Analysis of Centaur Abducting Woman with Fallen Lapith Man Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most interesting period in Greek sculpture is the Classical period. During this glorious period of unbelievable craftsmanship, numerous pieces celebrated the Greek’s infatuation with fable and war. The sculpture, nicely titled Centaur Abducting Lapith Woman and Fallen Lapith Man, is a wonderful symbol of the artistic period and image of war. Sculpted somewhere around 447-438 B.C., the sculpture was carved out of solid marble to produce a beautiful, and yet horrifying scene from a battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sculpture was most likely the artist’s attempt to capture the essence of some fable that had been passed down through the generations. Perhaps more likely, it could have been the artist’s own imagination that fathomed the macabre beauty of the rendered scene. The sculpture is done in high relief, carved out of a solid block of marble. The lines and curves of the sculpture give each character within it great definition. It almost appears though, from the way in which the centaur holds the woman, that he has no head. This adds to the already existing complexity of the sculpture. It is very similar to other sculptures of the Classical period in the way that it depicts a man at death’s doorstep, and a woman being abducted. It seems to be a reoccurring theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sculpture is done in a monochromatic brown hue. It depicts a valiant centaur with a Lapith woman slung over his shoulder. A Lapith...

Country Factbook Between Seden and Denmark on Organic Food Industry Essay

1. Executive summary The organic food industry is suitable for business investments in both Sweden and Denmark due to several factors. First of all, efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions facilitate business and provide location advantages. Moreover, studying the business/industry culture can be used to gain insights in the business environment of Sweden/Denmark in the field of organic food. However, the complex natures of harvesting organic goods make it impossible to indicate the best location for production, as this depends on the particular product being produced. As a result, demand and supply across Sweden and Denmark are met by means of a widespread retail sector, intra-industry trade and export. Only by making an estimation of sectorial breakdown and its counterparts an (somewhat) informed investment decision can be made. Either way, it is evident that organic food industry as a whole has gained popularity due to several reasons. One example is that CSR profiles of firms have become an customary element in the product purchasing decision in recent times. It can be said that recent developments in technological- (information technology revolution) and political nature (subsidies) have contributed to this trend, documents playing an important role in particular. Since culture consists of documents and culture is more available to document analysis today it has been our choice in our data collection method. In turn, for data analysis we have made use of coding, series of events and semiotics. It is these that have allowed us to assess macroeconomic performance of Sweden and Denmark as well as its historical developments, socio-cultural conditions and the nature of competitiveness in the organic industry field. Despite the fact that Sweden and Denmark share many similarities in each one of these areas there are some differences. However, these are considered to be subtle and highly context-dependent. Therefore, we would also not like to answer our research question, ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ in this section, but hope that you will find an answer what is best for you in the pages of the remainder of this report. Ultimately, we will provide major findings of comparisons and recommendations, based on our views and experience gained during our research. It might be possible to ‘’tweak’’ this information in such a way in making it applicable for your particular business scenario or business plan. 2. Introduction This section is meant to state the goal, relevance and purpose of our Factbook. Furthermore, it will give rise to our lead question, being ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ To boot, we hope to achieve appraisal and recognition for our deliverables from whom ultimately might use and/or buy our Factbook. Like the CIA Factbook, our focus is on the industry. However, it is important to note that we have tried to achieve more than the already existing Factbooks, as they are often too comprehensive or lacking in value. We have tried to overcome the first problem by linking theory to application and writing about it. In this, our main challenge has been to take into account all aspects that somehow matter for the bottom line, the profitability of an investment project. Yet, since profitability is a relative term it might be better to speak of opportunity costs. This terminology is crucial to understand for correct business decision making to take place and also forms the backbone for our final recommendations in our Factbook. Moreover, Pugel (2009) has showed that many industries incur rising, rather than constant, marginal opportunity costs. For instance, efforts to expand Denmark/Sweden organic wheat production would fairly quickly run into rising costs caused by limits on (1) how much more land could be drawn into wheat production and how suitable this additional land would be for wheat production, (2) the availability of additional workers willing and suitable to work on the farms, and/or (3) the availability of seeds, fertilizers, and other material inputs. As for the second problem, we focus mostly on institutionalism and culture as they are lacking in other country Factbooks. Examples of institutions that can facilitate business in Sweden and Denmark are efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions, both being considered to be generally available location advantages (Verbeke 2010). Concerning culture, we are particularly interested in business/industry culture. This is based on logic that our analysis is mainly on the industry level. Furthermore, Hollensen (2008) has showed that business/industry culture of business behavior and ethics is similar across borders, i. e. expected to be the same for Sweden and Denmark. By learning about the industry culture the decision maker will be aware of important ‘rules of the game’ (Hollensen 2008). Concerning the purpose, this Factbook is meant to facilitate a document that will be considered important for decision makers, i. e. policy makers but especially business investors. From an investment perspective, several hierarchical modes (domestic-based sales representatives, mergers and acquisition, alliances, greenfield) are possible. However, retailer alliances and mergers and acquisition are most popular. To illustrate, in the case of Sweden retailer alliances control 90% of the food retail stores (http://www. snee. org/filer/papers/193. pdf). Furthermore, because the organic food market in Denmark and Sweden and Europe in general is rather fragmented, mergers provide benefits and interest to investors through economies of scale (http://www. nytimes. com/2011/05/24/business/global/24organic. html). Lastly, market growth, political support and complimentary resources in both Denmark and Sweden stimulate and attract business investors. These and other issues will be elaborated in the remainder of this report. All in all, we will provide the examiner with information of which we believe to be relevant for decision makers and can be used for deciding which company, or which industries of this company, to invest in. Hereby, we have tried to identify the major dimensions relevant to comparative country studies. These have been chosen carefully and matter for the organic food industry and a wide spectrum of business within this industry. In turn, these dimensions can be used to compare the countries Sweden and Denmark. Ultimately, the contents of this Factbook are meant to stay closely connected to the country set Sweden/Denmark and it’s organic food industry, yet still is general to the extent that it allows applying the information to a concrete business case. With the final product of our Factbook we hope to have provided the reader with a clear understanding of the conditional differences between Sweden and Denmark and as such an answer to our research question. Concerning the structure of the remainder of this paper, we will subsequently discuss: methods and frameworks, introduction to organic food sector, methods and frameworks, country comparison, major findings of comparison and recommendations and the bibliography. 3. Methods and frameworks 3. 