The Rise of Fascism

Philos, Eros, Agape Love in Religion Essay Example

Philos, Eros, Agape Love in Religion Essay Example Philos, Eros, Agape Love in Religion Paper Philos, Eros, Agape Love in Religion Paper Philia, eros, and agape are three different Greek terms for the word. These three terms explain the different types of love a human being can acquire. Philia is a love of friendship, which is grounded in commonality. However, eros is a kind of love that seeks something from the other person or thing. Lastly, agape is the love that wills the good of the other and is completely self-giving. The meanings of these Greek terminologies, philia, eros, and agape, allow us to better understand and discuss our relationship with God and human fulfillment. In order to find human fulfillment, one must find God of Jesus Christ as well. Erotic loving is our desire for this fulfillment, which can be seen through eros. Human nature can be simply defined in our constant want and need for infinite. The infinite, for humans, is never being satisfied, always wanting more, the best, and as much as we can get of something. This insatiable drive within all of us takes us to the question of human fulfillment. Eros is not a noun but yet an action or an activity. For instance, eros is the longing and search for a significant other throughout our lives. By the same token, we search for God and yearn for infinite happiness and fulfillment from God. All human beings in one-way or another seek about human fulfillment. An example of someone who struggled with human fulfillment is Augustine. Although later he became known as Saint Augustine, in his earlier years he was everything but. Augustine was very intrigued by very common materialistic desires such as worldly possessions and lust. These skewed desires enthralled his thoughts, words, and actions. Consequently, Augustine became involved in petty crimes in order to feed this idea of â€Å"love† in the materialistic world. This concept of love and desire can be further illustrated as a receding horizon; the farther you continue into the horizon the bigger and more numerous your wants become. Later on Augustine reflected upon his materialistic ways of life and made significant life changes to become the Saint Augustine he is referred to today. As exemplified, the essence of eros can have a negative outlook and has been evaluated as such by Jean Paul Sartre. Sartre attested that the human being is a useless passion due to our insatiable desires. Markedly, human beings desire to retain the infinite and that need is simply impossible. For the search for the unlimited is tiresome and unappeasable. Conversely, there is an alternate way of looking at eros. In order to have hope, God has to appear to human life as not a receding horizon but an absolute savior. Human beings long for the truth and due to the constraints of science and history, Jesus is seen in an alternate way because he is no longer limited by space or time. In this case, Karl Rahner and Saint Augustine both agree that God always initiates the relationship with human life. Namely, they asserted that we are constantly drawn to God and God is not drawn to us. Because of this, we have the option of forming a better relationship with God. Rahner said that God dispenses his grace to all human beings of every religion in and God is continually accepting. Chiefly, it is not God’s choice to accept or deny us, for that is not his matter?. Anthony De Mello describes another explanation of human fulfillment to us. He explains to us that in order to have human fulfillment, we must detach ourselves from our worldly attachments. As human beings, we allow ourselves to believe that we cannot be happy without a certain thing or person in our life. Thus, that is not correct. We completely wreck ourselves with the belief in finite things. De Mello also emphasizes that we shouldn’t not care about these things and people in our life but rather we realize that we can live without them and be intent with that. ? Besides eros being a description of love there is also philia. Philia is the love of friendship or brotherly love. This kind of love is seen most commonly between friends who share things in common. Once we seek God, we have a friendship with God. Although, God is not described by philia because it is not completely reliable due to changes in friendships in positive and negative ways, and God’s love never changes. On the contrary to philia, agapic love is God. The terminology of agape explains God’s love as it wills the good of the other. Agape is all self-giving and never asks for anything in return. When a person gives them self to God, this love is agape. Nevertheless, agape and philia types of are critical to having a strong relationship with God. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The doctrine of the Trinity can be viewed as God invites human beings into the inner life of God. Consequently, the doctrine of the Trinity correlates with this topic of discussing the types of love. The idea that God is three persons, yet one essence exhibits that God revealing Godself. God not only communicates with us, but he also draws us into the Trinity. Rahner expressed that the doctrine of the Trinity â€Å"is not a subtle theological and speculative game but is about the self-communication of God. † In the final analysis, there are two models that Christian theologians have formulated in an attempt to address the question of the salvation of non-Christians. These models are the Replacement Model and the Fulfillment Model. The Replacement Model mainly represents the Fundamentalist and Evangelist churches which existed over most of Christian history. This model emphasizes the scriptures from a literal standpoint. According to the Replacement Model, in order to be saved one must be in connection with the Church. Quite clearly, the Replacement model is not very accepting of other religions and believes only Christians will have salvation. ? The Fulfillment Model represents the majority of modern day Christians. The Fulfillment Model preaches the perspective that Christians need to have dialogue with non-Christians. In addition, many Christians think it’s not fair to punish those who have never learned the religion of Christianity or even heard of it. The Fulfillment Model is a way to accommodate people of all different faiths and as long as they are moral, that they too will see eternal life with God. By and large, Karl Rahner’s ideas mostly correlate with the ideas of the Fulfillment Model. The only real difference is that he states is that other religious views are also true. The church did not accept Rahner’s view because quite simply the church thought that other religions couldn’t be true and by believing so it devalued the image of Jesus in the Christian Church. In Vatican II, the council agreed with Rahner’s except they said there was no such thing as â€Å"anonymous Christians† and that other religions cannot be viewed as ways of salvation. Moreover, I believe that the Fulfillment model is the most accurate description of how non-Christians should be viewed. I believe that all people have salvation in God because God knows and loves all human beings. Lastly, I believe that by thinking that God doesn’t save non-Christians limits the idea God’s everlasting love.

