Annie Proulx Essay - 719 Words

Academic essay on Annie Proulxs Job Story Choices are something we all make. Not necessarily important choices, but there will always be a time to make them. Its not always good choices, but they have to be made. There will always be consequences, whether its bad or good. Throughout the story, Leeland Lee has to make a lot of choices. Where to live, where to work and when to work. All the different choices he made, put him in the position he is now. Leeland Lee is an awkward-looking young boy. His face is heavily boned, which he has gotten from his mom, his neck is quite thick and he has red-gold hair. His eyes are as pouchy as a middle-aged alcoholic. His nose is broad and lays close to his face. Lori Bovee is Leeland Lees†¦show more content†¦This story doesnt have any of those, its practically the same throughout the story, talking about where they move etc. The story starts ab ovo as the text starts from when he is born. That way we get more information about how he has lived and how he is living. Ab ovo is latin and means the origin, or the beginning. It means that the story starts from square one, telling how the character is and how he has gotten to where he is now. I would say it is a third-person non-obstructive narrator. The reason I believe that the author is third-person is because she refers to Leeland Lee as he or him. The author is omniscient because she knows almost everything that is going on, except for the future. She knows whats happening with the weather, the news and Leeland, and the story revolves around Leeland Lee. His conflicts that come from the outside is economic issues and work-related issues, seeing as when he gets a job he cant keep it.s The way I interpreted the story, the themes are choices and what the consequences or advantages of those choices are. He keeps choosing to go from one job to another, and one state to another etc. and we later find out that it was either smart or dumb. It starts out with an introduction telling us when he is born, who he is and what he looks like. The author then presents us to his soon to be wife and his family. Then the elaboration, where we find out what he has been doing. MovingShow MoreRelatedBiography of Annie Prolux 993 Words   |  4 PagesAnnie Prolux is an author of eight books. She was born in Norwich, Connecticut on August 22, 1935. She is the oldest of fives sisters. She graduated high school in Portland, Maine and attended Colby College. She then attended the University of Vermont and received her bachelor’s degree in History. In 1973 she attended Sir George Williams University of Montreal, where she graduated with a master’s degree in History. In 1983 and 1987 Proulx landed two stories in The Best American Short Stories. SheRead MoreHow Masculinity is Potrayed in the Movie, Brokeback Mountain1952 Words   |  8 Pages The dominant masculinity in western culture is associated with heterosexuality, a un it of a man and woman from opposite axis of masculinity and femininity. For Annie Proulx, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† complicates the gendered duality, portraying two men acting on their homoerotic desires, but also depicts them as hetero-social. Proulx blurs the boundaries of gender and sexuality by representing her main protagonists, Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, as bisexuals. The characters are able to slip in and outRead MoreSociety in the Worlds Created by George Orwell and Annie Proulx1549 Words   |  6 PagesIn the worlds created by George Orwell and Annie Proulx, society could be seen as the enemy. The society in Nineteen Eighty-Four is a dystopia; no civilians are permitted to have any amount of privacy and an act of adultery would be a crime against the leaders if the society: â€Å"The Party†. The time setting of Brokeback Mountain, in the 1960s, ensures that the characters sexuality makes them criminals. However Annie Proulx said: â€Å"this is not a story about gay cowboys but of destructive, rural homophobiaRead MoreThere s Nothing But Love : Brokeback Mountain1314 Words   |  6 Pagesdivorces with his wife, he goes to find Ennis excitedly from Texas, along with the rhythm of the cheerful song King of The Road in the movie, but when he comes back disappointedly, music changes into the bitterness song A Love That Will Never Grow Old(Proulx et al., 2005). The episode selection in Brokeback Mountain is very elegant, not only conforms to the style of the 60’s western the United States, but also very well to express the heroes inner emotion and love. In conclusion, as a 2005 film, BrokebackRead MoreBrokeback Mountain compare and contrast Essay877 Words   |  4 Pagescreating. Even in 2005, this was a pretty prohibited thing to discuss. To its credit, the movie follows the original story fairly close, but a details were left out that made all the difference. The short story Brokeback Mountain (1997) written by Annie Proulx received a lot of attention when it was first published in the New Yorker. The story is about the relationship between Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, two cowboys who develop a forbidden love for each other and have to live separate lives. They firstRead MoreThe Idea Of The Absurd3255 Words   |  14 Pagesz | 6 threshold is breached. At that point, most people of the era would be compelled to flip the page on and maybe contemplate solutions for the problems addressed in his essay. That is the entire point of his essay, to get people to be so weirded out by his absurdism that they question the status quo, so in the end his essay goes to the limit, but doesn’t actually pass, of the amount of absurdism people can handle. As addressed in all four of these works of literature it is seen that sometimesRead MoreRobertson Davies Fifth Business, Anne Proulxs The Shipping News, Michael Ondaatjes In the Skin of a Lion, and Jack Hodgins The Invention of the Wo4018 Words   |  17 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  realigned. (145)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though it is common to dismiss old myths, the impetus for creating myth is still strong in the writing of Ondaatje, Proulx, Davies, and Hodgins. Ondaatje shows Nicholas Temelcoff and Patrick constantly looking beyond what is right in front of them, thereby exemplifying the need for something more than reality; Proulx gives magical power to Quoyles cousin so that he can create storms with knots; Davies writes of peoples need to be in awe of something (Davies 261);Read MorePast Experiences Shape Identity1991 Words   |  8 Pagesbrought forth and should learn to appreciate them and the people who helped us to gain them. (Maya Angelou, author of the excerpt Mary, Zora Neal Hurston, author of the essay How it feels to be colored me, Gwendolyn Brooks, author of the poems Sadie and Maud along with We Real Cool, and Annie Proloux, author of the essay The half Skinned Steer, proves that through past experiences, whether negative or positive, the memories or struggles tha t people have encountered influences the way thatRead MoreEssay on Past experiences shape identity1969 Words   |  8 Pagesbrought forth and should learn to appreciate them and the people who helped us to gain them. (Maya Angelou, author of the excerpt â€Å"Mary†, Zora Neal Hurston, author of the essay â€Å"How it feels to be colored me†, Gwendolyn Brooks, author of the poems â€Å"Sadie and Maud† along with â€Å"We Real Cool†, and Annie Proloux, author of the essay â€Å"The half Skinned Steer†, proves that through past experiences, whether negative or positive, the memories or struggles that people have encountered influences the way that

The Expectancy Of The Global Population Essay - 1483 Words

The average life expectancy of the global population in year 2015 is projected to be 71.4 years. According to the global health observatory data 2015, published by the WHO an increase of 5 years in life expectancy has been observed between 2000 and 2015. This is by far the fastest increase since the 1960s. We owe the increase in life expectancy to the advance in the field of medicine, raised global health awareness and the joint efforts of local, national and international bodies around the world. We are better equipped to fight diseases than we ever were with access to life saving medicines, surgical interventions and vaccines But does longevity really mean better health? We are definitely living longer than our ancestors but various research data, statistics and global health reports suggest that our generation is in fact unhealthier than previous generations. Over the last century, diseases like tetanus, rabies, whooping cough, measles, yellow fever which were considered a death warrant have been rendered preventable because of vaccinations. . WHO declared that small pox was eradicated in the year 1979, rhinderpest in 2011 and polio has been eradicated from most parts of the world with exception of Pakistan, Afganistan and Nigeria. in the early 1970s.The health workers were able to contain these diseases by tools provided to them ,like better sanitary sewage disposal ,cleaner drinking water, insect vector control, development of newer vaccines and potentShow MoreRelatedThe Ageing Of Global Population1692 Words   |  7 PagesWorld Aging Population The ageing of global population is an important issue that has been debated recently. To think about a better and longer life seems too attractive for us, but the impact of a generalized increase of age can be a problem for the government s policies and for the maintenance of the economy. This phenomenon is occurring right now in almost every country in the world, but faster in the developed and developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to study the population ageing,Read MoreHow do Life Expectancy, Maternal and Infant Health Changfe Around the World and in Time?1528 Words   |  7 PagesSTATISTICS: HOW DO LIFE EXPECTANCY, MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH CHANGE AROUND THE WORLD AND IN TIME ? â€Å" We are living longer and healthier† state World Health Organization ( WHO) and all world organizations. Population health is becoming better all over the world and therefore people everywhere are living longer. Life expectancy is the most commonly used measure to describe population health, others are for instance mortality and morbidity. I will consider life expectancy, maternal mortality andRead MoreEssay on Difference in High, Middle and Low Income Countries.1111 Words   |  5 Pagesthat residents have received from abroad, minus income claimed by nonresidents divided by its population.(How We Classify Countries,) This measure is an indication of how well the population in a country lives. When comparing country income levels there are several differences that can be found between each group, listed in order of examination they are GNP per capita, political stability, life expectancy, and access to education. High income countries have a GNP per capita of $12,196 or higherRead MoreThe Global Spatial Pattern Of Aging Populations Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesThe global spatial pattern of aging populations is a nucleated pattern; there is a cluster of countries with a median age of over 40 in Europe, and two outliers; in Japan and Canada. All of these countries are in the Northern Hemisphere. The countries in Europe with a median age of over 40 are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, UnitedRead MorePopulation Size, Fertility And Mortality, And Age Structures Essay935 Words   |  4 Pagesexpansion of human population. Over four billion been added to the world population since 1960. In addition, the projection highly increased for the next half century will expect a highly divergent world. The stagnation or a potential decli ne in parts of the developed regions, other demographic processes are also undergoing extraordinary change: Women’s fertility has dropped rapidly and life expectancy has increasing to new level. Fertility and mortality have led to very young populations in high fertilityRead MoreNigeria s Strong Economic Track Record Burden Of Disease877 Words   |  4 PagesSub-Saharan country in Africa and has a population of around 173 million people. The population is very diverse. It has over 200 ethnic groups, with three tribes known as the Yoruba (West), Ibo (East), and the Hausa (North). These tribes speak nearly 500 different indigenous languages (World Health Organization, 2015). Nigeria has the largest natural gas reserves in Africa and is also the biggest oil exporter on the continent. What this means in terms of global health is that Nigeria has the largestRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Vaccination On United States Citizens Essay1330 Words   |  6 Pageswith international entities to help undeveloped nations improve population health but face challenges managing and eliminating illnesses at home and abroad. Life Expectancy as a Wellness Metric A report published by the Orgainsation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies lifespan as key societal wellness barometer. [1] The group is a forum created to improve financial, physical and mental wellbeing for all global citizens. [2] Through the organization, governments collaborateRead MoreHigh Rates Of Poverty : Sierra Leone Essay1161 Words   |  5 Pages The total population of Sierra Leone hovers around 6,453,000, with about 1,004,000 of these children under five years old. The majority population is poor, with a GDP per capita at 1,600 USD, which ranks them in place 214 when compared globally. According to a 2004 estimate, 70.2% of the population is below the poverty line. Although Sierra Leone as country is fairly resource-rich, with resources including mining for diamonds and bauxite, â€Å"nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistenceRead MoreCanada s Current Issue Of Canada1729 Words   |  7 PagesCurrently, Canada’s e conomic base is quite strong considering its developed status and demographic factors. These include the birth rate death rate, GDP, natural increase rate, dependancy load, life expectancy, etc. Also, I will explain the current immigration situation in Canada, its importance, and its potential future, as well as further factors that may effect the immigration to Canada. I will also briefly write about Canada’s First Nation people, their current situation residing in Canada, andRead MoreThe Growth Of The World Population1071 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidering the growth of the world’s population there Is a concentrated look at Four Main factors with a fifth element now ,slowly becoming a large factor.They are fertility rates, mortality rates (life expectancy), the initial age profile of the population (whether it is comparatively old or relatively young to begin with), migration, and now religion, where focus is placed on migrating to or from a particular faction. The forces behind population change Population Change:A view at Growth Fertility

