tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29317822957960330522024-03-08T01:44:17.369-08:00purely my opinionThis is a blog that is aimed at looking at issues from a purely personal and yet intellectual perspective. divergent views are very much accepted and in fact encouraged...it adds to the celebration of knowledge. So people are encouraged to read, post or critique articles posted here in the spirit of on-going discussion of issues of all sorts always reminded of the fact that it is "purely my opinion".DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-57170133724262749302016-11-23T07:26:00.001-08:002016-11-23T07:26:02.597-08:00GRACE _ B.o.Y (Blessing of Yahweh)<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlIYn296VXc" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Jimmyghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09206184430959887548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-672627562728587692016-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:002016-09-14T08:57:02.340-07:00 How The Internet is changing the face of journalism<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-US">The
internet can be described as the fastest way to disseminate information now.
With the advent of internet, a lot of things have changed. Gone were the days,
when one has to wait for a longer time to get information or send information.
I can sit in my house, or anywhere, get a story and lease it to my media house.
For example, with social Medias like twitter, Facebook, and blogging, I can do
a story and let other people know. In other words, internet has made the
compression of time and space very possible. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Another
factor is also that new organizations don't own the news anymore. There is a
transformation for the journalist from being the gatekeeper of information to
sharing it in a public space. Therefore citizen journalism is something that
the internet has brought. For example, here in Ghana, TV3 has given the public
a chance to make their own news. So I can make or write the news in my locale
and send it to them via the internet.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The
only thing I can say is that when it comes to objectivity, then the internet
raises a lot of questions. Objectivity has always been an idea important for
the news. It is designed to deliver journalism that people can trust. But in
the new media age transparency is what delivers trust. News today still has to
be accurate and fair, but it is as important for the readers, listeners and
viewers to see how the news is produced, where the information comes from, and
how it works. The emergence of news is as important, as the delivering of the
news itself.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Journalism
now has been given a new branding. The Internet makes organizing groups
trivially simple. A mass e-mail, a facebook group, or an online petition can be
created in seconds and at essentially no cost. Collaboration on any significant
scale used to require the power of institutions and organizations. Now they
require only a good idea and the right tools.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">With
the Internet, retailers don’t need newspapers to connect with their customers;
they can set up their own Web sites and mailing lists. I can start a blog and
post leaked documents to my hearts’ content. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Deciding
what combination of news was the most important for the public to know.
Traditionally, that’s been a job for newspaper editors, the ones who decide
what makes Page One and what gets cut for space. But space isn’t a limited
resource anymore; there’s no shortage of electrons. Instead of trusting the
local paper’s brain trust to judge what’s important, any Internet user can get
their news through the filter of their choice—a favorite blogger, the
machine-generated Google News, or the Most E-Mailed list on some news site. Or
they can find news about the near-infinite number of subjects. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 9.95pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Blogging
sites also represent a step forward in Journalism. As mentioned earlier on, one
can find any information on a blog or post information on blogs depending on
varied topics. Gone were the days one need to look through a lot of books or
journals on a host of topics. Blogging helps now with a lot of findings because
people post their opinions for other people who will be interested to follow.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-91378166100094409252016-09-14T08:53:00.002-07:002016-09-14T08:53:14.276-07:00I Promise NOT to Promise (Part 1)<div style="text-align: justify;">
The election season is here in Ghana once again. One cannot begrudge the hopefulness of everyone standing for election to public office. Even the bloke who is very much aware that members of his own family wouldn't vote for him if even he was the sole candidate is brimming with hope that he will be given the nod.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have always wondered - once I attained such capacity - why politicians would do everything and anything to get elected; in fact why it becomes a do or die affair to serve the people. Woe anyone who stands in in their way towards attainment of such "noble aspirations".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Noble Aspiration? Indeed. I believe public service is a noble aspiration which we must cultivate. However, selfishness appears to be the drive of most of the people who seek public office today. Why not? We see the tremendous change that comes upon those who occupy such positions; from the lavish homes to the high-end vehicles they would hitherto not have bothered to read the prices off of magazines. <i>Who no dey love better chop?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Promises are a regular part of campaigning. Politicians would promise reincarnating your mother if that you would get you to vote for them. The mischief is that most politicians who make these promises have no intention of keeping them or do not properly think through their promises before pronouncing them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The presidential candidates of almost all the political parties in Ghana have recently made some promises, some major, some minor. Some of the major promises made by the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akuffo Addo, include 1 village in the North 1 dam, 1 district 1 factory, creation of a new region carved out from the Western Region. The president and candidate of the NDC wouldn't be outdone; he came out with the promise to increase the number of regions to 15, build more community day schools, 1 student 1 tablet, etc.</div>
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Of course the crowd goes wild upon hearing such promises. But people who have observed the political history of promises in Ghana would tell you that the bigger the promise, the more likely that the candidate making the promise has no intention of keeping it. The primary reason for this is that they make such promises as a counter to other promises made by their opponents and so do not properly think through the implications of their promises within the context of prevailing capacity and resources.</div>
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<u><b>My Critique of some promises I find Unnecessary</b></u></div>
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Mind you, I think very little is impossible. Now with that out of the way what are some of the promises which I think are unnecessary or achievable within any four year tenure of a president.</div>
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1. One District, One factory:</div>
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I personally believe this is possible but unnecessary. First and foremost, the <i>promisor </i>has not defined what type of factories he is thinking about only that "every district has a dominant industry". But factories by themselves are nothing if they are not assured of regular market and raw material. Again, if we intend being relevant to modern trends, government has no business setting up factories. I would rather that government create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive. At least our history as a country has taught us that much. It is unnecessary because of the simple law of diminishing returns.</div>
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<i>To be continues.....</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-65338105114462760032011-07-28T03:38:00.000-07:002011-07-28T05:25:54.493-07:00The Masters have SpokenI just can not get this thought out of my mind, try as I may. I believe I've lived in a delusion, studied a delusion and become so immersed in a delusion that my life (and millions others) has become an illusion.<div>Is it true that I am free, as an AFRICAN youth, to decide which way of life I want to live (influenced only by the tradition and culture I was born in)? I've, all along, thought this to be the case until recent events have culminated in one final conclusion...AS AN AFRICAN, I AM STILL A SLAVE TO THE DICTATES OF SOME WHITE FOREIGNERS.</div><div>Are you shocked? Trust me, I was likewise shocked when I arrived at this conclusion. I've always celebrated the independence anniversary of my motherland with such fervent zeal and pride. Unknown to me, all that I celebrated was the anniversary of CHANGES IN MODE OF FOREIGN RULE; what was done directly, is now done indirectly, using my own people as tools of oppression. I blame no one but my own people for allowing this sad state of affairs to go on till now.</div><div>I heard on BBC radio this morning that the UK government had decided to deal with REBELS ( The rebel transition movement) of Libya and thus sacked all diplomats who were stationed there during the time of Gadhafi. The same initiative has been carried out by the French and American governments. Till date, the has been no stance from AU countries and the UN. When did the word REBEL ever signify the locus of a justified moral mandate to rule?</div><div>One thing which a lot of people have failed to take notice of is the fact that the guns which US, France, Uk and other NATO forces have brought into Libya will stay long after Gadhafi is dead and gone. Now it has been made clear by these SAVIOURS of the world...