Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Stalin s Power Of The Communist Party Essay - 3755 Words

How was Stalin able to assume control of the Communist Party by 1929? The assumption of power by Joseph Stalin was arguably one of the most significant periods of Bolshevik Russia’s history. Stalin is recognised as one of the most influential men to have ever lead Russia, and he did so through the largest war the world has ever faced, World War II, and through the beginning of one of the most tense periods of modern history, the Cold War. It is easy however, to get lost in the legacy Stalin left behind, and forget about the events leading up to his total control over the communist regime of the 20th century Russia. During his reign as the near absolute ruler of the Soviet Union, Stalin incited a plethora of atrocities, notably the manufactured famines, purges, and labour camp imprisonments. Stalin was able to be the primary blame for the death of an estimated 20-60 million people, with nearly no regard for human life. (Ghosh, 2013) Throughout his journey to power, Stalin faced several blockades and proved his leadership worthy by defeating them and coming out a stronger politician. Examples like Vladimir Lenin’s dying testament to the Communist Party, and the turmoiled years of the struggle for power in the Politburo, are all examples of which Stalin has bested his opponents. An abundance of evidence in both the life and times of Joseph Stalin, and a hundred years of speculation of the USSR, should lead for an interesting debate with multiple perspectives. Ultimately, byShow MoreRelatedStalins Achievement of Total Power in the Ussr911 Words   |  4 PagesWhy was Stalin able to achieve total power in the USSR by the end of the 1920’s? Stalin’s rise to power was due to many different factors. Firstly, on Lenin’s funeral day Stalin had given the wrong date to Trotsky which meant that Trotsky never turned up. Stalin took great advantage of the ‘Lenin Levy’ and how they worshipped Lenin. Stalin had written a short book which had summarised all of Lenin’s ideas and plans. From the side of the new Bolsheviks, this showed Stalin as the ‘true heir’ or naturalRead MoreComparing The Way Of Adolf Hitler, A Fascist Dictator, And Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin1629 Words   |  7 Pagesanalyze the differences in the way Adolf Hitler, a fascist dictator, and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, a communist dictator, controlled their countries and made political decisions, we have to learn what Fascism and Communism are. We must also look at how Hitler and Stalin came to power, as well as how they controlled their government. Starting with Fascism, it is basically when the state is the supre me power. Nothing gives orders above the state, and the state gives all orders. It is a strong dictatorshipRead MoreWhy Did Stalin Come to Power and Not Trotsky1370 Words   |  6 PagesHistory Essay: Why Stalin Not Trotsky Stalin’s race to become the all mighty ruler fully started after Lenin died of a stroke on the 21st of January 1924. With Lenin gone, Stalin started to eliminate the other members of the Communist Party: Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Rykov, Tomsky and Bukharin. He very cleverly switched between the left wing and the right wing, by making alliances with one wing the suddenly breaking with them, only to join the other wing, going against everything that they hadRead MoreThere is No Justification for the Terror in the U.S.S.R. in the 1930s1164 Words   |  5 Pagesfor the Terror in the U.S.S.R. in the 1930s I agree more with the statement ‘There can be no justification for the â€Å"terror† in the USSR in the 1930’s. It was motivated purely by Stalin’s lust for power.’ However, I can understand why one could say that terror was essential for the survival of the new communist state or Soviet Union. Stalin used terror to force the USSR to industrialiseRead MoreWhy Did Stalin Rather Than Trotsky Emerge as Leader of the Ussr610 Words   |  3 PagesWhy did Stalin rather than Trotsky emerge as leader of the USSR in 1929? When Lenin died in 1924 there was no clear leader of the communist party. By 1929 Stalin had successfully managed to take power and begin his regime as leader. Here are the reasons to why Stalin beat Trotsky. Firstly many members of the communist distrusted Trotsky due to his Menshevik past and didn’t see him as a true and Loyal Bolshevik. He didn’t join to Bolshevism until 1917 and this made the ‘old’ Bolsheviks suspect himRead MoreThe Rise And Fall Of The Communist Party1530 Words   |  7 PagesTwo men were vital to the rise and fall of the Communist Party in Russia. Their names, which are as synonymous with reform in Russian politics as they are the Communist party and Cold War, are Joseph Stalin and Mikhail Gorbachev. Both, who were born peasants, rose up the social ladder to greatness one wrung at the time. While both were radical political and economic reformers who truly left their marks on history, their policies were antipodal at best. Gorbachev was the frigid water to Stalin’s roaringRead MoreThe Soviet Union And The Cold War1693 Words   |  7 Pagesduring the Cold War. The conflict between the communist and the capitalist ideologies was the main cause for starting the Cold War. The Soviet Union had a different idea on how they wanted to run their country. The Soviet Union want to run their country as a communist country, which a communist country is ruled by one dictator who is calling the shots and they put the needs of the country before the needs of personal human rights. The Western powers want to have worldwide run as a capitalist countryRead MoreStalin s Leader Of The Soviet Union Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was born 18 December 1878 in Gori, Georgia and died 5 March 1953. Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union for over two decades. He was trying to modernize Russia and help to defeat Nazism. Stalin ruled up until his own death in 1953. He was known as a brutal leader who was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million people. Stalin s parents were poor and he had a rough childhood. He later went to become a priest in a Georgian Orthodox Church, but, he was expelledRead MoreNazi Aggression And Its Effects On The World1286 Words   |  6 Pagesfought back under the guiding light of Comrade Stalin with violent terror masked by promises of false prosperity and equality. German philosopher Karl Marx put the original ideology of Communism to words in 1848. In his manifesto, Marx stressed the importance of the proletariat or working class and suggested that they would take power from the dying hands of capitalists. However when communism first appeared on the world stage in the early 1900’s, its implementation was far from the ideas thatRead MoreThe Russian Revolution s Influence On Joseph Stalin1436 Words   |  6 PagesSerene Singh Psarakis SL History G1 5 November 2014 The Russian Revolution’s Influence on Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin greatly influenced Russia and the international community in the years 1924 through 1932. His rise to this power can be explained by the Russian Revolutionary experience that allowed him to gain influence in Russia. Although historians often refer to Stalin as a ruthless, mindless dictator, he redirected the Russian Revolution to later present economic development and opportunity

Monday, December 23, 2019

Ethno 50B Essay #1 - 1347 Words

Small Changes Make Big Differences A living jazz legend once exclaimed â€Å"jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.† Herbie Hancock makes it clear that jazz has been an evolving form of art. And just as simple as the notion that music can change the world, music changes in itself. Jazz once evolved into something we call swing. Back in the roaring twenties people got up and danced to this kind of music. However, these simple and playful melodies that everyone were accustomed to transformed into intricate music with a different basis. When jazz was over everyone’s head and people stopped dancing, we call this period bop. Inevitably, new ideas emerged and jazz musicians decided to take a†¦show more content†¦Monk was a self-taught pianist that played with flat fingers, yet had incredible control and improvisation skills. Gillespie was a genius musician trumpet player that had a great deal of fun with his se nse of humor and comedic skits, nicknamed Dizzy. â€Å"Dizzy developed bunny routines as fast as he developed original music. With them he attracted and held audiences that might not have understood everything he was playing† (Crow 1990: 331). As Crow shows, Dizzy had a silly side but knew when to buckle down and be serious. The combination of Bird, Dizzy and Monk, meant endless hours soloing at Minton’s and Monroe’s. They explored their individual sides of soloing and created unison soloing between trumpet and saxophone when improvising. The only problem was, even when Dizzy was serious, his style of music was not adored by everyone. The very fast tempos and blur through notes made it hard to dance to like in the swing period, which made it hard to be popular. It was this lack of an audience that started the transition over to the cool era. The reason it’s probably called cool jazz is because it brought the energy down a level compared to bop. â€Å"In a macro sense, it describes a jazz musician whose performance style is restrained subdued, or understated when compared with â€Å"hot† taken in bebop† (Meadows 2003: 262). Some people consider cool jazz a reaction to bop, yet