Macro economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro economic - Essay Example Any central bank which achieves its inflation objective but damages output in a way unacceptable to the community will not keep its mandate for long. It is the recognition of this point which has produced a voluminous discussion and academic literature, which basically asks the question - central and basic prices (principally wages) will rise faster than this .There is, of course, also the very substantial danger that a rise in non-tradeable prices faster than the target inflation rate will trigger an asset boom, particularly in the classic non-traded asset of real estate property. There is also the issue that, compared with the situation before the capital inflow and appreciation of the exchange rate, interest rates will have to fall: we know that the extra capital inflows are putting on the exchange rate. Following the reasoning I have outlined so far, the proper response to this is to allow the exchange rate to appreciate. To the extent that this is a long-term or structural change, the inflation targeting framework would allow the appreciation to be reflected in inflation, to the extent that it meant that non-traded (domestic) prices would rise faster than the target. On most counts, this is o.k. - it is proper that relative price between tradeables and non-tradeables changes (in order to encourage the current account deficit that is the counterpart of the financial capital inflows). a) i ) The introduction of a lagged output gap in this equation is important for comparing inflation and price-level targeting. Conceptually, the lag will be introduced any time friction prevents instantaneous and complete adjustment of output to unexpected changes in the price level. The second equation explains monetary growth. In other words, what the central bank does. Here, they react to offset the output gap (but with a lag), but they do so imperfectly, John F. Muth (1961)

The Use of Animal By-products for Human Medicine Term Paper

The Use of Animal By-products for Human Medicine - Term Paper Example ill provide a background of the medical field and will be divided into two parts: the historical and culturally based background, and the prevailing contexts of the general utility of animal-based medicinal products. In the second section, I will discuss the legal and politico-economic dimensions of animal-based products, crucial in the preparation of medicines, with reference to economical, ecological, sanitary and cultural contexts. I will finally end the paper with a conclusive discussion of the future of animal-based products, with regard to the prevailing nature of their extraction and availability, as well as global viability and large-scale application. Here I will delve on why there is a need for consideration, with regard to the sustainable future utility of these products, in the growing global populations. Historical and Cultural Background Animals, as well as animal-derived products, from various parts of their bodies or organs, have through history, constituted an increa singly growing segment of medical substances’ general inventory. Their utility as sources of varying medicines is traceable to early historical times, as showcased through various cultural utilities, with this still being practiced in the field of herbal medicine. Through the aforementioned zoo-therapy, various ailments afflicting man, continue being treated and hence the importance of this form of medication to many populations. Human culture, individually/ uniquely and wholesomely, provides for a structured medical system, which utilizes different animal species, for various medicinal purposes (Costa-Neto and Eraldo 33). Amongst the myriad of therapeutic medical practices carried out within the larger global arena, zoo-therapy constitutes a vital alternative. Cultural and Historical... The paper will be organized into two main sections, which will further display the prevailing contexts influencing the need of anima-based products for human medicine. The first section will provide a background of the medical field and will be divided into two parts: the historical and culturally based background, and the prevailing contexts of the general utility of animal-based medicinal products. In the second section, the author will discuss the legal and politico-economic dimensions of animal-based products, crucial in the preparation of medicines, with reference to economical, ecological, sanitary and cultural contexts. The author will finally end the paper with a conclusive discussion of the future of animal-based products, with regard to the prevailing nature of their extraction and availability, as well as global viability and large-scale application. Here the author will delve on why there is a need for consideration, with regard to the sustainable future utility of these products, in the growing global populations. This paper makes a conclusion that with an increase in the monetary value of animals procured, with the both political and socio-economic can be either positive or negative. Positive if there is greater regulation and conservancy, with the latter resulting from increased poaching and clandestine procurement of animal species. Animal, as well as plant-based medicines, through increased utility in contemporary contexts, provide for a case study of how both western and traditional forms of medication can be incorporated into the overall human health and medical development.

