Metaphor and Architecture

Metaphor and architectureMetaphor comes from Middle Frenchmetaphore ( Old Frenchmetafore, 13c. ) , and straight from Latinmetaphora, from Greekmetaphora † a transportation, † particularly of the sense of one word to a different word, literally â€Å" a carrying over, † frommetapherein † transportation, carry over ; alteration, alter ; to utilize a word in a unusual sense, † frommeta- † over, across † [ 1 ] .Using metaphors in architecture can be tricky at times as there is a really all right line between tacky and kitsch. This essay explore the application of corporal knowledge in architecture by utilizing metaphor and an first-class undertaking designed utilizing metaphor – Terragni’s Danteum which is a interlingual rendition of Dante’s Divine Comedy into architecture by beds of significance.From the debut, we get a little apprehension of what is metaphor. Before diging farther, we’ll explore metaphor more extens ively here. As we know in literature, metaphor is a medium in connoting things and objects that are different from each other but carries some similar feature between them. For illustration, ‘ Alice is a walk-to dictionary.’ ; this sentence does non intend that Alice is a dictionary but it means that she is so smart and knowing that she is like a dictionary that is ALIVE. In this instance, when we think about ‘dictionaries’ , vocabulary, book and cognition came into our head while ‘walking ‘ gives personification to the term ‘ walking dictionary’ . Arguably, Shakespeare has possibly the best usage of metaphor in his plants. In Sonnet 18, he uses summer as a metaphor for his love. From the above illustrations, we can see that the appropriate use of metaphor entreaties straight to the senses of the readers by heightening their imaginativeness. Therefore, metaphors give the readers fresh positions, thoughts and believing sing the topic .Barie Fez-Barringten one time quotedâ€Å"Metaphor is a accelerator which fuses memories, experiences and other manner of being ; it embodies within its ain peculiarity certain cosmopolitan symbols and constructs common to mankind. Metaphorically things, times and topographic points known to hold a discriminatory particular or localized usage in one context are explicitly employed in another. One familiar and one unusual term are normally composed into a individual signifier where one term usually used in one context is brought over into another with the usage of illuminating ; doing more apparent something in the 2nd sphere which otherwise remains obscure.†However, the inquiry sing how metaphor and architecture relates still remained unreciprocated. How can we plan with metaphor? Metaphors can raise senses such as sound, gustatory sensation, odor, touch and sight to the readers. Interestingly, there is a research sing corporal knowledge in Psychology which suggests that the senses mentioned earlier influences the manner worlds make opinions of the external universe. Now we can see how senses and corporal knowledge are connected to each other. By utilizing metaphors, we can determine and change the experiences of the people in our architecture by raising their senses.White, M.A one time quotedâ€Å"In fact, the relationship between physical experience and idea is a cardinal component in cognitive linguistics† . He besides said that the physical interaction of the bodily human being with his/her environment plays a major function in authorising adult male to build abstract idea.From the diagram above, we can see some touch senses and how people think and feel sing them. Let’s take an illustration, Light gives a feeling of insouciant, fun, high-tech, inexpensive, delicate.We can easy place architecture that relates closely to some of the properties mentioned above – SANNA – Rolex larning Centre.From the image above, we can see how white gives the edifice a futuristic feeling. The really fact that the edifice has an organic form and ‘not touching the ground’ gives an air of high tech magnificence. Although it doesn’t gives a inexpensive vibration, the slim and long columns and all other simple item decidedly makes it really delicate. The slender column back uping the roof, the form, the coloring material strategy made the undertaking really elegant. On the other manus, Heavy gives a feeling of importance, valuable and seriousness. We don’t even necessitate a specific illustration for this as it has ever been around us. We can frequently happen memorials around us which are normally made or built with rocks, marbles and concrete. In United States, the White House and Pentagon in a manner convey the political and military art of the state. Our really ain Cardiff University Main edifice is a really good illustration that gives people feeling of importance, valuable and earnestness. In fact, a batch of old political and educational establishment edifice shows weightiness and in most instances they are masonry edifice. The ‘heavy’ isn’t merely the physical weightiness as in weight, but besides the metaphysical solemn vibration that these edifices relay to the people. This clearly proved that the surveies about corporal knowledge is true, the head and the organic structure is inseparable.Continuing from the last paragraph, we can briefly mentioned the connexion of the senses – Light and Heavy to the stuffs used. As mentioned above, most old political and educational establishments are masonry edifices. Materials besides play an of import portion in raising senses. Let’s take an illustration, concrete.Coach: What type of stuff are you traveling to utilize?Student: Concrete.Coach: What type of concrete? There are tonss of types of concrete, from how you cast the concrete to the composing of the stuffs in the concrete mixture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ .I believe this is a instead common conversation between a coach and a pupil everyplace around the universe. At least, this conversation was my really ain experience during tutorial, and my coach has been teasing me to make up one's mind the type of concrete I want to utilize for hebdomads. A image speaks a 1000 words, so the undermentioned images would do the treatment easier to understand.The first image shows the church of visible radiation by Tadao Ando while the 2nd images shows the Brother Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumpthor. They are both churches and the stuff used are concrete. I think we can see how different they are. Being inside the church of Light and Brother Klaus Field certainly give the visitants wholly different feelings, we can see the importance of stuff, non merely the pick of stuff ( glass, steel or concrete ) but besides how we are handling the stuffs.The dramatis personae affects the textures ( smooth or unsmooth ) . The composing of t he concrete mixture affects the coloring material, texture and ‘heaviness’ of the concrete. All these small inside informations are things that designers can make up one's mind, and this determination plays a critical function in making the ambiance and raising the senses of the people utilizing the edifice.Forty, A. one time said that â€Å"Successful metaphors rely on the dissimilitude of things, non upon their similitude. The feature of an effectual metaphor is it borrows an image from one scheme of thoughts, and applies it to another, antecedently unrelated scheme.With the decision on the relationship between metaphor and architecture, we are traveling to analyze a undertaking called The Danteum. The use of metaphor in architecture has been taken to a whole new degree in Danteum. Although it was ne'er built, it is decidedly a undertaking worth analyzing. What makes Danteum successful is the beds of significances that surrounds the undertaking.Danteum is an unfulfil led undertaking commissioned by Mussolini’s Fascist government.At that clip Italy was ruled by Musolini. In order to set Italy back on the universe map as one of the strongest state, Mussolini for a literary chef-d'oeuvre of Italy’s olympian and canonized yesteryear as a representation of Italy’s illustriousness and asked Terragni to plan a memorial for Dante’s Divine Comedy. Danteum was ne'er built due to the diminution of mussolini’s power during World War II. The edifices take the visitant through a sequence of 3 different kingdoms: Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Divine comedy can be interpreted into several distinguishable degrees as it is interlaced with the physical, societal, political and historical system.Terragni takes the visitants through different brushs in his proposal. There are four primary constituent in the Danteum: The entryway tribunal, Inferno, Purgatory and Paradiso.The image above shows the circulation way that can be taken. The visitant enters a long narrow tract and would hold to do a u bend into the courtyard. The atmosphere alterations from a more restricted infinite to a more unfastened infinite in the courtyard. However, the infinite diminishes once more as the visitant advancement from the tribunal to the wood of columns so to the three stairss. As the visitants pass through the columns and down some stairss, the sum of visible radiation in the infinites easy diminishes every bit good till they reach Inferno. The Inferno which is in a form of a aureate rectangle can be decomposed into seven squares with different floor highs. This is rather different to a conventional edifice where the walls are those that are changed ( holding window, nothingness or gaps of different tallness and size ) . The hell has a dark inside with light coming in through the narrow spreads. Then, the visitants would hold to travel up a series of stepss that leads to Purgatory which is a reminiscent of the abbreviate d conelike mountain island holding seven valances. From here, the infinite becomes brighter as they proceed from Purgatory to Paradiso. Part of Paradiso ( upper portion of Paradiso in floor program ) extends to the Empyrean while the other side leads to the issues.The ambiance in hell[ 2 ] Inferno[ 3 ] ParadisoDanteum is designed with compositional, numerical and descriptive properties from The Divine Comedy that form the plan of the undertaking. The spacial administration of Danteum adheres closely to the verse form. Alternatively of utilizing a actual interlingual rendition on The Divine Comedy, Terragni delved deeper into history and other metaphorical elements to connote elusive narrative of the verse form. In the image below, you can see how Danteum’s floor program is based on the Golden Section which was popular after the Renaissance period. There is 2 squares overlapping and shifted off from each other to organize a Golden Rectangle. This forms the margin of Danteum an d creates a threshold between the 3 kingdoms. The usage of Golden Section as a proportioning system besides generates the placement of the columns which is more obvious in the Inferno. The hell is decomposed into 7 squares where the columns were placed at the centre of a nested square within the Golden Section. The Columns besides diminishes in size, gyrating along the Golden Section. On the other manus, the columns in the courtyard are of the same size and array upon a square grid. The handling of columns in Danteum is unconventional in the modernist motion where the wall defines the kingdom while the columns dance in infinite which is different with the modernist motion.[ 4 ] Floor Plan and Golden SectionThe numerical properties of the Divine Comedy plays a immense portion in Danteum’s design. It besides influences the columns in Danteum where they denote the abstract construction of the verse form. There are 100 cantos in the verse form and therefore there are besides 100 columns in the Danteum.In the verse form, the imaginations of the kingdoms were described through topological constructions. The Northern hemisphere had landmass with Jerusalem at the centre whereas the Southern Hemisphere is covered with H2O. The hell – snake pit was created when Lucifer was thrown out of Eden when dramatis personae in the deepness of fire.This image shows the subdivision cutting across Inferno and purgatory. ( Inferno on the left, Purgatory on the right ) . Notice how Inferno is lower than the Purgatory? Since in the verse form, creative activity of Inferno is the ground why Purgatory is formed, mass of Earth from hell is transferred to Purgatory doing Inferno lowest portion of the kingdom ( snake pit is the lowest ) , back uping the Purgatory with mass from Inferno ( Inferno as a foundation of Purgatory ) . Purgatory is described as a mountain surrounded by H2O. The mass from Inferno made Purgatory into a ‘physical mountain’ surrounded by H2O ( As mentioned before, the South hemisphere is covered with H2O ) .Paradiso is the 3rd room sitting above the 100 columns ( the hundred columns is a metaphor for dante’s wood with light filtrating through the glass block above merely like how light is filtered by the foliages in the wood ) . It is constructed with grid construction, with 33 glass columns. The floor, beams, roof are all made from glass. The contemplation and refraction of visible radiation off the glass surface gave Paradiso a Ethereal feeling that one can easy associate and conceive of when one idea about Eden. The stuff pick for Paradiso made it a really light compared to the other relams. ( Refer to floor program ) , note that there is 9 circles in the center of Paradiso, the 9 circles are really glass columns stand foring the 9 domains environing the Earth, and beyond that sits the concluding place of God. In Paradiso, psyches are entitled a particular sphere harmonizing to their virtues.On the other manus , the 7 squares in Purgatory represent the salvation of the seven wickednesss. The roof has comparatively big nothingnesss to allow light into the infinite compared to Inferno. In the subdivision, observe how the land degree for Inferno is uneven and the slabs supported by the columns are non connected leting visible radiation to slice through the roof, they convey the rough landscape on Earth in a more utmost signifier harmonizing to Terragni’s text â€Å"The esthesis of the at hand, of nothingness formed under the crust of Earth and through a awful seismal upset caused by the autumn of Lucifer’ .BibliographySchumacher, Thomas L. , Terragni ‘s Danteum,2neodymiumedn ( Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press,1993 )Kanekar, Aarti, Metaphor in Morphic Language ( London: UCL,2009 ) Schnall, S. Are at that place basic metaphors? ( 2013 ) . In M. J. Landau, M. D. Robinson & A ; B. P. Meier ( Eds. ) , The power of metaphor: Analyzing its influence on societal life.Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.1hypertext transfer protocol: //www.etymonline.com/index.php? term=metaphor

