Impact Of Climate Change On Insurance

Change in clime is emerging up as a new type of issue in the security facet because of the manner it affects both the life and the wellbeing of homo ‘s in a extremely interconnected and delicate universe. ( Evans, 1994, 107-128 ) Changing clime is going a menace to the basic public assistance and survival demands of worlds across the Earth, including the production of nutrient, wellness, entree to H2O and the use of land. Environmental want lifting from different sorts of economical activities of worlds has increased the strength and frequence of natural catastrophes throughout the universe. Around the universe, there has ever been natural development in the conditions and clime events. In fact, the insurance companies have become experts in patterning the black hazards which has now become an integrated instrument in the insurance industry. This has helped a figure of concerns to digest the losingss from unexpected natural catastrophes without of import defaults. This has now led to the fact that insurance companies have become more refined in analysing, managing and understanding their recent hazards because of their natural catastrophes around the universe. Many of the companies in United Kingdom are observed to be bettering in pull offing and measuring their ways of covering with the hereafter tendencies and hazards of the industry. As a figure of UK insurance companies have started to observe it, depending on their old conditions conditions and forms for be aftering out schemes for future. For this, they must place the chance of losingss and additions related to endure conditions. The impact of clime alteration is on a really broad scope from increased sum of hurricanes, fires and inundations to wellness and life acquiring affected by altering forms of hot and cold conditions. ( Evans, 1994, 107-128 ) Physical impacts ‘ consequence on insurance companies: Companies of insurance and reinsurance are likely to confront the strong impact of the alterations in clime more than other parts of the fiscal concerns. There are a figure of illustrations where it is seen that that how highly upwind status can impact the insurance companies, the authorities and the sectors at catchers. Whilst there are illustrations of how the conditions alterations are impacting the insurance industry because of the flexibleness of the insurance sector, in other ways it is rather good positioned in accommodating the alterations in conditions events and forms. ( David, 2007, 28-38 ) Menace of clime alteration for insurance industry: The chief menace that is confronting the insurance industry is climate alteration. This menace affects both belongings and casualty insurance that the insurance people. Another concern: the two sectors will hold to accommodate to demographic alteration that is looming. This emerges from a survey by Ernst & A ; Young, in coaction with Oxford Analytica. Ernst & A ; Young has compiled a top 10 list of menaces that will face insurance companies after questioning 20 industry leaders worldwide. Harmonizing to Ernst & A ; Young, clime alteration tops the list because planetary heating is altering the clime and increases the likeliness of claims originating from inundations, hurricanes and other natural phenomena. â€Å" I ‘m non certain the industry is poised to get by with clime alteration, warned Tom Kornya, a spouse at Ernst & A ; Young, in an interview with Insurance Journal. Five old ages ago, this hazard was non even on the list. â€Å" Mr. Kornya adds that non merely the sector of harm insurance that will be affected by clime alteration, life insurance should besides cover with it sooner or later. Damage will come to insurance when clime alteration will ensue in air current storms and inundations. In life insurance, the effects will be gradual. With temperatures that may alter, life insurance companies will confront new jobs in wellness and mortality. So there could be different types of losingss. â€Å" The underwriting of these merchandises is dining and no 1 has yet measured that cause clime alteration. The success of the industry will travel through the development of advanced merchandises, which will confront great uncertainness, such as typing velocity and badness of clime alteration, â€Å" he said. The 2nd hazard that the industry faces is the demographic alteration with the reaching of the babe boomers retire, ensuing in new demands. Insurance companies would be under great force per unit area, they will necessitate to replace authoritiess. ( Rober, 2010, 34-33 ) In add-on to the force per unit area generated by this new function, insurance companies will besides cover than their rivals. â€Å" Banks, common fund companies and all fiscal establishments will fight to acquire the same dollar. There is a hazard at that place excessively. Insurance companies must stay advanced with their merchandises to maintain the advantage, â€Å" says Kornya. ( Rober, 2010, 34-33 ) â€Å" The environment in which insurance companies and pattern is invariably altering rapidly, † said Tom Kornya. We find that consumers are looking for simple, low cost merchandises and others who want more complex merchandises that are besides more expensive. A company that will non hold a multichannel entree could fall into the background if it does non utilize Internet, media and telephone. â€Å" The last two menaces on the list of the top 10 hazards of Ernst & A ; Young are the legal uncertainnesss and the possibility of geopolitical or macroeconomic perturbations. In the first instance, answerability and reform in footings of offense could take to fiscal losingss. For the 2nd, the house says that the menace of a terrible fiscal crisis due to derived functions and hedge financess could be damaging to the industry. Opportunities for insurance: Climate alteration nowadayss hazards but besides chances. The possible chances created by the effects of a altering clime may necessitate fostering through the dedication of attending and resources. Too frequently, intelligence coverage portrays climate alteration as a doom-and-gloom narrative of impending catastrophe. Surely, many of the possible impacts of clime alteration are likely to negatively impact us, and we must turn to them, but we should non disregard the possible chances that a altering clime could make in portion by proactively accommodating to them. Some economic sectors and concerns may make better because of the effects of clime alteration, and they should seek to place those new economic chances and put in prosecuting them. Turning back to the illustration the reduced trust on winter roads due to warmer mean temperatures disrupts supply ironss and increases costs for the excavation companies runing in the part. ( David, 2007, 28-38 ) . â€Å" It is a hazard for insurance companies, but besides a great chance, says Tom Kornya. There will be a great demand for pension merchandises. Baby boomers look for low-cost merchandises that generate gross. By cons, debate the function of authorities in the pension is non really advanced. Insurance companies will be required to take this topographic point and this is a new hazard to which they are unaccustomed. â€Å" Financing and advisory Companies in carbon-intensive sectors are already seeking finance to assist them diminish nursery gas emanations. In the populace sphere, big amounts of capital will be needed in the coming decennaries to develop, modify and regenerate cardinal energy, transit and inundation defence substructure across the universe. Climate alteration may look to be a slow burn issue for the fiscal sector, but companies would be wise to give it important attending, as much for the emerging tops of altering demand as for protecting themselves against the eroding of value in the long term. Hedging and trading The demand from the industry is increasing for a figure of hazard transportation instruments in order to protect the companies against the addition in the monetary values of energy, the altering forms of conditions and the likely failure of current freshly introduced engineerings. The happening of C among the trade goods that are tradable has grown higher to complex merchandises that are get downing to draw a big figure of fiscal organisations and let some farther misdemeanor and development of the merchandises. Consumer grosss The consciousness spread about the green issues encourages growing in socially responsible investings by the consumers and organisations likewise. Even though, the market for mortgages, insurance and loans that give wages to low C behavior is right now less, it may increase rapidly. Similarly, the increased consciousness of windstorms and inundations has started to increase the desire of clients who are at hazard for the belongings and casualty insurance. Deductions: There are a figure of activities that the insurance industry can make in order to better their apprehension of the impact and affects of alteration in clime, assist the society and authorities to understand in a better manner and fix for the hazards involved in the development in fire-prone or coastal countries and do points that could protect their clients from the harm induced by the climatic alteration. Following are some of the deductions in order to cut down the negative impact of the clime alteration on the insurance industry: ( Evans, 1994, 107-128 ) Most of the climatic scientists agree that the conditions conditions in future are most likely to differ that the old conditions conditions. Therefore, it will be reasonable for the insurance companies to understand in a better manner, what will be the hereafter if the anticipations of the scientists are true. Hazard theoretical accounts can be developed on the footing of these anticipations with the aid of expertness. We can besides set more possible for the research and surveies as they will supply more cognition and analytical capacity. It will besides assist in enabling the insurance companies to happen the concealed markets and new chances for their merchandises along with the hazard direction and educating consumers. ( Rober, 2010, 34-33 ) Work with the scientists in order to raise the economic relevance and accurateness for the climatic alteration mold. Disclose and acknowledge the hazards of climatic alteration in one-year security filings and by other concern communications. Should take a practical attack in order to act upon the planning and development of land usage, in fraction as most of the expected rise in the losingss are stemming out from the black events that could be prevented by good spacial planning. There are a figure of stairss that could be taken: 1 ) maintain the valuable belongings out of the hazard parts and 2 ) grant both the economic and environmental benefits.

History of Chelsea Football Club Essay

Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher’s Hook), opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards. The club’s early years saw little success; the closest they came to winning a major trophy was reaching the FA Cup final in 1915, where they lost to Sheffield United. Chelsea gained a reputation for signing big-name players and for being entertainers, but made little impact on the English game in the inter-war years. Former Arsenal and England centre-forward Ted Drake became manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernize the club. He removed the club’s Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions’ Cup, but after objections from The Football League and the FA Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started. The 1960s saw the emergence of a talented young Chelsea side under manager Tommy Docherty. They challenged for honours throughout the decade, and endured several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup going into the final stages of the 1964–65 season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two. In three seasons the side was beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Chelsea were FA Cup winners in 1970, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup triumph, the following year, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid in Athens. The late 1970s through to the 1980s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club, star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade. In 1982 Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of  £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home. On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division champio nship in 1988–89. After a long-running legal battle, Bates reunited the stadium freehold with the club in 1992 by doing a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had been bankrupted by a market crash.[14] Chelsea’s form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. It was not until the appointment of former European Footballer of the Year Ruud Gullit as player-manager in 1996 that their fortunes changed. He added several top-class international players to the side, as the club won the FA Cup in 1997 and established themselves as one of England’s top sides again. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli, who led the team to victory in the League Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000 and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2000. Vialli was sacked in favour of another Italian, Claudio Ranieri, who guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup Final and Champions League qualification in 2002–03. In June 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for  £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club. Over  £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies, so he was replaced by Portuguese coach Josà © Mourinho. Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06), in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007). In September 2007 Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant, who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final, in which they lost on penalties to Manchester United. Grant was sacked days later and succeeded by Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2008.

How Typical Students Are Prepared For The real World Essay

How Typical Students Are Prepared For The real World - Essay Example A typical Cal Poly student prepares for the real world by acquiring planning and prioritization skills. Planning is a crucial component of human establishment that assists people to manage their time effectively and to lay the foundation for carrying out certain activities. Planning empowers a student by ensuring that they set goals and objectives crucial to their well-being. Through planning, a Cal Poly student can plan for meetings, events, start a business as well as drawing out budgets for certain activities. Prioritization is a skill that helps the students focus and chose life ventures wisely. For example, a student can use prioritization skills to choose whether to further their education or venture into a career path. Planning and prioritization are vital components in my life. I have a cardinal rule in my life that states that 'planning brings success.' I have achieved several things due to proper planning setting my priorities appropriately. My parents have always approache d me to plan for family events. A typical Cal Poly student prepares for the outside world by dealing with the inherent limitations that can hinder their progress in the outside world. For example, there are students who cannot do simple mathematical calculations or engage technological equipment. If a student wishes to succeed in the outside world, there should be a special focus on the fields where knowledge is limited. Average students should seek help and put more effort in changing their inherent circumstances.

Should there be laws limiting the paparazzi Research Paper

Should there be laws limiting the paparazzi - Research Paper Example These laws are often meant to be punitive in nature, and this is because it is believed that the paparazzi have taken matter to extremes through their ensuring that they get shots of celebrities living their lines. One thing which is not often considered by lawmakers when making anti-paparazzi laws is the fact that most of these individuals only get involved in such behaviour because of the popular demand from the public, to see the private lives of their favourite celebrities. It has been stated that the paparazzi has to be contained because of the belief that they adversely affect the lives of celebrities and their families, who would otherwise prefer to live private lives. The fact that quite a number of celebrities have ended up having accidents or even losing their lives as they attempted to escape the paparazzi are among the reasons why laws to curb paparazzi activities have been instituted. Most countries in the developed world are taking what is considered to be the paparazzi menace seriously, and they have come to put laws in place which have the intention of ensuring that celebrities and other important people are kept safe from the paparazzi (Neeley 36). The justification for such arguments have been found wanting and this is because many of the celebrities who the laws are meant to protect, while they deserve their privacy, also need to understand that they cannot avoid the consequences of their fame. The paparazzi have been blamed for the death of Princess Diana, who, it is claimed, was attempting to escape them when the accident that killed her took place (Hindman 666). The strength of such arguments has been based on what can only be considered to be falsehood because while the paparazzi might have been following Princess Diana, it was not they who caused her accident. On the contrary, it was her decision to run away from them which led to the accident that took her life. Thus, the laws limiting the paparazzi based on this argument can, therefore , be said to be unconvincing and an injustice on the paparazzi since they have a right to do their work under the protection of media freedom. One of the advantages of laws limiting the paparazzi that have been propagated is that they are meant to protect celebrities from the irresponsible behaviour of the paparazzi (Moreham 606). This has created a situation where almost all the actions carried out by the paparazzi has been found to be irresponsible, and this is despite the fact that it is the best way through which they can do their work. As a consequence, in many countries in the western world, the ability of the paparazzi to competently do their work and satisfy the demand for the photographs of individual’s celebrities from all over the world has been curtailed. Instead, the large scale attempt to muzzle the paparazzi has resulted in the destruction of media freedoms as guaranteed by the laws of almost all the states in the developed world (Komperda 25). It can be said t hat the passing of laws intended to curb the activities of the paparazzi is the first step in a process which is meant to limit the freedoms of media all over the world. It is a process which, despite the good intentions to protect the private lives of celebrities by lawmakers, might have a disastrous effect not only on the paparazzi, but also individuals all

