Cicero Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians, Hellenistic Philosophy

Cicero Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians, Hellenistic Philosophy Cicero Cicero, was truly a man of the state. His writings also show us he was equally a man of philosophical temperament and affluence. Yet at times these two forces within Cicero clash and contradict with the early stoic teachings. Cicero gradually adopted the stoic lifestyle but not altogether entirely, and this is somewhat due to the fact of what it was like to be a roman of the time. The morals of everyday Rome conflicted with some of the stoic ideals that were set by early stoicism. Thus, Cicero changed the face of stoicism by romanizing it; redefining stoicism into the middle phase. Of Cicero it can be said he possessed a bias towards roman life and doctrine. For Cicero every answer lay within Rome itself, from the ideal governing body to the place of divination. Cicero does not offer any alternate answers to roman society, which robs him of being truly a unique and bold political philosopher. This is not to say however some of his doctrines are untrue, just that he is somewhat blinde d by his roman beliefs and assumptions. The assumptions of Cicero can be noticed when one inspects his view of the ideal governing body, which he expresses through Scipio (in the commonwealth). Although Cicero presents very convincing arguments for a Composite government, clearly his view is possibly only due towards his belief in the roman structure of government.1 Cicero was limited to roman borders of experience, and this point was best illustrated by his disagreement with Aristotle's writings on the decay of states. Cicero was unable to think on the level of Aristotle's logic. He quite simply used roman history as a mapping of the paths of the decay of states. In contrast, Aristotle understood the underlying forces and influences that transpired when a state degraded. Cicero quite frankly could not understand the forces which Aristotle so eloquently denoted. For Cicero, history offered the only possible paths of outcomes; the forces and behaviors played little part on the result ing state.2 A further point of philosophical belief which Cicero contradicted the stoic lifestyle, is religion. Roman tradition conflicted greatly with stoic doctrine, and the two philosophies could never truly harmonize with one another. This point brought the distinction between the Greek learned world of intellect, and the traditional religious roman patronage. This observation literally draws a line between the two worlds, that of knowledge and reason opposing that of tradition and sentiment. This illustrated that roman was truly unable to fully accept a Greek philosophy based on knowledge and brotherhood, and a great Roman such as Cicero was similarly unable to accept the stoic doctrine as a whole.3 The philosophy of stoicism originated in Greece, and was based on the order of the universe. Nature to the stoics (universe) was a precisely ordered cosmos. Stoics taught that there was an order behind all the evident confusion of the universe. Mans purpose was to acquire order with in the universe; harmonizing yourself with the universal order. Within this notion of harmonizing lies wisdom, sin resides with resisting the natural order (or nature). The stoics also tell of a rational plan in nature; our role was to live in accord with this plan. The natural order was filled with divinity, and all things possess a divine nature. This natural order was god, and thus the universe was god; the Greek and roman pathos were simply beliefs forged by superstition. The stoics also had a great indifference towards life, in the regard that the natural plan cannot be changed. This attitude made stoic's recluse from fame, and opposed to seeking it. One fundamental belief stoics held was in the universal community of mankind. They held that a political community is nothing more than its laws' borders, since the natural laws are universal imposed; a universal political community existed in which all men share membership. This interpretation is generally regarded as the early st oic stage, which had yet to experience little roman influence. Upon roman adoption, stoicism went through a romanizing period; an altering of the philosophy to better integrate into roman mainstream. The ideal state of Cicero's; For I hold it desirable, first, that there should be a dominant and royal

