Thursday, December 26, 2019

Sherlock Holmes By Sir Arthur Canon Doyle - 896 Words

Sherlock Holmes is a literary character, created by one of the most popular writers Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is the first and the only consulting detective in the fictional character. He has a partner named John Watson, who sometimes help Sherlock in different ways in solving the case and is doctor and Holmes’ personal assistant. Sherlock Holmes is an excellent detective because of his strengths such as knowledgeable on many esoteric subjects, the power of observation, and the power of deduction. Geeta S. Iyengar says, â€Å"Knowledge has a beginning but no end.† I agree with this quote because I do not think there is anyone in this world who has a knowledge of everything or is perfect. A person will always find a new idea that he or she is not familiar with in day to day life. We learn something new every day. It is really worth to strengthen your knowledge on more than one subject. Especially for the detectives because they will need an abundant knowledge on many subjects to solve the cases. Sherlock is intelligent, clever, and knowledgeable on many esoteric subjects. For example, Watson mentions Sherlock’s strengths on knowledge in A Study in Scarlet, â€Å"Politics, botany, geology, chemistry, anatomy, sensational literature, and British law† (26). Knowledge in those subjects always assists Sherlock in solving a case. Every person should continue to acquire knowledge because it may help them in the future. It is better to have extra knowledge than not having any inShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Literature1545 Words   |  7 PagesWhen one observes how the Sherlock Holmes canon affected lives, businesses, and pop culture, it becomes obvious how literature can change the world. Sherlock Holmes novels affected many lives, most significantly the life of the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The well known novels gave Doyle riches and fame, but this rather unexpected result stupefied him because he did not care for writing the detective’s adventures. In the beginning of the process around the late 1880s, Doyle used the stories to fillRead MoreSir Arthur Conan Doyle. Conan1253 Words   |  6 PagesBritish literature, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ranks highly amongst the most famous authors of all time. Mention his name, and most people will immediately think of one thing; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle equates to Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was certainly much more than his most famous creation, and away from his most famous creation, his life was full of interesting and strange facts and events. NAME It is common to see Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s name shortened to just Conan Doyle, Conan thoughRead MoreThe Method Of His Madness2668 Words   |  11 PagesMethod to His Madness In the detective canon of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the acclaimed prototype of the consulting detective. Holmes has modernized the detective story, and has certainly made his footprint on the genre. As evidenced by his long-lasting fame, public reaction and legacy, Sherlock Holmes revolutionized detective fiction through the staged application of the science of deduction. Through the simple fact that Sherlock Holmes is still so revered by literary scholarsRead MoreSherlock Holmes : The Elements Of Detective Fiction798 Words   |  4 PagesSherlock Holmes can be described in many words starting with mysterious or intelligent. Being born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Doyle had various occupations, including physician, surgeon, and author. Although this may seem impossible, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote fifty-six short stories, most of them involving his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes. Inspiration for the famous detective came to Doyle while attending Edinburgh University in the late 1870s, where he met his teacherRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1956 Words   |  8 PagesAdventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has lasted through the years and still be prevalent today. This is achieved in the original books and continuing in spin offs and adaptations. Sherlock Holmes holds the Guinness World Record for â€Å"literary character most frequently portrayed on screen.† Over one hundred actors have played Holmes on screen. There are over two hundred and fifty movies, hundreds of episodes, and even plays based around Doyle’s writings with the first known Sherlock HolmesRead MoreMany Authors Can Write Beautiful Works, But Not Many Can1324 Words   |  6 Pagesa story that audiences around the country beg for a resurrection from the dead. Yet when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed history’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, readers across England were so hooked on his addictive style that they demanded he find a way to raise the dead (Hodgkinson). Holmes remains to this day one of the most influential characters in the world of mystery, and Doyle perfected Holmes’ voice in the twenty years he wrote about him (Fall River Press 1). From 1891 to 1921, theRead MoreThe Social Class Structure Of Victorian England E ssay1817 Words   |  8 PagesAll throughout Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s prominent Sherlock Holmes fiction, there seems to be a lot of themes concerning the social class structure of Victorian England. I do not believe that Doyle’s true objective was to depict Holmes as upholding the traditional state of affairs of that time, as class inequality was a very prominent thing. Women were regularly thought of as having less intelligence than males and there was a seething, developing tension building up between the three categorizedRead MoreSherlock Holmes: A Marxist Deconstruction Essay example2110 Words   |  9 Pagespopular. In the canon of detective fiction worldwide, no detective has tickled the curious reader’s imagination and held it in thrall as much as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The 221-B, Baker Street, London ‘amateur’ detective combines a rare blend of intellectual prowess and sharp wit to crack a series of baffling riddl es. The aim of this somewhat ambitiously titled paper is to use Marxist literary criticism to understand the literary merits of the Sherlock Holmes series, givenRead MoreHouse and Sherlock Holmes Essays756 Words   |  4 Pagesstated that the TV series House and the Sherlock Holmes stories are both connected in several ways. I agree that House and Holmes have similar characteristics; both House and Holmes are experts in their professions, they are given cases to solve that are too difficult for other investigators (doctors) to resolve, both House and Holmes are quick on their feet, a mindset to come to rapid conclusions after the briefest examination of the circumstances. House and Holmes are similar in many different waysRead MoreCultural Effect of Sherlock Holmes Essay1978 Words   |  8 PagesCultural Impact of Sherlock Holmes When someone mentions the occupation of detective, a single image usually comes to mind, a man wearing a cape and deerstalker, holding a magnifying glass and smoking a pipe. This entire image can be contributed to one character: Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is considered by many to be the greatest detective to ever exist, even if he only exists in the pages of books and on movie and television screens. It is impossible to escape the influence of Holmes. Countless references

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Arson Is The Criminal Act Of Intentionally Setting A Fire

The definition of arson is the criminal act of purposely setting a fire to property. To a crime scene investigator arson is one of the most difficult things to investigate for many different reasons. For starters a fire can take a long time to burn and before any sort of investigation can be done the fire as to be well and truly out without any chance of it starting back up again. Usually when someone commits the crime of arson the suspect has planned ahead and is gone before the fire is done burning so it becomes a challenge to try to determine who has done it. Another problem that many investigators have is that fire can cause extensive damage to the building that it is set in, which could be dangerous for anyone who goes in there if the building becomes unstable, and it can cause a lot of the forensic evidence to burn away. Along with trying to establish a suspect for the crime it is also hard for investigators to establish a motive because there could be many different reasons to why someone would commit arson. Like revenge, anger, and the few who just like to see things burn. The problem with arson however is that it is hard to determine whether or not the fire was really arson and purposely set or if the fire was accidental. A fire can be started many different ways and it has many accidental causes. That is what many investigators have to consider, all the factors of a fire or explosion. Fire investigators have a harder time trying to investigate a fire scene becauseShow MoreRelatedArson Crime Against Property Crimes1166 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract Arson was a crime at common law that prohibited the burning of someone else dwelling home and property that was nearby. The main purpose was to make sure homes would not get burned while occupied with people. In today’s society arson laws have extended and cover burning any type of property. CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY 2 Arson-Crime against Property Crimes against property include many shared crimes that consist of theft or destroying of another person’s property. TheseRead MoreTrial by Fire16438 Words   |  66 Pages[pic] Trial by Fire Did Texas execute an innocent man? by David Grann September 7, 2009 [pic] Cameron Todd Willingham in his cell on death row, in 1994. He insisted upon his innocence in the deaths of his children and refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. Photograph by Ken Light. Related Links Audio: Grann on the Texas execution that may change the death penalty debate. Video: David Grann discusses the flaws of the Cameron Todd WillinghamRead MoreTrial by Fire16445 Words   |  66 Pages[pic] Trial by Fire Did Texas execute an innocent man? by David Grann September 7, 2009 [pic] Cameron Todd Willingham in his cell on death row, in 1994. He insisted upon his innocence in the deaths of his children and refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. Photograph by Ken Light. Related Links Audio: Grann on the Texas execution that may change the death penalty debate. Video: David Grann discusses the flaws of the Cameron Todd Willingham investigationRead MoreThe Death Penalty : Lethal Injection, Lethal Gas, Firing Squad, And Hanging Essay2126 Words   |  9 Pagescircular white cloth as the target. Five shooters are standing 20 feet away from the inmate and they are armed with .30 caliber rifles. Each shooter aims their rifle at the cloth and fires. The prisoner dies due to blood loss of the rupture of the heart, but if the shooter missing the heart on accident or intentionally the prisoner bleeds to death slowly. This is an extremely inhumane way to punish a prisoner, but this usually happens in the military it only happen once since the inmate had requestedRead MoreFrauds in Insurance11958 Words   |  48 PagesPeople have to be very cautious while taking an insurance policy. Insurance is a federal subject in India. It is a subject matter of solicitation. The legislations that deal with insurance business in India are Insurance Act, 1938 and Insurance Regulatory amp; Development Authority Act (IRDA), 1999. The hypothesis is that THIS PROJECT SCANS THE RISKY NATURE OF INSURANCE WITH REFERENCE TO VARIOUS TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS AND THEIR VULNERABILITY TO FRAUD. CONCEPT OF INSURANCE Insurance, in law and economicsRead MoreCase Studies11079 Words   |  45 Pages= 2.31 + 0.22 x 5 = 2.31 + 1.1 = 3.41 = 3 nos. CASE – 2 a. Do any of the following parties have an insurable interest in the business at the time of the fire? Ben Carmine National Bank Yes. Carmine have an insurable interested in the business at the time of the fire because he was the real owner at the time of the fire. But he converted a one-car repair bay into a short-order restaurant. When Carmine applied for property insurance on the business, he did not tell the insurance companyRead MoreUnit 4222-208 (Hsc 027) Essay12711 Words   |  51 Pagesin the work setting. 1. Identify legislation relating to general health and safety in a health or social care work setting. The European Parliament issues Directives on all legislation, including Health amp; Safety. 1989 saw six Health amp; Safety Directives issued. They had to be applied as law by each of the Member countries. By authority given to the Secretary of Sate these Directives became Regulations enforceable from January 1st 1993. The Health amp; Safety at Work etc Act is the Ê ºparentÊ ºRead MoreCommercial Liens - a Potent Weapon Essay32374 Words   |  130 PagesDefinition †¢ Different Types of Liens †¢ Comparisons †¢ Liens vs. Levies Chapter 4 †¢ Procedure and Implementation †¢ Research †¢ Notice and Demand †¢ Notice of Default †¢ Commercial Lien †¢ Lawsuits and Criminal Complaints Chapter 5 †¢ Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid †¢ Defective Legal Form and Procedure †¢ Hanson-type or Nebulous Liens †¢ Aiming Too High †¢ Beware of Exotic Arguments Chapter 6 †¢ ObstaclesRead MoreBusiness Law I Summary34667 Words   |  139 Pagesdeveloped to deal with the complaints of individuals against the decisions of the administering agency. 3. Criminal law * Private law is primarily concerned with the right and duties of individuals towards each other. * Criminal and civil law * Criminal law is concerned with forbidding certain forms of wrongful conduct and punishing those who engage in the prohibited acts. * Civil law deals with the private rights and obligations which arises between individuals. * Common lawRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages Organizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Analysis Of The Reasons Why Social Networks More Persuasive - Samples

