Dreams And Dreaming :: essays research papers

Dreams and Dreaming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “ To write something and leave it behing us,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is but a dream   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we awake we know   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is not even anyone to read it';  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zen Master Ikkyu   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WE dream during a state of sleep called REM sleep. It is known that theta rythems sent from the hippocampus, which determine if something is of essential value to the brain, are presesnt during REM sleep. Which supports the idea that dreaming is connected to learning and that dreams are very important to the growing process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sleep is set in cycles, each containing four stages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STAGE 1: Light sleep begins- thata waves   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STAGE 2: Light sleep continues- spindles and K complexes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STAGE 3: The onset of deep sleep- K complexes and delta   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  STAGE 4: Very deep sleep- delta waves   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first cycle is roughly 90 minutes. The brain decends through all four stages, and then acends back through them, but on the way up REM sleep is experienced at stage 1. This REM period lasts about 10 minutesAfter the first cycle the delta sleep may no occur at all. the brain will cycle through stage 1 and 2. As the night goes on the proportion of REM to NON- REM increase, so by the end of the night you may dream for as much as 1 of the last 2 hours of sleep. Though for some of us we still sleep deeply even to the wee hours of the morning. The “deep sleepers'; Thus light sleeper are more likely able to remember dreams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Menangkabau tribes of Indonesia believe that the real life force, the sumanghat, actually leaves the body in both dreams and serious illness. The shaman, or Dukun, must project his conciousnes into the realm of dreams in order to placate or harry the malicious malignant spirits who are hostile to the subject   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dreamtime of the Aboriginees is a primal state which embraces the creation of the world at the very dawn of our time. It is the realm of the mythical beings who fist breathed life onto the universe.. Their culture extends back over 40,000 years, the oldest spiritual culture of the world. The Shaman is known as the Karadji.

Macbeth’s Downfall Essay

The tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare is considered a tragedy due to the downfall of the main character. His downfall causes many deaths throughout the play and causes dramatic events to take place which in the end leads to his death. Many major events take place in this characters life to lead up to his downfall and death. The downfall of Macbeth is due to his greed for power, witches’ self-fulfilling prophesies, and the pressure from Lady Macbeth. The greed for power is a major role in the downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth started out a brave warrior that would have given his life up for the king. The king honored that by making him Thane of Caldor which started him on this downfall to greed of power. This greed for power caused him to want more and more control, which eventually led to do anything even murder in order to rise to the highest position. Even after he became king it wasn’t enough, he had to make sure he held that position by killing everyone who posed a threat to his reign. Over time people start to see these terrible things that were going on, which caused the death of Lady Macbeth because the burden of this knowledge was too much for her to bare. In the end Macbeth’s people turned against him ending in the death of Macbeth. The witches played a major role in the plot and thinking of Macbeth. The witches and there self-fulfilling prophesies played with the mind of Macbeth planting the thought in his head that would lead to his downfall. By planting these prophecies in his head the witches tormented him by making him think that it was fate that he be king and rule over everyone, when in reality they just implanted the thought into his head. â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter† (1.3.50-53). This quote shows us one of the ways the witches play with Macbeths mind by implanting the thought into his head. This causes him to take the actions needed in order to become king. Through there crafty speech is how they helped lead Macbeth to his death. â€Å"My nemesis – my downfall, if you will – was relationships, and trying to  fulfill them.† (Jennifer O’Neill). This quote shows us that Macbeth’s relationship with lady Macbeth was part of his downfall because of his want to fulfill what she wanted. His want to fulfill her desires of him drove him to kill King Duncan. â€Å"We fail? but screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail.† (1.7.59-61). This quote shows us that Lady Macbeth not only encouraged him to kill King Duncan but she is actually the reason Macbeth goes through with the murder. â€Å"make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse† (1.5.43-44). This quote shows that Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to harden her heart so she does not feel remorse for what she is going to do. Lady Macbeth also convinces Macbeth to try and calm his conscious from what he has done by saying â€Å"My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white.† (2.2.61-62). Showing that she was a part of the murder but she feels no remorse for it. In conclusion the tragic fall of Macbeth is due to many factors. This is considered a tragic play because throughout Macbeth’s downfall many people are killed in order for him to become king which ultimately leads to his death. That’s why Lady Macbeth, the witches, and his greed for power all led to the downfall. Another reason he fell is because of his ambition that burned inside of him to be great. Those are the main factors for his fall.

