Multiculturalism and Citizenship Education Essay

Multiculturalism and Citizenship Education - Essay Example A common issue that arises is the problem of stereotyping. People have preconceived notions about certain groups of people which often result in conflicts. These preconceived notions are most often based on stories that have been handed down from generation to generation, blindly trusting in the words spoken without finding out the reality them. To prevent problems regarding race from getting worse, proper education is needed. More than putting forward a sense of belongingness, citizenship offers a person or a citizen more than just his rightful place in this world. Along with a person's citizenship come a set of rights he is entitled to such as the right to vote, the right to acquire property and so on. With these rights also come a set of responsibilities, among which are obeying laws set by the government. (Family Guardian Fellowship n.d.). However, this is not enough. Citizens should be taught to acknowledge the existence of distinct cultural groups within the race. With this will come a better understanding other groups and their role in society which will lead to better interactions among groups. Bernard Crick has this to say with regard to educating the public about citizenship, "Citizenship is more than a subject. If taught well and tailored to local needs, its skills and values will enhance democratic life for all of us, both rights and responsibilities, beginning in school and radiating out. " (Citizenship Foundation n.d.., page 1) In the quote in the previous paragraph, Bernard Crick points out that citizenship should not be treated as just a subject taught in school. After finishing school, one is supposed to be equipped with the proper skills, inculcated with the right values that would enable a person to be an active, contributing member of society. This, of course, would vary depending on a nation's culture and need. Such a heavy burden lies on the shoulders of educators who are faced with the task of imparting knowledge and moulding the minds of the world's future leaders. They should take great care in doing this and in setting the right examples so as not to misinform students. On the part of the students, they should realize that once they have passed the subject, the matter of citizenship does not end there. After they leave school, it seems that they have forgotten about their lessons and go back to the old practices that put people of certain cultural backgrounds in stereotypes. In his article Multicultural Citizenship and post-devolution Britain: an analysis of minority rights, political representation and redistributive justice, Tristan Clayton associates the recent changes that have occurred in the British political landscape with several contentions in Will Kymlicka's work in Multicultural Citizenship. According to Clayton, Kymlicka claims that living in a culturally diverse society is achievable and necessary. Geographically speaking, the different areas in a country has different types of climates, terrain and resources This leads to the fact that people that come from different parts of the same country may have adversely different sets of inherent cultures and beliefs. According to Clayton, Kymlicka attests that given this innate organization, the issues that concern groups of different cultural orientation should be addressed in such a way that all groups

The Telecommunication Sector Digi Economics Essay

The Telecommunication Sector Digi Economics Essay The market organization is in the way in which a market is planned, derived from mainly on the quantity of firms in the business. The four essential market organization forms are perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. The most important dissimilarity among each one is the amount of firms on the provide area of a market. Equally perfect competition and monopolistic competition contain a great amount of comparatively little firms advertising production. Oligopoly has a small amount of comparatively great firm with whereas, monopoly has an only firm. (Economic Glossary) At one side of the scale we position perfectly competitive firms, is firms that have no control over the price of wares they produce as shown in figure 1.2(refer to appendix). A perfectly competitive firm has to take any price for its goods the market offers, it is a price takers. Another end of the scale of market structure is the monopolies. A monopoly is a single firm that produces the whole supply of a particular good and gives the authority to put market prices before merely respond to them. All firms with such control are price setters. In the meantime the boundaries of monopoly (no competition) and perfect competition lies in different form of imperfect competition, including duopoly, only two firms supply a particular product, oligopoly, a few huge firms supply the most or entire of a particular product and finally the monopolistic competition, numerous firms supply effectively the same product, but each one enjoys considerable brand loyalty. (Schiller, 2009) In the telecommunication sector DiGi is a top mobile communications company given that an inclusive choice of reasonable, suitable and simple to use wireless services to make things much easier and develop the lives of its consumers. They build value for their customers through selecting the most suitable critical edge technology so that they profit from goods and services that give them option, ease and manage. (Jobstreet.com) DiGis financial performance in 2009, even though a hard working environment, Group profits rise by 2% to RM4.9 billion and our subscriber base grew by 8% compared to the earlier year. The small turn down in EBITDA margin to 43.3% for the year was an outcome of improved transfer and network working costs as well as transportable internet expansion costs and advanced allowance for doubtful debts due to the economy. Their operational cash flow of RM1.4 billion achieved in 2009 was above the RM1.2 billion we guided for the year. All the way through 2009, they continuously invest in their network. Total capex for the year was RM718 million. Of this, RM300 million- RM400 million was invested in increasing their mobile internet footprint and the balance was focused on ability and value enhancements of their 2G network, as well as service improvement. In 2009, they were awarded the Gold Award for Best In-house Customer call centre by the Contact Centre Association of Malaysia (CCAM). (DiGi A nnual Report, 2009) In 2010, they ongoing on an expedition to update our communications to develop the value of service and drive rate effectiveness. They invested RM720 million in capital expenses, of where a significant part is allocated for increasing their mobile broadband and mobile internet footprint. They also improved the ability and value of their 2G network to provide our rising amount of consumers. DiGi is benchmarked next to top service business organization considered through the Forrester Index to make sure their constant development in consumer skill. They launch a quantity of inventive promotion that set them distant in the competitive voice market in 2010. In the Prepaid sector, they were pleased that our DiGi Easy Prepaid proposition gained strong traction. All in all, our prepaid consumer support rise 13.0% year on year to 7.3 million while total income greater than before by 5.5% in the similar stage. (DiGi Annual Report, 2010) There are few characteristics of oligopoly in the telecommunication sector. There are three barriers to entry are economies of scale, ownership of a key input, and government-imposed barriers. The most important barrier to entry is economies of scale. The greater the market of scale, the fewer the quantity of firms that will be in the industry. If production of a good requires a particular input, then control of that input can be a barrier to entry. Firms sometimes attempt to have the government impress barriers to entry. The government also impresses barriers to entering several businesses by commanding tax and quotas on overseas competition. (R. Glenn Hubbard, 2008) Non-Audited financial statement for the second quarter of 2011, whole net operating profits improved with 9.95%, since MYR 1,335,096 thousands to MYR 1,467,998 thousands. Working effect declined from MYR 385,717 thousands to MYR 348,092 thousands which revenue75% transform.  Results of the period decreased -15.12% getting MYR 236,318 thousands at the end of the period aligned with MYR 278,408 thousands last year. Return on equity (Net income/Total equity) went from 20.08% to 18.97%, the Return On Asset (Net income / Total Asset) went as of 5.71% to 4.79% and the Net Profit Margin (Net Income/Net Sales) went from 20.85% to 16.10% when evaluate to the same period of last year. The Debt to Equity Ratio (Total Liabilities/Equity) was 295.83% compared to 251.90% of last year. Finally, the Current Ratio (Current Assets/Current Liabilities) went from 0.57 to 0.50 when evaluate to the previous year. (EMIS) Due to surrounded reasonableness and various consumption, customers find it hard to make head-to head cost-benefits comparisons and thus build the products appear to be to some extent non-homogenous a not completely substitutable for one another. These firms are also opposing and differentiating all the way through demand stimulus (shifting the demand curve) by organizing SMS contests, sponsoring shows like Malaysian Idol which support SMS voting, etc. where the SMS charges are priced much advanced than usual SMS charges in order to drive higher non-voice revenue and productivity as illustrated in figure by Maxis, Celcom and DiGis 2010 announcements below. (http://www.slideshare.net/amiwaleed99/maxis-economonics-assignment) TASK TWO An economic cycle is also known as a trade cycle or a business cycle which refers to the usual fluctuations in a market as a total. As Keynes describe, an economic phase is collected of cycle of excellent deal with increasing prices and high employment percentages, followed by periods of terrible trade with diminishing prices and high unemployment proportion. (Vengedasalam, 2007) Business cycle is discontinuous rises and declines in stage of trade and industry. A downturn is a stage of decline in whole production, profits and employment. This recession, which lasts 6 months or further, is marked by the well-known reduction of production activity in numerous sectors of the economy. A recession is more often than not followed by a recovery and development, a period in which real GDP, income, and employment grow as shown in figure 1.1(refer to appendix). (Campbell R., 2010) When we talk about increasing or constricting, we envision changes in the objective measure of goods and services produced. But the objective quantity of production is almost impractical to measure. So we measure the volume of production by its market price, not by its corporeal volume. Because prices differ from one year to another, GDP yardsticks must be adjusted intended for inflation. Assume that from one year to the next all prices doubled. So unadjusted quantify of nominal GDP would give us a false analysis, we may think production was speeding forward when in actual fact it was positioned still. (Schiller, 2009) In outlook toward the Malaysian economy, these are the impact of the business cycle for the past three years 2009, 2010, 2011 and the consequences faced by the government. In the year 2009, Bank Negara Malaysia has maintained a preventative advance to monetary policy. Previously in 2008, price increases was ascending because of the quick and considerable raise in provisions and power prices. The OPR, though, was left unaffected. The measurement of the Bank was that the food and energy price increases were hugely supply determined. Increasing interest rates beneath these circumstances would have a partial collision in containing inflation. This was the major deliberation within the assessment to keep up interest rates even though assertions that the Bank should have strictest monetary policy. Whereas household demand circumstances be fairly sound, the rigorous subside in exports, and the dejected economic viewpoint for quite a few of Malaysias main trade associates destined that major strategy maintain would be required to avoid the economy from inflowing a deep and extended downturn. With inflation decelerating, Bank Negara Malaysia frontloaded the interest rate cuts to reduce the market from a fast declining international economy. Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) its concentrated by the Bank by a total of 150 basis points beginning from November 2008 to February 2009 to 2% as shown in chart 1.1(refer to appendix). During a dilemma position, interest rate deduct with themselves are not satisfactory. Some corresponding procedures were also brought in to achieve particular sectors of the financial system. Therefore, as well as reducing rates of interest, the Bank besides introduced a amount of under attack procedures toward make sure sustained contact to financing, provisional expansion of security net, protection the cost of prosperity and actual profits of depositors and lessening extremely defenseless borrowers commencing the complete collision of the calamity. The decline in rate of borrowing in addition to procedures undertaken to make sure undisrupted credit flows to the economy were doing well in supporting financing action. Even though financing development measured in the beginning element of the year, credit flows had sustained although existing downturn circumstances in the household with exterior part of the economy. (Annual Report, 2009) Chart 1.2(refer to appendix) By the start year 2010, monetary indicators are signaling to facilitate the international downturn was retreating. International development was being lead through a recover within industrialized also an expansion in the stock cycle. Symbols of development are apparent from trade sales, customer self-assurance, and the accommodation markets. Global trade was as well starting to rise up. The amend in point of view was mirrored by the considerable growing reconsideration toward 2010 international development estimate by the IMF during January 2010 keep posted of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) as shown in chart 1.3(refer to appendix). In the meantime, price rises was predicted to ascend progressively but stay low all the way through the year. Procedures of interior rise and demand indicators recommended the possible materialization of demand through inflation later in the year, aligned with the upturn in require circumstances. Demand linked pressures on inflation, though, be predicted toward stay moderately self-effacing as shown in chart 1.3 and 1.4(refer to appendix). The work of financial implements becomes more diversify in 2010. Even though uncollateralized borrowings remain the major implement used (for 62.7% of incomparable economic policy implements), there be a substantial raise to securities base fiscal procedure instruments (2010: 37.3%, 2009: 20.2%). Bank Negara Malaysia Monetary Notes (BNMN for usual and BNMN-i for Islamic money markets) be ever more use in 2010 when there have be tough appeal for these securities by shareholder, mostly non-resident shareholder. These new organization would demand to a huge base of shareholder set the tighter conformity through Shariah supplies of diverse jurisdictions. In order by the visualization of Malaysia being an Islamic Financial Centre, the Bank will maintain toward grow original and supple Islamic monetary implement that are broadly suitable between international investors.(Annual Report, 2010) In the year 2011, financial display recommended that the upturn of the international economy was ongoing, even though the development presentation varies obviously across area. GDP development was predicted to stay vigorous at 5-6% as shown in chart 1.5(refer to appendix) for 2011. Inflation was estimated to rise in 2011 compared to 2010. Supply factors would be the most important source of inflation throughout the year. In December 2010 the amendments to the manage value of fuel goods would certainly increase heading price rises. Increasing worldwide force and provisions prices were likely to use rising force on firms expenses of production. Figures released in February in chart 1.5(refer to appendix) showed GDP development was constant at 4.8% in the fourth sector of 2010. Highly developed indicator and dealings of customer response keen to a sustained optimistic outlook designed for personal use. Comment beginning the Banks industrial actions recommended continuous development of service and income, which would be more sustain by the firm service value in the opening partially of the year. All the way through the year, the household money market and liquidity in the stock scheme be affecting by growth in the worldwide economic markets and unpredictable collection course. In general circumstances in the household money market, on the other hand, remained flexible to the worldwide financial confusion. Interbank markets sustained to function below a excess liquidity situation, among the entire contributor left behind as net lenders all through the year. As at end-2010 total excess liquidity increase starting from RM299.2 billion to as high as RM397.5 billion at June 2011 as shown chart 1.6(refer to appendix), before past it in the second half of the year. Quite a few raise schemes were apply in 2011 to raise the prepared effectiveness of monetary procedure and improve the diversity of capital market implement. The Range Maturity Auction (RMA) was completely operational throughout the year and develop into part of normal monetary process. (Annual Report, 2011) TASK THREE The telecommunications industry in Malaysia and the district is predicted to confront test in 2011 as of a growing voice market, fibre roll-out, and original technologies together with LTE as well as greater than ever consumer outlook. These are the few strategies used by these two companies Maxis and DiGi. The macro-economic environment in 2010 improves over 2009, a year during which performance of global financial markets exaggerated Asian economies. In opposition to the negative 1.7% recorded formerly, the Malaysian economy grew powerfully in 2010, registering a growth rate of 7.2%. Growth was fuelled by high confidential expenditure and continuous public division spending. On the other hand, the Malaysian telecommunications industry concerned many new entrants in the year beneath assessment, together with in the broadband sector. This, coupled with powerful competition in the midst of accessible players, reflected the gradually more challenging working environment. Customers continued to demonstrate a tough desire for mobile phone internet services and substance in addition to Smartphone and tablets. The varying scene has proposition for their company form with improved demands on margins. Their strategy for 2011 is divided into three parts, to get the most out of their voice company, to protected statistics admission management and access, and to distribute goods and services ahead of telecommunication sector. In accomplish this plan; we stay aggravated to deliver investor cost throughout presentation improvement, savings to protect continuous outlook profits flow and cautious economic organization. (Maxis Annual Report, 2009) (Maxis Annual Report, 2010) DiGi and the telecommunications sector in Malaysia in 2011 will certainly be an exciting year. Their industry will have a main part to play in building a first-class ICT infrastructure that will not only stimulate this development story but also build a more connected Malaysia in the course of a mature mobile internet and mobile broadband ecosystem. DiGi will maintain to aggressively attend to the growing demand for excellence statistics services in Malaysia. They continue dedicated to advance scheduled growing their complex marks that will also supply for superior rate capability, consistency and value of service. The group target to keep their tough development energy this year. They are aiming to obtain a reasonable distribute of the development in the mobile phone internet and portable broadband sector and further market sector. Being operationally capable will stay behind a main priority. (DiGi Annual Report, 2010) There are few responsibilities that DiGi wanted to do; control and expand existing accounts, accomplish effective account treatment during preparation of sales calls, handling enquiries from customers, gather round competitors information from consumers and providing market feedback, in charge for uncovering opportunities, advertising benefits of the full services of DiGi business and advertising adjacent to the competition, to do outbound calls from the given list/record of existing and potential customers, produce demand for DiGi business and direct in the selling process, and organize, price, negotiate and reference sales solutions as well as control daily forecast and opportunities.