Why are UFOs still Mystery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why are UFOs still Mystery - Essay Example When people see lights moving in a way that suggests something other than an airplane, the intriguing prospect that something extraterrestrial is up there moves us to create in our minds the possibility of space ships and alien beings. Of course not all strange lights in the sky can be attributed to space ships. Weather balloons and aircraft have been mistaken for UFOs. â€Å"An unidentified flying object was spotted in Barron County about a month ago. But was it something extra-terrestrial or can a weather tool give us the answer? Scott Doering, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service says it's possible the UFO could have been a weather balloon.†1 Poor reporting, government cover-ups, conspiracies and faulty eye witness accounts are also fuel for the fire surrounding UFOs; and television and film have increased our speculation and fascination about UFOs. It may also simply be that flying saucers don’t exist, being figments of our imagination or they could be stories created to obscure real life military secrets. Inconsistent records from eye witnesses could account for one reason why people do not believe in UFOs. When an object is seen by several people travelling at high speed, it’s likely that there will be different interpretations of the event. Another theory that discredits the existence of UFOs is a government cover-up. Perhaps we have been visited by aliens and the government, fearful about public reaction, obfuscates the truth. Yet another theory is that the military is in fact using UFO stories to hide new technologies and highly classified secret aircraft. â€Å"Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, is a secret military facility about 90 miles north of Las Vegas. The number refers to a 6-by-10-mile block of land, at the center of which is a large air base the government will not discuss†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 There is undoubtedly life in other parts of the galaxy and the Universe. We would be arrogant to assume that one tiny pla net in the vast network of stars could be the only one to contain life. The question is whether or not other beings have the ability to travel here. Given the distance between stars and the amount of time it would take to travel between them, even at the speed of light, it would seem unlikely that voyage would be possible. â€Å"Chemical-based rockets get terrible fuel efficiency, achieving very little thrust per kilogram of propellant used, and their exhaust velocity can’t exceed 5,000 meters per second. Using these tools, Lozano adds, it would take at least nine months to get to Mars...†3 Or would it? We have a limited view based on our experience. Space travel for human beings has only been in place for the past 50 years, and we’ve only travelled as far as the moon. Probes such as Voyager have certainly exited our solar system, but their slow speed means that data returned to us takes years. Based on what we know, flying to another planet is impossible. Yet, reports of UFOs persist. Sightings could be attributed to dreams or hallucinations, but there have been reports from credible sources such as the military and police where sightings have been distinct and over prolonged periods of time. In a â€Å"Summary Report on Observations 30-31 March 1990† from the Belgium Air Force, W. de Brouwer Kol Vl SBH stated â€Å"†¦the head of the police of WAVRE had alerted 4 other police stations in the area. All four, separated +- 10 NM from each other, confirmed the visual observations [of unidentified flying objects].†4 This particular sighting came during a period where both average citizens and the military also viewed these craft. When members of a police department or military report sighting

