Juvenal - Roman Writer of Satire

Satura tota nostra est.Satire is all ours. Some of our favorite television shows and movies are satires. This usually biting form of entertainment owes its creation not to the artistic Greeks, who developed comedy, tragedy, lyric poetry, and more, but to the usually thought of as more practical Romans. Roman verse satire, a literary genre created by the Romans, is personal and subjective, providing insight into the poet and a look (albeit, warped) at social mores. Invective and obscenities, dining habits, corruption, and personal flaws all have a place in it. Juvenal was a master of exposing the foibles of society, with elegance. Roots of Satire What We Dont Know About Juvenal While we must always be leery of assuming the persona (the speaker in the poem) speaks for the poet, in the case of the last and greatest of the Roman satirists, Juvenal, we dont have much choice. He wasnt mentioned by most contemporary poets and is not included in Quintilians history of satire. It wasnt until Servius, in the late 4th century, that Juvenal received recognition. We think Juvenals full name was Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis. Juvenal may have come from near Monte Cassino. His father may have been a rich freedman and rhetorician. This deduction is based on the lack of a dedication in Juvenals satires. Since Juvenal didnt dedicate his work, he probably didnt have a patron, and so may have been independently wealthy, but he may have been very poor. We dont know Juvenals birth or death date. Even the period at which he flourished is debatable. It is possible he outlived Hadrian. What is clear is that he endured the reign of Domitian and was still alive under Hadrian. Topics of Juvenals Satires Juvenal wrote 16 satires -- the last unfinished -- varying in length from (xvi) 60 lines to (vi) 660. Topics, as stated in his opening programmatic satire, include all aspects of real life, past and present. In reality, the topics center on all aspects of vice. Book 1 Satire 1 (In English)Programmatic satire in which Juvenal states that his purpose is to write satire in a world where sinners are men of power.Satire 2 (In English)Satire on homosexuality and the betrayal of traditional Roman values.Satire 3 (In English)Contrasts corruption of modern Rome with the older simple way of life still found in the country.Satire 4Farcical political satire about the meeting of an imperial council to determine how to cook an outlandish fish.Satire 5Dinner party at which the patron continually humiliates his guest client. Book 2 Satire 6A wonder of misogyny, a catalogue of evil, eccentric, and depraved women. Book 3 Satire 7Without patronage in high places, intellectual pursuits suffer privations.Satire 8Aristocratic birth should be accompanied by noble behavior.Satire 9A dialogue in which the author assures Naevolus, a male prostitute, there will always be work for him in Rome. Book 4 Satire 10What should be prayed for is a healthy mind and body ( mens sana in corpore sano)Satire 11Epistolary invitation to a simple dinner.Satire 12Description of sacrifice to be made for the safe escape of a man named Catullus from a storm at sea because he jettisoned his treasures. Book 5 Satire 13Consoles Calvinus on his loss -- of money.Satire 14Parents teach their children the vice of greed by their example.Satire 15Mankind has a tendency towards cannibalism and should follow Pythagoras dietary recommendations.Satire 16Civilians have no redress against military assaults. Sources Michael Coffey: Roman SatireWilliam J. Dominik and William T. Wehrle: Roman Verse Satire   Silver Age Roman Satire †¢ Review: Roman Verse Satire†¢ Satires Origins†¢ E-text of J.W. Mackails Latin Literature Part III. Chapter IV. Juvenal†¢ Juvenal Net Links

Trophic Cascade Essay Example

Essays on Trophic Cascade Essay The paper "Trophic Cascade" is an outstanding example of an essay on environmental studies. A trophic cascade is a profound concept relating to ecology. It begins at the top of the food chain and goes all the way to the bottom. An example is when wolves were introduced in Yellowstone National Park in 1995 because wolves often kill other species in order to eat them and those species have eaten other species that are smaller than them. It is all in regards to the food chain and the roles of predator and prey. However, they also give life to many others.   The number of deer increasing before 1995 occurred in Yellowstone National Park because wolves had been out of that habitat for over 70 years. The deer had continued to reproduce and there were not enough other species above them on the food chain. Because of this, the population of the deer increased and they had eaten much of the vegetation. The wolves killed some of the deer but then also changed the behavior of the deer and the places that had lost vegetation started to revive because the wolves had changed them out of that area. The bears also began to kill the baby deer. The wolves changed the course of the river because there was less erosion. More pools formed. The regenerated forest helped to stabilize the banks of the rivers so that there was less erosion and did not collapse. Because of this, the flow of the river was much more on its steady course. The following is a food web of Yellowstone National Park. It includes the roles of each species after the wolves were release d back into the park after 70 years. In order to stabilize the ecosystem in the UAE, wild hyenas were reintroduced. The rare animal was endangered and one female was found on Sir Bani Yas Island. Seeing the female had a young litter, it was obvious that there was a male too though it was not found. The young were raised in captivity. They were then relocated back to the island in 2008 in order to control the population of antelopes and gazelles because the other top predator on the island was the cheetah. Hyenas feed on the carcasses too so if there happened to be an antelope or gazelle that had fallen sick, the hyenas would be able to prey on these animals and continue to keep the population healthy by eliminating the sick animals from the island.

What Does Clifford Consider to Be the Appropriate Ethical Norm free essay sample

I agree with Clifford’s’ evidentialist view to a point, as in theory it is a good one, however, practically I believe it is not a realistic way to live your life, as it would be near impossible to find time to investigate and sufficient evidence on which to base every single belief that you come across in your life. Evidentialism states that the justification for a belief is based entirely on the evidence supporting that belief, therefore defining the epistemic condition of a belief. This can be summarised by the simple thesis â€Å"For all persons S and propositions p and times t, S ought to believe that p at t if and only if believing p fits Ss evidence at t. † Clifford’s evidentialist principle is extremely similar to this thesis, as the main point of his argument is that â€Å"it is wrong always, everywhere and for anyone to believe anything on insufficient evidence† . From this we can see that he believed that sufficient reason and evidence supports a belief and if counterbalanced then one should withhold assent to that belief, rather than risk believing something based upon inadequate information. One aspect that Clifford emphasises more than the ordinary evidentialist thesis does is the severity of the consequence toward the believer of a false belief, as he uses words such as ‘guilty’ and ‘sin’ to describe the transgressions of these dishonourable men whose judgement was not to be trusted. He places importance on challenging beliefs indoctrinated in you from childhood, instead of neglecting doubts and avoiding educating yourself on the opposition of these beliefs- stating that if you do not do so â€Å"the life of that man is one long sin against mankind†. Another important point that he raises is the repercussions that your ‘false’ beliefs can have on mankind, not only the important decisions made by people in positions of power that obviously and directly affect others, such as the two examples given in The Ethics of Belief; but also the small and seemingly insignificant beliefs made by every man, as he expresses that â€Å"every time we let ourselves believe for unworthy reasons, we weaken our powers of self-control, of doubting, of judicially and fairly weighing evidence† the results of this will be a greater, ethical wrong toward society- â€Å"the danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery. The first example that Clifford provides in The Ethics of Belief is one of a certain ship-owner who sold tickets to emigrant families for a transatlantic voyage. The ship was fairly old and had needed repairs in the past but instead of overhauling and refitting the ship, the owner chose to rather save the money and send the ship to sea with the belief that it would be safe and seaworthy. In Cliffo rd’s story the ship sinks and the ship-owner collects the insurance money without any further consequences. Clifford (who himself once survived a shipwreck, and so must have found this behaviour particularly loathsome ) argues that, although the man had convinced himself that no harm would come to the passengers and was sincere in this conviction, it was a result of him suppressing doubts raised about the seaworthiness of the ship and was not based on investigative evidence. Therefore Clifford states that even if the ship had not sunk, the man would still be guilty, as his belief would still have been a false one, even if it had not resulted in the death of many people. The second example that is used is one of a group of men who lay false charges against a group of citizens, accusing them of harmful religious practices and resulting in a Commision being appointed to investigate the claims. It was found that the accused were in fact innocent, something that the accusers could have seen had they investigated the matter themselves. In this example, Clifford emphasises how wrong the beliefs of these men were- although they honestly believed them to be true- as these beliefs were founded on a suspicion and not sufficient evidence. As he does with his first example, Clifford suggests that had the results of the enquiry been different, and the accused been found guilty, it would in no way validate the beliefs of the accusers, as the belief would still be an unjustified one, giving them no right to believe their accusations. In this argument we must also consider the difference between an epistemic and ethical wrong as Clifford is arguing the ethical norm regulating belief formation. Ethical norms are the unofficial rules or laws determined and constructed by the cultural power of a society and often have a moral connotation. Epistemic means â€Å"of, or relating to knowledge† and an epistemic wrong is when something ‘violates an epistemic principle not overridden by any other epistemic principle’ whereas an ethical wrong is more of a breach of morality and the principles between what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. An example of an epistemic wrong would be â€Å"accepting some proposition on the basis of false, irrelevant or insufficient evidence† , which is one of the main points of Clifford’s argument. An example of an ethical wrong would be to give false information to customers in order to benefit financially. There are three negative consequences for ethical wrongs- ‘the tie to action, the generational wrong and bad habits’ the first deals with the negative results that moral failings can have on the actions of the believer; the second deals with the social dimension of these ethical wrongs which can be inherited by other generations and thus lead to a downward spiral of society along with the third, in which the bad habit of supporting a belief for unworthy reason will create a world in which no-one challenges anything and everything is taken at face value. Clifford argues not only the epistemic importance of inquiring into the validity of all of your beliefs but also the ethical importance in challenging everything. He states that â€Å"we all suffer severely enough from the maintenance and support of false beliefs and the fatally wrong actions which they lead to, and the evil born when one such belief is entertained is great and wide. As a counterargument to Clifford’s Ethics of Belief, a fellow philosopher, William James, wrote The Will to Believe, challenging some of Clifford’s points and I believe that his arguments are valid and provide more of a logical way of looking at belief and the appropriate ethical norm toward belief maintenance. James argues that â€Å"first of all some issues are alive or dead for a person, like live or dead wires for an electrician† meaning that to some, certain choices where two options are provided and neither are acceptable when relating to the believers personal situation are not valid choices, â€Å"secondly, some decisions are forced or avoidable† , such as choosing to turn left or right in your car when getting to a T junction in the road, which is forced, or deciding which ovie to watch- which is avoidable, as you could chose not to watch a movie- â€Å"thirdly some are momentous or trivial† and therefore your decision could be one that would either have a significant effect on the history of the world or the lives of others, such as approving nuclear warfare, or could be a menial choice such as what to eat for lunch. â€Å"Now when Clifford negates all belief without evidence in order to avoid error, he does not recognize that some decisions are forced and mo mentous. Not to make a decision is to make a decision in such a case. Not to choose an option brings about the same loss of the truth or good that could have been experienced. † From this we can see that selection for beliefs is more complicated than it may initially appear in Clifford’s argument and not as simple as just believing anything that has sufficient evidence to support your belief in it. For instance, in some cases one can never have absolute certainty of ones evidence and this makes it fairly difficult to decide when one’s evidence is sufficient or insufficient. Also, an ethical norm is decided on the basis of your moral compass and thus this is very much an instinctual decision, not one made based upon epistemology or knowledge, and this is supported better in James’s argument as he states that â€Å"our passional nature not only lawfully may, but must decide an option between propositions whenever it is a genuine option that cannot by its nature be decided on intellectual grounds† as opposed to Clifford who states that with patient investigation you can find the appropriate evidence on which to assent or dissent to that belief. In conclusion, I believe Clifford’s Ethics of Belief is a valuable insight into an argument that should be seriously taken into consideration when dealing with both the epistemic and ethical norms surrounding formation and preservation of beliefs, especially if those beliefs are significant ones that could have an impact on the course of your or other people’s life. However, I also feel that it is necessary to take into consideration that as beliefs are often a moral issue the choice to believe can be an emotional as opposed to intellectual one. James provides for this impulsiveness in his argument and allows for a less rigid standpoint in regards to the evidence required to provide someone with the right to a belief. Considering both the view of Clifford and of James I feel that one of the common points recognisable in each is the importance of belief and that instead of taking our beliefs for granted we should truly appreciate and make the most of the opportunity given to us when we are allowed the freedom to choose what we truly believe to be true.

