The Way of Ford Motor Company Essay Example for Free

The Way of Ford Motor Company Essay * Introduction * Although to be the only one remaining member which have escaped bankruptcy of the Big Three among the automobile industry by June 2009, Ford suffers $14.7 million loss of revenue and elimination of stockholders’ equity due to the record-breaking fall in demand for 2008,US. However, to understand Ford’s position today requires understanding the American automotive industry. * General Industry analysis * From 1900-2008, US motor vehicle production has a rapid increase to9, 000,000 from 1900 to 1967, after not, there is a graduate decrease to 3,000,000 until 2008. At the mean time, the median age of passenger car in US was Spiral upwards. Combine the two phenomenon, we can get that the automobile industry market is quite saturated and the demand fell down. Regard to the automobile manufacturing technology, despite less differentiation between manufacturers due to the converge of technologies and design, the technological progress was incremental and lead to the various segmentations in each country. Follow the two situations, there are 3 big issues were emerged. One was the deep demand of auto cars result in excess capacity. Another one issues was the high cost among the technological development. Last one issue was the lacking differentiation. However, it also offers automakers new product segmentations and market. For an insightful analysis, we need to look at more information in details. * Porter’s Five Forces First of all, we can get a comprehensive industry environment analysis through the Porter’s Five Forces. In terms of the threat of new entrants of the automobile industry, it requires high capital costs for potential entrants, as the manufacturers are all carry out the mass-production-scale. However, when a new entrant face with the current competitors’ scale economies, smaller manufacturers could not survive since they cannot afford the massive product development cost, which was in excess of $6 billion. And it is easy to own the cost disadvantages independent of scale. Then, the product differentiation of automobile industry is not high as other industry. The automobile industry was a global network of collaborative arrangements. As the team-based approach became models for all major  manufacturers, there is no big difference in the function, model and design. They can only gain their differentiation by the firm’s service and effective advertising. Also, There is no switching cost in the automobile industry because no cost would be incurred when customer switch to a new supplier. However, the large capital requirement is demanding, as the automobile industry needs huge amount of capital to invest in its mass-production line. Furthermore, automakers have benefited from prodigious amounts of direct funds or indirect aids from the government around the world to keep car plants open and assembly line running after the global sales collapsed, and the industry has never operated on the pure free-market principles. It proved that the government always intervened in the automobile industry that suggests the government control entry into this industry. Then, the supplier group of the industry is powerful. In order to achieve lower costs and increased flexibility, the automobile manufacturing trend has been towards outsourcing. All of the manufacturers now have long-term relationships with their suppliers. Especially for the leading component suppliers that have the increasing responsibility for technological development, it gains a strong bargaining power. Because their goods as transmissions, braking systems, etc. are critical to buyers’ market success. Besides, it poses a credible threat to integrate forward into the automobile industry due to some suppliers like Bosch and Denso are as big as some larger automobile companies. What’s more, since a few large companies dominated the suppliers and is more concentrated than automobile industry, it is easy to get the conclusion that these suppliers are fatal and important threat to the automobile industry. Next, the bargaining power of the buyer is increasing. Although the auto buyers won’t purchase a large portion of cars in a given time since the auto is not cheap, the sales of the purchased product do not account for a significant portion of the seller’s annual revenue as well. Nevertheless, the customer cou ld switch to another automaker at litter or even no cost since automobiles are little differentiated, then the buyers pose a credible threat if they were to integrate backward into the sellers’ industry. In addition, the threat of the substitutes also is a vital factor of the industry analysis. As the passenger car substitutes, the public transportation like airplane, train and bus perform the same function. The technological change would offer opportunities for new entrants into the  industry. For the environmental concerns, it may also result in a decline in private transportation in favor of public transportation, or short-term rental car rather than car ownership. In general, these substitutes present a strong threat to the industry especially when the customers face few switching cost as I mentioned before. Moreover, the competitive rivalry is intense in the automobile industry. Firstly, there are equally balanced competitors within the industry. It can be found from company sales of these automakers, the annual average sales are nearly the same among several major big automakers as Ford, GM, Honda and Daimler. Industry with only a few firms of equivalent size and power tend to have strong rivalries. In another hand, as the high fixed cost and high storage cost of automobiles account for a large part of the total costs, the automakers will spread the costs across a large volume of output. However, excess capacity is created when firms try to maximize their productive capacity. And the excess capacity has become the greatest structural problem of the industry. To cut down the price is the most effective way to reduce inventories. At the mean time, this method often intensifies competition. Besides, lacking differentiation and low switching cost of the automobile industry are easy for competitors to attract buyers through pricing and service offerings. Finally, the high exit barriers intensify the automobile industry competition as well. With the recession and unprecedented fall in demand, automakers