What is meant by a shock to aggregate supply How can economic policy Essay

What is meant by a shock to aggregate supply How can economic policy be implemented to counter such a shock - Essay Example The role of aggregate supply has been extensively examined in the literature. In this context, it has been found that ‘aggregate supply relationship typically links inflation surprises with fluctuations in the output gap, while potential output, defined as the flexible-price equilibrium output, is exogenous; based on such construct, micro-based interest rules respond exclusively to fluctuations in the inflation rates and the output gaps’ (Razin et al., 2005, 179). In accordance with the above view, aggregate supply can represent a particular relationship, this of output gaps and inflation rates. In fact, because aggregate supply refers to the balance between products/ services and the prices in a specific market, it is very likely that the turbulences of inflation rates (as a consequence of instability in the ‘balance’ described above) could be also considered as directly related with aggregate supply. The above views can be also supported by the fact that the differences in inflation rates in a specific market are thought to be closely related with the instability in aggregate supply (among other reasons) in the above market. Indeed, the study of Razin et al. (2005, 184) led to the assumption that ‘inflation is primarily affected by: (1) economic slack, (2) expectations, (3) supply shocks, and (4) the inflation persistence; thus, inflation depends on inflation expectations, the output gap, the (log) difference between the actual and flexible-price investment, and the (log) difference between the actual and flexible-price stock of capital’. Because of the influence of aggregate supply on the inflation rates, it could be expected that a radical change (extremely severe instability appeared unexpectedly) in aggregate supply could lead to severe financial consequences for the market involved. The above described unexpected changes in the relationship

Victorian women Essay Example for Free

Victorian women Essay How does Thomas Hardy portray Bathsheba Everdene And Fanny Robin as typical representatives of Victorian women? Hardy uses this novel to express his prolific writing style, which involves introducing his characters slowly as the play goes on. He explores the characters and their influences and participation in the plot with intense detail. Far from the madding crowd is written in a Victorian pastoral setting, hence the way he portrays the characters as typically Victorian with powerful detail especially the women in particularly Bathsheba Everdene and Fanny Robin. Hardy can be seen in this novel to be recreating a local, ageless atmosphere often of a period before his birth or his early years and this sensitive, detailed, vivid breathing of life into a rural setting seems to be an essential factor in his thoughts and feelings when writing. Bathsheba Everdene is a beautiful woman who seems to control and dominate large parts of the play but at times being particularly arrogant and impetuous towards other characters and as the central role in the play, Hardy has manipulated her around the other characters very well. Bathshebas interaction with the other characters seems to have an effect on Fanny Robins participation in the play because of Hardys attempt to portray them both as typical representatives of Victorian women. She quickly becomes the central character by inheriting and learning to run a farm in Weatherbury where the play is situated. Hardy early on begins to introduce Bathshebas awareness and possibly fear of marriage and what that could do to affect Bathshebas status and profile within the village. Gabriel Oaks conversation with Bathsheba shows her to be perhaps an unpredictable, spirted young woman who has never been in love. The two discuss marriage with remarkable frankness. Bathshebas egocentric personality is exposed when she admits that she would delight in the prospect of having all the trappings of marriage such as a piano, pets and her own carriage and a spectacular ceremony however, she objects to having a long life husband and losing her freedom. Gabriels proposal to her of marriage is an emotionally intense conversation, which is why Hardys attempt to portray Bathsheba as typically Victorian was directed away exposing a different side to Bathshebas character. Gabriel: I can make you happy. You shall have a piano in a year or two, farmers wives are getting to have pianos now, Ill practice my flute right well to play with you in the evenings. Bathsheba: Yes, I should like that Gabriels hopes are built up as Bathsheba unveils her excitement at the prospect of marriage however; the realisation that this will never happen sets in. No, tis no use, I dont want to marry you. For a marriage would be very nice in one sense. People would talk about me and think I had won my battle and I should feel triumphant and all that. Her battle is one that she feels she needs to win to maintain her high profile status and leading female role within the village. She feels that to win her battle against society she needs to get married and therefore she can be triumphant once again. She explains that since a woman cannot win her battle by showing off the delights of a marriage and a wedding without having a husband then she cannot be triumphant by getting married, except not yet. While Bathsheba seems a bit shallow, her self-determination and powerful quest for success are commendable, and she remains a sympathetic yet surreal character. Hardy has manipulated Bathsheba so much that she has unusually selective characteristics whilst simultaneously attempting to convincingly portray her as typically Victorian without hindering Fanny Robins character so much as to effectively ruin it. Fanny Robin is a young orphaned servant girl at the farm who runs away the night Gabriel arrives in the village. With Fannys character, Hardy has chosen to use her to such an extent that she has become what is perhaps the most emotionally unstable character in the entire story and by doing this, he has attempted to manipulate her along with Bathsheba to portray them as typical Victorian representatives. She has an interesting but bleak role in the story but has a surprisingly significant effect on some of the major scenes without exposing her self as a particularly dominant or socially intractable character. She attempts to marry sergeant troy early on in the play and then ends her participation in the play by tragically dying whilst giving birth to his child. She is a foil to Bathsheba, showing the fate of women who are not well cared for in this society. Fanny robin is linked instantly with troy, has been helped kindly farmer Boldwood and has been the youngest maid in Bathsheba newly taken household, yet has a surprisingly unconvincing character compared with Bathshebas powerful dominance throughout the story. Fannys initial radiant excitement, her recent dejection, her memorable conversation with troy and her fatal error of mistaking the church for her marriage with troy all form a pathetic, wretched background to her unmistakably emotional and fragile character.

It Is Time To Legalize Marijuana Essay -- Pro Legalize Marijuana Essays

â€Å"What goes around†¦ comes all the way back around† –Justin Timberlake. What a fitting lyric from one of today’s biggest pop stars and one that fits the X Generation perfectly. Already, we have brought â€Å"back around† old styles of fashion and music. Now, as more of our generation begins to enter the political world we are seeing a change in policies that have held firm for almost a century. More specifically, we are seeing a change in the attitude toward marijuana and whether or not it should be legalized. During the time of illegalization of marijuana, the drug had a vastly negative feeling associated with it, which many people now believe to be inaccurate and unfair. Now that people are more informed, more connected and more vocal, the United States government should allow and even encourage more research of the dangers and addictive nature of the drug which will assuredly legalize medical use and possibly recreational use to benefit people and the economy greatly. This paper will discuss many topics pertaining to marijuana. It will begin by explaining the history of marijuana in this country. Then it will discuss public opinion of marijuana and reasons for that opinion. Next, it will dispel false rumors about the effects of marijuana. It will then talk about a few disadvantages of marijuana. After it will counter those disadvantages with several advantages of marijuana. Next, it will discuss Colorado and Washington State’s situation since legalizing marijuana recreationally. It will then inform the reader of the other states pursuing legalization of marijuana in some degree. Finally it will conclude with Arkansas’s take on marijuana and efforts to get it passed medically. VOCABULARY Throughout this paper many terms will b... ...ring Opinions on Medical Marijuana. The Times-Tribune. 29 January 2014. Web. 17 February 2014. Marijuana Policy Project. The High Cost of Marijuana Prohibition in U.S. Web. 08 May 2014. Marijuana Policy Project. 2013 Top 50 Most Influential Marijuana Users. Web. 08 May 2014. Marijuana Prison Statistics. THEU1. Web. 08 May 2014. Marijuana Timeline. Frontline. Pbs.org. Web. 17 February 2014 Network, Jolie Lee. Colorado Makes $3.5M in Pot Revenue in January. USA Today. Gannett, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 06 May 2014. Poll: Arkansas Voters Support Raising Minimum Wage, Split on Medical Marijuana. Arkansas News. Web. 08 May 2014. State Marijuana Laws Map. State Marijuana Laws Map. Web. 07 May 2014. Wile, Rob. HIGH TIMES: Legalized Pot Is Expected To Be Huge For Washington And Colorado Tax Revenue. Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 May 2014.

Brief History Of Databases :: essays research papers

Brief History Of Databases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1960's, the use of main frame computers became widespread in many companies. To access vast amounts of stored information, these companies started to use computer programs like COBOL and FORTRAN. Data accessibility and data sharing soon became an important feature because of the large amount of information recquired by different departments within certain companies. With this system, each application owns its own data files. The problems thus associated with this type of file processing was uncontrolled redundancy, inconsistent data, inflexibility, poor enforcement of standards, and low programmer maintenance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1964, MIS (Management Information Systems) was introduced. This would prove to be very influential towards future designs of computer systems and the methods they will use in manipulating data.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1966, Philip Kotler had the first description of how managers could benefit from the powerful capabilities of the electronic computer as a management tool.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1969, Berson developed a marketing information system for marketing research. In 1970, the Montgomery urban model was developed stressing the quantitative aspect of management by highlighting a data bank, a model bank, and a measurement statistics bank. All of these factors will be influential on future models of storing data in a pool. According to Martine, in 1981, a database is a shared collection of interrelated data designed to meet the needs of multiple types of end users. The data is stored in one location so that they are independent of the programs that use them, keeping in mind data integrity with respect to the approaches to adding new data, modifying data, and retrieving existing data. A database is shared and perceived differently by multiple users. This leads to the arrival of Database Management Systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These systems first appeared around the 1970=s as solutions to problems associated with mainframe computers. Originally, pre-database programs accessed their own data files. Consequently, similar data had to be stored in other areas where that certain piece of information was relevant. Simple things like addresses were stored in customer information files, accounts receivable records, and so on. This created redundancy and inefficiency. Updating files, like storing files, was also a problem. When a customer=s address changed, all the fields where that customer=s address was stored had to be changed. If a field happened to be missed, then an inconsistency was created. When requests to develop new ways to manipulate and summarize data arose, it only added to the problem of having files attached to specific applications. New system design had to be done, including new programs and new data file storage methods. The close connection between data files and programs sent the costs for storage and