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Bioethics Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism Free Essays

string(44) " but the use of them to prevent conception\." Roman Catholicism and Buddhism are two very different religions. They vary greatly on many aspects of contemporary life issues, such as the environment, personal health and violence. The following essay will contain similarities and differences between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism, focusing on the contemporary issue of Bioethics. We will write a custom essay sample on Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism or any similar topic only for you Order Now The ideas debated will include views on abortion, in vitro fertilization, organ transplantation, euthanasia, contraception and cloning. The Collins Australian Dictionary definition of Bioethics is the study of ethical problems arising from biological research and its applications. Roman Catholicism and Buddhism both have similar views about Abortion. The definition of Abortion reads as an operation or other procedure to terminate pregnancy before the foetus is viable. The Roman Catholic view about abortion is that it is gravely evil at all times. James 2:26 states that the body without the spirit is dead. Since from the moment of conception the human body starts to develop, it is considered to be alive and to then have spirit. This view also ties in with the fifth commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill. In Buddhism, there is no actual rule on Abortion, but many view it as wrong. Buddhists believe that life should not be destroyed, and believe that causing death is wrong if the death is caused purposely or through carelessness. Traditional Buddhists disapprove of abortion due to the fact that it is deliberately destroying a life. Buddhists also believe that life starts at conception. Some less traditional Buddhists believe that abortion should be permissible if the child is to be severely handicapped as to cause suffering when they are born. The Dalai Lama stated in 1993 stated that abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. He then went on to mention the child being born handicapped or the birth putting the parents into serious problems, that the pregnancy should be stopped. The first of the eight precepts of Buddhism states that the Buddhist will abstain from being harmful to living beings. Hence, to have an abortion is breaking the 8 Precepts of Buddhism, just as it is violating the Ten Commandments in Christianity. Euthanasia is the act of killing someone painlessly, especially to relieve suffering from an incurable illness. Roman Catholics and Buddhists generally have the same view on the way euthanasia is approached in everyday life. Roman Catholics mostly believe that euthanasia is wrong. They mostly base their arguments around the teachings that life is given by God, and that the natural process of death should not be interfered with. Roman Catholics are taught to believe that all life is sacred and that life should be valued no matter to which level of pleasure and well-being the person living such a life is receiving. This means that no person should be purposefully killed, even if they wish to be euthanized. This conclusion can be supported once again with the fifth commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill. In Buddhist tradition, there is no final answer as to whether euthanasia is morally correct or not, however most Buddhists are against involuntary euthanasia. Their views on voluntary euthanasia are less clear. Most Buddhists are against voluntary euthanasia, as it depicts that the person who is suffering is not at a peaceful state of mind and has let their physical suffering affect their mental state. A problem regarding Buddhism and euthanasia is the factor of reincarnation. In their current form, Buddhists are unaware of what their next life will bring. This means that if Buddhists were to permit euthanasia, it would be practically wrong because it would be shortening ones suffering in this life to be born into a life that could possibly be even worse. Another reason why euthanasia is an issue is because the way that a Buddhist ends one life greatly affects the way they are to start the next. Buddhists are meant to reach a state where their thoughts are free of anger hatred or fear, and should be selfless and enlightened. Voluntary euthanasia is only permitted for those who have reached such a state, and should be avoided by anybody who has not yet reached a sense of enlightenment. The practice of euthanasia is also breaking the first of the 8 precepts of Buddhism, which is abstaining from being harmful to living beings. Consequently, euthanasia is a similarity between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism, because, though at varying degrees of severity, both religions generally disagree with euthanizing a human being. Contraception is another bioethical field in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhism share common grounds. Contraception refers to the intentional prevention of conception by artificial or natural methods. Roman Catholics and Buddhists both accept and reject the use of certain types of contraceptives and the ways that they prevent conception. In the Roman Catholic Church, all uses of contraception other than family planning are looked upon sourly. (Note that the Roman Catholic Church teaches its followers that sexual intercourse should only be present between man and woman who are married to each other to begin with, and so the following views on contraceptives should be viewed in the position of man and wife. The Roman Catholic Church believes that intercourse is an act that was created for couples to procreate, and so any method which prevents such chances is considered to be immoral. If couples wish to engage in intercourse and not conceive a child, they are to do so naturally, in the period that a woman is infertile, that is, the time when a woman isn’t ovulating. As said in Genesis 1:28, man was specially made by God to be fruitful and multiply. This basically says that man was engineered by God to procreate; hence forth contraceptives are directly doing the opposite of what man was created to do. Though, the Roman Catholic Church does not directly condemn contraceptives in themselves, but the use of them to prevent conception. You read "Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism" in category "Essay examples" For example, if a woman who is not in a sexual relationship is to use the pill to regulate her cycle it is not wrong in one bit. Buddhism permits the use of contraceptives if that particular method prevents contraception, however it is not acceptable is that certain type of contraception works by stopping the development of a fertilized egg. Buddhists believe that life begins, or a form of consciousness is created as soon as an egg is fertilized. As the Buddhist religion believes that no living being should be harmed, many types of contraceptives are unacceptable, such as the IUD. However, using contraceptives is not against the religion. Although the Buddhist teachings do not condemn intercourse with no desire for conception, the Third Precept teaches that Buddhists will abstain from all sexual practices that are inconvenient. This says that Buddhists seeking enlightenment should not use contraceptives for one’s sexual pleasure. Unlike Roman Catholicism, the Buddhist religion does not regard having children as a religious duty, but the two religions meet in their views on how certain types of contraceptives are acceptable and others are not, with the Roman Catholic views being more strict rather than the more lenient Buddhist views. Though Roman Catholicism and Buddhism can have very similar views on different aspects of Bioethics, the two religions also have very differing viewpoints on other aspects on the issue. One area of Bioethics in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhism do not meet on is the idea of Organ Donation. Organ donation is the act of giving up one’s organs to help others in need of such organs to live. Roman Catholicism encourages organ donation, and it is seen as an act of charity, fraternal love and self-sacrifice. Roman Catholics believe that it is a Christian duty to help others, and so organ donation is praised as it is giving other a chance of life that they may have otherwise not of been given. Pope John Paul 11 spoke of organ donation and stated that there is an everyday heroism, made up of gestures of sharing†¦ A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs†¦ offering a chance of health and even of life itself to the sick that sometimes have no other hope. The Current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, is a registered organ and tissue donor. The Buddhist faith teaches that organ donation is neither right nor wrong, and it is more of a personal decision rather than a Church teaching whether to donate organs or not. In some instances, organ donation is seen as an act of charity. Many Buddhists, Tibetan Buddhists in particular, have concerns about organ donation due to their beliefs of when consciousness leaves the body. Because donation from a deceased body has to occur immediately after the person dies. Tibetan Buddhists worry that the human body will be tampered with before the consciousness leaves the body. This is a worry to them because they believe that if the body is touched before consciousness leaves, it could potentially cause harm to the deceased’s future lives. As it can be seen from the above two examples, the Roman Catholic and Buddhists religions have differing views on organ donation, as Roman Catholicism is all for the issue and certain fields of Buddhism have a few more concerns about the matter. Cloning is an area of bioethics in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhist views differ greatly. A clone is a segment of DNA that has been isolated and replicated by laboratory manipulation. Cloning has achieved great scientific feat in previous years, with the successful cloning of dolly the sheep in 1996. There are no teachings in Roman Catholicism that directly state negative views on cloning as it has only been a matter in the past few decades, but there are principles in scripture that reveal opinions on such matters. In an excerpt from Genesis 1:26-27, it is revealed that God said, ‘and now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us’†¦ So God created human beings, making them to be like himself† It is taught that all human beings are created in the image of God and are therefore unique, hence cloning contradicts this theory as it is indeed, creating an exact duplicate of another human being. Also, Roman Catholicism teaches their followers that life is sacred and it should not be treated as an inanimate and worthless object, due to the fact that cloning causes scientists to experiment with human cells and embryos as if they have to spiritual value. Pope John Paul II stated in a speech to Vatican-based diplomats that one’s right to life is the most fundamental of human rights. Abortion, euthanasia, [and] human cloning . . . risk reducing the human person to a mere object. Buddhist belief with the matter is significantly on the other end of the scale. Buddhists do not have such a concept of individuality between each other, so Buddhist scholars don’t necessarily feel that there is any relevance in the way a child is born, rather than Roman Catholicism. The religion of Buddhism teaches that the earth is a place of suffering in which sickness, old age and death are unavoidable. Buddhism also teaches that to be healed from such a place is to reach a state of enlightenment. Some Buddhists believe that reproductive cloning can even help people reach such a state due to the fact that one can possible select certain attributes, such as selectively breeding people with advanced moral qualities. Professor Yong Moon from Seoul National University stated that Cloning is a different way of thinking about the recycling of life. It’s a Buddhist way of thinking. As the above examples show, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism have greatly differing views on the concept of cloning. Since it was first used in 1978, In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, has caused significant amounts of controversy between many of the world’s religions and cultures. IVF is a technique enabling some women who are unable to conceive to bear children, in which egg cells removed from a woman’s ovary are fertilized by sperm in vitro. Some of these eggs are then incubated until the blastocyst stage, which are then implanted into the woman’s uterus. The Roman Catholic church condemns IVF births as children are meant to be conceived though natural means, that is, sexual intercourse between man and wife. It is also due to the fact that children are meant to be created through man, woman and God, rather than man, woman and doctor. Another reason why Roman Catholicism disagrees with IVF is because of the way that the sperm from the male is produced – masturbation. Such acts are looked on dishonourably by the Roman Catholic faith. An excerpt from CCC2352 states that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action. The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose. Roman Catholics also believe that a life is created the moment a child is conceived, and that every blastocyst deserves the right to life. IVF contradicts this as for most IVF procedures, the woman will produce many eggs, and only a select few will be implanted into her uterus, leaving many to be either washed down a sink or kept for medical research. The Roman Catholic Church does not agree with stem cell research on embryos for the reason that these embryos will inevitably die. There is little information on Buddhist belief and IVF, but it is known that Buddhism presents greatly opposing beliefs on IVF. They believe that every human has been closely connected with another and one time or another, due to the belief of previous lives. Also, Buddhists believe that any person involved in the creation of a child has a karmic connection. A karmic connection is a sense that one feels instantly comfortable and familiar with another, as in the relationship between mother and child. In a â€Å"regular† pregnancy, this connection is felt between the mother, father and child. However, in a pregnancy which was a result of IVF, the connection is evident between the mother, father, child and doctor, as they all played a role in the creation of the life. To sum up, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism have greatly differing views on whether or not IVF should or should not be used when trying to conceive a child. In conclusion, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism share common grounds on many Bioethical issues, yet their views and beliefs can also differ greatly. Buddhism tends to accept bioethical issues that do not affect the life and death process of the human person, such as contraception, cloning and IVF. The Roman Catholic Church disagrees with forms of Bioethics that prevent, end or create life in an unnatural manner, such as euthanasia, abortion and cloning. The Roman Catholic Church has more set in rules and restrictions, rather than Buddhism in which many bioethical issues are left to the individual person to decide whether they are right choice to make or not. References http://www.jfinternational.com/psy/karmic-connections.html http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2352.htm http://www.gotquestions.org/birth-control.html http://www.gotquestions.org/cloning-Christian.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/organdonation.shtml http://www.bioethics.org.au/Resources/Resource%20Topics/Cloning.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/contraception.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/contraception_1.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/euthanasiasuicide.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/euthanasia_1.shtml How to cite Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Nature- to Build a Fire free essay sample