Russell and Lenores Essays Comparison

Essays are a means by which many people have expressed their ideas on a host of issues. It is a means also that affords criticisms for leaderships and governments without necessarily engaging in unlawful acts. It is a means of communication that has been in existence ever since man had evolved to the capacity that he would communicate via writing (Greetham 67). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Russell and Lenore’s Essays Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper considers different issues that are presented in two essays by different authors as a critique and a study of the central themes in them. For this paper, the essays that will be considered have been written by Russell Sanders and the other one has been written by Keeshig-Tobias where the humanistic perspective of manhood and womanhood and the relationships between and among them will be of interest in explaining how these genders inter act as discussed by these authors in their respective essays. The essence of manhood is treated differently by Russell Sanders and Lenore Keeshig-Tobias in their essays dubbed The Men we Carry in Our Minds and He was a Boxer respectively. The two writers examine the role of a man in different contexts. These include male to female relationships in a family perspective, the power dynamics between men and women in different social settings, societal expectations of a man and the challenges of living up to those expectations. The role of man’s physical strength is contextually treated differently by Russell Sanders and Lenore Keeshig-Tobias. In Russell’s world, the man’s physical strength is used to advance the family’s economic security. However it is at the cost of his own physical health and emotional wellbeing. He works long hours exposed to elements of weather by having to carry heavy loads and stand for long hours often sustaining physical injuries. I n the evenings and weekends he toils on his land and mends broken roofs (Kay et al. 34). On the other hand, the women work at their own pace in a better environment. They cultivate their social lives around the different errands they have to run. Russell perceives the work dynamics to be in favor of the women. He says he would rather hold a baby that work at the machines. On the other hand, in Lenore’s world, the man’s physical strength has being used to the detriment of the family’s emotional security. Lenore’s father a boxer uses his physical strength and boxing prowess to intimidate the women in his life. There is insecurity as both the mother and daughter as they cower at the sight of him (Kay et al. 335). Russell wants to run from the roles and the expectations of manhood in his poor social setting. He finds the women’s world to be more comfortable and he dreads growing up to these manly roles in his society. He is caught between the two ideas of men in his social setups; the worriers and the toilers. Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The toilers work all the day long at the tiresome manual labor while the worriers work preparing them for war and eventual death. He doesn’t envy any on the roles. In contrast to Russell gender roles discordance, Lenore Keeshig-Tobias embraces the manly role and the societal expectations of the same. This comes as surprising. Her drunkard father had often terrorized her and her mother (Kay et al. 390). Yet she makes excuses for him arguing that her mother must have had something to do with it. She hypothesizes that he is doing right. She enrolls for boxing classes in a bid to understand his world. We see that Russell is running way from his duties as a man out of understanding of what awaits him. However Lenore is embracing the masculine world in order to understand her father an d the world that he has forced her to live in. The men in Russell’s and Lenore’s world confront manhood challenges in different ways. The failure to provide for one’s family is seen as a man’s failure in Russell’s world (Kay et al. 378). The men prevent this by working in deplorable conditions to earn a living. When they get home they work even more to mend broken roofs and till their own land. They confront the challenges through physical work. In Lenore’s world the men run away from their challenges. Lenore’s father is driven into boxing and alcoholisms by the family strains. This explains his tantrums and physical abuse of his wife (Kay et al. 473). Lenore Keeshi-Tobia’s father never graduated from college. This makes him ill prepared to confront the different family challenges that he is undergoing leading him to alcoholism. On the other hand education opens Russell’s eyes to the different dimensions of manhood. His perspectives had been limited to the manual laborers and their bosses. Though television and encounter with male teachers he is exposed to men who work with their brains; the lawyers, the politicians etcetera. He has a change of heart from wanting to hold babies to become this kind of man. His female college-mates challenge him further on the gender roles (Kay et al. 287). He is exposed to the comfort and power of men in a higher social setting. The balance of power and comfort contrast to those of his social setup. In this set up the balance is titled in favor of men.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Russell and Lenore’s Essays Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Man to man relationship is treated differently in both works of Russell and Lenore. Lenore discusses his father taking his family problems to the boxing ring. This is often to the detriment of his male boxing opponents (Greetham 145). H is driving force are personal and in contrast to the sportsmanship spirit. On the other hand Russell examines the racial relationship between the black male convicts and the white male guards. The convicts are painted as miserable and working in deplorable condition. The guards are painted as being powerful. The bonnets of their guns are said to shine in the sun (Kay et al. 512). While the man in Lenore’s world is using his boxing prowess to dominate over his fellow man, in Russell’s world he is using the gun. In both Russell and Lenore’s essays we find that man is often a victim of his social economic circumstances in his different social setting. The drive, attitude and perceptions of his acts can be digested form those perspectives. While the intensity of the man’s act may vary from man to man, they are often dictated by his environment (Greetham 145). Works Cited Greetham, Bryan. How to Write Better Essays. 2nd Ed. Cambridge: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Kay et al. Essay Writing for Canadian Students with Readings. 6th Ed. Toronto ON: Pearson Education Canada, 2007. This essay on Russell and Lenore’s Essays Comparison was written and submitted by user Arthur M. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The eNotes Blog How To Be Successful at a LargeUniversity

How To Be Successful at a LargeUniversity Success: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose (Merriam-Webster).   Success is what every person should strive to reach every day.   It is the backbone and motivator for all of our wants and needs.   Achieving success in college requires hard work and a little bit of knowledge about how to beat the system.   The university system differs from high school in a plethora of ways.   You dont have the same classes every day, there are up to 500 students in your classes, there is no mandatory attendance, and your grade can be based on your performance on one or two tests.   If you just graduated from high school and are about to begin college, or are already in college and have a newfound resolve for success, read on to discover how to be successful at a large university. 1. Define your success.   What are you looking to get out of college?   Is this just the next step in your educational journey?   Do you plan on using it as a stepping stone to a particular job or graduate program?   Do you just want to have fun?   Knowing what you want to get out of college before you begin is important.   Perhaps you want to make a difference on campus and run for a position on student government.   If you want a strong sense of fulfillment, giving back to the community and volunteering can get you there.   I was recruited at UCLA to play baseball, so my goal was to be as successful as I could in the classroom and on the field. 2. Plan.   Where are you going after college?   This can have a tremendous impact on your collegiate educational journey.   If you plan on attending some form of post-undergraduate education, you will need to get top marks in order to be accepted into a quality program.   If you have a specific job or career path in mind, apply to a major that will help get you there.   If you arent sure what you want to do, sample a wide variety of electives and general education classes.   Communications and English degrees are highly valuable degrees that appeal to employers because they accentuate your written and verbal skills.   I had no idea what I wanted to do after college, so after my freshman year I applied as a communication studies major because of the fascinating classes and competitiveness of the program. 3. Do your research.   Think of the phrase, work smart, not hard.   Although you will probably have to do both.   Find classes that interest you.   Read the course descriptions from your schools registrar.   Talk to other students and use websites such as ratemyprofessors.com to discover what your potential professors are like.   If a high GPA is more important to you, sign up for the easy classes.   I always tried to find manageable classes that had stimulating enough subject material to keep me wanting more. 4. Show up.   No, attendance is not mandatory at large universities.   You will have huge classes in a giant auditorium and the professor and TAs will never know if you dont show up.   But if you care about getting something out of your education and earning a good grade, then spending the couple hours per week in that class is the best way to learn.   It gets you outside and in contact with your friends as well.   Dont rely on Powerpoints or Podcasts from home.   Youre likely to procrastinate on reviewing them, and they arent as affective.   Its also important to know the classes that you  must  show up for, and recognize those that you can skip every once in a while when necessary. 5. Make a good first impression.   Be aware of the power of first impressions, and realize that your first interaction with a professor or TA can be impactful in the lasting conclusions they draw about you.   Although professors try to grade tests and assignments objectively, there is no doubt that at least sometimes they give preferential treatment to students they like.   Could you really blame them if they were stricter on a student who was constantly late, didnt participate, and didnt pay attention?   So dress nicely, sit in the front of class, participate during discussion, know what youre talking about, and perhaps even visit their office hours to talk about the class and their research.   People like to talk about themselves. 6. Focus.   Dont go to lecture just to go to lecture.   If youre going to sleep, talk to friends on Facebook, or play internet games, just stay at home.   You wont get anything out of class, and you wont do as well at playing Bloons Tower Defense (my favorite game to play in class) or whatever youre doing.   When class is over, go home and review your notes for ten minutes.   The material will be fresh on your mind, and looking it over again will solidify your understanding of important concepts.   I always viewed this as time spent studying for midterms and finals way in advance.   If you spent ten minutes reviewing your notes twice a week for ten weeks, you have already studied over three hours for your final, and probably only need to study two or three more hours to be adequately prepared.   This step is the key to academic achievement. 7.   Get the easy credit.   Know the grading rubric for each of your classes.   If attendance is 10% of your grade, you better show up and get all of that 10%.   If easy homework assignments make up any portion of your grade, be organized enough to turn in every one.   Lose points on the hard stuffmidterms, finals, and papers. 8. Utilize your TAs for the hard stuff.  Ã‚  A  Teaching Assistants primary concern is the academic research he or she is pursuing as a Masters or Ph.D. student.   However, most of them are   open to help their students outside of discussion sections, as long as you are respectful of their time.   For ALL assigned essays, check your topic and thesis with the TA!   This guarantees that you will at least get a B- on the assignment.   As long as you are writing about something that is important, on topic, or interesting and you have an argument that is important, on topic, or interesting then your paper will be at least decent no matter what you write for your supporting details and commentary.   This requires intense periods of deep thinking, but ensures a good start. 9. Build relationships.   If you are worried about academic anonymity, make an effort to expose yourself to your professors.   Go to office hours, participate in class, and offer to volunteer in assisting with their research.   Professors at research universities were hired for one reason: to conduct experiments under the name of that institution.   Any help you give your professors is likely to be reciprocated, whether in the form of a good grade in that class or as a valuable reference down the road. 10. Be comfortable outside of class.   College can be stressful.   Its easy to get tied up in all of your homework and independence.   A healthy social life and saving some time to unwind with friends takes the load off and helps you acclamate to your new environment.   Working out and staying physically fit can increase your self-confidence and enhance your mood to keep you happy 🙂