Cash for Grades Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cash for Grades Research Project - Essay Example Long-term, cash for grades programs are not effective and do not produce the desired educational outcomes which schools hope they will. â€Å"Paying students to behave is totally immoral. How will kids react when the money stops?† (Gill and Lam, 7). This is a good point which reinforces the idea that these programs are not effective long-term. Local high school and university budgets are strained, especially during times of economic difficulty, therefore supporting these programs indefinitely would not be possible from the budget viewpoint. There is bound to be an emotional reaction in students when these programs can no longer be supported which could actually de-motivate students to learn. Therefore, short-term they definitely can motivate students to achieve higher test scores or to absorb class materials, however long-term there are too many potential negative outcomes. These would be expensive programs, especially if, short-term, these programs motivated students to achieve very high grades so that a higher percentage of students achieved A grades. The end result of ending these programs due to budget problems could cause serious academic learning problems with students who had become accustomed to this added incentive. On a different note, the achievement gap between rich and poor students exists because of the quality of life differences for each socio-economic group. In psychology, Abraham Maslow identified a hierarchy of needs, common needs shared by all people in society, which identify physiological needs as the most primary (Weiten and Lloyd, 2005). Physiological needs include shelter, clothing, food and other basic life essentials. Maslow offers that people cannot achieve any greater contribution to becoming a better member of society until these basic needs are satisfied. People with higher economic means do not concern themselves as much with

What is Capital Budgeting Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is Capital Budgeting - Statistics Project Example The NPV for corporation B is also higher than for corporation A. The difference is not very significant at less than 10%, but in the absence of other information, it would appear that corporation B fetches higher present value. The NPV represents today's value of projected future cash flows. The rate of discounting should approximate the bank rate, and the 10% figure given should be seen in this context. The difference in NPV between the two alternatives would be inadequate to support any decision, given that there would inevitably be some uncertainty in the projections of revenue and cost. The IRR is higher for corporation B than for corporation A. Since the company has limited funds to invest and since each of the alternatives requires equal funding, corporation B is a better choice in terms of IRR. IRR is the most relevant measure in this case since the firm has limited funds and has to make a choice between the two corporations available for acquisition. Again, the difference in IRR between the two corporations is too small to support any decision in real life. The Pay-back period is the same for both corporations, so no difference can be made on this account. Both corporations are equal in terms of the payback period. The payback figure is easy to calculate, but it can be misleading. Acquisition of a corporation should consider risks inherent in its projected earnings and continued revenues (Jean-Jacques, 2002, p55). The pay-back figure would not be an important consideration unless a diversification into a highly risky line of business was to be involved. Future cash flows that have not been discounted do not have much value in a business situation. Profitability Profitability is better in the case of corporation A. This could be because corporation B has secured a bigger market share through price competition, and seems to have a policy of cutting margins in order to retain its market position and business volume. It may be a matter for management intervention after an acquisition, for declining margins are most often difficult to reverse and can affect the long-term financial health of an enterprise. Discounted Payback The discounted payback period is one year more than if we consider nominal values of annual cash flows. This is the case with both corporations. This measure is more meaningful than plain pay-back. The effect of discounting is almost the same for both corporations, delaying pay-back by about a year. The discounted pay-back in the fifth year is not particularly attractive.

Computer Communications & Networks Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Computer Communications & Networks - Lab Report Example The devices are called end devices or more correctly hosts; which are either the destinations or sources of information transmitted via a network so accessing a network or site remotely involves three elements; a source or sender, a destination and a medium which is the channel through which the data is transmitted. The data transmitted can be in the form of text, graphics, voice or video which are converted into a language the computer understands called binary bits (data is transmitted as a zero or a one: 0I). The bits are then ‘programmed’ or coded into signals or data packets that can be transmitted through a medium over a network. Now sending data as one continuous stream will mean that no other data or devices can use the medium while the data is being transmitted just like a pipeline; if it is delivering gasoline, it cannot at the same time deliver liquid petroleum gas; so the data is broken into smaller packets; a process called segmentation which allows many dif ferent data to be transmitted concurrently, this is called multiplexing and segmenting data enhances network reliability so data is not lost easily whenever a break in communication occurs (â€Å"3rd Symposium on Networked Systems design and Implementation (NSDI’06), San Jose, California†). ... The one used for internet communication is called TCP/IP stack which contains four layers; Application protocols layer that is defined to applications like WWW, or FTP (File Transfer Protocol), a transmission control protocol which is responsible for directing packets of data to specific computers by using a port number. It also has an internet protocol layer that directs data bits to destinations using the IP addresses of the computers and a hardware layer that converts data into data streams or signals such as the network cards or modems. An instruction flows from the sender (computer) from the application to the transfer control protocol then to the internet protocol and finally to the hardware protocol that converts the bits of information into signals transmitted through a medium through the internet. On reaching the destination computer, the signals are converted back to binary bits through the hardware layer then to the internet protocol layer then to transfer protocol layer a nd then to the application such as a web server software. The internet is made up of many big networks called Network Service providers (NSPs0 connected together in a peer standard. The NSPs exchange data packets with each other and must connect to three network access points (NAPs) and at metropolitan Area Exchanges (MAEs) both of which are called internet exchange points (IXs). Information is then sent around these networked computers to its destinations by routers which contain information tables and switch data packets to the right destination (Serpanos and Wolf 292-302) As soon as one types the web address to be accessed into a web browser (a web browser is a program that is used for internet applications and

Literature Review - Transformational Leadership Essay

Literature Review - Transformational Leadership - Essay Example In his discussion on political leaders, Burns defined transformational leadership as a process wherein leaders and followers mutually â€Å"promote each other to higher levels of morality and motivation (Jandaghi Matin & Farjami, 2009, p. 211). Another definition identifying transformational leadership as a process is that of Bass (1998) who described transformational leadership not as a characteristic but as a process wherein one person creates a link with another person, thereby establishing a connection that helps increase the level of motivation and morality, both for the leader and for the follower. Two elements appear common to these definitions, that of citing morality as the motivation for behavior, and the strong personal relationship between leader and follower, or between persons, as the source of that motivation. According to Barker (2001), leadership is: (1) a process not specifically a function of the person in charge, but a function of individual wills and needs addre ssed by the dynamics of the collective will; (2) a process of adaptation and of evolution, a deviation from convention involving the dynamic exchange and interchange of value; and (3) a process of energy, not structure. Leadership and change therefore go hand in hand; they are the two most important, yet most problematic elements of organizational behavior (Burnes & By, 2011). Leadership is concerned with bringing about transformational change. The fundamental differences between managers and leaders: †¢ Managers can be dismissed from their jobs for breaking rules; leaders can be dismissed for not breaking the rules when it is called for. †¢ Performance measures against which managers are evaluated are clear and short-term; criteria for judging leaders are more vague and long-term. Transformational v transactional leadership The study by Jiao, Richards and Zhang (2011) observed that transformational leaders and transactional leaders are often viewed in juxtaposition and th erefore contrasted against each other. However, there are successful leaders whose style and approach applies both transactional and transformational leadership principles. Transactional leadership is described as a process whereby followers perform assigned tasks in accordance with the leader’s instructions in contemplation of rewards and praise, while leaders ensure that the promised remuneration or praise, together with the resources necessary to complete the task, are given as promised. The deal becomes a quid-pro-quo, a give-and-take with each party working towards their own self-interest. Transformational leadership, however, involves profound change, wherein the leaders raise their followers’ awareness of the value and importance of specified outcomes, and suggest ways by which the follower may attain these outcomes. Leaders influence their followers and motivate them with a moral purpose, so that they transcend their personal interests and work for the collecti ve benefit, in the process fulfilling a higher order need. When the two (i.e., transactional and

Lean Principles and Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lean Principles and Application - Essay Example p. 57). The challenges facing the sustenance of lean thinking include the need to develop the skills needed and the time needed to adjust to systems change. The lean production model is one that emphasizes the elimination of waste, by cutting down on the business processes that do not yield value to the customer, yet they consume production costs and time. The seven areas of waste reduction exploited by Toyota Motors include inventory, transportation, overproducing goods, waiting, defective products (defects) and over-processing. The success for the lean model is greatly hinged to change performance in the respective areas, for senior managerial staffs and also the employees. The advantages of the model include increase in productivity, reduction in product defects, and customer lead times. The benefits enjoyed in the long-term include increases in customer satisfaction, financial performance and staff morale (Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park, 2006, p. 263). The model is heavily dependent on the principles of continuous improvement and making informed decisions at all points in the production process. The model works well for companies with clearly defined value chains, for example automotive (Toyota), pharmaceutical and industrial engineering companies. Business process management is the management model in use by the management of the department, and its outlook is relatively different from that of lean. When using this model, the R & D department will be explored in a holistic manner, as a collection of business processes. The model is used to leverage on the designing, modeling, execution, monitoring and the optimization of the production system, by automating the management of the processes. Through this paper, the writer will compare the differences in the organizational culture of Toyota (lean model) and that of the R & D department (BPM); the paper will explore the impacts of the differences in the implementation process for lean, and

Reviewing my Christian service charity activity Essay Example for Free

Reviewing my Christian service charity activity Essay 1) Identify the details on your Christian service: Where? When? How? For whom? My Christian service was at the Markham Food Bank near Main Street, Unionville. I volunteered during May 21st, where I was one of the only few people who got up in the early morning in order to take the initiative to serve the community as well as Christ. By packaging and organizing food for the poor, we were serving the less fortunate people of Markham, who visit the food bank as a means of obtaining food. 2) Some of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations that I examined in my grade ten year were: Recognizing there is more grace in our world than sin and that hope is essential in facing all challenges Thinking reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems Setting appropriate goals and priorities in school, work and personal life Thinking critically about the meaning and purpose of work One specific expectation that related directly with my service work this semester was relating to family members in a loving, compassionate and respectful manner. I gave the same type of effort and care into the poor people who needed my help, essentially making them a part of my extended family. I tried demonstrating compassion and love towards them through my hard put effort in organizing, packaging, and sorting an assortment of different food for them. I also contributed to the common good by helping these poor people. In modern society, most people would bypass on the less fortunate people of our communities without offering any aid. These types of inconsiderate people are not supporting the common good of our world. By ignoring and dishonouring Gods precious creations, we are directly going against God himself. Thereby, my actions in helping these poor people are an act to expand and establish common good in our community. THINKING 3) The Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is a theme that is demonstrated in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In two paragraphs, answer the following questions as they pertain to the Christian Service work that you have completed during this semester. Analyse how your Christian service: a) Promotes human dignity My Christian service promotes human dignity because I am restoring pride and hope in the hearts and minds of the poor by helping them carry out a normal, everyday life. The less fortunate suffer everyday due to their lack of money, homes, and as well as human essentials. They are sometimes abused verbally and physically by those that think they are superior than them, which causes them to lose their righteous human dignity. By providing these people would proper food and water, I restore a small portion of their dignity as a human being. They should not feel low or bad to have to come to us for help, because that is what we do for each other. In this essence, I am able to help promote human dignity through my services at the Markham Food Bank. b) Challenges any personal religious and/or social biases. Often people in society do not associate with other people or help them out because they think that they are not on the same social status as the other. These social biases are particularly true with homeless people who seem to be suffering more and more simply due to their social status. These judgemental remarks make it even more difficult for these poor people to obtain food and get jobs. Therefore, through my Christian service, I am challenging the boundary of any social biases by offering free food packaged and boxed for the poor and suffering in our communities. APPLICATION 4) In a paragraph, demonstrate how your Christian service fulfills some aspect(s) of the Corporal works of Mercy. My Christian service perfectly fulfills the first Corporal Works of Mercy that is to feed the hungry. By going to the food bank, and packaging/organizing a variety of food in boxes for the poor people, I am helping to feed the hungry people of our society. All these less fortunate people wait in line everyday in order to be fed, and I was just fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be able to help serve the poor by providing their food. Therefore, my Christian service successfully fulfills this aspect of the Corporal Works of Mercy. 5) In a paragraph, evaluate the effect your Christian service has had on your moral and your faith development. This Christian service has indeed had a significant impact on my moral and faith development this semester. By experiencing the difficulty of getting up so early in the morning and going through traffic in order to arrive to the food bank, I realized the level of dedication and love these people must have to come out there every day to help less fortunate civilians. Furthermore, I learned that I should never look down on someone simply because they are not as blessed us, rather I should be more compassionate and understanding of these people. Not only that, but the simple fact that there is such an organization out there, such as the Markham Food Bank, that serves free boxes of food for the poor and less fortunate, makes me truly believe that God exists and he only wants good in our world.

