Need For Federal Government Involvement In Educati Essays

Need For Federal Government Involvement In Educati Essays Need For Federal Government Involvement In Education The Need for Federal Government Involvement in Education Reform by____________ Political Science 2301 Federal and State Government OVERVIEW For centuries, generations of families have congregated in the same community or in the same general region of the country. Children grew up expecting to earn a living much like their fathers and mothers or other adults in their community. Any advanced skills they required beyond the three R's (Readin', Ritin' and Rithmatik) were determined by the local community and incorporated into the curriculum of the local schools. These advanced skills were taught to the up- and-coming generation so they could become a vital part of their community. The last several decades has greatly expanded the bounds of the community to almost anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world for that matter. Advances in transportation and communication has made the world a much smaller place then the world we knew as children. The skills our children need to realize parents' perpetual dream of their children having a better life are no longer limited to those seen in the local area. It is becoming more and more apparent that the education system of yesterday cannot adequately prepare students for life and work in the 21st Century. These concerns have prompted people across the country to take a hard look at our education system and to organize their efforts to chance the education system as we know it. WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE? There are two major movements in recent years whose focus is to enhance the education of future generations. The Standards movement focuses on educational content and raising the standards of traditional teaching and measurement means and methods. The Outcome Based Education (OBE) movement is exploring new ways of designing education and changing the way we measure the effectiveness of education by focusing on results or outcomes. STANDARDS MOVEMENT In September 1989, President Bush and the nation's governors called an Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia. At this summit, President Bush and the nation s governors, including then-governor Bill Clinton, agreed on six broad goals for education to be reached by the year 2000. Two of those goals (3 and 4) related specifically to academic achievement: * Goal 3: By the year 2000, American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, history, and geography; and every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our modern economy. * Goal 4: By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in science and mathematics achievement. Soon after the summit, two groups were established to implement the new educational goals: the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) and the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST). Together, these two groups were charged with addressing unprecedented questions regarding American education such as: What is the subject matter to be addressed? What types of assessments should be used? What standards of performance should be set? The summit and its aftermath engendered a flurry of activity from national subject matter organizations to establish standards in their respective areas. Many of these groups looked for guidance from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics who publishing the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics in 1989. The NCTM standards redefined the study of math so that topics and concepts would be introduced at an earlier age, and students would view math as a relevant problem-solving discipline rather than as a set of obscure formulas to be memorized. The National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science quickly launched independent attempts to identify standards in science. Efforts soon followed in the fields of civics, dance, theater, music, art, language arts, history, and social studies, to name a few. OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION MOVEMENT The decade of the 80s brought numerous education reforms, but few of them were a dramatic shift from what has gone on before. Outcome-based education (OBE) is one of those that is new, even revolutionary, and is now being promoted as the panacea for America's educational woes. This reform has been driven by educators in response to demands for greater accountability by taxpayers and as a vehicle for breaking with traditional ideas about how we teach our children. If implemented, this approach to curriculum development could change our schools more than any other reform proposal in the last thirty years. The focus of past and present curriculum has been on content, on the knowledge

Fraternity Violence in Higher Education

Fraternity Violence in Higher Education Fraternity-Related Violence and Deaths Statistics of deaths in U.S. school campuses suggest that there are more than 60 fraternity-related deaths since 2005. The common causes of deaths are fraternity hazing and pledge-related activities, clashes between fraternities, and gang rape. Moreover, these deadly fraternal activities occurred in fraternity houses on college campuses around the world. In Istanbul for instance, members of rival fraternity brutally stabbed a student of Ege University who later died in the hospital. Neophytes of school fraternity have to undergo physically demanding rites and rituals to become a full member of the group. However, some initiation rites are so violent and deadly such as the hazing incident that killed Michael Davis, a junior journalism student at Missouri State University in 1994. VIOLENCE AGAINST FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS The hallmark of all hazing deaths according to one study is the failure of fraternity members to recognize the severity of hazing situation while the common cause of student death is severe injuries from brutal beatings. Other fraternity-related injuries and deaths include clashes between rival fraternities, fires in fraternity houses, and binge drinking. Fraternity violence is a campus safety issue and poses ethical problems which violate  rules and honor codes. Why fraternities still exist? Fraternity and Academic Institutions’ Civil and Criminal Liability In defense of fraternities, fraternity leaders argue that they are student organization symbolizing the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity in school. Moreover, although they did cause some serious problems in the past, they did a number of good things like charity and community service. In other words, the â€Å"good outweighs the harms†. Under the law, schools have duties of care to keep students safe and therefore legally liable for injuries and deaths caused by fraternity violence. For instance, in Furek v. The university of Delaware, the trial court awarded Jeffrey Furek damages for fraternity hazing injuries. The University provided 93% of this damage award while the remaining 7% came from Joseph Donchez, the fraternity member directly responsible for the injuries. The national fraternity, on the other hand, was free of any liability. The court announced that the duty of reasonable care was breached when the university, despite its knowledge of ongoing hazing activities inside the campus, failed to protect Furek from harm. VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND SCHOOL VIOLENCE There is clearly a good reason why some universities banned and refused to recognize any fraternity. In 1983 for instance, Princeton University, after banning three fraternities for over a century, announced that it would continue to deny fraternities and sororities of school’s recognition. Similarly, responding to fraternity violence and incident of gang rape on campus, the University of Pennsylvania successfully disbanded a fraternity through a court order. In reality, fraternities can have unrecognized chapters in any school thus colleges and universities must be ready to defend themselves against potential liability associated with a duty of care. Since liability is highly dependent on school officials’ reaction to knowledge of hazing activities and performance of their duty to care, the best defense probably is to create and enforced an anti-hazing policy. The reason is the fact that school officials primarily need to convince the court that they are against hazing. Second, the court cannot use the reaction to knowledge of hazing as infringement, as hazing activities outside school premises is difficult to detect and clearly outside an officials’ assumed duty of care.

