Kings philosophy Essay

The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate platos justification of rule by philosopher kings. First the essay will try and stress how plato understood the way the state has to be governed in conjunction with philosophy. In Platos most famous work Republic he puts forward the view that only the study of philosophy would allow man to see what was good and just. Therefore to cure the ills of society it would be necessary to either make kings philosophers or make philosophers kings. I intend to show how Plato justifies this view and then attempt to point out some possible problems with this justification . Platos starting point was his recognition that justice was one of four cardinal virtues, along with wisdom, courage and moderation, that when working harmoniously together in a high level of order – he felt equaled the elusive good life . Kahn and Charles (2004). Plato thought that the best way to discover what justice was, was to create a perfect soul – this he did by first creating a theoretical perfect city , which would have a good soul and all four virtues. Using the theory that the polis is the individual writ large he intended to compare his perfect city with a perfect person and subsequently evaluate justiceTarà ¡ (2001) Plato s perfect city was to be a model of order, efficiency and discipline. Above all it would be governed by the strict adherence to what White refers to as the natural division of labour . This was to take the form of vocational and social division within the city. Everyone had one job in order to specialise and become good at it. We forbade our shoemaker to try his hand at farming or weaving or building and told him to stick to his last, in order that our shoemaking should be well done. Kierkegaard, (1992). More fundamentally however the city was to be divided into three distinct social classes, in which pe ople would be raised from birth. These classes consisted of the producers, the guardians and the rulers. These correlated to a high degree with their microcosm in the individual soul in which they took the form of reason, spirit/emotion and appetite/desire. The producers were to be the farmers and artisans who were responsible for the supply of food, clothing and other such essential but basic needs. They would be highly specialized and allowed money and private property as their main incentive. In the individual soul the producers equated to desire as they were not governed by true reason. In the same way that ungoverned desire e.g. I must eat this cake even though it is not mine, created conflict in an individual that must  be controlled, the producers were susceptible to the temptation to take land with better soil or more area for example. Therefore a second class was necessary – to protect from both internal and external threats and keep both the city and the soul in order. The perfect city maintained order by using guardians, the guardians were the warrior class that protected the city. These warrior characteristics made them a potential internal threat, so Plato decided to neutralise volatile factors such as greed or envy by denying the guardians access to money or private property. The guardians equate to the spirited or emotional side of the soul, which was usually tamed by reason, but might spontaneously follow desire. Nails, (2006) The third class in the perfect city is by far the most important and complex. Rulers were chosen from the guardian class on the basis of aptitude (but with some degree of assumption of hereditary traits). Plato felt that as a pre-requisite to rule they must have a thorough understanding of the theory of forms including the essence of justice and the other virtues and ultimately the true essence of good by grasping which the philosopher will finally achieve a full understanding of all the rest. Vlastos,(2006) . Plato explains in his allegory of the cave, along with his theory of the line and the sun, how the philosophers who understand the theory of forms are the only ones with true objectivity and how the rest of society is merely staring at shadows – mistaking them for reality and so they would believe that the shadows of the objects we mentioned were in all respects real Therefore by the theory of forms a philosopher is able to release himself from the subjective world of the rest of humanity and enter the world of objective views. Salli (1999). The distinctive step which Plato has taken by the time of the republic is to suggest that forms which are the object of definition are entities in themselves, subsisting outside time and space, in which particular things come to share or which they imitate . The ruler class then is selected by aptitude and educated through a rigorous process until his understanding of the theory of forms is so complete that he understands the forms of the virtues of justice and even good, this then entitles him to rule. Plato connected the rulers with the reason aspect of soul. Just as the rulers were able to judge right or wrong for the city, the souls calculating part told a person the rational side of a situation. Plato  consolidated all of this with the myth of metals taught to all, whereby the rulers had gold in their veins, the guardians silver and the producers iron and bronze, but they were all brothers and should all be happy in their situation. For the perfect city all three classes must work in harmony – the producers making materials, the guardians protecting and ensuring stability from both above and below, and the rulers determining through their enlightened reason what was good or bad. The soul would work in a similarway. Melchert, (2002) Plato felt that he had now found justice through the concept of the ideal city and soul. If the soul was in order then the cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation and justice would exist in the person. The wisdom was present in the rulers of the city and the calculating part of the soul. The courage was present in the guardians of the city and the spirited part of the soul. Moderation was found when all three groups of the city and soul worked together, moderation was best seen in the soul when all three parts were equal, moderation showed harmony. Justice was created when every part was doing what it was supposed to do. With all of these different parts put together Plato created what he considered to be the ideal city and soul. Vlastos,(2006). It can be seen from his point of view, therefore, that philosophers must be rulers as they are the only ones with true objective understanding of justice and good as defined by Plato and are therefore the only ones competent to lead t he rest of the population towards them. There are however a number of problems with Platos argument. In his ideal city where philosophers are kings, it is necessary for order and efficiency that everybody sticks just to their own job – this is fine in theory but would soon lead to a lack of unity through a lack of understanding, empathy and therefore sympathy. Without these the obligation to help each other would soon be overrun by a lack of motivation. This would throw the whole system out of kilter. Plato may have argued that this may have been circumvented by education but he seems fairly a dam Anton a strict division of labour. This phenomenom would also spread to natural disaster, for example if the city was to burn down there may be insufficient carpenters to rebuild it, or insufficient doctors to treat disease. Plato himself admits that once philosophers gain the knowledge of the good they would usually prefer to reflect on it, rather than sully themselves in actual politics. To go back to the allegory of the cave, once they have discovered the real world, what motivation would they have to enter the dark world of the cave and participate in the pointless games? He argues that they will do it because they are just men and that their reluctance is not only a good thing but is actually necessary as it prevents dissension and strife over who shall rule. I think that in reality some would be unable to overcome their reluctance and that those who do enter face a very large chance of being corrupted by their superior knowledge. Plato makes the huge assumption that knowledge of the good is sufficient motivation to act in a just way, this, I feel , is a very dangerous assumption and the corrupting influence of power has been proved time and again throughout history. As Karl Popper quotes I think we must face the fact that behind the sovereignty of the philosopher king stands the quest for power. Argument can also be found in the works of Aristotle that dispute Plato s claim that philosophers should be king. Aristotle felt that Plato relied far too heavily on theory and disagreed with Plato s theory of forms, instead believing that actual instances in this world (rather than other-worldly forms) were the key to universals. This heavier reliance on experience allowed a more amateur approach, rather than years of formal training, to be acceptable. Another argument against Philosopher kings stems from the Christian influence. The core-belief of Christianity was that faith, rather than reason, held the key to salvation and so the good life , This created the need for a separate private and public sphere that would be unacceptable in Plato s ideal city. This would be compounded by the democratising effect of faith – which all can have, rather than reason which is restricted to the few. In modern times the faith aspect of the separation of public and private spheres has significantly diminished, however it has been replaced by a fierce belief in individualism that is underwritten by a nebulas concept of equality enshrined in individual rights and constitutional checks, perhaps based ultimately on the free-for-all concept of capitalism. Nails,(2006). In conclusion can be observed that even during platos days the philosopher king could have been difficult to achieve  because let alone any other since then given the nullifyi ng concepts from Aristotle to Christianity to Capitalism. I tend to agree to some extent with Karl Poppers view that Plato allowed himself to be seduced by the idea (as many others have since) that he (and his theoretical like in the philosopher-kings) were the only ones that could see objectively and so should rule. It is a trap more dangerous, possibly, than any other and democracy (in the modern, rather than Greek sense), its antithesis, is a far safer – if far less than perfect alternative. REFFERENCES Kahn, Charles H. (2004). â€Å"The Framework†. Plato and the socratic dialogue: The Philosophical Use of a Literary Form. Cambridge University Press Kierkegaard, Sà ¸ren (1992). â€Å"Plato†. The Concept of Irony. Princeton University Press Nails, Debra (2006). â€Å"The Life of Plato of Athens†. A Companion to Plato edited by Hugh H. Benson. Blackwell Publishing Tarà ¡n, Leonardo (2001). Collected Papers 1962-1999. Brill Academic Publishers Kraut, Richard (Ed.) (1993). The Cambridge Companion to Plato. Cambridge University Press Melchert, Norman (2002). The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy. McGraw Hill. Salli John (1999). Chorology: On Beginning in Plato’s â€Å"Timaeus†. Indiana University Press Vlastos, Gregory(2006). Plato’s Universe – with a new Introducution by Luc Brisson, Parmenides Publishing

