Virtue of Aquinas and Machiavelli Essay Essays

Virtue of Aquinas and Machiavelli Essay Essays Virtue of Aquinas and Machiavelli Essay Essay Virtue of Aquinas and Machiavelli Essay Essay The author’s end in this essay is to measure the definition of virtuousness harmonizing to Aquinas and compare/contrast that with Machiavellian virtuousness. Following this rating the writer will try to discredit Machiavellian virtuousness as being shallow and impossible. Trusting on inquiry 55 from the Summa Theologiae and assorted chapters from The Prince. the writer hopes to put a solid and concrete statement against Machiavelli. It is deficient to compose of Aquinas without first adverting Aristotle and the relationship Thomas Aquinas had with his work. Aristotle writes at great length of the human good. The good for adult male. harmonizing to Aristotle. is an active usage of those modules which separate adult male from the remainder of nature. viz. ground and will. which are distinguishable from lower modules such as feeling or reaction. One rule that profoundly influenced Aquinas was Aristotle’s theory that the moral virtuousnesss are each an norm of two opposing human traits ( which is how the mean individual gauges ethical motives today whether they are witting of it or non ) . Courage is found between cowardliness and heedlessness. generousness between stinginess and extravagance. The highest good for Aristotle is found in the contemplation of truth. he believed this was the highest portion of man’s nature ; that it was so because of its trust on man’s mind and ground. Thomas Aquinas took the contemplation of truth a brilliant measure farther by contending adult male. through seeking his ultimate terminal. as take parting in the very nature of God. For Aquinas this engagement is the province of Grace. A individual in the province of Grace possesses certain powers. these are referred to as virtuousnesss. More specifically they are infused virtuousnesss that can be separated into two distinguishable sorts: Theological virtuousnesss and Moral ( or Cardinal ) virtuousnesss. Before diging excessively profoundly into the particulars of these virtuousnesss it is of import to set up some land work. Thomas Aquinas defines virtuousness as â€Å"a good wont bearing on activity† . We can besides associate this definition to a good module. viz. wont. Intrinsic to the construct of virtuousness is habit. Habit harmonizing to Thomas can be within the natural order or elevated to the Divine by Grace. Habits are seen as â€Å"stable dispositions† . or qualities. that guide the modules to move a certain manner. Habits can be infused or acquired depending on the module. Of class non every wont is a virtuousness but merely one that guides a module. through the usage of ground. toward the good ; the good being the Ultimate terminal or the Beatific Vision which awaits us when our life here on Earth is over. Aquinas makes a cardinal point about virtuousnesss. The cardinal point made is between what Aquinas refers to as the infused virtuousnesss ( those which are God given and work in us without intervention from the modules of adult male ) and the acquired wonts. When these acquired good wonts become regular pattern for us we call them our â€Å"second nature† . Our 2nd nature leads our actions to flawlessness. Elemental and perfectly necessary for the development of our 2nd nature are ground and will. our mind. The infused virtuousnesss. on the other manus. are a gift from God and are therefore called supernatural because they transcend ground and will ; they are gifts which we can non freely get or run. Among these infused gift virtuousnesss are two sorts: the first are the Theological virtuousnesss ( Faith. Hope. and Charity ) which are concerned straight with God and our ultimate terminal. which are unaided by ground. The theological virtuousnesss supply adult male with the love of God and learn us His will. The 2nd and lesser of the infused virtuousnesss are the moral virtuousnesss. The moral virtuousnesss are concerned with human action and non with God himself. More specifically they are concerned with human behavior. The four moral virtuousnesss ( which are besides called Cardinal virtuousnesss ) are Prudence. Fortitude. Temperance. and Justice. Where the Theological virtuousnesss are tied into the supernatural. the Cardinal virtuousnesss are associated with the natural universe. Among the four Prudence is the highest because it is linked with ground. The rule act of Prudence is the executing of right or good ground. Prudence guides our ground. Examples of this are good judgement and the ability to cover with the unexpected in a good manner. Fortitude is concerned with the ability to cover with what is painful or unpleasant. Temperance is associated with the impulses and cravings for what is enjoyable and eventually Justice towards the will of people. Emphasis must be made on the cardinal difference between the two types of virtuousnesss. Theological virtuousnesss ( covering with the occult ) and Cardinal virtuousnesss ( concerned with the natural ) . A moral virtuousness by definition avoids extremes by manner of the usage of human ground. the theological virtuousnesss transcend ground. The supernatural and natural virtuousnesss are interconnected as