Death of a saleman-producer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death of a saleman-producer - Essay Example This includes the actors who will be performing on stage. The production crew can be the music producers, character analysts, cast managers and many more. In the production roles and responsibilities in the play, the production crew who are the board of directors, producers and the artists are given their individual roles to play on. The board of directors maintains the budgets of the finances and they also select the production. They also select the artistic director and the producer. They are the active producers who approve and set the budget and adjust any casting and production. The producer develops the budget to be used for performances, theater labor and other important budgets. They also deal with the security matters where by they are responsible for assigning the security team. He also secures the space needed for the production. The artistic directors deal with the artistic decisions on who to take responsibilities in the play. They also block the scenes needed in the play and block the rehearsals in the play. Working at the theatre as a collaborative team is another big issue in that not all the members in the board will agree on the procedures to be followed. This gives a challenge when the team is organizing for the best in the play. The most challenge in theater is lack of enough money to fund the production. This is majorly a problem when none of the board member has capital for the production play. As a producer you are supposed to gather all the board members and assign them the required tasks and always ensure that they are united when producing the play on stage. Learn to make decision that are always right and consult quite a number of leaders in the same field before coming to the decision. Looking for the right character to play on stage is another major problem. Deciding on the best actors to take up the characters is quite a critical decision. The actor must be captive and convince the audience who are the entertainers. He is

Historically Australian Indigenous Art Is Often Politically or Spiritually Motivated Essay Example for Free

Historically Australian Indigenous Art Is Often Politically or Spiritually Motivated Essay Historically Australian art is often politically or spiritually motivated. This statement is proved by a number of indigenous Australian artists including, Nellie Nakamarra Marks, who uses traditional techniques and motives to relay her spirituality, and Tony Albert, who recontextualises mainstream items, to create a postmodern collection, challenging the idea of stereotypical representations in mainstream culture. All spiritual beliefs in Aboriginal culture relate back to the idea of creation and dreaming. The dreaming is the ongoing cultural and spiritual progression that informs identity and knowledge, which is expressed through traditional indigenous art. This reflects a spiritual connection to the land, which is represented by signs and symbols as well as other various techniques, which are unique to traditional indigenous art. Signs and symbols can represent a particular location, object or landmark, or a particular story or totem that would be specific to a particular tribe, corroboree or dreamtime story. In traditional indigenous artworks, there is no perspective or fixed vanishing points for landscape artworks because indigenous Australians do not see their environment as a landscape, but their particular world and universe. They create a concept of place by using signs and symbols to create a map-like artwork, which represents their particular ‘world’ and universe. Essentially, traditional indigenous Australian artists are painting their spirituality, by expressing their connection to the land through signs, symbols and their world. Nellie Nakamarra Marks is a traditional indigenous artist, from the east of Kintore in the Northern Territory. In her work Kalipinypa, there is no set pattern and everything is connected which suggests her spiritualty and connection with the land. Her use of the traditional form of dot painting for her particular area of the Central Desert Region symbolises her world as she sees it, and how she heard about it through stories. In the middle of the right hand side there is lack of colour, which could symbolise a particular place that has particular spiritual significance. The dark shapes also look like leaves, which could represent the end of season and the coming of autumn, which is supported by the deep, vibrant colours in the painting. The colours also represent her region and place in Australia. The many different varieties of the same shapes could symbolise diversity within their own tribe, as well as the different shapes and movements of the land. The purpose of this artwork is to educate and pass on a particular story to younger generations. Postmodern art challenges mainstream ideas, which usually creates a political or social statement about modern society. Contemporary indigenous art in particular would be classified as postmodern because the artists are communicating their feelings and thoughts about certain aspects of society in modern Australia, which in turn, challenges some pre conceived notions about indigenous Australians in today’s society. These particular works by Tony Albert are postmodern, because he recontextualises items from recent history, that were used to create an unrealistic connection between White Australia and indigenous Australia in the 50’s and 60’s, to challenge history, both politically and socially. Tony Albert’s collection recycles kitsch black velvet paintings produced in Australia in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These velvet paintings were very popular in the last fifty years as home decorations, and like many objects from this period, they were characterized by their depictions of Aboriginal people as simple folk. These ornaments enabled white Australians of the time to have a distant and unrealistic connection to indigenous people. Albert recontextualises these paintings by introducing stenciled slogans to the paintings to create a complex and identifiable character. He uses the languages of politics and pop culture to reconnect the artworks with modern Australia and therefore reality. These slogans reclaim the faces of the aboriginals, transferring them from helpless and cute, to bold and complex, which asserts a modern identity and sense of self. This makes the characters more personal, which then creates a connection between the viewer and the subject that is mimicked throughout the collection. The slogans are derived from pop songs, nursery rhymes, advertising, political speeches and life stories, which has launched these velvet paintings into a new identity, which enables the viewer to connect with the characters beyond a stereotyped context. The generic and common velvet paintings have become empowered and personalized, asserting a new sense of self, which makes this collection truly compelling. This collection by Tony Albert, addresses the issue of stereotypical representations of indigenous Australians in mainstream culture. He challenges this present and historic issue of cultural alienation and displacement experienced by Indigenous Australians by appropriating slogans and recontextualising them to create a sense of lost identity and estrangement. Through the use of many different mediums, Aboriginal artists are motivated by their spirituality or political standpoint to produce art. This is shown by Nellie Nakamarra Marks, who is motivated by her connection to the land and her spirituality, and Tony Albert, who was trying to communicate the stereotypical views of indigenous Australians in mainstream culture. Kalipinypa – NELLIE NAKAMARRA MARKS Acrylic on linen, 90? 90cm Kalipinypa – NELLIE NAKAMARRA MARKS Acrylic on linen, 90? 90cm.

Children and How They are Affected by Divorce Essay -- Cause Effect Di

Children and How They are Affected by Divorce   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In years past, the American Dream for most young girls’ is to grow up and be married to Prince Charming and to â€Å"Live Happily Ever After!† Although this may be expected - it is rarely fulfilled. Marriage is the legal and binding union between a man and woman. Yet when couples marry, they vow to stay by their partner’s side ‘till death do us part.’ Currently that vow seems to have little or no value in today’s society. The current statistics for survival of marriage are quite grim. The divorce rate in the United States is somewhere between 50 percent and a startling 67 percent. (KSL News) One contributing factor the growing epidemic of divorce is the parting of different family members or the breakup of the family unit, as well as effect it may have upon the children or the other spouse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the family is broken up it can lead to divorce and ultimately many negative implications. It may have effect on the mental stability as well as create even more conflict and tension between others. Research evidence has shown that marital distress and conflict within a marriage causes a wide range of negative effects on the children of the feuding spouses. Many of the effects upon the children include depression, isolations, social inadequacy, mental health issues and academic status decreases. A study conducted in 1991suggests that out of 13000 people, the children that come from a divorced family tended to have poor academic performance and displayed more behavior problems. Some American couples suggest the divorce may be a way to solve their problems quickly and perhaps, more easily, rather than taking the time to work things out through counseling and other alternatives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When divorce occurs it does not just happen between those that are married, everyone in relation to the divorcee’s are effected. This suggests a â€Å"community divorce,â€Å" and presents many other dilemmas. Community divorces contribute to conflicts between mutual friends and create tension between certain family members. More often than not, children are in the middle of the divorce and feel that it may their fault. A lot of the time, the children’s welfare is not properly taken into account. Although some situations allow for flexibility, for example: growing up in an abusive home versus the separation of two parents. Nonetheless,... ...just the separation of feelings of love between to people - it is the parting of a lifestyle and stability for the children involved. Works Cited: Amato, P. R. (1993). Children's adjustment to divorce: Theories, hypotheses, and empirical support. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY, 55, 23-38. Amato, P.R. (1994). Life-span adjustment of children to their parents' divorce. THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN, 4, 143-164. Amato, P. R., & Keith, B. (1991). Parental divorce and the well-being of children: A  meta-analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 110, 26-46. Hetherington, E. M. (1993). An overview of the Virginia Longitudinal Study of Divorce and Remarriage with a focus on the early adolescent. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY, 7, 39-56. Hughes, R., Jr. (1996) INTERNET IN - SERVICE ON CHILDREN AND DIVORCE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.hec.ohio-state.edu/famlife/divorce/index.htm, (January 8, ‘04) Landers, Ann ? (accessed on January 8, ‘04) THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN PARENTING DURING AND AFTER DIVORCE,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ © American Responsible Divorce Network Unknown (accessed on January 8, ‘04) STEPS IN REDUCING NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN, http://www.marriage-relationships.com

History of Special Needs Provision in Ireland Essay

The history of education for children with special needs in Ireland has been one of neglect and exclusion until there was a change in attitudes and policies. The government had no need for policies regarding education and care of children with additional needs because they were carried out by religious orders. Many children were sent away to hospitals, homes and even asylums. They were hidden away from society. There were three stages in relation to the education and care of children with additional needs. Era of Neglect and Denial The era of neglect and denial was when the government thought children with special needs didn’t need to be educated and were seen as a medical problem. The Medical Model of Disability thought that children with special needs were abnormal. The problem was seen to be with the person with special needs and this model focuses on the causes of the disability and would look for cures rather than accept the person. â€Å"The medical model of disability views disability as a ‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. It is not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the individual† (www.2.le.ac.uk, Assessed 07 March 2014). Era of Special Schools The era of special schools was when a number of religious orders set up schools for children with special needs. The care and education was entirely up to the religious orders and the children would often board here rather than stay at home with their families. These schools were later recognised by the state. The government now believed children with special needs needed to be educated but not with â€Å"normal† children. They believed that the children would interfere with the education of the other children and therefore could not be educated in the same schools. Era of Integration and Inclusion The era of integration and inclusion began when the government introduced policies on education for children with special needs. They introduced these because of the decline in religion and religious orders. The state took over the care and education of children with additional needs. There was a demand for these children to be educated in schools alongside children who did not have special educational needs. This did happen but the children with special needs were taught in separate classrooms away from the other children. They were been educated but still not included. There are over 140 special schools in Ireland to date. These schools are designed for children who cannot be educated in mainstream schools. Some children may go to these schools for a period of time and then move into mainstream schools. Children with special needs are entitled to a free education until they reach eighteen years of age. They are entitled to help and support from resource teachers or special need assistants if the need it and to be educated in the same environment as every other child and to be treated equally. Legislation and Policies The Education Act 1998 The Education Act 1998 was the first piece of legislation that outlined the rights regarding education. This act is a general one but it provided the first legal definition of disability, the first legal definition of special educational needs and it defined what support services are. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of teachers, Board of Management, the Inspector and the Minister for Education. The Education Act 1998 says that all children including children with special needs are entitled to free education. Parents have the right to send their children to a school of their choice. All schools must respect beliefs, languages and traditions of all children. Schools have to have a plan in place to deal with any obstacles that may affect the education or welfare of a child with additional needs. All children have the right to be treated equally and should be included in all aspects of education despite their ability or disability. â€Å"This was the first piece of legislatio n passed since the foundation of the state that directly outlined the government’s rights and legal obligations regarding education† (Assisting Children with Special Needs, Assessed 08 March 2014: 10). The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 This Act was passed to ensure that all people with special educational needs can be educated in an inclusive environment where this is possible. They have the same rights to education as a person who does not have special educational  needs. They have the right to the equipment they need in order to participate and continue with their education. The Board of Management needs to provide information to the parents and others relating to the education of the child. They need to ensure the progress of the child is monitored and reviewed regularly. To review the resources that are needed to help and provide education to children with special needs. They need to ensure that the needs of the child are being met and that a plan is put in place specifically for each child. â€Å"This Act was passed in June, 2004. The Act makes provision for the education of people with special educational needs, to provide that education whe rever possible, in an inclusive environment with those who do not have such needs† (www.asti.ie, Accessed 10 March 2014) Special Needs Conditions Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that affects school age children and is more common in boys. Signs and Symptoms There are three major symptoms of ADHD inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Some signs of ADHD are been easily distracted, switching from one activity to another frequently and talking excessively. Causes The causes of ADHD are not known. There are a number of factors that may be linked to ADHD such as genetics, diet and family environments. Diagnosis The diagnosis should only be made if the problem has been assessed for more than six months and has happened in two or more places. This is because there are other conditions which are very similar to ADHD that have to be ruled out. â€Å"Attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) is a disorder that appears in early childhood. You may know it by the name attention deficit disorder, or ADD. ADD/ADHD makes it difficult for people to inhibit their spontaneous response – response that can involve everything to speech to attentiveness† (www.helpguide.org, Accessed 09 March 2014). Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy occurs when the part of the brain that controls muscle tone and movement is damaged. The condition can result in someone just been  clumsy or it can be more severe where the person cannot walk or move any part of their body. Signs and Symptoms Cerebral palsy may have the following signs and symptoms, lack of movement, difficulty walking, delays in speech development and trouble with swallowing. Causes There are no exact causes for cerebral palsy but it may be caused by brain damage before or during a child’s birth. Diagnosis A diagnosis for cerebral palsy will only be made after a child has been assessed and tests carried out. The tests will focus on the child’s movements and their muscle tone. Diagnosis for cerebral palsy can take a long time. â€Å"Cerebral palsy is a term used to refer to a group of complicated conditions that affect movement and posture because of damage to or failure in the development of the part of the brain that controls movement† (www.sess.ie, Accessed 10 March 2014). Autism Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brain from functioning properly. Autism affects the way a person communicates and how they relate to other people. Signs and Symptoms Some signs and symptoms of autism are if a child does not respond to their name by the age of twelve months, have no words by sixteen months and does not point at objects to show interest by fourteen months. The child will avoid eye contact and will like to play alone frequently. Causes The exact cause of autism is unknown. Abnormalities in the brain, genetics and environmental toxins may be causes but this have not been proven. Diagnosis A screening test to diagnoise autism must be based on the observation of communication, behaviour and development and compare them to children in the same age group. â€Å"Autism is a neurological condition in which a child is unable to relate to people and situations. It first emerges in early childhood, when the child is first developing social and interpersonal skills. It is a rare condition affecting approximately five people out of  every 10,000† (www.irishhealth.com, Accessed 11 March 2014). Dyslexia Dyslexia is a learning disorder which makes reading, writing and spelling more difficult. It is the most common learning difficulty among children. Signs and Symptoms The most common sign of dyslexia is getting letters and words jumbled up. Lack of self-esteem, bad behaviour and lack of interest in school related activities are symptoms of having dyslexia. Causes There is no real evidence to suggest what causes dyslexia but it may be caused by an impairment in the brain or it may be inherited. Diagnosis Tests will be done on a child that is suspected of having dyslexia and will focus on how the child processes information, their language abilities and word recognition. â€Å"There was a time in Ireland when dyslexia was the disorder that dare not speak his name. The Dyslexia Association of Ireland. (DAI), established 40 years ago this year, had to change its name in the 1980s to the Association of Children and Adults with Learning Difficulties, so it would be taken seriously† (www.irishtimes.com, Accessed 11 March 2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) FASD is mental and physical condition that results from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Signs and Symptoms Some of the signs and symptoms of FASD may include having a small head, deformities of limbs, heart defects and vision or hearing difficulties. Causes The causes of FASD is when a mother drinks alcohol excessively during her pregnancy. Alcohol interferes with the oxygen getting to the developing brain. Diagnosis FASD can only be diagnosed after a child is born. Doctors will access motor skills, facial features and heart problems. Support Services HADD Ireland is a support group for people affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They offer a wide variety of services  including courses for young people, courses for parents and support groups. In these courses they build skills, promote self-awareness and encourage problem solving. In the support groups they offer talks and workshops for parents that provide information and advice on ADHD. Cerebral Palsy Alliance is a support group that provides support and assistance for parents and carers of people who suffer from cerebral palsy. Each service is in place to help improve the quality of life and participation in everyday life. The services they provide include therapy and health services, counselling and respite care. They offer early intervention services and mentoring programmes for teenagers Irish Autism Action is an organisation that was formed to help sufferers of autism and their families. They offer a range of services including early detection prog rammes, education support, counselling, and home based support. They also have a helpline that offers confidential information and support for people with autism. They provide information and advice to families upon a diagnosis been made. Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) is a membership based organisation that educates people about dyslexia. They offer appropriate and effective support services for children and adults dealing with dyslexia. The services they provide are information services through phone, website or text, assessment services, specialist tuition for children through workshops or one on one tuition, training and education for parents, teachers and others. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Ireland is a support group that was set up by a group of carers who have had contact with children who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). They provide information to families, carers and individuals on any disability associated with FASD. Alcohol Awareness Week 2014 is one way in which they provide information and promote awar eness about FASD. References University of Leicester: â€Å"The social and medical model of disability† (Online), available: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ssds/accessability/staff/accessabilitytutors/information-for-accessability-tutors/the-social-and-medical-model-of-disability