Architecture, Design, and Public Space of Country Music Clubs across Thesis

Architecture, Design, and Public Space of Country Music Clubs across America - Thesis Example The architecture of the country music clubs become a space that reflects the identity of those interested in the music as well as the depiction which is related to the concepts portrayed in the music. When examining the history, relevance to social identity and the fabrication of country music, it can be seen that the architecture and ideology of the genre is a direct reflection of the identity of what is now known as the country scene. History of Country Music The beginning of country music was first seen in the Deep South and was associated with the Southern culture, specifically among slaves. This derived from the folk songs which many slaves sang while on the plantations, specifically which were used with the understanding that one could overcome the difficult times and problems which persisted in the situation which most were in. The slave songs which were created led to the blues and jazz music, pieces of music which were known specifically among the African – American p opulation and which were based on the hardships of living in the south. Country music was a spin – off of the blues, specifically which came from the musical techniques that were used and the arrangements of the songs. It was also found that elements of blue grass and folk were incorporated into the sound, specifically which came from individuals living in the high country of the South and which were building a life from the land. More importantly, the country music depicted the same concept of hardships that were associated with the blues and with the country living in the South (Ellison, 12). By 1923, the concept of country music began to evolve in the south, mostly with the evolution of the blues music. Atlanta, Louisville, Texas and other southern areas began to use the music for barn dances and entertainment. This stretched to Chicago and to New York City with the same ideology. When the Great Depression began, many began to focus on the concept of country music, specifi cally because of its relationship to overcoming hardships needed at the time. From this, the concept of country music became commercialized with barn dances, entertainment and with radio recordings of musicians who reflected overcoming the difficulties of the time. By the 1940s, areas such as Kentucky and Tennessee took these ideas and changed it into a popular genre to depict country living and styles which related to blues, bluegrass music, folk music and earlier entertainment o the time. These traditions led into country music being a part of the southern culture and depicting the lifestyle through the 1960s (Ellison, 15). The concept of country music evolved through the 1960s with the other types of music which were a part of the time. The commercialization during this time led to new sounds that were depicted, specifically which combined the electronic instruments of the time frame, rock arrangements which were popular throughout America and the combined musical progressions of blues and jazz. During this time, the Country Music Foundation also became a part of the history, specifically which was associated with finding ways to popularize the music and to give musicians opportunities for performances and recordings. This led the country music style through the current day and to those interested in the specific sounds of the music. The depictions from other forms of music is based on the musical

Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Mythology - Essay Example The cult of a hero are relevant to every day person’s life is because the values of that hero influence the group as a whole. In essence, any action taken by the people in the cult always reflect the decisions that would have been made by a hero. In a defined culture, a hero must be able to be successful without sacrificing the traditions of that society. A cultural hero does not have to reflect change necessarily; an invention of any sort would suffice to make him a legend. In the Quran, Moses without a doubt plays a very vital role of being a hero. Moses frees his people from the cruel oppression of the Pharaoh and leads them to the promise land. Moses was no doubt a humble and a valiant man, but adapted to his role when his people needed him the most. Understanding Roman and Greece mythology and philosophy are important as they influence the ideas that are innovated in modern society. Chaos ruled the world, and hence initiated the creation of beings. Not only did the Greek mythologies often discuss the human-like qualities that the God’s possessed such as jealousy, hated, love, but also the fact that the Gods communicated with humans in a daily basis. In essence, the lesson becomes of morality, as good people will be honored and bad people will be punished. The Renaissance era that took place in Europe was a prime example of how artists tried to portray the stories of Greek mythology. Myths teach modern society that the world is full of flaws and have influenced all aspects of modern society such as: politics, literature, religion, poetry, infrastructure, and government. Greek myths at times are pure entertainment and don’t always serve as a reminder of ethics. For instance, the popular STAR WARS chronicles, depict a lot of ideas from Greek mythology as these myths have influenced our beliefs shown in our traditions. A classic example of how the

