Capitalism a Love Story free essay sample

The whole point of this documentary was to reveal capitalism for what it truly is. Capitalism is about taking and giving, but mostly taking. It takes advantage of others disadvantages. People were made to believe that capitalism was good and holy and that it tied into the bible, but in reality, it’s the opposite. Michael Moore would call more of financial Cudahy. Every 71/2 seconds a person’s house is being foreclosed in America. The banks are evicting people from their own home because they couldn’t pay. In the beginning of the film it showed a family of four being evicted, 7 cop cars came to the home just to remove these people from their home. It then goes onto a different family, Randy and Donna. They’re family had been living there for years. Randy had an accident and was then put on disability, so it got harder for them to pay the bills. We will write a custom essay sample on Capitalism a Love Story or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There was a misunderstanding between the police officer and Randy, the bank had supposedly given them 30 days to move, but the police were told otherwise. It turned out Citibank had already sold the house. The documentary goes back to two decades ago, when capitalism was good and the rich paid 90% of tax, but that all changed when Ronald Reagan became president. You can this is where it all went downhill. Donald Reagan who was a chairman and was the richest broker in the world at the time was chosen as the chief of staff, he helped cut taxes for the rich. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency a lot of bad things started to happen, healthcare rates went up, there was an explosion of bankruptcy, the unemployment was higher than ever, and etc. Capitalism existed everywhere. In Works berry, Pennsylvania the county hired a private profit making corporation, Pa child care. Two businessmen Robert Powel and Gregory Zappala were owners of this juvenile detention center. Apparently they made a deal with Mark Chiavalera who was a judge. Many kids were put in the detention center even if their felony was not big, example one of the kids who got convicted threw a steak at his mother’s boyfriend, but still was sent to the juvenile detention center. These kids also served more than what they were supposed to and they were released based on the center’s decision. Pa received about 65 million hundred and they paid the judge around 2 million for imposing harsh punishment on the youth. Capitalism allows you to get away with anything, even to gain a profit on an employee’s death. Dan worked for the Amery Bank and died of cancer. The Amery Bank took a secret life insurance out of his name and named them the beneficiary. They made one and half million on his death. Seven million Americans are covered by these policies. We are worth more dead than alive. If we didn’t have capitalism and if it was run as a democracy things would be good. There is a company, Espus Engineering that is run that way. Workers are the true owners, they each vote where money is out of the equation and at the end they make more money. There is also this bread company where the CEO makes the same amount as the workers. Toward the end of the film they show people actually started standing up for what they deserve. Before Christmas of 2008 Bank of America gave a 3 days’ notice to 250 people from Illinois Chicago, that they were going to be fired. The workers were not given their last payment. So these workers came to protest, stood their ground, and weren’t going to leave until they got paid. They protested Bank of America to pay with the bail money they received, after 6 days they got what they wanted. They were paid In my opinion, I felt that this documentary was very interesting to watch and I would recommend this to people. I did enjoy it and surprisingly, I did not get bored. It was interesting to know of all the different events that have happened. I did not know about half of the things in there which is sad, but true. It is a good way to learn about capitalism because it not only talked about it and explained it, but it also gave many examples of it, to help you understand even further. Another reason why I would recommend this documentary is because Michael Moore interviewed a variety of different people and got their perspective and side of the story, so it wasn’t just one side of it. You got to hear their opinions and see how capitalism somewhat effected them.

Downloading Programs and Software essays

Downloading Programs and Software essays Although economist Milton Friedman once proclaimed that "There's no such thing as a free lunch," that doesn't necessarily hold true for software. There are some totally free programsquite a number, in factthat come without so much as an advertiser's banner across the top as a form of payment." (Some freeware' is free to the user, but not to the advertiser, and those do carry banners, or even spyware, which reports your Internet efforts in aid of market research.) Websense Inc. reported in 2002 that the number of freeware and shareware sites on the Web had spiked 315 percent in the previous year to a total of more than 4,300 Web sites and a total of almost 1.3 million Web pages. Freeware sites distribute free software the user can download; shareware sites offer software on a free trial basis and usually including an expiration date, which is tracked. (Business Wire, 2002) Popular systems such as the Linux operating system are subject to massive independent peer review, so bugs in any freeware or shareware for the most common systems is readily found. Freeware and software are also two-way streets; hackers who add enhancements because of the source code license being free return those enhancements so the original developer can redistribute the software including those enhancements. When Netscape released the sourcecode for its browser, enhancements happened quickly and globally. "Within seven hours of releasing the source code of its browser, which did not include full-strength encryption, a group in Australia built in the full-strength encryption that Netscape could not distribute because of U.S. export laws," according to an InfoWorld report. (Radosevich, 1998) Many IT managers at corporations complain about freeware and shareware because problems with it, when it is loaded onto corporate computers, especially tho...

