Amos and Hosea Essay

Amos was a Judean who believed he was commissioned by Yahweh to address his words to Israel, However Hosea was a native Israelite. With these two men was the custom of recording oracles which appear to have begun, for if the words of their prophetic predecessors were preserved in a written form, then they would have long since been lost to us all. Within a few years, prophets sharing similar concerns with Amos and Hosea began to be active in Judah and their words too, were preserved. II Kings 15 and Amos 1-9 Amos stood in judgment of moral and ethical evil but, unlike them, he did not limit himself to single issues or to individual situations, but dealt with the decline of Yahwism and human behavior in all levels of society. Cities he mentions), patterns of cause and effect (3:3 ff.), and Israelite cult practices. His vivid imagery, drawn from nature, suggests an intelligent observer capable of relating his insights and experiences in powerful terminology. Perhaps the very simplicity of his life caused him to be shocked at the extravagances of the rich and the terrible poverty and helplessness of those who were the prey of the powerful. The luxury of summer and winter palaces as opposed to the hovels of the poor, the greedy demand of the very rich contrasted with the cry for justice and equity of the underprivileged drove him to harsh pronouncements against powerful, smug, content men and women, priests and king. The thrust of Amos’ condemnation is against the division of life into compartments. He argues for unity. What a man does in the market place, in the Court of law or, in his dealings with others cannot be walled off from worship. Yahweh is a God of all people; therefore the dealings of man with man are directly related to the dealings of God with man. His is a cry for the recognition of man’s moral responsibility before God. â€Å"But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an Overflowing stream.† Amos 5:24 AMOS’ RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS Amos’ beliefs concerning Yahweh and divine-human relationships were similar. Yahweh the creator, the â€Å"God of hosts† Amos never speaks of Yahweh as â€Å"God of Israel†), or possessed power over nature and nations. Despite the unrealistic emphasis, Yahweh’s particular concern was Israel, the chosen or  elected people, Amos emphasized Yahweh’s action in history in bringing the Hebrews to nationhood and greatness, and pointed out that the continuance of power and security rested in Yahweh.

Choosing a Career in the Medical Field Essay

â€Å"A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.† ~Theodore Roosevelt (Graduation Quotes, Commencement Sayings, Advice For Graduates, 2012). Education is something one could say gives you a better understanding of the world. Without Education in this day and time you may find a job but a career is much harder to obtain. Although the job market and economy are still suffering quite a bit and there are worries of whether or not you will find employment after college, it is thought to be the best option for obtaining a great career. Choosing what to go to school for after graduation can seem challenging. The medical field is rapidly growing career field that is increasing in demand every year, with higher patient demands and growing technology. As long as we are here, the demand for medical field careers will continue to be here as patients need to be taken care of by medical personnel. The medical field has many careers to choose from and is not solely limited to nurses and doctors. Some examples of the career choices in the medical field are a Registered Nurse (RN), a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), a Medical Assistant, and a Certified Nursing Assistant. The growth in these careers all have grown in the last several years and is expected to continuously grow over the next four years, with some fields having more drastic growth than others. Registered Nursing jobs are expected to grow by 23% between the years of 2006-2016, with just an associate’s degree in this field. Registered Nurses assess incoming patient’s symptoms and the severity of them. They can also offer advice on care to stay healthy as well as administer some forms of treatment or care. They are often overseen or supervised by Physicians. LVN’s and LPN’s are expected to grow approximately 14% from 2006-2016. The schooling on average for a career as a LVN or LPN is anywhere from 10-16 months. The duties or tasks in this field involve taking care of sick or injured persons in many different facilities. They are often supervised by Registered Nurses (O*NET ONLINE, 2011).Medical Assistant jobs are expected to have a 35% increase over the next ten years. Programs to become a Medical Assistant can range from eight months to receiving an associate’s degree in medical assisting. Medical Assistants can work in the clinical part of a medical field or the administrative part. They are often supervised by Physicians but can also be supervised by medical office managers as well as registered nurses. Clinical duties in medical assisting may include but not be limited to taking vitals, getting a patient’s past medical history, assisting a physician in treatment, and drawing blood. Administrative duties in medical can include medical billing and coding, checking patients in and scheduling patient appointments to general secretarial duties (O*NET ONLINE, 2011). Certified Nursing Assistant Programs are expected to gain 265,000 jobs over the next 10 years. A certified nursing assistants daily duties can include bathing a patient, to dressing and feeding a patient, changing a patients bedding to even moving a patient to or from their bed. Certified Nursing Assistants are supervised by Registered Nurses and Physicians. Most Certified Medical Assistant programs range from 8-12 weeks and require no licensing or board certification (Lang, 2009). The medical career field is a very desirable field with continuous growth, short periods of training or school and also may have benefits with competitive wages. Advancement in technology continues almost daily in the medical field keeping patients healthy and alive longer. This increases the demand for health care and in turn increases the demand for qualified employees. As long as there are advancements in technology the medical field will continue to grow in technology and continue to have a demand for employment. With a steady career in the medical field you may have a better chance at benefits and may also be offered some kind of retirement or 401k plan. Average salaries in the medical field may also be something that is more desirable than the minimum wage employment that you may find without a college degree or trained education. The average median salaries for health care field careers can average from 28,860 yearly for a medical assistant to an LPN or LVN making an average of 40, 380 per year. Certified nursing assistants make an average of 24,010 a year and a Nurse makes an average of 64,690 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics,2012). Choosing a career in the medical field can be beneficial to your career future and your retirement future. There is not only job stability that is offered; there are also competitive wages and benefit packages with full time position within reach. The advancement in technologies that are continuing can help guarantee continuous job growth in the medical field industry. Health careers can also be a rewarding career field, when helping patients with a problem or illness they cannot overcome on their own you may have a feeling of self-accomplishment or fulfillment in your career. â€Å"Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.† ~ H. Jackson Brown, J.R (H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Quotes-BrainyQuote, 2012). References Graduation Quotes, Commencement Sayings, Advice For Graduates.(2012).The Quote Garden. Retrieved from http://www.quotegarden.com/graduation.html. H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Quotes-BrainyQuote.(2012). BrainyQuote. Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/h_jackson_brown_jr.html Lang, Janell.(2009). Academic Search Premier. The outlook in the health sciences. New Directions For Community Colleges, (146), 53-62. O*NET OnLine.(2011).O*NET. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/.

Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc Case Study

Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc - Case Study Example NEXT Plc is retail chain in Clothing specialising in Men's wear, ladies wear, Sports wear, Leisure wear, Children wear. Underwear Swimwear Footwear watches etc. NEXT products are highly trendy which sells at moderate prices. Clothing is targeted on stylish women and men in the age range 20 to 40. Home shopping and financial services are also provided. NEXT operates through 300 high street shops covering the UK and Ireland and also foreign markets. (http://www. next.co.uk) The clothing market of UK is declining at present. Clothing is generally manufactured by low tech machines with cheap labour spread in third world countries. The industry is facing competition from high-tech machines that can stitch better quality products at faster speed and at lesser cost. Retail shops thrive in the market to sell these clothing. The market trend today is of opening retail chain stores and capturing the market with own favourite brands such as Next, Marks & Spenser, Gap, and Arcadia. These retail chain stores grow big and can afford costly high-tech machines but small retailers can not afford quick change to new technology. Highly exclusive designer boutiques cater to rich segment with exclusive designs. But consumer goods markets mainly thrive on middle class segment and therefore every big retailer concentrates to that market. . Other activities of NEXT include telecommunications software services and property management. Analysis of NEXT plc and its environment ... Environmental Opportunities NEXT Retail accounted for the biggest 69% of revenue in 2000. More than 96% of sales came from the UK market. NEXT is ranked number one in the market in high street category and in providing mail order facility to youth group in 20-40 age. It is very difficult for the competitors to enter into the segment and grab the market share. Environmental Threat : In spite of its well-entrenched position in the market there are some big brands like TESCO which is trying hard to snatch the market share by offering clothes stitched fro the low labour cost areas at dumping prices. Lewis 501 denim product at pound 20 is a burning example. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers in clothing industry are many and this is true for NEXT also. Supplier can be indispensable only when he holds monopolistic status. In case of NEXT's suppliers they don't enjoy such position and can't pull the company for increasing rates or other terms unless it is negotiated and accepted. Bargaining powers of Buyers: Buyers or customers have lots of power to discard a product in the shelf. In the modern world of marketing it is the value creation through brands, promotion, prices tags, product positioning, label, quality and store's image that retain clients. Generally clients don't bargain prices from a good outlet and believe to pay the tag prices accepting the quality of goods therein. NEXT has good image to project and should not expect consumers' reprisal unless the brand loses its value. Threat of new entrants to the industry Small brands are not capable to enter into the clothing chain market to compete with NEXT because of the capital- intensive nature of the modern clothing industry. Big labels do have strength of money, knowledge, expertise and marketing power to challenge NEXT. Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tesco, Marks & Spenser or some other brands from US can enter the market comfortable by opening

Cameron Mackintosh's contribution to the development of the Essay

Cameron Mackintosh's contribution to the development of the megamusical - Essay Example This paper further highlights the legacy of Mackintosh’s transformation of musical theatre through the increasing importance attached to the marketing of megamusicals; which in turn has fuelled debate as to the repercussions of the megamusical for the musical as an art form as opposed to a corporate controlled money spinner. In considering Mackintosh’s contribution to the megamusical, it is imperative to consider the contemporary framework for the business of theatre production in London’s West End and Broadway. For example, if we contextually consider the theatre market in the West End, recent hit shows from the Sound of Music to Joseph have driven the reversal in fortune of West End theatres, which had suffered a trend in declining ticket revenue and profits in the last decade. In January 2008, the Society of London Theatre announced a record breaking year in 2007 with more than 13.6 million theatregoers generating total tickets sales of almost  £470 million, passing the  £400 million mark for the first time. Furthermore, the Society’s Chief executive Richard Pulford cited the revenue statistics as an â€Å"annus mirabilis† for London theatre, stating that â€Å"these figures are a wonderful start to our centenary year but we’re under no illusions that we’re going to have to work very hard to maintain this success† (Maev Kennedy., 2008).