These two authors apply a unique perspective of how nature can apply to everyday life. The aspects of interacting with nature and human emotions analyzed and examined in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau. Nature can be a dreaded enemy and can drain life out of humans and animals that are not aware and cautious. In the short story â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London, nature sets and controls the tone throughout and interacts with the man and his dog. In the story, a man and his dog are traveling through the Yukon, in Alaska, to meet the man’s friends in a cabin miles away. They encounter an enormous amount of adversity and pain while trying to reach his friends. The Yukon is one of the coldest places on Earth and the man and his dog have to travel for hours in the bitter cold. They discover the power and ruthlessness of nature head on in their journey. The man had an estimation of how cold it really is while he and his dog were walking, the temperature is, â€Å"Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty-odd degrees of frost. Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon mans frailty in general, able to live within certain narrow limits of cold† (London). This quote shows that the man believes that he is stronger and more powerful than the cold. Nature interacts with the man and slowly causes him to loose his human sense. The man becomes mentally and physically weak and eventually dies from frostbite and vulnerability to nature. Nature’s interaction with the man and his dog clearly set the scene for the whole story. On the other hand, nature can be a person’s best friend and fantasy. In the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau becomes one with nature and lives on the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He moves to the woods and lives by himself and observes nature first hand. Thoreau states exactly why he goes to the woods, â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach† (Thoreau 406). Thoreau believes that nature is an essential part of his life. Thoreau moves to the shores of Walden Pond because he believes that he needs to simplify his life, believing that the best way to live was uncommitted, free, and as long as possible. Rather than nature being a threatening part of life, as in â€Å"To Build a Fire†, Walden describes nature as calm and inviting. Thoreau values the opportunity to control what he does and when he does it. He knows that he is free in nature and enjoys the fact that he can go fishing on the river and exploring in the woods, whenever he desires. Thoreau interacts and connects with nature in a calm and productive way. The way that nature interacts with Thoreau creates a distinct tone for the whole story. Jack London bases his short story on the fact that nature is always pushing man to his limits. James R. Giles, in his Introduction to American Realism, states London inspired a fiction that can best be described as the naturalistic and imperialistic epic that has been a mainstay of twentieth-century American popular literature and culture† (Giles). This shows that London encompasses all of the assets to be known as a naturalist writer. London creates a way to make readers feel scared, cold, and lost in Jill Widdicombe’s overview of â€Å"To Build a Fire†. Widdicombe describes how London incorporates the story of a Yup’ik (a people group indigenous to Alaska) family traveling throughout Alaska in a car, when they become jammed in a snow bank and have nowhere to go being far from any major roads. While in temperatures below negative sixty degrees fahrenheit, the family tries to build a bonfire to keep warm, but their attempt at the fire fails. When the attempt at building the fire fails the family has nothing else to save them and eventually all die because of the horrendous cold and hypothermia. In addition to the aspect of nature, the aspect of the family being alone in nature also applies to the transcendental approach London is using. In â€Å"To Build a Fire†, London’s uses his love and knowledge of nature to provide a naturalist approach. London describes how a man has to survive in terribly cold temperatures, â€Å"When it is seventy five below zero, a man must not fail in his first attempt to build a fire – that is, if his feet are wet† (London), showing that nature is extremely powerful and man has no time for istakes when nature is at full force. London’s naturalist writing style helps bring out the real human characteristics in all of his characters. The naturalist approach to incorporate the outdoors and the ideals of nature, add tremendously to the short story â€Å"To Build a Fire†. In contrast, Henry David Thoreau shows the aspects of transcendentalism throughout his book Walden. According to Perry D. Westbrook, an Amer ican Social philosopher, â€Å"Walden is a major literary expression of New England transcendentalism. It records its authors experiences and thoughts while living for two years and two months in a hut that he had built on the wooded shores of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts† (Westbrook). Thoreau values the simplicity and pureness of nature rather than the complex hustle of normal society. The transcendental value of being alone in nature is reflected by Thoreau when he says, â€Å"But I would say to my fellows, once for all, as long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail† (Thoreau 405). Thoreau wants his readers to live free and to the full potential and he believes that can only be done alone and in nature. According to Overview: Walden†, Thoreau â€Å"urges his readers to simplify their lives† (Overview: Walden. ), and to live as one in nature. Thoreau perfectly imitates the fundamental aspects of transcendental writing in Walden. Jack London uses his imagery in â€Å"To Build a Fire† to show the emotions of his characters, painting a picture in the heads of his readers. London uses his words in a unique way to show how human emotions are in fact a reflection of nature. Throughout the story, the man struggles with the fierce cold in the Yukon territory and continuously tries to complete his goal of reaching his friends miles down the trail. The man tries for the last time to light the match to start a fire, â€Å"At last, when he could endure no more, he jerked his hands apart. The blazing matches fell sizzling into the snow† (London), showing that his emotions and body could endure no more and that nature had taken its toll on the man. Nature and its powerful ways, throughout â€Å"To Build a Fire†, cause the man to build up numerous emotions that compile and eventually lead to his death. Human emotions are a reflection and response to the brutal effects of nature. In Walden, Henry David Thoreau also expresses that human emotions are a reflection of nature. According to Kent C. Ryden an American scholar, â€Å"First, Thoreau sought to live a life grounded imaginatively, ethically, and sensuously in the textures of the natural world. Second, over the course of his career he became more and more interested in natural life itself, in understanding how nature worked† (Ryden). Throughout most of Walden, Thoreau’s mood is directly related with the weather in Walden Pond. During the winter season, Thoreau’s mood is calm and silent due to the gray skies and quiet woods; he has few visitors and is left alone to think during the winter months. Nature plays a pivotal role in expressing human emotions in â€Å"To Build a Fire† and Walden. Nature is a defining force in the lives of every single person living on this magnificent planet. The weather controls what people do and when they can do what they desire, no person in their right mind will go on a jog in the middle of a tsunami. Jack London brings out the brutal force of nature in his short story â€Å"To Build a Fire†. On the other hand, Henry David Thoreau brings out the calm and in depth part of nature in his book Walden. Even though the way nature acts is completely different in these two stories, many comparisons can be made. The aspects of involving nature and becoming one with nature show transcendentalist and naturalist values in the respective stories. Also, the reflection between human emotions and nature are demonstrated throughout â€Å"To Build a Fire† and Walden. Jack London and Henry David Thoreau show exemplary skill to be able to apply such detailed aspects of nature in each of their stories. Word Count: 1621 Works Cited Giles, James R. Introduction. The Naturalistic Inner-City Novel in America: Encounters with the Fat Man. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1995. 1-14. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 182. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. London, Jack. To Build a Fire. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. JackLondons. net. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. Ryden, Kent C. Thoreaus landscape within: how he came to know nature, and through it came to know himself. American Scholar 74. 1 (2005): 132+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry D. Walden. Prentice Hall Literature. Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: The American Experience. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 400-11. Print. Westbrook, Perry D. Walden: Overview. Reference Guide to American Literature. Ed. Jim Kamp. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Widdicombe, Jill. An overview of To Build a Fire,. Gale Online Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Overview: Walden. Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smi th, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Great Gatsby - Analysis Of Nick Essays - The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby - Analysis of Nick NICK CARRAWAY has a special place in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is not just one character among several; it is through his eyes and ears that the story takes place. In this novel, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, indeed his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father's words about Nick's "advantages,? which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were spiritual or moral advantages. Nick wants his reader to know that his upbringing gave him the moral fiber with which to withstand and pass judgment on an amoral world, such as the one he had observed the previous summer. He says, rather pompously, that as a consequence of such an upbringing, he is "inclined to reserve all judgments" about other people, but then goes on to say that such "tolerance . . . has a limit.? This is the first sign the narrator gives the reader to show he will give an even-handed insight to the story that is about to unfold. Later the reader learns he neither reserves all judgments nor does his tolerance reach its limit. Nick is very partial in his way of telling the story about several characters. He admits early into the story that he makes an exception of judging Gatsby, for whom he is prepared to suspend both the moral code of his upbringing and the limit of intolerance, because Gatsby had an "extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness.? This inspired him to a level of friendship and loyalty that Nick seems unprepared to extend towards others in the novel. Nick overlooks the moral implications of Gatsby's bootlegging, his association with speakeasies, and with Meyer Wolfsheim, the man rumored to have fixed the World Series in 1919. Yet, he is contemptuous of Jordan Baker for cheating in a mere golf game. While he says that he is prepared to forgive this sort of behavior in a woman: "It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame too deeply - I was casually sorry, and then I forgot," it seems that he cannot accept her for being "incurably dishonest" and then reflects that his one "cardinal virtue" is that he is "one of the few honest peo ple" he has ever known. When it comes to judging women - or perhaps only potential lovers - not only are they judged, they are judged by how well they stand up to his own virtues. Nick leaves the Midwest after he returns from the war, restless and at odds with the traditional, conservative values that, from his account, haven't changed in spite of the tumult of the war. It is this insularity from a changed world no longer structured by the values that had sent young men to war, that decides him to go East, to New York, and learn about bonds. After one summer out East, a remarkable summer for this morally advantaged young man, he "decided to come back home" to the security of what is familiar and traditional. He sought a return to the safety of a place where houses were referred to by the names of families that had inhabited them for generations; a security that Nick decides makes Westerners "subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.? By this stage, the East had become for him the "grotesque" stuff of his nightmares. This return home tells the reader many things about Nick. Nick is adversely affected by the events of that summer: the death of a woman he met briefly and indirectly, who was having an affair with his cousin's husband and whose death leads to the death of his next-door neighbor. The only genuine affection in the novel is shown by Nick towards Gatsby. He admires Gatsby's optimism, an attitude that is out of step with the sordidness of the times. Fitzgerald illustrates this sordidness not just in the Valley of Ashes, but right there beneath the thin veneer of the opulence represented by Daisy and Tom. Nick is "in love" with Gatsby's capacity to

