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Monday, September 30, 2019

Prelude to Philosophy: What is Philosophy? Essay

List 4 reasons students often presuppose a low view of philosophy. 1. The image that one has to be super intelligent to do philosophy. 2. As a discipline, most students study it late in their academic development. 3. Most people don’t think it’s practical. 4. Most students don’t know what philosophy is or how it can benefit them. Know Socrates’ quote: What is the unexamined life? What did he mean when he said it wasn’t worth living? The quote: â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† Socrates didn’t mean that people have no value, or should be executed if they lived unexamined lives. Humans are unique in the animal kingdom; we have the ability to reason and reflect about everything. What he meant was: To live the unexamined life is to live less than a fully human life; not living life the way we were created to live. Know the etymology of the word â€Å"philosophy.† The combination of two Greek terms: phileo and sopos. Phileo means â€Å"love†, sophos means â€Å"wisdom†. Know the working definition of â€Å"philosophy† and explain each of its elements. Philosophy is the critical examination of our foundational beliefs concerning the nature of reality, knowledge, and truth, and our moral and social values. List and explain each of the 6 characteristics under the description of philosophy. 1. The relationship between philosophy and facts: philosophers are generally more interested in what lies behind the facts, their meaning, significance and veracity, than in the facts themselves. 2. The importance of method in philosophical investigation: why someone believes something more so than what they believe. 3. clarification: clear thinking is imperative in finding truth. Two enemies to clear thinking is ambiguity and vagueness. 4. Philosophy examines and evaluates everything; nothing is  taken for granted: Every belief and idea is open to critical examination. Clarification and justification are required before accepting any belief to be true. 5. Philosophy is usually concerned with foundational issues that have been perennial throughout the history of humankind. 6. Philosophy often appeals to systems of principles or guidelines regarded to be true: either reject new claim to be true or adjust system to adapt to the new claim. Philosophers build systems of beliefs and philosophical examination doesn’t begin from a neutral position. Contrast and compare philosophy with religion, science, and art. How are they different and how are they similar? 1. Philosophy and Religion: (compared) Both search for the ultimate – that which has the ultimate meaning and value, the one thing that unifies everything and from which everything finds it’s meaning and origin. (contrasted) Religion usually appeals to some authoritative revelation to discover the truths about the ultimate; philosophy uses rational inquiry in attempting to understand the ultimate. A spiritual aspect normally isn’t found in philosophy. 2. Philosophy and Science: (compared) Both try to understand reality in a methodical fashion. They both use observation and appeal to evidence to support their conclusions. They both derive criteria, hypotheses, and theories that they apply to specific situations to discover the truth about reality. (contrasted) Science generally examines that part of reality associated with the senses, the physical world, philosophies field extends outside of physical reality to what lies beyond. Also, science deals with first-order questions about reality, philosophy deals with second-order questions about disciplines like science. 3. Philosophy and Art: (compared) artists often use their medium to express philosophical ideas, they both also often deal with similar topics, and artists capture what some modern philosophers promote. (contrasted) Art usually only coveys a particular philosophical view, whereas philosophy seeks the rational justification of a view. Philosophy argues for a view, art expresses it. Art is concerned mostly with structure, philosophy is concerned mostly with content. Explain the value of experiential knowledge in distinction to propositional knowledge. Experiential knowledge enhances our understanding beyond what  propositional knowledge can convey. Philosophy: Examining life; love of wisdom. Unexamine Life: Going through daily/routine activities/life, without thinking about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it; going through the motions of life without making the effort to reflect and think about what life is about. Normative Claim: Makes a claim about some actions persons ought to do. Socrates’ â€Å"unexamined life† claim was a normative claim. Wisdom: Wisdom has less to do with how much one knows and more to do with how one uses the knowledge they have. Wisdom is knowledge applied; using the knowledge one has in a way that benefits life. Critical Examination: To analyze. Clarification: To determine what something means. Justification: Addresses the questions: Is this true, and are there good reasons to believe it’s true? Evaluation: Determines the significance or value of the idea. Presuppositions: Beliefs people usually don’t think about or try to prove. They are assumptions people hold about themselves and the world, without knowing which they would not be able to arrive at any other knowledge. Foundational Beliefs: Central and fundamental beliefs, the core of all other beliefs. First-Order Discipline: A field that directly studies reality. Second-Order Discipline: A field that studies the methods and presuppositions of first-order disciplines. It’s not interested in the conclusion but the  means used to arrive at the conclusion and the presuppositions held while attempting to answer the question. Ambiguous: When there is more than one possible meaning. Vague: When the meaning is not clear. Worldview: A comprehensive system of beliefs that functions, first as an explanation and interpretation of the world and, second as an application of that system to the way people live and the values they hold. Scientism: The notion that scientific knowledge is the only kind of knowledge there is. Propositional Knowledge: Consists of beliefs that can be formulated and conveyed in propositions. Experiential Knowledge: Knowledge gained through experiencing something. Rational Animal: Humans.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Essay on Democracy Essay

Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the concept of democracy form of governance has long been in existence for centuries, it was the emergence of country state government system which gave birth to the rise and flourish of democracy that we enjoy today. In the modern day, almost three quarters of the world countries claim to be democratic. As accepted this form of governance may seem to be, still it has some inherent flaws as a system of governance. Most of the critics of this form of government claim that democracy is morally corrupt, humanly unfair, economically inefficient and humanly unfair. It is because of this view that Winston Churchill said that, â€Å"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those that has been tried from time to time. Democracy definition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the English oxford Dictionary, democracy is defined as the system of government by all the eligible members of the state or the whole population. One time US president, Abraham Lincoln, summed up the very essence of democracy as it being, the government of the people, by the people and for the people (History Place 2012). This of course was an idealist view and in regard to the current system, we can say that the true democracy was only demonstrated in 1918 when the representation of people act gave women the right to vote or they were declared as eligible voters. Before this act enactment or reform, democracy in Britain was only afforded by the rich and in fact up to the end of the 18th century, only about two percent of the population were entitled to vote. Following a number of vital reforms in the break of the 19th century, voting rights were extended slowly that lead to the culmination of the third Reform Act of 1884 that saw all men acquiring votes. This is the time that we can term as the crucial turn of event that led to the democracy that we all enjoy today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are differences to the democratic forms of government that exist today. In UK, we have the centralistic form of government where decisions are made in the capital and the local authorities are demanded to act according to these decisions and rules. In contrast to this, the federal government of Germany gives a lot of power to the federal state and this is the same form of democracy that is practiced in the United States (Dobson, 2012) Other forms of government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we know, democracy is not the standardised form of government that is practiced all over the world. There are many other alternatives that are apparent in other countries. For example in the republic of Korea, there exists a totalitarian regime. This form of government is solely based on ideology. This ideology claims the general validity for all the life aspects and often tries to replace religion. A totalitarian form of governance does not tolerate any kind of deviation from the known ideology and any person who attempts to oppose this ideology is persecuted. This was of course the form that was adopted by the Nazi Germany that led to the political opponents being persecuted and tortured and also detained in the concentration camps leading to the genocide of the ethnic minorities who were in line with the Nazi policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the authoritarian form of governance is linked to the totalitarian regime, they have no distinct state ideology and they also grant some cultural and economic freedoms being careful not to jeopardize their policies. The goal that the authoritarian regime takes as being the most important is the maintenance of power along with personal enrichment on the cost of the population and the country as a whole (democracy-building website, 2005.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are other forms of government that are apparent and the one that is of particular interest is the Theocracy form of governance that is practiced by the Republic of Iran. This is known as â€Å"government by God†. This is where the official policy is governed by divine guidance or by people or official regarded as divinely guided, or it is simply pursuant to the doctrine of a specific religion or a religious group (merriam-webster online encyclopaedia 2012).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regard to the UK’s democratic form of governance that we have in place, its success can be determined by how the government interpret what we as people wants. The recent changes like the Scottish devolution along with the creation of the Welsh assembly sends light that if democracy is for the people, then such constitutional changes can be termed as integral and also successful part of practice of democracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we said earlier, the literal meaning of democracy is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. But when the concept of democracy is mixed up with that of governance, this is really not the case even though we get the supporters of democracy pretending to be so. When the people are told that democracy is the rule by the people, then that’s a fallacy. If there is governance that is over those people, than there exist no government or governance by the people. Owing to this argument, the democracies that are adopted by many countries for instance the western countries are in fact oligarchies in every detail. But the people who are the main subjects believe that there are free and become apathetic of the same and they do not see any further need for revolution. The formation that is surely oligarchy is the one that makes democracy to be termed as the worst form of government like Winston Churchill termed it. Bel ow the arguments that point out the worseness of the democratic form of government are discussed. Among these are democracy and economic instability and Democracy as a vehicle of chaos and anarchy. Also the connection of police violence in Canada and democracy will be discussed in details citing the main features of the issue, the advocates of the issue and also the perspectives of the issue. Democracy breeds Economic instability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The frequent changes of power that follows the democratic concept of carrying a general election after a term period of four or five years is a major source of economic instability for the countries that practice democratic form of government. Prior to election, each political party comes out with their manifesto of how they will govern the nation. A political party that wins the election may not be the one that was previously on power. When a new political party takes power they bring other policies that were not the ones adopted by their successor. This leads to frequent changes of policies with regard to the country’s economy. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians ha ve the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt This leads to frequent changes of policies with regard to the country’s economy. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians have the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt short term policies that will bring immediate gratification for the citizens so that they can win their votes for the next general election. These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government. These changes can not only highly daunt investments but also affects corporate and individual businesses, hence limiting the country’s economic growth. The short and limited duration that a certain political party takes power also leads to short term policies. This comes in because the politicians have the idea that they are in power for a limited time period and so they adopt short term policies that will bring immediate gratification for the citizens so that they can win their votes for the next general election. These policies are adopted even though they could be disadvantageous in the long-run. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common peopl e even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government. This means that the democratic nations mostly will sacrifice their short term pains for the long run gains. This adversely affects the economy of the country. In most cases, the economies are the ones that suffer because policies are not given that time period to be tested and tried before they are adopted. Only come with a policy that will proof to be effective to the common people even though it could be disastrous in future. The ever rising debt of the UK and Us and many of other democratic countries could be attributed to the economic instability that is brought about by short-termism which is the main flaw of the democratic form of government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The free market economists like Milton Friedman believed that democracy produces inefficient economic systems. These economists argue that if the government were to make effective economies, they need to make what is generally regarded as unpopular decisions, for instance mass privatisation; removing the rights of the workers and also deregulation especially a time like this of economic austerity. This example is the one that is termed as ‘governing paradox’ (Flinders, 2010, p. 311). Mostly, this is what is seen as inherent contradiction between capitalism and democracy in that, as economic agents, all individuals are expected to act in their own interest but when it comes to casting their votes, they are expected to act in the interest of the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The critics are perhaps rights when they say that democracy can lead to ineffectual government. This can be traced many years ago when Aristotle started establishing typologies and categorising political systems. According to him, democracy was a ‘perverted’ form of governance or rule by many. Democracy as a vehicle of chaos and anarchy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ancient great thinkers and philosophers like Plat, Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes were very critical on the flaws that come by with the democracy form of governance. They saw the concept of democracy as an unlimited freedom and liberty for all which is a tool of manipulation that can culminate into chaos and disorder in the society. Despite democracy being the most popular form of governance in today’s world, this form of government is prone to the manipulation of wild politicians and other stakeholders who are out to use it as a tool to acquire power and accumulate the country’s wealth for their selfish interest hence create anarchy and chaos to the society as a whole. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among the examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation. For instance, Tomas Hobbes saw democracy as a form of government that permits reckless liberty that will usually undermine the law conservation and the societal order. Most of the politicians usually will exploit the antagonism between the economic classes and the dissimilarity in the ethnic groups to turn them into votes for their political parties. Instead of intervening for good and for the passions of the people, these politicians unruly politicians will obviously fun them so that they can be seen as the heroes. Firstly, they monopolize the media and use it to propagate these courses. This eventually pokes holes into the community and creates differences that eventually results into chaos and riots in these groups. In the year 2006 for instance, two major national wide riots erupted in the country of France. The first was in economic in nature and started in the month of February and the next was both religious and ethnic erupted in November the same year. These riots are among t he examples that can be brought about by the diverse opinions within the nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Democracy can be said to be a pluralist system of power distribution that is set to distribute power among the many and diverse competing groups even though not equally. Even if democracy can be said to be somehow worse, it achieves a greater level of political equality amongst the citizens than any other form and hence reflects the fundamental belief that all individuals or humans are all born equal and so the consent of governance should originate from the governed (Dahl, 1998). In addition, this form of government allows individuals to protect their self interests. The nature of humans dictates that each and every individual desires some control over their needs and wants and John Stuart Mill said that the ability to protect ones interests protects us from evil in the hands of others. The competition that exists between different groups of people within the society is exactly what differentiates democracy from authoritarianism. As it wa s argued by (Flinders, 2010), â€Å"Difference is good†. The discussion and debate along with the exercise of the right to freedom of speech act as the pillars upon which democracy is formed. Inherently, democracy is a system of rights. By definition, democracy grants both civil and political rights to the citizens so that they can fully participate in the democratic process. The nature of humans dictates that each and every individual desires some control over their needs and wants and John Stuart Mill said that the ability to protect ones interests protects us from evil in the hands of others. The competition that exists between different groups of people within the society is exactly what differentiates democracy from authoritarianism. As it was argued by (Flinders, 2010), â€Å"Difference is good†. The discussion and debate along with the exercise of the right to freedom of speech act as the pillars upon which democracy is formed. Inherently, democracy is a system of rights. By definition, democracy grants both civil and political rights to the citizens so that they can fully participate in the democratic process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So as for all the citizens to participate and hear the voice of their people, it is then very vital to grant these citizens the right to the freedom of assembly that is not provided for in the totalitarian nor in the authoritative regimes. The belief of equality is also one of the building pillars of democracy and thus enforcing and establishing the rights gives this a greater degree of equality than any other non-democratic form of government. In fact, granting these rights helps shield the minority from persecution and also allow them to also protect their interests. The society that we are in these days is made up of heterogeneous groups, all which represent different and varied interests; all these must be respected and recognized. If we do not observe this, we will obviously be committing ourselves to rule by an elite or selected few who think that their interest are over those of the other people. The police violence and democracy in Canada   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Canada, the use of police force and violence has become one of the greatest concerns to the society. Many civilians and students are becoming more concerned about the force that is applied by the police in most encounters with the citizens in different situation. Following some of the bad encounters the people had with the police officers, many people are now tending to think that police in most of the time act to deprive the people their constitutional rights and hence they are violating the rule of democracy. The critics say that police sometimes employ much power to the civilians by use of violence and force. On the other hand, the advocates of this say that the police are entitled to use any power to stop crimes and also secure the people’s wellbeing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For years the violence and force that has been used by police officers and the local authority in Canada has been not only of major concern but also a significant issue that has to be addressed for democracy to be realised. It all commences when a police officer abuse the powers that has been delegated to them by the state and constitution. In Canada, it has become obvious that each day in and day out there must be a case where a police officer has employed excessive power to the civilians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the literacy levels are increasing all day, people are becoming more aware of their democratic rights and the voices are becoming united daily. The authorities and the officers are in place to protect, help and promote safety in communities. There many people who are filing complaints daily against the police officers who are causing violence and using unnecessary force during arrest. In many instances in the city, we have seen how two or three police officers beat up a defenceless citizen using their batons or how they mistreat women and teenagers. These are all the cases that are act against democracy of whom the people should be enjoying, owing to the fact that this is a rule for the people, for the people and by the people. The heightened technology and the media has promoted the awareness that the police are culminating violence by abusing their powers. This has created fear and mistrust by the people towards the police departments . In accordance to the penal law guidelines, the police are only justified to use force that is only necessary to prevent homicide or a crime. The advocates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advocates for the police usage of power and force term the police as an armed force for participation and protection. They declare the power of the police by them being armed forces; then, they demonstrate their power by stating protection and express their community connection by stating that they participate. First these officers have the delegated power by their weapon that they carry and the ability that this weapon has to make other people to comply to the law. They argue that, by the fact that police have been given the mandate to protect; they must in any means pursue this goal even if it means use of excessive or unnecessary powers. Finally, the participation concept emphasizes the relationship between the officer and the community. To ensure that the communities are safeguarded effectively, they are free to use any power whether it means to deprive a person his/her constitutional rights or not. How we can improve democracy on this issue   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The police officers also being one of the citizens, they should strive to serve the communities they are in with their best interest at heart while safeguarding the democratic rights of the civilians. The police officers are the officials that are mandated to impose the laws while preserving order in the society and they should not act in a manner that may culminate violence or in any case deprive any individual his/her democratic rights. In the cases that the police officers are called into some stressful and dangerous events that may involve violent altercations, that must be controlled. We as the citizens also do not want to see our streets run by criminals who terrorize other people. It is true that in some cases police officers are allowed to use force but not in all the situations or self created situations geared at harassing a civilian or depriving him/her his/her democratic rights. Let us all observe the law. References Abraham Lincoln. The Gettysburg Adddress. Available http://www.historyplace.com/speech/gettysburg.htm. Last assessed 05 June 2012 Dahl, Robert A. On Democracy. New Haven: Yale UP, 1998. Print. Dobson, William J. The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy. New York: Doubleday, 2012. Print. Flinders, Matthew V. Democratic Drift: Majoritarian Modification and Democratic Anomie in the United Kingdom. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Johnson, Marilynn S. Johnson, ed. Street Justice: A History of Police Violence in Canada. Beacon Press. p.  365. 2004. Loree, Don â€Å"Corruption in Policing: Causes and Consequences; A Review of the Literature†. Research and Evaluation Community, Contract and Aboriginal Policing Services Directorate. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006 Peterson, Amsterdam.Democracy, Policy and Economic development. Stockholm: Stockholm Press, 2005. Stein Ringen. Three Priorities to Improve UK Democracy,2007 Theocracy. Available: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy.Last accessed 05 Jude 2012 Source document

