The Enduring Wisdom in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels and Alexande

The Enduring Wisdom in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man If learned men of a past era came to this present age of technological advance, modern man might be surprised at the observations these humans of yesterday would make. Over three centuries ago, two such men -- Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope -- made observations concerning their own time which have interesting insights to today's world. One thing Jonathan Swift might choose to expound upon is the institution of political democracy. In Gulliver's Travels, he comments, "That all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end: and which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine." So although he believes that every man has the right to choose his own "end" -- religion -- he also accepts the authority of the "chief magistrate" -- the king -- to determine a state-wide religion. This idea is hardly acceptable to democracy advocates today. Alexander Pope, i n his "An Essay on Man," propounds the "Great Chain of Being" theory of existence and order: Vast Chain of Being! which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel, man, Beast, bird, fish, insect, what no eye can see, No glass can reach! from Infinite to thee, (EM 1102) Know thy own point: this kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heaven bestows on thee. (EM 1103) In this "Great Chain of Being", every creature and thing occupies a place -- it seems reasonable to assume that since there exists more than one "link" in the human spectrum, that different humans occupy different social positions. Kings, for exa... ...e the religion he practices in his own home. Pope and Swift might surprise modern society with their views. They would be cautious about accepting or rejecting anything new -- both men demonstrated careful logic in their ideas, and not just fervent belief. Some modern beliefs might require more time before they would pass judgment: science-fiction, for example. And some they might not agree with but would be willing to tolerate: various religions and political systems. Their ideas about other "technologies", such as space exploration, might make modern society re-evaluate its reasons for exploring the vast unknown. Works Cited Pope, Alexander. ?Essay on Man.? Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces 6th ed. Ed. Maynard Mack et.al. New York: Norton, 1992. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Ed. Louis A. Landa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

Edgar Allan Poes The Premature Burial :: essays research papers

The Mind vs. the Undead The Romantic Era was a time when writers wrote with passion in relation to elements of writing such as the fantastic or supernatural, the improbable, the sentimental, and the horrifying. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the many writers who used elements such as these in his writings. Poe was famous for reflecting the dark aspects of his mind in a story, creating detailed imagery intriguing the reader. The fantastic and supernatural elements are expressed in The Premature Burial as impossible and in a sense, horrifying. The idea of people walking after their believed death is very extreme thinking in a world that seems normal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The writing style of Edgar Allan Poe shows the writer to be of a dark nature. In this story, he focuses on his fascination of being buried alive. He quotes, â€Å"To be buried alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these [ghastly] extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality.† page 58 paragraph 3. The dark nature is reflected in this quote, showing the supernatural side of Poe which is reflected in his writing and is also a characteristic of Romanticism. Poe uses much detail, as shown in this passage, â€Å"The face assumed the usual pinched and sunken outline. The lips were of the usual marble pallor. The eyes were lusterless. There was no warmth. Pulsation had ceased. For three days the body was preserved unburied, during which it had acquired a stony rigidity.† page 59 paragraph 2. The descriptive nature of this writing paints a vivid picture that intrigues the reader to use their imagination and visualize the scene present ed in the text. This use of imagery ties with aspects of Romanticism because of the nature of the descriptions Poe uses. Describing the physical features of one who seems dead is a horrifying perspective as not many people thing about the aspects of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The mind is a very powerful tool when it is exploited to think about situations out of the ordinary. Describing in vivid detail the conditions of one after his, her, or its death associates the mind to a world that is filled with horrific elements of a dark nature.

