Importance of the Mayflower Compact Essay Example

Importance of the Mayflower Compact Essay At the conclusion of a demanding journey across the Atlantic the Pilgrims, afraid of a possible mutiny between the London and Leyden passengers, drew up the Mayflower Compact before setting foot on land to establish a covenant that would set forth guidelines for a strong government.The Mayflower Compact was important because it allowed the Pilgrims to freely commit as equals to their new society and Jesus Christ, and provided just and equal laws that could be built on, agreed to and enforced. It was significant that the Pilgrims were free men and chose to commit to God and start a Christian community together as equals.After years of suffering in England it was important they start their colony by recognizing God and their unified need to obey Him.The men who drafted the Mayflower Compact clearly showed it would benefit everyone by writing solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our bett er ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends foresaid (Bradford, pg. 75-76 ).Being individuals, and supporting the idea of equality, the Pilgrims shared their assets with others in need so it would benefit everyone, for the good of their whole society.The Mayflower Compact showed the importance of the belief that covenants were between God and man, as well as between man and man.By placing each Pilgrims signature on the covenant it showed their willingness, before God, to come together and form one political unit, self-governed, for the good of the Colony. The Mayflower Compact was important as a legal document because once written it was agreed upon by all that each member would follow the laws for the good of the community.This is important because the belief was strong that for the government to be valid it must come from the agreement of the governed Colony.Individually, the Pilgrims might not have agree

Victims Of Different Wars essays

Victims Of Different Wars essays War has always been horrible. In WWII, civilians were targets as part of bombing campaigns. Now, not only were the soldiers experiencing the horror of war but the civilians too now involved. This continued throughout the various wars like the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War Of Terrorism and now the War In Iraq. However, I always stop to wonder, why were civilians and soldiers always suffering when the decision to go to war was not theirs. For example, in Vietnam, the US needlessly intervened in a country that was trying to gain independence. It was afraid of the communist in Vietnam and in a effort to stop it, millions of civilians and soldiers died just to get their independence which they eventually got in the end. In Iraq, it was known at first as a effort to disarm Iraq of Weapons Of Mass Destruction, however. It later became A Mission To Liberate The People Of Iraq. I do not agree that Saddam Hussein was a good leader, on the contrary, I hate Saddam. However what was George Bush really trying to do? Was this a plan of his to gain support from the US people so that he would be seen as a man trying to keep their nation safe? George Bush has always associated terrorist with Saddam Hussein even without credible proof. Most of the evidence he got before the war as we can see now have all been falsified. And now, he does not want to let the Iraq people choose their government but instead installs his own and even the leader who has caused grievous hurt to Iraq is not allowed to be trailed by the victims. What are wars really caused by? Who are the real people who are really guilty? At times circumstances lead to war but at others, it is the people at the top who are really guilty. However, no matter who is guilty, it is the people at the front lines and the civilians who really take the full blow of war. ...

International Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Business strategy - Essay Example The importance of doing business globally helps an organization build a wider base of customers and coming up with products that satisfy customers needs and wants. Moreover, international business helps utilize excess manufacturing capacity that is not being utilized. In addition, it also enhances lower production costs through using low prices abroad (Ansoff & McDonnell, 2000). The Coca Cola Company is a multinational company that deals with selling of soft drinks is successful in the implementation of its strategies. For instance, the company has invested a lot in marketing globally and this is the reason the business is doing so well. Organizations that operate globally have a strong international vision and have international management experience as well as developing strong working partnerships with other countries. Moreover, the typical goal for doing business internationally is to grow and gain expansion. In addition, international business strategy is about manufacturing and selling products that relate to the degree of product standardization and the response from the business environment (Steiner, 2010). Foreign market entry strategies vary according to the business transactions and the country in which an organization wants to conduct business. Firstly, the importation and exportation of goods and services to and from other nations enhances products to be transported from one country to another. Organizations that export their products are able to advertise and market their products in foreign markets thus gaining a competitive advantage. The other ways that organizations enter other markets is through licensing where the international licensing firm gives the licensee exclusive rights, trademark rights, copyrights, and the knowledge of products and services. In return, licensee produces the licensors products and markets them in the assigned areas. This method is normally welcomed by nations because of

