Enterprise Rent-a-Car Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enterprise Rent-a-Car - Case Study Example lue, or market share, good management systems to clearly identify true performance and profitability (Gardiner, 2005). These success drivers are obvious but it is amazing how many businesses ignore their importance. This is particularly true in difficult markets or economic recession where short term financial constraints lead to cost cutting. Early casualties are staff levels, training, research, product innovation, non-essential' customer care etc. These are targeted because they produce relatively easy short term cost reduction. Ironically they often also reduce the ability of the business (Rent-A-Car Home Page 2008). Enterprise Rent-a-Car follows a focus strategy (differentiation). ... 2. In order to execute strategy, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, introduces strong corporate values and philosophy which shapes the culture and relations. The management approach is relevant to the commercial requirements of the marketplace and the situation of the business. The main advantage of Enterprise Rent-a-Car is "service-focused business practices, including picking customers up and focusing marketing efforts on repair shops, insurance companies, and policyholders whose cars have been damaged or stolen" (329). The pace of change has significantly increased in recent years and the competitive arena has enlarged, driven by corporates with an appetite for new markets, reduced barriers to international trade, and technology. Undoubtedly, customer needs are discovered and fulfilled. After all, that has been the entire refrain of our tune of value. But firms that try to deliver value in different countries with little or no attempt to build on value capabilities previously accumulated else where are, in effect, like conglomerates whose different products have no conscious value relationship to one another. Unique mission and values of the company support its growth and stable market position (Rent-A-Car Home Page 2008). Family ownership helps the company to escape restructuring and keep its unique values and brand image. Enterprise Rent-a-Car has responded to competitive crises by establishing employee-focused programs to improve productivity and quality. Managers in Enterprise Rent-a-Car have adopted the view that customer focused programs can unlock the creative potential and commitment of their customers (Dobson and Starkey 2004). 3. The main determinants of success are the optimal use of human,

Peer Evaluations in Enhancing Written and Oral Communication Essay Example for Free

Peer Evaluations in Enhancing Written and Oral Communication Essay Communicative practices such as writing and reading are important components in the facilitation of education and learning. For educators, they must realize the relative importance of these communication practices for they are vital in the enhancement of learning. One way to address this is by creating peer review mechanisms. Though such may prove to be an important component in the facilitation of education, there are cultural impediments that continue to surround the facilitation of peer evaluations. â€Å"When we deal with English-as-a-second-language students, cultural factors may influence both the operation and outcomes of peer response groups. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 78) By being constantly aware of these issues, one can create effective peer evaluation mechanism that is free from cultural bias and prejudice. A collective action and approach must be created by instructors and teachers to address such problem. â€Å"To maintain the group cohesion and harmonious interpersonal communications interpersonal relations valued by collectivist cultures, collectivists use indirect means of communicating messages that may otherwise be disruptive to the group. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 82) Thus, giving of vital information is an important tool and component in the overall facilitation of peer evaluations in enhancing communication practices. â€Å"By being informed of cultural differences in communication, they may be better able to interpret the feedback they receive from the English-as-the-second-language students and also better able to provide these students with effective feedback. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 83) Enhancing the Writing Skills Effectiveness in writing is one facet that students must acquire in school as it is vital in the overall communication process not only in the educational sector but in different aspects of society. By enhancing such skills, an international student can be fit and remained at level with native speakers of the language. The main barrier and impediment in such scenario is the lack of expertise in the local and native language. The study of Koffolt and Holt showcases several important mechanisms that can improve writing skills of international students. The article seeks to showcase how teachers can be a vital part in the overall facilitation of efficient writing among students. By doing these, students can get the development in the realm of writing. â€Å"Teachers who play a more active role in guiding their students through the entire writing process of gathering ideas, organizing, drafting, and revising can help students produce writing that is thoughtful, coherent, and polished. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 53) By providing several important measures that a teacher must consider is an important process to guide students in the overall facilitation of improving writing capabilities. One important method is by creating feedbacks on writing works by international students. By doing this, the student can actively assess his/her standing as far as competency in writing is concerned. The creation of a feedback system â€Å"gives them the opportunity to correct deficiencies in content, language and style. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 54) For the part of instructors, there must be an active collaboration with an international student as far as writing is concerned. The instructor must recognize the relative challenges that an international student may face during the course of writing. That is why it is essential for the teacher to actively create writing strategies that will help improve the overall capacity of the student to write. However, the teacher must recognize that the process of such endeavor is not easy. â€Å"Writing is seldom a linear activity, and it is common for writers to go back and forth among different steps of the writing process as they complete a major writing task. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 56)

High Cost Of Marriage In Arabian Gulf Countries Religion Essay

High Cost Of Marriage In Arabian Gulf Countries Religion Essay In these days, many problems appear in the Middle East because of hard conditions that may face any citizen especially after the economic crisis that has affected every single person around the world. Some of these problems had been solved and some are still exist among us. In gulf countries many important issues appears before many years and become a serious problems after the economic crises. One of these serious issues is high cost of marriage ceremony that has caused other troubles for men, women, families and the entire society. Wedding ceremony varies from one culture to another all depends on the norms and traditions of that culture. For example; in some cultures, the prides family pay for the wedding expenses in countries like India and Pakistan, where this would be a much unknown trait in countries like UAE, Jordan and other GCC countries were the groom have to pay for every single detail of the wedding! On the other hand, other cultures, like Europe and North America where both side can normally share the expenses of their own wedding. In conclusion; the different in human cultures and culture values created a great difference in the wedding traditions and ceremonies. Marriage in the past In the past, marriage was very simple, a normal traditional issue and required vary simple requirements. And it didnt cause a big problem for the community. After all agreed on, prides mother invites all females member of her family and neighborhood to her house to drink some coffee and show them prides cloths, gold and what did the groom bought for his pride. On the other hand, groom invites his family and friends to attend the engagement party in groom house or in town house, the served food in these parties was fruits and some sweets. After that, the groom stands in front of the door to be greeted by his relative and friends. After the party finished, groom goes to prides family to greet them only, and sometimes he is not allowed to see his pride before the wedding party. During the wedding party, pride prepares for her wedding by putting some henna on her hands, dress a very simple dress and braid her hair. Then all families and friends were invited to grooms house to celebrate a nd have their lunch. The served food was rice and meat. Moreover, after all these parties, couple used to have their honeymoon in one of their relatives house by visiting them only. In the past, family of the pride used to ask only for simple and low dowries from groom or what can he get of gold, weapons or even animals. Also they didnt use to ask the groom to get separate house or villa for his wife, pride used to live with groom and his family. Marriage issues: Now days, everything changed and become very complicated and life requirements become very hard to get. The most important property of marriage is getting new house. Its normal to have separate house to live alone with your wife and start a new life by waiting for new family, but when the new marriage couple want to have huge luxury house, it will lead to serious issue that may face any citizen. Many marriage issues that constraint the marriage process in our society, we can mention some of the main ones as the following; Society pressure for marrying from the same family as the known norm of the family or the tribe. The increasing cost of the dowry which is related to the family name or the beauty of the pride. Finding the best accommodation in terms of price, location and size. This in turn increase the initial marriage cost to a very high trend that may reach hundreds of thousands of Dirham or maybe millions which is not affordable for most of the young generation. The requirement of buying a high and jewelries which the prides familys asks for. This cost is always increasing by comparison with other weddings happened with another wealthy family. The cost of furnishing the new house is also increasing. The requirement of the top of line new furniture and best brand home appliances. The cost of renting the best wedding hall. This could be either a well known wedding hall or a well known hotel. The cost of the wedding activities of hiring a band and a good catering restaurant will add a dramatic increase to the cost of the wedding. The cost of the pride dress is also noticeably increasing. In some cases, a wedding dress has reached to over hundreds of thousands Dirham. Huge quantities of food also a negative behavior that make the wedding party cost more. The cost of the hair salon where the pride and her mates are doing their full make up and preparation for the wedding. A cost that may reach tens of thousands of Dirham. Opinions: Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah, a 30-year-old UAE national from Al Ain, has been married for six years and has three children.Its becoming increasingly difficult to bear the rising costs of living, especially house rent, he said. Mir Murtaza Yaseen Ali, 29, a Pakistani banker, would like a wife who works to help shoulder the costs of running a household.I would want my wife to work because its unhealthy for a person to be unproductive and a working wife would help maintain a good standard of living, he said. Hussein Al Numeiri, 22, a UAE national graduate, wants to finish higher studies.An educated couple is better than an uneducated couple, he said.[1] Results: In our religion, Islam, woman has many rights; one of them is to have her simple dowry for her own self. But when the cost of dowries become very high and over the normal percentage of original dowries and the purpose of wedding party become a show off party among the people in the society many negative results will appear and a lot of social problems will increase. Moreover, High dowries, high cost of living requirements, high cost of wedding party and other unimportant requirements that make the groom spend millions of dirham may lead to series of hug problem which effect badly on men, women and maybe both. The first result that may exist in society is making barrier between man and his wife by spread hostility and hatred between them because after spending a big amount of money on wedding party, groom will face economic crisis and start to suffer and work a lot trying to pay his debts which had spent it on unimportant things. The purpose of marriage is happiness among families and among married couples not misery for them. The second result of having unbelievable high cost of wedding ceremonies is it creates a tendency among the local single generation to find an alternative of marrying in the local society and search for a cheaper options from other countries. Single men move toward a foreign pride as a cheaper option and more affordable. The consequences are negative on the society as more maiden population is increasing and more girls are not able to find someone to marry. This is a negative phenomenon that is spreading in our society and the main reason for it is the rising cost of wedding ceremonies. Third result of the increasing cost of marriage is creating a negative psychological effect on the young generation which help establish many psychic problems; depression, stress, despair and sadness. Also it will push the younger generation to find an alternative solution through illegal relationship and affairs that is unacceptable by neither the norms nor the religion. The percentage of Dubai residents who never got married went up from 24 per cent in 1993 to 27 per cent in 2005, and of those who got married down from 74 per cent to 70 per cent.[2] Solutions: We should emphasize on the issue and the effect of the high cost of marriage in our society and the dangerous results of delaying and post pond the marriage plans for the younger generation. We would like to view the religion point view of this issue and remained all parents and our families that Islamic religion is against such high cost requirements for marriage ceremonies. As matter of fact, the Islamic religion direct all families to ease the process of marriage for both parties and encourage the young generation to get married at an early age. The impact in that will be extremely positive from all aspects; the young generation will enter the social life in a welcome phase which will be easier for them to continue forward in their life of building their own families and contribute to the society. Early marriage will also prevent the society from the danger of spreading negative norms like illegal affairs and spreading of diseases through these kinds of affairs. The Islamic religi on encourages all parents to find the value in the groom personality and ethics, which will guarantee a better life for their loved daughter. If the groom is not suitable for the pride, or the pride is not approving him for a reason, then its more appropriate to stop the marriage. The Islamic religion encourages all levels of society to marry and produce families and grow the society in numbers and values. His highness Sheikh Khalifa did issue some regulations in attempt to control this high cost marriage phenomena in our society. The new regulation states that all the wedding parties should not exceed the period of one day only that will reduce the cost of any wedding and make it easier on all grooms to get it done. Sheikh Khalifa also ordered more details in regard of the wedding; one party is allowed for the men side and a maximum one party for the women side. The amount of the served food from the camels meat is limited to 9 camels maximum per wedding. And anyone who exceeds any of these regulations will phase a 500000 Dirham penalty, this way it will force any groom to avoid any cost exaggeration or protect him from any high cost requirements from the prides family. The effort are taking to correct the situation of this phenomena of high wedding cost which is new to our society, from government regulations to educating all families in our society about the negative effect of high cost weddings will help fight and tackle this problem to eliminate it from our culture. The efforts have to be taken from all sides and the consequences and benefits will reach everyone among our people. The young generation will be encouraged to get married early and then enter the social life with less debt and more freedom, which will make them more contributing individuals in our society and a better individual in our communities. It will also help increase the local population and help correct the unstable demographic distribution in our society. Its a win situation. Conclusion and recommendation: Extravagant weddings is one of important issues that make a big amount of people agree with it after realizing that the wedding party comes only ones in the whole life, and it must be a perfect party to be a special day to remember, so all of these spent money will not be spent again. This issue will not affect the bride or the invited people; it will make bad sequences on the groom after lending thousand of dirham which makes him feel guilty after each person go back to his home. In my opinion, wedding party is a very special day that each girl dreams about it, and it should be a unique happy day, but it is better to have a simple wedding party without spending huge amount of money, because there are other important things to do in your starting to begin a new life in a new home waiting for new family. Also, it is very hard to all Youth to spend thousands of dirham in unnecessary things especially after finishing their studies and starting to build their life; they need partner to help them to start responsible life. Our society have to fight the increasing costs of weddings by educating families and single people, and by working together against any continuous behavior from any of the families. We should enlighten the people that wedding day is a truly very important day in any ones life, but we have to remember that life will not stop at that day and reality will hit the new family afterward, with debt and much money lost. We should restructure our way of t hinking and encourage people to go back to simplicity For a better future, and for a better life.

