Ethical judgements Essay Example for Free

Ethical judgements Essay Our entire life is a continuous process of gaining and retaining information, expanding our knowledge as individuals. Most people spend quite a bit of time in their childhood years in school learning, taking in knowledge that has been produced. As a species humans have produced a wealth of knowledge in a variety of ways. However there comes a time where you have to wonder what extent people would go to, to produce knowledge. Where is the line? When are we doing something ethically wrong? All of these questions bring up another question, do ethics get in the way of producing knowledge? The arts and natural sciences are two areas of knowledge that deal a lot with ethics. The arts are a very free area of knowledge in with people are allowed to express themselves, the natural sciences require a lot of experimentation. In my opinion, knowledge is very valuable, and the production of it should be a priority if the sacrifice is reasonable. The arts are a valuable source of knowledge, producers of art tend to try to convey a message through their artwork. Art comes in many different forms, ranging from visual arts to music and even literary arts. Throughout all forms most of art there are lessons embedded in the art piece, or at least messages conveyed through the art. Similarly, most art contains some form of censorship, artists are not allowed to touch on certain topics. Even if artists decide to make art that touches on controversial or different topics, their art is typically not accepted in society and does not receive any publicity. Again, this is the case with almost all art, however for the purpose of this essay I am going to focus on literary art. An example that is very prevalent in my mind is the ban of _The Book of Negroes_ by Lawrence Hill. A dutchman named Roy Groenberg wrote a letter to Lawrence Hill. In the letter he wrote that a group of people in the Netherlands were going to burn Hills book because in contained the word negro in the title (Hopper). _The Book of Negroes_ is an award winning book that is about the life of an 11 year-old girl who is kidnapped in a village near Segu in Africa, and sent to North Carolina to be a slave. The book continues to tell the reader about her life as a slave (Hill). _The Book of Negroes_ is widely considered as very moving and a book that conveys important messages (Hopper). Unfortunately, because of the title it was misconceived as a book that was critical of African-Americans. Groenberg was the only person to act on his feelings, however that does not mean he was the only person to see this book as negatively directed at African-Americans. _The Book of Negroes_ was likely misconceived by many more people just because of the inclusion of the word negro in the title. Unfortunately, society has made many ethical judgements about the word negro which are usually justified but in this case prevent people expanding their knowledge (Hopper). This one of many examples, in which an ethical judgement limited methods available in the production of knowledge. This brings up the question in my mind, why do people shy away from certain words? An attempt to find the answer lead me to the Theory of Knowledge diagram, more specifically the ways of knowing. One way of knowing that intrigues me is language, this seems to answer my question. Language is a very powerful way of knowing, as words can be very powerful. There are handful of words in the english language that are not spoken because of how powerful they are. It seems to me that because of this some words are not tolerated even if the context is appropriate. Which sort of explains why The Book of Negroes received some criticism. It almost makes the criticism understandable, and I can begin to justify Groenbergs actions. Like I said before, almost all art forms have artwork that is not socially  accepted, and up to this point Ive only discussed literary art. However in my personal life I have learned about art not being accepted, when it comes to hip-hop music. I regularly listen to hip-hop music and it is a very important part of my life. In the eighth grade for a social studies class I had the opportunity to play a song in class as part of a project. This for me was especially difficult because a lot of hip-hop music is not completely suitable for a eighth grade class setting. Even though I had found a couple of songs that were perfect for what I needed, but had a little too much profanity. I completely understand that there are some inappropriate elements to hip-hop music that are not the best thing for a class room environment. However, I believe by the eighth grade students have developed a level of maturity, and should be able to listen to hip-hop music. All that needed to happen was for my classmates to disregard any profanity and see the song for what it truly is. Similarly, people should have looked past the title The Book of Negroes and read the book to see it for its value. Ethical judgments are as prevalent in the arts as they are in the natural sciences. From stem cell research to animal testing, there are a plethora of examples for natural sciences. The arts are as much about entertainment as they are gaining knowledge, or maybe even more. On the other hand the natural sciences is almost entirely about gaining new knowledge and improving what is already known. In this age, developments in natural sciences are nearly