The Importance of the Modern Era of Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

The Importance of the Modern Era of Political Philosophy Essay The Modern Era of political philosophy is best characterized as a revolt against the traditional constraints of the time. Machiavelli believed that politics should be separate and distinct from ethics, morality, and religion. Protestant reformers such as Luther and Calvin went head to head with the Catholic Church, paving the way for religious individualism and incorporating various political revisions. Hobbes called for a major overhaul in England concerning not only political and religious issues, but social and economic ones as well. As modern philosophers began to voice their opinions, Central, Southern, and Western Europe began to change drasticallychanges that would affect the direction of Western political thought forever. Niccolo Machiavelli, born in Florence, Italy in 1469, was the first political philosopher to recognize the importance and potential of the nation-state, an idea he shared with the world. This idea was shared primarily through Machiavellis most notable works: The Prince and Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius. The Prince was dedicated to the new Medici (the ruling family in Florence at the time) ruler, Lorenzo; some modern interpreters have viewed the work primarily as a plea for forgiveness, as Machiavelli wanted his civil service job back after being suspected of treason. As indicated in his two major works, Machiavelli had two distinct goals: the desire to return to active government service and the promotion of stability and freedom from foreign control, secular or religious, for all of Italy. Martin Luthers (1483-1546) discrepancies with the Catholic Church began early in his career when he attacked the sale of indulgences and also came to the conclusion that human nature is wretched and sinful. He also criticized the popes absolutism and the church hierarchy. When Luther finally poured his heart out onto paper in 1517, the result was his Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, otherwise known as the Ninety-five Theses, which he promptly nailed to the church door in his hometown of Wittenberg, Germany. Three years later Luther wrote an essay entitled An Appeal to the Ruling Class. Each of these works as well as Luthers other writings made three main allegations against the church. These allegations were known as the Three Walls. The first wall he attacks is the fact that secular power has no control over the pope. The second wall deals with the idea that the church is more than just the pope; it encompasses everyone who is a member of the faith. This particular wall disputed the idea of papal infallibility as well as the pope as the sole authority of the church. The third wall Luther confronts concerns the claim that only the pope can summon a council to resolve or address church issues, such as questions of doctrine. Later that same year, the pope excommunicated Luther from the Catholic Church, but not before Luthers words had a significant impact on the Catholic Church. These events cause Christians to reexamine the relationship between church and state-authority through the eyes of the individual, as well as defining limits on both church and state power. John Calvin, born in 1509, founded one of the first sects of Protestantism that developed after Luthers revamp of the Catholic Church. Calvin shared the belief that human deeds cannot ensure salvation and that government serves as a punishment and remedy for human sin. In his book Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin distinguishes two types of government: the spiritual, by which the conscience is formed to piety and the service of God; and the political, by which a man is instructed in the duties of humanity and civility. Almost overnight, the Protestant Reformation brought the monolithic foundation of medieval Christianity down, leaving behind several new concepts in political thought. During the first half of the 17th century, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes found conflict on numerous fronts concerning English society. The first issue was concerning religious freedom, pitting King Charles I and his Anglican Church against a number of independent Protestant sects. Hobbes and his Protestant followers claimed that the Anglican Church was too close in organization and liturgy to the Catholic Church. They also rejected the claim of Charles I to rule by divine right. The second issue was political in nature, concerning the fact that England did not have a written constitution (and still do not today), thereby allowing for Parliamentary error and inconsistancies. The third issue that Hobbes was concerned with was the fact that social and economic issues were becoming interrelated due to a growing middle class who demanded more political representation in Parliament. During Hobbess lifetime, the world experienced a scientific revolution due to important discoveries. The spirit of forward progress influenced Hobbess understanding of politics as well. Hobbes treated his issues like scientific theory, always concerned with precise definitions and correct terminology. On what basis could the practice of government be conducted once society was no longer a community? asks the central philosophical question concerning Hobbess political philosophies. Hobbes reinforces the basis for politics of the Modern Era by uniting absolutism and consent, taking his cues from the scientific revolution of the era. Hobbess most important philosophical work, Leviathan, discusses human nature from the standpoint of the individual, thus defining the foundation for Hobbess political universe. Obviously, Hobbess political focus is on the individual; however, some critics argue whether Hobbess philosophies were intended as a scientific blueprint for a fit government as Hobbes saw it, or if his philosophies merely succeeded in raising questions about the balance between individual liberty and social order. Of all the versatile philosophers associated with the Modern Era of political philosophy, only Niccolo Machiavelli can be described as the personification of the transformation from the medieval to the modern era. Machiavellis aggregate view of politics focuses on the individual. In contradiction to the values of ancient and medieval political philosophers, Machiavelli establishes a separation between personal morality and necessary political practice. The Florentine also supports the idea of a republican state, thus allowing the greatest degree of liberty. He created a new science of politics with a more down-to-earth and practical set of principles. Machiavellis recognition of the importance and potential of the nation-state not only set him apart from his predecessors, but also ushered in a new era of political thought, paving the way toward the unfolding Western political tradition. The importance of the Modern Era of political philosophy is plainly evident in todays society. A large part of the Constitution of the United States is based on the liberal philosophies of the Modern Era. The idea of separation of church and state is most prolific during this era, and it remains today one of the fundamental principles of liberty upon which the governments of the United States and numerous other nation-states in the West are based. Also, the focus of individual liberty is very apparent in many of the political discourses of the Modern philosophers. Had the philosophers of the Modern Era not battled the widespread corruption apparent in the Catholic Church and the ruling classes across Europe, who is to say that the Western political tradition would have unfolded at all?

