Art Of Living Essays - Nicaraguan Revolution, IranContra Affair

Art Of Living An August, 1996, series in the San Jose Mercury News by reporter Gary Webb linked the origins of crack cocaine in California to the contras, a guerrilla force backed by the Reagan administration that attacked Nicaragua's Sandinista government during the 1980s. Webb's series, The Dark Alliance, has been the subject of intense media debate, and has focused attention on a foreign policy drug scandal that leaves many questions unanswered. This electronic briefing book is compiled from declassified documents obtained by the National Security Archive, including the notebooks kept by NSC aide and Iran-contra figure Oliver North, electronic mail messages written by high-ranking Reagan administration officials, memos detailing the contra war effort, and FBI and DEA reports. The documents demonstrate official knowledge of drug operations, and collaboration with and protection of known drug traffickers. Court and hearing transcripts are also included. Special thanks to the Arca Foundation, the Ruth Mott Fund, the Samuel Rubin Foundation, and the Fund for Constitutional Government for their support. Contents: Documentation of Official U.S. Knowledge of Drug Trafficking and the Contras Evidence that NSC Staff Supported Using Drug Money to Fund the Contras U.S. Officials and Major Traffickers: Manuel Noriega Jos? Bueso Rosa FBI/DEA Documentation Testimony of Fabio Ernesto Carrasco, 6 April 1990 National Security Archive Analysis and Publications Click on the document icon next to each description to view the document. Documentation of Official U.S. Knowledge of Drug Trafficking and the Contras The National Security Archive obtained the hand-written notebooks of Oliver North, the National Security Council aide who helped run the contra war and other Reagan administration covert operations, through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed in 1989. The notebooks, as well as declassified memos sent to North, record that North was repeatedly informed of contra ties to drug trafficking. In his entry for August 9, 1985, North summarizes a meeting with Robert Owen (Rob), his liaison with the contras. They discuss a plane used by Mario Calero, brother of Adolfo Calero, head of the FDN, to transport supplies from New Orleans to contras in Honduras. North writes: Honduran DC-6 which is being used for runs out of New Orleans is probably being used for drug runs into U.S. As Lorraine Adams reported in the October 22, 1994 Washington Post, there are no records that corroborate North's later assertion that he passed this intelligence on drug trafficking to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In a July 12, 1985 entry, North noted a call from retired Air Force general Richard Secord in which the two discussed a Honduran arms warehouse from which the contras planned to purchase weapons. (The contras did eventually buy the arms, using money the Reagan administration secretly raised from Saudi Arabia.) According to the notebook, Secord told North that 14 M to finance [the arms in the warehouse] came from drugs. An April 1, 1985 memo from Robert Owen (code-name: T.C. for The Courier) to Oliver North (code-name: The Hammer) describes contra operations on the Southern Front. Owen tells North that FDN leader Adolfo Calero (code-name: Sparkplug) has picked a new Southern Front commander, one of the former captains to Eden Pastora who has been paid to defect to the FDN. Owen reports that the officials in the new Southern Front FDN units include people who are questionable because of past indiscretions, such as Jos? Robelo, who is believed to have potential involvement with drug running and Sebastian Gonzalez, who is now involved in drug running out of Panama. On February 10, 1986, Owen (TC) wrote North (this time as BG, for Blood and Guts) regarding a plane being used to carry humanitarian aid to the contras that was previously used to transport drugs. The plane belongs to the Miami-based company Vortex, which is run by Michael Palmer, one of the largest marijuana traffickers in the United States. Despite Palmer's long history of drug smuggling, which would soon lead to a Michigan indictment on drug charges, Palmer receives over $300,000.00 from the Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Office (NHAO) -- an office overseen by Oliver North, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Elliott Abrams, and CIA officer Alan Fiers -- to ferry supplies to the contras. State Department contracts from February 1986 detail Palmer's work

Privacy Issues Essays