Saturday, September 28, 2019

I have no idea Essay

1.Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss. Product? Discuss. ANS: Selling a product that at its best mildly works is ethical because the product does work. The issue that persons are having is that it varies in effectiveness per person. 2.Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss. ANS: I believe that is it perfectly correct to exploit culturally values norms. Marketers depend on cultural values and norms to market products. It is through the understanding of the markets culture and values that companies better understand the customers’ needs. 3.Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar from how most cosmetics are promoted? ANS: Fair and lovely has taken advantage f the position that cosmetic companies promote. Cosmetic companies promote that women are imperfect and perfection can be achieved through their products. Fair and lovely has epitomized this through their campaigns 4.Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss. ANS: The product still has acceptance in the Indian market so it may be that the foundation has been effective. The foundation also does a great job in countering the believe that the product demeans women by empowering them. 5.In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use â€Å"fairness† as a theme of its promotion? Discuss. ANS: In light of AIDWA’s response I recommend that Fair & Lovely promote the product without using fairness as the theme. If they do continue to use fairness as a campaign they should alter the perception of fairness as not being light skinned but representing toned and healthy skin. 6.Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and be an effective program. ANS: I propose that a simple change in the promotion from advocating for fairer skin towards healthier toned skin can relieve the pressure being faced by the company. How can they go about this campaign? Fair and Lovely should launch a campaign promoting that beauty is not only fair but dark also. This campaign should headline women of varying skin tone, shapes and sizes using the product not to change their skin tone but enhancing their own skin tone. 7.Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened? ANS: Male market for fairness cream does in essence weaken the argument that fairness cream is demeaning to women. However it can strengthen the argument that the company has widen its grip on exploiting cultural norm and values by advocating for universal â€Å"fairness† of both males and females. 8.Comment on using â€Å"Shakti Ammas† to introduce â€Å"fairness cream for the masses† in light of AIDWA’s charges. ANS: Fair and Lovely is responding to the demand of the market. In spite of the claims of AIDWA the market is still demanding the product. AIDWA may need to to attack the culture vs. attacking the company. 9. Listen to â€Å"In India, Skin-Whitening

Friday, September 27, 2019

Child Abandonment kill(affect) children Research Paper

Child Abandonment kill(affect) children - Research Paper Example Additionally, political conditions may contribute towards abandonment as evident in the Romanian revolution (Nelson, Fox and Zeanah 64). Child abandonment may also be associated with the lack of institutions such as orphanages, which take care of children in case their parents or guardians fail to support them. Child abandonment is a very serious problem, which affects the long-term development of a child. Parents should be careful before abandoning their children because it can cause long-term psychological impact, raise trust issues and expose the child to physical and mental health problems. According to Karen Maier, children who are abandoned harbor long-standing senses of shame and loss. These children may either idealize or reject the absent parent. Karen (2013) stated, â€Å"children who completely reject their absent parents strive to be the exact opposite of the parent who abandoned them† (Maier 2). Conversely, children who idealize the parent who abandoned them have a tendency of developing fantasies about them in order to provide temporary comfort. Long-term psychological impact of child abandonment include issues such as problems maintaining long-term relationships, depression, eating disorders, social disabilities, cognitive or learning disabilities and low self-esteem. Children who have been abandoned experience disorganized or insecure attachment with other people. As a result, they have problems interacting with others or maintaining long-term relationships (Clothier 1). Patterns of child-parent or caregiver attachments are important during growth. These patterns determine the social and emotional development of the child. Children who have been abandoned have insecure attachment with others because their primary source of protection or safety, in this case the parent, abandoned them. These children consider their parents as a source of harm, which leaves the child in an irresolvable state of conflict. Abandoned

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Marketing advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing advertising - Essay Example The muscular body of the model on the cover page displays the importance of protein intake for maintaining good muscular body for improved performance. The title of the Magazine hugely supports my advertisement of protein isolate. The title of the magazine helps attract the attention of people and thereby the advertisement of protein. Sometimes, this also results in buying the product as it convince people regarding the importance of protein for body building. Moreover, the advertising is for people who are interested in sports and body building, especially the ones who want to work out for building body muscles for better performance. The advertisement of protein encourages readers to make buying decisions as its use would yield good results. Most importantly, it would make them healthy and fit and ready to take up strenuous exercises. But sometimes, advertisement of related or same products from different companies may confuse readers as all of them have good offer for the buyer..   I believe that this product is a good investment because lot of people will buy it when they see the advertisement and read about it. Also, when the product is endorsed by celebrities, it attracts more buyers. At the same time, it also reduces competition as it adds value to the advertisement of the product and thereby, in order to become like celebrity, it results in more sale. Hence, advertisements become critical component of marketing of

Insufficient Staffing and Medication Errors Essay

Insufficient Staffing and Medication Errors - Essay Example Understanding the different factors affecting health care delivery to the patients should be analyzed in order to make sure its objectives are attained. One of the issues that healthcare systems should address in order to optimize its role in delivering quality health care to its patients is medication error. Medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate use of harm to a patient while medication is in control of the health care professional, patient or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures and system including prescribing, order communication, administration, education, monitoring, and use. According to various studies concerning errors in patient medications, there are around 7,000 to 7,400 people in the United States who dies due to such form of negligence. Specifically in New York, there is approximately 1,400 people die every year or twenty percent of medical injuries are due to medicati on errors. Lawsuits have been filed across the United States health care system as a result of medication errors, which exposed the patients into dangerous situations that eventually cause the death of some patients. According to the National Law Journal, out of the 13 largest medical negligence lawsuits in the US in 2002, seven of these were in New York alone. The number of deaths from medication errors in the US per year is at least one death every day. In addition, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research found that a total of 1.3 million people are injured because of medication errors. Types of Medication errors Medication errors occur in different ways and at any degree. Medical negligence of this type may be made by any health care practitioner, from the nursing staff to the attending physicians. One type of medication error may be a misdiagnosis of a patient’s illness identified as a diagnostic error. A mistake as complicated as this, may result to more serious prob lems when made. Misdiagnosis could result to recommending an incorrect choice of therapy to the patient that would further injure them. Failure to use an indicated diagnostic test is also a result of diagnostic error that may cause a patient’s illness to become worse and very serious. Test results may also be misinterpreted due to an error in diagnosis. Patients suffer the consequences of not being able to get the right treatment to their illnesses when such diagnostic error happens. In addition, when patients are misdiagnosed, medical staff may not be able to correctly handle abnormal situations that are brought about by the patient’s illness or disease. Equipment failure is another form of medication error that is classified under this category. Some examples of this are dead batteries in defibrillators and easily dislodged or bumped valves of intravenous pumps. When such conditions are unnoticed, patients may have increased doses of medication over a short period of time that may be too dangerous, worse, fatal to the. Physicians are not spared in committing medication errors as well. The same thing goes with the nurses. Their roles require them to be in close contact with the patients. While physicians prescribe the medications or recommend the proper treatment necessary for the patients, the nurses are those who implement them.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Operations and IT Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Operations and IT Management - Essay Example it is a well organized company with various departments each specializing in executing a function of importance to the overall objective of the company. My tour started with the reception, production department, design and planning section, marketing section, accounts and dispatch section (Young, 2009, p. 14). I also visited the workflow section to learn about the various processes which the balloons go through before it is packaged for sale. Here I learned the various stages in the workflow and how each contributes towards the manufacture of the balloon (Wah, 2004, p. 15). The main lesson learnt was that Cameron virtual factory is one unique factory involved in the manufacture and export of high quality hot air balloons. This product is exported worldwide to various countries and is used to provide an alternative aircraft for use in the sky. The company is divided into departments of which each handling its own task contributing to the final product which is a finished hot air balloon (Wah, 2004, p. 05). The main objective of all these tasked is to satisfy the customer and meet his or her specifications without compromising quality of the company products (Young, 2009, p. 27). The manufacture of the balloon commences with a specification being provided by the customer. This idea with specifications is presented before the designers and sales team who analyses it (Wah, 2004, p. 08). The designers and sales team would work together to come up with a visual representation of how the balloon will look. This is a schematic diagram that is then analyzed further to achieve the final product before commencing the construction process which would take lesser duration comparatively (Young, 2009, p. 24). The drawing is presented to the customer who will approve or disapprove the same. If the customer approves the drawing or rather artwork the sales department will generate a quotation for the work after which the customer will be requested to make initial deposit for the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Laser Printer and Government Intervention Case Study