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Sexual Abuse And How It Effects Children As They Become Adults

Sexual Abuse and How It Effects Children as They Become Adults Children are affected in many different ways by sexual abuse. Adults who are sexually abused as children often can’t erase the harm done to their lives, therefore; they may have to receive years of psychotherapy to help counteract the effects of sexual dysfunction, depression, and the sense of low self esteem. First of all try to consider the sexual dysfunction caused by sexual abuse. Often adults who are sexually abused as children may have problems interacting with anyone in a sexual way ever again. Some adults may not want anything to do with sex and they may resist becoming sexually involved with anyone. On the other hand, females who are forced to stimulate a man sexually as a child may not be able to even look at or touch their husband’s penis when they become adults. Some may be confused over the boundaries of behavior, which separates affection, sex, and abuse. As a result, adults who were sexually abused as a child are more likely to experience sexual problems. â€Å"The victim may feel like ‘damaged goods’, which is, feel unworthy of relationships with members of the opposite sex† (Cooney 72). They may also have a negative attitude when being touched by someone due to being abused. Depression plays a big role on how someone is affected by being sexually abused. Children who are sexually abused often go through extensive emotional problems. They may feel like they are carrying around a secret inside of them that they are not able to share with anyone. They may experience overwhelming loneliness or even guilt. Depression may be linked to suicide, drug abuse, and self-abusive behavior. Consequently, many who experience sexual abuse have more bad days than good ones and normally have a bad outlook on life itself. Thus, all people who are sexually abused experience some depression. â€Å"Adults who have been sexually abused as children may also... Free Essays on Sexual Abuse And How It Effects Children As They Become Adults Free Essays on Sexual Abuse And How It Effects Children As They Become Adults Sexual Abuse and How It Effects Children as They Become Adults Children are affected in many different ways by sexual abuse. Adults who are sexually abused as children often can’t erase the harm done to their lives, therefore; they may have to receive years of psychotherapy to help counteract the effects of sexual dysfunction, depression, and the sense of low self esteem. First of all try to consider the sexual dysfunction caused by sexual abuse. Often adults who are sexually abused as children may have problems interacting with anyone in a sexual way ever again. Some adults may not want anything to do with sex and they may resist becoming sexually involved with anyone. On the other hand, females who are forced to stimulate a man sexually as a child may not be able to even look at or touch their husband’s penis when they become adults. Some may be confused over the boundaries of behavior, which separates affection, sex, and abuse. As a result, adults who were sexually abused as a child are more likely to experience sexual problems. â€Å"The victim may feel like ‘damaged goods’, which is, feel unworthy of relationships with members of the opposite sex† (Cooney 72). They may also have a negative attitude when being touched by someone due to being abused. Depression plays a big role on how someone is affected by being sexually abused. Children who are sexually abused often go through extensive emotional problems. They may feel like they are carrying around a secret inside of them that they are not able to share with anyone. They may experience overwhelming loneliness or even guilt. Depression may be linked to suicide, drug abuse, and self-abusive behavior. Consequently, many who experience sexual abuse have more bad days than good ones and normally have a bad outlook on life itself. Thus, all people who are sexually abused experience some depression. â€Å"Adults who have been sexually abused as children may also...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization - Essay Example Thrusting in a jet velocity starting from the industrial revolution till today the advancement of technology can be seen in every aspects of life today (Communication Technology & Globalization, n.d.). Contemporary definition of globalization In the contemporary definition of globalization the social, cultural and environmental factors are included. The bottom line of contemporary globalization can be viewed as the â€Å"intensification of cross-national interactions that promote the establishment of trans-national structures and the global integration of cultural, economic, political, technological and social process on global, supra-national, national, regional and local levels†(Gaston. etal, 2008, p.15). Contemporary globalization in our daily life The term globalization is a complex and relative term. It varies from people to people. According to some people globalization affects their lives economically. Some say that it would point the influences made by the political an d social issues. People differ in their perspective of understanding of globalization as their experiences vary. But in general it can be inferred that globalization can be thought of as a process through which the citizens of the world in rapid pace are getting connected and dependant on each other. The effect of globalization on an individual’s life can be viewed from three different perspectives viz. economic, social, and political. (Stohl, n.d. p.223). Substitution of early means of communication with the modern means and role of technology Advancement of technology has substituted the previous means of communication with modern means of communication like messengers on horseback has been replaced by postal vans and subsequently replaced by electronic mail which has became faster and more convenient than the previous means of communication. Globalization has contributed to the exaggerated rapidity of information exchange across the globe. And this phenomenon has taken int o consideration the homogenization and hybridization of all aspects of social, technological, economic, and political dynamics on a global scale (Understandings of Globalization, n.d.). Technological determinism and social constructivism in modern communication and globalization Behind all kinds of social development technological determinism plays a primordial driving force. Technological determinism holds that technology is the key source in the social development. According to Marshall McLuhan, â€Å"the channels of communication are the primary cause of cultural change.† According to his view technology plays an indispensible part in the development of a path which is unaffected by social, economic and political factors. In contrary with the theory of technological determinism another paradigm of concept which has been developed is the social constructivism. The advocates of social constructivism argue that human action including culture, economics, and politics is not sh aped by technology but rather it is the case that technology is shaped by human action. According to Wiebe Bijker culture is not distorted or decided by technology but it is a fact that culture accelerates the development and advancement of technology (Understandings o

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Call center problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Call center problems - Essay Example This organization specializes in diversified fields therefore the personnel totals almost two thousand employees. Being the biggest employer in Glasgow, FCCC is dynamic company, which requires constant innovations and improvements of its performance and working conditions. Lately, Operations Director made investments for restructuring and rebuilding management approaches. With this new policy, Forsythe was counting to achieve improvements of company’s performance, employees’ satisfaction and economic indictors. Regrettably, invested money did not manage to give awaited results. On the contrary, the company has faced several serious problems, which require appropriate and immediate solutions. The most urgent problematic issues are the following: 1. High rate of turnover for staff The indicator of fluctuation movement of personnel is much higher among young employees of the company. This can be explained with the fact that more than one third of the staff is employees who se age is under twenty five. Moreover, for most of the workers, FCCC is their first or second place of work. That is why as every newcomer to the labour market, young employees randomly work for their first employer for a long time. Usually, when they pass an adaptation period and learn their responsibilities feeling confident in own strengths and knowledge, they are willing to switch to another employer for improving professional skills, gaining new experience, and developing own potential. In addition, despite the fact that FCCC offers compatible levels of salaries, employees easily leave the company because Glasgow is full of call centres that provide attractive working conditions. Thereby, employees always have a choice. They are not afraid to lose their job because there are a lot of other opportunities. Numerous call centres will be glad to hire them due to the low availability of spare unit of labour. High rate of turnover for staff negatively affects the balance indicators o f the company’s performance. It means that the company uses its assets ineffectively and spends much time and money on recruitment of the new staff and its training. This leads to extra expenditures. 2. Poor communication process between different sections Due to the survey, it has been concluded that interaction between departments, especially in critical and urgent cases, is ineffective. Employees are blocked and isolated from each other with computer screens that hamper not only to resolve professional issues but also to discuss day-to-day topics and improve social environment in the office. The lack of proper communication causes negative influence on customer service because taking into account that each section specializes on specific sphere, the provided information can be limited. However, in case there has been a specialist in the same office, it would have been easier to offer customer assistance with the help of professionalism of colleague’s support. Due to the fact that each department has been granted its own floor, employees are able to interact with each other only via phone, which drastically restraints widening of personnel’s knowledge base and improvement of social life at work. 3. Inability to personalise own working place Taking into account that significant part of the staff works by shifts, there is a principle of hot desk in the office. Therefore, it can be concluded that employee does not have own corner and thereby is not attached to a particular working place. Hence, this may be another explanation of frequent dismissals. If a person is not able to be accustomed to own desk and add some personal things there, then he or she can easily leave it without any nostalgia or aftertaste. Hot desk does not cause habit,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Why is it important to differentiate your product Would a cost Essay