Merger of JP Morgan Chase Co

Merger of JP Morgan Chase Co Executive Summary This paper on the Banking industry consist the merger of JP Morgan Chase Co. It argues that the experience of Banking industry in the US is unique and also the impact of the merger in JP Morgan Chase Co. It is not paradigmatic also tells that all banks are not driven efficiently. The paper talks about the merger of JP Morgan Chase Co. using The Porters The Fishbone Model. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Overview of Banking Industry in US 3 1.2 Overview of JP Morgan and Chase 3 2. STUDY OF MERGER BETWEEN JP MORGAN CHASE (2000) 4 2.1 Purpose of the study 5 2.2 Significance of this study 5 2.3 Limitations 5 3.RESEARCH MODEL 6 3.1. The Fish Bone Model 6 3.2 Elements of the Model 7 3.3. Previous Research Findings 8 3.4. Critics for the Previous Research 8 4.PREVIOUS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 9 5.CONCLUSION 10 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview of Banking Industry in US This paper on the Banking industry consist the mergers of banks with a special emphasis on the US banks. It argues that the experience of Banking industry in the US is unique and it is not paradigmatic also tells that all banks are not driven efficiently. Mergers in banks arise because of macro structural circumstances and shifts to strategic motives in a period of time (Benston, Hunter, Wall, 1995). Over the few years, bank mergers and acquisitions have been occurring at a very high rate. During the recent decades the US banking system is experiencing an intense structural change which is happening at a very rapid place. When banks document deposits made by customers create credit evaluations and move funds they process information. The banks and the financial services industries entrants have been very much affected by the current information processing revolution. The banks are moderately transforming themselves from intermediaries that have loans, deposits and securities in their balance sheets into brokers who originate loans and then allocate them to others who obtain securitized assets. This change has occurred due to rapid increase of the technical advancements in processing information. 1.2 Overview of JP Morgan and Chase JPMorgan Chase Co. is one of the worlds largest, oldest, and best-known financial institutions. Since their founding in New York in the year 1799, they have succeeded and grown by listening to their customers and also by meeting their needs. Being a global financial services firm and with operations in more than 50 countries, JPMorgan Chase Co. combines two of the worlds best and premier financial brands: J.P Morgan and Chase. JPMorgan Chase Co. is a leader in financial services for consumers; investment banking; financial transaction processing; small business and commercial banking; private equity and asset management. JPMorgan Chase Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and also the worlds most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. JPMorgan Chase Co. is built on the foundation of more than 1,000 predecessor institutions that has come together over the years to form todays company. Their many well-known heritage banks include J.P Morgan Co., The Chase Manhattan Bank, The First National Bank of Chicago, Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., Bank One, Chemical Bank and National Bank of Detroit, each closely tied in its time for innovations in finance and for the growth of the United States and global economies. (The History of JP Morgan Chase Co., 2008) 2. STUDY OF MERGER BETWEEN JP MORGAN CHASE (2000) On examining, there are four main paths are identified which explains explains the reasons behind the mergers activity. These paths are related to (1) creating economies of scales, (2) expanding in geographically means, (3) increasing the combined capital base (size) and product offerings, and (4) gaining the market power. In examining these paths, it appears that, at a much higher level in Porters fishbone framework, the mergers are driven by cost reductions than increasing the gross revenue. Global consolidation and Downsizing allowing banks in increasing its size and market capabilities while creating some technological efficiencies largely responsible for the cost savings of mergers. The research results on the financial performance of the merged banks have resulted in conflicting conclusions. While some research has found that bank acquisitions are not improving the financial performance of the combined banks (Baradwaj, Dubofsky, Fraser, 1992). When Chase Manhattan announced its merger with J.P. Morgan in September 2000, the companys shares were selling at $52. (Palia, 1994). Today, they make around $30, and the press is filled with reports of the companys performance. Getting bigger has not helped Chase Manhattan to get better. Nor has it helped other companies. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the share prices of the 50 biggest corporate acquirers of the 1990s have fallen three times as much as the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (Toyne Tripp, 1998). The size counts, especially in addressing the complex problems that span geographies and functions. But bigger doesnt make a company better at serving customers. Chase is the product of two megadeals that came earlier, its mergers with Chemical Manufacturers Hanover and. J.P. Morgan is the part of the venerable House of Morgan which was traditionally a commercial bank, but has aggressively entered the investment banking business. After flirting with other merger partners from Europe and elsewhere, it finally offered the famous name and blue-chip client roster to its fellow New Yorker for about $36 billion in stock. (Madura Wiant, 1994) 2.1 Purpose of the study The history before the acquisition is very important to consider the enormity of the product. In 1991, Chemical Banking Corp. merged with Manufacturers Hanover Corp., keeping the name Chemical Banking Corp., then the second largest banking institution in the United States. In 1995, First Chicago Corp. merged with NBD Bancorp Inc., forming First Chicago NBD Corp., the largest banking company based in the Midwest. In 1996, Chemical Banking Corp. merged with The Chase Manhattan Corp., keeping the name The Chase Manhattan Corp. and creating what then was the largest bank holding company in the United States. 2.2 Significance of this study In 2000, The Chase Manhattan Corp. merged with J.P.Morgan Co. Incorporated, in effect combining four of the largest and oldest money center banking institutions in New York City (Morgan, Chase, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover) into one firm called JPMorgan Chase Co. In 2004, Bank One Corp. merged with JPMorgan Chase Co., keeping the name JPMorgan Chase Co. In 2008, JPMorgan Chase Co. acquired The Bear Stearns Companies Inc., strengthening its capabilities across a broad range of businesses, including prime brokerage, cash clearing and energy trading globally. 2.3 Limitations It becomes abundantly clear that there is no clear direction in terms of the mergers and acquisitions that JPMorgan Chase Co. performed in before and after the marriage of the giants happened. The merger was hailed and appreciated at the time when one of the largest mergers was in a vogue. The merger seemed to have happened through lots of pressure from competition more than anything else. Even after these so many years of being together, it is not very easy to tell if the individual entities are acting as one. (Wilson, 2003) The problem faced is really because of cohesiveness and integration. Although the merger went through the lack of a proper regulatory authority to oversee such mergers leads to situations such as the sub-prime crisis of 2007-2008. RESEARCH MODEL 3.1. The Fish Bone Model The coding scheme adopted for the content analysis that was conceptualized in the Porter strategic model (Porter, 1980) as operationalized in a fishbone analysis framework (Nolan, Norton Company, 1986). The coding of the content of application approximates the use of a standardized questionnaire. Hence, content analysis has the advantage of both ease and high reliability, but it may be more limited in terms of content validity to the extent that the applications reflect the underlying stated merger decision rationale. These four paths are related to creating economies of scales, expanding geographically, increasing the combined capital base (size) and product offerings, and gaining market power. This appears that decreasing costs than increasing gross revenue drives much of the merger activity at a higher. Many of the applications stated that the reduction of costs as a reason for the merger. In addition to it, many of the applications went further than a general statement of cost reduction explaining that the combined institution would create economies of scales which would result in a reduction in costs as justification for their merger/acquisition request. 3.2 Elements of the Model -Location -Product -Competitors -Market Trends However, since the merger/acquisitions within the banking industry should provide certain data (i.e. Community Reinvestment Act compliance or Herfindahl Indexes) to reinforce the merger/acquisition stated rationale, there is more validity in the stated rationale for mergers/acquisitions of this industry than in others using this approach (Cornett De, 1991). The use of the widely accepted Porter strategic model provides an appropriate framework for both inductive and deductive conclusions. 3.3. Previous Research Findings The model provides a tight linkage to the strategy literature for validity of the coding categories. More than that, the use of multiple coders and a referee insure a high degree of reliability in coding effort. For each application, two coders independently code each paragraph and the results are entered into a spreadsheet for data management purposes. The results of the two coders were then compared, and, if there was any disagreement, the referee discussed the differences with the other coders and made a final determination. For each application, a resultant tabulation was created and overlaid upon the fishbone for visual inspection. Hence, this model contains the total numerical count of the entire sample. 3.4. Critics for the Previous Research Previous literature finds an empirical evidence of links between mergers and financial performance, measured in terms of either profitability or operating efficiency (Berger, Demsetz, Strahan, 1999). The US experience cannot be a global paradigm because US banks has dominance in the global financial arena. Prior to the US bank merger wave, the banks that operated with long standing geographic restrictions, could not expand their branch networks when market opportunities arose outside their market areas. Hence, a sustained period of banking distress began in 1981. The thrift industry collapsed; many banks experienced distress in the early 1980s due to credit problems ranging from Latin American loans, loans in oil-rich domestic areas, loans for corporate mergers and commercial real estate. The failing or troubled institutions were often are taken over by expansion-oriented commercial banks; Nations bank grew through astute acquisitions during the period. Government-assisted mergers accounted for majority of the bank mergers in the United States between 1982 and 1989. This period of distress mergers led to a shift in regulatory philosophy. Until this period, regulators guided by the antitrust law and the Bank Holding Company Acts of 1956 and 1970 placed some restrictions on bank activities and expansion, using the criteria that firms with monopolistic power will exploit it. In this period, many regulatory economists adopted Chicago new learning approach, which shifted the attention from monopoly position to contestability. Regulatory test for market power was weakened, that permitted federal regulators to override product-line and geographic restrictions in approving distress mergers. The Federal Reserve used regulatory flexibility to force modernization in U.S. banking laws. Bank regulators increasingly operated on the premise that the industry is overbanked and financial innovations has made capital and credit universally available. One approach was the emergence of an upscale retail banking strategy. PREVIOUS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The Banks using this approach identify a preferred customer base to which they can deliver both traditional banking services-short-term consumer loans, long-term mortgages, depository services-and nontraditional services such as mutual funds, insurance, and investment advice. The second and related approach was a shift away from maturity transformation and interest-based income, towards maturity matching, secondary market sales, and fee-based income. Much of the revenue from upscale households take the form of fees, encouraged by the growth of secondary loan markets and of banks involvement in the household portfolio management. The proportion of interest expenses within banks overall expenses is declined since 1982; noninterest income has been an increasing share of bank income since 1978 (DeYoung, 1994). Large banking firms have led to the second phase of the U.S. bank merger wave because they have most aggressively pursued upscale-retail and fee-based strategies. Since the banks are not more efficient or more profitable than the smaller banks they purchase, earnings increase have not financed these acquisitions, while Wall Street has. Wall Streets analysts have adopted the concept of banking industry excess capacity; and brokers and underwriters have earned the substantial fees from the equity issues that have provided the cash needed to sweeten offers for target banks equity shares (Serwer, 1995) (Chong, 1991). CONCLUSION Although there are many frameworks used for analysis of other industries, they often do not work within the banking industry because of the imposed regulatory constraints; the model reveals that the Porter Model will be suitable in this case for examining the rationale behind the merger/acquisition activity for the banking industry. There are four main paths, for the period examined that explains the reasons behind the mergers/acquisitions activity. Utilizing the synergies between the two partners is a common phrase found throughout the applications. The usual scenario is that the smaller partners will combine with the larger partners in order to develop the economies of scale and also to reduce their combined costs. The remaining three paths are related to increasing gross revenue but at a much lower level on the fishbone framework. Most of the applications justified the merger either directly or indirectly by referencing the combined banks ability to expand geographically into various markets that the individual banks had not previously had a market presence. As a result, through the geographical expansion, the bank would be able to decrease the total risk as well as increase the sales of the products and, thus, increase overall gross revenue. Many of the merger/acquisition either directly or indirectly justified their mergers through the fact that the combined asset base (size) would be larger and, thus, allowing the banks to make loans to companies that the individual banks could not have previously serviced due to capital base lending regulatory restrictions. In essence, the larger capital base allowed the merged institutions to offer a new product (jumbo loans) to an existing customer or to gain new customer through the new product offering. In addition, on the same path many of the applications justified the merger through the ability to offer a greater array of products. The smaller partner (usually) would be able to offer products already carried by the larger partner and that previously due to the smaller partners size they had not able to offer. In both cases, the merger would allow the combined institution to offer a greater product array increasing their sales and, thereby, increasing gross revenue. The last path deals with the, often, indirect merger justifications of increasing market power. Through the merger, the merged banks would be better able to compete with banks within their market, increasing their product sales, and, thus, their gross revenue.