<i>"if you feel that you are oppressed, it is perfectly OK to pick a gun and fight to be heard; just make sure you gain the sympathetic ear of enemies of your oppressor"</i>. A typical case of "<i>the enemy of my enemy is my Buddy". Why...is Libya now a UN,US, FRENCH or NATO protectorate and no more Sovereign? Where lies the say of the Libyan people? Is this democratic?</i></div><div>Why do I think my own people have contributed to this sad state of affairs? United States of America (which consists of 51 states/countries, if you will) have made it a point to stress their unity as opposed to their diversity and thus become self-sufficient. You might argue that they have become a federation so it is logical. What about the European Union (27 countries)? Each maintains its sovereignty but each must meet its assigned quota while contributing to one another's maintenance so as to bring balance to the union. The AU has 54 countries and surpasses any other Union in natural resources yet we can't even feed our people, take active part in geopolitics nor become self-sustaining as a unit. When something happens on this continent, the AU is the last to react after the individual and collective countries of both the East and especially the West have already analysed, seen what they stand to gain from the present chaos and long since acted to satisfy their parochial interests. </div><div>If we are indeed free to determine our destinies as African States, then we had better live within our means, manage our resources better, breed patriotic citizens, and ultimately harness national leaders who are not greedy or allow their selfishness to be used as a snare to entrap the people they are sworn to protect.</div><div>If indeed we are free, we should not draw up budgets which have to be supported by foreign donations (donations which are used as baits to trap us). Development is a process and cannot be done in a single day or in a single presidential term. Leaders need to do the best they can with the limited resources at their disposal and opposition leaders need to lend concrete alternatives to present issues, but not to make it a habit to continually take opposing views to what is apparently a good course of action without providing better alternatives. Heads of states should play by the rules of the game, rules they knew way before they decided to engage in the game of politics. If a leader's term is over, it is OVER. Let another also manage the problem of the state.</div><div>If indeed we are free, why do ambassadors from western countries seem to hold more power on our leaders than the people who put them in power? Can any country within Africa fly a fighter jet into an EU or allied country experiencing rebel/terrorist attacks just because it can? </div><div>We, as Africans, are still under the command of foreign masters who have used all manner of means to keep us under check and servitude.</div><div>The masters have spoken on the Libyan crisis and chosen a leader for them just like in the colonial days. We await to see if other african leaders will follow the dictates of their colonial masters.</div><div><br /></div>DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-4273441028703458412011-04-03T02:40:00.000-07:002011-04-03T02:50:19.143-07:00LIBYAI think I got to express my opinion in relation to libya. I will do this by mere questions. Here we go:<br /><br />What is the reaal issue at stake right now in Libya?<br /><br />Where are the so called African Union Leaders?<br /><br />What is their take on the issue in Libya?<br /><br />Are the security council, NATO, and the so called allied forces oblivious of what is happening in Ivory Coast?<br /><br />Can African countries form an aliance to invade any country in Europe and the States?<br /><br />I am not judging anyone but just asking questions and the answers to these I believe will be your opinion as well.<br /><br />If I manage to find out the answers to these my next questions will give me a clue. <br /><br />Issues in Libya? They are people's opinions. As it is said, opinions are like noses and people have their unique ones.Jimmyghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09206184430959887548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-58512752656629518982011-03-31T13:22:00.000-07:002011-03-31T13:25:42.550-07:00LIBYA AND THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The past couple of weeks have seen some of us totally shocked. Why, you may ask. And my reply, why not? A whole continent stood silent while one of its member States (which was probably the most peaceful, promising and progressive) is being laid siege to by hounds from the West under the guise of wanting peace in that country. Admitted, Col. Gathafi may have overstepped the bounds of leadership when he started killing demonstrators. But the question to be asked is “How soon can a band of peaceful and spontaneous demonstrators become a hardened gang of Rebels, wielding tanks and other sophisticated weapons?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In recent times, a wave of demonstrations has spread through some Northern African States, most of which have turned violent. The commonest reason by the demonstrators irrespective of their origin has been the fact that leadership in their respective countries was either insensitive to their needs or had been in power too long. Often times, these demonstrators have succeeded in getting their way prompting a change in leadership, usually with very little violence. However, Libya appears to be an exception. Gathafi appears to have played directly into the hands of some unseen conspirator(s). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Gathafi has always not been the best friend of some Western States, especially the most powerful ones. He has always advocated for a United Africa, just like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah dreamed of. The obvious conclusion can only be drawn from the way the West handled/is handling these two.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Let’s take a moment to look at what USA did to Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. He was the target of a series of assassination attempts which gradually pushed him to become paranoid and ended up making certain political decisions which later came to haunt him. First, he instituted the law that made it possible for a person to be arrested and held indefinitely without trial. Secondly, and sadly so, he made Ghana a one-party State. These same reasons were what his detractors cited as the reason for his overthrow. However, it is now common knowledge among Ghanaians that USA aided the coup makers to overthrow Nkrumah thereby overthrowing the dreams of Ghana becoming an industrialized Nation. Ghana has still not recovered, thanks to the puppet strings controlling most of her political leaders and the false promise of a better world anywhere in the world apart from Ghana, which the young and enterprising youth have been made to believe.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Gathafi has also been led to make the same mistake. He sought to use force to stamp out people who were portrayed by the media as “Demonstrators” but whom he saw as “Rebels”. The use of force was subsequently reported by these media thus winning international sympathy for the Demonstrators/Rebels. Now, Gathafi is made out to be the bad person. As is to be expected, USA has gotten UN to grant her permission to enforce a no-fly in Libya where only US and French, and now NATO fighters can fly and bomb Libyan targets at will (when anti-aircraft missiles could have been used to prevent Gathafi’s planes from flying and thus avoid the indiscriminate bombing of innocents).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If you ask me, this trick is as old as the vanishing coin act. </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin" lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">a.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Plant people within the area you wish to destabilize, preferably co-opted, corrupted or disgruntled members of that same society.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin" lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">b.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">As they infiltrate, give them the means to cause little, isolated acts which will only serve to incite established authority to action. </span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin" lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">c.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Make sure the media is readied to capture the reaction of authority, with a slant in favour of the inciters, who are to be portrayed as the disadvantaged minority.</span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin" lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">d.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">The UN will be forced to take action. Guess who volunteers to help the UN (you got that right)…ALMIGHTY AMERICA, THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If by this time African leaders have not grown the clout to deal with African problems, then I dare say we are still colonies and have no right to celebrate independence days across Africa. Why is it that America, France, NATO and indeed UN have not attached the same sense of urgency with which they are dealing with Libya? African leaders, be smart.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-87990671394118496512011-02-23T07:05:00.000-08:002011-02-23T08:03:45.855-08:00OUR GREAT KINDERGARTENRemember when years gone by when what mattered most in the world was to hurry to school in order to sing the alphabets as if they were songs and then hurry up home to play a game of crown-cocks? At that time, nothing else mattered except the things that friends said which got you agitated enough to take away your plastic ball before the football match was over; "m'agye me ball" .<br />Funny enough, that is what the whole political life is gradually becoming. We spend a lot of money and other resources bantering about the possible meaning of what someone said some days ago to some group of people, or possibly psycho-analyzing him/her in order to read meanings hitherto unintended when some speech was made. After all, we have a more than willing gossip crew who in the name of investigative journalism become serious threats to our national security without even knowing their error.