Parkinsonism and other Extrapyramidal Diseases Essay

Parkinsonism and other Extrapyramidal Diseases - Essay Example Generally, I did as well as could be expected with what I was given. The typical elements of the human basal ganglia have to a great extent been concluded from the investigation of useful issues related with damaging or irritative sores. To an enormous degree, the shortages are in engine work and, consequently, the extrapyramidal framework and basal ganglia have been related with development issue. Significant interconnections of the basal ganglia are the nigrostriatal pathway, and the ansa and fasciculus lenticularis, and the fasciculus thalamicus, which interconnect the globus pallidus and the ventral sidelong and ventral front (VL-VA) cores of the thalamusand the VL-VA thalamocortical strands, the subthalamopallidal pathway, striatopallidal filaments, and cerebellothalamic interconnections Parkinson's sickness, first depicted by James Parkinson in 1817, is one of the most significant incapacitating ailments of later life. It is evaluated to influence 1% of 70-year-olds, but at the same time is seen in more youthful individuals, with 10% of cases happening before the age of 50. Parkinson's illness is one of the most widely recognized neurodegenerative infections, however evaluating its rate and commonness is tricky, since there is no 'throughout everyday life' marker for idiopathic Parkinson's sickness; assessments of the yearly frequency of Parkinson's malady are in the scope of 4 to 20 for each 100000 people. A generally acknowledged figure for the commonness of Parkinson's infection is around 200 for each 100,000 populaces. In the UK, there are around 120,000 to 130,000 analyzed cases, however there might be a lot more that stay undiscovered. In the USA, it is assessed that somewhere in the range of 750,000 and 1.5 million individuals have the ailment. ( Ref) Age, Sex, and Ethnicity Both the occurrence and pervasiveness of Parkinson's infection increment with age, and the commonness might be as high as 1 of every 50 for patients beyond 80 years old years. Men are 1.5 occasions more probable than ladies to build up the condition are. Emergency clinic based investigations have recommended that Parkinson's sickness is less regular operating at a profit populace. Pathology The principle neurotic component of Parkinson's malady is the degeneration of neuromelanin-containing neurons in the standards compacta of the substantia nigra. Assessment with the unaided eye uncovers paleness of this region, which is affirmed minutely by a checked diminishing in the quantity of neuromelanin-containing cells and the nearness of Lewy bodies in the remaining nigral neurons. Degeneration of pigmented neurons in the brainstem isn't restricted to the nigra yet reaches out to the locus ceruleus and the dorsal engine core of the vagus. Neuronal Degeneration The reason for neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's illness is obscure. The powerless neurons are situated in astroglial-poor locales, for example, the ventral level. Glia may offer neuroprotection by giving neurotrophic factors that forestall cell passing. A few theories for neuronal degeneration have been proposed, including: oxidative pressure, prompted by dopamine digestion or different elements deficient mitochondrial vitality digestion excitotoxin-and xenobiotic-related cell passing customized cell passing (apoptosis) to the average

HR Role in Business Planning -Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the HR Role in Business arranging utilizing Walton and Burgonyne'e model. Answer: A key arrangement can be supposed to be a dream taken for the advancement of the association so as to increase a positive turn in the serious market. The arrangement is to be set out for the accompanying 2 to 5 years. The arrangement is to be created by the supervisors for the organization and to be executed by the HR professionals[1]. The experts in the HR office need to function as a piece of the key arranging as all representatives would have the option to execute the vital strategic the association. The HR would be answerable for assuming all the liability for the association. Associating the individuals of the association and the thoughts into a solitary restricting arrangement would have the option to help the association for the culmination of the key arrangement. The HRs job is to acquire new thoughts into the organization. The HR ought to have the option to comprehend the best possible working thoughts of the advanced vital making arrangements for the improvement of the admi nistration slants in the organization. After the production of the vital arrangement there should be association of the arrangement to the goal and the working system of the organization so the arrangement can be effectively executed[2]. Beating the obstructions during the execution is significant in order to battle the weight of disappointment of the arrangement. The utilization of the HR job in an organization can help during the time spent bringing the best possible activities for the creation of the capital improvement in the organization. References Bratton, John, and Jeff Gold.Human asset the board: hypothesis and practice. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Kerzner, Harold, and Harold R. Kerzner. Task the executives: a frameworks way to deal with arranging, planning, and controlling. John Wiley Sons, 2017. Kerzner, Harold, and Harold R. Kerzner. Task the board: a frameworks way to deal with arranging, planning, and controlling. John Wiley Sons, 2017. Bratton, John, and Jeff Gold.Human asset the executives: hypothesis and practice. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

