Existentialism Essays (2349 words) - Philosophy Of Life, Modernism

Existentialism Existentialism is a philosophical movement that developed during the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the first things one may notice about existentialism is the confusion and disagreement of what it actually is. Dissertations have been written on the expanse of the topic, but I shall only give an overview of the philosophy. Walter Kaufmann, one of the leading existential scholars says, Certainly, existentialism is not a school of thought nor reducible to any set of tenets. The three writers who appear invariably on every list of existentialists, Heidegger, and Sartre -- are not in agreement on essentials. By the time we consider adding Rilke, Kafka, and Camus, it becomes plain that one essential feature shared by all these men is their perfervid individualism. Some of the difficulty in defining existentialism results from the characteristics of the philosophy itself. For example, most existentialists deny that reality can be neatly summarized into a system, and so they reject all-inc lusive views like Hegels, says Diane Barsoum Raymond. This does not mean that existentialists are unsystematic, but rather that they tend to emphasize the richness of human experience rather than construct a tidy framework. Therefore, a precise definition is impossible; however, it suggests one major theme: a stress on individual existence and the subsequent development of personal essence. Existentialists attempt to direct our attention to ourselves as individuals. They force us to think about our relation to such topics as the existence and nature of God, what it is to be Christian, the nature of values, and the fact of ones own death. Existentialists encourage us to consider, in a personal way, the meaning of living authentically and inauthentically(Oaklander ix). Man is the only known being, according to the philosophers, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Freedom of choice, through which each human being creates their own nature, is one of the basic themes. Because individuals are free to choose their own path, existentialists have argued that they must accept the risk and responsibility of their actions. Those who follow this believe they are in a world that does not always make sense, a world that is filled with uncertainty where well-intended actions can become obscure and chaotic. In basic existentialist beliefs, man is the only animal defining itself through life. Without life, there is no meaning. Existentialists believe in life and fighting for it (Wyatt, 1999). While fighting for life, each person must face important and difficult decisions with only limited knowledge and time in which to make these decisions. Human life is seen as a series of decisions that must be made without knowing what the correct choice is. They must decide what standards to except and which ones to reject. Individuals must make their own choices without help from external standards. Humans are free and completely responsible for their choices. Their freedom and responsibility is thrust upon them and they are condemned to be free. Their responsibility for actions, decisions and beliefs cause anxiety. They try to escape by ignoring or denying their responsibility. To have a meaningful life one must become fully aware of the true character of the situation and bravely accept it. Yet other existentialist thought dictates every person spends a lifetime changing his or her essence. Without life there can be no meaning; the search for meaning in existentialism is the search for self. In other words, we define ourselves by living; killing yourself would indicate you have chosen to have no meaning. Existentialists believe in living -- in fact fighting for life. Camus, Sartre, and Nietzsche were involved in various wars because they had a strong belief in fighting for the survival of their respective countries. In order to understand the current meaning of existentialism, one must first understand that the American view of existentialism was derived from the writings of political activists, not intellectual purists. Americans learned the term existential after World War II. The term is credited to Jean-Paul Sartre to describe his own philosophies, but it was actually coined by Kierkegaard when he described his existential dialectic. It was not until the late 1950s that the

Lord of the Flies Illustrates essays

Lord of the Flies Illustrates essays Lord of the Flies Illustrates that people are, by nature, evil. Do you Agree? Throughout the novel LOTF illustrates that people are by nature, inherently evil as well as disproving the theory that man is innocent and society evil quite the contrary. At the start of the novel a fly could have done more damage to the boys than the latter to the fly. However, as the novel progresses and the boys take on some form of transformation, with the aid of a beast known as the Lord of The Flies, they are caught up in a society with no rules or ramifications regarding their actions, just savagery and immorality. The killing of Simon and the hunt for Ralph are two classic examples of evil. There are however exceptions to the rule, such as Simon and his prophetic, harmless figure. The novel begins by stereotyping the boys as proper, well groomed and polite English boys, incapable of any of the atrocities performed by them later on in the novel - the most important being the brutal murdering of Simon. Simon had just come back from a quest to find the beast, climbing mountains to get there, only to find out that the beast was in fact not a physical being (the beast on top of the mountain was actually a parachutist who was killed in combat) but a beast that resided in every one of them and just needed the right environment to flourish and prosper. However, Simons choice of timing couldnt have been worse to tell the group of his findings, as the level of fear was at its highest amongst the boys when Simon decided to crawl into the circle in the middle of the night whilst surrounded by a group of rowdy boys shouting Kill the beast! Cuts its throat! Spill its blood! The temptations of the savagery were too overwhelming for Ralph and Piggy as well, who also had some part in the murder of Simon in the circle. This was an act of barbarity by the boys. Nothing excused them from committing such evil. Nothin...

