IR Theory in International Relations Theory, Realists
In international relations theory, realists generally follow the rational choice or national actor with the assumption that states and their leaders make policy on the basis of calculated self-interest. They follow a utilitarian and pragmatic philosophy in which "decision makers set goals, evaluate their relative importance, calculate the costs and benefits of each possible course of action, then choose the one with the highest benefits and lowest costs" (Goldstein and Pevehouse 127). Individual leaders will have their unique personalities, experiences and psychological makeups, and some will be more averse to risk than others, but essentially they all follow a rational model of policymaking. American presidents are generally skilled politicians as well or they would never have achieved such high office in this first place, and this means that their rational calculations will always include public opinion, the needs of their electoral coalitions and the wishes of various interest groups. On the other hand, IR theorists must necessarily raise the question "to what extent are national leaders (or citizens) able to make rational decisions in the national interest" (Goldstein and Pevehouse 129).
Emily Dickinson\'s Poem 632 (\"The Brain --
This paper considers Emily Dickinson's poem "The brain is wider than the sky" in light of Christianity. The paper reads Dickinson's poem in light of its use of the traditional form of a Christian church-hymn, and notes that the structure of the poem itself builds up to a riddling final stanza. The paper concludes by noting that Dickinson is not writing a straightforward hymn--in fact, she puts the reader in the position of deciding the meaning of the poem, suggesting that the poem itself is more agnostic than Christian, despite its use of traditional Christian motifs and forms.
People Generally Think That We Can Detach
the three areas of knowledge involve perception of the outside world, emotions, and ethics. Three ways of knowing are scientific, phenomenological and spiritual. Science refers to the method of investigating data via analytic and scientifically manufactured ways of knowing; phenomenology – refers to direct, immediate contact with phenomena; whilst spirituality represents an intuitive knowledge of the data (Salmon, n.d.). Each of these three areas of knowledge and three ways of knowing are, to some extent or other, shaped by our language. The function of language is meant to serve as form of communication in order to bond; this has been shown to be true in both animal and human world (Robson, (n.d.)). Too often, however, language accrued by culture and experience may corrupt understanding and prevent bonding from occurring.