only about human advancement. Whether is medically or discovering new things. I am going to mainly focus on how various countries, such as Argentina, the United States, Russia, Iran and France, tested their space equipment. From the mid 1940s all the way to 2013, the mentioned countries have sent monkeys into space (Gray). Before leaders were confident enough to send humans into space, they sent monkeys into space to see how their equipment fared. As expected, most of these monkeys died horrible deaths in flight with no way of knowing what is happening or any way to help themselves (Gray). The most notable instances were the first few monkeys in space. In 1948 NASA sent a  rhesus monkey named Albert 39 miles into the air in a rocket. Albert died of suffocation mid flight, however NASA sent another monkey in the air named Albert II. Albert II survived the flight but died due to a parachute malfunction (Gray). When I discussed the Book of Negroes I reached a conclusion that gaining knowledge is more important than ethical issues. However, when discussing NASA monkeys it is much harder to decide. This is because lives are at stake, although they are not human lives it is still hard to think about something dying for space research. Majority of people agree that sending monkeys into space is wrong. How is it that NASA can design equipment to go into space, but can not create a machine that can detect air pressure and oxygen levels. Again, understanding this point of view is much easier but the theory of knowledge diagram came to my mind again. In the ways of knowing there is emotion, and that is likely the main way of knowing affecting people when they imagine monkeys dying for space research. It is easy to create an emotional bond with an animal as cute as a monkey, and most people can agree monkeys are cute. When reacting on emotions people reach rash conclusions. Which I think can be applied here, I am curious what the reaction would be if NASA tested with uglier or at least less cute animals. What if NASA sent warthogs into space? This is a situation when I personally hate to play devils advocate, however if I was an astronaut in the 1940s I would certainly not go into a space rocket. I have absolutely nothing against monkeys, but if I were forced to make a decision between a monkey dying and a human dying I would choose the monkey, without hesitation. In conclusion, knowledge is very valuable and has been something humans have cherished through the ages. The production of knowledge has been vital to the advancement of the human race. Under most circumstances in the arts and natural sciences, the production of knowledge does not require a major sacrifice, just a small loss or temporary discomfort. There are times in which it is not worth the sacrifice to learn something. However the vast majority of circumstances provide a reasonable loss for the production of  knowledge. Overall, I believe knowledge and the production of knowledge is extremely valuable and should be a priority when it comes to he arts and natural sciences. Works Cited Gray, Tara. A Brief History of Animals In Space. NASA. NASA HQ, 02 Aug 2004. Web. 16 Sep 2013. Hill, Lawrence. The Book of Negroes. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: HarperCollins, 2007. Print. Hopper, Tristin. Dutchman threatens to burn The Book of Negroes. National Post. National Post, 10 Jun 2011. Web. 16 Sep 2013. .

Free Julius Caesar Essays: The Role of the Mob :: Julius Caesar Essays

The Role of the Mob in Julius Caesar The most important characters of the play Julius Caesar are clearly the citizens of Rome. The citizens have an important effect on both the audience and the characters in the play because of their unlimited desire to passionately express their emotions. Throughout the play these emotions are communicated through various events. The first event is the celebration of the feast of the Lupercal. It was the citizens’ positive reaction to Caesar during his triumphant return after his victory over the sons of Pompey that fueled the fear of caesar’s becoming king. The citizens’ opposition to Pompey’s allies caused great disturbances in the streets because a short while before, Pompey was their hero. Now Caesar, victorious, is the hero of the hour. Their response also influenced the idea that Caesar was becoming too ambitious. Thus, the citizens of Rome had a role in the fate of Julius Caesar. A later example occurs during the funeral oration by Mark Antony. Brutus logically gives his reasons that necessitated Caesar’s death. He informs them that he acted out of love of Rome and his desire to prevent tyrants from controlling her. The citizens embrace his words with cheers and understanding. However, their mood alters when Antony offers his interpretation of the situation. He passionately described the deeds Caesar performed in behalf of the citizens of Rome, which clearly contradict the opinion of the conspirators that Caesar was too ambitious. Antony carefully uses irony in referring to Cassius and Brutus as honorable men; the strategy wins over the citizens and they listen with growing anger to his words. He leads the citizens to the body and begins to show the brutal results of the murder while simultaneously influencing them to believe that the conspirators are murderers and traitors. Ultimately, Antony reads Caesar’s will, which leaves his parks, private estates, and newly planted gardens to the citizens of Rome.