Ethnic Diversity of Counseling Clients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnic Diversity of Counseling Clients - Essay Example California has been one of the leading states of the United States of America in terms of diversified ethnicity. The state has wide range of population which includes major proportion of African – Americans, Hispanics and Asians along with the white populace. The need of counseling is observed more in to the lower strata of the society especially among those who have immigrated from the lesser developed nations. The fight for the survival often takes toll of those struggling minds. It is observed that they often need counseling because of drug over dose, alcoholism and other social curses that they become part of. In the broader perspective, the need of the counseling is felt in two ways namely voluntary counseling and that mandated by the judicial system. The voluntary counseling is such counseling, the need of which, the recipient himself can understand. On the other hand, the judicially mandated counseling is that which the court of law orders the recipient to receive (the treatment of counseling) as it deems fit. The diversifying need of the mental health treatment in the state of California is high among the Africans – Americans, Hispanics and Asians. A report of the year 2001 suggested that 16.3% of the entire population of the state needed mental health treatment which was a hopping figure of 4 million adults (Lund, 2005). Another important report in the mental health care segment, which is also directly related with counseling, depicts those more than 600,000 persons to receive health care treatments in the state of California itself in between 2004 to 2005 (Jew-Lochman, 2008). Mental counseling has been one of the fastest upcoming sectors in the health industry. It has been observed that almost every day the number of affected person increases. The requirement of well trained professionals is on the rise. The other important aspect of the counseling is that sometimes the client himself can feel the need of counseling while many

Project Scope Management , Individual Assignment

Project Scope Management , Individual - Assignment Example More importantly, the significance of following an incorporated change control procedure on projects lays in making effective decisions and also dealing with project constraints in an effective manner. The team roles of Belbin and the conception of team role mapping facilitate in making better interaction with the individuals, resulting in better utilisation of available resources and attain predetermined project targets among others. These notions are deemed to play an indispensable role in the phase of project execution. Burj Khalifa within Dubai, UAE is acknowledged as the tallest sky scraper in this contemporary world. The building has a height of approximately 829.8 meters and is used for commercial business purpose. The staring phase of this skyscraper began during the end of the year 2004 and continued until the year 2009 (Baker, 2009). The engineering structure of this building has been designed in a sophistic manner with the prime intention of encompassing the surrounding gulf locality of Dubai, which itself gets categorised as an attractive sightseeing. Apart from just being concentrated on its design and niceness, Burj Khalifa also projects itself as a reference model of Islamic architecture, which is highly tended towards environmental safeguard and sustainability aspects (Baker, 2009). The scope planning of Burj Khalifa specifically focuses upon the project deliverables that can be achieved from smooth completion of the project. However, the project witnessed high level of distortion within the Project Scope planning phase that eventually destabilized the overall accomplishment of this massive project. For instance, specific amount of deviation occurred within the project scope planning stage such as ‘project cost planning’, ‘risk management planning’, ‘clear problem description’, ‘project milestone planning’ and ‘root cause components’ that eventually caused a huge increase in the cost factor associated with

Visual Arts - Scuplture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Visual Arts - Scuplture - Essay Example A professional artist ensures that he or she has all the essential materials before commencing into any work of arts. Any person who has ever worked on a newspaper printing station will understand this best. Space is a fundamental factor in sculpture (Slobodkin 118). The same principle applies to sculpture. An artist should also accustom and remind themselves of terms like bottom-heavy and top-heavy. He or she should also be aware if the object in the visual field is correctly and well distributed to easily give a sense of balance. All these fall under composition, that is, the wise use of space and balance in artistic works. The next concept that artists need to know is to move into any position that will distribute the visual information in a wise manner. They may also need to add a background material in order to get everything balancing well (Slobodkin 119). An example is the existence of a pair of slippers beneath every female nude. Another consequence of this is the way with wh ich the shapes of the formed objects line up with each other. They look like a piece of the puzzle. Despite the fact that the object always appear in a 3-dimensional space, much consideration is put on how 3-D visual information manages to impact on a two dimensional plane. Through this, any two dimensional shape can easily interact with a three dimensional form in a perfect manner. Artists sometimes use basic forms of sculpture and ensure that they echo them in various places in the same visual field. Moreover, artists sometimes increase the variations such as a fugue by the Bach. An example of this type of a compositional dance is the great Newberry’s Blithe, in which two-dimensional tapestry behind a woman echoes and reflects the curves on her body. Another important concept of a sculpture is the sweeping forms. Some sculptures look as if they are about to fall or move. Such sculptures make viewers feel as if they will fall or move behind their backs (Slobodkin 120). Such sculptures hold the eyes and make the viewers watch them with a lot of suspicion and probably wait for something to happen. The eyes flow over the cascading limbs and muscles. The key to comprehending this effect is trying to locate the eye-catching points. Such points include feet position, kneecaps alignments, hands location, finger directions, waist and chest axes, limb joint position, hair strands, and the eyes. After the location of these points, they are connected to the sweeping and twisting lane. The intensity of this plane normally varies across figures but it usually grows in a uniform direction of movement. There may be an expansion of twisting lines of contact or intensity, depending on the existing pieces. There is a sequence of events in every sculpture. This sequence exits in time but are sometimes held stationary by the bronze. This movement comes from the viewer’s eye motion, as they tend to follow these striking features. In a very short time, an individual is able to experience subconsciously this sweeping form without the ability to identify and determine the direction consciously. However, taking the eyes and carefully moving them over the piece enables an individual, one is able to watch and see how the sculpture is generated, built up and explodes in denouement, and in a resolution of various interacting forms.

Barn Burning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barn Burning - Essay Example Somewhere deep inside, Sarty just want to do what he personally thinks is right but because of his very young ager I do not think he reasonably has thought of that yet. His concept of right and wrong has been largely influenced by his dictatorial father. We as well get an idea of the character of Abner through the manner Sarty depicts his physical appearance. After reading the story, I suddenly thought of my own family and ask myself at what point should an individual break his/her ties to his/her family when the revelation of the truth is involved? Parents, specifically fathers, tend to be tyrannical in their manner of instilling values to their children which at times hides the truth from a young heart and mind. This is the moral dilemma that is vividly explored in the story and one that is confronted by many Christians. Christians have been taught to love and respect their families even at times of moral difficulties. But religion also teaches us to lean to the truth and never distort the things that actually transpired. At one time in my life, I was confronted with this decision of either conforming with the morality that my father instilled in me, or asserting my own version of morality and individuality through escaping or running away, by abandoning my family and the pain that I was enduring. However, just like Sarty, I realized that the tyranny of my father is an expression of his own individuality which is shaped and represented by everything that is actually morally wrong and wicked, yet remains to be my own hero of truth. I strongly believe that family ties form a moral commitment on the individual, but consequently, fails to acknowledge the imminent that there is a greater morality which might demand the individual to take action upon the binding family

Racism in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Racism in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and other black anti-racist leaders fought against discrimination. They fought a battle that has gone on longer than many people have been around, back in the 1800s. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, twain wants us to see how this battle rages on today, affecting many peoples everyday lives. The book itself is very racist toward African Americans in which the word nigger is used. Many people use this word today, but back when Huck was around using vulgar discriminating words was a regular thing. So the question is how is racism still shown today in the 20th century and the relationship in how Twain describes it in his book? First racial thing in the book is when Toms talking to Huck about breaking Jim out of jail. Tom says, Give a nigger a inch and he ell (88). When he says this he is saying that if you give a black person freedom, its giving them way too much. But Huck isnt fond of using such a poignant word to Jim. Racism plays a big part when the King and the Duke show up on the raft with them. When they stay with the girls in the house, the sophomoric type of Duke says I should ‘a reckoned the differences in the rank would sejested that a corn-shuck bed wont fit for me to sleep on . Your Gracell take the shuck bed yourself (126). This shows his destitute for taking Jim seriously as a person and not just some dumb slave. The use of racist and vulgar words was constantly heard from the white adults as well as the children in the novel. …was Jim a runaway nigger?(126). Out of all the pieces of literature this book is known by many people worldwide, not only does things in this book still happen today, we can all relate this book. The lack of care the whites had for blacks, thus, the whites have lost nearly all of their respect. This was Mark Twains indirect way of showing the whites inequality to the blacks. In todays age, the ideas of racism have definitely changed. Slavery is no more, and even the use of such language as nigger, is considered vulgar. But, as children such as Huck and Tom grew up considering slavery the normal, children today grow up learning the exact opposite.

