Flipping Burgers

Five days out of the week, I walk into work. I put on my employee shirt, my apron, my visor, and I get to work. I have the pleasure of making a ton of pizzas for 8 hours straight, no I am not necessarily ‘fond’ of it, but I do it because it gets me by and pays my bills. Sure I would love to be in some upscale restaurant, but I a least have a job, and I do not take it for granted. Many people would prefer to not have my job; it’s a minimum wage, fast pace, difficult customer environment. But it is an opportunity that is not beneath my dignity, so to that, I quote Charles J.Sykes, in his article called ‘Life rules for Teenagers, â€Å"Flipping Burgers in not beneath your dignity†. I could not agree more with him. Millions of United States workers are employed at a fast food restaurant. Many Americans are probably working in two or more of them at one time, just to get by. They also realize that flipping burgers isn’t below their dignity, having n o job and living off of others should be below ones dignity. Every day I see people on the streets, begging for money. Yes, everyone has their reasons, but everyone is capable or picking their selves up and applying for jobs.You can always advance in the job you have, you gain experience, and once you have enough experience you can apply for higher jobs and get further up the chain. It just takes a bit of hard work in some low paying jobs. For many people, their first jobs are in a fast food place, and it is just a stepping stone. Many work their way through school and then once they graduate, they are able to find jobs in their degree. Others find that they love working in fast food and end up owning them or managing more than just one store.A lot of fast food restaurants offer benefits and are always giving the opportunity for raises, only good things come from hard work. You never know where you will go when you first start a minimum wage job, but you know it will all be worth it in the end. You are getting yourself somewhere, and can be proud of that. One of my first jobs was working at a Quizno’s, there I also had to wear an apron and visor, I was 16 when I first got that job and might I say it was one of the easiest jobs I have ever had.Back when I did not have any responsibilities and whatever money I earned, I just got to pocket it. All I had to do every day, was make sandwiches and run register. Half way through my shift I always got a free sandwich and at the end of the day we always got to take home cookies or left over bread. How could anyone take that for granted? I did. I hated working there, thought it was so hard and embarrassing making sandwiches for other people, but now I realize how crazy I was for thinking that way.The other day I was talking with some friends and telling them about the paper I had to write. I told them the rule I chose, and one of them piped up saying â€Å"it is definitely below my dignity! †; She lives at home with her parents, pays no bills, and doesn’t work. She is naive and obviously doesn’t have a clue of what it means to have an opportunity. There are so many other people who also think that way. They also do not appreciate what is just kind fully handed to them. Others work so hard to just have half of what they have.I wish there was a way to imprint into every ones minds, to appreciate what they have. So tomorrow, I shall go into work and put on my uniform and work hard, because I personally know that making pizzas is not all that I have in store for my life, I am working and paying my way through school and although I dread heading to work every day I know that I am helping my future and preparing myself for other difficult, low paying jobs further in life. No one should ever take a job for granted or be embarrassed for what they do; they should always look at it as an opportunity.

