A Woman of Different Ideas Essay - 963 Words

The roles of men and women evolve over time. In 1879 the roles, obligations, and expectations of a man and woman were very different from those today. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates the reproachful role of women in society and how appearances can be deceiving. A man was considered the head of the house. He brought home the money, supported the family, and took care of anything of business matter. Women were to take care of housework, the children, and their duties as a wife. The man thought that if he could not provide sufficient money a loan still must not be taken out because it would cause debt. Torvald expresses his belief in this by saying, â€Å"There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing†¦show more content†¦Nora does not think she can properly care for her three children with the way her life is at the present. She believes the nanny will be a better mother to her children than she could be. Some believe Nora mak es a brave move by leaving; however, others disagree. In Forward’s essay she says, â€Å"[Outraged critics] regarded Nora as an unnatural woman for leaving her husband and children, because such behaviour undermined and threatened the stability of society† (â€Å"A new world for women? Stephanie Forward considers Nora’s dramatic exit from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House†). Obligations as a parent, wife, husband, child, or whoever was clearly defined. A parent was to be truthful and do right because their faults were passed to their children in the same sense as some kind of illness would be passed. Dr. Rank is an example of this belief as Nora reveals to Mrs. Linde, â€Å"He has consumption of the spine, poor creature. His father was a horrible man who committed all sorts of excesses; and that is why his son was sickly from childhood. . .† (II. 1777). After Torvald discovers what Nora has done he tells her she can live in the house but will no t be allowed to raise the children. Nora and Mrs. Linde also show to have obligations to their parents, although Nora disregards hers. Nora chooses to be with her sick husband and go to Italy insteadShow MoreRelatedAssessment of the View That Mass Media Perpetuates Stereotypes of Gender1265 Words   |  6 Pageswhich the mass media reinforces the idea of stereotypes of gender. The mass media has existed for many hundreds of years, and its role is to socialise us into different stereotypes such as Gender and Race. Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for sorting human beings. Essential ideas that we get about our own identity’s come from someone else’s perception of how a female/male should act/look. 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In The Ruined Maid, which he wrote in 1866, Hardy focuses on one womans recentRead MoreLife Of Galileo And Top Girls Analysis1542 Words   |  7 Pagesit must have an argument or main idea. Not only must it have an idea that drives the play, but the subjects of the play must be conduits to this idea. This is why characters in epic plays are often detached from the audience. The audience is not supposed to be invested in the characters, but the ideas behind them. Alienation is essential to understanding the plays (Willett). Both Life of Galileo and Top Girls include characters that are conduits to the main ideas of the play. In Life of Galileo,Read More`` The Company Of Wolves And Dracula 928 Words   |  4 PagesSociety has set rules in place that are constricting of new ideas and behaviours. If history has taught us anything, it is that we as a society need to be more open minded, specifically with sexuality. It is 2015 and we are aware that woman’s sexuality is a very re al thing that should be celebrated, ‘The company of Wolves’ shows us that we haven’t always embraced woman’s sexuality with open arms. Throughout history people who were homosexual were often thought of at sinners, rebellious or even possiblyRead MoreSex Sells : Sexual Innuendo1340 Words   |  6 Pagesadvertisement, the company objectifies a woman by removing her identity and only including the image of her pristine legs. The picture is of a woman sitting in a chair with her legs together, then transitions to her open legs. The woman makes this transition due to the male model presenting an engagement ring. There is an interesting display of power in this image because the man depicted has obvious control over the woman, but the advertisers clearly show that the woman holds the man’s goal (sex). The adRead MoreThe Myth Of Woman By Simone De Beauvoir922 Words   |  4 Pagesfight against the idea of womanhood in order to remain authentic to themse lves. The myth of woman is the idea that women are inherently different than men. Man believes that he posits himself first, and then posits others. In the myth of woman, men see women as others that are incapable of positing themselves. The reality is that women are the same as men in an existential sense. They are both subjects, who posit themselves before they posit others. Man uses the myth of woman to subjugate womenRead MoreErnest Hemingway Indian Camp Symbolism1137 Words   |  5 PagesIndian woman give birth. The powerful imagery with descriptive passages conveys the overall scenery, the beginning of a journey where Nick discovers important events in life such as birth and death. They start with them getting into the boat and crossing over the lake to go to the camp. The lake could be a symbol expressing the calm before the storm. 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Expansion Devices Free Essays

Page 1 of 4 Expansion Devices I. Introduction Expansion devices are basic components of a refrigeration system which carry out two major purposes: (1) the pressure reduction from the condenser to evaporator pressure and (2) the regulation of refrigerant flow into the evaporator. These expansion devices can be generally classified into two types which are namely the fixed opening type (flow area is fixed) and the variable opening type (flow area changes correspondingly with a change in mass flow rates). We will write a custom essay sample on Expansion Devices or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are about seven basic types of expansion devices for a refrigerant in a refrigeration system. These include capillary tubes and orifice which are under the fixed opening type and the manual expansion valves, automatic expansion valve (AEV), thermostatic expansion valve (TEV), electronic expansion valve and float type expansion valve which are all under the variable opening type. The float type expansion valve is further classified into high side float valve and low side float valve (Arora, 2006). One of the most commonly used expansion device is the capillary tube. For the purpose of this exercise, a computation related to it will be performed. In a lesson guide on expansion devices prepared by Prof. R. C. Arora in 2006, he/she defined a capillary tube as â€Å"†¦a long, narrow tube of constant diameter. The word „capillary? is a misnomer since surface tension is not important in refrigeration application of capillary tubes. Typical tube diameters of refrigerant capillary tubes range from 0. 5 mm to 3 mm and the lengths range from 1. 0 m to 6 m. II. Objectives The exercise was conducted to familiarize the students with expansion devices, its functions and its importance. Specifically, the objectives were: 1. ) to examine the construction of some commonly-used expansion devices; and 2. ) to assess the performance of some commonly-used expansion devices. III. Methodology A. Lab-Scale Refrigeration System A lab-scale set-up for a refrigeration system in the refrigera tion laboratory was observed for the effects of expansion devices on the pressures at various points within the system. Three different types of expansion devices which are namely the capillary, constant-pressure and thermostatic expansion devices are activated by opening their corresponding valves. The reading at each of the five pressure reading points was recorded for every 2 to 3 minutes until they become stable. An image of the observed set- Page 2 of 4 up was taken and the locations of the pressure-reading points were labelled. See Appendix A for the image. B. Computation: Capillary Tube For the stabilized values of the condenser and evaporator pressures measured, the required theoretical length of the capillary tube was computed. The results were then compared with the actual length of the capillary tube observed in the laboratory. See Appendix B for the value of the computed and measured length of capillary tube. IV. Answers to Questions 1. In the computation part above, is there a discrepancy between the actual and the calculated length of capillary tube? Explain. Based on Table 1, there is a discrepancy between the computed and measured value of the capillary tube. First, it must be noted that throughout the computation, assumptions were made. Upon realizing the difficulty of obtaining a value for the mass flow rate, a reasonable value of it was assumed. This could affect the obtained theoretical length of capillary tube since some of the parameters involved in the computation require its use. Simply said, the theoretical length would either increase or decrease depending on the assumed value but never equal to the actual length, unless the same mass flow rate completely applies to the actual system (which might not really be the case). This is the same explanation behind the other assumed parameters. Additionally, the measurement of quantities necessary for computing the length of capillary tube is also subject to many possible errors. This may include errors due to the limitation of the instruments or devices or due to some human inflicted errors. From the computed percent error, it can be inferred that the two values for capillary tube length deviate from each other at the specified percentage. V. References Arora, 2006. Expansion Devices. [pdf file] Available at . VI. Appendix A. Figure with labels Page 3 of 4 PRESSUREREADING POINT 5 PRESSUREREADING POINT 1 PRESSUREREADING POINT 2 PRESSURE READING POINT 3 PRESSUREREADING POINT4 Fig 1. An image showing the pressure reading points in a lab-scale set-up for a refrigeration system B. Tabulated data Table 1. Measured and computed length of capillary tube Quantities Actual length (m) Theoretical length (m) Percent error (%) Values 4. 1 7. 17 42. 82 Note: Computations on how I arrived with these values are in the spreadsheet submitted with this report. Page 4 of 4 How to cite Expansion Devices, Essay examples

Drawing On What You Have Learned About City Road Analysis Essay Example For Students

