Compare and Contrast Frankenstein and Invisible Man

Sometimes the determination of one to achieve his goals and dreams causes him to walk over the feelings or goal of another, making a person fall victim to the other persons desires. Through themes such as hatred, betrayal, and revenge, two pieces of literature, Invisible Man written by Ralph Ellison, and Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, support this statement to the fullest extent. In both stories, the main character becomes a victim to a person or persons seeking individual power. However, when both characters realize the betrayal of these people, the knowledge causes them to rebel against their authorities. In Invisible Man, a young Negro, who remains unnamed throughout the entire novel and lived during the 1950s, is expelled†¦show more content†¦Though he succeeds with his experiment, and brings his work to life, the appearance of the creature instills such an enormous amount of fear in Victor that he becomes disgusted with his creation. After the horrible encounter with the estranged creature, Victor lets the beast go and flees back to his home in Geneva, hoping to never see the monster again. Upon Victors return, however, his hopes are destroyed when he isShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Role of Female Characters in Frankenstein1459 Words   |  6 PagesCan you imagine Mary Wollstonecraft Shelleys Frankenstein, the great work of literature, without, for example, such female characters as Mrs. Margaret Saville, Elizabeth Lavenza, and Justine Moritz? In this case the novel will have no meaning. All the women help to develop the plot, and without them Frankenstein will lose its spirit. Although these heroines have a lot in common in their characters: they are all strong-willed, kind, careful, and selfless, at the same time, each of them is uniqueRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 Pages Orlando Don Quixote A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Gesture Life Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Ghosts The Scarlet Letter Great Expectations Sister Carrie The Great Gatsby The Sound and Fury Gulliver’s Travels Sula Heart of Darkness The Sun Also Rises Invisible Man Their Eyes Were Watching God Joe Turner’s Come and Gone The Things They Carried King Lear The Turn of the ScrewRead MoreInterpretation of the Text13649 Words   |  55 Pagesdiffers from other kinds of writing - expressive, persuasive, and expository. Expressive writing aims to articulate the feelings of the writer; persuasive writing seeks co influence the reader; expository writing tries to explain the outer world. By contrast, a work of literature creates a world of its own which makes no reference to the real world as we normally know it, thus it is not expository writing. Nor is it quite the same as persuasive writing - a work of fiction makes no direct appeal to usRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesthey do not possess the revelant feature. Consequently, identification of the relevant feature results in the establishment of a new, unique, objective category. xvi A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY (noyeau semique) and are, therefore, semantic variables (compare with Émile Beneveniste s extrinsic semes). The new integrity of semic nucleus plus contextual seme(s) constitutes a sememe. (Note that in the terminology of the American linguist Leonard Bloomfield, a sememe is the significate of a morpheme. MetzRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages.............................................................................................. 248 Fallacy of Circular Reasoning........................................................................................................... 250 Straw Man Fallacy.............................................................................................................................. 251 False Dilemma Fallacy........................................................................................

Governance in the Business Environment

Question: Section 1 Understanding the organisational purposes of businesses. You will need to: identify the purposes of different types of organisation. describe the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different stakeholders. explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them. Section 2 Understanding the nature of the national environment in which businesses operate. You will need to: explain how economic systems attempt to allocate resources effectively. assess the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business organisations and their activities. evaluate the impact of competition policy and other regulatory mechanisms on the activities of a selected organisation. Section 3 Understanding the behaviour of organisations in their market environment . You will need to: explain how market structures determine the pricing and output decisions of businesses. illustrate the way in which market forces shape organisational responses using a range of examples. judge how the business and cultural environments shape the behaviour of a selected organisation. Section 4 Assess the significance of the global factors that shape national business activities. You will need to: discuss the significance of international trade to UK business organisations. analyse the impact of global factors on UK business organisations. evaluate the impact of policies of the European Union on UK business organisations.? Answer: Introduction: In this assignment, a thorough understanding is made on the different type of market structures, influence of stakeholders and relationship of an organization with the local, national and global environment. Section 1 The purposes of different types of organization are as follows: Public Sector The purpose of the organizations that work in the public sector is to serve the society rather than making profit. Private Sector The purpose of the organization which is working in the public sector is to gain profit from the services along with providing high quality services to the people (Aras and Crowther 2011). Sole trader The purpose of a sole trader is to provide the products and services to the people along with gaining profit. The sole trader takes the responsibility of all the debts and profits. The type of business that is owned by the sole trader are the specialist services like the plumbers, hair dresser or a photographer is sometime known as sole traders . There are a number of advantages and disadvantages: Advantages: This type of trade is very easy to set up and there is no need of any type of legal documentation. There is only a small amount of money is needed to be invested initially. The entrepreneur can make the decision solely. Disadvantages: As the whole business is ran by him solely so it might be that he may not be good in handling. Sole traders they need to work for longer hours so they do not get time to for vacations. The liability lies upon them when business fails. Partnership The purpose of the partnership is to divide the work, the profits as well as the losses equally among more than one businessperson. However, there should be a legal agreement among the individuals who are working in partnerships with each other Incorporated Company Private Limited Company (Ltd) The purpose of Private Limited Company (Ltd) organization is to give the individuals of the company a chance to posses the shares of the company. The people will get the profit if the rate of the shares increases (Baron 2013). Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) The purpose of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) is to prevent the partners to pay the debts individually. Both the partners should clear any debts. Public Limited Company (plc) The purpose of the Public Limited Company (plc) is to invite the public to hold the shares of the company rather than the owners of the business Voluntary Organization: The purpose of the Voluntary Organizations is to provide products and services for the people, which are not aimed at gaining profit (Bansal and Hoffman 2012). Charity The purpose of the charitable organization is to help the poor, enhance the education, religion, health care, development of the community, enhance the culture, human right, and environment and prevent any conflict in the society Cooperative The main purpose of the cooperative is to work for the betterment of the members. The cooperative may or may not work for the non-members. The extent to which an organization will go meet the objectives of the stakeholder depends on the types of stakeholders. Primary: Primary stakeholders are the staff and shareholders of the company who take keen inertest on the operations of the company. Hence, the organization take special interest in carrying out he demands of the primary stakeholders (Baxter-Southworth 2011). Secondary Internal The internal stakeholders are the staffs of the company at various levels. Thus, the organizations take good interest in meeting the objectives of the internal stakeholders External The external stakeholders are mainly interested in the profits and the business of the organization. However, the organization is liable to meet the objectives of the external stakeholders as they also act as the financial assistance for the organization (Baron 2013). Connected The connected stakeholders like the trade unions, customers and the suppliers who have little power. Thus, the organization takes care of their interest but they are the secondary priority for the organizations The extent to which the organization meets the objectives of the stakeholders is as follows: Investors: The provider of the risk capital and the advisers are concerned with risk inherent in and return provided by the investment. Information is needed to help them is decide upon whether to sell o hold back on the stocks The shareholders they are also interested in assessing the ability of the enterprise to pay the dividends. Employees: The employees for understanding the profitability and stability of the employers need information. They are more interested upon the ability of the enterprise to provide benefits of retirement ,remunerationand many more Lenders: The information that is required by them was to enable them to determine whether the loan and the interest attached will be paid when due. Customers: Information about the continuance of the enterprise and its long term involvement interests the customers. Government Agencies: The interest of the government officials is on the allocation of resources. Information is also required by them to regulate the activities of the enterprises. The responsibilities of an organization and the strategies are as follows: Social Responsibilities The responsibilities of the organization towards the society or the general people are termed as social responsibilities. The strategies to meet these responsibilities are to adopt environment-friendly ways to do business and introduce policies that should be followed by the stakeholders. The organization must be ethical in its conduct of business. Taxes should not be avoided for example, as this is treated as unethical. There is a range of policies, which is advised to the stakeholders about the social responsibility, which covers the number of operational area, that are covered. Examples: The social responsibility is of primary concern for business and companies. Thus, they are always up to making the environment better through community development. Legal Responsibilities The legal responsibilities include the actions of the company towards the law of the country. The organization should implement the strategy of paying the tax in time to avoid getting involved in kind of legal problems (Schaffer and Schaffer 2012). Legislation leads to imposition of the obligations on the organization which it must comply with or might face legal redress. The organization type and the framework in which it operates would help in determining which legislation considered as appropriate Example: If an organization is an incorporated company then it must register itself with Companies House to ensure that the details regarding share capital and ownership are kept up to date. They must complete the returns and pay the corporation tax on the profit each year. Stakeholder Responsibilities The strategies that can be implemented to carry out the social and the legal responsibilities can be applied to the stakeholder responsibilities as well. The organization must look into the responsibility of the stakeholders. The fall of the interest of both the legal and social is undoubtedly important to understand the specific responsibility of the stakeholders. Example: The responsibility of the government is to collect tax from the inland revenue, excise and custom duty. The duty of the shareholders would be in the growth of the capital of the shares and the dividends. Section 2: Allocation of resources in the economic system: The sole traders are also guided as per the economic system. This will help them is effectively allocating their resources. Economic system is a system where there is production, exchange, allocation of resources and distribution of the services and the goods in the society in a particular geographical area. Every type of organization functions within an environment. There are different types of economic systems that are functional in different regions. There are three types of economic systems and they are traditional, command and market economy. The allocation of the resources in these economic systems is governed by the three primary questions: what to produce, how to produce and for whom to produce. In the traditional economic system, the production of goods depends on the tradition and the roles that are passed on through generation. The way to produce the good is determined by the custom and is used by the traditional families and social units. It is mainly used by the Aborigin es of Australia , Mbuit of Cental Africa and Inuit of Canada. In case of the command economy and market economy, the government and individuals respectively determine everything related to production (Pollack, 2011). The market and command economy are the extreme economy, which are not adopted wholly. The command economy is more pronounced in Old kingdom Egypt, middle ages in Europe and Zhou Dynasty of China. The market economy example are found in United States , Australia and Canada. The size of the economy is dependent on the GDP. Majority of the countries are seen to follow mixed economic systems. The market economy is more accepted form in many of the countries as all the countries have the national interest, which is to be paid for emergency services, politicians and defence. The drawback of command form of economy is that there are very little choices available to the customers as the government decides everything. The traditional economy operates in a small regions and the decision is based on the barter system, which is currently not accepted by the countries. Effect of monetary and fiscal policy on the activities of business: The monetary policy and fiscal policies have serious impact on the functioning of the business organization. The government governs the fiscal policies while the monetary policies are governed by the central bank of the country. The changes in the spending by the government and taxation affects the demand level of the economy (Palmer and Hartley 2012). In order to achieve lower taxation on profit or increase in