Food and Society

The relationship between food and society require special attention. Food come first, no food no life, this is a fact, and nothing can be possible with out food. Society is a group of people related to each other through perseverance relations such as status, roles and social network. In pre-industrial societies, food production is carried out through the use of human and animal labour which is the main economic activities. Industrial revolution in 19th century brought the incredible changes.The most important invention was a railway which has put an unbelievable impact on different societies. The railway makes feasible the movement of people and transports the goods from one city to another even from country to country. This makes possible the food that had previously never been seen or heard of became available to most of the people. Most of the societies rely on the food transport and production, then those societies can be divided according to their level of technology and their method of production.The study of food and society is gradually increasing which is recognised to be one that can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the context with in which the production and consumption of commercial food and beverages takes place. The provision of food and beverages forms a part of the activities of the hospitality industry. However the hospitality industry subject area, there is just a small number of texts that cover the field. As an alternative of texts and resources that can contribute relevant theoretical frameworks to support the study of food and society are to be found in a number of fields of study.

The Atomic Bomb Essays

The Atomic Bomb Essays The Atomic Bomb Essay The Atomic Bomb Essay There has been a long standing debate on why the atomic bomb was used to defeat Japan.The threat of Russian advancement in Europe and in Asia was enough to worry the top officials in the United States and British governments. Wherever the Russians moved through they took for themselves.The imminent invasion of mainland Japan and the allied casualties that came with it were also a factor in the decision to drop the bomb, as said in document A.The dropping of the bomb was not entirely used to stop the Russian advancement. If the allied forces had invaded mainland Japan, many lives on both sides would have been lost.Most probably more than were lost in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put together.The tactics that the allies had used up to this point had cost hundreds of thousands of lives onboth sides.This was when the Japanese only had maybe two or three thousand men on an island; whereas on the mainland millions of people who would fight until their death to protect their cou ntry.Can you imagine if the Americans invaded mainland Japan where they had not only soldiers to fight against but the citizens of Japan loyal to Hirohito?Massive destruction, immense loss of life, and prolonging of the war until late 1946, as stated in document A, would result from invading on foot Revenge also played a role in the decision to bomb Japan.The Japanese were not following the Geneva convention in regards to treatment of prisoners of war.Which says that the prisoners are not to be put through torture of the psychological or physical nature. The Japanese did these things anyway, they would decapitate American prisoners, or they would shove bamboo shoots under their fingernails.The American government also wanted revenge for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.No warning was given by the Japanese to the Americans and no war was declared until after the incident.

Compound Prepositional Phrases in Spanish

Compound Prepositional Phrases in Spanish Prepositions are handy words for showing the relationship among the various words in a sentence. But with something like only two dozen prepositions available, youre limited if you stick to simple prepositions to indicate the connection that a noun or pronoun might have with another word. Fortunately, both Spanish and English have a wide range of prepositional phrases, also known as compound prepositions, that function in much the same way as simple prepositions Using Compound Prepositions An example of compound preposition can be seen in a sentence such as Roberto fue al mercado en lugar de Pablo (Robert went to the market instead of Paul). Although en lugar de is made up of three words, it functions much the same as one word and has a distinct prepositional meaning as a phrase. In other words, like single-word prepositions, prepositional phrases show the connection between the noun (or pronoun) that follows and other words in the sentence. (Although you could probably figure out what en lugar de means by translating the individual words, that isnt true of all prepositional phrases.) The list below shows some of the most common phrases that function as prepositions. Prepositions can also be used in phrases that are used as adverbs, as explained in our lesson on adverbial phrases. As you can see in the examples following this section, not all Spanish prepositional phrases are best translated as prepositional phrases in English. abajo de - underneatha bordo de - aboarda cambio de - in exchange or trade fora cargo de - in charge ofa causa de - because ofacerca de - about, concerningadems de - besides, in addition to, as well asadentro de - insidea disposicià ³n de - at the disposal ofa excepcià ³n de - with the exception of, except fora falta de - due to the lack of, in the absence ofa fin de - with the goal or intent of, in order toafuera de - outsidea fuerza de - by means ofal contrario de - contrary toal estilo de - in the style of, in the manner ofal frente de - at the forefront ofal lado de - next toalrededor de - aroundantes de - before (in time, not location)a pesar de - in spite ofa prueba de - roughly equivalent to the English suffix -proofa punto de - on the verge ofa travà ©s de - through, acrossbajo condicià ³n de que - on the condition thatcerca de - nearcon rumbo a - in the direction ofde acuerdo con - in agreement withdebajo de - underneath, underdelante de - i n front ofdentro de - withindespuà ©s de - after detrs de - behind, afteren caso de - in case ofencima de - on top ofen contra de - againsten forma de - in the shape ofenfrente de - oppositeen lugar de - instead of, in the place ofen medio de - in the middle ofen vez de - instead ofen và ­as de - on the way tofuera de - except forfrente a - opposite, towardslejos de - far frompor causa de - because ofpor razà ³n de - because of Samples Sentences Using Compound Prepositions Las complicaciones despuà ©s de la cirugà ­a de cataratas pueden incluir visià ³n opaca o borrosa. (Complications after cataract surgery can include dull or blurry vision.) A pesar de todo, digo sà ­ a la vida. (Despite everything, I am saying yes to life.) Vea nuestra coleccià ³n de cmaras compactas a prueba de agua. (See our collection of compact waterproof cameras.) La ciudad grande est a punto de un desastre ambiental. (The large city is on the verge of an environmental disaster.) No busques ms hoteles cerca de este. (Dont look for more hotels near this one.)  ¿Por quà © los gatos duermen encima de sus humanos? (Why do cats sleep on top of their humans?) Muchas cosas cambiaron por causa de mi error. (Many things changed because of my mistake.) Key Takeaways Compound prepositions in both English and Spanish are phrases that function in the same way as single-word prepositions.Meanings of compound prepositions cant always be determined by the meanings of the individual words.

School Programs Like in China

School Programs Like in China China can be a great place to learn depending on what topic you are studying, what teaching methods work best for you or your personal interests. Whether youre thinking of going to school in China, considering enrolling your child in a Chinese school, or just curious to know more, here are answers to frequently asked questions about school programs in China, Chinas education methods, and enrolling in school in China. Education Fees Education is required and free for Chinese citizens age 6 to 15 though parents must pay fees for books and uniforms. Chinese children all get a primary and middle school public education. Each class averages 35 students. After middle school, parents must pay for public high school. The majority of families in cities can afford the fees, but in rural parts of China, many students stop their education at age 15. For the wealthy, there is a growing number of private schools in China as well as dozens of international private schools. Tests In high school, Chinese students begin preparing for the competitive é «ËœÃ¨â‚¬Æ' (gaokao, National University Entrance Examinations). Somewhat similar to the SAT for American students, seniors take this test in the summer. The results determine which Chinese university test-takers will attend the following year. Classes Offered   Chinese students attend classes five or six days a week from the early morning (about 7 am) to early evening (4 pm or later). On Saturdays, many schools hold required morning classes in science and math. Many students also attend è £Å"ç ¿â€™Ã§  ­ (buxiban), or cram school, in the evening and on weekends. Much like tutoring in the West, schools in China offer additional Chinese, English, science and math classes and one-on-one tutoring. Aside from math and science, students take Chinese, English, history, literature, music, art, and physical education. Chinese Versus Western Education Methods China’s teaching methodology differs from Western education methodology. Rote memorization is emphasized and there is a heavier focus on math, science, and Chinese studies. It is also standard practice for classes to be complemented with extensive test prep throughout middle school, junior high school, and high school for college entrance exams. Schools in China have after-school activities, like sports and music lessons, but these activities are not as extensive as those found in international schools and schools in the West. For example, while team sports are becoming more popular, competition among schools is more like an intramural team sports system rather than a competitive system. Vacation Schools in China have a break lasting for several days or a week during China’s national holiday at the beginning of October. During Spring Festival in mid-January or mid-February, depending on the lunar calendar, students have one to three weeks off. The next break is for China’s labor holiday, which occurs during the first few days of May. Finally, students have a summer vacation which is much shorter than in the US. Summer vacation typically begins in mid-July though some schools start their vacations in June. The vacation lasts for approximately one month. Can Foreigners Go to Primary or Secondary School in China? While most international schools will only accept Chinese students who hold a foreign passport, Chinese public schools are required by law to accept children of legal foreign residents. Admissions requirements vary but most schools require an admissions application, health records, passport, visa information, and previous school records. Some, like nurseries and kindergartens, require a birth certificate. Others require recommendation letters, assessments, on-campus interviews, entrance exams, and language requirements. Students who cannot speak Mandarin are usually held back a few grades and usually start in first grade until their language skills improve. All classes except English are taught entirely in Chinese. Going to a local school in China has become a popular choice for expat families who live in China but can’t afford the high price of international schools. The admissions materials at local schools are typically in Chinese and there’s little support for families and students who do not speak Chinese. Schools in Beijing that accept foreign students include  Fangcaodi Primary School (èŠ ³Ã¨ â€°Ã¥Å" °Ã¥ ° Ã¥ ­ ¦) and The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China Beijing Ritan High School (ä º ºÃ¥ ¤ §Ã©â„¢â€žÃ¤ ¸ ­). There are over 70 schools approved by China’s Ministry of Education to provide foreign instruction. Unlike local children, foreigners must pay a yearly tuition which varies but starts at about 28,000RMB. Can Foreigners Go to College or University in China? Various programs are offered at schools in China for foreigners. An application, copies of visa and passport, school records, physical exam, photo, and proof of language proficiency are all most students need to gain acceptance to undergraduate and graduate programs at schools in China. Chinese language proficiency is typically demonstrated by taking the  Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi  (HSK exam). Most schools require a score of level 6 (on a scale of 1 to 11) to enter undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, a perk for foreigners is that they are exempt from the gaokao.   Scholarships Many prospective students consider applying for scholarships to study at schools in China. Foreign students pay more in tuition than local students, but the fees are generally much less than students would pay in the United States or Europe. Tuition starts at 23,000RMB annually. Scholarships are available for foreigners. The most common scholarship is given by the Ministry of Education’s China Scholarship Council and the Chinese government. The Chinese government also awards the HSK Winner Scholarships for the top HSK test-scorers overseas. One scholarship is awarded per country where the test is administered. What If I Dont Speak Chinese? There are programs for those who do not speak Chinese. From Mandarin language learning to Chinese medicine to a Master of Business Administration, foreigners can study a range of subjects at schools in China, including Beijing and Shanghai, without speaking a word of Mandarin. Programs range from a few weeks to two years or more. The application process is quite simple and consists of an application, a copy of visa, passport, school records or diploma, physical exam, and photo.