Drawing On What You Have Learned About City Road Analysis Essay Due to Clayton being a historical town, there is a steady trickle Of tourism coming through the High Street. One of the biggest and most obvious points of interest is the Old Chapel, a stone structure over three hundred and fifty years old. Years ago, as the name suggests, it was used as a chapel. Today, the chapel is a museum and part of the national trust. This has a mixed effect. When tourists come to visit, this benefits a lot of the local business owners, The tools and restaurants take more bookings and the small quaint local shops gain more custom. Just outside the chapel there is a market, so the market traders benefit trot tourists walking through to see their wares. Depending on where the tourists are staying, the taxi companies can also see a raise in volume of business. On this side of the coin everyone is a winner, however whilst tourism boosts trade and in turn the lives of some people, there are others whom it hinders. When the hustle and bustle of the High Street is enhanced, coal disabled residents and mothers with small children find it increasingly hard to get around town. This makes it difficult for them to get to the market and High Street shops to get food shopping. Necessities or even just their social interaction. For them, this can mean losing out. At night, when the chapel is closed and the market packed away, the pubs come alive. There are several pubs on the High Street and each caters to a different crowd. Mostly they are aimed at the younger crowd, two aimed at an Older, quieter crowd. All Of these are busy Friday and Saturday nights, when the charity of the locals do not have work the next day. The locals enjoy a relaxing and social evening. The landlord gains enhanced custom and also hopefully good PR, if the customers are happy enough to tell their friends. Everyone is a winner. However, this does also add to some people losing out. Residents who live in the close vicinity of these pubs have to put up with the noise in their homes. This can be distressing, cause them to lose sleep or even lower the value on their homes, Because Clayton is a popular but small town, there is very minimal parking. In the high street there are seven unrestricted parking spaces. For those people who manage to get them, this helps them greatly to get around the town or to go to work oviduct having the worry of where to park. There is one main car park, Which is time restricted and a pay and display. This helps the locals in the sense that there is somewhere they can park, if they need. It also benefits the council, as they control the car park and receive any monies that people pay into it. Other than this, there is no other parking on or just off of the High Street. This helps local business owners both win and lose. Because the cars cannot park on the side of the road, the local business fronts are not obscured and therefore are in the public line of sight. Lots of the business fronts have their main advertisements on, drawing people in from the street who might not have gone in otherwise. If the cars were parked in front of them, they may not appear so prominent and could therefore lose this advantage, The fact that it is not easy just to pull up outside a shop and pop in though, means that this could also e losing potential business from passing cars who may find it easier to shop elsewhere. .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .postImageUrl , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:hover , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:visited , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:active { border:0!important; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:active , .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua737e27b10cc935109488d3f6530249a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Exploring Human Figure Drawings as an Assessment Tool for EssayThere are lots of material elements to Clayton High Street, both visible and not that affect the lives of people everyday helping to create winners and losers of everyone in different ways. The high street caters for different people in endless ways and in that respect is very similar to the likes of City Road in Cardiff There will always be parts of a street that people lose by as well as win, because every person has different needs.