Amnesia – Memory Loss

Amnesia: Memory Loss Outline Thesis: Amnesia is a condition involving memory loss, which can cause people to lose their ability to memorize information and/or could cause people to be unable to recall information. I. General amnesia A. Types of amnesia 1. Anterograde 2. Retrograde B. Symptoms II. Causes of amnesia III. Diagnoses C. How to determine D. Treatments IV. Prevention of amnesia Amnesia: Memory Loss Memory loss can be associated with many different conditions in today’s medical fields such as amnesia, Alzheimer’s disease, different forms of dementia, depression, or even a brain tumor.These conditions have similarities yet differences to define each one as a different illness. Amnesia is a well-known condition that is associated with memory loss in today’s medical world, which can cause people to lose their ability to memorize information and could cause people to be unable to recall familiar material. Amnesia comes in various forms of memory loss; the tw o most frequently seen forms of this are anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is when the brain gets damaged and new information after the incident cannot be stored.The patient that has had this happen to him can remember aspects of life that has happened before the incident (Nordqvist 2). New information that is gained after the occurrence cannot be stored. The International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation describes this condition: Anterograde amnesia refers to a deficit in encoding new information subsequent to a given and specific event in time, for instance trauma due to an accident or the onset of brain damage. Consequently, new information cannot be or is partially retained by the individual, which leads to a learning disorder.This type of amnesia can be partial (some of the information is forgotten), and often underlies the individual's subjective complaints; or total, and is therefore characterized by the individual's inability to recall daily life activities or progressive loss of information (1). Retrograde amnesia is contrary to anterograde amnesia. After a traumatic event, the individual cannot remember certain things that happened before it took place but can normally remember anything that takes place after the incident.The degree of how much that can be remembered before the incident all depends on the amount of damage to the brain (de Guise 1). Amnesia comes with diverse symptoms. The two main symptoms are â€Å"impaired ability to learn new information following the onset of amnesia† and â€Å"impaired ability to recall past event and previously familiar information† (Mayo Clinic Staff 2). Other signs consist of confusion, disorientation, false recollections, uncoordinated movements, inability to identify the current president, and many others.Any head injury that causes any of these symptoms could be a sign of amnesia. The brain is a complex operating system that controls the body. The brain also contro ls memory. Damage from â€Å"accidents, encephalitis, or conditions that interrupt blood supply from the brain† can result in amnesia (Thompson and Madigan 119). Additional causes of amnesia can be but are not limited to such things as stroke, lack of oxygen to the brain, long-term alcohol abuse, and brain tumors. Lenore Terr, a clinical professor of psychiatry, states that a very common cause of retrograde amnesia is a concussion (67).Amnesia can also come about from emotional shock. This dissociative amnesia can be associated with being a victim of a crime, sexual abuse, child abuse, combat, and any other â€Å"intolerable life situation, which causes severe psychological stress and internal conflict† (Nordqvist 6). When a person thinks that he has amnesia, he should take several steps to determine what it is and what should be done about it. The first step is to seek help from a doctor. An appointment should be made to determine what the patient’s symptoms ar e indicating.In most cases, the patient takes a family member with them to their appointment to be able to help answer questions that the patient may not know or remember. At the appointment the doctor is very likely to ask questions such as â€Å"Were you involved in any trauma? †, â€Å"When did you first notice your memory loss? †, and â€Å"Does anything help to improve your memory? † (Mayo Clinic Staff 5). The doctor will do an evaluation to dismiss other possible causes of memory loss like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, depression, or a brain tumor (Mayo Clinic Staff 5-6).Harvey S. Levin, Ph. D. , Vincent M. O’Donnell, M. A. , and Robert G. Grossman, M. D. developed an amnesia test of their own. This test consists of 15 questions. For each question the patient gets wrong, a number is deduced in the error score column. After all questions are completed, the doctor adds up the error score column and subtracts it from 100. Scores that range from 100-76 strengthens that the patient is normal, 75-66 implies the patient is borderline amnesia, and anything below 66 confirms the patient is impaired.Another exam that will be done is a physical exam. This will test reflexes, balance, and other components that deal with the brain or nervous system. It may be necessary to do imaging tests as well to look at the brain. This could include an MRI, a CT scan, or an EEG scan. These tests will determine if there is any physical damage to the brain or identify if something is abnormal about it. Once amnesia is diagnosed there are few things to be done to help the patient. Medical News Today states that in most cases amnesia resolves itself without treatment (8).Even though there are no current drugs to help the restoration of memory, different types of therapy may help to reestablish recollections. These can include psychotherapy, hypnosis, and occupational therapy. Some people are turning to technology for assistance; PDA’s or oth er hand held devices are helping patients to remember their everyday tasks more easily. The most important factors to treating amnesia is family support. Families can help â€Å"nudge patients back into their environment† if they are surrounded by familiar objects and people (Nordqvist 8).Amnesia can be prevented if the right precautions are taken. Any damage to the brain can cause amnesia, so a person needs to take any step they can to protect it. For instance, wearing a helmet while riding a bike will shield the brain from any injury in case there is a blow to the head. Avoiding excessive alcohol use is another precaution (Mayo Clinic Staff 8). Another great preventative measure to take is to make sure to treat any infection quickly (Mayo Clinic Staff 8). By doing this it will secure the infection from being able to spread to the brain.Protecting the brain in any form that is possible is the best prevention of amnesia. Memory loss is a very serious condition that can come i n many different forms including amnesia. A sign of amnesia is when people lose their ability to memorize information and are unable to recall facts. Even though there is no medical drugs to treat this condition as of now, the importance of seeking help from a medical expert to confirm if it is amnesia or not is very high. With other forms of treatments available, this condition could be reversed or fixed with a coping method.The brain controls every part of our body in some form or another. Protection of the brain is the key essential to preventing amnesia due to it controlling one’s memory. If taking care of the brain and shielding it can prevent amnesia, why would someone not take the proper steps to do so? Works Cited de Guise, Elaine. 2012. Amnesia. In: JH Stone, M Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. Web. Levin, Harvey S. , Vincent M. O'Donnell, and Robert G. Grossman. â€Å"The Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test. † UTMB Health | The University of Texas Medical Branch | UTMB. du. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. Mayo Clinic Staff. â€Å"Amnesia – MayoClinic. com. † Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. Nordqvist, Christian. â€Å"What Is Amnesia? What Causes Amnesia?. † Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl. , 14 Jul. 2009. Web. Terr, Lenore. Unchained memories: true stories of traumatic memories, lost and found. New York, N. Y. : Basic Books, 1994. Print. Thompson, Richard F. , and Stephen A. Madigan. Memory: the key to consciousness. Washington, D. C. : Joseph Henry Press, 2005. Print.

The Count of Monte Cristo1 essays

The Count of Monte Cristo1 essays Type of literary work: Adventure Drama The main point that Alexandre Dumas is presenting in this novel deals with judgement. Those who are good to others will be rewarded in the furture. Those who are sinfull will be punished. The action in this novel takes place in Marseilles, Paris, France in the 1800's. The era of the novel is set during the Napoleonic era. The ciites in which this novel takes place in are, Marseilles, Paris, and Rome. Most of the scenes are in the cities but others take place on the countryside, and Edmond Dantes was a young and handsome sailor. He had a lot of things that people would dream of. The two main people that were jealous of him were a man named Fernand Mondego and a man named Monsieur Danglars. Fernand was in love with Dantes' fiance Mercedes, while Danglars was jealous that Dantes was to receive the rank of Captain that he didn't have. These men (as well as two others named Gaspard Caderousse and Monsieur de Villefort) form a conspiracy and arrange for Dantes to be arrested and sent to a dreadfull prison named the Chateau d'If. After a couple years in the Chateau d'If he met Abbe Faria who became Dantes' intern father . Dantes met Abbe Faria through a secret passage way they both had builtt. Faria taught Dantes many things in there years together in prison. One of which was the secretly kept treasure of the Spada family. The two friends had planned an escape, but Faria dies before they can carry out there escape. Dantes once again becomes filled with grief and sadness, but he thinks up a plan. He thought only the dead leave the Chateau d'If, decides to replace Faria's corpse with himself. He places Faria in his own cell in bed facing the wall. He sews the shroud back once he is inside it. He is then thrown into the sea as all the corpses were of the Chateau d'If are. That is how Dantes made his great escape. Dantes is picked up by a ship of sm...