The Depiction of Pirates in Treasure Island Essay Example for Free

The Depiction of Pirates in Treasure Island Essay The first thing that must be made clear about Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is that it is a romance. And therefore the image of the pirate that it paints remains largely fictional, and many of the details will not seem to comply with scholarly evidence of what the typical pirate was like in its heyday. But it is not correct either to interpret romance as being false history in all instances. When romance is derived from vibrant and native mythology then it is likely to contain a large measure of truth, and the sort of truth that scientific scholarship cannot unearth. According to Mircea Eliade, myth, when it is vitally connected to the culture, speaks only of realities, which are far more â€Å"real† than mere â€Å"hard facts† (7). Treasure Island draws on the myth of the pirate, and it is a living myth, closely connected to the Western spirit of individualism and adventure. Therefore it is a mistake to dismiss Stevenson’s tale as a mere children’s adventure story. It is well documented how the novel has redefined the image of the pirate in the modern age, and continues to excite young and old with its unique spirit of adventure. It is only able to do so because Stevenson tapped a living myth. In the search for the specific influences that shaped the composition of Treasure Island it is advisable to refer first of all to Stevenson’s own admissions. In this sense the author is extremely frank and forthcoming, and even admits to partial plagiarism in some instances. For example, he quotes Washington Irving’s tale â€Å"Wolfert Webber† as an influence, and says in this regard, It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters were the property of Washington Irving. (Stevenson, Letters, 308) There is indeed a striking resemblance, and Stevenson certainly steals the scene in which a tenured pirate arrives in a sleepy hamlet, lodging in an inn, and day after day regaling to the regulars of the inn his endless store of bloodcurdling adventures on the high seas. There is also the suggestion of hidden pirate treasure, but not on a remote and deserted island. The pirate map is central to the plot of Treasure Island, and may be described as the singular stroke of genius that spelled the success of the novel. The spark of the idea is from Edgar Allan Poe’s story â€Å"The Gold Bug†, whose plot hinges on ciphers and how to crack them (Zaczek 85). Instead of ciphers Stevenson gives us a map of a remote island, and a cross marked on the place where the treasure is supposed to be buried. It is when this map falls into the hands of Jim Hawkins that the adventure really begins. Poe’s story also has pirate treasure buried on an island, and where the pirates leave behind ciphers as the clue to the location. But Poe’s island is not remote and deserted. Stevenson most certainly got this idea from Defoe’s classic novel Robinson Crusoe. We elaborate on the influence of Defoe later on. Another influence that Stevenson mentions is Charles Kingsley’s travelogue At Last, which recounts a voyage to the Caribbean, with related reminiscences (Stevenson, Letters, 263). Though the direct references to pirates are limited, it is an important influence, because we may find in it the inner spirit that belongs to Treasure Island. Kingsley projects the spirit of independence and adventure, and this is certainly part of the imagination that that gives birth to Long John Silver. We feel this spirit palpably in the opening passage: At last we, too, were crossing the Atlantic. At last the dream of forty years, please God, would be fulfilled, and I should see (and happily, not alone) the West Indies and the Spanish Main.   From childhood I had studied their Natural History, their charts, their Romances, and alas! their Tragedies; and now, at last, I was about to compare books with facts, and judge for myself of the reported wonders of the Earthly Paradise. (Kingsley 9) It is a mistake to judge the myth of the pirate to be concerned with the macabre. It is really about leaving behind the constraints of society and making it on one’s own. In the end it is about individualism, which expresses the inner heart of Western man. This is not meant to condone piracy, nor to sanctify despicable real life villains, which no doubt the pirates were. But if the image of the pirate seizes the Western imagination so forcefully, it is because it speaks of an inner longing, and which we feign ignore. It is possibly because the pirate is an extreme example of the unfettered individual. To the pirate it is only himself and the world, and we can understand why this resonates with the Western dream. â€Å"[T]he Old World lay behind us like a dream,† Kingsley expresses once he is ensconced on the Westward bound ship (Ibid). A fundamental dream is being realized, and the Old World is itself now rendered a dream.   Such being the stated and implied influences of Stevenson, we must not expect more than a superficial resemblance between the pirates we find in Treasure Island and the real life counterparts. The novel established certain misconceptions about pirates which has become hard to eradicate now. For example, it is widely believed now that pirates always buried their treasure on remote islands, and deserted locations, and kept maps to locate it when needed later on. Even before the evidence of the scholars arrives, we know that this is a silly thing to do, and the plot of Treasure Island itself will serve as an example. Captain Flint is the legendary pirate who buries his treasure of Skeleton Island, makes a map of the exact spot, which only a small inner band of his crew are privy to. Predictably, this leaves a legacy of backstabbing rivalry among them, and they all want get their hands on the map and appropriate the treasure for themselves. Evidence tells us that real life pirates acted in exactly the opposite way. Having no propensity to save or stash, they spent their loot very quickly through drinking and revelry. Another belief engendered from the novel is that pirate ships always flew the â€Å"Jolly Roger†, the black flag with insignia of a skull and crossed bones. But this would also be foolhardy for pirates who were always desperate to deflect suspicion. According to Aubrey Burl, pirates used two flags, and raised them on the specific situations of a raid. The skull and bones flag was meant to intimidate the prey, goading them to surrender and abandon their ships. But if they did not do so, the black flag was replaced by a red one, which sent the message that violence was about to ensue. Both flags were used tactically in raids, and were not flown at other times. He relates an incidence from 1720 when the notorious pirate Bartholomew Roberts sailed daringly into the harbor of Trepassey, in Newfoundland, flying the black flag. It was only one pirate ship against twenty-two maritime vessels, and yet the intimidation was sufficient, and the harbor surrendered all its vessels to the pirate (Aubrey 133-4).   Most of the incidental details used to describe the pirates in Stevenson’s novel are, however, accurate, barring fictional exaggeration. Rum indeed was the favorite drink of pirates. The former crew members of Captain Flint describe him as habitually breaking into song when in the company of rum: Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! (Stevenson, Treasure, 9) Drunken revelry, as already noted, was the favorite pastime of pirates. Long John Silver is depicted with a crosspatch on one eye, and a wooden leg. It is not unlikely that pirates bore handicaps, living as they did with daily violence. He also has a parrot perched perpetually on his shoulder. We know that pirates were fond of keeping tropical birds, which they did as souvenirs of the trips to wildlife locations around the world. The pirates in Treasure Island are of English and Dutch extraction, which is also the typical make up of pirates in the New World, and the French also included in the mix. The ethnic map of piracy often followed the political map and the rivalry among the maritime powers, England, Holland and France being the principle political players, after the demise of the Spanish Empire. Indeed, the most notorious age of piracy was in the wake of the War of the Spanish Succession, when Spain finally relinquished its control of the high seas, and England, Holland and France entered the fray. Each employed privateers, who were legal pirates with commissions from their respective crowns to prey upon the ships of rival colonial powers. Initially their commissions had been to raid Spanish ships, because Spain ruled the seas, and their ships carried enticing booty. After the Spanish defeat on the mainland, the privateers remained, and soon began to prey on each other. The illegal and proper pirates usually respected such political dividing lines (Lane 3-5). The pirates in Treasure Island conform to this picture, the novel being set in that particular period of high piracy in the eighteenth century.   This is the extent to which Stevenson’s pirate is authentic, and we should not expect more. Though this pirate is a criminal thug, it is not this fact that strikes a chord in our imagination. It is rather the spirit of individualism and initiative that moves us, and makes someone who is essentially a robber of the high seas into a figure of romance for us. The tell tale sign for this is that these pirates are wont to bury their treasure on a remote and deserted island, instead of merely spending it. The idea is clearly derived from reading Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s story of a castaway who survives 28 years on a remote and deserted island, being the only survivor of a shipwreck. We know that Stevenson was an avid reader and admirer of Defoe. Stevenson is a kindred spirit to Defoe, though of a lesser genius. We examine Defoe in the hope of unlocking some secrets regarding Stevenson. Robinson Crusoe is not just an adventure tale, but is more a parable illustrating the Protestant work ethic. Crusoe establishes a personal relationship to God through his stay on the island, and in this sense is a consummate individual. He is shown to build civilization anew on the basis of such a faith. Therefore, he embodies individuality and imitative, exactly as the mythological pirate does. The figure of Robinson Crusoe is therefore the flip side of the iconic pirate. Crusoe confronts the world through faith in God; the pirate is also alone pitched against the world, only that he employs violence and bloodshed. Crusoe also discovers buried treasure while on a remote and deserted island – it is a spiritual treasure, and is hidden in the recesses of the soul. The counterpart for the pirate is material riches buried in a secret location. Both are emphasizing mystery, one religious, the other material. To confirm that this analogy is not strained, we note that Defoe was a passionate enthusiast of pirates and piracy, and has authored a long list of books and novels related to the theme. Indeed, he is thought to have authored A General History of the Pyrates under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson, this being the definite text of pirate history that has come down to us (Novak 642).   In conclusion, the iconic image of the pirate that has come down to us, largely influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, is best described as a figment of the Western imagination. The pirates described in the novel are on the whole accurate, but historical accuracy is not the aim here. Pirates were dangerous robbers of the high seas, but it is an aspect that the mythical pirate wants to evade. Instead it is the spirit of individualism and initiative that is meant to be emphasized, because it resonates with the Western spirit as a whole. It is because Stevenson captured this sprits in his tale, which is set in the golden age of piracy, that has endeared it to the Western audience, and continues to excite successive generations of readers, and not only the young. Works Cited Burl, Aubery. Black Barty: The Real Pirate of the Caribbean. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2006. Eliade, Mircea. Myth and Reality. New York: Waveland Press, 1998. Kingsley, Charles. At Last. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, 2007. Lane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas, 1500-1750. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1998. Novak, Maximillian E. Daniel Defoe: Master of Fictions: His Life and Ideas. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson. Contributor Ernest Mehew. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2004. Zaczek, Iain. Pirates. London: AAPPL, 2007.