Privacy Issues Essays Privacy Issues Essay Privacy Issues Essay Evaluate whether Tesco’s Stakeholders will benefit from the company’s growth. Tesco have several groups of stakeholders that could benefit from the growth of the company. A stakeholder is a group of people or an individual with a direct interest in the success of a business. The stakeholders that will benefit the most are employees. In the long run employees could benefit if the company is in a secure financial position due to the company’s growth. This is because, Tesco will be much steadier and will be able to pay their wages without any problems and also if possible it could result in a rise in wages by a fair amount. Therefore, Tesco will be in a capable financial state to keep these workers employed, which will benefit the employees as they have a job and a secure income. Employees will also benefit by working in a big and successful firm because there is more job security. They will continually need an efficient workforce to carry out day to day jobs so it is unlikely that employees are fired often. Also, there are better conditions for the employees in a bigger firm because Tesco want their workers to be happy and feel safe at the work place to overall keep morale high amongst all members of staff. The next stakeholders that will benefit the most are the shareholders. A part of being a shareholder means that you receive a dividend. A dividend is a percentage of the company’s profits depending on how much the shareholder owns. As Tesco grows, revenue should increase and therefore so should profit. So in the long run there would be a rise in dividend value because of the increased sales Tesco would be achieving. However, dividends may have to fall beforehand in the short run if some of the profit is retained to help pay for the growth of the company. In addition, suppliers may benefit due to Tesco’s growth. As Tesco gets bigger, they will need more constant supplies in order to satisfy their customers, so their suppliers are going to be needed much more frequently. Therefore, the supplier’s position in giving Tesco their products will be much more secure, and consequently they will be receiving a decent and somewhat constant pay. However, suppliers may not benefit from the growth of Tesco. Due to Tesco’s increasing monopoly power they could demand more products for a lower cost as they will be needed more quickly and efficiently. Therefore, the suppliers profit margin is going be smaller. In conclusion, considering these three stakeholder groups, it is somewhat clear that Tesco’s growth will benefit specific stakeholders but on the other hand worsen situations for others. This would need to be taken into consideration by Tesco if it wants to appeal to all its stakeholders.

Marx on Alienation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marx on Alienation - Essay Example For Marx, capitalism is an economic system in which businesses are controlled and owned by a few individuals of private enterprise rather than by the government and its people. That no matter what the business is, a capitalist, uses his own money or other people's money to make profit and appropriate it for himself. Workers are mere dispensable laborers who work for the capitalists, to produce the goods that are to be sold which in turn provide a profit for the capitalists. He theorized that alienation occurs as a result of the capitalistic effort whereby in his aim to amass more profit, the capitalist continues to push the laborer and later on replaces him with robots and machines. The worker is thereby alienated from the "object of his work" when the use of machinery is employed to create a surplus in production. Machines compete with the actual talent of a worker thereby allowing cheap labor. A worker would be alienated from the "activity of working" when he is forced to work. He does not have any right over his work as he is under close supervision to produce. Another set of workers are tasked to do most of the important thinking for him thereby allowing repetitive drudgery work under regimented working conditions. Workers are also alienated from the "chance to determine what it is to be human" when he is forced to work under certain conditions that are not biologically favorable for him. Man adapts with nature and uses it for his own benefit, but when man is forced to destroy whatever is beneficial for him to satisfy a greater need, he is separated from himself at the same time. He is not only alienating his needs but he is destroying what is vital to his existence. As a person, man needs other people to relate with. But when workers are forced to compete with one another to satisfy the demands of the capitalist, he is being "alienated from other individuals". In the real sense, Karl Marx wishes to impart that alienation occurs when labor is not voluntary, but forced. When there is coercion man is no longer comfortable with his working environment. He is not happy with what he is doing because of several factors that psychologically interrupts with his balance. The knowledge that his work does not belong to him; in his workplace, his job is under the control of his superiors; and to gain recognition, he has to outshine others thereby creating conflict among his peers similarly displaces man's true nature and alienates him. As a result, man is happier when he is not under these working conditions and work is shunned like a disease that will eat him up alive. Karl Marx provided that the theory of "alienation is not an end in itself but a means to an end". In his romantic and idealistic views for an end to alienation, changes would be geared towards an approach to classless society and the withering away of the state. He explicitly provided that class struggle has always been existent from the time human beings made their own history. That no amount of scarcity or surplus to satisfy the needs of an individual could alleviate what society creates false consciousness among men. Seemingly his ideas point towards the need to develop in man a sense of satisfaction after his basic needs are alleviated. That after man works for his own basic needs alone; he no longer has to work for a capitalist who belongs to the upper class of a society. A social