Benefits Of Becoming A Famous Sports Person Marketing Essay

Benefits Of Becoming A Famous Sports Person Marketing Essay In our vast world today, sport has become a rapid growing industry which most people regard it as a form on entertainment in their daily life. We live in an urban age where technology is so advance which enables us to watch live broadcasts of any sports we enjoy watching through various sports channels such as ESPN which cater to any sport fanatics needs. Firstly, people enjoy watching and playing sports as they wish to pursue their dreams in becoming a famous sportsperson one day. These enthusiastic sportspeople must persevere with full determination and concentration in excelling in their performance at the sport they have chosen. In my opinion, becoming a famous sportsperson brings many benefits to ones life as an individual would be able to reap special rewards, a countless sum of income, popularity amongst his fans, living an exclusive lifestyle and the ability to give training methods to inspiring athletes in the sports world. 2.0 2.1 Rewards Ive won the competition! It is every famous sports persons dream to be able to say this phrase. It is undeniable that winning in competition are crucial, whether for a famous sports person or an ordinary sports person. Everyone wants to perform well in their competition; the question is, what causes famous sports person work so hard for it? In my opinion, they want to get rewards from branded companies and government. 2.1.1 Sponsorship From Branded Companies A famous sports person usually able to get sponsorships from branded companies. This is because they work really hard and almost win every competition. Examples of branded companies are Nike, Adidas, Puma, Yonex, Carlton and Reebok. Sports persons need a huge amount of money to carry out their daily training, buy their sports equipments and accessories. Without the sponsorships, they will face a lot of obstacles in their sports life. Our famous sports persons Olympic gold medalist and Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt, they had just renewed their sponsorship arrangement with Puma until the end of 2013 lately. So Puma became the official supplier of training, performance, footwear and lifestyle apparel for Usain Bolt. Now, Usain Bolt can focus fully in his career without worries. 2.1.2 Government Incentive Besides, government incentive will be provided to the famous sports persons. This is because they have the responsibilities to take part in local, international and global tournaments. For instance, Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei is to be made a Datuk by the Penang Government. In the other hand, Malaysia Government also rewarded a cheque of RM300000 for winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games and a mock cheque for RM3000 as the pension reward. The pension payments are for life. In short, the famous sports persons definitely will get sponsorships from branded companies and government incentive as long as they maintain their excellent performances. Sports persons achieve iconic status instantly with awesome performance and hence are selected by top brands for endorsing their goods. 2.2 Income Sports, apart from being a good way of testing an athletes expertise and skill, are also big money. Today, sports persons achieve iconic status immediately with excellent performance and hence are selected by top branded companies for endorsing their goods. Apart from prize money and salaries, this is also where many famous athletes make most of their money from. This has become a recent occurrence of paying millions of dollars to athletes as income, which makes most famous athletes filthy rich. 2.2.1 Receiving Contract From Exclusive Companies Receiving contracts from exclusive companies is one of the income sources of the famous sports person. The companies will hire the famous athletes for their promotion of merchandise and work as product spokesmen. This advertising effect manages to improve the companies sale. So the companies will not be stingy in spending millions of money for the famous sports person. 2.2.2 Prize Money Lastly, there is thousands of tournaments give away prize money for the winners. Sports person will receive a huge amount of money from winning tournaments held locally and globally. For example, Tiger Woods who has won 65 PGA tour events picked up $41 million in prize money and 14 major golf championships in 2009. Thus, prize money means a lot to sports person as this is one of the income source. In short, we may be in the midst of a global economic recession, however, the worlds top sportsperson are still up to their necks in money. And the cash came from salaries, prize money, licensing income, and endorsements. 2.3 Popularity In our modern world today, it has become a common necessity amongst people especially celebrities to have a good reputation through the form of popularity with the public. This is to ensure that their popularity amongst their fans remains strong as they must maintain their title. Sports celebrities for example require popularity to boost their existence as skilled sports people in the sports world, so that the competitiveness between other sports celebrities remains very intense as each player wants to achieve victory. 2.3.1 Performance In The Sports Firstly, in being a popular sportsperson one must always maintain his performance in the sport he specializes in as his fans would always cheer him on to provide the support he needs during the game. Through this advantage of support, a famous sportsperson must never slack off in his performance and feel arrogant as pride always comes before a fall. For example, Rafael Nadal who is a famous tennis player made a simple job of winning his second Wimbledon mens crown, swatting aside the giant Czech Tomas Berdych who was 6 feet tall to the score of 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours 13 minutes. During the game, the weather had affected the performance of both players, but it did not lose their determination in winning the game. The support of the crowd had boosted Rafael Nadals moral support as they shouted I love you, Rafa, soon followed by Youre a genius, Rafa. After Rafa Nadal had won the game his opponent Berdych shook his head in despair at the chances he had missed but both players left the court with confidence and comfort. Hence, Rafa Nadal has gained popularity amongst his fans through his outstanding performance in winning the tournament which has boosted his reputation among other famous tennis players. 2.3.2 Exclusive Lifestyle Secondly, popularity in being a famous sportsperson would give the benefits of living a luxurious lifestyle without worrying much financially as he has performed well in the sport whereby sponsors would provide everything he needs. Through popularity a famous sportsperson would also be able to experience exclusive events which are only meant for celebrities which would attract the media for the publics entertainment. For example, the 12th Annual ESPY Awards which was broadcasted on the sports channel called ESPN on Sunday, 18th July at 9 p.m from Hollywoods Kodak Theatre was a huge success. At the awards, many famous celebrities from different working backgrounds such as Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Brooke Burke, The Rock and for the athlete presenters LeBron James, Tom Brady, Gary Payton, Terrell Owen and Serena Williams came together to celebrate this event. During the event, Denzel Washington also presented the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage AwardThe Arthur Ashe Courage Award ( sometimes called the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage or Arthur Ashe for Courage Award) is an award that is part of the ESPY Awards. Although it is a sport-oriented awards, is not limited to sports-related people or actions. .. Click the link for more information.  to UNICEF ambassador and Liberian-born soccer star George Weah. The Annual Awards also acknowledged many top athletes who were ESPY Award nominees such as Walter Ray Williams,Jr. who was born on October 6, 1959 in Eureka, California and is among one of the top ranking professional Ten-pin bowlers in history. Walter Ray also currently holds the record for all time PBA career earnings which is over $4,000,000. Another celebrity sportsperson that was acknowledged was Martin St-Louis who was born on June 18, 1975 in Laval, Quebec, Canada and is a Ice hockey right winger who is French Canadian that has a playing career. Martin is also considered to be a diminutive player by NHL standards at 5 foot 9 at St Louis who has played six NHL seasons during the years of 2006 to 2007 for the Tampa Bay. Lastly the 12th annual ESPY Awards which was presented by Under Armour and GNC, gathered all entertainment and sports celebrities to recognize the top achievements earned by the sports people, salute the best performers and relive memorable moments during the awa rd ceremony. In short, popularity plays a major important role in the success of a famous sportsperson as he would have to strive in his sport with full determination and concentration to achieve victory and gain the support from his fans. 2.4 Rich lifestyle Living a rich lifestyle is everyones dreams. Nowadays we can see on news that most famous sportsperson is living in a rich lifestyle. But how does a rich lifestyle benefits them? 2.4.1 Able To Purchase Luxurious Items The advantage is that these famous sportsperson will be able to purchase luxurious items such as elegant clothes, jewelleries, famous cars, mansions and more. They are able to acquire these things as a result of their hard work and never giving up when they face obstacles. One of the examples of such a sports person is current Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. He is a talented footballer from Portugal at a young age. Although he suffered a sickness during a young age he never gave up his dream of becoming a footballer. When he moved to play for Manchester United in England, it was his most flourishing period. He was voted World Footballer of the Year, he won medals, trophies, honors, and he was used on many product advertisements. From all of that, he earned millions of pound or dollar. He spends all those money on items such as a Ferrari automobile, buys a big mansion at Manchester, go to nightclubs, eats in 8 star restaurants. Besides, he also spends money on women like buy ing them handbags, mobile phones, dresses and so on. 2.4.2 Donation For Charity Besides being able to purchase luxurious items, sometimes these famous sportsperson will donate their earnings to charities. They do things like feed and provide shelter for the poor, and funding for development of education. It is better to do good sometimes then spend all those wealth for themselves. Roger Federer is one such sportsperson that lives a rich lifestyle but still donates some of his earnings to charity. Roger Federer earned $26,464,458 in his 8 years of playing career and founded the Roger Federer Foundation. This foundation aims to assist poor and deprived children. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, he wanted to influence other tennis players to assist those who are affected by the tsunami. Moreover, he wanted to play as many charity matches as possible because he said that he wanted to help those who are in need. Roger Federer also became the Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF which aims to help those who are poor or deprived. As we can see, besides being able to purchase luxurious items for themselves, these famous sportsperson will also do charities for the poor and deprived. That is some of the things famous sportsperson who are living in a rich lifestyle can do. Hence, people who wants to be famous and lives in rich lifestyle must have a never give up attitude and work hard to achieve their dream. 2.5 Training Methods The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies as stated in the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia.. Different sportsperson has different training methods in their daily trainings. How can these training methods benefit them? 2.5.1 Improve Their Performance In The Sport To Keep Fit One of the benefits is that most famous sportsperson have to improve their performance so that they will not lose their grip on the sports they are in like running, football, badminton, and other sports as well. What the famous sportsperson can do is that they can hire coaches to train them to have better skill performance in a certain time period, or buy better quality training gears. An example of a famous sportsperson who improves his performance in running by hiring a coach is Ralph Doubell. Before he became famous, he was a nobody; and his running performance was slow. To overcome the problem, he hired a legendary coach who specialized in running to train him, and his name is Franz Stampel. Franz Stampels training methods included mainly repetition and interval running, means getting off slowly before the track season approaches, increasing the intensity as then running competition approaches. This particular training method leads to Ralph Doubells Olympic gold medal in the 800m running during the 1968 Olympic Games and that is how he became famous; from a nobody to a somebody. 2.5.2 Able To Use Their Knowledge In The Sport In addition, from the training methods that these famous sportsperson get to improve their performance in the sport to remain fit, they are able to use their knowledge in the sport to great benefits like giving advice to the public on how to improve their performance in sports. Hence, it would motivate others to become better.To give an example of such a famous sportsperson is tennis star Roger Federer. On 24 May 2010 during the French Open, Roger Federer got interviewed. What he said on the interview was quite inspirational. In the interview, the interviewer ask him if a young player came to see him and asked what is the right motivation for him to have to become a champion, and has Roger Federer lack any motivation during his career. He explained that every player will go through a tough time throughout their career. When these players are young they have tremendous pressure surrounding them and these young players will want to prove their critics wrong so they will lose a little m otivation in the beginning. Besides that, he also said that young players must not give up easily when they are losing a match and must put a 100% into the game so that their opponent will respect them as they will train better like this. So, besides aiming to get their performances improve, famous sportsperson sometimes will also give inspirational talks or interviews to inspire other sportsperson to do better. These are some of the things that famous sportsperson can do to benefit themselves and others too. Everyone must take an example out of these famous sportsperson as they can teach us something we never knew before. Conclusion To conclude famous sports people have more benefits compared to normal sports people. These famous sports people however, do not become famous overnight as they must have the passion to pursue their dreams since young with full determination and concentration in perfecting their skills in the sport they have specialized in. Famous sports people who have made history such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley from the NBA (National Basketball Association) have also given motivational quotes to inspiring young athletes by saying You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them by Michael Jordan and I know that Im never as good or bad as any single performance. Ive never believed my critics or my worshippers, and Ive always been able to leave the game at the arena by Charles Barkley. Through this, I believe that anyone can become a famous sportsperson as the hard work you put in pays off with loads of benefits. References Puma Renews Sponsorships with Usain Bolt 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.8264.net/html/Sports_News/International_Sports_Industry/201008/25-9451.html Beijing Olympics : Silver For Malaysia 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://warkah.com/beijing-olympics-silver-for-malaysia/ Highest Paid Athletes 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/highest-paid-athletes.html The 10 highest earning sports stars in the world 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2009/08/the-10-highest-earning-sports-stars-in-the-world/ Nadal cruises past Berdych to win second title 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://2010.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_reports/2010-07-04/201007041278253424945.html Celebrity Presenter and Athlete Attendees Announced 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Celebrity+Presenters+and+Athlete+Attendees+Announced+for+the+12th-a0118854625 Charity: 10 Generous Sports Personality Who Help Ordinary People 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://techblogbiz.blogspot.com/2006/10/charity-10-generous-sports.html The Training Methods of Three Famous Distance Coaches 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.athleticscoaching.ca/UserFiles/File/Sport%20Science/Theory%20%20Methodology/Endurance/General%20Concepts/TMEGC_Pilone_The_Training_Methods_of_Three_Famous_Distance_Coaches.pdf Roger Federal Interview French Open 2010, online, retrieved 18 October 2010, from http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2010-05-24/h.php

Free College Admissions Essays: To become a Scientist :: College Admissions Essays

Desire to become a Scientist Ever since I could remember, I have always wanted to become a scientist. That craving to understand the mysteries of the universe has been one of the most passionate desires of mine since I was a toddler. I can still recall laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering why some people had crooked teeth while others didn't. The question "How?" always echoed within my thoughts. When I entered school, science and mathematics quickly became one of my most favored subjects. In my mind, they were the most logical and precise. The answers they provided were based on fact, not human intuition. As I matured, I grew to enjoy the systematic mechanics of the human body. Within months, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to enter college with the intention of graduating with a Ph.D. in genetics. It is my hope that with such a degree, I would be able to pursue a career in medical research. I would like to have that chance of contributing in a cure for the common cold, or maybe some of t he most troubling viruses, which inundate our society today. Unfortunately, such an ambition requires money to achieve. Finances are a strong factor in my family, and I realize that my college choices need to revolve around a simple fact: Can I afford it? My mother has provided for my private school education since I entered kindergarten. With each passing year, it becomes harder and harder to continue providing for this kind of education. My mother, who currently works two jobs that could often extend beyond fourteen hours a day, sacrifices a number of luxuries just so that I could finish my thirteenth year in private school. My younger brother is currently attending public school with the hope of transferring into a private school once finances can accommodate it. These are the sacrifices that they make for me; I acknowledge this fully. Though my mother intends to continue paying for my education, I know very well that this is close to impossible. With graduation closely approaching, I know that I will need to assist her in financing for col lege.