Motivation in Kazkom Bank Essay Example

Motivation in Kazkom Bank Essay Table of Contents Table of Contents1 I. Overview of Internship2 II. Organization Part4 About Kazkommertsbank4 History of Kazkommertsbank4 Kazkommertsbank business segments5 Corporate banking5 Banking for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME)5 Retail Banking5 Kazkommertsbank Group6 Management issues6 Marketing issues7 Market dynamics7 Competitive dynamics7 SWOT analysis8 Strengths8 Finance/Accounting issues9 Operations management and Information system issues9 Summary and Recommendations10 References17 I. Overview of Internship a. Name: Yekaterina Surname: Andriyachshenko ID: 20073468 Bachelor of Science in Administration and Accounting (BSc) Major in Management Tel: 8  705  610 18 17 e-mail: [emailprotected] com b. Internship dates/Period: Starting date: January, 19 Ending date: March, 30 c. Internship company name and address, contact information JSC â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† 135 zh, Gagarin ave. , 480060, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. Phone: +7(727) 2-58-56-70 Phone: +7(727) 258-51-85 Fax: +7(727) 258-52-29 web-site: http://www. kkb. kz d. Internship company supervisor’s name and position Mr. Abai Smailov, Senior Risk Manager Tel: + 7  701  758 14 49 e-mail: [emailprotected] kz e. Student’s career interest(s) To get working experience in a big multinational company or financial institution in order to have good career opportunities. f. Internship objectives The main objective of an internship is to gain a practical experience and apply all theoretical knowledge in management and financial areas. Moreover, it is beneficial to pass an internship in order to get and develop personal skills in professional environment, to understand some obstacles that can be faced while applying a job in the future. We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation in Kazkom Bank specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation in Kazkom Bank specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation in Kazkom Bank specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As well as this, one of the objectives is to understand whether it is the sphere and the company where I want to start my career. g. Job description/duties responsibilities I have performed jobs and tasks according to the functional duties of specialists, in particular I provided help in conducting everyday procedures connected with the risk management of a bank, carried out market research on statistical data that was useful for performance of the department. In addition to this I classified and sorted out the documentation of the department and worked with clients’ databases, as well as did some work connected with optimization of data. . Student’s contribution to the company Passing internship at Kazkommertsbank had benefits for the company such as: †¢ Help in routine work; †¢ Fresh ideas; †¢ Ability to accomplish required tasks earlier than is set by deadlines; †¢ Good candidates for future job offer i. Benefits to the individual/Student †¢ It was the first working experience; †¢ Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical; †¢ Enhance classroom experience; †¢ Develop and practice skills to solve business problems; †¢ Becoming confident in business sphere; Develop personal skills by developing professional talent. j. Problems and difficulties if any faced during the internship period One of the main difficulties was to combine studying and working processes. Another obstacle was connected with the language. The theory that we obtain at KIMEP is in English, while business communication at JCS â€Å"Kakommertsbank† primarily is in Russian, therefore, many terms were new for me, but it was extremely beneficial to work with such difficulties. II. Organization Part About Kazkommertsbank Established in 1990, Kazkommertsbank is one of the largest private full-service banks in Kazakhstan, measured by total assets. It provides corporate banking, retail banking and other financial services. The Bank’s principal activities traditionally have been the acceptance of deposits and the provision of loan and credit facilities in Tenge and foreign currencies. It also offers a wide-range of current account-related services, such as direct debit payments, and also retail (banking) loans. The bank has affiliated banks in Kyrgyzstan (Open Society  «Kazkommertsbank Kyrgyzstan »), in Russia (Moskommertsbank) and in Tajikistan (JSC  «Kazkommertsbank Tajikistan ») (www. kkb. kz). As for October, 1 2009 owner’s equity equaled to 384  484 millions Tenge, ROA was 0,52% and ROE amounted to 3,80% (www. kase. kz). Essential source of attraction of means there are bank deposits which make about third in total amount of funding. According to the bank’s official web-site, the bank also offers a ide spectrum of activities in service of current accounts of clients, such as payments, debit and credit cards and retail banking. Kazkommertsbank is a unique bank in Kazakhstan, emitting credit and debit cards of all three largest international payment systems-VISA, MasterCard (Cirrus/Maestro) and American Express. Moreover, the bank released the first credit bonus cards called GoCard in 2005. Kazkommertsbank is the leader in a Kazahstani banking system in the market of remote bank service. In the beginning of July, 2008 the number of the registered users of a financial portal for physical persons Homebank. z has exceeded a mark of 150 000 people, among which are not only clients of Kazkommertsbank, but also owners of payment cards of joint-stock company KazInvestbank, joint-stock company  «Citibank Kazakhstan » and Subsidiary Bank of the joint-stock company  «SBERBANK ROSSII » (www. kkb. kz). Except actually bank services, the bank renders also other financial services. Being one of the major participants of a securities market and the currency market of Kazakhstan, it provides management of monetary resources, including currency-conversion operations, operations in the monetary markets, and operations with securities. According to the general Bank license, the bank has the right to carry out transactions (sale, purchase and storage) with valuable metals, including gold and silver. Since 2001 the bank offers trusting services, mainly, confidential management of money resources and actives to the corporate and retail clients History of Kazkommertsbank AS it is stated on www. kkb. kz, the history of Kazkommertsbank (further – Bank) takes the start from â€Å"Medeu† Bank which was formed on July, 12, 1990 as an open joint-stock company according to the legislation of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. After the country became the sovereign state, â€Å"Medeu† Bank has been re-registered into an OJSC Kazkommertsbank and received the license of National bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan â„â€" 48 as of October, 21, 1991 on carrying out bank operations. This day also is considered as an official birthday of the Bank. In April, 1994 the Bank united with other Kazakhstan commercial bank â€Å"Astana Holding†. Since 1994 the Bank participated in a number of the special programs prepared and ponsored by National Bank of RK and Ministry of Finance RK, and also the international financial institutions such, as The World Bank, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, Islamic Bank of Development, Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau and The Asian Bank of Development (www. kkb. kz). In 1995 Kazkommertsbank actively participated in economically and politically significant processes of re-structuring and privatization of the enterprises of oil-and-gas branches as an officia l adviser of RK Government. During 1996 the bank tried to achieve basic standards to conform to the international standards of bank activities. So, â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† became one of the first Kazakhstan banks that received the international auditors report (from â€Å"Deloitte and Touche†). In May 1998, Kazkommertsbank was the first who issued Eurobonds for the sum of 100 million US dollars and for the period of 3 years. In total for the next years the Bank has issued internal and international bonds for the sum more than 1,5 billion US dollars (www. kkb. kz). In December 2005 Kazkommertsbank has signed an agreement on the syndicated loan in 1,3 billion dollars, which was the largest agreement among similar transactions not only in Kazakhstan, but also in all Central and the Eastern Europe and the CIS region. In March 2006 â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† won a nomination  «the Best bank on emerging markets successively: Kazakhstan » following the results of annual research of international magazine Global Finance. Besides, it won the nominations  «Best Bank in Trading Financing » and  «Best Bank in the Currency Market ». All this time Kazkommertsbank has been receiving the rank  «Best Bank of Kazakhstan » (www. kkb. kz). Kazkommertsbank business segments Corporate banking KKB is the largest lender to medium-sized companies and international companies operating in Kazakhstan. KKB’s competitive advantages in corporate banking include its ability to provide larger and longer-term facilities than its peers, and its access to cheaper financing. KKB currently provides payroll services to its main corporate clients, which is used for cross-selling into retail products. Banking for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) (www. kkb. kz). KKB is rapidly increasing its banking services for SMEs, the market is regarded as underserved and as offering high-yielding lending opportunities. Retail Banking KKB offers its retail customers a comprehensive range of products, including residential mortgages, consumer loans, e-banking, debit and credit cards, and deposit and current accounts. It has one of the top three positions in terms of market share, residential mortgages and retail loans, retail deposits, and credit cards, and ATM services. KKB had about 253,000 retail customers as of 30 June 2006 and plans to increase its retail operations by expanding its branch network to 240 by 2010 and launching an aggressive marketing campaign focused on cross-selling opportunities. Management issues As it is stated on the web-site of â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†, their management issues are the following. Mission is to provide high quality products and services to predominantly medium- and large-sized Kazakhstani and international corporations operating in Kazakhstan. Vision is to maintain its position as a leading bank and financial services company in Kazakhstan, while increasing profitability through managed growth and increased operating efficiency. The Bank’s strategy is to maintain its position as a leading bank and financial services company in Kazakhstan, while increasing profitability through managed growth and increased operating efficiency. In order to implement this strategy, the Bank intends to focus on the following: †¢ Expansion of Banking Services. The Bank will focus on expanding its services. In particular, â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† intends to develop its corporate client base and improve the quality of its loan portfolio. In order to diversify the portfolio, the Bank will seek to proportionately increase its lending to SME. †¢ Improvement of management information systems and operating efficiencies. The Bank has been working to improve operating efficiencies through organizational restructuring and investments in human resources and information technology. The Bank continues to introduce more advanced information systems in the future. †¢ Improvement of funding base. The Bank aims to increase its capital markets funding, including subordinated and senior debt issues, asset securitization programs, co-operating with multilateral financial institutions and foreign export credit agencies and by increasing its market share in term deposits from corporate and retail clients in particular. †¢ Expand into other financial services markets. To capitalize on expected opportunities at securities market, the Bank is taking steps to further its expertise and position itself through the operations of its subsidiaries such as JSC Kazkommerts Securities and JSC Kazkommerts Policy, rendering insurance services. Management of the Bank is responsible for the preparation of the condensed interim consolidated financial statements that represent fairly the financial position of the Bank results of operations, cash flows and changes in accordance with Financial Reporting Standards. In preparation the condensed interim consolidated financial statements management is responsible for selecting suitable accounting principles and applying them consistently. In addition, management should make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent and check whether IFRS have been followed, as well prepare the condensed interim consolidated financial statements on a going concern basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Bank will continue in business for the foreseeable future. Management is also responsible for: designing, implementing and maintaining an effective and sound system of internal controls, throughout the Bank. Besides this, it should maintain statutory accounting records in compliance with legislation and accounting standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as take such steps that are available to them to safeguard the assets of the Bank; and detect and prevent fraud and other irregularities. Marketing issues Today the main marketing strategy of the Bank is enhancement of new customers. To reach this goal the following marketing strategy is developed by the Bank: †¢ Development of the advertising and promotion materials hat accurate in terms of legislation and services/products that bank provides †¢ Identify cost effective marketing channels that will cover the particular target market †¢ Make competitive analysis and define advantages and disadvantages of the Bank’s products †¢ Make analysis of the target market to understand customer’s preferences and expectations from banking products and services †¢ Build positive image of Bank as the Bank i nnovator and Bank that is close and accessible for customers (recently, Bank had an image of very expansive bank that provides banking products and services only for reach people) †¢ Develop customers loyalty to the Bank and customers satisfaction †¢ Increase Bank’s market share in retail banking particular market share of retail credits. Market dynamics The latest situation on the banking market has been quite tough; however, it has been improving now. Bank started to recover from the world financial crisis so banks give loans again and continue to attract funds from the population. So, nowadays banks begin to act aggressively and develop their marketing strategies to stay competitive and to acquire new customers. Today, clients are attracted not only by lucrative rates and terms but by offering complex services that include as â€Å"initial banking services† as modern demanded tools, such as Internet banking, Client-bank software and others. Competitive dynamics Kazkommertsbank is one of the leaders at Kazakhstani banking market and one of the main contributions to this was made by their well-elaborated marketing strategy. Kazkom offers almost unique products such as Internet banking and bonus scheme Go-card. These two tools are attractive to many customers and help to develop strong relationships with clients. Besides this, the bank has several advertising campaigns, including TV commercials and street banners, in order to attract new customers, i. e. extra funds. SWOT analysis â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† is one of the largest and prosperous banks on financial market of Kazakhstan. As every organization, the bank has its own strengths and weaknesses, faces various opportunities and threats. Summary of the SWOT analysis is given in appendix (Table ), and more detailed information is presented below. Strengths â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† is one of the largest banks in Kazakhstan that offers its services to more than 60 000 clients which is wide customer base. It allows the Bank to earn considerable amount of revenues from operating them. Another strong aspect of the Bank is its well-developed products, such as large deposit options with gainful rates, low mortgage terms, various types of credit and debit card and many others. As well as this, many clients find it very convenient to use Internet banking. Kazkommertsbank† was the first bank in Kazakhstan to offer such a service to its customers which was definitely a plus. Besides this, many customers appreciate the Go-card bonus system. It encourages people to pay for their purchases and receive either dis counts or bonuses that range from 3 to 30 percent. And the last but not least strong side of the Bank is a large number of ATMs around Almaty and other cities of Kazakhstan. â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† clients do not have to look for ATM because they can be found almost everywhere. Weaknesses Although â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† has a number of awards, â€Å"Best Bank of Kazakhstan† among them, still it has some weak points. External dept can be one of them, as the Bank owes a great amount of money to foreign financial institutions. It can cause some significant problems in the future. This weakness automatically brings up another issue that is low liquidity. The Bank does not have appropriate amount of current assets and may face troubles if many clients want to have their money back. Opportunities â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† currently operates in Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The Bank can also expand to other regions, for instance it can go to other Central Asia countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, as well as to CIS counties such as Ukraine and Belarus. This will increase customer base and bring new money to the bank. In addition, the Bank can offer new services to its current clients, for example introduction of derivatives or exotic options, compound products. Threats Financial crises caused a lot of problems in banking sector not only in Kazakhstan, but around the world. So, currently the situation in the banking sector is very unstable. Consequently, many customers may become less sure about their bank and withdraw their deposits which will decrease the number of cash in the bank. In addition to this, foreign banks are unwilling to lend money to Kazakhstani bank which can cause problems with cash liquidity at â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†. Finance/Accounting issues As it was mentioned above, the Bank is organized on the basis of three main business segments: †¢ Retail banking – representing private banking services, private customer current accounts, savings, deposits, investment savings products, custody, credit and debit cards, consumer loans and mortgages. †¢ Corporate banking – representing current accounts, deposits, overdrafts, loan and other credit facilities, foreign currency products, guarantees and letters of credit and derivative products. †¢ Investment banking – representing financial instruments trading, structured financing, corporate leasing, and merger and acquisitions advice. Transactions between the business segments are conducted on normal commercial terms and conditions. Funds are ordinarily reallocated between segments, resulting in funding cost transfers disclosed in operating income. Interest charged for these funds is based on the Group’s cost of funds attracted. There are no other material items of income or expense between the business segments. Segment assets and liabilities comprise operating assets and liabilities, being the majority of the balances sheet, but excluding items such as taxation and borrowings. Internal charges and transfer pricing adjustments have been reflected in the performance of each segment. Revenue sharing agreements are used to allocate external customer revenues to a business segment on a reasonable basis. In order to protect tself from different types of risks connected with the main business of a bank there is a department that is concentrated on preventing bad scenarios, like the department where I had a chance to pass my internship, the department of â€Å"Monitoring and Analysis of Credit Portfolio and Ri sk-management†. Operations management and Information system issues To be a leader on the market, Bank needs to use highly innovative and operative information technologies and systems. One of them is system of electronic workflow, which allows optimizing paper work and many businesses processes in Bank. Optimization of the business processes leads to decrease in operation costs and to customer’s satisfaction with banking services. Automation of banking processes helps to appropriately and accurately define customer’s creditability and pay ability, so minimize credit risks that are assumed in credit processes. As well as this, many departments in the bank use highly efficient programs that allow them to stay in touch with National Bank and other regulatory institutions. Besides this, locally developed programs let them to make quick transactions through system of Internet banking. In addition to this, standard programs of Microsoft office are widely used across the bank in day to day activities. Summary Many economic zones in which the Bank work, are characterized by the raised risk since there is no sufficient knowledge of behavior of consumers, positions of competitors, about a correct choice of partners, there are no reliable sources of reception of commercial and other information. The current situation in banking is unclear due to the liquidity crises that expanded to Kazakhstan as well. Crises in Banking involved into economy of Kazakhstan, so inflation rates in increased, bringing with it increase in prices of retail products and decrease in consumption rates of Kazakhstan population. This factor lead to reduction in necessity of banking precuts especially retail credits. It is hard to make appropriate prognoses of future situation and stay a leader on a market. That’s why it is very important to have well-developed strategic plan, to define mission and vision of the company, to set concrete goals. There is a vital importance for every manager of the Bank, from low level to the top, to know the answer to the major strategic questions: Where is the company at present time? Where it is going to be? And how is it going to achieve this position? In their strategic plan, marketing plan and management issues, KKB answers all these questions, so they definitely know in what direction to move in short and long-run periods. How motivation influence employee performance at JSC â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†. Introduction In today’s highly competitive conditions among companies employee performance becomes a very important issue. The better employees work, the better results organizations show. According to the web-site www. managementstudyguide. com, motivation â€Å"improves the level of efficiency of employees†. An inspired worker will show outstanding performance that will boost his or her productivity. That will lead to decreased costs of operations and as the result total efficiency will go up. Employee performance is a function of ability multiplied by motivation (Whetten, 2007). Ability refers to employees’ knowledge and education, their expertise and past experience. So, human resource managers should choose the best people that fit open positions. However, it is vital not only to select the right people but also to choose appropriate motivation techniques to inspire employees. A motivated worker does his job better and likes it more than those who are not so motivated. In addition to increased performance and productivity, the satisfaction with the job itself will rise. Every good manager understands the significance of this subject, however not every executive knows how to implement theory into practice. Consequently, this may lead to some undesirable outcomes, for example, low sales, high turnover rates, increased number of mistakes and errors, conflicts among subordinates, lack of new ideas and creativity. Problems may arise if a manager does not know the nature of his or her subordinates. According to the web-site www. accel-team. com, appreciation of this fact is â€Å"a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace†. The objectives of this paper are to understand current motivation level at â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† and to propose other motivation techniques that could help increase employees’ satisfaction with work and boost their productivity. Methodology Data collection In order to write this report I used various sources to gather information about â€Å"Kazkommertsbank† and to conduct analysis. The facts and figures that tell about the history of the bank and its operations were taken from Internet sources such as www. kkb. kz, www. afn. kz and www. kase. kz. In addition to these data, I also made conclusion from my personal observations during my working time. While working on the report I held an interview with one of the employee of â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†. The respondent’s name is Kanat Khalilov whose position is a risk manager at Risk Management Department Modeling Division of JSC â€Å"Kazkommertsbank†. I have decided to choose this particular person because he has good education and broad experience in various financial institutions. He was asked several questions concerning motivation in the organization (the script of the interview is attached in appendix). This was the primary source of data based on which the proceeding research was conducted. Although, an interview is a good way of collecting information; it is used to get qualitative data. To obtain general view on what is happening in the bank, I prepared questionnaires based of the interview questions with sixteen questions out of which two questions were open. I distributed fifteen copies among the employees of Risk Management Department and the response rate was one hundred percent. Theoretical part Motivation can be defined as anything that affects behavior in pursuing a certain outcome. A great number of theories have been developed in order to help managers motivate their employees; unfortunately in our local organizations not many of them are used. However, the importance of motivation is huge for any organization. As it was mentioned by the site www. managementstudyguide. com, effective motivation can lead to the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. That means that finding the right way to motivate subordinates will result in better co-ordination and co-operation, which are the two components of assisting in attaining organizational goals. In addition to what was mentioned above, motivation can bring stability of workforce (www. managementstudyguide. com). It is clear that stable workforce is significant in terms of reputation and goodwill of a company. If employees feel that they take part in managing their organization, they stay devoted to their company. This will cause employees to show their best in performing and create a good public image in the market. And if the organization has good reputation, the number of clients will be increasing constantly and good specialists will strive to work there. The most popular motivation theory is the hierarchy of needs theory that was developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. According to the web-site www. learning-theories. om, the basis of Maslows motivation theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. Another famous theory is two-factor theory by Frederick Herzberg. According to his theory, people are influenced by two factors: motivation factors that bring satisfaction and psychological growth, and hygiene factors that cause dissatisfaction (http://en. wikipedia. org). In his opinion, hygiene factors are needed to ensure that employees do not become dissatisfied. These factors do not lead to higher levels of motivation, but without them there is dissatisfaction. Motivation factors are needed in order to motivate employees into higher performance. These factors result from internal generators in employees. As Herzberg stated, achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement and growth can lead to satisfaction, while work conditions, salaries, supervision and company policies can cause dissatisfaction. Vroom’s expectancy theory is very popular as well. It states that people are motivated when they believe they can accomplish the task, they will get the reward, and the rewards for doing so are worth the effort (Whetten, 2007). The same statement can be rephrased that motivation force is a product of expectancy, instrumentality and valence (www. quickmba. com). This means that a person expects himself to accomplish some objectives (expectancy), and he believes that performance will result in getting the reward (instrumentality) and at the end what value a person places on the outcome or reward (valence). One more motivation theory is connected to the person personality and has to be applied to each person individually. That is acquired needs theory by McClelland developed in 1961 (www. strategies-for-managing-change. com). It states that every person has his own needs, need for power, affiliation or achievement. These needs can be identified with a help of special test. After getting the result a manager can understand how he or she can motivate a particular employee. For example, for those who fall in the achievers category managers should set them even harder goals and stretch their limits. The goal-setting theory by Locke is also a good way of motivating employees. Goals are the source of motivation because they indicate what has to be done and how much effort should be exerted. Attainment of goals satisfies the individual’s achievement drive, boosts the self-esteem. Thus, it can be said that specific goals increase the performance than general goals. â€Å"Lockes research showed that there was a relationship between how difficult and specific a goal was and peoples performance of a task† (www. mindtools. com). It means that the manager should set goals and objectives to his subordinates but these goals should be SMART, or specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and have time-bound. However, not only the goals are important, executives should give their feedback when the task is finished in order for employees to know whether they are succeeding or whether they need to change direction. Reinforcement theory is known to be one of the most powerful motivation tools that can increase desired behavior and eliminate undesired behavior (http://faculty. mdc. edu). It means that there are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement results when an undesirable behavioral consequence is withheld, with the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors being exhibited. Punishment is the administration of an undesirable behavioral consequence in order to reduce the occurrence of the unwanted behavior. Findings and Analysis Personal observations During two months of internship I had a chance to understand how a real organization operates, to observe the chain of command and to get a view of who reports to whom, to identify the relationships between employees. As well as this I had a chance to see how some management concepts are used, motivation issues in particular