Roman Pantomime Essay Example For Students

Roman Pantomime Essay In assessment of the origins and nature of pantomime in ancient Rome, one will clearly see that the latter two factors are wide and varied. This is due to the collaborative nature of the art as a whole. With a close examination of archaeological, textual and representational evidence one will gain a precise understanding of how the origins, nature and type of audience of the pantomime are interrelated. One will additionally gain inisight into the widespread popularity of pantomime despite a general dislike towards drama in ancient Rome. Before one can begin to consider the origins of Roman pantomime, one must have a clear understanding of the nature of pantomime. This is due to the fact that the nature of the art is in most cases, directly related to its origins. Once the nature of the art has been established, one will clearly see the connection between the latter and its origins.The term pantomime, which was, introduced by the Italian Greeks referrs to the actor. The mimer of everything.The pantomime was considered a solo performer who wore a mask, and expressed himself through dance, but did not sing. Rather, a musical group or chorus accompanied the pantomime. This type of performance is usually likened to a ballet enactment with a mythical theme. The pantomime usually tended to appeal to higher tastes with its mythical themes but as Grimal implies, could also be comic and erotic. In his discussion of pantomime, Lucian of Samosata (ca. 125 180) notes that the pantomime represents the orator and the composer of d eclamations. Lucian claims that the success of the pantomime depends upon his skillful adadptation of language to character. It is considered that the pantomime had incredible versitality to show forth human character and passion in all their varieties. These qualities of the pantomime were praised by Lesbonax of Mytilene who called pantomimes manual philosophers. Futher evidence of the versatility of the pantomime in showing emotion and character can be seen in the words of Timocrates:I know not what truth there may be in Platos analysis of the soul into the three elements of spirit, appetite and reason: but each of the three is admirablyillustrated by the pantomime; he shows us the angry man, he shows us the lover, and he shows us every passion under the control of reason The pantomime was not only skillful in portraying human character, but additionally in embracing many other skills into a single embodiment. For instance, the pantomime used both bodily skills such as versatilit y of movement and mental skills where every movement and gesture has meaning and significance. Creating meaning through movement and gesture was significantly important because the pantomime wore mask, which took away any opportunity for showing emotion through facial expression. In consolation, a good pantomime would talk with his hands (cheironomy) and the rest of his body to show emotions and different character types.Overall, is clear that agility and ease of movement were very necessary skills for a sucessful pantomime.The pantomime additionally had to take on several roles in the one performance using little or no costumes. A mantle was the typical costume, which could be used to imply many different items throughout the performance. An example of the extrordinary versitlity of the pantomime is given by Suetonius: As pantomimes, when they dance clad in their mantles, with one and the same mantle represent a swans tail, the tresses of Venus, a Furys scourge Pantomime was a very unique type of performance in that it served a double purpose. Unlike some types of drama that served to be a pleasurable experience or a utilitarian one, the art of pantomime held out objects of both pleasure and utility. This is evidenced through Lucians comments on the art:It sharpens the wits, it excercises the body, it delights the spectator, it instructs him in the history of bygone days, while the eye and ear are held beaneath the spell of flute and cymbal and of graceful danceNowhere can you procure that enjoyment in greater variety and perfection. That said, it is implicitly clear that although pantomime did not always offer a realistic performance experience it was unique because .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .postImageUrl , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:hover , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:visited , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:active { border:0!important; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:active , .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151 .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue0b11f061b9d0d6527e683f4a2559151:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Who is the person whom affected Essay