Why is it important to differentiate your product Would a cost leadership strategy be more effective Why or Why not - Essay Example The use of internet and cell phones made the purchasers to shift from 'marketplace'1 to the 'marketspace'2. The companies are to appeal both to the cognitive as well as to the emotional aspect of the buyers to sell their products in this fast changing consumer preferences. The task of diversifying the product or value addition to it to get more consumer acceptability is becoming more and more complex in this era. The marketing stalwarts are to devise different strategies to achieve success in making their product moving. Sometimes they differentiate their product and justify the demand of a premium price for the same while in other cases they reduce the manufacturing cost of the produce thereby making it cost effective. In this paper discussions are made regarding pros and cons of two such strategies such as 'Product Differentiation' and 'Cost Leadership' strategies and an analysis has been made regarding their applicability in different situations. Before the globalization process started the national firms were catering to the local needs thus making the choices for the customers restricted. But with globalization new companies with a varied range of products entered the market giving customers ample scope to choose the best among them. This gives rise to hyper competition for the companies to sell a similar kind of product. As choosing among the multiple products mainly based on differences between various attributes of the same, addition of value to the product as per the requirement of the customer became one of the important marketing strategies. "Product Differentiation is the modification of a product to make it more attractive to the target market" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_differentiation). It can be used as a complement or means of implementing market segmentation. This differentiation is being made to create a perception of uniqueness in the mind of a customer(Irene, Handouts). It gives a brand reputatio n thus catching the emotions of the customers to buy the particular product even if by giving a premium price. With product differentiation the changing needs of the buyer is duly addressed. The techno savvy buyer gets the goods with latest technology with a high price he has to pay for the same. For example "General Motors offers the OnStar system on selected vehicles. It includes GPS(Global Positioning System)for locating the car's exact position. The Driver can locate te nearest ATM, Hospital, convenience store, gas station and even book a room. The driver can a press a button in case of emergency to get immediate aid."(Kotler 318). Thus differentiation of the product always preceeds market research and study of various market segments. Some products are capable of high degree of differentiation (e.g. automobiles, furniture, cell pones etc.) while the scope for differentiating some other are very very less( e.g. steel). This differentiation can be made to various product attributes such as its form, features, performance, durability, style etc. Also we can differentiate a service by modifying its mode of delivery, installation, training etc. The primary task in this process is determing that "which features are worth adding. For each potential feature the company sould calcualte the customer value

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission In Bangladesh Economics Essay