Aquinas explains: â€Å"Grace ( the occult ) does non destruct but builds upon nature† . Ultimately mortal man’s modules can be described as holding ground which is enlightened by religion ; this elevates adult male into boundlessly higher fields than other animals. After sufficient discourse and account about Aquinas and virtuousness we come to a hamlets. Some four hundred old ages subsequently a new idea emerges with the deep and fractured ( some would state profoundly fractured ) head of Machiavelli. a adult male who continues to offer so much excessively so many slimey politicians across the Earth. Machiavelli and his position on the human status and more specifically human virtuousness in footings of the political adult male is the 2nd subdivision of our probe. Prior to Machiavelli the position of a political leader ( or Prince. as referred to by Machiavelli ) was much different than his ain reading. A Prince and his functions in respects to political authorization were viewed as rightful merely if the exerting swayer had a strong moral character and was a virtuous individual. A swayer was viewed as making good merely when he sought the good. Rulers had to gain the right to be obeyed and respected. This position of a swayer is called a â€Å"moralistic authority† and is exactly what Machiavelli criticizes in his work titled The Prince. In composing The Prince. Machiavelli sought to snuff out so current positions ( or at least present a radically different position ) of political authorization. Machiavelli preached that there is no moral footing on which to judge the difference between correct or illicit utilizations of power. Rather. whoever has power has the right to command ; since goodness does non guarantee power and the good individual has no more authorization merely because he is good. Good or morality is ineffective in the acquisition and care of power. Obviously this position is in blunt struggle with the thoughts of a moralistic political ideal. For Machiavelli the merely existent concern of the political swayer is the acquisition and care of power entirely and non the common good of the community. Virtue. as had been taught by the philosophers preceding Machiavelli. is really frequently incompatible with his impression of effectual usage of power. This is so because those who are willing to utilize tactics without any moral backup are certain to throw out he who acts harmonizing to his virtuousness and is unwilling to use other. immoral tactics. Harmonizing to Machiavelli the lone confidence that a prince can get the better of the strains of political relations is if he is willing and ready to travel against virtuousness when necessary. This kind of swayer must non be low to utilizing tactics such as slaying. misrepresentation. graft. use. and any other manner of immoral behavior he sees fit if certain state of affairss require it in order to keep ( or addition ) power. For Machiavelli it is precisely this attack to opinion that he sees as the â€Å"virtues† of leading. The usage of any manner necessary to obtain and keep power is virtue. Through this bold attack to opinion we are given an wholly new return on virtuousness and arguably mankind itself. With this new vision of political regulation. purged of any moral influences. we are given a wholly new attack to the exercising of power. It is now rooted in the foundations of de-moralized political relations. This new and audacious attack to â€Å"power politics† is exactly what Machiavelli calls virtuousness. Machiavelli employs this new construct of virtuousness to mention to a scope of qualities a prince will happen necessary to get. in order to â€Å"maintain his state† and to â€Å"achieve great things† . the two necessities of power for him. This makes viciously clear that there is no similarity between conventional Christian virtuousness and Machiavellian virtuousness. One can therefore sum up Machiavelli’s position of what it is to be a virtuous individual as such: A prince above all else must get a â€Å"flexible disposition† . A swayer must be capable of switching his/her actions from good to evil and back once more â€Å"as luck and fortunes dictate† . Precisely how does Machiavellian virtuousness affect the exercising of power? In order to reply this inquiry we must analyze another cardinal rule of his virtuousness. Therefore enters the construct of Fortune. As discussed in Chapter 25 of The Prince. Machiavelli teaches the reader that luck shows itself where virtuousness and wisdom are missing. Fortune harmonizing to Machiavelli is a menace to the security of the province and must be fought against as such. Fortune is a force outside of ground that is wholly unpredictable which brings wretchedness and catastrophe to mankind. As Machiavelli provinces: â€Å"it is better to be hotheaded than cautious. because Fortuna is a adult female and it is necessary. in order to maintain her under. to crush and maul her† . Fortune is therefore viewed as a beginning of force which must be answered with force if one hopes to command it. Virtue is the lone readying one has against luck. Virtue provides the ability to react to fortune whenever and nevertheless necessary. Machiavellian virtuousness affects the exercising of power in everyway. Machiavelli’s construct of virtuousness