Stoics :: essays research papers

Stoicism was a group of philosophers in the First Century who made laws that they thought should be followed by the citizens of Rome. Two of these laws were the concepts of rationality and nature. Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome at the time and he also the most known Stoic. His concepts were vital to the survival of the Stoics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of rationality is what tells a human being what’s right and wrong and what should be done and what is good for the human and the state by thinking. â€Å"the reason also, in respect which we are rational beings, is common: if this is so, common also is the reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this is so, there is a common law also; if this is so, we are fellow citizens; if this is so, we are members of some political community; if this is so, the world is in manner of a state.†(1) Marcus Aurelius says here that the citizens who are ration beings as a part of the whole political spectrum, should combine to make he world one state. He wants the world to join as one state and governed by one, the people are all part of the same political system, so they should join together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his Meditations Aurelius talks about every action having a purpose. â€Å"Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art.†(2) He says here that the reason we have is because everything we do has a purpose. The purposes are there because they are the unwritten rules of art. These rules are abided because they just happen. The art sets its own rules through the purposes of the acts that are done. No act should be done if it does not follow the rules of art. Yet, the rules of are made by the act’s purposes. This meaning everything has a reason why it is done and the purposes are legitimate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A man’s life does not become worse unless he makes it worse. â€Å"That which does not make his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or with in.†(3) In this quote, Aurileus tells the Stoics that the things that don’t harm him won’t make his life worse inside or outside including the soul. This meaning that a person should do what they feel is right, because it will not hurt them physically or mentally.

Poverty in the World Essay

Many third world countries are faced by the challenges of poverty and unproductivity of land. The survival of the people who live in such nations depends mostly on aid from developed countries. There is a fact about the developed countries that needs to be addressed before the aid is delivered to the poverty stricken nations. The developed countries have gained that title due to the fact that they are way too ahead in terms of technology and industrialization. The returns they get from both domestic and foreign trade are redirected on further investment. Incase other nations faced by catastrophes; these returns are used to cover those in need of help. The intervention by these developed nations is a form of quick measures to calming situations down. Back at home, it is funny how the citizens from such nations struggle to make ends meet. Once foreign help is delivered to the nations that are faced by natural, human, or climatic catastrophes the people living in those countries assume that the aid comes from very rich countries. The truth of the matter of foreign aid is that once help is delivered from a certain country be it in form of money or food there are strings attached. If one country demands for help from another, there are possibilities that the national debt of that nation grows. On the other hand, if the help is in form of a donation through the international organizations it is likely that the help addressed the issue at hand and not the future. Going back to the issue of foreign aid and reduction of poverty; two crucial elements come to play. These include the issue being addressed and the type of aid being delivered. Foreign aid is mostly volunteered to suffering nations by developed nations. In other times, organizations and NGOs take responsibility to raise money that can be used to provide for the suffering lot. By assessing the nature of the issue that is being addressed, it can be told whether the form of aid aids in reducing poverty. Looking at the situation at the horn of Africa, the type of help that is being delivered to the starving communities in that region is food and medical supplies. Looking closely at the matter and others similar to that, it will be found out that foreign aid is not a form of borrowed capital but rather a last option. Foreign Aid cannot reduce poverty due to five reasons associated with the problems and the nature of help. First, foreign aid is delivered to rescue and not to prevent; second, it is given when the situation is almost escalating out of proportion; third, nations or parties that require foreign aid are marginalized and the living conditions don’t allow for any form of secondary benefit from the aid; fourth, starvation and disease outbreaks are mostly the problems requiring foreign aid to address the issue quickly; and finally, the nature of aid cannot be invested neither can it be used while other resources are redirected to other activities. The above reasons make foreign aid seem like some form of nutritional therapy’ whose importance is lengthening the period of survival as one witnesses the problems. The US and other nations have been donating relief food and vaccination to African nations and some Asian nations as well for a long time. However, it the aid is form of funds the situation changes from aid to assistance that requires repaying as times advances. Foreign aid d oes not come to the poor in form of basic needs but rather basic rescue. It would be otherwise if foreign aid was in form of compulsory jobs for the poor or mandatory quality education.

