Accounting Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting Scandal - Essay Example Due to Enron’s scandal, the core principles of auditing have dynamically changed. This paper will seek to portray the keen principles of Enron’s root cause of its downfall and the potential impact it made that has crippled other companies. Choose an accounting scandal (from the link below) and summarize it.   http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/25/accountingtracker.html   Please include the following in the summary:   1) A brief description/background of the company.   One of the biggest frauds that has ever taken place in the modern 21st century commerce was the case with Enron. Enron’s scandal without a doubt has been the focal point for one of the biggest busts in the history of American entity. The Enron Scandal and the Neglect of Management Integrity Capacity Enron was a very prosperous and prominent firm that was an American energy company established in Houston, Texas. Enron was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay after he had acquired two other gas companies in his quest to become a conglomerate in the American history. Nonetheless, after Enron’s biggest scandal, shareholders lost around $11 billion as the company continued on the downward spiral. Enron finally filed for bankruptcy at its $63.4 billion in assets were completely diluted. Many of the stockholders got measly pennies back for the huge investments they had in the company. 2) When the scandal was (or is believed to be) formed.   ... The continuous spiral of modifying the financial statements became a continuous habit and the lead cause of the downfall for the company. Undoubtedly, managers in corporate America have to protect the interests of the corporate executives along with the goals of the stakeholders. The management clearly neglected responsibility of overseeing the unethical practices that were plaguing the corporation. The Enron scandal continued to grow worse every year as it became a problem that was out of control. The primary motivation for Enron was to keep their gross income high along with cash flow while diminishing their liabilities and long-term debts. 3) An in-depth analysis of the accounting scandal.   As mentioned before, Enron ran a Ponzi scheme that continued to over-inflate the revenues that they were actually earning. Enron and other energy suppliers earned sales by providing services such as electricity, natural gas and providing other risk management products. Traditionally, compani es similar to Enron such as Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch used simple pure â€Å"brick and mortar† model for reporting income. However, Enron took upon a new model known as â€Å"the merchant model.† This model was however not adapted by Enron as they utilized the merchant model, which was aggressive, risky and was based on a subjective representation of revenues that were estimated. Although the system did thrive as Enron continued to promise huge compensations for its executives, it also lead to the downfall for the company. For instance, the company’s revenue from 1996 to 2000, Enron’s revenues were grossly inflated to be increased by 700%. This extensive inflation was highly unjustified as the market for

Combining risk assessment and value engineering (this is project risk Essay

Combining risk assessment and value engineering (this is project risk management class) - Essay Example ng is an important technique that helps in the identification and elimination of unnecessary costs in construction, product design, manufacturing, operations, practices and processes. For over sixty years of existence and use, value engineering is referred to by different names. While some people refer to it as value engineering, others call it value analysis, value methodology or value management. However, the reference to value engineering in different terminologies does not change its concept. The concept of value engineering as a systematic process can be used to improve a projects value through a critical analysis of its functions by a multidisciplinary team. Value refers to the equivalent in goods, money, services or a fair return for something exchanged. It is most often represented in the relationship indicated below: The function is measured by the customer performance requirements while the resources are measured in labour, materials, time, price and many other elements that are essential for the accomplishment of the function. In a value methodology, the focus is primarily on how to improve value through the identification of alternative ways of reliably accomplishing a function that meets the customers performance expectations. A job plan in the systematic process of value engineering outlines the specific steps used to evaluate an issue and attain the maximum feasible alternatives that address the issue in consideration. The issue being considered could be a particular event risk(s) that potentially can be dealt with through value engineering in the context of risk assessment (Cretu, Stewart and Berends, 2011). The analysis of functions, as done by a multidisciplinary team through the application of value engineering, helps to improve the value of a project. The multidisciplinary team is a value engineering team that comprises the project stakeholders and experienced professionals. The team members are chosen based on their experience and expertise