<br /> Nowadays, it is almost as if a current journalist is one who succeeds in getting a politician or his/her allies to lock horns in a never ending give and take of what some political figure did to cause the under-development of this nation and where the nation would have been had he/she not done what he/she already did. While it is good to get different sides of a story, journalists should understand that they owe it to the masses, most of whom depend on them for information, to report accurately what was said without adding their own flavors and seasoning to the facts. The whole issue of analysis should be left to experts who are expected to be impartial and unbiased. But it appears in Ghana, politicians and journalists have become experts in all areas of national life; from religion, through education, economics, medicine, and the list goes on.<br /> What is achieved at the end of the day is that we have a lot of wrong versions of true facts out there that the listener is left totally confused. To make matters worse, radio and TV panelists are made up of representatives from political parties instead of analysts who are believed to be experts in their chosen and respective fields. Only in so doing can we achieve any value from the national political discourse. At the very least, when faced with facts, expert analysts agree unlike party faithfuls who would rather defend the indefensible. After all, who would ever want to be accused with pointing the left hand to his/her father's house?<br /> Current events have saddened me to the extent that were I with super-human powers, I would immediately cause some serious discomfort to all responsible for completely diverting national attention from more important issues to banter about trivialities, such as the level of remorse the president had when he apologized to former President Kuffour and the Chief Justice, or what Akuffo Addo meant by "all die be die" and for that matter, which category of people make up Akans according to Akuffo Addo. As a people, is it not just plainly reckless to leave such issues as how to block the revenue leakages at the ports, improve education, energy, transportation, employment, etc. in order to talk about comments passed by one person or the other which, in the long run, would not be valid contributions to the main issues of national development?<br /> We have become a nation of toddlers who have failed to see the necessity of keeping our country clean, respect our elders and leaders, think of making rather than consuming products, solve problems rather than cause them, show good initiative rather than thwart existing ones, and the most disheartening of all, allowing ourselves to be led astray by a few favor-seeking, fame-thirsty and power-hungry individuals who would do any and everything to see that they are the center of attention and none other.<br /> If we are not able to change, then election periods will always become volatile moments when any little thing would plunge the entire country into chaos or worse still, war. The youth should know that they are better than they are made out to be by some unscrupulous politicians. They have what it takes to make it in life without tying in their lot with politicians to curry political favor. The Journalists whose careers are built on sensationalizing every bit of news item should be aware that the instability the court will affect them as well in the event that the nation bursts into flames. As for the few bad nuts within the political parties, the question is at what point is the state more important than personal interests?DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-48492935937830628262010-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:002010-12-09T08:11:11.424-08:00UMLSYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN<br />QUESTION 1<br />The University is considering a new system to speed up the student registration process. As a systems analyst, you are asked to develop a plan for fact finding.<br />(a) List all the information gathering techniques that all systems analysts must be able to use.<br />(b) Explain any three of the techniques listed.<br />(c) Explain the criteria for selecting a given technique.<br /><br />Solution<br />(a) Interviews<br />Questionnaires<br />Observation<br />JAD (joint application design)<br />Document Analysis<br /><br />(b) (i)Questionnaires<br />This is the mode of gathering data from sampled participants in order to understand an existing system or know the expectations of a new one. The researcher sets off by firstly carefully designing the questions which would best reveal the desired information he so desires.<br /><br />He, then, goes ahead to administer these questionnaires to his sampled participants and makes sure that they answer them. This is done through follow-ups. But care should be taken that the one administering the questionnaires has good inter-personal skills in order to have a successful survey of opinions.<br /><br />(ii) Interviews<br />This technique also involves gathering information from people though in this sense, one would have to talk to his interviewees and ask them relevant and well-crafted questions in order to receive relevant answers. The interviewer is to be able to respectfully steer the conversation/interview to areas of his interest while sifting through all that the interviewee would say.<br />To engage in a successful interview, the interviewer must first select his interviewees (people he thinks are in a position to know what he needs to know). He can then proceed to formulate concise and relevant questions which he would use to both prepare and conduct the actual interview. It is necessary that after the interview, there be a follow-up by the interviewer in a bid to re-gather vital information interviewees might have forgotten to share, and also probably give them feed-back on the previous interviews.<br /><br />(iii) Observation<br />Because people cannot always remember everything they do and the fact that they tend to act differently from their usual selves when they know they are being watched, there is need to independently verify information gotten from them through different methods. Observation is that technique of gathering information without the involved parties becoming aware of it. The Observer should make sure to be discrete, unpredictable and attentive to everything that happens regarding his subjects so that he can read trends which can be compared with information gathered through other sources.<br /><br />(c) When choosing an information gathering technique, one should take into consideration<br />1. What type of information is being sought?<br />2. What is the gravity of the information being sought?<br />3. What is the scope of the information being sought?<br />4. Which technique can give corroborated information?<br />5. Is there need for users to be involved or they can circumvented?<br />6. What is the comparative cost in getting relevant information through the use of any given technique?<br /><br />QUESTION 2<br />(a) What is UML?<br />It is the abbreviation for Unified Modelling Language. Since a model abstracts the essential details of the underlying problem from its usually complicated real world, it is necessary that there be a standard set of tools which can be used to organize/develop these models so as to allow many categories of people understand them.<br />Explain the use of the following diagrams:<br />(i) Use Case diagram:<br />They are UML diagrams that describe what a system does from the stand-point of an external observer. This is gotten from the fact that a use case, per se, is a summary of all the scenarios for a single task. It is made up of an actor (the user of the system), a use case (what the actor uses the system for) and an association (the actor’s relation to the use case). Thus a use case diagram is a collection of actors, use cases and their relative associations.<br />They are useful in that they, primarily, help in determining system requirements since new cases may elicit new system requirements as the diagram takes shape. They also aid communication between system developers and clients through the use of relatively simplified diagrammatic notation. Finally, they are useful in generating test cases in that the associated scenarios give a perfect collection of test cases for the system.<br /><br />(ii) Class Diagrams:<br />A class diagram gives an overview of a system by showing its classes and the relationships among them. 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_x0000_s1041 _x0000_s1042 _x0000_s1043 _x0000_s1044 _x0000_s1045 _x0000_s1046 _x0000_s1047 _x0000_s1048 _x0000_s1049 _x0000_s1050 _x0000_s1051 _x0000_s1052" /></span><!--[endif]-->DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-28232519406345766402010-05-07T10:40:00.000-07:002010-05-07T10:47:15.057-07:00How IT can give your company competitive advantage<strong>QUESTION</strong><br />As an IT manager, advise your company on some of the top security issues and prepare a document to advise them on the benefits which can be achieved with the introduction of IT to create competitive advantage. Pick a case study area and base everything on it. Indicate the company and state what they do.<br /><br /><strong>COMPANY PROFILE</strong><br /><br />PJEF Company Limited is a magazine printing and publishing company headquartered in Accra, with branches in Kumasi, Sunyani and Tamale. It has an online presence on the internet through their website where their publications can be perused and bought. This aspect is handled by the publishing and IT departments. It has a centralised authority structure. Though quite relatively modern, PJEF Co. Ltd uses off-the-shelf software, and an open internet system to network the different branches. Some very important documents are still kept on paper while the company puts no clear restriction on data access, especially within the proof reading department which happens to have developed a sort of departmental database which is at times utilised by the other departments. The Management board recently has tasked the IT department to identify some of the issues which adversely affect the efficient operation of the company. As the manager of the tasked department, the following are my findings<br /><br />SECURITY RISKS AT PJEF CO. LTD.<br /> <br />As per the mandate of the Management Board, in my capacity as the IT manager of this company, I have carried out the authorised assessment of the operational IT risks of this company and the following form some of my major findings.