Dissertation Topics

Dissertation Topics Dissertation Topics Useful Dissertation Topics IdeasWhat is the main reason of your having not started to write your dissertation yet? Well, the point is clear, you just cannot choose among lots of dissertation topics and failed to invent your own, original one. Perhaps the dissertation topics you provided to your tutor were rejected. The reasons for this could be the following:The dissertation topics you provided were not original. It does not mean, of course, that you were going to present somebodys ideas as your own, but it is clear that somebody has already investigated the topics that you might like. Your supervisor might not like the dissertation topics provided by you because he or she does not find them interesting or his\her knowledge in the field you chose is not deep enough.Your dissertation topics are original, but do not present genuine interest. It means, the results of the investigation, presented in your dissertation, should be potentially useful in the field of science you work in. The dissertation topics you presented are not manageable in the time available. Remember, the narrower the topic you choose the better. The dissertation topic, appealing to you, is new, interesting and original, but you will not be able to find the necessary number of books, journals etc to write your dissertation on it, i.e. you do not have enough of material.So, the search for an interesting, original topic is something like a treasure hunt. You can come across it during your lessons and seminars or while preparing you assignments and then develop and follow it up through numerous books, journals, reports etc. When, finally, you are sure that you have produced that very topic that really appeals to you, and you will be able to write the dissertation on it within the available period of time, try and write some dissertation topics more. These topics may overlap with the one that you have personally decided on, but keep in mind that your supervisors opinion may be a little bit different from yours. In this case it would be good to have some 3-5 topics to choose from. Remember, that your supervisor has helped many students through their dissertations, and he will be your guide through all the difficulties that may arise during your work. And, though your decision on the dissertation topic will be decisive, your tutor will give you some useful piece of advice and will surely help you when needed.

The Economy, Monetary Policy and Monopolies Essay

The Economy, Monetary Policy and Monopolies - Essay Example For instance, in 2007 the interest rate was recorded to be approximately 5% which decreased to below 1% by the end of 2009. Since then, till the current phase of the economic conditions prevailing within United States the interest rates has been recorded below 0.5% which shows further decline in the country’s financial market (US Department of the Treasury, 2012). Inflation Rates Fig.2: US Inflation Rates 2002-2012 (US Inflation Calculator, 2012) The inflation rates of the United States which was recorded as 4.1% during the year 2007 which further declined to 0.1% by the year 2008. However, it augmented to an average of 2% within the period of 2009 to 2012. This indicates that in terms of inflation rates the economy is regaining its stability performing almost similarly as during the period prior to 2007 (US Inflation Calculator, 2012). Unemployment Rates Fig.3: US Unemployment Rates 2007-2012 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) In relation to the above represented statist ics, it can be observed that United States witnessed an unemployment rate between 4-5% during 2007-2008. This further augmented to above 8% by 2012. This indicates that the economy had been witnessing a continuous de-gradation of its employment situation in the labor market over the past five years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). 2. Propose two (2) strategies that the federal government could implement that would encourage people to spend more money in order to create employment opportunities. Financial Leverage Financial leverage can be considered as one of the effective sets of practices in which the Return on Equity (RoE) is increased through the escalating rate of debt amounts. With this concern, the federal government of the U.S. should be focused on magnifying the amount of RoE even in situations when debt amounts tend to be increasing. Therefore, the financial strategy of the federal government should consider the investable assets related to the amount of equity as it would promote financial growth (Financial Literacy and Education Commission, 2011). Financial Decision Making and Financial Literacy Strategies related to the augmentation of financial literacy and effective decision making process would further provide competent direction in relation to financial education, policy, research, practice as well as coordination among the stakeholders, investors and other financial institutions. Moreover, effective forms of financial education and decision making process would offer the benefits of evaluating the risk of interest rates and provide an effective way to trim down the debt amounts (Financial Literacy and Education Commission, 2011). 3. Identify a situation in the past 50 years in which the government used antitrust policies to stop a monopoly from occurring. Include the circumstances of the proposed monopoly and the reason the government stepped in. Predict what would have occurred had the monopoly succeeded. Various antitrust policies h ave been implemented by the US government over the past decades to prohibit unhealthy competition in terms of monopoly within its national business environment. One of such Act can be identified as the National Cooperative Research Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. Â § Â § 4301-05). The reason behind implementing this act can be