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission In Bangladesh Economics Essay Atmosphere is a global public good and all nations around the globe dump pollution in the atmosphere at zero cost. As a result the concentrations of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) have been increasing in the atmosphere leading to its market failure. The four major components of GHG are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and F-gases. In targeting GHG emission, main focus is given to CO2 since it constitutes a large share of the GHG . The rising concentrations of GHG in the atmosphere are bringing considerable changes to climate for example rise in global mean temperature by 0.4-0.8Â °C and average annual rate in sea level by 1-2 mm in the last century . Reducing GHG emissions in Bangladesh Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries of the threat to climate change. IPCC report suggests, a one-metre rise in sea levels would flood 29846 sq km (total area of Bangladesh is 147570 sq km) of Bangladesh and create 14.8 million people landless . Most of the land of Bangladesh is less than 20 feet high from the sea level. Bangladeshs population is 150.5 million in 2011 and per capita greenhouse emission is 0.3 in 2008 . Bangladesh is currently contributing to global carbon emissions by an amount slightly less than its share in world GDP . CO2 emissions per capita (Tonnes) Year Figure 1: GHGs emission by Bangladesh, India, China and Pakistan Source: Although Bangladesh has low GHG emission, its paying higher prices for the consequences of climate change associated with higher GHG concentration in the atmosphere. The frequency of natural disasters has rapidly increased. Bangladesh has been always arguing in favour of reduced global GHG emission in climate negotiations. Bangladeshs own GHG emission is also showing an increasing trend. There is a projection of Bangladeshs greenhouse gas emission under different growth scenarios up to 2050: Source: Figure 2 The vulnerability of Bangladesh for climate change demands interventions to reduce GHG emission from her own end. There may be different policy intervention instruments for reducing greenhouse gas emission like creation of property rights, market based incentives (a tax, emission trading scheme), different forms of regulation, subsidies etc. When taking any policy, it is important to evaluate the policy under certain standards like environmental effectiveness, cost effectiveness, distributional impacts and institutional feasibilities. Two proposed policy interventions to reduce GHG emissions in Bangladesh are: Regulation (setting renewable energy target to reduce carbon emission) Regulations are most common form of interventions to reduce GHG emission like renewable energy target, light bulbs, specifying production technology or input to use or not to use etc. Market based incentives to reduce pollution (tax on carbon emission) Market based interventions create a price incentive to internalise the cost of externality and correct the market failure. Regulation : Renewable energy target A tax on carbon emission Regulations can be imposed by considering the particular circumstances of a firm or industry. For example, it is possible to set a renewable energy target for a firm consuming more energy after a limit. A tax on carbon emission is uniform in nature. For example, two companies electricity generating and transport, have to pay same amount of tax on each tonne of GHG emission. The connection between regulations and GHG emission outcome is more direct. So the outcome of regulation on GHG emission can be predicted with some degree of certainty. Tax gives assurance about the marginal cost of reducing pollution but the amount of pollution reduction is uncertain under taxation. Regulation requires reliable and accurate information because abatement cost will possibly rise when the regulators do not have accurate information. Sometimes tax is more complex compared to regulations. In setting the tax rate, knowledge of all functions, MPC, MEC and MPB, or MB and MC is required. Regulations require changes over time as MC function changes with changes in production technology, input costs, and product demand. MC curve shifts over time with changes in production technology, input costs, and product demand requiring changes in tax. Regulations are unlikely to be lowest cost. Tax allows the producers to find least cost or cost effective way of reducing pollution. Regulation does not generate government revenue but creates transaction cost for monitoring and implementing those. Tax generates government revenue. Regulations are appropriate for developing countries as they build initial capacity by bringing new technology e.g. solar energy, wind power etc. Tax interventions are appropriate for developed countries as they require more institutional feasibility and sensitive monitoring system Regulation adds implicit extra production cost. Tax adds explicit extra production cost and often politically unpopular and may assist rent seeking by lobby groups. Regulations are imposed by targeting goods and services which emit more carbon. Tax on carbon gives signal to producers and consumers about which goods and services produce more carbon and which produce less or none. Therefore, consumers and producers can plan to shift from high-carbon products and technologies to low-carbon products and technologies. Under regulation, firms do not have incentives to reduce pollution after meeting the regulation target. Under tax, firm have incentives. Renewable energy target The current potential demand of energy in Bangladesh is 5569 MW where supply is less than 4000 MW . The economy of Bangladesh has been growing at a rate of 6-7 percent from last few years . These are causing rise in energy demand which in turn increases GHG emission. Bangladeshs GHG emission from energy sector is relatively low as most of the power is generated from natural gas which causes low carbon emission. The current contribution of renewable energy is 0.5 percent. The government is planning to increase the share of renewable sources in total power generation by 5% in 2015 and 10% in 2020 . Source: Figure 3: Power Generation Fuel Mix of Bangladesh in 2009 But as the reserve of natural gas has been depleting very quickly and the demand of energy is increasing, dependency on fossil fuel and coal based energy is increasing. As a result it is expected that the GHG emission will rise. Natural gas contributed 64 percent of CO2 emission and petroleum products contributed 36 percent emission of Bangladesh during 2008-2009 . Efficiency of regulation There will be an efficiency gain for regulation if the regulation is implemented in cost effective way. Price ($) KW electricity S= S + Regulatory Cost S= MPC Regulatory Cost MC MB Welfare Gain 0 = em Reduction of pollution Figure 4: Market effects of regulation Quantity of coal and fuel produced electricity P P Q e* Q D=MPB=MSB Price and cost per unit pollution As the government is trying to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy, its imposing some regulatory costs on coal and fuel produced electricity. In figure 4, MPC=S curve shifts to S due to the regulatory cost. The amount of electricity produced by coal and fuel has decreased from Q to Q while price has increased from P to P. In the second part, initially at the market solution, reduction of pollution is 0. Due to the regulation, the amount of pollution reduction increases from 0 to e*. Optimal level of pollution reduction will be at the intersection of MB and MC curve. From 0 to e* level of pollution reduction MB > MC and the amount of welfare gain is the blue triangle. The correlation between production of coal and fuel based electricity and GHG emission is very high. So the regulations imposed on those will directly influence the amount of GHG emission. Regulations are unlikely to be lowest cost. For example, the cost of producing electricity by solar panel is higher compared to the cost of producing electricity by coal. Table 1 Source: But the price of coal and gas is also increasing which is lowering the gap of the costs. A renewable energy plant like solar panel can reliably serve for decades without emitting GHG at lowest maintenance cost. Under regulation, once firms meet the regulation target Q*, no incentive for further reduction. Reduction of pollution Cost per unit Q* Figure 5: Regulation and pollution reduction $ If regulations are not met Distributional effects Firms producing energy by using coal and fuel will lose their share in the market as their quantity decreases which will also reduce the amount of GHGs emission. The price of coal and fuel produced electricity will rise. The prices of products which use electricity a lot will also increase and influence the buyers of those goods. To increase the supply of renewable energy, more renewable energy plants will be built. It will increase the demand for renewable energy accessories like solar panel, wind turbine etc. So the suppliers of those inputs will gain. Initially at the market solution, amount of pollution reduction is zero. When the regulations are imposed the amount of pollution reduction increases to e*. The people who are polluted initially are gaining as the amount of pollution is decreasing. A tax on carbon emission A tax on the emitter of GHG can also be proposed to reduce GHG emission in Bangladesh. The tax will place an explicit additional cost on per unit emission. Before the tax, polluters emit GHG at zero marginal costs. The result is excess supply of GHG gas in the atmosphere leading towards its market failure. In presence of the tax, polluters emit GHG at a cost equal to tax rather than zero. This tax sets a price of GHG emission in the market where the market chooses the quantity of emission. Efficiency of carbon tax Price ($) KW electricity Quantity of electricity MSC= MPC + MEC S= MPC Regulatory Cost MC MB Welfare Gain 0 = em Reduction of Pollution MEC Govt. Revenue Figure 6: Market effects of tax e* Pt P Qt Qm MPB Pm Price and cost per unit pollution In figure 6, the production of electricity generates GHG emission by product and MEC curve shows this negative externality. Market equilibrium is at the intersection of MPC and MPB curve and the market price is Pm and quantity is Qm. But the social optimum is at the intersection of MSC and MPB curve. To attain the efficient level of Q, if a tax is imposed on Q by the amount of MEC then the level of output and price will be Qt and Pt respectively. The amount of electricity has decreased from Qm to Qt while price has increased from Pm to Pt. In the second part, initially at the market solution, reduction of pollution is 0. Due to the tax, the amount of pollution reduction increases from 0 to e* and the amount of welfare gain is the blue triangle. In the above figure, tax sets price, market chooses quantity. The efficiency of the programme depends on the ability of setting tax at a point that induces behavioural change. Distributional effects Firms producing output that by product emit GHG will lose their share in the market as their quantity decreases which will also reduce the amount of GHG emission. The price of electricity will rise which will also increase the prices of products which use electricity a lot in production. The consumers of those products will be worse off by paying higher prices. Moreover, more than 75 percent of Bangladeshs export revenue comes from Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector which consumes high electricity in the production process. A rise in electricity price led by the carbon tax will increase their production cost and reduce their competitiveness in the international market. There is a gain in government revenue by the yellow rectangle. A portion of the generated revenue may be used to compensate RMG producers by providing financial incentives. Most taxes create distortions but carbon tax corrects distortion. Carbon tax may yield double dividend one by reducing emission and another by financing the reductions of incentives. Carbon tax increases the amount of pollution reduction from 0 to e*. The people who were polluted initially are gaining as the amount of pollution is decreasing. Tax allows the producers to find least cost or cost effective way of reducing pollution. In figure 8, from 0 to e* level of pollution, tax is higher than MC of pollution reduction. Firms will find it profitable to reduce pollution by inventing new technology, investing in research and development rather than paying the tax. After e* level of pollution reduction, MC of pollution reduction is higher than the tax. So it will be cost effective for the firm to pay the tax. Price and cost per unit pollution Reduction of pollution T MC of reduction of pollution e* Figure 7: Pollution reduction efficiency 0 = em Tax In Bangladesh, relative elasticities of the products should be considered in setting the carbon tax because tax imposed on carbon passes to buyers and the share that will pass on depends on relative elasticities. In figure 8, the full burden of taxes passes on to consumers when elasticity is perfect. Price ($) KW electricity Quantity of electricity MSC= MPC + MEC S= MPC Regulatory Cost MSC=MPC+MEC MB Qt Quantity of electricity MEC Figure 8: Effects of tax on price depending on elasticities Qm Pt P Qt Qm MPC Pm Pt Pm Price ($) KW electricity A carbon tax will increase the cost of production for not only the products directly involve pollution e.g. electricity and transport but also for other products using electricity and petroleum inputs in production. As their production cost rise, their price will also rise. 31.5% population of Bangladesh live below the poverty line in 2010 . The carbon tax will increase the burden of poor people through increased price. To ameliorate the burden, financial assistance can be provided to the low-income households by using the tax revenue . In figure 9, we can see that as tax is imposed on electricity, the price of electricity increases so the budget line of the consumers will rotate inward and the consumer will move to a lower indifference curve ICt. The consumer can be compensated by an income subsidy which attains the same level of utility as before tax. Quantity of electricity IC ICt Quantity of X Figure 9: Income substitution to the consumers In 2009, 5 percent of total labour force of Bangladesh was unemployed . A carbon tax may deteriorate the scenario by occurring creative destruction associated with the jobs of carbon intensive products and production processes. But it will also create jobs for carbon extensive products and production processes. The net aggregative employment effect is close to zero. Recommendation Energy is the lifeblood of growing industry sector of Bangladesh. The intensity of current potential energy deficit can be substantially met by fuelling the growth of renewable energy. Different financial incentives can be offered for that purpose. For example, Bangladesh imports renewable accessories from abroad like solar panels from Germany. If import duties are removed from the accessories of solar panel, the cost of producing solar energy will decrease. Moreover, the poor people living in the rural areas having no electricity access also lack the capability to install renewable energy at household level. Government can provide them financial assistance in launching solar panel. Private investment should also be encouraged by creating proper financial incentives. For large scale investment Public Private Partnership (PPP) can be formed. RD for inventing renewable accessories at domestic level can reduce the production cost substantially. It may be difficult to enforce a carbon tax with underdeveloped institutions occurring higher administrative costs. In Bangladesh, the current tax structure lacks the capability and institutional feasibility to implement carbon tax. Before introducing carbon tax, the tax mechanism is needed to be restructured by developed institutional capability. In setting the tax main focus should be given to on electricity, gas, coal, some petroleum, fugitive emissions and some manufacturing while exclude agriculture, petroleum used by small vehicles and primary production and small business. Conclusion Although Bangladesh is attaining persistent economic growth, per capita energy consumption is still very low. So in future there will be increase in total energy production and consumption which in turn will increase the amount of carbon emission . A key way to transform into low carbon economy is imposing regulations on renewable energy target which can create two-fold benefits for Bangladesh- environmental and energy sufficiency. The reduction in GHG emission in the atmosphere will bring environmental improvements. Moreover, it will reduce the potential demand and supply gap of power and help to attain energy sufficiency. A carbon tax can also be charged by restructuring tax mechanism with substantial infrastructural improvements.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Reality or Illusion Essay -- essays research papers

In Andrew and Larry Wachowski’s 1999 film, The Matrix, and Plato’s Republic, â€Å"On Shadows and Realities,?reality and illusion are one in the same. The Wachowski brothers allows the viewer to see how reality and illusion can be mistaken for the other, using a number of contrasting ideas found in Plato's analogy of the Cave, showing that at times the dream world can be safer than real life. The matrix is a simulation that creates an imaginary world where people are prisoners from reality, much like Plato's mythological The Cave. The cave holds prisoners inside a dark cave, chained in way prohibiting them from turning their heads, only able to see what is in front of them. All they see is a wall that displays images of what appears to be of people or animals passing behind them. These reflections or images are all the prisoners know of the world outside the cave. They see only what the marionette players want them to see: projections of objects that are not real but seem real because they have never seen the real world. People in the matrix only see what the machines show, making it difficult to wake up from a continuous dream show, trapped in an illusional world unable to break free. However, some do break free. Through much effort, Plato's freed man escapes, only to face a life of confusion and fear. With the matrix, most die trying to escape from it, but once free are just as confused as Plato’s freed man. His first reaction is to return to the cave, which is familiar and s...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Debut albums †Life Essay

This is a phrase, a philosophy phrase that is about living, daily living. But what do you think it really means or should we say what is the hidden meaning about it? Why just living is not enough? Living is not enough because we need to experience all the things we can. Simple as to explore the world or the things that was given to us by our beloved GOD. We need to experience all good, better and best, bad, worse and worst. From worst to best to know what the word LIFE truly means. It also doesn’t mean we need to do crimes in order to experience bad things, it’s just like problems, wounds and etc. We and I consider it as bad things because I don’t like any of that happen to me. Just living is not enough†¦. We need to explore and find the true meaning of life. He who hesitates is probably right. This is a philosophy that we can use daily, why? Because this is about decision making. And we always make decision in every aspect of our life. As a student I can relate in this because of our recitations in school. We always hesitate before we raise our hands to answer. We will suddenly know that our or my answer is right because someone answers it. And it’s too late to get the credit. The philosophy above is trying to teach or to tell us that if we have ideas, share it, tell it, explain it because we will never know if our ideas is right if we don’t try it. Not only for students but all individuals around the globe. Human life is purely a matter of deciding what’s important to you. This Philosophy is saying human life always choose what’s important to you. But why? All individuals are different from each other, different tastes, likes, dislikes and many more. But we all have similarities, we always choose what’s important to us in every problem that comes in our life. For some instances, family problems like marriage and your family doesn’t want your fiance or fiancee, you will decide what’s MORE important to you your family or your love one? If you choose your family, then go and it’s also the same if you choose your love one. I understand in this philosophy that this our instict that we always choose what’s important to us but it never assures us that what is important will be the best for us. Only friends can answer your calls everytime of day that matter. This is a simple philosophy that is about friendship. If we first read it, we will quickly understand what it means. But what do we understand? We all know we have many friends in our life, friends in school, friends in the neighborhood and many more. We also know not all friends are real, just like this saying says â€Å"Some friends are gold and some friends are silver†. The philosophy above is trying to tell us that only TRUE and REAL friends can answer your calls no matter what your problem is. The friends that are there for you no matter what. No matter what time of day it is, you could call them and they’d be there for you. And it’s true, they are the ones that matter. The people who you can really rely on to be there for you are the ones that should matter in your life.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Agreeing to Disobey essays