<br />a. The use of only off-the-shelf software: As a printing and publishing company, PJEF cannot continue to rely on only off-the-shelf software to run its operations. So doing exposes the company to a lot of disadvantages such as making it easier for thieves to steal and pirate printing material. Again the absence of customised software such design software which is specifically written to suit the needs and operations of this company makes it very tedious for the design, typesetting and desktop publishing department to create a style which sets PJEF apart from other publishing houses.<br />b. Use of Open internet connectivity: Being a fast growing and quickly spreading company, PJEF cannot continue to use the open insecure internet as the means of networking its branches. The tendency for data loss/theft and corruption, not to mention the possibility of malicious attacks on PJEF corporate systems are real threats to the very operation of the company. Also, as a commercial entity which prides itself in quality work, it becomes a matter of competitive disadvantage while it does not speak well of the company to have in place no mechanism to protect the hard work of its valued clients, namely the signed authors.<br />c. On-site back-up: As a matter of great operational risk is the issue of on-site back-up. Currently, the IT department has no means of directly and simultaneously backing up all company data files off-site. The current system where data is backed up on site and later manually transferred to an off site location has a number of disadvantages such as the possibility of loss of limited but critical data and the possibility that due to human error may cause data not to be backed up at all, as indeed happened in the near fatal incident involving the PJEF and the author of a textbook. The current method of backing up leaves the company open to viral attack and data corruption since data transfer is manually handled.<br />d. Documentation of Important material on paper: The practice whereby the company still keeps important material on paper without making electronic copies could be very costly should there be a fire outbreak or even pest attack. While the practice of keeping such documents in a combination safe is quite laudable for keeping burglars at bay, it is quite insufficient to keep fire and other hazards out. <br />e. Poor database management: The Company has no database which makes it quite cumbersome when managing data inflow and access. The departmental database instituted by one of the departments is full of redundant data. The absence of an up-to-date database impedes managerial decision making, gives no clear picture of company performance and virtually creates a barrier between related departments. <br />f. Easy Access to Company Data: Going round with respect to finding out some of the security risks facing the company, I stumbled upon one very important issue, namely the easy nature in which data is accessed in this company. There appears to be no access restriction on some data, making such data easily accessible to almost everyone and thus vulnerable to theft, change or deletion. The practice whereby people can easily insert their personal external storage devices into the company computer system without having them scanned for viruses and then issued with clearances to use such secondary storage media could cause complete system failure should a very dangerous virus find its way into the company system.<br />The above are by no means the end of the list but they form the core of the security threats which the company faces. I will now go on to recommend ways in which the company can solve the problems enumerated above and thus increase its competitive advantage by introducing IT. <br /> RECOMMENDATIONS<br />• The company should consider diversifying its operations by incorporating custom built and customised software into its computer systems. As a printing and publishing company which publishes both for the physical and online market, it gives the company some competitive edge when it does everything possible to produce products which are different from what everyone else in the business is producing. Since customised software is practically written to suit the preferred taste and operations of the one who orders it, unlike commercialised ones, it gives the company a very important tool to produce products which cannot be made anywhere else apart from PJEF.<br />• Though the company publishes on its internet website, it should consider using the many social network sites such as facebook, twitter, hi5, tagged, badoo, perfspot, myspace, etc. to increase awareness of its products and thus increase its customer base. When people on these sites are able to appreciate the good work which this company produces, the stage is set for us to take care of big printing orders which would arrive from almost every corner of the world. To add, the IT department should be resourced to help the relevant departments create a formidable online presence through serious online advertising campaigns. <br />But this should not draw away from the fact that the company needs to develop a better internal network purposely for coordination between the different branches. If this is done, data flow and sharing will be faster, safer and more reliable. <br />• As a matter of urgency, it is my recommendation that the company proceeds to make provisions for automated off-site back up of its data. This will forestall the loss, possible delays or corruption of company data. This will make the company appear more reliable to potential clients who would rest assured that their work will be finished on time any catastrophe notwithstanding. <br />• The company needs to immediately begin the process of converting into electronic format all important company documents. With current technology, documents which come in electronic formats are easier to store protect and transfer than their hardcopy counterparts. Watermarks can also be embedded within such documents as a seal of authenticity while they can be copy protected, write protected or even set to track changes made to it at what time. These attributes of the electronic file help the company to better protect its documents from corporate rivals.<br />• There needs to be an up-to-date database put in place with its requisite data access protocol. With the introduction of a regularly updated database, different departments within the company can have access to relevant data and hence increase efficiency and productivity, cutting down the time used to search for some particular data. Sensitive data will also be protected from unauthorised access leading to a generally confident working environment.<br />• Finally, the company should make it a policy not to allow personal secondary devices to be used on company computers except they have been scanned for any malicious software and after they have been used on the company computer if any company documents have been copied. In this quest, the system administrator should be vigilant in his work and flag any potential unauthorised system access and usage.DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-4458302943842823412010-03-04T03:54:00.000-08:002010-03-04T03:55:43.667-08:00types of OSThe computer industry, complicated and ever changing as it is, can boast of quite a number of Operating systems (OS), system software that enables communication between computer hardware and any other software that might be installed on the computer system. An OS type is defined by how it relates to the time factor, functionality (tasking), number of simultaneous users and level of manipulation. The above noted, we could speak of OS types such as <br />• Real-time Operating Systems<br />• Multi-user and Single user Operating systems<br />• Multi-tasking and single-tasking Operating systems<br />• Distributed Operated systems<br />• Embedded Operating system<br />It should however be noted that a particular OS may employ characteristics of two or more types of OS to maximise functionality and portability. At this point I would opt to write about multi-user operating systems.<br /> A multi-user operating system ensures that more than one user operates the computer system at any one particular time. Resources of the computer system are so managed in a way that allows for speedy execution of operations by any one user in a way that gives an individual user the impression that he/she is the only one using the computer system at that particular time.<br /> From the above, one is correct to bear in mind that for such an OS to work properly, the system must have good computing speed to ensure maximum computer time for each individual user, possess enough system memory to store the operations of each user, proper networking of the workstations involved (though some systems have done away with the use of workstations and instead operates using user accounts existing on the same system). <br /> Use of a multi-user OS comes with a number of advantages such as reduction in hardware and software cost through shared resources, better system control through use of usernames and passwords that improves system security, though system breach becomes far more costly.<br /> To end, it is worth mentioning that many of the popular operating systems available today are examples of multi-user OS. These include the Apple’s Mac OS, Microsoft’s Windows and almost all the UNIX distributions including Linux, Sun’s Solaris, etc.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />BIBLIOGRAPHY<br />Slater, Robert, Portraits in Silicon, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1992.<br /> http://www.computerhope.com/os.htm, 11-02-2010<br />http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_four_types_of_operating_system_according_to_category, 11-02-2010<br />http://computer.howstuffworks.com/operating-system3.htm, 11-02-2010DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-80821992448603382442010-03-04T03:52:00.000-08:002010-03-04T03:57:26.576-08:00UNIXStarting as a project by two Bell laboratories researchers, Dennis Ritchie and Kenneth Thompson, who simply wanted to make computing easier for themselves, the UNIX gradually became industry standard around the 1960s up till date. This was against the backdrop that the two researchers wanted an operating system that was easier, safer and user friendlier than Multics, the operating system which was being used at the time by Bell Laboratories. Though it never could topple Bill Gate’s MS-DOS and later Windows, it had by the 1980s become the most transported operating system used by large and middle-sized computers. Written in C, UNIX was developed by AT&T.