Management - Operations Decision Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management - Operations Decision - Assignment Example These professionals converge as a team to develop and enhance production outcomes to achieve the required level of profitability. Business organizations require outside research to estimate the demand for products and services and will have to entailing information to explore access and capture market places. My role here is as managing consultant to this company, to offer advice that will help them to arrive at a decision as to whether it should shut down totally or continue its operations. The plant operation sector is extremely fragmented in nature, characterized by a large number of small and micro companies. The capacity to react rapidly to emerging opportunity is an absolute necessity to achieve success in the sector. In a swiftly altering atmosphere, it can be complex for small and medium sized companies to cope up with market developments Current Environmental Scan Factors: Current â€Å"environmental scan† (Environmental Scan, 2005, Pg.1) factors of this company inclu de an analysis of both internal and external environmental factors that affect the overall functioning of the company, as experienced below: Internal Factors:  · Organization of equipment and machinery  · Capacity of the technological  · Culture of the organization  · Management systems  · Worker morale  · Financial management External Factors Competition Behavior of the customer Economy Political interference and movement Social atmosphere Technological alterations General environmental alterations All these factors have great impact on plant operations and the management’s decision to continue or discontinue their operations. Both internal and external environment are the foundation in which the organization operates. Environmental scanning also concerns the gathering of relevant information about conditions that affect the business. Appropriate information about internal and external factors of the company will help in understanding the overall performance of t he company. It is also a process of using information of the environment in decision making. This has to be seen from the perspective of improving the overall organizational capability to deal with quick changes. The external environment of plant operation company refers to both its operational atmosphere such as competition, consumers and suppliers, and general atmosphere such as regulatory, economic, technological, and socio-cultural aspects. A firm scans the environment in order to recognize the external factors of change so that they may build up effective responses, which can improve or secure their position in the future. Scan will also help in avoiding surprises, recognizing opportunities and threats, increasing competitive advantage, long-term and short-term planning of performance. The organization's capability to adapt to its outside atmosphere is dependent on knowing and understanding the external alterations that are taking place. Environmental scanning forms a primary m eans of organizational learning. Evaluate the financial performance of the company using the information: The firm presently employs 100 workers to produce 6,000 units. The daily wage is $70, and the price of the firm's output is $32. If the firm continues to work in this capacity, its total revenue will be $192000 = $32 times 6000 units of output. This is the advantage of operating the facility. The price of operating the

Wage Earnings in Australia, Canada and the United States Research Paper

Wage Earnings in Australia, Canada and the United States - Research Paper Example The game of the numbers is to be adjusted in such a way that there must not be any ambiguity in the statistical manipulation and representation. The main objectives of the particular vary study to get insights in employment records as well as the comparison in the earning rates of USA, Canada and Australia. It was the topical history of America and the broadening of the monetary gap between those at the uppermost and bottommost level of the pay rate. In one of the study, Jack Rasmus (2004) writes that what is the instance of the phenomenon that anybody of us loves to make 200,000 USD per year after completion of 25 successful years on the job. There is a lot of difference in the value of money that is being generated by the workers on the job compared to last 25 years. They are making a very different value right now. If you would like to have the same value and same benefits, then it would be far impossible like you have to get the same advantages as the CEOs get at their jobs. This is the difference of time and value maximization. Things were thought to be regularized rather than alike today those are being worse with the passage of time. It is not only for the American lower wage earning employees who have to get enough economic substances to fulfill the routine matters; it is needed to generate monetary opportunists to find financial aid for the poorer people. Without holding to the economic environment, the lifestyle they deserve for is in the agenda of policy makers along with reviewing statistical monetary indexing and calculation of wages. If review of historical data may be made, we may get a clearer insight about the earning differences, the CEOs in United States got twenty four times more than an ordinary worker in 1965. This was not an end, the proportion raised to thirty five times in 1978, then it went up to a huge figure of seventy one times in 1989. After the debt crisis in USA in 2000, the recovery brought a greatest differential figure, that s howed that CEOs were earning three hundred times more than ordinary workers even who were working at their firms- A noticeable historical moment. After some time, the time turned in to a little change with top management remuneration rate with the economic bubble (worldwide) in 2008. History observed a decline in pay rate of CEOs or top managers at a slighter pace. But it did not mean to be a substantial increase in the pay outs of general workers. The hourly wage rate was suggested to be increased to increase the motivation level of the employees. It could cause in an extravagant state that vivid the opportunity for monetary and financial reforms within the organization. The economic bubble caused an extra ordinary unemployment and the wage rates were not said to be increased in near future. The remuneration declining rate for CEOs was six per cent approximately. The exact figure turned to 10.4 million USD from 11.07 million USD. Here we define the workers, the average work force i nclude all the employees who work in an organization below top management (middle management, first line management and non-managerial employees i.e., clerical workers). The wage earning discrepancy between CEO and the general working employees was observed more in last decade. However the gender discrepancy was insignificant to be observed because females are emerging as top management seats in prestigious organizations. In Canada, the situation was considerably worse; the wage

Relationships between primates and their environments Research Paper

Relationships between primates and their environments - Research Paper Example The sexual dimorphism between females and males is quite small in body size. In contrast to other species of apes, pair bonding is displayed by gibbons and they tend to live in small family groups comprising of one monogamous pair of adults along with their offspring. They are diurnal, however, in contrary to great apes, gibbons don’t form nests and instead they lean on tree branches during night. Gibbons feed on ripe fruits but they also eat insects, birds and leaves. The most prominent aspect of gibbons is their singing conduct used for mate attraction as well as territorial defense, and their style of arborous locomotion termed as â€Å"brachiation†. However, on ground they walk on two feet (Hohmann, Robbins and Boesch, 2006). Amongst the entire great apes genus, only Orangutans are found in Asia. Their average adult height is 1.5m while mean adult weight is 110 kg. However, the sexual dimorphism is quite significant in weight amongst males and females. The female adults have 1.25m average height and 45kg average weight. Orangutans are extensively solitary while strong social linkages exist exclusively amongst female orangutans and their offspring. Both female and male Orangutans either reside as individuals in a determined home territory or as transitory individuals, and within determined ranges there is only one dominant male that breeds primarily and safeguards the female population within his territorial dominion from coerced copulations. They are diurnal but spend most of their time on trees. They also exhibit â€Å"brachiation† and quadrupedal fist-walking. Every night a nest is being built on tree by Orangutans for sleeping. They mainly feed on leaves, bark and shoots and rarely on bird†™s eggs, insects or small vertebrates (Stanford, Allen and Antà ³n,

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING Essay

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN A GIVEN FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY - Essay Example ensures that the employees are as enthusiastic about the business and they are devoted towards their organization. Involving employees in taking decision for the company and their opinion for making improvement leads company to success. If top management involves their employees in company's affairs, they will feel recognition and self respect and they will perform even better. It also helps in building trust and motivates employees. Bonuses or reward can also be a good and effective way to encourage and motivate employees. Through this process, they will get to know that, they are performing well in the organization and they are beneficial for the company as well. Bonus must be designed in such a way that people or employees understand that there is no payment in terms of bonus unless the company gets the profit and also exceeds the level of profitability. Bonus and reward is also based on team's success and the individual's performance. Feedback is also an important factor in HRM process. If an employee or a person is performing well, he will participate to enhance or Increase Company's productivity. He/she will be appreciated for this and should be recognized for his/her work in a positive and in effective way. Evaluation of the performance should be taken fairly. There is a need to develop a performance evaluation system which focuses on individual performance. Self rating as a part of evaluation process encourages or empowers employees. Evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the records of and achievements of the employee. HRM practice and policies provide several good and effective ways of organizing and managing organization's functions. It also gives or provides help to develop effective strategies for making the company or organization more productive and successful. Employees play a lead role in any organization, so the polices and practices regarding employee or human resource should be followed effectively and in a good manner. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Organizational behavior is the body of knowledge which describes, analyzes and explains how organization influences the behavior of the members or employees and how they respond to the performance and ecology/culture of the organization or environment. Organizational behavior focuses on several functions and process of organization such as recruiting, rewarding, compensation, motivation etc; it also focuses the problems and difficulties of the organization. DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRANING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN DAVENHAM GROUP (Finance Company in UK) Davenham Group is a leading specialist, commercial finance company performing its functions in UK. Established in 1991 and divided into

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNEs Essay - 3

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNEs - Essay Example With increased competition, changing customers and ever changing technology, the fundamental part of RIM’s strategy was to expand the global reach of the Blackberry (Gillete et. al. 2013). RIM had the following options for expansion: RIM needed to further increase its core R&D activities. RIM already had a very successful local hiring strategy in place for this. Continuing with the same and increasing the magnitude would have fit with its existing approach and was also less risky. However, in order to be a global player, it had to look for talent worldwide. Having the same source supplier for new talent would have its limitations. One way was to expand Co-op programs at Waterloo to other universities and to hire more aggressively. The bond between Waterloo and RIM was loyal and reiterating the same loyalty with the other universities could yield desired results. Like other players in the industry RIM posted job openings online but with huge job applications mapping a right candidate to the right team was a tough job. Also, the competitors had a better hiring and on boarding process. RIM lacked a formal system of managing candidates. It needed to come up with an advanced system such as Global Scouting Platform of Microsoft to find the best talent worldwide. RIM had started expanding R&D and development centers at various locations and had the option to add more locations. However, the locations had to be strategic and the cost of resources had also to be taken into account. While expanding RIM had certain selection criteria while choosing new product and development sites such as having talented individuals, universities with strong technical programs and preferred base of software and hardware companies. However, the decentralization could lead to increased bureaucracy and add to management costs of the company. In past RIM had done some acquisitions which were

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING Essay

THE DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRAINING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN A GIVEN FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY - Essay Example ensures that the employees are as enthusiastic about the business and they are devoted towards their organization. Involving employees in taking decision for the company and their opinion for making improvement leads company to success. If top management involves their employees in company's affairs, they will feel recognition and self respect and they will perform even better. It also helps in building trust and motivates employees. Bonuses or reward can also be a good and effective way to encourage and motivate employees. Through this process, they will get to know that, they are performing well in the organization and they are beneficial for the company as well. Bonus must be designed in such a way that people or employees understand that there is no payment in terms of bonus unless the company gets the profit and also exceeds the level of profitability. Bonus and reward is also based on team's success and the individual's performance. Feedback is also an important factor in HRM process. If an employee or a person is performing well, he will participate to enhance or Increase Company's productivity. He/she will be appreciated for this and should be recognized for his/her work in a positive and in effective way. Evaluation of the performance should be taken fairly. There is a need to develop a performance evaluation system which focuses on individual performance. Self rating as a part of evaluation process encourages or empowers employees. Evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the records of and achievements of the employee. HRM practice and policies provide several good and effective ways of organizing and managing organization's functions. It also gives or provides help to develop effective strategies for making the company or organization more productive and successful. Employees play a lead role in any organization, so the polices and practices regarding employee or human resource should be followed effectively and in a good manner. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Organizational behavior is the body of knowledge which describes, analyzes and explains how organization influences the behavior of the members or employees and how they respond to the performance and ecology/culture of the organization or environment. Organizational behavior focuses on several functions and process of organization such as recruiting, rewarding, compensation, motivation etc; it also focuses the problems and difficulties of the organization. DIFFICULTIES IN RECRUITING, TRANING, MOTIVATING AND REWARDING STAFF IN DAVENHAM GROUP (Finance Company in UK) Davenham Group is a leading specialist, commercial finance company performing its functions in UK. Established in 1991 and divided into

Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior and Ethics Essay

Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior and Ethics - Essay Example In addition, it studies individual behavior within different organizational structures to determine why an individuals or groups respond as they do to different situations and how management can use this to benefit the organization. Organizational behavior helps the manager derive the desired results from the company while considering the practical and emotional needs of the individual employee. Organizational culture is the system of shared values and norms of the organization’s members. It will dictate how the members form groups and communicate. It will involve the way the members dress, talk, and the language that they use in their business communications. It will also imply a set of ethics to be followed in their approach to business transactions. Organizational culture defines the tone and temperament of the organization that distinguishes it from other organizations. In addition, organizational culture will consist of the rites and traditions that the organization has. This may be as simple as a company picnic, an informal initiation process, or the respect for a chain of command. While this is helpful in developing a shared vision among the members for the company’s objectives, it can also result in negative attitudes or outdated social perceptions in some cases. Racism or sexism may be difficult to eliminate if it is insidious within the organizational culture. Likewise, equality, social responsibility, and community service can be infused into an organization be affecting the organizational behavior. One of the biggest challenges facing the field of organizational behavior is the expanding global marketplace and the increasing diversity in the workplace. Diversity can come in the form of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual preference, or religion. Until recently the impact of diversity in the workplace was often overlooked and minorities were often expected to maintain a company culture that may have been hostile or

Personality psychology Essay Example for Free

Personality psychology Essay

The Strategic Priorities Of Glaxosmithkline Plc Economics Essay

The Strategic Priorities Of Glaxosmithkline Plc Economics Essay Part I Pharmaceutical Business Model The business model of companies in pharmaceutical industry for almost two decades is blockbuster model. The blockbusters (drugs that have sales over $ 1 billion per year) have turned out to be a significant factor that driven the pharmaceutical industry from 1990s. There were 65 blockbusters in 2002 increased from only 7 blockbusters in 1990 (Deutsche Bank, 2003 cited in Froud et al, 2006: 169) but, by 2006, the number was raised to 114 (La Merie Business Intelligence, 2007). Exhibit 1 shown that the sales of top ten blockbuster companies from blockbuster drugs alone were accounted larger than one-fourth of world pharmaceutical market in 2006. This blockbuster model was adopted in order to maximize revenue because it was seemed to be possible approach to satisfy high growth expectation of financial community (Business Insight 2003: 10). To conclude, the blockbuster business model was underpinned big pharmaceutical companies success over the past decade. This model is embedded in phar maceutical industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 1 Top 10 Blockbuster companies, 2006 Company Sales of Blockbuster US$ billion Number of Blockbuster As % of World Pharmaceutical Market Pfizer 28.8 9 4.48 GlaxoSmithKline 24.3 12 3.78 AstraZeneca 21.1 11 3.28 Sanofi-Aventis 19.9 9 3.09 Johnson Johnson 17.5 8 2.72 Roche 16.1 7 2.50 Amgen 13.4 5 2.08 Merck Co. 12.7 4 1.98 Wyeth 10.0 5 1.56 Eli Lilly 9.4 5 1.46 Total 173.2 75 26.94 Source: La Merie Business Intelligence, 2007 Challenges of Big Pharmaceutical model To begin with, the big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and GSK are over-reliance on the sales of blockbuster drugs. In other words, the companies are generated their main revenue from small number of drugs from their product lines. For example, in 2006, Pfizer had 9 blockbuster drugs which generated almost 60 % of total sales. GSK had 12 blockbuster drugs that contributed 56 % of total sales. Another example, in 2007, we can see that 12 blockbuster drugs of GSK accounted for almost 60 percent of companys total drug sales (see Exhibit 2). Therefore, companies are exposed to high insecurity if they cannot find replacement of products which have equivalent financial size. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 2 GSKs contribution of blockbuster to total drugs sales, 2007 Products Sales US$ million As % of total drugs sales Seretide/Advair 7,001 18.26 Flixotide/Flovent 1,243 3.24 Valtrex 1,869 4.87 Lamictal 2,195 5.72 Imigran/Imitrex 1,371 3.57 Seroxat/Paxil 1,107 2.89 Wellbutrin 1,059 2.76 Coreg 1,175 3.06 Avandia products 2,439 6.36 Augmentin 1,061 2.77 Hepatitis 1,059 2.76 Infanrix/Pediarix 1,087 2.83 Total 22,663 59.1 Source: Company annual report, 2008 Next, the less productive of RD pipeline and increasing cost of RD. There is a downward trend of the number of New Molecular Entities (NMEs) and Biologics License Applications (BLAs). In 1996, there are almost 40 approvals of NMEs and BLAs but, by 2007, the figure was decreased to 18 (Riley 2008). In addition, the cost to develop a drug is ten-fold increase from $138 million in 1975 to $ 1.318 billion in 2006 (PhRMA 2009) (see Exhibit 3). Hence, from the opposite direction of RD cost and RD productivity, we can conclude that the overall efficiency of RD in industry is lower than in the past. Finally, the expiry of patent and the impact of generics. For example, the best selling drug of GSK Seretide/Advair which generated US$ 7,653 million or 17 % of total turnover in 2008 will be expired in 2010 in the US and in 2013 in the EU. In this case, there is a possibility that GSKs turnover might drop sharply after the expiry of Seretide if the company cannot develop product or new source of income to make up for the loss of Seretide/Advair sales. In addition, the increasing in number of patent expiries of blockbusters has a positive impact to the growth in generic market. As exhibit 4 shows, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the global generic market was 16.4% during 2004 to 2007. In contrast, growth rate of overall pharmaceutical industry was at a CAGR of 8.3% in the same span. Another factor driven the growth of generic drugs is the greater attentiveness of payors as a result of current economic recession such as tightened healthcare budget of governments or private p ayors. It is likely that the price of drugs will be pushed down by the greater bargaining power. For instance, Japan had cut the price of drugs on the National Health Insurance (NHI) in 2008 by average 5.2% (Business Insight 2008). All in all, economic and stakeholders in the demanding side of the industry are now shaping the new form of the pharmaceutical market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 3 Cost of developing new drug, 1975 2006 Source: PhRMA, 2009 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 4 Global Generics Market, 2004 2007 Source: Business Insight, 2008 The Strategic priorities of GlaxoSmithKline PLC In 2008, Andrew Witty was selected to be a CEO of GSK. After two months of being a CEO, he announced new strategy to steer GSK in global pharmaceutical market. There are three new strategic priorities; grow a diversified global business, deliver more products of value and simplify the operating model. This section will discuss how these new strategic a response to problem pharmaceutical business model problem. Grow a Diversified Global Business In this strategic, the company is trying to lessen its risk by widening and balancing its products across all geographic boundaries. In other words, company tries to reduce reliance on blockbuster drugs for companys growth as Witty said The biggest thing Im trying to change is to go from saying its okay to have a blockbuster once every five years to a situation where we are delivering several new products every year (Goodman 2008). As a recession in the USA, it had a huge impact in the US sales which is a main market for company that accounted for 40% of total revenue in 2008. The sales in the US decreased by 4.2% in 2008 compare to 2007 while Europe market and rest of the world market sales were increased by 16.3% and 16.6% respectively (GlaxoSmithKline 2009). Therefore, at this moment, the US market is saturated; company is now focusing on the market which has high growth such as Africa, China and India but also not ignore the US market. It shows that company is adapted to the curr ent market situation. There are many actions that have been taken by the company that response to the business model problems. First, company is focusing on vaccine, biopharma and consumer healthcare which have high potential growth which in turn might create revenue to make up the loss of sales from expired patent blockbusters. Second, fulfill the potential of emerging markets and Japan market. Japan, alone, accounted for 10% of global pharmaceutical market (Medicines Australia 2009) which is the second largest from the US. It is a big market and a high growth market with market value of US$ 68.6 billion in 2008 and sales growth of 17.2% over 2007 (Business Insight 2009). In emerging markets, particularly, the seven pharmerging market including China, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, India, Turkey and Russia seem to be the major driven of growth in the global pharmaceutical industry (see Exhibit 5). Better approach to generic is driven this growth. It is likely that GSK is now more con centrated on generic drugs, for example, company acquired branded generics from both Bristol-Myers Squibb and UCB as well as formed alliance with South Africas Aspen Pharmacare and Dr Reddys of India (Hirsler, 2009). To conclude, this strategic priority seems to be positive reaction of the company regarding the over-reliance on blockbusters, market decline in the US and the impact of generics as Johnson et al. (2008) suggested that diversification is suitable when current markets saturated while need for more rapid growth. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 5 Sales in 7MM and pharmerging markets ($m), 2003 2007 Markets 2007 CAGR 2003-07 7MM 466,145 5.62% Pharmerging markets 58,652 15.79% 7MM = USA, Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, UK Pharmerging markets = China, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, India, Turkey and Russia Source: Riley, 2008 Deliver More Products of Value GSK is lack of therapy area diversification and technology concentration. We can see that there are only 6% of biopharma in GSKs pipeline. Moreover, oncology area represented only 1% of GSKs Sales in 2007 while this area had global market growth of 3%. In order to maintain growth in the long term, GSK need to adjust its RD issues (Riley 2008). Therefore, company announced plan as follow. First, company will focused on eight areas of therapy. Second, externalize RD as its take a long time to create and develop by in-house. Third, GSK will create new biopharma and oncology RD unit in China that have lower cost than established in developed countries which in turn help company to control RD budget. Finally, divided RD units into small group and financed dependent upon its performance which in turn will stimulate innovation. To conclude, GSK redefined its RD pipeline and structure is reacted directly to the problems of RD as mentioned previously as well as problem of over-reliance on blo ckbusters. Simplify the Operating Model GSK is trying to reduce cost in running business. First, develop commercial model; for example, integrate the back office finance system into one system across organization. Second, reduce cost in manufacturing. Company has a plan to cut two-third waste in production by 2015 (Jack, 2009a). As a result, company will be able to redeploy the money from cost reduction into investment. Overall, this strategy is not related directly to the problems of business model, however, the amount of reduction in working capital can be put to RD or other investments which might turn to be in form of company growth (Bender and Ward 2009). In conclusion, it is obvious that new strategy of Andrew Witty is reflected directly to the problems of business model which are heavily reliant on blockbusters, RD problem and impact of generic drugs. However, company is likely to put their focus on small molecules which is the core heritage of the company and the existing products as well as diversify its portfolios and adapted itself into recent market environment. Part II Will new strategy succeed? The new strategy of GSK is likely to lead the company to succeed in the future as it is reflected straightforwardly to the problems of business model. Additionally, it is not simple to point out or evaluate the firms performance as Rosenzweig (2007) argued that the success or performance is not totally forced by internal factors; in contrast, it is relative to a company itself and environment as a whole. Therefore, successful of strategy in this paper will be defined as if company can increase its shareholder values in the long term. In addition, how will company succeed will evaluate by if the new strategy will increase value of its shareholder. Rappaport (1998) pointed out that shareholder value can be driven by seven factors; raise sales growth, boost operating profit margin, lessen cash tax rate, reduce incremental investment in capital spending, reduce investment in working capital, increase time period of competitive advantage, and reduce cost of capital. Regarding companys diversified global business strategy; there are many significant improvements as a result of applying this strategy. First, there is sales growth compared with quarter in previous year in every quarter from third quarter of 2008, after announcement of new strategy, in British pound term. Furthermore, GSK had an increasing in third quarter 2009 of sales 19% in Japan, 25% in emerging market, and 8% in consumer products (Jack, 2009b). In first quarter of 2009, company experienced decline in US market by 22% company Overall, this strategy reflects directly with sales volume which leads to growth in sales. Therefore, company increases its shareholder value as it can raise its sales growth. Deliver more products of value; from this strategy, company should be able to create more revenue from its value added activities. From the company financial data comparing nine month of 2008 and 2009, we can see that GSK had an increasing in gross profit and operating profit 16% and 8% respectively (see Exhibit 6). However, gross margin and operating margin were decreased slightly by 0.4% and 2.39% to 74.05% and 29.48% respectively. Therefore, company unable to raise its shareholder value by this strategy as it was failed to increase operating margin. Moreover, company has less efficiency as its return on capital employed (ROCE) was dropped (see Exhibit 6 and 7) from 22.18% in three quarter of 2008 to 19.71% in three quarter of 2009. There is a probability that company is unable to deliver more values from money that put it investment. However, value added activities of this industry is more likely as RD process. It takes long time to get outcome from money that invested today. For example, to evaluate the RD performance, we should not consider only the approval of new drugs only, as it takes 10 15 years to develop a new drug which mentioned in part I but also we need to take in account the drug development in the early phase, this drugs which are in process cannot generate profit for company today. Overall, we can see that in this strategy. The company is unable to enhance in shareholder value as it cannot increase it operating margin. This is mean that at this period of time a company is inefficiency to control their selling, administration and RD expense. The third strategy, simplify the operating model. There is one mission in this strategy that related directly to increase shareholder value which is reducing working capital. As in September 2008, company was able to reduce its working capital by 500 Million GBP, therefore, shareholder value is increasing as money from working capital can be return to shareholder in form of dividend or can reinvest in company at low cost of capital. This strategy should able a company to lower cost of operation, in contrast, exhibit 6 shows that selling and administration expense was increasing by 24% while turnover increased only 16%. It seems that company cannot succeed its goal by this strategy. If we take a look at stock price of company, we can see that price is hit the highest in 52 weeks in December 2009 (see exhibit 8). This can indicate that market gains confidence about the company performance. However, P/E ratio 13.79% of the company as 14 December 2009 is still lower than competitors; Pfizer at 15.19% and Novartis at 16.1%. This can be interpreted that price low of GSK is low than competitors. All in all, despite the confidence of the market about GSK, in my opinion, up to the present moment the new strategy is not successful in term of maximizing its shareholder value. As we can see from the numbers such as ROCE and operating margin that company cannot build up or even maintain these ratios. However, it needs to be seen it long run whether strategy will succeed since only internal factors cannot make company to succeed. (2420 Words) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 6 GSK; Nine Month ended Income Statement, 2008 and 2009 Source: GSK Press Release, 28 October 2009 Available at : www.gsk.com [accessed 13 December 2009] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 7 GSK; Nine Month ended Balance Sheet, 2008 and 2009 Source: GSK Press Release, 28 October 2009 Available at : www.gsk.com [accessed 13 December 2009] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exhibit 8 Stock Price of GSK, London Stock Exchange, 2years ended 14 December 2009 Source: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com

