The state of human nature

The state of human nature Assignment The State of Human Nature The conflict on the ideas between Thomas Hobbes and Rousseau in terms of the definition of human nature is seen like a state without social structure. In his book â€Å"The Leviathan†, Hobbes wrote that all condition of the people is one in misery wherein we are compelled to act violently and compete with each others to be able to attain their desired goals in life (Green 1993). As such, men are naturally violent and greedy wherein if they want something, they will do their best to obtain such thing. Thus, the result is that men becomes more inclined towards giving importance to themselves rather than to the general good which they sometimes try to portray. Moreover, as for Jean Jacques Rousseau, men are naturally peaceful and only wishes to live like that as this is what is important in his life. The claim of this paper is that men are naturally violent and we tend to be defensive on things that usually affect our interest. The human nature presented in The Leviathan is based on a society where there is no government to administer the people. As such, people tend to become more aggressive protecting their interest and will not be in accord to anybody that will intend to destroy such interest. The paper presents two types of government which are democratic and authoritarian rule. The way human nature will be influenced will be discussed on each regime to show that we humans cannot live peacefully without the intervention of the government. The Human Nature Philosophy As Human nature ideas grew, philosophers would try to integrate Human nature teaching with government and society. The result threatened the very core of different ideas. Today, we see increased pressure to water down orthodoxy and integrate it with current philosophy and teaching (Schopoenhauer 2012). Much of what passes for teachings today is nothing but different diverse perspectives that states we possess the divine and all we must do is realize that secret. But human nature is not about humans becoming something which they originally are not. Two types of government will be presented which somehow affects human nature. Democratic government in affecting human nature A large number of nations have already adopted a democratic government. A democratic government aims to improve the freedom of the people. The structures of the government and the frameworks serve as guide to the acts of the people. The government, the constitution and the system are the composition for executing the principle within a country. The government as the structure, the constitution as the framework and the system as the means if implementation. The government has proven itself on serving its people at its best. The roles are fulfilled well and it has developed further to the changing times (Dickson 2014). However, the criticism on its process as not following the majority rule questions the democratic principle that the majority should be followed. Due to the idea that the people are influenced by the society, the idea of majority rule is associated with basic principles that could touch human rights to also protect the minority. With this belief, the diversity of the peo ple, which follows pluralism, is observed. The constitution that serves as the fundamental law of the land was amended in accordance of the developing times. Basically, the constitution is the declaration of rights of the individuals and the principles of the state. Rooted from the ideas of English Magna Carta and the principle of the balance of power, the constitution continues to be the guidelines for the state to assure that human rights are being considered. The democratic notion is seen on how it gives freedom to the people. For instance, the press shows how freedom is given importance in a nation. To determine the different rights of the people the government usually use the media. As an effective medium, television, newspaper, radio and the internet are the popular ways to express public opinion. It is use to educate as it gives information to the people. It gives the people a sense of political involvement and socialization which is good because it shows that the people participate in political issues. It serves as the watchdog on government activities ensuring that the rights are observed. However, as the basic principle on freedom of expression is applied, certain laws are imposed to observe responsible use of media. It is also important that human rights violations are being watched so that proper authorities will know it. Schmitter (2010) states that the consequences of democracy brings about significant changes in power relation s, properly rights and social status within a society. Human nature can be influenced by what the people hear and do within the society. Moreover, despite of the success of this type of government, some criticizes it. Most experts on divided societies and constitutional engineering broadly agree that deep societal divisions pose a grave problem for democracy, and that it is therefore generally more difficult to establish and maintain democratic government (Lijphart 2004). Different factions in the government results to different views within the society. The separation in the nation somehow shows the divisiveness in the system that can affect the decisions made by the country, but somehow it is useful for an atmosphere of competition and improvement between the parties. Democracy is a richly textured and complicated concept and