Why Sartre Was Wrong Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Sartre Was Wrong - Personal Statement Example One of the most famous quotations from Being and Nothingness is â€Å"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.† The idea that freedom is a negative thing, is something that a person is condemned to, is very strange. It is a bit like saying the light is darkness or absence is a presence. What Sartre means is that freedom is a terrible responsibility if all you have is your one life and nothing more. But this doesn’t make too much sense, if a person believes, like Sartre, that the world is meaningless. The nausea of seeing yourself and your perceptions reflected back in the world or the world filling with yourself is also something to be disagreed with. In a way, the kind of existentialism Sartre complains about is really solipsism: the belief that you are the only thing in the world, or the only thing that exists. If Sartre stopped for a moment to look at the world, he wouldn’t see his own ugly face reflected back in the petal of a flower or in a sunrise: he would see a dazzling display of the natural world and the fact that people are part of it all, that this is designed to be our world where we should be happy.Sartre was clearly a very smart man, but he was too much a product of his time and unable to get outside of his gloomy state of mind to see the world as it really is. There is so much wonder and strangeness in the world that it is actually quite difficult to do what he did: reduce it all to ash.... His old world was destroyed and he literally had to try to come up with new values for a new world. It is just a bit disappointing that these new values are not based in the past and are cut free from any tradition or original truth like the existence of God. One of the most famous quotations from Being and Nothingness is "Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."3 The idea that freedom is a negative thing, is something that a person is condemned to, is very strange. It is a bit like saying light is darkness or absence is presence. What Sartre means is that freedom is a terrible responsibility if all you have is your one life and nothing more. But this doesn't make too much sense, if a person believes, like Sartre, that the world is meaningless. The nausea of seeing yourself and your perceptions reflected back in the world or the world filling with yourself is also something to be disagreed with. In a way the kind of existentialism Sartre complains about is really solipsism: the belief that you are the only thing in the world, or the only thing that exists. If Sartre stopped for a moment to look at the world, he wouldn't see his own ugly face reflected back in the petal of a flower or in a sunrise: he would see a dazzling display of the natural world and the fact that people are part of it all, that this is designed to be our world where we should be happy. Sartre was clearly a very smart man, but he was too much a product of his time and unable to get outside of his gloomy state of mind to see the world as it really is. There is so much wonder and strangeness in the world that it is actually quite difficult to do what he did: reduce it all to ash.

Catcher in the Rye Plot Essay Example for Free

Catcher in the Rye Plot Essay When someone is young, they tend to have innocence about them. As children grow up, they no longer possess this natural innocence. Exposure to all of the hatred in the world causes this loss. Holden Caulfield realizes this simple fact, as he himself grows up, and has a difficult time with the change. He experiences problems with communication as well as his school work. A common theme used throughout The Catcher in the Rye has to do with contradictions Holden makes. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, first person point of view is used to highlight contradictions Holden makes throughout the novel. Holden’s first contradiction becomes clear in the first few chapters of the book. When it comes to attending movies, he claims that he does not enjoy the company of Robert Ackley or going to see movies. Yet, he attends a show with Ackley. On Friday night, while Stradlater was on a date with Jane, Holden made his own plans. Holden, Mal Brossard, and Ackley went out for a burger and a movie. â€Å"†¦ decided we’d take a bus into Agerstown and have a hamburger and maybe see a lousy movie.†(36) Due to the use of first person point of view, we find out Holden’s inner thoughts instead of just relying on his actions. Also, later on in the novel, Holden goes to yet another movie, despite his claim of not enjoying them. While in the theater, he becomes extremely annoyed with the woman sitting next to him. She cried throughout the entire movie over, in Holden’s words, phony stuff. â€Å"†¦ there was a lady sitting next to me that cried all through the goddam picture. The phonier it got, the more she cried.†(139) We learn about Holden’s inner thoughts because of first person point of view. We can find another contradiction dealing with Holden’s hatred of movies. When he attends the first movie, he goes with Robert Ackley, despite the fact that Holden previously told us that he dislikes him. Holden says that he finds Ackley to be completely annoying. However, he was the one who invited Ackley along. â€Å"I asked Mal if he minded if Ackley came along with us†¦ Mal said he didn’t mind but that he wasn’t too crazy about the idea.†(36) This quote helps show another contradiction of Holden’s through Salinger’s use of first person point of view. Holden also sought out Ackley as a form of comfort after his fight with Stradlater. Holden had no one else to turn to after the fight except for Ackley. â€Å"I had a feel Ackley’d probably heard all the racket and was awake, so I went through the shower curtains and into his room† (46). Salinger again uses first person point of view to show even more of this contraction. Another contradiction that can be found has to do with Sally Hayes. Although Holden calls Sally a phony, he still decides to spend a night with her. In his head, he continues to say how much he hates Sally and how much she annoys him, yet he expresses that he loves her. Holden extends his contradiction by necking with Sally in the back of the cab, and still continues to think about the fact that he hates her. â€Å"I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course.†(125) Holden’s actual thoughts about Sally stick out from the other statements through the use of first person point of view. Holden even goes as far as trying to run away with Sally. He expresses a want of running away and living on their own, right after calling her a pain in the ass. â€Å"I was getting excited as hell the more I thought about it, and I sort of reached over and took old Sally’s goddam hand. What a goddam fool I was.† (132) This contradiction was shown through the use of first person point of view. First person point of view is used by J.D. Salinger to show Holden’s contradictions in the Catcher in the Rye. Holden contradicts himself on a regular basis; it leads him to believe that he is crazy. Due to the fact that he has a problem with communicating to others, letting his feelings out became a challenge. His biggest battle involved his inner thoughts, and the words he actually expressed out loud. We can find most of his contradictions through this battle of words.

Marx’s Views on Religion vs. My Own Essay -- Psychology Religion Essay

Marx’s Views on Religion vs. My Own Karl Marx wrote that religion was, â€Å"an opiate of the people.† Although those words were not published in The German Ideology, they best describe his various views on religion. Marx wrote that there was a social relationship between the upper class or bourgeoisie and religion. The upper class that owned the means of production used religion as a tool to keep the working class or proletariat, oppressed and poor. Marx criticized that religion had so many ulterior motives that there was no actual spiritual meaning. He argued that religion existed because of the state of society and its class struggles. The existence of religion also helped limit or avoid change in society. Marx also believed that religion stripped us of our true humanity. â€Å"It is self-evident, moreover, that "specters", "bonds", "the higher being", "concept", "scruple", are merely the idealistic, spiritual expression, the conception apparently of the isolated individual, the image of very empirical fetters and limitations, within which the mode of production of life and the form of intercourse coupled with it move (51).† God or any higher power was something invented to deposit fear into. God was something to blame for our own inefficiencies and failures. He also wrote that humans give too much credit to God for their own accomplishments. Marx viewed everything as a human invention. The struggle between the working class and ruling class along with capitalism i...

Pneumonia and Older Adults

What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is a lung infection that can make you very sick. You may cough, run a fever, and have a hard time breathing. For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often clears up in two to three weeks, but older adults, babies, and people with other diseases can become very ill. They may need to be in the hospital. You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work. This is called community-associated pneumonia. You can also get it when you are in a hospital or nursing home. This is called healthcare-associated pneumonia. It may be more severe because you already are ill. This topic focuses on pneumonia you get in your daily life. What causes pneumonia? Germs called bacteria or viruses usually cause pneumonia. Pneumonia usually starts when you breathe the germs into your lungs. You may be more likely to get the disease after having a cold or the flu. These illnesses make it hard for your lungs to fight infection, so it is easier to get pneumonia. Having a long-term, or chronic, disease like asthma, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes also makes you more likely to get pneumonia. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of pneumonia caused by bacteria usually come on quickly. They may include: †¢Cough. You will likely cough up mucus (sputum) from your lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood. †¢Fever. †¢Fast breathing and feeling short of breath. †¢Shaking and â€Å"teeth-chattering† chills. You may have this only one time or many times. †¢Chest pain that often feels worse when you cough or breathe in. †¢Fast heartbeat. †¢Feeling very tired or feeling very weak. †¢Nausea and vomiting. †¢Diarrhea. When you have mild symptoms, your doctor may call this â€Å"walking pneumonia. â€Å"