project proposal :: essays research papers

Proposal Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For this project, I chose to select the option of making an artist’s book. I have always found the portrayal of written words and pictures quite fascinating. Some have each page carefully worked out with decorative motifs varying from page to page. Some have fancy covers or style of binding that screams â€Å"pick-me-up!† But the type of books that fascinate me the most are those that are dedicated to the art of photography. I proposed for this book to be created as a photographic reference towards life. I wanted to create something that had meaning. I wanted it to tell a story, appeal to the eye as well as the mind. I chose to entitle the book ‘ABC’s of Life.’ Yes, I know that sounds kind of cheeseball, but a fancy name wouldn't get the point across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was a challenge I hadn't ever taken part in and it was quite a bit of work. Each page in the book is designed as a black and white polaroid photograph. I wanted to capture the essence of spontaniality that is often found in life. I had to devise a list of words from a-z, each letter representing an aspect of life. For A, anger, an emotion used almost daily now-a-days. B, beauty, for it is seen in the eyes of all women and children. C, compassion, which is sometimes hard to come by, but no doubt in our lives. D, drugs, since we are all faced with them at one point or another. E, exotic, as whatever is one of a kind facinates us. F, fantasy, as we all wish we had something we don't. G, girlfriends, it's what makes worth living. H, hate, an emotion to be reckoned with. I, ironic, as some things are just too odd. J, journey, we are all headed somewhere, right? K, kiss, for when a yummy chocolate kiss makes your day. L, laughter, if we didn't have that we'd a ll be grumpy people. M, majestic, for all the sites you may see along the way. N, nocturnal, as some of us are people of the night. O, oxygen, what we take in every moment of every day. P, passion, it is what can make us whole. Q, questionable, as things aren't always what they appear to be. R, religion, can be what forms a persons life. S, sex, a bond that can unite and destroy.

Personal Reflections

Jeremiah learned a lesson that is its deep understanding of the limitations of human beings that we cannot live a decent and satisfying life without constant guidance of Almighty God. Through the book of Jeremiah, who first taught me is, how servants of God are called to serve Him and how the Almighty chose to serve his servant from the womb itself. â€Å"Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.† (Jeremiah 1: 5). Jeremiah the Prophet was commissioned from the womb of his mother for his sacred duty. There are some things here that is beautiful and wonderful, when we consider what it says about the knowledge of God. God told Jeremiah that he â€Å"knew† before he was created in the womb. He already knows the strengths and weaknesses of Jeremiah. He knew that Jeremiah would be what God wants to use during certain periods of the history of Israel. Every servant of God had their own commissioned to serve Him in various office. Strong Relationship with GodJeremiah has a long-term relationship with God. Over time, he learned to inspire and trust him with positive results from many experiments that took place in the office. The righteous prophets, who tell the truth about the national condition, are not human. Jeremiah has some real friends. But God is the first in the life of this prophet. He knows and obeys God as Creator. Jeremiah was chosen to record one of the deepest parts of the Bible by God. â€Å"Thus says the Lord:† Give to the wise not to praise his wisdom, not to give a strong glory to man in his power, nor to leave the glory of riches and riches? But he who glorifies this glory, who understands and knows me, who God is, makes love, judgment, and justice on earth. (Jeremiah 9: 23-24). Jeremiah the Rescuer Despite the different circumstances, the prophet Jeremiah lived in a period of national chaos at a time when it looked like the current climate of uncertainty and anxiety. The faith, according to Jeremiah, is supported and supported by God's personal commitment to him. Jeremiah says â€Å"Then the Lord returned his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said, â€Å"Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. Today, I have made all these nations and over the kingdom, destroy and exterminate, build and (9-10)†. We can see the contents of the book itself, which Jeremiah prophesied during the period of sudden decline and ultimately the capture of the country of Judah. This is a prominent voice in the expression of God's matter for his people. Over the course of about 40 years, Jeremiah prophesied during the reign of the five different kings of Judah by the worthy Josiah. Guide trouble with it, let Jeremiah learned a few lessons about the nature of God and the very human condition that men and women of the this century must understand and acknowledge the commission of God given to them and to save nations or people.Relying on  God alone.Most of the time we forgot to relying on God when the time of persecutions. But in this book teach us, despite the severe persecution of his people, Jeremiah knew that the Supreme Lord was the absolute control of these events. Many compatriots do not, and some of them continue to weaken their message, directly from the Creator. But God had said: â€Å"I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled† (Jeremiah 1:12,  NIV).Our Creator has a clear planning and purpose for the salvation of mankind. Some things in this world make sense only if we accept this fact. For all Judah, who were attending the day of Jeremiah, God promised them that he would bless them when they were captured in Babylon. â€Å"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the  LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you† (Jeremiah 29:11-12).Great commisionGod does not like to punish Judah for national and personal sin. He sent prophets to warn them in advance, but the nation has ignored. â€Å"In vain I have chastened your children; they received no correction† (Jeremiah 2:30). So, national captivity became a necessity. What are the teachings of our world today? What we can learn by this? Of cause it's become the reflection of today's world. Before the disaster of Judah, Jeremiah expressed repentance by the people for the people of his. â€Å"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place† (Jeremiah 7:3). God calls people to conversion and personal Judah nations (verses 4-7), but it did not happen. We can get it that many benefits from the guidance of His constant regardless of how bad the country was left. â€Å"O Lord, correct me, but with justice; do with your anger, lest thou not think do not matter† (Jeremiah 10:24). Can pray the same prayer today for our country Malaysia? Yes we can because God the Almighty is the same yesterday-today- and tomorrow. Surely he will listen to our prayer. Accept the Rebuke.Jeremiah was human and had failings, but at least he honestly admitted them to God. Instead of piously covering up his true feeling, he pour out his heart to the Lord and the Lord answer him. He asks God, that he wonders why the pain and loneliness seem to be unending! He wonders whether God will fail him. Will God be like an unreliable and seasonal brook? God's answer may shock the prophet, for the Lord told him he needed to repent, if he repent God will restore him that he may serve the Lord, if Jeremiah utter worthy, not worthless, word, so that he may be the spokesman. The Lord always balance rebuke with assurance. He promised once again to make Jeremiah a fortified wall and give him victory over all enemies. Jeremiah had to learn to walk by faith, which meant obeying God's word no matter how he felt, what he saw, or what people might do to him. God never promised Jeremiah an easy job, but He did promise Jeremiah all that he need to do His work faithfully. God reminds Jeremiah that the suffering he has experienced is exactly like what God had told him. Jeremiah then, is not to crumble in the face of adversity but rather redouble his commitment to his prophetic vocation. Persecution has not derailed God's promise to deliver and vindicate (verse 20), and God reminds Jeremiah that his perseverance is the very vehicle by which the people are won over to repentance (verse 19). Conclusion Is it incredible for God's chosen servants to be weak and harm their own ministries? No. Because every servant of God is a human being and is subject to the weakness of human nature. Example; Moses became discouraged and wanted to die (No. 11: 10-15); Joshua was willing to stop and leave the land of promise (Jos 7: 6-11), Elijah even left his place of duty and hoped to die (1 Kings 19) and Jonah was angry and he refused to help the person he came to rescue (Jonah 4). God does not want us to ignore our feelings, because it will make us less than human beings, but He wants us to trust Him to change our feelings and to walk with faith in Him.The book of Jeremiah teaches that honesty and faithfulness in the midst of suffering are signs of prophetic service and a lesson that is its deep understanding of the limitations of human beings that we cannot live a decent and satisfying life without constant guidance of Almighty God. The announcement of the prophet to his initial call was a way in which God would carry out his redemptive work in the world and reaffirm the promises of liberation.

