The Shifting of Pangea :: essays research papers

The Shifting of Pangea Have you ever noticed that a map of the world looks like a puzzle and the continents look like the pieces that would fit together to complete the puzzle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German scientist and an adventurer, came up with a theory that the continents had once been part of a â€Å"supercontinent†. Wegener proposed that, over 200 million years, what he called Pangea had separated and became individual pieces. Pangea means â€Å"all lands† in Greek, and that is what Pangea was, a very large landmass when all of the continents were connected. When Wegener first proposed this idea in 1912, people did not buy into this theory. One of the problems that Wegener faced was that he believed that the continents had drifted apart, but he couldn’t explain how they had drifted apart. Another problem was that there was a theory already in place called the â€Å"Contraction Theory†. This theory stated that the Earth was once a molten ball and in the process of cooling, the surface cracked and folded up on itself. One of the problems with this theory was that it suggests that all mountain ranges w ere the same age, and this could not be true. Wegner’s explanation was that continents shifted and these shifting plates would collide, encounter resistance from one another, compress, then fold upwards to form mountains near the edges of the plates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eons ago India and an ancient ocean called the Tethys Ocean sat on a tectonic plate. This place was shifting northward towards Asia at a rate of 10 centimeters per year. The ocean got progressively smaller unit about 55 million years ago when it collided with Asia. There was no more ocean left of lubricate the subduction and so the plates formed the High Plateau of Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evidence that Pangea may have existed can be found in land animals, vegetation, mountains, and the climate. Fossils and plants that are the same, can be found on different continents, across oceans. Assuming that the land was once connected, animals could have walked across the large land mass and not have to swim. For example, the mesosauras (a land animal) could not have traveled from South America to Africa because of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, there are fossils of this animal on both continents. Another example is there are trees in South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica that are of the same origin.

Fashion Branding

Dry. Hang Fashion brands in the Market place The Market place of MAC was solely built on the networking and the relationships the previous owners Frank Token, and Frank Angelo had with people in the fashion industry. The owners were tired of seeing makeup products that couldn't sustain the abuse of studio lights so they decided to make a quality makeup company. Frank Token was the idea behind the original project making formulas with his brother-in- law Victor Casual who was also a chemist (Evelyn, 2009).Frank Angelo came along to kind of help with the entrepreneurship aspect of the company, and they hit it off after that. Since both of the franks were already in the makeup, and hair industry they knew a lot of people that they could network their new makeup products too. Like I also mentioned before they were the first cosmetic line to offer a wide range of color lipsticks, most companies were mainly focused on skincare and facial products.MAC cosmetics were originally made for peop le in the high fashion industry, and were later pushed towards any and everybody in the fashion and keep industry (Evelyn, 2009). In 1986 MAC was styling fashion looks one being the concept of bald brides in Toronto fashion shows (Upgraded). In 1988 Henry Bended in New York was the first department store picking MAC's cosmetics , followed by a 1994 campaign of â€Å"Who is the M. A. C girl† starring Our Paul nearly raising $1 million for their M. A. C AIDS fund.All this leads to MAC's participation in their first New York fashion week with fashion designer Amateurs (Upgraded). MAC was also featured in one of the biggest fashion magazines Vogue in 1994 for the first time. That first New York fashion week runway then lead to MAC sponsoring over 850 shows, spread across 47 New York fashion week by 2012. By 2007 MAC's AIDS fund raised over 236 million dollars with the help of celebrities such as Mary J. Bilge, Ill Kim, Nick Mina], Lady Gaga, and Rick Martin. We love the idea of b eing able to champion and solidify a strong point of view for the next generation,† says an Est ©e Lauder executive. â€Å"We're a makeup-artist brand, and we're inspired by the runway?it's very organic. † said Esteem' Lauder executive (Upgraded). One of MAC's biggest introduction of endorsements were led by the likes of Pamela Anderson, Boy George, Debbie Harry, and other big stars in the ass's this led to the company's growth in the industry and marketplace (Evelyn,2009).