<br /> The UNIX OS can be said to have been a major player in the development of the internet due to its unique environment and server-client model. Its popularity also arose principally from the fact that it was freely distributed. Currently, many UNIX derivatives are distributed both freely and commercially.<br /> Made up of the Kernel, file system and the command-line interface called the shell, UNIX boasts of more than 600 commands enabling users to manipulate data in any conceivable way. The above noted, UNIX has many advantages that makes it the best operating system to use.<br /> Regarding cost, UNIX can be said to be very cost effective since it exists in both freeware and commercial distributions. This makes it better than the totally commercialised operating systems that exist today, for instance windows.<br /> In matters of portability, none compares with the UNIX system. Because of the many distributions of different versions of UNIX, such as Linux (which also comes in many distributions) Sun’s Solaris, etc, one can easily use programs designed for one distribution in other distributions and not have to worry about efficiency. Currently, with the embedding of winetools in the source code of many UNIX distributions, many application software developed especially for the windows platform can now be used by UNIX users.<br /> Because UNIX is freeware, it makes available source codes to people who intend to adapt them for personal use or in the name of education. This cannot be said for licensed OS like Windows which makes it a crime to edit its (window’s) source code. Because of that, one can always expect better output from the UNIX because there are so many people working to make it better to use.<br /> Security is also better in a UNIX system than many other operating systems. Because of the compact layers of the UNIX kernel and the command-line Shell which requires that only the administrator with Super User (SU) privileges can change system parameters, it is very difficult to encounter security breaches from malware and unauthorised access.<br /> Finally, it is worth noting that gone are the days when the UNIX shell scared a lot of people from using UNIX. Now with the incorporation of the motif GUI in many UNIX distributions, including Linux, it has become user friendly yet maintaining its security. No wonder the increasing popularity UNIX distributions, such as Linux, enjoy presently. <br />BIBLIOGRAPHY<br /><br />Slater, Robert, Portraits in Silicon, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 1992.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix, 11-02-2010<br />http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix.html The Open Group, 28 December 2003, 11-02 -2010<br />http://www.unix.org/whitepapers/uos.pdf, the Open Group, 11-02-2010DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-83757253440633313352010-03-04T02:51:00.000-08:002010-03-04T02:54:54.401-08:00of Hobbes and QuarrelsQ3: Discuss the principal causes of quarrel in every society as proposed by Thomas Hobbes <br />Thomas Hobbes is of the view that man is exclusively selfish in all his actions and is not likely to perform any action if such an action will be of no benefit to him. It is on this premise that Hobbes begins his discussion on the causes of quarrel in the human society.<br /> It is worth noting that in Hobbes’ view, there is in practice nothing which is objectively good or bad, but that there are only things which a person desires and that which he averts, representing good and bad, respectively.<br /> Moving on to the causes of quarrel, Hobbes gives three main reasons why there is conflict in society, namely competition, diffidence and glory. But it worth noting that the proper context where the three causes promote conflict is found in Hobbes’ psychological theory where he states that <br />a. the individual is psychologically selfish, <br />b. the individual’s greatest desire is self preservation <br />c. the individual’s greatest aversion is death.<br />Again it is worth considering the two laws of nature (namely seeking peace in order to follow it and defending oneself by all means) and how they affect the individual’s desire for self-preservation and his aversion of death. <br /> Considering competition as a cause of quarrel, Hobbes makes it known that nature has made all people equal in the powers they need to exist. But there is the selfish inclination within man to try to maximize his happiness, which is nothing else than the level of success one has in self-preservation. Hence he invades others for gain, leading to quarrel.<br /> For reasons of safety, an individual may be forced to confront others. This is called diffidence. Should any threat, imagined or real, arise to cause fear in an individual’s desire to maximize his happiness, he is forced to counter that threat through any means necessary, hence quarrel with the object of his aversion.<br /> Finally, because of man’s selfishness, he tries to assert himself over others. He thus looks for means to achieve glory which is nothing else but quest for reputation. When and individual does not wish to remain on equal terms with others, he resorts to all manner of actions to assert himself over them. Thus glory becomes a cause of quarrel taking into account that man is naturally selfish.<br /> In conclusion, without the presence of a sovereign who would provide the needed balance to every individual’s desire, the probability is high that every person will quarrel with his neighbour, given that confrontations may arise out of desire for self preservation, aversion to fear in favour of safety or to seek glory.DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-85311147862973517602010-03-04T02:34:00.000-08:002010-03-04T02:46:25.460-08:00of pure silicon and diodes<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C03%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:200627767; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-630002748 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Pure silicon is not a conductor because in its pure state its electrons are bonded tightly with the electrons of other neighbouring silicon atoms in such a way that it requires a relatively large increase in energy levels to cause electrons to break from the valence band into the conduction band.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="2" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">When silicon is doped with phosphorus, the result would be that an excess of one electron is created on the valence band of the doped silicon atom. Since the valence band of an atom takes up to eight (8) electrons, there would exist one free moving electron which can easily jump into the conduction band, thus constituting flow of electrical current.</span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C04%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:200627767; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-630002748 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="" lang="EN-GB"></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">The main difference between a P-type silicon and an N-type silicon exists in what material was used to dope the silicon. Should the silicon undergo a Trivalent doping, using an element with a valence band consisting of 3 electrons (eg boron) there would exist one empty spot on the shell after the two elements are bonded thus leading to the formation of a P-type silicon. It is P-type (positive) because it lacks one more electron to complete its valence band.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="" lang="EN-GB">However should silicon be doped with a pentavalent element, (thus an element with 5 electrons on its valence band) there would exist an excess electron on the valence shell after the two elements bond. This excess electron, which is free moving, thus has the capacity to jump the gap into the conduction band.<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="" lang="EN-GB"></span></p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">A diode, being a device which allows electric current to flow in one direction is made up of a P-type and an N-type silicon arranged adjacent each other, leaving a thin film of space called <i style="">the depletion region</i> connected to an energy source. It is in the arrangement of the energy source in the circuit which dictates in which direction current flows. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">In a forward biased diode, there exists a positive voltage across the diode from the P<span style=""> </span>to N type silicon. This enables the diode to act like a good conductor hence allowing current to flow in one direction.</span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C05%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">However, when the polarity in the energy source is changed so that there is almost no flow of current then one has a reverse-biased diode. This causes the diode to become almost non-conducting and measures a large amount of<span style=""> </span>voltage across the devise.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p></p> </li></ol> DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-1765507506363558182010-03-04T02:27:00.000-08:002010-03-04T02:30:32.030-08:00A very brief examination of Hobbes' state of NatureQ2: Examine the “state of nature” in the context of Thomas Hobbes’ view.<br />The State of Nature is, in Hobbes’ view, the state in which man lived with other men before the emergence of the civil society or the commonwealth. He, however, lays no claim on the actual historical existence of a state of nature, but rather that the state of nature exists in any place or time where civil society is not functioning. <br /> The workings of the state of nature can be understood in its proper context when one takes into account the psychological theory of Hobbes which makes the following assertions, namely, that man is psychologically egoistic and would do nothing except from selfish motives; that there exists no objective good or bad except those things a person desires, which he considers good and those things he averts which he considers bad and those things which he has contempt for, which he considers vile; that the highest desire of man is self-preservation and his worst aversion is death and; that all people are equal in their natural means of attaining the objects of their desire, and this, he terms power . Thus, Hobbes makes the claim that in the state of nature, happiness is judged only by the amount of success he has in pursuing the object of his primary desire, namely, self preservation.