The Physics of a Diesel Engine Essay -- Energy Automobiles Essays

The Physics of a Diesel Engine The world we live in is surrounded by diesel engines. They are on the freeways, railways, airways, and are one of the leading electricity producers in the world. They are also becoming more popular in automobiles. These engines are efficient and reliable and they are getting very sophisticated. However, the physics behind these engines has not changed. By way of definition, courtesy of Diesel Engine Engineering: [a] diesel engine is an internal combustion engine in which the chemical energy of fuel is transformed into thermal energy of the cylinder charge, in consequence of the self-ignition and combustion of fuel in the engine cylinder after compression of the air charge in the cylinder (p1 Makartchouk). There are basically two types of diesel engines, two-stroke and four-stroke. In a two-stroke engine the piston is forced from the top of the cylinder by the expanding air fuel mixture. Before the piston reaches the bottom of the cylinder the used mixture, (called exhaust), is forced out of the cylinder by the incoming fresh air. The fresh air relies upon a blower, air induction system, to propel it into the combustion chamber. During this time period the piston begins to travel to the top of the cylinder and compress the fresh air sufficient to raise the temperature in the combustion chamber, (area between the top of the cylinder and the cylinder head at top dead center), to 1000-1200 degrees Fahrenheit (p12 Dagel). The fuel is then injected under pressure into the combustion chamber, the air ignites the fuel and the gases begin to expand finishing one cycle. A four-stroke engine begins the same way as the two-stroke with the expanding gases pushing the piston downward, called the ... ...n chamber rises dramatically. The combined fuel and air molecules bounce off one another and since the path of least resistance is the piston, the piston moves downward creating mechanical work. Applying physics to something in everyday use creates a new appreciation for what actually happens when you step on the accelerator pedal or see a truck pulling 40,000 plus pounds up a steep incline. With even a basic study of physics my worldview has changed. I now look at that cold piece of cast iron sitting in an engine compartment on a molecular level. Works Cited Dagel, John F., and Robert N. Brady. Diesel Engine and Fuel System Repair. Ohio: Prentice Hall, 2002. Kirkpatrick, Larry D., and Gerald F. Wheeler. Physics A World View. Florida: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. Makartchouk, Andrei. Diesel Engine Engineering. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2002.