Darden Essay Example

Darden Essay Example Darden Essay Darden Essay April 15, 2013 Executive Summary Darken Is one of the worlds top performing companies In the food services Industry, with over 2,000 locations and 180,000 employees. Including many brands from luxury restaurants to quick and easy restaurants Darken has been able to develop brand names into clear strategic advantages, which lead to competitive advantages and keeping customers coming back for more. In this paper a team of marketing students analyze Darners current position In the market through research and apply concepts from class to develop a strategic plan for Darken moving forward. Looking at the company through such lenses as source based view of the firm describes the firms most important assets. Using such charts as weighted competitive strength assessment and a nine cell attractiveness chart to show Darners current position and what they need start moving towards, allows the reader to develop an understanding of the teams aspirations for the company. Table of Contents Company Tangible and Intangible Weighted Competitive Strength Assessment.. External Issues Business Level Strategies Recommendations Current Corporate Level Strategy Service Divisions Financial Weighted Competitive Strength Chart Nine Cell Attractiveness Matrix International Strategy McKinney 7-S Model Utilization Company Environment Darken is one of the largest full-service dining companies in the world; they are also an extremely successful company. They have many strengths and a few competitive advantages, but like every other company, they also have some room for improvement. Some of the major strengths of Darken include its strong values, diverse workforce, size, recognizable and successful brands, and its people focused culture. Darken has a number of strong values in place that they believe help the company learn, strive and grow. Some of these values include integrity and fairness, respect and caring, always learning, always teaching, being of service, teamwork and excellence. All of these strong values continue to help Darken as one of the most successful dining services in the world. Darken also has a very diverse workforce. Darken does not care where employees are from all they care about is making them feel comfortable as part of the team at Darken. As the website states, Even though we have a common vision, we embrace and celebrate our individual differences. We are strengthened by a diversity of cultures, perspectives, attitudes, and ideas. We honor each others heritage and uniqueness. Our power of diversity makes a world of difference. (Darken. Com) The size of the company is also a major strength. They have over 2,000 restaurants and more than 180,000 employees. This means that they are continuing to have success because cities continue to want their restaurants, which means more employees. Another major strength for Darken is their recognizable and successful brands. This is strength for the company because these restaurants are well recognized and customers know they take pride in providing quality means and services. The final major strength for Darken is the diversity of food these restaurants have. They have seafood, Italian food, steaks, many other menu items and specialties that vary for each brand. This is strength for the company because these menu items attract customers in to the restaurants and the quality service will make most of its money with repeat customers so focusing on retaining old customers has to be at the top of managers broad strategic plans. Just like any company, Darken also has some areas where they can improve in order to make them even more successful. These weaknesses include they are mostly internalized in North America, they have a low stock price compared to their competitors, Olive Garden and Red Lobster continue to see a drop in sales, reducing hours may create unhappy employees, and no new restaurants. Being mostly centralized in North America is a major weakness because expanding overseas can bring in much more profit. Its great that there are so many restaurants here in the states, but expanding to other parts of the world would make Darken even better. The low stock price compared to competitors is a weakness because it shows that demand for their restaurants is not as high as it is for their competitors restaurants even with Darken being much more diversified then say Buffalo Wild Wings. The continued drop in sales from Olive Garden and Red Lobster is a weakness because a company is only as strong as its weakest link. Obviously the economy is bad and people are beginning to eat out less and less, but Darken needs to find a way to get these two restaurants sales back up. Because of the new Abominate law, companies with 50 or more workers could be hit with fines if they do not provide basic coverage for their employees. As a result of this, some restaurants are beginning to cut hours for employees making part-time workers instead of full time rockers. This is a weakness because cutting hours means less profits along with repeat or even new customers becoming UN happy with the new hours that they were accustomed too, or assumed. Having no new restaurants is a major weakness because it shows that the company is not expanding. Darken has 7 well known restaurants in their portfolio. With a strategic acquisition of well-defined restaurant chain, they could be even more successful and more dominant in the full service dining market. Tangible and Intangible Assets Darken possesses a good amount of tangible and intangible resources that are important for the company to succeed. Using the four test of Resource Based View of the firm it was obvious that both the tangible and intangible resources play a huge part in making the firm unique. These resources also are meant to give the company a competitive advantage over their competitors. A lot of the resources are imitable and shared by other companies, something that Darken has to realize may not be an advantage for them forever. Some of Darners tangible resources that are important to their company are the companys employees, the buildings that each restaurant operates from, and their suppliers. Employees are resources that are able to be touched and in the tangible sense can work to keep the restaurants operating. The buildings house the employees and customers and make it possible for the business to operate and compete. The suppliers are an important tangible resource because they supply each restaurant with the supplies that they need to operate properly. All of these tangible resources are important in the operation of the company as a whole. Darken also has numerous intangible resources that are an important part of the companys success. Some of these intangible resources that attribute to the success of Darken restaurants are their great culture, service, diversity, community these intangible resources because without their culture being so strong there would be no room for the other intangibles to follow. Darken has developed a culture of these other great intangibles such as service, diversity, community work, and sustainability. The service that Darken brings to the table is second to none and they make sure that their employees practice this awesome service on a regular basis. Darken also focuses heavily on diversity which is why they are known as one of the cost diverse companies in the industry. Community work is a big focus of Darken and they make it known that it is an important part of their success. Darken has been around for a very long time and is still striving to keep improving which shows the companys sustainability. All of these tangible and intangible resources that Darken acquired have separated them from other restaurant chains in the industry which gives them a slight competitive advantage. Weighted Competitive Strength Assessment This chart was produced using two competitors of Darken in the food services industry. The two companies are Pander Bread and Buffalo Wild Wing both of which are only a single brand. For this reason they are stronger than any one of Darners brand names or chain restaurants. But in this Chart they are compared to Darken as a whole to show the value of Synergy. (NASDAQ. Mom) External Issues One of the biggest issues facing not only Darken but the whole industry is making sure all restaurants are following ethical laws enforced by Abominate. Darken Restaurants including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Longhorn Brands are not abiding ethically under Abominate. Under the new health care law, companies with fifty or more workers could be hit with fines if they do not prov ide basic coverage for full time workers and their dependents. For Darken, which operates more than 2,000 restaurants in the U. S and Canada, employs around 180,000 employees this is a huge expense. The Wall Street Journal reports that Darken is using the new health law to cut hours of full-time hourly workers to work less than 29. 5 hours, thus redefining them as part-timers. This can cause employees to become dishonest which may lead to bad service. The second big issue that can affect Darken industries is the threat of new entrants. As a company Darken needs to figure out what separates them from their competition and continue down that path. Recommendations for External Issues The first recommendation for Darken Restaurants is to continue the diverse workforce. The diverse workforce is viewed as strength by Darken employees and other companies. The employees are valued from the start, where they share in a respectful and caring environment which will keep them honest and motivated. Darken is strengthened by a diversity of perspectives, attitudes and ideas. They honor each others heritage and uniqueness, as well as those of the customers. Another recommendation for Darken restaurants is to run a promotion for each of the restaurants. For example, if you spend over $70 at this restaurant you receive a coupon for 15-20% off at another restaurant in the Darken family. The promotion money it gives them incentive to enjoy another meal at another one of our restaurants. Business Level Strategies In order for a company to be successful their main objective should be to focus on satisfying customer needs and preferences in order to achieve above average returns; generally done via business level strategies. These business level strategies entail actions taken to provide value to customers and gain a competitive advantage. These strategies are a direct result of the competition factor that the company is creating. The five generic business level strategies are cost leadership, differentiation, focused low cost, focused differentiation, and using an integrated low- cost/differentiation strategy (Business Level Strategy). Current Corporate Level Strategy The restaurant industry is all about how your company or organization can gain a competitive advantage. Darken Restaurants, Just like any other company, seems to Ochs on business level strategies. However, only three of the five strategies are predominantly seen throughout Darken Restaurant Corporation. The three strategies that Darken uses are cost leadership, differentiation, and using integrated low-cost/ differentiation strategies. Organizations are constantly competing to be the low cost leader for a wide range customer base. Price is based on internal efficiency in order to have a margin that will sustain above average returns and cost to the customer. Porters five forces model is very useful in helping with cost leadership. The model will help Darken identify their restaurants supplier power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes and buyer power (Business Level Strategy). In order to attract current and new customers Darken Restaurants need to differentiate themselves from their competition by bringing the highest value to their customers. Value is brought to customers through unique features and characteristics of an organizations products. Darken can create value for their customers by lowering buyers costs, raising buyers performance, and creating sustainability. Implementing a differentiation strategy is important in order to be adaptable to environmental changes, learn new skills and technologies, and be able to effectively leverage objectives across the business. This should enable the firm to produce with differentiated features at lower costs (Business Level Strategy). Recommendation Darken should continue utilizing the business strategy objectives that has led to their success as a company. We do not find it necessary to deviate from the current strategies, because they are already one of the most successful companies in their industry. As long as Darken continues to differentiate themselves from their intention, customers will keep coming back. Darken focuses heavily on diversification. The company began to diversify by opening Olive Gardens, which became their second restaurant. Darken now has nine different restaurants that all serve a different style of food. The style of food ranges from Italian, Caribbean, steak and seafood. Service Divisions Darken has a couple cash cows services. Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and Red Lobsters are the cash cow restaurants that Darken owns. These services have owns are the most popular restaurants and bring in the most revenue for the company. Darken has two star services that would be The Capital Grille and Bahamas Breeze. These services have much room for growth and have a large market share. The only question mark that Darken has is Seasons 52. It is still unclear in what direction Seasons 52 will go. Eddie Vs. is the only dog that Darken owns; it is not very successful and is only retaining profits from a small amount of its restaurants. Financial The financial of their main companies this year were in the billions. Olive Garden has 3. 6 billion in sales, while Red Lobster had 2. 7 billion in sales, and Longhorn right Enid them with 1. 1 billion. With this amount of sales they have been able to increase their market share from 2. 55 in 2008 to 3. 58 in 2012 and are looking to increase to somewhere between 5. 75 7. 5 in 2017. They have currently been decreasing their long term and short term debt and have been increasing their assets of each division showing that Darken restaurants is only on the rise and is doing everything correctly to get there. Weighted Competitive Strength Chart Competitive Strength Measure Importance Weight Darken Rival A Rival B Rival C Market Share 0. 15 10/1 . 5 11. 15 61. 90 21. 0 Match or Beat R ivals on key attributes 0. 2 7/1 . 4 21. 40 5/1 . 00 31. 60 Benefit from strategic fit 0. 05 91. 45 4/. 20 81. 40 Bargaining leverage w/ suppliers/buyers 8/1 . 60 4/. 80 81. 80 21. 0 Brand Image 31. 15 61. 30 21. 10 Valuable Capabilities 0. 1 91. 90 21. 20 71. 70 51. 50 Sum of weights 7/1 . 05 51. 75 31. 45 Overall weighted competitive strength scores 11. 10 4/. 40 7. 85 2. 3 5. 25 3. 15 Nine-Cell Attractiveness Matrix Strong (6. 7 and up) Average (3. 3-6. 7) weak (0-3. 3) High (6. 7 and up) Darken= High 7. 20 and Strong 7. 85 Rival A-High 6. 75 and weak 2. 30 Medium (3. 3-6. 7) Rival B=Medium 5. 10 and Average 5. 25 LOW (0-3. 3) Rival LOW 2. 95 and weak 3. 15 International Strategy Darken Restaurants is using the international strategy of growth by acquisition. They are very successful when it comes to this process and have made many acquisitions over the last couple of years. Darken simply began with the restaurant we know today as Red Lobster, after they started, the restaurant began to develop quickly and reached 400 locations and became a stylish dining restaurant in Just over a fifteen year span. The first acquisition that the company made was of a New York steak souse that did not do so well and only a couple individual locations still exist. In the early sasss Darken opened their first Olive Garden in Florida. Olive Garden was able to develop into the restaurant it is today by chasing after Tuscany, Italy styles and many different Italian cuisines. Furthermore Darken was not quite done with expanding at this point and diversifying their company to different cultures. The next business that they had opened was the restaurant known as Bahamas Breeze; this is a Caribbean style restaurant. They also opened a sports bar style concept restaurant called Smokey Bones and Season 52. After they were done creating all of these restaurants Darken decided it was best for them to sell some and acquire a couple new ones. They began by selling Smokey Bones and buying out their biggest competitor Rare Hospitality, they made this acquisition for a cost of 1. 4 billion dollars. When buying this company they gained two new very successful restaurants, the Capital Grille and the Longhorn Steakhouse. After this acquisition Darken went forth and bought two other restaurants, these were Eddie Vs. which has a couple locations in Texas, and Yard House which is the most upscale out of all of the restaurants that Darken owns. When it comes to this strategy Darken should change anything that they are doing. Since 2008 their sales have been increasing every year with a slight drop in 2011, but this is expected with the way the economy and even with the bad economy term debts and are paying with more cash for items than they are taking out in debt to pay for these items. In this past year Darners sales were in the billions of dollars and they look to increase this in the current year. This recommendation is superior to any other suggestion because what Darken is doing now makes sense and they are building from every mistake they have made. If Darken were to switch strategies from their current one there is a potential chance that it does not work and it could be a major setback for the company. Furthermore based on the above information one can see that Darken is a growing company and is doing very well financially, with this there is no reason for the company to change their strategy and possibly Jeopardize all that they have accomplished with the current strategy. However Darken has to continually try to improve this strategy to maintain their strategic advantage. This includes constant industry research and rends to discover the next big acquisition. Darken uses a strategy known as multi-domestic, when it comes to competing internationally. What this strategy allows is for Darken to customize its restaurants to fit the style of service expected to help fit the needs of the customers and the cultures surrounding their customers. They do this by presenting different chains of restaurants to fit different styles of the society, and they are very successful at what they do. Darken has been able to attack pretty much every style of food that customers crave when they are looking to go out to dinner. They have done this with he ability to attract every part of the economy that they can both rich and poor. This strategy has worked very well and as time goes on Darken is only getting better at implementing this strategy across their company. The Teams suggestion for this strategy is to keep it and to learn from their previous and future mistakes and build with everything they do. Along with this continual research as mentioned before will help Darken develop in to a sustainable industry leader. As we have mentioned, Darken is a very successful company and is able to develop their brands quickly into industry leaders in particular restaurant disgorges. Not only this is important, Darken also has restaurants that other companies cannot even compete with in that specific category. This is the reason we feel that our recommendation is superior. We see no reason to change the strategy when Darken is the leading company in a lot of categories they have restaurants in and they are only growing larger and larger every year. McKinney 7-S Model At Darken we strive to bring value to the customer through our upbeat restaurant environment, friendly customer service, freshly prepared foods, and a fantastic dining experience. We believe that by following the seven S framework of McKinney we will be able to find the strengths and weaknesses of our company and build upon those. The better we are as a company the more we will be able to bring to our customers. The seven S framework of McKinney is a Value Based Management (IBM) model that describes how one can holistically and effectively organize a company. It can be used in a wide variety of situations where an alignment perspective is useful. These situations include but are not limited to the following: improving the performance of a company, examining the likely effects of future changes within a many, aligning departments and processes during a merger or acquisition, and determine the way in which corporations operate efficiently, effectively bringing value to the customer (The McKinney AS Framework). The first of the seven S components is shared values. What are shared values? They are the interconnecting center of Muckinesss model. In other words it represents what the organization stands for and believes in (The McKinney AS Framework). Darken Restaurants believes in and is committed to delivering genuine service to others. Whether its making an extra effort or a guest, helping our employees develop career skills or improving communities they serve. Darken is also a strong believer in equality, which is why their vibrant culture embraces diversity and inclusion as business imperatives. Throughout all their restaurant locations the spirit of inclusiveness is woven into our strong, values- based culture that we believe gives us a competitive advantage over our competition. This is evident throughout the company starting with the founder Bill Darken, who opens his doors to everyone, and continues to make sure the workforce reflects the makeup of the local community (Darken Restaurants). The second S component of Muckinesss seven S systems is strategy. Strategy describes how the company (Darken) plans for the allocation of firms scarce resources, over time, to reach identified goals (The McKinney AS Framework). Does Darken have the right strategy when it comes to the environment, giving themselves a competitive advantage over their competition, and having the right environment and atmosphere to bring in the right customers? Darken is actively committed to sustainability. The business depends on available, affordable, high quality natural resources, which is why they have chosen to focus sustainability efforts on preserving, conserving and enhancing their ecosystems. Over the past several years, Darken has advanced in sustainability-related activities. They have developed a sustainability strategy and established an Office of Sustainability and internal Sustainability Leadership Council and are continuing to identify and spread sustainable best practices throughout the company (Darken Restaurants). The third S in Muckinesss seven S systems is structure. Structure has to do with the way the organizations units relate to each other. Organizational structure s important for any company by providing guidance and clarity on specific human resources issues, such as managerial authority (The McKinney AS Framework). The structure in Darken, similar to many other large corporations, is a top down approach, meaning that Darners top executives communicate by telling the middle managers, who then tell the lower level employees how things are going to run (Darken Restaurants). The fourth S in Muckinesss seven S systems is system. The system step describes the procedures, processes, and routines that characterize how important work is before it is done: financial systems hiring, promotion and reference appraisal system and info system (The McKinney AS Framework). Darken is a great company to work for due to the fact that they promote from within the company. Promoting from within the company gives their current employees a sort of motivation; if they work hard enough to grab the attention of higher management it will give themselves an advantage over other employees when a promotion is available. Muckiness 5th S, style he is mainly talking about leadership and the way the leaders lead. Darken has a top down approach which is obvious with such a large company. They have presidents for all of their major chains such as