<br />Again, Hobbes makes the claim that morality is nothing apart from the will of the sovereign. Thus, if there exists no sovereign to promulgate laws for the general conduct of the people, there would exist no ethical code, hence no morality. One could even make the concession that the only law of morality is that of self-preservation which necessitates the use of all measures to ensure that the individual protects him/herself from any and all things which he considers a threat to his wellbeing irrespective of how negatively such measures may affect others. <br />From the above, it is perceived that in the state of nature, conflict is a common feature. This stems from the fact that all individuals are equipped with the same natural powers to achieve self preservation. But since every individual is selfish and not restrained by any central authority though each has to protect himself using the same powers, they are each equally capable of inflicting injury on their neighbours, hence conflicts. <br />Finally, in the state of nature, there is anarchy. Morality is primarily dictated by the desire for self-preservation which is itself a product of vital and voluntary motion. In the absence of a sovereign, individuals lack that awareness which reason imparts on their actions. Thus, in Hobbes’ view, without any law to restrain people’s actions there would be total lawlessness since each person would only act in order to maximize happiness . <br /> BIBLIOGRAPHY<br />BONEVAC, Daniel, Today’s Moral Issues, (3rd ed.), Mayfield Publishing Company, California, 1999.<br />KOLAK, Daniel, Questioning Matters, Mayfield Publishing Company, California, 2000.<br />WHITE, James E., Contemporary Moral Problems, (5th ed.) West Publishing Company, New York, 1997.DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-13055667985254382042008-11-24T09:50:00.000-08:002008-11-24T09:51:36.086-08:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In drawing attention back to the nature and necessity of symbols in Christian initiation, we cannot fail to draw valuable resources from the scriptures, both old and new, so as to be able to place the origins of such symbols (Old Testament) and their relevance or significance in the Church (New Testament). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Having been of great concern to both the Eastern and Western Church, symbols have come to us, due principally to their ability to undergo a lot of growth and still remain unchanged through many cultures which it has encountered. But this is not to say that in handing it down, it has not been altered in some degree for it is a fact that while some worth in it has been stored, a great deal of their value has been lost due to abuses and other accidents of history. To this effect, it is noteworthy that Vatican II strongly suggested that the church go back to the underlying meaning of her ritual and sacramental symbols, and in the process do away with all that was added to them which impinge on their meaning.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is quite sad that the very essence of liturgical symbolism has lost its meaning especially in the Western Church. This is even so when noted that symbols have on many occasions been reduced to mere signs. This is worrisome taking into account the fact that while symbols are a physical manifestation of that which they represent, signs are just pointers to the reality but bear within them no real intrinsic efficacy of the reality they point to. It is, in fact, in making a clear distinction between sign and symbol that the Church is able to safeguard the efficacy of the Sacraments and indeed all ritual actions for on the level of symbols, both sacraments and ritual actions are the same. The above anomaly of which we speak of can be traced back to the scholastics who in a bid to explain the faith made it into an abstract and other-worldly thing, stripping the symbols of their meaning as far as being physical manifestation of the spiritual realities and hence reducing them to mere pointers (signs) of the realities.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Symbolism in the church plays a far greater role than can be envisaged. It is known for a fact that there is no religion without symbols. In fact the very etymology of the word attests to this for <i style="">symballo </i>(Greek)<i style=""> </i>means to <i style="">cast together </i>or unite. Thus symbols are one of the principal agents in building up and uniting a community of believers and secondly fulfilling the desire of each individual in building a union with God.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In reflecting on rite and symbol it is found out that they are complimentary in usage. A rite can be said to refer to a group of actions, words and gestures which have come down to us in celebrations and considered binding based on the traditions that established them. Seen as such we find out that rites depend on symbols for their value in that what is sought for by the rite is present in the symbol, which makes present the spiritual reality of the faith. <span style=""> </span>Now this has a direct influence on the liturgy for rite and symbol are quite intrinsically bound up in the liturgy of the Church, properly seen as the public worship sanctioned by the Church for the glorification of her God and the sanctification of her members. Thus in making present the realities of what they represent, symbols ensure that the Church receives those graces which her Lord promised her upon the establishment of those symbols which could in the proper sense be categorised under rites, for they have become binding based on the tradition that established them. In reducing symbols to signs, the Church simply loses sight of the inherent graces gained from her rites immediately they are performed, so much so that these same ritual acts tend to be monotonous, repetitive, pointers to the realities she<span style=""> </span>expects from her Lord, though in fact already received yet unknown. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Signs cannot be discounted as entirely unnecessary. To do that would simply make it close to impossible for the faithful to practise their [royal] priesthood. I say so because of the distinction between sign and symbol I gave above. We also know that in the liturgy, it is Christ who acts in His proper role as High-Priest, though through ordained ministers of the Church. So we say the priest acts <i style="">in persona Christi. </i>This is where the whole efficacy of the minister’s activity, both rite and symbol, lies. Apart from that they are just plain signs. But signs help the Church to, as it were, give the opportunity to her members who are not ordained, yet priests by virtue of their baptism, to live in the hope which their baptism entails. The signs which, in this context would be the many aids to holiness found in sacramentals, are not entirely without any graces, but they properly serve as pointers to the symbols which in turn make actually present and physical the spiritual reality. This is because Christ is able to work backwards, through the instrumentality of the symbols, to give to the signs a desired and fruitful fulfilment based on what particular thing the signs may represent. Hence, there is the need for the Church to sanction signs by encouraging her clergy to get involved in popular devotions and be ever more willing to part with blessings whenever necessary upon the faithful. The need for signs is also further strengthened by the fact that it is the ordained ministers who consecrate these signs before their usage, just like that done for symbols for liturgical worship, though less ritualised. <span style=""> </span>But above all, signs help us understand better the impact and value of the symbols in that in pointing towards the efficacy inherent in the symbols, signs raise the level of appreciation for the sacraments carried out through the symbols and rites of the liturgy.<i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In conclusion, I would like to say that the very essence of the church as the kingdom of God, House-hold of faith, the Mystical body of Christ and the Bride of Christ, though designating titles, also makes the church a symbol. It is a symbol in that when we say, for instance that the church is the Mystical body of Christ, we are not just giving vent to a pious thought (a sign) but we are stating the fact that Christ has indeed and in fact taken the Church unto Himself for He wrought her salvation through His death and resurrection, establishing her as His legacy to the Father, who pre-destined this from of old. The Church thus becomes a sacrament for her presence makes manifest in actuality that which she represents, the community of Christ. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span></span></p>DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-34474968483540190092008-11-24T09:39:00.000-08:002008-11-24T09:44:07.290-08:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">INTRODUCTION</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><u><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is a known fact that in some quarters, theology and philosophy are seen as two irreconcilable disciplines of human endeavour. This assertion appears to be true when taken lightly into consideration, the areas of specialization and interests and approaches in methodology used in the studies of their individual subject–matter. But this is not the case, as this essay would show. Philosophy and theology can and indeed, have had long standing and fruitful relationship in the past, and in our day, re–vitalised. But before I set forth on drawing a relationship between the two, theology and philosophy, it is worth–while to try to give some basic explanations regarding the meaning and interests of these two disciplines.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">WHAT IS THEOLOGY?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In its very simplified sense, theology can be said to be <i style="">God–talk.