Chinese Literature Essay Example for Free

Chinese Literature Essay 2000 by Andre Levy All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in. writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39. 48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Levy, Andre, date [La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique. English] Chinese literature, ancient and classical / by Andre Levy ; translated by William H. Nienhauser, Jr. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-253-33656-2 (alk. paper) 1. Chinese literature—History and criticism. I. Nienhauser, William H. II. Title. PL2266. L48 2000 895. 109—dc21 99-34024 1 2 3 4 5 05 04 03 02 01 00. For my own early translators of French, Daniel and Susan Contents ix Preface 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Antiquity 5 I. Origins II. Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! 1. Mo zi and the Logicians 2. Legalism 3. The Fathers of Taoism III. The Confucian Classics 31 Chapter 2: Prose I. Narrative Art and Historical Records II. The Return of the Ancient Style III. The Golden Age of Trivial Literature IV. Literary Criticism Chapter 3: Poetry 61 I. The Two Sources of Ancient Poetry 1. The Songs of Chu 2. Poetry of the Han Court II. The Golden Age of Chinese Poetry 1. From Aesthetic Emotion to Metaphysical Flights 2. The Age of Maturity 3. The Late Tang III. The Triumph of Genres in Song Chapter 4: Literature of Entertainment: The Novel and Theater 105 I. Narrative Literature Written in Classical Chinese II. The Theater 1. The Opera-theater of the North 2. The Opera-theater of the South III. The Novel 1. Oral Literature 2. Stories and Novellas 3. The Long Novel or Saga Index 151 Translators Preface. I first became- interested in translating Andre Levys history of Chinese literature, La litterature chinoise ancienne et classique (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1991), in 1996, after finding it in a bookshop in Paris. I read sections and was intrigued by Professor Levys approach, which was modeled on literary genres rather than political eras. I immediately thought about translating parts of the book for my graduate History of Chinese Literature class at the University of Wisconsin, a class in which the importance of dynastic change was also downplayed. Like many plans, this one was set aside. Last spring, however, when the panel on our fields desiderata headed by David Rolston at the 1998 Association for Asian Studies Meeting pronounced that one of the major needs was for a concise history of Chinese literature in about 125 pages (the exact length of Professor Levys original text), I revived my interest in this translation. I proposed the book to John Gallman, Director of Indiana University Press, and John approved it almost immediately-but, not before warning me that this kind of project can take much more time than the translator originally envisions. Although I respect Johns experience and knowledge in publishing, I was sure I would prove the exception. After all, what kind of trouble could a little book of 125 pages cause? I soon found out. Professor Levy had originally written a much longer manuscript, which was to be published as a supplementary volume to Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequiers La Litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948) in the Que sais-je? (What Do I Know? ) series. This concept, however, was soon abandoned, and it Several decades ago Anne-Marie Geoghegan translated this volume as Chinese Literature (New York: Walker, 1964). x Translators Preface was decided to publish the Levy appendix as a separate volume-in 125 pages. Professor Levy was then asked to cut his manuscript by one-third. As a result, he was sometimes forced to presume in his audience certain knowledge that some readers of this book-for example, undergraduate students or interested parties with little background in Chinese literature-may not have. For this reason, working carefully with Professor Levy, I have added (or revived) a number of contextual sentences with these readers in mind. More information on many of the authors and works discussed in this history can be found in the entries in The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature (volumes 1 and 2; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986 and 1998). Detailed references to these entries and other relevant studies can be found in the Suggested Further Reading sections at the end of each chapter (where the abbreviated reference Indiana Companion refers to these two volumes). I also discovered that re-translating Professor Levys French translations of Chinese texts sometimes resulted in renditions that were too far from the original, even in this age of distance education. So I have translated almost all of the more than 120 excerpts of original works directly from the original Chinese, using Professor Levys French versions as a guide wherever possible. All this was done with the blessing and cooperation of the author. Indeed, among the many people who helped with this translation, I would like to especially thank Professor Andre Levy for his unflinching interest in and support of this translation. Professor Levy has read much of the English version, including all passages that I knew were problematic (there are no doubt others! ), and offered comments in a long series of letters over the past few months. Without his assistance the translation would never have been completed. Here in Madison, a trio of graduate students have helped me with questions Translators Preface xi about the Chinese texts: Mr. Cao Weiguo riftlal, Ms. Huang Shu—yuang MV and Mr. Shang Cheng I*. They saved me E, from innumerable errors and did their work with interest and high spirits. Mr. Cao also helped by pointing out problems in my interpretation of the original French. Mr. Scott W. Galer of Ricks College read the entire manuscript and offered a number of invaluable comments. My wife, Judith, was unrelenting in her demands on behalf of the general reader. The most careful reader was, however, Jane Lyle of Indiana University Press, who painstakingly copy-edited the text. If there is a literary style to this translation, it is due to her efforts. My thanks, too, to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation which supported me in Berlin through the summer of 1997 when I first read Professor Levys text, and especially to John Gallman, who stood behind this project from the beginning. Madison, Wisconsin, 16 February 1999 (Lunar New Years Day) Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical Introduction Could one still write, as Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier did in 1948 in the What Do I Know series Number 296, which preceded this book, that the study of Chinese literature, long neglected by the Occident, is still in its  infancy? Yes and no. There has been some spectacular progress and some foundering. At any rate, beginning at the start of the twentieth century, it was Westerners who were the first-followed by the Japanese, before the Chinese themselves-to produce histories of Chinese literature. Not that the Chinese tradition had not taken note of an evolution in literary genres, but the prestige of wen 5 signifying both literature and civilization, placed it above history-anthologies, compilations, and catalogues were preferred. Moreover, the popular side of literature-fiction, drama, and oral verse-because of its lack of seriousness or its vulgarity, was not judged dignified enough to be considered wen. Our goal is not to add a new work to an already lengthy list of histories of Chinese literature, nor to supplant the excellent summary by Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier which had the impossible task of presenting a history of Chinese literature in about a hundred pages. Our desire would be rather to complement the list by presenting the reader with a different approach, one more concrete, less dependent on the dynastic chronology. Rather than a history, it is a picture-inevitably incompleteof Chinese literature of the past that this little book offers. Chinese high literature is based on a hard core of classical training consisting of the memorization of texts, nearly a half-million characters for every candidate who reaches the highest competitive examinations. We might see the classical art of writing as the arranging, in an appropriate and astute fashion, of lines recalled by memory, something ,Odile Kaltenmark-Ghequier, Introduction, La litterature chinoise (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1948), p. 5; Que sais—je, no. 296. 2 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical that came almost automatically to traditional Chinese intellectuals. The goal of these writers was not solely literary. They hoped through their writings to earn a reputation that would help them find support for their efforts to pass the imperial civil-service examinations and thereby eventually win a position at court. Although there were earlier tests leading to political advancement, the system that existed nearly until the end of the imperial period in 1911 was known as the jinshi A ± or presented scholar examination (because successful candidates were presented to the emperor), and was developed during the late seventh and early eighth centuries A. D. It required the writing of poetry and essays on themes set by the examiners. Successful candidates were then given minor positions in the bureaucracy. Thus the memorization of a huge corpus of earlier literature and the ability to compose on the spot became the major qualifications for political office through most of the period from the eighth until the early twentieth centuries. These examinations, and literature in general, were composed in a classical, standard language comparable to Latin in the West. This classical language persisted by opposing writing to speech through a sort of partial bilingualism. The strict proscription of vulgarisms, of elements of the spoken language, from the examinations has helped to maintain the purity of classical Chinese. The spoken language, also labeled vulgar, has produced some literary monuments of its own, which were recognized as such and qualified as classics only a few decades ago. The unity of the two languages, classical and vernacular, which share the same fundamental structure, is undermined by grammars that are appreciably different, and by the fact that these languages hold to diametrically opposed stylistic ideals: lapidary concision on the one hand, and eloquent vigor on the other. We conclude by pointing out that educated Chinese add to their surnames, which are always given first, a great variety of personal names, which can be