Fauquier Gas Company Logistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fauquier Gas Company Logistics - Assignment Example A change from agricultural life to commercial and residential life within a society increases the demand for gas thus the business needs to react urgently to serve the customers’ needs. It is a fact that different departments within Fauquier gas company operate independently as opposed to one unit. It thus makes communication within the organization difficult. Another fact within the organization is that the organization’s heads of departments respond slowly to the news. That aspect is evidenced by the fact that even after Mr. Murphy heard about the new pipe construction project and made efforts to contact all the heads of the department’s partaking the project in January. By April 14 he is yet to receive a purchase request and pipe specification (Hood, 2013).The main problem within the organization is communication. Whereas communication is enhanced after inquiries about certain events are made, timely information is essential for an organization’s develo pment. As logistics entails efficient flow of information within an organization’s department, it is thus important if communication within the organization is effective and timely (Drucker and Marciariello, 2009). In order to cater for the rising customer demand, Fauquier Gas Company requires undertaking a mega investment decision. To ensure sufficient gas supply to customers, three and a half miles of new gas needs installation by September (Hood, 2013). Though the capital investment seems to be taking progress, all the departments involved in achieving that objective are not equally engaged. It seems awkward to realize that Mr. Murphy, being the head of supply management is unaware of the undergoing project within the organization. Investing in a three, and a half mile gas line requires a lot of resources and to make such decisions regarding authorization of material purchases, sufficient  information is necessary.  

Expanding Target to China Essay Example for Free

Expanding Target to China Essay China is, without a doubt, the fastest growing economy in the world today. Companies from around the world have wanted to tap into Chinas market to cash in on the tremendous success that it continues to experience. There had been many restrictions for foreign companies who tried to do business in China, limiting the number of foreign companies, and allowing only the big players to come into China. Even then, these big players from around the globe faced more restrictions and rules once they entered China. But things have changed since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001; a new milestone for this country, as well as for other economies. Since then, restrictions for foreign investors and businesses to enter Chinas market had begun to ease up. By December 11th, 2004, China must remove remaining restrictions on the retail sector in order to comply with the WTO rules. This means it will be much easier for foreign retailers to enter the market, and for current foreign retailers in China to expand (1). Many retailers from all over the world will seize this golden opportunity, and Target should do so too. Target, a Minnesota based national retail company, has come a long way from being Daytons department store back in 1961 to being one of the biggest players in United States retail market, as we know it today. Over the last ten years, Target has experienced a continuous incline in growth year after year. Sales reached over $48 billion this past year, a 10 percent increase from the year prior (2). Just like its revenue, the number of stores across the United States has been on the rise. Currently there are 1313 Target stores operating in 47 states, including 136 SuperTarget stores in 20 states (3). Not surprisingly, Target ranks number four in Triversitys Top 100 Retailers in the United States behind Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Kroger (4). Globally, Target is ranked number 7 in the top 100 retailers worldwide (5). With this kind of statistics, Target has the potential and the resources to begin expanding into the international market, such as China. Comparing to Metro AG, a German retailer, which ranks a couple spots ahead of Target on the worldwide list, is not that much ahead of Target in terms of sales. And yet, Metro AG is one of the largest foreign retailers in China, along with  Wal-Mart and Carrefour (6). Not only should Target continue to expand domestically, but it should also start looking to expand in other markets around the world as well, such as China. This will allow Target to become a multinational company and begin creating a global recognition for itself in the retail sector. Now of course Target cannot dive right into the China Market and expect everything to just work out. Like any other company entering a foreign market, there are challenges and factors that Target must consider and evaluate before doing business in China. In this