</i> In actual fact, it is a very hard endeavour to try to stipulate a definition for the term, theology, which may be acceptable to all concerned and indeed capable of capturing the entire scope of theology. Alszeghy and Flick say thus:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB">It is not possible to answer the question [of what theology is] on the basis of etymology by saying that theology is the study or discussion of divinity. In this perspective, theology would not be distinguishable from theodicy, theosophy or other mental activities that no one today would call theological. It is clear that in the course of history, the term “theology” has received a specific meaning that does not come solely from the philological roots.</span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"> <a style="" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>But for the purposes of this essay, I will rely on the classical definition given by St. Anselm that theology is “<i style="">faith seeking understanding.</i>”<a style="" href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> What then is faith?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Faith is said to be a divine gift.<a style="" href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style=""> </span>But not only is it a divine gift, it has a human side to it in that it entails a human effort in the form of a response to this free invitation to acceptance of the divine gift.<a style="" href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Faith presupposes the event that God has revealed Himself in human history. This event is held and presented in the form of a set of beliefs. Trust in, and acceptance of this set of beliefs is what is known, in other words as faith. Thus, not only is faith a divine gift, it has to be consciously accepted. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><u><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Philosophy can simply be said to be love or pursuit of wisdom. But, like theology, it is quite a difficult task to find a definition that encompasses all that philosophy entails. This is basically because it has changed forms so much in its historical development. Formerly, every aspect of human endeavour that had to do with a quest of knowledge was a part of philosophy. Pope John Paul II talks of its development and value in his encyclical, <i style="">Fides et Ratio </i>(<i style="">FD3&4</i>) in these terms:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB">Born and nurtured when the human being first asked questions about the reason for things and their purpose, philosophy shows in different modes and forms that the desire for truth is part of human nature itself. It is an innate property of human reason to ask why things are as they are, even though the answers which gradually emerge are set within a horizon which reveals how the different human cultures are complementary.[...] Through philosophy's work, the ability to speculate which is proper to the human intellect produces a rigorous mode of thought; and then in turn, through the logical coherence of the affirmations made and the organic unity of their content, it produces a systematic body of knowledge. In different cultural contexts and at different times, this process has yielded results which have produced genuine systems of thought. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In its historical development it gave rise to many other disciplines including science itself.<a style="" href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> In finding a universal definition for philosophy, we may think of philosophy as the science that is brought about by philosophizing.<a style="" href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Doing philosophy means “investigating the facts in search of a primal truth within them. Philosophical thought is hence characterised by dynamic openness, which of itself precludes any conclusion, claiming to be accepted as definitive.”<a style="" href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> In relation to its object of investigation, philosophy is characterised by the universality with which it formulates its findings. Thus “[f]or <i style="">homo religiosus</i>,<i style=""> </i>[the religious man] even the experience of the sacred and the reaching toward the absolute belong to the sphere of philosophical enquiry.”<a style="" href="#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> This brings me to the main question of this essay; does theology need philosophy?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many are the views which perceive the relationship between philosophy and theology as one between faith and reason. But this is not always true, as I share with Fisichella, for we cannot reduce the whole discipline of theology to a matter of faith, neither can we do same by equating philosophy to reason.<a style="" href="#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> To do that would be over-simplification of the two disciplines, though faith is an integral part of theologising and so is reason in relation to philosophy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Tracing this relationship down the course of history, we find different high and low points in this relationship of which we speak. In the early church, believers did not always see their new found faith as a new philosophy, though they usually contrasted it with the philosophy of the day; they thus compared the <i style="">wisdom of the Gospel</i> with the <i style="">wisdom of the world, </i>as evidenced in Paul’s letters (I Cor 2: 1–16)<a style="" href="#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>. It is later on, especially among the Patristics that reflections first surface as to the actual role of philosophy in relation to the Christian faith. It was to help in better making the content of the <i style="">kerygma </i>more understandable to pagans or further strengthen the faith of people who already believed, though it should be said that this was not a general consensus among the Church fathers as regards the importance of philosophy.<a style="" href="#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In St. Augustine, we perhaps, find the first ever shaping of the relationship between theology and philosophy. This is understandably so when we look at what influenced him during his years of conversion at Milan. Bokenkotter says:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB">Augustine’s circle of friends at Milan introduced him to the Neo-Platonic movement, which attracted many Christian intellectuals of the day. They found in this system a remarkable affinity with their faith. He studied Plotinus intensively and was able thereby to shake off a lingering materialism and to reach the concept of a purely spiritual reality.<a style="" href="#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Coming to the Scholastic age, Abelard can be said to be a strong defender of philosophy in theological reflection. Bokenkotter says of him;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB">It was the fascinating, stormy, and tragic Abelard who did the most to popularize these logical studies at Paris; he pioneered in using Aristotelian categories of thought in order to reach a deeper understanding of the Christian dogmas. He took a carefully reasoned approach to theological questions, not denying the role of authority but making every allowance for rational objections and natural human feelings.</span><a style="" href="#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>But Thomas Aquinas is, perhaps the most important figure of this era, seeing that he baptised the philosophy of Aristotle in the deep waters of the faith found in the Gospels. This is principally the era of the <i style="">Summa, </i>where theological questions were put forth and answered by use of philosophical argumentation, thus tending to be propositional.<a style="" href="#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> But this era is characterised by a very rationalistic view of theology which nearly robbed it of its spiritual dimension. This was the trend even through the reformation and only ended with the Second Vatican Council</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">In conclusion I would like to state that trends have changed considerably in Catholic theology currently. Pope Leo XIII’s <i style="">Aeterni Patris </i>marks a definitive turning point in Church thought of the relationship between theology and philosophy today. He is of the view that ‘“putting philosophy to good use is required in order that theology may acquire and be invested with the nature, the character, the natural disposition of a true science’.”<a style="" href="#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> The relationship between theology and philosophy is not, from the Church’s perspective, one of equals. Priority is given to theology due to its divine end while philosophy is seen as a collaborator. Theology on the other hand is not to be viewed as a self-sufficient discipline for without the critical focus of philosophy, theology is bound to be limited in its delivery of sound and valid results. In keeping theology and philosophy as collaborators, the Church keeps a legacy of her past, that of the doctors of the medieval era who are, on the whole, responsible for the many rich insights of the faith which have guided the Church even until this day.<a style="" href="#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB">BIBLIOGRAPHY</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Alszeghy,</span><span style=""> Z. and M<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">aurizio F.</span>, <i style="">Introductory Theology,</i></span><span lang="EN-GB"> London; Sheed and Ward,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">1982.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Bokenkotter, T., </span><span lang="EN-GB">A<i style=""> Concise History of the Catholic Church</i> (rev. ed.), New York:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Image Books Doubleday, 1990.</span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Carey, J.J.,</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"> “The New Dialogue between Philosophy and Theology” by </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">J.A.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="NL">Martin, Jr.</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="NL">, </span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="NL">JAAR </span></i><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="NL">35 4 (1967), <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1460955>, 04/11/2008.</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="NL"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Charlesworth, M.