Find Out Who is Concerned About Cuny Essay Samples Free for 2016 and Why You Should be Listening to Them

Find Out Who is Concerned About Cuny Essay Samples Free for 2016 and Why You Should be Listening to Them In addition, he offered solutions by enhancing education amounts in order to advertise a long-lasting solution. Consequently, they are facing an alternative that is rarely a positive one. It's just in the shape of creating knowledge of distinct records. To be able to secure you to get an item, first they should get your attention and after that they should make you desire the item. What Cuny Essay Samples Free for 2016 Is - and What it Is Not Nothing in your treatment or screenplay will save you from altering the movie later. This is a kind of snowballing effect, since innovation regard manufacturing technology allowed for new goods, but the usage of products has coincided with a greater consumer appetite which produces a demand for new manufacturing technology in addition to a current market that could capitalize on said appetite. 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We hope in order to cover both semesters in the forseeable future. So long since I can play them and you may play them, you're good. This preference might be a contributing component in discrimination against LGBT youths. Within this pape r, I'll talk about the several types of discrimination that LGBT youths are faced with and the effects on such youths. Nevertheless, it seems that most the discrimination against LGBT youths emanates from the schools they attend. This example might be a typical concern around the world, where LGBT youths are uncomfortable with their gender at school at home. This mainstream analysis indicates the overall degree of poverty that's evident in most countries also. An independent committee of professors from around the nation and local community leaders review the applicants and choose the recipients dependent on the scholarship criteria. Your reference has to be at least 21 decades of age and can not be related to you. 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The Effect of Religion on Education Essay - 656 Words

