Internal, External Essay Example for Free

Internal, External Essay | Identify the key actors and forces in the company’s marketing environment that affect its ability to serve its target customers effectively.The marketing environment can be defined as everything that surrounds an organization’s environment and can affect its operation.The business environment consists of the actors and forces that affect an organization’s ability to develop and maintain business with its targeted customers. These are the Micro Environment, the Macro environment and the internal environment.The micro-environment of an organization can best be understood as comprising all those other organizations and individuals who directly or indirectly affect the activities of the organization. The following key groups can be identified as: their suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customers, competitors and the public. * Neil Saab, PROCTER’s European head of laundry products development * Edward Arwell, PROCTER’s Chief Marketing Officer * scientists and over 60,000 consumers * Dutch press * PR Firm hired by PROCTER * Europe targeting consumers’ associations, washing machine manufacturers, retailers * and anybody else who would listen * Dutch consumers’ union * Six test institutesThe Macro environment is the non specific aspect in the company’s surrounding that have the potential impact on the organizations strategies. This environment comprises general trends and forces which may not immediately affect the relationships that a company has with its customers, suppliers and intermediaries, but sooner or later, macro-environmental change will alter the nature of these relationships. These are demographic forces, economic factors, natural, technological, political and socio cultural factors. * For ULTRA WASH, they had claimed a technological lead based on their formula and this was keeping them ahead * Environmental campaigners in Sweden were keen on the effects of the product * Freedom of speech allowed Procter to lobby openly against their competitorThe Internal Environment refers to those activities within the local influence which includes it marketing plans and strategies, how they are implemented and its research and development. Actors in the internal environment include: * David Fritz, ULTRA WASH’s global coordinator of detergent marketing * Top executives at ULTRA WASH Head Office in the UK * Other management and staff of ULTRA WASH Show how each of the actors/forces you have identified in question 1, directly (or indirectly) impacted on ULTRA WASH’s final decision to revamp and relaunch the defective Eno/Ersil Power.For ULTRA WASH, the SWOT analysis summarizes the main environmental issues in the form of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.Strengths of ULTRA WASH: * Power branded in Netherlands, UK and France * Biggest advance fabric detergent over 20 years * They had the technological lead Weaknesses of ULTRA WASH: * Did not act on private warning from Procter before they went public * Did not effectively counter Procter’s negative campaign against their product * Ultra Wash image damaged and undermined as they were slow to act Opportunities of ULTRA WASH: * To launch Power in 11 other countries Threats of ULTRA WASH: * Flaw discovered in technology by rival competitor * The need to withdraw their once successful product from the market * Leading supermarket emptying shelves of the product * Various tests confirmed damaging effects of their products With all the negative publicity that ULTRA WASH had received from Procter, various media agencies as well as tests that proved the product was in fact damaging, it was in ULTRA WASH’s best interest to revamp and re-launch their product.The Impact of the Actors in the Micro EnvironmentThe lobbying and negative campaigning done by Procter’s executives sensitized the public on the damaging effects of ULTRA WASH’s product therefore reducing the demand in the market.Various Scientists confirmed that the product was faulty also confirming to the public that this product was not ide al for their laundry.The Press and PR Firm hired by Proctor hammered bad publicity that contributed to the decline in sales of this product. As the Customers are the most important to consider, a re launch was necessary to correct the past manufacturing errors and reclaim their loyalty. It was also important to create a new image in the minds of the target market by changing their perception. The Impact of the Actors in the Macro Environment * Legal: ULTRA WASH also had on going legal battle with PROCTOR, it was important to end that chapter and show some differentiation in their rebranded product. * Technological: Advances in Technology would create opportunity for ULTRA WASH to develop a new detergent with the correct product mix that would meet environmental specifications. * Social and Cultural: PROCTOR was able to freely express their opinions and change the perception of the general product thereby reducing the market share of ULTRA WASH. The Impact of the Actors in the Internal EnvironmentThe entire series of events proved that  the Executives and marketing personnel at ULTRA WASH were not fully equipped to handle all the negative publicity and did not act expeditiously to recover from this problem. Top Executives should have heeded the secret warnings of PROCTOR and test their product privately to prevent an international outburst. The strategies were not enough to protect their product. Internal branding was important as ULTRA WASH needed to re create a core product with distinctive values that distinguishes it from its competition. ULTRA WASH needed to highlight the true benefits to be from using their product. Brand strategies must be communicated to staff so that they understand the company character on which the company brand is built. Investment in staff training is required to achieve the service levels required for the brand strategy.In order to be successful and to reclaim their market share, ULTRA WASH would need to revisit their team strategies, review their research and development strategies and improve on their technological advances.| Question #1 A company’s marketing environment refers to factors outside of marketing, which has either a direct or indirect affect on the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with its target market. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) An understanding of a company’s marketing environment is instrumental in the development of its SWOT analysis as the marketing department would be able to identify the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. The marketing environment can be divided into three sub- categories which are internal environment, micro- environment and macro- environment. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) Ultra Wash Power detergent was affected by factors and actors from these three marketing environment which hindered the company from serving its target market. The internal marketing environment of a company refers to factors and actors that are part of the company, which the company has control over. These factors have an influence on the operations of the organization and a high level of control is placed over this environment, as the organization can change it strategies to ensure that these factors support marketing. (The marketing environment, n.d.) (Various Environmental factors Affecting  Marketing Function, 2012) Ultra Wash was affect by the following in its effort to serve its target market: Research and Development: this is the creation of products, improvements to existing products or the production process through a combination of basic and applied research. The aim of research and development is to position the company as a market leader through competitive advantage. (Research and Development , n.d.) Company’s Imagine- refers to what consumers think about your business when they hear the name of the product or business. (Image , n.d.) Top Management: this refers to marketing decisions taken by members of the Board of Directors, shareholders and executives. Micro- environment refers to factors and actors that are closely linked to the organization and their decisions and operations directly affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. (The marketing environment, n.d.) Ultra Wash was affected by the following three factors in this environment: Consumer Behavior- this is how consumers select, purchase and use goods and services to satisfy their wants and needs. (Consumer Buying Behavior) Market intermediaries: these are third party persons or organizations between the final customer and manufacturer and given the responsibility of promoting, selling and distributing of the goods and services. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) Competitors: firms which sell same or similar goods and services in the same market. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) Marco – Environment are factors which are uncontrollable external to the company. Although these factors directly influence the company marketing decisions, they do not directly affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. (The marketing environment,n.d.) This environment is analyzed through the STEEPLE analysis. The seven areas of focus in the STEEPLE analysis are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and ethical. (Williams, 2013) Of which, technological, environmental, and ethical affected the ability for Ultra Wash to serve its target customers. (The marketing environment, n.d.) Question#2 Internal Environment: Research and development directly affected the ability of Ultra Wash  to serve its target market as the company did not undertake sufficient research when developing the product. This was evident when they were faced with the facts about how the enzyme â€Å"dirt buster† affects clothing. Also they did not take heed to the warning made by PROCTER, had the company research the information made by their competitors it could have saved them thousands of dollars in damage control and advertising. Company’s Imagine- With the information about the effects of their detergent being published in the media, the company’s image began to plummet in the eyes of consumers. The company had to take steps to try to rebuild the company’s imagine by offering a new revamped detergent gave them a chance to do this. Top Management- David Fritz the global coordinator of detergent marketing and the Ultra Wash executives decided to ignore the warnings about the product made by Edward Artwell with the belief that recalling the product would be costly and humiliating to the company and for David Fritz his career. Micro- Environment: Consumer Behavior- Ultra Wash revenues for the Power detergent was reducing radically due to the information on the detergent which PROCTER released and their campaign against detergent with â€Å"dirt buster†. In order for any company to be able to remain competitive they must be able to attain profits and with the constant decline in Ultra Wash revenues and profit, the company had to make changes to the product to realize an increase the sales and revenues when advertising and promotions did not work. Market intermediaries- Many supermarket chains considered removing the products from their shelves after being informed by PROCTER about the harmful effects of the Power detergent. In order to maintain relationships with these market intermediaries, who in turn wants to ensure that they are able to maintain good relationship with their customers, Ultra Wash needed to make sure that the standard of the product was improved. This would satisfy customer wants as well as allow Ultra Wash to maintain good relationships the market intermediaries. Competitors- The actions of the competitors PROCTOR played the biggest part of the decision to revamp and re-launch the defective Power  detergent. PROCTOR tried to assist the Ultra Wash Company by providing them with research concerning the effects of â€Å"dirt buster†; however the company did not listen and proceeded to mass launch the product. As a result of the launch PROCTER released a statement providing the public with the effects of the detergent. Although Ultra Wash made their own releases refuting those claims, increasing advertisement and promotions they were not able to convince consumers otherwise and realized deduced sales. PROCTOR continued to provide the public, including consumers, retailers and consumers’ associations with information on this product until Ultra Wash finally decided to remove the product from all markets. Marco- Environment Technological- Ultra Wash believe that this new technology would be able to provide them with competitive advantage of