Hume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hume - Essay Example Hume wrote a book on religion known as the â€Å"Dialogues concerning Natural Religion†. Following is a piece from that literature: â€Å"an eternal inherent principle of order to the world† In this piece of conversation Hume is arguing on the principle of religion and the ideology propagated by the religious texts and other literature. He says that the religion has been propounded as the order to the world. The religious people always based their theory tp be the world of God and Hume is questioning the same theory by making a sarcastic point with effect that all this is a theory in nature and nothing else. The reality is something according to Hume. To this point Philo says that religion is the ultimate truth in the universe and that those who do not follow religion and despise should be given a punishment so that they understand the importance of religion as well as believe in them. To this point Hume says that all this is propaganda by the religious organizations wh o try to turn people into believing the religion of their choice so as to include maximum number of people into this theme to make their ideology powerful, but in reality there is nothing like religion which exists. He goes on to say that there are other means to achieve salvation and self-satisfaction in the world. He says that the human mind is strong enough to find the way on its own and does not need the influence of religion in its life. He says that through wisdom and knowledge of materialistic things around us we may be able to find the true reason for our survival. He believes in the origin of science and says that the only way to live a happy life is to follows the desires of the human mind rather than following what a religious text says. Following is the second quote in the essay: â€Å"The principles themselves and their manner of operation are totally unknown† This is the second quote which shall be analysed in the essay. In this quote Hume says that those who ca me up with the idea of religion themselves do not know how the whole deal with the nature started in the first place. It is a mass agenda with political ambition which has driven the concept of religion in the way as it exists in the world as of today. Following is a quotation to explain the point in a better manner: â€Å"This I affirm, from the infirmities of human understanding, to be altogether incomprehensible and unknown to us. The essence of that Supreme Mind, his attributes, the manner of his existence, the very nature of his duration; these, and every particular which regards so divine a Being, are mysterious to men. Finite, weak, and blind creatures, we ought to humble ourselves in his august presence; and, conscious of our frailties, adore in silence his infinite perfections, which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. They are covered in a deep cloud from human curiosity† Over here it is explained that Hu me does not think that humans are aware of the true picture with respect to the God and his origin, and whether or not he exists in the first place. Religion is an outcome of human curiosity, but according to Hume it is a very weak outcome of such curiosity. He argues on the point that the believers of religion do not want to go that extra mile in search of the truth and it their quest to attain truth and divinity

Final Project Plan for IBM Company Research Paper

Final Project Plan for IBM Company - Research Paper Example In November 2014 they announced a global partnership with Twitter. These organizations had different but functional information systems that must be integrated into the IBM system. An effective integration of the information systems at the company must be done based on an implementation plan that will ensure support for an enterprise wide business process integration and standardization. ERP systems can be complex and difficult to implement, but a structured and disciplined approach can greatly facilitate the implementation. The IBM Company is a huge company that has several branches all over the world, communication and maintenance of autonomy is one of the major factors that must be considered in implementing the integration of information systems. Additionally, IBM is one of the largest suppliers of technology hence there must be accuracy in the inventory and all transaction activities in all the branches and affiliates of the company. Finally, the company always ships all the purchases to different destinations in the worl hence the need for accuracy and follow up in shipping of all products from the company. Tis report is an implementation plan for the integration of the new information systems at IBM. The works include the overview of existing system and subsequent identification of the applications and resources needed for implementation of the integration plan. It also includes the identification of the tasks, responsibilities and the time frame for completion of the tasks. The project involves an assessment of the current enterprise integration in the company. The identified integration plan is laid out and the steps are clearly elaborated. The different responsibilities are assigned and the resources and time schedules are allocated to the different tasks and activities. Upon completion of the project the results expected include the improvement of service provision at all IBM branches,

Farmer Boldwood throughout the novel Essay Example for Free