Laser Printer and Government Intervention - Case Study Example In other words, this is represented by the area a+b+c+d. On the other hand, the producer’s surplus is represented by the variation between the marginal cost of production and the revenue earned (P1). This is the area f+g+h. The producer surplus corresponds to the profits minus the fixed cost. However, production of Q results into externality effects such as lack of market for the home produced cartridges. This is represented by the Marginal External Cost (MEC). Considering that such costs do not change, then it means that the entire cost to the society regarding the production of Q is the marginal society curve, as represented by MSC = MPC + MEC. Q1, which is an external cost, corresponds to the area: c + d + e + f + g + h. The intervention of the Kuwait government through the imposition of tax on the imported cartridges is aimed at internalizing the externality, which is arrived at after taking consideration the external cost of production (Barthold 133). If the government imposes a constant importation tax on every unit of cartridge imported so that this raises the cost of production, which corresponds to the MSC curve, then it means that the new market will be represented by P2 and Q2. Lower quantity and a higher price will occur as a result of the government regulation. Area (a) is the consumer surplus at the new equilibrium and (h) is the producer surplus. Area b + c + f represent the government tax collection. The tax’s deadweight loss (DWL) is represented by d+g. Nonetheless, b + c + f, is the external cost, which is avoided. This means that the net benefit from the government intervention is d + e + g - d - g = e > 0, which is: MEC-DWL. To find out whether the imposed tax is really efficient, then a benefit-cost analysis should be conducted. Assuming that the producers are supposed to pay extra tax, their surplus will be represented by the area (b), in which case area c + f + h is the elevated production costs resultingà ‚  from the government intervention. As the output decreases from Q1 to Q2, some jobs are lost, though more jobs are gained when the home industries employ more people (Barthold 135).

Monday, September 23, 2019

Industrialization in the 1800's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industrialization in the 1800's - Essay Example Though the Industrial Revolution inflicted hardships on people, altering their way of life and even endangering their health, the people of industrialized countries eventually found increased quality of life through affordable access to products around them. The initial parts of industrialization were negative for those who worked in the up and coming factories. The working conditions were dangerous for everyone, especially newfound nimble-fingered workers, children and women. This was the start of child labor; in addition women had to work outside of home, and after a long shift at the factory were still expected at home to take care of the children, cook, and clean the house. The traditional idea of women staying home and taking care of the house changed, because they needed to go out and be part of life outside of family. This changed the social idea of women staying home and taking care of their children. Although some families were able to maintain traditional family roles, most people during this period could not successfully sustain a family if only the men were working outside of home. Along with this, family dynamics changed all around; the things people had valued in family went through a great change. Prior to industrializatio n, families would always work together. The women and daughters would be in the house cooking and cleaning and the boys would learn to follow their fathers in work. Farmers, for example, would spend all their time together because the family would be home all day and spend a lot of time together. Later in life, sons would take over the family land and raise their families there, keeping the family name on the land.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay Example for Free

