Effects Of Greek Mythology - 2052 Words

The myths of Zeus, Hera and the other Olympians are well known worldwide, as are those of the many demigod heroes, such as Hercules and Daedalus. Although their stories are familiar, the effects that they had on life in Ancient Greece and the rest of the world is unknown to most people. Although many may not know it, Greek mythology had a large effect on life in Ancient Greece through names, religious practices and places, festivals, architecture, and wars. The first way that Greek mythology affected daily life in Ancient Greece was through its effect on the names of places in Greece, many of which we still hear today. Major cities in Ancient Greece were often named after the gods so that the cities could receive special blessings†¦show more content†¦When money was made, Athena was also pictured on both sides of the coins for a time. Although not all cities renamed themselves after the patron god, this is a very well-known way that Greek mythology affected life in Ancient G reece. Another way that the names of places were affected by Greek myths is through its effect on religious practices and sacred places. One such place that was important to the Greeks was the sacred place of Delphi. Delphi was dedicated to Apollo, the god of prophecy. It is also believed by the Greeks to house its namesake, the Oracle of Delphi, which would proclaim prophecies to those that worshipped it and made sacrifices. People from all over Greece flocked to this area to give offerings to the Oracle in hopes of receiving a prophecy. Another sacred place to the Greeks was Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus was the tallest mountain in Greece, and was believed to be the home of the gods. It was chosen as such because in Greek mythology, this is the place where the gods took their stand against their parents, the Titans. In this battle, the gods climbed the mountain to attack from out of range of the Titans. After winning the battle and becoming the supreme deities of Greece, the gods h ave resided there ever since. Even more, the base of the mountain the home of the nine muses, goddesses of the arts. This affected the lives of many Greeks because it influenced what they did and where they had to travel to when they felt theyShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology: Influences and Effect to Greek Civilization5325 Words   |  22 PagesINTRODUCTION â€Å"Mythos†- a Greek word meaning â€Å"tale† and the origin of the word mythology; according to the dictionary mythology means, a traditional story aiming to explain the meaning of things concerning deities and demigods. Greek Mythology has been known to be one of the footprints left by the civilization of ancient Greece to our history and these mythology somehow shed a light to the culture, life style, religion and history of ancient Greece since the mythology were the primary basis of theRead MoreGreek Mythology and Its Effects on Civilization803 Words   |  4 PagesGreek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Many Greeks recognized the major gods and goddesses, such as Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and many others through philosophies such as Stoicism. The religious practices of the Greeks extended beyond mainland Greece to the islands and costs of Ionia in Asia Minor to Sicily and southern Italy, and scattered Greek colonies in the Western MediterraneanRead MoreComparing Roman And Greek Mythology1354 Words   |  6 Pages Roman Vs. Greek Mythology Roman and Greek mythology are full of complexities. Much of Greek and Roman everyday life revolved around these myths. Many similarities are obvious between Roman and Greek mythology because the Romans borrowed a significant amount of their myths and gods from the Greeks. Although Roman and Greek mythology have a few components in common, they also have many various aspects that cause differences in their cultures. First of all; values, morals, traditionsRead MoreThe Importance of Greek Mythology1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe importance of Greek mythology Today, the ancient Greek myths still fascinate readers throughout the world. There are thousands of books written about the importance of Greek mythology in the formation of modern-time societies. There are hundreds of movies created about the adventures of Greek heroes. Apparently, the events, creatures, and people described in the ancient Greek myths were not real; however, their mythical nature does not undermine the importance of Greek mythology in defining theRead MoreEssay about Schwetzingen Castle and Mythology931 Words   |  4 PagesSchwetzingen Castle and Mythology: The Connection The beauty and history of the grounds at Schwetzingen Castle is unmistakable. There is a deep history part of its roots in mythology. There are over one hundred statues that decorate the property with many that depict some kind of god, hero or representation of something in mythology. There are also many examples of other cultures scattered around the grounds. The way they are portrayed, their faces and poses tell the story of how they were perceivedRead MoreI believe that mythology should still be taught in schools, although with less of an emphasis and600 Words   |  3 Pages I believe that mythology should still be taught in schools, although with less of an emphasis and across more cultures. Myths are important parts of literature, and have complexity that is different than normal novels. Also, myths teach about the culture of their time, as well as how people lived and what they believed. Along these lines, I think that other cultures’ myths should also be taught, as th ey also teach about the people of their time. Mythology is an important form of literature thatRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Ancient Greece1107 Words   |  5 Pagesand every day. Various gods ruled these different city states. Mythology was very huge in Ancient Greece. There are so many different folktales and myths from Ancient Greece. Do you ever wonder if any of those ancient Myth’s were true? Ever believe that those myths still help shape society today? 1. Burrell, Roy. The Greeks. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. This book explains how the Minoans helped influence Ancient Greek mythology in many ways. Most people believe that the Ancient Greece usedRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology1154 Words   |  5 Pagesand lessons of Greek mythology have shaped art and literature for thousands of years. Later Greek writers and artists used and elaborated upon these sources in their own work. Did you know that in ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life. They explained everything from rituals to the weather, and they gave meaning to the world people saw around them. Many consumer products get their names from Greek mythology. For example sportsRead MoreAthenas Impact on the Lives of Ancient Greeks Essay1027 Words   |  5 PagesAthena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was t he supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impactRead MoreEssay about Exposition of Mythology846 Words   |  4 PagesExposition of Mythology Since the beginning of time people have found great interest in the study of mythology and its origin. For the past five weeks I have been studying this deep and complex issue and have come to the conclusion that without myths history would not be the same. In this paper I will discuss what myths are and how scholars have broken them down. Scholars such as Joseph Campbell go into great detail to explain mythology and how it effects the human life. First you must determine

The Campus Environment And Campus Life - 1367 Words

Report 4: INTRODUCTION This report is about using reflexive photography to gain an understanding on how students feel about the campus environment and campus life. It is to recreate a similar study made at the University College of Fraser Valley (UCFV) which was used to provide recommendations to the university policymakers regarding the planning and development of the institutions academics and physical environment but we completed this in a much shorter period of time. It will be about how we feel about the Penrhyn Road campus. AIMS We aim to use photography to describe and explore how representing Kingston university, what we like about Kingston University, any improvements that can be made and other issues that came up. We created this research project to understand a visual research method that allows an understanding of how students behave and assign a meaning to the campus environment. We use photos as it was easy to view and most of the students had a smartphone that is capable of taking photos. Also using photos can have different interpretations depending on the viewer which may contrast against the person who took the photo. We aim to find if there is any factor that may influence how students will view the photos during the discussion and compare each other images and see why they have taken their own images. It will provide an understanding on how we as students integrate within the Penrhyn Road campus. It relates to symbolic interactionism. SymbolicShow MoreRelatedLiving on Campus During College: Po sitive Reasons1296 Words   |  6 Pagesattains when mingling with other people of the same age. Based on the two choices concerning where to live, staying on the campus is more advantageous to the students than when one is out of its surrounding. For instance, living on campus helps students to engage more with the academic surroundings. Students living on campus spend most of their time in schoolroom environment (â€Å"University at Buffalo†). This helps them to interact between themselves and their lecturers that allows for an introductionRead MoreUnderage Drinking On College Campuses1464 Words   |  6 Pagesdrinking, by creating a zero alcohol on campus policy. This policy pertains to all students whether of drinking age or not. The universities that create such policies are known to college students as a dry campus. The concept of a dry campus is to eliminate the access to alcohol to those students that are under age, drinking and driving, and binge drinking on campus. Campuses that are dry have the most restrictive alcohol policy that currently exists. A dry campus not only banned drinking for individualsRead MoreEffects Of Stray Cats And Stray Dogs Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesWe live in the campus every day , so the environment of university campus is very important to our life and study. We found a problem that there are many stray dogs and stray cats in our school before, and we found that our classmates had been bitten before. Therefore, I and my group member want to do something to help solve this problem. Since stray cats and stray dogs cause a bad influence on our university campus, so how about other university? Would they also have this problem? Liu Xisheng〠LiRead MoreThe Social Experience On-Campus or The Privacy of Living Off Campus1099 Words   |  5 Pageswhere we were going to live starting in the fall next school year. We both spent this last semester on campus to fulfil Georgia Southern’s first-year requirement and both of us would be quick to agree that it definitely had its pros and cons. Before we started, we sat down and took a look at what on-campus and off-campus housing had to offer using a cost-to-benefit ratio. While living on-campus is great in the fact that you are able to walk to class faster, you are located closer to the meal hallRead MoreEnvironmental Sustainability Of The United Nations Millennium Development Goals1044 Words   |  5 Pages Due to the rising environmental issues universities have strived to become sustainable. This change has affected many aspects of campus life. Students and faculty have come across several new opportunities because of this development. One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals include the goal to ensure environmental sustainability. In the position of universities the challenge is acquiring funds and student participation to make this initiative a priority. Developments like grass-rootsRead More Business Proposal for Library at the Exton Campus of Delaware County Community College1294 Words   |  6 PagesCONTENTS Background1 Current Environment.2 Proposed Environment...3 Diagram.4 Benefits.6 Business Requirements and Cost Analysis...8 Conclusion9 BACKGROUND I am proposing for a library to be put into the Exton campus of Delaware County Community College. There is currently not a libraryRead MoreCollege Should Live On Campus885 Words   |  4 PagesFiguring out whether a college should live on campus or live in an apartment is a big decision during their college years. The student has so many decisions to make and this is just another decision to make on the road to their future. Many aspects must be looked at when deciding to live on campus or live off campus such as expense, student life and proximity to campus and these are just some parts of the whole equation. Both living on campus and living off campus have their pros and cons, the option theRead MoreSchool Shootings Are Becoming More Common1292 Words   |  6 PagesAllowing students to carry a concealed weapon on campus would not help at all. Schools must be a safe environment and not a war zone. Many states prohibited concealed weapons on campus which is the right choice. Most colleges who allow their students to carry concealed weapons increase the chances of violence on campus. College students must be unable to carry concealed weapons on campus. Allowing students to carry guns on campus won’t make it a safe environment. A school shooting took place at Umpqua CommunityRead MoreCollege : Dorm Or Apartment1122 Words   |  5 Pagesfreshmen to live on campus. Adding room and board to the equation, the cost jumps to a staggering $20,182.(Undergraduate Admissions) That practically doubles the cost of a college education. Is it worth the extra expense to live on campus? College is a monumental transition. Typical incoming freshmen have lived with their parents their entire life, so they have not had all the responsibility that comes with living away from home. To ease the transition college freshmen should live on campus. A dorm providesRead MoreBusiness Proposal1330 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Proposal: Library at the Exton Campus of Delaware County Community College Erin Murphy April 29, 2002 BUS 100-95 TABLE OF CONTENTS BackgroundÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…1 Current EnvironmentÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….2 Proposed EnvironmentÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…...3 DiagramÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….4 BenefitsÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….6 Business Requirements and Cost AnalysisÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…...8 ConclusionÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…9 BACKGROUND