Agreeing to Disobey essays Blindly obeying authority often results in disobedience to one's personal morality. Since rules were established and exist for the common interests of the general population, some would say adhering to the rules is obedient. However, when rules conflict with people's morals, one has the right, and furthermore the responsibility to disobey. Contrary to popular belief, disobedience does not center around ignorant rebellion. In fact, disobedience is the manner in which people shed enlightenment on the well-traveled path of benightedness, by offering another point of view. By the dictionary's definition, disobedience is a violation or disregard of a rule or prohibition. Nevertheless, if people do not challenge their very surroundings, then they will never discover the many paradises that exist behind the garden gate of control and oppression. Through choosing to disagree, a person is exclaiming the fact that he/she will not negotiate the most personal aspects of his/her lives, such as his/her morals. Prime examples of two very different points of view are: the government drafting young men into the army, and the men being reluctant to go. Indeed, a pacifist is not going to be as patriotic as a navel-officer, however; the pacifist should not have to entertain the idea of killing a man, simply because he is expected to o bey. This opinion is not just an act of rebellion to a higher authority; it is a commitment to one's personal morals, simply because no higher authority exists beyond oneself. Edward Abbey, in his book Rain, Fire and The Will of the Gods, stated, "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government" (Abbey 156). Through this quote, Abbey shows that he was a man of great wisdom, or perhaps he was just a history major. To clarify this idea, it is a known theory that history repeats itself, and still society today has neglected to acknowledge an essential partner in the authentication of m...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Pakistan essays

Pakistan essays There are many interpretations of what democracy can imply. The definition that best suits this paper is Laurie Brands. She defines it as an opening up of a political system in order to allow more freedom for expression, more freedom for the formation and activity of groups outside the government, an increased awareness of human rights, and the adoption of parliamentary elections (3). Pakistan has had considerable difficulty developing stable, cohesive political organizations because they have suffered long periods of repression. Further, political parties, with few exceptions, have been founded as vehicles for one person or a few individuals, or to achieve specifically defined goals. When these individuals abandon their parties or after party goals have been met, many organizations have lost their interest and have lacked the ability to carry on. In addition, political parties have been handicapped by regional and ethnic factors that have limited their national appeal and have also been torn by personal and class rivalries (Pakistan on Web by Mazhar). Pakistan is a constitutionally Islamic country of South Asia, founded in 1947, and a test case for Islamic democracy. In its experience with democracy, Pakistan compared well with other constitutionally Islamic states. But when measured by the extent of popular participation, the effectiveness of representative institutions, and commitment to a constitutional order, democratic rule in Pakistan has been inconsistent and shallow (Banks, et. al. 841). For more than half the time since its founding, Pakistan has experienced military rule. A parliamentary vote in 1970 was the first conducted under suffrage, and the election of 1988 was the first in which a transfer of power occurred smoothly, without military interference. As of the mid-1990s, no government had completed its term of office since the lifting of martial law in 1985. In 1990, a popularl...

Monday, November 4, 2019

APDM Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

APDM - Speech or Presentation Example For better understanding about the financial position of the APDM, a brief financial analysis of the company has been made below The statement of comprehensive income for the year ended 2011 shoes that the company made net income $681,780.88. According to the company’s account the main source of income include the general services, technical assistance and the clinical data management service of the company. On the other side, a material amount $172,804 has been given to customers as a discount. The company has incurred the cost of $364,658.85 against all their Net income from all sources. The company has made the gross profit of $317,122.03 with a gross profit ratio of 46.5% in year 2011. On the side of expenses, APDM incurred a huge amount of expenses in 2011. Expense figure include the large amount of Research and development expenses in it. This means that, APDM attribute major portion of their finance on research and development to develop the new technologies. The company’s account shows the expense figure of $325,816.45 after including all operations and administration expenses. This figu re covered almost all the gross profit’s figure that’s why company made the net loss of $8,694.19 at end of financial year. In accordance with above analysis, there are many recommendations that the APDM consider in managing its finances. It can clearly be seen that in the income statement analysis, the company has incurred the huge amount of expenses in year 2012. APDM should investigate that, is all the expense incurred in proper manner? On the other side, the expenses include the large portion of Research and development expenses. It is the indication that the company is trying to win the race form its competitors through developing new technologies. In addition, APDM should also investigate these figures due to their material nature. In addition, APDM can also avoid any of adverse situations by taking these measures. If the company was

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Topic 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Topic 3 - Essay Example Consumer behavior is what the whole marketing theory and concepts are based on. By studying consumer behavior, marketers hope to find the reason why the consumer wants to buy a certain product. It aims to help and identify how people make their buying decisions and also the factors that influence those decisions. There are usually two kinds of buyers, organizational buyers and consumers. We are only concerned with the consumers who are the ones who buy services and products for use by themselves. They buy things that serve their need for living and the basic requirements of life. They also buy products to make the world know about their personalities and reveal their attitudes and their roles in the society. In other words they not only cater to the physiological needs but also the psychological aspect as well. Individuality is a characteristic that a man develops due to the nature and the surrounding environment he spends that life in. the behavior of a person towards buying a certain product will therefore be different for everybody. They might have different tastes, likes and dislikes, attitudes and values and their decision making process will differ according to that. The three major things that influence the consumer's social environment are individual circumstances, personal psychology and the social environment. All these above mentioned factors have a lasting impact on the individuals buying behavior. Factors Social environment in which an individual lives his or her life helps greatly in shaping the life of people and their preferences. The culture that they are prevailing in, the reference groups to which they belong and cater too and the social class they exist in or the one in which they want to exist in. There can be an informational influence over them for example when they are told about the authenticity of a certain product's working. A customer can also be influenced by the type of reference groups that he or she relates too. A marketer needs to identify the needs and influences of the reference groups of his target market in order to understand their consumer behavior and plan out their offer in such a way that coincides with the needs and wants of the customer and caters to his or her influence. A customer can be influenced by the 'family of orientation' which is the basic family or the parental family that a customer has; a daughter might end up using the same washing detergen t her mother uses. Another kind of reference group is the family of procreation that is more of the extended family; a customer's buying decision might be influenced with the house of his or her in-laws and he or she might to carry out different tasks and buy certain kinds of products in the presence of their extended family. Secondary groups are the less formal groups which the customer doesn't end up meeting everyday and therefore they don't pose a lot of influence over the buying decision behavior of the customer. Individual characteristics tend to stem from demographics characteristics. The gender of the person, the age group with which he or she is belonging to, the stage of the lifecycle the customer is catering to and the customer's

Thursday, October 31, 2019

The contribution of OSH legislature and standards Essay - 5

The contribution of OSH legislature and standards - Essay Example In Britain, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 covers all workers except the legislature, hence its weakness. Similarly, in the Canadian OSH legislation and standards also factors the wellbeing of employees and facilitates the benefits comparable to those entailed in Britain. Thus, there is a high correlation of the OSH Act as implemented in both countries. The management has the significant role to enforce and ensure safe and healthy working conditions for the employees. The supervising role ensures the safety and wellbeing of the workers by enforcing the stated rules such as dressing and use of protective gear at work among other responsibilities. Thus in conclusion the management entities have a core responsibility to commit and foster Occupational Safety and Health. The two systems, Britain and Canada are very efficient in facilitating occupational safety and healthy wellbeing of the workers. The working place dynamics are a core concern within the structures of employment an element that requires the employees to have the plan to address work-related safety issues. Consequently, due to the need to have a clearly outlined regulatory approach to the dynamics of the rights of workers within the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a core formulation established in the year 1970, to guarantee the course of promoting the security and human rights of the workers within the job (Alli& International Labour Office, 2008). The observed existence of many hazards that are harmful to the well-being of the people as they work mandated the institution of legislative approach and programs that guide the treatment of the employees as the engage in work. The OSH Act is a formulation of the European countries that realized the need to institute this fundamental body of regulations to ensure the well-being of the employees.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Greek Tragedy Essay Example for Free