Corporate Fundraising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Corporate Fundraising - Essay Example As can be observed with reference to the case scenario presented, The Green Coffee Company Ltd is aiming at investing in Vietnam which requires a substantial amount of funds. It is worth mentioning in this context that corporate fundraising options available to a particular business depends on various factors including the size of the company which further signifies its certification as a public or a proprietary company as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (â€Å"A Practitioner’s Guide to Corporate Law†, 2007). To be noted, as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Section 45A, a proprietary company can be limited or unlimited with share capital. Another type of company identifies as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) is the public company wherein the Section 195 of the Act specifies that â€Å"public company means a company other than a proprietary company† (â€Å"Corporations Act 2001† 2005). Also, the corporate name of a proprietary company is distinct to that of a public company, i.e. ... With reference to this context, The Green Coffee Company Ltd can be identified as a public limited company which shall further determine its fundraising obligations when attempting to invest in an international expansion venture to Vietnam. One of the major differences and opportunities for The Green Coffee Company Ltd in fundraising, being a public limited company, is that it can issue equities or sell its debentures or shares to â€Å"more than 50 non-employee shareholders† through the obligatory issuing of prospectus where proprietary companies (either limited or unlimited) are exempted from such permits (â€Å"Corporate Law† 2011). From a managerial concern, fundraising activities performed by organisations such as The Green Coffee Company Ltd will quite essentially give rise to company liabilities and thus will seize the risk of affecting shareholders’ or investors’ interests. It is in this context that The Green Coffee Company Ltd must ensure its com pliance with the norms prescribed in the Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). It is worth mentioning in this regard that The Green Coffee Company Ltd is planning to offer shares to the public with the intention to obtain a capital of around $7 million and $15 million owing to which the company must ensure the disclosure of all the required and lodged documents prior to offering securities as per the provisions mentioned in Section 727 (1) of Chapter 6D in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (â€Å"Corporations Act 2001, 2005†). It is mandatory on this note to lodge the disclosure document to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) as per Section 709 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (â€Å"Better prospectus disclosure† 2006). Contextually, any identification of forging in the

Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project 2 - Essay Example Precipitation concentration is more in the summers and spring seasons and more often accompanied with thunderstorms and tornadoes. Light snowfall is experienced. Lincoln is subjected to harsh cold and continuous heat waves in winter and summer respectively. Although, the average monthly temperature ranges from 22.4 °F in January, while 77.8  °F in July. The weather extremes has been observed to be persistent for 14 nights in winter below 0  °F, 40 days beyond 90  °F, and above 100  °F for 5 days (Weather forecast, 2012). The greatest temperature difference between New York and Lincoln is 3.25  °C while it is 13.25  °C between Lincoln and Las Vegas (Weather forecast, 2012). Latitude is a determinant of climate of an area in a way that the areas closer to equator have warm climate while those located far from it have cold climate. All of the given stations are located to the North of equator, Las Vegas being nearest of all experiences more temperature than other two. Alti tude is also a determinant of climate. The higher the altitude of a region, the colder is the climate and vice versa. Among the chosen stations, New York city has the least altitude while Las Vegas the highest. However, the weather forecast result show that the variation in temperature is not solely due to one factor. The closer an area located to a vast body of water, the more temperate will be the climate. Among the given three stations, New York City’s weather is more warm and humid due to its near proximity to Atlantic Ocean. While Lincoln experience dry summer as there is no close proximity to water body. Las Vegas being a desert experience dry and hot summers. On choosing the weather in any other season the temperature will show a different pattern. In winters, Lincoln is expected to be the coldest of all three. Part C. Local Geography Answer 1 The city chosen is Lincoln which is second most populous city of Nebraska State in United States of America. Lincoln is also th e capital of Lancaster country. Geographically studied, the city is located at 40 °48?35?N 96 °40?31?W (Lincoln, NE Population and Races, 2010). The statistics of United States Census Bureau tells that total area which is covered by Lincoln city is 75.4 square miles (195 km2) where 0.7 square miles is water and remaining 74.6 square miles is of land (Lincoln, NE Population and Races, 2010). The area code of Lincoln, NE is 402 which cover most geographic area of the city. According to 2010 statistics, the city’s total population is 258,379 which is increased by 14.54% that was in 2000. The population density of Lincoln, NE is approximately 2,859.42 (people per square mile) and the growth rate of population is 14.54%which is higher than the Nebraska State’s average rate of approximately 6.72% (United States Census Bureau, 2010). The most dominant race is white representing 72.1% of the city’s total population. The Hispanic Population consists most of Mexican 7 4.61% of total Hispanic population. Other Hispanic groups include Cuban Puerto Rican, Central American and South American (Lincoln, NE Population and Races, 2010). Answer 2 In business pages section, I found approximately 52 business that has included â€Å"

