See attachment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

See attachment - Research Paper Example The quintessence of a modern man is presented by the poet while describing the loneliness and the hesitancy of the urban denizen, Prufrock. The apprehensions of a solitary man amidst the modern society are visible in the thoughts of Alfred Prufrock. Alfred intends to express his love but the thoughts of the modern society are so disconcerting for him, so much it prevents him from doing so. â€Å"Do I dare Disturb the universe?† (Eliot, lines 44-45). These words by Prufrock reveal his fears, when he compares his social circle with the universe. For him, disturbing the society with which he is not acquainted well is equal to disquieting the universe. How the society will react to his expression of love? This query is forestalling him from taking a firm decision. Another aspect that is perturbing him is his looks. He is worried by his appearance, according to which the modern society judges a person. â€Å"He becomes self- conscious of his appearance; his baldness and his lean frame.† (Matheikal 122). That is, he is under the impression or opinion that due to baldness and thin hands as well as legs, people wo uld not take him seriously and with attention. â€Å"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—[They will say: "How his hair is growing thin!"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!"]†. (Eliot, Lines 39-43)†. Thus, the modern man is more concerned about how the society perceives him physically, rather than his own views. Prufrock also behaves in the manner, expected from him by the society, without bringing out his own views. He is leading his life according to the expectations of the society. In an attempt to please the society, the modern man has become more apprehensive about his outward appearances rather than his true self. Prufrock also envisages himself through the opinion of the society, which is superficial, and in the process suppressing his identity. In the poem, the urban residents are so engrossed

How Knowledge Is Generated

How Knowledge Is Generated Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. Obliquely, the statement defines knowledge as of an Idea which may be achieved from the mind, but something of pre-existing idea its not. Knowledge can be generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. would be a statement of which knowledge is defined as of something that may be discovered through the interaction of both creative and critical thinking. According to Khalil Gibran, No man can reveal to you nothing but that which already lies half-asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. May knowledge be defined as of something to be discovered but is else generated through the engagement of ones mind and a notion? Assume that one might discover an idea. Is it of being in conscious of specific pre-existing concept? Knowledge may be discovered by being aware of certain idea; this requires the application of both critical and creative thinking. Critical thinking may achieve certain level of understanding; creative thinking motivates an idea of an understanding of pre-existing concept. Both creative and critical thinking are necessary to generate a ripe understanding of knowledge. Knowledge requires the well understanding of its concept and basis. According to Plato, The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant. Based on the statement specified above, knowledge is achieved by the engagement of all ways of knowing which include; language, emotions, perception, and reasoning. But as of something that exists before the finding; could the origin of knowledge be of nothing, but all the ways of knowing be defined as of the tools required for the discovery and exploration? But if knowledge itself is generated through the ways of knowing, it may as well be defined as its product; hence the ways of knowing may as well be its limit. This is influenced by the understanding of knowledge itself, as whether it is something that is produced or discovered. But may one that is discovered be produced or is it that one that is produced be discovered? The understanding of knowledge and its origin through, or by the ways of knowing requires a process of intricacy and qualms. By the ways of knowing we note that knowledge is to some extent, linked or explored in ones mind in a meticulously abstract way. The process of learning requires the ways of knowing as the tools which are obligatory to generate or discover knowledge, either way knowledge is involved and in function. The way in which knowledge is expressed or explored is in variety to the ways of knowing, these are explored in diverse subjects and ideas which are of the product of knowledge itself. This includes the contribution of the ways of knowing in the areas of knowledge. The areas of knowledge apply the understanding of assured knowledge and concept in both practical and theoretical studies and understanding. The general extent of knowledge is to which it may be classified. A way of knowing may be understood as a concept of dominance in specified areas of knowledge. As for instance; Science is the study of natural theoretical concept to which life and its function may be measured. The application of both creative and critical thinking is necessary as the presence of an idea or theory requires inventive aptitude which is generated generally through creative thinking. An Idea will be actualized or generally accepted only through the well thought of critical thinking, whilst in unison; doubts and uncertainties are argued. According to John F. Kennedy, The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. The concept or theory is but only to be understood through the engagement of both creative and critical thinking. Further understanding of the implementation of knowledge may be discussed over subject such as art and music. Generally, these subjects require the well implication of creative thinking. According to William Pollard, Without chang e there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. As imaginative matters are fashioned, the work of true artist requires creativity. As of critical thinking may define the term creative itself, it may as well be in function of analyzing the extent to which according to man is exquisite. Both creative and critical thinking are the quality to which the value of knowledge may be measured. This links the function of both creative and critical thinking to the areas of knowledge. The extent to which knowledge is said to be necessary in the areas of knowledge may be hesitated. But if knowledge is of pre existing concepts and ideas; may both creative and critical thinking be defined as the mutual connection between man and knowledge? As it may seemed if assumed, the ways of knowing be only the way in which we relate to knowledge. To that extent may knowledge be defined as an entity to which the ways knowing is redundant to its origin. This may explain the needles of both creative and critical thinking in the areas of knowledge. But if thoughts be defined as of the connection between man and concepts it may as well be assumed, that it is required in exploring the areas of knowledge, that to generate knowledge may be understood as to generate knowledge in ones mind or conscience. The implication in the statement above may be of an abstract idea of subjective interpretation or perception of the term itself. The understanding of the statement itself may define knowledge subjectively according to ones awareness. The elucidation of knowledge itself is vague and does not entirely utter a statement of absolute meaning. The statement itself spares subjectivity to be applied in communicating its gist. By stating that knowledge is generated from the engagement of critical and creative thinking, knowledge may be conveyed as something that is generated from the mind. As the statement remains unclear of the idea of knowledge itself, it may as well be supposed that the only known definition of knowledge in the statement is to that of the subjective understanding of ones. As it is read and possibly understood, the statement may denote an account to which one might find it different from anothers construal. May the statement define itself as of the subjectivity signification of many? For nothing must be signified identically to all but at the same time, one shares the common thoughts of many. According to Oscar Wilde, Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation. This may be both the limit and the addition to the understanding of the statement. The knowledge to what we understood may be the significant elucidation to one but many as well. Ultimately knowledge may be kept a secret to which we tolerate and seek without expecting any answer, for what we are seeking is ever perhaps be forever amid the thought of ours. It is only human to wish to validate our prior knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In the process of satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and opportunity.- Daniel J. Kurland. But subjectivity itself is that what parts us as diverse individuals. Bibliography and recourses: http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_thinking.htm http://thinkexist.com/.html http://xmltwo.ibo.org/dp2006-03/dp_x_tokxx_guu_0603_1_e/9

E-commerce Essay -- Business and Management Studies

E-commerce Explain what is meant by the term ‘E-commerce’. It is the conducting of business communication and transactions over networks and through computers. As most restrictively defined, electronic commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services, and the transfer of funds, through digital communications. However EC also includes all inter-company and intra-company functions (such as marketing, finance, manufacturing, selling, and negotiation) that enable commerce and use electronic mail, EDI, file transfer, fax, video conferencing, workflow, or interaction with a remote computer. Electronic commerce also includes buying and selling over the Web, electronic funds transfer, smart cards, digital cash (e.g. Mondex), and all other ways of doing business over digital networks. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of E- Commerce information systems. Both the consumer and the supplier of a product can benefit from when using Electronic Commerce many obvious advantages. The consumer can browse through a whole shopping mall from the comfort of his or her own home, and products can be purchased and delivered right to their home. E-Commerce removes the hassle of crowds and line-ups from the consumer's routine. The supplier has the advantage of keeping their store open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week - without having to hire the staff to maintain it which saves a lot of money which means they can focus on better prices for their products and greater profits. The Internet opens up the customer base widely, allowing many customers the opportunity to view their product. First, businesses can communicate with customers easily. The business can receive and send e-mails from/to customers. This allows customers to quickly get in contact with the business. This can also be done to suppliers is well. This means that the business will forge closer relationships with customers and suppliers. In addition, e-commerce allows customers to look at the businesses products from their home. This means that customers will be able to look or buy the product at any time rather than only when they go shopping. Also with the business being on the internet it will mean that that the business will be able to aim their will be easy to access and that more people can see their product. Moreover, it is said that trad... ... First, careful design of documentation will aid the prevention of unintentional errors in recording and processing. Besides, the accurate processing of a transaction document requires those responsible to carry out the organisation’s procedures correctly. These should be specified in a procedures manual. Furthermore, separation of functions is aimed at preventing fraud. If a single member of staff were to be in charge of carrying out all the procedures connected with a transaction then it would be possible, and might be tempting, for that person to create fraudulent transactions. When these functions are separated and placed in the hands of different individuals, fraud may still be tempting but will be less possible. A business relies on its personnel. So, personnel must be selected and trained effectively to ensure that they are competent to carry out the tasks required of them. Also, physical controls may be used as a preventive measure; avoiding illegal loss of assets such as cash is to exclude staff from unnecessary access to these assets. A range of physical controls may be used to prevent access – locks, safes, and stout doors are obvious methods.

