Infancy and Early Childhood Development Essay

Infancy and Early Childhood Development As a child develops families play a role in teaching the child. The first role is done through the five senses as a child’s brain develops. Parents are also responsible for making sure a child stays healthy. Piaget says that a child will learn through experiments in his or her world. Erickson and Freud also have ideas on family interaction in childhood development. Along with interaction a parent has different styles to bring up a child. These styles can help shape the child as he or she grows into adults. Early childhood education and cognitive development also play a role in childhood development also. Families affect development through interaction with a child, the parenting style used by the parent will also help shape the child as he or she grows, along with early education and cognitive development. Families play a role in infancy and early child development. Early childhood experience is in two categories; experience-dependent (cultural-bound) and experience-expectant (universal) that aid in brain growth (Berger, 2008). As the brain grows senses and motor skills such as seeing, mobility progress, and hearing improve. The child’s environment helps with this as the brain will respond to different particulars in life. Also in the biosocial aspect of development is health, a child will grow at expected rates and have better survival rates when the parents or caregivers practice healthy habits for the child such as immunization and nutrition, and regular well child check-ups. Another view of family effects on development comes from cognitive views of Piaget. Piaget’s work on sensorimotor intelligence and information processing says that infants progress from knowing their world through experiments. The child is shown objects by the parent and the parent tells the child what he or she is seeing, such as a cup, ball, or bottle. This communication with the child is how the family helps the child with language development. According Berger (2008), by one an infant can speak about two words, and by the age of two languages explodes, and at the toddler ages a child capable of speaking in short sentences. The last role from parents in the developing child comes from psychosocial theories. Emotions play a basic role in newborns two aspects of the role of emotions are from Erickson and Freud. Erickson’s theory is one of trust versus mistrust, and Freud’s theory is one of oral and anal stages. Both theories express the guidance given by parents to help raise their children. Parents and children play together, which helps develop social skills and attachment. Through attachment a child learns to explore and become independent in his or her world (Berger, 2008). Social play and attachment encourage social confidence. Besides play a parent must use a style to raise the child. Parenting styles vary the three most used styles consist of authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. Authoritarian parents controls, evaluates behavior, and attitudes of the child with standard rules of conduct. A child who fails to follow the set rules normally receives punishment with no explanation regarding why. According to Baumrind (1991), these parents are â€Å"status and obedience oriented, and expect rules to be followed without explanation. † The authoritative parent also sets rules for his or her child. Authoritative parenting styles also sets rules for a child but unlike the authoritarian parent the parent is much more democratic about it. This parenting style permits the parent to be more responsive to the child’s needs, and listen to questions and concerns the child may have. The child is not punished when he or she does not meet expectations of the parent as the parent is more nurturing, and forgiving. Discipline with the authoritative parent is more supportive than punitive, as the parent wants the child to be assertive, socially responsible, self-regulating, and cooperative (Baumrind, 1991). The last of the three parenting styles is permissive. The permissive parent consults with the child about decisions, gives reasons for rules, and makes few demands of the child. The permissive parent is more of a resource for the child to use, and is not active in shaping or altering the child. The permissive parent will try to manipulate the child to arrive at desired results but will not show power over the child (Baumrind, 1991). Of the three parenting stages authoritative parenting has the best balance. Authoritative parents want for the child, helps shape the child into an upstanding citizen while nurturing and firm in rules. This parenting style values the expressiveness of the child, and still setting standards for the child. The authoritative parent will also be objective, uses reason, power, and shapes and reinforces achievements and objective for the child, but does this with consensus of the child and the child’s desires (Baumrind, 1991). Besides parenting education and cognitive development are important for a child. Early childhood education can began in the 1800s with private classes in a person’s home. Serious studies of cognition and early education began with Piaget’s work in defining stages of development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are both famous for theories on cognition, and early learning of young children. Piaget whom began his career as a biologist teaching in a boy’s school found an interest in child development after helping design a test on intelligence. His theory was that a child could not perform tasks until he or she was psychologically mature enough (Berger, 2008). His second stage or preoperational stage works in the classroom with the child using language to define objects. Vygotsky theory on early childhood learning is more of a social one. Vygotsky theory is a basis of young children’s thinking being self-centered and at time magical. His theory was a second aspect of cognition; young children can be sensitive to other people’s emotions and wishes. Every aspect of child development is in social context, children are curious and observant. Vygotsky called this apprentice in thinking, as older children and adults are the teachers of society. Younger children are guided participates as they learn to think from their mentors. Vygotsky belief was that children could do anything with the assistance of others in their social network (Berger, 2008). In conclusion as the brain grows, the interaction from the parent helps the  brain develop, along with parent keeping a healthy regimen. Parent and caregiver interacting with the child helps the child learn language. The three parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive help shape with rules and responsibilities. The well balanced parenting style is authoritative; allowing the child to understand why he or she is receives punishment, shapes and reinforces the child, and takes the child’s feeling into consideration. Early childhood education began in the 1800s. Piaget and Vygotsky both believed that education was important. Piaget thought that a child learned he or she was psychologically mature enough. Vygotsky belief was that children learn from others and could do anything with the help from their mentors. Cognition is needed to help a child learn, develop, and grow. Reference Baumrind, D. (1991). Child care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75(1), 43-88. Berger, K. S. (2008). The developing person through the life span (7th ed. ). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Guest, A. (2011). Taking sides: Clashing views in life-span development (3rd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Letters from Earth Analysis Essay

In Mark Twain’s Letters from Earth after a brief introduction by Twain, the story shifts to the letters written by Satan to his friends in heaven. In the first letter, Satan—who has been banished to Earth for one thousand â€Å"Earth days†Ã¢â‚¬â€ goes on to say that the people, the other animals, the earth itself are all insane. Nature itself is insane. This first letter is a very blunt statement on human arrogance and hypocrisy. He says goes on to explain his declaration over the course of the next ten letters. The second letter explains the curiosity that is heaven as it is perceived on the earth. First and foremost, Satan points out that sexual intercourse is absent in this version of heaven. This is a peculiarity, due to the amount of emphasis placed on it during human life. He wonders why they would leave it out if they enjoy it so much on earth. In fact, people have created a heaven full of things they don’t value. On earth, most men do not sing and/or cannot stand singing, very few people play instruments, people don’t like to pray, people are bored in church, everyone looks down upon everyone else, all â€Å"sane† people detest noise. Keeping that in mind, Satan wonders why then that â€Å"heaven† is full of endless church services where everyone loves everyone else while they all sing and play a musical instrument. In letter three, Christianity is discussed. Satan claims that humans desire to be like (their) God, yet God is nobody to emulate. God punished Adam and Eve when he really had no reason to tempt them in the first place. He also continued to punish the next generations for a crime they did not commit (in regards to the forbidden fruit). People don’t treat their children that way, yet they claim to live in the image of God. He has set rules, yet he himself does not follow them.

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Answer questions - Essay Example As a result of different environmental conditions between Earth and Mars like absence of plate tectonics in Mars, the Olympus Mons cooled forming slopes that were 21km high. This is due to over a million years of cooling. There are several volcanoes on earth that match the characteristic of the Olympus Mons although they are not as big. A good example is the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. This is the greatest volcano on the planet Earth despite being oversized almost three times by the Olympus Mons. Mauna Loa is also classified as a shield volcano and its 9km in height and 120km across. However, a volcano the size of Olympus Mons cannot be found on Earth because of unsuitable condition for such formations. Radiometric dating is the process of analyzing the radioactive elements in a rock so as to determine its age (Weins, 2002). This dating method is based on the knowledge of radioactive decay whereby an unstable element (parent) breaks down by giving of electrons, neutron or protons to form a new daughter isotope (same element but with different atomic mass). Each particular unstable element takes a predictable amount of time to decay from a parent to a daughter element called half-life (Weins, 2002). The knowledge of the half-lives of different element can enable scientist to determine the age of a rock. This dating technique is most suitable for igneous (volcanic) rock with radioactive elements whose half-lives are known. The presence of different radioactive isotopes in the rock has brought forth the existence of many radiometric techniques each depending on the isotope in question. A scientist can opt to analysis abundant unstable elements found in rocks. Elements like Lutetium-176, Uranium-238, Uranium-235, Rubium-87, Potassium-40, and Carbon-14 are preferred because of their instability, abundance, and known half-life (Dickin, 2005). This method calculates the age of rocks between 100,000 years to above 3.6billion

The Two Major Theories Relating To Leadership and Motivation in Essay

The Two Major Theories Relating To Leadership and Motivation in Organizations - Essay Example The researcher states that the modern world has become competitive requiring organizations to be as creative as possible so as to ensure that their workplaces are motivated as much as possible. When motivation is concerned, the modern workers are not directly motivated by financial increments. Some may prefer other motivational ways most of which can be suggested by the employees themselves. This brings in another issue of communication, which is crucial to the management being practiced and requires the leadership traits of the supervisor to keep up. In this instance, most successful organizations take employees seriously and view them as the most important asset to the functionality and productivity of the organization. In contrast, the organizations that view employees in a similar way to the machinery and the equipment in the workplace encounter resistance when it comes to implementation of changes in the organization and in fulfilling the core tasks that the organization intends to realize. Such organizations are also prone to intense competition since the productivity is wanting from the perspective of employee psychological health. A happy workplace is a highly productive workplace. Analyzing and contrasting two of the best theories related to motivation and organization’s leadership is essential so as to put this into perspective. One of the best theories related to motivation and leadership of the organization and one that is essential to the working of the organization is the participative theory of leadership. This is a contrast theory to the autocratic theory but both can be utilized in a creative manner to ensure smooth operation of the organization and the achievement of the intended objectives and goals. The participative theory can also be referred to as the democratic theory due to its nature.

