Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 May 10

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May 10

National Service League-United Kingdom

Good evening. In the course of some reading on the National Service League, set up in Britain in 1902 to campaign for compulsory military service, I came across a suggestion that an army raised in such a way could be used to overthrow the government. Were there any good grounds for this fear and did the League itself embrace a particular political perspective? My thanks in advance. G F Shee (talk)

Sorry can't help with the question, but it gives me a good idea.....--Artjo (talk) 05:37, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

A new one to me. In days long gone even in 1902 it had been a professional army, Housman's Army of Mercenaries, loyal to their paymaster, who were seen as a threat to the political order. The case of the New Model Army and James II's attempt to establish a Catholic and substantially Irish army prior to the Glorious Revolution were seen as particularly relevant. Going further back, there were endless examples of military men seizing power in Italian city states, and, probably better known to classically educated Britons, in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. But in 1906, that was not a very effective bogeyman. Britain had had a large-ish professional army for over a century and there had been no man on horseback. The National Service League was largely a conservative group, but a populist one. Their members were likely to be interested in eugenics, in public health, in mass education, and other ideas which put them on the progressive side of the conservative movement. It certainly wasn't some sort of Boulangist trojan horse aiming to replace Edward VII with Bobs. Angus McLellan (Talk) 00:34, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Cultures/ groups forbidding or objecting to cutting hair

I came across a "Dear Abby" column where parents complained about other parents not allowing their child to get a haircut. The columnist encouraged the party asking the question to convince the other child's parents to concede. I found that a rather intolerant position, considering that there are groups that ban hair cutting as part of their practices. Thinking more I came up with the Sikh. I also seem to have a couple of orthodox Jews who seemed to not cut theirs although our article doesn't seem to mention, maybe it's a subgroup or a personal preference. Could s.o. clarify and are there any others? Thks.Lisa4edit (talk) 01:18, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I know some Christian denominations here in the Philippines forbid the cutting of hair in females. Too bad I don't have an online cite so I can't name them here.--Lenticel ^(talk) 01:22, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

For the Orthodox Jewish tradtion, see payot. - Nunh-huh 02:23, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

See Long hair. Wrad (talk) 02:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks yalls. Obviously a hairy subject. :-) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.236.23.111 (talk) 03:42, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Niuean boys do not cut their hair until they become become teenagers, in a ceremony where women tend the hair for the last time before it is cut. Members of the extended family plaster the youth with banknotes – all part of a large informal Niuean economy that links families and ensures the community looks after its own. This is a tradition continued wherever Niueans live, especially in New Zealand where many Niueans are now, indeed my young sons went to a friends first hair cut last year. We need to expand the rock's entry to acknowledge this well known custom Mhicaoidh (talk) 08:43, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

What did they do before paper money? —Tamfang (talk) 18:01, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The biblical Nazirites did not cut their hair. The nicest story dealing with the subject is the one on Samson. User:Krator (t c) 18:02, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Pentecostal women do not cut their hair. Same goes for followers of the splinter groups of the Latter-Day Saints such as those who were recently detained in the US state of Texas. Dismas|^(talk) 18:47, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Likewise Rastafarians. And there are other groups that discourage or prohibit the cutting of beards, and yet others that encourage or require the removal of certain types of body hair. All ways of identifying "our people" as different from "those others". BrainyBabe (talk) 18:50, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

My grandparents were Pentecostal and I attended their services frequently when visiting them, and there was never any prohibition against hair cutting among them. Corvus cornix_talk 22:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Not Pentecostal, but the Exclusive Brethren proscribe cutting the hair for women[1]. Oddly I can't find it in the article or the Raven-Taylor-Hales branch, though the women are identified easily by long hair and head scarves. Julia Rossi (talk) 01:36, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

The ancient Chinese only shaved their head once at birth, and never after, as a sign of filial piety. Confucianism says that one's body and hair is given by one's parents, and so as a sign of filial piety, one should never damage them (身体发肤，受之父母，不敢毁伤，孝之始也). In Pre-Confucian times, cutting of one's hair or nails was an important religious ritual, with the cut-off hair and nails offered to the gods as sacrifice.