Global Financial Crisis Essay

The global financial crisis started to demonstrate its effects in the mid of 2007 and continued in 2008. Around the world a large number of the financial institutions collapsed, stocks fell and the entire world was under stress. The crisis unraveled in the USA, UK and then spread around the world. This meltdown of the financial systems will affect the lives of almost everyone around the globe. The genesis of the financial crisis was the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgages. Many people defaulted on their repayments of these loans. Basically, a sub-prime mortgage is a type of a loan made to borrowers who do not have a good credit history and are unable to qualify for the high interest rates in the market. It has a diversified product range from mortgages to car loans to credit cards. These loans started out in 2001 when the interest rates were historically lowest in US. At that time, the demand for the real estate was on high because of these low interest rates. The builders kept on investing in the construction of the houses even though the demand for property saw a decline after a while. Due to this huge boom, the property became so over valued that it saw the worse decline in prices in 2006 (University of Iowa, 2008). This made most of the investors and leaders became unwilling to refinance the sub-prime loans and were strict in their policies. This raised the interest payments which some of the investors were unable to afford. Hence more and more people stared defaulting. Around 3. 6 million home owners lost their homes due to the mortgage defaults. There have been around $100 billion worth of Sub-prime mortgage leans defaults from the low-credit worth people. At the same time, the world saw the world stock prices falling in most of the places which made large number hedge funds insignificant. This collapse in demand for the securities which were backing the sub-prime mortgages forced 90 of the firms into declaring bankruptcy (Acharya, 2007). These crises in the sub-prime mortgage and the declining world stock prices led to the global financial crisis in July 2007. Investors had also over indulged themselves in the sophisticated financial instruments such as the derivatives thinking they were reducing the risk associated with the assets. As people started earning money through it, they started taking more risk and hence earning more money. The real problem arose when the market turned towards speculative in nature. This means that with each loss the investor went with more risk to cover up the earlier losses and earn a higher profit. The financial instrument that the bank expected to will reduce its risk created the greatest problems for it. This is how the derivatives became a problem in the current world and one of the causes of the destruction of the banks around the globe (Shah, 2009). This shattered the confidence of the investors. People now did not want to buy the assets or securities but they wanted their money back. Therefore, this created a crisis situation for the investor confidence around the globe. The western economies were also affected by the process of securitization. It is a process by which the financial assets are backed by the real assets through the use of instruments such as the derivatives. The sub-prime mortgages were risky and under rated when compared in isolation but as soon as these loans were gathered together with other debts to diversify risk, they become more attractive and over-rated. Soon when the stocks fell in the international market, most of the securities lost their value. This caused a large deficiency in the capital of the banks and therefore, they were forced to tighten their credit policies around the world. For example: Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008. It was the largest bankruptcy filed in the US history because it held a major share of the assets in the US. Its share value had fallen to less than $1. The bank had given out excess amount of the sub-prime mortgage loans which were backed by securities but it had no way to pay back the depositors. It had started facing severe problems when the credit policy was tightened across the world. Sine they were refused to be bailed out, they had filed for bankruptcy with the US government. This had a direct effect on almost all the banks in the US and abroad that were holding the assets of the Lehman Brothers and hence this caused a ripple effect globally. The whole world was affected with the sub-prime mortgage defaults because the world is a global village now and all the businesses in it are inter-related with each other. The credit housing market had indirectly affected all the other markets around the globe. The lenders developed strict policies for the credit facilities and hence decreasing the consumer spending. Demand for the goods and services decreases, profits declines and hence less investment and production. This leads to the layoffs, less household income and therefore less consumer spending. Due to the financial crisis, it is estimated that approximately 80 million people could be forced to live in poverty. The developing economies will be experiencing slow growth rates due to the decline in the export demand. This is due to the diminishing demand of the goods and services globally (Hodgson, 2007). The world GDP is expected to grow at a rate of 0. 5% which is slowest since World War II. The global financial crisis that unraveled in 2007 did expose some serious flaws in the regulations internationally as well as domestically and the global financial system. The major cause of the global financial meltdown is the weak regulatory mechanisms, inadequate transparency, insufficient competition and poorly designed incentive structures. The banking system in the US is the most unregulated sector of the financial institutions. It could create and sell many diversified products making them look secure and attractive. When the loans were being given out, there was very little risk analysis being done and that also with the imprecise and inaccurate data and models. The strict regulation of the sub-prime mortgage and low interest loans would have reduced the chances of the financial meltdown. In the US there is no notion of a central bank that controls the other financial institutions such as the insurance companies, mortgage banks and banks. The US federal government preferred self regulation of the financial institutions under the rule of Chairman Alan Greenspan. This provided for the relaxed and simple environment where different institutions came together to produce and flood the market with sophisticated and diversified products and made them look very attractive and safe. The investors invested in these banks as they did not have the right information about the negative consequences which were never released. This type of policy does result in growth but at the same time it also results in mismanagement and less control. Most of the firms present in the world were resistant to bring any change in themselves which would otherwise have brought strong competition in the market. The people have now called for better regulation and reforms for the financial sector both internationally and domestically. They want the developing nations to have some voice in the formation of these policies and shaping up the global economy. The simple and well designed policies will be easy to implement. They will protect the financial institutions in the short run and bring innovation and diversification in the products in the long run. The most important is that the banking sector in the USA needs to be regulated heavily by a central bank. They should be regulated in a way that they have the minimum required amount of deposits. The Bank of England deputy governor Sir John Gieve suggests that the capital and the liquidity requirements for the bank should be increased and made stricter along with the tough restraints on the building up of the risk. At the same time, the loans should be made difficult to get in good times. These banks need to provide the investors with the adequate information when they are making their decisions. The rating agencies in USA as well as around the world must have stricter reforms and should be heavily regulated so that they properly rate the assets using appropriate models and data. It is also suggestive that there should be a single international rating agency that will rate the assets worldwide. The IMF and the World Bank reforms will play an important role in the future. They need to go about a structural change in their policies because their â€Å"one fit all solution† was a disaster for the developing economies. They had earlier realized that the financial crisis in the developed world will sweep into the developing world and harm it further. Even then they were unable to find a clear solution. Therefore, they need to change their policies and must include the say of the poorer nation while making the new policies. The international bodies and the banks need to be more transparent in their operations and the enforcement of policies so that there no further objections rose to it (Shah, 2009). References Shiller, R. J. (2008) The Sub-prime Solution, Princeton University Press.Fraser, D. , Gup, B. , and J. Kolari (2007) Commercial Banking: The management of risk, John Wiley & Sons, Australia. Heffernan, S. (2005) Modern Banking, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England. Koch, T. and S. Scott MacDonald (2003) Bank Management, Thomson South Western, OH45040, USA. Laeven, L. and F. Valencia (2008) Systemic Banking Crises: A New Database, International Monetary Fund, Washington. Rose, P. (2002) Commercial Bank Management, McGraw Hill Irwin, Boston. Faber, Marc. â€Å"Gloom & Doom economist: credit crunch will spread. † CNBC 19 May. 2008. Nazar, Yousuf, â€Å"The fall of US financial capitalism. † Dawn 22 September. 2008. Acharya, M. (2007) Credit crunch – the big picture, The Star, http://www. thestar. com/article/247510 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] CNBC, (2007) Gloom & Doom Economist: Credit Crunch Will Spread, http://www. cnbc. com/id/24703745 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Credit Crunch, (2007) Crunch Time for Credit? An Inquiry into the State of the Credit System in the United States and Great Britain, http://www. creditcrunch. co. uk/home/article. php? story=20070905083913327 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] HM Government, http://www. realhelpnow. gov. uk/credit-crunch-causes-why. php [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Hodgson, A. (2007) Global credit crunch: turbulences and outlook, Euro monitor international, http://www. euromonitor. com/Global_credit_crunch_turbulences_and_outlook [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Nazar, Y. (2008) The fall of US financial capitalism, Dawn, http://www. dawn. com/2008/09/22/ebr1. htm [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Gieve, J (2008) Speech, John Gieve: the credit crunch and the UK economy, http://www. bis. org/review/r080924e. pdf [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009]