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization

Degrading Marine Bacteria: Isolation and Characterization Isolation and Characterization of (PAH) Biodegrading Marine Bacteria Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 ABSTRACT Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are considered to be important and dangerous pollutants which cause serious health problems and/or genetic defects in humans, as well as harming the flora and fauna of affected habitats. In this study, we interested in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as an alternative to physical and chemical methods. The bacteria used in this study were isolated from three PAH polluted sites of Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt. The study is devoted to the isolation of bacteria that can degrade three low molecular weight PAHs and to determine the effect of pH on this process. Nine phenanthrene-degrading, seven-naphthalene-degrading and eight anthracene-degrading bacteria were isolated, by enrichment, from the marine water sample. All of the isolates grew on the PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene) at varying rates and utilized them as sole source of carbon and energy. Key words:   Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), Biodegrading marine bacteria, Environmental contamination, Marine water, Introduction Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems which generated continuously by the inadvertently incomplete combustion of organic matter, for instance in forest fires, home heating, traffic, and waste incineration1. PAHs constitute a large and diverse class of organic compounds and are generally described as molecules which consist of three or more fused aromatic rings in various structural configurations2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are composed of fused, aromatic rings whose biochemical persistence arises from dense clouds of Ï€-electrons on both sides of the ring structures, thereby making them resistant to nucleophilic attack3. Environments contaminated with PAHs are deemed hazardous because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects4,5 and low molecular weight PAHs such as naphthalene (the simplest, containing two benzene rings), anthracene and phenanthrene (both of which contain three benzene rings) are also known to possess potentially hazardous health effects6. A variety of techniques have been applied to the treatment of environments contaminated by PAH containing petroleum hydrocarbons, notably physical treatments using thermal or chemical processes7. However, these treatments are generally time consuming and expensive8,9. Microbial bioremediation however, provides a potentially cheap and effective means of bio-remediating PAH-contaminated environments10. The ability of microorganisms to degrade PAHs is well documented11, 12 and microbial degradation is a major environmental process affecting the fate of PAHs in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems13. Bioremediation using microbes converts toxic or persistent organic molecules into harmless end products, such as carbon dioxide and water 14. Unfortunately PAHs possess physical properties, such as low aqueous solubility and high solid water distribution ratios, which militate against their rapid microbial utilization resulting in their accumulation in the terrestrial and aquatic environments1. It is imperative therefore that the factors which influence the bioavailability and decomposition of PAHs in the environment be studied and optimized7. The aim of the work described here was to screening environmental samples for bacteria that are capable of degrading PAHs and use them a sole carbon and energy source. Materials and Methods Isolation of bacteria: Bacteria were isolated from three PAH-polluted sites of the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released. All isolates were preserved in 750 ÃŽ ¼l LB culture supplemented with 250 ÃŽ ¼l of 60% glycerol and maintained at -80oC. Media used: Bushnell-Haas (BH) medium, Luria-Bertani, Nutrient broth and Blood agar were used for the isolation of bacteria. All media were prepared using distilled water and sterilized by autoclaving at 120oC for 20 min. Medium- pH was adjusted as required before sterilization using   1N NaOH or 1N HCl. Hydrocarbon stock solutions: Stock solutions of each PAH (100 mg/ml) were prepared in ethyl acetate and sterilized by filtration. Isolation of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria: Water samples were collected from three PAH-polluted sites in the Mediterranean Sea, off Alexandria, Egypt, where PAH pollutants have been continually released into these aquatic environments without any control. Water samples (50ml) were collected from the contaminated sites under aseptic conditions. Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples by spreading onto solid medium; 100  µl of each water sample was spread over the surface Bushnell-Haas agar plates containing (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 mg/l) of either, phenanthrene, anthracene or naphthalene, as the sole carbon and energy source. The plates were then incubated at 30oC for 7 days. Assay of phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation: Phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene degradation by the bacteria under a variety of concentrations was determined using 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 ml Bushnell-Haas broth supplemented with phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene in the concentration range,10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 130 to 150 mg/l.. The cultures were inoculated by transferring 1 ml of nutrient broth of pre culture medium of the strain under test. The cultures were then incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm; bacterial growth was daily evaluated by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the culture. Determination of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene residues in the culture medium: The concentration of naphthalene and phenanthrene residues in the culture medium was determined by measuring the optical density at a wavelength of 254 nm and 275 nm respectively15. Extraction was carried out in a separator funnel, by mixing for two minutes an aliquot of the culture medium with an equal volume of hexane. The resulting organic phase was then used for the spectrophotometric readings. In some cases the sample was diluted with hexane in order to bring it out within the range of the calibration line (0.01-0.07 mg/ml for naphthalene and 0.001-0.1 mg/ml for phenanthrene). For the determination of anthracene residue, aliquots of the culture medium were mixed for two minutes with an equal volume of ethyl acetate and the optical density of the resulting organic phase was measured at a wavelength of 254 nm using ethyl acetate as a blank. For preparation of standard curve of anthracene, a stock solution of 10 ppm in ethyl acetate was prepared and aliquots in the range of 0.2 to 1 ppm were separately measured at 254 nm16. Utilization of carbon source: All purified isolates were tested for growth on 0.01%, of either, naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene or phenol which were added as sole carbon sources to BH liquid medium. Sterilized BH medium containing the desired amount of hydrocarbon source was inoculated with the test strain and incubated in an orbital shaker at 200 rpm and 30oC for 72 h. Growth was tested by measuring the increase of OD600nm of the cultures. Effect of pH on the degradation of naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene: In order to determine the effect of pH on naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene degradation, 50 ml of BH broth cultures were first prepared at the following pH; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. After sterilization, 50 mg/l naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene was added to each flask, separately. 0.5 ml of Nutrient Broth overnight culture of bacterial strains (OD600 1.3-1.5) was added to each flask. The flasks were incubated at 30oC and 200 rpm for 72h. Bacterial growth was estimated using spectrophotometer at OD600nm of the cultures. Results and Discussion Isolation and selection of phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene biodegrading bacteria: Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene degrading bacteria were isolated from water samples.   A range of bacterial colony types were observed on the different carbon source-containing plates, nine isolates were found to utilize phenanthrene, seven   grew on the naphthalene plates and eight isolates grew on anthracene amended media. Isolates Ph1, Ph2, Ph3, Ph4, Ph5 and Ph7 showed the ability to degrade phenanthrene as sole carbon sorce. The optical density (OD600)   for the bacterial isolates respective was was; 0.16, 0.512, 0.17, 0.482, 0.632 and 0.24. Isolates Ph6, Ph8 and Ph9 on the otherhand failed to utilize phenanthrene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.1). Among the tested isolates only Ph5 isolate showed sustantial   growth rate on phenanthrene when compared with other tested isolates. According to the ioslates which showed no degrdation of the tetsed PAH, We assume that these isolates which did not degrade PAH may have lost this ability during preservation, or may have lost genes which control the utilization of this substrate; assumptions mirored in the work of   Zhao, et al., (2009)17, who reported that some phenanthrene degrading isolates lost their ability to degrade phenanthrene after a period of more than three weeks of preservation. Figure 1. Degradation of phenanthrene (20 mgl) by 9 bacterial isolates (named; Ph1-Ph9).       In studies using naphthalene, only two isolates Na6 and Na7 showed dehradation   with the latter being the best naphthalene degrader (Fig.2). The other isolates, Na1, Na2, Na3, Na4 and Na5, in contrast, failed to use naphthalene as a sole carbon and energy source. Regarding the anthracene-degarding isolates, five- An1, An2, An3, An4 and An7 degraded the substrate with ODs respectively oft: 0.174, 0.614, 0.551, 0.482 and 0.164 (Fig.3). Isolate,   An2 isolate was the msot active anthracene degrader,while isolates An5, An6 and An8 were unable   to use anthracene as a sole source carbon and energy source. Figure 2.   Degradation of naphthalene (20 mgl) by 7 bacterial isolates (named; Na1-Na7). Figure 3. Degradation of anthracene (20 mgl) by the bacterial isolates (named; An1-An8). Effect of pH on hydrocarbons degradation by the different bacterial isolates: The effect of pH (2.0, 3.0, 4.0,   up to 11.0) on PAH degradation by the isolated bacteria Ph5, Na7 and An2 was investigated in BH medium containing 50 mgl phenanthrene and 20 mgl naphthalene or anthracene respectively. In the case of phenanthrene, the optimum pH for bacterial growth and phenanthrene degradation was pH 7. At pH 6 and pH 8, bacterial growth and substrate degradation was markedly reduced (Fig.4). Shin et al.,(2008)18 reported that, relatively high mineralization rates of phenanthrene are found over a pH range of 6-8, with maximum mineralization rate occurring at pH 6 in a mineral salt medium. In the present study we found that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium; in agreement with Simarro, et al., (2011)19, our results confirm that the optimal pH value for the degradation of this substrate,   in BH medium, is pH7. Figure 4. The ability of the selected Ph5 isolate to degrade 50 mg/l phenanthrene at different pH. Growth and biodegradation depends on the type of PAHs used and the optimum pH range is very variable20. Some acid resistant Gram-positive bacteria, such as Mycobacterium sp., show better PAH degradation capabilities under acid conditions, largely because low pH seems to render such Mycobacteria more permeable to hydrophobic substrates21. However, other microorganisms belonging to Pseudomonas genus tend to prefer neutral pH conditions. In agreement with previous works19, our results confirm that neutral pH is optimum for the biodegradation of PAHs. Our results are also in agreement with Bisht, et al.(2010)22, who reported the ability of D. radiodurans SBA6 and B. circulans SBA12 to degrade naphthalene and anthracene over in the pH range of 5.0 to 11 (Fig.5). Othman et al.(2009)23 observed that changes in media pH can alter the electrical charge on various chemicals groups in enzymes molecules, thereby probably altering the enzymes ability to bind its substrate and catalyze a given rea ction. Imbalance of the electrical charges in very acidic and alkali conditions can also disrupt hydrogen bonds and other weak forces that maintain enzyme structure. Such disruption of enzyme structure is called denaturation, a phenomenon which leads to poor rates of biodegradation. Figure 5. Determination of the ability of Na7 and An2 isolate to degrade 20 mg/l naphthalene and anthracene respectively, over a range of pH. Utilization of different hydrocarbons by the same bacterium: Phenol (a single ring compound) was also included in this experiment as an example of a low molecular weight PAHs to provide a comparison with the high molecular weights hydrocarbons e.g. naphthalene (two rings), anthracene, and phenanthrene (both three compounds). Isolate Ph5 was shown to use phenol, naphthalene and anthracene as sole carbon and energy source (Fig.6). These results are slightly different from those reported by Zhao, et al. (2009)17, who reported that a bacterial isolate (ZP2) was able to degrade phenanthrene and naphthalene but failed to degrade anthracene as sole carbon source. Figure 6. Assimilation of 0.01% of naphthalene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by Ph5 isolate. The same response was seen in the other two isolates Na7 and An2.   Isolate, Na7 rapidly mineralized phenol, phenanthrene and anthracene when added as sole carbon sources (Fig.7). Isolate An2 degraded phenol, naphthalene and phenanthrene as sole sources of energy (Fig.8). An isolate used in a study by Dean-Ross, et al. (2001)24 in contrasts was able to mineralize anthracene and phenanthrene but not naphthalene when grown under identical conditions. Figure 7. Utilization of 0.01% of phenanthrene, anthracene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by the isolate Na7. Figure 8. Consumption of 0.01% of phenanthrene, naphthalene and phenol as a sole   carbon source in Bushnell-Haas medium by An2 isolate. Phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene are the main components of crude oil and ubiquitous in contaminated water and soil. These carbon-sources could be utilized by a range of living in these polluted environments. Hydrocarbon mineralization occurs in a variety of ways depending on the species of bacterium isolated and it use of a preferred pathway. In this study, the wide range carbon-source utilization of tested isolates confirms their ability to use potentially different degradation pathways. Al-Thani, et al.(2009)25, similarly reported that the acclimation of a microbial community to one substrate frequently results in the simultaneous acclimation to some, but not all structurally related molecules. As a result, individual microbial species have the ability to act on several structurally similar substrates and therefore more easily act on their analogues following initial exposure26,27. Conclusion: In this investigation, we fascinated in determining if bacteria can be successfully used to bioremediate PAH pollution as a substitute to physical and chemical methods.In conclusion, some of our isolates grew well on the tested 4 low molecular weight organic aromatic compounds and as also reported28, individual bacterial strains could degrade several PAHs, but tended to prefer a single one and also we establish that the pH 7 is the optimum for obtaining a high mineralization rate of phenanthrene in BH medium. Acknowledgements Authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding the work through the research group project No. RGP-VPP-332. References 1Johnsen, A. R., Wick, L. Y. and Harms, H. 2005.Principles of microbial PAH-degradation in soil. Environ. Pollut. 133(1):71-84. 2Blumer, M. 1976. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in nature. Sci. Am. 234:35-45. 3Nnamchi, C. I., Obeta, J. A. N. and Ezeogu, L. I. 2006.Isolation and characterization of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from Nsukka soils in Nigeria. Int. J. Environ. Sci.Tech. 3:181-190. 4Miller, E. C. and Miller, J. A. 1974.Biochemical mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis. Edited by Busch, H. The Molecular Biology of Cancer, New York: Academic Press, pp.377-403. 5Autrup, H. 1990.Carcinogen metabolism in cultured human tissues and cells. Carcinogen. 11: 707-712. 6Klaasen, C. D. 2001. Casarett and Doulls Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp.107-132. 7Piskonen, R. and Itavaara, M. 2004. Evaluation of Chemical Pretreatment of Contaminated Soil for Improved PAH Bioremediation. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 65: 627-634. 8Leahy, J.G. and Colwell, R.R. 1990. Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbons in the Environ. Microbiol. Rev. 54: 305-315. 9Ward, W., Singh, A. and Van Hamme, J. 2003.Accelerated biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon waste. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 30: 260-270. 10Phillips, T.M., Liu, D., Seech, A.G., Lee, H and Trevors, J.T. 2000. Monitoring bioremediation in creosote contaminated soils using chemical analysis and toxicity tests. J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 24: 132-139. 11Churchill, S. A., Harper, J. P. and Churchill, P. F. 1999. Isolation and characterization of a Mycobacterium species capable of degrading three-and four ring aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:549-52. 12Weissenfels, W. D., Beyer, M., Klein, J. and Rehm H. J. 1991. Microbial metabolism of fluoranthene: isolation and identification of ring fission products. Appl. Microbiol. 34:528-535. 13Supaka, N., Pinphanichakarn, P., Pattaragulwanit, K., Thaniyavarn, S., Omori, T. and Juntongjin, K.2001. Isolation and characterization of a phenanthrene- degrading Sphingomonas sp. strain P2 and its ability to degrade fluoranthene and pyrene via cometabolism. Sci. Asia. 27: 21-28. 14Lee, S. and Cutright, T. J. 1996. Nutrient medium for the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil. US Patent. 5, 508, 194. 15Marta, I., Alquati, C., Morgia, P., Mansi, A., Scotti, R., Nicolini, L. and Papacchini, M. 2006.Contaminated sites: assessment of the metabolism, growth and genetic characterization of wild-type microbial strains able to degrade naphthalene. Prevention Today. 2: 35-50. 16Kumar, G., Singla, R. and Kumar, R. 2010. Plasmid associated anthracene degradation by Pseudomonas sp. isolated from filling station site. Natur. and Sci. 8: 89-94. 17Zhao, H. P., Wu, Q. S., Wang, L., Zhao, X. T. and Gao, H. W. 2009. Degradation of phenanthrene by bacterial strain isolated from soil in oil refinery fields in Shanghai, China. J. Hazard. Mater. 164: 863-869. 18Shin, K., Kim, J. and Kim, K. 2008.Effect of biosurfactant addition on the biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil-water system. Environ. Eng. Res. 13: 8-13. 19Simarro, R., Gonzalez, N., Bautista, L. F., Sanz, R. and Molina, M. C. 2011. Optimization of key abiotic factors of PAH (naphthalene, phenanthrene and anthracene) biodegradation process by a bacterial consortium. Water Air Soil Pollut. 217: 365-374. 20Dibble, J.R. and Bartha, R. 1979.Effect of environmental parameters on the biodegradation of oil sludge. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 37: 729-739. 21Kim, Y.H., Freeman, J.P., Moody, J.D., Engesse, K.H. and Cerniglia, C.E. 2005.Effects of pH on the degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by Mycobacterium vanbaalenii PYR-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 275-285. 22Bisht, S., Pandey, P., Sood, A., Sharma, S. and Bisht, N. S. 2010.Biodegradation of naphthalene and anthracene by chemo-tactically active rhizobacteria of Populus deltoides. Braz. J. Microbiol. 