calvin hobbes essays

calvin hobbes essays Thomas Hobbes was a very unique individual. His ideas about absolutism changed peoples live still to this day. To understand his ideas you might need to find out a little about his back round. He was born in London, England on April 5,1588. He went to college at Oxford University in England. Hobbes enjoyed going to other European countries to meet with scientists to study different forms of government. He also was an author, he wrote Leviathan, The Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiastical and Civil. One of the most substantial books would be Leviathan. This describes how government need so be a "supernatural sea creature" to substain a safe way of lives. When you hear his ideas for the fist time its easy to completely be outraged and not believe any of it. The time you hear that "people are naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern," you might be inclined to put the paper down and not even listen to him. His ideas might be a little insane but they come from a very realistic person. Ill gives you most of his personal ideas then I can give you the reasoning behind it. Hobbes believed in a strong government. He was one of the most influential secular justifications for absolutism. He felt that humans were basically selfish creatures who would do anything to better their position. When left alone Hobbes felt that people would act on their evil impulses. People there for should not be trusted to make decisions on their own behalf, thus the government should. He also felt that like humans, nations were selfishly motivated. Each country was in a constant battle for power and health. To show this point he has a quote w hich is, "If men are naturally in a state of war, why do they always carry arms and why do they have keys to unlock their doors?" The government was created to protect people from their own selfishness and evil. Hobbes believed in the rule of a king, because ...

The Characteristics of a Compelling Introduction

The Characteristics of a Compelling Introduction An introduction is the opening of an essay or speech, which typically identifies the topic, arouses interest, and prepares the audience for the development of the thesis. Also called an  opening, a lead,  or an introductory paragraph. For an introduction to be effective, says Brendan Hennessy, it should  persuade readers that what you have to say is worth close attention. Etymology From the Latin, to bring in. Examples and Observations In addition to appealing to readers and helping them to anticipate tone and substance, the opening passage can also help readers read by helping them to anticipate the structure of what will follow. In classical rhetoric, this was called the division or partition because it indicates how the piece of writing will be divided into parts. Methods of Introducing an EssayHere are a few possible ways to open an essay effectively:State your central idea, or thesis, perhaps showing why you care about it.Present startling facts about your subject.Tell an illustrative anecdote.Give background information that will help your reader understand your subject, or see why it is important.Begin with an arresting quotation.Ask a challenging question. (In your essay, youll go on to answer it.)Example of Introductory Paragraph in an Essay Bill Clinton loves to shop. On a March day in an elegant crafts store in Lima, the Peruvian capital, he hunted for presents for his wife and the women on his staff back home. He had given a speech at a university earlier and just came from a ceremony kicking off a program to help impoverished Peruvians. Now he was eyeing a necklace with a green stone amulet. Four Goals of IntroductionsAn effective introduction has four basic goals:Catch the audiences attention and focus it on your topic.Motivate the audience to listen by pointing out how your topic will benefit them.Establish credibility and rapport with your audience by creating a common bond and letting them know about your expertise and experience with the topic.Present your thesis statement, which includes clarification of your central idea and main points.Examples of an Introduction in a Speech The first thing I would like to say is ‘thank you.’ Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I have endured at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners, and convince myself that I am at the world’s largest Gryffindor reunion. (J.K Rowling) Quintilian on the Appropriate Time to Compose an Introduction (or Exordium) ï » ¿I do not, on these accounts, agree with those who think that the exordium is to be written last; for though it is proper that our materials should be collected, and that we should settle what effect is to be produced by each particular, before we begin to speak or write, yet we ought certainly to begin with that which is naturally first. No man begins to paint a portrait, or mold a statue, with the feet; nor does any art find its completion where the commencement ought to be. Else what will be the case if we have no time to write our speech? Will not so preposterous a practice disappoint us? The orators materials are, therefore, to be first contemplated in the order in which we direct, and then to be written in the order in which he is to deliver them. Pronunciation in-tre-DUK-shun Sources Brendan Hennessy, How To Write Coursework and Exam Essays, How To Books 2010.Richard Coe,  Form and Substance: An Advanced Rhetoric. Wiley, 1981X.J. Kennedy et al.,  The Bedford Reader. Bedford/St. Martins, 2000Introduction to Its Not About Bill, by Peter Baker.  The New York Times Magazine, May 31, 2009Cheryl Hamilton,  Essentials of Public Speaking, 5th ed. Wadsworth, 2012J.K. Rowling, commencement address at Harvard University, June 2008Quintilian,  Institutes of Oratory, 95 AD