tax on allowances, when there is investment made by the organization on the equipments and the staffs then fiscal policy is used. This will increase the profit as well as the expenditure on the resources by the firm. The more is the spending done by the government on firms who export would help generate more employment. The problem that is sometimes faced by the organization is that the workers can demand for higher pay due to rise in inflation because of increased spending by the government. Monetary policy tends to influence the variables like the interest and money supply that helps in regulating the economy. The low rate of interest is encouraged by the organization as it helps the business to expand. Business functions well when there is more supply of money in the economy (Morrison and Morrison 2011). Example: The expansionary monetary policy was implemented in the United States during the Great Recession. Fiscal policy: The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008in US helped in boosting the economy by sending the taxpayers 600 or 1200 dollars depending upon the marital status and number of dependents I think there should be a proper blend of the monetary and the fiscal policies so that the impact on the activities and the business organization is positive. Impact of the competition policy and activities related to regulatory mechanism on the selected organization. There are specific types of industries where the government can affect the market through the regulatory mechanism and competition. The legislation, Enterprise Act (2002) and the Competition Act (1998) of UK has three types of objectives: Exclusion of the practices and agreements tend to restrict free trade and competition in between the business entities. Banning of dominant firms with abusive behavior and anti competitive practices leading to the dominant position Supervise the mergers and acquisition. The threatening competitive process must be restricted (Miller 2011). The regulatory mechanism of the government helps in controlling activities of the organization. This includes the way taxation helps in encouraging the investment. The increase or the decrease in taxation depends on the skills and training, industrial policy, development in the region and environmental protection. The stated owned agencies that has been privatized are Ofwat , Ofcom and Ofgem. The competition commission regulates the other markets and organization. Section 3 Determination of price and output in the different market structures In case of any type of organization, the equilibrium price and quantity is achieved through the interaction of the supply and demand. There are different types of market structures and each has different way of determining the price and quantity: Perfect competition: In form of market, there are a number of suppliers andno barriers to the entryof firms. The customers are no willing to pay if the product is expensive and too low price is also not acceptable by the producers. Thus, the demand and supply is in equilibrium. Monopolistic: There are many suppliers of the products but the product sold is slightly differentiated. The organization s they carry out different type of pricing strategy. Oligopoly: There are only a few firms dominating the market because there are barriers to the entry of the firms. The organizationsin this form of structure needs to decide on whether to collude or compete, whether to charge a higher price of lower price and whether it is better to take the first move or wait and follow the strategy of the other firm Duopoly: In this type of market, there are two types of organizations controlling the market. Two organizations they compete with each other with respect to price so that they can attract more customers or supply where they effectively agree to share the market. The sole traders may perform in any type of market structure in which their profit is maximized. There are risks associated to the customers due to the lack of competition about the price and quality of goods so the competition policy promotes competition and prevents oligopoly and duopoly (Besanko, Braeutigam and Gibbs 2011). Examples showing the ways in which the forces of the market shapes responses of the organization: The demand and the supply of the products is affected by the availability of the quantity of goods and the services available and the price that is paid to them. It has been seen that when there is relatively inelastic demand there is plenty of supply by the purchasers of the services and the goods. There is also more power to choose and obtain the products. In case of monopolistic competition, strategy must be done carefully and consider what their customers want and need. I think that market forces play an important role. The market forces help in shaping the responses of the organization and this can be shown with the help of the following real life examples: In a duopoly market where Coca cola and Pepsi has a large marker share,they are seen to share the market with lesser investment made on advertising and price competition so that one can be dominant than the other. The electric and the gas companies of UK and the operation of the super markets fall into the category oligopoly. The electric and the gas companies they provide differentiated goods but have similar cost structure so when an organization makes a move the other organization follows it. This is because the products are slightly homogenous. Super markets compete on the services, values and prices. The influence over the suppliers is more by the supermarket rather than the gas and electric industry. Restaurants are form of monopolistic market, where the price and quantity sold depends on the reputations and the quantity provided.This is the reason why the Michelin 5 star rated restaurants cost more than ordinary restaurants (Hulleman and Marijs 2012). Change of behavior of an organization due to the cultural and business environment. In any type of trade, the environment plays a crucial role; this environment also affects sole trades. The macroeconomic environment of an organization is influenced by the following factors: Political: This is shows how stable is the political environment it is related to the fiscal and monetary policies Economic: This shows whether the economic environment is favorable for business. Social: The population structure also affects the functioning of the organization. Technical: If technological development is sound then it is said to be favorable for the business. Ethical or Environmental: The affect of the organization due to the current environment. Legal: Whether the legal framework in the country, helps in assisting or hinders the business operations (Chorafas 2011). Example: PEST for Coca Cola: Political Analysis: The government tries to regulate the manufacturing procedure of the products. The product is subjected to the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Economic Analysis: The recession of 2001 made the US to take up aggressive actions. The company Coca cola took note of this and knew that the interest on the loan is likely to rise when there is return back of the economy. Social analysis: To maintain a healthy lifestyle of the consumers, the company introduced diet Coke. Technological Analysis: The Company is constantly upgrading the technology such as changing the design of the packages so that more customers are eager to purchase. The micro economic environment of the organization depends on the Porters five forces: Strength and level of competition Threat of new entrants Threat of product substitutes Power of the buyers Power of suppliers Example: Porters five forces for Coca cola: There is high level of competition faced by the company Coca Cola.The main competitor for