Fashion Merchandising

Fashion merchandising is where fashion and business meet. Fashion merchandising involves marketing fashions to various retail stores, boutiques and wholesalers. The mission of a fashion merchandiser includes connecting different fashions to consumers and anticipating what your clients will be interested in. Fashion merchandising doesn't center on fashion alone; it entails a keen business sense and knowledge of assorted marketing strategies and techniques. Fashion merchandisers are customer-oriented and inspire their customers through the presentation of clothes.Fashion management involves the promotion of fashion and evoking interest in new styles and products. Fashion merchandisers study trends, research the marketplace for merchandise sources, make buys, adjust price-points and display stock within their shopping venues. They must be aware of past season's sales performances, predicted trends, consumer demand and visual marketing techniques. Their success is measured seasonally by a ratio of hot-selling items to clearance goods, the length of time that merchandise takes to clear and eventual final markdown prices.Career paths within merchandising are many and diverse. erything that the fashion industry has to offer. Take a look at the job description of a fashion merchandiser, and the employment outlook for this field. Ads by Google Fashion Design Course    Top Fashion Design College in India Full Time International Faculty. www. rmihyd. com/Call:04023567888 Fashion merchandising is an interesting career option for those of you who are interested not only in fashion design, but also the business activities involved in this field. You should know that simply a passion for fashion is not enough to pursue this as a career.You have to be passionate about what you do, and there is a lot of action involved in the business front. Simply put, the fashion industry is not as glamorous as it appears, and in careers such as fashion merchandising, the glamor is extremel y low, and the hard work involved, equally high. What does this job entail? Let's take a look. Job Description The prime job of a fashion merchandiser is to bring together all areas of the fashion biz and manage it. The main roles involved are those of designing, development of new and unique products, production, and creating and developing sales and marketing plans.While these are the broad roles, some fashion merchandisers have specific roles pertaining to one particular area. In detail, the following are the key roles played by fashion merchandisers. Attending various fashion shows to pick up the latest in style and utilizing this knowledge in the development of new products. Analyzing and predicting trends and fashion clothing styles, and collaborating with fashion designers to create and introduce new and unique products in the fashion industry. Working with suppliers to strike cost-effective deals for production.Developing marketing strategies that will enhance overall sales. Working in close contact with other professionals in the fashion industry. Managing the retail store by designing the store layout and engaging in visual merchandising (enhancing sales through store displays). Working in close contact with the media, by utilizing photography, magazine publications, and other such techniques to promote new products and the store. Analyzing fashion trends to develop products to cater to a target or niche market.As you can see, designing is only one aspect of fashion merchandising, and there is a lot more involved in this career field. All these skills will be taught to you during your course. However, these skills really be developed and honed only when on the job. A school cannot prepare you for real life situations and issues that you may have to face on the job. However, it will give you a strong knowledge base to be able to analyze and effectively deal with the situation. Read more at Buzzle:  http://www. buzzle. com/articles/fashion-merchandis ing. html

