Effects of Government Bailout of General Motors as Viewed by Two Contrasting Government Control Views

Legal Environment of Business Legal Environment of Law – Paper 1, Spring 2009 â€Å"Effects of government bailout of General Motors as viewed by two contrasting government control views† Summary This report is based on the notes I took listening to a debate I overheard from two of the presenters, Jurgis and Equality, at a business seminar I attended. The topic of the debate was the need for the government to provide more assistance to General Motors, who already received stimulus payments but due to the economic recession, is still in peril. Jurgis had the socialistic view that the more government involvement and influence the better. Jurgis believed that employers, working conditions, and the positions themselves should be regulated by the government. Equality had an opposing view of capitalism, and the need to limit the involvement of the government and let the economy work itself out. Equality felt there was enough support for the employees without need for any more mandated by the government. In conclusion I agree with many of the aspects Equality presented. General Motors was already given assistance; they need to be given the chance and motivation to try to rescue themselves. In history it’s been proven that the economy will right itself, government involvement has a tendency to make the situation worse. While attending a business seminar on the impacts of further oil shale development in the United States, I became fascinated with two contrary presenters. Jurgis promoted the thought that we need more laws and government control to protect us from ourselves. Equality had a laissez-faire view of government involvement. Equality felt that the government should have limited power and control over the people and marketplace. After the seminar I noticed Jurgis and Equality having a conversation and decided to tag along and listen to their conversation. Jurgis and Equality were discussing the government bailout of General Motors and the proposal for additional money needed; since the first extension period is almost up and the first disbursement of funds did little to help General Motors. Due to the economic recession people have stopped buying new cars and General Motors has not yet sold their December production. Jurgis argued that the government must intervene to protect employee’s jobs and welfare by instituting more laws and regulations to protect the workers as well as providing economic subsidies. Jurgis said that if General Motors should be allowed to fail then the loss of jobs will pit man against man, something Jurgis knows about. â€Å"In Russia, there were rich men who owned everything† [ (Sinclair, p. 13) ] Jurgis argues that without regulation and control with regard to the employee than the conditions he suffered through in Russia will return. I remembered from my business law class that before unions and regulation, â€Å"Workers, often women and sometimes children, worked 60 to 70 hours per week and sometimes more, standing at assembly lines in suffocating, dimly lit factories, performing monotonous yet dangerous work with heavy machine ry† [ (Samuelson, p. 403) ], we do need some form of workplace regulation. Equality disputed the need for increased government help and regulation, every man should work to achieve for himself, not the common good. Equality said that he was once told â€Å"Many men in the Homes of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the past†¦ but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted against them, they abandoned their ideas, as all men must† [ (Rand, p. 73) ], this kind of mentality only suppresses the people, it doesn’t help them. He doesn’t want to return to a society that has no respect for individualism, only what benefits the whole. Equality fears that if we allow the government some control over General Motors, its workers, and operation, then eventually more and more control will be given until every aspect of life and even death is controlled. Jurgis told Equality about the working conditions and life he had lived because there was no regulation, no union to represent and bargain for the worker. Jurgis explained how his wife had gotten a job for a packer, and the woman she replaced was let go only because she was sick, not due to performance. Someone must look out for the workers, and the government has a responsibility to be this regulator. I remember from my business law book a story of miners working conditions â€Å"Temperatures in the mines were well over 100 degrees. Miners drank more than three gallons of water every day. Some suddenly collapsed†¦ Within minutes they were dead, but even before they died, their places in the mine were taken by other workers desperate for pay. † This was when unions developed to protect and fight for the workers. Equality said the people should be allowed to prosper or fail on their own, let General Motors control its own fate. For every amount of power that is given to the government, there is a corresponding loss of personal freedom and in the case of General Motors, economic success. And if the government keeps bailing out General Motors and other companies, what are we telling these companies? General Motors was already given a disbursement to aid their financial situation; if they chose to misuse this bailout then maybe they deserve to fail. Equality said that â€Å"There is nothing to take a man’s freedom away from him, save other men. To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. This and nothing else. † [ (Rand, p. 101) ] Each man must have the ability to provide for themselves, even if it is in competition and at the cost of another man. As I listened to Jurgis and Equality debate, I remembered that under statute 9 of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 â€Å"†¦ the union will represent all the designated employees, regardless of whether a particular worker wants to be represented. † [ (Samuelson, p. 407) ]. Equality argues that each person should be responsible for him or herself and have the right to choose if, when, who, or how they should be represented. But Jurgis said that some workers may not realize that they need representation, or work in bad or illegal conditions. This is the case with child labor, laws are needed to limit child labor, and someone must also represent them. The government should not only provide the money needed to keep General Motors going, but also increase its oversight of the company making sure that the employees are taken care of. Jurgis told Equality that there are people that are above the law like the man that made his wife Ona bend to his wishes at the threat of her family. When Jurgis found out about this and confronted and assaulted the man, Jurgis was the one that was hauled off and given an unfair trial. Jurgis had to spend 30 days in jail, and his family paid the price. As far as Jurgis is concerned this type of power and wealth needs to be controlled by the government to make sure that every man has value and a say in his life. There are so many workers for General Motors that the government must help it keep going to keep these workers employed, safe, and able to live. Equality told Jurgis of a similar, but opposing story from his life. From birth he was told what he was, how he would live and even die. You were assigned an occupation, there was no occupational protection provided; you did as the government told you until you were no longer valuable to society. When you were deemed worthless you reported to house of the dying to live out the few remaining moments of your life. â€Å"We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen. † [ (Rand, p. 20) ] This was the only prayer aloud. Jurgis argued that we need a society and government based on socialism, that it’s the responsibility of the majority to look after its people. By giving General Motors the aid they require in return for some control over the company, its operations, and employees, we would move toward socialism. Jurgis felt that he owed his life to socialism, and that it was the answer to any problem he faced or had endured. Equality on the other hand continued to argue that the government needed to be controlled and that society needed to be based on capitalism. As power was given to the government little by little, its overall control over society grew until it was the controller. Equality argues this point with bailout and help of General Motors. By giving aid the government in turn acquires power over the company, its share holders, and employees themselves. In conclusion I agree that extended help in the form of funds may not be the best way to help General Motors. Since this aid comes with strings attached, the government does indeed move to the socialist schema. As described in the video on the American form of government [ (http://www. imp. com/thegovernment/, 2008) ] the state of government is always moving to a monarchy or oligarchy. Any move away from a system based on a republic ideology always ends with an oligarchy. But this is a continuing cycle, as seen in a rudimentary way in Anthem. General Motors has already had some assistance, now it should be left alone. There are enough current laws and government involvements to make s ure that the employees are at the least, treated fairly. Though some may end up temporarily unemployed ore are pushed to find a different type of work, these people will make it. Should General Motors fail, another company will step into its shoes and fill the void. There is too much need for their products for them to simply disappear. Bibliography http://www. wimp. com/thegovernment/. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. wimp. com/thegovernment/: http://www. wimp. com/thegovernment/ Rand, A. (1995). Anthem. New York, NY: SIGNET. Samuelson, B. (2008). Legal Environment, Third Edition. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Sinclair, U. (2004). The Jungle. New York, NY: Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Review and reflection on “Who moved my cheese”? Essay

The story tells the tale of four characters of which two are mice Sniff and Scurry, and the other two, littlepeople Haw and Hem-they who are humans, the only difference is their size which is similar to that of the mice. These four characters routinely search for their cheese everything day as way of life. At some point in time, they all find what they are looking for. In this, they bask in the happiness and comfort of their cheese for a very long while. One faithful day, their cheese has been moved and it is no longer in the location they find it every day, their routine has been changed. For the two mice, they quickly embrace the change that has happen and quickly set off looking for a new cheese so that they can continue to bask in their enjoyment. Not very long the mice find new cheese and their happiness continues. On the other hand, the littlepeople refuse to accept the inevitable change which has occurred, they keep living in denial and complaining that it is not fair that their cheese has been moved. It takes a very longtime for self-realization to come into the mind of Haw one of the littlepeople to back into the maze to look for new happiness rather than hopelessly wait for their old happiness to come back to them. He sets off on his journey which is long and hard, along the way, he learns a lot of life lessons which keeps him going. Finally, he finds new cheese, new happiness, fresher and more than he ever hoped for. In his closing wishes, he hopes that his fried Hem sees the light and also takes up the new challenge. Reflectively, it is interesting how the human mind can be so disadvantageous despite the praise heaped on it. We claim to be the smartest and wisest species in the universe, yet we go on to overcomplicate things for ourselves. This story has clearly indicated that, because we like to analyze situations a lot, it gets to a stage where we allow fear to creep in, thus preventing us from challenging ourselves. From the story, I realized that I am kind of Hem-ish; but like he said, â€Å"it’s better late than never†. So with situations where I have over analyzed, I will accept the changes which have occurred, embraced the challenges and move with the cheese or even better still, look for a New Cheese.