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example ufacturing businesses and other productive industries in turn offer fringe benefits to their employees to boost their confidence, morale, dedication and commitment (‘affective and normative’) (Aldag and Reschke, 1997). As a result, workers are keen to work better for their employers to ensure accomplishment of goals and targets. (Daft, 2009) and (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2007) The Industry that has been chosen by the researcher for this analysis is US Airline Industry. Indeed, US airline travel industry is one of the largest industries (comprising low cost barriers, regional, national and international airlines) within United States that has been offering its services daily to millions of travellers, visitors, students, business personnel and government officials. This industry provides direct and indirect employment to millions of personnel thereby contributing in USA’s economic well-being, growth and sustainability. US Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest and other airlines are among the major players. Foreign airlines also offer their travel services in USA. (ZACKS Report, 2010) The benefits offered by employers are divided into two main types namely Monetary Payments (in exchange for services offered) and Discretionary Benefits (they are optional or not mandatory for the producer) to their employees. This paper will throw light over the discretionary or optional benefits offered to workers in the manufacturing industry. There are three major types of discretionary benefits namely Workers’ â€Å"Protection Programs, Paid time-offs, Accommodation and Employee Skills development programs† (Martocchio). This paper will discuss in detail each of the above mentioned benefits to employees, will demonstrate any factors that may influence these benefits within the chosen manufacturing industry and will end up on recommendations that could be used to improve current practices and benefits. (Daft, 2009) The very first discretionary

Principles of Risk Communication and Public Warnings Essay

Principles of Risk Communication and Public Warnings - Essay Example From the responses on the meaning and purpose of information and advisories concerning risk management, a majority of the people did agree that risk management is extremely crucial to various fields. These warnings might be necessary for various reasons like weather crisis, geological disasters and radiological, industrial or medical emergencies. In order to come up with an effectual public warning, there has to be an agreement on who will start an alert. Moreover, what makes up an emergency, a system by which reports can be rapidly transmitted to the residents, and educational programs to train the public on how to identify an alert or what to do if an emergency is broadcast need to be considered. Travis emphasized this. The citizen’s perception of the risk can be impacted by the method and content of public warnings. Without sufficient risk information, the public might ignore the risk or engage in unsuitable actions, some of which might compromise instead of promoting the public’s safety. According to Tameyka, the public understands the basic knows very little on how to respond to emergencies and as such, it is necessary for the media to be provided with uncommo n emergency resource, which would be of significant help to the public. Margain supported the idea. From analysis, media plays a crucial role in the unequal distribution of aid and, therefore, it is necessary for residents to take more responsibility in their sustainability and recovery from any unusual occurrences that take place. For instance, the victims of Hurricane Katrina needed many aids; it is advisable that risk managers must take over from media scrutiny and base their decisions purely on risk evaluation decisions and equal allocation of aid and resources. It is also advisable that media should not be allowed to venerate the destruction, if there is hope for keeping people’s interest in the right place. According to Teresa,

Remittance as a social responsibility for development Essay

Remittance as a social responsibility for development - Essay Example Accordingly, the compensation in the former for similar labor and similar work is significantly lower than that in the latter. In such circumstances, little money sent by the distant individuals in foreign currency proves a big treat for the remote relatives. Remittance is not only the money that is sent by migrants to their relatives in homeland, but also includes any money that is invested in real estate or other that is deposited by the migrants in the banks or saving accounts in the homeland. Money pouring into underdeveloped countries in this way becomes a source of economic stability and strength. Remittance maintains the integrity and value of a nation’s economy. Life style and culture depend upon the economy of a nation for their maintenance and modification. As a result of the economic stability, the nation progresses as a whole. That is why, it is a social responsibility of every individual that makes part of a nation. Remittances have gathered the attention and appreciation of policy makers, academic institutions and other financial organizations. This is so because remittances happen to be the second largest source of foreign investment in the underdeveloped countries after Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This is despite the fact that considerable portion of the total remittance gets spent in its transfer occurring through informal routes. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that remittance is far less volatile as compared to the local capital flow because it is majorly invested in real estate and business as it usually is more than what the remote relatives in the homeland require. Another way in which remittance helps a country gain economic strength and stability is that it provides the home country with enough sum to carry out heavy trade. According to Mansoor and Ouillin, and Razin (cited in Vogiazides), above 70% and 75% of the trade deficit in Albania since 1995 and Moldova in 200 5 was financed

Budgets are primarily p ressure devices used by management to ensure Essay

Budgets are primarily p ressure devices used by management to ensure organisational objectives are achieved - Essay Example Some of the purposes of budgeting in the hotel industry include: - helping to plan work effectively; - assisting in allocating resources; - aiding in controlling resources during the budgeting period. Moreover, it is important to understand that a budget is developed to insure that management is working toward the same goal, with a knowledge base of the organizations' resources and constraints. Although strategic planning, budget forecasting, performance analysis are inclusive operations of the budgeting process; it is ultimately up to the financial analyst to determine whether the budget is guiding the company toward the achievement of its goals. Sometimes inefficiencies result due to poor integration of the finance and strategy. â€Å"Budgeting and performance are typically overseen by the finance department, whereas planning s coordinated by strategy department. Often, the two processes aren't well integrated, resulting in strategies that are often dictated by the budget process instead of vice versa† (Gary 2003). The reason for this could be that everyone involved may be attempting to accomplish the same goals, but also trying to make sure that the outcome will be beneficial to them, such as a substantial bonus or a reward. Although many companies implement this reward theory in an effort to increase organization effectiveness, this theory does not always work. According to Aranya, â€Å"participation may create intrinsic valences due to a tendency for individuals to become â€Å"ego† involved in decisions which they have contributed, and this affects their subsequent performance† (Aranya 2001). " (Aranya 2001). Forms of budgeting There are many forms of budgeting, but in the hotel industry "the first step in the budgeting process is to develop and communicate a set of broad assumptions about the economy, the industry, and the organizations strategy for the budget period" (Marshall, 2004). By establishing an operating and financial budget for a future period, management can identify problems in advance. This can be maintained by forecasting for future predictions. A forecast is a reflection of the future. When forecasting is taken into account, two key aspects to consider are cash budgets and sales forecast. The cash budget, usually 1 to 2 year increments, is a statement of the company's inflows and outflows of cash. It allows the company to estimate the short-term cash limitations, with attention to potential planning for excess cash or shortages. On the other hand, sales forecast estimates the monthly cash flows that will result from projected sales receipts, production and inventory. Management can also det ermine the level of fixed assets required to support the forecast level of sales and production. However, it is important to obtain reliable data. As a result, this data should be acquired by internal, as well as external means. The internal sales forecast is based on unison of sales forecast through the company's internal network. External forecast, on the other hand, is based on the relationship between the company sales and key external economic indicators. This means being able to identify how future economic events will affect the business as a whole. This includes looking at consumer outlook, inflation, and political events. Many companies are now implementing a new concept of rolling forecasts in an effort to reflect the most recent market trends. "Rolling forecasts have considerable merit. A forecast produced on a quarterly basis will

Loss Prevention Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Loss Prevention Policies - Assignment Example A fraud hotline will greatly enhance the system by allowing for anonymous reporting. Introduction Modern organizations are faced by an ever-increasing threat of fraud, both internally and externally. Fraud continues to increase alarmingly with each passing moment recording a new or even more sophisticated form of fraud. The situation is made worse by an increasing adoption of information technology that networks and connects the information infrastructure in businesses. Hard economic times are also tempting employees to engage in fraud. This paper will review the benefits of a comprehensive fraud control program and give a conclusion at the end. Literature review Question One A Fraud is a big problem even for large established global corporations; consider the case of dell Computer Corporation. In 2007, it had to redo its financial reports between 2003 and 2006 due to a deliberate manipulation of figures to meet quarterly budgetary targets. John Rigas, former chairman and founder of Adelphi Communications and his son Timothy who served as the CFO (Chief financial Officer) at Delphi were convicted for massive fraud in 2007 (Stanek, 2007). This illustrates the extent of fraud in organizations where even the senior leaders who are supposed to be role models actually initiate and commit heinous acts of corporate fraud. However, a comprehensive fraud monitoring system can come in handy to help detect and therefore help an organization reduce its risk to fraud. Comprehensive fraud monitoring involves the use of technology that incorporates forensic techniques to analyze data and information paths regularly to detect anomalies, to detect fraudulent acts while there is still time to stop or mitigate the fraud. An effective fraud monitoring system is difficult to achieve by using the existing requirements and regulations necessitating the need for a comprehensive fraud monitoring system especially where senior management can be involved in fraud. A comprehensive fraud m onitoring system continuously and constantly monitors happenings in a company’s financial system tracing the movement of cash, which can be used to trace back or detect potential fraud. A comprehensive system for fraud monitoring leverages the use of sophisticated methods of statistical analyses to thoroughly scrutinize a firms’ financial and other activity for acts of fraud, errors of omission and commission and misuse of the firm’s resources. It automated the process of analyzing a company’s financial data and information (Stanek, 2007). An automated system reduces direct human involvement and further helps shield the system from manipulation as well as improves the operations of the organization making them even more efficient (Schaeffer, 2008). An automated system also lowers the cost of hiring manpower that will be involved in the monitoring and auditing the financial and asset monitoring systems of a company. One B A comprehensive fraud monitoring s ystem will benefit the firm in numerous ways as discussed below; The assets of this organization will be protected and safeguarded against arbitrary misuse and even theft by staff; physical assets as well as non physical assets such as intellectual assets. The system limits access to sensitive information to data that can be sold by an insider to competitors for instance. Access to financial resources and money is also controlled further increasing data security. It will also help reduce the chances of fraud by detecting