disconcerting at times. The standard given name (ming Introduction 3 is often avoided out of decorum; thus Tao Qian Miff is often referred to En We will retain only the by his zi (stylename) as Tao Yuanming best known of these names, avoiding hao at (literary name or nickname), bie hao ZIJM (special or particular literary name), and shi ming (residential name) whenever possible: When other names are used, the standard ming will be  given in parentheses. The goal here is to enable the reader to form an idea of traditional Chinese literature, not to establish a history of it, which might result in a lengthy catalogue of works largely unknown today. We are compelled to sacrifice quantity to present a limited number of literary stars, and to reduce the listing of their works to allow the citation of a number of previously unpublished translations, inevitably abridged but sufficient, we hope, to evoke the content of the original. The chronological approach will be handled somewhat roughly because of the need to follow the development of the great literary genres: after the presentation of antiquity, the period in which the common culture of the educated elite was established, comes an examination of the prose genres of high classical literature, then the description of the art most esteemed by the literati, poetry. The final section treats the literature of diversion, the most discredited but nonetheless highly prized, which brings together the novel and the theater. Chapter 1. Antiquity Ancient literature, recorded by the scribes of a rapidly evolving warlike and aristocratic society, has been carefully preserved since earliest times and has become the basis of Chinese lettered culture. It is with this in mind that one must approach the evolution of literature and its role over the course of the two-thousand-year-old imperial government, which collapsed in 1911, and attempt to understand the importance (albeit increasingly limited) that ancient literature retains today. The term antiquity applied to China posed no problems until certain Marxist historians went so far as to suggest that it ended only in 1919. The indigenous tradition had placed the break around 211 B. C. , when political unification brought about the establishment of a centralized but prefectural government under the Legalists, as well as the famous burning of books opposed to the Legalist state ideology. Yet to suggest that antiquity ended so early is to minimize the contribution of Buddhism and the transformation of thought that took place between the third and seventh centuries. The hypothesis that modernity began early, in the eleventh or perhaps twelfth century in China, was developed by Naito Konan NAM 1 (1866-1934). This idea has no want of critics or of supporters. It is opposed to the accepted idea in the West, conveyed by Marxism, that China, a living fossil, has neither entered modern times nor participated in the global civilization that started with the Opium War of 1840. Nor is there unanimity concerning the periodization proposed in historical linguistics, a periodization which distinguishes Archaic Chinese of High Antiquity (from the origins of language to the third century) from Ancient Chinese of Mid-Antiquity (sixth to twelfth centuries), then Middle Chinese of the Middle Ages (thirteenth-sixteenth centuries) from Modern Chinese (seventeenth-nineteenth centuries), and Recent Chinese (18401919) from Contemporary Chinese (1920 to the present). 6 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical. In the area of literature, the beginning of the end of antiquity could perhaps be placed in the second century A. D. Archaeology has elevated our knowledge of more ancient writings toward the beginning of the second millennium B. C. , but this archaic period, discovered recently, cannot be considered part of literary patrimony in the strictest sense. Accounts of this archaic period are traditionally divided into six eras,2 but to honor them would be to fall into the servitude of a purely chronological approach. I. Origins Since the last year of the last century, when Wang Yirong . 1. 6M (1845-1900) compiled the first collection of inscriptions written on bones and shells, the increasing number of archaeological discoveries has allowed the establishment of a corpus of nearly 50,000 inscriptions extending over the period from the fourteenth to the tenth centuries before our era. Dong Zuobin (1895-1963) proposed a periodization for them and distinguished within them the styles of different schools of scribes. Scholars have managed to decipher a third of the total of some 6,000 distinct signs, which are clearly related to the system of writing used by the Chinese today-these were certainly not primitive forms of characters. The oracular inscriptions are necessarily short-the longest known text, of a hundred or so characters, covers the scapula of an ox and extends even over the supporting bones; the shell of a southern species of the great tortoise, also used to record divination, did not offer a more extensive surface. Whether a literature existed at this ancient time seems rather doubtful, but this scriptural evidence causes one to consider whether eras are the early Chou dynasty (eleventh century-722 B. C. ), the Spring and Autumn era (722-481 B. C. ), the Warring States (481-256 B. C. ), the Chin dynasty (256-206 B. C. ), the Western or Early Han dynasty (206 B. C. -A. D. 6), and the Eastern or Latter Han dynasty (25-A. D. 220). 2These Chapter 1. Antiquity 7 the Shu jing Efg (Classic of Documents), supposedly revised by Confucius but often criticized as a spurious text, was based in part on authentic texts. The presence of an early sign representing a bundle of slips of wood or bamboo confirms the existence of a primitive form of book in a very ancient era-texts were written on these slips, which were then bound together to form a fascicle. The purpose of these ancient archives, which record the motivation for the diviners speech, his identity, and sometimes the result, has been ignored. Of another nature are the inscriptions on bronze that appeared in about the eleventh century B. C. and went out of fashion in the second century B.C. They attracted the attention of amateur scholars from the eleventh century until modern times. Many collections of inscriptions on stone and bronze have been published in the intervening eras. The longest texts extend to as much as five-hundred signs, the forms of which often seem to be more archaic than those of the inscriptions on bones and shells. The most ancient inscriptions indicate nothing more than the person to whom the bronze was consecrated or a commemoration of the name of the sponsor. Toward the tenth century B. C. the texts evolved from several dozen to as many as a hundred signs and took on a commemorative character. The inspiration for these simple, solemn texts is not always easily discernible because of the obscurities of the archaisms in the language. An echo of certain pieces transmitted by the Confucian school can be seen in some texts, but their opacity has disheartened many generations of literati. II. Let a hundred flowers bloom, Let a hundred schools of thought contend! This statement by Mao Zedong, made to launch a liberalization movement that was cut short in 1957, was inspired by an exceptional period in Chinese cultural history (from the fifth to the third centuries 8 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical B. C. ) in which there was a proliferation of schools-the hundred schools. The various masters of these schools offered philosophical, often political, discussion. The growth of these schools paralleled the rise of rival states from the time of Confucius (the Latinized version of the Chinese original, Kong Fuzi TL-T- or Master Kong, ca. 551-479 B.C. ) to the end of the Warring States period (221 B. C. ). The hundred schools came to an end with the unification of China late in the third century B. C. under the Legalist rule of the Qin dynasty (221-206 B. C. ). This era of freedom of thought and intellectual exchange never completely ceased to offer a model, albeit an unattainable model, in the search for an alternative to the oppressive ideology imposed by the centralized state. Much of what has reached us from this lost world was saved in the wake of the reconstruction of Confucian writings (a subject to which we will turn shortly). The texts of the masters of the hundred schools, on the periphery of orthodox literati culture, are of uneven quality, regardless of the philosophy they offer. Even the best, however, have not come close to dethroning the Chinese Socrates, Confucius, the first of the great thinkers, in both chronology and importance. 1. Mo Zi and the Logicians. The work known as Mo Zi (Master Mo) is a collection of the writings of a sect founded by Mo Di g, an obscure personage whom scholars have wanted to make a contemporary of Confucius. It has been hypothesized that the name Mo, ink, referred to the tattooing of  a convict in antiquity, and the given name, Di, indicates the pheasant feathers that decorated the hats of the common people. Although we can only speculate about whether Mo Zi was a convict or a commoner, he argued for a kind of bellicose pacifism toward aggressors, doing his best to promote, through a utilitarian process of reasoning, the necessity of believing in the gods and of practicing universal love without discrimination. Condemning the extravagant expense of funerals as well as the uselessness of art and music, Mo Zi Chapter 1. Antiquity 9 wrote in a style of discouraging weight. The work that has come down to us under his name (which appears to be about two-thirds of the original text) represents a direction which Chinese civilization explored without ever prizing. Mo Zis mode of argument has influenced many generations of logicians and sophists, who are known to us only in fragments, the main contribution of which has been to demonstrate in their curious way of argumentation peculiar features of the Chinese language. Hui Shi Ea is known only by the thirty-some paradoxes which the incomparable Zhuang Zi cites, without attempting to solve, as in: There is nothing beyond the Great Infinity.. . and the Small Infinity is not inside. The antinomies of reason have nourished Taoist thought, if not the other way around, as Zhuang Zi attests after the death of his friend Hui Shi: Zhuang Zi was accompanying a funeral procession. When he passed by the grave of Master Hui he turned around to say to those who were following him: A fellow from Ying had spattered the tip of his nose with a bit of plaster, like the wing of a fly. He had it removed by [his crony] the carpenter Shi, who took his ax and twirled it around. He cut it off, then