Marketing 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing 2 - Assignment Example g undertaken also they designed teaser campaign for the firm’s rebranding process also a graphic was released which showed the repealing of old and evolution of a new identity on ’01.01.01’ (date of launch)(Rebranding and Repositioning a global brand. 29 legal firms all around the world were coming up with marketing strategies and advertisements which repeatedly captured the rebranding of Andersen Consultancy and the idea that firm was evolving into a bigger and better place. Through this extensive research and massive marketing the firm transferred its brand equity from Andersen to Accenture which itself was derived from two words ‘assent’ and ‘future’, the idea of providing more and broader services than ever before. (Accenture) (Accenture, 2002) A. The shift in the Brand name as mentioned previously was a result of a legal decision which if not handled properly might have resulted in the collapse of a giant of that time. This rebranding was not a result of an innovation or anything. Criteria to evaluate the new brand name revolved around the question, that what innovation was the firm offering after this huge makeover. Business reengineering, Business Integration, Specialist in Technology, More and broader services, Masters in the field and Leaders of Future were the six agenda’s set by the firm at the time of rebranding. In the light of these criteria Accenture is the perfect fit for the company since its name in itself speaks of future and is innovative in nature too. The conversion was no less then reengineering and transforming the firm into a whole new platform, for people to look up to with a guarantee of receiving the best at their footsteps. (Accenture, 2002) A. Accenture used this opportunity of renaming itself to reposition the brand in a whole new dimension. While this process of repositioning was undertaken the company and its legal and marketing advisors kept this fact in mind that the services of consulting being performed by the

Strategy and Change Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategy and Change Management - Case Study Example This paper will focus and look into SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis with regards to Human Resource Management of Sony Ericsson in penetrating and merging different personnel in forming the venture that set a new trend to mobile phone industry in the world. When Sony and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson have made ties in 2001, to produce cellular phones, there were a lot of tremendous changes that transpired between these companies that are now one. Though these companies have their similarities in terms of products they produce, Erricson is limited in producing telecommunication devices while Sony produces a wide array of appliances and electronic gadgets. Upon analyzing the nature of the products these two produces, one might say that there are also differences in the number of employees and the management of staff these companies have. devices and appliance. If we are to deal with the kind of manpower of these two, Erricsson has a more complicated and specialized staff because it deals with a particular product. In this case, one might conclude that detailed manpower specializing in every spare part and division is evident in the rank and file of this company. On the other hand, due to the fact that Sony produces several appliances, it has a complex staff because it deals with the general structure of the appliances that they produce does have similarities with several brands of appliance and in this case, they also employ people with general knowledge and does not require specialization since the production of the company deals with general application of appliances that are being produced since the make-up of these products are similar with other appliance products. When these companies ventured into one, there are changes that have been made. In this case, such changes include changes in strategy and approach of Human Resource Management. If there is indeed a change for Human Resource Management, therefore, the perfect pendulum of such a change is the SWOT analysis to test whether the changes in Human Resource Management is in accordance and jive with the vision of the company. In this particular case, this study will look into four key aspects of this kind of analysis. This would ensure whether the said move of these ventures with regards to its Human Resource Management Schemes would be an effective move if we are to deal with the effectiveness and welfare of the Human Resource in the company. Strategy and Change Management: Assessment 3 Company and Management Background of Sonny and Ericsson as separate entities Ericsson is a well-known company specializing in manufacturing mobile phones. The company enriched and employs people who are specializing in cellular phone technology as well as semi-conductor. In this case, the company is particular to the Human Resources which specialize in a certain field with certainly, a particular need. The website of the company ericsson.com (2007) described the company as "Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Over 1,000 networks in 140 countries

An enemy of the People by Arthur Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An enemy of the People by Arthur Miller - Essay Example In his play entitled â€Å"An enemy of the People,† Henrik Ibsen uses the character of Dr. Stockmann to bring out the extent to which the society can compromise the desires and beliefs of an individual. Reading through the play, one gets to understand how hard it is for people who have compromised their principles to be confronted by someone who has not. The use of the styles of characterization, irony, and symbolism help the author to show the reader ways in which a person can be disliked by the very same society he is doing his best to help. Dr. Stockmann, the main character of the play is a popular practicing medical doctor as well as the medical officer of a small coastal town in Norway. He is the brother of the mayor, an authoritative figure in the town. In the play, Dr. Stockmann is the protagonist who struggles to do the right thing and stand against the social intolerances that he encounters in his day to day activities. As a health officer of the town, Dr. Stockmann d iscovers a problem with pollution that is causing illnesses to the town’s tourists. To this effect, he comes up with a solution to the pollution problem which he presents to the Mayor. However, he discovers that it would not be an easy task to get the attention of the authorities and the townspeople as it becomes clear to him that they only care about the financial gain of the baths and not the problems they present. He realizes that he is alone in his quest for being right and notes â€Å"†¦..† (Ibsen 1011). Dr. Stockmann experiences a lot of negativity from the very same people of the town he is trying to help. When he discovers the extent of pollution in the waters, he believes that people will be interested in finding a solution. However, the townspeople, even his friends term him an â€Å"enemy of the people† mainly because his suggestions take the prosperity associated with the benefits of the baths back. He even notes himself "I've decided. I am an Enemy of the People"(Ibsen 1028) when he finally accepts that most of the towns people will never support him. This brings out irony in the play. It is ironic because Dr. Stockmann had the best of intentions when he proposed limiting the damages of pollution by closing the baths. In any case, the people are their own enemy because their greed and desire for prosperity will in the end bring harm and destruction to the town. It is clear that people do not realize the shortsightedness of their stand against Dr. Stockmann’s opi nion of what is best for the town. Ibsen’s use of imagery as brought out by the character of Dr. Stockmann who points out images of pollution throughout the play. At the beginning, Dr. Stockman literally discovers the polluted baths which in this case, are getting polluted by literal filth from the tanneries. As the play progresses, images of dirty water are used as a symbolic representation of moral and societal corruption. According to Roshwald, there is the physical filth, as well as moral pollution, and one can see the biological poison as a representation of the moral corruption in the society (229). In a community, there are always selfish individuals who have compromised their principles and find it challenging when confronted by someone of integrity. The mayor is dishonest and callous, but his brother is an honest man and that is why as Roshwald notes, Dr. Stockman accuses his brother by saying â€Å"We are making our living by retailing filth and corruption!†

Leadership Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership Style - Research Paper Example   The success and failures of an organization is a result of the leadership style implemented. My democratic style involves the contribution of both my personal contribution as a leader and the contributions of subordinates. My leadership style is the most highly recommended in achieving the goals of an organization within the desired timeframe. This is because the style has a direct impact on the subordinates who work towards the achievement of the organization’s goals. The response of workers in my leadership style is highly affected by the position held and the powers of the leader. Workers are often interested in their own achievements and thus would sideline with a leader who is likely to make them achieve their objectives.There are two types of leaders in the democratic leadership style. A consultative leader has the ideas of the subordinates, but the final decision is solely his. A consensus leader incorporates the ideas of the subordinates in making the final decisio n. A consultative leader partly practices democratic leadership also the authoritarian leadership in decision-making. Achievement of organizational goals does not only depend on the leadership style, but also requires motivation to the subordinates. As a consensus leader, I usually motivate his subordinates by including their ideas in a decision. The subordinates have the feeling that they also have some powers in the organization. This gives the subordinates the feeling that they are part of every success in the organization.

ECON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECON - Essay Example Comparing answers of A and B above, the opportunity costs of additional 20,000 tons of coal at point B is C. greater than the opportunity costs of additional 20,000 tons of coal at point A. This reflects D. the law of increasing opportunity costs. If soil quality is improved, the initial production possibility frontier shift from left to right as shown by the second new production possibility frontier in graph 2 with a red curve. So the new curve representing effects of improvement of soil is the red curve. D. If Jack acquires a new tool to produce twice as many trains per hour as before without affecting his ability to produce drums, the production possibility frontier adjust to the right as shown below. If both two countries, Greece and Denmark produce oil and wine, the opportunity cost of Greece producing a bottle of wine is 3 barrels of oil, while the opportunity cost of Denmark producing a bottle of wine is 8 barrels of oil. C. If Greece and Denmark consider trading wine and oil with each other, Greece can gain from specialization as long as it can receives more than 3 barrels of oil for each bottle of wine it exports to Denmark. C. If Freedonia and Sylvania specializes in production of goods for which each has comparative advantage, together, the two countries can produce C. 12 million pounds of tea and D. 16 million pounds of potatoes. In addition, If the first bill introduced mandates doubling of security to increase probability of catching a terrorist from 10% to 20% without changing position of the blue curve, the opportunity cost of increased security is A. 15 million visitors per year given that initial numbers of visitors were 55 million at a security of 10%. 2.3 The first bill introduced mandates doubling of security to increase probability of catching a terrorist from 10% to 20%, a situation which is not satisfactory to some. In response, one representative introduced a bill to increase security by additional 10% from 20% to

Juvenile Probation system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile Probation system - Essay Example Probation system is the means through which the juvenile court system ensures its purpose is achieved. The juvenile court guides juveniles considered to be a status offender or delinquent. The system works through probation officers who inform the juvenile court of appropriate steps to take (Torbet, 1996; Whitehead & Lab, 2012). The judge makes a decision on what conditions to include in the probation based on information provided by the probation officer. Probation may be used in three ways: It can be adjudication to a first time low risk offender, in which case it is used at the front end. It can be used in placement of a formal settlement if a youth agrees to comply with a period of informal probation, and it can be used at the back end of the system where it serves as a replacement to institutional confinement for more serious offenders (Torbet, 1996). Juvenile Probation System Creation The juvenile probation system is an evolution of the court and juvenile justice system, as a m eans of differentiating the adult criminals from the young lawbreakers. It was found that the institutions meant correct behaviors or confine criminals, were too harsh for the young ones; hence the change, and development of a new system. The idea came from common practice such as the use of placement societies, where delinquent and poor children would be taken to live with farm families, or serve apprenticeships instead of prisons. Keeping delinquent children out of jail and the idea of probation was however, obtained from John Augustus; a shoemaker from Boston. In the 1840s, he would bail adults and delinquent children out of jail, promising the judges that he would supervise their conduct, and ensure they go to school for the case of young people, and given honest employment for the case of adults. By 1859, Augustus had provided bail for 1900 adults and juveniles. He had made an impact in the justice system, and this was recognized as an important method of dealing with delinquen t young people and criminals. This has evolved over time with the current system having probation officers collecting data about the delinquent young people, and assisting the judge in informed decision making about the juveniles’ cases. It has also been established that communities need to be more involved in order to develop a preventive approach to juvenile crime (Livers, 2013). Standards and Goals Just like in prisons, jails and other correction facilities, American Correctional Association and other relevant organizations have established certain standards for juvenile probation and parole. These act as guidelines for best practices. These standards however, have not been adopted universally because probation services can be provided through various ways, and still meet the needs for rehabilitation and safety, and observe the legal rights of minors. According the standards, before placing a juvenile under probation, a needs assessment is necessary, accompanied by a servi ce plan. The standards further recommend that the needs assessment be done by a probation officer, with the help juvenile and his or her family members. The following areas of need should be assessed: proximity of the correctional program to the youth, medical problems, availability of placements, and the capacity of the youth to benefit from the program. There should also be availability of supplemental services that