Social Male Behaviors On Sundays Essay -- essays research papers

There are many misconceptions about Sundays and its effect on people. I’m here to clear it up from the male’s perspective, and to show women how to deal with these behaviors. Many women believe that Sunday is a sacred day, a time to be together with the one you love most and go to church . This is true, but Sunday is also the time for sports, testosterone driven activities, and for males to hang out with the other males. Sundays seems to bring out a primal instinct inside us men that lays dormant through out the week. These instincts are brought out by the excitement of sports and the surrounding. So here are some insights into our behaviors, eating habits, and our rituals to let you understand us better during these times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main rituals on Sundays is gathering of us male species at various places to be with others like us. One of the places the male species often go to are called bars. These places are like heaven to the male specie. I myself have had first hand experiences with these places. Last Sunday I decided to go to a local bar call Hooters with some of my buddies to observe these ritual behaviors for myself. Upon entering the bar, I knew that it was truly a place for us males to hang out. The walls were filled with sport memorabilia, and on all twelve television sets where either football games or other sport related things. Another thing that made it a true guys’ hang out were the good food and the waitresses. All of the waitresses were all shaped nicely, wearing provocative clothing which made them truly candy for the eyes. Another one of these places that we male species like to socialize is their own dwellings or another’s. When the male specie hang out they don’t like to do it alone, and so others males would join in on the fun. There are also requirements in order for the visiting males to be included in this ritual; they must present a â€Å"Gift of Flavor† upon the visit. Although we male species will consume almost anything that might be digestible on most days, Sundays on the other hand we male species will follow a strict diet. The diet states that, only food products that contain either great amount of salt, cheese, meat, or sugar may be consumed. Also that each serving of these foods must contain no less than 2 grams of fat, otherwise the food is considered sacrileges. Also the most essential part of... ... primal instincts will go away but there are time frames when these behaviors will start to decrease. People have noticed that they start to decrease after the last post game show on television had ended and football too is gone for the day. But some scientists believe that availability of alcohol plays a major part in the decrease, because the party is over when the drinks are gone. The only way that you can make it easier on you during these times is to just go with the flow. Be lazy too or fix things, by doing this you will notice that the time will fly by. Or you can pick up our hobbies, like football, drinking beer and hot wings. Because if we see that you’re cool we will invite you to our gatherings. But if think that doing these are not for you, you can just stay the hell away from us. Go to your parents’ house, girl friends’, or siblings’ and do your feminine activities. We won’t interfere with your rituals. But please understand it’s not our fault, we don’t do this because we want to, it just that it is part of being a man. And I hope in reading this you have learned and understand more about the men in your life. And that it’s up to you to decide how it will affect you.

Refugee mother and her child by Chinua Achebe Essay

Explain what the poem is about and how the poet conveys the emotions he feels. The poem is about Achebe’s encounter with a mother and child in a refugee camp. This mother was different from the other mothers as she still cherished and loved her son. The other mothers had already stopped caring for their children as survival was not the most important thing and there wasn’t any hope of survival for their children anyway. In line 9: â€Å"Most mothers there had long ceased to care† The poet’s tone was varied, in the first stanza he used long, soft vowels such as the vowel ‘o’ and words such as ‘tenderness’. In line 4, Achebe chose to used the word ‘odour’ instead of the word ‘smell’ or ‘stench’ because it sounded softer and more rounded. The softness continued until the beginning of line 5 where Achebe used hard-sounding words such as ‘diarrhoea’ and ‘blown’. The fact that the child will die is hinted repeatedly. From line 7 to line 14 of the second stanza, he seemed to be admiring the mother’s love for her child in even those circumstances. At the end, his tone was sad and regretful. In the last three lines: â€Å"†¦ like putting flowers on a tiny grave. † There was alliteration in line 5 of the second stanza: â€Å"behind blown empty bellies† The poet used the work â€Å"ghost† as a metaphor in lines 8 and 9 of the second stanza. In â€Å"ghost smile†, he meant the softening of the mother’s expression as she looked at her son. There was repetition of â€Å"ghost† and in â€Å"ghost of a mother’s pride†, it represented what the mother used to feel and here there was only the tiniest left of it. The last 2 lines were a smilie, he’s saying that her combing her son’s hair is like a final goodbye because she would probably never get to do it again. In the first line, â€Å"Madonna and Child†, this is the scene when Christ was taken from the cross and placed on Mary’s knees. Achebe is saying that even this scene could not have been more touching than of the refugee mother and her child. In line 3: â€Å"for a son she soon would have to forget. † Here he means that after the boy dies, the mother will have to concentrate on survival for herself, forcing her to forget her son. This will not be able to mourn her child. In line 4: â€Å"The air was heavy with odours†¦ † The air was thick with the stench. The air was so dense that it seemed it had a weight and was more than just gas. In lines 7 and 8: â€Å"Struggling in laboured steps†¦ † Even walking is difficult for them. Walking is hard work. Achebe doesn’t know the mother’s name, so he refers to her as â€Å"she† and â€Å"her†. â€Å"Rust-coloured† is the colour of a dark-haired person’s hair when he or she has an inadequate diet. The hair signals that the child is incredibly unhealthy and on the verge of dying. In line 11: â€Å"†¦ hair left on his skull†¦ † The child is in such poor health that his hair has fallen out. Achebe used the work â€Å"skull† because it showed how poorly the boy was and because it represented death. In line 12: â€Å"- Singing in her eyes – † The hyphens surrounding this phrase outlined its significance. This was probably because the mother remembers singing to him, when they were happy. From line 15: â€Å"act of no consequence†¦ † Combing her son’s hair would usually be something a mother wouldn’t think twice about. They were probably quite well off before they were in this situation. The punctuation Achebe used were little. At the end of the first verse he put a period. This is because he was finalizing a statement. At the end of line 5 of the second stanza, there’s another period. This is because he’d finished describing about the surroundings and was moving onto the mother. In line 7, there was a semi-colon, which indicates a pause. There is another one in line 16. In line 13 there are three periods together. This is usually used to signify that something will eventually continue. At the end of the poem he put another period. This is because he is ending the poem and also because he is once again finalizing something. Since the child is dying, death is final, so the period was suitable. In lines 13 to 16, Achebe introduced the possibility that the mother and child were probably quite well off before they were in this situation. However, their lives had changed and it was no longer that comfortable lifestyle. I thought the poem was sad. It showed how disasters could change the feelings and lives of normal people like you and me. It was an eye-opening poem, and it made me realise that if I weren’t living this lifestyle that boy may well have been anyone I know or me.