Farmer Boldwood throughout the novel Essay This illustrates that he is completely obsessed; he worships the ground she walks on. The news of Troys death has once again disturbed Boldwoods equilibrium, and new hope burns within him. In chapter forty-nine, following the complete ruining of his crops due to his neglectful behaviour, Boldwood appoints Oak to look after his farm. A great hope had latterly germinated in Boldwood, whose unreasoning devotion to Bathsheba could only be characterized as a fond madness which neither time nor circumstance, evil nor good report, could weaken or destroy. In this sentence the Author describes Boldwoods obsession with Bathsheba, and proves to us that although Boldwoods hopes could be temporarily subdued, his true feelings were always there. It seems as if his feelings for Bathsheba will last his entire life. Boldwoods hopes are encouraged when, after talking to Liddy he finds that Bathsheba mentioned remarrying in six years, giving him something to cling onto. Throughout the novel Boldwood thinks constantly about the best possible outcome of a situation. Liddy saying that Bathsheba once mentioned remarrying slowly evolves in his head into him believing that Bathsheba will marry him in six years. He always tries his best to keep himself hopeful. His waking hours once again become devoted to thinking about Bathsheba. In chapter fifty-one Bathsheba goes on a ride with Boldwood in his cart to Weatherbury after finding herself unable to refuse because Oak, her usual driver, was too busy and Boldwood her only alternative. After awkwardly chatting about mutual interests, Boldwood, unable to resist, bluntly asks Mrs. Troy, you will marry again some day? She is taken aback and a long pause ensues before she says she has not seriously thought of such a subject. Boldwood continues to press her, and is clutching for reassurance when he says, You never liked me. Bathsheba then talks about seriously regretting her treatment of him, and Boldwood is desperate and shameless enough to say to her Bathsheba, suppose you had real complete proof that you are what, in fact, you are-a widow-would you repair the old wrong to me by marrying me? These are the words of a truly desperate man; he does not care at all if Bathsheba loves or even likes him, but just wants her to marry him. His current mental state is worse than ever before. He keeps pressuring her about marrying him in six years time and when it seems as if she might decline, he prays on her ill treatment of him in the past, a desperate and dishonourable act. But do give it, remember the past and be kind Bathsheba eventually ends up being telling Boldwood she will tell him of her decision at Christmas. This act of Bathshebas subdues Boldwood, and as before in this situation he leaves her alone until the promised time because those simple words of hers are enough to comfort him into believing that she will eventually marry him. It is as if his life itself is centred around Bathsheba, but I think Bathsheba only promised to consider his proposal because she feared for his sanity. In chapter fifty-two Boldwood holds a grand Christmas party, something that is, evidently from the Authors words, extremely out of character. But Boldwood has sunk so fast towards insanity that his character itself has changed dramatically. Boldwood is very expectant of Bathshebas answer, and deliriously happy in the build-up to the party. Bathsheba fears the party and having to give Boldwood an answer, and deliberately wears mourning clothes to it. Boldwoods cheerful disposition will not be dampened, even when Oak tries to make him more realistic about the situation, to stop him getting his hopes up. But, as has been consistent throughout the novel, Boldwoods moods and feelings are completely uninfluenced by anyones words but Bathshebas. Because of Boldwoods cheerful mood, he increases Oaks salary, this is mainly due to his knowledge of Oaks interest in Bathsheba and seems to me like a consolation prize, because through the mental haze that obscures his judgement, he truly believes Bathsheba is his. It is in chapter fifty-three that Boldwood is finally pushed over the edge. After being verbally beaten into submission, Bathsheba gives her word to marry Boldwood in six years if Troy does not return. Still, this is not quite enough for Boldwood and he requests that she wear a ring he bought for her. The demonic force that appears to be gripping Boldwood as he almost forces the ring onto her finger is too much for Bathsheba, and she begins to cry. Soon after this, Troy arrives at the house and tries to take Bathsheba away and it is at that moment that Boldwood simply erupts he shoots troy with one of the guns on his gun rack. The old Boldwood is now completely gone replaced by a hysterical madman. When Bathsheba had cried out in her husbands grasp, Boldwoods face of gnashing despair had changed. The veins had swollen, and a frenzied look had gleamed in his eye. Able to take no more, Boldwood readies himself to commit suicide with the same gun, but is prevented by Samway. In chapter fifty-five the true extent of Boldwoods obsession with Bathsheba is revealed. He had bought a large number of gifts for he labelled Bathsheba Boldwood and dated six years in advance. His very soul was completely consumed with the idea of marrying her. Boldwood is sentenced to life imprisonment. This novel describes the degeneration of a quiet, reserved and proud man into a crazed, violent and obsessive maniac. Throughout Boldwoods life a certain equilibrium was preserved, and Bathshebas arrival and sending of the valentine disturbed it. He truly was in extremity at once. His mental state became more and more unstable until he finally exploded and shot Sergeant Troy. I believe this was the end of Boldwoods equilibrium, and he would remain mentally ill and preoccupied with the woman he would never have.