Outsourcing and Company

What is Outsourcing? Outsourcing  is the  contracting  out of an internal  business process  to a third party organization. The practice of contracting a business process out to a third party rather than staffing it internally is common in the modern economy. The term â€Å"outsourcing† became popular in the  United States  near the turn of the 21st century. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to another but not always. The definition of outsourcing includes both foreign and domestic contracting,  and sometimes includes  offshoring, which means relocating a business function to another country.Financial savings from lower international labor rates is a big motivation for outsourcing/offshoring. The opposite of outsourcing is called  insourcing, which entails bringing processes handled by third party firms in-house, and is sometimes accomplished via  vertical integration. However, a business can provide a contract service to another business without necessarily insourcing that business process. Advantages of Outsourcing : Outsourcing creates opportunities for a company to focus on lowering costs and improving the efficient allocation of resources within a company.Outsourcing allows a company to redirect its attention to its own competencies and hire outside resources to handle other tasks. For example, Jobs in the mid-west can often consist of phone tech support. However since it is even cheaper to pay people in India then support this community with jobs, it will send its jobs to India, another country which is an example of outsourcing. So outsourcing allows a firm to reduce costs and concentrate its resources on the things It does best while gaining access to expertise it may not have.Companies outsource primarily to cut costs. But today, it is not only about cutting cost but also about reaping the advantages of strategic outsourcing such as accessing skilled expertise, saving time, cutti ng cost, concentrating on networking, business growth and core competencies ,reducing overhead, flexible staffing, and increasing efficiency, reducing turnaround time and eventually generating more profit. 1. Accessing Skilled Expertise : One of the primary advantages of outsourcing is to get access to skilled expertise.This skill set may not be a core competency of a company’s business, but to allow on focusing on the core mission in providing a high quality product and service to its customer what makes sense is handing over the task to people who can perform it better. Moreover, as a double whammy, a company not only spends less on employee trainings and saves precious man-hours but cuts costs as well. 2. Saving time : When running a business, companies soon discover which skills they possess are strong, weak and non-existent.Rather than using their time and money to learn several new skills, they can simply outsource to someone who is already proficient. Perhaps they have other things in life besides business to focus on. Companies may want to spend the extra time outsourcing because it gives companies to learn a new skill such as public speaking, a new language, accounting, or some other subject. 3. Cutting Costs and Saving BIG! : Maintaining an infrastructure can be an extra burden for some businesses, which outsourcing can remove.Outsourcing business requirements to a trusted vendor can help companies to save on the capital expenditure, time, and extra efforts of their personnel. Additionally, companies are no longer committed to invest on employee training, or purchasing expensive software, or investing in latest technologies. All these help the companies to get higher returns in the longer run. For example, A small doctor's office that wants to accept a variety of insurance plans. One part-time person could not keep up with all the different providers and rules. Outsource to a firm specializing in medical billing. . Concentrating on Business Gr owth, Networking and Core Competencies : Workload increases with additional non-core functions and the quality of any company’s core activities suffers as the business grows. Outsourcing in such scenario to a third party plays an important role by allowing company’s key resources to focus on primary business tasks. Because of saving time and energy with outsourcing, companies can focus on growing their business. They can meet with important clients, attend seminars, find potential partners and network as well as tend to the management of the business.Companies can outsource their weakest areas to those who are already strong in them. 5. Reducing overhead : Overhead costs of performing a particular back-office function are extremely high. Paying wages to full-time employees can severely eat into your profits. It’s common for new start-ups to maximize savings by outsourcing to developing countries. People there, who are highly skilled, often work for only a few do llars per hour. It may seem low , but it’s often good money for them. Lower overheads from not having full-time employees may give the company competitive edge and mean the difference between success and failure. . Increasing in-house efficiency : After companies allocate tasks to their outsourcing partner, they share the workload of the companies’ employees. This allows the companies to develop their internal task force and use them more efficiently. 