Personal Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Personal Responsibility Essay Achieving college success can be accomplished in several ways by oneself. Taking steps to exceeding, developing set goals, time management, and personal responsibility goes hand in hand. Although, if one does not follow these steps or stays true to themselves, life could become overwhelming, stressful, and chaotic. By doing this he or she cannot only achieve success in college, but also in his or her personal life. Meaning Merriam-Webster (1995) defines responsibility as the quality or state of living responsible, for something which one is liable to answer for one’s acts or decisions. When hearing the above an individual has to believe by having any success in life, person responsibility goes hand in hand. Achieving college success or personal success in life one has to take action for any decisions, choices, or actions that are made. It takes much strength for someone to stand up for his or her own beliefs and actions. When someone has plans to achieve college success or success in anything in life; plans and goals should be set before expecting any type of success. Some may view personal responsibility different from the person next to them; one thing that is truly the same is the effort to achieving success in his or her own life. Everyone is ultimately responsible for everything in their lives, pointing fingers at others is giving excuses on why one cannot achieve success. Success in college can be seen in several ways. He or she can measure college success in all types of ways; by achieving good grades, learning new knowledge, learning how to speak to others, working together as a team, and the final result a college degree. To accomplish such goals, he or she first must know what they are wanting out of college. With this personal responsibility comes into play; by not staying true to themselves the accomplishments will not be rewarding nor fulfilling. Someone who wants to succeed in college will do what is expecting and more to achieve the success. Teachers and family members have little effect on one’s college success, but it is the individual’s own personal responsibility for achievements in college. Although one may disagree with Mr. Awender, as there is no relationship between developing a college success and the success in the business would. There can be a relationship between having an educational success and with success in a b usiness world; he or she just needs to have personal responsibility while achieving it. Careers can also have many successes. For an individual to be successful in the business world, they have to start from the bottom and work themselves to the top of the ladder. Personal responsibility and motivation are a key factor in climbing the business ladder. But not acquiring the motivation and determination along with goal sitting to strive to be the best, he or she will always be on the bottom. Working with team members can at times make you think or compare yourself to other co-workers. When you are trying to be successful in your career, he or she should not compare how his or her own success towards other people’s success in their career. This could lead into discouragement in oneself, and the ability to focus on the goals at hand, and the accomplishments may become hard to achieve. This could postpone or delay the career success he or she is looking for. In 1972, Max Gunther points out there fifteen â€Å"successful man† with a network ranging from $100 million than to a billion dollars, only four of those mean have either a college or a university degree (Gunther, 1972). One can only realize that with a high level education there is a high level business success. This is true in most cases, but there are those times that business experience can play a role into achieving success through a career. Some may argue that success is often found within a career that the position is that of a head manager is the top of success. Experience, age and even seniority can play a toll in how much someone is paid or the level he or she achieves in that career field (Awender, 1985) . Preliminary plan Having a preliminary plan is the starting foundation of creating success in college and in life. Personal responsibility is one of the things, where he or she is willing to take the necessary steps to succeed. Having high goals and dreams means keeping with the goals and doing can be done making sure that he or she is achieving the goals and dreams they have set for themselves. Things happen in life to where someone may encounter problems or setbacks while achieving success. With that one will need keep an open mind and stay positive to any negative while moving forward toward any goals. Realizing that goals can and will need to be changed or adjusted while he or she keeps heading towards the ultimate goal. Time management is a piece in the preliminary plan to achieve overall success in life. Having to balance his or her own personal life, work life, school life this is going to take personal responsibility to be able to stay on top. Most college students that are returning back to school are either married, have kids, a full time job that require a good portion of their time. You will have to be ready and prepared to sacrifice some things to succeed in school or life. This is why having time management and personal responsibility will come into play. Procrastination will make life hard for the one who is achieving success. This is where his or her own life will become overwhelming, stressful, chaotic. To conquer these aspects of procrastination one has to be responsible for their actions. According to (Klingsieck, Fries, Horz, Hofer 2012) Up to 70% of university students consider themselves procrastinators and 50% procrastinate consistently and problematically. Some students have reported that procrastination typically accounts for more than one third of their daily activities and is often carried out through sleeping, reading, or watching TV (Klingsieck, Fries, Horz, Hofer 2012). Conclusion  One should take personal responsibility for their own actions so they can lead themselves on a pathway for success. Having to decide how to manage his or her own time between personal responsibility and college success is a major factor in achieving ones goals. One must learn how to prioritize their lives in a way they can balance all factors into achieving the overall goal; becoming successful in college and a career by using personal responsibility.

Importance of the Fed in the U.S. Economy Essay Example for Free

Importance of the Fed in the U.S. Economy Essay Apart from the investors and the consumers of the United States, the Federal Reserve happens to be the most important player in the United States economy. The central bank of the U. S. , the Federal Reserve (commonly referred to as the Fed) includes a â€Å"a federal government agency, the Board of Governors, in Washington, D. C. , and 12 regional Reserve Banks† in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, San Francisco, and St. Louis (â€Å"The Federal Reserve†). This government agency at the heart of the United States economy, controlled through federal information coming from various quarters, determines how investors and consumers would behave in the future. In so doing, the Fed plays a ‘weighty’ hand in the functioning of the U. S. economy. The Federal Reserve is responsible for overseeing the functioning of banks. The Congress, on the other hand, is responsible for overseeing the functioning of the Fed. Dr. Robert Keleher, the Chief Macroeconomist of the Joint Economic Committee, expresses the importance of these facts with an emphasis on the role of the Fed in the U. S. economy: As the Nations Central Bank, the Federal Reserve is granted special privileges and so assumes the responsibilities and characteristics of such a bank. It monopolizes the issuance of paper money, serves as banker for both the government and commercial banks, and acts as lender of last resort. The latter, in turn, calls for bank regulatory responsibilities. Since Federal Reserve operations work to centralize reserves (Federal Reserve notes and deposits form a large portion of bank reserves), they entail responsibility for reserve management and hence monetary policy. Two critically important macroeconomic functions of the Central Bank, therefore, are the maintenance and achievement of price and financial system stability (i. e. , stable monetary policy and the provision of lender-of-last-resort services). †¦The importance of congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve cannot be overemphasized. These functions are important, for example, because they imply that the Federal Reserve controls and hence is responsible for the management of total spending or aggregate demand as well as inflation. In carrying out its monetary policy management (via manipulating reserves), the Federal Reserve influences interest rates—especially short-term rates—as well as foreign exchange rates and other financial market prices. And in times of financial crisis, the Federal Reserves lender-of-last-resort function stabilizes the entire financial system†¦. (â€Å"The Importance,† 1997). The Fed has the power to change the money supply in the United States (â€Å"Monetary Policy†). An increase in money supply tends to lower interest rates, which in turn may increase investment around the nation in addition to consumer spending. A decrease in the supply of money will raise interest rates. Given that raised rates of interest are expected to reduce consumer spending as well as capital investment, thereby reducing demand as well as prices, the Federal Reserve can hope to control inflation by decreasing money supply. The Federal Reserve uses interest rates as a tool to influence economic activity. The funds rate, which is the interest that banks charge each other on overnight loans, happens to be the Federal Reserve’s primary tool of monetary policy, seeing that this rate affects several other interests rates charged to consumers and to businesses (Associated Press, 2006). The interest rate influences money supply and various components of the U. S. economy. Most importantly, it is this tool of monetary policy that helps to determine the financial health of the people of America with respect to the state of the economy. How much money common people and businesses would be able to spend in a given time is, in fact, the responsibility of the Federal Reserve to adjust and readjust through its monetary policy. The amount of spending in the economy is closely related to the standard of living of the Americans. Hence, the Fed’s role of making monetary policy work for the United States is oft understood to be the most crucial one. The second most important role of the Fed is thought to be â€Å"Banking Supervision. † Seeing as a sound and strong financial system is essential to the â€Å"health of the economy and the effectiveness of monetary policy,† the central bank of the United States supervises as well as regulates financial institutions throughout the nation. By so doing, the bank of the banks is in a better position to make sound policy decisions (â€Å"Banking Supervision†). What is more, by ensuring that the investment and commercial banks around the nation are engaging in sound business practices, the Federal Reserve guarantees the investors and consumers of America that their moneys and economic interests would remain well guarded. The third function of the Federal Reserve is connected to the second, which is connected to the first. As â€Å"a bank for banks† the Fed not only supervises the latter, but also provides essential financial services to â€Å"depository institutions,† such as â€Å"banks, credit unions, and savings and loans. † Just as the commercial banks handle transactions among their customers, in addition to the transactions of their customers with the customers of other banks; the Federal Reserve handles transactions among banks. These financial services provided by the central bank include the electronic transfer of funds between banks; the collection of checks at various depository institutions; and the distribution as well as receiving of U. S. dollars and cents among and from the depository institutions, which require freshly minted money on a regular basis (â€Å"Financial Services†). The Fed also is a bank for the United States government. Referred to as the federal government’s â€Å"fiscal agent,† the central bank provides financial services to the government’s Department of Treasury. In addition, the â€Å"bank for the government† sells and redeems government securities, for example, â€Å"Saving Bonds and Treasury Bills† (â€Å"Financial Services†). It is at this point that the third most important function of the Federal Reserve joins with the first. By buying and selling government securities, the Federal Reserve changes the money supply: the selling of government securities decreases the money supply, and the buying of such securities increases the supply of money in the U. S. economy (â€Å"FOMC†). Whether the Federal Reserve must buy or sell government securities at a given time is determined by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which is a fundamental â€Å"branch of the Federal Reserves Board† and â€Å"composed of the Board of Governors†¦and five reserve-bank presidents. † The FOMC is also responsible for making decisions about the direction that the interest rate should take. While the investors may only speculate about the pertinent monetary policy decisions of the FOMC, the Americans may continue to enjoy sound sleep at night with the knowledge that the Federal Reserve is a highly responsible agent of the government which has accompanied the economy through periods of very high growth, especially in the most recent decades (â€Å"FOMC†). Given the above facts about the central bank of the United States, it would not be an exaggeration to claim that the Federal Reserve is the banker of each American. While setting the monetary policy and performing its other functions, the Federal Reserve has the best interests of the Americans and the American economy at heart. Whether it is unemployment rate that must be fixed, or the inflation rate that must be adjusted to account for technological improvements; the Fed is in charge of correcting the errors. The changes facing the economy at any time are varied. The Federal Reserve must sift through the information about the economy that it is presented with, analyze the information with an emphasis on the interest of the Americans, and then make sound policy decisions that would impact the future of the economy. During low growth periods, the Federal Reserve is looked up to for massive corrections in the system, generally carried out through appropriate monetary policy decisions. The American public has high expectations attached to the Fed in times of economic hardship. In periods of high growth, on the other hand, the Fed continues to oversee the functioning of the economy to check for the menace of inflation, etc. Thus, this ‘bank of America’ is constantly overseeing the economy and overruling bad choices in the employment of the resources available to the U. S. What is more, the United States economy at present cannot envision a time when it would be no more affiliated with the Fed. Rather, the Federal Reserve is indispensable in the U. S. economic system. References Associated Press. (2006, May 31). Federal Reserve Minutes Show Uncertainty Over Future Interest Rate Hikes. Fox News. Available 20 February 2007, from http://www. foxnews. com/story/0,2933,197674,00. html. Banking Supervision. Fed 101. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. federalreserveeducation. org/fed101/supervision/. FOMC Federal Open Market Committee. Investopedia. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. investopedia. com/terms/f/fomc. asp. Financial Services. Fed 101. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. federalreserveeducation. org/fed101/services/. Monetary Policy. Fed 101. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. federalreserveeducation. org/fed101/policy/. The Federal Reserve System Online. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. federalreserveonline. org/. The Importance of the Federal Reserve. (1997, March). Joint Economic Committee Report. Available 29 May 2007, from http://www. house. gov/jec/fed/fed/fed-impt. pdf.