Karl Marx and Capitalism Essay

In this paper I will examine how Karl Marx views capitalism and, more specifically, the criticisms he has regarding capitalism. In the first part of the paper I will reconstruct and explain the philosopher’s argument. In the second part of the paper I will offer my critical evaluation where I will demonstrate how these critiques are still appropriate in today’s society by providing examples of how capitalism is affecting the lives of American workers even today. However, I will first explain the definition and structure of capitalism. Capitalism is an economic system that is most common in the United States and much of Western Europe today. It is represented by privatization of companies for production of goods or services for a profit, competitive markets, and wage labor (â€Å"Capitalism†). These individual skills were initially developed from skills that grew out of the economic time period known as feudalism and has evolved into individuals who possess certain skills that can demand payment. Although this may seem like it would be an ideal situation for workers and provide a platform to provide a service in return for payment of some sort, it soon became evident that there were people who would use this new system of economics to their advantage. Instead of doing the work themselves, they would find skilled workers to provide the service or product under the umbrella of their organization to which they would market and sell the goods for profit. The business owner would make a profit and, in turn, pay the worker a portion for his services provided. Unfortunately, there were others who were unable to make the system work for them in such an advantageous manner. Karl Marx had two basic criticisms of capitalism – especially in his lifetime of the beginning of the industrial revolution and the formation of factories. His first was the thought that the worker suffered from alienation on several different levels. As a capitalistic society succeeds by gaining profit for the companies and business owners, the overall cost of goods needed to live also increases. If the wages earned by workers went up consistently with the profits of society and, thus, the increase in the cost of living, all would be good and balanced. However, that is not the case in most circumstances, in fact, as Marx points out, â€Å"the worker becomes an ever cheaper commodity the more goods he creates† (Johnson 261). In other words, as the production increases the cost to produce is lowered. The business owner sees those profits in the gross profit obtained by the sale of goods; however, the worker is generally not compensated in a fair and equitable manner. This turns a skill which may or may not have been a passion at one time into something that the worker is forced to do whether they desire to do so or not. Even if a worker enjoyed his occupation, chances are, he or she is being forced to comply with guidelines or standards set by someone else. As a worker you are still not truly free to produce your work according to your standards so you are, in essence, alienating yourself from the product of your work. According to Marx, capitalism has also produced an alienation from nature. He states that the capitalistic society conceals this alienation because it does not examine the direct relationship between the worker and production (Johnson 263). Essentially, the labor of the worker may produce wonderful and beautiful things for the wealthy individuals but oftentimes the working class population may never get to experience the beauty for themselves. Furthermore, the workers identity is often lost within their job and they do not have the means to express their individuality. This is identified by Marx as being alienated from yourself and from your labor. Most people do not proclaim their uniqueness in ways that focus around their occupation. Even in a highly sought after job you may, for a time, feel as if that encompasses who you truly are, but it is only a small part of your being – your essence. This also ties in to another alienation theme of Marx which is the alienation from your species as a human being. According to Marx, â€Å"the worker feels himself to be freely active only in his animal function – eating, drinking, and procreating, or at most also in his dwelling and in personal adornment – while in his human functions he is reduced to animal† (Johnson 264). In other words, as workers we are often free only when we are allowed to do what we want to do instead of what is demanded and required of us at our jobs. When this happens, we are often reduced to a more animalistic approach to fulfilling our needs. Finally, Marx contends that in a apitalistic society, the worker is alienated from others. Because there is so much competition in capitalism – which is the driving force for production and profits – it causes a hostile environment among workers. Many are competing for the same position or the same customer or account. This competition causes a friction within the frame of society that pits individual against individual which is what leads us into the next matter of contention with Marx in his views of capitalism which is exploitation. He claims that â€Å"private property has made us so stupid and partial that an object is only ours when we have it, when it exists for us as capital or when it is directly eaten, drunk, worn, inhabited, etc. , in short, utilized in some way; although private property itself only conceives these various forms of possession as means of life, and the life for which they serve as means is the life of private property – labor and creation of capital† (Johnson 266). People have become so materialistic in our capitalistic society that they are driven to all means by which to obtain their measures of status. Because of this, the workers are driven to give into demands made by their employers in order to make the wages necessary to maintain their standard of living. Since the workers are plentiful, the products are also plentiful, which discussed earlier creates a larger bottom line for the profit of the company or business owner. However, even though the profits are increased for the business owners of the capitalistic society, the wages are often not as high as the profit. Thus, the value of the product is high while keeping the value of the worker low. This is a classic example of exploitation. I think that the criticisms offered by Marx are still applicable in today’s society in the United States. I think that the worker is indeed alienated from his true identity as an individual. Before the onset of industrialized production there was a certain pride associated with one’s occupation; whether that was as a craftsman in wood, as a blacksmith, tailor, or bricklayer. No matter your profession, you were able to express your individuality and impart your character into the product of your work. Sadly, this is not the case with the workers of today. They are often subject to limitations and expectations that hinder their creative ability and they are forced to produce that are a poor representation of their ability or personality. Most people are forced into positions they don’t even want to be in professionally because they need to make a certain amount of money to pay for their wants and needs. This creates a frustration and dissatisfaction that reaches far beyond the walls of the factory or office. It is no wonder that most workers today dread Monday mornings and count the days until five o’clock Friday afternoon. Again and again, the energy level increases as the weekend approaches. There is a common sentiment that states everybody is simply working for the weekend. This is because workers are dissatisfied with their jobs and feel undervalued and taken advantage of in many circumstances. Once the workday ends, the freedom begins for the worker. This is often why the bars have a â€Å"happy hour† as this is where the worker can forget the troubles of the day and throw back a drink or two and finally relax. The economic conditions of living in an industrialized society has turned the ordinary worker into a materialistic consumer that generally far outreaches his or her ability to afford to keep up with the Jones’. Because many feel the pressure of this forced societal expectations to possess certain items, live in a certain neighborhood, d rive the right car all while wearing the right clothes and accessories we as workers in the United States have been put in the unfortunate and unbalanced position of much more want than means by which to provide it. As long as that continues, we are stuck in a cycle of never ending wants that never truly satisfy because they are not meeting what is truly needed in our lives. Marx claims that â€Å"the human being had to be reduced to this absolute poverty in order to be able to give birth to all his inner wealth† (Johnson 268). In a capitalistic society it is encouraged, and even necessary, to consume what is being produced in order for capitalism to continue to grow. Today’s worker can do this in moderation, without putting themselves or their families in such a position to further add to the frustration of meeting expectations and demands at a workplace that is unfulfilling to their existence. Furthermore, I think that labor unions were formed in the early 1900’s in order to protect workers from exploitation of greedy business owners. At the turn of the century, many workers were expected to work long hours almost every day of the week. There were unsafe working environments s well as high quotas being placed on workers from employers with minimal compensation to the workers. All of this was so the profits could rise as production was increased. There seemed no reason to pay more in wages by adding workers or in higher salaries for the existing employees when the business owners could simply demand more from their current workforce. Also, working conditions were often unsafe while trying to maximize workspace with the maximum number of workers without actually increasing the area being used. Because of labor unions working conditions have improved greatly for the worker in America; there are 40 hour work weeks with compensation for additional hours worked; guidelines have been implemented to make for safer working conditions; and there is more room for negotiation for fair wages without fear of retaliation by employers. Although labor unions are still in existence today, they have much less impact than they had in the past. Politicians are close bedfellows with the corporate executives across our nation and policies are ever changing to benefit the corporation and business owners while causing the worker to suffer the consequences. Even though there have been great improvements in regard to the criticisms of alienation and exploitation that Marx had against capitalism, I believe they still exist. Marx may have not been of this century but I feel his observations are still valid in today’s world.