Gift-Giving Guide for College Students

Gift-Giving Guide for College Students Gift-giving as a college student can be complicated. Of course, youd love to treat all of your friends and family to big, beautiful gifts ... but your budget and time restrictions often prevent doing so. What options are there, then, for college students who want to give great gifts without seeming cheap or lazy? Gifts Based on Recipients Great Gifts for Your College Boyfriend or Girlfriend. Its hard to come up with a meaningful, reasonably priced, personal gift for your significant other.Gifts for a College Roommate. A college roommate is like no one else; after all, what other person knows so much about you, puts up with your ridiculousness, and lets you eat their cereal when youre meal plan runs out? Whether its for a roommate birthday or the holidays, make sure you get something unique for this important person in your life.General Gift Ideas for Moms. Be it for Mothers Day or her birthday, getting a gift for Mom  is a must-do. Dont forget to make a phone call if youre away at school on the big day, too!Gifts for Your Siblings. You may have been incredibly close to your siblings before you left for school, or you may have been glad to have them no longer annoying you at the dinner table. Either way, forgetting a gift for your sibling can be an unforgivable offense! Gifts Based on Situations Low-Cost Gift Ideas. Regardless of whom your gift is for, it needs to fit within your budget. Thoughtful low-cost gifts will make you look anything but cheap.Last-Minute Gift Ideas. Alright, so your friends/roommates/brothers birthday totally sneaked up on you. Last-minute gift ideas based on someones hobby or creative outlet can help cover your oops-I-nearly-forgot tracks.Unique Valentines Day Gifts. With so much hype, it can be hard to come up with gift ideas for Valentines Day that are original and inexpensive.College Graduation Gift Ideas. Graduation season can get so chaotic that its easy to forget to get a college graduation gift that adequately celebrates this major milestone.

Hong Kong - 10 Facts About the Chinese Region of Hong Kong

Hong Kong - 10 Facts About the Chinese Region of Hong Kong Located along the southern coast of China, Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions in China. As a special administrative region, the former British territory of Hong Kong is a part of China but gets a high level of autonomy and it does not have to follow certain laws that Chinese provinces do. Hong Kong is known for its quality of life and high ranking on the Human Development Index. A List of 10 Facts About Hong Kong 1) 35,000-Year History Archaeological evidence has shown that humans have been present in the Hong Kong area for at least 35,000 years and there are several areas where researchers have found Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts throughout the region. In 214 B.C.E. the region became a part of Imperial China after Qin Shi Huang conquered the area. The region then became a part of the Nanyue Kingdom in 206 B.C.E. after the Qin Dynasty collapsed. In 111 B.C.E the Nanyue Kingdom was conquered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The region then eventually became a part of the Tang Dynasty and in 736 C.E. a military town was built to protect the region. In 1276 the Mongols invaded the region and many of the settlements were moved.2) A British Territory The first Europeans to arrive in Hong Kong were the Portuguese in 1513. They quickly set up trading settlements in the region and they were eventually forced out of the area due to clashes with the Chinese military. In 1699 the British East India Company first entered China and established trading posts in Canton. In the mid-1800s the first Opium War between China and Britain took place and Hong Kong was occupied by British forces in 1841. In 1842 the island was ceded to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. In 1898 the UK also got Lantau Island and nearby lands, which later became known as the New Territories.3) Invaded During WWII During World War II in 1941, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong and the UK eventually surrendered its control of the area to Japan after the Battle of Hong Kong. In 1945 the UK regained control of the colony. Throughout the 1950s Hong Kong rapidly industrialized and as such its economy quickly began to grow. In 1984 the UK and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration to transfer Hong Kong to China in 1997 with the understanding that it would get a high level of independence for at least 50 years.4) Transferred Back to China On July 1, 1997 Hong Kong was officially transferred from the UK to China and it became the first special administrative region of China. Since then its economy has continued to grow and it has become one of the most stable and highly populated areas in the region.5) Its Own Form of Government Today Hong Kong is still governed as a special administrative region of China and it has its own form of government with an executive branch made up of a chief of state (its president) and a head of government (the chief executive). It also has a legislative branch of government that is composed of a unicameral Legislative Council and its legal system is based on English laws as well as Chinese laws. Hong Kongs judicial branch consists of a Court of Final Appeal, a High Court as well as district courts, magistrates courts and other lower level courts. The only areas in which Hong Kong does not get autonomy from China is in its foreign affairs and defense issues.6) A World of Finance Hong Kong is one of the worlds largest international finance centers and as such it has a strong economy with low taxes and free trade.   economy is considered a free market one that is highly dependent on international trade. The main industries in Hong Kong, other than finance and banking, are textiles, clothing, tourism, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches and clocks (CIA World Factbook). Agriculture is also practiced in some areas of Hong Kong and the main products of that industry are fresh vegetables, poultry, pork and fish (CIA World Factbook).7) Dense Population Hong Kong has a large population with 7,122,508 (July 2011 estimate) people. It also has one of the densest populations in the world because its total area is 426 square miles (1,104 sq km). The population density of Hong Kong is 16,719 people per square mile or 6,451 people per square kilometer. Because of its dense population, its public transit network is highly developed and about 90% of its population utilizes it.8) Located on Chinas Southern Coast Hong Kong is located on the south coast of China near the Pearl River Delta. It is about 37 miles (60 km) east of Macau and is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south and west. On the north it shares a border with Shenzhen in Chinas Guangdong province. Hong Kongs area of 426 square miles (1,104 sq km) consists of Hong Kong Island, as well as the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories.9) Mountainous The topography of Hong Kong varies but it is mostly hilly or mountainous throughout its area. The hills are also very steep. The northern part of the region consists of lowlands and the highest point in Hong Kong is Tai Mo Shan at 3,140 feet (957 m).10) Nice Weather Hong Kongs climate is considered subtropical monsoon and as such it is cool and humid in the winter, hot and rainy in spring and summer and warm in the fall. Because it is a subtropical climate, the average temperatures do not vary much throughout the year.To learn more about Hong Kong, visit its official government website.ReferencesCentral Intelligence Agency. (16 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Hong Kong. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/hk.htmlWikipedia.org. (29 June 2011). Hong Kong - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong

Visual art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Visual art - Essay Example However, it is also evident that Spanish cinema has an increasingly international appeal with added creativity and dynamism than at any time in its history. Results released by the Spanish film board shows that Spanish films have grossed more than $143 million in 2013despite funding cuts that have been a result of austerity measures (Dennison 16). This is the best performance ever by the industry, which can be attributed, among other things, to the conscious attempts by the industry to appeal to a global audience base. Some of the best films I have watched in the last year include â€Å"The Impossible† that I believe is the best local Spanish film of all time, which earned an Oscar nomination. â€Å"I Want you† by Fernando Molina and â€Å"Tad, the Lost Explorer† were also local hits that gained international recognition in this period. These films also grossed $50 million, $15 million, and  million locally, while making double the amount globally, indicating a renaissance for the Spanish film industry (Dennison 34). This year has also begun brightly with â€Å"Mama† produced by Guillermo Toro and starring Jessica Chastain, which was also successful in the US, beginning its run in at the top of the box office. However, it is also important to note that these successful films began production over four years ago; mostly because of a decline in government, funding that was widely criticized in the Spanish media. The last year and half have been the most successful for the Spanish film industry according to the Spanish media, especially due to its simultaneous international and local appeal. For example, the four nominees at the GOYA awards this year for best picture, â€Å"Unit 7†, â€Å"The Artist and the Model†, â€Å"The Impossible†, and â€Å"Blancanieves†, were especially appealing to local audience as they tackled the theme of crisis, which has been emblematic of Spain in the last five years (Dennison 34). However, my interest in the Spanish

English Literature lesson 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English Literature lesson 4 - Essay Example It is difficult to maintain a reasonable attitude when only one half of the argument is presented with only an appeal to hold yourself blameless as a newborn baby. This is the crux of my dispute with you regarding our relationship and estrangement. I continue to try to communicate with you as openly as I can, accepting my faults as a father and acknowledging where perhaps I may have had negative affects on you, but you continue to accept no blame or fault in yourself – not in truth. You mouth all the correct platitudes, but you continue to blame me for your character. You say I am not guilty of causing your distress and so you are correct in that I had no control over the way in which you reacted to my personality. This personality is the result of the choices I have made, the thoughts I have entertained, the knowledge I have gained and the beliefs I have accepted. As my child, I had no reason to expect your personality to be so much different from my own. You are my child and raised by my hand from your birth so you should respond in much the same way to the world as I respond myself. But you refused to do this. You were a sickly and crying baby and you seemed to cringe at the slightest kindness. Throughout your childhood I attempted to find ways of interacting with you that would not interfere with your development. I took you places with me and showed off your skills to my constituents. To boast about your skills in front of you would have been to unduly inflate your sense of yourself and make you an impossibly spoiled child. Just the fact tha t I took you should have demonstrated to you the pride I had in you as my son. I have acknowledged previously that I do have a short temper and tend to say things I do not mean when I’m angry. This was the example of my father and, as you learned, of other shopkeepers and

Great Expectations and April Raintree Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations and April Raintree Essay A key theme in Great Expectations and April Raintree is the growth and change of the characters towards their acceptance of social class. This will be proven by Pip not accepting himself in the lower class and April not accepting herself in the native class. Then, there will be proof of how Pip and April attempted to change their social class. Finally the proof of how Pip accepted himself in the social class he was in and how April accepted herself as a Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis. Pip did not accept himself in the lower class. He wanted to be in the upper class just like Miss Havisham is. Pip was ashamed of his family and its lower class status. How he wasnt as fortunate as Estella who is a member of the higher class, especially when Estella insulted Pip saying that he is common and how he has coarse hands. He did not have a reason to think about his class status before this, and now that he does, hes disturbed to think he might be just common. This ensured Pip to not accept himself in the lower class. He didnt see any good from it. Pip felt he needed to impress Estella. She was the one who changed Pips perspective in everything. Before meeting Estella, Pip really looked up to Joe, blacksmith or a gentleman, Joes class status makes no difference. It is not until later, when he learns that the world cares about class, thats when Joes status mattered to Pip. After seeing Estellas house and everything she had, he wanted more to look forward to. Pip did not accept his life in the lower class. April is a young woman who has so many issues with her family and the people in her life. April always hid her feelings of shame from her sister Cheryl. April did not accept herself in the native class. Although she did not look native, she was sometimes ashamed that her sister Cheryl looked more native than she did. There were two different groups of children that went to the park. One group was brown-skinned children who looked like Cheryl in most ways. They were dirty-looking and they dressed in real raggedy cloths. I didnt care to play with them at all. The other group was fair-skinned and I envied them especially the girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. They seemed so clean and fresh. Some of them were freckled but they didnt seem to mind. To me, I imagined they were very rich and lived in big, beautiful houses. I wondered what their lives were like and I wished we could play with them. But they didnt care to play with Cheryl and me. They just called us names and bullied us. (Pg. 6) Since April was young, she always wanted to be with the people who were fair-skinned. She didnt like seeing her sister being called names especially, when they had to live with the DeRosiers. Half breeds were all that was said in that house. I heard you half breeds were dirty but now I can see that its true. (Unknown :() At one point, April hated being Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis. She felt that being Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis changed her life because when you think of Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis, you think of living off the streets and bums on Main Street. She wasnt any of these and she didnt want to be labelled as them. She was not happy being the person she knew she was. April did not accept her life in the native class. Pip changed his social class by going off to school to become a gentleman. He was lucky to have a benefactor. Ive put away money, only for you to spend. When I was a hired-out shepherd in a solitary hut, not seeing no faces but faces of sheep till I half-forgot wot mens and womens faces wos like, I see yourn. . . . I see you there a many times plain as ever I see you on them misty marshes. Lord strike me dead! I says each time-and I goes out in the open air to say it under the open heavens-but wot, if I gets liberty and money, Ill make that boy a gentleman! And I done it. (pg. 340) Magwitch reveals himself as Pips secret benefactor and how he got all his wealth. This quote changed Pips idealistic view of wealth and social class by forcing him to realize that his own status as a gentleman is owed to the loyalty of a lower-class criminal. Year after year, he moved further away from Joe and his lower class. Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one mans a blacksmith, and ones a whitesmith, and ones a goldsmith, and ones a coppersmith. Divisions among such must come, and must be met as they come. (pg. 236) Joe comes with a smart and content attitude toward the changes in Pips social class that have driven them apart, and he shows his goodness and loyalty by blaming the division not on Pip but on the unchangeable nature of the human condition. Pip as a gentleman makes a lot of money and as he gets wealthy, he forgets his family and the people that are important to him. In other words, he worries about trying to impress people, rather than being moral. April Raintree changed her identity of a native by marrying a rich white man named Bob Radcliff. She always wanted to be rich and forget about her heritage. She moved away from Winnipeg to Toronto. She tried running away from the life she did not want, to try to live a life she wanted. You think I dont know why you married Bob? It was to get away from me, thats why. Ill be you wished you were an only child. I bet you wished I was dead. (pg. 155) It was almost like she did not want Cheryl in her life at all. You never loved that man. You loved his money. You figured you were going to be Miss High Society. (pg. 158) April did not love Bob Radcliff; she only married him for his money. Pip learns from his mistakes growing up. After realizing what kind of person he has become, and how he has treated his loved ones, he felt he was better off being in the lower class. Pip realized that wealth and class are less important than affection, loyalty, and inner worth. When he is finally able to understand that, besides the esteem in which he holds Estella, someones social status is not what so ever connected to that someones character. Bentley Drummle is a symbol to this because even though he is a minor character, he gave an important message. Drummle is an upper class member. He gave Pip proof that social class has no connection to attitude, personality or moral worth. Drummles negative example helps Pip to see the inner worth of characters such as Magwitch and Joe, and Pip eventually scraped his immature fantasies about wealth and class. Everything changes for Pip after he learns the class status of his benefactor because he realized that Magwitch, a kind-hearted man who was never able to come out of the status into which he was born but in the end he was able to get wealthy. April realized that she wasnt happy with Bob, so they got a divorce. From that divorce, she received a good amount of money. She immediately went back home to her sister, but things were not good between Cheryl and April. After Cheryl committed suicide, April found her diaries and read them. She finally realized what Cheryl has gone through while April wasnt in her life and what she thought of everything especially what she thought of April. April accepted being Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis then and there. Like her sister, she is proud to be Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis. Since she loved Cheryl, she was glad that a part of Cheryl was alive in her son, Henry Liberty. All life dies to give new life. (pg. 184) It was tragic that it had taken Cheryls death to bring April to accept her identity but she would strive for a better tomorrow now. For her sister and her son, her parents and her people. In conclusion, Pip accepted himself in the social class that he used to be in. Even though he remained in the higher class, Pip realized that he still cared for his loved ones in the lower class. For April, she accepted herself in the social class she was born in. Even though Cheryls life had to be taken away before April realized how important her heritage was. Pip carried a snobby attitude for a great portion of his life. He treated the people he loved without realization of how he wasnt respectful towards them. April had tried hiding, she had attempted to be someone shes not, she had tried being with someone she didnt love, and she had also undertook to blocking her own sister out of her life. No matter what April did, she couldnt get away from what she really was inside. She was born Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis. She just didnt feel proud of it nor did she want to be Mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tis. Pip and April both had issues with the people in their lives and they both found their true identities from being ashamed of their social class to peace with their lives.