Website exploration assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Website exploration - Assignment Example First of all it gives direct option to ‘Explore Canada’ which includes trip ideas, places to go and things to do. Then there is an option to give complete information on ‘travelling Canada’ starting from arrival up to departure from the State. ‘Share your Canada’ is a unique option for visitors to upload their photos and share their distinctive experiences. Thereafter the website gives a central option to search places with the help of topics, for instance, if someone is interested in exploring arts and culture then the search will directly lead to the most suitable places. Different locations for tourists’ attraction are available with the brief description, for example, there is ice land, journey behind the falls etc. Additionally there is a list of 50 Canadian destinations along with different videos and contact link of a trip advisor. The site is creatively designed as it shows everything a tourist might be looking for. Although the pictures and information is set in order to demonstrate â€Å"more† but the black background color is not giving a comforting feel. Diversity seems to be the central part to picture Canada. This can be substantiated on the basis of locations categorization, for instance, tourists planning their visit to a lake, ice land or even waterfalls can actually select Canada as it has all of them. In addition to this the website sends a message of adventure and fun to the visitor. 3. Scan the categories in the tab Explore Canada at the top of the Home page. Name/identify four or five that you know (by experience) or that you had heard about? Among those that you have identified, what are those that you find MOST characteristic of tourism in Canada? Places to go: I have read about these places in different publications and stories Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Toronto. All of these places reflect most characteristics of tourism in Canada because they are

LED520 Cross-Cultural Communication and Leadership Assignment

LED520 Cross-Cultural Communication and Leadership - Assignment Example This paper examines cultural intelligence as a capacity, development of cultural sensitivity and the critical components of cultural intelligence. Cultural Intelligence can be defined as the capacity to read and understand the familiar and unfamiliar gestures of a foreigner and give the same meaning the foreigner’s colleagues would give. It is the ability to understand and perceive the world from the perspective of someone from a different culture (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). CQ is a critical tool in a world that has been turned into a small village by globalization. It is also important in the business world because different people culture interact on a daily basis. Different companies have different cultures that may affect their interaction. Cultural intelligence bear a close resemblance to emotional intelligence, but it is delves deeper. Emotional intelligence enables one to understand what makes everyone human and what makes a specific person unique (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). In the same manner, high cultural intelligence makes it possible for an individual to perceive and identify the unique features of a group and the peculiar characteristics that are exhibited by people from that same group. Individuals with high cultural intelligence can identify unique features of a person that are not idiosyncratic to the situation. It is apparent from the definition that cultural intelligence entails emotional intelligence plus the ability to read cultures. Cultural Intelligence emphasizes the need to think before a judgment is passed. A culturally intelligent person takes the time to analyze actions, responses and general behavior of individuals before reaching a conclusion about their unique features. It entails registering the way people are behaving and comparing to one’s culture. The comparison facilitates the discovery of similar characteristics or features that might help in understanding the culture of the group or