Roles of a Leader

A leader has been defined as a person who has authority to influence the social behavior of other people with an aim of accomplishing common tasks or established targets1.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Roles of a Leader specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A good leader is one who recognizes the importance and value of other people in the organization, is ready to share information with others, has characters that are unquestioned within the organization, uses his or her good traits for the better of others, is well skilled and competent, visionary, and is ever accessible, accountable, and approachable2. As far as creating and communicating organization vision is concerned, a leader has a very important role to play. In creating the vision, the leader should influence others to come up with possible ways that will achieve the primary goals of the organization3. This will help the organization to come up with an ins piring practical vision that has shared values. In communicating the vision, the leader should lead by example in pursuing the change implied in the vision, demonstrate high confidence in the vision and encourage a down up approach to decision making in the organization. Shared values are values practiced in an organization that engenders trust in the organization and encourages a good interpersonal relationship. It is a unique identity that brings out a clear difference between one organization and another. These values should incorporate both individual and corporate objectives4. In communicating organization vision, the leader should lead the changes implied in the vision but not managing the changes. A leader should have well thought out strategies that will lead the organization to practical breakthrough, be in position to manage the organization moods, and always inform people on the progress. To achieve all these attributes, the leader should lead by example. Leading by examp le is the only approach that leaders use to influence other people. Using this approach will enable the leader to practically demonstrate confidence in the vision. The confidence in the leader will convince other people to have trust in the communicated vision5.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To give a good illustration where leadership principle has both worked well and poorly, the author analyzed two Apple Inc. CEOs namely Steve Jobs and Timothy Cook. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. recorded good performance, which was reflected in the rapid growth of Apple franchise6. Until his death, the author learned from his profile that it is important for a leader to be charismatic, flexible and posses a good sense of direction. These traits enabled him to lead the company by example and thus through his leadership, the company came up with different mobile phone mod els such as Xerox PARC and Apple Lisa. On the other hand, Timothy Cook, the current CEO who replaced Jobs, has been branded more of a manager than a leader. Having analyzed his recent speeches, the author learned that he rarely embraced the shared values as was the case with his predecessor. This has contributed to most of the current employees losing confidence in his leadership style hence reduced morale. No wonder the company has performed poorly during the first few years of his leadership. In fact, ‘Cook’ factor is one of the challenges facing the company7. Empowerment, Trust and Ethical Leadership Empowerment is an act of building up the capacity of an individual or a group to make sustainable decisions or choices and to transform the choice or decision into desired outcomes. A key issue to empowerment is the action that builds either individual or group assets, and building up the efficiency of the institution or organization’s context that monitors the ut ilization of the asset. On the other hand, trust is having confidence or reliance in the strength, integrity, ability, or surerity that through the chosen means of action, the targeted results will be achieved efficiently and effectively. Ethical leadership refers to a leadership that respects an organization’s appropriate anddesirable morals and values subject to what the society expects from it. In a broader approach, ethics dictate the purity and intentions of an individual. It guides leaders in deteriming what is good or bad in a given scenario8.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Roles of a Leader specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethical leadership encourages fainess in treatment and equality within an organization. In so doing, the organization wins employees trust and empowers them to exploit their talents and expertise in their workplaces. Although leaders expect positive impacts from empowering and trusting their employees, there are several negative impacts that they are exposed to. Other than encouragingcreativity, job satisfaction, job loyalty and rational or idealized decision making, empowering employees has several negative impacts9. These includes the increased arrogance attributed to a rise in confidence, serious security risks due to trust, lack of experience, and promotion of poor interpersonal relationship amongst the work force10. To explore more, below are candid illustrations of both negative and positive impacts of empowering and trusting employees. Several researchers have conducted studies on employee empowerment in Multinational Companies (MNC). In these studies, they have pointed out that most companies, if not all, have come to recognize that employee empowerment and trust remains paramount11. This is because most organizations view it as a very important predictor to good performance. They go ahead to reveal that the sample companies they studied had reali zed several benefits from employee empowerment12. These include quick decision making, employee confidence, employee loyalty, faster attainment of goals. On the other hand, empowering and trusting their employees has led to several negative impacts. These include unethical behaviors such as theft, security breaches, and underperformance by some employees13. Bibliography Anaejionu, R. Why empowerment of employees is becoming important in organizations. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/empowerment-employees-becoming-important-organizations-11542.html, 2013.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Armstrong, M. T Steohens. A handbook of management and leadership: A guide to Managing. UK: Kogan Page Ltd., 2005. Jon, P. Snapshots of great leadership. UK: Rutledge, 2012. Lashinsky, A. Inside Apple. New York: GRIN Verlage, 2012. Mitchell, M. J Casey. Police leadership and management. Australia: The Federation Press, 2007. Oloko, M M Ogutu. Influence and power distance on employee empowerment and MNC performance. Retrieved from http://resjournals.com/ERJ/Pdf/2012/Feb/Oloko%20and%20Ogutu.pdf, 2012. Robertson, T. Negative effects of employee empowerment. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effects-employee-empowerment-18691.html, 2013. Samsung Electronics. 2012 Sustainable report. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/sustainabilityreports/download/2012/2012_sustainability_rpt.pdf, 2012. Schneiders, S. Business deconstructed: Apple Inc. New York: GRIN Verlage, 2010. Footnotes M Armstrong T Steohens. A handbook of management and leadership: A guide to Managing, UK: Kogan Page Ltd., 2005. P..33. M Mitchell J Casey. Police Leadership and Management. Australia: The Federation Press, 2007. p.22 M Armstrong T Steohens. A handbook of management and leadership: A guide to Managing, UK: Kogan Page Ltd., 2005. P.33. M Armstrong T Steohens. A handbook of management and leadership: A guide to Managing, UK: Kogan Page Ltd., 2005. P.33. P Jon. Snapshots of great leadership. UK: Rutledge, 2012. P.20. A Lashinsky. Inside Apple. New York: GRIN Verlage,2012.. p.1. S Schneiders. Business deconstructed: Apple Inc. New York: GRIN Verlage 2010. P.2. R Anaejionu. Why empowerment of employees Is becoming important in organizations. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/empowerment-employees-becoming-important-organizations-11542.html, 2013. P.1. R Anaejionu. Why empowerment of employees is becoming important in organizations. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/empowerment-employees-becoming-important-organiz ations-11542.html, 2013. p.1. Â  T Robertson. Negative effects of employee empowerment. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effects-employee-empowerment-18691.html, 2013. P.1. Â  M Oloko. m Ogutu. Influence and power distance on employee empowerment and MNC performance. Retrieved from http://resjournals.com/ERJ/Pdf/2012/Feb/Oloko%20and%20Ogutu.pdf, 2012. P.22. Â  R Anaejionu. Why Empowerment of Employees Is Becoming Important in Organizations. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/empowerment-employees-becoming-important-organizations-11542.html, 2013. P.1. Â  Samsung Electronics. 2012 Sustainable report. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/sustainabilityreports/download/2012/2012_sustainability_rpt.pdf, 2012. P.3. This essay on Roles of a Leader was written and submitted by user Regan Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Casualty Figure Chart for World War 1

Casualty Figure Chart for World War 1 Despite intensive research by historians, there is no- and there will never be- a definitive list of the casualties inflicted during World War I. Where detailed record-keeping was attempted, the demands of battle undermined it. The destructive nature of the war, a conflict where soldiers could be wholly obliterated or instantly buried, destroyed both the records themselves and the memories of those who knew the fates of their comrades. Estimating the Numbers For many countries, the estimated figures only vary within the hundreds, even tens, of thousands, but those of others- particularly France- can be over a million apart. Consequently, the numbers given here have been rounded to the nearest thousand (Japan is an exception, given the low number). The figures in this, and almost every other list, will differ; however, the proportions should remain similar and it is these (represented here as percentages) which allow the greatest insight. In addition, there is no convention as to whether the dead and wounded of the British Empire are listed under this umbrella title or by individual nation (and there is certainly no convention for those regions which have since divided).   How People Died Many people expect the deaths and wounds of World War I to have come from bullets, as soldiers were engaged in combat: charges into no mans land, struggles over trenches, etc. However, while bullets certainly killed a lot of people, it was aerial artillery which killed the most. This death from the skies could bury people or just blow a limb off, and the repeated hammerings of millions of shells induced illness even when the shrapnel didnt hit. This devastating killer, which could kill you while you were on your own territory away from enemy troops, was supplemented by new weapons: humanity lived up to its horrible reputation by deciding that new methods of killing ​were needed, and poison gas was introduced on both western and eastern fronts. This didnt kill as many people as you might think, given the way we remember it, but those it did kill died a painful and hideous death. Some say that the First World Wars death toll is used today as an emotional weapon used to cast the conflict in overwhelmingly negative terms, part of the modern revisionism on the war, which may be a completely dishonest way to portray the conflict. One look at the list below, with millions dead, over a war for imperial control, is telling evidence. The vast and scarring psychological effects of those who were wounded, or those who bore no physical wounds (and dont appear in the list below), yet suffered emotional wounds, must also be born in mind when you consider the human cost of this conflict. A generation was damaged. Notes on Countries With regards to Africa, the figure of 55,000 refers to soldiers who saw combat; the number of Africans involved as auxiliaries or otherwise is likely to include several hundred thousand. Troops were drawn from Nigeria, Gambia, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nyasaland/Malawi, Kenya, and the Gold Coast. Figures for South Africa are given separately. In the Caribbean, the British West Indies regiment drew men from across the region, including Barbados, Bahamas, Honduras, Grenada, Guyana, Leeward Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago; the bulk came from Jamaica. The figures are cited from The Longman Companion to the First World War (Colin Nicholson, Longman 2001, pg. 248); they have been rounded to the nearest thousand. All percentages are my own; they refer to the % of the total mobilized. Casualties of World War I Country Mobilized Killed Wounded Total K and W Casualties Africa 55,000 10,000 unknown unknown - Australia 330,000 59,000 152,000 211,000 64% Austria-Hungary 6,500,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 4,820,000 74% Belgium 207,000 13,000 44,000 57,000 28% Bulgaria 400,000 101,000 153,000 254,000 64% Canada 620,000 67,000 173,000 241,000 39% The Caribbean 21,000 1,000 3,000 4,000 19% French Empire 7,500,000 1,385,000 4,266,000 5,651,000 75% Germany 11,000,000 1,718,000 4,234,000 5,952,000 54% Great Britain 5,397,000 703,000 1,663,000 2,367,000 44% Greece 230,000 5,000 21,000 26,000 11% India 1,500,000 43,000 65,000 108,000 7% Italy 5,500,000 460,000 947,000 1,407,000 26% Japan 800,000 250 1,000 1,250 0.2% Montenegro 50,000 3,000 10,000 13,000 26% New Zealand 110,000 18,000 55,000 73,000 66% Portugal 100,000 7,000 15,000 22,000 22% Romania 750,000 200,000 120,000 320,000 43% Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 6,650,000 55% Serbia 707,000 128,000 133,000 261,000 37% South Africa 149,000 7,000 12,000 19,000 13% Turkey 1,600,000 336,000 400,000 736,000 46% USA 4,272,500 117,000 204,000 321,000 8% Sources and Further Reading Broadberry, Stephen and Mark Harrison (eds). The Economics of World War I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.Offer, Avner. The First World War: An Agrarian Interpretation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.Hall, George J. Exchange Rates and Casualties During the First World War. Journal of Monetary Economics 51.8 (2004): 1711–42. Print.Hoeffler D. F., and L. J. Melton. Changes in the distribution of navy and marine corps casualties from World War I through the Vietnam conflict. Military Medicine 146.11 (1981). 776–779.  Keegan, John. The First World War. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.Nicholson, Colin. The Longman Companion to the First World War: Europe 1914–1918. Routledge, 2014.  Winter, J. M. Britains ‘Lost Generation’ of the First World War. Population Studies 31.3 (1977): 449–66. Print.