the company is Pepsi. There are minimal barriers to the entry of new entrants. Company from the new entrants faces medium pressure. There are a large number of substitutes available in the market like soda, juices and energy drinks. The individual buyer has no pressure on Coca Cola. The large firm like the Wal-Mart has more bargaining power but lessens with respect to the brand loyalty of the customers. The bargaining power of the supplier is lower for Coca Cola. Section 4 When engaging in any type of business the sole traders need to adhere to the global policies so that it can transact business internationally. The international trade has a significant role to play for both the supplier point of view as well as the customer perspective for the organization, which are working in the UK. As the resources and the customers are not equally available in the market of UK, hence the international trade helps the organization to trade products put of the country as well as get raw material from the foreign countries. A car manufacturer in UK can manufacture more products than it is demanded in the UK. The manufacturer can then export the products in other parts of Europe as well. The cost of human resource is also different in different countries. Hence, if the organization in the market of UK wants to do a particular business that is not possible in the UK, then they can do the business elsewhere by hiring the staffs from that particular country. As the cli mate is not favorable to mine diamonds or grow bananas or grapes in the UK, they can move out to a place, where the climate is favorable as well as human recourses is cheap (Du 2013). The global factors can affect the organization in the UK either negatively or positively. The international trade comes under the positive impact when the organization is able to export a well as import products and services from the foreign countries. The government of Europe has removed the rules and restrictions from the trade. Hence, the foreign organizations organization can do free trade with the organizations in the UK (Hamilton and Webster 2012). On the other hand, the natural disaster and financial downturn in the foreign countries also affect the market of UK. For example, the financial crisis in Greece and the natural disaster in Japan and Peru affect the trade with these countries with the UK. Some other global factors that affect the trade of the UK are: Kyoto Protocol Rio Earth Summit Third World Poverty G-20 Global Financial Stability The policies implemented by the European Union aims at providing a common market for all the countries where they can trade freely. The European Union started in the year 1958 with six members. The countries re benefited because the import and the export tariffs were removed with a common tariff applied to all. The countries are assured no obstacles to cross-border travel and trade, there has been a standardization on the legislation regarding the technical and safety standards, the legal barriers ion trade was abolished, the VAT rates were similar and the qualifications of the employees are recognized equally among the countries (Gil Aluja and TercenÃÅ'Æ’o 2012). Hence, an organization in the UK and another in Germany can compete directly as the legal regulations a d rules will be equal for the two countries under the European Union. Conclusion: The overall assignment helps in understanding the purpose of the business, the environment of the business in which it operates, behavior of organization in the market and significance of the global factor on shaping of business activities. References: Aras, G Crowther, D 2011,Governance in the business environment, Emerald, Bingely, U.K. Bansal, P Hoffman, A 2012,The Oxford handbook of business and the natural environment, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Baron, D 2013,Business and its environment, Pearson, Boston. Baxter-Southworth, H 2011,Influence across boundaries, Third Bridge Press, Arnold, MD. Besanko, D, Braeutigam, R Gibbs, M 2011,Microeconomics, John Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Chorafas, D 2011,Energy, environment, natural resources and business competitiveness, Gower, Farnham, England. Du, W 2013,Informatics and management science VI, Springer, London. Gil Aluja, J TercenÃÅ'Æ’o, A 2012,Methods for decision making in an uncertain environment, World Scientific, Singapore. Hamilton, L Webster, P 2012,The international business environment, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hulleman, W Marijs, A 2012,Economics and business environment, Noordhoff, Groningen [etc.]. Miller, W 2011,Wiley CPA Exam Review Focus Notes 2012, Business Environment and Concepts, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken. Morrison, J Morrison, J 2011,The global business environment, Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire. Palmer, A Hartley, B 2012,The business environment, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, London. Pollack, K 2011,Unfinished business, Brookings Institution Press, Washington, D.C. Schaffer, R Schaffer, R 2012,International business law and its environment, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. Sloman, J Jones, E 2011,Economics and the business environment, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, Harlow, England.

Othello Essays (1264 words) - Othello, English-language Films

Othello Character Analysis of Othello In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits which make him seem naive and unsophisticated compared to many other people. This is why Iago, to get his just rewards uses him as a scapegoat. Iago told Roderigo, O,sir, content you. I follow him [Othello] to serve my turn upon him (I, i lines 38-9). Iago is saying, he only follows Othello to a point, and upon reaching it he will not follow him any longer. Iago has opened my eyes to see the real meaning of deceit. No matter what, Iago will try to take advantage of Othello any time and he will be easily lead to believe the lies of Iago. The Moor, as many Venetians call him, is of strong character. He is very proud and in control of every move throughout the play. The control is not only of power but of the sense of his being who he is, a great warrior. In Act I, Othello has a scuffle with Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before anything could happen Othello said, Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter (I, ii, lines 80-3). The power shown here is quite astounding. The nature of Othellos character is of a dark man. A dark man, not only because he is black, but also because his whole person is very mysterious. He is mysterious in that he believes there is magic brewing everywhere. With this dark side he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. He isnt observant and the schemes of Iago work well on him. Though he doesnt reflect too much on his past, except occasional ventures of wars fought, he does let his emotions run his life. For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of other individuals. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all his trust in Iago during times of war and during Othellos marriage to Desdemona. This wasnt very bright of Othello, even if he wasnt trusting or more corrupt he still wouldnt realize Iago was lying. Everyone considered Iago as honest, and would be out of character for Othello to believe any different. For example, Othello had told the Duke, So please your grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust. To his conveyance I assign my wife, With what else needful your good grace shall think, To be sent after me (I, iii, lines 284-8). The control over any situation is one Othellos strong characteristics. Through the whole first act you can picture a man so much power and natural leadership and when he changes you cannot believe it. For example, when Lodovico had witnessed Othello hit Desdemona, he said: Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance could neither graze nor pierce (IV, i, lines 264-8)? While Iago, being the honest man he is, answers: Hes that he is, I may not breathe my censure. What he might be (if, what he might, he is not) I would to heaven he were (IV, i, lines 270-2). Another place where Shakespeare shows Othello taking control over a situation is when Cassio and Montano are fighting after Roderigo antagonized him. These words Othello said are important now, but they will be more important later when he is alone with Desdemona in their bedroom. He will say: Now, by heaven, My blood begins my safer guides to rule, And passion, having my best judgement collied, Assays to lead the way. If I once stir Or do but lift this arm, the best of you Shall sink in my rebuke (II, iii, lines 203-8). You must feel sorrow for Othello because with all the power he has and the endless trust he gives, you try to reach out and show him the truth. By having his ancient or friend, Honest Iago bring him the news of his wifes bad habits. Othello had no alternative but to believe him. If

Plato’s account of philosophy Essays

Plato’s account of philosophy Essays Plato’s account of philosophy Paper Plato’s account of philosophy Paper Essay Topic: Phaedrus Second Treatise of Government Plato was born in Athens, in c. 427 B.C.E. During this period, Athens was involved in a long drawn, resource intensive and disastrous war with Sparta, also known as the   Peloponnesian War. The scion of an aristocratic ancestry, Plato came from a distinguished family. He was the son of Ariston descending from Codrus, one of the early kings of Athens and Perictione, descending from Solon, the prominent reformer of the Athenian constitution, both of Athenian aristocratic ancestry.. Plato spent the greater part of his life in Athens, with occasional visits to Sicily and Southern Italy and as per one account, he also traveled to Egypt. Details regarding the early part of his life is not known, but he was certainly privileged enough to get the finest education Athens had to offer to people of noble lineage. Plato was a disciple of Socrates, whom he considered the most learned man of his times. Plato’s association with Socrates was a turning point in his life, as it had a profound and lasting influence on the course of his life, philosophy and thinking. The compelling power of his arguments and methods impressed Plato and he became a close associate of Socrates. Socrates was amongst the most influential scholar of his times and he was a pioneer who concerned himself with the study of exclusively moral and political issues unlike his contemporaries who were more preoccupied with cosmology and ontology.Considering his distinguished origins and the association with Socrates, he was naturally destined to take an active role in political life. Plato aspired to assume a significant position in the political landscape of Athens, but he found his attempts being consistently thwarted. The frustration is expressed by him in the autobiographical Seventh Letter, wherein he conveys his inability to assimilate himself with any of the political parties or the successively corrupt regimes of his time, all of which contributed to the downfall of Athens(324b-326a).Socratesâ⠂¬â„¢ execution on an unjust charge of impiety had been overwhelmingly voted for(approved) by a democratic   court with a large majority in 399. This led Plato to the conclusion that all existing governments were flawed and ruinous; and would continue to be so, unless the rulers themselves became philosophers or unless the philosophers themselves gained political power.It was perhaps because of this opinion that he retreated to his Academy and to Sicily for implementing his ideas. Plato utilized his extensive knowledge and wisdom to the pursuit of politics and the writing of tragedy and other forms of poetry. He thrice visited Syracuse with the purpose of imparting a philosophical attitude and line of thought to the tyrannical rulers, but his effort proved futile. The brief attempt at imparting practical wisdom having failed, he retreated to Athens. His Academy was the institution of learning for subjects as diverse as Mathematics, rhetoric, astronomy, dialectics, and other subjec ts, all identified as crucial for the intellectual and philosophical development of students. The Academy proved to be a valuable base for successive generations of Platonic philosophers until its final closure in C.E. 529. Some of Plato’s pupils later became leaders, mentors, and constitutional advisers in Greek city-states, the most distinguished amongst them being Aristotle. Plato died in c. 347 B.C.E.The focus of this research paper is to conduct a brief study on the philosophical outlook of Plato to incorporate an analysis of his best works and to illustrate the significant contribution made by him in the field of philosophy.Philosophical Tools    Plato is more well known for his writings like the Republic, the Statesman, the Laws and a few shorter dialogues which are considered to be strictly political treatises,   and hence it can be stated that Plato was an accomplished political philosopher of his times. Compared to Socrates, Plato was much more systematic as a t hinker and meticulous in his ways. He established his own school of philosophy, the Academy; which became a major source of learning for the successive generation of scholars in Athens. Unlike Socrates, Plato extended his areas of concern to include the study of metaphysics and epistemology, as he endeavored to discover the ultimate constituents of reality.The introduction of the process of conceptual analysis was initiated by Plato for the first time in the history of Philosophy, as a means to clarify a concept or its meaning. In contrast to most other philosophers of his time, Plato considered conceptual analysis as a preliminary step and not as an end in itself. He considered critical evaluation of beliefs, the deciding of which one of the incompatible ideas is correct and which one is wrong as the second step and more important step. Plato considered decision making about the political order on the same pedestal of importance as the choice between peace and war. This belief was based on the conviction that the public is not the best suited or mature enough to arrive at the correct decision, as it is capable of wisdom only in hindsight, mostly after the occurrence of disastrous experiences. In his political philosophy, the clarification of concepts is thus a preliminary step in evaluating beliefs, and right beliefs in turn lead to an answer to the question of the best political order. This gradual progression from the stages of conceptual analysis, followed by a critical assessment of beliefs, to the best political order is demonstrated in the writings of his book ‘The Republic’.The most notable and outstanding example of Plato’s mature philosophies   appears in The Republic, which is an extended argument for the most fundamental about the   conduct of human life. Plato utilizes dialogue with a fictional character ‘Socrates’ and proceeds to examine the nature and value of justice and other virtues as they occur   in da y to day life, both from the perspective of human society and in the personality of a human being. This discussion thereafter leads to an in depth assessment of the various aspects of human nature, the attainment of knowledge, the ability to distinguish between substance and appearance and the basic edifice of morality. Due to the diverse range of issues it addresses, the book can be read from several different perspectives: as a political treatise, or a book on the conduct of life, as a study of society and the relation of society with that of a person, an exhaustive study on the   basic metaphysical and epistemological issues or as a pedagogical handbook.Justice as Defined in The republic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first section of the Republic is a discussion on the nature of justice and the aim of the discussion is to arrive at the genuine definition of the subject, through a process which involves the proposal, criticism, and rejection of several inadequate attempts at defining just ice. Since Justice is the most fundamental ethical and political concepts, it incorporates individual virtue, the order of society, and individual rights which may contradict the interests of the society. Four definitions of justice are propounded; all of them are discussed elaborately and then discarded as not being wholly consistent with the basic premises, and due to   the associated variable factors.   