Implementation of Balanced Scorecard by Citibank Essay

Implementation of Balanced Scorecard by Citibank - Essay Example Economics-based agency models underscore the significance of performance measure in align the goals of the agent with those of the principal. Economic-based models harness the use of traditional financial measures to evaluate whether the company’s strategy contributes to the bottom-line progress of the company. These models therefore attempt to examine the outcome from the strategy, and to translate the success of the strategy in financial terms. Citibank should select performance measures while reflecting on their real purposes and overall effect. In addition, they should indicate that the selection of the performance metric in incentive contracts should be a feature of the incremental information content for each measure with regard to an employee’s action choices. Citibank should exploit the full potential of the balancing score card in tracking the short-term financial results while at the same time tracking its progress in developing capacities and acquisition of the intangible assets that promote the growth of future financial performance. At this stage, Citibank should consider the three possible stages in which to consider the financial measures to evaluate, namely rapid growth phase, sustain phase and harvest phase. In the growth stage, I expect Citibank to evaluate increase in customer base, revenue surge or increase in sales. At the sustain stage, the bank should come up with measures that can effectively evaluate its overall performance, in which case it should consider financial measures like return on capital employed or return on investments (ROI). In the harvest phase, Citibank should probably come up with effective cash flow analysis to appraise its success in harvesting profits from established services or products(Christensen & Demski 2003). In brief, economics-based agency models concentrate on the significance placed on encouraging congruence between the agent and the principal’s goal (Pfeffer 1998). Psychology Psychology-based models study how the type of information applied in assessing performa nce is influenced by decision strategies and human-information processing capacities. Usually, they tend to deviate from the balanced choice models in economics and inquire much into how limitations of human-information processing and decision-making strategy affect the use of performance measures. Citibank should examine how its employee’s information processing abilities and their strategies for making decision affect the types of information