is wholly integrated with the exercising of power. The effectual and utile exercising of power is virtue. for Machiavelli. The tools and methods a Prince utilizes to demand his bid and guarantee his place are his virtuousnesss. Machiavellian virtuousness is so basically different than true virtuousness. ( virtuousness as defined by Aquinas ) that an surrogate word would do to specify it. When analyzing the two philosophers the differences between them are rather obvious. but one must look deeper than what is given at face value in order to happen the true effects of Machiavellian virtuousness. Once a individual has a basic apprehension and cognition of Machiavelli and his plants one can so come in into brooding thought on him and happen a deeper effect to populating a Machiavellian virtuous life. What is adult male if all that has traditionally defined him has been reduced to mere tools which help him to accomplish an terminal? What is the him of the adult male? If virtuousness does non specify the individual. what does? The greatest defect in Machiavellian virtuousness is that adult male loses his individuality and his character. Virtue has been redefined from that which develops ethical motives and character to that which helps to procure power. Emphasis is now on the power and non the individual. With Machiavelli virtuousness covers merely one facet of the individual. Man as leader and power trader. What is left of the adult male. if there are no longer any specifying traits. if adult male no longer has an individuality? Without any formal individuality adult male is no longer viewed as being â€Å"like God† . the supernatural facet of adult male is gone. that which is our true individuality. We have learned from Thomas Aquinas that virtuousness is developed through wont ; these wonts become who you are. If we remove that. what of the remainder of the adult male? Man is reduced to something of a retainer to â€Å"power† . Aquinas elevates adult male to the supernatural. as existences created in the similitude and image of God. made to portion in the Divinity of God. Aquinas’ virtuousness covers the whole individual. Thomas lists the cardinal virtuousnesss which guide all the facets of human life. from Prudence to Charity and Temperance to Faith. By developing these virtuousnesss we become virtuous people. the virtuousnesss that we cultivate forms who we are and order our desires in line with the will of God. For Aquinas virtuousness leads us to God and our ultimate terminal which Beatific Vision. For Machiavelli virtuousness is merely the agencies of executing a undertaking. instruments that can and should be employed to make an terminal which is merely of this Earth ; viz. the securing and expanding of power. For Machiavelli all that affairs is what is of this universe. Man is reduced to nil more than animate being with mind. nil supernatural and no life here after. As I have antecedently stated above. the greatest defect in Machiavellian virtuousness is that adult male loses his individuality and character. One other obvious and dramatic restriction to Machiavelli’s position of virtuousness. and therefore adult male himself. is that he speaks merely of adult male as swayer. non adult male as provincial. or servant. or adult male in the familial sense. If adult male were to specify himself precisely as Machiavelli proposes. he would genuinely lose his individuality. If virtuousness is redefined than it would look that adult male excessively is redefined. Either Machiavelli missed something so foundational and necessary. such as the other functions people play in society. or his aim was. in specifying virtuousness. to merely redefine the swayer. Machiavelli must hold realized his position of adult male was limited and flawed ; his true purpose was to alter society from the top down. Resulting would be a society that sought merely selfish desires and the acquisition of power. Machiavelli had no interesting apprehension adult male merely to ordain his thoughts and go a Prince. Man in accommodating these new thoughts is making nil less than lead oning himself. Virtue is a really wide subject which deserves rating. If we are to better understand ourselves and our civil society it is imperative that we learn what we can about those people who have. are presently. and will determine our ideas refering ourselves. God. and nature. What I have attempted is to turn to two really different positions on virtuousness. Aquinas continues to be the root beginning of our apprehension of virtuousness. Many efforts have been made by many people to redefine adult male ; Machiavelli is merely one of many. Machiavelli holds the rubric as the first philosopher to whole-heartedly effort to retrace adult male in his ain similitude and image and to extinguish God. As foolish and impossible as that seems from a Christian position. he succeeded and continues to win in winning over new ( non ) trusters. By the very nature of turning off from God we deceive and are deceived. all of his bold new tactics sum to little more than misrepresentation. Deception laced with penetrations and deformed images of adult male. Man every bit viewed as non fallen from Grace but instead nescient to his â€Å"true† capableness and intent. Machiavelli offers us another apple.