Characteristics of Phobias Depression and OCD

Characteristics of Phobias Depression and OCD Phobias A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear of a particular situation or object, and is an example of an anxiety disorder. There are several types of phobias but three include agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. The characteristics of phobias can be divided into three categories: Behavioural there are two types of behavioural characteristics and they are avoidance and panic. Avoidance is the key behavioural characteristic and this is because when someone with a phobia is presented with an object or is put into a fearful situation, the first initial thing they will do is avoid it. A prime example of this is if someone has a social phobia, they will avoid being in big crowds, and if someone who has arachnophobia they will avoid being near spiders. Panic on the other hand is the other behavioural characteristic and this happens when they come face-to-face with their fears and cannot avoid it. This results in panic and causes a high level of stress and anxiety on the person. What can also happen is it can result in the person freezing due to the fear being so intense. This is part of the fight or flight fear response. This freezing response is an adaptive response to make a predator think that their prey is dead. Emotional The main emotional characteristic of phobia are unreasonable and excessive fear, panic, anxiety, and a feeling of dread. An emotional response is set off by the anticipation or the presence of a specific situation or object, which is excessive in relation to the danger actually posed as. Cognitive there are also two types of cognitive characteristics and they are irrational beliefs and selective attention. A persons phobia is defined by their irrational thinking about the stimulus and this causes them to fear. An example of this is a person who suffers from arachnophobia may think that all spiders are deadly, despite the fact that no spiders in the UK are deadly. On the other hand, if a person with a phobia is presented by a situation or object they fear of, they will find it hard to concentrate because they are preoccupied by anxious thoughts, and will therefore direct their attention elsewhere. This means that because of their selective attention, it will cause them to become fixated on the object they fear due to their irrational thoughts and beliefs about the danger. Depression: Depression is one of the most common mood disorder, and mood disorders can be characterised through strong emotions, which can affect the way a person functions normally in their daily lives. A mood disorder can affect an individuals behaviour, perceptions and thinking. There are different types of depression such as manic depression known as a bipolar disorder, and major depression known as a unipolar disorder. There are a range of possible symptoms people who suffer with depression can experience. In order for someone to become diagnosed with major depression, sufferers are required to show at least five symptoms every day for at least two weeks. Characteristics are then divided into three groups which are: Physical/behavioural symptoms there are many behavioural characteristics of depression including pain especially headaches, muscle ache and joint ache, change in appetite, lack of activity, and insomnia. First of all there is often a change in the persons activity level, with sufferers constantly feeling tired. Leading on from this, sufferers then often experience sleep disturbance, with some people sleeping more, or less, or experiencing insomnia. Finally, sufferers whose appetite changes may have significant weight changes too due to them eating less than usual or more, and losing or gaining weight. Affective/emotional symptoms the key emotional symptoms of depression include extreme feelings of sadness, despair and hopelessness. Sufferers will also experience feelings of worthlessness and anhedonia which is no longer having an interest in activities that used to be pleasurable. Diurnal mood variation can also occur and this is the change in mood throughout the day, for example feeling worse in the morning time. Even though experiencing a depressed mood is the most common emotional symptom of depression, some people experience anger that can be directed towards others or themselves. Anger can also lead to self-harming behaviours sadly. Cognitive symptoms along with the behavioural and emotional symptoms of depression, there are also cognitive symptoms. Cognitive symptoms are things such as experiencing persistent negative beliefs about their abilities and themselves. Along with this it involves suicidal thoughts and finding it difficult to maintain or pay attention. Sufferers are often slower in responding at making or to decisions.   Furthermore, they are also more inclined to just focus on the negatives and not identify the positives and in some cases this can lead to them experiencing recurrent thoughts of death, suicide or self-harm. OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has two parts which are obsessions and compulsions. The majority of people who suffer from OCD that experience obsessions and compulsions that are linked together. The three types of characteristics for OCD are: Behavioural compulsions of OCD are the behavioural aspect and for people who suffer with OCD, compulsions have two properties. One of these properties is that compulsions are mental or physical repetitive actions. Sufferers will often feel the need to repeat a behaviour, for example repetitive hand washing. The second property is compulsions are used to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared situation from occurring but in reality they would not actually stop a dreaded situation and are excessive. For example with the excessive hand washing being caused by an excessive fear of bacteria or germs, it is therefore a direct response to the obsession. Emotional the emotional characteristics of OCD are usually characterised by anxiety caused by the obsessions. However, some of the sufferers of OCD also experience depression due to the anxiety they go through. As the obsessions for the sufferer are persistent, this causes a high level of anxiety for them. This anxiety can result in them having low moods and a loss of pleasure in everyday activities, because these everyday activities are being interrupted by the repetitive compulsions and obsessive thoughts. Cognitive Obsessions are the cognitive part of OCD and are the reoccurring and persistent thoughts, impulses and images.   Examples of these are the fear of safety by leaving windows and doors open, perfectionism a fear of not being the best, and fear of contamination by germs and dirt. For people who suffer from OCD, these thoughts keep happening over and over again. The sufferers tries to ignore the thoughts, impulses or images however it unable to. In most people these thoughts cause stress and anxiety. Some sufferers of OCD try to deal with their obsessions by introducing cognitive strategies. An example of this is sufferers with religious obsessions might pray over and over again in order to reduce their feelings of being immoral. Furthermore, sufferers of OCD realise that their compulsions and obsessions are irrational, so they experience selective attention which is directed towards the anxiety-generating stimuli. This is similar to the selective attention people with phob ias have.

The evolutionary theory of a firm :: Business, Innovation

Focusing on a ï ¬ rm level analysis, RBV suggests that differences in ï ¬ rms’ capability are primarily the result of resource heterogeneity across ï ¬ rms (Peteraf, 2006). Firms that can accumulate resources and capabilities that are rare, valuable, no substitutable, and imperfectly imitable will achieve an advantage over competitors (Barney, 1996). A distinction is normally made between resources and capabilities, in that "resources are stocks of available factors that are owned or controlled by the organization and capabilities are an organization’s capacity to deploy resources" (Freiling, 2008). Resources tend to be tradable in markets and can be divided into tangible assets, such as ï ¬ nancial and physical capital, and intangible assets, such as human and organizational capital (Barney, 1986). By contrast, capabilities reside in routines that are intrinsically intangible and embedded in the ï ¬ rm, and thus cannot be traded on factor markets (Kogut & Zan der, 1992). Drawing on the evolutionary theory of a ï ¬ rm, the innovation capabilities approach to a ï ¬ rm emerged as an extension of RBV. Speciï ¬ cally the processes to integrate, reconï ¬ gure, gain and release resources, use resources to match and even create market change (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). Moreover, they are vital to gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in industries where both technology and the market change (Verona & Ravasi, 2003). As such, they are considered as antecedent organizational and strategic routines that enable managers to acquire resources, which they then modify, integrate, and recombine to generate new value creating strategies. Eisenhardt and Martin (2000), and Zahra and George (2002) maintain that a ï ¬ rm’s routines or processes and organization culture and information technology advance can form unique innovation capabilities which allow the organization to make strategic changes that give it the ï ¬â€šexibility to operate in in novation markets. Lawson and Samson (2001) applied an innovation capabilities approach to the investigation of innovation. Many authors highlighted the differences between an organization’s well established or mainstream activities and its innovative or new stream activities (Badawy, 1993). Lawson and Samson (2001) proposed a model that operationalizes this global innovation capability as seven elements: vision and strategy; harnessing the competence base; organizational intelligence; creativity and ideas management; organizational structure and systems; culture and climate; and management of technology. The concept of innovation capabilities proved useful in some other marketing areas. Previous studies considered their use in the analysis of a ï ¬ rm’s international expansion (Grifï ¬ th & Michael, 2001; Grant, 1996), while Hart and Sharma (2004) analyzed the capabilities required to address the challenges of globalized and rapidly changing markets.