Blue Collar Essay

Blue- Collar workers are the ones that deserve the most respect in this world. They work so hard to perfect what they actually do. In the short passage Mike Rose expresses his own emotion not only towards his life but he basically broke it down for us piece by piece. He starts off by telling us his experience with being with his mom in the restaurant that she works at when he was a little kid. He learned a lot of things about the restaurant when he was there; most importantly he learned the hardship of being an adult. He tells us how is mom was always on point with things like scanning the restaurant like she was a hawk for people that needed help and to satisfy their needs because they were the valuable customers. He would say how she would make work easier for the workers because she knew that everyone has their own little problem so she had to speak with them with a tone they will make them more comfortable with their work instead of making them more sad or upset because she wanted to make not only the customers happy but also her fellow co-workers. She did many more things than just that, the way she served her customers were amazing to him because of how many plates she can hold in both arms and how she can remember each and every one of the orders for which customer. He knew the mental and physical work his mom goes through all from watching his mom work every day. It takes intelligence to run a restaurant the way his mom does. As Mike Rose said â€Å"She never wasted a single movement† (Pg. 246) which she never does as you can tell. Soon Mike started talking about education how he struggled throughout freshman year but he soon realized how education can help him make a life for himself. He went on to study humanities, social and psychological science. He taught for 10 years then went back to grad school to study even more. He believes that intelligence is closely associated with formal education- the type of schooling a person has. (Pg. 247) This was his train of thinking. He starts to talk about his uncle Joe Meraglio from his mother’s side. Mike was talking about how his brother dropped out of school in the 9th grade to work at a Pennsylvania Railroad. Soon after his uncle joined the Navy, then when that was over he returned back to the railroad industry but sadly it was in decline so he eventually joined his brother at a motor shop where he moved from working as an employer to supervising basically managing the paint-and-body department. Mike remembered when his uncle gave him a tour of the factory. He notice that even though he didn’t get a proper education he still made it big you can say because his uncle was learning every day in the factory. Mike explains how Joe learned many skills that help him make the job easier on himself because if he was acting the way he did back in the day Mike knew his uncle wouldn’t last even at the assembly line. Joe actually learned so much that he not only solved the problems but he look for problems to solve. Mikes uncle was the one that redesign the nuzzle for the paint spray. He made a lot of the working machines easier to use and less costly after learning the budgets and management of them. For example he had each worker to learn each other’s jobs so they could rotate their roles because he believed he will give the workers a longer break and more frequent breaks, which he was correct about. This shows how much intelligent you need to be able to be successful. Mike sooner later explains how he has been observing blue- collar workers as you can tell and he has come to the conclusion that each person has a certain mind power to master to successfully survive in this world of class discrimination and so forth .

MicroEconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

MicroEconomics - Essay Example This type of monopoly emerges due to natural advantages like abundant mineral resources, good location and so on. For instance, Gulf nations have monopoly in the exploration of crude oil as a result of plenty of natural oil resources (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006).   It also occurs when it is financially impractical or impossible for many companies to engage in a business, for example, when it requires large investments of capital that other companies cannot raise (Tucker, 2011). This occurs when the government passes laws and regulations that reserve a particular trade, services or goods for government agencies (McKenzie & Lee, 2006). For instance, many governments are in charge of running water. Occurs when multiple businesses or firms combine or amalgamate, for example, a combination between competitors like Burger firm and Pizza firm leads to join monopoly thus reducing competition (Tucker, 2011). Monopolies exist so as to dominate the market place by controlling the pricing of a specific product. This is due to lack of economic competition because such a firm controls a significant volume of the market. It also exists due to high overhead cost which discourages other firms (Tucker, 2011). For instance, it requires a high overhead cost to construct power lines from scratch and acquire necessary equipment to generate power, making power company a monopoly. c) Intellectual property protection- extension of patents and copyrights to businesses by the government give them the right of being the sole provider of that new product thus creating a temporary monopoly (Mankiw & Taylor,

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 13

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example I clear separation must b made between mergers and consolidation. In the latter, both companies lose their identities and come together to form one major corporation which a completely new identity (Gomes, 2011). Mergers are regulated by the state laws as they are likely to eliminate competition leading to creation of oligopolistic firms which may collude to form cartels that may tend to harm the economy. Mergers and acquisitions are beneficial to the economy in the sense that they can bring about better approaches to management of the firm. They lead to economies of scale which has the effect of increasing production, reducing operation costs leading to decrease in the selling price which favors the consumers of various commodities. A merger can enable a business owner to sell the firm to someone who is already familiar with the industry and who would be in a better position to pay the highest price. Less competition will also mean low risks to the owners of the merged firms (Cardel, 1998). There are basically three categories of mergers which are based on the competitive relationships that exist between the merging firms. Vertical merger is a form of merger in which one firm acquires a customer or a key supplier of another firm. Horizontal mergers is where one firm acquires or takes over another firm that manufactures and sells an identical product in the same geographical location in a bid to lower competition that was originally existing between the two firms. Conglomerate mergers are those that the merging companies do not have any evident relationship between them. This paper takes an in-depth analysis on two public corporations in the United States in which one has a history of mergers and acquisitions and operated internationally and the other does not bear any history in relation mergers and acquisition and only operates within the nation. The two companies are Apple that has a long

Current School Finance Issues Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current School Finance Issues Paper - Essay Example Detroit Public Schools had more than 120,000 teacher days lost to absences in 1980-81. These absences cost more than 6.2 million dollars.† (Woods, Robert C., Montagno, Ray V., Winter 1997) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_199701/ai_n8747732 Identifying various factors contributing to absenteeism is not easy and considering economic loss faced by the government it is essential to find solution through concerted efforts involving Government agencies, employers, and employees with the help of evaluation and research tools. According to the 2007 CCH Unscheduled absence Survey â€Å" personal illness accounts for 34 per cent or unscheduled absences, while 66 percent of absences are due to other reasons, including Family issues(22 percent); Personal needs (18 percent), Entitlement mentality (13 percent)and stress (13 percent) http://hr.cch.com/press/releases/20071010h.asp. Absence may be defined as the failure of an employee to attend for fork at the scheduled time and measured as the total hours lost compared to the hours they would normally be available for work. While personal illness remains the single most common reason for unscheduled absence, other reasons may be linked with weather or transportation problems. Working environment, mental and health condition of employees, financial benefits and career advancement opportunities, and hazards associated with occupation are other deciding factors of absenteeism. Morale and emotional reasons of an employee also influences in his/her decision to call i n sick at the last minute and absence from duty. Lost manpower due to illness and hospital bills of a work force with poor health condition will definitely create a dent in the budget of their employers. Hence, more attention is needed in maintaining good health of employees of an organization. Regular medical screening of employees as well as family members and calisthenics, before commencing duty everyday, will pave way for reducing absenteeism

Online Learning versus Classroom Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online Learning versus Classroom Learning - Essay Example For the reason that there is no face-to-face interaction with the teacher, online learning gives more control to the learner and less to the educator. We are moving from a mode where the institution is in charge and provides context, to the mode where the learner is in charge and offers the context.Despite the fact that most learning occurs outside the classroom, most of one’s time spent as a student has probably been in a "traditional" classroom. Traditional classroom learning is more often than not focused on the teacher. Information tends to flow from instructor to students, and therefore can be more passive for students. This is often represented by the phrase "sage on the stage" since the teacher must in some way pass his or her knowledge on to the student. It goes without saying that many lecturers in the traditional classroom employ a very learner-focused composition as the online classroom explained above. While this is a potential, it is also rare. Since most teachers were trained in instructor-focused classrooms it is very difficult for them to break from this pattern. The online classroom proficiency and student proclivities in that environment are much more fitting for a learner-focused environment.Online learning is focused more on the student. Additional information (in the form of questions or comments) often flows from the student to the instructor (or CBT system). As a result of learners constructing their own learning, they are considered to be more effective. As more institutes begin to offer online educational programmes, analysts predict that more and more students will enroll in them. In fact, according to International Data Corporation, a market research firm, the number of students enrolled in distance-learning educational programmes will increase to an estimated 2.23 million in 2002, from 710,000 in 1998.

