Analysis of Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ Essay

Analysis of Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ - Essay Example The movie has been controversial since its release (Bock 1). Some of the critics argue that the extreme violence in the film hampers delivery of its message. Others argue on the authenticity of non – biblical material used in the film. Moreover, some question the historical accuracy of the film as others argue on its portrayal of the Jews. However, this paper focuses on the argument on the extent by the film follows the books of gospel in New Testament. The movie does not strictly follow the New Testament as revealed in the four Gospel books. This is because there are many incidences and events not covered within the Gospel books yet appear in the film. The first instance of controversies occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane when the movie commences. While Jesus was praying, Satan appears and attempts to distract him. However, he crushes a serpent under his heels (Bock 1). This scene clearly does not exist in any of the books of Gospel and thus, depicts the movie derives certain events from other sources other than the Bible. Consequently, the movie depicts Judas Iscariot being tormented by demons appearing as children to him (The Passion of the Christ). However, such a scene never exists in the Bible and thus is derived from other external sources. The film also uses the Latin language to communicate and develop the movie (Bock 1). However, during the time of the crucifixion of Christ, people of that time spoke Greek and not Latin. Thus, use of Latin language comes from an external source apart from the Bible. Further, the film focuses on the fragile relationship between Pontius Pilate with Tiberius Caesar. It occurs when Pontius discusses with his wife concerning imperial orders to curb Judean revolt. The scene whereby Pilate speaks with his wife is not biblical since in the book of Mathew, it comes out as a summary of dream of Pilate’s wife whereby she requests her

Greenhouse gas emissions and price elasticity of transport fuel demand Essay

Greenhouse gas emissions and price elasticity of transport fuel demand in Belgium - Essay Example The policy of increase in fuel tax by the Belgian government is taken into consideration in this article. The paper seeks to find the impact of an increase in fuel taxes on the consumption of fuels by estimating the price elasticity of fuel demand. Backdrop of the article The Kyoto protocol, named after the Japanese city, is an international agreement concluded in 1997, aimed at the reduction of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions of the developed nations and lessening the intensity of global warming1. Since the start of negotiations on Kyoto Protocol, Belgian government adapted an ambitious position in the climate regime in the European as well as in the international level2.Belgium has also participated in the targets of reducing the greenhouse emission and has been successful overall in cutting down the intensity of emission by the importance of nuclear energy. But the intensity of emission is high in some sectors like heavy industry residential heating. But severe instances of emission are found to be generated in a rigorous basis from the road transport sector in Belgium which represents 20% of the all Green house gas emission3. Belgium is a small country in the respect that it is a price taker of the fuel prices in the international market as its demand has little or no effect on the international oil price. So the supply curve faced by Belgium can be thought to be infinitely elastic. Thus a change in the tax structure of the country is directly and fully gets reflected on the domestic prices and the quantity (fuel consumption) is directly related with the price elasticity of demand for fuels. Thus the prime parameter on which the quantity that is the fuel consumption depends in this case can be considered to be price elasticity of demand of fuels and thus we will analyze its impact with the help of theoretical understandings. Elasticity of demand Before moving into the realms of the topic in consideration it is necessary to clearly understand the co ncept of elasticity of demand. The elasticity of demand refers to the degree of responsiveness of quantity demanded of a commodity to a change in any of its determinants viz, price of the commodity, price of other commodities and income of the consumers. But in this paper we are only concerned with the price elasticity of demand4. Price elasticity of demand â€Å"The price elasticity of demand measures the sensitivity of the quantity demanded to changes in the price†5. In other words it is a measure of how much a quantity demanded of a commodity changes when its price changes. Mathematically the price elasticity of demand can be represented as the ratio of the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a commodity to a given change in price. Thus, Where, = Price elasticity of demand, = Change in quantity, =Change in quantity demanded6. Fig.1 In the above diagram the initial price was P0 and the quantity demanded was Q0. When price rose to P1 the quantity demanded falls to Q1 following the law of demand which states that for a normal commodity as price increases the quantity demanded falls as a result. In the diagram, the gap and the gap . Different types of price elasticity of demand The numerical value of price elasticity of demand varies from zero to infinity. In terms of its numerical value (i.e, degree of elasticity), there are generally five types kinds of price elasticity of demand. A. Perfectly Inelastic demand When the quantity demanded of a commodity does not respond to the change in its price, then the elasticity of demand is said to be perfectly inelastic demand. The numerical value of inelastic demand is zero7. Fig. 2 In the above diag

America in the 1920s Essay Example for Free

America in the 1920s Essay In 1919, soldiers from World War One returned back to America and were not used to society. Many Americans wished for normalcy and believed the United States should go back to the way it was before the war. President Warren Harding was most popular for his promised actions toward normalcy. After becoming President, Harding did not change much of America and also died of a heart attack eight hundred and eighty one days into office. The main objective of normalcy was to get rid of fear from WWI and fears from future wars. The act of prohibition upon Americans, the delivery of a new mass culture, and changes in social conflicts marked the 1920s, in many ways. With all of these new inventions and ideas being made, there were still some ideas like the rebirth of prohibition that did not succeed. During the 1920s, women and children created a prohibition to stop the unnecessary abuse of alcohol. The first attempt at a prohibition was the Temperance Movement of the 1800s. It was an organized effort to end alcohol abuse and all of the problems it created. Women and children were suffering because of husbands and fathers abusing alcohol. In the times of WWI, a support for prohibition grew again. Veterans who were having problems when returning home from battle began to abuse alcohol to cope. The main goal of prohibition was to cut down on drunkenness. Without alcohol, there would be