Zulu Clan Essays - Zulu People, Shaka, Mfecane, Zulu Language

Zulu Clan In the 1820's, during a period of social unrest and warfare, the Zulu clan, a Bantu people, rose to political prominence under the great King Shaka in present-day South Africa. This period is called mfecane, or crushing because it was characterized by Shaka's tyrannous reign during which he conquered neighboring peoples and established a kingdom for the Zulu people on South Africa's eastern coast. The word zulu was used in 1824 to refer to a war-like race of South African Blacks. (Ngubane, 1977) The British characterization of Shaka as a monster, however, is now seen as a propagandist attempt to disguise their own interests in procuring land and labor in the region. In fact, much of the violent disruption and displacement of people was probably due to European intervention with the slave trade and their demands for land, cattle. Nonetheless, Shaka is called by many the Black Napoleon because of his short-lived, but impressive, period of glory. This period of greatness came to an end with the eventual defeat of King Shaka and the annexation of the Zulu kingdom to Natal, the British state on the eastern coast. (Ngubane, 1977) The Zulu people are now enmeshed in South Africa's modern, industrial economy and society, with the largest population of them still in the region of KwaZulu Natal on the eastern coast. There has been an adaptation of traditional beliefs to allow for Christian, medical, agricultural, mechanical and other rational, scientific approaches of the Europeans. However, despite the cultural diffusion of Western thought and religion among the Zulu people, traditional thinking, according to Berglund (1976), is not only still very much present in Zulu society, but is receiving more and more attention especially by those who live in rural areas. Perhaps the survival of indigenous belief systems is due in part to the fact that in times of crisis, people turn to tradition as a comfort and as a means of unifying themselves. Considering the social trauma associated with colonialism and apartheid the Zulu responded by clinging more tenaciously to their heritage as a means of psychological survival in a society which systematically degraded and disrespected them as a people. Berglund (1976) points out that it is the rituals and symbols of a society which express the relationships between members of that society and makes living in that society a meaningful experience. The focus of this paper will be centered on traditional Zulu spiritual beliefs and, to whatever extent possible, not those adapted to Western thought. In providing first the basic cosmological beliefs and then moving on to the central theme of traditional spiritual beliefs involving deceased ancestors and their role in Zulu society, my goal will be to demonstrate how social harmony is maintained as a result of the observance of these spiritual beliefs and practices. According to traditional belief, uMveliqangi, the Lord of the Sky, emerged full-blown from the reeds in the realm of the sky. Man later emerged from the reeds and was let down to earth through a hole in the floor of the sky. This explains the origin of the Zulu clan name, zulu meaning of the sky. The Lord of the Sky then sent a chameleon down to earth to tell the people that they will not die. Later on, he sent a lizard to tell the people they will die and, since the chameleon had stopped to feed on some berries along the way, the lizard easily overtook him and delivered his message of death first. When the chameleon later arrived, the people wouldn't believe him and thus, humans are mortal. (Ngubane, 1977) The traditional concept of the sky is interesting, according to myth the sky is a big blue rock stretched across the surface of the earth (which is flat). The earth is held up on the horns of four great bulls who at times, cause earthquakes by shaking their heads. The realm of the sky is believed to have perpetual light which filters through the floor of the sky at night (we see these holes of light as stars). These holes are made by the Lord of the Sky's cattle as they tramp on muddy ground during the rainy season. This is regarded as proof

How to Stand Out in Any Job Interview- TheJobNetwork

How to Stand Out in Any Job Interview- TheJobNetwork In today’s world, competition for jobs is as fierce as it has ever been. The average employer  interviews multiple people for a job. Even after you’ve made it to the second round or third round of interviews, it’s extremely likely that you’re still competing against 2-3 other people for this job. With that being said, it’s important to stand out in your job interview. Of course, that’s easier said than done. The infographic below will help you figure out how to succeed in  any job interview so that regardless of competition, you’ll be able to impress future employers and increase your chances of landing the job.Source: [InterviewSuccessFormula]

Inventory Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Inventory Management - Assignment Example ntory management software company and still maintains this as strongest value proposition in its portfolio; yet over time, the company is now able to offer complete end-to-end supply chain solutions through acquisitions and mergers. The company’s most popular and successful product for inventory management is the updated version of inventory management software, which had been its initial product. The inventory management techniques of both companies have been critically analyzed to answer the below mentioned questions. RGIS generally manages a whole range of products ranging from retail to healthcare. It provides clients with technological edge over the competitors, thereby simultaneously reducing the cycle time and stock outs and maintaining a healthy average inventory. The company holds a number of patents in the area of perpetual inventory and specialized software for physical as well as online counting of inventory. RGIS manages inventory of clients through its revolutionary smart warehousing concept through which company utilizes tracking software so as to maintain count of the inventory in warehouses and in transportation throughout the world (RGIS, 2014a). The inventory positioning can be specifically pointed through RFID tags, which are attached to each consignment in transit as well as in-house inventory present in warehouses. Hence, the company provides complete visibility of the entire supply chain to clients. On the other hand, JDA Software offers clients the software, which helps to m anage entire supply chain. The company has been able to formulate innovative inventory management services like, inventory planning and scenario planning. JDA Software helps clients to manage inventory by producing relevant inventory through master production schedules, current inventory levels and materials requirement planning integration. It also uses scenario analysis to enable customers to predict appropriate inventory levels in current market scenarios. Thus, the

International HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

International HRM - Essay Example So, this paper will discuss how an MNC of American origin have to focus on HRM practices particularly transfer HRM practices, when it decides to open a subsidiary in India. As the American company wants to have a diverse workforce in its subsidiary, its HRM practices will be oriented in that direction. The methodology used in this report will be based on external sources, because of the fictional nature of the case, which could also act as limitations. But, after analyzing all the cultural aspects and the management style, it becomes clear that there is a positive case for opening a subsidiary and running it successfully, by adopting certain steps. In an organization, the workers only form the crucial ‘cog’ in the running of the organization. And, only if these crucial workers are recruited or staffed optimally through an effective staffing process and Human Resource Management, the organization can achieve optimum success. In the case of running an enterprise or organization, the staffing function is a continuous process, and so the leader or the manager particularly the Human Resource Manager should perform the staffing function at all times. It is necessary that the management must ensure a constant availability of sufficient number of efficient employees from managers, executives, technical persons to labourers, for the efficient functioning of the enterprise. Overall, the selected personnel should be physically, mentally, emotionally and temperamentally fit for the job. This can be achieved by adopting or by having an optimal staffing process. According to Koontz and O’Donnell, â€Å"The managerial fu nction of staffing involves managing the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure†. This optimal staffing process and the resultant optimal performance of the organization will differ according to the nature or the type of the

Why People Should be Concern about Global Warming Effects Essay

Why People Should be Concern about Global Warming Effects - Essay Example Among the environmental issues today is Global Warming. This is the effect of releasing too much Carbon Dioxide to the air. This compound will break up the bonds of the layer of compound that protects our atmosphere from UV rays and too much heat of the sun. When there is a lot of Carbon Dioxide in the air, it will thin up the ozone layer that protects all inhabitants in the earth. The ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere serves as protection from the sun's heat and radiation. Without this layer of gasses, Sun's heat penetrates much and it will be impossible for life to exist. There are a lot that causes of global warming. One of the causes of this environmental issue is the gasses released by power plants. This is the cause of more than a third of U. S. Carbon Dioxide emission (Public Interests Research, 2001). Another cause also is from the trucks and vehicles gasses. It has been known that a third of U. S. CO2 emission is due to these vehicles. Among the other causes are CFC's from aerosols and refrigerators, burning of fossil fuel, and burning of plastic (Save the Environment p.2). Big plants and companies around the world has been spending million or even billion of dollars just to get away about this issue. They had spent a lot just to discredit those scientific researches that prove that they cause harmful effects not just on human's health but to our environment directly. Some of these power coalitions are powerful and known oil, power, and auto companies who followed the lead of tobacco companies. Not only are those companies that contributed this present issue of global warming. Aside from those we are to blame also our trucks and vehicles for contributing for this problem. CFC or Chlorofluorocarbon that are present in aerosol spray, air-conditioning unit and refrigerators is one of the major causes of global warming. Almost residences in earth do have refrigerators; we use refrigerators to avoid spoilage of our food or food preservations. Air-conditioning unit is known also to offices and other establishments for cooling the surrounding. Aerosols are rampantly used for hair spray, air freshener and even spray paints (Webster Encyclopedia, p. 28). Another major cause of global warming is burning of fossil fuels. The gasses produced of this burning can largely cause global warming and may even leads to greenhouse effects. Burning fossil fuels somehow can't be avoided since a lot of us are dependent in this kind of energy or power source. This will cause the heating up of the earth's surface because these gasses accumulate to the upper atmosphere. Solar radiation can then passes through and reach the earth but heat is prevented from radiating back. This will then cause to the increase of Earth's atmospheric temperature. Plastic burning or incineration is even not excused on the problem of global warming. The burning of this synthesized material can also contribute to the said issue. Since plastics are inorganic materials and therefore do not decay (Webster Encyclopedia p. 654) there a lot of us burn it to dispose. Some do these because even if you burry or put plastics in compose pits, it never decay and disintegrate. As we look at our lifestyle today people love to use those trendy plastic bags and forgot the effect it may give to our