Sociology: Deviance

†Deviance refers to any behaviour that is considered to be violating social norms or to persons that engage in such behaviour† (Adler & Adler (2009: 21). Deviance does not just occur to any form of behaviour, but we need to bear in mind the fact that behaviour or people that are deviant are only defined as deviant if and only if society views that particular behaviour as deviant (Adler & Adler (2009: 21). Deviance can either be positive, which is over conformity but is at the same time positively evaluated by the audience (Heckert, 1998: 23).There is also negative deviance, which is under conformity but on the other hand negatively evaluated, rate-busting, which refers to those individuals who under conform but are negatively evaluated by society and there is also another term referred to as deviance admiration, which is the â€Å"bad boy† image, which is under-conformity but somehow admired and positively evaluated by society or groups in society (Heckert, 1998: 2 3). Deviance has no fixed definition but instead, it is broad and has various definitions linked to the term.There are however 5 basic definitions for deviance in sociology namely, the Reactive constructionist approach, the Normative approach, Violation of rights, Absolutist approach and lastly, the Statistical approach. The reactive constructionist approach focuses on the reactions of an audience, which is society to certain behaviours. This is when behaviour is only considered deviant if it has been condemned by society. It involves publicly labelling behaviour as deviant and also followed by an equally negative reaction by the public (Dodge, 1985: 18).The normative approach on the other hand defines deviance as a â€Å"departure† or going against the set or generally accepted norms in society (Dodge, 1985: 20). Usually, the norm that has been violated is not usually put into place or is not usually in existence until a behaviour, which society reacts to, is seen as unaccep table and therefore deviant and then the norm is put into place and into existence after such occurrences.The statistical approach focuses on the behaviours that differ from average or normal experiences of society. In this case, the deviant individual or group of individuals engages in behaviour that the majority of the people do not engage in (Heckert, 1998: 25). This form of approach is mainly applied when analysing organisations. With the violation of rights approach, behaviour is considered deviant if it, in any way, violates the rights of any other individual. The individual or individuals hat are considered are labelled and they receive a negative reaction from society for their behaviour. Lastly, the absolutist approach of deviance claims that deviance resides in the very nature of an act and is wrong at all times and in all places (Heckert, 1998: 28). It does not have to depend on the environment, the reaction of the audience or the punishment and severity of the act. Princ iples of right and wrong are applied and an act is deviant once it goes against those principles.With the case of Amanda, who was heavily criticised by the public for killing her sister by stabbing her with a bread knife, the reactive constructionist theory is most applicable because according to her mother, she was just an innocent girl, who made a terrible mistake and her family did not battle forgiving her, but because the media reacted in a certain way, which was negative and the reaction eventually spread and influenced the rest of society in which they started condemning Amanda and making her life miserable, to the extent that she also condemned herself and started hating herself to the point where she believed she was evil and deserved to die. Another issue with deviance is the issue of stigma.Stigma refers to the negative gap or some form of division between the deviant individuals and the people who are not deviant or do not go against the norms of society (Goffman, 1963: 3 ). There is usually a lot of tension by the â€Å"normal† people and it is always the deviants that have to suffer and manage the tension because they are usually the minority group in the cases of deviant acts (Goffman, 1963: 7). Amanda had the stigma of a killer or brutal murderer attached to her by the public and throughout the rest of her life, had had to endure suffering at the hands of the public. She had to cope with the labelling and the gossiping that constantly surrounded her.With the issue of stigmatisation, the individuals who are suffering also have the option of managing the stigma. In Amanda’s case, the one most relevant option that she did have and fairly used was turning to stigmatised others, such as people she was imprisoned with and by turning to sympathetic others, which in this case was her mother and her friends for support and coping because there was not much she could have done such as support groups etc. because she had spent a lot of time in prison (Goffman, 1963: 14). In Amanda’s case, she has her family supporting her saying she is not at fault, in other words that her behaviour was not deviant, while on the other hand, the public viewed her behaviour as deviant.This then brings us to the question about whether there is a difference between deviance and crime. Some crimes may be thought of as deviant but not criminal and other, criminal but not deviant. The safest route to go by is simply saying that the difference separating deviance from crime is the breaking of the law, which is considered a crime or the violating of the social norm, which is deviance (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 16). Basically, people could engage in criminal behaviour, which may be accepted in a particular society, such as drinking and driving, but because it is not generally frowned upon, those people are accepted and are not considered deviant by their society.One other person on the other hand, may commit a deviant act, such as Amanda, wh o was said to have attacked her sister unintentionally, but because society rebukes such, she is considered a deviant, an outcast and is labelled and has no freedom to live her live as she pleases without people making it miserable for her. Labelling, which is closely linked to stigma, refers to the public seeing the deviants as different to anyone else and are mainly carried out by moral entrepreneurs (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 17). There are three different forms of labelling which can be taken into consideration, which is primary deviance, secondary deviance and tertiary deviance. These forms or theories of labelling come with consequences as well.In the case of primary deviance, an individual is given a label but they are not affected by such, so they basically ignore and deny the label given to them by the public (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 21). The second scenario, which is secondary deviance, individuals are given a label and so as a form of escapism, they then live up to that l abel that they have been