Uniqueness and Importance of Medieval Music Essay The musical component of the medieval period is noted to have been one of the most important musical experiences in history. Every aspects of medieval music that have survived left legacies that deeply impact both the sacred and secular musical structure of today. Nonetheless, the music that permeated at that period has tangibly contributed in the musical heritage and tradition of present day society, most especially those of the Catholic Church. In this regard, it is therefore an imperative to look back on the historical overview of medieval music and its importance in the field of music as a whole. Medieval Music Medieval music is identified as the music that permeated in Europe during the middle or medieval ages. The said era covered the periods ranging from the Roman Empire’s fall and ascent of Gregory the Great to papacy, until approximately the early fifteenth century. This form of music excludes that of the Byzantine Empire, which is noted to have a separate development. Basically, medieval music is divided into two principal categories: the sacred and secular. As Christianity was a dominant force during the medieval era, entire musical style was developed in order to support it. Therefore, sacred music was either inspired or set by the biblical text. Sacred music was originally composed in order to pay homage to God. Unlike sacred music, secular music has not been observed early in the said period. Yet medieval secular music played a significant role during the medieval period as it was created for the purpose of its entertainment value such as for dance or expressing ones love, which deeply reflects the lifestyle during that era (â€Å"Medieval music: Birth of polyphony†). Early Medieval Sacred Music Chant The earliest body of song documented from the medieval period was the chant, which is sometimes referred to as plainchant or plainsong. Chant is a monophonic, or music with just one part, which has been the earliest form of music used by the Catholic church. The account of the nun Egeria from her pilgrimage to Jerusalem from circa 400 AD was noted as the earliest evidence of plainchant practice. The account includes descriptions pertaining to psalms and singing (Cyrus). The evolution of chant was accounted to various regional liturgies like the Roman, Gallican, Celtic, Ambrosian, Mozarabic and the likes. Likewise, the traditions of the Byzantine Church as well as the Jewish synagogue’s psalm singing were pointed as strong influences in the emergence of chants (â€Å"Medieval music†). Over the next years, the practice of chant continued to develop until it became an important component in the mass and office that is familiar among the students of the medieval church (Cyrus). It is noteworthy that the adaptation of chant in the liturgical practice was a result of the religious reforms spearheaded by Charlemagne, who perceived the church as an important body that would enable him to unify his empire. He then replaced the regional varieties of plainsong with a single unified version. According to biographers, approximately in the ninth century Charlemagne decided to ask for the supervision of Rome in order to have the doctrinally unified versions of the chant. The resultant liturgical practice is commonly known as the â€Å"Gregorian Chant,† which is acknowledged as the central musical tradition in Europe during the medieval period (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Gregorian chant was named so in honor of Pope Gregory I, who is believed to have organized around 3,000 melodies for the Roman Catholic worship. Such form of chant interblend ancient melodies, coming from the oral traditions of sources like Greek, Hebraic and Eastern, with the early Christian churches liturgical prayers (Pen). It is believed that many of the Gregorian chants were written in the western monasteries during the reign of Charlemagne (â€Å"Medieval music†). The music of the church is divided into chants used for the mass and for the office. Chants for the mass are a combination of celebrating the word of God and the Holy Eucharist, while chants for the office or ordinary are those that are part of the churches daily services which includes psalms and prayers. The text that change daily are known as â€Å"proper,† while the stable texts which are repeated for most of the church services are tagged as â€Å"ordinary† (Cyrus n. p. ). Plainchant fuses text and tunes so as to function as a prayer, while the Latin text serves as the musical rhythm dictator in order for the text and tune to exactly correspond with each other. Normally, the melodic contour of such music is shaped by the words direction, which is set syllabically, making the text understandable. Other chants are also set in a melismatical manner where in â€Å"one syllable is sustained over several notes† for the purpose of ornamenting and emphasizing important syllables (Pen 119) and neumatic melodies where the music contains two to five notes for each syllable. Every service is embedded with a mixture of the said styles, making the liturgical action more dramatic (Cyrus). Notation The Carolingian cantors adapted almost four thousand chants every church year. In order to organize the imported chants they developed systems that organize the musical materials involved. As music during the early medieval period was not written down, the pressures of memorizing every song is perhaps the very reason why the Carolingian cantors created the system of notation. The system of church modes, wherein chants are classified according to their range, central pitch or final and melodic idioms were also developed. Alongside with the development of notation systems, liturgical books became widespread, regularizing the liturgical practice (Cyrus). Notation Improvements By the end of the ninth century until the 12th century both composers and performers created means for the liturgical process to prosper. Various feasts were developed alongside with new chants. Liturgical compositions from the past were copied through the use of a new system known as staff notation which was developed by Guido of Arezzo. Such notation was able to specify pitches of a melody through the combination of staff or set of horizontal lines and one or more clefs in order to identify the pitches of the chant. Guido also created a sightsinging system involving solmization, a process where pre-assigned syllables are used for certain pitches (Cyrus). Additionally, other improvements in the sacred medieval music were observed such as the polyphony. Early polyphony As plainchant was sung slowly and without rhythm or harmony, perhaps sacred composers grew weary of the chants and began experimenting with their music by adding musical lines in order to create harmony. This is known as polyphonic music, which gave birth to harmony. Around the end of ninth century, monastery singers like Switzerland’s St. Gall added voice in parallel motion to the chant, wherein they can sing in perfect musical intervals of the fourth and fifth together with the original tune. Such development is known as â€Å"organum,† which is considered as the beginning of â€Å"counterpoint,† an important feature of music where â€Å"two or more melodic strands occur simultaneously† (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). From then on, the organum developed into several ways. The â€Å"Florid organum† is one of the most significant forms of organum that was developed around 1100 in the south-west of France. Also referred to as the school of St. Martial, named after a monastery in France that is noted to have the best-preserved manuscripts of such musical style, â€Å"Florid organum† is incorporated within the chants in such a way that the original tune is being sung in long notes, while another voice would serve as an accompaniment by singing many notes to each of the original piece that is often done in â€Å"highly elaborate fashion† in order to further emphasize the perfect consonances of the music (â€Å"Medieval music†n. p. ). Middle Medieval Music Subsequent developments of the organum took place in England, specifically at Notre Dame in Paris, which is said to be the center of musical creativity all through the 13th century. The emergence of the Notre Dame School of Polyphony around 1150 until 1250 is said to be the vehicle for a more modernized form of the organum, and paved way for the beginning of â€Å"Ars Antiqua†Ã¢â‚¬â€a period in which rhythmic notation is recognized in the Western music; a period that greatly applies the method of rhythmic notation which is known as the rhythmic modes (â€Å"Medieval music† n. p. ). Basically, Notre Dame organum employs three distinct rhythmic styles that adheres to the rhythmic modes: (1) â€Å"organum purum† wherein both upper and lower voice freely moves without a specific rhythm to follow, (2) â€Å"copula† which upper voice moves in accordance to a strict rhythm while the lower voice moves freely, and (3) â€Å"discant† wherein both the upper and lower voice follows a strict rhythm (Cyrus n. p. ). Also this period, the concept of formal structure emerged, allowing composers to become more attentive with proportions, architectural effects and musical texture. Composers of the said period created various musical forms such as the â€Å"clasulae,† melismatic (technique of placing several noted in a single syllable of text) parts of the organa are extracted and fitted with new wordings so as to improve musical elaboration; the â€Å"versus’ or the â€Å"monophonic conductus† has a structure known as strophic, wherein the music is repeated for each successive stanza of the liturgical reading or poetry; and the â€Å"trope† where new musical and textual materials are added to a pre-existing liturgical composition, most especially the introductory chants of the mass and the short chants of the ordinary. Trope singers, which are usually soloist, can come before, in the middle or after the host chant or choral; they simply amplify the meaning of the original composition. In some cases, tropes inject dialog and short interludes within the music; as such, they are though to be the forerunners in the field of liturgical drama which also emerged in this period (Cyrus n. p. ). â€Å"Sequence† also emerged during the era of liturgical consolidation in the medieval period. â€Å"Sequence† is identified as a separate form of choral composition that follows the Alleluia during mass. Credited to Notker Balbulus, sequence is a syllabic genre that contains irregular phrase lengths. In this type of chant genre, the musical lines normally contain one to four clauses, while the entirety of the music is often repeated before starting a new musical material (Cyrus n. p. ). The â€Å"motet† is profoundly one of the most significant forms of music created during the Middle Ages, specifically during the early parts of the Notre Dame period. Made out of the clausula, motet is focused on the usage of multiple voices, as stated by European composer, Perotin. Motet was further developed into a greater form of musical elaboration and sophistication during the 14th century which is noted as the era of â€Å"Ars Nova† (â€Å"Medieval Music†). Secular Music Although the plainchant was dominant in the sacred musical landscape of the middle age, other musical forms were used for the purpose of secular expression (Pen 119). Secular music existed in the shadow of secular music during the medieval period as most of the music scribes in this era were inclined in the creation of sacred music. Likewise, Medieval secular music was usually passed along orally and are rarely written down. As such, only limited number of composition has survived. Nonetheless, those existing copies of secular music serve as a vehicle for present day people to view the life at court in town during Middle Age. One of the earliest surviving music in secular form was accounted to the Goliards, who are wandering poet-musicians in Europe during the tenth until the mid-thirteenth century. Their secular compositions were consolidated in an early thirteenth century musical collection known as the â€Å"Carmina Burana. † However, due to the unclear notation, the reconstruction of the actual secular melodic sounds created by the Goliards was impossible, except for some pieces that have similarities with sacred music (Cyrus n. p. ). Most of the poetry created by the Goliards are secular in form, while some songs celebrate religious ideals and others are notably profane that tackles drunkenness, lechery as well as debauchery (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The secular music of the Troubadours of southern France and the Trouveres of the northern region are said to be the largest collection of secular music. The music created by the said groups are from their poems and utilized the vernacular tradition of monophonic secular music that are probably accompanied by varying instruments and performed by professionals ranging from skilled poets, singers and instrumentalists. Likewise, their poems have adopted the language of their regions—Troubadours used lyrics written in Occitan also referred to as old Provencal or langue d’oc while the Trouveres used old French or langue d’oil. The music of the Troubadours was complimentary with the cultural life of Provence. Typically, their music describes war, courtly love and chivalry. Troubadour musical period lasted through the twelfth century until the first decade of the thirteenth century. The abrupt end of the Troubadour period was accounted to the Albigensian crusade, a campaign spearheaded by Pope Innocent III, which aims to eliminate Albigensian heresy, thererby eliminating the whole civilization of the Troubadours. Troubadour survivors of the fierce campaign migrated to Spain, Northern France or Northern Italy, where their musical inclination is said to have contributed in the secular music tradition of the said places (â€Å"Medieval Music†). The music of the Trouveres, on the other hand, was similar to that of the Troubadours. However, they were unaffected by the extermination directed towards the Albigenses unlike the Troubadours, allowing their music to survive until the thirteenth century. Most of the 2,000 surviving songs of the Trouveres showed musical sophistication that deeply highlights the poems it accompanied. Other than the Goliards, Troubadours and Trouveres, vast numbers of secular songs were also composed by civilization such as the Minnesingers, who are said to be the German counterpart of the Troubadours and Trouveres, and the Flagellants, who were noted for the geisslelieder songs that aims to appease the anger and wrath of God through this penitential music along with the mortification of their bodies (â€Å"Medieval Music†).

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Chanakya And His Influence On Modern Day Espionage

