An editorial about the writings of Ida B. Wells Essay Example for Free

An editorial about the writings of Ida B. Wells Essay Ida B. Wells wrote the three pamphlets Southern Horrors (1892), A Red Record (1895), and Mob Rule in New Orleans (1900) as an attempt to publicize the atrocities being committed against African Americans in the New South. These writings are important today, not because lynching of African Americans occurs with any regularity, but because they are accounts contemporary with the events they detail and because the pamphlets illustrate the dangers of: mob rule, justifying immoral acts by claiming to have a moral purpose, and the tendency of people everywhere to strike out against anything new or different with violence. This message is even more relevant today when the current president is so willing to suspend the rights of others so that the people of America can be safe. The fear of one group of people who mistrust another group should never result in suspension of rights of another. Just like the eroding of the rights of African Americans during the time when Wells was writing, the suspension of rights of people who look as if they are or might be terrorists in the current world is wrong and should not be tolerated. Ida B. Wells wrote with two purposes in mind: one was educational, the other was to publicize the atrocities committed in the New South with the hope of eliciting reaction from people who would then help bring an end to Lynch Law and other injustices committed against African Americans. Wells wanted to educate those people who were unfamiliar with the New South regarding the violence and double standards far to common in the South. Wells wrote to tell the facts about lynchings in the South so that people would no longer believe lynching was a response to an egregious crime. She sought to recast lynching in the public eye so that it was not perceived as an understandable though unpleasant response to heinous acts, but as itself a crime against American values (Wells 27). According to Wells the perception that all white women were pure and uninterested in have African Americans as husbands is untrue, there are many white women in the Sought who would marry colored men if such an act would not place them at once beyond the pale of society and within the clutches of the law (Wells 53). At the same time laws forbade African American men and white women from commingling, Wells points out they leave the white man free to seduce all the colored girls he can (Wells 53). Although Wells writing centers on lynching because of alleged rape she makes an important point when she cautions that a concession of the right to lynch a man for any crime, . . . concedes the right to lynch any person for any crime, . . . (Wells 61). Wells also wanted to call citizens of the North, government officials and people in Great Britain to act to end lynch law. She urged them employ boycott, emigration and the press . . . to stamp out lynch law . . . (Wells 72). Ida B. Wells wrote to three different audiences. To those people living in the New South Wells wrote not so much about horrific events that occurred, but about the justifications they used to excuse their behavior. As mentioned above, she wrote of the double standard between the races and of the potential danger of expanding lynching to suit the whims and fancies of any mob at any time. To those Americans living outside the South Wells wrote to shock them with the descriptions of the horrid events, to educate them about how African Americans were still being treated despite the Civil War and despite the Constitutional Amendments guaranteeing rights to African Americans. Wells writes to the people of the North to show them that all is not well in the South and that the advances made in the past were being pushed aside. In her first pamphlet, Southern Horrors, Wells wrote about the existing injustices and ongoing terrorist acts performed against African Americans. To the rest of the world, particularly Great Britain, Wells wrote A Red Record she respectfully submitted [this pamphlet] to the Nineteenth Century civilization in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave (Wells title page). This pamphlet recounts the numbers and details of more than four hundred lynchings occurring in the United States against African Americans. Wells hoped to appeal to the sensibilities of British people who were potential investors in the South so they would invest elsewhere the appeal to the white mans pocket has ever been more effectual than all the appeals ever made to his conscience. To those in power in the United States Wells wrote Mob Rule in New Orleans to those in power in hopes of their bringing to an end to authorities who allow, and at times encourage mobs to act. Although it is difficult to quantify what the actual affects of Wells writing were, it is clear that during the next century, the groups she wrote for did make great strides toward establishing equality and eliminating injustices based on race. It is not unreasonable to suggest that Wells writing had a hand in starting this process. Wells writings are certainly among the earliest of Post-reconstruction writing to reintroduce the difficulties of African American lives, but they were not the last. It is likely that her writing influenced and encouraged others to continue the work Wells began. As I read through the accounts of these horrible, disgusting lynchings I felt saddened and depressed. Clearly there were many injustices committed and many were people hurt, imprisoned, or killed. Some of these are particularly gruesome such as Chapter III of A Red Record, Lynching Imbeciles: An Arkansas Butchery where Henry Smith was tortured and burned at the stake (Wells 88-98). According to figures gathered by the NAACP (an organization with Wells as one of the founding members) there were 3,318 African Americans killed by lynching between 1892 and 1931. Certainly one cannot dismiss or excuse these egregious acts in any fashion. However I was not particularly surprised or shocked by these events. Perhaps it is because I live in a world where the Jewish Holocaust of World War II is well known, a world where a country, Cambodia, went mad, and slaughtered between 1. 5 and 3 million of 7 million its own citizens. Perhaps it is because I live in a world where the recent genocides in Rwanda and Somalia were largely unknown until made into a wide screen blockbuster movie. Perhaps it is because of the 9/11 attacks (coincidentally the number killed on 9/11 and the number of dead American soldiers in Iraq are remarkably similar to the 3300+ listed in the NAACPs figures). For whatever reason, I find myself somewhat inured against these accounts. I am not sure whether this reveals more about me or about the society I live in, but I cannot help but wonder if Ida B. Wells were writing today would there be any impact at all.Perhaps not: mores the pity. Works Cited Wells, Ida B. Southern Horrors and Other Writings: The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900. Ed. with intro Jacqueline Jones Royster. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997.