7. Staffing Flexibility : Outsourcing certain independent tasks, allows any company’s business to maintain a financial flexibility when there is an uncertainty in demand. The company can scale up or down comfortably. At a much lower cost, outsourcing provides additional benefit of running business in full throttle even during off season and holiday months.Example: An accounting department that is short-handed during tax season and auditing periods. Outsourcing these functions can provide the additional resources fo r a fixed period of time at a consistent cost. 8. Continuity & Risk Management : Periods of high employee turnover will add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations. Outsourcing will provided a level of continuity to the company while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the company. Example: The human resource manager is on an extended medical leave and the two administrative assistants leave for new jobs in a very short period of time.Outsourcing the human resource function would reduce the risk and allow the company to keep operating. 9. Giving A Company’s Business A Competitive Edge : The ultimate benefit of outsourcing is that it helps the companies gain a competitive edge in the market. Through strategic outsourcing to an outsourcing partner, the companies are not only providing their customers with best-of breed services, but increasing their productivity while managing their in-house resources intelligently. Outsourcing can hel p them surpass competitors who have not yet realized the benefits of outsourcing. 10.Seeing An Overall Increase In The Company’s Business : Outsourcing shows an increase in company’s productivity, customer loyalty, level of quality, business value, profits, and much more. How will the changing face of education impact the supply chain? As you evaluate your choices and decisions in  outsourcing  different components of your operations, you will need to consider the advantages of outsourcing. When done for the right reasons, outsourcing will actually help your company grow and save money. There are other advantages of outsourcing that go beyond money. Here are the top seven advantages of outsourcing. . Focus On Core Activities In rapid growth periods, the back-office operations of a company will expand also. This expansion may start to consume resources (human and financial) at the expense of the core activities that have made your company successful. Outsourcing tho se activities will allow refocusing on those business activities that are important without sacrificing quality or service in the back-office. Example: A company lands a large contract that will significantly increase the volume of purchasing in a very short period of time; Outsource purchasing. 2. Cost And Efficiency SavingsBack-office functions that are complicated in nature, but the size of your company is preventing you from performing it at a consistent and reasonable cost, is another advantage of outsourcing. Example: A small doctor's office that wants to accept a variety of insurance plans. One part-time person could not keep up with all the different providers and rules. Outsource to a firm specializing in medical billing. 3. Reduced Overhead Overhead costs of performing a particular back-office function are extremely high. Consider outsourcing those functions which can be moved easily.Example: Growth has resulted in an increased need for office space. The current location i s very expensive and there is no room to expand. Outsource some simple operations in order to reduce the need for office space. For example, outbound telemarketing or data entry. 4. Operational Control Operations whose costs are running out of control must be considered for outsourcing. Departments that may have evolved over time into uncontrolled and poorly managed areas are prime motivators for outsourcing. In addition, an outsourcing company can bring better management skills to your company than what would otherwise be available.Example: An information technology department that has too many projects, not enough people and a budget that far exceeds their contribution to the organization. A contracted outsourcing agreement will force management to prioritize their requests and bring control back to that area. 5. Staffing Flexibility Outsourcing will allow operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands to bring in additional resources when you need them and release them when yo u're done. Example: An accounting department that is short-handed during tax season and auditing periods.Outsourcing these functions can provide the additional resources for a fixed period of time at a consistent cost. 6. Continuity & Risk Management Periods of high employee turnover will add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations. Outsourcing will provided a level of continuity to the company while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the company. Example: The human resource manager is on an extended medical leave and the two administrative assistants leave for new jobs in a very short period of time. Outsourcing the human resource function would reduce the risk and allow the company to keep operating. . Develop Internal Staff A large project needs to be undertaken that requires skills that your staff does not possess. On-site outsourcing of the project will bring people with the skills you need into your company. Your people can work alon gside of them to acquire the new skill set. Example: A company needs to embark on a replacement/upgrade project on a variety of custom built equipment. Your engineers do not have the skills required to design new and upgraded equipment. Outsourcing this project and requiring the outsourced engineers to work on-site will allow your engineers to acquire a new skill set.