being more advanced that they rest of the market. However, in the hurry to become the market leader the technology was not properly research and developed causing the company to experience major losses. Environmental- Many environmental lobbyist in European and Sweden released public statements about the effects the Power detergent and its affects on clothes. These statements can persuade consumer behavior against a certain product as in this case. Ethical- Consumer groups such as the Dutch consumer’s union confirmed the damaging effects of the upgraded Power detergent. Ultra Wash needed to ensure that the product standard are to the level the consumers expect as statement against a product will persuade the consumers decisions against the product. All these factors played a major part in the decision taken by Ultra Wash to revamp and re-launch the defective Power Detergent as Ersil tablets. These tablets were able to provide them with the competitive advantage as well as become the market leader for this product. References: Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function. (2012, July 19). Retrieved June 10, 2013, from ebstudies: http://ebstudies.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/various-environmental-factors-affecting-marketing-function/ Consumer Buying Behavior. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2013, from BusinessDictionary.com:

Truth Can Be Subjective Philosophy Essay

Truth Can Be Subjective Philosophy Essay It can be stated, truth can be subjective to a particular person or belief, but such subjectivity comes out of ignorance of what is objectively true and an unwillingness to search for truth on our own, accepting truth from others as objective without checking the factuality or bias of such things to decipher it as ones own truth. One can believe many things as true if they have grown with the notion as such. Our education plays a crucial role in what we know as truth, whether from parents or the education system. Others teach us what is true from experiences, whether personal or historical, and, out of ignorance, we accept those teachings from them as infallible and do not search for any logical doubts in the knowledge gained from said teaching. This can lead to the understanding of things with a bias considering a majority of knowledge gained for experience may have some bias attached to it resulting in a distorted perception of truth. Say for example, if in childhood one is taught the color green is purple and vice versa, the child would grow up with the belief grass is purple. Yet ones ignorance of truth from teaching, which one believed infallible, would be one was taught the wrong name for the colour, and choose to accept such a notion not aware of the fallacy attached. This of course is a result not only of biased experience but also of ignorance of truth. Although, knowing from proper teaching green is green and purple is purple, another would know grass is green and it being purple is an irrational claim. Of course, one might ask the certainty of the statement grass is green, how can one be certain of this fact. Although it can be stated ,grass is green if and only if grass is green which would lead into looking at truth from the sematic theory stating x is y if only if x is y. Of course, this can be argued from contingent and non-contingent proposition depending on what is observed, with the alternative factors at play. Of course, one may state it is true to this person grass is purple, on the basis ones understanding is not of grass being what is the perceived colour purple only it is their understanding of the correlation between purple the linguistic manner and the colour perceived in grass. So it can be stated then to that person grass is purple. In addition, if one has no understanding of colour except in the linguistic manner as the result of a genetic incapability to see colour it could be stated grass is grey, so it is true for them, grass is not green but either purple or grey dependent upon experience and inability to perceive the spectrum of colour. So what prevents us from searching for the truth? Friedrich Nietzsche proposed, Sometimes people do not want to hear the truth because they do not want their illusions destroyed. (Nietzsche 1870s, pg3) Acceptance of truths, which may be infallible and objective, results in many people unwilling to find truth for themselves. Of course, those who do are left bewildered wondering what is actually true and if we can even know any truth. It can be argued truth has no nature. Looking at truth from the deflationary theory would suggest such a notion as truth hold no metaphysical significance. The notion being, truth is only what we claim to be true, so stating grass is green, holds no significance on its own. Of course, one may state, it is true the grass is green in a means to prove a point but stating such would become redundant. Saying it is true and the grass is green are both stating truth and stating them together adds no value to the statement of truth. This theory of redundancy does not apply to all cases just generalized accepted truths. There are instances in which to say it is true would not be redundant, in the cases where there is an indirect reference to truth it would be necessary to add it is true Of course, the desire to know what is true has to come from somewhere does it not? From childhood, we try to figure out the purpose of everything, we are searching for what is infallibly true. We spend our whole lives looking for some ultimate truth, which stands alone as the center of knowledge. Where does this desire come from? Alternatively, one can only know truth based upon our experience and reason, or that of others as our teaching of childhood would account for. Still, is all we know as truth based upon what has been perceived, or does something formulate the notion of truth from infancy? Now, stating truth is know from infancy would lead to sway to truth not being subjective but objective, yet, the factuality of such a notion would be difficult to decipher considering, from infancy we establish truth from experience and the teaching we receive from others experiences. Of course, one might add everything gained is just knowledge reclaimed and we are born knowing everything our minds had only to relearn it during childhood, but such a claim is highly open to criticism. Deciding