Defining And Evaluating Existentialism

Defining And Evaluating Existentialism Existentialism is a Humanism, to be human is defined by an existence (physical existence) that precedes its essence (true nature). As such, if existence is problematic, and it is towards the development of a full existentialist theory of what it is to be human that Sartres work logically evolves. In relation to what will become Being and Nothingness, Sartres early works can be seen as providing important preparatory material for an existential account of being human. But the distinctiveness of Sartres approach to understanding human existence is ultimately guided by his ethical interest. Thus the nature of Sartres topics of analysis, his theory of the ego and his ethical aims all characterise the development of an existential phenomenology. The general concern of existentialism is to give an account of what it is like to exist as a human being in the world. Existentialism is a philosophical movement emphasizing individualism, individual freedom, and subjectivity. Epistemologically, it is denied that there can be an absolutely objective description of the world as it is without the intervention of human interests and actions. The world is a given and there is no epistemological scepticism about its existence; it has to be described in relation to ourselves. There is no fixed essence to which beings have to conform in order to qualify as human beings; we are what we decide to be. The issue of freedom and choice are of crucial importance in existentialism. Sartre thinks that authentic choices are completely undetermined. If we make our decisions merely by reference to an external moral code or set of procedures, then we are, similarly, not arriving at authentic choices. Key Points of Jean Paul Sartres (1905 1980) existentialist Philosophy: 1.Existence precedes and rules essence Satires ethical behavior acknowledges our freedom in the world. We cannot hide behind the safety of tradition, culture and the moral code. Among the most famous and influential existentialist propositions is Sartres dictum, existence precedes and rules essence, which is generally taken to mean that there is no pre-defined essence to humanity except that which we make for ourselves. Since Sartrean existentialism does not acknowledge the existence of a god or of any other determining principle, human beings are free to do as they choose. To live according to these principles means to live in bad faith and is unethical Since there is no predefined human nature or ultimate evaluation beyond that which humans project onto the world, people may only be judged or defined by their actions and choices, and human choices are the ultimate evaluator. The concept of Existence preceding essence is important because it describes the only conceivable reality as the judge of good or evil. If things simply are, without directive, purpose or overall truth, then truth (or essence) is only the projection of that which is a product of existence, or collective experiences. For truth to exist, existence has to exist before it, making it not only the predecessor but the ruler of its own objectivity. 2. Anguish In Sartres Existentialism, anguish is the feeling one gets when one recognizes that one is responsible not only for oneself, but for all of mankind. Along with many of the other emotional states described by existentialists, anguish can be paralytic, and one of the goals of existentialism is to push people toward action even in the face of these emotions. 3. Bad faith Satre basically not acknowledging that as a human being our existence precedes our essence in the world and so not acknowledging our own ability create our self through our choices. The bad faith stories, young woman and a waiter, the young woman delaying her moment of choice in a way that for inauthentic and the waiter failing to acknowledge to be a waiter and he has his choice to choose not to be a waiter. Both the young woman and the waiter put essence before existence but they are slightly different in their choices. 4. Being in itself Being in itself is the self-contained and fully realized being of objects. It is to be contrasted with the being, or existence, of people. from the young woman story Ivich treats both Delarue and her own body as being-in-itself. According to Sartre, human beings want to attain being in itself while retaining their freedom, a tendency he dubs the desire to be God. 5. Being for others Being for others, in Sartrean existentialism, is that part of human existence that is social and socially defined. From the story of waiter he treat him/her self first and primarily as a being-for-others. One path to bad faith is to view all of ones existence as disclosed through others. 6. Being for self To act in good faith we must treat self and others primarily. Existentialism is not a complete philosophy and many arguments can be made against it. An accountant also a human being, sometimes he do accounting and sometimes do other things. A Existentialism, is that part part, though inseparable from the rest of human existence that is self-defined. Viewing human existence as entirely self-defined is one way toward bad faith. 