Kierkegaard: Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself as a Basis for Ethics :: Morals Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Kierkegaard: "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" as a Basis for Ethics "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." [Matthew 22:37-40, AV] "When you open the door which you shut in order to pray to God, the first person you meet as you go out is your neighbour whom you shall love. Wonderful!" [Kierkegaard, p.64] 1 Introduction This paper is a philosophical exploration of some aspects and implications of the "second great commandment", to "love thy neighbor as thyself", which Kierkegaard called the "royal command". This is often thought to be the heart of Christian ethics [Wattles, p.8]. This agape-obligation has seemed to some to pose difficulties. Macquarrie and Kierkegaard both recognize that there has been objection. Macquarrie several times notes his opposition to the belief, "that moral laws are the heteronomous commands of a transcendent deity who demands obedience." [p.219f] and even worse, "imposed on creatures from whom he is 'wholly other', a command, moreover, which they have no capacity to obey except by grace alone, while this grace, in turn, seems to be also external and has to be 'infused' from outside." [p.221] Kierkegaard wrote that, [to the pagan,] "this command 'You shall love' will not only surprise him but will disturb him and be an offence to him. [p.41] It may perhaps offend you — well, you know it anyway, that Christianity is always accompanied by signs of offense. Nevertheless believe it .... Do not stop believing because the command almost offends you." [p.74] The thesis of this paper is that, setting aside the question of moral offense that has disturbed commentators from Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason) to William Empson (Milton's God), agape to neighbor makes sense only under monotheistic or specifically Christian assumptions, and therefore, the old saw, "Christianity may not be factually true, but it has a sublime ethical teaching", is problematical. A number of issues inevitably arise in any serious discussion of agape. Some of these issues are discussed in the sections below: 2.1 How is love for God like love for neighbor? 2.2 Is God's love for me like my love for neighbor? 2.3 How is love for neighbor like love of self?