Changing Paradigms of Rebranding Strategies

According to the AMA (American Marketing Association), Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of all used to uniquely identify a producer’s goods and services and differentiate them from competitors. Specifically, a brand is a name â€Å"yahoo. com† logo, jingle ‘bus 2 minutes’, â€Å"Maggie†, slogan ‘sense and simplicity’, â€Å"PHILIPS†, package design, spokesperson, color Red color,† Vodafone† which consumers associate with a specific product. REBRANDING-WHAT IS IT?Rebranding occurs when a product or service developed with one brand, company or product line affiliation is marketed or distributed with a new and different identity. It is usually more than simply a change in brand’s logo and other superficial changes and should involve radical changes to the brand name, image marketing strategy and advertising themes. In order to complete Rebranding, several areas should be reviewed includ ing positioning, personality, cluster of values, logo, company, identity and vision prior to the building of a brand.Rebranding can take place for a new product, a mature product, or even developing products. In some cases, a total rebrand may not be necessary but rather a partial rebrand. When a brand has been firmly established but may be outdated or needs refreshing due to new products or services, partial Rebranding may be more appropriate. It is critical that the brand value that’s been developed over the years not be eliminated. Subtle changes to update it may be all that is necessary to get the message across and revitalize sales.It is important to differentiate between Rebranding of a product versus repositioning of a product. Repositioning may involve a change in any of the marketing mix elements in an effort to respond to declining sales or market share. The goal in repositioning is to target existing products at new markets or segments. Repositioning may be part of Rebranding campaign. In contrast, Rebranding should involve a total change to fundamental company elements such as mission statements, values and widely recognized logos in an effort to have the company’s brand accurately reflect what it offers.WHEN SHOULD REBRANDING OCCURS: Rebranding is appropriate and essential under several circumstances in order to ensure success in product and service delivery. Often, a company has adapted their products to keep competitive in the marketplace to the extent the company’s brand may no longer accurately reflect what if offers. In this case, a major brand overhaul is necessary. A large quantity of acquisitions or merging of companies may require Rebranding in order to adequately reflect the new, large company.When is Rebranding necessary? DRIVERS OF REBRANDING: The two major reasons of rebranding are: corporate restructuring and modifying the external perceptions. The following text highlights more drivers that call for rebranding e xercise: †¢ Outliving the usefulness: Sometimes, a brand might outlive the purpose for which it was created. In such a scenario, it is more suitable to change the name of brand and then continue or prune the product depending upon the market requirement. Values change: Sometimes, the value that promoters want to display to the audience through the brands change, and that is why they decide to change the brand name as well. †¢ Mergers and acquisitions: Cases like the merger and acquisitions force the corporates to dawn a new identity for themselves, as it was seen in the case of Air Deccan and Kingfisher. However, while conducting the rebranding exercise, the companies should conduct a thorough analysis of the values and the attributes for which the brand name of the merging companies stand for and then only a new name should be adopted or the old one should be changed. Confused brands: In the case of UTI bank which changed its name to Axis bank, the brand UTI was associate d with many other instituted in different streams financial strength, had to go for rebranding. CONSIDERATIONS FOR REBRANDING: †¢ Through analysis of the target market: A company indulging in a rebranding exercise will not like to indulge into the exercise at the cost of its existing customers. Therefore, a thorough analysis of the profile of the existing customers is warranted. The rebranding exercise may attract new segments of the market but should not drive away the existing segments being served by the market. Nature of brand equity: A thorough analysis of brand equity and the nature of its standing in the eyes of its stakeholders should be conducted before going for dropping an already well established name, because if the new name fails to live up to the expectations of the stakeholders, it may result in a huge loss in terms of the sales and goodwill of the firm and through these two elements, on the value of the firm. †¢ Project Management: It is generally the mark eting department who takes up the leadership role in implementing the rebranding exercise and tries to seek out and surmount the challenges ahead.However, in many cases, it is the board of directors with the external ad agency who decide upon the rebranding exercise and implement it. †¢ Staff Involvement : The staff involvement is seen at various levels of the organization and they are basically consulted to suggest and brain storm on the new brand name and the like. †¢ Customer Involvement: Though not many organizations go for customer feedback before rebranding themselves, feedback is sought in a more subtle and discreet way from the customers. Since confidentially is a concern for such an exercise, the rebranding campaign was not made more broad based.OBSTACLES: †¢ Time consuming: Most of the organizations found brand building time consuming and they failed to estimate the exact time for conducting the exercise. †¢ Internal Resistance: Employee morale is great ly affected by the attitudes associated with the organization they work with, so many a times a change in brand name greatly affects their motivation and willingness to work for their responses. PREREQUISITES OF A SUCCESSFUL REBRANDING EXERCISE. †¢ Clear Vision: The top management should have a clear vision about the organization and the direction in which it wants to take the organization.It also should have a fair idea as to what does it want to achieve through the rebranding exercise. †¢ Engagement of staff: The staff should be engaged at all levels across the organization to have a feeling or unanimity and oneness towards the entire exercise. †¢ Thorough Planning: The rebranding exercise should be thoroughly planned and if need be, contingency plans should be prepared for any crisis. Rebranding is a difficult exercise to execute and it requires a lot of planning and a very minute detailed setting of goals and milestones in the execution phase to ensure the smooth implementation of the rebranding exercise. Adequate Resources: Adequate resources should be provided to the organization in terms of manpower, money and other resources. The complexity in execution; especially in