Festival Management and Event for Disharmony -myassignmenthelp

Question: Talk about theFestival Management and Event Tourism for Disharmony. Answer: Occasions and celebrations are creating worldwide as a developing and enthusiastic part of the travel industry and recreation enterprises. They are crucial inspiration behind the travel industry and figure conspicuously in the development and market plans of preeminent goal. The general population is the members in the celebrations since celebrations are only festival for the neighborhood network. There are various controls territories that are used while exploring for occasion phenomena(Kyalo, 2009, p. 12). The target of the occasion is additionally significant where the greatest number of individuals taking an interest ought to be noted and their experience must be disparate and more extensive contrasted with a day by day living. There is no need of broadening the hands-on the sentiments by over one day, however it is consistently attractive economically(Kyalo, 2009, p. 56). Social capital ought to likewise be viewed as while exploring for occasions and it is utilized in an assortment of ways. Social capital is plainly grounded on human movement availability. People are allowed to act productively inside their structure in the event that there is nearness of social capital since it is the vehicle to get assets. The advancement of social capital is accomplished through advancement of social cohesiveness since the occasions or celebrations for the most part happen consistently so as to help in uniting the general public. Social capital for the most part is over the top to economy somewhat than social compensations of celebration appearance. Celebration help with upgrading the estimation of urban life through the recharging in the area by means of improved foundation for the travel industry and redevelopment and working of scenes. This is the impact of social capital economically(Quinn, 2013, p. 123). Disharmony likewise should be considered as recognized in various social orders around the world. This is connected to intellectualizing people groups as contending people lovely than socially associated individuals. Occasions are important since they help with bringing back qualities which are useful in uniting the general public, for example, altruism, trust, co-activity, and correspondence which are right now which are as of now blurring. There is need of upgrading the development of new century of confidence and this can't be accomplished by moving seriously toward a progressively acculturated future(Quinn, 2013, p. 34). The information on occasions and celebrations in genuine occasion the board is utilized by the legislature as a platform for monetary and modern extension. The support of occasion related consumption is done dependent on the monetary effect the occasion has to the host. Strategically, occasions likewise help with improving the essence of the travel industry or the area. There are likewise issues in condition associated with celebrations and that is the motivation behind why some host has a selective real highlights that can be for all intents and purposes profitably in publicizing celebration however a portion of the physical characteristics may require a predetermined methodology to ensure security against unfortunate effects, for example, the pulverization in condition, congestion, and clamor from neighborhood populace purpose of view(Yeoman, 2016, p. 21). Celebrations or occasions are essential for the general public since it aids the development of a typical social assurance and every now and again, celebration nearness likewise prepare various sub-bunches voice whose divergence is activated by the ethnicity and not inclinations. Be that as it may, the board of occasion helps in deciding if it affects the structure and public activity of the network or diminish from the district social-environment(Quinn, 2013, p. 156). The occasion organizing has the impact on the network life socially and the structure since it helps with reducing or improving social condition of that specific region. In genuine occasion the executives, there is need of cooperation and conference of hot networks so as to help in keeping away from various negative socio-social effects connected with events(Wynn, 2017, p. 213). References Kyalo, B. (2009). Celebration Management and Event Tourism. Chigaco: Wiley.https://books.google.co.ke/books?isbn=1136403469 Quinn, B. (2013). Key Concept in Event Management. Boston: Adventure Works Press.https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=IMUXAQAAMAAJ Wynn, P. (2017). Hazard and Hazard Management for Festivals and Events. Shanghai: China Publishing Company. https://books.google.co.ke/books?isbn=1118267133 Yeoman, I. (2016). The Future of Events Festivals. Informa.https://books.google.co.ke/books?isbn=1135939101

Benedict Arnold Essay -- essays research papers fc

Benedict Arnold was conceived in Norwich, Connecticut. Arnold got his tutoring at Canterbury. While away at school, a couple of Arnold’s kin died from Yellow Fever. Arnold was an irksome child that would attempt pretty much anything. As a 14-year-old kid, he fled from home to battle in the French and Indian War. Afterward, Benedict Arnold left and got back through the wild alone to work with his cousins. The military had pardoned him without punishment in light of his young age. In 1762, when Benedict was only twenty-one years of age, he went to New Haven, Connecticut where he dealt with a book and medication store and continued exchange with the West Indies. (B Arnold) In 1767, he wedded Margaret Mansfield, a girl of a sheriff of New Haven County. They had three children together. At the point when the Revolutionary War was simply starting to break out, Benedict Arnold turned into a prosperous boat proprietor, shipper, and broker. Inside days, Arnold turned out to be keen on the war by and by and joined the American Army. The entirety of the fights Arnold directed over demonstrated enormous mental fortitude and boldness, however he was before long known as America’s most noteworthy deceiver because of his treachery of the American’s. As the Revolutionary War broke out, Benedict Arnold chose to elect to head more than 1,000 men up to Maine. He requested extra men from his organizations to join the military. Arnold at that point turned into a commander in the Connecticut Militia. General George Washington had his top choices, which Arnold was among the not many. Along these lines, Benedict Arnold was sent on a fiendish 500 mile walk to Maine by Washington, otherwise called "The Rock". (Macks 72) Benedict Arnold and just around 50% of his unique warriors made it to the St. Lawrence River where they got together with General Montgomery. Their arrangement was to assault the British Army off guard Quebec City, Canada. Both Mont gomery and Arnold masterminded to begin the grand mountainsides of Quebec. Arnold and his troopers wound up caught by the British. An individual from the British Army shot a black powder gun ball legitimately towards Arnold’s leg. His leg was seriously broken and he must be taken to an emergency clinic bed just about a mile away from the assault. The assault had kept going fifty days and the mystery venture brought about a disaster for the volunteer warriors who walked away. The conditions were awful. It was said that just about 50% of the men solidified, starved... ... also, the other three were from his first union with Margaret. His four children at that point became individuals from the British military. America presently has their first vile double crosser! List of sources Works Cited Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain. The Battle of Valcour Island. On the web. Web. 7 March 2000. Accessible: http://www.heroswelcome.com/Arnold.htm Connecticut SAR. The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. On the web. Web. 28 Feb. 2000. Accessible: http://www.ctssar.org/ Flynn, J. Michael. Benedict Arnold: The Traitor Who Saved America. On the web. Web. 18 March 2000. Accessible: http://www.magweb.com/test/scry/sch23ben.htm Memorable Valley Forge. Benedict Arnold. On the web. Web. 19 March 2000. Accessible: http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html Kenneth, Dave C. "Say You Want a Revolution." Don’t Know Much About History. U.S.A: Avon Books, 1995. Freedom. Account of the Revolution. Benedict Arnold’s Leg. On the web. Web. 7 March 2000. Accessible: http://www.pbs.org/ktca/freedom/account/ben.arnold.leg.html Mack, Stan. "Redcoats and Guerrillas." Real Life American Revolution. USA: Avon Books, 1994.

Net Neutrality and Freedom on the Internet

Unhindered internet and Freedom on the Internet Internet fairness: The end of web opportunity The web has been one of the best mechanical advances at any point found over the most recent 40 years. It has made the ways for some new advances in numerous different fields and has changed the way the world works today. Presently, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and the legislature have concluded that they have to control it. In principle, the guideline they might want to set up appears to be a smart thought. The guideline they are setting up is called internet fairness and it should complete three things. The three things that internet fairness means to do is no obstructing, no throttling, and no paid prioritization. These all appear as though smart thoughts and they are, the main issue is the thing that must be relinquished all together for the administration to guarantee these guidelines are upheld. Unhindered internet laws ought to be expelled so the web can keep on developing. The principal new principle of Net Neutrality is no blocking. As indicated by CNET, this implies the ISP (Internet Service Provider) can't square access of any lawful substance, administrations, or applications. The key here is the thing that does the administration think about lawful. Individuals would be shocked the amount of what they see online every day may not be viewed as lawful by the legislature. Another issue with the administration blocking access to these specific site and administrations is that with the end goal for them to square somebody from visiting an unlawful site or administration, they should screen them constantly. On the off chance that somebody isn't being observed, they could simply visit that site or administration as they could previously. In this way, by making exacting new guidelines to obstruct any illicit substance, the FCC will consistently be checking everything that everybody is doing on the web. This will give the administration an unheard of level of access to peoples’ individual lives and nothing will be totally private any longer. Another basic happening today is systems and frameworks being hacked (Science Alert). This requires quick execution of new security techniques and conventions to forestall mass hacking. Things being what they are, what happens when the administration will be engaged with the ISP’s? Each time an ISP needs to do a system update, it will probably should be endorsed by the administration first so as to ensure that it is as yet agreeing to the no blocking rules. That way, an ISP couldn't covertly begin obstructing a help without the FCC monitoring it. As can be exhibited by how quick and effective a mail station works, the administration isn't quick in what it does, this implies if another system weakness is discovered, it is conceivable that in the time it takes for the legislature to investigate and endorse the update, a programmer or gathering of programmers could have just hacked int o the system and begin taking data from a large number of individuals. How could this be improved? The appropriate response is no blocking, period. ISP’s basically don't have to hinder any substance of any sort except if their own framework identifies that it is a risk. Utilizing this strategy, it would permit all substance to be accessible to everybody similarly as a great many people are utilized to now. In any case, with a computerized danger indicator, it would make the web more secure too and less defenseless against infections and other hacking dangers. This is essentially how the web functions at this moment. Basically, the legislature doesn't have to fix what isn't broken as of now. In any case, the legislature doesn't need things to be that straightforward. The thinking behind their no blocking approach isn't to shield individuals from the large shrewd network access suppliers, but instead it is so nobody is downloading or seeing anything unlawful (Wired). Something else, the legislature would have little enthusiasm for the no blocking arrangement. This is essentially a path for them to get their foot in the entryway to square individuals from doing anything they decide to be illicit on the web. Here are a few instances of unlawful things that a great many people do each day on the web and dont even understand its illicit. For models, it is illicit to counterfeit a name on the web, it is unlawful to utilize promotion blocking programming, and it is unlawful to spare pictures from the web since they are somebody elses property. Individuals see heaps of illicit substance on YouTube constantly and one of the more ludicrous things that is unlawful to do online is t o post anybody singing glad birthday since it is a copyrighted tune. In the event that this standard of Net Neutrality were to be kept, huge numbers of the opportunities that individuals can encounter online today would be gone. Not any more upbeat birthday recordings on YouTube. The following guideline that Net Neutrality will authorize is no throttling. This implies ISP’s can't back off or accelerate certain administrations as long as they are legitimate (USA Today). This returns again to the issue of what does the administration think about legitimate on the web. The genuine point here, however, is that an ISP ought not have the option to hinder a specific help since they utilize a great deal of data transfer capacity or in the event that they are giving substance that the ISP doesn't concur with. A case of this throttling happening is on the off chance that somebody were attempting to see content on a contender of the ISP that somebody is at present bought in to. In this way, in the event that somebody on Comcast’s organize was attempting to see a report on a site other than NBC (Comcast claims NBC), it is conceivable that Comcast could throttle them since they are seeing substance on a contending news arrange site. This is the place the pos sibility of no throttling is a generally excellent thought, it isn't directly for one organization to throttle information to impede access to a contender. In any case, there is one point of view of throttling that the legislature doesn't think about. In certain cases, throttling guarantees that numerous individuals are not blocked by the use of the couple of. At the end of the day, a couple of individuals could be hoarding huge amounts of accessible data transmission to get to a media concentrated site or administration while every other person winds up with diminished speeds and system unwavering quality while they attempt to do less transfer speed serious assignments. This has been getting less of an issue as ISP’s keep on putting resources into their foundation and attempt to improve absolute accessible data transmission with the goal that more individuals can be getting to increasingly content simultaneously. A case of throttling being essential, be that as it may, was s hown when an application on Android turned out to be mainstream and everybody was utilizing it to impart, which caused a huge transmission capacity issue over the T-Mobile system. So as to keep the system stable with the goal that everybody could at present use it in some limit, T-Mobile needed to throttle the clients who were utilizing the correspondence application. For this situation, the requirements of the many exceeded the necessities of the couple of. It’s cases like these where throttling can be a need so as to keep up organize honesty. Netflix has regularly been the survivor of throttling. Right around 33% of the web traffic, today, is from individuals gushing Netflix (Time). Most systems presently have the ability to take into consideration that. Be that as it may, a couple of years prior, when Netflix was beginning to turn into large, this was a significant strain on the present systems and much of the time individuals would stall out with buffering on the grounds that the ISP’s were throttling Netflix so as to keep the system in working request. Throttling is a self-explaining issue from multiple points of view. On the off chance that individuals gripe that an assistance they like is being throttled, at that point the ISP should make upgrades to deal with the extra traffic and this prompts arrange enhancements and a general better help. The part that can be an issue is the point at which an ISP attempts to throttle a contender, which is when Net Neutrality could be acceptable. Nonetheless, this issue also can act naturally unraveling. On the off chance that somebody is attempting to see something from a contender of the ISP and they continue getting throttled, they will either gripe or they will switch ISP’s. This will at that point power the ISP to quit throttling that site or they will lose clients. In this way, indeed, the issue unravels itself without the administration expecting to intercede. The third guideline of Net Neutrality is no paid prioritization. This is intended to keep any ISP from preferring some legitimate traffic over other lawful traffic that has paid them (Wired). This is regularly alluded to as â€Å"no quick lanes.† The most ideal approach to see this is to think about an interstate. State there are eight paths to this interstate and as far as possible is the equivalent for six of the paths. Be that as it may, two of the paths have a higher speed restrain and have less traffic, yet they require a cost to utilize them. This is essentially what some ISPs have been doing. They will charge certain organizations to utilize these quicker and less blocked paths so their administration is better. The thought behind this third principle of Net Neutrality is that nobody gains admittance to fast tracks and everybody has equivalent access to everything. In principle, this is an extraordinary thought, however the issue here is like the issue with the second N et Neutrality rule. In the event that one help is utilizing a large portion of the data transfer capacity, they ought to need to pay a premium to be a channel on the system. At the point when an enormous data transfer capacity utilizing organization like Netflix is being utilized on a system, it is an immense channel on the system and it requires frequently costly moves up to be made so as to deal with that new transmission capacity request. These redesign costs are mostly because of the way that the transmission capacity hoard is hindering the systems execution, so they ought to need to pay a premium for a fast track with the goal that it can counterbalance the expense of system updates. This additionally permits the system to progress and by and large development the manner in which the web is utilized. At the point when another organization comes around and begins putting a strain on the system, this makes it so the system should be updated so as to deal with it which prompts a g eneral better system. In the event that there is no paid prioritization, at that point ISP’s will be unable to legitimize the expenses related with making system upgrades and afterward that will prompt a much more terrible help

Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL) Competitive Advantage - 2200 Words

Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL) Competitive Advantage (Essay Sample) Content: Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL) Competitive AdvantageNameInstitutionDubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL) Competitive AdvantageEfficiencyEfficiency is the comparison of the output with the likely or expected output while utilizing similar consumption rates of resources such as labor, time, and finances. DUBAL have the most promising efficiency production capacity. One of the efficacy approaches of DUBAL is the expenditure of reduction cell technologies (DX technology, DX + technology, DX+ ultra-technology and DX18+ technology) in the production (Zarouni, Aswad, Ahili, Bastami Sayed, 2012). The technology has an efficiency of 94.4%. The DX technology is one of the best-reducing technologies available to other companies hence giving the company a competitive advantage (Zarouni et al. 2012). The DUBAL Company also has a power plant which supplies the required energy for best performance and production. The power plant resulted in multiple initiatives and significant investment s aimed at saving and maximizing the use of available fuel gas (EGA). The DUBAL Power Plant achieves high generating unit availability and reliability records (EGA). The DUBAL Company employs competent staffs who work best for the efficient production. The human resource department selects the superlative suited employees to ensure the best results in the operations of the company (EGA). Additionally, DUBAL Company holds lifelong learning with regular skills development and training programs (EGA). The training process aims at maintaining high performance within the firm. The company has the inspection team that ensures there is an efficient use of the raw materials (EGA). The team warrants the raw materials used are proportional to the aluminum produced. The unique cogeneration installation in the GTX project has boosted the power generation capacity of DUBAL (Zarouni et al. 2012). The company has also utilized renewable energy sources. DUBAL has a mini solar field for converting s olar energy into electrical energy (EGA). The strategy is a competitive advantage against businesses that lack the technology.QualityQuality is definable as the measure of excellence and void of defects, deficiencies, and significant variations. Quality results from consistency and commitment to certain standards that lead into uniformity of merchandise in the purpose of fulfilling end user needs. As part of Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), DUBAL is dedicated to the production of high-quality metals (EGA). The high-quality standards of the aluminum products produced give DUBAL a competitive advantage. In Dubai, the DUBAL Company is a leader in the quality movement. The quality production of DUBAL Company gets exemplified by the membership of Dubai Quality Group (EGA 2010). The group offers seminars, conferences, and workshops that help the DUBAL Company to perfect in quality production (EGA). The company visits similar smelting plants to benchmark the methods of production that facil itate towards quality production (Mobbs, 2000). The company has quality assurance team in the smelting firm to ensure that the products are of best quality (EGA). According to EGA, the quality assurance manager guarantees that the quality assurance team gets enough training. The training is continuous to enable the team to have a competitive advantage. The company undertakes research about the quality of the products they produce from the consumers directly (EGA). The research involves accessing the customers through social media and direct feedback platforms. The company relies on the information obtained from the users in improving the quality of the products (EGA). Furthermore, the users play a great role in the quality produced. They inspect the products they order to ensure the company process the expected quality (EGA). The quality of the products is checked for substandard traces through ultrasound technology hence ensuring the goods are of the best qualityResponsiveness to CustomersCustomer responsiveness is the propensity of corporate to distinguish and respond to changing customers needs. Customer responsiveness is one of the most recommended competitive advantages to any enterprise. This competitive advantage aims at establishing the needs of the consumers and providing goods that are of high-quality standards to meet the needs. DUBAL has the insight of the customer responsiveness and strives to establish a mutually beneficial long-term relationships with the consumers (EGA). DUBAL meets the customers expectations through consistent delivery of highest quality products and customer oriented services (EGA). These customer oriented services include customized products. The company adores the preferences of the consumers and produce products tailored to meet customers specification (EGA). This service ensures the reliability of the companys services to the customers. The DUBAL company offers technical support to the client (EGA). The support aims at a ssessing customers individual requirements as well as developing tailor-made service solutions to the users (EGA). DUBAL also provides client consultations to clarify and enlighten the consumers on the products they deal with as well as clarification (EGA). DUBAL has a customer portal that enables customers to track their orders online, as well as a comeback to customers grievances within 24 hours (EGA). The company has designated sales managers who offer support to consumers at ground level (EGA). The DUBAL Company also provides aluminum prices and avails documents and market reports to customers for download (EGA). The DUBAL company ensures that the products are handled and shipped by consumers needs. DUBAL also has technical maven assistance on molding and plant start-ups provided by veteran metallurgist experts who travel to discrete markets to deliver nominal seminars (EGA). DUBAL has technical experts who assess processes and offer endorsements for operative perfections. The c ustomized services which DUBAL provides to its customers ensure it has a better competitive advantage than the rivals in the market.InnovationInnovation is the process by which ideas or inventions gets translated into a good or service that creates value. Additionally, novelty entails intentional application of imagination and application of information in obtaining value from the available resources. Innovation is one of the key competitive advantages a business strives to achieve (Mobbs, 2000). The invention allows the company to produce products of great worth which are customized to meet the needs of the dynamic market. The company must keep pace with the changing technology to ensure it remains competitive in the market. DUBAL company has commendably incorporated innovation into its operations to realize the value of its products (Kvande Dabrol, 2014). The company novelties are evident in its ability to produce three forms of aluminum products which are foundry alloy, Billet, and high purity aluminum (Kvande Dabrol, 2014). DUBAL has incorporated DX technology which is different from similar smelting companies and hence ranking the best in production (Kvande Dabrol, 2014). The company has the patents for the DX patents, Anode Tracking System, and GTX technologies (EGA). The innovations at DUBAL Company have enabled the company to produce the best quality products while minimizing on power expenses and environmental pollution (Kvande Dabrol, 2014). The corporation capitalizes in a broad range of developing new technology that aids the success of the enterprise. The company has a team of technical experts who tirelessly work out the best methods of production (EGA). The company also extensively research on the best technologies which can get used in the smelting plant. The company aims at developing local talent and invests in skills development and training (Kvande Dabrol, 2014). The company maintains the innovators by rewarding and retaining talent.Re asons for Choosing the DUBAL CompanyDUBALs Vision and Core ValuesThe DUBAL Company has the most incredible vision and core values which govern it. The group found the concepts and core values of the company compelling. The company aims at providing the global economy with the sustainable material of the highest quality while building a legacy of excellence in the world (EGA). Unlike other enterprises, the core values of DUBAL are to protect, provide and perform. The company cares for the safety of the environment and ensures rewarding career and development opportunities to all people (EGA). The company also aims at promoting a performance-based culture by empowering ownership, accountability, and team support.Social ResponsibilityThe DUBAL Company has involved the society in its operations. According to EGA, the company ensures little environmental pollution. Additionally, the company has the Emiratization policy that aims at employing the Emirians in most positions (EGA). The str ategy also targets educating the UAE citizens through scholarships and training centers. The Central DUBAL Training Centre and Bexhill Institute of Training Further Education deliver management skills to the community before employment (EGA). Furthermore, the company has a residential complex accommodating more than 1500 people (EGA).The FameThe company is famous, and we decided to analyze it and unravel the success strategies it applies. The aluminum metal has a broad range of application and hence the popularity (EGA). The conventional products utilizing DUBAL products are shared among the students and hence the interest about the manufacturers. Some of these commodities include flash disks, hard drives, and motor vehicle parts (EGA). The company has won sev...

English as a Native Language (ENL)

Definition: The variety of the English language spoken by people who acquired English as their first language or mother tongue. English as a Native Language (ENL) is commonly distinguished from English as an Additional Language (EAL), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Native Englishes include American English, Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Irish English,  New Zealand English, Scottish English, and Welsh English. In recent years, the proportion of ENL speakers has steadily declined while the use of English in ESL and EFL regions has rapidly increased. Observation A wide variety of countries, such as Australia, Belize, Canada, Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States, speak English as a native language (ENL). ENL countries are established when large numbers of English speakers migrate from other English speaking countries, displacing other languages, both local and immigrant. Other countries, such as Fiji, Ghana, India, Singapore, and Zimbabwe  use English as a second language (ESL). In ESL countries the language is imported during a colonial period and promoted through education, but there is not a massive migration of native English speakers.(Roger M. Thompson,  Filipino English and Taglish. John Benjamins, 2003) ENL Varieties English varies markedly from one ENL territory to another, and often from one region to another within heavily populated countries such as the US and UK, a state of affairs which, as travelers know well, can lead to problems of intelligibility. In the UK, for example, there are significant differences of accent, grammar, and vocabulary between Anglophone visitors to London and many of the local people (speakers of Cockney and near-Cockney), as well as in Scotland, where many people routinely mix Scots and English. In the US, there are significant differences between many speakers of African-American (or Black) English and what is sometimes called mainstream English. . . . It is therefore risky to classify a territory as ENL and leave it at that, the ENLhood of a place being no guarantee whatever of unhampered communication in English.(Tom McArthur, The English Languages. Cambridge University. Press, 1998) Standards of English Standard English is typically seen as correct and grammatical, while non-standard dialects are seen as wrong and ungrammatical, regardless of whether the speaker or the speakers ancestors spoke English as a native language. Disapproval of non-standard varieties is not the prerogative of the formerly colonized. The reason that Singapore has had a Speak Good English Movement and India does not is that Singapore has a highly informal contact variety, usually known as Singlish, which has no parallel in India.(Anthea Fraser Gupta, Standard English in the World. English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles, ed. by Rani Rubdy and Mario Saraceni. Continuum, 2006) Pronunciation ​It is obvious that interdialectal contact tends to speed up phonological change, and new social norms can easily change the acceptability of formerly stigmatized pronunciations: innovation is therefore to be generally expected in ENL communities. By contrast, ESL societies are likely to be characterized by interference phenomena and overgeneralization, and therefore exhibit innovation (of different types)--unless these local features are criticized as deviances when compared with an external standard, say the educated speech of the South of England. (Manfred Gà ¶rlach, Still More Englishes. John Benjamins, 2002)

Why Was There a Struggle Between the Bourgeoisie and the...