Assisted Suicide: The End of Suffering :: Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide

Huge purple, grape-like masses are what a man named Richard Chinn saw under a patient's chin when he went to work for a hospital. This patient was diagnosed with cancer, and those huge masses were the cancerous tumor. When this man would eat, the cancerous growth would start collecting food, of whatever he didn't swallow quickly. When it would start growing to about grapefruit size, or larger, the doctors would amputate it. However, this did not do much justice, because the growth would just come back. Amputation after amputation made the patient very uneasy and want to end his life. He and his family numerously asked doctors to put him out of his misery, and even went to court, but he was still told "no." There was no more point to this man's life, he was suffering miserably and the cancer would never go away. Eventually he came down with ammonia, and instead of trying to revive him, they finally let him have his peace (Chinn). If Euthanasia was legal, then this suffering m an could have ended his pain early, but due to complications in the legal system, his life was drug out too long. Euthanasia is defined as a painless, happy and easy death, which is derived from the Greek words Eu Thanatos. Looking back to ancient Greece and Rome, Euthanasia was practiced regularly. If they saw a person suffering miserably and they could do nothing for them, they would end their life early by feeding them poison. However, throughout time religion was increased, and the life of a human being was viewed as sacred. Because of this, euthanasia was slowly portrayed as wrong ("The Controversy"). There are two main types of euthanasia- passive and active. Although both are illegal in all states but Oregon, passive euthanasia is easier for people to accept. Passive involves taking a person off of their life support, and letting them die naturally, while active is ending a suffering persons life prematurely, by helping them die, with an overdose of medication (A Euthanasia Glossary). Although Euthanasia is not widely accepted, nor legal, there are people who try to break the rules. Jack Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, was convicted of first-degree murder, in March of 1999, and will spend 10-25 years in prison. He injected a man named Thomas Youk with a deadly level of medicine and killed him.