Failed bill on education in Texas Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Failed bill on education in Texas - Term Paper Example The Texas education bills passed in the recently were on the expected economic constraints. The recent global economic shortfalls too have affected governance and political engagements in policymaking and legislation. A bill to cut expenses on education in Texas faced rejection from the teachers since it would reduce their salaries and they would be laid off without compensation. In addition, the appropriation bill had a shortfall in students allocation per head this affected the number of entries of new students and the it was seen as if it would compromise on output by teachers (Collegedegrees.com, 2011). Apart from that the political differences also affected the bills since different positions were taken not to give more money to the financially derailed schools and hoping for organizations to chip in and sponsor some programs. Whilst most legislators were interested in maintaining their strength in the house, the bills were falling back. Legislation is all polices and the game o f politics is never a clan game but various personal interests are vested upon at the expense of the commoners, hence, you find that implementations of bills don’t meet the threshold so as to bring actual enactment required since the politicians played their cards close to their chests. The bill that failed to pass in Texas was that which could allow concealed weapons on campuses. Proponents of the bill argued that responsible armed students can make campuses safer than before and assist in preventing shootings like the one witnessed in Virginia Tech in 2007. It had a lot of support from the public, the governor, eighty eight co- sponsors, two thirds of the senate and one hundred and fifty members from the house of representatives, the public were sure it will become a law but the bill faced several procedural roadblocks and could not reach the governor’s desk and be passed. In addition, those who proposed the bill argued that this bill was based on matters of self-def ense in cases where harmless students are attacked. On the other hand, opponents of the bill argued that if guns were allowed on campus, it could lead to increased violence (Austin, 2011). The school voucher bill was viewed as one that will take away money from the public schools and that this would work contrary to their favor as much as the bill gave parents a choice and liberty for their children to enjoy private schools at the expense of taxpayer’s money. The charter bill also did favor the military and treat children of the rich families as very special. Citizens must be treated equally without favor or prejudice. In addition, level of abilities must be known and those of less ability should be given better terms while enjoying their liberty of choice. Some bills would give parents unwarranted powers, for example, to close down a low performing school. This was viewed as a self-gun shot in the leg since parents would peck their fingers and over demand. Parents cannot be trusted with some powers, given to them, this would bring undue unrest and hatred amongst the students and teachers as scenarios of students accusing the teachers would be witnessed. This bill was ill motivated and was not guaranteed to succeed for the sake of teacher-parent relationship and coexistence between the teachers and students (Austin, 2011). One of the failed bills was to favor charter schools in which they would be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities at traditional schools. The approach to win it was tactful but it failed since it was acquired that this would be more work for the public schools as those in charter schools made their choice at the expense of co curricular activit

Introduction to Art-Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Art-Questions - Essay Example The method was first used in China and in Japan during the ninth century (James et al., 1997). 2a. Andy Warhol's famous "serigraph" of Marilyn Monroe was made in what way? The serigraph is the manner of attaching a stencil in a finely woven fabric, which is also attached in a frame. The paint will then pass through the fabric and create an image on the tee shirt, paper, or board on the other side of the screen. In the case of the serigraph of Marilyn Monroe, which was done by Andy Warhol, it was done through photographic stencils in which he used a photo of the subject and specialized chemicals in order for the image to stick on the silk screen (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). b. What is another name for the process called serigraph? Screen printing or photo silkscreen printing (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). c. What material is used in making one? The main material in screen printing is a stenciled image in a very fine woven fabric. In order to create an image in a material, paint or ink m ust be used to attach the image in a material. Also, a squeegee will be used in pushing the ink or paint unto the other side of the woven fabric (Lazzari & Schlesier, 2012). 3. The expensive process of making handwritten letters on stretched calfskin as the only form of communication was replaced with the invention of movable type in 1450. (a) Discuss two benefits from the invention of movable type and how that invention's benefits are similar to the more recent development of the personal computer and the Internet? The invention of the movable type by Johann Gutenberg during 1450 was and is revolutionary. There were many benefits brought by the movable type, and one of these benefits includes the increase in the production of printed materials and documents. In this manner, offices were able to reproduce copies of their documents and were able to save a file for their own self-keeping. It was considered as an efficient manner in the reproducing and preserving documents. The second benefit of this invention was that it had economic benefit for every business industry. It had allowed the publication of books and other printed materials, such as newspaper by bulk, which had eased the process and lowered the cost. This invention of the movable type had a similar impact on the current usage of personal computer and the Internet in terms of the ease in the production of printed or written materials. Aside from this, as the movable type had aided in the production of books, personal computers, and the internet had also made the availability and the production of books easier and more accessible (Blossom, 2011). 4. The 1841 daguerreotype of Maria Edgeworth was one of many that began to be produced at that time and they became a serious threat to portrait painters. (a) Why ? The daguerreotype was invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, which used the copper sheets, that are silver-plated and contains iodine. This causes the plate to be sensitive to light, and as it is exposed to the camera, the images are developed through the warms vapor of mercury. This processed had opened its way to the creation of much sturdier and long-lasting portraits. It was also commercialized, allowing the greater public to immortalize their images. For this reason, the portrait painters became threatened with the new process of reproducing portraits. However, it did not push through, but became one of the leading inventions and influences in the field of photographs (Nelson, n.d.). 5. If you were a