41: 922-930. 23Othman, N., Hussain, N.H., Abd Karim, A.T. and Abdul-Talib, S. 2009.Isolation and optimization of napthalene degradative bacteria. International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure and Built Environment in Developing Countries. Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.101-105. 24Dean-Ross, D., Moody, J. D., Freeman, J. P., Doerge, D. R. and Cerniglia, C. E. 2001.Metabolism of anthracene by Rhodococcus species. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 204: 205-211. 25Al-Thani, R.F., Abd-El-Haleem, D.A.M. and Al-Shammri, M. 2009.Isolation and characterization of polyaromatic hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria from different Qatari soils. African J. of Microbiol. Resear. 3: 761-766. 26Bauer, J. and Capone, D. 1985. Degradation and mineralization of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons anthracene and naphthalene in inter tidal marine sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 50: 81-90. 27Mitchell, J. and Cain, R. 1996. Rapid onset of the accelerated degradation of dicarboximide. Pesticides Sci. 48: 1-11. 28Tadros, M. G. and Hughes, J. B. 1997. Degradation of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by indigenous mixed and pure cultures isolated from coastal sediments. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 63(65): 865-870 Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? Can Liberty and Equality be Reconciled in Political Theory? The word reconcile means that, to find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile for instance science and religion. When two people are reconciled they become friendly again after they have argued, (Cambridge advanced learners dictionary). In this essay I will dwell much on whether liberty and equality can be reconciled by defining these concepts. Liberty and freedom are often used interchangeably, however they essentially mean the ability to think or act as one wishes. Gerald McCallum: â€Å"Freedom is always of something (an agent or agents) to do or not to do, become or not become something†. Most political theorists assume that people ought to be free unless there are compelling reasons for restricting their freedom. For instance J.S.Mill believes that, to be human is to enjoy a sphere of in which one is able to think, express ideas and lead a lifestyle of one’s own choosing. He went on to say, â€Å"even if a person finds himself in an opinion, he should be free to express that opinion† and â€Å"if all mankind, minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would not be justified to silence that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind† By allowing individuals to be free, society can progress, hence the ideas of mi nimal government and protection of human rights and freedoms. There are two concepts of liberty, these includes negative and positive liberty (Isaiah Berlin, 958). Negative liberty involves response to the question: what is the area within which the subject a person or group of persons is or should be left to do what he is able to do or be, without interference by other people. It implies freedom of choice, therefore, Law and Government should only serve to enlarge and not restrict freedoms, and privacy of the individual must be respected by recognizing a clear distinction between what is public and what is private and finally it advocates individual rationality as the basis for choice. On the other hand, positive liberty is involved in the answer to the question: what or who is the source of control or interference that can determine someone to do or be, also interested in the question ‘By whom am I governed?’ However, as opposed to â€Å"How much am I governed? G.C. Mc Callum, (1972). According to T.H. Green it means personal gr owth and self-development. Liberalism is one of the dominant political ideologies of the contemporary world that favors liberty in terms of equality. It is founded on the traditional notions of individualism: this reflects the belief in the supreme importance of the human individual as opposed to any social group or collective body. The liberal goal is therefore to create a society within which individuals can flourish and prosper with everyone pursing what they consider as good in any way they choose to define it. Therefore, individual freedoms or liberties are given priority over notions of equality, justice and authority. It is thus based on the presumption that freedom is a good thing and that any limitations of the same should be justified. It is strongly against limitation on freedom of individuals to pursue self interest. It however, favors private property and free enterprise, for instance freedom to buy and sell anything. And finally it is against state control and seconds that role of the state limit ed to maintaining law and order, in this respect, it should provide defense and oversee enforcement of contracts. Equality refers to the belief that human beings are born having equal rights. The Declaration of Independence asserts some of these rights to be life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Equality is not about blanket uniformity but rather to establish the legal, political or social conditions in which people will be able to enjoy equally worthwhile and satisfying lives. The principle of equality sometimes contains the assertion that people must have equal access to wealth and property in order for them to more fully realize the principle of equality. According to Oxford English Dictionary, equality implies the condition of having equal dignity, rank or privilege with others, the condition of being equal in power, ability, achievement of excellence, fairness, impartiality, due proportion, and proportionateness. Therefore, this term is defined in the light of equal conditions guaranteed to each for making the best of him. In the words of Barker, it implies that â€Å"whatever conditions are guaranteed to me in the form of rights, shall also, and in the same measure, be guaranteed to others and that whatever rights are given to others shall also be given to me†. So says Laski: undoubtedly, it implies fundamentally a leveling process. It means that no man shall be so placed in society that he can over-reach his neighbor to the extent which constitutes a denial of the latter’s citizenship†, J.J. Rousseau [(1762) 1969]. There are two forms of equality positive and negative. Positive form implies the adequate provision of opportunities for all. Here, the term ‘adequate opportunities’ does not mean ‘equal opportunities’. Since people differ in their needs and capacities and also in their efforts, they need different opportunities for their individual self-development, Friedrich Hayek and Keith Joseph (1979). Negative equality implies the absence of undue privileges. That is to say there should be no artificial grounds of discrimination, such as of religion, color, race, caste, wealth, sex, and many more. The underlying principle being that no talent should suffer from frustration for want of encouragement. It is still a challenge to provide a coherent defense of equality. This however requires separating out the various principles, and explaining what it is that is being equalized or equality is in danger of degenerating into a mere political slogan unless it is possible to a nswer the question ‘equality of what’?: is it income, or well being, the capacity to acquire certain goods, or something else? Socialism is also one of the dominant ideologies of the modern world that favors equality than liberty. Socialists believe in a Common Ownership: this relates to the ownership of property in the community as opposed to individual ownership. The argument here is that by placing property in joint community ownership, the common good is promoted rather than the good of individuals. To them a positive view of freedom must be examined in a social context and therefore in the context of resources of a material kind. The right to read and write, for example, requires the provision of schooling if such a right is to be meaningful. In the Socialist World Order all classes and private property are abolished. The means of production for instance, that is all land, machinery, factories and other productive resources must be under the democratic control of the people. Wage labor is unknown. All worked for the collective good and products are distributed according to the principle of â€Å"From all according to their ability to all according to their need. They however, call this a good society. Liberty and Equality are political concepts that strongly oppose each other, to be specific; between them there is what we call war of principles. For instance, Libertarians believes that Libertaria is the place where humankind should seek its future. This is because it is a society where people are truly free. They have the economic freedom to pursue their own ends in a market society. Indeed Libertaria is run exclusively on market lines. They do not believe in the good society as such, as market choices constantly fluctuate. Individuals must choose their own good life and the market is where they make their key decisions. On the other hand, Egalitarians believes that Egalitaria is the ideal place to which humankind should commit itself. It is the benchmark by which other societies can measure whether they are serving the aims which any good society should fulfill. Individuals believe that market decisions produce what people want. In Libertaria all make market choices and all receive from the market that which is their due. They are free from both the stifling collectivity of Communitarian and from the fear of having to make sacrifices, a fear which haunts Utilitarian. While Egalitaria would be the good society because it would be one in which all citizens are treated as being of equal worth. It would have basic political liberties, equality of opportunity and the rule of law, all of which are constitutionally guaranteed. It would also be dedicated to ensuring that these basic rights are of equal worth to their possessors (Lukes, 1993: 34). Libertaria has freedom of speech, of movement, of thought and of association. The rule of law prevails and there is no torture. They have a minimal state which oversees the system of free exchange, the courts, contractual disputes, the armed forces and the police. They realize that the state can build up its own interests which can conflict with those of private individuals. They therefore, keep its role to an absolute minimum. Freedom is their watchword and freedom to choose is prized above all else. On the other hand, the citizens of Egalitaria would be filled with a basic abhorrence of injustice and would strive to overcome any involuntary disadvantage whether such disadvantages are the result of religion, class, gender, ethnicity or whatever. Egalitaria would not tolerate the gross inequalities which characterize some of the communities within Communitarian. Rights in Egalitaria would be universal, not subject to the dictates of history, culture and tradition. Considering the above argument it seems like each ideology is giving no space to the enjoyment of the other ideology, or in simple terms we can say that it is hard for liberty and equality to go together, however, in practice these terms are mutually reinforcing each other. It is also very hard to find a society that is purely libertarian or that is purely Egalitarian, this means that in libertarian the possibility of finding some element of equality is there, same applies to the egalitarian, there are some sort of liberties though to the slightest degree. Therefore, there are some instances where liberty and equality move together with a common goal for instance the promotion of welfare of the people. It is also of great important that liberty and equality should work hand in hand, just because they act as watch dog to each other, for instance, the relationship that is between them is that like of three arms of government executive, parliamentary and judiciary. The problem with establishing the realm of liberty is that there are a bewildering number of grounds upon which freedom can be upheld. In much liberal political thought freedom is closely related to the notion of rights. However, as many political theorists employ a value-free or social-scientific understanding of such terms, they are quite prepared to accept that certain freedoms such as the freedom to murder should be constrained. In that sense, liberty or license distinction merely begs the question: which freedoms are we willing to approve, and which ones are we justified in curtailing? Alternative means of distinguishing between liberty and license was proposed by J.S. Mill. As libertarian who believed that individual freedom was the basis of moral self-development, Mill proposed that individuals should enjoy the greatest possible realm of liberty. However, Mill also recognized that unrestrained liberty could become oppressive, objectionable, morally corrupt and even tyrannical. In on Liberty (1859) 1972) Mill proposed a clear distinction between self-regarding actions and other-regarding actions, suggesting that each individual should exercise sovereign control over his or her own body or life. The only justification for constraining the individual, Mill argued, was in the event of ‘harm’ being done to others. Mill emphasizes that liberty becomes license not only when the rights of another are violated, or when harm is done to others, but when liberty is unequally shared out. In this sense equality is seen as standing block to the existence of license . Equality is a multi-dimensional concept. Diverse opinions are put forth in locating the exact relationship between these two concepts. Writers like De Tocqueville and Lord Acton hold the view that liberty and equality are opposed to each other as they are antagonistic. The desire to have equality destroys the possibility of having full liberty. Achievement of equality demands positive state action. Equality needs a positive state and liberty needs a Negative State. The Elite theory of Democracy is against the principle of equality. But on the other hand writers like Maitland, Rousseau, Barker, Laski and others, hold the view that they are complementary to each other, in the sense that they both play an important part in human life, fulfilling separate but complementary. Since the principles of liberty and equality are ideals capable of being mutually realizable, one answer to the continuing debate regarding each principles precedence would be the check of each principle on the excesses of the other. A just society might hold itself to the standard that, while difficult to reconcile, it is still most desirable to strive to strike a balance between upholding the belief in the inherent equality of all individuals, and the protecting the right to liberty for all its members. L. T. Hothouse opined that liberty without equality is a high-sounding phrase with squalid results. Liberty lies in equality. Liberty without equality degenerates into license and equality without liberty lapses into uniformity. To Prof. Barker Equality in all its forms, must always be subject and instrumental to the free development of capacity; but if it be pressed to the length of uniformity; if uniformity be made to thwart the free development of capacity, the subject becomes th e master, and the world is turned topsy-turvy. Liberty unites men but equality criticizes the social hierarchy and contributes towards the stability of the community ((1931) 1969) R.H. Tawney. Therefore liberty would be hollow without some measure of equality and equality would be meaningless without liberty. In this age of democracy where voting is a powerful weapon in the hands of the electorate economic equality is most essential condition because the economically powerful person will use his economic resources to gain political power. Political equality will be a mockery in the absence of economic equality. As per above argument it is hard to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not, in the sense that these terms are supported by different ideologies but which are reinforcing each other. So to say that they can be reconciled is forgetting that the terms are founded on different ideologies and on the same point to say that they cannot be reconciled is also forgetting that these terms are mutually reinforcing each other, hence making this question very contested one. Who determine that excessive use of liberties leads into license? What yard stick do they use to determine harm to others? And what is harm? It is good to know that what is harm to me cannot be harm to others and vice-versa. For instance, a society that is comprised of well-off and worse-off, come together and agree that they should be following the principle of â€Å"to each according to ability† can another man from a distance society come and say that the well-off in this particular society are harming the worse-off? This cannot be possible since what he calls it harm cannot be harm to others. In this case the worse-off choose to do what they can manage to, according to the level of their economic status, therefore, it is not harm to them, because they have decided to follow it based on their will and rationality. And again, who determine that excessive use of equality leads to uniformity? What is uniformity? What yard stick do they use to measure uniformity? In every time we talk of equality we must also note that there are some forms of inequality. What is equality to a particular society cannot be equality to the other, since society perceives things in different way all together. The issue of inequality will not come to an end since they were there before, they are here today and possibly they will be there tomorrow. What a just society would do is to come up with measures or initiative to overcome them. For instance legitimate inequality, affirmative action and positive discrimination where the society comprised of well-off and worse-off come to a consensus that they should accept the status of inequality and that they will be following a principle of â€Å"to each according to needy†, but the end result should be greater to the worse-off so that they should little by little cover the gap that is there between them. On the other hand this makes sure that talents, skills and ability are not hindered. Therefore, one cannot come and say, this is uniformity since what is uniformity to him cannot be uniformity to others. It is good to reflect on these questions and acknowledge that what is liberty or equality to the state cannot be liberty or equality to individuals or the collectives group and vice-versa. What was liberty or equality yesterday cannot be liberty or equality today. These things keeps on changing based on circumstances that people as a nation are going through. Therefore, liberty and equality are continuously changing depending on time and who uses them. Finally, based on argument above its very tricky and challenging to say that liberty and equality can be reconciled or not. However, beauty lies in the hands of the beholder; even though, there are no general examples that can be sighted to show that liberty and equality can be reconciled, but there is a room for reconciliation since they are complementary. Therefore, liberty and equality have a common end, the promotion of the value of the personality and the free development of its capacities. No one of these can be enjoyed in isolation. Bibliography Heywood, A. (2004). Introduction to Political Theory. In A. Heywood, Introduction to Political Theory (p. 252 and 284). china: Palgrave Mc Millan. J.C, J. (2004). Principle of modern politcal science. In J. Johari, Principle of modern politcal science (p. 200). New Dehli: Sterling. Hoffman J. and Graham P (2009) introduction to Political Theory. Professor Wizeman Chijere Chirwa, Dr. Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo and Dr. Edrinnie Kayambazithu. (2004). Building an informed Nation. In Building an informed Nation (p. 58). Lilongwe: Democracy Consolidation Programme.