Strategic management defined as consisting of the analysis and decisions

Strategic management defined as consisting of the analysis and decisions INTRODUCTION Strategic management can be defined as consisting of the analysis, decisions and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages. Key attributes of Strategic Management Directs the organization toward overall goals and objectives. Includes multiple stakeholders in decision making. Needs to incorporate short-term and long-term perspectives. Recognizes trade-offs between efficiency and effectiveness. Strategy can be developed at many levels in a multi-layered organisation there may be: Corporate level strategy Business level strategy Functional level strategy Corporate level strategy describes a corporations overall direction in terms of its general philosophy towards growth and the management of its various business units. Such strategies determine the type of a business a corporation wants to be in and what business units should acquired, modified and sold. This strategy addresses the question what business are we in? Devising a strategy for a multidivisional company like Sony involves at least four types of initiatives. Establishing investment priorities and steering corporate resources into the most attractive business units. Initiating actions to improve the combined performance of those business units that the corporation first got into. Finding ways to improve the synergy among related business units in order to increase performance. Decisions dealing with diversification. Business level strategy deals with decisions and actions pertaining to each business unit. The main objective of a business level strategy is to make the unit more competitive in market place. This level strategy addresses the question how do we compete? Although business level strategy is guided by upstream corporate level strategy business unit management must craft a strategy that is appropriate for its own operating situation. Miles and Snow(1984) identified four modes of strategic orientation: Defenders, Prospectors, Analysers and Reactors. These strategies can help explain why companies facing similar environmental threats or opportunities behave differently and why they continue to do so over a long period of time. In turn the different competitive or business strategies influence the down stream functional strategies. Functional level strategy pertains to the major functional operations within the business unit, including research and development, marketing, manufacturing, finance, and human resource productivity and addresses the question how do we support the business level competitive strategy? The three levels of strategy corporate, business and functional form a hierarchy of strategy within in a large multidivisional corporation. Different levels of strategy of Sony Sony Corporation was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in 1946, now having head quarters at Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Sony is one of the biggest electronics in the world with revenue 7.7 trillion yen. Sony are making products like Consumer professional electronic equipments, Communication information-related equipments, Semiconductor, Electronic devices components, Battery, Chemicals, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music, PlayStation and Blu-Ray devices. Sony Corporation as a giant organization has divided its organization into five main business units as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson, and Sony Financial. Sony Corporation has its own corporate strategy, and the each of its five business units having their own business strategy. Corporate Strategy Business level strategy Functional level strategy In Sony Group Corporate Strategy Update FY2008 FY2010 Sony has set out some goals and revealed about its corporate strategy. In particular, the company will focus on strengthening core businesses, enhancing network initiatives and leveraging international growth opportunities to build for the future and drive further growth and profits. Main considerations in the strategy of Sony are, Further strengthening the core business Network initiatives Capitalize on Growth in BRIC Countries and Other Emerging Markets Environmental Initiatives Financial Strategies for the Mid-Term A good strategy always leads an organization towards success and improvement, in the other way a bad or inefficient strategy always takes that organization into losses and bad reputation. As we know that Japanese are good at management and most of other countries are try to implement Japanese management techniques. The term is a Japanese word adopted into English referring to a philosophy or practices focusing on continuous improvement in manufacturing activities, business activities in general, and even life in general, depending on interpretation and usage. Sony Corporation was good at strategic plans by applying these management strategies. As we discussed earlier a bad or inefficient strategy leads the organization into bad reputation, in the case of Sony they are failed to implement an efficient strategy which Sonys net profit for the July-September quarter for 2006 falling 94% to 1.7 billion Yen, compared to 28.5 billion Yen for the same period last year. From there they are tr ying to implement better strategies and to regain their reputation and brand value and to regain their number one position in electronics industry. Portfolio approach to strategy Portfolio approach was one of the early approaches to chart strategy and allocate resources in multi-business organizations. As corporate strategists jumped on the diversification bandwagon they soon found a challenge in managing the resource needs diverse businesses and their strategic missions, particularly in times of limited resources. Responding to that challenge the Boston Consulting Group pioneered an approach called portfolio techniques that attempted to help managers balance the flow of cash resources among their various businesses while also identifying their basic strategic purpose within the overall portfolio. The top managers at larger farms need a method for spotting product lines that deserve more investment as well as lines that arent living up to expectations. So they conduct a portfolio analysis, in which they evaluate they evaluate their companys products and divisions to determine which are strongest and which are weakest. Much as securities analysts review their portfolios of stocks and bonds, deciding which to retain and which to discard. Strategic business unit (SBU) Strategic business units are the key business units within diversified firms. Each SBU has its own managers, resources, objectives, and competitors. A division, product line or a single product may define the boundaries of an SBU. Each SBU pursues its own distinct mission and often develops its own plans independently of other units in the organization. BCG matrix To evaluate each of their organizations SBUs, marketers need some type of portfolio performance framework. A widely used framework was developed by Boston Consulting Group. This market share/ market growth matrix places SBUs in a four quadrant chart that plots market share against market growth potential. The position of an SBU along the horizontal axis indicates its market share relative to those of competitors in the industry. Its position along the vertical axis indicates the annual growth rate of the market. After plotting all of a firms business units, planners divide them according to the matrixs four quadrants as shown in the figure. Stars represent High market share and High growth rate. These products or SBUs are high growth market leaders. Although they generate considerable income, they need inflows of even more cash to finance further growth. Cash cows command High market share in Low growth markets. Marketers for such an SBU want to maintain this status for as long as possible. The business produces string cash flows, but instead of investing heavily in the units own promotions and production capacity, the firm can use this cash to finance the growth of other SBUs with higher growth potentials. Question marks achieve Low market share in higher growth markets. Marketers must decide weather to continue supporting these products or SBUs, because question marks typically require considerably more cash than they generate. If a question mark cannot become a star, the firm should pull out of the market and target other markets with greater potential. Dogs manage only Low market share in Low growth markets. SBUs in this category promise poor future prospects, and marketers should withdraw from these businesses or SBUs as quickly as possible. In some cases these products can be sold to other firms where they are better fit.

Seamus Heaney †The Skunk Commentary Essay -- English Literature

Seamus Heaney – The Skunk Commentary Skunk is a poem by Seamus Heaney about his married life. The poem is a tribute to his wife – how living away from home has caused him to miss his married life. Exiled from his wife, Heaney is recalls the skunk which reminds him of his wife. There are two settings in this poem. The first five stanzas are based on memories of California nights, and the last stanza is a recent memory of waiting in bed for his wife as she changed into her nightdress. The theme of this poem is memory, where Heaney recalls memories of his California nights; this is portrayed in â€Å"it all came back to me last night†. It is also a celebration of the energy and freshness of his marriage; â€Å"after eleven years I was composing love letters again†. He also shows his frustration and desire for his wife, a pain of separation from her; â€Å"the beautiful useless tang of eucalyptus spelt your absence.† The tone of this poem is sacred, sexual, repulsive – it is erotically inviting. Using interesting descriptions, Heaney is able to convey this poem in a tender yet...

Life :: essays research papers

The methods, discoveries, and conclusions of science, as well as their role in society, have generated endless debates throughout history. There was a time when one could be put to death for believing that the earth was round, or ridiculed for claiming that animal species evolve over time. Today people argue over whether it is ethical and responsible science to transplant organs, to allow a suffering person to die, or to genetically alter foods so that they possess special traits. One particular ferocious debate that emerged from the discoveries of modern day science is the debate over the rights of animals. They are used to test the safety and effectiveness of new drugs before those drugs are given to people to treat illnesses and disease. Animals are used to ensure that the ingredients in the foods we eat are safe for consumer consumption. They are also used to test products like eye shadow, lipstick, shampoo, and contact lens solution, as well as chemicals ranging from lawn ferti lizers to caffeine. There should be a balance in the use of animals for scientific advancements. Although we as a society should never accept needless or cruel inflictions of pain, the potential good to all of humanity that can come from using animals for scientific studies outweighs the harm and suffering it may create. The History: While the debate might seem modern, animal testing and the concept of animal rights have both been around for a very long time. However, over the years, the views of people and society have changed. New ideas about what is and is not acceptable in animal testing have led to new laws and new scientific techniques. Animal testing as it is known today owes its existence to the scientific revolution of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. During this time, as the scientific point of view gained respect and Saunders 2 the technology resulting from it exploded into everyday life, researchers began looking to animals for answers to questions that they couldn’t find anywhere else. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, animal experimentation became increasingly popular among scientists. For the most part, no one considered animal testing to be immoral. However, one English Philosopher named Jeremy Bentham believed differently. As stated in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website, â€Å"In 1789, Bentham, referring to animals, asked: The question is not can they reason?

