A close focus on act III of ‘The Crucible’ Essay

The play, ‘The crucible’, shows how people react to mass hysteria caused by a group of people, as people did during the McCarthy hearings in the 1950’s. The â€Å"House un-American activities committee† searched for communist sympathisers because they were felt to be a threat to the state. Many Americans were wrongly accused of being communist sympathisers and were convicted and sentenced without any real evidence of them having committed a crime. Mere suspicion was classed as evidence. And like the during the witch hunts, anyone who spoke out was accused which made defending yourself a death wish. This is how McCarthyism was linked with the witch-hunts that had taken place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The title of the play describes exactly what was happening at the time of the witch-hunts. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extracted the pure element from impurities, and crucible is another word for a cauldron that witches use to brew their magic potions in. So the word ‘crucible’ could metaphorically be used to explain how the activities in Salem were like a potion brewing in a cauldron with the potion being ‘mixed’ to separate the witches (impurities) from the good, god-loving citizens (element). The opening scene of the play shows the girls dancing in the woods around a cauldron, they are spotted by Parris who also see’s that one of them is naked.  The people of Salem were Puritans and so dancing was perceived as a sin.  The morning after the dancing, two of the youngest girls cannot wake from bed. A doctor is called to help the girls but he cannot diagnose what is wrong with them or how they can be helped, His only advice is to look to the unnatural. The girls do not confess to their activities until Parris confronts them. Abigail says all that they did was dance and strongly denies that any of them were naked, ‘Uncle, we did dance.’ ‘There is nothin’ more. I swear it, uncle.’ Mrs Putnam, the mother of the other ill child, believes that her daughter Ruth and Parris’s daughter Betty’s illnesses are caused by the devil. Parris calls for Hale who is an expert on ‘demonic arts’  Parris is the minister of the Village, much to the Putnam’s dismay. Mr Putnam’s brother was in competition with Parris for the position of minister and so the Putnam’s have a grudge against not only Parris, but the Nurse family who prevented him from being minister and many of there neighbours for various reasons. Especially with Giles Corey who has worked out that the Putnam’s will do anything to get their hands on other peoples land, ‘This man is killing his neighbours for their land!’ John Proctor also has a grudge against Parris. Hale arrives in Salem, He is a confident and well education young man who believes he has all the answers. As he is examining Betty Giles Corey distracts him by asking him questions about his wife. Giles says that his wife reads strange books whilst they are in bed and while she is reading, he cannot pray. Hale carries on trying to help Betty with little effect. Parris tells Hale that he thinks he saw a kettle in the grass with the girls in the wood with something moving inside it. Hale questions Abigail but she denies that she drank blood and called the devil. Abigail then realises that if the truth is found out she will get in a lot of trouble and so she passes the blame onto Tituba, Parris’s black slave, by saying that Tituba forced her to drink blood and even blames her wicked dreams on the slave. Tituba confesses to save herself from being hung. She mentions four people’s names that she supposedly saw with the devil. Abigail mentions more and more names and then the rest of the girls join in, mentioning the names of anyone they hate, have a grudge against or just dislike. As the girls cried out more names, the hysteria began to grow.  By accusing others of witchcraft they are diverting attention away from their original misdemeanours. We can see that the Proctors relationship is not very strong, they make petty small talk over dinner and don’t appear to be happy together. One reason for this may be that Elizabeth has not forgiven John for having an affair with Abigail whilst she was ill.  Whilst Mary was at court with the other girls where people were being tried for witchcraft she made a poppet for Elizabeth. Abigail was sitting next to Mary whilst she made it. By now 39 women had been arrested and Goody Osborn was sentenced to hanging.  Mary, who had always been a very shy, timid girl was now becoming very easily led along by Abigail and just as confused between fact and fantasy as the other girls and. This is apparent when she tells the Proctors that Sarah Good had confessed to having made contact with Lucifer, and that Sarah Goods spirit tried to choke her in the courtroom. Mary then speaks of even more fantasy when she says that terrible stomach pains had been inflicted upon her when she had turned the old woman away whilst she was begging. Mary also accused the old woman of mumbling a spell to her, but Sarah Good claimed it was not a spell, it were her commandments. The court asked her to repeat the commandments, but she could not.

The Socio-Cultural Impact on Love, Marriage, and Kinship

Carine Garcon ANT 3212 Wayne A. Abrahamson Spring 2013 The Socio-Cultural Impact on Love, Marriage, and Kinship One’s perspective of the world is consistently altered by our surroundings and influenced by the events that take place. In the past approximately 50 years divorce rates have risen a significant incredibly high. Many researchers have associated this phenomena the contemporary society marriage symbolizes and values. This idea and representation of love have conversely affected and impacted relationships. Thus, the topic that will be investigated is how society and cultural has affected our notion of love, marriage, and kinship.One of the ways society has impacted the notion of marriage is that fact that the government attempts to regulate marriages. â€Å"A few states realize the importance of marriage, and they have taken action to try to change our notion on marriage. Louisiana, Arizona, and Arkansas they believed in covenant marriages. According to the journal cov enant marriage required the following†¦ This movement set out to promote and strengthen marriages, reduce divorce rates, lessen the number of children born out of wedlock, discourages cohabitation, and frame marriage as an honorable and desirable institution. † (Hawkins et al. 002:166) Because of the fact that the contemporary culture has lost sight of the significance of marriage, the government attempted to regulate the marriages within certain states. Furthermore, the state of Florida has made it harder for couples to get married and also get a divorce. The state has now implemented a 3- day waiting period for marriage licenses if couples do not seek premarital education, hoping to reduce impulsive, ill-advised unions. (Hawkins et al. 2002:166) It is clear why the government has attempted to regulate and restrict the amount of marriages that potentially can happen.Years ago marriage was considered to be a divine, sacred union shared between two people before God. This union was intended to be a union that lasted a lifetime and previously the option to dissipate the marriage did not exist. In the current state of marriage, people get married they do not see it as something that is supposed to be forever, but instead as something temporarily. Divorce has become too easy and feasible for people to obtain. I personally believe this current generation people confuse lust for love. Most people would tell someone that they love them, but instead it is really lust.It seems that no one really knows the differences between lust and love, so the two words are commonly mistaken and used in the wrong way. Even in movies and mass entertainment, love and relationships are portrayed negatively with glamour. The typical story begins with a man who convinces a girl with the idea and possibility of love. Once she is vulnerable the couple would most likely indulge in sexual intercourse. When this happens the man then leaves, the woman regrets the decision. These thi ngs are glamourized and popularized by the mass media and a result, the youth is then influenced to mimic the same.The psychological effects of the mass media are subtle, but long-term. (Galician 2004) As a child coming from a Christian background I read the bible very often. The bible is a great source to view and analyze the changes that have happened throughout the last 5 decades, because much of the ideals were based upon its contents. In the book of Matthew chapter 22:36-44 it states, â€Å"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? † Jesus replied: â€Å"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second command is similar stating, â€Å"Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. † (Matthew 22:36-44) Out of all the Ten Commandments these two were considered to be the most coveted and highly regarded. This emph asis on the idea that love should be a highly heralded and powerful word in is uses and approach. The order in which these commandments are given, also place emphasis and attention towards how one who is reading the text should perceive it.In the journal, On A Paradox Of Christian Love Liu exclaimed that these two commandments direct ones love to distinct objects. (Liu 2007:681) The commandments were placed in a certain order as â€Å"first† and â€Å"second† to illustrate importance and respect. By putting these commandments in an order it is assumed that the one must achieve a spiritual love with everything in your body and mind, and only after can you love can love someone else (neighbor). The bible has influenced a large amount of the Western society and culture. From a biblical stand point you cannot love anyone else unless your love is rooted with a divine spirit.I believe that if it has to do with our culture then inversely it pertains to love, thus as a society we are blinded by what we want to see. It is critical that one see’s the need to learn to take time and careful thought into deciding whether or not we’re in love. Love is patient, so it’s okay to take your time to fall for someone because if it is true love than it will reveal itself in its own right. Also, the stress placed upon by people on love results in the spending of time and hours wondering if there is true love in their relationship.The impact that culture has had on the social relations of love have led to the belief that love is based off of what one can do for the other, while in its essence and purity love isn’t based on that logic and reasoning but emotion and feeling. In the textbook it explains how a man spent most of his time away from his home, so the child grew up under the influence of their mothers and matrilineal relatives. If praise or shame failed to control the behavior of children, the withdrawal of maternal affection had a pow erful effect. King 2003) In today’s culture and society the result adverse conditions and occurrences are happening. By contemporary society, men are supposed to be considered as the primary provider for their families. Women are widely considered to be the ones that bear the responsibility of child bearing and maintaining the stability and homeostasis of the home. Though the effect is not the extent and extreme of a mother taking away her affection from a child, but the equivalent in terms of linearity would be a mother in this day and age placing the child in time out as a form of punishment.This idea also delves a deeper in the explanation of adolescent girls who become â€Å"quickly incorporated into the highly organized female kinship group, and boys [who] sought out special friendships with each other to provide mutual support in adulthood. † (King 2003) In analyzation how love is specially affected by the socio-cultural factors of today, the analysis of the term ‘kinship’ can be addressed to further the discussion. Kinship isn’t just considered to be relationship through blood, but it also means relation by marriage, or adoption.Again television and mass has led us to believe that most families are generally tight knit and very close, but in reality most families are seriously dysfunctional. (Galician 2004) Throughout all of this dysfunction, families still manage to find some form of stability amongst them. Overall kin generally stick together, and maintain a decent relationship with each other. In the textbook King explains how marriages takes place in the Ancient areas towards the east (Massachusett, Iroquois, Cherokee). He explained that if a man had a bride in mind he would have two options.Ask a family to propose a match to the other family, or to attract the girl himself. If the guy proved himself to be worthy the family would accept the couples sexual relationship, and if it eventually at the end of the process a wedding would take place. (King 2003) The family tests the couple’s relationship based upon the sex and essentially, if the sex was proven adequate, then the couple would then get married. King further explained that an ordinary man would take extra wives to help around with their community duties or ambitions.Furthermore, in this time period bride service was very common. A new husband would go live with his in-laws to perform these duties. (King 2003) These days, a new husband would not go live with his in- laws and he most certainly wouldn’t be performing bride services. This is one example of the extreme changes that have occurred socially and culturally in regards to marriage. Conclusively, culture and media has had an impact on how we view marriage, love, and kinship. Most people no longer view marriage as being permanent, but instead as being temporary.They no longer believe in fighting to make their relationship work, they’d much rather divorce or sepa rate and prevent and reconciliation in their differences. It is worldwide postulation that love is difficult, but our culture has misled us to believe that love is effortlessly attainable. Even in regards to kinship, part of love and relationships with anyone is to maintain ties with your family. Overall, because of the socio-cultural conditions the ideas of relationships are ever changing and thus complex in its nature.References Cited Galician, M. (2004). Sex, love & romance in the mass media analysis & criticism of unrealistic portrayals & their influence. Mahwah, N. J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. King, Glenn. Traditional Cultures: A Survey of Nonwestern Experience and Achievement. (2003). Waveland Press, Long Grove, IL. Hawkins, Alan J. , Steven L. Nock, Julia C. Wilson, Laura Sanchez, and James D. Wright. â€Å"Attitudes About Covenant Marriage and Divorce: Policy Implications From a Three-State Comparison*. † Family Relations 51. (2002): 166-175. Web. Huston, Ted L. â€Å"The Social Ecology of Marriage and Other Intimate Unions. † Journal of Marriage and Family 62. 2 (2000): 298-320. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Liu, Qingping. â€Å"On A Paradox Of Christian Love. † Journal of Religious Ethics 35. 4 (2007): 681-94. Print. â€Å"Matthew 22:36-44. † The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments Translated out of the Original Tongues and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised by His Majesty's Special Command. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1979. N. Print.