Persuading on Genetically Modified Food Essay

The article called Genetically Modified Foods, has a style that is use to grab an audience emotion while still putting some facts. Right away in the first paragraph you will find ethos. Per Pinstrup-Anderson plays a key role in the article, he is the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy at Cornell University. Giving Per Pinstrup-Anderson a creditability, and having the audience attention. This is the only time in the article when ethos is being used to help their argument. In the next two paragraphs, Pathos and logos are used. It shows some facts as well as getting into the audience emotion. The way this was done was by talking about helping farmers in developing countries produce more food, making it more affordable to buy food, as well as not harming the environment. It goes on to say, â€Å"Many millions of people do not have access to sufficient calories and many more suffer from micronutrient deficiencies†. Another quote is, â€Å"which avoided mass starvation and helped millions out of poverty and hunger†. Notice they never gave an exact statistic on how many people are suffering from poverty and hunger, letting the audience see that it is so many people affected, and not just a specific number. It gives it more of a feel then would be given an exact number. In the next paragraph it goes back to logos, in the paragraph it is said science is the answer to fixing the hunger. It describes action that must be taken an order to be able to start helping starving people, as well as how will science help farming, like drought tolerance, mitigation of negative climate change, and pest resistance in crops. Those are just a few of what the paragraph claims to be able to do with a little investment for the technology. The way this paragraph is phrase is by letting the audiences see the processes that have to be done in order for an action to start. That way the audiences may start to have an opinion. At the end of this article it starts to talk about how long test must be done, and how the longer we wait the more expensive food will be as well as leaving millions to die. This passage is using pathos for its persuasiveness. It’s getting the audience that deep emotion of people waiting and starving. It goes on to say that anti-science ideology and the failure of the government brought the food crisis in the first place. This paragraph points a finger to show they are right, as well as preceding to say we have to change if something is not working. In the second article of, â€Å"The Failure of Gene-Altered Crops†, Vandana Shiva is presented as the ethos in this paragraph; she is the founder of Navdanya in India which is the movement of seed keepers and organic farmers. She written many books on how genetically modified foods are failing and how they will affect us. This grabs the audience attention because she’s a strong believer on organic substance. In the next paragraph it says we need biodiversity intensification that can work with nature instead of going against it, it doesn’t give a specific details as to why. The only argument made was when Doug Gurian-Sherman of the union of concerned scientist published a studied, â€Å"Failure to Yield†. In the study it is closely evaluated on the genetically modified for 20 years to see if they would increase yield or to just see better progress. In the end it showed that the experiment failed to increase yields as well as it failed to engineer crops to be insect-resistant nor herbicide tolerance. In this paragraph it was use ethos and logos. Ethos was Doug Gurian-Sherman and his research study, â€Å"Failure to Yield†. Logos was the bits of facts that came from Doug Gurian-Sherman research study. In the next to paragraph, it is shown by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development [IAASTD] has concluded that genetic engineering did not seem very promising in the future. IAASTD found that the small farms that based on agri-ecology would produce much more food. This paragraph had also ethos, being IAASTD. As for the logos was what IAASTD found in the 4 years on figuring out what genetic engineering could hold in the future. The article makes a lot of tactics with logos and ethos to reach the audience, giving a great amount of facts from other credited people. The next three paragraphs have ethos as well as logos. In the passages, the book, â€Å"Soil, Not Oil† is brought as an example to give that industrial monocultures are more vulnerable to climate changes since the soil kept in organic plants help keep moisture making them less likely to die in draughts. In the next passage it is brought up the false statement by genetic engineering industry that it’s only possible to respond to climate change with modified food. Vandana Shiva made a statement on crops evolved to be better resilient to climate, as well Vandana has helped create seeds for drought resistance, and flood resistance as well as salt tolerance. This give the audience the idea that genetically modified food isn’t always needed when nature can just evolve. The last two passages gets more in depth on how genetically modified food and organically produced food will take us in the future. The passage give the audience a since of the future that genetic engineer for modified food is a waste a time, it does not give a sense of food security in the future and it will cause small farmers to go dept. As for Vandana Shiva Navdanya, it is a conserving biodiversity that tries to not be wasteful in water at the same time make much more food per acre. The best article that is persuasive is the second article, â€Å"The Failure of Gene-Altered Crops. The first article was very persuasive, but it never made it secure enough to make it believable that it close to happening. It produce more emotion then logic tactics, making it very hard to determine whether it is a dream that the nation wishes to reach or something that could be accomplish for the future. Great syntax on making it very emotional with pathos, but argument stance it would be weak. The first article could have been stronger if it talked about other countries that are already doing genetically modified foods. Korea has been doing genetically modified food for years, about 20 countries including the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have already a labeling system for genetically modified foods, (Hae-Yeong Kim 132). Another good point would be to bring up Matin Qaim, â€Å"Vitamin A deficiency is a serious nutritional problem, causing multiple adverse health outcomes. Simulations for India show that Golden Rice could reduce related health problems significantly, preventing up to 40,000 child deaths every year.(552) In India Bt cotton has reduce some poverty and actually help small famers, now some in China and South Africa, Bt cotton are a first-generation of genetically modified technology. As for the second argument, many ethos and logos were presented. One being Doug Gurian-Sherman published study on how genetic industries isn’t really going anywhere, it has great facts, it was a 4 year study so it showed what was being done in long term. A lot of facts on how genetic industry is failing on making modified food was claimed, but not many on how it could do more harm as well as it would bankrupt some small farmers for even trying to use modified seeds. The plant evolving had a great way point in Gebre Egziabher, Tewolde B( The Use of Genetically Modified Crops in Agriculture and Food Production, and Their Impacts on the Environment – A Developing World Perspective) â€Å"Scientists believe that species evolved from a common ancestor through competition and natural selection. They also believe that changes in genes occur in all species owing to mutation, with the probability of mutation of each gene remaining constant under the same environment†. (11) Giving this quote would remind the audience that life has a way of fixing itself and just because the technology is here does not give scientist right to use a different approach but instead try harder to help organic farming when it has been secure food source. Cite American Medical Assoc. Gebre Egziabher T. The Use of Genetically Modified Crops in Agriculture and Food Production, and Their Impacts on the Environment – A Developing World Perspective. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica: Section B, Soil & Plant Science [serial online]. December 2, 2003;53:8-12. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012. American Medical Assoc. Hae-Yeong K, Jae-Hwan K, Mi-Hwa O. Regulation and detection methods for genetically modified foods in Korea. Pure & Applied Chemistry [serial online]. January 2010;82(1):129-137. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012. American Medical Assoc. Qaim M. Benefits of genetically modified crops for the poor: household income, nutrition, and health. New Biotechnology [serial online]. November 30, 2010;27(5):552-557. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012.

Importance of Oedipus and Teiresias’ Conversation Essay

Oedipus Rex, a classic Greek play, was written almost 2500 years ago by a famous playwright named Sophocles. The play focuses on finding Laius’ killer but through the process, Oedipus finds out who he truthfully is. In Scene one lines 284-448 Oedipus is speaking to Teiresias a blind prophet, he asks Teiresias to reveal Laius’ killer. This passage has defining characteristics that are important to the play as a whole, which can be simply conveyed on stage. This passage helps develop and make the play more intriguing by showing how blind to the truth Oedipus really is. Before the beginning of the play Oedipus saves the people of Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and becomes king virtually overnight. He proclaims his name proudly as though it were itself a healing charm â€Å"I have come myself to hear you-/ I, Oedipus, who bear the famous name.†(Prologue 9-10) what Oedipus does not realize is that he had killed Laius son of Labdakos on the way to the Sphinx. The play is based on finding the killer of Laius. Oedipus wants justice done and for the murderer to be banished from Thebes. Oedipus does what he can to make this happen. This includes a conversation with Teiresias. The passage starts off when a boy leads in the blind prophet Teiresias to Oedipus. Oedipus then begins to beg Teiresias to reveal who Laius’ murderer is, but Teiresias answers only that he knows the truth but wishes he did not. Puzzled at first, then angry, Oedipus insists that Teiresias tell Thebes Thebes what he knows. Provoked by the anger and insults of Oedipus, Teiresias begins to hint at his knowledge. Finally, when Oedipus furiously accuses Teiresias of the murder, Teiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself is the curse on Thebes that he is in search for. Oedipus dares Teiresias to say it again, and so Teiresias calls Oedipus the murderer. Oedipus criticizes Teiresias powers wildly and insults his blindness by saying â€Å"You child of endless night! You can not hurt me or anyone who sees the light† (Scene I, line 359-360), but Teiresias only responds that the insults will eventually be turned on Oedipus by all of Thebes. Driven into a fury by the accusation, Oedipus proceeds to concoct a story that Creon and Teiresias are conspiring to overthrow him. The leader of the Chorus asks Oedipus to calm down, but Teiresias only taunts Oedipus further, by saying † I can say that you, with both your eyes, are blind: You can not see the wretchedness of your life, Nor in whose house you live, nor with whom. Who are your father and mother? Can you tell me? You do not even know the blind wrongs that you have done them, on earth and the world below.† (Scene I, line 399-404) This statement both infuriates and intrigues Oedipus, who asks for the truth of his parentage. Teiresias answers only in riddles, saying that the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both brother and father to his children, both son and husband to his mother. Teiresias is then led out by his page and Oedipus enters the palace. Oedipus remains blind to the truth until he can deny it no longer. As Teiresias told Oedipus: â€Å"To the children with whom the murderer lives now he will be/ Brother and father-the very same; to her/ who bore him, son and husband- the very same.† (Scene 1, line 441-444) When it became evident to Oedipus that he had killed Laius his father and married his mother Jocasta his life took a turn for the worst. It is at this point in the play where Oedipus learns that knowledge and a vision of his past, which brings evil, pain, and suffering into his life. Oedipus is not worried just for himself but also for his children who will now have to live in shame of their father. In the ending scenes of the play Oedipus takes Jocasta’s broach and punctures his eyes making him blind to all that was around him. This is ironic because in the passage in scene two Oedipus could see with all his eyes, but his mind was ignorant to the truth, and even though Teiresias was physically blind, he was always able to see what Oedipus refused to. The incident involving Oedipus and Teiresias shows how the power of ones mind can far exceed any physical ability of knowing the truth. Within this scene there are many different ways the script can be interpreted. Sophocles is not to explicit with written stage direction so  there is room for some  imagination. The scene starts off with Oedipus in centre stage and Teiresias being led to him by a page. Oedipus costuming is elaborate and of many colours, while Teiresias is a simple man dressed in brown, with a cane used to help guide him. Oedipus is higher on stage then Teiresias it is almost as if Oedipus is speaking down to Teiresias. During their conversation, Oedipus becomes desperate to find the murderer of Lauis and slowly comes down from the stage closer to Teiresias. As Oedipus is doing this his fate is slowly being diminished. He is slowly walking towards the truth that Teiresias holds. When Teiresias tells Oedipus the truth that he is in search for Oedipus becomes upset and says to Teiresias â€Å"Damnation/ Take you! Out of this place! Out of my sight!† (Scene I, line 418-419) Oedipus would start to show his power at this point by forcing himself on Teiresias and throwing his hands in the air displaying his anger. Teiresias being blind would not see all of this anger. As Oedipus gets fed up with the situation he asks for Teiresias to leave and enters the palace. Even though this play was written 2500 years ago, Oedipus Rex is still a play in which one can relate to. Many people in society today are blind when is comes to their past and to certain events which affects them in a negative way. People think that the only was to conquer this blindness is to seek out the truths that they are looking for, whether it is in their past or their present. Oedipus’ conversation with Teiresias has the defining characteristics of blindness and sight that help develop the play as a whole. The script does not give much stage direction which leaves room for the reader to use their imagination. All these components of the passage add to the understanding of the passage and the play as a whole.