the communication process calls for expert intervention in the entire process and the dispassionate observation and wide knowledge of the experts becomes a necessary in such projects. †¢ Communication: The communication with the stake holders should be consistent, clear and multilateral to win their confidence towards the entire exercise. Impact on the Financial Markets: A firm exists for the maximization of shareholders wealth and it is therefore very important for the organization, to study the short term impact of the rebranding exercise on the financial markets and the organization should plan as to how it is going to deal with the short term impacts on the stock market prices of the rebranding exercise. TYPES OF REBRANDING EXERCISE: 1) Reiterating: These companies need not change their brand name, their names are strong enough and the brand essence has not changed over a period of years. ) Renaming: Some companies may go for renaming themselves to display the change in the ownership structure and to reflect the new owner’s identity in the name or the logo of the company. 3) Redefining: Some companies may go for redefining the qualities and attributes attached to it. It is done to give the company a new direction and also convey to the stake holders a change in the ownership pattern and the new direction of the company. 4) Restarting: These organizations feel a need not only to change the attributes attached to their brands but also the brand names ltogether. This happens when an existing brand departs from or enters into a new product line. 5) Abstract Brand Name: Companies normally go for an abstract brand name, because their abstraction lends them the flexibility of getting associated with other products also. Moreover, it is also s een that service organizations prefer more abstract names as they want to convey more complex messages than the product based organizations. REBRANDING SUCCESS: Several well-known companies have attempted Rebranding in recent years.In some cases the Rebranding effort has been all encompassing for the company and in other cases a few changes were all that were necessary in order to ensure success. Hindustan Unilever limited: Hindustan Lever, a 51. 6 per cent subsidiary of Unilever plc formed in 1956, is the largest FMCG Company in India. It operates in two segments — home and personal care products such as soaps, detergents, oral care products, hair care products, skin care products, cosmetics, deodorants and fragrances, and food and beverages such as tea, coffee, wheat flour, salt, ice creams and culinary products.With a turnover of over US$ 2200 million in 2003, HLL employs over 40,000 people across the country. Coca-Cola India: Coca-Cola is a leading player in the Indian be verage market with a 60 per cent share in the carbonated soft drinks segment, 36 per cent share in fruit drinks segment and 33 per cent share in the packaged water segment. In 2004, Coca-Cola sold 7 billion packs of its brands to more than 230 million consumers across 4,700 towns and 175,000 villages. The company has doubled its volumes and trebled its profits between 2001 and 2004. Coca-Cola continues to re-affirm its commitment to India through active ‘Citizenship Efforts. All its plants in India partner with local NGOs to alleviate local community issues in numerous small ways. It boasts of impeccable credentials on quality. Coca-Cola has succeeded in spite of an extremely price-sensitive consumer with entrenched beverage consumption habits – tea, nimbu-paani (lemonade) and a fragmented and geographically dispersed retail market, and a high tax environment. Intel India: Intel India was established in 1988 in Bangalore, and has now grown to include the maximum number of Intel divisions in any country outside the United States.India’s increasing IT and engineering talent pool, has ensured that the majority of work done at Intel India is software and hardware engineering; and has also established the Intel India Design Centre, as Intel’s largest non-manufacturing site internationally. Intel has over 2,000 employees, of whom 1,200 work at the development centre. Significant market development groups include education and Intel Capital, which helps Intel make strategic investments in technology and online start-ups. Intel has invested US$ 60 million in infrastructure in India. REBRANDING FAILURES:For every successful Rebranding story, there is at least one corresponding failure. The example given below outlines some of the reasons why Rebranding does not always succeed. New Coke: One of the most infamous rebranding failure stories in history is that of New Coke. On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola Company took one of its biggest risks by anno uncing it was changing the formula for the world’s most popular soft drink. The outcry which followed was heard around the world. The motivation behind the formula change was a shrinking market share which the company believed to be the results of its arch rival Pepsi-Cola.During the 1970’s, the â€Å"Pepsi Challenge† campaign seemed to erode the coke market even further. The company felt compelled to do something as it appeared consumers; particularly the baby boomer market, had a preference for sweeter drinks. Coke experimented with a new sweeter formula and market tests indicated the new formula was preferred overwhelmingly to both regular Coke and Pepsi. A first hint of pending disaster was when focus groups indicated indignation upon finding out they were tasting a possible new Coca-Cola and threatened to stop drinking coke altogether.Nevertheless, the company relied heavily on the market analysis and research and launched new coke in April of 1985. Initial results were promising but the backlash that followed almost took the company down. The company did not factor in the rich, cultural history tied to the original coke. Even though taste tests continued to indicate a preference for the sweeter drink, brand loyalty was staunch for the classic coke and consumers boycotted the new coke as a result. With in 3 months, coca-cola was forced to bring back classic coke, which resulted in a resurgence of sales to bring coca-cola to the fore front once again.Eventually, New Coke became Coke II and is virtually unavailable in distribution today. So what went wrong? Research was extensive, leadership supported the rebranding and an extensive advertising campaign was launched. Perhaps the company should have listened to that minority segment in the focus groups who were offended that Coca-Cola would even think about changing its formula(which it actually did any way when it changed from a sugar sweetness to a more inexpensive high fructose corn s yrup sweetener). This was a hint of the cultural backlash that would result, particularly from the southern U.S. where coke was a part of the regional identity. Perhaps the launch was not successfully implemented. Pepsi was able to strategically maneuver advertising by claiming they had won the cola wars prior to the official launch of New Coke. In