Music Appreciation Paper

Every musical needs two things script and music, the musical that I saw at the civic center â€Å"A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum. † It is witty characters and humorous songs made it a delight to see and you left with a smile. The music was the best out of the whole play. The orchestra was small having a piano, two violins, bass guitar, reed one and two, trumpet one and two, trombone, and percussion each instrument being a big part of production. The play starts with a song â€Å"comedy to night† giving a background in the streets of ancient Rome of three houses.The center of the house Senex who lives there with his wife Domina, son Hero, and the many slaves them owned. Hero has his own slave Pseudolus who is the main character and head slave Hysteria. One of the other neighbors is owned my Marcus Lycus, the house is a whorehouse. The other neighbor is Erronius who has been gone for many years trying to find his children who were abducted my pirates. Thin g singer who plays Pseudolus tone was raspy, pitch high, two beats, and tempo allegro the music flowed well and pulling the audience in quickly with it being very humorous.I thought the texture was monophonic being only one person singing the song and form being AB. The song ends giving a summary of the whole play, and it goes on to the next song. Hero the son of Senex has fallen in love with a girl who he has never spoken too. He starts to sing â€Å"love, I hear† his tone was rich, pitch was high, dynamic was mezzo forte, the tempo of the song was allegro it was a lovely song that expressed his love for a girl he has never spoken to. The song had two beats with the texture of the music monophonic because it was only one person singing it. After he ends he tells his slave Pseudolus if you get me that girl.I will let you be free and Pseudolus is so shocked that he cannot believe it and starts to sing â€Å"free† his texture is very raspy, with tempo vivace, and dynamic s Mezzo Piano. The pitch is high and form verse course and recitative singing like speech. This song was very funny and a great laugh. The play goes on to Pseudolus and Hero trying to think of plan so they go to Lycus house to find the girl to buy her from Lycus. When the song â€Å"the house of Marcus Lycus† starts to play, this song is made more dancing then singing the pitch is low, form was verse then instrumental, the tempo moderato, and dynamic mezzo forte.This song has a lot of bras and saxophone. The next song â€Å"lovely† where tone color of Hero is dark and Philia is bright, the pitch is high, the dynamics is forte, tempo of the music was andante, and with each the song being four beats. Pseudolus tries to keep them together; however, one problem Philia is to be married to the Caption a general for Rome. They Pseddolus, Philia, and hero start singing about what their life could be called â€Å"pretty little picture† it is high pitch, a funny song with the dynamic being forte.The form is verse, chores, verse, chores, and the texture homophonic because it had three people singing it. Pseudolus tells hero to hide Philia in the house while he goes to find away to keep them together. However, Philia is not smart at all and does not know what her husband looks like and gets confused with Heroes father Senex and he thinks Philia is a new maid Hysterium brought on. An a new song begins â€Å"Everyone Ought have a Maid† the song is sung by Senex whose tone is bright, then Psedulous comes in with a raspy tone, and then Hysterium who comes in at the end and tone being mellow.The texture for this song starts monophonic, then because Psedulous joins in it becomes polyphonic, and then because Hysterium joins in to the end it becomes homophonic with all three singing together. The tempo was vivace with the three men, pitch was high, the form was verse, chores, verse, chores, and with two beats. After the song ends Senex hides from his w ife and goes to take a bath and tells Hysterium to bring the maid Phila after he finishes into Erronius house where Senex was staying. But while this is happening, Erronius returns home, finally having given up the search for his long-lost children.Hysterium, desperate to keep him out of the house where his master is bathing, tells the old man that his house has become haunted – a story seemingly confirmed by the sound of Senex singing in his bath. Erronius immediately determines to have a soothsayer come and banish the spirit from his house, and Pseudolus obligingly poses as one, telling Erronius that in order to banish the spirit, he must travel seven times around the seven hills of Rome (thus keeping the old man occupied and out of the way for quite a while). Hysterium starts to go crazy and sings â€Å"I’m Calm† the music has a lot of plucking from the strings.The tone was mellow, with only one beat, pitch was high, and tempo Presto, dynamic is fortissimo, A B form, one beat. The story goes on to Histerium not bring Phila to Senex who she thinks is Miles Glorious. However, Phila comes out and goes and hugs Hero while Senex sees and Phila then winks at Senex. Both men are confused and wonder what the heck is happening. They start to sing â€Å"impossible† the pitch was high, tempo vivace, dynamics mezzo forte, texture polyphonic, form verse chores, and tome color for the father Senex was bright and Hero the son was dark.After the song the captain Miles Gloriosus comes into town and comes for his bride who he paid for Phila. He starts to sing ‘Bring me my Bride† his tone color was dark, four beats, tempo allegro, texture homophonic, pitch low and form verse, chores. They finished the song and Act one ended. Then Act two starts with Complicating matters further, Domina returns from her trip early, suspicious that her husband Senex is â€Å"up to something low. † She disguises herself in virginal white robes and a veil (much like Philia's) to try to catch Senex being unfaithful.She starts to sing â€Å"that dirty old man† out of the whole cast, I hated her voice she was screaming the song and belting all the words. Her tone color was bright, two beats, pitch was high, tempo allegro, dynamics forte, texture is monophonic, and AB form. The story goes on where Hero and Phila in front of all three houses and wishing they could be with each other. They try to think of a plan, but they had nothing so Phila start to sing â€Å"That’ll show him† in this song Phila is telling Hero that when she is kissing the Captain, but she will be thinking of Hero and kiss the Captain more. She is not the smartest girl.Her tone color was bright, pitch high, tempo allegretto, texture monophonic, two beats, and form verse, chores. Pseudolus convinces Hysterium to help him by dressing in  drag and pretending to be Philia, â€Å"dead† from the plague. An starts to sing â€Å"lovely (repri se)† to make him feel beautiful and confident to be a girl even though he is a guy. His pitch was moderate; tempo andante, dynamic mezzo forte, he is tone color was rich because he was a smoker, and texture monophonic. While Hysterium is acting like Phila dead the captain wants a big funeral for her so all the slave girls and soldiers are there morning her.And the â€Å"funeral sequence† starts in the song there were words from Miles Gloriosus and everyone else doing a melodic crying. In the whole play this is the only song that has three beats, pith moderate, tempo andante, AB form, dynamic mezzo piano, and texture monophonic. Unfortunately, it turns out that Miles Gloriosus has just returned from Crete, where there is of course no actual plague. With the trick revealed, the main characters run for their lives, resulting in chase with both Miles and Senex pursuing all three Philae’s; Domina, Hysterium, and the actual Philia – all wearing identical white r obes and veils.Meanwhile, the whores from the house of Marcus Lycus who had been recruited as mourners at Philia’s ersatz funeral have escaped, and Lycus sends his  eunuch  out to bring them all back, adding to the chaos. Finally, the Captain's troops are able to round everyone up. Pseudolus appears to be in deep trouble; however, Erronius, completing his third circuit of the Roman hills, shows up unexpectedly to discover that Miles Gloriosus and Philia are wearing matching rings which mark them as his long-lost children. Philia's betrothal to the Captain is canceled by the unexpected surprise that he's her brother.Philia weds Hero; Pseudolus gets his freedom and the lovely slave girl Gymnasia; Gloriosus receives twin courtesans to replace Philia; Erronius gets his children, and a happy ending prevails for all – except for poor Senex, stuck with his shrewish wife Domina. It ends with are last song â€Å"final comedy tonight† with Pseudolus singing and then e veryone joins in. the pitch is high, tempo allegro, dynamics mezzo forte, texture polyphonic, AB form, two beats, and the genre of all the songs would be a musical comedy. This musical was fun and delight to see and if I could see it again I would.For my cousins birthday we got to go to Taylor Swift concert in South Carolina where I stayed for spring break with family. On March 23 we went and it was amazing, there was seventeen songs she sang and also Ed Sheeran as her opening act. It was load and a lot of fun, their genre of both singers was pop. Ed Sheeran was the opening act singing A-Team pitch low, two beats, texture monophonic, dynamic piano, tempo moderato. The next song he played â€Å"give me love† pitch high, tempo allegretto, dynamics crescendo, texture monophonic, and tone color was dark. He did sing more songs; however, I came late so I only got to here two of his songs.Then the amazing Taylor Swift came on and started to sing â€Å"state of grace† pitch w as high, dynamic crescendo, tempo allegretto, and texture monophonic. Taylor’s next song was â€Å"holy ground† pitch was moderate, dynamic forte, tempo presto, two beats, and form verse, chores. She is an inspiration to all girls who want to be themselves and to have fun. Her voice never wavered and kept going to the very end. Her next song â€Å"you belong with me† which is one of my favorite songs from her. Her pitch was high, dynamic mezzo forte, tempo allegretto, form verse, chores, and two beats.She does clothing change and goes to the next song â€Å"the lucky one† pitch low, temp moderato, dynamic mezzo piano, and texture polyphonic. Her next song which is now her signature â€Å"red† tempo moderato, pitch high, dynamic mezzo forte, texture monophonic, and two beats. †the lucky one† pitch high, dynamics mezzo forte, tempo moderato, and form verse, chores. She starts to sing after giving an inspirational speech â€Å"mean† tempo allegretto, dynamic mezzo forte, texture homophonic, and two beats. She starts to sing after giving an inspirational speech â€Å"mean† tempo allegretto, dynamic mezzo forte, texture homophonic, and two beats.Next song â€Å"stay stay stay† texture homophonic, tempo vivace, pitch moderato, and dynamic crescendo. She changes into another outfit and starts to sing â€Å"22† her tone color bright, tempo vivace, and pitch high. She changes again and talks to the fans and tells that this most requested and plays acoustic â€Å"starlight† pitch low, texture monophonic, two beats, and dynamic mezzo piano. The next song was a duet with Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift called â€Å"everything has changed† texture polyphonic, dynamic mezzo forte, tempo moderato, and form verse, chores.The next song is her and her guitar â€Å"begin again† pitch low, tempo andante, dynamic mezzo piano, and texture monophonic. Her next song â€Å"sparks fly† wh ich she starts playing on a twelve string guitar. Pitch is high, tempo is allegro, and dynamic forte. Taylor’s next song starts off with her violinist making an awesome entrance. Then Taylor comes out in a new outfit singing â€Å"I knew you were trouble† pitch was high, tempo presto, dynamic forte, and form verse, chores. She goes on the piano and talks to fans about writing her songs and being amazing and then starts to sing. All too well† pitch was low, tempo adagio, dynamic piano, and texture monophonic. Taylor changes and comes out of the stage singing â€Å"love story† pitch high, tempo allegretto, and two beats. Taylor changes again and starts to sing â€Å"Treacherous† pitch low, tempo moderato, and dynamic is mezzo piano. The last song â€Å"we are never getting back together† which is a fun high pitch song, tempo is vivace, dynamic forte, and two beats. I loved the play and the concert, learning about the music was fun and I learned a lot. I won’t look at music the same.