Physiological Effects of MDMA Use :: Health Drugs Essays

Physiological Effects of MDMA Use MDMA has significant cardiovascular effects. This is consistent with its norepinephrine releasing (Johnson et al. 1991; Rothman et al. 2001) and  £\_2 adrenergic agonist (Lavelle et al. 1999) properties. MDMA dose dependently produces robust increases in heart rate and blood pressure (de la Torre et al. 2000a; de la Torre et al. 2000b; Grob et al.). Peak cardiovascular effects occur between 1 and 2 hours after MDMA administration and largely subside within 6 hours of drug administration. A study suggested that the relationship between MDMA dose and cardiovascular effects was supralinear by de la Torre et al. (2000a) who reported unexpectedly high drug exposures (measured as AUCplasma for MDMA) and diastolic blood pressure increases in two volunteers given 150 mg MDMA. While pharmacokinetic data suggest MDMA has nonlinear kinetics, there is no clear evidence of supralinear relationships between dose and blood pressure or heart rate. In fact, there may be less increase in heart rate after higher doses. The tendency toward less heart rate increase with higher dose is consistent with a study using both conscious and anesthetized rats (O'Cain et al. 2000). In this rat study, 3 mg/kg IV MDMA decreased heart rate, while lower doses tended to increase it or leave it unchanged. Studies monitoring blood pressure found significant relationships between MDMA use and blood pressure. In one study, (Vollenweider et al. 1998) involving subjects without a history of MDMA use, one subject experienced hypertensive crisis from a dose typical of recreational use. The correlation of blood pressure is described, "A two way ANOVA for systolic blood pressure revealed a significant main effect of drug [F(1,2) = 41.09; p < 02] and a significant drug x time interaction [F(3,6) = 11.31; p < 007]. Significant changes occurred in the 0 to 75 minutes and 75 to 150 minutes interval (one way ANOVAs). Two way ANOVA for diastolic blood pressure was not significant, but one way ANOVAs showed significant changes in the 75 to 150 minutes and the 150 to 300 minutes interval. Increases were in the range of 10 to 30 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and 5 to 10 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure." (Vollenweider et al. 1998 pp.245_246) This study shows a similarity in changes in systolic blood pressure, and a lesser similarity in changes in diastolic blood pressure. The occurrence of hypertensive crisis suggests caution in potential use and study.