Facebook: Social Networking Site

Against – Individuals connect through faceable to their co-workers or colleagues which helps them to remain up to date. – Faceable is used to advertise products which are relatively new in the market and can be easily purchased through faceable. – It is good way to update people about the recent events taking place nearby or in the world. – Faceable being a quick and effective way of communicating (people separated by time zones) can not be termed as a time pass activity. – Faceable teaches a lot of new aspects about different websites. Faceable is Just a fad that will pass Yes because†¦ No because†¦The Web Is something rich and strange and Faceable Is not Back in 1988 before the Web arrived we used to play a lot of image based games around the internet, passing encoded images back and forth and basically working hard to make some sense of this dark network where no-one could see anyone else. From that point on for me the internet and the web have been a rich and strange something unknowable to the sum total of where we worked and played. Faceable doesn't really do any of that. It's a nice tidy ‘bur where everyone has more or less the same house, same garden, same car, same attitude.Sure, we can all add friends and Join networks and add applications, but it's always clear that there is no curtain behind which strange things might lurk. Faceable is the Auber controlled environment – useful and wanted by many, but not pregnant with potentials. Faceable is more about the known than the unknown – and that's a good thing. Who but the most insecure of us cares about having 429 ‘friends', most of whom we wouldn't talk to twice if we met them in real life. Faceable provides a way of connecting to the people you already know – but for one reason or another don't stay in regular contact with.As we get older, settle down, have kids and spend more time at work, those little catch up chats or time s hanging out with friends dwindle to almost nothing. That's not to say you don't like the people you don't see as much, Just that they're not in your immediate circle and the genuine desire to ‘meet up soon' Just never gets realized. Faceable allows us to keep in contact with them through their status updates, when they add pictures, when someone they know tags them in a picture, when they add an app and ask a question – or in a hundred other ways.This is a way of connecting to them and of ensuring we know what they're up to. It is therefore easier to send a quick note about their daughter or wish them a happy birthday. These small things break down the distance between us, they make the barrier of getting in touch smaller to cross – and they make the real world meetings more easy to make happen. Furthermore, faceable lacks clarity in who you are actually becoming friends with Faceable is Just a fad that will pass There are only so many new people Faceable is ex periencing a huge wave of migration.This is held up as proof of the genius of Seersucker, and indeed in many ways they have played a blinder. From a closed College based network, they have taken a gamble to open up to anyone and everyone and seen it pay off begrime. The viral nature of Faceable is supreme, with member get member raised to a new artwork. Eve read dozens of articles about how all of someone's friends have arrived in Faceable in the very recent past, usually it looks safe in here and there are lush pastures for the cattle. Then everyone else takes up residence, and as they overlap with other social groups, the process repeats itself.There is something engaging and exciting about arriving in n easy to understand social network, with tools to explore and people to Poke (ooh, the underlying sexual thrill of it all, it reminds me of my first disco, I didn't know what that was all about either, but by God it turned me on). Face it, when someone invites you to Join Faceable and be their friend, its a cheap thrill to sign up and be that friend. If people want a social networking site there are millions, faceplate, hi, bebop, namespace etc†¦ Casebook IS a fad that will pass, as some person eventually will outdo it, one of these pages will take all it's features and make something better, as yuccas has done with bebop, as bebop has done with faceplate, etc.. Anyone could log onto namespace, and minus a few ‘pokes', they can pretty much do the same, look at their friend's status updates, chat to their friends etc. Why should faceable be THE social networking site? And also, namespace is the site that seems to get all the hype for getting musicians noticed. So what's the fad for bands? Namespace!Faceable is Just a fad that will pass There Just are no sophisticated tools in Faceable I'm used to some level of sophistication in my tools. I don't mind using your online lolls, after all, it's your community. But ifs, all I can do in my Groups is write on the wall? And then you can write on the same wall back to me. I can upload photos? Every time someone does something, I get sent an email without the content. There Just are no sophisticated tools in Faceable – everything is like a shallow version of what we're used to on the outside.For sure, the APS have started to put some depth back into the system, but it's hard to imagine that we'll en masses abandon our email and our IM and our other contact and memory tools and use the stubs that Faceable offers. Not for a while anyway, we'll get disillusioned and wonder off as our attention drifts. Getting an email without the content was annoying, though this has now changed, and there are bound to be other parts of the site which don't work as well as tools which are specifically designed for the Job.But if there is a demand for features not currently provided someone out there will provide them. And some of the features Faceable does provide, such as tagging photos, inviting o thers to events, and garnering support for a great cause, are great It's also worth considering the value of Faceable as a social aggregation tool for non- chess. Sure you're used to some sophisticated tools, but the majority of internet users aren't. They're people with non-technical Jobs who Just want things to work. Faceable works without anyone leaving the comfort of a great LU and the safety blanket known as a privacy controls.There are other colors I know this will sound very shallow and pathetic, but I really can't imagine living with #baobab only for the rest of my life. As someone who was working with the web when there was not even any right align, let alone fancy layouts or the CSS wonders we see today, it pains me to have to use such a limited interface. With respect, it is the sort of interface that the East German government would have commissioned for their citizen network if they had lived to see in the true glory of the web.Where I come from we call this color Navy Blue and with good reason, children grow up to hate it. Allied to the fixed layout, baobab is the antithesis of everything that design stands for and everything that the web has taught us – that we are individuals and that we make and remake our environment to work with our needs and desires. Even Google, that great interface reducer, has relented and offered multiple funky interfaces to heir start pages. So what's with the fascist control freakier? Don't you trust me to change things the way I like ‘me?Think I might, like, go mad with funky colors? So what, that's my freedom. Hammy, Faceable or Namespace which is the easiest to use? Given most people's inability to create a readable web page I'm happy that Faceable restricts the look of its pages to one recognizable format. Give people free reign over the look of their page and they'll go the flashy, blinks, confused way of Namespace. And there are friends I'd rather keep than lose for the knowledge of what they think looks cool. Call that a network? I live in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, UK. So for some reason that's my network.It has 54,384 members who, I guess, live in Brighton and Hove. The total population of Brighton is 247,820, which means my network contains approximately one sixth of the entire population of this town. There are only 117032 15 to 44 year olds, which means that almost 50% of them are members of my local network. Huh? I mean, this is some kind of groovy town, but I find that rather unlikely. Every single sentient being between the ages of fifteen and forty-five in my town? I see I can go to a costume making event at pm or GUILFORD MONDAY UNITE at pm that's Guilford, not Brighton, but hey).Popular in Brighton and Hove includes the faceable wide food fight and Britton's Largest Water Fight. The Discussion Board has 164 discussion topics, starting with ‘How Many Wap To Say I Love You? , but frankly life's too short. And then there's The Wall. 754 posts starting with a bit of spam from Ben Williams. To say the will to live deserted me at this point would be an exaggeration, but to say the will to live in Brighton and Hove fled my feeble frame Just about sums it up. Why am I in this network? I am a sophisticated online denizen, I partake of and participate n hundreds of online societies and for a of all kinds.Some are good, some are bad, some are essential to life. But none are as depressingly pointless as this all consuming Brighton and Hove Network. And yes, I know I can change my regional network, but what exactly would be the point of that? I quite like seeing my local friends' faces peering out at me from the sidebar – but that's not quite enough to make it worthwhile. I guess this approach worked quite well when it was a college based network, but imagine what it is like to be a London or Shanghai network member – they've elevated inanity to a whole new level.Faceable offers a unique perspective to social networking in that you can friend people you know and the people they know to an extent. I find Faceable most useful for college because it helps the organizations I'm a part of invite people to our events. I can also find out about other group's events on campus and even Join a greater cause to support Darker, let's say. I've been able to keep in touch with people I went to kindergarten with! Granted most of them went to school with me since eighth grade, but it's interesting to see where hey are based on how they were way when (the ass for us young folks).It's cool to see how they've changed and how they've stayed the same. I've also been able to keep in touch with high school friends who I get to visit a few times a year back in California while I go to school in Philly. No matter what my URL is I'm still unique. Having a long URL with a combination of random numbers and letters doesn't decrease individuality at all. Sure I have a lot of friends I don't really talk to and some I have never met, but at least it opens the door to a conversation: â€Å"Hey we're Faceable friends, right?In fact I was walking down the street yesterday, no Joke, and I saw two of my friends with one of their friends. We'd never met, but we were Faceable friends through each other. It was great to meet the guy and get to know him in person as much as it is to get to Basically the regional network lets you see people in the same one as you and helps people know where you're from. I keep my network as Los Angles even though I go to school in Philly. It lets my friends know where I'm from. High school and college networks help you know who that person is trying to friend you and if you actually now them from somewhere.For now Faceable rocks. Let's hope it doesn't turn into another Namespace. Gaining Revenue for Networking Sites is Extremely Difficult Faceable, like Namespace, has not been able to successfully fund itself via advertisements. Click through rates are low, and Namespace has tried desperately t o salvage funds from these ads. Menace's home page is filled with ads that most users don't click on. Case in point: http://www. Businesslike. Com/technology/ content/ Feb../tc2008024 252834. HTML? Chant=search Unless Faceable can gain revenue from ads it will suffer and possibly go bankrupt.Faceable knows how old I am, what interests and hobbies I have, where I live, what my social network looks like and even what my educational and work history is. Are you telling me that's not a potential goldmine for advertising? Sure at the moment you get the generic breast enhancement and zany college t-shirt ads (or perhaps they're not generic and faceable has decided that's what I most want in life), which are going to generate as much response as any other banner and popup ads. But if Faceable can utilities it's main resource, information, it will make Microsoft's revenues look tiny.Faceable has been slow at incorporating music It can be argued by some that Faceable has taken over from Name space in terms of which is the better social networking site. Although this may be valid, there is one area in which Faceable is clearly lacking – and that is music. One of the main building blocks of Namespace is the close links with music – bands can have pages on which they are able to upload their music and reach out to a new crowd, members may add a song to their profile which gives other users more of an idea what the person likes and there is even the Namespace record label, getting physical copied of USIA out.Although Faceable are now beginning to add pages for artists, these are not as built on the foundation of music so it will be more difficult now to lure over music lovers from similar social networking sites (such as Namespace, Purposeful and Buzzed) that cater more to their tastes. Admittedly it would seem that, thanks to it's emphasis on music, Namespace is more popular amongst wannabe rock stars than Faceable.On the other hand almost every university st udent in the I-J (and I'm assuming the US, Australia etc) has a faceable account, in 10 to 15 years time that will mean that he majority of the best paid 50% of society in the English speaking world have faceable accounts. Let's see which contributes better to the long term survival of the respective business models. People have been put off by scandals concerning identity fraud If a ‘fad', then Passbook's passing will only have been hastened by the widespread concerns over identity theft as reported in the UK national press.Perhaps more importantly, people have grown increasingly aware and scrutinizing of Passbook's capacity to allow potential employers to ‘snoop' on one's character as an employment suitability exercise. In short, people grow less and less eager to share their lives on the web, curiously perhaps because Faceable has been thrown open to wider and wider groups of people. Privacy controls? My friends get annoyed that they can't trawl idly through photos of me surging drunkenly at a camera, but it means I'm less likely to get fired in the future.And I also highly suspect that the potential employer snooping is a little bit of an urban myth, seeing as even if you drag all the privacy slider bars down to their minimum your profile is still only visible to those in your network. Just bad luck if you .NET to the same Nun as your prospective boss I guess. If celebrities are punished more severely then surely other influential people should also be. There are many people within society who make huge decisions regarding our country and who have the potential to endanger thousands of lives with their decisions if those decisions were influenced by drugs and alcohol.It has been speculated for many years that highly trained professionals such as consultant doctors, airline pilots, and managing directors who have huge responsibilities also punished for their influential status surely it would only be fair to find these individuals as well and se verely punish them ? There is a trend and acceptance regarding drug taking among celebrities but celebrities lives often require them to speak in front of millions of people, they are Judged constantly by society and the media and anything short on perfection is publicly ridiculed.It might be that they choose this fate for fame and fortune however if other people who benefit from this national recognition are found to be taking drugs this argument implies they too should be punished and although it might be wrong for these people to take drugs ND alcohol I doubt that our country would work in the same way if these people were punished in a way that prohibited them from working for an extended period of time. Many of our greatest, artists, musicians and composers took a wide and varied selection of drugs some of which used these substances to influence their work.How in this day and age can we separate artist from celebrity. This point does not even remotely relate to faceable will h ave a large impact on coming generations†¦ Face book and other socio s will probably be adding to the knowledge of the youths all over the world especially the teens.. TTS the time when the teenagers absorb the special interest on getting connected through some or the other way with their friends and contacts†¦. What is actually binding everyone to face book is the likes of its easy and simple networking process . Ace book uses a very simple way of connecting a person to another which makes it a very advanced and widely proffered compared to the others. Faceable with its such wide network would be difficult to end or quit but surely be fading out because of advancements and dynamism in peoples lives. It helps me to communicate and stay in touch with friends However you have to have the acceptance of the friend you wish to be in contact with. In any case, some day, another site will pop up that makes it Just as easy to communicate with people, and everyone will flock to tha t.Namespace usage plummeted when Faceable became popular, and when another â€Å"next big thing† emerges, no doubt Faceable usage will go the same way. It's accusable and easy, it's a free way to remain in touch with people. Internationally especially. It enables people to get in touch with old friends If you've fallen out of touch with people it's usually for good reasons. Not to say that our old friends are bad people Just that you've both moved in different directions. I've had a few different emails from long-lost friends and after the initial wonder of seeing them again there's not much which really connects us.You can find people that you haven't been in contact with for years, or maybe went to school with. Faceable is good too for students based in a university environment as they can keep in touch with friends, online. Not only at university, but School contacts too. Its a useful way to find out how your school friends have got on in life and to even arrange a reunion . If, after all, relationships made in school fizzled out once the connection of going to school together is lost – they wouldn't have added you would they?As a university student, faceable is simply, but wonderfully, a device to contact friends about meeting up, homework etc rather than spending phone credit by testing. Faceable. A cheapskates haven. It's free and easily accessible What's wrong with calling them or going to visit them. We spend far too much of our time online and far too little in the real world. Faceable Just makes this worse. Faceable is ‘at home in your boxers' Faceable is not real world socializing. People should hang out and visit friends not scribble something on their ‘wall' or go ‘poking' around complete strangers.It is cost effective and has made keeping in touch with my friends from home while I'm at nun much easier. Also sometimes real-time communication is less than practical. If someone lives in a different time-zone it may be difficult to Just phone the person. People invest too much time in Faceable to let go. The same was said of Namespace and Friends before it. Faceable is an addiction that will run out of steam and it is one that annoys many schools colleges and universities, so much so that is has been banned from being accessed either completely or during teaching hours.I think faceable possibly has a time and a place but it annoys me when people are taking up computer suites Just to chat, applicant or poke people on faceable. Students are the biggest users of faceable and spend hours on it unknown to them that half the day has gone. I think it is something which Faceable has its pros and its cons. However, the matter of fact is that most Faceable users spend hours, days, weeks and even months customizing their profiles, finding rinds, adding photos and videos, creating groups and events. This is a heavy investment and most users will never seriously consider closing their faceable accounts.People have begun to identify themselves with their Faceable profiles. Hence, it is close to impossible for people to Just get off Faceable. Passbook's Terms of Service ensures that people's social information never leaves the walls of Faceable and therefore the social network will remain very popular and influential. Faceable has many practical applications and raises many more concerns. We have read quite a few of these in this debate. However, the question remains whether â€Å"Faceable is a fad that will Just pass†. I beg to differ.Social Networking is a whole new form of communication, of which Faceable is the most successful. Your argument is invalid. Did you even read the topic before posting? Its not saying social networking will die out, its saying (like namespace) Faceable will fade to the next amazing social networking site If you want to communicate with someone, in the old days you would either talk face to face or send a letter. Then came the telephone. Then came email s, further revolutionaries communications. Now there is social networking. Social networking is different. It can be very private, or very public.People have their own ‘space' or ‘profile' online, which people can search for as long as they know the persons name. No number or address is required or needs to be stored (and potentially lost). When you have a persons profile, you can add them as a friend in order to socially interact with them – which they must accept to facilitate the interaction (ensuring mutual consent of communications). When you are friends with someone, you can invite them to an event (along with an assortment of any or all of our friends) with a single click, and dispense information about that event.You can publicly display as much or little personal information about yourself as you wish. You can write on people's walls to tell them information, which other people will freely be able to see. Suddenly people become so much more informed withi n their social circles, and for a social animal this is broadly positive. Faceable facilitates the spread of social information (or gossip) and people often consider faceable profiles to be an authority on a person (whether they are in a relationship, etc).