Rationalism Essay

Rationalism vs. Empiricism First published Thu Aug 19, 2004; substantive revision Thu Mar 21, 2013 The dispute between rationalism and empiricism concerns the extent to which we are dependent upon sense experience in our effort to gain knowledge. Rationalists claim that there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently of sense experience. Empiricists claim that sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge. Rationalists generally develop their view in two ways. First, they argue that there are cases where the content of our concepts or knowledge outstrips the information that sense experience can provide. Second, they construct accounts of how reason in some form or other provides that additional information about the world. Empiricists present complementary lines of thought. First, they develop accounts of how experience provides the information that rationalists cite, insofar as we have it in the first place. (Empiricists will at times opt fo r skepticism as an alternative to rationalism: if experience cannot provide the concepts or knowledge the rationalists cite, then we don’t have them.) Second, empiricists attack the rationalists’ accounts of how reason is a source of concepts or knowledge. 1. Introduction The dispute between rationalism and empiricism takes place within epistemology, the branch of philosophy devoted to studying the nature, sources and limits of knowledge. The defining questions of epistemology include the following. 1. What is the nature of propositional knowledge, knowledge that a particular proposition about the world is true? To know a proposition, we must believe it and it must be true, but something more is required, something that distinguishes knowledge from a lucky guess. Let’s call this additional element ‘warrant’. A good deal of philosophical work has been invested in trying to determine the nature of warrant. 2. How can we gain knowledge? We can form true beliefs just by making lucky guesses. How to gain warranted beliefs is less clear. Moreover, to know the world, we must think about it, and it is unclear how we gain the concepts we use in thought or what assurance, if any, we have that the ways in which we divide up the world using our concepts correspond to divisions that actually exist. 3. What are the limits of our knowledge? Some aspects of the world may be within the limits of our thought but beyond the limits of our knowledge; faced with competing descriptions of them, we cannot know which description is true. Some aspects of the world may even be beyond the limits of our thought, so that we cannot form intelligible descriptions of them, let alone know that a particular description is true. The disagreement between rationalists and empiricists primarily concerns the second question, regarding the sources of our concepts and knowledge. In some instances, their disagreement on this topic leads them to give conflicting responses to the other questions as well. They may disagree over the nature of warrant or about the limits of our thought and knowledge. Our focus here will be on the competing rationalist and empiricist responses to the second question. 1.1 Rationalism To be a rationalist is to adopt at least one of three claims. The Intuition/Deduction thesis concerns how we become warranted in believing propositions in a particular subject area. The Intuition/Deduction Thesis: Some propositions in a particular subject area, S, are knowable by us by intuition alone; still others are knowable by being deduced from intuited propositions. Intuition is a form of rational insight. Intellectually grasping a proposition, we just â€Å"see† it to be true in such a way as to form a true, warranted belief in it. (As discussed in Section 2 below, the nature of this intellectual â€Å"seeing† needs explanation.) Deduction is a process in which we derive conclusions from intuited premises through valid arguments, ones in which the conclusion must be true if the premises are true. We intuit, for example, that the number three is prime and that it is greater than two. We then deduce from this knowledge that there is a prime number greater than two. Intuition and deduction thus provide us with knowledge a priori, which is to say knowledge gained independently of sense experience. We can generate different versions of the Intuition/Deduction thesis by substituting different subject areas for the variable ‘S’. Some rationalists take mathematics to be knowable by intuition and deduction. Some place ethical truths in this category. Some include metaphysical claims, such as  that God exists, we have free will, and our mind and body are distinct substances. The more propositions rationalists include within the range of intuition and deduction, and the more controversial the truth of those propositions or the claims to know them, the more radical their rationalism. Rationalists also vary the strength of their view by adjusting their understanding of warrant. Some take warranted beliefs to be beyond even the slightest doubt and claim that intuition and deduction provide beliefs of this high epistemic status. Others interpret warrant more conservatively, say as belief beyond a reasonable doubt, and claim that intuition and deduction provide beliefs of that caliber. Still another dimension of rationalism depends on how its proponents understand the connection between intuition, on the one hand, and truth, on the other. Some take intuition to be infallible, claiming that whatever we intuit must be true. Others allow for the possibility of false intuited propositions. The second thesis associated with rationalism is the Innate Knowledge thesi s. The Innate Knowledge Thesis: We have knowledge of some truths in a particular subject area, S, as part of our rational nature. Like the Intuition/Deduction thesis, the Innate Knowledge thesis asserts the existence of knowledge gained a priori, independently of experience. The difference between them rests in the accompanying understanding of how this a priori knowledge is gained. The Intuition/Deduction thesis cites intuition and subsequent deductive reasoning. The Innate Knowledge thesis offers our rational nature. Our innate knowledge is not learned through either sense experience or intuition and deduction. It is just part of our nature. Experiences may trigger a process by which we bring this knowledge to consciousness, but the experiences do not provide us with the knowledge itself. It has in some way been with us all along. According to some rationalists, we gained the knowledge in an earlier existence. According to others, God provided us with it at creation. Still others say it is part of our nature through natural selection. We get different versions of the Innate Knowledge thesis by substituting different subject areas for the variable ‘S’. Once again, the more subjects included within the range of the thesis or the more controversial the claim to have knowledge in them, the more radical the form of rationalism. Stronger and weaker understandings of warrant yield stronger and weaker versions of the thesis as well. The third important thesis of  rationalism is the Innate Concept thesis. The Innate Concept Thesis: We have some of the concepts we employ in a particular subject area, S, as part of our rational nature. According to the Innate Concept thesis, some of our concepts are not gained from experience. They are part of our rational nature in such a way that, while sense experiences may trigger a process by which they are brought to consciousness, experience does not provide the concepts or determine the information they contain. Some claim that the Innate Concept thesis is entailed by the Innate Knowledge Thesis; a particular instance of knowledge can only be innate if the concepts that are contained in the known proposition are also innate. This is Locke’s position (1690, Book I, Chapter IV, Section 1, p. 91). Others, such as Carruthers, argue against this connection (1992, pp. 53–54). The content and strength of the Innate Concept thesis varies with the concepts claimed to be innate. The more a concept seems removed from experience and the mental operations we can perform on experience the more plausibly it may be claimed to be innate. Since we do not experience perfect tria ngles but do experience pains, our concept of the former is a more promising candidate for being innate than our concept of the latter. The Intuition/Deduction thesis, the Innate Knowledge thesis, and the Innate Concept thesis are essential to rationalism: to be a rationalist is to adopt at least one of them. Two other closely related theses are generally adopted by rationalists, although one can certainly be a rationalist without adopting either of them. The first is that experience cannot provide what we gain from reason. The Indispensability of Reason Thesis: The knowledge we gain in subject area, S, by intuition and deduction, as well as the ideas and instances of knowledge in S that are innate to us, could not have been gained by us through sense experience. The second is that reason is superior to experience as a source of knowledge. The Superiority of Reason Thesis: The knowledge we gain in subject area S by intuition and deduction or have innately is superior to any knowledg e gained by sense experience. How reason is superior needs explanation, and rationalists have offered different accounts. One view, generally associated with Descartes (1628, Rules II and III, pp.1–4), is that what we know a priori is certain, beyond even the slightest doubt, while what we believe, or even know, on the basis of sense experience is at least somewhat uncertain. Another view, generally associated with Plato  (Republic 479e-484c), locates the superiority of a priori knowledge in the objects known. What we know by reason alone, a Platonic form, say, is superior in an important metaphysical way, e.g. unchanging, eternal, perfect, a higher degree of being, to what we are aware of through sense experience. Most forms of rationalism involve notable commitments to other philosophical positions. One is a commitment to the denial of scepticism for at least some area of knowledge. If we claim to know some truths by intuition or deduction or to have some innate knowledge, we obviously reject scepticis m with regard to those truths. Rationalism in the form of the Intuition/Deduction thesis is also committed to epistemic foundationalism, the view that we know some truths without basing our belief in them on any others and that we then use this foundational knowledge to know more truths. 1.2 Empiricism Empiricists endorse the following claim for some subject area. The Empiricism Thesis: We have no source of knowledge in S or for the concepts we use in S other than sense experience. Empiricism about a particular subject rejects the corresponding version of the Intuition/Deduction thesis and Innate Knowledge thesis. Insofar as we have knowledge in the subject, our knowledge is a posteriori, dependent upon sense experience. Empiricists also deny the implication of the corresponding Innate Concept thesis that we have innate ideas in the subject area. Sense experience is our only source of ideas. They reject the corresponding version of the Superiority of Reason thesis. Since reason alone does not give us any knowledge, it certainly does not give us superior knowledge. Empiricists generally reject the Indispensability of Reason thesis, though they need not. The Empiricism thesis does not entail that we have empirical knowledge. It entails that knowledge can only be gained, if at all, by experience. Empiricists may assert, as some do for some subjects, that the rationalists are correct to claim that experience cannot give us knowledge. The conclusion they draw from this rationalist lesson is that we do not know at all. I have stated the basic claims of rationalism and empiricism so that each is relative to a particular subject area. Rationalism and empiricism, so relativized, need not conflict. We can be rationalists in mathematics or a particular area of mathematics and empiricists in all or some of the physical sciences. Rationalism and empiricism only conflict when formulated to cover the same subject. Then the debate, Rationalism vs. Empiricism, is joined. The fact that philosophers can be both rationalists and empiricists has implications for the classification schemes often employed in the history of philosophy, especially the one traditionally used to describe the Early Modern Period of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries leading up to Kant. It is standard practice to group the major philosophers of this period as either rationalists or empiricists and to suggest that those under one heading share a common agenda in opposition to those under the other. Thus, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz are the Continental Rationalists in opposition to Locke, Berkeley and Hume, the British Empiricists. We should adopt such general classification schemes with caution. The views of the individual philosophers are more subtle and complex than the simple-minded classification suggests. (See Loeb (1981) and Ke nny (1986) for important discussions of this point.) Locke rejects rationalism in the form of any version of the Innate Knowledge or Innate Concept theses, but he nonetheless adopts the Intuition/Deduction thesis with regard to our knowledge of God’s existence. Descartes and Locke have remarkably similar views on the nature of our ideas, even though Descartes takes many to be innate, while Locke ties them all to experience. The rationalist/empiricist classification also encourages us to expect the philosophers on each side of the divide to have common research programs in areas beyond epistemology. Thus, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz are mistakenly seen as applying a reason-centered epistemology to a common metaphysical agenda, with each trying to improve on the efforts of the one before, while Locke, Berkeley and Hume are mistakenly seen as gradually rejecting those metaphysical claims, with each consciously trying to improve on the efforts of his predecessors. It is also important to note that the Rationalist/Empiricist distinction is not exhaustive of the possible sources of knowledge. One might claim, for example, that we can gain knowledge in a particular area by a form of Divine revelation or insight that is a product of neither reason nor sense experience. In short, when used carelessly, the labels ‘rationalist’ and ‘empiricist,’ as well as the slogan that is the title of this essay, ‘Rationalism vs. Empiricism,’ can retard rather than advance our understanding. Nonetheless, an important debate properly described as ‘Rationalism vs. Empiricism’ is joined whenever  the claims for each view are formulated to cover the same subject. What is perhaps the most interesting form of the debate occurs when we take the relevant subject to be truths about the external world, the world beyond our own minds. A full-fledged rationalist with regard to our knowledge of the external world holds that some external world truths can and must be known a priori, that some of the ideas required for that knowledge are and must be innate, and that this knowledge is superior to any that experience could ever provide. The full-fledged empiricist about our knowledge of the external world replies that, when it comes to the nature of the world beyond our own minds, experience is our sole source of information. Reason might inform us of the relations among our ideas, but those ideas themselves can only be gained, and any truths about the external reality they represent can only be known, on the basis of sense experience. This debate concerning our knowledge of the external world will generally be our main focus in what follows. Historically, the rationalist/empiricist dispute in epistemology has extended into the area of metaphysics, where philosophers are concerned with the basic nature of reality, including the existence of God and such aspects of our nature as freewill and the relation between the mind and body. Major rationalists (e.g., Descartes 1641) have presented metaphysical theories, which they have claimed to know by reason alone. Major empiricists (e.g. Hume 1739–40) have rejected the theories as either speculation, beyond what we can learn from experience, or nonsensical attempts to describe aspects of the world beyond the concepts experience can provide. The debate raises the issue of metaphysics as an area of knowledge. Kant puts the driving assumption clearly: The very concept of metaphysics ensures that the sources of metaphysics can’t be empirical. If something could be known through the senses, that would automatically show that it doesn’t belong to metaphysics; thatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s an upshot of the meaning of the word ‘metaphysics.’ Its basic principles can never be taken from experience, nor can its basic concepts; for it is not to be physical but metaphysical knowledge, so it must be beyond experience. [1783, Preamble, I, p. 7] The possibility then of metaphysics so understood, as an area of human knowledge, hinges on how we resolve the rationalist/empiricist debate. The debate also extends into ethics. Some moral objectivists (e.g., Ross 1930) take us to know some fundamental objective moral truths by intuition, while some moral skeptics,  who reject such knowledge, (e.g., Mackie 1977) find the appeal to a faculty of moral intuition utterly implausible. More recently, the rationalist/empiricist debate has extended to discussions (e.g., Bealer 1999, and Alexander & Weinberg 2007) of the very nature of philosophical inquiry: to what extent are philosophical questions to be answered by appeals to reason or experience? 