whether truth is subjective would in turn be subjective itself, leading to the notion of the overall idea of truth being subjective to ones beliefs and personal view. This leads to the notion it is impossible to state whether or not truth is subjective in a broad sense, one can only state subjectivity as a personal view and not as a generalized statement. In conclusion, it is difficult to state if there are grounds for truth being subjective. One has to consider some knowledge they may have retained hold grounds for scrutiny since our knowledge of thing constantly changes. If our knowledge of things changes what we perceive and learn changes, this ultimately changes what is known as truth and if what has been held as true has changed how can we discover truth. Truth could possibly be subjective but it is a basis of opinion and opinion is not truth unless it can be proven without doubt. Although, truth is something a person should decipher for oneself whether objective or subjective there are grounds for both depending on the circumstances. Resources: Glanzberg, Michael, Truth, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = . Nietzsche, Friedrich. 1870s. On truth and lies in a nonmoral sense.  Philosophy and truth: Selections from Nietzsches notebooks of the early 1870s (1979) 79-97. Thakchoe, Sonam, The Theory of Two Truths in Tibet, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .

Is Jay Gatsby Tragic? :: essays research papers

The Tragic Jay Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many characters in novels may be considered to be tragic. These characters are considered tragic because of one character trait they possess that leads to their eventual demise. Jay Gatsby is a tragic character in a unique way. That is, he has many negative traits, but only one of these traits leads to his eventual downfall. Of all the character traits that Jay Gatsby possessed, his excessiveness in everything he did was what led him to his ultimate downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jay Gatsby was excessive in every spectrum of his life. One example of his excessive lifestyle is his view of the â€Å"good life†. Gatsby’s parties were frequent, humongous, and extravagant. â€Å" Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiter in New York†¦ every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulp less halves†¦ By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived. No thin five piece affair, but a whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and violas and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These examples are only a little slice of the essentials for a â€Å"Gatsby† party. All of this excessiveness is way beyond rational, and reason. Another example of his excessive parties is the fact that people would be so trashed that in one event, a couple guests are in a car accident and do not even realize it. After it happens, they just walk away looking for another drink. The simple fact is that if any serious injuries or accidents occurred during his parties, Gatsby would not have to worry about liability. His extreme wealth permitted him the option of purchasing a â€Å"get out of jail free† card. Gatsby’s biggest concerns were about his guests having a good time. Gatsby is so rich that the penalties or fines that could be imposed for this behavior would not affect him in any way. This kind of wealth allows for the imagination to run wild and excessively spend time, and money in unimportant ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby did not only excessively spend his money on parties. He also spent a myriad of money on clothing, cars, and a plethora of other toys. â€Å"†¦He opened for us two hulking patent cabinets which held his massed suits and dressing gowns and ties, and shirts piled like bricks in stacks a dozen high. ‘I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. Is Jay Gatsby Tragic? :: essays research papers The Tragic Jay Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many characters in novels may be considered to be tragic. These characters are considered tragic because of one character trait they possess that leads to their eventual demise. Jay Gatsby is a tragic character in a unique way. That is, he has many negative traits, but only one of these traits leads to his eventual downfall. Of all the character traits that Jay Gatsby possessed, his excessiveness in everything he did was what led him to his ultimate downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jay Gatsby was excessive in every spectrum of his life. One example of his excessive lifestyle is his view of the â€Å"good life†. Gatsby’s parties were frequent, humongous, and extravagant. â€Å" Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiter in New York†¦ every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulp less halves†¦ By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived. No thin five piece affair, but a whole pit full of oboes and trombones and saxophones and violas and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These examples are only a little slice of the essentials for a â€Å"Gatsby† party. All of this excessiveness is way beyond rational, and reason. Another example of his excessive parties is the fact that people would be so trashed that in one event, a couple guests are in a car accident and do not even realize it. After it happens, they just walk away looking for another drink. The simple fact is that if any serious injuries or accidents occurred during his parties, Gatsby would not have to worry about liability. His extreme wealth permitted him the option of purchasing a â€Å"get out of jail free† card. Gatsby’s biggest concerns were about his guests having a good time. Gatsby is so rich that the penalties or fines that could be imposed for this behavior would not affect him in any way. This kind of wealth allows for the imagination to run wild and excessively spend time, and money in unimportant ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby did not only excessively spend his money on parties. He also spent a myriad of money on clothing, cars, and a plethora of other toys. â€Å"†¦He opened for us two hulking patent cabinets which held his massed suits and dressing gowns and ties, and shirts piled like bricks in stacks a dozen high. ‘I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes.