Startup Hubs Around the World Paris

Startup Hubs Around the World Paris The City of Love. The City of Lights. Paname. The birthplace of fashion. Paris has many identities, and is looking to add another one to its list of names: Top Ten Global Start-up Hub. Long known for its trendsetting fashions, its culinary delights and its artistic endeavors, Paris has much to offer its residents and visitors. Recently, however, officials in Paris began to express an active interest in leading the start-up tech market, and they are taking steps to ensure that they get their wish. © Shutterstock.com | beboyIn this article, we’ll explore Paris’ 1) location, 2) tax incentives, 3) legal incentives, 4) investors, 5) local resources, 6) specialization of the city, and 7) startups to watch in the future.LOCATION © Wikipedia commonsThe capital city of France, Paris is the most populated city in the country. Located in central northern France, Paris is one of the world’s premier tourist destinations and boasts a population of over 2.2 million people. The location of the city adds to the idea that Paris can be a powerhouse within the startup community and brings a set of benefits and advantages that other cities may not have.Geographical benefitsFormally established in 1860, Paris has a rich history that can be seen in its architecture and thriving cultural activities. Living in the city of lights, residents can benefit from a community that is bustling with creativity and excitement. A solid infrastructure provides the necessary technology for the startups, and the city offers much in the way of living arrangements, transportation, as well as green spaces such as parks and gardens.Advantages to choose the cityResidents and visitors to the city can take advantage of the wide range of transpo rtation modes that are available. Two international airports serve the city, making it possible to find a flight in (or out) of Paris at virtually any time. It serves as the hub of France’s highway network, and has three major roads that surround the city â€" proving essential for automobile transportation. Additionally, the subway system (the Paris Metro) transports over 5 million people daily, making transportation within the city fast and easy.There is much to appreciate about the city â€" the world-class cuisine, the trend-setting fashions and the vast opportunities to explore the arts of some of the world’s masters all combine to create an environment conducive to creativity and design. The same qualities and features that draw millions to the city annually as tourists are enticement for entrepreneurs who want to be in the middle of the action. Paris is city that hustles â€" the entrepreneur will fit right in.TAX INCENTIVESOne of the interesting facets to Paris’ push to b ecome a global leader among startups is the discrepancy between their reputation and the words of the government. In 2013, France moved to raise capital gains on investors who cashed out of companies. Entrepreneurs protested, claiming that the move only served to reinforce the unfriendly business practices and high taxation rates that startups in France have to pay.When given the choice of Paris, with its high taxes or another European city with lower taxes and greater governmental assistance, entrepreneurs predict that they’ll be heading for other European cities. French officials, however, claim that such remarks are really a result of ‘French bashing’ and that the country does offer tax cuts. A large lobby group cites high corporate taxes and labor market complexities among other reasons for the city’s inability to make it to the top of the list of startup hubs.The truth is France does offer tax incentives for entrepreneurs. The incentives they offer, however, don’t beg in to compare to the incentives that are offered by other countries. In an effort to revitalize the city’s appeal to entrepreneurs, French officials have taken the tax code and began tweaking the strict code to offer additional incentives. Unfortunately, this may be adding to the problem. One of the biggest criticisms about Paris as a startup is the continually changing tax codes which are difficult to understand. Recent legislation has indicated the possibility of new tax incentives for this up and coming startup hub city, a change that would be welcomed by all French entrepreneurs.To attract the high caliber entrepreneurs that Paris needs to become the top start-up hub, tax incentives must be instituted that are consistent, fair, and attractive to start-ups.How to be an Auto-Entrepreneur (Sole Proprietorship) in Paris LEGAL INCENTIVESWith the reputation that Paris has of being anti-business, it is interesting that they are a highly successful startup hub already. Paris has enter ed an important state of development and is working hard to convince people that the new method of doing business in Paris is here to stay. The legalities of starting a business in Paris are surprisingly easy to navigate.Currently, any entrepreneur among the provinces (within the European Council countries) is eligible to start a business in any EU country. The process has been streamlined so it is typically only three days from filing to startup â€" and the paperwork can all be completed in one location, making it easy to accomplish.For the entrepreneur who wishes to startup in Paris, the process is undergoing a restructuring, thanks to an aggressive plan outlined by the French minister. When his plan is fully implemented, Paris will be well on their way to accomplish its goal of becoming the largest tech startup in Europe â€" rivaling Silicon Valley, London’s Tech City and Berlin’s Silicon Allee.His eight step plan includes establishing a tech sector within the city that is in ternational in scope and is convenient to the cities amenities, offering real estate incentives for startups that move into the tech sector and upgrading the internet capabilities within the sector. Incubators and physical hub stations within the sector would be designed to provide startups with the necessary resources, along with a political brand to promote the tech hub and a government department specifically to support and develop the tech hub.Additionally, an entrepreneur visa was introduced that will allow for residence permits to be processed quickly for individuals who offer expertise and experience in the tech industry. This will help to clear the way for foreign tech employees who need (or want) to move to Paris for their tech related job â€" they will be able to move quickly through the visa process and obtain the necessary paperwork.INVESTORSParis has a foundation of working with investors, but over the last few months, one investor in particular has taken an interest in Paris’ startup market and he’s prepared to put his money into the city to prove it.Xavier Niel, a French billionaire, has plans to convert a railway station into one of the world’s largest incubators with room for over 1,000 entrepreneurs. The project, called 1000start-ups, is a joint project between Niel and the French government. With a building over 32,000 feet it will be equipped with computer lab stations, an auditorium, a boardroom and a workshop to build digital prototypes.Along with the startup hub that Niel is helping to develop, Niel is also getting ready for the newest tech development center on the market that he co-founded with other investors. École 42, the project, is a 3 â€" 5 year training program for individuals between the ages of 18 to 30 year olds. A free school that teaches computer services, Niel helps place graduates in tech jobs around France.Kima15 is Niel’s accelerator program that moves a startup through due diligence with the goal of expediting the application process. The two week-time period is a good introduction to the network of investors and entrepreneurs in the city already, and the startup is fast tracked for the opportunity to receive $150,000 in funds.Additional investors are also present in Paris, although there seems to be a gap in the funding cycle. For the initial startup and venture capital stages, there is an abundance of investors available. The later stages, however, are lacking in investors.A political move recently that indicated a change in capital gain taxes threatens to overturn the hard work being done by other initiatives trying to bring work to the capital. New investments in the city’s entrepreneurs have dropped, and efforts must be taken to replenish their supply and their faith in the city.LOCAL RESOURCESParis has a wealth of successful startup neighbors: London, Berlin, Dublin, and they have successful startup hubs as well. If the major cities worked together to develop a strategy for how t hey interact with each other, there would be no stopping the effort. The resources for a successful startup hub are already located within the city of Paris, the city just needs to find out how to accelerate their use.A rich artistic culture, Paris is famous for the number of art students who flock to the city to enjoy the museums and hone their craft. With the growing fields of tech industries, artistry is becoming more and more important. Paris holds an advantage with the large number of artists locally available.Entrepreneurs are looking for quality, inexpensive living arrangements that can double as office space as needed, or can otherwise be used as a multipurpose living space. The large tech zones are filled with apartments, multi-purpose facilities and studios that are perfect for the budding entrepreneur.Inspiration abounds within this fascinating city â€" and the entrepreneur who takes advantage of the culture may find that they not only enjoy their city but they are able t o creatively solve problems.Paris is funneling money into funds to support venture capital firms. Startup entrepreneurs can receive up to 70 percent of their salary for two years when they start a company.Beyond the beauty of the city, there is beauty in a place that is not content to rest on the past â€" Paris has committed itself to move forward into the next century and refuses to let anything get in its way.SPECIALIZATIONParis has a vast sea of choices for entrepreneurs who wish to startup in the city to choose from. There is a strong fashion industry, high finance industry and other industries that all help to create the sense of being put in the middle of a hive of activity. Government officials, however, have their eye on the tech startup industry, and are taking steps to bring more technology minded individuals to the city.By increasing the startup hub technology zone, the city will draw more people who are looking for a place to build new technology. Strengthening the inter net capabilities would allow for additional entrepreneurs to do great things without worrying about if the connection can handle the graphics and other intricate programming the startups need.With the government’s inclination to become the next Silicon Valley, Paris is sending a clear message â€" the Tech scene is happening in Paris. College campuses, hubs and other resources are all promoting the technology sector, which helps to attract additional entrepreneurs to the city.One of the key issues that Paris will have in their quest for specialization is the tendency among French companies to be resistant to change. French companies hesitate to change the way things have always been done, and are slow to adopt new technology or other new ideas. This must change in the future if they want to specialize in a market that can change by the day. Another issue that Paris will have is the refusal to use English on any of their advertisements, etc. Trying to become a global powerhouse is a lmost impossible if none of the materials that Paris releases are in English. Simply translating the material that is made for a global market into English will go a long way in attracting entrepreneurs as well as investors.STARTUPS TO WATCHPretty Simple Games â€" Criminal Case is the brainchild of the dynamic duo that runs Pretty Simple Games. With their debut game hitting the market in December, by June of the following year they had amassed over 9.4 million active workers around the world.BlaBlaCar â€" The city of Paris is teeming with people on the roads, subways and highways. By developing a ride share program, the founder has over 17 million customers who all use the computer based program to find a ride, find a passenger or simply to check on traffic.Withings â€" A mobile app, Withings offers you a series of health and wellness apps that can help you take better care of yourself â€" through internet. What you eat, how you exercise, it’s all handled through the interactive a pp.Jolicloud â€" A new computing system, this one is entirely designed to help you keep your head (and your shoes) off the ground and into the cloud. Jolicloud has created a computing platform that maintains all its records and information secure in the cloud, making it accessible from anywhere.Leetchi â€" Tired of trying to figure out the bill when a group of friends goes out to dinner? Leetchi is a group payment plan method that can make it simple to collect the money and pay in one lump sum. Social payment platform makes collecting money, and paying for everyone in the group a piece of cake.Devialet â€" With singleminded focus, Devialet is producing high-end amplifiers. The analog/digital system improves the quality of the sound, and it seems to be working.Melty â€" A social media platform, Melty is a free online community platform for teens. Twelve specialized channels are devoted to topics ranging from fashion to food.Mindie â€" A video app that promises to be the next MTV for the mobile generation, Mindie is the second attempt to create a video app, and so far, Mindie is filming success â€" their funding is over 1.2 million and counting. Image credit:  Wikipedia commons under Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

A Theoretical Review Of Global Stratification - 913 Words

Molly Hartlage Professor Michelle Crist Sociology 1010, Introduction to Sociology 11 December 2015 A Theoretical Review of Global Stratification Global stratification is defined as social inequality throughout the world. It is an unequal distribution of wealth and poverty, of resources and opportunities. Global stratification is much greater than social stratification in the United States or in any single nation and continues to increase. The poorest people in the United States have a much higher quality of life than most other people in the world. As a result of this global inequality, countries are classified into three categories, high-income, middle-income, and low-income, based on per capita gross national income and overall†¦show more content†¦Because developing countries are less prepared and often located in tropical regions, these poor countries are hit hard by climate change in the form of droughts, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters. Also, poor, developing countries do not have the means to invest in modern energy. In the article, â€Å"A Paris Climate D eal Must Address Global Inequality,† Singh argues that developed countries must take responsibility for their contribution to climate change and pledge to do more to improve the conditions. She says that high-income countries not only have the finances to support a transition to clean energy, but also a moral and legal obligation to fix the problem they have created (Singh 1-5). In the context of globalization, or interaction between people, companies, and governments of different countries driven by international trade, global inequality matters because it parallels the asymmetrical globalization that limits poor countries. This asymmetry only increases the gap between rich and poor countries. Low-income countries have little opportunity to improve because they have inadequate means and opportunities. Inequality affects both economic and social growth and poverty. For low-income countries, the inequality is reflected in poor social and civic institutions. These incapable inst itutions, in turn, do little to improve conditions. Global market failures and

Should Student Loan Debt Be A National Crisis - 865 Words

Although many people are considering student loan debt to be a national crisis, we must understand the reality behind it. Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to make it through college without accumulating debt. In Robin Wilson’s essay, â€Å"A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely†, she makes a compelling argument that shows how students get involved with really high debt. She claims, â€Å"†¦the problem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream college, no matter what the cost (257).† It is a true statement because students want to turn their dream into a reality. All students can reach their goal of attending a dream college by first choosing a community college in order to decrease the amount of student loans. Many students plan to go to their dream college; however they don’t take into account if they will have a job that will pay them enough money in the future to pay off their loans. A c ommunity college would be beneficial because it will act as a gateway to direct students to a job before starting their dream college. That path would provide the student with an opportunity to save up money while being in school to pay off their student loans. Wilson has a similar argument stating, â€Å"Many borrowers who find themselves in trouble use options under the federal loan program that allows them to postpone repayments on their loans for years. The problem is that because interest keeps racking up during such a deferment and afterShow MoreRelatedStudent Loan Crisis Is A Crisis870 Words   |  4 Pagesthousand dollars in student loans. (Johnson, â€Å"Student Loans†) There is currently a debate about whether or not student loans are a crisis or if this crisis is just a myth. 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The results of this outstanding amount of debt does not just affect theRead MoreThe Vicious Cycle Of Student Loans1576 Words   |  7 PagesCycle of Student Loans Student loans are one of the top three national debts in the United States. Total student loans have reached an outstanding of one trillion dollars and are still on going. It would take the United States hundred-fifty years, twenty million dollars a day to fully cover this national debt. Student loans are intended for students to go to college but they come with a rising social and economic cost. As the expectancy of high return and tuition are increasing, more students are endingRead MoreThe National Student Loan Debt1571 Words   |  7 Pagesjust added to the national student loan debt. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, college debt now ranks second in the greatest debt owed besides a home mortgage. Unfortunately, the affordability of obtaining a post-secondary education no longer exists. Americans are now faced with over $ 1 trillion dollars in student debt. With such a huge escalation in college debt, we are facing a generation where over 50% of graduates wi ll owe debt (McDaniel). While having debt after graduationRead MoreThe Nationwide Student Debt Crisis967 Words   |  4 PagesFact or Fiction: The Nationwide Student Debt Crisis In the United States, it is generally accepted that college (or any form of higher education for that matter) is a wise investment that each and every individual should strive for. Each and every year thousands of parents open college funds and future investment plans to ensure that once their child is of age he or she can participate in quality educational programs. While college attendance rates are at a positive all-time high, right behind itRead MoreMiddle And Working Class Family s Depend On Student Loans Essay1546 Words   |  7 Pages Initial Draft Student Loan Debts Terri Gray Chamberlain college of Nursing â€Æ' Prewriting Assignment What is your narrowed topic? Middle and working class family’s depend on student loans. Loans are the only way to an education for many families not only here in the USA. Also I find it interesting that most minority families do not understand the cost of education. 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The TED talk in which Sajay Samuel brings forth his ideas for addressing the student debt crisis, is labeled â€Å"How College Loans Exploit Students for Profit† (Sajay Samuel). Sajay Samuel believes if tuition was based on the income that the student’s family makes, studying what someone loves would be easier to achieve. Sajay Samuel’s aspirations for restructuringRead MoreSolving The Student Debt Crisis Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe student debt crisis has reached an all time high with debt reaching a total of 1.3 trillion dollars across the United States.With tuition cost increasing,lack of scholarships and an increase of government loans,student debt will continue to increase.The enormous amount of debt put upon each student creates the inability o f those students to help the economy grow.Our economy as we know it is in shambles and decreasing the student debt significantly will help the economy grow.Instead of debt owersRead MoreStudent Loan Is A Terrible Idea1308 Words   |  6 PagesStudent loan forgiveness is a terrible idea. Sure, in an idealistic world it would be great if the country could forgive all student loan debt and thus bring relief to all students across the nation. Realistic? Not necessarily! 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Corporate Social Responsibility Airplanes and Airline Industry Free Essays