Consciousness In The Movement Of Existentialism Philosophy Essay

Consciousness In The Movement Of Existentialism Philosophy Essay This paper aims to briefly write about the role of consciousness in the movement of existentialism. We will discuss primarily and briefly the respective existential preoccupations of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to set the mood of our endeavour; to which we will end by addressing in deeper detail into Sartres conception of consciousness and the denial of it, viz. bad faith. Sartre would be treated more deeply because I hold that he is the culmination of existential movement. One striking thing to note on Kierkegaard is his three stages of existence, namely the aesthetic, ethical and religious stages. The first two stages, interestingly enough, respectively brings about boredom and existential suffocation, which leads us to the favoured stage of Kierkegaard, the religious stage. This stage is achieved by a leap of faith, an acceptance of the finiteness of man when confronted by the reality of death. Whereas the first two exists distracted by the demands of their roles, the third one made a choice when confronted by a realization of the aspect of death. Kierkegaard existential bent is towards a realization of how feeble and insignificant the existence of man when confronted by the reality of death. Nietzsche is another brand of existentialism. A one-hundred sixty turn from Kierkegaards position, he declared God is dead. Though not exactly a metaphysical declaration, it tells us the milieu of Nietzsche is in, with its dying Christian morals and the momentum secular morality is gaining. His ushering of his teachings on the Over-man is a particular point I want to take note. The Over-man is someone who realized his capacity to create outside the dictates of the norms of a given society. The concept of Will to Power is a more important element than pressure for adaptation or survival. Will to power applies to all living things, suggesting that adaptation and the struggle to survive is a secondary drive in the evolution of animals, less important than the desire to expand ones power. Nietzsche eventually took this concept further still, and transformed the idea of matter as centres of force into matter as centres of will to power. Consciousness makes us understand this demand than a ny other life forms, and unlike other living things, maximize the world around us to have power. As pointed earlier, consciousness of ones position in existence is the root of the existentialist drive. Consciousness of ones self is the source of freedom. Consciousness of the other limits it. But what is consciousness according to Sartre? All consciousness is the consciousness of something, following from Husserl. It is intentional and directive that goes beyond itself, to a transcending object. This is where the distinction of being-in-itself, or beings that are outside consciousness, arises away from beings-for-itself, or beings that are conscious. But this consciousness is not the Ego of Descartes, since for Sartre the original consciousness is pre-reflective and non-personal. The I and Me does not come into existence until consciousness itself became the object of reflection. This distinction brings us into interesting and exciting ontological explorations. Since this position of understanding consciousness is fundamental in Sartre, we see that neither my own existence nor that of the other can be proved but that both are factual necessities which doubting these existence would collapse into solipsism. Consciousness also establishes the connection between the world and the Ego, neither creating each Other, it insures the active participation of the person in the world. Most importantly this consciousness infinitely overflows the Ego, and this relationship inadvertently is the foundation of bad faith. Bad faith is a lie to ones self. This self-deception is possible when the human being divides itself, one level or aspect concealing from the other what it in some sense knows. Sartre tells us that the consciousness with which we use to generally consider our objective surroundings, to experience phenomena, is a different degree from the consciousness of ourselves being conscious of these surroundings; we call these two degrees as pre-reflective and reflective consciousness respectively. Despite the unity of a single consciousness, the paradox arises from the condition of its operation, the shift of degrees in how we are conscious. Sartrean bad faith finds its root when human beings are pre-reflectively aware of what they may not reflectively know, and they dismiss the pre-reflective awareness and hide under the reflective one. This is the twofold dividedness in human beings, of psychology and ontology. Since for Sartre consciousness, especially the pre-reflective aspect of it, entails a consciousness of our separation from the world, something that Camus also echoes in his observations of the absurd and this aspect gives us freedom. Freedom then is a product of us being aware. We are also always aware of this aspect in us, our consciousness always ultimately tells us that we are a being-for-itself. This capacity to manipulate these two levels of consciousness makes us interpret the factual limits of our objective situation as overwhelming in light of our reflective consciousness, but at the same time making us aware of alternatives beyond and around these limits because of our pre-reflective consciousness. Psychologically, the pre-reflective awareness that gives us this bad faith is the one that chooses to keep oneself in the dark about certain matters such as responsibility in our freedom. Meanwhile ontologically speaking, bad faith has its basis from the dividedness of the human existence that leads to an ambiguous mix of facticity and transcendence. We flee our anguish when transcendence collapse into our facticity and feel like automatons with determined existence; or when we dismiss our facticity into transcendence and be like a battered wife that still prays for his husband to change his ways. Since nothing prevents consciousness from making choices on its way of being, it fears this boundless freedom, this spontaneity, because it feels that it veers beyond freedom. This brings us anguish. The recognition of our capacity for freedom renders insurance in our pasts or our personality that will lead to usual patterns of conduct meaningless. A consciousness with bad faith wavers back and forth, demanding the privileges of a free consciousness, a being-for-itself, but escaping the responsibilities of having one, of having freedom, by imagining that one is protected in an already established Ego, of pretending to be just a being-in-itself, devoid of any responsibility for perfection. Habits, practices, objects and institutions are instances from where we escape our responsibilities, and maintain distractions from these responsibilities. Fundamentally, one cannot really escape responsibility by adopting any of external moral systems such as religion or politics, such endorsement is still a choice and which one must take full responsibility for. Bad faith in an attempt to avoid the angst which accompanies the realization that our existence has no coherence except for what we ourselves create. Thus, bad faith comes from within us and is itself a choice a way that a person uses their freedom in order to avoid dealing with the consequences of that freedom because of the radial responsibility that those consequences entail. To show us better what he means, Sartre writes of a woman who has the choice of whether to go out on a date with an amorous suitor. In considering this choice, the woman knows that she will face more choices later on because she is quite aware of the mans intentions and desires, but chooses to ignore these possibilities in the hope she will not be answerable to how things will turn out. The need for choices is then heightened when, later, the man puts his hand on hers and caresses it. She can leave her hand there and thereby encourage further advances, knowing full well where they might lead. On the other hand, she can take her hand away, discouraging his advances and perhaps discouraging him from ever asking her out again. Both choices entail consequences which she must take responsibility for. Sartre declares that the woman is in bad faith and writes, And during this time the divorce of the body from the soul is accomplished; the hand rests inert between the warm hands of her companion neither consenting nor resisting a thing.  [1]   The woman treated her hand merely as an object, rather than an extension of her self, and pretends that there is no choice and leaves it to the disposal of the moment. Perhaps she defends her posture because of the uncontrollable passion on her part, perhaps she will cite the presence of social pressure that forces her to comply and adapt a particular etiquette, or perhaps she merely pretends not to notice the mans actions and intentions. Whatever the case, she acts as though she is not making any choices prior and during that moment that she was just floated by factors out of her reach and into that circumstance which is also out of her reach. Hence, with that mentality in mind, she holds that she has no responsibility for the consequences that will arise. That woman, according to Sartre, means acting and living in bad faith, and concluding that by adapting bad faith one is free from responsibility, is the gravest and dangerous self-deception. One still is responsible even in such d eception. The reason why bad faith is a problem is that it allows us to escape responsibility for our moral choices by treating humanity as the passive object of larger, organized forces whether it by our genetic make-up, the Will of God, emotional passions, social structures, etc. Sartre argued that we all act to shape our own destiny and as such, we need to accept and deal with the awesome responsibility this imposes upon us. It is not the case, humanity has the capacity of be involved in existence, and surrendering this capacity is a denial of ones humanity. For Sartre, one is the master of ones own project. In a world of consciousness, you are a painter with a blank canvass of reality, taking charge of what you paint and with what colour. But freedom is not absolute, as we are limited by our body, the things around us, i.e. being-in-itself, and by other people, i.e. hell is other people. The concept of beings-for-itself tells us that existence precedes essence, so the dictum of Sartre goes. This is only meant that conscious beings determine their essence, their position in the plethora of existence, without anyone telling us before where we meant to be. A fundamental claim in existentialist thought is that individuals are always free to make choices and guide their lives towards their own project, regardless of any circumstances even if it is overwhelming. The claim holds that individuals cannot escape their freedom, and surrendering ones freedom is still a matter of choice and one is responsible for the consequences and sufferings of p retending not being free. For instance, in our politics, even if a politician cheated the results of the election, or forced his will and seized the government, our reactions are always a matter of choice. Rebellion or compliance to name a few, are some of these choices, and to blame it in circumstances is an instance of bad faith. One must be held responsible for the choices one had made and not blame it in circumstances. Freedom then is not absolute, but rather a continuing flux of action, choices and responsibilities. Some quiver at the capacity and pretends not to have one, of being a being-in-itself, but those who accept relish in existence for itself and for other people. Freedom is a shared experience and responsibility, adjusting as ones consciousness flows with the contours of the objects around us and the other. Existence precedes essence, as Sartre famously coins and summarizes the underlying principle of existentialist projects before him. What he means by this is that determining of essence is not some static definition in the world of ideas, but rather always a possible realization only seen with action in the world of existence. Essence is determined by action. You do your essence by existing as such. Man is a rational animal, as essentialists would claim, then following their formula that essence precedes existence, we could see that whether they are actively rationalizing or not, they are still rational animals, but for Sartre this is not the case. One must rationalize and one must act with rationality, before one becomes and be receives the privileges given to a man. Surely it is strange to call a fool, who lacks rationality, or a murderous villain, which have rationality yet savage, as human beings. It is also a deep injustice to give respect and privileges due to a man, on such bei ngs, and further it is also a deep injustice of not holding them accountable of their actions since they hide under the notion of being a man. As a human being, a being-for-itself, one cannot claim our actions are determined by forces exterior to the self; this is the core statement of existentialism. One is doomed to this eternal freedom because human beings exist before the definition of human identity exists, before one chooses what to be. One cannot define oneself as a thing in the world, as one has the freedom to be otherwise. One is not a philosopher, because at some point one ceases the activities that define the self as a philosopher. Any role that one might adopt to escape the responsibility and flux of invention and creation, does not define the self, because the self is, again, free and not constant it cannot be a thing in the world. Though one cannot assign a positive value to definitions that may apply to oneself, one remains able to say what one is not, one is defined by what one is not. When men go about the world, they have expectations which are often not fulfilled. For example, Im meeting someone in a cafà ©, but upon arriving he is not there where we thought we would meet him, so there is a  negation, a void, a nothingness, in the place of the one Im expecting. When looking for my friend, his lack of being, there becomes a negation; everything I see as I search the people and objects about him are not him. This inner anguish over moral uncertainty is a central underlying theme in existentialism, as the anguish demonstrates a personal feeling of responsibility over the choices one makes throughout life, whether it is to God or to ones self. Without an emphasis on personal choice, one may make use of an external moral system as a tool to moralize otherwise immoral acts, leading to negation of the self. According to existentialism, dedicated professionals of their respective moral codes should, instead of divesting the self of responsibility in the discharge of ones duties, be aware of ones own significance in the process. A doctor must not only memorize the oath, nor the procedure of medicine that is involved, but being in the process of healing he is recognizing the impact that he is doing and the weight of his responsibilities for every actions he commit. This recognition involves the questioning of the morality of all choices, taking responsibility for the consequences of ones own choice and therefore; a constant reappraisal of ones own and others ever-changing humanity. One must not exercise bad faith by denying the selfs freedom of choice and accountability because such denial not only denies ones fundamental capacity and the betrayal of the self, it also gives us an illusion of complacency and stagnation, of pretension of being a being-in-itself. Taking on the burden of personal accountability in all situations is an intimidating proposition by pointing out the freedom of the individual, Sartre, together with the existentialists like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, seeks to demonstrate the social roles and moral systems we adopt to hide us from being morally accountable for our actions. Every existentialist then challenges us to go out of these comfort and stagnant forms of existence and exist as human beings by overcoming this tenden cy to surrender and seize our freedom and face the responsibilities and consequences it produces.