report, different reasons why Target should enter Chinas retail market and the benefits it offers to the company will be presented. Chinas economic status, political status, and economic status, along with options of entry and other factors that will affect Targets business, will be discussed. Chinas Economic Status China is currently the worlds most potential market for consumer goods. Its average annual GDP growth rate of nearly 10 percent for the last 10 years is the strongest among other major economies around the world (7). This is mainly due to the increase in manufacturing investment from foreign companies over the years because China is full of resources and cheap labor. Many products we see today are labeled Made in China since China has essentially developed into a manufacturing centre for the worlds consumer goods production (8). With a population of 1.3 billion people and having more consumers than Europe and the United States put together, it is obvious that China is by far one of the most attractive markets to invest in for foreign companies that are in the retail and consumer sector (8). When combining the strong, continuous growth of the economy with a population of this magnitude, the results are more money in consumers pockets, meaning more money to spend on goods. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the retail sales of consumer goods in China quadrupled with a span of 10 years (7). With this kind of statistics, it will be Targets best interest to pursuit an expansion into Chinas retail market. Chinas economy and consumer market will continue to grow. The more people there are in a  market, the more money will be spent. Everyone will always need food and daily accessories regardless of how much money they have, and those that have more money to spend will spend that extra money on other goods. So by setting up operations there, Target will have a chance to go along with the ride and reap the promising rewards that Chinas consumer market offers, which is what other foreign retailers are looking for. Chinas Political Status One of the major milestones for China, which made a global impact, is its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. This is the main reason why the forecast of Chinas growing economy remains strong. Since then, Chinas has begun to ease up restrictions on imports and exports, and also for foreign businesses entering Chinas market, most significantly the retail sector. By December 11, 2004, all restrictions on foreign retailing in China will be lifted, including restrictions on foreign ownership, number of branches, and geographic locations for where to set up stores (9). Currently, there are limited foreign investments in Chinas retail sector. In 2000, the Retail and Wholesale sector only accounts for 2 percent of the total foreign direct investment in China (7). Today, this percentage is not much higher than it was in 2000. This is because prior to Chinas accession to the WTO, there were many restrictions and regulations for foreign companies entering China. Some of the main restrictions were the annual sales volume requirement, assets requirement, and the minimum registered capital requirement. Before, in order to enter Chinas retail sector, a foreign company must have annual sales volume of at least US $2 billion, assets of at least US $200 million, and minimum registered capital of at least RMB 50 million, or about US $6.1 million. Also, they were only allowed to enter the market with approval, and in a form of a joint venture with local partners with no more than 49 percent ownership (10). This limited Chinas retail market to only the big international players such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Metro AG, etc, who all have already established a presence in China. But after China starts to comply with WTO rules next month; dramatic changes will take place in Chinas retail sector. Once all the restrictions for foreign retail companies are lifted by China, the number of foreign retailers entering China will increase sharply, both small and medium retailers. All a company will need is a good reputation and a minimum registered capital requirement of US $36,000. Other than a joint venture, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise will become an option (10). Also, the foreign players that are currently in the market will be able expand more rapidly under the new rules. This is another reason why Target should enter Chinas retail market, and soon. The percentage that the retail sector represents in the total direct foreign investment is still low, meaning there is a lot of room to grow. The sooner Target steps in, the more market share will be available for Target to gain. If Target delays its entry, other foreign retailers from all over the world will start to swarm in and the big players that are currently in the market will expand quickly; therefore making it more difficult for Target to create a significant presence. If Target decides not to enter this goldmine, then an incredible opportunity will be missed. WFOE or Joint Venture There are two options for Target to start business in China, establishing a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) or a joint venture with a local Chinese company. There are advantages and