My Favorite Coat

I have a coat in my mind. Some say it is my favorite coat. Indeed, it is one of a kind. My coat has moods, just as I. The two of us must never part. In the summertime, my coat has my heart. During the fall leaves touch the ground but my coat and I are still around. In the winter when it gets cold, my coat and I never grow old. As spring comes and snow melts away, my coat and I go out to play. Frost wrote, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,’ ‘And sorry I could not travel both’ ‘And be one traveler, long I stood’ ‘And look down one as far as I could’ ‘To where it bent in the undergrowth†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (n.d., The Road Not Taken). So my coat and I looked this road and realized too often the heavy load. I with my burdens all the day and my coat with its colors that sometimes changes from day to day. To understand how much we have gone through, one must know my coat is true. My coat is described in the words below and in the end, my coat and I grow. Description The coat I own is very cozy. It has two pockets on the outside and one on the inside. The coat that I own is in my mind, that keeps me warm all the time. It is made of black leather on a cold winter’s day and lamb skin internal that is what I can say. Pockets are snuggly and warm like hand muffs. The sleeves come down over my wrists, which is an advantage plus. My coat turns brown when the sun glistens through the trees. When it is autumn, the coat color changes in weather that is fair. Brown for the leaves, that fall everywhere. The pockets are lined with silk that is white. One pocket inside, carries my eyesight (glasses). During long hot summers, my coat remains true. It is on these days, it turns a cool shade of blue. The sleeves zip off and I can put them together. At these times, they become my belt. My coat becomes my robe of many colors. Despite the heat, I wear it on. When the sweat comes, it pours down my face. Yet, my coat remains true to its place. In the spring, when birds fill the air, my coat can be seen given me care. My sleeves zip on, during nights I get a chill. The coat of mine warms me at will. It knows my body, snuggling me from shoulder length and then the length goes near my toes. All the years that my coat and I coexist, hardly anyone knows. My favorite coat, whether it is black, brown, or velvet blue; changes with my mood and yet, remains true. This coat of mine is worn everyday. If the sun comes out, it glistens within. No matter what, my coat is a true friend. Summer’s come often and the heat increases. My coat and I do not go to pieces. I am cooled by the cotton within. The coat, itself, never will end. â€Å"What is that†, you ask? Why, being my true friend. Now in the spring, once again, my coat and I often spend. Time together, my favorite coat and I, sit in the park and watch people walk by. Birds still chirp and sing their song. My coat and I listen to expressions that never receive a gong. Conclusion Fall comes and trees are bare. Yet, my coat and I remain in each other’s care. I am warmed all the day. The coat is cleaned whenever I say. Dry cleaners for the best of what my coat has to give. Never, I imply, my cost must live. So by the light of the moon, I take out the coat cleaner. My coat is washed until it looks leaner. Not a speck of dirt, the silk must show. When I wear my coat, we both must glow. In the summer, when the sleeves zip off once again, I remain true to my coat because it is my favorite friend. Frost mentioned, â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh’ ‘Somewhere ages and ages hence:’ ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—‘ ‘I took the one less traveled by,’ ‘And that has made all the difference’† (n.d., The Road Not Taken). Reference Frost, R. (n.d.). Table of Contents: The Road Not Taken. Retrieved February 28, 2007, from Web site: http://www.geocities.com/jnkees/poem1.html#nottaken   

Parent-Teacher Communication Strategies for Success

Parent-Teacher Communication Strategies for Success Maintaining parent-teacher communication throughout the school year is the key to student success. Research has shown that students do better in school when their parent or guardian is involved. Here is a list of ways to keep parents informed with their childs education and encourage them to get involved. Keeping Parents Informed To help open the lines of communication, keep parents involved in everything their child is doing in school. Keep them informed about school events, classroom procedures, educational strategies, assignment dates, behavior, academic progress, or anything school related. Utilize Technology - Technology is a great way to keep parents informed because it allows you to get information out quickly. With a class website you can post assignments, project due dates, events, extended learning opportunities, and explain what educational strategies you are using in the classroom. Providing your email is another quick way to communicate any information about your students progress or behavior issues. Parent Conferences - Face-to-face contact is the best way to communicate with parents and a lot of teachers choose this option as their main way to communicate. Its important to be flexible when scheduling conferences because some parents can only attend before or after school. During the conference its important to discuss academic progress and goals, what the student needs work on, and any concerns the parent has with their child or the education that they are being provided with. Open House - Open house or Back to School Night is another way to keep parents informed and make them feel welcome. Provide each parent with a packet of essential information they will need throughout the school year. Within the packet you can include: contact information, school or class website information, educational objectives for the year, classroom rules, etc. This is also a great time to encourage parents to become classroom volunteers, and share information about parent-teacher organizations that they can participate in. Progress Reports - Progress reports can be sent home weekly, monthly or a few times a year. This way of connecting gives parents tangible evidence of their childs academic progress. Its best to include your contact information in the progress report, just in case parents have any questions or comments about their childs progress. Monthly Newsletter - A newsletter is a simple way to keep parents informed with important information. Within in the newsletter you can include: monthly goals, school events, assignment due dates, extension activities, volunteer opportunities, etc. Getting Parents Involved A great way for parents to get involved in their childs education is to give them the opportunity to volunteer and become involved in school organizations. Some parents may say they are too busy, so make it easy and provide them with a variety of ways to get involved. When you give parents a list of choices, they can decide what works for them and their schedules. Create an Open-Door Policy - For working parents it can be hard to find the time to get involved in their childs education. By creating an open-door policy in your classroom it will give parents the opportunity to help out, or observe their child whenever it is convenient for them. Classroom Volunteers - In the beginning of the school year when you send home your welcome letter to students and parents, add a volunteer sign-up sheet to the packet. Also add it to the weekly or monthly newsletter to give parents the option to volunteer anytime throughout the school year. School Volunteers - There can never be enough eyes and ears to watch over the students. Schools would gladly accept any parent or guardian that would like to volunteer. Give parents the option to choose from any of the following: lunchroom monitor, crossing guard, tutor, library aid, concession stand worker for school events. The opportunities are endless. Parent-Teacher Organizations - A great way for parents to interact with the teacher and school outside of the classroom is to become involved in parent-teacher organizations. This is for the more dedicated parent who has the some extra time to spare. The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is a national organization that is composed of parents and teachers who are dedicated to help maintain and improve student success.

20 Analytical Essay Topics Top Ideas from Cost #038; Management Accounting Reporting System Niche

20 Analytical Essay Topics Top Ideas from Cost #038; Management Accounting Reporting System Niche If you are looking for some example topics to write your analytical essay on cost and management accounting reporting systems, consider these twenty great topics below: The Layout of Primary Accounting Statements Including Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Sheets: Why They Are Necessary The Link between Primary Statements and Trial Balance Reasons Why Adjustments Are Made Including Bad Debt, Depreciation, Accruals, and Prepayments The Difference between Partnership Businesses, Sole Traders, and Limited Companies The Need for Accounting Principles Which Allow for Reliability, Comparability, Relevance, and Understanding in Accounting Details How Various Accounting Concepts Relate to Aspects of Accounting Management The Lifecycle for Fixed Assets from Their Acquisition to Their Disposal, as well as the Depreciation therein Treatment for Revenue and Capital Expenditure as well ws the Differences between Them The Advantages and Disadvantages of Share and Loan Capital The Components to Share Capital and How to Make Accounting Entries for Returns on Capital How to Dissect Financial Statements and Reach Conclusions about the Financial Situation of an Individual Organization How Accounting Ratios React to Different Transactions Why Business Relies upon Accounting Budgets How to Prepare Cash Budgets While Appreciating Business Benefits and Limitations within the Company Forecast Why Rising Finance is Imperative to Business Success and How Businesses Raise Finance How to Recalculate Goodwill for the Retirement and Admission of New Partners How Tools Can Be Used by Accounting Management to Identify Missing Figures How to Prepare Balance Sheets and Trading Profit and Loss Based on Incomplete Business Records How Accounts for Partnerships Differ between Sole Traders, Partnerships, and Limited Companies How to Remove Partners and Add New Partners to Accounts Analytical Essay Sample: The Layout of Primary Accounting Statements Including Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Sheets: Why They Are Necessary Financial statements are the key to business. Every business entity has to deal with financial reports which are the core area to notice. Annual accounts are the most common ones. However, meeting of shareholders takes place quarterly, which decides about the financial statements. Management has to set themselves a pattern according to which they should prepare financial statements. Yearly accounts are suited to most of the companies. However, this is not a set rule. There is an option of preparing quarterly of semi-annually accounts as well. A company has to have a formula which they should apply regarding preparation of financial accounts. Accounting standards are without a doubt a key to look into. SECP has provided many guidelines that must be adhered to. Certain laws and provisions must also be provided for while preparing financial reports. Some of the key financial statements covered include the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of retained earnings and the statement of cash flows. There are two types of layout for a balance sheet. A vertical as well as horizontal layout can be considered. Both approaches to the layout are acceptable, and a company can go for one according to their conventional mode of work. The income statement shows the income generated in the period plus the expenses that were paid for. It gives an exact view of the income present with the company or the entity at the end of the period. Accrual basis of accounting has to be applied in which income is to be recognized in income statement when it is received, and expenses are accounted for when they are incurred, not when they are actually paid for. This way a comprehensive income and expenditure statement are prepared.   Net profit or loss is shown at the end. If income were greater than expenses, then there would be a net profit, and if expenses were bigger, then there would be a net loss to be recognized in the income statement. There are two methods of preparation of income statement being used alternatively.  Single-step and multi-step income statements are the two options. You can follow any one of the mentioned approaches for the preparation of the income statement. Income statement relates to a certain period of activity. Retained earnings are affected by profits with the company. Any payments from the profits such as dividends would decrease the balance of retained earnings, and vice versa. Net loss of the company will have a negative impact on retained earnings and profits and will add to the account of retained earnings. At the end, the final figure is calculated by means of addition and deletion of amounts. The statement of retained earnings provide for changes in the retained earnings from period to period. Consolidated financial statements are also prepared which depicts the events that are to occur over a period of time in the future. The statement of shareholder’s equity is another name for the statement of retained earnings. This statement helps the investors and creditors to conclude about the financial position of the entity. A balance sheet as previously discussed also revolves around the accounting equation. Assets are always equal to liabilities+ owner’s equity. The recognition of the asset or a liability in the financial statements is vital. Fair value recognition is the best method to present a true and fair view of the financial transactions. The statement of cash flows provides an insight about the inflows and outflows of the business. Such inflow or outflow is in monetary value and you can have an idea of what amount of cash has gone out of business, and how much cash business has received for a given period. There are three sections of the statements of cash flows, and you must prepare a statement of cash flow accordingly. 1) operating activities, 2) investing activities and 3) financing activities. The order should be the same as mentioned. You can come across net cash received or paid out on operating, investing and financing activities. At the end, you can sum up all three activities to come up with total cash paid in or out for the given period. Non-cash items are accounted for to come to a genuine and realistic amount of cash in or out for a given period. For example, dividends are cash paid out, but these are not expenses to the business. Such accounting is done in case of the statement of cash flows to come acro ss real cash in or out for the period. References Atkinson, Anthony A.  Management Accounting. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997. Print. Atrill, Peter, and E. J McLaney.  Financial Accounting For Decision Makers. Harlow, England: Pearson Education, 2013. Print. Atrill, Peter, E. J McLaney, and Peter Atrill.  Management Accounting For Decision Makers. New York: Prentice Hall/Financial Times, 2005. Print. Datar, S. M., Rajan, M. V., Horngren, C. T. (2013).  Managerial Accounting: Decision Making and Motivating Performance. Pearson Higher Ed. Drury, Colin.  Management And Cost Accounting. London: Chapman Hall, 1992. Print. Hansen, Don R, and Maryanne M Mowen.  Cost Management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western, 2003. Print. Horngren, Charles T.  Management And Cost Accounting. London: Prentice Hall Europe, 1999. Print.