Jean Val Jeans Influences †Les Miserbles

Jean Val Jeans Influences – Les Miserbles Free Online Research Papers Jean Val Jean greatly influenced everyone he came across. He influenced Fantine to repent her sins and stop her line of work. He helped her try to get her daughter back and gave her a place to stay and eat even though she had a daughter out of wedlock. In addition, he influenced the prisoners to try to change how they act by telling his real name to save that simple man from death. He influenced them by showing them how he changed his life around. Javert was a coldhearted, unkind, and selfish man and Jean Val Jean influenced him to put his own selfishness aside and forgive people for things they have done in the past if they have changed their way of life. Jean Val Jean influenced Cozzette by taking her in and being kind and gentle towards her. So she grew up to be gentle and kind also and she shows this by her giving food to the poor and being nice to everyone not just people of her social class. He also influenced the republics because Jean Val Jean told them not to give up. At what point he even started helping them in the battle to fight for what they believed and try to make things fair. He influenced the poor to help other people by helping them and giving them food and clothes. He influenced the inspector’s assistant by showing him how helpful and kind he was to anybody and that you can be forgiven. The inspectors assistant showed this by letting Jean Val Jean go and get Cozzette before the inspector arrested him. Jean Val Jean influenced many people. Theses are just a few of those people. He was a forgiving, caring, helpful, unselfish man and his actions showed people to be the same way. His acts of kindness were witnessed by everyone that is why Jean Val Jean was considered such a great man and a great influence on everyone. Research Papers on Jean Val Jean’s Influences - Les MiserblesQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMind Travel

Describe the UK carbon reduction strategy, trends and the contextual Literature review