Feminist Epistemology Essay

Abstract In this paper I analyze the potential of Allison Jaggar’s suggestion that emotions in general, and outlaw emotions in particular, be incorporated into feminist epistemology. Jaggar advocates a standpoint theory of emotions, and suggests that the emotions of the oppressed in particular are helpful rather than inimical to acquiring knowledge. I argue that although there are some potential problems with Jaggar’s approach, these problems are common to standpoint theories and can be addressed by applying the solutions offered by other feminist theorists. One common criticism made by feminist epistemologists[i] is the critique of traditional epistemology’s notions of objectivity and neutrality. As Naomi Scheman puts it, in traditional epistemology â€Å"[t]hose who are taken to be in the best position to know are those who are believed to be objective, distanced, dispassionate, independent, and nonemotionally rational† (3-4). [ii] According to Allison Jaggar, the result of this conception of the knower in modern epistemology is a sharp distinction between reason and emotion where reason is privileged because emotions are viewed as involuntary responses that distort our rational observations of the world, which in turn distort the knowledge we can gain from these observations (1992). She further argues that this distinction contributes to the denial of women’s epistemic authority since women are associated with emotions and men with reason, and so men became the standard by which epistemic authority is judged. This is just one of many concerns feminist epistemologists share. However, there are many dissimilarities between feminists as to how to deal with the problems in traditional epistemology. [iii] One approach that I will focus on in this paper is feminist standpoint theory, particularly the standpoint theory offered by Jaggar in â€Å"Love and Knowledge: Emotions in Feminist Epistemology. † What Jaggar aims to accomplish in her paper is to â€Å"begin bridging the gap [between emotion and knowledge] through the suggestion that emotions may be helpful and even necessary rather than inimical to the construction of knowledge† (1992, 146). The bridge she wants to build includes a methodology for identifying biases of the dominant group that leads to false appraisals of the world. This methodology relies on the notion that perspective can be altered by the way one is situated in the world, particularly how one’s situatedness can affect one’s emotional perspective and response. I will explain the concept of emotional perspective and response in a moment, but I want to first note that the type of emotions she thinks are important to feminist epistemologists are outlaw emotions—which are emotional responses that do not follow or support the values and norms we have been taught to accept. Because outlaw emotions are usually a negative response to norms and values, they can help us identify which biases are causing errors in our methods of seeking knowledge. The point that Jaggar wants to make clear is that impartiality in our epistemic methods is impossible, therefore, we should give up on the notion of impartiality and work towards identifying biases that will better guide our epistemic endeavors. There is much debate between feminists over the potential of feminist standpoint epistemologies, yet, I think that Jaggar’s methodology warrants some consideration. [iv] However, because she offers just a sketch of how emotions might be incorporated into epistemology, there are some aspects of her theory that are problematic. The first problem is that standpoint theories seem to neglect the differing experiences of particular individuals within groups by trying to speak about the experiences of these groups in general. The second problem is that Jaggar needs to address how to distinguish which outlaw emotions could potentially further feminist interests from the other emotions, outlaw or otherwise. The general aim of this paper, then, is to initiate an investigation into whether Jaggar’s proposal will be a fruitful endeavor for feminist epistemologists. The more specific aim of this paper is to point out some of the potential problems that arise from her theory, as a feminist theory, and to offer some potential solutions for these problems, some of which are solutions that feminists have previously used to answer similar problems in other feminist theories. 1. Jaggar’s View Jaggar argues that theories that make the distinction between reason and emotion as it pertains to knowledge are mistaken in that they falsely assume emotions are involuntary responses that can be separated from reason. Jaggar contends that most emotions are socially constructed, intentional, and can influence our perceptions of the world. For example, when someone feels anger at a slight from a friend, this anger arises not as an involuntary response, but rather there is a judgment being made about the way friends ought to behave and the response of anger is the appropriate emotion that corresponds with one’s expectations being disappointed. We form beliefs about what constitutes a slight by a friend at the same time as we learn what our society values as appropriate friendship behavior and appropriate responses to different experiences—say affection as a response to respect from one’s friends and anger to disrespect. The idea that emotions are constructed suggests that socialization influences our appraisals of the world and the judgments we make are often emotional responses to observations that reflect the norms and values of our society. For example, when someone tells a joke the expected response is for a person to be amused. However, my being amused by a joke presupposes a number of social conditions. For instance, when we hear something like ‘a priest, a rabbi, and a duck walk into a bar’ we immediately feel an anticipatory amusement, since we recognize this as a joke formula. [v] If I do not recognize this formula then my lack of understanding could cause me to not share the same social experience as the other people who are hearing the same joke. Second, in order to find the joke amusing I must not only understand the language in which the joke is told, but also the content of the joke. I must share the same appraisal of the world in order to actually be amused by the punch line. Third, emotional responses are neither automatic nor passive in the sense that we have no control over them. I may be amused and laugh at a joke of this type. However, I may not laugh if I find the joke to be in bad taste even though not laughing when amusement is anticipated often creates moments of social tension and discomfort. The important thing to note here is that in both cases whether or not I am amused can be a deliberate conscious decision. From this example, we can see why Jaggar suggests that, â€Å"every emotion presupposes an evaluation of some aspect of the environment while, and conversely, every evaluation or appraisal of the situation implies that those who share the evaluation will share, ceteris paribus, a predictable emotional response to the situation† (1992, 153). Just as I would have to share a similar appraisal of the world in order to understand the punch line of a joke, I am also influenced by those preconceived notions to think the joke is funny. At the very least, I am conditioned to some extent to recognize a joke when I hear one and laugh when I think laughter is the expected response. Jaggar thinks it is important to recognize that emotions play a role in how we seek knowledge, given that if we maintain the distinction between emotion and reason in epistemology, then this distinction will influence whom we think are good epistemic agents: namely, dispassionate investigators who can keep their emotions from interfering with their observations. Ironically, because the notion of a dispassionate investigator is considered the ideal, we are biased in our assessment of who is a good investigator and who is not. Note that Jaggar is not saying we are not being impartial enough in our assessment of investigators; rather she is saying our bias in favour of the dispassionate is inhibiting because emotion is an essential part of knowledge. Moreover, the distinction between emotion and reason is problematic, as Jaggar points out, because â€Å"reason has been associated with members of dominant political, social, and cultural groups and emotion with members of subordinate groups†, like â€Å"people of color†¦and women† (1992, 157). The result of the false distinction between emotion and reason is that it produces a myth about investigators that functions in a circular pattern where the myth reinforces the oppression of those who are perceived as emotional, while the oppression reinforces the myth that it is bad to be emotional. In order to give a full account of what it means to be a good investigator, then, we should acknowledge how emotions function to produce passionate investigators who are reliable observers. The first point Jaggar thinks a full account should include is that in many ways emotions are socially constructed in a way that reflects the norms and values of our society, and that this emotional construction influences our evaluations and observations of the world. The second aspect of the social construction of our emotional constitution she wants to point out is that our emotional construction is not complete in the sense that there are people who do not always respond to or evaluate particular situations in a manner that reflects social norms and values. Jaggar calls these unconventional emotional responses and evaluations â€Å"outlaw† emotions, and states that they are usually experienced by â€Å"subordinated individuals who pay a disproportionately high price for maintaining the status quo† (1992, 160). However, when the distinction between emotion and reason is maintained biases against emotional responses in general and unconventional emotional responses in particular, are disregarded. For example, a woman may feel anger or fear when a sexist joke is made, but when she tries to voice her opinion she is told either that she did not understand the joke or that she has no sense of humour. Thus, when the distinction is maintained it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to realize that the joke is not funny because it is based on a negative stereotype. That is to say, it is not acknowledge that the stereotype and the expected emotional response is dictated by the current norms and values. Furthermore, because a woman, who may already be identified as a bad observer, is pointing out that there may be a mistake in our way of thinking, her response is disregarded as emotional and unreliable, and the oppressive norms and values go unquestioned. 2. Jaggar’s Methodology and Potential Problems The benefit of ridding ourselves of epistemologies that do not acknowledge the role of emotions, both conventional and unconventional, is that we can begin to recognize which norms and values are causing harmful biases and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, Jaggar claims that feminist outlaw emotions—which are outlaw emotions that â€Å"incorporate feminist perceptions and values†Ã¢â‚¬â€are particularly useful in feminist epistemology because they â€Å"can help in developing alternatives to prevailing reality by motivating new investigations†¦Feminist emotions provide a political motivation for investigation and so help determine the selection of problems as well as the method by which they are investigated† (1992, 161). Although Jaggar meant to offer a rough sketch of some of the changes that need to be made to our epistemic theories and practices, I think there are  some potential problems that need to be addressed. For one, I think she needs to say more about how we should determine which emotions will lead to fruitful norms and values, and which emotions we should reject. To her credit, it seems that Jaggar recognizes this is a question that needs to be addressed given that she tries to give reasons for why â€Å"certain alternative perceptions of the world, perceptions informed by outlaw emotions, are to be preferred to perceptions informed by conventional norms† (1992, 161). She claims the reason women’s outlaw emotions should be given consideration is because women are not members of the group that conventional beliefs about emotions privilege. Given that women experience the consequences of not being privileged, they are not as likely to adhere to these norms without question. Hence, they are better able to articulate the negative aspects of their experiences because they do not fear that this questioning of norms will threaten their privileged status. The problem with this response is that it does not seem to fully answer the question, because some outlaw emotions will not provide reliable guides to identifying biases, and so the difficulty will be distinguishing which emotions are reliable from those that are not. In order to give a more robust argument for why we should give special consideration to the emotions of oppressed people she needs to first address the fact that the â€Å"oppressed† do not share one perspective. As pointed out by Marilyn Frye, one problem with making claims about the standpoint of women’s emotional perspectives is that such claims seem to presuppose there are universal types of emotions—outlaw or otherwise—that are consistent throughout the emotions experienced by women. Frye notes that this is a mistake often made by feminists given that it is common for epistemological theories to espouse that â€Å"all knowers are essentially alike, that is, are essentially like oneself: one thinks that one speaks not just as oneself, but as a human being† (35). What happens in feminist theorizing as a response to this attitude is feminists become convinced they need to speak as â€Å"Women† in order to be taken seriously. As Frye points out, feminists often face the difficult task of trying to articulate â€Å"the circumstances, experience and perception of those who are historically, materially, culturally constructed by or through the concept women. But the differences among women across cultures, locales and generations make it clear that although all female humans may live lives shaped by the concepts of Woman, they are not all shaped by the same concept of Woman† (36). [vi] The point I want to stress from this passage is that not all women will experience the same emotions in the same contexts because we are formed by different concepts of â€Å"Woman† even though women in general face oppression in one form or another. In response to the problem of women’s differing experiences, Frye suggests feminists approach epistemology with a different methodology. That is, a methodology that will allow women to give meaning to their own experiences even though they are not experiences that are shared by all women. Part of this project entails that feminists give up the notion of a universal women’s experience. Another part is that they listen to many different women’s experiences and look for patterns of similarity. Frye suggests this methodology will result in the following: The experiences of each woman and of the women collectively generate a new web of meaning. Our process has been one of discovering, recognizing, and creating patterns—patterns within which experience made a new kind of sense, or in instances, for the first time made any sense at all. Instead of bringing a phase of enquiry to closure by summing up what is known, as other ways of generalizing do, pattern recognition/constructions opens fields of meaning and generates new interpretive possibilities. Instead of drawing conclusions from observations, it generates observations. (39) I think this methodology will be helpful in pointing out the outlaw emotions that can offer guidance as to which of our norms and values are questionable, and opens a dialogue over potential ways to change them. The methodology Frye advocates can be further developed if we consider potential ways in which women can express their experiences such that patterns can be recognized. One approach that I find particularly convincing is offered by Morwenna Griffiths. Griffiths suggests that feminist epistemologists can employ autobiographical accounts of women’s experiences as a means of articulating the differences between women’s experiences. Like Frye, Griffiths also notes that there is no one experience common to all women. However, Griffiths further claims that, â€Å"[i]ndividuals are not entirely of one group or another. On the contrary, individuals are fragments of an uncertain number of groups† (62). The conclusion she draws from this point is that it is an oversimplification to limit the types of knowledge humans can acquire into categories like women’s knowledge. One person can experience oppression from the perspective of more than one position. To name a few, one may experience oppressions from the perspectives of a particular race, class, gender, or sexual orientation, and intersections of these. For example, the oppression experienced by a native woman is not the same as that experienced by a native man or that experienced by a white woman. Hence, Griffiths suggests that one’s positions in the world at different times can contribute to her understanding of the world, which in turn will influence the knowledge she can acquire about the world. Noting the different positions from which an individual can have experiences and acquire knowledge is important because it suggests that there can be similarities between the positions we occupy and the individual experiences we have. This potential to have similar experiences of the world further suggests that similarities in experience make it the case that we are not completely denied access to other people’s understanding of the world. The reason Griffiths thinks autobiographical accounts are a crucial feature of feminist epistemology is because the way in which individuals come to find similarities in experiences is through language. To further clarify her point, she argues that, language has a considerable power to determine what we see and do, but this power is not absolute. We also create new language, by working on the languages in which we live. Individual experience can be used in creation knowledge in combinations with the experiences of others. Groups can develop languages of their own if they share particular psychosocial, social and linguistic experiences. Thus women in society, for instance, who share particular positions within it can develop a way of talking about this. (66) In short, Griffiths suggests that language is key to feminist epistemology because it points out how women with different experiences can nonetheless come to some consensuses on the oppressions they experience and the knowledge developed from these experiences. 3. Conclusion I think that if we incorporate Griffiths’ and Frye’s approach on Jaggar’s theory what we will find is a more tenable response to questions about which outlaw emotions can be regarded as being particular to women: namely, patterns of outlaw emotions that feminists have recognized through the expression of different women’s autobiographical accounts. And once we can start pointing out the commonalities between the different perspectives that arise from the standpoint of different women, we can begin show that there is something about women’s reality that makes it the case that they are experiencing the world differently than men. I have not even scratched the surface with respect to giving a detailed explanation of exactly how Jaggar thinks a fully functional theory of outlaw emotions might look. However, I am assuming that once theorists start admitting that emotion is an integral part of epistemology the intricate details of how to identify fruitful outlaw emotions will be worked out. For instance, we might be able to start identifying patterns of emotions that could be considered outlaw emotions and which norms and values that they are a response to. And this recognition will further our abilities to start questioning the norms and values that guide our epistemic practices. I think this is the sort of thing Jaggar had in mind when she states that the benefit of bridging the gap between emotion and knowledge is that our emotions, when properly accessed, â€Å"may contribute to the development of knowledge, so the growth of knowledge may contribute to the development of appropriate emotions† (1992,163). The development of this project may be slow and arduous, but given the problems that exist in traditional epistemology I think Jaggar’s project seems worthy of consideration as a potential contributor to a solution. NOTES ———————– [i] For the purposes of this paper I will equate feminist epistemologists with feminists philosophers of science given that there are many overlapping interests between the two. [ii] For similar arguments, particularly with respect to how positivism had contributed to the notion of the ideal objective knower, see Jaggar (1992) and (1983), especially pp. 355-358; Code (1993). [iii] As noted by Louise Antony, â€Å"For discussions of epistemological frameworks available to feminists, see Sandra Harding, The Science Question in Feminism, (Ithaca, N. Y. : Cornell University Press, 1986), especially pp. 24-29; Mary Hawkesworth, â€Å"Feminist Epistemology: A Survey of the Field,† Women and Politics 7 (1987): 112-124; and Hilary Rose, â€Å"Hand, Brain, and Heart: A feminist Epistemology for the Natural Sciences,† Signs 9, 11 (1983): 73-90. † (Antony 2002, Note 3). [iv] For discussion of Feminist Standpoint Theory, see Bar On (1993); Harding (1993); Longino (1993). For a more general analysis of essentialism in feminist theorizing, see Spelman (1988). [v] Thanks to Elizabeth Brake for clarifying the distinction between the emotion of amusement and the behavior of laughter, as well as supplying me with an example of amusement anticipation. [vi] Jaggar does mention that she is speaking â€Å"very generally of people and their emotions, as though everyone experienced similar emotions and dealt with them in similar ways† (Jaggar 1992, 157). And she further notes that â€Å"it is an axiom of feminist theory†¦that all generalizations about ‘people’ are suspect† (Jaggar 1992, 157). So she does, at the very least, seem to recognize that she may fall prey to Frye’s criticism. However, she goes on to argue that making generalizations about the emotionality of women is part of how the epistemic authority of men is perpetuated, and she does not address the issue of how she should deal with the problem as it applies to standpoint theory. I find this particularly odd given that in another work she claims that part of the project of feminist ethics entails that feminists be sensitive to the fact that all women are not similarly situated in such a way that universal claims can be made about them even though there are commonalities between women’s situatedness at times. (Jaggar 1991). So, although I am uncertain as to why she does not deal with problems that might arise from this issue as it applies to standpoint theory, I gather that she would welcome rather than reject feminist theories that could aid her in avoiding this problem as it would apply to feminist epistemology. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alcoff, Linda, and Elizabeth Potter. 1993. Feminist epistemologies. New York: Routledge. Antony, Louise. 2002. Quine as a feminist: the radical import of naturalized epistemology. In A mind of one’s own 2nd edition, ed. Louise M. Antony and Charlotte E. Witt. Colorado: Westview Press. Bar On, Bat-Ami. 1993. Marginality and epistemic privilege. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Code, Lorraine. 1993. Taking subjectivity into account. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Frye, Marilyn. 1996. The possibility of feminist theory. In Women, knowledge and reality 2nd edition. ed. Ann Garry and Marilyn Pearsall. New York: Routledge. Griffiths, Morwenna. 1995. Feminisms and the self. New York: Routledge. Harding, Sandra. 1993. Rethinking standpoint epistemology: â€Å"what is strong objectivity†?. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Jaggar, Alison M. 1992. Love and knowledge: emotions in feminist epistemology. In Gender/body/knowledge. ed. Alison M. Jaggar and Susan R. Bordo. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. ——. 1991. Feminist ethics: projects, problems, prospects. In Feminist ethics. ed. Claudia Card. Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ——. 1983. Feminist politics and human nature. New Jersey: Rowman & Allanheld Publishers. Longino, Helen E. 1993. Subjects, power and knowledge: description and prescription in feminist philosophies of science. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Scheman, Naomi. 1993. Engenderings: constructions of knowledge, authority, and privilege. New York: Routledge. Spelman, Elizabeth V. 1988. Inessential women: problems of exclusion in feminist thought Boston: Beacon Press.

Wal-Mart Entry Into India and Its Effect on Indian Retail Environment

{draw:rect} Introduction: Wal- Mart is the world’s largest corporation and it is one among the biggest private employer of America. Wal- Mart retail store was established in the year 1962 by Sam Walton Wal-Mart also has doing international operation in United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada and many countries throughout the world. In 1970, a Wal-Mart has listed in New York stock exchange. The first Sam club membership warehouse opened in 1983. Wal-Mart has different types super stores, super markets, and Wal-Mart discount stores. In the year, 2009 the sale of Wal-Mart employs is $401 billion. The Wal-Mart is world first retail store in the world. www. walmartstores. com) Effects of the Wal-Mart Entry: Negative effect on the Indian small scale industry Since many of the small scale department stores in India are the major contributors to the Indian economy, the entry of Wal- Mart into Indian market creates a lot of negative effect on the Indian small scale industry. This may lead to lo ose the business to many of the middle and small scale people. Local traders: Local traders from the major of the cities were opposed the entry of retail giant Wal-Mart especially in Delhi because it will affect the local traders or business man and also for small retail shop. They have the issue of domestic traders will be totally neglected. Low price products Wal- Mart in order to capture the Indian market is trying to introduce low price strategy on their products which inturn affect the other local businesses. Local traders later also should implement this pricing strategy which may affect their profit margin. But in return the consumers may benefit a lot from this. Creates excess competition Due to the entry of Wal –Mart into the Indian market the competition may increase between local retailing businesses like Pantaloon, Reliance etc. e can see a tough competition between these business units in future . Supplier’s benefit: Conclusion: From the analysis there is advantages and disadvantages for Wal-Mart to enter in the Indian retailing system. From the arrival of the Wal-Mart to India FDI will be increased in India and most of the retail stores will have the subsidiaries in many of the places to increase the availability of the customer s. Most of the foreign retail outlets is already survive our country. So Wal-Mart can also survive in India if it sets a good strategy for shine and also should be beneficial for the customers and suppliers in the country. Bibliography

Eminem and Craig David

In this speech, I am talking about two very famous singers, Eminem and Craig David. They are both very brilliant at making songs but in there own and very different ways. Eminem is generally known for all the swearing in all his songs, well he is known for that by the parents at least. He has had to face the courts due to too many parents complaining that Eminem is too influential on there children in a very bad way. He always makes a clean version of his album so his daughter, Hailey can listen to his songs in her little cassette player. He always puts her first. He believes that fame is nothing without being able to share it with his daughter and wife. Eminem has made many friends in the music industry, such as his protà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, Dr Dre. He has also made a pact with snoop dogg, d12, dido and many other singers. Whereas Craig David has not made a song with anyone and has not shown that he has any celebrity friends, at least in his songs, this could mean he is a true solo artist, or he is a lonely person. Both of these artists had a low point in there career but the both eventually came back. Eminem came back with a song called ‘without me' saying that he is back and you should tell a friend, and that he has got through all his law suits. Craig David recently came back with ‘what's your flava' comparing ice cream to a lady, in the end his favourite flavour is chocolate. I did not really like this song. Craig David uses his vocal talent to a high extent to a create a beat that people like. He mainly talks about ladies in songs, like in his latest song, ‘eenie meenie'. Eminem does not really sing, he raps giving the song a great beat that has a lot of rhyming in it, you can feel his emotion when he sings in his songs, showing he has passion towards certain songs. He normally bases his songs on the way of life, past experiences he claims to have had, situations and things he loves or hates. In his album, the Eminem show, he has dedicated a song to Hailey showing that he really loves her. I think that Eminem's songs are brilliant but some might say that they are depressing and has bad influence on people, but I don't think that. Craig David is very good when he wants to be, his song ‘what your flava' was not that good in my opinion because he had not written a song in a while and I figure he was a little out of touch. But his other song eenie meenie is brilliant because he is mixing different styles of music making a brilliant tune in my opinion. Overall, I think that they are both good but Eminem is a lot better and down to Earth and has more meaning in his songs.