The Proof Of Gods Existence

The Proof Of Gods Existence When non-Christians and anti-Christians ask that God does not exist and Bible is merely a book, how do Christians answer to them and what should Christians say? Christians are in difficulties to explain God, Bible, and salvation to secular people, because belief of Christians is based on the Holy Bible, which seculars do not believe in, and because Christians do not like explain these thing through secular ways, such as science and philosophy. At this point, there is big gap between Christians and non- and anti-Christians.  [1]  Christians want to explain their belief from, in, and through the Bible, but secular people do not want to listen to the Bible. Christians do not want to cover their belief with secular techniques, but secular people pay attention to explain these through secular methods. For example, according to Kingdom Triangle by J.P. Moreland, scientific naturalism has challenged Christianity and religious belief with four arguments. These arguments are that 1) religious belief is not scientific, 2) religious belief is unprovable, 3) religious belief is unsupported by evidence, and 4) religious belief is superfluous.  [2]  Furthermore, according to the Ethics of Belief written by a nineteenth-century mathematician named W.K. Clifford. He said, Anyone who accepts a religious belief is guilty of acting immorally, irresponsibly, and irrationally.  [3]  According to Faith beyond Reason by C. Stephen Evans, he explains the circumstance of thoughts about faith. There is probably no word in the English language that is more complex and is used in more different senses than the word faith. Religious faith is a concept that both friends and opponents of religion often misunderstand. Thus, the free-thinking critic of religion alleges that religious belief is not backed up by evidence, but is held solely by faith. The critic may mean by this simply that such beliefs have no support at all, but are something like a personal choice made for no good reasons. Embattled religious believers who have no answer for the septic may embrace the same impoverished view of faith, thus relieving themselves of any need to think about their beliefs.  [4]   Do Christians have any solution of this gap of thoughts between Christians and non- and anti-Christians? Do Christians must wait until one day that secular people become Christians by receiving the supernatural grace from God? Christians know the answer is no. Christians must answer the question whether God exist or not, by something that secular people want. Some theologians tried to make a bridge between them by using the philosophical methods. Some hated to be explained their theology and the God by philosophy. Some put theology onto philosophy, and they opened a little gate of mind. Obviously, Christians will find some solution from the synthesis of Thomas philosophy and theology in his achievements.  [5]   Relation between Philosophy and Theology in the history Many theologians tried to systematize the relationship between theology and philosophy, and the relationship is characterized into four forms. The first form is that faith is superior to reason, the second is that reason is superior to faith, the third is to pursuit harmony between faith and reason, and the forth is to assert disconnection between them . These four figures have been represented peoples worldview in the history. Faith Priority People who suggested faith priority opposed the reason of people, and only use the Bible, revelation, and faith. The reason why the people conflicted to the reason is that there are big risks of using reason to theological foundation and faith. They believed philosophy itself has fault and error, and there is the limitation of philosophy. These people believed that if theologians use the reason having error to explain revelation, revelation could not be revelation, and revelation would be damaged its characters. For instance, even though Aristotle maintained the first mover, and he accepted polytheism, he did not believe in the Creator God. The theologians who asserted faith priority were Tertullian. What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? This question of the relation between reason, here represented by Athens, and faith, represented by Jerusalem, was posed by the church father Tertullian (c.160-230 CE), and it remains a central preoccupation among contemporary philosophers of religion.  [6]   Tertullian, the early Church Father, considered the thoughts of philosophy as the source of heresy. He wrote in the book concerning the death and resurrection of Christ: It is by all means to be believed; because it is absurdà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the fact is certain because it is impossible,  [7]   Reason Priority The reason priority is the idea that the humans reason could discover all truth, and everything is measured by the reason. A theologian Sieger von Brabant asserted that the philosophy of Aristotle is the best result of the wisdom of human.  [8]  Revelation must be explained by Aristotles philosophy, and his philosophy must be the measure of revelation. People could understand the Word of God by theological ways, but theological ways is not always clear to people. Therefore, Aristotles philosophy is the real truth, and theology must be reorganized by the philosophy. Peoples mind could be clean by philosophy. Famous rationalists, Rene Descartes, Benedict Spinoza, and Immanuel Kant, believed that everything could be explained by reason, and people have ability to measure religion. Immanuel Kant succinctly summed up the reason only movement with the title of his book, Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone.  [9]   Disconnection Nominalism at 14-15 century is the idea that there is any connection between faith and reason. A nominalist, William Ockham, improved the theory of knowledge. Ockham believed that people could talk about god if there are resemblance between God and human, but because there are no similarity between god and people, Ockham disagreed epistemology of revelation. Therefore, God is shown only through revelation, so, reason is almost nothing. Some evaluate Ockham: Ockham is not a radical intellectual separatist who disdains natural reason or regards with suspicion any Christian thinker who wishes to study the works of non-Christian philosophers with the same intensity as the books of Sacred Scripture. In fact, anyone familiar with Ockhams thought knows that he has immense respect for Aristotle and that his theology is marked by (what he believes to be) Aristotelian positions on a wide range of issues in ontology and philosophical semanticsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Ockhams is an irenic separatism that rejects the prototypically Catholic intellectual project of unifying classical philosophy and the Christian faith in such a way as to exhibit the latter as the perfection of the former, and yet that stops short of disdaining the light of natural reason in the manner of radical intellectual separatismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ockham will always be viewed as something of an outsider both by the radical separatist, who is bent on isolating faith and reason completely f rom one another, and by the mainstream Catholic thinker, who seeks a genuine synthesis of faith and reason.  [10]   Harmony Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus agree with harmony between faith and reason. The reason is both of them came from One God both faith and reason. It is true that the Bible shows some awareness of the fact that not everyone believes in God. Many people are regarded as worshipping false gods rather than the true God, and it is noted that the fool has said in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 14:1). In Romans 1, Paul explains that there is a natural knowledge of God, which is sufficient to make human beings responsible before God, but that this knowledge can be and has been suppressed. The Bible as a whole seems to assume that people are aware of Gods reality, or at least that they can be aware of God without any special revelation or philosophical argument.  [11]   People thought either reason or faith is better than another. However, Thomas accepts both reason and faith are God-given faculties, and they cannot ultimately be opposed one another. The reason people believe one is better than another is either philosophy has been misused or faith has mistook Gods revelation. The proper sphere of reason is philosophy, in which man seeks to discover the first cause and final purpose of all his manifold experience, and the departmental sciences in which man seeks to discover immediate causes and how they operate in particular fields. The object and aim of philosophy and the sciences is to discover truth. Now St. Thomas believes that God is Truth and the Source of all truth. Hence all mans efforts to aim true knowledge are really directed towards God.  [12]   Thomas Aquinas Background and Thoughts Aristotles Effect Aristotle attempt about god influenced not only the history of philosophy but also the history of Christianity deeply and widely. Aristotle systematized thoughts about god that previous people had, and he especially developed ideas of god based on the idea of a philosopher Parmenides. Many theologians did not have free from the ideas of Aristotle for a long time. For example, Parmenides term, unmoved mover, flowed into the idea of Aristotle, and philosopher Aristotles conception came into the proof of God of theologian Thomas Aquinas.  [13]   I take Thomass relationship to Aristotle to be a complex one, and hardly one of disciple to master. Thomas is surely an admirer of Aristotle and a brilliant commentator on his writings. In particular, he thinks Aristotle more useful for Christian theology than Plato, not least because Aristotle helps him focus on and analyze the concrete particular existing thing, which for him fits well with the Christian ideas of creation and incarnation.  [14]   However, even though Aquinas used the thoughts and terms of Aristotle, Aquinas developed Aristotles things toward Christian things.  [15]  According to Bauerschmidt, Thomas is not an Aristotelian, because his strong interest in Aristotle must be balanced by the fact that he draws upon a wide range of thinkers, including the two very different forms of Neoplatonic Christian theology represented by Augustine and by Dionysius the Arepagite, both of whom are pervasive influences on Thomass writings, because he is willing to change Aristotle both when he conflicts with divine revelation and when Thomas judges him to be philosophically inadequate.  [16]   Aristotle and Aquinas have many similar thoughts on the way that the human person should live. Both of them believe that humans are rational beings. They also believe that because humans are rational they can follow their instincts and live a life of moral goodness. Aquinas however, believed that God was leading human beings to a rational, moral life, while Aristotle believed that being moral was naturally inherent in human beings. Although they had different views as to why human beings should want to live a good life, they both agreed that the one thing that humans should strive for is eudaimonia. Aquinas, being an Aristotelian, agreed with many of the ways in which Aristotle viewed the human person. However, where he diverged was his belief in God. He took the teachings of Aristotle and added God to them so that they would allow for more acceptances from our Christian society.  [17]   Aquinas Harmony Thomas Aquinas was very wise theologian and philosopher in terms of his attempted to use philosophy to explain the God.  [18]  Aquinas believed that everything on the earth came from the one God, so the creatures of God showed people Himself. Aquinas took up a positive attitude to use reason, and pursuit the harmony not only between theology and philosophy, but also between faith and reason. In this perspective, Thomas Aquinas tried to prove the existence of God in his book, Summa Theologiae. However, to Aquinas, theology is always better than philosophy and above it. Aquinas did not think that the proof of the existence of God is proving the existence of the Christians God. Rather Aquinas does this not to prove to the atheist the a God exists but to show that the normal way in which people use the word God is not nonsensicalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [19]   In his achievements, Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles, there is the proof of existence of God by five ways. The arguments are 1) from motion, 2) from the nature of the efficient cause, 3) from possibility and necessity, 4) from the gradation to be found in things, and 5) from the governance of things. Aquinas used some terms and ideas of Aristotle in his argument. Even though Thomas Aquinas and his proof of existence of God were not perfect, his effort to make harmony between reason and faith, his attempt to meet the ideas of philosophers, and his humility to the Christian God must be honored by Christians who are ignoring reason.  [20]   The Five Way and Sources The First way: Motion It is certain, and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion. But whatever moves is moved by something else, for nothing can be moved unless it has a potential for that toward which it is moved; whereas something moves inasmuch as it is actual, since motion is nothing other than the transition of something from potentiality to actuality. But nothing can be moved from potentiality to actuality except by something in a state of actuality.  [21]   Thomas Aquinas was very much aware of the fact that he was using materials form philosophical tradition. People may think that the First Ways remote origin is Platos reduction of all movements to a being or form which is essentially movement.  [22]   However, St. Thomas argument is directly dependent on Aristotles demonstration of the existence of the First unmoved Mover, especially in his book, the Physics.  [23]   Did motion itself ever come into existence, never having been before? And will it in like manner cease to be, so that nothing will move thereafter? Or did it never begin to be and will it never cease to be, so that there always has been and always will be motion, belonging to all things as their deathless and never- failing property and constituting a kind of life for everything that is constituted by nature?  [24]   If a thing is in motion it is, of necessity, being kept in motion by something. If it has not the source of its motion within itself, then it is clear enough that it is being moved by something. If on the other hand its source of motion is in itself, let AB represent something that is in motion, not accidentally by virtue of some part of it being on motion, but primarily and in itselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The series mist therefore come to an end, and there must be a first moved mover.  [25]   The second way: Causality People may say that the second way was prepared by Platos doctrine of the Demiurge that framed the world, and Aquinas seems to ascribe the argument to Aristotle.  [26]   However, the Second way came to be used by several authors, at least in a less formal manner, such as Cicero, Philo, and Avicenna.  [27]   Furthermore, Aristotle could hardly demonstrate of Gods existence, but Aquinas refrains from reading a demonstration of Gods existence in to these lines.  [28]   In the perceptible world we find that there is an order of efficient causes; but we do not find, nor could we find, anything that is the efficient cause of itself, for in that case it would be prior to itself, which is impossible. Now in efficient causes it is not possible to go on to infinity, because in every ordered series of efficient causes the first is the cause of the intermediate cause, and the intermediate is the cause of the ultimate cause, whether there are many intermediate causes or only oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Therefore it is necessary to accept some first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.  [29]   The Third Way: Contingency The third way is taken from possibility and necessity, and goes like this: we find among things those that have the possibility of existing or not existing, since they are found to be generated, and to corrupt, and consequently have the possibility of existing or not existing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Therefore, if at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist; and thus even now nothing would exist-which is obviously false. Therefore one must posit the existence of something that is the necessity of other things. This is what everyone speaks of as God.  [30]   St. Augustine takes up Platonic argument: whatever changes, does not exist of itself but is made by another, and St. John Damascene takes this argument.  [31]   Besides, the non-Christian authors also developed a proof of the existence of God from the mutability of things.  [32]   While, people must conclude that Aquinas used the Third Way in a novel and original way to construct an argument which is his own, because St. Thomas followed the Jewish philosopher quite closely and because he has differences come to light and an essential part.  [33]  . The Forth Way: Properties One finds among things that there are some more and some less good, true, noble, and so forth. But more and less are said of different things insofar as they approach, in their different ways, something that is the maximum, as in the case of a thing being said to be hotter insofar as it most nearly resembles that which is hottestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Therefore there must also be something that is to all beings the cause of their existence, goodness, and every other perfection; and this we call God.  [34]   The ultimate source of the Fourth Way is Plato. There is an outline of the argument in the Symposium, and St. Thomas also uses the argument in a form which goes back to Proclus.  [35]   St. Thomas Aquinas acknowledges this attachment of the argument to Plato. Leo explained, above all Aristotle teaches the unity of being, which to St. Thomas is of paramount importance: the transcendental coalesce in the unity of the concrete thing and do not constitute juxtaposed distinct formal realities.  [36]   Obviously, however, the argument of St. Thomas fundamentally differs from Platos view of participation. The Fifth way: Design The fifth way is based on the guidedness of nature. Goal-directed behavior is observed in all bodies obeying natural laws, even when they lack awareness. Their behavior hardly ever varies and practically always turns out well, showing that they truly tend to goals and do not merely hit them by accident. But nothing lacking awareness can tend to a goal except it be directed by someone with awareness and understanding; the arrow, for example, requires an archer. Everything in nature, therefore, is directed to its goal by someone with understanding, and this we call God.  [37]   The teleological argument, the fifth way, is that proof of Gods existence which is most widely found in religious and philosophical tradition.  [38]   The reason is that it is obvious to man that order does not come from nothing but requires someone who arranges things.  [39]   Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle present the argument in their books, Memorabilia, Timaeus and the Laws, and De philosophia. St. Thomas quotes a text to this effect of St. John Damascenus. Conclusion In summary, St. Thomas Aquinas used philosophical idea and terms to proof of existence of God in his book, Summa Theologiae. Finding the ideas of Aristotle, Plato, and Xenophon in the book of Aquinas is not difficult, because Aquinas acknowledged philosophy and philosophical methods to one of gifts given from God. Therefore, St. Thomas Aquinas is a person who tried to use philosophy to understand revelation. To Aquinas, reason and faith are important to recognize God. However, even though Thomas accepted philosophy, he did not remain the area of philosophy. Thomas developed philosophical thoughts to theological ideas and Christian thoughts. Therefore, St. Thomas Aquinas is n wise person in terms of filling the gap between reason and faith. Thomas uniquely unites the two sides of the debate within the proof, so, in this proof, people find a synthesis of Thomas philosophy and theology.