How To Overcome Shyness

Enjoy a happier life by overcoming your shyness!One of the most common (and effective) obstacles to success is shyness, or a reluctance to interact with other people. Getting ahead in life requires the ability and willingness to communicate with others, and shyness prevents many people from communicating effectively.Overcoming shyness can be done with a bit of effort and willpower. If shyness is holding you back, here are a few ways to control and even eliminate it: Tell yourself that you have nothing to fear by talking to other people. Most people are friendly and easy to talk to. This basic understanding is essential for overcoming your shyness!Make an effort to talk to everyone you meet during the day, even if it's just to say hello. And take the initiative. Don't wait for the other person to speak first.Make eye contact with everyone you speak to. Eye contact actually diminishes shyness and puts you at ease.Get involved with groups and organizations that require you to interact w ith the other members. Be an active participant and speak up when in group settings.Don't be intimidated by those in positions of authority over you, such as teachers, police officers, politicians, etc. They're human just like the rest of us, even if they have achieved great things in life.SummaryYou can overcome your shyness by taking charge of the situation. Always try to speak to everyone you encounter during your day.Even if you start out by saying just one sentence, before long your confidence will grow, you'll find yourself more at ease speaking in public, and you will be well on the road to overcoming your shyness.

Artificial Intelligence Essay

â€Å"The brain is simply a computer made of meat†. Discuss this assertion with reference to the current debate about Artificial Intelligence. In discussing the assertion â€Å"The human brains is a computer made of meat†, there must be a reference to Artificial Intelligence. As Martin Minsky (1968) noticed â€Å"Artificial Intelligence is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done my men†. About Intelligence it can be defined as the power of seeing, learning, understanding and judging though a mental process, which requires knowledge, consciousness – subconsiousness and emotion An important example in the field of Artificial Intelligence is the Turing Test. With this test, Alan Turing (1950), claimed that this test can be used to answer the question of whether a computer is capable of thought. The test involves two human beings and one computer. The main idea, is that the human investigator, must figured out with his question which of the other two is the computer. These three are kept in different rooms and communicate each other by computer terminal. The investigator is allowed to ask whatever he likes, until he decides which the computer is. If the computer answers so well, then this computer passes the Turing test and is recognised as intelligent. The most well known researchers have accepted this test as standard of assessing intelligence. But this is test is inaccurate, because even if a computer answers correctly there is no statement of consciousness An other experiment that has to do with A. I. and generally with intelligence, is the â€Å"Chinese Room† by J. Searle. He argued that behaving intelligently was not enough. Here is how the Chinese Room works: there is one person locked in a room. This person has nothing to do with the Chinese language. Also there are two Chinese people outside, who asks the questions, but they do not communicate with any other way with the person inside the room. So, for every Chinese character he has the reply into the box and the only job he is doing is to replace the questions with the right responses from the boxes Searle ‘s point is that although the Chinese room seems to have intelligence and the person inside gives the right answers but he does not really understand Chinese. The only thing he is doing, is following a set of rules, as all the computer systems do. This argument is similar to human memory and the memory is only one part of intelligence. For the human being, our decisions depends on our experiences and background. But memory is only a part of intelligence and not the intelligence it self Some people argue that the true intelligence can never be achieved by a computer. Most computer programs do just the they are programmed for. Some of these, they are caught in endless loops, doing the same thing over and over again. Some other, are more cleverly programmed, when anything goes wrong they can try something else. But if the programme tries to solve the same problem, from the begging, it is going to make the same mistake until it is going to find the right operation to solve the problem. That’s why, many people believe the computers will never be intelligent, because of this lack of common sense. Nowadays, we know many things about how to build them, but we still don’t know how to give them common sense An other disadvantage for people, who believes the brain is a computer made of meat, is the learning ability of computer systems. They need someone continuously update information for them. And the ability of learning is very important to call something intelligent. Also, an other problem is the vision of computer systems. Of course, to call someone at least intelligent, ha can see whatever normal people do, without any instructions for the manufacture On the other, computers have been developed remarkably to a level which reach perfection it terms of speed, calculation and generation in cascade process. Also, new types of computers are been designed, with much more capabilities than the previous one. An example is storage as the years passes we have more storage in less space. But to say that a computer system is intelligent, cannot be based on the above parameters. These systems, have not yet achieved consciousness and therefore limit their ability to judge and understand Also, to call a computer system intelligent it requires some characteristics that they are connected with intelligence in human behaviour: understanding language, problem solving etc. Addinitionally, the human mental process is not based only on data and input. This is because, data are auto-generated and not previous supplied, e. g. a teenager finds a wallet and then decides whether to keep the money or hand them in the police based not onto a previous experience, memory or outside information, but on the criticism developed by consciousness and sub-consciousness. In addition to, there is no computer program that has its own freedom. Each of the computer decisions are based to the instructions that the program contains On the other hand, a classical example of intelligent computer systems, is a well known chess program called â€Å"Deep Thought† , which has beaten a few chess grand masters. The chess computers advance is the fast calculation. The human chess players advance is their power of judgement. However, when a computer system make o move on the chess board, it does not have the sense about the move it makes, he just perfume a series of calculations. Even a not very smart human being can only play chess at a good level, due his ability of fast calculations. But fast calculations is not a signal of intelligence Generally speaking, there are many reason why humans wants to create intelligent machines. The will never be tired, they will always obey etc. But, the building of these machines, have found reaction mostly from the philosophical point of view. That is because if the build of intelligent systems will succeed, this will doubt the uniqness of the human mind. Some experiments of artificial intelligence are the â€Å"Expert Systems†. A definition of expert systems, according the British Computer Society’s Specialist Group on expert system is the following one : â€Å"An expert system is regarded as the embodiment within a computer of knowledge-based component from an expert skill in such a form the system can offer intelligent advise or take intelligent decision about a processing function. A desirable additional characteristic, which many would consider fundamental, is the capability of the system, on demand, to justify its own line of reasoning in a manner directly intelligence to the enquirer† These computer systems, helps us in construction, simulation and diagnosis, for medical and healthy purposes. Some of them are, QMR and MYCIN, which are two expert systems that helps for diagnosing illness and diseases. But, the major problem is, who is responsible for a wrong diagnosis, that the computer system did. Some people believes that the mistake belongs to the creator of the system and some other believes that the doctor is responsible In addition, an other part of artificial intelligence, has to do with robotics. By this we mean † a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to more material, parts, tools or specialized devices though various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of task† as mentioned by the Robot Institute of America (1979). Nowadays, more and more people use robots for their job. Especially, managers of large factors, cause they are cheaper they don’t complaint etc. On the other hand, workers agree for this situation, if and only of, robots going to perform the dirty or the dangerous jobs At the end, a quite huge problem, is speaking and feeling too. For example, everyone understands worlds like friendship, love and we have some feelings for them either positive either negative. We ca not say a computer system intelligent, if it does not understand the above words or meaning like partnership, where two persons can help each other in difficult situations The last 10 years, scientists are working on a bio-computer system. This system use human-neural tissue connected to an electronic circuit. This idea hopes to link the power of neurones to create conscious state with the effiency of computer processing. Such projects hopefully will create an original state of computer intelligence Also, it is well known, that the human brain is the most difficult part of the human to explain, even from entire the world. We have now discuss this assertions with the most current sources and debates for artificial intelligence. My point of view, is that computer systems only succeed in some parts of intelligence, as playing board games, take care of people’s health etc. But, they do not reach the entirely meaning of intelligence such as consciousness and motions. And because everyone is doing a really go to work, probably mane years later they are going to match the above assertion