scholars have often argued the manner of its measurement. There are only a few sets of information on political regimes that can be deployed as the foundation for the exploration of issues on democratization. Most significant are the data on civil liberties and political rights developed by Freedom House, a US nongovernmental organization covering the period of 1972 to 2011 and the project known as Polity IV which presents data on political regime transitions and characteristics, with information on every country that can be trace way back in 1946. Both sources of data have numerical scores that specify where a country belongs either in a dictatorship or in a liberal democracy. Authoritarian Rule influence on Human Nature This government is one that imposes authoritarian rules are seen on countries in the Arab nation. Hybrid regimes in the Arab world are considered to be electoral authoritarian, competitive authoritarian and partly-free authoritarian. Iraq, Kuwait and Lebanon are often considered as regimes that are democratizing with their hybrid nature going on the side of complete democracy. However, several obstacles will be faced by these countries for them to evolve into stable and full-fledged democratic systems. For instance, Lebanon was a democracy with free elections from 1972 to 1975. Despite of the presence of democratic institutions within Lebanon, the possibility of significant change is inhibited because these institutions have a framework of sharing their powers. Another typical example of a hybrid regime is Kuwait that applied political liberalization in the year 1992 and was praised as a classic instance of the manner states can remain democratize and be stable gradually (Vannelli 20 01). However as of today, the authorities that were elected by the people had too little authority for the political system to be considered as a democracy. Specifically, there are still institutions in Kuwait that do not respect popular rule and hinders the cause of political liberalization. The family of al-Sabah holds the authority to rule while the Congress plays the role of a watchdog and with the limited authority to restrain the cabinet. What makes such authoritarian countries become firm and resolute is because this type of regime goes with the culture of the country. The people within the said country are disciplined and properly follow the law. These kinds of people are usually found within pure authoritarian countries in the Arab world include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Qatar, Oman and Jordan. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are considered by experts to be â€Å"dynastic monarchies† which means that the rules of the family govern instead of a sole individual and power is distributed among the members of the family. Succession to the throne is normally decided by the members of the family and a ruler can be removed from the position if he or she loses the allegiance or faith of the family. In Arab monarchies that are nondynastic like Morocco, Oman and Jordanthe monarch can select his successor and has absolute power over the government. In these countries, the members of the royal family could rule at the pleasure of the reigning monarch. Different theorists states that due to the strict policies implemented within the country, the people does not resort to violence and they only do this in a collective manner. The major explanations can be grouped into four aspects: those related to the cultural requirements of a democracy, those that pinpoint the location of the Arab world, those that involve foreign policy and those that highlight the significance of government agency. Scholars referring to the lack of cultural requirements to achieve democracy in the Arab world can be traced to the Arab or Muslim cultures that run contrary to the values associated with democracy. In particular, individual rights and participatory government are unknown to the political tradition of the Muslim world because the Islam religion considers God as the sole authority and that society must be guided by the laws of God. As a consequence, there is no legal basis for a representative government, civil codes or the mere sovereignty of a man. Meanwhile, the prevalence of oil in the Arab world significantly pushes authoritarianism since oil revenues goes directly to the government that allows it to distribute sizeable patronage to the population without the need for taxation. This rentier effect allows the public to enjoy quality public services and goods without the need for taxation that hinders their demands for reform within the government. Conclusion: In terms of the way people respond to their environment, it is but necessary to note that the government where one lives in usually affects the nature of the people. This is because the rules force people to become disciplined or to become free and do whatever they want. The philosophy had given much to the shaping of human history, and one important part of it is the contribution of well known Human nature thinkers. The main ideas were focused on men and spirit, wherein it is based from different aspects of society such as the ethical norms of humanity (Rogoff 2003). The flourishment of these teachings had an influence to the warring nations on that time, the thinking of the people and the decisions of leaders from different nations. These schools of thoughts contributed to the development of each of them, making each of the schools competent sources of philosophies and teachings.