Solitude, Solidarity, and Sexuality in One Hundred Years of Solitude :: One Hundred Years Solitude Essays

Solitude, Solidarity, and Sexuality in One Hundred Years of Solitude Soledad in Spanish means more than our word "solitude," although it means that too. It suggests loneliness, the sense of being apart from others. Although ultimately each human being is alone, because there are parts of our experience we cannot share, some people are more solitary than others. The really solitary figures in this novel are those who deliberately cut themselves off from other humans. They are contrasted with characters who combat their solitude, by making strenuous efforts to reach out to others. The founder of Macondo, Jose Arcadio Buendia, is the first great solitary. He becomes so obsessed with his own search for truth that he neglects his family and ultimately loses all touch with outer reality. His wife, Ursula, is perhaps the greatest of the antisolitary figures, the person who more than anyone else holds the family and the house together. She takes in a foster child and later insists on rearing the bastard children of her sons and grandsons. Her whole life is devoted to strengthening social bonds. Pilar Ternera, the fortuneteller, is also an antisolitary. Her role is to comfort the Buendia men and, in her younger years, to go to bed with them and bear their children. At the end of the book and of her own very long life (she has stopped counting birthdays after one-hundred forty-five), she is the madame of a wonderful zoological brothel, which in this context stands for a generous, bountiful sexuality. There is a lot of sex in the novel, most of it celebrating the size and potency of the Buendia men's phalluses or the lubricity of the women. Sex can be used to combat solitude, because of its power to connect one person to another. Even the two rapes in the novel result in close bonding: Jose Arcadio Buendia rapes his bride Ursula to begin the family line (second chapter), and the last Aureliano rapes Amaranta Ursula (who is not, however, very resistant), who will bring forth the last of the line.