Police Brutality Essay -- The Growing Epidemic of Police Violence

Policing places men and women in an often dangerous and stressful role, dealing with suspects at every level of criminal offenses. In such situations, an incident may arise that needs to be dealt with decisively. Policing agencies have strict guidelines, categorizing forcible coercion into separate levels of severity. It is when an officer uses a more than acceptable means of coercion that this physical manipulation becomes excessive. Police brutality is arguably the most publicized form of Police misconduct, especially in recent history. There are several points of view to be examined, including the offender’s, the victim’s and the public’s reaction to the incident. It is clear that this is one of the most controversial aspects of policing, concerning the dangers that come along with the delicate balance of power and discretion allowed to a select group and amount of observation required. Any interaction between police and the public could easily turn into a situation leading to violence. A simple traffic stop could turn violent, but the deciding factors are the officer in question and the suspect. Because there is no concrete definition to the amount of force reasonably required to deal with a suspect, it is hard to follow the growth or declinations in police brutality across the country. It seems that the most closely examined and often the most controversial cases of police brutality are those that are accompanied by tape of the incident. The most famous being the Rodney King Assault in which a black motorist, following a high speed chase, was pulled from his vehicle and beaten. The following year, after the four officers in question were acquitted of charges, the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 ensued, though there ... ...y (pp. xi-xiii). New York City: NYU Press. Retrieved April 14, 2009 Lawrence, R. G. (2000). The politics of force: media and the construction of police brutality (pp. 13-15). University of California Press. Retrieved April 14, 2009 Kleg, M. (1993). Hate, Prejudice, and Racism (pp. 13-15). Albany: State University of New York. Retrieved April 14, 2009 Street Battle's at Night [Editorial]. (1919). New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2009 Cohen, H. (1986). Exploiting Police Authority. Criminal Justice Ethics Volume:5 Issue:2 Dated:(Summer-Fall 1986). United States. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Goldstein, H. (1975). Police Corruption – A Perspective on its Nature and Control. United States. Police Foundation Newburn, Tim. (1999). Understanding and Preventing Police Corruption: Lessons From the Literature. Research Development Statistics.

Education in “The Republic” & “Discourse on the Arts and Sciences”