Hamlet is Not the Protagonist Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet is Not the Protagonist      Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon reading Hamlet or watching a rendition of the great Shakespearean tragedy, the casual audience member might be tempted to view the character Hamlet as the virtuous individual who encounters grief because of a tragic flaw.   This is after all, the formula for any modern tragedy.   In fact, the presumption is accurate with one exception.   Hamlet is not a virtuous individual.      While the play revolves around Hamlet, Hamlet is not the protagonist.   Rather, he is like the main characters in The Day of the Jackal or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in that he is really the antagonist or contra vida with which the audience finds itself sympathizing.   This is most clearly evidenced in the ease with which Hamlet is able to kill innocent characters and subsequently disregard his actions.   Examples of this are the time he kills Polonius and then lightheartedly criticizes himself for killing the wrong person and the time he sends his innocent childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths because their disloyalty displeased him.   In addition, Hamlet also dismisses the death of his love, Ophelia, when she drowns in the river.    The reason Hamlet is this way is that he has lost faith in humanity; as G. Wilson Knight puts it, "He has seen through humanity."   He sees the reality of the world to be that evil rules.   Because of this, Hamlet becomes a cynic, in that he is critical of the motives of others.   One example of this is the time when Hamlet scoffs at Laertes' show of grief for the death of Ophelia as he dives in the grave after him.   He does not believe that the sentiments expressed by Laertes are sincere.      For these reasons, Hamlet's "inhuman cynic... ...audius is guilty.    Although Hamlet is obviously the main character of the play, he is not the protagonist that one would expect.   He shifts to the dark side when he vows to avenge the death of his father.   Hamlet had a tragic flaw, his inability to act when it was most important for him.   However, it was not because of this tragic flaw that he encountered grief.   His flaw only brought him death.   Without it, he would still be a miserable, slightly insane cynic unable to find happiness.   While Hamlet is obviously a tragedy, Shakespeare did not follow the tragic formula exactly.   Perhaps this is why the play is so popular and is considered his greatest work.    Works Cited Knight, G. Wilson.   "The Embassy of Death."   The Wheel of Fire.   London:   Methuen & Co., 1954. Shakespeare, William.   Hamlet.   New York:   The Folger Shakespeare Library,   1992. Hamlet is Not the Protagonist Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet Hamlet is Not the Protagonist      Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon reading Hamlet or watching a rendition of the great Shakespearean tragedy, the casual audience member might be tempted to view the character Hamlet as the virtuous individual who encounters grief because of a tragic flaw.   This is after all, the formula for any modern tragedy.   In fact, the presumption is accurate with one exception.   Hamlet is not a virtuous individual.      While the play revolves around Hamlet, Hamlet is not the protagonist.   Rather, he is like the main characters in The Day of the Jackal or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in that he is really the antagonist or contra vida with which the audience finds itself sympathizing.   This is most clearly evidenced in the ease with which Hamlet is able to kill innocent characters and subsequently disregard his actions.   Examples of this are the time he kills Polonius and then lightheartedly criticizes himself for killing the wrong person and the time he sends his innocent childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths because their disloyalty displeased him.   In addition, Hamlet also dismisses the death of his love, Ophelia, when she drowns in the river.    The reason Hamlet is this way is that he has lost faith in humanity; as G. Wilson Knight puts it, "He has seen through humanity."   He sees the reality of the world to be that evil rules.   Because of this, Hamlet becomes a cynic, in that he is critical of the motives of others.   One example of this is the time when Hamlet scoffs at Laertes' show of grief for the death of Ophelia as he dives in the grave after him.   He does not believe that the sentiments expressed by Laertes are sincere.      For these reasons, Hamlet's "inhuman cynic... ...audius is guilty.    Although Hamlet is obviously the main character of the play, he is not the protagonist that one would expect.   He shifts to the dark side when he vows to avenge the death of his father.   Hamlet had a tragic flaw, his inability to act when it was most important for him.   However, it was not because of this tragic flaw that he encountered grief.   His flaw only brought him death.   Without it, he would still be a miserable, slightly insane cynic unable to find happiness.   While Hamlet is obviously a tragedy, Shakespeare did not follow the tragic formula exactly.   Perhaps this is why the play is so popular and is considered his greatest work.    Works Cited Knight, G. Wilson.   "The Embassy of Death."   The Wheel of Fire.   London:   Methuen & Co., 1954. Shakespeare, William.   Hamlet.   New York:   The Folger Shakespeare Library,   1992.