given, such as someone being call uptight, condescending or in simpler words, a snob, then tends to try and intimidate and bring people down by all means possible (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 20). With tertiary deviance, an individual is labelled, but refuses to neither deny nor accept and instead tries and proves that there is nothing deviant about their behaviour (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 19). In Amanda’s case she was both primarily and secondarily labelled.Her family tried denying the primary labelling for her, but rather she took up secondary deviance, where she actually accepted that she was a murderer and that she deserved to die like a murderer. Moral entrepreneurs are those individuals who try to create and enforce new definitions of morality and what is deviant and what is not (Adler & Adler, 2009: 136). These new definitions that they try and enforce are mainly put in place to try and benefit them and what they believe in (Adler & Adler, 2009: 137). In many cases, if not all, there is always a number of moral entrepreneurs and not just one and they are each trying to act at their own self-interest (Adler & Adler, 2009: 137).In Amanda’s case, the main moral entrepreneurs are the society, Amanda and her own mother. Society created a label for Amanda that she carried with her and was never removed until the day that she died. Society saw her as a criminal who deserved to be punished because in that society, killing people with bread knives was not considered moral, even though they did not know the main reason or what had exactly happened. Amanda on the other hand did not see anything wrong that she had done and instead got negatively influenced by the stigma that had been attached to her and therefore saw herself as a deviant that deserved the most severe punishment possible.With Amanda’s mother, she saw her daughter as the innocent one victimised by society. She blamed society for her daughters’ misery claiming that she had not done anything wrong, even though it was evident that she had murdered her own sisters for reasons unknown, but because she did not see anything wrong with her daughters actions, she believed that she should not be punished even though murder is considered a crime and should therefore be punishable. They then in a way were seen to be a folk devil, which means that they were viewed as a threat and a bad influence to society (Dodge, 1985: 28). It is rather astonishing how Amanda’s case eventually turned out.Some people, mainly family were on her side, while the whole public was against her. Now it is a mystery as to how such situations can be explained and justified. Why would, in one society, people have different beliefs? According to the Marxist socialist theory of deviance, society is not based on consensus and shared values, but rather, it is an outcome of the continuing struggle between the social classes, the elite and the proletariat (Marshal a nd Meier, 2011: 19). In this form of society, which is mainly a capitalist society, there are individuals who exploit others and those who are exploited and therefore those who commit crime are doing those who are exploited justice (Marshal and Meier, 2011: 19).In Amanda’s case, there is no clear reason as to why the crime was committed, but her sentence was not heavy and therefore this could also be a sign as to how much influence they had on the ruling system, showing how much those who are influential can control everything in society ranging from economy to politics and laws. Amanda’s case is a clear example of what we call moral panic. Moral panic, according to Cohen (1972), cited in Victor (1998: 542), is societal response to beliefs about a threat from factors or individuals known as ‘moral deviants’. The group of individuals become defined as a threat to the values as well as the interests of that particular society and they are presented in this w ay by the mass media and other key actors (moral entrepreneurs).Society managed to foster moral panic because a widespread concern about the issue was promoted by much attention by society and basically the whole issue eventually took center stage. According to Adler & Adler (2009: 137), moral panic must be triggered by specific event at the right moment, draw attention to a specific group as a target, have provocative content revealed, and supported by formal and informal communication outlets, which in Amanda’s case happened because now her tragedy attracted much attention from society and basically caused a panic. This again just proves how deviance has no set barriers, but instead the classification of deviance has no set or particular traits, but rather, behaviour is seen as deviant only based on the social definitions that vary from society to society at different times. Society is the biggest role player in distinguishing deviant behaviour and through moral panic, they managed to exclude, label and target deviants because they have gone against what is believed to be social norms.Reference List Adler, P. and Adler, P. (2009). (6th ed). Constructions of Deviance: social power, context and interaction. Belmon, Calif: Thomson/Wadsworth. Pages 135-138; Chapter 17. Cohen, S. (1972). Folk Devils and Moral Panics. St Martin’s: New York. Dodge, D. (1985). Deviant Behaviour: The over-negativized conceptualization of deviance. Los Angeles: California. Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. New York: United States. Heckert, D. M. (1998). Positive deviance: A classificatory model. New York: United States. Marshal, C & Meier, R. (2011). Sociology of Deviant behaviour (14th ed). Belmont: USA.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac Essay

Now considered not only a legendary work within the history of American literature, Jack Kerouac’s â€Å"On the Road† is also regarded as the pivotal work of an entire generation of young Americans looking for purpose and direction in a nation not far removed from world war, and becoming increasingly complicated and fast paced. In the midst of the sweeping societal changes depicted through Kerouac’s characters in â€Å"On the Road†, the protagonist of the story, Dean Moriarty, stands as an iconic, enigmatic figure. In this essay, the dynamics and complexities of Moriarty’s personality, as well as the changes that this personality undergoes as â€Å"On the Road† unfolds will be discussed in order to better understand not only Moriarty as a character, but also what he represents. Dean Moriarty’s Changes Within the Plot of â€Å"On the Road† The changes that Moriarty goes through in Kerouac’s book are symbolic not only of the general direction of his life itself, but also the society in which he lives, the people with whom he interacts, and what the future holds for everyone, including this character himself. Gaining even a fundamental understanding of the character of Moriarty in necessary to make this possible. Dean Moriarty makes a notable entrance into the plot of â€Å"On the Road†; from the very