Describe the UK carbon reduction strategy, trends and the contextual issues that are forcing carbon reduction - Literature review Example UK policy: Recent years have seen a significant increase in the U.K legislation’s focus towards reduction in carbon emissions. A number of government departments across U.K have seen adopt and implement greener processes and equipment to help reduce carbon emissions. In 2008, the UK Climate Change Act proposed a target regarding the reduction in carbon emission levels of the country. Through the Act the government obtained its first target for the year 2020 in which the government has taken upon itself to reduce carbon emissions by at least 34%. Along with a short term target the Act also has provided the British government with a long term target for the year 2050 where its target of carbon reduction is 80% (DWP, 2013). The Act provided the basis for a number of legislations such as the CRC EES (CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme), which makes it mandatory for each and every sector to purchase a certain amount of carbon allowances every year (DWP, 2013). In addition to this, the go vernment has made it compulsory for all government departments to adhere to the carbon reduction targets that have been provided to them. These targets are in terms of energy consumption, transportation as well as in terms of solid and water waste (DWP, 2013). The table below shows the sources of carbon dioxide emissions, within U.K, in metric tonnes since 1995. Finally in order to promote the idea of carbon reduction all buildings that cover an area of at least 1000 square meters and provide public access are legally bound to procure a DEC (Display Energy Certificate). DEC rates each building between a scale of A and G with A representing a building with the lowest amount of carbon emissions and G representing a building with the highest amount of carbon emissions (DWP, 2013). Year Energy Supply Transport Business Residential Other 1990 241 120 113 79 39 1995 210 120 107 81 36 2000 203 125 107 87 31 2005 216 129 97 84 27 2008 213 125 90 80 23 2009 190 121 79 75 17 2010 195 119 79 8 7 18 2011 182 117 76 66 17 2012 192 116 79 74 18 Source: (Department of Energy and Climate, 2013) Climate change: Climate change is a phenomenon that leads to a significant change in the temperature of Earth over a period of time. Climate change occurs due to numerous factors for example natural phenomenon such as a variation in solar radiation that hits the earth increase the temperature of the planet. However, over the past few years’ human activities have also contributed to the increase in the overall temperature of the globe. These factors are have collectively been categorized under the heading of global warming (Houghton, 2004). Global warming in its basic terms is the steady increase in earth’s temperature mainly due to the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and other pollutants. Due to the increase in greenhouse gases the past few years have been the warmest over a period of hundred years. The effects of global warming are not just re lated to the overall temperature of the planet, but can cause a wide range of physical as well as social impacts (Oxlade, 2003). Experts believe that

Analysis - Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day Essay

Analysis - Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day - Essay Example Love baffles definition, as each lover sees a new horizon; one may cross the moon, beat the stars but probe one must the tiny heart engulfed in love which is mysterious and fantasises of challenging time to remain forever young.† The generous use of figures of speech Shakespeare is generous in introducing many figures of speech in this poem. He refers to the sun as â€Å"the eye of the heaven.† He is fascinated about youth of the beloved of the young man which he ardently hopes that it shall not fade, by stating, â€Å"But thy eternal summer shall not fade.† He is greatly impressed and believes that it will remain permanent and it will challenge to withstand the vagaries of the nature. His fondly hopes that her beauty will outgrow the normal growth and decay that is evident in nature. Shakespeare through this sonnet glorifies and takes love to unimaginable, rather impossible heights. The challenges of summer are many. The young man is aware of all the tough issues related to the summer, the wear and tear effect it will have on the human body and yet hopes that his beloved will successfully challenge all such adversaries and will retain her youthful bloom. Summers are shaken by â€Å"rough winds† and the sun is â€Å"too hot.† But as for the beloved, his trusts that â€Å"Thy eternal summer shall not fade† and the beauty shall remain preserved forever â€Å"as long as men can breathe or eyes can see.† Poetry and art—the ladders to the divine kingdom Wise people say that poetry, art and music are closest to the heart of God. The best words of love are spoken in simple and hearty language. Simplicity oozes out through the lines of this sonnet and one experiences the loveliness of praise of the beloved and how intelligently Shakespeare keeps the two hearts engaged. Figures of speech are the delicate tools with which he chisels the beauty of the poem. He emphasises the harshness of the summer and admires the mil d and temperate (cool) looks of his beloved. He describes the transition in nature by stating â€Å"darling buds of May,† paving way to the â€Å"eternal summer.† That is the assurance of the young man to his beloved. The power of the poem is in its defiance of time and natural processes of decay and the young man is confident about the youth of his beloved that will last forever, and it will be transmitted to future generations to experience and appreciate. The poet may praise time, taunt it or plead with it, but time will not stop its game. Nature, art and time are great contenders but time is the ultimate victor. The sonnet establishes the inevitable connection between the passage of time, the fleeting, transient life, beauty and the ageing process. Shakespeare’s fervent desire is love should conquer age and time, and at the same time he understands well the futility of his desire. Some backgrounder information relating to sonnets, and this sonnet in particul ar Sonnets are generally associated with romantic love to express feelings for the beloveds and the patrons of poets. Noblemen of the yore loved self-praise and they took the support of poets through their talents to satisfy their inflated ego. Addressing young men in sonnets was prevalent in Elizabethan England and this sonnet falls into that category. Such sonnets, with their idealised love provided the welcome relief to the readers

'Economic development is a prerequisite to democratisation.' Discuss Essay

'Economic development is a prerequisite to democratisation.' Discuss - Essay Example Southern Europe became the first continent to experience the rapid political transformation in mid 1970s. It later spread to the Latin America and some specific parts of Asia in 1980s. Finally, in the late 1980s and even in the early 1990s, it moved to the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and some specific parts in the sub- Saharan Africa. In some countries, democratization is known to have a strong impulse, while in other countries it is considered as a weaker impulse or does not even exist. In addition, it has also been revealed that government and politics democratic forms have been common in some specific parts of the world and less in others. In conducting analysis, various individuals have applied the measures of democracy and development, which are different. This has led to several crucial questions that concerns democracy consequences, emergence, and maintenance being handled. Many different scholars have been committed in analyzing democracy economic requisites. This took place during Lipset (1959) early work. He stated that the chances of democracy being sustained are more likely when a country is a more well-to-do. Regardless of how democracy is measured and when used, the relationship between the democracy and the improved levels of economic development remains to be important and irrefutable. The outcome of this various findings is the weak claim of economic development and democracy just being associated with each other. On the other hand, strong claim has been established that economic development brings about democracy. This results in recognition of endogenous and exogenous theories. The relationship between democracy and economic development is the major existing argument. In this argument, endogenous and exogenous theory differences are examined. In the endogenous theory, democracy is described as being economic development function. According to this theory, development in poor countries increases the chances for democratic transition. The fact ors contributing to this include the increase in the number of middle class who are enlightened, changes in the land, income, and capital relative distribution. On the other hand, exogenous theory opposes this; they insist that democracy does not result from development. According to exogenous theory, longevity of democracy is maintained by the economic development. However, the theory suggests that from the authoritarian rule, the transition to democracy is exogenous to development. This theory suggests that democracy is established with the aid of different factors that are considered as being external to economic development processes. These factors include, elites in authoritarian regimes interacting strategically and relative power alterations, elites who are in the regime and those who are in the opposition having strategic interaction, and individual rights of citizenship being mobilized socially. In addition to this are international factors that are significant. These inclu de diffusion, contagion, coercion, and even globalization. These exogenous explanations does not dismiss the existence of economic development, instead the argument is that in countries with high level of development establishment of democracy collapses. This way the process of democratization is just supported by economic development and not determine by it. In exogenous explanations, economic development is critically handled. It considers that once established, democracy continues in a country. The determining factor here is the economic

Philosophy ethical theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy ethical theory - Essay Example But recently, there has been a renewal of the interest in virtue ethics to the point where today it is one of the main ways that are employed in dealing with substantive philosophical ethics. This new interest has been generated from the dissatisfaction with the manner in which moral philosophy has been done in the contemporary time and particularly recently. This is because the contemporary and modern philosophy has insisted on moral responsibility and moral law while it ignored the sources of morality in the inner life and the character of the individual (Crisp & Slote, 1997). As is the case in many other areas in philosophy, precise definitions are hard to arrive at but the main contrast comes in the forms of ethics that are based on moral laws, rules and principles. In the case of virtue ethics, the focus is mainly on individual that is supposed to have these virtues and the inner traits that the individual possesses, their dispositions and motive that make the person eligible to be virtuous. Philosophers in the contemporary world perceive moral life as a matter of connecting properly to moral rules as opposed to the traditional virtue ethics where the understanding of moral or ethical life generally needs requires the understanding of what it is to be a virtuous person, or what it entails to have a particular virtue. This is considered to be an inner trait or a disposition that is associated with the individual (Crisp & Slote, 1997). There is a widespread conviction that is associated with virtue ethics that it does dictate what to do. In some instances, this conviction is seen only in the expressed theory that virtue ethics in being agent-centered rather than art-centered is more direct at â€Å"being† rather â€Å"doing†, with good and bad character rather than right and wrong action. Taking this supposition, virtue ethics doesn’t therefore come out as a normative opponent of practical and deontological morals. In