Frank and Rita in the First Scene of the Play :: Educating Rita Plays Willy Russell Essays

Frank and Rita in the First Scene of the Play To explore how Russell presents the characters of Frank and Rita during the first scene of the play. Russell’s play has been created to stretch out and grab the audiences attention, feelings and emotions right from the beginning of the play. In my essay I will aim to explore how he establishes the characters roles and how they interact with each other during the first scene of the play. Firstly, with the quote â€Å"he manages a gulp at the whisky.† Russell presents Frank as an alcoholic, this is because he is able to take a gulp of whisky without gasping or coughing so this shows that he is used to taking such large amounts. This may then lead to the audience feeling that Frank maybe an insecure person, as he has to turn to drink for comfort and security. Then when Rita first appears, with the quote â€Å"Its that bleedin’ handle on that door, you wanna get it fixed!† Russell is establishing the character of the play and their attitudes and distinctive personalities. With Rita she is shown as a boisterous person. This is clearly exposed with the words â€Å"Bleed’n†¦You wanna get it fixed† as these words are commanding techniques and it shows to the audience in a short amount of time that Rita is in control. This would shock them as Rita is speaking improperly towards the teacher. Also with â€Å"I think your marvellous†¦you’re the first breath of fresh air that has been in this room for ages.† Russell now presents Frank as a flirtatious person who is attempting to chat up Rita. With the words â€Å"first breath of fresh air† this show s that Frank doesn’t have many young â€Å"fresh† minds in his office to teach. The audience may feel sorry for Frank as he seems to have a lonely life in his darkened office and also how he seems to have given up on life. Following on from this with the quote â€Å"look at those tits.† Russell uses the word â€Å"tits† to show to emphasise even more to the audience that Rita is different to the other students. She is an open minded and loud person who unintentionally makes herself out to be a person who is not afraid to say what she believes. So as a consequence the audience may be startled as Rita is not acting in the normal pupil to teacher register. Also they may feel that Rita is a loud person who is trying to cover up for being nervous one. To add to this, â€Å"Wait a minute listen to me†¦you’re gonna bleedin’ well

Normative ethics Essay

Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. [1] The term comes from the Greek word ethos, which means â€Å"character†. Ethics is a complement to Aesthetics in the philosophy field of Axiology. In philosophy, ethics studies the moral behavior in humans, and how one should act. Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study:[1] Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined; Normative ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action; Applied ethics, about how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations; Descriptive ethics, also known as comparative ethics, is the study of people’s beliefs about morality; According to Tomas Paul and Linda Elder of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, â€Å"most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs, and the law†, and don’t treat ethics as a stand-alone concept. [2] Paul and Elder define ethics as â€Å"a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures†. [2] The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy states that the word ethics is â€Å"commonly used interchangeably with ‘morality’ †¦ and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group, or individual. â€Å"[3] Meta-ethics is a field within ethics that seeks to understand the nature of normative ethics. The focus of meta-ethics is on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. Meta-ethics came to the fore with G. E. Moore’s Principia Ethica from 1903. In it he first wrote about what he called the naturalistic fallacy. Moore was seen to reject naturalism in ethics, in his Open Question Argument. This made thinkers look again at second order questions about ethics. Earlier, the Scottish philosopher David Hume had put forward a similar view on the difference between facts and values. Studies of how we know in ethics divide into cognitivism and non-cognitivism; this is similar to the contrast between descriptivists and non-descriptivists. Non-cognitivism is the claim that when we judge something as right or wrong, this is neither true nor false. We may for