1 Method for Factbook compilation As method for our Factbook compilation we have opted to first focus on the country and then on the region. It can be described as a region-based compilation (RBC) technique. For example, if you look at technology, technology is taking place in Eindhoven in The Netherlands and not in Delfzijl. If you are going to do something with energy then you end up in Delfzijl rather than in Eindhoven. However, making such a comparison for Sweden or Denmark in terms of organic food proves difficult. To explain, people that argue that organic food is simply being harvested on the most fertile agricultural land are likely to mix up terms. That is, fertility should be clearly set aside from productivity or even best land. Indeed, you can have a highly fertile area but deficient in its use do its limited crop sizes. Moreover, a certain area of agricultural land might be appropriate to harvest a particular organic product, but is less appropriate or least suitable for other organic products. Lastly, in general organic material levels go up as you go north. But productivity does not necessarily follow the same trend because the same shorter season and lower temperatures that helped build and maintain that organic material, limits growing seasons and crops growth. In order to prevent complexity we have decided to focus more on the retail sector of Sweden and Denmark than the production sector. The retail sector will include exports as over 70 percent of the exports of industrialized countries are shipped to other industrialized countries, and nearly half of total world trade is industrialized countries trading with each other (Pugel 2009). Sweden and Denmark are no exception, as they are known to have an established intra-industry trade relationship. Besides physical locations we also like to discuss official statistics as another compilation issue. The main issue is that official statistics often rely on incomplete information and therefore involve estimation. In our report we have made use of two types of estimation, sectorial breakdown and its counterparts. We have chosen to select these two types in order to facilitate the decision maker with a reflection opportunity of a wide variety of activities he/she might be interested in. Furthermore, in an attempt to ‘standardize’ statistics we will use figures of the Central Statistics Office (or a comparable source) as much as possible for both Denmark and Sweden. We believe it is advisable to use comparable or equal sources between the two countries as it strengthens the reliability of our research. Based on previous experience and narratives we believe the Central Statistics Office (also known as Central Statistics Bureau) is one of the most easily accessible and reliable sources to be found on the Internet. Furthermore, in order to prevent possible ambiguity we will use equal terminology for both countries as much as possible, including definitions of sectors and instrument categories. Moreover, we would like to briefly discuss the overall structure of the Factbook. First of all, the executive summary is meant to provide background information on the topic of organic food as an industry and can act as a quick-review guide of what the examiner is likely to expect in the report. In this, the executive summary contains several main ideas reflected in the report itself. Furthermore, the introduction discusses more distinct the Factbook and the underlying principles. Then, data collection and data analysis show arguments for the choices we have made in conducting our empirical research. As to the chapters that follow, these are simply a representation and a more in-depth analysis of what has been announced in the previous chapters and act as to share our findings in terms of describing legal, political, environmental, institutional and cultural dimensions. Lastly, we finalise our report by concluding with major findings of comparisons and recommendations. 3. 2 Prime theories and approaches There are different theories to be utilized for compiling this Factbook. One of the main drivers for organic farming is environmental reason, which are often associated with care for the environment. Moreover, it can be argued that the choice for buying ‘’organic’’ is also driven by social cultural reasoning, having this care for the environment being embedded as part of the culture. Indeed, this is mainly the case in the Western market where awareness towards environmental issues has risen in recent times. It is terms like corporate responsibility and sustainability that have become a part of the decision making process of Western consumers as to what to buy and to whom to buy it from. In this, environmental and socio-cultural values have become an important facet in the decision making process of the consumer in general, the organic food industry being no exemption. In an attempt to verify and examine these trends we will make use of theory of Schwartz (1999) combined with the theory of planned behaviour to determine if organic food consumption offers potential for business investment to take place. As we shall see later on, Schwartz his cultural values can be used to assess the main characteristics of the average Swedish and Danish inhabitant and how these assist in making inferences about core values, behaviour and its relation to the organic food industry. In order to find more specific similarities and differences we have made use of the framework as proposed by S. Ruiz de Maya et al. (2011), who offer us a theoretical approach to the organic food industry from the consumer side. It is this that provides us with socio-cultural factors and helping the investor to decide whether Sweden or Denmark is more ‘suitable’ to invest in, depending on a particular context. In addition, the PESTLE analysis will also be utilized in this report. It is important to note that we will not be focusing on the whole framework but on the political, social and legal factors provided. By examining the political factors we can determine how these influence the organic food industry. For instance, some administrations can be beneficial for the organic food industry. For instance, by stimulating farmers to dedicate more land for organic farming and usage of organic food in government institutions. However, in another term a different administration might not be so favourable to organic farming and food, which could lead to a different situation. For example, abolishing organic farming grants. As mentioned before, the social side of organic food consumption is important. Health and environmental issues have become more important for the general public. Furthermore, the investor should keep in mind that views concerning organic food can change. These factors can have an influence on the demand. Last aspect is the legal aspects. For example, determine the definition of organic food and who or how they uphold this standard. This factor is related to the political part of the PESTLE analysis. Legislation concerning organic food is important for the Factbook. There can be differences between Denmark and Sweden concerning organic food industry. 3. 3 Method for data collection and analysis. This section will discuss our chosen method for data collection and analysis. We will start by addressing the data collection technique, after which the data collection analysis approach will follow. First of all, it can be said that our study involves both qualitative research (a focus on text) and quantitative research (a focus on numbers). However, since institutionalism and culture are clearly more qualitative we have opted to focus on qualitative data collection techniques. In the end, we have made use of solely documents as a qualitative data collection technique. Although we would have liked to include interviews and fieldwork in our research, we experienced that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to carry out these activities successfully. First, we could not find any suitable individuals or focus groups being knowledgeable about our subject. Second, we do not believe ourselves to be proficient enough in fieldwork as to ensure reliable and valid results. Moreover, the duration of the necessary fieldwork was also expected not to fit within the given timeframe set to create the Factbook. In either case, there are some advantages of using documents as opposed to interviews and fieldwork. For example, documents are relatively cheap and quick to access (Payne & Payne, 2004). It is usually much easier to obtain data from documents than from interviews or fieldwork. Also, if there are many documents on a subject, which we believe to hold true for our case, triangulation is possible to study developments over time. In terms of sources of data, our research is limited to secondary data only. Indeed, we did not make use of any unpublished data being gathered directly from people or organizations. Instead, we have made use of published books, webpages, newspaper articles and journal articles. Somewhat surprisingly, we found that these sources were able to provide us with sufficient empirical data for our research, especially with regard to culture related aspects. Concerning the latter, we would also like to refer to Altheide (1996), who said that documents are studied to understand culture. He has pointed out that a large part of culture consists of documents. Furthermore, he has showed that culture is more available to document analysis today because of the information technology revolution. (Altheide, 1996). Finally, in order to assess the quality of the documents used, we have made use of four criteria as proposed by Scott (1990): (1) authenticity, (2) credibility, (3) representativeness & (4) meaning. Concerning the method for data analysis, we have chosen to make use of several approaches for analyzing qualitative data. Probably the one being used the most is coding. We have chosen this approach