2. The Intuition/Deduction Thesis The Intuition/Deduction thesis claims that we can know some propositions by intuition and still more by deduction. Many empiricists (e.g., Hume 1748) have been willing to accept the thesis so long as it is restricted to propositions solely about the relations among our own concepts. We can, they agree, know by intuition that our concept of God includes our concept of omniscience. Just by examining the concepts, we can intellectually grasp that the one includes the other. The debate between rationalists and empiricists is joined when the former assert, and the latter deny, the Intuition/Deduction Thesis with regard to propositions that contain substantive information about the external world. Rationalists, such as Descartes, have claimed that we can know by intuition and deduction that God exists and created the world, that our mind and body are distinct substances, and that the angles of a triangle equal two right angles, where all of these claims are truths about an external reality independent of our thought. Such substantive versions of the Intuition/Deduction thesis are our concern in this section. One defense of the Intuition/Deduction thesis assumes that we know some substantive external world truths, adds an analysis of what knowledge requires, and concludes that our knowledge must result from intuition and deduction. Descartes claims that knowledge requires certainty and that certainty about the external world is beyond what empirical evidence can provide. We can never be sure our sensory impressions are not part of a dream or a massive, demon orchestrated, deception. Only intuition and deduction can provide the certainty needed for knowledge, and, given that we have some substantive knowledge of the external world, the Intuition/Deduction thesis is true. As Descartes tells us, â€Å"all knowledge is certain and evident cognition† (1628, Rule II, p. 1) and when we â€Å"review all the actions of the intellect by means of which we are able to arrive at a knowledge of things with no fear of being mistaken,†Ã‚  we â€Å"recognize only two: intuition and deduction† (1628, Rule III, p. 3). This line of argument is one of the least compelling in the rationalist arsenal. First, the assumption that knowledge requires certainty comes at a heavy cost, as it rules out so much of what we commonly take ourselves to know. Second, as many contemporary rationalists accept, intuition is not always a source of certain knowledge. The possibility of a deceiver gives us a reason to doubt our intuitions as well as our empirical beliefs. For all we know, a deceiver might cause us to intuit false propositions, just as one might cause us to have perceptions of nonexistent objects. Descartes’s classic way of meeting this challenge in the Meditations is to argue that we can know with certainty that no such deceiver interferes with our intuitions and deductions. They are infallible, as God guarantees their truth. The problem, known as the Cartesian Circle, is that Descartes’s account of how we gain this knowledge begs the question, by attempting to deduce the conclusion that all our intuitions are true from intuited premises. Moreover, his account does not touch a remaining problem that he himself notes (1628, Rule VII, p. 7): Deductions of any appreciable length rely on our fallible memory. A more plausible argument for the Intuition/Deduction thesis again assumes that we know some particular, external world truths, and then appeals to the nature of what we know, rather than to the nature of knowledge itsel f, to argue that our knowledge must result from intuition and deduction. Leibniz (1704) tells us the following. The senses, although they are necessary for all our actual knowledge, are not sufficient to give us the whole of it, since the senses never give anything but instances, that is to say particular or individual truths. Now all the instances which confirm a general truth, however numerous they may be, are not sufficient to establish the universal necessity of this same truth, for it does not follow that what happened before will happen in the same way again. †¦ From which it appears that necessary truths, such as we find in pure mathematics, and particularly in arithmetic and geometry, must have principles whose proof does not depend on instances, nor consequently on the testimony of the senses, although without the senses it would never have occurred to us to think of them†¦ (1704, Preface, pp. 150–151) Leibniz goes on to describe our mathematical knowledge as â€Å"innate,† and his argument may be directed to support the Innate Knowledge Thesis rather than the Intuition/Deduction  Thesis. For our purposes here, we can relate it to the latter, however: We have substantive knowledge about the external world in mathematics, and what we know in that area, we know to be necessarily true. Experience cannot warrant beliefs about what is necessarily the case. Hence, experience cannot be the source of our knowledge. The best explanation of our knowledge is that we gain it by intuition and deduction. Leibniz mentions logic, metaphysics and morals as other areas in which our knowledge similarly outstrips what experience can provide. Judgments in logic and metaphysics involve forms of necessity beyond what experience can support. Judgments in morals involve a form of obligation or value that lies beyond experience, which only informs us about what is the case rather than about what ought to be. The strength of this argument varies with its examples of purported knowledge. Insofar as we focus on controversial claims in metaphysics, e.g. that God exists, that our mind is a distinct substance from our body, the initial premise that we know the claims is less than compelling. Taken with regard to other areas, however, the argument clearly has legs. We know a great deal of mathematics, and what we know, we know to be necessarily true. None of our experiences warrants a belief in such necessity, and we do not seem to base our knowledge on any experiences. The warrant that provides us with knowledge arises from an intellectual grasp of the propositions which is clearly part of our learning. Similarly, we seem to have such moral knowledge as that, all other things being equal, it is wrong to break a promise and that pleasure is intrinsically good. No empirical lesson about how things are can warrant such knowledge of how they ought to be. This argument for the Intuition/Deduction Thesis raises additional questions which rationalists must answer. Insofar as they maintain that our knowledge of necessary truths in mathematics or elsewhere by intuition and deduction is substantive knowledge of the external world, they owe us an account of this form of necessity. Many empiricists stand ready to argue that â€Å"necessity resides in the way we talk about things, not in the things we talk about† (Quine 1966, p. 174). Similarly, if rationalists claim that our knowledge in morals is knowledge of an objective form of obligation, they owe u s an account of how objective values are part of a world of apparently valueless facts. Perhaps most of all, rationalist defenders of the Intuition/Deduction thesis owe us an account of what intuition is and how it  provides warranted true beliefs about the external world. What is it to intuit a proposition and how does that act of intuition support a warranted belief? Their argument presents intuition and deduction as an explanation of assumed knowledge that can’t—they say—be explained by experience, but such an explanation by intuition and deduction requires that we have a clear understanding of intuition and how it supports warranted beliefs. Metaphorical characterizations of intuition as intellectual â€Å"grasping† or â€Å"seeing† are not enough, and if intuition is some form of intellectual â€Å"grasping,† it appears that all that is grasped is relations among our concepts, rather than facts about the external world. Moreover, any intellectual faculty, whether it be sense perception or intuition, provides us with warranted beliefs only if it is generally reliable. The reliability of sense perception stems from the causal connection between how external objects are and how we experience them. What accoun ts for the reliability of our intuitions regarding the external world? Is our intuition of a particular true proposition the outcome of some causal interaction between ourselves and some aspect of the world? What aspect? What is the nature of this causal interaction? That the number three is prime does not appear to cause anything, let alone our intuition that it is prime. These issues are made all the more pressing by the classic empiricist response to the argument. The reply is generally credited to Hume and begins with a division of all true propositions into two categories. All the objects of human reason or inquiry may naturally be divided into two kinds, to wit, â€Å"Relations of Ideas,† and â€Å"Matters of Fact.† Of the first are the sciences of Geometry, Algebra, and Arithmetic, and, in short, every affirmation which is either intuitively or demonstratively certain. That the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the square of the two sides is a proposition which expresses a relation between these figures. That three times five is equal to half of thirty expresses a relation between these numbers. Propositions of this kind are discoverable by the mere operation of thought, without dependence on what is anywhere existent in the universe. Though there never were a circle or triangle in nature, the truths demonstrated by Euclid would forever retain their certainty and evidence. Matters of fact, which are the second objects of human reason, are not ascertained in the same manner, nor is our evidence of their truth, however great, of a like nature with the  foregoing. The contrary of every matter of fact is still possible, because it can never imply a contradiction and is conceived by the mind with the same facility and distinctness as if ever so conformable to reality. (Hume 1748, Section IV, Part 1, p. 40) Intuition and deduction can provide us with knowledge of necessary truths such as those found in mathematics and logic, but such knowledge is not substantive knowledge of the external world. It is only knowledge of the relations of our own ideas. If the rationalist shifts the argument so it appeals to knowledge in morals, Hume’s reply is to offer an analysis of our moral concepts by which such knowledge is empirically gained knowledge of matters of fact. Morals and criticism are not so properly objects of the understanding as of taste and sentiment. Beauty, whether moral or natural, is felt more properly than perceived. Or if we reason concerning it and endeavor to fix the standard, we regard a new fact, to wit, the general taste of man kind, or some other fact which may be the object of reasoning and inquiry. (Hume 1748, Section XII, Part 3, p. 173) If the rationalist appeals to our knowledge in metaphysics to support the argument, Hume denies that we have such knowledge. If we take in our hand any volume–of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance–let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames, for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. (Hume 1748, Section XII, Part 3, p. 173) An updated version of this general empiricist reply, with an increased emphasis on language and the nature of meaning, is given in the twentieth-century by A. J. Ayer’s version of logical positivism. Adopting positivism’s verification theory of meaning, Ayer assigns every cognitively meaningful sentence to one of two categories: either it is a tautology, and so true solely by virtue of the meaning of its terms and provides no substantive information about the world, or it is open to empirical verification. There is, then, no room for knowledge about the external world by intuition or deduction. There can be no a priori knowledge of reality. For †¦ the truths of pure reason, the propositions which we know to be valid independently of all experience, are so only in virtue of their lack of factual content †¦ [By contrast] empirical propositions are one and all hypotheses which may be confirmed or discredited in actual sense experience. [Ayer 1952, pp. 86; 93–94] The  rationalists’ argument for the Intuition/Deduction Thesis goes wrong at the start, according to empiricists, by assuming that we can have substantive knowledge of the external world that outstrips what experience can warrant. We cannot. This empiricist reply faces challenges of its own. Our knowledge of mathematics seems to be about something more than our own concepts. Our knowledge of moral judgments seems to concern not just how we feel or act but how we ought to behave. The general principles that provide a basis for the empiricist view, e.g. Hume’s overall account of our ideas, the Verification Principle of Meaning, are problematic in their own right. In various formulations, the Verification Principle fails its own test for having cognitive meaning. A careful analysis of Hume’s Inquiry, relative to its own principles, may require us to consign large sections of it to the flames. In all, rationalists have a strong argument for the Intuition/Deduction thesis relative to our substantive knowledge of the external world, but its success rests on how well they can answer questions about the nature and epistemic force of intuition made all the more pre ssing by the classic empiricist reply. 3. The Innate Knowledge Thesis The Innate Knowledge thesis joins the Intuition/Deduction thesis in asserting that we have a priori knowledge, but it does not offer intuition and deduction as the source of that knowledge. It takes our a priori knowledge to be part of our rational nature. Experience may trigger our awareness of this knowledge, but it does not provide us with it. The knowledge is already there. Plato presents an early version of the Innate Knowledge thesis in the Meno as the doctrine of knowledge by recollection. The doctrine is motivated in part by a paradox that arises when we attempt to explain the nature of inquiry. How do we gain knowledge of a theorem in geometry? We inquire into the matter. Yet, knowledge by inquiry seems impossible (Meno, 80d-e). We either already know the theorem at the start of our investigation or we do not. If we already have the knowledge, there is no place for inquiry. If we lack the knowledge, we don’t know what we are seeking and cannot recognize it when we fin d it. Either way we cannot gain knowledge of the theorem by inquiry. Yet, we do know some theorems. The doctrine of knowledge by recollection offers a solution. When we inquire into the truth of a theorem, we both do and do not already know it. We have knowledge in the form of a  memory gained from our soul’s knowledge of the theorem prior to its union with our body. We lack knowledge in that, in our soul’s unification with the body, it has forgotten the knowledge and now needs to recollect it. In learning the theorem, we are, in effect, recalling what we already know. Plato famously illustrates the doctrine with an exchange between Socrates and a young slave, in which Socrates guides the slave from ignorance to mathematical knowledge. The slave’s experiences, in the form of Socrates’ questions and illustrations, are the occasion for his recollection of what he learned previously. Plato’s metaphysics provides additional support for the Innate Knowledge Thesis. Since our knowledge is of abstract, eternal Forms which clearly lie beyond our sensory experience, it is a priori. Contemporary supporters of Plato’s position are scarce. The initial paradox, which Plato describes as a â€Å"trick argument† (Meno, 80e), rings sophistical. The metaphysical assumptions in the solution need justification. The solution does not answer the basic question: Just how did the slave’s soul learn the theorem? The Intuition/Deduction thesis offers an equally, if not more, plausible account of how the slave gains knowledge a priori. Nonetheless, Plato’s position illustrates the kind of reasoning that has caused many philosophers to adopt some form of the Innate Knowledge thesis. We are confident that we know certain propositions about the external world, but there seems to be no adequate explanation of how we gained this knowledge short of saying th at it is innate. Its content is beyond what we directly gain in experience, as well as what we can gain by performing mental operations on what experience provides. It does not seem to be based on an intuition or deduction. That it is innate in us appears to be the best explanation. Noam Chomsky argues along similar lines in presenting what he describes as a â€Å"rationalist conception of the nature of language† (1975, 129). Chomsky argues that the experiences available to language learners are far too sparse to account for their knowledge of their language. To explain language acquisition, we must assume that learners have an innate knowledge of a universal grammar capturing the common deep structure of natural languages. It is important to note that Chomsky’s language learners do not know particular propositions describing a universal grammar. They have a set of innate capacities or dispositions which enable and determine their language development. Chomsky gives us a theory of innate learning  capacities or structures rather than a theory of innate knowledge. His view does not support the Innate Knowledge thesis as rationalists have traditionally understood it. As one commentator puts it, â€Å"Chomsky’s principles †¦ are innate neither in the sense that we are explicitly aware of them, nor in the sense that we have a disposition to recognize their truth as obvious under appropriate circumstances. And hence it is by no means clear that Chomsky is correct in seeing his theory as following the traditional rationalist account of the acquisition of knowledge† (Cottingham 1984, p. 124). Peter Carruthers (1992) argues that we have innate knowledge of the principles of folk-psychology. Folk-psychology is a network of common-sense generalizations that hold independently of context or culture and concern the r elationships of mental states to one another, to the environment and states of the body and to behavior (1992, p.115). It includes such beliefs as that pains tend to be caused by injury, that pains tend to prevent us from concentrating on tasks, and that perceptions are generally caused by the appropriate state of the environment. Carruthers notes the complexity of folk-psychology, along with its success in explaining our behavior and the fact that its explanations appeal to such unobservables as beliefs, desires, feelings and thoughts. He argues that the complexity, universality, and depth of folk-psychological principles outstrips what experience can provide, especially to young children who by their fifth year already know a great many of them. This knowledge is also not the result of intuition or deduction; folk-psychological generalizations are not seen to be true in an act of intellectual insight. Carruthers concludes, â€Å"[The problem] concerning the child’s acquisition of psychological generalizations cannot be solved, unless we suppose that much of folk-psychology is already innate , triggered locally by the child’s experience of itself and others, rather than learned† (1992, p. 121). Empiricists, and some rationalists, attack the Innate Knowledge thesis in two main ways. First, they offer accounts of how sense experience or intuition and deduction provide the knowledge that is claimed to be innate. Second, they directly criticize the Innate Knowledge thesis itself. The classic statement of this second line of attack is presented in Locke 1690. Locke raises the issue of just what innate knowledge is. Particular instances of knowledge are supposed to be in our minds as part of our  rational make-up, but how are they â€Å"in our minds†? If the implication is that we all consciously have this knowledge, it is plainly false. Propositions often given as examples of innate knowledge, even such plausible candidates as the principle that the same thing cannot both be and not be, are not consciously accepted by children and those with severe cognitive limitations. If the point of calling such