Common Sense Essays (Examples)

Common Sense

The Merriam-ebster Online Dictionary defines common sense as: "the unreflective opinions of ordinary people," and "sound and prudent but often unsophisticated judgment." hile this definition is reflective of the nature of common sense, it does not begin to reveal the complexities of the subjectivity of the term, and the tendency to cite common sense as a justification for stereotypes, both of which reflect the social perspective of the speaker.

The greatest difficulty with an understanding of common sense is that the term is often highly subjective. One person's common sense is another person's falsehood or misleading statement. For example, a person who supports same sex marriage may argue that it is only 'common sense' that people should be allowed to marry whomever they want. However, a fundamentalist Christian may not be able to draw the same 'common sense' conclusion, because their religion opposes same sex unions.

Further, common…

Most nations have let slip the opportunity, and have been compelled to receive laws from their conquerors (Paine).

Democracy, the republic, voting, the Supreme Court, debate, etc. are no longer foreign concepts -- the great American "experiment" of 1776 still exists, so contemporary readers do not find issues of individual liberty and law to be either controversial or strange. Common Sense was a seminal event in the way the entire framework of the new government, and the Constitution were formed. "In short, Independence is the only BOND that can tie and keep us together" (Paine).

The Constitution, however, remains the seminal document with which the country is governed and laws interpreted. Some even call it a "living" document because it is continually reinterpreted and amended to fit the social, legal, and cultural needs of society -- likely something Paine would only imagine. That a document such of this could have…

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To quote the Encyclopedia of World Biography's entry on Thomas Paine (2004) "his contributions included an attack on slavery and the slave trade. His literary eloquence received recognition with the appearance of his 79-page pamphlet titled Common Sense (1776). Here was a powerful exhortation for immediate independence. Americans had been quarreling with Parliament; Paine now redirected their case toward monarchy and to George III himself -- a 'hardened, sullen tempered Pharaoh.' The pamphlet revealed Paine's facility as a phrasemaker -- 'The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth"; 'Oh ye that love mankind... that dare oppose not only tyranny but the tyrant, stand forth!' -- but it was also buttressed by striking diplomatic, commercial, and political arguments from separation from Britain."

Paine, as I see it, passionately wrote the Common Sense, with convincing argument against the oppressive nature of monarchy as well as the inevitability of the…

New York: Penguin, 2007.

Author of different academic studies and having an important scholar background, Nelson tries to point out the personality of the creator of "Common sense." Thus, he not only places him in the position of the politician, but also in that of the men. Nelson's perspective comes to complete Kaye's because both of them take into account, more or less, the human side of Thomas Paine, aside from the important issues that he generated in the American history. From this perspective, it is important to conclude the fact that indeed the political work was essential for the country, but it couldn't have been the result of anything but Paine's own experience and personality.

Lewis, Joseph. Inspiration and isdom from the ritings of Thomas Paine. New York, Freethought Press Association, 1954.

Joseph Lewis was one of the most important personalities in terms of analysis of ideas that revolutionized…

Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation.

The topic deals with many issues regarding the employee at the workplace. While about two decades ago the employees were at the mercy of the employer and the wage contract, more and more activism and the international requirements on protection of labor has created the needs of government interference which resulted in many laws and requirements beginning with social security and now encompasses a plethora of legislation.

However the argument that common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation is not entirely correct, though the topic has to be seen from the view that litigation has created the laws, and forced the adoption of laws and welfare measures. In the same context it is also argued that greed, corporate or individual can offset compassion and commonsense. Therefore enforcement of laws and the need to…

Common Sense

In the United States of America, the workplace used to be a serious location, but one where warmth and friendship could develop. Perhaps even romance could bloom between persons who worked in the same office. hen someone was slightly injured, a band-aid would be placed on the cut or a sprained ankle would be taped up and that would be the end of it. However, that is not the case in the modern age because people are so overly eager to get money for injury or incident. hen someone is hurt nowadays at the workplace or a young man asks a girl for coffee, it is not common sense that serves as the driving force, but the desire for money and the ability to sue. This is a very litigious age and people and businesses are being sued for ridiculous amounts of money over issues which is the…

Common ense -- Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine, one of the most influential writers of the American Revolution, wrote a pamphlet called Common ense. In this short work, he incited and inspired American Patriots to declare independence from Great Britain. One author semi-jokingly called him a "corset maker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination" (PoemHunter.com, 2009). The work was one of the top best sellers of the time, (1776), causing Paine to be known in many ways as the Father of the American Revolution.

Putting oneself as a colonist living during the Revolutionary Period and reading and hearing about Paine's Common ense is interesting. I believe that the key would be the place one was in society, how literate one was, and what one's job would be. For instance, someone from the privileged class may not agree with or even have any sympathy for any writings…

Paine writes, "Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence, the palaces of kings are build on the ruins of the bowers of paradise" (Paine pp).

For all his utopian depictions of colonial life, John de Crevecouer does write realistically of slavery, and like Paine's government comparison, Crevecouer also describes a loss of societal morals to commerce, concerning the issue of slavery. Of Carolina, he writes,

Carolina produces commodities, more valuable perhaps than gold, because they are gained by greater industry; it exhibits also on our northern stage, a display of riches and luxury, inferior indeed to the former, but far superior to what are to be seen in our northern towns" (Crevecouer 166).