fewer accidents at work because people sober people have more awareness and coordination. The first effect of prohibition was it becoming the eighteenth amendment in the U. S. The prohibition created bootleggers who would secretly make and transport the alcohol illegally. With the supply of alcohol, speakeasies began to occur where secret clubs and parties would happen illegally. The growth of organized crime developed in cities. Local gangs began to supply alcohol to speakeasies. This organization of gangs started to encourage prostitution, gambling, and fighting again. The mobs became so powerful and wealthy that they could remain free of crimes by simply paying off the police. The Amendment did not last long because in 1933, prohibition was ended in America. The stop to prohibition was known as the twenty first Amendment. Even with most people in the city still drinking, there was a reduced amount of alcoholism and related deaths overall which led to new ideas and a new mass culture. In the 1920s, several forms in culture like music, movies, radio broadcasts, art, and literature began to spread across the U. S. Soldiers were returning from WWI scared and lacking sources of happiness. There was a need for new inventions and for the American citizens to feel happy again. A type of entertainment available at the time was movies without words and would only play music in the theater. Another kind of entertainment was radios, but they did not have any broadcasting stations. The newest craze in music was Jazz. Jazz would come from African American roots with improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm. Harlem, New York became the capitol of Jazz with over five hundred clubs. The most famous club was the Cotton Club. Movies became one of the most popular types of entertainment in the 1920s. At the time, eighty million tickets were being purchased per week. The movie industry quickly grew to the fourth largest industry in the U. S. The first talkie, or movie with words, was the â€Å"Jazz Singer,† starring Al Jolson. In 1924, the Hollywood Land sign was built to reflect on the success of the movie industry. Radios were not a new device in 1920, but had new features that would change the world forever. The first radio broadcast was KDKA in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Stations involved with the broadcasts were CBS and NBC. Citizens would listen to music, jokes, and shows from NBC on their radios. All the new forms of culture from African Americans is however what sparked all the racial problems and discrimination in the North and the South. During the 1920s, many changes in society like the challenge on religious beliefs, the possible truth and explanations of science, and lack of equality for all races were put into play. The prior religion of America has been closely linked to Christianity. The nation was founded itself off of Christianity. Fundamentalism is what interpreted the bible as truth, rather than science. Besides religion, inequality was a big problem in America. Slaves were African Americans in the U. S. since the 1600s. During the times after the Civil War when the South lost, the Ku Klux Klan began to terrorize the African Americans. In the 1920s, people began to question their God or Gods. The truth of the bible was also being questioned. Many Americans were still against the belief that a God does not exist. Another part of the science versus religion was the Scopes Trial. John Scopes taught the theory of evolution in a Tennessee Science class. 22 States did not allow teaching against the bible in the 1920s. The case was taken all the way to the Supreme Court and was ruled in favor of Scopes. In the 1920s, there was a rebirth of the KKK and the development of other organizations. Violence began in the North and South against African Americans; this was odd because the North was usually with the African Americans. The Africans faced discrimination, lynching, and the threats from the KKK. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Marcus Garvey’s establishment of the Universal Negro Improvement Association were organizations trying to stop discrimination towards the blacks. The extreme amounts of racism and discrimination that is in American heritage during the 1920s cannot be covered up. The 1920s of America were influenced by prohibition, a new mass culture, and social conflicts. In the 1920s, Prohibition was established in an attempt to rid America of alcohol because of its unnecessary effects of gambling, prostitution, accidents, and fighting. Several new forms of entertainment came out like talking movies, new forms of art, Jazz music, and radio broadcasts. Several social conflicts in the U. S. like racism and discrimination happened in the U. S. Even though the 1920s was filled with unforgettable racism and discrimination, it still was marked as one of the most economically boosted periods of U. S. history.

Relationship between Motivational leadership and culture

Relationship between Motivational leadership and culture Introduction: The link between Motivation, Leadership and the reference and appropriateness of American culture oriented education systems and the Pakistani cultural context investigated. Motivation in the workplace holds a direct link to the leadership within organisation. In the modern age work has become the focus of our live. Work is the place where most of us find much of our sense of identity. It is hard today for many of us separate our work from the rest of our lives. We spend much of our time at work or in work related social and leisure activities. Within this work environment, at its core we can find Motivation, Leadership and culture. The way in which these three issues combine has a defining influence on how we lead our lives. One of the major problems of leadership today is that of understanding what motivates people. In order to be able to influence people it is necessary to understand what moves people. However, by studying motivation insight is found, drawing useful generalization, all of which will make the process of leading other that more effective. For many years the Pakistani business, education and cultural environment has been influenced by American business, education and culture. Clearer understanding of how successful this cross-cultural mixes has been needs investigation to judge its success. Motivation is closely linked to leadership; without motivation it could be argued that there is no leadership. The leadership style will naturally relate to the national culture of the country being investigated; to lead effectively and motivate people in a suitable way. Pakistan as a developing country is ready to accept many western ideas and if appropriate presented western cultural education programme. This dissertation aims to study how to apply an American cultural education programme with western structure to the Pakistan cultural business environment. The important of cultural influence on the leadership style and motivation has been researched. The differences between Pakistan and American culture within this context will have been investigated. Assessment of the following areas will be made: The effect of leadership on motivation. The cultural impact on leadership style. The differences between American and Pakistani culture. The best way to apply an American cultural