example be only expressing our emotional feelings about these things. [4] Cognitivism can then be seen as the claim that when we talk about right and wrong, we are talking about matters of fact. The ontology of ethics is about value-bearing things or properties, i. e. the kind of things or stuff referred to by ethical propositions. Non-descriptivists and non-cognitivists believe that ethics does not need a specific ontology, since ethical propositions do not refer. This is known as an anti-realist position. Realists on the other hand must explain what kind of entities, properties or states are relevant for ethics, how they have value, and why they guide and motivate our actions. [5] Virtue ethics describes the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior, and is used to describe the ethics of Socrates, Aristotle, and other early Greek philosophers. Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) was one of the first Greek philosophers to encourage both scholars and the common citizen to turn their attention from the outside world to the condition of humankind. In this view, knowledge having a bearing on human life was placed highest, all other knowledge being secondary. Self-knowledge was considered necessary for success and inherently an essential good. A self-aware person will act completely within his capabilities to his pinnacle, while an ignorant person will flounder and encounter difficulty. To Socrates, a person must become aware of every fact (and its context) relevant to his existence, if he wishes to attain self-knowledge. He posited that people will naturally do what is good, if they know what is right. Evil or bad actions are the result of ignorance. If a criminal was truly aware of the mental and spiritual consequences of his actions, he would neither commit nor even consider committing those actions. Any person who knows what is truly right will automatically do it, according to Socrates. While he correlated knowledge with virtue, he similarly equated virtue with happiness. The truly wise man will know what is right, do what is good, and therefore be happy. [6] Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) posited an ethical system that may be termed â€Å"self-realizationism. † In Aristotle’s view, when a person acts in accordance with his nature and realizes his full potential, he will do good and be content. At birth, a baby is not a person, but a potential person. To become a â€Å"real† person, the child’s inherent potential must be realized. Unhappiness and frustration are caused by the unrealized potential of a person, leading to failed goals and a poor life. Aristotle said, â€Å"Nature does nothing in vain. † Therefore, it is imperative for persons to act in accordance with their nature and develop their latent talents in order to be content and complete. Happiness was held to be the ultimate goal. All other things, such as civic life or wealth, are merely means to the end. Self-realization, the awareness of one’s nature and the development of one’s talents, is the surest path to happiness. [7] Aristotle asserted that man had three natures: vegetable (physical/metabolism), animal (emotional/appetite) and rational (mental/conceptual). Physical nature can be assuaged through exercise and care, emotional nature through indulgence of instinct and urges, and mental through human reason and developed potential. Rational development was considered the most important, as essential to philosophical self-awareness and as uniquely human. Moderation was encouraged, with the extremes seen as degraded and immoral. For example, courage is the moderate virtue between the extremes of cowardice and recklessness. Man should not simply live, but live well with conduct governed by moderate virtue. This is regarded as difficult, as virtue denotes doing the right thing, to the right person, at the right time, to the proper extent, in the correct fashion, for the right reason. [8] [edit] StoicismThe Stoic philosopher Epictetus posited that the greatest good was contentment and serenity. Peace of mind, or Apatheia, was of the highest value; self-mastery over one’s desires and emotions leads to spiritual peace. The â€Å"unconquerable will† is central to this philosophy. The individual’s will should be independent and inviolate. Allowing a person to disturb the mental equilibrium is in essence offering yourself in slavery. If a person is free to anger you at will, you have no control over your internal world, and therefore no freedom. Freedom from material attachments is also necessary. If a thing breaks, the person should not be upset, but realize it was a thing that could break. Similarly, if someone should die, those close to them should hold to their serenity because the loved one was made of flesh and blood destined to death. Stoic philosophy says to accept things that cannot be changed, resigning oneself to existence and enduring in a rational fashion. Death is not feared. People do not â€Å"lose† their life, but instead â€Å"return†, for they are returning to God (who initially