From Copycats to Innovators Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From Copycats to Innovators - Case Study Example After knowledge acquisition, the multinationals then focus on mid-tech innovative products thus leading to affordable products through the reverse innovation process. Good examples of new innovations are China's BYD, a battery maker that has attained huge market in developing electric cars and Tata’s Nano Car that is cheaply priced at approximately $ 2,500 and mass-produced across the globe (Peng, 2013). Another core capability of emerging multinationals is the ability to adapt the emerging technologies to small-scale markets of the developing economies. In this case, the company is capable of developing a specialized variation of the product and incrementally improving the product in order to meet the needs of the niche market (Peng, 2013). For instance, Samsung of Korea and Acer from Taiwan have built their global reputation and market share through adapting the technology to the domestic markets and focusing on specialized variations of the mainstream products offered by mu ltinationals in developed economies (Peng, 2013). Emerging multinationals enjoy cheap labor and access to natural raw materials in their production process (Peng, 2013). Developing countries enjoy the high number of semi-skilled and skilled labor that offer their services at low wages and huge natural raw materials thus reducing the overall costs of production. In addition, the companies face lenient government regulation due to low concerns about climate change, product quality standards and pollution in the economy (Peng, 2013). The emerging multinationals have more freedom in initiating new structures and values, unlike the established global players that have long histories and static cultures (Peng, 2013). The multinational from developed countries enjoy certain core resources and capabilities that enable them to compete effectively in the market.

Business Policy and Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Policy and Strategic Management - Essay Example In customer perspective Starbucks strategy to retain market leadership is evident through operations such as brand extension to cater for different palates, setting up shops at diverse places e.g. hospitals, hotels and shopping centers – to capture the customers preferred hangouts and so on. In internal perspectives we can see Starbucks improving its processes as it forever seeks to brew the perfect cup of coffee, plus investing in increasing coffee knowledge among its staff and customers alike. Innovation and learning perspective is at the core of Starbuck ever unique coffee blends that result in products such as the Starbuck VIA Ready Brew. Also we notice that Starbucks pursues a differentiation strategy unlike its big rivals McDonalds and Dunkin’ Donuts which are pursuing low cost leadership. Differentiation strategy can only be sustained through continuous innovation. Starbucks has taken several steps to increase its innovativeness and entrepreneurial capability.

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Classic American Literature

The Great Gatsby is one of the most renowned books known to mankind. A story about a man’s quest to fit into a society built for the rich whilst wooing a childhood crush may seem extremely simple and straightforward, however, the mystery is not behind the plot, but rather, it is in the writing itself. The words F. Scott Fitzgerald used were chosen with such delicacy, one cannot even hope to assume that anything was a mere coincidence. The book is laced with intricate strands of symbolism bound together by a single plot. One of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s more major themes is the use of locations. The importance of location as symbols are further expressed through the green light at the end of the dock as well as the fresh, green breast of the new world. The green light at the end of the dock has symbolized a hope that Gatsby had. The green light was a light at the end of Daisy’s dock. In the beginning of the book, Gatsby was shown staring at the light with a longing expression. It shows that the green light is a symbol of Gatsby’s hope that Daisy is still available. The green li...

