracted adverse effects of the development regime adopted in post-independence, the motivations for its espousal do require explorations. The answer lies in the history of the Indian economy as a British colony. During this period the British imperialists utilized the abundant resources and evolved the basic economic structure of India to the advantage of the British economy (Metcalf and Metcalf, 2006, p 125). The inefficient strategy modifications adopted thereon were essentially enforced by the modifications made to the Indian economy by the imperialist motivations of the colonizers that shattered its rural backbone (Bhagwati and Desai, 1970, p 75). This development was motivated by extraction and exploitation rather than generating a sound economic structure. It was this period that determined the course of the economy to be morphed in such a way that, at Independence, adopting a strategy of state interventionism was the only remaining choice. We shall aim to identify and explore key periods in India’s colonial history as definitive and significant to the cultural, political and economic developments which were, in essence, the determinants of Indian identity at independence, and the following political and cultural eventualities that have led to the present situation. We shall first explore the second half of the 19th century, before moving to the political and cultural changes resulting from the enforced structural changes in the economy during the years leading up to the Second World War and the nationalist movements in India, and finally to independence. The

Success Quotes Essay Example for Free

Success Quotes Essay The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore. -Dale Carnegie 1. Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand. Bruce Barton 2. Would you like me to give you a formula for success? Its quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isnt at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that? s where you will find success. Thomas J. Watson 3. The successful always has a number of projects planned, to which he looks forward. Anyone of them could change the course of his life overnight. -Mark Caine 4. There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning. Christopher Morley 5. There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning. 6. When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success. Orison Swett Marden 7. Pity the man who inherits a million and isnt a millionaire. Heres what would be pitiful,if your income grew and you didnt. The great successful men of the world have used their imagination? they think ahead and create their mental picture in all its details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building steadily building. Robert Collier 8. Success doesnt come to you? you go to it. Marva Collins 9. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will. Vincent T. Lombardi

Deeper Philosophical Meanings :: essays research papers

One of ancient Greece’s tragic plays in entitled “The Bacchae';, written by Euripides. Many larger and deeper philosophical views are expressed in the play. The plot contains many speeches, and one might think at certain points that they would be the moral. The actual moral, however, is almost impossible to define. Euripides uses a style of writing that is heavy with surreal details that are not present in other Greek tragedies. On page 21, lines 506-7, the comment “How do you live? What are you doing? Who are you? You don’t know!'; helps the reader to comprehend what the play is all about when looked at from a critical point of view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dionysus, throughout the play speaks in a term that is almost cynical. His tone is mocking and at times sarcastic. Many times in the play, he refers to himself in the third person to heighten the sense of his power that the characters receive in the play, as well as make himself out to be a messenger of Dionysus, not the god himself. He encourages all to let out their true nature. As a god in ancient Greece, he stood for wine and drunkenness, ecstasy, sexual being, dance, and madness. It is hinted many times throughout the reading that Dionysus has a revenge motive. It is as if he wants to punish the population of Thebes for not taking his true power seriously. When he appeared on Earth, he could have made himself look like an all powerful god, but instead took on the form of a deviant youth and a weakling. He is irrational and one can pick up a sense of his wrath toward the people. Knowing all this, when Dionysus said, “How do live? What are you doing? Who are you? You don’t know!'; it is easier to define the meaning behind the statement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dionysus knew all along what his plan was against the people of Thebes. He also knew exactly how everything was going to turn out. It was his plan all along to punish the people for not treating him like the truly powerful god he was. He used Pentheus and a kind of sacrifice, and the women he drove to the mountains as his pawns. He used to women because he knew that the true power in the city lay in the women of the houses, not the men.

Brave New World and Blade Runner: Concern for humanity and its relationship with the natural world

