Machiavelli philosophy in the Prince - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 663 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/07/26 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Niccolo Machiavelli Essay Did you like this example? Machiavellis The Prince Chapter 3: Concerning Mixed Principles; urges the prince to rule with motivating tactics and to ease slowly into their conquered states to optimize success. To starts this chapter, Machiavelli discusses composite principalities; that rulers often struggle with implementing. Further, he discusses how crucial it is to understand how to conquer a state and that is because of one natural difficultyunhappy people. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Machiavelli philosophy in the Prince" essay for you Create order As a result of unreasonably harsh and tactless rule, people revolt and fight for what they want, and may even appoint a new ruler. This is not beneficial to a ruler who wants to maintain control. In retaliation to these revolts, rulers use harsh and immoral tactics to deal with these situations, and to Machiavelli this makes matters worse. However, Machiavelli believes that the prince can manipulate peoples trust in his favor. This include making the people think that they will benefit under the princes rule; as this happens the prince is gaining more agency, control, and power. His advice is outlined below. Machiavelli starts by urging rulers to minimize harm to people, while simultaneously maximizing benefits to their reign. He emphasizes the importance of gaining the peoples goodwill, although he cautions that it will be impossible to maintain allies perfect friendship after a conquest. This is because, according to Machiavelli, a prince will always try to secure his control, and this might be to the expense of some peoples happiness. Machiavelli highlights that there is a fragile balance of power between a ruler and his subjects, and he believes that princes should take the necessary steps to maintain the balance in their own favor and to injure those who have made him the new ruler. But, he makes sure the end this thought by reminding the prince that the prince is nothing without the corporation of the people. To Machiavelli, to maintain rule would mean to maintain the stability of the conqueror state. He believes that princes should integrate smoothly into their ruling and will maintain their power as long as their old lives are undisturbed. He expresses that conquesting similar territories, and refraining from altering laws and changing too much of the culture would help rulers prevent negatively implicating the lives of people. This in turn will help ruler gain trust of the people. Another tactic for princes to keep in mind is to be hesitant of power and starting trouble upon a new conquer. Machiavelli urges princes to not bring large armies or start war because the cons outweigh the pros as these tactics will provoke hatred in the people. Machiavelli continues by encouraging rulers to use revolts in their favor. He counsels them to take advantage of this opportunity to reassert their power and, if necessary, to reorganize their states. Machiavelli advises princes to adopt harsh measures, when they deem it as necessary to secure their control over people. He believes that using punishment forms is an important component of governance. But to do so with limits, he adds, When lands that have rebelled are reconquered they are not lost so easily. Machiavelli uses France as an example, and expos how the french easily lost their conquest of Milan, because of their failed attempt to wage war to reconquer after a revolt a first and second time. He believes that King Louis made all the wrong choices, and is a perfect example of what not to do. To not eliminate the power of the people, to not bring foreign power in to newly conquered states, to not settle. Machiavelli philosophy is general enough to be about to motivate people despite the period or place that they are in. Machiavellis advice can apply to any princes situation. Machiavelli truly is able to manipulate behavior on the basis of scheming. And he insists that the goal should never be to make people submit to a princes rule, but rather, not make it possible for them to ever revolt. To Machiavelli, truly consolidating your ruling is the golden rule.