1984 Big Brother Is Watching You Essay -- essays research papers

Someone has always been there to tell you what to do in life. As a young child, you were told to behave properly and not to eat too many sweets. As you grew older and older, it seemed as if the responsibilities became greater and greater in number. Even as an adult, there was always an officious boss telling you what to do. There was always some higher force that bound your actions. Authority was the major theme in the novel 1984, by George Orwell. Authority was also a profound factor in Stanley Milgram’s experiment conducted in 1974. It seems that authority has been around longer than any of us can remember, and it is authority that dictates the way we act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Authority is based on instinct. When we receive an order, we intuitively react and follow the command. At first, we do not think, nor contemplate the effects that come as a result of our actions. In 1984, we get a sense of a greater authority in Big Brother. Although we never come to know if Big Brother actually exists, the power and authority that this idol holds over the people is unimaginable. The people of Oceania are divided into two classes, the members of the Party and the proletariat. The Party members are like machines that do the jobs of the government. In this world, never has anyone thought any different of his or her place in society. Due to this authority that attempts to control the human train of thought, paranoia among the people became common. Nobody would talk to each other. Bonds between one another were broken, and it was never thought to be any different than before. To hold on to what makes you human - emotions and the ability to speak freely - was considered a crime against Big Brother. Of course, with authority comes punishment. To break from traditional views essentially asks for some form of retribution. For Winston, this resulted in undergoing a painful stay at the Ministry of Love. In the experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram, the power of authority over one’s personal conscience was laid bare. Subjects were asked to apply shocks to another person at increasing levels if questions were answered incorrectly. Although equipment was specious, 63% of the subjects followed through with the experiment and delivered the shocks at the highest intensity. “I was just following orders,'; was the excuse of many of the s... ...experiment, felt that the experiment made such a deep impression on him that he became convinced that “social sciences and psychology, are much more important in today’s world.'; One can only imagine the inner conflicts that were running through his head. After the experiment, he described the mood, “I did want to stop at that time. I turned around and looked at [the experimenter]. I guess it’s a matter of…authority.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was clearly evident in the storyline of 1984, and was an outlining theme of Milgram’s experiment. Authority has always been with us; its laws are instilled within us. Most times, we know what is right and what is wrong. It is wrong to steal, and authority punishes us for doing so. It is wrong to disobey the government, and authority again punishes us for doing so. These truths are imposed upon us. Authority not only dictates the way we act, but it also changes our outlook on life. Ordering someone to apply shocks to another person is one thing. Making someone change the way they have viewed the world their whole life is something that authority has the power to make you do.