The Effect of Religion on Education Religion has played an important part in the development of education ever since the beginning, even before the creation of schools. The first schools, which were monasteries, started around the Dark Ages, approximately 450 A.D.; Back then, educations only purpose was to people of the religious persuasion, especially Christianity. Christianity is the religion that has most affected education, and so was the case back then, too. Those people I was talking about before were the ones with the power, however. The pope commanded more respect and authority than the king, the church taxed the people, and the church dictated the laws of the land. The church was in charge of the peoples souls, so they†¦show more content†¦Then to add fuel to the fire, the printing press was invented. This allowed the people to see the bible for themselves, a book which was before only held in the hands of the church. People could interpret the book for themselves, and didnt need the church or it s priests as much as they used to. Religion was the only kind of education until then, as people started to try and see the world in a more secular sense. This was the beginning of the end of education and religion being tied so closely together. The church lost a lot of power, as the bible became the ultimate authority replacing the pope and the priests. Around this time, universal education started. Universal education is the system in which everyone, even commoners, have the right to a basic elementary education. Martin Luther also introduced other new ideas concerning education, such as state controlled curriculum, teacher certification, and finances. He also believed in vocational and higher education being made available for everyone, not just the wealthy or elite. The next great development in the Religion/Education relationship came around the time of the population of North America by the Europeans. There were three major colonies in the territory that is now the U.S.: the North, Middle and South colonies. Each took to education in a different manner. The NorthernShow MoreRelatedThe Social Survey ( Gss )1135 Words   |  5 Pagessex, years of education, religion, marital status, and general happiness. Most of those are considered core demographic factors for any study, thus no explanation is needed, with the exception of happiness. Happiness was included because of the supposed relationship between happiness and generosity; research has stated that volunteering makes people happy and that happy people volunteer more. For this research, no control variables were used as the interest was in seeing the effect, of lack thereofRead MoreWorld Issues : Personal Opinion1572 Words   |  7 Pagesconsideration the positives effects of colonization. The people of Africa established a mainstream religion to follow (Christianity), including new laws and a new political system. Countries bonded with one another and signed agreements to prevent conflict between co untries. It has benefited many people that were illiterate; schools and education were given importance by the British, whether it was education in India or Africa all of them were given universal education. Colonization has brought manyRead MoreReligion And The Establishment Clause : A Look At Sex Education Policy1198 Words   |  5 PagesReligion and the Establishment Clause: A Look at Sex Education Policy Carsen Jenkins Sex education in public schools is an extremely controversial topic within the current United States climate. Many states heavily regulate the curriculum, creating restrictions on what teachers can and cannot discuss. 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This spiritual awakening took place from 1735 up until 1745. (Brief Outline Notes on the Great Awakening, 1735-45 ) Most of this had taken place within the American Colonies, especially New England.(McCormick, pars. 9) . The Great Awakening had many causes, however the consequences benefitted many. Many people were moving farther and farther away from religion, the Great AwakeningRead MoreThe Impact Of Religion On Society s Life879 Words   |  4 PagesMore than 7 billion people are living in this world, each person acquiring different characteristics, religion, and race. If each individual was taken and locked in their own cell, they would not be able to accomplish anything. We would have seven billion people, but a society would not exist. If each individual was freed from their cell, they would be able to interact with one another and share ideas. 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Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. Answer: Introduction Company The chosen company Sass bide is mainly an Australian fashion label for women. Many Hollywood celebrities in more recent time have been seen worn this label. However, this company was established around 1990s, it was mainly founded by Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke, after they had begun selling customized jeans in a booth on Londons market known as Portobello Road (Sassandbide.com, 2018). They business actually succeeded in the market initially and so they returned to Australia in 1999, and in Sydney they expanded an underground following which guides them towards their first seasonal collection in the 2001, Mercedes Australian Fashion Week. However, their succeeding collections were displayed in the 2002 London fashion week. Moreover, they also initiated their collection in New York Fashion Week in 2003. Product / Service OR Location Their products mainly consist of highly designer clothing that is guided by the latest culture of fashion for the bold and independent women. Sass bide collection mainly gains inspiration from the Love Culture Art to generate their unique brand style. Each of their collection mainly involve accoutrement, ready-to-wear, denims, leather as well as unique gallery pieces which is mainly defined by their commitment towards women of forever spirit associated to a revolutionary and free style of relaxation as well as enhancement. Therefore, their products mainly comprises of women dresses, jeans, tees, knitwear, jackets, pants, skirts and accessories (Craik, 2015). As per as their locations are concern they are situated in 45 locations in Australia New Zealand. Apart from their stores, they also sell online and ship their products in UK, USA and NZ. Consumer Sass bide consumers are mainly those women who love to style themselves beautifully and are very much knowledgeable about the great brands in the market as well as about those directions which have not yet become the fashion trends. Their consumers are moreover those women who also values fun as well as can laugh at a feeling. In the present times leading celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parkerand, in more recent times,Madonna,Rihanna,Kate Moss,Beyonc,Nicole RichieandMila Kunis are the well known consumers of this fashion brand (Sassandbide.com, 2018). Industry analysis and market trends The Australian textile, clothing or footwear industry encounters an undermined future in the light of modifying international trends. However, in Australia manufacturing has decreased drastically along with which management of the supply chain has also been organized differently (Bruzzi Gibson, 2013). Therefore, because of this very few large clothing factories have persisted, while on the other hand, the small fashion designers or the entrepreneurs were found to have either emerging or at times thriving. Moreover, an evaluation of skills in this industry determines that many previous skills connected with this industry in Australia have been lost and the effect of new trends is yet to be appreciated fully. (Source: Carpenter Lazonick, 2017) Moreover, for the last five years it has been observed in Australia that fast fashion has made its way into the peoples wardrobes. Therefore, the fashion industrys revenue is expected to expand annually for 21.5% over the five years to $1.8 billion (Carpenter Lazonick, 2017). Along with the fast fashion trend in Australia, the consumers are also manifested to social media as well as online shopping to the latest fashion, new styles as well as the trends on demand. Therefore, with the changing fashion trend many brands including Sass Bide in Australia is taking the world by storm and entering the international marketplace. International markets provide many opportunities to the designers in Australia as the key markets mainly include New Zealand, United Kingdom and USA. Thus, Sass Bide has been immensely affectedby the fashion industry as well as trends in Australia. PESTEL Political The financial regulations of a country are among the most common political factor that affects any business. Australias fashion industry is among the safest destination for any business to invest. It has a stable political as well as regulatory environment, which is also open and progressive for the investors. Australia bestows their investors with confidence and certainty (Liu et al., 2013). Economic Australia is among the biggest capitalist economies in this world. Fashion industry is benefited mostly in Australia because it has strong as well as stable financial systems, open markets with few restrictions. However, for brands like Sass Bide the affordable pricing strategy can guide theyfight off with few of the effects of low economic activity. Social Australian has a unique fashion style and they mostly follow a casual approach. However, modification in the social trends can bring an impact on the demand as well as availability of the products by the fashion industry in Australia. Thus, the fashions brands have to keep in mind the social trends and responsibilities. Thus, brands usually do not enter new markets without doing preliminary research (Jegethesan, Sneddon Soutar, 2012). Technology Technology is modifying everything internationally and so things are happening in a rapid rate in the spheres of communication, transportation or any other aspects of business. Fashion industry is much affected by technology from manufacturing to marketing or supply chain. Thus, Sass Bide has been very much mindful at using technological power to its profit. Environmental Sustainability is among the most important concerns in the internal businesses. Sass Bide has also funded in sustainability by trying to making their stores 100% eco efficient by the year 2020. This will further help their stores to become energy efficient as well as to have better features of recycling (Cervellon, Carey Harms, 2012). Legal The legal system of Australians is mainly based on the basic beliefs in the rule of law, independence of judiciary as well as justice. Thus, Sass Bides focus is on the ethics as well as sustainability all over its business and its supply chain. They are also focusing in creating a brand imagine which is mostly ethical. Competitors analysis In the Australian fashion industry the biggest competitors of Sass Bide is Zimmermann Wear Pty. Ltd., Manning Cartell and Camilla And Marc. Sass Bide has prosperously fended off the annexations of foreign retail giants like the fast fashion brand of Spain named Zara as well as top shop or online competitors like ASOS to publish a robust 48% hike in the total years net profit to $7.68 million. Moreover, it further owns the nations largest department store, which brought them the business of $72.3 million recently. However, since last August the share of Sass Bide has fallen almost 50%, wiping more $600 million off to Myers market capitalism (Craik, 2015). Segmentation analysis Major market segments Demographic segmentation Gender-related segments One of the major aspects is the gender towards which their products will be targeted at. Sass bide is one of the leading fashion brands that has targeted its products mainly towards women. They have considered the fact that females are more fashion conscious than men. Women are very much eager to try out the brand new collections being launched by the fashion brands. Women somehow feel that wearing the latest and innovative fashionable outfits will also help in adding to their level of confidence (Sassandbide.com, 2018). Age-related Segment The young and modern women are usually more attracted towards the new trends in fashion and they are very open towards accepting the latest innovations that are brought. They want to upgrade themselves along with time (Brito et al., 2015). However, it is seen that the old and traditional women are usually not very open towards adopting the new trends coming up in the market. As Sass Bide is a considerably old company working from the year 1999, it has already won over the trust and loyalty of many old and traditional customers. On the other hand, they also keep on upgrading themselves with the latest trends in the fashion industry in order to attract the attention of the young customers as well. It is to suit their taste, that they deal in different kinds of accessories, clothes, scarves, paradise catcher, resort-17-accoutrement and many others. The paradise catcher and the resort 17 catcher are very good ways of attracting the young customers as the paradise catcher has a good range of bags and the resort 17 accouterment reveals a Brand new range of accessories for the young customers. Income-related segment One of the most important factors is the income level of the clients. It is a known fact that the clients with a higher level of incomes will be more fashion conscious than the ones with a low-income level. This is because the high-income level group customers are the ones who can easily afford the products with high prices whereas the low-income group customers cannot (Ani? Mihi?., 2015). Behavioral segmentation The client base of this company mainly includes women of all age groups starting from the young college girls to the adult business executives as well. Thus, the decision-making style and the behavior of all the clients will surely vary from one another (Ani? Mihi?., 2015).The adult women customers will look for something that they have been using since many years whereas the young customers, might be looking for some changes and innovations in order to keep themselves in pace with the changing times. Psychographic segmentation Lifestyle segmentation Sass Bide provides due attention to the lifestyles of their clients. As they sell products for women of different age groups and income groups, they also have to consider the kind of lifestyles led by them. The college girls will have a lifestyle different from the lifestyles of the businessperson. The college girls may try to shop before their colleges reopen (Sassandbide.com, 2018). Hence, Sass Bide must take care of the fact that their latest arrivals for the college girls or for the young teens are released at a suitable time when the universities are closed for vacations. Similarly, the products designed for the working and the business executives, can be launched during any time of the year. The college girls will mainly look for the trendy and most innovative kinds of dresses like jumpsuits, jackets, pants, skirts, tops, shorts whereas the business women will like to go for some casual yet fashionable business or office wears like coats. Geographic segmentation It has been found in about 45 locations in Australia and New Zealand in places like premium boutiques, Myer concessions. However, they have also considered those customers who are living in distant regions and are unable to reach out to the physical store. In order to meet up with the needs of customers living in other geographic areas, they have started their online delivery system to UK, USA, and NZ (Dessart,Veloutsou Morgan-Thomas.,2015). Primary and secondary markets The Primary market The Primary market segment for Sass Bide is the group of women having a good income flow and the ones belonging to (Brito et al., 2015). This is because only those customers having a good amount of income will be able to afford all the products of this company. Along with this, the lifestyle also matters a great deal for any fashion industry. Sass Bide makes sure to suit the standards of living of all their clients. Their client base comprises of both adult business executives and also the young teenage college girls. Sass bide has launched a large number of new brands of accessories in order to suit the needs of the young generation of girls. The young college girls will naturally decide to buy some outfit that will be suiting their purposes like going out to nightclubs. SPEAKEASY WINTER 17 is a newly launched brand that has been launched by Sass Bide that brings a range of beautiful dresses that would suit the purpose of a nightclub outing (Sassandbide.com, 2018). The Secondary Market The secondary market of Sass Bide mainly comprises of the middle-aged women who are the office goers. Though the income of these women clients will be higher than the young and the college girls at the same time, they will be less open towards accepting any new trends in fashion (Sassandbide.com, 2018). Level of involvement and decision making Sass Bide pays due importance to the customers. They provide the customers with ample information through their online pages. The customers will be able to take their decisions after going thoroughly through all the details of the newly arrived products. They also have provisions under which the customers can demand an exchange if they change their mind with a particular product and want to get a new. They also give their customers full freedom to return back a purchased product if it is faulty or do not meet the customer's expectations (Sassandbide.com, 2018). Perceptual map Prestige Price Mass Market e Affordability Exclusivity Sass Bide (Sources: Created by the Author) Conclusion Thus, to conclude this report it can be said that the chosen Australian fashion brand Sass Bide that was established in 1990s is among the popular fashion labels in Australia and is worn by many Hollywood celebrities recently. The fashion industry has also finds its way into the international markets because of their emerging opportunities. Zimmermann Wear Pty. Ltd., Manning Cartell and Camilla And Marc are the biggest competitors of Sass Bide in Australian fashion market. Moreover, they mainly target women with high-income levels so that they can afford their products. They provide an excellent service to their customers through their websites as well as stores. Thus, their customers are always updated regarding their products and can easily purchase and return if not satisfied. References Ani?, I. D., Mihi?, M. (2015). Demographic profile and purchasing outcomes of fashionconscious consumers in Croatia.Ekonomski pregled,66(2), 103-118. Brito, P. Q., Soares, C., Almeida, S., Monte, A., Byvoet, M. (2015). Customer segmentation in a large database of an online customized fashion business.Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing,36, 93-100. Bruzzi, S., Gibson, P. C. (Eds.). (2013).Fashion Cultures Revisited: Theories, Explorations and Analysis. Routledge. Carpenter, M., Lazonick, W. (2017). Innovation, competition and financialization in the communications technology industry: 1996-2016. Cervellon, M. C., Carey, L., Harms, T. (2012). Something old, something used: Determinants of women's purchase of vintage fashion vs second-hand fashion.International Journal of Retail Distribution Management,40(12), 956-974. Chouprina, N. V. (2014). Characteristics of fast fashion concept in the fashion industry.Fibres and Textiles (1) 2014 Vlkna a textile (1) 2014, 30. Craik, J. (2015). Challenges for Australian fashion.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,19(1), 56-68. Dessart, L., Veloutsou, C., Morgan-Thomas, A. (2015). Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a social media perspective.Journal of Product Brand Management,24(1), 28-42. Jegethesan, K., Sneddon, J. N., Soutar, G. N. (2012). Young Australian consumers preferences for fashion apparel attributes.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal,16(3), 275-289. Liu, N., Ren, S., Choi, T. M., Hui, C. L., Ng, S. F. (2013). Sales forecasting for fashion retailing service industry: a review.Mathematical Problems in Engineering,2013. zer, ., Zheng, Y. (2015). Markdown or everyday low price? The role of behavioral motives. Management Science,62(2), 326-346. Sassandbide.com. (2018).Meet The Stylists. [online] Available at: https://www.sassandbide.com/au/meetthestylists-fiesta2017 [Accessed 2 Jan. 2018]. Sassandbide.com. (2018).Our Story. [online] Available at: https://www.sassandbide.com/au/our-story [Accessed 2 Jan. 2018]. Sassandbide.com. (2018).Speakeasy. [online] Available at: https://www.sassandbide.com/au/lookbook/speakeasy [Accessed 2 Jan. 2018]. Sassandbide.com.(2018).Our Story. Retrieved 3 January 2018, from https://www.sassandbide.com/au/our-story