Digital Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Digital Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example Gloria Jeans offers the market with the highest quality of Arabica beans of coffee species. The organization gets its coffee roasted with modern technological equipment in Australia. The organization objective is to capture some of the Malaysian coffee market specialty through targeting of thirty outlets thus creating a strong presence in the market lifestyle and retailing of coffee in Malaysia. The company can improve its presence online because it has adequate resources helping increase its presence physically and thus further expand itself both online and offline. Currently, Gloria Jean’s promotes itself offline and online. Its in-store does not give any link to its presence online thus its digital marketing profile seems to be very low. The organization has online intermediaries in existence such as Google, Malaysian directory and Yahoo that helps it expanding its market share and selling capacity to the online consumers (Myfranchise 2009). Google sites in Malaysia have been ranked as the most popular seven million visitors in the month of June in the year 2009 in Malaysia. This accounted for approximately y seventy-six percent of the total local population who get online. Research indicates a slight increment in the population of Malaysia who use the internet from eight thousand six hundred and eighty to nine thousand four hundred and one (Digital Media across Asia 2010, March 22). Approximately nine point three million people in Malaysia who are aged fifteen years and above do access internet from workplaces and homes, with each of them spending approximately fourteen hours online. New opportunities to capture the attention of the targeted market are offered by such growth of online users. Therefore, Malaysia bears the potential to increasing its population-accessing internet. In Asia region, Malaysia emerged the strongest country with strong penetration of social networking and nearly three point eight hours engagement per visitor. Many

Identifying Potential Risk, Response, and Recovery Assignment - 1

Identifying Potential Risk, Response, and Recovery - Assignment Example It can be done by having a strategy to counter these risks spanning risk mitigation, risk assignment, risk acceptance and risk avoidance. Moreover, control mechanisms ranging from administrative, preventive, detective and corrective should be put in play. In this document, we center around four main security threats to the company. They include data security, computer virus risk, Keystroke logging, and adware. These risks if not properly managed may cost the organization a great deal. First, the entire processing in the organization will significantly be lowered. The institution, as a result, may delay in meeting its deadlines. Secondly, the resources may not last to the projected time frame and thus call for replacement earlier than anticipated. The worse part could be losing the organizations secret or procedures to other competitors in the market that may completely cripple the existence of the institution. After noting the adverse effects the threats could have on the organizatio n as a whole, there is an urgent need to avoid reaching such an extent. Our method of selecting which method to effect will highly depend on the nature of the threat at hand. In its entirety, adware is a sequence of instructions written to effect downloading of adverts to one's computer system. It also functions on its own and could perform various displays. The source of the adware is through application software that has instructions to work on your computer (Bersani, 2008). Alternatively, they could arise when that software is in use. Whereas it is easier to avoid such software’s, acquiring them elsewhere could be involved or more costly. Users consequently sacrifice for the free use of such software. The greatest threat is an adware that is in the form of spyware.

Globalization of the clothing industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization of the clothing industry - Essay Example Moreover, movement of goods, services and capital has been made easy through globalization, and it has hugely influenced different sectors including the clothing industry. Globalization in the clothing industry is defined as the movement of textile products from one part of the world or location to the other through fashion, exhibition, apparel, showcasing or designing (Timmerman 3). It does not necessarily mean physical actions, but sharing of ideas or clothing from different parts of the world. There are numerous debates among scholars, countries, and investors on the beneficiaries and impacts of globalization in the clothing industry. Today, different fashions are available at the consumers doorstep due to globalization. Clothes produced by American firms are available in China, African and every corner of the world. In turn, it has negative and positive impacts on consumers, and domestic clothing industries. This paper will outline effects of globalization of the clothing industry on factories and employees in the United States, as well as on the consumers. Globalization of the clothing industry has provided opportunities for factories in the United States to outsource for cheaper labor from developing or emerging economies and countries. Many US clothing industries are outsourcing their marketing, manufacturing, and other duties to less developed nations, where the currency differences favor them (Timmerman 40). US companies find cheap labor because of outsourced services, and this makes them complete manufacturing at half the home or domestic price. Therefore, most US clothing companies have established manufacturing units in less developed nations such as China, Bangladesh, and India in order to produce goods at low prices. Many US factories have gained from globalization of the clothing industry, because they benefit from outsourcing thus gaining enormous profits. Similarly, globalization of the