Chanakya And His Influence On Modern Day Espionage Chanakya, more prominently known as Kautilya, was one of the greatest philosophers, thinkers and tacticians, not just India, but the world itself had ever seen. This Indian Machiavelli, ironically, who was prominent before the times of Niccollo Machiavelli himself, had carved himself a place among the greats of Socrates, Aristotle and so on and so forth. But, despite of his significant contributions towards the soul of many constitutions, his tactics and policies being used and abused by many a rulers to make or break a state with the help of nuclear warfare and low profile assassinations, what the common man tends to miss is the link between the headlines of todays world and the brain child of an intellectual, who had once laid the foundation of one of the mightiest empires the Common Era had ever seen, the Magadha Empire under his student and emperor , Chandraguptha Maurya. This leads any curious mind to a question, as to what had helped the empire of Magadha assert its position as one of the most dominant empires, be it on quantum of economic stability or military strength, of that era. The answer had always lied right in front of us. A closer analysis of todays crisis and their remedies and its reference and comparison to Chanakyas work , the Arthashastra , unearths the roots of modern political and economic events, to the depths of an era existent before Jesus Christ himself. No matter how deep history tries to bury his contributions with the sands of ever changing modern conspiracies and progression, Kautilya will remain to be one among the greatest political masterminds , who has undoubtedly contributed a lot to what we, our recent fore-fathers , and the generations to come, call, called and will call, our modern world. Introduction This research is done with an objective to determine whether the modus operandi of modern espionage agencies of various states functioning across the world has, if, ever implemented the tactics and policies, on how such an organization should be operating, prescribed by the great Indian teacher, Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, in his work, the Arthashastra. This research primarily focuses on checking the credibility and practicality of his tactics and policies in the field of espionage, with respect to the present world scenario. This comparison and analysis is basically done with an intention to answer any question, which attempts to form a relationship, moreover a link, between Chanakyas ideas about espionage and covert operations and the modern screenshot of the latter two. The researcher has done his research with the translation of the Arthashastra as the base and has further relied on various online as well as print media for the completion of this analytical comparison. Before one may jump straight onto comparing the analytical results of few incidents around todays world with that of the ideologies of the great thinker Kautilya, one may take an interest in knowing more about who Kautilya, or known better by the name Chanakya, as a person was. The origins of this great mastermind has never met the real rays of sun. But his presence throughout the golden era of Indian history had been inscribed in almost every available text from that era, both foreign and domestic. Chanakya had a key role in the rise of Chandraguptha Maurya as the ruler of the mighty Magadhan empire , and that too at the young years of the emperor. Chanakyas ideas and philosophies is what was believed to establish and assert the power of Magadha as one of the strongest empires of that era, and an Indian empire which could give any other civilization a great competition in terms of economic prosperity as well as the formidability and strength of its army and the efficiency of its intelligence network. Chanakya, not only emphasized in his work, Arthashastra, to establish a kingdom where there was no political corruption or instability, no economic insecurity , but also where the threats from any enemy rulers , moves against the emperor ,both internal and external attempts could be foiled in an efficient and effective manner, without the outbreak of any controversies. It is on this particular aspect of his work, his take on the role and function of espionage , in establishing a st rong empire and breaking one that of an enemy, and how his work is interpreted and implemented to suit the modern era of global warfare by todays rulers. For this study to be beneficial, one must be aware of the tactics and methods of functioning of espionage organizations in the Magadha empire under the plans laid down by Chanakya himself. The covert operations wing under the supervision of Chanakya was very much sophisticated, yet efficient in nature. After the appointment of the imperial ministers , the next important job for the king was to recruit his a reliable network of spies, both to keep an eye on the minister as well as to nudge any moves against the emperor, both internally and externally with respect to the empires territorial jurisdiction. The duties of these spies covered acts of reporting the rumors being spread around by people, good or bad, about the emperor; news and rumors being spread about the emperor in the neighboring countries; eavesdrop on plans of attack and other political strategies to gain an upper-hand on the Magadhan empire by the enemy rulers; to torturing and extracting valuable information from the enemys generals; to discreetly assassinate high officials of the Magadhan empire, who are found to be corrupt; as well as high bureaucrats of enemy states ; create political confusion in other states to gain an upper-hand over the enemy state while the emperor is staging an attack, and so on and so forth. The spy network is broadly categorized into two main headings, one would be that of the agents stationed in one place, city, town etc., while the other would be that of agents who travel around from one place to another in search of information that could be of beneficial to the progression of the state as well as very much significant to the security of the empires integrity as well as survival. On how the secret service is to be formed, Chanakya prescribes that it is the responsibility of the king to make the potential candidates undergo through seven tests of loyalty. Any information validated through three spies shall be accepted as the truth while if any spy was found inefficient or his intelligence false, then he or she ill be executed. The intelligent officer should be a person of high intelligence, sharp mind and courageous with un-doubtable loyalty to the emperor and his motherland. For his valor and loyalty, backed up with his efficient operations, he shall be rewarded by the emperor appropriately for is services. Covers used by agents: The spies, station both within and outside the political boundaries of the empire, blend in with the people by utilizing cover like that of a monk, a house holder, trader or an ascetic. The agents are provided with sufficient resources, so that they can take up a cover of their choice, suiting the need of the hour and the advantages which can be possibly gained if such a cover is undertaken. So far was only about the stationed agents. The roving agents takes up the roles of Assassin, Poisoner and wandering nuns. Assassins are usually the most courageous in the land, who are usually mercenaries who are willing to put their life in the line of fire for earning a few nickels. While the poisoners, on the other hand are basically people who show m=no mercy or any signs of kindness to any being around him. Transmission of intelligence: The intelligence collected by the spies are all collected and transmitted through different means. The transmitter will not have any idea who the gatherers are, and nor will they have any clue as to what the message contains. They make sure that the message is encrypted in such a way that only the receiver can decipher it and put it into the required mode of action so as to facilitate the smooth and safe functioning of the government. They may be in the forms of songs, speech, symbols or other coded words like place names with numbers, names of goods and commodities, important ranks etc. in the absence of messengers, the agents who are assigned to a particular station might make excuses like being unwell , health wise, or any emergency had arisen at their hometown or homes, so that they can get out of the stations and directly convey their messages to the required senior officers to take further actions regarding the news. At times, instead of deploying agents of their own inside the buildings of the enemy kings and potential enemies of the state, Chanakya also says that one can convert an existing official in the required zone to be an asset of the emperor. These officials maybe corrupt minister in the enemies council, generals of the armies of the enemy kings, or the staff of minister of the ministers of the emperor. To command their loyalty, it is advised that the families and loved ones of the double agent might be held hostage so that the double agent will work more sincerely and effectively so as to save the lives of his loved ones. Agents may also be deployed to observe the operations of the rulers of enemy territory, by taking up the covers of domestic help inside the houses of the enemy generals and ministers, traders and merchants in the cities, farmers in the villages and nomadic herdsmen in the frontiers. Forest dwellers were also used to keep an eye on enemy operation across the border, an d they were rewarded for function efficiently on performing their assigned duties. Counter espionage: It was not sufficient just to have an effective spy network to keep an eye on the activities of the enemies of the state, according to Chanakya. In-fact, the state should also run a parallel network of espionage, which could prevent enemy spies from collecting important data from within the empire. To blow the enemy operatives cover, the king might take steps like assigning spies of great caliber and very low profile to investigate into such matters, post staging an act of disloyalty among the councilors so as to attract the enemy spies and take advantage of the resultant situation. The spies, both in espionage and counter-espionage wings , may take up disguises of a variety of choices, out of which the most prominent ones would be cart driver, juggler, fortune teller, soothsayer, prostitute, brothel keeper, rich widow, craftsman, actor, doctor, physician, lunatic, physically impaired person, merchant baker, astrologer and so on and so forth. It is surprising to know being aware of the fact that Kautilya had spent his whole lifetime in India, the modern day espionage organization , the research and analysis wing , has not implemented any of Chanakyas tactics in the mode of operations. Holding that thought, if one was to evaluate the developments in the espionage field across the world, it may be found that the foreign governments are actually acting in accordance to what the Indian scholar planned for establishing a full efficient government. Few of the most efficient intelligence wings across would be the central intelligence agency of the united states of America, supported by their covert operations military wing, and the Secret intelligence service, more prominently known as the mi6 and its sister units in Britain, the Mossad of Israel, reputed for producing one of the most efficient assassins across the globe, and the Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki and its sister units in Russia. The American intelligence wing: The espionage agency of America basically comes under the command of the Cia, which directly reports to the president. The intelligence gathering is done by this organization, while its assassination duties are executed by their own trained operatives. At times, these same duties are outsourced to the covert operations units of the armed forces within the country, or of foreign nations. The covert op units of the united states armed forces includes the us navy seals, the delta force unit and so on and so forth. The efficiency of the united states espionage could be observed on taking 2, among the many allegedly available incidents, in the history. One of the m being the assassination of the once tagged worlds most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, at his secret residence in Abbottabad , in Pakistan. The intelligence with regard to his whereabouts were not available to any of the other nations, not even its closes neighbor and the one neighbor with whom the country has strong political tension, India . The Cia gathered this intelligence, allegedly, through a doctor who had been regularly visiting the mansion in which laden had been using as his safe house. The more surprising fact , in this case if one may be bias towards the united states claims, is that , the intelligence agency was so efficient in uncovering the whereabouts of this international terrorist, who had found his safe-house in a hotspot for insurgent issues, and that too just a few hundred miles away from the states capital ci ty . it is also to be noted that despite the cover provided by the Pakistan government, who was once, and still is an ally of the us govt., and the safe-house being very next to a Pak army base camp, the us had still managed to unearth the hideout and send in special forces to infiltrate into the compound, and successfully completing the execution of the target. The means by which they entered the hostile territory, without setting off any alarm in the Pak intelligence radar, is also a towering evidence of the efficiency of their intelligence wing. But on taking a closer look at this whole event, it can be established that what the united states government and what Chanakya had prescribed in Arthashastra are both in one sense very similar. The deployment of spies, the assassination of the target, the mode of operation etc., are all very much similar. The Mossad. The Mossad is yet another deadly intelligence agency known across the world for producing the few among the finest and most merciless assassins in the world. The Israeli secret service had been very discreet in its activities as well as covert operations , both within its territories as well as outside it. One of the recent happenings which could indicate the presence of their spies throughout the world would be that of the assassination, or rather execution of Muhammed Suleiman, the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assads special presidential advisor for arms procurement and strategic weapons . Suleiman was shot to death , allegedly by a Mossad operative. The reports states that means of execution was by means of sniping the target and the assassin had fled with the help of a boat. The means of escape was chosen with respect to the ease of escape as well as the position and routine by which the target had moved into the hot-zone, which was in Suleimans case, his walk along the coast side of the beach. This is one more, among the many other examples as to how the modern world has adopted the tactics of Chanakya to deploy spies and assassinate important dignitaries of the enemy ruler by closely observing the targets and identifying the loop holes in their routines and utilizing them to the benefit of the assassin as well as the state. Modern day Indian scenario and Chanakya. In the present India, the intelligence wing has been divided into two main section, one the Intelligence Bureau, which deals domestic intelligence and counter intelligence functions of the intelligence wing , and the Research and Analysis Wing, which deals with the external intelligence affairs of the nation. Despite having the ideologies of a great philosopher like Chanakya himself to our rich and prominent political heritage, the modern Indian officials and Governors has failed to implement an improvised version of the great teachers tactics of espionage in the present day scenario, which would have been of great use to preserving the stability and security of the state as a nation , not succumbing to any sorts of threats from both internal and external forces, if it had been implemented properly. Unlike its western and much advanced counterparts, the Research and Analysis Wing has no recorded significant achievements or successful covert operations to boast about other than a few controversies and corruption charges against its officials, like any other politically governed body in India. Mixing Kautilyas ideas of a perfect state with mud, the present Indian scenario depicts the picture of the Indian intelligence service as just another body which corrupt politicians of both the home and foreign nations use to their own personal agendas or laying foundation to another international controversies. One may also note that the repeated number of bombings and terrorist attacks that had happened in the metropolitan cities across the country itself is a towering indicator as to how inefficient is the present day spy network under the modern Indian government. But, one may also claim that the same lack of lustrous records could be a part of being a highly efficient intelligence organization. Yet given the picture of the present scenario of Indian intelligence, an individual may say that it is high time they stop making laws and start breaking a few , so that they co uld make an effective, as well as a deadly network of spies and assassins, so that they can help their nation survive through any hidden as well as exposed and exploited crisis , and ensure the failure of the enemies of the state. CONCLUSION Being made aware of the similarities of the functioning of Chanakyas model of an espionage system and the system of present world scenario prevelant in different states, one may conclude that Chanakya has immensely contributed towards the establishment of effective spy networks throughout the world. Though , in todays world, espionage and counter-espionage is very much related to national security and eliminating the threats to the same ,in the worms eye view; one may look at the same from a broader perspective to find that it has partially succeeded in making the world a better , or as one may say, a safer place to live in, for the common man. But an individual may also not neglect the blatant truth that the same espionage networks and their operations are somewhat , or is alleged to be, clandestinely responsible for causing tension, or even worse, erupting wars among two or more states. Moreover, the more they make people feel secure about todays world , the more they tend to creat e strenuous relationships among the states throughout. But, as far as Chanakyas ideology of the existence an effective intelligence and counter-intelligence body for a state is concerned, the researcher may conclude that most of the states across the globe has succeeded in establishing efficient clandestine networks ,which lives up-to he had portrayed in his work ,as an efficient network.