Communication Skills Cultural Diversity in Business

Question: Discuss about the Communication Skills for Cultural Diversity in Business. Answer: Introduction: Cultural diversity is an increasing phenomenon that has affected the social and the political harmony as well as the efficiency of the organisation. Managing the diversity in the organisational culture is one of the major importances as it includes different values, beliefs, and customs, essence and human identity. The paper states that the culture of respect goes away from the complements, tolerance and legitimizes the perspective of the business that supports cultural diversity management in the organisation. The legitimate process to establish a culture of intercultural respect is considered as an effective way for the principles of respect as it is founded on Kantian tradition and discursive approach. The article identifies that the connection between the organisation and the community racial or the ethnic proportion influences the performance of organisational diversity. The information and the decision making perspective on the diversity of the organisation infers that the organisational diversity is based on variety and not on the demographic proportion. The study indicates that the matching of the racial/ethnic proportion and the diversity fit affects the financial performance of the organisation. The diversity is a valuable human resource that enhances the overall performance of the company. The cultural democratic shifts transform the organisation and thus the managers consider taking a closer look at the diversity and the inclusion (DI) efforts. The article mentions that the DI is not just a game or a politically appropriate workplace initiative. The DI help to cover up the opportunity gaps in the organisation. The diversity and inclusion efforts strategies thus allow the organisation to achieve higher growth that supports sustainability in the competitive market. The steps in the DI include authentic engagement, strategic implications, embracing diversity of thought, sustainable growth, creating distinction and change management. Diversity is a good tool in the organisation as the diversity in the staffs allows amazing new perspectives to the organisation and provides effective solution for the issues faced by the organisation. The five tips that provide better workplace diversity are redefining and recognising the different types of diversity in an organisation, redefining the discrimination present in the workplace, celebrating all the possible diversity, keep trying to learn about the staffs of the organisation. Moreover, the managers of the organisation need to consider that the staffs do not understand the perspective always. After the high profile lawsuits, the business had started caring a lot about the diversity of the organisation. However, a number of diversity program, used by the organisation fails to increase the diversity in the workplace. The managers of the organisation have relied on the diversity training to minimise the bias on the job, hiring test, and the performance rating. the diversity program fails due to inappropriate strategies and the ineffective implementation of those strategies. References Forbes.com. (2016). Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2016/04/23/is-diversity-good-for business/#7f6b79a12e80 [Accessed 9 Dec. 2016]. Gonzalez, J.A., 2013. Matchmaking: community and business unit racial/ethnic diversity and business unit performance.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,24(21), pp.4063-4081. Harvard Business Review. (2016). Why Diversity Programs Fail. [online] Available at: https://hbr.org/2016/07/why-diversity-programs-fail [Accessed 9 Dec. 2016]. Lozano, J.F. and Escrich, T., 2016. Cultural Diversity in Business: A Critical Reflection on the Ideology of Tolerance. Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-18. Samuelson, C. and more, R. (2016). 5 Tips for Dealing Better with Workplace Diversity. [online] Entrepreneur. Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281480 [Accessed 9 Dec. 2016].

Who Provides the Better Approach to Human Behaviour, Freud or Skinner Essay Example