A Comprehensive Financial Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

A Comprehensive Financial Analysis Of TOYS R US TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview ....................................................... 4 Key Facts........................................................................ 4 Business Description.................................................... 5 History ............................................................................ 6 Key Employees .............................................................. 7 Major Products And Services..................................... 12 Products And Services Analysis................................ 13 SWOT Analysis ............................................................ 14 Top Competitors .......................................................... 18 Company View ............................................................. 19 Locations and Subsidiaries........................................ 24 HISTORY Toys "R" Us was established in 1948 as a baby furniture store in Washington DC, by Charles Lazarus at the young age of 25 . Mr. Lazarus began a business totally dedicated to kids and their needs just in time for the post-war baby boom era. The store started off by selling baby toys first, and then toys for older children, as it responded to customer demand. In 1957, Lazarus opened the first toy supermarket, which combined specialty retailing and off-price positioning. In May 1999, the company formed a new division, Toysrus.com. The following year, Toysrus.com teamed up with Amazon.com to form a co-branded online toy store. ANALYSIS OF TOY R US’ MAJOR INDUSTRY Toys "R" Us specializes in the provision of toys, apparel and baby needs to children and their families. The Toys "R" Us family, which includes Toys "R" Us, Babies "R" Us, Imaginarium and Toysrus.com. It has operations in 25 countries, mainly the US, Japan, Canada, and Europe, and sells toys, games, bicycles, sporting goods, VHS video tapes, electronic and video games, small pools, books, infant and juvenile furniture and similar items and electronics, as well as educational and entertainment computer software for children. DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCT AND SERVICE LINE Toys R Us, Inc is engaged in the operation of retail stores consisting of U.S. locations comprised of toy stores under the name Toys R Us, children's clothing store... ...; 1.8233 Z-SCORE ABOVE 2.99--YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE Z-SCORE BETWEEN 2.99 and 1.81--WARNING SIGNS Z-SCORE BELOW 1.81--BIG TROUBLE--COULD BE HEADING TOWARD BANKRUPTCY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The liquidity ratios show an increase in the current and acid-test (quick) ratios during the last three years. This coincides with an increasing/stockpiling of inventory and an increase in short-term debt which is detrimental to Toys R Us’ immediate debt paying ability. The Debt to Equity ratio is within the industry average which is welcome news to long-term creditor but unwelcome to common stockholders because they benefit from assets provided by creditors. The asset utilization ratios (Account receivable, Inventory turnover, Total asset turnover, etc) are all increasing which is a positive. However, the company’s turnover ratios are much slower than the industry average which indicates too many obsolete goods on hand and/or overstocked inventory. The Gross margin ratio is much lower than the industry average which indicates managements inability to control productions costs and a lower measure of profitability. The debt utilization ratios