Toyota Australia to UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Toyota Australia to UAE - Essay Example The popularity of the Toyota and its reputation has been considered in dealing with the analysis. Selection of areas were highlighted which could provide added benefit to the export of the business. The underlying risk associated with the entry of foreign markets was also studied in detail. The market of UAE have been found to be promising for the Australian export market and owing to the benefits the market provides Toyota should not resist its temptation to test its fortune in the market. An added advantage which the market of UAE provides is in the low price of diesels, which generally increases the sale of cars. Other than the general market analysis a study of the associated service has been done to find out whether any obstacles lie in the smooth running of the business. 7. Macro-environmental analysis of UAE 7.1 Political and Legal Environment of UAE: The government of UAE is the combination of seven emirates which is ruled by the president. The government of UAE is flexible r elating to the investment from the foreign countries. It promotes and encourages foreign countries to enter their region and carry out business. Despite the nation being the combination of seven different emirates but there exist federalism in the UAE companies law and is applicable throughout. The UAE free zone offers 100%foreign ownership and tax exemptions to companies operating over a period of 15-50 years (United Arab Emirates UAE tax rates, n.d). So it is quite encouraging for the companies to invest in UAE. Owing to such favorable factors the foreign investment in UAE accounted to108billion dollar in 2011. (FDI in UAE, 2008,) 7.2 Economic Environment of UAE: The economic condition in UAE is always on a high and in recent times it is expected to grow at a rate of 3-3.5% in 2011. UAE’s rising economy can be contributed to the export of oil, which over the years have gained considerable amount of revenue for the country. It significantly rose to 30% and caused earnings of 74 billion dollars (UAE oil income up 30% in 2010, 2011). It happens to rise at a considerable rate every year. The employment rate in UAE is considerably high as the foreign companies are obliged to recruit local people. Out of approximately 2 million populations in the emirate a staggering 86.6% of them are economically active. (Holdsworth, 2010) Dubai sees 19% decrease in unemployment rate 7.3 Socio-cultural Environment of UAE: The standards of living of the inhabitants are pretty high owing to the good financial position of most number of people. UAE has a diverse culture of people as many foreign bodies have established their base in the country. 7.4 Competitive Environment in UAE: The demand for luxury cars in UAE is always on a high and the automobile industry faces sufficient growth over the years in UAE. There is a strong presence of local car manufactures as well as the presence of international brands like Hyundai. The sales figure of Arabian automobiles recorded an 18% growth and the increase in sales of the Japanese firm was accounted due to introduction of new brands of car. The overall market grew by 19.7% in the year of 2010. The rise in sales of cars have added considerable amount of competition among the big players in the market. (UAE automotive industry record high growth in sales, 2011) 8. SWOT analysis STRENGTH 1. The company ,Toyota had

Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final Project - Research Paper Example There is a continued rise and development of companies throughout the world. This is mainly due to the increase in demand of various services that range from social amenities to business. Organizations have used a strong business strategy to take advantage of the developing markets to increase their profits. Real estate is one of the fastest growing sectors in India with an average of 14% annual pegs returns because of the Indian BPO boom. In addition, the housing sector has been growing at an average of 34% annually while the hospitality sectors have had a growth of 15% every year (Sarathy, 2011). It is anticipated that the real estate industry in India is purposed to grow exponentially in the future promising a potential market for investment. Therefore, real estate business is one of the key drivers of growth in India, with companies trying to consolidate their positions and trying to find effective means of suitable growth, the management of the real estate has emerged as one of the key challenges for the corporate sector. The Merlin Group is one of the real estate investors in India that have taken advantage of the rising real estate market to increase its profits. The company has developed a strategy to take advantage of the market boom to position its business in the most competitive manner. By conducting a PEST analysis of the India’s real estate industry, it is possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the market strategy that Merlin Group has employed to promote its business in this dynamic market. For the purpose of this research, the various factors influencing the Indian real estate business will be investigated, identified and evaluated. This section of the outline will discuss into details the history of real estate development in India and the rest of the world and how the industry have come to contribute to the high rate

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 27

Human Resource Management - Essay Example It provides 8, 000 core products and its own-label sales account for half of total UK sales. In the financial year 2014, it boasted of  £43.6 billion revenue and  £2191m trading profit (Tesco PLC Annual Report 2014, 8). Its main purpose is â€Å"to make what matters better, together† (Tescoplc.com, 2015). This is achieved through commitment to its three main values: no one tries harder for customers, treat people the way they want to be treated and use our scale for good. It is headquartered in Hertfordshire, England under the slogan Every little helps and aims at providing cheaper prices, improved quality, stronger ranges and better services. However, it operates under harsh economic conditions especially as a result of the 2007 economic crisis and also a highly fragmented and competitive environment with its main competitors being Asda, Sainsbury, and Morrisons although small retailers like Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose are giving them tight competition in recent years (Anders on, 2015). Tesco has been undergoing a difficult time with stagnant sales, declining profits and in addition, a  £250m hole in profits leading to decline in its share prices. In the FY 2014, it experienced a revenue growth of 0.0% and sales growth of 0.5%. Its trading in UK declined by 3.6% whilst its employee retention rates dropped by 1% although they are still strong at 90% (Tesco Annual Report, 2014, 16). In light of this, it needs improvements on its training and development, reward strategy and employee relations. Training, learning and development are essential in any organisation wishing to have sustainable competitive advantage. Training provides and /or improves skills necessary for performance of job tasks whereas development is to enhance abilities of employee for greater long-term good of organisation. The purpose of training and development is to promote organisational performance (Uma, 2013, 137). Organisation learning is

Etruscan Archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Etruscan Archaeology - Essay Example right, particularly in how early its social structure was developed, the origins of the people who inhabited it, and the cultural and technological advancements they made during their independent existence. In recent times, interest in ancient Etruria has increased and the result of this archeological interest has led to greater understanding of the region’s diversity (Witcher 122). For understanding southern European history prior to the 8th century B.C. and beyond, a detailed survey of Etruscan archaeology is required. In general overview, the agriculture of the early- to mid-Etruscan civilization consisted of farms that contributed significantly to a central food and general supply of commodities like cereals, olives, figs, and wool (Barker 782). Before long, farming in the Etruscan state came under extensive regulation, when the economic system and society in general changed into one featuring a number of stratified and complex hierarchies. In addition to farms, roadways (for communication) and heavier equipment became necessary. These changes are clearly evident from the archaeological evidence uncovered at distinctively Etruscan sites (Witcher 102-5). In the case of Etruria, the compound of a new government and a new farming system created what came to be the growth of a system that emphasized difference between the elites and the public (Barker 783). Archaeological evidence regarding such transformations is especially scant, but telling examples like botanical residues at some sites paint a v ibrant picture. Economically, the archeology of the Etruscan civilization is appealing for its possible contribution to an understanding of a pre- or early-Roman economy. Subsistence farming, not at all unlike that seen in the medieval ages, took root in the context of growing state authority. Barker (1988) even claims that surplus animals not consumed for their commercial value were often sacrifice to legitimize â€Å"the authority of the elites amongst the peasantry

Finanical Cyberproblem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finanical Cyberproblem - Essay Example h. Over the last 52 weeks, the stock has performed variably. The stock were rising in value during November, but then started to decrease in value and were at the lowest value of around 31 during April. The stock then rose in value again, peaking at over 44 in August. The stock now appears to be on a downward slope again. The S&P rose steadily between October and February, where there was a small dip before rising again until mid-July. The market then dipped again and is now on the rise. The Brady Corp. stocks did not follow the S&P performance until March, when it rose along with the S&P. This continued until the S&P dipped, however Brady Corp. stock then began to decrease in value despite the S&P being on the rise. .. The S&P rose steadily between October and February, where there was a small dip before rising again until mid-July. The market then dipped again and is now on the rise. The Brady Corp. stocks did not follow the S&P performance until March, when it rose along with the S&P. This continued until the S&P dipped, however Brady Corp. stock then began to decrease in value despite the S&P being on the