Who Provides the Better Approach to Human Behaviour, Freud or Skinner Paper Why do we behave the way we do? Is our environment responsible for shaping our personalities? Does childhood influence who we are? These are all questions that have intrigued philosophers and society in general for centuries. ‘There are many experts that share and dispute the answers to these questions, but there are two in particular that have contributed greatly in finding explanations’ (Crux, 2006); Sigmund Freud and Burrhus Frederick Skinner. This essay will compare Freud’s and Skinner’s approach towards human behaviour, highlighting the main ideas and focus of their theories and subsequently coming to an informative decision as to who provides the better approach. This is achieved by pinpointing criticisms that hinder their reasoning, practicality and efficiency. ‘Psychodynamic theories embrace all the diverse theories descended from the work of Sigmund Freud, which focuses on unconscious mental forces and asserts the idea that behaviour is caused by internal, mental mechanisms’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 488). Freud’s (1901, 1924, 1940) psychoanalytic theory grew out of his decades of interactions with his clients in psychoanalysis. Freud’s psychoanalytic approach seeks to explain behaviour, motivation and mental disorders by focusing on the influence of early childhood experiences, on unconscious motives and conflicts, and on the methods people use to cope with their sexual and aggressive urges (Weiten, 2001). Freud identified three components of personality structure: the id, the ego and the superego. He saw a person’s behaviour as the result of interactions between these three components. The id is the primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 488). The id is entirely centered on your needs and wants, and it drives you to fulfill those desires at whatever cost. The ego is the ‘decision making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle’ (Weite n, 2001, p. 488). It causes you to meet your needs and wants in a socially acceptable manner. In the long run, the ego wants to maximise pleasure, just as the id does. We will write a custom essay sample on Who Provides the Better Approach to Human Behaviour, Freud or Skinner specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Who Provides the Better Approach to Human Behaviour, Freud or Skinner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Who Provides the Better Approach to Human Behaviour, Freud or Skinner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, ‘the id engages in secondary process thinking, which is relatively rational, realistic and orientated towards problem solving’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 489). In addition, the ego establishes the division between yourself and others, and it identifies the need to negotiate within the world in order to satisfy your desires. The ego also acts as a link between the id and superego. ‘The superego is the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 489). Furthermore, according to Freud, unconscious conflicts between the id, ego and superego sometimes lead to anxiety. When this happens the ‘ego uses several defense mechanisms including: denial, repression, intellectualization, displacement, projection, reaction formation, identification, regression, rationalization and sublimation’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 34). According to Freud, the id, ego and superego are distributed differently across three levels of awareness: the conscious, the preconscious and the unconscious. ‘Perhaps Freud’s most enduring insight was his recognition of how unconscious forces can influence behaviour. He inferred the existence of the unconscious from an array of observations that he made with his patients’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 89). For example, he recognized that ‘slips of the tongue’, or now more commonly known as the Freudian slip, often revealed a person’s true feelings. He also noticed that his patients’ dreams often expressed secret desires. ‘Most important, through psychoanalysis he often helped patients to discover feelings and conflicts of which they had previously been unaware’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 489). Therefore, put simply the unconscious mind contains thoughts, memories and desires that are not easily accessible but greatly influence our behaviour. The preconscious mind contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can be easily retrieved’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 489). For example, what we ate for lunch yesterday, your telephone number, or the name of our first true love. Finally the conscious mind is that part of the mind that contains all the things we are aware of. For example, your conscious might be that you’re tired and hungry. According to Freud’s theory, ‘people must successfully pass through five stages of development in order to become healthy, well adjusted adults’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 35). Each phase has an objective that must be accomplished successfully. If the goal is not reached, the person becomes ‘fixated at the uncompleted stage, which results in problems later in life’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 34). The five stages are: oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital. The oral stage lasts from birth to eighteen months of age and is primarily based on eating, drinking and sucking. In Freud’s view, the ‘handling of the child’s feeding experiences is crucial to subsequent development’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 495). He attributed considerable importance to the manner in which the child is weaned from the breast or the bottle. In fact, according to Freud, fixation at the oral stage could form the basis for obsessive eating or smoking later in life (Benson, 1998). In the anal stage, the two year olds focus of pleasure shifts to the anus, helping the child become aware of its bowels and how to control them. The crucial event at this time is toilet training, which represents ‘society’s first systematic effort to regulate the child’s biological urges’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 495). However, over strictness about forcing the child to go to the toilet or about timing and cleanliness can cause personality problems, depending on how the child reacts. For example; over concern about going regularly may cause either obsessive time keeping. The phallic stage starts from about four years of age and is where the ‘genitals become the focus for the child’s erotic energy, largely through self stimulation’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 495). During this fundamental stage the Oedipus Complex emerges. That is little boys develop an erotically tinged preference for their mother. They also feel resentment towards their father, whom they view as a challenger for their mum’s affection. Similarly, little girls develop a special connection to their father. At the same time they learn that little boys have very different genitals, and supposedly they develop penis envy. The latency and genital stages last from around age six through puberty, where the child’s sexuality is greatly suppressed (Weiten, 2001, p. 495). The latency stage focuses on expanding social contacts beyond the immediate family. Subsequently, with puberty the child advances into the genital stage. Sexual drives re-emerge and the focus moves to the genitals once again. At this point, sexual energy is normally channeled towards peers of the other sex, rather than towards ourselves as in the phallic stage. Freud argued that future developments are rooted n early, formative experiences and that significant conflicts in later years are replays from crises from childhood. In fact, Freud believed that unconscious sexual conflicts rooted in childhood experiences cause most personality disturbances’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 495). ‘Behaviourism is a theoretical orie ntation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behaviour’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 499). Skinner made no provision for internal personality structures similar to Freud’s id, ego and superego because such structures can’t be bserved. Following in the tradition of Watson’s radical behaviourism, Skinner showed little interest in what goes on ‘inside’ people. He argued that it’s useless to speculate about private , unobservable cognitive processes. Instead, he believed that reinforcement is the primary factor that shapes behaviour, and that behaviour is based exclusively on external consequences. This means he focused on how the external environment moulds overt behaviour. ‘Skinner’s theory accounts for personality development by explaining how various response tendencies are acquired through learning’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 00). He built a ‘box’ in which he was able to teach anima ls to receive food by pecking or tapping a bar or light. He referred to this as operant conditioning. ‘Operant conditions are simply environmental stimuli that have reinforcing or adverse effects on the individual’s future behaviour in the presence of those stimuli’ (Stokes, pg 263). He believed that most human responses are shaped by this type of conditioning. Skinner’s theory asserts that ‘different types of reinforcement affect whether or not a particular behaviour will be repeated’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 0). These different kinds include: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, extinction and punishment. Firstly, positive reinforcement is a ‘reward given for a particular response’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 50), such as giving a chocolate to a child who completes their homework on time. By rewarding the desirable behaviour you increase the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated. Secondly, negative reinforceme nt is an increase in behaviour by taking away a reinforcer (Miller Shelly, 2001). For example; if it’s cold, you would close the window. Thirdly, extinction is the theory that you stop providing reinforcement, and consequently the response will eventually disappear (Miller Shelly, 2001). For example; if you stop giving a child a chocolate when they complete their homework, the likelihood that they will continue to complete their homework will decrease. Lastly punishment is ‘inducing pain with the expectation that it will suppress a behaviour’ (Miller Shelly, 2001, p. 51). For example; if your impulsive decisions always backfire, your tendency to be impulsive will decline. Furthermore, Skinner found that the optimum period between response and reinforcement is about half a second. This discovery is very crucial, for example, if a parent wants to reward or punish a child, then to be effective it should be done straight away. According to Benson (1998, pg 79), ‘this also explains one reason why the penal system often doesn’t work. For instance, a burglar steals from a house, and three months later the police arrest him, and one year later he is convicted in court. ’ However, according to Skinner, this isn’t the only reason why punishment doesn’t always work. Skinner argues that punishment: ‘often causes the individual to avoid being punished, rather than stop the undesired behaviour; can cause the individual to associate the punishment with the punisher, rather than the behaviour; and trains an individual about what not to do, but it doesn’t train what to do’ (Benson, 1998, pg 80-81). Given that response tendencies are continuously being strengthened or weakened by new experiences, Skinner’s theory views ‘personality development as a continuous, lifelong journey’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 500). Unlike Freud, Skinner saw no reason to break down the developmental process into stages. Nor did he attribute special importance to early childhood experiences. In fact, Skinner believed that conditioning in humans works much the same as in rats and pigeons that he studied in his laboratory. Hence, he believed that conditioning strengthens and weakens response tendencies without the person’s conscious participation. Therefore, Skinner was able to explain consistencies in behaviour without being concerned about individual’s cognitive processes. Although it is generally argued that Skinner’s and Freud’s views were worlds about, Overskied’s article presents an alternative view. In fact, according to Overskeid (2007), Skinner’s ideas were evidently influenced by Freud, and they actually held many common views. Therefore, taking into account both Freud’s and Skinner’s approach to human behaviour, it can be argued that Skinner’s theory is more practical and efficient. Freud’s theory is criticized on several grounds including: poor testability, inadequate base of empirical evidence, and male centered views (Eysenck, 1990). Freud’s approach to human behaviour revolves around internal processes that are unobservable. Therefore people argue that they are unscientific, and consequently are only assumptions that cannot be taken seriously. Freud is also criticized because his ‘theories are made by generalizing from a small number of patients to the whole human population. Relying only on case studies can lead to faulty conclusions’ (SparkNotes, 2006). In addition, ‘others argue that most psychodynamic theories are not based on studies that follow people from childhood to adulthood. Instead, psychodynamic theorists listen to descriptions of an adult patient’s past and draw conclusions about the relevance of childhood experiences’ (SparkNotes, 2006). Furthermore, according to Van Wagner (2008), other criticisms of Freud’s theories consist of ‘overemphasis on: the unconscious mind, sex, aggression, and childhood experiences’. However, there is no denying that Freud’s ideas have been very influential on today’s society, fundamentally changing the way people think about themselves and others. Freud cured many patients or at least helped them understand and cope with their problems, and is methods are still used in Psychiatry today. In contrast, similarly to Freud, Skinner’s theory is relevant and widely employed today. It’s important in terms of how children are assimilated into society and how they deal with everyday life. His ideas have played an integral role in our schools, society’s standards of discipline and punishment and how we learn to fear certain things. Although he provides convincing evidence that biological factors exert considerable influence over personality, Skinner’s theory isn’t perfect and he also attracted criticisms. Firstly, because of ‘methodological problems with heritability ratios’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 13), and secondly because it offers ‘no systematic model of how physiology shapes personality’ (Weiten, 2001, p. 513). In addition, the theory is limited just by the fact that it is focused on behaviour, with little regard for what goes on in the mind. In conclusion, the different schools of psychology express various ideas on the reasons and drives for human behaviour. Freud argues that unconscious processes is central to human behaviour, whilst Skinner debates that the mind doesn’t exist, alternatively behaviour revolves around the environment. Although, Freudian psychology is composed of considerably different reasoning than Skinner’s behaviourism approach, they both provide interesting and engaging theories that have influenced psychology and philosophers in today’s society immensely. However, evidence is a crucial component when it comes down to evaluating the validity of a particular theory, especially in today’s society. Without proof, it is very hard to justify any sort of reasoning. Consequently, although Skinner attracts criticisms, he also provides significant evidence to support his ideas, and therefore presents a more convincing and credible approach to human ehaviour that that of Freud, who adopts very minimal evidence to support his theories. Reference list Benson, C. N. (1998). Introducing psychology. United Kingdom: Icon Books Limited. Crux, E. (2006). Behavioural development theories of Freud and Skinner. Retrieved 20th April 2008 from: http://www. echeat. com/essay. php? t=31292 Eysenck , H. J. (1990). Decline and fall of the Freudian Empire. Washington, DC: Scott-Townsend. Freud, S. (1901/1960). The psychopathology of everyday life. In J. Strachey (Ed. ), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud Vol (4 5). London: Hogarth. Freud, S. (1924). A general introduction to psychoanalysis. New York: Boni Liveright. Freud, S. (1940). An outline of psychoanalysis. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. Vol (22) London: Hogarth. Miller, R. A. , Shelly, S. (2000). The complete idiot’s guide to personality profiles. America: Alpha Books. Overskeid, G. (2007). Looking for Skinner and finding Freud. American Psychologist, Vol 62(6), p. 590-595. Retrieved April 14th 2008 from: http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. uws. edu. au/ehost/pdf? vid=8hid=17sid=86bc6283-432a-4c62-98ea-6ba090dc69a3%40SRCSM2 SparkNotes. (2006). Personality. Retrieved 20th April 2008 from: http://www. sparknotes. com/psychology/psych101/personality/section2. rhtml Stokes, P. (2007). Philosophy: The great thinkers. London: Arcturus Publishing Limited. Thompson, M. (2001). Philosophy of Science. United Kingdom: Hodder Headline Limited. Van Wagner, K. (2005). Psychoanalysis: The psychodynamic approach. Retrieved 20th April 2008 from: http://psychology. about. com/od/historyofpsychology/a/psychodynamic. htm Weiten, W. (2001). Psychology: Themes and Variations. New York: Wadsworth.