beginning, he captures the interest of the other characters in the book because of his very nature, which is highly animated, yet appealing because of his obvious passion for life and his interest in living every moment to its fullest (Whissen, 1992). At the same time, showing that he is a constantly changing individual, Moriarty is alienated from some of the more conventional people who are friends with other main characters in the story, a divide which none of the main characters make an effort to remedy, setting the stage for Moriarty to blaze his own path in subsequent sections of the book. Perhaps on of the most significant characteristics of Moriarty, which serves as a catalyst for many of the changes through which he goes, is the fact that he is very appealing to the opposite sex; this sort of romantic tension creates a bit of mystery about Moriarty (Swartz, 1999). This charisma also opens up a world of possibilities for Moriarty to explore, and presents him with many temptations and challenges that other people may never experience. Whether this charisma with women was something that came about just by the way that Moriarty presented himself, or it was something toward which he aspired and took specific steps to ensure that women would find him desirable, this aspect of his personality was the first step in the changes that he undergoes throughout the story. First, in regard to Moriarty’s changes, the fact that he carries on multiple relationships with women, many at the same time, makes it necessary for Moriarty to constantly travel throughout the nation, truly embodying the â€Å"on the road† lifestyle which forms the backbone of Kerouac’s book. The consequences of these many relationships, and the ensuing complications and commitments that come out of them, create problems for Moriarty that he is forced to confront, and conform to as well. The complexity of these relationships is made even more dramatic by the fact that eventually, Moriarty fathers multiple children with multiple women, making it all but impossible for him to carry on any kind of a conventional life or to remain stationery in one place for any amount of time; the ability that most people have to lead an ordinary, day to day existence, is denied Moriarty because of the choices he makes in his personal life until almost the end of the book. A second area of change for Dean Moriarty is seen in his social interactions with friends beyond the level of romantic interludes. Socially, Moriarty also undergoes a great deal of change as the plot of the book unfolds. Because of Moriarty’s alienation from people beyond his immediate circle of close friends, he becomes more withdrawn from the regular social aspects of everyday society and has a sort of sadness and emptiness about him. This emptiness is filled with sordid affairs with women as was discussed earlier, travel, and excesses such as drinking and outlandish behavior, which will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent section of this essay. Moriarty’s charismatic nature in some instances is also important to realize from the viewpoint of the change that he affects in others, perhaps most significantly in the case of his best friend, Sal Paradise. Because Sal looks up to Dean in basically every area of life as a role model of sorts (Whissen, 1992), he imitates even Dean’s worst behavioral traits, including the constant traveling. The foolishness of this imitation is made more dramatic by the fact that Sal is older than Dean, making the implication that Dean could in fact learn a lot from Sal if the situation were somehow reversed. Finally, a change that Moriarty attempts is as significant as any of the others which he ahs undergone throughout â€Å"On the Road†. Ultimately, Moriarty attempts to take on the persona of a civilized and responsible individual when he acknowledges his responsibilities to his marriage vows and the children that were created as a result of his marital union. Getting a job and attempting to settle into a normal, structured home life, Moriarty does give this endeavor and life change a sincere effort, but he soon finds that this is more difficult for him than he may have expected. Due to this realization, which some might say is a recognition of his own nature as a traveling, somewhat chaotic individual with a high level of appeal to women in general, he quickly loses interest in being a good father and husband; for example, ignoring the cries of his child, obsessing about the other women with whom he was involved in the past, and more than likely planning the next step of his symbolic and literally road journey in a search for what is missing in his life, and what the life of an average husband/father, in his view, fails to deliver. An Insight into Moriarty’s Mindset By studying the pattern of Moriarty’s behavior, and the different personalities and attitudes he embraces, it is much easier to profile the mindset of this enigmatic and complicated character. Moriarty’s inner emptiness is apparent when his actions and value systems, flawed as they are, are separated from the action of â€Å"On the Road†, and the story itself is looked at in a more philosophical way. The argument can be made that Moriarty’s mindset is symbolic of the state of affairs in America at the time that Kerouac wrote his book; because the nation was in the process of gaining a new identity following World War II and before the Korean War reached its climax, the nation collectively, and Dean Moriarty individually, began to question what the nature of life is all about and whether the regular, day to day life of the average person is the best state of living that one can reach (Begnal, 1998). A restless nation, reflected in the restless persona of Moriarty, comes shining through, towering over the plot and other characters of the book itself. Also, the question of the nature of Moriarty’s charisma is important when gaining a fuller understanding of his mindset and value system. If one takes the position that Moriarty was embedded with charisma and it was beyond his control to do anything but to submit to its power, then Moriarty can be sympathetically viewed as a victim. However, if the position is taken that Moriarty was a calculating individual whose romantic flings were deliberately worked toward and pursued as a goal, then Moriarty can be seen as less than a charming Casanova, and more accurately, a dangerous predator that poisons every relationship with which he comes into contact. The many changes of Dean Moriarty, as well as the changes he influences in others and the effects that he has on those with whom he interacts, all conspire to create within him a great deal of conflict and anxiety, which displays itself in a sort of madness. This madness is also important to understand when studying the dynamic nature of Moriarty himself. Moriarty’s Descent into Madness By creating human conflict, chaos and turmoil for virtually everyone he meets, Moriarty has built for himself a complicated lifestyle that can be said