Chores vs. Allowance

Great dinner, delicious,† I say getting up with my plate. Everybody agreed as my family all got up and put their plates on the counter. My step mom also grabbed the pots and pans and stacked them on top of the plates. The whole counter is eventually covered with all different types of dishes. Alright now try to guess who get to wash, scrub and clean all these dishes all by themselves, me. Every time we eat, I'm responsible for dishes, the toughest Job in the house after we eat. It's Just me, soap, a sponge, and an army of pots and pans for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes.Then Just when I think I'm done the reinforcements come in and they need to washed and scrubbed to the point of spotless. I'm in the zone though washing dish by dish so that the attack force is very low on numbers and that I'm almost done. Now it's time for my reward, a pat on the back, and a ,†Good Job,† from my dad, nothing else, no money. Many kids, like the one above have to do chores aroun d the house and don't get an allowance because their parents think these chores should be mandatory. Having to do chores for no reward does not motivate the child to the work they have to do.If the child was paid a few bucks a week, the child would be more motivated to take on the responsibility of doing chores that he/she will get paid a couple of bucks for. A small cash allowance for doing a certain amount of chores would also teach the child to handle money that there working for. I believe that a weekly allowance would teach kids responsibility, and that they would work for things not expect them to be given to them, the child would also learn how to handle money more maturely. One reason why kids should get a weekly allowance for doing chores is that it teaches kids he responsibility to work for things.If your parents do everything for you, you won't take on any responsibility, which wouldn't help you in the long run when you move out of your parents' house. According to one ar ticle, â€Å"If kids have to work for their money, they also will understand and hopefully appreciate how hard it is to work and earn money,† (www. online. ws]. com). This is saying that getting paid for doing chores teaches the responsibility of working for your own money, and that money doesn't come easy. Also according to another article, â€Å"Chores teach life skills, cooperation, nd responsibility,† (www. parenttoolshop. com).This quote says that chores teach responsibility, and that kids should work for things. Although some parents might say that chores should be mandatory, because the parents take care of you, an allowance would excite kids to help and get them doing chores, rather than being forced to do something the child will argue about. A reward would also teach the child to do a Job well but it would take longer than to do the chore quick but not do it well because there not excited to do it. The reward also helps to motivate the child into doing hores so they can help but they'll still get a couple of bucks.Overall an allowance for doing chores has the potential to teach kids responsibility. Another reason why a weekly allowance for doing chores is a good idea is because kids would learn to handle money more maturely and to not waste it on stupid stutt It the child got money the child would learn to save their money so that when they get older the child won't be shop crazy and spend money at every opportunity. According to one source, â€Å"The goal of an allowance is to reinforce the lesson to kids that all money is imited and that kids will be best if they put thought into how they use it. (www. oprah. com). This says that getting money for chores will teach the child a lot about money and how to use it. If the kid learns this from an early age it will help them when they get older and are faced with tougher decisions on what they should buy. Another source also states that, â€Å"Allowances can teach money management skills; how to earn, budget and priorities purchases,† (www. parenttoolshop. com). This says that having money will teach skills that can only be taught by having money.Although some parents think that the child will waste the allowance money, then ask for more money to get something, the child will be told that since he/she is getting an allowance, he/she can't ask for more money when they run out, which will teach the child how to save and spend his/her own money that they earned. Overall an allowance for doing chores has the chance of teaching kids money management skills that children will need when they get older. Although I believe that an allowance for chores is a very good idea I do understand some of the points against my argument are legitimate reasons.Some parents might say that an allowance for chores will have children doing everything for money, not Just wanting to help out. However the parents should split the chores into two groups. I do agree that the child should be responsible for doing everyday chores, so that those chores will be group 1. The group one chores are mandatory and the child does not get paid for doing them. Group 2 would have chores that are more difficult, but if done properly the child would get a reward. The reward comes at the end of the week only if the child completed a certain amount of chores agreed upon by that family.

Dark side of Technology video Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dark side of Technology video - Movie Review Example He also looks at nuclear bomb development and how this technology has developed over the past years as well as the problems arising from it. He finally highlights the effects of global warming, which are mainly caused by development of technology and the impact it can have on the future of the human race. I agree with his position mainly because of the possibilities that he cites according to various categories of technological tribulations. According to the video clip, the speaker talks about the possibility of deadly viruses being converted into weapons and this is becoming an ever-increasing threat with development of technology. The fact that the genomes of these viruses are easily available on the internet is a threat in itself because it takes a simple download button and one has the core component of creating this virus. The sequences of deadly virus genomes such as anthrax are readily available on the internet and this itself makes the internet an open source of unlimited threat. Technology also has seen the improvement of research methods and the possibility of the creation of a super virus that has the potential of wiping out the human race. It should be noted that this problem cannot be overlooked. Nuclear energy has also seen a major improvement in technology in recent times especially in the area of nuclear weapons production. The latest technology, whereby, laser beams are used to enrich uranium has the po tential to be developed in the coming years such that it will be inexpensive thus making it accessible to many countries. One can only wonder what would happen if a majority of countries had nuclear weapons and a world war happens to break out. That thought is enough to provoke the thought of the possibility of human extinction. The other negative effect of technology development in the form of global warming has seen the rise of sea levels and in the near future, there will be a possibility of dry land being immersed in water

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The four works that communicate about the nature warfare - Essay Example They conducted all manners of techniques, strategies, and efforts of winning against their enemies who aimed to stop their raging mission of controlling much of European territories. This led to battle and violent mission by the military personnel, aimed at retaining their superiority power. However, their defeat by Allied Forces in May 1945 led to the end of war in Europe. Among the authors who use their literal works to describe the nature of war, include the Randall Jarrell in his poem Eight Air Force. The poem depicts the Eight Air Force of the US that was just established in 1944 to act as one of the components of US Strategic Command tasked to combat in air and engaging the operations to fight in the World War II. It helped to carry out strategic bombings of enemies in Nazi Germany, France, and other countries in the Northern Europe. At some point, Randall described the war as the death trap by saying â€Å"The other murderers troop in yawning† in the second stanza (Gardner, p. 400).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Randall Jarrell also wrote another literal work dubbed The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner published in 1945. It described the death of a gunner in the ball turret during the Second World War in an American aircraft. In the third line, the author described the death by saying â€Å"Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life† (Cornelius, p. 3). They were on a mission to fight in the European territories to fight their enemies such as Nazi Germany. Elie Wiesel’s Night is another work that described the nature of war. The author describes his experiences with his father where they were staying in concentration camps of Nazi German from 1944 to 1945. Wiesel’s narrative demonstrates the way they suffered where his father declined to a helpless situation. In this case, his father regrets that â€Å"If only I could get rid of this dead

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Page 463 - Essay Example The aspect of setting proposals requires prior understanding of what is needed. NSF provides information regarding its requirements and offers so much information regarding the increased productivity and the quality of ideas that will meet the inherent needs of the organization as a whole. Most people will have to get clarity and this will be essential because it will provide NSF with an easy time while going through the requests. Another thing that NSF attains by having these guidelines out is the ability of the audience to understand the persuasive nature of an argument based on the culture required within the company. In most cases, people present arguments that do not portray any requisite understanding of the language and culture present in the organization (Markel, 2012). It allows its clients to make better judgments when making choices as well as create precise proposals that can meet the desired working platforms within the organization. Like any serious organization, it is always important to stick to scholarship and proper rules of attribution. This essential part of the proposal gains more emphasis by the fact that research misconduct will be construed if the authors other than the major authors do not receive any acknowledgment. By creating such guidelines, it allows people to understand that relevant proposal writing skills need to be prevalent and people have to work on establishing the requirements beforehand. The important thing is to use experiences to benefit the intended topic and subject of concern, as well as mediate between the audience and the committee making the grant decisions (Markel, 2012). This process involves a lot of skills and identifies the main purpose of getting the grant. The lack of such details would see the grant proposal thrown out, something that might jeopardize the chances of getting any such attributes in the

Leaning an operational delivery process Research Paper

Leaning an operational delivery process - Research Paper Example Inventory management practices are essential aspects of any organisation. Many organisations have changed from the traditional settings to production and inventory management. The role of inventory management is to ensure faster inventory turnover. Artisanal Burger Company (ABC) Restaurant is a joint that is famous for its burgers, homemade bread and delicious omelets. The restaurant is located at 1436 Pleasant Valley Road, Manchester, CT 06042 (www.yelp.com). According to the reviews by customers, the services have not been ideal for maximising profits and reduction of waste. The management needs to rethink and introduce new techniques of managing assets and inventories. An investigation of processes in this restaurant indicates that there is need to introduce Lean thinking in ABC Restaurant. Improvements can bring significant savings for the restaurant owners, which would, in turn, be passed on to the customers, both quantitatively and qualitatively. One customer says, â€Å"the burgers are hit and miss†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..ABC lacks consistency (www.yelp.com). One of the problems identified was that it takes too much time to deliver food to the table. Secondly, there is no accuracy of orders. Finally, the time it takes a customer to pay the bill is too long. Problems were identified in the dining area, kitchen area, and billing area. The issues that were identified are summarised in Table 1. ABC’s delivery process does not match with its performance objectives. Markovic, Raspor and Segaric (2010, p. 181) state that a restaurant business is a demanding business, and it, therefore, stresses on the provision of high-level customer service and continuous quality improvement. There is constant change of peoples’ lifestyles. Thus, customers desire new flavours, comfortable ambience and pleasant memories. Restaurants that provide high-quality service gain stronger competitive advantage in the current dynamic marketplace. The issues outlined in Table 1 indicate the

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A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz word web 2.0 and the technologies that will define it - Essay Example It is difficult to talk about internet without mentioning the Web. Internet started as a communication tool for U.S. military for sharing information over a distance. In 1958 the U.S. Department of Defense started the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The main aim of APRA was to develop defense technology but later it also became a hub for computer research and technology. APRA wanted to develop a method to connect its base site with its computer research laboratories dispersed at different locations in U.S. In 1960’s, Paul Baran (at RAND) and Donald Davies (at UK National Physical Laboratory) developed a new technique called ‘packet switching’ (as opposed to circuit switching) in order to make the data transmission more reliable and efficient. In 1969, four computers (located at computer research labs of University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah) were connected thus creating APRAnet. In 1971, more computers joined the APRAnet (including NASA and Harvard) and number increased to fifteen. The year 1973 saw ARPAnet going global and Norway (Norwegian Royal Radar Establishment) and England (University College of London) also joined the net. The networking protocol was called Network Control Program. The total number of host computers connecting through APRAnet increased from 40 in 1973, to 111 in 1977 (Hobbes Internet Timeline). After APRAnet, other similar networks were created for special purposes. UUCP connected the computers having UNIX operating system and USENET (Users Network) connected academic community. Networks like CSNET (Computer Science Network) and BITNET (Because It’s Time Network) were also developed to connect universities and research centers. These networks had the capability to exchange information with APRAnet and among each other. APRAnet was split into two networks in 1980’s and a separate

Little White Lies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Little White Lies - Essay Example In view of a couple, where one engages in various affairs before they met with their current spouses, would it be right to lay the whole truth out, however dark it is? This question will be best answered by differentiating utilitarianism and Kantian ethics or deontology. Utilitarianism, by Bentham, is a theory that argues on conformation to utility principle. The theory is focused on greatest happiness, whereby, an action is right if it increases happiness and decreases pain. Deontology, on the other hand, argues on the principle of duty. A deontologist will tend to fulfill what is morally right irrespective of the consequences of his or her actions. A right action, to a deontologist is that which conforms to the moral law (Jost & Wuerth, 2011). The tale of a little white lies then focuses on a couple that has a dark past and wants to get engaged. What would be right? A dark past may range from prostitution, hardcore crime, drug abuse, and any other vices that the society morally abhors. In the case of a woman disclosing a promiscuous past to a potential lifetime partner, would it really be necessary? Would it be necessary for a man to disclose the number of first degree murders he committed before he reformed? Reasoning from my personal point of view, I would not need to disclose such information as I would hurt my partner’s feelings. Above that, the consequences of disclosing such information are unknown and might be disastrous to the relationship. Some information might lead to lack of trust or create fear in the relationship. In the case that a criminal’s past life is actually a past life or a promiscuous past life is forgotten, then such information is unnecessary in my view. According to Kantian ethics, one should act according to a categorical imperative. This entails acting in a manner that would also favor the actor in universal law. This theory subscribes to the requirement of a moral obligation in ones course of