Philosophy Paper Essay

One of the most heated debates that troubled the church in the Middle Ages was the question of universals. This question goes back as far as Plato’s Forms. It has to do with the relationship between the abstract and general concepts that we have in our minds (what is the relationship between Chair with a capitol â€Å"C† and chair with a small â€Å"c†? ). And from this, two radical viewpoints emerged, realists and the nominalists. The realists followed Plato in insisting that each universal is an entity in its own right, and exists independently of the individual things that happen to participate in it. An extreme form of realism flourished in the church from the ninth to the twelfth centuries. Among its advocates were John Scotus, Erigena, Anselm and William of Champeaux. On the opposite side were the nominalists and they held that universals were just names, and therefore, have no objective status apart from that which is fabricated in the mind. Nominalists, such as Gabriel Biel and William of Occam (see O section), said that the individual is the only existing substance. Unfortunately, their treatment of nominalism removed religion almost entirely from the area of reason and made it a matter of faith beyond the comprehension of reason. 1 And here lies the significance of the French theologian Peter Abelard (1079-1142). Between the two extremes, Peter Abelard proposed a more moderate form of nominalism. Though critical of the idea of the separate existence of universals, he nevertheless believed that resemblances among particular things justified the use of universals for establishing knowledge. More specifically, Abelard proposed that we ground the similarities among individual things without reifying their universal features, by predicating general terms in conformity with concepts abstracted from experience. This resolution (which would later come to be known as conceptualism) of the traditional problem of universals gained wide acceptance for several centuries, until doubts about the objectivity and reality of such mental entities as concepts came under serious question. Thomas Aquinas favored a moderate realism which rejected the view that universals exist apart from individual entities in favor of the view that they do indeed exist, but only in actual entities. 2 Anaximander (Milesian School): Anaximander (610-547/6 B. C. ) was one of the three key figures that comprised the Milesian School (the three prominent figures associated with the Milesian School is Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes). Together, they worked on problems concerning the nature of matter and the nature of change, and they each proposed a different material as the primary principal. 3 Anaximander seemed to be quite modern in his view of reality. He believed that the world was cylindrical like a drum, and that the earth rested on nothing. He also invented an undefined non-substance, called the apeiron, a neutral, indeterminate stuff that was infinite in amount. Anaximenes (Milesian School): Anaximenes (546 B. C. ), the other member of the Milesian School, returned back to the idea that everything derives from a single substance, but suggested that substance was air. Though it is likely his choice was motivated by wanting to maintain a balance between the two views of his predecessors, Anaximenes did provide solid grounds for his choosing; first, air, has the advantage of not being restricted to a specific and defined nature as water, and therefore more capable of transforming itself into the great variety of objects around us. Second, air is a more likely source of this variety than Anaximander’s apeiron which seems too empty and vacuous a stuff to be capable of giving rise to such a variety and profusion. 4 Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury: In (452 A. D. ), twenty-two years after Augustine’s death, Rome fell, bringing on a period of conquest and chaos, and degree of order was ultimately realized through the emergence of feudalism. The church, which had managed to survive the social and political upheaval, gradually assumed responsibilities that previously had been relegated to the civil government. This involvement in government led in turn to the secularization of the church. Bishops became ministers of the state, and church dignitaries became warriors. In the tenth and eleventh centuries, many within the church were so involved with the secular world that a movement led to the emergence of the monastic life as a force within the church. Those who wanted to escape the temptations of the secular world and pursue holiness were naturally drawn to the monasteries and among those who followed was Anselm (1033-1109), the archbishop of Canterbury. The greatest Christian thinker between Augustine and Thomas Aquinas was Anselm (1033-1109). He was born to a wealthy family in northern Italy, whom, to their disappointment, left home in (1056) to fully dedicate his life to God. Following a period of travel, he arrived at the Norman Abbey at Bec, where he took his monastic vows in (1060). Within a few years, he became prior of the abbey, abbot in (1078), and then archbishop in (1093), which he held until his death. His writings range from treatises on logic to an explanation of the divine inner logic of the atonement in Cur deus homo. Anselm stood in the tradition of Augustine and Platonic realism. 5 Following the tradition of Augustine, he held that faith precedes and leads to understanding, and, like many other medieval thinkers he drew no sharp distinction between philosophy and theology. In his famous ontological argument for the existence of God, Anselm presents a defense based on the fact that it is self-contradictory to deny that there exists a greatest possible being. 6 He claims that the more universality, the more reality. And from here it follows that if God is the most universal being, he is also the most real; if He is the absolutely universal being, he is also the absolutely real being, ens realissimum. He has, therefore, according to the conception of Him, not only the comparatively greatest reality, but also the absolute reality. A reality in which no greater can be thought. 7 Aquinas, Thomas: By common consent the greatest philosophical theologian of the Middle Ages was Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Everything about him was big. In his later years his voluminous writings, massive in scope, won him the title of the Angelic Doctor. His life was dedicated to the intellectual defense and propagation of the faith, as he understood it. It was during his teaching career (1252) in Paris that Aquinas, being drawn into the critical debates of his day, started battling the objections posed against Aristotelianism and its place in the university. By this time, Plato was known only through the imperfect translations of the Timaeus, the Phaedo, and the Meno. Islamic Jewish thinkers were much better acquainted with Aristotle, and for nearly two centuries they had been wrestling with questions posed by Aristotelianism to religious faith. For Aquinas and his Christian contemporaries the issue was doubly acute. On the one hand, there were questions posed by Aristotle’s way of thinking. On the other hand, there were the answers already given by Islamic and Jewish scholars which were hardly acceptable to a Christian thinker. Aquinas decided to face the problem head on. He made his own study of Aristotle, on whom he wrote extensively. He also made his own study of non-Christian thinkers. He subjected all ideas to rigorous scrutiny, giving due recognition to the truth of ideas, wherever they came from, but giving his own evaluation of every issue, point by point. In all, Aquinas produced about a hundred different writings. His work ranged from philosophical commentaries to hymns. 8 Aquinas’ main works are two massive Summae or compends of theology and philosophy. The Summa contra Gentiles was designed as a textbook for missionaries, and the Summa Theologiae has been described as the highest achievement of medieval theological systematization and is still the accepted basis of modern Reformed theology. In Aquinas’ proofs (what later came to be known as the Cosmological and Teleological arguments), certain facts about nature are compelling evidences of God’s existence. He argues, accordingly, that nothing can adequately account for the fact of motion or change. Rejecting the idea that change or motion is simply an ultimate, mysterious fact of nature neither requiring nor permitting any explanation except God, its Unmoved Prime Mover. Furthermore, in his five arguments, Aquinas suggests that the Christian belief in God is completely consistent with the world as we know it. Aquinas’ arguments, known also as the Five Ways are sometimes referred to as the proofs of the existence of God. But this is not necessarily correct because Aquinas did not try to prove the existence of God by rational argument, but to provide a rational defense for an already existing faith in God. His primary reason for believing in the existence in God is God’s revelation of Himself. Aquinas expects his readers to share the same faith. He does not expect that he will have to prove anything to them first. This point is important because many critics accuse believers of grounding their faith in outdated arguments, such as Thomas Aquinas. It is proper, therefore, to respond to such criticisms by pointing out that they are based on a superficial reading and on a serious misunderstanding of how individuals come to faith. 9 The basic principal guiding Aquinas throughout the Five Proofs is the principal of analogy, which holds the world as we know it mirrors God, its creator. The structure of each of Aquinas’ proofs is quite similar. Each depends on tracing a casual sequence back to its ultimate origin and identifying this ultimate origin with God. The first begins with the observation that things in the world are in motion or change. Second is the concept of causation. The third concerns the existence of contingent beings. The fourth deals with human values, and lastly, is the teleological argument, in which Aquinas explains how the world shows clear traces of intelligent design. Natural processes and objects seem to be adapted with certain definite objectives in mind. They seem to have purpose. They seem to have been designed. Arguing from this observation, Aquinas concludes that it is rational to believe in God. 10 Aristotle: Aristotle’s thought, like his mentor Plato, embodied the concept of arete, which taught that human excellence in all things was an important goal that should direct human purposes. For Aristotle, that excellence ideally exemplified the defining quality of human nature, the pursuit of reason. Attracted by science and believing that the universe could be explained, Aristotle greatly valued the work of Thales of Miletus, and accepted his concept that the physical universe operated rationally and in a way that was knowable to human beings. From Anaximander, Aristotle took the view that a balance of force existed in nature that made things what they were. Aristotle was also knowledgeable about the atomic theory of Parmenides and was intrigued by the question of what was stable and what was changing. Indeed, these Greek scientists had a significant influence on Aristotle’s intellectual search to examine and explain reality. 11 For Aristotle, the world in which we live is the world that we experience through our senses. Unlike those who followed Plato, Aristotle believed that we live in an objective order of reality, a world of objects that exist external to us and our knowing of them. Through our senses and our reason, human beings can come to know these objects and develop generalizations about their structure and function. Truth is a correspondence between the person’s mind and external reality. Theoretical knowledge based on human observation is the best guide to human behavior. And, while human beings have various careers, they all share the most important factor, the exercise of rationality. Reason gives human beings the potentiality of leading lives that are self-determined. Congruent with his metaphysical and epistemological perspective, Aristotle’s ethical theory portrays the good life as that of happiness (eudaimonia). He believed that the ultimate good for the human being was happiness, activity in accordance to virtue. The virtuous life is one in which actions are part of a consciously formulated plan that takes a mean, a middle ground course, avoiding extremes. 12 For example, true courage would be the choice that avoids the extremes of cowardice and rashness. And what decides the right course to take is the virtue of prudence (phronesis). Good is the aim of every action but, given the fact that goods can be ordered in relation to one another, there must be a highest good to which practical wisdom directs us. And if the possession of any good is what makes us happy to some extent, the possession of the highest good is the highest happiness, the ultimate goal of all our actions. 13 At this point, it is difficult to resist the thought that Aristotle’s notion of the intellectual life being the gateway to happiness and virtue is not an shallow one. But, though there are some elements in his presentation that are unclear, this much is clear; that this happiness, which is the possession of the good, is ultimately an act of contemplation, or of  beholding, the good. But to contemplate the good is to enter into union with it. Therefore, if contemplating on god means entering into union with the life of the gods, this is the highest activity of man and his ultimate happiness. The conclusion of the Ethics is one with the Metaphysics, in which the â€Å"divine element† in a man coincides with the â€Å"possession† of god by an act of thought, called contemplation, which is the â€Å"most pleasant and best† we can perform. In Eudemian Ethics, Aristotle says, What choice, then, or possession of the natural goods – whether bodily goods, wealth, friends, or other things – will most produce the contemplation of God, that choice or possession is best; this is the noblest standard, but any that through deficiency or excess hinders one from the contemplation and service of God is bad; this man possess in his soul, and this is the best standard for the soul. 14 With statements like this one can’t help but wonder what Aristotle’s response would have been if he would have had the opportunity to serve the one true God, who is worthy of such adoration and praise. What’s more, Aristotle categorized virtues as either moral or intellectual. Moral virtue, though not easy to define, is a habit by which the individual exercises a prudent choice, one that a rational person would make. Moral virtues tend to moderation, falling between excess and inhibition. They focus on the concrete actions a person performs and the measured sense he has regarding them: â€Å"to feel them at the right times, with reference to the right objects, towards the right people, with the right motive, and in the right way. † A good action thus exhibits due proportion, neither excessive nor defective, but midway between them. This is Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean. Peculiarly, a virtuous action is one that lies between too much and too little. To give another example, in regard to the feeling of shame, modesty is the mean between bashfulness and shamelessness. Not every virtue, however, is a mean, and so not every action is to be measured in this way. Nonetheless, every action should and can at least be measured in its rightness by the virtue of prudence or, in a larger sense, by â€Å"practical wisdom. †15. Furthermore, one of Aristotle’s most significant contributions to the Western world is his Poetics. His earlier works, Physics and Metaphysics contain important statements about art and nature, and Rhetoric, written after Poetics, distinguishes rhetoric as a practical art and has had a strong influence on literary criticism. His Poetics, nonetheless, is particularly important because Aristotle is addressing Plato’s doctrines on ideas and forms he came to disagree with. In Poetics, it was Aristotle’s intention to classify and categorize systematically the kinds of literary art, beginning with epic and tragic drama. Unfortunately, not all of the poetics survived, and it breaks off before the discussion of comedy. Nonetheless, our sense of Aristotle’s method is established. He is the first critic to attempt a systematic discourse of literary genres. 