Bad Parenting or Child Abuse?

Dear Editor, I am writing in the relation of your article â€Å"Bad Parenting or Child Abuse†. I think it is a good idea for Connor McCreadie to be taken away from his family because he is such an unhealthy child and he needs to change his lifestyle before it gives him harm. This article tells me that it is bad parenting because Connor’s mother has a lack of discipline and a lack of effort for her child.He should be taken away because he needs to become a much healthier child and the Child Protection Authorities can help with this issue. The Child Protection Authorities can help with this issue by teaching Connor how to eat right and making him exercise more. If he doesn’t get taken away, he could gain more weight and lose his life, or he can harm himself or commit suicide because of all the teasing and bullying he gets. If his Mother doesn’t want him to be taken away, she should change how she feeds and looks after Connor.Connor’s Mother could chan ge their lifestyle by getting much healthier food, making Connor try to eat fruits and vegetables, making him exercise more and not letting Connor eat/snack every 20 minutes. This would really help them and make Connor a much healthier child. This article would really help parents who have obese or unhealthy children. Parents who have obese or unhealthy children have the risk of losing them. Some children are so unhealthy they could lose their lives, and some even commit suicide or harm themselves because they get teased or bullied. You’re sincerely, Tay Tates

Motivation and Leadership Theories

Motivation and Leadership Theories Introduction Leadership is a concept that has been applied in organizations to encourage people to achieve goals. Leaders motivate the followers to achieve the goals of an organization. Therefore, leadership and motivation should be applied together to achieve the intended objectives (Certo, p. 149).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Leadership Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Transformational theory Leaders apply transformational strategies to change the old systems and install new systems in an organization. In an organization, this can be achieved by collaborating with all stakeholders (Certo, p. 152). From the case study, Jonathan is seen as a transformational leader who is attentive to his workers. Jonathan is focused on the performance of his group by allowing flexibility in the job environment. He assigns his workers different duties each weak, so the workers do not get bored by doing the same task each week. On the other hand, Dan is supervisor who is adamant to allow his worker change work strategies. Hence, Alex complains about doing the same task each weak. Dan does not believe that the best way of learning is doing the same thing over and over again. Alex condemns the way Dan handles the workers. Participative theory Participative theory suggests that ideal leadership style requires the input of others. This helps the member of the group to feel relevant in that organization and engaged in decision making process (Certo, p. 123). In the case study, Jonathan applies this theory by encouraging his employees to notify him when the items are running low. He also empowered them to obtain items from the vendors. Motivation theories For employees to perform their duties to the expectations of an organization, they need to be motivated. Several people have suggested varied theories to find out the workers can be greatly motivated. Contribution theory The theory was dev eloped by Rensis Likert. According to Likert organizations can be broken down into primitive authoritarian, benevolent authoritarian, consultative and participative systems of management. He suggests an organization that embraces this approach is more likely to have motivated workers than organizations that adopt other system. In the case contest, Dan is flexible enough to allow his workers do their work on the own receives feedback from them regarding the job. He discusses job issues with Stephanie and lets her actively participate in determining how the work is to be done. Despite the fact that the work seems difficult Stephanie is motivated because she new assignments as chance to learn new things. On contrast, Dan doesn’t discuss work matters with his employees to find out how better the work can be done. This has left Alex disgruntled and disappointed with his leadership style.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Needs Hierarchy theory This theory postulates that employees are not only motivated by rewards in form of salaries and other bonuses but by also by satisfying employees various needs. Such needs are physiological, security, social, esteem and self-actualization. Any organization that tend to focus on satisfying employee needs is bound to have Motivated workforce In the case study Jonathan understands this and tries appreciating the work done by his employees. He allows his employees to socially and achieves self-actualization about their work performance. Dan on the other hand limits employee’s freedom of socialization by not letting them have a sense of security and association. Conclusion To motivate workers, managers should understand that special attention needs to be paid to worker needs and expectations from organization. They should strive to achieve good working relationship with the workers for proper motivati on and performance. Certo, Samuel. Modern Management: International Version. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd, 2011. Print.