The role and significance of education with regard to political and social institutions is a subject that has interested political philosophers for millennia. In particular, the views of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, as evidenced in The Republic, and of the pre-Romantic philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau in his Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, present a striking juxtaposition of the two extremes of the ongoing philosophical and political debate over the function and value of education. In this paper, I will argue that Rousseau's repudiation of education, while imperfect and offering no remedy to the ills it disparages, is superior inasmuch as it comes closer to the truth of things than does Plato's idealized conceptions. To do so, I will first examine Plato's interpretation of the role of education and its function in shaping the structure of society and government and in producing good citizens. I will then introduce Rousseau's view of education and the negative effects of the civilized culture which it produces, and using this view, will attempt to illustrate the naivete and over-idealization of Plato's notions. Finally, I will attempt to demonstrate that it is Rousseau's view, rather than Plato's, that is ultimately more significant in assessing the actual (vs. idealized) merits (or lack thereof, in Rousseau's case) by which education should be judged with regard to the nurturance of good citizens. For Plato, the question of the role of education arises near the end of Book II (377e), after a discussion of both the necessary and consequent attributes of Socrates' kallipolis or â€Å"Ideal City. Such a city, Socrates argues, will, before long, have need of both a specialization of labor (in order for the greatest level of diversity and luxury of goods to be achieved) and of the establishment of a class of â€Å"Guardians† to protect the city from its envious neighbors and maintain order within its walls (i. e. , to police and govern the city). This, in turn, leads inexorably to the question of what attributes the Ideal City will require of its Guardians, and how best to foster such attributes. The early, childhood education of the Guardians, Socrates argues, is the key. What, then, asks Socrates, should children be taught, and when? This quickly leads to a discussion of censorship. Socrates cites a number of questionable passages from Homer which cannot, he thinks, be allowed in education, since they represent dishonorable behavior and encourage the fear of death. The dramatic form of much of this poetry is also suspect: it puts unworthy words into the mouths of gods & heroes. Socrates suggests that what we would call â€Å"direct quotation† must be strictly limited to morally-elevating speech. Nothing can be permitted that compromises the education of the young Guardians, as it is they who will one day rule and protect the city, and whom the lesser-constituted citizens of the polis will attempt to emulate, assimilating, via the imitative process of mimesis, to the Myth (or â€Å"noble lie†) of the Ideal City in which justice is achieved when everyone assumes their proper role in society. The process of mimesis, is, of course, yet another form of education, in which those of Iron and Bronze natures are â€Å"instructed† and inspired by the superior intelligence and character of the Gold and Silver members of the Guardian class. It is therefore a form of education without which the polis cannot operate. Thus, for Guardian and ordinary citizen alike, the education of the young and the continuing â€Å"instruction† of the citizenry are crucial. In addition to these aspects, Plato also conceives of another function of education, and one which is quite significant in its relation to Rousseau's views. For Plato, education and ethics are interdependent. To be ethical, in turn, requires a twofold movement: movement away from immersion in concrete affairs to thinking and vision of unchanging order and structures (such as justice) and then movement back from dialectic to participation and re-attachment in worldly affairs. It is a temptation to become an abstract scholar. But the vision of the good is the vision of what is good for oneself and the city — of the common good. If one does not return to help his fellow human beings, he becomes selfish and in time will be less able to see what is good, what is best. An unselfish devotion to the good requires an unselfish devotion to the realization of this good in human affairs. Just as the purpose of understanding order and limits in one's own life is to bring about order and restraint in one's own character and desires, the understanding of justice requires application in the public sphere (through education). A man who forgets the polis is like a man who forgets he has a body. Plato thus advocates educating both the body and the city (for one needs both), not turning one's back on them. If education is, for Plato, the means by which man comes to fully realize (through society) his potential as a human being and by which society as a whole is in turn elevated, for Rousseau it is quite the opposite. Education, argues Rousseau, does not elevate the souls of men but rather corrodes them. The noble mimesis which lies at the heart of education in Plato's kallipolis is for Rousseau merely a slavish imitation of the tired ideas of antiquity. The ill effects of this imitation are manifold. Firstly, argues Rousseau, when we devote ourselves to the learning of old ideas, we stifle our own creativity and originality. Where is there room for original thought, when, in our incessant efforts to impress one another with our erudition, we are constantly spouting the ideas of others? In a world devoid of originality, the mark of greatness, intelligence, and virtue is reduced to nothing more than our ability to please others by reciting the wisdom of the past. This emphasis on originality is in marked contrast with Plato, who finds no value in originality, deeming it antithetical to a polis otherwise unified by shared Myths of the Ideal City and of Metals. Rousseau rejects this â€Å"unity†, rightly denouncing it as a form of slavery , in which humanity's inherent capacity for spontaneous, original self-expression is replaced with the yoking. of the mind and the will to the ideas of others, who are often long dead. In addition to suppressing the innate human need for originality, education (and the appetite for â€Å"culture† and â€Å"sophistication† that it engenders) causes us to conceal ourselves, to mask our true natures, desires, and emotions. We become artificial and shallow, using our social amenities and our knowledge of literature, etc. , to present a pleasing but deceptive face to the world, a notion quite at odds with the ideas of Plato. We assume, in Rousseau's words, â€Å"the appearance of all virtues, without being in possession of one of them. Finally, argues Rousseau, rather than strengthening our minds and bodies and (a critical point) moving us towards that which is ethical, as Plato contends, education and civilization effeminate and weaken us physically and (perhaps most significantly) mentally, and cause us, in this weakness, to stoop to every manner of depravity and injustice against one another. â€Å"External ornaments,† writes Rousseau, â€Å"are no less foreign to virtue, which is the strength and activity of the mind. The honest man is an athlete, who loves to wrestle stark naked; he scorns all those vile trappings, which prevent the exertion of his strength, and were, for the most part, invented only to conceal some deformity. † Virtue, as opposed to Plato's conception, is an action, and results not from the imitation inherent in mimesis, but rather in the activity — in the exercise — of the body, mind and soul. Education, however, demands imitation, demands a modeling upon what has been successful. How, then, do we rightly assess the merits of education with regard to its it molding of the public character — in its ability to produce â€Å"good† citizens. The answer to this hinges, I submit, on how we choose to define the â€Å"good† citizen. Clearly, if obedience (or â€Å"assimilation to a political ideology†, or perhaps â€Å"voluntary servitude†) is the hallmark of the good citizen, then we must regard Plato's disposition towards education as the proper one. However, obedience, despite its obvious centrality to the smooth operation of society (as we would have social chaos were it completely absent), has its useful limits. Over-assimilation to a political idea or â€Å"blueprint† is every bit as dangerous — indeed, far more so — as the utter under-assimilation of anarchy. For those inclined to dispute this, I would urge them to review the history of Nazi Germany as perhaps the definitive example of what sad, awful spectacles of injustice we humans are capable of when we trade in our mental and spiritual autonomy for the convenient apathy and faceless anonymity of the political ideal. Furthermore, if , as Rousseau contends, our civilization is such that, â€Å"Sincere friendship, real esteem, and perfect confidence [in each other] are banished from among men,† what is the quality of the society for which education — any modern education — purports to prepares us? When, â€Å"Jealousy, suspicion, fear coldness, reserve, hate, and fraud lie constantly concealed under †¦ [a] uniform and deceitful veil of politeness,† what is left to us to educate citizens for, other than the pleasure we seem to derive in pedantic displays of hoary knowledge? If we remove the civility from â€Å"civilization†, what remains to us that any education will remedy?