How to Write an Internship Motivation Essay. 7 Steps

How to Write an Internship Motivation Essay. 7 Steps Internship Motivation Letter Guideline Motivation letter or essay aims to show that you want to work as an intern at school, university or a particular company. It is a great chance to show the potential employer why you are a good fit, giving insight into your personality and aspirations. Such a letter is more profound and thoughtful than a simple CV so it can render more details and information. A good quality motivation essay can distinguish you from other applicants and greatly improve your chances of getting the internship. Apart from a motivation application letter, you may also be asked to write an essay after finishing the internship. Such a letter must be a sort of a report, which reflects your experience, advantages of the company, internship’s impact on your personality and various aspects of life. Here are the most popular topics for personal internship statements: Explain how taking part in our internship meets your academic or career goals; What classes or programs you have taken, what experience you have to make you the best fit for the program; Give an example of situations, when your initiative helped to solve an issue. Almost every topic for an internship essay concentrates on the qualities and experience you have to become the best candidate for the chosen program. Tips for writing an internship essay Internship letters are not that different from other types of application essays. Your main goal is to explain what makes you a good candidate for the program and telling the potential employer about your achievements, academic results, and other important information. In this article, we have prepared a list of the most useful steps for achieving your goals. Step 1 The first sentence of your essay should grab the attention of the reader. Bear in mind that your introduction must intrigue the audience and make them willing to learn more about you. Remember that the potential employer has to read hundreds of essays, so yours must stand out from the first line. For example, start with an example of why you are the best candidate, backing it with numbers or achievements. Step 2 Finish your introductory section with a powerful thesis statement. It is very important because your thesis gives direction to the rest of the letter. It should concentrate on the internship you are willing to have. For example, you want to apply for a medical internship. In such a case your thesis should be as follows: ‘Because of my previous volunteering experience working with injured people and a strong desire to help those in need, I have developed a strong interest in your program. It will help me to improve my compassion and focus-on-details even more.’ Step 3 Don’t focus only on the internship advantages. Try to write at least several sentences about how you can contribute to the company or the university. Tell them what personal treats and experience will improve the place of your internship. Step 4 One of the most common mistakes applicants make is mentioning the same skills, which they have provided in a CV. Of course, it is highly recommended to discuss your strong sides in the essay, but you need to provide new details instead of simply repeating those, which were stated in your CV. Step 5 Not depending on the internship type, its schedule and payment, you must persuade the board that you will treat it with all seriousness, performing all the tasks in the best way. It is crucial to show that you will approach the internship like a real job and persuade the employer that it’s an excellent opportunity to achieve your academic goals and start a career. Step 6 Try to avoid common phrases and clichà ©s. Instead of paraphrasing sentences, you have found on motivation letter examples, try to mention your skills and achievements, which would make you a great intern. Step 7 Pay careful attention to the employer’s guidelines. Most of them provide potential candidates with strict instructions. They may concern formatting of the page, including spacing, word count and margins. It is important to compose your letter according to those demands. If the quantity of words is not stated, then try not to exceed 500 words. It is more than enough to tell about yourself and not to bore the reader.

Small Business Management Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Small Business Management Issues - Essay Example However, the growth of SMEs is mainly hindered by management practices that most SMEs are engaged in which are always found to be inefficient and effective thus reducing chances of getting access to working capital (Beijerse, 2000). The problem of investment readiness by SMEs can largely be attributed to lack of market information and commitment by financial managers to access various sources of finance. According to research, the universal understanding and consciousness of finance options by SMEs is considered to be poor and the major hurdle is poor investment readiness. There are numerous factors that determine investment readiness in SMEs and these include the following: The major factor has always been business attitude to finance. In every SME, the concept of financial management is very crucial and financial managers have to treat it with seriousness. Financial managers therefore have to change their attitudes towards financing issues and proper accountability of financial activities should be a priority to most SMEs in order to be successful in their investments ventures. The other determinant of investment readiness is the financial forecasting aspect of management in organizations. Forecasting of finance involves the financial managers predicting the future revenues of the organization using the current available financial information. The use of reliable forecasting techniques boosts the investment opportunities of SMEs because they will be able to know the amount of funds needed in the future to run the activities of the organization. With proper forecasting, the financial managers can get access to obtaining finance from financial institutions because they can borrow debt finance and can convince those financial institutions that they can repay the principal and interest without failure. Also with financial forecasting SMEs can achieve their targets of revenues that will foster investment readiness (Sparrow, 1999). Other important determinants include the financial decisions that are made by the finance managers. There are four levels of decisions involved and these are; Financing decision, whereby the financial manager has an obligation of determining the best sources of funds suitable for a business. They are responsible for identifying cheap sources that will not strain the financial capability of the organization in terms of repayment if it is debt financing. Investment decision, which involves the respective financial managers of SMEs identifying the viable investment opportunities. This will involve coming up with efficient frontiers of portfolios to be invested in. This means that the financial managers have to access the risks involved and the returns expected from a selected investment. Dividend decision, whereby financial managers identify good dividend policies applicable in the SMEs. For example, if shareholders are entitled to both preference and ordinary shares then investors' confidence are built in them and thus the success of the organization. Financial decision is the liquidity decision. How firm manages its finances is very crucial to stakeholders including financial institu

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Marketing - Essay Example The main purpose of corporate strategy is to find ways to optimize the current business portfolios of a firm and how this can be changed to meet the stakeholder’s changing interests (Sudi,2003). An organization or a firm will have numerous business and operations ranging from a single industry to multiple industries. Hence, the corporate strategy can not be developed without integrating the various business strategies of a firm. Overall objectives and aims of an organization are formulated based on the overall functions and operations of an organization. Any corporate strategy that is developed without taking into account the various operations or businesses will fail to achieve the overall organizational objectives and aims. Also the goals and objectives of an organization must not be isolated but must be designed in a manner to achieve the vision of the organization, and must be interrelated. The corporate strategy is aimed at achieving this vision (Gallagher, 2010). Four ke y dimensions Asking the right question would determine the dimension of a well –developed business strategy. ... This key dimension determines the role of an organization in the market, the type and kind of products that they must put out or the type of service that is intended to be provided to the customers. What? To achieve a pre-dedicated objective and aim, what are the measures that must be undertaken must be seriously focused for the final goal achievement. This must include intervention from all aspects of the business and must involve the inclusion of role of newer technology, competition, the effect of globalization, the customers demand, the demographic trends and health care sector in terms of organizational staff well being. Hence the â€Å"what† answers the key portion of the plan. Who? Putting the right person to the job is as important measure in attainment of targets through proper guidance and leadership role. The leadership spectrum ranges from individual reasoning like planning, analysis, monitoring, evaluation and control. And these can be achieved through experience within an organization. The second feature that an employer must have is emotions that determine the quality of the person in terms of crisis. Hence the answer must be formulated on who would do the specific job and gain results for the organization. How? The execution of the plan must be addressed with this part of the question. All previously planned goals must be implemented for the achievement of objective and aims set by the organization. For this to happen six key supporting features must always be part of implementation process, which are ongoing actions planning, organization structure, development of human resource, the annual plan, monitoring and control and a overall linkage that combines all aspects of the implementation. An

Business Issues in Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Issues in Business Intelligence - Essay Example vels of a corporation to more simply access, identify, evaluate, collaborate, and perform operations on information, anywhere and anytime (TechTarget; Microsoft). Though, many business intelligence tools work fine and help organizations take better decisions. They provide exact targets, graphs, drill-through and drill-downs. However, a great deal of work in an operational data warehouse system entails processing of data collected from different operational systems into the data warehouse. In this process of decision making and making intelligible decisions, there exist many problems regarding ETL (extraction, transformation and loading). In other words, while collecting huge amount of data from different sources we can face many issues regarding ETL. These issues can also influence the overall quality of decisions and business operations. In addition, ETL can entail substantial complexity and significant operational problems those can take place due to improperly designed ETL systems that can eventually influence the performance of BI system’s working and operations (Scott). The successful implementation of BI requires plenty of data analysis and evaluation. In this scenario we need to assess the quality of data in predicting the results. On the other hand, data warehouses are normally assembled from a mixture of data sources with different formats as well as purposes. In this scenario, ETL is a key process to bring the entire data together in a standard and uniform structure. In case a problem happens to ETL process overall working and operations of the corporate decision support can be exaggerated. In addition, it will lead to ineffective and lower quality results. Moreover, major issues in ETL can include: (Kimball and Caserta; Kimball and Ross, The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling, 2nd Edition) The presence of any of the above listed issues can affect the implementation of business intelligence. These issues can also lead