Dr Faustus

Doctor Faustus (play) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus Frontispiece to a 1620 printing of Doctor Faustus showing Faustus conjuring Mephistophilis. Written byChristopher Marlowe CharactersDoctor Faustus Chorus Wagner Good Angel Bad Angel Valdes Cornelius Three scholars Lucifer Mephistophilis Robin Beelzebub Seven Deadly Sins Dick Pope Adrian VI Raymond, King of Hungary Bruno Two Cardinals Archbishop of Rheims Friars Vintner Martino Frederick Benvolio Charles V Duke of Saxony Two soldiers Horse courser CarterHostess of a tavern Duke and Duchess of Vanholt Servant Old man MuteDarius Alexander the Great Alexander's Paramour Helen of Troy Devils Piper Date premieredc. 1592 Original languageEnglish GenreTragedy Setting16th century Europe The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, commonly referred to simply as Doctor Faustus, is a play by Christopher Marlowe, based on the Faust story, in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge. Doctor Faustus was first published in 1604, eleven years after Marlowe's death and at least twelve years after the first performance of the play. No Elizabethan play outside the Shakespeare canon has raised more controversy than Doctor Faustus. There is no agreement concerning the nature of the text and the date of composition†¦ and the centrality of the Faust legend in the history of the Western world precludes any definitive agreement on the interpretation of the play†¦ â€Å"[1] Contents †¢1 Performance †¢2 Text o2. 1 The two versions o2. 2 Comic scenes †¢3 Sources †¢4 Structure †¢5 Synopsis o5. 1 Faustus learns necromancy o5. 2 The pact with Lucifer o5. 3 Wasting his skills o5. 4 Damnation or salvation o5. 5 The Calvinist/anti-Calvinist controversy 6 Quotations †¢7 Themes and motifs †¢8 Mephistophilis †¢9 Adaptations †¢10 Critical history †¢11 S ee also †¢12 Notes †¢13 References †¢14 External links [edit] Performance The Admiral's Men performed Doctor Faustus twenty-five times in the three years between October 1594 and October 1597. On 22 November 1602, the Diary of Philip Henslowe recorded a ? 4 payment to Samuel Rowley and William Bird for additions to the play, which suggests a revival soon after that date. [2] The powerful effect of the early productions is indicated by the legends that quickly accrued around them.In Histriomastix, his 1632 polemic against the drama, William Prynne records the tale that actual devils once appeared on the stage during a performance of Faustus, â€Å"to the great amazement of both the actors and spectators†. Some people were allegedly driven mad, â€Å"distracted with that fearful sight†. John Aubrey recorded a related legend, that Edward Alleyn, lead actor of The Admiral's Men, devoted his later years to charitable endeavors, like the founding of Dulwich Co llege, in direct response to this incident. [3] [edit] TextThe play may have been entered into the Stationers' Register on 18 December 1592—though the records are confused, and appear to indicate a conflict over the rights to the play. A subsequent Stationers' Register entry, dated 7 January 1601, assigns the play to the bookseller Thomas Bushnell, the publisher of the 1604 first edition. Bushnell transferred his rights to the play to John Wright on 13 September 1610. [4] [edit] The two versions Two versions of the play exist: 1. The 1604 quarto, printed by Valentine Simmes for Thomas Law; sometimes termed the A text.The title page attributes the play to â€Å"Ch. Marl. â€Å". A second edition (A2) in 1609, printed by George Eld for John Wright, is merely a reprint of the 1604 text. The text is short for an English Renaissance play, only 1485 lines long. 2. The 1616 quarto, published by John Wright, the enlarged and altered text; sometimes called the B text. This second te xt was reprinted in 1619, 1620, 1624, 1631, and as late as 1663. The 1616 version omits 36 lines but adds 676 new lines, making it roughly one third longer than the 1604 version.Among the lines shared by both versions, there are some small but significant changes in wording; for example, â€Å"Never too late, if Faustus can repent† in the 1604 text becomes â€Å"Never too late, if Faustus will repent† in the 1616 text, a change that offers a very different possibility for Faustus's hope and repentance. A major change between texts A and B is the name of the devil summoned by Faustus. Text A states the name is generally â€Å"Mephastophilis†, while the version of text B commonly states â€Å"Mephostophilis†. 5] The name of the devil is in each case a reference to Mephistopheles in Faustbuch, the source work, which appeared in English translation in about 1588. [6][7] The relationship between the texts is uncertain and many modern editions print both. As an Elizabethan playwright, Marlowe had nothing to do with the publication and had no control over the play in performance, so it was possible for scenes to be dropped or shortened, or for new scenes to be added, so that the resulting publications may be modified versions of the original script.The 1604 version is believed by most scholars to be closer to the play as originally performed in Marlowe's lifetime, and the 1616 version to be a posthumous adaptation by other hands. However, some disagree, seeing the 1604 version as an abbreviation and the 1616 version as Marlowe's original fuller version. [edit] Comic scenes In the past, it was assumed that the comic scenes were additions by other writers. However, most scholars today consider the comic interludes, whoever wrote them, an integral part of the play. [8][9] Their tone shows the change in Faustus's ambitions, suggesting Marlowe did oversee the composition of them. citation needed] The clown is seen as the archetype for comic rel ief. [citation needed] [edit] Sources Doctor Faustus is based on an older tale; it is believed to be the first dramatization of the Faust legend. [6] Some scholars[10] believe that Marlowe developed the story from a popular 1592 translation, commonly called The English Faust Book. [11] There is thought to have been an earlier, lost, German edition of 1587, which itself may have been influenced by even earlier, equally unpreserved pamphlets in Latin, such as those that likely inspired Jacob Bidermann's treatment of the damnation of the doctor of Paris, Cenodoxus (1602).Several soothsayers or necromancers of the late fifteenth century adopted the name Faustus, a reference to the Latin for â€Å"favoured† or â€Å"auspicious†; typical was Georgius Faustus Helmstetensis, calling himself astrologer and chiromancer, who was expelled from the town of Ingolstadt for such practices. Subsequent commentators have identified this individual as the prototypical Faustus of the legen d. [12] Whatever the inspiration, the development of Marlowe's play is very faithful to the Faust Book especially in the way it mixes comedy with tragedy. citation needed] However, Marlowe also introduced some changes to make it more original. Here, he made three main additions in the play: †¢Faustus's soliloquy in the Act 1 on the vanity of human science †¢Good and Bad Angels †¢substitution of Seven Deadly Sins for a pageant of Devils He also emphasized his intellectual aspirations and curiosity and minimized the vices in the character of Faustus to lend a Renaissance aura to the story. [edit] Structure The play is in blank verse and prose in thirteen scenes (1604) or twenty scenes (1616).Blank verse is largely reserved for the main scenes while prose is used in the comic scenes. Modern texts divide the play into five acts; act 5 being the shortest. As in many Elizabethan plays, there is a chorus that does not interact with the other characters but rather provides an introduction and conclusion to the play and gives an introduction to the events that have unfolded at the beginning of some acts. Along with history and language style, scholars have critiqued and analyzed the structure of Doctor Faustus and its effects on the play as a whole. Leonard H.Frey wrote a document entitled â€Å"In the Opening and Close of Doctor Faustus,† which mainly focuses on Faustus’s opening and closing soliloquies. He stresses the importance of the soliloquies in the play, saying: â€Å"the soliloquy, perhaps more than any other dramatic device, involved the audience in an imaginative concern with the happenings on stage†. [13] By having Doctor Faustus deliver these soliloquies at the beginning and end of the play, the focus is drawn to his inner thoughts and feelings about succumbing to the devil. The soliloquies have parallel concepts.In the introductory soliloquy, Faustus begins by pondering the fate of his life and what he wants his career to be. He ends his soliloquy with the solution and decision to give his soul to the devil. Similarly in the closing soliloquy, Faustus begins pondering, and finally comes to terms with the fate he created for himself. Frey also explains: â€Å"The whole pattern of this final soliloquy is thus a grim parody of the opening one, where decision is reached after, not prior to, the survey†. [14] [edit] Synopsis [edit] Faustus learns necromancy As a prologue, the Chorus tells us what type of play Doctor Faustus is.It is not about war and courtly love, but about Faustus, who was born of lower class parents. This can be seen as a departure from the medieval tradition; Faustus holds a lower status than kings and saints, but his story is still worth telling. It gives an introduction to his wisdom and abilities, most notably in academia, in which he excels so tremendously that he is awarded a doctorate. During this opening, we also get our first clue to the source of Faustus's downfall. Faustus's tale is likened to that of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death when the sun melted his waxen wings.This is indeed a hint to Faustus's end as well as bringing our attention to the idea of hubris (excessive pride) which is represented in the Icarus story. Faustus comments that he has reached the end of every subject he has studied. He appreciates Logic as being a tool for arguing; Medicine as being unvalued unless it allowed raising the dead and immortality; Law as being upstanding and above him; Divinity as useless because he feels that all humans commit sin, and thus to have sins punishable by death complicates the logic of Divinity. He dismisses it as â€Å"What doctrine call you this?Que sera, sera† (What will be, shall be). He calls upon his servant Wagner to bring forth Valdes and Cornelius, two famous magicians. The Good Angel and the Bad Angel dispense their own perspective of his interest in Satan. Though Faustus is momentarily dissua ded, proclaiming â€Å"How am I glutted with conceit of this? â€Å", he is apparently won over by the possibilities Magic offers to him. Valdes declares that if Faustus devotes himself to Magic, he must vow not to study anything else and points out that great things are indeed possible with someone of Faustus's standing.Faustus's absence is noted by two scholars who are less accomplished than Faustus himself. They request that Wagner reveal Faustus's present location, a request which Wagner haughtily denies. The two scholars worry about Faustus falling deep into the art of Magic and leave to inform the King. Faustus summons a devil, in the presence of Lucifer and other devils although Faustus is unaware of it. After creating a magic circle and speaking an incantation in which he revokes his baptism, Faustus sees a devil named Mephistophilis appear before him.Faustus is unable to tolerate the hideous looks of the devil and commands it to change its appearance. Faustus, in seeing t he obedience of the devil (for changing form), takes pride in his skill. He tries to bind the devil to his service but is unable to because Mephistophilis already serves Lucifer, the prince of devils. Mephistophilis also reveals that it was not Faustus's power that summoned him but rather that if anyone abjures the scriptures it results in the Devil coming to claim their soul.Mephistophilis introduces the history of Lucifer and the other devils while indirectly telling Faustus that hell has no circumference and is more of a state of mind than a physical location. Faustus inquiries into the nature of hell lead to Mephistophilis saying: â€Å"Oh, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, which strikes a terror to my fainting soul†. [edit] The pact with Lucifer Using Mephistophilis as a messenger, Faustus strikes a deal with Lucifer: he is to be allotted twenty-four years of life on Earth, during which time he will have Mephistophilis as his personal servant.At the end he will giv e his soul over to Lucifer as payment and spend the rest of time as one damned to Hell. This deal is to be sealed in Faustus's own blood. After cutting his arm, the wound is divinely healed and the Latin words â€Å"Homo, fuge! † (Flee, man! ) then appear upon it. Despite the dramatic nature of this divine intervention, Faustus disregards the inscription with the assertion that he is already damned by his actions thus far and therefore left with no place to which he could flee. Mephistophilis brings coals to break the wound open again, and thus Faustus is able to take his oath that was written in his own blood. edit] Wasting his skills Faustus begins by asking Mephistophilis a series of science-related questions. However, the devil seems to be quite evasive and finishes with a Latin phrase, â€Å"Per inoequalem motum respectu totius† (â€Å"through unequal motion with respect to the whole thing†). This sentence has not the slightest scientific value, thus giving the impression that Mephistophilis is untrustworthy. Two angels, one good and one bad, appear to Faustus: the good angel urges him to repent and revoke his oath to Lucifer.This is the largest fault of Faustus throughout the play: he is blind to his own salvation. Though he is told initially by Mephistophilis to â€Å"leave these frivolous demands†, Faustus remains set on his soul's damnation. Lucifer brings to Faustus the personification of the seven deadly sins. Faustus fails to see them as warnings and ignores them. From this point until the end of the play, Faustus does nothing worthwhile, having begun his pact with the attitude that he would be able to do anything. Faustus appears to scholars and warns them that he is damned and will not be long on the earth.He gives a speech about how he is damned and eventually seems to repent for his deeds. Mephistophilis comes to collect his soul, and we are told that he exits back to hell with him. [edit] Damnation or salvation The text leaves Faustus's final confrontation with Mephistophilis offstage, and his final fate obvious. The scene following begins with Faustus's friends discovering his clothes strewn about the stage: from this they conclude that Faustus was damned. However, his friends decide to give him a final party, a religious ceremony that hints at salvation.The discovery of the clothes is a scene present only in the later ‘B text' of the play — in the earlier version of the play devils carry Faustus off the stage. [15] [edit] The Calvinist/anti-Calvinist controversy The theological implications of Doctor Faustus have been the subject of considerable debate throughout the last century. Among the most complicated points of contention is whether the play supports or challenges the Calvinist doctrine of absolute predestination, which dominated the lectures and writings of many English scholars in the latter half of the sixteenth century.According to Calvin, predestination meant that God , acting of his own free will, elects some people to be saved and others to be damned — thus, the individual has no control over his own ultimate fate. This doctrine was the source of great controversy because it was seen by the so-called anti-Calvinists to limit man's free will in regard to faith and salvation, and to present a dilemma in terms of theodicy. At the time Doctor Faustus was performed, this doctrine was on the rise in England, and under the direction of Puritan theologians at Cambridge and Oxford had come to be considered the orthodox position of the Church of England. 16] Nevertheless, it remained the source of vigorous and, at times, heated debate between Calvinist scholars, such as William Whitaker and William Perkins, and anti-Calvinists, such as William Barrett and Peter Baro. [17] The dispute between these Cambridge intellectuals had quite nearly reached its zenith by the time Marlowe was a student there in the 1580s, and likely would have influenced him d eeply, as it did many of his fellow students. [18] Concerning the fate of Faustus, the Calvinist concludes that his damnation was inevitable.His rejection of God and subsequent inability to repent are taken as evidence that he never really belonged to the elect, but rather had been predestined from the very beginning for reprobation. In his Chiefe Points of Christian Religion, Theodore Beza, the successor to John Calvin, describes the category of sinner into which Faustus would most likely have been cast: To conclude, they which are most miserable of all, those climb a degree higher, that their fall might be more grievous: for they are raised so high by some gift of grace, that they are little moved with some taste of he heavenly gift: so that for the time they seem to have received the seed†¦ But this is plain, that the spirit of adoption, which we have said to be only proper unto them which are never cast forth, but are written in the secret of God's people, is never communic ated to them, for were they of the elect they should remain still with the elect. All these therefore (because of necessity, and yet willingly, as they which are under the slavery of sin, return to their vomit, and fall away from faith) are plucked up by the roots, to be cast into the fire. 19] For the Calvinist, Faustus represents the worst kind of sinner, having tasted the heavenly gift and rejected it. His damnation is justified and deserved because he was never truly adopted among the elect. According to this view, the play demonstrates Calvin's â€Å"three-tiered concept of causation,† in which the damnation of Faustus is first willed by God, then by Satan, and finally, by himself. 