Sunday, April 12, 2020
Heroic code of Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece and Rome Essay Example
Heroic code of Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece and Rome Essay The heroic codes of the Medieval Europe, ancient Greece and Rome have both similarities and differences. During the medieval period in Europe there were several tribes, which were considered small kingdoms ruled by strong warriors and kings. Warriors possess the strength, courage and loyalty. They are the ones taking charge of defending their own tribes from outsiders and enemies. Kings on the other hand having the highest position have to exhibit political wisdom, along with gracious hospitality and generosity. Greece and Rome in the ancient times also have the same sets of hierarchical dynasty. The powerful empires of Rome conquered most portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Being one of the largest empires in the ancient era, they brought major influences in the Europe. Upon the rising of the Roman Empire, there were named heroes who played the most part of their domination. The history of the Ancient Greece shows clues of their powerful authority over the European language, politics arts, science, beliefs, and educational systems. Aeneid of Virgil, according to the history of Ancient Rome was one who possessed great heroic reputation. We will write a custom essay sample on Heroic code of Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece and Rome specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Heroic code of Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece and Rome specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Heroic code of Medieval Europe, Ancient Greece and Rome specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Among Greek heroes possessed a strong mind, a relentless nature, and a willingness to kill stature. He was one of those considered as tragic heroes. Certain heroic codes comprised the values of sincerity, time-value, and speaking ability. These made them possible to achieve their seemingly undefeatable kingdom by walking a strong but different from the typical path. Different heroes from different centuries almost have identical characteristics. They act on to their supremacy, but according to their own spheres of influence. Not all heroes fight through their physical strength. Other forms of heroic fight were through liberal arts, literature, education, and politics. The courage of heroes, even including those unnamed ones is regarded as a key virtue in establishing a powerful sense of supremacy. Works Cited ââ¬Å"Romes Quest for Empire and Its Impact on Exploration from Science and Its Times.ââ¬Å"à Thomson Gale, (a part of the Thomson Corporation). à ©2005-2006. Davis, H.W.C. Medieval Europe. New York. 1st World Publishing, 2004. Mackay, C.S. Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History. USA. Cambridge University Press. 2004. Martin, T.R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. United Kingdom. Yale University Press. 2000. Suroweicki, James. The Wisdom of Crowds. September 21, 2007. http://rogercostello.wordpress.com/category/medieval-europe/
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Changes in the family essays
Changes in the family essays h Out of Australia's 4.6 million children aged under eighteen, 1.1 million children live with only one of their natural parents, usually as a result of relationship or marriage breakdown. h 18 per cent of children were in one-parent families and 8 per cent were in step or blended families. h The vast majority of children, who had a natural parent living elsewhere, were in the sole care of the parent with whom they lived, while 3 per cent of children had parents who shared care more evenly between them. h Younger children were likely to visit the parent they did not live with more frequently than older children. h 42 per cent of families (199,200 one-parent families and 53,700 step and blended families) received cash child support from the other parent . h A further 16 per cent of families received support such as clothing, pocket money and assistance with school fees. h 41 per cent of families received no child support from the other parent. h Around one-third of all families receiving cash child support received, on average, $100 or less per month per child. h For one-parent families, the median income for families receiving child support was $18,200, while for those not receiving child support it was $16,900. h For step and blended couple families, the median income for families receiving child support was $45,140, while for those not receiving child support it was $37,440. The 1997 Family Characteristics Survey examined exchanges between children and parents who live apart, most often as a consequence of marriage or relationship breakdown. While administrative records of child support arrangements are maintained by the Child Support Agency, this was the first time that the ABS conducted a national survey of child support and visiting arrangements. Information includes frequency and duration of contact between chi ...