Free Essays on Crown, Cork & Seal

Introduction: In the face of a changing business landscape in the metal can industry, William J. Avery, Crown’s new CEO, had planned on revising his predecessor, John Connelly’s business strategy. Suppliers and customers of can makers were beginning to integrate into can makers themselves, which was redefining the metal industry. Under Connelly, Crown attained sustained success over three decades due to Connelly’s strict strategies, which emphasized cost efficiency, quality and customer service. Avery was trying to determine whether or not to break with tradition or expand Crown’s product line due to the changing nature of the metal can industry landscape and/or participate in the supplier and customer consolidation that had become traditional in the metal can business. Analysis: In order to understand how the industry is changing, we must first look at the forces involved and trends that are emerging. One fact in particular that immediately stands out is that industry operating margins began to fall in spite of persistent demand for metal cans. This can be attributed to several factors. First, Five large firms dominated the industry with close to 100 lesser firms. The distribution of market share closely represents an oligopoly, which would suggest that there might be lower profits. Second, the case states that pricing was very competitive and can manufacturers aggressively discounted to protect their market share due to overcapacity and shrinking customer bases. A third reason for drops in operating margins were due to pricing that did not consider substantial increases in costs, increased can making capacity, increases in backwards integration of breweries and can-makers, and soft drink bottling consolidation. Another important force to consider is the customer and what impacts they have on the metal can industry. The soft drink industry is a thriving and profitable industry based on overall sales of ma... Free Essays on Crown, Cork & Seal Free Essays on Crown, Cork & Seal Introduction: In the face of a changing business landscape in the metal can industry, William J. Avery, Crown’s new CEO, had planned on revising his predecessor, John Connelly’s business strategy. Suppliers and customers of can makers were beginning to integrate into can makers themselves, which was redefining the metal industry. Under Connelly, Crown attained sustained success over three decades due to Connelly’s strict strategies, which emphasized cost efficiency, quality and customer service. Avery was trying to determine whether or not to break with tradition or expand Crown’s product line due to the changing nature of the metal can industry landscape and/or participate in the supplier and customer consolidation that had become traditional in the metal can business. Analysis: In order to understand how the industry is changing, we must first look at the forces involved and trends that are emerging. One fact in particular that immediately stands out is that industry operating margins began to fall in spite of persistent demand for metal cans. This can be attributed to several factors. First, Five large firms dominated the industry with close to 100 lesser firms. The distribution of market share closely represents an oligopoly, which would suggest that there might be lower profits. Second, the case states that pricing was very competitive and can manufacturers aggressively discounted to protect their market share due to overcapacity and shrinking customer bases. A third reason for drops in operating margins were due to pricing that did not consider substantial increases in costs, increased can making capacity, increases in backwards integration of breweries and can-makers, and soft drink bottling consolidation. Another important force to consider is the customer and what impacts they have on the metal can industry. The soft drink industry is a thriving and profitable industry based on overall sales of ma...

Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Essay Example

Compare the pre Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Paper Compare the pre-titles sequences of two James Bond films- Goldfinger and Goldeneye Paper Essay Topic: Film There has been a large change in society in terms of excitement for the audience. The old film Goldfinger, and the more recent Goldeneye, are films to suit two different types of audience. Over the past thirty years, there have been higher expectations within the action film industry such as action, humour and stunts. The two James Bond films have many similarities because they are the same theme. The classic opening with the barrel of the gun and blood down the screen are in every James Bond film. It is almost a trademark. Another trademark is the theme tune in both films. People know what the film is just from the theme tune because of its large popularity. The action scene at the beginning is to attract the audience interest and attention. It shows the kind of action to expect. For example, in Goldeneye the start has many stunts such as the bungee or plane. Therefore, it will have lots of stunts later through the film. James Bonds personality is the same. His charm and witty puns is what attracts people to him. The style of his clothes such as his smart white tuxedo makes the audience still familiar with the same type of James Bond. Because he is a ladys man he is admired by both woman, for being attractive, and men, for his exceptional charm with any woman. His similarities with woman are also in the title sequence. The actions of the women give a sort of prologue for the film. As well as many similarities there are also many differences. The technology in the films is very different. They supply an expectation from the audience because they usually get the high-tech gadgets. The action is also different especially the stunts. More modern films such as Goldenye have more thrilling and ambitious stunts. This is done by new technology and graphics. Societys cloths have changed in the past thirty years. In Goldfinger, James Bond wears a wet suit which covers his tuxedo. In Goldeneye he wears a stealthy black outfit for infiltration. The plots of the films have also changed. The bad person in Goldenye is a classic villain who paints his dead victims gold (to go with his name). In Goldenye it has a good agent who seems to be killed. However, the film later reveals that he is actually the main villain. This twist in the film gives a greater excitement to the audience. The directing of James Bond is different. In Goldfinger his moves with a hop, skip and a jump. He has a hand to hand fight with a bad person. These basic actions are what would be expected from a film thirty years ago. However, today it would be seen as boring to the audience. In Goldenye, James Bond sneaks around the facility with a silence pistol. When his cover is blown they end up shooting lots of guards. The large amounts of violence from the deaths of the guards help to fill up the audiences excitement. When his fellow agent is killed which makes it even more interesting James Bond is left pinned with many guns aiming at him. As well as excitement it also builds tension as the audience wonder what he is going to do. To finish the pre-title opening, he rides over a cliff into a plane. Before the title sequence there is a large explosion. All these different actions and violence give a greater thrill. The light and camera angles are also used to entertain the audience. In Goldfinger the scene is done under the cover of darkness. Although in Goldenye it is done during the day. This is to make the scene look more dangerous as he will be more easily seen. This builds up tension for the audience. He meets the other agent in a dark storage room to show the stealth of the mission. The stealth makes it look even more exciting. Camera angles in Goldfinger are mainly focused on him. James Bonds facial expressions are used to emphasise action and danger. The camera angles on Goldeneye are focused on him and the surrounding area. The close up shots is used to create the feelings of tension with facial expressions. The far out shots indicate danger and large action scenes. For example, the far out shot of the dam in Goldenye shows the danger James Bond has to do. When the camera looks over the dam to show the great height it makes the audience nervous from looking at the great height. There are far more camera angles in the modern film with quicker shots. This is used to build up the tension and excitement in the audience. For example, when James Bond is running along the dam there are many angles. These are focused from a side to show his action, at his feet to show the pace of his running and his body from a far out shot to show the distance of his running. These fast camera shots are used to build up the excitement. There are no camera angles on his face to help create mystery. Because it does not show his face the audience cannot be completely sure it is James Bond. The only sound in the film is the running of his feet which also create tension. In Goldfinger, there are only a few camera angles which change over a longer time. This does not create as much excitement and tension in the audience. They are mainly further out shots so the shot captures more of James Bond from one angle. The camera angles was not as important in that time as society had a lower expectation for action and thrill. The title sequences of the two films are different because of the change in society. There are naked woman in Goldeneye because it entertains the audience more. It is now seen as acceptable in society to show woman naked because of the more lax nature. There are dressed woman in Goldfinger but are wearing revealing cloths. The film has tried to make the woman as naked as possible without overstepping the boundaries of society. People have higher expectations in Goldeneye than in Goldfinger. They want more killing, violence and stunts. This is to give the audience an all round thrill. The action in the film is represented with music to give an audio perspective. The music is usually the James Bond theme so people can always associate it with action and excitement. As well as expectations of the film, people also have expectations of James Bond. They want him to have action, humour as well as some sexual content. This is because it is what the audience have previously seen from James Bond and enjoys his personality. His classic speech of Bond, James Bond is well known and used by every actor to identify him as James Bond. The technology in both films has gadgets, cars and woman. This is the usual from James Bond and is admired by men as they are boys toys. The technology has to keep up with society. In Goldfinger, James Bonds explosive was on a timer like a clock. In the more recent Goldfinger, the explosive were on a more modern digital timer. Technology is very important in James Bond especially in later films. Goldenye is based on advanced technology such as the helicopter and satellite. As the technology has improved in the film it has also improved out of the film. More advance graphics means that the action and stunts can be even wilder. Blue screening makes the film and action better as they can add scenes where they have never been. This was done in Star Wars to add different scenes and other worlds. If the two films were made at the same time, the plot would be different but the technology similar. Both Goldfinger and Goldeneye were able to satisfy society in their time. However as technology and stunts improve people want to see more action and excitement. Both the films have action in the pre-title sequences although the action is much better in the more recent Goldeneye than Goldfinger.

Business Management and Leadership Personal Statement - 1

Business Management and Leadership - Personal Statement Example While working as an event specialist for Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, I have to handle and manage various financial statements by using the software such as Excel and Quikbooks. The business of Jamaica Chamber of Commerce mainly deals with renting space to those clients or businesses that intend to host any sort of event that may include birthday parties and bridal showers among others. One of my chief roles along with responsibilities as an event specialist in this business is to organize events for the customers and also closing contracts on a weekly basis. Apart from this, I also work as a college assistant at York college. In this job profile, my main tasks are to handle purchase requisitions and also handling e-mails for the department of student activities of this college. Thus, by taking into concern the above discussed tasks that I perform, the online Master’s degree of Business Management and Leadership (M.S.) program would prove quite beneficial for me. This can be j ustified with reference to the fact that the above mentioned core business areas on which the stated online program mainly focus upon will make me to learn and acquire in-depth understanding about how to conduct such activities efficiently within a definite timeframe. From the very beginning, I had a keen interest to work in Army and for that I am currently attending officer candidate school in the Army National Guard. I have certain targets to accomplish in the future. One of such targets is to become a Financial Officer in the Army and thus, I expect that the online Master’s degree of Business Management and Leadership (M.S.) program would guide me to fulfill such target. The fulfillment of such target matters a lot for me owing to the reason that it would make me to realize my own job responsibilities and also enable me to take better professional decisions. There lay certain

The problem of gangs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The problem of gangs - Essay Example This is made up of majority legal and illegal immigrant youth and includes those born in the U.S. by legal and illegal immigrant parents. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data shows that 75% of those arrested are from Mexico and El Salvador from gangs such as 18th Street Gang and Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 known to have massive illegal immigrant members. In an article released by the National Immigration Law Center it clarified that under New York law as decided by the Board of Immigration Appeals, a youthful offender’s adjudication is not equivalent to a conviction in relation to the Immigration and Nationality Act. This was decided on the â€Å"Matter of Devison-Charles,† given a permanent resident status in the United States in April 1996 who was a citizen of the Dominican Republic. Back in 1992, he was involved in attempted possession of a controlled substance where he was adjudicated as a youth offender. The ruling affirms that conviction under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 does not apply to juvenile offenders.The liberal policy of a number of states granted to juvenile offenders in view of their immigration status sometimes become an area of abuse wherein states like Florida through its Florida Department of Juvenile Justice increased efforts to impose background checks to ensure those that come into the agency are actually within the age limit. The State Senator was able to get an appropriation for additional funding for such purposes as identifying illegal juvenile immigrants.