education programme within the Pakistani cultural context. Background and Academic Context: Motivation: Motivation is a basic concept in human behaviour and also in employee behaviour. Motivation is one of the key drivers of high performance as it encourages individuals to work hard, and desire to achieve a higher goal and a better performance. According to Mitchell (1982) motivation is psychological process that cause encouragement, direction and insistence of voluntary actions that are goal oriented. Robbins (1993) shares the same view, that motivation is the willingness to exercise high levels of effort towards organization goals and to satisfy individual needs. McKenna (2002, p.8) explains motivation as an emotion, which is personal in nature, and comes from within the individual. Robbins (1993) also describes that it is the individual needs that make the outcomes to be attractive and unsatisfied needs will create tension to stimulate drives within the individual and this is called motivation process. Leadership: Leadership is defined as a social influence, process in which the leader seeks the voluntary participation of subordinates in an effort to reach organisational goals. There are many ways of looking at leadership and many interpretations of its meaning, it is therefore difficult to generalise about leadership (Mullins, 2002). However a definition from the 1990s said, Leadership is an influence relationship between leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes (Rost, 1991). Mullins also submitted that leadership is essentially a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people (Mullins, 2002). Culture on the other hand, has the culture brought about by a nations  culture such as language, religion, customs, traditions, norms of behaviour, beliefs, business ethics etc.   For a successful globalisation, though organization culture plays an important part, it cannot over-ride the national culture. Any successful operation will pay much attention to the national culture in formulating its organization culture for that country. Leadership is the ability to lead, including inspiring others in a shared vision. Leaders have clear visions and they communicate these visions to their employees. Leadership has been a topic of interest to historians and philosophers, but only around the turn of the century did scientific studies begin. Since that time, scientists and other writers have offered more than 350 definitions of the term leadership (Daft, 1999). Defining leadership has been a complex problem because the nature of leadership itself is complex. In recent years, however, much progress has been made in understanding the essential nature of leadership as a real influence in organizations and societies (Northouse, 2001). It is worth reweaving the first conceptions of leadership the trait and the behavioural approach as one can learn from these former approaches in order to construct a new approach best fitting to the current economic situation. Leadership is related to motivation, interpersonal behaviour, culture and the process of communication. Di Cesar Sadri (2003) explains the dimensions of cultural impact on employee motivation, stating while the principle of leadership, motivation, and decision making may be applicable almost everywhere, their success or failure depends heavily on ways in which managers adapt to the local culture and work situation (cited in Di Cesar Sadri 2003, p.30). Culture can be defined as Symbols, language, ideologies, rituals, and myths (Pettegrew, 1979), or it can be said that it is a product; is historical; is based upon symbols; and is an abstraction from behaviour and the products of behaviour (Jongeward, 1979) or the famous definition by Edgar Schein a pattern of basic assumptions- invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external adaptation and internal integration- that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.(Schein, 1985). Leadership can be defined below: Contingency Theories of Leadership Leadership is all about the way people are guided, involved and supported through the completion of a task or activity. There are many styles of leadership and every leader will have their own personal views why their style is the best method for them. All forms of leadership are individualistic and can be categorised into four different styles: Democratic, Paternalistic, Authoritarian (dictatorial) and Laissez-faire. Contingency Theories unlike Style Theories are primarily concerned with the factor that leaders are assumed their style can be varied at will. Style Theories simply assumes that there is a single leadership style that is suitable for all situations. Contingency Theories therefore assume that it is the situation itself which makes one style more appropriate than another. A Contingency Theory therefore is a theory that has to be suitable for the conditions in which leadership is to be exercised. An Outline of the Three Contingency Theories of Leadership Fiedlers Contingency Theory This theory is also referred to as the LPC, which stands for the Least Preferred Co-Worker. This is the subordinate that a supervisor was least able to work with successfully on a previous occasion. Fiedlers Theory is based upon his view that the most appropriate leadership style (which results in high task performance by workgroups) is denoted by the preferred behavioural style of the leader within the contextual circumstances in which the group operates. Basically if the leaders style is positive towards the workgroups then workers will work to a maximum output. The Path goal Theory of Leadership The Path goal theory is closely linked with Vrooms Expectancy Theory where the motivation for people to perform an activity is functional with two connected factors. These factors are expectancy and valence and are defined below. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   Expectancy is about a person believing that his/her good/positive performance will lead to specific identifiable results. i.e. if this individual performs to his/her highest ability and this is shown and recognised then expectancy will lead to positive results. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   Valence is to what extent this individual values these results i.e. valuing the results that he/she is expecting from the work carried out. The Hersey and Blanchard Contingency Approach Also named the situational leadership model theory this theory derived by Hersey and Blanchard argues that a managers style should alter according to the readiness of followers to take responsibility for directing their own actions. The term readiness is used to embrace task-related readiness and psychological readiness. Task-related readiness shows whether subordinated have the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to undertake a job without the leader having to plan, structure and direct their efforts. Psychological readiness is linked to the leaders subordinates characteristics such as self-motivation and pride in their work, which in turn may instil them to accept responsibilities. Key factors of successful contingency leadership theories: Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   Adapting to external surroundings and understand the people who you are leading what is the way in which they want to be lead? Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   What do these people want in return for task completion, Remuneration, praise and promotion. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   Incorporating a motivational theme throughout the business is a key issue for task completion and for workers to experience the expectancy theory. (in reference to Vrooms Expectancy Theory) Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚   Contingency Theories are not Leadership Styles. Culture: Culture is the acquired knowledge people use to interpret experience and generate behaviour (Spradley, 1980) take from Social Responsibility in the Market: Fair Trade of cultural products by (Littrell and Dickson, 1999). Culture encompasses a groups ideology, as well as its normative behaviours and its physical environment, artefacts and technology. As applied to business, the study of organisational culture offers insights into a firms unique character. Organisational culture evolves as a group learns to solve problems and conduct business (Schein, 1985). Often initiated by a strong founder, a firms culture perpetuates itself through the telling of company stories, daily rituals, hiring practices, training, rewards, and marketing decisions (Kotter and Heskett, 1992). According to (Rugman and Hodgetts, 2000) Organisational culture that people use to interpret experience and to generate social behaviour. Members of a group, organisation, or society share culture. Through culture we form values and attitudes that shape our individual and group behaviour. Culture is learned through both education and experience. Culture is also passed from one generation to another, so it is enduring. At the same time cultures constantly undergo change as people adapt to new environments. Having looked at culture in western countries, the attention will focus now specifically on Eastern (Pakistan) culture, its relationship with leadership and identify which international attitudes it is most closely associated with. From last past years certain characteristics have become influential in shaping Pakistani culture. Among the important cultural characteristics of Pakistan are vast differences in socio-economic status at the both societal and organisational level, and the influence of nationalism and secularism in transforming society into a western societal structure. The Quaid-e-Azam whos known as the founder of Pakistan was one of them who received a western influenced education and was consequently greatly inclined to European culture and institutions. Pakistan stands out as being different from Asian countries. Despite the fact that 99 percent of the Pakistani population is Muslims, the Pakistani state is secular. The ideology of Pakistan is based on principle of religion and state. In other words the state is independent of religious rules and is run by secular rules. Generally, externally characteristics serve as an important power base for leaders. Leaders power is a manifestation of feudal links and has strong roots in Pakistani culture, in that leaders are expected to promote patronage relationships with their followers. Objective: In view of this the objective of this dissertation is to undertake a critical evaluation of the impact of leadership on motivating the workforce within different cultures or contexts where different cultures exist. Expanding on this key objective, attention is focused on a number of distinct areas like: A review of the literatures dealing with motivation to establish whether or not there is strong relationship between motivation and effective leadership. A review of the literatures to establish whether or not there is strong relationship between effective leadership and culture. An assessment of leadership within different cultural context. To evaluate the extent to which American principles advocated in the leadership and motivation literatures will encounter cultural resistance when introduced to the Pakistani context. In what ways will the principles of motivation and leadership need to be modified and what will be the implications for management style. Research Method: The research for this dissertation (Proposal) started with review of relevant books, research and articles. First effort was directed towards establishing what research has been published in the chosen area and then other research that might currently be in the progress has been identified. This process that is called Critical reviewing helped to develop knowledge on this subject and also assisted in clarifying research. Methods: The references used within this dissertation proposal (Relationship between leadership, motivation and culture) are not an extensive list and the common of them are drawn from American or British journals publishing on the topic of leadership, motivation and culture. Furthermore qualitative research is a systematic method of post-mortem, which follows a logical in depth method problem solving conflicting in certain directions (Thomas and Nelson, 2001). With qualitative research a hypothesis is often not given at the beginning of research studies instead prospective are explored as the data unfold. Although the research aimed to put it in sincere effort to make this research as genuine and possible, one must accept that limitations remain as they always do in all human activities. The geographical distance between, the West (US UK) and East (Pakistan) is off course one of the major hindrances, and the limitation of time is another. Financial resources put another limitation, which might not allow the researcher to go all out for the purpose of data collection. Furthermore, all previous studies on the area, although none concerning developing countries such as Pakistan, focused on leadership style. This research can help to develop better strategic plans, such strategic plans for research question. In order to achieve the objectives the literature available with the Anglia Ruskin University will be studied and analysed along with the academic literature included; Anglia Ruskin University Library, mainly academic journals, which are closely related to research topic, including Harvard Business review, HR development International, HRM journals, Journal of Management studies and primarily academic books, including HRM, SHRM, IHRM, employee relation, international management, psychological and sociological contract etc and CIPD weekly magazine, general magazine, economist etc. Different resource of information provided by the university portal will be accessed and used like Emerald Database, Thomson Gale, and Ebsco etc. Time line: Research will be started in the third week of August 2010, The period of the whole research will be six months. The following timeline is based on my current course schedule. Description of the activity Start Date End Date Draft Dissertation Proposal Submission of Dissertation Proposal 23rd Aug 2010 Literature Study Research Design Analyses your design Collect and Analyse collect date as per research Writing dissertation Finalizing the dissertation and necessary editing and correction Submission of dissertation 6th Jan 2011 Aim of study: Motivation in the workplace holds a direct link to the leadership within organisation. In the modern age work has become the focus of our live. Work is the place where most of us find much our sense of full meaning. It is hard today