Current Climate and the Need for MTSS

Introduction/Current Climate and the Need for MTSS At this point in clip, pedagogues in our state are accountable for increasing pupil accomplishment more than they have at any old clip ( Guilfoyle, 2006 ) . Educators in America are confronted with increasing outlooks from national and province criterions along with an progressively diverse pupil base that challenge traditional manners of instruction and acquisition. In add-on to increasing criterions, answerability and a diverse pupil population, pedagogues are faced with behavioural issues that detract from quality schoolroom direction clip ( Public Agenda, 2004 ) . The research conducted by Public Agenda ( 2004 ) stated that â€Å"of the 725 center and high school instructors surveyed, 97 % confirmed that good subject and behaviour are necessary for a school to boom. The survey reported that â€Å"77 % of instructors felt that their instruction would be better if riotous behaviours did non necessitate so much of their time† ( Public Agenda, 2004 ) . Additionally, schools a re losing pupils in the passage between in-between school and high school with first-year academic rates on the diminution. Research from McIntosh and associates ( 2008 ) implied that Grade 9 academic public presentation was strongly connected to Rate 8 behavioural informations while â€Å"Grade 9 behaviour was predictable given Grade 8 academic performance† . Behavioral breaks in the schoolroom detract from direction clip, and that reduced clip finally affects academic public presentation. Logically, the clip that pupils miss finally antagonistic pupil advancement toward graduation, which increases high school dropout rates ( McIntosh, Flannery, Sugai, Braun, & A ; Cochrane, 2008 ) . Traditional manners of instruction that are more â€Å"reactive† than â€Å"proactive† no longer run into the demands of pupils, as schools face the conflict of increased examination and effort to non fall farther behind globally in faculty members. At Ottawa ( Kansas ) High School entirely, 91 out of the 174 pupils in the current eighth-grade category have been identified as necessitating extra academic intercession in respects to reading ( J. Blome, personal communicating, November 28, 2011 ) . Professionals who are used to learning in isolation are now being exposed to a more incorporate mentality in respects to information. Schmoker ( 2006 ) states that â€Å"Historically, schools have worked in silos where instructors provide direction independent from other professionals in the building.† These â€Å"silos† , in bend, traditionally cause pedagogues to group pupils with demands into wide â€Å"categories† such as particular instruction, gifted etc. ( Harlacher & A ; Siler, 2011 ) . However, by grouping pupils into wide classs, single demands of pupils can be glossed over by these wide generalisations. The current clime demands that pedagogues meet the demands of all pupils by developing proactive intercessions at a systematic degree, instead than being reactive and puting our pupils in wide groups that do non run into their single demands. The clip is now in respects to â€Å"supporting kids both academically and behaviorally in order to enable them to make their full potency ( Horner et. al. , 2005 ) . In order to accomplish that end, school territories are get downing to implement â€Å"response-to-intervention† schemes, or in the province of Kansas, Multi-Tiered Systems ( MTSS ) of support. MTSS can be used district-wide, from Kindergarten to the 12Thursdayclass. For a focussed attempt, the undermentioned paper will specify and explicate the procedure of MTSS execution at the high school ( 9-12 ) degree with an accent in MTSS reading execution while supplying illustrations from Ottawa High School. Specifying MTSS, Its Purpose and Goals MTSS derives from a signifier of â€Å"Response-to-Intervention† ( RTI ) . Batche et al. , ( 2005 ) and Fuchs & A ; Fuchs ( 2006 ) province that â€Å"RTI refers to the pattern of supplying high-quality, multi-tier direction and intercessions matched to students’ demands, supervising pupil advancement often, and measuring informations on pupil advancement to find the demand for particular instruction support† ( as cited in Averill and Rinaldi, September, 2011 ) . Basically, MTSS provides a systematic attack to reading, math and behavioural intercessions by utilizing research-based direction to all pupils within a school. The Kansas Department of Education ( 2011 ) defines MTSS as â€Å"a coherent continuum of evidence-based, system broad patterns to back up a rapid response to academic and behavioural needs.† The theoretical account is non an accreditation plan ; instead, it is a school betterment system that sets out to supply bar, support and early inter cession for all pupils within a school and territory. It can be adapted to a assortment of school accreditation plans from Quality Performance Accreditation ( QPA to the North Central Accreditation ( NCA ) . The school betterment program acts as an â€Å"overarching model that guides schools through a procedure of demands assessment and determination devising that assists in non merely choosing effectual patterns, but besides in making a sustainable aligned system† ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . The end of MTSS is to guarantee that every kid can be successful utilizing the resources from schools ( Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports, 2011 ) . School territories besides do non necessitate to supply extra resources or add-ons to current patterns, but instead it identifies bing plans within the school environment. From at that place, MTSS â€Å"practices to place those that yield grounds of effectivity, turn toing countries that are losing, and replacing uneffective or inefficient attacks with those that are supported by research† ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . The ends of MTSS are besides accomplished by the followers: being bar oriented to supply support every bit early as possible each school twelvemonth and providing said supports ; using evidence-based intercessions for all pupils ; and utilizing informations to measure advancement and devising alterations when needed ( Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports, 2011 ) . Model of MTSS-Tiered Learning As mentioned, MTSS wants to guarantee success for all pupils by utilizing a assortment of schemes from within the school. In respects to academic and behavioural direction, MTSS provides â€Å"tiers† of aid for pupils. Tier 1 aid focal points on supplying criterions and evidenced-based direction to all pupils within the school ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . At Ottawa High School, the current program for academic focal point is reading intercession execution by the following school twelvemonth. The program is in its babyhood, but disposal and the MTSS squad has identified two chief constituents within reading: comprehension and vocabulary. For illustration, the squad is entertaining the thought of implementing a system-wide vocabulary scheme within the school: LINCS ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . The scheme uses ocular imagination, anterior cognition and key-word mnemotechnic devices to make survey cards to help pupils in vocabulary and co mprehension ( LINCS Vocabulary Strategy, 2011 ) . All schoolrooms utilize vocabulary in one signifier or the other and a consistent, systematic attack from all instructors can help all pupils within Ottawa High School to heighten vocabulary development ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . Tier 2 aid occurs when instructors come across the inquiry, â€Å"‘what are we prepared to make when they do non larn? ’† Essentially, pupils who are non run intoing success in Tier I intercessions are identified through advancement monitoring and referred to Tier 2 intercession. Tier 2 intercessions involve predetermined extra intercessions and schemes based off of the specific accomplishment sets that pupils need to accomplish ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . For illustration, if pupils are identified as holding troubles with phonic consciousness for reading, they are placed on Tier 2 intercession and will have extra day-to-day support to help them with that accomplishment. At the high school degree, pupils are to have an excess 30 proceedingss of nucleus direction in little homogenous groups. Groups sizes at Tier 2 pupils range from four-to-six pupils ( Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports†¦Reading, 2011 ) . Ottawa High School plans on accommodat ing its logistics to suit the demands of MTSS Reading Implementation. The program is to implement a seven hr twenty-four hours with each hr at 53-minute increases. A 30-minute day-to-day intercession period will be implemented for Tier 2 intercessions. Teachers identified as adept instructors will be approached to help the school with these reading intercessions, irrespective of content ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . Finally, Tier 3 aid occurs when pupils need extra support beyond the aid of Tier 2 intercession. While Tier 2 intercessions have standard intercession protocols for specific demands for pupils, Tier 3 aid becomes even more individualised as â€Å"the student’s instructors, counsellor, and parents consistently determine the issues that need to be addressed for the student† ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . Group sizes in Tier 3 intercessions range from one-to-three pupils and include frequent advancement monitoring to go on to drive evidence-based direction ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . Execution of Reading Practices of MTSS at the High School Level As stated, MTSS does non a stiff, fixed clip construction for execution. School territories can set the clip frame harmonizing to territory single demands. The procedure for execution can take from two old ages up to four old ages and is non precisely â€Å"linear† as the rhythm is cyclical, with uninterrupted betterment with module and pupils ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . Fixsen et. Al. ( 2005 ) province phases of execution as the followers: geographic expedition and acceptance ( the consideration that alteration is needed along with possible intercessions ) ; plan installing ( placing specific schemes to be used and taking resources to utilize said patterns ) ; initial execution ( first utilizations of MTSS patterns by staff ) , full execution ( at this point, skilled usage of patterns are used ) ; and eventually, sustainability, which is the consistent skilled usage of patterns as a everyday portion of the school twenty-four hours ( as cited in Kansas Departmen t of Education, 2011 ) . Presently, Ottawa High School is in the latter phases of the exploration/adoption phase. The program is for the school to come in the plan installing phase by early 2nd semester ( J. Blome, personal communicating, November 29, 2011 ) . Based off of demands of the school through research ( MAPP Assessments, Kansas Reading Assessments, figure of Fs in the school ) , disposal at Ottawa High School has targeted reading execution as the initial phase of MTSS. School leaders chose following year’s incoming first-year category ( this year’s current 8th class category ) as the first category to have MTSS reading execution. Administration decided to utilize one category following twelvemonth ( the fresher category ) as a â€Å"pilot† to implement MTSS, larning from strengths of the betterment program and leting for accommodations in schemes, protocols etc. After following twelvemonth, disposal programs to implement MTSS reading intercession school broad at Ottawa High Sch ool. MTSS is traveling to be implemented at the simple and middle-school degrees as good ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . As mentioned, MTSS is a territory and school-wide enterprise ; hence, all pupils in a high school receive MTSS Tier1 direction. In order to place pupils for MTSS Tier 2 and 3 intercessions for classs 9-12, all pupils must foremost take a cosmopolitan screener. The cosmopolitan screener determines if pupils are reading at grade degree. Universal screeners that can be used for initial appraisal include the MAP, NWEA, GRADE assessments etc. From at that place, pupils who do non run into grade degree are so given a curriculum-based measuring ( CBM ) provides information about specific reading accomplishment sets ( phonic consciousness, comprehension, vocabulary etc. ) from pupils that need betterment. CBMs that can be used in schools include the DIBELS or AIMSweb measuring. Finally, diagnostic procedures and appraisals that include phonics awareness screeners, formal appraisals, and phonological consciousness screeners are used to prove the students’ accomplishments and cognition ( Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports Required Practices, 2011 ) . Students receive the differentiated and single direction based off of the Tier schemes discussed before in this paper ( see â€Å"Framework of MTSS-Tiered Learning† ) . In its current geographic expedition and acceptance phase, Ottawa High School is be aftering on utilizing the MAP appraisal as the territory universal screener for pupils. The MAP appraisal determines the lexile or reading degree of pupils. The appraisal will be given to the first-year category at the beginning of the 2012-13 school twelvemonth. Students who do non run into the 9th class reading degree will be identified as necessitating Tier 2 or 3 intercession. Currently, disposal has isolated the AIMSweb as the CBM that is to be used as the advancement monitoring appraisal in the school. Administration is presently weighing options on direction possibilities for Tier 2 and 3 intercessions. As mentioned, the school is be aftering on utilizing the LINCS vocabulary as a school-wide vocabulary option ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . Students are non needfully â€Å"stuck† in Tiers in MTSS. The end of MTSS is to guarantee the academic and behavioural success of every pupil, and the intercession Sessionss are to be intensive, dynamic personal businesss to supply aid when needed. The end of Ottawa High School is to acquire pupils from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and theoretically Tier 1 degrees. The end for Tier 1 pupils is to acquire their peculiar accomplishment deficiencies back to the Tier 1 degree. Once pupils have reached Tier 1 degrees, the intercessions end, although follow-up cheques and appraisals can be used ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . Guaranting the Success of Multi-System of Supports As a systematic, school-wide betterment enterprise, MTSS should non be viewed as â€Å"another manner to place pupils for particular instruction or every bit merely another manner to place pupils for particular instruction or as one department’s responsibility† ( Harlacher & A ; Siler, 2011 ) . MTSS is a alteration in the manner pedagogues approach pupils and pupil acquisition. As antecedently stated, instructors are no longer isolated in their single â€Å"silos† in the MTSS theoretical account. The attack encourages faculty-wide aid and buy-in to guarantee its success. MTSS and other theoretical accounts of RTI â€Å"is viewed as a comprehensive, embedded procedure that involves the engagement and coaction of every individual in the building† ( Hughes & A ; Dexter, n.d. ) . Teachers can go progressively defeated or apathetic about MTSS and RTI if they merely go through the gestures and do non per se believe in the motion. Ikeda et. Al. ( 2007 ) province that â€Å"although some schools implemented patterns associated with RTI good, they did non incorporate the belief system associated with it.† Ultimately, the pedagogues must retrieve this chief mantra: pedagogues must retrieve what is best for the pupils. If the traditional manners of instruction and school betterment are non assisting our pupils win, pedagogues must set aside their comfort degrees and buy-in to the MTSS theoretical account if their territories decide to implement it. Harlacher and Siler ( 2011 ) province that â€Å"†¦part of the buy-in procedure should include an apprehension that extra support is provided earlier, is more targeted to students’ demand compared to old theoretical accounts of service bringing, and that the end of any intercession or instructional scheme is to rectify the identified problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Besides, MTSS and RTI are non â€Å"fixed models† as schools can accommodate the theoretical account contextually to run into their demands. The theoretical account does include extra attempt and work from instructors, but it does non necessitate instructors and territories to hold to develop extra resources in order to do it win. The intercessions and instructional schemes required with MTSS are provided by already bing resources within the territory. ( R. Cobbs, personal communicating, November 30, 2011 ) . For illustration, communicating between disposal and module can help pupils if there are structural alterations of MTSS reading execution within a school. Administration and module can place if group sizes need to be adjusted ; altering the frequence of progress-monitoring appraisals ; increasing instructional clip for Tier 2 or 3 degrees of support and altering the course of study ( Mercier Smith et. al. , 2009 ) . Finally, in order to make a sustainable clime of civilization for MTSS execution, important leading and a clear focal point of vision is required. The undermentioned non-negotiable points are required to farther guarantee success of MTSS: a territory leading squad if MTSS is territory driven ; active engagement of edifice decision makers in the territory leading squad ; members from the territory leading squad demand to hold authorization over territory direction and appraisals ; lucidity that MTSS is being implemented to help all pupils ; and execution of MTSS in all content countries must be supported by all school staff members ( Kansas Department of Education, 2011 ) . Decision Changing times in society require alteration in the educational system. For many pupils, traditional signifiers of instruction and traditional school betterment programs do non run into the demands of the diverse manners of acquisition of today’s pupils. If pupils are to truly â€Å"not be left behind† , they need a school betterment program that enables every kid to larn by placing the demands of each pupil. MTSS, through system-wide direction, intercession and aid, provides that single support that every pupil deserves in our schools today.

Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay

The possibility of the existence of right and wrong has been a subject of discussion among philosophers for centuries and many theories have been presented to answer the question of whether morals exist. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the great German philosopher is one who has contributed profoundly to the world of philosophy and especially in regards to his thought on the subject of morality. Kant disagreed with Hume that morality is objective and not subjective. Kant wanted to propose a pure moral philosophy, one of absolute necessity and independent of all human feelings, because if it not so, it will not be absolute and binding upon every person. The purpose of morality is to affect our behaviour and that it is reason that makes humans moral and not feelings or preferences. We shall explore some of the a priori foundations of morality paying special attention to Kant’s ‘categorical imperative’ and what exactly this was designed to solve in moral theory. To have moral worth, an act must be done in the name of one’s duty, the moral worth of this act is taken from the principle from which it’s determined, not from what it aims to accomplish and that duty is necessary when one is acting out of respect for the law. A shopkeeper giving the buyer the right amount of change because the law states one must not steal, this is an example of a legal action because rules are being followed but for the wrong reasons. A shopkeeper returning the correct amount of change because it belongs to the customer is an example of a moral action because the action is being done for the right reasons. Kant adopts the view of morality as an ‘unconditional ought’, as opposed to a ‘conditional ought’ By this he means that one should perform an act without considerations of the merits that that act may produce, in comparison with acting in order for something else to happen. This implies that acts that are moral are those t hat are done without being done for the sake of the merit or reward that they may bring to the person. Kant claimed that moral behaviour does not guarantee the attainment of happiness; rather that good will is crucial for actually deserving happiness. â€Å"Nothing in the world–indeed nothing even beyond the world–can possibly be conceived which could be called good without qualification  except a good will† (Kant 1964 p.27). By the ‘good will’ Kant means that a good will is not good because what it performs or what it effects but that it is simply good in itself. The good will is the will which acts out of respect for the moral law and from freedom, but actions such as these, if motivated by selfish or emotional factors, will then have no moral worth. There is a great deal of stress placed on the intention behind the act, consider giving money to charity for the sake of helping out, without any need for any ego gratification or such self-serving purposes, this is an instance of â€Å"good will†. Kant’s most well known contribution to ethical discussion is the categorical imperative. There are three key propositions that form the basis of Kant’s ethics. They are: act only on that maxim (principle) through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law, act in a way that you never treat humanity as a means to an end and that you act as if you were a lawmaker member of a kingdom of ends. These three principles form the categorical imperative. For Kant the source of moral justification is the categorical imperative. It presents a method to determine whether or not an act may be considered to be morally correct. An imperative is either categorical or hypothetical. Kant writes, â€Å"If now the action is good only as a means to something else, then the imperative is hypothetical; if it is conceived as good in itself and consequently as being necessarily the principle of a will which of itself conforms to reason, then it is categorical . . . .† (Kant 1989 p.31) As humans we all have subjective impulses – desires and inclinations that may contradict the dictates of reason. These desires, whether they are material objects or gratify us in a sexual or psychological way, may in fact contradict the dictates of reason. Therefore we experience the claim of reason as an imperative, a command to act in a particular way. Kant views a person to be most free when they can overcome their temptations and it is this freedom that helps us make sense of morality. The categorical imperative emphasises the means for completing an action and places little meaning on the end result of an action, whereas the hypothetical imperative places much emphasis on the end result of an action. It is an imperative because it dictates what we should do, disregarding our desires. As rational beings we are guided through life by  laws and principles, in the form of an imperative which simply orders us â€Å"you must do this† regardless of any desires which we may have. Hypothetical imperatives apply to us if we have a particular desire, â€Å"go to university if you want to become a philosopher†. An act becomes imperative when it ought to be applied to everyone, hence the basic statement of the categorical imperative being to act only on maxims that you could will to become universal laws of human nature (Kant). A categorical imperative would command you to do X inasmuch as X is  intrinsically right, that is, right in and of itself, aside from any other considerations–no â€Å"ifs,† no conditions, no strings attached . . . a categorical imperative is  unconditional (no â€Å"ifs†) and independent of any things, circumstances, goals, or desires.  It is for this reason that only a categorical imperative can be a universal and binding  law, that is, a moral law, valid for all rational beings at all times. (Miller 1984 p.462) Immorality then would be to make exceptions for ourselves by acting only on maxims that we cannot universalize out of our own will. It is those who act in such a way and then expect others to act different to our way, who are immoral. The categorical imperative acts as a formula for universal law; by stating the prerequisites that an act must have to be considered moral, it presents a comparison for people to be able to see if they are acting morally, this being to act only on principles that you could will to become universal laws by which all who wish to act morally must comply with. It determines whether any act is right or wrong, so to do the opposite would be contradictory and this would then be an act that is not morally correct. An example that Kant puts forward in â€Å"Good Will, Duty, and the Categorical Imperative,† (1989) to depict this is of a man who is in extreme despair and contemplating suicide. By taking his own life he would be universalizing the principle that in order to love himself he should end his life (by doing this he is trying to improve his life by ending the despair he is feeling). Killing himself would in fact do nothing to improve his life because he would have no life at all! So you see how these contradictory acts undermine those that may be classified as morally right. Although Kant’s categorical imperative has been widely read and accepted by some it has had criticism. Some philosophers have thought of it as absolutist, being too ‘black and white.’ But when thinking of humanity and society in which we reside, looking at morality according to the categorical imperative allows a standard rule for everyone to follow. If it was alright for some people to steal and not others this we could not call a moral and fair society. There needs to be a rule or comparison so that what acts are right and what are wrong may be differentiated from each other and the wrong acts then dealt with accordingly. Some have asked how only an action which one had no desire to do could ever have any moral worth. This to me does not seem to be what is trying to be expressed in Kantian ethics. It is not the desire per se that makes an act immoral, I think it seems that it is more the fact of this desire being the reason the act is conducted in the first place. If the act is done to fulfil a personal desire or attain that which one desires, then the act is immoral, but if the act is done for the good of the act in itself, for example donating money to an orphanage because one desires to help, then this is still what Kant would regard as a morally right act. Although Kantianism has had a profound effect on some people, producing many elaborations, translations and thought, for some it is not feasible once placed together as a whole. Kant had some very profound ideas but looking at society tody I would think he was definitely on the right thought pattern. Society and we as humans, with our impulses whether good or bad, need a  clarified ethics to follow to help us separate what may be considered right and wrong in a moral sense, and it must be fair and the same for everyone, this is what Kant’s categorical imperative has done by creating a universal law or ‘rule of thumb’ for morality. References: Kant, I. 1989 â€Å"Good Will, Duty, and the Categorical Imperative.† ed. Serafini, A. Ethics and Social Concern, the categorical imperative. New York: Paragon House Publishers Kant, I. 1964 Groundwork and the Metaphysics of Morals, ed. Herbert J. Paton, New York: HarperCollins. Miller, Ed. L. 1984 Questions that Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy, 3rd ed. Colorado: McGraw-Hill, Inc. http://sguthrie.net/kant.htm (accessed on 12/10/04)

Free Essays on Primary Cause Of The Civil War

The statement, â€Å"The issue of states’ rights was the primary cause of the Civil War†, can be backed up by many facts, but can be linked back to a much a larger cause of the Civil War that begun in 1861. Other causes of the Civil War were sectionalism; which consisted of sectional interests and cultures; each region’s perceptions of the other’s intentions and the expansion of slavery. All these causes can also be linked back and are directly related to the peculiar institution of slavery. Thus, leading me to believe that slavery was the main overall cause of the Civil War, but looking more into slavery itself, the expansion of slavery was the primary cause, for the Southern states seceded as soon as Abraham Lincoln was elected President. Lincoln wanted to strip the right of new territories and states to decide on their own on the issue of slavery. A quote from the passage â€Å"Where Historians Disagree† in the textbook by James Ford Rhodes state s, â€Å"if the Negro had not been brought to America, the Civil war could not have occurred† (p. 377 American History: A Survey), rings true in my ears. There could have been differences between the North and the South without the existence and argument of expansion of slavery, but not problems large enough to lead the country to a crisis as large as the Civil War. Therefore, slavery and the argument over the expansion of slavery, which led to secession, was the primary cause of the bloody Civil War, which cost America mores lives than any other war on record. First, the roots of the issue of states’ rights versus the authority of the national government can be associated with slavery. Southern states believed that new territories should decide for themselves if they wanted to legalize slavery. Of course, this feeling was a precedent because the South wanted slavery to expand. The national government, which had a Northern majority, was mostly against the idea of giving new territories... Free Essays on Primary Cause Of The Civil War Free Essays on Primary Cause Of The Civil War The statement, â€Å"The issue of states’ rights was the primary cause of the Civil War†, can be backed up by many facts, but can be linked back to a much a larger cause of the Civil War that begun in 1861. Other causes of the Civil War were sectionalism; which consisted of sectional interests and cultures; each region’s perceptions of the other’s intentions and the expansion of slavery. All these causes can also be linked back and are directly related to the peculiar institution of slavery. Thus, leading me to believe that slavery was the main overall cause of the Civil War, but looking more into slavery itself, the expansion of slavery was the primary cause, for the Southern states seceded as soon as Abraham Lincoln was elected President. Lincoln wanted to strip the right of new territories and states to decide on their own on the issue of slavery. A quote from the passage â€Å"Where Historians Disagree† in the textbook by James Ford Rhodes state s, â€Å"if the Negro had not been brought to America, the Civil war could not have occurred† (p. 377 American History: A Survey), rings true in my ears. There could have been differences between the North and the South without the existence and argument of expansion of slavery, but not problems large enough to lead the country to a crisis as large as the Civil War. Therefore, slavery and the argument over the expansion of slavery, which led to secession, was the primary cause of the bloody Civil War, which cost America mores lives than any other war on record. First, the roots of the issue of states’ rights versus the authority of the national government can be associated with slavery. Southern states believed that new territories should decide for themselves if they wanted to legalize slavery. Of course, this feeling was a precedent because the South wanted slavery to expand. The national government, which had a Northern majority, was mostly against the idea of giving new territories...