7. Despair Sartre defines despair the feeling resulting from the realization that there is no sure footing in the world, and we can never know the results of our actions beforehand. Criticisms Existentialism is not a perfect and complete philosophy and many arguments can be made against it. The philosopher Marcues criticized that if avery one is already free and they are walking on the roads they why bother to fight for freedom? The opponents of existentialism assert that it fosters the particularization of human beings, stripping them of a universal sense of identity, which is entirely consistent with the claims of existentialists that the only universal allowed for human beings is their fundamental freedom. An another view is simply that existentialists are insane, which, many existentialists would reply, is correct, but, they would retort, only if you considered a lack of desire to live the traditional office life as reducible to insanity. Conclusion The existentialism is not a complete philosophy. It is philosophy which combines with Virtue ethics and deontology. Existentialist understanding of what it is to be human can be summarised in his view that the underlying motivation for action is to be found in the nature of consciousness which is a desire for being. It is up to each agent to exercise his freedom in such a way that he does not lose sight of his existence as a facticity, as well as a free human being. In so doing, he will come to understand more about the original choice which his whole life represents, and thus about the values that are thereby projected. Such an understanding is only obtained through living this particular life and avoiding the pitfalls of strategies of self-deceit such as bad faith. This authentic option for human life represents the realisation of a universal in the singularity of a human life. Existentialism declares that the individual must choose his way; there is no predetermination. Since the universe is meaningless and absurd, people must set their own ethical standards. The universe does not predetermine moral rules. Each person strives toward a unique moral perfection. Existentialists believe that morality depends on the individual, rather than a supreme being.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Debate

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Debate Eunae Jeong Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act should continue When people heard the news that the first patient with the Ebola virus arrived in Dallas, they were frightened by not only panic about the Ebola virus itself but also by fear that someone in the early stage of infection might not see the doctor because of the enormous cost of health care. In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed into the law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or obamacare. It is the United States’ first health care reform since legalization of Medicare in 1965. Provisions of PPACA include that, in brief, all Americans should buy health insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace in their state. Another provision states that the federal government should support insurance exchange’s financing (â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)†). PPACA needs to continue because through the implementation of this Act, people with pre-existing conditions as well as a lot of uninsured people can be aided, and the bud get for Medicare can be reduced at any time. Although there are many opposing views on PPACA, the implementation of PPACA has to be supported because of its clear advantages. For example, imagine that there are a man with type I diabetes, which developed when he was young. To manage type I diabetes, periodical injections of insulin are needed. This means that he needs to visit the doctor to get insulin throughout his life. The cost of insulin depends on insurance coverage. If he tries to apply for insurance in this situation, the insurance company will decline his application due to he has a pre-existing condition. The reason why he is worried about this problem is that he is an American. Fareed Zakaria reports that other countries, such as Switzerland or Taiwan, support their people’s universal insurance independently of pre-existing conditions (22). This is possible because the government, not private insurers, provides the coverage (22). Before PPACA came to the front, Americans had to be anxious about the United Stat es’ terrible health care support system. To address this issue, PPACA prohibits that insurance companies deny an application on account of applicants’ pre-existing conditions (â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)†). Also, another benefit of the program is that the uninsured Americans can be aided by expansion of PPACA. With the implementation of PPACA, they can have opportunities to get medical service when they require it. According to the article written by Leonard Zwelling, for example, 28 percentages of adults, about 6 million people, in Texas are currently uninsured and about 3 million uninsured Texans can get coverage by the implementation of PPACA (13). In addition, because the budget cuts for Medicare are possible if the states’ finances are endangered PPACS should continue. One of key facts that the Obama administration provide PPACA includes current Medicare and has a plan to expand it with states’ cooperation. Uninsur ed adults do not have as much political leverage as wealthier insured citizen who can contribute to political campaign. Therefore, the securing of the budget for Medicare can be threatened easily when there is pressure to cut the budget. â€Å"Already, there are calls for curbing the law’s subsidies that will help the uninsured buy coverage as part of a bipartisan budget deal-an extraordinarily bad idea, given the limited scope of those subsidies.