Question: Analysis Of The Reasons Why Social Networks More Persuasive Than Traditional Word-Of-Mouth. Answer: Brief Statement of the problem As far as consumer behaviour is concerned, it can be said that the traditional word of mouth is essentially capable of driving consumers to commercial centres and is considered to be very persuasive form of correspondence. However, the transformation of the predominant print culture into the computerized community of the 21st century is said to have affected the scheme of word of mouth by particularly the electronic scheme of word of mouth (Kotler, 2015). The study hereby identifies the issue of recognizing the intensity and nature of effect of traditional WOM and social networking (electronic word of mouth) on purchase decisions of consumers. Research aim and objectives The present study intends to comprehend the way social network in comparison to traditional word of mouth can exert greater influence on the purchase decision of various customers. In addition to this, the recognized problem of the study also includes examination of whether social network recommendations are dependable than word of mouth (Keller Kotler, 2016). The objective of the current project is To examine overall consistency of the recommendations made by word of mouth as well as social networking To carry out comparative examination of the effect of word of mouth and social networking Brief Methodology To respond to the characterized examination inquest and to arrive at the detailed point of the current study, necessary information was required. For the purpose of present research, the learner intends to undertake a deductive research approach that can linked to hypothesis formulation based on already existing notions and a developments of strategy for scrutiny of the given hypothesis. The learner intends to undertake blended strategies approach by implementing quantitative technique and subjective examination later. Therefore, the learner intends to undertake mixed research methodology where both quantitative along with qualitative methods of investigation can be used for drawing closer information (Sheth Sisodia, 2015). Essentially this can help in collecting and analysing both quantitative as well as qualitative data, combine two different forms in diverse ways, and provide priority to both types of data. For the present study, the learner has the intention to gather primary al ong with secondary data. In actual fact, the learner intends to acquire the primary data that is the first hand data through questionnaire that are distributed via mail. In this case, the investigator will prepare a list of pertinent questions in the questionnaire to the nature of issues under investigation. Again, the learner has the intention to collect the secondary data from the lately published journals, websites, various case studies, journals and articles and pronounced government reports among many others Sheth Sisodia, 2015). In addition to this, it can be hereby mentioned that the learner proposes to analyse the quantitative data using statistical methods (both inferential and descriptive statistics). However, the qualitative data using thematic analysis, case study analysis and review of prior literature. Identification of the secondary data Secondary data that the learner proposes to use can be collected from journals, reports, government records, news papers and magazines and official websites on the particular subject matter under consideration. There are varieties of published reports on the topic that analyses effect of social networking and traditional word of mouth scheme as methods of marketing. These reports can be analysed to bring various facts and evidences into light (Weinstein Pohlman, 2015). In addition to this, books are also available for studying the current topic that is chosen for research. Again, journals as well as periodicals have also become important source as far collection of secondary data is concerned. Also, magazines as well as newspapers can also prove to be effective sources of information for undertaking research on the selected topic. References Keller, K. L., Kotler, P. (2016).Marketing management. Pearson. Kotler, P. (2015).Framework for marketing management. Pearson Education India. Sheth, J. N., Sisodia, R. S. (2015).Does marketing need reform?: Fresh perspectives on the future. Routledge. Weinstein, A., Pohlman, R. A. (2015). Customer value: a new paradigm for marketing management. InProceedings of the 1997 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 132-133). Springer, Cham.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Why are you interested in Azusa Pacific University an Example by

Why are you interested in Azusa Pacific University? In this essay, an attempt will be made to justify my desire to take admission in Azusa Pacific University. Being a Christian and interested in Christian theology and other aspects of Christianity, I always wanted to enter into an educational institution which provides greater prominence to the teaching of Christianity. My friend informed me regarding this University and subsequent discussion with my other colleagues has proved that I would benefit by obtaining admission in Azusa Pacific University. By attending this Christian college, I can improve my knowledge concerning Christianity and this would strengthen my faith. Need essay sample on "Why are you interested in Azusa Pacific University?" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Our Customers Often Tell Us: I need to ask a good online coursework writing service for help. Essay writers recommend: Choose The Qualified Help In Writing Papers This is a private Christian University which is located in Azusa, California. It caters to the educational needs of those Americans who wish to learn the various aspects of Christianity such as origin and development of Christianity and Christian theology. Before becoming University in 1980s this college was differently called the Training School for Christian Workers, Pacific Bible College, and Azusa College. These names indicate the motto of the university that God is first. This implies that this college gives greatest importance to understanding the concept of God. This college is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It is interesting to note that this college consists of more than 1000 faculty members which indicate that they would be able to give individual attention to the students who study in this college. Even today this educational institution can be considered as an important evangelical institution. The main aim of this college is to discuss the principal philosophy and tenets of Christianity. The famous personalities like actor Austin OBrien was the product of this university. (Wikipedia) The President of Azusa Pacific University has reaffirmed the faith in the God first motto. In fact, due to the adherence to this philosophy the University has been able to attract large number of the Christians and other people interested in learning the aspects concerning Christianity. Azusa Pacific University is guided by the values such as: Christ, transformational scholarship, life-giving community, and sacrificial service. It is important to note that Christ is the center of all the academic courses and programs initiated by this educational institution. It also educates the community concerning the ethical values that was preached and professed by Christ and many other scholars of Christianity. These values have inspired number of scholars to become the part of Azusa College and they have benefited by learning and teaching in this institution. However, this college also caters to the changing needs of the modern time by using the latest technology and by providing education in the latest developments in the field of Christianity. This has not only improved the students knowledge of Christianity but also this has also helped the students to become professionals. The students have been able to obtain employment in the prestigious institutions. This has proved the academic quality of this institution. Notable achievement of Azusa College is that it has been honored in the TIME magazine and US News & World Report. This shows that the achievements of this university have been noticed by the leading magazines and agencies. These details prove that the University is guided by the evangelical Christian world view and the teachers of this college have attempted to prove their commit ment to the Christian values. (apu.edu) The above details show that this is the best institution for the people who would like to study Christianity and the various aspects related to Christianity. By obtaining admission in this institution, I would like to improve my knowledge pertaining to the values propounded by Christianity. Bibliography Azusa Pacific University, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Message from the President, Azusa Pacific University

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Architecture in Puritan Era essays