National Stock Exchange

NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE OF INDIA LIMITED DEPARTMENT : FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS Download Ref. No. : NSE/FA/21156 Date : June 29, 2012 Circular Ref. No. : 3/2012 To the trading members in the F&O and CD segments Sub : Levy of charges for High Order to Trade Ratio In continuation of Exchange Circular. No:NSE/CMTR/20662 dated April 30, 2012 on additional SEBI guidelines governing decision Support Tools / Algorithm for trading through Non-Neat front end and as directed by SEBI, Trading Members are hereby informed that the following charges will be levied for high algo order to trade ratio with effect from July 02, 2012.The said charges will be computed at member level on a daily basis and will be collected on a monthly basis, after reckoning all algo orders and trades of the member: Daily algo Order to Trade Ratio Less than 50 50 to less than 250 (on incremental basis) 250 to less than 500 (on incremental basis) 500 or more than 500 (on incremental basis) * Charges (per algo orders) Nil 1 pai se 5 paise 5 paise * In case the ratio is 500 or more than 500 during a trading day, the concerned member shall not be permitted to place any orders for the first 15 minutes on the next trading day(in the continuous trading session) as a cooling off action.However, the trading member shall be permitted to enter transactions in risk reducing mode in the respective segments during such a cooling off period. Members may note that for the purpose of calculation of Daily Order-to-Trade ratio all algo orders, i. e. , order entry, order modifications and order cancellations will be considered. Regd. Office : Exchange Plaza, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai – 400 051 Page 1 of 2 It may further be noted that, a) if the orders entered and/ or modified are within 1% of the last traded price (LTP) of the respective security/ contract ((Absolute (Limit price – LTP)/LTP)

Danton essays

Danton essays Although the French Revolution was a huge turning point in European politics and set the foundation for changes ahead, there are many misfortunes that came from it. The National Guard, the Paris Commune, the September Massacre, are all words that the French would prefer us not to hear. These events were a subtle denouement to a climax that was filled with both blood and pain. The Reign of Terror, or the Great Terror, was a massive culmination to the horror of the French Revolution, the gutters flowing with blood as the people of Paris watched with an entertained eye. The power at the time of the Great Terror was in the hands of a newly formed Public Safety Commission headed by Robespierre. Another influential member of the nine man committee was a lawyer, Danton, who was a popular leader of the Revolution. Between these two men the responsibility of many deaths during the Great Terror lies. In 1794 the atmosphere of Paris was one of fear, paranoia, starvation and suffering. Great changes were taking place and the country was still trying out their new form of government. Peasants had the authority to search wagons for those believed to be against the revolution. People addressed each other as citizen _______, with the idea of one another being fellow citizens of the republic. The death of thousands was not restricted to the lower classes, all men despite social stature were in danger of going to the guillotine, even clergy. Street names were changed, a new calendar was introduced, and the abolishment of the church, though this did not last. The war of a political nature raged silently in France, as the different factions of the Convention dared not fight openly. Upon returning to Paris from foreign duties, Danton immediately took the side of Robespierre, condemning the Enrages and the Hebertists, who were behind much of the over killing. However, Robespierre would not ...