† Clearly, PPACA is required to protect and expand Medicare. / reference: Oberlander, Jonathan, The New England Journal of Medicine. The debating on the implementation of PPACA continues even though PPACA has already begun implementation. Young Americans oppose the implementation of PPACA because they already have health insurance, and they might spend more money if the federal government and states try to expand health insurance. The Institute of Politics of Harvard University questioned â€Å"2089 citizens aged 18 to 29: 56% of those 18 to 24 disapproved of the President’s job performance; 53% of those 25 to 29 disapproved; and 47% maintain they would recall President Barack Obama if that were possible† (Emord, Jonathan W. â€Å"YOUNG AMERICANS TO OBAMACARE: NOT INTERESTED† USA Today, February 2014. 16). They argue that PPACA is primarily attractive to those who have been uninsured in the past and who suffer from chronic or acute and costly diseases. It is likely that only those individuals will sign up for the program. Most of interviewees have already health insurance. They think that PPAC A’s benefits will not affect them because they are already insured by some other way. Instead, those polled might think that they will have to pay the money that allows expanding health insurance through PPACA. Also, because PPACA does not target a specific population, money might be wasted in the allocation of funds in the federal governmental budget for PPACA’s implementation. In his article â€Å"The Future or Obamacare†, Jonathan Oberlander argues that there is no â€Å"clear programmatic identity: unlike Medicare and Social Security, PPACA does not have a well-defined population of beneficiaries, and its benefits are diffuse.† (Oberlander, Jonathan. â€Å"The Future of Obamacare†, The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL of MEDICINE (2012). Furthermore, Texas and 15 other states assert that PPACA, with expansion of Medicare, should be reconsidered because it will raise state expenses. (Zwelling, Leonard. â€Å"Obamacare: Why Should We Care?† Journal of Oncology Practice Vol .10, Issue 1 (2014). This is the most difficult, prolonged assault, which the federal government and states should overcome for continuous implementation of PPACA. In spite of these opposing opinions, PPACA should continue to go to the fore. First of all, nobody can assure that they will have enough insurance when they will need health care. In 1963, Kenneth J. Arrow wrote, â€Å"UNCERTAINTY AND THE WELFARE ECONOMICS OR MEDICAL CARE†. In his article, Kenneth J. Arrow contended that health care industry could be explained with â€Å"uncertainty in the incidence of disease†. Namely, the reason why young Americans oppose PPACA implies that young Americans are literally young. Current situation can change suddenly; the insurance is for risk and uncertainty. Reference : Kenneth J. Arrow, â€Å"UNCERTAINTY AND THE WELFARE ECONOMICS OF MEDICAL CARE†, The American Economic Review, Vol LIII December 1963 Number 5 941-973. Moreover, PPACA’s ta rgeting to the universal population of the US is not a weak point, but a strong one. There are other countries with universal access and universal insurance such as Switzerland and Taiwan. Their types of insurance are similar to Medicare supplied by their government instead of being supply by private insurance companies. Surprisingly, while the United States spends 17% of its GDP on health care, Switzerland and Taiwan spends 11% and 7% respectively, of their GDP on it. Because PPACA is not completely enacted Act yet, addressing concerns over budget waste and discussing solutions are necessary to make PPACA move forward Reference: Zakaria, Fareed, Time magazine, 3/26/2012. Last but not least, the Federal government, not each state, will support the expansion of PPACA at a 100% level until 2017, a bit less later, then at 90% indefinitely after 2022(Zwelling, Leonard 12). For example, in Texas, for every $1 the state spends on health care for the poor, the US government matches $9 doll ars. This effectively means that, during the first 10 years of the program in Texas (current Medicare program plus expansion) the federal government would increase payments to the Texas health care system by nearly $90 billion, whereas the state of Texas’s share would be $15.6 billion. However, there are no specific plans after 10 years. More patchworks should be added in many holes of PPACA for its