Economics of Climate Change released in 2007 insists

There is overwhelming evidence that global warming is actually occurring and is no longer just an academic concern. The Stern Review: the Economics of Climate Change released in 2007 insists that there is still time to make an impact and change the effects of global warming. Failure to do so would result in â€Å"climate change (that) will affect the basic elements of life for people around the world – access to water, food production, health, and the environment. Hundreds of millions of people could suffer hunger, water shortages and costal floodings as the world warms† (â€Å"The Stern Review†).Fossil fuels are the number one contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the United States alone. The use of fossil fuels for transportation contributes to a host of environmental problems, from urban ozone to global warming. Carbon dioxide makes up about 85 percent of the United States' total anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. Met hane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, halocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and other gases make up the remaining 15 percent. More than 98 percent of U. S. carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the combustion of fossil fuels for energy consumption (Rubin, 1998).There are many alternatives energy sources that could slow the process of global warming. Alternative energy is energy that is renewable or is not harmful the environment, such as wind, water, or geothermal powered energy. Reviewing several sources of alternative energy including alternative fuel for vehicles, solar energy, and geothermal energy and evaluating their impact on the public and viewing public opinion of alternative energy will help us have a better understanding of the concept of alternative energy and how we can benefit from using it.The effects of global warming are being felt worldwide. â€Å"Global warming and the melting of polar ice cover is predicted to raise ocean levels worldwide, directly im pacting on island nations who plead most strongly for restraint of fossil fuel consumption by industrialized nations† (Mayer). Some alternative fuel methods have been tried and found to be very successful. â€Å"Another strategy for reducing fossil fuel emissions from vehicles is to shift to alternate fueled vehicles. Various choices include electric, natural gas, methane, and fuel cell vehicles† (Mayer).In the United States there are some environmentally conscious states have started to support energy efficient vehicles. â€Å"The federal government has provided some limited support for the development of alternate fueled vehicles, while California has mandated that companies selling vehicles there market a certain percentage of zero emission vehicles, or ZEVs†(Mayer). Solar energy is an alternative energy method that has been in practice for many years. â€Å"On June 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter dedicated the solar hot water heating system newly installed in the West Wing of the White House†(Laird, 2001, p.1). Solar energy is obtained through solar panels that take the light from the sun and convert into energy, such as electricity. Solar power has proven to be a great source of energy and many people in the United States and Europe are switching to solar power, both for moral reasons and cash incentives from governments. In the United States, the citizens of California are taking it upon themselves to invest in alternative sources of energy. They have concentrated their investments in solar power but have also experimented with wind, water, and geothermal power.Californians find solar power advantageous not only because of its insurance against blackouts and skyrocketing electricity fees but also because it produces no pollution. As the government gives consumers cash incentives, such as tax breaks when they use these alternative sources of energy, local power companies are able to use alternative sources for energy production (Woloski, 2006). Solar energy is a cost effective and product way to utilize natural energy. Geothermal energy is the energy that is held within the core of the earth. â€Å"Geothermal energy is released naturally in geysers and volcanoes† (â€Å"Energy, Sources Of,† 2004).Geothermal energy is an effect way to heat homes or businesses because â€Å"Even where there are not naturally occurring geothermal aquifers, heat can be usefully extracted from the ground† (Derektaylor, 2000, p. 57). â€Å"In California, some of the state's electricity is generated by the geothermal plant complex known as the Geysers, which has been in production since 1960, and in Iceland, which is geologically very active, roughly 70% of the homes are heated by geothermal energy†(â€Å"Energy, Sources Of,† 2004). Although using alternative energy is a great concept and idea there are some negative consequences to using alternative energy.Alternative energy is often difficult to obtain and very costly to initiate (Woloski, 2006). For the change to occur governments and citizens will have first have to invest a great deal of money in the initial set up of alternative energy. This can be very costly both for the people and the government. â€Å"Why are so few environmentally conscious customers signing up, despite the positive outlook? New research suggests that consumers simply do not trust their utilities' green credentials†(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15).People are uneasy trying new things such as alternative energy, especially if it is costly in comparative to other available energy sources. There are also harmful effects on the environment by using some types of alternative energy. For example â€Å"geothermal energy sources have minimal environmental impacts that while limited, include air pollution and noise. Photovoltaic solar energy systems exhibit limited negative environmental impacts because they necessitate manufacture of ph otovoltaic cells, use of large land areas, and a negative aesthetic impact†(Ferrey, 2003).And then of course â€Å"Biomass energy facilities, depending on the fuel source, emit a variety of criteria air pollutants resulting from the combustion of organic materials†(Ferrey, 2003). The energy consumption of the people of the United States is of great concern to the world’s environmental health. The United States Congress is well aware of their countries contributions to global warming. In 2002 the Senate passed legislation that â€Å"would raise average fuel efficiency standards to 36 mpg by 2015, a standard that would classify minivans and SUV’s as passenger vehicles rather than light trucks† (Mayer).In less than ten years the classification will have an effect on the people on the United States. This amount of time is crucial when we consider the state of ozone layer and the steady increase of global warming. Becoming aware of the staggering usage o f gasoline may help sway some Americans to switch to alternative methods of transportation; with the creation of the KYOTO treaty the hope was the all nations of the world could work together and make the right choice and consciously choose to support the health of the environment, the very source that sustains us.To make changes we need to specifically â€Å"explore the complex interactions and mutual influences of philosophy, evolutionary biology, ethics–conceptual enterprises all–and our primary interactions and encounters with humans and nature in everyday life†(Donnelley). By switching to hybrid vehicles or alternative energy vehicles, making sure all vehicles on the road pass emissions tests, and discontinue driving oversized vehicles that take more fossil fuel and because more emissions to be released Americans can contribute to slowing global warming†¦ There are people all over the world who have taken measures to switch to alternative energy. "Green energy would seem to have a rosy future. Technological advances have helped to lower the cost of renewable power sources such as wind turbine generators, solar cells, small hydroelectric plants, and geothermal energy†(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15). Growing trends of alternative energy are popping up all over the world. In response to these suggestive trends, European utilities such as Eastern Group and Powergen, in the United Kingdom, and RWE and EON, in Germany, now offer green energy to distributors or direct to interested consumers.Typically, the utility commits itself to produce with, or to buy from, renewable sources all of the energy that it sells through green contracts. Customers thus know that they are paying for green production even if they are not directly connected to the source. Price premiums, often depending on the source, range from 2 percent to more than 30 percent above the utilities' normal tariffs. Yet in the United Kingdom and Germany, f or example, less than 1 percent of electricity customers have chosen the green option.(Bloemers, Magnomi & Peters, 2001, p. 15) In the United States â€Å"Consumers in several states have the option of selecting their choice of generation companies. Although the contract path of electricity does not remotely match the actual electron path from generators to consumers, it is possible to â€Å"select† alternate generation technologies such as biomass, solar, or wind. (Allenby & Unger, 2001, p. 22) In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District runs a solar power program and â€Å"has enjoyed exceptional popularity.This program equips the roofs of houses with solar cells that essentially turn these homes into â€Å"mini power-plants† by converting sunlight into electricity. The system does have several disadvantages, such as the high expenses of building a solar power station and the unreliable nature of sunlight† (Woloski, 2006). Some speculate that â⠂¬Å"American conservatives tend not to take global warming seriously and fail to see why those who do find the U. S. unwillingness to tax energy infuriating. This perhaps more than any other act cemented in the mind of many Europeans the image of George Bush as a self-serving unilateralist† (Fukuyama 143).Although the environment has not been a factor regularly addressed by the Bush administration there are huge American corporations, such as â€Å"Boeing, IBM, John Hancock and Whirlpool — (who) have publicly endorsed the notion that climate change is real by joining a business council organized by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change†(Lynch). The Pew Center is an international organization that brings together business leaders, scientists, policy makers and other experts to address controversial issues (â€Å"Working together because†).The idea behind this thinking can in fact be construed as a financial investment. â€Å"A clear sign that climate con cerns have moved into the financial mainstream is the growing activism of institutional shareholders. Over the past few years, investors have become increasingly worried about insufficient disclosure about the risks companies face from global warming. Under existing regulations, publicly traded companies are required to disclose to investors any information that could have a â€Å"material† impact on their financial results.There are no additional requirements governing climate-change issues. A changing climate threatens companies throughout the economy with costs from future regulations, the physical effects of a changing landscape, even the danger of massive lawsuits†(Lynch). Although the reasons for supporting the fight against global warming by American corporations are may be financially based, these corporations are large enough that collectively they can make a huge impact and ideally smaller companies will follow in their footsteps.Using alternative energy is a growing trend, however, â€Å"alternative sources of energy are more expensive than traditional energy production; after all, traditional energy production is so popular because such methods currently allow the least amount of fuel to produce the most energy at the cheapest prices. It is for this reason that the industry of alternative energy sources has not yet boomed† (Woloski, 2006). With the state of global warming increasing at a danger rate all people should make an effort to use less fossil fuel and create less pollution by switching to alternative energy sources.Many people have the view that one person can not make a difference, this is not true. a fine balance needs to be found between human beings and nature. â€Å"Humans and nature† problems press in upon us from all sides. We are all becoming–or should be becoming–more cognizant of global warming; ecologically unsustainable cities and agricultural practices; the overuse of antibiotics in our health care systems and on our factory farms; the global crash of ocean fisheries; a human population and use of natural resources that is squeezing out other forms of life; the pollution and degradation of our air, soil, and water† (Donnelley).Now all of these points need to be taken into consideration and changed as a whole, but the first step is for all people of the world, to accept their responsibility to the environment and create a process that will improve the way they effect global warming, even if it begins with only one small change. References Allenby, B. , & Unger, D. (2001). Information Technology Impacts on the U. S. Energy Demand Profile. In E-Vision 2000: Key Issues That Will Shape Our Energy Future: Analyses and Papers Prepared for the E-Vision 2000 Conference (pp. 7-27). Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=106437389 Bloemers, R. , Magnomi, F. , & Peters, M. (2001). Paying a Green Pre mium. 15. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001037408 Donnelley, Astrakhan. â€Å"Natural Responsibilities: Philosophy, Biology, and Ethics in Ernst Mayr and Hans Jonas. † The Hastings Center Report 32. 4 (2002): 36+ Energy, Sources Of. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed. ). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101242747 Derektaylor. (2000). Chapter 4 Renewable Energy in Housing.In Sustainable Housing: Principles & Practice (pp. 50-59). London: E & FN Spon. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=109201075 Ender, R. L. & Kim, J. C. (Eds. ). (1987). Energy Resources Development: Politics and Policies. New York: Quorum Books. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=27459699 Ferrey, S. (2003). Nothing but Net: Renewable Energy and the Environment, MidAmerican Legal Fictions, and Supremacy Doctrine. Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum, 14(1), 1+. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5005792298 Fukuyama, Francis. â€Å"8 Does â€Å"the West† Still Exist?. † Beyond Paradise and Power: Europe, America, and the Future of a Troubled Partnership. Ed. Tod Lindenberg. New York: Routledge, 2004. 137-161. Jordan, Stuart. â€Å"The Global Warming Crisis. † The Humanist Nov. -Dec. 2005: 23+. Questia. 29 Mar. 2007 . Johansen, Bruce E. The Global Warming Desk Reference. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. Lackner, Klaus S. , and Jeffrey D. Sachs. â€Å"A Robust Strategy for Sustainable Energy. † Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (2005): 215+.Laird, F. N. (2001). Solar Energy, Technology Policy, and Institutional Values. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=105099570 Mayer, Donald O. â€Å"Corporate Governance in the Cause of Peace: An Environmental Perspective. † Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 35. 2 (2002): 585+. Questia. 29 Mar. 2007 . Rubin, J. (1998). Shifting Gears: To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the United States Faces Some Tough Choices. Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy, 13(4), 98+.Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5001398516 Stern Review-Summary. HM Treasury. 2007. 1-4. 29 Mar. 2007 . Woloski, A. (2006). Fuel of the Future: A Global Push toward New Energy. Harvard International Review, 27(4), 40+. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5014475018 â€Å"Working Together Because Climate Change is Serious Business. † Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Pew Center on Global Climate Change. 29 Mar. 2007 .