Extinct Political Parties of the 1800s

Extinct Political Parties of the 1800s The two major political parties of modern America can both trace their origins back to the 19th century. The longevity of the Democrats and Republicans appears quite remarkable when we consider that other parties existed alongside them in the 19th century before fading into history. The extinct political parties of the 1800s include organizations which were successful enough to put candidates in the White House. There were also others that were just doomed to inevitable obscurity. Some of them live on in political lore as oddities, or fads which are difficult to understand today. Yet many thousands of voters did take them seriously and they enjoyed a legitimate moment of glory before disappearing. Here is a listing of some significant political parties which  are no longer with us, in roughly chronological order: Federalist Party The Federalist Party is considered the first American political party. It advocated a strong national government, and prominent Federalists included John Adams and Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists did not build a sustaining party apparatus, and the partys defeat, when John Adams ran for a second term in the election of 1800, led to its decline. It essentially ceased to be a national party after 1816. The Federalists came under considerable criticism as they tended to oppose the War of 1812. Federalist involvement with the 1814  Hartford Convention, in which delegates suggested splitting New England states from the United States, essentially finished the party. (Jeffersonian) Republican Party The Jeffersonian Republican Party, which, of course, supported Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800, was formed in opposition to the Federalists. The Jeffersonians tended to be more egalitarian than the Federalists. Following Jeffersons two terms in office, James Madison won the presidency on the Republican ticket in 1808 and 1812, followed by James Monroe in 1816 and 1820. The Jeffersonian Republican Party then faded away. The party was not a forerunner of the present day Republican Party. At times it was even called a name which seems contradictory today, the Democratic-Republican Party. National Republican Party The National Republican Party supported John Quincy Adams in his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1828 (there had been no party designations in the election of 1824). The party also supported Henry Clay in 1832. The general theme of the National Republican Party was opposition to Andrew Jackson and his policies. The National Republicans generally joined the Whig Party in 1834. The National Republican Party was not a forerunner of the Republican Party, which formed in the mid-1850s. Incidentally, during the years of the John Quincy Adams administration, an adept political strategist from New York, future president Martin Van Buren, was organizing an opposition party. The party structure Van Buren created with the intent of making a coalition to elect Andrew Jackson in 1828 became the forerunner of todays Democratic Party. Anti-Masonic Party The Anti-Masonic Party formed in upstate New York in the late 1820s, following the mysterious death of a member of the Masonic order, William Morgan. It was believed that Morgan was killed before he could reveal secrets about the masons and their suspected influence in American politics. The party, while seemingly based on conspiracy theory, gained adherents. The Anti-Masonic Party actually held the first national political convention in America. Its convention in 1831 nominated William Wirt as its presidential candidate in 1832. Wirt was an odd choice, having once been a mason. While his candidacy was not successful, he did carry one state, Vermont, in the electoral college. Part of the appeal of the Anti-Masonic Party was its fiery opposition to Andrew Jackson, who happened to be a mason. The Anti-Masonic Party faded into obscurity by 1836 and its members drifted into the Whig Party, which also opposed the policies of Andrew Jackson. Whig Party The Whig Party was formed to oppose Andrew Jacksons policies and came together in 1834. The party took its name from a British political party which had opposed the king, as the American Whigs said they were opposing King Andrew. The Whig candidate in 1836, William Henry Harrison, lost to the Democrat Martin Van Buren. But Harrison, with his log cabin and hard cider campaign of 1840, won the presidency (though he would only serve for a month). The Whigs remained a major party throughout the 1840s, winning the White House again with Zachary Taylor in 1848. But the party splintered, mainly over the issue of slavery. Some Whigs joined the Know-Nothing Party, and others, most notably Abraham Lincoln, joined the new Republican party in the 1850s. Liberty Party The Liberty Party was organized in 1839 by anti-slavery activists who wanted to take the abolitionist movement and make it a political movement. As most leading abolitionists were adamant about being outside politics, this was a novel concept. The party ran a presidential ticket in 1840 and 1844, with James G. Birney, a former slaveholder from Kentucky as their candidate. The Liberty Party drew meager numbers, garnering only two percent of the popular vote in 1844. It has been speculated that the Liberty Party was responsible for splitting the anti-slavery vote in New York state in 1844, thereby denying the states electoral vote to Henry Clay, the Whig candidate and assuring the election of the slave-owning James Knox Polk. But that assumes Clay would have drawn all the votes cast for the Liberty Party. Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party came into being in 1848 and was organized to oppose the spread of slavery. The partys candidate for president in 1848 was former president Martin Van Buren. Zachary Taylor of the Whig Party won the 1848 presidential election, but the FreeSoil Party did elect two senators and 14 members of the House of Representatives. The motto of the Free Soil Party was Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free Men. After Van Burens defeat in 1848, the party faded and members were eventually absorbed into the Republican Party when it formed in the 1850s. The Know-Nothing Party The Know-Nothing Party emerged in the late 1840s as a reaction to immigration to America. After some success in local elections with campaigns rife with bigotry, former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know-Nothing candidate for president in 1856. Fillmores campaign was a disaster and the party soon dissolved. Greenback Party The Greenback Party was organized at a national convention held in Cleveland, Ohio in 1875. The formation of the party was prompted by difficult economic decisions, and the party advocated the issuing of paper money not backed by gold. Farmers and workers were the partys natural constituency. The Greenbacks ran presidential candidates in 1876, 1880, and 1884, all of whom were unsuccessful. When economic conditions improved, the Greenback Party faded into history.

European Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Law - Essay Example "It can, and frequently is, argued that the Court has emerged as the most dynamic and purposeful of all Community institutions in furtherance of the idea of European integration,"3 observes Ian Ward, an expert in European law. Another scholar claims that by establishing several legal doctrines and setting important legal precedents in a series of preliminary rulings, the ECJ has essentially 'constitutionised' the EC laws and successfully laid "the [legal] foundation for a federal Europe."4 According to Kwan, today the ECJ "stands at the pinnacle of [the European] Community legal order with its rights to judicial review and to sanction European states for non-compliance with EU laws." 5 The present research is an attempt to understand the constitutional nature of the European Union and the role and significance of European law and the ECJ in establishing a legal order among member states and facilitating the legal integration of the European Union, thereby strengthening the politico-e conomic integration. While many political theories - ranging from functionalism, neo-functionalism, neo-realism and neo-rationalism- have been applied in explaining the different phases of the integration process,6 the first significant step towards European integration can be traced back to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty of 1951, for the establishment of a common market in coal and steel products. A Court of Justice, which was created as part of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) agreements for adjudicating disputes and observing compliance by the member states, has over the years transformed into the "supranational" and powerful European Court of Justice.7 The 1957 Treaty of Rome was the next significant step towards integration, when the ECSC was expanded to form the European Economic Community (EEC), later called the European Community (EC), constituting five key community institutions - the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.8 The establishment of EC represented a further step in economic integration by providing for the free movement of services, capital and labour in addition to the free movement of goods; however, for many political and economic reasons the 'single market' programme became effective only by 1992.9 Nonetheless, the jurisdiction and mandate of the ECJ was expanded by the 1957 Treaty - the ECJ was granted the right to judicial review, empowering the Court to hear cases raised by national governments or EC institutions regarding the validity of the EC laws. The national courts, which alone had access to the EC legal system cou ld seek clarification from the ECJ, through a preliminary ruling procedure, in interpreting the meanings of EC laws in relation to the cases decided by them.10 While the Single European Act of 1986 provided an impetus to integration, the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 creating the European Union was perhaps the most significant step, facilitating economic, political and legal integration of the member states.

Agency costs and ownership structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Agency costs and ownership structure - Essay Example A firm is a team effort involving several players - the owners, managers, shareholders, and lenders - that should work together to maximise the value of the firm in terms of profitability, sustainability, and performance. Recent experience, however, in the wake of business bankruptcies and scandals show that this team effort is not achieved in several cases. This paper reviews the available literature on the effects of family ownership, public ownership, and the dispersal of ownership on firm performance and value and provides a summary of the status of our knowledge of these relationships. Agency theory explores the effects of ownership structure on the performance of the firm. The theory states that the value of a firm will depend on the extent to which the interests of principals (owners) and agents (managers) are aligned. However, the interests of the principals are not the same as the interests of the agents, so aligning the two sets of interests will incur so-called agency costs. In this paper, we review the available literature on the application of agency theory in two types of ownership structures. First, we looked at firms that are majority owned, managed, or controlled by a single family and explored whether the aligned interests resulted in lower agency costs and better firm performance. In general, research findings supported the predictions of agency theory: firms where the founder-CEO, or a CEO-heir after the second generation, plays an active management role performed better than firms that are not dominated by a single family. ... cy cost that researchers term as "expropriation" have a negative effect on firm value as the dominant owners "expropriate" perquisites and other benefits to the detriment of minority owners. Second, we compared the performance of public and private firms. Research studies that included firms from a wide range of industries supported the agency theory, but the probability that results were influenced by factors that are endogenous to specific industries affect their external validity, or general applicability, to other industries. By looking at the results of a focused study using sample firms from one industry, we were able to establish the validity of agency theory in explaining firm performance. We also looked at the literature on the effects of a diversified ownership base on firm performance as reflected by stock price, with mixed results due to the effects of increased liquidity, rather than minimisation of agency costs, on improved firm performance. Introduction One of the most discussed topics in finance and economics is the ideal ownership structure that will maximise the value of the firm. This issue touches the core of why firms exist in the first place -to maximise profit for its owners - and explains partially how and why previously successful firms fail. Economists used to assume that everyone - owners, managers, employees, and lenders - act together for the good of the firm. After all, each one is bound by formal and informal contracts to ensure that firm value is maximised (Brealey and Myers, 1996, p. 991). This however seldom happens as there are conflicts of interest that affect firm performance, a phenomenon that academics have attempted to investigate over the last seventy years under the conceptual lens of ownership structure. How and why do

State, Democracy and Human Rights Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

State, Democracy and Human Rights - Term Paper Example The citizens can engage themselves in politics, by virtue of the democratic rights bestowed upon them, via a variety of ways. The first condition for democracy, also being the most significant role any individual citizen can play being an actor in a democratic state, is to comply by all standards of ‘citizenship’, which characterizes a full membership as the member of the state, and also as a member of the community. More often than not, theorists also constitute citizenship as the role of individuals in advocacy and institutionalization of human rights. Since democracy directly implies the will of the people being governed, thus ‘Elections’ can turn out to be the most reliable junction through which the citizens can play their part. This implies that the citizens, directly or indirectly, choose their representatives who would then be a legitimate source to follow the mandate of the citizens (Newton and Jan 2010). Civil society can also dominate the democrat ic spectrum by channelizing public opinion, nationally as well as on a transnational level, by mobilizing and advocating for causes which would then pressurize the governments and thus, empowering themselves to be a part of the decision making process (Goodhart 2008). Moreover, citizens can also be empowered and get involved in the decision making process in the democratic age by setting up transparent institutions to their advantage. The nature of these institutions may differ, depending on the needs and situations the citizens may find themselves in. The institutions are characterized by the vision and the mission statement, along with the actors involved in decision making process which then determines the relationship of the citizen`s involvement and the extent of their influence of decision making (Beeson and Bisley 2012).