Celtic Rock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Celtic Rock - Essay Example While possibly a sub-genre of rock, and of straight forward Celtic music, the now bubbling genre of Celtic music cannot be ignored any longer. Often called Celtic punk, or even Irish or Irish punk, it is a sound among itself. The first band to mix these the music and sound of rock with the traditional instrumentation of Ireland and Celtic origin was the Pogues. Playing through the 1980s and the 1990s, the Pogues mixed the edge of rock and roll and the developing punk scene with tin whistles, accordions, and other traditional instrument. Unfortunately, the Pogues broke up in 1996. After many different line up changes, the Pogues started playing together again in 2001. The Pogues have released 14 albums to the day, including various EPs and â€Å"Best of† Albums(The Pogues). One of their hit songs, â€Å"Fairytale of New York† reached number 2 on the UK billboard charts in 1987, brining the Pogues to huge fame. After the breaking up of the Pogues, the door was opened for other such bands to come in their place. One such band was the Dropkick Murphys. Formed in the working class neighborhoods of Boston, the Murphys blended the same rock with Celtic music the Pogues had done earlier. Currently, the Drop Kick Murphys have release 5 studio albums, and have become famous for their St. Patrick Day shows ever year in Boston(The Dropkick Murphys). On the other coast of America, the seeds for Flogging Molly was being sown. Most date the band to 1997 with the release of "Alive Behind the Green Door"(a live album recorded in the bar where the band started), but Flogging Molly had been playing gigs every Monday night at Molly Malone's prior to that. Formed by Dave King, an Irish immigrant to American, the band mixed the traditional Irish sound with drums, electric guitar and bass. Asked about the band, singer Dave King says that ""If it didn't have mandolin, accordion, fiddle and whistle, it would be punk-rock, and if it didn't have guitar, bass and drums, it would be traditional Irish music. But it has both."(Flogging Molly Reviews). This statement shows the combining factor of the band musically. Starting with the 200 release of "Swagger", Flogging Molly started to bring their unique mix of music out of California. With a 4 year gig on the Warped Tour, Flogging Molly spread its seeds the way bands should, with constant and constant touring. Flogging Molly is still touring worldwide, and is expecting to release another album next spring. Flogging Molly has released, 5 studio efforts. 2000's Swagger, 2002's Drunken Lullabies, 2004's Within a Mile of Home(debuted at 24 on the billboard charts), and 2006's DVD/CD Documentary Whiskey on a Sunday (Flogging Molly). The most recent effort, Whiskey on a Sunday, is a DVD documentary into the formation and personal lives of the band. It really gives a homegrown feeling to the band, connecting all the fans with the band on a very personal level. It is this in separation of band from fan that makes Flogging Molly not only an amazing live act, but amazing people as well. The DVD also comes with a CD soundtrack, containing newly recorded acoustic tracks and live tracks. Flogging Molly is just wrapping up the SideoneDummy/Fuse College Tour, which brought them around the country with fellow label mates Zox and Bedouin Sound clash. Selling out all over the place, this tour is just another one of the measures that shows Flogging Molly's success. If the success of these bands is anything to judge, the overdone and the three piece basic band are over. People want something more, something much more fun and entertaining. Celtic Rock gives this to people, by giving them hard hitting fast paced rock, mixed with the dancing and jigging of Celtic melodies. Celtic Rock may be a new thing for some people, but for those who have seen Flogging Molly, Celtic Rock is as real as anything, and quite amazing

Philosophy ethical theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy ethical theory - Essay Example But recently, there has been a renewal of the interest in virtue ethics to the point where today it is one of the main ways that are employed in dealing with substantive philosophical ethics. This new interest has been generated from the dissatisfaction with the manner in which moral philosophy has been done in the contemporary time and particularly recently. This is because the contemporary and modern philosophy has insisted on moral responsibility and moral law while it ignored the sources of morality in the inner life and the character of the individual (Crisp & Slote, 1997). As is the case in many other areas in philosophy, precise definitions are hard to arrive at but the main contrast comes in the forms of ethics that are based on moral laws, rules and principles. In the case of virtue ethics, the focus is mainly on individual that is supposed to have these virtues and the inner traits that the individual possesses, their dispositions and motive that make the person eligible to be virtuous. Philosophers in the contemporary world perceive moral life as a matter of connecting properly to moral rules as opposed to the traditional virtue ethics where the understanding of moral or ethical life generally needs requires the understanding of what it is to be a virtuous person, or what it entails to have a particular virtue. This is considered to be an inner trait or a disposition that is associated with the individual (Crisp & Slote, 1997). There is a widespread conviction that is associated with virtue ethics that it does dictate what to do. In some instances, this conviction is seen only in the expressed theory that virtue ethics in being agent-centered rather than art-centered is more direct at â€Å"being† rather â€Å"doing†, with good and bad character rather than right and wrong action. Taking this supposition, virtue ethics doesn’t therefore come out as a normative opponent of practical and deontological morals. In

Myth as one of the concept of understanding the reality Essay

Myth as one of the concept of understanding the reality - Essay Example Whereas men have always relied on concrete objects and the environment to understand themselves, they now also realized the power of intangible and abstract beliefs and concepts in their pursuit of enlightenment. As explained in Bruno Bettelheim’s, â€Å"The Child’s Need for Magic†, the answers given by myths are definite. He compared myths to children’s fairy tales. He tells us that fairy tales are suggestive. Its messages may imply solutions, but it never spells them out. However, he believes that fairy tales are effective in the formation of truth in the eyes of children. It leave to the child’s fantasizing whether and how to apply to himself what the story reveals about life and human nature. As young people inclined to their imaginations instead of cold, hard facts, children usually interpret their daily experiences with what they see in fairy tales. Now we are quite knowledgeable of the fact that in fairy tales, everything has a soul. But this becomes all the more real for children. They take on what Bettleheim calls an â€Å"animistic† view. Associating their own lives to what they see in the fairy tales, children believe that everything is alive and has soul. For example, children have the notion that animals, in real life, have the abilities to guide us in our journeys. This is for the reason that in fairy tales these animals roam freely and widely in the world to guide the hero to his quests. In thinking animistically, everything acquires human characteristics. In the mind of a child, not only animals feel and think as we do, but even stones are alive. By the same reasoning, it is entirely believable for children that objects talk, give advice, and join the hero on his wanderings. Author Conrad Phillip Kottack has also shared some similar views. In his article entitled, â€Å"Disney Myth and Ritual†, myths are said to be often used as mediating figures to resolve oppositions. Kottack (1974) illustrated that animals, are given human abilities, thus bridging the opposition between culture and nature. In Genesis, a humanlike animal (a bipedal, talking, lying snake) brings culture and nature closer together. In the beginning, Adam and Eve are innocent parts of nature, yet they are unique because of their creation in God's image. The snake encourages Original Sin, which keeps humans unique, but in a far less exalted way. The punishment for eating forbidden fruit is a destiny of physical labor, a struggle with nature. That humans are a part of nature while also being different from other animals is explained by the serpent-mediator's role in the Fall. The fall of humanity is paralleled in the fall of the serpent—from culture-bearing creature to belly-crawling animal. Obviously, this myth is of significant stature as it is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. Now we don’t question the authenticity of such stories in the bible. However it may be largely perceived th at the particular story is indeed but a figment of our ancestor’s imagination, subject to our different interpretations. This kind of belief in the myths takes on a powerful impact on one’s way of viewing life. It absorbs and encompasses one’s faith and religion, thus becoming an important instrument of enlightenment to men. Further explained by Kottack (1974), one creator and myth maker for so many Americans is Walt Disney. In many cultures, religion focuses on sacred sites. Disney’s works, in the level of magnitude of how it created an impact to Americans’

1981 Springbok Tour Essay Example for Free

1981 Springbok Tour Essay Focus Question: What was the background to the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand? For 56 days in July, August and September 1981, New Zealanders were divided against each other in the largest civil disturbance seen since the 1951 waterfront dispute. More than 150,000 people took part in over 200 demonstrations in 28 centres, and 1500 were charged with offences stemming from these protests. To some observers it might seem inconceivable that the cause of this unrest was the visit to New Zealand of the South African rugby team (the Springboks). Although not a major sport on a global scale, rugby has established itself not only as New Zealand’s number one sport but as a vital component in this country’s national identity. In many ways the playing of rugby took a back seat in 1981, and the sport suffered in the following years as players and supporters came to terms with the fallout from the tour. Some commentators have described this event as the moment when New Zealand lost its innocence as a country and as being a watershed in our view of ourselves as a country and people. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay Usefulness of evidence to focusing question: This is useful because it shows me evidence on what New Zealanders thought on about rugby. It shows that rugby sport is a background to New Zealanders because it’s their number 1 sport. This is part of a useful website, www.nzhistory.net.nz. Source reliability: This source is reliable because this source is that its not something someone has said or someone has typed that was from the 1981 springbok tour. It is basic facts.