16 Augustine (Saint), of Hippo: One of the greatest thinkers of not only the early church, but of all time is Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A. D. ). His writings laid the foundation not only for Western theology but for later philosophy as well. His three books On Free Will (388-395), set out a doctrine of creation, evil and the human will which was a superior alternative to the type of thinking that had attracted so many to Gnosticism and Manichaean dualism. His response to the Donatist schism in the church set the pattern for the Western doctrine of the church. His writings on the subject of Pelagianism clarified, as no one before him and few after him, the crucial issues in the question of grace and free will. His major theological writings include On the Trinity (399-419), which presented better models for thinking about the Trinity than those of the Greek fathers. Augustine’s book On the City of God (413-416) was a reply to those who blame the church for the fall of Rome, in which it gave both a panoramic view of history and a theology of history in terms of the basic conflict between the divine society and the earthly society. 17 Interestingly, Augustine put forth a theory of time that Bertrand Russell would later pronounce superior to earlier views and much better than the subjective theory of Kant. Augustine’s account of how we can learn language provided Wittgenstein’s starting point for his Philosophical Investigations. In answering skepticism Augustine put forth an argument which anticipated Descartes’ cognito ergo sum without falling into the pitfalls commonly associated with the argument. Furthermore, Augustine believed that philosophical reflection may correct mistaken notions, lead to a grasp of truth, and serve to clarify belief. But rational reflection is not a substitute for the beatific vision of God. For it is the apprehension of God alone which transforms human life and alone satisfies our deepest needs. Though Augustine was deeply influenced by Platonism and Neoplatonism, he never was simply a Platonist. His view of the soul stands in the Platonic tradition, but he repudiated the doctrines of pre-existence and transmigration. Augustine’s view of the transcendent spiritual reality might also be said to have affinities with Plato, but Augustine’s approach was not an attempt to erect an edifice of Christian theology on either Platonic or Neoplatonic foundations. Rather, it was to state the Christian worldview in a theological and philosophical system that cohered as a unified whole. 18 (B) (back to top) Bentham, Jeremy: In nineteenth century Victorian England two contrasting systems were developed by Jeremy Bentham and Herbert Spencer. Utilitarians Bentham and John Stuart Mill applied naturalistic presuppositions in their worldview. Herbert Spencer applied the concept of evolution. And Ernest Mach prepared the way for logical positivism in his strongly anti-metaphysical scientific approach. The antithesis of the Kantian ideal is utilitarianism, an ethical theory founded by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). Bentham was a hedonist. Taking the good to be pleasure, Bentham proposed a new model for morality in his principal of utility, which holds that â€Å"Actions are right in proportion to the amount of happiness it brings; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. 19 Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism. The ends justify the means since actions are judged on the results they bring, not on the person’s intentions or motives. For Kant, the end result was not important in determining the rightness of an action, rather, it was motive. 20 In its simplest form utilitarianism teaches that the right action is the one that promotes the greatest happiness. Modern utilitarianism dates from Thomas Hobbes in the seventeenth century, but its antecedents date as far back as (341-270 B. C. ) to the philosophy of Epicurus of Samos. The theory of utilitarianism actually held little influence until John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) who popularized the term and produced the classical Victorian exposition of the doctrine. Mill used the principal of utility to critique all social, political, and religious institutions. Anything that did not promote the greatest happiness of the greatest number was to be challenged and reformed. For this reason social and religious institutions that curtail individual liberty should be reformed. This is necessary, argued Mill, in order for freedom of belief, association and expression to be safeguarded. 21. Different conceptions of happiness separated Mill’s version â€Å"Better a Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied,† which recognized qualitative differences between different kinds of pleasure, from Bentham’s forthright attempt to reduce all questions of happiness to the mere presence of pleasure or pain. Bentham’s version aims to render the basic concepts of ethics susceptible of comparison and measurement, but this was not the goal in Mill’s presentation of the system. 22 A hedonistic utilitarian like Bentham would say that the sole consideration is the quantity of pleasure that an action produces. A problem with this approach, however, (as if it wasn’t obvious) is that it draws no distinction in principal between an evening spent at the bars or one spent having quality time with your spouse. It all depends upon the tastes of the person. Berkley, George: George Berkeley (Irish, 1685-1753) was one of the three greatest British empiricists of the eighteenth century (Locke and Hume being the other two). Though his father was an Englishman, Berkley always considered himself Irish. He was an early subjectivist idealist philosopher, who argued that all qualities of objects exist only in the mind of the perceiver. His famous theory is often summarized, esse est percipi, â€Å"to be is to be perceived,† and is still important to modern apologetics (due to the method he used in demonstrating the necessity of an eternal Perceiver). Berkley’s argument was that the phenomena of visual sensation can all be explained without presupposing the reality of the external material substances. Interestingly, Berkley was also a bishop of an Anglican church, and was the only important philosopher to visit America before 1900. He came hoping to start a missionary training college for evangelizing to the Indian tribes of New England. 23 Berkley disagreed with Locke in that there is a material substance lying behind and supporting perceptions. He also disagreed with his treatment of the representative theory of perception, that material objects are perceived mediately by means of ideas, and the mind does not perceive the material object directly, but only through the medium of the ideas formed by the senses and reflection on them. â€Å"If we know only our ideas,† reasoned Berkeley â€Å"then we can never be sure whether any of them are really like the material qualities of objects, since we can never compare the ideas with them. † For that reason, he denied the ultimate existence of material substance believing that the Spirit is the only metaphysical reality. 24 (D) (back to top) Derrida, Jacques: Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) was a French literary critic and founder of the school called deconstructionism. His (1966) lecture Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences delivered at Johns Hopkins University, played a significant role in ushering American critics into the era of poststructuralism. Particular influences on his thought include Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Freud. He wrote prolifically, and had a great influence on not only literary criticism but in sociology, linguistics, and psychology as well. Derrida regarded philosophical and literary texts as already containing the seeds of their own deconstruction. This means that in any work the author unwittingly includes contradictions, blind spots, and unjustified assumptions. The main purpose and task of the deconstructionist, according to Derrida, is to simply bring these contradictions to the surface. 25 Beginning in the Victorian Age, a paradigm shift slowly spread throughout Europe that set the groundwork for modern theory. Unlike the revolutionary movements of the Renaissance and Romanticism, which were in part reactionary, this paradigm shift that marked a radical break from the past had little precedent. Nonetheless, it marked a rejection of long-held metaphysical and aesthetic beliefs that most theorists from Plato to Coleridge took for granted. Until the modern period, most of the great Western philosophers have been logocentric in their thinking, and Derrida is one of the ones responsible for this definite break from the past, bringing forth the notion that meaning is never fixed. Dr. Louis Markos, a Christian Professor at Houston Baptist University, made some interesting comments on Derrida in one of his lectures on deconstructionism. He said that Derrida reads the history of Western metaphysics as a continual search for a logos or original presence. This logos is sought because it promises to give meaning and purpose to all things, to act as a universal center. Behind this search is a desire for a higher reality (or full presence). Western philosophy since Plato has simply renamed this presence and shifted this center without breaking from its centering impulse. Even Saussure’s structuralism sought a center, and though he broke from the old metaphysic, he still used its terminology and binaries. Furthermore, Derrida deconstructs all attempts to posit a center or to establish a system of binaries. Instead, he puts in their place a â€Å"full free play of meaning. †26 Democritus (see Leucippus): Descartes, Rene: The first great continental rationalist27 was Rene’ Descartes (Frenchman, 1596-1650). For it was he who defined the terms and laid down the agenda for the continental rationalist school of thought. But in a sense, the world that Descartes produced, by the exercise of pure reason, was a fairly straight forward affair – Descartes does preserve â€Å"the self† in a recognizable form, as well as both â€Å"God† (even though it is not a terribly human sort of God) and the material world in a broadly speaking recognizable form (even though it might be a material world deprived of some of its more vivid and colorful attributes). Nevertheless, the worlds created by the application of the procedure of rationalism start from some self-evident propositions (like Euclid’s geometry) and then carry out processes of absolute, straight forward deduction from these self-evident propositions and what that led to in the case of Spinoza and Leibniz is something very far removed in both of them from the ordinary understanding of the world. To some extant, Descartes, by comparison with them, is in the business of saving the appearances. Whereas both Spinoza and Leibniz say that what the world is really like is very different from what it appears to the ordinary person to be. Nonetheless, there is still in both cases (Descartes and Spinoza and Leibniz) an underlying reality that philosophy can tell us something about reality even if common observation cannot. 28 His two chief philosophical works were Discourse on Method (1637) and his Meditations (1641). His ideal and method were modeled on mathematics. He is sometimes portrayed as the first modern philosopher due to his break with the traditional Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy and for introducing a new mechanistic science. 29 In refurbishing the medieval proofs for the existence of God he was drawing upon the legacy of the Middle Ages. Like the Medieval philosophers, he was interested in metaphysics, and to the end of his life, Descartes remained a nominal Catholic. But there is a sense in which Descartes represents a new departure. Descartes (so it seems) was interested in God not for his own sake, but the world’s. God is invoked as a kind of dues ex machine to guarantee the validity of our thoughts about the world. 30 Nonetheless, Descartes takes his place as a Christian thinker by resting cognitive truth on the personal truth of God, and laying the blame for error not on God but on the exercise of the human will. Descartes successors eventually lost their reliance for truth. George Berkeley retains it by tracing directly to God all the ideas we receive from outside the mind and Leibniz by making each mind mirror eternal truths in the mind of God. But many Enlightenment thinkers, and many empiricists today who share some of Descartes’ rational ideals or the correspondence theory of truth, talk to truth independently of God as if it were a self-sustaining ideal and as if human reason were a purely objective and impersonal activity. Descartes’ failure was not in the relation he saw of truth to God, but in the lack of relation he saw between man’s rational capacity for knowing truth and his personality as a whole. 31 (F) (back to top) Fibonacci: His real name was Leonardo Pisano (Italian, 1170-1250) but he is better known by his nickname â€Å"Fibonacci† (filius Bonacci), which means â€Å"son of Bonacci. † A striking example of Fibonacci’s genius is his observation that the classification of irrationals given by Euclid in Book X of the Elements did not include all irrationals. Fibonacci is probably best known for his â€Å"rabbit problem. † Leonardo Fibonacci began the study of this sequence by posing the following problem in his book, Liber Abaci, â€Å"How many pairs of rabbits will be produced in a year, beginning with a single pair? †32 The analogy that starts with one pair of rabbits who give birth to a new pair from the first month on, and every succeeding pair gives birth to a new pair in the second month after their birth. Fibonacci shows that this leads to the sequences 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, and so on. As one can see, each term is the sum of the two previous terms. For example, 2 + 3 = 5 and 3 + 5 = 8, and the farther and farther you go to the right of this sequence, the ratio of a term to the one before it will get closer and closer to the Golden Ratio. Additionally, this same principal also applies to that of the Golden rectangle. The connection between the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci series is fascinating, and is very simple to understand. If you take a Golden Rectangle, and cut off a square with side lengths equal to the length shorter to the rectangle side, then what remains is another Golden Rectangle. This could go on forever. You can just keep cutting off these big squares and getting smaller and smaller Golden Rectangles. Consequently, the idea with the Fibonacci series is to do the same thing in reverse. You start with a square (1 by 1), find the longer side, and then add a square of that size to the whole thing to form a new rectangle. Therefore, when we start with a (1 by 1) square the longest side is one, so we add another square to it. As a result, we have accumulated a (2 by 1) rectangle. Then the longest side is 2, so we connect a (2 by 2) square to our (2 by 1) rectangle to get a (3 by 2) rectangle. As this continues, the sides of the rectangle will always be a successive Fibonacci number, and eventually the rectangle will be very close to a Golden Rectangle. To translate in more illustrative terms, the ratio of two successive numbers in the Fibonacci series, as aforementioned, if divided by each number before it, will result in the following series of numbers; 1/1 = 1, 2/1 = 2, 3/2 = 1. 5, 5/3 = 1. 666, 8/5 = 1. 6, 13/8 = 1. 625, 21/13 = 1. 61538. The ratio that is settling down to a particular value is the golden ratio or the golden number, which has a value of approximately 1. 618034. 33 Fichte, Johann Gottlieb: Johann Gottlieb Fichte (German, 1762-1814) was one of the major figures in German philosophy in between Kant and Hegel. He was regarded as one of Kant’s most talented philosophers, but later developed a system of his own transcendental philosophy called the Wissenschaftslehre. Fichte had immense influence on his contemporaries, especially during his professorship at the University of Jenna, a position he held for five years (1794-1799) before taking up a profes.