After the advent of Confucianism, the importance of hair did not diminish. In the Han dynasties, one of the five corporal punishments in the Imperial Code was that of cutting the hair (髡刑).

By contrast, the nomadic tribes of northern and western China who did not subscribe to Confucianism had different customs for cutting or shaving parts of their heads. When the Manchus conquered all China, they sought to implement their custom (which was to shave the front part of the head and weave the rest into a queue). They met great resistance from the Han Chinese, and implemented a policy of "if you want your hair, you lose your head; if you want your head, you lose your hair" - i.e. a death penalty for those who do not dress their hair in the Manchu custom. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 01:58, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Bad grades and grad school/master/PhD

I got a low grade for my first University degree. Is it acceptable to apply for a master degree? Would a good GRE grade solve the problem? Should I try publishing something in serious but unknow magazine? 217.168.4.133 (talk) 10:02, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

If your grades aren't strong enough to apply for an MA program, you could go back to undergrad for another year as a "special student" (or whatever the equivalent for you is) and pad your grades. (Worked for me!) Adam Bishop (talk) 12:26, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

At what university was it? What was the official name? "special student"? 217.168.4.133 (talk) 12:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The situation will be different from country to country and university to university and even program to program. Some Master's programs are almost like an intense version of the Bachelor's - there are regular classes, etc. and the thesis is less important, more like a capstone to the whole thing. Getting into that kind of program would be difficult with poor grades; I would suggest following Adam's advice. On the other hand, some Master's programs are more like a apprenticeship, where a professor agrees to personally take you on and guide you through the steps to writing a well-received and published thesis. There may be few or no regular classes. For that kind of thing, a good rapport with the prof is much more important than the grades you got... keeping in mind that good grades help create that good rapport. :) Those are only a couple of examples; there are more. Publishing anything in a peer-reviewed journal will certainly help your cause, but that's because it's hard to do; getting something published in a regular magazine wouldn't hurt your cause, but it probably wouldn't help much either. Matt Deres (talk) 14:01, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

And just to reaffirm a point: it will matters what type of program you are trying to do. There's a very different attitudes towards grades in, say, the sciences than there are the humanities. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:37, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, what is the attitude in humanities and what is the attitude in science? In what field are universities more liberal? 217.168.4.133 (talk) 15:15, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

My experience is in Canada if that helps. Publishing something, as Matt said, is hard, and if you don't have an MA or PhD you likely won't be taken seriously, so that's an unlikely route (there were a few discussions about this in the past couple of months on the reference desk, actually). Adam Bishop (talk) 16:10, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry if this comes out a bit blunt. One question that comes to mind is why your grades didn't come out better. If you want to join a Master's program just because you dream of getting a degree, that's most likely not going to work. Unless your low grades had some specific cause that no longer exists, you have markedly improved your organizational skills and study habits, Master's aren't handed out after a couple of years on the merit of being present. If you felt that your focused interests and abilities in one subject have limited your academic achievements so far and you would be able to contribute significantly to the advancement of the field, you might be able to convince the professor or the acceptance committee of some program to let you in despite your grades. Your reaction above indicates that to be a rather unlikely scenario since you're not even sure what you'd like to focus on. As the other posters said there are many paths to overcoming low grades, but they all involve that you prove that you can handle the requirements of the program you are applying for. The first one you'd have to prove that to is yourself. Publishing "something" is only going to help if you'd like to go for something like writing or journalism. Lisa4edit (talk) 21:08, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, indeed my low grades had a personal cause that no longer exits. Besides that, they were not systematically low, just a part of it. 217.168.0.94 (talk) 21:57, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

There are lots of second echelon schools which offer Masters degrees. Anyone who received a Bachelors degree from a respectable (non-diploma mill) college should be able to enroll at one of these lesser schools with a Masters program and take some courses as a special (non-degree program) student. If one area of your undergrad program was weak (say mathematics) and you passed these courses in your new academic career with good grades, you should be able to write a convincing application saying that you would do better this time. Just the intent to do better would have little weight, absent evidence. You could also take courses at an "open" college, such as a community college, and a couple of semesters of good grades in hard courses should be convincing. Test scores alone would not be completely effective in overcoming a poor track record, since the brightest person can be a goof-off slacker. If you have a good excuse as you suggest (there was some impediment to scholarship which has been removed) then a letter of recommendation from a respected person with knowledge of your circumstances would help. Good luck. FairmontMN (talk) 02:53, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Annual economic growth rate