David Koresh, Leader of Deadly Branch Davidians Cult

David Koresh, Leader of Deadly Branch Davidians Cult David Koresh (August 17, 1959–April 19, 1993) was the charismatic leader of a religious sect known as the Branch Davidians. During a deadly standoff in Waco, Texas with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Koresh and more than 80 of his followers were killed. Early Years David Koresh (born Vernon Wayne Howell) was born in Texas to a fourteen-year-old mother. He never knew his father, who broke up with his mother before she gave birth. The young Koresh Howells mother later moved in with a violent and abusive man. When Koresh was four years old, he was sent to be raised by his maternal grandmother, but when he was seven, his mother got married and he went back to live with her and her new husband. However, he still attended religious services regularly with his grandmother, who took him to her Seventh Day Adventist church. As a teenager, Koresh struggled with dyslexia and was placed in special education classes. He was considered awkward and unpopular. He dropped out of school before his senior year of high school, and in his early twenties, he committed statutory rape, resulting in a 15-year-old girls pregnancy. He was later thrown out of his mother’s evangelical church after pursuing the pastor’s teenage daughter and saying that God had ordered him to marry her. By the early eighties, he moved to Waco, where he joined the Branch Davidians at their Mount Carmel Center. Within a year or so, Koresh was claiming to have the gift of prophecy. Sygma via Getty Images / Getty Images The Branch Davidians When Koresh joined the Branch Davidians, it is believed he was involved in a sexual relationship Lois Roden, the wife of Branch Davidian founder Benjamin Roden. Koresh said that God wanted him to father a child with Lois, who was 65 years old at the time, and that this child would be the â€Å"chosen one.† His interest in Lois soon waned, however, and in 1984 he claimed that God wanted him to marry a 14 year old named Rachel Jones. In 1984, Jones parents gave her permission to marry Koresh, who had at this point adopted the Koresh name (though he would not change it legally until 1990). After escalated infighting between Koresh and the Roden family, particularly Lois’ son George, Koresh and Jones left in 1995, along with 25 other members of the group. They moved to Palestine, Texas, 90 miles away from Waco, and lived in buses and tents for several years. Koresh used this period to recruit new members, not only from Texas but from California, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Following Lois Roden’s death., Koresh and George Roden found themselves battling for control of the Waco compound. George challenged Koresh to a spiritual duel of sorts, involving the resurrection of a corpse. Koresh took advantage of the opportunity to go to law enforcement and get George out of the way once and for all. He was told he’d need to provide evidence that George had illegally exhumed a dead body, and when he and seven supporters arrived at the compound, a gunfight erupted. George Roden was injured, and Koresh and his men were arrested. When they explained that they were on the property to gather evidence of abuse of a corpse, they were acquitted of the charges of attempted murder.   In 1989, George Roden was himself charged with murder after killing one of his own supporters with an axe (the man had claimed to be the true Messiah). Once Roden was sent to a psychiatric prison, Koresh and his followers were able to raise the money to purchase the Waco property themselves. Accusations of Abuse There were repeated accusations against Koresh of statutory rape and â€Å"spiritual marriages with underage women. Koresh claimed to have fathered children with several women and girls in the group; he said he had received a revelation from God, telling him to father two dozen children to serve as leaders once the Rapture came. There were also claims that Koresh and other members of the group were physically abusing children. One incident involved the beating of Koresh’s three-year-old son Cyrus. A lengthy investigation by Child Protective Services was launched. Michelle Jones, one of the alleged victims, was assigned a surrogate husband to throw investigators off the trail. The investigators ultimately failed to turn up any concrete evidence. Meanwhile, Koresh and his followers had begun stockpiling weapons, forming an â€Å"Army of God,† to prepare for the apocalypse. Koresh claimed to have cracked the code of the Book of Revelations and warned that the End Times were near. Shelly Katz / Getty Images The Waco Standoff In February 1993, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) went to the Waco compound to serve a warrant for illegal firearms and take Koresh into custody. The raid turned into a four-hour gunfight. At its conclusion, four ATF agents and six of Koresh’s followers were dead. This led to a standoff, which lasted 51 days.   Did You Know? In the years since Waco, law enforcement officials have spent time studying the failed raid and the standoff itself in an effort to determine what went wrong. As a result, several changes have been made to federal law enforcement protocols in cases of hostage situations.   Negotiators from the ATF and the FBI worked endlessly to end the standoff, and a few of the Branch Davidian members were able to exit the compound safely. However, more than 80 men, women, and children, remained inside.  The ATF and the FBI used tear gas in an effort to end the siege. In response, the Branch Davidians continued the gunfire. As a result, the compound caught on fire. A few people managed to escape the fire, but 76 were killed. Most died when the compound collapsed during the blaze, while others were killed by gunshot wounds, including Koresh, who was found shot in the head. It has never been determined whether Koresh killed himself, or whether he was shot by another member of the group. Nearly two dozen of the dead were under the age of 17.