The Persian Gulf War Essays - IraqUnited States Relations, Kuwait

The Persian Gulf War Essays - IraqUnited States Relations, Kuwait The Persian Gulf War On August 2nd, 1990 Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. The order was given by Iraqi dictatorial president Saddam Hussein. His aim was apparently to take control Kuwait?s oil reserves (despite its small size Kuwait is a huge oil producer; it has about 10 per cent of the world?s oil reserves ). Iraq accused Kuwait, and also the United Arab Emirates, of breaking agreements that limit oil production in the Middle East. According to Saddam Hussein, this brought down world oil prices severely and caused financial loss of billions of dollars in Iraq?s annual revenue. Saddam Hussein had the nearly hopeless task of justifying the invasion. He plead the fact that Kuwait had been part of the Ottoman province of Basra, a city in the south of Iraq. However, the Ottoman province collapsed after World War I and today?s Iraqi borders were not created until then. There was also a further and more obvious blunder in a bid to justify this illegal invasion. Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, had namely recognized Kuwaiti independence in 1963. Furthermore, Hussein claimed that Kuwait had illegally pumped oil from the Iraqi oil field of Rumaila and otherwise conspired to reduce Iraq?s essential oil income. By invading Kuwait, Iraq succeeded in surprising the entire world. The USA ended her policy of accommodating Saddam Hussein, which had existed since the Iran-Iraq war. Negative attitude toward Iraq was soon a worldwide phenomenon. The United Nations Security Council passed 12 resolutions condemning the invasion. The ultimate decision was to use military force if Iraq did not withdraw unconditionally by January 15, 1991. Then, when the deadline was set, it was time to start preparing for the worst-the war. President George Bush confronted little difficulty in winning Americans? support for the potential war against Iraq. However, the government found it difficult to decide upon and state one overriding reason for going to war. Was it to oppose aggression or was it just to protect global oil supplies? Other powers were more directly concerned as consumers of Persian Gulf oil, but they were not as eager to commit military force, to risk their youth in battle and to pay for the costs of the war. Critics of President Bush continued to maintain that he was taking advantage of the issue of energy supplies in order to manipulate the U. S. public opinion in favor of war. After consulting with U. S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in early August 1990, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia invited American troops onto Saudi soil. He had seen Kuwait?s destiny; therefore, he wanted protection. It was also the interest of the USA to stop any further advantage of the Iraqi army. The deployment was called ?Operation Desert Shield.? These troops were armed with light, defensive weaponry. On November 8, 1990 President Bush announced a military buildup to provide an offensive option, ?Operation Desert Storm,? to force Iraq out of Kuwait. The preparation of the operation took two and a half months and it involved a massive air- and sea lift. Finally, in January 1991, the U. S. Congress voted to support Security Council resolution 660. It authorized using ?all necessary means? if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15. Shrugging off this final warning, Saddam Hussein resolutely maintained the occupation of Kuwait. The United States established a broad-based international coalition to confront Iraq militarily and diplomatically. The military coalition consisted of Afghaniez, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Honduras, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakiez, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The war also was financed by countries which were unable to send in troops. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were the main donors. More than $53 billion was pledged and received. Before the war, it appeared obvious that Iraq would have very little chance against the Coalition. The relative strength between the parties was extremely unequal. The most critical difference was that the Coalition had a total of 2600 aircraft, over three times more than Iraq?s 800 aircraft. Most Arab observers thought Hussein would