Hello, is there a website with countries' past economic growth rates? Since, say, the 1990's? The specific countries I am interested in are Canada, Singapore and China. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance. 79.78.35.112 (talk) 10:52, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

This is the best I could find. Hope it helps.Anonymous101 (talk) 15:47, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Good sources for economic data are the websites of: IMF, World Bank, OECD and the Fed St. Louis for the US ([2]). User:Krator (t c) 18:12, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The UN has lots of data, but maybe not exactly what you were looking for. Try http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx or http://unstats.un.org/unsd/databases.htm. Hope this helps. Lisa4edit (talk) 20:26, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Deaths in Medieval England

Manorial records show that manslaughter rates were particularly high. Is there any known reason for this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.153.162.162 (talk) 12:33, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

It's difficult to speculate unless we know which manorial records, and when (and what their definition of "manslaughter" was). Do you have any more info? Adam Bishop (talk) 16:08, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Experience

If some one never had a girlfriend and they are gay, do they have the right to become gay? I think they should experience a woman first before they go on that side, don't you. Mr Beans Backside (talk) 14:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I nominate you to be in charge of enforcing that rule. Good Luck. Makey melly (talk) 14:33, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

As an after though, I have to disagree. I would really not like it if I had to sample some gayness before I earned the right to be heterosexual. Makey melly (talk) 14:34, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

This isn't the place to judge people or their actions, so please do not do so. Thanks, PeterSymonds | talk 14:38, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The question is a little confused. If a person "is gay", then they've already arrived. Sexual orientation is not about rights, it's about our personal nature. Some young people are unsure which way they're heading, sexually speaking, so it makes sense for them to try various things before they identify whether they're straight, gay or whatever. But if they know from an early age what their orientation is, why should they be forced to try alternatives that they already consider undesirable, a turn-off, or even repulsive? -- JackofOz (talk) 23:24, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

presidential nominees

When was a presidential nominee selected by the super delegates over the popular choice? Has this ever happened? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 14:54, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

• Nope. Note that there have only been six primary seasons under the superdelegate setup. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:11, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Gender Equality in Education

Today, there is much discrimination around the world when it comes to females receiving an education, particularly in underdeveloped nations. Does anyone have any unique ideas that could help solve this problem?

-Julio

In places where gender inequality is prevalent in education, it is usually part of an overall lack of gender equality, and cannot be solved without tackling the greater issue. Do you have any examples of countries where inequality in education is a lot more prevalent than in other areas? A specific 'unique idea', as you phrase it, Julio, could be necessary in that situation. User:Krator (t c) 18:07, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The internet is making knowledge a lot more accessible. One needs access to a computer, though, and someone to help up to the level of basic reading skills. But that's only part of the equation. If gaining knowledge is discouraged and an education can not be applied later this opportunity only helps a little. Unique ideas there are aplenty. The problem is that any good idea can turn things for the worse just as easy as it can improve the situation. Lisa4edit (talk) 20:13, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Job interview success

What would you recommend for job interview success, I'm only 17 and this is my first job interview, so a little nervous. Thanks in advance Hadseys 17:33, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

On one aspect, dress in something you've worn before, i.e. do not buy a new suit for the occasion. Depends on what the job's about though. User:Krator (t c) 17:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

• Lol just a sales assistant for Marks and Spencers, I've already done a list of possible questions and prepared my answers though, so I'm well prepared --Hadseys 18:11, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Speak intelligently, don't use any slang, say "yes" instead of "yeah", and don't slouch. I've no idea what a Marks & Spencers is but just basic courtesy and things like that help anywhere. Dismas|^(talk) 18:36, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