Why, according to Marx and Engels in The Manifesto of the Communist Party, was there inevitably struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, which would create the preconditions for socialism? ___________________ The theories of Karl Marx have influenced some of the world’s greatest thinkers. Marx’s idea of the inevitable class struggle within capitalism and consequent place for a socialist society is professed within ‘The Manifesto of the Communist Party.’ It is necessary to explore why Marx and Engels believed class conflict to be unavoidable in order to understand why the preconditions for socialism could be established. It is clear that economics is at the heart of Marxist thought and it can be arguably suggested that†¦show more content†¦The nature of capitalism meant the bourgeoisie needed to exploit their workers in order to make a surplus. If they didn’t do this they would fall themselves into the proletariat and their employees would work for someone who would. This made the situation of the proletariat all the more dire. Marx expressed this view when he defined the proletariat as â€Å"a class of labourers, who live only so long as they fi nd work, and who find work only so long as their labour increases capital† (page 8). This meant that the chances of a proletariat had to advance into a higher economic class were reduced and a further polarisation of classes would develop. This meant that a class struggle was inevitable if one views Marx’s theory as one of ‘group-formation’ as is explored by Reinhard Bendix in his study of Marx. Bendix suggests that in Marx’s view â€Å"ruling classes are aware of their common interests and have the organizational means to promote them, while oppressed classes still seek to achieve class consciousness and organizational cohesion.† Hence due to a lack of class consciousness the proletariat continue to struggle. This was inevitable, according to Bendix view of Marx, due to the nature of the oppressed classes. A similar idea that causes inevitable class conflict mentioned again by Bendix is that a â€Å"lack of acquaintance and competing interes ts divided the workers amongst them-selves. Although all of them lived a starkly deprived life, theirShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pageswith a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparent style of writing set the book apart, making it an ingenious read which invites reflexivity, criticalness and plurality of opinion from the audience. This is a book that will become a classic in organization studies. Mihaela L. Kelemen, Professor of Management Studies, Keele University, UK An unusually rich and deep philosophical

IT Performance and Communicating Value

Question: Describe about IT performance and communicating value and capitalism? Answer: 1. Measuring IT Performance and Communicating Value 1.1 Purpose of Paper This paper is based on the analysis of different factors which CIO of IT firm uses to measure their organization performance level and communication. This paper proposes several measures which management of any IT firms takes to improve their overall performance in comparison of other IT organization. 1.2 Important points/ Arguments Presented CIO of IT firm should focus on their communication process as communication help in improving the level of performance, customer satisfaction, quality of product and other. IT firm main pillar is their customer so management of IT firm should try to work as per the customer requirement and demand which requires good communication channel between client and customer. As IT firms is determined by their performance metric dimension which is important for their stakeholders. So the CIO of IT firm should try to increase the level of performance metric which is based on revenue and profit of the firm (Merino, 2010). IT firm management should try to improve their business process in comparison of their competitors to increase the profit share, revenue. IT firm function is dependent on different factors as communication between customer and firm, technical support used by firm for working and others so management of IT firm should always try to analyze these factors to end business process on time. 1.3 Approaches used This paper is having different guideline or methods which can be used by CIO of IT firm to resolve the communication gap or problem and improve their performance as management of IT firm should plan a internal assessment or inspection which will be conducted by their executive or other experienced employee for analyzing the issues which employees face while contacting different clients (Ingham, 2008). IT firm should try to work as per their customer requirement and demand within the allocated duration. Business and IT firm should always focus on their stakeholder, customers, employees, technology used by them and other. 1.4 Issues and their Solution The issues regarding IT firm can be regarding their technology and ethics. IT Technology is based on technology which is ever changing so the main issue which IT firm management can face. Suppose today IT firm updated its framework from older version to new CIO framework and few years later new technology came in market. IT firm should always try to keep them updated regarding their technology. 2. Capitalism 2.1 Purpose of Paper This paper is written to explain the capitalism condition in business. This paper is based on the analysis of economic system and privatization culture presently adopted by many business processes (Brocke and Rosemann, 2010). There is explanation of mutual significance concept which focuses on the connection of business societal growth and economical growth. 2.2 Important Points/ Arguments presented Mutual significance concept is adopted by maximum business process which shows their link between their community and financial growth. Three main methods adopted by companies are explained which are as by considering all market and products together for increasing profit, by identifying the value chain system of business and evaluating it and by working for both local and national customers so that business increases worldwide. Business should consider there supply chain system, employees, customers, and their health and safety which will help in increasing their productivity. By reducing their packaging and other expenditure keeping quality of product in mind can reduce their overall expenditure cost and increase profit share. Organization should work for their employees welfare so that employees trust and level of loyalty is continued for long term. Organization should perform their work under the government rules and regulation. While changing their working style or policies all rules and regulation mentioned by government should be considered by organization. 2.3 Approach used The approaches suggested by writer regarding capitalism and other are organizations while working on common goal or value should consider society, economy and growth of employees as well as organization (Future Prospects for Capitalism Nature Socialism, 2014). To increase the business profit rate organization should always keep them updated regarding technology and should be aware of their customers requirement and demand. Organization before starting any new process should decide their long term and short term benefits. Capitalization helps organization should improve their productivity, market shares and etc. 2.4 Issues and their solution While capitalization organization do not consider all problems which may occur in future while operation is on. Common significance process does not consider all society related problem, management issues and other business related problems which can effect organization. Some organization while working does not follow government norms and ignore society welfare. References Brocke, J. and Rosemann, M. (2010).Handbook on business process management 2. Berlin: Springer. Future Prospects for Capitalism Nature Socialism. (2014).Capitalism Nature Socialism, 25(4), pp.1-2. Ingham, G. (2008).Capitalism. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Merino, N. (2010).Capitalism. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press.

Use of Technology for GE

Outline Introduction – Under this section, the importance of technology in the efficient running of an organization is exploredAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Technology for GE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Discussion -This section examines the use of information technology by GE and how some of the policies on use of internet from various countries could impact on the expansion program of GE. In addition, the section also employees’ issues related to use of technology and the consequences of failing to comply with the established guidelines. Conclusion -Here, the importance of information technology for an organization with a global reach as GE is recaptured for purposes of enhancing the company’s efficient operation. Introduction For any organization that wishes to maintain a competitive edge in the market, there is need to embrace technology. This is because the proper harnessin g of technology helps an organization to become more efficient in its operations. There are many benefits that come about when an organization embraces technology. To further explore some of these benefits, this research paper shall explore the use of technology by General Electric (GE). Discussion Many countries have embraced the use of the internet albeit with some questions being raised (Abbate, 1999, p. 12).GE has been involved in a massive expansion program to enhance its global presence. As a matter of fact, some of the policies implemented by various countries that deals with the use of information technology may affect GE’s ability to expand further globally. There are many issues that come about once an organization with a global presence as GE decides to expand. With the use of internet, employee’s issues related to use of information technology often crops up. It is important for an organization to address such issues as they cannot be ignored. Because there are many opportunities for expansion, issues relating to work have posed a big challenge as a result of the need to implement them in line with the established guidelines (Abbate, 1999, p. 15).Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On certain occasions, the issue of global supply chain control arises. As a result, we could end up with restricted the flow of business (just because they have to be adhered to). In addition to these, there have also been issues that relate to international tax compliance and structuring. This have in most occasions eroded the vast opportunities that are available due to the extremes in this scenario. New technology has always presented a lot of opportunities for adoption by businesses. However, this has on certain occasions been overshadowed by certain issues that need to be explored further (Castells, 1996, p.4). The internet has been viewed as a great way of doing business by consumers in many countries and this explains its wide use all over the globe. Consumers in many countries have embraced the internet and therefore see it as a very efficient way of advancing their lives. However, the internet has been used suspiciously due to privacy issues where some customers have feared that whatever they are doing might not be private at all (Castells, 1996. P.7). Consumers will be less concerned about internet privacy if they are convinced that they are secure in whatever they are doing online in all occasions. Because of some complains and the exposure that the internet puts to many customers some governments have come up with consumer protection laws to ensure that indeed they are protected. The presence of such laws though in some instances has redefined business they have also been critical. In spite of all these shortcomings, consumers still view the internet as an avenue for accessing numerous business opportunities that would o therwise have remained impossible to achieve. Since GE has a global presence in its business operations, there is need for the organization to adjust its operational procedures. The first thing to do is to ensure that its operations are well coordinated to avoid any leaks that might end up being used to its disadvantage in other countries. Since GE is involved in global business, it has to abide by the various laws and business guidelines that have been put in place by those countries (Castells, 1996, p. 9). Its operations might have to be too involving (that is; by involving all the stakeholders) for them to succeed. Personal and organizational responsibilities for moral and ethical use of technology Despite the need to adopt technology in order to compete in today’s world, an organization must determine, develop and implement methods of anticipating and responding to issues that may arise from technological activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Technology for GE specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Any industrial corporation worldwide that is utilizing technology must be able to respond to social needs. Proactive philosophy is a responsive approach that companies using technology must adhere to. It is important to anticipate problems before they occur and develop approaches of dealing with those problems. This is one of the key issues that an organization can extend to its internal and external stakeholders as well as to the general community. The other key issue is adapting to accommodation philosophy. This means doing more that the minimum expectation from the public policy. Related to this is the need to avoid any illegal act that will affect the society at large. Such include having harmful emissions from the adopted technology. Technological advancements like steam engines and electricity can be used for not only good but also to commit social crime hence threatening social values. With this in mind, it is important to have ethical considerations in the use of technology. Some of the moral responsibilities associated with technology include: The information rights and obligations This includes the information rights that individual and organizations have on the technology as well as to themselves. System quality This explains about the standards of system and data quality and whether it protects individual’s rights as well as the society’s safety. Property rights and obligations This dictates the protection that traditional intellectual rights have in relation to the digital society. This is because accounting for their ownership may be difficult and hence easily forgotten. Quality of life This explains about the values that must be retained in the knowledge-based society.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Accountability and control This questions about who will be held accountable and liable for the harms caused on individuals and the organization, the information therein as well as the rights of the property Conclusion If at all General Elects aspires to have a competitive edge in the market, it is important for the company to fully embrace information technology in all its operations. In addition, there is need for the organizations to ensure that its workforce fully comply with the established guidelines regarding the use of the internet. Reference List Abbate, J. (1999). Inventing the Internet. Cambridge: MIT Press, Castells, M. (1996). Rise of the Network Society. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers This essay on Use of Technology for GE was written and submitted by user Zackery M. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Examine the success of Llewellyn in relation to Josiah, Kelly and “Marketweb” separately from Nixon The WritePass Journal