primarily because it is one of the easiest ways to analyse qualitative data. In addition, it offers many advantages. For instance, it allows reducing the size of the data and is useful for retrieving, organizing, and speeding up the analysis (Miles & Humberman, 1994). Although this method has been used throughout the entire report, it has been particular helpful in our literature review on the organic food industry, as making use of buzzwords has helped in defining the scope of our research. Moreover, it was found helpful for the executive summary and the introduction, as these are more restricted in terms of length. Here coding has acted as an instrument to make distinctions between either ‘too detailed’ or ‘too general’ more easily. Another data analysis approach we have made use of is series of events. We have made use of this approach as we considered it to be helpful to compare relevant historical developments for our industry. Listing a series of events by chronological time periods and subsequently assigning events to categories has helped to identify similarities and differences over time. As such, it allows us to pinpoint more precisely when historical developments have been most evident and how it has changed the view of the industry. Due to its very nature this approach was utilized in the historical developments section of our report. Lastly, we have made use of semiotics, which is concerned with the meaning of signs and symbols. For business and management research, semiotics is most useful in marketing, management, consumer research and information systems. This is because in these segments, signs are very important. For example, form of brand names and logos are considered to be highly important. In our view semiotics also play an influential role in the organic food industry. Currently, there is some debate about the future growth of the organic food industry; it either being with brands or retailer private labels. It has been argued that large food retailers are taking advantage of the ‘organic’ brand without making any of the associated investment. While the industry has been built by certification agencies and pioneering brands, their presence in terms of logos and brands is diminishing in supermarkets and mainstream retailers (http://www. organicmonitor. com/r0811. htm). As such, investment scenario’s in the organic food industry are less clear-cut than in the past and require careful examination of conventions governing the use of signs and sign systems. In our report, semiotics has been found crucial to explain the socio-cultural and market/industry conditions more fully. 4. Introduction sector/industry In order to provide the examiner with an introduction of the organic food industry, general trends, definitions and boundaries will be discussed. To boot, the European organic food market has a total revenue of $24. 7 billion in 2010, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8. 9% between 2006 and 2010 based on research of DATAMONITOR (2010). The European organic food market grew by 6% in 2010 to reach a value of 24. 7 billion and it is predicted that in 2015 the European organic food market will be worth $36. 8 billion, an increase of 48. 8% since 2010. According to UNCTAD, organic agriculture is defined as a holistic production management whose primarily goal is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil, life, plants, animals and people. Moreover, According to Chen (2009) organic products are goods that respect the environment and that are manufactured without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics or gene manipulation. By viewing the production side, organic producers should combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and application of high-animal welfare standards, providing higher quality products to respond to a certain consumers’ demand. Nowadays, the concern of Western society on how products may be profoundly harmful to the environment has led to a higher demand for organic products, sustainable business activities and stricter regulations from national governments (Gurau and Ranchod, 2005). Due to this increasing concern and higher demand in European countries, it can be argued that the organic food industry is becoming a more interesting and challenging sector for investors to invest in. Furthermore, organic food industry generates revenue as the second largest market within Europe and is continuously growing. However, some boundaries as to this sector do exist. Three main boundaries we found to be of importance are price premiums, quality and availability and time factor. Of these three, price premium is expected to be the most important. This is due to the fact that organic food more often than not requires another form of processing and is more difficult to conserve. Moreover, the costs of quality control are also expected to be higher as no pesticides are used as to protect large crops. As such, it is rational that the price is more expensive than conventional food products. In effect, consumers with lack of knowledge will reconsider buying organic products because of this simple fact. Considering quality of the organic products, consumers believe that by charging a higher price this is equivalent to a higher quality. This view is based on the rationale of human beings, sometimes depicted in phrases such as ‘pay more, get more’. Whilst this ‘rule’ not always holds true, our (inner) convictions and background study has verified that this is in fact the case in the organic food industry. An example of the organic food retail sector is that high priced restaurants tend to favour organic (natural) ingredients. Based on the above, the organic products will meet consumers’ expectation by providing the products above the conventional product’s standards, with a price tag to match its difference in quality. The last constraint we would like to discuss is availability and time factor. The availability of organic products do not vary as much as that of conventional products. As organic products are often less well exposed, they are more difficult to find in stores. This is an important consideration and largely influences issues such as sales expectations, storage costs and risk of decay. Furthermore, in the following part we will discuss and analyse how the conditions of organic food provide the investor with a broader view of the organic food industry. In this, we will consider four conditions as factors being relevant for organic food: political-, cultural-, legal- and labor systems. 5. Country comparison 5. 1 Macro-economic indicators A country comparison on macro-economic indicators can be considered to be beneficial for decision makers as it gives them food for thought on the expected macroeconomic performance of that country, i. e. the behavior of a country’s output, jobs, and prices in the organic food industry in the face of changing world conditions. This judgment call about performance is basically what drives most macro-economic analysis. It can be used to assess issues such as how well a country’s economy is performing and how close it is to achieving broad desirable objectives, such as stability in average product prices (no inflation) and low unemployment (Pugel 2009). The most relevant macro-economic indicators for the organic food industry are considered to be economic indicators and financial indicators. Demographic indicators do not seem important to us as research has shown that gender or age does not have any significant effect on whether people decide to buy organic food or not (http://newhope360. com/organic-consumers-share-values-not-demographics). In order to ensure reliability we have chosen to attain all figures of these indicators from one source, namely De Grote Bosatlas (2002). Fig. 1 STATISTIEK EUROPA (part 1) Fig 2. STASTIEK EUROPA (PART 2) From figure 1 we can infer that Denmark had a higher agricultural contribution in terms of percentage towards the GDP. Moreover, Denmark has a substantial higher percentage of agricultural grounds (62. 4% versus 7. 9%) Furthermore, Denmark has a higher contribution to GDP per capita. Besides, inhabitants from Denmark are slightly wealthier than those in Sweden, when looking at GDP. Lastly, Denmarks development of the GDP in 1990-1999 has risen more than was the case for Sweden. Then, from figure 2, we can infer that Denmark has a stronger economy than Sweden, but only by a small margin. Furthermore, inflation rate for Denmark is lower, yet also again only by a small margin. Moreover, Denmark has more government spending in terms of percentage of GDP. Concerning education, Denmark spends more in terms of percentage of GDP. Besides, Denmark inhabitants generally enjoy a higher purchasing power than is the case for Swedish inhabitants. It also shows that more Danish people are working in both the agricultural and industrial sector than Sweden, these tend to work more in the service sector. Lastly, Denmark has a lower percentage of the work force being unemployed. From this preliminary analysis we can infer that in terms of economic indicators investments in Denmark are likely to require a higher yield on an investment than were the case of Sweden. This assumption is made based on the simple fact that as for many elements Denmark performs better than Sweden on compared elements. The same holds true in terms of financial indicators. Although the data may be easily said to be ‘outdated’, we believe this is not quite the case. That is, our analysis on historical development has not provide any conclusive evidence as to not believe that the relationship of these economical and financial figures to be that much different as they are today. Yet, since we do not know when the actual investment is to take place it is always advisable to check the results of a more recent research. Although we would have loved to use a more recent version of De Grote Bosatlas ourselves, we could not find ourselves in the position to get access to one during the course of this research. Luckily, we were able to find a recent figure for gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP that verified our assumption. [pic] From the figure above it can be concluded that Denmark spends between 1. 