In 1978, The Airline Deregulation Act was purposed and signed by President Jimmy Carter. This federal law came into existence for two main reasons; stated by Carter (1978), â€Å"to help our fight against inflation, and to ensure American citizens of an opportunity for low-priced air transportation. Today’s motives in the airline industry go way beyond economic decisions for themselves as well as their shareholders. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Social Responsibility: Airplanes and Airline Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nowadays, businesses are an essential part of society and the airline industry must exceed their compliance of legislation and obligations of what is expected of them and focus on the interests of society. In doing so, they must perform corporate social responsibility that will help improve the community, society’s youth, charity, education, and also our planet. This corporate social responsibility should not be an option but rather an obligation, as that they play an essential role in creating goodwill, a positive image, and a competitive edge for the industry. Corporate social responsibility also increases sustainability by assisting the industry in achieving its goals and increasing long-term shareholder value. One company that exhibits this corporate social responsibility is JetBlue. They are dedicated to serving the needs of America’s youth as well as their community. Ian Deason, the director of airport operations, stated that â€Å"Flying is our core business†¦ our core values include caring, integrity and passion. † The company will continue to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility in April 2013 by hosting their third annual â€Å"Wings for Autism† event at their Boston Logan International Airport location. The program is designed to introduce the possibility of flight travel to children with autism and give their families an opportunity to practice the boarding process, become familiar with the plane, and interact with the pilots and crewmembers. Crewmembers will team up with autism experts at The Charles River Center, where they will be trained to exemplify the expected and unexpected needs of families with children who are autistic. Since the program started in 2010, more than 400 families in the Boston area have been able to participate in the program which the company plans on providing to other cities in the near future (McFadden). JetBlue also partners with many nonprofit organizations. One in particular is KaBOOM, an organization that constructs innovative kid inspired playground areas for communities. This past March, following the occurrence of Hurricane Sandy the partnership hosted a design day in the Sandy impacted city of Long Beach, NY in which children were able to sit down with team members and assist in the design of a playground that will be constructed there in May of 2013. JetBlue plans to expand this program to other affected cites and since their partnership with KaBOOM in 2006 they have helped build a total of 13 playgrounds, engaged 2,636 volunteers and provided a safe place for children to play in cities across the airline’s network (BlueTales). Moreover, JetBlue isn’t the only airline that is signifying their corporate social responsibly to the community. Transaero, an airline company in Russia implements many charitable programs. In 2012, the company’s corporate social responsibility program made the top three in Russia and they were also assigned the top AAA(s) corporate social responsibility rating. Transaero supports children with cancer as well as their families. They offer camps where children can receive medical and psychological rehabilitation and also fund a year round facility in Moscow, where children and their parents can receive legal aid. With cancer treatments and airfare being rather expensive, the company offers free flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg or even abroad so that the children can receive their needed treatment. Also many of the airlines employees are regular blood donors and make regular visits to hospitals and cancer centers to visit with sick children. Olga Pleshakova, the company’s CEO stated that â€Å"volunteering is not just about the company’s social responsibility program, but is an integral part of its HR policy that allows employees to show their best sides and develop their potential†¦the social initiatives of employees should be met with understanding and support by management† (Tveritina). Oman Air and AirBus are two other foreign airline companies. Both are committed to inspire and educate today’s youth by providing them with an appreciation for science and technology. The two airlines joined forces back in March of 2013 and created â€Å"The Little Engineer† workshop. The workshops were conducted at Sultan Private School and Azzan Bin Qais International  School in Oman and gave young Omani students a first-hand look into the world of engineering and encouraged them to pursue a future career in aviation. (Awal). Furthermore, as mentioned above the airline industry can safeguard our planet by exercising their corporate social responsibility by â€Å"going green†. Air France-KLM is one company in particular that focuses on this issue. For eight consecutive years the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has ranked Air France-KLM transport leader in terms of sustainable development in the airline sector. This merit is awarded to 19 of the most responsible companies in the world, each in their own area of activity. Air France’s environmental efforts reduce 400 tons of waste each year (Amstelveen). Air France reduces environmental wastes by recycling old uniforms as well as 80% of inflight articles. An environmental and social approach was used in designing their new inflight, reusable headphones. After a flight, the recovered headphones are cleaned and repackaged by a company that now employs 50 additional disabled workers thanks to the efforts of Air France. Also, with pollution being a huge issue in the aviation industry Air France is conducting research with experts to create more sustainable biofuels that will cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and provide a more fruitful planet for society (The Financial). Additionally, the airline industry has been global before anyone even considered globalization. According to the article â€Å"The Airlines Global Dilemma†, international travel has been around since the early 1900s. Chalks Ocean Airways had routine trips to the Bahamas and Pam Am had international routes to countries such as China, Japan, and Philippines in the 1930s. International flights are the airlines best chance to make a profit as well because international flights have the most margins. â€Å"The Airlines Global Dilemma† article also highlights one key aspect to the globalization of this particular industry and is unlike any other industry, for the traditional airlines, globalization is not an opportunity, but the gravest threat. The reason for this is partially laws, environmental uncertainty and complexity. In the United States, there is a restriction on how much equity can be held by a non-American. The government keeps it at 25% and the United States is not the only country that does this. There are many different laws of that the airlines have to deal with. European laws are the only laws that favor cross border mergers. Mergers for airline companies make a lot of sense business wise if they can be done. If a merger is not possible, many companies do route-by-route joint ventures. The main reason to do a joint venture is to gain access to areas that companies are weak. Joint ventures are service agreements where on specific routes the companies share costs and profits. The joint ventures tend to be harder for he bigger companies to produce but it is a very good way for smaller companies to stay competitive. Through multi-lateral communication, groups of smaller international companies can almost act as a virtual airline itself. The airline market also has many threats. There is the threat of new entrants and threats of substitution that American airlines have to deal with. The air space is getting very crowded for the American airlines so the threat of new entrants is very real. There are many companies that are entering the market with many strategies. Poland’s international airline is an example of company with a differentiation strategy. They are the first airline in Europe to have Boeing’s new 787 according to AirGuide Business. The 787 Dreamliner is supposed to be more fuel efficient and more comfortable for passengers compared to older plane designs. There are also companies from the Middle East with strong growth strategies and a distinct competitive advantage. The new airlines from the Middle East are capitalized with government funds, running virtually tax free, equipped with new fleets operating out of new airports, are non-union, and offer top notch service according to Airlines Global Dilemma. The airlines in the United States also have strong completion from within by low cost strategy companies. The threat of substitution is most prevalent by companies like Delta-Northwest and United-Continental. American Airlines is a great example of a company currently in Chapter 11 which needs to restructure, cut labor costs, and merge with US Airways. According to an article in Time Magazine, American Airlines labor cost was 4. 4 cents, Delta 3. 4 cents, and United 3. 7 cents per available seat mile. That difference results in billions of dollars and probably contributed to American Airlines’ two billion dollars in loss last year. According to Fortune, the merger should eliminate 1. 25 billion in labor costs. Not only do the airline carriers have to deal with globalization but also have deal with airplane makers. Boeing, for instance, has a very different problem than companies like American Airlines and Delta. Boeing has too many orders to fill which could possibly give this supplier stronger bargaining power. Boeing owes it buyers 2845 planes and is only building 35 planes per onth. At that rate, it will take Boeing six years to fill those orders and that is only if they do not get any more orders during that time. Management for Boeing needs to stress efficiency. They have made promises to increase production to 60 planes per month. Even at 60 planes per month that still leaves potential buyers waiting for quite a while and that could cause them to seek other internatio nal suppliers. Many buyers may go to Europe’s company Airbus or even try to newer companies such as Canada’s Bombardier according to AirGuide. In 2000 the United States Congress passed the Wendel H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st century. The purpose of this bill was to create a competitive plan for new entrants entering the Airline Industry. It gives guidelines and requirements for existing airlines to allow new entrants a chance to get started in the business. Another name for the act is AIR-21, and the results for AIR-21 are significantly positive; by allowing one endpoint airports to decrease their price by 10%, and for both endpoints to decrease their price by 20%. Some problems new entrants have when entering the Airline Industry, is operations and marketing. Marketing for a new airline can be difficult because of the loyal customers existing airlines already have. However, there are plenty of ways that airlines can increase their loyal customer base, with things such as frequent flyer miles, corporate incentive agreements, and travel agent commission overrides. For new entrants these would be considered a threat to entering the airline industry. Another threat to entering the airline industry is starting off with limited operating access. These would include limited boarding gates, ticket counters, baggage handling, storage facilities, and take-off and landing slots. Even though it may seem like a great time for a new airline to open, with existing airlines cutting routes, and raising prices by seat, this would be a very hard industry to enter and have a success story. For an airline to see any profit right now while oil prices are higher than ever, they must be able to fly full planes at all times. Lately even existing airlines have failed to see a profit. For example, Virgin Airlines did not see a profit for five years after its first flight. Even Warren E. Buffet was stated in a New York Times article that an investment in US Airways, in the early 1990’s, one of his biggest mistakes â€Å"Here a durable competitive advantage has proven elusive ever since the days of the Wright Brothers. Indeed, if a farsighted capitalist had been present at Kitty Hawk, he would have done his successors a huge favor by shooting Orville down†. There are many risks entering the Airline Industry, but there are also many rewards if a new entrant were to have a success story. JetBlue reported profits of $1. 5 billion dollars last year, and its revenue at $192 billion dollars. They opened in 2010, and they are now an international airline. At the end of 2011, JetBlue was reported to have an average of seven hundred flights a day. JetBlue is becoming more of a success story than most other new entrants. For a new airline to start up, they need to understand how their investment breaks down. Landing and associated airport charges makes up 4%, depreciation and amortization 7%, maintenance and overhaul 10%, fuel and oil 12%, flight crew 7%, enroute facility charges 2%, station expense 11%, passenger service 10%, ticketing, sales and promotion 16%, general administrative 12%, and the rest is miscellaneous. The above information was given by The Airline Industry Trends, Challenges, and Strategies authored by Dr. John Wensveen. Dr. Wensveen noted that there have been twenty five airline failures since 2007. This is because of the global economic crisis in 2008; airlines were forced to increase their rates because of the high oil prices and the falling demand of people needing to fly. A SWOT Analysis for an airline would go as followed: Strengths: The AIR-21 act gives new airlines a chance to get started * The reward of having a successful airline is very big * Opening an airline is a Cost-Leadership strategy Weaknesses: * The is a very big risk * Oil prices are high * It cost a lot of money to open a new airline * Loyalty systems other airlines have with their customers Opportunities * Being able to start something new * Opening up in an industry that will always be improving Threats * The US Airways merger with American Airlines * The United States Airlines Industry has the potential to become a monopoly with the merger of airlines * Not being able to move loyal customers to a new airline On February 14, American Airlines and US Airways publically announced their proposal to merge with one another. Higher power executives and presidents in these 2 substantially large companies ensure that the soon-to-be merger will â€Å"lessen competition in the airline industry,† â€Å"provide the airline’s customers with a broader network, more choices, and better service† (Lawton). However, others do not agree. Many believe that because this newly merging company will be valued at $11 billion and will make-up a whopping 26% of U. S. market share, which would be the world’s largest airline, this will actually lead to an increase in fares (The Wall Street Journal). Although the future of airfares is uncertain, it is safe to say that both companies are doing an excellent job in organizational communication during this transitional phase. US Airways and American Airlines are currently in a bumpy transitional phase in merging to become an airline powerhouse. US Airways and American Airlines must establish strategies to achieve common goals and develop this approach, which will require extensive mutual planning. Doug Parker, the former CEO of US Airways, will be taking the role as head of the new company, which will be taking the name in favor of American Airlines (Jones). In a previous interview, Parker stated that â€Å"they’ve got some advantages in making the marriage go more smoothly. † New management taking the reins of the new American must use a strategic approach to devise a long-term plan. In doing so, this strategic approach will be more beneficial than considering a short-term volatile schedule. There may be a large internal advantage to already having a sufficient amount of employees within the companies, but the public consumer will be more concerned about what disadvantages will affect them through external company decisions. A conflicting potential impact of this merger is combining loyalty programs. Frequent flyers may certainly be an airlines most valued customer. But as their most valued customer, they should not reap harmful effects throughout the process of this combination. According to article American, US Airways Can Take Lessons from Other Airline Mergers the frequent flyer members of the â€Å"Aadvantage† rewards program will receive perks from both the US Airways program and American Airlines program. Although this is rational decision making: trying to smoothly overlay both reward programs to satisfy existing members, this rationality is bounded. Because of this bounded rationality, decision making is limited because it would be impossible to add all reward benefits from both airlines into one blended program. For example, American Airlines members, who carry the Express Platinum Card and Black Card had unlimited access to first class lounges. When this merger is finalized, these card members will lose this privilege. (Jones) There may be some rough patches in aligning these airlines but the potential benefits will greatly outweigh the troubles that may be faced. Darryl Jenkins has said that â€Å"The financial deal is easy; the challenges are always in the integration. The new American must show sustainability for their firm to achieve long-term shareholder value. As of April 9th 2013, American Airlines (AAMRQ) closed with a stock price of $3. 58; US Airways (LLC) closed at a price of $15. 70 but dropped . 14 points throughout the course of the day (YAHOO Finance). Work Cited â€Å"Air France: Committed to Sustainable Deve lopment. † FINCHANNEL. com. The FINANCIAL, 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. http://finchannel. com/news_flash/Travel_Biz_News/125695_Air_France%3A_committed_to_sustainable_development/. Amstelveen. â€Å"Sustainable Development: Air France-KLM World Air Transport Leader in 2012. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. KLM Corporate, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. http://nieuws. klm. com/sustainable-development-air-france-klm-world-air-transport-leader-in-2012-nl/. Awal, Jamadil. â€Å"Oman Air, Airbus Bring ‘little Engineer’ Workshops Muscat. † Arab News. SAUDI RESEARCH PUBLISHING COMPANY, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. http://arabnews. com/news/446279. Business Industry News – Aircraft Finance News. (2012). AirGuide Business, 1-16. Hawes, A. (2012, May 25). The Challenge of Starting an Airline. The New York Times. How to cite Corporate Social Responsibility: Airplanes and Airline Industry, Papers