Environment in South and Southeast Asia Essay Example

Environment in South and Southeast Asia Essay Environment: South and Southeast Asia Hopefully you are studying this lesson before lunch. Imagine a place where the only water there is to drink comes from a nearby river. You become thirsty so you head down there with a pail. When you arrive, there are two things that catch your eye. Upstream, a woman is washing her familys clothes along the same shoreline. She is using a kind of soap made from animal fat. Between the two of you, there are several cows standing around in the water, drinking. They look like theyve been there for a long time. Now, imagine going to the waters edge and seeing all manner of nasty things swimming around in the water. As disgusting as this sounds, the scene described above is repeated thousands of times a day in many areas of the world. Water that you would never dream of drinking in a million years is the only water available to many people. And this is just one of the environmental concerns. In todays lesson, youll learn about environmental issues in South and Southeast Asia and what nations are doing to combat the problems. India India and its capital, New Delhi, is composed of land about one-third the size of the United States. Yet, it has a population that is more than three times larger (more than 1. 1 billion). As a result, the environment faces many critical issues, such as: †¢water shortages; †¢unclean water sources; †¢air pollution; †¢deforestation; †¢natural disasters from earthquakes, floods, and typhoons; †¢soil erosion from unwise agricultural methods. An ever-growing population naturally results in more pollution. We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the industrial sector grows and more people drive cars, air pollution becomes an increasingly difficult problem to handle. Due partially to its location, the temperature average in India is increasing, which accounts for changes in weather patterns. Consequently, periods of drought are increasing. As water shortages occur due to drought, the quality of the water becomes a major issue. In addition, many of Indias forested regions are being cleared away for farming and building materials. This leads to major soil erosion, as heavy rains are commonplace. Because trees help to retain moisture in the soil, this plays a part in the water shortages that do occur. To combat the problem, India is heavily involved in the construction of dams and canal systems. Although this has helped to alleviate the situation somewhat, it has also brought about an increase in some diseases that form in stagnated water. The countrys leadership is actively seeking ways to protect air, water, and land resources. In addition to air and land pollution, India faces losing many of its plants and animals. Tigers, for example, have been forced from natural habitats, resulting in greater exposure to humans. In an effort to protect these beautiful animals, the Indian government has established a number of natural refuges to keep them from harm. Pakistan The environmental issues facing Pakistan are different in many respects from those of its neighbor to the east. Pakistan has a much drier climate; consequently, it must guard and protect its water supply even more diligently than India. Like other nations in the region, an ever-growing population is taxing the few natural resources that do exist. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, located in the nations capital city of Islamabad, is working hard to address the issues facing its citizens. For example, Pakistan lacks many of the agricultural innovations that the United States enjoys. As a result, soil degradation, erosion, and pollution are hampering efforts to feed the people and causing increased desertification of the region. Industrial wastes, pesticides, and raw sewage are polluting water supplies, which severely limits the amount of potable water. In addition, Pakistan faces increasing air pollution from heavy industry and inefficient automobiles. Bangladesh for more information Due to its location and topography, Bangladesh suffers from extreme weather much of the year. The country is nearly flat and barely above sea level, making it prone to flooding. Major cyclones ravage the countryside, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of square miles under water. These storms wreak havoc on an overpopulated nation that has few resources to protect its people. Like India, the nation of Bangladesh is heavily overpopulated for a country its size. Consequently, there are a number of major environmental issues related to overpopulation. For those living in the capital city of Dhaka and other locations, the most acute problem centers around lifegiving water. Much of it is polluted in varying degrees, causing numerous diseases, the most serious of which is cholera. The National Environment Management Plan is one of several programs developed by the government of Bangladesh to combat this issue along with other environmental problems such as deforestation, soil degradation, and destruction of wetlands. Indonesia and Malaysia Due to their proximity to one another, Indonesia and Malaysia share many of the same environmental concerns, and until fairly recently, neither nation did much about them. For example, both countries have large forested areas. For many years, these forests have been used for exporting. In addition, thousands of acres have been cut and burned to make way for more agriculture. The great amount of burning that takes place actually causes a smoky haze that affects not only Indonesia, but many of the neighboring archipelagos. As is the case in other nations, deforestation causes major issues with erosion. As mountains are stripped of their trees, landslides are more frequent. Damage is often widespread, with some loss of life. Deforestation is also responsible for the displacement and disappearance of many indigenous plants and animals. There are thousands of species that face extinction if forests continue to be slashed and burned. The governments of these two nations are well aware of this environmental issue, but there are problems with bringing such practices to an end. For example, Indonesia has a number of laws in effect that are designed to protect the forests. However, there is little cooperation between governmental agencies. This results in a near-total lack of enforcement. Unfortunately, the government rewards officials who contribute to the nations economic growth. For them, it is essential that the timber industry thrive. Therefore, they are less likely to enforce laws that protect the environment. Besides deforestation, the capitals of Indonesia (Jakarta) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) must deal with the destruction of coral reefs due to poor fishing practices. These fragile ecosystems are overfished and rarely protected. Unfortunately, fishing is critical to the livelihood of both nations. for more information The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck on December 26, 2004, off the west coast of Sumatra. The 9. 1 earthquake sent powerful tsunamis slamming into the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India in particular, killing more than two hundred thousand people. Unbelievably, the tsunami traveled all the way to South Africa (5,300 miles away) where eight people were killed. Despite the location of the actual earthquake, the western coast of Chile, in South America, experienced a tsunami. Finally, Indonesia and Malaysia both have to deal with environmental issues caused by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and major storms. The 2004 tsunami wiped out coastal ecosystems throughout the region. Volcanic eruptions displace thousands of people on occasion and wipe out entire forested areas. Numerous typhoons also cause a great deal of devastation along the entire length of the archipelagos. Philippines Similar to other nations in the region, the Philippines suffers from two categories of environmental problems: human-caused and natural disasters. Issues caused by people include: †¢deforestation due to badly needed agricultural land and timber products; †¢soil erosion and degradation; †¢overpopulation, forcing displacement of animal life and destruction of plant life; †¢increased air pollution from industry and automobiles; †¢toxic waste being dumped into rivers, which pollutes not only the rivers, but also the ocean they empty into; †¢waste emptied into the ocean, destroying coral reefs; †¢overfishing, depleting the number of game fish needed to feed humans. The capital city, Manila, also has to deal with a number of natural disasters. Many times, the destruction they cause are compounded by the amount of damage done due to mismanagement of the islands natural resources. Some of the natural disasters that are faced each year are: †¢earthquakes and the subsequent tsunamis that sometimes follow; †¢frequent volcanic eruptions; †¢landslides and flooding, caused by storms but made worse by deforestation; †¢numerous yearly typhoons. Due to rapid population growth, the Filipino government has not been able to find decent solutions to the ever-growing waste, water, and air pollution problems facing it. Consequently, more and more of its citizens are exposed to serious health issues. Other Nations The chart below provides a brief outline of other nations in this part of the world and the environmental issues each faces today. CountryCapitalEnvironmental Issues BhutanThimphusoil erosion caused by deforestation, and little potable water BruneiBandar Seri Begawanmust deal with smoke and haze from numerous fires originating in Indonesia CambodiaPhnom Penhlack of potable water, erosion caused by deforestation, overfishing LaosVietianedeforestation and lack of potable water MaldivesMalelack of fresh water, coral damage MyanmarNaypyidawsoil erosion and landslides caused by deforestation; earthquakes and tropical storms NepalKathmandudeforestation, soil erosion, contaminated water Sri LankaColombosoil erosion caused by deforestation; industrial and toxic waste pollution ThailandBangkokair pollution, soil erosion caused by deforestation, unclean water VietnamHanoiagricultural deforestation, marine pollution, lack of potable water In times past, little was done to alleviate the severe environmental issues facing each of these nations. However, as the problems have become more acute, government leadership has become more active. Unfortunately, many of these countries are poor and do not possess the funds necessary to lessen the issues. In addition, governmental corruption is widespread in many cases and needed money is being diverted to other things.

Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essays

Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essays Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essay Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essay Mr. President, Monetary and fiscal policy are two ways in which governments attempt to achieve full level of employment, economic growth, and price stability. As you are aware, fiscal policy decisions are made by the President and Congress and demand the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy; the monetary policies are maintained by the Federal Reserve. After careful consideration of the advice of Economic Advisers and Federal Reserve consultants, I came to the following conclusions regarding economic recovery in The United States: * Executing Expansionary Fiscal Policy, increasing government spending, transfer payments (Social Security, unemployment compensation, and welfare payments) and decreasing taxes will lead to increased aggregate demand (Stone, 2008). Contrary to Ms. Lee’s advice to raise taxes and decrease government spending, and in accordance with Ms. Tanney, I recommend the opposite: decrease taxes and increase government spending. Government spending will, it theory, create new jobs as government’s consumption of services from construction industry increases. A good incentive for job creation would be offering tax credits to employers who hire new, unemployed workers. Decreased taxes, again in theory, will create more disposable enabling individuals and corporations to increase their consumption. Increased consumption leads to, again, increase in job creation, corporate profits, consumer confidence, and real GDP. On the monetary side, the government should: * Lower interest rate * Lower reserve requirements * Purchase government bonds in the open market. All these lead to expansionary monetary policy. I disagree with Ms. Lopes’ opinion that The Fed should sell bonds, raise reserves, and leave interest rates. : To the contrary, purchasing bonds on an open market will increases the amount of money in circulation in the economy. When the Fed increases the money supply, it lowers the interest rate and increases the quantity of goods and services demanded at any given price level. Stone, 2008). As suggested by Mr. Burke, lowering the interest rates and reserve requirement enables banks to lend more money to consumers at a cheaper rate since the access to reserve capital more accessible. Lower interest rates encourage consumption and investment. As the economy recovers and moves towards full employment, the government should reconsider expansionary measures, since, in the long run, these measures can lead towards budged deficits and increased inflation. References: Gerald W. Stone, 2006, Core Economics federalreserve. gov/ www. investopedia. com

Leadership Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example With the help of these techniques, individuals can make sure that they identify their strengths and weaknesses and carry out necessary initiatives for capitalizing on the requirements of the corporate world. One of the most effective framework developed for evaluating the competencies of an individual is MBTI which was developed by Isabel Meyers and Katherine Briggs. The main idea behind this inventory model is that everyone needs to appreciate the individual differences and look for developmental opportunities so that the skills are further polished and refined. Considering the matrix developed by the experts, there are four sets of preferences of individuals which are as follows: According to the developers, there are sixteen classes in which people’s personalities can fall. I believe that I belong to the class ‘ESFJ’ which means that I have high extroversion, sensing, feeling and judging capabilities. I believe that this reading is true to a great extent as I am friendly and outgoing person. I can easily express my feelings and make sure that people around me have a good time to cherish. Moreover, I make decisions on the basis of feelings which means that the decisions are already made either by my traditions, culture or ingrained perceptions. Moreover, I have the ability of leading people as I am aware of the techniques of inducing others to motivate towards achieving the desired objectives. In various life situations, I get a bit hard with myself. There is a gap between my own perceived performance and my ideal behavior and due to this discrepancy I struggle against the feeling of guilt and depression. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed with these feelings and I end up in moments of emotional pain. I try to motivate myself by showing the brighter side of various aspects of my life such as my kind, unselfish and charitable nature. I am always ready to help people out and

Mexican Immigration and American Identity Essay

Mexican Immigration and American Identity - Essay Example According to the author, even though other values and principles of non-Protestant immigrants have helped to shape and modified this concept, most Americans accept these basic elements of an Anglo-Protestant culture as the key defining elements of their national identity. Yet, the author states that in the last decades of the 20th century, this culture has been challenged by a context of globalization and ideas of multiculturalism and diversity. The rise of groups that focus on race, ethnicity, and gender over a more general national identity are regarded as a threat to 'the country's cultural and political integrity'. Huntington views immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, as the single largest threat to the American identity. This due to a combination of six unique characteristics that differentiate contemporary Mexican immigration from past immigrant flows, being contiguity (boarder proximity), scale (steadily increasing numbers), illegality (illegal entry and permanence into the country), regional concentration (particularly concentrated in California and the Southwest), persistence (no signs of decline over the years), and historical presence (historical claim to the US territory). The boarder proximity with Mexico in the Southwest region encourages immigration and illegal entry into the U.S., which results in the steady increase of Mexican immigration throughout the 20th century. Similarly, it increases the concentration of Mexican immigrants in that area of the country and the illegal characteristics of the flow. Since the conditions creating such immigration (economic cond itions of Mexico, boarder proximity, etc) are unlikely to change, the flow is expected to persist. These factors, the author argues, differentiate the Mexican contingent from previous immigrant groups and are likely to hinder the assimilation of Mexicans into the United States culture. One of the author's main arguments defending the poor assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. society is the persistent use of their native language through successive generations. Huntington admits that statistics on English proficiency and Spanish preservation are limited and ambiguous. Nevertheless, the author insists that particular characteristics of the flow - scale, persistence and concentration - are likely to encourage the perpetuation of Spanish among successive generations of immigrants. Huntington considers that Spanish retention has a negative impact on the assimilation of the new culture even when proficiency in English is achieved. In addition, bilingualism would affect earnings and put English-only families in disadvantage within the job market. Finally, the concentration of Mexicans in certain areas transform portions of the country into bilingual and bicultural areas, reinforcing Mexican values over the traditional Anglo-Protestant values, which, according to the author, threatens the integrity of the nation, possibly dividing the nation 'into a country of two languages and two cultures'. From my point of view, Huntington's concept of the American identity is limited and excludes a great portion of the nation's cultural and ethnic background. The author's

Achievement Gap Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Achievement Gap - Research Paper Example that social equity cannot be attained in a society that still experiences achievement gap, and this is denotes that achievement gap is partly responsible for social inequity that prevails in numerous communities across the world. The assertions above infer that the elimination of achievement gap can create a scenario whereby every student will be equally competitive in the job market after finishing school and therefore, all of them will have equal chances in getting employment as well as improving their livelihoods. The possible benefits of eliminating achievement gap has necessitated and motivated numerous research studies that seek to analyse this problem and thereafter recommend a proper solution that can contribute to the body of knowledge currently been heaped by numerous educationists across the World. This present paper is a research project paper that seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on achievement gap, is being continually developed by various educationists, psychologists, and other scholars across the World. In particular, the research will be field based, and problem based mini-research project on achievement gap. This mini research project will focus on the achievement differences between White and Hispanic students, especially those in similar socio-economic classes in Southern California. The research project will use the Erle Stanley Gardner Middle school in Temecula, and Menifee Valley Middle school both in California as the research case studies and the researcher will seek to describe and analyse achievement gap that exists in these two schools. In this regard, the research project will provide background information about the two schools, causes of the gap, and how it might effectively be eliminated. In the writings by Hernstein and Murray (1994), achievement gap is described as the persistent difference in terms of performance in educational measures such as standardized or common examinations, dropout rates, rate of college