Motivation And Group Team Working Business Essay

Motivation And Group Team Working Business Essay Molander Winterton (1994, p.3) states that Anyone who has spent time in a number of work organizations will have noticed how the climate differs, the different ways in which things are done, differing levels of energy and individual freedom, and of course, different kinds of people. And The complex mixture of assumptions, behaviors, stories, myths, metaphors (symbols) and other ideas that fit together to define what it means to be a member of a particular society, this view has been supported in the work of Stoner and Freeman (1999, p.181.). Culture is derived from notional context, clearly linked to strategy and determines how strategy can be implemented. In successful organization, there is a strong culture. In 2006, Haier is the worlds 4th largest whitewoods manufacturer and one of China top 100 IT company. In addition, Haier branches in technology research, manufacture industry, trading and financial services with 240 subsidiary companies and 30 design centers, plants and trade companies and more than 50,000 employees around the world. The global revenue was approximately 10,000 million pounds. Nevertheless 20 years ago, Haier was a small state owned company in Qingdao, China and it was losing $178,000 on annual revenues of $421,000. (Haier, 2010) During that period, it had built up its own sales network around world, export more than 160 countries. Meanwhile, Haier just product refrigerators originally, now its product range cover dozens of categories in the domestic electrical appliance market with thousands of individual products. What makes Haier from a small unsuccessful company, which is nearly shut down to an international large-scale enterprise? It is the Zhangs hammer. Zhang Ruimin the CEO of Haier Corporation, he drives and transforms Haier to a global player. Haiers culture, style and operational approach reflect its Chinese traditions and its successes are identified with its key leaders. Haier president Yang Mianmian states her strategy of one low (price), three high (value, growth and quality) it is also cited as a key for Haiers continuing success. A story of Zhang Ruimin that took in a day in 1985, Zhang took a sledgehammer to a row of 76 faulty Haier fridges to the whole workforce who were lined up to watch ( a fridge cost about two years wages in that year). Zhang said: If we do not destroy these refrigerators, what is be shattered by the market in the future will be this enterprise. This hammer is a symbol of Zhangs complete rejection of the previous company attitude that defective products could be tolerated and knocked out at a discount. This story signifies that Haier Corporation is with a strong and distinctive culture. The international strategy of Haier seeks to offer a fast delivery and good service to local market and customers by make maximum use of local labour resources and capital. It is always changing products for the local preferences and habits (as with the wine fridge), a practice that could become costly in terms of complexity and logistics. Haiers global branding strategy aims at standing as a local brand in different market. With the strong Haier culture, Zhang has decided to go for the difficult markets first on the basis that success in these markets would require the company to improve faster than seeking to dominate less fiercely contested markets. Haier has dominated the Chinese market, though Zhang has sought to expand the network through alliances, such as the 2002 agreement with Sanyo, this agreement helps Haier force into Japan market. Haiers strong culture can be seen most clearly in its internal relationships even exporting to other country. Haier built and opened a factory in South Carolina to serve the American market. At first, its methods were strange to the new employees from local labour market. However, according to a report in the Chinese Peoples Daily: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦both sides have harmonious exchanges, the difference of cultural background, instead of causing estrangement between the Chinese and American workers in their work, has increased their interest in mutual understanding. Initially, the American workers were against to volunteer for overtime to complete the days target work, but the Haier culture motivated them accept the strange work system from China and even prepare for the next days work at Independent Day. Haier seems spread its culture to America. Nowadays, Haier represent as a super brand from China manage to establish and consolidate its position as global brand. As CEO Zhang said: Another challenge unique to China is we have started our brand development late. So we have to catch up in a very short period of time. I will give you an analogy: Its like constructing a 10 story building. Our foreign competitors have already finished all the way up to the ninth floor. The Chinese market is their tenth floor. Once they have moved successfully into the China market, they will be finished with building this high-rise. But in China, we have only built the first floor. There are still nine floors to go. The story recently carried out in the Essentials of organizational behavior by Mullins (2008 cited in Lecture note University of Birmingham Organizational behavior course, 2009). Haier makes culture as a tool of upgrade and powerful company. The aspects of culture can be national, organizational, or interest group, relatively enduring values, beliefs, customs, traditions, and practices commonly shared by a discrete group-defines boundaries between organizations. It also can be transmitted from one generation to the next-conveys a sense of stability and identity. Culture is something larger than individual self-interest, provides standards and control mechanisms. Innovation and risk, attention to detail, outcome orientation, people orientation, team orientation and stability perceived as organization culture separate the high strength employee and low strength employee. The countrys origin effect appears on most global companies that rooted in national business system of their home co untry. Hofstedes analysis has brought up cultural differences in such areas as power distance and uncertainty avoidance, such nationalities as American, British, German/European and Japanese emphasis different approaches to business. Cultures interact with such elements as national business systems, corporate