sustainable implementation. PPACA is not perfect yet, but its direction is right. Because PPACA can aid people with pre-existing conditions or uninsured people and can support Medicare, which may be endangered. The opponents argue that they have already health insurance, money might be wasted, or state expenses will be increased. PPACA, supported by the federal government, however, can guarantee people’s future health insurance. In the process of the implementation, although waste of the budget can occur, and PPACA does not have enough time to be revised, it can be getting better with continuous debating with many opposing views. Therefore, PPACA needs to go on in spite of several opposing opinions. Works cited Arrow, Kenneth J. â€Å"UNCERTAINTY AND THE WELFARE ECONOMICS OF MEDICAL CARE† The American Economic Review LIII (1963): 941-973. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Oct 2014. Emord, Jonathan W. â€Å"YOUNG AMERICANS TO OBAMACARE: NOT INTERESTED.† USA TODAY Feb. 2014: 16. Print â€Å"Health Care that Works for Americans.† the White House PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. The government of the United States of America, 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2014 Levy, Michael. â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).† ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014 Oberlander, Jonathan. â€Å"The Future of Obamacare.† New England Journal of Medicine 367.23 (2012): 2165-2167. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Oct 2014. Zakaria, Fareed. â€Å"Health Insurance Is for Everyone.† Time 26 Mar. 2012: 22-23. Print. Zwelling, Leonard, and Hagop M. Kantarjian. â€Å"Obamacare: Why Should We Care?† JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY PRACTICE 10.1 (2013): 12-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Oct 2014.

Perception is Reality in Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway Essay -- Woolf

Although the entire novel tells of only one day, Virginia Woolf covers a lifetime in her enlightening novel of the mystery of the human personality. The delicate Clarissa Dalloway, a disciplined English lady, provides the perfect contrast to Septimus Warren Smith, an insane ex-soldier living in chaos. Even though the two never meet, these two correspond in that they strive to maintain possession of themselves, of their souls. On this Wednesday in June of 1923, as Clarissa prepares for her party that night, events during the day trigger memories and recollections of her past, and Woolf offers these bits to the reader, who must then form the psychological and emotional make-up of Mrs. Dalloway in his/her own mind. The reader also learns of Clarissa Dalloway through the thoughts of other characters, such as her old passion Peter Walsh, her husband Richard, and her daughter Elizabeth. Septimus Warren Smith, driven insane by witnessing the death of his friend in the war, acts as Clarissa' s societal antithesis; however, the reader learns that they often are more similar than different. Thus, Virginia Woolf examines the human personality in two distinct methods: she observes that different aspects of one's personality emerge in front of different people; also, she analyzes how the appearance of a person and the reality of that person diverge. By offering the personality in all its varying forms, Woolf demonstrates the compound nature of humans. As an extremely unconventional novel, Mrs. Dalloway poses a challenge for many avid readers; Woolf doesn't separate her novel into chapters, almost all the "action" occurs in the thoughts of characters, and, the reader must piece together the story from random bits and pieces of information... ... more. All of these contrasts affirm Woolf's contention: no one can or should ever be denoted as someone with only dominant characteristic, because no one remains unvarying. Yet this novel isn't just about Mrs. Dalloway or her complex nature, but rather of Woolf's realization that as Mrs. Dalloway is multi-dimensional, every human is a mixture of his/her concepts, memories, emotions; still, that same human being leaves behind as many different impressions as there are people who associate with that person. Furthermore, Woolf evokes the following question: If everyone's impression of another is just a fragment of the whole, what is the "real world" like, where everyone's consummate nature is in view? Only then does one realize that such a thing, a consummate nature, doesn't exist, and with the human personality, what you see at this very instant is what you get. Â  

Keeping it Real :: Education Teaching Learning Essays

