Empiricism and the Interpretive Approach to Human Behavior

Empiricism and the Interpretive Approach to Human Behavior Empiricism is a theory that argues that the origin of all knowledge is an experience. Empiricists argue that we learn everything through perception and that it is not possible to have knowledge without experience. Empiricisms comprises few classes, which include classical empiricism and radical empiricism. The classical empiricism is characterized by the rejection of inborn concepts as John Locke, one of the famous empiricists, explains that the mind is blank at birth and is furnished with information through experience. The radical empiricism, on the other hand, explains that all knowledge is gotten from the senses, and it describes it in a principle which states that the meaning of declarations is inseparably tied to the experiences that could confirm them. According to the principle, it is only possible to empirically test that a claim has a meaning (Locke 614). That said, the statements that are not tied to peoples experiences do not have a meaning; the moderate empiricism allows some cases in which sense is not based on the knowledge attained but holds that the exceptions are too general truths. The general truths are like the mathematical additions such as 1+1=2 or that there is no three-sided rectangle. Empiricism offers a good and real view of events as it gives those bases and explains the occurrence of everything and when compared with interpretive approach by Max Weber, which supports the existence of subjective beliefs and ideas, it clearly explains the human behavior in a better way. The usual form of empiricism, also known as the substantive empiricism, explains the human behavior in the contemporary society. Substantive empiricists are not convinced by the attempts which have been made to interpret the formal concepts empirically; therefore, they agree that formal concepts should be a priori. However, they deny that categorical concepts and the theoretical concepts of physics are posterior. This view alleges a priori categorical or theoretical concept as defective, reduced to empirical concepts or useful fiction that are used for the organization and prediction of experience. This explains the human behavior well as people try to justify their actions and in the case they cannot, they leave it to some preexistence concept which can be hard to debate against. The parallel argument of view about knowledge has the assumption that the reality of logical and mathematical propositions is determined (Locke 615). The definitional axioms and the relationships between meanings are established before the experience. The truth that is espoused by empiricists so that one is obliged to rescue a person from drowning only if it is possible and it is a matter of meanings and not facts about the world. That said, propositions that are in contrast to the preceding example are a postriori. Even if there exist priori propositions, they are usually verbal, formal or conceptual in nature and their truth is derived from the meanings that are attached to the words that they contain. Empiricism is important to humans as they are able to explain some events. In real life, a person understands to drive a car because someone else was exposed to that experience before him or her. However, some facts, such as mathematical equations, are predetermined, and thus, they do not apply to the empiristic view. Substantive empiricism offers a moderate view of the facts and issues surrounding people. It explains that priori knowledge is important because it makes the hidden implications of substantive factual assertions to be explicit. However, a priori propositions do not express the new knowledge of the world genuinely as they are empty. For instance, saying all Catholic priests are unmarried only gives an explicit recognition to the commitment to describe as unmarried anyone who has been described as a Catholic priest. The substantive empiricism of knowledge regards all priori propositions as more of concealed tautologies. If ones duty is defined as that which he or she shou ld always do, the statement An individual is obliged to do his/her duty becomes An individual is obliged to do what he/she should always do. The deductive reasoning is conceived as a way of bringing this concealed tautological status to light. Further, an interpretivism is an approach that emphasizes the meaningful nature of peoples characters and participation in the social and cultural life. It shows that some methods of the research which chooses the position that peoples knowledge of reality is a social construction of human factors and overrules the methods of natural science. Interpretivism usually looks for meanings and motives behind peoples actions like interactions and behaviors with other seen in the society (Miller 59). They also argue that cultures can be understood by studying peoples ideas, meanings, and thinking. In the view of interpretivism, free data cannot be obtained as the enquirers use their preconceptions to guide them in the process of inquiry and the researcher must interact with the human subjects of the inquiry, thus, changing the perceptions of both parties. Interpretivists look for the absence or presence of a causal