He then goes into great length regarding the lifestyle of the citizens, describing their homes, how they feast and dine, enjoy luxuries and galas, and how this entire culture and commerce is built on the…

Common Sense by Thomas Paine, and the Declaration of Independence as to which had a greater or stronger effect on the colonists. This essay will ultimately suggest that the Declaration of Independence was a more effective document due to its ability to reform the colonies into a republic. This essay will first describe Common Sense and its impact before doing the same with the Decleartaion of Independence.

Common Sense

Common Sense was a pamphlet written by an outspoken colonist rebel named Thomas Paine. Paine's intent of this writing was to summon emotional and political support for those wishing to revolt against the British Monarchy. Common Sense was written in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence, and they both had a complimentary impact on their historic value due to this timing.

Common Sense is a rallying cry for those wishing a better life, and more freedom to stand…

Thomas Paine was born on January 29, 1737 at Thetford, Norfolk, England. He was known as the Anglo-American political philosopher. He lived in a poor family where his father, a Quaker, was only a corsetiere and his mother, an Anglican, was an ordinary housewife with abnormal behavior and very moody. It is said that Thomas was close to his father more than his mother because you can notice in his writings some of the quotations were based on his father conviction. According to the Oldys, Thomas was never baptized because of the belief of his parents.

Thomas went to school in "Grammar School," where the son of the rector sold his talent, Williamson, to a politician. Thomas was aware that he lived in a world of brutality and violence. He was a member of the Quaker club but he was not welcome because of discrimination in the club, even in…

Common Sense, by Thomas Paine. Specifically it will answer the following question: ere British Imperial policies responsible for the coming of the American Revolution?

COMMON SENSE

Economic forces were probably one of the most important factors in pushing the Americans toward revolution and independence. However, they were certainly not the only factors that led Americans to revolt. There were a variety of factors, as Paine's writing clearly shows. e were on the path to revolution from the moment our ancestors left England to avoid religious persecution, as Paine remembers.

This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe. Hither have they fled, not from the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their…

People often confuse the American evolution for the War for Independence. Although they share similar motives and similar actions, they are not one in the same. As John Adams made note of in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1815, "What do we mean by the evolution? The war? That was no part of the evolution" (Bailyn, 1967, p. 1).

He goes on to explain the war was more of a consequence and effect than a part of it as it developed. The evolution existed in the minds of people long before the one heard the first gun shot. "The records of thirteen legislatures, the pamphlets, newspapers in all the colonies, ought to be consulted during that period to ascertain the steps by which the public opinion was enlightened and informed concerning the authority of Parliament over the colonies." This lesson examines the "evolution in the minds of the people"…

Academic Thinking Merits and Beliefs

The relationships between and among common sense, science, personal beliefs and critical thinking is somewhat complicated because there are so many different variables to consider. Science is a branch of thought that is based on empirical evidence and that which can be proven. Personal beliefs are essentially opinions, which need not be based upon empirical evidence. Common sense are those things that are readily apparent to most people with most perceptions -- there is a degree of basic science or empirical evidence in common sense. Additionally, common sense can be a part of one's personal beliefs. Lastly, critical thinking is the ability to analyze distinct factors or facets of something and to draw conclusions, or inferences, from them in a manner in which one is able to synthesize these different elements. Critical thinking can involve aspects of science, personal beliefs, and common sense, although it…

Common Sense as a Formal Rejection of Monarchy

America's fight for independence would emerge quite naturally out of the needs of its people to establish a form of governance, of economy and of society reflective of the demands created by the path of development of the colonies. Its people would be assisted in their ascent to this revolt by no small degree of propaganda, which would help to represent the trespasses of kingship as a form of governance for the masses. Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, remains the most famous and representative of such literature, making as its subject the moral argument that men are inherently entitled to individual rights, proper representation and free from tyranny.

In a text designed to produce a sense of revolutionary outrage, Paine crafts a philosophical treatise on appropriate governance designed to counter that which had very organically emerged in the colonies with the…

Paine's decision to write of high philosophical and political issues in common speech, and of used "graphic metaphors and his simple sentence structure [to] reflect a language understood at the time by common Americans," (Moss & Wilson, ed) has much the same purpose as a translation of the ible from Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic into Latin, which is to say the need to initiate common people into profound truths.

Paine may not have been the greatest philosopher of his day, but he was certainly the greatest rhetorician. (it is a distinction which has been open to debate since the time of Socrates and the Sophists) the needs of rhetoric, as Aristotle himself has said, demand using emotion, sentiment, self-interest, and logic together with fine and comprehensible speech to persuade an audience. oth his synthesis of modern ideals and his simple straight forward manner aided him in fulfilling these demands:

Disavowing…

Indeed, in retrospect, my personal issues, no matter how stringent they might have been, should not have stayed in the way of exercising my common sense in the relationship with the rest of the individuals.