Australian Politics essays

Australian Politics essays 1.A shift to a republic would be in Australia's best interests. There have been a series of debates on the actual future of the Australian state. On the one hand, there are some who suggest that Australia would have a better future as an independent and sovereign republic; on the other hand, the current status as part of the Commonwealth is considered to be a better option for the nation and the state. However, serious attempts have been made and discussions are underway for what would the government consider to be by 2020 the Australian state and an Australian head of state (BBC, 2008). In order to have a better assessment of this issue, there are several aspects to be taken into consideration which support the idea of an Australian republic and an Australian head of state rather than an overall monarchical rule. First, todays reality is one of independent and sovereign state, not one of former empires. As stated by the foreign Minister, a split from the British monarchy was inevitable. (BBC, 2008) It is not so much the mere fact that Australia is formally still entrenched in the remains of an empire which seized to exist decades ago. It is more the issue of modernity and of the role Australia came to play in the world in recent decades. In this sense, it is one of the most important countries in the Asia Pacific region and should therefore have a defining and sovereign head of state in order to allow the country to run its affairs independently from any outside force. Second, there is also the matter of the national identity worldwide. In this sense, there are voices suggesting that the Australian state, due to the fact that it has always been associated with the image of the British Empire does not have a national identity, one that could be constructed and built upon in the decades and centuries to come. More precisely, these voices suggest that the maintenance of the monarchical rule can da...

HRM and Personal Practice Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM and Personal Practice Report - Essay Example In the short term, I would like to complete successfully my studies in HRM at Cardiff Met and have to get a Bachelor degree with a minimum classification of Second Class Honors Upper Division. In the long term, I will continue my studies in HRM filed through a post-graduate specifically in Master of Science program at Manchester University, which could help me to enhance my skills in HRM. One of the positive attributes of the presentation is that it has a good introduction, which serves the purpose of preparing the audience for what to expect in the course of the presentation. Similarly, the presentation makes it easy for the audience to have a clear understanding of the content. This is achieved by defining of strategic HRM terms used in the course of the presentation. Seemingly, the presentation was thoroughly researched on, as reference materials are included at the end. Another positive attribute of the presentation is the fact that the recommendations that have been outlined at the end of the report are related to the content that has been discussed in the course of the presentation. Over and above, it is imperative to acknowledge that the structure of the presentation is ideal. This is supported by the fact that the slides are well organized and that the content is well presented. In as much as the presentation appears to be the finest article, it fails to meet the expectations at some instances. For example (Dennis, 2006) that is referred to in, the presentation has not been properly cited. In as much as the research has covered most of the aspects of strategic HRM, it has failed to give examples of institutions whenever necessary. If I were to repeat the task, I would develop the presentation by giving specific examples of organizations that have implemented the strategic aspects of HRM successfully or unsuccessfully. Similarly, I would make the presentation clear and

My Last Duchess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Last Duchess - Essay Example The duke is commanding the silent auditor to sit down and to have a look at her painting. The duke is also very possessive about the painting and that is why he has hidden it behind a curtain so that no one can look at her except for himself. This way he wants to control who sees it and how it is seen. Although the protagonist speaks in a polite way and treats the count’s legate with respect, the addresses to his guest (â€Å"Will’t please [...]† 1.5; â€Å"We’ll meet [...]† 1.47; â€Å"Nay, We’ll go[...]† 1.53) sound rather like orders. The duke is even certain to look inside his guest’s mind... (Mannle 2) The duke is a jealous husband and he doesn’t approve the fact that his lady could have derived pleasure from any other thing or company of any other person but him. He doesn’t think very highly of her; according to him she was too easily pleased and was attentive to everyone: â€Å"She liked whateer / She looked on, and her looks went everywhere†. (23-24) The duke seems to characterize his last duchess by virtue of her painting. He believes that his social status should have been enough for her to be proud of and she didn’t have to be courteous with everybody. The duke is proud of his nine hundred years old family name and status and wonders how anything else other than this can become a source of pleasure for her. He thought it was beneath her social status to be friendly to the commoners. Most of all, he is displeased with her smiles that she bestowed on everyone. The smile of the last duchess is of significant importance as it is mentioned for a couple of times. Her smile is secret- the duke doesn’t exactly know the reason behind her smiles. However, he is keen to learn about it. He knows for sure that the smile he received was not special- it was a typical gesture of the last duchess to smile all the time for everyone. Her smile also becomes a cause of jealousy of her husband- and her

View of Class Essay Example for Free

View of Class Essay Karl Marx’s view of class as exposed in his Communist Manifesto suggests firstly the existence of two distinct classes with irreconcilable differences. These are the proletarian and the bourgeoisie. The proletarian or proletariat was initially a derogatory term used for people who had no other wealth aside from their children. Marx’s sociological take on the term refers it to the working class. True to its derogatory origin, the proletariat is the class in society that does not own the means of production (Martin, 1998). In short, they are those who are employed to do work and get paid by salaries. The bourgeoisie or capitalist is a term to connote the owning class. They are considered the upper class of society who owns the means of production. They are the merchants, landowners, and other capitalists. Marx’s theory in class revolves around the interactions between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and the inevitable consequences thereof. Marx argued that the bourgeoisie constantly exploits the proletariat. Since the workers do not own any means of production like their own farm or business, they must seek employment from the bourgeoisie in order to survive. They are hired by capitalists to work on making goods or providing services. These fruits of production then become the property of the capitalist, who sells them and gets a certain amount of money in exchange. Some of the money earned from the selling of the products or services is used to pay the workers wages, while the rest called surplus value is used to pay for other expenses of the capitalist and his profits. This gives the capitalist the ability to earn money out of work done by his employees with very minimal effort on his part (Martin, 1998). Since obviously, new wealth or profit was created through work done by the employees; the capitalist gained wealth or an excess of wealth which he did not work for. If that happened, then that means that other people, that is the laborers did not receive the full wealth which they should be receiving as just compensation for the work they did. In other words, the workers were exploited by the capitalists. On the other hand, Scott and Leonhardt (2005) argued that society cannot actually have the distinct perception of classes that is proposed in Marxist doctrine. They base this on the fact that people regardless of race or social stature are experiencing luxuries that were not as equally distributed just a few decades ago. Marxist principle usually claimed that the normal, everyday worker is of an inferior class to the capitalist. This principle was based on external markers that connote poverty in one and wealth in the other. Scott and Leonhardt’s article makes an attack on the markers of such a principle, arguing that at present, it has become very difficult to know a person’s class from the color of his skin or the gods they worship, much less on the clothes they wear or whether they’re employed or are running heir own business. However, the article itself does not belittle the concept of distinct classes and in fact moves on to argue that class is actually still a very powerful factor in society. What the article simply argues is that this difference in classes can no longer be seen in Marx’s idea of proletariat – bourgeoisie dynamics but has transferred to other aspects such as meritocracy, where a man who starts out poor can actually strike it rich if he had what it takes. It is my stand to agree with Scott and Leonhardt that the concept of class has shifted into from hereditary wealth to the idea of meritocracy. On the first level of argumentation, I say that the assumption of untouchability of the upper class no longer applies today, where big companies such as Enron can be brought to its knees by the public and where several big business tycoons such as Bernard Ebbers of Worldcom can actually be put behind bars for a good long time. This means that both worker and capitalist stand on equal footing where the law is concerned which implies that the supposed unfair, overwhelming power that big companies hold over its employees has been reduced to a memory. On the second level of argumentation, I believe that meritocracy has transcended barriers between countries and provided an avenue by which worth is determined by what a person can do rather than what his heritage is. The first support to this is the advent of public corporations. These entities build an administrative base that is dependent on meritocracy. A public corporation is owned by all the people who invest in it which can be considered as capitalists, but the top notch directors that they hire don’t need to be stockholders, nor do these executives get hired because they are relatives of the shareholders. More so they get hired because their credentials, from educational background to previous work experiences, says that they can get the job done better than anyone who has money in the company, and that if they should be handsomely compensated if they are expected to work for that particular company. The top CEOs’ incomes usually surpass the lot of a public corporation’s investors. I disagree with Marx’s portrayal of class and class struggle on two levels. The first level is that workers have at present various protections against exploitation by their employers. Labor unions lobby for progressive compensation based on the company’s own profits. This means that laborers today are actually getting their wages based on their company’s progress. The more profits they bring in, the better leverage their union has in negotiating wage increases. On the second level, even today’s capitalists recognize the importance of obtaining and maintaining an efficient labor force. Corporations consistently compete for worker bases in the country and abroad, trying to outdo each other with better benefits, more convenient working conditions, and higher salaries. This indicates that the capitalist can no longer be viewed as the laborers’ enemy. Rather, quality labor itself has become the product of laborers that makes them capitalists in their own right, since the demand for quality labor has become so that capitalists are willing to purchase their labor at their price. In conclusion, class is a concept that has evolved through the years. Situations that may have been applicable during Marx’s time may no longer be effectively used to describe what is apparent in today’s economic world. We must reflect on the value of labor today and see our own worth that for us to market, making us all equitably equipped for life’s challenges ahead. Sources: Martin, Malia. (1998). The Communist Manifest of Marx and Engels. New York: Penguin group. Scott, Janny Leonhardt, David (2005). Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. Retrieved May 6, 2007 from New York Times Website: http://www. nytimes. com/2005/05/15/national/class/OVERVIEW-FINAL. html? ex=1273809600en=2fb756e388191419ei=5088partner=rssnytemc=rss

