Modern Misconceptions on the Wall of Separation: An Analysis on the Influence and Misinterpretation of Jefferson’s Separation of Church and State

The symbolic concept of separation between church and state defines the relationship between government and religion. While Jefferson did not author the phrase, the third President of the United States promoted the philosophy of a wall of separation between church and state in his letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. Jefferson’s support for a wall of separation stemmed from a strong belief in liberty of conscience and relied heavily upon the conviction to protect religious liberty. Through an analysis on the contextual history of the phrase, the original intent and application of separation of church and state becomes evident. By examining Jefferson’s original intent behind the concept of a wall of separation, a proper interpretation of this philosophy will demonstrate appropriate protection for both religion and government. Later paraphrased “separation of church and state,” this political concept has been misconstrued from Jefferson’s original meaning. Recent Supreme Court interpretations have misinterpreted the concept as freedom from religion, instead of freedom of religion.The Supreme Court has mistakenly categorized the wall of separation as a summary of the First Amendment and cited Jefferson’s phrase as judicial precedent in numerous cases, resulting in a misrepresentation of Jefferson’s concepts. This misrepresentation subsequently affected the judicial rulings of succeeding courts

“We are your Bad Conscience” The Influences of the White Rose and their Peaceful Resistance for Intellectual Freedom

Graduat

The Motivations Behind the Diplomacy of the Marshall Plan: An Analysis on U.S. Foreign Policy in a Post-War Economy

Undergraduate Textual or Investigativ

A Strategy for Teaching an Effective Undergraduate Mineralogy Course

An effective undergraduate mineralogy course provides students with a familiarity and understanding of minerals that is necessary for studying the Earth. This paper describes a strategy for integrating the disparate topics covered in a mineralogy course and for presenting them in a way that facilitates an understanding of mineralogy that enables students to apply it in subsequent courses and research. The course is organized into a well-integrated sequence of lectures, demonstrations and laboratory exercises that unfolds the material logically and at a pace that is responsive to the students’ needs. The course begins with six weeks on crystal chemistry, then five weeks covering analytical methods for characterizing minerals and ends with five weeks on the silicates. This order facilitates a progression of learning from the basic concepts to the more advanced and allows us to reinforce the concepts of crystal chemistry during the final section on the silicates. Optical mineralogy is almost entirely taught in the lab and is aided by use of a mineral identification chart developed to help students learn to identify minerals in thin section. Student performance is assessed through one technical paper and presentation as well as homework, essay exams and lab practicals. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Sharing, Gift-Giving, and Optimal Resource Use Incentives in Hunter-Gatherer Society

In the typical hunter-gatherer society, decision-making is collective, yet decentralized, access to resources is shared, goods are typically distributed via reciprocal exchange, sharing, and gift-giving, and the distribution of both income and decision-making power is egalitarian. We argue these features are interrelated. We adopt an incentive-based view of sharing and gift-giving, in which the fundamental role of sharing and gift-giving is to implement socially desirable production decisions in the face of a common resource use problem. We show how this system decentralizes decision-making, while at the same time encouraging agents to make production decisions in the best interests of the group. Sharing rules give agents optimal use incentives, while gift-giving obligations give agents incentives to reveal private information about skill. The system has some interesting properties; for example, it may result in a relatively equal distribution of income, even though the productive capabilities of agents differ. Our theory is also able to account for some features of the ethnographic record that do not jibe well with existing theories of sharing; for example, why the rather extensive free-riding on the efforts of the most productive agents is typically tolerated in hunter-gatherer society.

Social Position and Distributive Justice: Experimental Evidence

Using a simple, double-blind dictator experiment, we examine the extent to which subjects\u27 choices of distributive shares are influenced by unearned social position. We measure social position by the initial distributive shares (resources) and the subjects\u27 ability to determine the final distributive shares (power). We find that subjects\u27 decisions are consistent with Rawls\u27 (1971) hypothesis that individuals expect a greater share when in a position with more power and initial resources. Finally, we test if subjects\u27 choices under a laboratory veil of ignorance are consistent with Rawls\u27 concept of distributive justice. Veiled individuals exhibit preferences that are less risk-averse and have greater variance than Rawls hypothesized. [excerpt

Self-Hypnosis and Volitional Control of Finger Temperature Among Adults

Raynaud\u27s disease is a condition in which circulation to the hands becomes restricted, causing an uncomfortable sense of cold and occasionally injury. The cause of Raynaud\u27s disease is unknown. Earlier studies have shown that hetero-hypnosis is effective in the treatment of Raynaud\u27s disease. Cost and access to providers limit such a treatment\u27s availability. Theories of hypnosis suggest that self-hypnosis underlies all hypnotic processes. This study examined the utility of self-hypnosis and focused attention on the volitional control of hand temperature. Forty-three adult participants ranging in age from 19 to 77 years with no hypnosis experience were randomly divided into 2 groups; 20 completed the study. Eleven participants listened to a self-hypnosis recording and 9 listened to a mostly blank recording containing periodic instructions to concentrate on controlling finger temperature. A paired samples t test showed a significant difference in means between pre- and post-treatment ability. A second t test did not show a significant difference in means between the groups\u27 ability. Analysis of survey data did not show a significant relationship between participant demographic data and ability to control finger temperature. However, analysis of participant survey responses did show that self-hypnosis was significantly more enjoyable than conscious concentration, which suggests that self-hypnosis has greater potential for adoption if used in the treatment of Raynaud\u27s disease. Because self-hypnosis was found to be enjoyable and effective it may be superior to other treatments that are unpleasant or have pharmacological side effects. These findings will inform sufferers of Raynaud\u27s disease and researchers in their efforts to treat the disease. The positive social change implications of this study are to expand treatment options for a disease that affects 4% of the world\u27s population