The Invisible Hand of The Market

The Invisible Hand of The Market Invisible hand is the term first introduced by Adam Smith and it refers to the balancing force that creates mutually beneficial exchange for everyone. The invisible hand is a term attributed to the 18th-century economist Adam Smith and appears in his landmark 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations. The term developed from Smith’s study of another classical economist, Richard Cantillon, and was used metaphorically by Smith to describe the â€Å"natural forces† that drive free markets, a kind of product the human nature of people interacting in the market. The term only appears twice in Smith’s book (he had used it in an earlier work in 1759, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, but in a philosophical rather than economic context), but has grown to be cited, and often misinterpreted, as one of Smith’s most important concepts. What is the Invisible Hand? In a free, unregulated market, competition for scarce resources encourages market participants to act to maximize their self-interest. â€Å"Maximizing self-interest† is a typical economic textbook term that is often not clearly explained, probably because it sounds a little more dignified than â€Å"seeking to purchase resources at the lowest or most efficient costs, and seeking to sell goods, services, or assets for the highest obtainable profit.† Even though no one is acting for the benefit of anyone else, the self-interests balance each other, creating a mutually beneficial exchange for everyone. This â€Å"balancing force† is what Adam Smith metaphorically called the â€Å"invisible hand†. WHAT IS FIAT MONEY? In simple terms, if consumers and producers are both free to look out for the own interests, an equilibrium will be created. Consumers generate demand for goods, and producers respond by developing efficient production and distribution methods to meet the demand at the lowest possible cost; prices are regulated by competition, which is in turn created by the consumer demand. Society benefits as a whole, because as prices decrease due to competitive pressure and greater efficiency, volume increases; this obliges producers to pay more for labor to keep up with demand, which increases costs and prices, which are canceled out by the higher purchasing power of the now better-paid worker/consumers. Everyone gets what they want in increasing amounts, and no one has to worry about anything other than their own needs and desires. Misinterpretation and Controversy The idea of the â€Å"invisible hand† is popular with Objectivists and adherents of the Ayn Rand philosophy of â€Å"every man for himself†, but interestingly, the term in modern usage is applied to a section of Smith’s Wealth of Nations where it does not even appear. The idea that self-interested competition leads to larger social benefits appears early in the book, in Book I, Chapter 7, but the actual phrase â€Å"invisible hand† does not appear until Book IV, Chapter 4 in the following passage: â€Å"By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.† The idea that Smith expresses – that individual ambition has greater benefits – is a common theme throughout The Wealth of Nations, but the way Smith uses the metaphor of the â€Å"invisible hand† specifically refers to domestic versus foreign industry. Because the metaphor is consistent with Smith’s philosophical theme, it has been used to underpin the entire philosophy of neoclassical economics; George Stigler, a key leader of the Chicago School of Economics and close friend of Milton Friedman, once famously greeted a symposium on Smith’s work by saying, â€Å"I bring you greetings from Chicago, where Adam Smith is alive and well.† Much of the confusion about what Smith actually said and intended in his own work and the apparent source of the neoclassical application of the metaphor is the 1948 book Economics by Paul Samuelson, in which he quotes Smith’s â€Å"invisible hand† passage in a way that combines a bit of Smithâ€⠄¢s explanation of self-interest among market participants with the original quotation, thus linking the metaphor – perhaps inaccurately, perhaps not – to Smith’s entire economic philosophy. Despite Dr. Stigler’s amusing greeting, Adam Smith is not, in fact, alive and well to add further insight to the argument over what he really meant, so the safest interpretation is an analysis of what he actually wrote. The market participant prefers domestic industry to foreign industry, and we can infer reasons why this might be so; costs of production and transportation are lower, the goods produced are more suitable to the local market because of more available and complete information, and as a consequence of all that, prices for the goods that are produced are lower. Because the domestic industries are preferred for those reasons alone, the domestic society benefits through the need for labor to produce goods and raw materials – a positive, unintended consequence of the market participants’ pure self-interest. Thus social benefit is created as if guided by an â€Å"invisible hand†. Criticism of the â€Å"Invisible Hand† The strongest argument against the validity of the metaphor, and its consequential idea that markets should be allowed to regulate themselves, comes from the Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who wrote in his book The Roaring Nineties that, â€Å"the reason that the invisible hand often seems invisible is that it is often not there.† Free markets have certain limitations, according to Stiglitz, one of the most important being their inability to manage â€Å"externalities†. Stiglitz holds that the idea of unintended benefits being allowed to happen without some sort of accounting is irrational; if a person’s actions create a benefit for someone else for which he is not compensated, or if a person benefits from another’s actions without cost to himself, that person will adjust his activities accordingly – either reduce his activity to prevent â€Å"giving something away for free,† or reduce his activity to avoid paying for more tha n he needs, since he is receiving some of it at no cost. MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND Stiglitz argues that any time there is imperfect information and some degree of risk uncertainty in markets – which is always – these â€Å"externalities†, which we can understand as â€Å"forces other than the supposed invisible hand and conceptual equilibrium of an efficient market†, are always present and make the market less efficient because market participants â€Å"hold back† a little. That is why, he says, that some of the most important developments in modern civilization, such as the telegraph, genetic advances in food production, and the internet, did not develop in markets but were supported by governments. In other words, some degree, hopefully, a balanced degree, of government intervention in markets is necessary, first to â€Å"take up the slack† in progress towards efficiency that is not happening in markets, and second to reduce risk uncertainty in ways such as enforcing contracts and protecting property rights.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Reflection paper - Essay Example They have also dug tunnels beneath the private property of individuals. This is with an aim of preventing Israel from attacking them, or destroying their weapons. This is because by using settlements where people live, Hamas is able to use them as human shields. Under International Law, it is a crime and illegal for soldiers to attack and kill unarmed civilians. Due to this tactic initiated by Hamas, the death toll of civilians in Gaza was so high, that Barnard and Rudoren identify as 650 people. This is by the time that this article was written. Barnard and Rudoren (2014) explain that under international law, Hamas has a legal obligation of minimizing its military operations near areas where civilians are living. Furthermore, they believe that Hamas is committing a war crime, through their action of firing rockets indiscriminately. Barnard and Rudoren (2014) also maintain that Israel has an obligation of identifying specific military targets in Gaza, and ensuring that civilians are not threatened by their military actions. The tactics of using civilians as human shield by Hamas, and storing weapons in civilian neighborhoods, is an example of urban warfare. Under international law, urban warfare is not illegal, but the law requires that the parties to the conflict must ensure that civilians are protected from harm. Barnard and Rudoren recognize that Israel is a more powerful army, as compared to Hamas, and hence to level the field, Hamas had to protect its weapons by hiding them in civilian areas, and engaging Israel in thos e areas (Barnard and Rudoren, 2014). However, after Barnard and Rudoren (2014) quoting thee extensive use of human shields by Hamas, they point out that there is no evidence that Hamas forced civilians to stay in such areas. Through this assertion, Barnard and Rudoren (2014) were trying to denote that Hamas was not committing an international war crime. To judge on whether this

America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains Research Paper - 2

America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains - Research Paper Example irm understanding of the ways in which reconstruction affected the United States much necessarily break down into highly specialized examinations of key groups and individual changes as any broad judgments make the risk of glossing over the ways in which minor details worked together to create major differentials. As a function of this, this brief analysis will seek to answer the following 5 key questions with relation to reconstruction: identification and discussion of two major historical turning points during the Reconstruction period, the impact of these two major historical turning points on society, economy, culture, and politics, discussion of two ways the Reconstruction period may have been different had Lincoln lived, discussion of how industrialization and urbanization affected the life of the average working American, and two examples of how the federal and/or state courts and legislatures handed down decisions or passed laws during the period that served to discriminate a gainst non-white citizens and immigrants (Nilsson 2012). With reference to the first question, the two major historical turning points during the period under the Reconstruction can definitively be those of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and the dawn of the industrial period ushered in by the Gilded Age (Bentrix 2007). Both of these factors helped to represent newfound opportunities for a host of disenfranchised and downtrodden individuals who had seen the hope of a better life all but implode as a result of the Civil War. With respect to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, this enabled poorer families from back East to risk it all and move West in hopes of building a better life. In this way, the availability of the frontier was again able to absorb much of the historical difficulties that the American people had experienced. Secondly, the dawn of the industrial age helped to give a host of out of work farmers and others individuals well paying jobs

Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Julius Caesar Essay

Celsius :: essays research papers

Hot and Cold Winter is coming to the northern hemisphere, and with it, talk of central heating, gloves and scarves, snowfall, and record low temperatures. Monitoring temperatures is part of our everyday life — whether we're talking about the weather, our bodies, central heating, or cooking. In the United States, we typically measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. But in other countries, such as England, you'll get the weather forecast in degrees Celsius. Recipes will advise you to bake a pie at 205Â ºC and not 400Â ºF. In fact, the Celsius scale is the most commonly used temperature scale in the world. This week, we have special cause to wonder about the history of this scale, because November 27 is the 300th anniversary of the birthday of the man who invented it. Anders Celsius was born in Sweden in 1701. His parents didn't know that their son's work would one day make their family name an everyday word used by millions of people around the world. Meet Professor Celsius The world Anders lived in was very different than the world we know. Much of the knowledge that we now take for granted — such as the motion of Earth with respect to the Sun and planets — was only beginning to be understood then. In Europe, radical and brilliant scientists, such as Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton, had been developing new and revolutionary ways of understanding the workings of the world and the universe. The era was known as "the Enlightenment," and it was a good time for someone of Anders's ability to be working in the field of science. Anders's talent came from his family of academics: one of his grandfathers was a mathematician and the other an astronomer, and his father, Nils, was a professor of astronomy. As a child, Anders showed a natural flair for mathematics, but he developed a keen interest in astronomy and became a professor at the age of 29. So, how did a clever astronomer come to develop a temperature scale? The answer lies with the weather. When making observations of the night sky, Anders monitored the weather conditions, including the temperature. At the time there were a lot of different kinds of thermometers with different scales — by the time Anders started working on the problem of temperature measurement, around 35 different scales existed. (Compare this number with today, when three main scales are in use — Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin.

Unit 3 Health and Safety Describe How Key Legislation in Relation to Health, Safety and Security Influence Health and Social Care Delivery.

Unit 3 health and safety Describe how key legislation in relation to health, safety and security influence health and social care delivery. Health and social care settings are covered by specific legislation and laws from the government to enable the care setting is operating the optimum way. Acts like the Health and safety at work act (1974) this act applies to all workplaces and it pull all the laws together so that all organisations were covered by the same legislation. However there are other regulations that apply to specific areas of work. These are The food safety act 1990 This act ensures that all food complies with the food safety act and its definition which includes drinks and chewing gum. There are four major offences in this act. – Making food dangerous to health deliberately or accidentally (adding things to food) – Selling food that does not complies with the food safety requirement being unfit for human consumption. – Selling food that is not of t he nature or quality required by the consumer. – Falsely describing, labelling or advertising food and food products. †¢ safety (general food hygiene) regulations 1995 This act ensures all food is handled correctly, the area where food is prepared must be clean, hands must be washed, hair should be covered, separate work areas should be used to prevent cross contamination of cooked and raw food. Following this regulation is especially important in health and social care settings as service users may be vulnerable. †¢ Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR)1995 The RIDDOR regulation applies to all places of work, but not to all work incidents need to be reported. Incidents that need to be reported are ones that happened because of the work the people were doing. To be serious enough to be reported under RIDDOR an accident would have to result in an employee: -dying -injuries resulting in 3 days or more off from work – suffering from major injuries like fractured bones (these exclude fractures to the fingers, thumbs or toes), amputation of limbs and dislocation. †¢ Control of substances hazardous to health regulation (COSHH) 2002. This legislation was introduced in 2002 and covers the use and storage of chemicals. All health and social care services have to ensure that their working environment is safe and can not harm the service users or care professionals. An example of this would be at a nursery cleaning products like bleach being left in the reach of children. †¢ Manual handling operations regulations 1992 This act promotes safer moving and handling and appropriate use of equipment for example using lifts to help service users in an out of the bath instead of trying to live a service user by hand. This is an important act in health and social care because it prevents injuries to service users or care employees †¢ Data protection act 1998 This act protects individual’s rights to their personal data being stored. This act covers the processing, gathering, storing and sharing of an individual’s data. This is important in health and social care settings as service users information is used daily. When sharing an individual’s personal data consent to the sharing of their data is needed. Management of health and safety at work regulations 1999 This regulation requires employers to carry out regular risk assessments, look at changes and then re-asses the risks as necessary. This is important in health and social care settings as care organisations have a duty to minimise to their service users. Unit 3 health and safety Describe how policies and procedures promote health, safety and security in a health and social care workplace. Whilst on work experience at Jubilee children centre I was informed on a number of different policies and procedures. I was shown where the first aid box was and shown a book that I would have to write in if I injured myself this comes under (RIDDOR). The nursery officer told me that all the staff where qualified first aiders. Names of staff and children were registered in the morning as a safety precaution and also as a fire procedure. This is to ensure that all people present in the nursery can be accounted for in the event of a fire. A safety gate to the nursery had to be closed at all times and

Lawrence and Dobyns Essay Revision

The human mind is a complex and often mysterious force. While it has a great capacity for logic and reasoning, there is also a part of it that reacts in a more primal, emotional way. It not only controls what we think, but how we think, and often this can lead us to do things that we would not otherwise consider doing. These actions can become so much the center of our thoughts that we can think of nothing else. We are forced to follow a course of action that can prove to be quite detrimental, and often even deadly. It is possible for us to convince ourselves that there is only one possible solution to a dilemma, and because of that, we can find ourselves spiraling out of control and into an abyss of destruction with little chance of steering away from it. Both â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner† and â€Å"Kansas† illustrate this fact in different ways. D.H. Lawrence, in â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner,† uses the desire of a child, Paul, who wants desperately to gain the luck that he has been told his entire life that his parents have lacked, and in so doing help stop the whispers of a house that demands money. His mind sets on the need to acquire this luck however he must, and once he starts on the course to gain it, his fate falls into place. In his mind, gaining the luck seems to be a course for gaining his mother’s love instead of the sham with which he has lived his entire life. If only he can stop the whispers of the house, the â€Å"hard little place† (340) in his mother’s heart will dissolve and she will feel a genuine warmth and caring for her children. This hope becomes his obsession, and his mind locks on the solution that he sees, and nothing can deter him from his goals. Conversely, Stephen Dobyns, in the short story â€Å"Kansas,† writes about a farmer who sets his mind on the destruction of wickedness demonstrated by his wife and the man with whom she runs off. His mind is so set on this course of action that the boy who rides with him finds â€Å"the strength of his resolve† (109) more frightening than the gun that lies between them. The boy perceives it as possible that the farmer will do anything to achieve his goal, and the fear that this instills him in prevents him from taking actions that, later in life, he regrets not taking. In his old age, as he is dying, his mind plays over the scene and various possible results if only the boy of so many years before had tried to steer the course of the farmer’s resolve in another direction. Both of these stories by D.H. Lawrence and Stephen Dobyns demonstrate the power of the human mind to make one thought overcome all others so completely that there seems to be no other resolution. The thought becomes an obsession, and, while it is possible that the obsession could be diverted, the task is a difficult one. While Paul and the farmer share the fact that their minds have resolved that they have one way, and one way only, to accomplish their goals, those goals take vastly different forms. Paul wishes to acquire something, and he reaches out with his mind into a realm of fantasy in which riding his rocking horse will help him reach his dreams and make things right. The farmer is more practical in a way, keeping his thoughts focused on a more tangible way of solving his problem. However, while Paul wishes to create, the farmer wishes to destroy. Paul’s desire to grab onto luck and hold on and the farmer’s desire to rid the world of wickedness are both quite logical in their minds, while the futility of these desires is obvious to the reader. However, those who are obsessed can rarely, if ever, realize that such futility is present. They have to learn it on their own, but too often the results of their obsession are tragic. The stories also diverge in their similarities when considering other important characters. In â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner,† while others are allowed to see brief glimpses of Paul’s obsession, no one really knows to what lengths it has gone. Bassett and Oscar only know that Paul wishes to continue to gain money for the benefit of his mother. They don’t see the obsession until it is too late for them to do anything about it, if such a thing is possible. However, the boy in â€Å"Kansas,† quickly gets insight into the obsession of the farmer. While his time is more limited during the short ride he is given, he has a chance to try and divert the farmer from his murderous goal. The task is difficult, but the possibility is there, although his fear keeps the boy from giving it more than a weak attempt. He even goes so far as to promise not to talk to the police, which takes away the one other chance that he has to put a stop to the farmer’s plans. This leads to a dying obsession of the old man that the boy has become to ponder all of the other possible outcomes of his encounter from so many years before. He will never know what really happened, however, and this leads to his last moments being overcome by thoughts of what might have been. Love, or perhaps the lack of love, plays a part in both stories as well. It is obvious that this emotion is what spurs the boy in Lawrence’s story on to his obsession. He sees the chance to gain real love from his mother, and that chance taunts him and pulls him in to his obsession. While it is luck that he convinces himself that he really wants, and even needs, it is the lack of love from his mother that haunts him, and the desire to fill the void in himself becomes all encompassing. He effectively fools himself into thinking that luck is his great desire. In the end, perhaps he acquires his mother’s love, but by then it is too late. Dobyns demonstrates how love can be perverted and turned into something dark and evil. One can assume that the farmer loves his wife, but her betrayal of him, if it does not destroy that love, certainly twists it and makes him want to kill that which hurt him. He convinces himself in his mind that he is doing it to destroy the wickedness that he sees represented in this betrayal, and only by killing the objects of this wickedness will he set things right. Perhaps he believes that by destroying the object of his love he can destroy the pain that he surely feels because of the betrayal. He must â€Å"stomp it out† (108) because that is what he believes he is supposed to do and he resolves that it is something that only he can do, because he is the one who was betrayed, and his wife is his own business and not that of outsiders who he likely sees as interlopers who will rob him of his final resolution. While one might write off the actions of Paul as youthful ignorance, it is more difficult to excuse the farmer. His life experience should tell him that his intended actions are wrong, but his mind finds a way to twist this knowledge and turn it into something that seems justtified and even acceptable. Paul is his own victim, but the farmer has other victims in his sights, who seem right in his mind, for he was a victim of the wickedness exhibited by his targets. So we see in these two stories the power of the mind to destroy those that it rules. It can turn thoughts into overwhelming obsessions which lead people into actions that they would not normally consider. When paired with deep emotion, the possibilities of what a person will do to feed those obsessions increase to degrees that might not seem possible to that person or those people close to him or her.