Architecture in Puritan Era essays Starting as nothing but vast frontier land, and followed shortly later when the United States developed into a nation, the U.S. was heavily influenced by the styles of art and architecture of European societies. Colonial Architecture reflects that of European nation, those that had to adapt to the dangers and harsh weather conditions of the vast wildernesses. If the weather conditions were dominantly rain then the homes would be equipped to disperse large amounts of water. If the conditions in the land called for wind protection because of windstorms or just large gusting periods during the day then the shelters would be built with strong materials so the shelters would not be blown over. In the western part of the colonies Spanish influences prevailed more heavily and were shown in the structures that the early Spanish colonists built, while English styles, and some French predominated in the east. When the colonists came to the U.S. they only brought knowledge of their countries bu ilding styles so in order to invent newer styles they had to start out with basic homes until they could design their own newer upscale homes to display their talents. This early period they called Saltbox architecture. A typical home during the first few years in the colonies was a log home or a cape cod, which was about one room deep, or if the house called for and the owners had enough money the home had a chimney. With the Saltbox era coming to an end the architects looked to styles from their homelands. Many of the architects coming from Europe adopted their styles into American society and started to build homes that resembled some back in Europe. The late 1700s and early 1800s the Spanish colonists of the southwest encountered a native building tradition in adobe, which used readily available materials suited to their climate and would be reflected in the building structure. Adobe building structures were show...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Conjugate the Verb Leggere in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb Leggere in Italian Conjugate and use the Italian verb leggere, which means to read, through conjugation tables and examples. It’s an irregular verb, so it does not follow the typical -ere verb ending pattern.It’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"leggere.†The participio passato is â€Å"letto.The gerund form is â€Å"leggendo.†The past gerund form is â€Å"avendo letto.† Indicativo/Indicative Il presente io leggo noi leggiamo tu leggi voi leggete lui, lei, Lei legge essi, Loro leggono Esempi: Martina legge molto. - Martina reads a lot.Tutti gli alunni di terza leggono autonomamente. - All third grade students read independently. Il passato prossimo io ho letto noi abbiamo letto tu hai letto voi avete letto lui, lei, Lei, ha letto essi, Loro hanno letto Esempi: Ho letto su Repubblica che domani ci sar un grande sciopero. - I read on Repubblica that tomorrow there will be a big strike.Avete gi letto il menà ¹? - Have you already read the menu? L’imperfetto io leggevo noi leggevamo tu leggevi voi leggevate lui, lei, Lei leggeva essi, Loro leggevano Ad esempio: Mi ricordo quando ero piccolo e mi leggevi le storie della buonanotte. - I remember when I was little, and you used to read me bedtime stories.Gli studenti leggevano un capitolo della Divina Commedia al giorno. - Students used to read one chapter from the Divina Commedia per day. Il trapassato prossimo io avevo letto noi avevamo letto tu avevi letto voi avevate letto lui, lei, Lei aveva letto essi, Loro avevano letto Ad esempio: Avevo letto tutti i libri di Harry Potter prima dei 10 anni. - I had read all the Harry Potter’s book before I turned 10.Giulia aveva letto un’ottima recensione su questo posto. - Giulia had read a really good review about this place. Il passato remoto io lessi noi leggemmo tu leggesti voi leggeste lui, lei, Lei lesse essi, Loro lessero Ad esempio: A: Ti ricordi quando leggemmo quelle storie dell’orrore? - Do you remember when we read those horror stories?B: Si, mi ricordo! Io lessi la pià ¹ spaventosa. - Yes, I do remember! I read the scariest. Il trapassato remoto io ebbi letto noi avemmo letto tu avesti letto voi aveste letto lui, lei, Lei ebbe letto essi, Loro ebbero letto Tip This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io leggerà ² noi leggeremo tu leggerai voi leggerete lui, lei, Lei legger essi, Loro leggeranno Ad esempio: Leggerai il biglietto che ti ho lasciato? - Will you read the card I left you?Alla fine della recita i bambini leggeranno una poesia di Rodari. - At the end of the recital, our kids are going to read a poem by Rodari. Il futuro anteriore io avrà ² letto noi avremo letto tu avrai letto voi avrete letto lui, lei, Lei avr letto essi, Loro avranno letto Ad esempio: Avranno letto le istruzioni prima di montare il tavolo? - Will they have read the instructions before putting the table together ? Congiuntivo/Subjunctive Il presente che io legga che noi leggiamo che tu legga che voi leggiate che lui, lei, Lei legga che essi, Loro leggano Ad esempio: Spero che tu legga molto nella tua vita, imparerai un sacco di cose! - I hope you read a lot in your life, you’ll learn many things. Il passato io abbia letto noi abbiamo letto tu abbia letto voi abbiate letto lui, lei, egli abbia letto essi, Loro abbiano letto Ad esempio: È molto scossa. Credo che abbia letto qualcosa di brutto! - She’s really upset. I think she read something bad! L’imperfetto io leggessi noi leggessimo tu leggessi voi leggeste lui, lei, egli leggesse essi, Loro leggessero Ad esempio: Ho sempre sperato che tu leggessi la mia lettera d’amore. - I’ve always wished you read my love letter. Il trapassato prossimo io avessi letto noi avessimo letto tu avessi letto voi aveste letto lui, lei, Lei avesse letto essi, Loro avessero letto Ad esempio: Avrei comprato quel vestito se solo avessi letto il prezzo!! - I would have bought that dress if only I had read the price!! CONDIZIONALE/CONDITIONAL Il presente io leggerei noi leggeremmo tu leggeresti voi leggereste lui, lei, Lei leggerebbe essi, Loro leggerebbero Ad esempio: Leggerei se non fossi cosà ¬ stanco! - I would read if I weren’t so tired! Il passato io avrei letto noi avremmo letto tu avresti letto voi avreste letto lui, lei, egli avrebbe letto essi, Loro avrebbero letto Ad esempio: Se l’avessimo saputo prima avremmo letto il programma. - If we had known it before, we would have read the program.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

E-government Program of Saudi Arabia Dissertation

E-government Program of Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example In conclusion, the implementation of the Yesser program will allow technology to be used as a way of further refining existing processes in order to eventually promote economic growth. As such, most countries nowadays have their own e-government program which they use to achieve their own ends. Table 14. Frequency and percentage breakdown: The countrys economy would improve upon the implementation of the Yesser program, in the aspect that investors would find it easier to transact with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (government employees). Table 21. Frequency and percentage breakdown: The implementation of the e-government program would allow a better medium for sharing knowledge and information within government agencies (government employees). On a global scale, governments have placed high importance on the adoption of a new program referred to as e-government, as it resembles a fundamental change in the structure of any nations public sector and cultivation of culture (Silcock 2001; Lofstedt, 2005). In addition, it is also beneficial in the process of conducting business through the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in government agencies. Prior to the introduction of such a concept, public sectors mainly focused on internal automation through the utilization of data processing machines as a means to gain efficiency in processing e-government services. The Saudi government has adopted an e-government program for political, economic, social and technological reasons.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Antigone by Sophocles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Antigone by Sophocles - Essay Example The ancient Greek play Antigone, written around 442 BC by the famous dramatist Sophocles, has become one of the world’s classics and has been widely published, performed and adapted in many languages and formats across the world. It is a memorable play, characterized by a background of death and destruction, and the strong figures of Antigone and Creon, who are locked in opposition over what is to be done with the dead body of Antigone’s brother Polyneices. Major themes like the duty of a statesman (Creon) to protect his citizens against traitors, the duty of a woman (Antigone) to honor her relatives with a decent burial, and the duty of all to respect the gods are developed in the play. The various characters are depicted taking up positions which demonstrate a number of different heroic qualities. In the opening scene Ismene appears to be timid and she hides behind her gender to avoid facing up to the conflict that is presented to her by Antigone: â€Å"We must remember that by birth we’re women,/and as such, we shouldn’t fight with men† Ismene realizes that she has a duty to bury her brother, but her approach is to back away from that and rely on the mercy of the gods and the dead: â€Å"So I’ll ask those underground for pardon†. Ismene is concerned above all with her image as a woman, and she is very aware of how her actions will make her appear to other people. She wants to be seen as a perfect woman, meek and obedient: â€Å"But I can’t act against the state.... Ismene cannot face up to life alone, and so she speaks out of weakness, and a desire to suffer death in order to spare herself still more suffering later. The lowly Guard is the character who most clearly operates solely in his own best interests. He is afraid of Creon, with good reason, because he knows that he has failed in his duty to watch over the corpse of Polyneices and could face very severe consequences, even death, if he does not make good his error. He has news for Creon, but makes sure that he communicates his concern about his own fate first: â€Å"Guard: I want to tell you first about myself./ I did not do it. And I didn’t see/the one who did. So it would be unjust/if I should come to grief.† (Antigone, lines 275- 277). This pleading makes him look like an unruly child, trying to explain away his conduct in front of an angry father. He also tries to spread the blame amongst his colleagues saying â€Å"Every one of us was responsible./but none of us was cl early in the wrong.† (Antigone, lines 301-302). He did not volunteer to be the bringer of bad news, but was chosen by â€Å"the luck of the draw† (Antigone, line 317) which shows that he is at the mercy of fate, and just following what he has to do, rather than making a moral decision about it. The first instinct that he has is to run away from his job and save his own life. He is not particularly loyal to his employer, but just wants to save his own skin. In the end he sees a chance to redeem himself, and keep his job, by offering up the woman he has caught in the act of burying the corpse. The way that he keeps changing his mind shows that he is willing to act opportunistically, based on whatever