George Armstrong Custer essays

George Armstrong Custer essays George Armstrong Custer was born in New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio, on 5th December, 1839. His father, Emanuel Henry Custer (born December 10, 1806-died November 17,1892), was a blacksmith and Georges mother was Maria Ward Kirkpatrick Custer (born May 31, 1807-died January 13, 1882). He spent much of his childhood with a half-sister in Monroe, Michigan. The family was poor and when he was ten Custer was forced to live with his aunt in Monroe. While at school he met his future wife, Elizabeth Bacon, the daughter of a judge. Custer did odd jobs for her family, but was never allowed into the house. Custer wanted to become a lawyer but his family could not afford the training so he decided to become a soldier instead. Immediately after high school he enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He attended the Military Academy in July 1, 1857 but he was a poor student and he utterly failed to distinguish himself in any positive way. When he finally graduated in June 24, 1861 and was placed 34th out of a class of 34 (called "The Immortals") as the 1966th academy graduate. He had not adjusted well to the rigid discipline and was almost expelled for too many demerits. Several days after graduating last in his class, he failed in his duty as officer of the guard to stop a fight between two cadets. He was court-martialed and saved from punishment only by the huge need for officers with the outbreak of the Civil War. Three days after his graduation from West Point, he was assigned to the Union army as a second lieutenant in the old 2nd Cavalry and arrived at the front during the First Battle of Bull Run. Custer fought in almost every important battle of the Army of the Potomac from Bull Run to Appomattox. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant, 5th Cavalry, to rank from July 17, 1862. While he made many enemies by his contempt for army regulations and sometimes reckless actions, he was also admired for his ...

Lost in the barrens journal 1 essays

Lost in the barrens journal 1 essays While reading the beginning of the Lost In The Barrens and getting to know major characters of the story, I have pointed out characteristics for each one of them. The relationship between two boys, Jamie and Awasin, was very much like it would be between a puppy and a mother dog. Jamie wanted to be in adventures ever since he left Toronto. Up in North Manitoba Jamie met his friend Awasin who was a native Indian with great knowledge about the survival in the wilderness. Jamie is the kind of person who will not be satisfied until something is done or something that he wants to do is accomplished. Awasin was responsible for Jamie during that summer and because of Jamies curiosity and impatience they had to struggle through the wild and dangerous Northern Manitoba. This kind of relationship reminded me of many movies where two or more kids, teenagers, or adults are forced to go through hard time because of someone who is very curious. One of these movies is The Good Son where one child w as doing things that would make his friend try to stop them but make it look like he was doing them. As I read through deeper in the book the tension increased almost to the climax of the story. At that point in the book, the main conflicts were already shown to the reader. Man vs. Man and Man vs. Nature are the main conflicts in this novel. Jamie and Awasin were forced to kill animals for food, shelter, and clothes. Also the traveling from camp to camp was extremely dangerous, one time they lost their canoe and severely injured themselves. Their fear of the Eskimos grew larger as they traveled around the area where Eskimos would hunt and camp because for decades the Indians and Eskimos were fighting over the area where they settled. The great novel and an excellent movie Lord of the Flies have similar conflicts along the story. Grade four class was trapped on the island and without adul ...

So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider)

So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider) So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider) More and more people choose to study abroad these days. And why not? You get to travel, meet new people, learn about a different culture and earn a college degree at the same time! But studying abroad requires a bit of preparation, so make sure you’ve considered the following factors†¦ 1. Length of Placement Different placements are available depending on how long you want to spend studying abroad. This ranges from a few weeks or a single semester, to full degree programs for those who want to really throw themselves into an overseas experience! 2. Where to Go This is the big one! Where should you study? Some of the most common places for U.S. students to study are in Europe, but it’s possible to study almost anywhere in the world, with other popular destinations including Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and Australia. As well as your personal interest in wherever you decide to study, practical factors to consider include your familiarity with the language (both of the country and the language of instruction), the lifestyle and culture of the place where you’ll be studying, and the tuition and living costs involved. If you really cant decide, throw a dart at a world map and see where it sticks. [Image: Mason Vanks Maps/wikimedia] 3. The Program Once you know where you want to study and the length of placement you’d prefer, it’s time to start looking at different programs. If you’re simply studying abroad for part of your degree, your best option will usually be to apply for a program run by your college. If you want to study abroad for your entire degree, you’ll have to research your chosen destination and apply as an international student. 4. Funding If you have the money to pay for your studies already, you can skip this one. But many of us with dreams of studying abroad would appreciate a little financial help, so it’s worth researching whether funding is available. 5. Entry Requirements and Qualifications The application process for studying abroad differs from institution to institution, so make sure you check carefully and understand the requirements. This will include having the academic qualifications necessary to study your chosen course, as well as providing a resume, a letter of recommendation and possibly proof that you can speak the language of instruction. Some colleges and universities also set admissions tests. The most important thing is starting the application early enough, as that will give you enough time to organize everything before you’re due to begin your studies! 6. Travel Arrangements The final step, once you’ve been accepted on a course, is to organize the travel. And there’s lots to do before booking your flights, including sorting out a visa, making sure you have a valid passport and working out your living arrangements for once you arrive. As with the entry requirements, the key here is knowing what you need to do before travelling to the country where you’ll be studying, as well as leaving plenty of time to make the arrangements. And then its just a case of Bon voyage!

Private Detectives & Present Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Private Detectives & Present Legal System - Essay Example Considering the roles of Sherlock Holmes and Sam Spade in ‘A Study of Scarlet’ and ‘A Maltese Falcon’ respectively, here arises a question if not being a government representative has any impact on their ability to work as investigators. In these literary works, Sherlock Holmes and Sam Spade are portrayed as characters that are detectives having exceptional intellectual abilities and despite the fact that they are not part of legal system, they successfully manage to operate as a single entity who does not need support of government or any authority delegated by it. In order to identify if there is a connection between the position of the private detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Sam Spade outside the formal legal system and the ability to solve their cases, it is important to identify if the law recognizes private detectives and investigators as a legal entity. According to the law of many states such as UK, Indonesia etc, private investigators are individuals who are not provided with any authority delegated to them from any government agency (Private Investigators). Although there have been legislations about licensing of private investigators but there is nothing concrete in legal system which can support the independent operations of private investigators. Despite their inability to act as a legal entity, they are used by law firms, corporate officials, industry representatives, civilians and government for their own purposes. Proofs provided by these detectives are presented in the court of law with testimonies. However, concerns like in fringement of privacy and unauthorized access to sophisticated information always remain valid. In the light of this argument, it is clear that where private detectives are shown as the lead characters in the work of Dashiell Hammett and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who cannot be replaced by any government official due to their indispensable ability to investigate critical cases; these characters have no jurisdiction or legal authority in the court of law. However, lack of legal authorization does not seem to hamper their ability to work as a private investigator; in fact, they appear to operate with more sovereignty due to no liability and accountability for their work. Characters like Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson and Sam Spade are imaginary characters which are personified as daring, intelligent, cunning and disconnected to emotional bonds. These traits govern their ability to operate as a private detective and also allow them to work without being hold back by other social factors. A s far as their ability to operate is concerned, it’s their personal traits, attention to details and extensive knowledge which allows them to have a command on the subject matter, identify hidden leads and pick up the clues. These detectives are often seen as being recruited by the law enforcement agencies for assistance and apparently they have the ability to work as singular force in themselves, as portrayed by their authors. Sam Spade was often suspected by the Police for murders and other crimes but somehow he managed to mislead them and carry out his own private investigations while pairing with criminals. Sherlock Holmes is perceived as an ultimate clutch used by law enforcing agencies of that time. He is often found investigating personal matters and interfering in the lives of civilians which only falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies. Where modern era has no room for private investigators as a legal entity despite their extensive use by law firms, Police, civilians and even government, these two literary works have managed to portray private investiga

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

American History - Essay Example The confederates lost the war because it was outclassed militarily by the north. Though it had strong generals by the book, they failed to mount an offensive that could defeat the commitment of the Northern forces. The North had a strong Navy to put blockades ion river ways and southern seaports. In terms of size, the south was not able to provide a force as big as the north (Bancroft and Nye 32). Dependency on the north for economic progress was also a weakness well exploited by the North. They had industries to produce finished goods and also make weapons. The South did not have many industries with huge economic capabilities. They even had to import their weapons and some of the finished goods. Black men serving in both the union and confederate forces had reduced roles with most of them helping in labor positions. There was the initial fear of arming black men especially in the south where they still remained slaves. They also served as nurses, blacksmiths and cooks in the army. More advanced military roles executed by the blacks included spying and scouting. The use of the black men was not widespread because the white men did not approve of their capabilities. Together with continuous racial discrimination, black men were termed inferior by fellow white men who even failed to train or equip them adequately. The black soldiers serving in the war also received lower payments for their services. The captured black soldiers received harsher punishment than the white prisoners of war. The objective of reconstruction was to make the rebel states come back to the union as well as help freedmen integrate into the society. The political wave by some section intended for those rebel states to face punishment and be subjugated. The punishment occurred but not the subjugation. The goals of the punishment were also not achieved. There were many divided opinions regarding the course of action that hampered the plan (Bancroft and