Prescriptive and emergent approaches for developing strategies

Prescriptive and emergent approaches for developing strategies Introduction The concept of corporate strategy battles with the perennial issue of determining the overall purpose and scope of an organisation. From a contemporary perspective, it involves the specification of long-term goals and objectives that will add value to the business and cope with the uncertainty of modern times. As a practice, it consists of adopting courses of action and allocating resources in ways necessary for carrying out the overall objectives. Widely recognised as the most principal theories for strategy development, the prescriptive and emergent approaches must be examined within the context of an increasingly dynamic, highly competitive and global business environment. Powerful external forces are driving organisations to reduce costs, enhance processes and identify new opportunities for growth. Many businesses are compelled to make dramatic improvements not only to compete and prosper but also merely to survive. This brings to the fore the importance of determining how effectively the prescriptive and emergent approaches can meet the needs of todays businesses when formulating strategy. The Prescriptive Approach The prescriptive approach regards strategy development as a systematised and deterministic process where analysis of the organisation, its performance and external environment leads to the formation of a rational, long-term plan. Senior management is in charge of defining the final objectives and the plan is then put into action through the successive layers of the organisation. Techniques which feed this process include Porters heavily structured Five Forces model for analysing industry and Value Chain Analysis which highlights existing capabilities as a solid basis for competitive advantage. It is pointed out by Ansoff that firms in fast-paced, competitive environments who use a systematic process for strategic planning very often go on to dominate their marketplace. Their logical, analytical approach allows them to devise predictive and pre-emptive strategies from which they can meet new opportunities head on. For instance, in 1995 EasyJet used incredible foresight to introduce low cost flights allowing it to take advantage of a more cost-conscious European Market. Whats more, this approach makes it possible to organise complex activities and exercise a greater degree of control over different business units. For example, Tescos planning process resulted in well defined long-term goals and clear boundaries for its UK core business, retail service, non-food and international sectors. It has succeeded in achieving consistent growth and profit in all of these areas over recent years. Strategy formation which places a lot of weight on existing capability strengths is thought to be a secure basis on which a firm should define itself and optimise its position, particularly in times of rapid and turbulent change. For example, Motorola has successfully met the needs of emerging markets by using its fundamental technological strengths in electronic components to progress from supplying TVs and car radios to offering telecommunications services. From a contrary perspective,ÂÂ  Johnson states that the prescriptive model contains many assumptions that are unsustainable in todays business world. The logical approach implies that strategy development is always deliberate and that strategies are realised according to plan. However, empirical research by Mintzberg discounts this, highlighting that realised strategy tends to be only 10 to 30 percent of the intended strategy. This is mainly because unpredictable events, such as the introduction of new regulations or technologies, will regularly act to force the original strategy off its course. Additionally, the prescriptive approach to planning falls short in allowing for any learned elements to be absorbed into the strategy and so can limit an organisations ability to respond flexibly in todays rapidly changing environment. The narrow-minded manner in which it focuses on established areas of business and capabilities can hinder serious transformational change where reinvention is required. A further criticism is that the prescriptive model fails to complement modern organisational cultures where employees at lower levels are included in the decision making process. This type of involvement is frequently found in small or medium sized businesses. As a result, organisational creativity can be stifled and employee dissonance may occur as it is at these levels that work processes are most fully understood. The Emergent Approach Mintzberg put the idea forward that strategies can be unplanned, developing incrementally over time as a businesses actions adapt to a changing reality. Instead of meeting a premeditated plan, he argued that strategy evolves through a process of learning, adjustment and experimentation. Formulation of strategy runs parallel to implementation and managers at multiple organisational levels have a key input into the actual strategies pursued by the organisation. This models emphasis on learning underlies more recent theories which focus on the value of knowledge as a core organisational competence for gaining competitive advantage. An emergent approach leads to more creative and responsive strategy making which is well suited to the hyper-competitive and unpredictable environments of today. Interestingly, Hamel and Prahalad pointed out that the most successful firms in the world such as Microsoft and Apple Macintosh do not tie themselves down to mission, goals and objectives or the predetermined plan. In contrast with the prescriptive approach which focuses on creating a fit between established strengths and emerging opportunities, the emergent approach challenges the status quo by intentionally creating a misfit between these factors. Hence, it is more suited to instigating positive, transformational organisational change such as diversification or restructuring. It also has the added benefit of helping to reduce resistance to change as it allows time to build employee support while the strategy is taking shape. On a negative note, when formulation and implementation occur simultaneously there is a risk that strategy development becomes too slow and jumbled a process. This means that valuable opportunities may be missed along the way. Also, conflicting objectives from different groups can hinder strategy development, particularly when there are power shifts taking place during a major strategic change such as a merger. Without strict analysis and identifiable targets, objectives can lack clarity and there may be no real basis for evaluating performance. Indeed, it was pointed out by Brews and Hunt that an over-reliance on emergent strategy formation could result in underperformance. Conclusion Within the framework of an environment which is by and large unpredictable, many organisations are forced to become more flexible and adaptive to change. This supports the adoption of an emergent approach to strategy development which invokes a more intelligent capacity to respond to new opportunities. Nonetheless, such a strategy can preclude control over actions and may risk a lack of direction. A greater use of strategic planning tools for internal and external analysis would certainly facilitate improved organisational learning and enhance strategic thinking even while following an emergent approach. This recognition that the prescriptive and emergent processes, rather than being mutually exclusive, can be complementary approaches that reinforce each other is being highlighted in more recent theories such as the Logical Incrementalism approach proposed by Quinn. All in all, most viable strategies in todays business world should have customised elements of prescriptive and emergent characteristics in order to manage the complexities of their business and still triumph over changing circumstances.