Please see instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Please see instruction - Essay Example The author, McKinley did not do the piece just fully as required right from the title of the story for he put it as if the raped child was in the town (Roxane). He focused so much on the town and the men while forgetting who the victim was in this situation. Considering what happened, the mainly affected person was the little girl but not the men who executed that horrifying act (Roxane). In the articles, focus is on the lives of men and the town rather than our victim who suffered the worst. He quotes some responses residents of the town were relaying of how the little girl dressed like a 20-year old woman and how the mother would let her leave home to go to various quarters all alone. He also states how the men’s lives would change because they would miss school. All this tries to imply that the little child brought all on herself through her conduct so the whole story is understandable in a way (Roxane). In the article there were questions raised on where the mother was when her little girl was raped because it is believed that she should be with her child at all times. This means that incase anything bad happens, she is to blame herself for not being responsible. The author shows a sense of chauvinism because he attacked the victim’s mother but never bothered to question the father too (Roxane). The article would be better if the author would not involve the defense of the men who did it because what he did is trying to justify their actions. Since he is reporting on what happened it should focus on the victim more and how the victim found help, through justice and her healing process. The gender of the authors too brought difference in the two articles. The Times newspaper reporter wrote the article focusing so much on the defense of the boys; trying to blame the mother for being irresponsible to the victim. He does not mention the victim’s father because he too must be responsible as much as the mother should be; they are all the parents to the

Multiple-Part Short Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple-Part Short Answer - Essay Example The L. Monocytogenes has a lower pathogenic potential than other food borne pathogens. Therefore, the number of pathogens ingested through foods is still low. It is however inconsistent with the relatively high 50% lethal dose (LD50) (Lee 98). Therefore, the minimum dose required for causing clinical infection in the humans is yet to be determined but the large numbers of the L. Monocytogenes bacteria detected in the foods responsible for sporadic and epidemic listeriosis cases suggests it is still high The vibrio cholera, the cholera agent, is a normal inhabitant of the aquatic environment. It survives under a wide range of salinity and pH. The effect of selected environmental parameters can be identified through chemically defined solutions. From such conditions, the growth and activity of the vibrio cholera are seen as being affected and influenced by the low pH. The low pH was responsible for the reduced effectiveness and growth of the vibrio cholera bacteria. This condition of the pH altered the internal process of the bacteria causing it to slow down and reproduce slowly. Low pH contained less Na+ that was relevant for the growth of the bacteria. Hence, the vibrio cholera bacteria were bound to be minimal in number. From a past study by (Vimont, 1-4), vibrio cholera can be cultured for a period of 4days using and estuarine salinity of 25%. Salinity of the bacteria’s niche influenced the activity as measured through the uptake of 14C –amino acids. From the study of selected ions, it was evident that the activity and growth of the cholera were affected by pH. The LD50 is the dose at which a drug becomes lethal for 50% of the target population. It is expressed as the mass of the bacteria administered per mass of the target. Different bacteria types impact on the host differently. The lethal dose for particular bacteria can change over time due to various factors. This can be affected by the toxicity and the amount of the bacteria cells. As the

Widow, is no longer able to live independently Essay Example for Free

Widow, is no longer able to live independently Essay Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family? Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family? Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?