Modern Society Essay

Modern society which is very complex and often contradictory has its origin in the ancient times as far back as 4000 years ago. Deeply rooted in spirituality, yet having equal attraction towards materialism, sometimes leading to unethical behaviour, inclination and commitment towards science, logic and reason, yet superstitious practices are rampant. Untouchability has been constitutionally abolished and caste and community based discrimination banned, its practice is common and it is a major tool of vote-bank politics in India. Thus, Indian society presents a contradictory picture and can be seen in the perspective of a society in the process of continued change or flux. Social change is a broader term which implies change in infrastructure, facilities and their distribution, change in thought, attitude and behaviour of the people, change in faith, culture, tradition and living styles, etc. Change is a natural inevitable process which continues in every age and will continue to happen even in future. Social infrastructure, cultural, attitudinal and behavioural changes do not remain static. They continuously change with the passage of time. It is the result of this natural process of change that life underwent sea change from the Stone Age to the Computer Age. Social change basically constitutes a transformation at all level of thought, behaviour and action that does not presuppose either a strict positive or negative impact. In fact, the impact cannot be confined to one direction only. Indeed the change has both positive and negative impact which may lead the society towards progress or regression. Social change is not a sudden process. It is a gradual process which takes lots of time to happen. Neither is it the result of any single factor. It is the result of so many factors which include demographic, technological, political, economic, cultural and legal. Generally, social conflict, growth and expansion and knowledge and scientific and technological advancement lead to social change. Indeed, the research and advancement in the field of science and technology bring about a change in the outlook of society. Besides, the demographic factors also contribute to social change. Rising population, rampant illiteracy, housing and health problems, large-scale migration, etc. all have a bearing on social climate. Rapid industrialisation resulting in economic development and urbanisation has brought about the growth of slums in urban areas as well as a great disparity in the standard of living. After independence, the country with the help of fundamental rights tried to bridge the social gap by providing right to equality to all its citizens and abolished untouchability. No doubt, it has a positive effect on society. It has brought about a decline in social discrimination and reduced the exploitation of the poor. Cultural factors like Sanskritisation, i. e. the process explaining the upward mobility of a sub-caste group in a caste hierarchy, traditional attitudes and customs of the people. Law is also an important tool to bring about social change. In the post-independence era, the Indian Government has taken numerous measures that concern society. The Constitution refuses to recognise the distinctions of religion, sect, caste, sex, etc. in the matter of the opportunities of civil life. It has largely mitigated a number of social evils resulting from the pluralisitc nature of Indian society with regard to religion and caste. Freedom of belief as a Fundamental Right has made religion a personal choice rather than its earlier compulsive and all- pervasive nature for a family or a group. Endogamous nature of casteism is now on the wane as intermarriage, and even inter- religious ones have been legalised. Reservations in jobs and freedom in the choice of vocations have encouraged vertical mobility of many families, irrespective of their caste and class affiliations. In short, laws play prominent role in social changes. Family, which has been almost universally considered the ideal and perfect living arrangement, and the backbone of social structure has undergone a transformation under the impact of industrialisation, urbanisation, spread of education, large-scale migration and other changes taking place in different spheres of life. Nuclear families have taken the place of joint family system. Common residence and property are being substituted by functional joint families, who fulfil their social obligations towards each other and come to help each other in their hours of need. Now old age is perceived with fear. This is rather recent phenomena. The old are now taken as a liability. Old age is viewed as an unavoidable, undesirable and problem-ridden phase of life. This is one of the gifts of modern life. In recent times, economic development and technological advancements have been rapid. They have an inevitable impact on social attitudes and values. This progress has led to the loss of cherished values. With enhanced earning, power and growing consumerism, the parents and children have altered their response to family life. The nature of parenting nd role of spouses have undergone sea change. Family bonds are eroding fast in society, it is particularly frequent in urban society where youngsters, in large numbers, migrate for studies or jobs, their parents, left alone, are faced with the problem of emotional loss and a fear of future. Economic independence has brought in its wake, individualism. In an economically independent society everybody wants to asse rt himself. A man wants his prominence in various spheres of life. He no longer likes to be ignored or undervalued. It has tremendously affected the woman. Now she wants her role in family and society as well. This is, in fact, a challenge to the traditional view of society that women as a class are inferior to men. However, her role in decision-making is assuming significance. Modern women are quite aware of their rights and privileges. At the same time social attitude towards women is also changing, though the process is slow. Today’s society is one of freedom and inquiry. In this age of individualism, authority is no longer unquestionably accepted by children. In this age of Information Technology, children are often more informal and aware than their parents. They no longer stand in awe of parents or any elderly persons. Human values and ethics have taken a backseat. Relations today are increasingly based on mercenary considerations. As a consequence, warmth and obligations have been lost in society. This, in a way, leads to conflict and confusion, adversely affecting family bonds or ties. Age old values of tolerance, hospitality, warmth of attachments, politeness and patience are fast fading out. However, some changes in society are pleasant and encouraging. Technological innovations have changed even the common people’s way of life. This change can be felt even at the village levels. The prevalence of superstitions and evil practices are no longer as frequent and common in society as they were during the pre-independence era. The accessibility of mass media has changed the village life also. The thinking behaviour and lifestyle of the villagers have tremendously changed. This exposure, though not always beneficial, has served to open Indian minds to receive new ideas and views. As a whole, the change on the mental level, has been slow, however, it is encouraging. Thus, at every level and in every sphere, Indian society is experiencing changes. The changes are more pronounced and noticeable in terms of dress, behaviour and egalitarianism while traditional beliefs, even if they are outdated and redundant, are practised and refuse to give up their hold on Indian society. Thus, the contradictory situations create confusion and sometimes lead to conflict. The prevailing anger and frustration arising out of inequality in development, loss of values accompanied by a greedy, grasping mercenary attitude, growing corruption on the part of authorities and the ‘elite’ find expression in the form of violent responses from the oppressed and the downtrodden. Several secessionist movements in different parts of the country are attributed to this retrogressive changes taking place in society. The change is inevitable in a dynamic society but it must be guided by some principles so as to ensure a better future and a progressive society in which everybody can enjoy his share in peace and prosperity. Besides people must be educated and enlightened enough to take its positive impact while ignoring the negatives for the betterment of individual as well as society.