The glass menagerie - Mother (Amanda Wingfield) free essay sample

How is one to distinguish between a good and a bad mother? What characteristics sets apart a good mother from a bad one? Amandas actions in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams were made clear from the beginning. First, she was an extremely arrogant person. Especially when it came to her children, constantly putting them down and making them feel as if they were inferior and couldnt do anything right. Secondly, she would make her childrens decisions for them, allowing them to decide little regarding their own future. Finally, by placing a large part of her responsibilities on Tom demonstrates to the reader that Amanda is irresponsible. Despite any views people may have on it being difficult to differentiate the actions of a bad mother from those of a good mother, it was made obvious that Amanda was a selfish mother, putting her needs ahead of her childrens. We will write a custom essay sample on The glass menagerie Mother (Amanda Wingfield) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Amanda ultimately cared for herself more than her children. Arrogant is one of Amandas strongest characteristics. She notices her childrens weaknesses rather than their strong points, demonstrating this quality. She would constantly downplay her children about what they had become. Sounds to me like a fairly responsible job you would be in if you just had more get-up. (Act 1, Scene V, pg. 54.) Amanda could never show any recognition for what her children had achieved. After Laura had dropped out of business school, Amanda was very pessimistic about her future, and was sure she would become an old maid. Amanda did not even think of the possibility that Laura could be successful on her own, she failed to recognize that maybe both Laura and Tom would be happy and successful if they were only given the change to chose what they wanted to do for themselves, rather than their mother always making their decisions for them. It would definitely be difficult, and likely hopeless if someone was not doing something by choice, but was always coerced into doing it. Amanda would be constantly upset by how her children would not stick to something and be happy and successful with it. It was unfortunate that she did not realize that if she would just let her children make their own choices, they would most likely attain happiness. After making Laura go to business college, which she didnt want to do, she of course made it seem as if it was all Lauras fault. Fifty dollars tuition, all of our plans-my hopes  and ambitions for you-just gone up the spout, just gone up the spout like that. (Act 1, Scene II, pg.17.) Amanda needed to realize that it was Lauras life, not hers, and stop making her decisions for her. Tom was a man who liked excitement who wanted to see the world. However Amanda insisted on planning his future, and made him get a job at the warehouse which he despised. She should of instead, had faith in Tom and let him decide what he wanted to do and believe he would make the right choices. Instead, she mapped out Toms future for him, giving him little choice when she dumped most of her responsibilities of a mother on him. Being a mother means that your supposed to care for and provide for your children both emotionally and physically. Amanda did neither of these well. She made Tom get a job and support Laura and herself. In addition to this Tom was also left with his mothers responsibility of Laura. Tom was expected to take over Amandas role as a mother to Laura, and find her a husband and a life for herself. I mean that as soon as Laura has got somebody to take care of her, married, a home of her own, independent-why, then youll be free to go where ever you please, on land, on sea, whichever way the wind blows you! (Act 1, Scene IV, pg. 42.) Amanda expected him to give up his hopes and dreams, and spend his life trying to find a life for Laura. Which was most definitely completely irrational. Tom was a young man, and should have been able to live his life, rather than trying to make a life for his sister. Although Amanda did have good intentions for her children, she went about everything in the wrong way, some would say that she just simply wanted the best for her children. Which was most likely true, but without doubt she in the end just wanted the best for herself. She did love her children yes, and to some this makes a mother a good mother. However loving someone is not always enough. To be a good mother you need to tend to your childs every need, and believe in them 100%. Unfortunately Amanda possessed neither of these qualities. Amanda was a like a young woman living in an older womans body. She was  lost in her past and what she could have bee. She was an irresponsible mother who did not allow her children to make their own choices. She planed her responsibilities to Lara on Tom, leaving him with a large considerable amount of responsibilities that he did not ask for or what. Domineering is the best word to explain her. Tom and Laura were constantly being put down by their mother, and told to do things they did not want to do. To summerize, Amanda Wingfeild was an awful mother, always expecting too much. Never just accepting her children for who they were and loving them for being all that they could be.