Analysis of Living Standards in the UK

Analysis of Living Standards in the UK Assignment Title: Living Standards The UK in 2013 had a population of approximately 64 million; standards of living are used to monitor and identify which areas of the UK and the world are living in penury and which areas are more affluent and are thriving. The government is responsible for identifying the contributing factors towards a wealthy region or a poor region. Burtless, G (1987, p.232) defines standards of living as â€Å"the sustained level of consumption of goods and services that can be afforded on the basis of a household’s current assets and current and future income†. Economists and economic research companies have tried and tested many different ways to record the standard of living in the UK. Living standards is a hot topic in political conversations, and the government are pressured to focus on improving the well-being of the population. Elliot, L (2014) recent article for the Guardian discusses the views of Andrew Harrop, general secretary of the Fabian Society who exclaims that â€Å"What we measure – and how we measure it – matters. The financial crisis proved that simply targeting the headline goals of GDP growth, unemployment and inflation was totally inadequate as these measures failed to identify major economic weaknesses as they emerged†. This would suggest that the government need to revisit their policy on standards of living on focus on refining them in order to achieve their objectives. Mankiw, N (2011) suggests that policymakers must accumulate factors of production quickly in order to make the population more efficient and more positive. There are many different measures of standard of living that have been developed over the past 30-40 years, there are the more traditional ways of measurement and modern, innovative and experimental measures that are both used in the world of business. Traditional standard of living measures Crafts et al (2007) suggests that historically, standards of living have been measured by assessing real wages. Real wages is the income of a person and with consideration of the inflationary effects on purchasing power. Recent UK and US wage statistics compiled by Branchflower Machin (2014) suggests that after a healthy upwards movement of the average wage in the UK in the 1990’s and early part of the 2000’s; there is an alarming downward trend from the year 2010 to 2013 where wages rates are increasingly lowering. From the graph it is also clear that the US wage growth is very little historically and there are no major fluctuations in comparison to the UK. (See Appendix 1). The Economist (2014) blames the fall in real wages on the UK’s ‘dismal productivity’ since the recession, output in the UK is below the pre-financial crisis peak. This would suggest that Britain needs more highly skilled jobs and possible incentives to boost productivity and create an efficient labour market. Real wages are effective in measuring standards, real wages statistics can be used to identify trends in wages in different countries over a particular period, this is further emphasised by the International Labour Organisation (2003) who suggest that real wages are useful for identifying differences in purchasing power of wages in different world economies, real wages can also provide an idea of the progress of a working population. Nordhaus (1997 p.30) criticises the method of calculating real wages, he states that â€Å"If we are to obtain accurate estimates of the growth of real incomes over the last century, we must some-how construct price indexes that account for the vast changes in the quality and range of goods and services that we consume†. It could be argued that countries such as the US and the UK have already constructed price indexes with the use of the Retail Price Index, the Consumer Price Index in the last century. Another of the more traditional measures of living standards is GDP; the main GDP elements that are important for living standards are GDP per capita and Real GDP per capita. GDP per capita is the total output divided by the population of a country. Recent figures from the ONS (2014) shows a comparison of the top economies in the world of the year 1997 and 2012; from the graph (see Appendix 2) it is clear to see that the UK GDP per capita has risen but not as much in value as the likes of the US, Canada and Germany – the UK still however has the 4th biggest GDP per capita in the world. Nominal GDP per capita is often criticised by economists because it does not take inflation into consideration, so it is better to use Real GDP as the measurement because it is relevant and reflects a true value. Eurostat’s graph (see Appendix 3) shows the year on year growth percentage of real GDP per capita in the UK, the research shows a large dip after the financial crisis and since that has happened the percentage growth rate has never reached the peaks pre-financial crisis, this would suggest that productivity in the UK is low and there needs to be more employment created, which could lead to an increase the output of the country. The main positive of using GDP per capita as a measure is that it is used nationwide and recorded fairly frequently, GDP per capita is measured in quarters and allows countries to evaluate the figures and look at trends over different periods – this is important to identify which countries are trending downwards and is important at a regional level, governments can identify what areas are lacking in output and where investment needs to be focused. Whereas real wages are said to be useful in comparing the difference in wealth in economies International Labour Organisation (2003), Tucker (2013) argues there are several issues when comparing countries using GDP per capita, he suggests