Friday, September 20, 2019

History Of Our Fear Of Aging Philosophy Essay

History Of Our Fear Of Aging Philosophy Essay Abstract The fear of aging and death in America has grown into quite the headache. People today seem more concerned with their physical appearance and age than they are with their physical or mental health. Not only is this a factor, but the media, as well as the commercial sales industry, are taking advantage of this fear and using it to their advantage. This fear grips people for many reasons, but the 2 biggest are: 1.) they are afraid of the unknown, and 2.) they are afraid of being alone. Americas Fear of Aging Many people today are convinced that if they can just lift one more weight or just run one more mile, they will never get old. Even if they dont give in and end up getting cosmetic surgery or spend too much money on expensive anti-aging creams that dont work, there comes a day when its too much effort any longer to keep up the fantasy. What began with simply trying to look pretty has become a never-ending battle to be or to find the next fountain of youth in America. If someone has age spots, theres a cream that for that. If you have stretch marks or cellulite, theres a salve or lotion for that. Dark circles under your eyes? Theres a tonic for that as well. Give it time and Apple will develop an app for all your cosmetic woes! Fears and concerns about growing old are being addressed by those who are growing old. They arent content to sit idly by and let death come swooping in on them. Instead they have become more proactive in the fight against the clock (e.g. participating in more physical activities, sharpening their mental abilities via games, puzzles, being more socially interactive with others, etc.). Our Fear of Aging Americans today are in a constant push to keep up with trends. Buy this new car, try this kind of new weight loss shake, etc. Not only do they push you to buy their product, they also bombard you with reasons why their product is so much better than their Brand X competitor. The biggest culprits: The Cosmetic Industry. The message being broadcast by the cosmetic industry is if theres something you that you dont like, well fix it. Bayer (2004) said that from 1997 to 2001, cosmetic procedures increased 311% for women and 256% for men (p. 9). But why are we so afraid of being perceived as old? I have a rule that I can apply to practically anything in life: Everything is just a matter of perception. much like the dichotomy between good and evil. In a standard story or movie, the good guy perceives his actions as being in the good, but the bad guy also sees his actions to be in the good. And each perceives the others actions to be bad. But how they are perceived is determined not only by them, but by outside sources as well (e.g. the readers of the story, the viewers of the movie, etc.). In America, people are more concerned with the perceptions of others rather than of their own. But since when have we let the views of others govern our self-esteem? Growing old shouldnt be viewed as such a bad thing. In some cultures, being old is viewed in an opposite light. There are cultures in which aging is welcomed, as age signifies wisdom. This is usually accompanied by deep respect, honor, and reverence, which ensures that the elderly are well cared for by family members. This is the goal of people in these cultures; to live long enough to get to this place where they can be revered by the younger people for their knowledge and wisdom. In todays society, old people are laughed at and scoffed at by younger people. Old people have become a punch-line for numerous jokes and stereotypes. Rarely are they looked up to for their wisdom; they arent respected for what theyve done in their lives to be able to have the wisdom and knowledge that they do. Younger people laugh at them because they are afraid of getting old just like them, as well as being afraid of looking as old as them. But what drives this fear? The answer is simple: when we get old, we are afraid that we are more than likely going to end up being alone. As we age, our physical appearance drastically changes. Our hair loses its color, our skin loses elasticity which results in wrinkles, we get liver spots, and the list goes on. Its all centered around how we look, and most people think if they look old, no one will want to be with them. Maybe people are afraid of the inner physical changes that take place. As people age their bodies become more worn out, especially if they havent been very physically active or their diet hasnt been the best in the world. And what else accompanies all these aches and pains? Medications that have a dozen or more side-effects, numerous trips to the doctor for this and that ailment, which it-turn gets you MORE medications. Mark Twain once said Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach 18 (Drye, 2011.) In other words, we worry about losing our looks, our vitality, our strength, or our sexual energies. If what Mark Twain said were made into reality, we would instead be constantly looking forward to gaining these instead of losing them. The years between eighteen and twenty five are considered to be the best years of anyones life. During these years of early adulthood, humans are the strongest physically and sexually than they will be any other time in their life, and reliving those memories only reminds people of this joy (Berger, 2011.) Our Fear of Death Even worse than fearing growing old is fearing what is almost always associated with growing old: death. A theory by Dr. Sigmund Freud states that peoples fear of death was more of a disguise for some other hidden concern (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.) Dr. Freud claimed that the unconscious cannot deal with the passing of time and the concept of life ended cannot register in our brain. With the mind being unable to register our own death, Dr. Freud theorized that everyone is convinced he or she is immortal (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.)Â   But what about what happens when we die? Nobody truly knows what will happen or where we will end up, and this stirs peoples fear of the unknown. Will we end up in total annihilation (no afterlife, just non-existence), will we be reincarnated and if so what will we be, or will we go to heaven or hell? No one can really know until death happens to them, and by then its too late. People have always feared the unknown, which has been a severe detriment to humanity throughout history. This has also motivated them to look for answers to whatever it is that they dont know. In 1973, Ernest Beck theorized that the fear of death is real. Not only is the fear real, but it is so intense that the fear of death is the reason for all phobias that exist. Beck noted that people only function day to day because they are able to temporarily deny death. (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, 2011.) Beck has a very good point, though, because practically all phobias involve death. Someone with Arachnophobia is more than likely afraid that a spider will bite them and theyll die. Someone with Hydrophobia may be afraid of dying from drowning. And someone with Kinemortophobia, even though they have probably watched way too many horror movies/ TV shows, is still afraid of dying at the mercy of a zombie attack. It all comes back to being afraid of death. But no matter which fear someone happens to fear the most, theres one thing that will always remain true: aging and death are inevitable. Theres nothing anyone can do to avoid them and theres nothing that can be done to stop or even slow the progression of either one. So you could ask yourself, If aging and death are going to happen whether I like it or not, should I be afraid all the time? Therapists usually tell people with major phobia issues that in order to conquer their fears, they must first face them. Facing this kind of fear would probably involve more understanding of the reality of the situation than anything else. Conclusion William Alexander Stiling once said Of all things that are feared, the last is death (Lockyer, 1969, p.209.) Aging and death are both facts of life, and theres nothing we can do about it. Changing your appearance in an attempt to look younger may help you hold on to your self-perception of youthfulness, but it wont have any effect on biological progression. The best therapy for this would be to just accept that aging and death will happen. Dont try to fight it; dont try to hide from it. Embrace the fact that theyre inevitable and prepare yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