Free Essays on Atomic Bomb

In 1945, the United States made a decision that forever changed the face of warfare on this planet. That decision was to drop a brand new invention, the atomic bomb, on Japan. The atomic bomb was, and still is, the most feared weapon any nation could possess. This bomb took years to evolve into a useful weapon, and in this paper the timeline will unfold. Although the attack took place in 1945, the years of development are just as important. In all reality, Hitler played a major role in the development of the atomic bomb. It was his belief that Germans were better than Jews. This provoked one of the greatest minds in our history, Albert Einstein, to leave Germany. Einstein, who was a Jew, had enough money to flee Germany and settle in America. When Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity, Einstein asserted that matter (mass) and energy were two forms of the same thing. According to Einstein, if somehow we could transform mass into energy, it would be possible to "liberate" huge amounts of energy. However, a theory is only a theory until it is proven. During the next decade, a major step was taken in proving the theory of relativity when Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr described the structure of an atom more precisely. They said an atom consists of a positively charged core, the nucleus, and negatively charged electrons that revolve around the nucleus. It was the nucleus, scientists concluded, that had to be broken or "exploded" if atomic energy was to be liberated. In 1939, prior to the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify Uranium-235 which might in turn be used to build an atomic bomb. The letter, which bore only Einstein's signature, helped lend urgency to efforts in the U.S. to build the atomic bomb, even though Einstein himself played no role in the work and knew nothin... Free Essays on Atomic Bomb Free Essays on Atomic Bomb In 1945, the United States made a decision that forever changed the face of warfare on this planet. That decision was to drop a brand new invention, the atomic bomb, on Japan. The atomic bomb was, and still is, the most feared weapon any nation could possess. This bomb took years to evolve into a useful weapon, and in this paper the timeline will unfold. Although the attack took place in 1945, the years of development are just as important. In all reality, Hitler played a major role in the development of the atomic bomb. It was his belief that Germans were better than Jews. This provoked one of the greatest minds in our history, Albert Einstein, to leave Germany. Einstein, who was a Jew, had enough money to flee Germany and settle in America. When Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity, Einstein asserted that matter (mass) and energy were two forms of the same thing. According to Einstein, if somehow we could transform mass into energy, it would be possible to "liberate" huge amounts of energy. However, a theory is only a theory until it is proven. During the next decade, a major step was taken in proving the theory of relativity when Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr described the structure of an atom more precisely. They said an atom consists of a positively charged core, the nucleus, and negatively charged electrons that revolve around the nucleus. It was the nucleus, scientists concluded, that had to be broken or "exploded" if atomic energy was to be liberated. In 1939, prior to the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify Uranium-235 which might in turn be used to build an atomic bomb. The letter, which bore only Einstein's signature, helped lend urgency to efforts in the U.S. to build the atomic bomb, even though Einstein himself played no role in the work and knew nothin... Free Essays on Atomic Bomb Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the atomic bomb’s blast, the atomic bomb’s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb’s nuclear radiation. An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (Outlaw Labs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released. These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990). This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways. The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the se... Free Essays on Atomic Bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki On August 6, 1945, with no forewarning, the United States used its massive, secret weapon against Hiroshima, Japan. On August 6, 1945, the United States used its massive, secret weapon against Hiroshima, Japan. This atomic bomb, the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, flattened the city, killing tens of thousands of civilians. While Japan was still trying to comprehend this devastation three days later, the United States struck again, this time, on Nagasaki. Hiroshima Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., pilot of the ENOLA GAY, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, waves from his cockpit before the takeoff, 6 August 1945. At 2:45 a.m. on Monday, August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, took off from Tinian, a North Pacific island in the Marianas, 1,500 miles south of Japan. The twelve-man crew (picture) were on board to make sure this secret mission went smoothly. Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot, nicknamed the B-29 the "Enola Gay" after his mother. Just before take-off, the plane's nickname was painted on its side. The Enola Gay was a B-29 Superfortress (aircraft 44-86292), part of the 509th Composite Group. In order to carry such a heavy load as an atomic bomb, the Enola Gay was modified: new propellers, stronger engines, and faster opening bomb bay doors. (Only fifteen B-29s underwent this modification.) Even though it had been modified, the plane still had to use the full runway to gain the necessary speed, thus it did not lift off until very near the water's edge.1 The Enola Gay was escorted by two other bombers which carried cameras and a variety of measuring devices. Three other planes had left earlier in order to ascertain the weather conditions over the possible targets. On a hook in the ceiling of the plane, hung the ten-foot atomic bomb, "Little Boy." Navy Captain William S. Parsons ("Deak"), chief of the Ordnance Division in the "Manhattan Project," was the Enola Gay's we... Free Essays on Atomic Bomb Atomic Bomb Analysis of the Atomic Bomb Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the atomic bomb’s blast, the atomic bomb’s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb’s nuclear radiation. An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (OutlawLabs). Fission occurs when a neutr on, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released. These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990). This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways. The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the seco...

5 Types of Specialized Dictionaries

5 Types of Specialized Dictionaries 5 Types of Specialized Dictionaries 5 Types of Specialized Dictionaries By Mark Nichol Dictionaries aren’t just for looking up spellings and meanings of a broad selection of terms; you’ll find biographical, geographical, and medical dictionaries, among other specialized volumes. Here are five other categories of repositories of words, with a link to one online example of each. 1. Reverse Dictionaries A reverse dictionary enables you to type in a phrase that describes a word or phrase you’re trying to think of. The matching technology is imperfect, of course, but a reverse dictionary is your best chance for coming up with that elusive term. Try this reverse dictionary at the dictionary portal OneLook.com, or, if you prefer a print resource, check out the Illustrated Reverse Dictionary, by John Ellison Kahn. 2. Visual Dictionaries Visual dictionaries like this one provide visitors with illustrations of animate and inanimate things labeled with parts and components. Merriam-Webster’s publishes a print visual dictionary, but many others are available, including multilingual ones and those produced especially for children. 3. Beginners’/Learners’ Dictionaries The Cambridge University Press has, among its family of online dictionaries, one with simplified definitions; for American English specifically, Merriam-Webster offers Word Central, an online children’s dictionary that is helpful for learners of all ages without being juvenile in presentation. For a print version, use a dictionary for young students (like the Scholastic Children’s Dictionary) though the child-oriented design of these books may put off older learners or one for English-language learners. 4. Translation Dictionaries Online dictionaries that enable visitors to type in a word and receive its equivalent in another language (or obtain an English word by entering a foreign one) abound; many websites, such as Dictionary.com’s Translator site, include search engines for multiple languages. Of course, print translation dictionaries are also easy to find on the Internet and in bookstores. (Recently published ones available at used-book stores are a good bargain.) 5. Unusual-Words Dictionaries Numerous Web-savvy language aficionados have created online repositories of seldom-used and/or offbeat words; go, for example, to the Phrontistery. You’ll also find many similar print compendiums, such as The Word Lovers’ Dictionary: Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words, by Josefa Heifetz. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Book Reviews category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Best Websites to Learn EnglishPreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Research -week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research -week 6 - Essay Example The research study that I participated in online is central to addressing the question ‘how personality and emotions are related to the way people deal with situations of everyday life?’ Keeping that in mind the study examines, through the use of a series of online questionnaires, the personality, emotional disposition and individual choices. The questionnaire used a rating scale that was provided to get an indication of how accurately the participant though each statement described him. There were five possible responses to each statement from ‘very inaccurate’ (number1) to ‘very accurate’ (number 5). Example of some of the research questions was: ‘I feel comfortable around people’, ‘I have a vivid imagination’, ‘I get upset easily’ etc. The online survey highlights the fact that by participating in the research complete anonymity as the questions asked do not require identifying information. Also entering the survey will be equal to giving consent so that the information provided can be used by the researcher in his study. These two measures effectively eliminate the chances of any ethical implications compromising the validity of the research. There are many advantages of conducting the research survey online. Some of these are the ability of the researcher to obtain a large and diverse sample which increases statistical power. Also it prevents data entry errors as data is automatically coded. Lastly it reduces the cost of conducting the research. Some disadvantages are some subjects might rush through the study, it might be difficult to recruit subjects online and lastly there is also a high chance that most participants might drop out from the study or exit the survey before completing it. (Psychwiki) I do not believe an online survey is the way to gather information on my research topic of juvenile delinquency mostly because it requires the participants to be of a specific type whereas online surveys are mostly effective for a randomized diverse large sample. References: Elizabeth Austin (20110. Personality, emotions, and making choices. University of Edinburgh. Survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0lO5XPOkxGqPx68WUvVRIg%3d%3d Psychwiki. Internet research. Retrieved from: http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/What_are_the_advantages/disadvantages_of_doing_internet_research%3F Research Design week 6 Assignment 2 The survey aiming to analyze the meaning of sex in a relationship by asking several intimate questions would make confidentiality of critical importance for a participant. This would be a key ethical issue for the researchers, the sole importance of which can simply be realized when you look at the discomfort and unwillingness to share the answers with a third party (the professor) here for instance. By mixing the asked questions with random one’s might be an adoption to divert the participant’s attention for a while or perhaps s imply to make sure that one does not simply fill away at answers at random. This being one of the cons of conducting an online study that can be countered by simply asking questions that are linked to each other or are repeated to check the level of attention paid by the participant. The pros of an online survey might be relevant in gaining information on parents feedback in regard to their child’s ADHD. However to gain a further advantage interviews might be a lot more helpful to gouge the body language and responses by