Opening A Burger King Franchise In Pakistan Tourism Essay

Opening A Burger King Franchise In Pakistan Tourism Essay Introduction Burger king is a well known brand of a fast food restaurant chain that operates globally. Founded in 1954, the burger king franchise has grown from its humble beginnings to a multibillion dollar empire over time and the business has gone beyond the borders f its country of origin and now it has franchise operations all over the world. However the character that embodies the brand, famously known as the king was developed and introduced in 1955 that grew to became an embodiment of the brand itself. Developing various versions for broiled beef lovers, the menu of burger king grew and so did its customer base. Owing to the immense success, the company decided to expand the business and franchises were granted in the year 1959 but the initial focus still remained on the western markets where there was a demand for and similarity with the cuisine that burger king offered but the first franchise restaurant to materialize outside the US was in Puerto Rico. Up till the year 1967, the company had already opened up 275 restaurants but further expansion required the private owners to cohort with the Pillsbury Company. Currently, the company is a publically traded company with Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, TPG Capital and Bain Capital as its major stockholders. It is one of the most well known brands on earth and it is hard to find a country where there is no burger king outlet, Pakistan happens to be one such country. However franchise operations are a very risky business for the franchisee, especially in the case of a foreign brand. A multitude of factors; both external and internal need to be addressed before a franchise can be launched. An analysis of external and internal factors needs to be done in the form of a prefeasibility study to test the waters before taking the plunge (Kotler, 2008). Pakistani Market Having remained under the Mughal rule for a long time, Pakistani cuisine consists of hot, spicy and rich curries that are consumed with rice or bread with a lot of herbs (Black, 2002). This makes Pakistani cuisine quite different from the Western one and therefore offers a challenge to any international franchise thinking to enter Pakistan. However it is not unusual to find famous fast food restaurants in Pakistan and travelers home sick for their local food will have no difficulty in finding international restaurant chains in the major cities of Pakistan (Singh, Brown,  Clammer,  Cocks and Mock, 2008). Various names like Pizza hut, McDonalds, KFC, Mr. Cod, Subway etc are household names for Pakistani city dwellers as well as they offer a break from the usual cuisine available at homes. According to reports, the real private consumption growth rate in Pakistan is expected to be much higher that its GDP by the year 2014 and therefore points towards the existence of various growth opportunities and international food companies such as Nestle and Unilever are doing extremely well (PRlog, 2010). Burger King provides a lot of support for its franchises and even plays a role in selecting the most appropriate site for the business. The employees are also given a training of a minimum of 70 days so that they are well equipped and knowledgeable about the companys operations. External Analysis: PESTLE Political Factors Even though Pakistan has had a history of political instability, upheaval throughout its history but the political factors that are relevant to a fast food business include health and Safety Guidelines, food labelling guidelines issued by the government that may be subject to change with a changing government. In Pakistan there are no well defined rules and regulations for monitoring the health standards of restaurants and there exist no labelling requirements as well. This presents easy operational conditions as well as the opportunity to define industry standards of the fast food business in Pakistan. The security situation in Pakistan is also a question mark because terrorist and angry mobs have often targeted international restaurant chains in Pakistan and a KFC outlet in Karachi was destroyed twice because of such a situation (Schlosser and Wilson, 2007). Economic Factors Economic considerations that will help in establishing the operations in Pakistan low set up costs for the franchise and the ability to tap into a growing market as the awareness of consumers regarding international brands increases. The added advantage that fast food carry is that consumers view that they are being offered fair value for the money they are paying. Additionally, the growing middle class consumers in the country who do not want to eat at small local joints but do not have the money to spend on a lavish restaurant are the best target market for burger king. Moreover, Pakistani government offers favourable investment terms and foreign investors are permitted to keep 100 % of the firms equity but they are subjected to the condition that a maximum of 60 % of the total equity or profits can be repatriated (SECP, 1984)  however the ever depreciating Pakistani currency may be a problem. However the double digit inflation remains to be the major threat as this would warrant an increase in prices that the consumers may not be willing to bear. Social Factors As the working middle class in the country is increasing, the lifestyles have become much busier than they were previously which has made the acceptance of fast food restaurants in the country easier. There is still lack of awareness of the concepts of healthy Eating and Obesity among the general population and Pakistani consumers are generally meat lovers which happen to be the speciality of burger king. Another added advantage it the homogeneity in taste across the major cities in the country which will be the target market. Fast foods are not viewed as poor mans food and eating out in an international chain is still regarded as a social activity for many families. It is the accepted religious and cultural norm to consume Halaal food only and the consumers expect the restaurants to offer such food. Technological factors Significant investment will have to be made in terms of developing the technology that meets the franchise agreement requirements. Involvement of technology in food here is relatively new and therefore it may be difficult to develop a supplier base in a short time and the company may have to rely on the parent company. Computer ordering or till system are relatively new here and therefore employees will need training to operate these systems and will represent a significant cost. Legal Restaurants in Pakistan are controlled and registered through the Pakistan Hotels Restaurants Act of 1976. According to this law, every restaurant must be registered and the owner must attach a certificate that verifies the medical fitness of the staff from the civil hospital of that area along with the application. Health, hygiene and comfort standards have aloe been defined in this law and the authority issues the certificate of registration and the license to operate at the same time though the firm may have to file a separate form for getting a license (SMEDA, 2009). In addition to the above mentioned act, there are various other food laws in Pakistan such as the West Pakistan Pure Food Ordinance, 1960 and covers topics that relate to the preparation and the sale of foods and violations are punishable by imprisonment and fine. Another law is the Cantonments Pure Food Act, 1966 which is applicable only in the cantonment areas. Pakistan penal code, 1860 also contains some clauses regarding adulteration of food or drink (Khan and Hafeez, 1999). Although the regulatory framework is in place, like many other unfortunate countries, these laws are not fully implemented and often exploited. Environmental Pakistan is located in such a terrain because of which the weather generally remains hot during most part of the year and the summers are harsh however the northern part of the country still receives a few good months of winter as well. Monsoon is also a regular visitor however, because of the lack of basic infrastructure; weather condition may cause problems for the consumers as is the recent case of flooding in Pakistan. To make the consumers comfortable, there is a need for proper air-conditioning, heating and selection of a location that is easily accessible despite harsh weather conditions. The environment protection Act of 1997 covers topics related to the protection, preservation, rehabilitation and progress of the environment, deterrence and control of pollution and endorsement of sustainable development (The Gazette of Pakistan, 1997). Internal Analysis: SWOT Strengths A major strength of this venture is the international brand name recognition of Burger king that will help access many demographic groups of the population and gain an easier acceptance in the market. In addition to this, the strong financial backing of the company is another major strength as there will be no hitches in setting up the required infrastructure and the international distribution channels of the company will serve as an added advantage for the franchise. The assembly line style of food preparation of the business is also very efficient while food safety is also given very high importance. Weaknesses A major weakness of this operation is that Burger King is mainly concentrated in the US while there is already established competition from other fast food joints, both local and international in the country and it may be hard to develop a consumer base. It basically relies on its franchisees to run its operations abroad. The major weakness of Burger king is that it offers a very high calorie unhealthy diet and as the trend for health consciousness increases globally, it runs the risk of a shrinking consumer base. Additionally, burgers and fast food snacks are not an everyday meal for the Pakistani consumer as the traditional local cuisine is quite different from what the burger king offers. The logo of the king that makes burger king so recognizable and is the basis of many advertising campaigns may not resonate well with the consumers as the local consumers may not be able to relate with it. Opportunities Since there are no burger king outlets operating in Pakistan, it is a great opportunity to introduce the Pakistani consumer to the King. There is an opportunity to take advantage of the experiences of the other fast food restaurants and not make the same mistakes that they did. In addition this, there is an opportunity available for the customization of the burger king menu to the local tastes so that consumers can accept it with ease which many international chains have done in Pakistan. There is room for new product development especially in the breakfast segment in Pakistan which may prove to be a competitive edge for the franchise. Since Pakistan is one of the emerging markets, the economy is still developing and therefore there exists great potential for those who are willing to make a long term investment commitment. Threats The security situation in the country remains the major threat to the franchise operations and makes them easy targets of terrorism and requires huge investments in security. The company will face intense competition from the pre established brands especially McDonalds and also from other ready to cook options such as KNs chicken etc. consumer eating habits are changing inevitably all over the world. Although consumers still consume fast food meals but this is an occasional event for most of the Pakistani consumers as they are still more dependent on the local or desi food as it is fondly referred to. Concluding Remarks Pakistan being one of the emerging markets holds huge potentials as well as high returns but also offers a considerable level of risk as well. Even though the market is huge and profitable, other factors such as the weak economy, political instability, and security threats and poor infrastructure make it impossible to launch operations at a massive scale. Since fast food is not the local cuisine, it may be hard to find consumers outside the major cities which considerably restrict the target market. However there are immense opportunities available as well which can be tapped into by using the most appropriate entry strategy and developing a strong exit strategy if the need arises.