The Nature of the Legalism and Its Significance :: essays research papers

In contrary to its contemporary antagonist philosophical schools, who advocate the practices of humanness and the rightness and set ideal of the past, the Legalists, in their complete rejection of the traditional ethics, embraces the efficacy of political power and uphold a society of laws and punishments. As the old feudal states decayed and the smoke of endemic warfare suffused, the need for a more rational government that can afford greater centralized power so as to strengthen a state against its rival increased substantially among the Warring States. Such a rising urge necessitated the emergence of the Legalists and further predetermined the Legalists’ inherent nature – realistic, totalitarian and problem-solving – which, with the realization of its significance and duty in the stream of history, finds its hegemonic character as well. In function, the Legalist is more of a powerful and influential government consultative committee than a philosophical school. In practice, they openly advocate war as a means of state expansion and transforming people into more submissive and loyal or inversely, a way for its people to server the state; they conceive a political structure where all government apparatus and social institutions reside under an absolute monarch, who has the ultimate power and set his foundation in an elaborately self-contained, austerely impartial and severely coercive legal machinery; the state would also find no existence of the earlier schools of thoughts if not their total annihilation; loyalty to their emperor and â€Å"weakened† minds among people would prevail, bringing about social stability enabling intensive and efficient farming. It is thus rational for us to question the validity of preconditions upon which these ideas were acquired and the legitimacy of the ideas; and later but more importantly, how did the Legalists become the only classical thoughts had its teaching adopted as the sole official doctrine of a regime ruling all China and bring about the unification of China; and lastly, the association of the all-too-soon collapse of the ephemeral Qin Dynasty and the Legalists thoughts. As for the precondition of the Legalists’ thoughts, there are a few fundamental premises or judgments that we can find from the texts. As an independent school of thoughts in order to distinguish itself among all Hundreds of Schools and set aside all past ideals and standards, the Legalists, first of all, believed in the inevitability of a constant change in society. As noted by Han Fei (d.

Your MBA classmates

Describe yourself to your MBA classmates. (You may use any method to convey your message: words, illustrations, etc. ) I grew up in a small fishing village in Maine, surrounded by family. Expectations and aspirations are limited in such an environment. I could have made a living exploiting the sea, but chose to do similar work as a corporate executive. Although I have no siblings, my hometown contains over fifty family members, and our agenda of family activities is always packed.Most of my family is employed in the commercial fishing ndustry, which instilled in me at a very young age, the concept of work. At age eleven, I started babysitting and mowing lawns, and at the age of fifteen I applied for my lobster license. The first summer with my license, I took a Job as a sternperson with a fellow female. We were the only two females out there, which was definitely an experience. When the lobstering season ended that year, I took a Job at a grocery store bagging groceries.I saved enoug h money to build a boat and to buy fifty lobster traps; I was on my way. The following summer I continued to work as a sternperson, and I also fished my own traps. I continued lobstering throughout the rest of high school and college, and It helped me finance my college education. In addition to being ambitious and motivated enough to put my heart Into even mundane, low-level tasks, I am also extremely organized. This Is one characteristic that has always received praise. I pay particular attention to detail, which I believe has contributed to my success thus far.I take pride In my work, and I look at It as a epresentation of myself. In my position at Sanford Bernstein as a Consultant Liaison, I market my firm to the financial consulting community. Maintaining the Integrity of the firm Is vital and errors are disastrous. When training new group members, I stress this point most thoroughly. I work In a group that currently has six members. The group serves as a central source of Info rmation for the firm, and Its success relies on an extraordinary amount of cooperation from each of us.As a senior member, I am able to contribute to the roup In several wap Including: training group members, controlling the quality of the group's output, managing and accurately completing multiple requests with short turnaround times, gathering and conveying Information from senior Investment professionals, collecting and calculating data, malntalnlng databases, overseeing projects aimed at making long-term Improvements to the group's processes, and strengthening my own foundation of knowledge to be used as a resource.Recently, as the result of a manager leaving the firm, I have also taken on some of the anagerial responslbllltles for the group Including prlorltlzlng and delegating assignments. Though I am an excellent team player, In business school I would Ilke to sharpen my appearance in order to get my point across.I hope to improve my negotiating skills and to gain more experi ence in getting group members to carry their own weight. At the same time, I do not want to become a tyrant. To be effective, it is important for a manager to maintain the proper balance of power and compassion. Only in this way, will I be able to lead a team of people to realizing the goals of a firm.

Hybridity

According to Bhabha, hybridity is the straddling of two cultures and the consequent ability to negotiate the difference. Bhabha developed his concept of hybridity from literary and cultural theory to describe the construction of culture and identity within conditions of colonial antagonism and inequality. For Bhabha, hybridity is the process by which the colonial governing authority tries to convert the identity of the colonized within a singular universal framework. The colonizers would look at the colonized in their own environment and judge their behavior and practices from their own frame of reference.Bhabha contends that a new hybrid identity or subject-position emerges from the interweaving of elements of the colonizer and colonized challenging the validity of any essentialist cultural identity. Hybridity is positioned as an antidote to essentialism, or the belief in invariable and fixed properties which define the ‘whatness’ of a given entity. (The Location of Cul ture 1994) According to Ashcroft, most postcolonial writing has focused on the hybridized nature of postcolonial culture as strength rather than a weakness. It is not a case of the oppressor obliterating the oppressed or the colonizer silencing the colonized.In practice it stresses the mutuality of the process. The clash of cultures can impact as much upon the colonizer as the colonized. It is proof that even under the most potent of oppression those distinctive aspects of the culture of the oppressed can survive and become an integral part of the new formations which arise. (Papastergiadis 1997) Ashcroft says how â€Å"hybridity and the power it releases may well be seen as the characteristic feature and contribution of the post-colonial, allowing a means of evading the replication of the binary categories of the past and developing new anti-monolithic models of cultural exchange and growth†.In conclusion, I believe that hybridity is everywhere. It represents in many instanc es the triumph of the postcolonial or the subaltern over the hegemonic. The resistant always appropriates the cultural onslaught and modifies its products or processes for its own purposes. Hybridity can be a history of slavery colonialism, and rape, inherited in terms of race. It is a difficult and painful history of interracial identity. It deals with issues of choosing one’s affiliations or having ones affiliations thrust upon one.

Freedom of the Colleges essays

Freedom of the Colleges essays Last month, members of the Appropriations Committee of the North Carolina House of Representatives voted to use the power of the state budget to block the assignment of a book to all freshmen and transfer students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations (White Cloud Press, 1999), by Michael Sells, a professor of religion at Haverford College. Denying public funds to the reading program unless "all other known religions were offered in an equal or incremental way," they stipulated that their prohibition "is not intended to interfere with academic freedom, but to ensure that all religions are taught Even if well intended, however, the move does, in fact, demonstrate the significant and growing threats to academic freedom that can occur in times of economic and political The controversy began in June, when three unidentified freshmen sued the university in federal court, arguing that assigning the book inappropriately blurred the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. The legislative committee then took its action, and, in response, the university system's Board of Governors dithered over passing a resolution in support of academic freedom in part, for fear of further alienating the state's budget writers. (A resolution by a committee of the board passed unanimously on August 22; the full board will vote on the The legislative committee's move signifies, in a number of ways, how much the independence of public colleges and universities may be in jeopardy. First, it inserts state politicians directly into the administration of a university by using the power of the purse to censor the curriculum. Ever since the founding of most land-grant institutions, in the mid-19th century, state legislatures have refrained ...