Thus the first section of the book ends on a negative note with all the participants in agreement that the concept of justice is not as easily defiened as it seemed due to the inconsistencies involved in popular opinions of justice. the e This negative outcome can be seen as a linguistic and philosophical therapy.The reportive definitions of justice as understood by us from its use in daily life serves to provide a partial understanding of its meaning, but the holistic definition continues to be elusive in the absence of true communications between people and a conceptual clar ity on beliefs. A definition that is merely arbitrary or either too narrow or too broad, based on a false belief about justice, does not give the possibility of communication. Platonic dialogues are expressions of the ultimate communication that can take place between humans; and true communication is likely to take place only if individuals can share meanings of the words they use. Communication based on false beliefs, such as statements of ideology, is still possible, but seems limited, dividing people into factions, and, as history teaches us, can finally lead only to confusion. Therefore, in the Republic, as well as in other Platonic dialogues, there is a relationship between conceptual analysis and critical evaluation of beliefs. The focus of the second part of Book I is no longer clarification of concepts, but evaluation of beliefs.In Platonic dialogues, rather than telling them what they have to think, Socrates is often getting his interlocutors to tell him what they think. I n the fifth and fourth century B.C.E., the sophists were paid teachers of rhetoric and other practical skills, mostly non-Athenians, offering courses of instruction and claiming to be best qualified to prepare young men for success in public life. Plato describes the sophists as itinerant individuals, known for their rhetorical abilities, who reject religious beliefs and traditional morality, and he contrasts them with Socrates, who as a teacher would refuse to accept payment and instead of teaching skills would commit himself to a disinterested inquiry into what is true. One of the participants in the discussions, Thrasymachus presents a skeptical and negativist definition of justice which states that justice is not a universally applicable moral value but a notion utilized as a tool by the dominant group in the society; and that since it comes in handy for the dominant group to suppress a vast majority of people, it is their exclusive interest and that it is has different connotat ions for the different sections of the society. Although this definition is brushed aside by Plato in the book, it is a statement that     has taxed whole generations of thinkers to struggle with and the debate still continues.emphasis of The Republic is vastly on the topic of the creation of an ideal state run by philosophers and its subsequent decline, the basic theme of the book is Justice. It is obvious that Plato does not intend his interpretation of the ideal political order to be practically implemented (592a-b), instead his motive is to convey the thesis that   justice if understood to stand for goodness and virtue could form the foundation of a good political order. Plato contends that if the concept of Justice is correctly appreciated and exercised, it would be for the collective good of the society as a whole and the benefits would not be restricted to any particular faction. It provides the state with a sense of purpose and unity and consequently its well being. It provides the city with a sense of unity, and thus, is a basic condition for its health. â€Å"Injustice causes civil war, hatred, and fighting, while justice brings friendship and a sense of common purpose† (351d).A clear understanding of Plato’s perception of Justice and Social Order can be arrived at if Plato’s philosophy and thoughts are compared with the pre-philosophical insights of Solon, his maternal grandfather. Solon had been responsible for the complete restructuring of the social order of Athens at a time when Athens was poised for a rapid decline. The political and social stability of Athens had been badly shaken by the serious differences that had cropped up between the rich and the poor, the lenders and the serfs. Solon had impartially gone about the task of social and economic reforms and had brought Athens back from the brink of political and social and political collapse. Considering the fact that education at that time was imparted at home, it is probable that Plato had been deeply influenced by Solon. Solon’s reforms provided the Greeks with a model of political leadership based on the principles of fairness, equality and justice. Solon digressed from the accepted arithmetical interpretation and implementation of justice by approaching the issue holistically and relying upon fairness based upon difference.To a remarkable extent, Plato’s thoughts, writings, ideas of political order, leadership, and justice can be seen to be influenced by Solon. For Plato,   the starting point for the inquiry about the best political order is the fact of social diversity and conflicting interests, which involve the danger of civil strife. The political community consists of different parts or social classes, such as the noble, the rich, and the poor, each representing different values, interests, and claims to rule. This gives rise to the controversy of who should rule the community, and what is the best political system. In both the Republic and the Laws, Plato asserts not only that factionalism and civil war are the greatest dangers to the city, more dangerous even than war against external enemies, but also that peace obtained by the victory of one part and the destruction of its rivals is not to be preferred to social peace obtained through the friendship and cooperation of all the city’s parts (Republic 462a-b, Laws 628a-b). The best political order for Plato is that which promotes social peace in the environment of cooperation and friendship among different social groups, each benefiting from and each adding to the common good. The best form of government, which he advances in the Republic, is a philosophical aristocracy or monarchy, but that which he proposes in his last dialogue the Laws is a traditional polity: the mixed or composite constitution that reconciles different partisan interests and includes aristocratic, oligarchic, and democratic elements.Philosopher Rulers   Ã‚   . De spite the fact that the fundamental components of democracy are equality and freedom, Plato does not consider democracy to be the best form of government. In the Republic, he is severely critical of unchecked democracy because of certain features   (557a-564a) like excessive freedom, which can potentially lead to anarchy. Similarly, he