If it is not already part of your life, buy and practise wearing a couple of articles of their clothing, and buy and consume a couple of types of their food, and be prepared to talk about what you liked about them. But don't wear an entire outfit of brand new M&S clothing to the interview. BrainyBabe (talk) 18:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Even for a sales assistant job, dressing smartly will count in your favour - don't for heaven's sake go in jeans, t-shirt and trainers as someone did to an interview at my employers' last year! -- Arwel (talk) 20:44, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I'd like to reiterate the issue about speaking clearly and intelligently. As someone who deals with a lot of college-age young adults, I have noticed that most are entirely un-selfconscious about the fact that they speak with huge amounts of slang, as well as very poor grammar. Avoid unnecessary use of the the word "like" if possible. Remember, you want them to think that you will be a good person to sell things to others — you need to sound like you know what you are talking about at all times, even if you don't. Part of that is speaking clearly. Unfortunately it's a skill that is not very much extolled these days; even Ivy League undergraduates often "like like like" their way through a seminar and it's hard (as the instructor) to avoid thinking of them as idiots just because they don't put very much care into how they express themselves. (Of course, I am speaking of what is probably a specifically US example here, but I'm sure there's a similar one in the UK.)

Also, I should maybe point out that I'm not opposed to the new suit approach. Sure, it looks affected, but that's not bad: you're projecting that you care enough about the job to do something extra. Some people show up to job interviews wearing the same slouchy clothes they'd wear to school or around the house; that might look more "natural" but it doesn't show you care very much. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:05, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm with Brainiy and 98 on the suit. Preparing a little "sales pitch" about yourself is a good idea. Don't go with I am, I can, I want to. Instead say: (you want me because) I've done /achieved this applying these qualities/skills (that you are looking for).

Run this by as many people as you can. The more familiar you become with the "product Hadseys" the more confident you'll be and then a lot of the nervousness will pass. (Don't worry if you still have a bit of the jitters, everyone does.) Lisa4edit (talk) 19:56, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

And you should have a list of questions you want to ask them too. Apparently if you write a list of everything you want to know and go through it at the end, finding all the stuff that hasn't yet been discussed, that impresses them.HS7 (talk) 20:12, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

In the US at least, a job interview is a two-way affair, where the applicant decides whether or not the job and the employer, and the employer decides whether or not they like the applicant. If you spend too much time asking about the pay, benefits, time off, etc., then the employer will think thta yuo don't really care about the job. Therefore, Try to ask questions about the actual job and try to show some enthusiasm about the actual work. -Arch dude (talk) 21:24, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

You look reasonably intelligent and smart (actually I liked your old photo much better) and seem to have wide ranging interests and a solid personality.

I would not worry too much about the interview. Your potential employers will understand that you are nervous, but you would not have been invited for an interview unless your CV / application has already implied your suitability for the position.

Good luck. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:35, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree with Hidden secret 7. It's an inter-view, not an interrogation. You're entitled to ask about them, just as much as they're entitled to ask about you. But apparently it's considered bad form these days to ask about how much they're going to pay you, unless they raise the issue and want to negotiate about it. If they just say "The pay is $X; does that suit you?", or something like that, then it's a take-it-or-leave-it statement. Only if X is seriously lower than your expectations would you say anything other than "Oh, that's fine, thanks". Also, if they ask you what you've been doing lately, for heavens sake don't do what someone did on a panel I was sitting on once - she replied, "I don't do nuffink [sic] much. They don't give me enough work to do and I spend half the day reading a novel". At least pretend to be industrious and proactive even if that doesn't quite resemble your operating style. This is all about impressions; what actually happens in the workplace on a daily basis is far more complex than any interview can ever hope to capture. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:59, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

It is an inter-rrogation. You ask too. If it were a proper inter-view you will only see and be seen. 217.168.0.94 (talk) 00:29, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Wow! Touché. Next time I'm being grilled by the cops under a naked light at 3 am, I'll ask them if this is an interrogation. If they answer in the affirmative, I'll say "OK, in that case I've got a few questions for you" and see what happens next. But seriously, how amazing that I've never noticed that this word never means what the inter- prefix implies. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