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China Over the next twenty years, what is the likelihood that India will overtake China in terms of the size of its economy? Evaluate each economy using Khans economic rent analysis and one other analytical framework. Identity the factors driving economic growth in recent years and the social and political bases of these factors. Will they sustain themselves over the next several decades? China and India are the two largest developing countries in the world and have both been experiencing rapid economic growth since the 1980s. With similar development strategies, the two economies have both insulated themselves from the world economy before eventually making the move to reform/liberalise (Srinivasan, 2002). Although, from similar economic backgrounds, the political environments of the two economies couldnt be more different and could be argued as affecting particular drivers of economic growth. FDI levels are seen as an important determinant of both the growth and size of an economy and there are notable differences between the two and thus it is around this topic the analysis will focus (Wei, 2005). FDI has been shown to greatly contribute to Chinas economic growth, in particular through a broad range of manufacturing activities. In comparison, India has attracted very little manufacturing FDI and instead any inward FDI has largely gone to services, electronic and co mputing industries (Huang and Khanna, 2003). This essay will argue that India is likely to overtake China in terms of the size of its economy in several decades and that India does not need to try to match Chinas levels of FDI due to the structure and composition of the economy, which reflect what it is, an international market niche (Balasubramanyam, Sapsford, 2007). In particular, the essay will begin by using Khans economic rents analysis to evaluate each economy before exploring the determinants of difference between China and India in market performance, including a look at the similarities and differences of both, and the advantages and disadvantages of investing in each in relation to the firm before drawing conclusions as to the future of these two emerging economies in the world market. Rent is defined as the portion of earnings in excess of the minimum amount needed to attract a worker to accept a particular job or a firm to enter a particular industry (Milgrom and Roberts, 1992, p.269). The existence of rent in capital employed to a particular activity implies inefficiency in the processes of that activity however not in some cases where their existence is necessary. Rent may sometimes indeed be efficient and even essential in promoting economic growth and development. These complexities were not duly explored in older rents analysiss such as: the competitive market model where no distinction was made between the minimum income that would be accepted (in terms of alternative comparison) and the minimum amount that would be realistically accepted before reciprocating with the goods service (Khan, 2000). Ultimately, previous models were unable to compare and explain the large differences in performance of countries. Firstly, this essay will explore corruption as a rent and its consequential effect as a driver of economic growth. Corruption is defined as when public officials break the law in pursuit of their private interest (Khan, 2006 p.1), ultimately allowing the creation of rents. Several economists have stated a link between corruption and economic performance (Knack and Keefer, 1997) and this will be explored in the case of China and India. Often the powers given to public officials enable the ability or someone to bargain for bribes in exchange for allocating rents to those who can pay for them (Khan, 2006, p.5). The bribes in such a situation are illegal; however, the creation of such rents is seen as worth the risk, thus the incentive outweighs the risk. There are two drivers of corruption; the first is the need for a formal state so that the government can create legal rents, and secondly, is the formation of obstacles which results in people willing to pay money to access certain rent s. Evidence suggests that corruption has a negative effect on society and in particular, China has a long history of corruption. Most recently, in 2000, Margolis noted that corruption in china has rarely been worse or reached higher (Margolis, 2000 p.1). Corruption in China is in many economists minds aiding the growth of such a large economy, and, due to its sheer size is difficult to regulate, however, measures are being taken to crack down on corruption due to increased tension between the state and the public. India reflects a similar story as with most developing nations that corruption is indeed widespread. However, corruption in India is lower than China and for many offers a more attractive host environment for international firms. Indias government have active responses to corruption and the results of such have seen India go down in rankings. Thus, using the rent of corruption, Indias economy could be said as being in a more politically stable mindset. Furthermore, other rents as highlighted by Khan can be applied to provide a deeper analysis of both economies. Monopoly rents are dependent on the level of market competition and barriers to entry. Freedom of entry and exit would ensure no rents as if any player was gaining rents then other competitors would enter the fray thus driving down prices. Therefore net-social benefit would reach an optimal level, as would economic growth and efficiency. However, certain common phenomena such as economies of scale will always create the possibility for reduced cost structures and therefore a cost/price advantage for larger competitors who can resultantly monopolize markets and gain considerable rents. Although this is less prevalent in developing countries such as India and China with massive fragmentation of their markets due to disparity of consumer demographic types between geographic regions, it is more prevalent in China than in India since China have an emphasis on mass production thus supporting our conclusion. Conversely, the existence of natural resources rents signals efficiency and therefore their maximization would optimize net social benefit. This is because increased use and hence depletion of natural resources (for example: numbers of fish) would increase the difficulty and costs of tapping those resources. This would eventually reach a point where the cost is only exactly covered by the price due to the greater interest phenomena. Finally, rents based on transfers, in developed countries income from production is often lost through transfers, however, in developing countries these transfers can become the source of additional income and the basis for asset accumulation. As it is rarely the case that both parties in a transfer value the item equally the social welfare effect of this would be typically positive. Schumpteranian rents are particularly salient as they regard the level of innovation within an economy, which has been pointed out by many scholars as a source of competitive advantage (Porter). Although innovations are economically beneficial they create rents for the entrepreneur who has created a massive competitive advantage. The optimal social benefit can therefore be reached through most rapid competitor innovation imitation. This is what would put India ahead of China as India has been shown to be seven years ahead of China in its ability to imitate new technologies (Huang and Khanna, 2003), and this is resultantly the main factor in the conclusion that can be made from the consultation of Khans economic rents analysis. This essay will now move on to present the advantages of investing in both countries. The two emerging economies do share similarities which has lead to increased comparison, for example; both have large markets of one billion plus, and both have achieved high levels of growth in a short amount of time. On the basis of economic determinants China does better than India, but is this all that really matters? Chinas total and per capita GDP are higher and thus this makes it a more attractive location for market seeking FDI. Alongside this China reports higher levels of literacy compared to India, and thus is viewed as being able to provide a more skilled workforce and in turn this is attractive to efficiency seeking investors. However, there are advantages which cross between the two emerging economies. China has large natural resource endowments, in particular Chinas infrastructure makes it a more competitive place, particularly in richer parts of China on the coast. On the other hand, although China may have the advantage of natural resources and thus a greater potential for net social beneit in terms of natural resources rents (Khan, 2000), India is able to have an advantage over technical manpower in particular, in its skilled area of IT, India is able to provide the cheapest technically qualified manpower in the West however, a weakness arises in that India is yet to adopt a system of bulk production similar to China and therefore Chinas large domestic market with a system of mass production is attractive to multinationals. Compared to China, India has become known for its heterogeneity, it is diverse in culture, religions and language. Although this may pose a problem for multinational firms, we now live in a world where firms are increasingly adapting to local environments and thus in order to be successful in the Indian market it is necessary to locally adapt. However saying this despite an emphasis on local culture many Indians are fluent in English and this greatly enables Indian firms to do business in the West, unlike many Chinese firms where often language barriers arise. The Indian market does hold great benefits to a firm willing to overcome any problems associated with heterogeneity and in particular, India could provide a niche market for international investors. As well as its highly skilled technological staff, India has a democratic political system and western style financial systems. As noted in an article in economic and political weekly, Indias financial systems are more developed tha n China and this provides an advantage for firms investing in India over China. Indias ability to attract R and D centres, also provides India with the capability of absorbing industry know how quicker than China, India is likely to become more technologically superior as it continues to absorb information from firms investing. Chinas economy in its very nature requires high levels of FDI due to labour intensive technologies and therefore is attracting knowledge along the lines of management styles. In order to assess the strength of India, one particular aspect of Dunnings eclectic paradigm has been applied (Dunning, 1981). It is clear that China is the worlds global factory with high levels of FDI and an emphasis on manufacturing. However, to show that perhaps FDI figures are not the only economic factor such a theory will be applied to show other factors need to be considered and how such factors relate to India. Dunning (1988) related three factors to FDI, location, ownership and internationalisation factors. This essay will look at the first location factors to assess how they apply to India, such a theory may provide further understanding as to why, even though India has attracted considerably less FDI than China it is in good stead to compete and even overtake China in years to come. Dunning defined location-specific advantages as those advantages that a firm benefits from by choosing a particular location, as shown, India possesses communication facilities which enable i t to effectively communicate with the rest of the world. In particular, many call centres are in India and thus many time constraints are being over come through 24hour international call centres. India is pioneering new technologies and it is shown to be 6-7 years ahead of China in terms of its superiority (Srinivasan, 2004). It is Indias IT sector which has outstripped China and the widespread of the English language has allowed Indian companies to deal with Western companies. Secondly, Indian government policies are also allowing foreign firms to benefit from lower levels of corporate tax. Thirdly, infrastructure in India is good, particularly in areas which are considered technology hubs, more specifically areas such as Bangalore in India which is often referred to as the Indian Silicon Valley, offer great location specific advantages. Bangalore, is an organic phenomenon (Huang and Khanna, 2003) and is based on knowledge, education, ambition and intangible assets. The advantage gained here comes from the concentration of computer software and IT industries and arises from a network of firms which allows each firm to benefit from technological spillovers (Hill, 2009). This advantage is perhaps the most important advantage firms look to gain when investing in India. According to the BRICS study, the world economy is set to show dramatic changes over the next fifty years. If we look at the data from this study we can predict the future activities of China and India in order to further conclude the likely future of these two economies. In the study it was predicted that both India and China will overtake the likes of America, Japan and Germany in terms of GDP. Ultimately, the study shows that both India and China will be key players in the economy come 2050. More specifically, India is shown to have the most potential to show the fastest growth over the next fifty years, more specifically it is predicted that as India is less reliant on exports it is less sensitive to changes in the world economy and due to its organic progression many economists are tipping India to overtake China in the long run. What is particularly interesting to note is that India is following a strategy of that seen in developed countries by investing in IT and services unli ke most developing countries which follow Chinas strategy by offering a manufacturing base complete with cheap labour. In conclusion, the two emerging economies have very different strategies and this is reflected in the difference in their economic forecast. China has a strategy of labour intensive export led growth compared to India whom provides a more international niche, stepping away from the mass production market and moving towards providing a technologically superior nation focusing largely on IT and services. China has experienced great levels of growth and according to the predictions of the BRICS study is set to dominate the world economy by 2050. As it stands India is more technologically advanced Ultimately, however India holds great advantage over China as concluded in Khans analysis and referring to its developed private sector, stable democracy, and skilled workforce. As a final note as Huang and Khanna (2003 p.78) notes; China may have won the race to be the worlds factorywith the help of its diaspora, India could become the worlds technology lab.