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Essay -- Doctor Faustus Christop

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Elizabeth I came to the throne of England during a time of intense religious turmoil and political uncertainty. By the end of her reign, England stood as the first officially Protestant nation in Europe; however, tensions between Protestants and the repressed Catholic minority continued to plague the nation. Much of the literature produced during the time of her reign reflected sensitivities to religion and resulting political intrigues. In his play Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe places the title character in a power struggle similar in form to those conflicts dominating Elizabethan life. Yet rather than a battle among courtiers for royal favor, the battle in Doctor Faustus pits god against the devil in a struggle for the possession of a man’s soul. Reflecting the cultural and religious context of the sixteenth century, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus comments on prideful ambition, which leads to a loss of salvation for human pawns in the cosmic power-struggle for s ouls. In a conflict similar to that existing between English Protestants and Catholics, Faustus must choose between God and the Devil, risking his eternal life in anticipating which will be the winning side. When Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church and established the monarch as the head of a new English Protestant Church, he made religion largely dependent on politics. In reference to Marlowe’s treatment of religion in Dr. Faustus, John Cox writes, â€Å"Marlowe’s implicit reduction of the Reformation to a struggle for power is an acute response to the secularization introduced by the Tudors. . . . Protestants made religion a matter of crown policy, and thus comparatively a matter of mere power† (114). When Ma... ...he struggle for power between God and Lucifer reflects the religiously-based political struggles under the reign of Elizabeth I. The horrors of the struggle for a man’s soul in which the need for power outweigh the gifts of God’s grace reflect on the consequences of a secularized state in which religious devotion is largely reduced to a matter of political supremacy. Works Cited Bowman, Glen. â€Å"Elizabethan Catholics and Romans 13: A Chapter in the History of Political Polemic.† Journal of Church and State 47.3 (2005): 531-44. Cox, John D. â€Å"The devils of ‘Doctor Faustus.’† The Devil and the Sacred in English Drama, 1350-1642. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. 107-126. Marlowe, Christopher. â€Å"Doctor Faustus.† Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1B. Edited by M.H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. 2000. 991-1023.

letter writing Essay

The article is about the use of letter writing within the therapeutic context of counseling among the adolescents. According to the article, note writing and passing is common among adolescents because it function as an outlet to test their new ideas and behaviors while receiving their peer’s feedback. It also provides a place for them to implement their emerging self concept and connect with their peers as they connect with their peers as they develop their autonomy.   Article also discussed the advantage of letter writing compared to a conversation. Obviously, a spoken word may fade over time but written words are more permanent. The author also mentioned the uses of letter in counseling such as correspondence between counselor and client, elaboration of important elements of discussions that occurred during the sessions, client empowerment through altered personal narratives, and identification of client strengths. Meanwhile, the author also explained the theoretical basis for the use of letter writing. One of the theory that the author links to letter writing is the Morita Therapy. France, Cadieax, and Allen (1995) conceptualize letter writing as an opportunity for counseling to take place without disruption of the individual’s everyday life through traditionally scheduled counseling sessions. The other on is the narrative therapy which allow both the counselor and adolescent client to benefit from letter-writing techniques. On the other hand, the most important part of the article is the guidelines for using letter writing intervention among adolescents. First, look for exceptions to the problem and unique outcomes. Then, assume that the adolescent has strengths and resources. Lastly, problems should be externalized through the use of language. Finally, the author discussed about the types of therapeutics letter before she reached the conclusion.   These are letters between counselors and clients, letters from counselors to clients, letters from clients to themselves. Victoria E White, Melissa A Murray. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Alexandria:Apr 2002. Vol. 24, Iss. 2, p. 166-176 (11 pp.)

Positive psychology Essay

Positive psychology is literally all about the positive energy within a person. It is an organized attempt to make the most out of it. It is believed by the psychologists that it is preventative therapy instead of it being post illness therapy. Most of the psychologists that believe in this system believe in the glass being half full. It is optimism and happiness that can lead a person to live a better and a fuller life. I believe that action must be taken before it is too late. The effort of professionals in trying to make the world a happy place and to attempt to make a go at it is commendable. It is a very effective method of trying to bring out the positive energy. In the fast changing world of today, materialism and consumerism rule the roost. It is that only that which is making a lot of people unhappy unnecessarily. It is the competition and the need to strive for more. Positive psychology teaches one to be satisfied with what one has. Once that person is happy, he will emit happiness. Happiness, laughter and smiles are all contagious. One smile goes a long way. Many a times it takes just a smile to light up a person’s day. Small changes in ones lifestyles on a daily basis can go about a long way in maintaining a healthy outlook on life. It is important to appreciate the small things in life. One needs to take time out to stop and stare. To be able to smell the flower. To be able to see the ants in the garden. On a more personal level, being more organized can save a person from unnecessary frustration and anger while looking for something. Knowing where to find what can add to the confidence and that’s a small step towards having a good day. In the long term, it is important to remind to oneself, the need for patience and tolerance. A cool mind can handle any problem more effectively and let it affect one much lesser. At the end of the day, positive psychology is all about the ripple effect one person can have on the community. It is the chain reaction caused by the positive energy radiating from one person to the other. It is all about happiness, and sharing. It is truly about being human.

The Life of George Washington essays

The Life of George Washington essays Flexner, James Thomas. George Washington. Little. 1967 George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. He served as commander-in-chief of the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, and later served as the first president of the United States. His thoughts and ideas helped mold the United States into the great country that it is today. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. He received no formal education, but he read geography, military history, agriculture, deportment, and composition. Washington later developed a powerful and convincing style of speech and writing. He enjoyed sports and social occasions, and he later became a surveyor for landowners on the George Washington was elected president of the United States in 1789, and in New York City on April 30, 1789, he took the oath of office as President of the United States at age 57. He was extremely influential in the initial operation of the new government. After the ballot he wrote, "My movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feeling not unlike those of a culprit, who is going to the place of his execution." Washington's task was to organize a government but also create a role for the highest officer of the new nation. Both tasks earned him One of Washington's first duties of office was establishing a cabinet. He appointed Alexander Hamilton secretary of treasury and Thomas Jefferson secretary of state. Washington allowed Jefferson to pursue a policy of seeking trade with European nations. Hamilton proposed important ideas such as a funded national debt and the creation of the Bank of the United States. The first United States census was take ...

