The colonisation of Southern Africa Essay Example for Free

The colonisation of Southern Africa Essay To what extent did the colonisation of Southern Africa benefit the indigenous people of these territories? It is arguable as to whether the imperialism was of benefit to the indigenous people. However it would be false to say they gained nothing. The Africans had a culture totally different to the Europeans and less technologically advanced. The Europeans brought with them their culture, values and ideas, yet at the same time oppressed and demolished the original culture of the natives. They considered themselves to be superior and therefore correct. The indigenous people didnt consider themselves to be inadequate. David Livingstone was a more sympathetic missionary and once said The English are the most philanthropic people in the world.-David and Charles Livingstone, Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi. They thought themselves better than the Africans so that made it their duty to god to impose their own religious and cultural beliefs. Desire to bring civilisation to the African peoples, by furnishing the native with the means of instruction. The indigenous people benefited from new ideas and technology brought over from Europe such as medicine. Some were even educated in Western ways, learning administration and English, new laws were introduced. Voting and administration were also initiated. The Africans could learn from the Europeans and become more advanced. the most remarkable contribution of colonialism in Africa was in ideas and techniques- the ideas of justice, freedom of speech, worship, travel, the rule of law, and the techniques of voting and administration.-Kofi Busia, a native person. Some indigenous people did benefit from the colonialisation of Africa. Of course it was not all admirable, there were also detriments. The Africans were not treated as equals, they were exploited and were even enslaved to help the foreigners execute their desires. Infrastructure resulted in forced labour. Taxes were introduced, and so the Africans had to work. Railways were built and cities developed, all by the sweat and blood of the Africans. Land was stolen in order for the Europeans to build and mine, like Cecil Rhodes. Borders were rearranged, and so families were split and authority lost. Many died and some were forced to migrate. Only the males were educated and communicated with, the women who once played an important role in society were not equal to males. The white man killed my father; the white man, his hands red with black blood, with lordly voice, turned to me: hey boy, a drink, a napkin, water-David DIOP, A Sengalese poet. The attitude that the natives had was of hate and fear. They were treated terribly worse than animals, as animals dont have beliefs and are allowed to spend the day grazing. Weve become their inferiors from an Arabic poem. This also conveys feelings of animosity. They may have gained but they also lost. In the opinions of most Africans they benefited nothing. Africa did benefit slightly, though when juxtaposed to the impairment, one can conclude that there was more harm than gain. For what they benefited, they lost much more and had no choice in it. The indigenous people pf South Africa had little or no say in what went on. They didnt send for Europeans to come and design railways or tax them.