that low economically developed countries are not as accurate as wealthier countries when recording the data necessary for GDP. He also suggests that some countries have very different income distribution using the United Arab Emirates as an example; the majority of income comes from oil which is only distributed amongst a number of rich families. Real GDP per capita is important because it can give a true value after inflationary adjustments are made, however this measure also has some limitations. Similarly to GDP per capita, real GDP per capita fails to identify inequalities in income and wealth in a country, there is also the issue of the ‘black market’ which can he hidden amongst the value of real GDP per capita. Another traditional measure of living standards to consider is the Gini coefficient; the Gini index measures the actual distribution income in a country in comparison to an equal distribution of income. The index measures the difference between a Lorenz curve and a line of equality. The Gini index line of 0 represents equality whereas 100 would indicate inequality. The Poverty Site (2010) Gini Coefficient graph (see Appendix 4) shows a comparison of the 27 members of the European Union, at the time the UK figure stood at just over 30% which ranks sixth highest in inequality in Europe and higher than the EU27 average of 30%. The graph also shows how Scandinavian countries such as Sweden Finland have a much more equal society in terms of income despite their questionable taxation policies. The United Kingdom would likely try and target a smaller percentage to achieve better equality amongst the population. Concerns over income inequality have been raised recently. Treanor Farrell (2014) recent article for the Guardian discusses how the UK is the only G7 country with growing inequality, the article discusses findings from a Credit Suisse global wealth report show that the UK’s richest 10% of people represent 54.1% of the total national income. There will be inevitable pressure on the government from low income families that have been suffering from rising utility bills and only a small rise in wages. The Gini Co-efficient is very effective in showing the inequality in countries throughout the world, it can also help economists and businessman understand and support their thinking if they believe the country is increasing in terms of inequality of income. McKinley, T (1995 p.141) writes that â€Å"the Gini coefficient does not concentrate merely on differences from the mean; it is a much more direct measure of inequality because it accounts for the differences between every pair of observations†. The Gini co-efficient isn’t without its limitations, Parrillo (2008) suggests that the measure does not alter much when transfers are made between the rich and the poorer people. Another disadvantage of the Gini coefficient is that it fails to inform you of the changes in the distribution of income between income groups as opposed to alternative measures of living standards. Alternative standard of living measures Throughout the last 20-30 years there have been a number of alternative measures developed across the world, trying to find a better way to measure living standards. The Human Development Index was originally developed by the UN to monitor and develop a ranking of countries by the following criteria; average years of schooling, expected years of schooling, life expectancy from birth and gross national income per capita. From the most recent HDI data (see appendix 5) the United Kingdom ranks at #14 in the top 15, the HDI shows some interesting developments and differences between the nations of the world. The United States for example has a high GNI Per capita compares to other countries, their life expectancy however ranks lower than any other country in the top 15; this could suggest that the United States standard of living is not truly reflected in the HDI. Although the Scandinavian countries rank high on the HDI, Henrietta Moore of The Guardian (2014) argues that they are not the model for global prosperity; she suggests that their principles of autonomy and self determination are the reasons for their high human development. Moore summarises statistics that suggest that the Scandinavian countries are consuming resources far too quickly they rank top of both the carbon emissions usage and they rank high in the WWF’s scale of ecological impact. It could be argued that it is important to consider the environmental impacts of nation’s activities before considering their Human Development ranking. The obvious advantage of the HDI is that it makes it simple to monitor the changes in development of countries over a period of time, it is also effective to use when comparing different countries around the world and how they are developing and which element of the criteria is changing most. There is a drawback to the HDI, Soubbotina Sheram (2000) suggests that it fails to show the significance of the different elements and fails to support why a countries index may have altered over time. It could be argued that the United Nations needs to provide more reasoning and evidence to support changes in figures. Another of the more recent innovative measurements of living standards is the Happy Planet Index developed in 2006; countries are measured on life expectancy, well-being and ecological footprint. Each country is given a particular colour as in the HPI (see Appendix 6) based on their performance; green being good, amber being middle or average, red being bad performance after accumulating the different components for each country. From appendix 6, the countries performing worst are the United States and a lot of African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. The United Kingdom is ranked in the middle