Finnis Theory Of Natural Law

Finnis Theory Of Natural Law Critically assess the success of Finnis attempt to construct a theory of natural law based on practical reason and not on a universal view of morality as traditionally contended. The Natural Law Introduction. It is possible to trace Natural Law thinking from primitive stages of simple societies where there was very little distinction between the religious and the secular the spiritual and the physical. For many of these early communities the spiritual world of gods and spirits was seen as being in control of the physical world including human society. Such communities had a variety of gods and spirits resulting in a spiritual entity associated with numerous aspects of the physical world. This gave rise to a belief that there was some higher power in control of human existence and this power was governed by a set of rules or principles which mankind could utilise in furtherance of a perfect existence. The kernel of the theory of Natural Law holds that law derives from a higher law, which is contained in certain principles of morality. These principles are sourced in either religion (through scriptures) or reason. According to theologians, these principles are under the control and governance of a God or figure of Deity and which eternally controls all of creation. Furthermore, it is their belief that all human arrangements, including law, must conform as far as possible to these principles. Secular theorists believe that such principles originate from mans conscience a conception of morality, which is inherent to all men, and part of their nature. Such principles or rules are discoverable through the application of human reason and form the genesis of law making, constituting the higher law from which all human laws must conform. St. Thomas of Aquinas 13th Century Theorists who support Natural Law guidance assume that certain facts about humans and their society provide the correct basis for laws that guide human interaction. Regardless of the theological vis-à  -vis secular opinions it is agreed between both schools of thought that real laws are those, which meet a moral standard, found by using the right facts and practical reasoning. Historically, one of the most influential natural law jurists was St. Thomas of Aquinas whose teachings form the basis of the Roman Catholic natural law traditions. Aquinas integrates the rationalist and religious approaches to Natural Law. He greatly influenced Western ideals in the area of ethics, political theory but, in particular, his teachings in the field of natural law held him in the highest of esteem within the Catholic Church, prompting Pope Benedict XV to declare The Church has declared Tomas doctrine to be her own. Aquinas believed that the eternal law of divine reason is wholly unknown to man as only God knows its full extent but that it is partially known not only through revelation (the Commandments, the scriptures) but also through the application of reason. He also contends that human law derived from divine law which governed the relationship between all things created by Him. According to Aquinas, God is the highest good and the reason all matter exists and that such creations exist together in a hierarchy known as the Principle of Subordination. Aquinas divided law into four main categories Eternal Law Such law constitutes Gods rational guidance of all created things and is derived from the divine wisdom and based on a divine plan. Man can never understand eternal law in its entirety but shall be guided by it as he moves through life. On the one hand such law resides with God alone, mysterious and inaccessible. En revanche as it is responsible for various complexities throughout nature, mankind can figure out certain aspects of it. Promulgated law, mentioned by Aquinas consists of practical reason emanating from a ruler or a figure of authority in a community. By the same rationale, he contends that God, as a ruler of the universe also has the nature of a law and as He is not subject to time such law is eternal. Divine Law Eternal law which manifests itself in the Christian scriptures the Commandments or the will of God revealed in the Old and New Testaments. Such law, according to Aquinas, was necessary as humans require require guidance on how to perform proper acts. It was also required to keep checks on the uncertainty of human judgement and to provide divine insight on issues they are not competent to judge for themselves. The Natural Law According to Aquinas, It is evident that all things partake somewhat of the eternal law, in so far as, namely, from its being imprinted on them à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Wherefore it (humans nature) has a share of the Eternal Reason, whereby it has a natural inclination to its proper act and end: and this participation of the eternal law in the rational creature is called the natural law From this Aquinas contends that Natural Law exists among man in the world and it is as he states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as though the light of natural reason by which we discern good from Evil. From this Aquinas gives us his definition of the Natural Law (participation of humans in Eternal Law) and the first principle of Natural Law (the capacity to differentiate good from evil). Human Law Is derived a combination of both the Divine and Natural Laws and must be directed toward the common good. Such law can vary in accordance with time but its essence must be just as an unjust law is not law (lex injusta non est lex). For Aquinas an unjust human law is one that furthers the interests of the lawgiver solely; or exceeds the power of the lawgiver; or imposes unequal burdens on the society being governed. Under this rationale therefore, Aquinas held the belief that disobedience to an unjust law becomes a duty as if the law is contrary to Divine law, man is released from obedience we should obey God rather than man. However such disobedience should be avoided if it were to lead to social instability, which is a greater evil than the existence of an unjust law in the first instance. Aquinas was concerned with the nature of laws primarily rather than the nature of a legal system or how laws operate. John Finnis, as will be seen later, was concerned with both equally. Law, according to Aquinas, is the use of reason for the common good made by those that care about the community and made known to this community. Aquinas believed that God gave humans characteristics the primary of which was our capability for rationality and reason. Mankind tends to do things naturally thus mirroring God as supremely rational. Using reason and rationale we can deduce what is self-evidently good and worth pursuing or what is self-evidently bad or evil and to be avoided. In this pursuit of good things we make laws for the common good using reason and are, again according to Aquinas, participating in Gods rational world order. Aquinas believed there are numerous ways to solve a problem and acknowledges that different societies or cultures may place different restrictions on behavior following from this there is not only one way to make law. The critical point to acknowledge is that whatever means are used are accepted by rational people. When dealing with positive/mad made laws Aquinas classifies them into real or defective. The former relate to reasonable standards of conduct in the pursuit of the common good while the latter refers to laws that do not meet criteria established in natural law principle or are unjust (do not meet the requirements of justice) and so these laws can be justifiably disobeyed. The Fall and Rise of Natural Law The secularisation of Natural Law began with the advent of the Reformation in Europe and the consequent decline of the Roman Catholic Church. This essentially resulted in Protestant theorists developing their own theories on natural law that were not based on papal teachings. Natural law doctrines faced further decline throughout the 18th century and into the 19th century where emphasis was placed on the notions of State power and State coercion. This era also saw a rise in the positivists approach to jurisprudential theories which were promoted by Jeremy Bentham and John Austin. Such jurists sought to separate the notions of what law is as opposed to what the law ought to be. The concepts of morality and law should be kept apart and the principles of Natural Law should belong more to the former than the latter. The 20th century saw a rebirth of Natural Law approaches to the study of law. To the forefront was the notion that there must be a higher set of principles (as distinct from positive law) which must satisfy natural law theories if law was to be regarded as valid. This revival was the result of a number of historical occurrences Nazism (whose acts were based on Nazi laws); the development of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction; the general decline of social and economic stability worldwide. Professor John Finnis 20th Century Professor John Finnis is a contemporary defender of natural law and a supporter of its resurgence in the last century. Finnis is a strong supporter of a neo-Aquinian natural law philosophy which does not presuppose a divine being. Instead of making reference to the form of good or seeking good, as was proposed by historical jurists he speaks of mans desire to pursue basic goods in life. Finnis focuses on goods rather than a single good in what he refers to as a theory of moral action for our day or in other words he seeks a theory of how to live well. Finnis The Basic Goods of Life This theory is based on the supposition that mankind sets out to obtain things they perceive to be good for themselves. In doing so, man must exercise practical reason to obtain that good at any one time. Finnis isolates eight of these goods which, according to him, cannot be broken down any more and so refers to them as basic goods in life. These are, he says, fundamental and do not derive from other goods analogous to the moral equivalents of chemical elements. They are generally things which for most people make life worthwhile and according to Finnis are self-evident. They list as follows Life life is the first basic value stemming from the drive for self preservation. Knowledge refers to the preference of man for true fact over false belief. Finnis calls it speculative knowledge distinguishing between knowledge sought for personal sake over knowledge sought as a means of achieving power or popularity. Play relates to performance for the sake of it an act or acts done for no point but an attempt to better oneself Aesthetic Experience relates simply to the appreciation of beauty but at all levels Friendship/ Sociability acting for the well being of a friend Practical Reasonableness the main concept which relates to mankind using their own intellect to choose his paths in life Religion relates to the ability of mankind to reflect on universal origins and of human freedom and reason Marriage a recent addition to Finnis list of basic goods. Marriage, per Finnis, is that between a male and a female and any sexual activity between non-married persons that is not procreative is inherently immoral. The first three (a) to (c) above Finnis calls substantive goods, which exist prior to action. The final group of these basic goods he terms reflexive goods which depend on our choices. Finnis The Principles of Practical Reasonableness To achieve these goods Finnis also has nine principles of practical reasonableness that are what might be called methods of operation that are to be utilised in the ordering of human life and the human community and the creation of the optimum conditions to attain these basic goods such conditions equate to the common good. These basic methodological requirements when taken in part or as a whole allow us the capability of figuring out the morally correct way of acting. The first requirement of practical reasonableness is a rational plan of life. Man must have a structured set of purposes which he should commit to and which guide him through life. Despite life, being subject to many changes one should not just live from moment to moment. Any commitment to a rational life plan will require one or some of the basic goods but such commitment will only be rational if it is based on ones capacities, circumstances and tastes. Secondly, I am of no more value than others but my own well being is my concern and interest and by having a preference for my own well being I will do what is reasonable. Do unto others as you would have them done unto you; put yourself in the other mans shoes; do not condemn others for what your are willing to do yourself these are all requirements of reason and ignoring them is being arbitrary between individuals. Good is to be done and evil is to be avoided a principle taken directly from Aquinian teachings and also Aquinas basic principle of moral action. In doing so one ought to choose and will only those possibilities where willing and action are compatible with integral human fulfillment. This principle gives Finnis (as we shall see further in this essay) and others committed to global human rights the most ammunition i.e. all actions that work against such fulfillment are basically wrong. The forth and fifth principles are related to each other and that of adopting a coherent life plan. One must have a certain detachment from all specific projects that are undertakes. If failure occurs in any of these commitments or projects we must not develop an apathetic attitude thereafter to life. A healthy balance must exist between fanaticism, apathy or refusal to participate. Thus if any commitment fails or appears to be heading that direction then one must look for a more creative or rewarding way to perform same. A further principle relates to the requirement to bring good to the community by actions that are efficient for their purpose. Over a wide range of preferences, it is reasonable for such a community to seek the maximum satisfaction of these preferences. Related to this is the need to favour the common good of ones community or society on a macro scale. Penultimately, no man should choose an act that would damage or negatively affect the participation of any one or more of the basic human goods it is always necessary to weigh up ones actions. Finally the ninth requirement outlines that one should not do what one does not feel like doing so man must act in