Law Relating to Children Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law Relating to Children - Case Study Example The only family care which children have received from their tender age is in the care and nurturance of Hannah, who lives with her live-in man Ian, who supports her decision to keep the children under her care. Hannah's home is the only safe home which the children have had in their growing years. And, Hannah provides good care not only for the two girls Ella and Grace, whom Barry (the step father) had left under her care but has also taken to care for a newborn Joanne, whom Allison brings in her care in distress. Hannah, has a natural generosity and love for children and good support from her live-in mate Ian, which gives the children a safe and loving home environment for growth and development. Children have grown to have a strong relationship with Hannah and are growing ell under her care. Hannah and I an could seek Parental Responsibility order based on the Children's Act 1989(The Law Relating to Children, 2007), from the court to make sure they maintain nor only social responsibility of the children, but legal rights to ensure safety and welfare of the children, after Barry's death. If Barry were still alive, they could obtain Residence Order as the primary care giver. But with Barry's death it would naturally be determined that they are the only consistent family influence on the children. ... It really would not affect much if Hannah and Ian were married or not. Hannah and Ian have been together as live-in mates before children were brought in their care. And, both Hannah and Ian have been willing to take children in. If there was disagreement on the part of Ian, it would be different story, but with Ian's support and consent it really does not affect much legally. Allison, is just the biological mother of the three girls, she has been an irresponsible mother involved in a profession which would harm her children more if they were in her care. She could not provide stable and safe home for the children. She is not committed to her children. She has not even kept in touch with the children except for occasional birthday cards and Christmas presents. Her character is unstable and indulgent. She is involved in a very unsuitable profession which can be devastating exposure for her children. And her addiction with drugs make her unpredictable and unworthy as a caregiver for her own children. She is a classic example of a young and irresponsible mother, involved in a very messy situation where she cannot get out of the trap of indulgence and addiction. Even though Allison is irresponsible and uncaring, being the biological mother she does have right to step into the life of her children, if she shows exemplary change in her ways and responsibilities towards her children under the supervision of the court in case of emergency, under Emergency Protection Order and Care Order(The Law Relating to Children, 2007). This can be done only if she assumes dramatic change in her life which reflects her more caring and responsible attitude towards her children and there is a situation

Food Safety within a Hotel Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Food Safety within a Hotel - Assignment Example The instance is to ensure the possibility of the introduction of hazards that may have a severe effect on both the safety of food and its suitability for consumption by humans (Smulders, 2006). Information relating to the food safety management is primarily from the universal terms; the Safer food, better business (SFBB). The principal significance of SFB is to assist the small businesses in the procedures and the regulations required in ensuring the safety in food production and handling before consumption by human beings (Arduser and Brown, 2005). For this reason, SFB operates through the below subsections as the way of conveying the intended information to the stakeholders handling the foodstuffs before the final human consumption; Safer food, better business for child-minders; that provide the simple, straightforward advice on food safety. For instance, the information pertaining to a child's nutrition, health, and care practices. Safer food, better business for residential care homes; that help the caterers and the staff employed in the residential areas during the preparation and handling of foodstuffs in such places (Andrews, 2011). Safer food, better business for different cuisines, applicable to small catering businesses. For instance, the restaurants and takeaways that only serve specific groups of people such as the Chinese cuisine or Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan cuisines. An organization that produces food substances should be well conversant with the steps required for the control of temperatures of food substances. Consequently, the organization may use the steps below towards realizing the objective of regulating the food temperatures in a control system; The first step should include the development of a temperature monitoring system. In this instance, every staff in the organization should work on his or her assigned task on the regulation of the temperature control system (OFallon, 2011).There is a need to enhance food safety so as to avoid the loss of life lives due to food consumption. For this reason, an organization should consider implementing the suggestions presented in this report so as to realize the objective.

Does the implimentation of the national health insurance program in Research Proposal

Does the implimentation of the national health insurance program in Ghana help reduce HIV AIDS which is prevlant in rural Ghana - Research Proposal Example The government marginalizes sex workers as not of interest, therefore the disease is not given the due consideration in the newly democratized stated (Howley, 2010, p. 367). The prevention of HIV/AIDS through behavior modification has been a primary resource for addressing the disease (Howley 2010, p. 186). According to the International Monetary Fund (2006), HIV/AIDS issues are recognized as a threat to the â€Å"socioeconomic development of the country through its potential impact on human capital development, productivity, and social services deliveryâ€Å"(p. 109). In 2006 the following measures were taken in working towards prevention of the disease within the nation of Ghana: The following table shows the number of people who were benefiting from ART as of December of 2006. At that time, there were 50,942 people in need of services with only 7,338 benefiting from art which represents only 14.4% of those in need(International Monetary Fund, 2006, p. 109). Ghana has seen a decline in poverty from 39.5% in the 1998 to 1999 years to 28.5% in 2006 (African Development Bank., & OECD, 2008). In addition, there has been a concerted effort on the part pf the government to address the needs of their citizens in regard to health care. According to former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, Ghana suffers from a poor system of health care that is lead by a staff of insensitive and unprofessional medical personal and complicated by poor infrastructure and a lack of equipment. The staffs of hospitals are burdened by a lack of everything, thus leaving them jaded and without motivation (Modernghana.com 2010). In addition, the National Health Insurance Scheme that has been put into place is beleaguered by problems and is not providing the much needed services that the people need in order to have adequate health care. The National Health Insurance Scheme is the product of the administration led by John Kufuor. However, one of the exceptions to

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

HW 2 - Essay Example Finally, Palestine $6.641 billion, Mauritania$4.183 billion, Somalia $2.372 billion, Djibouti $1.459 billion and Comoros $658 million. The GDP per Capita is equal to $7,364.37 (2668.78billion/362,390,776). France has a GDP per Capita of $35,700 which is almost five times as much as that of the Arab League members. Germany’s GDP per Capita is $39,500 which is more than five times that of the League Members. That of USA is seven times the League’s GDP per Capita at $52,800 while that of Japan is $37,100, and Israel’s is $36,200 both approximately five time the League GDP per Capita. In conclusion, there are disparities in the GDP of the different countries in the Arab League for example Saudi Arabia has the highest GDP at $718.5 billion, and the Comoros has the least at $658 million resulting to a difference of approximately 718 billion. This explains the low GDP per Capita in the League despite different countries like United Arab Emirates having high GDP per

Post devolution, do separate or dual identities exist in England and Dissertation