20] As Calvin himself explains it in his Institutes of Christian Religion: We see therefore that it is no absurdity, that one self act be ascribed to God, to Satan, and to man: but the diversity in the end and manner of doing, causeth that therein appeareth the justice of God to be without fau lt, and also the wickedness of Satan and man, bewrayeth itself to their reproach. [21] The anti-Calvinist view, however, finds such thinking repugnant, and prefers to interpret Doctor Faustus as a criticism of such doctrines.One of the greatest critics of Calvinism in Marlowe's day was Peter Baro, who argued that such teachings fostered despair among believers, rather than repentance among sinners. He claimed, in fact, that Calvinism created a theodical dilemma: What shall we say then? That this question so long debated of the Philosophers, most wise men, and yet undetermined, cannot even of Divines, and men endued with heavenly wisdom, be discussed and decided? And that God hath in this case laid a crosse upon learned men, wherein they might perpetually torment themselves? I cannot so think. 22] Baro recognized the threat of despair which faced the Protestant church if it did not come to an agreement of how to understand the fundamentals. For him, the Calvinists were overcomplicati ng the issues of faith and repentance, and thereby causing great and unnecessary confusion among struggling believers. Faustus himself confesses a similar sentiment regarding predestination: â€Å"The reward of sin is death. † That's hard. †¦ â€Å"If we say that we have no sin, We deceive ourselves, and there's no truth in us. † Why then belike we must sin, And so consequently die.Ay, we must die an everlasting death. What doctrine call you this? Che sera, sera, â€Å"What will be, shall be†? Divinity, adieu! [23] Ultimately, however, the theology of Marlowe and the text of Doctor Faustus remain far too ambiguous for any kind of conclusive interpretation. [edit] Quotations Faustus includes a well-known speech addressed to the summoned shade of Helen of Troy, in Act V, scene I. The following is from the Gutenberg project e-text of the 1604 quarto (with footnotes removed). Faustus â€Å"Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium–Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss. — †[kisses her]† Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies! — Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again. Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips, And all is dross that is not Helena. I will be Paris, and for love of thee, Instead of Troy, shall Wertenberg be sack'd; And I will combat with weak Menelaus, And wear thy colours on my plumed crest; Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel, And then return to Helen for a kiss. O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming JupiterWhen he appear'd to hapless Semele; More lovely than the monarch of the sky In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms; And none but thou shalt be my paramour! † Excerpts from this speech appear in the film Shakespeare in Love and the Star Trek episode â€Å"The Squire of Gothos†; it also served as inspiration for the title of Volume 1 of the po pular Age of Bronze comic book. Another well-known quote comes after Faustus asks Mephistophilis how he is out of Hell, to which Mephistophilis replies: â€Å"Why this is hell, nor am I out of it. Think'st thou that I, who saw the face of God,And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, Am not tormented with ten thousand hells In being deprived of everlasting bliss? † This quote comes from a translation of Saint John Chrysostom, and implies that Mephistophilis has both a deep knowledge of God and a desire to return to heaven. [edit] Themes and motifs One theme in Doctor Faustus is sin. Throughout the play, Faustus is continuously making wrong choices. His first sin was greed. Faustus began his downfall by making a pact with the devil. Doctor Faustus is a German scholar who is well known for his accomplishments.He grows sick of the limitations on human knowledge, which leads him to his interest with magic. [24] Faustus summons a demon, Mephistophilis, ordering him to go to Lucifer w ith the offer of Faustus’s soul in return for twenty-four years of servitude from Mephistophilis. At the news of acceptance from Lucifer, Faustus begins his years filled with sinful nature. Faustus feeds sin with his need for power, praise, and trickery. [25] He becomes absorbed in the way people look up to him, believing him to be a sort of ‘hero’. In the end, Faustus realizes his mistake in believing power will bring him happiness.At the end of his twenty-four years, Faustus is filled with fear and he becomes remorseful for his past actions, yet this comes too late. When fellow scholars find Faustus the next morning, he is torn limb from limb, with his soul carried off to hell. In terms of historical context, a major thematic idea is that related to knowledge and the quest for it. With Enlightenment thinkers demonstrating the extent to which the sciences and rational speculation could inform human knowledge of the cosmos and other pressing mysteries of the age, Marlowe presents the idea of hubris which undamentally relates to the search for knowledge in a religious age. Marlowe also draws significant attention to feelings experienced both by himself and other thinkers of his time: the unsatisfying nature of the answers found as part of this quest and the impossibility of learning everything in a lifetime as brief as that of a human. Satanism and death are also prevalent themes. Marlowe sets the story in Wittenburg, Germany with Faustus selling his soul to the devil and declaring his servitude to Satan, Mephistophilis: â€Å"I am a servant to great Lucipher and may not follow thee without his leave.No more than he commands we must perform† (p 13 line 39-41). Marlowe shows throughout the play that his vow to forever be a servant of Satan negatively affects his life and how had he known what he was getting into, then he would never have made a deal with the devil. Magic is also a motif that plays a major role in Dr. Faustus. Faustusâ €™s downfall began with his love of knowledge, which leads for his need to use magic. Faustus loves the praise that he gets when people view him as a ‘genius’, which supports his need to have ‘special powers’. 26] Faustus enjoys playing tricks on people by using his powers, and even goes so far as to use his powers on a dragon. He summons demons with magic, and later brings Helen of Troy to comfort him in his final hours. The use of magic is a show of Faustus’s ‘demoralization’. He no longer wants to be a mere mortal†¦ he wants to be as powerful as the devil himself. [27] One of the most apparent themes in Doctor Faustus is the battle between good and evil. At the beginning of the play, Faustus finds himself torn between good and evil, knowing the distinction and consequences of the two, but overwhelmed by his desire for worldly pleasures.Faustus’s desire for mortal satisfaction is personified through the seven deadly sin s who all speak to him and tempt him. Nicholas Kiessling explains how Faustus’s sins brings about his own damnation, saying: â€Å"Faustus’s indulgence in sensual diversions, for, once being committed to the pact with Satan, Faustus partakes of the sop of sensuality to blot out his fears of impending damnation†[28] Another illustration of Faustus’s battle between good and evil is shown through the good and evil angels which try to influence his decisions and behavior.Kiessling says, â€Å"Although Faustus does not heed the plea, Marlowe very evidently implies that the chance for redemption still exists†. [29] Although Faustus recognizes the consequences of choosing to listen to the evil spirit over the good spirit, he cannot resist the temptations of the devil and the worldly and mortal pleasures he offers. [edit] Mephistophilis Mephistophilis is a demon which Faustus conjures up while first using his magical powers. Readers initially feel sympathy for the demon when he attempts to dissuade Faustus from giving his soul to Lucifer.Mephistophilis gives Faustus a description of hell and the continuous horrors it possesses. He wants Faustus to know what he is getting himself into before going through with the plan. â€Å"Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God And tasted the eternal joy of heaven Am not tormented with ten thousand hells In being deprived of everlasting bliss? O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands Which strikes a terror to my fainting soul! † [30] Sadly, his attempts fail with Faustus believing that supernatural powers were worth more than a lifetime in hell. Say he (Faustus) surrender up to him (Lucifer) his soul So he will spare him four and twenty years, Letting him live in all voluptuousness Having thee (Mephistophilis) ever to attend on me† (Marlowe 15) Some scholars argue that Mephistophilis depicts the sorrow that comes with separation from God. Mephistophilis is foreshadowing th e pain Faustus would have to endure, should he go through with his plan. [31] In this facet, Faustus can be likened to Icarus, whose insatiable ambition was the source of his misery and the cause of his plight. [edit] AdaptationsThe play was adapted for the screen in 1967 by Richard Burton and Nevill Coghill, who based the film on an Oxford University Dramatic Society production in which Burton starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor as Helen of Troy. A stage production at the Greenwich Theatre in London in 2009, which was directed by Elizabeth Freestone and which starred Tim Treolar as Mephistopheles and Gareth Kennerley as Faustus, was filmed for DVD release by Stage on Screen. It played in repertoire with School for Scandal. [edit] Critical history Doctor Faustus has raised much controversy due to its interaction with the demonic realm. 32] Before Marlowe, there were few authors who ventured into this kind of writing. After his play, other authors began to expand on their views of the spiritual world and how quickly and easily man can fall. [33] [edit] See also †¢Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris, line from the play, commonly translated as â€Å"misery loves company† †¢Faust †¢Deal with the Devil [edit] Notes 1. ^ Logan and Smith, p. 14. 2. ^ Chambers, Vol. 3, p. 423. 3. ^ Chambers, Vol. 3, pp. 423-4. 4. ^ Chambers, Vol. 3, p. 422. 5. ^ Bevington, David M; Rasmussen, Eric (1962).Doctor Faustus A- and B- texts (1604, 1616): Christopher Marlowe and his collaborator and revisers. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. p. xi. ISBN 0-7190-1643-6. 6. ^ a b Christian, Paul; Nichols, Ross (translator); (1952). The History and Practice of Magic 1. London: Forge Press. p. 428. â€Å"The name has many forms: Marlowe writes Mephistophilis†¦ † 7. ^ Jones, John Henry (1994). The English Faust Book, a critical edition. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-521-42087-7. 8. ^ Tromly, Frederic (1998). â €Å"Damnation as tantalization†.Playing with desire: Christopher Marlowe and the art of tantalization. University of Toronto Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-8020-4355-9. 9. ^ Cantor, Paul A (2004). â€Å"The contract from hell†. In Heffernan, William C. ; Kleinig, John. Private and public corruption. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-7425-3492-6. 10. ^ Leo Ruickbie, Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician (The History Press, 2009), p. 15 11. ^ The History of the damnable life, and deserved death of Doctor Iohn Faustus by P. F. , Gent, 12. ^ Keefer, Michael (2008). Introduction†. Doctor Faustus: a critical edition. Ontario: Broadview. pp. 67–8. 13. ^ Frey, Leonard H. â€Å"ANTITHETICAL BALANCE IN THE OPENING AND CLOSE OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Saint Louis University, Saint Louis. 26 Mar. 2009 p350 14. ^ (352) 15. ^ Bevington; Rasmussen (1962: 46) 16. ^ p. 157. Milward, Peter. Religious Controversie s of the Elizabethan Age: A Survey of Printed Sources. University of Nebraska Press, 1977. 17. ^ p. 157-163. Milward. 18. ^ p. 249. Princiss, G. M. â€Å"Marlowe's Cambridge Years and the Writing of Doctor Faustus. Studies in English Literature 33. 2 (1993). 19. ^ 5. 5. Beza, Theodore. â€Å"A Brief Declaration of the Chief Points of Christian Religion Set Forth in a Table. † 1575. Early English Books Online. 10 2 2007. http://eebo. chadwyck. com. 20. ^ p. 292. Stachniewski, John. The Persecutory Imagination: English Puritanism and the Literature of Religious Despair. Oxford University Press, 1991. 21. ^ 2. 4. 2. Calvin, John. â€Å"The Institutes of Christian Religion. † 1585. Early English Books Online. 10 2 2007. http://eebo. chadwyck. com. 22. ^ p. 510. Hyperius, Andreas. A Special Treatise of God's Providence With an Appendix by Peter Baro. † 1588. Early English Books Online. 10 2 2007. http://eebo. chadwyck. com. 23. ^ 1. 1. 44-50. 24. ^ (Fetzer, John. Per ceptions of Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus : criticism 1947-1992 . New York City: Camden House , 1996. ) 25. ^ (Fetzer 21) 26. ^ (Kiessling , Nicolas . â€Å"Doctor Faustus and the Sin of Demoniality . † Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 15(1975): 205-211) 27. ^ (Kiessling, 207) 28. ^ (Kiessling, Nicolas. â€Å"Doctor Faustus and the Sin of Demoniality. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Saint Louis University. 6 Mar. 2009 p205). 29. ^ (207) 30. ^ (Marlowe 14) 31. ^ (Snydre, Susan. â€Å"Marlowe's Doctor Faustus as an Inverted Saint's Life. † Studies in Philology 63(1966): 565-577. ) 32. ^ (Hamlin , William M. . â€Å"Casting Doubt in Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. † Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 (2001): 257-275. ) 33. ^ (Hamlin, 258). [edit] References †¢Chambers, E. K. The Elizabethan Stage. 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923. †¢Logan, Terence P. , and Denzell S. Smith, eds. The Predecessors of Shakespeare: A Survey and Bibliogr aphy of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama.Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska Press, 1973. [edit] External links Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus †¢The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus librivox. org audio †¢1616 quarto online †¢The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus From the Quarto of 1604 by Christopher Marlowe at Project Gutenberg †¢The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus From the Quarto of 1616 by Christopher Marlowe at Project Gutenberg †¢Doctor Faustus (play) at the Internet Broadway Database †¢v †¢t †¢e Christopher Marlowe Plays †¢Dido, Queen of Carthage Tamburlaine the Great, Parts One and Two †¢The Jew of Malta †¢Doctor Faustus †¢Edward II †¢The Massacre at Paris Poems †¢Lucan's Pharsalia †¢Ovid's Elegies †¢The Passionate Shepherd to His Love †¢Hero and Leander People†¢Thomas Nashe †¢Philip Henslowe †¢Thomas Heywood †¢Ingram Frizer †¢Eleanor Bull †¢Nicholas Skeres †¢Robert Poley †¢George Chapman †¢Edward Alleyn Fictional representations†¢Marlowe (Rost) †¢The School of Night (Whelan) †¢Tamburlaine Must Die (Welsh) †¢A Dead Man in Deptford (Burgess) †¢It Was Marlowe (Zeigler) †¢Kit Marlowe (David Grimm) †¢The Marlowe Papers (Ros Barber)Adaptations†¢Edward II (Jarman) †¢The Life of Edward II of England (Brecht and Feuchtwanger) †¢The Massacre at Paris (Murphy) Miscellaneous†¢English Renaissance theatre †¢Blank verse †¢Admiral's Men †¢Shakespeare authorship question †¢Marlovian theory †¢Lust's Dominion (attributed play, rejected) Retrieved from â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Doctor_Faustus_(play)&oldid=540445519† Categories: †¢1590s plays †¢1604 plays †¢Plays by Christopher Marlowe †¢English Renaissance plays †¢Works based on the Faust l egend Hidden categories: †¢All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011 †¢Articles with unsourced statements from August 2009 Navigation menu Personal tools †¢Create account †¢Log in Namespaces †¢Article †¢Talk Variants Views †¢Read †¢Edit †¢View history Actions Search Navigation †¢Main page †¢Contents †¢Featured content †¢Current events †¢Random article †¢Donate to Wikipedia Interaction †¢Help †¢About Wikipedia †¢Community portal †¢Recent changes †¢Contact Wikipedia Toolbox †¢What links here †¢Related changes †¢Upload file †¢Special pages †¢Permanent link †¢Page information †¢Cite this pagePrint/export †¢Create a book †¢Download as PDF †¢Printable version Languages †¢Deutsch †¢Espanol †¢Francais †¢Italiano †¢ †¢Latina †¢ †¢Norsk bokmal †¢Portug ues †¢Svenska †¢ †¢Edit links †¢This page was last modified on 26 February 2013 at 01:40. †¢Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. 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Important Quotes About Science Essay