Financial ratios and their implications along with their usage Literature review

Financial ratios and their implications along with their usage - Literature review Example This essay discusses that financial ratios have been used by firms around the world to analyse how one firm performs in comparison to the other firm as well as to analyse the performance of the firm over the period of years. Therefore management calculates and uses financial ratios to identify the performance gap of the firm against its own past performances as well as against the performance of competing firms in the industry. In addition to this, management uses to analyse the financial performance of the firm against the average financial ratios of the firms operating in the industry as well and then identify areas where the firm has not been performing up to the mark. Some organisations use the financial ratios for the purpose of benchmarking as well and they tend to set different targets for different kinds of financial ratios and then make efforts to achieve these financial ratios. For instance, a firm would like to achieve a profit margin of 20% and therefore in order to achie ve this profit margin, the company would be making efforts to reduce the cost of the company or generate more sales so that costs is allocated to more sold units and targeted profit margin is achieved. Financial ratios are an important indicator about the performance of the firm and therefore it has been used not only by the management of the organisation but these financial ratios have also been used by investors, shareholders, suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders to analyse the financial performance of the company. ... Financial ratios can be subdivided into five major types of financial ratios on the basis of what these ratios reflect: 1. Profitability Ratios 2. Liquidity Ratios 3. Activity Ratios or Efficiency Ratios 4. Leverage Ratios 5. Market Ratios There are different financial ratios included in each of the five categories discussed above and each type or of ratios have their own importance and implications. TYPES OF FINANCIAL ratios Profitability Ratios Profitability ratios reflect how the firm is making profits using the assets or resources it has (Kaplan, and Atkinson, 1998). There are different types of profitability ratios and some of the most important profitability ratios have been discussed below: Profit Margin Profit margin of the firm is calculated using two variables; net profit of the company and the net revenue or net sales. Profit margin reflects the percentage of profits the firm earns out of the total revenue it generates. Formula for calculating profit margin is as follows: Higher profit margin of the firm shows that the cost of making profits is low and lower profit margin indicates that the cost of the company is high. Negative value of profit margin indicates a loss. Gross Profit Margin Gross margin of the firm reflects the profits generated by the company after deducting the production cost (Khan, 1993,). Higher gross profit margin reflects that the cost of production of the firm is low and vice versa. The formula for calculating gross margin is as follows: Operating Margin or Operating Profit Margin Operating profit margin of the firm reflects the ratio of operating profits of the firm against the net sales (Atkinson, Kaplan, Matsumura, & Young, 2007). Operating profit margin can be calculated using the following ratio: Operating

The UK economic crisis on businesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The UK economic crisis on businesses - Essay Example The situation in the capital market was bad. The situation was further worsened by the fact that the housing loans were packaged as financial debt instruments and were sold in the capital markets. Companies around the world purchased the instruments and with the default of the loans, the instruments also became bad. Therefore, the economy overall was affected badly. (Walayat, 22nd August, 2007). The economy of the UK officially entered the recession with the decreased level of growth in two successive quarters. The Government and the banks helped the economy to face the tough situation with pumping in money and effecting rate cuts. This resulted in the Government borrowing money and thus was in a bad situation in the repayment of the loans. The companies were in a bad situation and they were looking to cut costs. There was huge job cutting among the companies and the unemployment reached massive levels. (Oxlade, 12th March, 2010; Bank warns of recession into 2009, 12th November, 2009 ). The recession was hard on the employees and the workers in different industries. The organizations restricted most of the benefits to the workers for cutting costs. A survey found that in the UK among a sample size of 704 organizations, 55% of the sample was planning to decrease the bonus and the pay or to freeze the process altogether. Among the sample size, 61% had no plans for recruiting new workers and 34% were contemplating on not recruiting the graduates. The labor market was in total disarray and the companies increased the off shoring process. The companies in order to cut costs were operating in flexible hours to allow the workers to work more. Bonus and incentives were not paid by most of the respondents. (Broughton, 10th August, 2009) . The situation was the same all over the world. Almost all the countries were more or less perturbed by the recession. Some of the major economies of the world were the most affected. In this paper, the countries of Japan and

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Reflection - Essay Example That even though such facilities in schools provide some form of comfort, the perfect environment that guarantees the acquisition of knowledge, which is the fundamental purpose of every institution of learning, can only be ensured when security is assured. Indeed the opportunity to visit Parkwood high school with my team more than reaffirmed the very importance and/or the effect on the entire educational process. Since I am an international student, I have learnt a lot concerning school design systems and environmental related structures needed to build and run efficient schools; knowledge that I so desire to apply, or at the very least, transfer to my home country. From the information of Alqayed in addition to the knowledge acquired from the Guide for school Facility Appraisals, the observations in Parkwood School were more convincing evidence of what a school in the 21st century ought to have: the school is spacious enough for both current and future education needs; it is surrounded with huge tracks of green lands that can be utilized in erecting extra structures should arise. Accordingly, should the institution decide to increase its population, its location is perfectly placed to allow for easy expansion. The school also has a gate, which is rarely used, located along a public street; an opportunity that more than opens up easier access to the institution should such a decision be made any time in the future. The school was well-built without unnecessary additions; almost everything was well designed and well equipped to last for generations. The green spacing between the school buildings were perfectly thought out, allowing the use of ch airs and benches for outdoor classes should such be deemed necessary. Classes are in good condition and greatly equipped. The parking, situated right next to the athletic club, is big enough to accommodate even the visitors; there are parking lot is

Contract law part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contract law part 2 - Essay Example A meeting was arranged for Monday Spet. 14th to discuss the matter. At the meeting Brian told Alley that if alley did not accept to pay the  £14,000 claim food galore will no longer agree to make delivers on credit to alley and that the delivery for the next day will not be made. Alley was convinced that the claim by foods galore is unjustified; however, as he needed the credit arrangement offered by foods galore and since he did not have enough time to look for alternative supplies, he signed an agreement admitting that he owed foods galore  £14,000. Part of the agreement was a schedule for payment installment on a weekly basis. Alley paid the full amount of  £14,000 over a period of two years. One year later he commenced proceedings against Foods Galore seeking to recover the money on the grounds he signed the agreement under duress. Advise Foods Galore. Foods Galore has already intimated Alley regarding the invoicing error that happened two years back and gave advanced notice for the same. However, Alley was not convinced for this additional dues claimed by Food Galore. According to English court of law, the buyer (Alley) or seller (Foods Galore) has the choice to appeal his case if the terms of the contract are violated (Pollock, 1952)) between two persons or parties. The violation of terms of contract in tender calls is governed ultimately by English contract law. In the present case study, it is clearly apparent that Alley has already agreed that he was having due to Foods Galore and hence the Alley committed a mistake by agreeing to pay in accordance with the contract law provisions. However, Foods Galore was challenged for its claim by Alley after two years which is a matter of concern. There is every possibility that Foods Galore may be drawn to court of law for reconsideration of his decision. Hence necessary legal steps hav e to be taken by Foods Galore to get protection. Foods Galore has not

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Reflection - Essay Example That even though such facilities in schools provide some form of comfort, the perfect environment that guarantees the acquisition of knowledge, which is the fundamental purpose of every institution of learning, can only be ensured when security is assured. Indeed the opportunity to visit Parkwood high school with my team more than reaffirmed the very importance and/or the effect on the entire educational process. Since I am an international student, I have learnt a lot concerning school design systems and environmental related structures needed to build and run efficient schools; knowledge that I so desire to apply, or at the very least, transfer to my home country. From the information of Alqayed in addition to the knowledge acquired from the Guide for school Facility Appraisals, the observations in Parkwood School were more convincing evidence of what a school in the 21st century ought to have: the school is spacious enough for both current and future education needs; it is surrounded with huge tracks of green lands that can be utilized in erecting extra structures should arise. Accordingly, should the institution decide to increase its population, its location is perfectly placed to allow for easy expansion. The school also has a gate, which is rarely used, located along a public street; an opportunity that more than opens up easier access to the institution should such a decision be made any time in the future. The school was well-built without unnecessary additions; almost everything was well designed and well equipped to last for generations. The green spacing between the school buildings were perfectly thought out, allowing the use of ch airs and benches for outdoor classes should such be deemed necessary. Classes are in good condition and greatly equipped. The parking, situated right next to the athletic club, is big enough to accommodate even the visitors; there are parking lot is

Unit 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 3 - Essay Example Age and can possibly provide an example for this relationship. As one ages, resistance to diseases decreases. This means that the increase in age negatively affect resistance to diseases. Correlation studies can take many forms. Let us consider non-experimental correlation studies and quasi-experimental studies. Non-experimental studies involve measuring things as the objects appear. In non-experimental studies, the methods used include observation, case history, and surveys. It is it is unethical to manipulate independent variables. Non-experimental values are used to provide solutions to problems and question existing realities. Lawrence Lisa (2011), conducted a non-experimental descriptive correlation study to examine the relationship amongst four variables, moral distress, education level, CRP and work ethics and how these variables affected nurses work engagement. The study found out that there was a positive direct relationship between CRP and work engagement and a negative correlation moral distress and work engagement. According to Ramos-Alvarez, Moreno Fernandez, Valdez Conroy, & Catena (2008), quasi experiments are evaluations that attempt to determine whether a program or intervention has an expected effect on the participants. Quasi experiments take different forms but usually lack aspects of true experiments. This is the reason quasi experiments are not ideal for dissertation work. In a true experiment, there must be pre-test and posttest design, treatment group, control group and random assignment. For quasi experiment, either one or two of these aspects are lacking. Raanas, Grindel & Herting (2012) conducted a quasi experiment study to examine the health advantages of a bedroom window observethe natural background for patients undergoing a rehabilitation program. The funding for this research was that a blocked view appeared to influence negative physical health changes in women. For men, blocked views