Give a Speech People Remember

Give a Speech People Remember What makes a speech a great speech, one people remember, especially your teacher? The key is in your message, not your presentation. Use the six sticky principles taught by Chip Heath and Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, and give a speech youll get an A on. Unless you live in a cave, you know the story of Jared, the college student who lost hundreds of pounds eating Subway sandwiches. Its a story that almost wasnt told for the same reasons that many of our papers and speeches are boring. We get so filled up with statistics and abstractions and all the things we know, that we forget to share the simple message at the core of what were trying to communicate. Subway executives wanted to talk about fat grams and calories. Numbers. While right under their noses was a concrete example of what eating at Subway can do for you. The ideas the Heath brothers teach are ideas that will make your next paper or speech memorable, whether your audience is your teacher or the entire student body. Here are their six principles: Simplicity - find the essential core of your messageUnexpectedness - use surprise to grab people’s attentionConcreteness - use human actions, specific images to convey your ideaCredibility - put hard numbers aside and bring your case closer to home, ask a question that helps your reader decide for him- or herselfEmotions - make your reader feel something, for people, not for abstractionsStories - tell a story that illustrates your message Use the acronym SUCCESs to help you remember: SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStories Lets take a brief look at each ingredient: Simple - Force yourself to prioritize. If you had only one sentence in which to tell your story, what would you say? What is the single most important aspect of your message? Thats your lead. Unexpected - Do you remember the TV commercial for the new Enclave minivan? A family piled into the van on their way to a football game. Everything seems normal. Bang! A speeding car slams into the side of the van. The message is about wearing seat belts. You are so shocked by the crash that the message sticks. Didn’t see that coming? the voiceover says. No one ever does. Include an element of shock in your message. Include the extraordinary. Concrete - Include what the Heath brothers call tangible actions by human beings. I have a friend who consults in the area of organizational development. I can still hear him asking me after I told him what I was hoping to achieve with my staff, What does that look like? Exactly what behaviors do you want to change? Tell your audience exactly what it looks like. If you can examine something with your senses, the Heath brothers say, it’s concrete. Credible - People believe things because their family and friends do, because of personal experience, or because of faith. People are naturally a tough audience. If you don’t have an authority, expert, or celebrity to endorse your idea, what’s the next best thing? An anti-authority. When an ordinary Joe, who looks like your next-door neighbor or your cousin, tells you something works, you believe it. Clara Peller is a good example. Remember the Wendy’s commercial, â€Å"Where’s the Beef?† Almost everyone does. Emotional - How do you make people care about your message? You make people care by appealing to the things that matter to them. Self-interest. This is the core of sales of any kind. It’s more important to emphasize benefits than features. What will the person gain from knowing what you have to say? Youve probably heard of WIIFY, or the Whiff-y, approach. What’s in it for you? The Heath brothers say this should be a central aspect of every speech. Its only part of it, of course, because people aren’t that shallow. People are also interested in the good of the whole. Include an element of self or group affiliation in your message. Stories - The stories that are told and retold usually contain wisdom. Think of Aesops Fables. They have taught generations of children lessons of morality. Why are stories such effective teaching tools? Partly because your brain can’t tell the difference between something you imagine to be happening and that thing actually happening. Close your eyes and imagine standing on the edge of a 50-story building. Feel butterflies? This is the power of story. Give your reader or audience an experience theyll remember. Chip Heath and Dan Heath also have a few words of caution. They advise that the three things that hang people up the most are these: Burying the lead - make sure your core message is in your first sentence.Decision paralysis - take care not to include too much information, too many choicesThe curse of knowledge -Presenting an answer requires expertiseTelling others about it requires you to forget what you know and think like a beginner Made to Stick is a book that will not only help you write more effective speeches and papers, it has the potential to make you a more memorable force wherever you walk through the world. Do you have a message to share? At work? In your club? In the political arena? Make it stick. About the Authors Chip Heath is a Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Dan is a columnist for Fast Company magazine. He has spoken and consulted on the topic of making ideas stick with organizations such as Microsoft, Nestle, the American Heart Association, Nissan, and Macys. You can find them at MadetoStick.com.