HR and Change Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HR and Change Management - Case Study Example Founded 25 years ago in a South African garage by three young engineers, growing to a 4.5 USD billion organization, expanding worldwide through acquisitions, entering and exiting businesses, surviving the dot net collapse in the early 2000's and the combating the changes in the competitive landscape, facing changing market conditions and evolution of customer demand, portfolio migration from basic, one shot, hardware sales to performance based multi-country managed services deals - were some of the major changes that the organization has faced in the past. Bottom line, IP (intellectual property) management is key in this company because their intrinsic value is mostly people based, as they have no or little industrial assets. While recognizing the importance of IP as a factor of competitive differentiation (experience, proof points) and financial performance (repeatability, optimized learning curve), little has been done to establish and coordinate global and local HR strategies. Group HR develops very specific programs like the Leadership Forum (retention & development of key individuals) or DDU (on-line university) and leave country alone for day to day operations. As the market faces skills shortages, as the multi-national business is booming, and as the sales model moves from transaction to annuity, it is important to put in place streamlined HR policies and mechanisms that will support an expected organic growth rate of 15/20% per annum (2/3 time the market). Research Methodology There are many different research techniques that have been used by the company when recognizing and identifying the changes that are about to take place in the economy, the industry and within the company itself. The techniques that were chosen by the company differed based on the situation, the circumstances and most of all the information that needed to be gathered to make effective decision. Market conditions Market conditions are always bound to change and can never be expected to remain static even in the most stable economic conditions and therefore the company through the years has used many different techniques to keep and eye on the market. It was common knowledge to the senior management team that just looking at the external environment alone is insufficient and that the organization should look at both the micro and macro level environment as well as the internal environment of the company. Therefore the organization always carried out three different studies and used different frameworks to analyze the situation in the outside environment. In order to study the

CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE ROLE OF THE NURSE IN THE PROMOTION CONTINENCE I Essay

CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE ROLE OF THE NURSE IN THE PROMOTION CONTINENCE I OLDER PEOPLE - Essay Example This paper will discuss the management and rehabilitation of continence and the role nurses can play in assessment and rehabilitation. Burgio et al., (1994, cited by Shirazi et al.,) recognize four types of UI which include urge incontinence (bladder contractions are not inhibited), stress incontinence (urethra is not effectively closed during transient increases in pressure), overflow incontinence (bladder does not contract), and functional incontinence (inability or unwillingness of the person with normal bladder to reach the toilet in time). Urge incontinence occurs due to overactive detrusor muscle contacting and sending an urgent message to the brain to eliminate (Carr, 2004). Overflow incontinence is associated with storage due to an obstruction or a nervous system problem. Functional incontinence is found in people whose mobility or cognition is impaired. Stress incontinence occurs due to the deficiency in the urethral closure mechanism during episodes of raised intra-abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing, laughing (Dolman, 2003 cited by RNAO, 2006). While people of any age can be affected with incontinence, it becomes prominent in the elderly people as detrusor contractile function, bladder capacity, and urinary flow rates all decline with age (Wagg, n.d.). Prostrate enlarges with age in men and this tends to dominate the behaviour of the urinary outflow tract. The bladder requires a greater contractile effort as obstructions increases. The detrusor muscle and the urethral sphincter are essential for urinary continence and micturition (expulsion). These two act together for storage and expulsion of urine. Urine is stored when the detrusor muscle relaxes and the urethral sphincter closes while voiding occurs when detrusor contracts and sphincter relaxes (Yerkes, 1998). This process of storage and voiding depends on a

Review of Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airway Essay

Review of Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airway - Essay Example The success has been witnessed in participating in joint services with other airline companies like Middle East Airlines and United Airlines, to limit competition and boost success to the destinations that experience its services. The Middle East Company has been listed as a leading competitor with a strong foundation in Asia and the global continents. Emirates Airlines, conversely, had been established in 1985 to offer airline services. The company has since been considered the overall carrier in Dubai and United Arab Emirates having established its base at Dubai International Airport. Emirates has been based on the ideology of expansion and extending services to clients on the global scene. The company has been presented with the capability of holding the largest capacity of passengers and extended services. The airline operates an enormous fleet of Boeing airplanes, with the set of Airbus to place the services offered as the leading purchaser of the Airbus A380. Moreover, the airl ine boasts of offering the Sky Cargo services to over 15 international countries with diverse destinations. The ownership of the company has been the Dubai Government with connections in all of the global continents possessing ownership to over 103 areas. ... ed by the government of Dubai, has been operating for 23 years while Qatar Airways has been in business for 18 years and is owned by the government of Qatar. The emirates began its life in 1985 with a single aircraft. However, it has grown to be among the world’s leading international airline. It has reinforced Dubai as one of the most important aviation hubs (Cumming, 2007:67). The Qatar airways on the other hand began in 1993. A royal family in the country initially owned it. However, it was re-launched in 1997 under a new management. The government of the country currently holds more than 50% of the total investment. Private investors hold the rest of the shares. Political The political scene within the Middle East region has been favorable due to agreements among countries, which facilitate trade amongst them especially in the aviation industry. These agreements provide ready markets for both airlines. However, both companies were affected by the recent uprising in several Middle Eastern countries, which resulted in the closure of several airports leading to loss of business. Political influences of the specific countries have influence to the operation of the airlines. In Dubai for instance, politics have ridden the government owned emirates airline to a fully global power (Plunkett, 2006:432). The basic aim of this is to make the competitors growth projections not clinch to their desired height. This influence has made the customers of the emirates to rise from barely 8 million in 1996 to almost 29 million ten years later. This forms the most impressive sustained growth the company has ever made. The Qatar aviation is the most dynamic in the region. It is taking sponsorship over the political influence of the country placing it among the world’s fastest