Country and Rap Music Essay

The types of music that people listen to are very diverse. Country and rap music are just two of these types of music and the composition of audience that listen to these types greatly vary. The primary reason is that country music is commonly identified with white people who live in the countryside while rap music is commonly associated with black people living in urban cities. For the most part, rap music is relatively a new type of music as compared to country music which, as a result, makes it more appealing to the younger generation. The older generation, on the other hand, are more inclined to listen to the type of music that grew up with, especially country music. One of the unique features of rap music is the way in which the lyrics are vocalized. The sound of rap music usually involves the rhythmic speaking of rhyming lyrics dubbed with the so-called â€Å"beats†. The beats are usually created separately through the use of percussions and other synthesizers. On the other hand, country music usually involves distinct guitar picking patterns with a slightly â€Å"blues† feel. More often than not, country songs involve the use of acoustic guitars although there are instances when the electric guitars are also used in certain parts of the song. The way in which the lyrics are sung is melodic, aptly cohering with the chord pattern of the song. Most country songs are easy to listen to since country music is less of the aggressive type, so to speak. These songs usually tell the story of the country life where the days are reminiscent of the outdoor life close to nature. There are also times when country songs express the love affairs of individuals. But unlike other forms of music, country music is â€Å"a more gentle approach to putting emotions† into music, in a manner of speaking (Lewis, p. 44). Rap music, on the other hand, usually expresses the experiences of an individual in the suburban or urban areas. Most of rap songs commonly involve the narration of how a young black American has to survive and rise to meet the challenges of surviving in a cruel society. These songs also have become stereotyped as the music of young people with a rebellious attitude who are part of violent gangsters in local neighborhoods. Thus, it is not hard to identify rap music as an aggressive type of music. Because of the wide generation gap between the time when either one of the two gain much prominence, there is likewise a great deal of difference between rap and country music in terms of its audience or followers. Rap music, being a relatively new type of music emerging and gaining prominence only in the later part of the 80s—with the exception of the theory that the origins of rap being traced as far back as the time when African-American slaves were chanting rhymes while doing work—the composition of its audience can also be said as younger (Sullivan, p. 613). On the other hand, country music has been around long before the birth of rap music. That being said, a large part of the those who listen to country music belong to the older generation although, of course, it can also be said that there are also young people who listen to country music. Not surprisingly, a portion of those who listen to country music may likewise be composed of those who live in the countryside since they can easily relate to the messages behind each country song. The same can also be said about rap music; those who live in more urban areas have the tendency to lend their ears to rap songs as they can easily relate to the message of most rap songs. For example, the rap songs of the artist â€Å"50 cent† may appeal more to younger people who reside in cities and other urban areas whereas the country songs of Johnny Cash may appeal more to older people who live in the countryside. However, these comparisons do not necessarily mean that there are no countryside people who listen to the rap songs of 50 cent or that there are no urban people who listen to the country songs of Johnny Cash. The point is that it is more likely for urban people to easily associate themselves with the songs of rap artists whereas it is more likely for countryside people to easily relate themselves to the songs of country artists. Rapping can also be done without the accompaniment of any musical instrument. It can even be done in simple impromptu gatherings in common places such as in local streets in the neighborhood. As for country music singing, it is difficult to say if a song is sung in a country music style without the accompaniment of musical instruments such as guitars. At the least, a singer would have to need a guitar in order to sing a country song or to make the song sound â€Å"country† in a recognizable way. In more recent times, rap music has been gaining a steady stream of following from the public with the increasing prominence of several rap artists. Country music, on the other hand, has been kept alive by several younger artists although the likes of Johnny Cash and his generation of country musicians have kept a steady support from the public listeners through the years. If there is one similarity between the two distinct musical genres, it has to be the fact that both country and rap have become cultures on their own. Rap music has become a culture tat has been embraced by individuals which, as a matter of fact, has even resulted to certain divisions among its musicians—the so-called East and West sides. Likewise, country music has created its own sense of culture manifested in the rural areas. Works Cited Lewis, George H. â€Å"The Creation of Popular Music: A Comparison of the ‘Art Worlds’ Of American Country Music and British Punk. † International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music 19. 1 (1988): 35-51. Sullivan, Rachel E. â€Å"Rap and Race: It’s Got a Nice Beat, but What about the Message? † Journal of Black Studies 33. 5 (2003): 605-22.