From this perspective, it is most likely that I should have followed what the son of the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, C.E. Stowe said in relation to common sense, that "common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done." (ThinkExist.com Quotations, 2006) Therefore, I now come to realize that it is of little importance the actual personal problems we are faced everyday because the people around us, and especially our friends, have no blame in them and acting foolishly towards them would not improve or create a result to our own issues. On the contrary even, when we tend to act without using our…

Common sense could, at face value, have several definitions applied to it: Firstly, it is 'common' in that all agree to the idea and accept it as obvious. No amount of research or investigation need go into establishing its existence or reasons for its propositions in order that one accept it. It is self-evident, therefore of sound judgment, therefore, no doubt, accepted by the 'normal' rational person. Using a circular definition, it is sense that is held in 'common' by 'common' people.

'Common sense could be thought of as logical thinking in the hypothetical-deductive manner that is innate in us, i.e. If p then q; an intrinsic sense of reasoning that is innate and instinctive in all rationally reasoning humans. In this sense it is also an autonomous and natural problem-solving technique.

Philosophers, however, find the definition of common sense to be less facile. Indeed, common sense remains one of…

Common Sense & Fed #

Thomas aine: Common Sense

Thomas aine argues in Common Sense that America should declare independence from Great Britain because submission to, or dependence on, Great Britain tends to directly involve the colonies in European wars and quarrels and sets them at odds with nations that would otherwise "seek our friendship, and against whom, we have neither anger nor complaint."[footnoteRef:1] [1: Thomas aine, "Common Sense." Constitution Society (1776). Accessed September 19, 2012. http://www.constitution.org/tp/comsense.htm ]

aine asserts that the strongest arguments for staying part of the British Empire are that she had her military protect the colonies and furthermore, that America has flourished under this relationship. He also points out that some argue that this connection is necessary if the colonies are to continue to flourish and it will always be this way.

However, aine rejects these arguments claiming that America would have flourished as much, and…

Geertz and Common Sense

Geertz: Analysis Common Sense

I have come to agree with Geertz in his conclusion that common sense is shaped by the society and culture we live in. Geertz describes common sense as "a relatively organized body of considered thought" (p. 75). Throughout Local Knowledge, he refers to common sense as being based in history and personal experiences. He offers that myth and accepted generalizations in a society for the foundation of what we call common sense. I particularly agree with Geertz in his assessment of the way intersexuality confuses the biological science scene and communities because common sense generally places sexuality into two categories: "maleness and femaleness." There is no room for an in-between.

Common sense, as Geertz defines it, is more than the "matter-of-fact apprehension of reality" (pp. 75-76). Common sense can be viewed as a cultural system because it is a loosely organized body…

Homelessness in the United States

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

The political situation in the colonies of America were more than ready to receive the pamphlet entitled Common Sense by Thomas Paine. Paine's writing provided a nation confused about their future and issues surrounding it, with a needed spur towards action and clarity of thought. The ambivalence of the time from the end of 1775 results from equally strong but opposing forces in the collective consciousness of the American mind during this time.

On the one hand, there was the urge towards autonomy and independence, while on the other a fundamental dependence on the ritish still reigned. Exacerbating the confusion within people's minds was the political upheaval manifest in the war breaking out in Massachusetts during April, as well as the Second Continental Congress. Further battles against the ritish were fought in New England and the South (Foner 79).

Furthermore…

temptation of the uneducated to believe that psychology and other philosophical sciences involve no more than common sense and logical thinking. While these are certainly part of psychology, the profession is also a science. This means that the scientific study of phenomena is involved, and conclusions are drawn based on the results. Psychology as a direction of study therefore involves much more than only common sense.

According to Bluedorn (2005), logic can be explained by two methods of reasoning: inductive and deductive reasoning. Reasoning can run in two opposite directions. Deductive reasoning moves from a general premise to a more specific conclusion. Inductive reasoning moves from specific premises to a general conclusion. These two methods of reasoning will produce two different kinds of results. Inductive reasoning uses as its basis particular observations from which it derives a general conclusion. The limit to this form of reasoning is that the observations…

killer and his victim has been one of the most enduring topics throughout horror and suspense fiction, and it is this relationship which ties together three ostensibly distinct stories: Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," Joyce Carol Oates' "here Are You Going, here Have You Been," and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." In each case, the majority of the story consists of the killer talking to his victim(s), some of whom are unaware of their fate at the beginning of the conversation, but who gradually come to realize the killer's true intention. The relationship which develops between killer and victim (however brief) in each story reveals something about how killers are treated by society, as people, and within society, as characters and archetypes. Considering how each of these stories intersect and diverge in their treatment of the relationship between killer and victim will serve to…

Individual Project

Common assessment marketing project

The paper provides a brief background of LinkedIn and Facebook. The paper consists of an overview of the social media industry and its importance as a tool of communication. It explores the marketing tactics and strategies used by the two corporations. The comparison part explains the differences and similarities of the marketing methods employed by Facebook and LinkedIn. The overview part suggests the best tactics for Sof-A-legue.com to attain a better competitive advantage. The section on situation analysis explores Sof-A-Legues's goals plus objectives, and identifies various strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Also, conducts an analysis of the 4ps.