remain in the industry because they face the high exit barriers. Specialized assets, fixed cost of exit, strategic interrelationships, emotional barriers, government and social restrictions are make up the high exit barriers. To sum, the competitive rivalry is highly intense in the automobile industry. After the discussion about the Porter’s five forces, we have a comprehensive understanding that how is the American automobile industry environment. However, for a more accurate strategic competitiveness, we need to have a further analysis through the international markets and rivalries. * Industry analysis -Internationalization With the increasing competition in the industry, the intensified quest for cost reduction and the excess capacity among automobile manufacturers had make contributions to the internationalization. In another side, accessing growing market, exploiting scale economies in purchasing, technology, and new product development also mainly brought up the internationalization. In the market share part, the table shows that there is an apparent decrease in the automobile market share of local firms from 1988 to 2006.As the Big Three which held close to 85% of the US market in 1970, all of their US market share declined by an average of 6% in 2006. On the contrary, the reductive market share contributed to the increasing market share of Toyota and Honda in US. Not only the US market had an internationalization outcome as the above condition, but also many developed countries did. It illustrates that all the leading automobile manufacturers were competing in most of the countries of the world instead of dominated in focused national market as before, and the market dominance of local automobile firms was undermined. In addition, the global distribution of production shifts a lot due to the rise of new market and the needs of low production cost. As shown in the table4.7 and 4.8, the used biggest three automobile production countries and regions (US, Western Europe, and Japan) in 1980 have been taken place by Japan, China, and Germany in 2008. The world leading motor-vehicle producers-Korea, Brazil and India, also result in a rapidly growing domestic markets and low production cost that benefit a lot from the low compensation for workers. Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that there is a big cost advantages and huge potential market for the big automobile manufacturers due to the internationalization. Since there are a lot of leading producers with cheap labor cost and high productivity outside US, then it provide resources and factors of production in the world outside US, and it provide automobile industry a way to worldwide outsourcing, which is beneficial to the reasonable allocation of capital and products in the global flow. Besides, internationalization in the automobile industry is helpful for design and technology in the global expansion, promote the economic development of the underdeveloped areas, in turn, it stimulate the sales of automobile. Nonetheless, the fierce competition is a concern in the international market. On account of the collaborations with the industry’s development and no barriers to enter other countries, fewer differentiation and free-limit expansion lead to intensive rivalry. * Industry attractiveness Through the industry analysis among five forces in American market and  international market, it is obvious to find the automobile industry is attractive in international market instead of in American market. Although there is a little threat of new entrants, strong bargaining power of supplier, increasing bargaining power of buyers, big threats of substitute products and intense competitive rivalry still make the domestic industry not attractive. In the international market, it is attractive as the potential market expansion and worldwide outsourcing. But with the intensive rivalry and low differentiation in the internationalization, it is necessary to be well prepared on the risk and responses. * Fit between core competencies and opportunities Ford was the first one to combine mass consumption with mass production, and Ford use this concept to guide the enterprise entrepreneur. What is the Ford’s core competency then? To start, it’s brand recognition in global scale. Ford does have a model in most categories. It provides a large global scale to Ford. A more strategic core competency of Ford is its global supply chain network. Its strategic alliances and supplier base is possibly one of the most favorable in the world. In addition, Ford has many opportunities. Firstly, Restructuring plan that to downsizing was launched long before GM and Chrysler, moving the manufacturing to low-cost location, worldwide outsourcing as well. These actions improve the performance, meet the location economy and cut down the cost of Ford. Secondly, Ford has a long history in production innovation. Thus, new products are very likely to be continued in the future. Thirdly, Ford’s business is locked up in the European and North American markets, however it possess a significant share in emerging markets such as South American, which should provide enormous growth of the future as the middle class to grow and earn the money to spend on automobiles. Finally, One major sector that is full with opportunity is the electric automobile market, as the world looks for an eco-friendly alternative that operates like the original car. When we compared Ford’s opportunities with core competencies, they fit with each other. The constant production innovation that leads to continued new product and the significant share in emerging markets provide the opportunities for Ford’s brand recognition in global scale. Furthermore, the location economy and worldwide outsourcing give Ford the chance to strengthen its global supply  chain network. In sum, Ford gains a very strong competitive advantage in automobile industry. * Business-level strategy In terms of the business-level strategy, Ford had an ambiguous business-level strategy that neither successful differentiation nor cost-leadership based on the case. On one hand, because of the high technological development cost, large excess capacity and huge capital cost, it cannot and did not maintain a cost leadership strategy. On the other hand, with the internationalization, resources and technologies sharing, collaborations among competitors, Ford do not have a strong differentiation strategy. Type of