Study of the haitian american ethnic group

Study of the haitian american ethnic group Ignorance is not knowing or being aware of something, when one is ill informed one tends to create assumptions and attitudes towards people and things one does not know or understand. My general assumptions about the Haitian community were that they think of women as inferior, they live together in great numbers and they keep to their own race. The overall opinions I had formed were based on experiences with my co-workers. Through my research for this assignment on ethnic groups not only have I been proven wrong about my assumptions, but I have learned a great deal about the Haitian culture. Becoming more educated and compassionate about the Haitian culture will make me a better teacher because of the vast Haitian population in the state of Florida. How did Haitians become part of American society? How well are Haitians integrated today? How did this voluntary group come to the U.S.? How equitably have Haitians been treated during their tenure in the U.S.? What is the current status (socioeconomic, political, educational, social) of Haitians in the U.S. today? What difficulties have Haitians faced and why? How did Haitians attempt to overcome any difficulties faced? To what degree do Haitians feel a connection to people from a similar background in other parts of the world? Why? Where do Haitian Americans stand in terms of receiving equal educational opportunities at the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels? How can educational equity be achieved for Haitian Americans, what needs to be done? How did Haitians become part of American society? During the 1790s, Haiti was the most affluent of the French colonies. It was then that the black populace of the island revolted against slavery and there was a panicked exodus (everydayculture.com). Thousands of whites, free blacks, and slaves fled to American seaports, culminating in large French-speaking communities in New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York City, and Boston (everydayculture.com). Immigrants from Haiti who arrived in the United States during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were determined to survive in their new land (everydayculture.com). There have been a total of four large migration waves of Haitians coming into the United (Catanese 1998, p19). In the period prior and up to 1970 about 30,084 Haitians came to the U.S. In the period of the 1970 to 1980 about 59,965 Haitians came to the U.S. From 1980 to 1986 93,691 people from the island immigrated to this country and in 1987 through 1990 24,796 Haitians came to the U.S. (Catanese 1998, p19). The peopl e who have voluntarily come from the country of Haiti to the US have done so for years because of its political troubles and unstable economy (Catanese 1998, p19). The instability of the government made it hard for the economy as well as the people to achieve their greatest potential. The overwhelming majority of the Haitian people go to New York and Florida. About 70% of the Haitian community resides in these two regions (Catanese 1998, p19). The close proximity of Florida to the Republic of Haiti makes it an ideal place for them to settle. The great numbers of Haitians in Florida have made for a thriving Haitian community in the area. How well are Haitians integrated today? In the past the color of their skin and language problems made it increasingly more difficult for them to assimilate into the dominant culture (Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). First generation Haitian adolescent high school students identify themselves as Haitian, and manifest pride in their heritage Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). As of 2010 many of the second generation Haitians are integrated into our community. It is very apparent here in the state of Florida how many Haitians are making their mark. One great example is that of, Major Joseph Bernadel, who is one of two founders of the Toussaint Louverture High School for Arts and Social Justice. He is the first Haitian to open up a school not only in Florida but in the US. Presently there are four Haitians in the state legislator and soon there will be a Haitian American in congress. One of these is Phillip J. Brutus, a state representative to the Florida legislature. Brutus is the first Haitian-American elected to the Florida statehouse; he represents the 108th district in Miami (npr.org.). As Haitians continue to become a great part of our educational system and play in even greater role in government they will continue to strongly integrate themselves within the community. How did this voluntary group come to the U.S.? Haitian immigration to the United States can be viewed in terms of specific waves, each being associated with repressive conditions in Haiti (Catanese 1998, p19; Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). The first wave began in 1957 following Francois Papa Doc Duvaliers rise to power (Catanese 1998, p19; Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). These immigrants were members of the well-educated political and economic elite, planning to return to Haiti after the ouster of Duvalier (Stepick, 1998; Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). The second wave of immigrants, who came during the late 1960s through the early 1980s, was skilled laborers from the Haitian middle class (Stepick, 1998; Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004). The next wave of immigrants became known as the Haitian boat people, who were mostly lower class laborers (Vilme, H., Butler, W., 2004) How equitably have Haitians been treated during their tenure in the U.S.? Equity in education for Haitian students is improving more as the number of Haitian students in our schools increases. All schools offer ESOL programs for the students who come from Haiti but not all schools have Haitian speaking instructors that would ease their transition into the curriculum. A grave misconception is that Haitian students can speak and communicate in French, although Creole is derived from French it is a combination of this as well as other languages and dialects of the Taino and African culture. Recent studies show that these students face a multitude of problems other than the language barrier (Buxton, C., Lee, O., Mahotiere, M, 2007). Those problems are their little education or lack thereof in Haiti (Buxton, C., Lee, O., Mahotiere, M, 2007). This creates several problems for these students when faced with the challenge of not only learning a new language but also with trying to keep up with grade level academic standards and goals. In one study based on Haiti an teachers, parents and Haitian students that attended schools both in Haiti and the US; it was found that for the most part, as it refers to language that these students were inclined to learn multiple languages, they have an eagerness to become multicultural, as well as build strong ties and participate within the community (Buxton, C., Lee, O., Mahotiere, M, 2007). A stronger community is a great asset for those that are already settled and even more so for those who intent to settle here in the future. What is the current status (socioeconomic, political, educational, and social) of Haitians in the U.S. today? Like most immigrants in the United States, Haitians are busy in the pursuit of the American dream (everydayculture.com). Almost every Haitian American wishes to buy a home as a matter of status and security; this is implied in the saying, Se vagabon ki loue kay, which means, Respectable people dont rent(everydayculture.com). However, behind the facade of pride and achievement, there is a litany of social problems-battered women, homeless families, and economic exploitation (everydayculture.com). The problems that face Haitian immigrants are enormous and complex (everydayculture.com).The majority of people in the Haitian community do jobs such as housekeepers, cooks, drivers, janitors and such related fields of work. Most recently migrations have brought many middle class citizens to the US from Haiti (Catanese 1998, p19). As people from a more diverse socioeconomic status come over from Haiti it creates a more diverse group within the community. These teachers, entrepreneurs, doctors and other people of such professions are working towards playing greater roles within the Haitian community. What difficulties have Haitians faced and why? One greater problem faced by the US government as it relates to the Haitian communities is its possible undercount because of what our definition is of a household. Not having an accurate count limits the governments abilities to provide necessary assistance to the members of the Haitian community. The sharing of several homes is common place within the new immigrant communities, these structures are customs brought over from Haiti (Portes, A., Rumbaut, R. G. 2001). It is common to have extended family living under one roof and having many people in the community share common areas (Buxton, C., Lee, O., Mahotiere, M, 2007). As more services become available it will further improve educational and social settings for the Haitian community so that they can play a greater role within their community. How are Haitians attempting to overcome any difficulties faced? The way for any society to overcome their difficulties and become more prominent within their society is through education. As more Haitian Americans become bigger voices within education, politics and their community they will continue to overcome the difficulties they face. Michel S. Laguerre, an anthropologist in the Department of Afro-American Studies, University of California at Berkeley, has researched many aspects of Haitian American life and has published numerous books and articles (http://www.everyculture.com). Tekle Mariam Woldemikael, a sociologist in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Whittier College in Whittier, California, has written several studies concerning Haitian Americans (http://www.everyculture.com). Carole M. Berotte Joseph, who was born in Port-au-Prince and came to the U.S. in 1957, is the Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Student Services at the City College School of Education in New York City where she is an authority on bilingua l and foreign language teaching; she is a founder of the International Alliance for Haiti, Inc (http://www.everyculture.com). Michaelle Vincent, the District Supervisor Bilingual and Foreign Language Skills of the Dade County (Florida) Public Schools, is a consultant on Haitian culture and the Creole language, developing and implementing seminars on Haitian culture; she also hosted a daily radio show in Haitian Creole on WLRN in Miami (http://www.everyculture.com). To what degree do Haitians feel a connection to people from a similar background in other parts of the world? Why? In many races it is somewhat common to feel that you share some sort of culture and language with another group of people. For example, the Cuban and Puerto Rican people share many things between them such as food, language, and even similar flags. This is not so for the Haitian community. The language of Creole spoken in their country is not shared by any other and while all Caribbean foods are similar none are the same. Haitians face an identity dilemma in the United States; although they are different in national origin, they are almost physically indistinguishable from other black Americans (http://www.everyculture.com). They cannot easily merge with the rest of the black population because of their language and culture; Haitian Americans perceive differences between themselves and other blacks (http://www.everyculture.com). Most seek a middle ground between being merged with the rest of the black population and complete isolation. Haitian language and culture are preserved at ho me, which makes it possible for Haitian immigrants to separate themselves from the Afro-American culture around them (http://www.everyculture.com). They adapt to the dominant American culture while retaining their distinctive lifestyle at home (http://www.everyculture.com). The people of Haiti feel no real connection towards any other group. While the Dominican Republic is its next door neighbor to Haiti, these two countries have had strife for centuries making it impossible for the two groups two find a common ground. Overall, my research suggests that the Haitian people feel no connection with any other group. Where do Haitian Americans stand in terms of receiving equal educational opportunities at the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels? Due to the high population of Haitians here in Florida the school system continues to make efforts to improve the educational quality for these people. Implementing Haitian history within the curriculum also helps Haitian American students feel more integrated in the educational system (http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us). Presently most programs offered are for Hispanic students because of their great numbers as it relates to the school system. Other than ESOL I did not find any other programs for the Haitian American students. In Miami Dade county there is the Toussaint Louverture Elementary, named so in under of the leader of their greatest revolution. In Boynton Beach there is the Toussaint Louverture School for the Arts and Social Justice, this High school meets the needs of Haitian immigrants and Haitian American students the curriculum is taught in both Creole and English. How can educational equity be achieved for Haitian Americans, what needs to be done? As of right now educational equity has not been met, but as we step into the future more Haitian Americans are becoming teachers and advocates for better opportunities for the Haitian American community. The presence of more Haitian American teachers will improve the quality as well as the educational opportunities for the future generations within the Haitian community. For there to be an improvement for this group we as teachers, not matter what the race, should encourage higher education and emphasize how being educated not only opens doors for one self but also for those who may follow in our footsteps. Conclusion Learning about this ethnic group has opened my eyes and cleared up my misconceptions. I have learned that for the most part we are not doing all we could to improve education for Haitians. I have also learned that what I might think as strange is merely part of the culture. As educators in Florida we must help all students to reach their full potential no matter what cultural differences we may share. Being more knowledgeable on Haitian Americans will make me a better teacher especially because of the vast number of Haitian American students in the Florida school system. In the future I will try to clear up any misconceptions I might have about a group by doing some simple research. Annotated Bibliography Academic Journals Buxton, C., Lee, O., Mahotiere, M. (2007). The Role of Language in Academic and Social Transition of Haitian Children and Their Parents to Urban U.S. Schools. Bilingual Research Journal, 31(1/2), 47-74. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Education Full Text database. This article talks about the social structure of the Haitian family, their culture and their transition into the American educational system. Catanese, A V  (Sept-Oct 1998).  Haitian Americans.  Ã‚  Migration World Magazine,  26,  5.  p.19 (5).  Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Education Full Text database. This article gives the demographic profile of Haitian Americans. It gives specific data about the migrations of Haitian to the U.S. as well as family, education, and economic information etc. Portes, A., Rumbaut, R. G. (2001). Ethnicities: Children of Immigrants in America. Berkeley: University of California Press. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Education Full Text database. This article discusses the disadvantages suffered by Haitian immigrants and their familys migrant workers. Vilme, H., Butler, W. (2004). The Ethnic Identity of First Generation Haitian High School Students in Miami, Florida. The Negro Educational Review, 55(2/3), 137-42. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from Education Full Text database. This article talks about the experiences and educational opportunities of forts generation Haitian students in Miami. Books Stepick, A. (1998). Pride and Prejudice Haitians in the United States. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. This book is about Haitian immigrants struggles, cultural identity, school, and politics within America society. Internet Department of Multicultural Education, Palm Beach County: Charlemagne Baptiste and Bito David. (May 2004). Haitian Americans. In Haitian/Haitian American Curriculum Teacher/Student ResourcesK-12. Retrieved April 2010, from http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Multicultural/curriculum/Haiti/HaitianStudiesResources.pdf. Lisa Simeone. (Dec 2000). Haitian -American Legislator. In NPR news. Retrieved April 2010, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1114870. Felix Eme Unaeze and Richard E. Perrin. (2010). Haitian Americans. In Everyday Culture. Retrieved April 2010, from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Haitian-Americans.html.