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Mandatory and discretionary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Mandatory and discretionary - Research Paper Example Mandatory spending is that part of the federal budget which is allocated by law toward the provision of such programs as social security and Medicare. Mandatory expenditures are the payments required by specific laws. Discretionary budgets are renewed annually as part of the budgeting activity (Novick, Morrow & Mays, 2014). This form of spending is negotiated by the President and the Congress every year through annual appropriation bills such as funding for cabinet department. Most public health programs fall within the mandatory budgets because they involve the allocation of proper medical care to the public through construction of health care facilities, building hospital, provision of health insurance and proper home care to the elders (Pickett & John, 1990). These programs also relate to creation of awareness to the public on benefits of maintain proper health. An example of an expenditure that is considered mandatory is funding for defense and security which is necessary to maintain law and order as well as security to the citizens. An example of a discretionary expenditure would be funding for such activities as housing, educations and space exploration (Pickett & John, 1990). This is so because, the weight of the needs of these services is not so mandatory but necessary for state
Friday, February 7, 2020
Implications of Organisational Identification Essay
Implications of Organisational Identification - Essay Example A clear and meaningful strategy supported by the staff is a key component of organizationââ¬â¢s functional efficiency and financial success, if the organization is a for-profit business. So, the question managers frequently ask themselves is how to achieve that state of business performance when the company is totally supported by its employees in all of its goals and urges. Devotion, loyalty, hard work, passion and efficiency is what each business wishes to see in its employees. However, it is not always easy to hire or bring up employees that feel themselves as a part of the company. Still, a potential solution exists. The concept of organizational identification is what can help an employer to achieve such a goal. Since organizational identification is a rather important aspect of organizational behaviour, the goal of this paper is to research and analyse various aspect of organizational identification. In particular, the given work will present the concept of organizational id entification in relation to employeesââ¬â¢ performance, business communication and corporate social responsibility. Body According to Dutton, Dukerich and Harquail (1994, 240), organizational identification refers to how a person perceives oneââ¬â¢s own identity and self-concept in relation to organizational identity. It means that organizational identification is about how an individual sees oneself in the organization, how organizational goals and strategies are aligned with those of the individual. So, it can be said that organizational identification is the degree to which employees associate themselves with the employing organization, as well as what common attributes the organization and the individual have. Belonging to a certain group, such as family, race, sex, company or society, for instance, forms social identity of an individual ââ¬â that is personââ¬â¢s knowledge and feeling of belonging to some social group (Tajfel 1972, 31). On the other hand, individual s are the ones who help such groups to survive. The positive effect of personââ¬â¢s feeling as a part of some group is in-group favouritism (Bartels 2006, 1). Such favouritism leads to individualââ¬â¢s being cooperative towards other members of the group, singling that group out, and showing corporate citizenship behaviour in an organization. So, in relation to corporate environment, such in-group favouritism is called organizational identification. Mael and Ashforth (1992, 104) define organizational identification as personââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"perception of oneness with or belongingness to an organization, where the individual defines him or herself in terms of the organization(s) of which he or she is a memberâ⬠(Mael and Ashforth 1992, 104). The resent studies prove that strong and positive organizational identification has a very positive impact on organizational behaviour and performance. In particular, employees with positive organizational identification show better pe rformance, lower absenteeism, and higher levels of job satisfaction (Riketta and van Dick 2005, 490). For that reason it might be suggested that companies devote more attention to the level and state of their employeesââ¬â¢ organizational identification. This will improve individual performance of the people, as well as the performance of the whole organization. A research conducted by Efraty and Wolfe in 1988 tends to