Criminal activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Criminal activity - Essay Example In the criminal judicial system, discretion plays a very significant role especially as to how decision-making process are made by each of players involved and the interdependence that they have. The court administrator has a very important task of not only giving such ample time for the judge to effectively adjudicate cases, but must also display â€Å"management knowledge and capability† for the judiciary to fulfill its function (USAID, 2006). Hence it necessarily sees to it that there is a smooth and efficient operation of courts. Selection of a court administrator should not only be based on his or her knowledge of the law but must also have such management skills to cope with such responsibilities and therefore, should have a high degree of competence and qualification.. In reality however, judges appoint or select a staff of their own who may not necessarily hold such qualifications required or desired of a court administrator (Neubauer, 2007). Aside from this selection problem, bureaucracy must also be taken into consideration as there is a need to manage large numbers of personnel as well appropriately budget the local government or state funded operations of courts (Neubauer, 2007). The efficiency in the operation of courts is not only affected, but impacts as well on the judgment of a court administrator’s discharge of duties. The prosecutor, an important player in the criminal justice system, has such â€Å"broad discretion† in the choices available to him in a criminal case such as â€Å"filing charges, prosecuting, not prosecuting, plea-bargaining and recommending sentence in court† (Garner, 2004). However they also must ensure that justice is dispensed with in each case they handle (Neubauer, 2007). Their conduct is governed by rules of procedure, which in case of violation, may be admonished by the district attorney’s office

Health & Illness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health & Illness - Assignment Example he health inequalities in Britain have grown to be viewed as a norm so that there is a big difference in the mortality and morbidity levels between upper social classes (the rich) and lower social classes who are the poor (Health Knowledge, 2011). In measuring the health inequalities it is necessary that we look at their causes. Determinants as age, sex, genetics, income, personal behavior, and social networks tend to affect health. In measuring inequalities we mainly have to draw focus on health socioeconomic determinants as income and housing. Morbidity is said to be a proportion of a particular disease in a given geographical area. As life expectancy increase in the UK, focus has been drifted towards prevalence of chronic illnesses which impact on the usage of health facilities. Wales has the lowest healthy life expectancy for all genders compared to England and all other parts of the UK (Hawe, 2008, pp. 5). Acording to Hawe (2008), the statistics stand at 65.6 years for males and 68.7years for females in 2003, compared to 67.6 (males) and 70.1 (females) years in the UK as a whole. Hawes table bellow shows statistical evidence: From the statistical evidence above we can draw analysis that that the health inequality depicted is due to poverty of the lower social class especially in most parts of Wales."People in affluent areas will likely live eight years longer than those in deprived parts of the North of England and South Wales." (Moore, 2015). We can then conclude that the more poor the geographical locality the more prevalent health illnesses. Mortality is being subject to death and its rate is the measure of number of deaths in a population. According to Mathews & Gardiner (2002, pp. 244), health and the risks of premature deaths are brought about by socio-economic factors throught life. The inequalities in imortalities in adulthood are widening more than in childhood due to poor cocioeconomic circumstances. Socioeconomic positions are highly associated

Free Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Free Energy - Research Paper Example Renewable sources of energy are those sources that can be replenished. Making a transition towards more renewable forms of energy would result in independency from local sources of energy and a more decentralized production of energy that is less vulnerable to supply cutoffs. Solar energy can be harnessed by concentrating solar power (CSP) or photovoltaic (PV) technology. The economic potential in industrialized countries, and the shift towards more renewables-intensive industry in both the US and China, is an optimistic sign for solar energy. Sustainable development is a hot topic in the world of politics today. The reason why it has attracted so much attention signifies a looming crisis and the repercussions it would have on people and the environment both. Numerous summits and conferences have been conducted and hundreds of organizations all over the world have met and discussed solutions to the predicament the world faces if it continues to use its energy sources the way it is doing now. The contours of the reason for taking such steps are worth pointing out. The population of the world is increasing at a rapid rate and has tripled over the past seven decades. It had reached an alarming figure of 6 billion at turn of the twentieth century. The rapid increase in the population does not come without its share of problems. Mankind is plunged into a yet deeper abyss of poverty, scarcity of resources and shortage of non-renewable energy reserves. Stocks of resources are being depleted swiftly. Where people in many developed countries have taken energy for granted, the developing countries are facing the brunt of the global energy crisis. The environment is deteriorating due to deforestation, increase in the greenhouse gases, extinction of species and climate changes. Increasing population has caused a dearth of food in many poor countries, where thousands do not have access to clean drinking water and are suffering from

Criminal activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Criminal activity - Essay Example In the criminal judicial system, discretion plays a very significant role especially as to how decision-making process are made by each of players involved and the interdependence that they have. The court administrator has a very important task of not only giving such ample time for the judge to effectively adjudicate cases, but must also display â€Å"management knowledge and capability† for the judiciary to fulfill its function (USAID, 2006). Hence it necessarily sees to it that there is a smooth and efficient operation of courts. Selection of a court administrator should not only be based on his or her knowledge of the law but must also have such management skills to cope with such responsibilities and therefore, should have a high degree of competence and qualification.. In reality however, judges appoint or select a staff of their own who may not necessarily hold such qualifications required or desired of a court administrator (Neubauer, 2007). Aside from this selection problem, bureaucracy must also be taken into consideration as there is a need to manage large numbers of personnel as well appropriately budget the local government or state funded operations of courts (Neubauer, 2007). The efficiency in the operation of courts is not only affected, but impacts as well on the judgment of a court administrator’s discharge of duties. The prosecutor, an important player in the criminal justice system, has such â€Å"broad discretion† in the choices available to him in a criminal case such as â€Å"filing charges, prosecuting, not prosecuting, plea-bargaining and recommending sentence in court† (Garner, 2004). However they also must ensure that justice is dispensed with in each case they handle (Neubauer, 2007). Their conduct is governed by rules of procedure, which in case of violation, may be admonished by the district attorney’s office

Free Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Free Energy - Research Paper Example Renewable sources of energy are those sources that can be replenished. Making a transition towards more renewable forms of energy would result in independency from local sources of energy and a more decentralized production of energy that is less vulnerable to supply cutoffs. Solar energy can be harnessed by concentrating solar power (CSP) or photovoltaic (PV) technology. The economic potential in industrialized countries, and the shift towards more renewables-intensive industry in both the US and China, is an optimistic sign for solar energy. Sustainable development is a hot topic in the world of politics today. The reason why it has attracted so much attention signifies a looming crisis and the repercussions it would have on people and the environment both. Numerous summits and conferences have been conducted and hundreds of organizations all over the world have met and discussed solutions to the predicament the world faces if it continues to use its energy sources the way it is doing now. The contours of the reason for taking such steps are worth pointing out. The population of the world is increasing at a rapid rate and has tripled over the past seven decades. It had reached an alarming figure of 6 billion at turn of the twentieth century. The rapid increase in the population does not come without its share of problems. Mankind is plunged into a yet deeper abyss of poverty, scarcity of resources and shortage of non-renewable energy reserves. Stocks of resources are being depleted swiftly. Where people in many developed countries have taken energy for granted, the developing countries are facing the brunt of the global energy crisis. The environment is deteriorating due to deforestation, increase in the greenhouse gases, extinction of species and climate changes. Increasing population has caused a dearth of food in many poor countries, where thousands do not have access to clean drinking water and are suffering from