Ethical Implications Of Layoffs And Downsizing

Ethical Implications Of Layoffs And Downsizing The business world has been facing a tough and complex market environment in the recent years. As the economy swings down, majority of firms try find themselves is try to cut some costs and increase profit to survive in the market for long-period. One of the easiest ways to cut cost is through reducing staff and layoff jobs. The elimination of jobs will certainly reduce some expenses like salary expenses, payroll costs as well as human resources costs and so on. leading to increase additional funds for any potential investment that the firm could face to upturn profit. Likely firms could use such strategy like reducing staff and facing no legal action or policy violation, which leads to presents many ethical problems between stakeholders and firms (Baston, Blake Neff, 2007). Its important to understand ethics because it keeps people away from doing whats wrong. If an individuals have no ethics, they would do the wrong thing whenever they believe it benefit them as long as they get away. For example, a person will keep stealing as long as no one is watching him. Similar to business ethics, if a business operates in ethical manners, that will indeed increase the value of a business. For example, if a firm follows the code of ethics in every day decision, it will increase expectations of a social community to ward a firm and customers would like to keep trading with a business and that of course will lead to increase sales of goods/services or both. Ethics is the study of how people try to live their lives according to a standard of right or wrong behaviour-in both how we think and behave toward others and how we could like them to think and behave toward us (Ghillyer, 2008, p. 51). In most situations ethical choices are clear cut that the person can easily decide what is right or wrong thing to do based on ethical principles. Also try to treat others as we would like to be treated; as its expressed by The Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Ghillyer, 2008, p. 7). However, people choices could also be challenged when they face situation when two or more moral values are in conflict which its known as Ethical dilemma A situation in which there is no obvious right or wrong decision, but rather a right or right answer (Ghillyer, 2008, p. 9). Meaning there is no obvious right or wrong answer, but both right answers. Leaving an equally one right choice undone, others likely to suffer something bad after the choice is made, contradicting a personal ethical principle in making that choice and abandoning an ethical value of a community or society in making that choice (Ghillyer, 2008, p. 9). As it is shown in the case provided The Layoff Alice is facing an ethical dilemma, whether to tell her friend about the Layoff or to stay loyal to her boss and the company. This essay will domnstright the ethical dilemma that Alice is facing, following the process for making moral decision and relevant ethical theories. In the Layoff Case study; Alice is facing an Ethical Dilemma because they are two moral values in conflict. The two values are telling the truth or stay loyal. Here in this situation, if Alice tells the truth to her friend, it would mean that shes being disloyal to her boss and to the company that has treated her so well for such long time, but at the same time she still loyal to her friend by informing him about the layoff before purchasing the house leading to have financial problems on the future. Or on the other hand, if Alice wont tell her friend about the Layoff and know that her friend will purchase a house, it would mean that she still loyal to her boss and the company. Alice must weigh the loyalty to her friend against the loyalty her boss and the company to make her decision. There is no guidance or direct way to solve an ethical dilemma and making the right ethical decision, like the situation Alice is facing. However what Alice needs to do for solving her dilemma is to take some real step as guideline for evaluating and determining the ethical decision. That decision must be logical, based on facts and should be accepted by moral principles. In other words, if moral decision or conclusion is defensible, then it must be supported by defensible moral principles, together with relevant facts. (Shaw et al, 2009, p.28). First step in moral decision making is to determine the facts of the situation. Its important to gather facts and information before jumping to conclusion. Alice should gather as much information that will help her relating to her dilemma. For example, she may find out whats the company legal requirement on informing workers about Layoff. Also she may gather enough information to determine how long it would take these 200 workers to find new jobs. Second step is to identify the ethical issues involved. Its important that, Alice shouldnt jump to conclusion before identifying the ethical issues that related to her dilemma. In this case, one professional ethical issue has to do with rights of both the workers and the company. Alice should define the workers legal right to know about the plant closing in advance. The other ethical issue has to deal with companys right to keep the information private. Furthermore, Alice must determine the obligation for her company toward its workers in t his regard. At more personal level, there are the ethical issues related to principles such as honesty, loyalty and promise keeping. In the context of ethical decision making, the next step is to identifying all stakeholders all of those individuals or groups, who have a stake in the particular decision or action (Trevino Nelson, 2010, p.54). Alice should identify the stakeholders that will be affected by her decision before jumping to conclusion, and how they are been affected. First Alice should consider the stakeholders that will be affected immediately by closing down the plant for example, Alice, the workers and Alices boss. Then she should