Literary Analysis of Feminism Seen in Antigone and A Doll’s House Essay

Susan B. Anthony once said, â€Å"The true republic: men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.† In the plays Antigone, by Sophocles, and A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, strong women overcome restrictions and limitations placed upon them by their society and gender. In Antigone, Antigone chooses to defy Creon, her ruler, uncle, and a male authority figure, to support what she believes is right, which is burying her brother and respecting the gods. Though it was forbidden for her brother to be buried because of Creon’s decree, she resists, and in doing so, feels empowered and discovers what a strong woman she truly is. Similarly, in A Doll’s House, Nora is hindered by how the society in which she lives views women and their capabilities. After saving her husband’s life and keeping the secret of a forgery that could potentially destroy her marriage, Nora discovers that her husband is not who she thinks he is when he tu rns on her as soon as his reputation is threatened. Through leaving her husband, Helmer, she aims to make a life for herself and become her own person rather than just her husband’s â€Å"doll.† Both of these women, Antigone and Nora, make choices that are unheard of for their time periods and that demonstrate the importance of equal relationships between women and men. Through Sophocles and Ibsen’s plays, women in modern times can understand how women are repressed and subservient to men in male-dominated societies. An understanding of the restrictions placed on women requires an analysis of the characters’ submission to men, the expectations placed upon them by society, and their search to find their inner voices through their struggles to be heard. The expectations placed on women by society ... ...ce, and become independent women, even if they go against society’s or their male ruler’s wishes. Sophocles and Ibsen alike portray strong women who defy society’s expectations, do not bend to the wills of men, and who discover themselves while fighting for their rights. The actions taken by Nora and Antigone are remarkable for the time periods in which they live, especially with patriarchal societies. By analyzing these plays, women can determine how to become independent and not always conform to society’s expectations, just as Nora and Antigone do. Relationships between men and women are changing, through time, to become more equal and accepting of strong-willed women. Women worldwide are slowly shrugging off the chains of restrictions placed upon them by the males in their lives and are growing confident enough in themselves to make changes for the better.

Lady Macbeth Is the Real Villain of Macbeth Essay

Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores the notion of villains through its key characters and throughout the play the audience is left wondering who is actually the ‘real’ villain. Lady Macbeth seems to portray certain characteristics of a villain and appears to have evil intentions and Macbeth is also perceived as a villain due to his violent rampage. Nevertheless, both Macbeth and his wife have a conscience and they realize what they’ve done wrong. With this considered, it is ultimately the witches who are the true villains as they continue to encourage Macbeth on his murderous journey and they are soulless as they have a sense of what is right and wrong, however they find pleasure in disrupting the natural order. During the exposition act, Lady Macbeth immediately displays certain characteristics similar to a villain, and she appears to have evil intentions. Since she fears that Macbeth is too full of â€Å"th’ milk of human kindness† to take the steps necessary to make himself king, her attitude becomes very strong and forceful and she states â€Å"unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood† which presents her evil intentions as she desperately wants the crown for her husband, and does so in a dark way to emphasize the supernatural world as she would put aside her natural femininity so that she can do the bloody deeds in order to seize the crown. It also seems to be Lady Macbeth that is the â€Å"spur to prick the sides of [Macbeth’s] intent†, as she is adding to his â€Å"vaulting ambition†. Moreover, she belittles her husband, as she believes he needs to be â€Å"more the man†, and portrays herself as a woman who is capable of doing something unthinkable. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is introduced as a â€Å"brave† and â€Å"worthy gentleman†, as he fought bravely and was loyal to his king. However, the witch’s prophecies affect his ultimate desire to become â€Å"king hereafter†, and he begins to display certain characteristics associated with a tragic hero, thus being a fatal flaw. In Macbeth’s situation, his fatal flaw is his â€Å"vaulting ambition† for power. This is the point in the play when he is viewed as a villainous character, as he sets out on his violent rampage and commits murder, therefore putting the entire kingdom in danger. Furthermore, Macbeth has the opportunity to decline his wife’s temptations, however his hunger for power takes its toll on him and he continues on his murderous journey. As the play progresses, the audience is able to see Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s decline. Another thing that they also notice is that Macbeth and his wife have a conscience; more specifically a guilty conscience. They actually realize what they’ve done wrong, and a terrible amount of guilt washes over them. Lady Macbeth’s guilty conscience was evident when she began getting flooded with nightmares and she would sleep walk as well as always talk about the stained blood on her hands, and how she is trying to wash it off. This idea of blood refers to guilt. â€Å"Out, damned spot! † shows that she is struggling to remove the guilt from her hind. She also emphasizes that it’s impossible to remove the blood as she states â€Å"all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand†. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth realizes the evil he has committed and he is portrayed as a victim to his own ambitious and greedy actions. Due to this realization, Macbeth is viewed as a tragic hero, and at the end of the play the audience notice his emptiness – â€Å"I have lived long enough: my way of life is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf, and that which should accompany old age as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends.. †. Seeing as Lady Macbeth or Macbeth weren’t the ‘real’ villains of the play, it makes way to present that the witches were the real villains. The witches were the ones who ultimately manipulated and tricked Macbeth to kill King Duncan, Banquo, the Guards and many other people. Everything the witches do eventually lead to Macbeth’s downfall and therefore they are responsible for his demise. They continue to encourage Macbeth on his murderous journey and are displayed as soulless characters, as they have a sense of what is right and wrong, however they choose to find pleasure in disrupting the natural order as they believe that â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†. Therefore, Lady Macbeth isn’t the real villain of the play. Although she has evil intentions and holds villainous characteristics, she has a conscience and becomes extremely guilty of her actions. The audience is left wondering who the ‘real’ villain is, and some may think it’s Macbeth, however Macbeth is a tragic hero as he realizes the crime he has committed, yet he still fights until his very last moment. The witches are certainly the real villains of this play as play upon the motives of Macbeth, therefore being responsible for his downfall, and they enjoy disrupting the natural order. With this said, it is quite evident that Lady Macbeth is not the real villain of the play.