The Eucharist in Fellowship of the Ring, Return of the King, and Two Towers :: Fellowship of the Ring Essays

The Eucharist in Fellowship of the Ring, Return of the King, and Two Towers      Ã‚  Ã‚   J.R.R. Tolkien's use of waybread takes on the properties of the Catholic Eucharist in The Lord of the Rings. He creates lembas, a special kind of dried bread and made it the primary food source for the main characters. This special food is, in certain ways, a type of Eucharist, as defined by the Catholic church. Specifically, the parralells can be found in the outward similarities and the surrounding effects.    Lembas are a special kind of waybread. Waybread is meant to be taken on long trips, so it must be easily preservable, nutritious, light and with no preparation necessary. Lembas are made in the form of light dried cakes, wrapped in leaves to preserve freshness. It is very tasty and seems to have a special quality of instilling energy when the eater has great need of it. Lembas are made by the elves of Lothlorien, a secret and unearthly race who gift the traveling band of heroes with the waybread to help them on their journey (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring 478). Similarily, the Eucharist is in wafer form, and has the spiritual quality of instilling grace in the soul. It is created in a special ceremony and is a major part of the sacrament of theExtreme Unction. The Eucharist is considered by CatholicChristians to be the actual body of Christ.    It is interesting to note that both lembas and the Eucharist share the title of "Food for the Journey"(Nicolas 90). In the case of the Eucharist, this is derived from the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. When a person is on the verge of death, a priest is usually summoned to give the person communion to prepare him or her spiritually for death. Since, for the Christian, death is not final, but a door to heaven, it is considered more like a journey, and not an ending. The Eucharist is given to the dying person much as an athlete is given high energy food just before a race. Lembas are, from their very name, a kind of food for the journey. Both these light wafers have similar purposes, to feed the traveler during a physical or spiritual journey.

Building Of Dwelling Houses In Estonia :: essays research papers

Building of Dwelling Houses in Estonia Not wanting to analyze the building of dwelling houses in Estonia inefficiently and seemingly scientifically (where would I have got competent statistics from), I simply try to express the thoughts which are connected with that topics somehow and have come into my mind. What kind of â€Å"scientific† analysis it could be or who should make it, if even the architectural critics seem not to manage with the simplest things. That reminds me an article in the EE some time ago about a Finnish lady (naturally in Finland) completing or taking her doctor's degree. She was examining Finnish post-war modern house, it's morphology, the structure of the Finnish family, the connections between them and making conclusions which extend to this day. Those observations about architecture were much more smarter than those that the most of self-confident architects could do. Unfortunately it has to be confessed that I don't remember such a research work or sentiments in Estonian science, but no doubt, they could be necessary. The typology of the houses used by most of the architects goes back to the living model of the middle class at the end of the 19th century. That model was idealized and carried on through a hundred of years up to the end of this century. No doubt that our living style is changing — repeating banalities: paradigm changes — as well as the composition and make-up of the family. There was a news in a newspaper about Estonia which declared that 50 % of the children are illegitimate (it is possible, of course, that some parents live together without getting married officially) and 12,5 % of the born children know nothing about their fathers. The living with grandparents is not so popular any more. (As to the models of living it is worth of observing what has happened in North- America — though some europercentage followers don't accept that — it may happen that we will be on the same development level soon. In that country the grown-up children don't want to live with their fathers and mothers, at least statistically). Even such an every day activity as cooking is changing essentially. An apartment or house is not a small production unit with its storages, kitchen and dining room any more. The kitchen can be as presentable as the dining room, also the furniture and the quality of the activities, they can become more melted. There are some theorists who admit that not only eating but washing procedures as well will leave the house to so-called town-social level.