The Life And Issues Of The Corinthian Community Religion Essay

The Life And Issues Of The Corinthian Community Religion Essay Paul wrote to Corinth, a community plagued by internal divisions, social and ethnic distinction, and a diversity of congregations. Regardless of whatever the circumstances may be, the apostle confronts the problematic issues boldly and with authority. Nevertheless, controversy still burns brightly today, on these issues just as they did in the early church, rendering it ideal subject matter for theological and hermeneutical consideration. Accordingly, the purpose of this essay is to reconstruct the life and issues of the fledgling Corinthian church and to determine firstly, whether Paul really understood the issues at hand, and secondly the effective of Pauls response in the Corinthian community to his call at the time. This essay will address the life and issues of the Corinthian community as recorded in the book of I Corinthians. This book narrates how the apostle Paul heard of the Corinthian Christian communitys troubles and responded with this letter to remedy their situation, heal their divisions, and answer their questions. Paul confronted them with their sin and need for corrective action and clear commitment to Christ. The stance taken here is that Paul did understand the life and issues of the Corinthian community and the effectiveness of his response was positive and appropriate for the time. The reconstruction of the life and issues of Corinth are assessed here through the three major problems facing the community, and one specific issue for each of those problems. The three major problems facing the church in Corinth related to the church, the members and the authority. Of the numerous issues within these three groupings the specific issues addressed here are the Lords Supper, marriage and women. Corinthian church was founded by Saint Paul approximately twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostle loved the Corinthian community with fervour and frustration for it was a vibrant and confused church. An extensive description of its establishment is recorded in Acts 18. Moreover, two of the longest letters in the New Testament, 1 and 2 Corinthian, are specifically addressed to it.  [1]   The first epistle written to the Corinthians was penned by Paul from Ephesus in reply to reports brought to him by two emissaries, and possibly Apollos (16:12). The arrangement of the letter indicates a response determined by the issues put to Paul (7:1). The correspondences content is acquired via the subject matter being introduced through a formula (peri de), latter repeated in (7:25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1; 12). Notably, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address exceptional issues, rather than to demonstrate common principles, or to give an expose of Christian practice.  [2]   Neyrey states: By his own admission, Paul thought and behaved like a typical, first-century Jew in the Eastern Mediterranean (Phil. 3:4b-6). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Paul was clearly socialized into a Jewish and Pharisaic world. On the micro level, his cosmos consisted of biblical, temple, and pharisaic tradition. On the macro level, Paul shared with other first-century Mediterranean Jews certain cultural perceptions about the cosmos, a symbolic universe (Berger Luckmann1966). These perceptions inform all of his letters, colour the way he experienced reality, and structure the way he behaved. Those who would understand Paul ought also to share his perception, both on the micro and macro level.  [3]   There were various issues related to the community in Corinth. The three main problem areas were: a) the church, b) the members and c) authority. Problems within the church were notably related to mission, baptism, the Lords Supper, body life, love, worship and prophecy. Problems with members related to intellect, freedom, giving, sex, suffering and death. Problems with authority related to leaders, women and apostles.  [4]  Of these aforementioned problems and issues three are dealt with here. They are problems relating to the life and issues of the Corinthian Christian community at the time relative to (1) the Lords Supper, (2) sexual morality and (3) the role of women. (1) Problems within the church notably the Lords Supper. (1 Cor. 11:17-34) Paul had heard of scandalous behaviour in the Corinthian community worship relative to the Eucharist. The purpose of the Eucharistic gathering was to take part in the Lords Supper, as enacted by Jesus with the disciples. Regrettably, some of the Corinthian Christians were behaving in a way which denigrated the significance of the event.  [5]   This was as a result of class feelings and distinctions manifesting in the community (cf. James 2:1-4) with private cliques and affluent individuals initiating proceedings without waiting for others to eat. Gluttony, unsociable behaviour and drunkenness were becoming a familiar occurrence. To rebut this Paul reminds them that such conduct makes the professed reason for their joining in communion invalid and pointless.  [6]  Their actions constituted a contradiction to Church meaning and jeopardised the welfare of all. As such, Paul clearly perceived and understood this issue in the Corinthian community at the time. Furthermore, the intention of the Lords Supper was as a common meal, and Pauls condemnation relates to the Corinthians contradicting this principle (11:20-21). Thus, the Christians of Corinth would be better served by eating in their own homes rather than feigning a pretentious a unity repudiated by their behaviour. Pauls intention is not to censure gluttony and drunkenness, but to emphasize an egocentric apathy which is the antithesis of love.  [7]   Pauls denunciation is explicit as the Corinthians behaviour held communion in contempt (v.22) and could not being allowed to persist. Pauls remedial approach is by way of an explanation of the Eucharist. Paul showed how love is necessary for the Eucharist to have meaning and this love commences in their personal community relationships with one another, particularly the poor.  [8]   Relevant to this point, Murphy OConner notes that: The unity for the church is something more than physical juxtaposition in a determined space. It is a vital sharing of life and the Corinthians cannot deceive themselves that they enjoy this if the physical life of the poor is endangered because they do not have enough to eat.  [9]   (2) Problems with members notably sex. Pauls severe reprimand on sexual immorality defiling the church is presented in (5:1-6). From the start the Christian stance to the widespread unseemly Corinthian sexual practices and thought was one of uncompromising opposition, for sexual negligence was endemic with first-century Greeks. However, the Corinthians view of their emancipation in Christ was such that they felt inclined towards a different approach to other Christians, yet this was one which permitted even worse evils than the Greeks.  [10]   Paul condemns such sexual sin in the strongest of terms (6:9-20) because the troubles in the Corinthian church were basically related to sexual conduct.  [11]  Moreover, prostitution and immorality were invasive with marriages in Corinth in a dilemma and Christians unsure how to respond. Accordingly, Paul gave meaningful and practical solutions.  [12]   Pauls instruction can be separated into heterosexual and homosexual activity outside of marriage. Paul refuted the argument assuming that as Christians were not bound by food laws then the same applied to sexual laws (6:13). Pauls unyielding and persuasive argument said that it is fundamentally impossible to compare the two, as in Christian terms the word body means much more than animal tissue. Paul maintained that body is the self and he marshalled numerous arguments to sustain this position.  [13]   Pauls argument is bases on six facts: (a) that our body matters to God (1:63), (b) our body will be raised (6:14), (c) our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19), (d) our body is harmed by immorality(6:18), (e) fornication for a Christian is a rebellious act of independence, and most importantly (f) that our body belongs to Christ (6:19-20). Paul concludes by counselling to shun immorality (6:18) and emphasising that the body is for the Lord and should be kept that way, with this possibility only accessible through the power of the Holy Spirit.  [14]   Relative to homosexuality, Paul gives scant attention to the issue however he makes the point that it is basically unacceptable for Christian practice (6:9-11) and that it can be changed (6:9-11). His premise is that homosexuality is immoral and an unattainable avenue to Heaven. Paul refers to Genesis and the image of God residing mutually in the male and female (Gen.1:27).  [15]   (3) Problems relating to authority and women. Paul is considered by many to be a misogynist (a man who hates women). Nevertheless, Pauls overall attitude to women was reflective of the time and culture. However, Jesus teachings were revolutionary relative to the role and rights of women, and Paul embraced this new perception afforded to women.  [16]   The situation of women in Corinthian society indicates that women were held in low esteem in Hebrew, Greek and Roman culture. A womens authority was severely limited in that she was subject to the authority of her father or husband, could not inherit property, could not testify in a court of law, or claim right to education. Moreover, the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, prostituted a thousand women in its service further demeaning their social status. Such was the state of affairs of women in Corinth at that time and the problem faced by Saint Paul.  [17]   Conversely, Christianity engaged women in church and community work, women such as Mary, Tryphaena and Tryphosa who worked hard in the Lord (Rom.16:12). They are found labouring with Paul in spreading the gospel (Phil.4:3) and supporting in various ways. For women both to pray and prophecy during public worship (1 Cor.11:5) was acceptable by Paul, despite being a contradiction to the customs of the time.  [18]   The fact that Paul was clear on the position of women in the church and that they were equal with all others is clarified in Galatians (3:28). For Paul men and women had complete equality of standing before God (1 Cor. 11:11). Unquestionably, the revolutionary teaching of Jesus had systematically permeated into the heart of Paul, the rabbi and apostle of Jesus. However, an issue on which Paul disagreed with women was regarding womens headdress (11:5). By dispensing with the customary covering for their heads many of women within the Corinthian church were defying tradition. It appears they viewed their action as having religious importance as the particular circumstance on which they chose to exhibit their uncovered heads was at worship. Their unconventional behaviour was obviously an expression of a new found freedom related to the Christian faith.  [19]   Undoubtedly, this was an assertion of feminine freedom found within the context of the new faith. To these women the covered head was symbolical of their subordination to men, and ceased to be acknowledged by them under conditions of worship. Paul differed with them on this point of headdress despite acknowledging womens right to speak in church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This Paul ruled as an exception to the silence he otherwise imposed on them (ch.14:34), nevertheless he considered it did not excuse them from covering their heads.  [20]   Having considered problems within the church relating to the Lords Supper, sex and women there is, however, a further dynamic for reflection when appreciating the circumstances that occasioned I Corinthians. That dynamic is a developing conflict between the church in Corinth and Paul himself. Watson notes Gordon Fees observation that the language and style of I Corinthians are especially rhetorical and combative. Paul is taking them on at every turn à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ he is attacking and challenging with all the weapons in his literary arsenal.  [21]   While Paul is undoubtedly seeking to right both their theology and practices in a comprehensive way, it is clear that Paul needs to defend his apostolate. Moreover, the fact remains that the Corinthians had written to the apostle seeking his advice. This proves that he remains an authority figure in their eyes, understanding and appreciating their lives and issues. Hermeneutically, Corinth reflects realistically on our contemporary Christian community situation. The problems and issues addressed by St.Paul are still relevant to society and the church today. The text offers a splendid observation of Paul the church cultivator and pastor utilizing his theology for the service of the church. Green notes: The spread of abuses and problems at Corinth enable us to share the apostles perspective on a large number of issues of contemporary importance to the church. The whole correspondence throbs with life and love. However, there are difficulties associated with Corinthians that keep it a closed book to most church members today. The Corinthian issues are considered too awkward to tackle, such as tongues, prophecy and veiled women.  [22]   Naturally, this appraisal would be stalled at the outset if Pauls solutions to these problems relate simply to antiquated issues, For example, if First Corinthians rests on the necessity of the Lords Supper, sexual practices or the wearing veils to worship then the ethical instruction of Paul may well be relegated to archaic morality. Fortunately, however, the ethic of Paul is a protest against that very kind of literalistic and legalistic teaching. His concern with the practical should not be construed as a banal particularise. Rather, the concern with particulars rests on the conviction that basic ethical concerns are relevant o every aspect of human conduct.  [23]   Providentially, however, Pauls ethic is an objection to such literalistic and legalistic teaching. His concern with the practical should not be negatively construed but rather his concern with facts supports his conviction that fundamental ethical issues are pertinent to all facets of human behaviour. Pauls analysis and response to these commonplace issues offer theological considerations of merit. Repeatedly throughout First Corinthians Paul commences with a common concern, probes its depth for theological understanding, and applies theological principles for the practical application Christian life.  [24]   Pauls theological ethic can only be fully understood in relation to its application and relevance. First Corinthians may be applied as here as a fundamental source for investigation because the tension between the practical and theological are constantly sustain. Here the Christocentric character of Pauls thought is clearly expressed with Pauls answers founded on the rock of Christ. In conclusion it has been seen how Paul confronted the Corinthians Christians regarding their sins and shortcomings, exhorting them not to merge with the world or accept its false values and erroneous lifestyles. The root causes of these errors may be seen in an assimilation of the gospel to Hellenism however a more plausible reason is the human inclination to reshape God in our own image. Paul was well aware of what and why he was doing it when he wrote to the church of God at Corinth (1:2). The apostles purpose in writing to the Corinthians is clearly reproving. Paul wants them to know that he is concerned with the assembly and tells them what they should and not do in explicit terms. In addressing the issues relating to the Lords Supper, marriage and women (as with the other issues) Paul exhibits a clear understanding of the facts. This is received through the reliability of the sources and Pauls own background and worldly experiences. His adroit and forthright response addresss the situation squarely and accurately warranting an effective outcome. Paul makes it clear that his actions have no self advantage but that his writing is a command of the Lord (14:37). Pauls letter to the Corinthians offers the contemporary reader a window into a real and struggling early Christian community that challenged the Corinthians to allow the gospel to engage them in the reality of their daily lives. Likewise, the contemporary reader is challenged to allow the gospel message to engage them in the very realities of daily life and to celebrate their oneness in Christ when the church gathers for Eucharist and spiritual communication.

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To be born a female or a male in any society is more than an unpretentious biological fact since it is not without social implications. Women establish a discrete social group, as gender dominates it by means of culture redevelops to what instigates as a fact of nature. The idea that natural differences between the sexes are the basis/spring of all that fashions women and man to be distinct has also been profoundly driven in in various scientific debates. The absolute inconsistency of the roles and relations of women and men across diverse societies and social groups depicts/portrays itself as one of the primary evidence against this unsophisticated biologically determinist interpretation. If there is no steadiness between how different societies believe/presume men to be men and women to be women-- this longstanding saying has been confronted with ever accumulating frequency as social researchers emphasis on the nature of the social construction of gender, then what can be announced is that there must be something other than natural differences that lie beneath their character along...

Images and Metaphors in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay exampl

Images and Metaphors in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interpersonal relationships in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot are extremely important, because the interaction of the dynamic characters, as they try to satiate one another's boredom, is the basis for the play. Vladimir's and Estragon's interactions with Godot, which should also be seen as an interpersonal relationship among dynamic characters, forms the basis for the tale's major themes. Interpersonal relationships, including those involving Godot, are generally couched in rope images, specifically as nooses and leashes. These metaphors at times are visible and invisible, involve people as well as inanimate objects, and connect the dead with the living. Only an appreciation of these complicated rope images will provide a truly complete reading of Beckett's Godot and his God, because they punctuate Beckett's voice in this play better than do any of the individual characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only rope that appears literally is the leash around Lucky's neck that Pozzo holds. This pair of characters appears separated by a rope that is half the width of the stage. In terms of the rope, the relationship between these characters is one of consistent domination. The stage directions say that "Pozzo drives Lucky by means of a rope passed round his neck." [p15] Lucky is whipped often. He is essentially the horse pulling Pozzo's carriage in a relationship that seems cruel, domineering, and undesirable, and yet Lucky is strangely sycophantic. In explaining Lucky's behavior, Pozzo says, Why he doesn't make himself comfortable? Let's try and get this clear. Has he not the right to? Certainly he has. It follows that he doesn't want to...He imagines that when I see ... ...eckett hopes, must be the strongest rope of all in Waiting for Godot - the noose surrounding Godot's neck that is held aloft, and out of sight, by hope. Work Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1954. Works Consulted Andres, Gunther. Being without Time: On Beckett's Play Waiting for Godot. Ed. Martin Esslin. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1965. 140-152. Astro, Alan. Understanding Samuel Beckett. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1990. Bair, Deirdre. Samuel Beckett. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. Mercier, Vivian. Beckett / Beckett. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. States, Bernard. The Shape of Paradox: An Essay on Waiting for Godot. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978. Webb, Eugene. The Plays of Samuel Beckett. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1972.