Strengths of the biological model Essay Example for Free

Strengths of the biological model Essay Anti-depressants usually take a few weeks to have an effect and divided into three classes the first being Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) which include phenelzine (Nardil), the second are Tricyclics which include amitriptyline (Elavil) and have generally have fewer side effects than the monoamine oxidase inhibitors and the third class are Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which are the newest class of antidepressants, include paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and sertraline (Zoloft). Antidepressants are typically prescribed for depression, anxiety, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and Tricyclics increase the level of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain whilst Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increase the level of serotonin only. Whilst antidepressants are not addictive, they often have side effects such as headache, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, weight gain, and feelings of restlessness. Of the three classes of antidepressants, MAOIs generally have the most side effects, many people who take MAOIs also have to restrict their diet, because MAOIs interact negatively with foods that contain the amino acid tyramine, such as beer and some cheeses and meats. SSRIs have fewer side effects than the other two classes of antidepressants. However, SSRIs can cause sexual dysfunction and if they are discontinued abruptly, withdrawal symptoms occur. Antipsychotic Drugs: Antipsychotic drugs are mainly used to treat mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and other psychoses, agitation, severe anxiety, mania and violent or dangerously impulsive behaviour. They include chlorpromazine (Thorazine), thioridazine (Mellaril) and haloperidol (Haldol) and usually begin to take effect a few days after they are administered. Antipsychotic drugs reduce sensitivity to irrelevant stimuli by limiting the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Many antipsychotic drugs are most useful for treating positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions. However, a new class of antipsychotic drugs, called atypical antipsychotic drugs also help treat the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. They reduce the activity of both dopamine and serotonin. Atypical antipsychotic drugs include clozapine (Clozaril), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and quetiapine (Seroquel). Atypical antipsychotic drugs can sometimes be effective for schizophrenia patients who have not responded to the older antipsychotic drugs, however side effects include drowsiness, constipation, dry mouth, tremors, muscle rigidity and coordination problems. These side effects often make people stop taking the medications and this frequently results in a relapse of schizophrenia. A more serious side effect is tardive dyskinesia, a usually permanent neurological condition characterized by involuntary movements. To avoid tardive dyskinesia the dosage of antipsychotics has to be carefully monitored. The atypical antipsychotics have fewer side effects than the older antipsychotic drugs and are less likely to cause tardive dyskinesia. In addition, relapse rates are lower if people continue to take the drug. However, the relapse rate is higher with these drugs if people discontinue the drug as they assume they are now well and therefore do not need to take them. Lithium: One drug used in the treatment of bipolar disorders is lithium, it prevents mood swings in people with bipolar disorders. Researchers have suggested that lithium may affect the action of norepinephrine or glutamate. As with all drugs there are side effects, lithium can cause tremors or long-term kidney damage in some people. Doctors must carefully monitor the level of lithium in a patient’s blood. A level that is too low is ineffective, and a level that is too high can be toxic. Discontinuing lithium treatment abruptly can increase the risk of relapse. Recently developed alternatives to lithium include the drugs carbamazepine (Tegretol) and divalproex (Depakote). Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): ECT is a treatment for a small number of severe mental illnesses. It was originally developed in the 1930s and was used widely during the 1950s and 1960s for a variety of conditions. It is now clear that ECT should only be used in a smaller number of more serious conditions. ECT consists of passing an electrical current through the brain to produce an epileptic fit – hence the name, electro-convulsive. The idea developed from the observation that, in the days before there was any kind of effective medication, some people with depression or schizophrenia, and who also had epilepsy, seemed to feel better after having a fit. Research suggests that the effect is due to the fit rather than the electrical current. Electrodes are placed on the patient’s head over the temporal lobes of the brain. Anaesthetics and muscle relaxants help minimize discomfort to the patient, while an electric current is delivered for about one second. The patient has a convulsive seizure and becomes unconscious, awakening after about an hour. The typical number of ECT sessions varies from six to twenty, and they are usually done while a patient is hospitalized. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have looked in detail at the use of ECT and have recommended that it should be used only in depression, resistant mania or catatonia. They say ECT should be considered for acute treatment of severe depression that is life threatening and when a rapid response is required, or when other treatments have failed. It should not be used routinely in moderate depression, but should be considered for people with moderate depression if their depression has not responded to multiple drug treatments and psychological treatment. Psychosurgery: As a last resort when drugs and ECT have failed psychosurgery is an option, it basically involves either cutting out brain nerve fibres or burning parts of the nerves that are thought to be involved in the disorder while the patient is conscious. The most common form of psychosurgery is a prefrontal lobotomy. Unfortunately these operations have a nasty tendency to leave the patient vegetablised or ‘numb’ with a flat personality, shuffling movements etc. due to their inaccuracy. Antà ³nio Egas Moniz discovered the lobotomy in 1935 after successfully snatching out bits of chimpanzee’s brains. It didn’t take long for him to get the message that his revolutionary treatment was not so perfect, in 1944 a rather dissatisfied patient called his name in the street and shot him in the spine, paralysing him for life. As a consolation he received the Nobel prize for his contribution to science in 1949.Surgery is used only as a last resort where the patient has failed to respond to other forms of treatment and their disorder is very severe. This is because all surgery is risky and the effects of neurosurgery can be unpredictable and there may be no benefit to the patient and the effects are irreversible. Strengths of the biological model: The main strength of the model is that drugs have been successfully used to treat a wide variety of mental disorders, they have allowed people the chance to live independently and as normal life as possible without having to stay in hospital which prior to drug treatment was the only option. Where other therapies have failed, drugs have been successful, it has revolutionised the treatment of people with schizophrenia. Drugs have helped people improve sufficiently to allow psychotherapy and allow them a chance to gain insight into their illness. Drugs have also removed the stigma surrounding people with mental health issues so they are not blamed for being ill or accused of being possessed. Another strength of the biological approach is that it is very scientific, as the experiments used are measurable, objective and can be repeated to test for reliability. Also, the researcher has more control over the variables which is evident in Selyes study of rats which led to him developing the theory of General Adaptation Syndrome. The biological approach is also deterministic and increases the likelihood of being able to treat people with mental issue and provides explanations about the causes of behaviour, this understanding can then be used to improve peoples lives. Weaknesses: One of the major weaknesses of the model is the side effects associated with drug or chemotherapy, as previously mentioned when outlining the different classes of drugs available. Most of these drugs can also cause dependency where people cannot cope without them and in some cases tolerance where the drugs actually have little or no effect. It’s also important to note that some other therapies may be ignored as busy doctors will prescribe medication rather than seek alternative means of helping the patient cope, in some cases people suffering from the stresses of daily life may be prescribed medication when exercise or relaxation could be more effective. Drug therapy also does not work for everyone such as people suffering from negative symptoms of schizophrenia where they have motivation or as it is more commonly known as Flatness of affect Another weakness of the biological model is that it focuses too much on the nature side of the nature v nurture debate. It argues that behaviour is caused by hormones, neurotransmitters and genetics. One theory is that schizophrenia is genetic, however, Bouchard and McGue (1981) twin studies show that it is not completely genetic and the environment has a part to play. Another weakness of the biological approach is that it develops theories about disorders and generalises them to apply to everyone. It does not take into account the view that humans are unique. An example of this is that General Adaptation Syndrome assumes that everyone responds in the same way to stress but does not take into account that some people have more support than others. Szasz criticised drug treatment as inappropriate, rather people had a problem with living and therefore pills weren’t the solution. Conclusion: Whilst all the approaches have been criticised, they all offer some form of therapy which has positive benefits for the patient and more importantly in some cases have worked hand in hand with other therapies to help people live better lives. None of them can be overlooked as they are beneficial to some extent. References: McLeod, S. A. (2010). Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved from  http://www.simplypsychology.org

Study On Busbecqs Letters History Essay

Study On Busbecqs Letters History Essay I would like to analyse some Western European descriptions of the Ottoman Empire from The Turkish Letters, written by Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, who described the Ottoman Empire in a series of letters that he wrote when he served Ferdinand I of Austria as the ambassador for the Holy Roman Empire to the Ottoman Empire from 1554 to 1562. Included in this paper is my analysis on parts of three of his letters which are concerned with in particular: the Turkish Army, the Turks openness or lack thereof in borrowing from other cultures, and Christian Slaves. Busbecq presents an absorbing eyewitness account of the Ottoman Empire from the perspective of a well educated Western observer at the time of the Ottomans greatest ever ruler: Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent. In the letters Busbecq describes some of the workings and details of the Turkish Army, including interesting information on The Janissaries. In another letter he talks about the Turks openness in adapting military manoeuvres and c ombat skills of the Europeans such as that of the Greeks, and their reluctance in adopting useful things such as public clocks and printing books. In the third letter he portrays some information on the Christian slaves of the Ottoman Empire. He details impressions on everything he saw and experienced in Turkey from the army, slavery, and other matters and does so with literary talent and though quite gripping there is a strong possibility that his depiction was slightly exaggerated because he was trying to bring about reform at home. Of particular significance is his account of the Turkish Army where goes into vivid detail about the campaigns. The Sultan when he sets out on a campaign, takes as many as 40,000 camels with him, and almost as many baggage-mulesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This is an explicit illustration of the organisation, might, and sheer size of the Sultans army. Busbecq further goes on to describe the Turks campaign into Persia, the way rations are used, and the importance of the soldiers health. He also makes note on the Sultans respect and willingness to help the soldiers whenever he could by assisting ill-fated soldiers who have come across bad luck in losing their horse or suffering from illness or injury. Suleiman the Magnificent is plausibly the most illustrious figure in Turkish history. For the Turks his status is legendary and his reign saw the greatest extension of Turkish power. His devotion to his own religion and his tolerance of other faiths, his charity and generosity, won him the loyalty of his subjects and the respect of his enemies. The Janissaries represented the well trained and adaptable soldiers for the Turkish army. They were well looked after and respected for their courage in battle, repeated victories, and experience in warfare; hence they were highly valued. They were a product of Suleimans progressive system. The Turks adopted from the Europeans many smooth military combat techniques and the use of canons to great effect in their battles, for example the shooting against the door which was formerly used by the Greeks and the Turks had adopted from them. Conversely at the same time the Turks were never able to bring themselves into accepting the use of public clocks or to print books. As Busbecq strongly puts it They hold that their scriptures, that is, their sacred books, would no longer be scriptures if they were printed; and if they established public clocks, they think that the authority of their muezzins and their ancient rights would suffer diminution. This I believe is an understandable stance considering their position and their culture. They did not want their culture to be diluted this is not to say they werent tolerant to other cultures but only to keep their own pure from western influence. The extract of the letter by Busbecq in Documents in World History on Christian slaves portrays completely bleak and miserable image for the slaves: Youths and men of advanced years were driven along in herds or else tied together with chainsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..At the sight I could scarcely restrain my tears in pity for the wretched plight of the Christian populationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. This particular document if read by someone not familiar with Busbecqs writings and general view of the Ottomans could be misleading. In his book The Turkish Letters Busbecq explains the advantages of Ottoman slavery and stipulates that it outweighs the drawbacks. For example, young male slaves had the opportunity to have a prestigious career and be trained as Janissaries or diplomats. Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq wrote impressions on everything he saw and experienced in Turkey, including landscapes, plants, animals, Islam, ethnic groups, architecture, slavery, military, court practices, clothing, gender and domestic relations, the Sultan himself, and even plants and animals. I think his letters offer lessons in understanding and appreciating cultural differences. It is clear to me that he describes the Ottoman Empire as being powerful and admirable; he makes it obvious that he respects the Ottomans in many ways and almost even considers them as better than the great European nations. Nonetheless I suggest that he may have been exaggerating what he thought and knew about the Ottomans to an extent in an attempt to bring about reform in Western Europe. After all he was writing at or near the time when the Ottoman Empire was at the pinnacle of its power, and one of his aims could have been to frighten European rulers and governments into transformation and improvement. K eeping this in mind I would still consider The Turkish Letters a great source of insight and entertaining reading. The letters are a standard for understanding the Ottoman Empire written with frankness and in great detail by a noted diplomat with an established reputation.