ranking as a result of their poor ecological footprint in which they rank #121 out of the 151 countries. Surprisingly Mexico is one of the best performing countries based on the index ranking 23rd out of 151 with a healthy well-being score. The Happy Planet Index became very popular when it first came out because of the results it produced. Simms Boyle (2009) praises the measure suggesting it is the first measure to combine well-being and environmental impact to find a countries efficiency. A social factor and criticism of the Happy Planet Index is described by Murray, P (2011) he argues that families may find that they do not welcome giving information on personal health to help determine life expectancy and levels of personal health, this suggests that the information for some countries may be inaccurate because a lot of people may have refused to give such sensitive personal information. Another alternative measure which has been viewed as a successor for GDP is the Genuine Progress Indicator, this measure is designed to measure improvements made in economic welfare. GPI takes several factors into consideration including monetary value of voluntary and unpaid work, leisure time. Similarly to the previous measures discussed, GPI takes into consideration income distribution, environmental impacts and state of the environment. The GPI also accounts for the cost of crime in the country being measured. The GPI has been tested across the world in a number of different experiments. Bagstad Shammin (2012) looked at testing different GPI factors in 17 counties in Ohio and compared the results of change from 1990-2005 (see appendix 7), from the table we can see the differences in 15 years in some important factors to the people of Ohio. There have been drastic changes in some factors including net capital investment which is good for the areas because it may improve job prospects. The advantage of GPI in this particular testing process in Ohio is that it combines an element of consumption, GDP per capita and Gini coefficient. The GPI is being used increasingly around the world because it has a number of advantages in comparison to traditional methods such as GDP, the GPI is said to take into consideration negative contributions to growth such as pollution and crime, GPI is effective in measuring people’s living standards and not just a measure of output as is the primary objective of GDP. GPI is much more useful in long term planning than GDP because environmental impacts are taking into consideration and be addressed in the long term. Although GPI takes the value of leisure time and environmental impacts, these factors are very hard to determine a specific value to include in the calculations, GDP per capita in comparison is a much simpler method; GPI is also ineffective in relation to a business cycle. Measures of living standards are ever changing; there may never be a measure more accurate or reliable as another because they all have their criticisms and drawbacks that are fresh within economist’s minds. It is clear that there is a shift of focus from just measuring output of a population through GDP per capita to recognising the issues and factors that affect a population; the alternative measures each focus on social factors such as life expectancy. Rather than looking at just earnings and wages, the newer measures of living standards focus on what is actually relevant to people around the world. GDP per capita and real wages show some difference in the level of wealth and income inequality but it is methods like the Human Development Index which can be used to determine a more global perspective of living standards, to summarise the more traditional methods are useful for measuring the wealth whereas the alternative and more innovative measures focus on the social facto rs that indicate a populations standard of living. Appendices Appendix 1 Source: Branchflower Machin (2014) Appendix 2 Source: ONS (2014) Appendix 3 Yearly change in percentage of Real GDP per capita growth in the UK Source: Eurostat (2014) Appendix 4 Source: The Poverty Site (2010) Appendix 5 HDI Index 2013 top 15 rankings, Source: United Nations Development Programme (2013) Appendix 6 Source: Happy Planet Index (2012) Appendix 7 Source: Bagstad Shammin (2012) Bibliography Bagstad,K, Shammin, R. (2011) ‘Can the Genuine Progress Indicator better inform sustainable regional progress?—A case study for Northeast Ohio’, Ecological Indicators, 18, pp.330-341, Science Direct (Online) Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ergo.glam.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1470160X11003918# (Accessed 22/11/14). Boyle, D., Simms, A. (2009). The New Economics: A Bigger Picture. Oxford: Routledge. Branchflower, D., Machin, S. (2014) ‘Falling real wages’, Paper No CEPCP422, 19 (1) pp. 19-21. CentrePiece (Online). Available at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp422.pdf (Accessed 17/11/14) Burtless, G (1987). 1st edn. Work, Health and Income among the Elderly. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution. Crafts, N., Gazeley, I. Newell, A. (2007). Work and Pay in 20th Century Brtiain. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Elliot, L (2014) ‘Living standards should be central measure of UK economic performance’ 12 March (Online) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/mar/12/living-standard-measure-economic-growth (Accessed 16/11/14) Eurostat (2014). Real GDP per capita, growth rate and totals. Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graphplugin=1pcode=tsdec100language=entoolbox=sort. Accessed (17/11/14). Happy Planet Index (2012). HPI 2012: Map View. Available at: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/. (Accessed 21/11/14) International Labour Organisation. (2003). 