Free Essays - Animal Farm :: Animal Farm

ï » ¿Introduction    â€Å"Animal Farm† is a symbolical political satire in which animals take the place of humans. These animals can talk and are just as intelligent as humans. They learn to read and each type of animal a different aspect of humanity. (Ex.: Pigs- Politicians; Horses- Laborers; Sheep- Gullible People; etc. ) This book shows how a government that is set up to serve the people turns against them, just like communism did to the Russian people. Animalism symbolizes communism and the characters symbolize Russian leaders and people of importance. This is a tale with no happy ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Characters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pigs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They symbolize politicians in a stereotypical sense. Some of them lie, cheat,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and steal from the animals they are supposed to serve. They make promises   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   that are never kept. Propaganda is spread to the animals they are supposed to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   represent. Old Major   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a pig who is very old. He has seen the lifestyle the animals live and is   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   dissatisfied with it. He creates a government ideology called animalism which   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   represents communism. He is the Karl Marx of this world. Napoleon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a large, fierce looking Berkshire boar, who is not much of a talker. He   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   uses animalism only to increase his power and the dogs to terrorize the other   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   animals. Napoleon symbolizes the dictator Joseph   Stalin in this world. Snowball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a pig that fights with Napoleon over the power on the farm. He is a very   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   energetic, eloquent speaking, brilliant leader who organizes the defense of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   farm. Napoleons jealousness of him makes him try to kill Snowball. Snowball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   flees the area and every misfortune in Animal Farm after that is blamed on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   him. He represents Leon Trotsky in this story. Squealor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a short, fat, twinkle eyed pig who is a brilliant talker. He justifies the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   horrible actions of Napoleon and most of the animals buy into it. He has a sly,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   persuasive air to him. This is why he is head of Napoleon’s propaganda plan.    Boxer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He is a large, very powerful horse who is not too bright. He buys into   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   animalism and works the hardest on the farm. He saves the farm on multiple   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   occasions and declared a national hero. After he gets too sick to work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Napoleon secretly sells him to a glue factory. Boxer symbolizes the hard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   working Russian class that Stalin abused for his own benefit. Mollie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She is a mare who abandons Animal Farm for sugar and ribbons at the human

