Saturday, May 16, 2020

Fossil Fuels ( Oil, Coal, Natural Gas ) - 1743 Words

Fossil Fuels (Oil, Coal, Natural Gas) Debbie Burrell SCI2000 Gwynedd Mercy University Abstract Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy that were form billions of years ago. The three different types of fossil fuels in the world include: oil, coal and natural gas. Although each of the three types of fossil fuels are extracted differently they are all processed and used as the world’s primary sources of energy. Being the world’s primary sources of energy, fossil fuel experience advantages as well as disadvantages as an energy source. The use of fossil fuels, as an energy source, impact the environment as well as social, economic and political aspects of the world. Fossil Fuels; Beginning of†¦show more content†¦The Three Different Types of Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuel; Oil Oil is a non-renewable fossil fuel found all around the globe. According to Energy.gov, â€Å"Oil reserves are found all over the world... The top oil producing countries are Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States, Iran, and China.† (Energy in the 21st Century, 2013). According to an article from Adventures in Energy, there are three ways oils is extracted from the Earth (Extracting Oil and Natural Gas, 2008). The three way oil is extracted are: Primary Recovery, Secondary Recovery and Enhanced Recovery (Extracting Oil and Natural Gas, 2008). Each type of recovery is a form of drilling for the oil. Enhanced recovery is used to extract the large amounts of oil left behind by the primary and secondary recoveries (Extracting Oil and Natural Gas, 2008). Some recoveries use steam, water, chemical injections and other methods to extract the oil from the Earth (Extracting Oil and Natural Gas, 2008). When processed oil is used for many household items and everyday mo tor activities. The most commonly known source of oil use is fuel, â€Å"gasoline. It is used to fuel most cars in the United States† (Energy in the 21st Century, 2013). Oil other uses include, â€Å"heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and propane†¦ It can also be used to make many common household products, including crayons,

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Leadership And Management Leadership - 1126 Words

As we know that, leadership is nothing. But the influencing flowers. Leadership includes three fundamental clusters of skills creating vision, garnering commitment to that vision, an managing progress toward the realization of that vision. powerful and effective leaders plays very vital role to reach the maximum production for any organization. This is why, Organizational renowned scholars have been studying of this very significant topic of leadership for literally hundreds of years. Because. It is very complex, not simple one. According to Chester I Bernard in his book Organization and Management leadership is one kind of quality of behavior which guides people to their tasks in organized effort. Another scholar Secker Hudson in his book Organization and Management, he defined, leadership is nothing but influencing sub-ordinate works to achieve the organizational goal (maximum productivity). Since, we know every leader must deal with three important tasks, people, task and environment. Each task is different from another. This is why, the leaders have to different in different situations. There are four by which a leader can influence sub-ordinate workers. These are the following. (i) power influence (ii) Trait (iii) Behavior and (iv) Contingency and situational. First of all is power influence:- Power means ability to do something. The term of power is not related to authority. A man can apply power, in absence of authority also. Very renowned scholarShow MoreRelatedLeadership And Management And Leadership1569 Words   |  7 PagesLeadership is about seeking constructive change and management is about establishing order (Northouse, 2015). Warren Bennis (1997) wrote in  Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader  that â€Å"There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial.† (Leiding,Read MoreManagement And Leadership : Leadership1023 Words   |  5 PagesManagement and Leadership In Leadership, Leadership, Leadership Are We All Chanting the Wrong Mantra, the authors says, â€Å"Leadership is simply management of higher level things† (McCormack, 2009, p.1) and that the leader manages the vision, people’s perception and their own behavior (p.1). McCormack continues his analysis by saying, â€Å"There are times when leadership simply cannot take place† (p.2). McCormack appears to believe that organizations and universities should not teach, encourage or tolerateRead MoreLeadership And Management : Leadership835 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership Verses Management The world is made up of leaders and managers. There are leaders and managers in every aspect of life. In many instances leadership and management are referred to as being the same. This paper will evaluate the differences between leadership and management. In today s organizations, leaders and managers are needed in order to operate successfully. Even though managers and leaders are different, they both have many similarities that will be