Keeping it Real Why teach students non-applicable skills? Why teach them using boring lessons that won't be memorable? Why not 'tap into students natural curiosities?' (Daniels and Bizar 1998). Throughout the readings, these were the underlying questions I repeatedly asked myself about education. I came to the conclusion that education must be authentic. As educators, we have to make students feel as if their education is a living, breathing thing. It's something alive that they can cultivate and grow. We have to constantly be assessing our teaching in order to find ways to keep education real for our students. I'm a firm believer that students come to class with a great deal to offer both peers and educators. They are resources that other students can access. They each have their own cultures, own communities, families, and life experiences that may differ from their peers'. As educators, we must utilize this, helping our students cultivate their own education from each others' and their own lives. Authentic education is just one way to help students 'access' each other in and out of the classroom. Authentic education is hands-on, real application to life. When students find information meaningful and relevant to their lives, or when they find their education practical and usable, they tend to engage more. Why not draw upon community resources, authors, artists, and other professionals outside of the classroom? This is just one way to get students involved in what's really going on in the world- which is where they spend a majority of their time. There are so many exposable issues in the real world that students can connect to in an English classroom. For example, today we are faced with ecological concerns and environmental issues in which action must be taken. There are also so many great writers that have written about nature and its fragile existence. Why not take students outdoors to read? Why not have them connect to nature, develop an appreciation for the environment, and learn at the same time?

Lao Tzu and Machiavelli’s View of “The People”

Azhar A. Sapargaliyeva Professor Hammerbeck Introduction to Critical Issues 18 September 2012 Compare Lao Tzu’s and Machiavelli’s view of â€Å"the people†. How does each author’s conceptualization of â€Å"the people† affect what kind of government they support? Life experience, culture, language, time of living and many other factors affected Lao Tzu’s and Niccolo Machiavelli’s views on how an ideal leader ought to govern a country. These views, expressed in their texts, reflected on how these writers perceived the fellow men. Lao Tzu is a Chinese philosopher and founder of Daoism.He is the author of a philosophical document called â€Å"Tao-te Ching†. Niccolo Machiavelli, is a 15th century aristocrat and a writer, mostly famous for his political treatise, â€Å"The Prince†. This essay will attempt to analyze both authors’ views on human nature and the way these views affected the types of government supported. A s mentioned above different lives of Lao Tzu and Machiavelli influenced their images of human nature. Lao Tzu worked in the court of the ruling dynasty and lived a quite stable and peaceful life in around the 5th century B. C.E. Whereas Machiavelli lived during the time of political turmoil in Italy. He was suspected of conspiring against the royal family and was even tortured for that (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Thus, these different living conditions led both philosophers to think of â€Å"the people† differently: Lao Tzu had a positive opinion of individuals, which is contrary to that of Machiavelli’s suspicious and cynical image of â€Å"the people†. This is important to analyze because these views in some way determined the way they portrayed an ideal government.Lao Tzu, in his â€Å"Tao-te Ching†, has an optimistic, almost idealistic perception of â€Å"the people†. His proposed attitude for the ruler to have toward citizens resemb les that of parents toward a child. They treat the child with love and care. At the same time they let go of restrictions and rules, so that he/she learns from their own mistakes and grows up to be self-reliant. The â€Å"upbringing† of children can be compared to governing people. Lao Tzu in paradoxical way proposes to stick to the â€Å"practice of not doing† (Jacobus 24) and let the things take their natural course.The author encourages leaders to give â€Å"the people† more freedom and rights: â€Å"I let go of the law and people become honest† (Jacobus 29). He believes in the good in people and in their ability to choose the morally good paths. He says: â€Å"Throw away morality and justice and people will do the right thing† (Jacobus 25). His description of an ideal government resembles a modern day democratic type of government as â€Å"democracy† literally means â€Å"ruled by the people† (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). â₠¬Å"The Prince† reveals an entirely different view of â€Å"the people†.Lao Tzu is mostly concerned with their well being. He advocates politics based on moral considerations while Machiavelli advices the leader not to bother with such things and focus more on practical politics. The latter is a reflection of a pessimistic and cynical view of â€Å"the people†. According to the author they are â€Å"ungrateful, fickle, avoiders of danger and greedy for gain† (Jacobus 46). The very title of the book, and its form as a handbook for the ruler, a single person, hint at support for monarchic type of government.Monarchy is a type of political system in which authority is represented in a single person who exercises supreme power (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). Moreover, strictly speaking, Machiavelli