relationship and specific ways in which the relationship is manifested and oc curs. Thus, the researchers are able to understand not only understand what relationship occurs but also how they occur. Max Weber illustrated the dominance of interpretive approaches in the research of the real world through his study of the Protestant ethics and capitalism. He believed that the human behavior is a science which should address the meaningful character of social actions through understanding rather than the quantitative analysis used by natural scientists. Weber saw a deficiency in the positivistic sociology prompting him to develop interpretive sociology. He, however, understood that the positivistic approach is not able to get all social phenomena or to fully explain what is necessary to understand about them (Miller 54). Interpretive sociology works to understand how groups actively develop the reality of their everyday lives through the meaning they give to their actions. They also contend to understand their experiences and actions from their perspectives. Max Weber argued that everyones feelings deeds and thoughts unite with everyone elses into recognizable patterns he considered social actions. Individuals practice free will in the manner in which they are comfortable. However, people are also sensitive to the effects their conduct has on other people, and they are prepared to alter it accordingly. The interpretive and the empiricist theories have affected the human behavior differently. In globalization, sociology focuses on the economic, cultural and political aspects, and the consequences on the globally integrated society. The problem with this view is that it leads people to be selfish, aiming to define their own existence by justifying their actions on some beliefs and reacting on peoples actions for their own good. Empiricists explain that their experiences influence the human behavior. For instance, activities such as migration and the inequality in the society are a continuation of what they have seen. The reaction of most people towards migration is bored from their experiences or other peoples experiences. The idea of inequality is gotten as people interact. At birth, no one thinks of other people lesser or greater than them. The interpretive views argue that the capitalistic nature depicted in the way people connect around the world is based on their feelings. Empiricists have led to varying behavior of humans such as the development of atheism a concept that argues that all things only as a result of their being perceived or by virtue of the circumstance that they are a body doing the perceiving. This is because most religious views are based on ideas whose origin cannot be verified (Locke 617). Human beings have long supported these ideas as they explain their objection of the religious views. Empiricists have also developed the idea of skepticism where they argue that the human knowledge can be divided into two categories that is the matters of fact such as mathematical and logical propositions and relations to ideas such as some propositions involving liable observation of the earth such as the sun rises in the East. That said, it is evident that according to empirics, the existence of the self or the most elementary beliefs about the natural world cannot be conclusively be established by reason, but people accept them because of the instinct and custom. Otherwise, all other beliefs must have a justifiable source or cause. The Weberian approach provides some useful insights and an alternative approach to issues affecting people. For instance, the ideas related to nationalism may override economic factors, or even be in obstruction to the best economic interests of the population (Miller 59). Struggles against groups that have exploited people may be associated with the development of new groups of oppressors and exploiters. Some of the activities include declarations of independence in Eastern Europe, Quebecois nationalism, and the happenings in Yugoslavia. Culture, language, and religion can dominate some of the movements and are characterized by a scenario whereby the notion of independence becomes important than their economic considerations. In the case of Eastern Europe, the drive was the desire to get rid of the communist rule appears to have been motivated as much by ideas as by the practical consequences of this. The interpretive view by Weber talks more of whats happening by giving independence a real meaning to those who struggled for independence and acquiring enough meaning to those who were ready to detriment their lives. Weber argues that things like culture and language are real and they are developed from a set of experiences that has a real meaning in many aspects of life, and they cannot be reduced to an economic situation but present forces that affect people in a real sense (Miller 60). His approach also demonstrates the multiple bases from which people act and from which people get their power. It is evident that his approach argues that it is or the meaning of something that people attach ideas and affects how people relate and work. He is more concerned with actions that are first considered by the actors, and the decisions are made. The reflexive actions are not of sociological