Comment on how Baz Luhrmann uses video Essay

â€Å"Romeo and Juliet,† is a play written by William Shakespeare in the late sixteenth century â€Å"in fair Verona. † This is an ultimate love story between the only children of two powerful enemies â€Å", both alike in dignity†¦ † These two households bear an â€Å"ancient grudge. † Within this hate â€Å"Romeo and Juliet’s† love cannot survive, and they are driven by this hate to death. From this 1595 classic play, Baz Luhrmann got the job of wielding it in to a twentieth centaury blockbuster. He did this by using many different techniques, and even though he keeps the original dialogue, he changes many classic features of the play to give this modern feel to it. Such as horses to cars, Swords to guns and villages to cities are several examples. As the film starts, the opening shot is of a modern day television. It is shown speaking as a newsreader, speaking as a chorus would on stage, giving background knowledge to the audience watching. This television reflects Luhrmann’s modern setting, showing how the film will be set, rather than the one in which the written play was set. The TV represents the media, as our main source of information. Just as the chorus would be, stood on stage, addressing the audience, giving them required information. The headline upon the TV reads â€Å", Star-crossed lovers,† and above a picture of a ring split in two, showing both the themes of love and hate. How the pair had love enough to marry, though within their families there was hate enough to drive the couple to take their lives. Their love was doomed to die, the ring shows how they could not be together as reflected in one of the chorus’ lines â€Å", death marked love. † One extremely short though effective camera shot, zooms down the middle of a main street, with many high raised buildings, until focusing upon a large statue of Christ. Showing that religion will play some part within the play/film. Here loud dramatic music kicks in. This music tells us that the play is going to be very powerful and dramatic. The chorus’s first line appears white upon black, â€Å"in fair Verona. † White and black are usually associated with good and bad. Showing two main features of the film. Again the image of Christ’s face appears, a close up camera shot, recoiling to show two large skyscrapers dominating the skyline. Each bearing separate names, Montague and Capulet, showing the large gap between them, they are different. The sheer size of the buildings tells us they are wealthy families, but separate. The statue of Christ is stood in the middle, showing again the religious society in which the film is set. Still with the dramatic music playing building up aura, images of police vehicles- cars and helicopters burn across the screen. Quick images. Images of conflict, linking the families with violence and ultimately the law. The music quietens, though still strong and menacing, as a voice over man speaks the same lines as already spoken by the ‘chorus. ‘ Now the images are shown slower, â€Å"two households both alike in dignity†¦ † showing the two families, again separated by Jesus, sour looks upon the head’s faces; hate and malcontent, though smiles upon the children’s; happy, contented faces, with no worries. Leading on to images of flames, representing hell, hatred and death. Headlines of newspapers flash upon the screen, linking again with the theme of the media and the modern setting. Showing there must be public interest in the growing feud between the two families, and again highlighting the conflict between the two families. Extremely short images are shown of police helping civilians escape the troubles caused by this abhorrence between the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. The music had died down up until the point of â€Å"take their life,† where it picks up again adding atmosphere and letting the audience know there is great tragedy within the film. Another modern technique is then used. Just as characters on television programs are introduced or how western wanted posters are displayed, some of the main characters are initiated. These images build great suspense though shows a building power within the play/film. Two important images from later on in the film flash upon the screen, though they are very insignificant at this point, just adding suspense and wonder at this early stage. The music reaches a peek as the now familiar words of the prologue flash upon the screen. The words white on black, suspense, power, the words showing love, lust, hatred and tragedy. Followed by random images shooting across the screen, fireworks, choir boys singing in a loud wild fashion. Guns, characters, light and dark images showing good and evil. Loud bangs of gunshots, police helicopters, blood, raging images demonstrating excitement and apprehension to the audience. Now with the music at a climax, the words in bold print of â€Å"Romeo + Juliet† linger upon the screen. The â€Å"+† in blood red symbolising bloodshed and conflict, it is also shaped like a cross, to continue the religious theme of the film. The words are white upon black, illustrating good and evil. Here the music changes and a bouncier, more funky, modern tune kicks in as â€Å"the boys† come on to the screen. These three wear brightly coloured shirts- reds and lime greens, indicating good and ‘to me’ fun. Though with the first line spoken you realise the Montague boys hate the Capulet’s. â€Å"The boys† are presented whizzing down a highway in an expensive looking yellow convertible, again suggesting warmth and fun. They are cool, with open shirts, brightly coloured hair, shades on heads and tattoos over their bodies. They are excitable, casual and looking at them they would not pose any threat. The car has a personalised number plate, â€Å"Mon-005, Verona beach† again showing wealth. The camera shot is at the front of the car as it comes in to the gas station, here there is a sound of screeching tyres, the piping of horns and basically excitable boyish behaviour. â€Å"Benvolio- Romeos cousin† does not come across as uncompromising, he tries to detach himself from the quarrel between the two families â€Å"masters. † Where as the other two â€Å"Montague boys† are very eager and want to be involved this is sown in their faces as a face close up is shown. Here Benvolio turns and another facial close up is shown, his face twisted almost looking in disgust as he turns and walks away. Here the camera turns moving across to another pump as an expensive looking blue car pulls calmly in to the station. Blue suggesting coldness and the slow speed suggests that the driver is not excitable like the Montague boys but serious. The music suddenly changes from hip to a western style tune as another personalised number plate is shown † Cap-005, Verona beach. † The camera is swung around with a whooping sound and rests upon a close up of the bottom of the car door opening and a pair of western style cowboy boots stepping from the car. Here the frame freezes on the boot touching the ground, Cooley and calmly and in this freeze frame he displays the words â€Å"The Capulet boys† with western style music playing to continue the western style theme. The boots walk away through a door the sound of spurs following, tension building as the camera shot moves again from the western boots to shoes and tights and the giggling of little girls over the western music. Leading back to more dark cowboy boots with spurs. The shoes belong to a Nun with a class of children and each side of their people carries resides a car of each of the two families. The two families torment the nun and her party in a very cocky sort of manor, exceptionally intimidating. So as the nun and her party speeds away to escape further torment, the two families are revealed to each other for the first time. The fun and idiocy of the Montague’s turns to fear, as â€Å"Abra-Capulet† is revealed. Here another facial close-up is shown. Abra wears dark menacing colours (oranges, blacks and reds- colours associated with hell. ) He has a goatee beard an earring and a silver chain with cross hanging around his neck. He has the look of a typical gunslinger, someone who could be extremely dangerous. The music is now changed, as a more electric tune plays more menacing and threatening than before, highlighting the danger of this man. Fear is shown in the Montague’s faces, shocked by the appearance of a known enemy. This man alarms them and with this abrupt entrance one of the boys makes a quick movement to reveal the butt of his pistol. A fast frightened movement, followed by the facial shot of a frightened face and the sound of a reluctant gasp, signifying the fear and tension between the two families. Here there is a shot of the face of Abra moving down his body and showing the slow movements of his hands to reveal the butt of his own pistol, engraved with the word Capulet, just as the Montague’s gun was engraved with the word Montague, reflecting wealth yet again. The movements are menacingly slow, so calm and cool. Then suddenly a loud hissing sound like a serpent as Abra snarls revealing the word sin engraved on a silver plaque on his teeth. The camera is at a straight close up angle. The shot is both threatening and frightening. Here all the sounds stop as the Montague’s sink back in to the car relieved that no harm has come to them. Though the Capulet’s are amused by the impression they have made upon the Montague’s and laugh profusely showing they do not feel threatened at all by their presence but take them more as a joke than any thing else. The Montague’s took this wind up a little too lightly and decide to make a second move. Here one of the Montague’s bites their thumb at the Capulet’s. This is shown as a close up with a silly sound coming from the mouth of the offending Montague. Now there is anger and hate starting to show as the montages reverse the car, with the noise of screeching tyres, and the sound of a quick furious sounding, loud blast of music showing anger. The caplets sling loud though slow angry words at the Montages who return fast frightened words trying to calm the situation. Though as the camera shot goes to the toilet door, the quick shocking music picks up again and Benvolio appears-an image of a peace maker leading to a close up of Benvolio’s gun with a change back to western music. Here with gun drawn, a close up of Benvolio’s apprehensive face fills the screen and silence falls. Here only the sound of an old creaky sign is heard blowing in the wind, un-nerving Benvolio further and continuing the western theme. The camera swizzles around to an image of a close up cigar being lit and a match being dropped to the ground by â€Å"Tybalt-the prince of cats. Juliet’s cousin† Landing close to his feet, though still burning. The music playing slowly and quietly, adding tension and atmosphere. Now there is a major close up of tybalts face. He has the look of the devil, slick black hair with tiny matching beard. He has pointed teeth that only a close up would enable us to see properly. He wears the colours of the devil, Reds and blacks showing hate, fire, torment and death. Also his face shows no fear, no feelings but pure untamed hate. He is just so slick and calm and as he speaks, there is a close up on his eyes. These ooze confidence and hold great hate and rage towards the Montague’s. The camera then focuses on Benvolio’s eyes, which are the complete opposite to Tybalt’s. His eyes show a great fear of the other man, apprehension. All adding tension to the opening scene. On a half of body shot, Benvolio is seen putting away his sword (which in this 1997 film s actually a gun,) and in an effort tries to avoid conflict by stating â€Å"I do only to keep the peace put up my sword. † His voice shaky in the eerie silence. Then another facial close up on Tybalt, as he says, â€Å"Peace, peace, I hate the word. As I hate hell. All Montague’s. And thee. † With no quivers only confidence and raw hate. The burning match is finally stamped out with the sound of the metal healed boots grinding at the concrete ground. This long gap between lighting the match and putting it out shows a great danger. This man means something; he alone stands for power and danger. Now a small boy, symbolising innocent bystanders at the market place, interrupts the silence. The boy just playing, shouting â€Å"bang, bang† triggering the attack. Tybalt draws, the music screeching. The shot looking up the barrel of tybalt’s gun as the word â€Å"bang† is said again. Showing he is willing to harm fellow citizens if need be. Now there is a range of many different camera shots, with electric music playing in the background. Tybalt does a lot of flamenco style movements, flowing, professional movements, as though he was fluent and skilled in the art. Very dramatic and serious movements, with no fear of being harmed. The Montague’s begin to try to fight back, though not really succeeding. They are frightened; you can see it in their eyes. Tybalt moves almost fashionably, where as the Montague’s don’t really know what to do. They shoot, showing no passion or drive. Unlike Tybalt who shows both. Tybalt is calling the shots, and in a swift movement he throws down his coat and fits an aiming device. Kissing his gun with a loving passion. People are running, frightened. The Montague’s flee, leaving Benvolio and Tybalt in the petrol station. Music still flaring giving added depth to the scene, petrol covering the ground. Tybalt zooms on to one of the fleeing Montague’s, taking the shot, and injuring him. The camera looking down the guns barrel as the shot is fired, pointing into Tybalts eyes. With a flickering smile he drops the cigar from his mouth, landing in a pool of petrol and igniting it immediately, which during the whole scene showed how contented he was with conflict. Here Benvolio flees with Tybalt in pursuit. The flames escalate, symbolising the devastation to come. The flames show hate and anger. Every body around is affected by the fighting as symbolised by the flames. Affecting people’s livelihoods, every body is effected by these civil brawls. There is very dramatic music playing now, escalating the feeling of hate and friction between the two families. A poster is shown burning, once stating â€Å"Montague’s and Capulet’s 2nd civil brawl. † This shows that it is over; hate has ended that, and born a third brawl, more powerful than the previous ones. A sign is also shown burning, â€Å"Add more fuel to your fire. † Showing that the public are affected, and that hate is the road to all evil’s, symbolising the devil and hell. The camera follows the flames upwards showing things will get worse, still with the music blasting. It moves up and through the smoke screen, the two houses can be seen dominating the skyline, with the image of Jesus between them. Still looking extravagant and wealthy after the brawl. Nothings really changed. The fire is burning as strong as their hate, causing public panic and confusion. Now short images are shown of police helicopters and vehicles flying between and around the towers and statue. The music still blearing. Shots are shown from alternate angles showing news reporters reporting the third civil brawl, again linking with the media. Ted Montague (the father-head of the house) rushes to the scene in his limo with registration plate being â€Å"Montague, Verona beach. † Again representing wealth and power. Once more fast flickering shots are shown of the fleeing public, panic stricken, confused. Police swarming to the scene in different kinds of vehicles now, and here with the music breaching a climax the shots slow down and return to facial close-ups. Tybalt and Benvolio are screaming at each other hate in their eyes, with no more fear left in Benvolio’s body only hate. Cars spread upon the road, utter havoc breached by the two feuding enemies. Guns are pointed at the couple from air and ground. They have no choice but to both walk forward and admit defeat, dropping their weapons to the ground. There is no music now just a loud ‘boom’ as the weapons fall. Adrenalin at an ultimate climax for anybody watching. The range of shots along with the series of different sounds and music create an unforgettable opening, showing many of the different themes and aspects of the play/film to anybody watching.