Political Philosophy and Plato Essay

Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Many would claim that Plato’s dialogues are the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity. Through his portrayal in Plato’s dialogues, Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics, and it is this Platonic Socrates who also lends his name to the concepts of Socratic irony and the Socratic method, or elenchus. The latter remains a commonly used tool in a wide range of discussions, and is a type of pedagogy in which a series of questions are asked not only to draw individual answers, but also to encourage fundamental insight into the issue at hand. It is Plato’s Socrates that also made important and lasting contributions to the fields of epistemology and logic, and the influence of his ideas and approach remains strong in providing a foundation for much western philosophy that followed. As one recent commentator has put it, Plato, the idealist, offers â€Å"an idol, a master figure, for philosophy. A Saint, a prophet of the ‘Sun-God’, a teacher condemned for his teachings as a heretic. † Yet, the ‘real’ Socrates, like many of the other ancient philosophers, remains, at best, enigmatic and, at worst, unknown. Perhaps his most important contribution to Western thought is his dialectic method of inquiry, known as the Socratic method or method of â€Å"elenchus†, which he largely applied to the examination of key moral concepts such as the Good and Justice. It was first described by Plato in the Socratic Dialogues. To solve a problem, it would be broken down into a series of questions, the answers to which gradually distill the answer a person would seek. The influence of this approach is most strongly felt today in the use of the scientific method, in which hypothesis is the first stage. The development and practice of this method is one of Socrates’ most enduring contributions, and is a key factor in earning his mantle as the father of political philosophy, ethics or moral philosophy, and as a figurehead of all the central themes in Western philosophy. To illustrate the use of the Socratic method; a series of questions are posed to help a person or group to determine their underlying beliefs and the extent of their knowledge. The Socratic method is a negative method of hypothesis elimination, in that better hypotheses are found by steadily identifying and eliminating those that lead to contradictions. It was designed to force one to examine one’s own beliefs and the validity of such beliefs. In fact, Socrates once said, â€Å"I know you won’t believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others. † Philosophical beliefs The beliefs of Socrates, as distinct from those of Plato, are difficult to discern. Little in the way of concrete evidence exists to demarcate the two. The lengthy theories given in most of the dialogues are those of Plato, and some scholars think Plato so adapted the Socratic style as to make the literary character and the philosopher himself impossible to distinguish. Others argue that he did have his own theories and beliefs, but there is much controversy over what these might have been, owing to the difficulty of separating Socrates from Plato and the difficulty of interpreting even the dramatic writings concerning Socrates. Consequently, distinguishing the philosophical beliefs of Socrates from those of Plato and Xenophon is not easy and it must be remembered that what is attributed to Socrates might more closely reflect the specific concerns of these thinkers. The matter is complicated because the historical Socrates seems to have been notorious for asking questions but not answering, claiming to lack wisdom concerning the subjects about which he questioned others. Socratic Paradoxes Many of the beliefs traditionally attributed to the historical Socrates have been characterized as â€Å"paradoxal† because they seem to conflict with common sense. The following are among the so-called Socratic Paradoxes. †¢No one desires evil. †¢No one errs or does wrong willingly or knowingly. †¢Virtue—all virtue—is knowledge. †¢Virtue is sufficient for happiness. The phrase Socratic paradox can also refer to a self-referential paradox, originating in Socrates’ phrase, â€Å"I know that I know nothing noble and good†. Knowledge One of the best known sayings of Socrates is â€Å"I only know that I know nothing†. The conventional interpretation of this remark is that Socrates’ wisdom was limited to an awareness of his own ignorance. Socrates believed wrongdoing was a consequence of ignorance and those who did wrong knew no better. The one thing Socrates consistently claimed to have knowledge of was â€Å"the art of love†, which he connected with the concept of â€Å"the love of wisdom†, i. e. , philosophy. He never actually claimed to be wise, only to understand the path a lover of wisdom must take in pursuing it. It is debatable whether Socrates believed humans (as opposed to gods like Apollo) could actually become wise. On the one hand, he drew a clear line between human ignorance and ideal knowledge; on the other, Plato’s Symposium (Diotima’s Speech) and Republic (Allegory of the Cave) describe a method for ascending to wisdom. In Plato’s Theaetetus (150a), Socrates compares himself to a true matchmaker (promnestikos), as distinguished from a panderer ( proagogos). This distinction is echoed in Xenophon’s Symposium (3. 20), when Socrates jokes about his certainty of being able to make a fortune, if he chose to practice the art of pandering. For his part as a philosophical interlocutor, he leads his respondent to a clearer conception of wisdom, although he claims he is not himself a teacher (Apology). His role, he claims, is more properly to be understood as analogous to a midwife ( ? ? maia). Socrates explains that he is himself barren of theories, but knows how to bring the theories of others to birth and determine whether they are worthy or mere â€Å"wind eggs† ( ? ? anemiaion). Perhaps significantly, he points out that midwives are barren due to age, and women who have never given birth are unable to become midwives; they would have no experience or knowledge of birth and would be unable to separate the worthy infants from those that should be left on the hillside to be exposed. To judge this, the midwife must have experience and knowledge of what she is judging. Virtue Bust of Socrates in the Palermo Archaeological Museum. Socrates believed the best way for people to live was to focus on self-development rather than the pursuit of material wealth. He always invited others to try to concentrate more on friendships and a sense of true community, for Socrates felt this was the best way for people to grow together as a populace. His actions lived up to this: in the end, Socrates accepted his death sentence when most thought he would simply leave Athens, as he felt he could not run away from or go against the will of his community; as mentioned above, his reputation for valor on the battlefield was without reproach. The idea that humans possessed certain virtues formed a common thread in Socrates’ teachings. These virtues represented the most important qualities for a person to have, foremost of which were the philosophical or intellectual virtues. Socrates stressed that â€Å"virtue was the most valuable of all possessions; the ideal life was spent in search of the Good. Truth lies beneath the shadows of existence, and it is the job of the philosopher to show the rest how little they really know. Politics It is often argued that Socrates believed â€Å"ideals belong in a world only the wise man can understand†, making the philosopher the only type of person suitable to govern others. In Plato’s dialogue the Republic, Socrates was in no way subtle about his particular beliefs on government. He openly objected to the democracy that ran Athens during his adult life. It was not only Athenian democracy: Socrates objected to any form of government that did not conform to his ideal of a perfect republic led by philosophers, and Athenian government was far from that. It is, however, possible that the Socrates of Plato’s Republic is colored by Plato’s own views. During the last years of Socrates’ life, Athens was in continual flux due to political upheaval. Democracy was at last overthrown by a junta known as the Thirty Tyrants, led by Plato’s relative, Critias, who had been a student of Socrates. The Tyrants ruled for about a year before the Athenian democracy was reinstated, at which point it declared an amnesty for all recent events. Socrates’ opposition to democracy is often denied, and the question is one of the biggest philosophical debates when trying to determine exactly what Socrates believed. The strongest argument of those who claim Socrates did not actually believe in the idea of philosopher kings is that the view is expressed no earlier than Plato’s Republic, which is widely considered one of Plato’s â€Å"Middle† dialogues and not representative of the historical Socrates’ views. Furthermore, according to Plato’s Apology of Socrates, an â€Å"early† dialogue, Socrates refused to pursue conventional politics; he often stated he could not look into other’s matters or tell people how to live their lives when he did not yet understand how to live his own. He believed he was a philosopher engaged in the pursuit of Truth, and did not claim to know it fully. Socrates’ acceptance of his death sentence, after his conviction by the Boule (Senate), can also be seen to support this view. It is often claimed much of the anti-democratic leanings are from Plato, who was never able to overcome his disgust at what was done to his teacher. In any case, it is clear Socrates thought the rule of the Thirty Tyrants was at least as objectionable as Democracy; when called before them to assist in the arrest of a fellow Athenian, Socrates refused and narrowly escaped death before the Tyrants were overthrown. He did however fulfill his duty to serve as Prytanis when a trial of a group of Generals who presided over a disastrous naval campaign were judged; even then he maintained an uncompromising attitude, being one of those who refused to proceed in a manner not supported by the laws, despite intense pressure. Judging by his actions, he considered the rule of the Thirty Tyrants less legitimate than the Democratic Senate that sentenced him to death. Contributions of Socrates One: Awakened thinkers to the need to examine and reexamine their political, moral, and philosophical views in order to discover and root out errors and misconceptions that impede progress. Socrates accomplished this task by demonstrating, through cross-examination of people he encountered, that many accepted precepts, conventions, and beliefs were based on faulty logic or outright errors. A quotation attributed to him states: â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living. † In other words, a human being must not be complacent and self-satisfied; instead, he must be ever probing, exploring, and reconnoitering his soul in order to discover ways to improve. Two: Effectively rebutted a central tenet of the Sophists, traveling teachers who charged fees for educating young men. This tenet maintained that the guiding principles of a society, such as justice and truth, were relative concepts–that is, they changed according to the needs of men in a particular time and place. What was considered right and just in Athens was not necessarily right and just in another society, the Sophists maintained. One man’s virtue could be another man’s vice. Three: Pioneered the use of inductive reasoning to draw logical conclusions. According to Aristotle, Socrates founded the â€Å"scientific method. † Four: Demonstrated that wrongdoing results from ignorance. If a man lies, Socrates might have said, he does so because he does not understand the benefits of telling the truth. Five: Inspired philosophers in his own time and in later times to pursue the truth through rigorous analysis of available, facts, opinions, and so on. Two of the most important philosophers in the history of the world, Plato and Aristotle, both esteemed Socrates as a supreme thinker and infused their philosophical systems with Socratic thought. Plato was a pupil of Socrates, and Aristotle was a pupil of Plato. Six: Showed the world the meaning of integrity and moral commitment by accepting a death sentence rather than recanting his principles. Seven: Made clear that a human being is more than his appearance. Socrates was ugly, wore old clothes, and walked barefooted through the streets of Athens. But his mind and the words he spoke were beautiful. The trial of Socrates The Trial of Socrates refers to the trial and the subsequent execution of the classical Athenian philosopher Socrates in 399 BC. Socrates was tried on the basis of two notoriously ambiguous charges: corrupting the youth and impiety. More specifically, Socrates’ accusers cited two â€Å"impious† acts: â€Å"failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges† and â€Å"introducing new deities. † A majority of the 501 dikasts (Athenian citizens chosen by lot to serve as jurors) voted to convict him. Consistent with common practice, the dikasts determined Socrates’ punishment with another vote. Socrates was ultimately sentenced to death by drinking a hemlock-based liquid. The accuser Meletus swore before the Archon, a state office-holder with primarily religious duties. Having decided that there was a case to answer, the Archon summoned Socrates to appear before a jury of Athenian citizens, to answer charges of corrupting the youth of Athens and impiety. Athenian juries were drawn by lottery from a group of male citizen volunteers. Unlike trials in many modern societies, majority verdicts were the rule rather than the exception. Neither Plato nor Xenophon mentions the number of Socrates’ judges, though Plato’s Apology 35a-b does suggest some definite boundaries: that if just thirty of the votes had been otherwise then he would have been acquitted, and that (perhaps) less than three fifths voted against him After the vote on Socrates’ guilt, Socrates and his prosecutor suggested alternative sentences. Socrates, after expressing his surprise of the little amount he needed to be have been found innocent, jokingly suggested free meals at the Prytaneum, a particular honor held for city benefactors and winners at the Olympic Games, then offered to pay a fine of 100 drachmae, which was a fifth of his property and a testament to Socrates’ poverty. Finally he settled on the sum of 3000 drachmae, put forward by Plato, Crito, Critobulus, and Apollodorus, who guaranteed the payment. His prosecutor proposed the death penalty. The jury voted for death as the penalty – the larger majority showing (Diogenes Laertius 2. 