disadvantages for both options, and it will be important to understand each. Joint ventures were the only way to enter China for any foreign company due to the restrictions set by China prior to joining the WTO. With joint ventures, foreign companies were able enter Chinas market easier. It really helps to have a local partner that is already familiar with the market and know the laws of doing business in China. Also, with a joint venture, it is much less capital intensive since the local partner will be contributing to the business. The downside of a joint venture is that it is difficult to find the right partner, and it requires a lot time because a good relationship must be formed before any negotiations take place. In China, a good relationship is the key to doing business. Some major causes of joint  venture failures have been overestimation of the partners capabilities, differing expectations, and different management styles (11). These are some of the reasons that limit a foreign companys desire to expand. WFOE, an option that will be open to foreign retail companies doing or planning to do business in China after next month, would probably be the direction that most foreign retailers will choose. It should be Targets choice as well when entering China. But before a WFOE can be set up, an application must be submitted to MOFCOMs (Ministry of Commerce) provincial-level counterparts. The applications will then be forwarded to MOFOCOM for approval. The approval process takes about three to four months, but approval is only granted if the proposed business will help the development of Chinas economy (12). Target will have no problem getting approved because it will help create more jobs in China, bring in more sophisticated technology to run its stores and operations, and increase manufacturing production in China since a good portion of the products that will be in Target stores will be made in China. The disadvantage of setting up a WFOE is that it is much more capital intensive. Foreign companies do not have anyone to share the investment costs with in the country. China only allows money coming from outside of the country when foreign companies want to set up a WFOE (12). However, the advantages that WFOE offers outweigh the disadvantages. A WFOE can enjoy the exclusive management control and operational controls with less interference from the Chinese government (13). A foreign company can bring in sophisticated technology without having to worry about losing its intellectual property or figure out how many shares the technology is worth in a joint venture (14). Because of all this, a WFOE can expand into other areas more freely. Although WFOE would be a capital intensive option for Target, it will pay off in the long run. Having complete control over its management and operations, less governmental interference, and less limitations to expand will be beneficial for Target. Chinas Social Status There are some other things that it must take into account before Target jumps into Chinas retail market, one of which is the social landscape of China. Just like in the United States, knowing where the customers are and where to set up stores are important strategies. The more wealthy cities are concentrated in Chinas east and south-east coastal provinces. The top ten most prosperous provinces in China are: Shanghai, Guangdong, Beijing, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Liaoning, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Chongqing. These areas are obviously where foreign investors want to go because of higher per capita income and consumer spending in those areas. Consumer activities in some major inland cities are slowly on the rise, but are still fairly undeveloped compared to the east (7). But it may be a good idea to start investing in those areas and capture those markets while competition level is still low. Target should obviously start with investing in a couple of the more prosperous areas, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, or Zhejiang. These four provinces have the highest per capita income and household consumption, which means there are more money spent by consumers (8). Besides this, Target should start investing in the major inland cities that are beginning to develop, such as Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, and Sichuan. Almost half of Chinas population lives in the central and northwest provinces (7). Take advantage of the new rules that will lift restrictions on locations and the number of stores, and enjoy the benefit of being able to expand easier by being a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. The developing areas should be Targets concentration. It may be a little more risky, and sales may be lower at first, but it will be beneficial in the long run. The biggest competitors, both domestic and foreign, are mostly located in the prosperous areas (8). It will be more difficult to establish a solid foothold in Chinas retail market if Target starts off trying to compete with big foreign players such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, or big domestic players such as Lianhua and Hualian, all of which are much more familiar with the market. So it will be a good idea for Target to tap into the less developed major  