Inflation and its impact on indian economy free essay sample

In economics, inflation is a persistent increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money – a loss of real value in the medium of exchange and unit of account within the economy. A chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index (normally the consumer price index) over time. Inflations effects on an economy are various and can be simultaneously positive and negative. Negative effects of inflation include an increase in the opportunity cost of holding money, uncertainty over future inflation which may discourage investment and savings, and if inflation is rapid enough, shortages of goods as consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future. We will write a custom essay sample on Inflation and its impact on indian economy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Positive effects include ensuring that central banks can adjust real interest rates (to mitigate recessions), and encouraging investment in non-monetary capital projects. Economists generally believe that high rates of inflation and hyperinflation are caused by an excessive growth of the money supply. However, money supply growth does not necessarily cause inflation. Some economists maintain that under the conditions of a liquidity trap, large monetary injections are like pushing on a string. Views on which factors determine low to moderate rates of inflation are more varied. Low or moderate inflation may be attributed to fluctuations in real demand for goods and services, or changes in available supplies such as during scarcities, as well as to changes in the velocity of money supply measures; in particular the MZM (Money Zero Maturity) supply velocity. However, the consensus view is that a long sustained period of inflation is caused by money supply growing faster than the rate of economic growth. Today, most economists favor a low and steady rate of inflation. Low (as opposed to zero or negative) inflation reduces the severity of economic recessions by enabling the labor market to adjust more quickly in a downturn, and reduces the risk that a liquidity trap prevents monetary policy from stabilizing the economy. The task of keeping the rate of inflation low and stable is usually given to monetary authorities. Generally, these monetary authorities are the central banks that control monetary policy through the setting of interest rates, through open market operations, and through the setting of banking reserve requirements. Definition of Inflation The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and, subsequently, purchasing power is falling. Central banks attempt to stop severe inflation, along with severe deflation, in an attempt to keep the excessive growth of prices to a minimum. As inflation rises, every dollar will buy a smaller percentage of a good. For example, if the inflation rate is 2%, then a $1 pack of gum will cost $1. 02 in a year. In simple terms, the word Inflation refers to a growth or increase in money supply. As one of the important economic concepts, the effects of inflation exert impact both in the economic and social spheres of a nation and on its inhabitants. Most countries central banks will try to sustain an inflation rate of 2-3%. Effects of Inflation: General Inflation affects both the economy of a country and its social conditions, as well as the political and moral lives of its inhabitants. However, the economic effects of Inflation are stated and described below: †¢Price inflation has immense effect on the Time Value of Money (TVM). This acts as a principal component of the rates of interest, which forms the basis of all TVM calculations. The real or estimated changes occurring in the rates of inflation lead to changes in the rates of interest as well. †¢Inflation exerts impact on the treasury of a nation as well. In United States of America, Treasury Inflation-protected Securities (TIPS) ensures safety to the American government, assuring the public that they will get back their money. However, the rates of interest charged by TIPS are less compared to the standard Treasury notes. †¢The most immediate effect of inflation is the decrease in the purchasing power of dollar and its depreciation. Inflation influences the investments of a country. The Inflation-protected Securities (IPSs) may act as a guard against the loss in the purchasing power of the fixed-income investments (like fixed allowances and bonds), which may occur during inflation. †¢Inflation changes the allocation of income. This exerts maximum effect on the lenders than the borrowers at the time of persisting inflation, because the loans sanctioned previously are paid back later in the form of inflated dollars. †¢Inflation leads to a handful of the consumers in making extensive speculation, to derive advantage of the high price levels. Since some of the purchases are high-risk investments, they result in diversion of the expenditures from regular channels, giving birth to a few structural unemployment’s. Inflation in India The inflation rate in India was recorded at 6. 16 percent in December of 2013. Inflation Rate in India is reported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India. Inflation Rate in India averaged 7. 71 Percent from 1969 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 34. 68 Percent in September of 1974 and a record low of -11. 31 Percent in May of 1976. In India, the wholesale price index (WPI) is the main measure of inflation. The WPI measures the price of a representative basket of wholesale goods. In India, wholesale price index is divided into three groups: Primary Articles (20. 1 percent of total weight), Fuel and Power (14. 9 percent) and Manufactured Products (65 percent). Food Articles from the Primary Articles Group account for 14. 3 percent of the total weight. The most important components of the Manufactured Products Group are Chemicals and Chemical products (12 percent of the total weight); Basic Metals, Alloys and Metal Products (10. 8 percent); Machinery and Machine Tools (8. 9 percent); Textiles (7. 3 percent) and Transport, Equipment and Parts (5. 2 percent). Many developing countries use changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as their central measure of inflation. However, this method is unsuitable for use in India, for structural and demographic reasons. CPI numbers are typically measured monthly, and with a significant lag, making them unsuitable for policy use. Instead, India uses changes in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) to measure its rate of inflation. Provisional annual inflation rate based on all India general CPI (Combined) for November 2013 on point to point basis (November 2013 over November 2012) is 11. 24% as compared to 10. 17% (final) for the previous month of October 2013. The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for November 2013 are 11. 74% and 10. 53% respectively. Inflation rates (final) for rural and urban areas for October 2013 are 10. 19% and 10. 20% respectively. The WPI measures the price of a representative basket of wholesale goods. In India, this basket is composed of three groups: Primary Articles (20. 1% of total weight), Fuel and Power (14. 9%) and Manufactured Products (65%). Food Articles from the Primary Articles Group account for 14. 3% of the total weight. The most important components of the Manufactured Products Group are Chemicals and Chemical products (12%); Basic Metals, Alloys and Metal Products (10. 8%); Machinery and Machine Tools (8. 9%); Textiles (7. 3%) and Transport, Equipment and Parts (5. 2%). WPI numbers are typically measured weekly by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This makes it more timely than the lagging and infrequent CPI statistic. Issues The challenges in developing economy are many, especially when in context of the Monetary Policy with the Central Bank, the inflation and price stability phenomenon. There has been a universal argument these days when monetary policy is determined to be a key element in depicting and controlling inflation. The Central Bank works on the objective to control and have a stable price for commodities. A good environment of price stability happens to create saving mobilization and a sustained economic growth. The former Governor of RBI C. Rangarajan points out that there is a long-term trade-off between output and inflation. He adds on that short-term trade-off happens to only introduce uncertainty about the price level in future. There is an agreement that the central banks have aimed to introduce the target of price stability while an argument supports it for what that means in practice. The Optimal Inflation Rate It arises as the basis theme in deciding an adequate monetary policy. There are two debatable proportions for an effective inflation, whether it should be in the range of 1-3 per-cent as the inflation rate that persists in the industrialized economy or should it be in the range of 6-7 per-cents. While deciding on the elaborate inflation rate certain problems occur regarding its measurement. The measurement bias has often calculated an inflation rate that is comparatively more than in nature. Secondly, there often arises a problem when the quality improvements in the product are in need to be captured out, hence it affects the price index. The consumer preference for a cheaper goods affects the consumption basket at costs, for the increased expenditure on the cheaper goods takes time for the increased weight and measuring inflation. The Boskin Commission has measured 1. 1 per cent of the increased inflation in USA every-annum. The commission points out for the developed countries comprehensive study on inflation to be fairly low. Money Supply and Inflation The Quantitative Easing by the central banks with the effect of an increased money supply in an economy often helps to increase or moderate inflationary targets. There is a puzzle formation between low-rate of inflation and a high growth of money supply. When the current rate of inflation is low, a high worth of money supply warrants the tightening of liquidity and an increased interest rate for a moderate aggregate demand and the avoidance of any potential problems. Further, in case of a low output a tightened monetary policy would affect the production in a much more severe manner. The supply shocks have known to play a dominant role in the regard of monetary policy. The bumper harvest in 1998-99 with a buffer yield in wheat, sugarcane, and pulses had led to an early supply condition further driving their prices from what were they in the last year. The increased import competition since 1991 with the trade liberalization in place have widely contributed to the reduced manufacturing competition with a cheaper agricultural raw materials and the fabric industry. These cost-saving driven technologies have often helped to drive a low-inflation rate. The normal growth cycles accompanied with the international price pressures has several times being characterized by domestic uncertainties. Global Trade Inflation in India generally occurs as a consequence of global traded commodities and the several efforts made by The Reserve Bank of India to weaken rupee against dollar. This was done after the Pokhran Blasts in 1998. This has been regarded as the root cause of inflation crisis rather than the domestic inflation. According to some experts the policy of RBI to absorb all dollars coming into the Indian Economy contributes to the appreciation of the rupee. When the US dollar has shrieked by a margin of 30%, RBI had made a massive injection of dollar in the economy make it highly liquid and this further triggered off inflation in non-traded goods. The RBI picture clearly portrays for subsidizing exports with a weak dollar-exchange rate. All these account for a dangerous inflationary policies being followed by the central bank of the country. Further, on account of cheap products being imported in the country which are made on a high technological and capital intensive techniques happen to either increase the price of domestic raw materials in the global market or they are forced to sell at a cheaper price, hence fetching heavy losses. Factors There are several factors which help to determine the inflationary impact in the country and further help in making a comparative analysis of the policies for the same. The major determinant of the inflation in regard to the employment generation and growth is depicted by the Phillips curve. Demand Factors It basically occurs in a situation when the aggregate demand in the economy has exceeded the aggregate supply. It could further be described as a situation where too much money chases just few goods. A country has a capacity of producing just 550 units of a commodity but the actual demand in the country is 700 units. Hence, as a result of which due to scarcity in demand the prices of the commodity rises. This has generally been seen in India in context with the agrarian society where due to droughts and floods or inadequate methods for the storage of grains leads to lesser or deteriorated