Theory of Forms Essay Example for Free

Theory of Forms Essay Definition. What is Philosophy? There are a number of definitions of philosophy given by many thinkers and they vary according to their interests and orientations. Generally, philosophy is regarded as perhaps the most obstruse and abstract of all subjects that seems apart from ordinary life. Although quiet a number of people may think of it as a being remote from every normal interest, it may be inferred that all of us have some philosophical views, whether we are aware of it or not. Most often, the term appears vague for it has been a part of our conversations. Origin. The word â€Å"philosophy† is derived from the Greek â€Å"philia† meaning â€Å"love† and â€Å"sophia† meaning â€Å"wisdom† or â€Å"knowledge†. The literal definition of philosophy, therefore, is â€Å"love of wisdom†. In current popular usage, many different ideas are involved in the manner we use the term. In some cases, philosophy refers to an attitude toward certain activities. For instance, during election, we often hear some people say, we are voting for a certain candidate because we favour for his philosophy of government. In classes in philosophy, the most common question the teacher asks is what the philosophy of student is. The popular conception of philosophy, in spite of many ways we may use the term, is a complex intellectual undertaking. Regardless of the various ideas of the role of philosophy in one’s life, its importance cannot be overemphasized. Parent Science. Philosophy may be considered as the â€Å"parent science†, in that it has given birth to natural, physical, and social sciences. These disciplines continue to provide philosophy with an abundance of contemporary issues, questions, that are seemingly difficult to answer. Philosophy is both independent fro other disciplines and embedded in their foundations and on-going activities. Philosophy as a science. Philosophy has been defined as a science because it deals with the study of the processes governing thought and conduct. It investigates the principles and laws that regulate the universe and underlie all knowledge, which satisfies the requisites of scientific state of knowing. Science has been defined as a body of systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experiments carried out in order to determine the nature of principles of what is being studied. Its main concern is the discovery of truth. The difference between the two fields of knowledge lies in the scope and nature of their interest and their approach. While specific sciences deal particularly with restricted field, e. g. , chemistry, philosophy deals with all aspects of man’s experiences. The interest of science is limited to the physical world, while the concern of philosophy issues on justice, conscience, reason, the soul and the Supernatural Being. The science approach to any investigation is establishing and systematizing facts, principles, and methods through experiments and hypotheses, while the approach of philosophy in its object of study is encompassing. Science tends to eliminate the persona factor and values in the quest for objectivity, while philosophy is interested in human experiences, personal values and purposes. Science is primarily concerned with the nature of things as they are, while philosophy is interested not only in the real aspects but alos in their worth and meaning. The aim of science is to observe nature and to control processes, while philosophy criticizes, evaluates and integrates the various dimensions of human experience. Philosophy as a science carefully examines and criticizes the premises and conclusions of all sciences-physical, natural, and social. Some propositions have been made by the sciences which, when examined carefully, may be found too impossible to attain or to prove. Philosophy synthesizes and compares the assumptions and conclusions of the difficult findings of the different sciences when they appear to be contradictory. Philosophy harmonizes and brings the sciences together to complement and support one another. THREE MAJOR FIELDS OF PHILOSOPHY The three major fields of philosophy are: (1) epistemology, (2) metaphysics, and (3) axiology. Epistemology. Epistemology deals with the study of origin, structures, methods, nature, limit and veracity (truth, reliability, validity) of human knowledge. It also includes logic and a variety of linguistic concerns and the philosophy of science. The word â€Å"epistemology† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"episteme† which means â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"logos† which means â€Å"the study of†. Epistemology as a theory of knowledge asks fundamental questions about knowledge in all its forms and applications of how it is formulated and expressed and communicated. It also looks into the role of sense experience and how knowledge is acquired. Metaphysics. Metaphysics deals with questions of reality-its nature, meaning and existence. The word â€Å"metaphysics† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"meta† which â€Å"beyond† and â€Å"physikon† which means â€Å"nature† from which is derived the word physics, the science whish deals with matter, energy, force, natural laws and processes. Metaphysics is also concerned about the nature mind, self and consciousness, the nature of religion, such as the existence of God, the destiny of the universe, and the immortality of the soul. Aside from the nature of reality and the universe, metaphysics examines time, space, cause and chance. Axiology. Axiology deals into the study of values. It analyzes the origin, types and characteristics, criteria and knowledge of values. It includes values of human conduct, the nature and justification of social structures and political systems and the nature of art and its meaning in human experience. THE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY Philosophy has several branches which resulted from man’s philosophical speculations. Each branch endeavours to provide us with useful insights into certain realities. The following are the fundamental philosophical fields of study: 1. Ethics or moral philosophy. This is the philosophical study of the morality of human acts, the search for an understanding of the good life and the ultimate basis of what is good or bad. 2. Metaphysics or ontology. This is the philosophical quest for what reality is in the final analysis. It is the study of beings in general. 3. Theology/Theodicy. This is the philosophical inquiry into the existence of God. His nature and his relations to man and the rest of creation. 4. Philosophy of man. This is the philosophical search for a deeper understanding of what man is and what it means to be fully human. 5. Cosmology. This is the philosophical search for a deeper understanding of the material universe. 6. Political philosophy. This is the philosophical search for knowledge of the ultimate foundation of the state, its ideal form and its basic power. 7. Aesthetics. This is the search for a deeper understanding and knowledge of beauty. 8. Epistemology. This is the philosophical search for answers to the fundamental questions concerning the conditions of knowledge, its extent and limitations. deeper understanding 9. Logic. This is the philosophical science and art of correct inferential thinking and setting forth its conditions. 10. Psychology. This is the science that deals with the science of mind, mental state and processes. The philosophical concept â€Å"psychology† came from the Greek words â€Å"psyche† which means â€Å"soul†, â€Å"mind†, and â€Å"spirit†, and â€Å"logos† which means â€Å"the study of†. To the Greeks, psychology is the study of the soul. Part 2. THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE. THALES Thales was the first known philosopher, scientist and mathematician although his occupation was that of an engineer. He is believed to have been the teacher of Anaximander (611 BC 545 BC) and he was the first natural philosopher in the Milesian School. Thales first went to Egypt and thence introduced this study [geometry] into Greece. He discovered many propositions himself, and instructed his successors in the principles underlying many others, his method of attacking problems had greater generality in some cases and was more in the nature of simple inspection and observation in other cases. Certainly Thales was a figure of enormous prestige, being the only philosopher before Socrates to be among the Seven Sages. Plutarch, writing of these Seven Sages, says that: Thales was apparently the only one of these whose wisdom stepped, in speculation, beyond the limits of practical utility, the rest acquired the reputation of wisdom in politics. It is reported that Thales predicted an eclipse of the Sun in 585 BC. The cycle of about 19 years for eclipses of the Moon was well known at this time but the cycle for eclipses of the Sun was harder to spot since eclipses were visible at different places on Earth. Thaless prediction of the 585 BC eclipse was probably a guess based on the knowledge that an eclipse around that time was possible. The claims that Thales used the Babylonian saros, a cycle of length 18 years 10 days 8 hours, to predict the eclipse has been shown by Neugebauer to be highly unlikely since Neugebauer shows that the saros was an invention of Halley. Neugebauer wrote: there exists no cycle for solar eclipses visible at a given place: all modern cycles concern the earth as a whole. No Babylonian theory for predicting a solar eclipse existed at 600 BC, as one can see from the very unsatisfactory situation 400 years later, nor did the Babylonians ever develop any theory which took the influence of geographical latitude into account. ANAXIMANDER Anaximander (610 – c. 546 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Miletus, a city of Ionia; Milet in modern Turkey. He belonged to the Milesian school and learned the teachings of his master Thales. He succeeded Thales and became the second master of that school where he counted Anaximenes and arguably, Pythagoras amongst his pupils. Anaximander was one of the earliest Greek thinkers at the start of the Axial Age, the period from approximately 700 BC to 200 BC, during which similarly revolutionary thinking appeared in China, India, Iran, the Near East, and Ancient Greece. He was an early proponent of science and tried to observe and explain different aspects of the universe, with a particular interest in its origins, claiming that nature is ruled by laws, just like human societies, and anything that disturbs the balance of nature does not last long. Like many thinkers of his time, Anaximanders contributions to philosophy relate to many disciplines. In astronomy, he tried to describe the mechanics of celestial bodies in relation to the Earth. In physics, his postulation that the indefinite (or apeiron) was the source of all things led Greek philosophy to a new level of conceptual abstraction. His knowledge of geometry allowed him to introduce the gnomon in Greece. He created a map of the world that contributed greatly to the advancement of geography. He was also involved in the politics of Miletus and was sent as a leader to one of its colonies. Anaximander claimed that an indefinite (apeiron) principle gives rise to all natural phenomena. Anaximanders theories were influenced by the Greek mythical tradition, and by some ideas of Thales – the father of philosophy – as well as by observations made by older civilizations in the East (especially by the Babylonian astrologists). All these were elaborated rationally. The basic elements of nature (water, air, fire, earth) which the first Greek philosophers believed that constituted the universe represent in fact the primordial forces of previous thought. Their collision produced what the mythical tradition had called cosmic harmony. ANAXIMENES While his predecessors Thales and Anaximander proposed that the arche, the underlying material of the world, were water and the ambiguous substance apeiron, respectively, Anaximenes asserted that air was this primary substance of which all other things are made. While the choice of air may seem arbitrary, he based his conclusion on naturally observable phenomena in the process of rarefaction and condensation. When air condenses it becomes visible, as mist and then rain and other forms of precipitation, and as the condensed air cools Anaximenes supposed that it went on to form earth and ultimately stones. In contrast, water evaporates into air which ignites and produces flame when further rarefied. While other philosophers also recognized such transitions in states of matter, Anaximenes was the first to associate the quality pairs hot/dry and cold/wet with the density of a single material and add a quantitative dimension to the Milesian monistic system. The Origin of the Cosmos. Having concluded that everything in the world is composed of air, Anaximenes then used his theory to devise a scheme explaining the origins and nature of the earth as well as of the surrounding celestial bodies. Air felted to create the flat disk of the earth, which he said was table-like and behaved like a leaf floating on air. In keeping with the prevailing view of celestial bodies as balls of fire in the sky, Anaximenes proposed that the earth let out an exhalation of air that rarefied, ignited and became the stars. While the sun is similarly described as being aflame, it is not composed of rarefied air like the stars but rather of earth like the moon; its burning comes not from its composition but rather from its rapid motion. The moon and sun are likewise considered to be flat and floating on streams of air, and when the sun sets it does not pass under the earth but is merely obscured by higher parts of the earth as it circles around and becomes more distant; the motion of the sun and the other celestial bodies around the earth is likened by Anaximenes to the way that a cap may be turned around the head. PYTAGORAS (The Mathematical Basis of All Things) Across a span of water from Miletus, located in the Aegean Sea, was the small island of Samos, which was the birthplace of a truly extraordinary and wise man, Pythagoras. From the various scraps of information we have about him and those who were his followers, an incomplete but still fascinating picture of his new philosophic reflections emerges. Apparently dissatisfied with conditions not only on Samos but generally in Ionia during the tyrannical rule of the rich Polycrates, Pythagoras migrated to southern Italy and settled there in the prosperous Greek city of Crotone, where his active philosophic life is usually dated from 525 to 500 B. C. We are told by Aristotle that â€Å"the Pythagoreans devoted themselves to mathematics, they were the first to advance this study, and having been brought up in it they thought its principles were the principles of all things. . . In contrast to the Miletians, the Pythagoreans that things consist of numbers. Although, it is quite strange to say that everything consists of numbers, the strangeness, as well as the difficulty, of this doctrine is greatly overcome when we consider why Pythagoras became interested in numbers and what his conception of numbers was. Pythagoras became interested in Mathematics for what appear to be religious reasons. His originality could be said to consist in his conviction that the study of mathematics is the best purifier of the soul. He is, therefore, referred to as the founder of both of religious sect and the same time a school of mathematics. What gave rise to the Pythagorean sect was people’s yearning for a deeply spiritual religion that could provide the means for purifying the soul and for guaranteeing its immortality. Part 3. THE PROCESS OF THE UNIVERSE HERACLITUS Nature identified with fire. The Universality of change. The logos and Human Nature. Substance that holds everything is fire. Logos or universal reason. Fire is the process of change that which is fed into it becomes something else. Fire is not a random movement but God’s universal reason, the fire that is the unity holding everything together PARMENIDES Goddess. Logical method. What is, is and what is not, is not. A poem that reveals to him the plain truth and the deceptive beliefs of human beings A method that depends entirely on thought and not at all on experiment and observation only that can be which can be thought for. Thought exists for the sake of what is. Therefore, change is the confusion of appearance with reality and therefore change is simply an illusion. EMPEDOCLES Four elements. Love and strife. Earth, fire, air and water were considered as equally original. Love and strife, attraction and repulsion are two different forces at work in nature . Love binds things together and strife separate them. ANAXAGORAS Invisible particles that are the building blocks of nature. A miniscule particles that carry the blue print of everything else that distinguished the mind from matter. Matter is continuum, infinitely divisible and that, however, much it may be divided, each part will contain elements of everything else. Mind the cause of all things. Mind is the principle that gives matter its order. THE ATOMISTS Believed that everything in nature was made of tiny invisible particles or units called atoms Part 4. THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH KNOWLEDGE SOPHISTS’ CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE THE SOPHISTS The term sophist (sophistes) derives from the Greek words for wisdom (sophia) and wise (sophos). The term sophia could be used to describe disingenuous cleverness long before the rise of the sophistic movement. In the fifth century B. C. E. the term sophistes was still broadly applied to ‘wise men’, including poets such as Homer and Hesiod, the Seven Sages, the Ionian ‘physicists’ and a variety of seers and prophets. The narrower use of the term to refer to professional teachers of virtue or excellence (arete) became prevalent in the second half of the fifth century B. C. E. , although this should not be taken to imply the presence of a clear distinction between philosophers, such as Socrates, and sophists, such as Protagoras, Gorgias and Prodicus. This much is evident from Aristophanes’ play The Clouds (423 B. C. E.), in which Socrates is depicted as a sophist and Prodicus praised for his wisdom. 