consider on large scale for example, local community and social responsibility. Imagine if the plant is located in small town; fairness to the entire community becomes an important ethical issue. Shouldnt the community have as much time as possible to plan for the impact for shutting down the plant? After identify all stakeholders, the following step is to compare and weigh the alternative theory. Here we will use to two theories, consequentialist and Non- consequentialist theory. The consequentialist theory focuses on the result of the decision or action and its divided into Egoism and Utilitarianism (Shaw et al, 2009, p.58). To keep the Layoff information completely from the affected workers would fall under Ethical Egoism approach. Egoism An Act is morally right if and only if, it best promotes an agents long-term interests (Shaw et al, 2009, p.59). Here morality is linked with self-interest, meaning no basic duty to assist others but sometimes by pursuing long-term self-interest actions may be contrary to the person immediate interest, but beneficial in the long-term. For example, Alice wont tell her friend about closing down the plant because she may be interested in her position in the company for the future, so Alice wont breach confdality of the company. Utilitarianism is the second approach in the consequentialist theory We should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions (Shaw et al, 2009, p.64). Here the ethical decision aiming to maximas good and minimise harms. A utilitarian would approach an ethical dilemma by identifying all stakeholders in a particular situation as well as the actions and their consequences (harms and/or benefit) for each. Here in this case, if Alice tells her friend about the layoff, her friend and other workers might be benefit by getting informed about the situation earlier, especially, one of the workers is purchasing a house in a following week. On the other hand, if Alice wont tell the workers about the layoff to protect her company by keeping informations to herself. Alice and her family will be benefited first by keeping her job because she is still loyal to her company; also the company is benefited as there is no rumours going around ab out closing down the plant which indeed it will prevent several future crises. The Non- consequentialist is different than consequentialist theory. This theory is often formulated in such a way that the rightness of an action consists in its conformity to a moral rule or command. The Non- consequentialist is divided into three approaches: Kant, Duty of care and Virtue ethics. (Shaw et al, 2009, p.58) Kant Gives firms standards, but doesnt depend on result. Add a humanistic element into moral decision making (Shaw et al, 2009, p.71). This theory held that the actual action should be based only on duty and good will, then our actions will result moral judgment regarding the consequence of that action. In this case, if Alice thinks that her duty to her friend is more important than the company, then indeed she will inform her friend about the layoff anyway even if her job in the line. Or the other way around, Alice might consider her duty to protect the company is way too important than inform her friend and the workers bout the layoff. Duty of care focus on duties rather than consequences Decisions are made based on whats right on boar, abstract universal ethical principles or values such as honesty, promise keeping, fairness, loyalty, justice, responsibility, comparison and respect for human beings and property (Trevino Nelson, 2010, p.42). Regarding to this approach, there might be some certain moral values that are binding, regardless of the consequences if the actions or decision are good. Therefore some actions would be considered wrong even if the results of the actions were good. For example, if Alice doesnt tell her friend about the loyal, it would result positive sign to the company. However it would be wrong action as Alice is not loyally to her friend by keeping the information away. Virtue ethics focuses more on the quality of the moral actor (the person) rather than the moral act itself (actions taken). Here, the issue is not whats the right thing to do? Or whos benefiting the most? The issue here is the person whose acting is considered to be morally good character such as honest, loyalty integrity etc. In this case, Alice decision will be based on here moral character that will make her happy the most. If telling the truth will make Alice happier than being loyal to her company, it means Alice will inform her friend about the layoff regarding what are the consequences later. However if being loyal makes Alice more happy, then she wont inform her friend about any changes at work even though her friend is purchasing a house next week, because being loyal to her company means her more than telling the truth to her friend. Finally, the last step in moral decision making is to make a decision. In any ethical dilemma, there is no right or wrong answer but both rights as it mentioned before. However the person whos making decision must gather all facts, consider all the potincol harm and benefit to all stakeholders that will be affected by the action. Also must determine the ethical value of the person that makes the action. Thus, no company is immune to problems. The companies that survive are the ones that can spot ethical issues and correct them before they become problems. My advice to Alice to manage the layoff is trying as much as possible to let not spread the rumours around work. Instead Alice should openly discuss the layoff situation between the company and the workers though meetings and try to explain that the company is facing low down in the market and the layoff is their last potion. Alice should convince her company about the social responsibility toward workers by trying to find similar jobs for those who are their job in the line. . As a result, it will attract positive image to the company by handling the layoff in such ethical way