Report will focus on analysing the existence of power Essay Example for Free

Report will focus on analysing the existence of power Essay Introduction This report will focus on analysing the existence of power, control and resistance within an organisation with particular reference toward Australia’s largest and most successful telecommunications provider, Telstra (Telstra, 2013). Applying widely recognised theoretical frameworks and concepts against these focus areas, a critical analysis has been conducted and assessed with the findings referenced throughout the report determining the positive and negative impacts each are having on Telstra the organisation and its stakeholders. The three focus areas of power, control and resistance are major influences within any organisation and critical to its success. Power and control can be perceived as being the same within an organisation, however there are key differentiators between the two that is important to identify and understand. Both power and control of an organisation can have various levels of influence on its stakeholders depending on a companies geographical or workforce size and culture. A level of power labeled as â€Å"Domination† identifies the way that an organisation can ultimately shape the preferences, attitudes and even political outlooks of its stakeholders (Sadan, 1997). The area of control stems from the introduction of â€Å"scientific management† introduced by (Taylor, 2007). Taylor’s methodologies of control are still predominant in many modern organisations that adopt various means to maintain a controlled workplace. Such means can consist of forms of surveillance such as email and phone scanning, remote working arrangements and segmentation of skills. Jermier, Knights, Nord refer to resista nce within an organisation as constituting forms of power that’s exercised by subordinates within a workplace. Example forms or â€Å"faces† of resistance are refusal, voice, escape and creation. With an understanding of the theoretical frameworks and concepts of these three focus areas, various stakeholders of Telstra have been interviewed to construct a comprehensive analysis on what impact power, control and resilience is having on the organisation and its stakeholders. Methodology Being one of the largest organizations in Australia, power, control, and resistance is spread throughout the companies multiple functions and sectors. It is these elements that aid in shaping the way Telstra operates. This fact has led to various methods being utilized to collect and critically analyse information on Telstra regarding these three aspects of organizational behaviour. Both primary and secondary research was conducted for this report. Primary sources include conversations with Telstra stakeholders in conjunction with online secondary research. Stakeholders include employees of Telstra as well as the customers themselves. By learning about their experiences with Telstra a better understanding of the organization was created as well as how power, control, and resistance are evident in Telstra. The use of primary and secondary research allowed for power, control and resistance to be critically analysed in Telstra. A number of theories were also addressed in the analysis of Telstra. Relevant aspects of power, control, and resistance were explored and applied to Telstra to develop this report. As power, control, and resistance are different elements of organizational behaviour, a range of theories needed to be used in order to properly analyse Telstra. This also led to the stakeholder interviews being less formal due to questions having to cover such as large industry and often transparent elements of organizational behaviour. To address the issue of power in Telstra, a number of cases were used to identify the scope of power itself in Telstra and how those in power are at times abusing it or using it as a tool for manipulation. In some cases, the extremities of Telstra are clearly shown. Alongside this evidence and research, the theoretical framework of the ‘four faces of power’ derived from Lukes (1986) and Foucault (1977) was used for analysis of the company. As Telstra is a very large company, appropriate control systems and management of control is essential throughout all the functions of the business. To analyse how control plays a critical role in Telstra, different functions of the organization and their appropriate control mechanism were explo red. This was done through researching into examples and cases of how Telstra has managed it’s control systems. Similarly to the use of the ‘four faces of power’, resistance was also analysed using a comparable framework. The framework used was the ‘four faces of resistance’. This framework helped to highlight areas where employees show resistance and how far they can take it. Research and cases gathered coupled together with the four faces of resistance aided in presenting and analysing the various issues of resistance and how it exists in Telstra. Organisational Power â€Å"Power is derived from owning and controlling the means of production and how this power is reinforced by organisational structures and rules of governance† (Weber and Marx, 1948) Telstra as an organization consists of management hierarchy comprising of numerous Directors and Executives that hold responsibility for the direction and public image of Telstra. These positions at times are extremely demanding as their everyday decisions can, and will have an effect on the business profits and customer satisfaction levels. Power is crucial amongst these ranks as it is required to make necessary changes and improvements to policy and procedure in the highly competitive industry of telecommunications. Ultimately the responsibility of the performance of Telstra resides with the CEO (David Thodey) and the supporting Directors (executive and non-executive). As the ‘Top-level manager’, David Thodey makes decisions affecting the entire company. He does not direct the day -to-day activities of the company; instead he sets goals for the organization and directs the company to achieve them. An example is the announcement of a strategy of market differentiation and a renewed focus on customer service and satisfaction (Telstra Website, 2009). Top managers are ultimately responsible for the performance of the organization (Simmering, 2007). Following the top-level management group is the middle-level managers, who set goals for their departments and other business units. Middle managers are charged with motivating and assisting first-line managers to achieve the company’s objectives. They also play an important role by communicating and offering suggestions to the top managers, as they are more involved in the day-to-day workings of the company. The next level of management is the first-level. This level is responsible for the daily management of the employees who actually produce the product or offer the service. Although first-level managers typi cally do not set goals for the organization, they have a very strong influence on the company, as they are the managers that most employees interact with on a daily basis. Telstra’s use of coercion internally has become evident in various situations. By assessing the four faces of power we can see how intimidation towards workers has resulted in a number of public outbursts. An unethical and undisclosed strategy was introduced by Telstra during 2008 whereby 15,000 employees were targeted to sign up to Australian Workforce Agreements (AWA) before the ban on agreements was to be imposed by the Government (Eastley, 2008). A confidential Telstra document showed that managers were given 29 pages of tips on how to best convince workers to signing up to AWA’s (Hawley, 2008). The document urged managers to use psychological profiling of employees when considering who to target and were rewarded with bonuses once successfully signing workers up to workplace agreements. This method of power is an example of coercion. Telstra has clearly done something unethically in this situation. The company’s actions have demonstrated a coercive environment that maximises pressure through psychological manipulation. Domination is a level of power that identifies the way in which an organisation can ultimately shape the preferences, attitudes and even political outlooks of its stakeholders Lukes (1986). Telstra’s domination of most communications markets and its ability to leverage market power across markets is a consequence of its structure. The result is the failure of competition affecting all consumer groups. The ideal solution is a form of structural separation of Telstra. This objective can be achieved through the creation of a regulatory package that delivers as much of the benefit as possible that would be derived from structural separation, while acknowledging the limitations of real separation to address the core incentives of Telstra to favour itself (Competitive Carriers’ Coalition Inc, 2005). Workplace bullying is a widespread issue that can only be resolved through an implementation strategy targeting all employees. Employers need to be held accountable and have a str ategy in place to protect the employees from this offence. Unfortunately this is not always the case, in some instances the employer is the one orchestrating the bullying. A recent case in which the Administrative Appeals Tribunal overruled Telstras decision not to pay compensation to an ex-employee for stress and psychological injury shows that it is possible to resist intimidation (Sdrinis, 2012). Mr Sami was successful in wining his compensation claim against Telstra for work-related psychological injuries and in particular in relation to bullying and harassment by his manager over a period of time. This case underlines that managements often-used tactics of subtle bulling and harassment to push people out the door has a human cost which the law is prepared to recognise. Within most major companies, including Telstra, workers have to live with the threat of losing their jobs and this case should encourage workers to stand up to workplace harassment and, if victimized, seek legal advice and compensation. Organisational Control In order to regulate and manage organisational activities and resources, so that accomplishing goals and objectives are possible, organisations need control. It is a significant part of running any business so that a targeted element of performance remains up to organisational standard. There is a considerable amount of responsibility that goes into managing control, as there are many different levels and areas in which organisations define control. Information Resources is an area of control in which include sales forecasting, environmental analysis and production scheduling. In a recent article, Telstra has reported a 12.9 per cent increase in net profit, reaching $3.9 billion, and an increase in revenue up two per cent to $26 billion (Bartholomeusz, Technology Spectator, 2013). Telstra chief executive officer David Thodey said it was the â€Å"third consecutive year of significant customer growth for Telstra mobile, driven by $1.2 billion of investment in the network during the y ear.† As profit results slightly bettered expectations, this can only leave a positive impact on employees, shareholders and the organisation itself. For instance, as a result of meeting organisational goals and objectives, employees get to keep their job, and keep the shareholders content. In any organisation, operations control is needed to control the processes used to transform resources into products and services. As Telstra is constantly aspiring to grow as a company and are faced with new business opportunities, changes in operational processes takes place as a result, workers find themselves jobless. The terminal decline of Telstra’s once-dominant telephone business and the rise of new business opportunities have forced the telco giant into a major operational restructure that will affect half the companys 30,000 strong domestic workforce (Bingemann, 2013). (Telstra Chief Operations officer Brendon Riley, is likely to see hundreds of jobs cut from the telco as i t transitions its operations and IT divisions from infrastructure-based businesses to more of a software and services future (Bingemann, 2013). Although this may mean good news for Telstra advancing as an organisation, this change in operations control is affecting the lives of 30,000 loyal employers and their families. Telstra’s financial control plan has an upside and a downside. Like most organisations, a budget control provides a way of measuring performance across different aspects within the company. Also control the financial resources as they flow into, are held by, and flow out of the organisation. Telstra while having generated some $2 billion in savings has punished workers by cutting 1,000 net local jobs over the past two and a half years (Bartholomeusz, Business Spectator, 2013). Although the savings are benefiting Telstra’s fast-growing mobile business, the price to pay is substantial for those 1,000 workers who need to make ends meet. Telstra has insisted that it can simultaneously cut costs while improving customer service b y reducing errors, queries and complaints that allow it to, for instance, reduce call centre staff (Bartholomeusz, Business Spectator, 2013). As technology advances, so does the way people do things. With the new possibilities of using apps and online resources to ask questions, queries and form complaints, the need for call centre workers reduces sizeable Organisational Resistance Within the multinational telecommunication company Telstra, numerous accounts of resistance both internally and externally have risen from management decisions by the company’s head. Several incidents have occurred in which the public and workers have raised their voice in resistance against some of the giant’s actions. By assessing the four faces of resistance, we can see typical and expected responses from the public and workers. One incident occurred earlier this year in February. Telstra slashed over 700 jobs from their Sensis network, which resulted in mass rallies and protests by union leaders and workers alike (Conifer, 2013). This method of resistance is an example of ‘voice.’ By publicly displaying and enforcing their dissatisfaction against the loss of their jobs, the union workers are resisting Telstra’s actions. The rally and protests have been constructed to highlight the unsatisfactory methods of Telstra. As Telstra grows as a company, many Australian jobs are being sent offshore, particularly to Asian nations. The rapid growth of the company forces management and corporate heads to expand the company to increase revenue and profits, at the expense of Australian jobs. In July of this year, over 170 jobs were sent offshore to India, which lead to widespread union outrage (Bingemann, www.theaustralian.com.au/business, 2013). The Communication, Electrical and Plumbing union, as well as the Community and Public Sector unions protested and demanded negotiations in regards to job losses. The fact that unions stood up and resisted to sacrifice their jobs highlights an internal voice of the company. This resistance from the unions demonstrates a type of power that workers have within their job, to stand up against unsatisfactory managerial decisions. (Bingemann, www.theaustralian.com.au/business, 2013) The third face of resistance represents the ‘escape’ side of work. This face is made up of three tools: cynicism, scepticism and dis-identification. Dis-identification refers to the disconnection from ones identity and the work environment. In an incident that occurred in April of 2007, a young girl committed suicide after been given unrealistic work goals and hassled by management staff of Telstra to return to work during her stress leave (Masanauskas, 2007). This amount of pressure lead to her suicide, and the change from her once â€Å"vibrant personality† was transformed into a â€Å"nervous wreck† (Masanauskas, 2007). The young women’s parents described the Telstra staff to be treating their daughter â€Å"like a machine.† From this tragedy, the union demanded realistic work goals and targets. The dis-identification from ‘human’ to ‘machine’ within the workplace highlights the third face of resistance, to escape work. However, this escape was much more serious and punishing, for it was not just a mental escape from work, but a suicide. Conclusion Throughout this report it is made evident that the three focal behavioral characteristics of organisations can have a major impact on its stakeholders. Although these impacts can be both positive and negative it is clear from the examples provided that a balance between what’s positive to both an organisation and its stakeholders remains a huge challenge to maintain. Telstra has been used as a case organisation due to its operational size and market reach throughout the country and spreading to different cultures internationally. Various methods were used to gather and analyse information specific to the affects of power, control and resistance from both internal and external stakeholders of the company which formed the basis of or report. Power of an organisation over its stakeholders is seen almost always as a negative characteristic but is critical to an organisations success. It was found that power in Telstra is delegated down through a hierarchal management structure to manage staff and performance. This lead onto analysing which control methods are being used within Telstra such as performance goals and project deadlines, which have been founded to be a major cause of many bully and stress related complaints. Due to the mismanagement of power and control various cases of industrial action and even suicide has been reported as a form of resistance from stakeholders. This resistance has a negative impact on the public image of the organisation and can potentially affect its market value. It is critical for organisations to achieve a balance between economic growth and ethical practices. Until this happens cases such of those highlighted in the report will continue causing restraint and harm to both the organisation and its stakeholders.