heard a wind: the plaster was entirely removed without scratching his nose. The man from Ying had remained standing, impassive. When he learned of this, Yuan, the sovereign of the country of Song, summoned the carpenter Shih and said to him, Try then to do it again for Us. The carpenter responded, Your servant is capable of doing it; however, the material that he made use of died long ago. After the death of the Master, I too no longer can find the material: I no longer have anyone to talk to. (Zhuang Zi 24) Sons of the logicians and the sophists, the rhetoricians shared with the Taoists a taste for apologues. They opposed the Taoist solution of a 10 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical detached non-action, involved as they were in diplomatic combat. Held in contempt by the Confucians for their Machiavellianism, the Zhanguo ce Vg (Intrigues of the Warring States) remains the most representative work of the genre. It was reconstructed several centuries later by Liu Xiang gj 1-(4] (77-6 B. C. ), but the authenticity of these reassembled materials seems to have been confirmed by the discovery of parallel texts in a tomb at Mawang Dui gUttg in 1973. A great variety animates these accounts, both speeches and chronicles; they are rich in dialogue, which cannot be represented by this single, although characteristic, anecdote—it is inserted without commentary into the intrigues (or slips) of the state of Chu: The King of Wei offered the King of Chu a beautiful girl who gave him great satisfaction. Knowing how much the new woman pleased him, his wife, the queen, showed her the most intense affection. She chose clothes and baubles which would please her and gave them to her; it was the same for her with rooms in the palace and bed clothes. In short, she gratified her with more attention than the king himself accorded her. He congratulated her for it: a woman serves her husband through her carnal appeal, and jealousy is her nature. Now, understanding how I love the new woman, my wife shows her more love than I—it is thus that the filial son serves his parents, that the loyal servant fulfills his duties toward his prince. As she knew that the king did not consider her jealous, the queen suggested to her rival: The king appreciates your beauty. However, he is not that fond of your nose. You would do better to hide it when he receives you. Therefore, the new one did so when she saw His Majesty. The king asked his wife why his favorite hid her nose in his presence. She responded, I know. Even if it is unpleasant, tell me! insisted the king. She does not like your odor. The brazen hussy! cried the sovereign. Her nose is to be cut off, and let no one question my order! Chapter 1. Antiquity 11 The Yan Zi chunqiu *T-*V( (Springs and Autumns of Master Yen) is another reconstruction by Liu Xiang, a collection of anecdotes about Yan Ying RV, a man of small stature but great ability who was prime minister to Duke Jing of Qi (547-490 B.C. )-the state that occupies what is now Shandong. Without cynicism, but full of shrewdness, these anecdotes do not lack appeal; some have often been selected as anthology pieces, of which this one is representative: When Master Yan was sent as an ambassador to Chu, the people of the country constructed a little gate next to the great one and invited him to enter. Yan Zi refused, declaring that it was suitable for an envoy to a country of dogs, but that it was to Chu that he had come on assignment. The chamberlain had him enter by the great gate. The King of Chu received him and said to him: Was there then no one in Qi, for them to have sent you? How can you say there is no one in Qi, when there would be darkness in our capital of Linzi if the people of the three hundred quarters spread out their sleeves, and it would rain if they shook off their perspiration-so dense is the population. But then why have you been sent? The practice in Qi is to dispatch a worthy envoy to a worthy sovereign; I am the most unworthy. . . . 2. Legalism. The diplomatic manipulations and other little anecdotes we have seen in the Yan Zi chunqiu were of little interest to the Legalists, who took their name from the idea that the hegemonic power of the state is founded on a system of implacable laws supposing the abolition of hereditary privileges-indeed a tabula rasa that rejects morals and traditions. In fact, historians associate them with all thought that privileges efficacy. From this point of view, the most ancient Legalist would be the artisan of Qis hegemony in the seventh century B. C. , Guan Zi (Master Guan). The work that was handed down under his name is a composite text and in reality contains no material prior to the third century B. C. Whether or not he should be considered a Legalist, Guan Zi 12 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical embodies the idea that the power of the state lies in its prosperity, and this in turn depends on the circulation of goods. In sum, Guan Zi stands for a proto-mercantilism diametrically opposed to the primitive physiocraticism of Gongsun Yang (altV (also known as Shang Yang ), minister of Qin in the fourth century. Shang jun shu 1 (The 2 Book of Lord Shang), which is attributed to Gongsun Yang, gives the Legalist ideas a particularly brutal form: It is the nature of people to measure that which is advantageous to them, to seize the best, and to draw to themselves that which is profitable. The enlightened lord must take care if he wants to establish order in his country and to be able to turn the population to his advantage, for the population has at its disposal a great number of means to avoid the strictness that it fears. Within the country he must cause the people to consecrate themselves to farming; without he must cause them to be singly devoted to warfare. This is why the order of a sage sovereign consists of multiplying interdictions in order to prevent infractions and relying on force to put an end to fraud. (Shang jun shu, Suan di) Shang Yangs prose is laden with archaisms, which hardly lighten the weight of his doctrine. It is in the work of Han Fei Zi 4-T- (ca. 280-233) that Legalism found its most accomplished formulation. The book Han Fei Zi contains a commentary on the Classic of the Way and of Power of Lao Zi in which the ideal of Taoist non-action is realized by the automatism of laws. The artifice of the latter may go back to the Confucianism of Xun Zi (Master Xun, also known as Xun Qing ,Ajja, ca. 300-230 B. C. ), a school rejected by orthodox Confucianism. Xun Zi, who happens to have been the teacher of Han Fei Zi, developed the brilliant theory that human nature inclines individuals to satisfy their egoistic appetites: it was therefore bad for advanced societies of the time. The rites-culture-are necessary for socialization. Xun Zis Chapter 1. Antiquity 13 argumentation was unprecedentedly elaborate, examining every facet of a question while avoiding repetition. In a scintillating style peppered with apologues, Han Fei Zi argues that the art of governing requires techniques other than the simple manipulation of rewards and punishments. The prince is the cornerstone of a system that is supposed to ensure him of a protective impenetrableness. The state must devote itself to eliminating the useless, noxious five parasites or vermin: the scholars, rhetoricians, knights-errant, deserters, and merchants (perhaps even artisans). 3. The Fathers of Taoism. A philosophy of evasion, this school was opposed to social and political engagement. From the outset Taoism was either a means to flee society and politics or a form of consolation for those who encountered reversals in politics and society. The poetic power of its writings, which denounced limits and aphorisms of reason, explains the fascination that it continues to hold for intellectuals educated through the rationalism of the Confucians. These works, like most of the others from antiquity that were attributed to a master, in fact seem to be rather disparate texts of a school. The Dao de jing ittitg (Classic of the Way and of Power) remains the most often translated Chinese work—and the first translated, if one counts the lost translation into Sanskrit by the monk Xuanzang WM in the seventh century A. D. This series of aphorisms is attributed to Lao Zi (Master. Lao or The Old Master), whom tradition considers a contemporary of Confucius. He is said to have left this testament as he departed the Chinese world via the Xiangu Pass for the West. In their polemics against the Buddhists, the Taoists of the following millennium used this story as the basis on which to affirm that the Buddha was none other than their Chinese Lao Zi, who had been converting the barbarians of the West since his departure from China. Modern scholarship estimates that the Lao Zi could not date earlier than the third century B. C. The 1973 discoveries at Mawang Dui in Hunan confirmed what scholars had suspected for centuries: the primitive Lao Zi is reversed in respect to 14 Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical  ours: a De dao jing 1,M1# § (Classic of Power and the Way). Its style, which is greatly admired for its obscure concision, seems to owe much to the repair work of the commentator Wang Bi . T3 (226-249). Thus it is tenable that the primitive Lao Zi was a work of military strategy. Whatever it was, the text that is preferred today runs a little over 5,000 characters and is divided into 81 sections (9 x 9). The Taoist attitude toward life is expressed here in admirably striking formulae, which lend themselves to many esoteric interpretations: He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know (#56). Govern a great state as you would fry small fish! (#60). Practice non-action, attend to the useless, taste the flavorless. (#63) The Zhuang Zi ate, written by Zhuang Zhou 4. -B1 or Zhuang Zi (Master Zhuang), was apparently abridged at about the same time as the Lao Zi, but at the hands of the commentator Guo Xiang # -IM (d. 312), who cut it from fifty-two to thirty-three sections. Scholars cannot agree whether the seven initial sections, called the inner chapters, are from the same hand of Zhuang Zhou as the sixteen following, called the outer chapters, and the final ten miscellaneous chapters. It is in the final ten that we find a characteristic arrangement of reconstructions from the first century, works of one school attributed to one master. In fact, it is the first part which gives the most lively impression of an encounter with an animated personality whose mind is strangely vigorous and disillusioned: Our life is limited, but knowledge is without limit. To follow the limitless with that which is limited will exhaust one. To go unrelentingly after knowledge is exhausting and c.