to be rooted in madness. This madness, like so many of the other facets of Moriarty’s being, eventually spill out into the open for everyone to see, much like the classic example of someone wearing their heart on their sleeve. Generally speaking, it can be fairly said that one of the most characteristic displays of some level of madness in the mind of Dean Moriarty can be seen in his wanderlust-based lifestyle and personality. Just as Moriarty traveled from one romantic liaison to another, and fathered one child after another, he journeyed from one physical location to another. This journey can be viewed as a quest to fill the emptiness within his soul in some instances, or a desire to escape from any form of commitment in others. The comparison of this journey to the journey of realization that America was taking at the time is also accurate and appropriate. Whichever comparison one chooses, no one can deny that the rapid pace at which Moriarty went back and forth from one destination to another is indicative of at least some level of madness. As Moriarty traveled about, his madness was further shown to be strong and prominent by his disregard for the wellbeing of others. Specifically depicted in the book is Moriarty’s journey to Chicago, during which his outlandish behavior puts others at risk, but he seems not to be concerned about it in the slightest. Yet another piece of evidence that speaks to the level of madness that Moriarty reaches in the book is punctuated by the behavior that he not only sees as nothing out of the ordinary, but also that he recommends to others, and tries to convince them to participate in as something that is acceptable. Specifically, Moriarty at one point makes the suggestion that his protege of sorts, Sal, and his wife join Moriarty in stripping off their clothes and running about in public. What this shows is not only Moriarty’s deteriorated sense of right and wrong, but also his general contempt for the trappings of conventional society, rebellion against that society, and his desire to express his total freedom and ability to do whatever he wishes, whenever he wishes, without any notable consequences for himself or others. Sadly, of course, his actions are creating chaos wherever he goes, even if he is blind to it. Lastly, something needs to be said about Moriarty’s drunken lifestyle, as well as its influence on his behaviors and choices. When he indulges in alcohol binges, his erratic behavior increases, more bad choices are made, and more people are affected for the worse. The women and children that he leaves in his alcoholic wake are forced to pick up the pieces and clean up the messes that Moriarty creates. All the while, he carries on- seemingly oblivious to what he is causing to happen, and dulled by his own vices. Conclusion Just as â€Å"On the Road† profiled an entire generation and reflected the spirit of a nation in transition, so too did Dean Moriarty. Based in part on actual people whom Kerouac knew, this character represented a composite of the quest for happiness and meaning in a chaotic world as well as the paradox of someone who wants to pursue their own enjoyments but too late realizes that total indulgence carries with it a steep price. In conclusion, what is seen in both Moriarty and the story in which he exists is the brilliance, and frailty of the human mind, the search for enlightenment, and the journey along the way- basically, the road that is chosen and what that means for the traveler.

Evaluating Business Communication Essay

This paper includes the perception of four communiquà ©s. This type of perception is a description of whether these reports are accurate, ethical, and in the correct format. This paper gives a description of the form of leadership and the accuracy of the reports in this type of leadership. When writing a business communiquà © an individual has to consider several variables. The purpose, audience, and leadership type of the company has to be considered when reporting on a decision. This paper includes the review of the four communiquà ©s and shows decisions on reports where or not they were accurate, and correct in the reporting styles used. Below is the breakdown of this opinion on the reports. In this paper, there are four communiquà ©s that were reviewed which consisted of an e-mail, letter, formal report, and a memo. These reports conveyed that the acquisition in question should not proceed. This report includes the reason for not continuing in all the reports, and the correct format of informal or formal was used in each. It is considered that the formal report to the company Chief Executive Officer was the correct format, but the letter, e-mail, and memo could have been replaceable for sending this information to the marketing manager, accounting peers, or sales manager. On the other hand, since these reports were written by the staff accountant and the accounting manager, it made each of these employees equal in position to the people they were corresponding with, therefore the informal report was correct. The reports could be improved by several ways. One way is to include the numbers of the operating expenses and sales that are mentioned, and the other would be an explanation of the phantom inventory that the staff accountant believes is being reported. This would be an important point to add. Statements of profits and losses are included, but there is no informatio n to back the information up. Thus, it would be very important to understand exactly what the accounting staff has found. Too little information is used in each of these reports. When writing these communiquà ©s, it is believed that since the company employees use the democratic style leadership and most have helped with this decision, that the final decision for the recommendation will expectedly come with many recipients of these communiquà ©s, so the way these reports are formatted is acceptable and does not represent a style different from the company style. Students also looked at ethical implications of sending this information through reports in the company. This information is important and ethical to send, because these reports are for employees who are involved in the acquisition of the company. At the same time, each report must include the information has to be kept confidential within the company only. This could result in a lawsuit if the other company is affected and decides to find another buyer in the future. In conclusion, the reviewed communiquà ©s were complete in the information that needed to be explained, did not have any information that was not necessary, and was in the correct format for each intended recipient. References Communication and the Audience. Robin Guffey, Mike Dowd, Amy Shepherd, & Jenni Lindsay. (2011). Retrieved from University of Phoenix Online, Business Communications of Accountants website. Accounting Scenario. University of Phoenix. (2011). Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Business Communication of Accounting website.