Tensions in Colonial Society Essay Example for Free

Tensions in Colonial Society Essay Both the Bacon Rebellion and the Pueblo revolt were ignited by the mounting apprehension of preserving safety and a way of life as white settlers and Native Americans come together on the same land. Because European settlers were trying to settle on land already occupied by Indians, many conflicts arose. For many white settlers, as was the case in the Bacon Rebellion, the clash of the two races caused an uneasy apprehension. The white settlers felt threatened by the Native Americans, and, as a result, resorted to unnecessary violence. In the Bacon Rebellion, this ongoing tension caused farmers to kill many Indians, even friendly ones. For many Native Americans the clash of the two races resulted in tension as the white settlers tried to change the Indian way of life. This was true of the Pueblo Indians in present day New Mexico who felt threatened by the Spanish because they were trying to impose an unfamiliar, Christian life on the Indians. With both groups we see a common tension: people are feeling threatened as a result of Native Americans and hite settler interaction. As with these uprisings, tension created by Indian/colonist interaction in colonial America often erupted into violence and rebellions. While the Pueblo revolt was mainly the result of Indian/Colonist conflict, the Bacon rebellion had many more aspects to it. The Bacon rebellion was inpart fueled by the strain between the most elite Americans and everyone else. For Bacon and his friends, who were upper-class Englishmen who came to America, the tension came rom resentment toward the Virginia elite for not including them. For the farmers, it was the belief that the elite government did not understand or sympathize with the danger Indians posed to farmers. When the two groups teamed up to fight out the tension against the elite, many Indians and innocent colonists were killed and injured. The deaths occurred when colonists vented their frustrations by taking matters into their own hands against the Indians and, later, fighting against the litists. The Bacon rebellion started because of uneasiness about the Indian situation, but it ended as a full on war with the elites. It was this end that reflects the growing tension between the elite and the common people of American colonial society. Colonial society in America was a new frontier for those that settled there. As with anything new, problems and tensions arose and these growing tensions were reflected in uprisings, such as Bacons Rebellion and the Pueblo Revolt. One of the ain tensions of colonial America was the result of two very different cultures, the Indians and the Colonists, wing for survival in this new situation. Other tensions arose when tight knit elitist groups excluded and disregarded the well being of others. Tensions between races and different social classes werent new to history. Nevertheless, their ubiquitous quality does not make them any less significant, nor did it help the colonists when the tensions exploded into Bacons Rebellion and the Pueblo revolt.

Multiple Determinants of Health in the Workplace

Multiple Determinants of Health in the Workplace Melissa Evans    Introduction Occupational Health is a two-way relationship between health and work. According to Occupation Health (2007), Occupational Health is as much related to the effects of the working environment on the health of workers as to the influence of the workers state of health on their ability to perform the tasks for which they were employed. Its main aim is to prevent, rather than cure, ill health from wherever it arises in the workplace. A persons health can impact on their work and their work can impact on their health. Approaching the impacts on work health holistically, we can look at the determinants of health within the workplace through the use of various models; however we are going to focus on the Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow Model. In essence the Dahlgren-Whitehead model highlights a causal relationship between individual lifestyle choices, social networks, working and living conditions and economic, political and environmental factors, globally, nationally and locally. While the configuration of these different layers and factors can have both positive and protective influences on our lives, they can also undermine health and wellbeing, both for individuals and communities. For example, adverse economic conditions have implications for employment and training opportunities, public services such as health, social care, education, the wide range of services provided by local authorities, as well as the funding they provide to support local voluntary sector services. Where adverse conditions persist, they can have a significant and negative impact on social attitudes, social cohesion and social mobility(NHS Education for Scotland). Developed in 1991 by Goran Dahlgren and Margaret Whitehead the Dahlgren Whitehead Rainbow maps the relationship between the individual, their environment and health. The rainbow looks at five main areas. These areas include: Age, Sex and Constitutional Factors This is the core of the Dahlgren-Whitehead model and it focuses on the key areas of age, sex, ethnicity and genetic/biological constitutional factors. A workers age, sex or constitutional factors can reveal if the worker brings with them a pre-existent health status to the workplace such as inheritance and genetic susceptibility. Other factors in the extended layers can also be influenced by this component of the model. Individual Lifestyle Factors This layer focuses on a persons lifestyle choices. Behaviours such as alcohol and other drug misuse, poor diet, smoking, lack of physical activity, the number of jobs they do or if they play a sport can have an impact on a workers health and in turn could affect their ability to complete certain tasks in the workplace. Injuries caused by lifestyle choices such as sport could impact on a workers ability to carry out certain tasks or could put them at a higher risk of aggravation within the workplace which could lead to more serious injuries. Social and Community Networks This layer focuses on family support, friends and wider social circles. In this layer we can look at things like different cultural backgrounds, communication, community support groups and interpretation services. Quality not quantity should be taken into consideration. Living and Working Conditions This layer focuses on access to opportunities such as work, unemployment, training, health care services, housing, public transport and amenities. It also includes items such as water, sanitation and access to essential items such as food, fuel and clothing. When we focus on work we need to focus on the type of work to see if there is a potential for occupational disease or stress. Financial instability and access to health services could be a result of unemployment. General Socio-Economic, Cultural and Environmental Conditions This layer factors that impact on health and wellbeing such as social, economic, cultural and environmental. Items include availability of work, wages and taxation, prices of essential items such as food, clothing, transport and fuel. Cultural factors could include health being affected by traditions and beliefs of the family community. These conditions get reported on through to the government and in turn can influence the priorities of health policy and spending by the government. Whilst there is extensive documentation and evidence prior to the development of the Dahlgren-Whitehead with respect to Occupational Health, the model has been widely used to assist with research of the vast array of factors that can impact our workers from both a health and work level. The development of the model now allows us to look into reviews and research papers, and including qualitative and quantitative evidence in a more in-depth way. When using this information it should be supplemented with local and expert knowledge, policy information, and proposal specific information. According to the Declaration on Occupational Health for All by the World Health Organisation (1994) by affecting the health of the working population, occupational injuries and diseases have profound effects on work productivity and on economic and social well-being of workers, their families and dependants. Depending on the type of occupational injury or disease its effects can be far reaching. Whilst a majority of occupational injuries and diseases are minor there are also those that are more severe that the outcome could be long term, for example, could result in ongoing hospital treatment for an extended period, may need extended rehabilitation, permanent disability or even death. Lets look at the potential outcome of a worker who sustains a permanent disability and is wheelchair bound for the remainder of their life, it is not just the worker who is effected but their family, friends, their wider community, the costs that it generates, the loss of productivity at the workplace and the impact on social security systems. The World Health Organisation (1994) states that health and safety problems at work are, in principle, preventable and should be prevented by using all available tools legislative, technical, research, training and education, information, and economic instruments. In order to achieve this outline a workplace needs to consult Federal, National and State Legislation such as the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 as well as Australian Standards and Codes of Practice to assist with the development of a Safety and Health Policy in the first instance. From the policy a workplace then needs to delve further and design and implement Safety Management Systems, work instructions, job descriptions, job dictionaries, etc. Once the documentation has been researched, designed and implemented they then need to look at training and education. As part of this phase they need to identify hazards, conduct risk assessments and look at controls and interventions for prevention and control. Reference List Aw, T.C., Gardiner, K. and Harrington, J.M. (2007) Occupational Health. NHS Education for Scotland. Retrieves March 20, 2017 from http://www.bridgingthegap.scot.nhs.uk/understanding-health-inequalities/introducing-the-wider-determinants-of-health.aspx Dahlgren, G. and Whitehead, M. (1991). The Dahlgren Whitehead Rainbow. Retrieved March 18, 2017 from http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-dahlgren-whitehead-rainbow/ World Health Organisation (1994). Declaration on Health for All.