Are Criminals Born or Made

There are numerous debates about what causes crime. Some people assume that criminal behavior is due to a person’s upbringing and life experiences (â€Å"nurture†). Others suggest that criminal behavior is more complex and involves a person’s genetic makeup (â€Å"nature†). Are people just born that way? Is criminal behavior pre-determined at some point in people’s lives? This paper will present how crime behaviors can be hereditary but most criminals are shaped by their environment factors instead. As the theories of genetic influences in crimes are undeniable; it should only be seen as an inclination of crime rather then the cause of crime (Raine, A. 1993 pg50). Hence, a criminal can be born but shaped and influenced by the society to cultivate the criminal traits in them. Social scientists have argued the nature-nurture debate for many years, both in the popular press and professional literature. Nature proponents argue that biological factors and genetic composition explain much of human behavior. Nurture proponents contend that environmental factors, such as family, school, church and community, are paramount in the development of behavior patterns. Besides, some traits, such as human intelligence, depend upon a complex combination of both hereditary and environmental influences. According to Pollak, that there is a new way of looking at these different experiences that turn different genes on or off (Pollak S. 2002). New research reveals that life experiences can alter the biochemistry of many genes- our moral development later in life changes our genes and is this could be hereditary. Cesare Lombroso, a 19th century Italian physician, reminded students that nurture, not nature, is responsible for criminal behavior. In contrast, Freudian psychoanalysis and the depth psychologies of Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, Otto Rank and Harry Stack Sullivan focused on the dynamic unconscious (the natural instinct of a human), theorizing that the depths of human psyche integrates with the conscious mind to produce a healthy human personality. Nevertheless, many researchers show that criminal behaviors can be hereditary. Human genes carry many personality traits inherited from their ancestors and even from their parents. Lombroso, regarded by many as the father of criminology, is convinced that people are born criminals as it is in an individual’s nature to commit crime. Criminals have been found to carry a few certain features and personality traits. According to Darwin and him, we evolved from animals. In this theory, genes mutate and get passed on to each descendant, concluding that some people are predisposed to criminality and they are not the same species as humans (AllAboutScience. org, 2005). According to Sigmund Freud, all humans have criminal tendencies. However, the process of socialization curbs these tendencies by the developing of inner controls that are learned through childhood experience. Freud hypothesized that the most common element that contributed to criminal behavior was faulty identification by children with their parents. Improperly socialized children may develop personality disturbances that causes them to direct antisocial impulses inward or outward. The child who directs them outward becomes a criminal, and the child that directs them inward becomes a neurotic. In Freud’s theory of the Defense Mechanisms, he finds the cause of individual behavior in the unconscious mind (Freud, S. 1930). Sociobiology attributes â€Å"genetics as the only factor of behavior†. The mankind uses each one of them in everyday life. One clear example of man being biological is that at sometimes man can have animal drives and desires. This drive is driven by the idea and of free will that is taken for granted. Another theory Freud developed included the Id, Ego, and Superego (Freud, S. 1923). Here, personality has a definable structure with three basic components. The most primitive part of the personality, present in the infant is the Id, meaning â€Å"it† in Latin. The Id is an unconscious, irrational and immoral part of the personality that exists at birth (by nature), containing all the basic biological drives: hunger, thirst, self-protection, and sex. A component of personality, the id seeks immediate satisfaction of natural urges through primary process, without concern for the morals and norms of society. Ego and Superego deals with how the mind works conscientiously and unconsciously. It describes the behavior of the human body and motives of our actions. Freud was a pessimist when it came to human nature. He identified man’s weaknesses in saying that man is a biological creature with biological drives. He reflected these ideas from Darwin’s original ideas. In Freud’s views, the three parts of the psychic structure – id, ego, and superego are always in dynamic conflict. We are always unaware of the conflicts between the id, ego, and superego. According to psychodynamic theory, when a threat becomes especially serious, it may lead to intense inhibitions and defenses. These may be expressed as violence and aggression- inhibiting reaction. According to Freud, humans are defensive. This defensive mechanism is part of everyday speech and action. The lack of basic need stimulates the unconscious id and impels a person toward aggression which may later express itself in a tendency toward criminal behavior. If moral and social values are instilled from day one, an individual is given ‘will power’ as a tool for survival as well as the ability to practise self control. For example, Socrates, a Greek philosopher was analysed as brutal, sensuous and inclined to being a drunkard by a physiognomist. By admitting that the examination revealed his inner self, and learning to control it, he managed to overcome the negative side (Vold, B. , Bernard, J. amp; Snipes, B. 2002, pg32). The ability to control negative desires or mens rea is a natural thing. If we said that criminals are made by their surroundings and their social factors, we could safely say that criminals are shaped by bad influences or social status. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, when the basic need for an individual is not met or self esteem is threatened, the individual will turn on his or her defensive mechanism as reaction to this perceived threat (Maslow, H. 1943). Some resort to robbing and stealing food and necessities as a way of survival. Another basic need of humankind is the need for belonging and acceptance by others. Some might feel forced into criminal activities to enable them to live certain lifestyles that will achieve this aim. Because defensive mechanisms are unconscious, they are difficult to control. However, the psychologists of the 1950s and 1960s rejected this theory. Nevertheless, in recent years, the cognitive revolution has again made defensive mechanisms the subject of scientific investigation, and cognitive, developmental, and personality psychologists have found some evidence for their existence (Cramer,P. 2000). Carl Jung and Freud shared the same ideas and even theoretical concepts, including psyche, ego, consciousness, and unconsciousness (Somerfield, R. amp; McCrae, R. 000). But Jung greatly expanded the concept of the unconscious. Jung argued that the mind of the newborn infant is not blank slate, but is imprinted with forms from the past experiences that are common to all humans in the universe. One major challenge of our time is to discover the underlying causes of crime and to develop new techniques for preventing it. Although we should not ignore poverty, racism, joblessness, and other environmental factors which do influence criminals, biological and genetic factors may prove to be powerful predictors of criminal behavior. It is hoped that genetic tendencies toward crime, if they do prove to exist, can be modified by early intervention with such methods as psychotherapy, classes in effective parenting, and improved preschool education. Additional research on both genetic and environmental factors is necessary if we are to prevent the emergence of criminals like the serial killer Ivan Milat – â€Å"the backpacker murderer† in future generations. According to Lombroso and Ferri, there are four basic types of criminals. The first type is those who are born criminals. According to Ferri, this group constitute a third of all criminals. They are morally underdeveloped and epileptic. The second type is the insane criminals. This insanity is caused by a defect in their brains which causes them to be incapable from differentiating right from wrong. Intoxicated people are included in this group, since over consumption of alcohol has a similar effect on the brain. The criminal by passion is the third type, where according to Lombroso, these criminals are more likely to be females then male. They are usually urged by emotions or the need for revenge because of something or someone. For example, a mother who murders her husband who was found out to be the serial rapist of daughter. The strong emotions of betrayal and revenge for the overwhelming hurt done to her daughter would have driven her to the murder of her spouse. The fourth type of criminal is the occasional criminal. They comprise of a few categories. Firstly, the pseudocriminal who kills in self defense. Secondly, the criminaloid who are influenced by situations and circumstances to commit crime. Thirdly, the habitual criminals who are normally offenders of the petty crimes such as white collar criminals and last but not the least harmless, the epileptoid criminal who suffers from epilepsy. In conclusion, theories of genetic influences in crimes are reliable, but are only factors influencing crime, rather than its cause. Environment and parent care, peer pressure and human needs play a large part unearthing the underlying motives and causes of crime, because humans are intelligent creatures that learn from experience. Hence, crime is a human act that can develop as a reaction to one’s surroundings and nurture.

Take-Home Final Exam Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Take-Home Final Exam Questions - Assignment Example All that we ever see are the qualities of an object that our faculty of vision is capable of sensing. Hence, it implies that any given thing is a mere bundle of perceptions or the summation of its perceived qualities. There is nothing out there that we do not have some perception of. Furthermore, since things like ‘substance’ or ‘matter’ is never perceived or sensed, it cannot be said to exist. And if ‘substance’ does not exist and only sensed qualities are real or all are sensations, then only thinking or as Berkeley says, spiritual or mental beings exist, for according to him, it is impossible ever to think of anything except as related to a mind. 3. Why does Berkeley believe it must be God (rather than material substance) that is the cause of our perceptions? Since any given thing is a mere bundle of perceptions, we know that physical objects exist since we can perceive its qualities. However, this raises a problem when it comes to things tha t we do not perceive. How then do we justify the things that do exist yet are not being perceived by us? Berkeley says then that there are other finite minds, and are therefore perceiving those other things that exist, but apart from my finite mind or that of other finite minds, there must be something or someone who is responsible for guaranteeing order in our sensations and perceptions. Moreover, something cannot come from nothing; hence our finite minds must have originated from a creator. And since all human beings are always preoccupied from things, there is then an omnipresent mind, which knows and perceives all things. The existence of material objects therefore depends on the existence of God, for God is the cause of the order found in nature and is the cause of the existence of our minds. These ideas, which exist in our minds yet do not perceive, are God’s ideas, which He communicates to us; so that what we perceive through sensation are not to be caused by material substances, but rather, by God. Hence, God constantly gives us sensations in our everyday life. He gives us certain ideas, which help us categorize in an orderly manner all our sensations. Therefore, the continued existence of objects when we do not perceive them is explained by God’s continuous perception of them. 4. Why does Hume believe that causation is not a necessary connection between events, but only an observation of constant conjunction? Hume dismisses the idea of â€Å"necessary connection† because first, each impression is a ‘separate experience’, and second, what happens in the past may not ‘necessarily’ happen in the future. And in his dismissal of ‘necessary connection’, it implies that ‘causation’ only happens in the mind and is only due to constant conjunction; meaning we experience a series of events which happen in succession. So, if the idea of necessary connection is seen in our connecting of idea s, then ‘causality’ then occurs only within our minds; it is no other than a psychological law of association of ideas, a mere â€Å"habit of the mind†. 7. Why does Kant believe that the existence of synthetic a priori truths is such a big deal? Synthetic a priori truths already contain its predicate in its subject, but are not dependent on experience and are affirmed to be universal truths. By Kant’s analysis and presentation of â€Å"synthetic a priori† truths, it enabled him to justify mathematical and scientific principles, which can give us knowledge with certainty, and thereby further extending our knowledge of the world. For example, the mathematical proposition, (1 + 2 = 3); this is classified as synthetic a priori: â€Å"synthetic† because â€Å"1†, â€Å"+†, and â€Å"2† does not contain the idea of â€Å"