Beliefs, Philosophy and Religion

One of the most notable conflicts that have been debated by many scholars since the medieval ages is the controversy regarding the place of philosophy and religion in a society. The two have been used to attack each other in order to uphold their own credibility. The study of Philosophy is directed towards the speculation of the things that govern the world and its processes, and the nature of man and his relationship with other individuals as well as with the world (Gasset, 1964). Philosophy attempts to scrutinize and make rational explication of almost everything that can be grasped by the human mind.Yet, it does not really provide sufficient and concrete answers to all its queries. Religion, on the other hand, focuses its scope on explaining things and phenomena that cannot be explained by science and at some point even those that cannot really be made explicit by philosophy. It tries to give reason for everything that is happening. Its justification for every reason that it provi des is primarily founded on faith (Nasr, 1996). Hence, by faith, it need not be verifiable. A strong faith or believe could suffice one’s doubt and hesitation. However, philosophy would not really admit faith as the justification of something.Reason cannot be supported by merely appealing to one’s faith (Leahy, 2003). Philosophy moves away from dogmatism, which is a character present in religion. Philosophy has a character of skepticism. This means that not unless something is proven to be certain (that which is indubitable or cannot be doubted) philosophy would recognize its validity (Heidegger, 1956). It entails careful and keen analysis of the subject that is being studied. Whereas in religion, it is enough that someone has faith on something in order for it to become valid (Nasr, 1996).These are the most common distinctions that distinguish philosophy from religion. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how philosophy and religion are realized in particular Schoo ls of Thought that influence China namely: Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism/Taoism. This paper will also compare and contrast these three Schools of Thoughts with Christianity by appealing to their own definitions of Philosophy and Religion. Schools of Thought Confucianism Confucianism is an anthology of ethical values and beliefs that is often equated with religion.These values and beliefs were rooted and developed from the teachings of one of the great thinkers in China, Confucius. His teachings and philosophy were used as the foundations of laws and way of government China and later on in other Asian regions (Chai & Chai, 1973). The teachings of Confucius, like that of Socrates, were neither formally written nor published. Yet his students and disciples made the spread of his teachings. However, according to the Chinese History, most of the recordings of the Confucian teachings were burned up at some point in the Qin Dynasty (Chai & Chai, 1973).Hence, there was a conflict of int erpretation of the Confucian teachings that is evident in various strands of Confucianism. The rebirth of Confucianism was made during the Han Dynasty. It was the motivation for instituting the laws and set of rules of China. Nonetheless, it again faded after the fall of the Han Dynasty wherein Buddhism was introduced to China. Only in the seventh century that Confucianism was revived (Elman, 2002). The chief ideas that the Confucian teachings has were directed toward the ruler, upper class and scholars.Such is a great difference between Confucianism and Buddhism where the latter aims to include the common masses. The instillation of virtues to rulers and noble men is the most original concept in the Confucian teachings. The Golden Rule (Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you) is its most celebrated principle that which promotes harmony among all people (Chai & Chai, 1973). With this, Confucianism detests war and the employment of too many laws. Confucianism u pholds its defined five most fundamental relationships which entails varying responsibilities.These relationships include husband and wife, parent and child (filial piety), the elders and the younger ones, ruler and subject, and friendship (Elman, 2002). Among these five, filial piety is the most important relationship that is nevertheless accentuated these days in contemporary China. Lastly, Confucianism puts high regard with the notions of Heaven’s decree, Great Men and Saints, as well as in performing rituals or Li. Buddhism As mentioned earlier, Buddhism’s teachings are directed towards the general populace (Ch'en, 1972).The very concept of Buddhism is founded on the idea of the Enlightenment (wherein Buddha is said to be the Enlightened One). From then on, the goal of Buddhism is to bring man into Perfect Enlightenment or Nirvana (Hanh, 1999). Siddhartha Gautama is the Buddha. He reached nirvana or the enlightenment period through passionate contemplation. Reachin g nirvana would make one free from hunger and selfish desires. It also marks the end of suffering. Once one reaches the enlightenment period, his mind will have everlasting peace (Hanh, 1999). Buddhism advocates the method of truthful inquiry. It tells man not to be overwhelmed by their blind faith.It teaches man to become open-minded and skeptic about the things around him. In accordance with this suggested way of inquiry, Buddhism has established the Four Noble Truths. This tells man that: 1. ) all forms of being, human and other wise are afflicted with suffering, 2. ) the cause of suffering is craving (an illusion of the soul), 3. ) suffering has a lasting end in the experience of nirvana, and 4. ) enlightenment is achieved by a gradual training of the Eightfold Path. These eightfold path is directed towards the clearing of mind and action from indulgence and lustful desires (Ch'en, 1972).Buddhism does not believe in a God or the likes. There is no one that can fully control oneà ¢â‚¬â„¢s own self than him alone. Thus, one has the full responsibility of himself and his actions. And these are not predetermined by a Supreme Being. The concept of Karma is also one of the most distinct features in Buddhism (Ch'en, 1972). It pertains to the belief that all actions have subsequent consequences that are directed to the acting agent. Karma can be a good one or bad one. It depends on the nature of the action performed that produced the consequence that is reflected on the performer of such action.The concept of Rebirth can be best understood by appealing to the principle or doctrine of Karma (Hanh, 1999). Taoism/Daoism Taoism is a school of thought pioneered by Lao Tze or Lao Tzu, also one of the great thinkers in China. Taoism means the path or the way of living to obtain a harmonious relationship with