accordance with his conscience a reiteration of a belief proposed by Aquinas. The Concept of Law Focal vis-à  -vis Penumbral As discussed, Finnis outlines that the human basic goods must be utilised in a community or society, as only then will the conditions to achieve these exist in the pursuit of a common good. This common good requires a legal system but such systems can sometimes work against the common good Finnis acknowledges this and states that a ruler has the authority to act for the common good. If he acts in a way that appears to go against the common good or any of the principles of practical reasonableness such actions lack the authority that they should have had. Just as Aquinas believed, Finnis says such laws lack moral authority, they do not bind the conscience of man and one is neither morally obliged to conform nor not to conform. Or put more simply unjust laws are a perversion of law and do not bind mans moral conscience. Finnis distinguishes here the difference between the focal or core meaning of the law from the penumbral meaning. The latter relates to difficult cases and unclear meanings of law. In such cases an argument is needed to demonstrate that it is appropriate to interpret the rule of law in a particular fashion. The former relates to laws that are aimed at the realisation of the common good for a community if such are unjust they will not be regarded as laws in the focal sense. It is in the focal sense of the concept of law that we must identify as it is in this meaning that we find a direct link between the law and moral order. Finnis Distributive Justice In his book Finnis links practical reasonableness and law when discussing justice and rights. He states that the whole object of distributive justice is the common good. With regard to the basic goods, Finnis maintains that the main criteria are need followed by function and capacity. Such terms relate to roles in communal enterprise together with opportunities for advancement of the individual in society. Finis also makes mention of desert based principles which relate to claims that people deserve certain economic benefits in light of their actions making people responsible for their actions and creative in their environments. The different desert-based principles of distribution differ primarily according to what they identify as the basis for deserving. These principles can be broadly categorised as follows 1. Contribution people should be rewarded for their work activity according to the value of their contribution to the social product 2. Effort people should be rewarded according to the effort they expend in their work activity 3. Compensation people should be rewarded according to the costs they incur in their work activity Finnis further suggests a requirement for private ownership as a requirement of justice when he mentions personal autonomy in the community bolstering this by adding that rule of human experience indicates that resources are more productively exploited by private enterprise but then diluting it by referring to the fact that common ownership and enterprise would be beneficial for all. Finnis Commutative Justice Commutative justice relates to a fundamental fairness in agreements and exchanges between social groups. It demands respect for the equal human dignity of all persons in economic transactions, contracts, or promises e.g. workers owe their employers diligent work in exchange for their wages while employers are obligated to treat their employees as persons, paying them fair wages in exchange for the work done together with establishing conditions and patterns of work that are fair and equitable. The central or characteristic act of commutative justice, according to Aquinas, was Xs act of restitution for Y for losses incurred by Y. This is based on the presupposition that X has already wronged Y. Aquinas teachings did not allow for X to do wrong to Y post restitutio so in many cases the primary focus of Aquinas discussions on commutative justice is not the duty of recompense but the primary question of whether Xs act is or is not a wronging of Y. The term commutative justice for Aquinas therefore is a wide one focusing on rights and wrongs in any interaction between individuals or neighbours. Finnis contends that Aquinas classification of the types of justice as opposed to general justice is fragile. General justice, according to him, is ones orientation to act for the common good or toward a common rule according to all relevant laws, either divine or human. Following from this, all laws (that are adhered to) are made for the common good and everything required for such good of a particular grouping in society should conform to a rational standard. Aquinas however, according to Finnis, clarifies that acting for the common good [according to reasonableness] can sometimes not mean acting according to a common rule. Finnis further makes reference to occasions where it is difficult to distinguish between rules that are intended to secure either distributive justice or commutative justice. He makes reference to the classical period in the law of torts, from mid 19th century to modern day, where such rules may be interpreted either way. Where at one stage the issue was what standard of conduct is owed to a person [neighbour] is increasingly moving toward being phrased in terms of the apportionment of risk. Finnis Human Rights According to Finnis, human rights must be maintained as a fundamental component of the common good. Such rights are subject to or limited to each other and by other aspects of the common good these aspectscan be linked to issues concerning public morality, public health or public order. Finnis believes in some absolute human rights i.e. the right not to have a life taken directly as a means to further end; the right not to be deprived or to be required to deprive oneself from pro-creative activity. Finnis turns to an explicit treatment of rights but then observes that his whole book has been about human rights, which he takes to be synonymous with natural rights The modern grammar of rights provides a way of expressing virtually all the requirements of practical reasonableness, the latter phrase, as discussed above, being equivalent for Finnis to the tradition of natural law. Finnis beliefs on human rights enable him to give an alternative expression of the version of natural law he has developed in conjunction with other modern day philosophers such as Grisez and Hohfeld. In answer to the philosophical question as to what it is to have a right Finnis identifies two theories, the benefit theory and the choice theory. The choice theory arises because it regards the benefit theory as seeing rights simply as the reflex of rules which impose duties. H.L.A. Hart taught that possession of a right was to have control over other peoples freedom or, what amounts to the same thing, control over other peoples duties. (duties being limits on freedom, meaning moral freedom or what a person is morally permitted to do). He emphasised this criticising a different answer to the question what does it mean to have a right? that having a right consists in being the beneficiary of someone elses duties. Hart argued that there are some examples where a person is the beneficia ry of a duty but does not have a right. He further came to see that the choice theory was inadequate, writing that the core of the notion of rights is neither individual choice nor individual benefit but basic or fundamental individual needs. Finnis also sees this as identical with his own notion of basic aspects of human flourishing. Rights exist wherever a basic principle or requirement of practical reasonableness, or a rule derived there from, gives to X, and to each and every member of a class to which X belongs, the benefit of a positive or negative requirement or obligation imposed upon Y, or the ability to bring it about that Y is subject to such a requirement, or the immunity from being himself subject by Y to any such requirement In brief, Finnis is able to recast his whole theory into rights parlance. The benefit theory of rights has been shown by Hart to be only a special case of the choice theory, so we are prepared for Finnis steady correlation of rights and duties. His treatment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 provides not only a keen analysis but a general acceptance of it. His attention is drawn to the specification of what can legitimately limit the exercise of a right. To say that the exercise of human rights is subject to the common good serves no useful purpose, for the maintenance of human rights is a fundamental component of the common good. Finnis, in essence, extends his contention that natural law and natural rights can be regarded as two sides of a coin as duty on one side and the flipside as a right. The modern use of right to mean something someone has turns out to be simply a restatement of the requirements of justice from the side of the recipient. According to McIne rney, it is not simply that the old talk can be translated into the new, Finnis shows a preference for the new and praises it on occasion. Finnis A Critique of Practical Reasonableness Practical reasonableness is the key to Finniss theory of Natural Law. It is the means through which people grasp what is good and what is to be pursued, as well as being a good in itself. As discussed earlier, Finnis recognises basic forms of good, and asserts that this is an exhaustive list, suggesting that everyone who is practically reasonable will agree with it but if true must not practical reasonableness be an objective concept. Otherwise, people could discover completely different forms of good using their own subjective practical reasonableness. Finnis, however, does not agree and in his book expresses an aspect of practical reasonableness as the requirement that one should not do what one judges or thinks or feels all-in-all should not be done. This, he feels, expresses that practical reasonableness is not simply a mechanism for producing correct judgments, but an aspect of personal full-being, to be respected (like all the other aspects) in every act as well as over-all whatever the consequences How so is it possible to have a self-evident, indemonstrable good of practical reasonableness, through which all other forms of good are recognised, if it is acceptable to follow a mistaken conscience, whatever the consequences? Hitler, for example, may have genuinely felt he was doing a great service to the common good by ridding society of the curse of the Jews; and under Finniss theory, he cannot be criticised for this, because he was following his conscience, and because all of the requirements are of equal value. Ironically the prosecution of these war crimes were a principal factor that led to the Natural Law revival in which Finnis took part. Finnis regards practical reasonableness as an end in itself. He considers just that about all of the basic goods (of which practical reasonableness is just one) as being an end pre-eminently endish Reference is made however of a double duty whereby such reasonableness is a means of pursuing the ends of the other basic goods. So reasonableness is both a basic aspect of human well being and concerns ones participation in all other aspects of human well being. Can such a double-duty be performed? Is it actually a good, an end in itself or is it merely a method of attaining the other goods? Unlike knowledge for example, practical reasonableness cannot be pursued just for its own sake. Such a pursuit is necessarily contingent upon another end. When participating in it, the ultimate goal is not the attainment of practical reasonableness, but the participation in and realisation of another goal. Finnis would appear to place a higher value on the good of practical reasonableness than on the rest of the basic goods contrary to his belief that they are all equal. If it is accepted that it is both a means and an end that it does in fact do double-duty where none of the other basic goods do this would lend creedence to the suggestion that it sits atop a hierarchy à ¡ la Finnis. He suggests as much by stating that despite being free to choose which good we choose to pursue and which to ignore, we have no good reason to leave practical reasonableness out of our plan to live well. This would further introduce an Orwellian concept that the basic goods are all equal but some are more equal than others. If such a hierarchy exists should the basic good of life not outrank all others without which one could not partake in the rest of the basic goods. This, the author contends, unlike much of Finnis assertions, actually is self-evident. Next in line should then be practical reasonabl eness for reasons set out above followed by knowledge which bridges a gap between self-interest and a concern for the common good. Religion and all curiosity relating to cosmic order could come next although it could be linked to knowledge or a sub-category of it. Play is linked to sociability and friendship with aesthetic friendship linked to it as a sub-category. Finnis rates this as least important as it would appear to have the least interaction with the rest. Finnis natural law theory asserts that the values of his self-evident basic goods are the impossible to measure. Fundamental problems are created when morality is divorced from values. Finnis, as discussed above, requires a life plan based on these goods placed in a hierarchical format but does not outline how one should go about this. This places the morally right candidate in a unsure position as he may try to do what Finnis suggests but may never be able to achieve the required result as Finnis expects. Conclusion Essentially Finnis lays claim that the law is a social institution whose purpose is to regulate the affairs of people and so contribute to the creation of a community in which all people can live harmoniously while realising the fruits of the basic value system he proposes. In effect the law is a moral project where one must take the position of the person who examines the law with this person in mind. This is the practical reasonable person who grasps the basic values together with the laws purpose in helping others realise them. Whether or not a persons description of law is correct or not will depend significantly upon whether ones moral views are correct as it is these that will inform the way in which one conceives the project of law. Word Count 4,974 Footnotes 36