Jane Eyre, By Charlotte Bronte Essay - 1279 Words

In Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre, the relationships Jane has with the male characters demonstrates her coming of age from dependence to independence because Jane begins by rebelling against John and Mr. Brocklehurst, she leaves Mr. Rochester, and denies St. John’s proposal. Jane’s acts of rebellion against John Reed shows that she is tired of being dependent on him and his family. Also, by showing signs of rebellion to Mr. Brocklehurst when she first is interviewed to see if the school Lowood is the right place for her shows that she yearns for independence. Jane’s standing up to Mr. Rochester by leaving him shows that she is not dependent on him. Jane’s refusal of St. John’s proposal shows that she is an independent woman who can do things for herself. Considering the connection between the men in Jane’s life and her coming of age from dependence to independence, it is important to analyze her first show of instability with John Ree d and Mr. Brocklehurst. In Jane Eyre, Jane begins with rebelling against her cousin John Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, showing that she is not mature enough to handle harassment and the idea of dependence and compliance. Jane is full of passion and since she has not had anyone to love her and teach her how to control herself she has become rebellious. In the quote â€Å"I don’t very well know what I did with my hands, but he called me ‘Rat! Rat!’ and bellowed aloud. Aid was near him: Eliza and Georgiana had run for Mrs. Reed, who was gone upstairs; sheShow MoreRelatedJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1601 Words   |  7 Pagesfeminist, one must see it through the lens of the time and place Brontà « wrote it. Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre was a feminist work in that Bronte expressed disdain for oppressive gender structures through the voice of Jane Eyre, and the actions of Bertha Mason. Jane Eyre was a steamy novel for its time, with imagery as blatantly concealed as Jane’s description of Rochester’s hand as being â€Å"rounded, muscular; and vigorous†¦long, strong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Brontà « 312) A modern reader might blush at the description and itsRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1437 Words   |  6 Pagestools that depict history. One great work of art that portrays these constant struggles is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà «. While addressing social issues of a governess, Brontà « also tackles Victorian society’s corrupt and unjust ideals by using different settings and characters such as Mr. Rochester and Gateshead Manor. In Jane Eyre, the depiction of a rigid social class restricts the protagonist, Jane Eyre, from marrying her love, Mr. Rochester. Sadly, Jane’s relationship is also jeopardized by passionRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1374 Words   |  6 PagesJane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Within the specter of the Gothic fictions arises the atmosphere of gloom, terror, and mystery with some elements of uncanny challenging reality. One major characteristic function of the Gothic fictions is to open the fiction to the realm of the irrational and perverse narratives, obsessions, and nightmarish terrors that hide beneath the literally civilized mindset in order to demonstrate the presence of the uncanny existing in the world known rationally through experienceRead MoreJane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte781 Words   |  3 PagesThrough her trials and tribulations, Charlotte Bronte has kept her passion for poetry alive and remains as one of the most influential British poets of all times. Even though she is one of the most famous female writers of all times, she is mostly famous for her most popular novel Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte has experienced more tragedy in her life than happiness by losing her mother and all five of her siblings. But, in her moments of tragedy, she expre ssed her feelings through poetry. As a resultRead MoreJane Eyre, By Charlotte Bronte949 Words   |  4 PagesSurrounded by witnesses, Jane stands in front of the minister, poised to take her marital vows as the mystery of Thornfield unravels. Unbeknownst to her, Rochester’s actual wife, Bertha Mason, is within close proximity.The knowledge of Bertha, and the mystery, will pose as a test to Jane s morals and her character. Through Jane Eyre, a powerful Victorian-era novel, Charlotte Bronte portrays the role of women in Victorian society while masterfully solidifying Jane’s role as its polar opposite: anRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1714 Words   |  7 Pages Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brà ¶nte voiced the radical opinions of Brà ¶nte on religion, gender, and social class. Jane Eyre, a young orphan who lived with her vituperative aunt and cousins, strayed away from the Victorian ideals of a woman and established a new status for herself. Jane Eyre was originally written in 1827 and was heavily influenced by the late gothic literature of the 19th century. Gothic literary aspects such as supernatural occurrences, mysteries and dark secrets, madness and dangerRead MoreJane Eyre, By Charlotte Bronte1620 Words   |  7 PagesIt is often said that it is the role of literature to challenge and confront the conventional values of a society. In the novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte the idea of challenging and confronting conventional values is stressed often. Perhaps it is in relation to the author herself, as seen in the autobiographical elements recognizable throughout the novel. Some of these autobiographical elements include the form of which the novel is written in, called Bildungsroman where the story is focusedRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe nineteenth-century Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is considered to be a gothic novel. Gothic literature took place mostly in England from 1790 to 1830, falling in to the category of Romantic literature. The Gothic takes its roots from previous horrifying writing