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Sport and Society in Ancient Greece Essay Ancient Greece is one of the most ancient civilizations in history and some historians say it is one of the greatest. They have survived many invasions and attacks from barbarians and Persians as well. The Greeks those times were divided into city states and they don’t have any form of alliance with each other. They don’t help each other on wars they except for times that they don’t have a choice. The Greek society is basically unique. Greece had never been united under one sole ruler. And even the city states are fought among each other on whom or which city-state should rule Greece. These qualities of the Greece made the Greek history interesting. Mark Golden’s book, Sport and Society in Ancient Greece, had elaborated the key points of the Greek society subjected on common theme. The book uses the Greek sport and games to give very good description of the Greek society. It expressively explained the sport as very important part of the society of Greece. In addition to this, he related the Greek sport to religion, social status, gender, age and other things that constitute to study of its society. Golden uses the sports arena to surface the differences among individuals and groups of the Greek society. The fact that it is theme-oriented made the book readers friendly. Most history professor uses this book as a very good guide to teach history. The themes use in the Golden’s book made it reader friendly. Identifying the themes of the book would be relatively easy. One of the themes he used is the Greek sport. In fact, it unites all ideas in the book. He used the Greek sport as a standpoint of the differences of the Greeks. He explained it using various events in the competitions and its competitors. He explained why most explained that in every event there is a kind of group that can participate. He also expressly give emphasize the difference of participants in the athletic events to the equestrian events. In virtue of this, he elaborated the tension between to the two types of contest. He explained that he sees the difference on the participants of the said events reflect on how the Greek society was comprised. Another theme he used in his book was the stories of Iliad and Odyssey. He uses explain the start of the games and the religious beliefs of the Greek society. The stories of Iliad and Odyssey was widely use in their religious activities. The fact that most of the games was done in tribute to the Gods of Greece. They do this by reliving the great stories of both Homer’s epic novel. They believe that Homer’s epic novel were very accurate about the Gods activities. They had lived with this belief with so many years. The next theme which Mark Golden used in the book was the historical background of Greece. He stated several historical events in Greece that influences the Greek culture and the games. He had explained briefly how some games had started and the changes that the Greeks had implemented to the games. He had emphasized the importance of these historical events to the Greek society. The last theme that I will list here is the relation of the social status to events a Greek can participate. He uses this theme through out the book. He basically discusses the social hierarchy the Greek have in their society as times came by. The book clearly differentiated the differences on how a group of Greeks or an individual can participate in the sport or the games. Golden stated that in the equestrian events slaves can only win as jockeys and other rules they applied in this event. The social discrimination in the Greek society was highlighted in the book. The themes he uses simply put the book in position that it is easy to read, can be use as teaching material because of its reliability, and its distinct use of other literatures of other historians. With this book, I could relive the moment the games had begun and gone on until today. I lived in Athens during the time Olympics had been established. It was a glorious moment for the Greeks. Everyone believed that these games can unite the whole of Greece where it could fight and function as one whole country. The start of the game signaled a turn in the history of the Greeks. The feeling of this glorious moment is very pleasing to me and to other Greeks as well. Imagine that a Greek won’t face another Greek in the battlefield again. I would join the games to prove the dominance of Athens over other city states. Joining the games as an Athenian is a privilege and a great honor for me. And befriending other Greek is as not bad as it looks in the past. Being at war with other Greek is pain that a soldier must overcome. Being a soldier, killing other Greeks is the most painful thing to do. It is as if it was killing your own brother. Nowadays that pain is nothing but a pigment of the past. I’m glad that my sons would not feel that pain that anymore. They will not go up against other Greeks except at the games. And it is for the gods after all. They had blessed us of something great. I thank our Gods that they found a way to stop the quarreling between city states of great Greece. After reading the book, I’ve come to think that the Greek games and sports are done to unify Greece and for entertainment. The world had mimic the Greek games and created Olympics. It symbolizes the unity of the nations participating in the Olympic Games. The fact that culture of Greek is carry out by the nations in the Olympics. It raises a sense of pride among the Greeks. Another thing is a realization that sports does come from religion. The games were held in religious festival in ancient times. The sports today are said to have a purpose of camaraderie, enjoyment, and battle of skills. It is shocking to know that it came from religion. The showing of facts in the book of Mark Golden had convinced me that sports started as tribute to the Gods. And that the relation of the religion and sports is undeniable. He presented reliable evidences that strengthened a claim made by a priest. The idea of classifying the participants that participate in an event was a shocking revelation. I thought at first that the classification of participants was done only to make the games fair. And that is invented after the world wars. It is shocking to know that these classifications were really done due to social status in ancient Greece. The structure of the games from those times to these days is very different. But to know that they have the same purpose is quite a relief. The most important idea that occurred to after reading Mark Golden’s book is that literature has something to do with sports. If you look at sports and literature at plain logic, they are very different because literature uses mental capabilities while the sports and games use physical abilities. The connection of literature and sports was established clearly in Mark Golden’s book. He clearly stated the relation of the two. The realization of the relation between the two is quite interesting and mind bugling. Mark Golden’s book clearly is one of a kind. Historians who read his book were very enthusiastic to discuss Greek history to his class. The reliability of the book make more convincing to historians or even to non-historians. The book is really a must read to people to who likes Greek history. Works Cited Golden, Mark. Sport and Society in Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Friday, November 15, 2019

A Description of My Room: The Comfortable Chill Room :: descriptive essay, personal narrative,

My room is what everyone calls â€Å"The Chill Room†. In this room there are all kinds of items that been collected throughout the years. There are several black lights, posters, and a bumping stereo. And even though my room is small it easily holds everything to make it comfortable and chill. At night the black lights engulf the whole ceiling with light. The light includes a tinge of blue which emitted by one of the black lights. This light is a 42 inch double fixture which was painted fluorescent blue. The light from the two tubes hits the blue coloring, giving the blue to everything in the room. The other black light has an all black fixture that emits no color except the color it all ready produces and measured the same as the other black light (42†). There are few items in this room that are black light sensitive; from posters to glass material the room has many highlight glowing. The black light gives a lot of character to the room in the sense of whoever enters the room, suddenly changes color. Clothes go from white to light purple and the color of the clothes sometimes changes. Different lighting effects are also used to help give the room more of a relaxing and chill environment. A small light covered in blue plastic wrap sit in place inside my closet. Thi s light is bright enough only to light just the closet, yet it does not impede on the acquired blue tinge. A dark blue lava lamp which is on day and night is placed near my television, which also gives the room a unique look to it. A large variety of posters fill every wall that represents few interests. The majority of the posters consist of ICP (Insane Clown Posse). These posters were collected through the internet, and some were given by friends. Anyone who walks into the room can tell what type of music is preferred by looking at some the posters on the walls. Such artists as SPM (South Park Mexicans) from Huston, Tx. the whole crew from Metallica, and an almost life size picture of a pit-bull, it all gives the room a nice touch of style. You can see a few pictures of cars on the walls: Ferraris, BMW, racing cars and customized cars. Last but not least the stereo system. This SONY three disk CD player is capable of producing 500watts of sound.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How effective are backbench MPs? Essay

‘How effective are backbench MPs?’ 40 marks Backbench MPs are critical for UK democracy. They allow for high standard scrutiny of the government which holds them accountable for their actions to the people. They help in representing the electorate. However there are some circumstances in which backbench MPs have little control, for example an elective dictatorship or because of the UK party system which is enforced by party whips. Firstly back bench MPs are a good way of promoting presentation in terms of their constituency boundary as they have been voted in by their electorate and so therefore should have a sound understanding of what the people need and want. However the majority of MPs are white males between their 40s and 50s. Out of 650 House of Common MPs, only 147 of them are female, which is disproportionate to the number of females in the UK. Also less than 25% of MPs are from a multicultural background so it cannot be 100% representative. Secondly backbench MP s allow the current government to be made accountable to the electorate. Backbenchers can take part in scrutinising opposition, or even their own parties, during events such as the Prime Minister’s Question Time, where, for an allocated time, the PM is asked questions concerning anything. Select committees can also be used to scrutinise. For example the head of the Public Bills committee is always headed by a member of the opposition, currently Margaret Hodge. This is to ensure that they are effective and non-corrupted. Although MPs have the power to dissolve the current government, through a vote of no confidence (last one in 1979), MPs that standalone against their party by having controversial or independent thoughts on an issue, then they are brought into line by party whips which could result in having an MP who does not represent you adequately. It shows that MPs achieve more together. Due to first past the post leading to majority governments, except for 2010 general election, it is very difficult to oppose bills, this led to something Lord Hailsham coined as ‘elective dictatorship’ meaning that when a government has a majority in the House of Commons, it can pass bills with minimal opposition for its entire term in office. This was the case for Labour in 1997 when they won a landslide majority of 418 seats in the House of Commons. Another reason why backbenchers are effective is through their use of debates, as it allows them to express their opinion and show their constituency, as well as their party where they stand on certain issues,  like the EU, for example. However there are limits to their effectiveness. Debates have to be requested, and the chances are that the current government will only pick topics that they feel comfortable discussing or ones that won’t embarrass them too much. This means that controversial issues everyone would want to know about may not be discussed, for example the Iraq war. Backbench MPs also have a lot less media coverage than high profile, frontbenchers. This allows the frontbenchers to make their views more known and make them a more of a familiar face during current issues. An example of this would be having frontbenchers on the BBC question time every Thursday. However backbenchers are still members of parliament, and because parliament is sovereign and the supreme law making authority, they are less pressured to ‘tow the party line’ and therefore can stand more for their constituencies than the party they represent. To conclude, although MPs have a lot of constraints on their power and what they can do, through scrutiny and select committees, there are still opportunities in which backbenchers can become a lot more effective. Whether this is through fully representing their electorate, to embracing new technologies an d using social media to communicate with their public.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Existentialism: Does Life Have Meaning? Essay