Cover letter, resume and other assignments Essay

Cover letter, resume and other assignments - Essay Example 2. Practice Reflection Form Name: Jane Smith CNO Registration no: L4T 3P4 Area of practice: Occupational Health Position in nursing: Occupational Nurse Source Of Input My Areas of Strengths My Areas for Improvement Self I am competent with knowledge of needs of patients with long-term conditions. I have strong communication skills, both written and verbal. I am strong in clinical leadership skills. I have an ability to work long hours and under pressure. I am flexible, enthusiastic and strong team player. I have an ability to deliver consistently positive results. Improve confidence to deal with painful and stressful situations in practice. Lack of IT skills related to preparing patient's documents, charts. Peer My peers view is that I'm a strong team player when we are working as a team. They have mentioned that I have a special ability to resolve problems of patients when they are in serious situations. Further my peers mentioned that I can create good patient/nurse relationship with paying attention to each and every individual patient. I need more confidence in the job activities when I'm dealing with my subordinates and patients. I need to improve the techniques on patient care and reducing risk in healthcare delivery level. I need to develop collaborative ways and trustworthiness when dealing with patients. Resources I used to reflect on my practice I used 'changing patients' worlds through nursing practice expertise' online modules. National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (National Council) Report. I referred Health Professions Act (HPA) & nursing practice standards online report....In this stage skills needed to be wide which is covering all the areas of nursing practice such as clinical skills, communication and consulting skills, IT skills and leadership skills (Donner, & Wheeler, 2000). 3. Thirdly PDP should get approved by the practice manager or an appraiser. In this scenario it is better to give awareness to the healthcare practice manager about the professional development needs. Thus it will support to the management to set the training and development needs as against the existing resources and employees.

Mental Process Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental Process - Research Paper Example It is an operation, which has an effect on the mental contents of an individual. It can also be seen as the thinking process or the cognitive remembrance operation. Overall, it is all the different things that an individual can do with his or her mind including emotion, volition, reasoning, belief, conception, imagination, creativity, memory, introspection, and perception. 1. Compare and Contrast the Four Styles of Creative Intelligence and their Influence on Organizational Decision Making. Intuition is focused on the production of results and is reliant on experiences in the guidance of decisions (Bara, 2010). Most people consider the implications of comprehending the past as most believe that a majority of mistakes can be escaped if one understands its historical significance. Every organization, from a perspective of business, needs to consider patterns and exhibit caution at every turn. Strategic planning lets organizations prepare for possible scenarios via the forecasting of al l outcomes that are possible (Bara, 2010). Some of the biggest successes, as well as failures, can be traced back to reliance on results that are past. Businesses will consider several factors, for example, the market’s current conditions, segmentation, objectives, and experiences that it relates to in the past. The mindset of inspiration is focused on the change in society and the presentation of dedication aimed at changing results (Bara, 2010). People whose working is grounded in this mindset are imbued with positive energy and are able to remain focused, motivated, and logical. Organizations that possess this type of individual are enabled in their ability to visualize situations currently and use that as inspiration to create a positive future outcome. These individuals have the ability to promote change, which could limit the organization in a number of ways (Bara, 2010). They have a tendency to lose focus on everyday functions, as they are highly adept at assessment of the bigger picture. The style of imagination targets artistic individuals, who enjoy writing, and show qualities of strong leadership (Brown, 2006). Individuals with this mindset show the ability to visualize various scenarios. They possess a huge impact in the process of decision making especially in organizations where there are chaotic times since they are able to visualize beyond the current situation, which gives them excellent coping skills for solution for problems. They have an ability that is unique in their ability to remain confident and poised which rubs of on the rest of the organization. They also inspire others allowing them plan for and envision the future. One limitation is that these people are not totally focused on the immediate future, which could be problematic since all aspects should be placed in perspective (Brown, 2006). Individuals using the innovative style tend to stick to the issues before them and on evidence (Brown, 2006). It is the most logical of t he styles since it is clearly focused on evidence that is visible like data. However, this makes it impossible to see the organization’s apparent vision, which it is attempting to achieve. Successful organizations need a balance of different mindsets, which are found suited well to different roles. Precision is needed by all industries and organizations thus innovation is vital. This mindset comes

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poetry - Essay Example He has to risk that the audience may not catch what he intends. Ferlinghetti compares a poem to a â€Å"little charleychaplin man,† who â€Å"may or may not catch,† meaning that a poem has to risk losing its audience, risk falling into the â€Å"empty existence of air† in order to achieve any kind of greatness, for if the poem risks nothing it also achieves nothing, no beauty, and no artistry. Ferlinghetti makes this point a bit ironically, as it is intended to be a bit of a jab at the Beat poets, poets who, to Ferlinghetti’s mind, risk nothing in their poetry, instead choosing to hide behind a mask of postmodern cynicism and dispair. The Beat poets, in Ferlinghetti’s opinion, do not walk the rope at all, but instead play their gullible audience, capitalizing on an immature dedication to anarchy and a disillusionment with a government that would draft Americans and send them to a war that they did not believe in. In â€Å"Constantly risking absurdi ty,† we see Ferlinghetti using not only theme and imagery to unite the subjects of poetry and high wire acts, but also the form. The words and lines look as if they are constantly shifting, just like a tight-rope walker must constantly change his pacing in order to keep his balance, or just as the poet must do to â€Å"perceive / taut truth.† The poet has to risk leaps in form as well as leaps in theme and subject to create a work of art. There is no other way.

Mental Process Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental Process - Research Paper Example It is an operation, which has an effect on the mental contents of an individual. It can also be seen as the thinking process or the cognitive remembrance operation. Overall, it is all the different things that an individual can do with his or her mind including emotion, volition, reasoning, belief, conception, imagination, creativity, memory, introspection, and perception. 1. Compare and Contrast the Four Styles of Creative Intelligence and their Influence on Organizational Decision Making. Intuition is focused on the production of results and is reliant on experiences in the guidance of decisions (Bara, 2010). Most people consider the implications of comprehending the past as most believe that a majority of mistakes can be escaped if one understands its historical significance. Every organization, from a perspective of business, needs to consider patterns and exhibit caution at every turn. Strategic planning lets organizations prepare for possible scenarios via the forecasting of al l outcomes that are possible (Bara, 2010). Some of the biggest successes, as well as failures, can be traced back to reliance on results that are past. Businesses will consider several factors, for example, the market’s current conditions, segmentation, objectives, and experiences that it relates to in the past. The mindset of inspiration is focused on the change in society and the presentation of dedication aimed at changing results (Bara, 2010). People whose working is grounded in this mindset are imbued with positive energy and are able to remain focused, motivated, and logical. Organizations that possess this type of individual are enabled in their ability to visualize situations currently and use that as inspiration to create a positive future outcome. These individuals have the ability to promote change, which could limit the organization in a number of ways (Bara, 2010). They have a tendency to lose focus on everyday functions, as they are highly adept at assessment of the bigger picture. The style of imagination targets artistic individuals, who enjoy writing, and show qualities of strong leadership (Brown, 2006). Individuals with this mindset show the ability to visualize various scenarios. They possess a huge impact in the process of decision making especially in organizations where there are chaotic times since they are able to visualize beyond the current situation, which gives them excellent coping skills for solution for problems. They have an ability that is unique in their ability to remain confident and poised which rubs of on the rest of the organization. They also inspire others allowing them plan for and envision the future. One limitation is that these people are not totally focused on the immediate future, which could be problematic since all aspects should be placed in perspective (Brown, 2006). Individuals using the innovative style tend to stick to the issues before them and on evidence (Brown, 2006). It is the most logical of t he styles since it is clearly focused on evidence that is visible like data. However, this makes it impossible to see the organization’s apparent vision, which it is attempting to achieve. Successful organizations need a balance of different mindsets, which are found suited well to different roles. Precision is needed by all industries and organizations thus innovation is vital. This mindset comes

Summary Module 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary Module 7 - Essay Example on should follow both the theological and philosophical nature to shade the light on the truth by reducing the difference between the west and the east as far as Christianity perspectives are concerned. The Encyclical Redemption mission calls the church to make it known to all that the Gospel is the truth through definitive word of Jesus in full. This is because the beliefs by other religions about Jesus, which are not true, and they should be ignored. Obedience, faith and the truth should be the guidance to the church when proclaiming the word of God as Jesus died after instructing us to do so. The church should understand that the word is the true picture of revelation through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This as seen in the New Testament shows that God sent Jesus to the world to die for us and that whoever wants to see God has to pass through Christ. Initially, children who die before baptism were believed to go to hell because of the inherited sins from their parents as per Augustine’s thought. This is a changed belief in the Catholic, as the penalty of sin will be burdened to the actual sinner. The children will enjoy peace with God according to pope Innocent III. Since we live in the world of faith and hope, we should have hope for the better of the children who die due to abortion. In the Bible Jesus point out that, children will inherit the kingdom of God and they should not be prohibited from coming to the Christ as per the book of Mathew in the New Testament. Evangelism vita by John Paul II indicates that children while still in the wombs of their mothers are Godly objects of Fatherly loving. This means that they are blessed before they are born. It is illogical to judge the fate of unbaptized children as it is only the jurisdiction of the Creator. From the New Testament, Jesus teaches about going to heaven to be entailing knowing Jesus and being born again. In patristic period, it gave a provision for salvation outside the church only to those