control, management development and human resources management such as COKE, TOYOTA, and UBS. The Business organisation and management lecture given by Dr Peter Foss in November 2009 has shown the definition of motivation is The willingness to exert high levels of effort toward organisational goals, conditioned by the efforts ability to satisfy some individual need. Many factors can influence motivation for example, needs or expectations, behaviour or action, desired goal, frustration or fulfilment and feedback. These make a cycle system, the need or expectations leads to behaviour or action then a desired goal will be set, during the process the blockage will result in frustration, on the contrary get through the blockage will contribute to fulfilment, finally some feedback to needs or expectation. Two differing perspectives are the content theories and process theories. The content theories emphasis what and process theories accentuate how. The content theories identify our needs and strengths; provide the elements of motivation (Spicer, 2010). The Maslow Hierarchy of needs construct by 5 stages, from lowest to highest each stage has its own expectation after reach it, then will move to the next stage. We satisfy needs in the order given: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation. After turn to next unsatisfied need, the satisfied need will not be a motivator any more. Meanwhile, lacks of satisfaction will effects physical and mental health. The innate desire to scale hierarchy and self-actualisation stimulates the desire for more. The Hongwu Emperor is one example to interpret this theory. Hongwu Emperor named Zhu Yuanzhang found Ming Dynasty in China, who is an outstanding military scientist and politician. He was born in Pei County in 1328 and he was the youngest of four brothers. His family was difficult to supply basic needs for them and in 1344, the broken dam of Huang River destroyed this poor family, only Zhu Yuanzhang survived. In order to dispense the terrible life condition, Zhu Yuanzhang joined a local rebel group to fight Mongol army. With a strong survivable desire, physical talent and natural leadership ability, Zhu Yuanzhang became a leader in one branch of Red Turban. The Red Turban was mixed brief by Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, the major force against Yuan Dynasty. In the 1356 Zhu Yuanzhang took control of a major city of China, Yingtian (now called Nanjing), he started operate his own policy and built his power prepared for separate from Red Turban in the future. Benefited by Zhu Yuanzhangs splendid talent, he won the largest naval battle, after won and from now on, Zhu Yuanzhang started collecting treasure and jewellery from the people under his rule and built his own palace in Yingtian. He took the rest of China and destroyed Yuan Dynasty in 1366. In the year 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself Hongwu Emperor. (Buzzle, 2010) From this story, Zhu Yuanzhang followed Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, transfer from physiological to safety when he joined the rebel group, after took control of Yingtian, and he sought for affiliation. When Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself Hongwu Emperor the stage from esteem to self-actualisation. However, the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs theory limited by live condition and level of knowledge. According to the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid, the Physiological is the most common need and Self-actualiation is the smallest. It is not suitable for the modern world any more, with the upgrade level of human civilization. Self-actualization cannot stay at the top of Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid any more, physiological does not the basic need for most people. Theory X Type Theory Y Type People dislike work and want to avoid it Work is interesting, need it for growth Force is needed to get the right effort People will direct themselves to goal People are mostly motivated by money Desire to fulfill ones potential is motivating Most people have little creativity Creativity is available, but widely under used Source: Foss, 2009 The McGregors Theory X and Theory Y show two opposite views of individual. Managers would more support Theory Y, the mental motivators are more effective than substance motivators. The employee with Theory Y mostly will be the top of their own territory, but Theory X cannot. David McClelland learned that employee motivated by the six basic human needs: achievement, power, affiliation, independence, self-esteem and security. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) The Process theories of motivation focus on the choice of motivator that effect in the period of work. How much effort the worker paid in the specific work depends on the motivator. The three process theories of motivation are equity theory, expectancy theory and goal-setting theory. ( Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) Equity Self : Outcomes(100) Inputs(100) Other: Outcomes(100) Inputs(100) Inequity (under-rewarded) Outcomes(100) Inputs(100) Outcomes(150) Inputs(100) Inequity (over-rewarded) Outcomes(150) Inputs(100) Outcomes(100) Input(100) The Equity Theory is defined by ratio of an individuals inputs and outcomes to explain how people utilize the resources and energy to distribute fairness. The balance or imbalance direct influence the satisfaction and motivation of employees. Inequitable reward leads to dissatisfaction, lower output and departure. Equitable reward contributes to continue same level of output. More than Equitable Reward conduces to harder work, discounted reward, higher motivation. Conspicuously, the best way to manage the motivation of employees is a positive reward system. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) Expectancy theory based on the expectation for the output of employees. Moreover, satisfy the equation: Force of motivation (F) = V (direction) ÃÆ'- I (probability) ÃÆ'- E (expectation), motivation is the product of direction, probability and expectation. The effort affect the performance, performance influence reward, finally the reward decide how much output and expectation. The satisfactions of personal goal approach contribute to a higher passion of employee to the work or research. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) Goal-Setting theory is the process of motivate employees using goal setting method. A challenging goals lead to higher level of performance, but this hinge on the workers ability, otherwise, will damage the motivation and confidence if the goals cannot be reached. Specific goals conduce to higher value of work than oversimplified goals. An energetic employee in goal setting can improve performance by increasing commitment. Individuals belief of being capable of performing a task assisted by setting goals increases performance. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) The next topic I chose is Group and Team Working. Group and team are two different conceptions. The Group is two or more people work together, face to face communication and have a common target. Nevertheless, the Team is a group of two or more people who influence and care each other, are acting as one people for common objectives and perceive themselves as a responsible entity with an organisation. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) Developing from Groups into Teams is one of the managers of organization need to think over. The Team had always better than the Group that is why a group of the world best football players cannot 100% defeats a professional team with unknown players. The task and process approach of transfer group into team have a great deal of aspects: different culture if the members of the group have different nationality or culture background, choose a leader from the group, environment, motivation, resources and power or ability. There may also have plenty of uncertain and complex difficulties. Affiliation and achievement of individual needs of group members, the communicate channels, openness to each other and decision making are foundations of a team. Nowadays, team working is competitiveness, with a high competitive market race, organization required to upgrade its efficiency of work and emphasize the importance of the spirit of team working. Especially when face a large-scale project, the individual cannot finish it by itself, at this point, the age of individualism was end, an outstanding team seems be the main stream of world development. The performance of a team depends on the classification of work team, lower-level teams just make things like self-managed work team similar with a single group, middle-level teams monitor thing like project team but not perfect, the senior-level teams plans and runs things, they drive the project to be real by their steps. (Bratton, Sawchuk, Forshaw, Callinan, Corbett, 2010) To be a high performing team required a common purpose, clear defined goals, psychological, role clarity, mature communication, productive conflict resolution and accountable interdependence. Establish sense of urgency, select members for skill and skill potential, pay attention to first meetings and actions, set clear rules for each member, challenge group frequently, set and seize on a few quick performance oriented tasks, spend lots of time together and use positive feedback. The other important rule is insure psychological safety: equal voice, contribution; everyone participates; attack issues not people; privacy in team discussion. (Foss, 2009) The leader is the core of a team who manage the direction of team approach with an overall consideration. The leader should familiar with the ability and virtue of each member and makes them act best in the suitable position, stimulates the potential of them, strengthens the communication between the team and makes the members feel their importance in the team. The members of team are indispensible for the team, should have the consciousness of team working. Finishing the job of themselves is the responsibility in a team, in additional, the members of team should trust each other. The barriers to team effectiveness like social loafing, risky shift, decision-making, groupthink and common knowledge. A pernicious conflict in the team, especially between the leader and co-leader, this will dissociate the team. In the team, the 1+1 probably not larger than 2. In the 2004 NBA final, the Laker has Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Gary Payton and the coach Phil Jackson versus the Pistons. Everyone believed the NBA most powerful team in the last 20 years would defeat the team without one superstar easily. However, the result was the Pistons defeat the Lakers with score 4 to 1. Actually, Shaquille, Kobe, Karl and Gary they are great basketball players no matter in the league or history, but they are not a team, just a famous group. Kobe and Shaquille not get along well for the team leader, Karl and Gary desire for a champion ring, a team with domestic trouble and foreign invasion cannot call a team. The three topics are from the module organizational behaviour and sociology of work. An abundant knowledge of organizational behaviour helps handle the relationship between employees and managers in the organization and have the positive function to the company development. The first topic is organizational culture, and the first part is the definition about organizational culture. Next using the Haier cooperation as the application organizational example, during the application part connects with the theory of organizational culture. The final part is described the key theory and principles, in addition, the criticisms of the theory and principles in this part either. The second topic is motivation. The first part is explain what motivation is and provides The Maslow Hierarchy of needs theory as the main theory. Using the Hongwu Emperor as the example to explain the maslow hierarchy of needs theory. The following is the criticisms and personal opinion against the maslow hierarchy of needs theory. Finally part is the other key principles and theory. The last topic is group and team working. The first part is same with the other two parts explain the definition of group and team working. Next depict the differences between group and team. The Laker from NBA is the organization to show how to manage a team and the barriers to team effectiveness. The Organizational culture, Motivation and Group and team working are important aspects to an organization. The knowledge of organizational behaviour is art of human relationship in the organization, it is the mental spirit of an organization. A successful management of organizational behaviour not only build a concordant relationship during the employees and managers but also clear the barriers to organization upgrade and performance.