Most people would like to think that their life has some kind of meaning or purpose. However how this meaning in life is obtained can cause some differing views. One may believe that they were born with a purpose in life and the other may believe that it is their own responsibility to give their own life meaning. While the first belief may be the preferred option, it doesn’t seem very practical. Existentialists believe that one must give meaning to their own life, which in all reality seems to be the truth. In the novels Their Eyes Were Watching God, Crime and Punishment, The Awakening, The Stranger, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the existential view that the individual is responsible for giving their own life meaning is confirmed through the character’s actions, pressures of society, and the overall meanings of the works. The behaviors of the characters in these various novels help explain their search for meaning in life. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Zeal Hurston, the main character Janie is on a search for her true purpose in life. She spent her whole life being controlled by her grandmother and her first two husbands, and now that she is living her life with her third husband Teacakes, she is beginning to discover her true potential. Janie is always trying to serve the men in her life so much to the point that she belittles herself into having no meaning to her own life. Janie began to try to find her own meaning in life early in the novel. In chapter two it states, â€Å"Janie was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid. † At this point Janie realizes that it is her own responsibility to create her own purpose in life and she sets out to do so. By the end of the novel, Janie realizes that she can only depend on herself to be happy and she must put her own needs before the needs of others, thus finding her meaning of life. The actions of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, seem to be a constant search for the meaning of life. In Act Three, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have a conversation after they realize that their mission they were sent on is now useless. They say, â€Å"Guildenstern: We’ve travelled too far, and our momentum has taken over; we move idly towards eternity, without possibility of reprieve or hope of explanation. Rosencrantz: Be happy—if you’re not even happy what’s so good about surviving? We’ll be all right. I suppose we just go on. † Guildenstern has clearly determined that life has no meaning to it at all and that he is just waiting for death. However, Rosencrantz recognizes that they must make their own meaning of life. Rosencrantz indicates that the fact that life as a whole does not have any obvious meaning does not mean that it is impossible for any individual life to have meaning. Rosencrantz’s response is an attempt to find meaning and purpose on precisely this individual level. When faced with the chaos of life, Rosencrantz decides that his personal purpose will be to seek pleasure for himself. They begin to realize that they must make their life meaningful on their own rather than by the expectations of others, supporting the existential view. Societal expectations play a big part on one’s quest to find the meaning of life. In the The Stranger by Albert Camus and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the main characters are conflicted by the pressures of society and doing what they want to do. In The Stranger, Meursault kills a man on the beach and is going through a trial, where he is eventually sentenced to the death penalty. Meursault knows that society is against him and wants him to be put to death. However, Meursault doesn’t want to die. Like all people, Meursault comes to realize that he has been born, will die, and will have no further importance. Only after Meursault reaches this seemingly dismal realization is he able to attain happiness. When he fully comes to terms with the inevitability of death, he understands that it does not matter whether he dies by execution or lives to die a natural death at an old age. This understanding enables Meursault to put aside his fantasies of escaping execution by filing a successful legal appeal. Meursault sees that his hope for sustained life has been a burden. His liberation from this false hope of not being executed means he is free to live life for what it is, and to make the most of his remaining days. With this, Meursault discovers the existential view that it was his own responsibility to give his life meaning and he should stop worrying about societal pressures. Raskolnikov, the main character in Crime and Punishment, finds himself in a similar situation to Meursault. He murders two women and is now debating on whether to turn himself into the police or not. This ultimately leads to Raskolnikov’s existential crisis: to live or to die. In the novel Raskolnikov says â€Å"Where is it I’ve read that someone condemned to death says or think, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that he’d only room to stand, and the ocean, everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting tempest around him, if he had to remain standing on a square yard of space all his life, a thousand years, eternity, it were better to live so than to die at once! Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be! † This shows that by the end of the novel, Raskolnikov understands that he must make his life meaningful in order for him to want to live. He knows that he was born into this world with no meaning and he has to give himself a purpose in life to strive towards, no matter what society says. Society wants Raskolnikov to just get executed, but he decides to serve his time in person so that he could still make meaning in his life after he got out of prison. Raskolnikov came to understand that only he could fulfill his purpose in life and he must live in order to do so. In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the overall meaning of trying to find one’s true self helps support the existential belief of the responsibility of creating one’s purpose in life. Edna Pontellier is unhappy with her life and she begins to try to find a way out. â€Å"In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her. † She has this â€Å"awakening† where she realizes that she needs to stop living for everyone else and instead live for herself. Towards the end of the novel she says, â€Å"†I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me. † She has discovered that her meaning in life was not to be the perfect wife or mom, but to live for what is best for her. Edna knows that she needs to create her own meaning for her life so she decides to leave her old life behind and set out to do so. By the end of the novel, Edna commits suicide because she realizes that the only way she can escape her life that she is living for everyone else is just to end her life all together. All in all, the existential belief that one must create their own meaning in life is supported in the novels through the characters’ actions, societal pressures, and the overall meanings of the works. Many of the characters can teach the readers a lesson on how to live for oneself and not be influenced by the wants of others. One only has a single life, so they must make the most of it and create their own purpose in life in order to actually live. If one doesn’t live for their own meaning and purpose in life, then what is the point of living? It’s your choice, but just remember, you only live once.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Twin Towers Collapse Explained

The Twin Towers Collapse Explained In the years since the terrorist attacks in New York City, individual engineers and committees of experts have studied the crumpling of the World Trade Center twin towers. By examining the buildings destruction step-by-step, experts are learning how buildings fail and discovering ways to build stronger structures by answering the question: What caused the twin towers to fall? Aircraft Impact When hijacked commercial jets piloted by terrorists struck the twin towers, some 10,000 gallons (38 kiloliters) of jet fuel fed an enormous fireball. But the impact of the Boeing 767-200ER series aircraft and the burst of flames did not make the towers collapse right away. Like most buildings, the twin towers had a redundant design, which means that when one system fails, another carries the load. Each of the twin towers had 244 columns around a central core that housed the elevators, stairwells, mechanical systems, and utilities. In this tubular design system, when some columns became damaged, others could still support the building. Following the impact, floor loads originally supported by the exterior columns in compression were successfully transferred to other load paths, wrote examiners for the official Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) report. Most of the load supported by the failed columns is believed to have transferred to adjacent perimeter columns through Vierendeel behavior of the exterior wall frame. Belgian civil engineer Arthur Vierendeel (1852-1940) is known for inventing a vertical rectangular metal framework that shifts shear differently than diagonal triangular methods. The impact of the aircraft and other flying objects: Compromised the insulation that protected the steel from high heatDamaged the sprinkler system of the buildingSliced and cut many of the interior columns and damaged othersShifted and redistributed the building load among columns that were not immediately damaged The shift put some of the columns under elevated states of stress. Heat From Fires Even if the sprinklers had been working, they could not have maintained enough pressure to stop the fire. Fed by the spray of jet fuel, the heat became intense. It is no comfort to realize that each aircraft carried less than half of its full capacity of 23,980  U.S. gallons of fuel. Jet fuel burns at 800 to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is not hot enough to melt structural steel. But engineers say that for the World Trade Center towers to collapse, its steel frames didnt need to melt- they just had to lose some of their structural strength from the intense heat. Steel will lose about half its strength at 1,200 Fahrenheit. Steel also becomes distorted and will buckle when heat is not a uniform temperature. The exterior temperature was much cooler than the burning jet fuel inside. Videos of both buildings showed inward bowing of perimeter columns resulting from sagging of heated trusses on many floors. Collapsing Floors Most fires start in one area and then spread. Because the aircraft hit the buildings at an angle, the fires from impact covered several floors almost instantly. As the weakened floors began to bow and then collapse, they pancaked. This means that upper floors crashed down on lower floors with increasing weight and momentum, crushing each successive floor below. Once movement began, the entire portion of the building above the area of impact fell in a unit, pushing a cushion of air below it, wrote researchers of the official FEMA report. As this cushion of air pushed through the impact area, the fires were fed by new oxygen and pushed outward, creating the illusion of a secondary explosion. With the weight of the plunging floors building force, the exterior walls buckled. Researchers estimate that the air ejected from the building by gravitational collapse must have attained, near the ground, the speed of almost 500 mph. Loud booms were heard during the collapse. They were caused by airspeed fluctuations reaching the speed of sound. Why They Flattened Before the terrorist attack, the twin towers were 110 stories tall. Constructed of lightweight steel around a central core, the World Trade Center towers were about 95 percent air. After they collapsed, the hollow core was gone. The remaining rubble was only a few stories high. April 2005 Presentation by Lead Investigator Shyam Sunder, NIST. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images (cropped) Strong Enough? The twin towers were built between 1966 and 1973. No building constructed at that time would have been able to withstand the impact of the terrorist attacks in 2001. We can, however, learn from the collapse of the skyscrapers and take steps to construct safer buildings and minimize the number of casualties in future disasters. When the twin towers were constructed, the builders were granted some exemptions from New Yorks building codes. The exemptions allowed the builders to use lightweight materials so the skyscrapers could achieve great heights. According to Charles Harris, author of Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases, fewer people would have died on 9/11 if the twin towers had used the type of fireproofing required by older building codes. Others say the architectural design actually saved lives. These skyscrapers were designed with redundancies- anticipating that a small plane could accidentally penetrate the skyscraper skin and the building would not fall from that type of accident. Both buildings withstood the immediate impact of the two large aircraft bound for the West Coast on 9/11. The north tower was hit at 8:46 a.m. ET, between floors 94 and 98- it did not collapse until 10:29 a.m., which gave most people one hour and 43 minutes to evacuate. Even the south tower was able to stand for a remarkable 56 minutes after being hit at 9:03 a.m. ET. The second jet hit the south tower on lower floors, between floors 78 and 84, which structurally compromised the skyscraper earlier than the north tower. Most of the south tower occupants, however, began evacuating when the north tower was hit. The towers could not have been designed any better or stronger. Nobody anticipated the deliberate actions of an aircraft filled with thousands of gallons of jet fuel. 9/11 Truth Movement Conspiracy theories often accompany horrific and tragic events. Some occurrences in life are so shockingly incomprehensible that some people begin to doubt theories. They might reinterpret evidence and offer explanations based on their prior knowledge. Passionate people fabricate what becomes alternative logical reasoning. The clearinghouse for 9/11 conspiracies became 911Truth.org. The mission of the 9/11 Truth Movement is to reveal what it believes to be the United States covert involvement in the attacks. When the buildings collapsed, some thought it had all of the characteristics of a controlled demolition. The scene in Lower Manhattan on 9/11 was nightmarish, and in the chaos, people drew on past experiences to determine what was happening. Some people believe that the twin towers were brought down by explosives, although others find no evidence for this belief. Writing in the Journal of Engineering Mechanics ASCE, researchers have shown the allegations of controlled demolition to be absurd and that the towers failed due to gravity-driven progressive collapse triggered by the effects of fire. Engineers examine evidence and create conclusions based on observations. On the other hand, the Movement seeks the suppressed realities of September 11th that will support their mission. Conspiracy theories tend to continue in spite of evidence. Legacy on Building While architects strive to design safe buildings, developers dont always want to pay for over-redundancies to mitigate outcomes of events that are unlikely to happen. The legacy of 9/11 is that new construction in the United States must now adhere to more demanding building codes. Tall office buildings are required to have more durable fireproofing, extra emergency exits, and many other fire safety features.The events of 9/11 changed the way we build, at local, state, and international levels. Sources National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. NIST NCSTAR 1. September 2005. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). World Trade Center Building Performance Study, FEMA 403 September 2002. Bazant, Zdenek P.; Le, Jia-Liang; Greening, Frank R.; Benson, David B.  What Did and Did not Cause Collapse of WTC Twin Towers in New York. Journal of Engineering Mechanics ASCE, Vol. 134 (2008), p. 15.Griffin, Dr. David Ray. The Destruction of the World Trade Center: Why the Official Account Cannot Be True. January 26, 2006.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Bad Old Days - Porridge