cooperation The cost of new product development has been the major driver if mergers and acquisition in the industry. And sharing cost also encouraged increased collaboration and joint venture. For Ford, its corporation includes joint venture, joint research, licensing, partnership, and acquisition. With these different corporation methods that to share costs, resources and risks, Ford shows a strong alliance to its supplier and partner. And Ford also obtains a significant reduction in product development time and cost. To some extent, the strong connection with other automakers and suppliers also accelerate the speed to reach the market and the potential consumer. * How to approach market * At present, the biggest change of automobile society is the transition from emerging market to mature market. And the most significant feature is the industry has entered the era of micro growth. Micro growth poses a big pressure to the whole industry, but it also promotes favorable industry healthy and sustainable growth. Thus, with such advantaged external opportunity and internal strength, Ford needs to approach new market to earn the market share and worldwide competitiveness. Exporting, licensing, strategic alliances, acquisition and WOS are the entry modes alternatives, but how to choose one from these? * Since Ford already has a strong partnership with other automakers, Ford has a foundation to gain other alliances. Besides, as Ford does not have much profit margin and the initial investment of automobile industry is huge, the Exporting, WOS and  Acquisition are not acceptable due to the high cost. In terms of the licensing, although it has a low cost and risk, the low return and little control are not appealing. Thus, Ford should go on with the strategic alliances to cut the entry cost and risk, and to achieve the industry integration. * 5-year plan To conclude all the analysis above, Ford’s strategies for the later 5 years’ development need to be changed. Firstly, a real business-level strategy is imperative. Adopting a clear differentiation strategy and supporting value-chain activities should improve Ford’s position. Besides, to Continue cost cutting beyond those already specified in the plan and focus on reduction of manufacturing costs to achieve Ford’s cost parity. Additionally, cut in cost to achieve parity with foreign rivals. Invest in unique advertising and create uniquely designed vehicles with shared platforms and technologies to promote differentiation strategy. * The second part of Ford’s plan is to refocus on the consumer through repositioning of its brand and product mix to be more consistent with customer preferences. Currently, Ford lacks product differentiation between these brands sold by the North American division. Ford should emphasize development and production of several car models that presently enjoy strong reputations. Thus, their continued success will enhance the company image as a whole, again supporting a strong differentiation strategy. The final key piece of Ford’s restructuring plan is the constant introduction of innovative products and new development methods. It can bring up new customers. Based on the improved differentiation and efficiencies of scale, the market sales and market share will go up. Together with all these recommendations, Ford should be able to return to a competitive position in the marketplace and stabilize with improve its market share and financial position. *

Film and Literature Essay Example for Free

Film and Literature Essay Literature and film feed at the same breast, considering the affinities between them. Since its very beginning, Hollywood has used works of fiction as source material for films. One of the most discussed adaptations is Francis Ford Coppola’s Film Apocalypse Now (1979) based on Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness (1902). This paper compares and contrasts these works of art, arguing that while there are obvious differences, the film generally general remains true to the core meaning of the novel. One can say that Coppola’s film is a thematic and structural analogue to Conrads novel. Differences On the surface it seems that Apocalypse Now deviates largely Heart of Darkness. The differences can be seen in settings, events, characters, and other snippets of information such as quoted lines and strange actions of the major characters. The settings of the two stories are different and written in different periods of time. The setting of Conrads late nineteenth century novel is the Belgian Congo in the 1890s. By contrast, Coppolas 1979 film takes place in Southeast Asia in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. In addition, the novel centers on Charles Marlow, a British sailor employed by a European trading company as captain of one of their steamboats, whereas the film focuses on an American army officer, Benjamin Willard. Another major difference is that the ivory traders are in the Congo of their own greed and free will, whereas the American soldiers are drafted into Vietnam and engage in the war against their will. At the first glance, there seem to be character differences in the novel and film – Copollas Willard is nothing like Conrads Marlow. In the novel, Marlow is very eager to meet Kurtz and perhaps gain knowledge about the secrets of the ivory trade in the former Zaire. On the other hand, Willard seems to have a death wish. Copolla portrays Willard as a depressed human, having a soldiers killer instinct, throughout the entire film. The effectiveness of point of view also differentiates the novel and the film. While it is true that Willard remains on the screen more than anyone else in Apocalypse Now, and his comments are often heard on the films sound track, viewers still do not see others completely from his perspective as readers do in Heart of Darkness. Hence, the film is robbed of some of the emotional intensity that one feels when one reads the novel. This is simply because the narrator in the novel communicates his subjective reaction to the episodes from the past. In the film, the audience does not grasp the extent to which the narrator is profoundly affected by Kurtzs tragedy. Many of Marlows sage reflections about Kurtzs life and death are absent in the film. Moreover, while Coppola successfully creates a staggering experience of the wars madness, he seems to confuse the moral issues. This is perhaps because of his view of personalizing the