Wyatt and Spenser :: essays research papers

Wyatt and Spenser’s poems both depict a hunter who temporarily gives up his pursuit for different reasons. Wyatt’s hunter believes he has no chance with the woman because of the rank and position of the suitor she already has. He considers it necessary to warn others. Spenser’s hunter feels it is useless to chase anymore because he is not getting any closer to winning. The attitudes of the hunters are developed after the chase in each poem. One attitude is developed when the hunter realizes he is being shown that the woman belongs to someone else. He appears annoyed or irritated. The character in Spenser’s poem is bewildered. This attitude develops after he chases her, gives up, and then realizes she welcomes the chase. The poets’ ideas of wildness and tameness are distinctly addressed and quite the contrary. Wyatt thinks that someone may seem tame, but hard to get control of later as expressed in line 14 of the poem â€Å"Whoso List to Hunt†. Spenser thinks it’s strange that someone is wild in the beginning and hard to get, but later won over easily. The differences in the poet’s view of love in each of the poems suggest that things be not always as they seem. One can not predict the outcome of a love situation because what looks easy may not be and vice-versa. This is true of everyday life and love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Representing a woman as a gentle, but wild animal is appropriate in these two poems because the woman is compared to a deer. The deer, although it lives in the wild, is not a vicious animal, but a graceful creature. The woman and the deer have similar qualities in both poems. Lines 5-7 in Wyatt’s poem shows that one may tire chasing a deer, but the thrill of the chase does not make him want to take his mind off of it. This is also true when a man is pursuing a woman. It is hard for one to give up a chase, especially if it is a thrill, and the reward is worth it. In Spenser’s poem, the woman and the deer also have similar qualities.

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay

The characters are utilised by Shakespeare to highlight a sense of loss and desperation. The â€Å"Captain† who is a neutral figure, expresses a sense of remorse and sadness when he sees Romeo and Juliet’s dead bodies as a â€Å"pitiful site†, also illuminating a sense of universal suffering. Juliet’s â€Å"newly dead† body is used so that the agony and pain of her death is felt again universally. Romeo and Juliet are described as â€Å"piteous woes† which portrays them as one and as abstractions of sadness which emphasises the loss and despair of a romantic pair. The words â€Å"trembles, sighs and weeps† are listed characteristics of suffering used to highlight a sense of loss and nervousness. The shock and astonishment of Romeo and Juliet’s death is highlighted by the repetition of â€Å"dead† showing how unexpected this tragedy really was. Tybalt’s death is exaggerated when Romeo and Juliet’s marriage day is described as â€Å"Tybalt’s doomesday† increasing the magnitude of desperation and sadness. Shakespeare illuminates a paradox of joy and sadness between â€Å"Tybalt’s untimely death† and the â€Å"new-made bride groom† creating a contrast of joy and misery. There is a cruel irony when Juliet’s â€Å"borrowed grave† became her actual death bed. When this great tragedy was described as an â€Å"accident† it conveys the image of this great tragic love story as a minor and petty incident. Shakespeare uses the language of an important character to highlight a lack of gravitas and feeling in the text. Shakespeare uses â€Å"flowers† which represent nature, good health, love and positivity as a conventional image to highlight what this tragedy is all about. The last line describes everyone as being â€Å"punished† which again shows universal suffering. Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch â€Å"holds him in safety† there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The â€Å"mattock and spade† are both physical emblems of the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame and responsibility, of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware adds a sense of mystery and shows more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. When Montague asks â€Å"What further woe conspires against mine age?† it shows bad luck, dual responsibility and the loss of youth and innocence. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a â€Å"daughter† for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional, conveying a real image of suffering and grieving. Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s â€Å"st’len marriage day† to portray a sense of immorality and negativity. When â€Å"Juliet pined† it reminds us of the rushed and hasty marriage. When Juliet is described as â€Å"doing violence to her self†, it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider and inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare describes the nurse as â€Å"privy† to show the nurses responsibility in keeping secret. Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a healing of a rift when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s death to present a positive image of the families which is shown when Capulet says â€Å"O brother Montague† Which is used as a positive image of new unity and a bond between the two families. The statue in â€Å"pure gold† emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy. Montague compliments the Capulet’s when he says â€Å"true and faithful Juliet† showing that despite all the sorrow and grief there is still a sense of positivity. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still â€Å"glooming† but it still gives us a sense of peace and when the â€Å"Prince† who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of suffering. The â€Å"sun† represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar says to the Prince â€Å"to the same place, to this same monument† showing the older generations past conflict and Balthasar represents youth and innocence so he also represents the ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Princes advice is to have â€Å"patience† and slow down which is an ironic reminder that Romeo and Juliet’s fatal flaw was that they rushed in to their love and marriage. Friar advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and â€Å"bear this work of heaven with patience† but they still remained rushed which is Shakespeare’s way of reminding us of Romeo’s hubris. The Friar wants his â€Å"old† life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and change. There is a hint that the two families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says â€Å"I can give thee more† which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the â€Å"statue† will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a â€Å"story† it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliet’s love.