discussed in this paperRead MoreLeadership And Management And Leadership1146 Words   |  5 Pages Leadership and Management Contrary to popular belief, the terms leadership and management are often thought of as hand in hand, but in retrospect they both have very strong different meanings and are not the same. There are some similar characteristics that can very much persuade some that they align in the same manner. They can be notably known as terms that are used interchangeably in the business world. â€Å"Management is a function that must be exercised in any business, whereas leadershipRead MoreLeadership And Management And Leadership1173 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership is a term that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted in the business world. In the world of CEOs, CFOs, vice-presidents and managers, it is important to distinguish the difference between what is considered management and what is considered leadership. While these two terms are not mutually exclusive, but it is imperative that they are not comprehended as mutually inclusive either. In this context, I will be comparing leadership and management as presented in the college textbookRead MoreLeadership Vs. Management : Leadership And Management1550 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor of On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic, is best known for, that addresses why there is a difference between Leadership versus Management (Murray, What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?, 2009). Just like most people, I use â€Å"leadership† and â€Å"management† interchangeably because one feels that they are probably the same thing or embody the same characteristics. Further discussion will provide details on what leadership is, what management entails, and why they are differentRead MoreManagement Vs. Leadership : Management And Leadership1061 Words   |  5 PagesManagement vs. Leadership Introduction Presently many of us have learned that managers are primarily administrators who have learned to write business plans, utilize their resources and keep track of progress. We must learn that we are not limited by job title, and that means we can utilize our management skills in any position that we are in. We must also know that we can use our leadership skills in the same situations. On the other hand we have also learned that leaders are people who haveRead MoreLeadership Vs. Management : Leadership And Management1312 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership vs. Management Nowadays, it is impractical to think of an organization without an effective leader, as well as an active manager. The two are much in common as they are essential in the organizational hierarchy, and they are crucial elements in running any business enterprise. However, there are several differences between the two terms. Based on the definition, leadership means the power and ability of a person to motivate, influence, and enhance members to contribute towards the commonRead MoreLeadership Theory Of Leadership And Management1341 Words   |  6 PagesZohrab Mammadov Dr. Betty Rottmann Leadership Theory January 30, 2014 Leadership vs Management Introduction: Leadership - concept has multiple meanings. It can be used in various activity where means something concrete. In a control system, in management leadership possesses a special role. Management in market economy is a management for the purpose of achievement of the highest efficiency of the organization, satisfaction of consumers, receiving the maximum profit. Respectively, each organizationRead MoreLeadership and Management977 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership and management are two notions that are often used interchangeably. However, these words actually describe two different concepts. The following report will discuss the differences and examine the roles and responsibilities of leaders in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. What is leadership, and what is the difference between leadership and management? • Leadership is setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow, i.e. a leader is the spearhead

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Gender Equality In Human Resource Practices †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Gender Equality In Human Resource Practices. Answer: Introduction Gender inequality in the workplace has always been a critical issue. Women, especially in the professional sector, do not share the same opportunities, resources and rewards with the men. In fact, there has been a prolonged history of activism and regulation surrounding the fact that women are not treated as equal to men in the workplaces. However, the progress towards achieving gender equality in the workplace has been slow and is demonstrated by the fact that there is a huge disparity between the representation of men and women in the management especially in practices like gap in gender pay and other activities. This paper focuses on the extent to which the human resource practices of organizations are able to implement gender equality in their management. The first section discusses the problem of gender inequality in the management practices in general. The second section highlights the