Personal Philosophy in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Philosophy in Education - Essay Example Justification of my personal philosophy will be provided with references to four theorists – Maria Montessori, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Paulo Freire, and John Dewey. It will also be demonstrated that my personal philosophy is in contrast to Plato and Confucius. Aim of Education The aim of education is a broad encompassing subject that extends beyond the simple confines of the classroom. My personal philosophy on education is that students must gain critical thinking skills and a development of a personal philosophy that can guide them throughout their lives. This theory runs counter to perspectives on education as a process where the teacher imbues students with content material that they can then implement as career preparation, as it’s believed that this approach to educational instruction doesn’t fully prepare the student for the variety of challenges and shifting life circumstances they will encounter. This theory of education is also counter to perspectives on existence as posed by theorists and philosophers such as Plato. Plato argued that the reality consisted of a number of pre-set forms that the teacher must instruct the student to discover (Honderich 2005). Contrary to this perspective, my philosophy of education views knowledge in more abstract and shifting terms that cannot simply be ‘discovered’ but must be continually re-imagined through strong critical thinking skills. A major educational theorist that influenced this perspective on education is Mari Montessori. While today Montessori’s methods have most prominently been adopted in private education, her ideas have had a tremendous impact on educational theory, influencing both private and public teachers (Mondale 2002). The reforms that Montessori implemented considered the fundamental nature of education. While it had previously been believed that there were outward and rigid standards of educational curriculum, Montessori believed the process to be more o f a subjective task. In Montessori’s understanding the teacher asks less as a sage pushing the students through a set curriculum and more as an individual responsible for cultivating the student’s intellectual and academic interests (Mondale 2002). The underlining belief was that in allowing the students to pursue their own interests they would develop the critical thinking skills necessary for a proper education (Mondale 2002). These theories would be collected into what would be deemed the Montessori method of education and have varying degrees of influence on educational institutes in forthcoming years. Ultimately, Montessori’s theories influence my perspective through demonstrating the seminal importance of allowing students the chance to develop their own intellectual interests. Another prominent educational reformer that has influenced my educational philosophy is Paulo Freire. Freire was a prominent 20th century educational reformer that lived the majorit y of his life in Brazil. Freire’s understanding of education as embodied in his writings would come to be recognized as Critical Pedagogy. Critical Pedagogy is a form of instruction that is influenced by both anti-colonial and Marxist theory that considers the nature of education as necessarily influenced by a political perspective (Gutek). Freire argued that in considering the nature of education as possessing this political dimension, educators should work to implement instruction as a means of empowering

Forming Public Policy on AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa :: essays research papers

Jarrod Stafford Government 9 A.M. Forming Public Policy on AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa Strengths of Current Policy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 billion dollars of aid over 5 years †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bring African AIDS epidemic to forefront †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dispersing resources quickly †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using new approaches and leadership model †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Employing evidence-based decisions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Demanding accountability for results  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weaknesses of Current Policy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not attacking root causes of problem †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waited many years to act effectively Opportunities †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug testing †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drug market †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Showing long term good will around world †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase influence in government and economy. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case study for HIV/AIDS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threats †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increase spread of HIV/AIDS throughout world †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compound economic and societal problems such as starvation, lack of education, and poverty †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reduce the ability of the government to handle the rising social structure dilemmas and healthcare costs †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exacerbate regional and ethnic tensions †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Further strain on economy †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discourage foreign investment and tourism The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a horrific plight affecting every country in the world. HIV stands for 'human immunodeficiency virus'. HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and destroys or impairs their function. AIDS stands for 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' and describes the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system. At the end of 2004, 39.4 million people worldwide were estimated to be infected . No other area has been hit harder than the Sub-Sahara Africa region. Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world’s population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV—some 25.4 million . Africa’s AIDS challenge is a multifaceted problem which requires a unique, flexible, and multipronged approach. Education, prevention, and treatment are a necessary start but the United States must look deeper in order to effectively and properly help the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa. Current US policy under President George W. Bush is a massive change to previous policy. It commits 15 billion dollars of aid over a five year period. It is supposed to get resources to the frontlines of this battle quite quickly, use new approaches and a new leadership model. It is described to employ evidence-based decisions and demand accountability for results as well. The world must pray that the enemy has not grown too efficient in the 14 years since it has been identified. It does lack a focus on key issues that are at the root of the problem. AIDS, as are many diseases, is spread rapidly in areas of poverty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many threats and even a few opportunities relating to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Left unchecked this situation would most definitely spill over and increase the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS through out the world.