In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio Essay

Philippe Bourgois book In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio was published in 1995, and discussed his experiences of authors living in El Barrio (East Harlem). In 1985 the writer moved to this district of New York City with the purpose of studying the impact of imposed racial segregation and economic marginalization on the inner city Puerto Rican population (intro pg. 1). An interesting new insight into the street culture found in New York was captured in this book. The amount of poverty in this portion of our country is much higher than that in most other areas. Bourgois presents the theory â€Å"culture of poverty† which seems to argues that poor people share deviant cultural characteristics. The poor have lifestyles that differ from the rest of society and that these characteristics perpetuate their life of poverty. The poor are qualitatively different in values and these cultural differences explain continued poverty. He argues that this neighborhood, which is well known for high rates of violence, does not have widespread violence occurring amongst all of its members. The higher crime rate, argues Bourgois, occurs for the most part within the factions of the underground economy, and social relationships. With an unbiased sight the author looks at the underground economy, from baby sitting, off-track betting, to drug dealing, as these were the means which most of the families living in El Barrio were able to survive. This book is generally a synopsis of the events that occurred during Bourgois stay in El Barrio. The original purpose of the book was to write a first-hand account of racial prejudice and ethnic segregation in the heart of one of the worlds largest cities. Bourgois was swept into the area drug economy because of the abundance of information from the dealers and their families who all lived within the immediate area. Most of the accounts given in the book come from a single crack house near Bourgois tenement. The group of crack dealers filtered through Bourgois presents a compelling argument that reform within the economy needs to take place in order to reduce the amount of violence within the inner-cities of the United States. Bourgois states that there is a strong feeling of community among the people living in El Barrio. The racial and ethnic prejudice of the El Barrio outsiders has lead the residents of the city to isolate themselves from the rest of the American society. The isolation and aversion of these people by the rest of the world has lead them to the situation when their daily struggles for subsistence and dignity at the poverty line, (intro pg. 2) became not successful any longer. The drug dealing has swallowed all of the attempts of these people to find a decent place in the society, and selling crack became the only way for inhabitants of El Barrio to at least survive. At some point of time the author tries to find the answer to the question of why did all that happen. He asks, in studying the street culture, how does growing up in an environment like that affect one in their ability to function productively in mainstream society? Bourgois goes back and looks at the history of Puerto Ricans, from Puerto Rico to New York City, all through the history of these people on American continent, and puts into perspective, how that helps shape their culture in El Barrio. Bourgois conducts his research for this book by putting himself in direct daily contact with the subjects of this book. Through participant observation, he was able to delve deep into the personal lives of the crack dealers, addicts, and people effected by the epidemic. He also attended holidays and family function in order to get a more humanistic and holistic view of this society. The answers found by the author were shocking but not surprising. The social perception and culture that defines Puerto Ricans is the exact thing that inhibits them from success (ch. pg. 142), and just returns them to street in search of other means to make a living. Family seemed to be majorly effected by this outbreak. By destroying the so-called mother-nuture instinct, and by disabling their children during their tenderest ages, vulnerable mothers escape the long-term agony of having to watch their children grow up healthy, energetic adolescents, only to become victims and protagonists of violence and substance abuse. (ch. 7 pg. 285) Many examples of this were portrayed through Candy’s life with her son Junior. He was the first boy Bourgois watched graduate into crack dealer status. Due to the outbreak, jobs were also effected. The only jobs that provided enough money for the Harlemites to survive on, without having to engage in some other illegal activity, are high risk construction jobs, which were ran by racist mafia backed unions (ch. 4 pg. 162), or entry level jobs in the F. I. R. E. (finance, insurance, or real estate) sector (ch. 4 pg. 142), where the impoverished Puerto Ricans did not have enough cultural capital or the proper ethnic background to survive in the positions being offered. When ever they did get a job in one of these areas things wouldnt go very well. For example, in the construction jobs, they would either be cheated out of wages and overtime (ch. 4 pg. 165), or when they got a job in the F. I. R. E. sector, they would have to put aside their values and norms and go against everything they were taught through their culture. The racial attitudes of civilized people did not allow the Puerto Ricans (who often outsmarted whites, and performed better at the jobs) to succeed in their career development. Puerto Ricans would oftentimes have to be subordinate to women barking orders at them, and they would have to deal with ethnic stereotypes. Anytime they came into contact with mainstream society it would be a demeaning, humiliating, and negative experience. Thus, these types of experiences would future alienate them from mainstream society and drive them into the underground economy of crack, the only place where they can go to make money, and regain a certain sense of dignity and respect. To survive financially outside of mainstream society, one must manipulate all of ones available resources to make a livable income. So, in the underground economy this can mean anything, from taking advantage of the welfare office, to selling drugs, or robbing people, all of which were employed by most of the subjects in this book. Although the world of the underground economy is very chaotic, it all seems to revolve around one thing – crack. The Puerto Ricans suffered lees from crack physiologically than socially. This nationality usually served as barrier between the drug sellers and police when resolving criminal issues. The outcome of this situation was definitely unfavorable to general Puerto Ricans. On one side they did not belong to the criminal part of El Barrio (with its multi million dollar turnovers), and on the other side the rest of the New York City perceived them very negatively. The poverty of culture seemed to be connected with the idea that the people lived through the hard times with drugs primarily. Though Philippe Bourgois book is not about the problems of racism and ethnic discrimination, but about the underground economy of El Barrio with its effect on life of the rural inhabitants of East Harlem, the underlying foundation for the development of this type of economy was the social prejudice about Puerto Ricans and their abilities to function in the modern civilized society of whites.