Post devolution, do separate or dual identities exist in England and Britain - Dissertation Example Such assumptions were based on the esoteric understandings of the two labels, British and English, and tended to affect the framing of the concept of a so called national identity that were based on territorial differentiation and the respective identities, nature of citizenship, and social inclusion. The nationalistic identity of any state which is dependent on its socio-political characteristics, may go through various transformations (like devolution); and under pressures from the changed local, political, and social conditions, may undergo differentiation. Under changed circumstances the nationalistic identity of ‘Britishness’ may take a back seat, with the regional identity of ‘Englishness,’ eclipsing the former. ... The Existence of Separate or Dual Identities in England and Britain post devolution period 1 Introduction 1.1 Background History â€Å"The history of England [is] not in England but in America and Asia† J.R. Seele Since 1997, United Kingdom has been undergoing devolution as regards to its 4 member states, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. England has been ‘eventually promised’ a new and ‘Greater London Authority,’ with a separate and Assembly and mayor, while separate regionally elected assemblies are also on the annals for England; while the remaining 3 states have been given varying degrees of autonomy in their assemblies. Thus this entire process of devolution spells out into new territorial contours within the realms of United Kingdom. A look at the history shows us that Britain did not quite have a homogenous nature right from the time of its conception, and the then British foreign secretary Robin Cook, ascertained that the concept of this â€Å"homogeneity of British identity that some people assume to be the norm was confined to a relatively brief period. It lasted from the Victorian era of imperial expansion to the aftermath of the Second World War...The diversity of modern Britain expressed through devolution and multiculturalism is more consistent with the historical experience of our islands† (Cook, 2001). The topic or concept of ‘British,’ after being reviewed by various experts has been found to consist of a large and gaping conceptual void (Kumar, 2000, 576). Historical records, in general, are found aplenty, starting with political, constitutional, social, and economic histories of England, yet there has

Introduction quiz Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction quiz - Assignment Example According to Bouvier, Craig & Gossman (1994), the RÃ ¼tlischwur was a solemn oath taken by the cantons ancestors in the year 1291 while at the Riitli. The oath was meant to task the ancestors with the role of controlling law and justice in the area. The physical location of Switzerland made Switzerland confederation to receive a lot of external pressure from the neighboring states. This, together with politics of the region resulted to enhanced mandate of the confederation to be the highest body for internal and external interventions (Bouvier, Craig & Gossman, 1994). True. According to Bouvier, Craig & Gossman (1994), the collaborative interest of the three cities to protect their autonomy from external forces and to secure its people provides that the sovereignty lies in the autonomy. This is made possible by flexible constitutions that allows for easy amendments. True. Switzerland was created with the need for each canton to maintain its autonomy, and preserve its culture. The culture of all the cities thus plays a major role in contributing to the overall culture of Switzerland (Bouvier, Craig & Gossman, 1994). True. The 16th century reformation of the three cities continues to shape the culture of Switzerland. However, the flexibility of Switzerland’s constitution allows for adjustments and changes (Bouvier, Craig & Gossman, 1994). Calvin expelled religious leaders and teachers who encouraged wrongdoing by claiming that wrongdoing committed unwillingly it cannot be considered a sin. This made people to be more cautious with their behavior. He also trained people on the importance of political responsibility (Bouvier, Craig & Gossman, 1994). Henry Dunant’s strategy to have leaders involved in community activities meant to minimize human suffering was similar to Calvin’s quest to protect the people from political interference by ensuring that politicians take responsibility (Bouvier, Craig &

The American Life Style and fast food Essay Example for Free

The American Life Style and fast food Essay How much fast food do you guess you eat a month? The average American eats about 50lbs worth, that’s more than most children in 3rd world countries eat in total in 3 monthsWill you follow everyone else or will you stray from the beaten path, and dare to be different? Dare to be your own person? Or will you crumple from the influences and pressures of society? The truth is no matter how much you tell yourself that you are going to be independent and make your own choices and decisions regardless of what other people thing, every choice and decision you make are influenced by the people around you and the experiences you have faced. It is for this reason that accomplishing this task can be very challenging, however it is possible. And when you finally figure out who you are and what your values and morals it is believed you have finally â€Å"come of age†. A prime example of this would be in the fiction novel written by Mark Twain, the main character Huckleberry, also referred to as Huck runs away from home because the confines of society proved to be too overwhelming for Huck. On the run Huck meets a runaway slave named Jim and decides to help Jim escape with him despite the fact that he was raised and taught to be believe that slavery was a good thing and it is especially forbidden to help one to escape. It was for this reason that Huck struggles to see the blurred line between right and wrong. As Huck and Jim venture down the Mississippi River, Huck is introduced to many new experiences and is forced to make decisions that make him question his very own ideals, however it is those very own experiences and challenges that help him grow as a person and ultimately allows him to discover who he truly is as he himself comes of age. One of the many instances Huck is forced to make a difficult decision is when he encounters 3 murderers looting a shipwreck he and Jim came across while floating down the Mississippi. Huck overheard 2 of the murderers planning on stranding the other one on the wreck and taking his share of the loot, so he says â€Å"Quick, Jim, ain’t no time for fooling around and moaning;  there’s a gang of murderers in yonder, and if we don’t hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can’t get away from the wreck, there’s one of’em going to be in a bad fix. But if we find their boat we can put all of’em in a bad fix† (pg.52) Huck originally plans to steal the murderer’s canoe so that none of them will be able to escape the wreck. However Huck starts to feel guilty as they start to float away from the wreck â€Å"Jim manned the oars, and we took out after our raft. Now was the first time that I begun to w orry about the men- I reckon I hadn’t had time to before. I begun to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix. I says to myself, there ain’t no telling but I might come to be a murderer myself, yet, and then how would I like it.†(pg.54) ,this is a crucial change in Huck because all his life he had wanted to be in a gang and kill people, but now that he felt he would be responsible for the murderer’s deaths he realized he was misguided and cannot handle the quilt if committing such an act. Finally Huck gives into his guilt and decides he could not live with himself if he left them there to die so he told Jim â€Å"At first light we will land and I’ll go fix up some kind of yarn and get somebody to go fetch that gang and get them out of their scrape.†(pg.55) Huck realizes that what they have done is wrong but if he had left them there he would be no better than they were. Huck learns something about himself on that wreck; he learns that the life he once wanted was not the life he was cut out for. Huck’s fight between his conscience and society greatens when he encounters a group of slave hunters. Huck feels guilty for helping Jim escape and starts to regret it, so Huck thinks things over in is head â€Å"Jim said it made him over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom, well I can tell you it made me all trembly and feverish too, to hear that he was most free- and to blame for it? Why me! I couldn’t get that thought out of my conscience no how nor no way†(pg.66). It becomes obvious that Huck is torn between doing what is considered right and turning Jim in or what a part of him feels would be right and protect him. This conflict keeps eating away at Huck until he cannot take any more of it when he says â€Å"my conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever†(pg.67) However the pressure of society finally get to Huck â€Å" until at last I say to it â€Å"let up on me- it ain’t too  late ill paddle ashore at first light, and te ll.† I felt easy, and happy and light as a feather; right off all my troubles was gone†. Huck convinces himself that turning in Jim is right thing to do. However as he approaches the slave hunters Huck realize he cannot do it. â€Å"What’s that yonder?† the slave hunters asked Huck. â€Å"Well there’s five niggers run off tonight, up yonder above the head of that bend. Is your man white or black?†(pg.68). Huck makes the conscious decision to lie to the slave hunters although it is not clear why â€Å"I didn’t answer up prompt I tried to, but the words wouldn’t come. I tried for a second or two, to brace up and out with it, but I warnt man- enough hadn’t the spunk of a rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just give up trying, and up and says- â€Å"He’s white†(pg.68). Huck lies to protect Jim. Maybe he does this because he feels sympathetic for Jim and his family, or maybe Huck finally remembers that Jim has looked out for him and cared for him during their whole journey and realizes Jim is his only true friend, or it could be as simple as the fact that he made a promise to Jim not to betray him and Huck does not want to brake that promise. Whatever the reason this is a huge step for Huck when he decides not to turn Jim into the slave hunters and really allows him to slowly start to break loose from society and form his own morals. However despite Huck’s former breakthrough, Huck struggles to make peace with his conscience and the pressures of society get to him once again. To help ease himself Huck tries convince himself that it would just be for Jim if he was a slave. â€Å"Once I said to myself it would be better for Jim to be a slave at home where his family was as long as he got to be a slave and so I’d better write a letter to Tom Sawyer and tell him to tell Miss Watson where he was†(pg.160) Even though Huck is concerned that Jim might be punished for running away he still decides to write a letter hoping it will clear his conscience. Then Huck starts to think about what he’s done and what consequences he will face for his actions, â€Å"everybody naturally despises an ungrateful nigger and they’d make Jim feel it all the time and so he’d feel ornery and discouraged and then think of me! It would get all around that Huck Finn helped a nigger get his freedom and i f I was to ever see anybody from that town again id be ready to get down and lick his for shame†(pg.160), here starts to regret helping Jim escape and begins to worry  about what people will think of him when he returns home and hopes that he will be accepted into society again. With the hope that it will right the wrongs that he has done Huck decides to go on and write the letter here â€Å"I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to that niggers owner and tell where he was. I’ll go and write the letter then see if I can pray, why it was astonishing the way I felt as light as a feather right straight off and my troubles all gone, so I got a piece of paper and a pencil all glad and excited and set down and wrote. I felt all good and all washes clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life†(pg.161) This feeling of cleanliness helps assure Huck that he has done the right thing in the views of society. However Huck’s feeling of decency soon dissipates, â€Å"I happened to look around and see that paper, it was in a close place I took it in my hand, I was trembling because I got to forever betwixt two things, and I knowed it, I studied it a minute sort of holding my breath and then says to myself â₠¬Å"Alright then I’ll go to Hell† and tore it up†(pg.161) Huck finally decides he cannot bring himself to betray his only conscience and that he’d rather go to hell then do so. This is the point in Huck’s journey where he truly becomes his own person, where he breaks from the confines of society and decides to do what he in his heart feels is right not what other people think is right. This is an important decision for Huck and a crucial point in Huck’s life because growing up he was taught that slavery was a good thing and that African Americans were nothing but property as most boys were taught during that time period. However Huck discovers after meeting Jim that there is so much more to them, that they are a kind, and caring and sophisticated and loving people and that in turn helps Huck discover a little more about himself as well when he decides not to turn Jim in even though anyone else would have. Huck’s battles between his conscience and society force him to choose between being a part of society and becoming his own person, and while on his journey down the Mississippi with Jim he decides to be his own person and choose his own morals and values and by the end of his adventure he finally came of age with each experience along the way helping him grow as a person, whether it be near the beginning of the journey where he encounters a gang of murderers on a shipwreck and instead of leaving them there to die he decides to send help for them, or it be near half way through his journey where he comes  across a group of slave hunters and rather than turn Jim in, he lies to protect him even though the â€Å"right† thing to do would’ve been to turn him in. Or even near the end where he almost breaks his promise and betrays Jim when he writes a letter to Tom Sawyer telling him where Jim is, but instead of sending the letter he tears it up and decides to finish h elping Jim escape even if it means he’ll go to hell. All of these events are important in helping Huck create his own sense of right and wrong and in many ways, come of age.