problem in relation to the human resources (HR) strategies. The third section discusses the p roblems with regard to HR practices like management of diversity, performance management, learning and development, employee motivation and rewards. The fourth sections provides solutions to mitigate the gender gap in the HRM practices. The Problem of Gender Equality in the Workplace Even though the society has evolved better over the past years, gender inequality in the workplace remains a problem to a significant extent. Women are often treated with less importance than the men in the professional sectors. They are offered unequal opportunities, unequal pay as well as unequal representation in the workplace. It is an established fact that on an average, women earn less than what men earn for equal work. In fact, women often face hindrance to represent at the highest and top-level management positions in organizations (Parcheta, Kaifi Khanfar, 2013). Women are often the victims of institutional discrimination, which includes discrimination through HR policies like recruitment, training and development, payment and rewards, performance evaluations as well as with regard to promotions (Cals, Smircich Holvino, 2014). Women also face personal discrimination with regard to the decision-making policies of the HR. Personal discrimination also occurs in the enactment policies of the HR. Australia too has witnessed the long history of gender discrimination in the workplaces. However, several regulatory steps have been taken in this regard. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) was legislated and enforced by the departments of state and federal governments in Australia to ensure the establishment of opportunity units that are equal. Such an act of legislation ensured employment of womens advisors to focus on the positive action on the basis of mission driven by human rights and social justice. Apart from the legislation of the EEO and other acts on sexual discrimination, the Workplace Gender Equality Act (WGEA) was passed in the year of 2012 (Bidwell et al., 2013). However, despite such measures only 7% of the Australian business organizations have implemented HRM strategies that aim at gender equality (Fujimoto, Azmat Hrtel, 2013). It has been evident in various scenarios that various flexible practices of work might seem to have consequences on gender equality even if unintentional. For example, in many cases it has been seen that the access to the flexibility of balance in work and personal life varies in between genders. That is to say, women who has access to flexible work practices are often said to have negative outcomes with respect to their careers. Gender discrimination is seen in the implementation of the health practices of the HR department as well. Many a times there has been cases of low maternity leaves or pre-natal leaves affecting the health of the mother as well as the child. Furthermore, sexual harassment is another crucial issue lying at the core of the gender issues related to the HR practices. It is also important to mention that given to the context of gender discrimination; it is not just women who suffer. Only a few organizations exist who have equal provisions or opportunities as men and women to the transgender community (Kulik, 2014). Discrimination on the basis of gender in the spheres of payment, performance evaluation, rewards and recognition, training and development in the workplace is a long established issue. Gender Issues in the HR Strategy Framework Gender awareness is often a neglected area in the human resource strategic framework. It is therefore important to include gender awareness in the strategic policies of human resource management. This would ensure an understanding that gender equality affects the career patterns, occupational choices and working practices. There are a number of instances where issues relating to equal opportunities on the basis of gender arises. Such instances include the existence of terms and conditions for the employees that set such standards of requirements that becomes difficult to meet for one sex than another due to the various constraints at the familiar or structural level. Gender issues regarding the HR strategies may also include the instances of restructuring of workforces, especially retrenchment, where the employees who suffer are mostly women (Kakabadse et al., 2015). Even in the recruitment policies gender inequality forms a place as the number of women recruited on an average is mos tly less than the average number of men who are recruited. Furthermore, category bias is also a gender issue that arises in most HR policies. For example, a group of transgender or female workers is often treated with lesser significance than a group of workers that predominantly comprise of men (Wajcman, 2013). There is a serious issue regarding the under-representation of women in the field of policy-making and at senior levels (Cook Glass, 2014). This is mostly due to the failure in improving the rates of participation of women in higher education and due to the lack of policies within the human resources strategic framework that address the issues related to gender. Many organizations do not possess provisions or policies in support of the health of the second sex. For