Marcus Cocceius Nerva, First of Romes Good Emperors

Marcus Cocceius Nerva, First of Rome's Good Emperors Marcus Cocceius Nerva (November 8, 30 CE–January 27, 98 CE) ruled Rome as emperor from 96–98 CE following the assassination of the much-hated Emperor Domitian. Nerva was the first of the five good emperors and was the first to adopt an heir who wasnt part of his biological family. Nerva had been a friend of the Flavians without children of his own. He built aqueducts, worked on the transport system, and built granaries to improve the food supply. Fast Facts: Marcus Cocceius Nerva Known For: Well-regarded and respected Roman emperorAlso Known As: Nerva, Nerva Caesar AugustusBorn: November 8, 30 CE in Narnia, Umbria part of the Roman EmpireParents: Marcus Cocceius Nerva and Sergia PlautillaDied: January 27, 98 CE at the Gardens of Sallust, RomePublished Works: Lyric poetryAwards and Honors:  Ornamenta Triumphalia for military serviceSpouse: NoneChildren: Marcus Ulpius Traianus, Trajan, the governor of Upper Germany (adopted)Notable Quote: â€Å"I have done nothing that would prevent me laying down the imperial office and returning to private life in safety.† Early Life Nerva was born November 8, 30 CE, in Narnia, Umbria, north of Rome. He came from a long line of Roman aristocrats: his great-grandfather M. Cocceius Nerva was consul in 36 CE, his grandfather was a well-known consul and friend of Emperor Tiberius, his mothers aunt was the great-granddaughter of Tiberius, and his great uncle was a negotiator for the emperor Octavian. While little is known of Nervas education or childhood, he did not become a military professional. He was, however, well known for his poetic writings. Early Career Nerva, following in his familys footsteps, pursued a political career. He became praetor-elect in 65 CE and became an advisor to Emperor Nero. He discovered and exposed a plot against Nero (the Pisonian conspiracy); his work on this issue was so significant that he received military triumphal honors (though not a member of the military). In addition, statues of his likeness were placed in the palace. Neros suicide in 68 led to a year of chaos sometimes called the Year of Four Emperors. In 69, as a result of unknown services rendered, Nerva became a consul under Emperor Vespasian. Though there are no records to support the assumption, it seems likely that Nerva continued as consul under Vespasians sons Titus and Domitian until the year 89 CE. Nerva as Emperor Domitian, as a result of conspiracies against him, had become a harsh and vengeful leader. On September 18, 96, he was assassinated in a palace conspiracy. Some historians speculate that Nerva may have been involved in the conspiracy. At the very least, it seems likely that he was aware of it. On the same day, the Senate proclaimed Nerva emperor. When appointed, Nerva was already well into his sixties and had health issues, so it was unlikely he would rule for long. In addition, he had no children, which raised questions about his successor; it may be that he was selected specifically because he would be able to handpick the next Roman emperor. The initial months of Nervas leadership focused on redressing Domitians wrongs. Statues of the former emperor were destroyed, and Nerva granted amnesty to many whom Domitian had exiled. Following tradition, he executed no senators but did, according to Cassius Dio, â€Å"put to death all the slaves and freedmen who conspired against their masters.† While many were satisfied with Nervas approach, the military remained loyal to Domitian, in part because of his generous pay. Members of the Praetorian Guard rebelled against Nerva, imprisoning him in the palace and demanding the release of Petronius and Parthenius, two of Domitians assassins. Nerva actually offered his own neck in exchange for those of the prisoners, but the military refused. Finally, the assassins were captured and executed, while Nerva was released. While Nerva retained power, his confidence was shaken. He spent much of the remainder of his 16-month reign attempting to stabilize the empire and ensure his own succession. Among his achievements were the dedication of a new forum, repairing roads, aqueducts, and the Colosseum, allotting land to the poor, reducing taxes imposed on Jews, instituting new laws limiting public games, and exercising greater oversight over the budget. Succession There is no record that Nerva married, and he had no biological children. His solution was to adopt a son, and he selected Marcus Ulpius Traianus, Trajan, the governor of Upper Germany. The adoption, which took place in October of 97, allowed Nerva to placate the army by selecting a military commander as his heir; at the same time, it allowed him to consolidate his leadership and take control of the provinces in the north. Trajan was the first of many adopted heirs, many of whom served Rome extremely well. In fact, Trajans own leadership is sometimes described as a golden age. Death Nerva had a stroke in January 98, and three weeks later he died. Trajan, his successor, had Nervas ashes put in the mausoleum of Augustus and asked the Senate to deify him. Legacy Nerva was the first of five emperors who oversaw the best days of the Roman Empire, as his leadership set the stage for this period of Roman glory. The other four good emperors were Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138), Antoninus Pius (138–161), and Marcus Aurelius (161–180). Each of these emperors hand-selected his successor through adoption. During this period, the Roman Empire expanded to include the north of Britain as well as portions of Arabia and Mesopotamia. Roman civilization was at its height and a consistent form of government and culture expanded across the entire empire. At the same time, however, the government became increasingly centralized; while there were benefits to this approach, it also made Rome more vulnerable in the long run. Sources Dio, Cassius. Roman History by Cassius Dio published in Vol.  VIII of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1925.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Nerva.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica.ï » ¿Wend, David. Nerva. An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors.

Apple - Still Leading the Way essays

Apple - Still Leading the Way essays Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation that prides itself on innovation. Apple is a constantly adapting to what consumers wants and its brand's loyalty is considered unusual for any products. Apple was incorporated in the state of California on January 3, 1977. It is one of the most established IT companies in the world. The company has a great reputation for providing good quality products and services, and for designing the most attractive and innovative products in the world today. Their products are strong and reliable, as well as simple and easy to use. It is best known for its products Macintosh computers, iPhones, iPods and The innovation Steve Jobs offered to the company fueled Apple's large excess returns. After the passing of Steve Jobs, the company's stock price took a small dip. Tim Cook now manages Apple as CEO, and whether he can continue to perpetuate the company's innovative culture will be tested in the coming years. The company's current financials are very strong. Apple has a market cap of $585 billion. A quick peek at their latest quarterly balance sheet reveals they have approximately $10.7 billion of just cash. Their gross profit margin is 46% showing they're making 46 cents on every dollar they take in. Their current and quick ratios register at 1.5 and 1.2, respectively. This illustrates that their current assets trumps their liabilities. In other words, they have very strong liquidity. Their return on equity is 35.3%; their return on assets is 23.7%. Apple's Price-to- Earnings ratio is 13.3; investors are basically paying 13 times the earnings of the company. Apple's sales listed as 156.5 billion with 44.6% Porter's Five Force's Analysis Applied to Apple Inc. Michael Porter's five forces strategic frameworks is a commonly used model that most of the industries may use to analyze their external environment. Observed through Porter's strategic framework, App...