Personal Narrative: Drafts of my Writing Essay -- Narrative Essay Writ

Failing to mention either the most rewarding or the most distressing aspects of learning to write would be to tell an incomplete story. I have an intimate yet erratic relationship with writing. I am a most ambivalent lover. Stopping to glance at my watch, my fingers still poised above the keyboard, I have smiled, amazed to find that I have been in a state of bliss in which hours have passed without my noticing. I have also flushed and sweated as I stared at my computer screen, reading my own text over and over again, vainly trying to anticipate the criticism I correctly supposed would come. I love, adore, am devoted to, am crazy about writing. The limitations of words are nowhere more apparent that when I try to describe my pleasure, joy, delight, satisfaction at using, playing with, relishing, wielding them. I know about writing; well, the truth is that I sometimes know how to write. How it is that I know how to write is something I don’t know a lot about. I am a creative writer and a formal essayist. I am humorous and deadly serious, courageous and terrified. I write fiction and essay, poetry and prose. That makes me the teller of lies and truths and, perhaps occasionally, a bit of Truth. But I am fragile, so fragile. I can write when approval is heaped on me, layered like blankets; give me flannel, cotton, polyester blends, wool and down. Regardless of their weight or numbers, they never smother me or weigh me down. In truth, they barely keep out the drafts. I am grateful to be able to report that I have been wrapped tightly in such comforters as: â€Å"Good point . . . very impressive work . . . excellent . . . outstanding job.† â€Å"Very good essay, with clarity and insight.† â€Å"A strong paper, certainly no... ...I am grateful to her for saying them. Second, I attended the International Women’s Writing Guild’s Summer Conference last month at Skidmore College. Eunice Scarfe, a Canadian short story writer who teaches at the University of Alberta taught a workshop that I was drawn to attend each day. She called free writing â€Å"the act of writing,† and then described the editing and crafting that follow as â€Å"the art of writing.† That phrase brought a dignity to what had sometimes seemed to be embarrassingly numerous rewrites. It allows me a little shelter from the cold drafts that always threaten. Last, despite the uncertainty I feel about this relationship, despite my anxiety and my love’s many warts, complexities and annoying habits, I tuck the blanket around the two of us. I am conflicted, but still in love and something that I can’t quite name keeps me coming back for more.