for many of us separate our work from the rest of our lives. We spend much of our time at work or in work related social and leisure activities. Within this work environment, at its core we can find Motivation, Leadership and culture. The way in which these three issues combine has a defining influence on how we lead our lives. Leadership now days face some serious problems in determining and understanding the factors which are the motivational factors for people and similarly to get maximum possible one need to determine these factors beforehand. However, by studying motivation insight is found, drawing useful generalization, all of which will make the process of leading other that more effective. For many years the Pakistani business, education and cultural environment has been influenced by American business, education and culture. But a clearer understanding of how successful these cross cultural mix has been needs investigation to judge its success. In this work it will be distinguished what motivates people as well as how leadership gives direction, drawing on cultural factors. Most commonly family leadership occurs in business enterprises even in large companies in almost in a similar way in both regions but more common in Asia primarily emphasizing with respect to cultural differences giving importance. Li Ka-shing [of the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong holding group], for example, has decided to give the leadership of his firms to his two sons these companies were run by him very closely, whereas in America if a company is being established and founded by a certain elder of the family of a largest firm will be holding the position but it is only if he has founded it and been establishing it. Boards and executives in America enjoy less freedom of action as compared to Asia. In America board of directors are mainly the authority to replace professional managers, they are either replaced or they get retired so they are replaced by other professional managers. Good companies train their own staff for future recruitment and they recruit and give priority to internal staff and chose their next chief executive from among themselves. On average a CEO will own less than 4 percent of its companys shares and would have served for at least thirty years with his company. There are certain companies who get publicity and try to over project than they actually are who hire executive from the external market without any experience. Then these CEOs strive to win and they think that money is not that important but professional achievement is all what they are after actually they are in a very highly competitive market. During the last decade in America its hard to get credit due to enormous inflation of top executives compensation packages. Many large companies in America receives their equity capital from capital market which is why they are mostly inclined and attentive towards Wall Street compared to Asian in common. Which is why Wall Street has definite expectations from the board of executives in terms of behaviour and performance and also whoever the next successor is too. It is the main reason that executive members of the board of directors get less chance to act freely in America rather than in Asia. In Asia, Siblings usually gets the succession. In Lis case, his two sons will receive it from him whereas Chief executive officer of General Electric is being groomed with a talent machine which is developed by Jack Welch. American firms are much more on advance stage than as of Asian firms, they To a significant degree, they have passed from founders family leadership to professional management and to capital obtained from the capital markets (rather than obtained from government-directly or indirectly-or from family fortunes). In this transition they have adopted particular styles of leadership responsive to boards (often led by outside directors) and to Wall Street. It is possible, but not certain, that Asian firms will also adopt this kind of important practice. Business Executives in Asia thinks its vital for them and their businesses to have connections with the ruling party or whoever is in the government offices, and in America its not that important to have such connections while in Asia it is the basic characteristics of executives and they think its also very important for their businesses. In America, Mostly business Executives even dont get the privilege to have any direct contact with top politicians and simply business is treated as business and executives dont even try to collaborate with top politicians and always keep the government on a certain distance and business is conducted by business people and experts. Still there are people in America who do involve and keep close ties with political guns so that to gain profitable margins but that wouldnt be on a large scale as of Asia and simply would be an exception.

An Analysis of Religion by an Athiest Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person as a whole, mind and body, is a very complex and unique organism that can be easily influenced by society. Since people are so easily susceptible to be influenced by others, each person must rely on their beliefs in order to make a judgment that is morally and ethically pleasing through their knowledge and experiences. A person’s morals and ethics are formed through their religious beliefs and practices. Morals and ethics allow one to make a knowledgeable and responsible decision. One’s religious and spiritual beliefs shapes and molds the mind, body, and spirit of the person. Each religion has its own unique principles, a list of do’s and don’ts that set the foundation for their moral and ethical beliefs. Everyday people are presented with situations in which that person must arrive at the solution through weighing each possible option morally and ethically. When one is confronted with a situation in which they must use thei r personal knowledge, experience, spiritual beliefs and practices to weigh each option morally and ethically and choose that which best suits their religious beliefs. In order for a person to be able to correctly analyze and weigh each option he or she should have full knowledge of each available option and their outcomes. To weigh each solution properly, a person must use his or her religious beliefs and knowledge to evaluate every aspect of the option. In religion, there are four main factors that make it possible for a religiously enlightened person to decipher between the morally and ethically correct and wrong decision. People are educated through the teachings and beliefs of their God to acknowledge what â€Å"the beautiful† and â€Å"the sacred and transcendent† are and how to decipher between what is good and what is evil. A religion’s depiction of what â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† are creates one’s basis for their moral and ethical beliefs. Through one’s spiritual knowledge and understanding of â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† allows one to distinguish between â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the evil.