Ebonics :: essays research papers fc

EBONICS Ebonics, also known as Black English, is a nonstandard dialect spoken in many homes in the inner cities of America. This nonstandard language is often looked upon as low-class or lazy talk. This is not the case, however. Due to consistencies found in the dialect, there seems to be an order. It has been found that, when learning English, African-Americans adapted the language using some of the structure and rules of their own native tongue. This Black English has carried on through slavery and then freedom for hundreds of years. Although there is a coexistence of more than two dialects in our society, those in power forget the flexibility of our language and see no other way than the use of Standard English. Although many Americans tend to scorn any careless variation of the Standard English, flexibility of the language is, perhaps, a main reason for its survival. In 1905, a Danish scholar and great authority on English, Otto Jespersen, wrote: English is like an English park, which is laid out seemingly without any definite plan, and which you are allowed to walk everywhere according to your own fancy without having a fear a stern keeper enforcing rigorous regulations. (MacNeil 141) This freedom has created the English we speak today. Although a little behind the times, Oxford changes the rules as to what is correct English due to what is being spoken. In English Belongs to Everybody, Robert MacNeil, feels that English has prospered and grown because it was able to accept and absorb change (140). So change in the English language helps it grow, yet the dialect of the inner city blacks in our country is looked upon as a problem. To those in charge, there is no more room for growth. It is apparent that there are many types of dialect within American English. The coexisting of two or more languages, either serving together in the same area or servicing different areas, is as old as language itself (Pei 106). This has happened throughout time and appears to be inevitable. It is impossible to believe an entire country could conform to one language, and then only one dialect of that language. Throughout history societies have survived for some time using different languages until these language barriers tore territories apart. It is apparent how, in America, barriers between dialects separate black men from white men even more than physical conditions.

Hoof And Mouth :: essays research papers

What IS foot & mouth disease? It is one of the most infectious diseases known and consists of a virus, which attacks two groups of animals - pigs and ruminants. The latter group includes cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and some other "foreign" breeds of animal such as buffalo and antelope. It does not affect birds, dogs, or horses, but the virus can be carried on the feet of any bird or animal, including humans, that come into contact with it. The symptoms relate to the name the disease has been given - a blistering of the skin around the animal's foot, particularly between the hooves and a similar blistering of the skin around the mouth and nose. These physical symptoms are usually accompanied by a fever. The virus has a 3-8 day incubation period. A question now being asked is, "Can it affect humans?† You may have read elsewhere that the answer is "No†. However, this is not strictly true, albeit that the risk is very small. One such case, where the victim developed flu-like symptoms with blistering and subsequently ulcerating skin, was reported some 25 years ago. That person made a full recovery. The risk to humans would be greatest if the virus entered the human body via an exposed wound, handling infected stock without adequate protection, or drinking milk, which had not been pasteurized from an affected cow. However, it should be said from the start that this latter source is highly unlikely, because virtually all of today's public milk supply is pasteurized and this process immediately kills the virus. The Food Standard Agency has made it very clear that eating the meat of an infected animal has no harmful effect on humans. So, how does it spread? Well, it can be borne aloft on the wind and can easily travel more than 50 km overland, or 300 km over sea. It can also be transferred by direct contact between animals, [including humans], transferred via the feces of infected animals, transferred by people, vehicles, animals or birds that have passed over infected land and moved on elsewhere carrying the virus on their feet. Preventative measure can be taken. Straw soaked in disinfectant, [e. Hoof And Mouth :: essays research papers What IS foot & mouth disease? It is one of the most infectious diseases known and consists of a virus, which attacks two groups of animals - pigs and ruminants. The latter group includes cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and some other "foreign" breeds of animal such as buffalo and antelope. It does not affect birds, dogs, or horses, but the virus can be carried on the feet of any bird or animal, including humans, that come into contact with it. The symptoms relate to the name the disease has been given - a blistering of the skin around the animal's foot, particularly between the hooves and a similar blistering of the skin around the mouth and nose. These physical symptoms are usually accompanied by a fever. The virus has a 3-8 day incubation period. A question now being asked is, "Can it affect humans?† You may have read elsewhere that the answer is "No†. However, this is not strictly true, albeit that the risk is very small. One such case, where the victim developed flu-like symptoms with blistering and subsequently ulcerating skin, was reported some 25 years ago. That person made a full recovery. The risk to humans would be greatest if the virus entered the human body via an exposed wound, handling infected stock without adequate protection, or drinking milk, which had not been pasteurized from an affected cow. However, it should be said from the start that this latter source is highly unlikely, because virtually all of today's public milk supply is pasteurized and this process immediately kills the virus. The Food Standard Agency has made it very clear that eating the meat of an infected animal has no harmful effect on humans. So, how does it spread? Well, it can be borne aloft on the wind and can easily travel more than 50 km overland, or 300 km over sea. It can also be transferred by direct contact between animals, [including humans], transferred via the feces of infected animals, transferred by people, vehicles, animals or birds that have passed over infected land and moved on elsewhere carrying the virus on their feet. Preventative measure can be taken. Straw soaked in disinfectant, [e.