Welcome to the second session of the â€Å"Reach to the Future† student conservation conference. The ethical issues reflected in this graphic are representations of humanity's interaction with nature in two futuristic literary creations; novel â€Å"Brave New World,† by Aldous Huxley, 1932, and film â€Å"Bladerunner: The Director's Cut† directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1992, a decade after its original. It has been in my experience in my post-graduate study of ethics and nature in futuristic texts, that many composers expose technological advancement and economic pressure as origins of environmental degradation. However, Huxley and Scott expand this concept, creating imaginary worlds where technology has also caused a loss of humanity and change in ethical standards. But are the concerns of these worlds purely imaginative? Or have Huxley and Scott simply analysed the advancement of technology and consumerism in their own contexts, in order to create a future world that is dehumanised and unnatural? Consider our context Year 12, and welcome to the future. By deliberately contrasting the setting of the ‘conventional' world state, to the ‘wild' Malpais, Huxley challenges the humanity's value in a genetically engineered world. In Chapter One, we are oriented to the technologically ‘perfect' world state of â€Å"Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1) ,† 632 A. F. Imagery like â€Å"Cold for all the summer beyond the panes (BNW, pg. 1),† helps to describe a world that is natural to its inhabitants, but ethically disfigured for readers. However when Bernard and Lenina enter the Malpais in Chapter Seven, we adjust to a world that is similar to ours, yet is deemed â€Å"Queer (BNW, pg. 96)† by Lenina, a product of the genetically engineered World State. A birds eye view, accompanied with sensory imagery of sound, â€Å"rhythm of †¦ heart, (BNW, Pg. 96)† and touch, â€Å"eagle flew †¦ blew chill on their faces, (BNW, Pg. 96)† produces the contrast that enables Huxley to express that science and stability occur at the expense of humanity. This concern was evoked by his father's work in science, and also the 1930's Victorian view that science was developing at the same rate as humanity, later encapsulated in Orwell's novel â€Å"1984. To illustrate the erroneous nature of the contextual view, Huxley presented ethics and a connection with nature in a human, but diseased land that has been marginalised due to global advancement. In our context, scientific advancement at the expense of humanity is questioned in creating ‘designer babies' through IVF. Our ethics, and connection with natural practises are queried when numerous embryos are disposed of in the process of creating one ‘perfect' human. It seems much too like the marginalisation of the Malpais and nature to create a ‘perfect' society in the World State of BNW. Similarly, a contrast of scenes is used in Bladerunner to illustrate Scott's concern that consumerism is a primary cause of inequality in humanity and nature. The atmospheric setting in the opening montage illustrates a pervading darkness, with fearful synthetic sounds and a high camera angle zooming down onto the streets of fiery urban decay titled â€Å"Hades, Los Angeles, 2019. † The bird's eye view, like in BNW presents a dystopic vision, soon contrasted when Deckard visits Rachael at the Tyrell Corporation building. As Deckard's lift ascends, the camera scales the building from a slight angle of depression. The rain and lack of natural light is replaced with a golden glow, and once inside, musical director Vangelis ensures a soundtrack shift to peaceful wind chimes which successfully juxtapose the tranquillity of the corporate elite to the dystopic array of the cityscape. Globalisation, a 1980's contextual fear is expressed through setting as the essence of the destruction of humanity and nature in BR. The ‘little people' in Bladerunner, live with the pollution and unequal spread of resources that globalisation has caused. Similar is our own context, as due to economic globalisation more than half of the female population in Latin America live below the poverty line1. Advanced behavioural conditioning for economic capacity occurs in the World State of BNW, regardless of its effects on nature and humanity, which is another of Huxley's contextual concerns. After learning of ‘hypnopaedia' and the ‘neo-Pavlovian' conditioning of children to ensure an association of pain with nature, the structured juxtaposition of two conversations in Chapter Three further explains Huxley's concern. In Chapter Three, the hypnopaedia of the conditioning centre â€Å"I do love flying†¦ new clothes,(BNW, pg. 43)† is reiterated in Huxley's narration, â€Å"The voices were adapting †¦ future industrial supply (BNW, pg. 43). † This is further expressed in Mond's teachings in the garden as he states â€Å"under production†¦ a crime against society. (BNW, pg. 46)† Through structure, Huxley's concern that manufactured goods are deterring humanity's interaction with nature is unequivocal. Contextually, Huxley is criticizing the era of Fordism and the loss of values experienced in post WW1. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, initiated an era of mass production of goods in the 1920s, advancing society's consumerism. Ford and economists grasped the level of spiritual emptiness apparent after WW1 and suggested purchase as a method of relief. Huxley witnessed human behaviour change as the appreciation of nature was noted as disadvantageous for industry. Huxley's concern advanced to Scott's era as well as our own where globalisation and mass production are the basis of our economy. Furthermore, our current level of technology allows many to live without human interaction, and much human behaviour involves expenditure, not the conservation of nature. Like structure in BNW, Symbolism works in Bladerunner in illustrating behavioural conditioning as detrimental to human behaviour, a concern that continued from Huxley's era to the 1980's. In the opening sequence, a long camera shot places our focus on a symbol of consumerism, epitomised by the ‘geisha' Asian woman ‘pill popping' on an animated billboard. When considering BR's setting, the continual reappearance and placement of the billboard on a skyscraper, Scott typifies consumerism as holding