that extends back to the Middle Ages and can still be found in writings today by many authors including Charlotte Bronte. The strong description of horror, abuse, and gruesomeness in Gothic novels reveals truths to readers through realisticRead MoreJane Eyre, By Charlotte Bronte929 Words   |  4 PagesIn Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontà « explores how Jane wants to find love--not just romantic love but to value and sense of belonging. The book challenges how the language of middle-class love affects the way a character’s self-identity can alter the action, how Jane sees herself later when she found love and sense of belonging as independent women. When Jane was a child she struggles to find her own identity Jane begins to change through her journey once she realizes her own identity and this helpsRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte1359 Words   |  6 PagesFollowing the ex periences of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, expresses many elements of gothic literature throughout her novel Jane Eyre. In her perfect understanding of gothic literature, she expresses the three types of evil commonly found in gothic literature, including the evil of the supernatural, the evil within or the instinctual evil motives of humans, and lastly, the evil because of societal influence. Jane Eyre experiences all of these three evils with her aunt and three cousins with her residency

Communication and Professional Relationships with Children free essay sample

Identify relevant legal requirements and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information. As a teaching assistant all information must be treated confidentiality as stated in the ‘Data Protection Act 1998’, any information must be stored as stated in the act and all members of staff must be familiar with this and follow the guidelines. In my role I ensure that no information that no information is passed on to any third parties and always checking with a teacher or other members of staff if I am unsure. If a parent gives me information about a child I ensure this is recorded correctly eg. in letter or note, or student record and following school policies and passed on the relevant members of staff. Schools ask parents for a range of information so that we are able to care for children effectively as we can, however we can only ask for information that is directly relevant such as health or medical information, records from previous schools or SEN records. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication and Professional Relationships with Children or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page All information is confidential and must only be used for the purpose in which it was gathered. If under special circumstances the information is to be passed onto others then the parents consent must be given. Respecting confidentiality is very important when working in a school setting. There is certain information that has to be gathered in order to work effectively. This information includes Names, contact details Medical information Allergies/dietary needs Academic abilities SEN Assessment results/observation records To disclose this information is a breach of confidentiality. It should only be passed on, on a need to know basis, for example if its information about a child’s health then all staff members should have that information, with parental consent. TDA 2. 3-4. 2 Describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this.

What Were The Causes And Effects Of World War I The Answer Essays

What were the causes and effects of World War I? The answer to this seemingly simple question is not elementary. There was more to the onset of the war then the event of an Austrian prince being murdered in Serbia, as is what most people consider to be the cause of World War I. Furthermore, the effects of the war were not just concentrated to a post-war era lasting for a generation of Westerners. No, the effects of the war were widespread throughout the world and can be traced to generations after the war. It is not a rare occasion that when a person is asked what the causes of World War I were, that they answer with the simple comment of an Austrian Prince being shot in Serbia. However the assignation of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie , in Sarajevo was not the main cause of the Great War. Rather, it was the breaking point for Austria in its dealings with Serbia. The truth of the matter is that several factors played a role in the outbreak of the catastrophic war the engulfed the nations of Europe for over four years. World War I truly was the result of building aggressions among the countries of Europe which was backed by the rise of nationalism. To add to the disastrous pot, there was also imperial competition along with the fear of war prompting military alliances and an arms race. All of these increased the escalating tensions that lead to the outbreak of a world war. (Mckay, pg. 904) Two opposing alliances developed by the Bismarckian diplomacy after the Franco- Prussian War was one of the major causes of the war. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperors League in 1872, which was an alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Then in 1882 , Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment toward France and formed the Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungry. In 1890 Bismarck was dismissed from his office and France took the opportunity to gain an ally, therefore , in 1891 the Franco- Russian Entente was formed. Then in 1904 Britain and France put aside their conflicts and formed the Entente Cordiale. As a result , the Triple Entente , a coalition between Great Britain, France , and Russia, countered the Triple Alliance. Now Europe was divided up into two armed camps.