Plato’s Republic

Thrasymachus takes the cynical but honest view, that there is more benefit in plainly appearing just than there is in actual being just. He does not necessarily refer to hypocritical villains, those who deliberately nurture a veneer of a socially just man in order to reap personal benefit. He could also be referring to those who have convinced themselves that they are good, apart from society recognizing them as good. As an example of the first we could take Moliere’s Tartuffe. He has entered the household of Orgon with deliberate intent to appropriate for himself the property of his landlord. He takes note of the superficial natures of Orgon and his mother, both of them who are fond of shows of piety and uttering platitudes. He tailors his conduct exactly to please these two. He makes sure that religion is always pouring from his lips. His conduct is always immaculate in the presence of them, and he is never short of advice to the others, who hold him is various degrees of suspicion, regarding the pious and just life. Tartuffe is not only a hypocrite but also a calculating villain. He is the sort that works his way to social standing and privilege by express knowledge that the larger part of society is weak to such charms. It is easy to see that anyone in Tartuffe’s position would lose out by trying to be really just to those he encounters. The counter argument to this is that villains like Tartuffe are usually found out in the end, and therefore suffer in the long run, at the hands of the same society. For example, Tartuffe overreaches himself when he tries to seduce the wife of Orgon, while at the same time courting their daughter. When he is found out he loses the favor of Orgon, after which point he resorts to outright villainy. But when Thrasymachus argues for the appearance of virtue he also has the example of Orgon in mind. For Orgon, and even more so for his mother, the appearance of virtue is the most important thing. So important is it to them that they do not realize that they a dealing with appearances. They believe themselves to be virtuous because they abide by the rules of conventional virtue and piety. Orgon is a wealthy man, and it is clear that his wealth is derived through his ability to adapt. He has no concern whether justice is really done, but only that it should appear to be done. He is so blinded by the show of virtue of Tartuffe that he does not even suspect ulterior motives in his lodger wanting to wed his daughter. When the daughter complains he signs away his property to the lodger in a show of defiance. Of course, his blindness is the cause of his ruin in the end, which is shown for dramatic purposes. But the general argument remains, which is that the likes of Orgon prosper is society. He does enquire into true justice, and any effort in this direction would disrupt his social standing from the root. The likes of Orgon happily give charity to murderers. The vanity of giving blinds them to all other considerations. The mistake of Thrasymachus is that he considers contingent benefits and fails to arrive at a comprehensive account. To provide such an account is extremely difficult, and part of the difficulty is that the listener must have an open and enquiring mind to be able to grasp the subtleties of it. This is why Socrates (Plato) provides three different explanations of why the just life is preferable to the unjust one, and the three responses are suited to the three different attitudes of the questioners. The rich Cephalus is smug in his righteousness that he repays his debts, and that he gives to charity. He is confrontational, and therefore it is only possible to contradict his smug assertions bluntly. This is why Socrates merely asks him to consider whether the returning of a weapon to its rightful owner, a murderer, is justice. Thrasymachus is more constructive. He claims that justice is merely what the powerful impose on the weak. To this Socrates argues that all constructive activity has the powerful acting in favor of the weak, not the other way round, as Thrasymachus contends. If justice be admitted to be constructive then Thrasymachus’ is plainly wrong. The more subtle argument concerning harmony is reserved for the honest enquiries of Adeimantus and Glaucon. Justice is introduced now as a harmony in a body, where the ruling part subdues and controls the rest of the body, so that no part is in discord with another. The final notion is not easy to grasp, for it seems to imply that rulers must have complete wisdom in order to rule, for only with complete wisdom will they be infused with the sense of harmony that is required to effect justice. As a first example we take a football team. The manager of the team is the ruling part of this body. If he can effect harmony here, between all the players, and each of them with himself, then the team will win consistently. But this very success is bound to bring problems. If the team is so good that it never loses, then after a point the players lose motivation, they become complacent. Only after a few bad losses are they able to regain their efficient level again. Complacency, however, is the least evil. Success brings in its train a plethora of evils, all capable of disrupting the harmony. The players begin to nurture big egos and there are personality clashes. In dire circumstances they had all stuck together; but with success even the manager is not beyond reproach anymore. Faced with all these problems the manager becomes more and more dictatorial rather than wise, and this in itself is a cause for disruption. The same is true of any organization. A company starting from scratch is fired with a zeal that is conducive to harmony amongst its employees. But we cannot call such a company absolutely harmonious before it begins to reap enormous profits, because harmony must be equated with success. We are applying the word â€Å"harmony† in the strict sense here, meaning that something in harmony cannot have discordant parts. A company that in unprofitable is not in harmony. Only when it has reached the very top of the field can we begin to harbor such notions as perfect harmony. Then again, the higher is aspires the less and less is management able to maintain harmony. Managers themselves start to look after their own instead of the interests of the business. And so we observe in real life that managers award themselves huge pay packets even when the business is floundering. The arguments of Socrates are always in favor of universals and opposed to particulars. Particular justice, or particular virtue, will not always make sense, but this is only because the all-encompassing or universal picture evades us. Socrates confesses that he does not know what justice is, or what virtue is, or what truth is. To know these would mean having a universal idea in the mind, which is not possible. If the arguments of Socrates mean anything, they are means by which one comes to believe in the universal ideal, becomes convinced that it exists. And so one must not despair if injustice or untruth appears to have the upper hand. Skeptics may easily cast doubt on the existence of universals. They might argue along the lines that we have no experience of universals. That all experience is particular and contingent, and that it is pedantic to introduce the notion of universals. They might say that all justice is merely a point of view. Different cultures evolve with different notions of justice, and this is the principle reason why nations go to war with each other, to fight for a particular notion of justice, or for certain ideas about beauty. The skeptics might argue that if there was a universal idea of justice then it would have been discovered by now and nations would live in peace. In response to such arguments Plato would emphasize existence. For example, people use the word â€Å"table† in everyday discourse. It doesn’t seem to spread confusion, but instead facilitates understanding. But this is strange, because there is no standard table in the world. All tables are different from each other. This difference is a source of confusion. And yet people from diverse cultures and diverse walks of life get away by simply mentioning the word â€Å"table†, and things are immediately clear to all parties as to what is being said. Such fluent communication would be impossible if not every mention of â€Å"table† was referring to a standard. And if this standard does not exist in the material world, then it surely exists transcendentally, something which Plato calls the world of ideals. We could not imagine the ideal table, for every effort in this direction would spring up a particular table. But it is an overwhelming certainty that we have language and communication, in the place of confusion and chaos. This is how Plato confirms the existence of universals. What is true of the word â€Å"table† is also true of the notions of justice, virtue and beauty. People hold relative notions of these, not only between cultures, but also between individuals of the same culture. The skeptics point to a cacophony in such matters, but they can never identify chaos. If difference was the norm, and no standard had ever prevailed, we must judge that there has been time enough for all structure to break down. But what we see in human society is miraculous as it is. The most miraculous structure of them all is the Republic. People can always find fault in the way the state is run. But if they could see things plainly, free from every sort of bias, they could not help marvel at the very existence of the Republic. It is a place where individuals meet with common notions of justice, virtue and beauty. So the existence of the state is a testimony that universal justice exists, as do universal virtue and universal beauty. Plato uses the existence of the Republic to prove that universal justice exists, and that the just life is preferable to the unjust one. Plato’s Republic Thrasymachus takes the cynical but honest view, that there is more benefit in plainly appearing just than there is in actual being just. He does not necessarily refer to hypocritical villains, those who deliberately nurture a veneer of a socially just man in order to reap personal benefit. He could also be referring to those who have convinced themselves that they are good, apart from society recognizing them as good. As an example of the first we could take Moliere’s Tartuffe. He has entered the household of Orgon with deliberate intent to appropriate for himself the property of his landlord. He takes note of the superficial natures of Orgon and his mother, both of them who are fond of shows of piety and uttering platitudes. He tailors his conduct exactly to please these two. He makes sure that religion is always pouring from his lips. His conduct is always immaculate in the presence of them, and he is never short of advice to the others, who hold him is various degrees of suspicion, regarding the pious and just life. Tartuffe is not only a hypocrite but also a calculating villain. He is the sort that works his way to social standing and privilege by express knowledge that the larger part of society is weak to such charms. It is easy to see that anyone in Tartuffe’s position would lose out by trying to be really just to those he encounters. The counter argument to this is that villains like Tartuffe are usually found out in the end, and therefore suffer in the long run, at the hands of the same society. For example, Tartuffe overreaches himself when he tries to seduce the wife of Orgon, while at the same time courting their daughter. When he is found out he loses the favor of Orgon, after which point he resorts to outright villainy. But when Thrasymachus argues for the appearance of virtue he also has the example of Orgon in mind. For Orgon, and even more so for his mother, the appearance of virtue is the most important thing. So important is it to them that they do not realize that they a dealing with appearances. They believe themselves to be virtuous because they abide by the rules of conventional virtue and piety. Orgon is a wealthy man, and it is clear that his wealth is derived through his ability to adapt. He has no concern whether justice is really done, but only that it should appear to be done. He is so blinded by the show of virtue of Tartuffe that he does not even suspect ulterior motives in his lodger wanting to wed his daughter. When the daughter complains he signs away his property to the lodger in a show of defiance. Of course, his blindness is the cause of his ruin in the end, which is shown for dramatic purposes. But the general argument remains, which is that the likes of Orgon prosper is society. He does enquire into true justice, and any effort in this direction would disrupt his social standing from the root. The likes of Orgon happily give charity to murderers. The vanity of giving blinds them to all other considerations. The mistake of Thrasymachus is that he considers contingent benefits and fails to arrive at a comprehensive account. To provide such an account is extremely difficult, and part of the difficulty is that the listener must have an open and enquiring mind to be able to grasp the subtleties of it. This is why Socrates (Plato) provides three different explanations of why the just life is preferable to the unjust one, and the three responses are suited to the three different attitudes of the questioners. The rich Cephalus is smug in his righteousness that he repays his debts, and that he gives to charity. He is confrontational, and therefore it is only possible to contradict his smug assertions bluntly. This is why Socrates merely asks him to consider whether the returning of a weapon to its rightful owner, a murderer, is justice. Thrasymachus is more constructive. He claims that justice is merely what the powerful impose on the weak. To this Socrates argues that all constructive activity has the powerful acting in favor of the weak, not the other way round, as Thrasymachus contends. If justice be admitted to be constructive then Thrasymachus’ is plainly wrong. The more subtle argument concerning harmony is reserved for the honest enquiries of Adeimantus and Glaucon. Justice is introduced now as a harmony in a body, where the ruling part subdues and controls the rest of the body, so that no part is in discord with another. The final notion is not easy to grasp, for it seems to imply that rulers must have complete wisdom in order to rule, for only with complete wisdom will they be infused with the sense of harmony that is required to effect justice. As a first example we take a football team. The manager of the team is the ruling part of this body. If he can effect harmony here, between all the players, and each of them with himself, then the team will win consistently. But this very success is bound to bring problems. If the team is so good that it never loses, then after a point the players lose motivation, they become complacent. Only after a few bad losses are they able to regain their efficient level again. Complacency, however, is the least evil. Success brings in its train a plethora of evils, all capable of disrupting the harmony. The players begin to nurture big egos and there are personality clashes. In dire circumstances they had all stuck together; but with success even the manager is not beyond reproach anymore. Faced with all these problems the manager becomes more and more dictatorial rather than wise, and this in itself is a cause for disruption. The same is true of any organization. A company starting from scratch is fired with a zeal that is conducive to harmony amongst its employees. But we cannot call such a company absolutely harmonious before it begins to reap enormous profits, because harmony must be equated with success. We are applying the word â€Å"harmony† in the strict sense here, meaning that something in harmony cannot have discordant parts. A company that in unprofitable is not in harmony. Only when it has reached the very top of the field can we begin to harbor such notions as perfect harmony. Then again, the higher is aspires the less and less is management able to maintain harmony. Managers themselves start to look after their own instead of the interests of the business. And so we observe in real life that managers award themselves huge pay packets even when the business is floundering. The arguments of Socrates are always in favor of universals and opposed to particulars. Particular justice, or particular virtue, will not always make sense, but this is only because the all-encompassing or universal picture evades us. Socrates confesses that he does not know what justice is, or what virtue is, or what truth is. To know these would mean having a universal idea in the mind, which is not possible. If the arguments of Socrates mean anything, they are means by which one comes to believe in the universal ideal, becomes convinced that it exists. And so one must not despair if injustice or untruth appears to have the upper hand. Skeptics may easily cast doubt on the existence of universals. They might argue along the lines that we have no experience of universals. That all experience is particular and contingent, and that it is pedantic to introduce the notion of universals. They might say that all justice is merely a point of view. Different cultures evolve with different notions of justice, and this is the principle reason why nations go to war with each other, to fight for a particular notion of justice, or for certain ideas about beauty. The skeptics might argue that if there was a universal idea of justice then it would have been discovered by now and nations would live in peace. In response to such arguments Plato would emphasize existence. For example, people use the word â€Å"table† in everyday discourse. It doesn’t seem to spread confusion, but instead facilitates understanding. But this is strange, because there is no standard table in the world. All tables are different from each other. This difference is a source of confusion. And yet people from diverse cultures and diverse walks of life get away by simply mentioning the word â€Å"table†, and things are immediately clear to all parties as to what is being said. Such fluent communication would be impossible if not every mention of â€Å"table† was referring to a standard. And if this standard does not exist in the material world, then it surely exists transcendentally, something which Plato calls the world of ideals. We could not imagine the ideal table, for every effort in this direction would spring up a particular table. But it is an overwhelming certainty that we have language and communication, in the place of confusion and chaos. This is how Plato confirms the existence of universals. What is true of the word â€Å"table† is also true of the notions of justice, virtue and beauty. People hold relative notions of these, not only between cultures, but also between individuals of the same culture. The skeptics point to a cacophony in such matters, but they can never identify chaos. If difference was the norm, and no standard had ever prevailed, we must judge that there has been time enough for all structure to break down. But what we see in human society is miraculous as it is. The most miraculous structure of them all is the Republic. People can always find fault in the way the state is run. But if they could see things plainly, free from every sort of bias, they could not help marvel at the very existence of the Republic. It is a place where individuals meet with common notions of justice, virtue and beauty. So the existence of the state is a testimony that universal justice exists, as do universal virtue and universal beauty. Plato uses the existence of the Republic to prove that universal justice exists, and that the just life is preferable to the unjust one.