ECONOMIC institution and policy(British economy) Essay - 1

ECONOMIC institution and policy(British economy) - Essay Example Globally, the manufacturing sector of UK is the sixth largest in the one and is one of the largest exporters of heavy industrial products1. The table underneath hints towards the growth of UK manufacturing and service sectors, between 1970 and 1994 compared to other nations. The base year being considered in this case is 1970 and the growth rate is found to be rather low over the years in relation to those for other nations. The progress of the sector is found to be quite low in contrast to the domestic service sector2. The present paper addresses the progress of the manufacturing sector over the years between 1970 and 2010 through illustrating its economic and social contribution to the economy of UK. It makes use of secondary quantitative data to draw a comparison over time and analyses on the basis of the same. Economic Contribution of UK’s Manufacturing Sector The following figures help in evaluation of the degree to which the manufacturing sector of UK has evolved over th e years since 1970 till 2010. ... Between 1970 and 2008, the percentage of contribution of industry behind national production has receded fast. The downfall had been the highest towards the end of 1970s as could be noted from the large difference in the statistic between 1970 and 1975 continuing to that in 1980. The diminishing contribution however, is not much reflected if gross fixed capital formation as percentage of GDP is considered. As the corresponding graph shows, the rate of capital formation had remained more or less stable over the years. Since capital formation is held identically equal to investment in capital, it could be implied that UK manufacturing sector did not contribute proportionally to the amount being invested in it. In other words, manufacturing sector suffered from a diminished productivity over time. Inward investment in UK manufacturing sector of UK is found to be fluctuating over time, as it falls down to a lower value from 1986 to 1991 and then improved to a positive value from 1991 to 1996 and to a further higher value in 2001. However, the downfall had been stark between 2001 and 2006 when growth rate of inward investment had been approximately equal to 60 percent. This only implies the erratic behaviour of the manufacturing sector of UK which over the years has lost its previous glory on account of a number of unavoidable reasons. Growth in industrial production too had been quite low over the years. To be precise, as the diagram below shows, UK manufacturing sector did not come across a consistent period of positive growth since 1970. Post 1970, the sector saw an entire decade of negative industrial growth. However, it gained momentum as growth rate surged up from 1980 to 1985 by 5.14 percentage points. But the following period of 15 years saw modest growth

Problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem solving - Essay Example Smoking is badly affecting the society and steps need to be taken to solve this problem. Before the harmful effects of smoking were understood, the stigma attached to this issue did not exist. With awareness and knowledge it was understood that smoking posed health hazards for the smokers and the non smokers. Passive smoking is destroying the normal functions of the bodies of the non smokers and this is unjust. Smoking in public places can cause non smokers to passively smoke and some asthmatic patients can have a triggered asthmatic attack because of it (National Health Survey 1994). Similarly patients who are already suffering from fatal diseases would be triggered by this tobacco smoke if they are exposed to it highly as reported by the CDC (Washington Post 2004). Every human life in this world is precious and they have the right that they should not be exposed to carcinogens which would affect their health and if this ban on smoking does not take place then these individuals woul d be exposed to the carcinogens of cigarette (U.S Department of Health and Human Services). Smoking is a global issue that needs to be dealt with. In developing countries where literacy rate is low, people are more addicted to smoking and hence their behavior towards their relatives, education, society and future changes.