Dachauâ€The First Nazi Concentration Camp

Dachau- The First Nazi Concentration Camp Auschwitz might be the most famous camp in the Nazi system of terror, but it was not the first. The first concentration camp was Dachau, established on March 20, 1933, in the southern German town of the same name (10 miles northwest of Munich.) Although Dachau was initially established to hold political prisoners of the Third Reich, only a minority of whom were Jews, Dachau soon grew to hold a large and diverse population of people targeted by the Nazis. Under the oversight of Nazi Theodor Eicke, Dachau became a model concentration camp, a place where SS guards and other camp officials went to train. Building the Camp The first buildings in the Dachau concentration camp complex consisted of the remnants of an old World War I munitions factory that was in the northeastern portion of the town. These buildings, with a capacity of about 5,000 prisoners, served as the main camp structures until 1937, when prisoners were forced to expand the camp and demolish the original buildings. The â€Å"new† camp, completed in mid-1938, was composed of 32 barracks and was designed to hold 6,000 prisoners. The camp population, however, was usually grossly over that number. Electrified fences were installed and seven watchtowers were placed around the camp. At the entrance of Dachau was placed a gate topped with the infamous phrase, Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Sets You Free.†) Since this was a concentration camp and not a death camp, there were no gas chambers installed at Dachau until 1942, when one was built but not used. First Prisoners The first prisoners arrived in Dachau on March 22, 1933, two days after the acting Munich Chief of Police and Reichsfà ¼hrer SS Heinrich Himmler announced the camp’s creation. Many of the initial prisoners were Social Democrats and German Communists, the latter group having been blamed for the February 27 fire at the German parliament building, the Reichstag. In many instances, their imprisonment was a result of the emergency decree that Adolf Hitler proposed and President Paul Von Hindenberg approved on February 28, 1933. The Decree for the Protection of the People and the State (commonly called the Reichstag Fire Decree) suspended the civil rights of German civilians and prohibited the press from publishing anti-government materials. Violators of the Reichstag Fire Decree were frequently imprisoned in Dachau in the months and years after it was put into effect. By the end of the first year, there had been 4,800 registered prisoners in Dachau. In addition to the Social Democrats and Communists, the camp also held trade unionists and others who had objected to the Nazis rise to power. Although long-term imprisonment and resulting death were common, many of the early prisoners (prior to 1938) were released after serving their sentences and were declared rehabilitated. Camp Leadership The first commandant of Dachau was SS official Hilmar Wckerle. He was replaced in June 1933 after being charged with murder in the death of a prisoner. Although Wckerle’s eventual conviction was overturned by Hitler, who declared concentration camps out of the realm of the law, Himmler wanted to bring in new leadership for the camp. Dachau’s second commandant, Theodor Eicke, was quick to establish a set of regulations for daily operations in Dachau that would soon become the model for other concentration camps. Prisoners in the camp were held to a daily routine and any perceived deviation resulted in harsh beatings and sometimes death. Discussion of political views was strictly prohibited and violation of this policy resulted in execution. Those who attempted to escape were put to death as well. Eicke’s work in creating these regulations, as well as his influence on the physical structure of the camp, led to a promotion in 1934 to SS-Gruppenfà ¼hrer and Chief Inspector of the Concentration Camp System. He would go on to oversee the development of the vast concentration camp system in Germany and modeled other camps on his work at Dachau. Eicke was replaced as commandant by Alexander Reiner. Command of Dachau changed hands nine more times before the camp was liberated. Training SS Guards As Eicke established and implemented a thorough system of regulations to run Dachau, Nazi superiors began to label Dachau as the â€Å"model concentration camp.† Officials soon sent SS men to train under Eicke. A variety of SS officers trained with Eicke, most notably the future commandant of the Auschwitz camp system, Rudolf Hà ¶ss. Dachau also served as a training ground for other camp staff. Night of the Long Knives On June 30, 1934, Hitler decided it was time to rid the Nazi Party of those who were threatening his rise to power. In an event that became known as the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler used the growing SS to take out key members of the SA (known as the â€Å"Storm Troopers†) and others he viewed as being problematic to his growing influence. Several hundred men were imprisoned or killed, with the latter being the more common fate. With the SA officially eliminated as a threat, the SS began to grow exponentially. Eicke benefited greatly from this, as the SS was now officially in charge of the entire concentration camp system. Nuremberg Race Laws In September 1935, the Nuremberg Race Laws were approved by officials at the annual Nazi Party Rally. As a result, a slight increase in the number of Jewish prisoners at Dachau occurred when â€Å"offenders† were sentenced to internment in concentration camps for violating these laws. Over time, the Nuremberg Race Laws were also applied to Roma Sinti (gypsy groups) and led to their internment in concentration camps, including Dachau. Kristallnacht During the night of November 9-10, 1938, the Nazis sanctioned an organized pogrom against the Jewish populations in Germany and annexed Austria. Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were vandalized and burned. Over 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and approximately 10,000 of those men were then interned in Dachau. This event, called Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), marked the turning point of increased Jewish incarceration in Dachau. Forced Labor In the early years of Dachau, most of the prisoners were forced to perform labor related to the expansion of the camp and the surrounding area. Small industrial tasks were also assigned to make products used in the region. But after World War II broke out, much of the labor effort was transitioned to create products to further the German war effort. By mid-1944, sub-camps began to spring up around Dachau in order to increase war production. In total, over 30 sub-camps, which worked more than 30,000 prisoners, were created as satellites of the Dachau main camp. Medical Experiments Throughout the Holocaust, several concentration and death camps performed forced medical experiments on their prisoners. Dachau was no exception. The medical experiments conducted at Dachau were ostensibly aimed at improving military survival rates and bettering medical technology for German civilians. These experiments were usually exceptionally painful and unneeded. For example, Nazi Dr. Sigmund Rascher subjected some prisoners to high altitude experiments using pressure chambers, while he forced others to undergo freezing experiments so that their reactions to hypothermia could be observed.  Still, other prisoners were forced to drink saltwater to determine its drinkability. Many of these prisoners died from the experiments. Nazi Dr. Claus Schilling hoped to create a vaccine for malaria and injected over a thousand prisoners with the disease. Other prisoners at Dachau were experimented on with tuberculosis. Death Marches and Liberation Dachau remained in operation for 12 years- nearly the entire length of the Third Reich. In addition to its early prisoners, the camp expanded to hold Jews, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and prisoners of war (including several Americans.) Three days prior to liberation, 7,000 prisoners, mostly Jews, were forced to leave Dachau on a forced death march that resulted in the death of many of the prisoners. On April 29, 1945, Dachau was liberated by the United States 7th Army Infantry Unit. At the time of liberation, there were approximately 27,400 prisoners who remained alive in the main camp. In total, over 188,000 prisoners had passed through Dachau and its sub-camps. An estimated 50,000 of those prisoners died while imprisoned in Dachau.