Strange Place

Alayna Grant Dr. Bellah English 1301-015 February 15, 2013 Strange Place On July 11th it will be twelve years since I discovered the magical world of yuccas and mesquite trees. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember driving all the way down the road that seemed like miles and miles of nothing but wilderness. We seemed to have driven for forever. There were no houses or mobile homes or much of anything. Then we came to a dirt road, and I said â€Å"Daddy I hope we are not going to drive into there. † There looked like an unmarked, mysterious place.It was a new unfamiliar place that I would be the first to discover. As soon as we got out of the truck I started asking questions. â€Å"Daddy is there dinosaurs here? † Then he explained that I would have to go check for myself, so I made that my personal mission. We came back a few days later because he was going to set up the layout of the house, and all that good stuff was going to be put together. I came pre pared this time; I had my binoculars, my toy gun, and my camera. I had my pink binoculars so I could see trouble that I might get into far away.I had my gun in case there was a dinosaur. Finally I had my camera so I could prove to my dad that there were dinosaurs. â€Å"Well here I go. † I said to myself. I start walking and before I know it I’m in this mysterious place. I am seeing things I never saw before. All these trees around me look evil; they have very long, sharp, pointy thorns on them. There were these weird plant look-alike things that I accidently stepped on that poked me and made blood droplets on my leg. There was this mean looking frog that had horns. And before you knew it I had gotten in too deep and was lost.All I could see that was familiar was the baby blue sky and the bright golden sun. So I kept going hoping I would find maybe a sign or a trail. I held my gun close to me just in case I found a dinosaur. Then out of nowhere hops a little grey bunny , he stops to look at me for a second then starts to hop off. I thought to myself â€Å"Maybe if I follow him I can get back to my daddy. † So that’s what I did until he was out of sight. I grabbed my binoculars to try to find him, but he was long gone. He hopped way too fast and I could not hop over the weird looking plants fast enough.So there I was again stuck alone and there were still no signs of any dinosaurs yet. â€Å"Maybe there are not any dinosaurs out here in this place. † I thought to myself, but I’ll keep looking. Gazing through my binoculars I came across something black, something that looked like I had seen before. I start walking faster and faster towards it. And before too long I was back at my dad’s black truck. â€Å"Whoa I thought I was going to be lost forever out here. † I said to my dad. He asked me â€Å"Did you find any dinosaurs’ baby? † And with a sad sounding voice I said â€Å"No but if we build a house out here I can look forever! †

Metaphysical Poetry Essay

The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic John Dryden to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know or read each other. Their style was characterized by wit and metaphysical conceits—far-fetched or unusual similes or metaphors, such as in Andrew Marvell’s comparison of the soul with a drop of dew; in an expanded epigram format, with the use of simple verse forms, octosyllabic couplets, quatrains or stanzas in which length of line and rhyme scheme enforce the sense. The specific definition of wit which Johnson applied to the school was: â€Å"†¦ a kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike. † Their poetry diverged from the style of their times, containing neither images of nature nor allusions to classical mythology, as were common. Several metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, were influenced by Neo-Platonism. One of the primary Platonic concepts found in metaphysical poetry is the idea that the perfection of beauty in the beloved acted as a remembrance of perfect beauty in the eternal realm. Though secular topics such as scientific or geographical discoveries interested them, there was also a religious or casuistic element to some of their work, by which they attempted to define their relationship with God. John Donne (between 24 January and 19 June 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne’s style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. A Burnt ShipOut of a fired ship, which by no wayBut drowning could be rescued from the flame,Some men leap’d forth, and ever as they cameNear the foes’ ships, did by their shot decay;So all were lost, which in the ship were found,They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown’d. John Donne A Lame BeggarI am unable, yonder beggar cries,To stand, or move; if he say true, he lies. John Donne.

The Pictures from Iraq essays

The Pictures from Iraq essays There are no excuses for what some of our soliders have done; a life is a life no matter who these people are. I ponder. The circumstances leading up the Iraqi war were are unexcusable, but as Americans we are suppose to be more dignified. What comes to mind are the natives in a colony who run around bludgning everyone for the sheer thrill like riding a roller coaster over and over for that rush. Many lives have been taken on both sides. What are the significants for our soldiers to cause such an uproar with the prisoners and think it could be hidden from anyone on either side? In my opinion, this war is nothing but another Vietnam. There will be no victory for wither side. Death is not something we can ever celebrate. By now we as Americans should be satisfied with the Iraqi Commanders we have wither killed or captured and having Saddam in custody. The greed of our government to press on even at the expense of more lives will never be enough. It should nor be left up the the White House, nor the COngress or whomever, to make that decision for us. The pictures that have been released to the media are inexcuseable. This war should not be a trade, a life for a life. It was suppose to be to detoure terrorism from ever striking our country again. Now it has become a car and mouse game for which there will be no winners. Who will be the persons to hand our the punishment to these soldiers for the travisty they have inflicted on our country? I feel it will never be the punishment they deserve. Life is not a game nor a gamble that we should leave in the hands of others without having a voice. Americans should be allowed to decide whether we go to war and not our government even though we are the ones who elected them into office, but that should not be the end of our voices. At this time, we look like bigger fools then the Iraqis thought we were before. Our government will never be able to live this down. ...

Pythagoras of Samos Biography

Pythagoras of Samos Biography Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician and philosopher, is best known for his work developing and proving the theorem of geometry that bears his name. Most students remember it as follows: the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Its written as: a 2 b2 c2. Early Life Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BCE. Not much is known of his early life. There is evidence that he was well educated, and learned to read and play the lyre. As a youth, he may have visited Miletus in his late teenage years to study with the philosopher Thales, who was a very old man, Thaless student, Anaximander was giving lectures on Miletus and quite possibly, Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander took a great interest in geometry and cosmology, which influenced the young Pythagoras. Odyssey to Egypt The next phase of Pythagorass life is a bit confusing. He went to Egypt for some time and visited, or at least tried to visit, many of the temples. When he visited Diospolis, he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. There, he continued his education, especially in mathematics and geometry. From Egypt in Chains Ten years after Pythagoras arrived in Egypt, relations with Samos fell apart. During their war, Egypt lost and Pythagoras was taken as a prisoner to Babylon. He wasnt  treated as a prisoner of war as we would consider it today. Instead, he continued his education in mathematics and music and delved into the teachings of the priests, learning their sacred rites. He became extremely proficient in his studies of mathematics and sciences as taught by the Babylonians. A Return Home Followed by Departure Pythagoras eventually returned to Samos, then went to Crete to study their legal system for a short time. In Samos, he founded a school called the Semicircle. In  about 518 BCE, he  founded another school in Croton (now known as Crotone, in southern Italy). With Pythagoras at the head, Croton maintained an inner circle of followers known as mathematikoi (priests of mathematics). These mathematikoi lived permanently within the society, were allowed no personal possessions and were strict vegetarians. They received training only from Pythagoras, following very strict rules.  The next layer of the society was called the akousmatics. They lived in their own houses and only came to the society during the day.  The society contained both men and women.   The Pythagoreans were a highly secretive group, keeping their work out of public discourse. Their interests lay not just in math and natural philosophy, but also in metaphysics and religion. He and his inner circle believed that souls migrated after death into the bodies of other beings. They thought that animals could contain human souls. As a result, they saw eating animals as cannibalism.   Contributions Most scholars know that Pythagoras and his followers didnt study mathematics for the same reasons as people do today. For them, numbers had a spiritual meaning. Pythagoras taught that all things are numbers and saw mathematical relationships in nature, art, and music. There are a number of theorems attributed to Pythagoras, or at least to his society, but the most famous one,  the Pythagorean theorem, may not be entirely his invention. Apparently, the Babylonians had realized the relationships between the sides of a right triangle more than a thousand years before Pythagoras learned about it. However, he spent a great deal of time working on a proof of the theorem.   Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagorass work was essential to astronomy. He felt the sphere was the perfect shape. He also realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to Earths equator, and deduced that the evening star (Venus) was the same as the morning star. His work influenced later astronomers such as Ptolemy and Johannes Kepler (who formulated the laws of planetary motion). Final Flight   During the later years of the society, it came into conflict with supporters of democracy. Pythagoras denounced the idea, which resulted in attacks against his group. Around 508 BCE, Cylon, a Croton noble attacked the Pythagorean Society and vowed to destroy it. He and his followers persecuted the group, and Pythagoras fled to Metapontum. Some accounts claim that he committed suicide. Others say that Pythagoras returned to Croton a short time later since the society was not wiped out and continued for some years. Pythagoras may have lived at least beyond 480 BCE, possibly to age 100. There are conflicting reports of both his birth and death dates. Some sources think he was born in 570 BCE and died in 490 BCE.   Pythagoras Fast Facts Born: ~569 BCE on SamosDied: ~475 BCEParents: Mnesarchus (father), Pythias (mother)Education:   Thales, AnaximanderKey Accomplishments:  first mathematician Sources Britannica: Pythagoras-Greek Philosopher and MathematicianUniversity of St. Matthews: Pythagoras BiographyWikipedia Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