output hence increasing the prices for the commodities as the demand remains the same. Supply Factors The supply side inflation is a key ingredient for the rising inflation in India. The agricultural scarcity or the damage in transit creates a scarcity causing high inflationary pressures. Similarly, the high cost of labor eventually increases the production cost and leads to a high price for the commodity. The energies issues regarding the cost of production often increases the value of the final output produced. These supply driven factors have basically have a fiscal tool for regulation and moderation. Further, the global level impacts of price rise often impacts inflation from the supply side of the economy. Domestic Factors The underdeveloped economies like India have generally a lesser developed financial market which creates a weak bonding between the interest rates and the aggregate demand. This accounts for the real money gap that could be determined as the potential determinant for the price rise and inflation in India. There is a gap in India for both the output and the real money gap. The supply of money grows rapidly while the supply of goods takes due time which causes increased inflation. Similarly Hoarding has been a problem of major concern in India where onions prices have shot high in the sky. There are several other stances for the gold and silver commodities and their price hike. External Factors The exchange rate determination is an important component for the inflationary pressures that arises in the India. The liberal economic perspective in India affects the domestic markets. As the prices in United States Of America rises it impacts India where the commodities are now imported at a higher price impacting the price rise. Hence, the nominal exchange rate and the import inflation are a measures that depict the competitiveness and challenges for the economy. EFFECTS OF HIGH INFLATION ON ECONOMY In an economy in which the prices of everything, including the prices of assets and debt instruments, changed proportionally with the price level, nobody would be hurt by our benefit from changes in the price level, unless those changes affected the economy’s output and the rate at which that output grew. However, in the real economy, all prices do not change at the same rate. Consequently, inflation does provide gains to some and losses to others, apart from any effect on the output level and its growth rate. 1. Effects on the distribution of income and wealth There are two ways to measure the effects of inflation on the redistribution of income and wealth in a society: (i) on the basis of the change in the real value of such factor incomes as wages, salaries, rents, interests, dividends and profits. Here, income is narrowly defined, (ii) on the basis of the size distribution of income over time as a result of inflation. The change in a household’s net worth from one date to another is the difference between the changes in the amounts of its assets and liabilities. Conceptually this is a broader definition of income. In terms of the narrow definition, inflation affects the distribution of income only to the degree that it alters the way that the flow of total income is distributed by income class. If this remains unchanged despite inflation, then by definition inflation does not affect distribution of income. However, by the broad definition, inflation may leave the flow covered by the narrow definition unchanged, but still significantly alter the distribution of income by causing changes in the distribution of net worth of household by income class. The effects of inflation on redistribution of income can be understood by knowing the effect of inflation on different group of societies which are as follows: (i) Debtor and Creditors: During inflation, debtors return the same amount of money, but they pay less in terms of goods and services. Thus, the burden of the debt is reduced and debtors gain. On the other hand, creditors lose because they receive less in real. Thus, inflation brings about a redistribution of real wealth in favor debtors. (ii) Salaried Class: During rising prices, salaried persons lose because their salaries are slow to adjust when prices are rising. (iii) Fixed Income Class: The recipients of transfer payments such as pensions, unemployment insurance, social security, etc. and recipients of interest and rent live on fixed incomes. All such persons lose because they receive fixed payments, while the value of money continues to fall with rising prices. There are two types of investors: first, who invest in shares or stocks of companies and second who invest in fixed interest bearing bonds. Investors of first group gain because when prices are rising, business activities expand which increase profit of companies. As profits increase, dividends on equities also increase at a faster rate than prices. But investor of second type loses during inflation because they receive a fixes sum while the purchasing power is declining. (v) Farmer: Landlord loses during rising prices because they get fixed rents. But peasant proprietors who own and cultivate their farm gain. The landless agricultural workers are hit hard by rising prices. (ii) The Effects of inflation on Output, Employment and the Growth Rate For an economy producing below potential, many economists maintain that inflation of the creeping or crawling variety will have a tonic effect on output and employment. In the event of unanticipated inflation, prices rise faster than money wage rates, and the resulting reduction in the real wage rate gives business the profit incentive to hire more workers and expand output. Consequently, a rise in the inflation rate, if unanticipated, may lead to a reduction in the unemployment rate. Given an inflation in which wages lag behind prices, the wage share of total income shrinks and the fraction of total income saved expands. This follows from the fact that a larger portion of the total income goes to profits and other non wage income, the recipients of which are typically upper income groups with a relatively high propensity to save. That a greater saving will occur under the conditions here specified is well established. When one compares the rate of inflation and the rate of growth of real gross national product in major industrialized countries over the period since World War II, one finds no clear pattern. West Germany (with the lowest rate of inflation) has shown one of the highest rates of growth and Japan (with a high rate of inflation) has shown by for the higher rate of growth. The U. K. (with the lower rates of growth) is among the highest in terms of the rate of inflation. These are problems of interpretation here due to the impact of World War II. (iii) Other Effects of Inflation Inflation leads to a number of other effects which are discussed as under (i) Government: The government gains under inflation for rising wages and profits spread as illusion of prosperity with in the country. (ii) Balance of Payments: During inflation, domestic become costlier compared to foreign products. This leads to increase imports and reduce exports, thereby making the balance of payments unfavorable for the country. But there is no adverse impact on the balance of payments if the country is on the flexible exchange rate system. Inflation should be tackled from various angles as it is a complex phenomenon. In modern economy, the broad categories of instruments of commonly used to manage inflation are (1) Monetary policy, (2) Fiscal policy, (3) Direct control, and (4) Miscellaneous measures. Monetary policy The basic underlying assumption behind the use of monetary policy to control inflation is that a rise in prices is due to excess of monetary demand for goods and services by the people since bank credit is easily available to them. Monetary policy is, thus, concerned with banking and credit availability to firms and households, interest rates, public debt and its management and the monetary standard. Therefore, the most logical way out to check inflation is to prevent the flow of money supply by framing apt monetary policies and cautiously implementing monetary measures. A dear money policy is followed to curb inflationary pressures. The total volume of credit is depleted by using quantitative methods. In this regard, (1) benchmark rate may be hiked, (2) open market operations may be undertaken, and (3) in extreme cases, reserve requirement ratio may be enhanced. Keeping in mind the above, RBI reduced the Cash Reserve Ratio from 4. 5% in September 2012 to 4. 25% in October’ 2012. RBI also made no changes in the benchmark repo rate. It stood at 7% in October 2012 RBI also conducts regularly MSS auctions to suck out excess liquidity from the system . However, looking at high inflation, further action on the monetary front is very much necessary. Fiscal policy Fiscal policy is the policy concerning the revenue expenditure and debt of the Government for achieving certain objectives like control of inflation, public expenditure etc. It is quite clear that public expenditure is on the increase continuously and the increased expenditure is either met by deficit financing or by borrowings. Borrowings results into inflation in the economy and on the other hand deficit financing leads to high prices. Hence, a need arises for a policy which can bring stability on one hand and can control public expenditure on the other hand. Fiscal measures can effect changes in the total expenditure. It may involve increase in taxation and decrease in government spending. The government is supposed to counteract an increase in private spending during inflation. During the last one year, the government has taken the following steps to control the prices of essential items, food and oil items, in particular. 1. Reduction in central sales tax 2. Reduction in ad valorem excise duty on both petrol and diesel 3. Duty cut on all refined oil items 4. Slashing of import duty on all crude vegetable oils 5. Import duty cut on butter and ghee 6. Ban on export of pulses and basmati rice 7. Implementing excise duty on steel However, these measures may result in lower tax revenue which, in turn, may increase the fiscal deficit of the government. Direct Controls Direct Controls refer to the regulatory measures undertaken to convert an open inflation into repressed one. Such regulatory measures include rationing of scarce goods and direct control on prices. They can be introduced or changed quickly and easily. Hence, the effect of these changes can be rapid. The government of India directly controls the prices of petroleum goods and also uses certain indirect measures to control the prices of cement, steel and essential goods. These are more useful when they are applied to specific scarcity areas. These are to be used only in extraordinary circumstances and not during peacetime. Miscellaneous Measures Some other measures which may help in curbing the inflation are 1. Increase the supply of essential goods by producing more. 2. Stop wage price spiral by exercising the control on salaries 3. Produce certain essential items at the expense of luxury goods 4. Relaxation of restrictions on imports 5. Reduction in exports 6. Check the growth of population through an effective family planning program 7. Indexing Conclusion Incidence of inflation has been viewed as a monstrous occurrence. It squanders money and destroys economies. Literary works apprehend dire consequences of high and hyper inflation. As the saying goes,† a stitch in time saves nine†, the monetary policy should be preemptive and proactive in order to avoid it. As the causes of inflation differ from country to country, it becomes essential for the central banks to respond to these occurrences fast and intelligently by using the appropriate monetary policy tools. It should be flexible enough to act according to the changing scenarios. Inflation-targeting framework can be an effective option. Economic history is full of inflationary instances. What lacks is the material linking of the concepts with that of the practical experiences. Several variables in the economy that are affected by the money supply have been looked at in this paper. Each of these real variables is influenced by inflation to a certain extent. Though all the effects that inflation causes cannot be explained by inflation, there is no doubt that inflation does play a role in the economy’s growth. Inflation, as a subject, has been a major area of economic research and public debate, all over the world, and particularly so in India, where strong democratic traditions and intellectuals’ activism are well-rooted. There is a need for working out a national consensus on the acceptable level of inflation. What may be called inflation-consensus should be followed by an explicit inflation-mandate. Our track record on inflation has been satisfactory, and there are good chances that could be improved upon if analytical tools are kept sharp and the timeliness and coordination especially between fiscal and monetary operations as well as effectiveness of policy responses are ensured.