No one's yet mentioned what I think is key advice before a job interview: Do some research about the company ahead of time. Visit the company's website. Definitely read the Wikipedia article. If you're not a regular shopper at Marks & Spencer, walk through the store. Pay close attention to the employees: how they act, dress, relate to one another and the customers. It can't hurt to talk to a few employees about their job and the company. Once you've done your research, demonstrate what you've learned in the interview. For example, the Wikipedia article mentions that in February Marks & Spencer started charging 5p for plastic bags. You might want to mention that like the company's commitment to the environment and ask how the policy is working. Are more customers bringing bags from home? Don't fake interest though. If you think this policy is stupid, don't pretend it isn't, just don't mention it. If you like one of the company's products, mention that. Most often, what an employer is looking for is a sign that you're enthusiastic about the job. Showing you're interested in the company is one of the best ways to demonstrate that. --D. Monack | talk 07:26, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

• I read Marks & Spencers annual review and I've compiled a list of job interview questions they might ask me; I've mentioned some of the statistics they've used in their annual review, and hopefully they'll be impressed, I'll publish them on a subpage on my user space on here and maybe you guys could give my responses an appraisal, if you don't mind? --Hadseys 10:37, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

• Here are some questions I anticipate being asked during my interview and also listed there are my responses to them, please feel free to scrutinize them :-) --11:33, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

---

I GOT THE JOB :-D

The mind in ancient Greece

Did the Greeks really think the mind was in the heart? I've heard this a lot but I can't find a source anywhere. Anyone know? Michael Clarke, Esq. (talk) 18:40, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

"Tell me, where is fancy bred, / or in the heart, or in the head?" A cursory search via Google didn't give me the best evidence, but this link gives some good info, and suggests that both Aristotle and Homer would be places to look for citations. Perhaps someone else will be able to offer a more direct citation to ancient authors? User:Jwrosenzweig editing as 71.112.32.46 (talk) 19:17, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The link above is nice, and here is an account of the subject, from a referred journal, with references, tracing the topic from all the way back to ancient Egypt. SaundersW (talk) 20:27, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks guys, those were both great. Michael Clarke, Esq. (talk) 22:17, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Why is Tsutomu Miyazaki still alive??

Hello friends, I have seen I can ask on here about laws. Tsutomu Miyazaki, a Japanese serial killer was sentenced to death in 1990 for the murders of four little girls. My question is: why isn't he dead?. Why if he was sentenced to death in 1997 (however, he was in prison since 1990) he's still alive in 2008?? Thanks a lot! 201.254.89.87 (talk) 18:45, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Looks like he (or his lawyers) have filed for appeals many times; the most recent one being ruled on in 2006. I know nothing about the Japanese court system, but assuming it is somewhat like the American court system (a big assumption, but since the US did help re-draw the Japanese government after WWII, maybe not a stupid one), death row appeals drastically extend the amount of time until execution (which is not necessarily a bad thing, given the problems of false conviction in the US at least), and even after appeals have been exhausted it can take quite some time for the actual execution to get scheduled and enacted. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:58, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm always amazed at the delays built into the US legal system, given that by the time people are executed many seem to have been in prison for as long as they would have served for murder in Britain and then been released on licence. Back in the first two-thirds of the last century, when Britain had the death penalty, the average length of time from conviction through appeal to execution was about ten weeks; John Amery, who was the first person in 300 years to plead guilty to treason and therefore could not appeal, was hanged exactly three weeks after his trial. If you're going to have the death penalty, at least get it over with quickly. -- Arwel (talk) 20:54, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Dorothy Sayers in Strong Poison has Harriet Vane, waiting to be (wrongly) hanged, think that three weeks is about the worst possible delay: either do it right away before the initial shock has worn off, or (as in America) string it out until the convict doesn't care anymore! —Tamfang (talk) 18:09, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

As I understand it the death penalty in Japan is often used symbolically, but rarely then actually executed...? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.220.202 (talk) 21:27, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