Alternative energy sources Essay Example for Free

Alternative energy sources Essay The age old question of how will we power our homes and lives in general moving forward when all the oil runs out, and one day it will. The world needs to move in a direction that will lead to energy independence however businesses and society is slow to move because we cannot see the impacts until it hits home in that all of sacred places, our wallets. Changes need to be made but can we afford it or can we afford not to make the move that will ensure our future for generations to come. Fist let us look at why we chose fossil fuels. The fossil fuels we largely depend on today are coal, oil and natural gas. They are called non-renewable energy sources. That description is actually another way of saying we use them faster than they form. Over 100,000 times faster to be exact! So how did we ever decide this would be the primary energy resource to power human development and progress? It all goes back to human mastery of fire to provide warmth, light and a means of preparing more palatable and easily digestible foods. To the early humans, fire was the equivalent of having a little sun with them wherever they needed or wanted to go. With this energy available at anytime and anyplace, humans could begin to spread about the world and thrive, regardless of the climate or amount of sunlight available. It provided the power for humans to begin their mastery of Earth as a species, less vulnerable to extinction than all other animal species, yet with a greater ability to bring about change — for good or bad. There are many alternative energy sources that we can see and put our hands on but they all have pros and cons. Some are either too expensive or not viable as a long term source of energy in comparison to oil. Our infrastructure is built around coal and oil dating back to the industrial revolution. From our cars to the power that runs the microwave in the kitchen fossil fuels are a part of our lives but they are running out, killing the environment in more ways than one and becoming more and more expensive to produce due either war or scarcity. Then when we complain about the price or the consequences of drilling or burning fossil fuels the best our governments can give us is talk with little action because those in  power are more about money which comes from the companies and people who spend money on their campaigns to get re-elected. When one thinks of alternative energies the first thing that springs to mind is solar energy and why not, we the sun is not going anywhere any tim e soon(at least we hope not) and there are very few places that don’t get sun for most of the 24 hours in a day. So why do we not all have a solar panel on our roofs and cars? One reason is because it is not cost effective and cannot produce enough energy for most people to make it worthwhile. Our mind set is always going to be one of why should we invest in something that does not do what oil and gas can? With the economies of the world in jeopardy and more and more people out of work, asking them to do their part to help the environment is just not realistic. Until science and business can make solar power more viable we as average citizens will not make the change while we have oil and gas still. Unless we either just run out or we can no longer afford fossil fuels we as a society will not make our lives any harder by switching to an alternative energy source that is still not viable nor is it cost effective. Another disadvantage to continuing with fossil fuels is the continued and escalating tension in the Middle East. The cost alone of defending the oil that we use and take for granted is astronomical not to mention the loss of life which cannot be measured. The thought that we as a society have not moved past killing one another for an inanimate objects is shameful. That we have no evolved morally past the point of killing for energy is a discredit to how far we have come as a race. If we would take the money that we spend on defense and guarding oil rigs and clean ups when things go wrong and put it toward improving solar and fusion nuclear power we might find yourself energy independence sooner rather than later. Wind is the next source of alternative energy that has people all a buzz with excitement but is it truly viable? This alternative can seem very attractive but again is the cost of a wind turbine and the land needed to build wind farms is substantial to produce enough energy. So then the question is just like with solar energy, we need so much space to make enough energy that it just cannot compete with fossil fuels no matter what the environmental impact. Alternative energy just does not have enough clout with governments to push their clean energy agendas that it just is not a short term solution. The main problem that we all can see is that  alternative energies cannot do what oil and gas do now. Wind will not let us drive 400 miles to where we want to go when we want to. Solar or battery power is unreliable because it takes time to recharge a battery with solar energy and no one has been able to come up with to date a viable mass producible car that uses solar power. Even hybrids and battery power cars just can give us the flexibility with which gas driven cars can. When something can’t make what we already have better and at an equil or lesser cost to us will not gain ground. We are a visual society and unless someone comes up to us and says that the earth is going to end in 50 years unless we all drive hybrids were not going to do it. It is not in our nature and thus it won’t make any difference what innovations businesses and science come up with. As for oil itself it is going to take something like nuclear fusion or a more advanced solar cell to move us a way from oil. Nuclear power has always been taboo or in simpler terms a ‘Not in my back yard’ energy source. Nuclear fission is a source of energy that is viable and being used to day however the need to increase nuclear fission sites has the environmental community