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Example for Free

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Tragedy, in multiple views leads to grief, misery and may even cause emotional desensitization. However this solely depends on the cause of such tragedy. A simple tragedy exists as a result of the irony of combining diverse religion and cultures and is especially expressed in the story â€Å"Sandpiper†. Here author Ahdaf Soueif expresses cultural differences through the breaking relationship of a European writer and her Egyptian husband. Acquiescent undermine passivity Being the protagonist, the narrator becomes the view point character in the story and this is where audience criticisms take place. From the beginning she seems to display a sort of weakness and compliance towards events; watching the waves swoop back into the sea; conforming to her lack of work and loss of identity ; â€Å"watching (her husband) vanish†, and watching her daughter â€Å"grow away† from herself. The sand image, as the story opens portrays her compliance-The way she did not wish to obstruct nature`s pattern of â€Å"one grain of sand† because of her movement. Later as Um Sabir (her â€Å"husband`s old nanny†) prevents her from doing any work, her feminine independence also appears to be deplored yet she simply accepts this fact and though seeming solemn, does not take any action. The reader soon becomes critical about such fragility. Notice how the writer mentions -â€Å"watch† her husband vanish. Due to her foreignness, she seemed to slowly fade away from her and her husband`s relationship and displays severe grief. However it appears indeed so absurd for the re ader, because this narrator does not develop any sort of resistance to her dilemma. Furthermore her despondency grows gradually, and it seems that her daughter is being torn away from her the same way as with her husband. She simply pines her heart and the narrator grows a sort of dissent for the protagonist. Sandpiper a coastal bird which cannot fly too high nor too far from the coastal region (due to its habitat and feeding habits) is a perfect name for this story it seems. The way the protagonist’s life appears limited and restricted is definitely the main cause. However the reader may wonder why the narrator does not rebel to this lifestyle. There may be numerous causes. Firstly notice the narrators patience as she sits by the beach observing the water`s â€Å"frilled white edge nibbling at the sand†. As she displays no qualms to her situations (for example being deprived of work as previously mentioned) it seems she still retains hope- of a happy lifestyle. This e xaggerated patience she conforms, may perhaps be one of the reason she does not rebel. Another may be simply her love of and to sustain the happiness of her daughter. These causes all sum to the habitat and ability of a â€Å"Sandpiper†, its only restrictions. Therefore it seems that the protagonist subsists in a self imposed jail, like a sandpiper and indeed does not soar beyond the beach which could momentarily give access to another sort of freedom, mentally, from her own conscience. However if we pay attention to the situation the author rejects such criticisms-instead condemning the readers as absurd. Certainly following different cultures is not the protagonists fault. The consistent confusion and grief of the narrator’s situation is perhaps the cause of her helplessness. This way the author deems the protagonist as universal for humans; which either are NOT exceptions, to displaying similar responses, in such emotionally grim situations and though her image is portrayed as weak it is not held true to how we asses her. In some way the writer creates ambivalent views one portraying the theme of ‘fate’ and the other ‘free will’. A customary feature, to be noticed in this story is the authors unvarying image of the beach. Obviously this picture signifies the present and therefore, perhaps, alludes to the narrators ‘drifting’ thoughts. It also seems, the descriptions of the sand and the sea reflect her emotions. As the story opens, observe the serene albeit somewhat somber, descriptions (of the beach), in the past participle: â€Å"I used to see patterns†¦I did not want †¦. I used to sit†. Definitely the narrator is affectionately looking back at nostalgia, yet with regret. Her emotions drift in melancholy as a compliant stream of conscience guides her and suddenly we imagine a somber weak character, in passivity to not stir a single â€Å"grain of sand† from its ‘natural’ pattern. This is where the readers display an interest to this character`s matters. Slowly her emotions begin to frill as the descriptions become gradually violent –â€Å"the sea unceasingly shifts†¦surges forward with a low growl†¦ like thousand snakes† .By now the reader is absorbed into the persona`s feelings. The usage of the personal pronoun â€Å"I† becomes highly universal to the reader and definitely induces sympathy. Finally, as she â€Å"revert(s) to (the) dry grains that would easily brush away† the emotions are returned to the previous serenity however now there seems to be a hint of pain, a hint of helplessness. This way the writer skillfully attains the reader`s attention to the story, and somewhat forth shadows incidents in the story, pertaining to the emotions. Hereby the atmosphere seems so somber, so calm; slowly the reader drifts in with the thoughts of the writer. What the reader may also take notice, with hindsight, is that perhaps Soueif uses this initial beach image as an extended metaphor for the life of the narrator; as in the beginning her life was filled with bliss (in love with her husband), which suddenly changed to desperation and somewhat anger (as he slowly â€Å"slip away† from her) and finally grief (of the freedom she lost). Proactive pragmatic The next imagery of the beach occurs after she mentions the second summer at the â€Å"beach house west of Alexandria†. Here the narrator utilizes the sand and the sea as symbols for her husband and herself, the way these two entities seemed to â€Å"meet and flirt and touch† and establishes the theme of love . However, reading between the lines, perhaps the writer forth shadows a sort of obscurity in the relationship. Notice how the sand and the sea simply â€Å"meet† metaphorically indicating love; although away from this â€Å"edge† such love does not seem to prevail as the sea and the sand form a tight boundary. Also the sea consistently â€Å"drifts† and the sand itself shifts, especially with the pressure of the waves: perhaps the author accentuates fluid emotions which flow and â€Å"shift† with due time and therefore depicts this couple to slowly â€Å"drift† apart from each other. This way another theme, of relativity of time and emotion is established here. The ending of the story also prevails with this beach image. It seems the narrator is back to the present and this picture plays the greatest significance as she sees â€Å"different things from those 6 years ago†. Now she appears calmer yet more melancholic. The reader can effective ly perceive such emotion; especially in the lines â€Å"the last of the foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and â€Å"with each ebb of green water the sand looses part of itself to the sea†. This definitely feels somber; as if love is being persistently broken down by the force of nature. Realistically, it seems such force subsists as cultural pressure. Where the couple belonging to 2 different cultures altogether formed such a relationship, the narrators â€Å"foreignness†¦began to irritate him (her husband)†. Cultural pressure and foreign tensions arise as a conflict due to the ignorance of each other`s culture and perhaps a development in this slowly weakened their relationships. Not only does the husband feel irate yet this deplored the protagonist`s freedom- â€Å"I tried at first at least to help, but she would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ease the duster or the vacuum cleaner from my hand†. Coming back to the coastal descriptions, note how the author mentions â€Å"the†¦foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and how these two bodies meet but never ‘mix’. Probably the author, here portrays the theme of immiscibility. As sea and sand are immiscible it appears the foreignness and its resultant family tensions never intended a strong relationship; the love of both the narrator and her husband was immiscible, which would interact, yet as easily drift away. Perhaps this way the author undermines the system of religion. Indeed such a trivial matter, as exemplified is the commencement of weak relations and eventually such tragedies; for certainly, every being strays ethnocentric and this simple arrogance leads to major conflicts. This is later supported as the narrator finally questions-â€Å"But what do the waves know of the massed, hot, still sands of the desert? And what does the beach know of the depths, the cold currents†¦where the water turns a deeper blue.† .Duplicity is heavily prevalent due to ignorance of other religion, and like the sand and the sea it extends massively. What the writer Ahdaf Soueif is attempting to accentuate is that this concept of worldly cultures actually constructs a sort of mistrust amongst others and its great irony is exhibited in the form of this story Another image which we can relate to this theme is the difficulty, even dislike the wife shows towards adapting to a different culture. During the second summer at the beach house the narrator mentions her nostalgia of her hometown (Europe as Georgian sq uare is mentioned) and â€Å"misses† her time spent there. The moment this is mentioned suspicion rises in the readers mind; of her happiness following the new culture. She does display a sort of irritation as she is not allowed to work at home. Finally (later) she appears to complain- â€Å"my foreignness†¦my inability to remember namestruggles with his (her husband’s) language†, etc. Definitely the author is attempting to depict another cultural pressure here; despite the passage of time, evidently she depicts, that the wife has problems shifting to the new culture. Ironically, though, this foreignness actually appealed her husband yet now repelled him. LorDhRUv