(World Book Encyclopedia, WXYZ, pg. 367) Nationalism also played a major role in developing tensions in Europe; for it had been causing dissatisfaction since the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In that settlement the preservment of peace was chosen over nationalism, therefore, Germany and Italy were left as divided states, though they did unify in the future. The Franco- Prussian War in 1871 resulted in the Frances loss of the province of Alasce- Lorraine to Germany, and the French looked forward to regaining their lands. Then there was Austria- Hungary which controlled many lands that their neighbors felt belonged to them. Serbia wanted Bosnia and Hercegovina, Italy wanted the Trentino and Trieste regions, and the Czechs and Solvaks wanted independence from Austria- Hungrey. There was also Russia which had problems within its own boundaries; for Russia contained many different nationalities and many were also seeking independence in the name of nationalism. ( World Book Encyclopedia, WXYZ, pg. 366) Another major conflict that caused the outbreak of the Great War was what is known as the arms race. With the hostile divisions of the nations of Europe there came the expansion of armies and navies. Furthermore, the great powers came to copy Germanys military organization and efficiency, which called for universal registration for military duty, large reserves and detailed planning. Efforts were made for universal disarmament, but the " international rivalry caused the arms race to continue to feed on itself. " (Karpilovsky, World Wide Web) Imperial competition also played a major rule in the act of increasing the ever growing tensions among the divided countries of Europe. In Africa there were two crises in Morocco. The first time, in 1905, Germany full heartedly supported Moroccos call for independence from France, and with the British defending the French war was only avoided because of an international conference which made Morocco a French protectorate. The second crisis occurred in 1911, and it was in protest to French supremacy in Morocco. The Germans finally gave the French a free hand in Morocco, but with a price. They demanded in exchange a portion if of the French Congo. Around this same era there was also a Bosnian crisis, which began with Austria- Hungarys takeover of the province

Howard Roark, in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead Essay Example

Howard Roark, in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead Paper That is probably the most selfish statement that you have ever heard in your life. Selfishness in our society is view as a bad thing. What if someone could perfectly articulate that selfishness, in its purest form, could be the best way to live your life? Ayn Rands rational selfishness is best shown by her two heroes, Howard Roark and John Galt, in the novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged respectively. Her philosophy has been read by, and influenced millions of people, including some of the worlds leaders of business. This selfish though, is not the selfish that you are accustomed to. Ayn Rand redefines the word selfishness through these two characters, and puts them above the lying, cheating and plundering of the recent plague of corporate scandal. More importantly, her philosophy is about man as a hero, and the triumph of the human spirit in its purest, selfish state. Ayn Rand uses Howard Roark, the protagonist in The Fountainhead, to show that the rights of the individual completely outweigh the needs of society as a whole. First, to establish a basis for her philosophy, Rand must make Roark fit the mold of a hero. What is a hero by todays standards? We will write a custom essay sample on Howard Roark, in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Howard Roark, in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Howard Roark, in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Someone who strives to be above the normal? Someone who has a certain aura about them that they have something more than most? Is this a hero? His face was closed like the door of a safety vault; things locked in safety vaults are valuable; men do not care to feel that. He was a cold, disquieting presence in the room; his presence had a strange quality: it made itself felt and yet made them feel that he was not there; or perhaps that he was and they werent (Rand, The Fountainhead 62). Roark has an uncanny ability to make those around him feel as though he is the only one in the room. This is a very powerful image when you look at the characterization of Roark. He goes through life with this power, this presence, that makes all others around him insignificant. This power is his ego. Rand makes him above all others, much like a super hero. Essentially though Rand believes that all men can be heroes and the accomplishment, creations, of man should be praised. President Herbert Hoover, before the popularity of Rand, shared the same pride in the accomplishments of men. Once in a speech regarding one of our national treasures, the dam that bares his name, Hoover expresses his pride in the heroic ability of man. It does give me extraordinary pleasure to see the great dream I have so long held taking form in actual reality of stone and cement. This dam is the greatest engineering work of its character ever attempted by the hand of man. The waters of this great river, instead of being wasted in the sea, will now be brought into use by man. The whole of this will translate itself . into millions of happy homes. out under the blue sky of the West (Stockdon 818). Roarks life and the vessel of philosophy that he is are best shown in two events in his life. The first is his expulsion from The Stanton Institute of Technology. Roark in his history at the school was a genius, in the subjects of math and engineering. In addition to that he was a genius in design, but this is where the universitys problem arose. Roarks convictions, when it comes to architecture, are unbreakable. The basis for his expulsion is his refusal to reproduce styles that are considered timeless. I do not understand why you want me to believe that this is great architecture. That, said the Dean. is the Parthenon. So it is. I havent the time to waste on silly questions. All right then. Roark got up, took a very long ruler from the desk and walked to the picture. Shall I tell you what is rotten about it? Its the Parthenon! said the Dean Yes, God damn it the Parthenon! Then Roark goes on, at length to