inland cities and create a niche market while competition is still very low in those areas. This can help them develop a presence in China, and become one of the major foreign players in Chinas retail market. U.S. Commercial Service After understand all the details described previously throughout the report, Target still needs some help entering Chinas retail market. Target is very successful in the United States, but China is a totally different market. There are different consumers, different languages, and different laws. Target needs to find someone that is familiar with the languages (Chinese and English), the Chinese retail market, and all the rules that foreign business must comply with. It would be the best if Target has some managers that fit these criterions within the corporation because then those people can be assigned to assist in Targets plan to enter China. They will be familiar with Chinas market and rules, as well as Targets objectives and operations. But if there are no qualified candidates within Target, then this is where the U.S. Commercial Service comes in play to help. The U.S. Commercial Service offers customized solutions to help US companies enter and expand in the China Market. They have six offices in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. There are several services that a US company can purchase, one of which is the Gold Key Service (GKS). This service identifies and arranges appointments with the people that the company will need to meet in order to break into the China market successfully. The U.S. Commercial Service will tailor the service to the companys needs. They can assess the competition, and/or find lawyers, consultants, government officials, agents and distributors, etc (15). This is a great service that Target should use if they do not have people to use internally. Going into a foreign market, especially China, without being knowledgeable in the countrys laws and regulations, competition, consumers, and business environment is very risky. Any company that does this is essentially setting up for failure in the new market. This is why Target  needs to find experts that know how to do business in China. By being able to access competition, access the business environment, and working with a consultant or lawyer that knows the business laws in China will definitely help Target develop a safe and successful entry into Chinas retail market. To order the Gold Key Service from the U.S. Commercial Service, all Target have to do is contact the nearest U.S. Commercial Service assistance center, call 1-800-USA-Trade, or email their FCS Beijing Office at [emailprotected] (15). Other Factors In the Chinese culture, the colors red and gold are favorable colors. They represent happiness, good luck, and good fortune. During festive holidays, such as Chinese New Year, red is seen every where. All businesses, as well as households, would put up red lanterns and decorations. This may be beneficial to Target since red is Targets color. By having red in the stores in China, it may attract more consumers because people may associate the Target stores with the same meanings that they associate with the colors, especially during festive holidays. Aside from culture, Target should look into other things, such as education in China. Education is very important to Chinas future development if it is to be sustainable, but it is not an easy task. The government has been focusing on the countrys economic development, and has neglected to improve the education system and health. However, the governments new goal is to raise education spending to about 4 percent of GPD, with help from the private sector (8). In the United States, Target currently have a Community Giving Program where Target gives back over $2 million a week to neighborhoods, programs, and schools across the country (16). If Target sets up a similar program in China, it may help build its reputation in the China market. By helping the community receive better education, improving living conditions, and improving living standards will help Target gain favoritism from both consumers and the government, which can only help Targets goal for success in the market. Conclusion China offers a golden opportunity for foreign retailers, such as Target. Target should take advantage of Chinas accession to the WTO and seize the opportunity by entering Chinas retail market. There are many factors that Target must review and consider before entering China. Main factors like Chinas economic status, political status, and social status. As well as evaluating options of entry (WFOE vs. JV), understanding the culture, assessing both foreign and domestic competitions, and become knowledgeable in business rules and regulations in the country. Target will be very successful in establishing a foothold in Chinas retail market and become a major foreign retailer in the country as long as all aspects are carefully reviewed, planned, and understood. Targets presence and success has been well established in the United States, and now it is time to expand to the next big thing China. End Notes (1) http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/public/0401/01.html (2) http://quicktake.morningstar.com/Stock/Income10.asp?Country=USASymbol= TGTstocktab=finance (3) http://www.targetcorp.com/targetcorp_group/investor-relations/investor- relations.jhtml (4) http://www.stores.org/pdf/04TOP100chart2.pdf (5) http://retailindustry.about.com/library/bl/03q2/bl_rf100603.htm (6) http://www.bjreview.com.cn/200414/Business-200414(C).htm (7) http://www.pwchk.com/home/webmedia/1024303622085/RetailMarket_ China.pdf (8) http://www.pwcglobal.com/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/wef%20jan04_external.pdf3 (9) http://en-1.ce.cn/subject/RetailinginChina/RegulationPolicy/200409/29/ t20040929_1882374.shtml (10) http://www.osec.ch/~0xc1878d1b_0x0001b994/Investments/foreign_investment_ restrictions_in_trade_and_retail_lifted/en/china_fipdf (11) http://www.sinomedia.net/eurobiz/v200404/story0404.html (12) http://www.isinolaw.com/jsp/fie/fie/FIE_wfoe1.jsp?LangID=0 (13) http://english.sohu.com/2004/07/04/81/article220848132.shtml (14) http://www.businessweek.com/adsections/country/asia/ (15) http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/gks.html (16) http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/index.jhtml

Maria Isabella Boyd aka Belle Boyd Essay -- biographies bio biography

Have you ever dreamt of living an adventurous life? Well for me that was reality. I was a spy and actress, mercilessly charming Union officers into giving me information. Dubbed 'La Belle Rebelle' by a French war correspondent, I went by the name Belle Boyd instead of my original name, Maria Isabella Boyd. I have gone in and out of jail, marriages, and careers (three of each). Throughout the whole ordeal though, I have been constant in my loyalty to the Confederacy. Born on May 4, 1843, I was raised just like any other southern lady. My father was a merchant, and I grew up in Martinsburg, West Virginia with my parents, several brothers, one sister, and grandmother. I attended Mount Washington Female College of Baltimore from age 12 to 16. Ever since I can remember I?ve been getting into all sorts of trouble. Once when I was 10, I rode my pony into the hallway of my house causing havoc. I was known to be a fun-loving debutante. People described my voice as low and charming and my figure flawless. It was odd how I was considered either extremely beautiful or completely plain because ...

Categorical imperative Essay

Abstract Immanuel Kantis one of the most influential philosophers in the history of the Western philosophy. His contribution two metaphysical epistemology, ethic, and aesthetics have had a profound impact on almost every philosophical movements that followed him. Kant believe that, in knowledge originated in our senses and that the mind is a blank slate, that becames populated with ideas by its interaction with the world. Kant Influence on Criminal Justice In New World Encyclopedia (2013) states that Immanuel Kant was born, and spent the majority of his life in the city Konigsberg , the capital of East Prussia. His father was a German craftsman. His parents baptized him as Emanuel Kant, which he later changed to Immanuel after learning Hebrew. He attended the Collegium Fridiciaum at the age of eight. After eight years of study in there, he went to the University of Konideberg where he studied philosophy and mathematics. The death of his father affected him greatly, however, with the support of a friend he earned and received his doctrine in 1756. After befriending the English merchant Joseph Green, who instilled in Kant arespect for living in accordance to strict observed rules of behavior, he began to live a very regulated life. For the remainder of his life Kant remain unmarried and owned only one piece of art in his household, advocating the absence of passion in flavor of logic. He never left Prussia and rarelyventured out oh his hometown. He was a respected and very competitive university professor for most of his life. Historical repute did not come to him until he was in his late 50’s. In 1740, he went to the University to study philosophers Gottfried Leinbniz and Christian Wolff under the tutelage of Martin Knutsen , who was familiar with the development of British philosophy and science. It is there that Knutsen introduced Kant to a new system of mathematics by Sir Isaac Newton (1997). In 1746, Kant wrote the paper on measurements of reflecting Leibniz’s influence. In 1755 he then became a private lecture at the University, and while there he published â€Å"Inquiry into the Distinctness of the Principles of Natural Theology and Morals† in which he examines the problem of having a logical system of philosophy that was connected with the world of natural philosophy, a concern typically of the period. In that same year he published a piece titled â€Å"In Dreams of a spirit-seer Elucidated by Dreams of Metaphysics†. For the next 10 years, he work solely on the architecture of his own philosophy. Then in 1781 he released the † Critique of Pure Reason†, This work was to become the most influential, widely cited, and distributed work in Western philosophy. He then followed with his work † Ground of Metaphysic of Morals†. Then in 1788 who wrote † Critique of Practical Reason† then he finished and perfected his work on † Critique of Judgment† (2005). Almost all of his work was attacked and criticize seriously, practically his ideas on category, or, the place of free will and determinism, and