interests, and he is therefore not concerned with the mental process. Empiricist and interpretive approaches have many differences as far as the human behavior is concerned. The interpretive theory is contrasted with the structural theories, which aim to remove the partiality of the actor and the researcher and assumes that the human behavior can only be understood as determined by the pulls and pushes of the structural forces. The interpretive theory accepts the free will and observes human behavior as the outcome of his or her subjective interpretation of the environment (Nikolic and Glynn 36). The theory focuses on the actors definition of the situation in which they are acting. It seeks to understand given subjects in a reciprocal way. It is evident in religions such as Christianity, Judaism Confucianism Hinduism, and Islam. In a counter argument, empiricists led by Locke argue that all knowledge comes from a reflection that is the introspective awareness of the workings if a persons mind. They argue that infants are not aware of anything and since human beings know what they are capable of knowing, then all knowledge is innate. Empiricists, unlike interpretive idealists, do not accept all beliefs. Therefore, they do not approve of almost concepts of religion. They explain that all concepts are empirical and explained that the simple ideas that have already been experienced could be combined resulting in complex ideas which have not been experienced (Nikolic and Glynn 36). They therefore lack a source of their actions which are not based on reason or experience thus lacking a strong argument towards the matters they do not support such as some aspects of religion. Another major difference between the two theories is that the interpretivist view is only concerned with the meaning and it seeks to understand the social members definition of a given situation. It involves building a second order theory that is a theory according to the members in question views. Interpretivists have the assumption that meaning and knowledge are acts of interpretation; therefore, there is no objective knowledge that is independent of human reasoning (Miller 52). In contrast, empiricism is concerned with objective reality and acknowledges meanings that are independent of people. This gives everyone in the society a fair chance to express themselves without prejudice from people who believe otherwise. In summary, empiricism generalizes the views of people and understands human behavior from a general view which is not bound by beliefs and cultures. Empiricisms is a netter argument because the followers are not believers of religion as they lack the personal experience to which the basis of the religion is formed and they view all people as equal and offer equal opportunities to individuals to prove themselves. On the other hand, interpretivists usually group people with class based on their actions. This has created different classes of people in the world. The capitalistic nature of interpretivists also shows the fault in the argument unlike the empiricists who judge things from the objective perspective, and this makes the world to be equal. They base their decisions by using arguments which cannot be refuted by any subjective beliefs such as religion, culture and a system of government. That said, it is evident that the world can be a better place if people embrace the empirici sts approach in their daily actions. Works Cited Locke, Karen. Pragmatic Reflections on a Conversation About Grounded Theory in Management and Organization Studies. Organizational Research Methods 18.4 (2015): 612-619. Miller, Joyce. Religious Extremism, Religious Education, and the Interpretive Approach. Religion Education 40.1 (2013): 50-61. Nikolic, Aleksandar Vuc, and Simon Glynn. The Illusory Nature of the So-Called Objective World. FAU Undergraduate Research Journal 5.1 (2016): 36.

Demon in the Freezer Overview

The Demon in the Freezer is a 2002 non-fiction book on the biological weapon agents smallpox and anthrax and how the American government develops defensive measures against them. It was written by journalist Richard Preston, also author of the best-selling book The Hot Zone (1994), about outbreaks of Ebola virus in Africa and Reston, Virginia and the US government's response to them. The book is primarily an account of the Smallpox Eradication Program (1967–80), the ongoing perception by the U. S. overnment that smallpox is still a potential bioterrorism agent, and the controversy over whether or not the remaining samples of smallpox virus in Atlanta and Moscow (the â€Å"demon† in the freezer) should be finally destroyed. However, the writer was overtaken by events — the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax letter incidents (called â€Å"Amerithrax†), both in 2001 — and so much of the book interweaves the anthrax investigation with the smallpox material in an awkward [1] and somewhat disjointed [2][3] manner.Section 1, â€Å"Something in the Air†, begins h a day-by-day account of the anthrax letter attacks in Florida and Washington, DC, for the period 2 to 15 October 2001. Robert Stevens, a photo retoucher for the tabloid, The Sun was a victim and US Senator Tom Daschle was an intended victim. The reactions of the FBI, the CDC and the