3rd edn. Key Indicators of the Labour Market. Geneva: ILO Publications. Mankiw, N (2011). 6th edn. Principles of Economics. Ohio: South-western publishing. McKinley, T (1995). The Distribution of Wealth in Rural China. Oxford: Routledge. Moore, H (2014). ‘Why Scandinavia is not the model for global prosperity we should all pursue’. 1st December (Online). Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/01/why-scandinavia-is-not-the-model-for-global-prosperity-we-should-all-pursue. (Accessed 1/12/14) Murray, P. (2011). The Sustainable Self: A Personal Approach to Sustainability Education. Oxford: Routledge. Nordhaus, W. (1997). P.27-70. The Economics of New Goods. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ONS (2014). The UK has one of the fastest growing economies in the G7. Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/elmr/gdp-and-the-labour-market/q1-2014may-gdp-update/sty-gdp-g7-economies.html. Accessed (17/11/14). Parrillo, V (2008). Encyclopedia of Social Problems. Washington DC: Sage Publications. Soubbotina, T., Sheram, K. (2000). Beyond Economic Growth: Meeting the Challenges of Global Development. Washington DC: World Bank Publications. The Economist (2014). What recovery? Real wages 413(8910), 32(US). 25th October. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA387050752v=2.1u=uwcnit=rp=STNDsw=wasid=a520ff594e7283ba19a015fcb5d8e35f (Accessed 17/11/14). The Poverty Site (2010). European Union: Gini Coefficient. Available at: http://www.poverty.org.uk/e14/index.shtml. Accessed (17/11/14). Treanor, J Farrell, S (2014). ‘UK only G7 country with wider inequality than at turn of century’. 14th October (Online). Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/14/uk-inequality-wealth-credit-suisse. Accessed (17/11/14). Tucker, I (2013). Macroeconomics for Today. 8th edn. Ohio: South-western publishing. United Nations Development Programme (2013). Human Development Index and its components. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-1-human-development-index-and-its-components. (Accessed 21/11/14)

The Heroic Figure of the Frontier in The Last of the Mohicans :: essays papers

The Heroic Figure of the Frontier in The Last of the Mohicans In The Last of the Mohicans, many themes are introduced through the exploration of the frontier. As Cora, Alice and Heyward travel through the dark and dangerous forest they are surrounded by the raging war between England and France. Their unfortunate experience with Magua early in their travels ultimately leads to the introduction of Hawkeye and the Mohicans, which enlightens their minds to the differences between good and evil, civil and savage. There were many types of people in and around the colonies during this time, including the English, French, and Natives. When western expansion began, it led to the stratification of society, which separated each individual by sex, class, and race. Who set guidelines for the division of types of people? Furthermore, who was distinguished as civilized or savage? As Cora, Alice, and Heyward encounter unfamiliar races, they experience many new beliefs, and ways of life. To them anything different was considered strange and barbarous. The Mohicans think of the Hurons, or Iroquois as savage beings, incapable of normal human emotions or actions. We see this portrayed later in the novel, when the Indians attack the English troops as they leave Fort William Henry in peace. But how can Hawkeye, Chingachgook , and Uncas be thought of as civilized, if they too scalp, kill, and yell in their anger? It is shown however, that the Mohicans, demonstrate restraint, while the Iroquois were unable to control their rage. Another question is Hawkeye's position between the two classifications. He is said to be "the perfect frontier hero", and he feels at home in the forest rather than the settlements.

Risks and Benefits of Plastic Surgery Essay -- Cosmetic Surgery essays

Risks and Benefits of Plastic Surgery Plastic surgery is a growing entity which needs to be assessed more carefully. Messages within the media indirectly contribute to the rising rate of plastic surgery. Desires to meet the idealisms of media representations are often so consuming that people demand plastic surgery despite all of its associated risks and controversies. To compensate for this up and coming surgical trend, technology has developed more reasonable and attainable options for the public. Millions of operations are now able to be performed on those wishing to fulfill specific gratifcations toward their own personal appearance and/or self-esteem. This is a serious problem in that people are unaware or just simply disregard the risks and controversies associated with unnecessary surgeries. Physical: In order to understand how plastic surgery is detrimental, it is necessary to look at the negative impact it can leave on a person or persons. The most obvious of the problems associated within the industry is the unnecessary risk it poses to one's physical health and well-being. Mybodypart.com, the largest network of Plastic Surgeons backed by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, claims that there are a great deal of potential risks which are associated with aesthetic surgeries. These include complications from bleeding, suture reaction and wound separation, Necrosis, nerve damage, allergic reactions to anesthesia, scarring, and any other complications associated with routine surgical procedures. Bleeding normally continues up to 3 days post surgery and can cause problems clotting, or hemotoma, making the patient(s) susceptible to infection or seromas, which is a collection of tissue fluid. Sutures are foreign... ...ducation/procedures/psychological_aspects.cfm Cosmetic Surgery. (2004). In The new Harvard guide to women's health (p. 179). Cambridge , MA & London , England : Harvard University Press Mybodypart.com (2006) Plastic Surgery – Virtual Plastic Surgery. Retrieved March 12, 2006, from http://www.mybodypart.com/plastic-surgery.html National Research Center for Women & Families, (2006). What you need to know . . before you get breast implants. Retrieved March 5, 2006, from http://www.breastimplantinfo.org/what_know_3.html ( U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA/Office of Public Affairs, FDA Consumer, 2000). Retrieved on March 5, 2006 from http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/300_laser.html http://www.worth1000.com/entries/209000/209256fKmj_w.jpg http://www.epregnancy.com/images/plastic_surgery_hdr.jpg http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/index.asp