novel. The director identifies so strongly with Kurtz that he modifies the issue of power and disturbs the delicate balance between Conrads story and the subject of Vietnam. Apocalypse Now succeeds in making its viewers experience the horror of the war and to realize their own complicity in it, but it fails to highlight the nature of Kurtzs horror illuminated in Heart of Darkness. Coppolas failure to combine Conrads story and the Vietnam War in this respect points largely to The films adaptation of Kurtz. In the novel, Kurtz is corrupted by his isolation in the wilderness, resulting in an obsession with power and unfolding frightening truths about himself: I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with his great solitude-and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core. (133) in the film, Coppola tries to resonate Kurtz’s â€Å"hollowness† by having the character recite The Hollow Men by T. S. Eliot. But this can be seen as more of an emblematic solution that does not somewhat applies in the Vietnam War context. Parallels While the settings, backgrounds, characters, and approaches of the novel and film are somehow different, the narration, structure, and that theme are similar. The following paragraphs summarize some of the essential parallels between Conrads Heart of Darkness and Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. In the novel, Marlow introduces his narrative with a passage about â€Å"devotion to efficiency†, the idea behind how the ivory trade makes profit, justifying cruel exploitation (Kinder 16). This statement is also applicable to the Vietnam War context as they are both in the stages of Western imperialism: The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea: and an unselfish belief in the idea-something you can set up and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to. (70) Coppola does not retain this speech in the film, but it becomes the groundwork for the dramatic events that unite Kurtz and Williard: the former’s recounting of the inoculation story and the latters murder of a wounded Vietnamese woman. The two are driven into a situation in which â€Å"military efficiency is totally undermined, yet they have been trained to worship it and to internalize it as the source of their own personal pride† (Kinder 16). In the novel, although Kurtz embodies all of Europe, he can be viewed as a â€Å"universal genius† who shows what lies ahead for those who take the challenge to look into the abyss. Despite the shortcomings in the handling of Kurtz, Copollas conception of film remains a masterful work that complements the power of Conrads vision. The novel and the film embody the theme of insanity and madness and insanity caused by the evil of imperialism. Madness in the novel is the result of being removed from ones normal environment and how people cope with their new environment. The same theme is explored in the film. Many soldiers who are drafted into Vietnam are barely 18 or 19-year-olds. Their mental stability is shaken when they are thrown into a harsh environment, where their lives hang on by the minute. Soldiers such as Lance and Chef are ready to snap at any moment due to the shock and realization of what kind of situation they are in or what is the purpose of fighting fellow men. They also fear the fact that they do not know where they are headed. Copolla and Conrad literally and metaphorically confront the madness and insanity brought about by Western imperialism and colonialism. Through Kurtz and the American soldiers, Copolla is able to portray what war is like for them, and why so many of them suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The film suggests that wars are an imperialist tool that drives the weak into their destruction. On the other hand, Conrad exposes how the imperialist agenda leads to the exploitation of foreign lands and its people, leaving the imperialist agents themselves deranged and empty (Papke 583). Both the novel and the film also give rise to a race discussion. Conrad and Coppola portray White men as the dominant. They not only rule over their respective crews; they also dominate the local peoples. Marlow and Willard look at the native people as if are the savage culture and White men are the civilized one. But it is interesting to note that each of the two main characters see a little of himself in Kurtz, a degenerated savage White man. Coppola’s take on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has gained much attention from film scholars. In â€Å"The Power of Adaptation in Apocalypse Now†, Marsha Kinder states that â€Å"Coppola rarely hesitates to change Conrads story-setting, events, characters-whenever the revision is required by the Vietnam context. † (14) Moreover, the dialogues in the film, especially Willards voice-over narration, have been attacked by several film critics for sounding more like a parody of author Raymond Chandler than an adaptation of Conrads novel. But a deeper look suggests that Willards character and tone are not intended to be Marlows. To suit the Vietnam context, Willard has been totally transformed into a trained assassin, whose life has been drained of all meaning. Coppola retains Conrads focal image of the river. In the film, just as in the novel, each of the main characters embarks on a literal and metaphoric central journey. Marlows description of the Congo is an enormous snake uncoiled that fascinates him as a snake would a bird. The films structure is controlled by the image of the river â€Å"that snaked through the war like a main circuit cable,† carrying Willard to Cambodia. The novel and the film begin with the protagonists explanation of how they got the appointment which necessitated their excursion upriver. Marlow is dispatched to steam up the Congo in to find Mr. Kurtz, while Willard is mandated to journey up the Mekong River in a navy patrol boat to find Col. Kurtz. Moreover, while they travel up a primeval river to fulfill their respective assignments, they speculate about the character of the man they are seeking, with the help of the information they have pieced together about him. In both novel and film, the river eventually leads Marlow and Willard to Kurtz and his dying words of horror (Kinder 15). This final destination for both men is their soul-altering confrontation with Kurtz. Overall, it is an expedition of discovery into the dark heart of man. It is also a close encounter with mans capacity