Essay --

For a business there is many things that is required to keep that business in business. For example, In order to create an product the society must choose upon it’s needs, resources they have and choose based on it’s populations and other available markets.The factors of production is the readiness to work on answer the three questions (What?, How? and For whom?) in order to solve the problems of scarcity. Scarcity is a resources that is limited, a certain number of available resource. Or paying simple bills to stay in a certain location. To sell a certain amount products could affect how a business runs, based off it’s amount of products sold. And then there is the factors of production. Land isn’t about where something is located in a area, Labor is the help to create things, and Capital and Entrepreneurship are necessary to a business. What does factors of production got to do with land? Well Land isn’t all about where a business is located. It’s mostly about the natural resources, which for example are diamonds, wood, water, coal, gold, etc. And this deserves to be ranked first. I think so because with no resources no business won’t be able to run successfully. Aswell most resources have scarcity to create an product with could cause a business owner to look for for an alternative resource. If there wasn’t land in the factor of production, most of the businesses would fail because they won’t be making money by not being able to create products. So overall land should be first since you got to have resources in order to create other new products. How does labor affect the factors of production and what is it’s main purpose? Well according to Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, they say Labor is, â€Å" Labor is ... ...e they want to be successful without taking such high risks that could take their business down hill if they taken a risk. For sure every entrepreneur knows every risk can be good, but can have a negative effect if taken the wrong way. But to another person they would definitely disagree with my view because not everyone has the same opinion. But also other people have different opinions about how they see the factors of production too. For example some may see Entrepreneurship as being first because of being high of risk. Then they could see Capital second because of money and the equipment for a business. As for Labor they would say third because not much as important than the money and equipment a business would need. And finally Land being last because they might not care where some business is located, but not thinking natural resources out there for land.