The Bad Old Days - Porridge From the Hoax: In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while -hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. The Facts In peasant cottages, there was no kitchen in which to cook. The poorest families had only one room where they cooked, ate, worked, and slept. It is also possible that most of these extremely poor families owned only one kettle. Poor town-dwellers usually didnt even have that, and obtained most of their meals ready-made from shops and street vendors in the Medieval version of fast-food.1 Those who lived on the edge of starvation had to make use of every edible item they could find, and just about everything could go into the pot (often a footed kettle that rested in the fire rather than over it) for the evening meal.2 This included beans, grains, vegetables, and sometimes meat often bacon. Using a little meat in this manner would make it go further as sustenance. The resulting stew was called pottage, and it was the basic element of the peasant diet. And yes, sometimes the remains of one days cooking would be used in the next days fare. (This is true in some modern peasant stew recipes.) But it was not common for food to remain there for nine days or for more than two or three days, for that matter. People living on the edge of starvation were not likely to leave food on their plates or in the pot. Contaminating the carefully-gathered ingredients of a nights supper with rotting nine-day-old remains, thus risking illness, is even more unlikely. What is likely is that leftovers from the evening meal were incorporated into a breakfast that would sustain the hard-working peasant family for much of the day. We have not been able to discover the origin of the peas porridge hot rhyme. It is unlikely to spring from 16th-century life since, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word porridge did not come into use until the 17th century. Addendum: Lauren Henry writes: A source is The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, edited by Iona and Peter Opie, published by Oxford University Press, 1997, pages 406-409. According to that, the rhyme made fun of a hawkers cry at Bartholomews Fair in the 18th century, documented in a description written by G.A. Stevens in 1762. Notes 1. Carlin, Martha, Fast Food and Urban Living Standards in Medieval England, in Carlin, Martha, and Rosenthal, Joel T., eds., Food and Eating in Medieval Europe (The Hambledon Press, 1998), pp. 27-51. 2. Gies, Frances Gies, Joseph, Life in a Medieval Village (HarperPerennial, 1991), p. 96. The text of this document is copyright  ©2005 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is  not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. The URL for this document is: www.thoughtco.com/porridge-in-medieval-times-1788710

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Bitcoin - IT professional and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bitcoin - IT professional and society - Essay Example It is supported by the network and created as a part of reward for any work to be processed. Furthermore, it is created by users that can offer their computing power for record and verify payments. Most of the transaction and buying are done by the help of credit or debit card. The use of credit card via online is insecure and never supposed to be used by the online users. The transaction done through Bitcoin does not require providing any secret information. People who are the victim of using credit card for online transaction are trying to use Bitcoin as a solution. Bitcoin is safe and required two keys such as private one and public key. Private Key is secret and is not revealed to any users. Public key is the actual Bitcoin address. One of the biggest retailers, Overstick.com is accepting the use of Bitcoin. Lot of major organizations and companies are taking the notice of making transaction secure and trying to implement the use of digital currency, Bitcoin. The introduction of Bitcoin has been one of the debated topics and buzzwords around the world. The effect of Bitcoin on Ecommerce is immense. It is mainly due to the fact that, there are no transaction fees for consumers on the currency. Moreover, the implementation of Bitcoin is secure and low transaction fess required. In addition, transaction can be possible in areas where it is not possible for any option of payment. The potential growth of implementation of Bitcoin is huge and can revolutionize the use of online transaction. The introduction of Satoshi Nakamoto has been for many years now. But it is finally taking its prime position to be on the main stage. The revolutionary currency idea has been a late arrival in the United States. Many other countries have utilized the use of Bitcoin as a potential future payment system. A vacation home can be bought with the help of Bitcoin in Argentina. Dentists in Finland have approved the use of

Friday, November 1, 2019

Plot summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plot summary - Essay Example This occurs when an action by the protagonist produces an effect that contravenes the expected effect. For instance, in Oedipus Rex, the reversal occurs when Oedipus hears about Polybus’ death and this seems to be good news, but it is disastrous in actual sense. The second principal part of the plot according to Aristotle is the recognition also known as the anagnorisis. It is at this point of the play that a character learns about certain facts, which prompt him to hate or love another character. For instance, Oedipus unknowingly kills the king of Thebes only to learn later that he is his real father. The third element of a tragic play is the final suffering or pathos. This is a destructive act that leaves the hero of the tragedy in pain. In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist removes his eyes; a rather painful process. There are other elements of the plot like the two stages, that is, the unraveling and the complication. The latter encompasses every aspect of the play up to the point where the main character encounters positive or negative fortune. In contrast, the unraveling takes place from the turning point to the play’s

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Comparison of J.S. Bachs Fugues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of J.S. Bachs Fugues - Essay Example This was Bach's training ground. Bach's professional career commenced in 1700 as a chorister in Luneburg, followed by positions as an organist in Arnstadt, Muhlhausen, and Weimar up until 1717. It was his appointment in the ducal court at Weimar in 1708 where he started to compose fugues using contrapunctual 1techniques. In 1707 he composed the Little Organ Fugue in G minor (BWV 578), also known as the "Little Fugue" or "Little G minor". This music was originally written for the organ. As a typical fugue, the music commences with a brief musical theme, so called its subject, represented by a lone musical voice. This first voice continues and another enters to play the subject. Other voices enter one by one until there are several independent musical voices at play, developing the piece of music. The Little Fugue starts the subject in a minor key, but ends in with a (G) major chord, which was characteristic of Baroque fugues of the time that were written in the minor keys. Bach composed "The Art of Fugue", or "Die Kunst de Fugue" (BWV 1080) in 1748-1749 in Leipzig, where he was the Kantor 2of St Thomas's.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Strategic Management Case Study: Apple