Marketing Plan for Sof-A-Logue.Com

Introduction

Sof-A-Logue.com is establishing a new marketing scheme, which we shall use to make it to become better known to fresh markets and clients. As a result, we shall use Facebook and LinkedIn, which are social media platforms, as a basis of comparing…

Diehl also points out that the poet's retrospective outlook cannot be overlooked, for "by placing this description in the realm of recollection, the speaker calls into question the current status of her consciousness" (Diehl). Here we come into contact with vivid imagery of the poet losing her faculties. Another interesting aspect we find in this poem is how it represents a personal experience. The poet's thoughts are coming from within. After all is said and done, we read "And the windows failed, and then/I could not see to see" (Dickinson 16). Obviously, the poet does not crack the mystery of death but she does seem to come to terms with it, at least.

The poet takes us on another journey in "I heard a Fly Buzz hen I Died." e are told about the "stillness of the air" (3) to the grieving to the distraction of a fly. The poet…

Parental ights

At issue is whether a court ruled the right way when custody rights were assigned to a parent who was, legally, a step-parent. Indeed, the man in question was married to his wife and the wife had a child with another man. Because the biological parent was absent from the situation, the step-father was indeed the "father" based on presence, financial support and so forth. Further, it is noted in the case study that the step-dad treated his step-child with the same deference, respect and care as his twin children, which are both legally and biologically his. The question because whether that entitles him to legal and/or visitation rights.

uling

The step-father was initially awarded both legal rights and visitation. However, the former of those two was later rescinded and he only was given visitation rights in the end. The mother was pressing for the step-father to have…

Love is a universal theme, and can be found in multiple art forms including painting, poetry, and music. One of the most common romantic expressions and symbols of love is the kiss. In 1907, Gustav Klimt painted "The Kiss," perhaps his most famous painting characterized not only by its subject of a man kissing a woman but also its use of gold paint and Art Nouveau style. In 1939, poet Stephen Dunn published "The Kiss," which conveys a similar type of eroticism as Klimt's painting. Finally, in 1986, Prince produced one of his most famous songs and videos, "Kiss." All three of these kiss themed works of art convey the theme of erotic and sensual love, which is a common theme in the humanities.

The earliest of these three works of art is Gustav Klimt's painting "The Kiss." This painting is unique because it almost appears like a collage, the…

Common Sense

The author of this report has been asked to explore the relationships between four different facets of a person's thinking and mindset. Those four facets are common sense, science, personal beliefs and critical thinking. The author will define each of the concepts, will explain the role of each facet when it comes to scholarship and then the author will provide a personal definition of belief perseverance along with an explanation of how it influences critical thinking. Finally, the author will share at least one strategy that can be employed to ensure that one thinks critically despite the presence of an ingrained personal belief system. While having core values and beliefs are important, it is more important to remain open-minded about different perspectives and details when those ingrained beliefs are called into question.

Summary

Of course, the four facets of thought described above are related and they tend to…

Base ten number system and on common misconceptions, which young children might develop when trying to learn about the use of numbers.

What is Place Value Notation

Place value notation, also otherwise known as positional notation, is a system of encoding numbers such that it simplifies the arithmetic. It is the basis for understanding arithmetic and is essential to the way we read, write, speak or use whole numbers. Another important use of the place value notation is that it allows us to string together and make sense of a sequence of whole numbers put together in order. Quite simply, the place-value system allows us to make sense of a sequence of numbers which would otherwise have just appeared to be random digits put together.

What is the Base Ten number system?

The Base ten number system uses digits for the numbers zero to nine for all number values no…

Mill believed that any act may itself be inherently moral, so long as the outcome of that action produces a benign effect. Mill believed that the most ethical act is that which produces the most good, even if the act itself is one which is traditionally considered evil. An example of utilitarian philosophy would include the killing of innocent animals to determine a cure for some infectious disease. And while there are components of this philosophy that would certainly align with Aristotle's definition of ethics, it seems difficult to picture the latter condoning any method to achieve moral behavior, particularly in regards to the following quotation from Nichomachean Ethics. "A man will not live like that by virtue of his humanness, but by virtue of some divine thing within him. His activity is as superior to the activity of the other virtues as this divine thing is to his composite…

To achieve these various purposes, NATO embarked on a series of interlocking efforts during the 1990s that were intended to provide some aspect of an overall concept of security. A series of initiatives resulted in NATO accepting new members with the possibility of still further additions in the future, crafted the Partnership for Peace and created the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council; entered into a Founding Act with ussia and a Charter with Ukraine; revised its command arrangements; and, simultaneously, became increasingly aware that developing a new relationship with the Western European Union was clearly in its best interests (Hunter, 2003).

In this regard, Dannreuther (2004) maintains that the EU's engagement with its immediate periphery represents a highly important, and potentially the most important, post-Cold War geopolitical challenge for its foreign and security policy; the nature of these obstacles can be considered to have three major dimensions, as follows:

There has been…

strong sense of external community correlate with exceptional company performance?