felt that the concept of equality can also be abused by power hungry people, motivated by personal gain rather than public good. Plato felt that democracy was thus highly corruptible as it provided easy access to demagogues, potential dictators, and can thus lead to tyranny. Although, this reasoning is not applicable to modern democracies, it could be seen to be highly applicable to the democratic setup existing at that point of time in Greece. Democracy depends on chance and must be mixed with competent leadership (501b).Without able and virtuous leaders, such as Solon or Pericles, who come and go by chance, it is not a good form of government. Pla to argues that since governing a state involves judicious decision making and wisdom, the people who are selected to rule should not be in a position to do so by accident of circumstances, they should be trained and prepared in the course of extensive training. Making political decisions requires good judgment. Politics needs competence, at least in the form of today’s civil servants. In spite of the idealism with which he is usually associated, Plato is not politically naive. He does not idealize, but is deeply pessimistic about human beings. Most people, corrupted as they are, are for him fundamentally irrational, driven by their appetites, egoistic passions, and informed by false beliefs. If they choose to be just and obey laws, it is only because they lack the power to act criminally and are afraid of punishment (Republic, 359a). Nevertheless, human beings are not vicious by nature. They are social animals, incapable of living alone (369a-b). Living in communities and exc hanging products of their labor is natural for them, so that they have capacities for rationality and goodness. Plato, as later Rousseau, believes that once political society is properly ordered, it can contribute to the restoration of morals. A good political order, good education and upbringing can produce â€Å"good natures; and [these] useful natures, who are in turn well educated, grow up even better than their predecessors† (424a). Hence, there are in Plato such elements of the idealistic or liberal world view as the belief in education and progress, and a hope for a better future. The quality of human life can be improved if people learn to be rational and understand that their real interests lie in harmonious cooperation with one another, and not in war or partisan strife. However, unlike Rousseau, Plato does not see the best social and political order in a democratic republic. If philosophers are those who can distinguish between true and false beliefs, who love know ledge and are motivated by the common good, and finally if they are not only master-theoreticians, but also the master-practitioners who can heal the ills of their society, then they, and not democratically elected representatives, must be chosen as leaders and educators of the political community and guide it to proper ends. Plato assumes that a city in which the rulers do not govern out of desire for private gain, but are least motivated by personal ambition, is governed in the way which is the finest and freest from civil strife (520d). Philosophers will rule not only because they will be best prepared for this, but also because if they do not, the city will no longer be well governed and may fall prey to economic decline, factionalism, and civil war. They will approach ruling not as something really enjoyable, but as something necessary (347c-d).Other Works  Ã‚   In a few dialogues, such as Phaedo, the Republic, Phaedrus, Timaeus, and the Laws, Plato introduces his doctrine of the immortality of the soul. His ultimate answer to the question â€Å"Who am I?† is not an â€Å"egoistic animal† or an â€Å"independent variable,† as the twentieth century behavioral researcher blatantly might say, but an â€Å"immortal soul, corrupted by vice and purified by virtue, of whom the body is only an instrument† (129a-130c). Expert political knowledge for him should include not only knowledge of things out there, but also knowledge of oneself. This is because whoever is ignorant of himself will also be ignorant of others and of political things, and, therefore, will never be an expert politician (133e). Those who are ignorant will go wrong, moving from one misery to another (134a). For them history will be a tough teacher, but as long they do not recognize themselves and practice virtue, they will learn nothing. Plato’s good society is impossible without transcendence, without a link to the perfect being who is God, the true measure of all things. It is also impossible without an ongoing philosophical reflection on whom we truly are. Therefore, democracy would not be a good form of government for him unless, as it is proposed in the Laws, the element of freedom is mixed with the element of wisdom, which includes ultimate knowledge of the self. Unmixed and unchecked democracy, marked by the general permissiveness that spurs vices, makes people impious, and lets them forget about their true self, is only be the second worst in the rank of flawed regimes after tyranny headed by a vicious individual. This does not mean that Plato would support a theocratic government based on shallow religiosity and religious hypocrisy. There is no evidence for this. Freedom of speech, forming opinions and expressing them, which may be denied in theocracy, is a true value for Plato, along with wisdom. It is the basic requirement for philosophy. In shallow religiosity, like in atheism, there is ignorance and no knowledge of the self either. In Book II of the Republic, Plato criticizes the popular religious beliefs of the Athenians, who under the influence of Homer and Hesiod attribute vices to the gods and heroes (377d-383c). He tries to show that God is the perfect being, the purest and brightest, always the same, immortal and true, to whom we should look in order to know ourselves and become pure and virtuous (585b-e). God, and not human beings, is the measure of political order (Laws, 716c).Criticism  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Objections against the government of philosopher-rulers can be made. Firstly, because of the restrictions concerning family and private property, Plato is often accused of totalitarianism. However, Plato’s political vision differs from a totalitarian state in a number of important aspects. Especially in the Laws he makes clear that freedom is one of the main values of society (701d). Other values for which Plato stands include justice, friendship, wisdom, courage, and mode ration, and not factionalism or terror that can be associated with a totalitarian state. The restrictions which he proposes are placed on the governors, rather than on the governed. Secondly, one can argue that there may obviously be a danger in the self-professed claim to rule of the philosophers. Individuals may imagine themselves to be best qualified to govern a country, but in fact they may lose contact with political realities and not be good leaders at all.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Plato’s achievement as a political philosopher may be seen in that he believed that there could be a body of knowledge whose attainment would make it possible to heal political problems, such as factionalism and the corruption of morals, which can bring a city to a decline. The doctrine of the harmony of interests, fairness as the basis of the best political order, the mixed constitution, the rule of law, the distinction between good and deviated forms of government, practical wisdom as the quality of good leadership, and the importance of virtue and transcendence for politics are the political ideas that can rightly be associated with Plato. They have profoundly influenced subsequent political thinkers.