gave what the person is as a person). Epictetus said difficult problems in life should not be avoided, but rather embraced. They are spiritual exercises needed for the health of the spirit, just as physical exercise is required for the health of the body. He also stated that sex and sexual desire are to be avoided as the greatest threat to the integrity and equilibrium of a man’s mind. Abstinence is highly desirable. Epictetus said remaining abstinent in the face of temptation was a victory for which a man could be proud. [9] [edit] HedonismMain article: Hedonism Hedonism posits that the principal ethic is maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. There are several schools of Hedonist thought ranging from those advocating the indulgence of even momentary desires to those teaching a pursuit of spiritual bliss. In their consideration of consequences, they range from those advocating self-gratification regardless of the pain and expense to others, to those stating that the most ethical pursuit maximizes pleasure and happiness for the most people. [10] [edit] Cyrenaic hedonismFounded by Aristippus of Cyrene, Cyrenaics supported immediate gratification or pleasure. â€Å"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. † Even fleeting desires should be indulged, for fear the opportunity should be forever lost. There was little to no concern with the future, the present dominating in the pursuit for immediate pleasure. Cyrenaic hedonism encouraged the pursuit of enjoyment and indulgence without hesitation, believing pleasure to be the only good. [10] [edit] EpicureanismMain article: Epicureanism Epicurean ethics is a hedonist form of virtue ethics. Epicurus â€Å"presented a sustained argument that pleasure, correctly understood, will coincide with virtue†. [11] He rejected the extremism of the Cyrenaics, believing some pleasures and indulgences to be detrimental to human beings. Epicureans observed that indiscriminate indulgence sometimes resulted in negative consequences. Some experiences were therefore rejected out of hand, and some unpleasant experiences endured in the present to ensure a better life in the future. To Epicurus the summum bonum, or greatest good, was prudence, exercised through moderation and caution. Excessive indulgence can be destructive to pleasure and can even lead to pain. For example, eating one food too often will cause a person to lose taste for it. Eating too much food at once will lead to discomfort and ill-health. Pain and fear were to be avoided. Living was essentially good, barring pain and illness. Death was not to be feared. Fear was considered the source of most unhappiness. Conquering the fear of death would naturally lead to a happier life. Epicurus reasoned if there was an afterlife and immortality, the fear of death was irrational. If there was no life after death, then the person would not be alive to suffer, fear or worry; he would be non-existent in death. It is irrational to fret over circumstances that do not exist, such as one’s state in death in the absence of an afterlife. [12]

The Movie “Cast Away.”

The movie â€Å"Cast Away† was one of 2000's best movies. IT was about a â€Å"FedEx† worker, whose plane he was on board to deliver international packages had crashed over the ocean. All passengers on that plane had died in the crash, leaving him alone on an island to survive. He was forced to live on that island for four years with only a flashlight, a picture of his fiancee and some random packages that should been delivered and could have not been any more unusable.The movie showed how he was so professional at his job that even though he was left all alone on that island, it took him quiet some time to open the packages he was not supposed to open. He had to check what the content of those packages were and whether there was anything he could make use of. Between all the packages he had to violate by opening, was a volley ball which a grandmother had wanted it to be delivered to her grandson.I was so touched when I saw how he had cut the ball from the top and stuck in some dead leaves, just to make it look like human-like so he would keep his mental status balanced. Of course, he had never stopped thinking about his fiancee while he was on that island. He had drawn a portrait of her with a chock to keep him accompanied in the cave he had resided in. 4 years after he went back home, when he was found by a near by people on a boat, he had found his fiancee married to his doctor friend.Soon after, his ex-fiancee couldn't help it but have mixed feelings as to whether keep things the way they are with her husband, or to get into an affair with him since they had been in love for so long before his disappearance. The movie was so thought of, and triggered many emotions for the viewers. The fact that the main character had to do many long scenes just by himself required a high level of talent. The story of the movie as well as the plot were new and conveyed many emotions, that for me, would put the movie on my top 10 best movies of all time.