Important Ethical Theories Is Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay

Important Ethical Theories Is Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay One of the most important ethical theories is Utilitarianism. For utilitarianism, moral duty is to be determined through an assessment of the consequences of an action. In other words, utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory of ethics. More specifically, utilitarianism finds moral worth in those actions which maximize overall happiness the happiness of the greatest number of people. The premise of the theory is a naturalistic view of ethics: ethics is said to be associated not only with consequences of actins but, more specifically, with pleasure-maximizing consequences. This is the case because utilitarianism sees human nature as pleasure-seeking. For pleasure you can substitute utility, preference, or happiness if you insist, but the main point remains the same. This is not an implausible human psychology, of course. Ethics cannot be about psychology [it is about what ought to be done and not about what is in fact the case], but ethical theories cannot ignore human psychology, either; if an ethical theory ignored human psychology, it would be running the risk of recommending what might be impossible for human nature what is called supererogation, or sainthood to put it in a different way. Utilitarianism claims to be a theory that appeals to common sense. This is certainly strength and an asset for a theory. It is indeed a matter of common sense that if we want to perform moral deeds toward people, we should wish to make them happy. Pay attention to this: For utilitarianism, it does not matter at all whether we intend to make people happy. As said above, utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory it pays attention to consequences; all that matters is that the outcome of our action redounds to the greatest possible happiness of the greatest possible number. A strange corollary of this is that we are supposed to have done something moral even if our motives for benefiting the greatest possible number of people are not at all moral even if they are self-interested. Notice also that utilitarianism does not recommend that you pay attention to your own happiness and pleasure. Utilitarianism is not a form of moral egoism it is not a theory that tells you to put yourself above everyone else. Utilitarianism does not tell you to put those close to you above all else either. Clearly, if you did that, you would not be taking into account the benefit or happiness of the greatest possible number of people. You might be wondering now: why should one care about the greatest possible number of people? This is not an objection against utilitarianism in particular any more than it is an objection against any ethical theory: why should we care about doing the right thing? This is not always an easy question to answer theoretically but it becomes an easier question once we pay attention to common sense and to the ways in which human beings are constituted and known to comport themselves toward other people. If you want to do the right thing, utilitarianism give s you an objective and almost formulaic answer: act in such a way as to benefit the greatest possible number of people. In other words, you should act in such a way as to maximize the happiness of the greatest number or overall happiness. There are many particular variants of utilitarianism. For some, you maximize happiness of the greatest number; for other versions, you maximize a utility that can be minutely calculated; or the preferences of people, after you ask them directly instead of appealing to expert opinions. But, in any case, for a theory to be utilitarian, what is maximized must be the happiness, utility curves, average utility, preferences, happiness, or whatever of the greatest number. A major disagreement that erupted within utilitarianism from early is this: Do all pleasures count as the same, or is there a hierarchy or ranking order of pleasures with certain refined and distinctly human pleasures counting as much higher than other, lower, pleasures? Bentham, a felicific utilitarian and originator of the utilitarian school of thought, held that all pleasures are the same. It is clear in this that utilitarianism is anti-elitist and egalitarian there can hardly be a more dramatic manifestation than this equal counting of pleasures. It is still necessary to weigh pleasures to multiply them by different numbers as you try to calculate the consequences of your action but the criteria for a differential weighing of pleasures are subjectively felt intensity, duration, purity [no amalgamation with painful after-effects], and other considerations of this nature. John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, who succeeded Bentham in the utilitarian movement, disagreed. Mill thou ght that it is better to be Socrates unsatisfied rather than a pig satisfied, whereas Bentham had famously opined that push pin is as good as poetry push pin being a mindless and elementary game for children. It is controversial which version of utilitarianism is more consistent as an ethical theory. The strengths of utilitarianism are: It is an objective theory it affords you a method for calculating how you should act regardless of personal confusion or momentary perplexity. The theory is also better than many other theories when it comes to dealing with challenging moral dilemmas cases in which it seems that, no matter how you choose to act, you risk failing to perform a basic human duty you have. Utilitarianism is also consistent with many ethical intuitive insights human beings have about what it takes to be human and what is required in performing moral deeds toward ones fellow human beings. Unlike most other ethical theories, utilitarianism has the apparent advantage that it includes in its compass not only rational i.e. human beings, but all sentient beings, which can experience pain and pleasure. So, animals are not left out by utilitarian ethicists and cruelty toward animals can be consistently condemned by utilitarian theory. Utilitarianism is quite straightforward to apply excepting vagueness as to calculation methods and ways of counting intensity and permanence of pleasures, the method is not difficult to understand. The method of utilitarianism is surprisingly consistent with ethical insights from other moral traditions including, for instance, Christianity, which also appeals to human beings to love and benefit and avoid to harm others, and promises recompense of happiness in the form of a good feeling in this life and heaves rewards in the afterlife. Utilitarianism also satisfies another intuition we have about what is needed for an ethical theory: it treats people equally, provided they are equally situated. Conveniently, utilitarianism finds one common denominator pleasure or happiness to which consequences of actions are reduced. This allows for a calculation to be performed, and ones moral duty to be determined, regardless of how complex and challenging the actual case is. There are also problems with utilitarianism. Utilitarians begin with a logically fallacious equivocation on the meaning of the word desirable. Notice that the foundation of utilitarianism its attempt at procuring a proof of its validity consists in its claim that pursuit of happiness is evidently desirable in human life and the claim of utilitarians is that this is so evident that the proof itself is solid and easy to grasp. But the word desirable is equivocal: It can mean something that is desired in fact; or it can mean what should be desired. Utilitarians claim that we can easily see that the latter meaning is implied this is actually question-beginning, because utilitarianism is actually trying to prove to us that pleasure-seeking is desirable in this sense, in the sense of what ought to be desired for others, and for the greatest number of people, in moral action. But, actually, what is more obviously clear is that pleasure-seeking is desirable in the first sense: it is what people actually desire, but we are still awaiting for a proof to the effect that this is what people ought to desire. Other problems are even more serious: It is not clear why anything should be accorded a non-negotiable, infinite, or intrinsic value. Why shouldnt everything be thrown into the utilitarian calculus? This means that even those things which we hold to be intrinsic goods and non-negotiable, are to be added and subtracted and might be dispensable if the outcome is that the greatest possible number benefits. This dispensability must then apply even to rights, to privacy, and to life itself. For instance, why shouldnt we sacrifice one perfectly healthy person so that we can use his internal organs as transplants for ten otherwise viable patients? No matter how you calculate this referring to this particular action of sacrificing this individual the outcome is indeed maximization of overall happiness in the society. Some utilitarians might even suggest that, shocking though this may sound, it is not clear why this exchange of one life for ten is not the moral thing to do. You can construc t other hypotheticals in which sacrifice of ones right might sound morally appropriate if the stakes affect the happiness, or life, of a greater number of individuals. And yet, there is a problem when rights, and even human life, are thrown into the utilitarian calculus. Utilitarians realized that there is a problem here that can prove potentially fatal for the theory. There is an answer within utilitarian theory and the answer consists in the important distinction between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Everything we have said so far covers act utilitarianism application of a utilitarian calculus with a view to determining what is the moral course of action to take: you should, in this view, do what maximizes overall happiness for the greatest number and you can take into account the long run, and so on. But, for rule utilitarianism, you should actually apply the utilitarian calculus not to the projected consequences of an action but to the projected consequences of adopting a certain rule of behavior for the whole society to follow in the long run. This saves utilitarianism from the embarrassment of cases like the one mentioned above and others like it for instance, cases of sacrificing one innocent person to appease a riotous mob that is threatening many more lives in its violent path, or torturing the innocent daughter of a terrorist to induce the terrorist to turn himself in and prevent several deaths. But, switch now to rule utilitarianism and see what happens: What would be the consequences of adopting as a societal rule the random sacrifice of a healthy person for the sake of organ harvesting? It seems that a society that lived according to this rule could not be a happy society people would be anxious lest the lot fell on them next time organ harvesting became necessary. Still, there are rules which, as a utilitarian, you will have to adopt as maximizing the happiness or utility of the greatest possible number, and which, at the same time, violate individual rights or other values we hold intrinsic and unalienable under most circumstances. This seems to be the Achilles heel of utilitarianism. But do not lose sight of the strengths of utilitarianism mentioned above. Utilitarianism is the alternative to Kants ethical theory called deontology. The two are the two major ethical theories. Defining Utilitarianism. Differing definitions It may be noticed by the scholar of utilitarianism that the definition of the core of the theory (the principle of utility) has changed over the years, such that the modern version has a number of significant differences from that given by Jeremy Bentham: By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question: or, what is the same thing in other words, to promote or to oppose that happiness. The modern definition is effectively this: An action is right if it produces as much or more of an increase in happiness of all affected by it than any alternative action, and wrong if it does not. There are a number of differences between the two versions my thoughts on these differences follow. 1. Subject matter The modern version is explicitly to do with right and wrong, and, since utilitarianism is an ethical theory, this would seem to be quite appropriate. Benthams version is about approval and disapproval, and he seems quite unconcerned with right and wrong indeed he goes on to say only that Of an action that is conformable to the principle of utility one may always say either that it is one that ought to be done, or at least that it is not one that ought not to be done. One may say also, that it is right it should be done; at least that it is not wrong it should be done: that it is a right action; at least that it is not a wrong action. When thus interpreted, the words ought, and right and wrong and others of that stamp, have a meaning: when otherwise, they have none. The apparent ambiguity from Bentham may be to cover the (hypothetical) case where two different actions have exactly equivalent results Bentham may simply be avoiding the implication that someone ought do two mutually exclusive actions (if so, he uses a very blunt tool to achieve his task see below). Or, and this is what I am inclined to believe, he just might not be particularly concerned with right and wrong as they are commonly understood. What I mean by this is that if we say, of two possible different exclusive actions, that one leads to a better state of affairs than the other, then we have said all that needs to be said about them to go on to say that the first action is right and the second wrong either adds nothing, or it seems to suggest (some deontologists would say implies) that to do the second action is blameworthy, or rightfully punishable, or morally disgusting or some other phrase indicating a conditioned morality rather than an objective value-maximizing one some thing that Bentham (and myself) would take care to avoid. When right and wrong are stripped of their punishment connotations, I believe they are equivalent to approval or disapproval by a principle, provided that this principle is justified or warranted by the existence of objective (moral) value. 2. Obscurity Part of Benthams definition is quite obscure: according to the tendency it appears to have. Appears? Appears to whom? Is the core evaluating principle of utilitarianism subjective? And why be concerned with appearances rather than the actual effects? I think this is a mistake by Bentham, where he has tried to deal with the problem of uncertainty in the wrong section of his theory. I believe tendency is also open to misinterpretation if it is thought to imply that utility involves (only) a class of actions, but this should not happen since it has already been established that it is for any particular action. 3. Extent Benthams definition is of utility for some particular party, whereas the modern version is for everyone affected by the action. Neither is really what we mean we normally consider that Utility considers all (relevant) interests, which is not necessarily what is being said in the modern version (which is potentially subtly misleading). To illustrate: if I am trying to show that the (specific) action I have just performed was the right one, it is not only those who were affected by this action (compared to inaction) whom we must consider, but also all those who wouldve been affected had I chosen another action instead. I am sure this ambiguity is very common in discussions about Utility, especially those involving an effort to explain utilitarianism in simple (or laymans) terms though whether or not it actually deceives (that is, that people get the wrong impression) I am not so clear about. There is really no need for this ambiguity: we can say simply that the right action is simply the one that maximizes total utility or maximizes total happiness or whatever, we need not say for whom. Any limit we suggest for the scope of our consideration only lengthens the explanation and as weve seen introduces the potential for misunderstanding. So let us agree with Bentham when he decided that the greatest happiness principle is a better mnemonic for the principle of utility than its predecessor the greatest happiness for the greatest number (or the same with good substituted for happiness). And let us hope that any new definition we produce replaces the current one faster than Benthams later suggestion effectively replaced his former for this replacement is, in common usage, yet to occur. 