explain that the reason that the Greeks designed things such as the Parthenon was because, previously to that period of architecture, columns and triglyphs were used to hide joints in wood. The Greeks then took there wooden principles and applied them to marble. Roark simply asks the question why should something that served one purpose as wood, serve the same purpose as marble. Roark is beautifully stubborn, but his stubbornness is justified because he is right, and he knows that he is. Roark is proud of man and the accomplishes that he has had. That is why he does not think that one should look at the accomplishments of the past only, and not strive to create. The Dean then asks him about his clients. If Roark continues to only design the way that he does, he is surely to not have clients. To Roark though that is a trivial thing. I could say that I must try to sell him (the client) the best I have and also teach him to know the best. I could say it, but I wont. Because I dont intend to build in order to serve or help anyone. I dont intend to build in order to have clients. I intend to have clients in order to build (Rand, The Fountainhead 26). Roarks selfishness is clearly shown by his lack of flexibility when it comes to his ideals. This is another trait that he has that makes him into a hero. I mean Superman is not ever a little bad. Rather, he never sways from being a good guy, never. Roark in the same manner does not sway from what he thinks is right. His righteousness, though, gets him into quite an ordeal. The most concrete testimony of Rands philosophy comes out in the Cortland Trial. Roark designed a government housing project on the sole terms that his original plans be left unchanged. When his plans are altered, he destroys his work by means of dynamite. Why is it so important that his plans be left unchanged? Simply put, Roark lives to see his buildings erected. Just as his buildings come to life, he also breathes life when the plans become reality. In his defense and summation he gives a speech that is unparalleled, except by another of Rands heroes. His speech is a retelling of the history of man, and the history of persecution of men that are like him. Roark refers to himself as a creator. His enemy is the second hander. The creators, create the things that the second handers give away. Charity and self sacrifice are the ideals of the second handers. Roark says: Men have been taught that it is the highest virtue to give. Yet one cannot give what has not been created. Creation comes before distribution. The need for the creator comes before any possible beneficiary (Rand, The Fountainhead 680). The second handers would not have anything if not for the creators. And yet the altruists want to take everything that he holds as sacred. The altruists want his buildings, which in turn he gives life to, loves, and extends himself into. Roark holds himself and his work as sacred and the second handers want to give it away before Roark even can create it. They want his individuality and that is what Roark cannot give and his summation explains this, and he is acquitted. Ayn Rand uses Howard Roark to establish her views on the needs of the individual, in contrast to the needs of society, as a whole. Although Howard Roark is essentially the voice of Rand, her philosophy is not fully developed through him. On the other hand, with John Galt, Rand culminates her philosophy by creating the most selfish character in the history of literature. Rand shifts gears from individual vs. society in The Fountainhead, to capitalism, business and government in her epic, one thousand seventy eight page novel, Atlas Shrugged. This novel describes a world where business men, musician, mathematicians and philosophers are persecuted for living their life to please themselves. John Galt is one of the victims of this society. He invented an engine that draws power from static electricity from the air. This invention would be the safest and most abundant source of energy the world has ever known, but the society wanted to take it from him so that he could not enjoy the fruits of his labor. So he simply destroyed the machine, his research and all blueprints so that they could not use it. Galt then gathers all of the men around the world that are persecuted like him and colonizes them to a secret location in Colorado. Just before Galt completely removes the men from the world he takes one last opportunity to address the world. In a very Ayn Randian way he gives a 42 page speech which is the heart of the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Rand believes in a system of pure, laissez faire capitalism. In this society the government has no role in the world of business. In the society that Rand creates in Shrugged the government rapes the business man of everything. The capitalist, selfish, business owners are plundered by the socialist system as Galt describes here: You did not care to allow rewards to be won by successful production; you are now running a race in which rewards are won by successful plunder. You called it selfish and cruel that men should trade value for value; you have now established an unselfish society where they trade extortion for extortion (Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged 976). I think that what Galt is saying here holds some truth. There are times when I think that the government does not allow business to do as much as they would like. Recently, Bill Gates, an avid reader of Atlas Shrugged, and his corporation Microsoft, came under fire from the American government on grounds of monopolizing software. In the end he ended up compromising and the government essentially won. On the other hand if I were Bill Gates, the second that the government brought charges against me I would have threatened to move my headquarters, currently in Seattle, Washington, 100 miles north into Canada. The government would have backed off pretty quick. As much as they do not want a monopoly they crave Bill Gates income tax and the taxes collected from the selling of Microsoft stocks on the market. The government wants everyone to have a fair shot but they also want the money generated by