Greek Tragedy Essay Art and literature has existed throughout time to represent and express cultural values, ideals and perceptions. It often portrays the forces that push ones particular culture onward, mentally stimulating and expanding individual mind and thought. In ancient Greek culture, Art and Literature is combined in a way that represented all of these things to its people. This combination is what we know as ancient Greek Theater, an art of drama and song, with the structure of spoken portions interlaced with choral lyrics, all concerned with mans fate. 1 Greek tragedy is credited to have developed around 534 B. C when the Greek Thespis created drama in which a main actor conversed with the leader of the chorus (this is where the term thespian originated, it has been used to describe an actor since the early 19th century). 2 Aeschylus, the first of the great 3 tragic poets, added a second actor to his plays and had a chorus of around 12. Sophocles, the second of the great poets, added the third actor and increased the chorus to 15 members. Sophocles is considered to model Greek tragedy, with Aeschylus marking the preparation and Eudripidies the decline. 3 These plays where preformed at Festivals in open-air theaters in which poets competed for prizes. It is widely accepted that these festivals where religious, and honored the Greek god Dionysius (God of Wine). All plays where developed around well-known ancient Greek myth, it was the Poets job to develop character and deepen plot. Each festival included 3 tragic poets to present a tetrology. (A group of 4 plays) which consisted of 3 tragedies and one satyr. 4 Each play would include anywhere from two to four actors, and an assembly of 12-15 choral members. It was each actors responsibility to display the plot through speech, however they where also responsible for singing solos. The chorus was an important tool in Greek tragedy as they commented on each scene and proposed subtleties to the audience, their song also heightened the emotion and atmosphere of the play. 5 Aristotles Poetics is considered the most valuable source of guidance for Greek tragedy. Aristotle defines tragedy as a drama which concerned better than average people (heros, kings, gods) who suffer a transition from good fortune to bad fortune and who speak in an elevated language. 6 It is also defined as a literary composition written to be preformed by actors in which a central character, called the tragic protagonist or hero, suffers some serious misfortune which is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the heros actions. 7 The hero is often host to some tragic flaw (hermatia) for which he himself is responsible, and which leads to his eventual downfall. However, Aristotle describes this tragic flaw to lead to a mistake in which the Protagonist is not aware. The heros destruction is often due to his self-ignorance. It is important to understand what Aristotle believes is the purpose for Greek tragedy in order to completely understand some of its main aspects. In Aristotles opinion, one of the marks of great tragedy is its ability to create a Cartharsis, the act of purging the soul of fear and pity. 8 Through creating a complex protagonist, a character who is seen as a great man, or hero, the audience in turn creates respect. Through this characters tragic flaw, and ignorance to his actions, the audience is drawn and starts to pitty the hero. The audience imagines themselves in the heros situation, and although they know the outcome of the story (as all Greek tragedy is bases on well-known Greek myth) they suspensefuly await the heros reaction to his fate. So this purging allows the audience to shed excess fear, refreshing their conscience so that it can exist in a healthy balance. Aristotle theorized that tragedy is rooted in the fundamental order of the universe. 9 Tragedy is a worse case scenario, which describes the possible effects of simple probability. It creates a cause-and-effect chain in which any individual can envision themselves as part of. We can now understand the importance of certain aspects of the tragic heros character and his responsibility to uphold the plot. A hero, in the Greek sense, is a man who by his extraordinary career has pushed back the horizons of what is possible for humanity and is then deemed worthy of commendation after his death. 10 As we know, this hero is not flawless. However, it is important to realise that in what Aristotle values as good tragedy, these flaws often contribute to the very virtues which allow our protagonist to become a hero in the first place. In other words, tragic irony is implicated, and it is the same incidents and qualities of a man which catapult him to hero stature as those which drag him down. Tragedy is concerned with the fate of big men. 11 Aristotle believed that Sophocles, Oedipus Rex was the perfect tragedy. Why was Oedipus Rex in effect the perfect tragic hero? Oedipus was a great man and King of Thebes. He was self righteous, hasty and suspicious of his friends, but we also see that if it where not for these qualities Oedipus would not have continued with his inquiries. His heroic nature is magnified in his persistence for the truth despite the fact that it became quite obvious that gaining further knowledge would end in disaster and self-destruction. 12 Peripeteia is when a character produces an effect opposite to that which he intended to produce. 13Aristotle firmly believed that all good tragedy proposed some peripeteia within its plot. This is perfectly represented within Oedipus Rex. Oedipus promises his people that he will find the root of the plague that gripped his kingdom. In ancient Greek times, it was believed that illness and plague where signs from the gods that they where upset or a crime against their godly standards had been committed. So as any noble hero would do, Oedipus sets out on a quest for this knowledge. He soon discovers that the murder of Thebes prior king, Laius, is the root off his citys pollution. He vows to discover the murderer, and sets the punishment of death or banishment to whomever was found guilty. This was his intention. We can also see again that Oedipus is a noble hero, as he is a king and he is willing to go to any ends for his people. These traits would have invoked feelings of respect in the minds of the audience. As Oedipus discovers more information, he draws nearer to the conclusion that it is possible that through self-blindness and ignorance, Oedipus himself is the likely murderer of Laius. Through this step in the play we see that again Oedipus carries the qualities of a tragic hero; his murdering of Laius was due to his self-arrogance and lack of knowledge that the man who he was killing was of high status. This murder was indeed due to Oedipuss tragic flaw of Hubris (arrogant disregard for the rights of others, or overbearing pride or presumption 14) but he was unaware of the consequences and the murder was quite spontaneous. Oedipus continues to search for the truth despite his possible self-guilt, as he states that he must be sure that he is indeed Leuiss murderer. This, according to human standards, Oedipus not only behaved well in this situation, but he is known to have asserted the dignity of manhood. Alas, more investigation does lead to his definite guilt, and also leads to what is known as an Agagnorisis, or a change from ignorance to knowledge. 15 Oedipus had not been born heir to the throne of Thebes. After learning of a prophecy that he would one-day murder his father and marry his mother, he ran away from his parents to escape this fate. He had arrived in Thebes just after the time of Laiuss death. A sphinx was afflicting the city at the time, and he defeated it, there-for winning the admiration of the Thebans and stealing the heart of newly widowed queen, Jocasta. Their marriage was nearly instant, and they lived in happiness for some years and produced a number of children. So it was at this agagnorisis when Oedipus learnt that he had been adopted, and that Laius had been his father, and Jocasta his mother. They had discarded him apon a hill after hearing the very same prophocy, hoping they too could escape their fate. This unraveling of the plot is called the lusis. 16 This is where the Peripeteia is for filled. Although Oedipus had always intended to catch and punish the murderer of Leius, he in no way intended that it would be himself who was responsible. This is also ironic in the sense that twice he had unknowingly set the path for his own destruction. Another form of Greek tragedy is the decision that the tragic hero must face once he has reached his agagnorisis. 17 Oedipus had a choice, to continue to live in sin with his mother/wife and perpetuate the slow destruction of Thebes, or to uphold the little dignity he had left, finally accept his fate and finalize the promises he made to his people. Oedipus chooses to do what any hero would do, accept responsibility for his actions and punish himself as he promised to do in the beginning of the play. The knowledge of his sin against his father and mother causes him to blind himself, as he could not bear to look upon the world any longer. This fact again adds irony to the story, as when Oedipus was able to see physically, he was still blind to his past and the consequences of his actions. Through his blinding, he was self-knowing, and he had for the first time accepted his fate. He left Thebes as a blind beggar. Although in some respects Oedipus is now seen as no longer a hero, the audience would have respected his final decisions, and in some way he had corrected his moral flaw through his self-punishment. We can now question the belief of fate and pre-determination. Greek tragedy did indeed deal with the role of the gods in mortal life and to the extend that mortals controlled their actions. Oedipus was responsible for his deeds, as it was by no accident that Laius died, and Oedipus did have a tragic flaw, which led to this murder. But we can also examine the fact that a prophecy existed which laid out the steps that Oedipus would take through out his life. If it where not for Oedipuss knowledge of this prophecy, would he have ever left his home in Corinth, would he have ever murdered Laius, and married his mother? Or we can look even further into Oedipuss past; if Jocasta and Leius had not known of this prophecy, they would never had abandoned Oedipus, and perhaps he would never had committed the sins which it seems he was destined to commit. So again we see a cause and effect chain, knowledge leading to ignorance, ignorance in turn leading to knowledge, blindness to sight, sight to blindness. It is also argued that it was the individuals attempt to escape their fate which was the true crime against the gods. It is at this point we can see how the Cultural Revolution, known as The Greek Enlightenment, effected these dramas. It was from this new atmosphere of questioning and individualism in which man started to question the meaning of life beyond the restraints of God rules man. And not only did Greek tragedy come to question the gods, it also questioned what it meant to be human. 18 1 The Complete Plays of Sophocles. 2 http://www. stemnet. nf. ca/~hblake/tragedy1. html 3 http://www. classics. cam. ac. uk/Faculty/tragedy. html 4 www.depthame. brooklyn. cuny. edu 5 15 Greek Plays 6 The Complete Plays of Sophocles 7 www. depthame. brooklyn. cuny. edu 8 9 www. cnr. edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics. html 10 The Complete Plays of Sophocles. 11 The Complete Plays of Sophocles 12 The Complete Plays of Sophocles 13 www. depthame. brooklyn. cuny. edu 12 American Heritage dictionary 15 www. cnr. edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics. html 16 www. cnr. edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics. html 17 http://www. stemnet. nf. ca/~hblake/tragedy1. html 18 http://www. stemnet. nf. ca/~hblake/tragedy1. html.