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Economic progress in Russia in the years 1981-1982 Essay Example for Free
Economic progress in Russia in the years 1981-1982 Essay Despite frequent changes in policy, Russian and Soviet governments were spectacularly unsuccessful in securing sustained economic progress in the years 1881-1982ââ¬â¢. Assess the validity of this statement. Between 1981 and 1982, Russia underwent huge changes, particularly the in economy. Russian history is well known for its frequent changes in policy as the country faced revolutions, changes in regime, changes in leadership and not to mention its involvement in various conflicts. As a result, Russiaââ¬â¢s economic policy was subject to major change apart from three key areas, industry, agriculture and the tertiary sector. These three areas of the economy remained a constant in its ever changing climate; however, many historians still argue that Russiaââ¬â¢s economy was unsuccessful and poorly managed despite its frequent change in policy. Thus begs the question, ââ¬ËTo what extent is this true?ââ¬â¢ The Tsarist regime, for many Russians, was a period of economic instability as agriculture was seen as a secondary concern. Growth rate was not structured and growth rate fell considerably between the late 1890ââ¬â¢s and 1905.[1] Meanwhile, other economies expanded leaving Russia struggling to catch up and some historians see agriculture as a reason for Russiaââ¬â¢s economic decline. For example, Carol. S. Leonard argued that Russiaââ¬â¢s grain production per capita GDP was lagged far behind that of America in 1913.[2] This argument shows how agriculture in Tsarist Russia wasnââ¬â¢t dealt with effectively and as a result, the economy suffered. On the other hand, some historians have pointed out that agriculture in Russia during the late Tsarist years were not so destructive. One argument maintains that actually, Russiaââ¬â¢s agriculture grew and developed quite substantially pre- revolution. For example; from 1890 to 1913, cereal production per capita increased by 35%[3]. Although this evidence is hard to ignore, it is also difficult to turn a blind eye to the contrasting evidence which suggests that agriculture suffered under the late Tsarist regime and consequently, affected the economy as a whole. For example: ââ¬Å"There was very little investment in agriculture in Imperial Russia and this lead to small yields and economic volatility when prices rose and fellâ⬠¦lack of investment in agriculture frequently caused grain prices to rise which caused faminesâ⬠[4] Overall, although agriculture grew slightly during the Tsarist regime, ultimately it suffered greatly as did the Russian people. Looking at agriculture alone, Russiaââ¬â¢s economy looked bleak however; industry had slightly more success during this time so perhaps the economy was not so bad after all. S J Lee puts forward a simple statement: ââ¬Å"The periods of most rapid growth were in the reign of Nicholas II (1894-1917) as a result of the economic reforms of Sergei Witte (1892-1903)â⬠[5]. This is easy to see, when one considers that in 1914, Russia produced 35 million tons of coal, ranking Russia fifth amongst the main producers.[6] Building on Leeââ¬â¢s argument, there seems to be a lot of evidence pointing to Sergei Witte as the main reason for Russiaââ¬â¢s industrial boom. Upon taking office, Witte raised massive amounts of capital by securing a loan from France and raising taxes and tariffs and interest rates.[7] However, it is the development of Russian railways which Witte is perhaps most remembered for. Under his guidance the railway network grew from around thirty one thousand km to around fifty three km worth of track.[8] With Witte at the helm, Russiaââ¬â¢s industry continued to develop with growth rates comparing well next to those of the United States and Germany. Witte has often been credited with modernizing Russia to such a great extent that its industrial boom continued long after he left his post as Finance Minister in 1903. For example, in 1913, Russiaââ¬â¢s steel production stood at 4.9 million metric tons next to Franceââ¬â¢s 4.7 million, with coal and iron not far behind.[9] On the other hand, Witteââ¬â¢s industrialization policies were not always so successful. For example, between 1890 and 1899, Russiaââ¬â¢s industrial growth stood at 8.0% whereas between 1900-06, it reduced to 1.4%[10]. His aims of modernizing came with a heavy cost and it was consumers who had to pay the price. Taxes were raised but only for the lower classes, indeed the wealthier classes were spared from taxation although their money was needed for private capital. Tariffs also caused problems as, although they protected Russian industry, they added to the cost of living.[11] Whatsmore, although some historians have credited Witteââ¬â¢s decision to seek loans from foreign investors, some remain critical. This is because the interest added to the loans had to be paid in a secure medium meaning, in order to pay off their debts, Russia was forced to export grain regularly, including during the famine of 1891.