the world and all its definitive processes (Po-Tuan, 2001). Taoism was started as simple philosophical discourse but eventually evolved and took the form of religion. One of its beliefs is the concept of Tao which is defined as the root cause of everything.Tao motivated the rise of the Yin Yang which causes the formation of the universe. Taoism highlights that man should live in harmony with the nature (Po-Tuan, 2001). And only when man achieves such harmony that he will leave in peace and prosperity. Taoism maintains the principle of Wu Wei or non-action which means that man should not go against the nature and must instead go with its operation (Taoist Association of China, 2002). Man need not act since the nature will do the action provided that man lives in harmony with it. Unlike, Buddhism, Taoism believes in multiple Gods.It has hierarchy of Gods that represents system of government in the ancient China (Taoist Association of China, 2002). The ethics defined in Taoism is represented by the three Jewels that which symbolizes compassion, moderation and humility (Po-Tuan, 2001). Taoism encourages the people to examine their way of living by f irst making them realize that living with accordance to nature would mean peace. It also suggests that man should not overly use his being a man. It says that man should prioritize his needs and lessen his wants and desires. Lastly, it orders man not to become egocentric and egotistic.Christianity in China Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the prevailing religions in China. Before the entrance of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are two most notable and most patronized religions in China (Legge, 2004). In fact, the two seemed to be opponents of each other primarily because of their consistent difference on particular viewpoints and issues. But the penetration of Buddhism marks a turning point with regards to the religious inclinations in China. When Buddhism entered China, it signaled the redistribution and reconstruction of religions all throughout China.Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have been even combined at particular regions to serve as one religion. Hence, Chinaâ€⠄¢s religion cannot really be said to be concentrated with one of its three most recognized religions (Legge, 2004). In the seventh century A. D. , Christianity was introduced to China (during the Ming Dynasty) (Bays, 1999). Christianity is a very different religion as compared to the earlier religions in China. From then on, Christianity has been said to be the fastest growing religion in China. It is recorded that 40 million to 100 million of population in China are either Catholic or Protestant.This means that China has started to embrace the western religion that is very unlike with their traditional and ancient religions (Bays, 1999). The arrival of Robert Morrison in China has started the spread of Christianity towards China. The Bible has been even translated to Chinese in order to communicate with Chinese people and for them to have easy access to it. Since then, several Christian missionaries have visited and taught the doctrine of the Christian Faith (Bays, 1999). Christia nity The most celebrated feature of Christianity is the fact that it deifies one God. This God is the cause of everything and the director of everything.All man’s action is caused by this all-powerful and all-knowing God. But these descriptions do not suffice the notion of the Christian God. The concept of the Holy Trinity, salvation, and life after death are also included in the doctrine of the Christian Faith (Borg, 2004). The story of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross is also the highlights of the Christian Faith (Borg, 2004). It represents the martyrdom of the Son of the God in order to save mankind. All in all, the Christian Faith equates all the happening in this world to what God has originally ordained to occur.And no one can interfere nor change what God has decreed. God and Fate or Destiny have been often characterized as the same thing (Borg, 2004). But the former has the most perfect and powerful character. Analysis: Compare and Contrast Confucianism and Chr istianity Among the other school of thoughts (discussed in this paper), Confucianism is the most compatible religion with Christianity. They both advocate that Heaven’s decree is the most fundamental source of order in the world (Chai & Chai, 1973). Only that, in Confucianism, there is no stress given to a god or a deity to be worshipped (Elman, 2002).Such obedience is directed to the Heaven itself. Whereas in Christianity, there is a God that is the end of one’s being obedient (Borg, 2004). As mentioned in the introduction, the defining mark that distinguishes philosophy from religion is the fact that the former repudiates dogmas that tend to confine and limits one’s way of thinking while the latter deliberately suggests and recommends particular doctrines in which one needs not to be certain of (Leahy, 2003). Philosophy speculates and examines the very concept of faith which is often used to justify religions and their established tenets.The belief of the Conf ucianism and the Christianity about the notion of Heaven’s decree obviously falls under the sphere of religion. It is primarily because the existence of such decree from heaven cannot be verified or confirmed yet can be justified through faith. Yet philosophy does not admit such finality. As cited, philosophy is still at the period of examining the very nature of faith as a source of justification of knowledge (Gasset, 1964). With regards to ethical patterns included in the Confucian and Christian faith implies that man should be virtuous in order for him to have a harmonious life.Yet both have different ways of looking at the concept of a harmonious life. For Confucianism, a harmonious life is the achievement of order in human relationships (Chai & Chai, 1973). On the contrary, for Christians, a harmonious life is being free from sins which separate man from God (Borg, 2004). Seemingly Confucian notion of a harmonious life is philosophic in nature which really explains how h armony could be affected by human relationships – that is verifiable and can be validated. Conversely, the Christian notion of a harmonious relationship is really superficial and metaphysical.One cannot really confirm the truthfulness of such statement. And it cannot even be explained by reasoning. But only faith can support it. Hence it is more of a religious belief rather than a philosophic one. Buddhism and Christianity On the other hand, Buddhisma and Christianity is not really compatible with each other (as religions). As discussed above, Christianity advocates a religion that which is primarily directed towards the belief to a God. Yet Buddhism undermines the