21st Century Situational Ethics

21st Century Situational Ethics Although the term Situational Ethics only seems to appear in Joseph Fletchers book named Situation Ethics: The New Morality in 1966, partial and similar ideas of situational ethics have been in the mind of others earlier before. Such as will be Durant Drake that published The New Morality, Emil Brunner with his published work Divine Imperative as well as Reinhold Niebuhr with his Moral Man and Immoral Society. During the same year where Fletcher published his book, John Robinson published his book named Honest to God. Although as equally popular as Fletchers book, it was Fletchers book that seemed simpler and less systematic. In 1952, The Roman Catholic Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office labeled this new principle as the new morality. Pros and cons of situational ethics Similar to other ethical principles, Situational Ethics has its pros and cons as well. To make things simple, following are the pros and cons of the Fletchers Model of Situation Ethics that is based upon Christian Love:- Advantages:- Situational Ethics is personal. Since Situational Ethics is based on the teachings that ethical decisions should be made based on flexible guidelines it demonstrates sensitivity towards circumstances, context, particularity and cultural traditions; besides, it has only a single basic principle to adhere to, love, so people can freely, easily, and creatively make their decisions in the various situations among the numerous alternatives available. Thus, this ethical theory may seem attractive to the many individualistic human beings exist in this modern era. Situational Ethics is specific. In Situational Ethics moral decisions are made on a case-by-case basis as in there is no fixed solution to various cases. Therefore, decisions made depend on the situation one is in and the solution to each situation is unique. (why is this good? Justify more) Situational Ethics about goodness. Love is supposed to be a good element and Situational Ethics teaches that right acts are those which are targeted to promote the well being of people (love). According to Situational Ethics, the well being of people can be promoted by maximizing human welfare and happiness that would be beneficial to individuals or a society. Disadvantages:- Love is vague and abstract. Although theoretically Situational Ethics is based on Christian love, but the term love in this principle does not have any definite meaning; every individual is unique by him or herself and every of them feels and interpret love in very different ways which may be due to different living environments, upbringing methods, genetics, and cultures. If everyone was to practice Situational Ethics, it might lead to confusion and therefore very inconsistent outcomes. For example, two very dissimilar decisions might be made in two very similar situations by two different people because their loves are not the same. Situational Ethics is very subjective and emotional-based. Love is a type of emotion and not some kind of reasoning element; because emotions are very individual-based, it is impossible for two persons to feel and express love in exactly the same way. It is generally agreed by ethicists that any ethical theory should be based mainly on reasons. So how can such a subjective-based Situational Ethics be tenable then in 21st century? Definitely people will involve some kind of biasness due to personal feelings when making decisions under such ethical principle; thus, fairness or justice cannot be upheld in Situational Ethics. Love by Fletcher was Self-Contradicting. According to Fletcher, he based his model upon the basic principle, love as interpreted in the new Testament of Bible, God is Love. This statement makes Situational Ethics reasonable at first glance, but actually in the very next chapter of the same Bible, there is another statement says so, This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. This latter statement is encouraging its believers to follow Divine Command Laws, is it not? Due to this, it makes Fletcher together with its Situational Ethics to be less convincing. Situational Ethics is difficult to implement. Like Act Consequentialism, Situation Ethics is not a practical ethical theory in a society as each situation is so different from another that if this system was to be implemented, then when a person faced a moral dilemma, he or she would need a considerable amount of time to consider what was the best action that could bring out the most love. Besides, it is often very difficult to determine what are the boundaries of every situation as well (like when did the situation begin and end). Furthermore, such ethical system that is so relativistic and has only one basic principle often produces very inconsistent results and thus is very challenging to be taught to the younger generations too. Situational Ethics may be misused by some in names of love. Based on Situation Ethics, any particular action does not have an inherent moral value as its good or bad depends on the results or the consequences of the action. Therefore, it seems that situation ethics allows a person to carry out acts that are normally classified as bad, such as killing and robbing, if those acts could be justified to be the expression of love by the committer. To summarize up, Situational Ethics is far too impractical in its own sense and possesses too many obvious flaws. In this 21st century where moral dilemmas simply become more and more complex, this ethical theory, if applied universally, will only produce more instability and disorder in this world. In short, it will definitely not be the best ethical principle to follow. To further advocate our standing, we have continued to do research and found out some problems and issues regarding Situational Ethics. Q: What are some of the issues or problems with Situational Ethics? Issues and Problems of Situational Ethics Is there a proper standard of value in determining the good? In the Fletcher model, moral agents are asked to calculate which action in a particular situation will produce the greatest amount of goods (love) for the greatest number of people. However, this method cannot be applied without some standards of value to aid figuring out the good and bad effects and then in balancing them; without clarifying the proper standards, what good deeds ought to be done in the situation cannot be determined. Besides, Fletcher came to say that he has said enough when he identified human welfare as the standard of value. As an example, he has substituted human welfare for pleasure as the standard of evaluation of both ends and effects, impliedly stating that human welfare is the ultimate love that can be given to other people in any situation. However, it is not clear that Fletchers appeal to human welfare will suffice. Will other religious people and atheists be convinced to follow Situational Ethics? As has been mentioned before, the main source of the theory of Situational Ethics is the Christians holy bible. Its original basic principle, love which has been interpreted by Fletcher was largely influenced by its own faith in Christianity. For example, Fletcher saw love as the Holy Spirit for himself. But what does Holy Spirit mean for other religious people? Do atheists even recognize the existence of Holy Spirit? Indeed, it is true that love exists in any society and culture and so non-Christian people can actually apply this ethical theory in their life as well; however, its Christianity origin may deter part if not all of these people from trusting in this ethical theory because it does seem to have some biasness in its interpretation of love. 3. Can people always act out of love and suppress their self-interests? This is one of the main problems that relates to the practicality of Situational Love Ethics. According to Fletcher, the love he suggested should mean the largest possible care of the well being of others; however, is it really possible for all human beings to set their self-interests aside and be as objective as possible when analyzing each situation? As mentioned, love is a kind of emotion and everyone feels and expresses it distinctively from another. The usual loves people give out are for families and friends. So what if in the specific moral dilemma context, someone a person loves a lot is involved? Can he or she really willing to sacrifice that important person for the sake of the majority and act in the most loving way? 4. Do ends always justify the means? Situational Ethics is very similar to Consequentialism in the way that both emphasize the prediction of the future and the end consequences that could happen, and then only decide on the action that could bring out the most desired outcome. As such, Situational Ethics shares the very same problem with Consequentialism as well: will any mean used to achieve the end be justifiable? In many circumstances, some living beings might need to be sacrificed for the sake of the majority. For example, in order to find out the most effective medicine to cure AIDS which affects millions of people, can scientists be allowed to use the fastest way (use selected human beings to conduct experiments) to achieve that goal? These scientists might consider that as the most loving way to act because they are trying to save millions of people in the end by merely risking a few human lives. But can this really be justifiable? 5. People prefer to have a more Secure Environment Situational Ethics consists of only one and only absolute basic principle to guide the general population; thus, it seems to abolish all the existing rules and laws that exist in every culture. If people were allowed to break the rigid rules and laws when they found that their actions could be justified in names of love (or some other absolute norms), werent those laws and rules be unenforceable anymore? This is definitely going to be a very risky ethical theory to apply because in this 21st century, where the societies and human populations are so complex, without definite laws and rules, people will only feel confused and chaos will happen everywhere. Thus, such a relativistic moral system seems not to be a better choice if compared to some other more absolutistic ethical systems. Best Ethical Principle/ System Q: What do you think would be the best ethical principle for your group to follow? A: After discussion, our group comes to agree that an ethical theory that combines the Confucius Virtue Ethics with the authors (Thiroux and Krasemann) Humanitarian Ethics will be the best for us to follow. After discussion, our group members have reached the agreement that Confucius Virtue Ethics combined with the Ethics textbooks authors Humanitarian Ethics will be the best moral system for our group to believe in and practice, mainly because of the fact that its main purpose is to create humans that implant good moral characters in themselves, or in short is to create virtuous human beings. In this 21st century, many ethicists have come to believe that humans have become more morally corrupted and morality is dying or even dead. In our modern world, people have tried to build up a moral society mainly through the act of establishing various rules and laws, but sadly that has been proven to be pretty ineffective; thus, both rule consequentialism and non-consequentialism principles will not be the best ethical principle to follow. In order to resolve this problem, Virtue Ethics is suggested to be applied universally because its main aim is to construct human beings that are truly ethical and excellent from within, not relying on outside forces such as rigid rules and laws. Virtue Ethics requires its believers to act virtuously and make it a habit; they practice what they do because they realize those acts are morally right and not because they are forced to. If everyone was to follow Virtue Ethics, then the dream of creating a moral society will be more likely to be reali zed. Humans are social beings who do not live in isolation; generally, they are dependent among each other. Thus, Virtue Ethics is advantageous as well in this case. Confucius Virtue Ethics has 4 main elements in total: De, Shu, Li and Ren, all of which are crucial to achieving social harmony. De means the virtue acts to be practiced by individuals so as to bring the great goodness to the people surrounding. Shu teaches people to reciprocate among each other, suggesting that distribution of justice is to be practiced. Li provides guidance to act appropriately in different contexts and to respect others, especially the higher authorities and therefore contributes to social stability. Lastly, Ren tries to compromise individuals interests with that of societys, in which enhances human interrelationships and promotes humane behavior; for example, it includes the Silver Rule (not to do to others what you do not wish to be done upon yourself), which can be used to test whether an action should be taken or not in any particular situation. In overall, as you can see, Confucius Virtue Ethics is very humanistic and social-based, which makes it seems very ideal in our current diversified and complex societal world. For example, if leaders in this 21st century were to follow Confucius Virtue Ethics, then their followers will be more likely to show loyalty to them because the leaders are doing right and are concerned about their respective followers instead of merely using coercive or tyranny methods. One of the basic assumptions made by Thiroux and Krasemann, the authors of our Ethics textbook that any workable ethical principle should have is to be rationally based and yet does not eliminate emotion; indeed, Confucius Virtue Ethics is one that has this characteristic. It is an undeniable fact that many moral decisions involve emotional elements, and this ethical principle tries to achieve a balance in between reason and emotion; not only that it urges people to act virtuously, but it also wants its followers to feel good about their deeds. Besides, that, Confucius Virtue Ethics also fulfills other basic assumptions made and thus really seems to be a very practical ethical principle: logically consistent, has universality, and can be taught to the younger generations. Of course, Confucius Virtue Ethics is not flawless. One of its main problems is how to define what virtue means and what does it constitute? Many people will have very different opinions about which acts can be considered as virtuous. To solve or lessen this problem, perhaps a group of experts can sit together and discuss about what should comprise virtuous acts and then make out a list of virtues (and vices) to guide the general population what they should (and should not) do. Another main problem about Confucius Virtue Ethics is that it does not really fulfill the fifth basic assumption mentioned by textbooks authors in which a workable moral system should have: ability to solve conflicts. Although Virtue Ethics can serve as a good guideline about what goodness comprises of, it does not provide instructions for us about how to set priorities when two goodness conflict and how to solve moral dilemmas properly. This is when our group members all think the authors Humanitarian Ethics with its 5 basic principles come to be useful (source: Ethics textbook by Thiroux and Krasemann):- 1. The Principle of Appreciating Human Life (primary) 2. The Principle of Doing Good and Avoid/Deter Doing Bad (primary) 3. The Principle of Fairness in Distribution (secondary) 4. The Principle of Honesty (secondary) 5. The Principle of Individual Freedom (secondary) While critically analyzing and reasoning a conflicting or complicating moral situation, it is said that the first two primary principles should be given the priority first, then only consider those in the secondary category; if the conflicting principles are in the same category (for instance in the case of mercy killing), then the individuals freedom of choice will come into play. This reasoning method is very compatible with Confucius Virtue Ethics because as can be noted, virtues can all actually be the goodness that are required in the second principle. Thus, in short, all the virtues taught in Confucius Virtue Ethics can be used by the general population as their daily-routine guidelines and when exceptional situations happen, people can use these 5 basic principles to make justifiable moral decision judgment. Hence in conclusion, our group believes that the combination of both Confucius Virtue Ethics and the authors Humanitarian Ethics is perfect because this combined version of moral system can not only fulfill all the basic assumptions for an ethical theory to be practical, but if it is implemented well, it can also create many ethical and excellent human beings that can live harmoniously with each other.

Article Of Confederation Essay -- essays research papers

Government under the Articles of confederation could not deal effectively with many issues that arose during the 1780’s. Despite it’s many weaknesses, the new government accomplished a great deal. The western lands became the prize and treasure of the new government. Since the Articles of Confederation could only request financial support form the states instead of demanding taxes, these western lands replaced taxes. The so called “public domain'; or unsettled land were larger than all the established states put together. Therefore, by selling the land, the weak new government received money that it couldn’t find in any other way. Instead of using this vast area like the European did with the thirteen colonies we made an “Empire for Liberty.'; The Empire was built by adding new states. This was an extremely unique idea among people during the time. The charting of the vast western public domain was one way the government under the Articles of Confederati on was praiseworthy. It was the greatest single achievement in domestic policy for the Confederation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under the Articles of Confederation each state was given the power to regulate their own currency. Each state issued it’s own money. As a result nobody knew exactly how much a New York dollar was worth compared to a one from New Jersey or Virginia. The more money there was in circulation, the less a dollar was worth. Finally, there was j...

Diabetes Mellitus :: essays research papers

DIABETES MELLITUS In the United States, about 16 million people suffer from diabetes mellitus, although only half of these individuals are diagnosed. Every year, about 650,000 people learn they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus is the seventh leading cause of all deaths and the sixth leading cause of all deaths caused by disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diabetes is the most common in adults over 45 years of age; in people who are overweight or physically inactive; in individuals who have an immediate family member with diabetes; and in minority populations including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The highest rate of diabetes in the world occurs in Native Americans. More women than men have been diagnosed with the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diabetes can develop gradually, often without symptoms, over many years. It may reve al itself too late to prevent damage. In fact, you may first learn you have diabetes when you develop one of its common complications – cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or vision problems.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diabetes is a condition that occurs because of a lack of insulin or because of the presence of factors opposing the actions of insulin. The result of insufficient action of insulin is an increase in blood glucose concentration (hyperglycemia). Hyperglycemia is the unused glucose that builds up in your blood. Many other metabolic abnormalities occur, notably an increase in ketone bodies in the blood when there is a severe lack of insulin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The condition may also develop if muscle and fat cells responds poorly to insulin. In people with diabetes, glucose levels build up in the blood and urine, causing excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes mellitus differs from the less common diabetes insipidus, which is cause by the lack of the hormone vasopressin that controls the amount of urine secreted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The earliest known record of diabetes on third dynasty Egyptian papyrus by physician Hesy-ra; mentions polyuria (frequent urination) as a symptom in 1552 B.C. In the 16th century, Paracelsus identifies diabetes as a serious general disorder. In the Early 19th century, the first chemical tests developed to indicate and measure the presence of sugar in the urine. In 1919-20, Allen establishes the first treatment clinic in the USA, the Physiatric Institute in New Jersey, to treat patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and Bright’s disease; wealthy and desperate patients flock to it. On January 23,1922, one of Dr. Collip’s insulin extracts are first tested on a human being, a 14-year-old boy named Leonard Thompson, in Toronto; the treatment was considered a success by the end of the following February.

Elements Of A Shakespeariean Tragedy :: essays research papers

Elements of A Shakespeariean Tragedy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare wrote many tragedies, which included The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. He chose to take an important event in Roman history, the death of Julius Caesar to write a play for the Globe Theater in 1599. The people who lived during the Renaissance were very interested in the play and the story of Julius Caesar's death. People's views of the play dating from 1599 to the present may be very different and continually changing. Though the elements of Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar and other Shakespearian tragedies are all the same. A Shakespearian tragedy is comprised of several elements; two include a tragic hero and supernatural elements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a tragedy, the tragic hero is of high social position. The tragic hero has a destructive flaw which in turn brings about his downfall. There is much argument over who the tragic hero is in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Some scholars say that the tragic hero is Julius Caesar, while others say it is Marcus Brutus. A case can be made for both of the characters. Both Brutus and Caesar are of high social and political status. Caesar was the dictator for life of Rome and Brutus was an honorable Senator. Julius Caesar had two tragic flaws. Caesar was said by Brutus to be ambitious, which led directly to his downfall - â€Å" But as he was ambitious, I slew him.† (Act 3. Scene 2. Line 28) Caesar was also arrogant, he believed that he was too great to be harmed, Caesar said â€Å" Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste death but once.† (Act 2. Scene 2. Lines 34-35) Brutus too, had a tragic flaw. Brutus was an idealist, not a realist. Brutus was an optimist, he always wanted the best for Rome. Although sometimes, Brutus couldn't see things for what they really are. This flaw prevented him from making good decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The supernatural elements present in the play all foreshadow events to come. Three different characters show supernatural predictions. The Soothsayer has an insight of trouble for Julius Caesar and he warns him - â€Å"Beware the Ides of March.† (Act 1. Scene 2. Line 21) On March 15, the date that Caesar was warned of, his wife, Calphurnia had bad dreams. Calphurnia cried out in her sleep â€Å"Help ho, they murder Caesar!† (Act 2. Scene 2. Line 3.) Calphurnia knew that her dreams were a sign of what was to come. After Caesar's death, another supernatural event occurred. Marc Antony and Octavius were at war with Brutus and Cassius. Brutus was in his tent where his army was camped when the ghost of