Narrative Technique of Sula Essay

Although Sula is arranged in chronological order, it does not construct a linear story with the causes of each new plot event clearly visible in the preceding chapter. Instead, Sula uses â€Å"juxtaposition,† the technique through which collages are put together. The effects of a collage on the viewer depend on unusual combinations of pictures, or on unusual arrangements such as overlapping. The pictures of a collage don’t fit smoothly together, yet they create a unified effect. The â€Å"pictures† of Sula’s collage are separate events or character sketches. Together, they show the friendship of Nel and Sula as part of the many complicated, overlapping relationships that make up the Bottom. Morrison presents the novel from the perspective of an omniscient narrator — one who knows all the characters’ thoughts and feelings. An omniscient narrator usually puts the reader in the position of someone viewing a conventional portrait or landscape rather than a collage. (In such situations, the viewer can perceive the unity of the whole work with only a glance.) To create the collage-like effect of Sula, the omniscient narrator never reveals the thoughts of all the characters at one time. Instead, from chapter to chapter, she chooses a different point-of-view character, so that a different person’s consciousness and experience dominate a particular incident or section. In addition, the narrator sometimes moves beyond the consciousness of single, individual characters, to reveal what groups in the community think and feel. On the rare occasions when it agrees unanimously, she presents the united community’s view. As in The Bluest Eye and Jazz, the comm unity has such a direct impact on individuals that it amounts to a character. In narrative technique for Sula, Morrison draws on a specifically modernist usage of juxtaposition. Modernism, discussed in Chapter 3, was the dominant literary movement during the first half of the twentieth century. Writers of this period abandoned the unifying, omniscient narrator of earlier literature to make literature more like life, in which each of us has to make our own sense of the world. Rather than passively receiving a smooth, connected story from an authoritative narrator, the reader is forced to piece together a coherent plot and meaning from more separated pieces of  information. Modernists experimented with many literary genres. For example, T. S. Eliot created his influential poem The Wasteland by juxtaposing quotations from other literary works and songs, interspersed with fragmentary narratives of original stories. Fiction uses an analogous technique of juxtaposition. Each successive chapter of William Faulkner novel As I Lay Dying, for instance, drops the reader into a different character’s consciousness without the direction or help of an omniscient narrator. To figure out the plot, the reader must work through the perceptions of characters who range from a seven-year-old boy to a madman. The abrupt, disturbing shifts from one consciousness to another are an intended part of the reader’s experience. As with all literary techniques, juxtaposition is used to communicate particular themes. In Cane, a work that defies our usual definitions of literary genres, Jean Toomer juxtaposed poetry and brief prose sketches. In this way, Cane establishes its thematic contrast of rural black culture in the South and urban black culture of the North. Morrison, who wrote her master’s thesis on two modernists, Faulkner and Virginia Woolf, uses juxtaposition as a structuring device in Sula. Though relatively short for a novel, Sula has an unusually large number of chapters, eleven. This division into small pieces creates an intended choppiness, the uncomfortable sense of frequently stopping and starting. The content of the chapters accentuates this choppy rhythm. Almost every chapter shifts the focus from the story of the preceding chapter by changing the point-of-view character or introducing sudden, shocking events and delaying discussion of the characters’ motives until later. In â€Å"1921,† for example, Eva douses her son Plum with kerosene and burns him to death. Although the reader knows that Plum has become a heroin addict, Eva’s reasoning is not revealed. When Hannah, naturally assuming that Eva doesn’t know of Plum’s danger, tells her that Plum is burning, the chapter ends with Eva’s almost nonchalant â€Å"Is? My baby? Burning?† (48). Not until midway through the next chapter, â€Å"1923,† does Hannah’s questioning allow the reader to understand Eva’s motivation. Juxtaposition thus heightens the reader’s sense of incompleteness. Instead of providing quick resolution, juxtaposition  introduces new and equally disturbing events. Paradoxically, when an occasional chapter does contain a single story apparently complete in itself, it too contributes to the novel’s overall choppy rhythm. In a novel using a simple, chronological mode of narration, each succeeding chapter would pick up where the last one left off, with the main characters now involved in a different incident, but in some clear way affected by their previous experience. In Sula, however, some characters figure prominently in one chapter and then fade entirely into the background. The first chapter centers on Shadrack, and although he appears twice more and has considerable psychic importance to Sula and symbolic importance to the novel, he is not an important actor again. In similar fashion, Helene Wright is the controlling presence of the third chapter, â€Å"1920,† but barely appears in the rest of the book. These shifts are more unsettling than if Shadrack and Helene were ancestors of the other characters, generations removed, because the reader would then expect them to disappear. Their initial prominence and later shadowy presence contribute to the reader’s feeling of disruption. The choppy narration of Sula expresses one of its major themes, the fragmentation of both individuals and the community. Sula. New York: Knopf, 1973. Rpt. New York: Penguin, 1982