Anorexia Nervosa Essay -- essays research papers

Anorexia Nervosa A lot of people including men not just women often dream about having the perfect body. Some may work hard for it and others may think they cannot achieve that dream. In our society, we seem to make body image appear to be almost one of the most important things. Young girls less then thirteen years of age can start to see themselves as being "fat" even if they are thin. In fashion magazines for instance, you will hardly ever see pictures of overweight or slightly overweight people. They are filled with runway models who are so skinny it looks as if they are sick with a disease or are cracked out on drugs. How can people think that looking that way is attractive? It's so disgustingly gross to see models like that when they look emaciated at times. They call themselves "models." Who would want to model themselves after someone who looked like that? Although, it is sad to say that some people actually go as far as starving themselves to look like what they thin k is perfect. Anorexia nervosa is an illness that most commonly happens with teenage girls. At times even teenage boys and adults can struggle with anorexia. Anorexia causes people to be obsessed with food and being thin. Often at times, people with anorexia have emotional problems and use food and weight to try to deal with their problems with a sense of control. "Ninety percent of all anorexics are women" (The National Women's Health Information Center Pg. 1 of 4). There is no exact cause of anorexia. For some, they feel that they are not happy and think that being thin Butler 2 would make them a lot happier and successful. Anorexia can sometimes come from problems in relationships or bad experiences from early childhood. People with anorexia are perfectionists. They need everything to be perfect in their lives and if not, then they blame themselves if their lives are not perfect. Along with having anorexia, there are many problems caused b... ...ients. There are also support groups that anorexics go to so they can discuss their fears and help each other recover from their illness. People with anorexia need full on support from their friends and family as well. Friends and family need to show love for the person with the illness. A lot of times, people with anorexia will beg and lie so they don't have to eat. They feel if they will give up the control they have from gaining weight. Friends and family need to be strong when dealing with a person who is suffering from anorexia. They cannot let the person talk them into believing there is nothing wrong or let the person convince them that they don't need to eat for the time being. Family and friends need to be there for that person and shouldn't get angry at them. Being anorexic is an illness and needs professional help because it cannot be controlled by willpower. Word count: 917