4. Compared to what? According to Bentham, we are concerned with augmentation and diminuation of happiness, which is to say the changes from the present situation. Utility approves of an action if it makes things better, it disapproves of it if it makes things worse; it approves of one action more than another if that action makes things better than the other. The modern version is quite different on this point. What is compared against is not the current situation, but the situations that would result from alternative actions. So of two exclusive actions, both of which would increase the level of happiness compared to the present level but by different (positive) amounts, the modern principle would call the better action right and the not-so-good wrong, whereas Benthams utility would approve of both (but approve of the better one somewhat more) and hold that both actions are right, and ought be done, or at least that they are not wrong, that it is not the case that they ought not be done. It is surprising to note that neither Benthams nor the modern version admit of degrees of right and wrong, where it is quite in accordance with common usage to do so: we may usually speak of the right action in a given situation, the alternative actions beings wrong, but it is quite common to speak of one such alternative action being more wrong than another yet this is quite unaccounted for under these definitions. There is also a potential stumbling-block for the modern versions comparison: it may be thought that, in choosing between alternative actions, that it implies that there are actually some possible alternative actions in existence. This is a problem if the universe (and particularly psychology) is deterministic, for then it will be the case that there are no possible alternative actions. An agent can only do what he does to do something else would take a different agent or a different situation, so given the agent and the situation, only one outcome is possible. If determinism is true, the modern version of utility would (thus interpreted) tell us that everything that happens is right. This problem can be solved only with the acknowledgement that the alternatives under consideration may not actually be possible. In this case, in order to prevent the required analysis of wild fantastical actions, the range must be limited to those actions that can be done, if the agent chooses to do them. That the agent can choose anything other than what he goes on to choose, is (under this interpretation) neither implied nor denied. In contrast, Benthams version is clearly unaffected by the presence or absence of non-deterministic free will: it can go on approving or disapproving of actions whether these actions are necessary or not, and whether there are alternatives or not. If what happens is determined solely by the fundamental laws of physics, as they existed at the big bang, then to that extent Benthams Utility can imply approval or disapproval of the universe as is, has been, and will be. More Bentham Bentham clarifies the position and extent of Utility in various later parts of the text: An action then may be said to be conformable to the principle of utility, or, for shortness sake, to utility, (meaning with respect to the community at large) when the tendency it has to augment the happiness of the community is greater than any it has to diminish it. Notice that, in this expression, utility is concerned with actual not apparent tendencies, and that utility is also shown to apply to the effects on the community at large (which we can take to mean everyone) rather than some specific party. Also: A man may be said to be a partizan of the principle of utility, when the approbation or disapprobation he annexes to any action, or to any measure, is determined by and proportioned to the tendency which he conceives it to have to augment or to diminish the happiness of the community Here I think it is reasonable for this approbation to be determined by the conceived utility of the action, for this is the judgement of a man and a man must make his judgements without full knowledge of the relevant facts. If it were defined by actual rather than conceived utility, a utilitarian would not be a utilitarian when he was factually mistaken! The point about Utility being with regard to the community is also remade here. The History of Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is one of the most powerful and persuasive approaches to normative ethics in the history of philosophy. Though not fully articulated until the 19th century, proto-utilitarian positions can be discerned throughout the history of ethical theory. Though there are many varieties of the view discussed, utilitarianism is generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. There are many ways to spell out this general claim. One thing to note is that the theory is a form of consequentialism: the right action is understood entirely in terms of consequences produced. What distinguishes utilitarianism from egoism has to do with the scope of the relevant consequences. On the utilitarian view one ought to maximize the overall good that is, consider the good of others as well as ones own good. The Classical Utilitarian, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, identified the good with pleasure, so, like Epicurus, were hedonists about value. They also held that we ought to maximize the good, that is, bring about the greatest amount of good for the greatest number. Utilitarianism is also distinguished by impartiality and agent-neutrality. Everyones happiness counts the same. When one maximizes the good, it is the good impartially considered. My good counts for no more than anyone elses good. Further, the reason I have to promote the overall good is the same reason anyone else has to so promote the good. It is not peculiar to me. All of these features of this approach to moral evaluation and/or moral decision-making have proven to be somewhat controversial and subsequent controversies have led to changes in the Classical version of the theory. 1. Precursors to the Classical Approach 2. The Classical Approach 2.1 Jeremy Bentham 2.2 John Stuart Mill 3. Henry Sidgwick 4. Ideal Utilitarianism Precursors to the Classical Approach Though the first systematic account of utilitarianism was developed by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), the core insight motivating the theory occurred much earlier. That insight is that morally appropriate behavior will not harm others, but instead increase happiness or utility. What is distinctive about utilitarianism is its approach in taking that insight and developing an account of moral evaluation and moral direction that expands on it. Early precursors to the Classical Utilitarians include the British Moralists, Cumberland, Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Gay, and Hume. Of these, Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746) is explicitly utilitarian when it comes to action choice. Some of the earliest utilitarian thinkers were the theological utilitarians such as Richard Cumberland (1631-1718) and John Gay (1699-1745). They believed that promoting human happiness was incumbent on us since it was approved by God. After enumerating the ways in which humans come under obligations (by perceiving the natural consequences of things, the obligation to be virtuous, our civil obligations that arise from laws, and obligations arising from the authority of God) John Gay writes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦from the consideration of these four sorts of obligationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is evident that a full and complete obligation which will extend to all cases, can only be that arising from the authority of God; because God only can in all cases make a man happy or miserable: and therefore, since we are always obliged to that conformity called virtue, it is evident that the immediate rule or criterion of it is the will of God. (R, 412) Gay held that since God wants the happiness of mankind , and since Gods will gives us the criterion of virtue, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the happiness of mankind may be said to be the criterion of virtue, but once removed. (R, 413) This view was combined with a view of human motivation with egoistic elements. A persons individual salvation, her eternal happiness, depended on conformity to Gods will, as did virtue itself. Promoting human happiness and ones own coincided, but, given Gods design, it was not an accidental coincidence. This approach to utilitarianism, however, is not theoretically clean in the sense that it isnt clear what essential work God does, at least in terms of normative ethics. God as the source of normativity is compatible with utilitarianism, but utilitarianism doesnt require this. Gays influence on later writers, such as Hume, deserves note. It is in Gays essay that some of the questions that concerned Hume on the nature of virtue are addressed. For example, Gay was curious about how to explain our practice of approbation and disapprobation of action and character. When we see an act that is vicious we disapprove of it. Further, we associate certain things with their effects, so that we form positive associations and negative associations that also underwrite our moral judgments. Of course, that we view happiness, including the happiness of others as a good, is due to Gods design. This is a feature crucial to the theological approach, which would clearly be rejected by Hume in favor of a naturalistic view of human nature and a reliance on our sympathetic engagement with others, an approach anticipated by Shaftesbury (below). The theological approach to utilitarianism would be developed later by William Paley, for example, but the lack of any theoretical necess ity in appealing to God would result in its diminishing appeal. Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713) is generally thought to have been the one of the earliest moral sense theorists, holding that we possess a kind of inner eye that allows us to make moral discriminations. This seems to have been an innate sense of right and wrong, or moral beauty and deformity. Again, aspects of this doctrine would be picked up by Francis Hutcheson and David Hume (1711-1776). Hume, of course, would clearly reject any robust realist implications. If the moral sense is like the other perceptual senses and enables us to pick up on properties out there in the universe around us, properties that exist independent from our perception of them, that are objective, then Hume clearly was not a moral sense theorist in this regard. But perception picks up on features of our environment that one could regard as having a contingent quality. There is one famous passage where Hume likens moral discrimination to the perception of secondary qualities, such as color. In modern terminology, these are response-dependent properties, and lack objectivity in the sense that they do not exist independent of our responses. This is radical. If an act is vicious, its viciousness is a matter of the human response (given a corrected perspective) to the act (or its perceived effects) and thus has a kind of contingency that seems unsettling, certainly unsettling to those who opted for the theological option. So, the view that it is part of our very nature to make moral discriminations is very much in Hume. Further and what is relevant to the development of utilitarianism the view of Shaftesbury that the virtuous person contributes to the good of the whole would figure into Humes writings, though modified. It is the virtue that contributes to the good of the whole system, in the case of Humes artificial virtues. Shaftesbury held that in judging someone virtuous or good in a moral sense we need to perceive that persons impact on the systems of which he or she is a part. Here it sometimes becomes difficult to disentangle egoistic versus utilitarian lines of thought in Shaftesbury. He clearly states that whatever guiding force there is has made nature such that it is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the private interest and good of every one, to work towards the general good, which if a creature ceases to promote, he is actually so far wanting to himself, and ceases to promote his own happiness and welfareà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (R, 188) It is hard, sometimes, to discern the direction of the because if one should act to help others because it supports a system in which ones own happiness is more likely, then it looks really like a form of egoism. If one should help others because thats the right thing to do and, fortunately, it also ends up promoting ones own interests, then thats more like utilitarianism, since the p romotion of self-interest is a welcome effect but not what, all by itself, justifies ones character or actions. Further, to be virtuous a person must have certain psychological capacities they must be able to reflect on character, for example, and represent to themselves the qualities in others that are either approved or disapproved of. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in this case alone it is we call any creature worthy or virtuous when it can have the notion of a public interest, and can attain the speculation or science of what is morally good or ill, admirable or blameable, right or wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.we never say ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.any mere beast, idiot, or changeling, though ever so good-natured, that he is worthy or virtuous. (Shaftesbury IVM; BKI, PII, sec. iii) Thus, animals are not objects of moral appraisal on the view, since they lack the necessary reflective capacities. Animals also lack the capacity for moral discrimination and would therefore seem to lack the moral sense. This raises some interesting questions. It would seem that the moral sense is a perception that something is the case. So it isnt merely a discriminatory sense that allows us to sort perceptions. It also has a propositional aspect, so that animals, which are not lacking in other senses are lacking in this one. The virtuous person is one whose affections, motives, dispositions are of the right sort, not one whose behavior is simply of the right sort and who is able to reflect on goodness, and her own goodness [see Gill]. Similarly, the vicious person is one who exemplifies the wrong sorts of mental states, affections, and so forth. A person who harms others through no fault of his own à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦because he has convulsive fits which make him strike and wound such as approach him is not vicious since he has no desire to harm anyone and his bodily movements in this case are beyond his control. Shaftesbury approached moral evaluation via the virtues and vices. His utilitarian leanings are distinct from his moral sense approach, and his overall sentimentalism. However, this approach highlights the move away from egoistic views of human nature a trend picked up by Hutcheson and Hume, and later adopted by Mill in criticism of Benthams version of utilitarianism. For writers like Shaftesbury and Hutcheson the main contrast was with egoism rather than rationalism. Like Shaftesbury, Francis Hutcheson was very much interested