Biography of Frederick Douglass

Biography of Frederick Douglass The biography of Frederick Douglass is emblematic of the lives of slaves and former slaves. His struggle for freedom, devotion to the abolitionist cause, and lifetime battle for equality in America established him as perhaps the most important African-American leader of the 19th century. Early Life Frederick Douglass was born in February 1818 on a plantation on the eastern shore of Maryland. He was not sure of the his exact birth date, and he also did not know the identity of his father, who was assumed to be a white man and likely a member of the family who owned his mother. He was originally named Frederick Bailey by his mother, Harriet Bailey. He was separated from his mother when he was young, and was raised by other slaves on the plantation. Escape From Slavery When he was eight years old he was sent to live with a family in Baltimore, where his new mistress taught him to read and write. Young Frederick demonstrated considerable intelligence, and in his teens he was hired out to work in the shipyards of Baltimore as a caulker, a skilled position. His salary was paid to his legal owners, the Auld family. Frederick became determined to escape to freedom. After one failed attempt, he was able to secure identification papers in 1838 stating he was a seaman. Dressed as a sailor, he boarded a train northward and successfully escaped to New York City at the age of 21. A Brilliant Speaker for the Abolitionist Cause Anna Murray, a free black woman, followed Douglass northward, and they were married in New York City. The newlyweds moved onward to Massachusetts (adopting the last name Douglass). Douglass found work as a laborer in New Bedford. In 1841 Douglass attended a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket. He got onstage and gave a speech which riveted the crowd. His story of life as a slave was delivered with passion, and he was encouraged to dedicate himself to speaking out against slavery in America. He began touring the northern states, to mixed reactions. In 1843 he was nearly killed by a mob in Indiana. Publication of Autobiography Frederick Douglass was so impressive in his new career as a public speaker that rumors circulated that he was somehow a fraud and had never actually been a slave. Partly to contradict such attacks, Douglass began writing an account of his life, which he published in 1845 as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The book became a sensation. As he became prominent, he feared slave catchers would apprehend him and return him to slavery. To escape that fate, and also to promote the abolitionist cause overseas, Douglass left for an extended visit to England and Ireland, where he was befriended by Daniel OConnell, who was leading the crusade for Irish freedom. Douglass Purchased His Own Freedom While overseas Douglass made enough money from his speaking engagements that he could have lawyers affiliated with the abolitionist movement approach his former owners in Maryland and purchase his freedom. At the time, Douglass was actually criticized by some abolitionists. They felt that buying his own freedom only gave credibility to the institution of slavery. But Douglass, sensing danger if he returned to America, arranged for lawyers to pay $1,250 to Thomas Auld in Maryland. Douglass returned to the United States in 1848, confident he could live in freedom. Activities In the 1850s Throughout the 1850s, when the country was being torn apart by the issue of slavery, Douglass was at the forefront of abolitionist activity. He had met John Brown, the anti-slavery fanatic, years earlier. And Brown approached Douglass and tried to recruit him for his raid on Harpers Ferry. Douglass though the plan was suicidal, and refused to participate. When Brown was captured and hanged, Douglass feared he might be implicated in the plot, and fled to Canada briefly from his home in Rochester, New York. Relationship With Abraham Lincoln During the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, Stephen Douglas taunted Abraham Lincoln with crude race-baiting, at times mentioning that Lincoln was a close friend of Frederick Douglass. In fact, at that time they had never met. When Lincoln became president, Frederick Douglass did visit him twice at the White House. At Lincolns urging, Douglass helped recruit African-Americans into the Union army. And Lincoln and Douglass obviously had a mutual respect. Douglass was in the crowd at Lincolns second inaugural, and was devastated when Lincoln was assassinated six weeks later. Frederick Douglass Following the Civil War Following the end of slavery in America, Frederick Douglass continued to be an advocate for equality. He spoke out on issues related to Reconstruction and the problems faced by newly freed slaves. In the late 1870s President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Douglass to a federal job, and he held several government posts including a diplomatic posting in Haiti. Douglass died in Washington, D.C. in 1895.

Desktop Computing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Desktop Computing - Assignment Example It also helps the smooth running of software like 3D Max and Maya extensively used for animation and modeling. Jean Jones needs to upgrade her OS from Windows XP Service Pack 2 to Win XP x64. Many might suggest Vista as a good alternative, however past records show that Vista slows Max viewport speed by a huge amount. The primary reason behind this is that Win XP takes less memory to run when Vista on the other hand takes up a lot more. Here comes the second parameter that is whether to consider 32 bit or 64 bit OS. The reason why 64 bit Win XP is being recommended to Jean Jones is that it will let her use a minimum 4GB of RAM. The basic components to look for while buying a PC for processing intensive activities are the processor, motherboard, RAM, graphics card and hard disk. For any PC to be fast, it should have a perfect combination of all these 4 components. In an unbalanced combination where one or more components are slower than the rest, then the slower components act as bottlenecks in the system, and the overall processing speed is determined by the slowest component. Hence, while identifying the configuration, it is imperative that all components are matching and high performance components. High performance components are higher priced, and hence they increase the overall cost of the PC. Given that there cannot be any compromise on performance, a high end PC can be made relatively inexpensive by cutting down on the peripheral costs. For example, by using low end casing/cabinets, speakers and data output devices like DVD combo packages, the overall prices can be kept with relatively lower budget. A processor is the 'brain' of the PC, and given other components are same, a PC with faster processor will perform faster. A quadcore, 64 bit processor, coupled with a suitably fast motherboard and 4 GB 800 MHz RAM will have sufficient computing speed to seamlessly execute the heaviest designing applications. (Ciao Shopping Intelligence, 2007A) While quad core processors give enormous processing speed, they are also highly expensive. Commercially available computers generally tend have

Hypothesis Identification Article Analysis Essay

Hypothesis Identification Article Analysis - Essay Example The researchers examine and evaluate current literature and come to conclusion that the question of women compensation at work and safety issues is not examined yet. There is no substantial analysis of this system and its impact on organizational performance and women employees. The researchers claim that the current system of compensation is ineffective and does not benefit employees and employers. To verify their hypothesis, Calvey and Jansz use a phenomenological research approach. They explain that "the purpose of phenomenological reflection is to try to grasp the essential meaning of something Insight into the essence of a phenomenon involves a process of reflectively appropriating, of clarifying, and of making explicit the structure of meaning of the lived experience" (Van Manen, 1990: 77-78, cited Calvey, Jansz, 2005, p. 285). The hypothesis statement helps the researchers to identify the area of research and construct it in accordance with their hypothesis. Also, the hypothesis statement helps to avoid ambiguity during analysis of the results. In this article, the hypothesis statement is used to predict the conditions of compensation system and outcomes are most likely to occur.