Definition and Examples of Humorous Essays

Definition and Examples of Humorous Essays A humorous essay is a type of personal  or familiar essay that has the primary aim of amusing readers rather than informing or persuading them. Also called a comic essay or light essay. Humorous essays often rely on narration and description as  dominant rhetorical and  organizational strategies. Notable writers of humorous essays in English include Dave Barry, Max Beerbohm, Robert Benchley, Ian Frazier, Garrison Keillor, Stephen Leacock,  Fran Lebowitz,  Dorothy Parker, David Sedaris, James Thurber, Mark Twain, and  E.B. White- among countless others. (Many of these comic writers are represented in our collection of  Classic British and American Essays and Speeches.) Observations What makes the humorous essay different from other forms of essay writing is . . . well . . . its the humor. There must be something in it that prompts the readers to smile, chuckle, guffaw, or choke on their own laughter. In addition to organizing your material, you must search out the fun in your topic.(Gene Perret, Damn! Thats Funny!: Writing Humor You Can Sell. Quill Driver Books, 2005)On the basis of a long view of the history of the humorous essay, one could, if reducing the form to its essentials, say that while it can be aphoristic, quick, and witty, it more often harks back to the 17th-century characters slower, fuller descriptions of eccentricities and foibles- sometimes anothers, sometimes the essayists, but usually both.(Ned Stuckey-French, Humorous Essay. Encyclopedia of the Essay, ed. by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997)Because of fewer constraints, humorous essays allow for genuine feelings of joy, anger, sorrow and delight to be expressed. In short, in Western literature the humorous essay is by and large the most ingenious type of literary essay. Every person who writes humorous essays, in addition to having a lively writing style, must first possess a unique understanding that comes from observing life.(Lin Yutang, On Humour, 1932. Joseph C. Sample, Contextualizing Lin Yutangs Essay On Humour: Introduction and Translation. Humour in Chinese Life and Letters, ed. by J.M. Davis and J. Chey. Hong Kong University Press, 2011) Three Quick Tips for Composing a Humorous Essay1. You need a story, not just jokes. If your goal is to write compelling nonfiction, the story must always come first- what is it you are meaning to show us, and why should the reader care? It is when the humor takes a backseat to the story being told that the humorous essay is most effective and the finest writing is done.2. The humorous essay is no place to be mean or spiteful. You can probably skewer a politician or personal injury lawyer with abandon, but you should be gentle when mocking the common man. If you seem mean-spirited, if you take cheap shots, we arent so willing to laugh.3. The funniest people dont guffaw at their own jokes or wave big look at how funny I am banners over their heads. Nothing kills a joke more than the joke teller slamming a bony elbow into your ribs, winking, and shouting, Was that funny, or what? Subtlety is your most effective tool.(Dinty W. Moore, Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and P ublishing Creative Nonfiction. Writers Digest Books, 2010) Finding a Title for a Humorous EssayWhenever Ive written, say, a humorous essay (or what I think passes as a humorous essay), and I cant come up with any title at all that seems to fit the piece, it usually means the piece hasnt really congealed as it should have. The more I unsuccessfully cast about for a title that speaks to the point of the piece, the more I realize that maybe, just maybe, the piece doesnt have a single, clear point. Maybe its grown too diffuse, or it rambles around over too much ground. What did I think was so funny in the first place?(Robert Masello, Roberts Rules of Writing. Writers Digest Books, 2005)

The Nurses Role in Promoting Patient Rights Article

The Nurses Role in Promoting Patient Rights - Article Example Besides, NDNQI helps nurses to deliver quality services and improve patient safety. Therefore, nurses have the ethical obligation to be an advocate of patient vulnerability in the context of the hierarchical system of healthcare. Nurses role involve providing information that helps a patient to make significant decisions. Besides, they speak up in support for patients where necessary. The role of nurses in patient engagement boosts the health outcome by improving care delivery. Patients have the right to receive treatment with honor and respect, therefore, nurses help navigate the unfamiliar healthcare system and promote communication among caregivers. They interpret tests, instructions, and procedures in terms the patient can follow and understand (Wood, 2010). Besides, they integrate all aspects of patient’s care and ensure that concerns, standards, and positive outcome of the patient are met. In a scenario at my workplace, a patient failed to know his right for an active care and proper diagnosis. There was a case of a physician undertaking medical malpractice and negligence on a patient (wrong diagnosis). Therefore, I brought up the concern of the organization. The physician was charged, and the p atient received the care that he deserved. Besides, NDNQI is significant in enhancing the quality of service of patients. NDNQI prevalence rates for various diseases creates the formation of action plans to eradicate the disease. For instance, NDNQI data on CAUTIs has enhanced its mitigation and reduction levels (Simon, Klaus & Dunton, 2009). Therefore, nurses in conjunction with NDNQI increase patient’s welfare. Guglielmi, C.L., Stratton, M., Healy, G.B., Shapiro, D., Duffy, W.J., Dean B.L. & Groah, L. K. (2014). The growing role of patient engagement: relationship-based care in a changing health care system. AORN, 99(4), 517-528. doi:

Linguistics and the Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Linguistics and the Media - Term Paper Example Daniel Dennette defines it as a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences events such that more copies of it get created in others’ minds. Here, the stress lies on the idea that a meme is an inherent form of knowledge in the human brain; it is the basic unit of cultural transmission or imitation. According to this definition, everything we call â€Å"culture† is composed of atom like memes, which compete with one another. These memes spread by being passed from mind to mind in the same way genes spread by being passed down through sperm and egg. The memes that win the competition are those that are successful at penetrating the most minds; they are the ones responsible for those activities and creations that constitute present-day culture (Brodie, 1996). CMC’s have made it possible for memes to germinate in the social gene pool. The linguistic implications of meme are highly significant since information travels over websites, blogs and social netw orking sites, and hence languages vary. Therefore, with every language, the conceptual framing and blending of linguistics and pragmatics also vary. Hence, language changes on the internet (Crystal, 2001). According to Bell, there is a close relationship between linguistics and media. â€Å"It makes a specific use of language and media texts illustrate language use and language attitudes for a variety of speech communities†. Syntactics and semiotics of meme in the following examples help to understand why people have a shared interest for memes. Since we have already established that memes grow in the mind of person to person, it is important to know how medium achieves that. There is a simultaneous use of text and visual. This particular series is called Successful Black Man, also known as â€Å"Successful Negro†. The media’s denotation of a black man in a business suit and a witty one-liner, firstly involves a fabricated framework experienced by conceptual ble nding employed in the first statement, â€Å"I got 99 problems† The connotation with the stereotype of an African man is that they are hustlers and gangster in the street. However secondly, there is an intentional line break after which a line is cited having primary framework relating to a professional who took a CA exam. There is an immediate exploitative fabricated framework. The intention behind the fabrication is to create hilarity because of the pragmatics of the two lines’ frameworks. The top line mimics what a black male stereotype would say while the bottom line results in breaking the character of the first line. The creator divulges that the inspiration behind the meme was based on reverse-discrimination issues at the workplace. In this case the humor and wit, and reversing the stereotype in the meme made it popular. There should be some genuine quirkiness contained within the idea. â€Å"The meme could coincide with some kind of zeitgeist or spirit of the age. Humor is a powerful component. Often it will contain an aspect that challenges conventional wisdom. There is also a critical mass factor at play. The spread of an idea of concept will accelerate at some point probably due to the multiplier effect of people being exposed to it

Wal-Marts Environmental Sustainability Program Essay

Wal-Marts Environmental Sustainability Program - Essay Example Since Wal-Mart is a retailer of a wide variety of merchandise products, management’s thrust into environmental sustainability comes in the form of ensuring that the products they sell should conform, not only to the highest standards of quality, but more so, to comply with the products’ impact on the environment. Recently, Wal-Mart initiated a program which would label each product they sell according to an eco rating, which aims to â€Å"measure the environmental friendliness† of the product/s (Whitney, 2009, par. 1).Since Wal-Mart is a retailer of a wide variety of merchandise products, management’s thrust into environmental sustainability comes in the form of ensuring that the products they sell should conform, not only to the highest standards of quality, but more so, to comply with the products’ impact on the environment. Recently, Wal-Mart initiated a program which would label each product they sell according to an eco rating, which aims to â €Å"measure the environmental friendliness† of the product/s. The program would attest to the company’s commitment to adhere to its sustainable strategies. The information provided by the suppliers of the products would be encoded in the company’s database and an eco rating system would be available to the consumers, as required. In this regard, the objective of the essay is to proffer an analysis of the company’s environmental performance and how this could be enhanced by the new service.