Position Paper: Iraq War and Just War Theory Essay

Thesis: The war effort in Iraq that is currently being led by the United States fails to meet many of the qualifications of a just war as laid out in the Just War Theory, so one can take a position that the effort is unjust. I will argue that the United States not only disregarded some of the conditions of the theory, but that we actually broke most of the conditions which would be required in order for a war effort to be deemed â€Å"just†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the United States chose to go to war in Iraq, the international fallout following the decision was both dramatic and decisive. There was outcry from other countries who described the United States’ war effort as being â€Å"unjust†. Though there are many ambiguous ways to look at the justness of the war, the position that the war is unjust can be supported by the findings in the Just War Theory. The war effort in Iraq that is currently being led by the United States fails to meet many of the qualifications of a just war as laid out in the Just War Theory, so one can take a position that the effort is unjust. I will argue that the United States not only disregarded some of the conditions of the theory, but that we actually broke most of the conditions which would be required in order for a war effort to be deemed â€Å"just†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Just War Theory itself is not a document that leaves anything to chance. In fact, it is not ambiguous at all in the way that it defines a just war effort. Those who formulated the philosophy left no stone unturned. Instead, they were sure to include a detailed basis for understanding that was broken into two broad sections, with further explanation given in each section. The first condition for a just war that must be met is known as Jus ad bellum, which is the first set of criteria documented to determine if a war is just or not. According to the actual literature of the Just War Theory, this section â€Å"†¦Assesses the reasons for war and establishes the set of criteria we use for determining whether or not a particular war is legitimate† (Just War Theory). Included in this part of the Just War Theory are six sub-headings, including â€Å"just cause†, â€Å"just intentions†, â€Å"legitimate authority†, â€Å"publicly declared†, â€Å"last resort†, and â€Å"reasonable costs†. Together, these things help create a clearer picture of whether or not a war cause can be justified by those who wage war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States’ war in Iraq can be justified under the â€Å"just cause† part of Jus ad bellum, but in order for a war to be just, it must be able to pass all of the segments of this theory. Whether the war in Iraq fails first is in its intentions. According to this portion of the Just War Theory, â€Å"Just intentions demand that war should always aim for peace and that any war must be limited to its stated aim† (Just War Theory). In the case of the United States, this has not been the case. The cause at hand was just because it sought to liberate the Iraqi people from the tyranny of Hussein. Once that dictator was ejected, the war effort did not stop, though. Instead, it has turned into an occupation that has turned the United States into a conquering imperialistic nation. The real intentions of the war are hidden and are much more complicated that what meets the eye. The desire for control of oil and the political posturing in the Middle East are among those reasons. According to Stephen Jendraszak of the Ball State Daily News, â€Å"Our true motivation is oil, just as it has been in the past. After Sept. 11, the administration was stunned by the amount of Saudi involvement in the terrorist attacks† (Jendraszak).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third condition of this part of the Just War Theory was also violated. This deals with the authority to make war as an American nation. According to the Constitution of the United States, U.S. Congress has the power â€Å"To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water† (U.S. Constitution). Congress has yet to declare war in this situation, meaning that the U.S. led occupation is not just according to the theory. The Just War Theory also demands that the declaration of war be a public one. Since no declaration was made, there was obviously no public announcement of that decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An interesting part of the Just War Theory is section e of the first part, where it discusses the idea of a â€Å"last resort†. In this case, the United States tried some diplomacy, but they did not exhaust all of their options. In fact, the U.S. government did much to get in the way of good diplomacy in this case. Instead of allowing United Nations’ led inspectors to look over the Iraqi grounds, the U.S. put undue pressure on the Iraqi government. In fact, the United Nations went so far as to pass U.N. Resolution 1441, which states