addition, Coca-Colas CEO was unprepared for the â€Å"launching news conference resulting in alienation of reporters. He could not answer simple questions about the taste change. What ever the reason New Coke is now history and coke classic with other coke products maintain a lead in overall sales.Volume for the classic brand has risen 24 percent since 1984 making it the No. 1 soft drink in the land since 1987. It is interesting how loyal consumers can be to a brand once you take it away temporarily. The rebranding failure actually led to revitalization of the existing brand and a newfound respect by company leadership for the â€Å"cul ture† surrounding the original Coca-Cola product. MISTAKES MADE WHEN REBRANDING: †¢ Lack of True Change: It is important to remember that rebranding signals change. Your brand is more than your logo or corporate colors.Simply repacking the goods and providing some new designs will not get results you need. Putting a new cover on an old book doesn’t make it new. Brands include every thing from customer perception and experience to quality, look and feel, customer care and retail and web environments. Make sure the changes instilled are all encompassing or customers will catch on quick and make a fast departure. †¢ Lack of Quality Research: Research is required in order to be able to establish a plan for rebranding. Current and prospective customers must be involved when creating solutions.Knowing customer attitudes and desires is essential in order to deliver the product they want in the way they want it delivered. In addition, research should be interpreted cu rrently or the rebranding efforts can take a wrong direction. Coca-cola performed extensive research but discounted a portion of it which ultimately became very important foreshadowing of things to come. †¢ Ignoring Brand Equity: By ignoring existing brand equity when rebranding, a company faces the risk of alienating and subsequently losing existing loyal customers. This was evident during the attempted rebranding of coke.The company assumed all customers would like and want the taste of new coke because they didn’t understand the extent of the current brand loyalty. AT & T took this into consideration after merging with Southwestern Bell to ensure customers were comfortable and unconcerned about any loss of service. †¢ Basing Rebranding on Advertising: Just as rebranding is not simply repacking the product, neither is it simply the advertising campaign. Brand strategy should be the core item leading advertising; advertising should not lead brand strategy.Interesti ngly, some rebranding efforts may not include traditional advertising. Make sure the rebranding campaign is more than advertising or nothing will change for the company. †¢ Inability to Analyze the Positioning: The literature revealed that ‘Repositioning’ is one of the most important drivers for rebranding. Positioning is not what company does with the product; it’s all about what they do with the mind of the target audience, and what customers think about the company. So, it is vital for rebranding to clarify and refine the positioning.Both the present as well as desired positioning of the company should be apparent. †¢ Lack of Top Level Support: Even though the rebranding may be born in the marketing department, it should be owned and supported by the top level managers especially the CEO. The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is the only authority who can drive change in all the functional areas across the organization. The CEO needs to set the vision an d lead rebranding to ensure that Product, Service & People are aligned and determined to deliver the implied promises through rebranding. CONCLUSION:As branding trends continue to evolve, rebranding success seems to depend on the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving media environment and taking advantage of new opportunities to reach the target audience. In order to remain competitive, companies will need to embrace â€Å"hot† media to spread the message to younger and techsavvy customers. New methods include blogs, pod casts, mobile phone-based programming, and social networks. However, a balance must be maintained with traditional methods of media in order to reach and retain the existing customer base. In order to rebrand successfully, key steps need to be taken in the process.Companies who embrace the elements of rebranding usually are able to obtain their goals. Companies who fail to address all of the elements of rebranding often make mistakes and succumb to failure . So does rebranding work? Yes, and NO. It works when it is based on quality information, has the support of leadership and employees, is well-planned, provide adequate training, is integrated throughout the whole company, has a well-balanced multi-media advertising campaign that communicates the brand message consistently across multiple platforms, is customer driven, and is evaluated on an on-going basis to determine if alterations are need.When these elements are not present, the chance of rebranding success diminishes rapidly. EXHIBITS |IBM | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | Hindustan Lever Limited |Hindustan Unilever Limited | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | Indian post | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | [pic] [pic] [pic] PHILIPS | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | |COMPAQ | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | HUTCH |Vodafone | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | |APPLE | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | KFC | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | | AIWA | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | KODAK | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | |SATYAM |MAHINDRA SATYAM | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | VIDEOCON | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | |CANARA BANK | |Old New | |[pic] |[pic] | |JET AIRWAYS | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | BANK OF BARODA | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | RELIANCE | |Old |New | |[pic] |[pic] | [pic] BIBLIOGRAPHY: †¢ Kotler, Keller, Koshy, Jha. â€Å"Marketing Management†, 13th Edition, Pearson Education. YLR Moorthi, â€Å"Brand Management, The Indian Context†,2006, Vikas publishing house pvt ltd. †¢ Bhavishya, The journal of futuristic managers, Jan-Mar 2008. †¢ Dr. M. A. Azeem, Prof. T. Venkat Ram Raj, December-2008,†Rebranding – A business imperative†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Page no: 15-21. †¢ M. Saeed, Ravinder vinayek, Narender kumar, September-2008, â€Å"Rebranding: An emerging brand marketing strategy (Trends, Issues and challenges)†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Page no: 3-10.WEBLIOGRAPHY: †¢ http://blong. styleap ple. com †¢ http://images. google. co. in/imgres? imgurl=http://remade. files. wordpress. com/2008/01/canarabankbeforeafter. jpg †¢ http://www. mobilepandit. com/2005/12/07/rebranding-reliance-infocom †¢ www. thehindubussinessline. com ———————– Change in Service Name Change Change in Product Acquisitions & Mergers Change in market Place New Product Launch Rebranding