Divine Comedy - Dante and Virgils Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s

Dante and Virgil's Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno In Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno, Virgil describes the statue of the Old Man of Crete. Dante uses the Old Man of Crete as a metaphor for Virgil’s legacy in order to elucidate the nature of Dante’s and Virgil’s relationship. In the beginning of the metaphor, Dante carefully and methodically illustrates the grandeur of the Greek empire and Roman civilization. "[Mount Ida] was once chosen," Virgil explains, "as a trusted cradle/ by Rhea for her son" (XIV.100-101). According to Roman mythology, Rhea gave birth to Zeus, who ultimately became the father of all Greek gods and mortal heroes and served as the cornerstone of Greek civilization. Crete, thus, is the "cradle" or birthplace of Greek civilization. In the Aeneid, Crete is also the birthplace of the Roman civilization, a concept that is important because it already begins to point to the greatness of Virgil and his homeland. The position of the statue of the Old Man provides a straightforward glimpse of the status of Rome and the legacy of Virgil. Standing straight and "erect" (XIV.104), the Old Man "looks at Rome" with his back "turned toward Damietta" (XIV.104-105). The statue’s back faces Damietta, an ancient city in Egypt. What’s more important, though, is that the Old Man is facing Rome. This precise detail makes it clear that Dante the poet wants his contemporary readers to know that Rome is the direction towards which society is converging. The image of the statue looking at Rome "as if it were his mirror" (XIV.105) drives this point further. Within Rome, the Old Man sees a reflection of all of his characteristics; Rome is a natural extension of all the great aspects of the Greek culture, including... ...to the Romans. Virgil is the conduit through which the tradition of Homeric poets and Greek literature flows. On the other hand, Dante also seems to be describing the deterioration of Virgil’s legacy: the Old Man is "of choicest iron/ except for his right foot, made of baked clay; and he rests more on this than on the left" (XIV.109-111). Furthermore, "down that fissure there are tears that drip" (XIV.113). The tears are metaphors for the flowing away of Virgil’s legacy. The tears form the rivers of hell, which suggests that Dante is using Virgil’s description of hell as a basis for his own vision. By doing so, he builds his reputation but takes away from Virgil’s fame. Dante must stand on his own feet, which is the reason why the Old Man is leaning on his crumbling, "baked clay" foot. Dante’s challenge, then, is upholding Virgil’s legacy while building up his own.