Examine the success of Llewellyn in relation to Josiah, Kelly and â€Å"Marketweb† separately from Nixon Introduction Examine the success of Llewellyn in relation to Josiah, Kelly and â€Å"Marketweb† separately from Nixon IntroductionThe tortuous liability of NixonBibliography Related Introduction If Llewellyn is to stand any chance of success he must firstly prove that: (i) That the parties involved owed him a duty of care, (ii) that the parties were in breach of this duty;(iii) that those relevant breaches caused Llewellyn’s damage, both in fact and in law, and; (iv) that the law will allow the recovery of any losses Llewellyn may have incurred. It is convenient to examine the success or otherwise of Llewellyn in relation to Josiah, Kelly and â€Å"Marketweb† separately from Nixon. The general principle with regards to the establishment of a duty of care is the neighbor principle as formulated in Donoghue v Stevenson [1932]: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"One must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.† The scope of this principle was expanded considerably by Lord Wilberforce in Anns v Merton London Borough Council [1978] with the introduction of a two tier test. The effect of this two tier test was to expand considerably the scope of the tort of negligence, but the test has been the subject of much judicial criticism, having being overruled on its facts by the House of Lords in Murphy v Brentwood District Council [1990]. In Murphy the House noted that reservations had been expressed regarding the two-tier test and stated a preference for the incremental approach of Brennan J in Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman [1985]. It was this approach, suggests J Convery, that ultimately led to the modern formulation of the duty of care in Caparo Industries Pcl v Dickman [1990]. However, the courts have been reluctant to impose a duty of care with regards to the careless making of statements as opposed to liability for careless acts. Despite this, in Hedley Byrne v Heller [1964] the House of Lords held that a duty to take care in making statements could arise. Normal Donoghue principles were not to be applied as a strict application of these principles would have led to too great a liability. Instead, it was held that a duty of care would arise where there was a special relationship between the parties. For such a relationship to arise: (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚   The representor must have a special skill. (ii)   The representee must reasonably rely on the misrepresentation. (iii)   The defendant must have some special knowledge of the type of transaction in question: eg Smith v Eric Bush [1989] It is these criteria which must be utilised in assessing the respective positions of the parties alongside more modern criteria which will be discussed later. As regards the first criteria, it is clear that Josiah, an investments advisor and the long-standing chair of the planning committee, possesses a special skill, as does Kelly being a countryside planning ambassador. Although the Privy Council in Mutual Life v Evatt [1971] took a narrow view of this criterion, the Court of Appeal has followed the more â€Å"liberal minority† view:Esso Petroleum v Mardon [1976]; Howard Marine and Dredging v Ogden [1978]. As Lord Denning MR stated, when distinguishing Bisset v Wilkinson [1927] in Esso; special skill could manifest itself in the fact that the parties are not â€Å"equally able to form an opinion†. Therefore it is submitted that Kelly, Josiah and Marketweb satisfy the first criteria of the threefold test. Establishing the second criteria is potentially problematic. The Privy Council has, again, taken a very narrow view of this criterion: Royal Bank Trust v Pampellonne [1987 . However W.A Seavey proposes a somewhat simplified approach; that it is reasonable to rely on a person who â€Å"possesses more than the normal knowledge† in any given area of expertise. If this submission is to be accepted then, again it appears that the second criterion is satisfied with respect to all three parties. It should also be noted that if such reliance is absent, the plaintiff may, in exceptional cases, rely on ordinary Donohue principles as was established in Ross v Caunters [1980]; White v Jones [1993]. However it appears from the facts that this is not appropriate. As regards the third criteria, it is submitted that the facts indicate Josiah and Marketweb have prima facie special knowledge of property transactions. Kelly, however does not appear to have special knowledge of property transactions, therefore it is submitted that she does not owe Llewellyn a duty of care as regards any negligent misstatements, and any action against her is likely to fail. In addition it is likely that the â€Å"fair and reasonable† requirement laid out in Caparo. Lord Bingham commented: 1)  Ã‚   â€Å"The requirement cannot, perhaps, be better put than it was by Weintraub C.J. in Goldberg v Housing Authority of the City of Newark (1962):Whether a duty exists is ultimately a question of fairness. The inquiry involves a weighing of the relationship of the parties, the nature of the risk, and the public interest in the proposed solution.† Based on this analysis, it seems unfair to impose a duty with respect to â€Å"friends†.   Indeed this is the position occupied by C Witting,whilst the opposite, he contends, can be said for relationships of a business nature. It is thus submitted that based on the three criteria, Josiah owes Llewellyn a duty of care as regards any negligent statements he may make. Although it appears that Marketweb may be in the same position, recent case law may indicate otherwise; modern case law seems to prefer tests based on proximity of relationship in conjunction with a requirement that the duty imposed is fair and reasonable: Jain v Trent Strategic Health Authority [2009] The case of Patchett v Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association Ltd. [2009] is closely analogous to the present facts. The claimants were looking to build a swimming pool and they (the claimants) came across the website of the Swimming Pool Allied Trades Association and the works duly commenced. Prior to complet ion, the secondary retailer became insolvent and ceased trading, leaving the works unfinished.   The dispute between the parties arises out of statements made on SPATAs website: it stated that â€Å"installation will be completed fully to SPATA Standards come what may!†.In court, Worster J held that SPATA did not owe the Patchetts a duty of care in making certain statements on its website. The essential reason given was that while the defendant no doubt knew that the representations on their website would likely be acted upon, it would not expect consumers to do so without further enquiry. The court found that the third criteria necessary for establishing a relationship between the maker of a statement and the recipient who relies on that statement, as set out in the case of Hedley Byrne v Heller, was not satisfied: â€Å"It is known, either actually or inferentially, that the advice [or representation] is likely to be acted upon by the advisee without independent inquiry.† It is submitted then, that the same principles can be applied to the facts at hand. Although Marketweb would have expected consumers to act upon their advice, they would not expect consumers to do so without further enquiry. Thus, it could be argued that, despite fulfilling the three criteria stated above, the third criteria for the original Hedley Byrne v Heller test is not satisfied. Therefore it is submitted that Marketweb does not owe Llewellyn a duty of care as regards any negligent misstatements they may make, and any action by Llewellyn is likely to fail on this basis.   Having established the respective positions of the parties as regards duty of care, it is now necessary to examine if they are in breach of that duty. In the case of all three parties, it is submitted that any negligent misstatements would arise from the omission to mention the development of the club complex despite the lodging of the plans two years prior. The issue of an omission rendering a statement negligent was cogently examined in Banque Financiere de Late Cite CA v Westgate Insurance Co [1989]where it was stated: 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Can a mere failure to speak ever give rise to liability in negligence under Hedley Byrne principles? In our view it can, but subject to the all-important proviso that there has been on the facts a voluntary assumption of responsibility in the relevant sense, and a reliance on that assumption† It was generally established that with regards to careless acts the law will impose liability, but it will not impose liability in respect of omissions; see for example the speech of Lord Goff in Smith v Littlewoods Organisation [1871] where his lordship stated this general rule and identified four exceptions. By analogy, in negligent misstatement, one might assume while liability may arise in respect of a negligent misstatement, no liability will arise from a failure to speak. Essentially, the statement from Banque Financiere de Late Cite CA v Westgate Insurance Co [1989] states that no liability will attach to a failure to speak subject to just one exception, namely where there has been a voluntary assumption of responsibility and reliance upon that assumption. One may begin by asking what the Court of Appeal meant by the phrase ‘voluntary assumption of responsibility’, as in Smith v Eric Bush [1989] the House of Lords rejected the view stated in Hedley Byrne v Heller [1964], that a duty of care with regard to negligent misstatement (a spoken misstatement) arose from a voluntary assumption of responsibility and this view was repeated by the House of Lords in Caparo Industries v Dickman [1990]. In Smith it was said that the phrase â€Å"assumption of responsibility† can only have any meaning if it is understood as referring to the circumstances in which the lawwill have deemed the maker of the statement to have assumed responsibility to the person who acts on the advice, and by amending the â€Å"voluntary† element, essentially has turned the test from a subjective to an objective one. Thus, what was said in Banque Finaciere could be rephrased by saying that a failure to speak can give rise to liability only where the duty to speak arises. It then seems appropriate to apply this interpretation to the facts at hand; that is an omission to speak. It is thus submitted that the law would impose such a duty on Josiah, given the ruling in Ried v Rush Tompkins [1990]. In this case Ralph Gibson LJ stated that a duty not to cause economic loss may be owed even without an assumption of responsibility by the person giving advice or reliance by the person receiving it, although both May LJ and Neil LJ reserved their opinions on this point. Therefore, it is submitted that Josiah is in breach of his duty to Llewellyn. It is clear from the facts of the question that the loss suffered by Llewellyn is pure economic loss. It must therefore be considered in which situations the law will allow for such loss. As W Bishop states â€Å"the law of torts severely restricts recovery by a plaintiff for financial losses suffered in consequence of the negligent conduct of the defendant†. The traditional approach of the courts was to deny recovery of economic loss that was not consequent upon damage to the person or property of the plaintiff: Spartan Steel Alloys v Martin [1973]. However, in Junior Books v Veitchi [1983]the House of Lords allowed recovery for economic loss suffered by the plaintiff when a firm of contractors, with whom the plaintiff had no contractual relationship, laid a floor defectively. It was held that there was such a relationship of proximity between the plaintiff and the defendant that the plaintiff owed the defendant a duty of care to avoid economic loss. Junior Books was decided when the two-tier test of Lord Wilberforce in Anns v Merton London Borough Council [1978] was still used to determine the existence of a duty of care and the House of Lords relied heavily on the fact that the plaintiff had nominated the defendant to lay the floor and had relied on the defendant to carry out his work properly, that this reliance was known to the defendants and that the damage was a direct and foreseeable result of the defendants’ negligence. Interestingly, Lord Brandon dissented on the grounds that the decision effectively created contractual obligations while circumventing contractual concepts such as privity and consideration. Subsequent cases have not followed Junior Books; in parallel with the retreat from Anns, which formed the basis for Junior Books, the latter case had been the subject of much judicial criticism. In Muirhead v Industrial Tank Specialities [1986] Junior Books was not followed and in Aswan Engineering Establishment v Lupdine [1987] it was said that â€Å"where the defect renders the product less valuable the plaintiffs remedy lies in contract, and where the defect creates a danger to others the remedy lies in Tort† and that Junior Books was the â€Å"first to cross this line†. In DF Estates v Church Commissioners [1989] Lord Bridge stated that the consensus of judicial opinion seemed to be that Junior Books can not be regarded as laying down any general principle. In Simaan General Contracting v Pilkington (no 2) [1988]Dillon LJ went even further and said that the case had been subject to so much discussion and analysis that the case cannot be regarded as a useful pointer to any development of law. Given the extensive criticism of Junior Books, Llewellyn must be advised that there is little chance of successfully suing Josaih in Tort for the economic loss he has suffered. Dependant on the facts of the question, a remedy may lie in contract. The tortuous liability of Nixon As mentioned previously, the courts have been reluctant to impose a duty of care as regards the careless making of statements as opposed to liability for careless acts.   Applying the three fold test laid out in Hedley (as regards negligent misstatements) to the facts of the question, it appears that none of the constituent categories are satisfied when considering Nixon. It is not evident that, besides being a â€Å"renowned gossip†, Nixon posses any special skills, and it is likewise submitted that he does not have any special knowledge of the transaction in question.   In addition to this, if Nixon is a â€Å"renowned gossip†, then it is submitted that Llewellyn cannot be said to reasonably rely upon his statements, thus failing to fulfil the third requirement of the Hedley Byrne v Heller test. The use of Twitter by Nixon also raises issues with regards to his liability. In Caparo Industries v Dickman [1990] the House of Lords considered the situation where a person puts a statement into general circulation, as opposed to the situation where the defendant is aware of the transaction the plaintiff contemplated, knew the advice would be communicated to the Plaintiff and knew it was likely that the plaintiff would rely on this advice (as, for example in Smith v Eric Bush [1989]). In the former case it was held that no duty would arise as the essential requirement of proximity was missing. It is submitted that this principle can be likewise applied to the present facts. Finally, it is clear from the language in Nixon’s tweet is couched in that of an opinion. As Steven J. Weingarten states: the plaintiffs reliance on a statement will generally not be seen as justifiable if he relies on an opinion as opposed to a statement of fact†. It is therefore concluded that based on the principles discussed, any action taken by Llewellyn against Nixon is likely to fail. Bibliography W. Bishop â€Å"Economic Loss in Tort† 2(1) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (1982) J. Convery, â€Å"Public or Private? Duty of Care in a Statutory Framework: Stovin v Wise in the House of Lords† 60 (4) Modern Law Review (1997) P. Fargo, â€Å"Current Legislation, Decisions, and Publications†17 Forum 533 (1981-1982) A.L. Goodhart, â€Å"Liability for Innocent but Negligent Misrepresentations† 74(2) Yale Law Journal (1967) W.A. Seavey, â€Å"Principles of Torts† 56 Harvard Law Review (1943) S.J. Weingarten, â€Å"Tort Liability for Nonlibelous Negligent Statements† 93(4) Yale Law Journal (1984) C. Witting, â€Å"Duty of care: An analytical approach† 25 (1) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (2005)