Large multinationals are well-known for their involvement in supporting the community they work in and also for their support for sports, humanitarian and social causes. The profitability and high visibility of these companies in external community activities certainly makes one believe that external community involvement and exceptional company performance go hand in hand.

A closer analysis of the community relation exercise shows that in many cases such involvement is an extension of business activities. The multi-billion dollar profits, of course give the exceptional performers the ability to buy the goodwill of political parties, news media, and the community in general to look after their present and future interests.

Whatever the motives, external community involvement shows that the company is performing well and has greater ambitions. External community involvement is also a result of increased social awareness and there are cases…

Terminated employees find they are no longer as marketable as the last time they had to search for a job and that they need a certain amount of retraining to acquire new KSAs. They face the problem of having to investigate the new KSAs required to find re-employment." What firms could have down was to lend support for acquiring new skills. They could provide employees with appropriate training from time to allow them to gain new skills that would have helped after termination. Or they could simply help them understand that they would need new KSAs and help them acquire them during the downsizing process.

Even worse can be impact on the families of terminated employees. When firms fail to invest into human resource support and building, this results in serious shock not only for the terminated employee but also his family. Citing a research, the author argue that wives…

Tragedy and the Common Man," he contemplates the idea that only the wealthy, noble characters can fully understand tragedy, and therefore appreciate it. That thought is not a reflection of his own opinion, as Miller argues the case of tragedy and the common, working class man - for tragedy knows no income boundaries, but rather that this person would "lay down his life...to secure one thing - his sense of personal dignity." To that end, Willy Loman epitomizes what Miller is speaking about.

Willy Loman is most certainly a tragic hero, according to the modern-day, Arthur Miller type definitions. Loman is hardworking and relentless in his pursuit of his American dream. His tragic flaw is that he cannot recognize how desperately his family wants to love him, yet Willy loves his family deeply enough to sacrifice self in order to give Biff the American dream that he could not obtain…

popular and highly common method of data collection used in all manner of research. The survey can take a wide array of forms and typically requires the respondent to answer a series of questions or items. The effective survey instrument will be one that is objective and which offers questions that are presented in an unbiased manner.

Practical Application

The practical applications of the survey are manifold. One practical application of the survey is in ts capacity to yield first-hand accounts which may be protected by anonymity and which enable researchers to formulate data analyses that are not influenced by personal perceptions of subjects. This benefit is supplemented by the ability which the survey offers researchers to craft data-gathering questions according to the needs of the study. With this method of qualitative data accumulation, questions can be shaped to cast a broad reach in terms of that which can be…

The concept of the common good can apply just as well to secular or political values as to spiritual or religious ones. Social and political organizations should be devoted to the common good, but not all are, as Sullivan & Pagnucco (2014) point out. Some organizations base their founding principles, ideologies, and practices on hatred or fear, thereby detracting from the common good. Catholic Social Teaching offers an idealized model of civil society in which each person is engaged in and committed to the common good: the creation and maintenance of the conditions necessary for human flourishing. The specific methods of working towards the common good, and how the common good will manifest, may vary from place to place or from time to time, but the ultimate goals of personal and collective fulfillment remain the same.
Participation in social organizations is inevitable, even for those who remain relatively detached from…

This is a clear and explicit statement of the gods' selfishness, and in the context of the story of Zeus' in particular. There is no other reason provided for his desire to keep fire away from humanity; it is not out of a prudent and paternal fear of fire's destructive powers, nor because of something divine in the very essence of fire that is not to be sullied by human hands, but merely because it is part of the "stuff of life," and the gods do not feel like sharing. It is one more way in which Zeus can feel superior to man, and though this type of petty selfishness might not be very becoming to the king of gods in the Greek pantheon, maker of thunder and lover of swans, it is certainly appropriate for a villain.

So, too, is the ingenuity with which Zeus goes about punishing mankind…

The solution that Hardin proposes is that of a coercive method; as always he gives a lucid example to support the point that he proposes. Hardin reminds the reader that society mutually agreed to make it illegal to rob banks, rather than appeal to the sense of responsibility to those who wish to rob banks as a means of deterring them. Bank robbers (real and potential) know that very immediate consequences await them, such as police chases which could end in injuries or fatalities, jail time and other comparable results. These consequences are real and immediate because they're reinforced by the state, the judicial system and by the police force. This form of coercion prevents more people from attempting to rob banks. Our natural resources of water need to be treated as though they're as valuable as banks filled with money. Dumping chemicals such as fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and personal care…

Tragedy of the commons refers to a situation where each individual, when engaged in profit-maximizing behavior, causes overall damage to common property. The principle reflects two ideas. The first is the economic idea of profit maximization, wherein it is held that in general each individual will seek to maximize their own outcomes. The second idea is that in doing so individuals will generally exploit common property. Indeed, transactions between individuals are largely a zero sum game of swapping different types of benefits, but the only real growth comes from increased exploitation of common property.

There are a lot of examples of tragedy of the commons. A good one is the exploitation of fossil fuel resources. These are common to the people of the world, but each person seeks to maximize his or her outcomes, and this results in high levels of consumption. Fossil fuels make an obvious example because they…

Like most litigations on such complicated issues the company had little to do but show reasonable accommodation, adopt better surface practices and wait out a lengthy period before their liability was reduced substantially by the courts.