concept of a Supreme Being that which is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that which controls man’s actions.Buddhism maintains that man can have the full control over his life therefore he does not need a god that would provide guidance and direction for him (Ch'en, 1972). Perfect enlightenment is the stage wherein a man successful reached the point of having a complete understanding of everything including his being (Hanh, 1999). For this reason, God and Buddha is never really equal to each other. Having such distinction, it can be inferred that Buddhism tends to avoid metaphysical speculation since it does not allow the concept of a supernatural entity as cause of man’s actions.Buddhism keeps its teachings to the moral standpoint and its reliance on experiential insight. Whereas, Christianity admits the existence of a God though there is no concrete and material evidence for such existence. The two can be analyzed in the light of a rationalist and an empiricist wherein Buddhism most likely supports the empiricist view of knowledge, that which lies in experience. However, Christianity supports the rationalist’s view that only reason itself even without experience can prove God’s existence. Thus, Buddhism and Christianity is really opposites of one another.Neverth eless, both of them considers codes or doctrines that are needed to achieved their established purpose (Buddhism is for enlightenment; Christianity is for salvation). Hence both suggest dogma that which their disciples must follow in order to achieved their goals. This is where religion is obviously manifested. In the first place, one can go against these codes and doctrines and look for other ways that can also bring the actualization of their goals. Philosophy suggests that one should not limit himself from what is traditionally accepted as true or what is traditionally accpeted the right way of doing something (Heidegger, 1956).Taoism and Christianity Like Buddhism, Taoism is also not compatible with Christianity. There are two major factors that make Taoism and Christianity very different with each other. The first one is that, Chirtianity is a monotheistic religion while Taoism adheres to mulitple gods hence making it a polytheistic religion (Legge, 2004). For Christians, there is only one God (The Holy Trinity is a representation of One God) (Bays, 1999). For Taoists, they have different and particular deities that vary in different regions (in China) (Taoist Association of China, 2002).Secondly, Christians believed that the order in the universe is predetermined and directed by God. On the contrary, Taoists believed that nature is responsible for whatever order the universe has. Such conceptions are significantly and obviously different. There is a semblance of philosophic character that is evident from the two. By appealing to ehtical or moral principles, Taoism suggests that man should live in harmony with nature thus also implying that man should act in accordance with what nature ordained. This appears like the Natural Law Theory.Nonetheless, Christianity upholds the Divine Command Theory which states that man’s action and all the process in the world is ordered and commanded by God or a Divine Entity. Such regard for who or what implies the order of the universe and all its processes can be considered as a philosophical discourse. Yet such is not really explicit in Christianity. On the other hand, Taoism is most likely illustratiing how nature directs and affects the universe and all the things that lie within it including the human persons and their relationship among each other (Po-Tuan, 2001).Conclusion Philosophy and religion are two different spheres. Philosophy does not provide all answers to all the questions that one can give but can provide different ways and approaches on arriving at the possible answers. Religion, in contrast, tends to have answers for all man’s questions that are founded and based on particular doctrines that it has. Yet, it does not give man the chance of verifying the truthfulness of each doctrine by means of other method but faith. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are the most recognize and extensively used religions in China.But after the entrance of Christianity, the Chinese tr aditional culture and relgion have changed significantly due to differences that are distinguishable from the three schools of thoughts and Christianity. The most important note here is the fact that before these schools of thought became religions themselves, they first became philosophical underpinnings which aim to make people realize the obscurity of the world. But eventually they became religions when people started to impose doctrines and rules that are grounded from these teachings in order to live harmoniously with the world.

Account for decision maker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Account for decision maker - Essay Example Interpretation of these statements is vital for a successful investment. The relation between the different elements of the financial statements is important to understand as it reflects the performance of the company and the management can take proper decision pertaining to any strategic change. The external and internal financial statements are prepared in order to fulfil a set of objectives. The external statements highlight the external reporting only and it is mostly used by the tax authorities, investors, suppliers, creditors and public. These statements are usually prepared at an interval of one year and the period is defined by the individual company or the accounting standards they follow. Internal financial statements are flexible in nature and have excellent analytical components. These reports are prepared for the internal use i.e. for the management and its employees. These statements are prepared weekly or even quarterly (Will, Subramanyam and Robert, 2001). For a layman financial statement of an organisation or financial institution is the only source of information pertaining to its financials. This financials are essential for the layman investors who try to decide whether the company is worth investing or not. The liquidity, profitability and solvency are checked by the investors however, for a layman it is difficult to analyze so he/she actually concentrates on the net profit and sales revenue of the company to assess its financial position. Thus, this investor has the opinion that these financial statements are accurate enough to analysis and take any investment decision. The financial statements have a number of components which are very important for a number of individuals. These individuals include company, shareholders, creditors, stakeholders and general public (Stickney, 1993). The components of the financial statement are described