The An Lushan Rebellion in Tang China

The An Lushan Rebellion in Tang China The An Lushan Rebellion began in 755 as a revolt by a disgruntled general in the Tang Dynastys army, but it soon engulfed the country in unrest that lasted nearly a decade until its end in 763. Along the way, it nearly brought one of Chinas most glorious dynasties to an early and ignominious end. An almost unstoppable military force, the An Lushan Rebellion controlled both capitals of the Tang Dynasty for most of the rebellion, but internal conflicts eventually brought an end to the short-lived Yan Dynasty. Origins of Unrest In the middle of the 8th century, Tang China was embroiled in a number of wars around its borders. It lost the Battle of Talas, in what is now Kyrgyzstan, to an Arab army in 751. It also was unable to defeat the southern kingdom of Nanzhao - based in modern-day Yunnan - losing thousands of troops in an attempt to put down the rebellious kingdom. The only military bright spot for Tang was their limited success against Tibet. All of these wars were expensive and the Tang court was quickly running out of money. The Xuanzong Emperor looked to his favorite general to turn the tide - General An Lushan, a military man probably of Sogdian and Turkic origin. Xuangzong appointed An Lushan commander of three garrisons totaling more than 150,000 troops which were stationed along the upper Yellow River. A New Empire On December 16, 755, General An Lushan mobilized his army and marched against his Tang employers, using the excuse of insults from his rival at court, Yang Guozhong, moving from the area that is now Beijing along the Grand Canal, capturing the Tang eastern capital at Luoyang. There, An Lushan announced the formation of a new empire, called the Great Yan, with himself as the first emperor. He then pushed on toward the primary Tang capital at Changan - now Xian; along the way, the rebel army treated anyone who surrendered well, so numerous soldiers and officials joined the rebellion. An Lushan decided to seize southern China quickly, to cut off the Tang from reinforcements. However, it took his army more than two years to capture Henan, severely dampening their momentum. In the meantime, the Tang emperor hired 4,000 Arab mercenaries to help defend Changan against the rebels. Tang troops took up highly defensible positions in all of the mountain passes leading to the capital, completely blocking An Lushans progress. Turn of the Tide Just when it seemed that the Yan rebel army would have no chance to capture Changan, An Lushans old nemesis Yang Guozhong made a devastating mistake. He ordered the Tang troops to leave their posts in the mountains and attack An Lushans army on flat ground. General An crushed the Tang and their mercenary allies, laying the capital open to attack. Yang Guozhong and the 71-year-old Xuanzong Emperor fled south toward Sichuan as the rebel army entered Changan. The emperors troops demanded that he execute the incompetent Yang Guozhong or face a mutiny, so under intense pressure Xuanzong ordered his friend to commit suicide when they stopped in what is now Shaanxi. When the imperial refugees reached Sichuan, Xuanzong abdicated in favor of one of his younger sons, the 45-year-old Emperor Suzong. Tangs new emperor decided to hire reinforcements for his decimated army. He brought in an additional 22,000 Arab mercenaries and  a large number of Uighur soldiers - Muslim troops who intermarried with local women and helped form the Hui ethnolinguistic group in China. With these reinforcements, the Tang Army was able to retake both of the capitals at Changan and at Luoyang in 757. An Lushan and his army retreated east. End of the Rebellion Fortunately for the Tang Dynasty, An Lushans Yan Dynasty soon began to disintegrate from within. In January of 757, the Yan emperors son, An Qingxu, became upset by his fathers threats against the sons friends at court. An Qingxu killed his father An Lushan and then was killed in turn by An Lushans old friend Shi Siming. Shi Siming continued An Lushans program, retaking Luoyang from the Tang, but he also was killed by his own son in 761 - the son, Shi Chaoyi, proclaimed himself the new emperor of Yan, but quickly became quite unpopular. Meanwhile in Changan, the sickly Emperor Suzong abdicated in favor of his 35-year-old son, who became Emperor Daizong in May 762. Daizong took advantage of the turmoil and patricide in Yan, recapturing Luoyang in the winter of 762. By this time - sensing that Yan was doomed - a number of generals and officials had defected back to the Tang side. On February 17, 763, Tang troops cut off the self-proclaimed Yan emperor Shi Chaoyi. Rather than facing capture, Shi committed suicide, bringing the An Lushan Rebellion to a close. Consequences Although the Tang eventually defeated the An Lushan Rebellion, the effort left the empire weaker than ever. Later in 763, the Tibetan Empire retook its Central Asian holdings from Tang and even captured the Tang capital of Changan. The Tang had been forced to borrow not only troops but also money from the Uighurs - to pay those debts, the Chinese gave up control of the Tarim Basin. Internally, the Tang emperors lost significant political power to warlords all around the periphery of their lands. This problem would plague the Tang right up until its dissolution in 907, which marked Chinas descent into the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.

Isalm, the West, and Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Isalm, the West, and Democracy - Essay Example hammed, the Prophet of Islam, started his preachings of true and one God, ALLAH, almost 1400 years ago on a very small scale when he was called upon on the duty to be a Prophet by God. However, the subsequent battles, the increase in the strength of Muslims, the so called followers of Islam being called, provided enough manpower to start a spree of conquests and establish one of the largest empires of the world. However, due to its uniqueness, it failed to find a match with the governance styles prevalent in the world at that time. Based on Khilafa, which is the system of governance where few good and pious men choose the Khalifa or King, does not match in its entirety with the democratic systems of government where collective self governance is done through a popular election. This compatibility of democracy and Islam is one of the most debated topics in academic as well as non-academic circles especially in the aftermath of 9/11 and the subsequent re-defining of world order and the war on terror. The history of Islam suggest that the concept of election was present but to a very limited level. As discussed above that the Kalifa was chosen with the consent of the pious men of the society does indicate a certain level of crude electoral school present in the primitive Islamic society. It must also be noted that the earliest Islamic society was very limited and Medina, where the Islamic empire begun comprised only few thousands inhabitants. Islamic therefore necessarily do not advocate any particular form of governance therefore to argue that democracy and Islam are two incompatible issues is basically a flawed argument. All the earliest evidence of Islamic society and its teachings do not point towards a single system of governance in the country. Caliphate does not mean an Islamic system of governance as it was not the chosen method of governance. The issue of democracy and Islam need to be traced back to its origin. As Feldman has started to trace the

The Balanced Scorecard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example The Balanced Scorecard Though the balanced scorecard system was originally developed by Kaplan and Norton to be implemented as a technique for performance management and evaluation, the technique is now used extensively by the organizations as a framework for implementation of new strategies in the business by the identification and deployment of the value drivers in the business with an aim to create strategic advantage. The Balanced Scorecard is a management framework comprising of the performance measurement system as well the process of meeting the key strategic objectives for the business. But there are several deficiencies associated with the original Balanced Scorecard framework as designed by Kaplan and Norton. These may be recognized as: The framework does not have a sufficiently codified mechanism to enable the organization to take decision regarding the inclusion and sustainability considerations in the design of the scorecard. Also, the balanced scorecard framework seems to lack the appropriate processes to evaluate risks that are beyond the client related risks. Other drawbacks of the balanced scorecard technique include the dependence of the scorecard on the performance and control features that do not originate from within the organization, the lack of rationality in the original framework of the scorecard model and the validity of the identified objectives based on which the cause and effect mappings are formed. (Banker and Chang, 2004). Also, the balanced scorecard technique does not take into account the effects of external competitive forces and the new technological necessities which are critical in deciding the performance of the organization and play a major role in deciding the risks and future strategies associated with the business. These shortcomings of the balanced scorecard framework can be addressed by including a wider array of people like social and environmental managers effectively in every critical step of the design and implementation of the balance d scorecard and considering the explicit social and environmental risk factors in the different perspectives involved in the building of the scorecard framework (Hoque, 2012). To effectively address the strategic issues created by both the external and internal factors affecting the performance of the organization, a number of techniques should be included in the balanced scorecard building and implementation processes (Merl, 2007). These may include encouraging the collaboration levels between the operations management unit, financial controllers, marketing management and the social or environmental management within the business, integrating a number of innovative strategic indicators into the balanced scorecard which are related to the social and environmental concerns and result in more value creation by the use of these activities and lastly, the identification of the critical strategic concerns related to the operations of the environmental and social wings of the organization . These strategies can be implemented by the use of mapping models and cause and effect diagrams (Kaplan and Norton, 2008). The balanced scorecard is often unsuccessful in meeting its objectives when there

Need to Invent an Appropriate Technique to Extract Hydrogen from Research Paper

Need to Invent an Appropriate Technique to Extract Hydrogen from Non-polluting Sources - Research Paper Example Human activities are increasing the natural levels of those gases, by emitting carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas; methane and nitrous oxide produced by agricultural activities and changes in the use of land use; and by some industrial gases that do not occur naturally but are long-lived in the atmosphere. Emissions of poisonous gases from vehicles are also constantly polluting the air. In fact, a large proportion of harmful gases in the atmosphere are being emitted from the vehicles. With the development of civilization, the rate of transportation has also increased. Today, most of the vehicles are run by fossil fuels, like petrol, diesel, coal etc. the burning of these fuels emit hazardous gases in the atmosphere and enhances the risk of global warming. In order to protect the Universes from the curse of global warming, the immediate need is to reduce the emission of those gases that are responsible for global warming. In order to red uce the emission level, the prime requirement is to discover alternative sources of energy other than fossil fuel. The vehicles, therefore also need to be run by the energy whose production does not need petrol, diesel or coal. Scientists are experimenting with several alternatives to the traditional source of energy for the vehicles. Fuel cell cars seem to be an appropriate solution to the problem of global warming.   In the last twenty years, scientific knowledge has led to the understanding that anthropogenic, human-made actions were responsible for the changes in global climate. Those changes are a consequence of the emission and accumulation of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere.  

Gender Norms & Racial Bias in the Study of the Modern History Essay Example for Free