this countrys largest corporations. That is essentially what John Galt did. He took away what the government was trying to plunder, the selfish men of the world. You may be asking yourself; What does Ayn Rand believe, if any, is the role of the government? In Atlas Shrugged the government has control of everything and their power is unlimited. In our society, the government plays a pretty large role. John Galt, speaking for Ayn Rand on page 972, says that: The only proper functions of the government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; an the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others. John Galt and Rand would agree that the governments role is merely for an individuals protection from other individuals. They would agree in the minimalization of government as much as possible. This type of political philosophy shows up today in various ways. For example, a hot topic now is privatization of social security. Personally, I believe that social security should be eliminated entirely, but at least I should be able to take my money out of the hands of the government. The government has bankrupted the social security trust fund by seven trillion dollars. I will never see a dime of social security, yet I am still paying. Rand, Galt, and Roark would agree with me that this concept takes away from the virtue of selfishness that they live by. Galt is the vessel by which Rand professes her philosophy on business, and his extreme selfishness and desire to reap the rewards of his hard work are the ideals at the heart of Rands philosophy. It is when this selfishness is taken out of context that some controversy can arise. Ayn Rands philosophy of rational selfishness has touched the lives of millions of people. In a recent poll of American Book Club members, Atlas Shrugged has been named the second most influential book of all time. Second on to The Bible, Atlas Shrugged has influenced some of the most powerful men and women in the world. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple computers has read the book. As I mentioned before, Bill Gates, the worlds richest man, has read the book. In addition, the most powerful man in the world, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, not only read the book, but he was a member of Rands inner circle. Journalist Michael Lewis wrote that Greenspan has preserved a hard core of fanaticism, encasting it in a shell of pragmatism, waiting for everyone to realize that extreme laissez faire capitalism is the best system (The American Enterprise). In the United States today their is a corporate witch hunt underway and the target is big business. The executives of Enron and Worldcom have lied to, cheated and deceived their shareholders. The media targets selfishness as the motive for these men and their inexcusable behavior. Because Ayn Rand is an advocate of selfishness, big business, and because these executives have all read Atlas Shrugged, Rand has been found guilty by association and coincidence, of justifying the actions of these execs. The media associates Atlas Shrugged with greed, deception and fraud, which all these executives are guilty of. In contrast though, it is the media who is guilty of selective reading and misquoting the second most influential book of all time. A recent USA Today articles headline reads: Scandals lead execs to Atlas Shrugged; 1957 Ayn Rand novel sanctions self interest. Just by that association Rands novel has been connected to the actions of the executives. The media makes multiple mistakes which make their claim untrue. The first is that Ayn Rand redefined the word selfish in her two epic novels. The media does not apply Rands definition of selfishness to the acts of these executives. Of course when you call these men selfish by the definition most widely used they would fit the description. On the other hand, they neglect to compare these men to the meaning of selfishness described by Ayn Rand. The second mistake that the media has made is that they have selectively read some of the book and have left crucial pieces out to fit their own needs. John Galt in his speech says; that neither love, nor fame, nor cash is a value if obtained by fraud (Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 932). John Galt, or Ayn Rand essentially, feels that fraud makes your selfishness void. A truly selfish man earns his wealth through his own hard work alone. These men lied on their annual earnings and fooled their stockholders, while at the time they were frantically cashing in their stock, essentially getting rich. Not only would Ayn Rand condemn these men she would probably spearhead the investigations. This is another example of taking things out of context. When the media leaves crucial things out they are, ideally, doing a great injustice and turning many people off to a great author. When I was a child I used to pretend that I was one of many super heroes. I used to take off all of my clothing, except underwear, tie a towel around my neck, and pretend that I was Superman. It is this mentality that Ayn Rand attempts to draw out with her philosophy. Not the mentality of a child, but the common desire that we have to be a hero. Her Supermen, Howard Roark and John Galt, lead the reader to agree that they can do something great with their lives. Rands work has such appeal and will continue to have it, because it appeals to the individual, not the collective. These are the principles, by which, this country was founded and it is the reason why our system is working. Capitalism allows the potential for us all to be heroes. They dont call it living the American dream for nothing. The words of Howard Roark say it all: Now observe the results of a country built on the principle of individualism. This, our country. The noblest country in the history of man. The country of greatest achievement, greatest prosperity, greatest freedom. This country was not based on selfless service, sacrifice, renunciation or any precept of altruism. It was based on a mans right to the pursuit of happiness. His own happiness. Not anyone elses. A private, personal, selfish motive. Look at the results. Look into your own conscience.