5 Tips for Writing an Amazing Villanova Essay

5 Tips for Writing an Amazing Villanova Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Villanova University is a private, Catholic research university in Pennsylvania. With a 36 percent acceptance rate, it’s considered moderately competitive- but even that level has an average GPA just shy of 4.0. But acceptance to Villanova isn’t just about your test scores and GPA; you’ll also need to nail the Villanova supplement essay, rounding out your application with a strong representation of yourself.In this guide, we’ll cover all of Villanova’s essay prompts and how to best answer them, including potential topics and pitfalls. Find yourself a quiet place and a good study playlist. What Are the Villanova Essay Prompts? Villanova University only accepts the Common Application. In addition to the required Common Application essay question, you’ll be writing one additional supplement specifically for Villanova. Just one supplemental essay is required, but you’ll have three prompts to choose from. Your response should be one page, double-spaced, in length. No prompt is inherently better than the others - pick whichever appeals to you most. Each one is unique to Villanova, and they all have some unique twists on the expected essay format. We believe that all members of our community should be committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. How would you contribute to this at Villanova? At first, this prompt might look like a typical â€Å"diversity essay.† It mentions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and asks how you’ll contribute However, the first part of the question says that â€Å"all members of our community should be committed to†¦.† Instead of asking what you’ll contribute to their diverse community, they’re instead asking what you’ll do to foster diversity. That could mean bringing your unique experiences to campus, but it could also mean looking at how you, personally, will help ensure that everybody feels welcomed and appreciated. How will you contribute to the commitment to diversity? This prompt is fairly unique because it doesn’t just want to know about what separates you from the rest. Villanova also wants to know how you’ll fit in with other students and appreciate their stories and backgrounds. The use of the word ‘community’ tells us that this is a campus that values the relationships students build with one another. Appreciating and celebrating diversity is part of that mission. To answer this question, think about the communities you belong to and the ways that they intersect with one another. You can also consider times when you’ve been immersed in another culture- truly immersed, not just watching or participating briefly- and what that meant to you. Be sure that you’re always answering the question of how you’ll commit to diversity at Villanova, not just what you’ve done in the past. A past experience, such as attending a traditional Indian wedding, might have led you to appreciate how different another culture’s celebrations can be, but Villanova wants to know what you’ll do next. Will you make a point to attend or organize different celebrations on campus? What does your experience with diversity, whether your own or someone else’s, inspire you to do to foster a welcoming community? On an individual basis, how will you commit to ensuring that the community is full of diversity, equity, and inclusion? When answering this question, avoid coming off as patronizing or condescending. Though a trip to build wells for impoverished communities may have had good intentions, these trips can sometimes do more harm than good. Likewise, volunteering at a soup kitchen isn’t all the impressive if the message you come away with is that you’re glad you’re not homeless. Instead of focusing on yourself and your feelings, take the experience and turn it into actionable ideas. â€Å"Because I saw firsthand how people all around me are suffering, I devoted every Saturday to fundraising for the homeless, a routine I plan to continue at Villanova,† is a lot stronger than, â€Å"Because I saw firsthand how people all around me are suffering, I decided I would spend time every day writing down something I’m grateful for.† Saint Augustine believed in the essential connection between the mind and the heart. Tell us about a time that your mind and heart were in conflict and how that was resolved. College applications will often ask for an event where your views were challenged and you learned from it. This question is a little different- instead of being an outside challenge, it’s an internal one. Still, Villanova wants to know about how you respond to challenges and how you learn from them. Consider times where you’ve been in conflict with yourself and how you ultimately came to a conclusion. What strategies did you use? Were you ultimately happy with your choice? For example, maybe you struggled with a choice to attend an expensive summer camp that specialized in the field you want to study or to spend your summer working. Both options would be beneficial, but you wanted the summer camp more- only you weren’t sure how you were going to pay for it. Whatever option you chose, there’s an essay to be found there; maybe you spent the summer working to save up to attend next year, or maybe you sold a video game console you hadn’t played in a while to make sure you could attend this year. The key is that your heart wants one thing (a great summer spent at camp) while your mind wants another (the money to attend that camp) and you found a way to solve the problem. Remember that the prompt states Saint Augustine’s belief in a connection between the mind and heart. How did your ultimate resolution lead to a greater understanding of what both your heart and mind wanted? Were you able to bridge the gap? For this question, avoid topics that are too shallow or that aren’t really conflicts. Don’t write about trying to choose which friend you wanted to spend the weekend with unless it was a really deep decision, and stay away from spending too much time on choices with answers that seem obvious, like whether you should study or play video games. Dig deep on this question and pick something with a clear narrative. Your essay should showcase something about you, whether it’s your work ethic, your passion, or your caring for others. "Each of us strengthens all of us" is a concept that resonates deeply in the Villanova community. While this phrase may mean many different things, one aspect is that Villanovans rely on each other. Share a situation when you have needed help and what you have taken away from this experience. Colleges, especially research universities like Villanova, are all about community and collaboration. You might have a particularly brilliant mind, but that’s not all it takes to succeed- the ability to work with others is also key, and Villanova wants to hear about how you recognize those who have helped you get to where you are. This is a good opportunity to be humble and acknowledge the support you’ve had along the way. Think about self-reflection, including why you needed help in a particular situation and how the support you received changed your thinking or improved you in some way. This prompt invites you to share your understanding of the importance of collaboration bydiscussing an experience in which others helped you achieve something. Don’t spend too much time worrying about choosing an experience or situation that’s particularly impressive- instead, focus on something that really demonstrates how important a good team can be. The biggest thing to avoid in answering this question is prioritizing your achievement over the assistance you received. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write about a great achievement- if you won an impressive award or invented something new, definitely share that!- but rather that you should focus on showcasing the support that got you there, such as your mother spending time teaching you how to connect circuits or your teacher spending time after school to coach you through curating a perfect photography portfolio. Show Villanova you understand how important it is to work as a team to achieve great things, and you'll be set to impress! Believe it or not, relaxation is an important part of writing your college essays. Key Tips for Writing the Villanova Essay Though Villanova’s essay prompts are targeted specifically for their school, there are quite a few guidelines you can follow to make your essay strong regardless of what school you’re applying for. Brainstorm Brainstorming doesn’t have to be an intensive process. Beginning a project is often the hardest part; taking a minute or five to get a bunch of ideas down on paper, regardless of their quality, lets you get to work without pressure. Take a deep breath, set a timer, and start jotting down as many ideas as you can think of. Once you’re done, pick the ones that sound most appealing and move on to the next step. Outline Now that you have some ideas, you can start spinning them into outlines. Take a few of the ideas that are most appealing to you and start answering the supplemental questions that should come up in your essay. For example, if you’re answering the first prompt, you should not only be thinking about your personal experiences with diversity, but also how you hope to support equity at Villanova. Sketch out a brief plan for each topic. If you find you don’t have enough points to make, it’s probably not the right idea. Repeat until you have a few outlines to choose from, and then choose the one that you feel strongest about. Write Now that you already have an outline, it’s far easier to actually write your essay. On your first draft, don’t worry too much about staying within the page limit. Don’t even worry about word choice or having something you’re ready to show somebody else. Just focus on getting all of your ideas down on the page so that you have something to do for the next stage. Edit Now comes the point where you start taking what you’ve done and turning it into gold. Editing isn’t just about fine-tuning your grammar and spelling; read your draft aloud to find places where your sentences run on too long, or places where you’ve used the wrong word. Cut extra words and take out sections that aren’t serving your thesis. Be brutal; you can always add things back in if you find you miss them! Get Feedback Once you’ve done a few editing passes on your essay, it’s time for the scariest part: showing it to others. Ask a few people who are invested in your success but who aren’t likely to be too harsh or overly kind in their suggestions- teachers, coaches, and other authority figures are generally good choices- to take a look at your essay and let you know what they think. Let them mark up your draft with any mistakes that they find, and set all that feedback aside for a bit. It’s a good time to take a break from your essay so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Revise Now that you’ve had some time away from your essay, it’s time to revise. Take all that feedback you received and consider it. You don’t have to fix anything that doesn’t feel right to you, but do consider why your reviewers may have made that suggestion. Does your essay lack clarity? Could you have chosen a better word? Why are they confused? Always be sure that your essay sounds like you wrote it, though. Remember: your essay is meant to showcase the things that make you unique. If it reads like every other students’ application, it’s not working right! If one of your readers has made big suggestions that don’t sound like something you’d say, rephrase them until they do, or just don’t use them. It’s more important that your essay represents you. What’s Next? A great essay is just one part of a successful Villanova application. Find out what ACT scores and GPA the admissions office is looking for with this handy guide! If you're seeking financial aid from Villanova, this guide to their tuition and financial aid will help you figure out how much you need and how much you can expect to get. Though Villanova has some unique considerations for their essays, there are some common tricks and strategies you can use to write your college essay. This guide covers some of the best ways to ensure your application essay is a success! Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

MGT501 - Management and Organizational Behavior Mod 5 SLP Essay

MGT501 - Management and Organizational Behavior Mod 5 SLP - Essay Example That made the results of this survey quite interesting to me. Starting with leadership profile, it came out as participative or democratic. I was not too surprised with that. I have taken these a few times in the past and they usually come out that way. It is said, that good leaders use all three styles which would include authoritative and declarative and certainly I can think of times that those are useful too. However, I believe that employee buy in is very important to success and that usually shows. This seems to be the way to have a department that is always functioning at its best. There are things that I know well about the job and things they know well. There is a much better chance we will be successful as a team. My strengths are related to getting the most out of my employees by asking for and using the ideas that they have. Involving them in some of the decision making and allowing them to come up with and use good ideas make process change much easier also. I help my employees grow. This type of leadership can get out of hand if the leader is not aware when they are leaning on the employees to much. They employees must still see this person as a leader with some power. People will not follow a leader that has not power. The organizational survey answered all of my questions. It is an autocratic workplace. Wouldnt you know it? Seems to make sense that we are always out of sync now. It appears I have a good reason to look for a job in another culture which is what I have been thinking for awhile. It appears that what I believe about employees and what the organization believes are the direct opposite as they like to tell them what to do and do not seek buy in. This is pretty old fashioned in its method of driving an organization. I have been here about a year and when I interviewed, the organization presented itself quite differently. These kinds of surveys

Importance of employee performance management in retail Industry Essay

Importance of employee performance management in retail Industry - Essay Example Moreover, by evaluating and analyzing the performances of the organizations as well as the performance of the individuals working in the organizations, the management is able to formulate strategies that could further help in improving the productivity of the organization. Therefore it can be said that the performance management tools and performance management of employees help in improving productivity as well as in helping firms to gain competitive advantage. According to Armstrong (2006), employee performance management is the process in which employees are provided with significant opportunities to develop and nurture their skills and knowledge for the achievement of organizational goals and objectives. Having mutual understanding between the manager and the employees is quite essential in the employee performance management as the employees tend to maximize their efforts for the accomplishment of organizational goals (Leopold et al, 2005). Therefore, establishing employee perfo rmance management is quite essential for the organization to increase its overall productivity along with the level of performance in the market. Performance management is a process that ensures improvement in both quantity and quality of work and activities taken into consideration by the organization. In addition, the process helps the organization in aligning all the activities with the organizational goals and objectives (Leopold et al, 2005). By identifying the areas of improvements and areas where the organization has its strengths, the organization is in a better position to make important strategic decisions and help in achieving competitive advantage particularly when the organization is operating in a highly competitive industry such as retail industry. The level of competition in the retail environment has significantly risen and the organization has to deal with variety of employees, due to which the implementation of performance management has become a necessity to achi eve the organizational goals while sustaining the business for long-run in the market (Jones et al, 2005). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the process of employee performance management. In order to do so, the importance and benefits associated with the employee performance management have been taken into consideration. Moreover, the retail industry within UK’s competitive environment has also been taken into consideration. For the effective evaluation of employee performance management, a case study of the UK retail industry has been presented in the study. Lastly, recommendations have been provided with an aim to help the organizations operating in retail industry to enhance the level of performance along with the overall productivity within the competitive retail landscape. EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Employee performance management, in simpler words is the process that allows the establishment of shared workforce understanding by motivating the managers and e mployees to have mutual understanding regarding the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Employee performance management ensures that the employees would work towards the attainment of desired organizational goals rather than just the personal goals. With the help of this process, the objectives of the

The Rocking-Horse Winner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Rocking-Horse Winner - Essay Example but that is not what happened, when Derrick reached age 6, just about when he was supposed to start his primary school, Alex made the worst gambling attempt in one of his games and bet on his entire house back then in town (Lawrence 44). It was a terrible time for the family as they were forced to live their rich furnished house and move to the countryside, the initial birth place for Alex. Life in the countryside was pretty rough for the growing kids as money was always issues and impeded them from enjoying their childhood (Greiff 56). When Derrick reached age 13, him being the first born, he saw he had the responsibility of taking care of his siblings as he had realized some problems in regard to care from both his parents (Lawrence 66). His father had lost hope in life and was permanently intoxicated day and night living his mother to feign for the family by working as a horse attendant in one of the ranches which held horsing occasionally. After a couple of times of accompanying her mother to the horse racing ranch, Derrick started to gather information and develop interest in the sport, despite several warnings from his mother regarding what happened to his dad. From a Latino horse attendant he had come to befriend at the ranch, Derrick started learning the art of betting from his friend (Stoltzfus 44). After seeing the condition at their home starting to get worse after some days passing without them taking night meal, due to lack of money, Derrick decided to venture into betting seriously. He approached his uncle, Sam and asked for a 100 dollars loan with an assurity of payment after 5 days. Derrick was lucky to be given despite his uncle knowing their financial status. Back in the ranch, on an on going betting game involving horse racing, Derrick managed to make his first bet and later won 2000 dollars. He later paid his uncle’s loan with a profit and the rest, used it as his capital to make more money from the game. Derrick was lucky in the game and