Gender Norms Racial Bias in the Study of the Modern History Essay History is the study of the past, specifically how it relates to humans. It is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. Scholars who write about history are called historians. Events occurring prior to written record are considered prehistory. History can also refer to the academic discipline which uses a narrative to examine and analyse a sequence of past events, and objectively determine the patterns of cause and effect that determine them. Historians sometimes debate the nature of history and its usefulness by discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing perspective on the problems of the present. Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends, because they do not support the disinterested investigation required of the discipline of history. Herodotus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian is considered within the Western tradition to be the father of history, and, along with his contemporary Thucydides, helped form the foundations for the modern study of human history. Their work continues to be read today and the divide between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing. In the Eastern tradition, a state chronicle the Spring and Autumn Annals was known to be compiled from as early as 722 BC although only 2nd century BC texts survived. Ancient influences have helped spawn variant interpretations of the nature of history which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific regions and the study of certain topical or thematical elements of historical investigation. Often history is taught as part of primary and secondary education, and the a cademic study of history is a major discipline in University studies. Etymology Ancient Greek á ¼ ±ÃÆ'Ï„Î ¿Ã ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± means inquiry,knowledge from inquiry, or judge. It was in that sense that Aristotle used the word in his . The ancestor word is attested early on in Homeric Hymns, Heraclitus, the Athenian ephebes oath, and in Boiotic inscriptions . The word entered the English language in 1390 with the meaning of relation of incidents, story. In Middle English,  the meaning was story in general. The restriction to the meaning record of past events arose in the late 15th century. It was still in the Greek sense that Francis Bacon used the term in the late 16th century, when he wrote about Natural History. For him, historia was the knowledge of objects determined by space and time, that sort of knowledge provided by memory . In an expression of the linguistic synthetic vs. analytic/isolating dichotomy, English like Chinese now designates separate words for human history and storytelling in general. In modern German, French, and most Germanic and Romance languages, which are solidly synthetic and highly inflected, the same word is still used to mean both history and story. The adjective historical is attested from 1661, and historic from 1669. Historian in the sense of a researcher of history is attested from 1531. In all European languages, the substantive history is still used to mean both what happened with men, and the scholarly study of the happened, the latter sense sometimes distinguished with a capital letter, History, or the word historiography. The modern discipline of history is dedicated to the institutional production of this discourse. All events that are remembered and preserved in some authentic form constitute the historical record. The task of historical discourse is to identify the sources which can most usefully contribute to the production of accurate accounts of past. Therefore, the constitution of the historians archive is a result of circumscribing a more general archive by invalidating the usage of certain texts and documents . The study of history has sometimes been classified as part of the humanities and at other times as pa rt of the social sciences. It can also be seen as a bridge between those two broad areas, incorporating methodologies from both. Some individual historians strongly support one or the other classification. In the 20th century, French historian Fernand Braudel revolutionized the study of history, by using such outside disciplines as economics, anthropology, and geography in the study of global history. Traditionally, historians have recorded events of the past, either in writing or by passing on an oral tradition, and have attempted to answer historical questions through the study of written documents and oral accounts. From the beginning, historians have also used such sources as monuments, inscriptions, and pictures. In general, the sources of historical knowledge can be separated into three categories: what is written, what is  said, and what is physically preserved, and historians often consult all three. But writing is the marker that separates history from what comes before. Archaeology is a discipline that is especially helpful in dealing with buried sites and objects, which, once unearthed, contribute to the study of history. But archaeology rarely stands alone. It uses narrative sources to complement its discoveries. However, archaeology is constituted by a range of methodologies and approaches which are independent from history; that is to say, archaeology does not fill the gaps within textual sources. Indeed, historical archaeology is a specific branch of archaeology, often contrasting its conclusions against those of contemporary textual sources. For example, Mark Leone, the excavator and interpreter of historical Annapolis, Maryland, USA; has sought to understand the contradiction between textual documents and the material record, demonstrating the possession of slaves and the inequalities of wealth apparent via the study of the total historical environment, despite the ideology of liberty inherent in written documents at this time. There are varieties of ways in which history can be organized, including chronologically, culturally, territorially, and thematically. These divisions are not mutually exclusive, and significant overlaps are often present, as in The International Womens Movement in an Age of Transition, 1830–1975. It is possible for historians to concern themselves with both the very specific and the very general, although the modern trend has been toward spec ialization. The area called Big History resists this specialization, and searches for universal patterns or trends. History has often been studied with some practical or theoretical aim, but also may be studied out of simple intellectual curiosity. History and prehistory The history of the world is the memory of the past experience of Homo sapiens around the world, as that experience has been preserved, largely in written records. By prehistory, historians mean the recovery of knowledge of the past in an area where no written records exist, or where the writing of a culture is not understood. By studying painting, drawings, carvings, and other artifacts, some information can be recovered even in the absence of a written record. Since the 20th century, the study of prehistory is considered essential to avoid historys implicit exclusion of certain  civilizations, such as those of Sub-Saharan Africa and pre-Columbian America. Historians in the West have been criticized for focusing disproportionately on the Western world. In 1961, British historian E. H. Carr wrote: This definition includes within the scope of history the strong interests of peoples, such as Australian Aboriginals and New Zealand MÄ ori in the past, and the oral records maintained a nd transmitted to succeeding generations, even before their contact with European civilization. Historiography Historiography has a number of related meanings. Firstly, it can refer to how history has been produced: the story of the development of methodology and practices. Secondly, it can refer to what has been produced: a specific body of historical writing . Thirdly, it may refer to why history is produced: the Philosophy of history. As a meta-level analysis of descriptions of the past, this third conception can relate to the first two in that the analysis usually focuses on the narratives, interpretations, worldview, use of evidence, or method of presentation of other historians. Professional historians also debate the question of whether history can be taught as a single coherent narrative or a series of competing narratives. Philosophy of history Philosophy of history is a branch of philosophy concerning the eventual significance, if any, of human history. Furthermore, it speculates as to a possible teleological end to its development—that is, it asks if there is a design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in the processes of human history. Philosophy of history should not be confused with historiography, which is the study of history as an academic discipline, and thus concerns its methods and practices, and its development as a discipline over time. Nor should philosophy of history be confused with the history of philosophy, which is the study of the development of philosophical ideas through time. Historical methods Cultural history Cultural history replaced social history as the dominant form in the 1980s and 1990s. It typically combines the approaches of anthropology and history  to look at language, popular cultural traditions and cultural interpretations of historical experience. It examines the records and narrative descriptions of past knowledge, customs, and arts of a group of people. How peoples constructed their memory of the past is a major topic. Cultural history includes the study of art in society as well is the study of images and human visual production. Diplomatic history Diplomatic history, sometimes referred to as Rankin History in honor of Leopold von Ranke, focuses on politics, politicians and other high rulers and views them as being the driving force of continuity and change in history. This type of political history is the study of the conduct of international relations between states or across state boundaries over time. This is the most common form of history and is often the classical and popular belief of what history should be. Economic history Although economic history has been well established since the late 19th century, in recent years academic studies have shifted more and more toward economics departments and away from traditional history departments. Environmental history Environmental history is a new field that emerged in the 1980s to look at the history of the environment, especially in the long run, and the impact of human activities upon it. World history World history is the study of major civilizations over the last 3000 years or so. World history is primarily a teaching field, rather than a research field. It gained popularity in the United States, Japan and other countries after the 1980s with the realization that students need a broader exposure to the world as globalization proceeds. It has led to highly controversial interpretations by Oswald Spengler and Arnold J. Toynbee, among others. The World History Association publishes the Journal of World History every quarter since 1990. The H-World discussion list serves as a network of communication among practitioners of world history, with discussions among scholars, announcements, syllabi, bibliographies and book reviews. Peoples history A peoples history is a type of historical work which attempts to account for historical events from the perspective of common people. A peoples history is the history of the world that is the story of mass movements and of the outsiders. Individuals or groups not included in the past in other type of writing about history are the primary focus, which includes the disenfranchised, the oppressed, the poor, the nonconformists, and the otherwise forgotten people. This history also usually focuses on events occurring in the fullness of time, or when an overwhelming wave of smaller events cause certain developments to occur. Histomomity Histornomity is a historical study of human progress or individual personal characteristics, by using statistics to analyze references to eminent persons, their statements, behavior and discoveries in relatively neutral texts. Gender history Gender history is a sub-field of History and Gender studies, which looks at the past from the perspective of gender. It is in many ways, an outgrowth of womens history. Despite its relatively short life, Gender History has had a rather significant effect on the general study of history. Since the 1960s, when the initially small field first achieved a measure of acceptance, it has gone through a number of different phases, each with its own challenges and outcomes. Although some of the changes to the study of history have been quite obvious, such as increased numbers of books on famous women or simply the admission of greater numbers of women into the historical profession, other influences are more subtle. Public history Public history describes the broad range of activities undertaken by people with some training in the discipline of history who are generally working outside of specialized academic settings. Public history practice has quite deep roots in the areas of historic preservation, archival science, oral history, museum curatorship, and other related fields. The term itself began to be used in the U.S. and Canada in the late 1970s, and the field has become increasingly professionalized since that time. Some of the most common settings for public history are museums, historic homes and historic sites, parks, battlefields, archives, film and television companies, and all  levels of government. Historians Professional and amateur historians discover, collect, organize, and present information about past events. In lists of historians, historians can be grouped by order of the historical period in which they were writing, which is not necessarily the same as the period in which they specialized. Chroniclers and analysts, though they are not historians in the true sense, are also frequently included. The judgments of history Since the 20th century, Western historians have disavowed the aspiration to provide the judgments of history. The goals of historical judgments or interpretations are separate to those of legal judgments, which need to be formulated quickly after the events and be final. A related issue to that of the judgments of history is that of collective memory. Pseudo-history Pseudo-history is a term applied to texts which purport to be historical in nature but which depart from standard historiographical conventions in a way which undermines their conclusions. Closely, related to deceptive historical revisionism. Works which draw controversial conclusions from new, speculative, or disputed historical evidence, particularly in the fields of national, political, military, and religious affairs, are often rejected as pseudo-history. Teaching history From the origins of national school systems in the 19th century, the teaching of history to promote national sentiment has been a high priority. In the United States after World War I, a strong movement emerged at the university level to teach courses in Western Civilization, so as to give students a common heritage with Europe. In the U.S. after 1980 attention increasingly moved toward teaching world history or requiring students to take courses in non-western cultures, to prepare students for life in a globalized economy. At the university level, historians debate the question of whether history belongs more to social science or to the humanities. Many view the field from both perspectives. The teaching of history in French schools was influenced by the Nouvelle histoire as disseminated after the 1960s by Cahiers pedagogies and Inveiglement and other journals for teachers. Also  influential was the Institute national de recherchà © et de documentation pedagogue. Joseph Leif, the Inspector-general of teacher training, said pupils children should learn about historians’ approaches as well as facts and dates. Louis Franà §ois, Dean of the History/Geography group in the Inspectorate of National Education advised that teachers should provide historic documents and promote active methods which would give pupils the immense happiness of discovery. Proponents said it was a reaction against the memorization of names and dates that characterized teaching and left the students bored. Traditionalists protested loudly it was a postmodern innovation that threatened to leave the youth ignorant of French patriotism and national identity. In most countries history textbook are tools to foster nationalism and patriotism, and give students the official line about national enemies. In many countries history textbooks are sponsored by the national government and are written to put the national heritage in the most favorable light. For example, in Japan, mention of the Nanking Massacre has been removed from textbooks and the entire World War II is given cursory treatment. Other countries have complained. It was standard policy in communist countries to present only a rigid Marxist historiography. Academic historians have often fought against the politicization of the textbooks, sometimes with success. In 21st-century Germany, the history curriculum is controlled by the 16 states, and is characterized not by super-patriotism but rather by an almost pacifistic and deliberately unpatriotic undertone and reflects principles formulated by international organizations such as UNESCO or the Council of Europe, thus oriented towards human rights, democracy and peace. The result is that German textbooks usually downplay national pride and ambitions and aim to develop an understanding of citizenship centered on democracy, progress, human rights, peace, tolerance and European.