Kant and Equality Essay

Some readers of this essay will have become impatient by now; because they believe that the problem that perplexes me has been definitively solved by Immanuel Kant. It is certainly true that Kant held strong opinions on this matter. In an often-quoted passage, he reports a personal conversion from elitism: â€Å"I am myself a researcher by inclination. I feel the whole thirst for knowledge and the eager unrest to move further on into it, also satisfaction with each acquisition. There was a time when I thought this alone could constitute the honor of humanity and despised the know nothing rabble. Rousseau set me straight. This delusory superiority vanishes, I learn to honor men, and I would find myself more useless than a common laborer if I did not believe this observation could give everyone a value which restores the rights of humanity. †What Kant learned from Rousseau was the proposition that the basis of human equality is the dignity that each human person possesses in virtue of the capacity for autonomy (moral freedom). This moral freedom has two aspects, the capacity to set ends for oneself according to one’s conception of what is good, and the capacity to regulate one’s choice of ends and of actions to achieve one’s ends by one’s conception of what morality requires. According to Kant’s psychology, brute animals are determined to act as instinct inclines them, but a rational being has the power to interrogate the inclinations it feels, to raise the question what it is reasonable to do in given circumstances, and to choose to do what reason suggests even against all inclinations. The question arises whether Kant’s psychology is correct, or remotely close to correct. Perhaps something like the conflict between conscience and inclination is experienced by social animals other than humans. Perhaps the freedom that Kant imputes to human on metaphysical grounds can be shown to be either empirically nonexistent or illusory. For our purposes we can set these questions aside and simply presume that the human psychological complexity envisaged by Kant does describe capacity we possess, whether or not it is shared with other animals. My question is whether Kant’s characterization, if it was correct, would have the normative implication she draws from it. It might seem that the Kantian picture helps to show how moral freedom is arrange concept, which does not significantly admit of degrees. If one has the capacity to set an end for oneself, one does not possess this freedom to a lesser extent just because one cannot set fancy ends, or because other persons can set fancier ends. If one has the power to regulate choice of ends by one’s sense of what is morally right, one does not possess this freedom to a lesser extent because one cannot understand sophisticated moral considerations, or because other persons can understand more sophisticated moral considerations. Moreover, one might hold that it is having or lacking the freedom which is important, not having or lacking the capacity to exercise the freedom in fancy ways. But the old worries lurk just around the corner. The Kantian view is that there are indeed capacities that are crucial for the ascription of fundamental moral status that do not vary in degree. One either has the capacity or one does not, and that’s that. If the crucial capacities have this character, then the problem of how to draw a no arbitrary line on a continuum and hold all beings on one side of the line full persons and all beings on the other side of the line lesser beings does not arise. The line separating persons and nonpersons will be non arbitrary, and there will be no basis for further differentiation of moral status. One is either a person or not, and all persons are equal. Consider the capacity to set an end, to choose a goal and decide on an action to achieve it. One might suppose that all humans have this capacity except for the permanently comatose and the anencephalic. So all humans are entitled to a fundamental equal moral status. This view is strengthened by noting that there are other capacities that do admit of degrees that interact with the no degree capacities. Individuals who equally have the capacity to set an end may well differ in the quality of their end-setting performances. Some are able to set ends more reasonably than others. But these differences in performance do not gainsay the fundamental equal capacity. It is just that having a high or low level of associated capacities enables or impedes successful performance. So the fact that individuals differ in their abilities to do arithmetic and more complex mathematical operations that affect their ability to make rational choices should have no tendency to obscure the more basic and morally status-conferring equality in the capacity of each person to make choices. In response: First of all, if several of these no degree capacities were relevant to moral status, one must possess all to be at the top status, and some individuals possess more and others fewer of the relevant capacities, a problem of hierarchy, though perhaps a manageable one, would emerge anew. More important, I doubt there is a plausible no degree capacity that can do the work this argument assigns to it. Take the capacity to set ends and make choices. Consider a being that has little brain power, but over the course of its life can set just a few ends and make just a few choices based on considering two or three simple alternatives. It sets one end (lunch, now) per decade three times over the course of its life. If there is a capacity to set ends, period, not admitting of degrees, this being possesses it. The point is that it is clearly not merely the capacity to set ends, but something more complex that renders a being a person in our eyes. What matters is whether or not one has the capacity to set sensible ends and to pick among alternative end at a reasonable pace, sorting through complex considerations that bear on the choice of ends and responding in a rational way to these considerations. But this capacity, along with any similar or related capacity that might be urged as a substitute for it, definitely admits of degrees. The same point would hold if we pointed to free will or moral autonomy as the relevant person-determining capacity. It is not the ability to choose an end on ground of consideration for moral considerations merely, but the ability to do this in a nuanced and fine-grained responsive way, that is plausibly deemed to entitle a being to personhood status. In general, we single out rationality, the ability to respond appropriately to reasons, as the capacity that is pertinent to personhood, by itself or in conjunction with related abilities, and rationality so understood admits of degrees. Kant may well have held that the uses of reason that are required in order to have a well-functioning conscience that can tell right from wrong are not very sophisticated and are well within the reach of all non crazy non feebleminded humans. Ordinary intelligence suffices. His discussions of applying the categorical imperative test certainly convey this impression. But commentators tend to agree that there is no simple all-purpose moral test that easily answers all significant moral questions. Thus Christine Korsgaard cautions that the categorical imperative test is not a â€Å"Geiger counter† for detecting the presence of moral duties, and Barbara Herman observes that the application of the categorical imperative test to cases cannot be a mechanical procedure but relies on prior moral understanding by the agent and on the agent’s capacity to make relevant moral discriminations and judgments and to characterize her own proposed maxims perspicuously. These comments confirm what should be clear in any event: Moral problems can be complex and difficult, and there is no discernible upper bound to the complexity of the reasoning required to master and perhaps solve them. But suppose I do the best I can with my limited cognitive resources, I make a judgment as to what is morally right, however misguided, and I am conscientiously resolved to do what I take to be morally right. The capacity to do what is right can be factored into two components, the ability to decide what is right and the ability to dispose oneself to do what one thinks is right. One might hold the latter capacity to be the true locus of human dignity and worth. Resisting temptation and doing what one thinks is right is noble and admirable even if one’s conscience is a broken thermometer. However, one might doubt that being disposed to follow one’s conscience is unambiguously good when one’s conscience is seriously in error. For one thing, moral flaws such as a lazy indisposition to hard thinking and an obsequious deference toward established power and authority might play a large role in fixing the content of one’s judgments of conscience. A conceited lack of healthy skepticism about one’s cognitive powers might be a determinant of one’s strong disposition to do whatever one thinks to be right. Even if Kant is correct that the good will, the will directed unfailingly at what is truly right, has an absolute and unconditional worth, it is doubtful that the would-be good will, a will directed toward what it takes to be right on whatever flimsy or solid grounds appeal to it, has such worth. Take an extreme case: Suppose a particular person has a would-be good will that is always in error. This could be strong or righteous, so that the agent always does what he thinks is right, or weak and corrupt, so that the agent never does what she thinks is right. If the will is always in error, the odds of doing the right thing are increased if the would-be good will is weak and corrupt. Some might value more highly on consequential grounds the weak and corrupt erroneous will, even though the strong and righteous invariably erroneous will always shines like a jewel in its own right. And some might hold that quite aside from the expected consequences, acting on a seriously erroneous judgment of right is inherently of lesser worth than acting on correct judgment of right. Even if the disposition to do what one thinks morally right is unassailable, its purported value does not provide a sound basis for asserting the equal worth and dignity of human persons. The capacity to act conscientiously itself varies empirically across persons like any other valued capacity. A favorable genetic endowment and favorable early socialization experiences bestow more of this capacity on some persons and less on others. If we think of an agent’s will as disposed more or less strongly to do what she conscientiously believes to be right, different individuals with the same disposition will experience good and bad luck in facing temptations that exceed their resolve. Even if we assume that agents always have freedom of the will, it will be difficult to different degrees for different persons to exercise their free will as conscience dictates. Moreover, individuals will vary in their psychological capacities to dispose their will to do what conscience dictates. One might retreat further to the claim that all persons equally can try to dispose their will to do what is right, even if they will succeed in this enterprise to different degrees. But the ability to try is also a psychological capacity that we should expect would vary empirically across persons. At times Kant seems to appeal to epistemic grounds in reasoning from the goodness of the good will to the equal worth and dignity of all human persons. We don’t know what anyone’s inner motivations are, even our own, so the judgment that anyone is firmly disposed to do what is right can never be confirmed. But surely the main issue is whether humans are so ordered that we ought to accord them fundamental equal moral status, not whether, given our beliefs, it is reasonable for us to act as if they are so ordered. The idea that there is a threshold of rational agency capacity such that any being with a capacity above the threshold is a person equal in fundamental moral status to all other persons prompts a worry about how to identify this threshold non arbitrarily. It might seem that only the difference between nil capacity and some capacity would preclude the skeptical doubt that the line set at any positive level of capacity could just as well have been set higher or lower. Regarding the proposal to identify any above-zero capacity as qualifying one for personhood, we imagine a being with barely a glimmer of capacity to perceive the good and the right and to dispose its will toward their attainment. The difference between none and some might be infinitesimal, after all. However, a threshold need not be razor-thin. Perhaps there is a line below which beings with rational capacities in this range are definitely not persons and a higher level such that all beings with capacities above this level are definitely persons. Beings with rational capacities that fall in the middle range or gray area between these levels are near-persons. The levels can be set sufficiently far apart that the difference between scoring at the lower and the higher levels is undeniably of moral significance. But the difference between the rational capacities of the beings just above the higher line, call them marginal persons, and the beings at the upper end of the scale who have saintly genius capacities, is not thereby shown to be insignificant. At the lower end we might imagine persons like the villains depicted in the Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood movies. These unfortunates are not shown as having moral capacities which they are flouting, but rather as bad by nature, and perhaps not entitled to full human rights. No doubt this is a crass outlook, but the question remains whether the analysis we can offer of the basis for human equality generates a refutation of it. Suppose someone asserts that the difference between the rational agency capacities of the most perceptive saints and the most unreflective and animalistic villains defines a difference in fundamental moral status that is just as important for morality as the difference between the rational agency capacities of near-persons and marginal persons. What mistake does this claim embody? COMMENTS ON KANT’S ETHICAL THEORY Because we so commonly take it for granted that moral values are intimately connected with the goal of human well-being or happiness, Kant’s insistence that these two concepts are absolutely independent makes it difficult to grasp his point of view and easy to misunderstand it. The following comments are intended to help the you to avoid the most common misunderstandings and appreciate the sort of outlook that characterizes what Kant takes to be the heart of the ethical life. Kant’s ethical theory is often cited as the paradigm of a deontological theory. Although the theory certainly can be seriously criticized, it remains probably the finest analysis of the bases of the concepts of moral principle and moral obligation. Kant’s endeavor to ground moral duty in the nature of the human being as essentially a rational being marks him as the last great Enlightenment thinker. In spite of the fact that his critical philosophy in epistemology and metaphysics brought an end to The Age of Reason, in ethics his attempt to derive the form of any ethical duty from the very nature of a rational being is the philosophical high water mark of the Enlightenment’s vision of humanity as essentially and uniquely rational. What Kant aims to provide is a â€Å"metaphysics of morals† in the sense of an analysis of the grounds of moral obligation in the nature of a rational being. In other words, Kant aims to deduce his ethical theory purely by a priori reasoning from the concept of what it is to be a human person as a rational agent. The fact that people have the faculty of being able to use reason to decide how to act expresses the fundamental metaphysical principle -the basis or foundation in the nature of reality- on which Kant’s ethical theory is erected. Kant begins his treatise, The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals with the famous dramatic sentence: â€Å"Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good without qualification, except a good will. † 1. What does Kant mean by â€Å"good without qualification†? Obviously people try to seek and avoid many different sorts of