Thanksgiving, Variety and the 6 Human Needs

Thanksgiving, Variety and the 6 Human Needs Turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie AND whipped cream. The essential elements to the perfect Thanksgiving meal. We all know that one of the best things about Thanksgiving dinner is the sheer variety of the spread. This Thanksgiving I found myself thankful for the variety that is present in my life- and for a richness that extends beyond the Thanksgiving table. Variety is identified by Anthony Robbins as one of the Six Human Needs. I have been aware for a long time that variety is important to me- and have even found that I crave monotony from time to time to break up the variety! The need for participating in diverse activities has been at the source of my business model: I have created a job for myself where a mix of projects shows up daily. For instance, in one single day this week, here were just a few tasks I tackled: Spent two hours on the phone with the GM (General Manager) of an international manufacturing company in China, perfecting his resume and learning about factories in China. Edited the homepage for The Wisdomkeeper Connection LLC (I pulled out my women’s spiritual training for this one!) Edited a research report on barriers to career advancement for women and people of color and how those barriers can be overcome through effective networking (yes I took women’s studies in college!). Provided material to the author of Social Networking Job Search for Dummies, Joshua Waldman, for use in a coupon book he will be distributing on his book tour. Stuffed 187 holiday letters to past clients (ah†¦Ã‚   a repetitive task). Spoke with two new resume writers who will be joining The Essay Expert team. Yes, I have a LOT of variety in my work. As far as I’m concerned, the more different types of projects I can work on the better.   While this inclination makes it hard to target a niche market, it seems to work for me. Variety is a close sibling to richness, and I appreciate that my life is rich as well as varied. Spending time with family over the holidays was a wonderful way to learn about where I came from and to enjoy the next generation for who they are (and are becoming). I am thankful that I can take my work with me so that I never have to worry about missing business-related messages as I celebrate the holidays. With computer and cell phone in tow, I can go almost anywhere any time- and never run out of vacation days! This capability opens up many opportunities for a rich and fulfilling life, whether it’s attending workshops, spending time with family, or just exploring a new locale. In January I will be traveling to New York for a week to support my mom who is having elective surgery. That trip will add to the variety and richness in my life, as well as meet four more of the 6 Human Needs: Significance, Connection/Love, Growth and Contribution. Who could ask for anything more? I’d love to hear how you generate variety and richness in your life. What are you creating as the New Year approaches?   Please share below! Category:UncategorizedBy Brenda BernsteinNovember 28, 2011 2 Comments Larry says: November 29, 2011 at 10:53 am Youre the second person who mentioned whipped cream related to Thanksgiving to me this year, something Id never heard of before. But in its place, Id substitute another need which you overlooked, apple pie. Thanksgiving requires both pumpkin and apple pie. Best of luck to your mom for her surgery. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: November 29, 2011 at 11:37 am In my family its pecan pie! Wow I cant imagine a Thanksgiving without whipped cream Thanks for your well wishes Larry! Log in to Reply

Human Resources Management of Kwik-Fit Financial Services Term Paper

Human Resources Management of Kwik-Fit Financial Services - Term Paper Example The call center contacted the highly probable people in the list and sold the insurance policies and other financial services to these people. This model was successful initially and continued to improve until the time when the company was taken over by Ford. Though the value of the company went up when this was again subsequently taken over by another venture capital group, there was no change in the downward trend that has started. This has arisen primarily because, the call centers are human-centric and a dissatisfied and unhappy staff does not augur well for the company. The number of people who work in the company for a longer stint slowly comes down as the company started to lose ground. The company was on the verge of growth. As a matter of fact, the company was one of the call centers established in the region and had about 850 employees on its rolls. The employees found themselves de-motivated due to a number of take-overs that has been happening in the company and a number of grievances that were not given a hearing. The annual staff turnover in the company was at around 52% and a vacancy rate that was well over 21%. Naturally, with such large turnover and vacancy rates the company had started doing badly and the company was financially falling down2. The business model of the company was simple. The probable leads list come from their own company Kwik-Fit Auto center from which the best of the probe are picked up and they are followed up from the call center. The large scale vacancy and the large turnover of the staff both compounded the problem at the call center and started to bring the company down to the red. The human resource turn over in the company happens because of large scale unhappiness over the working of the company and the people do not fancy working in the company anymore. Of course, the pay does matter. But it is more often the working methods and the environment that compounds the issue and accelerates human turnovers in the company.