example, career progression of women faces resistance in their pregnancy period. Many organizations do not have HR policies that provide allowance and benefits for women in the pregnancy period. In fact, some wom en may have to work in shifts even during their pregnancy. The maternity breaks may even cause hindrance in the career path of women as some HR policies consider the maternity leaves as any other normal life slowing down the womans career progression to the mans career progression (Jonsen et al., 2013). Therefore, it is safe to say that though most organizations are aware of the regulations and importance of policies that offer equal opportunities and equal provisions through various prerequisites of legislation, only a handful of them have implemented programs that work beyond the positive fulfillment of the legal requirements. Gender Issues Related to the HR Management Concepts Gender inequality in the management of HR and its practices in the workplace can also be understood with regard to the concepts around which the HR framework is built. Management of Diversity Diversity in the workforce acknowledges the fact that people are different in many ways especially concerning age, gender, social status, race, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, culture and ethnicity (Barak, 2016). Among these, the issue of gender inequality is the most common and oldest of all the diversity issues in the world. Diversity management in the HR practices aims at overcoming the segregation of labor markets by addressing the issues of inequality on the basis of individual differences like gender (Popescu, 2016). The diversity management practices of HR have recently gained momentum because of the increasing awareness of the importance of the management of HR and a repercussion that has been created due to the perceptions of unequal treatment of women. Performance Appraisal Many organizations have adopted and implemented EEO in their HR policies for their systems of performance appraisal. In this context, Australian organizations have implemented an objective and fair approach in their process of performance appraisal (Gray Kish, 2013). However, in spite of positive measures taken by some organizations towards mitigating the gender gap in the workplaces, performance related appraisals and payment systems are often known to be against women and biased (Nankervis et al., 2013). Studies suggest that there is a high correlation between the demographic similarity of subordinates and supervisors based on their gender and the outcomes of the HR management including performance ratings and role conflicts and ambiguity. This is evident in the processes of performance appraisals that tend to provide women with lower performance ratings than men. This is supported by the fact that many Australian organizations do not involve women on their panels comprising the s ystem of performance appraisal (Fujimoto, Azmat Hrtel, 2013). Training and Development Training and development form an essential agenda of the HR practices making way for the improvement of the professional skills of the employees. This field of the HR practices faces much discrimination on the basis of gender. This is demonstrated in the necessity for flexibility in the planning of careers associated with the provision of flexible arrangements of working for the female employees. In this context of career structures, the discrimination is mostly indirect. For example, more than often female employees are imposed with requirements for training overseas in spite of having family obligations (Lombardo Mergaert, 2013). The other most indirect discrimination that can be seen in workplaces is the setting of boundaries between professional groups and the intra-occupational statuses that does not allow a group of workers to enhance their skills through formal recognition. This is often seen in the division of professional training between men and women who are at a disadvan tage of suffering lesser training and educational development than the men. Rewards, Recognition and Compensation Payment inequality is a major issue in the HR management practices. It is a well-known fact that women of the same qualification as men who perform the same work in the same industry are often offered with lesser payment than the men. Even though there have been significant regulations against this practice that have reduced the gender pay gap to a significant extent, inequality in the gross income based on gender is still a problem on the global level (Lips, 2013). Furthermore, women are seldom recognized and given their due credit in accordance to their work performance (Bidwell et al., 2013). That is to say, women suffer unequal treatment even in the context of professional recognition and reward (Karamessini Rubery, 2013). Many organizations do not address the contributions of the women to the organizations success and fail to reward them appropriately as compared to the men which leads to the de-motivation of the female employees affecting the organizations performance. Recommendations to Mitigate the Gender Gap in the HR Practices The gender gap within the HR management practices can be successfully mitigated by taking up a few measures. It must be ensured that the HR policies are in line with the various laws