U. S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) are detailed. Section 2, â€Å"The Dreaming Demon†, looks back to an outbreak of smallpox at St Walberga Hospital in Meschede, Germany.The successful efforts organized by local public health authorities and the WHO — including a textbook example of ring vaccination containment — are described. Section 3, â€Å"To Bhola Island†, describes the variety and evolution of poxviruses and the history of smallpox in particular. The story of the SEP (Smallpox Eradication Program, referred to throughout as â €Å"the Eradication†), led by DA Henderson and others is recounted.The more personal story of physician, counterculture figure, and future virtual community pioneer Lawrence Brilliant is told as his Indian guru, Neem Karoli Baba exhorts him in 1970 to join the SEP and â€Å"go eradicate smallpox†. (Brilliant ended up fighting the outbreak at the Tatanagar Railway Station in Bihar. Finally, the Maximum Containment Facility (MCF) of the CDC in Atlanta is described. Section 4, â€Å"The Other Side of the Moon†, begins with an account of the 1989 defection to the UK of Vladimir Pasechnik, the first Soviet bioweaponeer to flee to the West.Pasechnik described Biopreparat, the Soviet biological weapons program, to MI6, including their genetically modified, antibiotic resistant anthrax and their smallpox program at the site known as Vector. The fact that the Russians had armed ICBMs with both plague and smallpox is revealed. Various biological weapon facilities in Russi a and Iraq are described. Finally, the history and work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Orthopox Infections is related. This group of the WHO has hotly debated since 1980 over the fate of the remaining samples of smallpox in the last two official repositories.DA Henderson has been in favor of destruction, while US Army scientist Peter Jahrling has been against it on the basis that further research is needed since smallpox almost certainly exists (he believes) outside of the repositories. Section 5, â€Å"A Woman with a Peaceful Life†, tells the story of USAMRIID microbiologist and epidemiologist Dr Lisa E. Hensley who was originally recruited to do Ebola work. A January 2000 accident in the AA4 â€Å"Hot Suite† that Hensley experienced, along with the protocols that followed it, is described.The efforts of USAMRIID scientists to get approval to do smallpox research on animals is described including the FDA’s â€Å"Animal Efficacy Rule† and the WHO General Asse mbly’s provisional permission to do research for three years (1999–2002). A â€Å"Monkey Cabinet† is designed at USAMRIID and CDC for use in the possible investigation of the question of whether animals can be infected with smallpox. The development of a lethal, genetically engineered mousepox virus (the Jackson-Ramshaw virus) and its implications for bioterrorism are described.Finally, the â€Å"awakening† of the smallpox at the CDC’s MCF West in 2001 by US Army investigators to induce smallpox disease in monkeys for the first time is dramatically recounted. Section 6, â€Å"The Demon’s Eyes†, continues the story of the induction of smallpox disease in monkeys at the CDC in 2001. It was determined that the Harper strain of smallpox kills monkeys slowly while the India strain kills them quickly. This was the first time that smallpox had ever been shown capable of infecting non-humans. Of eight monkeys infected, seven died—six o f hemorrhagic smallpox and one of the classic pustular type.There follows a discussion of the need and justification for animal-use smallpox experiments. The emergency evacuation of the Army workers in the MCF West on 9/11 is described. Section 7, â€Å"The Anthrax Skulls†, relates the atmosphere at the Department of Health and Human Services and their actions at the time of the 9/11 attacks. The story of the Amerithrax investigations is picked up again in day-by-day detail for the period 16 to 25 October 2001. The response by the FBI, HHS, DOJ, CIA and the White House are detailed. Actions at USAMRIID and USAMRMC are also described. USAMRIID became the FBI’s reference lab for forensic evidence related to the bioterror incident. ) The events leading to Dr Steven Hatfill becoming a DOJ â€Å"person of interest† are related. Finally, the indignation of Alfred Sommer, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health at the news of the Army animal smallpox experime nts is described as well as a reiteration of DA Henderson’s opposition to the same. Section 8, â€Å"Superpox†, the last section, begins with a description of an attempt at replication of the Jackson-Ramshaw virus at a lab at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine by Mark Buller working for USAMRIID.The potential for a similarly engineered â€Å"super-smallpox† virus for use by a terrorist is examined. The procedure for the transfection of an interleukin-4 gene into a mousepox virus is described. Finally, an unusual artifact – the preserved arm of a 3 or 4 year old child with classic smallpox lesions, discovered in 1999 and now housed at USAMRIID—is described. This leads the author to muse that â€Å"the dream of the total eradication had failed†, because although we could eradicate smallpox from nature, â€Å"we could not uproot the virus from the human heart†.