Marianne Moore On “Bird-Witted” Essay

Born in Kirkwood, Missouri, Moore studied biology at Bryn Mawr College. After travelling in Europe with her mother, she taught at the U.S. Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she worked as a librarian. Moore first published her poems in such little magazines as the Egoist, Poetry, and Others, later editing the Dial, a highly regarded modernist periodical. In part because of her extensive European travels before the First World War, Moore came to the attention of poets as diverse as Wallace Stevens, Hilda Doolittle, T. S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound and corresponded for a time with W.H. Auden and Ezra Pound. In her poetry Moore experimented with the stanza and strived to unite what she called â€Å"precision, economy of statement [and] logic† with complex rhyme patterns, syllable counts, and ornate diction. Her volumes include Poems (1921), Observations (1924), Collected Poems (1951), and Complete Poems (1967). On â€Å"Bird-Witted†About the poem:The American poet Marianne Moore wrote poems quite similar to fables in their use of animals and animal traits to comment on human experience. Composed in (1951) and published in her Collected Poems, Moores narrative poem Bird-witted can attain the quality of fable as its being a brief allegorical narrative where the characters are animals who act like people while retaining their animal traits. The poem is about a mother mockingbird struggling to feed its three fledglings or young birds when a cat approaches them to mark the transformation of the mother from a feeding and caring bird to dangerously defending and protective. The First StanzaMoore chooses animals or birds to replace the existence of the world of man, there is no human but animals working like humans yet keeping their animal traits. Moore constructs in this poem and many other poems, a positive portrait of feminine figure. One of the strongest is, not surprisingly, the mother, almost all of them in animal form, who appear in  Moore’s poems of the thirties and forties. Moore lived with her mother all her life until Mrs. Moore’s death in 1947, who was a mother of uncommon intellectual gifts as well as possessiveness and surely had that deep impact on her own daughter. The poem starts with locating the three young birds under the pussy-willow tree waiting for their mother. The three large mockingbirds with wide penguin eyes are standing in a row beside each other solemnly till they observe their no longer larger mother approaching with what will feed one of them before going back to bring more for them. The Second StanzaHere, the stanza starts from where the mother bird is, as while flying it can hear the irregular squeaking of its hungry young birds similar to a broken springs of a carriage as well as spotting them below so tiny like brownish coloured freckles. (To them the mother is no longer larger, to her; they are still tiny like freckles. A common but interchangeable concern between a mother and her children when claiming their growth and demanding their independence and knowledge while her enforcing her possessiveness and protection over them). When approaching them and landing, the mother bird puts a beetle in one of the little birds beak but as it dropped out the mother puts it in again. An image enforcing their helplessness and her caring yet, strong hold over them. The Third StanzaThis stanza shows the process, of which the young mockingbirds express how their hunger is satisfied. As they stand in the pussy-willow shade with their grey coloured coats, they spread tail and wings, showing one by one, the modest white stripe lengthwise on the tail and crosswise underneath the wing,. One must not forget that their squeaks or the accordion as described musically in the stanza, is closed again and now they set to test their skills of flying while the mother is away. The Fourth StanzaThe narrator has to express the quality of the mother birds melody as delightful yet its unexpected but rapid change as flute-sounds leaping from the throat of the shrewd grown bird coming from the remote unenergetic sunlit air when realising the brood leaving their place and testing their abilities to fly. And how harsh the birds voice has become as the narrator describes. Moore’s embodiment of maternal behaviour in animal figures not only affirms the instinctual nature of such behaviour in general but also reflects (and to some extent explains) the ever-present animal kingdom of pet-names by which the Moore family members expressed their attachments to one another. This spirit of maternal protection is placed in Moore’s female figures as they come into the full strength of their unyielding devotion. The Fifth StanzaThis stanza is devoted to a spotted cat described as approaching and impending danger. The cat is observing the little birds and slowly creeping toward them while naively and out of ignorance they pay no heed to it. While one of the birds is in midst of its attempt to fly, its dangling foot that missed the cats grasp is raised and finds the twig or branch on which it planned to rest on. This incident is not to be left alone as the sixth stanza shows closure of this poem. The Sixth StanzaThe movement of this stanza is quicker than the previous ones, depicting the angry mother bird as it darts from the sky down where the cat stands. Its fear for the safety of its own little birds had given it the strength and courage to involve in a deadly combat where the cat is almost killed by the spear like beak of the bird and its angry wings. The enemy in the final lines, the â€Å"intellectual cautious- / ly creeping cat,† brings about an interesting point of the narrative, which is the transformation of personality brought on not only by the approaching danger of the cat but also by motherhood itself as the â€Å"bayonet beak† and â€Å"cruel wings† of the bird defending her brood, produces a seriocomic scene that Moore intended. This distinction between protection and injury was clearly an important one to a poet living creatively within her mother’s house. Structure:-Later in her life, in 1967, Moore confessed that the sound of the verse was more important to her than its visual pattern. She remarked that it ought to be continuous, and that she had always wanted her verse to sound unstrained and natural as though she was speaking. At the time, she expressed her distaste for the common place that she wrote in syllabic verse, in which the line lengths of a repeated stanza pattern are determined  by the numbers of syllables, rather than stresses. She confessed her liking to see symmetry and regularity on the page. -Thus, in Bird Witted, as each stanza consists of 10 lines, all the six stanzas are alike in length of line but this poem has no rhyming pattern though some lines rhyme together-The pattern itself is repeated with each stanza though the count of syllables differs as in: The 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th stanzas (the fourth line contains 3 syllables), the 3d and 5th stanzas (the fourth line contains 4 syllables). -Word breaking: as a word is split between the lines (sun/lit) in the 4th stanza and (cautious/ly) in the sixth one. -The fable like form, as animals replace human characters. -Assonance: in the repetition of the vowel sounds of (wide/eyes), (keyed/squeak), (their/pale), (crosswise/lengthwise)-Consonance: in the repetition of the final consonant sounds of (squeak/meek), (picks/puts)-Alliteration: as the (t) sound in (the trim trio on the tree-stem), (f) sound in (freckled forms), (p) sound in (planned to perch)