Anti Nature Concept by Nietzsche Essay

The name of Nietzsche occupies one of the leading places among the greatest philosophers till nowadays. His influences can be traced in postmodernism and existentialism. His theories and views are studied by scientists and students; his profound and sharp understanding of reality and human nature attract attention of numerous people all over the world. His most well-known theory is related to â€Å"Will of Power†. The notion of the superhuman – Uebermensh – as a key to understanding of the power, every human being is bearing inside, totally confronts the general philosophic approach , where all reasons and questions are investigated only the in the frames of sole truth. These ides are developed in his work â€Å"The Twilight of the Idols†, where the readers find Nietzsche’s strong confrontation of the Socrates’s approach of rationalism. His strongest critic of the Socrates’s views relates to lack of life appreciation and resistance of the human instincts, because he states, that â€Å"Resisting instincts is just a sickness and not at all a way back to virtue or happiness.† (Bailey 2002). Here we are coming closer to the major point of our research, namely to the understanding of morality. One of the most vital concepts of Nietzsche was his suggestion, that morality builds the serious obstacle for enjoying of most of life passions and desires, or how he formulated it – â€Å"morality as anti-nature†. In his work Morality as Anti-Nature Nietzsche is discussing the ways, how religion and morality, spread via religion, are able to change and suppress human nature. Nowadays a lot of people are living according to some biblical rules and precepts. During the times, when Nietzsche lived, the church was considered to be even a stronger mentor for most individuals, who made their choices and selected their life directions only based on the rules, preached by the priests. Nietzsche was absolutely against it; he insisted that religion did not consider the nature of humanity. According to the church all people were to fight against their bad sides, where according to Nietzsche all people were born initially good and they did not need the religious rules to follow them, but rather follow their own desires and  passions. The highest potential in development throughout the whole life can be reached, as Nietzsche stated, only with the help of inside passions, and never the ideals of church. T he church demanded from its followers to suppress all the passions in order to become real Christians. In this way the church was exchanging the natural passions of individuals with morality. The idea of free will was also understood by Nietzsche not in the way as it was presented by the church. The believers were supposed to follow all the God’s rules as he was the most powerful being, at the same time, they were to carry responsibility for their decisions and actions. â€Å"Today we no longer have any pity for the concept of â€Å"free will†: we know only too well what it really is — the foulest of all theologians’ artifices, aimed at making mankind â€Å"responsible† in their sense, that is, dependent upon them. Here I simply supply the psychology of all â€Å"making responsible.† (Bailey 2002). At this point Nietzsche used this theory for explaining his understanding of cause and effect. â€Å"The church’s use of counterfactual causality expands to an imaginary and false perception in the mind, and people ultimately jump to conclusions, giving all the credit to a higher form or being.† (Bailey 2002). Nietzsche a lso criticized the situation when instead of looking for plausible answers. The followers of the church just believed, that the word of God was the only true reason. Thus Christianity, as he wrote, was to bear the responsibility for making its followers closed minded and going against their nature. â€Å"He ultimately believed that religion creates a concept of anti-natural morality which damages our development as humans quite greatly, eventually ending our status and right as individuals once the church gets involved† (Jacobus 13). In Nietzsche’s eyes, it was an attempt to substitute all the intelligence and natural passions, human beings were possessing, with blind and poor spirituality. In this case, he stated, that those, who could invent all such spiritual and moral restrictions, were ill-willed and not able to control their own passions. They themselves were not inclined to further intellectual and moral development, thus they used morality as anti-nature to restrict other individuals in improvement of their lives. Only individuals, who are absolutely not under control of any morality, could be referred to as ideal human beings, because their actions and choices would be based purely upon their natural passions. Their judgments concerning right and wrong things would be under the influence of  their inside passion only. Overall, we have studied the key notions of the Nietzsche’s theory, related to the issues of morality, which according to him is the most serious obstacle in formation of li fe direction, based on the natural instincts and passions. On the one hand, he could be right saying that morality itself is certainly restraining the activities and decisions of people. However, on the other hand our ability to control our emotions and passions is the major feature, which defines us as human beings, not animals. Works cited Bailey, A. First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems and Readings in Philosophy. Broadview Press. 2002 Jacobus L.A. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2013 Hayman, R. Nietzsche: A Critical Life. Oxford University Press (New York), 1980.

Poverty and Illiteracy Essay

The world of illiterate and poverty-ridden people is like a vast endless desert where literacy is like an oasis, a fertile land with fresh water flowing and majestic palm trees growing. Illiteracy keeps people chained to ignorance and superstition and is an obstacle in the path of civilization. With literacy comes awareness and awareness brings progress, culture and civilization. Illiteracy brings ignorance, and ignorance leads to wars and controversies. God made man in his own image but today humans stand divided in the name of religion, colours and borders. Earth is the blue planet of our solar system, but today, humans are painting it red with each other’s blood. The main cause of all this, undoubtedly is illiteracy. The written word is the most powerful of weapons and once illiteracy and poverty are given an extinct status, a revolution greater than ever witnessed in history might occur, leading to the creation of a progressive and peaceful world. Poverty and illiteracy are indeed like the curse on human race. Instead of believing in family planning, illiterates believe that more the children they have, more the bread earners they will have. These poverty-ridden people cannot afford to educate their children and as a result, the children end up working for low wages at a small age, being deprived of their precious childhood. Instead of taking medicines to cure diseases, illiterates go to quacks, who give them charms, promising miracles that never actually happen. Poverty and illiteracy lead to social evils and malpractices like child marriages and untouchablity. Increased literacy in agrarian areas can lead to improved productivity with adequate use of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. Educated politicians can make informed decisions, leading to better policies. Poverty and illiteracy are indeed the greatest of the problems affecting mankind as they stand as obstacles in the development of an advanced, progressive and peacefu l world.