Creationsim vs. Evolution :: Science Religion Essays

Creationsim vs. Evolution Intro Who or what really is our greatest of great ancestors? Most major religions and early groups of people have an answer to this common question. The Greek myths declare that only Geia (the Earth) and a great sea of Chaos were in the beginning, and in a soap opera fashion the gods eventually came forth, who eventually created humans (Bierlein 47-8). The Chippewa/Algonquin Native Americans believe that the great Earth Mother had two sons, a good one and a bad one that ended up creating the plants, animals, and humans (61). In the Christian, scientific Western Hemisphere, we believe in two possible answers -- one, that we descended from Adam, who was created from the mingling of the dirt of the ground with God's breath into His image (a doctrine held by religious Creationism), or two, that we evolved from monkeys which evolved from bacteria, which evolved from non-living chemicals and lightning (the scientific theory of evolution). These two theories both have credibility - the Bible is one of the oldest and most extensive historical documents we have, recorded with great precision, while evolution is very logical and builds on numerous scientific disciplines. Yet creation and evolution seem diametrically opposed. If we were created randomly and purposelessly, as evolution suggests, then the creation account of a sculptor molding his clay to make man appears erroneous. So scientists often call the Genesis account a â€Å"myth† – a story conceived by early man to explain away his questions. Christians are often offended by implications like these, and end up attacking science’s claims. In turn, many scientists feel distaste for people who don't accept their elegant theory and their mounds of evidence, and thus reject the others' view. Though a war has been established pinning these two theories against each other, this dichotomy is actually a false one. Christians do not need to give up their faith and scientists can start believing in God. These two clashing but persuasive theories, creation and evolution, can be reconciled. First, these theories need to be defined. Definition Evolution is the theory that all living organisms can be traced back to a common ancestor, which came into being from non-living elements, by natural laws. Darwin’s contribution to this theory was the mechanism by which species could evolve – natural selection.

Explain Kant’s Moral Argument

Explain Kant’s Moral Argument Kant’s moral argument focuses on reason, good will, duty and the notion that we ought to strive towards moral perfection (Summum Bonum). He believes that people are ruled by a ‘moral law’. This moral law for Kant was universal and objective. An example of this might be seen in the wide scale agreement that murder or torture is wrong. There seems to be agreement across cultures that certain actions are intrinsically wrong. This, for Kant, suggests that there is a universal objective moral law.He believed that the highest form of goodness was the notion of good will, namely that someone would freely choose to do good for no reward whatsoever, only for the sake of goodness. Moreover, Kant believed that we have a moral duty to do such good things. He would argue that we have an awareness of what is right and wrong and that good will should make us act accordingly as reason dictates this to be the case. In a way it doesn’t ma ke any rational sense to act in an immoral way.Duty was seen by Kant as a way of fulfilling this end without being misguided by emotion or factors of personal gain. It is here that we come to a key point in Kant’s argument, namely the notion of ‘ought’ implies ‘can’. He believed that we can only have a duty to do something that we can do. For example, I cannot have a duty to fly unaided as it is not something that I can do; or if I were to come across someone drowning in a lake but could not swim Kant would suggest that I would not have a duty to jump in and save them.My duty in the latter case would be to find someone who could swim so I would need to raise the alarm. If I can choose to do the good (using reason, good will and duty) in one case then I should be able to do this in every case, moreover that I have a duty to achieve this moral perfection. Kant called this moral perfection the Summum Bonum. He argued that the Summum Bonum was a state of moral perfection existing coincidently with perfect happiness. For Kant, the problem for human beings acting morally was that it did not lead to happiness.I could be the most moral person in the world yet personal tragedy could befall me, while another individual may lead an immoral life and be happy in some way. This would appear to make the world unfair and would potentially discourage us from acting morally at all. Kant believed that we must have a duty to achieve the Summum Bonum and because it was not achievable in this lifetime that we must be able to achieve this in the next life. Kant does not see this as ‘proof’ of God’s xistence only that it hints towards their being a higher being such as God who gives humans this sense of duty, and gives us the initiative to act morally in order to achieve perfection. The conclusion of Kant’s moral argument is that God must exist as a postulate of practical reason. Without the existence of God we cannot have t he afterlife and we would not be able to fulfil our obligation of reaching the Summum Bonum. Therefore God is necessary to ensure fairness in the universe and provide the exact coincidence of moral perfection and perfect happiness known as the Summum Bonum.

A 20th Century Leader

‘Robert Kennedy: His Life’ is the autobiography of Robert F. Kennedy (popularly referred to as RFK). It was written by Evan Thomas, a former senior editor of Newsweek in Washington.He was the first biographer to have access to Kennedy’s personal papers as attorney general. Thought the book contains no shocking revelations, there is a lot of fresh information gathered from Robert’s surviving colleagues, files and other sources. In the book, Thomas gives an elucidation of the man’s strengths as well as failures, and discloses the complex web of relationships in the Kennedy family.Depicting RFK as a man whose ‘house had a lot of mansions’, Thomas refers to him as ‘the lucky one’. Throughout the book, Thomas brings out the many phases of Kennedy’s personality. He was a very rich individual who could act like a spoiled child one day, and show sympathy to the minorities the next. Though the book honors a man whose potential was cut short too soon, Thomas’ book focuses on a man, a family and an era about whom Americans will never fully understand.Robert was the younger brother of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (JFK). Born on November 20, 1925, he was the seventh born of Rose Fitzgerald and Joseph P. Kennedy. After living in Brookline, Massachusetts for two years, Robert and his family moved severally to mansions located in different parts of New York such as Riversdale and Bronxville.Robert schooled at Riversdale and Bronxville elementary schools till 5th grade, and then moved to Riverdale Country School for 6th grade. In 1938 when 12 years old, Robert took his first trip abroad with his family to England, where his father was serving as an American envoy. After finishing high school in 1943, Robert was drafted into the U.S. Naval Reserve as a trainee seaman.Robert Kennedy’s involvement in politicsAccording to Brian (1996), when World War II broke out, Robert took a break from studies at Harvard and joined the U.S. Navy. After the war, he went on to complete his studies and graduated with a law degree from University of Virginia. In the 1950s, he served as a counsel to a US Senate committee probing labor unions, leading to his open feud with the Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa.Robert’s political career is more closely associated with his brother, JFK. He oversaw JFK’s successful campaigns for the US Senate in 1952 and the presidency in 1960, and then was appointed as Attorney General in John’s administration.He was at the forefront of enforcing civil rights measures in the South and became the president’s closest adviser on all issues, for example foreign policy matters such as the Cuban missile crisis. After his brother’s assassination in 1963, Robert continued to serve in the Lyndon Johnson government as Attorney General and was unhappy that Johnson overlooked him for vice-presidency in 1964.Robert ran successfully for senator of Ne w York. As senator, he was loved by African Americans and other minorities such as immigrant groups and Native Americans. He spoke convincingly in favor of the excluded, disaffected and impoverished, hence getting the support of social justice campaigners and leaders of the civil rights struggle.He backed President Johnson on domestic matters, particularly civil rights and the war on poverty, but did agree with him over the war in Vietnam. By 1968, he was one of the most vocal advocates against the American policy on Vietnam. On domestic policy however, he became more and more liberal and developed a soft spot for the dispossessed and the minorities.Robert declared his candidacy for the US presidency in early 1968. He was assassinated on June, 5, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles just after delivering a speech to his supporters upon capturing the California primary. He was pronounced dead the following morning.Attitudes and ApproachAccording to Brian (1996), Robert as a ch ild was frequently the target of his father’s domineering temperament. However as he got older, he won the admiration of his father and brothers through his competitiveness. During his brother’s campaigns, Robert was more tenacious, passionate and involved than the candidate himself, aggressively tackling every detail and fighting every battle.