Problem Analysis Contract Law

An offer must be firm and demonstrate clear intent, whereas an acceptance must accept the term of the offer unqualifiedly. It should be noted that in the usual case, communication of acceptance and consideration are also essential to constitute a valid acceptance. If all elements are found to exist, the contract will be complete, and Lain will be bound to fulfill his promise. Offer The first issue to address is whether an offer exists. Lain would presumably argue that his statement was merely a puff and lacked intention to be acted upon as he announced it impulsively under the influence of alcohol, and the offer does not give him any benefit.This is, however, a weak argument. The general rule is that the intention of the parties should be assessed objectively, as in Smith v Hughes (1871) LORD 6 CB 597 where Blackburn] stated that the promises conduct should be considered in a way that appears to a reasonable man. The phrase â€Å"would pay El 0,000† exhibits both certainty and intention, because it has stated the exact amount of reward and the wordings shows immediate readiness to be bound. His claim is particularly convincing given his wealth. A reasonable man would therefore believe that Lain did intend to pay the reward if the stated condition was fulfilled.Similar to Williams v Cowardice (1833) 5 Car & P 566, there is only a promise made by one party. Lanai's statement appears to represent a unilateral offer that would be converted into a binding contract once the required act has been performed. This would be further discussed in the following. Acceptance In unilateral contracts, performance of the stipulated act constitutes the acceptance of offer (Cargill v carbonic smoke gall co. [1893] 1 CB 256 (CA)). Both crews have performed the act of â€Å"crossing the finish line† ahead of Lanai's yacht.However, it is highlighted that the current case differs from Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. In that it is arguable whether or not anyone who has completed the performance can claim the reward. On one hand, it can be said that since Lanai's offer does not state any conditions, crossing the finishing line is sufficient in itself. This argument is, however, suggesting that any random yacht that happens to cross the finish line by incident is also entitled to the reward, which makes little sense. The court is more likely to accept that only qualified competitors who crossed the knish line ahead of Lanai's yacht should be considered.This is indeed supported by the fact that the crew of † Moon Amour† joined the competition upon knowing the offer. It shows that the offered also understands that being a qualified competitor is a prerequisite. By entering the race, both crews have agreed to the Race Rules and therefore, they should be bound by such rules. In Clarke v Dungaree [1 897] AC 59, the court stated that when the party understands that the race is to be run under a particular set of regulations, and that he delibe rately enter for the race upon those terms, he is bound by such rules.Whilst the crew of â€Å"Bell Raider', being a qualified competitor, had fulfilled the conditions of Lanai's offer, since the French crew was not officially recognized by the race officials due to a breach of the Race Rules, it can hardly be said that the latter has validly accepted Lanai's offer. Communication of acceptance Whilst communication of acceptance is needed in the usual case, in unilateral contract, the offer showed by his language and from the nature of the contract that he waived the need to communicate (Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. ).Whether Lain received notice of the performance is irrelevant to the matter at hand. Consideration The agreement has to be supported by consideration in a legally enforceable contract. To determine if there is consideration, it brings up the debate of whether reliance is essential. Lord Dunedin, in Dunlop Pneumatic Tree Co. Ltd v Selfridges & Co. Ltd [191 5] AC 84 7, 855 defined consideration as â€Å"an act or forbearance of one party, or the promise thereof, is the price for which the promise of the other is brought, and the promise thus given for value is enforceable†.Following his definition, obviously, both crews' act Of crossing the finish line, in return for the reward, is treated as good consideration. The answer would be less certain if reliance is required. In the book The Law of Contract, Triple asserts that an act or forbearance would not be consideration â€Å"where the promises would have accomplished the act or forbearance anyway†. This view was supported by R v Clarke (1927) 40 CLC 227, where the court held that the claimant could not recover the reward because his concern was not the reward when he gave the information.In other words, the claimant had not â€Å"act in reliance upon† the offer. It is a matter of debate if this prevailing view is in fact erroneous, as argued by Paul Mitchell and John Philip s in â€Å"Is reliance essential? † , but this is not the current concern. Assuming that this general view is still correct, the French crew's acceptance was clearly motivated by the offer as they did not intend to participate in the race until Lain ‘s announcement. But in the case of â€Å"Bell Raider†, there is insufficient information to tell if their crew did act in reliance to the offer.There may be three different situations depends on the facts. Firstly, if the situation is identical to that of the French crew, they act in reliance to the offer for the same reason. Secondly, if evidence shows that â€Å"Bell Raider will join and win the match even without Lanai's offer, their performance cannot be regarded as consideration as there is no reliance. Thirdly, if â€Å"Bell Raider† will join the match but not necessarily reach the destination ahead of Lanai's yacht, it can still be argued that the reward motivated the crew to outperform themselves and thus, there is reliance.

Succes from Lady Macbeth essays

Succes from Lady Macbeth essays Macbeth is an honest man who is serving his king as loyal as he can. He takes pride in what he does. He does not want anything else in life except to be honored as a noble man. All of this changes when Lady Macbeth enters the play she changes Macbeths whole life. She convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. She gets Duncans guards drunk so they cannot protect him, and she also hides Macbeths insanity. Without the influence of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth would have never become king. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth receives a prophecy from the witches that he will become king. He does not act on it right away, but he is curious about it. It remains curiosity until Lady Macbeth pursues the prophecy for Macbeth. While Lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan he refuses to, but she attacks his manhood. She says, What beast wast then that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. (1.7.54-58). After hearing this, Macbeth is hurt by the words spoken by his wife. He proves to her that he is a man. He kills Duncan to prove that he is a man. He does whatever it takes to make his wife happy. Besides just telling Macbeth what to do, Lady Macbeth also takes things into her own hands. While Duncan is at Macbeths castle, he has guards that watch over him while he sleeps. Lady Macbeth realizes that he has guards and puts it on herself to get rid of them for Macbeth. When Duncan is asleep his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory, the warder of the brain, shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason a limbeck only. (1.7.71-78). Lady Macbeth does what she intends to do and gets the chamberlains drunk and they pass out. While they are asleep, Macbeth passes by them and murders the king. In order for the king to be murdered, the guards would have to be t...