that the U.N. is †Determined to ensure full and immediate compliance by Iraq without conditions or restrictions with its obligations under resolution 687 (1991) and other relevant resolutions and recalling that the resolutions of the Council constitute the governing standard of Iraqi compliance† (U.N Resolution 1441). It was the United States’ lack of patience in letting this resolution play out that is a primary reason why the war should be deemed, â€Å"unjust†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to those things, I take the position that the U.S. had no justification for going to war based upon article â€Å"f† of the Just War Theory. This is the part of the theory that weighs the costs of going to war against the cost of allowing the current situation to persist. Though the grievances in Iraq were many, they are far outweighed by both the human and financial cost that has resulted from the war. The United States has spent billions of dollars fighting the war in Iraq and the military has lost thousands of soldiers. On top of that, the civilian casualties in Iraq have been many. Because of this, I stand by the position that the war in Iraq is not a just one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second broad section of the Just War Theory is known as Just in bello. This is the part of the theory that deals with the actual undertaking of the war itself. Who can be attacked and how is a country allowed to make that attack? This section deals with two sub-points, identified as proportionality and discrimination. In regards to proportionality, the Just War Theory states, â€Å"The quantity of force must be in proportion to the aim of the immediate action, e.g. it would be disproportionate to employ a nuclear weapon against a sniper firing from a populated village† (Just War Theory). Given the fact that the Iraqi government and military led no attack against American forces in our country or abroad, it is easy to make an argument that the response was neither measured nor proportional. The United States started its effort in Iraq with a period of bombings that were known as â€Å"shock and awe†. This is itself is an indictment against the justness of the war, seeing as the name implies that the attack was meant to be proportionally great one in comparison to what would follow in the war. The attack, which consisted of United States’ bombers dropping large bombs on major places in Iraq, took out not only the Iraqi military locations, but also caused many civilian casualties. Given the fact that the original intention of the war was to go and liberate the Iraqi people from the tyranny of Hussein, this response lacks the proportionality that is required in order for a war to be called just. With that knowledge, one can easily take the position that the United States’ war effort in Iraq once again broke an article of the Just War Theory and could thus be called an unjust effort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second portion deals with discrimination, which is defined in much more detail in the document. This is something that the United States government has learned to do moderately well, but the many mistakes that have occurred thus far are enough to deem this war as an unjust one. In the literature of the Just War Theory, it states that discrimination happens when, â€Å"Combatants must discriminate between legitimate and illegitimate weapons and between legitimate and illegitimate targets† (Just War Theory). This implies that a measure of judgment is required by the leaders and those carrying out the war in order to understand what an appropriate weapon to use is and what an appropriate place to target is. As indicated earlier in the discussion over the â€Å"shock and awe† tactics employed in the early part of this war effort, one can easily see that the United States government did not do a great job of identifying targets and further, they used force that was far too strong given the circumstances. The nature of the war in Iraq has demanded that the United States military do a lot of fighting in close quarters and in civilian laden areas. The fact of that matter is that the U.S. has not correctly identified their targets and when they have, the weapons have been so strong that lots of collateral damage has occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The war in Iraq can be described in a number of different ways and with a number of different words depending upon who is doing the describing. Many times, the political biases get in the way of actual discussion over whether or not the war was a just one. The Just War Theory, however, does not accommodate for any of that political posturing. It is a clear theory and given the facts that are laid out within it, one can easily take the position that the war in Iraq was an unjust one. Not only did the United States break a few of the conditions for the Just War Theory, they practically smashed the majority of them. By looking at the Just War Theory and applying it to the situation in Iraq, I come away with the feeling that the United States may have had a just cause, but they did not come anywhere near meeting any of the other conditions that are required in order for a war to be just. Works Cited United Nations Security Council. Resolution 1441. Retrieved from http://www.edenbridgetown.com/ethics/reference/war/un_res_1441.shtml United States Constitution. Article One, Section Eight. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articlei.html#section8 Jendraszak, Stephen. Jack Of All Trades: War in Iraq unjust, short-sighted. Ball State Daily News Online. 7 January 2003. Retrieved from http://media.www.bsudailynews.com/media/storage/paper849/news/2003/01/07/Opinion/Jack-Of.All.Trades.War.In.Iraq.Unjust.ShortSighted-1300588.shtml