Are Management Information Systems needed in youth work Literature review

Are Management Information Systems needed in youth work - Literature review Example I feel the change required for the implementation of a new system is one of the biggest challenges I will face as a manager and that the youth service must research seriously from the beginning. There will be a significant amount of change over the coming years therefore I am very interested to explore whether MIS systems will actually help youth work upon implementation of the new system after managing the huge changes required by the system. How is this relevant to my professional practice? Change is thrust upon youth workers on a regular basis and my dissertation topic, in my opinion, is very relevant to my professional practice as it will test my ability or inability as a manager of managing change. I plan to devise a strategy for innovation and change regarding the way information is collected, evaluated and presented within the youth service covering a two year period based upon my research findings and not on the approach of –a system has been bought we must change ever ything in order to use it immediately. LITERATURE Three course books of Master of Computer Science, Information Technology, were referred most. Internet was also searched for appropriate materials and following result was found. An advance search for â€Å"Research methods† produced about 84,800,000 references, search for â€Å"Management Theories† produced about 36,200,000 references, â€Å"Leadership Styles† produced about 15,400,000 references, â€Å"Change Management† produced about 288,000,000 references, â€Å"Management Information System† produced about 283,000,000 references, and â€Å"Organizational Development† produced about 26,500,000 references. A look up was made in each of the above search one by one and the best from the top was selected. A total number of eleven publications were chosen for reading and collecting further information. FINDINGS I have identified six themes in this section for effective implementation of Manag ement Information System: understanding concepts and deliverables; assessing values and functionalities; methodologies for successful deployment; managing resources; and benefiting from intensive usage; leading staff and managing change. Understanding Concepts and Deliverables A set of components combined together to bring out or produce a desired whole is known as a system. There are many types of systems (Pidwirny 2006). Most systems share many common characteristics but there are three most important components which when integrated together forms a system: Inputs; Process; and Outputs. A system receives inputs; process them with some functionalities; and produces outputs. Information is a processed data, the one which a human mind can easily understand. If a set of numbers are given in a row and column grid as shown in figure 1, it is not possible to understand what this data means and to whom it belongs until the data is processed. If the same data is processed and produced as shown in figure 2, it becomes now possible for every one to understand what this data means and to whom it belongs. This processed data is called Information. â€Å"Data represents facts of any kind. In the process of recording important particulars of any event, it is the discretion of the management, what should be recorded and how it should be presented. When this data is processed or reformatted, it becomes Information. Information is a subset of data which adds to the knowledge.† (Mujaheed 2009) The original source from which information comes or its

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Essay Example Scott Fitzgerald. That was when I took the time to read all the 18 pages of the short story, walking away from it in awe of the imagination of the writer and feeling robbed by the way the movie of Brad Pitt disrespected the original. The novel itself was quite interesting because it took place in an era of America that paid all too much attention to the social status of a family in the community. As with the Buttons family in the story, the image of a financially well-to-do family in the community is always coupled with an upstanding name that is cared for over generations. But that was not to be the case with Benjamin. His family became the object of ridicule for many years due to the circumstances of his birth and yet they managed to endure as a familial unit. The character of Benjamin is one whose origin story is quite complex and, in my opinion, lacking in character development and backstory. That is because even though we were introduced to Benjamin as a newborn old man, we neve r found out how such things could occur. If there was no scientific explanation for it as mentioned in the story, perhaps a backstory of a cursed birth or something would have helped. I just found it important as a reader to understand how such a pitiful life could have been bestowed upon an innocent child by the forces of the universe. Surely Benjamin's parents must have done something terribly evil to incur the anger of the gods thus being bestowed with a cursed child right? But I guess F. Scott Fitzgerald did not want to bother or perhaps bore the readers with such backstories. Which is why he also had a tendency to gloss over decades of Benjamin's life for no reason. His glossing over the life of the man-child and not paying attention to greater details of his development leaves one wondering as to why he became the sort of man that he did. It is almost like reading the life of Jesus with the missing 20 years. It just did not make any sense to me. That said, I would have to say that the story still managed to retain the interest of the reader in such a manner that these oversights could easily be forgiven. It did not remove from the enthralling tale of the life of an old man destined to die as a new born at all. It puzzled me though that the mother in the story was never mentioned as I am sure that Benjamin needed to have been born of natural means. So why was the mother not mentioned at all in the story? Did she die during childbirth? Was she driven mad by the sight of the newborn son being old enough to sit on her lap and then some? I imagined the birth would have been horribly painful for her and traumatizing and yet it was never even touched upon in the telling of the early life of Benjamin. Rather there was a concentration on the relationship of the boy and his father who did not accept him for who he was when he was born. The cruelty of a parent during that era of history seems so much that he actually wished his son were born a negro so he could hav e left him at the slave market. That part of the novel I remember reading and thinking, â€Å" What a cruel father he is to want to give away his child under the worst circumstances. He would have probably killed the child if he could have.† After reading the book another time though, I began to get the humor in the writing of Fitzgerald. In fact, one might say that the book was written tongue in cheek since the events has he related them could never take place in real life. Yet as a short story, the concept actually made sense. I mean, if it did not, then Hollywood would not have tried and failed miserably to rip it off. Towards the end of the book, when Benjamin began to grow into his baby years, I could not help

Sexuality Essay. The film “Casablanca” Essay Example for Free

Sexuality Essay. The film â€Å"Casablanca† Essay Sexuality Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The film â€Å"Casablanca† is a 1942 release that is close to the top ten films that have tasted the times. Its fabrication and filming was carried out in accordance with the creation codes of pictures. It intertwines the political temperature during the Nazism times and the fight between two men for one beautiful woman. The story is constructed around sexuality upholding women as objects that are the center of attention for neurotic satisfaction of men through ownership (Curtiz et al. , 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the beginning of the film, the first introductory scene is dominated by a slow-spinning globe and a zoom-in shot technique is used to reflect on the Western Europe. A voice over is heard explaining the turbulent takeover of continent Europe by Nazis, the increasing flow of political refugees fleeing Hitler’s persecution, and the imminent Second War of the World. The only hope for the fleeing masses was Lisbon but for one to enter Lisbon, he or she had to possess the relevant documents (Curtiz et al., 2000). At this point, the producer applies the production codes by not showing the details of the required papers to safeguard the secrecy of the information pertaining to the documents. It is in the light of possession of these documents that the rivalry of two men, namely Laszio and Rick, that the topic of sexuality is developed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The camera quickly fades and zooms-in giving rise to a new scene at the evening in a cafà ©. The place is full of all types of clients from Italians, French, Germans and refugees eyeing to flee to United States. In a dimly lighted camera, Ugarte presented as a crook creeps in and becomes boastful of how he got transit letters from two German dispatch riders after murdering them. Urgarte’s strategy was to trade the correspondence that night at the club (Curtiz et al., 2000). At this point, the producer of the film applies the production codes by not showing how Ugarte killed the two German messengers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In terms of sexuality, the film so far seems to be dominated by male characters. The aspect of female essence is yet to be integrated in the big screen. At this point, the male power as the controller of things is dominant. This may have been attributed to the male construction of the female figure as a means to attain self satisfaction and thus should assume the subordinate position (Curtiz et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The scene continues with the petty crook Ugarte being arrested by the neighborhood police under the directions of Captain Renault (Curtiz et al., 2000). He passes away when in detention without disclosing that he assigned the correspondences in his possession to Rick. The details for the death of Ugarte are not disclosed by the producer but rather, he just mentions about the death. This is conformity to the production codes on the disclosure of details pertaining to death of a human being. The male dominance continues to be seen in this seen when no woman has come in to influence the occurrence of events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Immediately after presentation of Ugarte’s death, Lisa a lovely woman of Norwegian origins comes in and everything changes. She was ones Rick’s lover who left him on the knowledge that his husband Victor, allegedly killed in war, was alive and had gone in hiding (Curtiz et al., 2000). She thus left Rick to take care of her ailing husband wounded in war. At this spot, a woman seems to be the midpoint of interest. Everything in the film focuses on the beautiful woman character Lisa after she enters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On her arrival in the cafà ©, she begs Sam, the pianist of the house and a friend of Rick’s, to play for her the song â€Å"As Time Goes By†. At this point, the power of a female is revealed when Sam does according to Lisa’s wish. She smiles at him thus yielding a compelling power which makes Sam act against the wish of his friend Rick. Since Rick had prohibited him from playing the song, he storms over to Sam angrily that he has violated his directions never to present the song (Curtiz et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   His anger cools down when he spots Lisa, who was accompanied by his husband Victor to the Cafà ©. Continually, the supremacy of a woman’s attractiveness is exposed at this point. Lisa seems to possess an innate power that compelled Rick to cool down despite him being too much angry with her because of disappearing without a warning. Lisa and her husband, who is a fugitive, are in need of the correspondences to help them flee to America to keep on working.When Victor learns from Ferrari, a Rick’s business rival, that Rick in possession of the correspondences, he tries to talk him into selling the letters to help him and his wife Lisa to flee safely (Curtiz et al., 2000). Again, the essence of a woman’s power as the center for attention is revealed when Rick refuses to sell the correspondences to Victor telling him to ask his wife the reason for not willing to sell to them. The reality is that Rick is aggrieved of Victo r because he is the reason why Lisa left him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Rick refused Victor’s offer, he started a war like sabotage by inciting the band to perform the song â€Å"La Marseillaise†. The band fails to perform when Rick disapproves them from playing it. Victor does not just stop, but he leads the lyric and the in attendance crowd joins in followed by everybody who is present. For a pay back, Renault is ordered by Strasser to shut the club. This part presents a war of showing might among the two male characters constructed around the love for one woman. They are working towards out-shining each other on who is worth being with a woman (Curtiz et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As presented in the film, a woman whose love for by the two men causes all these chaos is very attractive and charming. Her presence in the film stands for the erotic manipulation of a woman’s sexuality to men. Though not too much presented, the minimum times she appears in the scenes of the film makes all the change. There emanates anarchy where tranquility persisted. Friends turn into adversaries, and where there is compliance, insubordination shows up.After the people are evacuated from the club, Lisa confronts Rick on his refusal to give her the correspondences. She even goes to the extent of threatening him using a gun but in the process, she admits that she still loves him. At this point, a gun is used as a weapon that threatens a human being’s life. Similarly, love is used as a weapon to win a man’s heart and manipulate him into doing what a woman wants him to do. She also explains the reason why she left him un informed (Curtiz et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Immediately, Rick’s anger disappears, and he agrees to help them flee (Curtiz et al., 2000). The camera is brought at a close range helping the audience to achieve a point of view of the long shot accompanied by a brilliant lighting that facilitates the zooming of Rick’s and Lisa’s faces to fill the screen. At this moment, one feels the control that Lisa has over Rick because of the love he has for him. The producer applies the production codes by interrupting their kissing intentions through the intrusion of Victor into the scene (Curtiz et al., 2000). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, the big screen has incessantly shown the sexuality of a female as a controlling means of a man. The producer has eminently shown this aspect in the two scenes discussed above and at the same time applying the expected codes of production. The historical concept of the construction of sexuality seems to have played a significant role in presenting a woman as the center for attention by a man. References Curtiz, M., Epstein, J. J., Epstein, P. G., Koch, H., Bogart, H., Bergman, I., Henreid, P. Warner Home Video (Firm). (2000). Casablanca. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video. Source document

Midnights Children essay :: essays research papers

Midnight’s Children essay Salman Rushdie's creation, Saleem Sinai, has a self-proclaimed "overpowering desire for form" (363). In writing his own autobiography Saleem seems to be after what Frank Kermode says every writer is a after: concordance. Concordance would allow Saleem to bring meaning to moments in the "middest" by elucidating (or creating) their coherence with moments in the past and future. While Kermode talks about providing this order primarily through an "imaginatively predicted future" (8), Saleem approaches the project by ordering everything in his past into neat, causal relationships, with each event a result of what preceded it. While he is frequently skeptical of the true order of the past, he never doubts its eminence; he is certain that everyone is "handcuffed to history" (482). His belief in the preeminence of the past, though, is distinctly different than the reality of time for the Saleem who emerges through that part of the novel that Gerard Gen ette calls "the event that consists of someone recounting something" (26) (Saleem-now, we can call this figure). Saleem-now is motivated to act not by the past, but instead by the uncertainty and ambiguity of the future. Saleem's construction of his own story is an effort to mitigate the lack of control he feels in looking toward the unknown future. To pacify himself he creates a world that is ordered but this world is contrary to his own reality. Saleem spends much of his energy in the story setting up neat causal relationships between events in his past to demonstrate his place "at the center of things" (272). He carefully mentions his tumble into the middle of a parade for the partition of Bombay and then proceeds to propose that "in this way I became directly responsible for triggering off the violence which ended with the partition of the state of Bombay" (219). When telling us of his school-mate Cyrus disappearance from school and emergence as a great religious prophet Saleem quickly mentions the Superman comics that he had given Cyrus earlier, and attributes Cyrus' rise to prophetdom as a direct response to these comics. By viewing Cyrus' motivation in this way Saleem says "[I] found myself obliged, yet again, to accept responsibility for the events of my turbulent, fabulous world" (309). There is an obvious note of skepticism toward these most overt acts of placing himself at the center of things. At one point he asks himself "am I so far gone, in my desperate need for meaning, that I'm prepared to distort everything†¹to re-write the whole history of my times purely in order to place myself in a central role?