You Will Always be in My Heart :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Anthony, I just wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me. I don't think you realize how much you inspire me and I am so proud of the person you've become and are still becoming. I understand you've been through a lot and you haven't made the best choices, but I can see that you have grown. Truthfully, I've known from the first time I met you to now, that you were a strong person. You are so full of wisdom about life that when you speak I could stay there forever and listen to your open mind, for it is peaceful and inviting. Anthony, you have become my awakening, you have helped me see things in a brighter way, happier, and more enlightening way. I was once drowning from my own fears, completely cynical about love, hope, and security. I used to think that no one understood me and never would. Then one day before I knew you personally, you came into my thoughts and I wasn't sure why you were there. Suddenly I felt reassured and a smile was brought to my face. I believe deep down that I loved you then. When I got to know you better a year later I realized I wasn't alone and that something inside of you was what constantly brought tears to my own eyes. I went through a time in my life where I felt worthless and unloved and I continuously searched for happiness. I wasn't getting along with my family, and my friends were all hating each other, leaving me in the middle, stressfully trying to pull things together. You made me laugh and forget everything that was going on. That year you became my escape, my survival. I don't think I could have made it through as strong as I did if it weren't for you. Anthony, I thank you for all the fun times we have spent together even if they were short lived. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that you must have been an angel sent by God to help me grieve and become a strong willed woman because no one has ever been able to help me see the light like you could. Clouds of darkness shadowed over me no matter what anyone else would say, but you made me smile with just your presence. You didn't have to say a word; everything was okay when you were beside me.

Color Imagery in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: essays papers

Color Imagery in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain And The Green Knight I believe that the color imagery in Sir Gawain And The Green Knight represents nature, as a force that man has little control over. This is evident during the journey of Sir Gawain, and later, his shame in front of King Arthur's court. Nature does as it will in ways that can not be controlled by man. The best they can do is to acknowledge the fact that it is happening. They had no control whatsoever, and therefore, were subject to it's, at times, ferocity. This is similar to the ferocity displayed by the Green Knight. The Green Knight worked under his own set of rules, and like a growing tree, man had, and still has, no control over when the tree would leaf or bloom, or how long it's branches would grow. The Green Knight, like nature, has to be understood before it can be dealt with, and even then, you are not guaranteed success. You need to know how he thinks, and play your cards right, in order to come out of the fight successfully. At first Sir Gawain was on the right path, but throughout his journey, he became sidetracked and due to that, he brought shame unto himself, and to the court of King Arthur. The story begins with a New Year's feast at Arthur's court in Camelot. All the knights and ladies gather to exchange gifts, and to eat and be merry. Everyone is laughing and having a good time, while Arthur amuses them with stories of courageous knights. The first course is served, and the guests are about to eat, when a knight, dressed totally in green, rides into the dining hall. The knight is very large, well-dressed, and imposing. It seems that he has come in peace, due to the absence of his armor and shield. The Green Knight's connection to nature is emphasized when he is presented holding a "holly bob...That is goodliest in green when groves are bare"(206-7). His closeness to nature is also apparent when the color of the knight is described as "green as the grass"(235). The Green Knight has a challenge, and he demands to speak to the head of the court. King Arthur, being the head of the court, answers the call of the Green Knight. The Green Knight proceeds to tell Arthur that it is his court who are the best and most noble knights in the land, and he has come here with a challenge.

Analysis and Interpretation of Crickets

Analysis and interpretation of Crickets In the short story Crickets by Robert Olen Butler, we are introduced to the main character of the short story, Ted. Ted is not his real name, but a nickname that was given to him by his coworkers at the refinery where he works. He does not particularly like his nickname, but he does not hate it either. His real name is Thieu just like the former president of the Republic of Vietnam. He wasn’t named after the president though; his mother named him after his dead uncle.Thieu grew up in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, but later fled to the U. S. He witnessed the fall of Saigon in 1975 – and that was when he decided to fight against the North. The north was communistic, and Thieu was throwing rocks at the tanks driving through the streets of Saigon. Because of the situation in Vietnam, Thieu and his wife fled to the U. S. in hope of a better life. They ended up in Louisiana just like many other refugees from Vietnam. He works at the refi nery and has been working there for more than a decade.He is considered the best chemical engineer of the refinery, even though he doesn’t always feel that his coworkers give him the right or appropriate amount of recognition, which he (in his own opinion) knows that he deserves. He likes his job at the refinery despite his coworkers giving him a American nickname and only using that. Thieu believes that it’s probably because they don’t like the fact that he is from Vietnam where American troops have just been fighting in a war against his fellow-countrymen. Thieu doesn’t believe in the values of the Northern regime, which is also his reason for fleeing to the U.S. Thieu’s wife has, while living in America, given birth to their first and only son. The name of his son is perhaps the most non-Vietnamese name that they could find, Bill. Bill is ten years old, and is: â€Å"[†¦] the product of the first night my wife and I spent in Lake Charles, in a cheap motel with the sky outside red from the refineries. † (p. 25, l. 27-28). Bill is a very typical ten year-old, American boy. Like many other young boys he does not always think that his father is the coolest person to hang out with, and when Thieu propose the idea of them doing something together he answers with : â€Å"†Sure, Pop. † He said, though there was a certain suspicion in his voice, like he didn’t trust me on the subject of fun. † (p. 26, l. 5-6). He probably reacts in this way because he would much rather sit in front of the television, watching cartoons which has superheroes, who are fighting the battle of good vs. evil instead. Thieu and Bills relationship to one another looks very ordinary from an outside perspective, but it is actually quite complex from an inside perspective. When Bill says goodbye to his father in the morning he is doing it in a very ‘Louisianic’ way: â€Å"Have a good day, y’all. (p. 25 , l. 30) – you can almost hear the southern accent when you read it. And when Thieu says goodbye to him in Vietnamese he just giggles like it’s a joke. It is clear that Thieu wants Bill to learn Vietnamese because at the moment he only speaks English; he is an American and Thieu and his wife are Vietnamese and to Thieu this is creating some sort of ‘cleft’ between them that is making it harder for them to bond like father and son. Thieu wants to teach Bill one of the games that he used to play as a child. It involves catching crickets and then have them fight each other.But when they go ‘hunting’ for these crickets Thieu realizes that his son and himself has completely different values and that they’re obviously different from one another. For a brief while Thieu believes that he has his son interested in his game. The game involves catching crickets, either charcoal or fire crickets. When they are out in the wild to catch these cricket s his son’s Americanization shines through. He does not want to touch the crickets that he finds, like Thieu did when he was a child. So Thieu has to pick them up for him.And it only goes downhill from there. Bill worries more about getting his new Reebok sneakers dirty than having fun and playing with his father – and he only worries about if the mother can get them clean again. Thieu is obviously disappointed. He is not disappointed because of the sons lack of interest, but rather because he has not been able to give his own son some Vietnamese ballast, it seems like he has no idea where his parents are from or what they have gone through for him. It might be because he is only ten years old.The title Crickets represents the two types of crickets, charcoal and fire, which represents the two different civilization that Thieu and Bill are part of. Just like when Thieu was a child, his son and himself they keep crickets in matchboxes and kept them agitated by continuous poking and flicking. This resulted in them fighting each other to death. The charcoal crickets represent the U. S. : They’re large and strong, but can easily become confused – and he makes them appear rather unintelligent. The fire crickets on the other hand represent Vietnam, or perhaps Asia in general.They’re not particularly strong or big like the charcoal crickets, but they’re smarter and faster than them – just like Thieu is smaller than his fellow American coworkers, but he’s smarter than them. When these two different crickets aren’t agitated they can live in peace, but when they’re constantly agitated at one another they’ll end up fighting, and it will often end with someone dying. Thieu has indeed achieved The American Dream. He has moved to a better place and he has shaped/created his own future with hard work and determination.But while achieving this has he lost some of the Vietnamese values from his upbrini ng in the Mekong Delta? Perhaps. His son is one-hundred percent American in the way he dress and act; he only speaks English and this bothers Thieu to some extent. But is that alright, shouldn’t he be happy that his son does not have to go through the same that he did – one might wonder. Thieu wants to relive his Vietnamese childhood ‘through’ the son, but he does not seem to succeed, probably because the son is too American to understand or appreciate these values.

Last but not the least

Is the sickness of Kelly Bates' derived from the contaminated water that Alumina Inc emitted? Although it has been corrected and the company was found compliant to the EPA regulations, the aftermath to the environment may come delayed. Evidence can be use against Alumina by pulling the EPA violation five years ago. It could be contributory but not sufficient enough to establish wrongful conduct from the violator. There was a breach of duty when the company failed to protect the environment and people from getting harmed.To prove that it was the proximate legal cause of the disease, they have to present a medical valuation report and have to establish the truth or validity that the symptoms can be traced back close to the account of when Alumina had the violation. If proven GU lilt of negligence, the acts of the management should be held liable for the tort committed. Based on this serious accusation and company threat, Alumina should maintain a proactive approach to litigation and it would be beneficial for the company to look at establishing a stringent Enterprise Risk Management procedures.The company must understand the organization as a whole, be able to identify the strategic goals. The management must commit to implement the ERM process. There is a need Of ongoing cycle of identification, assessment, monitoring and reporting of possible risks to the management to make a well-informed decision to mitigate the risk. Communication is mostly concentrated in the management but essential to be disseminated to the proper channels translated to the lower levels of the organization.A well-communicated, consistent, efficient risk management process becomes more essential to have a favorable outcome in having an effective ERM. A review and implementation of the policies and procedures is also detrimental to the health of the company to keep as a guideline for the organization. Last but not the least, training and education is a principal aspect to keep employees con current with their skills, knowledge, and abilities.