01% and 2. 00% of its GDP on R&D activities. Sweden on the other hand spends a little more with 2. 01% and above. This corresponds with our financial records of the Grote Bosatlas, where government spending in Sweden was higher than that of Denmark in general. Furthermore, since the R&D expenditures on R&D as a percentage of GDP are larger than that of most other parts of the world, we expect no real problems for investors in this area. Background information as to why Sweden and Denmark support expenditures on the organic food industry is discussed extensively in both the chapters about socio-cultural conditions and market/industry conditions. 5. 2 Historical developments relevant for the industry. The issues with the environment have many different facets. These range; from deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and many others (EBS 295, 2008). The attitude concerning these issues by the general public can change over time. Values change over time and this applies for the public perception of organic food as well. Likewise, one could say that the organic food industry is driven in a sense of improving and protecting the environment. In addition, consumers also attitude towards the environment also contribute in how they value organic food. Furthermore, not only concern for the environment but also growing awareness by the general public concerning their food and the production involved. These issues related to food production range from; health, food safety and animal welfare. (Sippo manual, 2011) The origins for organic farming in both countries are similar. In the same manner consumers started become more aware of the environment. Farmers also become more aware and began with organic farming. Both countries have had organic farming since early eighties in the general concept of the term organic farming. If we take into account the establishment of organizations concerning organic food then Denmark was a few years earlier with the founding of Danish Association of Organic Farmers in 1981. The Swedish counter part is called the Ecological Farmers Association, which was founded in 1985. Both organizations are private initiatives of organic farmers organizing themselves. (http://www. fao. org) Since the 1990’s the governments of both Denmark and Sweden have introduced various regulations concerning the organic food industry. These regulations include assigning certificates that label products as organic. In addition, the European Union also implemented regulations concerning the organic food industry. Likewise, the organizations that control and label organic foods also found their origins in late eighties early nineties. In Denmark the first organic food legislation was implemented in 1987. The government assigns the O logo to organic food. (www. fvm. dk). This state approved logo is only given to products that are conforming to the standards of â€Å"organic† as stated by Danish regulations. In addition, in Denmark only state approved farms may carry the â€Å"organic† label. In Sweden the organization that is tasked with the certification of organic food is called KRAV. Founded in 1985, this organization was formed from the Ecological Farmers Organization in order to standardize the various interpretations of the term â€Å"organic farming† and bring both farmers and food producers together. (Gunnar Rundgren, 2002) However, it should be noted that the KRAV organization is a non-governmental organization. While, it’s Danish counterpart is part of the Ministry of Agriculture. 5. 3 Socio-cultural conditions Cultural systems From the point of view of the investor, it is important to know the differences and similarities between the two countries Denmark and Sweden. In this section, we will focus on this in terms of cultural assessment. In order to describe the cultural systems of both Denmark and Sweden we have made use of five cultural dimensions as proposed by Schwartz (1999): harmony, egalitarianism, effective autonomy, mastery, and conservatism. It is these cultural dimensions that will help to describe each countries culture and detect any important similarities and differences. The cultural values focus in the article of Schwartz is on the national culture. The national culture being introduced for heterogeneous nations refers primarily to the value culture of the dominant, majority group. In this case, Schwartz tries to interpret the value priorities that characterize a society by aggregating the value priorities of individuals (e. g. Hofstede’s framework). It is depicted that individual value priorities are a product of both shared culture and unique personal experience. Moreover, Schwartz has placed his list of researched countries into different segments (clusters). Denmark and Sweden put in the first group (cluster), Finland and Italy in another, Spain as a third group and Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom in a fourth group.

The Variety of Ways in Which Chaucer Treats the Subject of...

Write an essay on the variety of ways in which Chaucer treats the subject of love. Within ten stories in the Canterbury Tales, men and women on the way to, or in marriage provide the ostensible subject, with six tales expounding largely on love and its counterpart in marriage. In comic tales, sexual activity is constantly relished, especially in the Miller’s Tale and the Reeve’s Tale, where love is defined and motivated by animalistic physical desire and relationships clouded with lies and deceit. In contrast, romances like the Knight’s Tale and the Franklin’s Tale have a high ideal of relaxed and trusting harmony, â€Å"Thus been they bothe in quiete and rest†, relying also on the poetics of courtly love. Then we have the blend of†¦show more content†¦This of course scandalized the Clerk- he was unworldly and an ascetic, he â€Å"looked holwe and therto sobrely†, and thus he becomes the mantle of a corrector of false views about love and matrimony after the Friar and Summoner and gives a view of love as pure and sacrificial, with Griselda as the epitome of patience and ungrudging obedience. By use of the same term, ‘Boweth your nekke under that blisful yok of soveraynetee’, clearly the Clerk, through his tale, is answering the Wife of Bath, through a character who was the exact antithesis of hers. The Merchant, coming after the Clerk, upsets the balance again, painting a cynical view of love in contrast, and once again continues the love debate in his own fashion and pattern (â€Å"And let him care and wepe and wringe and waile†- â€Å"Weping and way ling, care and other sorwe†). The Host then once again comes interrupts, and requests to turn the debate away from marriage to love â€Å"Squier, set somewhat of love†, where pure romance, in the medieval sense is now introduced, reminding us of the beginning of the Knight’s tale, and illustrating the charm of a variety of tales depicting the various illustrations of love. However, Chaucer’s plan in this Act is not yet finished- there is still the gap of the relations between husband and wife, a certain superficiality of love not yet mentioned, the love whichShow MoreRelated The Bourgeois Social Class in Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay5130 Words   |  21 PagesIt is clear that Geoffrey Chaucer was acutely aware of the strict classist system in which he lived; indeed the very subject matter of his Canterbury Tales (CT) is a commentary on this system: its shortcomings and its benefits regarding English society. In fact, Chaucer is particularly adept at portraying each of his pilgrims as an example of various strata within 14th century English society. And upon first reading the CT, one might mistake Chaucers acute social awareness and insightful characterizationsRead More The Rich Diversity of Meanings of the Pardoners Tale Essay5609 Words   |  23 Pagesact of holy reverence, but the Tales take a darker turn when the Pardoner is brought to the foreground. The whole Canterbury Tales is a collected set of performances, stories told about telling stories. As Joseph Ganim has written, theatricality, by which he means a governing se nse of performance, an interplay among the author’s voice, his fictional characters, and his immediate audience, is a paradigm for the Chaucerian poetic (5). This paper shall endeavor to show that the major effect of theRead MoreEnlightment of Education in Pygmalion and Educating Rita9449 Words   |  38 Pageslearning of one demands the learning of the other one. | | |English literature has passed great and complicated way of development. It gave to the | | |treasure of world literature such great names as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Byron, Shaw, | | |Hemingway, Twain and so many others. | | Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare and Macbeth8813 Words   |  36 Pagesall the correct virtues for a king. Macbeth  exhibits elements that reflect the greatest Christian tragedy of all: the Fall of Man. In the Genesis story, it is the weakness of Adam, persuaded by his wife (who has in turn been seduced by the devil) which leads him to the proud assumption that he can play God. But both stories offer room for hope: Christ will come to save mankind precisely because mankind has made the wrong choice through his own free will. In Christian terms, although  Macbeth  hasRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pagesoften disorderly book. A glance at the table of contents is enough to show that the sequence of chapters is erratic and closer inspection reveals that the scope of individual chapters is far wider than appears at first sight. Philosophic doctrines (which, according to the author, are the basis of the talismanic art), theory of magic, astronomical, astrological and physical lore, extensive directions for the practice of the art, and accounts of the peoples by who m it is employed are jumbled together