Changinng Life Style Essay

Indian Culture is time tested and represented the progressively refined way of life, that had unfortunately suffered a set back, a sub culture process as it were, drifting from its salutary ways of living. Did not Lord Mecaulay say in the UK parliament how the Indians had such a perfect social harmony and faith in their way of life, that they can not be subdued unless they were weaned from their prestige and made to adore the alien way of life, to feel subordinated to a †superior culture†, wherefore they could be easily subdued and dominated for the best advantage of the colonial rule! That was perfectly achieved and Indians forgot their own merits in a strange infatuation with alien culture! Foreign culture was best for them, unique to them, deserved respect, but not fit for absorption into our own way of life! Apart from an initiation into new unfolding findings of secular science and technology – which was absent in our nation under colonial subjugation – we had gained least in other spheres, particularly in the social and ethical qualities. We became divided, in the names of religion and castes losing the force of harmony that united us under the princely states! The increasing divorce culture, night clubs and pub culture, promiscuity and desertions etc among youth, the divide and rule policy among the politicians, the aggressive conversions (against more benign missionary activities a century ago) are the only major impacts in the social domain. So except the technological inputs, even economic exploitations under free trade or repressive regimentation under socialist govts that came from the west, have least served the society to achieve equality. Social impacts have been worse. The break down of joint family system due to new life styles, uncontrolled deviancies in the name of liberty etc have made youth defy control of society and family in a big way. In a chapter on †Consequences of Innovations† in the book by Rogers and Shoemaker entitled, †Diffusion and  Adoption of Innovations†, it is discussed how any change made in any aspect of social sphere – agriculture or medicine or arts or whatever – may end up in unexpected †side effects† as well. The chaos in the aborigins of Australia after replacement of traditional stone tool etc make interesting reading! In India itself, the introduction of rural TV programme for education of people in modern agricultre, health care etc was studied in UP state when Indiraji was Minister of Broadcasting, in 100 villages. The study revealed significant increase in knowledge and attitude of people in modern techniques and the project was cleared for large scale introdcution across the country. After govt project was ended, many behavioural scientists took up studies in change of life pattern in the villages. They came across many critical adverse changes traceable to exposure of untreated †entertainment† programmes given by TV apart from the educatinal inputs! Like that our adoration for the modern knowledge gained from the west, had made us adopt their other life styles as well to the detriment of society. So the demerits have been devastating as we see from the increase of family courts to deal with increasing divorce cases, the skewed development of trade and industy at the cost of other primary enterprises, policy of social divide by politicians for vote bank advantage etc! In my opinion, we had paid a heavy price for all the technological good we received from the west, by our own unwise emulation of their social perceptions and political strategies as well! have a good day! TRADITIONAL CULTURE AND MODERNIZATION R. BALASUBRAMANIAN BACKGROUND This paper focuses upon three issues. First, I want to show that the perennial elements in traditional cultures like those of India and China are  relevant even today as they play an important role in the achievement, on the one hand, of harmony between the individual and society at the social level, and, on the other hand, of harmony of spirit, mind, and body at the individual level. Second, we should not lose sight of the distinction between knowledge and information, between wisdom and knowledge, and more importantly between life and living. The perennial elements in the traditional culture have helped us to care for life, knowledge, and wisdom, which are essential for spiritual development. Third, modernization as interpreted by the West has a narrow connotation and is, therefore, a distorted concept. Through science, it brings in the colonial attitude, the imperialism of the West. It is possible for one to be modern without accepting all that is implied by modernization. Culture, which comprises philosophy and religion, art and literature, science and technology, social organization and political administration, is the mirror of the theory and practice of a people. It is originated, developed and sustained by the people over a period of time. In turn, the perennial elements which constitute its core inspire and sustain the posterity to whom it is transmitted from time to time. Traditional cultures like those of China and India are undoubtedly ancient, but not antiquated; their ideals and practices, which are relevant in any situation, help the people to meet the new challenges which surface from time to time. As a result they not only survive, but are admired, adored, and accepted by the people. There cannot be a better explanation of the way a culture is able to hold the people and sustain them than the one given by Sri Aurobindo: The culture of a people may be roughly described as the expression of a consciousness of life which formulates itself in three aspects. There is a side of thought, of ideal, of upward will and the soul’s aspiration; there is a side of creative self-expression and appreciative aesthesis, intelligence, and imagination; and there is a side of practical and outward formulation. A people’s philosophy and higher thinking give us its mind’s purest, largest, and most general formulation of its consciousness of life and its dynamic view of existence. Its religion formulates the most intense form of its upward will and the soul’s aspirations towards the fulfillment of its highest ideal and impulse. Its art, poetry, literature provide for us the creative expression and impression of its intuition, imagination, vital turn and creative  intelligence. Its society and politics provide in their forms an outward frame in which the more external life works out what it can of its inspiring ideal and of its special character and nature under the difficulties of the environment. We can see how much it has taken of the crude material of living, what it has done with it, how it has shaped as much of it as possible into some reflection of its guarding consciousness and deeper spirit. None of them express the whole spirit behind, but they derive from it their main ideas and their cultural character. Together they make up its soul, mind, and body.1 Of the various components of culture the role of philosophy and religion is significant. Philosophy and religion can never be separated though they can be distinguished. It may be that in a particular culture, philosophy is in the forefront and religion in the background. It can also be the other way with religion at the surface and philosophy in the background. The point to be noted here is that philosophy and religion interact with, and influence each other. Philosophy is made dynamic by religion, and religion is enlightened by philosophy. If it is admitted that there is the need for a unity of theory and practice, p hilosophy cannot remain merely as a view of life; it must also be a way of life. In other words, philosophy has to become religious if it is to mold, organize and regulate life. Religion is not an untouchable; its need for life can neither be ignored nor underestimated. It will be helpful to contrast the pursuit of philosophy in Europe with that in India and China. Unlike the Europe of the Enlightenment where philosophy did not touch life at all, there was a tremendous impact of philosophy on life both in India and China. In the words of Sri Aurobindo: Philosophy has been pursued in Europe with great and noble intellectual results by the highest minds, but very much as a pursuit apart from life, a thing high and splendid, but ineffective. It is remarkable that, while in India and China philosophy has seized hold on life, has had an enormous practical effect on the civilization and got into the very bones of current thought and action, it has never at all succeeded in achieving this importance in Europe. In the days of the Stoics and Epicureans it got a grip, but only among the highly cultured; at the present day, too, we have some renewed tendency of the kind. Nietzsche has had his influence, certain French thinkers also in France, the philosophies of James and Bergson have attracted some amount of public interest; but it is a mere  nothing compared with the effective power of Asiatic philosophy.2 There is no doubt that the average European who draws his guidance not from the philosophic, but from positive and practical reason, puts â€Å"the philosophical treatises on the highest shelf in the library of civilization.† The situation is entirely different in India. Sri Aurobindo says: The Indian mind holds . . . that the Rishi, the thinker, the seer of spiritual truth is the best guide not only of the religious and moral, but [also of] the practical life. The seer, the Rishi is the natural director of society; to the Rishis he attributes the ideals and guiding intuitions of his civilization. Even today he is very ready to give the name to anyone who can give a spiritual truth which helps his life or a formative idea and inspiration which influences religion, ethics, society, even politics.3 The phenomenon known as modernization is a product of the one-sided pursuit of both philosophy and science — philosophy purely as an intellectual affair without any bearing on life and science as the most effective instrument for the possession of unlimited power, eliminating the sacred. I shall take up the problem of modernization later. It may be added here that what is said about the Indian mind is equally true of the Chinese mind. Confucius, Mencius, and others are the great Rishis of China, the seers who exhibited the most uncommon insight into men and matters, into the moral and social problems of human beings. Drawing a distinction between two kinds of philosophers, systematic and edifying, Richard Rorty characterizes Wittgenstein as an edifying philosopher, like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and others. In a brief analysis of the spirit of Western civilization which is fully manifest in the industry, architecture, and music of our time, in its fascism and socialism, Wittgenstein openly admits that he has â€Å"no sympathy for the current of European civilization, that he does not understand its goals, if it has any,† and that â€Å"it is alien and uncongenial† to him.4 He goes on to say: A culture is like a big organization which assigns each of its members a place where he can work in the spirit of the whole; and it is perfectly fair for his power to be measured by the contribution he succeeds in making to the whole enterprise.5 Wittgenstein’s brief explanation of culture requires some elucidation. He says that culture is a whole, that every individual has a place in it, that every individual has to function as a member of the whole, and that what he does is significant socially as well  as morally. The two traditional cultures, Chinese and Indian, have recognized the importance of the ideas embedded in Wittgenstein’s explanation of culture. While the Indian culture appears to be predominantly spiritual and religious, the Chinese culture seems to be basically humanistic, with a clear emphasis on the moral and social dimensions of life. It must be pointed out in this connection that the difference between these two traditional cultures is only at the surface. Since the traditional culture comprehends the total life of a person, it provides a place for the different dimensions of life — spiritual, religious, moral, and social — which can be distinguished, but not separated. The spiritual and religious dimension of life presupposes the moral and social realm ; and the moral and social sphere of life points to the religious and spiritual goals. That the two realms, ethico-social and religio-spiritual, are complementary, has been recognized by both these cultures, even though the Indian culture lays emphasis on the spiritual and religious side of man while the Chinese culture focusses on the ethical and social side of man. The motif of the two cultures is the harmony of spirit, mind, and body; and it is to achieve this harmony that they take care of both realms of life. Once again what Sri Aurobindo says in this connection is worth quoting: A true happiness in this world is the right terrestrial aim of man, and true happiness lies in the finding and maintenance of a natural harmony of spirit, mind, and body. A culture is to be valued to the extent to which it has discovered the right key of this harmony and organized its expressive motives and movements. And a civilization must be judged by the manner in which all its principles, ideas, forms, ways of living work to bring that harmony out, manage its rhythmic play, and secure its continuance or the development of its motives.6 There is need to harmonize the eternal and the temporal, for the spirit works through mind and body, which belong to the temporal; and this is what every great culture has aimed at. There are four components in the traditional culture associated with India and China. They are: (1) the primal Spirit which is the source and support of the universe may be viewed both as transcendent to, and as immanent in, the universe; (2) this Spirit which is immanent in all human beings can be realized by every human being; (3) it lays down a discipline which is both moral and spiritual for realizing the Spirit; and (4) it has provided an organization of the  individual and collective life not only for the sake of the harmony between the individual and society, but also for the sake of the harmony of spirit, mind, and body. Each one of these components needs some explanation in the context of these two cultures. INDIAN CULTURE Though Indian culture as it is today is composite in character, comprising Hindu, Jaina, Buddha, Islamic, and Christian elements, it can be characterized as Vedic culture since not only Hinduism, which is predominant, but also Jainism and Buddhism, which originated in protest against Vedic ritualism, have been influenced by the Vedas, the basic and oldest scriptural text in the world. Islam and Christianity entered the Indian soil consequent on the invasion of India by the foreigners — by the Moghuls in the former case, and by the English, French, and Portuguese in the latter case. Though they try to retain their identity, the followers of these two religious traditions have been influenced by the Vedic culture. Kabir (1398-1518 AD), for example, who is a greatly respected personality in the religious history of India, is a product of both Hinduism and Islam. In recent times, Indian Christians talk about and practice inculturization, which is a new and growing phenomenon. The predominant Hindu culture which has a long and continuous history is the Vedic culture; and the Vedic culture, which has its beginning round about 2500 BC, may be characterized as primal culture, since it traces everything in the universe to the primal Spirit, which is variously called Brahman, Ä€tman, Being, and so on. Spirit or Being is the primal reality. It is that from which all beings arise; being supported by it, they exist; and all of them move towards it as their destination. In the language of T.S. Eliot, the beginning is the end. The Upanisad says: That, verily, from which these beings are born, that by which, when born, they live, that into which, when departing, they enter. That, seek to know. That is Brahman.7 Spirit or Brahman is primal in the sense that it is foundational. It is the sole reality; it is one and non-dual; and there is nothing else beside it. It is spoken of as the First Cause, Unmoved Mover, of the entire manifest universe. With a view to bring o ut the independent nature of the primal Spirit on which the manifest universe is dependent, it is referred to as the Ground. That which is independent is real; what is dependent