Health Promotion and Preventions

Health promotion and disease prevention are processes that enable individuals to improve their health. Health promotion seeks to increase an individual’s control over their health by addressing behavior under the control of the individual. Disease prevention is associated with medical and public health activities to prevent diseases. Health promotion and disease prevention have been utilized in the U. S. health care system for many of years and extensive research has been done on which preventive measures are most likely to protect individual health.Studies have also been done on what degree can preventions contribute to controlling costs of health care. Research supports the effectiveness of the preventative measures such as immunization, some forms of screening, avoidance of a high-fat diet, regular moderate exercise, as well the avoidance or cessation of exposure to tobacco. But research has also shown that preventative measures increase, rather than reduce, health care cos ts. Research has shown that preventative interventions preserve function and extend lives.Studies have shown immunization to be a good example of a prevention that promotes individual health and longevity. The benefits of immunization can been seen in young people and in the elderly. For decades the elderly have been receiving vaccination against influenza and it is also commonplace for young children to receive inoculations for diptheria, tentanus, pertussis, polio, meningitis-causing Haemophilus influenzae, measles, mups, rubells, and hepatitis B. 1 A study from the Netherlands demonstrates the health benefits of the elderly receiving annual influenza vaccination.The findings from the study were that the those who received annual vaccination experienced a reduced mortality risk of 24 percent and it was estimated that the vaccination prevented one death for every 302 people vaccinated. 1 Immunization has also eradicated diseases that once threaten the lives of children in the U. S. , as illustrated by the history of the disease pertussis. Between 1934 and 1943 there were on average 200,000 annual incidence of the disease, including over 4,000 deaths. After the introduction of childhood vaccination for pertussis in the 1940’s, reported cases drastically declined and reached a low of 1,000 in 1976. Research has also shown that some types of screening are good examples of preventative measures that effectively protect individuals. Screening is a strategy used to detect a disease in individuals who are without signs or symptoms of that disease. Between the early 1970s and 2000, use of the Pap test decreased incidence and mortality from invasive cervical cancer by 40 percent in the U. S. 1 The screening is almost an ideal because it is inexpensive, convenient, effective in detection, and cervical cancer is highly curable when detected early.The U. S. Preventive Services Task Force also strongly recommends screenings for colorectal cancer, high blood pressur e, and Chlamydia infection. 1 As significant as disease prevention, health promotions in lifestyle and risk reduction in the areas of tobacco, body weight, diet and exercise have been shown in studies to protect individual health. The most important of these studies that show the benefit of lifestyle preventative practices are the Framingham Heart Study and the Nurses’ Health Study.The Framingham Heart Study has been a main source of information regarding an individual’s attributes that lead to cardiovascular disease. The early findings of the study identified smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose intolerance as risk factors for heart disease. 1 Before the study it was thought that heart disease may be unpredictable. Recently findings show that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a characteristic predictive of heart disease. The Framingham study had major implications on lifestyle in regards to physical activity and diet as preventative practices.It showed the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was less common in physically active individuals. The study also showed that being overweight is associated with risk factors such as lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study found similar results regarding the effects of diet and lifestyle on heart disease. The study concluded that among women, adherence to preventative practices involving diet, exercise, and abstinence from smoking is associated with a very low risk of coronary heart disease. The health risks of certain diets have also been the subject of many studies. Trials have shown that consumption of trans fatty acids produces factors that are predictive of heart disease. 1 Alternatively, studies have concluded that a preventative practice of a diet rich in non-trans fats, whole-grains, abundant fruits and vegetable, and adequate in omega-3 fatty acids offered significant reduction in heart diease. 1 Health prom otion and disease prevention has also been thought as a means to control health care costs in the US.It is seems logical to assume that health care cost would be reduced by individuals avoiding illness and that illness detected early are less expensive to treat. Research has shown that some preventative measures may reduce health cost, but many actually increase health care cost. The work of the economist Louise B. Russell offers very informative cost effectiveness analysis of the preventative practices of vaccination. 1 Russell studied a campaign during the 1960s to inoculate children against the measles shortly following the introduction of an anti-measles vaccine.She calculated the cost of the immunization intervention to be the sum of the cost of administering the vaccines and the cost of treating people who contracted measles, which included children that may have missed the vaccine or for who the vaccine was ineffective. Russell’s findings were that the intervention sav ed 973 lives and prevented 3,000 children from being mentally retarded. She also found that campaign reduced absenteeism from school and work due to measles by 34 million days.She concluded that the intervention cost $31 million, but saved $200 million in institutional care for children who would have become retarded had they not been vaccinated. This type of preventative measure can be seen as very cost effective. Russell also concluded that other vaccination programs weren’t cost effective. She found that a small pox vaccination administered to 37,901 people because of a threat of bioterrorism attack resulted in 85 hospitalizations, 10 life-threatening diseases, 2 permanently disabilities, and 3 deaths. This intervention proved very costly since there wasn’t a bioterrorism attack.The preventative measure of screening also proves to increase cost of health care in the US. The costs of screening include the diagnosis, medication, doctor visits, and treatment of side ef fects. Additional cost also result from the increased life expectancy of the individuals who are successfully treated. Conversely, if an individual isn’t screened the individual’s death result in the end of incurring health care costs. Screening for colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U. S. , also revel an increase in the cost of health care.The American Cancer Society recommends that colonoscopies be the preferred method of screening. In 2005 colonoscopies amounted to 60% of all colorectal cancer tests. 3 But colonoscopy is expensive and carries a higher risk of serious complications that other screening choices. Cost benefit analysis of cervical cancer screening also illustrate the increase in health care costs. Studies by a research team in Georgetown University indicated that Pap tests reduced deaths by 75% when done every three years and the cost per quality-adjusted life year gained would have been $11,839.The study also found that a more aggressive treatment resulted in deaths reduced by 95%, but the of a cost per quality-adjusted life year gained would increase to $76,183. 1 Health promotion interventions in lifestyle offer uncertain cost-effectiveness and cost impact. A case can also be made that tobacco control increases the costs of health care and that smoking itself is an effective cost control. Smokers due require more medical care when they are alive, but upon the death of smokers, saving can be realized in nursing homes expenses, and the unutilized pension and Social Security benefits.Cost effectiveness analysis is not a complete approach to view health promotion and disease prevention. Though costly, preventative interventions in immunization, screening and lifestyle have been found by research to protect individual health. Cost effectiveness analysis should then rather be concerned with comparing alternative interventions. A good example of this type analysis is of colorectal screening, in which recommendation was for the intervention that would save the most lives at a given expenditure level. Russell said it best that â€Å"even when prevention does not save money, it can be a worthwhile investment in better health, and this- not cost savings- is the criterion on which it should be judged. †1 1. Greenwald HP. 2010. Health Care in the United States: Organization, Management, and Policy 2. Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, Manson et al. 2000. Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women through diet and lifestyle. N Engl J Med 3. Subramanian S, Bobashev G, Morris RJ. 2010. When budgets are tight, there are better options than colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Health Affairs