Final Paper - Building a More Just Society Research

Final - Building a More Just Society - Research Paper Example Moreover, the code of ethics was meant to addresses bad governance and malpractices such as corruption. The need for ethics laws came to the attention of the Special Legislative Committee on Integrity and Ethical Standards in the Government several years back. The committee argued that there was a problem with proper ethical standards. This problem was traced to the lack of checks and balances in the various arms of governments and other agencies. The lack of check and balances provided a conducive environment for unjust acts such as bribery, nepotism and misuse of public office. The end result of this was injustice in the society in general. It was therefore prudent to come up with a set of rules to help counter this problem Following the 1970 Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (EGA). This act was to restore public confidence in the government officials as well as the political process. The Act ensured that no branch of the government assumes power THAT may allow it to be involved in malpractices such as corruption, nepotism or bribery (Sleight & Mancuso, 2010). In the United States of America, the US constitution recognizes and empowers the police to help in regulating public behavior and maintaining peace and order. Law and order is maintained so as to build a safer, more just, morally upright and healthy community (Sleight & Mancuso, 2010). The Tenth Amendment of the US constitution divides the power of the Federal government and the State government in order to protect the public from any form exploitation from either state or federal government. The constitution gives the law enforcement agencies the duty to serve the public by safeguarding lives and property. This code of ethics is bidding to every Law enforcer in the United States. Furthermore, these agencies usually take an oath of office to protect the innocent from deception, weak from oppression and

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example This is an interpretation of the fact that purchases can not only be manipulated, but also predicted by psychologists. Behaviors are, therefore, inborn and can be manipulated to assess if the individuals will behave in any way. Among such aspects that can be influenced to assess behavior are inclusive of arousal feelings that emanate from within the individual and can be directed towards making purchases by the consumers. In light to this argument, the essay shall endeavor to highlight the motivation behind making purchases of tea and champagne, and, caviars and beef burgers by the consumers. One of the motivational models that describe consumer behavior is the equity model. According to the equity model, consumers tend to purchase products that are equivalent to the value of their money. In this case an employee pays a huge amount of money; in return, they expect that the goods they get are of high quality (Kirenz, pp.21). Consumers may end up purchasing caviars so as to get good va lue for their money, not necessarily for taste. This is due to the fact that there exists cheaper versions of caviars as well as ‘almost equivalents’ of the original. From this fact, consumers are much more concerned with the need to acquire the best caviars. As Kirenz (pp.21), indicates, the equity model is much more concerned with having the best among other products that might be of equivalent to that specific product. The example of caviar can be attributed to some confines of consumption; that is, a quality product from the seller. Need achievement is yet another motivation model that determines consumer behavior (Jansson-Boyd, .pp.115). This model works on the basis that consumers purchase goods so as to get to self actualization. This can be compared to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on self actualization of needs. However, need achievement, according to Moonj (pp.138), allows for a chance that may lead to the consumer not getting the exact satisfaction that they may need. In essence, the need achievement model refers to a situation whereby the expectations of the consumer drive them towards making a purchase. This model may be applicable in the purchases of beef burgers by the consumers. After consumption of beef burgers, the consumers expect that they will manage to quench their hunger for food, but on the other hand, the consumers may not pleased with the burgers, a fact that explains that the consumers may not quench their need for food or appetite for burgers. An analysis of the consumer behaviors in terms of purchases regarding the beef burgers, the Herzberg theory of motivation has a great correlation with the behavior. The avoidance aspect of the Herzberg theory is related to the chances that the consumers may not be satisfied with beef burgers while; the approach aspect refers to a situation whereby, there is a great likelihood that the consumer may attain self actualization after consumption of the beef burgers. Consumer behav iors are motivated by the expectancy value model. According to Macinnis & Hoyer (pp.128), the expectancy value model relates to the desirability aspect of products by the consumer, and the expectations of the consumers as compared to the alternatives of the product. The expectancy value model also operates under the basics of the outcomes that the consumers expect from the product. This refers to the attitudes of the consumer on the particular product as well as the dilemmas that come along with the consumption of the product. This model works for purchases on tea, a product that if many consumers would have the funds, would go for coffee. This justifies the fact that this theory works with questions. On one hand, the consume