Je Suis Intress(e) Dans French Mistake

Je Suis Intress(e) Dans French Mistake A common mistake when learning French is to use the phrase je suis  intà ©ressà ©(e)  dans to mean I am interested in. This is a tricky one because students translate literally and it doesnt work in French for many reasons. Use PAR (Not Dans) We say je suis intà ©ressà ©(e) PAR blablabla. Je suis intà ©ressà ©(e) par le cinà ©ma.Im interested in cinema. But it gets more complicated than that... In French, you could also say sintà ©resser Je mintà ©sse au cinà ©maIm interested in cinema You Must Flip Your Sentence Around Both these translations are fine grammatically. But its unlikely a French person would use these constructions at all. We would flip our sentence around. Le cinà ©ma mintà ©resse.Im interested in cinema Etre Intress = To Have Hidden Motives Watch out that à ªtre intà ©ressà © - followed by nothing can also be a way to describe someone who has hidden motives, bad intentions... Like someone who does something that looks genuine but has hidden reasons. Il prà ©tend à ªtre son ami, mais en fait il est intà ©ressà © (par... son argent par exemple).He pretends to be his friend but in reality, he is after something (his money for example).

Marriott and Hyatt

Marriott and Hyatt Marriott and Hyatt are leading brands in the world hospitality market. Hyatt Corporation operates in more than 45 countries, having over 370 locations, whereas Marriott operates in 68 countries having over 3150 properties.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott and Hyatt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hyatt employs about 100 000 people, and Marriott has about 150 000 employees. Apparently, Marriot has a larger network, but it is necessary to add that this corporation is to great extent aimed at the US market. Conversely, Hyatt can be regarded as international brand. These two corporations also have different focuses. Hyatt is mainly aimed at premium market, whereas Marriot also offers various low-price options. Thus, Hyatt specializes in high end sectors and resorts, business plans, and family centers. At the same time Marriott offers more varied services, focusing on such business segments in the hotel chain as : full service and lodging, select service and lodging, extended stay and lodging, timeshare, and even synthetic fuel. It is necessary to add that in contrast to Hyatt, Marriot has acquired other hotel brands (e.g. Ritz Carlton Hotel Corporation) diversifying its business. These two hospitality giants not only maintain constant high quality if their services but follow ethical standards and reveal social responsibility. Thus, Hyatt is preoccupied with environmental issues. The company launches various trainings for the employees to increase their awareness of what can be and should be done to solve environmental issues. Hyatt also has HyattEarth website where they monitor energy use reductions, reductions of Greenhouse Gas emissions, water use and landfill waste reductions. At the same time, Marriott is more concerned with contributing to the development of social responsibility among people. Thus, Marriott is very deliberate while choosing their partners paying much attention to th e quality of products they provide and their being socially responsible. For instance, Marriott demands very high quality of products and the use of environmentally friendly raw materials; they also check whether all human rights are followed in the hotels of the corporations or in companies-partners.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to point out that such social responsibility of the companies contributes to their respectful names. However, it should be mentioned that while Marriott has a really strong image of one-off hospitality corporation maintaining high quality standards, Hyatt had several scandals which damaged the company’s reputation. Thus, Hyatt has been often accused of employee mistreatment, workforce reduction and housecleaning personnel outsourcing. SWOT analysis Marriott Hyatt Strengths Wide range of brands Strategic l ocations Brand image Website and social networking in Conducting its business Successful strategies to attract and Retain a pool of staff Premium offering Brand image Hyatt casino Weaknesses Focus on the United States market instead of global markets; Over-reliance on luxury products; Mostly targeted by terrorists and extremists High-level exposure to the premium market Diluted brand name Financial pressures Opportunities Emerging Asian Travel and Tourism markets Come up with low-end brands Distinction amongst hotel services offered; Decreased cost of real estate in the United States Eco-tourism Specialist businesses Hyatt business services Road trips Threats Timeshare is decreasing on popularity Economic meltdown, which lowered consumer’s spending power Threat from terrorists and extremists Tight United States borders Low cost travel/leisure Market heavily influenced by competitors Strengths Hyatt has a strong image and it is focused on premium segments, and benefits from its additional option: casino. However, Marriott has more strong points: it has more diversified business, it possesses strategic locations and benefits from using technology to provide more services. Moreover, Marriot, in contrast to Hyatt, has very positive and unblemished reputation. Weaknesses Hyatt’s major downsides are its focus on premier segment where demand is declining due to world financial crises and diluted brand name. Conversely, Marriott which has quite diversified business suggests different options in all segments but it is mainly focused on the market within the United States without developing new opportunities on new markets (e.g. very promising Asian market). One of Marriott’s weaknesses is its frequent exposure to terrorist attacks. Opportunities Nevertheless, the both companies have many opportunities to develop. Thus, Hyatt can develop its specialist business segment, offering more services in holiday and lei sure industries. Moreover, the company can benefit from its road trips services due to the rise of air travel costs. At the same time Marriott should pay more attention to developing new markets, especially in Asia. The company should also consider providing more low-end brands which is quite possible due to the decreased costs in the US real estate.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott and Hyatt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Threats However, the companies should also take into account possible threats. Thus, Hyatt can face difficulties due to the increased offer of travel services where demand is becoming lower than offer. Hyatt can also lose its position in the segment of gambling since many new companies emerge. As far as Marriott is concerned it is necessary to point out the following threats: financial crisis consumers lowered consumers’ spending power. Besides, Marriott can lose its leading posi tion if it stays within the boundaries of the US. In summary, Marriot and Hyatt are two giants of hospitality market. However, it is necessary to point out that Marriot has larger services chain and strong reputation whereas Hyatt is not presented in so many countries and has had many scandals concerning employee mistreatment. Apart from this Hyatt is potentially more vulnerable to financial hardships since it is aimed at premier segment whereas Marriot should pay much attention to implementing innovations.