The impacts of EU Policy on Sustainable Energy Essay

The impacts of EU Policy on Sustainable Energy - Essay Example The European Union has recognised the citizens of the member countries need to be responsible and generate a reliable supply of sustainable energy which is also cheaper to afford so that the living standards are maintained. Furthermore the union also advocates for the reduction of the negative effects of the fossil fuels on the climate and the regional environment at large. The EU policies are designed to create a competitive internal energy market that would offer quality and cheaper services. This would mean that there would be enhanced development of renewable energy sources and cut down reliance on imported energy sources. The European Union has targeted to use features that address energy education, conservation of energy, environment resource protection, energy policies, renewable energy, and distribution of energy (Mcgowan & Mansell 1992), dissemination of useful information and maintainability of energy from producers to consumers. The sustainable energy addressed includes solar power, wind power, geothermal power, tidal power, bio-fuels and wave power. Nuclear fission is some times included but it usually presents the risk of disposal problems and peak uranium levels (Haughton & Counsell 2004). The EU has The EU has not been taking the energy conservation as a serious issue until the approval of the European Energy Policy in the year 2005 in London. EU had to come up with a strategy to fund the research to exploit sustainable energy. The seventh frame program (FP7) was formed to finance the research that is underway from 2007 to 2013. The FP7 fell short of the main intention of its formation and is currently also funding Fusion research which will not achieve results on the climate change until beyond the year 2050 (Lovegrove & Dennis 2006). Currently the strategic energy technology plan is in the lead and has put up plans for the EU technology procedure to develop and enhance the use of low carbon energy technologies. Some of the initiatives in the SET plan include the European Wind Initiative where turbine s will be used to generate energy. This is dependable on the daily whether variations though it can be used to provide base load electricity together with tidal wave energy. The European solar Initiative is also another type of energy that is dependent on whether and can be stored in water as heat, thermo-chemicals as ammonia and in rocks (Lovegrove & Dennis 2006). European also works under the carbon dioxide, transport and storage initiative to address the requirements of safe production of the energy implying that there should be zero emission, the sustainable nuclear fission is very important and has been put under way so that the generation of the type IV reactors are achieved. Energy Research The European Union has established an energy research alliance to facilitate the capabilities of the EU energy research which would achieve world class performance thorough sharing of the global facilities. This strategy will be the major driving force to achieve low carbon technologies and help reduce global warming. The research alliance is the chief player in development of the new energies to ensure that European Union achieves the low carbon

Service Experience Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Experience Report - Essay Example In fact, employees showed a negative at attitude towards customers like us, which is evident from the details posted in my blog 1. They tried to discriminate us from other customers. On the other hand, the manger was an understandable person who knows the importance of treating all customers equally well for the development of the business. He tried to settle the issues rather than complicating it. Thus, the manager’s behavior generated a good impression of the hotel in our minds. Moreover, the manager had shown high levels of maturity and responsiveness while attending our problems and settling it (Shiqi: Service Industries Marketing Blog 1) Reflection on second service encounter My second experience Palazzo Versace Hotel, in Gold coast is also generated mixed feeling about the customer services in hospitality industry. I encountered the best and worst customers’ service experience from this hotel at the same time. Check is has been taken more than half an hour which s hould be avoided to satisfy the visiting customers. The person who is charge of the check in operation was getting lot of phone calls and hence the customers forced to wait for a substantial period of time to find out their rooms. However, customer service after the check in process was satisfactory and outstanding. In short, the reception at the entry level was poor whereas the rest of the services were excellent. The receptionist and the welcome staff in this hotel need more training and empowerment. However, the rest of the services were outstanding (Shiqi: Service Industries Marketing Blog 2) Report: Customer servicing is the most important thing in any business in the modern era and the hospitality business is not an exception. Marketing activities in the service industry in the past concentrated mainly on the canvassing of customers at any cost. In order to attract customers to the hotels and restaurants, marketing executives provided fake offers and attractions to the custome rs. They concentrated more on attracting the customer rather than servicing the customer. They thought that their job is only to lead the customers towards their hotel or restaurant and the rest of the jobs should be look after by others. Modern customers are particular about the service they receive from hotels and restaurants. The reflections given at the top of this report clearly indicate the problems in customer servicing in service industries. This report analyses the critical service points/theme in the service encounters that are informed by services marketing theory and concepts, based on the above reflections. My analysis and evaluation of critical service points/theme in the service encounters that are informed by services marketing theory and concepts All the employees in a service organization should work for the betterment of the organization rather than the betterment of their careers alone. Even if a visiting customer experiences hundreds of good service from a hotel , one bad experience may prevent him from visiting that hotel again. In other words, all the employees should work collectively for the improvement of customer servicing. Responsiveness of the employees paly vital role in the success and failure of service organizations. Pleasant attitude, timely servicing, and helping mentality of the employees encourage customers to revisit the same hotel or restaurant regularly. It should be noted that the employees and

Museums are Catalysts for Regeneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Museums are Catalysts for Regeneration - Essay Example But soon, even animal hides, instruments, portraits and sculptures were also displayed. The Greeks then widened the scope of objects displayed in a museum by exhibiting not only statues and paintings but also jewelries, glasses, vases, pottery and ornaments which they offered to their gods. These were however, transported to Rome when the Romans ransacked Greece. Thus began the Romans' romance with works of art. Then Roman temples, palaces and private villas were adorned with these (Alexander 2008, p.4). Japan and China were not left behind in this cultural activity because even before 1000 AD works of art were already manifested in their temples and palaces. It is worthwhile to mention that in Nara City, Japan many of these had been preserved. vanguard for the reposing of important manuscripts, saints' relics, statues, paintings and jewelries. Feudal nobles, coming from the crusades in the Near East, carried with them spoils of war with beauty and added these to their private collections. But museums reached unparalleled importance during the Age of the Renaissance. The Medici family of Florence, collected the most enviable art treasures ever gathered which they ensconced in their palaces. Later these were transferred to the Vatican and made a part of the Papal collection. Then the Uffizi Gallery in Florence was made the repository of the Medici collection (Bennett 1995, p.27). The first great public museum is the Louvre Museum in Paris, which at that time was basically composed of royal collections of King Francis I. For the first time, a museum was opened to the public in 1793. When the Age of Enlightenment came, more museums were opened for public viewing. Some of these were the British Museum, the Berlin Gallery, the Prado in Madrid and the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg (Steffensen 1998, p.13).

Explain the Differences Between Panglosss Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Explain the Differences Between Panglosss Philosophy Essay Pangloss’s philosophy of life is that all is for the best in the â€Å"best of all possible worlds. † This optimistic philosophy actually is the key element of Voltaire’s satire. Pangloss’s philosophy is against the ideas of the Enlightenment period. Pangloss believes that a powerful God had created the world and that, therefore, the world must be perfect. When creatures of the world, see something as wrong or evil, it is because they do not understand the ultimate good that will come out of it. Voltaire satirically shows the reader that Pangloss is not a believable character. Voltaire illustrates this by showing us that he keeps his optimistic thought even when he is imprisoned. Pangloss ignores any evidence that contradicts his initial opinion. He also uses illogical arguments to support his beliefs. Pangloss’s philosophy tries to impose a passive attitude toward all that is wrong in the world. If the world is the best one possible, then there is no reason to make any effort to change things. Martin is more believable than Pangloss, not because he is more sophisticated, but because he is smarter and more likely to draw conclusions with which we can identify. Martin had been robbed by his wife and beaten by his son and deserted by his daughter and also lived financial setbacks, and therefore he’s a pessimist whereas Pangloss is an optimist. He uses his experiences to judge the world whereas Pangloss was merely using a theory. As a result, Martin is more insightful than Pangloss to foresee events that will happen. Even though Martin’s philosophy is more believable than Pangloss’s, he’s still not good at predicting how some people will behave because his philosophy is coming from extreme pessimism. Therefore it might not be wrong to say that Voltaire is trying to prove that we need flexible thought in our lives based on real evidence. Both philosophers will ultimately fail because there’s no room for exceptions in their beliefs. Candide starts his journey with the influence of Pangloss’s belief of â€Å"best of all possible worlds†. Pangloss and Candide, suffer and witness a wide variety of horrors and tragedies together. During these tragedies, Pangloss’s s philosophy proves to be useless and even destructive at the end, because it prevents them from making realistic judgments. For example while Jacques was drowning, Pangloss doesn’t let Candide save him by saying that the bay of Lisbon had been formed for this Anabaptist to drown in. Also when Candide was buried under the rubble of the Lisbon earthquake, he asked for oil and wine because he was dying, but Pangloss ignored him and still tried to reason with the causes of the earthquake. At the end Candide rejects his philosophy of optimism and as he and his servant Cacambo travel and go through more horrors, Candide starts believing a pessimistic view of life. When Candide meets Martin, they set sail together and Martin is just the opposite of Pangloss. He does not believe that everything is for the best in this world. Even though Candide tries to oppose Martin by talking about free will but it does not solve the problem of presence of evil in the world. In general, Martin’s arguments seem more reasonable than Pangloss’s ideas. But, like Pangloss, Martin believes so firmly in his own view of the world that he is not flexible and usually dismisses real evidence that contradicts his philosophy. When Candide cannot find Cunegonde, Martin shows the bad influence of his pessimism. Instead of attempting to comfort his friend, Martin uses Candide’s distress to further confirm his own world-view. Just like Pangloss’s optimism, Martin’s pessimism also keeps him from taking initiative to improve the world.