The Memories Of Being Physically Abused Essay - 1886 Words

A year prior I was physically abused by my ex which drove me to torment from Posttraumatic stress disorder. The memories of being physically abused was hard to adjust to. Following a year and I at long last started to see the PTSD signs with my new beau and I were going in Hawaii. He touched me in a way that brought flashbacks of the abuse I encountered. I immediately began crying and panicking. My lover had a go at comforting me, however the intrusive insights proceeding in my mind it wouldn t allow me to feel comfort. I expected to check my surroundings and exhort myself that I was OK and that there was no indication of my ex here in Hawaii. It s been a year since I ve been abused and my mind and body keeps on exploding in light of the fact that I neglected the takes note. I used to tell myself that I wasn t restless or shocking of my ex, nonetheless I have as of late found that it was each of the a lie. I felt helplessness. Sometimes, I have flashbacks and awful dreams of the abus e. Which brings me to a feeling of isolation from my friends and family; sometimes I feel debilitated, peevish and hyperventilate. I used to feel repentant and used to blame myself for being abused. An instance of one of my PTSD symptoms is fondling motivated to keep a cordial relationship with my ex in light of fear of what may happen if I don t do in that capacity. My relationship today with my new lover is progressing, be that as it may we encountered cruel fixes as a result of the truthShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Short Term 12807 Words   |  4 Pagesshows how young people are sent to the foster care facility called Short Term 12, because they are abused by their guardians. A boy in the movie named Marcus, lives at Short Term 12 because he was physically abused by his mother. Marcus has many issues that he deals with at the facility, but he managed to make it through. Jayden, a troubled girl lives at Short Term 12 because her father sexually abused her. She deals with many problems and has a hard time opening up to the caretakers. One of theRead MoreChild Abuse Essay1290 Words   |  6 Pagesto zero. No kid deserves to feel the way they feel after being abused; emotionally, physically, or even sexually. The definition of child abuse is a parent or caregiver reflecting violent pain or neglect towards a child. The rate of kids that are being abused should decrease to make this society more effective for kids to feel secure and comfortable with their surroundings. The fact that children have to experience such life scaring memories for the rest of their lives, is cruel and unjust. The yearRead MoreMultiple Personality Disorder (MPD) Essay example756 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There have been many movies made about Multiple Personality Disorder. The movie â€Å"Primal Fear† caught my interest. This movie really made me chance the way I feel about this particular disorder. â€Å"Primal Fear† was about a younger boy that had been physically abused and killed the person who had done this to him. He had to go to court and get tried for the murder. Through the whole movie he had two personalities, one was a sweet, innocent, quite boy and the other was the man that had killed this other manRead MoreChildren And Domestic Violence Negatively Affects Children s Health And Development Essay1476 Words   |  6 Pagesassault itself), or being told (or overhearing conversations) about the incident (Holden 2003). Domestic violence witnessed by children alters their psychological development. Exposure to domestic violence is thought to be particularly damaging to children’s development because it typically involves both a perpetrator and victim(s) who are known to the child (Groves 1999). Preliminary evidence suggests that children who witness domestic violence and who are themselves abused exhibit greater behaviorRead MoreThe Effects Of Child Abuse On The Brain1653 Words   |  7 PagesChildren who grow up in a violent house who are physically or sexually abused are more likely to then become abusive to their own children when they are adults. Abuse is a problem that reaches all ends of the earth. Stopping the cycle is hard, and abuse is no tradition any family wants to have. The cycle of abuse is studied by many, and researcher Coates (2010) explains the trauma of childhood abuse. The trauma that comes with being physically or sexually abused as a child has an immense impact on the children’sRead MoreThe Relationship Of Domestic Violence1523 Words   |  7 PagesSandra Santiago is a 20-year-old female of Puerto Rican decent. She is currently in a relationship of domestic violence, consisting of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. Her mother was abused by her father. Sandra was also molested by her step-brother and there was a point where she wanted to kill herself and her parents. She ran away from home and was placed into a group home when she was 15. She left the group home at the age of 17 and was abusing drugs and alcohol; she went to rehab andRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1317 Words   |  6 Pagesongoing social problem; this abuse has been one of the repeatedly difficult accusations to prove in our criminal justi ce system. Child abuse causes many years of suffering for victims. Children abused suffer from chemical imbalances, behavioral issues and are at high risk for becoming abusers or being abused in adult relationships. This cycle of learned behavior and suffering will be a hopeless reoccurring problem unless the criminal justice system and protocols for abusers to undergo reform. PenaltiesRead MoreChanging The Lives Of Abused Children1673 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Changing the Lives of Abused Children† By: Hannah Kress 24 October 2014 Mrs. Chandler English 4/ College Readiness Hannah Kress Mrs. Chandler English 4 24 October 2014 Changing the Lives of Abused Children Many young children in the school system today, have the appearance of happiness and carefree living, but appearances can be deceiving! Students walk down the halls every day with their peers, never knowing what goes on after the dismissal bell rings, and they go their separateRead Moreâ€Å"Most Cases Of Domestic Violence Are Never Reported To1088 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police (â€Å"Abuse Statistics†).† Most people do not report abuse because many believe that abuse is normal in most types of relationships, and bystanders do not always realize that they are being abused. It is difficult to identify the signs of abuse. There could be so many thoughts that can go into a victim s mind while they continue to stay in the cycle of abuse. Recognizing abuse is like finding a needle in a haystack, there are many typesRead MorePsychosocial And Neurodevelopmental Effects Of Trauma869 Words   |  4 Pagesabuse and neglect, maltreated children will react differently to situations than their non-abused peers† (Putnam, 2006 p. 5) . The way children play is also effected by trauma as they reenact traumatic memories (Streeck Van der Kolk, 2007). â€Å"Studies of physically and sexually abused children have identified a number of important brain regions that are smaller in size than in age- and gender-matched non-abused children† (Putnam, 2006 p. 5). Putnam believes this is due to the neurons inability to

Effective Quality Management And Risk Management - 874 Words