Tariff and non tariff trade barriers

Tariff and non tariff trade barriers INTRODUCTION Despite all the evident benefits of international trade, governments have a tendency to put up trade barriers to protect the domestic industry. There are two kinds of barriers: tariff and non-tariff. Tariff Barriers Tariff is a tax levied on goods traded internationally, that is on imports. As a result, the price level of imported products rises and the demand for them decrease, thus imports are less. Non-tariff Barriers Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) include all the rules, regulations and bureaucratic delays that help in keeping foreign goods out of the domestic markets. Baldwin  [1]  defined a non-tariff distortion as any measure (public or private) that causes internationally traded goods and services, or resources devoted to the production of these goods and services, to be allocated in such a way as to reduce potential real world income. The WTO After the World War II, many countries focused on protecting home industries. So, international trade was hampered by severe trade restrictions. To remedy this situation, twenty-three nations joined together in 1947 and signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which stimulated free trade by regulating and lowering tariffs. The work of GATT is sustained by the World Trade Organization (WTO) which encourages global commerce and reduces trade barriers. Tariffs on goods and services have been reduced to low levels through eight successive rounds of the WTO; still there has been a significant increase of Non-Tariff Measurements which are seriously hindering trade. Countries use many mechanisms to restrict imports. NTBs have gained importance as tariff levels have been reduced worldwide. They are the greatest single threat to a liberal world trading system and they are becoming more widespread: the percentage of industrial countries total imports subject to NTBs rose from 25% in 1981 to 27% in 1983 and they are even higher today. NTBs are therefore one of the most important issues in the round of international trade negotiations. TYPES OF NON-TARIFF BARRIERS Non- Tariff Barriers to trade can be categorized in six types: Specific Limitations on Trade: Quota shares A quota is a restriction in value or in physical terms, imposed on import and export of certain goods for a certain period of time. For example, the US has imposed a quota on textiles imported from India and other countries. Import licenses/ Restrictive licenses Import licensing can be defined as administrative procedures requiring the submission of an application or other documentation, other than those required for customs purposes, to the relevant administrative body as a prior condition for importation of goods  [2]  . For example, in Washington, cheese and cheese products are subject to the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture and most importations of cheese require an import license and are subject to quotas administered by the Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service  [3]  . In Mauritius, pesticides require import licence from the Ministry of Health, arms and ammunitions require import permit from the police and many others.  [4]   Exchange controls This is monitoring the amount of foreign exchange available to residents for purchasing foreign goods domestically or while travelling abroad is another way of restricting imports. Foreign exchange restrictions and foreign exchange controls occupy a special place among the non-tariff regulatory instruments of foreign economic activity. Foreign exchange restrictions constitute the regulation of transactions of residents and nonresidents with currency and other currency values. Import bans/ limitations This is a government order forbidding imports of a specific kind or from a particular country. For example, in order to protect the domestic manufacturers against cheap competition from the neighboring country, the government of India imposed ban on the import of Chinese toys. Moreover, many countries, like for example India, have impose a ban on food imports from Japan fearing contamination. Furthermore following a milk scandal that led to the widespread poisoning of babies in China, India banned the import of milk and milk products from China. Embargoes Embargo is a particular type of quotas prohibiting the trade, in other words, when imports from a specific country are totally banned. It is mostly put in place due to political reasons. For example, the United Nations imposed an embargo on trade with Iraq as a part of economic sanctions in 1990. Customs and Administrative Entry Procedures Customs Valuation There is a commonly held view that the invoice values of goods traded internationally do not reflect their real cost. This gave rise to a very subjective system of valuation of imports and exports for levy of duty. If the value ascribed to a particular product would turn out to be considerably higher than its real cost, it could end in affecting its competitiveness by increasing the total cost to the importer due to the excess duty. This would hence act as a barrier to international trade. Antidumping practice If a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges on its own home market, it is said to be dumping the product. Antidumping is prohibiting a country to dump, that is, to export goods at usual lower prices. Documentation requirements This is when complicated and unnecessary documentation requirements are asked by the importing countries. In Mauritius, according to the Mauritius chamber of commerce and Industry of Mauritius, these imports documents are required; invoice, showing the FOB and CIF value of goods; packaging lists; bill of lading; bill of entry; and where applicable; insurance certificate, certificate of inspection, certificate of origin and imports permits  [5]  . Rules of origin Determining where a product comes from is no longer easy when raw materials and parts across the globe are used as inputs in the manufacturing plants. Rules of origin are important in implementing such trade policy instruments as anti-dumping and countervailing duties, origin marking, and safeguard measures. Technical barriers to trade Technical Barriers Countries generally specify some quality standards to be met by imported goods for various health, welfare and safety reasons. In Mauritius, rice (imported by traders other than the State Trading Corporation) should not exceed 10% broken rice, bakery additives shall not contain potassium bromate as an ingredient  [6]  , etc. This facility can be misused for blocking the import of certain goods from specific countries by setting up of such standards, which deliberately exclude these products. The process is further complicated by the requirement that testing and certification of the products regarding their meeting the set standards be done only in the importing country. The Precautionary Principle The precautionary principle, is a government restrictions on trade in the context of environmental and health concerns, often regardless of cost or scientific evidence. The precautionary principle has been interpreted by some to mean that new chemicals and technologies should be considered dangerous until proven otherwise. It therefore requires those responsible for an activity or process to establish its harmlessness and to be liable if damage occurs. Sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions This is a restriction on imports from certain places in order to protect consumers, the environment, or agriculture from harmful diseases or pests that may accompany the imported product. For instance, in Mauritius, agricultural goods require a phytosanitary certificate from the ministry of Agriculture, prepared foods, drugs, and chemicals with potential adverse effects on health require phytosanitary certificate from the Ministry of Health.  [7]   Packaging conditions, labeling conditions and product standards. Countries usually impose standards on classification, labeling and testing of products in order to be able to sell domestic products, but also to block sales of products of foreign manufacture. These standards are occasionally entered under the excuse of protecting the safety and health of local populations. In Mauritius, the establishment in charge for the control of standards mainly for food and other items is the Mauritius Standards Bureau. In addition, European exporters and investors are facing an increasing number of unjustifiable non-tariff barriers in the form of product certification, labeling standards, import approval requirements and customs clearance delays. Also, many of the Chinese standards such as the CCC standard require certification by the Chinese authorities before a product can be put on the Chinese market. Important information has to be submitted and the factory has often to be inspected at the expense of the exporter. Government Participation in Trade Complex regulatory environment Some countries have complex regulatory framework, for e.g. complex business registration and license, and thus this hamper free trade. For instance, rules recently enacted in China, prohibit European financial information agencies and operators to sell directly their services customers in China. Government procurement policies This is another type of NTB where governments pretty frequently follow the policy of procuring their requirements (including that of government-owned companies) only from local producers, or at least extend some price advantage to them. This closes a big potential market to the foreign producers. Subsidies to Local Goods This occurs when governments directly or indirectly subsidize local production in an effort to make it more competitive in the domestic and foreign markets. For example, tax benefits may be extended to a firm producing in a certain part of the country to reduce regional imbalances, or duty drawbacks may be allowed for exported goods, or, as an extreme case, local firms may be given direct subsidies to enable them to sell their goods at a lower price than foreign firms. Countervailing duties This is a duty placed on imported goods that are being subsidized by the importing government. This helps to even the playing field between the domestic producers and the foreign producers receiving subsidies. Buy national policy This is a policy hosted by the government to help the national economy. For instance, in 2009, the Paraguayan Finance Ministry specified changes to public procurement policy in relation to the national stimulus plan. That is, public bodies that seek to spend money from the stimulus money are to give preference to national goods and services. More specifically, domestic goods shall receive a preferential margin of 70 percent over imported products. In terms of labor, the announcement declares that at least 70 percent of the labor involved in stimulus projects shall come from local employees living in the territory of the contracting public authority. Charges on imports Variable import levy A  variable import levy  is a  levy  on imports that raises their price to a level at least as high as the domestic price. Such levies are adjusted frequently in response to changes in world market prices, and are imposed to defend administered prices set above world market prices. Under the  Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, the variable levies of the EU have been converted into fixed tariffs or tariff-rate quotas. Border taxes It is a tax system for imports and exports, especially one that compensates for internal taxes in Common Market countries by levying fees or paying rebates. Others Voluntary Export Restraints This is an act of limiting exports. It happens when a country facing a persistent huge trade deficit against another country pressurized the latter to adhere to a self-imposed limit on the exports. For instance, after facing consistent trade deficits over a number of years with Japan, the US persuaded it to impose such limits on itself. Direct and Indirect Restrictions on Foreign Investments A country may directly restrict foreign investment to some specific sectors or up to a certain percentage of equity. Indirect restrictions may come in the form of limits on profits that can be repatriated or prohibition of payment of royalty to a foreign parent company. These restrictions discourage foreign producers from setting up domestic operations. Foreign companies are generally interested in setting up local operations when they foresee increased sales or reduced costs as a consequence. Thus, restrictions against foreign investments add impediments to international trade by giving rise to inefficiencies. PROBLEMS CAUSE BY NTBs The reduction of tariffs in progressive rounds of trade liberalization at the multilateral and regional levels has been mirrored by the rise to prominence of NTBs. NTBs for instance specific limitations on trade and charges on imports such as quotas, import ban and so on, will directly affect trade negatively as they will impact on exporting countries by decreasing or prohibition their exports. Although embargo is usually introduced for political purposes, the consequences, in essence, could be economic. This decrease or ban in exports, if it was of an important quantity/ value, will create serious economic catastrophe for the exporting countries and may result in Balance of Payments deficiency, a decrease in GDP, an increase in the level of unemployment and if nothing is done to remedy the situation, the country can go in a recession. NTBs in the customs and administration entry procedures category and in the standards category do not directly hamper free trade but they add to business cost. These testing procedures being expensive, time consuming and cumbersome to the exporters, act as a trade barrier. This will eventually raise their costs, leading to higher prices thus making them less competitive at international level, and small and medium enterprises may be discouraged to export. A vivid example is in Iran where  NTBs negatively impact on the trade of pistachio and shrimp products. The most important reasons for the reduced export of these products are Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers (TB). According to WTO rules, countries are allowed to adopt regulations under the SPS and TB agreements in order to protect human, animal and plant health as well as the environment, wildlife and human safety.  [8]   However, by imposing NTBs, both counties will lose, that is, the country which imposes the NTMs also loses. This can be demonstrated by the following facts: for instance, Japanese consumers pay five times the world price for rice because of import restrictions protecting Japanese farmers. American consumers also suffer from the same double burden, paying six times the world price for sugar because of trade restrictions. Hence, allowing free trade in a way will benefit everyone. European consumers pay dearly for restrictions on food imports and heavy taxes for domestic farm subsidies.  [9]   HOW TO REDUCE NTBS The action should start from the top, that is, from the WTO itself. The WTO has already reached some agreements like the Anti-dumping Agreement, SPS agreements, technical barriers agreements and many other agreements. Moreover, RTAs is the first step to reduce NTBs, as it is easier to get the consensus of all an RTA members on a matter that the consensus of all the WTO members. In addition, RTAs normally constitute of country members with a similar/ more or less the same economic background. For instance, in ASEAN, most members are from developing countries while EU has members from developed countries. As a result, removing NTBs will benefits all the members equivalently. For example, there has already been an agreement on the general features of the process for eliminating NTBs in ASEAN. The process Involves, verification of information on NTBs, prioritisation of products/NTBs, developing specific work programmes, and obtaining a mandate from the ASEAN Economic Ministers to implement the work programme.  [10]   In addition, different RTAs have different methods of reducing NTMs. Such as, the Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies aims at building a shared regulatory framework and at achieving greater security for consumers and workers, better protection for the environment and reduced cost for international trade.  [11]  They also developed standards for agricultural produce that define minimum quality requirements in order to facilitate the trading process. CONCLUSION Free trade, will surely benefits many countries. Thus in order to allow trade to occur freely, tariffs as well as non-tariff barriers need to be reduced. However, sometimes for safety reasons, some NTMs are required. For instance the import ban on food from Japan is necessary in order to avoid the proliferation of the radioactive contamination. Thus some trade restrictions may be necessary for countries to ensure the safety of the food supply and the health of plants, animals and the environment. However, sometimes governments go beyond what is necessary to protect domestic industries.   Moreover, free trade can increase the poverty gap. This is so because developing countries and LDCs will not be able to compete with developed countries and multinationals may implant themselves in the LDCs just to reap the benefit of cheap labour and resources and does not contribute more to the development of those LDCs.