Brand Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Brand Marketing - Essay Example As the report declares marketing for B2B focuses on a rather small market. Business value influences buying decision. In addition, the goal of B2B is to convert prospects into customers. B2B managers, therefore, tend to focus on relationship building through communication. Mainly, the business in B2B is between a business and other businesses. Advertising through media becomes critical in B2B marketing. This paper discusses that most companies consider B2B and B2C markets as diverse ways of marketing that must be handled excessively especially in relation to brand personality. Of importance to note is that, most of the companies that practise these kinds of marketing have brand executives who operate differently where little sharing of information is required. According to Rajeev 2012, brand management might decide to have their brand value generated through the use of both B2B and B2C markets. In contrast, the use of B2B and B2C markets might at times hurt the brand, drastically reducing the impact of brand personality on the given company. In light of this, there is shared brand equality among the product brands especially when there is visible corporate brand that gives credibility to every product that the company owns. The goal of B2C marketing is to purely change known shoppers into buyers in an aggressive but continent manner. In fact, companies that practise B2C marketing us e more merchandise activities like coupons, which are meant to capture the interest of the customers immediately. For instance, companies with B2C marketing may use emails campaign in persuading customers to buy their products. This type of marketing has assisted various companies in realizing the importance of loyalty (Prabakaran 2012). On the other hand, the goal of B2B marketing is to purely convert prospects into customers although it is longer and more involving. Most of the companies that use B2B marketing must focus on the improvement of relationship building and communication. Of importance to note is that content is the most crucial in terms of marketing. With reference to brand personality, Howard 2009 argues that B2B and B2C require brand in ensuring that the markets have more sales as compared to

Teamwork Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teamwork - Coursework Example Resistance to the approach may be due to the struggle over control of the leadership of the group, which may be due to divergent opinions or challenging the decisions made by the team leader (Cragan 78). Another reason for resistance may be due to hostile leadership where the team leader either may be racist, sexist or practices various discriminatory practices. Resistance in the form of a bid to control the team in terms of ideas may be dealt with by brainstorming of opinions shared by the team players and accommodating everyone’s opinion. Hostile leadership can be controlled by action from all the team players as opposed to the challenger and the team leader holding a private dialogue. Experts view teams as means, not an end in that they view the team as a way of achieving the vision of the organization. An end is described as the goal of the organization where the teams created are deemed as a way of achieving the vision and not the vision itself. Companies that focus on creating teams as opposed to achieving its goals is bound to collapse if the strategy is not looked into (Means 56). A company should focus on the ultimate aim of attaining its goals, which may be achieved by formation of teams among other strategies (Rothstein 100). It is important that team members analyze their team role at their work place, their contribution and whether or not they are comfortable with their specific position. The roles of team players may be categorized into task roles, nurturing roles and dysfunctional roles. One can become a better team member by understanding their responsibility and understanding that the decisions that they make affect the overall performance of the team. The concept of self-management of employees is highly successful in organizations where the decision-making by employees is embraced (Cheltenham 60). Self-managed groups are held

FEA program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

FEA program - Assignment Example In the past, primitive models were used to come up with models with some having to exemplify on and model using hands. In as much as this is relatively good, the time spent and the accuracy of these models varied tremendously leading to errors. However, with an increase in technological aspects of the engineering environment, it is imperative to connote the ease in simulation that is made possible by improved technology. Many simulation programs exist depending on the field of application. For example, when dealing with simulation of circuits a program like Circuit Maker or in animation, Autodesk are just a few examples. In this assignment, the learner utilizes Ansys Workbench as the Computer Aided Engineering simulation program. The main reason for utilization of this software program is such that it will be possible to show divergent aspects of a simulation including loading, constraints, and cosmos to analysis and component performance. The beauty of this exemplification is in the fact that all the simulation is done in the context of engineering thus it becomes possible to understand various aspects of a component. All these elements and considerations tend to rely on finite element methods. It is good to note that when dealing with finite elements, a complex problem is subdivided into smaller actual problems such that the complexity of the problem is consistently eliminated by dealing with the problem in piecemeal form. History suggests that the source of finite simulation approach is in the fact that ancient scientists found it hard to deal with complex elasticity as well as structural analysis challenges that are inherent in the world of civil engineering as well as aeronautic engineering (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). To be able to solve these challenges, engineers came up with a five-step process that allows them to break the challenge into manageable pieces that are easier to deal with at every stage. The first aspect that has to

Teamwork Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teamwork - Coursework Example Resistance to the approach may be due to the struggle over control of the leadership of the group, which may be due to divergent opinions or challenging the decisions made by the team leader (Cragan 78). Another reason for resistance may be due to hostile leadership where the team leader either may be racist, sexist or practices various discriminatory practices. Resistance in the form of a bid to control the team in terms of ideas may be dealt with by brainstorming of opinions shared by the team players and accommodating everyone’s opinion. Hostile leadership can be controlled by action from all the team players as opposed to the challenger and the team leader holding a private dialogue. Experts view teams as means, not an end in that they view the team as a way of achieving the vision of the organization. An end is described as the goal of the organization where the teams created are deemed as a way of achieving the vision and not the vision itself. Companies that focus on creating teams as opposed to achieving its goals is bound to collapse if the strategy is not looked into (Means 56). A company should focus on the ultimate aim of attaining its goals, which may be achieved by formation of teams among other strategies (Rothstein 100). It is important that team members analyze their team role at their work place, their contribution and whether or not they are comfortable with their specific position. The roles of team players may be categorized into task roles, nurturing roles and dysfunctional roles. One can become a better team member by understanding their responsibility and understanding that the decisions that they make affect the overall performance of the team. The concept of self-management of employees is highly successful in organizations where the decision-making by employees is embraced (Cheltenham 60). Self-managed groups are held

Myth as (Roman) History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Myth as (Roman) History - Essay Example With a tendency to illustrate stories in terms of black and white, good and evil, exemplary and deplorable, myths manage to capture the basic ideologies of a given culture and paint a picture of what everyday life might have been like within that culture. The way in which the myths changed over time reflect changes in the ideologies of the people telling the stories, editing and changing to suit new or emerging concepts as a result of trade, enlightenment or other factors. To illustrate how changing myths reflect a changing culture while also providing clues to that culture, it is helpful to examine several similar myths that have been preserved for a specific ideological concept. For this study, the concept of rape will be examined through the stories of the Sabine Women, the rape of Lucretia and the rape of Europa to indicate the attitudes of the ancient Romans and Greeks regarding women and feminine issues. The origins of Rome are included in the story of the rape of the Sabine women. According to early accounts, the new Romans were aware that while they had the strength to withstand invasions, they did not have the women necessary to continue their lines into the next generation but offers for marriage sent out to neighboring nations were refused. To overcome this barrier, Romulus and the other Roman men invited several neighboring nations to join them in one of the larger celebrations of Neptune and, when everyone had been gathered, the women were snatched by the Romans while their families and other men were pushed out of the city. Livy (1st cent.) calmly explained how the youths of the city grabbed the girls that were nearest to hand, but that some had already been reserved for the senators and relates how their grief was assuaged by the assurances of Romulus that they would be given full rights of marriage and that the children that would be the inevitable result of the mass rape would reconcile them to their husbands.

Race in America since the 1960s Essay Example for Free

Race in America since the 1960s Essay America has come a long way since the dark days when slavery marred the continent. The journey to equality was not always a smooth one, and only in the last half-century have African-Americans been granted their complete rights and freedoms. Now that they have these equal rights, they are taking their place to take advantage of their equal opportunities, but there still seems to be a glass ceiling preventing their further progress. White Americans still cite racial progress in many areas, while the reality remains that much of this progress is illusion. With the election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States, it seems safe to say that racial relations in the country have certainly improved in the past fifty years. In the 1950s, many African-Americans could not even vote in many parts of the country, with racist leaders and citizens doing everything in their power to deny this most basic of rights. Once desegregation took effect and was enforced by the federal government, it seemed that African-Americans had finally achieved equality. However, this was largely a myth based on the horrible conditions they once faced, and the current conditions still often view them as a marginalized race. Couple this with the massive influx of Latin Americans into the U. S. , and race relations are just as explosive as they were in the 1960s. One program designed to aid racial equality is affirmative action, which has been both a blessing and a curse for minorities. Originally conceived as a means to redress discrimination, affirmative action has created racial preferences that have instead promoted discrimination. And rather than fostering harmony and integration, these preferences have divided many businesses and college campuses across the country. In no other area of public life is there a greater disparity between the rhetoric of preferences and the reality than with affirmative action. Many have cited lesser qualified applicants hired or accepted to colleges based on race, not qualifications or need. If preferences were truly meant to remedy disadvantage, they would be given on the basis of disadvantage, not on the basis of race, so that a poor, qualified white student would stand a better chance of being admitted than the under-qualified son of a black doctor. This illustrates a problem with the idealism of affirmative action and how remedying some racial issues have merely created unfairness in other areas. Instead of a remedy for disadvantage, many supporters now claim that preferences promote diversity. This same push for diversity also has led colleges like Stanford University to create racially segregated dormitories, racially segregated freshman orientation programs, racially segregated graduation ceremonies and curricular requirements in race theory and gender studies (Sacks Thiel, 1996). But if diversity was really the goal, then preferences would be given on the basis of unusual characteristics, not on the basis of race. The underlying assumption—that only minorities can add certain ideas or perspectives—is offensive not merely because it is untrue but also because it implies that all minorities think a certain way. While affirmative action is a noble effort, it is perhaps antiquated. Today, while African-Americans enjoy greater freedom and equality, Latinos have come to represent the current racial crisis. Many conservative Americans demand that they learn English, adopt American culture, and assimilate or leave. Additionally, Middle Eastern Americans are finding life equally difficult and face often violent retributions for crimes that they did not commit. This xenophobic behavior may be largely from the scares encouraged by global terrorism, but may also be representative of the fact that not much has really changed except the language used to discuss race. The only way to truly understand the state of race in America and make a balanced assessment is to measure the equality of each race. The sad state is that many of the minorities in America are still marginalized, make less money, and have far less influence politically than the dominant white culture. Progressive and liberal legislation may continue to chip away at long held racial prejudices, but Americans cannot achieve complete equality unless it is an endeavor equally valued by all. Unfortunately, as history has shown, those in power will be reticent to relinquish that power, and those in power in America are still largely male, largely white, and largely though subtly fearful of difference. With a president with parent that are black and white, much of the racial future of America rests with a man that represents better than anyone the progress made in the past fifty years, as well as the distance left to travel until true racial harmony is achieved.