1. Sophists a. Protagoras. Protagoras of Abdera (c. 490-420 B. C. E. ) was the most prominent member of the sophistic movement and Plato reports he was the first to charge fees using that title (Protagoras, 349a). Despite his animus towards the sophists, Plato depicts Protagoras as quite a sympathetic and dignified figure. From a philosophical perspective, Protagoras is most famous for his relativistic account of truth – in particular the claim that ‘man is the measure of all things’ – and his agnosticism concerning the Gods. Plato suggests that Protagoras sought to differ his educational offering from that of other sophists, such as Hippias, by concentrating upon instruction in arete in the sense of political virtue rather than specialised studies such as astronomy and mathematics (Protagoras, 318e). b. Gorgias. Gorgias of Leontini (c. 485 – c. 390 B. C. E. ) is generally considered as a member of the sophistic movement, despite his disavowal of the capacity to teach arete (Meno, 96c). The major focus of Gorgias was rhetoric and given the importance of persuasive speaking to the sophistic education, and his acceptance of fees, it is appropriate to consider him alongside other famous sophists for present purposes. c. Antiphon. The biographical details surrounding Antiphon the sophist (c. 470-411 B. C. ) are unclear – one unresolved issue is whether he should be identified with Antiphon of Rhamnus (a statesman and teacher of rhetoric who was a member of the oligarchy which held power in Athens briefly in 411 B. C. E. ). However, since the publication of fragments from his On Truth in the early twentieth century he has been regarded as a major representative of the sophistic movement. d. Hippias. The exact dates for Hippias of Elis are unknown, but scholars generally assume that he lived during the same period as Protagoras. Whereas Plato’s depictions of Protagoras – and to a lesser extent Gorgias – indicate a modicum of respect, he presents Hippias as a comic figure who is obsessed with money, pompous and confused. Hippias is best known for his polymathy (DK 86A14). His areas of expertise seem to have included astronomy, grammar, history, mathematics, music, poetry, prose, rhetoric, painting and sculpture. Like Gorgias and Prodicus, he served as an ambassador for his home city. His work as a historian, which included compiling lists of Olympic victors, was invaluable to Thucydides and subsequent historians as it allowed for a more precise dating of past events. In mathematics he is attributed with the discovery of a curve – the quadratrix – used to trisect an angle. e. Prodicus. Prodicus of Ceos, who lived during roughly the same period as Protagoras and Hippias, is best known for his subtle distinctions between the meanings of words. He is thought to have written a treatise titled On the Correctness of Names. Prodicus’ epideictic speech, The Choice of Heracles, was singled out for praise by Xenophon (Memorabilia, II. 1. 21-34) and in addition to his private teaching he seems to have served as an ambassador for Ceos (the birthplace of Simonides) on several occasions. f. Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus was a well-known rhetorician in Athens in the latter part of the fifth century B. C. E. , but our only surviving record of his views is contained in Plato’s Cleitophon and Book One of The Republic. He is depicted as brash and aggressive, with views on the nature of justice that will be examined in section 3a. 2. Major Themes of Sophistic Thought a. Nature and Convention. The distinction between physis (nature) and nomos (custom, law, convention) was a central theme in Greek thought in the second half of the fifth century B. C. E. and is especially important for understanding the work of the sophists. Before turning to sophistic considerations of these concepts and the distinction between them, it is worth sketching the meaning of the Greek terms. The term nomos refers to a wide range of normative concepts extending from customs and conventions to positive law. It would be misleading to regard the term as referring only to arbitrary human conventions, as Heraclitus’ appeal to the distinction between human nomoi and the one divine nomos (DK 22B2 and 114) makes clear. The dichotomy between physis and nomos seems to have been something of a commonplace of sophistic thought and was appealed to by Protagoras and Hippias among others. Perhaps the most instructive sophistic account of the distinction, however, is found in Antiphon’s fragment On Truth. b. Relativism. The primary source on sophistic relativism about knowledge and/or truth is Protagoras’ famous ‘man is the measure’ statement. Interpretation of Protagoras’ thesis has always been a matter of controversy. Caution is needed in particular against the temptation to read modern epistemological concerns into Protagoras’ account and sophistic teaching on the relativity of truth more generally. A human being is the measure of all things, of those things that are, that they are, and of those things that are not, that they are not. There is near scholarly consensus that Protagoras is referring here to each human being as the measure of what is rather than ‘humankind’ as such, although the Greek term for ‘human’ –hoanthropos– certainly does not rule out the second interpretation. Plato’s Theaetetus (152a), however, suggests the first reading and I will assume its correctness here. On this reading we can regard Protagoras as asserting that if the wind, for example, feels (or seems) cold to me and feels (or seems) warm to you, then the wind is cold for me and is warm for you. c. Language and Reality. Understandably given their educational program, the sophists placed great emphasis upon the power of speech (logos). Logos is a notoriously difficult term to translate and can refer to thought and that about which we speak and think as well as rational speech or language. The sophists were interested in particular with the role of human discourse in the shaping of reality. 3. The Distinction Between Philosophy and Sophistry The distinction between philosophy and sophistry is in itself a difficult philosophical problem. The terms ‘philosopher’ and ‘sophist’ were disputed in the fifth and fourth century B. C. E. , the subject of contention between rival schools of thought. Histories of philosophy tend to begin with the Ionian ‘physicist’ Thales, but the presocratics referred to the activity they were engaged in as historia (inquiry) rather than philosophia and although it may have some validity as a historical projection, the notion that philosophy begins with Thales derives from the mid nineteenth century. It was Plato who first clearly and consistently refers to the activity of philosophia and much of what he has to say is best understood in terms of an explicit or implicit contrast with the rival schools of the sophists and Isocrates (who also claimed the title philosophia for his rhetorical educational program). SOCRATES Socratic Method Socrates was not a â€Å"philosopher,† nor yet a â€Å"teacher,† but rather an â€Å"educator,† having for his functionSocrates to rouse, persuade and rebuke (Plato, Apology). Hence, in examining his life’s work it is proper to ask, not What was his philosophy? but What was his theory, and what was his practice of education? It is true that he was brought to his theory of education by the study of previous philosophies, and that his practice led to the Platonic revival; but to attribute to him philosophy, except in that loose sense in which philosophy is ascribed to one who, denying the existence of such a thing, can give an account of his disbelief, is misleading and even erroneous. Socrates theory of education had for its basis a profound and consistent skepticism; that is to say, he not only rejected the conflicting theories of the physicists, of whom â€Å"some conceived existence as a unity, others as a plurality; some affirmed perpetual motion, others perpetual rest; some declared becoming and perishing to be universal, others altogether denied such things, â€Å"but also condemned, as a futile attempt to transcend the limitations of human intelligence their, pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. † That it was in this way that Socrates was brought to regard â€Å"dialectic,† â€Å"question and answer,† as the only admissible method of education is no matter of mere conjecture. In the review of theories of knowledge which has come down to us in Plato’s Theaetetus mention is made of certain â€Å"incomplete Protagoreans,† who held that, while all opinions are equally true, one opinion is better than another, and that the â€Å"wise man† is one who by his arguments causes good opinions to take the place of bad ones, thus reforming the soul of the individual or the laws of a state by a process similar to that of the physician or the farmer; and these â€Å"incomplete Protagoreans† are identified with Socrates and the Socratics by their insistence upon the characteristically Socratic distinction between disputation and dialectic, as well as by other familiar traits of Socratic converse. In fact, this passage becomes intelligible and significant if it is supposed to refer to the historical Socrates; and by teaching us to regard him as an â€Å"incomplete Protagorean† it supplies the link which connects his philosophical skepticism with his dialectical theory of education. It is no doubt possible that Socrates was unaware of the closeness of his relationship to Protagoras; but the fact, once stated, hardly admits of question. Knowledge and action Socrates teaches that a man must know how to choose the mean and avoid the extremes on either side, as far as possible. In education, Socrates asks us to consider the effect of either an exclusive devotion to gymnastics or an exclusive devotion to music. It either produced a temper of hardness and ferocity, (or) the other of softness and effeminacy. Having both qualities, he believed, produces harmony; i. e. , beauty and goodness. He additionally stresses the importance of mathematics in education for the understanding of beauty and truth. PLATO Theory of forms The Problems theory was meant to solve: (1) The Ethical Problem: How can humans live a fulfilling, happy life in a contingent, changing world where every thing they attach themselves to can be taken away? (2) The Problem of Permanence and Change: How can the world appear to be both permanent and changing? The world we perceive through the senses seems to be always changing. The world that we perceive through the mind, using our concepts, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Which is most real and why does it appear both ways? The general structure of the solution: Plato splits up existence into two realms: the material realm and the transcendent realm of forms. Humans have access to the realm of forms through the mind, through reason, given Platos theory of the subdivisions of the human soul. This gives them access to an unchanging world, invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world. By detaching ourselves from the material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms, we find a value which is not open to change or disintegration. This solves the first, ethical, problem. Splitting existence up into two realms also solves the problem of permanence and change. We perceive a different world, with different objects, through our mind than we do through the senses. It is the material world, perceived through the senses, that is changing. It is the realm of forms, perceived through the mind, that is permanent and immutable. It is this world that is more real; the world of change is merely an imperfect image of this world. The Forms: A form is an abstract property or quality. Take any property of an object; separate it from that object and consider it by itself, and you are contemplating a form. For example, if you separate the roundness of a basketball from its color, its weight, etc. and consider just roundness by itself, you are thinking of the form of roundness. Plato held that this property existed apart from the basketball, in a different mode of existence than the basketball. The form is not just the idea of roundness you have in your mind. It exists independently of the basketball and independently of whether someone thinks of it. All round objects, not just this basketball, participate or copy this same form of roundness. In order to see exactly what a form is and how it differs from a material object, we need to look at the first two of the properties that characterize the forms. The forms are transcendent. This means that they do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time. A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time. The forms exist, or subsist, in a different way. This is especially important because it explains why the forms are unchanging. A form such as roundness will never change; it does not even exist in time. It is the same at all times or places in which it might be instantiated. A form does not exist in space in that it can be instantiated in many places at once and need not be instantiated anywhere in order for the form to exist. The form of roundness can be found in many particular spatial locations, and even if all round objects were destroyed, the property of roundness would still exist. The forms are also pure. This means that they are pure properties separated from all other properties. A material object, such as a basketball, has many properties: roundness, ballness, orangeness, elasticity, etc. These are all put together to make up this individual basketball. A form is just one of these properties, existing by itself apart from space and time. Roundness is just pure roundness, without any other properties mixed in. The forms differ from material objects, then, in that they are transcendent and pure, while material objects are complex conglomerations of properties located in space and time. The forms are causes in two closely related ways: (1) The forms are the causes of all our knowledge of all objects. The forms contribute all order and intelligibility to objects. Since we can only know something insofar as it has some order or form, the forms are the source of the intelligibility of all material objects. (2) The forms are also the cause of the existence of all objects.