is an appearance. The ground-grounded  relation brings out the reality of Spirit and the appearance of the universe. Ordinarily we distinguish the material cause from the efficient cause; the one is different from the other. The wood from which a table is made is the material cause; and the carpenter who works on the wood and makes a table according to a certain design is the efficient cause. The carpenter is different from the wood. What makes the primal Spirit unique is that it is both the material and efficient cause of the universe, because it alone existed in the beginning and nothing else beside it. Like wood, it is the material cause of the world; and like a carpenter, it is the efficient cause of the world. So, the Vedic culture traces all beings, living as well as non-living, to one source, viz. Spirit or Being. It may be pointed out here that in recent times quantum physics attempts to trace everything in the manifest universe to one source which is non-material or spiritual. Einstein declared: Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the Laws of the Universe — a Spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we, with our modest powers, must feel humble.8 That Spirit or Brahman is the source, support, and end of everything in the universe, is the major premise of the Vedic culture. Derived from the major premise are two minor premises, one relating to living beings called jÄ «va and the other, to non-living beings called jagat. Since Spirit or Brahman is immanent in jÄ «va and jagat, neither jÄ «va nor jagat is isolated from the primal Spirit. It means that all living beings, whatever the y may be — humans, animals, birds, reptiles, and so on — are spiritual or divine. Non-living beings which are material constitute the physical universe. They are the products of the five elements — ether, air, fire, water and earth — which are material. The divine principle is present not only in living beings, but also in non-living beings, and so they are also divine. Characterizing Brahman as the indwelling Spirit (antaryÄ min), the BrhadÄ nrayaka Upanisad says that Brahman is present in all beings — the sun, the moon, and the stars, the elements which constitute the physical universe, and the organs of the jÄ «vas. Just as our body does not know the Spirit inside it, even so the beings, whatever they may be, do not know Brahman, the indwelling Spirit in them. The following text is relevant here: He [Brahman or Spirit] who dwells in all beings, yet is within all beings, whom no beings know, whose body is  all beings, who controls all beings from within, he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal.9 That which dwells in material objects and controls them also dwells in all living beings and contr ols them. Just as all living beings are essentially divine, even so the entire physical universe is essentially divine. Whatever may be the differences among the species and within the individual members of a species, all are essentially one, because one and the same divine Spirit is present in all of them. The message conveyed by these two minor premises of the traditional culture deserves careful consideration. First of all, if the land and the water and the sky of the physical universe are divine, then we should take care of them in the same way as we take care of our body. The claim that human beings are rational, that they are superior to the physical world, and that they are, in the words of Descartes, the â€Å"masters and possessors of nature† resulted in the unscrupulous, cruel, and destructive despoliation of nature in the name of the quest for knowledge, scientific development, and technological progress. It is not nature that is red in tooth and claw, but the human being who is unabashedly selfish and blatantly aggressive and makes nature bleed and scorch. Fortunately for us, there is a global awakening to the significance of the earth and the water and the sky as sources of sustenance and nourishment. Secondly, the application of this principle of the oneness to the human realm is of great consequence. The understanding that all human beings are essentially one and that differences of color and caste, of gender and race, of sharpness and dullness of mind, and so on are due to the mind-sense-body adjunct by which the Spirit is enclosed will help us to tackle the universally rampant problem of discrimination of all kinds — social, religious, economic, and political. VedÄ ntic philosophy, which is an important component of culture, tells us what a human being is, does, and should do in order to achieve the harmony of spirit, mind, and body. A human being (jÄ «va) is a complex entity consisting of Spirit and matter. The term used in VedÄ nta for Spirit is the Self or Ä€tman. Matter which is totally different from the Self i s referred to as not-Self, as other-than-the-Self. According to VedÄ nta, the not-Self, which is the material outfit of the human being, is made up of the mind, the senses, and the body. The Self in the human being requires a physical medium for its involvement in the day-to-day life as the subject of knowledge, the  agent of action, and the enjoyer of the consequences of action. The mind and the senses are the cognitive instruments. With the help of the mind, the five senses give us knowledge of the things of the external world. The work of the mind does not stop with the cognitive support it gives to the senses. As the internal organ (antahkaraa), the mind generates the knowledge of the subjective states such as pleasure and pain. It also does something more, which is very important from the moral and spiritual perspectives. It gives us knowledge of the right and the wrong, dharma and adharma as they are called. When chastened by the moral and spiritual discipline, it is the mind which helps us to realize the primal Spirit or Brahman. So the work of the mind is manifold. The mind is the most marvelous instrument that a human being possesses. The emergence of the mind has not only accelerated the evolutionary process in its upward movement, but also has given enormous powers to the human being, making him/her the crown of creation, unique among all living beings. In the course of his commentary on the scriptural account of the creation of the world, Sankara raises the question about the preeminence of the human being among all creatures and answers it by saying that the human being is preeminent because he alone is qualified for knowledge and the performance of prescribed duties (jnÄ na-karma-adhikÄ rah).10 Why is it that he alone has this competence? Sankara justifies the supremacy of the human on three grounds. First, he has the ability for acquiring knowledge not only of the things of the world, but also of the supreme Being, the primal reality. This is because he is equipped with the mind which, being inspired by the Self or Spirit in him is capable of comprehending everything including the highest reality. Secondly, he has the distinctive quality of desiring certain ends as a result of discrimination, deliberation, and choice. Thirdly, when he has consciously chosen an end, he is earnest about it, finds the right means for achieving the end, and persists in it till he reaches the goal. A scriptural text which is quoted by Sankara in this connection says: In man alone is the Self most manifest for he is the best endowed with knowledge. He speaks what he knows; he sees what he knows; he knows what will happen tomorrow; he knows the higher and the lower worlds; he aspires to achieve immortality through perishable things. He is thus endowed (with discrimination) while other beings have consc iousness of hunger and thirst only.11 According to  VedÄ nta, the Self in the human being is eternal, whereas his material outfit, the mind-sense-body complex, is temporal. The birth and death of a human being are connected with, and because of, the body. They are illicitly transferred to the Self with the result that we think of it as perishable and finite. The human being is caught in the cycle of birth and death because of ignorance (avidyÄ ) whose beginning is not known. The empirical journey of the Self through its association with the material adjunct is due to avidyÄ . It is avidyÄ  that pulls down the trans-empirical Self into the empirical realm, superimposes on it, which is non-relational, a relation with matter, and is thus responsible for the â€Å"fall† of the Self. What is above categorization is now categorized and made an object of knowledge; what transcends relation is now explained through the logic of relation; and what is beyond the scope of language is now brought within the grammar of language. Thus, just as a tree and a table are known through perception and other means of knowledge, even so Brahman or the Self, we claim, is known through the scriptural text called Sruti. The trans-relational reality is viewed as characterized by omniscience and other qualities and also as the cause of the world. What is trans-linguistic is now spoken of as real, knowledge, infinite, and so on. In other words, we employ the categories of substance and attribute, cause and effect, whole and parts for the purpose of understanding the highest reality. It will be of interest in this connection to refer to the views of two influential thinkers from the West — one belonging to the pre-sixth century and the other our own contemporary. Pseudo-Dionysius, who occupies an important place in the history of Western spirituality, observes: [The supreme reality] is neither perceived nor is it perceptible. It suffers neither disorder nor disturbance and is overwhelmed by no earthly passion. . . . It endures no deprivation of light. It passes through no change, decay, division, loss, no ebb and flow, nothing of which the senses may be aware. None of all this can either be identified with it nor attributed to it.12 Again, he says: It falls neither within the predicate of non-being nor of being. Existing beings do not know it as it actually is and it does not know them as they are. There is no speaking of it, nor name, nor knowledge of it. Darkness and light, error and truth — it is none of these. It is beyond assertion and  denial. We make assertions and denials of what is next to it, but never of it, for it is both beyond every assertion, being the perfect and unique cause of all things, and, by virtue of its preeminently simple and absolute nature, free of every limitation, beyond every limitation; it is also beyond every denial.13 Pseudo-Dionysius conveys in the most unambiguous terms the VedÄ ntic conception of Brahman or the Self. Instead of terms such as Brahman or the Self used by the VedÄ ntin, Wittgenstein uses terms such as the â€Å"metaphysical subject,† the â€Å"I,† the â€Å"philosophical ‘I’ † and contrasts it with the â€Å"body.† The human body, he says, is a part of the world among other parts, but the Self or the philosophical â€Å"I† is not a part of the world; it is outside the space-time-cause world. In the words of Wittgenstein: The subject does not belong to the world, but is a border of the world.14 The philosophical â€Å"I† is not the human being, not the human body, or the human soul of which psychology treats, but the metaphysical subject, the border — not a part — of the world.15 What is obvious from the foregoing account is that we have to make a distinction between two concepts, Brahman-in-itself and Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world, for the purpose of analysis. The latter concept is meaningful only on the presupposition of the fall of Brahman or the Self. When did this fall take place? No one knows, and no one can answer. Once there is the fall, the empirical journey of the Self goes on in different forms, conditioned by the space-time-cause framework. However, the promise of VedÄ nta is that the empirical journey of the lÄ «va can be put an end to, that the vicious cycle of birth and death can be broken by destroying avidyÄ  through knowledge of one’s Self. That is why there is the scriptural instruction of â€Å"Know thy Self.† Not only does scripture say that the Self should be realized or seen, but it also suggests the means for realizing it. It will be difficult to understand the full significance of the distinction between Brahman-in-itself and Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world without a reference to the principle of standpoints which is enshrined in Indian culture. There are two sets of features, perennial and temporal, in Indian culture which contribute to its continuity as well as its change. While the basic doctrines constitute its perennial dimension, religious practices covering a wide range are temporal and transitory. Decadence sets in when the temporal and transitory features gain importance almost to the point of ignoring or sidetracking the  perennial features. Historical, social, and political changes call for modification, sometimes radical, sometimes minor, in the religious practices and social norms of the people, while the basic doctrinal side remains intact. Continuity of the essentials amidst the changing flow of life helps to preserve the cultural tradition. The essential structure which has endured through the vicissitudes of time contains the basic doctrines as stated in the major premise and the two minor premises to which reference was made earlier. The three basic doctrines are: primal Being or Spirit is the source, support, and end of everything, sentient as well as non-sentient; all living beings are divine; also, the physical universe which has originated from the primal Spirit is spiritual. The monistic vision, which is pervasive in the Vedic corpus, is a notable feature of Indian culture. The doctrine of levels or standpoints skillfully adopted by Indian culture helps to reconcile monism and polytheism as well as monism and pluralism. Though each pair contains two extremes in the religio-philosophical thinking, they have been accommodated as different standpoints at different levels. They are irreconcilable only when they are placed together at the same level. For example, one of the oft-quoted hymns of the Rg-veda provides a clue for reconciling the problem of one Godhead and many gods and goddesses. It says: â€Å"What is but one, wise people call by different names — as Agni, Yama, MÄ tarisvan.†16 Reference to gods, such as, Agni and Yama may be replaced by the well known gods of the Hindu pantheon such as Siva, Visnu, Sakti, and so on. Sankara explains the distinction between the supreme Godhead and its various forms such as Siva, Visnu, and so on, as the distinction between the â€Å"unconditioned† reality, what we referred to as Brahman-in-itself, and its â€Å"conditioned† forms such as Siva and Visnu, all of which can be brought under Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world. _iva, Viu, and other gods are conditioned beings endowed with a name and a form and other qualities, whereas the One is unconditioned, devoid of name and form, specifications and qualities and is, therefore, trans-empirical, trans-relational, and trans-linguistic. This mode of drawing the distinction between the supreme Godhead and its many forms for the purpose of worship and other religious practices of the devotees, which is unheard of in other religious traditions of other cultures, is of great consequence in the religious practice of the people.  Since it is the one reality that is worshipped in many forms such as Agni, Siva, and so on, one who worships Agni or Siva, should not quarrel with one who worships Yama or Visnu, because Agni, Yama, Siva, and Visnu are the conditioned aspects of the same reality. This significant idea of the Rg-Vedic hymn was accepted, fully elaborated, and further deepened by the Upanisads. It provides a theoretical framework for religious harmony, which is one of the characteristic features of primal culture and which has received special emphasis right from the beginning till this day. What makes primal culture valid for all times and in all places is its inclusiveness. It includes everything by providing a place for it in the whole. Religious, social, economic, scientific, and political activities are necessary and meaningful; but they must be made subservient to, and must be viewed and judged in the context of the spiritual goal of life. A culture which is mainly concerned with the bare economic necessities of life, social institutions, and political organization will be neither enduring nor elevating; it may look energetic and enterprising, but it is not worth the name, if it is not geared up to the spiritual side of life. Once again, what Sri Aurobindo says is worth quoting here: A mere intellectual, ethical, and aesthetic culture does not go back to the inmost truth of the spirit; it is still an ignorance, an incomplete, outward, and superficial knowledge. To have made the discovery of our deepest being and hidden spiritual nature is the first necessity and to have erected the living of an inmost spiritual life into the aim of existence is the characteristic sign of a spiritual culture. 