Daniel OConnell - Biography of Irish Statesman

Daniel OConnell - Biography of Irish Statesman Daniel OConnell was an Irish patriot who came to exert enormous influence on the relationship between Ireland and its British rulers during the first half of the 19th century. OConnell, a gifted orator, and charismatic figure rallied the Irish people and helped secure some degree of civil rights for the long-oppressed Catholic population. Seeking reform and progress through legal means, OConnell was not really involved in the periodic Irish rebellions of the 19th century. Yet his arguments provided the inspiration for generations of Irish patriots. OConnells signature political achievement was the securing of Catholic Emancipation. His later Repeal Movement, which sought to repeal the Act of Union between Britain and Ireland, was ultimately unsuccessful. But his management of the campaign, which included Monster Meetings which drew hundreds of thousands of people, inspired Irish patriots for generations. It is impossible to overstate the importance of OConnell to Irish life in the 19th century. After his death, he became a venerated hero both in Ireland and among the Irish who had emigrated to America. In many Irish-American households of the 19th century, a lithograph of Daniel OConnell would hang in a prominent location. Childhood in Kerry O’Connell was born on August 6, 1775, in County Kerry, in the west of Ireland. His family was somewhat unusual in that while Catholic, they were considered members of the gentry, and they owned land. The family practiced an ancient tradition of â€Å"fosterage,† in which a child of wealthy parents would be raised in the household of a peasant family. This was said to make the child deal with hardships, and other advantages would be that the child would learn the Irish language as well as local traditions and folklore practices. In his later youth, an uncle nicknamed â€Å"Hunting Cap† O’Connell doted on young Daniel, and often took him hunting in the rough hills of Kerry. The hunters used hounds, but as the landscape was too rough for horses, the men and boys would have to run after the hounds. The sport was rough and could be dangerous, but young O’Connell loved it. Studies in Ireland and France Following classes taught by a local priest in Kerry, O’Connell was sent to a Catholic school in the city of Cork for two years. As a Catholic, he couldn’t enter the universities in England or Ireland at the time, so his family sent him and his younger brother Maurice to France for further studies. While in France, the French Revolution broke out. In 1793 O’Connell and his brother were forced to flee the violence. They made their way to London safely, but with little more than the clothes on their backs. The passing of Catholic Relief Acts in Ireland made it possible for O’Connell to study for the bar, and in the mid-1790s he studied at schools in London and Dublin. In 1798 O’Connell was admitted to the Irish bar. Radical Attitudes While a student, O’Connell read widely and absorbed current ideas of the Enlightenment, including such authors as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Thomas Paine. He later became friendly with the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, an eccentric character known for advocating a philosophy of â€Å"utilitarianism.† While O’Connell remained a Catholic for the rest of his life, he also always thought of himself as a radical and a reformer. Revolution of 1798 A revolutionary fervor was sweeping Ireland in the late 1790s, and Irish intellectuals such as Wolfe Tone were dealing with the French in hopes that French involvement could lead to Ireland’s liberation from England. O’Connell, however, having escaped from France, was not inclined to align himself with groups seeking French aid. When the Irish countryside erupted in rebellions of the United Irishmen in the spring and summer of 1798, O’Connell was not directly involved. His allegiance was actually to the side of law and order, so in that sense, he sided with British rule. However, he later said that he wasn’t approving of the British rule of Ireland, but he felt that open revolt would be disastrous. The 1798 uprising was particularly bloody, and the butchery in Ireland hardened his opposition to violent revolution. Legal Career of Daniel OConnell Marrying a distant cousin in July 1802, O’Connell soon had a young family to support. And though his law practice was successful and constantly growing, he was also always in debt. As O’Connell became one of the most successful lawyers in Ireland, he was known for winning cases with his sharp wit and extensive knowledge of the law. In the 1820s O’Connell was deeply involved with the Catholic Association, which promoted the political interests of the Catholics in Ireland. The organization was funded by very small donations which any poor farmer could afford. Local priests often urged those in the peasant class to contribute and become involved, and the Catholic Association became a widespread political organization. Daniel OConnell Runs for Parliament In 1828, OConnell ran for a seat in the British Parliament as the member from County Clare, Ireland. This was controversial as he would be barred from taking his seat if he won, as he was Catholic and Members of Parliament were required to take a Protestant oath. OConnell, with the support of poor tenant farmers who often walked miles to vote for him, won the election. As a Catholic Emancipation bill had recently passed, due in large measure to agitation from the Catholic Association, OConnell was eventually able to take his seat. As might be expected, OConnell was a reformer in Parliament, and some called him by the nickname, The Agitator. His great goal was to repeal the Act of Union, the 1801 law which had dissolved the Irish Parliament and united Ireland with Great Britain. Much to his despair, he was never able to see Repeal become a reality. Monster Meetings In 1843, OConnell mounted a great campaign for Repeal of the Act of Union and held enormous gatherings, called Monster Meetings, across Ireland. Some of the rallies drew crowds of up to 100,000. The British authorities, of course, were greatly alarmed. In October 1843 OConnell planned a huge meeting in Dublin, which British troops were ordered to suppress. With his aversion to violence, OConnell canceled the meeting. Not only did he lose prestige with some followers, but the British arrested and jailed him for conspiracy against the government. Return to Parliament OConnell returned to his seat in Parliament just as the Great Famine ravaged Ireland. He gave a speech in the House of Commons urging aid for Ireland and was mocked by the British. In poor health, OConnell traveled to Europe in hopes of recuperating, and while en route to Rome he died in Genoa, Italy on May 15, 1847. He remained a great hero to the Irish people. A grand statue of OConnell was placed on the main street of Dublin, which was later renamed OConnell Street in his honor.

Blue print Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Blue print - Essay Example The service blueprint to be used in this department needs to incorporate other relevant departments of the hotel so that provision of services is of high quality promoting customer loyalty. In addition, service blueprints can be used in the promotion ventures of the Chairman and Yip restaurant. The purpose of a promotion is to create awareness of the available services to potential customers. Therefore, a blueprint can ensure that the promotional activity is successful. Moreover, promotions usually target to register a higher percentage of sales (Kalakota & Robinson 2004, p. 116). These activities can be incorporated into the blueprint ensuring a more effective promotion strategy. In addition, service blueprints can be used in the human resource management department. The principle purpose of using service blueprints in this department is to empower the staffs of the of the Chairman and Yip restaurant. A blueprint indicating job descriptions for each position in the restaurant can be designed. This helps to ensure that each individual working in this restaurant understands their responsibilities and roles clearly. In addition, a service blueprint can be used in the development of the selection criteria. The restaurant can design a flow chart that highlights the available vacancies, the qualifications of the required candidates and uses it to assess the potential candidates for the positions (Kalakota & Robinson 2004, p. 117). Using a service blueprint makes the selection criteria clear for those assigned to this responsibility. Moreover, service blueprints can be used in the appraisal systems of the Chairman and Yip restaurant. Notably, it is important for th e restaurant to appraise the performance of all the employees over a certain period. Appraisal of performance helps to determine whether employees perform their roles to the required standards, and whether they have gained new skills on the job. A blueprint can be used in determining the

Amtrak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amtrak - Essay Example The construction of the Interstate Highway System greatly enhanced the appeal of road transportation, both for passengers and freight. Air travel became the dominant public carrier mode for intercity passenger travel. In addition, the national government found itself in the passenger train business (Adrian, 1977). Early in U.S. history, passenger travel was often difficult and uncomfortable. With the coming of the railroads, people gained the ability to travel farther and faster than most had ever imagined. Although the early passenger trains were not very comfortable, track and equipment gradually improved. The railroads helped to link different sections of the country and speeded the settlement of the western United States. The railroads were among the first big businesses in the United States, and major railroad executives became celebrities (Adrian, 1986). By 1900, a traveler on a first-class train could expect to find good food, a library, a barbershop, and the company of prominent individuals from the worlds of business, politics, and entertainment. The passenger train for a time appeared to occupy a secure place in society (Beebe, 1976). Any organization must strike a balance between stability and change, and transportation organizations are no exception. Changing public preferences, new technologies, population movements, and rising or falling prices of supplies may force an organization to make drastic changes in many aspects of its operations. Although transportation organizations must change at times to keep pace with shifting external conditions and to manage internal pressures, a degree of organizational stability is essential. For example, transportation systems require substantial public and private investment in fixed facilities, vehicles, and personnel training. A high degree of instability risks rendering those investments irrelevant or wasteful.( Bowersox,1989) Amtrak: Amtrak has faced considerable difficulties in trying to achieve the desired balance of stability and change needed to maintain credibility as a transportation mode. Beginning with uncertain and conflicting goals, the Amtrak system seemed to be destined for chaos rather than predictability. Repeated attacks by the Reagan administration, conservatives in Congress, and bus companies seemed to foretell large cutbacks or even termination. Moreover, the nation's passenger train system was in relatively poor condition at the time of Amtrak's creation; maintaining the conditions that existed in 1971 would hardly give the system credibility. (Amtrak, 1996) Nonetheless, the Amtrak system has managed to achieve a substantial degree of stability, coupled with significant change - much of it in the nature of improvement. The political turmoil surrounding Amtrak stands in stark contrast to the substantial operational consistency and improvement that the system has achieved. Amtrak Logistic and supply chain Route: One of the fundamental features of any transportation system is its overall reach, the extent of its routes, the number of access points available on those routes, and the utilization of the routes. A system that experiences rapid expansion of its overall reach is likely to be faced with challenges. Quick expansion brings