Gorbachev and the Age of Rebuilding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gorbachev and the Age of Rebuilding - Essay Example Did he really know what he was doing? Most of the radical reformists generally receive much doubt and unstable support simply because their theories have yet to be tested. It does not come as a surprise that many perceived Gorbachev was moving blind in his pursuit of reforms. But the author firmly believes that he had a clear and well equipped understanding on their position regarding what matters were needed to be reformed. Gorbachev literally grew up inside the sluggish Soviet system, thus he knew which components were hindering them from achieving good economic standing (Mcnair et al. 2005: p. 1). The West perceived him as a liberator and progressive leader with his foreign and domestic policies such as the Perestroika, which means restructuring or rebuilding, and the Glasnost which is literally translated as openness. These reforms were meant to remedy the economic deficiency of Russia and adapt better practices in the hope of making Russia a globally competitive economy. These p olicies, especially the Perestroika, received the spotlight since the USSR standard of living drastically collapsed together with the economy under his rule, and ultimately it also lead to the dissolution of the USSR. Perestroika is widely believed and argued to be also the main cause of the revolution of Eastern Europe in 1989 and also it contributed to the end of the Cold War (Heauel & Cohen 2009: p. 1). In the aftermath of these events, it is relevant to consider how Gorbachev has come up with such policies and aggressive reforms. Relevant also would be how he devised and schemed the plans to go, and how the plans later on faltered and backfired to Mother Russia despite all the good intentions and virtues that it bannered. The status quo before he came into power should also be put into consideration and also the consequences of the demise and how much should really be the attributed blame to his blunder. The policies of his predecessors, like Khruschchev, where the early stages of Perestroika was likened to his reforms during the 1950s and sixties (Tompson 1993: p. 73), should also be understood. This is necessary so as to learn how he then came to be with his political orientation and of what external factors are at play in influencing and engineering such policies. SHAPING A REFORMIST Before delving deeper into Gorbachev’s policies and reforms, one must first try to understand where he is coming from and how he came to be in power. His early life shaped how he came to be an aggressive reformist who later on became one of the most influential political figures in the XX century. Gorbachev was born into a mixed Russian-Ukrainian family on March 2, 1931 (Ikeda & Gorbachev 2005: p. 11). Early in his childhood, he experienced the Soviet famine of 1932-1933 which claimed the lives of his two sisters (Gorbachev 2006: p. 10). His family started off as poor landless peasants but later on rose to become middle-class farmers because of the Soviet collectiviz ation (Mcnair et al. 2005: p. 1). He recalls that â€Å"The peasant labor was very hard. It was back-breaking labor twenty hours a day, with no more than three or four hours of sleep. Yet it did not bring prosperity to the farmers. The only hope was the private plot of land where everything was cultivated to make ends meet somehow† (Gorbachev 1996: p. 36). It can be concluded that he is no stranger to the struggles of the lowest of classes for he experienced the

Internatinal Business Management - Risk Analysis of Brazil Essay

Internatinal Business Management - Risk Analysis of Brazil - Essay Example The article has emphasized the need for FDIs in the agricultural sector of Brazil, and how with the proper flow of finance into this sector will help agriculture of Brazil reach the unfathomable heights. â€Å"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) occurs when an investor based in one country (the home country) acquires an asset in another country (the host country) with the intent to manage the asset.† (Graham Jeffery P, 2005) Over the years FDI has helped a great deal in the globalisation and internationalisation of business ventures across the globe especially in the developing countries. According to a source from the UNCTD, in the developing countries annual FDI flow has increased from less $10 billion to $636 billion in the span of three decades that is from 1970 to 2004. (U.S. Dept of States, Jan, 2009) This huge increase in the flow of FDI was driven by the industrial mergers, acquisitions and globalisation of businesses. One of the main aspects of FDI is that it enhances the flow of capital and technology into the developing countries. This is generally beneficial to both the parties, the home ground and the host ground, that is, the country which makes the investment and the country which takes in the investment, respectively. It also presents the smaller and the medium sized industries with the opportunity of becoming more actively involved in business on the international level. To sum it up th e FDI assists in the internationalisation of small business, harnesses a spirit of cooperation between the different nations and different firms within the nations and overall speeds up the growth and economic development of the participating nations and firms. (Graham Jeffery P. and Spaulding R. Barry, 2005). The Federative Republic of Brazil, geographically situated on the Latin side of America and with a work force of 99.23 million is one of the fastest growing economies in the sphere of developing countries of the world, with an