</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">, </span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">Philosophy and Religion</span></i><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">, Oxford: Oneworld Publication,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">2002.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Dulles</span><span lang="EN-GB">, A., <i>The Craft of Theology</i><span style="">: </span><i style="">From Symbol To System</i><b style="">, </b><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Dublin</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="">: Gill and<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>Macmillan, 1992.<span style="letter-spacing: -0.15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Fisichella</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">R., </span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">“Theology and Philosophy” in </span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">Dictionary of Fundamental Theology,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">ed. R. Latourelle, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City>: St Pauls, 1994, 1075-1078.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">Mcbrien, P.R.,</span><span lang="EN-GB"> <i style="">The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism</i>, <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1995.</span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Mulcahy, E.</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">,</span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Introduction to Theology”</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">, </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Class notes,</span><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span lang="EN-GB">Tangaza College – Catholic <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">University of Eastern Africa,<span style=""> </span>Nairobi 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm;"><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span>“Philosophy”, </span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">EB </span></i><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">XVII</span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">, </span></i><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">London: William Benton,</span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"> </span></i><span class="StyleFootnoteText12ptChar"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB">864-882.</span></span><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Abbreviations</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -72pt; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">DFT</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Latourelle,</span> R., ed., <i style="">Dictionary of Fundamental Theology, </i>London: St Pauls, 1994</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">EB<span style=""> </span></span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><i style="">Encyclopaedia Britannica</i>, Chicago- London- Toronto, 1973</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Etc.<span style=""> </span>et cetera (and so forth)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -72pt; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">JAAR</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""> </span><i style="">Journal of the American Academy of Religion,</i> London: Oxford University Press</span></p> <div style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="">Cf. Z. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Alszeghy</span> – M. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Flick</span>, <i style="">Introductory Theology,</i> 12.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="">E. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;"><span style=""> </span>Mulcahy</span>,<i style=""> Lecture Notes: Introduction to Theology</i>, 11.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn3"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -9pt 0.0001pt 36pt;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB">Cf. P.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">R. McBrien</span>, <i style="">The HarperCollins Encyclopaedia of Catholicism</i>, 510.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn4"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="">Cf. E. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Mulcahy</span>, <i style="">Lecture Notes: Introduction to Theology</i>,<i style=""> </i>9.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn5"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf. “Philosophy”,<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> </span>864-882.<i style=""> </i></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn6"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf. R.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”, 1075</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn7"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> R.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”,<i style=""> </i>1076.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn8"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> R.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”,<i style=""> </i>1076.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn9"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf. R. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”, 1075.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn10"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf. R. <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”, 1075.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn11"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf. R.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”,<i style=""> </i>1076.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn12"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB"> Cf.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> T. Bokenkotter</span>, <i style="">A Concise History of the Catholic Church</i>, 71. <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn13"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant: small-caps;" lang="EN-GB">T. Bokenkotter</span><span lang="EN-GB">, <i style="">A Concise History of the Catholic Church</i>, 144.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn14"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 9pt;" lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB"> Cf.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> T. Bokenkotter</span>, <i style="">A Concise History of the Catholic Church</i>, 141.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn15"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> R.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> Fisichella, </span>“Theology and Philosophy”, 1077.</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn16"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" lang="EN-GB">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Cf.<span style="font-variant: small-caps;"> A. Dulles</span>, <i style="">The Craft of Theology</i>, 128.</span></p> </div> </div>DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931782295796033052.post-15597088804017291132008-10-01T00:52:00.000-07:002008-10-01T01:47:44.237-07:00what legacy are we inheritingWhen, as young people, we are confronted with problems of life, the tendency in most of us (except the very daring and independently minded) is to seek advice from our forebears. It is no secret that some young married couples still have to factor in the views of their respective in-laws before they make certain decisions affecting their conjugal union. In the light of the above, the older generation of our race is mostly seen as role models who's opinions count in matters of serious living. But recent trends as regards the validity this "role-model" tag placed on our elders puts this assertion under serious criticism.<br />My stance is that every person, apart from the respect due him/her as a human being has to earn the respect of others. Our elders make certain decisions in the name of comfort and convenience which even the young find difficult to understand. A typical area one might find such funny decisions is in the arena of politics. It is a sorry sight and an audible hell to notice the unprofessional and immature way in which some of our highly esteemed politicians behave. Many are the times when some parliaments around the world are sent into pandemonium and anarchy, the reason being that representatives of the people could not keep their fists unclenched but had to make Mohammed Ali's rumble in the jungle look so little. How then do such MPs hope to tell the youth to stay clear of violence when the very law makers are violent.<br />They go into politics, many only to seek their personal gains. How can a country survive like that.<br />That's why many of the youth of today want to live their lives away from the influence of any elderly people. Though not a healthy choice, they feel in those circumstances the mistakes they commit would be their own mistakes and not the double standard measurement of their parents.<br />We are quick to criticize the youth of having no values but how do we expect people who ordinarily feel their birth was accidental in the light of the fact that they could have been aborted before birth. Whole cultures and heritage of certain countries are dying out simply because there no young people to carry them on. In the name of family planning, countries who were supposed to have known better are now on the brink of total natural annihilation, just like rare species. To meet an indigenous person of that land is actually the exception in certain countries. while I am a staunch believer in globalization, it is just out of place, even in nature to allow a species to die out in its natural habitat. Why would people not leave their inheritance to their pets, simply because they either have no offspring to leave their property to, or that they value their dogs and cats more than the poor people living just on their streets.<br />For me, if something must be done, this is the time. Why on earth should the government have to beg people to give birth before they do. The lack of respect for life by the young ones can, as blame, be placed squarely on the doorstep of the elderly generation<br /><br />As Usual, this is purely my opinion. Peace to all who will read this.DONSCOTUShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06203129656505145144noreply@blogger.com0