Anglo American Model Of Corporate Governance Finance Essay

Anglo American Model Of Corporate Governance Finance Essay Corporate Governance Models In many countries, companies are run mostly for the benefit of the shareholders, the rightful owners 0. However, there are circumstances in which the corporation is also run for the benefit of other interest groups such as customers and employees or the general public at large -1. This is the substantive difference between the two primary models of corporate governance namely the outsider model, which is used in Anglo-American countries such as the United States or United Kingdom 1 and the insider model, which is used predominantly in European countries such as Germany or France 4343. The outsider model, also known as the Anglo American model of corporate governance because it is predominantly used in Anglo American states like the United States and United Kingdom, is consistent with the narrow definition of corporate governance in that it has a bias towards shareholders over other stakeholders in the corporation 2. This bias is justified on the premise that in most instances, other stakeholders have recourse to protect their interests through contractual agreement, whereas the shareholder remains unprotected as corporate decisions and activities cannot be predicted in advance 3. Since the shareholders carry the risk of the investment decisions made by the corporation, it is argued they should have the primary say in corporate governance. The justification for this ideology is that the primary function of a corporation is the creation of wealth 4. Permitting corporations to focus on profit maximizations as their primary function ensures that businesses create economic growth as oppose to dealing with social considerations which distract them from this objective. It has been argued that directors are not sufficiently experienced in balancing social interests with economic ones and as a result to require them to do so would result in an inefficient system, which would not promote the economic welfare of the market. The Anglo American model starkly contrasts to the stakeholder-oriented approach which is commonly associated with European countries such as Germany and France 5. Under this model, corporations must not only take into account the interest of shareholders but also those of a wide range of constituencies, as well as of the communities within which they operate 6. This helps to assure that corporations operate for the benefit of society as a whole and not solely in the interests of its shareholders. Such a system places less emphasis on the interests of shareholders for the benefit of the wider community 7. There are several characteristics which distinguish the Anglo American model from the stakeholder-oriented approach. Those unique to the Anglo American model are discussed below. Responsibility for Corporation Management The effective functioning of a corporation is dependent on the interrelationship and interaction of its various institutions 1. These institutions consist of the board of directors, the executive management and shareholders 2. The shareholders of the corporation are the owners who have financially invested in the corporation and the board of directors, as well as executive management, are responsible for the operation of the corporation 3 . The Anglo American models primary focus is on maximising profits for the benefit of its shareholders 4. This model does not facilitate input into the corporations affairs by other parties nor does it permit the managers of the corporation to prioritize issues, such as employees or the environment, unless they are compatible with the profitability of the corporation 5. The executive management is charged with the responsibility of operating the company with the view to maximising shareholder profit. The essential role of the management team, who is lead by the corporations Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is to perform the day-to day operations of the corporation 5555. The CEO plays a critical role in administering the companys affairs. The CEO chooses the management team and, from a practical perspective, has the final say in many issues relating to the corporation despite the provisions of many corporate statutes and procedures. The Board exists primarily to be an effective corporate governance mechanism for hiring, firing, monitoring and compensating management 6666. The Board, by legislation and corporate by-laws, are delegated a wide variety of responsibilities which enable them to set the companys main objectives and monitor their application by the executive management. The Board of Directors is therefore the main organ of the company and acts as agents for its owners by supervising the actions of the managers. There are two popular forms of boards of directors namely, the unitary (one-tier) and dual (two-tier) boards 6. The Anglo American model favours the unitary board 7. Under this system of management, the number of directors is usually set in the corporations by-laws and they are elected by the shareholders at the AGM for a set period of time, normally a one year term 8. The Board consists of executive directors (EDs), who are considered employees of the corporation, and non-executive directors (NEDs), who tend to be professionals or experts that are independent of the corporation 9. While an EDs sole responsibility is to increase profits for the shareholders, there is a potential risk that their interests may conflict with those of the corporation 10. The function of NEDs is to strike a balance between the interest of the shareholders and EDs 11. As independent third parties, they should have no conflict of interest and are therefore equipped to monitor the performance of the EDs impa rtially to the benefit of the shareholders should EDs try to deviate from their principal objective. The success of the Anglo American model is dependent on the extent to which the Board can effectively supervise the actions of the executive management 12. While legislation and regulations seek to ensure a balance between the two entities, in practice the executive management is by far more powerful than the Board 13. The nature of publicly held companies is that the executive management has a great deal of flexibility in determining how they discharge their responsibilities in attaining the objectives of the corporation 14. To encourage them to do so, they are more often than not enticed with substantial compensation packages with performance based remuneration. It has been argued that such compensation packages encourage the executive management to concentrate on short term results as oppose to the companys overall or long-term interests 15. This problem is further compounded by the dominant role the CEO plays in the relationship between the executive management and the Board. Whi le in board meetings the Board is technically supervising the CEO and his management team, the former have a large degree of control over the meetings. The CEO sets the agenda for board meetings and decides what information is to be provided to other directors. With this sort of control, it is very easy for the CEO to limit the powers of the Board 16. However, over the past few years, the dominance of the CEO has been challenged not only by the increasing influence of the board of directors 17,but also by legislation. A clear example of this can be seen from the requirement for the CEO to certify personally in quarterly and annual SEC reports that as far as they know these contain no untrue statements or omissions of material facts which might mislead shareholders and that the firms financial condition and results have been fairly presented 18. The Rights of Shareholders The ability of a shareholder to exercise its ownership rights and protect its investment is a key to the Anglo American model of corporate governance. Due to the fact that the focus of the Anglo American system focus is on the interest of shareholders, this model tends to focus on the nature of ownership and the ability of that ownership to protect its investment 0. One of the clear challenges which arise from the separation of ownership and management is to strike the right balance between the rights of the owners with the control of the managers 1. There are several mechanisms which the Anglo American model utilises to deal with this issue 2. These come in the form of rights which are afforded to the shareholders which enable them to monitor and control the managers of the corporation 3. The Anglo American model utilizes an outsider/arms length system of ownership and control, where share ownership is widely dispersed. Most of the largest corporations in the US and UK are quoted on the stock market and offer their shares to the general public 4. This sort of dispersed ownership is a main feature of this type of model. According to one study, less than one-fifth of the Britains publicly traded companies have an owner who controls more than 25% of the shares 5. It has been argued that the reason for this is because the general public in these co mmunities prefer not to own a high percentage of equities in large firms 6. Having said so, even countries who share a similar trend in ownerships are not always identical. For example, one major difference between the US and UK in terms of ownership is the stronger presence of institutional shareholders in the UK 7. This trend towards ownership by institutional shareholders has an impact on the efficiency of the Anglo American model. The institutional shareholder represents a large number of smaller investors and therefore has the clout to effectively monitor and address managerial misconduct 8. In the UK context, it has become conventional wisdom that prompting institutional investors to consider their responsibility as an important corporate constituent is an additional way to improve managerial accountability 9. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case primarily because many institutional shareholders are driven by short term strategies which may not have as their paramount concern the long term welfare of the corporation. As Hutton says, the consequence [of tax arrangements] has been a flood of institutional savings and acute demand for dividends and the foreshortening of investment time horizons 10. In addition, it has been shown that when dissatisfied with the performance of a corporation, many institutional shareholders would prefer to sell their shareholding than to play some sort of supervisory or monitoring role in the corporation 11. Another problem facing institutional shareholders is how to reconcile their roles as shareholders owning shares in many listed companies with their role as investors of funds 12. Given that their primary motivation is to make profit for their investors, they compete fiercely with each other to attract funds in order to ensure a high return on their investments 13. Consequently, when faced with mismanagement it is easier for them to sell than to hold management to account. Further, it has been argued that even when institutional shareholders were willing to intervene in the corporations affairs, there are practical obstacles which make it difficult for them to do so. One of these is what is commonly referred to as the motivation factor. Proctor and Miles define it as follows There is a disincentive for single institutional shareholders to expend time, effort and resources correcting what they perceive as bad management if other fellow institutional shareholders do not also support this action. Institutional shareholders have different priorities and agendas at any one time. It may be difficult to pool resources to tackle together what to some institutional shareholders may not be a problem at all. 14 In light of the challenges institutional shareholders face in monitoring management of companies, the Anglo American model can only be successful if there are other mechanisms in place which can be used to protect shareholders 15. The main focus of the Anglo American model is in the protection of shareholders 16. In this respect, both the UK and US system are similar in the way corporate directors and senior managers are held accountable to their shareholders 17. Both systems encourage shareholders to work as monitors over managers and senior executives 18. To facilitate this monitoring process, shareholders have many statutory rights and common law rights. The main right afforded to shareholders that provide them with a means of controlling the management of the company is their statutory right to vote on decisions at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 