A. Cause and Effect: a. means/end: Is science means to what? b. assumptions and antecedents: what does precede scientific research? c. Implications and Consequences: what will follow from ethically unhealthy scientific research? B. Contrast: a. Tension/opposition: what is the tension existing between ethics and scientific research? b. contradictions: What is the contradiction between preserving ethics and developing scientific research? c. paradox: What is paradox inherent in preserving ethics and developing scientific research? C. Change: a. evolutionary: What kinds of changes can evolve through science? b. revolutionary: are revolutionary changes involved with science? c. growth/decay: Is the scientific research growing nowadays? D. values: a. ethical/moral: Is reckless scientific research ethically right? b. practical: does the scientific research have practical values? c. social: How do social opinions vary between ethics and science? d. political: what does the politics support between these two? e. spiritual/metaphysical: what is the spiritual value of science? E. Form/structure: a. superficial vs. deep: what is the relationship between superficial appearance and deep significance in scientific research? b. form vs. function: Why people are constantly calling for more scientific development? Thesis: People should pursue scientific research until the point at which individual rights are not severely violated and objects—being animals or humans or whatever they might be—are not physically and mentally injured. The advancement of science, which is the pursuit of knowledge, is the primary value by itself. Important quotes: 1. Verhoog: a. If one wanted to attribute intrinsic value to animals, one should try to argue by analogy that vertebrate animals had conscious experiences as well. b. ‘yes-but’ policy goes together with a consequentialist approach in ethics. c. The change from yes-but to no-unless is change from a consequentialist to a deontologist approach. d. With this new interpretation of intrinsic value it can be argued that the production of transgenic animals by crossing species-barriers violates the nature or integrity of the animals involved, even if there is no indication of suffering by the modified animal. e. The experience described here shows that it is very difficult to integrate science and ethics†¦but the natural scientists themselves seem to have great reservations in actually doing it. f. Between the responsibility of the ‘scientist as scientist’ and the responsibility of the ‘scientist as citizen.’ g. Ethical discourse, on the other hand, is said to be subjective, to consensus. There is no objective foundation upon which consensus in ethics should be grounded. h. Two things stand in the way of further integration, the scientist’s self-image of science as objective, and the complementary view of ethics as totally subjective. i. Good reasons approach-it is based upon the idea that in normative decision-making a specific kind of rationality is involved, in which, beside factual elements, normative premises play a role. j. An important consequence of this view of ethical reasoning is that both facts and values are treated as rationally comprehensible, having inter-subjective meaning. k. The argument that, in actual social practice, contextual values interfere with constitutive values in many parts of science is not enough. l. Wanting to separate science from ethics, as two totally independent spheres of life, is to deny that the scientist is first of all a moral agent, with a moral responsibility for what she/he is doing in a social context. m. Another reason is that human attitudes toward nature and towards animals are changing rather rapidly from the attitude of ruler and steward to that of partner of nature. n. Splitting up the world into facts and values, into science and ethics, is not a logical necessity. 2. Allen a. There can be no higher, better, more trustworthy authority about the direction of knowledge than knowledge. b. The same modernization that destroyed the idea of forbidden knowledge also destroyed that idea of responsibility for knowledge. c. What continues to make us adaptable is our capacity to change, and what guides that change so far as it is guided and not left up to change, is knowledge. d. The low value of operational how-to-knowledge in contrast to contemplative knowledge of the truth. e. Knowledge is already as good as it gets. f. Knowledge which it is forbidden to seek is already known by those who ought to know. g. It must therefore be sinful to seek knowledge you do not have, and it is forbidden to do so. h. This futile curiosity masquerades under the name of science and learning†¦for the same reason men are lead to investigate the secrets of nature, which are irrelevant to our lives, although such knowledge is of no value to them and they wish to gain it merely for the sake of knowing. i. For the adept, the vest knowledge is not contemplative knowledge of truth, but effective, operational knowledge tested by trials and perfected through experiences. j. The operational knowledge they esteem is powerful, excellent, rare, and should not be mistreated by allowing it to become common or usual. k. The regime of forbidden knowledge has reappeared among our secular, scientific, orthodox, lacking only the candor to call itself what it is. Knowledge today is not cloacked in hermetic secrecy, though its circulation is jealously guarded by institutional, administrative, disciplinary, and professional restrictions. Out academic-technoscientific complex is an unfortunately obvious example of the new amoral regime of forbidden knowledge. l. Codification corporate monopoly, bureaucratic administration have in this way destroyed knowledge, laid it to waste for the sake of tighter control. m. What modern science lost in the way of an ethics of knowledge was compensated by the gain in objectivity, credibility, reliability, and rigor. n. Double injustice: to the adept, whose knowledge it unjustly discredits, and to our knowledge, which it endows with a methodological certitude it does not have. o. Rather than an extra-scientific prohibition we should think about how scientific training undermines any nascent moral sense students may have of their responsibility for the knowledge entrusted to them. p. No prohibition, no forbidding of knowledge can begin to address a problem that can only be solved through changes in practice, especially in education, especially in the universities and polytechnic institutions. q. If authority wins, knowledge will not merely be forbidden but corrupted, wasted, and lost. 3. Mckee a. The current American policy is dangerous for many reasons. Most obviously, it will lead to policies being implemented that are simply wrong, with potential adverse consequences for human health. b. The history of twentieth century provides many examples. But equally worrying is its impact on public trust. While the situation in the United Kingdom is nothing like that in the United States, politicians tainted by the distortion of evidence on subjects such as BSE and the war in Iraq face difficulties persuading a skeptical population of the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.