for evil. Coppola agrees with this observation and stated that he also saw Willards voyage upriver as a representation for the journey of life that people take within themselves and during which they decide which side to take: good or evil. The horror of the world dominated by hollow men is at the center of both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. Kurtz, in his god-like acousmatic voice and morally terrifying manifestation, is invested with much greatness: He fully understands existence in all its repugnance. Repelled and terrified Kurtz pushed himself to go into the very heart of darkness, to fully engage in the dualism (good and evil) of Being. To call Kurtz heroic or rapacious or good or evil, is to miss the point entirely. He is forever shaped by a dark satori, by an understanding of the omnipresent nature of darkness. Marlow and Willard are arguably Kurtzs spiritual sons, and they experience the same realization. Both of them look full face at the great condemnation, at the dark obscurity of Being. Each of them faces moral terror in the shape human conduct forced beyond decent limits; and each of them is profoundly transformed by this experience. In her book, Double Exposure: Fiction Into Film, Joy Could Boyum states that â€Å"in substituting Willard for Marlow, a madman for a sane one,† Coppola creates a character incapable of â€Å"any shock of recognition,† a man unable to â€Å"know evil when he sees it† (114). Boyum also argues that there is no discovery for Willard; he is a â€Å"murderer confronting a murder, a madman face to face with madness-it amounts only to a tautology. † Thus, Copollas Apocalypse Now can be argued as a movie that has no moral center. Unlike Willard, Marlow returns from the river experience with intact moral perspective and sanity, inviting the readers trust and identification. But one can also say that, like Apocalypse Now, Conrads Heart of Darkness, itself, is a novel that has no moral center. The book suggests that Marlows great realization is that existence itself has no moral heart. The character has not sustained the river journey with his intact moral perspective unchanged. Towards the end of the novel, Marlow is a transformed man, largely isolated and very different from those people aboard the Nellie. He is alienated forever in his wisdom. Willard, too, in the end, is vastly separated by his new knowledge. While many critics see Willard as immoral, insane, and unchanging, Kurtzs view of him is more fitting. In the film, Kurtz describes Willard when he sees him for the first time as â€Å"an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill. † But in the end, Willard becomes wiser. He has been transformed, humbled by his face-to-face confrontation with the darkness natural in Kurtz, in himself, in existence. Therefore, the separate stories of Willards and Marlows river experiences follow a similar narrative pattern and arrive at a similar truth. Apocalypse Now is a thematic and structural analogue to Heart of Darkness. This is perhaps because, Copolla, in his authorial wisdom, fully understood that theme and technique, meaning, and structure are inseparable entities. To tell a story differently is to tell a different story. It seems that, ultimately, Copolla and Conrad tell the same story. Conclusion This paper looks at the differences and parallelisms between Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. In comparing and contrasting the novel and the film, this paper suggests that the film has some significant deviation from the novel. Despite this, however, Apocalypse Now generally remains true to the core of Heart of Darkness. Both the novel and the film follow the same story line but Conrad and Copolla have different ways of presenting this story. This results in surface differences. But a deeper and closer reading of both the novel and the film reveals that they complement each other. This is one of the most important things in adapting a work of literature into a film. Works Cited Boyum, Joy Gould. Double Exposure: Fiction Into film. New York: Universe Books, 1985. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: New American Library, 1950. Kinder, Marsha. â€Å"The Power of Adaptation in ‘Apocalypse Now’†. Film Quarterly 33. 2 (1979-1980): 12-20. Papke, David Ray. â€Å"Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness: A Literary Critique of Imperialism. † Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 31. 4 (2000): 583-592.

Philosophy Essays Daoism Confucianism

Philosophy Essays Daoism Confucianism Daoism Confucianism Daoism: An Introduction China has contributed immensely towards the culture of the world, some significant contributions include Tangculture which is Bhuddhist influence in art and the same is predominant in the field of sclupture and numerous other masterpieces which are well admired all round the world.One such masterpiece is Daoism, the term may sound complicated but in reality it is not as complicated as it sounds. This paper will discuss the evolution and the principles of Daoism. Daoism has a native connection like another term which is Confucianism, the spirit of the Chinese people is reflected by Daoism. It evolved from the ancient Chinese society and it portrays the beliefs and idealogy of the Han nationality. The souce of its origination is from the workship of gods and spirits. Daoism is regarded as philosophical tradition of China malong with Confucianism. Daoism encompasses thought and practice that sometimes are viewed as philosophical, as religious, or as a combination of both. While modern scholars, especially those in the West, have been preoccupied with classifying Daoist material as either philosophical or religious, historically Daoists themselves have been uninterested in such categories and dichotomies.