Boring essays

Boring essays The three stories that are to be discussed contrast in several different ways. The stories of Bruce Evans, and Jean Crawley, differ from those of Grant McRae for several different reasons. The stories of Bruce and Jean had a view of home life during the war as well as a view of a soldier who fought on the ground. Grant McRaes story was that of an air force soldier who did little work on the ground. Bruces story was one of bravery as they marched across Europe in an attempt to free it from the Nazis hold, while Grant told a story of being locked away in a POW camp. The final way that the stories were different is that Jean and Bruce had stories that were filled with fact and locations, were as, Grant didnt teach he just reminisced, and it was written down. Ultimately all three veterans tell different stories, this shows us that although they fought in the same war there were many different aspects to it. When Bruces told his story it was one of triumph. He began by telling the class about how he became a soldier and his training, but ultimately the bulk of his story came when he entered combat in Normandy. Bruce spun tails of heroics of taking out the German gunners and taking that part of France for the allies. His story continued to the liberation of Holland from the Germans and the wonderful welcome that they received from the Dutch. His story concluded with his march into Germany were he heard that the war was over, and he returned to Holland got rid of his armaments, and was treated like a hero by the Dutch. Jeans story is another story of bravery. Jean told tales of how the women were brave enough to enlist in to the armed services. She spoke of how these women were willing to risk their lives in order to protect their homeland from air raids done by the Germans, risking their own lives by shinning lights on the planes, making them vulnerable to bombing. Grant told a ver y different story. ...

Kaplan MCAT Courses

Kaplan MCAT Courses If youve set your sights on mastering the MCAT before you register, then you know youll need to prepare for it with practice tests, books, apps, tutoring or MCAT courses. If taking a class has been on your mind, then youre in the right spot. Many test prep companies out there offer MCAT courses to help you master the skills, testing techniques and knowledge youll need for test day. Kaplan is one of those companies, but their programs are top-notch and their reputation is typically outstanding. Heres what Kaplan has to offer. Kaplan MCAT Courses Kaplan Test Prep is the largest test prep company out there, and with its size comes great products and test prep materials. The MCAT course options listed below, taught by one of Kaplans trained teachers, all come complete with the Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee: If youre not ready to take the MCAT, you can study with Kaplan again for free. Or, if for any reason youre dissatisfied with your score gain, you can study again for free. And, if you dont score higher on the MCAT at all, you can study with Kaplan for free or get your money back. MCAT Classroom: On Site The Kaplan On Site MCAT course is just as it states: youll take your classes in an actual classroom with an actual Kaplan teacher. Why is this good? Personal attention, of course, with an interactive setting. The classes and times will vary according to your exact location, but I typed in my zip code, and found nine classes available for enrollment in less than 15 miles from my location. At press time the cost was $1,999 or three payments of $666.33 Whats Included: 11,000 practice questions, in addition to MCAT Qbank custom quizzes19 full-length exams11 supplemental lessons online, with a live teacherOver 200 hours of MCAT instructionAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment PackageA Mobile-enabled and optimized syllabus in MCAT prep MCAT Classroom: Anywhere The Kaplan Anywhere MCAT course is   for those of you whod like a teacher, but dont have the time to travel to a physical classroom. The classes are live, so you will have to boot up the old computer at a certain time to take the course, but there are literally scores of options for class times and days since you arent restricted to your zip code. At press time the cost was $1,999 or three payments of $666.33 Whats Included: 25 live, online classroom sessions led by expert instructors11,000 practice questions, in addition to MCAT Qbank custom quizzes19 full-length exams130 additional hours of on-demand video instructionAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment Package MCAT On Demand The Kaplan On Demand MCAT course is designed for people with hectic schedules, who need to cram in some prep time whenever they can. Its available 24/7 because the lectures are not live like the Anywhere and On Site MCAT courses – theyre recorded. Watch them whenever youd like, as often as youd like, for as long as youd like. Pause and start over if you need to or watch the entire lecture again and again. At press time the cost was $1,833 or three payments of $633.00 Whats Included: 25 core lessons- and over 130 hours of total instruction-led by expert instructors11,000 practice questions and custom quizzes with Kaplans MCAT Qbank19 full-length examsAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment Package Signing Up for Kaplans MCAT Courses If you like what you see with Kaplans MCAT courses, you can call 1-800-KAP-TEST to enroll, or you can head to Kaplans website to check availability and sign up online.

CASE STUDY-WALMART'S JAPAN STRATEGY Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

-WALMART'S JAPAN STRATEGY - Case Study Example The author goes on to explain the issues faced by the company in its quest for international expansion. The major problem faced in Japan was the cultural diversity that existed between its American and Japanese employees. Another factor is that the company, known for its low prices, did not find favor with the Japanese mentality. Unlike the United States, the Japanese equated low prices with poor quality. In Mexico and the United Kingdom, the company faced stiff from other retailers. In Mexico, three of the prominent retailers formed an operational alliance to get the benefits of large-scale purchases in order to compete with Wal-Mart. The study suggests that the entry of Wal-Mart into Japan was timed perfectly (in a strategic context). The country was just emerging out of a recession and Wal-Mart hoped that low prices would be a hit with cash strapped consumers. But the strategy has not been accepted well by the people because of the reason mentioned above. The next section provides a balance sheet and income statement of the corporation for the years 2000 - 2003. It can be seen that there has been a steady growth over these years in all parameters like assets, income, profits and dividends.

Health Care Finance in the United States SLP Essay

Health Care Finance in the United States SLP - Essay Example NC Health Choice for Children does not cover pregnancy related services. Another major advantage of getting healthcare for citizens in North Carolina is that individuals cannot be rejected because of health condition. Furthermore, health Care Coverage program eligibility is based on family’s finance. Seniors along with unemployed need to have a specific medical need when application is made. Just like in other states, patients can opt for either HMO or PPO plans. This allows an individual to select a plan with a different ramifications since different provides will charge a different price. North Carolina’s policies regarding health care is not much different than federal policies outlined for other states. As a matter of fact, North Carolina dictates that children under 18 are eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is quite essential is provides affordable healthcare to parties that cannot afford insurance. One important detail about Medicaid is the fact that nearly all cost-sharing is prohibited for children covered based on family income. Hence in separate plans, the state has the ability to demand premiums, deductibles or other cost-sharing fees. This means that children’s coverage can be covered by Medicaid or a private insurance company depending on the family’s income. Â  In North Carolina the self-employed and small business are guaranteed access, and insurance companies are limited in, which is dictated by other factors. One of the key factors that dictates healthcare polices is the cost of unhealthy versus healthy self-employed individuals and small groups. Even under the best of circumstances, those who are new to the health insurance market, or have previously been covered by an employer, should be prepared for sticker shock. A standard small group health insurance policy in North Carolina can easily cost $15,000 or more for a family. Most self-employees obtain the HNOnly Plan H-101, in which the deductible for individual is