One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich English Literature Essay

One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich English Literature Essay One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a gripping, insightful description of a reality that may now seem inconceivable to us, so distant from our perception of human rights and individual freedom. It reveals the awful labor and concentration camps that emerged in Europe throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The novel displays a disgraceful period in Russian history and a psychological examination of the vital survival methods in such circumstances. The novel consists of a single day in January 1951 through the eyes of the protagonist, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, who is in the eighth year of a total of ten-year sentence. The Russian culture raises the novel through the creation of a very insipid setting on which Ivan Denisovichs daily routine is realistically outlined. In this essay I will be explaining how the novel serves as a means to comprehend the Russian culture it was built upon. The characters, themes, and plot are all linked with the Russian cultural background. The central theme is the oppression the characters are confronted with on a daily basis. Consequently, the plot also incorporates oppression such as ill treatment from the superior. The tempo of the plot is monotonous and the Russian culture sets a raw and cold tone. The camp and dreadful labor hours imposed by the soviet government slows down the characters time, causing the plot, which is exclusively Ivans style and routine, to be tedious. The prison camps integrate traits of Russian sternness, controlling military workforce, poor facilities, and deprived living conditions all of which harm Ivan. The Soviet wardens abuse the prisoners for their own advantage and their power-driven ego. Ivans controlling surroundings both harm and agonize him as an individual. Principal examples of cultural influences are the mindsets of the protagonist. Culture has an impact on the relatively enervated behavior of the protagonist by establishing boundaries that cripple their inner desires. Ivans conduct during his sentence in the Siberian work camp reveals the culture from which he was raised. He is modest, cooperative, eager and skillful at all times. He is not violent or dishonest towards others, rather he recognizes his fate hoping to be liberated, surviving day by day. The Russian culture at the time, a state in which the masses were controlled and where life felt repetitive, shapes the foundation of Ivans way of being. The culture has a great impact on the conduct of the protagonist, causing him to fall in line and obey to the oppressors requests.   Russian culture in that era was awfully harsh and it was concerned with restraining and controlling its nation.  A quote expressing the essence of a strong mentality to get through the day; The ones that dont make it are those who lick other mens leftovers, those who count on the doctors to pull  them through, and those who squeal on their buddies.  [2]  An illustration of the harsh conditions the prisoners had to endure is when they were ordered to construct a power station, although it was exceptionally cold and the mortar used for bricklaying would freeze if not applied rapidly. Regulations stated that the men would only be excused if the temperature dropped below -41 °C. The suffering faced by the zeks were things such as the severity of the weather, their inadequate clothing and their food which consisted of black bread, porridge and water-based cabbage soup. They were also persecuted by the guards, who are fixated on enforcing insignificant regulations. However, Solzh enitsyn reminds us that the guards attitude stems primarily from their own bitterness at the firm conditions and at the callous discipline imposed upon them. If any of the prisoners succeeded in escaping, the guards accountable would be enforced to take their places in the camp.   The novel is a literary work in which food in association with culture is a major part of the setting. Observation of a cultures behavior towards food and during mealtimes supplies significant insight into the cultures nature. Eating is a fairly animalistic part of humanity as well as the center for social gathering. Due to its scarcity, food is the utmost motivator for the prisoners. A quote illustrating the importance of food to the prisoners; Apart from sleep, the only time a prisoner lives for himself is ten minutes in the morning at breakfast, five minutes over dinner, and five at supper.  [3]  Ã‚   In prison life there is vast evidence of social influence and customs on the manner the prisoners dine. Social influence can be identified in the manner in which higher-ranking and harder-working prisoners obtain more food. The quantity of food consumed is a good indicator of class within the prisoners. Those of higher status obtain portions with more calories, while the majority gets soup consisting mostly of water. A representation of social customs is when the protagonist is unable to eat with his hat still on. Although he is uncomfortably cold without it on, his Russian upbringing stops him from covering his head while eating. Another example is when the old veteran takes a portion of cloth and uses it as a place-mat while he eats his meals. Their habits were made before they became prisoners, when they still lived in their Soviet state of origin. The novel  is to some extent, Solzhenitsyn relating to his own experiences when as a captain in the Soviet army, he was arrested in 1945 for making offensive remarks about Stalin and spent the next eight years in different camps. The closing time of his captivity took place in a camp for political prisoners in Kazakhstan, which is generally considered to be the setting for the novel. It was one of the first novels of the post-Stalin age to express to an international distribution the knowledge of political imprisonment and oppression under the rà ©gime. Solzhenitsyn never criticizes the Communist system in the novel; if he would have done so, the novel would have certainly been banned. He purely offers a description of what life was like in the camps, but in the long run his prose was to prove as harmful to the system as any intensification of political expression. After reading, one is left in no doubt with the horror of the life in Siberias camps, and also with the authors perso nal judgment of the condition of the land of his birth during that period. It lets you partake in the struggle of men to survive the awful rigors of nature and the cruelty of the system that describes their conditions of life. Classic Russian  literature incorporates certain essential characteristics of the soviet culture. During a period when the  Soviet Union was under the leadership of  Joseph Stalin, it was intricate to write novels that expressed the social climate. The cultural climate in the  Soviet Union  at this time was rough; conveying your opinion was often not only tricky, but risky. Forced  labor camps  came about and innocent citizens were put in jail for political and social crimes that they usually did not commit. Another regular characteristic of classic Russian literature was that authors tended to make the reader experience as if they were within the thoughts of the protagonist. Although the novel  is written in third person, the readers feels as if they are seeing and experiencing the protagonists day through his eyes. In conclusion, our cultural environment influences both our personality and our development as a human being. The novel shows us that even in our most desperate moments, when our environment forces us to strip away our identity and individuality, our social customs and cultural influences still take place. An individual who is brought up in a culture with customs that would be considered extreme by others will have unlike values from a society who was never exposed to such things. In One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, their social customs is what allows them to keep stable and sane as an individual in such harsh circumstances influenced by the Russian culture. The novel presents a horrible yet significant period in Russian history where cultural influence plays a significant role in which the characters utilize day by day.