Strategic Management Case Study: Apple 1.0 introduction Strategic management is the art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its objectives. Strategic management includes a systematic recognition of specifying the firm’s objectives, nurturing policies and strategies to achieve these objectives, and acquiring and making available these resources to implement the policies and strategies to achieve the firm’s objectives. Strategic management, therefore, integrates the activities of the various functional sectors of a business, such as marketing, sales, production etc., to achieve organizational goals. (Lamb, 1984) 1.1 Company background Apple Inc. is an American corporation that designs and manufactures computer hardware, software and other consumer electronics. The company is best known for their Macintosh personal computer line, Mac OS X, extremely loyal user-base, iTunes media application and the iPod personal music player. The company headquarters is in Cupertino, California, CEO and co-founder is Steve Jobs and the company boasts 284 retail locations spanning 10 different countries. Apple was established on April 1st, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. Steve Jobs was said to own 45% of the company, Steve Wozniak with 45% and Wayne with the remaining 10%. While Jobs and Wozniak were young with little to no assets, Ronald Wayne was older with personal assets and was scared to put these at risk. Apple products have been able to achieve the highest rate of sales compared to its competitors in the world, and the company was able to significantly control the electronics market in the world throughout their products. 2.0 strategic analyses Strategic analysis is the process developing a strategy for a business, throughout researching about the business and the environment in which it operate. Strategic analysis involves two scenarios internal to organization and external to the organization. It is important to also remain focused on the destiny or goal and then make relevant analysis internally as well as externally, as the strategic analysis is something which is very wide in nature. (MiHyang, 2010, NCVO newsletter, 2009). The strategic analysis tools gives magical solutions for the company’s head office, so that they can analyze the current internal and external business scenario for advanced planning. The tools that Apple can use are as shown below. 2.1 General environment General environment are the factors and circumstances such as economic, legal, political and social. That affects everyone in the industry generally or the market more or less similarly. Although a business cannot control what takes place in the general environment, evaluating the general environment can allow businesses the opportunity to predict changes and identify future opportunities during a manager’s analysis of the general environment. General environment includes two theory branches. The SWOT analysis which detects the strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats an organization may face in the future or is facing in the present. The other theory is the PEST which may affect the general environment of the company. 2.2 PEST analysis As well as the internal factors that can affect an organization’s performance, there are also a number of external factors that affect the organization success in the business world. Many organizations use the PEST analysis in determining the impact of these factors on the organization. Pest analysis consists of four factors political, economical, social, and technological. To achieve the highest benefit from this analysis, organizations must understand the role of each factor. As a company apple Inc. concentrates a lot on PEST analysis and Porter’s five forces. Actually these two theories are considered very important for any successful company. As a company apple cannot control its relationships with other countries such as, china, and Korea. Any political conflicts between United States of America and any of these countries will cause horrible effects on Apple Inc. Since is producing many of its products outside America in Chinese and Korean factories. Any economical crisis will highly have an impact on Apple Company. Although inflation rates will also affect the company, as well as the U.S.D value in international market will also affect the company. Socially the world has changed a lot in the last 5 years with the help of Apple’s advanced technology. Apple contributed in this social change. Apple is required to improve and develop their technologies more and more, so that they can get the highest benefit from the social changes that occur in the world. Apple is a prestige for any high class person, so they should always stay like that. Nowadays technology is improving quicker than before. Apple is considered one of the innovative companies in the world right now, so they always should utilize any development in the technology to innovate and introduce more products to the world. 2.3 Competitive environment The competitive environment is the dynamic system in which your business competes. The status of the whole system controls and sometimes limits the amount of flexibility in your business due to the world economic status. Economical crisis, shortage, and unexpected disasters affect the competitive environment. There are two types of competitive environments direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors are competitors who produce the same products as yours. They compete with you directly in order to achieve higher revenue than your company. The other type of competitive environment is the indirect competitors. Most of the organizations face competition from suppliers of different products or services. 2.3 Value creating Activities Value creating activities is the set of actions that increase the value of the product, or the service. In order to gain a competitive advantage, throughout this process the product or the service of an organization will achieve a marginal value. If these set of activities are applied properly the organization will gain a competitive advantage on their product or service. 2.3.1 Value chain analysis According to Michael porter a value chain is the set of actions that build up worth at every stage in producing the product. The cost of the product settled by the company is the total of all the expenses paid throughout all stages of producing this product. Value chain analysis is a tool applied by organization, so that they can figure out how to create a great worth for their consumers. 2.3.2 Application to Company The value chain analysis will help in determining the rate of development in Apple Inc and will also detect how Apple uses their resources. This value chain component tends to prove apple’s abilities in the technological branch. Apple was the first company to introduce a digital lifestyle hub. The history of apple is full of technological achievements. Apple operating system is considered more safe and stable than windows. Apple tends to be the best and the first in the technological products achievements. Since Apple rejected to license its operating system to other organizations, the bundled packages of the company developed hardware and software that became the basis of Apple’s production process. Apple considers productivity as an important branch of the designing process. When apple achieved a good market share growth and had a base of loyal consumers who are waiting for apple to introduce a new product, so that they can replace their old product with the new one. Apple saw that it is time for expensive P.C to enter the market. Apple concentrated on achieving more growth than before, so that they can produce a better ‘mousetrap’ all the way through its history. Customer service is one of the main things that make Apple Inc. special in the market. Actually they tend to satisfy the consumer even after buying the product by giving the consumer after sale services and warranty. Apple’s efficient customer service is one of the reasons why loyal consumers never change to another companies selling the same technology. Legally in a changeable innovative market, it is well-known for apple company that it is important to protect their copyrights and maintaining the patent, so that no one of their competitors can use any of the inventions that apple have record it under their name. In the year 2012 Samsung company was fined about 1 billion$ in favor of Apple Inc. because they used two of the invention that apple have record them as a patent. This proves that apple as a company is able to protect their rights from the competitors’ utilization. 2.4 Resource based view RVB is a tool that is used to evaluate the value of organization strategic assets. The resource based view tool is based on the idea that the efficient use of all resources that an organization collects helps in determining its competitive advantage. 2.4.1 Resources Organization resources are all the resources that allow and help a firm to apply and perform its activities. All resources that a firm has may not be strategically related. There are specific resources that are capable to put a firm in position of competitive advantage. There are four components that an organization should have in order to achieve a competitive advantage. These four components form the VRN characteristics. 2.4.2 Core Competencies (Prahald Hamel) Core competencies are a group of supplementary information, abilities, attitudes, and resources in a firm which makes performing a critical process better than other process. 2.4.3 Distinctive capabilities According to john kay distinctive capabilities are a related aspect of organization resources. Organizations with distinctive capabilities have features which other cannot imitate. To achieve a competitive advantage a company must have three distinctive capabilities architecture, reputation, and innovation. 2.4.4 Application to company Apple main resources are its brand name and marketing strategies. Apple has a good reputation in the market, although their high quality products in the market results in having a big base of loyal customer. Apple software also is one of the most resources that the company has. In a nutshell apple as a company have both tangible and intangible resources, but the intangible resources is the main reason for the company success. Apple Core Competencies analysis Adapting a viral marketing strategy from social networking websites was a great step which achieved success in making apple closer to the consumers. Customer loyalty is one of the most important competencies in Apple Company. The company was able to manage keeping their customers loyal to them by attracting them through creating such innovative products, so that customers will always wait for the new products. What makes apple so special is their high ability in protecting their new product details, although there is no any information can be leaked about apple products before introducing them. This proves that apple employees are so loyal to their company by maintaining secrecy about any information regarding new products. 2.5 Organizational performance Organizational performance is tool used to analyze an organization’s performance compared to its goals and objectives. Organizational performance consists of three essential outcomes financial performance, market performance, and shareholder value performance. 2.5.1 Measuring Coo-prate Performance Measuring corporate performance tool is used to evaluate the accomplishments of settled goals in an organization. It also detects any failure in achieving a specific goal. This tool also predicts the future performance. 2.5.2 Meeting the Needs of Stakeholders Achieving success in applying a certain strategy is evaluated through the amount of satisfaction of stakeholders and whether there needs are met or not. To satisfy stakeholders there is a short term and long term success of any business. 2.5.3 Application to company (appendix) Throughout balance sheet a company can measure its coo-prate performance, so that they can get know whether they are gaining profit or not. 3.0 strategy formulation Strategy formulation is the course of action that indicates actions that should be taken by an organization in order to achieve a specific goal. There are some certain steps that should be applied in a chronological order. These steps are as following: value assessment, vision and mission formulation, strategy design, performance audit analysis, gap analysis, action plan development, contingency planning, and implementation. Using these steps in the chronological order shall help an organization in achieving their goals. 3.1 business level strategy Business level strategy concentrates on the position of the firm in the market in compare to its competitors. It also explains the steps and actions taken by the firm in order to value their customers in order to gain a competitive advantage by utilizing essential efficiencies they have in specific products or services markets. There are four main important strategies that are used by organizations in order to gain competitive advantage over competitors. The four generic strategies are as follows: cost leadership, differentiation, focused low cost, focused differentiation. Business strategy level gives a great opportunity for an organization to gain a competitive advantage on its competitors if applied correctly. 3.1.1 Generic competitive strategy In the year 1980 Michael porter developed three generic strategies that are used by an organization in order to gain competitive advantage. These three generic strategies are: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. 3.1.2 Corporate strategy Corporate strategy is the actions a firm takes in order to achieve business success in the future. It also concentrates on the company adaptations and anticipations toward changes in the business environment. In order to apply corporate strategy it requires concentration on the firm’s activities and the nature of the business it is doing. As well as its position in the market and how wild the competition is with its competitors. 3.1.3 Growth strategy Mostly organizations always have plans for expansion in their business in order to increase revenue. Although there are specific techniques a firm must use in order to apply their growth strategy. The technique an organization use in order to apply growth strategy mostly depends on their financial status, how strong is competition between their competitors, and the rules and regulations of the government in this country. The most common growth strategies are market expansion, market penetration, diversification and acquisition, and product expansion. 3.2.2 Application to Company Apple growth strategy depends on increasing its market demand on its products through product differentiation, through producing unique and attractive products to customers. The company was able to achieve success through this strategy by keeping its brand loyalty in its highest levels. Apple concentrates on certain level of customers. Customers who wish to pay more, so that they can receive high quality products. Through product differentiation apple was able to achieve success and become one of the leading organizations in the world’s market. 4.0 Strategy Implementation Strategy implementation is considered the toughest stage in the strategic management process. Strategy implementation requires managers to apply these strategies and convert it to actions that will achieve success and high performance. 4.1 International Strategy (Organizational and environmental factors) International strategy is a strategy in which an organization introduces and sells their product in other foreign markets. The main reason for applying this strategy is because of the new opportunities an international market introduces to an organization. 4.1.1 Globalization Framework MNC’ stands for Multi National Corporation. MNC’ are organizations that have assets in other countries within its original home land. These organizations may have factories and departments in other countries, although they have a specific main head office in which they manage the organization. MNC’ organizations main goal is to maximize the wealth of shareholders. 4.1.2 Entry mode Strategies Entry mode is a strategy that allows and helps in adjusting the proper time for an organization to introduce their product in another foreign country. Applying this decision is one of the hardest processes in an organization. It may affect the company either negatively nor positively in many ways. 4.1.3 Diamond of National Advantage Porter’s diamond national advantage strategy states that the national the national advantage of a country depends on certain factors. Porter used a diamond shaped diagram to explain and state his theory. He explains the role of the national field that governments create for their business advantage. 4.1.4 Application to company Apple expanded their business through opening many retail stores around the world, having partnerships with other telecommunication companies all over the world. One of the reasons apple expanded in the last years was because of their innovative products which met the customer’s needs Although the company was able to manage their product’s cost through concentrating on certain level of customers specifically high level customers. 4.2 Corporate Governance Corporate governance is rules and policies settled in which an organization is controlled and directed. It also draws structure for an organization to achieve its goals. Actually it includes all the branches of management from planning and controlling to performance evaluation and company disclosure. 4.2.1 Board of Directors Board of directors is a committee chosen by elections in which its main role is to take the responsibility for managing a nonprofit organization. This committee is responsible for holding the funds and assets and any other property that belong to others. Board of Trustees oversees management and counseling issues facing the organization. 4.2.2 Executive Compensation Actually compensation for executive manager is not the same as compensations for normal employees. This happens in mostly all organizations. The executive compensation includes the CEO, CFO, the vice president, and the upper- level managers. These employees are treated in a quite different way from other employees. Their salary and compensation are negotiable and are stated and recorded in the contract. The contract records their salary, compensation, and bonuses. 4.3 Application to company Apple’s board of directors main mission is to assure that the shareholder’s interests are being served. They set standards to ensure the company’s success through maintaining high standards of responsibility and ethics. 5.0 Conclusion Strategic management gives an organization a creative ability in shaping and drawing its future in the market. It gives an organization the ability to launch and create a plan rather than responding to actions, so that they control their destiny. Nowadays any manager or a business owner controlling an organization has recognized the importance of strategic management and the benefits gained from it. Organizations that apply strategic management in their company plans will have high performance levels than companies that aren’t applying this strategy.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Chinua Achebe and the Language of the Colonizer Essay -- Essays Papers