The Ways Juliet Changes in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

The Ways Juliet Changes in Romeo and Juliet Essay 1. The way in which her maturity level changes is extreme. In the 3rd scene in act 1 it shows how young she is (13) as she has not even thought of the idea of marriage. She says† It is an honour that I dream not of.† Meaning she has not thought about marriage yet. While she is doing this Romeo is still in deep sorrow about the fact that Rosaline does not love him but he loves her. These 2 points show the difference in age and maturity already as she is not having much to do with boys but Romeo is already chasing girls. A fact that is shocking to any modern day person is that she is only 13 at the beginning of the play and she is being asked about marriage. This shows the time that the play is set in as it is normal to get married at this age. Lady Capulet says, â€Å" Thou knowest my daughter’s of a pretty age† in Act 1 scene 3. Juliet also says that she will think about the idea of marriage which links onto my next point. Another thing that shows how young she is that even though she has never met Romeo before she immediately falls in love with her. This shows her immaturity. Modern day people talk about teenage love and how it is so unlikely to last and how teenagers will fall in love at first sight but never really make a relationship last. Well this is an example of that but in those days if you loved each other you would get married. The way she is only around 1 day into her relationship and is getting married shows how venerable she is which is another factor adding to her maturity level. Another factor about her maturity level is that she develops from someone who takes no risks to taking a life threatening risk. A point that shows she is young is that she is like a sheep at the beginning. Following what ever Romeo did but then she changes that and becomes more mature and thinking hard about whether Romeo is right for her. In the end she decides to do the bravest thing anyone could ever do in her situation. Though her immaturity does not think it through very well as she never though about what might happen if Romeo saw her â€Å"dead†. Both Romeo’s act of killing Tybalt and Juliet’s poison act ended up in maturity getting the better of both of them. If either of them had been more mature then Romeo would have run away rather than kill and Juliet would not of had to take the poison. 2. The way she obeys her parents explains her maturity. At the beginning she is obeying every word her parents say and then at the end she takes poison to evade marrying someone her parents have arranged a marriage with. At the beginning of the play she also trusts her nurse and obeys her as well. During the middle of the play she meets the rebellious Romeo who has met Juliet at a party after he has been mourning his loss of Rosaline, they decide in scene 6 acts 2 to get married. They enter Friar Lawrence’s cell and get married. This marriage is secret and this is the start of the times when she disobeys her parents. The final stage of her complete disobeying of her parents and nurse is when she takes the poison. She also shuns her nurse and tells her go away after she proposes that Juliet marries Paris. Her father is also extremely angry as he set up the marriage and she does not want to get married. 3. Her perception of Romeo changes dramatically through out the play as well. First of all she starts off by thinking he is wonderful and the best man to ever love and then she cannot decide whether he is evil or good. This happens after he kills Tybalt. A quote to describe her feeling for him is â€Å"Beautiful tyrant†. This oxymoron shows how she is confused about whether he is a good man or evil. She gets very defence over him though when the nurse says bad things about him. She is confused over her feeling for Romeo. Her feeling for him change through out the play as she her picture of him changes from handsome and a good man to an evil/still good man. She still loves him very much though as she risks her life for him taking poison and then ends up killing herself as her husband committed suicide think she was dead. Another quote that explains her confusion over whether Romeo is good or bad is â€Å"honourable villain† or â€Å"Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit† These 2 quotes explain how he is honourable to her but a villain to everyone else. And also how shame would never be a characteristic about him. In summary she changes majorly throughout the whole play. From immature to mature and from not even thinking about marriage to marriage. Overall her as a character becomes an adult. No longer is she obeying her parents and not being in love. She has transformed to a proper young adult who knows what the word love means and its full values. Also she learns how important some people are to her and that if you want things your way you are going to have to take risks in order to full those wishes of hers. These wishes end in blood spill and peace between the 2 previously raging families.

Chinese Culture :: Cultural Identity Essays

The communist government thought that the liberation of women, who make half the population of China, was necessary for China to have complete freedom (Heng). Child weddings were banned, concubines were outlawed and brothels were closed. Women were allowed to hold real jobs. Some went to night school, or worked at the factory (Wudden). Laws were passed that equalized women under the law. The major ones were, The Chinese constitution of the early which 1950s. Which stated that Chinese women enjoyed equal rights with men in political, economic, social, cultural, and family life. The state protected women's rights and interests, practiced equal pay for equal work, and provided equal opportunity for women's training and promotion (Heng). The Marriage Law, which eliminated arranged marriages, saying that both women and men were free to choose their marriage partners, and widows were allowed to remarry (Heng). The Inheritance Law, which recognized the equal right of women to inherit family property (Heng). The Labor Insurance Regulations Law of 1951 guaranteed women 56 days of maternity leave with full pay (Heng). The Land Reform Law of the early 1950s provided rural women with an equal share of land under their own name, protecting their economic independence (Heng). After women got married conditions remained much the same, only instead of being subject to a father they were subject to their husbands. Like they had to with their brothers and fathers they had to obey their husbands absolutely and without question. Their husbands often had two or three wives. A major change though when a woman got married was that she was also subject to her mother in law, a relationship that was often very nasty (Zhou). When a woman’s husband died she couldn’t remarry, that would be disloyal to her husband. Even if she had no food it was better for a woman to die of hunger than remarry.