Character in Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Character in Katherine Anne Porter's â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† a short story by Katherine Anne Porter, describes the last thoughts, feelings, and memories of an elderly woman. As Granny Weatherall’s life literally â€Å"flashes† before her eyes, the importance of the title of the story becomes obvious. Granny Weatherall has been in some way deceived or disappointed in every love relationship of her life. Her past lover George, husband John, daughter Cornelia, and God all did an injustice by what Porter refers to as â€Å"jilting.† This unending cycle of wrongdoing caused Granny to be a mixture of strength, bitterness, and ultimate fear as she faces her last moments in life. Granny gained her strength by the people that she felt jilted by. George stood Granny up at the altar. He never showed at all and it is never stated that she heard from him again. The pain forced Granny to be strong as is proven by her thoughts when she is asked if anything could be done for her. â€Å" I want you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman†¦ Tell him I was given back everything he took away and more† (Porter 584). Granny did marry a man named John, but her strength was again tested when he died at a young age, leaving her to raise their children on her own. â€Å"Sometimes she wanted to see John again and point to them and say, well, I didn’t do so badly did I?† (582). She had been strong enough to carry the burden of two lost loves and raise good children at the same time. It was one of these children, Cornelia, who made her act somewhat bitterly in her last days. With her daughter whispering about her and saying she should be humored at her old age, Granny felt like she had been in some way betrayed. â€Å"It was strange about children. They disputed your every word† (584). She felt like Cornelia was treating her like a child. â€Å"The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb, and blind. Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around her and over her head saying, ‘Don’t cross her, let her have her way, she’s eighty years old,’ and she sitting there as if she lived in a thick glass cage† (582). Character in Katherine Anne Porter's The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Character in Katherine Anne Porter's â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† a short story by Katherine Anne Porter, describes the last thoughts, feelings, and memories of an elderly woman. As Granny Weatherall’s life literally â€Å"flashes† before her eyes, the importance of the title of the story becomes obvious. Granny Weatherall has been in some way deceived or disappointed in every love relationship of her life. Her past lover George, husband John, daughter Cornelia, and God all did an injustice by what Porter refers to as â€Å"jilting.† This unending cycle of wrongdoing caused Granny to be a mixture of strength, bitterness, and ultimate fear as she faces her last moments in life. Granny gained her strength by the people that she felt jilted by. George stood Granny up at the altar. He never showed at all and it is never stated that she heard from him again. The pain forced Granny to be strong as is proven by her thoughts when she is asked if anything could be done for her. â€Å" I want you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman†¦ Tell him I was given back everything he took away and more† (Porter 584). Granny did marry a man named John, but her strength was again tested when he died at a young age, leaving her to raise their children on her own. â€Å"Sometimes she wanted to see John again and point to them and say, well, I didn’t do so badly did I?† (582). She had been strong enough to carry the burden of two lost loves and raise good children at the same time. It was one of these children, Cornelia, who made her act somewhat bitterly in her last days. With her daughter whispering about her and saying she should be humored at her old age, Granny felt like she had been in some way betrayed. â€Å"It was strange about children. They disputed your every word† (584). She felt like Cornelia was treating her like a child. â€Å"The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb, and blind. Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around her and over her head saying, ‘Don’t cross her, let her have her way, she’s eighty years old,’ and she sitting there as if she lived in a thick glass cage† (582).

radio-imaging effectiveness :: essays research papers

Radiation can be used in both diagnosis and therapeutic manners. The radiation emitted from radioisotopes can destroy tissue and in the therapeutic use: the destruction of cancerous and other dangerous tissues. And with diagnosis the gamma particle pass through the body tissues with minimal damage to a gamma camera. To evaluate the effectiveness of PET, SPECT, MRI and X-rays, we first need some basic knowledge on how each of them work. PET stands for positron emission tomography and works by an instrument collecting radiation emitted from a radioisotope injected the patient’ body. The strengths of emission are recorded by a gamma camera, which has a series of scintillation crystals, each connected to a photomultiplier tube. The crystals convert the gamma rays, emitted from the patient, to photons of light, and the photomultiplier tubes convert and amplify the photons to electrical signals. These electrical signals are then processed by a computer to generate images. The table is then moved, and the process is repeated, resulting in a series of thin slice images of the body over the region of interest (e.g. brain, breast, liver). These thin slice images can be assembled into a three dimensional representation of the patient's body Nowadays, PET scanning devices are most often used in conjunction with CT scanners, so that a more accurate image can be observed by the doctor for easier diagnosis of diseases or disorders. SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) works in a way much the same to PET. But the radioactive substances used in SPECT (Xenon-133, Technetium-99, Iodine-123) have longer decay times than those used in PET, and emit single instead of double gamma rays MRI has a more complex principle for its function; it works by creating a magnetic field so strong that the hydrogen protons in the body are forced into alignment with the magnetic field. Short bursts of radio waves are sent from the scanner into your body. The radio waves knock the protons from their position. When the burst of radio waves stops, the protons go back into position. They realign back to being in parallel with the magnetic field. As the protons realign, in a process known as relaxation, they emit tiny radio signals. A receiving device in the scanner detects these signals. The type of tissue can be interpreted from the strength of the signal emitted. Most of the hydrogen atoms in the body are in water molecules.

Swot Analysis †Wal-Mart

Strengths †¢Best positioned global retailer †¢Established business objective & philosophy that is understood organization wide †¢Firm focus on the strategy of cost leadership by offering everyday low prices (EDLP) through everyday low costs (EDLC) †¢Efficient procurement and logistics system †¢Strong and stable financial performance and positive cash flows for reinvestment in improving operations Weaknesses †¢Significant dependence on the US market to maintain strong sales performance †¢Wal-Mart’s mass market approach as a retailer creates opportunities for ‘market nichers’ to capture specific market segments which may be overlooked. Wal-Mart’s extensive range of products limits its ability to give direct attention to understanding all its customers as opposed to its more focused competitors. †¢FIFO method of accounting for inventory, in the international markets, may not effectively support the strategy of everyday l ow prices. Opportunities †¢There are opportunities to expand in countries with emerging economies †¢There are also opportunities to resuscitate growth in the US market †¢Innovations in technology present the opportunity to further integrate the value chain for increased efficiency to drive EDLC. Threats †¢The unstable economic climate in the USA will continue to negatively impact on Wal-Mart’s performance †¢Wal-Mart can lose customers to more focused competitors if they (competitors) are able to develop a value proposition greater than the simple offering of everyday low prices. †¢Wal-Mart’s global exposure exposes the organization to currency risk, political influences, and other uncertainties that can affect its operations. †¢Wal-Mart’s cost leadership strategy creates intensive price competition which poses a serious risk to profitability if operational costs are not ffectively managed. Wal-Mart is a large retailer that is keenly focused on the business philosophy of saving people money so they can live better. This philosophy drives the organization-wide quest of achieving EDLCs which are leveraged in delivering EDLPs. Based on corporate information, Wal-Mart has a total of 9700 retail units spread across 28 countries, as at Augus t 2011. This represents approximately 985 million square feet of retail space from which sales are generated. This broad network of superstores, discount stores, neighbourhood markets, suppliers, and customers are interconnected in a value delivery network fuelled by information technology. In this system, suppliers are able to track Wal-Mart’s inventory levels in real-time to ensure that products are available on time, in the right quantities, best quality, and at the lowest possible price. Simultaneously, Wal-Mart is able to track purchasing patterns, brand preferences, register customer feedback, and capture other related information for their sales and marketing programme. When it is all put together, Wal-Mart’s use of information technology empowers it to consistently deliver on its promise of everyday low prices, a reliable supply of its vast range of products, and capture an understanding of its customers and members that it serves over 200 million times per week. This, in turn, drives customer satisfaction and loyalty which is reflected in Wal-Mart’s strong financial performance compared to other global retailers. For the 2011 financial year, Wal-Mart’s sales grew by 3. 4% to US$419b and operating income grew by 6. 4% to US$25b. EPS grew by 12% to US$4. 8 and a total of US$19. 2b was paid out to shareholders through dividends or share repurchases. Between the 2009 and 2010 financial years, Wal-Mart has maintained a ROI of 19. 3% falling slightly to 19. 2% in 2011 due mainly to economic challenges within the US market. For comparison, Wal-Mart’s closest global competitor, Carrefour Group, generated a USD equivalent of app roximately $158b in sales for the 2010 financial year (latest full year results available). At the close of the second quarter of their 2011 financial year (August 31, 2011), Carrefour experienced a 2. % increase in sales at the USD equivalent of $58. 3b. However, underperformance in France, Greece, and Italy, due to struggling economies, resulted in a 22% reduction in operating income at a USD equivalent of $1. 1b. These results cements Wal-Mart’s position as the world’s largest and best positioned retailer with respect to sales revenue. On the flip side, Wal-Mart appears to be dependent on its dominance in the US market which showed a flat performance by generating US$260b in sales for the 2011 financial year, compared to US$259b in 2010. Despite expanding during the year to create more retail space, there was reduced customer traffic due to rising unemployment and a 2. 3% reduction in the income of the middle class according to the US Census Bureau. A 1% increase in the poverty rate to 15. 3% also had a negative impact on Wal-Mart’s performance and highlights the challenges within the US economy. In the international segment, the FIFO approach at inventory management and accounting may not entirely support its established strategy of everyday low prices as it does not allow for cost savings to be quickly passed on to its customers. It may also distort the true picture of the company’s financial performance. Putting it all together, the assessment of Wal-Mart’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identifies the need for a strategic approach towards achieving its objective of 4-6% growth in sales revenue for the 2012 financial year and beyond. Given its dominance in the US market, the company should strategically move to hold/defend its market position by continuing to leverage IT for EDLCs and EDLPs. Aggressive sales promotions, especially through eCommerce, should be used to improve on the flat sales performance for 2011. Wal-Mart should, however, look to the emerging economies for further growth and expansion as they show a faster rate of economic recovery and a growing middle class. China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are ranked in the top five on the market potential index for emerging markets with respect to market growth rates. China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia are ranked in the top five based on market size. Pending further PESTEL Analysis, these emerging markets could potentially hold the key for Wal-Mart’s future expansion.

