Discussion on Darwin's Dangerous Ideas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion on Darwin's Dangerous Ideas - Essay Example Dr. Charles Darwin came up with the great theory of evolution and the principle of natural selection in which only the best prepared organisms with the most desired genes live to maturity and mate to produce offspring with better traits to enable them survive in the environment with varied challenges. The theory has been largely used to explain the differences between organisms of similar species. Polar bears in the Antarctica regions are more hairy than those found in the Savanna regions in South America. The difference in these animals, as per Darwin’s explanation, results from the need of the polar bear to insulate from the stinging cold of the Antarctica regions. Darwin’s ideas are considered dangerous as they oppose the largely believed notion that God created all the animals with the uniqueness they posses. Darwin clearly explains that the environment in which an organism lives plays a major role in designing the features it posses. When man realized that he could find practical answers to the problems facing him, he started questioning the validity of the gospel spread by the church. Diseases like plague, malaria, cholera had their causes easily explained and treatment crafted from the very principle of their existence. This saw a mass boycott of followers from the church in mid 18th century. People started losing faith in the unseen and instead embraced science as it provided realistic solutions to the problems facing the people. This was unlike the ideas spread by the church where people believed that sufferings were as a result of sin and thus people were accustomed to embracing pain believing they were punishment for their past transgressions. Darwin observes that the warm and humid areas offer breeding ground for mosquitoes thus the high prevalence of malaria in such areas. Such findings are very practical and explain the prevalence of malaria in tropical Africa. Furthermore, from his

German Student Movement of the Late 1960s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

German Student Movement of the Late 1960s - Essay Example The young Germans were of the view that the government failed to act and get over the post Nazi era. The students held that Nazi sympathizers were going unpunished and the people in authority had mentalities that were similar to those used to create the Nazi government. This and along with the many problems that existed in the university systems evoked sentiments of distrust and fear of the authorities among students. The grievances in the university system were associated with unfair representation of the students in their unions and university panels. The ex-Nazi professors brought the view that the administration was reminiscent of the infamous third Reich of the Nazi regime. The United States of America played a major role in influencing and determining the outcome of the 68er –Bwegung in West Germany. Though not physically, the United States clearly determined a clear path followed by the movement and contributed to the start of the riots. West Germany and America had clo se cultural and social relation after the war that helped in transnational exchange. The anti war movement in America instituted teach-ins that influenced the German student movement. The teach-ins produced intellectuals who shared an opinion that was in opposition to the Vietnam War. The war illustrated the worldwide spread of imperialism by America to the West German student organization, SDS, who saw the need for a global revolutionary alliance of activists of the first world against the cynical democracy that was the United States. Though the movement focused on the national grievances and problems in the university system at the time (Turner 166), the Vietnam War was a fundamental issue that was associated with the formation and sustaining of the German student movement. The transnational exchange system allowed the exchange of views as well as a sneak peak of the American society to Germans. This generated a part of the population that had more awareness of their rights and in creased civil rights actions. The increased popularity of left extremist movements converted many universities in West Germany into battlefields for ideas (Turner 166). The perception of the US government by the young generation started changing as they share views that are more liberal. The generation had a negative view of the occupation and thought their nation had not mastered its legacy in the post war period as because of the United States political influence. The students turned into critiques of the United States who joined the growing movements around the globe that were anti-America. Therefore, America through its social and cultural relation and activities with West Germany facilitated the arising of the German student movement as it resulted in creating intellectuals with more liberal views and civil rights awareness. The powerful uprisings in the united states in the 1950’s were significant in the emergence of the German student movement. Movements like the Afric an-American civil rights movement had strategies that advocated denunciation of a system and civil disobedience in order to attain equal rights for everyone. These beliefs and strategies motivated protesters, mostly students, to change their approach in protesting. They adopted methods that were more political, violent, and militant (Turner 171). The end of the Second World War saw the occupation of West Germany by the United States. The United States supported the government of Federal Republic of Germany, through the marshal plan, in its attempt to rebuild the economy and infrastructure. This resulted in developing a good relationship between the two nations and in the citizens of West Germany having a good opinion of America. The