and regulations that seek to prevent any kind of gender discrimination in the workplaces. Women must be provided with flexible work hours. Policies must be created that allow women to be placed at higher positions in the organizations hierarchy. There must be implemented a strict guideline of ethics on the context of gender issues and must be followed by every employee. There must be policies and regulations in the workplace that provides for strict action to be taken against anybody who practices gender discrimination. Women must be allowed to participate extensively in training programs, which must be designed in flexible manner keeping in mind their convenience. There must be strict policies of equal payment and equal reward based on equal assessment of equal work for both men and women. Conclusion Gender inequality in the workplace has always been a dominant issue in the practices of the HR management. In spite of many regulations against the gender discrimination at workplaces, organizations have consistently failed to address the gender issues within the HR framework. Women, in the professional fields, suffer from gender discrimination regarding, payment, career opportunities, recognition and other aspects involved in the HR framework. Such discrimination often leads to the dissatisfaction and de-motivation of the female employees in the workplaces hampering the organizational performance. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is an immediate necessity for the mitigation of the gender gap within the HR policies and for the creation of a better work environment for every employee. References Barak, M. E. M. (2016).Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Bidwell, M., Briscoe, F., Fernandez-Mateo, I., Sterling, A. (2013). The employment relationship and inequality: How and why changes in employment practices are reshaping rewards in organizations.Academy of Management Annals,7(1), 61-121. Cals, M. B., Smircich, L., Holvino, E. (2014). Theorizing Gender-and-Organization. InThe Oxford handbook of gender in organizations. Cook, A., Glass, C. (2014). Above the glass ceiling: When are women and racial/ethnic minorities promoted to CEO?.Strategic Management Journal,35(7), 1080-1089. Fujimoto, Y., Azmat, F., Hrtel, C. E. (2013). Gender perceptions of work-life balance: Management implications for full-time employees in Australia.Australian Journal of Management,38(1), 147-170. Gray, B., Kish-Gephart, J. J. (2013). Encountering social class differences at work: How class work perpetuates inequality.Academy of Management Review,38(4), 670-699. Jonsen, K., Tatli, A., zbilgin, M. F., Bell, M. P. (2013). The tragedy of the uncommons: Reframing workforce diversity.Human Relations,66(2), 271-294. Kakabadse, N. K., Figueira, C., Nicolopoulou, K., Hong Yang, J., Kakabadse, A. P., zbilgin, M. F. (2015). Gender diversity and board performance: Women's experiences and perspectives.Human Resource Management,54(2), 265-281. Karamessini, M., Rubery, J. (Eds.). (2013).Women and austerity: The economic crisis and the future for gender equality(Vol. 11). Routledge. Kulik, C. T. (2014). Working below and above the line: the researchpractice gap in diversity management.Human Resource Management Journal,24(2), 129-144. Lips, H. M. (2013). The gender pay gap: Challenging the rationalizations. Perceived equity, discrimination, and the limits of human capital models.Sex Roles,68(3-4), 169-185. Lombardo, E., Mergaert, L. (2013). Gender mainstreaming and resistance to gender training: A framework for studying implementation.NORA-Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research,21(4), 296-311. Nankervis, A. R., Baird, M., Coffey, J., Shields, J. (2013). Human resource management: strategy and practice. Parcheta, N., Kaifi, B. A., Khanfar, N. M. (2013). Gender inequality in the workforce: A human resource management quandary.Journal of Business Studies Quarterly,4(3), 240. Popescu, G. H. (2016). Gender, Work, and Wages: Patterns of Female Participation in the Labor Market.Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics,4(1), 128-134. Wajcman, J. (2013).Managing like a man: Women and men in corporate management. John Wiley Sons.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Rousseau`s Social Contract Essays - Libertarian Theory, Sovereignty

Rousseau`s Social Contract Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a fascinating individual whose unorthodox ideas and passionate prose caused a flurry of interest in 18th century France. Rousseau's greatest work were published in 1762 -The Social Contract. Rousseau society itself is an implicit agreement to live together for the good of everyone with individual equality and freedom. However, people have enslaved themselves by giving over their power to governments which are not truly sovereign because they do not promote the general will. Rousseau believed that only the will of all the people together granted sovereignty. Various forms of government are instituted to legislate and enforce the laws. He wrote, "The first duty of the legislator is to make the laws conformable to the general will, the first rule of public economy is that the administration of justice should be conformable to the laws." His natural political philosophy echoes the way of Lao Tzu: "The