things; those things which they seek they call â€Å"good,† while those they try to avoid, they call â€Å"bad†. These â€Å"goods† which people seek may be divided into those which are sought as means to some further end and those which they seek as good as ends in themselves. Obviously some things may be â€Å"good† as means to one end and â€Å"bad† as means to some other end. Different persons, motivated by different ends, will thus find different things â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† (relative to their different ends). More food is â€Å"good† to a starving man, but it is â€Å"bad† to one overweight. In order for something to be good â€Å"without qualification† it must not be merely â€Å"good† as means to one end but â€Å"bad† as means to some other end. It must be sought as good totally independently of serving as a means to something else; it must be â€Å"good in-itself. † Furthermore, while one thing may be good as means relative to a particular end, that â€Å"end† becomes a â€Å"means† relative to some other â€Å"end†. So a college diploma may be sought as â€Å"good† as a means for the end of a higher-paying job. And a higher-paying job may be â€Å"good† as a means to increased financial security; and increased financial security may be â€Å"good† as a means to obtaining the necessities of life as well as a few of its luxuries. However, if we seek A only for the sake of B, and B only for the sake of C, etc. , then there is never a justification for seeking A at the beginning of such a series unless there is something at the end of that series which we seek as a â€Å"good in-itself† not merely as means to some further end. Such an â€Å"ultimate† end would then be an â€Å"absolute† rather than a â€Å"relative† good. Kant means that a good will is â€Å"good without qualification† as such an absolute good in-itself, universally good in every instance and never merely as good to some yet further end. 2. Why is a â€Å"good will† the only thing which is universally absolutely good? Kant’s point is that to be universally and absolutely good, something must be good in every instance of its occurrence. He argues that all those things which people call â€Å"good† (including intelligence, wit, judgment, courage, resolution, perseverance, power, riches, honor, health, and even happiness itself) can become â€Å"extremely bad and mischievous if the will which is to make use of them†¦ is not good. † In other words, if we imagine a bad person (i. e. one who willed or wanted to do evil), who had all of these so-called â€Å"goods† (intelligence, wit, etc. ), these very traits would make only that much worse his will to do what is wrong. (We would get the â€Å"criminal master-mind† of the comic books. ) Even â€Å"health† often also cited as a â€Å"good in- itself† may serve to make a person insensitive and indifferent to the lack of good health in others. 3. Isn’t â€Å"happiness† such a universal, absolute good in-itself? Kant answers clearly, â€Å"No. † However, many philosophers (the ones we call â€Å"eudaemonists†) have assumed the obvious answer to be â€Å"Yes. † All ancient eudaemonistic ethical theories as well as modern utilitarian theories virtually define â€Å"happiness† as the absolute end of all ethical behavior. Such eudaemonistic ethical theories are attractive because of the fact that they make it easy to answer the question â€Å"Why should I do what is morally right? † For any eudaemonistic theory the answer will always be â€Å"Because the morally right action is always ultimately in the interest of your own happiness. † Since these theories generally assume that people really are motivated by a desire for their own happiness, their only problem is to show that the morally right action really does serve as the best means to obtain the end of happiness. Once you are led to see this, so such theories assume, the question â€Å"Why should I do what is morally right? † is automatically answered. Kant totally rejects this eudaemonistic way of ethical theorizing; he calls decisions made according to such a calculation of what produces your own happiness â€Å"prudential† decisions and he distinguishes them sharply from ethical decisions. This is not because Kant thinks we are not motivated by a desire for happiness, in fact like the ancient philosophers, he takes it for granted that we are; however, such motivation cannot be that which makes an action ethically right or wrong. The fact that an action might lead to happiness cannot be the grounds of moral obligation. Kant regards the notion of â€Å"happiness† as both too indefinite and too empirical to serve as the grounds for moral obligation – why we ought to do something. In the first place it is â€Å"too indefinite† because all people have very different sorts of talents, tastes and enjoyments which mean in effect that one person’s happiness may be another person’s misery. This is because the concept is â€Å"empirical† in the sense that the only way you can know whether what you seek will actually serve to bring you happiness is by experience. As Kant points out, â€Å"†¦ it is impossible that the most clear-sighted [man] should frame to himself a definite conception of what he really wills in this†¦. † Since we cannot know a priori before an action whether it really will be conducive to our happiness (because the notion is so indefinite that even the most clear-sighted amongst us cannot know everything that must form part of his own happiness) the desire for our own happiness cannot serve as a motive to determine our will to do this or that action. Moreover, Kant observes that even â€Å"†¦ the general well-being and contentment with one’s condition that is called happiness, can inspire pride, and often presumption, if there is not a good will to correct the influence of these on the mind†¦. † In other words happiness cannot be good without qualification for if we imagine it occurring in a person totally devoid of the desire to do what is right, it could very well lead to all sorts of immoral actions. 4. What does Kant mean by a â€Å"good will†? To act out of a â€Å"good will† for Kant means to act out of a sense of moral obligation or â€Å"duty†. In other words, the moral agent does a particular action not because of what it produces (its consequences) in terms of human experience, but because he or she recognizes by reasoning that it is morally the right thing to do and thus regards him or herself as having a moral duty or obligation to do that action. One may of course as an added fact get some pleasure or other gain from doing the right thing, but to act morally, one does not do it for the sake of its desirable consequences, but rather because one understands that it is morally the right thing to do. In this respect Kant’s view towards morality parallels the Christian’s view concerning obedience to God’s commandments, according to which the Christian obeys God’s commandments simply because God commands them, not for the sake of rewards in heaven after death or from fear of punishment in hell. In a similar way, for Kant the rational being does what is morally right because he recognizes himself as having a moral duty to do so rather than for anything he or she may get out of it. 5. When does one act from a motive of doing one’s duty? Kant answers that we do our moral duty when our motive is determined by a principle recognized by reason rather than the desire for any expected consequence or emotional feeling which may cause us to act the way we do. The â€Å"will† is defined as that which provides the motives for our actions. Obviously many times we are motivated by specific desires or emotions. I may act the way I do from a feeling of friendship for a particular individual, or from desire for a particular consequence. I may also be motivated by particular emotions of fear, or envy, or pity, etc. When I act in these ways, I am motivated by a desire for a particular end; in Kant’s vocabulary I am said to act out of â€Å"inclination. † Insofar as an action is motivated by inclination, the motive to do it is contingent upon the desire for the particular end which the action is imagined to produce. Thus as different rational agents might have different inclinations, there is no one motive from inclination common to all rational beings. Kant distinguishes acts motivated by inclination from those done on principle. For example someone may ask why I did a certain thing, and point out that it brought me no gain, or perhaps even made life a bit less pleasant; to which I might reply, â€Å"I know I do not stand to gain by this action, but I do it because of the principle of the thing. † For Kant, this sort of state of mind is the essence of the moral consciousness. When I act on principle the sole factor determining my motive is that this particular action exemplifies a particular case falling under a general law or â€Å"maxim. â€Å" For Kant the mental process by which the actor understands that a particular case falls under a certain principle is an exercise in â€Å"reasoning,† or to be more precise, what Kant called â€Å"practical reason,† reason used as a guide to action. (â€Å"Pure Reason† is reason used to attain certainty, or what Kant called â€Å"scientific knowledge. â€Å") Since to have moral worth an action must be done on principle, and to see that a certain principle applies to a particular action requires the exercise of reason, only rational beings can be said to behave morally. 6. Why does Kant believe that to have moral worth an action must be done on principle rather than inclination? Kant’s argument here may seem strange to the contemporary outlook, for it assumes that everything in nature is designed to serve a purpose. Now it is an obvious fact that human beings do have a faculty of â€Å"practical reason,† reason applied to the guidance of actions. (Kant is of course fully aware the people often fail to employ this faculty; i. e. they act non-rationally (without reason) or even irrationally (against what reason dictates); but he intends that his ethical theory is normative, prescribing how people ought to behave, rather than descriptive of how they actually do behave.) If everything in nature serves some purpose then the faculty of practical reason must have some purpose. Kant argues that this purpose cannot be merely the attainment of some specific desired end, or even the attainment of happiness in general, for if it were, it would have been far better for nature simply to have endowed persons with an instinct to achieve this end, as is the case with the non- rational animals. Therefore, the fact that human beings have a faculty of practical reason cannot be explained by claiming that it allows them to attain some particular end. So the fact that reason can guide our actions, but cannot do so for the sake of achieving some desired end, leads Kant to the conclusion that the function of practical reason must be to allow humans as rational beings to apply general principles to particular instances of action, or in other words to engage in moral reasoning as a way of determining one’s moral obligation: what is the â€Å"right† action to do. Thus we act morally only when we act rationally to apply a moral principle to â€Å"determine† the motive of our action. 7. Do all persons have the same moral duties? According to Kant only rational beings can be said to act morally. Reason for Kant (as for all the Enlightenment thinkers) is the same for all persons; in other words there isn’t a poor man’s reason versus a rich man’s reason or a white man’s reason versus a black man’s reason. All persons are equal as potentially rational beings. Therefore, if reason dictates that one person, in a particular situation, has a moral duty to do a particular thing, then any person, in that same situation, would equally well have a duty to do that same thing. In this sense Kant’s reasoning parallels the way in which stoicism led Roman lawyers to the conclusion that all citizens are equal before the law. Thus Kant is a moral â€Å"absolutist† in the sense that all persons have the same moral duties, for all persons are equal as rational beings. But this â€Å"absolutism† does not mean that Kant holds that our moral duties are not relative to the situation in which we find ourselves. Thus it is quite possible for Kant to conclude that in one particular situation I may have a duty to keep my promise, but in another situation (in which, for example, keeping a promise conflicts with a higher duty) I may equally well be morally obligated to break a promise. 8. Why is it that actions done for the sake of some end cannot have moral worth? Since what one’s moral duties are in a particular situation are the same for all persons, one’s moral duties must be independent of the particular likes and dislikes of the moral agent. Now any action which is motivated by the desire for some particular end presupposes that the agent has the desire for that end. However, from the simple concept of a â€Å"rational being† it is not possible to deduce that any particular rational being would have any particular desired ends. Most people, of course, desire to seek pleasure and avoid pain, but there is no logical contradiction involved in the notion of a â€Å"rational being who does not desire pleasure† or perhaps who desires pain. Thus reason does not dictate that any particular rational being has any particular end. But if the desire for a particular end gave an action its moral worth, then only those rational beings who happened in fact to desire that end would regard such actions as â€Å"good,† while those that desired to avoid such an end, would regard the action as â€Å"bad. † (Thus for example eudaemonistic theories which assume the end of achieving happiness is what gives an action its moral value, would serve to induce only those beings who happened to have the desire for happiness to behave morally. For those rational beings who happened to desire to avoid happiness, there would be no incentive to behave morally and what appears â€Å"good† to the happiness-seeker will appear positively â€Å"bad† to one who seeks to avoid happiness. ) But, as we have seen above, Kant’s absolutism reaches the conclusion that moral obligation is the same for all persons. Thus the ground of moral obligation, what makes an action a moral duty, cannot lie in the end which that act produces. 9. What does reason tell us about the principle that determines the morally dutiful motive? Since Kant has ruled out the ends (i. e. the â€Å"consequences†) which an act produces as well as any motive but those determined by the application of principle as determining moral duty, he is faced now with the task of deriving the â€Å"fundamental principles† of his ethical theory solely from the concept of what it is to be a rational being. He now argues (in a very obscure manner) that from this notion of what is demanded by being rational, he can deduce that it would be irrational to act on any principle which would not apply equally to any other actor in the same situation. In other words, Kant claims that reason dictates that the act we are morally obligated to do is one which is motivated by adherence to a principle which could, without inconsistency, be held to apply to any (and all) rational agents. This fundamental ethical principle, which is commonly called â€Å"The Categorical Imperative,† Kant summarizes with the statement that â€Å"I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim become a universal law. † Kant’s claim that Reason demands the moral agent to act on a universal law thus in many ways parallels Jesus’ dictum that God commands that those who love Him obey â€Å"The Golden Rule. † 10. What is a â€Å"categorical imperative†? Any statement of moral obligation which I make the principle of my action (my â€Å"maxim† in Kant’s vocabulary), in the context of a specific situation, constitutes an â€Å"imperative. † I might, in such a situation, choose to act on a statement of the form, â€Å"If I desire some specific end (e. g. happiness, maximum pleasure, power, etc. ), then I ought to do such and such an action. † In doing so I would be acting on what Kant calls â€Å"a hypothetical imperative. † However, Kant has already ruled out ends as the grounds for moral obligation; thus hypothetical imperatives cannot serve as the basis for determining my moral duty. However, if I act on a principle which has the form, â€Å"In circumstances of such and such a character, I ought to.