Criticisms Against Ethical Theories

Criticisms leveled against Ethical Theories 1. Criticisms leveled against Consequentialism. Consequentialism is based on the consequences of actions. It is sometimes called a teleological theory, from the Greek word telos, meaning goal. According to consequentialism, actions are right or wrong depending on whether their consequences further the goal. The goal (or, â€Å"the good†) can be something like the happiness of all people or the spreading of peace and safety. Anything which contributes to that goal is right and anything which does not is wrong. Actions are thought to have no moral value in themselves (no rightness or wrongness), but only get moral value from whether or not they lead to the goal. John Stuart Mill was a famous consequentialist. Consequentialists would say that killing people is not right or wrong in itself, it depends on the outcome. Killing an innocent child would be a bad thing because it would decrease the happiness of its family and have no good results. Killing a terrorist would be a good thing because, although it would upset his family, it would make people safer. The main criticism of consequentialism is that it would allow any action in pursuit of a good cause, even actions that most people would say were clearly morally wrong, such as torture, killing children, genocide, etc. 2. Criticisms leveled against Deontology The word deontology comes from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. According to this theory, it is your duty to do actions which are right and not do those which are wrong. Actions are thought to be right or wrong in themselves. For example, killing people and lying are wrong, sharing with others who are in need is right. Immanuel Kant was a famous deontologist. E. g. While trekking in the Andes you come across a guerilla leader who has captured 20 local villagers. The guerilla says if you will shoot one hostage he will let the other 19 go free. If you refuse to shoot, he will kill all 20. In the thought experiment the guerilla leader is telling the truth and you have only two choices: to shoot, or to refuse. Choose to shoot, and you are a consequentialist, motivated by saving the 19 innocent people. Choose to refuse, and you are a deontologist, motivated by the fact that it is always wrong to kill an innocent person. The main criticism of deontology is that it is selfish, a way of avoiding getting your hands dirty (in a moral sense) while still allowing terrible things to happen. For instance, in the thought experiment you would not have shot anybody but 20 innocent people would still die. You could have prevented this outcome if you weren't afraid to take any guilt on yourself. 3. Criticisms of Utilitarianism †¢ Distastefulness By far and and away the most common criticism of utilitarianism can be reduced simply to: â€Å"I don't like it† or â€Å"It doesn't suit my way of thinking†. For an example of this, here's something from someone who might prefer to remain nameless. â€Å"Producing the greatest good for the greatest number is fine as long as you are not hurting someone you really love in the process. For instance, with the trolley situation, I would rather kill 5 people on the main track than my mother on the spur track. Utilitarianism runs into problems when sentiment is involved!! â€Å" Utilitarianism is alleged to be faulty in the way it requires us to think about all kinds of actions – to apply the felicific calculus in disregard to any feared distaste of the result. For example, some issues or potential actions are (to a non-utilitarian) â€Å"morally unthinkable†: Utilitarianism does indeed have something to say on this issue – otherwise it would suggest that the life of this extra individual was of no importance. I suggest it as a virtue of utility, that it does not arbitrarily discount value depending on some detail of the situation: all interests count – imply and fairly. The fact that opponents of utilitarianism admit that they won't even consider some situations seems to me to be most damning to their credibility, and indicative of their general irrationality on matters ethical. The argument from distaste is often expressed as a suggestion that utilitarianism doesn't provide enough support for individuals' rights. But what is a r ight, and what is its justification? If the justification of a right depends on its tendency to promote happiness and prevent suffering, then it is entirely redundant since this is the sole purpose of utility. And if rights aren't justified in these terms, how are they justified – what on earth are they actually good for? Of what use are they? It is generally found that the proponent of ethical rights has very unclear thinking as to what rights are and why they (should) exist – and it is therefore of unclear importance that utilitarianism does not support them. Doesn't utilitarianism imply that, if we found a drug which had the sole effect of producing happiness, we ought to mass produce and consume it? And, since happiness is just an emotion which can be chemically induced, isn't it a bit silly to make it the highest order objective? It is quite strange that many people will accept â€Å"the pursuit of happiness† as one of life's fundamental entitlements, yet should suddenly develop ascetic inclinations as soon as the quarry appears obtainable. It seems they don't have a problem with someone trying to achieve happiness, rather they are only concerned when that someone has a reasonable prospect of success in their attempts. Perhaps their fixation with unhappiness would be satisfied by personally abstaining from joy – but, if it goes further such that they would attempt to prevent individuals from attaining happiness even at no cost to others, then (from a utilitarian point of view) such people are despotical and a menace to society. It is possible that many people's aversion to the idea of everlasting happiness is caused by incomplete consideration of the issue. It could be that people have become so jaded by mistaken claims for the desirability of various intentional objects that they believe that drug-induced happiness simply would not be durably satisfying. Since any notion of happiness worthy of the name includes that of satisfaction, it follows that a truly happy person cannot be dissatisfied, so this problem can never arise. Happiness, in the utilitarian sense, includes the exemption from suffering. A charge of triviality for pleasure can perhaps be made, if our only frame of reference is the knowledge of felicific states currently achievable, but it is altogether less plausible against the depths of suffering currently experienced by the world's less fortunate beings. †¢ Impossibility The second most common criticism of utilitarianism is that it is impossible to apply – that happiness (etc) cannot be quantified or measured, that there is no way of calculating a trade-off between intensity and extent, or intensity and probability (etc), or comparing happiness to suffering. If happiness was not measurable, words like â€Å"happier† or â€Å"happiest† could have no meaning: â€Å"I was happier yesterday than I am today† would make no sense at all – it can only have the meaning which we (or most of us, at any rate) know that it has if we assume that happiness can be measured and compared. one should face the fact that goods are not necessarily intersubstitutable and consider the case, for instance, of an intransigent landowner who, when his avenue of limes is to be destroyed for the motorway, asks for 1p compensation, since nothing can be compensation. † [2] (One is reminded of the story of the mother handing out home-baked coo kies as a special treat to her family. The youngest child, on finding his cookie to be slightly smaller than the others, smashes it up and storms out in tears. In his disappointment, he interprets a fine gift as an affront, and he would rather make things worse than better – but then he's only a child. Adults, of course, have much less obvious and more subtle means of smashing their cookies. ) Initially, it seems very odd that the landowner should ask for a penny. If nothing can be compensation, why does he not ask for nothing? What use is this tiny amount of money? Far from suggesting that the trees are invaluable, it suggests that any money he could get for them is worthless to him! But, we may still ask, why the penny? And then we realize: it's a token; a chip in a psychological game (often called â€Å"Poor me! â€Å"). One can imagine the penny being carried about by the ex-landowner, and produced to evict pity from those unfortunates he manages to convince to listen to his story. That will be his best effort at compensating himself. Now suppose the scenario is amended slightly: imagine the landowner's daughter is dying from a terminal disease; that the motorway's supporters offer to pay for the new and expensive cure (which the landowner could not otherwise afford) in exchange for the land; and that they will not proceed without his permission. Are we still to presume that â€Å"nothing can be compensation† for his trees, not even the life of his daughter? Or will the landowner decide that his daughter's life is more important than his pretty view? It seems likely. But suppose not – suppose he chooses to keep the trees and lose his daughter. Does this show that the value of the lime avenue isn't convertible? Of course not, just that he values the trees more than his offspring. If the two different values were inconvertible, he would have no way to decide one way or the other – no way to choose between them. The fact that people can and do weigh-up and trade-off values, for all types of things, shows that it is both possible and practical to do so. In the original scenario, the sensible thing to do would be to ask for enough money to buy a new bit of land, and to plant a new avenue of limes on it; but, since the principle of utility does not imply the absence of fools, this criticism has no effect, and we needn't consider this matter further. †¢ Impracticality The third most common criticism is that it is too difficult to apply – that we cannot calculate all the effects for all the individuals (either because of the large number of individuals involved, and/or because of the uncertainty). The principle of utility is, essentially, a description of what makes something right or wrong – so in order for it to fail, someone must give an example of something which is useful but obviously wrong. The principle does not imply that we can calculate what is right or wrong – completely accurately, in advance, or at all! It does not harm the principle of utility at all merely to comment that it is difficult for us to work out what is right – it is merely a lament against the human condition. The idea of practicality is often used to suggest a problem exists in the theory, when it fact it does not. For example: â€Å"how far does one, under utilitarianism, have to research into the possibilities of maximally beneficent action, including prevention? † [3] The answer is simple, and entirely obvious: as far as it is useful to do so! That is, far enough so that we get the optimal trade-off between planning and implementing, so that we maximize our effectiveness as agents. The does imply that, in some cases, it may not be best to apply the felicific calculus at all: if the problem is one that we have faced many times before, and always reached the same conclusion; or if the case presents itself as an emergency, and isn't open to extended consideration; we can forego the calculus and act immediately. †¢ Insufficiency (of scope) One argument which some people propose as being more sensible than other criticisms, is that utilitarianism is â€Å"fine, so far as it goes†, but that it fails to consider some sources of value, and that it will therefore produce the wrong results when these different sources conflict. There is potential for confusion here – sometimes â€Å"utilitarianism† is used to specifically for â€Å"hedonistic utilitarianism†; and, sometimes, it means a particular class of ethical theory (something like â€Å"value-maximizing consequentialism†) †¦ under this meaning, an ethical theory which held the existence of plastic forks as supremely valuable, and therefore tried to maximize their number, would be â€Å"plastic fork utilitarianism†. [5] So, theories which have other intrinsic values than happiness and exemption from suffering can be accommodated within a utilitarian scheme. As for those other things that are suggested as having value, there are a few worth mentioning: â€Å"life†, â€Å"friendship†, and â€Å"knowledge† among them. I think it is notable that these things are valued, but that they also generally create happiness†¦ I suggest the reason that they are valued is precisely because they promote happiness. But, if they didn't, would we still value them? Does someone who suffers too much still value their life? Surely not, or else there would be no suicides. Do we value a friendship if we get no pleasure from it? On the contrary, it is more likely that we would define our friends as those people about whom we enjoyed being. And is it worthwhile learning and philosophising, if our knowledge is never of any use at all? Or, rather, is it just so much meta-physical stamp collecting? The case against these â€Å"other† goals is quite clear. 4. A Critique of Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism, like all exclusively subjective philosophies, is prone to constant self-contradiction because it supports all individuals' self interests. It also can lead to very unpleasant conclusions, such as choosing not to intervene in a crime against another. Egoists have difficulty judging anything that does not deal with them, which is one reason why ethical egoism is so impractical for people who are very aware of the world. The very legitimacy of the theory is often called into question because it prevents its own adherents from taking reasonable stances on major political and social issues and cannot in itself solve these issues. 5. Criticisms against Ethical Relativism A common argument against relativism suggests that it inherently contradicts, refutes, or stultifies itself: the statement â€Å"all is relative† classes either as a relative statement or as an absolute one. If it is relative, then this statement does not rule out absolutes. If the statement is absolute, on the other hand, then it provides an example of an absolute statement, proving that not all truths are relative. However, this argument against relativism only applies to relativism that positions truth as relative–i. e. pistemological/truth-value relativism. More specifically, it is only strong forms of epistemological relativism that can come in for this criticism as there are many epistemological relativists who posit that some aspects of what is regarded as â€Å"true† are not universal, yet still accept that other universal truths exist (e. g. gas laws). However, such exceptions need to be carefully justified, or â€Å"anything goes†. Another argume nt against relativism posits a Natural Law. Simply put, the physical universe works under basic principles: the â€Å"Laws of Nature†. Some contend that a natural Moral Law may also exist, for example as argued by Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion (2006)[35] and addressed by C. S. Lewis in â€Å"Mere Christianity† (1952). [36] Dawkins said â€Å"I think we face an equal but much more sinister challenge from the left, in the shape of cultural relativism – the view that scientific truth is only one kind of truth and it is not to be especially privileged. â€Å"[37] Aside from the general legitimacy of relativism, critics say it undermines morality, possibly resulting in anomie and complete Social Darwinism. Relativism denies that harming others is wrong in any absolute sense. The majority of relativists, of course, consider it immoral to harm others, but relativist theory allows for the opposite belief. In short, if an individual can believe it wrong to harm others, he can also believe it right–no matter what the circumstances. The problem of negation also arises. If everyone with differing opinions is right, then no one is. Thus instead of saying â€Å"all beliefs (ideas, truths, etc. ) are equally valid,† one might just as well say â€Å"all beliefs are equally worthless†. (see article on Doublethink). Another argument is that if relativism presupposes that â€Å"all beliefs are equally valid,† it then implies that any belief system holding itself to be the only valid one is untrue, which is a contradiction. An argument made by Hilary Putnam,[38] among others, states that some forms of relativism make it impossible to believe one is in error. If there is no truth beyond an individual's belief that something is true, then an individual cannot hold their own beliefs to be false or mistaken. A related criticism is that relativizing truth to individuals destroys the distinction between truth 6. Criticism of Virtue Ethics: According to critics, a major problem with the theory is the difficulty of establishing the nature of the virtues, especially as different people, cultures and societies often have vastly different opinions on what constitutes a virtue. Some proponents counter-argue that any character trait defined as a virtue must be universally regarded as a virtue for all people in all times, so that such cultural relativism is not relevant. Others, however, argue that the concept of virtue