Archimedes :: essays papers

Archimedes Few certain details remain about the life of antiquit^s greatest mathematician, Archimedes. We know he was born in 287 B.C. around Syracuse from a report about 1400 years after the fact. Archimedes tells about his father, Pheidias, in his book The Sandreckoner. Pheidias was an astronomer, who was famous for being the author of a treatise on the diameters of the sun and the moon. Historians speculate that Pheidias^ profession explains why Archimedes chose his career. Some scholars have characterized Archimedes as an aristocrat who actively participated in the Syracusan court and may have been related to the ruler of Syracuse, King Hieron II. We also know Archimedes died in 212 B.C. at the age of 75 in Syracuse. It is said that he was killed by a Roman soldier, who was offended by Achimedes, while the Romans seized Syracuse. Archimedes had a wide variety of interests, which included encompassing statics, hydrostatics, optics, astronomy, engineering, geometry, and arithmetic. Archimedes had more stories passed down through history about his clever inventions than his mathematical theorems. This is believed to be so because the average mind of that period would have no interest in the Archimedean spiral, but would pay attention to an invention that could move the earth. Archimedes^? most famous story is attributed to a Roman architect under Emperor Augustus, named Vitruvius. Vitruvius asked Archimedes to devise some way to test the weight of a gold wreath. Archimedes was unsuccessful until one day as he entered a full bath, he noticed that the deeper he submerged into the tub, the more water flowed out of the tub. This made him realize that the amount of water that flowed out of the tub was equal to the volume of the object being submerged. Therefore by putting the wreath into the water, he could tell by the rise in water level the volume of the wreath, despite its irregular shape. This discovery marked the Law of Hydrostatics, which states that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. There are three main mechanical inventions credited to Archimedes. The first one is the Archimedean screw which supposedly could serve as a water pump. The second invention was the compound pulley. The third invention was the way of finding the volume of something by displacement as demonstrated in the story above. Most historians would agree that more important than his great mechanical inventions were his mathematical discoveries. The mathematical works that have been presented to us by Archimedes could be classified into three groups. The first group consists of works that have as their major objective the proof of Archimedes :: essays papers Archimedes Few certain details remain about the life of antiquit^s greatest mathematician, Archimedes. We know he was born in 287 B.C. around Syracuse from a report about 1400 years after the fact. Archimedes tells about his father, Pheidias, in his book The Sandreckoner. Pheidias was an astronomer, who was famous for being the author of a treatise on the diameters of the sun and the moon. Historians speculate that Pheidias^ profession explains why Archimedes chose his career. Some scholars have characterized Archimedes as an aristocrat who actively participated in the Syracusan court and may have been related to the ruler of Syracuse, King Hieron II. We also know Archimedes died in 212 B.C. at the age of 75 in Syracuse. It is said that he was killed by a Roman soldier, who was offended by Achimedes, while the Romans seized Syracuse. Archimedes had a wide variety of interests, which included encompassing statics, hydrostatics, optics, astronomy, engineering, geometry, and arithmetic. Archimedes had more stories passed down through history about his clever inventions than his mathematical theorems. This is believed to be so because the average mind of that period would have no interest in the Archimedean spiral, but would pay attention to an invention that could move the earth. Archimedes^? most famous story is attributed to a Roman architect under Emperor Augustus, named Vitruvius. Vitruvius asked Archimedes to devise some way to test the weight of a gold wreath. Archimedes was unsuccessful until one day as he entered a full bath, he noticed that the deeper he submerged into the tub, the more water flowed out of the tub. This made him realize that the amount of water that flowed out of the tub was equal to the volume of the object being submerged. Therefore by putting the wreath into the water, he could tell by the rise in water level the volume of the wreath, despite its irregular shape. This discovery marked the Law of Hydrostatics, which states that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces. There are three main mechanical inventions credited to Archimedes. The first one is the Archimedean screw which supposedly could serve as a water pump. The second invention was the compound pulley. The third invention was the way of finding the volume of something by displacement as demonstrated in the story above. Most historians would agree that more important than his great mechanical inventions were his mathematical discoveries. The mathematical works that have been presented to us by Archimedes could be classified into three groups. The first group consists of works that have as their major objective the proof of