greatest talent a ruler can possess is to disguise his power, in order to render it less odious, and to conduct the State so peaceably as to make it seem to have no need of conductors." Rousseau valued his citizenship in Geneva where he was born, and he was one of the first strong voices for democratic principles. "There can be no patriotism without liberty, no liberty without virtue, no virtue without citizens; create citizens, and you have everything you need; without them, you will have nothing but debased slaves, from the rulers of the State downwards." In the civil order, there can be any sure and legitimate rule of administration, men being taken as they are and laws as they might be. In this inquiry we shall endeavor always to unite what right sanctions with what is prescribed by interest, in order that justice and utility may in no case be divided. We enter upon this task without proving the importance of the subject. We shall be asked if we are the prince or the legislator, to write on politics. We answer that we am neither, and that is why we do so. If I were a prince or a legislator, I should not waste time in saying what wants doing; I should do it, or hold my peace. As we were born citizens of a free state, and a member of the sovereign, we should feel, however feeble the influence of our voice can have on public affairs, the right of voting on them makes it our duty to study them: and we are happy, when we reflect upon governments, to find the inquiries always furnish us with new reasons for loving that of our own country. Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains. One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they. How did this change come about? we do not know. What can make it legitimate? That question can be answered. If we took into account only force, and the effects derived from it, "as long as a people is compelled to obey, and obeys, it does well; as soon as it can shake off the yoke, and shakes it off, it does still better; for, regaining its liberty by the same right as took it away, either it is justified in resuming it, or there was no justification for those who took it away." But the social order is a sacred right which is the basis of all other rights. Nevertheless, this right does not come from nature, and must therefore be founded on conventions. Before coming to that, we have to prove what has just been asserted. The most ancient of all societies, and the only one that is natural, is the family: and even so the children remain attached to the father only so long as they need him for their preservation. As soon as this need ceases, the natural bond is dissolved. The children, released from the obedience they owed to the father, and the father, released from the care he owed his children, return equally to independence. If they remain united, they continue so no longer naturally, but voluntarily; and the family itself is then maintained only by convention. This common liberty results from the nature of man. His first law is to provide for his own preservation, his first cares are those which he owes to himself; and, as soon as he reaches years of discretion, he is the sole judge of the proper means of preserving himself, and consequently becomes his own master. The family

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Rennasiance essays

Rennasiance essays A booming economy along with the communes desire to obtain political power led to the formation of a new class in society which ultimately lead Europe into a period simply known as the Renaissance. Northern Italys thriving economy was a result of great advances in shipbuilding. Their ships were capable of sailing year round and could travel even greater distances, which meant they could eliminate middle men and make an even greater profit on their goods. Genoa and Venice also increased the size of their ships which allowed them to carry larger quantities of the goods. These factors lead to the development of the Florence wool industry in which thousands were hired to produce exquisite woolen cloth which, in turn, were sold at high prices. Florence bankers had also secured control of papal banking and the resulting profits from loans, investments, and money exchanges flooded into the economy. The period from 1050 to 1300 was a great time of prosperity so naturally men wanted economic freedom. The Northern Italian cities were communes in which men vowed to obtain political and economic freedom from the higher powers. These men were joined by nobles who saw an opportunity to gain wealth and power via maritime trade and availability of new public offices. This new class formed by feudal nobility and commercial aristocracy, was opposed by the popolo who felt they were being mistreated by the new communal government. They used violence to obtain power and they too mistreated those with less social standing. They were unable to establish social order so signori and constitutional oligarchies took their place. The Italian peninsula was now controlled by 5 powers during the Renaissance. These 5 powers successfully crushed revolts, collected taxes, and used large building programs to employ the masses. For years Italy was at war with itself as city-states battled one another. Eventually the idea of having resident ambassador was ...