Birth control Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Birth control - Movie Review Example The cost of sustaining the use of contraceptives is clearly evident and younger women, especially those in colleges cannot afford it. This can be a barrier to the women’s choice of contraceptive method. Given the extent to which contraceptives are important to women, more so college women, the government has an obligation to fund the low-cost birth control for college women. This will enable most women to access to birth control services at relatively low costs. As a result, there will be a reduction in the cases of unplanned pregnancies which often lead to abortions. In response to the post by the student, I agree with her that women need to embrace the use of contraceptives. The benefits of using contraceptives are very evident for those who choose to use it. However, it is also very true that the cost of sustaining contraceptives limits many women to adopt its usage. For this reason, the government needs to come with other options to ensure that most women are able to access this critical health care. Including approved contraceptive methods in most health insurance cover is one step in the right direction to ensure that women have access to contraceptive methods that are suitable for them. I strongly agree with her that there should be no politics around such a critical subject as contraception since it is a matter that touches on the health of

Television Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Television Media - Term Paper Example The last nineteen twenties saw the first successful experimentations of the electronic television. Designed by Philo Taylor, who had a vision of inventing a system that captured moving images that could be coded and transmitted onto a screen, it was a great success. The first image transmitted was a simple line and the dollar sign which he captured with a primitive camera. RCA, which dominated the radio business in the United States, invested fifty million dollars into the development of the television set. The company hired Vladimir Kosma to hasten the development and in nineteen thirty nine RCA televised the launching of the New York Fair. It included a speech by President Roosevelt who became the first head of State to be on television. The first television sets RCA sold had five by twelve inch picture tubes and broadcasted regular programs. This included televising of the first baseball game. The game was between Columbia and Princeton universities. The Second World War slowed down the development of television but by the nineteen fifties there was a growth in television stations and most homes in the United States could receive broadcasts. NBC and CBS were among the first stations and they aired news and programs such as â€Å"The Jack Benny Show† between nineteen fifty and nineteen sixty five (Angelova, 2011). Through the decades there was great development in the television set and soon the tubes had bigger screens with clear imaging. More television stations came up and the television industry became a major industry in the United States. Television programs made individuals everyday figures in people’s homesteads. Television was able to create a new type of hero; television and film stars, musicians and news anchors. The television made the conveying of news not on in the United States but across the world easy. Today, the television has come a long way and we have multi-billion dollar companies like Sony and Samsung who

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(a) How successful have the American Government and the U.S. Federal Reserve been in running the American economy over the last - Essay Example financial collapse took place during the very last days of the Bush administration and during a U.S. Presidential election. The Fed’s response can be viewed separately and as working in tandem with the political approach of both political administrations and Congress. The historical characteristics of the period preceding the crisis itself can be seen as related to the severity of the crisis, while the aftermath or recovery period can suggest projections about the future consequences of the policies referenced drawn from economic studies and historical parallels in order to illustrate the possible dangers to the macro-economic environment that remain for the global economy. In the period preceding the financial crisis of 2008-9, the major issue of importance is the real estate market, particularly the sub-prime mortgage market in America, and its lending standards which may have led to the creation of a real estate bubble in the country. By some analysts’ regard, the Cl inton administration encouraged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to promote financing policies that made it very easy for even the lower income families to get mortgages for home purchases. This type of encouragement was related to a general deregulation of the financial industry that proceeded under both the Clinton and Bush administrations, which included repeal of Depression era statutes like the Glass-Steagall Act that regulated the trading and investment functions of banks. Ratings agencies oversaw the process through which the Wall St. investment banks packaged thousands of mortgages in both commercial and residential real estate contracts into massive, billion dollar bonds known as MBS (Mortgage Backed Securities) that could be sold by the investment banks to groups like pension funds or hedge funds who were interested in fixed-rate or adjustable-rate long term returns. The contagion of global markets is seen in the way that these MBS entered portfolios around the world of all mann er of different public and private sector investors, corporations, and banks. Risk management, as practiced not only by the investors who purchased these MBS but also by the ratings agencies, failed to recognize that these securities could fail in the manner that they did because they underestimated the deflationary aspects of real estate and overestimated the reliability of the lending standards at their basis. This is the â€Å"Black Swan† aspect of Nicholas Taleb’s analysis, who wrote: â€Å"Globalization creates interlocking fragility, while reducing volatility and giving the appearance of stability. In other words it creates devastating Black Swans. We have never lived before under the threat of a global collapse. Financial Institutions have been merging into a smaller number of very large banks. Almost all banks are interrelated. So the financial ecology is swelling into gigantic, incestuous, bureaucratic banks – when one fails, they all fall. The increas ed concentration among banks seems to have the effect of making financial crises less likely, but when they happen they are more global in scale and hit us very hard. We have moved from a diversified ecology of small banks, with varied lending policies, to a more homogeneous framework of firms that all resemble one another. True, we now have fewer failures, but when they occur †¦.I shiver at the thought.† (Taleb, 2010) If Wall St. planners, securities ratings agencies, and

Television Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Television Media - Term Paper Example The last nineteen twenties saw the first successful experimentations of the electronic television. Designed by Philo Taylor, who had a vision of inventing a system that captured moving images that could be coded and transmitted onto a screen, it was a great success. The first image transmitted was a simple line and the dollar sign which he captured with a primitive camera. RCA, which dominated the radio business in the United States, invested fifty million dollars into the development of the television set. The company hired Vladimir Kosma to hasten the development and in nineteen thirty nine RCA televised the launching of the New York Fair. It included a speech by President Roosevelt who became the first head of State to be on television. The first television sets RCA sold had five by twelve inch picture tubes and broadcasted regular programs. This included televising of the first baseball game. The game was between Columbia and Princeton universities. The Second World War slowed down the development of television but by the nineteen fifties there was a growth in television stations and most homes in the United States could receive broadcasts. NBC and CBS were among the first stations and they aired news and programs such as â€Å"The Jack Benny Show† between nineteen fifty and nineteen sixty five (Angelova, 2011). Through the decades there was great development in the television set and soon the tubes had bigger screens with clear imaging. More television stations came up and the television industry became a major industry in the United States. Television programs made individuals everyday figures in people’s homesteads. Television was able to create a new type of hero; television and film stars, musicians and news anchors. The television made the conveying of news not on in the United States but across the world easy. Today, the television has come a long way and we have multi-billion dollar companies like Sony and Samsung who