† In order for a person to choose the best decision he or she has to have a firm grasp, intellectually and spiritually, on the concepts of â€Å"the beautiful†, â€Å"the sacred and transcendent†, â€Å"the good†, and â€Å"the evil†. The concepts of each of the factors must be fully understood by him or her to de... ...dered to be the highest forms of evil. For some the temptation they sense from evil is irresistible and they commit a sin for which they cannot be forgiven. I believe that it is through one’s spiritual, physical, and mental strength that he or she’s ability to decipher between â€Å"the good and â€Å"the evil† is developed. The stronger the person, the less susceptible he or she is to â€Å"the evil,† vice-versa. I believe that the will and overall strength of the person develops their ability to fight â€Å"the evil.† â€Å"The evil, the good, the sacred and transcendent, and the beautiful† are all determined through the religious practices and beliefs of an individual. As a result, the person must use his or her knowledge of good and evil to develop their own moral and ethical standards according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Using these standards people combine their spiritual and intellectual knowledge of â€Å"the beautiful, t he sacred and transcendent, the good, and the evil† to decipher â€Å"the good† from â€Å"the evil.† Without religious experience and practices we would not have the information available to consciously choose â€Å"good† over â€Å"evil† and strive for spiritual, physical, and mental perfection. An Analysis of Religion by an Athiest Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person as a whole, mind and body, is a very complex and unique organism that can be easily influenced by society. Since people are so easily susceptible to be influenced by others, each person must rely on their beliefs in order to make a judgment that is morally and ethically pleasing through their knowledge and experiences. A person’s morals and ethics are formed through their religious beliefs and practices. Morals and ethics allow one to make a knowledgeable and responsible decision. One’s religious and spiritual beliefs shapes and molds the mind, body, and spirit of the person. Each religion has its own unique principles, a list of do’s and don’ts that set the foundation for their moral and ethical beliefs. Everyday people are presented with situations in which that person must arrive at the solution through weighing each possible option morally and ethically. When one is confronted with a situation in which they must use thei r personal knowledge, experience, spiritual beliefs and practices to weigh each option morally and ethically and choose that which best suits their religious beliefs. In order for a person to be able to correctly analyze and weigh each option he or she should have full knowledge of each available option and their outcomes. To weigh each solution properly, a person must use his or her religious beliefs and knowledge to evaluate every aspect of the option. In religion, there are four main factors that make it possible for a religiously enlightened person to decipher between the morally and ethically correct and wrong decision. People are educated through the teachings and beliefs of their God to acknowledge what â€Å"the beautiful† and â€Å"the sacred and transcendent† are and how to decipher between what is good and what is evil. A religion’s depiction of what â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† are creates one’s basis for their moral and ethical beliefs. Through one’s spiritual knowledge and understanding of â€Å"the beautiful†, sacred, and transcendent† allows one to distinguish between â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the evil.† In order for a person to choose the best decision he or she has to have a firm grasp, intellectually and spiritually, on the concepts of â€Å"the beautiful†, â€Å"the sacred and transcendent†, â€Å"the good†, and â€Å"the evil†. The concepts of each of the factors must be fully understood by him or her to de... ...dered to be the highest forms of evil. For some the temptation they sense from evil is irresistible and they commit a sin for which they cannot be forgiven. I believe that it is through one’s spiritual, physical, and mental strength that he or she’s ability to decipher between â€Å"the good and â€Å"the evil† is developed. The stronger the person, the less susceptible he or she is to â€Å"the evil,† vice-versa. I believe that the will and overall strength of the person develops their ability to fight â€Å"the evil.† â€Å"The evil, the good, the sacred and transcendent, and the beautiful† are all determined through the religious practices and beliefs of an individual. As a result, the person must use his or her knowledge of good and evil to develop their own moral and ethical standards according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Using these standards people combine their spiritual and intellectual knowledge of â€Å"the beautiful, t he sacred and transcendent, the good, and the evil† to decipher â€Å"the good† from â€Å"the evil.† Without religious experience and practices we would not have the information available to consciously choose â€Å"good† over â€Å"evil† and strive for spiritual, physical, and mental perfection.

A critical analysis of The Great Gatsby Essay

It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.† (Ecclesiastes 2:26). The â€Å"it† in this case, F Scott Fitzgerald’s groundbreaking novel The Great Gatsby, refers to the exhaustive efforts Gatsby undertakes in his quest for life: the life he wants to live, the so-called American Dream. The novel is Fitzgerald’s vessel of commentary and criticism of the American Dream. As he paints a vivid portrait of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald defines this Dream, and through Gatsby’s downfall, expresses the futility and agony of its pursuit. Through Gatsby’s longing for it, he depicts its beauty and irresistible lure in a manner of which the Philosopher himself would be proud. The aspects of the American Dream are evident throughout Fitzgerald’s narrative. Take, for example, James Gatz’s heavenly, almost unbelievable rise from â€Å"beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher† (Fitzgerald 95) to the great, i.e. excessive, Gatsby, housed in â€Å"a colossal affair by any standard†¦ with a tower on one side†¦ a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 11). The awe in which Fitzgerald presents his awakened phoenix clearly conveys the importance of improvement, or at least what one thinks is improvement, in the American Dream; it is not necessarily a life of excesses and wealth Fitzgerald defends as the Dream, for the audience sees clearly their detriments in the novel through Tom and Daisy, but rather a change in the style of life, reflecting the equally-American pioneering spirit. Nevertheless, wealth does certainly play an important role in the American Dream. With wealth, supposedly, comes comfort, as Nick mentions regarding his home: â€Å"I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbour’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires† (Fitzgerald 11). Wealth, states Ross Possnock in his quoting of Karl Marx, is the great equalizer of inequality: I am ugly, but I can buy the most beautiful woman for myself. Consequently, I am not ugly, for the effect of my ugliness, its power to repel, is annulled by money†¦ does not my money, therefore, transform all my incapacities into their opposites? (Possnock 204). Read Also:  Critical Response Essay Topics Gatsby’s