[12] Overall, although Witte made huge strides in modernizing the Russian economy, he was not entirely faultless. Industry picked up, but there were still issues and it was the common man who had to pay. The economy still suffered, although, arguably, not as much as it would have done without Witte. However, the tertiary sector also contributed to the economy. Although some historians critique Russiaââ¬â¢s dependence of Western investors, these ties had corresponding benefits in the shape of trade. [13] Business also boomed within Russia with eight large banks emerging in 1899 which owned more than half the total bank capital. This provided free access for foreign capital, controlling important branches of the Russian economy, including the fuel and metallurgical industries. [14] Moreover, according to Robert Service, domestic industrialists and banks were thriving too.[15] This argument can be supported by the growth in towns and cities between 1897 and 1914. For example; the population in St Petersburg grew from 1ââ¬â¢300 thousand (1987) to 2ââ¬â¢100 thousand (1914)[16]. This shows that the economic growth had a positive impact on society and the country was doing well under the Tsarist regime. However, although to the naked eye Russia seemed to be doing well, their growth wasnââ¬â¢t so great. Compared to the other Great powers of the period, Russia was lagging far behind. Between 1894 and 1913, Austria-Hungary had a 79% increase in national income whereas Russia was lagging far behind with only a 50% increase[17]. This clearly demonstrates that Russiaââ¬â¢s overall situation was not so great and actually, Russian people did suffer. When Lenin came to power in 1917, he brought with him a change in regime and economic policy including the introduction of war communism. War communism aimed to socialize the economy through state involvement. Rural areas were subjected to grain requisition which was forcibly removed by the military.[18] This inevitably was unpopular and caused much suffering and peasants who stored their crops were often wrongfully prosecuted. It was not just agriculture which suffered. Factories were nationalized by November 1920 and were geared towards war production.[19] Additionally, private trade was banned and rationing was introduced on consumer goods including food and clothing. War communism was, effectively a self destructive policy. Grain requisitioning meant more than three million people died of starvation by late 1922.[20] Moreover, money lost its value and people got by through a system of barter. Inflation shot up and multiplied 1917 costs by four million in 1922. Additionally, in comparison to the growth in city population during the Tsarist regime, people fled the cities. For example; in December 1920 the population in Petrograd fell by 57.5%[21] Lenin knew that it was time for a change. War communism caused more harm then good so Lenin came up with an alternative, the ââ¬ËNew Economic Policyââ¬â¢ (NEP). Peasants were allowed to sell grain for profit and they paid tax on what they produced rather than giving it up[22]. Things also changed industrially and in the tertiary sector. Businessmen could own small or medium sized businesses however large firms were still state owned.[23] The NEP basically gave the people of Russia freedom and Lenin hoped that it would boost economic growth as well. However, in 1924, Lenin died and Stalin came to power. Stalin also brought new ideas and his own ways of modernizing the economy. In November 1927, Stalin introduced his policies of industrialisation and collectivisation with the aim of modernising the economy. They were supported by a series of five year plans, the first (1928-32) aimed to improve living standards and the second (1933-37) and third (1938-41) aimed to highlight and thus, amend, Russiaââ¬â¢s weaknesses[24]. Industrialisation was relatively successful as by the late 1930ââ¬â¢s many workers conditions had improved and they had acquired better paid jobs and unemployment was almost non-existent. Accounts from the time support this view: ââ¬Å"Good progress was madeâ⬠¦4ââ¬â¢500 new factories, plants, mines and power stations were commissioned, three times as many as the first Five-Year periodââ¬â¢[25]. On the other hand, industrialisation was harsh and lateness for work often led to employees getting the sack. Many prisoners also paid the price by working on the grand engineering projects and working in appalling and dangerous conditions. For example; around 100ââ¬â¢000 workers died building the Belmor Canal[26]. Collectivisation was ultimately unsuccessful and peasants were in a worse position than ever before. The concept of sharing farms and thus, sharing salary meant there wasnââ¬â¢t enough money to go around and crop production fell too. For example: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦Grain shortages, combined with continued forced procurements, led to rural famineâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ [27] However, some people benefitted from collectivisation such as Bertha Malnick: ââ¬Å"We have more than 600 hectaresâ⬠¦our farmers have built 70 new houses for themselves during the last few yearsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ [28]. However, it is reasonable to conclude overall that collectivisation was unsuccessful given the various sources which provide figures of those who died or badly suffered during Stalinââ¬â¢s reign. Stalin died in 1953 and Khrushchev took over. Khrushchev focused on DeStalinisation, distancing the USSR as far away from Stalin as possible. Khrushchev was keen to adopt a different economic policy with the aim of building on the countryââ¬â¢s previous economic growth and amending its weaknesses and one way he did this was by abandoning the five year plans and starting a new, seven year plan (1959-65) which aimed to take advantage of newly discovered mineral resources and fit in with industry[29]. Khrushchev pumped a lot of money into agriculture and overall 40% of investment was put into the neglected eastern regions of the USSR[30]. However, the seven year plan had similar flaws to the previous five year plans such as mistakes in resource distribution. Living standards got worse, the opposite to what Khrushchev had hoped to achieve. For example; only five in one thousand citizens owned a car and in 1963, the USSR was forced to import grain from the capitalist west to compensate shortages.[31] There were successes during this time such as the rise in foreign trade however this canââ¬â¢t compensate for the huge failures experienced during this time. Khrushchev made an honest attempt to improve the economy however his plans backfired and once again the country was left to clean up an economic mess. Eventually, Khrushchev was removed from power and in his place came Brezhnev who did little to change the economy. The era of Brezhnev has often been described as ââ¬Ëa period of economic stagnationââ¬â¢ but some historians believe that this is not fair. Like Khrushchev, Brezhnev wanted to focus on improving agriculture and living standards in Russia. Historians Gwyneth Hughes and Simon Welfare support this view saying: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦After the terror of Stalinââ¬â¢s reign and the chaos of Khrushchevââ¬â¢s, the Soviet Union was in for a period of stability, and that meant everyone kept their job and their perks for life.â⬠[32] Brezhnev allowed farmers to work on state own plots which motivated them to produce as much as possible in order to sell the surplus[33]. This, in theory, should have been beneficial and shows that Brezhnev was trying to improve the economy through new methods however, he was not so lucky. In 1975, the USSR suffered another poor harvest meaning Brezhnev had to increase foreign exports to keep everyone fed. This was just another disaster in Russia but Brezhnev did little to help. His aim to improve agriculture and living standards meant he neglected industry and production rates continued to rapidly fall[34]. However, arguably his biggest flaw was his inability to change the already ridged economy. Brezhnev had new ideas but couldnââ¬â¢t fight the system and by the end of his reign, Russia had made little improvement. Historian Dmitri Volkognov best sums up the Brezhnev period saying: ââ¬Å"If Lenin and Stalin, and to some extent even Khrushchev, were able to enliven the moribund ideology of Communism, it was quite beyond Brezhnevâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ [35]. In conclusion, between 1881 and 1982, Russia experienced much hardship especially surrounding the economy. After analyzing this one hundred year period it is hard to deny that the statement ââ¬ËDespite frequent changes in policy, Russian and Soviet governments were spectacularly unsuccessful in securing sustained economic progress in the years 1881-1992ââ¬â¢. The economy under the Tsarist regime had its faults and during and after the 1917 revolution, it was widely believed that the countryââ¬â¢s economic situation would improve. However, from Lenin to Stalin and Khrushchev to Brezhnev, it seemed that no leader was able to sustain a long-lasting and successful economic policy. The economy grew as quickly as it declined and it has taken many years to make any significant progress since. Therefore, this statement is valid. ________________ [1] Heinemann Advanced History: The Modernisation of Russia 1856-1985 [2] Agricultural Productivity Growth in Russia 1861-1913. From Inertia to Ferment by Carol. S. Leonard [3] The Penguin History of Modern Russia by Robert Service [4] www.historymadefun.co.uk/Tsarism [5] Overview from Russia and the USSR: Autocracy and Dictatorship (questions and answers in History) by Stephen. J. Lee [6] Stephen J Lee [7] http://www.slideshare.net/russeltarr/tsar-nicholas-ii-and-industry [8] The Industrialisation of Russia by M. Falkus [9] http://www.portalus.ru/modules/english_russia [10] M. Falkus [11] A2 History OCR: A Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964 [12] A2 History OCR [13] S. J Lee [14] A History of the USSR [15] Penguin History of Modern Russia [16] M. Falkus [17] The Making of the Revolution, 1881-1905 [18] From Years of Russia and the USSR, 1851-1991 by Evans and Jenkins [19] Evans and Jenkins [20] The Russian Revolutions 1914-1924 [21] Evans and Jenkins [22] The USSR, Germany and the USA between the wars [23] Russia and the USSR 1905-1941 [24] The USSR, Germany and Russia between the wars [25] A Soviet view of the second five year plan from History of the USSR by Y. Kukushkin [26] Stalin and the Soviet Economy [27] European History 1848-1945 by T.A Morris [28] Everyday Life in Russia by Bertha Malnick [29] AQA A2 History Triumph and Collapse: Russia and the USSR 1941-1991 by John Laver Sally Waller [30] Russia 1855- 1964 Flagship History by D. Murray and T. Morris [31] The Soviet Economy 1917-80 by S J Lee [32] Red Empire. The Forbidden History of the USSR by G. Hughes and S. Welfare [33] www.ibguides.com/history/notes.ccom [34] Years of Russia and the USSR, 1851-1991 [35] The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire by D.Volkognov
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal Essay -- Mexican Culture Catholicism
Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal The 1959 novel, Pocho, by Josà © Antonio Villarreal is an insightful cultural exposition told primarily from the vantage point of Richard Rubio, the coming-of-age son of immigrant Mexican parents who eventually settle in Santa Clara, California, after many seasons of migrant farm work. Although fiction, the story likely mirrors some of the experiences of the author who was born to migrant laborers in Los Angeles in 1924 and was himself a "pocho" - a child of the depression era Mexican-American transition. ("I am a Pocho," he said, "and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out of English words." p 165) Such a journey was a difficult one ("...for the transition from the culture of the old world to that of the new world should never have been attempted in one generation." p 135), and Villarreal nicely employs a cross cultural bildungsroman to explore a diversity of related themes. Among the most prominent are strains of racism/classism, belonging and dislocation, death and meaning and self-identity, and sexual awakening. In a slim 187 pages the author competently weaves social commentary (via the seemingly innocent adolescent perspective) into a moving narrative that only occasionally veers toward the pedantic. Richard's father, Juan Rubio, is proud to be a Mexican and resents the Spanish people, whom he identifies as oppressors (although Juan is clearly of Spanish descent since he had "fair skin" and "blue-gray eyes" - p 1). He explains to his son, who exclaims in response to his father's prejudice, "But all your friends are Spanish!" (p 99): "That is all there is here," said Juan Rubio, "but these people are different - they are also from the lower class... ...s parents. Second, one should not, on penalty of going to Hell, discuss religion with the priests. And, last, one should not ask questions on history of the teachers, or one will be kept in after school," he said. "I do not find it in me to understand why it is this way." (p 85, 86) Author Josà © Antonio Villarreal has a dry sense of humor and, as mentioned above, does a marvelous job weaving bits of wry commentary throughout the novel. Another fun quote is when Richard's sister, Luz, demonstrates her own prejudice for the newly arrived, and darker skinned, Mexicans: "Well, they ain't got nuthin' and they don't even talk good English." (p 148) Now, 50 years after the novel was first written, the story is still relevant. It's an intriguing narrative and helpful in capturing the "double consciousness" that many Mexican-American's lived with as a matter of course.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Morality in Copying CDââ¬â¢s Essay
Morality is an issue that will forever encompass debates from thousands of sectors around the world. There are no definite set of rules of what is moral and what is not; as such, it will infinitely be hard to define. Judging someoneââ¬â¢s morality is going to be difficult given this lack of definitive structure of the subject itself. This paper will be discussing piracy (which is what copying cdââ¬â¢s may lead to) in the context of morality. As difficult as the task may sound, this paper shall try to be as objective as it can be given the infinite boundary of the context. Piracy Piracy has been the thorn on the side of the music industry since the early 1990ââ¬â¢s. Piracy is not even hard to do, given that one must simply stick a CD to a computer then transfer its entire contents to another and from there, numerous other copies can be made. The cycle does