The Theme Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson - 1159 Words

When â€Å"The Lottery† begins, nothing seems unusual about this community, no hint of what is to come, or how heinous an act is about to occur. As they ready themselves for what seems to be a cheerful event, preparing as if to win something valuable, rather than to lose this lottery, eagerness and enthusiasm fill the air. The tradition, this community has been following, is overly duteous, more sheep like, illustrating the extent to which people will go to fit in, to be part of a crowd, to feel accepted. The theme of this story is a reflection on some of Shirley Jackson’s life, from her experiences as a wife in a small community in conjunction with her perspective of the events of WW II. Jackson was born in San Francisco and grew up in an†¦show more content†¦Looking at another central idea which parallels her life, is the hint of feminism. According to author James Sallis, in the book written by Ruth Franklin, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, â€Å"Jackson wrote, she says, always with a central interest in womens lives, and in genres regarded as faintly disreputable,.† Feminism has a recurring role in The Lottery’s theme, beginning with the way in which the men gathered in one area, and the women in another. Jackson also described the men as â€Å"speaking† but the women as exchanging bits of â€Å"gossip†, and then again, when the Watson boy needs to draw for his mother, they express how pleased they are that she has† a man to do it†. So, there is another serious theme in Jackson’s writing: the dark and evil side of humanity, with its follow the rules savior faire. Without a doubt, the war and the Holocaust had a profound effect on how she perceived the world. Some believed she was slightly perverse and odd along with her writing style and stories, but according to her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman in his book about his wife titled The Magic of Shirley Jackson, rather the opposite was true stating, â€Å"Quite the reverse: they are a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fittingShow MoreRelatedTheme And Theme In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson996 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story of an unusual town caught in a trap of always following tradition, even when it is not in their best interest. Jackson uses symbols throughout the story that relate to the overall theme. This helps the reader clearly understand her main message. Jackson uses setting, tone and symbols to convey a theme to her audience. By doing so she creates significant connections to the theme using old man Warner and the black box as examples. The setting and tone inRead More, Symbolism, And Themes In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1252 Words   |  6 PagesShirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is a realism story that was written for the main purpose of entertainment. Jackson writes about a small village that gathers every year for an event they call â€Å"The Lottery†. Every head of households comes up and draws a slip of paper from the box. Bill Hutchinson draws the first slip of paper with the black dot but Tessie Hutchinson quickly exclaims the lottery is not fair. Mr. Summers then puts five slips of paper back into the box, one for each of the family membersRead MoreTheme Of Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson960 Words   |  4 Pagesshall be purged with death. The beauty of this world is just a mere mask to hide its monstrosity.Tear off its mask and you shall be bestowed upon the gift of the cruelty of this world. Shirley Jackson’s short story the â€Å"Lottery† illustrates the characte r Tessie Hutchinson as a figure of symbolism as it leads to the theme that the norms of society isolates those who are a victim of labels and expectations because they decorate the origins of sins therefore premonition of the ruin to some extent becomesRead MoreSimilar Themes In The Lottery And The Destructors By Shirley Jackson774 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"The Destructors† are both very intriguing short stories. Imagine being out in the hot, bright sun and then suddenly being stoned by fifty people or driving up to your house one day from being out of town and seeing your house completely gone. Feelings or emotions of hurt, sorrow, or loneliness begin to appear. People can be cruel for no reason because that individual is not happy with their life or simply jealousy. Shirley Jackson who wrote â€Å"The Lottery† and Graham Green who wroteRead MoreGreat Theme of Symbolism in the Short Story, The Lottery, by by Shirley Jackson1033 Words   |  4 Pagesthe short fictions read in the Grade 11 English curriculum, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is by far the most important story read because of the theme, the characters and the symbolism. The Lottery is a story about a community, who every year draws the lottery for someone in the village. A lottery is often associated with positive things such as prizes, and money, however, this story has a twist; whoever gets the black marked lottery ticket is stoned by the community people as it is a long traditionRead MoreLiterary Themes InThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson796 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, many literary elements are used. The chronological order in which the story is told is what makes this short story interesting and its ending shocking. Jackson narrates the unfolding of a village’s lottery ceremony by providing a detailed description of the plot, symbolism, and tone and style to portray the strong commitment between the lottery and the people in the village. As the story begins, Jackson starts to develop the plot by describingRead More Theme of Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson Americans day after day live much of their lives following time-honored traditions that are passed down from one generation to another. From simple everyday cooking and raising children, to holidays and other family rituals, tradition plays a significant role on how they go by there everyday lives. In Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, the citizens of a small farming town follow one such tradition. A point is made regarding human nature in relationRead MoreThemes Of `` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson And The Ones Who Walk Away From 1861-18651553 Words   |  7 PagesSafeAssign Logo Help I have chosen to examine the theme of attempted but failed equality in my final paper. The theme of equality is present throughout many of the dystopian short stories, novels, poems and films we have studied in class. The three stories I feel this theme is most present in are â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut and â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† by Ursula Le Guin. In these stories society tries to make everything orderly and just. TheirRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead MoreAnalysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson993 Words   |  4 PagesSpanish author, When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. Shirley Jackson was born in 1919 in San Francisco, California to Leslie and Geraldine Jackson. She is most well known for her short story titled â€Å"The Lottery† which was first published in The New Yorker to overwhelming and mixed reviews. The lottery, as portrayed in the short story, is a religious, annual ceremony in the afternoon of June 27. This event is said to be older