Explain Augustine’s temporal paradox

Augustine’s temporal paradox can be explained by starting with our typical beliefs about time, to wit: the past does not exist, the future is yet to exist and only the present actually exists.   However the actual existence of the present has no duration because it immediately becomes the past or the future the moment we try to isolate it. In the words of St. Augustine, â€Å"The present hath no space†.   The temporal paradox refers to the existence only of the present which however does not have a â€Å"duration†.Following this temporal paradox and Augustine treated time in ontological terms, i.e. in relation to the nature of being and existence.   We derive the notion of time by perceiving something that has passed, something that exists and something that will exist in the future.   Time is embodied and manifested through the duration of things that come into being to the present that passed away in an incessant continuum of past and future.   Conseq uently, material things move from none existence to existence to non existence (past, present and future).The perpetuation of the time continuum entails that â€Å"the mind expects, and attends, and remembers, so that what it expects passes by way of what it attends to into what it remembers.† (Augustine, 2002, p236) What the mind expects is the future, what is remembers is the past and what it attends to at the moment is the present, which is what exists.   Attending to the present does not refer to our location or inhabitance in this time continuum but one’s capturing of the immediate past in the memory. This is precisely because the present has no duration or no space and it is only through memory that we can attend to it.For St. Augustine, even â€Å"time† is created by God and therefore he is beyond the continuum of the time series to which people and all other things are bound.   God is in a state of â€Å"Eternal Now†, where the present, past a nd future are at all once.   However, while St. Augustine’s idea of time is very revolutionary, it nevertheless has critical repercussions that run inconsistent which Christian principles which he originally wanted to justify and defend.With the past and future all happening in the present for God, people therefore are already predestined to what will happen to them. People were not really given the gift of choice or freewill but are doomed to end up to how God have designed their world. What seemed to be a series of choices for people in this space of time is actually a finished or done design for God.   (Von Martelsand Schmidt, V, 2003, p79-102)2-Imagine that Russell and Berkeley are sitting across from each other at table. Write a short dialogue (about 500 words) that captures each philosopher’s views with respect to the ontological status of the table. Be sure to bring out areas of agreement and disagreementIn order to appreciate Bishop Berkeley, one must first fully understand that ontology focuses on the nature of essence and meaning of being. Berkeley is a major proponent of subjective idealism in which ultimately argues that the world including all the material objects are not real but are mere collections of perceptions of human experience, which is what is real.   It highlights that significance of mind before matter and the preordained connection of mind and body.Thinking is function that people constantly do, consciously, unconsciously or subconsciously in relating to their environment.   The mind is essential to be considered in understanding the nature of the universe because everything entailed the consciousness of the mind.   Thus, the universe is the product of the mind. (Bourgeois, 2003, 162-163)Berkeley will not deny that the table being observed is definitely real but it needs to be subjected to one’s consciousness before we know it is real.   Moreover, the real essence of the table or that which makes a tab le what it is resides in the â€Å"idea† of the table which is in the mind of God.   It does not rest on the â€Å"physical table† which we perceived because our experiences of the table vary.   While we see the table is brown, solid and smooth, our experience of the brownness, solidness or smoothness of the table differs. There is a disparity between what at we perceive† and â€Å"what is real†.Russell agrees with Berkeley’s idea that the act of perception is dependent on the mind but the mind is only the mental functioning of the brain hence, the perceptions therefore do not actually exist in the mind.   We only get to have a mental idea of what a table is through our perception of the physical table.   Perception is the prime source of knowledge (Engel, S., 2001, p 250-260).Knowledge is mainly based on the acquisition, interpretation, selection and organization of information what we perceive.   In Bertrand Russell’s own words, à ¢â‚¬Å"our ideas are derived from two sources, sensation, and perception of the operation of our own mind, which may be called internal sense†. (Russell, 2004, p556) Hence, we form our idea of table from the perception.This approximation of what reality through our senses, despite differences in the intensity of what brownness, solidness and smoothness of the table is real knowledge we can establish by observation and generalization. Incidentally, this is the underlying philosophy of science. In the end, we gain our knowledge about the â€Å"table† not from an innate idea of a table but through an observation of the table.We know that a table is brown, solid and smooth, irregardless of the intensity of these descriptions from different people. â€Å"Perception is the first step and degree towards knowledge and the inlet of all the materials in it†. (Russel, 2004, p556) And that is what is real regardless of the ideal table that we can conceive.ReferencesAugustine and Outler, A. (2002). The Confessions of St. Augustine. Translated by Albert Cook Outler. Courier Dover PublicationsBourgeois, W. (2003). Persons: What Philosophers Say about You. 2nd edition. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.Engel, S. (2001). The Study of Philosophy. Rowman & Littlefield,Russell, B. (2004). History of Western Philosophy. 2nd edition. RoutledgeVon Martels, Z. R. W. M. and Schmidt, VM. Antiquity Renewed: Late Classical and Early Modern Themes. PREDESTINATION AND THE LOSS OF DRAMA FROM AUGUSTINE TO CALVIN by MB Pranger. Peeters Publishers   

German Culture essays

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Henry 2 essays

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