incapacities, generally of an emotional nature, inhibitions preventing his successful capture of his long-lost love, Daisy, are washed away with the drunkenness provided by the dollar: However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was a present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders†¦ He took what he could get, ravenously and unscrupulously – eventually he took Daisy one still October night (Fitzgerald 141). Once armed with the lucre, however, he is prepared to contribute equally to the relationship, making it truly an equal relation of love. Love represents the other side of the coin of wealth: as opposed to material wealth, it refers instead to emotional wealth. Whatever its plane of existence, love plays a pivotal role in the American Dream, in Gatsby’s Dream. Perhaps love is the most valuable of the aspects presented thus far of the Dream; â€Å"He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes† (Fitzgerald 88). Such is his love for her; the bootlegging Gatsby values this emotional wealth to the extent that he essentially abandons the material for just a moment, losing himself in the winds of passion stirred up by the swaying of Daisy’s dress as she inspects Gatsby’s lookout tower for the green light. His emotional wealth is so suddenly multiplied that â€Å"none of it [his possessions] was any longer real. Once he nearly toppled down a flight of stairs† (Fitzgerald 88). Sharing the same side of the coin is the need for social acceptance. Gatsby prides himself on his openness; his lavish parties where strangers â€Å"came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission† (Fitzgerald 43), proof of not only his tolerance, but also of his acceptance of those whose drinking make him grow â€Å"more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased† (Fitzgerald 51). Gatsby certainly wants the people on his side: from his house labeled a  Norman â€Å"Hotel de Ville,† or City Hall, open to the public, to Lucille’s replacement dress from Croirier’s, courtesy of Gatsby, no expense is too great in his quest to win others support. Gatsby needs as much popular support as he can get, in the face of such random acts of contempt as â€Å"he killed a man once† (Fitzgerald 45) to â€Å"he was a German spy during the war† (Fitzgerald 45). Improvement, wealth, love, popularity: all contribute to the definition of the American Dream. What is missing from the preceding list is, however, perhaps the most important quality of all: that the American Dream is exactly that, a mere dream. â€Å"Our eyes can never see enough to be satisfied; our ears can never hear enough† (Ecclesiastes 1:8). The key words here are â€Å"never† and â€Å"satisfied†; it is the essence of the American Dream, satisfaction. Unfortunately, the quest for satisfaction and happiness is unending, like eternally chasing one’s tail; hence the â€Å"never.† It is a vicious circle, one of many traps laid out by Fitzgerald for the sake of educating his audience of the perils of imagination. Indeed, given the thin line between the intrinsic desire for self-improvement and the waste and futility of pursuing mental illusions, and the consequences of the latter, the peril is quite extreme. Esteemed Gatsby inquisitor Marius Bewley succinctly defines the American Dream as â€Å"life on a level at which the material and the spiritual [i.e. imaginary] have become inextricably confused,† (Bewley 37) whose â€Å"blackest devils [are] limit and deprivation† (Bewley 38). Higher and higher the summit of its ideals climb, until surely and eventually the mountain becomes insurmountable for mortal man. â€Å"What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again† (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Such is Gatsby’s battle cry as he marches off on a mission to re-discover, or rather to re-implant, the passion he found years earlier in the person of Daisy: † ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!†¦ I’m going to fix everything just the way is was before,’ he said, nodding determinedly. ‘She’ll [Daisy] see’ † (Fitzgerald 106). So begins the heartbreaking circle which started on that selfish day â€Å"in the middle of spring with the arrival of Tom Buchanan†¦ The letter reached Gatsby while he was still at Oxford†Ã‚  (Fitzgerald 144). Just as Daisy re-enters Gatsby’s life and sets the circle moving, does she fulfill the reverse: she, in an equally shocking and abrupt manner, flees Gatsby, his eyes still scintillating in the reflection of the Dream, thus bringing this aspect full-circle and pounding in the first nail in the Dream’s coffin. The second nail to further seal the coffin is the revolving door quality of the rise and fall from rich to poor as the pocketbooks of the Dreamers lines with money, their moral character is chipped away. Once the conscience is destroyed, one can predict that as the money runs out, character returns. Proof of this circle is offered towards the end of the novel: heading back into East Egg from the city after a tense incident on a scorching summer’s day, Gatsby and Daisy spend their last moments together in the car; upon her return to East Egg, Daisy, Gatsby’s most valued possession, the standard against which â€Å"he revalued everything in his house† (Fitzgerald 88) leaves him and returns fully to Tom, thus leaving Gatsby â€Å"bankrupt.† As this decision transpires, Gatsby selflessly accepts the blame for the accident where Daisy, in control of the car, is at fault. Given the sheer number of its examples, the lack of morals in the materially-rich is indeed an element Fitzgerald wished to impress upon his audience. The lack of respect for life present in high society is demonstrated most strongly by Daisy’s relationship, or lack thereof, with her daughter, Pammy. Appearing only once or twice in the novel, Pammy’s non-existent role in the plot and Daisy’s life prove Daisy’s misplaced priorities as a mother and as a â€Å"successful† American Dreamer. Neglect becomes synonymous with high society in Chapter II; Myrtle’s Airedale, referred to simply as one of Mrs. Wilson’s â€Å"other purchases† (Fitzgerald 31), is last seen â€Å"sitting on the table with blind eyes through the smoke, and from time to time groaning faintly† (Fitzgerald 38) as â€Å"people disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere† (Fitzgerald 38). By the end of the book Pammy and the dog (Myrtle doesn’t even bother naming him)  are forgotten, victims of the American Dreamers’ quest for happiness. Daisy’s whims wreak havoc on other’s lives as she continues her quest for â€Å"happiness,† driving Gatsby’s car at supersonic speeds, plowing through Myrtle Wilson’s body†¦ and not even bothering to stop. Not only does she continue without batting an eye, Daisy allows Gatsby to essentially hang for her crimes without a simple â€Å"I’m sorry† or a token â€Å"I love you.