(IEP.UTM 1, September 2008) Scholars across Europe have been working maticulously on how to classify Daoism, whether it constitutes to philosphy or religion. The confusion has prevailed for quite sometime now. During the time of the Han Dynasty, Daoism was not in existence but early texts like Daodejing and the Zhuangzi triggered off the beginning of Daoism. There is a common belief among the people that a teacher by the name Laozi founded the school and also wrote himself all the major works called as Daodejing, the same is also known as Laozi. Daoists were the people who followed Daoism; they firmly believed that immortality was not a gift from god. They also believed that this is a connection between the nature and their bodies. People who though like this were believed to be living in the mountains and considering the same they considered their bodies to be mountains and walked on the path of immortality. They involved themselves in interesting activities such as physical exercises, discovering new sexual p ostitions to make sure that the flow of energy is greater than what it wasin the earler position, they also tried their hands at Chemistry but many of them died becuause of over experimentation. Not only did they die but a few emporers who followed in their footsteps also met with the same fate as the Daiosts. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers Daoism always wanted people to cultivate the quality of self-cultivation in them. The teachings that were later called Daoism were first known under the name of Huanglao Dao in the 3rd and 2nd cent. BCE. The thought world transmitted in this stream is what Sima Tan meant by Daojia. The Huanglao School was a center of Daoist practitioners in the state of Qi (modern Shandong). Huangdi was the name for the Yellow Emperor, from whom the rulers of Qi said they were descended. When Emperor Wu, the sixth sovereign of the Han dynasty (r. 140-87 BCE) elevated Confucianism to the status of the official state ideology and training in it became mandatory for all bureaucratic officials, the tension with Daoism became more evident. And yet, at court people still sought longevity. Wu continued to engage in many Daoist practices, including the use of alchemy, climbing sacred Taishan (Mt. Tai), and presenting petitions to heaven. (IEP.UTM 1, September 2008). Principles of natural order as first established in ancient Chinese philosophy To define the principles, a step by step approach towards learning a few new concepts is required. The most important term is Dao, translating the Chinese word into English is very difficult because no word in English exactly gives the Chinese meaning but the english word which comes closest is the way, the meaning is the right path, the word describes the nature of the world in the true sense. People believe that Dao keeps the universe balanced, it is a strange belief but the sentiments of the Chinese people are attached with it. Knowing the key terms is very important as it paves the way in understanding Daoism better. The term Dao should not be misunderstood, it is not treated as god or a guiding figure, it is merely the path which should be adopted by an individual. The term is also perceived as a road. By this it is understood that the Chinese believed in changes, where as resisting changes is human nature, so from this it can be made out that the Chinese were unlike other peopl e who had this feeling of resisting changes. The next important term is Wu Wei, this is the core of Daoism or in other words it will not be unfair to say that this forms the center of Daosim. If the literal meaning of this term is taken, it means without action or in other words doing a task effortlessly. The main goal of Wu Wei is to align with Tao, hence it can be made out that the two terms are realted in more ways than one. Wu wei should be the way of life, because the dao always benefits, it does not harm (ch. 81) The way of heaven (dao of tian) is always on the side of good (ch. 79) and virtue (de) comes forth from the dao alone (ch. 21). What causes this natural embedding of good and benefit in the dao is vague and elusive (ch. 35), not even the sages understand it (ch. 76). But the world is a reality that is filled with spiritual force, just as a sacred image used in religious ritual might be (ch. 29). (IEP.UTM 1, September 2008). The next term is Pu, the terms sound really strange because these are taken from Chinese language and any language which is not familiar creates a strange impact on people. The term means simplicity; it is all about passive reception. This is perception of people leaving prejudice out of the equation, which is very difficult in any circumstances. Prejudice plays a key role in anyones perception and leaving it out of the equation is a very very big ask for all the normal people. The term Pu is all about being content with what is available with a person. The fourth and the last principle is De, the concept is very very complex and obviously very difficult to understand. To simplify the concept and understand it better it is fair to say that De is nothing but the expression of personal integrity. So the four terms aim at developing four qualities in a person namely oneness, all are equal and no differentiation of any kind should be shown towards anybody, harmonial action aims at mainta ing harmony among the people, dynamic balance focusses upon bringing stability in the people and cyclic growth makes sure that the people grow as individuals which is imperative for any individual, everyone should always strive to grow, there should not be a standstill as far as growth is concerned. All the four principles have their aims and all are meant to instill some quality or the other in an individual. How the style of poetry conforms to the basic ideals of the Daoists The poems written by the Daoists were called the Ci-poetry; it followed strict rhymic notes and lines. It was also made sure that the words used in the poetry were precise and made good sense. The Daoists composed Ballads, a musical poem which tells a story. The Book of Laozis Conversion of the Barbarians also collects 18 pieces of Ci of the Venerable Sovereigns 16 Transformations. They belong to Daoist tales about deities transformation. Tales about deities transformation are a means of relating the transformation of deities. Daoist tales about deities transformation refer to the style of relating the transformation of Daoist deities. In order to be adapted to the need of reciting and singing, this genre always adopts the form of yunwen (i.e. literary composition in rhyme). For example, Ci of the Venerable Sovereigns 16 Transformations is a piece of yunwen. The author arranges the plots according to the changes in orientations, and the shifting in places is based on the positions of the Eight Trigrams 4 in nine palaces of change. The Eight Trigrams represent the eight directions, and two cycles of the Eight Trigrams produce 16 pieces of Ci of transformation. (Eng. Taoism, 1 September 2008). The concept of the poems generally focussed upon immortality, ways to become immortal and what it takes to be immortal. Poetry was very influencial in shaping up the people at that time. Conclusion Classifying the term Daoism as philosphical or relioginal causes an ambiguity, let the scholars decide that but the positives can be taken and applied in day to day life, results will surely be visible if people stick to the four principles of Daoism which focus upon oneness, harmony, growth and dynamic balance. References Daoist Philosphy. In Iep.Utm. Retrieved on 1 September 2008 from: http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/daoism.htm#H2 A General Introduction. In Taoist.Org. Retrieved on 1 September 2008 from: http://www.taoist.org.cn/English/daoism.htm Daoism in Brief. In His.com. Retrieved on 1 September 2008 from: http://www.his.com/~merkin/daoBrief.html Taoism. In ReligiousTolerence. Retrieved on 1 September 2008 from: http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm

Violence in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Essay -- Richard Wright Black B

Violence in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Most literary works centering on adolescence do not depict it as the proverbial walk through the park; a smooth transition between the naivet6 and innocence of childhood to the morality and self -awareness of adulthood is an implausibility confined to the most basic of fairy tales and weekday morning children’s television programming. When analyzed in depth, the mat uration process of a human being is depicted almost always as some sort of struggle, retaliation against the forces of oppression regardless of their forms (including social, political or religious obstacles). More importantly, the struggle of adolescence is a struggle to understand not the workings of one’s environment so much as the complexities and definitions of one’s own identity. Body hair, voice undulations, wider hips – these popular aspects of maturation pale in comparison with the development of self-awareness: the realization that one is a unique human being with the right to su rvive and live life according to personal standards. Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson describes this delicate transitional period as a crisis of identity:It occurs in that per iod of the life cycle when each youth must forge for himself some central perspective and direction, some working unity, out of the effective remnants of his childhood and the hopes of his anticipated adulthood; he must detect some meaningful resemblance b etween what he has come to see in himself and what his sharpened awareness tels him others judge and expect him to be. In some young people, in some classes, at some periods in history, this crisis [of identity] wil be minimal; in other people, classes, and periods the crisis wil be clearly marked off as a critical pe... ...nt in the future can one possibly change his or her downtrodden situation, can mold, shape and tune their lives with al the freedom that comes from possessing an individual identity. Works Cited Elison, Ralph. Invisible Man . New York: Vintage, 1995. Erikson, Erik. Young Man Luther. New York: Norton, 1962. Howe, Irving. â€Å"Black Boys and Native Sons,† CriticalEssays on Richard Wright. ed. Yoshinobu Hakutani. Boston: G.K. Hal and C o., 1982. 39 -47. Hurston, Zora Neale. Mules and Men . New York: Harper Perennial, 1990. Kinnamon, Kenneth and Michael Fabre. â€Å"How Richard Wright Looks at Black Boy,† Conversations with Richard Wright. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1993 . 63-66. Margolies, Edward. The Art of Richard Wright. Carbondale: Southern Ilinois University Press, 1969. Wright, Richard. Black Boy . New York: Perennial Classics, 1998. Violence in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Essay -- Richard Wright Black B Violence in Richard Wright’s Black Boy Most literary works centering on adolescence do not depict it as the proverbial walk through the park; a smooth transition between the naivet6 and innocence of childhood to the morality and self -awareness of adulthood is an implausibility confined to the most basic of fairy tales and weekday morning children’s television programming. When analyzed in depth, the mat uration process of a human being is depicted almost always as some sort of struggle, retaliation against the forces of oppression regardless of their forms (including social, political or religious obstacles). More importantly, the struggle of adolescence is a struggle to understand not the workings of one’s environment so much as the complexities and definitions of one’s own identity. Body hair, voice undulations, wider hips – these popular aspects of maturation pale in comparison with the development of self-awareness: the realization that one is a unique human being with the right to su rvive and live life according to personal standards. Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson describes this delicate transitional period as a crisis of identity:It occurs in that per iod of the life cycle when each youth must forge for himself some central perspective and direction, some working unity, out of the effective remnants of his childhood and the hopes of his anticipated adulthood; he must detect some meaningful resemblance b etween what he has come to see in himself and what his sharpened awareness tels him others judge and expect him to be. In some young people, in some classes, at some periods in history, this crisis [of identity] wil be minimal; in other people, classes, and periods the crisis wil be clearly marked off as a critical pe... ...nt in the future can one possibly change his or her downtrodden situation, can mold, shape and tune their lives with al the freedom that comes from possessing an individual identity. Works Cited Elison, Ralph. Invisible Man . New York: Vintage, 1995. Erikson, Erik. Young Man Luther. New York: Norton, 1962. Howe, Irving. â€Å"Black Boys and Native Sons,† CriticalEssays on Richard Wright. ed. Yoshinobu Hakutani. Boston: G.K. Hal and C o., 1982. 39 -47. Hurston, Zora Neale. Mules and Men . New York: Harper Perennial, 1990. Kinnamon, Kenneth and Michael Fabre. â€Å"How Richard Wright Looks at Black Boy,† Conversations with Richard Wright. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1993 . 63-66. Margolies, Edward. The Art of Richard Wright. Carbondale: Southern Ilinois University Press, 1969. Wright, Richard. Black Boy . New York: Perennial Classics, 1998.