in an uproar. It is a well-known fact that these types of reactions produce waste products that are extremely dangerous not to mention a nuclear fission plant can either be attached or have an issue that would cause an environmental catastrophe which makes the idea of building newer, safer plants an unrealistic idea. The consequences of nuclear fission just do not out way the ramifications of environmental issues that could come of a disaster like Chernobyl. Nuclear fusion is a far more environmentally safe way to produce nuclear power and produces no waste products unlike fission and if an issue were to arise the reaction of fusion just stops and no radiation is not leaked nor is there an explosion of any kind. The proble m again with nuclear fusion is at the moment costly and cannot produce enough power to out way the cost and energy it takes to produce power. This like solar power is where we need to be placing our faith in the future of power in our country and around the world because oil will run out or it will become too costly to produce or something is going to happen that will be so catastrophic that we as a race will say enough is enough but until that time comes were not going to change our ways. Despite nuclear energy’s role as a significant power supply source, it is highly unlikely it will survive past the 21st century, especially since the recent Japanese  disaster. Many people are against it, storage of its highly radioactive wastes is difficult and costly. There are not enough ores available to maintain continued production of nuclear energy, and most of today’s nuclear plants will reach the end of their life span within the next 50 years. McLamb, Eric(2010). Just another reason for moving towards fusion and putting the money that we might use to build new fission plants which could again like the Japanese r eactor disaster fusion will not have that problem. There are many other forms of alternative energies such as geothermal and hydro power as well but again just like all the other sources, it is not producing as much power as fossil fuels and we are not spending our time and resource to improve these more available and attainable but again we sit with oil still. At the end of the day something dramatic is going to need to occur to push humanity towards a different source of energy but until we can see positive results on a massive scale we are never going to change our ways. As stated before if our planet were to end tomorrow I still don’t think we would change how we do things because we as a people are selfish and only care about what goes on in our homes as opposed to what is going on around the world. Will alternative energy source replace fossil fuels and clean up the environment. The answer is yes but what is it going to take to push us over the edge. Will it be a major environmental disaster, a global shortage of oil, or a scientific advancement that will revolutionize our way of life in a way that oil did when we first started to use it for our day to day to day lives. We can only hope but we are going to have to do something because we cannot continue down this path of ruining our resources and our planet. References Berger, A.A (2008). Seeing is believing (J. Wetherington, Ed. 3rd ed), Boston: McGraw-Hill Mc,Lamb, Eric(2010). The Secret World of Energy(http://www.ecology.com/2010/09/15/secret world-energy//)

Comparing Islamic and Arabic Architecture Essay -- Compare Contrast

Comparing Islamic and Arabic Architecture Works Cited Missing The Hagia Sophia church and the Suleymaniye mosque are separated by a thousand years but are tied together eternally. One representing the achievement of the Christian-Byzantine empire and the other representing the ability of the Islamic-Ottoman empire and its architect Sinan. Two empires that had very little in common other than their architecture and region. In earlier history the Dome of the Rock represented the Islamic empire's attempt to rival the newly defeated Byzantine empire and its architectural achievements such as the Holy Sepulchre. As history often repeats itself, with similar political motives the Suleymaniye mosque became the Ottoman's answer to the Byzantine's great achievement in their area- the Hagia Sophia. The result is that one finds in the Suleymaniye mosque the inspiration of the Hagia Sophia as well as the distinctive Islamic qualities that Sinan brought to it. The Hagia Sophia, the Suleymaniye, and Sinan By most accounts the Hagia Sophia was first built between 532 and 537 by Isodorus of Miletus and Anthemis of Tralles for the Emperor Justinian during the Byzantine Empire's control over the region and its capital Constantinopole.The present Hagia Sophia is the result of six building periods, the first two being the periods in which its basic structure was formed. A thousand years after the Hagia Sophia was first constructed, when Constantinopole became Istanbul and the Ottomans gained control, Sinan designed the Suleymaniye Complex for the Sultan Suleyman the Lawgiver. The socioreligious complex, called a kulliye, was built over seven years between 1550-57 with the mosque being the focus of the complex. Sinan, who created over 400 w... ...e designers achieved this formally particularly with the use of lighting by having shafts of light placed rhythmically at different heights. This was not Sinan1s intention in designing the Suleymaniye Complex. The description of the entry into the complex found in "Sinan: An Interpretation" by Hans G. Egli reflects clarity rather than mystery: "Twenty steps through the dark passage, the well-lit expanse of the mosque unfolds: the space is felt as unified upon entry and all parts are clearly seen and understood"(p34). Despite the many similarities between the Hagia Sophia and the Suleymaniye both have their separate places in architectural history. By taking the accomplishments of the church and fusing them with the well established Islamic architectural traditions the Suleymaniye Mosque went beyond being a product of inspiration and became an inspiration itself.