The Difference Between Analytic and Speculative Philosophy

Philosophy is an Academic discipline that exercises reason and logic in an attempt to understand reality and answer fundamental questions about knowledge, life, morality and human nature. Philosophy is the root of all knowledge. It is considered as mother of all sciences. Philosophy helps to coordinate the various activities of individual and the society. It helps to understand the significance of all human experiences. Philosophy develops a comprehensive system of thoughts about the universe and life as whole. Etymologically philosophy comes from Greek word called â€Å"FILOSOFIA† FILO means love, SOFIA means knowledge/wisdom.Therefore philosophy means love of knowledge/wisdom. Philosophy is just like a tree because it has different branches. For instance main areas of the study in philosophy include metaphysics it is the study of general features reality such as existence, time and relationship between mind and body, EPISTEMOLOGY concerned with the nature and extent of knowl edge, LOGIC is the study of principles of correct reasoning, ETHICS is dealing with moral conduct, and AETHETICS dealing with beauty. There is also philosophy of mind, philosophy of law, social philosophy and philosophy of science.A person who studies philosophy is called PHILOSOPHER like SOCRATES, PLATO, and ARISTOTLE. Through the ages, philosophers have sought to answer such questions as, â€Å"What is meaning and purpose of life? †, â€Å"Does God exist? †, What does it mean to possess consciousness? †, and â€Å"What is the value of morals? †,. Philosophers attempt to answer such questions through the philosophical method. The methods usually begins when a philosopher examines his own beliefs and begins to doubt their validity. From his doubt, question emerge before answering a questions, the philophers thoroughly analyzes it to ensure it is clearly and properly defined.This helps to narrow the path to the most precise answer. Nexit, the philosopher pr opose reasoned arguments to support each one. Philosophy itself is generally considered a type of social science, like sociology or psychology. That’s because early philosophy was primarily concerned with describing the best way to live and organize society. From that spawned many other disciplines: Economics, Political science, Law linguistics, Literary and Art criticism, and Theology along with Theology and Psychology. Though many of philosophy’s original topics have evolved into other fields of study over time the discipline remains rich and varied.Modern philosophy contain six main branches of each with their own unique focus; Metaphysics is the study of nature of reality and universe. Epistemology the study knowledge and how it is acquired. Ethics the study of rights and wrong and how should people should live. Politics the study of government, citizen rights and political. Aesthetics the study of beauty, art and autistics perception. 1. Carefully examine the crit ical task of philosophy. Philosophy in short refers to the man’s quest of the unity of knowledge, a perpetual struggle to create the concepts that allow the universe to be seen as unified rather than as fragmented.Philosophy involves two separate but complimentary tasks: critical and constructive. The characteristics described below fall almost entirely within the critical task of philosophy, which involves posing difficult and probing questions about truth claims. The critical task of philosophy involves posing difficult questions about truth claims whenever they are put forth that is to ask or to speak what right is this or that believe to be accorded. The purpose of such questioning is not of course to destroy or tear down the truth but rather to purge it for error.The constructive task of philosophy aims at developing the whole of reality in which every aspect of human knowledge and every aspect of human experience will find its proper place The critical and constructive aspects of philosophy are thus not independent, but interdependent. There is little point in critiquing the ideas and proposals of others without having something substantive to offer instead, just as there is little point in offering ideas without being willing to both critique them yourself and having others provide critiques.Irreligious atheists may be justified in critiquing religion and theism, but they shouldn't do so without being able to offer something in their place. It is assumed that truth is stronger than error and that under the critical questioning of philosophy truth will survive and hopefully error will not. Hence to the extent that philosophy performs this task effectively. Philosophy contributes to the advancement of human knowledge by locating errors that might otherwise retard its progress.A good example is shown by Socrates by his unique task of interrogating his fellow citizens to show whether or not there opinions could stand up under close scrutiny. Whenever Socrates found people holding opinions or making truth claims he went to work . for instance â€Å"meno† claims to know whether or not virtue can be taught. Socrates would ask, â€Å"meno† what is virtue? , how can you know whether or not it can be taught? And for instance â€Å"Euthypro† claims to know that his father is guilty of impiety, Socrates would say â€Å"Euthyphro† I do not even know for sure what piety and impiety are.Could you instruct me in this? Therefore a situation of going about questioning people to test about the soundness of their opinions refers to what called the critical task of philosophy. Conclusively we all take many things for granted and everything we do is either determined by or affected by our assumptions, most of the time we are scarcely aware of them and it is through this assumptions that underlie our supposed knowledge that the philosopher is chiefly interested in them. The philosopher wants to know whose assumptions a re reasonable and whose assumptions are unreasonable.Intoday’s world the critical task of philosophy is conducted formally, and for that reason the questions that philosophersraise are not directed so much at individuals but are directed to fields of learning. The philosophers don’t question the scientists but question the assumptions and truth claims of science, the philosophers don’t question the religious person but question the truth claims of religion. Unlike in the 5th century where Socrates conducted the critical task of philosophy informallyand went around questioningindividuals. 