Regression Analysis and Credit Balance

AJ DAVIS Generate a scatterplot for CREDIT BALANCE vs. SIZE, including the graph of the â€Å"best fit† line. Interpret. Determine the equation of the â€Å"best fit† line, which describes the relationship between CREDIT BALANCE and SIZE 2591+ 403. 221 Determine the coefficient of correlation. Interpret. .75/ r-sq(56. 6%). There is a mild correlation. Determine the coefficient of determination. Interpret. 56. 6% Test the utility of this regression model (use a two tail test with ? =. 05). Interpret your results, including the p-value. P-value=0. Reject the null hpothesis.T value 7. 9147 Based on your findings in 1-5, what is your opinion about using SIZE to predict CREDIT BALANCE? Size is a good predictor for credit balance. Compute the 95% confidence interval for beta-1 (the population slope). Interpret this interval. (300. 79, 505. 66) Using an interval, estimate the average credit balance for customers that have household size of 5. Interpret this interval. (4368. 20 , 4846. 90) Using an interval, predict the credit balance for a customer that has a household size of 5. Interpret this interval. (3337. 87, 5877. 23)What can we say about the credit balance for a customer that has a household size of 10? Denotes a point that is an extreme outlier in the predictors. Using MINITAB run the multiple regression analysis using the variables INCOME, SIZE and YEARS to predict CREDIT BALANCE. State the equation for this multiple regression model. Credit balance= 1276. 02+ 32. 2719 income(1000) + 346. 852 size + 7. 88209 years. Is this multiple regression model better than the linear model that we generated in parts 1-10? Yes. Reject years there is no corralation of coefficient. Income is useful and years in combination with size and income.

William Shakespeare s Twelfth Night - 1434 Words

William Shakespeare has entertained people for centuries with his romantic comedies. One of his well-known plays is Twelfth Night which explores the relationships between friends. The main characters in the play have to overcome many different challenging obstacles and when all hope seems to be against them, they end up overpowering their difficulties and fall in love. . Jesus’s words in John chapter 15 are perfect: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Loyalty and trust was shown in Jesus’s actions because he did what he promised and gave his life up for the sins of others. Compatibility is shown between the friendship of Toby and Andrew. Trust must be present amongst friends in order for the relationship to be at its fullest. Loyalty is expressed between the relationship of Antonio and Sebastian. Throughout the play Twelfth Night, Shakespeare demonstrates that true friends are always compatible, trustworthy, and loyal to ea ch other. Antonio and Sebastian are very intimate with one another and have become very loyal to each other. This is shown quite evidently throughout the play many times. An example of this is when Antonio wants to go with Sebastian to Illyria to make sure he is safe, he tells Sebastian, â€Å"But, come what may, I do adore thee so that danger shall seem sport, and I will go† (Act 2, Scene 1, lines 40-41). Deep down inside, Antonio feels a shrill desire to follow and help his friend on his travels. AlthoughShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night2005 Words   |  9 Pagesrole that gender plays in Shakespeare’s work. Focus on Twelfth Night or King Lear—or discuss both plays together. Do you see these patterns repeated? Or do you see them being challenged and somehow undermined (implicitly or explicitly) in the plots and language of the play s)?† wants to know if Shakespeare wanted to break the pattern of women being passive objects to men in the literat ure. In the story Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare all of the roles are played by men. In the fifteenth centuryRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1967 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Twelfth Night† or â€Å"What You Will† was written around 1601-1602 with the primary performance being in February 1602. It is known to be a high point of Shakespearian comedy as it is one of Shakespeare’s finest works. Twelfth night was written to commemorate the close of the Christmas season being possibly one of the first ever holiday specials, kind of like the Middle Ages version of â€Å"Love Actually†. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated duringRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pagesaffection for another person,† love takes on many forms throughout life and literature (Merriam-Webster). 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One of the primary protagonists, Viola is washed up onto the shores during violent storms that separate her and her biological twin brother Sebastian. Viola is uncertain if her brother Sebastian survived. It is a coincidence, that the tragic shipwreck carried Viola to the enemy state (Illyria). Unfortunately, this forces the character to go into disguise in order to survive on the maleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1979 Words   |  8 Pageshas died. This is extremely emotionally tolling both on the nurses and the patients and lying seems like a kinder option. A situation such as this one would be deception to gain something but is helping the person being lied to. In William Shakespeare s Twelfth Night, one main characters, Viola, wakes up on the shores of Illyria after a shipwreck in which her brother has presumably died. She formulates a plan to work for the Duke, Orsino who is hopelessly in love with the sought-after Olivia. ThisRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1106 Words   |  5 Pagescharacters. Before movies, people learned about love in literature. Even in the old literature, love was a common theme. In Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Twelfth Nightâ⠂¬ , different types of love between the characters are investigated. Each of the characters’ relationships play a role in the development of the story. The first and main type of love in â€Å"Twelfth Night is true love. The story’s plot is driven by the complicated love triangle between Orsino, Viola, and Olivia. However, Viola’s love is the only true