19 . The AGM is an annual meeting which shareholders are entitled to attend 20. At this meeting, the shareholders are informed about the previous and future activities of the corporation 21. It is an opportunity for them to receive copies of the companys accounts as well as review fiscal information for the past year and ask any questions regarding the directions the business will take in the future 22. In addition, the shareholders are able to elect the Board of Directors 23. This right is designed to operate as a check on the managerial actions of the Board of Directors and executive management. Shareholders are able to participate in discussion regarding the companys welfare and vote on important affairs relating to the company 24. While the right to vote at a corporations AGM may at first glance appears to be an effective means for shareholders to protect their interest, in practical terms this is often not the case. Publicly held companies usually consist of a large number of small owners who own very small fractions of the corporations shares 25. Having a small proportion of the corporate equity means that shareholders have little influence on managerial decisions 26. Furthermore, due to the fact that their shareholding is insignificant, it is unlikely to give them any real power at AGMs where they are suppose to be able to exercise their legal rights. As a result, many shareholders are not incentivised to attend AGMs. For this reason, the Anglo American model has additional mechanisms which are designed to enhance the control of the managers by shareholders. Most, if not all, of these legal and organisational safeguards have been devised in response to abuses of corporate power by managers who fail to put t he interests of shareholders first. These mechanisms are intended to encourage minority shareholders to be active in protecting their rights and holding directors accountable for actions 27. The three main mechanisms which will be discussed below are cumulate voting, appraisal rights and shareholders derivative action 28. Cumulative voting is a process by which minority shareholders are permitted to cast all their votes in the election of directors for a single candidate 29. Through this process, the power of the minority is strengthened because they are able to pool their votes together and secure a member of the Board who they feel confident will look after their interests in the corporation 30. Shareholders are also given the right to seek appraisal of their shares in certain fundamental transactions for example where a merger takes place. In these circumstances, a shareholder can seek a court valuation of their shares based upon fair value and be paid in cash 31. This right to sell ones shares can be seen as a protective measure for shareholders, because it encourages directors to seek the highest price in such transactions so as to avoid several shareholders exercising this right 32. Having said so, there are some disadvantages to this right. In most cases the methods of valuation are conservative and therefore shareholders do not necessarily benefit in real terms. The process is time consuming and payments need not be made until the process is complete. Attorneys and experts fees can be high and interest is not assured. Of all of these rights, the derivative suit against directors is probably the strongest tool which can be used by shareholders, particularly minority shareholders. A derivative suit is a claim brought by a shareholder on behalf of the corporation against parties allegedly causing harm to the corporation 33 . This right strengthens the position of shareholders, in particular minority shareholders. As a common law country where case law principles are well developed and where shareholders are said to be better protected, judicial intervention is believed to be an essential element of good corporate governance. A derivative action would not be effective unless the management of a corporation has a duty to its shareholders. The board of directors is a critical part of the corporation and as a result must be held to account to the corporations owners if good corporate governance is to prevail. In the UK, directors are subject to common law fiduciary duties and case law still plays a central role in holding managers and board of directors accountable to the corporation as a separate legal entity. Seeing the relationship between the directors and shareholders as one of agency implies that directors should be elected by shareholders and can be dismissed by them at the AGM. The focus therefore is clearly on ensuring that those who manage the corporation are always acting in the best interest of the corporations shareholders. The lean of the Anglo American system to protect the interests of shareholders is most evident when looking at the manner in which it deals with takeovers and acquisitions of corporations. In instances where there is a takeover bid, shareholders need to be given an opportunity to decide on the merits of a takeover so as to ensure that shareholders of the same class are afforded equivalent treatment by an offeror and thus are being treated fairly. The Anglo American model therefore provides a degree of protection to shareholders in instances where a corporation is subject to a takeover bid. For example, in the UK, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers 7777 (the City Code) ensures that shareholders are treated fairly and are not denied an opportunity to protect their interest 8888. The City Code essentially essentially all defensive actions when a takeover bid is pending or when the target has reason to believe that a bona fide offer might be imminent 9999. Once a bid is made, any defensive action requires shareholder approval. This means management of the corporation cannot supersede the interests of its shareholder, who so ever it shall be. UK case law emphasises that the fundamental decision on takeovers belongs to shareholders, not incumbent managers and generally holds that management actions which go against shareholders rights are not pursuant to a proper purpose and therefore fall outside the scope of the delegated management authority afforded by the common law. Disclosure and Transparency Disclosure and transparency are important in managing the relationship between shareholders on the one hand and the executive management on the other. Shareholders have a right to make decisions in relation to the corporation based on information that is accurate and correct 1. This is the only way they can be sure that the corporation is being managed properly. Financial reporting frauds have attracted high-profile attention recently provoked by widespread irregularities at large corporations 2. It is managements responsibility to prevent such problems before they begin 31. To do so, it is necessary to establish a control environment designed to identify and immediately stamp out any fraudulent reporting that does occur 32. One of the tools which is used to protect shareholders interests in this respect is the audit committee 3. An audit committee is an operating committee of the Board of Directors charged with oversight of financial reporting and disclosure 4 . Committee members are drawn from members of the companys board of directors, with a Chairperson selected from among the committee members 33. To be effective, the committee must be composed of independent outside directors with at least one qualifying as a financial expert 34. The audit committee plays an important role as a board subcommittee. The Smith Report 5 explains its role as follows: While all directors have a duty to act in the interests of the company, the audit committee has a particular role, acting independently from the executive, to ensure that the interests of shareholders are properly protected in relation to financial reporting and internal control. An analysis of the corporate governance codes of twenty European countries by Collier and Zaman (2005) 6 showed that their codes assign a set of functions which should be fulfilled by an audit committee as follows: a) oversight of external audit; b) oversight of internal audit; c) involvement in external auditor selection or dismissal; d) oversight of risk and internal control reporting by the board; and e) oversight of financial reporting quality. In carrying out these functions, the committee operates as a liaison between the Board, external auditors, internal auditors, the finance director and the operating 7 . They are for all intents and purposes the final safeguard in ensuring the financial statements of the corporation which are released to shareholders and other stakeholders are accurate. The Board often relies on the audit committee to notice and question any unusual business practices, aggressive accounting methods or violations of the companys code of business conduct. But at many companies audit committee members may not have the expertise in matters of internal control 8. In addition, some people serving on audit committees have very little accounting or financial experience 9. Accordingly, audit committee members need a reference guide to their responsibilities. That is the function of an audit committee charter 10. A comprehensive charter enhances the effectiveness of the audit committee, serving as a road map fo r committee members 11. A well-thought-out charter also should describe the committees composition and specify access to appropriate resources. OECD PRINCIPLES Good corporate governance is key to the integrity of corporations, financial institutions and markets 1. They also play an important role in promoting the health and stability of a states economy. Many international organizations have come to understand the importance of good corporate governance including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2. To this end, the OECD established the first set of internationally acceptable standards of corporate governance, known as the OECD Principles, which have become a reference point used by both developed and developing countries not only for self-assessment but also for issuing and developing codes of best practice 3. The OECD work in corporate governance is centered on promoting the implementation of these principles throughout the world. They are arguably one of the most substantial efforts made to highlight the importance which should be given to corporate governance. The OECD Principles were first released in 1999 and revised in 2004 4. It sets out the key standards of corporate governance which are required for international financial stability. The Principles are intended to assist governments to evaluate and improve the legal, institutional and regulatory framework for corporate governance in their own countries 5. The Principles primarily focus on publicly traded companies, but provide a good guideline for other forms of corporations. The main principles of the OECD Principles 6are: The corporate governance framework should promote transparent and efficient markets, be consistent with the rule of law and clearly articulate the division of responsibilities among different supervisory, regulatory and enforcement authorities. The corporate governance framework should protect and facilitate the exercise of shareholders rights. The corporate governance framework should ensure the equitable treatment of all shareholders, including minority and foreign shareholders. All shareholders should have the opportunity to obtain effective redress for violation of their rights. The corporate governance framework should recognise the rights of stakeholders established by law or through mutual agreements and encourage active co-operation between corporations and stakeholders in creating wealth, jobs, and the sustainability of financially sound enterprises. The corporate governance framework should ensure that timely and accurate disclosure is made on all material matters regarding the corporation, including the financial situation, performance, ownership, and governance of the company. The corporate governance framework should ensure the strategic guidance of the company, the effective monitoring of management by the board, and the boards accountability to the company and the shareholders. In addition to the OECD, business-related organizations like the Centre for International Private Enterprise have also considered corporate governance to be important in the promotion of good business practices 7. The Centre has an affiliate located in Egypt which was established to educate, raise the awareness of the importance of establishing suitable corporate governance standards in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 8