AIDS and Heterosexuals in the Australian Essay -- homosexual, health,

Study Overview The study entitled From complacency to panic: AIDS and heterosexuals in the Australian press, July 1986 to June 1988 (Lupton, 1992) reports on the preliminary findings from a content analysis of AIDS news coverage in Australian press from June 1986 to July 1988. When revealing the preliminary varying ideologies in press, Lupton stresses the importance of evaluating how the popular media selects and presents news according to societal interests. Lupton (1992) seeks to point out the common situation in Australia that most people lies on information reported by the media rather than by health professionals. She continues to use this study to illustrate if media reporting has a significant impact on shaping public attitudes and behaviour. Her study expresses a concern that the popular press has increasingly resorted to publishing false and sensational stories related to human health without factual evidence that often results in provoking panic within audiences. In order to create AIDS i nto a media sensation for the audiences, newspapers have long inclined to entertain and misinform readers by putting its blame on promiscuous heterosexuals, homosexual men, and intravenous drug users. The view of Lupton (1992) is in accord with this idea and she further seeks to explore if it applies to the Australian press in this study. The study undertakes a content analysis with all articles mentioning AIDS in Australian newspapers published between 1986 and 1988. The research demonstrates that the press generally helps the amplification to reporting AIDS as a spread to heterosexual population by supporting the first public health information campaign called the ‘Grim Reaper’ campaign (Ibid). The ‘Grim Reaper’ campaign used horrible... ...er concern towards heterosexuals in press reporting and failure of increased level of hostile treatment are worth being applied to Lupton’s study in particular (Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 1994). Bibliography Hansen, A., Cottle, S, Negrine, R., Newbold, C. (1998) Mass Communication Research Methods. Basingstoke and London: Macmillan Press Ltd Goode, Erich and Nachman Ben-Yehuda (1994) Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. Lupton, D. (1992) From complacenct to panic: AIDS and heterosexuals in the Australian press, July 1986 to June 1988 in Helath Education Research Theory and Practice. 7(1): pp9-20. Lupton, D. (1994) Moral Threats and Dangerous Desires: AIDS in the News Media. New York: Taylor & Francis Ltd. Summer, C. (1979) Reading ideologies: an investigation into the Marxist theory of ideology and law. London: Academic Press.

I Took the Road More Traveled :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

I Took the Road More Traveled The great oak table stood in the middle of the room, warped by heat from an old wood stove in the corner.   Its dark brown finish had boiled up in the center into little pockets of wax and cure, and that was its grand history--a hundred years or more of Christmas dinners and knives hammered thoughtlessly into the wood.   The leaves and edges drooped down, worn under the weight of rough, uncultured elbows and wood bundles for the stove.   Underneath, the modest planks gave way to the graceful arch of the leg, terminating in the vicious paw of a huge dog, polished claws gleaming on the drab floor. At night the legs tapped their way upstairs, past the rooms of sleeping adults, stopping at the unfamiliar bed in which I slept.   The moonlight illuminated every glistening nail slathered in dew and blood with fierce intensity.   That evil table, with hairy paws like a dog, a lion, a monster, came to devil with the shifting patterns of blue, playing on my coverlet and left again before the silvery, delicate cicadas pealed their morning mass. And I was afraid. At the table, my chin barely reached my cereal bowl and my legs dangled wildly above the floor.   I eyed the strange woman who stood at the kitchen counter and gazed out at the morning.  Ã‚   "Miz Edna," I said, "Where'd ya get this table?" "Well now child, I don't rightly recall.   It came from my grandmother, I reckon." I couldn't imagine Edna's grandmother.   My grandmother was already very old and very wrinkled.   She stooped when she walked, and shuffled along the floor with a cane.   Edna looked like that, and she said her heart hurt when she looked at pictures of her children.   That was an affliction which plagued old people; sometimes I had heard they died of it in a shocking and abrupt manner.   Edna's grandmother must have been very old, even older than mine. "How old is your grandma, Miz Edna?" "She's dead now, child.   She died afore I was born. You hurry up with your cereal and run outside and play." "Yes ma'am.   One thing I can't figure though," I said.  Ã‚   "What's that?" "How did you get this table if your grandmother was dead afore you were born?" "I tol' you, child, hurry up.   Your ma and I're going down to the store, and I've got to get these here dishes scrubbed.

Mary, Queen of Scots Essay -- History

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary Stewart was born December 7, 1542. Her father was James V, King of Scotland and her mother was Mary of Guise of France. Mary was the third child and only daughter of James V and Mary of Guise, since both of her twin brothers had died before she was born at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland. Seven days after Mary was born, James V, died and his infant daughter succeeded to the Scottish throne. Mary Stewart became Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1547 an English invasion led to the military occupation of the country. By 1548, the Scottish were actively seeking French aid and betrothed their young queen to the French dauphin Francis, the son of Henry II, on the condition that Henry send an army to Scotland to drive the English out. French troops arrived in Scotland and the 5year old queen left to spend the next 13 years in France. Mary soon learned to speak in French, which became the language of her choice for the rest of her life. Her education taught her to sing, play the flute and dance gracefully. She spoke and read in six different languages. Mary also had to change the spelling of her last name to Stuart because at the time the French did not have a w in their alphabet. In April 1558 Mary married Francis at Notre Dame Cathedral. Within months, international events changed Mary Stuart’s life dramatically. On November 17, 1558, the queen of England, Mary I (Tudor), died and was succeeded by her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I. As granddaughter of M... Mary, Queen of Scots Essay -- History Mary, Queen of Scots Mary Stewart was born December 7, 1542. Her father was James V, King of Scotland and her mother was Mary of Guise of France. Mary was the third child and only daughter of James V and Mary of Guise, since both of her twin brothers had died before she was born at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland. Seven days after Mary was born, James V, died and his infant daughter succeeded to the Scottish throne. Mary Stewart became Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1547 an English invasion led to the military occupation of the country. By 1548, the Scottish were actively seeking French aid and betrothed their young queen to the French dauphin Francis, the son of Henry II, on the condition that Henry send an army to Scotland to drive the English out. French troops arrived in Scotland and the 5year old queen left to spend the next 13 years in France. Mary soon learned to speak in French, which became the language of her choice for the rest of her life. Her education taught her to sing, play the flute and dance gracefully. She spoke and read in six different languages. Mary also had to change the spelling of her last name to Stuart because at the time the French did not have a w in their alphabet. In April 1558 Mary married Francis at Notre Dame Cathedral. Within months, international events changed Mary Stuart’s life dramatically. On November 17, 1558, the queen of England, Mary I (Tudor), died and was succeeded by her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I. As granddaughter of M...

National Security and Free Press Essay

The adage of â€Å"perception is reality’ is the impact media has regarding national security and the DoD’s response to media. Since John F. Kennedys assignation, through the Vietnam War, OPERATION Desert Storm to the present, people are fascinated with real-time media information for current events; this information is truth in the public’s eyes. President Bush’s decision to place troops in Somalia and President Clinton’s decision to remove troops from Mogadishu are national security ecisions made based on public perception (Belknap, 2001, 1). The National Security Council, consists of political officials, with the exception of the chiefs of staff military advisors; these elected officials make decisions in the interest of national security based on public perception derived from free press. Free press impacts national security by decisions based on public perception and the DoD should utilize free press to reveal benefits of military action in relation to national security (Snow, 2006, 4). Imbedded public media deployed with our C-130 unit with the intent of publicizing a soldier’s perspective of combat operation. This made us feel our involvement is shared along with the greater media picture to give the public a more complete understanding of war from tactical to strategic perspective. In the book Lone Survivor, a Navvy SEAL Team on an operation in Afghanistan let perception of civilian casualties the media would relay, sway combat decisions to save military lives Lutrell, 2007, 232). This perception is the â€Å"negative† impact soldiers face these days. Media imbed within military operations will relay to the public a tactical level perspective of the national security implications of free press. Overall, public opinion is influenced by free press; national security decisions are influenced by public opinion. The DoD should utilize the freedom of press to influence public opinion in the interest of national security. Belknap, Margaret