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Fall of the Roman Empire and How it relates to America today Research Paper

Fall of the Roman Empire and How it relates to America today - Research Paper Example To fight this imminent fall, the Americans ought to swing into action and defy the ill-governing principles and take their economy back to normal. The fall of the Roman Empire is its gradual societal breakdown. Many scholars have come up with numerous theories, aiming to describe the causality of its gradual collapse. Most of these theories base their focus on the military, political, social and economic disintegrations, in tandem with foreign intrusions and usurpers from amongst the empire occupants (Murphy, 2007). The gradual decline has culminated through a period of 4 centuries. Numerous vile events, which had happened in the entire Roman Empire history, have worsened its decline process. These gradual changes can better be termed as complex transformations. Rome went through detrimental transformations in the administration, which profoundly implicated the entire regime negatively. A critical stage arrived where Rome was no longer a suitable or effective administrative centre for the Emperor to administer fro. Consequently, Rome had several emperors administered rule effectively. The eastern emperor launched a gothic war, which was extremely perilous. It affected the eastern domain militarily and caused considerable harm to Italy. Due to these wars during the seventh century, Rome and other Italian municipalities collapsed to their detriment to an extent that Roman citizens completely vacated it. The Persian intrusion of the eastern empire, during the seventh century, further weakened the Roman Empire perilously. Progressively after the Persian invasion, Egyptian Muslim warlords waged heavy wars on the eastern empire (Bury & Gibbon, 2004). This major blow detrimentally hampered and curtailed much Mediterranean trade, in which Europe participated, Following thereafter was an epoch of dominance by the eastern empire, which were periods of cultural

Monday, February 10, 2020

Philosophy of mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy of mind - Essay Example Summary of Searle’s Claim Searle’s (1980) reply to the query: â€Å"Could a machine think?† is built on two propositions, which he stated as follows: â€Å"(1) Intentionality in human beings (and animals) is a product of causal features of the brain. (2) Instantiating a computer program is never by itself a sufficient condition of intentionality.† Searle explains that the strict logical consequence of his first two propositions is (3) the explanation that the manner by which the brain produces intentionality invalidates the claim that intentionality is also produced by instantiating a computer program. Hence, a computer program cannot produce intentionality. He furthers that the trivial consequence of his first proposition is (4) the need to possess causal powers similar with those of the brain to enable any mechanism to produce intentionality. Hence, a machine should have a human-like brain to be able to think. Lastly, he explains that what follows to his propositions 2 and 4 is the proposition (5) that any literal attempt to create intentionality through artificial way would fail to do so if it will only design programs like the AI; what it needs to succeed is to recreate the human brain’s causal powers. ... Hence proposition (1) can be stated as human beings have intentionality because they have the causal powers of the brain. This way of saying it is to state Searle’s argument in another way – that intentionality is the mental activity that human beings are capable of doing because of the causal powers of the human brain that they biologically possess; for a machine to think it must have intentionality which can only be possible through having the causal powers of the brain. Hence, not unless the machine has the causal powers of the brain similar to human beings, the machine could not think. Thus, to say that AI, as what functionalism and computationalism persistently assert, can fully think – with the understanding that thinking here has intentionality – is short of saying that AI can also be human beings – a claim that obviously Searle does not want to accept, rejecting every possibility that AI could think and consistently defending his position th at intentionality is a mental characteristic inherent to human beings. Actually, AI’s claim seems harmless, but perhaps Searle has perceived its dangerous implication that’s why he obstinately opposes it. Hence on his part, Searle simplifies his proposition (1) in a way that does not allow an AI to become capable of thinking: â€Å"†¦ certain brain processes are sufficient for intentionality† (p. 417). Searle’s way of simplifying his proposition (1) is to emphasize his point that intentionality requires necessary causal features of the brain that is far more than the information processing system that computationalism is so proud of or the formal symbol manipulation of functionalism, because these causal features of the brain are in fact