Evaluate strategies for developing and maintaining positive working relationships Essay

How to develop relationships with children and staff and why it is important Communicating effectively within the childcare setting is very important to enable strong relationship to build between colleagues, children and parents. Staff communicating positively with colleagues is an important part in helping build a strong and trusting relationship with each other. Developing close relationships with the other staff will help to inform each other of any worries or concerns that one of you may have regarding a child. It can also encourage conversation regarding any ideas or thoughts you may have regarding activities. It’s important to develop a good relationship with staff as it will create a positive environment for both children and staff. This will help to develop a calm, happy and relaxed atmosphere creating a positive environment for teaching. Children Developing positive relationships with the children is the main key to a happy and calm environment. Without a positive and supportive attitude there will be no trust and honesty between yourself and the children. They will not feel like they can talk to you which may mean they could be keeping something important inside, which could affect their learning or social skills. With good communication from the practitioners, children can effectively engage in goal setting and problem solving which could enhance their ability to learn. It is important to be consistent in your behaviour and relationships so that children learn to do this, we as practitioners need to model the kind of behaviour we expect from them. Parents It important to build a relationship with parents an easy way to do this is to make sure you have good communication with them. For example make sure that you talk them in the appropriate language for example using their manners for example, please and thank you. Therefore if you have good commutation skills and good body language when working with parents they are more likely to trust you when looking after their children. Children who can sense that their main carer has a good relationship with the childcare setting are more likely to be happy being left in the setting. Other way’s that you can build relationships with parent’s are that you would have regular contact with them for the best interests of the child. It is also important when building a relationship with parents that you understand what they think is best for the child, and if they need advice you should give them or try to find out for them.

Art as Expression Essay

The question of what art is cannot be properly answered without asking why art is. Prior to the advent of the written language, art was used as a means of communication, and in some ways, written language is in its own regard, art. Art, then, must be an expression of meaning by the artist, or potentially by the client that artist created the artwork for, but this assumption is altogether too broad. Art is not exclusively a private expression because it is left open to interpretation by the individual who looks upon it, and as such art can then be categorized as the representation through a variety of mediums, of whatever the beholder or artist thinks it should be. Which poses a greater question – is something art if the individual who designed it had no intended message? Or visa versa – is something art if the consumer of the artform does not perceive any message? I was at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art about a two years ago, and they had some very abstract pieces on display, all of which brought forth in me at least some semblance of a response, except for a piece by Robert Rauschenberg, call White Painting [three panel], that began a philosophical debate between my brother and I because I refused to call the â€Å"painting† art. To me, there was no way to interpret the three panels of white, they were simply empty canvases that Rauschenberg sold for substantially more than he bought them for. No soul, or emotion went into the piece and as I understand art, that does not qualify as any more than a man playing a abstraction crazy consumer culture for the fool. To backtrack, art in my eyes is the true expression of an artist to the consumer, for the purpose of provocation; art has to make something well up in a person, even if it is not enjoyment, even if it is sorrow, or anger. Art is the way we have always talked to each other as people, and the pure aesthetic painters and songwriters of the last century do not produce art. Art is emotion and passion mixing into something for others to partake in; there is no private art, there is only art that no one else has applied their own perceptions to yet.

Pascal’s Wager Essay

There are many things in this world that we have no means to confirm. This is especially true when we are talking about things that are spiritual in nature, such as the existence of God. While no living person has claimed that he has seen God using the limits of his sight, there is no way to prove otherwise. Since I don’t believe in God, I would surely be in trouble if Pascal’s wager turns out to be correct. He states that it is better to believe in God because there is nothing to lose if God exists. In fact, if it turns out that God does exist, the one who believes will have a reserved slot in heaven. While Pascal has a point, his argument is not in the least bit persuasive. I am an atheist not just because I chose not to believe in God. It’s just that I can’t see the proof of His existence anywhere. I can’t imagine that there is an omnipotent God who watches over all of us. But Pascal’s wager suggests that atheists like me should leave their â€Å"sinful† ways and start believing in God because it is the most logical and beneficial choice. Why should I choose to believe just for that reason? Pascal should have provided tangible evidence of God’s existence and cited other convincing reasons to make me believe in God. Thus, I have to disagree with Pascal’s wager because his argument does not provide sufficient reasons to believe in God. In fact, his reason to believe is childish and shallow. Another reason why I disagree with Pascal is that his wager is flawed in many ways. First, it assumes that God is a rewarding or punishing god when he has no basis to state this. Since nobody has seen God, then nobody can claim that he has seen God award or punish anyone. And if God does turn out to be a rewarding or punishing god, it suggests that reward or punishment would be based on belief alone. It disregards how one spent his life on earth, regardless of whether he believes in God or not. Second, it overlooks the fact that many religions claim that their god is the only god. Therefore, we cannot determine through Pascal’s argument what would happen if there is one true God and we chose the wrong God to believe in.

Mt everst

Have you ever thought about climbing Mt. Everest? Well, Sir Edman Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people who did. The simarities and differances of â€Å"View from the Summit† by Sir Edman Hillary and the â€Å"The Dream comes True† by Tenzing Norgay are similiar about the events to the top of Mt. Everest, but they're also different in their backgrounds and emotions. They are similiar because they both made it to the top of Everest at 1 1 :30 am. A example is Hillary said, â€Å"At 1 1 :30 am May 29th they reached the top. † Tenzing also said the same thing. They're also similiar because they both had flags at the top of the summit.A example would be Hillary took a picture of Tenzing with the flags at the top. Another example is Tenzing held the United Nation flag the highest under British, Nepals, and Indians below his picture. Finially, they're similiar in the hard challenge they took on before the summit. A example is that Hillary said, â€Å"The ic e cornice would be a challenge. † A second example would be Tenzing said, â€Å"The last chalenge was a struggle. † The two stories are different in their backgrounds. Examples of this is Hillary was a famous climber from Britain while, Norgay was a local guide from Nepal. They were also different in their styles of writing.Hillary wrote more about facts. Fro example 1 5-27'C. Thenzings has more emotional opinions. Finally, they were also different on how they performed the prestiage of Everest. A example is Hillary said, â€Å"l didn't need Tenzings help. † Although, Tenzing said â€Å"Hillary did need my help. † Those are only Just a few similarities they had in their climb to the top of Mt. Everest. They're similiar in the time they reched the top, the flags, and the challenge before the summit. They're different in their backgrounds, styles of writing, and how they performed. Do you still think you would want to climb Mt. Everest or not?

An causal argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An causal argument - Essay Example Austerity measures are steps that are taken to reduce government spending and induce more funding for development projects. These include cutting employment budgets, streamlining important sectors such as reducing funding of the health centers to allow people to pay for such services directly, and the overall reduction of government spending on recurrent expenditures and concentrate the same on development expenditure aimed at stimulating the economic development. Currently, there are divided views concerning implementation of austerity measures. There are some analysts who view implementation of austerity measures as the best way through which economic depressions can be solved. The IMF and World Bank are some of those who advocate for austerity measures in such economies (Chiranga, 1).On the other hand, there are those who vehemently oppose any decision regarding implementing of the austerity measures in these economies, and these include social groups and employee rights activists. It would be important to understand the effects of austerity measures in an economy to better make an informed decision regarding the austerity measures. These measures lead to government cut on spending in the sectors mentioned above, and this may lead to increased unemployment. Economic depression also results when the spending by individuals and private sector has depreciated meaning that cash for development and goods consumption in the market gradually decreases. Currently Greece has been grappling with a serious economic depression that resulted to massive demonstrations in the country. Greece has been living beyond its means even before joining the Euro, and the huge debt that has accumulated has resulted to a serious economic strain (BBC News, 2011). The Greek government after joining the Euro adopted a lavish life where the government went on a spending spree and borrowed heavily from the financial lenders (BBC News, 2011). The public

Growth and development in Developing countries Research Proposal

Growth and development in Developing countries - Research Proposal Example It is admissible that the current economic situation appears even more uncertain. The Government has repeatedly stated that the country is experiencing a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expansion of 7% annually. However, the economy appears to be struggling thus presenting challenges to the development of the country (Diejomaoh, 2005; p. 77). It appears that with these predicaments the country is still realizing some level of growth and development. Much as Nigeria continues to record growth in some sectors amid the economic challenges, questions emerge as to whether there is a proportional rate of development (AfDB, 2012; p. 157). This research proposal seeks to assess the relationship between growth and development in Nigeria while factoring in the economic crisis that appears to have persisted. Aims 1. To assess the relationship between growth and development in Nigeria and determine whether the current economic crisis has positive impact in the development of the country. Objectives 1. To assess the level of growth and development in Nigeria 2. To determine whether the economic crisis facing Nigeria has any impact on growth and development 3. To determine the source of growth and development in Nigeria apart from the government 4. To recommend ways of achieving growth and development even amid economic challenges Research Questions 1. ... There are concerns that the country is recording growth without development and economy appears to be on the downturn. Nigeria presently faces diverse challenges to the expansion of her economy including religious hostility, kidnappings, violence, fraud, and poverty (Oxford Business Group, 2010; p. 58). Considered one of the best growing economies globally, Nigeria’s development is paradoxical (Adediji, 2012; 79). This is because most of the people who qualify for employment are jobless thus making meaningless contribution to the economic development (Robinson, 2012) and (Johnson, 2011). Nigeria has a poverty index of 60 percent and the exchange rates are Naira (N) 162 against the dollar. Furthermore, the country has low foreign reserves approximating to $38 billion (NBS. 2012). According to 2011 financial reports, Nigeria inflation stood at 10.3 percent while in 2012 it soared to 12.7 percent (CBN, 2012; p. 57). This is an indication that the country is not doing better econo mically and as more of her citizens continue to become jobless, the growth and development may just be a myriad (Nwosi, 2011; p. 47). It is apparent that these challenges are stifling the development of Nigeria (Akinpelu, 2011; p. 31). It appears that the notable growth in the sectors is driven by other factors. The business community in Nigeria is accumulating massive financial resources that they also invest in the country (IBRU, 2007). The investors in the country are conducting business activities in the oil industry, the agriculture sector, and the real estate industry. Therefore, the growth observed relate to the efforts of the investors engaging in the expansion of their businesses (Menjah and Abor, 2012; p. 68). This

Limitations in Effective Use of Knowledge Management Systems The Case Essay

Limitations in Effective Use of Knowledge Management Systems The Case of Price Waterhouse Coopers - Essay Example The intention of this study is Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), the world’s largest consultancy firm that provides audit assurance, tax and advisory services to large industries internationally. In Thailand, major PwC clients are large Thai and international companies as well as Government Institutions. At present, the company has over 1,300 employees working for its Bangkok-based office. Undoubtedly, a consultant’s main job is to find solutions based on technical knowledge possessed by the employees. For this, knowledge workers form the key resources of the company. Therefore, PwC began to adopt the concept of knowledge management in an effort to enhance employees’ knowledge and, thereby, gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. However, since the author have an experience working in PwC (Thailand), the author has realized that even though PwC seems to have many good knowledge management systems deploying within the organization such as IFRS NoE, knowledge c urve and Assurance support and discussion but employees fail to utilise these knowledge management systems to their full potential. The authors also reckon many factors prohibit people to use KMS; therefore, it is an inspiration for the author to study what are the barriers that inhibit the employees from using knowledge management systems in PwC (Thailand). The author has gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. Through interviewing IT department in PwC, the author has gained an understanding on KMS using in the organization.