Corporate Elite essays

Corporate Elite essays Elitist theory holds that the majority of political power is held by a relatively small and wealthy group of people, which share similar principles and interests. Most members of this group are born into affluent families. The majority of top leaders in the United States come from this privileged group. The power elite utilizes a variety of resources to dictate public policy. These individuals tend to hold top management positions within big corporations. These corporations are used as a powerful tool to dominate the political arena. Corporations are granted immense power, which they use, to protect their own interests, as well as, shape the interests of ordinary citizens. The leadership role that business has in the economy gives executives of large corporations an unusual kind and degree of influence over governmental policy making. (Lindblom 1993:p91) The economic control of corporations plays an essential role in public policy. Depending on how they choose to play the game, large corporations dictate to economic conditions. Politicians must accommodate corporate interests to protect our sensitive economy. These accommodations can be called corporatism. Big businesses receive a privileged position by donating huge amounts of money and support to politicians and their political parties. This monetary support buys access into the system. This access, known as corporate welfare, can be achieved in the forms of favored rates on goods and commodities, higher interest bond issues, tariff protections, emergency funding, tax breaks and incentives, guaranteed investments, and weak safety standards. The rewards are endless, and they must be worth something because corporations spend a tremendous amount of money to obtain them. Corporations have existed as early as the eighteenth century. The framework of the constitution protects corporations through its interpretation of property rights. Our co...

Essay What to Read for Your Own Pleasure This Summer

Essay What to Read for Your Own Pleasure This Summer Essay: What to Read for Your Own Pleasure This Summer? An old saying goes: ‘One who reads a lot, knows much – and its really true! During each academic semester, students bookworm and improve their academic knowledge gradually. But theres another important part of studies and reading: self-study, self-actualization and the simple joy we get from reading books! Reading is a part of our personal development that enriches us with new ideas and broadens our outlook each time we take a book into our hands. In addition, when we read we’re brighter of spirit and more likely to be in a good mood because we’re soaring with intellectual and cultural achievements! Why shouldn’t we? We’re worth this investment! Here are some books worth reading this summer: We can start with a rather interesting and overwhelming book The Literary Lives of the Inklings written by Carol and Philip Zaleski. It will definitely grab your attention. Its a very deep and profound overview of such literary giants as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis and offers details of their lives, descriptions of people who were their true friends and able not only to support and understand, but also to inspire one another with new and bright ideas. The book is full of biographical details, which lead to a better understanding of the fantasy genre. (Dalfonzo, 2015) Another curious book suggested for consideration is titled Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs by Michelle Malkin. Its a well-known fact that the economy of the USA is generally represented by entrepreneurs. Malkin’s book is dedicated to such people. Malkin tells the stories of famous men, their ideas and know-how which earned them success and worldwide fame (Furchtgott-Roth, 2015). You’re highly likely to find this book useful and inspiring. Who knows, maybe it will lead to your own inventions! If you’re attracted by the life-stories of the celebrities, Scott Eymans book John Wayne is right for you! Its always a fascinating experience to see a famous person differently and to get to know more about the events of their life, which led them to take this or that decision (Furchtgott-Roth, 2015). A proven path to success always draws attention because it can serve as a perfect example for others to follow. Theres every chance that the book On Duties’ written by Cicero centuries ago is still relevant today! The concept of the book is to show the meaning of leaving both fabulous and helpful life. The same as its title, the content of the book presupposes each person can be viewed in the light of service to mankind. Illustrated with bright examples taken from history, and written in a form of letters addressed by the father to his son, this literary work of a Roman orator, consul and politician is meant to be used as a life guide essential for increasing of self-motivation and personal development (Mehan, 2015). The books we’ve suggested for your summer reading are very different from one another so there is sure to be at least one that will be of interest to you! Reading for pleasure and enjoying oneself at the same time in the summer; is there a better self-studying alternative for a thoughtful and determined student? If you need  some book report / literature review or book review writing help welcome to our custom essay writing service which will help you online!

Clovis Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clovis Points - Essay Example The interesting thing about these objects is the similarity in the technique used to make them and what it reveals about the residents of the area in bygone eras. Named after their first discovery site in Mexico, Clovis, the Clovis points are a representative of the Clovis Culture which is considered to be the earliest group of Paleoindians to occupy the North American regions and their time is believed to coincide with the time the first Americans arrived on the continent from Asia (Haynes, 2002). These tools are seen to be a proof that the people of the culture were mainly hunter-gatherers who relied on the availability of such tools to ensure a living based on hunting large animals. It seems that they built no enduring structures and remained only a few days or weeks in one area usually one which was near water and would have attracted their prey. Given the lack of knowledge about their overall lifestyles the Clovis points provide a unique insight to these people. The oldest Clovi s points date back to 13,000 years ago. Two recent discoveries made with regards to the Clovis Points bring some evidence about these assumptions. Firstly, bio chemical analysis of some of the tools from the Mahaffey Cache, found in  Boulder, Colorado showed the presence of animal protein on them. These tools were used to hunt and butcher ice-age camels and horses which were only present in North America around 13000 years ago- this analysis serves as evidence against the idea that the Clovis Points might have been ritualistic in nature with no practical exercise in mind. These tools were formed purely out a necessary need (University of Colorado, 2009). Another intriguing fact about the Clovis Points is that despite their wide distribution there was a distinctive similarity between the artifacts found in different caches. â€Å"New high-tech 3D computer analysis of 50 spear points made more than 10,000 years ago by North America’s mysterious Clovis people has revealed the stone points display an astounding symmetry despite having been found in caches as far apart as Maryland, Arizona and Colorado.† (Smithsonian science, 2012).The basic theories put forward were based around the ideas that the travelling nature of the people would have resulted in the loss of tools which were left behind or forgotten in places of rest and picked up by other tribes who would have seen the utility in them and attempted to copy the stone work. Or perhaps many different tribes all reached the same method of carving these tools based on trial and error and selection of the best option. But these theories were just that, theories without any scientific data to prove them either ways. Only very recently has a proper study been done to understand the factor behind the similarity and whether there could be anything more than simple coincidence or copy-cat behavior behind the construction of the Clovis Points. The researchers in question used â€Å"portable laser scanne rs to construct 3D surface models† of these artifacts so that they could study the nuances and contours of the scars, where flakes were removed from the stone, in greater depth. â€Å"Individual patterns of variation and symmetry were explored and

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Business - Essay Example The decision of the body will be rested in the hands of the owner and the government or the legislative body of the state. However, many companies fail to follow interests of the last two components of the corporate law which are the citizens and the nation as a whole, its integrity, environment and culture. The trend of globalization has further intensified the competition in the business world, where each company tries to overpower other by whatever means available. Thus, in this race for power and money, it is the local people who become the victim of lies, cruelty and cunningness of companies’ money oriented intentions and plans (McFarland, 2004). This paper is an attempt to illustrate the real essence of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) and how and which companies have violated it for their self interests. For the paper argument, the Canadian documentary film â€Å"The Corporation† by Joel Bakan is made the prime source (Bakan, 2012). Example of Companies 1. Johnson & Johnson J&J is a renowned brand of cosmetics, shampoo and skin lotions. The company is one of the trend setters in the cosmetics world hiding which hides the danger behind their â€Å"good for skin† products due to the brand reputation (CBS NEWS, 2012). The products of the J&J Company have been found to contain a diluted amount of Carcinogen Formaldehyde in their baby shampoos. In their effort to create a brand new image of a baby shampoo, they came up with an idea of â€Å"No More Tears† to attract their customers. From a customer point, it can be regarded as a great innovation in baby shampoo, but on the cost of healthcare issues (Mercola, 2011). Carcinogen Formaldehyde is one of the materials that can risk to Cancer in the later stages of life. This chemical is also present in their adult products and raises the question of whether their products are actually made for the benefit of people or just for their own benefits (NCI, 2011). However, after been fo und guilty by the Health and Environment Group, the company announced to remove those materials from its products by 2015. These factors leaves the questions that if products of the most famous company which are launched after great research are not safe, can the other products be trusted? (CBS NEWS, 2012) 2. Hershey Hershey is the largest chocolate producing company with worldwide recognition and consumers. It is evident that sales of the company is incomparable to sales of an average company, but still the greed for money cannot be ever satisfied (Hsu, 2012). Hershey Company has been recently indicted by utilizing child labor of Africa, for their cocoa harvesting and refining. The corporate government laws and those of International Labor Organization clearly states that child labor is an act of injustice and should be practiced anywhere in the world (Huff Post Business, 2012). Practices of child labor in the underdeveloped regions show their poverty and strive to earn their livel ihood. However, if the same practice is supported by giant business personnel and organizations like Hershey then it is a clear sign of immorality and easy measure to get low cost labor (Hsu, 2012). 3. KFC KFC is another big name when talking of corporate giants. It is the world’s leading fast food chain with its specialty in fried chickens. It is suspicious that how they fulfill the growing demand of chicken food items throughout the world, with the limited number of farming