basically says that â€Å"bad† people need a strict ruler, who would be feared. As a matter of fact â€Å"it is better to be feared than loved†, beca use love is temporal, while fear is constant (Jacobus 46). Therefore, his kingship seems more like an autocracy or even dictatorship. Dictators gain despotic power, which they then maintain through the use of intimidation and oppression (Britannica Online Encyclopedia).The advice in these two texts, however, might not be as relevant as handbooks for politicians these days. Practice shows that there have not been many prosperous absolutely democratic governments, which at the same time imposed no laws and restrictions whatsoever; neither have there been many despotic monarchs in power to successfully run a country. The views of â€Å"the people† by both writers represent two extremes, and seem to be unrealistic and in a way paradoxical.Reading and understanding both books, however, is still of significant value, because they represent the literary and historical legacy of political thought and most importantly they disc?lse the tw? particular ways of l?oking at the world. On t he one side â€Å"The Prince† gives an insight of what the w?rld looks like from a dem?ralized and cynical realist’s perspective. On the other hand â€Å"Tao-te Ching† expresses utopian perceptions of an idealist. To sum up Lao Tzu in his â€Å"Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching†, he advocates the â€Å"practice of not doing† as a way to govern people.One of the reasons for that are the author’s high opinion of and a belief in their ability to adopt a morally right behavior. He proposes for things to take their natural course. Therefore, adapted to modern times, the type of government that Lao Tzu supports resembles democracy. Machiavelli, on the contrary, views ‘the people’ as â€Å"simulators and deceivers†. Thus he directs â€Å"the prince† to rule by keeping ‘the people’ in awe. He signals his support for monarchy and, possibly, dictatorship. Works Cited Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Democracy. 15 Se p. 012. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Dictatorship. 14 Sep. 2012. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Monarchy. 15 Sep. 2012. Jacobus. Lee A. A World of Ideas. Boston: Bedford / St. Martins, 2010. 925-28. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Niccolo Machavelli. 8 Sep. 2009. 14 Sep. 2012.

Misunderstandings Communication Essay

Who was the sender?Both Co-Owners Who was the receiver?Employees What was the message?No bonuses for the upcoming year What channel was used to send the message?A memo What was the misunderstanding that occurred?The memo discussed the profit sales from memo ~ â€Å"What we think and what the company can do, based on generated profit, are two different things. In fiscal year 2010, we experienced bad debt of $2,681.39 on sales of $1,900,030.89. At this point, we have bad debt of $9,050.45 on projected sales of $2,200,000.00.† The misunderstanding is because there are only eight employees and the company did not suffer a great loss that would hinder bonuses. Considering that the projected sales ($2.2 million) at the point of the memo was through 10/15/2011. How could the misunderstanding have been avoided?By not sharing with ALL eight (8) employees the cost of sales and not think there were no finance minded people in the group. 1. What did you learn about the communication process from this activity? That communication must be clear and it should always have a argument and a conclusion. 2. What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstandings? The struggle to cover up the real reason for not granting the bonus to the employees. And, the argument in which the owner stated was not a truthful conclusion. 3. What tips can you suggest for preventing misunderstandings in communication? To always make sure that the claim is something that the truth can be found. Who was the sender?CFO/Male co-owner Who was the receiver?Employees/Female Co-owner What was the message?No CODs to be delivered without payment unless approved by CFO What channel was used to send the message?A memo What was the misunderstanding that occurred?That everyone, front office and delivery driver, understood the rule but the female co-owner would go behind everyone and deliver product anyway not getting the payment; leaving the employees to suffer the wrath of the CFO regarding the unpaid delivery. How could the misunderstanding have been avoided?If the female co-owner would have paid upfront the delivery that she was making for the customer or just abides by the same rules as everyone else for the benefit of the company. 1. What did you learn about the communication process from this activity? That communication must be clear and it should always have a argument and a conclusion. 2. What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstandings? The struggle of power between the co-owners that caused employees the inability to do a job. 3. What tips can you suggest for preventing misunderstandings in communication? To always make sure that the claim is something that the truth can be found.