The effects of greenhouse gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The effects of greenhouse gas - Essay Example Discussion The destruction of the natural order of the environment through green gas emissions will have far-reaching ramifications on the survival of other living things and human safety on the planet. Many of the adverse natural calamities that have been witnessed in the modern times are largely attributed to the greenhouse gas emissions (Environment Canada, 2012). In terms of the environmental impacts, there is a high expectation of continued rise in the average annual temperatures around the entire globe. The rise in temperatures will lead to the melting of the melting of sea ice and a decrease in snow. It is also expected that the rising temperatures will have the effect of reducing the volume of glacier coverage and thaw the levels of permafrost in the Arctic. As a result, sea levels will rise above their current levels and increase the possibilities of coastal flooding. Flooding is generally disruptive to communities living along the coastlines and other economic activities su ch as tourism. Tourism is a major contributor to the economic development of many countries. Adverse disruptions of this sector could indirect contribute towards a rise in global poverty and general underdevelopment. The frequency and severity of storms and heat waves are likely to increase as the world continues to experience the effects of green gas emissions. For instance, the devastation of storms and heat waves has already been experienced in countries such as the United States, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, and many other parts of the world (Maslin, 2002). The effects of the storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, have been devastating in terms of the loss of human life, animals, and property. Infrastructure in many of the affected parts has been rendered into states of disrepair in the aftermath of the storms. The natural calamities have also been disruptive to natural order particularly in the manner in which they destroy ecosystems and threaten the survival of certain species within t he ecosystems. Scientists predict that global warming will adversely affect the lives of many wild animals that are accustomed to cold temperatures. In the long run, the world might witness a drastic decline in the population of polar bears and other animals that are naturally accustomed to cold weather. Source: World View of Global Warming. The green gas emissions will have significant impacts on the health of human populations in many parts of the world. Canada and the United States are mentioned as some of the places that will face significant health challenges with particular regard to the elderly and children. The rise in temperature will affect their bodies defenses in ways that could subject them to various diseases and health complications (Dinc?er, 2010). Such effects will also extend to the areas of basic comfort in ways that would make it difficult for the people to engage in constructive activities as they will not easily adjust to the weather and climatic changes. Healt h analysts contend that some of the factors that will affect the populations will likely result from the inability of the physiological processes to adjust to new environmental realities as conditioned by a surge in the global temperatures. Biologists link the status of health to environmental conditions within the understanding of human adaptation. The danger of dehydration remains a reality in the wake of

Influence of Laugier's Treatise on Ledoux Essay - 1

Influence of Laugier's Treatise on Ledoux - Essay Example The architecture surrounding this time frame, as well as the other concepts which were associated with this creates an overall understanding of the perspective and philosophies which reflect in Ledoux’s works. Background of Ledoux Ledoux was born in France in 1736 and died in 1806. He was one of the earliest architects that focused on Neoclassical architecture and which associated specific ideologies in society with the way in which his pieces were built. Ledoux was known to have a specific relationship to the French Revolution as well as to the desire to build Utopia within the region. The beliefs of Ledoux all related to the understanding that France needed to go through a revolution, specifically to be reminded of morality and perspectives of justice within the main system. Through this revolution, there would be the ability to build Utopian ideologies with the political and social structure, while changing the way in which most associated with the country of France. The de signs which Ledoux incorporated throughout his life were known to combine this with the combinations of styles from past architects, including classical and rococo styles that were incorporated into the revolutionary and radical thoughts of Ledoux (Kaufmann, 1952: p. 5). The beliefs of Ledoux were followed by other architects that influenced the ideas of revolution and the components of Ledoux’s work. One was Laugier, also who was associated with Neoclassicism and the French Enlightenment. The main philosophy of Laugier was based on bringing classical thought forms back. He found that the problem with most of the buildings which were a part of France at the time that were built without practicality or purpose. This included the column shapes and sizes as well as the extra decor and use of space that he found to be impractical. Laugier focused instead on the Greek form and shape as one which used more space with better practicality and which was associated with the understandi ng that the use of open space and symmetry of all buildings could create better alternatives for the buildings. These main theories were known to relate not only to classical thought and the use of practicality. The underlying philosophies of Laugier were based on using the symbolism of open space and symmetry as a way of inviting in the idea of Utopia. The symbolic meaning of the open space was related to opening a space for all and having a sense of equality that was within the environment (Braham, 1980: p 80). Architectural Changes of the 18th Century The influences which were associated with Laugier and the impact on Ledoux furthered with the changes which were in architecture and the associations which individuals had according to these alterations. During this time, France was exposed to the ideal of writing about philosophies and expectations with buildings. This was different from past architecture, specifically with a growing belief that different forms of buildings were su perior in quality and make than other forms of architecture. This ideology led to redefining innovations to make the architectural buildings artifacts that were associated with the social and political changes while influencing the public reflections that were associated with this. The idea of building an architectural culture that was