weather we are capable of processing true and corrected knowledge of eternal reality. In his life Kant wrote a number of lesser known essays on history, politics and the application of philosophy of life. When he died in 1804, he was working on an incomplete manuscript that has since been published as† Opus Postmum†. Immanuel Kant had an interesting system of beliefs. It’s based on the beliefs , that reasoning is the final authority for morality. Actions of any sort, he believed, must be done from a sense of duty dictated by reason, and no action the form for expediency for solely in obedience to the law or custom can be regarded as moral. Moral , according to Kant, is apt done for the right reasons. Kant what are you that to make a promise for wrong reason is not moral, in other words, you might as well not make the promise. You must have a duty, or, correct moral inside of you, and for your folly of lying, your actions would only give you away. Kant described in common command given by reason: the hypothetical imperative, which dictates a given course of action to reach a specific end; and the categorical imperative, which dictates a course of action that must be followed because of moral rightness and necessity. It is also stated that Kant believe it to be irrational to perform in action if the action maxim contradicted itself once made into a universal law of nature (2013). In other words, before you act, you must decide what rules would be following if you were to act, whether you would are willing for rules to be followed by everyone. If you are willing to universalize the act, it must be moral; its not, then the act become morallyimpermissible. Kant police not the welfare of each individual should probably be regarded as in and itself, as stated in † Formula of the End† (2013) in itself: act in such a way that you always treating humanely weather in your own person or in the person of another, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. Kant believed that the moral rules are without exception. Therefore, it is wrong to kill all situations even the case of self defense. This thought comes from the Universal Law Theory (2010). Since we never wanted to in order to become a universal law then it must be a moral in all situations. For what Kant’ s describe in his rules of absolut Killing, according to Kant, could never made universal law, therefore it is wrong and each in every situation. There are never any extentuating circumstance, such as self defense. Is out current laws were left to Kant , people would be prosecuted for everything since there is no extentuating circumstances. Kant cateorical imperative is a tri-dynamic statement of philosophical thought: (1) Actso that the maximum of your will always hold, at the same time as principles is stablished universal law. (2) Acts so as to treat everything with the upmost humanity, including your own person as well as everyone else, and always as an end but never as a mean. (3) Act according to maxim as a universal legislative member of a mere potential Kingdom of ends (2010). In other words Kant’ s argument that particular actions require constant thoughts for roll covering it, that the rule is acceptable for universal action should be adopted, its not, then it should be rejected. In order to understand whether or not actions follow Kant’ s category imperative, we must prescribe post normal what we wish to be universal laws. The norms that create to value judgement are based on issues involving justice between a few people or groups or nation. He further states that thought his cognitive development of peaceful interaction of building of Republic, we can create a community as natural result of unimpeded development of human facilities (1997). Kant states that because we must believe in all the things develop to the fullest capacity, then we could the theorize that, in summary, through congnitive processes we can create community, based on moral (ethical) action towards every person, thereby creating universal ethic throughout the community. Refrence Immanuel Kant . (2013). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from World Wide Web. http://www. Britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/311398/Immanuel-Kant Immanuel Kant -Biography. (1997). In The Eurpean Graduate School. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from Immanuel Kant (2013, August 5). New World Encyclopedia,. Retrieved 00:44, September 30, 2013 From http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/p/index. php? title=Immanuel_Kant&oldid=972023 Immanuel Kant -Biography. (1997). In The Eurpean Graduate School. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from http://www. egs. edu/library/immanuel-kant/biography/. Immanuel Kant (2013, August 5). New World Encyclopedic, . Retrieved 00:44 September 30, 2013 From http://newworldencyclopedia. org/P/index. php? title=Immanuel_Kant&oldid=972023 McCormick, M. (2005). Immanuel Kant: Metaphysics. In Internet Encyclopedic of Philosophy (April 17, 2001 ed. ) Retrieved September 30, 2013 from http://www. iep. utm. edu/Kantmeta/ Rolf, Micheal. † Immanuel Kant. † The Standford Encyclopedic of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Fall 2010 ed. 2010. Stanford University. Web 30 Sept. 2013. References.