Plato on Justice Essay

Plato’s interpretation of justice as seen in ? The Republic’ is a vastly different one when compared to what we and even the philosophers of his own time are accustomed to. Plato would say justice is the act of carrying out one’s duties as he is fitted with. Moreover, if one’s duties require one to lie or commit something else that is not traditionally viewed along with justice; that too is considered just by Plato’s accounts in ? The Republic. ‘ I believe Plato’s account of justice, and his likely defense against objections are both clear and logical, thus I will endeavor to argue his views as best as I can. Plato’s view of justice ties in with his view of a perfect world. In Plato’s ideal world, the society would be a wise one, wise in understanding that their own position in society is just. This society in turn, must carry out their duties fitted to them by their position. Unfortunately the real world does not function in that manner, Plato understanding that ? fault’ with society tells us that if the society is lacking wisdom, the most wise ones would be philosophers, (473d) and society should consider them to be the authority. Plato believes that being just is so innately important that everyone is better off being just than unjust, no matter the situation. Plato in 360e-362d uses Glaucon to make this point, Glaucon asks who is better off? The just or the unjust, given the premises that the unjust man is rich, famous, respected, and powerful and that the just man is poor, defamed, and lives a life of suffering. Plato’s only real way to answer this is to prove that justice is innately good and that injustice is innately evil; simply prove the poor, defamed man happy and the rich, respected unjust man unhappy. Plato goes about this by explaining what justice is; justice has to do with doing what is right, and there exists some specific virtue in everything, which enables it to work well. If it is deprived of that nature, in contrast it would suffer. It is much the same with the soul, the soul must also perform its specific virtue. The more virtuous, or ? just’ a soul is, the happier the soul is. The happier the soul is, the happier the person is. Therefore a just man lives happily and well, whereas an unjust man would not. This argument follows the a=b b=c therefore a=c argument form. Another objection, brought about by a radical and different theory of Justice is brought up by Plato in a conversation between Socrates and Thrasymachus. In this argument Thrasymachus defines justice as in the interest of the stronger. This basically means that justice belongs in the hands of the rulers, and that the rulers are whoever is stronger, therefore getting to a ruling position. Laws are then made, based on the ruling party’s interest, and only theirs. Those who violate such created laws, will get punished for breaking the law and so on and so forth. Socrates completely disagrees with this theory of justice and gives the analogy of a physician who is studying and exercising his power is in fact doing so in the interest of his patients, not himself. In the same manner, the government will do what is in the interest of the people, and not of itself. Some unanswered objections that may come up against Plato’s idea of justice may target the part where he believes that philosophers are the only qualified individuals to run his ideal society. Plato believes that philosophers have knowledge, I pose a scenario where there are no more philosophers, perhaps because of a philosopher massacre, or one where there is simply nobody wise enough. One can easily make the argument that since philosophy is dealing with the same questions for the past 2500 years, that we are actually not wise, and in fact quite the opposite. I believe that for the most part, Plato has a successful account of justice. Plato’s criticism of then present theories of justice and his defense against the xxxxxx theories make sense logically. Furthermore, Plato was ages ahead of his time by arguing for equal rights among men and woman when concerning the guardians, unlike Aristotle who got almost everything wrong and most likely set philosophy and other sciences back centuries, I believe Plato was ages ahead of his time in understand that men and women are equal in at least the ? capacity to understand reality and make reasonable judgments about it. ‘ (454d) However; just that fact does not lead to a proper defense against arguments. One thing a reader may have a problem is that Plato seems to be showing a little Heidegger by alluding to a dictatorship which are ruled by the wise, namely, philosophers. Even if such a Nazi and Communist-esque dictatorship were to be implemented, I fear it would hit the same brick wall that other dictatorships face, the people will not sit idly by while they are told what to do. I believe that leads to a larger problem. Plato seemingly wants to hint more and more at an innate knowledge which includes justice, or if the person does not have this innate knowledge he can be taught in society: knowledge and the just thing to do. I believe this poses a problem for Plato, if society innately knows the correct thing to do, but does not do it, then this is contradictory with the definition of justice Plato wants for us. And if there is one thing philosophers have insisted upon over time is that there are no contradictions. In its defense; I do not know of any philosophical questions that have a complete answer, otherwise there would be no more philosophy. Even with the possible shortcomings, Plato argues his justice logically, and uses Glaucon and Adeimentus well, to show the strengths of his arguments.