We can compare this with the way these things were done in the 18th century. James Hackman killed Martha Ray on 7 April 1779, was tried at the Old Bailey on 16 April 1779, found guilty of murder the same day, and hanged three days later. Xn4 22:37, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't mean to start a debate about the death penalty but I thought I'd respond to Arwel's comment about "get(ting) it over with". I heard a story on NPR last week some time that was talking about the death penalty in Texas. Texas is known for its use of the death penalty and carrying out the sentence more than most other states. Apparently, with the prevalence and ease of DNA testing, a number of lawyers have asked for help from various local law colleges in the Dallas area to sift through all the records of those who were sentenced to die in Dallas. So far, they've been able to get the sentences thrown out for many men because their DNA didn't match was was on file in evidence lockers. Dallas is the only area that they're concentrating on since Dallas is the only city where evidence with DNA on/in it (hair, skin samples, blood, etc.) is actually preserved for any great length of time. Most every other jurisdiction destroys evidence in a more timely fashion. Dismas|^(talk) 01:42, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, to the OP, you might want to check out Capital punishment in Japan. I haven't looked at it due to my internet connection being horrible tonight but it might shed some light on the subject. Dismas|^(talk) 01:49, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

battleship diplomacy

What is battleship diplomacy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.220.202 (talk) 21:19, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

There is some (obviously biased or even biassed) information under the entry for cowboy diplomacy.

--Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:10, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The usual term for what you mean is gunboat diplomacy. Xn4 22:25, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Redirect created, so the OP's link is no longer red. SaundersW (talk) 15:59, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The role of committee members in a small club

I am the secretary of a small club. The President tries to take over what I understand to be my role. Exactly what is my role? Islofts (talk) 21:28, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Normally, the role of the club secretary is to deal with matters (especially correspondence, taking minutes, making arrangements for meetings and events, less often supervising permanent or temporary staff, if there are any) on behalf of the Committee. Decisions are normally taken by the Committee, unless the club's Rules specifically delegate them to someone. Xn4 22:24, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Such squabbles are why clubs draw up "club rules", a "club manifest" or some such. Maybe you'd like to put that on the agenda for the next meeting. You could fix such things as quorum, roles of officers (e.g. the president, the secretary), membership, etc. If you already have club rules you might want to expand them. Google for "club rules" to get ideas of what you might put in. They don't have to be cast in stone. You can fix in the quorum rules how many people have to agree to make changes. There are people who object to having rules instated, feeling they would unduly hem them in. That only delays having to make decisions to the point when conflicts arise. Lisa4edit (talk) 07:54, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I'll note that Robert's Rules of Order is the standard starting point when drafting such things. -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 22:56, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Definition of the mind

I know this question is a little bit languages and a little bit psychology (which goes under science, apparently), but I think it's more suited here. Can anyone give me some different definitions of the mind? I'm basically looking for one from ancient Greece, one from Freud or a contemporary and then a sort of "medical standard" one from nowadays if one exists. Thanks in advance. Michael Clarke, Esq. (talk) 22:17, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

You're just not a believer yet, are you? Wikipedia has an article on everything. Mind has several definitions and links that should suit your question. Philosophy, which includes most of the "mind" debate, goes under Humanities. So your were right on the first try. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 06:00, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Essentialism and Enlightenment Tolerance

In philosophy, essentialism is the view that, for any specific kind of entity, there is a set of characteristics or properties all of which any entity of that kind must have. This view is contrasted with non-essentialism which states that for any given kind of entity there are no specific traits which entities of that kind must have.

Does the Enlightenment specifically reject most kinds of essentialism ? I've heard it said that essentialism was at the root of all forms of bigotry and was thus rejected by the 18th century philosophy of Tolerance. In other words, is it right to claim that essentialism is essential to non-enlightened people ?

What I find most difficult with this view is that essentialism can mean a lot of things, it can mean some strands of ancient Greek philosophy, it can mean certain religious views, it can also mean outright racism and nationalism. 69.157.246.246 (talk) 23:04, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think the generalization that the Enlightenment was anti-essentialist, any more than it is correct to say that the Enlightenment it was anti-racist or pro-tolerance (other than religious). Many fine treatises on racial inequality came from Enlightenment minds, and cries for tolerance were usually restricted to religious and political tolerance at most. On the other hand, essentialism is at the core of much Aristotlean philosophy, and underlines much of the philosophy of the Enlightenment as well. As to whether it is the root of all bigotry, that's sort of like saying bricks and wood are at the base of all death camps, in my opinion. It may be necessary for bigotry, but it not sufficient, and bigotry has much more to it than believing in shared properties or kinds. Some of the greatest works of the Enlightenment were all about finding the shared characteristics, and some of those same works were early works in racism as well—see Linnaeus, for example. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:58, 11 May 2008 (UTC)