must indeed be relative and grounded in a particular time and place, but this in no way negates the value of the theory, merely keeps it current. Another objection is that the theory is not â€Å"action-guiding†, and does not focus on what sorts of actions are morally permitted and which ones are not, but rather on what sort of qualities someone ought to foster in order to become a good person. Thus, a virtue theorist may argue that someone who commits a murder is severely lacking in several important virtues (e. g. compassion and fairness, among others), but does proscribe murder as an inherently immoral or impermissible sort of action, and the theory is therefore useless as a universal norm of acceptable conduct uitable as a base for legislation. Virtue theorists may retort that it is in fact possible to base a judicial system on the moral notion of virtues rather than rules (modern theories of law related to Virtue Ethics are known as virtue jurisprudence, and focus on the importance of character and human excellence as opposed to moral rules or consequences). They argue that Virtue Ethics can also be action-guiding through observance of virtuous agents as examplars, and through the life-long process of moral learning, for which quick-fix rules are no substitute. Some have argued that Virtue Ethics is self-centred because its primary concern is with the agent's own character, whereas morality is supposed to be about other people, and how our actions affect other people. Thus, any theory of ethics should require us to consider others for their own sake, and not because particular actions may benefit us. Some argue that the whole concept of personal well-being (which is essentially just self-interest) as an ethical master value is mistaken, especially as its very personal nature does not admit to comparisons between individuals. Proponents counter that virtues in themselves are concerned with how we respond to the needs of others, and that the good of the agent and the good of others are not two separate aims, but both result from the exercise of virtue. Other critics are concerned that Virtue Ethics leaves us hostage to luck, and that it is unfair that some people will be lucky and receive the help and encouragement they need to attain moral maturity, while others will not, through no fault of their own. Virtue Ethics, however, embraces moral luck, arguing that the vulnerability of virtues is an essential feature of the human condition, which makes the attainment of the good life all the more valuable. †¢ Cultural diversity Some criticize virtue ethics in relation to the difficulty involved with establishing the nature of the virtues. They argue that different people, cultures, and societies often have vastly different perspectives on what constitutes a virtue. For example, many would have once considered a virtuous woman to be quiet, servile, and industrious. This conception of female virtue no longer holds true in many modern societies. Alasdair MacIntyre responds to this criticism, by arguing that any account of the virtues must indeed be generated out of the community in which those virtues are to be practiced: The very word â€Å"ethics† implies â€Å"ethos. † That is to say that the virtues are, and necessarily must be, grounded in a particular time and place. What counts as virtue in fourth century Athens would be a ludicrous guide to proper behavior in twenty-first century Toronto, and vice versa. But, the important question in virtue ethics as to what kind of person one ought to be, which may be answered differently depending on the ethos, can still give real direction and purpose to people. †¢ Lack of moral rules Another criticism of virtue ethics is that it lacks absolute moral rules which can give clear guidance on how to act in specific circumstances such as abortion, embryo research, and euthanasia. Martha Nussbaum responds to this criticism, by saying that there are no absolute rules. In a war situation, for example, the rule that you must not kill an innocent person is impractical. According to Nussbaum, it is the virtues that are absolutes, and we should strive for them. If elected leaders strive for them, things will go well. On the issue of embryo research, Alasdair MacIntyre suggests that people first need to understand the social situation in which although many people are negative about embryonic stem-cell research, they are not upset with the fact that thousands of embryos actually die at various stages in the IVF (in vitro fertilization) process. Then, says MacIntyre, people need to approach the issue with virtues such as wisdom, right ambition, and temperance. Thus, some virtue ethicists argue that it is possible to base a judicial system on the moral notion of virtues rather than on rules. 7. Critiques of Normative Contractarianism Many critiques have been leveled against particular contractarian theories and against contractarianism as a framework for normative thought about justice or morality. (See the entry on contemporary approaches to the social contract. ) Jean Hampton criticized Hobbes in her book Hobbes and the Social Contract Tradition, in a way that has direct relevance to contemporary contractarianism. Hampton argues that the characterization of individuals in the state of nature leads to a dilemma. Hobbes' state of nature as a potential war of all against all can be generated either as a result of passions (greed and fear, in particular) or rationality (prisoner's dilemma reasoning, in which the rational players each choose to renege on agreements made with each other). But if the passions account is correct, then Hampton argues, the contractors will still be motivated by these passions after the social contract is drawn up, and so will fail to comply with it. And if the rationality account is correct, then rational actors will not comply with the social contract any more than they will cooperate with each other before it is made. This critique has an analog for Gauthier's theory, in that Gauthier must also claim that without the contract individuals will be stuck in some socially sub-optimal situation that is bad enough to motivate them to make concessions to each other for some agreement, yet the reason for their inability to cooperate without the contract cannot continue to operate after the contract is made. Gauthier's proposed solution to this problem is to argue that individuals will choose to dispose themselves to be constrained (self-interest) maximizers rather than straightforward (self-interest) maximizers, that is, to retrain themselves not to think first of their self-interest, but rather to dispose themselves to keep their agreements, provided that they find themselves in an environment of like-minded individuals. But this solution has been found dubitable by many commentators. (See Vallentyne, 1991) Hampton also objects to the contemporary contractarian assumption that interaction is merely instrumentally valuable. She argues that if interaction were only valuable for the fruits of cooperation that it bears for self-interested cooperators, then it would be unlikely that those cooperators could successfully solve the compliance problem. In short, they are likely not to be able to motivate morality in themselves without some natural inclination to morality. Interestingly, Hampton agrees with Gauthier that contractarianism is right to require any moral or political norms to appeal to individuals self-interest as a limitation on self-sacrifice or exploitation of any individual. In an important article, â€Å"On Being the Object of Property,† African-American law professor Patricia Williams offers a critique of the contract metaphor itself. Contracts require independent agents who are able to make and carry out promises without the aid of others. Historically, while white men have been treated as these pure wills of contract theory, Blacks and women have been treated as anti-will: dependent and irrational. Both ideals are false; whole people, she says, are dependent on other whole people. But by defining some as contractors and others as incapable of contract, whole classes of people can be excluded from the realm of justice. This point has been taken up by other critics of contractarianism, such as Eva Kittay (1999) who points out that not only are dependents such as children and disabled people left out of consideration by contractarian theories, but their caretakers' needs and interests will tend to be underestimated in the contract, as well. David Hume was an early critic of the validity of social contract theory, arguing against any theory based on a historical contract, on the grounds that one should not be bound by the consent of one's ancestors. He also questioned to what extent the fall-back â€Å"state of nature† which underlies most social contract theory is actually historically accurate, or whether it is just a hypothetical or possible situation. Others have pointed out that, with an assumed initial position which is sufficiently dire (such as that posited by Hobbes), Contractarianism may lead to the legitimization of Totalitarianism (as Hobbes himself foresaw). Some commentators have argued that a social contract of the type described cannot be considered a legitimate contract at all, on the grounds that the agreement is not fully voluntary or without coercion, because a government can and will use force against anyone who does not wish to enter into the contract. In Rousseau's conception of the social contract, even individuals who disagree with elements of the social contract must nevertheless agree to abide by it or risk punishment (they must be â€Å"forced to be free†). It is argued that this idea of force negates the requirement that a contract be entered into voluntarily, or at least to permit individuals to abstain from entering into a contract. In response, it has been countered that the name â€Å"contract† is perhaps misleading (â€Å"social compact† has been suggested as an alternative), and that anyway individuals explicitly indicate their consent simply by remaining in the jurisdiction. Either way, social contract theory does seem to be more in accordance with contract law in the time of Hobbes and Locke (based on a mutual exchange of benefits) than in our own. Other critics have questioned the assumption that individuals are always self-interested, and that they would actually want the benefits of society supposedly offered by the contract. A further objection sometimes raised is that Contractarianism is more of a descriptive theory than a normative guide or a justification. 8. Critiques of Rights Theory Critiques of rights come in two forms. The first is an attack on the substance of doctrines that give rights a central place. These critiques allege that the content of such doctrines is, in one way or other, malformed or unjustified. Here we find, for example, the criticism that natural rights doctrines are â€Å"so much flat assertion,† and that utilitarian rights tend to be implausibly weak. The second form of critique attacks the language of rights itself. The objection here is that it is inappropriate or counterproductive to express at least some kinds of normative concerns in terms of rights. We should, according to the second form of critique, reduce or avoid â€Å"rights talk. †¢ Critiques of Rights Doctrine Marx attacked the substance of the revolutionary eighteenth century American and French political documents that proclaimed the fundamental â€Å"rights of man†: liberty, equality, security, property, and the free exercise of religion. Marx objected that these alleged rights derive from a false conception of the human individual as unrelated to others, as having interests can be defined without reference to others, and as always potentially in conflict with others. The rights-bearing individual is an â€Å"isolated monad†¦ withdrawn behind his private interests and whims and separated from the community. † (Marx 1844, 146) The right of property, Marx asserted, exemplifies the isolating and anti-social character of these alleged rights of man. On the one hand, the right of property is the right to keep others at a distance: the legal equivalent of a barbed wire fence. On the other hand, the right of property allows an owner to transfer his resources at his own pleasure and for his own gain, without regard even for the desperate need for those resources elsewhere. Similarly, Marx held that the much-celebrated individual right to liberty reinforces selfishness. Those who are ascribed the right to do what they wish so long as they do not hurt others will perpetuate a culture of egoistic obsession. As for equality, the achievement of equal rights in a liberal state merely distracts people from noticing that their equality is purely formal: a society with formally equal rights will continue to be divided by huge inequalities in economic and political power. Finally, these so-called â€Å"natural† rights are in fact not natural to humans at all. They are simply the defining elements of the rules of the modern mode of production, perfectly suited to fit each individual into the capitalist machine. Communitarians (Taylor, Walzer, MacIntyre, Sandel) sound several of the same themes in their criticisms of contemporary liberal and libertarian theories. The communitarians object that humans are not, as such theories assume, â€Å"antecedently individuated. † Nozick's â€Å"state of nature† theorizing, for example, errs in presuming that individuals outside of a stable, state-governed social order will develop the autonomous capacities that make them deserving of rights. Nor should we attempt, as in Rawls's original position, to base an argument for rights on what individuals would choose in abstraction from their particular identities and community attachments. There is no way to establish a substantive political theory on what all rational agents want in the abstract. Rather, theorists should look at the particular social contexts in which real people live their lives, and to the meanings that specific goods carry within different cultures. This criticism continues by accusing liberal and libertarian theories of being falsely universalistic, in insisting that all societies should bend themselves to fit within a standard-sized cage of rights. Insofar as we should admit rights into our understanding of the world at all, communitarians say, we should see them as part of ongoing practices of social self-interpretation and negotiation— and so as rules that can vary significantly between cultures. These kinds of criticisms have been discussed in detail (e. g. Gutmann 1985, Waldron 1987b, Mulhall and Swift 1992). Their validity turns on weighty issues in moral and political theory. What can be said here is that a common theme in most of these criticisms—that prominent rights doctrines are in some way excessively individualistic or â€Å"atomistic†Ã¢â‚¬â€need not cut against any theory merely because it uses the language of rights. Ignatieff (2003, 67) errs, for example, when he charges that â€Å"rights language cannot be parsed or translated into a nonindividualistic, communitarian framework. It presumes moral individualism and is nonsensical outside that assumption. † As we saw above, the language of rights is able to accommodate rightholders who are individuals as such, but also individuals considered as members of groups, as well as groups themselves, states, peoples, and so on. Indeed the non-individualistic potential of rights-language is more than a formal possibility. The doctrine of international human rights—the modern cousin of eighteenth century natural rights theory—ascribes several significant rights to groups. The international Convention against Genocide, for example, forbids actions intending to destroy any national, ethnic, racial or religious group; and both of the human rights Covenants ascribe to peoples the right to self-determination. Such examples show that the language of rights is not individualistic in its essence. †¢ Critiques of the Language of Rights The language of rights can resist the charge that it is necessarily complicit with individualism. However, critics have accused rights talk of impeding social progress: Our rights talk, in its absoluteness promotes unrealistic expectations, heightens social conflict, and inhibits dialogue that might lead toward consensus, accommodation, or at least the discovery of common ground. In its silence concerning responsibilities, it seems to condone acceptance of the benefits of living in a democratic social welfare state, without accepting the corresponding personal and civic obligations†¦. In its insularity, it shuts out potentially important aids to the process of self-correcting learning. All of these traits promote mere assertion over reason-giving. Glendon (1991, 14) here draws out some of the detrimental practical consequences of the popular connection between rights and conclusive reasons that we saw above. Since rights assertions suggest conclusive reasons, people can be tempted to assert rights when they want to end a discussion instead of continuing it. One plays a right as a trump card when one has run out of arguments. Similarly, the ready availability of rights language may lead parties initially at odds with each other toward confrontation instead of negotiation, as each side escalates an arms-race of rights assertions that can only be resolved by a superior authority like a court. One line of feminist theory has picked up on this