The Essense Of Buddhism

John Snelling has written that scientists with their scientific information have succeeded in sending space craft to distant planets or even probe to remote quarters of the planet with radio telescopes, (Snelling 7). They may investigate the mysteries of the sub atomic world with electron microscopes. But the thing that infact know least about is this great mystery that is right here with us all the time- the heart of the matter behind Buddhism.For like every one they subscribe to consensus view and don’t give the matter a second thought. Thus, according to John Snelling of the London Buddhist Society, these scientists fail to see what is right under their nose, (291). Buddhist is concerned, Snelling has found, with the unravelling of this mystery. In the first sense it is necessary to see through the great delusion of ‘I', of the so called person. Then it is a matter of finding what really is there.And how plot thickens to penetrate this mystery is to penetrate the ulti mate mystery, the mystery of the heart of all things, and confront what the Christians called God, the Hindus Brahman or Atman-and it goes by other names in other religions. Buddhists, however hesitate to put a name to it or say anything or say anything at all about it. It is they maintain something that cannot be grasped by intellect or described in words.It cannot be seen directly; but that seeing brings about something truly miraculous: a total transformation, no less. The veils of delution fall away and last the world is perceived as it truly is. At the same time a deep compassion also crystallizes: a pure, self less kindliness and caring born of an understanding of the unity of all beings. Therefore, as has been established by John Snelling in his ‘The Buddhist handbook: a complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice', (7) Buddhism is quite simple.But as, Snelling has found out simple things are always hard to fully realize, so people need all kinds of aids and suppor t. A vast superstructure according to Snelling has therefore grown up around the basic heart core of the Buddha’s teaching: mountains of philosophical speculation, a voluminous literature, monastic codes and ethical systems, histories, cosmologies, different types of ritual and meditation practice, institutions and hierarchies. John Snelling writes of one Shuan Chin ken who wrote a preface to a text book (mumonkan)From the London Buddhist society, John Snelling (1987) established that many of those who have undertaken the study and practice of Buddhism have also taken an interest in the western psychotherapies that developed from the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud, the, the most famous western psychologist. As well as the Freudian psychoanalysis and its derivatives, Snelling has found that, this includes the analytical psychology of Freud great but errant student, Carl Gustav Jung, as well as subsequent developments right down to the present time, where Buddhism and western society have come together in a wonderful bond, (Snelling, 292).These theories, now regarded as Western psychotherapies arose towards the end of the 19th century and in the early part of the 20th century. This great discovery made by the pioneers of this movement was of the existence of the unconscious: an area or range of aspects of human psyche falling outside the normal range of conscious awareness. Snelling records the therapeutic aspects that interested Dr. Freud to study a lot on the nerve system of animals.Sigmund Freud, as recorded by, Snelling was to the view the unconscious as a kind of cellar containing mainly what he called ‘vises’, all those aspects of himself that a person does not wish to confront- the unacceptable desires, aggressive impulses, painful memories and many other areas of ego. Snelling has established cure of all these consisted reclaiming this exiled material from the abyss of knowing and restoring it to the province of consciousness- or in Freudian terminology: restoring it to the ego from the Idd, a process that Freud compared to reclaiming land from the sea, (Snelling, 295).If Freud’s tendency had been essentially secular, according to John Snelling then Jung’s ideas brought the new psychology into the area once regarded as the preserve of religion (293). Indeed he began to see the role of analysis not merely as directed towards curing neurotic symptoms but of assisting harmonious development, the flowering of individual potential, and ultimately towards securing a transformation that would take the individual beyond himself. John Snelling writes:â€Å"The fact that the approach to the numinous is the real therapy and inasmuch as you attain to the numinous experiences you are released from the curse of pathology†. (Snelling 253). To accord due credit to Jung, however, it must be said that many western Buddhists have found that this ideas represent useful bridge into exotic world of Eastern spir ituality. Some have gone so far as to undertake Jungian analysis and have found helpful, particularly in dealing with psychological problems.According to John Snelling, Alan Watts was able to explain on this in his writing of the seven symbols of life (1936); Watt propounded the idea that Buddhism has more in common with psychotherapy than with religion as the term was then understood in the west. Psychotherapy and Buddhism are intermarried and each has its part to play in assisting in its full realization, psychotherapy in helping to develop a sound ego, Buddhism in taking the process on from there, (Snelling, 298). Religion of faith Buddha emphasized that his teachings had a practical purpose and should not be blindly clung to.He the Dharma to a raft made by a man seeking to cross a dangerous hither shore of a river, representing the conditioned world, to the peaceful further shore, representing Nibanna (M. 1. 34-5). He then rhetorically asked whether such a man on reaching the ot her side should lift the raft and carry it around with him there. He therefore said, Dharma is for crossing over not for retaining, that is a follower should not grasp at Buddhist ideas and practices, but use them for their intended purpose, and then let go of them when they had fully accomplished their goal.Many ordinary Buddhists, though do not have a strong attachment to Buddhism. While the Buddha was critical to blind faith, he did not deny a role for soundly based faith or trustful confidence (saddha) for to test out his teachings, person had to have at least some initial trust in them. He emphasizes a process of listening, which arouses saddha, leading to deeper saddha and deeper practice until the heart of the teachings is directly experienced. A person then becomes an Arahat, one who has replaced faith with knowledge.Even Theravada Buddhism, which often has a rather rational unemotional image, a very deep faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is common. Ideally this is base d on the fact that some part of Buddha’s path has been found to be uplifting, thus inspiring confidence in the rest. Many people though have a calm and joyful faith (pasada) inspired by the example of those who are well established on the path. In essence therefore, Buddhism is a religion that is based on aspects of faith. In actual sense Buddhism is a religion where faith is exercised for the purposes of perfection.We therefore accept the fact the statement of acclaim that Buddhism is a religion of faith holds. Buddhism does not demand that anyone accepts their teaching on trust. The practitioner is instead invited to try them out, to expriment with them. John Snelling writes and says there is no compulsion and it happens to find truth elsewhere or otherwise all well and good, (Snelling, 4). The essential freedom from dogma is enshrined in the Buddha's words to the Kalama, a people who lived in the vicinity of the town of Kesaputta:† Come, Kalamas, do not be satisfied with heasay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in your scriptures or with logical inference or with weighing liking for a view after pondering it over or with the thought ‘the monk is our teacher' When you know in yourselves ‘these ideas are unprofitable, liable to censure, condemned by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to harm and suffering ‘, then you should abandon them†¦ ( and conversely:)when you know in yourselves these things are profitable†¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ then you should practice them and abide in them. † (Snelling, 3). Philosophical foundations According to John Snelling, in his The Buddhist Handbook: A complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice Buddhism as a religion is based o philosophical foundations. He writes: â€Å"At the core of Mahayana philosophy lays the notion of emptiness: Shunyata. Buddha very much in the spirit of anata as first teaches this. It is not used to imply, not me re or sheer nothingness, but ‘emptiness of inherent existence’; that is, the absence of any kind of enduring or self –sustaining essence.There is also a sense in which it has connotations of conceptual emptiness: absence of thoughts. It could be regarded too as a non-term signifying the ineffable understanding arising within the practice of meditation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Therefore, Shunyata as used by Buddha has formed this philosophical foundation in Buddhism, although in addition to this Snelling introduces another key term tathata which according to Buddhism philosophical foundations means ‘thusness’ or ‘suchness’ which signifies Emptiness in its immanent aspect: as it appears in the world of form.The Buddha, as Snelling writes, is sometimes called the Tathagata: ‘He who is thus gone’. The Tathagata-garbha (garbha means ‘germ’) doctrine, on the other hand, proposes the notion of an imminent Absolute: the manifestat ion in form of a transcendental principle, (Snelling,5). Therefore it is true Buddhism has some philosophical foundations as it written by John Snelling, (Snelling, 4). In conclusion we have seen that Buddhism involves that Buddhism has evolved on the basis of some philosophical foundations and that it involves psychological, religious, some mystical experience and meditations.Unlike other religions, Buddhism holds the religious perfection in which one should not clung of practical faith but should eventually make it to knowledge. Therefore, this makes it more a practical experience. It is such aspects, according to John Snelling that drive us to believe that there is no Buddhism but only Buddhists. REFERENCES Snelling, John. The Buddhist Handbook: A complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice. London: Rider, 1987.