Congestive Heart Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Congestive Heart Failure - Case Study Example The heart failure is divided into systolic dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction. The ejection fraction, the fraction of blood that is pumped out by the contracting heart at the time of systole, determines the type of heart failure an individual is suffering from. Congestive heart failure is characterized by shortness of breath which increases from exertion. Other symptoms include peripheral edema which is caused by fluid retention in the legs. As in the case-study, CHF is associated with hypertension, which is one of the causes for heart failure caused by excessive stretching of the heart muscles. Apart from the clinical presentation of dyspnea, the patient also has 8 pound weight gain, which points out to another etiological factor of obesity which results in the causation of CHF. With the increase in weight, the workload of heart increases and hence the heart muscles weaken leading to CHF. It can also be a factor in exacerbation of CHF (Roberts 2009). The patient also complains of chest pain and is prescribed nitroglycerine ointment, Darvocet and Ibuprofen for her chest pain. Angina pectoris is described as chest pain caused by ischemia of the myocardium. The angina pectoris is associated with several risk factors which include family history, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, old age and hyperlipidemia. As evident from the patient’s history, she has associated complaints of hypertension and also an increased amount of weight for which she is being given a lipid lowering agent, Zocar 50mg once a day. The pain or discomfort is experienced retrosternal which extends to the shoulders, arms and jaws as well. The triggering factors might include emotional stress, exertion, post-meal or excessive cold (Griffin & Topol 2009). Hypertension is another complaint and she is being given Minipres and Calan once a day for lowering her blood pressure. Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for heart failure and is defined as a systolic and diastolic blood pres sure of 140/90 or greater than that. A complete history about patient’s lifestyle and daily habits will help in evaluating the etiology of hypertension (Toth & Cannon 2010). Atrial fibrillation is the fourth pathology evident from the patient’s case study. It results in tachyarrhythmia which presents as palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Less commonly the patients will manifest with chest pain or pulmonary edema. Its association with congestive heart failure, advanced age and hypertension can be explained by the reduced atrial contractions which result in atrial myolysis and defective calcium channels leading to abnormal sympathetic innervations at a cellular level (Griffin & Topol 2009). Digoxin is the most widely used cardiac glycoside for the treatment of heart failure. It promotes heart contractility and also regulates the calcium concentrations in the cytosol. With the action of Digoxin, the heart pumps blood with more force, almost resembling that of the normal heart. However, an important adverse effect includes hypokalemia which may lead to digitalis toxicity. Therefore, the patients are also prescribed potassium supplementation along with digoxin. Furosemide is a loop diuretic which increases the urine output and hence reduces the excessive water

Antenna Technology Wireless

Antenna Technology Wireless Definition Antenna is an electronic device mostly known as transducer that is designed to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves and can be very effective in the telecommunication systems. It was the most neglected section of all the personal communication systems. But with the rapid evolution of the technology, communication is expected to be transmitted and received quickly and with fewer errors whether it is through wireless networks or otherwise, thus antennas can solve this problem. Actually it is not the Antennas which are smart but the smart system that makes it work are smart. Smart antennas consists of many other antennas which when combine together would produce or receive signals faster and more efficient. Normally this set of antennas is called MIMO which means multiple inputs -multiple outputs. . Beamforming is a technique where signals are processed and send to the direction of the receiver or vice-versa. The signal is either a fix pattern or adaptive pattern that is modified to make maximum usage of signal. Background Smart Antennas can be referred as a new technology which is used with the mobile communication, but in fact the first Smart Antennas were introduced to use by the government in the military application in 1960s. The transmission of the signal used directed beams to avoid environmental interferences such as noise and at the same time hiding transmitted data from enemies. During those days the antennas structure was very large and it was time-consuming to calculate the exact transmission rate and correctness of the signal. In 1987, the concept of wireless communication has been invented by Marconi and since then there has been an extensive and continuing increase in the use of mobile communication. Newer technologies and approach were explored and deployed and when the latest one that is the Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) has been emerged it brings a promising future to the wireless communication. SDMA is based on the use of Smart Antennas and researchers have worked on this technology to apply it on personal communication. Types of Smart Antennas There are two main types of Smart Antennas Switched beam is the simplest structure of Smart Antennas; it forms fixed multiples beams to serve users in a predefined way. The signal gives its best performance by switching from one beam to another when the user of the mobile moves through their cell. The table below shows how this approach works: But the problem with this beam occurs is the user is not in the middle of the main beam. The other type is the Adaptive Array Antennas. It is the most advanced approach of the Smart Antenna System as it automatically adjusts the beam with the condition of environmental factor that is the movement of the user and any interferers. Furthermore it also identifies, track and reduce any interfering signals and it maximize the signal radiation in the direction of the mobile user. The adjustment is attained the incoming signal is multiplied with complex weights and then summing them together to obtain the desired radiation pattern. Categories of Smart Antennas The Smart Antennas fall into three categories SIMO, MISO, and MIMO. Single-Input and Multiple-Output (SIMO) uses a single antenna for transmission to be received by multiple antennas in wireless communication. A benefit of this category is that the antennas are combined to reduce errors and improve the transmission distance but in some cases this gives rise to problem with multipath effect. As discussed in SearchMobileComputing, 2005 website when an electromagnetic field (EM field) is met with obstructions such as hills, canyons, buildings, and utility wires, the wavefronts are scattered, and thus they take many paths to reach the destination. The late arrival of scattered portions of the signal causes problems such as fading, cut-out (cliff effect), and intermittent reception (picket fencing). In digital communications systems such as wireless Internet, it can cause a reduction in data speed and an increase in the number of errors. Thus two or more antennas as transmitted can solve this problem. Multiple-Input, Single-Output (MISO) means that there are multiple antennas to transmit but a single antenna to receive. This has practically the same benefits and limitations as that of SIMO, but this technology has widespread application in Digital TeleVision (DTV), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and mobile communications. Multiple-Input, Single-Output (MIMO) used multiples antennas for transmitters and as well as receiver for wireless communication. Antennas which were not a great subject of discussion recently become the most important category in wireless communication. Especially when Researchers finally proved that with MIMO antennas system there are lots of advantages such as greater receiver gain, increased data rates, larger network throughput, and improved reliability through antenna diversity. IEEE 802.11n wireless standard which is expected in 2009 uses MIMO to increase maximum speed to 100 Mbps and beyond, double the 802.11a and 11g wireless standards. This article was extracted from Techworld.com which clearly shows the use of MIMO system in wireless communication. Cox, 2008 says that â€Å"MIMO has made its way into chipsets and could be in WLAN devices by year-end. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a collaboration of telecom standards groups, is also evaluating MIMO techniques for use in cellular networks. MIMO doubles the spectral efficiency compared with that of current WLANs. So far, the only company with MIMO chipsets is Airgo Networks, which launched its products in August 2003. MIMO is unique because it multiplies bandwidth by essentially providing multiple channels between devices, says Ben Manny, director of the radio communications laboratory in Intels corporate technology group.† MIMO can be classified into three categories Precoding, Spatial Multiplexing and Diversity Coding. Precoding is multi-layer beamforming to support MIMO radio system. It is used for single-user MIMO or multiple-user MIMO in a linear or non-linear algorithm. Spatial multiplexing is a way to transmit and separate high rate signal into multiple lower rate streams and each stream is transmitted from a different transmit antenna in the same frequency channel. Diversity methods is a single stream (unlike spatial multiplexing) to transmit data and is coded using techniques called space-time coding. Overview Architectures of Smart Antenna (MIMO) One of the biggest problems in wireless telecommunication is fading and inter-symbol interferences as shown in the diagram, below. Fading refers to the distortion of intensity over certain propagation media and Inter-symbol interference (ISI) occurs when there is reflection caused by other remote objects. The transmitted signal, at the receiver end are overlapped and delayed. To overcome this problem we use MIMO architecture, Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation and Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) coding. MIMO operate in two modes diversity mode and spatial multiplexing mode to solve the problem. Diversity Mode The use of two or more antennas that are spaced sufficiently apart such that they can receive signals from independent signal paths are involve in a Simple Receive Diversity. A basic way to select an optimal receive antenna from an array of antennas is Selection Combining, whereby the receiver switches to another antenna whenever it detects weak signals or a high noise level from the current receiving antenna. More sophisticated techniques such as Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) receive on multiple antennas simultaneously and apply advanced signal processing algorithms to combine the different versions of the received signals to maximize SNR and minimize receive errors. Selection Combining and MRC can be implemented on just the receive side of the link as shown in the figure below. (Video54, 2008, p3) Spatial Multiplexing Mode In rich multipath environments with multiple uncorrelated signal paths as figure 5, Spatial Multiplexing (SM) allows the sender to transmit different portions of the user data on multiple paths in parallel to increase capacity. The target receiver must implement a corresponding de-multiplexing algorithm to recover the original information stream from multiple antennas. In an ideal multipath environment, SM can increase the capacity of a single frequency channel linearly with the number of transmit antennas used. (Video54, 2008, p4) Figure 5: Spatial diversity (Video54, 2008, p4) Spatial Multiplexing requires the same multiplexing algorithm on both sides of a communications link. Therefore it is not interoperable with existing 802.11a/b/g devices. Until 802.11n is defined, only SM client and SM network devices from the same vendor can communicate with each other. (Video54, 2008, p4) In contrast, Selection Combining and Maximum Ratio Combining are diversity techniques that can be implemented on just one side of a communications link; therefore they can benefit all existing 802.11a/b/g devices even when diversity is only implemented on the Access Point. (Video54, 2008, p4) Thus the above explanation shows how MIMO which is being a category of Smart Antennas is designed. Benefits/Limitations of Smart Antennas Benefits Smart Antennas System, being one the latest technology in progress has brought lot of benefits. It serves as a dual purpose that is while enhancing the signal quality; it also increased the reuse of the frequency. The benefits are in more details below: As Smart Antennas receive signal from several antennas, this increase the power for higher gain of signal. The Antennas also focuses on the communication device which allows the range of operation and the service by the antennas to increase. Thus reducing the cost by lowering the amplifier costs, power consumption and result in a higher reliability. To be more precise, with Smart Antennas the network providers will not require as many antennas/base stations to provide coverage. (Lehne et al. 1999, p. 5) Furthermore, Smart Antennas provide the facility to reuse the frequencies which can increase the number of users. This also add to the factor of cost reduction, that is if more users are on the same frequency there will be less operating cost for purchasing the frequency space. Interference will also be suppressed with the introduction of the Antennas system. The transmission pattern will be generated directly as before it was radiated from all the direction and increases interferences. Thus the suppression will also increase the ability to reuse and achieve a better coverage. With Smart Antennas signal are transmitted while targeting the communication device which can also be used to determine the accurate geographic information of the device. This can allow network providers to offer new services to the devices for example guiding emergency services to the location or the locality information. This system also increases security, as radiation of the signal is direct and not as in the traditional way when it was omni-directional. If someone wants to intercept the transmissions they would need to be at the same location or between the two communicating devices. (Gadh et al. 2003) Moreover, with the frequency reuse there in an increase in the bandwidth as Smart Antennas provide diversity. The adaptive array utilize multi-path signal to reach a device and reduce the effective delay spread of the channel and allowing higher bit rates to be supported without an equalizer. And as Smart antennas are not a new protocol or standard, it can easily be integrated with existing non smart antennas and devices. Limitations As all other system, Smart Antennas also has some constraints. Lots of faults or problems can occur which can be very hard to diagnose as Smart Antenna is much more complicated than the traditional one (Lehne et al. 1999, p. 5). And also though there will be a reduction in the cost factor with the frequency reuse when the system is already implemented but while implementing this complex system, they are far more expensive than the traditional antenna. Furthermore due to the antenna arrays which are utilized by smart antenna systems, they are much larger in size than traditional systems. This can be a problem in a social context as antennas can be seen as ugly or unsightly. (Lehne et al. 1999, p.6) Smart Antennas need to have the best location to operate because of the direct radiation and not as the traditional one. For example in a road context, smart antennas are better situated away from the road, unlike normal antennas which are best situated along the road. (Lehne et al. 1999, p . 6) Need of Smart Antennas Smart Antennas has been required to accommodate with the future of mobile communication that is to significantly improve the performance of wireless performance and increase the number of users. So Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) which is a satellite communication mode has exploited this technology to optimize the use of radio spectrum and minimized cost. SDMA also known as SDM (spatial-division multiplex) has also used Smart Antennas or adaptive array to adjust dynamically with the changing traffic and the user requirements by providing frequency reuse and antennas that are highly directional, unlike the previous wireless system like FDMA, TDMA or CDMA. Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) was the first generation of wireless networks communication. FDMA technique was a basic technology in analog that was used by the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) and was the most widely technology installed in mobile phone in North America. FDMA assigned each channel to only one user at a time and is also used in the Total Access Communication Systems (TACS). But The Digital-Advanced Mobile Phone Service (D-AMPS) which also uses FDMA adds TDMA to get three channels for each FDMA channel, tripling the number of calls that can be handled on a channel. (Sanchez, 2003) Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) was first used BY D-AMPS then Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) in 2G cellular system, and Personal Digital Cellular (PDC). Each of them implements TDMA differently and in incompatible way (Search Networking, 2006). TDMA is a channel access method to share medium network and used in digital mobile communication dividing signal into three time slots in order to increase the amount of data that can be carried. It also allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium while using only the part of its bandwidth they require. TDMA is used for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) and also in the satellite system and combat-net radio. (Wikipedia, 2008) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) refers to the second generation (2G) and third generation (3G) wireless communication. It can be said to be an alternative to TDMA and FDMA, but CDMA has a much higher bandwidth than the data being communicated in contrast with TDMA which divides access by time and FDMA divides by frequency. CDMA is a form of multiplexing, which allows numerous signals to occupy a single transmission channel, optimizing the use of available bandwidth and also allows roaming (Search Telecom, 2007) but it does not guaranteed the future of mobile communication and this is where SDMA arise and become the solution. Conclusion Even though Smart Antennas has some limitations, it has proved that it is the latest technology to bring an excellent future to wireless communication. With the adaptive array system the communication would be clearer with better signal and also the frequency reuse is of great advantage to cost reduction. Furthermore, MIMO is one of the latest discussed and the IEEE 802.11n wireless standard is expected in 2009. So it can be concluded that Smart Antennas has a great future. References Web ProForum Tutorials Smart Antenna Systems http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/acrobat/smart_ant.pdf Date accessed 15/04/08 Wikimedia Foundation, Inc (2008) Smart Antennas, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Antennas, Date accessed 18/04/08. TechTarget (2004) Smart Antenna http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci1026138,00.html Date accessed 18/04/08. Paulraj (2008) Smart Antenna Research Group http://www.stanford.edu/group/sarg/ Date accessed 20/04/08. CDMA Development Group (2008) Smart Antennas http://www.cdg.org/technology/cdma_technology/smart_antennas/index.asp Date accessed 24/04/08. Shetty, K.K (2004) Chapter 1 Introduction http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04092004-143712/unrestricted/Ch_1introduction.pdf Date accessed 24/04/08. Cugnin, A (2008) Smart antennas http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/smart_antennas/ Date accessed 30/04/08. Georg zur B, Thomas C Smart antennas: A design alternative http://www.eetasia.com/ARTICLES/2005FEB/B/2005FEB16_RFD_TA.pdf?SOURCES=DOWNLOAD Date accessed 05/05/08. Kassner, M (2008) /a>Whats MiMo? http://wedothatradio.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/mimo-mike-kassner/ Date accessed 09/05/08. Cox, J (2008) Which smart antenna system will win? http://www.techworld.com/mobility/features/index.cfm?featureid=396 Date accessed 15/05/08. WTEC Hyper-Librarian(2000) Smart Antenna Advantages http://www.wtec.org/loyola/wireless/06_04.htm Date accessed 21/05/08. Hall, D (2007) Smart Antennas http://www.robotification.com/content/view/13/ Date accessed 22/05/08. Sanchez, R.W (2003) FDMA http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci213959,00.html Date accessed 24/05/08. TechTarget (2006) TDMA http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci214175,00.html Date accessed 24/05/08. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc (2008) Time division multiple access http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Division_Multiple_Access Date accessed 24/05/08. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc (2008) Code division multiple access http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA Date accessed 24/05/08. TechTarget (2007) CDMA http://searchtelecom.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid103_gci213842,00.html Date accessed 24/05/08. Intel Journal (2006) MIMO Architecture for Wireless Communication http://www.intel.com/technology/itj/2006/volume10issue02/art07_MIMO_Architecture/p06_mimo_systems_ofdm_ldpc.htm Date accessed 25/05/08. Video54 (2008) Mimo and Smart Antenna Techniques for 802.11a/b/g Networks http://www.edsl.com.au/ruckus/whitepapers/smart-antennas.pdf Date accessed 25/05/08.

Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in Ess

Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in their poems. Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in their poems. You should consider the poems equally and use the texts to support your ideas. The poems ‘London’ by William Blake and ‘composed upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth are both a description of the same city, however they both take opposite viewpoints when describing their own perception. In the poem ‘London’, Blake takes a negative view of the city. He presents the people as being unhappy, in the first stanza he talks of â€Å"marks of weakness, marks of woe† this suggests misery and perhaps failure. The negativity is emphasised by the repetition in the sentence and the alliteration on the w. Wordsworth however sheds a different light on the city, immediately showing appreciation. He uses some quite royal and perhaps religious language such as â€Å"majesty† and â€Å"temples†. This is a suggestion towards the beauty underneath the normal images of London, portraying the city as being like a kingdom. It brings in the idea of belief, opposing the idea of â€Å"weakness† in Blake’s poem ‘London’. In this poem, Blake talks of a â€Å"black’ning church† this suggests poverty and destruction. Blackened literally by the smoke and pollution in the air, and perhaps blackened metaphorically by the misery within the city. The colour black immediately brings bad thoughts to the mind, thoughts of danger and despair. On the contrary, Wordsworth appeals to the reader’s senses by describing the sun as â€Å"bright and glittering in the smokeless air†. This differs dramatically to Blake’s description as it brings a bright sense of colour to the mind and a feeling of warm... ... is there a different perception of the city between the poems, but a different time of day, and a different effect on it’s readers. Both poems end on incredibly different notes, Wordsworth sums up the splendour of London using the line â€Å"and all that mighty heart is lying still†. This suggests that the peace in the city is always there, even when the bustle of the city awakens. ‘London’ however, ends with a negative tone, speaking of a young prostitute; this creates a very emotive and powerful end to the poem. Outlining the distressing view of the city. In comparison, although both poets are relating to the same place, they describe them as being totally different, based on their own opinions. This could be because of the time of day or perhaps because of their own experiences but their imagery both shed totally different light on the city of London. Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in Ess Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in their poems. Explore the different ways the poets describe the city of London in their poems. You should consider the poems equally and use the texts to support your ideas. The poems ‘London’ by William Blake and ‘composed upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth are both a description of the same city, however they both take opposite viewpoints when describing their own perception. In the poem ‘London’, Blake takes a negative view of the city. He presents the people as being unhappy, in the first stanza he talks of â€Å"marks of weakness, marks of woe† this suggests misery and perhaps failure. The negativity is emphasised by the repetition in the sentence and the alliteration on the w. Wordsworth however sheds a different light on the city, immediately showing appreciation. He uses some quite royal and perhaps religious language such as â€Å"majesty† and â€Å"temples†. This is a suggestion towards the beauty underneath the normal images of London, portraying the city as being like a kingdom. It brings in the idea of belief, opposing the idea of â€Å"weakness† in Blake’s poem ‘London’. In this poem, Blake talks of a â€Å"black’ning church† this suggests poverty and destruction. Blackened literally by the smoke and pollution in the air, and perhaps blackened metaphorically by the misery within the city. The colour black immediately brings bad thoughts to the mind, thoughts of danger and despair. On the contrary, Wordsworth appeals to the reader’s senses by describing the sun as â€Å"bright and glittering in the smokeless air†. This differs dramatically to Blake’s description as it brings a bright sense of colour to the mind and a feeling of warm... ... is there a different perception of the city between the poems, but a different time of day, and a different effect on it’s readers. Both poems end on incredibly different notes, Wordsworth sums up the splendour of London using the line â€Å"and all that mighty heart is lying still†. This suggests that the peace in the city is always there, even when the bustle of the city awakens. ‘London’ however, ends with a negative tone, speaking of a young prostitute; this creates a very emotive and powerful end to the poem. Outlining the distressing view of the city. In comparison, although both poets are relating to the same place, they describe them as being totally different, based on their own opinions. This could be because of the time of day or perhaps because of their own experiences but their imagery both shed totally different light on the city of London.