Taiwan Scholarship Program Guidelines

The Taiwan Scholarship Program Guidelines are duly enacted in accordance with Article 4 of the Taiwan Scholarship2.Types of Scholarships and benefits:Undergraduate Scholarships: These scholarships are for foreign students who want to pursue undergraduate studies at universities/colleges in Taiwan. A stipend of NT$25,000 per month per student will be provided. (2) Master’s Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be provided for qualified foreign students who want to pursue their master’s degrees at universities/colleges in Taiwan. (3) Ph.D. Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be provided for qualified foreign students who want to pursue their Ph.D. degrees at universities/colleges in Taiwan.The aforementioned scholarships will be under the supervision of the universities/colleges and stipends will be awarded monthly based on the students’ attendance records and academic performance. Tuition, accommodati on, insurance and miscellaneous fees are all included in the scholarships herein stated. For the scholarships, which are sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (ROC), each student will be provided with a stipend of NT$30,000 per month, plus an economy airfare for direct roundtrip flights. 3.Quotas and Scholarships Offered by Government Agencies:Taiwan scholarship quotas will be discussed and decided by the Taiwan Scholarship Management and Promotion Committee and are contingent upon the annual budget allotments. Taiwan Scholarships are funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the National Science Council of the Executive Yuan (NSC) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Scholarships offered by the aforementioned agencies are as follows:(1) MOE: Undergraduate/Masters’s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; (2) MOFA: Undergraduate Scholarships; (3) NSC: Master’s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; and (4) MOEA: Masterâ€℠¢s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; limited to graduate degree programs and are related to science, engineering, agriculture, medicine and hi-tech  fields. Recipients, whose scholarships are sponsored by the MOE or MOFA, may attend Language Enrichment Programs (Hereinafter referred to as LEP) in University-affiliated Chinese Language Centers (Hereinafter referred to as language centers) in Taiwan up to one year, in order to improve their language proficiency, before beginning their degree programs.A stipend of NT$25,000 for MOE recipients, and NT$30,000 for MOFA recipients per month, per student will be provided. Those who apply for the Master’s and/or Ph.D. Scholarships from the NSC and MOEA can not apply for the Language Enrichment Program.4. Duration of Scholarships:(1) Undergraduate Scholarships: maximum four years; (2) Master’s Scholarships: maximum two years; and (3) Ph.D. Scholarships: maximum three years.The total and maximum number of years for foreign students to recei ve scholarships (including LEP) will be five years. In principle, scholarships will begin from August 1 of each year and continue until July 31, of the following year. Scholarship recipients who are approved for summer programs or LEP may be assigned different scholarship award dates. If the recipient fails to enroll before the semester starts, the scholarship will begin from the month he/she arrives in Taiwan to study. Scholarships will begin from the month of student enrollment and will stop when the scholarship ends, the recipient graduates, drops out, is expelled, or upon cancellation of the scholarship, whichever comes first. Scholarship applicants shall not accept more than one scholarship issued by ROC (Taiwan) governmental agencies and/or educational institutions at the same time.If the applicant was granted more than one scholarship, he/she shall select only one scholarship to receive; if an applicant is found to be receiving more than one scholarship at the same time, the applicant shall be disqualified and asked to return the scholarship money already received.5. Qualifications: Applicants must meet the following requirements: (1) They should have a good academic record and moral character; (2) They should neither be Overseas Chinese Students nor ROC nationals; (3) They should not be scholarship recipients from other ROC government agencies or institutions in Taiwan; (4) They should not be exchange students who are admitted in accordance with academic cooperation agreements made between local educational universities/  colleges and foreign educational institutions;(5) They should not have had their scholarships cancelled in accordance with these Guidelines; (6) They should not have received Taiwan Scholarships of the same type; (7) The total duration of their scholarship(s) should not exceed 5 years; (8) They should not be foreign students who have already enrolled at local educational institutions at their own expense. (However, they will be elig ible to apply to individual universities/colleges for Foreign Students’ Scholarships, which are subsidized by the MOE.)6. Application Process:(1) Procedure: The overseas missions of the ROC should refer to MOE Regulations Regarding International Students undertaking Studies in Taiwan and these Guidelines while receiving and reviewing applications either independently or in joint cooperation with foreign local governments, schools, or cultural and educational institutions. Each year, by the end of January, the overseas missions should report their selection and assessment methods (through meetings or paper review) regarding these scholarships to the related government agencies and the MOE. (2) Application Period: Annually from February 1st through the end of March.(3) Required Documents: Applicants need to submit the following documents: A. Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form A with Study Plan; the format will be regulated by the MOE); B. Proof of highest educational qua lifications and academic performance; C. Proof of application to enroll at local universities/colleges and/or language centers (e.g. a copy of the application form); and D. Other documents as requested by the overseas missions of the ROC.(4) Selection: After reviewing the application documents, the overseas missions will select eligible scholarship candidates, as well as alternatives and create a list. This list will be sent to the related universities/colleges or language centers by the end of April for their reference. Copies of this list will also be provided to the related government agencies and the MOE. (5) Approval: Applicants are responsible for their application process to the universities/colleges or language centers that they would like to attend. Each school and/or language center shall refer to the guidelines of individual schools admission process for foreign students and begin the application review process. The school and/or language center should notify candidates, of their final decision, no  later than mid-June.(6) Notification of Admission: Applicants, upon receiving their admission letter, need to submit a copy of the admission letter to the designated respective overseas missions in order to secure their scholarship by no later than the end of June. Late submission of these documents, after the deadline will be deemed as a waiver for accepting the scholarship. In this case, the respective overseas mission should send a scholarship award letter to all qualified recipients and inform the alternative(s) in order to fill any vacancy(s). Candidates will be disqualified if they fail to pass the application review process of respective schools.(7) Acceptance Lists: By the end of July, the overseas missions should provide recipient acceptance lists, which will include their legal names, Chinese names, nationalities, gender, scholarship sponsoring agencies, type of scholarship, duration of scholarship, admitting universities/colleges and/or lang uage centers, highest educational qualifications, references of the recipients and other information to the related government agencies (including the MOE) and universities/colleges and/or language centers involved.The overseas missions shall also provide such information to the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the MOFA and the National Police Agency of Ministry of Interior, in order to assist them with their follow-up procedures. In case of special conditions or failure to complete the aforementioned processes, before the required deadlines, the overseas missions should report such circumstances to the related government agencies for approval (and inform the MOE of such events). (8) For those recipients whose scholarships are funded by the MOFA, the respective ROC overseas missions will purchase one-way economy airfare tickets to Taiwan for the recipients.The overseas missions need to submit the original receipts and copies of passenger coupons to the MOFA in order to be reimbursed. T he return economy airfare tickets will be bought by the MOFA. 7. Renewal process for scholarship recipients in Taiwan before the expiration of scholarships and the application for enrollment: (1) Recipients who want to pursue further study programs need to follow the terms found in Subparagraph (2) and (3) of this Article. For other recipients in Taiwan, who wish to renew their scholarships (in August), they have to submit each year a Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form B; the format will be regulated by the MOE) and reports of their academic  performance to their universities/colleges by the end of February.The universities/colleges will review their applications to see if they are qualified and send the list to the related government agencies (including the MOE) for review in order to reserve the number of scholarship recipients and follow the Article 10 for allocation. (2) The MOE may assist recipients who have been approved for scholarships up to five years (the LEP and undergraduate degree programs) in applying to enroll undergraduate programs. If the said recipients are unable to apply to universities/colleges on their own, they may submit their reports of academic performance (including the academic records for each year of their highest study, including language center records) and the Admission Assistance Application Form (the format will be regulated by the MOE) to the language centers.These language centers will coordinate all forms and send them to the MOE. The MOE will assist in selecting the proper universities, according to the recipients’ wishes and levels of language proficiency. Applicants should agree to abide by all final arrangements. (3) Scholarship recipients, who wish to continue to study for their master or doctoral degrees, upon completion of their previous course of study, need to apply for the admission to the new degree program on their own. (4) Universities/colleges that accept these scholarship recipients, as state d in Subparagraph (2) and (3) of this Article, shall submit the lists to the related government agencies (including the MOE) by the end of June for review, in order to reserve the number of scholarship recipients and follow Article 10 for allocation.8. Application process for re-applying for Taiwan Scholarships after the scholarships expire: Scholarship recipients who have already studied in Taiwan will be regarded as new students after the expiration of their scholarships. If they wish to re-apply for other types of scholarship and pursue further degree programs here, they need to follow Article 6 of these Guidelines and submit the Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form A) and their academic records to the ROC overseas missions by the end of March. The total duration of their scholarship period cannot exceed five years, as regulated by Article 4 Paragraph 2 of the Guidelines. Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral Scholarships recipients whose scholarship period was awarded for only one year, in accordance to the previous version of these Guidelines, should renew their scholarships following Article 7 Subparagraph(1) of these Guidelines, and are not subject to the regulations stated in the previous Paragraph of this Article. 9. The Suspension and Cancellation of Scholarships:(1) LEP students: A. If a student is absent for more than ten hours of class (serious illness and accidents excluded) within a single month, the language centers will suspend his/her scholarship the following month. B. Starting from the second quarter of study in Taiwan, if a student’s academic average is less than 80%, his/her scholarships for the next quarter will be suspended for one month. If a student’s academic average is less than 80% for two consecutive quarters, his/her scholarship status will be cancelled beginning with the next quarter.The remainder of the scholarship will also be cancelled. C. If a student is suspended from or drops out of school, the lan guage center will suspend his/her scholarship and inform the related government agencies in writing (including the MOE) in order to cancel his/her scholarship status. The remaining scholarships will also be cancelled. (2) Undergraduate/ Master’s/ Ph.D. students:A. For those Undergraduate/ Master’s scholarships recipients who are in each year of their study; Ph.D. scholarships recipients who are in the first two years of their study, if their academic average is below the passing standard set up by the school for any given semester, their school will suspend their scholarships for one month beginning with the next semester. If the schools have not set up an academic grading standard, then an undergraduate student’s academic average cannot be less than 60%, while a master and doctoral student’s academic average cannot be less than 70%. If a student is below passing for two consecutive semesters, their scholarship status will be cancelled starting the next s emester. Their remaining scholarships will also be cancelled.For those who are in their third year of a doctoral program, they must submit their thesis proposals to their schools, by the end of October of that year. Scholarships will be granted each month, if the schools approve the students’ proposals. Otherwise, scholarships will be suspended until proposals are approved, and will resume beginning from the month of approval. C. If a student is suspended from or  drops out of school, his/her school will automatically suspend his/her scholarships and inform the related government agencies in writing (including the MOE) in order to cancel his/her scholarship status.The remaining scholarships will also be cancelled. 10. The Allocation and Verification of Scholarships Accounts: (1) Allocation: Universities/colleges need to make a list of scholarship recipients and vouchers based on the various types of scholarships provided by the different government agencies. Universities/ c olleges should enclose their list of qualified recipients and vouchers, and apply to the MOFA or the MOE (scholarship stipends provided by the NSC and the MOEA are handled through the MOE; it should be noted on each voucher that the MOE is in charge of the allocation of funds for scholarships) for appropriation in January and August. Each institution will directly pay a monthly stipend to the students or to their accounts.(2) Verification of Scholarship Financial Transactions or Reports: A. For scholarships provided by MOFA, universities/colleges need to provide student signed receipts, or documents which show that money has been transferred into the students’ bank accounts, to the MOFA for verification in August and December. B. For scholarships provided by the NSC and the MOEA, universities/colleges need to provide three copies of financial transaction reports (signed by the head of the universities/colleges, accountants and cashiers) and any remainder of the stipends to th e MOE (for it to make a transfer to the NSC and the MOEA at the end of fiscal year in order to close the case) in August and December.C. For scholarships provided by the MOE, universities/colleges need to provide two copies of financial transaction reports (signed by the head of the universities/colleges, accountants and cashiers) and any remainder of the stipends to the MOE in August and December. Universities/colleges need to also keep the original copies for the Ministry of Audit or other related authorities for review. 11. Emergency Deductions: In case of financial difficulties, a scholarship recipient may request that the school deduct tuition, miscellaneous expenses, insurance premiums and other payable fees in a lump sum or in installments from his/her award, and issue the remaining amount to the scholarship recipient.12. Transferring to other schools: If scholarship recipients need to transfer to other institutions due to health, psychological reasons or special environmenta l surroundings, they need to follow MOE Regulations Regarding International Students undertaking Studies in Taiwan. If the institution or language center agrees to their transfer, these institutions must inform the related government agencies (including the MOE) for future review. Only one transfer is permitted. 13. Additional Information:(1) The MOE may allocate administration subsidies to institutions that join the Taiwan Scholarships Program and set aside a budget to assist institutions in setting up an information service center, in order to strengthen communication and the governing system for scholarships students. (2) ROC overseas missions shall organize orientations, in order to provide scholarship recipients with relevant information, before they travel to Taiwan. (3) ROC overseas missions shall be aware, if a student gives up his/her opportunity to come to Taiwan. If such a case happens, the ROC overseas missions will replace this student with another alternative.(4) Schol arship recipients should arrive at their designated universities/colleges or language centers prior to the day of registration. Institutions should report the names of those who fail to register, to the related government agencies (including the MOE), by the end of October. (5) Medical insurance fees are already included in the stipends. Universities/colleges and language centers should require that scholarship recipients join the National Health Insurance plan. Scholarship recipients must purchase other forms of medical insurance before enrolling in the National Health Insurance plan. The premium of the medical insurance plan will be deducted from the scholarships; the remaining scholarship money will be given to the scholarship recipients.(6) The ROC overseas missions should ask scholarship recipients to provide them with academic records or a report, postal and email addresses, within one month of the return to their respective countries after they complete their studies in Taiwa n. (7) Each year by the end of October, the ROC overseas missions need to send a comprehensive evaluation, which should include each student’s academic records and the other materials as stated in the Subparagraph (6) of this Article, to all the related government agencies (including the MOFA and the MOE) (8) To improve healthcare services for MOFA scholarship recipients,  the MOFA may arrange health examinations for the recipients.The MOFA shall coordinate with schools and hospitals for such examinations, with fees to be covered by its Taiwan Scholarship budget. 14. The selection process regarding the Taiwan Scholarships, their types, benefits and duration will be subject to the terms regulated in the above Guidelines. Scholarships, which have been awarded due to bilateral negotiations, cultural and educational agreements, or based on the terms of equality and reciprocity, or special circumstances, approved by heads of government agencies are not subject to the terms and r egulations under these Guidelines.