Overview of the Chinese Yangshao Culture

Overview of the Chinese Yangshao Culture The Yangshao culture is the term for an ancient civilization that existed in what is now central China (Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces primarily) between the years 5000 and 3000 B.C.E. It was first discovered in 1921 the name â€Å"Yangshao† is taken from the name of the village where it was first discovered but since its initial discovery, thousands of sites have been uncovered. The most important site, Banpo, was found in 1953. Facets of the Yangshao Culture Agriculture was of paramount importance to the Yangshao people, and they produced many crops, although millet was particularly common. They also grew vegetables (mostly root vegetables) and raised livestock including chicken, pigs, and cows. These animals were mostly not generally raised for slaughter, though, as meat was eaten only on special occasions. Understanding of animal husbandry is thought to have increased significantly during this time. Although the Yangshao people had a primitive understanding of agriculture, they also fed themselves in part via hunting, gathering, and fishing. They accomplished this through the use of precisely-crafted stone tools including arrows, knives, and axes. They also used stone tools such as chisels in their farming work. In addition to stone, the Yangshao also cared intricate bone tools. The Yangshao lived together in houses huts, really built in pits with wooden frames holding up mud-plastered walls and thatched millet roofs. These houses were clustered in groups of five, and clusters of houses were arranged around a village’s central square. The perimeter of the village was a furrow, outside which were a communal kiln and cemetery. The kiln was used for the creation of pottery, and it is this pottery that has truly impressed archaeologists. The Yangshao were capable of making a significant variety of pottery shapes, including urns, basins, tripod containers, bottles of various shapes, and jars, many of which came with decorative covers or accessories shaped like animals. They were even capable of making complex, purely ornamental designs, like boat shapes. Yangshao pottery was also often painted with intricate designs, often in earth tones. Unlike more recent pottery cultures, it appears the Yangshao never developed pottery wheels. One of the most famous pieces, for example, is an exquisite basin painted with a fishlike design and a human face, originally used as a burial object and perhaps indicative of a Yangshao belief in animal totems. Yangshao children seem to have been often buried in painted pottery jars. In terms of clothing, the Yangshao people wore mostly hemp, which they wove themselves into simple shapes like loincloths and cloaks. They did also occasionally make silk and it’s possible some Yangshao villages even cultivated silkworms, but silk clothing was rare and mostly the province of the rich. Banpo Civilization Site The Banpo site, first discovered in 1953, is considered typical of the Yangshao culture. It consisted of a village area of about 12 acres, surrounded by a ditch (which may once have been a moat) nearly 20 feet wide. As described above, the houses were mud and wood huts with thatched roofs, and the dead were buried in a communal cemetery. Although it’s not clear to what extent, if at all, the Yangshao people had any sort of written language, Banpo pottery does contain a number of symbols (22 have been found so far) that are found repeatedly on different pieces of pottery. They tend to appear alone, and so almost certainly do not constitute true written language, they may be something akin to makers’ signatures, clan markings, or the marks of owners. There is some debate as to whether the Banpo site  and the Yangshao culture as a whole were matriarchal or patriarchal. The Chinese archaeologists initially investigating it reported it had been a matriarchal society, but newer research suggests that may not be the case, or that it might have been a society in the process of transferring from matriarchy to patriarchy.

European Law - Free Movement of Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

European Law - Free Movement of Goods - Essay Example A book could be written about this subject listing and describing the players over the years and the changes. In terms of France, Guerlain has traditionally been Frances most distinguished competitor for Fragrantia, offering the famous fragrances LEau impà ©riale, Shalimar, LHeure bleue, Vol de Nuit and Mitsouko. â€Å"Guerlain was founded by Pierre Francois Pascal and, since opening their first perfumery in Paris in 1828, they have expanded to seven exclusive boutiques in Paris, with equally exclusive shops in Milan, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong1†. The new protectionist laws are poised to leave Fragrantia behind and give a favored market to Guerlain and Chanel, major competitors of the firm, each with a strong established base of customers who are willing to pay premium prices. Sales are different for various competitors in the perfume industry, with growth in some areas and losses and others. However, overall sales in France appear to be somewhat stronger than UK sales, based on the slump of UK perfume industry which Fragrantia has to deal with in the first place, when compared to the assertion that Frances perfume and cosmetics industry â€Å"recorded its 40th consecutive year of growth in 2006, with sales rising 5.7 percent compared with an average of 5.0 percent in the past 10 years2†. Forty years of constant sales growth is indeed impressive and is something that the UK market is not really achieving, in terms of sales growth comparisons. This is why Fragrantia needs to continue to tap into the strong French market, but unfortunately is being stymied by the new tax. Fragrantia’s discovering the reasons for this sustained sales growth in France may involve looking at variables such as free market motivation and effectiveness in relation to external and internal rewards, in terms of incentives as well as in terms of comparison with other types of variables such as national pride and