Humorous Wedding Roast by a Friend of the Groom Essay -- Wedding Toast

Humorous Wedding Roast by a Friend of the Groom Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen – I'd like to start by saying that what a genuine honor it is to be part of Norman's wedding. I appreciate that I am just one of many equally suitable close friends that he could well have chosen. But I know he looks upon me as the older brother he never had, and I look on him as the younger brother I never wanted. So here I stand with this great opportunity to reveal to all, Norman’s past misdemeanors. So I could trot out the usual stories; like when he woke up in a football field wearing a red thong and swimming goggles. But instead, I’ve decided to use this time to talk of Norman’s achievements, so you needn’t worry, we’re almost at the end of the speech. Without doubt his greatest achievement is marrying Janet, who looks absolutely stunning today. You’ve done extremely well Norman, you’ve f...

Weight Watchers Swot Analysis

Strengths * Brand Recognition * Patented Points Program * Science Based Approach/Clinically Proven Results * Multiple Support Options * History of successful Weight Loss * Multiple Payment Options * Flexible Meal Plans * Face to Face Support Groups * Located in 30 Countries and on the Web| Weaknesses * Slow Weight Loss * Costly over time * Successful weight loss is not typical| Opportunities * Science Driven approach can be a Medical Model * Affiliation with the Department of Education * Affiliations with Fitness Centers * Meeting the growing weight loss needs around the world| Threats * Strong Competition * Competitors new products and innovation * Surgical Procedures offering quick weight loss| Weight Watchers International is a Weight Loss Business that utilizes the philosophy of a Science-driven approach to help participants, also known as members, lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support.They target consumers who want to manage their weight through weight loss or weight maintenance. Their vision is to ensure Member satisfaction and retention by making Members feel cared for, well informed, part of the group and motivated to succeed. Weight Watchers has been around for 50 years and has developed their brand of providing weight loss services and products that make them a leading weight management service globally. The patented points program is based on a formula calculating the protein, carbohydrates, fat and dietary fiber content developed with consultation from a Scientific Advisory board. Each food is assigned a points value that reflects how the body breaks down food and converts it into energy.This Board is made up of world renowned medical experts to ensure that its weight loss plan is based on the most current scientific expertise. (Weight Watchers International) The Good Health Guidelines utilized by Weight Watchers are also recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture Center fo r Nutrition Policy and Promotion. (USDA) Weight Watchers offers a variety of support options to members who attend weekly meetings which are located in 30 countries around the world, weigh and go at store locations, attend meetings in their place of employment (At Work Meetings), or utilize the internet to participate in Weight Watcher’s services. Members are encouraged to share their struggles and successes.Struggles and successes are employed to motivate other members to achieve their weight loss goals by following the program and obtaining the proprietary tools offered for purchase. Members who reach their goal and maintain it for six weeks become Lifetime Members. Lifetime members maintain their membership by continuing to participate on a monthly basis. These members are free advertisements who attest to the success of the program. The meal plans are simple and the Points Plus system is very flexible. Each member receives a Daily Point Target (DPT) based on their height, weight, gender and age. The DPT represents the amount of food that each person should eat in a day.Foods that are low in fat and sugar tend to have lower point values and provide more volume to a meal or snack than less healthy options. Required foods are non-specific so the member is permitted to choose how they will consume required foods such as diary, healthy oil, and whole grains. All foods and drinks are permitted as long as the point value is calculated and accounted for when deducted from the DPT. Many members succeed in their weight loss efforts but not all members are successful. One of the biggest complaints of the program is that it offers slow weight loss. Our culture is one that appreciates immediate gratification. (The Associated Press, 2006) The competition offers much quicker weight loss methods.The success obtained by Lifetime members who worked for weeks, months and years to accomplish their goals is not nearly as appealing to the average consumer who is inundate d with quick fix fad diets. (Speri) Weight Watchers offers a lifestyle change that reduces food intake. It is not designed as a quick fix but instead is one that promotes healthy lifestyle changes that gradually accomplish weight loss. The consumer’s cost for Weight Watchers is very low compared to other weight loss programs or at least it appears so up front. (Sugar) There are no meals, shakes, supplements or bars that are required to be purchased in order to participate in the program. The food that you eat on plan is very much the same food that one could purchase in any grocery store or restaurant.There are multiple periods of free registration throughout each year and the weekly fee is nominal at approximately $13. 00 per week. The problem with this is that there are many hidden costs at Weight Watchers. The proprietary point system is unlike any other weight loss system. Successful members utilize food scales and measuring cups to weigh and measure their food, pedometer s and activity monitors to measure a person’s activity level, cookbooks, calculators and more. These products can all be purchased at lower prices from many convenience stores but they do not convert their information into point values the way that the Weight Watcher products do so many members purchase expensive Weight Watchers products to assist them with their weight loss journey.Additionally, the gradual weight loss concept requires members to attend for longer periods of time before they are able to reach a free Lifetime status. Lifetime members remain free if the member maintains their weight at no more than two pounds above their goal weight. Most people’s weight fluctuates regularly and fees are charged no matter what the reason for the weight gain. Weight Watchers has many opportunities to join with the medical profession to promote its science based plan. The Scientific Advisory Board that is hired to consult with Weight Watchers is made of Medical Profession als and the weight loss method is one that is promoted by most medical doctors even if they do not promote the Weight Watcher’s brand. USDA) The United States alone has determined that Obesity in America is common, serious and costly. (Fox News Latino) Weight Watchers has promoted a medical model for many years. An affiliation with the medical community would surely add value to the weight management scientifically based model that is currently promoted at Weight Watchers. The United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, has brought additional light to the obesity epidemic and the need for American’s to manage their diets. Her â€Å"Let’s Move† initiative has gained the attention of the entire country. Weight Watchers is a healthy living model that combines healthy foods with more activity.Teaming up with fitness centers, exercise centers and schools will accomplish more together than the weight loss community or the physical fitness community can do on its own. A true healthy lifestyle includes eating right and moving more. (Grain Foods Foundation) Our quick fix society is one that shows little patience for counting calories or points utilized by slower burning weight loss programs. The competition has now gone beyond that which offers diets where certain foods are limited or forbidden, and some are replacing them with pre-cooked meals that are very high in sodium. These programs, including NutriSystem, do not promote weight maintenance following the program but they do promote mindless weight loss.Those who follow this program do not need to think about what to eat or how to prepare it as all of the meals and shakes are prepared, frozen and shipped to the dieter’s home. (â€Å"NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home†) Many diet programs eliminate foods and replace them with supplements. The Atkins diet, for example, restricts the dieter’s ability to consume carbohydrates. This mean s that all sugars including fruits and vegetables are minimized or omitted from one’s diet. It is not in line with a medical model approach for healthy weight loss but it does promote quick weight loss. Unfortunately, this does pose a threat to Weight Watchers as the weight loss experience in such a plan does satisfy the quick fix needs of those who opt for these types of plans. Frazier) In an attempt to make weight loss quicker and easier, the medical profession has taken to providing surgical procedures that reduce the size of the stomach by removing part of the small intestine. This procedure is very risky to one’s health and has a tremendous amount of medical complications associated with it. It is however, one that does not require that a person who has had the surgery to persevere delayed gratification and behavioral changes that are required when one loses weight following a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers. (Staff) For many consumers, quick weight lo ss is far more appealing despite the potential negative consequences. References The Associated Press. (2006, May 28). Poll: Americans like instant gratification. USA Today. Fox News Latino. (2012, September 18).Obesity in America: Can it Get Much Wors? Yes, Advocacy Group Says. http: //latino. foxnews. com/latino/health Frazier, K. (2011, June 14). How much weight can I lose in a Month on Atkins? Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com Grain Foods Foundation. (2012, May 15). The Key to a Healthy Body: Eating Right & Moving More. Retrieved from http://www. sixservings. org NutriSystem: Lose weight with meals conveniently delivered to your home. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. dietsinreview. com/diets/Nutrisystem Speri, M. (n. d. ). Why Slow Weight Loss Wins. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatchers. com/util/art/index_art. aspx Staff, H. (2011, April 6).Weight Loss Surgery Health Center: Rux-En-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/diet/weight-loss-surgery Sugar, J. (2011, August 29). How Much One Month of WEight Loss Costs. Retrieved from http://www. fitsugar. com/Weight-Loss-Program-Cost-Comparison USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm USDA. (2013, March 7). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www. cnpp. usda. gov/dietaryguidelines. htm Weight Watchers International. (n. d. ). History and Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www. weightwatfchers. com/about/his/board. aspx

Kant’s Categorical Imperative: Suicide Essay

There are over thirty-thousand suicides a year in the United States alone. Whether or not suicide is acceptable is a moral issue. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative can be applied to this moral issue. Kant strongly disagreed with suicide, because it was not a morally responsible decision; I will give a summary of the Categorical imperative, and use this information to develop an argument that Kant or a Kantian would use to argue against suicide. Kant’s Categorical imperative argued that an action or rule is moral if it is universally good. If everyone sees an action as good and can perform the action than it is moral. The categorical imperative applies to all rational beings regardless of one’s personal motives and desires. Kant believed that we those actions that if you would want an action performed on you than it are moral. â€Å"Act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law (309). † Based on the categorical imperative, Suicide is immoral because it is our purpose to acquire happiness. If we all committed suicide as we pleased, then we would seize to exist, which is unethical. Because suicide prevents us being happy, it is not morally permissible under Kant’s categorical imperative. Humans should be thought of as a means not an ends. If we committed suicide than we are not achieving our potential to be happy, which is unmoral. To Kant suicide was â€Å"in no circumstance permissible. † Kant believed that any man, who would survive a suicide attempt, had now discarded his humanity and was lower than a beast. Suicide degrades our humanity, because it takes away our basic purpose. One could argue that Kant biased to a religious view of suicide being immoral. Kant believes that our lives belong to God and are not ours to end. It is also questionable to categorize our lives as a thing, and debase his humanity over a decision that they have made. Suicide is immoral because it does not bring happiness, and is not universally acceptable. Because we can no longer make moral decisions Kant argues that suicide is not morally acceptable. Kant states that â€Å"It cannot be moral to root out the existence of morality in the world. † Suicide prevents you from performing anymore acts of morality. According to the Categorical imperative, if we can perform a good deed we should, regardless of whether there is anything to be gained. We are bound by a set of universal laws that all should follow unconditionally. We should not commit suicide because; we have an obligation to perform good deeds in the world. Our purpose as humans is to perform good actions in the world, but we cannot do this if we are dead. Committing suicide prevents us from performing actions and is an irrational decision to make, which violates the Categorical Imperative. If one wants to commit suicide they should think of all of the actions that they would no longer be able to perform in death. One should strive to perform moral actions in life and to continue living as long as possible. We are each unique, and have actions that only we can complete. Works Cited Cahn, Steven M. , and Peter J. Markie. Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.