Benjamin West, his times and his influence Essay

Benjamin West paintings Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin West was an Anglo-American artist who was born on October 10, 1738 in Springfield Pennsylvania in the present day campus of Swarthmore College in a house now called the borough of Swarthmore. He was the tenth child of John West and Sarah Pearson. Benjamin died on March 11, 1820 in London at the age of 81. During his time, he concentrated in artwork. He left a great mark through his historical artwork. The artwork by Benjamin West made during the days of exploration and during the American struggle for independence helps us greatly in understanding the history of the Americans. In his artwork, West used an artistic style he termed as â€Å"epic representation†, which entailed the use of expressive figures, compositional schemes and colors to make it easy for the observer to identify the scene easily.Benjamin West did his first painting in 1745 when he was only 7 years old. He was left to look after his sister’s infant daughter while the sister and mother were working on the flower garden. He was impressed by the smiling baby and took a paper and a pen which were on the table and made the first painting work. When the mother and sister came back, they saw the painting and were very much impressed for it really resembled the young kid. Benjamin’s mother appreciated him and this developed confidence in him even though he had initially tried to hide the paper from his mother. He later interacted with the Native Americans who taught him how to make paint from riverbank clay mixed with bear grease in a pot. Little was it expected that this would turn out to be his line of professional his life. He best fitted in this area mainly because he was not well endorsed with formal education (West and Charles 1950).Benjamin West excelled in painting and storing the American and English history such that studying the American or English literature may not be very possible without mentioning or referring to the work of Benjamin West. His artwork remains a very crucial source of American literature for he was able to store history at a time when means of history keeping were not so well established. He stored the life of the Americans before America attained self-governance in his paintings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin west painted portraits in Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1759 where he designed the ‘death of Socrates’ from an engraving in Charles Rollin’s ancient work. This work latter came to be credited as â€Å"the most ambitious and interesting painting produced in colonial America†. Because of his great artworks, West interacted with many great people such as Dr. William Smith who was the provost, college of Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin, who was an outstanding American statesman who played a great role in America’s struggle for self-governance. It is from this close interaction that Benjamin West painted Benjamin Franklin’s portrait.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his interactions, West met several painters from whom he learnt more painting techniques. Hemet John Wollaston, a painter from London from whom he learnt how to paint the shimmer of silk and satin. He also learnt from him the style of putting big almond shaped eyes to all his artwork. Later on, West was sponsored and travelled to Italy where he furthered his painting skills by copying Italian paintings (Helmut and Allen 1986)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On his way back to America, West decided to pay a visit to England, though; his visit turned to a stay when he met William Allen who had sponsored him to Italy. They stayed together for a month, and latter visited his half-brother Thomas west. In England, he continued with his paintings. He painted his first picture in England, Angelica and Medora, and was shown at the exhibition in spring gardens in 1764 together with Cymon and Iphigia, which he had painted in Rome. Benjamin West married an American, Elizabeth Shewell, in 1765 at St Martin-in-the-Fields. While in England, he was introduced to senior clergymen such as Thomas Newton who was the bishop of Bristol, James Johnson, who was the bishop of Worcester, Robert Hay Drummond who was the Archbishop of York, among others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These clergymen commissioned work for Benjamin west. He proposed to decorate St Paul’s cathedral with paintings, however, his proposal was rejected by the bishop of London. He then proposed to paint an altarpiece for St Stephen Walbrook and his proposal was accepted. For his great works in England, West came to be named, â€Å"American Raphael†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drummond once tried to make west give up portraiture and devote himself to more ambitious composition. He tried to convince the king to patronize Benjamin West, however; things didn’t work out well for him. The king gave him the first commission of painting the departure of Regulus from Rome. West was soon on very good terms with the king because of his great work. They held lengthy discussions about the state of art in England, and that is when the idea of establishing a royal college began. In 1768, the college was established, and Joshua Reynolds became its first president. In 1772, Benjamin West was appointed by King George as the historical painter to the court at a fee of  £1,000 annually. He made many historical paintings among them a set of 28 works for a chapel at the castle with the theme â€Å"the progress of revealed religion† and nine portraits of royal family members, two been for the king. From 1791 to his de ath, Benjamin West remained the surveyor of the king’s picture.One of the greatest paintings of Benjamin West was the death of General Wolfe, made in 1770 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1771. This painting raised mixed reactions when it was exhibited. Joshua Reynolds, the then president of the Royal academy, termed it as overambitious. However; the painting became one of the most frequently reproduced images. This painting was a demonstration of the French and Indian war, showing of his general Johnson saving a wounded French officer from the Tomahawk of a North American Indian in 1768. Other historic paintings of Benjamin West include the death of Nelson which was made in honor of Horatio Nelson, who died at the battle of Trafalgar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Reynolds died in 1792, West became the president of the Royal Academy up to 1805 when he resigned and was replaced by James Wyatt. One year later, he was re-elected the Academy president and served the president until his death. The fact that West was serving as the president of the Royal Academy in London had a significant effect to the Americans. Many American artists such as Augustus Earle, Ralph Earl, Samuel Morse, Charles Wilson, Mathew Pratt, among others, studied under him in London (Wetton & Jarvis, 1821)Benjamin West also did a series of religious paintings. He painted his first religious artwork Christ healing the sick at the beginning of the 19th century, which he intended to present as a gift to a Quaker hospital in Philadelphia. However, it dint happen as he had planned for he later sold the artwork to a British company at  £3,000. The organization presented it to the National Gallery. West later on made a copy to send to Philadelphia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The outcome of that painting led him to doing even larger religious works such as death on a pale horse which was exhibited in 1817. He also made artistic representation of the conversion of Paul in his modeling of the altarpiece at St Paul’s church in Birmingham.In his life, Benjamin west demonstrated a very strong sense of determination. Despite the fact that he was not so much educated, he still worked hard and emerged as one of the great painters of his time. He was not the kind to give up easily on a task he had set forth to undertake.Despite Drummond’s attempt to make him give up portraiture and entirely devote himself to more ambitious compositions, he never gave in to Drummond’s wishes. Drummonds plot to convince the king to patronize him latter ended up strengthening the relationship between Benjamin West and the king. It is the same relationship that led to the establishment of the Royal Academy which turned out to be an important institution to both the English people and the Americans. He ended up serving as the president of the Academy until he died at his house in London on 11th march 1820.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When he exhibited his painting, the death of General Wolfe, it was termed as overambitious. This, however, did not hinder him from exhibiting it, and it latter turned out to be one of the most frequently reproduced images of the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin West proposed a project to decorate St Paul’s cathedral in 1766 though his proposal was rejected by the bishop of London, he didn’t give up making other proposals. Eventually, his proposal to paint an altarpiece for St Stephen Walbrook was approved.Benjamin was a man of determination and the desire to achieve whose success mainly originated from his character of not giving in to discouragements and opposition. This determination helped him and helped his people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin’s personal interests are clearly portrayed in his artwork. It is apparent that he had an interest in political and leadership affairs. In his lifetime, he had encounters with many leaders and statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and King George   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The encounter with leaders and statesmen had a great impact on his artwork. He painted the portraits of these statesmen and of the Royal family which remain important up to date. He also made paintings at the state structures such as the paintings at St George’s hall at Windsor castle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The passion for adventure is clearly portrayed when Benjamin goes to Italy and on his way back to America he visits England where he settles and never goes back to America. This adventure helps him advance his painting and artwork skills. He copies the artwork of Italians such as Titian and Raphael.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his lifetime, he demonstrated his interest in religion by doing religious painting and interacting with the members of the clergy. The artwork, Christ healing the sick, shows that he was a Christian and believed in the power of healing. He also made an artistic impression of the conversion of Paul at St Paul’s church. This religious nature made him do numerous religious paintings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   His first religious work, Christ healing the sick, was originally intended to be a gift to a quacker hospital in Philadelphia. This shows that he was a charitable man, and this made him make gift paintings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also apparent that West was a historian who was studying history and recording history to be used in the future. He painted images of social, political and religious history. His painting, presentation of the queen of Sheba at the court of King Solomon, is from biblical history. He also painted William Penn’s treaty with the Indians. This was a historic treaty that was believed to have been signed many years back. This interest in history opened up areas in which he could draw paintings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin was also a very social man. In his life, he interacted with so many people with whom he shared ideas and who helped him nurture and improved his painting skills. This can be traced right back from when he was a young boy, and he interacted with the Native Americans who taught him how to make paint. Later on in his life he interacted with people from all backgrounds. He met artists, clergymen, political leaders, traders such as gunsmiths and many more categories of people. This exposure not only earned him the knowledge in artwork, but it also opened up chances of creating a market for his painting skills. He painted portraits of the leaders he interacted with, made religious painting for the churches after interacting with the church leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin West’s paintings help us understand the American literature and the kind of life they lived before attaining independence. The fact that he made a painting and entitled it â€Å"Christ Healing the sick†, is enough to convince us that the Americans were Christians even during their pre-colonial period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benjamin West’s painting, William Penn’s treaty with the Indians, helps us understand that the American had interacted with the Indians even before America attained freedom. It also portrays the peaceful and the welcoming nature of the Americans during this time.It is also evident that America had not fully embraced formal education during the colonial period. People used to attend informal schools where they learnt technical skills such as painting. In his painting, Benjamin Franklin drawing electricity from the sky, painted in 1816, we learn that the American attempts to develop energy begun as early as the 19th century. This painting and others he did have proved to be of great importance in tracing the history and literature of America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is, therefore, clear that even in his grave; Benjamin West will always be remembered for his contribution in creating references for the American literature and political, social and religious history of the Americans (Dillen , John & Benjamin West, 1997). References Dillen Berger, John. Benjamin West: the context of his life and work, particular attention to his artwork with religious subject, including a correlated version of the nineteenth- century West’s paintings, exhibitions, and sales records, and alas. San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1977. Helmut von, and Allen Staley. The paintings of Benjamin West. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. Meyer, Jerry D.. The religious paintings of Benjamin West: a study in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century moral sentiment. Austin: cy, 1973-1974. The life of Benjamin West. London: Wetton & Jarvis, 1821. West, Benjamin, and Charles H. Morgan. Benjamin West, his times and his influence: an exhibition, May 9-30, 1950. Source document