precedence over nature and humanity in Los Angeles, 2019. This consumerism symbolises the rise of the Asian trans-national corporations of the 1980s which was feared as an economic form of communism. The world was constantly reminded of the benefits of purchasing yet was rarely informed about the state of the environment which led to the considerable level of environmental degradation, including acid rain. Today, most developed countries have signed treaties regarding the environment. For example, the ‘UN Kyoto Protocol' urges all developed countries to reduce their Greenhouse Emissions by 5% every five years starting from the year 2008. However, the lack of ratification of this treaty, our material world, and the inescapable nature of advertising are still threats to our environment and also to the natural behaviour of human beings in the year 2004. Each character in BNW has a definite purpose in exploring Huxley's warning about humanity's detachment from the natural world. However, Mustapha Mond further explores Huxley's notion by also articulating the loss of humanity's values in a scientifically advanced setting. Mond is the mouthpiece of the World State, devoid of human values and thus his expressive dialogue and mannerisms clinically justify a society where everything can be standardised, mass produced and therefore stabilised. In Chapter Three, Mond talks with the students about families and the plight that emotional freedom caused in times before ‘Our Ford. Mond devalues emotion as â€Å"reeking (BNW, pg. 35),†and describes natural reproduction, families and monogamy in language â€Å"so vivid†¦ one boy†¦ at the point of being sick. (BNW, pg 32)† Dismissive nonetheless, Mond is merely encapsulating the change in human behaviour that scientific advancement has caused, and therefore communicating Huxley's concern. As Huxley toured Europe before completing BNW, Mond is modelled on post WW1 dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini. His personality also portrays the loss of values and spiritual emptiness experienced by many people in post WW1. In BR, Deckard is devoid of human values like Mond but unlike ‘John the Savage' from BNW, it is a replicant with no connection with nature, who exerts human values in Bladerunner. The rise of robotics in the 1980's influenced the character of Batty, and also Deckard. Batty exemplifies the ‘human robot' that science dreamed of in the 1980's, whereas, Deckard symbolises the loss of humanity that ethicists feared because of robotics. Roy Batty's â€Å"more human than human† genetic disposition allows him to exert intelligence, evident in his quotations of Blake â€Å"fiery the angels fell†¦ their shoulders roared,† and to exert physical duress, but only in the course of his four year life span. In the last scenes of the film, Batty's heightened self awareness and desire for emotion and life surpass his genetic limitations casting him as a Christ figure and also a fallen angel as he looks fruitlessly to his creator for a sense of meaning. With his final words, â€Å"Memories †¦ ost like tears in the rain,† Roy is cast as a tragic hero, and allows Scott to illustrate that when there is no longer an environment to exploit, like in the world in LA, 2019, those who possess desirable qualities will be oppressed, this ultimately leaving the world more inhumane. In our context, the empathy we feel for Batty, questions our ethics, asking what makes us human. Huxley skilfully satirises the social construct of the 1930's using ‘Soma' to express his concern for the conditioning of humanity against nature. The World State in London is a strangely benevolent dictatorship through Mond, where all aspects of an individual's life are determined and controlled by the state in the name of, â€Å"Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1). † Another way to ensure stability is the encouraged use of the mind-numbing drug ‘Soma'. In the Malpais, Chapter Nine, Lenina â€Å"embarked for lunar eternity(BNW, pg. 127) † on an eighteen hour soma holiday to escape the reality of nature and humanity. ‘Soma' satirises the post WW1 regimes of Totalitarianism throughout Europe. The doctrine of Totalitarianism denied people intellectual stimulation, freedom of thought and a relationship with nature. Huxley introduces ‘Soma' to show a future world where the denial of a relationship with nature can be self induced. In BR's 1980's context, severe industrial pollution and urbanisation resulted in the detachment of people from nature In 2004, though Totalitarianism is a violation of basic human rights, many people choose to deny themselves' a qualitative relationship with nature by choosing to live in environmentally isolated, but grossly populated urban areas. The use of contextual irony in Bladerunner is contrasting to the use of satire in BNW as Scott's irony questions the ethical behaviour of humanity regarding technology. In the 1980's, robotics and computers were the result of technological advance, and robots were promised to take the place of humans in the workforce. In Bladerunner, Ridley Scott epitomises technology and humanity through the Nexus-6 Replicants, who are â€Å"more human than human† Human beings in Bladerunner live as second class citizens in desolate, socially inept conditions as we see J. F Sebastian and Deckard both living in solitude. Humanity in 2019 has no sense of the value of interaction, and consequently Ridley Scott placed the capacity for these human qualities in the Replicants. Ironically though, when the Replicants begin to show human emotion and need, such as Batty's need to ‘meet his maker,' they are ‘retired' by the human, by ultimately inhuman character, Deckard. This irony illustrates Scott's concern for a scientifically advanced world, with a dismal appreciation of human qualities and value. The same concern is expressed in the 1997 futuristic popular culture film, â€Å"Gattaca,† where your personality is irrelevant as genetic composition guarantees an you an occupation. Huxley and Scott have established quite a few concerns for our future. Strangely though, they have also warned about issues that are in need of conservation now. Again, close your eyes and imagine the natural world that you want in the future. Consider our context year 12, and help to create an ethically harmonious world for the future.