How To Install Microsoft Access 2013

Due to its widespread availability and flexible functionality, Microsoft Access is arguably the most popular database software in use today. Here we explain the Access 2013 installation process in a straightforward manner.  In order to install Access, youll need Access or Office installer (on CD or downloaded file). If you are trying to install an earlier version of Microsoft Access, see ​our guide on installing Microsoft Access 2010. Heres How Verify that your system meets the basic requirements for Access. Youll need at least a 1GHz  or faster processor with 1GB of RAM. Youll also need at least 3GB of free hard disk space.Ensure that your operating system is up-to-date. Youll need Windows 7 or later to run Access 2013. Its a good idea to apply all security updates and hotfixes to your system before installing access by visiting the Microsoft Updates site.Launch the Office installer.  If you are working from a downloaded copy of Office, open the file that you downloaded from Microsoft.  If you are using an installation disc, insert it in your optical drive. The installation process will begin automatically and ask you to wait while the system connects to your account.You will then be prompted to sign in to your Microsoft account.  You may choose to provide your account information by clicking the orange Sign In button or you may opt to bypass this process by clicking the No thanks, maybe later link.The installer wi ll then ask you if you wish to learn more about whats new in Office 2013.  You may choose to view this information by clicking the Take a look button or bypass this step by clicking the No thanks  link.Youll then be asked to wait a few minutes while the Office 2013 installer completes its work.When the installation completes, you may be prompted to restart your computer. Go ahead and do so.When your computer restarts, the first thing you should do is visit the Microsoft Update site  to download any security patches for Access. This is a critical step.