Education: Grammar School and Government Essay

In this essay I am going to look at the changes to education legislation from 1944 to the present day. I will look at how these changes have reflected government educational policies and to what effect. Firstly I will look at the ‘Butler Act’, war time 1944. The education act 1944 was called the ‘Butler Act’ after the conservative politician, R.A.Butler. The 1944 ‘Butler Act’ was undoubtedly a significant milestone in terms of the history of education Britain. It became increasingly clear that education was of vital importance to the nation and to the individual. It planned to remove the inequalities which remained in the system. The proportion of ‘free places’ at grammar schools in England and Wales increased from almost a third to almost half between 1913 and 1937. However when poorer children were offered free places parents often had to turn them down, owing to the extra costs involved. The ‘Butler Act’ 1944 provide d free education for all pupils. By 1946 the School Milk act was introduced. Previous investigations completed by John Boyd Orr revealed there was a link between low- income and malnutrition and under – achievement in schools. Ellen Wilkinson minister of education, (the first woman in British history to hold the post), was a long campaigner against poverty and in 1946 managed to persuade parliament to pass the school milk act. This act ordered the issue of one –third of a pint of milk free to all pupils. Local Education Authorities (LEAs), were required to submit proposals to the new department of education for reorganising secondary schools in the area, LEAs were required to assist children’s special needs. Most of the LEAs aimed to establish the three main ‘streams’ or categories at school this was known as the tripartite system. The three categories were grammar , secondary modern and technical , the children would be allocated on the basis of an examination at the age of 11, known as the ’11 plus’. The 11 plus had the intention to provide an equal opportunity for children of all backgrounds and walks of life. The implementation of this break by the ‘Butler Act’ seemed to offer an ideal opportunity to implement ‘streaming’ since all children would be changing school any way. Was the ’11 plus’ a good idea or would it begin to emerge as a large historical accident? Many people related more to the wider education system rather than the academic selection. The proportions of school children  gaining a place at a grammar school varied by location and gender, and due to the continuance of single sex schooling there were fewer places for girls than boys. Many critics claimed that there was a strong class bias in the exam. It seemed that children on the borderline of passing were more likely to get grammar school places if they came from middleclass families. It would appear that the ’11 plus’ was a system based on unfairness. For example, questions about the role of household servants or classical composers were easier for middle class children to answer but far less familiar to those from less wealthy and less educated backgrounds. The ’11 plus’ also led to divisions in schools (streaming), in the country (social class distinctions) and also led to irreconcilable political attitudes, (labour vs. conservatives) with the conservatives in favour of this selection and labour against it. In the 1950s, all the opposition against the 11 plus exam and the selection process had led to the idea of the modern comprehensive system. This idea was cherished by labour and rejected by the conservatives. In 1964 the labour government was elected, Harold Wilson is the new prime minister. Going into 1965 the circular 10/65 has stated for everyone to prepare for the introduction of the comprehensive schools. This was recognised as a fairer system better for working class people. Wilson was very anxious to increase opportunity within society, this meant change and expansion to the education system. For the first time ever a British government spent more time on education than on defence. This led to the significant increase in the number of university places. Wilson’s record on secondary education was disappointing. Whilst the proportion of children attending comprehensive schools rose to 30% during this period, his government failed to establish a fully comprehensive system. The selection system survived. Wilson lost power in June 1970 when Ted Heaths Tories won the general election with a majority of 30. Circular 10/ 70, newly elected government withdrew 10/65. Circular 10/70 was an attempt by Margaret Thatcher new secretary for education, to reverse the effects of circular 10/65. The first circular recommended to LEAs to begin the process of conversion to full comprehensive systems. This is ironic as it was in line with labour governments’ wishes on the transition  to a national comprehensive system. However the second circular said that no funding would be given for new non- comprehensive schools. LEAs were given more power to decide the future of secondary education in the area, under their authority independently of central government. It is believed that Thatcher was trying to reinstate grammar schooling. It was left to the LEAs individually whether or not they would go comprehensive. Heath needed to make cuts in public expenditure, Margaret Thatcher offered amongst other things to abolish the universal provision of free school milk. This was achieved in the 1971 education milk act. It led to the jibe ‘Thatcher, Thatcher milk snatcher’. In 1972 the school leaving age raised to 16 in response to rising youth unemployment. Was the government really concerned about giving people a better education or was it just a simple matter of keeping children in school longer to boost unemployment levels in order to make them look better?. This was not a popular decision. During 1973 the LEAs continued to submit plans which were presented as individual school plans which Thatcher accepted. There were now more children in comprehensive schools than selective one. Primary schools remained stable. Now I come to the ‘education reform act’ 1988. Conservative government are in place. The educational reform act is widely regarded as the most important single p iece of education legislation since the ‘ Butler’ education  act1944. This act introduced the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum believed everybody should have a knowledge of everything. Power was given to schools letting them spend the money how they like. Schools were ‘bribed’ as they were offered  £30,000 to opt out of the LEA. Thus Thatcher’s, intention was to weaken the power of the LEAs, giving more power to schools allowing them to spend the money how they liked. If more schools were to opt out poorer areas would not benefit, for example in well off middleclass areas people have more money and schools could raise more money through donations and school fairs act. Schools would become selfish only looking after their own needs. Head teachers were given more power and had to manage rather than ‘teach’. Schools were potentially paying more attention to material objects and resources rather than concentrating on teaching. On the plus side, schools could look for better and cheaper deals allowing them to spread the cost of their money effectively. City technical colleges were  also introduced providing specialist education by selection, opening up more doors. In 1992 The Education Act introduced the OFSTED, inspection system value for money. This was seen as a great idea by many as it made sure all schools were up to a certain standard. During 1997, the new labour government was elected (Tony Blair). The labour government’s intention was to devote attention to a higher standard of schooling, and to also make change to the national curriculum. This labour government would be a new ‘modern’ labour party as the labour government no longer stands for its traditional values. The new ‘modern’ labour government would; * Encourage private initiative funding, allowing private companies to build new schools. * Promote specialist educational academies in sport, sciences, languages and technology. There would be no money to build new schools. Schools would ask companies for computer deals whereas labours traditional view would have expected the state to pay. Therefore labour no longer stands for its traditional values. Schools were also encouraged to maximise the effect of their resources. This did not benefit poorer areas. Schools were taught to budget in order to allow a more effective financial control. In 2006 the Education and Inspection bill was introduced. This passed in March 2006, within the face of some opposition from within the labour party. Some of the main changes of the Education and Inspection bill were as follows; * Foundation (trust) schools * School admissions * Staged introduction of changes to the curriculum and entitlements including new diplomas to replace A-levels to be emplacement by 2013 * School travel * School food Also it was suggested that the school leaving age should be raised to 18 by 2013. This was propaganda as again was the government really concerned about a great education for children or was it just the case of making unemployment figures look better? The labour government believe education is much bigger than what goes on in school; trigger points for this were the  sad case of Victoria Climbie and the Soham murders. CRB checks were introduced to protect children, as there was poor communication between the police and schools. In 2003 the introduction of ‘Every Child Matters ‘was introduced. Every Child Matters is one of the most important policies to have intuitive and develop a programme in relation to children and the children services of the last decade. Its main aims were for every child, whatever their background or circumstances to have the support they need, * Be healthy * Stay safe * Enjoy and achieve * Make a positive contribution * Achieve economic well-being The Every Child Matters act had been title of three government papers, and in 2004 lead to the Children Act. Which took the Every Child Matters act further and the government started to get more involved with the parents suggesting what their child should and shouldn’t eat and encouraged more physical activity, Education was now not only stopped at children parents were now being educated on the well-being of their child. Sure start programmes were opened giving support to families. In 2008 the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families was replaced by the Department for Education after the change in government following the general election 2010. The Department has also come under criticism during the 2010 General Election, after it was revealed that the Department’s offices had a refit which included a â€Å"contemplation room† 0ther features include a grand glass and steel staircase and imported Italian designer furniture. The total cost of the refit was estimated to be three million pounds, at a time when the department needed to make two billion pounds of savings. With the election in May 2010, there has been some confusion. The election of the coalition conservative/ liberal some changes were made immediately as previous government plans were put on hold or reversed. The new government believe that the previous government was taking the power from parents , not only did this cost a lot of money it was controlling society tainting and shaping it , taking the role from a parent. The new  government now does not want to get involved in how a child should be brought up; it is a parent’s job. The government should go no further than education. The new government would now scrap the building schools for the future scheme, the last government over spent and money needs to be saved. A new secretary of state for education, Michael Gove MP believes the education system is a mess. Too many people are going to universities costing the government too much money. I am now coming to the end of my essay; the new government is still making changes to the education system and believes that the lab our party had let standards slip. The new government believes in traditional standards and is now scraping GCSEs in favors of a tougher exam. Overall I believe the secondary education will always be un- stable as new and traditional standards will come in and out of place. Many lessons have been learned and hopefully a better and fairer system will eventually come in place; however is this possible as labour and conservatives differ so much? The education system has come far since 1944 and the importance of the ‘Butler’ act still plays a part in the heart of the education system and many people should think of this as one of the biggest milestones in history.