2.With relevant examples examine the difference between analytic and speculative philosophy Analytic philosophy is the type of philosophy in which we analyze all fundamental assumptions (claims) for all the sciences. The claim of social sciences, religious, ethics. There is no area left unchecked. Analysis is the breaking down of words into small parts. For example, a husband is a married man therefore husband is an analyzed concept while a married man is the analysis of the concept. In analytic philosophy we analyze the concept and check its validity by testing the analysis.For instance, a sister is a young female sibling we have to ask ourselves different questions from this concept, first question is that, are all sisters young female siblings? The answer is no. The second question is, all young sisters are siblings? The answer is yes. Due to this we have two different answers, therefore the analysis is incorrect. For the analysis to be incorrect it requires that all the sentences are true, that is to say all things that fall under the analyzed concept must fall under its analysis and  also all the things that fall under the analysis of a concept must also fall under the analyzed concept.Speculative philosophy is the type of philosophy which tries to bring together all the sciences that as biological, physical and social sciences. Originally it starts to inquire about the nature of different phenomena. To speculate is to go beyond the experience it is guessing in other words. For example, is there an immortal soul? Is there life after death? Speculative concept is something that cannot be examined scientifically. It contains things that no one can see.It is generally unscientific philosophy. Analytic philosophy and Speculative philosophy tends to differ in certain things. The following are the differences between analytic philosophy and speculative philosophy. Analytic philosophy emphasizes on logic, language and aligns itself with the empirical sciences. In analytic philosophy, it inquiries into the meaning of the concept we use and try to avoid to use vague terms that do not fit into their logical, linguistic and empirical methods. For example square is a figure in equal sides. The language which used is clear and gives us clear meaning of the concept.But in speculative philosophy, philosophers tends to use terms that do not f it with our simple experience of the world in other words, they use abstract words. For example, Is there an immortal soul? The concept is an abstract one, as it requires one to go beyond experience in order to find the truth of the concept. Another difference is that, analytic philosophy, it concepts can be examined scientifically that is through checking its validity. There are several stages in order to give an analysis . You first start with a candidate analysis for example; a square is a figure in equal sides.Then you test the analysis, if it still gives wrong answer you must improve that analysis like a square is a figure in four equal sides. From there you test the improved analysis if it still has some ambiguity you test it again in order to give a clear meaning of a concept, so the correct concept will be a figure in four equal sides and only right angles. But in Speculative philosophy, its concept cannot be scientifically examined. , because it contains things that cannot be seen by anyone it is unscientific philosophy for example, is there an immortal soul?This concept is abstractive one because no one can see a soul, and so scientific method cannot be applicable. Then in speculative philosophy seeking for new observation in the fact that through observing things not that deeply but only observing since there is no why questions in speculative philosophy but in analytic philosophy it analyses statements to break down the philosophical concepts to make clear understanding of the concepts for example husband is a married man, therefore a husband is analyzed concept while a married man is the analysis of the concept.This has why and who questions. Furthermore, speculative philosophy seeks to establish new understanding of different concepts as long as it is seeking for new observation therefore it establishes the new understandings for example dealing with the disasters like diseases existing that never existed before but on the side of Analytic philos ophy is just prescribing the existing concepts but does not entail new understanding of the concepts in the fact that it deals with and analyzing the existing concepts not establishing new understanding.Therefore even though the speculative and analytic philosophy they differ but both speculative philosophy and analytic philosophy they assemble on helping in bringing together the science subjects like physics, biology as well as chemistry and social sciences, also enables mind to have a critical reflection before it makes a judgement. it also enables man to make clarification of what is right and what is wrong as well as making minds in quick understanding of issues. 3. With concrete examples examine the role and function of analytic philosophy.Analytic philosophy is the type of philosophy which examines the bases claims of religion science and ethics. It is also called linguistic philosophy. It is relating as the approach to philosophical problems, dominant in Anglo-American philos ophy from the early 20th century. The following are the roles and functions of analytic philosophy; It emphasis on the study of language and logical analysis of concepts, although most work of analytic philosophy has been done in great Britain and the united states and significant contributions have also been done to other countries.Analytical philosophy analyses the fundamental assumption of all science. The claim of physical science, social science or religion For instance â€Å"All bachelors are unmarried’ there is no need to know anything about the world to conclude that this proposition is true because the terms â€Å"bachelors† means someone who is Unmarried. Analytic philosophy is always an attempt of clarification, one of its problems we have such as we have as the people is to clarify the issues in our lives, clarify the ideas concepts and an assumption.In its primary sense analytic philosophy is used to describe philosophy that proceeds via analysis by seeki ng to understand the composition of its subject matter out of simple components. Analytic philosophy provides the statements (analytic statement) that are true merely by virtue of definitions of their terms. Examples of analytic statements are â€Å"Frozen ice is water†, Bachelors are unmarried men†, No addition meaning or knowledge is contained in predicate that is not already given in the subject. Analytic statements are redundant statements whose clarification relies entirely on definition.Analytic sentences tell us about logic and about language use. Therefore, sometimes the best way to understand an aspect of philosophy is to look at a selection of the important thinkers therein, since a consideration of the questions they concerned themselves with can help us appreciate the overall areas within which they worked, as it were. This is especially so here because it's difficult to say exactly what analytic philosophy is. Although there is only space to touch on a sele ction of ideas and problems, they should make clearer the range and scope of what goes by that name.