Midterm Essay Essay Example for Free

Midterm Essay Essay As a ruler in the Warring States period, my kingdom’s survival has the utmost importance. Therefore, choosing a philosophy to base my government upon is a crucial decision. Legalism, Confucianism, Mohism, and Daoism are all great philosophies but for my state, I choose to implement Legalism. Legalism supports a rigid system based on publicized laws that deals out punishments and rewards accordingly. Legalism also emphasis an adherence to laws and customs, obedience to the ruler and receiving influential positions based on merit. Legalism as a national strategy of governance is crucial in times of chaos and constant fighting. For my  kingdom I demand absolute obedience from my subjects. I want officials who are qualified by my side to help me make important decisions. I do not want a government full of family members and friends who do not have the credentials for the position. Also I believe everyone should be punished according to the law and there should be no special treatments for the nobles. Everyone is equal under the law in my state. I want to conquer neighboring lands and become the ruler of a unified China. Legalist ideas support my goals for conquest, wealth and a well- functioning government and that is why I choose to implement Legalism in my state. The main ideas of Legalism are to lengthen the rule of the ruler. To further the interest of the ruler, a ruler’s adoption of the Legalism was associated with a tight control of society. Secondly, Legalism emphasized the usage of incentives to govern. Thirdly, Legalism emphasized the usage of institutions in inducing desired behavior because the Legalists believed human nature was inherently bad. As an individual could not be trusted, Legalists paid much attention to the design of institutions to prevent undesirable things from happening. Fourth, in terms of foreign relations, the Legalism school encouraged the building of a strong army. For rulers trying to survive the competition among states, Legalism is more practical and can be implemented more easily than other schools of thought during the Warring State period. 1 For my state, I would employ Han FeiZi’s form of Legalism. His ideas are centered on a COMBINATION OF â€Å"FA † ? (LAW), â€Å"SHU ? † (METHOD) AND â€Å"SHI ? † (POWER). BEFORE HAN FEIZI, LEGALIST PHILOSOPHERS SUCH AS SHANG YANG ONLY STRESSED ON FA ? , SHEN BUHAI ONLY STRESSED ON â€Å"SHU ? †, WHILE SHEN DAOQIANG ONLY STRESSED ON â€Å"SHI ? †. 2 HAN FEIZI BELIEVED THAT â€Å"FA †? , â€Å"SHU ?† and â€Å"Shi ? † should all be implemented together. If only â€Å"Shu ? † is taken into practice and â€Å"FA † ? IS NEGLECTED, PEOPLE HAVE NO REASON TO FOLLOW THE LAW. IF â€Å"FA † ? IS BEING IMPLEMENTED then this can bring the state wealth and power but without â€Å"Shu ? † the regime will not be able to maintain its ruling and without â€Å"Shi ? †, a ruler will not be able to exercise order or rule efficiently. Therefore it is important to implement all three ideas together to bring peace and stability to the kingdom. â€Å"FA † ? (LAW) In Legalism, law is used as a standard for judgment on whether a certain behavior is appropriate, inappropriate, right or wrong. Thus, all human behavior has to be confined within the boundaries set forth by the law. A Legalist type of law does not recognize the people’s needs but instead, everyone’s needs and interests will be based according to the standard of law. Legalism also stresses the importance publicizing laws so people can know and follow them. This will bring order and justice to the state. In a Legalist state everyone is equal before the law and the system 1 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. Print 2 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. Print of â€Å"rewards and punishments† does not care about social status, family background but instead deals out punishments and rewards accordingly. Those who contribute to the state will be rewarded, while those who violate the law will be punished. 3 â€Å"Shu ? † (Method) Shu is a bureaucratic model of administration to aid the ruler and help prevent corruption and incompetence. It is also a political method or tactic used by a ruler to effectively control officials and subjects. Han FeiZi believed that a ruler must utilize â€Å"Shu ? †in order to identify loyal officials from disloyal subjects. This will help the ruler consolidate power and strength in order to control his subjects effectively Han FeiZi urged rulers to control officials and subjects by the two â€Å"handles† of punishment and favor. 4 An official’s accomplishments must neither be greater than nor less than their assigned duties. A minster is always held accountable for his and his subordinate’s actions. Also the ruler must not allow people to know his thoughts and should be suspicious of everyone. In doing so, the ruler can prevent takeovers and rebellions for his  position. 5 â€Å"Shi ? † (Power) 3 Mo, Di, Xunzi, Fei Han, and Burton Watson. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hs? n Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia UP, 1967. Print. 4 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. 323. Print 5 Mo, Di, Xunzi, Fei Han, and Burton Watson. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hs? n Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia UP, 1967. Print. In Legalism, power is an important part of governance. If a ruler does not wield any power then the law becomes a superficial notion and method will be useless. In order to ruler over a kingdom, the leader has to possess power. In Legalism, power should be employed within the confines of law in order to maximize its usage. If the law is ignored in order to exercise power, then this kind of power can easily lead to chaos and turmoil. Power is not inherently good or evil but the person who wields it can be a moral or immoral person. It is important to employ â€Å"FA † ? AND â€Å"SHI ? † TOGETHER BECAUSE IF A RULER HAS NO POWER THEN THE LAW CANNOT BE ENFORCED which makes a superficial ruler but if one has power but is not constrained by law, this can lead to an abuse of power that can bring harm to society. 6 BY EMPLOYING ALL THREE TENANTS OF â€Å"FA †? , â€Å"SHU ? †AND â€Å"SHI ? †, LEGALISM CAN BRING STABILITY AND peace to my state. I would employ Legalism in my state because it can help expand the population of my kingdom by uniting the warring factions and states under my control. According to Legalist ideals hereditary titles must be abolished and only those who have merit should hold government positions. This means I should not employ family members and friends because they can influence my decisions on a personal level. This can eliminate corruption and  cronyism from my kingdom. 7 Next by creating strict laws for the citizens to follow will foster obedience through punishments and favors. 8 According to Legalist scholars, to expand my state’s population I should also focus on agriculture and the military which will to a surplus of food and 6 Mo, Di, Xunzi, Fei Han, and Burton Watson. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hs? n Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia UP, 1967. Print. 7 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Print. 197. 8 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Print. 196 help create stronger warriors. This will allow for more conquests and military campaigns. By investing state resources into agriculture, famines can be prevented and populations will grow. 9 Also a mandatory military service for a short time will help my kingdom fight against the barbarians from the west. 10. Finally, increasing the military can also prevent invasions and help my state conquer lands, thus leading to an increase in population as well. Another reason I would employ Legalism because it can also help increase the wealth in my state. The increase in food will help increase trade of agricultural products like millet and wheat as well as other products like plums, apricots, dates, melons, persimmons, beef and pork. Through military conquests an increase of natural resources, tax revenue and workers will help strength the state economy. Lastly, the creation of strict laws with emphasis on collective responsibility will help prevent people from violating the laws. Other philosophies have merits that could help me govern my state. The main ideas of Confucianism are to establish a harmonic society, rather than to promote the interests of the ruler. Second, the Confucianism school does not encourage the usage of material incentives and opposed the usage of severe punishments to rule. To motivate individual behavior, moral obligations were emphasized. 11 Third, the Confucianism school did not value institutions in inducing desirable behavior and that human nature is inherently good. Fourth, in terms of foreign relations, Confucianism discouraged a state’s invasion of other states. Confucianism argued that 9 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. 52. 10 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. 40. 11 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. 323. Print by following the guidance of li, a humane ruler would induce residents in other states to accept the rule of the humane ruler voluntarily. Relying on military force as a defense would be inferior  and would be unnecessary for a state. 12 To expand the population of my state, Confucianism recommends cultivating goodness (ren) as well as maintaining ritual propriety (li) so I become the most righteous ruler in the land. When a ruler is righteous, his subjects perform righteous tasks down to the common man and people from other lands shall visit my state. 13 This would increase my kingdom’s population. To increase the wealth of my state, Confucian scholars would recommend returning to the traditional Zhou tax system of the 10% tithe. 14 This will allow farmers to have enough grain to  reduce famines and allow more trade to be conducted when there is an excess of products. Confucians would not endorse a state that seeks profit over goodness because goodness (ren) is more desirable for a Confucian gentleman (junzi). When a ruler decides that profit is worth more than virtues, his subjects begin to look for profits as well and ignore virtues, thus leading to gradual corruption within the state. 15 I would not employ Confucianism in my state because while cultivating goodness and being a gentleman is an honorable task, I am only interested in 12 Slingerland, Edward Gilman. â€Å"Kongzi (Confucius) ‘The Analects. ’† In Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 1-58. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 2005. Print. 13 Slingerland, Edward Gilman. â€Å"Kongzi (Confucius) ‘The Analects. ’† In Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 1-58. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2005. Print. 14 Slingerland, Edward Gilman,† Kongzi (Confucius) ‘The Analects. † In Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. 1-58. Indianapolis, IH: Hackett Publishing Company Inc. 2005. Print 15 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 115. Print. increasing my kingdom’s wealth, population and status. Legalist scholars say it would be hard to reduce the tax to 10% and should be kept at a 20% tithe in order to have enough currency and supplies to supply a growing army. Also the selection of government officials through recommendations valued by Confucianism led to high level of corruption. High positions of the government were monopolized by individuals with strong family backgrounds and capable individuals with weak family backgrounds could not get high rank positions. 16 To reduce  corruption in my kingdom, I should abolish hereditary titles and promote through merit so there would be fairness in my government and less bribery and dishonesty. 17 Another philosophy that has gained momentum and fame is Daoism. Daoism is centered on the ideas of wu (emptiness) and wuwei (non-doing). It also places importance on Yin and Yang. Daoism promotes the idea that material items will not satisfy a person’s soul, leading to lifelong emptiness and competition. 18 Daoism also endorses the idea of non-doing but this does not mean to do nothing at all. It simply means that we must not interfere with the natural course of things. The practice of non-action will lead to spiritual harmony with the Tao. Daoism explains the true path to happiness is to throw away all desires so people will not become selfish or corrupt, throw away concepts of justice and morality so people will do the right thing and throw away profit so people will not become thieves. 19 16 17 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 197. Print. 18 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. 323. Print 19 Laozi, and Jonathan Star. Tao Te Ching: The New Translation from Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2008. Print. Daoist ideas would not help me achieve my goals of increases in population, wealth or uniting the warring states under my control. Daoist scholars would argue that the population does not need to be bigger than it already is. The sage Laozi has said that a state should be small and the people few so that they will have fewer ambitions and acquire less wealth, keeping them happy without the excess of material possessions. 20 Daoist’s would also be against increasing state wealth because in doing so, it will tempt people with desires of wealth and that will lead to corruption in the state. 21 Daoist scholars would encourage me to do nothing and allow things to go their way naturally which is the concept of wuwei. Daoism would be against war and trying to unify the states under my rule. I would not employ Daoism because it does not help me achieve my goals of a great kingdom. I want to go on war campaigns to conquer lands and have control over my kingdom. Allowing people freedom to do whatever they want will lead of instability and  I cannot have that in my state. In times of turmoil, it is a foolish thing to try and bring peace by doing nothing. Other states will invade my kingdom if any signs of weakness show. It is better to strengthen the people with military training and values so that they can protect their homes and the state from barbarians, and invading armies. 22 This is why I would not employ the use of Daoism in my kingdom. The last school of thought I considered employing in my kingdom is Mohism. Mohists are the main rivals to Confucians in promoting a way of life centered on moral teachings. 20 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 94 Print. 21 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 80 Print. 22 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 52. Print. Mohists rejected rituals and music that is central to Confucian beliefs, seeing them as wasteful and pointless. Mohists endorsed moral practices that promote the welfare of all. Mohists sought a way to restore order (zhi) to human society. 23 The Mohists saw people as naturally good, and thus concerned about their family and community, and generally ? committed to doing what they take to be morally right. But if people fail to distinguish right from wrong properly because of a lack of proper education and political leadership, conflicts will arise, leading to disorder. 24 To prevent disorder Mohists want everyone to follow a unified moral code. Ideally, this project would be carried out through a government administered by wise, virtuous leaders, who at each level of  the state hierarchy would teach everyone to draw moral distinctions in the same way. This way everyone would have the same moral standards and conduct themselves in similar ways by knowing what is right or wrong. 25 To accomplish my goals in attaining wealth and population increases, Mohists scholars would want to promote officials by merit as well and would want to eliminate the rites that Confucians endorse. If I employ the able and worthy, my kingdom will attract virtuous people. 26 Mohists would not want to engage in wars, but would extend the concept of universal love (jian 23 Mo, Di, Xunzi, Fei Han, and Burton Watson. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hs? n Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia UP, 1967. Print. 24 Ivanhoe, P. J. , and Van Norden Bryan W. Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. New York: Seven Bridges, 2001. 323. Print 25 Mo, Di, Xunzi, Fei Han, and Burton Watson. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hs? n Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York: Columbia UP, 1967. Print. 26 De Bary, WilliamTheodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 67. Print. ai). 27 Mohists believe if a noble king rules by partiality and is malevolent towards his neighboring states; other states will want to destroy his kingdom. If however, he rules by universality and is benevolent towards the other states, then other states will hold him in high regard. I would not employ Mohism in my state because I do not care about universal love or benevolence or morality. My goals for the kingdom are purely political and economic based. I want to be remembered in history for being the ruler of the strongest, largest and most wealthy state. During times of turmoil a strong military and cunningness is needed in order overcome the other states. 28  Legalism is the best choice for my state because it promotes a highly structured society. This can prevent instability and internal conflicts. Also by promoting a system of government based on merit, it eliminates corruption and unqualified people from participating in government. Confucianism allows for too much corruption because mostly nobles dominate the government. Daoism advocates non-doing and peace but that is exactly the opposite of what I want for my kingdom. Doing nothing can lead to instability because there is no structure and everyone can do whatever they please. Lastly Mohism places too much emphasis on morals and peace. To maintain a kingdom, the ruler has to make the state ready to invade other states and for invasions as well. To survive in this period of chaos and wars, only the strong survive. Legalism provides the structure I need to rule my kingdom ruthlessly and effectively. 27 De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, and Joseph Adler. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 70. Print. 28 Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 52. Print.