Chinua Achebe and the Language of the Colonizer A powerful instrument of control used by the colonizing powers is the instrument of language. Language forms a huge part of the culture of a people - it is through their language that they express their folk tales, myths, proverbs, history. For this reason, the imperial powers invariably attempted to stamp out native languages and replace them with their own. As Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin point out, there are two possible responses to this control - rejection or subversion. (The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, London: Routledge, 1995. 284) While Ngugi Wa Thiong’o is famous for advocating outright rejection of the colonialist language, believing that this rejection is central to the anti-imperialist struggle, Chinua Achebe has chosen the idea of subversion rather than rejection. According to Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, his writing â€Å"displays a process by which the language is made to bear the weight and texture of a different experience. In doing so it becomes anothe r language.† In The African Trilogy, Achebe uses the language of the colonizer to convey the Igbo experience of that colonization. The idioms, proverbs and imagery of these books all invoke his Eastern Nigerian culture, forcing the reader to accept on Achebe’s (linguistic) terms, the story he has to tell. Any reader of The African Trilogy comes away with at least a limited knowledge of Igbo words and phrases. Some words such as obi, chi, osu, and egwugwu be... Chinua Achebe and the Language of the Colonizer Essay -- Essays Papers Chinua Achebe and the Language of the Colonizer A powerful instrument of control used by the colonizing powers is the instrument of language. Language forms a huge part of the culture of a people - it is through their language that they express their folk tales, myths, proverbs, history. For this reason, the imperial powers invariably attempted to stamp out native languages and replace them with their own. As Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin point out, there are two possible responses to this control - rejection or subversion. (The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, London: Routledge, 1995. 284) While Ngugi Wa Thiong’o is famous for advocating outright rejection of the colonialist language, believing that this rejection is central to the anti-imperialist struggle, Chinua Achebe has chosen the idea of subversion rather than rejection. According to Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, his writing â€Å"displays a process by which the language is made to bear the weight and texture of a different experience. In doing so it becomes anothe r language.† In The African Trilogy, Achebe uses the language of the colonizer to convey the Igbo experience of that colonization. The idioms, proverbs and imagery of these books all invoke his Eastern Nigerian culture, forcing the reader to accept on Achebe’s (linguistic) terms, the story he has to tell. Any reader of The African Trilogy comes away with at least a limited knowledge of Igbo words and phrases. Some words such as obi, chi, osu, and egwugwu be...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Sartre’s Criticisms on Human Essence in the Light of Aristotle’s Philosophy

Our ability to engage in abstraction is, indubitably, a unique gift endowed to our human cognition. And the reason for such a telling contention is near to being self-evident: i. e. , only human persons have the ability to see through otherwise distinct and separate entities, a unifying concept that reveals these things’ common nature, if not their defining essence. To this end, it is necessary to point that our human intellect’s preponderance to abstracting the essences is another facet of human cognition. This is because knowing, akin to seeing, affords us an immediate grasp of reality’s nature and purpose; for by the mere experience of something, say a table, we almost instantly furnish ourselves with a working concept about the thing’s essence – i. e. , we ‘know’ what a table is, what is it for. Thus, it makes sense to say that abstracting essences form part and parcel of both the intuitive and inductive process of a person’s ability to know reality. Our understanding of the concept of essence draws chiefly from the scheme provided by the Greek metaphysics. And herein it would insightful to take cue from Aristotle’s ‘hylemorphic’ framework. According to Aristotle, anything that exists – say, a tree or a dog – is constituted of both an existence and an essence; i. e. , all things both have material and formal constitutions. On the one hand, existence pertains to the act of being, or the facticity of a thing. For example, that table is being actual right when one sees it. On the other hand, essence pertains to the nature of a certain thing. It is that which makes a thing to be what it is; an abstracted concept which makes us see the connection between the entities that we are perceiving (say, a table) and the other things (say, a classroom filled with tables) belonging to the same genre or species (Lavine 71). Essence thus defines the nature of a certain thing or describes the aspect proper to the same. If we proceed with this line of argumentation, we can go on to claim that one can apply the concept of essence to pertain to reality of human persons. From here, we can move to identify conspicuous aspects which may be deemed ‘proper to human persons’, so as to glean what we may call â€Å"human essence† – i. e. , that a person is an existing being, that he shows characteristic elements proper to animals, but that he possess a faculty of intellect and freewill proper to him and him alone. In the ultimate analysis, one can say that the essence defining a human person lies in framing him as a living creature that shares certain characteristic traits of animals, but is endowed nevertheless with the unique faculty of intellect and freewill. Key to this process, it must be argued, is describing the determinate aspects of his very existence. To be sure, we may still identify a good number of characteristic elements that could equally describe what it means to be human person. And surely, we cannot stop at construing fundamental animality and rationality as aspects that sufficiently capture the â€Å"whatness† of humanity; for the reasoned construction of human essences does not entail that we have completely circumscribed the total reality of human persons. That having said, Jean Paul Sartre believes that humanity has no fixed essence. In other words, he believes that humanity cannot be framed within the parameters of determinateness or the limits we impose by construing human essences. At the very least, Sartre contends that we cannot define the contours of what it means to be a person because our freedom determines the unique manner of our very existence. J. Sartre’s contention fundamentally draws from his concept of absolute human freedom. A thinker who belongs to the erstwhile group of philosophers known as Existentialists, Sartre’s philosophy puts higher premium than most on appreciating human existence as a concrete and perpetual striving for one’s own becoming (Marias 436). This means that, for Sartre, we as human persons must constantly appreciate the fact we exist, more than the fact that we have an essence to frame our subsequent courses of actions. Sartre believes that â€Å"we are necessarily free†, and that the burden of â€Å"making† our own human essence lies in the choices that we make (Marias 440). Put in layman’s terms, Sartre believes that our freedom is absolute, and that, even more importantly, the choices we make determine the kind of person that we are. In a way, Sartre reverses the logic of human essence – i. e. , human actions does not flow from one’s own essence; instead, human essence is molded by the actions that we as persons commit to doing. For such reason, and as mentioned earlier, Sartre believes that humanity has no fixed essence. And insofar as the concrete form of our human essence takes cue only from the activities which human persons do, Sartre rests his case on the plain assumption that one’s life cannot be placed within any restricting concepts of essence, for any reason whatsoever (Marias 440-441). There are reasons to think, however, that Sartre may have framed human freedom quite radically and that his wholesale denial of an identifiable human essence may have been taken quite drastically. To this end, strains of Aristotle’s philosophy may be helpful in shedding light into some of the oversights Sartre may have committed in denying the tenability of human essence on account of absolute freedom. Firstly, it may be insightful to be reminded of the fact that Aristotle understands human essence as an aspect of life that does not effectively restrict human capacity to determine one’s path according to the sets of actions a person may willingly opt for. Human essence merely speaks of the kind or quality of existence which is construable from and identifiable in a certain thing (Lavine 71). It merely serves to help man appreciate what kind of creature he is by way of categories and definitions. Conversely, the concept of human essence does not, in any whatsoever, imply an absolute determination of human reality according to these set of classification or categorization. An example may help further situate the conundrum: when someone thinks of man as essentially a spiritual being – i. e. , the capacity for spiritual relations with God belongs properly to the characteristic trait of humanity – one does not rule out the possibility of not believing in God all together. Instead, one merely makes a statement about the humanity’s general preponderance to worshipping a deity, notwithstanding personal choice to dissent. The same goes true for human essence. Sartre thinks that humanity has not a fixed essence on account of a human freedom that determines a resulting human nature. Unfortunately for Sartre, human essence and human freedom are not mutually exclusive. In fact, a person’s freedom is only affirmed, if not accentuated by the fact that the human essence is defined by a tacit acknowledgement of man’s of basic rationality and capacity for freewill. Secondly, Sartre’s contention that human persons have no fixed essence is certainly difficult to argue precisely because human freedom is really not absolute and that humanity’s basic essence does not depend on human choice but on what nature has fundamentally given. Two aspects come into play with in this particular rebuttal. In the first place, Sartre may have taken human freedom quite radically in arguing that it our capacity to determine ourselves must be taken in absolute terms – i. e. , we can do whatever we wish; besides, we are the ones determining our resulting essence in the process. This, unfortunately, is untenable. For instance, if I, born as a human person, were to choose living like a dog, I would probably find certain dog-like activities incongruent with my natural bodily processes. I would find it difficult to bark, let alone walk in a four-legged manner; as these are not consistent with how was I born and raised. The point in contention here lies in arguing that human freedom, contrary to Sartre’s arguments, cannot be taken as an absolute determinant of human nature. On the contrary one may find it difficult to deliberately deviate from the demands of our basic human essence. Such difficulty should bring us more into an appreciation of our human nature not really as an aspect dependent on human choice, but an aspect that is made perfect by the choices that we make. Herein Aristotle’s teleological philosophy appears to take shape. According to Aristotle, essence precedes actions, or essence precedes existence; and that the perfection of all actions comes when they fulfill the essence in question (Marias 74). For instance, when a person uses critical thinking before making a judgment, such an act can be considered as a perfection of the man’s nature as a rational entity. The point in contention here lies in arguing that we cannot really do away with human nature. On the contrary, our actions must run consistent with it; for only when we act according to our nature can our actions be perfected according to our essence. By way of conclusion, I wish to end with a thought that dismisses Sartre’s contention – i. . , that humanity cannot find a common essence proper to himself and himself alone – on account of its patent inability to take into account the true state of human affairs. In the discussions that were developed, it was learned that Sartre’s refutation of human essence stems from his belief that human freedom is absolute, and that human persons are the ones molding their respective essences. However, there are surely good reasons to think that this p hilosophical stances does not hold water. First, it has been argued that the concept of human essence does not in any way defeat the reality of human freedom. Human nature and human freedom, it was argued, are not mutually exclusive. Second, Sartre appears to have neglected the fact that human freedom cannot be equated with the capacity to do what one wishes, regardless of what nature has already given. There is no such thing as an absolute freedom. And in the final analysis, we have to admit that we are bound by a certain essence, no matter how hard try to deviate from it.