Positive impact of multiculturalism in America Essay

Nowadays, it is common to see people from diverse background living together in a single territory. Some societies are even lenient in allowing the existence of diversity which could be termed as multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is identified as the co-existence of different cultures in a single bounded territory where in the small group of people of diverse background have the right to practice things that are different from the dominant population and are still accepted as an important part of a whole (Kennedy-Dubourdieu, 2006, p. 1). United States is considered as a land of diversity and a destination to millions of immigrants who are seeking to become a part of the â€Å"American dream. † The rise of multiculturalism has been evident in the country since the second half of the twentieth century. Since then various debates have been raised against the fast-paced movement of multiculturalism in the United States. It has been consistently told that there are various drawbacks regarding multiculturalism (Parillo, 2008, p. 167). However, most of the people have always focused on the negative impact of multiculturalism, never realizing that things always have its flipside. This paper sought to explore the positive impact of multiculturalism in the United States. According to Vincent Parillo (2008, p. 167-168), multiculturalism in the United States will not simply fade away. Because every nation’s strength lies among its people, it should be clearly understood that United States is not an exemption. The diversity of people played a substantial role in the development of United States as a whole. Many immigrants from different countries have come in the United States and contributed much in America’s evolution. The coming of age of United States’ agriculture and industrial landscape was shaped by past immigrants who were responsible for the creation of transportation systems, cities and labor unions. Likewise, current immigrants have also strengthened America’s economic state. The technological industry of America rose to its competitive level because of immigrants who have recognized the full potential of these advancements. Apart from these, immigrants from different nations have brought billions of dollars in the nation’s economy with the help of their businesses, consumerism and occupations. Additionally, the workforce of different sectors in the country has been benefiting from the diverse pool of people who are sharing their knowledge and skills in the union labor. The education system in United States is also not new with the aspect of multiculturalism. After World War II, the colleges and universities in the country has been more diverse. Through the acceptance of multiculturalism in educational facilities, majority of the people become more attentive about the rich concepts of diverse society, politics and economy. Multiculturalism also set a ground for students to give recognition in the works of other people especially in the field of literature. The development of the influence of multicultural literature exposes students to become more understanding in the diversified forms of lifestyle outside America, which means that although there are no firsthand accounts with the actual events, the students are given the idea of how other cultures work, which in a greater scale could contribute to the knowledge of the students of where and how things have originated (Lowe, 2000). Records also showed that educational facilities in the United States that are racially and ethically diverse substantially benefits the students because they are able to learn more in that particular environment and becomes a well rounded person. Students actively participates in the society that is driven with pluralistic and democratic thinking which in the end they could use once they leave the school grounds. In addition, the presence of multiculturalism in American higher education promotes the reduction of the patterns of racial segregation that has been permeating in the school grounds for such a long time. The incorporation of diversity in the curriculum also serves as an opportunity for creating effective interpersonal relationships among students which they could later on use to act responsibly and negotiate on things beyond borders and colors (Clayton-Pedersen and Musil, 2008). Unlike other people from different nations who are able to speak two languages or are considered as bilingual, majority of the American’s are monolingual. Because of this reason, American’s are placed in a disadvantaged position in the business community and global marketplace which are landscapes that encourages the usage of different languages. Through multiculturalism, the mastery of a secondary language is given priority in different sectors. It was also posted that learning another language enhances the mental mobility of an individual and provide a holistic view of the cultural background of the said learned language. More so, learning a different language creates the whole American society attain the level of maturity and tolerance towards its relations with interracial groups. Thus, it is posted that additional languages through multiculturalism are indications that Americans have met the needs of minorities to find the freedom and opportunity in the â€Å"land of the free† (Parillo, 2008, p. 169). Multiculturalism also diminishes the ignorance and arrogance of American’s towards other interracial groups. Since Americans and other racial groups are sharing together in a single territory, people happen to engage in activities that promote the knowledge about all shades of people. Suppose that an American did not have any encounters with a particular culture, and rely mainly on the news that he or she viewed such as that particular culture has minimal technology and are inclined towards nature. Consistently the American, who was born in a country that is technologically rich and driven towards modernity, would think that he or she is far more superior compared to the people in the said culture. Due to this idea, the individual closes his or her mind to have any dialogue or contact with any of the members of that culture. However, through multiculturalism close contact between the two cultures are possible where in the other culture could be praised for their perspective of maintaining the environment that has been the top priority of many environmentalists while the other culture could be reinforced to understand that the continuous exploitation of the environment for the improvement of their prized technology does not reach the standards of true progressiveness. In the end, there is a meeting of knowledge where in the questions that surround the American is satisfied by the dialogue that is made through multiculturalism (Ainsah-Mensah, 2007). Combating stereotyping as well as racial discrimination is also an advantage of multiculturalism. By discovering and building upon the similarities of every individual as well as acknowledging difference, various minorities in United States are able to break through the color barrier. It is evident that from many sectors across the United State the optimal performance and productivity of every individual, American or individual of color, is enhanced because of the decrease in segregation. And because of this, the country’s monoculturalism has been translated into a pool of diversity where the maximum potentials of individual contribute to the improvement of every aspect of the nation and the true meaning of democracy and civil rights has been sufficed (Parillo, 2008, p. 68). Apparently there is a continuous increase in the multicultural society in the United States and various changes are taking place. However, it is important to note that the growing number of racial minorities in the country does not always post a negative impact on the nation as a whole. What many do not realize is the fact that the things that are sometimes viewed to be a threat for the improvement of United States could also be an asset. Obviously people are more centred towards the drawbacks of multiculturalism not realizing that multiculturalism has been an important factor in shaping United States. Multiculturalism fosters a better understanding towards people of color. As such, it also bridges gaps undermined by ignorance and promote oneness and synthesis in different aspects of the community. Likewise, it is an important medium that encourages interracial relations. By deeply understanding the impacts of multiculturalism, significant changes for the betterment of the country and its people could be properly attained.