Comparative Economics: U.K. vs. Japan :: Economics Essays

The economy of a nation is a major indication of its success. One aspect of a nation's economic success or failure is the system of government. Whether a nation is socialistic, communistic, ruled by absolute sovereignty, or based on capitalistic principles can be a key factor in a country's economic success or failure. Government is the foundation of an economy but it is not what determines its success. Issues that determine a nation’s economic success include growth strategies, improved or increased resources, investment and savings, government policies, trade, foreign direct investment, income distribution, labor allocation, innovations in technology, and several other economic issues. I feel that economic growth is the main indicator of economic success. Additionally, innovations in technology, improving human capital, and improving foreign direct investment (FDI) are three issues that can lead to economic growth. In the following essay I will try to compare two highly developed economies, Japan and The United Kingdom. I will emphasize the success of their economies and how human capital, advancing technology (innovation), and FDI have contributed to their current success or failure. I will briefly discuss the contemporary history of each country, thoroughly cover their current conditions, and end with expectations for their future. Introduction: Comparison of Japan and the United Kingdom The U.K. and Japan seem natural subjects for comparison. British and Japanese observers alike have long been fascinated by the many parallels (and the even more numerous divergences) in the histories of these two island nations. Particularly interesting about these two was the "economic role reversal† which occurred between Japan and Britain over the course of the twentieth century. In 1900, the United Kingdom was the world's dominant colonial, financial and naval power, as well as a center of industrial production and technological innovation. Japan was a mere up-start, a precocious and aspiring, but still unthreatening, economic competitor in East Asia. The beginning of the twentieth century, and more accurately the 1950s, saw Japan and Great Britain’s economic â€Å"role† reverse. Although Britain has enjoyed healthy growth rates and rising standards of living over the past 100 years, it has been progressively eclipsed by Japan as an economic superpower an d an international model. Indeed, Britain's accomplishments have paled in comparison to Japan's meteoric rise: while Japan has emerged as the outstanding economic "success story" of the twentieth century, Great Britain's relatively modest performance has been both discouraging and confounding. Brief Contemporary History:

Colonialism and Imperialism - A Post-colonial Study of Heart of Darknes

A Post-colonial Study of Heart of Darkness         Ã‚  In this paper, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness will be examined by using a recent movement, Post-colonial Study that mainly focuses on the relationship between the Self and the Other, always intertwined together in considering one’ identity.  Ã‚   The Other is commonly identified with the margin, which has been oppressed or ignored by Eurocentric, male-dominated history.  Ã‚   Conrad is also conscious of the Other's interrelated status with the Self, but his main concern is the Self, not the Other, even though he deals with the natives.  Ã‚   As Edward W. Said indicates in his Orientalism, the Orient (or the Other) has helped to define Europe (or the West) as its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience.1  Ã‚   For Conrad, the Other becomes meaningful only so far as it gives some insight or information for the construction of Eurocentric self-image.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Heart of Darkness, the story is set in the Congo, the literal battleground for colonial exploitation.  Ã‚   Marlow perceives natives along stereotyped Western lines, even though he also manifests a sense of sympathy towards suffering natives.  Ã‚   The natives cannot be understood or seen represented from their point of view.  Ã‚   The colonial aspects in Heart of Darkness begin to be explored through Marlow’ perspective of history.  Ã‚   Seeing history as cyclic, Marlow juxtaposes the Roman invasion with that of the present British imperial project.  Ã‚   According to Marlow, when Romans had first come to Britain, they might have felt the same way the British did in Africa: "the Romans first came here . . . darkness was here yesterday . . . savages, precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink " (9-10). ... ...lism, Racism, or Impressionism?† Criticism (Fall, 1985) Burden, Robert. Heart of Darkness. London: Macmillan, 1991. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. ed. Robert Kimbrough. 3rd. edition. New York: Norton, 1988. Lionnet, Francoise. Autobiographical Voices. Cornell UP, 1988. Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books, 1978. ------------ The World, the Text, and the Critic. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1983 ------------ Joseph Conrad and the Fiction of Autobiography. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1966) Shaffer, Brian. â€Å". Rebabarizing Civilization: Conrad’s African Fiction and Spencerian Sociology,† PMLA 108 (1993): 45-58 Thomas, Brook. "Preserving and Keeping Order by Killing Time in Heart of Darkness," in Heart of Darkness, ed. Ross Murfin, (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989)

College Education Essay

College education essentially is the key to success in the future. It opens many doors of opportunity and allows us to explore every option available. College education can provide a student with many more new and exciting opportunities that they never would have had if they drop out at high school. College education is important because you need a degree in order to get a good job or a stable career. I’d like to talk of some of the benefits that furthering your education can provide. It is common for students in high school to wonder if college education is really important. Many high school students don’t enjoy their school life, so it is little wonder that when they have the chance to leave education many of them are tempted. However the importance of college education, as well as the huge differences to high school, should not be overlooked. Many students don’t know what they want to do with their life yet, thats why I feel everyone should go to college. In college you can learn about things you are really interested in and pinpoint what you want to do in life. In high school you can’t really do this so many students don’t know the opportunities they can fulfill. Lastly, these days if you don’t have a college education it’s likely that you won’t make it very far in life. Businesses today only want the smartest people working for them, so they always overlook the drop outs and people that never went to college. If you want to make a good amount of money and be successful I strongly encourage you to go to college and get a good education. I would say this is the most important reason to go to college. In today’s economy I believe going to college is the best decision you can make. having a good education has so many great aspects.Never overlook getting a quality education, it will always do you good in the longrun.