III. Effective Quality Management Although hundreds of management methods are developed, most research considers a non-holistic software quality management (SQM) viewpoint and focuses on development-phase-specific quality assurance (QA) methods and activities. To support SQM, we study effective quality management (EQM) to get acceptance of adequate product quality assurance activities by a minimum set of stakeholders, developers, customers, and users.[1] Value engineering (VE) is a method that developed by general electric after World War II,[1]Developers can use this method to find the most valuable functions and deliver it with the limited resources. As for risk management (RM), which can be considering as a method to reduce both the occurrence possibility and aftereffect of adverse events, is a crucial part of many projects develop processes. Although value engineering and risk management are widely used in many industries and many successful applications can be found, most application for Value engineering and risk management are separated. Therefore, how values and risks fit together is still a big issue. However, effective quality management contains value engineering and risk management together. In order to check the effectiveness and find advantages of EQM, we make a comparison: EQM versus value engineering and risk management. First of all, EQM is a combination of VE and RM. But EQM focuses on the effectiveness of risk mitigation during software developmentShow MoreRelatedInfluence of the Leadership and Governance of a Healthcare Organization710 Words   |  3 PagesHow does the leadership and governance of a health care organization influence the development and implementation of risk-management and quality-management policies? Risk Management A companys risk management strategy is largely governed by the degree to which company leadership emphasizes its importance. This denotes that organizational governance must prioritize risk-reduction as a leading operational imperative. Leadership should be directly involved in making difficult decisions that willRead MoreQuality And Safety Initiatives Throughout The U.s. Health Care Delivery System932 Words   |  4 PagesQuality and safety initiatives are driving important changes in the U.S. health care delivery system. Quality in health care is defined as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes are consistent with current professional knowledge (Nash Goldfarb, 2006, p. 6). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err is Human, states that most of the medical errors are resulted from system error and processes. Medical Errors accountRead MoreThe Pharmaceutical Industry Has Been Privatized805 Words   |  4 Pagesand the quality of products has been low (Plumb, 2013). Many areas of business and government utilize risk management principles to ensure quality. The International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Quality Risk Managemen t guideline (Q9) (2005) states that â€Å"it is commonly understood that risk is defined as the combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm†. The pharmaceutical industry has recognized the importance of quality systems and that quality risk managementRead MoreAn Organizational Structure Based on Risk and Quality Fundamentals823 Words   |  4 Pages2.3 Risk Management According to IRM-AIRMIC-ALARM (2002), risk management actually defines every organisational strategic management; it comprises the process which identifies and treats the internal and external risks and adds sustainable value to the organisation and its stakeholders by decreasing the probability of not achieving the organisation’s overall objectives. The specific institutes suggest that risk management lies in the strategic, tactical and operational levels, and its embodimentRead MoreRisk and Quality Management1593 Words   |  7 PagesRisk and Quality Management Assessment Summary Angelina L. Crudo HCS/451 University of Phoenix Lisa Kehlenbrink July 8, 2013 Risk and Quality Management Assessment Summary Risk management is about reducing the likelihood of errors with the aim of improving and monitoringRead MoreRisk Management Process Is Risk1436 Words   |  6 PagesRisk management is developed in order to reduce the likelihood of possible events that have negative effects for patients, staffs and the organization; to reduce the risk of death and injury or disease for patients, staffs, and others as result of services provided; to improve patient outcomes; to manage resources effectively; and to support legislative compliance and to ensure organizational viability and development. In order to achieve these goals, risk management teams should follow the fourRead MoreAn Organizational Structure Based on Risk and Quality Fundamentals1038 Words   |  5 Pages1. INTRODUCTION As organizations strive to maintain economic viability in a constantly changing global environment, they must continually modify their business processes and even their workforce to provide on-time quality services, despite often diminishing resources. The organizational effectiveness according to ILM (2003c) is affected by a variety of factors: political factors since governments set the law and the regulations under which businesses operate; economic factors that include operationalRead MoreHardware and Project Considerations When Implementing a New CRM System1638 Words   |  7 PagesConsiderations When Implementing A New CRM System The most effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are deliberately designed to align and enhance the strategic initiatives and programs of a given business or enterprise. They must take into account customer preferences, needs and wants as well, and strive to create a foundation of shared information and insight over time There are a myriad of studies that show how effective CRM systems are in transforming businesses and making themRead MoreEvaluation Of Beaumont Hospital s Risk Management1106 Words   |  5 PagesThe main objective of Beaumont Hospital is to provide high quality, efficient, accessible services, in a caring environment for Southeastern Michigan residents. Beaumont Hospital believes that patient safety is just as important as medical progression. Therefore, Beaumont Hospital’s risk management program consists of identifying hazard associated risks, controlling risks, and monitoring the effectiveness of procedures/practices. Risk is a part of patient care and services because everything doesn’tRead MoreAn Organizational Structure Based on Risk and Quality Fundamentals641 Words   |  3 PagesFollowing the review cited above, it is apparent that risk management cycle (hazard identification, risk assessment for prioritizing the need for response, decision for actions according to available resources, measures implementation, monitoring, feedback and identification of new hazards) dominates every business activity and consequently comprises the process that drives the organisational management and operations. From a wider viewpoint, Risk Management comprises the inevitable and inextricable process

Airline Industry Analysis free essay sample

PoliticalFlying outside Malaysia has been a challenge to AirAsia airline. We will write a custom essay sample on Airline Industry Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is based on bilateral agreement affecting the way in which Pan-Asia budget carriers. Landing and navigation charges are expensive in major destinations including Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok. There are also no cheaper secondary airports hence, a crisis for the airline. This is worsened by the fact that the airline market is regulated by bilateral air rights agreements.Economic factorsAirAsia is a low-cost airline and it faces stiff competition from Malaysian Airline. The good thing is that AirAsia offers cheap flight services and highly affordable tickets that attract many clients in the region. Asia, in theory, has the most attractive ingredients making a budget airline successful. This is enhanced by the fact that the region is wide and densely populated. Additionally, economic growth in the region and improved cost of living has empowered many Asians to board flights to different destinations hence, an advantage to AirAsia airline.SocialMany passengers in Malaysia are very reluctant to board no frill flights for long hours. The longer the route, the fewer prices conscious the clients become. They do not want to be on long flights, especially with limited or no in-flight services. AirAsia wanted to be an airline that operates on average man basis in the street of being in a position to pay for flights. Individuals who couldn’t think of flying are therefore attracted to AirAsia.Additionally, AirAsia strongly commits to Safety First following past previous cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that scared many people from flying. AirAsia, therefore, complies with all regulatory measures set and consistently adhere to high standards. This ensures safety for all passengers and airline staff.AirAsia also operates in countries with widely diverse cultural aspects and languages. This is because its staff embraces cultural diversity making it easier for the company to thrive in Thai Malaysian border and in Indonesia. TechnologyAirAsia offers airline online service that combines air ticketing with car hire, hotel bookings and travel insurance for enhanced AirAsia Travel Protection. To keep all costs in check, the company has further pushed its online or internet services. This makes it easier for individuals served by poor rail and road infrastructure to board flights.AirAsia in 2003 became one of the first and best airlines to introduce SMS booking and guests can easily book for their flights, check schedules and get latest updates on AirAsia promotions at their comfort. The airline also introduced GO Holiday and clients can book for holiday making it a reliable, better performance and reliable airline.