17 The VedÄ nta philosophy solves the problem of monism versus pluralism on the basis of the distinction between two levels or standpoints called pÄ ramÄ rthika and vyÄ vahÄ rika, or absolute and relative respectively. The Upanisads make use of this distinction in the explanation of the epistemological, metaphysical, axiological, and soteriological problems. What is true at one level may not be so at another level. A dream-lion which is accepted as real in dream experience loses its reality at the waking level. What is accepted as a value at one time may turn out to be a disvalue at another time. The pluralistic universe which is accepted as real may cease to exist in the state of liberation following the spiritual ascent. The pÄ ramÄ rthika or absolute standpoint is higher, whereas the vyÄ vahÄ rika or the relative standpoint is lower. It must be borne in mind that the  higher standpoint which transcends the lower does not invalidate it. One who has moved from th e relative to the absolute standpoint knows the truth of the former; but one who is tied to the relative standpoint cannot understand the truth of the absolute standpoint. Consider the case of two persons who attempt to climb up a mountain in order to reach the highest peak. While one of them reaches the top, the other, due to some disability, is not able to proceed beyond the foothill. The person who has reached the summit knows what kind of experience is available to one at the foothill; but one who is at the foothill does not understand the kind of experience one has at the top. We have to apply this logic to the different kinds of experience without subverting the pÄ ramÄ rthika-vyÄ vahÄ rika hierarchy. The Upanisads describe the two levels as signifying higher wisdom and lower knowledge. Experience of plurality is quite common; it is quite natural; we have it in our daily life. No special effort or discipline is required for such an experience. But experience of oneness is uncommon. One does not get it without special effort or appropriate discipline. The transition is from the common to the uncommon. A text of the BrhadÄ rayaka Upanisad describes the two levels of experience as follows: For, where there is duality as it were, there one sees the other, one smells the other, one knows the other. . . . But, where everything has become just one’s own self, by what and whom should one smell, by what and whom should one know?18 Without disregarding the pragmatic value of day-to-day empirical knowledge, primal culture emphasizes the importance of higher wisdom. It will be of interest to quote Wittgenstein in this connection. He says: In religion every level of devoutness must have its appropriate form of expression which has no sense at a lower level. This doctrine, which means something at a higher level, is null and void for someone who is still at the lower level; he can only understand it wrongly and so these words are not valid for such a person. For instance, at my level the Pauline doctrine of predestination is ugly, nonsense, irreligiousness. Hence it is not suitable for me, since the only use I could make of the picture I am offered would be a wrong one. If it is a good and godly picture, then it is so for someone at a quite different level, who must use it in his life in a way completely different from anything that would be possible for me.19 The teaching of the VedÄ nta philosophy is positive. According to it, life in this world is meaningful  and purposive — meaningful for the reason that it serves as the training ground for one’s spiritual uplifting through the proper use of the objects of the world by the mind-sense-body equipment of which one is in possession, and purposive as one has to achieve freedom or liberation by overcoming the existential predicament. Freedom or liberation which is projected as the goal must be understood in the spiritual sense. It is true that human life is made difficult by economic constraints, political oppression, social hierarchy, and religious discrimination; and a situation of this kind points to, and calls for, freedom of different kinds so that a person can exist and function as a moral agent enjoying economic, political, social and religious freedom. However, the goal of life remains unfulfilled in spite of these different kinds of freedom. Though they are necessary, they are not sufficient. The highest freedom which is eternal and totally satisfying is spiritual freedom, which is called moksa in Indian culture. A socio-political system may ensure political freedom, social justice, economic satisfaction, and unrestricted religious practice; but still there is no guarantee of harmony of spirit, mind, and body which one can achieve only through the teaching of philosophy and religion. The socio-political machinery cannot be a substitute for religion and philosophy, though it can and should maintain a system of rights and obligations in which alone a human being can lead a moral life as formulated in religion and can pursue the goal of liberation as projected by philosophy. Sri Aurobindo says: The whole aim of a great culture is to lift man up to something which at first he is not, to lead him to knowledge though he starts from an unfathomable ignorance, to teach him to live by reason, though actually he lives much more by his unreason, by the law of good and unity, though he is now full of evil and discord, by a law of beauty and harmony, though his actual life is a repulsive muddle of ugliness and jarring barbarisms, by some law of his spirit, though at present he is egoistic, material, unspiritual, engrossed by the needs and desires of his physical being. If a civilization has not any of these aims, it can hardly at all be said to have a culture and certainly in no sense a great and noble culture. But the last of these aims, as conceived by ancient India, is the highest of all because it includes and surpasses all the others. To have made this attempt is to have ennobled the life of the race; to have failed in it is better than if it had never at all   been attempted; to have achieved even a partial success is a great contribution to the future possibilities of the human being.20 Excepting the CÄ rvÄ ka, which advocates a thoroughgoing materialism, all other philosophical systems in India accept the ideal of moksa. The Indian mind, right from the beginning, has accepted a hierarchy of values, ranging from the bodily and economic values at the bottom to the spiritual values of which liberation is at the top. The human being leads his life at two levels — organic and hyper-organic. Bodily and economic values which he pursues belong to the organic level. In so far as the pursuit of the organic values is concerned — values which are necessary for life preservation — his life and activities are in no way different from those of animals; at this level, hunger and sleep, shelter and sex are common to man and animals. Endowed as he is not only with the body, but also with the mind, he also lives at another level, pursuing higher values such as truth, beauty, goodness. The life-activity of man which is fully reflective of his cognition, desire, deliberation, and choice cannot stop short of the highest value called moksa. It is not necessary here to discuss the broad scheme of values accepted in the Indian tradition. Suffice it to say that, though artha and kÄ ma, which emphasize the importance of the material and hedonistic side of life, have been accommodated in the scheme of values, the moral and spiritual side of life has received special attention in Indian culture. That is why it has accepted two higher values, dharma and moksa, the former functioning as a moral guide, and also as a regulative principle of artha and kÄ ma pursued in our secular life, for the realization of the latter. All the philosophical systems, Vedic as well as non-Vedic, hold the view that moksa as the highest value is both ultimate and all-satisfying — ultimate since there is nothing else to which it can be the means, and all-satisfying since it comprehends all the higher values. Sankara says that one gets the feeling of the fulfillment of all values when one attains moksa.21 There are three questions that we have to consider in connection with the ultimate value. The first one is whether it can be realized at all. There is the view that the ultimate value is only an ideal to inspire and regulate our conduct and that it can never be attained. We can regulate our life so as to come nearer to it from time to time, from stage to stage; but we can never reach it. Suc h a view is untenable. Also, it goes against the spirit of Indian  culture. Realization of one’s true nature is liberation. We have already pointed out that the human being is a complex entity consisting of Spirit and matter. Spirit by its very nature is ever free and never bound. But it appears to be bound because of the material adjunct with which it is associated in the empirical life. Overwhelmed by ignorance, the human being does not realize that he is essentially Spirit and therefore free. When he attains the right knowledge and knows his real nature, he is no more under the limitation or bondage of the psycho-physical material outfit, because ignorance which conceals his real nature is removed by knowledge. It means that the ideal of moksa has a basis in the very constitution of the human being; also, the human being, not being satisfied with the material achievements, what the Upanisad calls preyas, longs for spiritual freedom, which is called Sreyas. The Upanisad says: Both the good and the pleasant approach a man. The wise man, pondering over them, discriminates. The wise chooses the good in preference to the pleasant. The simple-minded, for the sake of worldly well-being, prefers the pleasant.22 One cannot have both Sreyas and preyas. The pursuit of the former requires the renunciation of the latter. Spiritual illumination follows purgation. Speaking about the importance of the ideal and its close relation to human nature, Hiriyanna observes: Ideals are rooted in needs inherent in human nature. It is their reality that constitutes their true charm. Take this charm from them, and they reduce themselves but to pleasant fantasy. The reality of such a value may not be vouched for by common reasoning. But we should remember that neither is there any adequate proof for denying it. Not to admit the ideal would therefore be to be dogmatic in the sense that we deny it without adequate proof for the denial.23 The second question is wheth er the ideal of moksa can be realized by all. Here also the great philosophical traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, are unanimous in their affirmative answer. There is nothing in human nature which either disqualifies or incapacitates him from attaining this ideal. Whatever may be the differences among human beings at the bodily, vital, and mental levels, everyone has the right and duty to aspire for the highest value by virtue of what he/she is. As every human being is endowed with the mind, the most precious and unequalled instrument through which one can look before and after, know the things given to him, and choose from them after  discrimination and deliberation, he is not in any way incapacitated from pursuing the ultimate value. Indian culture looks down on the doctrine of the chosen few. Since ignorance is the obstacle that stands in the way of realizing one’s divine nature, realizing one’s Spirit, which is liberation, it can be removed by knowledge which anyone can acquire through moral and spi ritual discipline. The philosophy of VedÄ nta, according to which every human being is divine, is opposed to the theory of privilege — of birth, intellect, spirituality, etc. It is anti-hierarchical. In everyone there is a sleeping Buddha, a hidden Brahman, to which everyone can have access. That the doors to the spiritual realm do not remain closed to anyone is conveyed in a forthright manner by Sri Aurobindo: A wider spiritual culture must recognize that the Spirit is not only the highest and inmost thing, but all is manifestation and creation of the Spirit. It must have a wider outlook, a more embracing range of applicability and, even, a more aspiring and ambitious aim of its endeavor. Its aim must be not only to raise to inaccessible heights the few elect, but to draw all men and all life and the whole human being upward, to spiritualize life and in the end to divinize human nature. Not only must it be able to lay hold on his deepest individual being, but to inspire, too, his communal existence. It must turn, by a spiritual change, all the members of his ignorance into members of the knowledge; it must transmute all the instruments of the human into instruments of a divine living. The total movement of Indian spirituality is towards this aim. 24 The third question, whether the ultimate value can be realized here in this life or only hereafter, is answered in two different ways. Some philosophical systems maintain that the proper preparation that a person undertakes for achieving this end will help him to realize it only after death, whereas some other systems hold the view that it can be realized in this life itself, if one follows the prescribed moral and spiritual discipline. The former view is called the eschatological conception of moksa while the latter is known as lÄ «van-mukti. â€Å"LÄ «van-mukti† means liberation-in-life. The person who has attained enlightenment or wisdom is free even while he is in the embodied condition. It is not necessary to discuss these two views of moksa in detail. It may be pointed out here that the view that it is possible to overcome bondage and attain liberation here and now deepens the significance of the present life. A  lÄ «van-mukta does not run away from society. He l ives in society for the benefit of others; when he is engaged in activities, he has no sense of â€Å"I† and â€Å"mine†; his activities, that is to say, are impersonal. Also, he imparts spiritual instruction to others, for, having realized the truth, he alone is competent to do this. The life of a lÄ «van-mukta, as portrayed in the Hindu tradition, is comparable to that of a Bodhi-sattva as explained in the MahÄ yÄ na tradition. The ideal of life goes beyond self-perfection; it also includes work for the universal good. According to the Indian tradition, knowledge is different from information, and wisdom is different from knowledge. We may say that information, knowledge, and wisdom constitute a hierarchy. To know a thing is to know it in a determinate way, as such-and-such — as a substance possessing qualities, as a whole consisting of parts, as the cause or effect of something, and so on. Every object has two kinds of relations, internal and external. A lump of clay, for example, is internally related to its color, its parts of which it is made. It is also externally related to the ground on which it is placed, its immediate surroundings, and so on. No object remains isolated from other things; on the contrary, it has a network of relations with other things in such a way that it is what it is because of other things. When the poet says that, to know a flower seen in a crannied wall, one must know the plant, root and all, and also the wall, its location, and so on, he draws our attention to the fact that every object is an integral part of the cosmic system and that, to get an insight into the nature of a thing, one must know the whole of which it is an integral part. Bits of information do not constitute knowledge. Piecemeal information about the roots, the trunk, and the branches of a tree cannot be viewed as the knowledge of a tree. Just as knowledge is different from information, even so wisdom is different from knowledge. Though knowledge is superior to information, it cannot be a substitute for wisdom. The Vedic tradition draws a distinction between two kinds of knowledge, higher (parÄ ) and lower (aparÄ ).