Corporations as Moral Agents Essay

I chose to evaluate the second debate because I thought it was the most significant to the purpose of the class: to analyze the moral responsibility of business. The debaters were assigned to negate and affirm the following motion: Corporations are Moral Agents. In my opinion, this motion comes down to the decision to hold corporations responsible for their (corporations) decisions on a moral basis or just hold them responsible for their decisions on a legal basis. If a company were found to be a moral agent, then they would not only have a utilitarian obligation to who they are fiduciaries for, but also a moral obligation to society regardless of stakeholder or shareholder theory. On the other hand, if a company were not found to be a moral agent, then the phrase â€Å"it’s just business† would hold truth for corporations as a whole; as long as the company acted within the boundaries of the law and to maximize the utility of whom they represent as an agent, there would be no moral ground to criticize or opt for a change in practices. In this essay I will outline the arguments each side used to support their case, the additional arguments I believe should have been used, and an evaluation of who won the debate and reason why. The debate was composed of two teams, each of which had 4 members. They each had a 5-minute main speech to prove their arguments, and a 2-minute rebuttal speech to disprove that of their opposing counterparts. Although the speeches were given in an alternating fashion between both teams, I will layout all of the proposition’s arguments, then layout all of the oppositions arguments, and finally move on to chronologically stating the rebuttals. The first speaker of the proposition cleverly set the tone for the debate by defining important terms from the motion. Speaker 1 defined agents as something or someone that acts in behalf of another, and then went on to use the transitive property and identity thesis to state that corporations are moral agents but not moral entities. Yet, the law treats and defines corporations as entities. Just because people are needed to help make decisions does not mean that a corporation is not an entity. Speaker 1 then mentioned that individuals are moral agents, to confirm the fact that the transitive property makes corporations moral agents because they are built from such. Without the assumption that corporations are not entities, the transitive property makes less sense because a corporation would be defined as one single unit. Under law, people and corporations are considered legally equal entities The affirmative team had four main arguments that were divided amongst their four speakers. The first speaker stated that there is legal and social precedent that the corporation entity is a fiction, and that it is an association of shareholders for the gain of shareholders solely. Their second speaker said that morality is related to the law and the freedom of the individual to decide what he/she will do in regards to the law. The third speaker reiterated their definition for moral agents as an argument: the corporation is not an entity of itself because it cannot make decisions on its own;, yet is a moral agent because it is made of individual moral agents, thus it acts with moral imperative due to the transitive property (a leads to b leads to c). Finally, their fourth speaker used the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, to support his claim saying that a corporation is a moral agent because their decisions do not affect parts of the corporation but affect it as a whole. The first speaker not only defined the terms, but also spoke about the legal obligations and precedent that forces companies to maximize profits for shareholder within the confines of the law, without having to weigh in the morality of their decisions. She stated that it is management’s duty to safeguard the wealth of the corporation. Speaker 1 said that utilitarianism supports the motion because when the happiness of society in general is measured only individual happiness is aggregated with no regard for the happiness of corporations. Just because the theory of utilitarianism does not include corporations in their measure of happiness does not mean they are not entities. A dog is an entity, but is not included in this measure either. Moreover, mentioning that law does not require companies to weigh in morality of their decisions completely limits any argument the affirming side could say with the exception of the transitive property. According to that phrase, corporations are not moral agents under law. Also, they use the law here to support their argument, while in their definitions the argued against it to disprove corporations as entities. This double purpose use weakens the claims. The debate concluded by leaving the audience with an analogy that was to be used again later on in the debate: a corporation is a sports team: its an agent, comprised of constituents or players, that makes plays to win or lose a game; yet without the players, it does not exist. Transposed to the actual corporation, the corporation would be the team with the managers and employees as its players, and making or losing money as their wins or losses. The analogy is valid, with the exception of the last part, considering the existence of shell corporations or solely patent holding companies that do not require any employees. The second speaker of the proposition furthered his team’s original claim that individuals are moral agents. He proved that individuals are moral agents by using Kant and French’s arguments of identity and transitive property. He mentions that the autonomy of the will is the foundation of morality and that a sense of law is within everyman that can reason. Moreover, he goes on to talk about universal laws and Kant’s categorical imperative saying to â€Å"act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. † These arguments do prove individuals as moral agents, but at no point in time was it linked to how this would prove corporations to be moral agents, other than the restatement of the transitive property. On the other hand, they could have tried to argue that corporations had autonomy of the will because different managers within the company exercise it to make a conglomerate of different decisions, thus giving the company a unique autonomy of the will and making it a moral agent according to Kant. The third speaker of the proposition starts by delineating the difference between an agent and a moral agent. He states that agents are something or someone that act on behalf of another, while moral agents are the same but with the ability to make decisions upon their own morality. He then goes into mentioning the transitive property again, but this time it is at least cleverly tied to the team’s first speaker’s point mentioning that corporations cannot be moral entities as there is a legal precedent that disproves this claim, thus supporting that fact that corporations have to be composed of individual entities. I find it hard to believe that legal precedents disprove this claim when corporations are legally defined as entities. Just the fact that the word legal is used weakens the argument, which should have only spoken about precedents trying to avoid any issue of legality. He then goes on to say that because people who are moral agents compose companies, companies act with a moral imperative due to the transitive property. This is valid, but repeated several times. It should have been built upon to create a stronger argument that legitimized corporations as moral decision-making agents on its own. The fact that a unique combination of moral agents (managers) make decisions in a company means that a corporation has a unique decision making ability different to that of any other moral agent in existence, thus making it a moral agent within itself. Lastly, the fourth speaker for the proposition brought it some new points. He used Mackey to support his argument saying that a corporation is a moral agent because any decision it makes does not only affect parts of the corporation, but the corporation as a whole. This means that any decision a manager makes (with morality in mind) affects the company as a whole, and then the company affects the community at large through a decision that was originally made by an individual that weighed in morality in his decision making process. He mentioned how Whole Foods acts as a moral agent because every decision made by individuals within the firm affects its customers, supplier, employees and several others of the company’s stakeholders. He now goes on to use the team/player analogy speaker 1 told the audience to keep in mind. He says that when a player makes a decision, which as an individual was based upon morality to such extent, it affects his entire team and the team then goes on to affect the community at large. This means that the morality that weighed into that player’s decision was carried on by the team, thus affecting the community it resides in. I find this to be stretching the transitive property to thin. I made the decision to buy a mac book air computer; this decision affected Apple, Foxconn, and all the suppliers and companies involved in the process of making and distributing a mac book air. Saying that my â€Å"moral† decision to buy a mac book air computer makes all of these companies moral agents I find impossible. Moving on to the negative team, it identified 5 arguments within their speeches. The first speaker of the opposition argued that corporations were legally and contractually set-up for one purpose, thus eliminating any possibility for morality in its decisions. Moreover, she also argued that a corporation is not independent to act by what we, as people, think is right or wrong. This really supports the transitive property the other team is arguing for because it supports the idea that companies need people to act. Afterwards, the second speaker of the team argued that the only thing that makes someone or something a moral agent is the intention to act and not consequences of his/hers/its actions, thus a corporation could not be deemed a moral agent upon the consequences of their actions. Yet corporations do have intentions when making decisions. When Apple decided to publically apologize for its ineffective new map application on the IPhone, its intention was to help disperse the bad press and consumers irritation. The third speaker then argued that the majority of managers see themselves as acting in a morally neutral environment, thus making all the decisions made within a corporation amoral. If individuals are not basing decisions upon morality, then the transitive property would make corporations amoral decision-makers as well. Lastly, the fourth speaker of the opposition juxtaposes the legally implied impossibility of a corporation being a moral agent with the societal views on the matter to further disprove the claim. Laws and beliefs are influenced and based on society as a whole. If society does not see corporations as moral agents, which it doesn’t, then they aren’t. The negative team began by redefining the terms in the motion. She said that a moral agent is a being able of acting with preference to being right or wrong. If you look carefully at the words used, you can notice that they used the word being instead of entity, thus inherently defining a corporation as unable to be a moral agent. She first argues that a corporation has a legally binding duty to its shareholders to maximize profit. She says that, through history, corporations have only come into existence for the benefit of its shareholders. This is all partially true, but in reality profit is not always the entire purpose. When entrepreneurs create companies, they have values and specific purposes they want to tackle within society. The need for more entertainment, or better treatment for patients with a particular disease the founder of the company might have had. Companies are founded to fulfill a purpose that is not always to make profit. Speaker 2 then moves on to say that corporations are not independent to act upon what is right or wrong. For a corporation to be a moral agent it has to be able to self-determine. She supports this claim by signaling that a legal structure that is a moral agent cannot be giving birth by communication between other moral agents (people). To further prove a corporation lack of independence in this regard, she poses the dilemma of double counting. When an individual within a corporation commits a crime, both the individual and the corporation are punished independent of each other. Although this helps disprove the transitive property, it also means corporations are found legally liable for its self-determining decisions made by the conglomeration of its management team. The second speakers from both teams based their arguments of the same readings from Kant and Peter French. Speaker 2 of the opposition argued that corporations do not really have any other intention other than to make profit, and that even though the consequences of its decisions can be judged through a moral lens, these cannot be used to prove the morality of such decision maker as morality lies within the intentions of the decision and not the consequences. Again, this is only true to some extent. Entrepreneurs create companies based on values and passions. To say that the only purpose for which companies are created is for profit is to say that entrepreneurs are passionless. She concludes by saying that Corporations do not have to consider the categorical imperative of morality when making a decision, because they do not have the capacity as an entity to evaluate the categorical imperative and have the universal law in mind. This does not consider the fact that all the decisions made by managers did consider the categorical imperative of morality, thus every decision made by the firm is a moral decision. The third speaker from the negative team referred to a phenomenon seen in many large corporations; the delegation of responsibilities for one’s own decisions. She stated that most managers actually see themselves as acting in a morally neutral environment. Yet the transitive property only needs one manager basing his/her decisions upon morality for the entire corporation to become a moral agent. Moreover, she went on to tie her teammates arguments together by using a soccer team analogy. She proposed a theoretical soccer team whose purpose is to win games (equivalent to a company’s legal binding to maximize shareholder profits), and stated that the players and managers are the moral agents leading the team to victory. This would mean that soccer teams do not consider morality while playing, which I believe to be false. I doubt an elementary soccer team coach will tell the children in his/her team that it does not matter how much they hurt the other team with fouls as long as they win the game. She used Moore’s purposes of encouraging excellence in business practices, encourage practice of the corporation itself, etc. to prove that these â€Å"purposes† alluded to the individual morality of each employee and not to that of a corporation. Yet Moore argues that the excellence of business practices transposes to the practice of the corporation itself. A company that makes soccer balls’ excellence in business practice would be to make the best soccer ball possible even if they cost a little more. Under Moore, as long as corporations can be self-sustaining, they are to offer the best product possible even though it does not directly maximize profits (in the short-run at least). Yes, his theory is to be applied by individuals, but for the purpose of the business practice of the corporation. There is a sense of morality in a corporation that creates the best product it can for its customers. Lastly, the last speaker of the opposition began by establishing the notion that corporations always have a value maximization purpose and its decision-making has to reflect it. Thus inherently mandating how decisions have to be made in, and removing the corporation’s morality. Yet this ignores the morality of establishing that value maximization purpose, and assumes that a company can only have one value-maximization purpose. A division of a company might have the sole purpose of maximizing customer satisfaction. Additionally, he says that morality’s constraint on a company’s decision making exists only when a company acts outside the law. This would mean anything done within the law is moral. He gave examples of how society evaluates a company to show that morality fails to form part of that evaluation process as conveyed by the continuous investments in companies (like Nike) whom are constantly found to be using sweatshops for value maximization purposes. It is true that at the end of the day investors look at the earnings, but customers might no be interested in wearing shoes that were made by hungry children, thus negatively affecting earnings. In this sense, society does judge corporations on a moral imperative. There were a total of 8 rebuttals speeches. The statement and analysis of the rebuttals is going to be done in the chronological order of relevant speeches, thus alternating between the affirming and negating teams. The first speaker of the proposition began the rebuttal arguments by trying to completely change the playing field. She said tried to invalidate the opposition’s claim that there is no legal avenue to measure morality by saying that the fact that there is no legal avenue to measure morality says we are analyzing this question within the instrumental sphere, yet we should be doing so within a normative sphere as morality lies on it. I would argue that the instrumental sphere is more useful for evaluation of the motion because it is defined by practice rather than pure theory. The motion deals with real physical corporations and the morality of these corporations should be evaluated through a criterion that can analyze decisions that affect the real world. The second rebuttal speaker quoted French and used the aggregate theory, frequently touched by the proposition to support their claims for corporations, to describe a mob. This argument equaled the moral state of a corporation to that of a mob, who French explicitly said was amoral, thus completely delegitimizing the foundation of the propositions case with the use of the affirmatives team’s own sources. He closed by saying, â€Å"To treat a corporation as an aggregate for any purposes is to fail to recognize the corporation as different from a mob. † I thought this to be the killing blow in the debate considering the third rebuttal speech basically just said that even if corporation does not need to act morally, they due consult to morality when making decisions. I think what should have been done is clarify that a mob is a disordered group of people, while a corporation has a hierarchal defined structure. The second negating rebuttal speech focused on tackling to the transitive property by trying to turn it against the affirmative team. She said both sides agreed that a corporation was a sum of moral agents, and went on to say that the moral agency of a corporation is the sum its managers. This means that morality lies within each individual and can be summed up as such because there is no morality of the corporation on its own that has to be added. This disproves the idea that a corporation has moral agency of its own. She used Enron as an example by mentioning that its managers were tried for immoral acts, and would otherwise not have been if Enron were actually a moral agent. Yet, the addition of morality through individual managers creates a unique moral identity that could be identified as that of the corporation’s. The sixth rebuttal from the negating team coupled the restatement of their definition of a moral agent with the team analogy mentioned at the beginning of the debate to show how outrageous the propositions use of the transitive property really was. She said, â€Å"Our definition of a moral agent is a being that is able to act upon moral tendencies. If the player acts immorally, it does not mean the team is a moral agent, or for that matter that the entire universe is one single moral agent’. This argued against the idea that if a player makes a moral decision that has an impact on its team this is carried on by the team onto the community, thus making the team a moral agent. Theoretically, according to the transitive property and through a moral sphere lens this would be the case, but the motion is being viewed through the instrumental sphere lens. Under this instrumental length, the transitive property loses a lot of its validity. The last speaker of the opposition made a last attempt to restate all three of his team’s arguments, but these had all already been disproved through the rebuttal and no extra supporting evidence was given to make them viable again. On the other hand, the last rebuttal speech of the negating team focused on further disproving the aggregate theory. She stated that the moral aspects of a corporation come directly from the individuals within the firm. Moreover, she said that Kant’s requisites, for morality, of freedom of will and autonomy cannot be applied to corporations because that freedom of will and autonomy lies within each individual employee. What is not considered is the unique will a corporation has as a consequence of the wills of all of its employees.