† Tom, for his part, forgets the woman in favour of whom he cheats on Daisy. â€Å"There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together† (Fitzgerald 138). Fitzgerald sums up his judgement of the financially-superior/morally-inferior: They were careless people†¦ they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made (Fitzgerald 170). The mess they had made; the heaps of ashes left in their wake. Unfortunately, dreams don’t come cheap. Nor do they come without work. The dreams achieved by high society, such as the creation of the enclave known as East Egg, are built, as Marx would say, on the backs of the workers; the workers who sweat and toil for the benefit of the American Dreamers (or perhaps to join their ranks) creating and living in the vast ashheaps of America, separate from their economic rulers. They do not live the Dream; they don’t have the opportunity to. This exclusionary characteristic of the American Dream appears as the distinct snobbery evident through East Egg’s assertion of â€Å"membership in a rather distinguished secret society† (Fitzgerald 22). From â€Å"I [Nick] lived at West Egg, the – well, the less-fashionable of the two† (Fitzgerald 10), to † ‘my opinion on these matters is final,’ he [Tom] seemed to say, ‘just because I’m stronger and more of a man than you are’ † (Fitzgerald 13), to â€Å"Tom†¦ deferred to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train† (Fitzgerald 29), it certainly seems that East Egg suffers from a superiority complex: a condition due, no doubt, to their â€Å"success† in embodying the American Dream. â€Å"So I realized that all we can do is be happy, and do the best we can while we are still alive† (Ecclesiastes 3:12). The beauty of the American Dream is that, as an unattainable yet seemingly plausible goal for all intents and purposes, it continues to inspire humanity of all nationalities to stretch to a new level of existence, regardless of their current social status. The quest for happiness is perhaps the most venerable of all human institutions due to the natural human desire for a hedonistic existence: a simple pursuit, hardly; a palpable pursuit, possibly; a consuming pursuit, definitely. While the pursuit of the American Dream can easily be branded selfish and greedy, one must admire those American Dreamers with the gall to embark on its realization. The lengths to which Gatsby goes to bring his world to fruition are, to say the least, extensive. An example is his building of â€Å"gonnegtions† with less than scrupulous business partners to finance the erection of a tower from which to gaze at a green light, a task requiring years of work, as his partner Meyer Wolfshiem reminisces: † ‘My memory goes back to when I first met him [Gatsby]’, he said. ‘A young major just out of†¦ the war [1918].’†¦ ‘Did you start him in business,’ I [Nick] inquired. ‘Start him! I made him’ † (Fitzgerald 162). While one might criticize his hyperactive imagination and perhaps even his sanity, one must grant him credit for his seemingly innocent and juvenile idealism; he is a true romantic. One must also admire his tenacity and strength of will: where lesser men would have collapsed under the strain of reality, the strong Gatsby persevered against all odds and, for a moment, held â€Å"Daisy’s white face† (Fitzgerald 107) and â€Å"she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete† (Fitzgerald 107). The facing of such a challenge is no less heroic than catching a marlin or warding off a raging bull: all three require intense mental preparation, and though each expends different physical force, all three leave the hero exhausted physically and emotionally. Where Gatsby’s inferiors depend on alcohol to wash away their inhibitions and uncertainties – â€Å"Never had a drink before, but oh how I [Daisy] enjoy it† (Fitzgerald 74) declares a drunken, uncertain,  about-to-be-married Daisy in the face of mounting stress and anxiety over her commitment; or â€Å"the bottle of whiskey – a second one – [which] was in constant demand by all present† (Fitzgerald 37) at the heated scrutinize-Tom’s-relationships meeting in Tom’s/Myrtle’s apartment – Gatsby charges headfirst, conscious without anaesthetic, straight into the source of potential joy – and potential heartbreak. â€Å"I [Nick] wondered if the fact that he [Gatsby] was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the†¦ hilarity increased† (Fitzgerald 51). The pathetic hilarity with which the novel ends – with Gatsby dead, sincerely believing that Daisy will call back, and Tom and Daisy continuing on, living without memory of their brief affairs of the summer of 1922 – accomplishes two things: firstly, it validates Gatsby and the American Dream; Fitzgerald contrasts the unforgivable, despicable actions of Tom and Daisy with the seemingly innocent and juvenile fantasies of Gatsby. The latter earns the audience’s sympathy, while the former are condemned for their inhumanity. Secondly, it debunks the American Dream: in spite of all the efforts and labours Gatsby invests to bring his Dream to fruition, he and his bold vision are cut short, left to rot floating in a pool of blood, rejected by reality; a strong message that material existence does not take kindly to Dreamers. And the battle returns to its origin; Dreamers recommence their offensive, reality braces itself; and the story continues. â€Å"It is all useless. It is like chasing the wind† (Ecclesiastes 2:26). Or is it? Bewley, Marius. â€Å"Scott Fitzgerald’s Criticism of America.† Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Great Gatsby. Ed. Ernest Lockridge. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. 37-53. â€Å"Book of Ecclesiastes.† Good News Bible. Manila: Philippine Bible Society, 1980. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Possnock, Ross. † ‘A New World, Material Without Being Real’: Fitzgerald’s Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby.† Critical Essays on Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1984. 201-213.

What Do You Understand – Managed Inventory?

Process of Vendor Managed Inventory can be defined as a mechanism where the supplier creates the purchase orders based on the demand information exchanged by the retailer or customers. It implies that the supplier does the demand creation and the fulfillment, instead of the retailers or customers managing the inventory. Under the typical business model an order is placed to the manufacturer when the product is needed by the distributor. The inventory plan is maintained by the distributor as he is in control of the timing and size of the order being placed.Creating the responsibility of manpower team, space and inventory management, increased administration work and conflict between responsibility ownership in case of quality issue. Under Vendor-Managed Inventory model the order is generated by the manufacturer without being the change of ownership of inventory. The inventory plan is maintained and created by the manufacturer as he receives the data that tell him about the distributor ’s sales and stock levels.This model eliminates the case of emerging conflict in case of quality issues, save manpower, space and inventory management and administration work as sole responsibility is with the system supplier. The goal of Vendor-Managed Inventory is to align the business objectives and streamline supply chain operations for both suppliers and their customers, by using a streamlined approach to inventory management and order fulfillment.It involves collaboration between suppliers and their customers (e. g. retailer, distributor, or product end user) which changes the traditional ordering process. This process works only if expectations are clarified between the organization and the supplier, they both need to agree on how to share information regarding the restocking in a timely and synchronized manner and keep their communication channels open.