The Relationship of the Human Sciences Essay Example

The Relationship of the Human Sciences Essay The Relationship of the Human Sciences to the Natural Sciences To a great extent, however, the human sciences do encompass natural facts and are based on knowledge of nature. If one were to imagine purely spiritual beings in a realm of persons which consisted only of such beings, then their coming-to-be, preservation, and development, as well as their extinction whatever representations we may form of the background from which these beings appear and into which they disappear would be dependent on purely spiritual conditions. Their well-being would be based on their relation to a world of spirit, their contact with each other and their interactions would be effected through purely mental means, and the lasting effects of their actions would be of a purely spiritual sort. Even their disappearance from the realm of persons would be grounded in the spiritual sphere. The system of such individuals would be known by pure sciences of spirit. In reality, however, an individual comes into being, survives, and develops on the basis of the functions of an animal organism and its connections to his natural environment. We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship of the Human Sciences specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship of the Human Sciences specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship of the Human Sciences specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His feeling of life is, at least partly, based on these natural functions; his impressions are conditioned y his sense organs and the way they are affected by the external world. We find that the abundance and liveliness of his representations, the strength and direction of his acts of will, are in many ways dependent on changing conditions within his nervous system. His volitional impulses induce contractions in the muscle fibers when effect directed outwards is bound to molecular changes in his body; lasting results of his acts of will exist only in the form of changes in the material world. Thus the mental life off man is part of the psychophysical life-unit which is the form in which human existence and human life are manifested. Only by means of abstraction is mental life separable from that psychophysical life-unit. The system of these life-units is the reality which constitutes the subject matter of the socio-historical sciences. Whatever the metaphysical facts may be, man as a life-unit may be regarded from the two points of view that we have developed: seen from within he is a system of mental facts, but to the senses he is a physical whole. Inner and outer perception never occur in one and the same act, and consequently the reality of mental life is never even simultaneously with that of our body. On account of this, there are necessarily two different and irreducible standpoints for a scientific approach aimed at grasping the connection of the mental and the physical as expressed in the psychophysical life-unit. If I start with inner experience, then I find the whole external world to be given in my consciousness and all the laws of nature to be subject to the conditions of my consciousness and, therefore, dependent on them. This is the standpoint which German philosophy at the turn of the eighteenth century designated as transcendental philosophy. On the other hand, I can start from the world of physical nature, as I see it before me, and perceive psychic facts ordered within space and time; I then see changes within spiritual life subject to external interference-natural or experimental-consisting of physical changes impinging on the standpoint into a comprehensive picture of the dependence of the human spirit on the body. This results in a scientific approach which proceeds from Outer to inner, from physical changes to mental ones. Thus the antagonism between the philosopher and the natural scientist is conditioned by their antithetical starting mints. Let us now take as our point of departure the perspective of the natural sciences. Insofar as this perspective remains conscious of its limits, its results are incontestable. These results receive a closer determination of their cognitive value only from the standpoint of inner experience. Natural science analyzes the causal nexus of nature. Where this analysis has reached the point at which a material fact or change is regularly connected with a psychic fact or change, without a further intermediary being detectable between them, only this regularity itself can be established; no connection of cause and effect can be applied to this relation. We find uniformities in the one sphere of life regularly connected with uniformities of the other, and the mathematical concept of function is the appropriate expression for such a relationship. To conceive the course of mental changes running parallel to physical changes as comparable to the working of two synchronized clocks fits as well with experience as does a conception assuming only one clockwork, which, when taken informatively as a basis of explanation, considers both spheres of experience as but different manifestations of one ground. Dependence of the mental on the natural world is a relation according to which the overall natural context causally conditions those material facts and changes which are regularly, and apparently directly, connected with mental facts and changes. Thus the natural sciences regard the chain of causality as reaching into the domain of psychophysical life. But here we find a mode of change in which the relationship of the material and the Psychical is not governed by this sort of causal approach, and this change then in turn generates a change in the material world. In this context the physiologists experiments disclose he importance of the structure of the nervous system. By analyzing how the bewildering phenomena of life depend on each other, we can trace the sequence of natural changes which reach man, enter his nervous system through the senses, and give rise to sensations, representations, feelings, and desires which, in turn, affect the course of nature. The psychophysical life-unit which is filled with the immediate feeling of its undivided existence is analyzed into a system of empirically observable relations between facts of consciousness and observable relations of structure and the functions of the nervous system. For every psychic act shows itself to be connected with a change in our body only by means of the nervous system; and a change in our body, in turn, is accompanied by a change in our psychic state only through its effect on the nervous system. This analysis of psychophysical life-units provides a clearer notion of their dependence on the overall context of nature within which they appear and act and from which they withdraw again. It also clarifies how the study of socio-historical reality depends on our knowledge of nature. From this, we can establish the extent to which the theories of Comet and Herbert Spencer are justified in locating these sciences in their hierarchy of all the sciences. While the present work will attempt to ground the relative independence of the human sciences, it must also consider the other perspective, which places them within the which can show how the human sciences are conditioned by our knowledge of nature and constitute the final and highest member in a progression which begins with mathematics. Mental facts comprise the uppermost limit of natural facts, and the latter the underlying Conditions of human life. Because the realm of persons, including human Society and history, is the highest phenomenon of the empirical world, knowledge of it must at countless points be based on the system of presuppositions which accounts for its development within the w hole of nature. Man, because of his position in the causal system of nature, Is conditioned by it in a twofold respect. The psychophysical life-unit, as we saw, receives through its nervous system continuous stimuli from the general course of nature which it in turn affects. Where the psychophysical unit affects nature this is characteristically in the form of action guided by purposes. On the one hand, nature