Global investment house ksc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Global investment house ksc - Assignment Example The income statement on the other hand focuses on the period, usually 12 months within which the accounts were prepared. However, the information about what happened in the past years and the asset and liability position does not provide all the needs of all the users of the financial statements. There is the need for some further information and guidelines that provides hints to users of financial statements and other interested stakeholders. One of the main areas that is of great importance is a prediction of the survivability of the business into the foreseeable future. This is known in general as the â€Å"Going Concern† convention. In the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), there is a standard that ensures that going concern is reported in the financial statement. IAS 1 requires that financial statements a disclose the Going Concern status of the entity in a given period. This provides a standardized basis for a universal approach to reporting going concer n that can aid comparability on a year-by-year basis as well as a company-to-company basis. Research Problem Clearly, Going Concern reporting as stipulated by IAS 1 seeks to ensure that financial statements reflect the survivability of the entity the report is prepared about. ... Aims and Objectives of Study The aim of the research is to undertake a critical review of the concept of Going Concern and how it is attained in Financial Reporting. In order to attain this end, the following objectives will be explored: 1. A critical review literature review of the Accounting concept of Going Concern; 2. An examination of the effectiveness of Going Concern reporting in businesses; 3. A practical evaluation of Going Concern reporting in a Kuwaiti entity 4. An analysis of a financial report of a Kuwaiti entity to ascertain the Going Concern reporting procedures. Going Concern Convention â€Å"The going concern postulate or continuity postulation, holds that business entity will continue its operations long enough to realize its projects, commitments and ongoing activities† (Riahi, 2010 p212). Going concern is therefore a convention which indicates that a business will continue to remain operational and pay its bills and remain liquid into the future. â€Å"Goi ng concern is not only about the net book value of a firm's assets, but also such elements like goodwill and likely future profitability, assuming the existing management remain in control of the entity† (Brower and Brueschke, 2012). This means that going concern is evaluated and analyzed by the examination of the firm's assets as well as other indicators of continuous operations. Thus, it will involve the hard and soft elements of an entity including the assets and other intangibles like going concern which provides clues on how a firm will remain operational even if the company is assured of getting customers to remain liquid. Another angle through which a business' going concern can be evaluated is â€Å"...the amount of

Family Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Family Problems - Essay Example Adrian and Brenda meet the age threshold of sixteen years and above and their marriage would, therefore, be deemed legal if the group leader of the ‘People of Jesus’ leader was deemed authorized to conduct the religious marriage ceremony and the garage was a registered religious building. Having met all the criteria for a valid marriage, a question arises as to the financial responsibility and child maintenance in case of a divorce. Soon after the birth of the twins implying about nine months, the relationship between Brenda and Adrian has broken down and now she is seeking a divorce from him. Brenda should have in mind that the petition for divorce can only be lodged after the lapse of one year and the relationship has permanently broken down and the marriage must have been recognized in the United Kingdom in the first place. She can do that through filing a petition for divorce with reasons for the divorce, apply for a decree nisi if Adrian agrees to the petition or ap ply for a decree absolute which will legally end the marriage.

The Underground War in Gaza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Underground War in Gaza - Essay Example In this work, the author was targeting people with plans to encourage peace at Gaza and those who love current affairs. This work creates an understanding of what is happening in Rafah. For instance, it is revealed that depart their residents for worry of being destroyed by the Israelites who destroy houses to demolish tunnels and enemy hideouts. For the lovers of the current affairs, the work informs them on how Gaza war is ongoing. For example, one understands why Israel continues with the destruction of homes. The essay organization reflects what I am doing with the purpose. For example, the essay begins with an overview of the war at Gaza. Next, a thesis is developed as to why this war has continued despite the peace efforts from different countries. In the essay quotes have been used to strengthen the essay. For example, the word Israel has been quoted to imply that it is regarded as the main enemy in the Gaza war. This is because this assumption has been developed by the civili ans of Gaza and thus it has not been proved. Also, quotes have been used in indicating expert’s opinions regarding the Gaza war. The writer’s strategy of presenting his work as comic is what interested me. This is because the strategy helped in reaching different audiences who are convinced to read this work due to its comical nature. I have also addressed the author arrangements. For example, he came up with conclusions after conducting interviews and making comparisons with news.

Modify the essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modify the - Essay Example Human life is made comfortable with the addition of things unlike in the absence of things. Lives are made more convenient by smoothing the rough edges and straightening bends that would have fronted as potential challenges. There are countless ways in which things make life comfortable. It all begins at the point of waking up. Having slept the whole night on a thing called bed, another thing called the alarm wakes us up. From the time waking up, the whole day activities are made easy by the use and association of things till darkness sets in again. Things help us to prepare supper. The convenience of things ensures that breakfast is not only prepared but taken in a stylish way. After breakfast, a preparation for work or school has to start. Dressing in appropriate clothes follows and enhancing looks using other materials like bangles and sweet smelling perfumes. Another thing called the car makes movement comfortable and fast. At places of work and school, things are countless. At school, studies are made easy by the incorporation of computers and internet. In regard to daily lives, things are very important as they make life convenient. Things enable people to engage themselves in activities which would be an impossibility without them. An earlier example of the computer and internet usage is a direct example to this. They are extensively used in studies and conducting research. In the absence of computers, tackling a term paper like this would require frequent long visits to the library. Physical presence would be a necessity on addition to thorough scouring through the library catalogue in an attempt to get the required magazines and books to tackle the term paper. Books must be borrowed from the library. In case the permission to borrow them is denied, copying texts by hand would take time, and it is tedious. The computer thing and internet thing have released all this pressure, and studying modes have become easy. Navigating

The historical and institutional factors Essay Example for Free

The historical and institutional factors Essay The historical and institutional factors that contributed to the differences between the current German party system and the one that existed under the Weimar Republic One of the first major ways in which the current German party differs from that of the Weimar republic concerns the way in which democracy was formed. Whilst the current system was created through a constitution that received the respect and support of all the political parties concerned, the Weimar Republic was formed as a direct result of Germany’s defeat during the second world war. Although the Weimar Republic attempted to create a democratic Germany the economic downturn caused by the repercussions of the First World War entailed that it was difficult for political developments to take hold. The Germany politicians were forced to accept of the Versailles Treaty in 1911 and the inclusion of the ‘War Guilt Clause’ led to compulsory reparations to be paid to the alies. The agreement to this treaty caused a major split between the political parties and the extreme right were able to utiilise this to create an unstable political system. A further difference between the two political entities can be observed in the economic backdrop to their position. Not only did the Versaille Treaty have a crippling effect on the German economy, they were heavily dependent on foreign investment, loans and economic prosperity from the United States. In this vulnerable position the Weimar Republic’s existence was reliant on outside investment, which came crashing to a halt during the Wall Street crash of 1929. Post Wall Street Germany was a country that suffered from mass unemployment, homelessness and hunger and was crippled economically and, by 1933, the economy stood on the brink of collapse, with an economy which should, realistically, have long since declared itself bankrupt (Frei 163). The current German party however, is operational in very different circumstances. Their economy is one of the most advanced market economies and they are largely export led (World Bank, 2007). The people of Germany have a faith in their political system that wasn’t in evidence during the time of the Weimar. Another difference between the two political entities concerns the attitudes and beliefs of the people they governed. During the times of the Weimar, the far right was extremely prominent and had great power through the support they received from the wealthy constitutents (Childers 46). Through such power they were able to instugate violences and coups. Today people more readily accept regime and acknowledge its legitimacy. Extreme right wing politics have been legislated against and radical right wing parties are banned from power. It wasn’t just economic conditions which caused the Weimar Republic to be weak. The Republic also suffered from structural weaknesses. One example of this concerned Article 48 of the constitution which conferred dictatorial powers upon the President during an emergency and did not require collaboration and agreement with the Reichstag ministers. Furthermore, the constitution installed a system of proportional representation which resulted in the multiplication of small splinter parties.This meant that a stable minority in the Reichstag was impossible and there were frequent changes in government. Works Cited: Childers, Thomas. The Nazi Voter: The Social Foundations of Fascism in Germany, 1919-1933, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1983 Total GDP 2007 World Bank. Retrieved on September 17, 2008 from http://siteresources. worldbank. org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP. pdf Frei, Norbert. National Socialist Rule in Germany. Translated by Joel Golb . New York Columbia University Press , 2002

Egypt and Mesopotamia Essay Example for Free

Egypt and Mesopotamia Essay Almost all things have its identified origin. The society that presently exists also has its beginnings that could be rooted from the ancient civilization. These civilizations became the foundation of the modern world that is presently observable. Two of the most notable ancient civilizations are that of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Egyptian civilization progress in one of the largest arid desert areas in the world that is even larger than the whole Europe. This became possible due to the River Nile that crosses a nearly rainless desert from south to north that carries the waters of Lake Victoria as far as 3,000 miles of the Mediterranean Sea. In relation with Egypt’s strategic location, its organization is not simply attributed from the need of a collective effort to survive but rather they have developed into a progressive civilization through the sophisticated utilization of their natural resources. They were able to wisely use their resources in order to establish agricultural living through their invention of the irrigation system. Being the case, they were able to establish a strong livelihood through the trade of agricultural products that becomes the basis for their social development and culture. The Egyptian dominance was further enhanced by their creation of an independent writing system, construction projects as well as a military that defeated foreign invaders. Nevertheless, the decline of this civilization could be attributed to the faults of succeeding pharaohs who have abused their power and exploited their people. On the other hand, ancient Mesopotamia also known as the â€Å"land between two rivers† which is the alluvial plain of Tigris and Euphrates also has its own story on how it developed into a civilization. Similar to ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia also has abundant natural resources, which enable them to develop their agricultural sector. They also invented their own form of irrigation to aid them in planting agricultural products. However, they failed to develop their agricultural sector in order to establish trade with other lands. This is due to the varying climate that affects the steady supply of goods that would sustain trade like that of Egypt. Mesopotamia also has their form of writing and architectural skills. Nevertheless, they are more recognized in terms of their arts especially in the creation of pottery. Likewise, Mesopotamia also has the same form of government like Egypt. Their ruler is a king that has almost similar powers to a pharaoh and they also have their subordinates. Moreover, the greatest weakness of this civilization is that it greatly relied in slaving and exploiting common people in order to develop their civilization. Similar to Egypt, Mesopotamia’s failure to establish a kind of governance that gives importance to common people is its greatest weakness. The above discussions show that these ancient civilizations have their respective strengths and weaknesses. The factors that characterized ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia also became the basis for their comparison, which makes their similarities and differences observable. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kemp, Barry J. Ancient Egypt. New York: Routledge, 2006. Pollock, Susan. Mesopotamia. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