Ethical analysis:

The key ethical issues of the case are pretty clear, did the captain knowingly endanger the environment by continuing to retain his position and navigate tankers through the area and did the company know that such was the case. Both ethical dilemmas are clear and were ruled upon by many hours of court time and subsequent appeals, though the final Supreme Court ruling on Exxon's liability for the spill was split 4:4 every other deciding body laid full responsibility on Exxon's lap. ("Exxon Valdez Damages educed," June 2008, NP). An additional ethical issue, though much less openly understood or known by the average American is weather it was ethical to pay fishermen…

narrative structure common to short stories of the past cannot be found in modern examples of the literary form, and that in short "nothing happens" in modern short stories. hen one examines the modern short story on its own terms, however, exploring the text for what it contains and extracting meaning and action from the words on the page (and the words not on the page), rather than trying to read modern short stories according to the frameworks and preconceptions of the past, it becomes clear that this stance simply doesn't hold water. hile it might be true that a direct narrative structure is less present in modern short stories than in examples from the past, it is far from true that nothing happens in the modern short story. An examination of two canonized and gripping short stories, illiam Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Andre Dubus' "Killings," reveal that…

Simile -- A common device in poetry is the use of comparisons, often comparing something unusual or uncommon with something that is more familiar to the reader or audience. One kind of comparison is the simile, which uses the words like or as and compares two things that are dissimilar in order to bring about a fresh view and new meaning.

An example of a simile that does this is found in Margaret Atwood's "You fit into me," in which she describes the fit of two lovers to each other as "like a hook into an eye." The reader imagines a hook and eye on the band of a skirt or the back of a bra, but then Atwood changes the significance of the simile by becoming more specific. She adds the explanation "A fish hook ... An open eye." The extended simile creates a very painful image of being…

Change Management

Kotter's sequence: establishing a sense urgency creating a guiding coalition.

Change management: Best Buy's successful adoption of change

Change management: Best Buy's successful adoption of change

It is said that change is constant and the one constant in economic life is change. But despite the 'predictability' of change, the phenomenon of change resistance is another 'constant' in organizations. John Kotter in his book Leading Change offers an eight-step prescription to fight against change resistance, to create a positive environment that fosters change. The efficacy of Kotter's eight steps can be seen in Best Buy and its shift a results-only system of valuing employee's contributions, which stands in stark contrast to its previous attempts to institute change.

Establish a sense of urgency

At Best Buy, before adopting a results-only work environment, the organization was a "ferociously face-time place" (Smashing the Clock, 2006, Business Week). Burnout and attrition of high-quality…

Vegetarian food is easily found in Buddhist restaurants in big cities of Taiwan. Many people enjoy vegetarian food due to health or religious reasons since there is a strong connection between Buddhist religion and vegetarian food. Still only a very small portion of the entire population is totally vegetarian.

ecreational System

ecreation is important in Taiwanese society and it has become more vital since Taiwanese started getting higher income in 1980s (Moiz, Wu, p. 107). They enjoy life the way any modern society would like going to the movies, enjoying karaoke, meeting family and friends and spending time in the parks. Eating out is also one activity Taiwanese enjoy and shopping malls are normally immensely crowded on the weekends. The night markets in Taipei see huge crowds where all kind of exotic stuff is sold.

3. CONCLUSION

Taiwan is a growing nation which has made its mark on the world…

perception or a common belief that work and fun should are impossible to blend together. Older generations have passed down attitudes regarding work, which imply that fun cannot be had at work. After all everyone has heard the saying "all work and no play." Past generations have described work as a simple virtue and a duty. These two descriptions of work leave no room for the concept of fun within their interpretation. It is important to recognize that the work place is so much more nowadays. ork encompasses so much more for individuals and if one analyses and takes into account the great multitude and variety of different fields in the workforce, one will definitely come away with the conclusion that indeed fun can be had at work. Old attitudes, saying and notions regarding the compatibility of fun and work are not necessarily true, they now appear to be outdated;…

Carlzon establishes a strong sense of urgency with his moves, and this was in evidence at both SAS and Linjeflyg. On his first day at the latter he called a meeting that included all employees from across the country. He also met quickly with employees at SAS after his posting and he outlined that there were going to be changes. His first order of business was actually to engage the employees in the change process, before the change process was even identified. In doing this, he encouraged the employees to become part of the process.

The second step was to quickly establish the market and competitive realities. Senior managers were quickly asked to provide assessments of the key customer groups and in doing so Carlzon was able to quickly identify the key issues. Strategies were then formed on the basis of these issues. The analysis was largely informal, which allowed…

An additional theory that could be used to analyze a true leader is adaptability. Another writer notes, "Adaptive leaders learn to live with unpredictability. They spend less time fretting about the inability to establish a routine or control the future and focus more on exploiting opportunities" (Whiffen, 2007). Every organization experiences change, growth, and development. A good leader must be able to adapt to those changes, grow with them, and motivate their team to adapt, as well. The same writer continues, "Once a leader perceives changes in the operating environment, he should identify the 'critical elements of the new situation'" (Whiffen, 2007). This is essential for any organization, no matter the size. Nothing stays static, and new situations are always developing, so leaders must adapt to them, grow, and be open to change.