Illustrate the case for reading the poem as (in part) a study in becoming Roman Essay

To both modern and ancient readers alike perhaps one theme of the Aeneid has generally been perceived most strongly, that of the poem’s glorification and aetiological justification of the values and society of the Imperial Rome in which its poet, Vergil, lived. In contrast to the Hesiodic concept of the decline of society from a bygone Golden Age, Vergil implicitly argues in the Aeneid for the constant evolution of society as having produced in Rome the very pinnacle of civilisation. However, this does not mean that his view is universally rose-tinted: Vergil, also, manages to portray the pathos of those who give their lives for this end (e.g. the self-sacrifices of Dido in book IV and Nisus and Euryalus in book IX [at whose plight Vergil says siquid mea carmina possunt, nulla dies umquam memori vos eximet aevo1]). Like Augustus, Vergil tends to relate the present to mos maiorum, so that innovation is given the guise of conservatism (as Rome was, after all, a generally conservative society). In this essay, I shall discuss the ways in which the poem expresses the development of such a Roman identity. From the outset the poem explains that Aeneas’ struggles (with which we are first met) are not in vain: his descendants are, famously, to obtain imperium sine fine, in the words of Jupiter (1.277). By book XII, that goal is within clear sight. The fact that the all-powerful father of the gods programmatically and teleologically tells of such future greatness so early in the poem gives the reader no option but to focus subsequently on how Aeneas achieves this fated goal. Vergil tends not to involve the gods as directly in the narrative of human affairs as does Homer, but uses them to great effect symbolically and to give such weighty pronouncements. Another programmatic feature of the first book involves its emphasis on kingship: to give just two examples, at line 265 we are told, by Jupiter, that Aeneas will reign over Latium and he is soon after described as king of the fugitive Trojans by Ilioneus (544). Dido ‘is [termed] regina eleven times’ in book I.2 This may not be particularly surprising considering that kingship was the traditional form of government in epic poetry and the heroic world, but such emphasis could be said not only to foresee the supreme power of Augustus (though he did not, due to the negative connotations, style himself as rex or dictator) but also to legitimise it. Augustus may be seen as a benevolent dictator in the mould of Hellenistic kings. To become truly Roman it follows that Aeneas must, equally, become less Trojan, and we can see this process occurring in the poem. Due to the high esteem of Homer’s epics (and the relative paucity of other accounts), the Trojan world is, for both Vergil and ourselves, a predominantly Homeric one; accordingly, some critics have seen in the poem of a gradual rejection of Homeric values. For example, the Aeneas that we see in book II can be said to be ‘rash, implusive, brave [and] seeking when all is lost the glorious death’3: all perfectly Achillean attributes, which, one could argue, slowly recede as the poem progresses. In the second half of the poem (i.e. the ‘Iliadic half’), Turnus is a clear foil to Aeneas (n.b. his bellicose words to Pandarus at the end of book IX: ‘You will soon be able to tell Priam that here too you found an Achilles!’). The Roman way of life involves, arguably, a reliance on debate and compromise more than the manliness and aggression of Homeric heroes. However, this analysis cannot be treated too simplistically as there are points, even towards the poem’s dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nouement, where Aeneas is just as ruthless and cold as ever: for example, at many points during book X he rejects pleas for mercy and jeers at those who are on the point of death. Anchises’ prophetic statement in the underworld of book VI has, also, been seen by critics as important in showing both us and Aeneas how to ‘become Roman’, whilst also sanctioning the power of the Roman state: Your task, Roman, and do not forget it, will be to govern the peoples of the world in your empire. These will be your arts — and to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and war down the proud. (6.851-3) It is important to note the context, for Aeneas is now starting to act very much like the good king, by acting in accordance with the gods when he leads his men to the Sibyl; whilst in the underworld, Aeneas sees a number of his descendants and successors, many of whom are rulers, and by doing so his right to rule is implicitly confirmed. The speech of Anchises, however, sets Rome within a firm tradition: it was well accepted by many Romans that Greek culture was superior in many respects. If we look at the lines above in which Anchises mentions the Greek arts of sculpture, oratory and astronomy, he can surely be said to define Rome against Greece by tacitly accepting their superiority in these realms, but he implies that the arts of Rome, the arts of peace and war, are what really matter. Though this may seem like an exceptionally aggressive mission, the extent to which clemency (a famous virtue of Augustus) and ultimate peace are emphasised must be noted. In the light of these ideals, Aeneas’ Achillean anger towards Turnus seems ‘in this light disturbing’.4 Perhaps the ideals are too idealistic to reflect reality truly. However, whether they were actually achieved or not, the ideals seem to have been held dearly in historical Rome, if we read what Claudian wrote (albeit with some degree of bias) four centuries after the time of Augustus: This is the only nation which has received conquered people in her embrace, and protected the human race under a common name like a mother not a tyrant, has called those whom she defeated her citizens, and has united the distant parts of the world in a bond of affection for her.5 One has to consider, however, that Roman bravado is often tempered in the poem. The many Trojan deaths throughout the poem are often glorified to emphasize the individual sacrifice for the communal goal. For example, Vergil’s apostrophe to Lausus: ‘harsh death’s misfortune and your noble deeds †¦ I shall not indeed leave unsung, nor you, O unforgettable youth’. 6 Such apostrophes seem to be based upon formulae deriving from Homeric invocations of the Muse, however, which might imply that the sentiment is not so personal as it seems.7 Dido, too, is seen as merely another obstacle which needs to be overcome for Rome to flourish (though she is repeatedly described, perhaps in Vergil’s own voice, as ‘pitiable’). Indeed, in one startling way she could be said to resemble a disgraced Homeric warrior: she falls on her own sword. Aeneas’ ‘escape’ from her thus further represents his retreat from Homeric values. To look at one final such death, the final two lines of the poem focus on the death of Turnus: The limbs of Turnus were disolved in cold and his life left him with a groan, fleeing in anger down to the shades. (12.951-2) The coldness of Turnus’ body may recall in our minds the first storm scene in which we meet Aeneas at sea, and may reiterate the degree to which Aeneas has reversed his despair (turning it into the despair of his main adversary). These lines thus emphasize both the pathos of the death and the certainty of Aeneas’ victory. It recalls, and is based upon, Homer, i.e. the deaths of both Hector and Patroclus (Iliad 16.857 & 22.363).8 The sadness of his death is thereby emphasised, since he is equated with such heroes on either side of the Trojan war. His death was a natural end to the poem (though perhaps an unnatural end for him). It may now be useful to look closely at a part of the poem that is, undoubtedly, looking forward to Rome perhaps more explicitly than any other: the ecphrasis towards the end of book VIII (626-728) focusing on the shield of Aeneas wrought for him by Vulcan as a foresight of the coming Roman glory. However, the crucial intertext on which this scene was modelled is that of the ecphrasis on Achilles’ shield at Iliad 18.478ff, so Vergil is still using a Homeric model to emphasise Rome’s greatness; Greek epic has such gravitas as a genre that, if Rome is to be such a towering civilisation, Roman epic needs to look back to its Greek antecedent. Indeed, in Homer Achilles has a desperate need for new armour (with the loss of his own after the killing of Patroclus), whereas it seems that Vergil includes this scene merely to show ‘before the full-scale fighting begins, what is to be achieved by it’. 9 The final, and (both literally and symbolically) central, scene of the shield shows Augustus’ celebrations after the battle of Actium (31 BC) in which he gained imperium from M. Antonius. Indeed, the shield itself is reminiscent of the shield that was hung in the Curia to commemorate Augustus’ virtues in 27 BC; such virtues (i.e. virtus, clementia, iustitia and pietas) surely apply equally to the Roman imperator and Aeneas (especially pietas, since Aeneas’ pietas was proverbial and pius is a common epithet applied to him throughout the poem). The two men are poetically conflated, thereby giving heroic prestige to the emperor. Most pertinent, however, is that the scene shows numerous and various peoples of the earth (e.g. Nomads, Scythian Gelonians, Gaulish Morini etc.) offering Augustus gifts: the implication is clearly that virtually everyone throughout the world is universally thankful for the arrival of pax Romana. The message is not quite so clear-cut and confident, however, since the theme of war is also almost always present in this vignette. Quite obviously, the theme of ‘war is apt both for the Shield as a martial instrument and for the circumstances of its delivery’,10 however, it moreover emphasizes the extent to which Roman peace relies upon the willingness to fight, however counter-intuitive that might seem. Virgil is certainly patriotic, but he nevertheless neither shies from or tries to obscure the realities of the early-Imperial political situation. In conclusion, the Aeneid can clearly be seen as a study in becoming Roman. Aeneas’ divine mission is reiterated throughout the poem with increasing intensity, especially throughout religious symbolism and prophecy: Aeneas is well aware that he must become Roman. The poem appears to move towards Roman values as it progresses, values such as pietas and clementia, in the face of Homeric impulses and aggression. However, such an analysis needs to be tempered: most notably because of such incidents as Aeneas’ rage against and murder of Turnus when he sees him wearing Pallas’ sword belt. Moreover, the poem continuously looks forward to a Rome to come, especially the Augustan Rome of Vergil’s era. Some have seen the poem as a mere propaganda piece, but it is clear that Vergil’s implicit praise for the Augustan rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½gime is sophisticated and not blind to the woes of war and those who are killed to make way for the Roman superpower: to use the phrase of the Aeneid, sunt lacrimae rerum. Through imitation (and innovation), Vergil also looks back to Homer. Perhaps the best summary of the message of the Aeneid is given by the ancient commentator Servius: ‘Virgil’s intention is to imitate Homer and to praise Augustus by means of his ancestors.’11 Vergil may, ultimately, have succeeded in his aim, when we consider that the poem was considered a seminal text in Roman civilisation and acquaintance with the poem was a primary method of teaching ancient children not only Latin but also the ‘Roman way of life’. Bibliography Cairns, F. (1989). Virgil’s Augustan Epic. Cambridge. Hardie, P.R. (1986). Virgil’s Aeneid: Cosmos and Imperium. Oxford. Lyne, R.O.A.M. (1987). Further Voices in Vergil’s Aeneid. Oxford. Williams, R.D. (1985). The Aeneid of Virgil: A Commentary. London. Williams, R.D. (1990). ‘The Purpose of the Aeneid’ in Oxford Readings in Vergil’s Aeneid (ed. S.J. Harrison), Oxford. 1 Aeneid 9.446-7. 2 Cairns (1989), 2. 3 Williams (1990), 28. 4 Lyne (1987), 112. 5 Cairns (1989), 205. (De Consolatu Stilichonis, 3.150-3.) 6 Aeneid 10.791-3. 7 Lyne (1987), 235. 8 Lyne (1987), 135-6. 9 Williams (1985), 90. 10 Hardie (1986), 347. 11 Williams (1990), 21.