line of criticism, identifying the peremptory and rigidifying discourse of rights with the confrontational masculine â€Å"voice. † (Gilligan 1993) It is not inevitable that these unfortunate tendencies will afflict those who make use of the language of rights. As we have seen, it may be plausible to hold that each right is â€Å"absolute† only within a elaborately gerrymandered area. And it may be possible to produce deep theories to justify why one has the rights that one asserts. However, it is plausible that the actual use of rights talk does have the propensities that Glendon suggests. It seems no accident that America, â€Å"the land of rights,† is also the land of litigation. Another deleterious consequence of rights talk that Glendon picks out is its tendency to move the moral focus toward persons as rightholders, instead of toward persons as bearers of responsibilities. This critique is developed by O'Neill (1996, 127–53; 2002, 27–34). A focus on rightholders steers moral reasoning toward the perspective of recipience, instead of toward the traditional active ethical questions of what one ought to do and how one ought to live. Rights talk also leads those who use it to neglect important virtues such as courage and beneficence, which are duties to which no rights correspond. Finally, the use of rights language encourages people to make impractical demands, since one can assert a right without attending to the desirability or even the possibility of burdening others with the corresponding obligations. Criticisms such as O'Neill's do not target the language of rights as a whole. They aim squarely at the passive rights, and especially at claim-rights, instead of at the active privileges and powers. Nevertheless, it is again plausible that the spread of rights talk has encouraged the tendencies that these criticisms suggest. The modern discourse of rights is characteristically deployed by those who see themselves or others as potential recipients, entitled to insist on certain benefits or protections. Describing fundamental norms in terms of rights has benefits as well as dangers. The language of rights can give clear expression to elaborate structures of freedom and authority. When embodied in particular doctrines, such as in the international human rights documents, the language of rights can express in accessible terms the standards for minimally acceptable treatment that individuals can demand from those with power over them. Rights are also associated with historical movements for greater liberty and equality, so assertions of rights in pursuit of justice can carry a resonance that other appeals lack. Whether these benefits of using rights language overbalance the dangers remains a live question in moral, political and legal theory. †¢ The Critique of Rights The critique of rights developed by critical legal theorists has five basic elements: o The discourse of rights is less useful in securing progressive social change than liberal theorists and politicians assume. Legal rights are in fact indeterminate and incoherent. o The use of rights discourse stunts human imagination and mystifies people about how law really works. o At least as prevailing in American law, the discourse of rights reflects and produces a kind of isolated individualism that hinders social solidarity and genuine human connection. o Rights discourse can actually impede progressive movement for genuine democracy and justice. Right s should not be credited with progressive political advances. In â€Å"The Critique of Rights,† 47 SMU Law Review, Mark Tushnet emphasizes the first theme in arguing that progressive lawyers overestimate the importance of their work because of an inflated and erroneous view of the role of the Supreme Court in advancing progressive goals in the 1960s. That period of judicial leadership was aberrational in American history and also more reactive and pro-active, depending on mass social movements rather than lawyers’ arguments. Legal victories also are often not enforced; judicial victories do not obviate the need for ongoing political mobilization. Legal victories may have ideological value even where they lack material effects; a court victory can mark the entry of previously excluded groups into the discourse of rights which holds ideological importance inside the nation. Nonetheless, legal and political cultures inside the United States can also produce large consequences from judicial losses for relatively powerless groups. Losing a case based on a claim of rights may in some cases lead the public to think that the claims have no merit and need not be given weight in policy debates. Robert Gordon similarly argues that even noted legal victories for blacks, for labor, for the poor, and for women did not succeed in fundamentally altering the social power structure. â€Å"The labor movement secured the vitally important legal right to organize and strike, at the cost of fitting into a framework of legal regulation that certified the legitimacy of managements making most of the important decisions about the conditions of work. † Robert Gordon, â€Å"Some Critical Theories of law and Their Critics,† in The Politics of Law 647 (David Kairys ed. , third edition, Basic Books: New York, 1998). Moreover, rights are double-edged, as demonstrated in the content of civil rights. â€Å"Floor entitlements can be turned into ceilings (you’ve got your rights, but that’s all you’ll get). Formal rights without practical enforceable content are easily substituted for real benefits. Anyway, the powerful can always assert counter rights (to vested property, to differential treatment according to â€Å"merit,† to association with one’s own kind) to the rights of the disadvantaged. â€Å"Rights† conflict and the conflict cannot be resolved by appeal to rights. † Id. , at 657-68. The content of contemporary American rights in particular must be understood as failing to advance progressive causes. Current constitutional doctrine, for example, heavily favors so-called negative liberties (entitlements to be free of government interference) over positive liberties (entitlements to government protection or aid) and thus reinforces the pernicious â€Å"public/private† distinction. That distinction implies that neither government nor society as a whole are responsible for providing persons with the resources they need to exercise their liberties, and indeed, any governmental action risks violating private liberties. Current freedom of speech doctrine accords protection to commercial speech and pornography, limits governmental regulation of private contributions to political campaigns, and forbids sanctions for hate speech. Such rules operate in the often-stirring language of individual freedom, but their effect is more likely to be regressive than progressive. Rights are indeterminate and incoherent. As Mark Tushnet puts it, â€Å"nothing whatever follows from a courts adoption of some legal rule (except insofar as the very fact that a court has adopted the rule has some social impact the ideological dimension with which the critique of rights is concerned. Progressive legal victories occur, according to the indeterminacy thesis, because of the surrounding social circumstances. † At least as they figure in contemporary American legal discourse, rights cannot provide answer to real cases because they are cast at high levels of abstraction without clear application to particular problems an d because different rights frequently conflict or present gaps. Often, judges try to resolve conflicts by attempting to â€Å"balance† individual rights against relevant â€Å"social interests† or by assessing the relative weight of two or more conflicting rights. These methods seem more revealing of individual judicial sensibilities and political pressures than specific reach of specific rights. Moreover, central rights are themselves internally incoherent. The right to freedom of contract, for example, combines freedom with control: people should be free to bind themselves to agreements: the basic idea is private ordering. But the laws reliance on courts to enforce contracts reveals the doctrines grant of power to the government to decide which agreements to enforce, and indeed what even counts as an agreement. Even more basically, freedom of contract implies that the freedom of both sides to the contract can be enhanced and protected, and yet no one stands able to know what actually was in the minds of parties on both sides. Resort to notions of objective intent and formalities replace commitment to the freedom of the actual parties. 3. Legal rights stunt people’s imagination and mystify people about how law really works. The very language of a right, like the right to freedom of contract, appeals to peoples genuine desires for personal autonomy and social solidarity, and yet masks the extent to which the social order makes both values elusive, rite Peter Gabel and Jay Fineman, in Contract Law as Ideology, in The Politics of Law 496,498 (David Kairys, ed. , third edition, Basic Books: New York 1998). Contract law in fact works to conceal the coercive system of relationships with widespread unfairness in contemporary market-based societies. The system of rights renders invisible the persistent functional roles such as landlord, tenant, employer, and individual consumer of products produced by multinational conglomerates, that themselves reflect widely disparate degrees of economic and political power. Contract law is a significant feature in the massive denial of experiences of impotence and isolation and the apology for the system producing such experiences. Similar points can be made about other areas of law. Property rights, for example, imply promotion of individual freedom and security, and yet owners property rights are precisely the justification afforded to the control of others and arbitrary discretion to wreak havoc over the lives of tenants, workers, and neighbors. Contract law artificially constrains analysis by focusing n a discrete promise and a discrete act of reliance rather than complex and often diffuse communications and inevitable reliance by people on others than. Courts and legislatures recognize to some extent the power of these real features of people’s lives but the language of legal rules often leads decision makers to feel powerless to act on such recognition. Workers at a U. S. Steel plant in Youngstown, Ohio and their lawyers tried to buy the plant after the company announced plans to close it. Federal trial and appellate judges acknowledged that the plant was the lifeblood of the community but nonetheless concluded that contract and property law provided no basis for preventing the company either from shutting down the plant or refusing to negotiate to sell it to the workers. Local 1330, United Steel Workers v. United States Steel Corp. 631 F. 2d 1264 (6th Cir. 1980). Gabel and Feinman conclude: â€Å"it was not the law that restrained the judges, but their own beliefs in the ideology of law. By recognizing the possibilities of social responsibility and solidarity that are immanent in the doctrine of reliance, they could have both provided the workers a remedy and helped to move contract law in a direction that would better align the legal ideals of freedom, equality, and community with the realization of these ideals in everyday life. † Id. ,at 509. But the ideology of law made the judges feel they could not do so. [more reading: Staughton Lynd, the fight Against Shutdowns: Youngstown’s Steel Mill Closings (Single Jack Books: San Pedro, CA 1982); Joseph William Singer, The Reliance Interest in Property, 40 Stanford Law Rev. 11 (1988)] Conventional rights discourse reflects and produces isolated individualism and hinders social solidarity and genuine human connection. The individualism pervading American law calls for â€Å"the making of a sharp distinction between ones interests and those of others, combined with the belief that a preference in conduct for one’s own interests is legitimate, but that one should be willing to respect the rules that make it possible to coexist with others similarly self-interested. The form of conduct associated with individualism is self-reliance. This means an insistence on defining and achieving objectives without help from others (i. e. , without being dependent on them or asking sacrifices of them. † Duncan Kennedy, Form and Substance in Private Law Adjudication, 89 Harv. L. Rev. 1685(1976). As implemented in law, individualism means that there are some areas within which actors (whether actual individuals or groups) have total arbitrary discretion to pursue their own ends without regard to the impact of their actions on others. A legal right evokes the idea of a domain protected by law within which the individual is free to do as he or she pleases, and the arrangements ensuring that freedom are fair, neutral, and equitable. Judges must facilitate private ordering and avoid regulating or imposing their own values on the aggregate of individual choices. The state thereby polices all boundary crossings by private individuals and contributes to the pretense that individual, private, self-interested values are all that matter. Yet people need others as much as they need their own freedom. Altruism has roots as deep as individualism, and altruism urges sacrifice, sharing, cooperation, and attention to others. Rights help people deny the equal tug of individual freedom and social solidarity on people’s hearts and assert that legal rules resolve the tension by assuring that people relate to one another through the recognition and respect for each other’s separate, bounded spheres of self-interest. Yet this very mode of thinking renders it more difficult for individuals and for the legal system to act upon altruism, social cooperation, and relationships of generosity, reciprocity, and sacrifice. The legal structure of rules, and the abstracted roles (owner, employee etc. ) upon which it depends makes it more likely that people feel helpless to counteract existing hierarchies of wealth and privilege or any perceived unfairness. Robert Gordon explains: â€Å"This process of allowing the structures we ourselves have built to mediate relations among us so as to make us see ourselves as performing abstract roles in a play that is produced by no human agency is what is usually called (following Marx and such modern writers as Sartre and Lukacs) reification. It is a way people have of manufacturing necessity: they build structures, then act as if (and genuinely come to believe that) the structures they have built are determined by history, human nature, and economic law. † Robert Gordon, Some Critical Theories of law and Their Critics, in the Politics of Law 650 (David Kairys, ed. , third edition, Basic Books: New York 1998). Rights discourse actually can impede genuine democracy and justice. Rights discourse contributes to passivity, alienation, and a sense of inevitability about the way things are. Even when relatively powerless groups win a legal victory, the rights involved can impede progressive social change. The victory may make those who won it complacent while galvanizing their opponents to do all they can to minimize the effects of the ruling. Conflicting rights or alternative interpretations of the same rights are always available. Conservatives can deploy the indeterminacy of rights for their benefit. Using the language of rights reinforces the individualistic ideology and claims of absolute power within individual’s spheres of action that must be undermined if progressive social change is to become more possible. The language of rights perpetuates the misconception that legal argument is independent of political argument and social movements. Through rights language, those in power often grant strategic concessions of limits sets of rights to co-opt genuinely radical social movements. Progressives who use the language of rights thus lend support to the ideology they must oppose. With the notable exception of Roberto Unger, who has proposed an alternative regime with immunity rights, destabilization rights, market rights, and solidarity rights, most critical legal scholars argue that rights do not advance and may impede political and social change. Rights are indeterminate and yet conceal the actual operations of power and human yearnings for connection and mutual aid. Contemporary legal and constitutional practice are less likely to provide avenues for challenging unfair social and economic hierarchies than political movements, and a focus on law reform can divert and disengage those political movements. Criticism: There is some element of truth in this theory, but difficult to believe that all rights enjoyed by people in a state are true to customs and traditions. Human society is dynamic and the custom change from time to time and from place to place. Rights correspond the different stages in the evolution of human society. Rights enjoyed people in a capitalist society, for example, are different from the enjoyed by people in a feudal society. There can be no unanimity opinion as to what historical rights are. Laski says, â€Å"We do not mean by rights the grant of some his conditions possessed in the childhood of the race, but lost in the pr of time. Few theories have done greater harm to philosophy, or m violence to facts, than the notion that they represent the recovery of a inheritance. There is no golden age to which we may seek to return. † References