An example of a successful leader who headed a successful company is Herb Kelleher, the founder of…

The modern nurse must then be willing to move beyond a simple catch-all of medical jargon and bureaucracy and become someone who is both supportive and critical of the system. This may seem dichotomous, but in reality is not. The system is designed with beneficence in mind -- to help the patient at all costs. It is thus up to the nurse advocate to ensure that that actually happens (Sheldon, 2009).

Undertake assessments which are sensitive to the needs of the patient- Assessment is one of the key factors in management of clinical medicine. The nurse is often at the forefront of that process simply due to the logistical nature of the situation -- taking vitals, preparing the patient for blood work, etc. However, it is in two particular areas that the nurse can be most effective when assessing the actual needs of the patient; culturally and when questions are…

Tourism vs. The Environment

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries. In fact, it is believed that tourism will grow at approximately four percent per year through the year 2010. Tourism is usually good for the economy but is it is not always good for the environment. Mankind does have a way of messing up whatever we touch. Whenever something is taken out of its natural environment and placed elsewhere, there is an effect on something. Hikers generally stay on paths. Every so often a hiker just must have a photograph of a flower in the middle of a field and trounces off to get it. In doing so, rare vegetation might be killed. Destroyed vegetation, air pollution, water pollution and refuge are just a few of the problems irritated by tourism.

Sprawl is - no pun intended - a growing problem. In Lancaster ounty, Pennsylvania, sprawl and relative…

Some of these factors enhance the ability to detect geothermal activity in an area, while others impede it. he presence of these factors must be taken into consideration as they relate to the specific area being surveyed. A complete study of these factors and their potential affects on the ability to use remote sensing techniques will have to be explored in order to understand how they affect the use of satellite for remote sensing in Malawi.

he use of thermal infrared (IR) data from ASER spaceborne instrumentation was used successfully to detect surface temperature anomalies in the Coso geothermal field in eastern California (Eneva, Coolbaugh, & Bjornstad et al., 2007, pp. 335). One of the key difficulties that was found in the use of IR data from ASER is that thermal inertia from different types of vegetative matter can make true geothermal anomalies difficult to identify using spaceborne data alone…

This occurred in 330 BC, and Zoroaster's date would then be 588 BC, and this date we may take to refer to the initial success of his prophetic mission which consisted in the conversion of King Visht-spa when Zoroaster was forty years old. Since he is traditionally said to have lived seventy-seven years, we will not be far wrong in dating him at 628-551 BC. It seems also to be generally agreed that the Prophet's sphere of operation in which his message was proclaimed was ancient Chorasmia -- an area comprising, perhaps, what is now Persian Khorasan, estern Afghanistan, and the Turkmen Republic of the U.S.S.R. (Zaehner, R.C., 1961, 33)."

Ayala's science takes the mitochondrial Eve back even before what we know about Zoroastrianism, but we really have no accurate date of the monotheistic tradition as it arises out of Zoroastrianism, because there are no written artifacts that support its…

Social Policy

Human Services

Making Sense of Social Policy: Why Social Policy Affects Everyone

Social policy is a rather vague term because the word 'social' can have different meanings for different people (Human Services 311, p. 1). Social policies, in and of themselves, affect individuals at different stages in their lives. They also cover quite a broad range of issues -- ranging from children's issues, family and work issues -- such as retirement/pension policies and unemployment (i.e., social benefits), as well as policies regarding the physically disabled. Perhaps this is the reason that many seem so baffled about the term 'social policy' and what it specifically refers to. There really isn't anything confusing, however, about the term. Social policy can really be thought of simply as a study that has to do with the people's welfare. But to clarify, social policy isn't merely about making people happy, but it is…

Leaders must be able to avoid the temptation to revert to the status quo when no clear best alternative surfaces during the evaluation process. As Peter Drucker et al. (2001) advise, an executive -- or anyone empowered with decision making authority in an organization -- must "force [himself] to choose" instead of the worse action of defaulting to a status quo that has already proven itself inadequate.

There are many traps that can lead a decision making body away from following these five steps. A command-and-control type hierarchy where the executive or the executive team is not open to input from the lower levels of the organization (such as was present in the infrastructure of Scholar Unlimited) can severely hamper nearly every step of the process. In addition, poorly defined desired outcomes and assumption-laden approaches to alternative solutions can mire the process in conflict and confusion. Keeping these decision making…

(Megan's Law Website: History of the Law and Federal Facts)

On the other hand, rights activists and organizations point out that the sexual offender is treated unfairly in a legal sense. As one study on the subject notes, the sexual offender registry is a "… double punishment of sex criminals and is applicable to too many offenses. For example, depending on the area, "sex offenders" can also include those guilty of streaking, burglary, surveillance, and kidnapping" (Does the Sex Offender egistry Offend Justice?).