jurassic park :: essays research papers

Introduction–First Iteration Summary Introduction In the late twentieth century, the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering has positioned itself to become one of the great technological revolutions of human history. Yet, things changed when Herber Boyer, a biochemist at the University of California, founded the company Genentech in 1976 to exploit the commercial potential of his research. Since then the field has exploded into a global amalgam of private research firms developing frivolous, profit-hungry products, such as square trees tailor-made for lumber, without any sort of government regulation. The appearance of a company like International Genetic Technologies, then should come as no surprise. InGen, as the company is informally known, apparently was the instigator of some sort of "incident," and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1989. The proceedings drew little publicity, but certain parties involved were amenable to discussing the events that transpired on a remote island off the shores of Costa Rica... Prologue: The Bite of the Raptor Roberta "Bobbie" Carter, a doctor working in a medical center in Bahia Anasco, Costa Rica, is on duty one stormy night with her paramedic, Manuel. An "InGen Construction" helicopter lands nearby and a red-haired man named Ed Regis brings in a man who he claims was injured in a construction accident. Bobbie suggests Regis bring the patient, a young man around eighteen years old, to San Josà ©, the nearby capital city where better facilities are available. Regis resists, claiming the helicopter cannot make it any further in the bad weather. Bobbie looks at the boy's injuries, tear-like lacerations across his torso and thigh, and is skeptical they were really caused by construction equipment. She asks Regis to leave and takes a few photographs of the injuries, then the boy wakes up whispering, "Lo sa raptor." Manuel is obviously distressed by the slippery, foul-smelling foam they have found on the boy's cuts and by the boy's eerie "raptor" statement. Nonetheless, Manuel claims he does not know what the phrase means. As the boy continues to whisper, Manuel states that the boy has been bitten by one of the raptors or "hupia"—ghosts who, according to a local superstition, live in the islands offshore and kidnap children. The boy suddenly sits up, vomits blood and falls to the floor, convulsing. He is dead. Curious about the word "raptor," Bobbie looks it up in a Spanish dictionary and finds that it means "abductor." She also looks it up in an English dictionary, which says that it means "bird of prey.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

David Garrick :: essays research papers fc

David Garrick (1716-1779) David Garrick’s contemporaries felt it would be vanity to describe his acting (Stone and Kahrl 27). Vanity has never stopped Shane Davis from doing anything ! David Garrick was considered to be the most influential and skilled actor of his time. Garrick is credited with revolutionizing the portrayal of character. His concept of ‘experiencing’ the feelings of the character, is a concept that helped lead 18th-century theatre into a new naturalistic era. It was an approach to acting that was directly at odds with the theatrical philosophy prior to Garrick’s inception (Stone and Kahrl 35). Garrick’s innovative style known as naturalism, led the extremely popular and successful actor James Quin to remark " If this [method of Garrick’s] is right, then we are all wrong" ( Cole and Chinoly 131). The style that was so admired and later copied by Garrick’s peers was a combination of naturalism, classical representation of the passions, and exaggerated physicality. Garrick was not the originator of naturalism ,that distinction is Charles Mackilin’s, although he is credited with its success. Pure naturalism can be characterized by Macklin’s instruction of his players to ignore the cadence of tragedy, but simply speak the passage as you would in common life and with more emotional force (Cole and Chinoly 121). The term used to describe this new style of speech is called broken tones of utterance. It is a method of speech which concentrates more on the emotion in a verse rather than its meter. David Garrick was a opportunistic actor who borrowed from many different acting techniques (Stone and Kahrl 345). Garrick’s naturalism was concerned more with the feeling of true emotion , the uniqueness of character, combined with the physical representation of the passions. Representation of the passions was an accepted artistic convention for expressing emotion. Le Brun, a late 17th-century century artist , wrote a "grammar" of the passions from Descartes earlier work. In doing so he gives a formal explanation of the 17th and eventually 18th-century representation of emotion. Le Brun’s manual explains that Contempt is expressed by the eyebrows knit and lowering towards the nose, and at the other end very much elevate; the eye very open, and the pupil in the middle; the nostrils drawing upwards; the mouth shut, and the corners somewhat down, and the upper lip thrust out farther than the upper one. (Le Brun) Le Brun’s descriptions along with many suggestions of mannerisms which should accompany them were reprinted in the acting manuals of the time.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Depreciation and Useful Life

Buildings, machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, computers, outdoor lighting, parking lots, cars, and trucks are examples of assets that will last for more than one year, but will not last indefinitely. Over time, these assets depreciate. Depreciation is defined as a non-cash expense that reduces the value of an asset as a result of physical or functional factors over time. Therefore, the costs of the fixed assets should be recorded as an expense over their useful lives, since they depreciate and must be replaced once the end of their useful life is reached. Physical depreciation factors include wear and tear during use or from being exposed to such things as weather. Functional depreciation factors include obsolescence or changes in customer needs that cause the asset to no longer provide services for which it was intended or needed. When it comes to computing depreciation, there are three factors that determine the depreciation expense for a fixed asset: the asset’s initial cost, expected useful life, and estimated residual value. And there are also three different ways to calculate depreciation: the straight –line method, the units-of-production method, and the double-declining-balance method. The straight-line method of depreciation provides the same amount of depreciation expense for each year of the asset’s useful life, and is known to be the most commonly used method of calculating depreciation. The unit’s-of-production method of depreciation provides the same amount of depreciation expense for each unit of production. Based on what the asset is, the unit’s-of-production method can be expressed in terms of quantity produced, miles, hours, etc. and is often used when the fixed assets in service time or use varies from year to year. The double-declining-balance method of depreciation provides for a declining periodic expense over the expected useful life of the asset. The double-declining-balance method shows a higher depreciation in the first year of the asset’s use, followed by declining depreciation amounts in the years following, which is why this method is also referred to as an accelerated depreciation method. There are several different types of assets that depreciate over time. Depreciation refers to fixed assets, which exist physically, thus making them tangible assets. In some cases, there are assets that do not depreciate. An example of an asset that does not depreciate would be land since it has an unlimited useful life. If land has a limited useful life, as is the case with a quarry, then it is acceptable to depreciate it over its useful life. One example of an asset that would depreciate would be a MacBook Pro laptop. This is an asset that I would use the straight-line method for being that while computers and technology are constantly changing; devices such as MacBook Pro’s seem to consistently hold their value. Let’s say you purchased the MacBook Pro for $2800 with an expected useful life of 5 years and an estimated residual value of $700, according to the straight-line method of depreciation, it would be calculated as: Annual Depreciation = Cost –Residual Value = $2800-$700 = $420. 00 Useful life 5 Another example of an asset that would depreciate over time would be a vehicle. This is an asset that I would use the units-of-production method for being that the usage and mileage may vary from year to year. Let’s say you purchased the vehicle for $59,900 that is expected to have a useful life of 95,000 miles and an estimated residual value of $19,560, and during the year the vehicle was operated 21,000 miles. According to the units-of-production method of depreciation, it would be calculated as: Step 1: Depreciation per Unit = Cost –Residual Value = $59,900 -$19,560 = $0. 42 per mile Total Units of Production 95,000 miles Step2: Depreciation Expense=Depreciation per unit X Total Units of Production Used Depreciation Expense = $0. 42 X 21,000 Miles = $8,820