The Buddhist Five Precepts In A Nutshell Philosophy Essay

The Buddhist Five Precepts In A Nutshell Philosophy Essay Many of us know that negative emotions and behaviour are unwholesome and lead to suffering, and that, in contrast, positive emotions and behaviour are wholesome and lead to happiness. Yet, even with this knowledge, few of us are dedicated practitioners, following the Buddhist Five Precepts faithfully and sincerely on a daily basis. In other words, there is a gap between knowledge and practice. The purpose of Dharma education is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the use and application of knowledge to bring about change within us. The teachings of Dharma help us develop a good heart and true happiness for the benefit of ourselves as well as for others. True happiness requires training and a certain degree of inner discipline. We need to train the intellect and feelings, as well as the heart and mind. In this process we undergo a transformation of our attitudes, and our entire outlook, as well as our approach to living. Buddhism provides the framework and guidance to work towards this transformation. However, such transformation does not come naturally. As human beings, we have many negative mental traits; we need to address and counteract each of these and there is no easy way out. We are unlike computers, where a simple push of a keyboard button can delete a negative trait from our mind. As humans, we need to apply a variety of approaches and methods, such as observing the precepts, meditation and so forth to deal with our varied and complex negative mental traits. Observing the Five Precepts is one of the very basic methods, a set of guiding principles with which to counteract our negative traits. The Five Precepts also help to guide our bodily actions, our speech and our mental attitudes. It is a systematic means of actualising our aim of purifying our body, speech and mind. The process of transformation requires commitment and perseverance. We need to constantly apply various techniques and take time to familiarise ourselves with the practices. Determination and inner discip line are important qualities we need to develop if we are to bring about successful transformation. The training process encompasses faith, understanding, practice, experience and realisation. First, we need to have a certain degree of faith to enter the path. We need to have faith that the Five Precepts will lead us to happiness and that we can uphold them. Next, we need to learn the value of upholding the precepts, and how this can be accomplished by understanding their contents and principles. Learning the precepts helps us to understand the importance of becoming more ethical in our behavior and increasing our mental discipline. Subsequently, we transform this knowledge into action, that is, keeping the precepts sincerely on a daily basis. Determination and inner discipline are very important in upholding the precepts. By learning, understanding and upholding the precepts, we change our perception of the world, and most importantly of ourselves. As a result, our interactions with others and the way we conduct our daily lives will become positive, fruitful and light. Such experi ence and realisation will further enhance our understanding and faith in the precepts. In the beginning, positive changes may be very minor. The negative influences that we have held for so long within our minds remain strong, leading us to continue to violate the precepts. We have to be patient with ourselves and keep working at it. Little by little, our life will come into alignment with wisdom. With growing wisdom, we will become more mindful (aware) of our thoughts and actions. Negative actions that we once committed with little or no awareness are suddenly revealed to us. As a result, it becomes easier to maintain the precepts. Just like learning to ride a bicycle, we will fall often. However, with constant practice, we will get there eventually. Observing the Five Precepts is an ethical discipline which will require constant effort from ourselves, as old negative habits are replaced with new, positive ones. We need to work with ourselves and be patient. No one saves us but ourselves, and the Buddha merely guides the way! 3.1 THE BUDDHIST FIVE PRECEPTS IN A NUTSHELL The Five Precepts were recommended by the Buddha for anyone who wishes to lead a life of peace, while also contributing to the happiness of family and society. The Five Precepts are voluntarily observed by lay Buddhists; they are not commandments that have to be strictly abided by. They form the basis of universal morality outlined in the Noble Eightfold Path, which is very important, especially when one is beginning to follow the Buddhist way. WHAT ARE THE FIVE PRECEPTS? THE FIRST PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM KILLING Respect Life, Not Kill and Being Compassionate I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life, so that I will practise compassion by protecting and benefiting all life. THE SECOND PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM STEALING Respect Personal Property, Not Steal and Being Generous I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given, so that I will practise generosity by sharing and giving away my material and spiritual wealth. THE THIRD PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Respect Personal Relationships, Not Indulge the Senses and To Be Content I undertake the training rule to abstain from misconduct regarding objects and subjects of sense pleasures, especially adultery, so that I will practices contentment and channel my energies towards spiritual development. THE FOURTH PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM UNTRUTHFUL SPEECH Respect Truth, Not Lying and Being Truthful in Speech I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech, and other unwholesome modes of speech, so that I will communicate positively. THE FIFTH PRECEPT: ABSTAIN FROM CONSUMING INTOXICATING DRINKS AND DRUGS Respect Mental and Physical Well-being, Not Taking Intoxicants and Being Mindful I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking alcohol, and that which causes intoxication, so that I will be more healthy and not break the precepts through loss of mindfulness. 2.1.1 The First Precept: ABSTAIN FROM KILLING I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life The pali word panna means that which breathes. A living being is one that has breath and consciousness, including human beings, animals and insects. Plants are excluded as they do not have consciousness.This precept prohibits the killing of living beings. In broader terms, it should also be understood to prohibit injuring, maiming, and torturing a living being. Conditions Under Which A Violation Is Considered to Have Occurred à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Object: The fact and presence of a living being, human or animal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge: The knowledge that the object is a living being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intention: The intent or resolution to kill à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Act: The act of killing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consequence: A resulting death Exceptions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ By accident no intention The act of killing can take place through action of the body, or speech, such as commanding someone to kill, resulting in the death of a living being. The key factor for the violation of this precept is intention. The mental factor is the propeller while the body only functions as the channel for actualising the intent to kill. A complete act of killing constituting a full violation of the precept needs to involve the five conditions stated earlier. Let us first look at the first condition: Object. There is violation only when a living being is present and one perceives it as a living being. Here is a straightforward example to illustrate this idea. In a demonstration or riot where mobs are very angry with a political leader, they might burn the photos and/ or slash the statue of the political leader. In this case, there is no killing as the rioters only perceive the photo or statue as a living being. Intending to kill one being and killing another by mistake also does not constitute a full transgression. The second condition, Knowledge, denotes that killing occurs only when the killer is aware that the object of his action is a living being, not a photo or statue. So, if we step on an insect we do not see, the knowledge (awareness) of a living being is not there and hence full violation has not occurred. The third condition, Intention, ensures that the taking of life is intentional. There is no violation if there is no intent to kill, for example accidentally killing a fly when we try to keep it away. The fourth condition holds that the action must be directed towards killing and the fifth, that the being (human or animal) dies as a result of this action. Full violation of the precept is not deemed to have happened if there is no resulting death. Underlying Motivations for Killing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Greed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hatred à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delusion An example of killing motivated primarily by greed is killing for material gain, such as hunting; or to gain enjoyment, such as fishing or eating seafood. Killing motivated by hatred is evident in cases of vicious murder out of strong aversion, cruelty, or jealousy. Killing motivated by delusion can be seen in the case of animal sacrifices in certain religious practices, or in holy wars, where one kills followers of other religious beliefs, and believing that to be a sacred act. How the Precept is Violated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Committed by oneself à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ By commanding or instructing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rejoicing in the act The precept could be violated by taking a life, or by commanding someone else to do so verbally or with gestures. A common example of instructing someone else to kill on our behalf is by ordering live seafood in a restaurant. Sometimes we may rejoice in the act of killing, for example, rejoicing in the murder of someone we do not like. When reading the news that an enemy has been killed, we must be careful not to rejoice in it. The Intensity / Severity of Violation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Spiritual Nobility of the victim à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of animal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Type of animal There is a difference between killing a human being and an animal. Killing a human being is certainly a more serious violation than killing an animal. Within the category of humans, it is a more serious violation to kill ones parent or benefactor, than a stranger. In the case of animals, the severity of violation is said to be proportional to the size of the animal, that is, killing a larger animal is more reprehensible than killing a small animal (such as a tiny insect). It also matters if the animals are domesticated or wild, and if they have a gentle or vicious temperament. Of all killings, the most culpable is the killing of an arahant/arahantini (a fully liberated being), and of ones parents. The Purpose of the this Precept à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To respect life à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To have compassion The purpose of this precept is to respect all living beings. In doing so, we learn to be kind and compassionate to all living beings and live in harmony with them. By upholding the precept of not killing, we give all living creatures security and freedom from danger. Quotes from Scriptures Giving up killing, we abstain from taking the life of any living being; laying aside stick and sword, modest and merciful, he lives kind and compassionate to all living beings. (DN.1) There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift original, long- standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives and priests. (AN8.39) The First Mindfulness Training by Thich Nhat Hanh Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life. Thich Nhat Hanh has extended the First Precept of not killing humans and animals (sentient beings) to the protection of plants and minerals, which are technically not sentient beings though they are part of nature. The essence of observing this precept is to respect life, cultivate loving kindness and to live in harmony with our ecosystem and environment. In view of the consumerist world we live in, driven often by greed, this mindfulness training can help in our reflection on how we live, and how our actions contribute to harming our environment and the planet. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FIRST PRECEPT What is the Buddhist perspective on suicide? Chan Master Sheng Yen: According to the Buddhist teaching of cause and effect, since one has not realised the truth of all phenomena, or is not liberated from life and death, suicide is pointless. When ones karmic retribution is not exhausted, death by suicide only leads to another cycle of rebirth. This is why Buddhists do not support suicide, and instead, encourage constructive living, using this life to diligently practise good, thus changing the present and the future for the better. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: Some people commit suicide; they seem to think that there is suffering simply because there is the human life, and that by cutting off the life there will be nothingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But, according to the Buddhist viewpoint, thats not the case; your consciousness will continue. Even if you take your own life, this life, you will have to take another body that again will be the basis of suffering. If you really want to get rid of all your suffering, all the difficulties you experience in your life, you have to get rid of the fundamental cause (greed, hatred and delusion) that gives rise to the aggregates that are the basis of all suffering. Killing yourself isnt going to solve your problem. Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda: Taking ones own life under any circumstances is morally and spiritually wrong. Taking ones own life owing to frustration or disappointment only causes greater suffering. Suicide is a cowardly way to end ones problems of life. A person cannot commit suicide if his mind is pure and tranquil. If one leaves this world with a confused and frustrated mind, it is most unlikely that he would be born again in a better condition. Suicide is an unwholesome or unskillful act since it is encouraged by a mind filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Those who commit suicide have not learnt how to face their problems, how to face the facts of life, and how to use their mind in a proper manner. Such people have not been able to understand the nature of life and worldly conditions. Ven. S. Dhammika, Good Question Good Answer, 2008, p26: When one person murders another they might do it out of fear, anger, fury, greed or some other negative emotions. When a person kills himself or herself they might do it for very similar reasons or because of other negative emotions like despair or frustration. So whereas murder is the result of negative emotions directed towards another, suicide is the result of negative emotions directed towards oneself, and therefore would be breaking the Precept. However, someone who is contemplating suicide or has attempted suicide does not need to be told that what they are doing is wrong. They need our support and our understanding. We have to help them understand that killing themselves is perpetuating their problem, surrendering to it, not solving it. To keep the precept of not killing, must we be vegetarian? There are various opinions among the different Buddhist traditions with regards to this question. The Buddha, himself, was not a vegetarian. Traditionally, Theravadin monastics live on alms food; they receive whatever is put into their alms bowl. In other words, they have no control over their diet. However, in the Jivaka Sutta (MN 55), it is mentioned that the Buddha only allowed meat to be taken on the condition that it is pure in three aspects that the monastic: 1. did not see the animal being killed 2. did not hear the cry of the animal being killed 3. did not suspect that the animal was killed specifically for the monk/nun Although these conditions technically apply only to monastics, they are often used as a reasonable guide by devout lay people. The Mahayanists relate these three types of purified meat to the nurturing of compassion. If we see the suffering of the dying animal, we should be compassionate towards them and try to relieve their suffering. It is against the principle of compassion if we do not help them, and indeed, even go ahead to consume their meat. Exceptions have also appeared in Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibet, people traditionally lived as nomads and it was, and probably still is, difficult to grow vegetables in the high altitudes, making it difficult to be vegetarian. Hence, monastics from the Theravadin and Tibetan traditions are generally not vegetarian. When Buddhism spread to China, the idea of compassion was developed further in the Chinese Mahayanist tradition, and the Bodhisattva vow of not taking meat was strongly emphasised and made compulsory. Chinese Mahayanist monastics are therefore vegetarian, and so are many devotees who have taken the Bodhisattva precepts. Today, more and more Theravadin monastics are encouraging vegetarianism, and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama also encourages Tibetan monastics living outside Tibet, and who have control over their diet, to be vegetarian. In my opinion, vegetarianism should be encouraged, but not imposed on others. Are we not contributing to killing by eating meat? Isnt the meat in restaurants and supermarkets killed for our consumption? Let us look at the example of poultry farming. In the old days, chickens were allowed to roam freely and grow in a natural environment. They were only sent for slaughter when naturally fully grown. In other words, the production of meat was not human-controlled but based on the natural growth of the animals. Today, driven by demand in capitalist economies, poultry is produced in controlled high-tech conditions. Poultry and other animals are now raised in large-scale factory farms, deprived of natural conditions which allow them to move around and seek food freely in a natural environment. They are fed solely by humans and/or machines and kept in cages or pens, just big enough for them to stand in, day and night. Driven by human greed, some poultry farmers, for example, speed up the growth of the chickens to generate more income, causing tremendous pain and suffering to the poultry. By creating longer days and shorter nights with the use of indoor lighting, the animals are misled into eating more often than normal. Under these factory farming conditions, these animals suffer greatly. Some reports say these animals attack each other, pecking out of frustration and wounding their mates, causing each other to bleed and suffer. To prevent them from attacking each other, farmers cut their beaks off, inflicting even more pain and suffering to the poor chickens. During festive seasons, there is massive slaughter of animals to satisfy the sensual pleasures of humans. So, if we look deeply into the consumption of meat, we could be indirectly contributing to the act of killing, because the production of meat today is dependent on demand in the market. Therefore, if we can reduce our meat consumption, it will certainly reduce the demand for meat, and thereby minimising animal slaughter. If we are truly concerned for the well-being of animals and not wanting to contribute to the cruelty of modern industrial farming, we will naturally develop a kind heart and compassion towards animals. The practice of the First Precept to abstain from killing is a celebration of life. We do not support any act of killing, and we can extend it further by teaching others not to. Being mindful of what we eat and what we buy, and making an effort in our diet are ways of preventing killing. Many Buddhists find that as they develop in their spiritual path, they have a natural tendency to become vegetarian. By doing so, they live up to the Buddhas teaching on loving kindness. This energy of loving kindness brings feelings of safety, health and joy to them and all sentient beings. What did the Buddha say about vegetarianism? (Taken from Ven. Sangye Khadros article, Mandala Magazine, June 2007) There is a lot of debate within Buddhism about this issue. There are some Buddhists who are vegetarian (no meat or fish), and some who are vegans (no animal products at all, including dairy products and eggs). And there are some Buddhists who do eat meat. What did the Buddha himself say about eating meat? Well, it seems that he said different things at different times. This may sound like he contradicted himself, but the Tibetans say that the Buddha was a very skilful teacher who understood the minds and needs of his listeners and would teach them accordingly. So to some, the Buddha said it was okay to eat meat, provided that they did not kill the animal themselves, or order it to be killed. But to others, the Buddha said that if you are a follower of the bodhisattva path, and truly compassionate, you should not eat meat. To these people he spoke of the harmful consequences of doing so. In fact, there is an entire chapter in the Lankavatara Sutra (a Mahayana sutra which has been translated into English) in which the Buddha spoke very strongly against meat-eating. So as I understand it, the Buddha did not actually forbid his followers to eat meat, but left it up to each person to decide this issue for him/herself. In a way, that was compassionate of the Buddha, because some people live in places and conditions where it would be extremely difficult to abstain from meat, and if they had to be vegetarian in order to be Buddhist, they probably would not be able to do it. Also, some people are unable to be strictly vegetarian because of their physical make-up or their health. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is an example of this. He tried to be vegetarian, but his health suffered and his doctors advised him to eat meat. But I am sure he eats as little as possible, because in his teachings he often encourages people (especially the Tibetans, who are quite fond of meat) to either give up or at least cut down on the consumption of meat. His advice seems to be working, because I have noticed in the last few years an increase in the number of Tibetans who have given up meat, as well as Tibetan-run organisations promoting vegetarianism. I even heard that Sera Monastery in South India is a meat- free zone! Is abortion a form of killing? Isnt it better to end a pregnancy if the couple is not ready? Abortion is medically defined as the expulsion of a not yet viable foetus in humans as well as animals before the end of pregnancy, during which the foetus is not capable of maintaining an independent existence. Is abortion a form of killing? To answer this question, we need to understand when life begins. According to Buddhist teachings, the existence of a human being begins from the minds first arising, that is, from the first moment of the existence of consciousness in a foetus. In other words, life begins from the moment of conception, when an egg is fertilised by a sperm. Hence, abortion is indeed a form of killing. However, according to Buddhism, abortion is allowed only in situations where it is the most humane alternative; for example, in order to save the life of the mother. But let us be honest, most abortions are performed simply because the pregnancy is inconvenient, or an embarrassment (pre-marital pregnancy or the result of adultery). These are very poor reasons for the destruction of a life. Abortion is never a good solution to unwanted pregnancies. Prevention is better than cure. Education is the long term solution. Educating couples on sexual responsibility is a better option than destroying a life. Couples entering into sexual activity should think carefully beforehand. Are they ready to bring a new life into this world? Are they financially ready to bring up the child? Sexual activity should not be carried out without long term commitment; that is, if pregnancy occurs, the couple must be responsible for their act of bringing a new life into the world. What if a woman is raped? A child conceived as a result of rape is entitled to live and be loved just as any other child. The baby (foetus) is innocent. He or she should not be killed simply because their biological father committed a crime. In dealing with unwanted pregnancy, the child could be given away or adopted by others. How should I deal with an infestation of ants or cockroaches? Our intention is not to kill. We try our best to bring the least harm to all living creatures. We can avoid using harmful pesticides by using organic/natural ones that do not kill the creatures. For example, fresh pandan (pandanus) leaves are good for keeping cockroaches away without killing them. We also need to be aware of actions that may invite pests into our house. Some people have the habit of leaving dishes and cutlery in the basin after meals. Some wash the dishes only when there are no more clean plates and spoons in the cupboard. This will certainly invite ants and cockroaches into their homes. When their house is infected with ants and cockroaches, they start spraying pesticides. We need to be mindful and responsible for our actions. If we make an effort to keep our environment clean and dry, and keeping food out of reach, it will certainly reduce the incidence of pests. At other times when it is unavoidable, we just need to be patient and tolerant. With mindfulness and pe rseverance, we can do our best to minimise harm to living creatures. Refer to Appendix 1 (p87) for tips on how to keep insects away without killing them. Some detractors say, You Buddhists are too concerned about ants and bugs. (Taken from Ven. S. Dhammika, Good Question Good Answer, p25) Buddhists try to develop a compassion that is undiscriminating and all-embracing. We see the world as a unified whole where each thing and creature has its place and function. We believe that before we destroy or upset natures delicate balance, we should be very careful. Where emphasis has been on exploiting nature to the full, squeezing every last drop out of it without putting anything back, conquering and subduing it, nature has revolted. The air is becoming poisoned, the rivers polluted and dead, so many animals and plants are heading for extinction, the slopes of the mountains are barren and eroded. Even the climate is changing. If people were a little less anxious to crush, destroy and kill, this terrible situation might not have arisen. We should strive to develop a little more respect for all life. And this is what the First Precept is about. What if we are practicing non-violence and someone breaks into our house and threatens us? What should we do? It all depends on your level of cultivation. If you are an experienced practitioner who practises non-violence in your daily life, the chances are you will be more likely to react calmly and intelligently without harming anyone. The compassion one generates could influence the intruder to be less violent. But in order to be able to react in an intelligent and non-violent way, our day-to-day training is important. It may take years to develop. If you wait till a crisis happens, it will be too late. And at that crucial moment, even if you know all the teachings to embrace compassion, to be non- violent, it is only intellectual knowledge. Since it is not an intrinsic part of your being, you may not be able to act in a non-violent manner. The self-centred cherishing attitude, the fear and anger in you will likely obstruct you from acting that way. Hence, it is important to transform our knowledge into practice and to embrace loving kindness and compassion in our daily life. Here is the story of a practising Buddhist reacting in a non-violent way when confronted with a robber. Home Intrusion and the Protection by the Triple Gems (The following article is extracted from the Buddhist Society of Western Australia Newsletter, Feb/Mar issue, 2010) On that fateful night of 19 January 2010, a masked intruder armed with a knife, garden fork and a hammer walked into my house through an unlocked door around 9 p.m. I was cooking in my kitchen and happened to turn around to be confronted by this strange looking masked man standing about 4 feet away holding up his weapons. Extreme terror came over me. I let out two blood curdling screams in quick succession. In a split second, I went into denial as I stared into his face to see if it was my husband, Sunny dressed up like that to frighten me. Hearing the screams, Sunny came flying into the kitchen to investigate. The intruder ordered both of us to lie down on the kitchen floor and not to look at him. He told us to just look at his feet to know where he was. As we went down on the floor, Sunny started chanting om mani padme hum, the Buddha of Compassions mantra, and I joined him in chanting quietly under our breaths. At that point I was shaking with fear. Thoughts of being robbed, bashed senseless, raped or even killed ran amok in my mind. Minutes later a calmness came over me. I even questioned myself then as to why I was feeling so calm. The first thing I said to the intruder was We are peaceful people. Just tell us what you want and we will give it to you but please do not harm us. His reply to that was, I am also a peaceful person. If you do as I tell you, I will not harm you. That was cold comfort to us as he was the one holding the weapons and looked quite agitated and menacing. He added, I want money. My wife is pregnant and I am homeless. To that Sunny said, I have $50 in my wallet. When he opened the wallet, he only found a $20 note. So then I gave him my purse which contained $30. At that point I thought he would ask us to drive him to the nearest ATM to get more cash and then will probably finish us off, but surprisingly there were no demands from him for more cash or anything else. He was quite happy with the $50 cash, mobile phone and our car. He said he would return the car keys another day and leave them in our letter box. He later changed his mind, saying he would drive to Warwick Station and leave the keys under the car seat. During our half hour ordeal, he apologised numerous times and asked for forgiveness. Twice he sounded as though he was about to cry for putting us throug