This view is also supported by groups like Human ights Watch. They posit the view that while the seriousness of these types of crimes are appreciated, there are a number of variables that have to be taken into account in applying a law like Megan's Law. These include aspects such as the fact that many people are categorized as sexual offenders for relatively minor crimes, and may…

The association drawn between the leader's teachings and the principled disposition of his followers appeals to a modern Judeo-Christian vantage as well. As the documentary proceeds to its discussion on figures such as Jesus and Mohammed, the constancy of world religion becomes that much clearer. In many ways, Jesus and Muhammed may be perceived as twin pillars on a single continuum. Indeed, "Muhammed regarded himself as the last prophet of the Judaic-Christian tradition. He adopted aspects of these older religion's theologies while introducing new doctrines." (Katz, 1) Thus, it is not surprising that upon its inception into the world at around 570 CE, the Islamic religion produced a legal code which was monotheistic, centered on the prescription of ethical law and applicable in both the theocratic and civil arenas.

This law would likewise predispose the Muslim people to many rituals which echoed those of the Judeo Christian ethic. Like Jesus…

d.)

Cashman kept his cash flow chart a secret. Why, and what would you have done?

The reason that Cashman gave for keeping his information locked away was: because all of the expenses were accounted for on a real time basis. This meant that any kind of figures that Cashman has available are only accessible to him. In this case, the fact that he continued to keep these number secret, could help highlight how a lack of communication was apparent. As no one wanted to discuss various ways to keep costs as close to Woody's estimate as possible. This would help to establish a culture of secrecy and divisiveness. Over the course of time, this would have a negative effect upon the company, by allowing various challenges to be ignored. Once this took place, it meant that the low cost estimates would no longer be realistic. At which point, a…

Speech Apprehension

Speech anxiety is a common term for the sense of fear or terror that comes over a person when they are called upon to speak or otherwise present in public. There are other ways to refer to it like anxiousness, anxiety, the jitters, stage fright, fear of public speaking and performance apprehension. It typically hits when someone has to deliver a presentation before a group of people. It makes little distinction whether the viewers is large or small, made up of recognizable or unfamiliar faces. Psychologists often believe speech anxiety is a particular case of what is frequently known as shyness (Colombo, n.d.).

According to the book of lists, the fear of speaking in public is the number one fear of all fears that people have. People who have this fear can experience all kinds of indications including sweaty hands, accelerated heart rate, memory loss and even trouble…

The Sons of Liberty, a clandestine network of individuals dedicated to the freedom of enterprise and the fairness of government that the British Crown once stood as the protector of, have caused enough damage with their secretive acts to both the Crown and the forces here that oppose it. ould it not be better to move their actions from the shadows they have been forced into do to the label of sedition they have been branded with, and allow for the airing of the legitimate grievances and concerns of the people inhabiting these several colonies? ould not the Sons of Liberty, and indeed all Sons of Man, be better served by an open declaration of our independence from the Crown rather than continued unnecessary belligerence?

It has been well argued by the loyalists here that to denounce the King and his Crown as authority figures here would be a matter…

9). Moreover, the two parties know if they do not initially reach a deal, the same person will be arbitrator and force a decision upon them -- hence there is incentive for the parties to reach an accord prior to the dispute going into arbitration.

Meanwhile, the Arb-Med hybrid process begins with arbitration; when the arbitrator reaches a decision, he or she places the award in a "sealed envelope" (Cooley, et al., 2003, p. 7.13). Then, the parties, prior to looking at the sealed envelope, can negotiate their own solution using the arbitrator as mediator. If parties don't reach an agreement, they then open the sealed envelope and see what fate awaits them based on the arbitrator's decision (Cooley, p. 7.13).

Conclusion

There are a number of fair and sensible solutions to disputes such as the Greens and ilsons are involved with, and it behooves neighbors -- and others that…

Reframing Organizations

Common sense suggests that pay is a good motivator. The logic is: "You get what you pay for."

Provide examples of three different career tracks where people clearly are not focused on earning high pay.

For each of your examples. Describe what the key motivators are.

Farm workers/Laborers

Cesar Chavez once said that, (Farm workers) are responsible for the planting, cultivating as well as harvesting huge amounts of food for the whole society. They are responsible for the production of such large amounts of food that it can feed the whole country and can be exported as well. The tragic and ironic thing here is that at the end of the day these farmers don't have enough food left to keep for themselves. They don't even have sufficient amounts of money after all this hard work.

Sadly, this is the kind of paradox that has always been there…

Language of Ordinary People

The American evolution could not have been as strong as it was if it were not for one man, Thomas Paine. He was the one who supported and fought for it with all his synergies, combined in the written form of most celebrated and valued book and pamphlet Common Sense and The American Crisis, which turned the tables for revolution and brought a vibrant change in the history of America. Thomas Paine spoke the language of common people through his words. This assisted them in being able to rise up for their individual rights. He believed that ordinary people should defend their liberty and this concept was written strongly in his top works of eighteenth century, which is still remembered and read throughout the America as an inspiring piece of inscription to raise the most necessary revolution to change America. This thesis tends to explain how…