Presocratic Philosophy Essay

Introduction As early Greek civilization grew more complex (c. 500 b. c. e. ), mythology and religion began to develop into philosophy (and later into science). As part of this development, a new kind of thinker emerged known as a sophos, from the Greek word for â€Å"wise. † These â€Å"wise men,† and they were almost exclusively men, asked increasingly sophisticated questions about all sorts of things, especially natural processes and the origins and essence of life. Although mythology and religion continued to play important roles in the lives of people for centuries to come, these first philosophers were noted for their attempts to use reason and observation to figure out how the world works. Instead of living a â€Å"normal life,† the sophos devoted himself to asking questions that so-called normal people thought had already been answered (by religion and mythology) or were unanswerable (and thus a waste of time). In respect to public perceptions, it didn’t help that the sophos lived and spoke in ways that were interpreted as showing disregard and possibly disrespect for conventional values, and that set him or (infrequently) her apart from â€Å"regular folks† living â€Å"normal† lives. It is hardly surprising, then, that one of the earliest popular images of philosophers is the stereotype of an odd, â€Å"absent-minded,† starry-eyed dreamer and asker of silly questions. The very first Western thinkers identified as philosophers were initially concerned with questions about the nature of nature (physis) and of the â€Å"world order† (kosmos). Presocratic Rational Discourse The earliest Western philosophers are referred to as the Presocratics because they appeared prior to Socrates, the first major figure in the Western philosophical tradition. Some of the Presocratic philosophers are described as proto-scientists because they initiated the transformation of mythology into rational inquiry about nature and the cosmos. A very general characterization of the development of Presocratic philosophy is helpful for placing subsequent philosophical issues and disagreements in context. Of  most interest for our purposes is the Presocratic philosophers’ struggle to offer rational, â€Å"objective† arguments and explanations for their views. These concerns played a major role in the origins and historical development of Western philosophy. The first philosophers’ intense interest in explanations shaped the development of reason by triggering questions of logical consistency and standards of knowledge that went beyond the sorts of evidence that a craftsman could offer to back up his claims to expertise. The Presocratic Philosophers Thales Thales (c. 624–545 b. c. e.), traditionally said to be the first Western philosopher, seems to have believed that water is in some way central to our understanding of things. This concept was probably based upon a belief that the earth floated on water, and that all things originate with water. Current opinion holds that Thales believed that whatever is real is in some significant sense ‘‘alive. ’’ According to Aristotle, Thales ‘‘thought that all things are full of gods,’’ and as evidence of such powers even in apparently inanimate nature he points to the remarkable properties of what was referred to as the ‘‘Magnesian stone’’. Although Aristotle’s statement is too slight to serve as a sure foundation for judgment, it seems more likely that Thales was arguing for the broader presence of life forces in the world than most people imagined, rather than that the real in its totality is alive. Anaximander Thales’ younger contemporary from Miletus, Anaximander, born toward the end of the seventh century B. C. E. , found the explanatory principle of things in what he called ‘‘the apeiron,’’ a word that might be translated as ‘‘the indefinite,’’ ‘‘the boundless,’’ or both. This opens up the possibility that the apeiron is both immeasurably large in its temporal and physical extent and also qualitatively indefinite in that it is without measurable inner boundaries. The apeiron is further described, according to Aristotle, as being ‘‘without beginning,’’ ‘‘surrounding all things,’’ ‘‘steering all things,’’ ‘‘divine,’’ ‘‘immortal,’’ and ‘‘indestructible. ’’ Some have inferred that Anaximander’s barely concealed purpose was Western philosophy’s first attempt at demythologization. Equally striking is Anaximander’s description of the universe as a closed, concentric system, the outer spheres of which, by their everlasting motion, account for the stability of our earth, a drum-shaped body held everlastingly in a state of equipoise at the center. Whatever the inadequacy in certain details (the stars are placed nearer to the earth than the moon), with Anaximander the science of cosmological speculation took a giant step forward. As far as life on earth is concerned, Anaximander offered another striking hypothesis. The first living things, according to him, were ‘‘born in moisture, enclosed in thorny barks’’ (like sea urchins), and ‘‘as their age increased, they came forth onto the drier part’’ (as phrased by Aetius [first to second century C. E. ]). Pythagoras Although we know that Pythagoras was a historical figure, it is difficult to determine exactly what Pythagoras himself taught. He wrote nothing, and the ideas of other members of the community were attributed to him as a sign of respect and as a way of lending weight to the ideas. Plato and Aristotle rarely assign ideas to Pythagoras himself, although Pythagorean ideas seem to have influenced Plato’s philosophy. Pythagoreans asserted that number is the first principle of all things. They were the first systematic developers of mathematics in the West and discovered that natural events could be described in mathematical terms, especially as ratios. To the Pythagoreans, the â€Å"principle of number† accounted for everything. Number was a real thing. Somehow, numbers existed in space, not just as mental constructs. According to Pythagorean doctrine, the entire universe is an ordered whole consisting of harmonies of contrasting elements. The Greek for â€Å"ordered whole† is cosmos. The Pythagoreans were the first philosophers to use the term cosmos to refer to the universe in this way. The â€Å"celestial music of the spheres† is the hauntingly beautiful phrase the Pythagoreans coined to describe the sound of the heavens as they rotate according to cosmic number and harmony. Xenophanes A fourth Ionian philosopher, Xenophanes of Colophon, born around 580 B. C. E. ,is the first we know of to overtly attack the anthropomorphism of popular religious belief, in a series of brilliant reductio ad absurdum arguments. His own view has been understood, ever since Aristotle, as pantheistic. Xenophanes was also the first philosopher we know of to ask what degree of knowledge is attainable. In B34 we read: ‘‘the clear and certain truth no man has seen, nor will there be anyone who knows about the gods and what I say about all things. ’’ Several ancient critics took this to be an indication of Xenophanes’ total scepticism. On this basis of moderate empiricism and scepticism, Xenophanes offered a number of opinions of varying plausibility about the natural world, one of which—a strong, evolutionary interpretation of the discovery on various islands of fossils of marine animals—is enough to constitute a major claim to fame in natural philosophy and ranks with his other significant steps in epistemology (the theory of knowledge dealing with what we know, how we know it, and how reliable our knowledge is), logic (the study of rational inquiry and argumentation), and natural theology (the attempt to understand God from natural knowledge). Heraclitus One of the most important and enigmatic of the Presocratics, Heraclitus (fl . 500 b. c. e. , d. 510–480 b. c. e. ), said that ignorance is bound to result when we try to understand the cosmos when we do not even comprehend the basic structure of the human psyche (soul) and its relationship to the Logos. The complex Greek word logos is intriguing. It could and at times did mean all of the following: â€Å"intelligence,† â€Å"speech,† â€Å"discourse,† â€Å"thought,† â€Å"reason,† â€Å"word,† â€Å"meaning,† â€Å"study of,† â€Å"the record of,† â€Å"the science of,† â€Å"the fundamental principles of,† â€Å"the basic principles and procedures of a particular discipline,† â€Å"those features of a thing that make it intelligible to us,† and â€Å"the rationale for a thing. † The Heraclitean capital L Logos is like God, only without the anthropomorphizing (humanizing) of the earlier philosophers and poets who attributed human qualities to the gods. According to Heraclitus’s impersonal view of God, the Logos is a process, not an entity. As such, the Logos is unconcerned with individuals and human affairs, in much the same way that gravity affects us but is unconcerned with us. More radically yet, Heraclitus asserted that even though things appear to remain the same, â€Å"Change alone is unchanging. † Traditionally, it has been held that Heraclitus went so far as to claim that everything is always changing all the time. But whether he really meant that everything is always changing, or that individual things are held together by energy (change), remains unclear. Anaximenes Anaximander’s younger contemporary, Anaximenes, who lived during the sixth century B. C. E. appears to revert to a prior and less sophisticated vision in claiming that the earth, far from being a drum-shaped body held in equipoise at the center, is flat and ‘‘rides on,’’ supported by air. The same might be said of his contention that the basic, ‘‘divine’’ principle of things was not some indefinite entity but something very much part of our experience; namely, air. Anaximenes’ view would also no doubt have seemed to be corroborated by the fact that the universe, commonly understood as a living thing and hence needing a soul to vivify it, possessed in air that very ‘‘breath’’ that for most Greeks constituted the essence of such a soul. Parmenides Parmenides of Elea (fift h century b. c. e. ) radically transformed the early philosophers’ interest in cosmology, the study of the universe as a rationally ordered system (cosmos), into ontology, the study of being. By common agreement he was the giant among the pre-Socratics. According to Parmenides, none of his predecessors adequately accounted for the process by which the one basic stuff of the cosmos changes into the many individual things we experience every day. In his search for a solution to the problem of â€Å"the one and the many,† Parmenides turned to a reasoned analysis of the process of change itself. According to Parmenides, all sensations occur in the realm of appearance. This means that reality cannot be apprehended by the senses. Change and variety (the many) are only appearances; they are not real. If this is true, then our most commonly held beliefs about reality are mere opinions. The senses cannot recognize â€Å"what is,† much less can they discover—observe—it, ever. In other words, whatever we see, touch, taste, hear, or smell is not real, does not exist. Perhaps most unsettling of all, Parmenides â€Å"solved† the problem of the appearance of change by concluding—in direct opposition to Heraclitus’s insistence that everything is always changing—that the very concept of change is self-contradictory. What we think of as change is merely an illusion. The logic runs as follows: â€Å"Change† equals transformation into something else. When a thing becomes â€Å"something else,† it becomes what it is not. But since it is impossible for â€Å"nothing† (what is not) to exist, there is no â€Å"nothing† into which the old thing can disappear. (There is no â€Å"no place† for the thing to go into. ) Therefore, change cannot occur. Empedocles posited, against Parmenides, change and plurality as features of reality, but affirmed the eternality of anything that is real; the sphere-like nature of the real when looked at as a totality and the fact that the real is a plenum, containing no ‘‘nothingness’’ or ‘‘emptiness’’. Anaxagoras likewise posited change, plurality, and divisibility as features of reality, yet also affirmed the eternality of the real (understood by him as an eternally existent ‘‘mixture’’ of the ‘‘seeds’’ of the things currently constituting the world, rather than the eternal combinings and recombinings, according to certain ratios of admixture, of four eternally existent ‘‘roots’’ or elemental masses). Leucippus Leucippus of Miletus (c. fi ft h century b. c. e. ) and Democritus of Abdera (c. 460–370 b.c. e. ) argued that reality consists entirely of empty space and ultimately simple entities that combine to form objects. T is materialistic view is known as atomism. Leucippus is credited with being the originator of atomism and Democritus with developing it. Rather than reject Parmenides’ assertion that change is an illusion, Leucippus argued that reality consists of many discrete â€Å"ones,† or beings. Zeno Zeno, who was born early in the fifth century B. C. E. , was a friend and pupil of Parmenides. In his famous paradoxes he attempted to show by a series of reductio ad absurdum arguments, of which the best known is perhaps that of Achilles and the tortoise, the self-contradictory consequences of maintaining that there is a real plurality of things or that motion or place are real. The prima facie brilliance of many of the arguments continues to impress people, though it soon becomes clear that the paradoxes turn largely on the failure or unwillingness of Zeno, like so many Pythagoreans of the day, to distinguish between the concepts of physical and geometrical space. Zeno’s way of constructing the problem makes it seem that his primary object is to defame pluralists by attacking the logical possibility of explaining how there can be motion in the world. Gorgias Gorgias has achieved fame for the stress he laid upon the art of persuasion (‘‘rhetoric’’), although whether he wrote the baffling On What Is Not as a serious piece of persuasive reasoning or as some sort of spoof of the Eleatic philosophy of Parmenides and others remains disputed. Its basic, and remarkable, claim is prima facie, that nothing in fact is (exists /is the case [esti] or is knowable or conceivable. Any exiguous plausibility that the arguments supporting this claim possess turns on our overlooking Gorgias’s failure, witting or unwitting, to distinguish carefully between knowing and thinking, along with his various uses of the verb ‘‘to be. ’’ If the failure was witting, the document can be seen as a skillful device for the spotting of fallacies as part of training in rhetoric and basic reasoning. If it was unwitting, Gorgias still emerges as what he was claimed to be—a deft rhetorical wordsmith on any topic proposed to him. Protagoras Perhaps the greatest of the Sophists was Protagoras of Abdera (481– 411 b. c. e. ). Protagoras was an archetypal Sophist: an active traveler and first-rate observer of other cultures who noted that although there are a variety of customs and beliefs, each culture believes unquestioningly that its own ways are right—and roundly condemns (or at least criticizes) views that differ from its own. Based on his observations and travels, Protagoras concluded that morals are nothing more than the social traditions, or mores, of a society or group. The details of Protagoras’s beliefs remain disputed. When he said, for example, that ‘‘anthropos [humanity] is a/the measure for all things, of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not,’’ it is unclear whether he is talking about one person or the sum total of persons; about ‘‘a’’ measure or ‘‘the’’ measure (there is no definite article in Greek); or about existence or states of affairs or both. The Platonic reading in the Theaetetus, which takes ‘‘anthropos’’ as generic and ‘‘measure’’ as exclusive, led to the assertion that the logical consequence was total (and absurd) relativism. ______________________________ References: The Columbia History of Western Philosophy. Richard H. Popkin. Columbia University Press. 1999. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy. 7th ed. Douglas J. Soccio. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 2010.