Mass and Chemical Reactions Lab Essay

Relationships in a Chemical Reaction Lab Introduction: This lab focused on mass relationships within a chemical reaction. To understand this lab first, it is necessary to understand the reaction that is going on in the reaction. The Copper (II) chloride hydrate reacts with Aluminum to produce Aluminum chloride, copper, and water. Theoretical yield and various other forms of yield must be understood too, theoretical yield is what amount of the product you should get theoretically according to your calculations; experimental yield is the product you get after you finish the experiment. Because of error usually your experimental yield will be off from your theoretical yield. Percent yield is the efficiency of the reaction to get to the theoretical yield. Data Collection And Processing: Raw Data: Table #1 : Substance / Object and Mass Table Substance / Object| Mass (Â ± 0. 01 g)| 200mL beaker| 67. 38 Â ± 0. 01 g| 200mL beaker + Copper| 69. 39 Â ± 0. 01 g| Copper| 2. 01 Â ± 0. 01 g| 200mL beaker + Dried Copper| 68. 01 Â ± 0. 01 g| Dried Copper| 0. 63 Â ± 0. 01 g| Qualitative Data: Before the reaction, the Copper (II) Chloride hydrate is a blue crystallized substance, the Aluminum was shiny and made crinkly sounds, it has a smooth metallic feel to it. During the reaction initially when stirred the water the water turns blue. When the aluminum is placed into the hydrous CuCl? the water becomes a darker murky substance. Steam is coming out of the water and aluminum is visibly dissolving. The aluminum is also turning black and vapor is forming along the sides. Foam like red pieces are forming and dropping. As the solid turns completely red the liquid is becoming clear again and is colorless.

Hume: Morality Is Based on Sentiment

Hume: Morality is Based on Sentiment This paper will attempt to give a detailed breakdown of David Hume's take on morality, and how some of the other philosophers would critique his stance. I will first speak about why Hume believes reason and passion don't contradict each other. Then I will give Aristotle’s and Aquinas' view on this conclusion of his. Next, I will speak on how Hume argues that moral judgments aren't grounded in reason. Afterwards, I will discuss what he considers that moral judgments are founded on. Finally, I will give a critique of Hume's theory from Hobbes' perspective.Hume's take on human morality is a very interesting one indeed to contemplate. His main argument on the topic is that the morality of humans is totally derived from sentiment, and in no way has anything to do with reason. He first defines sentiment and reason. He says that the former refers to passions such as emotions, feelings, appetites and desires. Then he also goes on to categorize the passions as being either calm or violent. And according to him, it is our passions that lead us to action. He also states that passions can neither be true nor false, they're â€Å"original existences† (Hume 42 column 2 paragraph 3).Then he defines reason as, what we can say, are ruminations of the mind, which includes beliefs, thoughts, conclusions of arguments, etc, and declares that these can be true or false. It is with these definitions in mind that Hume goes on to make the statement that passion and reason cannot oppose each other. Because passions are original existences, they are neither reasonable nor unreasonable though they are the dominators of our actions. Reason, however, can be put to true/false evaluations and are actually derived from our passions.Reason cannot contradict passion because this would be an internal disagreement of ideas, which are considered as copies of the object which they represent, i. e. the particular passion. He states though that a pass ion can be called unreasonable if it is founded upon a false supposition or chooses insufficient means for the required end (Hume 43 column 2 paragraph 2), but when one perceives that the supposition is false or the means are insufficient, then the passion yields to reason without any opposition whatsoever (Hume 43 column 2 paragraph 2).This is because willing an action follows upon the supposition that the action brings about a proposed effect, but as soon as it's found that this supposition is not true there is no more desire to will that action. He also says that reason can have an indirect impact on passion. For example, when one considers jealousy, it can be seen that it’s a passion that’s based in human belief. Aristotle’s view is based on a system of virtues of which, if they’re done well, would cause one to lead a happy life. He also states that there are actually two categories of virtues: those that are intellectual and those which are moral.Int ellectual virtues refer to those characteristics that lead one to think or reason well, and demands experience and time. Moral virtues, on the other hand, are those characteristics that perfect our character and are acquired through habit (Aristotle 54 column 1 paragraph 4). These habits are the basis of actions, thus determining what one does in particular situations. Taking a look at how Hume’s actions derived from sentiment can be compared with Aristotle’s moral virtues that come through habit, the parallels in the theories can be immediately seen.The same can be said about Aristotle’s intellectual virtues bettering one’s thinking when compared with Hume’s reason being composed of ideas, beliefs and the like. Hume’s definitions of sentiment and reason can be seen as analogous to Aristotle’s virtues. Seeing that these two classes of virtues too function in wholly different ways to Aristotle, being that they target different aspects of the human, he would agree with Hume’s view that passion cannot oppose reason.The same can be said for Aquinas as was said for Aristotle. Aquinas' statement â€Å"Whatever a human being seeks, it seeks under the aspect of the good and if it does not seek it as its perfect good, which is its ultimate end, it must seek it as tending to that perfect good, since any beginning is ordered to its culmination† (McInerny 200 paragraph 3) can be interpreted to mean that all the things attracting the human will are perceived as being good.He then goes on to say that there is a distinction between the thing sought, which would be the trigger of Hume’s passion, and the reason for seeking it, which would be the available facts leading to the belief that the object is worth being sought. Here is where he can be compared to Hume who says that passions are original existences that cannot conflict with reason, which is based in facts as known by the human.Aquinas also states th at humans can be mistaken about the good in a particular instance of action, but if a person is enlightened that â€Å"not-A rather than A† contributes to their happiness, they â€Å"have the same reason for doing not-A† that they thought they had for doing â€Å"A† (McInerny 201 paragraph 4). He is saying here that whenever the human discovers that something sought for happiness (and thus is thought to be morally good) doesn’t fulfill the requirement, the human then has the same reason now for not seeking that thing anymore, whether it be a particular action or object.This supplements Hume’s theory of the only situations where he thinks passions can be thought of as â€Å"unreasonable†, though said passions would immediately yield to reason when the supposition is perceived to be false (Hume 43 column 2 paragraph 2). Aquinas clarifies this thinking even further when he says an act is not called rational because it’s an act of reason, but because it (the action) can be influenced by reason (McInerny 203 paragraph 1).Unlike many other philosophers, especially the classic ones, Hume disputes the claim that morality is founded on reason. He proposes this isn’t possible since â€Å"reason is the discovery of truth or falsehood†, which is related to ideas and matters of fact (Hume 44 column 1 paragraph 1). Since passions, volitions and actions are original facts and realities which are complete in themselves, and thus cannot reference each other, â€Å"it is impossible [for them to] be either contrary or conformable to reason†.Since our actions, which can be evaluated as being morally laudable or blamable, cannot be produced or prevented by reason, moral judgments cannot be derived from reason. To determine what Hume believes morality is derived from, there is a need to define facts and values, and to see how these fit into the spectrum of his conclusion. Facts are things known and can be describ ed. However, values are subjective feelings about the facts. So there is a huge difference between what each of them refers to.Using these definitions, Hume argues that there are no facts about good/evil and right/wrong. No matter how you may examine a morally wrong action, at no time can you ever find a matter of fact which you call vice. As long as you consider the object itself, you will never find that which is called vice. It is only when you reflect within that you find a â€Å"sentiment of disapprobation, which arises in you, towards this action†. That thing which arises in you is a fact, but it is an object of feeling, not reason (Hume 44 column 1 paragraph 3).Basically, Hume is saying that there is no way to say that an action willed by someone can be called factual, since there is nothing true or false about it, but it is the way someone feels about that action within themselves that gives the action moral value. So it can be seen how Hume concludes moral right/wron g is not deducted from reason, but how one feels about things. And human nature comes equipped with the basic sentiments of sympathy or benevolence toward humankind in general, and this is what leads us in making moral judgments.Hobbes would completely disagree with Hume on his theory that morality is based in sentiment. Just looking at the title of his work tells us that he believes morality is completely based on reason. He believes that humans are inherently selfish creatures and wouldn’t be much more than the lower animals if there was no society. He reasons that humans typically have a natural right to everything, even other humans, if they discern it that thing a means of advancing their own survival.He sees humans as existing in a state of nature where there is only a â€Å"war of everyone against everyone† (Hobbes 5 column 1 paragraph 1) arising from competition, fear and vanity. He posits that in this war, the concepts of right or wrong, justice or injustice, etc. have no place (Hobbes 4 column 1 paragraph 4), and hence there is no morality. However, they need to make peace with each other in an attempt to preserve their own lives. So humans force themselves to make covenants with each other to give up their fundamental right to all things for this security.Justice is derived from these covenants, and one is said to be unjust when they fail to â€Å"perform their covenants made† (Hobbes 5 column 2 paragraph 3). But there is also no trust among humans, since there is no way to be certain that the others will adhere to their agreement, so a further step is taken to establish what is called a commonwealth, in order to provide a â€Å"coercive power† that will â€Å"compel men equally to the performance of their covenants† through the fear of punishment worse than any benefit they get by breaking the covenant.It is through this sequence of occurrences that Hobbes arrives at his natural laws which are summed as â€Å"doi ng to others, as we would be done to you† (Hobbes 6 column 2 paragraph 3) which can be seen as morality. Thus, Hobbes would say instead that morality comes from the formation of covenants and commonwealth, and not sentiment as Hume says. Works Cited Aristotle. â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics† John Arthur and Steven Scalet. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy.Hobbes, Thomas. â€Å"Leviathan: Morality as Rational Advantage. † John Arthur and Steven Scalet. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy. Hume, David. â€Å"Morality is Based on Sentiment. † John Arthur and Steven Scalet. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy. McInerny, Ralph. â€Å"Ethics. † The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas. pages 200-206.