CSR activities of Pepsico India and Amul India Essay

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business)[1] is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Holmes and Watts (1999) defined CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. With Indian consumers becoming more ’cause’ conscious, their brand preferences keep shifting to favor the brand that is socially more responsible. The phenomenon directly creates a connection between the sales and the CSR. The trend suggests, ‘the better the CSR policy, the more the sales. ‘ The trend affects most product categories that are bought on a daily basis, with consumers making a purchase decision almost every day. This could be one of the major reasons why Indian FMCG companies are most actively engaged in responsible activities and rank on top in the latest Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) report on CSR by Indian corporate. The report says that of 175 Indian companies studied, 52 companies in the FMCG sector have taken the maximum of CSR initiatives. This was followed by the chemical sector and then the IT sector. [2] This paper highlights FMCG’s Corporate Social Responsibilities in Pepsico India. and Amul India. Keywords: CSRFMCG Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business)[1] is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. The new Companies Bill in the Rajya Sabha on 8th August 2013, has guided in a new regulation towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India. The Bill, which should get enacted into law soon, lays down mandatory requirements in regards to CSR for larger companies (those with at least Rs5Cr net profit/Rs500Cr net worth/Rs1,000Cr turnover), which includes a requirement to spend annually at least 2% of average profits of the previous three years on CSR activities. An estimated 7-8,000 companies in India will be covered under the CSR legislation and the total annual spend, if companies were to meet this norm, could be equivalent to US$1-2bn. [3] With Indian consumers becoming more ’cause’ conscious, their brand preferences keep shifting to favor the brand that is socially more responsible. The phenomenon directly creates a connection between the sales and the CSR. Objectives 1. To study CSR activities of Pepsico India and Amul India. 2. To examine the benefits of CSR activities of these companies to the society. Research Methodology This research paper depends on secondary data. Review of Literature 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CALCUTTA, WPS No. 729/ June 2013, Corporate Social Responsibility for Social Impact: Approach to Measure Social Impact using CSR Impact Index by Ramendra Singh and Sharad Agarwal. This paper discuss the broad patterns of CSR practices among top 200 Indian corporations and also explain the concept of CSR in the Indian scenario, the social issues addressed by the Indian corporations, and methodologies adopted by them to address those issues. 2. African Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 4 (3): 95-105, 2012, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives of Major Companies of India with Focus on Health, Education and Environment by Anupam Sharma and Ravi Kiran This paper highlighted CSR initiatives in context to health, education and environment sector to be rated by the interviewee were identified from the literature. 3. Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting, Vol. 3, No. 2 Dec 2009/Jan 2010, Pp 180-201, Corporate Social Performance of Indian FMCG Companies by Saeed Khan. This paper highlights on various Indian companies CSR ratings and actives. 4. School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal – 2010, Corporate Social Responsibility in Rural Development Sector: Evidences From India by Sanjay Pradhan, Akhilesh Ranjan. This paper examine do the corporate consider rural people as a stakeholder? If so, what CSR initiatives taken for development of rural areas and how the corporates implement their CSR initiatives as a part of their business strategy? Finally it evaluates impacts of CSR actions on the socio-economic development of rural people. 5. Corporate Social Responsibility as a determinant of market strategic issues: An exploratory study by Prof Vijaylaxmi Iyengar. the research focuses on the Corporate Social Responsibility as a determinant of market strategic issues , with the various dimensions of CSR and its relevance for emerging markets , it also throw light on redesigning marketing paradigms for the global competition. Business benefits of CSR: The scale and nature of the benefits of CSR for an organization can vary depending on the nature of the enterprise, and are difficult to quantify, though there is a large body of literature exhorting business to adopt measures beyond financial ones (e. g. , Deming’s Fourteen Points, balanced scorecards). Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes[24] found a correlation between social/environmental performance and financial performance. Businesses may not be looking at short-run financial returns when developing their CSR strategy. Triple bottom line People planet profit, also known as the triple bottom line, are words that should be used and practiced in every move an organization makes. People relates to fair and beneficial business practices toward labour, the community and region where corporation conducts its business. Planet refers to sustainable environmental practices. A triple bottom line company does not produce harmful or destructive products such as weapons, toxic chemicals or batteries containing dangerous heavy metals for example. Profit is the economic value created by the organization after deducting the cost of all inputs, including the cost of the capital tied up. It therefore differs from traditional accounting definitions of profit. [28][29] Human resources A CSR program can be an aid to recruitment and retention,[30] CSR also helps to improve the perception of a company among its staff. CSR has been found to encourage customer orientation among frontline employees. [31] Risk management Reputations that take decades to build up can be ruined in hours through incidents such as corruption scandals or environmental accidents. [32] Building a genuine culture of ‘doing the right thing’ within a corporation can offset these risks. [33] Brand differentiation CSR can play a role in building customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. [34] Business service organizations can benefit too from building a reputation for integrity and best practice. Developing an engagement plan Commit to coming up with and improving on your companies goals. CSR commitments communicate the nature and direction of the firm’s social and environmental activities and, will help others understand how the organization is likely to behave in a particular situation. License to operate By taking substantive voluntary steps, they can persuade governments and the wider public that they are taking issues such as health and safety, diversity, or the environment seriously as good corporate citizens with respect to labour standards and impacts on the environment. Supplier relations By establishing a strong supply chain, companies are able to push for continuous quality improvements, and price reductions. The long-term benefits of the relations create a better value for stakeholders.