and its constitution can govern this psychophysical unit in the shaping of purposes themselves; on the other hand, nature qua system of means for attaining these ends codetermines the psychophysical unit. Thus even in those cases where we exert our will, where we act on nature, we are dependent on the system of nature precisely because we are not blind forces but rather volitional creatures that reflectively establish their purposes. Accordingly, psychophysical units find themselves dependent on natural processes in a twofold manner: beginning with the earths position in the cosmic whole, nature as causal system conditions socio-historical reality. For the empirical researcher, the great problem of the relation between nature and freedom within socio-historical reality is subdivided into countless particular questions involving the relation between facts of the human world and influences of nature. On the other hand, the purposes of the human world have their repercussions on nature or on the earth, which man in this sense regards as his dwelling and in which he is busily making himself at home. These retroactive influences on nature are also dependent on using the laws of nature. All purposes lie exclusively within the sphere of human spirit, for this is what is truly real for man; but a purpose seeks its means of realization in the system of nature. The change which the creative power of spirit produces in the external world is often nearly inconspicuous. Yet only through it does the value thus created exist for other people as well. The few pages which came into the hands of Copernicus as the material remnants of the profound mental efforts by which the ancients first conceived the idea that the earth moves became the starting point for a revolution in our conception of the world. Now it can be seen how relative the delimitation of these two groups of sciences is. Disputes such as those about the status of universal linguistics are unproductive. At both points of transition between the study of nature and that of the human world I. . , where nature influences the development of the mind and where it is either influenced by or forms the passageway for influencing other minds-both sorts of knowledge always intermingle. Knowledge of the natural sciences overlaps with that of the human sciences. Because of this twofold formative influence of nature on human life, we can combine knowledge of how nature shapes human beings with insight in to how it provides us with material for action. Thus an important part of grammar and of music theory is derived from our knowledge of the natural laws of sound formation. Even a genius of accomplishments is conditioned by an understanding of this dependence. Here it can be further seen that, to a great extent, knowledge of the conditions supplied by nature and explored by natural science provides the basis for the study of the facts of the human world. The development of the individual, the manner in which the unman race has been dispersed throughout the earth, and finally mans historical destiny-all these are conditioned by the cosmic whole. Wars, for example, are a chief component of all history. They are the result of political decisions by states, but they are fought with weapons. The theory of war depends primarily on knowledge of the physical conditions which provide the basis and means for a conflict of wills, for the purpose of war is to impose our will on the enemy by means of physical force. This involves coercing the enemy to the point of defensiveness, until his position is ore disadvantageous than the sacrifice demanded of him and can only be exchanged for an even more disadvantageous one. In making such calculations the physical conditions and means are most important; therefore the scientific study of war has very little to say about the psychological factors involved. The sciences of man, society, and history take the sciences of nature as their basis in two ways: first, insofar as psychophysical units themselves can be studied only with the help of biology; second, insofar as nature is the medium of their purposive activity, which is aimed mainly at the domination of nature. In the first respect, the life sciences provide the basis; in the second, it is chiefly those of inorganic nature. The relation to be clarified consists first of all in the fact that these natural conditions determine the development and distribution of human life on the face of the earth, and secondly in the fact that the purposive activity of man is bound by the laws of nature and is thus conditioned by his knowledge and use of them. Thus the first relation shows only the dependence of man on nature, while the second includes this dependence only as the reverse side of the history of his increasing domination of the earth. Ritter has applied a comparative method to that part of the first relation that involves mans connections to the nature that surrounds him. He presented us with brilliant prospects. In particular, his comparative appraisal of the continents in terms of their contours yielded a sense of how world history might be predestined in accordance with the overall spatial articulation of the earth. But this approach, which Ritter regarded as teleology of universal history, and which Buckle placed in the service of naturalism, has not been confirmed by subsequent research. In place of the inception of a uniform dependence of man on nature, a more cautious conception has developed, namely, that the struggle of human, moral powers with the conditions of mechanistic spatiality has steadily reduced the dependence of those peoples that have a history, in contrast to those that do not. Thus here, too, a science of socio- historical reality has asserted itself-one which uses natural conditions to explain, but nevertheless is independent. The second relation shows that the dependence involved in adapting to conditions is connected with the overcoming of spatiality wrought science and technique in such a way that man in history attains mastery precisely by means of submission. The problem of the relation of the human sciences to our knowledge of nature can be solved only when we have resolved the opposition with which we began, namely, that between the transcendental standpoint for which standpoint which regards the development of the human spirit as subject to the conditions of nature. This task constitutes one aspect of the problem of knowledge. If this problem can be isolated for the human sciences, then a solution acceptable to all s by no means impossible. The conditions for such a solution would be a demonstration of the objective reality of inner experience and a proof of the existence of an external world from which we can then conclude that this external world contains human facts and spiritual meaning by means of a process of transferring our inner life into this world. Just as the eye which has been blinded by looking directly into the sun reproduces the suns image in the most diverse colors and in the most diverse places, so our perception multiplies the image of our inner fife and transfers it in manifold modifications to various points in surrounding nature. This process can be represented and Justified as an analogical inference from our own inner life that is originally given immediately to us alone. By means of representations of the objectifications linked with our own inner life, similar appearances in the external world are associated with a corresponding similar underlying source. Whatever nature may be in itself, it is sufficient for the study of the causality of the human spirit that natural phenomena can always be interpreted ND used as signs of reality, that uniformities of coexistence and succession can be- interpreted and used as a sign of such uniformities in reality. But-once we enter the world of human spirit and investigate nature insofar as it provides the content of spirit, insofar as it is woven into the will purposively or instrumentally, then nature is for us Just what it is in us. What nature may be in itself is here entirely irrelevant. It is enough that nature be given in such a way that we can count on its lawfulness for our actions and appreciate the beautiful appearance of its existence.