Bipolar Disorder 2

Bipolar Disorder 2 Essay Bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this disorder can appear in almost anyone. Even the great painter Vincent Van Gogh is believed to have had bipolar disorder. It is clear that in our society many people live with bipolar disorder; however, despite the amount of people suffering from it, we are still waiting for explanations for the causes and cure. The one fact of which we are aware is that bipolar disorder severely undermines its victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Because bipolar disorder has such debilitating symptoms, it is important that we keep looking for explanations of its causes and for more ways to treat this disorder. Bipolar has a large variety of symptoms, divided in two categories. One is the manic episodes, the other is depressive. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness and despair that can turn into feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Some of the symptoms of a depressive episode include disturbances in sleep and appetite, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, difficulty thinking, indecision, and reoccurring thoughts of death and suicide. The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior. These episodes may alternate with profound depressions characterized by a deep sadness, almost inability to move, hopelessness, and disturbances in appetite, sleep, problems with concentrations and driving. Bipolar affective disorder affects approximately one percent of the population (approximately three million people) in the United States. It occurs in both males and females.Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or not. Most commonly, individuals with manic episodes do experience a period of depression. Symptoms include elated, excited, or irritable mood, hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessive involvement in reckless activities. As the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (MDMDA) has found out in their research, bipolar disorder can create marital and family disruptions, occupational setbacks, and financial disasters. Many times, bipolar patients report that the depressions are longer and increase in frequency as the person ages. Many timess bipolar states and psychotic states are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. The onset of Bipolar disorder usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 30 years of age, with a second peak in the mid-forties for women. A typical bipolar patient may experience eight to ten episodes in their lifetime. However, those who have rapid cycling may experience more episodes of mania and depression that follow each other without a period of remission. The three stages of mania begin with hypomania, in which patients report that they are energetic, extroverted and assertive. Hypomania progresses into mania and the transition is marked by extreme loss of judgment. Often, euphoric grandiose characteristics are displayed, and paranoid or irritable characteristics begin. The third stage of mania is evident when the patient experiences paranoid delusions. Speech is generally rapid and hyperactive behavior sometimes turns into violence. Sometimes both manic and depressive symptoms occur at the same time. This is called a mixed episode. Those affected are at special risk because there is a combination of hopelessness, agitation, and anxiety that make them feel like they could jump out of their skin. Up to 50% of all patients with mania have a mixture of depressed moods. Patients report feeling dysphoric, depressed, and unhappy; yet, they have the energy associated with mania. Rapid cycling mania is another form of bipolar disorder. Mania may be present with four or more episodes within a 12 month period. Lithium has been the primary treatment of bipolar disorder since its introduction in the 1960s. Its main function is to stabilize the cycling characteristic of bipolar disorder. In four controlled studies by F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, the overall response rate for bipolar subjects treated with Lithium was 78% (1990). Lithium is also the primary drug used for long- term maintenance of bipolar disorder. In a .

Employment-At-Will Doctrine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employment-At-Will Doctrine - Assignment Example The at-will employment doctrine is applied in all states in the US apart from Montana (National Conference of States and Legislatures, 2014). In its unmodified form, the doctrine of employment-at-will allows the employer to fire employees as he deems fit without suffering legal consequences. It is, therefore, possible to legally fire an employee. However, the doctrine is a default rule that can be altered by contract. For instance, a contract can provide for a fixed employment term or allow dismissal only for a cause. In the United States, companies usually negotiate employment agreements only with high-rank employees. Collective bargaining agreements usually protect represented workers against termination without cause. Causes include employee’s misconduct, poor performance or economic necessity. An employment contract may specify instances or employee actions that would result into termination for cause (National Conference of States and Legislatures, 2014). Thus, to mitigate the harsh consequences of employment-at-will, courts and statutes carved out exceptions to the doctrine of employment-at-will. Exceptions to the doctrine fall under Common Law and Statutes. Public policy exception to the employment-at-will doctrine protects employees against employment actions that contravene public interest. For instance in most states, an employer cannot fire an employee for declining to violate the law at employer’s request or for filing a workers compensation claim after sustaining an injury while on the job. Public policy is the most widely recognized exception in most states (Muhi, 2001). This is the second major exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. It is applied when an implied contract is created between the employer and the employee, irrespective of express or written instrument regarding the kind of the employment relationship existing. Although employment is usually not governed by contracts,