42). Perhaps Socrates had lost support by his slighting and unapologetic tone. Socrates’s followers encouraged him to flee, and citizens expected him to do so and were probably not averse to it; but he refused on principle. Apparently in accordance with his philosophy of obedience to law, he carried out his own execution, by drinking the hemlock provided to him. Socrates died at the age of 70. Most scholars see the conviction and execution of Socrates as a deliberate choice made by the famous philosopher himself. If the accounts of Plato and Xenophon are reasonably accurate, Socrates sought not to persuade jurors, but rather to lecture and provoke them. The trial and execution of Socrates produced the first martyr for free speech. PLATO Plato 428/427 BC – 348/347 BC), was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. In the famous words of A. N. Whitehead: The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. I do not mean the systematic scheme of thought which scholars have doubtfully extracted from his writings. I allude to the wealth of general ideas scattered through them. Plato’s sophistication as a writer is evident in his Socratic dialogues; thirty-six dialogues and thirteen letters have been ascribed to him. Plato’s writings have been published in several fashions; this has led to several conventions regarding the naming and referencing of Plato’s texts. Plato’s dialogues have been used to teach a range of subjects, including philosophy, logic, ethics, rhetoric, and mathematics Plato’s philosophical views had many societal implications, especially on the idea of an ideal state or government. There is some discrepancy between his early and later views. Some of the most famous doctrines are contained in the Republic during his middle period, as well as in the Laws and the Statesman. However, because Plato wrote dialogues, it is assumed that Socrates is often speaking for Plato. This assumption may not be true in all cases. Plato, through the words of Socrates, asserts that societies have a tripartite class structure corresponding to the appetite/spirit/reason structure of the individual soul. The appetite/spirit/reason stand for different parts of the body. The body parts symbolize the castes of society †¢Productive, which represents the abdomen. (Workers) — the labourers, carpenters, plumbers, masons, merchants, farmers, ranchers, etc. These correspond to the â€Å"appetite† part of the soul. †¢Protective, which represents the chest. (Warriors or Guardians) — those who are adventurous, strong and brave; in the armed forces. These correspond to the â€Å"spirit† part of the soul. †¢ †¢ †¢Governing, which represents the head. (Rulers or Philosopher Kings) — those who are intelligent, rational, self-controlled, in love with wisdom, well suited to make decisions for the community. These correspond to the â€Å"reason† part of the soul and are very few. According to this model, the principles of Athenian democracy (as it existed in his day) are rejected as only a few are fit to rule. Instead of rhetoric and persuasion, Plato says reason and wisdom should govern. As Plato puts it: â€Å"Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,†¦ nor, I think, will the human race. † (Republic 473c-d) Plato describes these â€Å"philosopher kings† as â€Å"those who love the sight of truth† (Republic 475c) and supports the idea with the analogy of a captain and his ship or a doctor and his medicine. According to him, sailing and health are not things that everyone is qualified to practice by nature. A large part of the Republic then addresses how the educational system should be set up to produce these philosopher kings. However, it must be taken into account that the ideal city outlined in the Republic is qualified by Socrates as the ideal luxurious city, examined to determine how it is that injustice and justice grow in a city (Republic 372e). According to Socrates, the â€Å"true† and â€Å"healthy† city is instead the one first outlined in book II of the Republic, 369c–372d, containing farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and wage-earners, but lacking the guardian class of philosopher-kings as well as delicacies such as â€Å"perfumed oils, incense, prostitutes, and pastries†, in addition to paintings, gold, ivory, couches, a multitude of occupations such as poets and hunters, and war. In addition, the ideal city is used as an image to illuminate the state of one’s soul, or the will, reason, and desires combined in the human body. Socrates is attempting to make an image of a rightly ordered human, and then later goes on to describe the different kinds of humans that can be observed, from tyrants to lovers of money in various kinds of cities. The ideal city is not promoted, but only used to magnify the different kinds of individual humans and the state of their soul. However, the philosopher king image was used by many after Plato to justify their personal political beliefs. The philosophic soul according to Socrates has reason, will, and desires united in virtuous harmony. A philosopher has the moderate love for wisdom and the courage to act according to wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge about the Good or the right relations between all that exists. Wherein it concerns states and rulers, Plato has made interesting arguments. For instance he asks which is better—a bad democracy or a country reigned by a tyrant. He argues that it is better to be ruled by a bad tyrant, than be a bad democracy (since here all the people are now responsible for such actions, rather than one individual committing many bad deeds. ) This is emphasised within the Republic as Plato describes the event of mutiny onboard a ship. Plato suggests the ships crew to be in line with the democratic rule of many and the captain, although inhibited through ailments, the tyrant. Plato’s description of this event is parallel to that of democracy within the state and the inherent problems that arise. According to Plato, a state made up of different kinds of souls will, overall, decline from an aristocracy (rule by the best) to a timocracy (rule by the honorable), then to an oligarchy (rule by the few), then to a democracy (rule by the people), and finally to tyranny (rule by one person, rule by a tyrant). Plato went on to study with Socrates. He learned to reason and debate through Socrates. Plato was very close to him, and when he watched Socrates’ trial and murder in 399 BC, it disillusioned him greatly. He no longer trusted the government of Greece; so he decided to open a school in Athens instead of going into politics like everyone in his family had. Plato’s school for philosophers was started so that he could train those who would some day be his leaders of cities. His most famous student was Aristotle who later tutored Alexander the Great. Plato promoted ideas that would eventually effect even Thomas Aquinas who changed Catholic Doctrine to make it conform to the works of Aristotle. Plato’s ideas have greatly influenced the thinking of modern governments such as in the founding of the American system. For example, Plato stated, â€Å"Unless philosophers bear kingly rule in cities or those who are now called kings and princes become genuine and adequate philosophers, and political power and philosophy are brought together . . . there will be no respite from evil for cities. † – Plato and â€Å"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. † From these first democratic societies of the Greeks, Plato’s teaching has not neccesarily been proven over time. The political philosopher, Hilter, for example, was democratically elected by an intelligent populace who were very concerned with public affairs. Plato’s thoughts about perceptions of reality are still of interest today. One allegory went something like this: Suppose a few men were captured when they were born, and made to live in a cave. They are chained by their neck and feet so that they cannot move at all. The men are facing a wall of stone. Behind them burns a fire. In front of that is a wall along which their captors walk with puppets in their hands. The only truth they know is that of what shadows look like and muffled sound echoing throughout the hall. They know not what a true boat looks like, just the shadow of a boat. They make words for the objects they see. One day one of the men breaks free and gets out of the cave into the world. He sees the fire and the puppets and knows that all he has known all his life was just a piece of all he knew. He got to the outdoors and was blinded by the sun. He had to re-learn what the world really was like. He learned what true boats looked like and found that they were not at all like their shadows. He decided that his friends in the cave should also know that what they saw was not real, but was just an image cast from a wavering fire. When he went down and told them, they laughed at him and told him he was wrong. They said ‘Look! Can you not see the wall? That on the wall is a boat. ’ He persisted in his story of the light, and they eventually killed him. This great analogy can apply to what we know about heavens. As it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:12, â€Å"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. † Plato sensed that there was a reality apart from his perception as many had sensed before him. The wisest man that ever lived, Solomon, acknowledged in Ecclesiastes 1 that â€Å"there is nothing new under the sun†. Indeed, centuries before Plato, it was recorded in Job 12:22, â€Å"He [God] reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings the deep darkness into light. â€Å" The mysterious shadows of life can only be brought to the light of understanding by God as explained by the Apostle in John 1:5 â€Å"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. † And they killed what they didn’t understand as they were afraid of the reality of their sins and crucified the Light. Plato knew of this human fear factor, â€Å"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. † –Plato Although Plato died in 347 BC, but his teaching continues to influence governments systems and even doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. Most philosophers from antiquity up to today have stood on Plato’s broad shoulders attempting to use what he offered and see beyond the cave’s shadows. ARISTOTLE Aristotle (b. 384 – d. 322 BCE), was a Greek philosopher, logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a number of philosophical fields, including political theory. Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and his father was a court physician to the king of Macedon. As a young man he studied in Plato’s Academy in Athens. After Plato’s death he left Athens to conduct philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedon to tutor his young son, Alexander the Great. Soon after Alexander succeeded his father, consolidated the conquest of the Greek city-states, and launched the invasion of the Persian Empire. Aristotle returned as a resident alien to Athens, and was a close friend of Antipater, the Macedonian viceroy. At this time (335–323 BCE) he wrote, or at least worked on, some of his major treatises, including the Politics. When Alexander died suddenly, Aristotle had to flee from Athens because of his Macedonian connections, and he died soon after. Aristotle’s life seems to have influenced his political thought in various ways: his interest in biology seems to be expressed in the naturalism of his politics; his interest in comparative politics and his sympathies for democracy as well as monarchy may have been encouraged by his travels and experience of diverse political systems; he criticizes harshly, while borrowing extensively, from Plato’s Republic, Statesman, and Laws; and his own Politics is intended to guide rulers and statesmen, reflecting the high political circles in which he moved. Political Science in General The modern word ‘political’ derives from the Greek politikos, ‘of, or pertaining to, the polis’. (The Greek term polis will be translated here as ‘city-state’. It is also translated as ‘city’ or ‘polis’, or simply anglicized as ‘polis’. City-states like Athens and Sparta were relatively small and cohesive units, in which political, religious, and cultural concerns were intertwined. The extent of their similarity to modern nation-states is controversial. ) Aristotle’s word for ‘politics’ is politike, which is short for politike episteme or ‘political science’. It belongs to one of the three main branches of science, which Aristotle distinguishes by their ends or objects. Contemplative science (including physics and metaphysics) is concerned with truth or knowledge for its own sake; practical science with good action; and productive science with making useful or beautiful. Politics is a practical science, since it is concerned with the noble action or happiness of the citizens (although it resembles a productive science in that it seeks to create, preserve, and reform political systems). Aristotle thus understands politics as a normative or prescriptive discipline rather than as a purely empirical or descriptive inquiry. In the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle describes his subject matter as political science, which he characterizes as the most authoritative science. It prescribes which sciences are to be studied in the city-state, and the others — such as military science, household management, and rhetoric — fall under its authority. Since it governs the other practical sciences, their ends serve as means to its end, which is nothing less than the human good. â€Å"Even if the end is the same for an individual and for a city-state, that of the city-state seems at any rate greater and more complete to attain and preserve. For although it is worthy to attain it for only an individual, it is nobler and more divine to do so for a nation or city-state† (EN I. 2. 1094b7-10). Aristotle’s political science encompasses the two fields which modern philosophers distinguish as ethics and political philosophy. Political philosophy in the narrow sense is roughly speaking the subject of his treatise called the Politics. For a further discussion of this topic, see the following supplementary document: 2. Aristotle’s View of Politics Political science studies the tasks of the politician or statesman (politikos), in much the way that medical science concerns the work of the physician (see Politics IV. 1). It is, in fact, the body of knowledge that such practitioners, if truly expert, will also wield in pursuing their tasks. The most important task for the politician is, in the role of lawgiver, to frame the appropriate constitution for the city-state. This involves enduring laws, customs, and institutions (including a system of moral education) for the citizens. Once the constitution is in place, the politician needs to take the appropriate measures to maintain it, to introduce reforms when he finds them necessary, and to prevent developments which might subvert the political system. This is the province of legislative science, which Aristotle regards as more important than politics as exercised in everyday political activity such as the passing of decrees. Aristotle frequently compares the politician to a craftsman. The analogy is imprecise because politics, in the strict sense of legislative science, is a form of practical knowledge, while a craft like architecture or medicine is a form of productive knowledge. However, the comparison is valid to the extent that the politician produces, operates, maintains a legal system according to universal principles (EN VI. 8 and X. 9). In order to appreciate this analogy it is helpful to observe that Aristotle explains the production of an artifact in terms of four causes: the material, formal, efficient, and final causes (Phys. II. 3 and Met. A. 2). For example, clay (material cause) is molded into a vase shape (formal cause) by a potter (efficient or moving cause) so that it can contain liquid (final cause). One can also explain the existence of the city-state in terms of the four causes. It is a kind of community, that is, a collection of parts having some functions and interests in common. Hence, it is made up of parts, which Aristotle describes in various.