not and will not stop because most people prefer things for free. College students who must be the most frequent computer users will not be averse to copying CDs and distributing it to others. They sure enjoy their music and they normally are under strict budget due to their educational financial needs. The music industry is not the only field that piracy has wrecked. Almost anything that is being distributed on a CD or uploaded online has been endangered by piracy. Software is easily pirated, the newest Microsoft products are easily found on bootleg shops, finding its way easily in the third world black market. Aside from software, there are videogames and movies that can easily be copied and sold for much less than the producer originally retailed it, all illegally, of course. With piracy, the artists, software developers, producers, actors, programmers suffer as they are not paid the royalties they deserve for working hard on their respective projects but the consumers win, as they get the media they want/need for free or at a considerably lower price. The Utilitarian Approach According to Velasquez, et al. (1989), ââ¬Å"utilitarianism is a moral principle that holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected.â⬠The utilitarian approach can certainly be used by those who copy the CDââ¬â¢s and distribute it to a wider span of users. When a person purchases a CD and uploads its entire content online on a file sharing site, his reasoning is that, such upload can share the music to a wider variety of people. These people can get it for free thanks to that one person who uploaded it for sharing out of the goodness of his heart. When a person buys a CD, he has paid for rights to use the content of that music. No matter how he abuses the content of that CD by repeated usage is something he is entitled to do. However, copying the entire contents of the CD and giving the copy to another person is another story as herein, he has breached some legal boundaries of his usage. Morality may be a subject that is infinite but legality has very strict confines and stepping beyond its boundaries is punishable by a hefty sum, long hours of community service or jail time. The utilitarian reasoning is not a defense against illegal acts and as such, one cannot escape punishment by reiterating that he committed piracy for the benefit of the world, out of the goodness of his heart. In addition, the utilitarian approach does not consider the minority who will be affected by such act. For instance, the loss of income to those people who have labored to bring the media out on the market is not something utilitarianism will consider. Deontological Ethics According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.), ââ¬Å"in deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good.â⬠Given this definition, copying CDs onto another computer, given todayââ¬â¢s anti-piracy campaign, is not going to be considered moral even though the intentions maybe good and the act may be easy to do. Music, movie, software, videogame industries have lost billions of dollars because of piracy, they are trying to fight it as best they can and as such, there are piracy warnings/threats on almost every media distributed. Doing it anyway will certainly question oneââ¬â¢s morality over it. To circumvent this, one does not usually copy CDââ¬â¢s. He goes to websites where he can share files. However, in the UK, such file sharing can now be considered illegal (Solanki 2010). Such is the campaign against piracy that in the US, every digital media sold in the market is protected by DRM, a software that limits the number of devices the content can be played in to typically, 5 machines (Grossman 2007). Exceeding this limit can raise questions on oneââ¬â¢s morality via Deontological Ethics. Conclusion Copying the contents of a CD is piracy. Piracy nowadays is a criminal offense that is punishable by law. One can hardly find anything moral over something that is illegal. Even though piracy may be the most tolerated crime in the world, it will be best for the person to stay on the conservative side and not commit it, for his personal welfare. References: Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.) Deontological ethics. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/158162/deontological-ethics Grossman, L. (2007). The Battle Over Music Piracy. Time.à Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625209,00.html Solanki, M. (2010). File sharing becomes illegal as Government pushes through Digital Economy Bill. SeekBroadband. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://seekbroadband.com/focus/2010/04/09/internet-technology-news/file-sharing-becomes-illegal-as-government-pushes-through-digital-economy-bill/ Velasquez, M. et al. (1989). Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics. Issues in Ethics V2 N1. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/calculating.html
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