principles â€Å"innate† is not to imply that they are or have been consciously accepted by all rational beings, then it is hard to see what the point is. â€Å"No proposition can be said to be in the mind, which it never yet knew, which it never yet was conscious of† (1690, Book I, Chapter II, Section 5, p. 61). Proponents of innate knowledg e might respond that some knowledge is innate in that we have the capacity to have it. That claim, while true, is of little interest, however. â€Å"If the capacity of knowing, be the natural impression contended for, all the truths a man ever comes to know, will, by this account, be every one of them, innate; and this great point will amount to no more, but only an improper way of speaking; which whilst it pretends to assert the contrary, says nothing different from those, who deny innate principles. For nobody, I think, ever denied, that the mind was capable of knowing several truths† (1690, Book I, Chapter II, Section 5, p. 61). Locke thus challenges defenders of the Innate Knowledge thesis to present an account of innate knowledge that allows their position to be both true and interesting. A narrow interpretation of innateness faces counterexamples of rational individuals who do not meet its conditions. A generous interpretation implies that all our knowledge, even that clearly provided by experience, is innate. Defenders of innate knowledge take up Locke’s challenge. Leibniz responds (1704) by appealing to an account of innateness in terms of natural potential to avoid Locke’s dilemma. Consider Peter Carruthers’ similar reply. We have noted that while one form of nativism claims (somewhat implausibly) that knowledge is innate in the sense of being present as such (or at least in propositional form) from birth, it might also be maintained that knowle dge is innate in the sense of being innately determined to make its appearance at some stage in childhood. This latter thesis is surely the most plausible version of nativism. (1992, p. 51) Carruthers claims that our innate knowledge is determined through evolutionary selection (p. 111). Evolution has resulted in our being determined to know certain things (e.g.  principles of folk-psychology) at particular stages of our life, as part of our natural development. Experiences provide the occasion for our consciously believing the known propositions but not the basis for our knowledge of them (p. 52). Carruthers thus has a ready reply to Locke’s counterexamples of children and cognitively limited persons who do not believe propositions claimed to be instances of innate knowledge. The former have not yet reached the proper stage of development; the latter are persons in whom natural development has broken down (pp. 49–50). A serious problem for the Innate Knowledge thesis remains, however. We know a proposition only if it is true, we believe it and our belief is warranted. Rationalists who assert the existence of innate knowledge are not just claiming that, as a matter of human evolution, God’s design or some other factor, at a particular point in our development, certain sorts of experiences trigger our belief in particular propositions in a way that does not involve our learning them from the experiences. Their claim is ev en bolder: In at least some of these cases, our empirically triggered, but not empirically warranted, belief is nonetheless warranted and so known. How can these beliefs be warranted if they do not gain their warrant from the experiences that cause us to have them or from intuition and deduction? Some rationalists think that a reliabilist account of warrant provides the answer. According to Reliabilism, beliefs are warranted if they are formed by a process that generally produces true beliefs rather than false ones. The true beliefs that constitute our innate knowledge are warranted, then, because they are formed as the result of a reliable belief-forming process. Carruthers maintains that â€Å"Innate beliefs will count as known provided that the process through which they come to be innate is a reliable one (provided, that is, that the process tends to generate beliefs that are true)† (1992, p. 77). He argues that natural selection results in the formation of some beliefs and is a truth-reliable process. An appeal to Reliabilism, or a similar causal theory of warrant, may well be the best way for rationalists to develop the Innate Knowledge thesis. They have a difficult row to hoe, however. First, such accounts of warrant are themselves quite controversial. Second, rationalists must give an account of innate knowledge that maintains and explains the distinction between innate knowledge and a posteriori knowledge, and it is not clear that they will be  able to do so within such an account of warrant. Suppose for the sake of argument that we have innate knowledge of some proposition, P. What makes our knowledge that P innate? To sharpen the question, what difference between our knowledge that P and a clear case of a posteriori knowledge, say our knowledge that something is red based on our current visual experience of a red table, makes the former innate and the latter not innate? In each case, we have a true, warranted belief. In each case, presumably, our belief gains its warrant from the fact that it meets a particular causal condition, e.g., it is produced by a reliable process. In each case, the causal process is one in which an experience causes us to believe the proposition at hand (that P; that something is red), for, as defenders of innate knowledge admit, our belief that P is â€Å"triggered† by an experience, as is our belief that something is red. The insight behind the Innate Knowledge thesis seems to be that the difference between our innate and a posteriori knowledge lies in the relation between our experience and our belief in each case. The e xperience that causes our belief that P does not â€Å"contain† the information that P, while our visual experience of a red table does â€Å"contain† the information that something is red. Yet, exactly what is the nature of this containment relation between our experiences, on the one hand, and what we believe, on the other, that is missing in the one case but present in the other? The nature of the experience-belief relation seems quite similar in each. The causal relation between the experience that triggers our belief that P and our belief that P is contingent, as is the fact that the belief-forming process is reliable. The same is true of our experience of a red table and our belief that something is red. The causal relation between the experience and our belief is again contingent. We might have been so constructed that the experience we describe as â€Å"being appeared to redly† caused us to believe, not that something is red, but that something is hot. The process that takes us from the experince to our belief is also only contingently reliable. Moreover, if our experience of a red table â€Å"contains† the information that something is red, then that fact, not the existence of a reliable belief-forming process between the two, should be the reason why the experience warrants our belief. By appealing to Reliablism, or some other causal theory of warrant, rationalists may obtain a way to explain how innate knowledge can be warranted. They still need to show how their explanation supports an account of the difference between innate knowledge and a posteriori knowledge. 4. The Innate Concept Thesis According to the Innate Concept thesis, some of our concepts have not been gained from experience. They are instead part of our rational make-up, and experience simply triggers a process by which we consciously grasp them. The main concern motivating the rationalist should be familiar by now: the content of some concepts seems to outstrip anything we could have gained from experience. An example of this reasoning is presented by Descartes in the Meditations. Descartes classifies our ideas as adventitious, invented by us, and innate. Adventitious ideas, such as a sensation of heat, are gained directly through sense experience. Ideas invented by us, such as our idea of a hippogriff, are created by us from other ideas we possess. Innate ideas, such as our ideas of God, of extended matter, of substance and of a perfect triangle, are placed in our minds by God at creation. Consider Descartes’s argument that our concept of God, as an infinitely perfect being, is innate. Our concept of God is not directly gained in experience, as particular tastes, sensations and mental images might be. Its content is beyond what we could ever construct by applying available mental operations to what experience directly provides. From experience, we can gain the concept of a being with finite amounts of various perfections, one, for example, that is finitely knowledgeable, powerful and good. We cannot however move from these empirical concepts to the concept of a being of infinite perfection. (â€Å"I must not think that, just as my conceptions of rest and darkness are arrived at by negating movement and light, so my perception of the infinite is arrived at not by means of a true idea but by merely negating the finite,† Third Meditation, p. 94.) Descartes supplements this argument by another. Not only is the content of our concept of God beyond what experience can provide, the concept is a prerequisite for our employment of the concept of finite perfection gained from experience. (â€Å"My perception of the infinite, that is God, is in some way prior to my perception of the finite, that is myself. For how could I understand that I doubted or desired–that is lacked something–and that I wa s not wholly perfect, unless there were in me some idea of a more perfect being which enabled me to recognize my own defects by comparison,† Third Meditation, p. 94). An empiricist response to this  general line of argument is given by Locke (1690, Book I, Chapter IV, Sections 1–25, pp. 91–107). First, there is the problem of explaining what it is for someone to have an innate concept. If having an innate concept entails consciously entertaining it at present or in the past, then Descartes’s position is open to obvious counterexamples. Young children and people from other cultures do not consciously entertain the concept of God and have not done so. Second, there is the objection that we have no need to appeal to innate concepts in the first place. Contrary to Descartes’ argument, we can explain how experience provides all our ideas, including those the rationalists take to be innate, and with just the content that the rationalists attribute to them. Leibniz (1704) offers a rationalist reply to the first concern. Where Locke puts forth the image of the mind as a blank tablet on which experience writes, Leibniz offers us the image of a block of marble, the veins of which determine what sculpted figures it will accept. This is why I have taken as an illustration a block of veined marble, rather than a wholly uniform block or blank tablets, that is to say what is called tabula rasa in the language of the philosophers. For if the soul were like those blank tablets, truths would be in us in the same way as the figure of Hercules is in a block of marble, when the marble is completely indifferent whether it receives this or some other figure. But if there were veins in the stone which marked out the figure of Hercules rather than other figures, this stone would be more determined thereto, and Hercules would be as it were in some manner innate in it, although labour would be needed to uncover the veins, and to clear them by polishing, and by cutting away what prevents them from appearing. It is in this way that ideas and truths are innate in us, like natural inclinations and dispositions, natural habits or potentialities, and not like activities, although these potentialities are always accompanied by some activities which correspond to them, though they are often imperceptible. (1704, Preface, p. 153) Leibniz’s metaphor contains an insight that Locke misses. The mind plays a role in determining the nature of its contents. This point does not, however, require the adoption of the Innate Concept thesis. Rationalists have responded to the second part of the empiricist attack on the Innate Concept thesis–the empricists’ claim that the thesis is without basis, as all our ideas can be explained as derived from experience–by focusing on difficulties in the empiricists’  attempts to give such an explanation. The difficulties are illustrated by Locke’s account. According to Locke, experience consists in external sensation and inner reflection. All our ideas are either simple or complex, with the former being received by us passively in sensation or reflection and the latter being built by the mind from simple materials through various mental operations. Right at the start, the account of how simple ideas are gained is open to an obvious counterexample acknowledged, but then set aside, by Hume in presenting his own empiricist theory. Consider the mental image of a particular shade of blue. If Locke is right, the idea is a simple one and should be passive ly received by the mind through experience. Hume points out otherwise. Suppose therefore a person to have enjoyed his sight for thirty years and to have become perfectly acquainted with colors of all kinds, except one particular shade of blue, for instance, which it never has been his fortune to meet with; let all the different shades of that color, except that single one, be placed before him, descending gradually from the deepest to the lightest, it is plain that he will perceive a blank where that shade is wanting and will be sensible that there is a greater distance in that place between the contiguous colors than in any other. Now I ask whether it be possible for him, from his own imagination, to supply this deficiency and raise up to himself the idea of that particular shade, though it had never been conveyed to him by his senses? I believe there are but few will be of the opinion that he can†¦ (1748, Section II, pp. 29–30) Even when it comes to such simple ideas as the image of a particular shade of blue, th e mind is more than a blank slate on which experience writes. Consider too our concept of a particular color, say red. Critics of Locke’s account have pointed out the weaknesses in his explanation of how we gain such a concept by the mental operation of abstraction on individual cases. For one thing, it makes the incorrect assumption that various instances of a particular concept share a common feature. Carruthers puts the objection as follows. In fact problems arise for empiricists even in connection with the very simplest concepts, such as those of colour. For it is false that all instances of a given colour share some common feature. In which case we cannot acquire the concept of that colour by abstracting the common feature of our experience. Thus consider the concept red. Do all shades of red have something in common? If so, what? It is surely false that individual shades  of red consist, as it were, of two distinguishable elements a general redness together with a particular shade. Rather, redness consists in a continuous range of shades, each of which is only just distinguishable from its neighbors. Acquiring the concept red is a matter of learning the extent of the range. (1992, p. 59) For another thing, Locke’s account of concept acquisition from particular experiences seems circular. As it stands, however, Locke’s account of concept acquisition appears viciously circular. For noticing or attending to a common feature of various things presupposes that you already possess the concept of the feature in question. (Carruthers 1992, p. 55) Consider in this regard Locke’s account of how we gain our concept of causation. In the notice that our senses take of the constant vicissitude of things, we cannot but observe, that several particulars, both qualities and substances; begin to exist; and that they receive this their existence from the due application and operation of some other being. From this observation, we get our ideas of cause and effect. (1690, Book II, Chapter 26, Section 1, pp. 292–293) We get our concept of causation from our observation that some things receive their existence from the application and operation of some other things. Yet, we cannot make this observation unless we already have the concept of causation. Locke’s account of how we gain our idea of power displays a similar circularity. The mind being every day informed, by the senses, of the alteration of those simple ideas, it observes in things without; and taking notice how one comes to an end, and ceases to be, and another begins to exist which was not before; reflecting also on what passes within itself, and observing a constant change of its ideas, sometimes by the impression of outward objects on the senses, and sometimes by the determination of its own choice; and concluding from what it has so constantly observed to have been, that the like changes will for the future b e made in the same things, by like agents, and by the like ways, considers in one thing the possibility of having any of its simple ideas changed, and in another the possibility of making that change; and so comes by that idea which we call power. (1690, Chapter XXI, Section 1, pp. 219–220) We come by the idea of power though considering the possibility of changes in our ideas made by experiences and our own choices. Yet, to consider this possibility—of some things making a change in others—we must already have a concept of power. One way to meet at least some of these  challenges to an empiricist account of the origin of our concepts is to revise our understanding of the content of our concepts so as to bring them more in line with what experience will clearly provide. Hume famously takes this approach. Beginning in a way reminiscent of Locke, he distinguishes between two forms of mental contents or â€Å"perceptions,† as he calls them: impressions and ideas. Impressions are the contents of our current experiences: our sensations, feelings, emotions, desires, and so on. Ideas are mental contents derived from impressions. Simple ideas are copies of impressions; complex ideas are derived from impressions by â€Å"compounding, transposing, augmenting or diminishing† them. Given that all our ideas are thus gained from experience, Hume offers us the following method for determining the content of any idea and thereby the meaning of any term taken to express it. When we entertain, therefore, any suspicion that a philosophical term is employed without any meaning or idea (as is but too frequent), we need but inquire from what impression is that supposed idea derived? And if it be impossible to assign any, this will confirm our suspicion. (1690, Section II, p. 30) Using this test, Hume draws out one of the most important implications of the empiricists’ denial of the Innate Concept thesis. If experience is indeed the source of all ideas, then our experiences also determine the content of our ideas. Our ideas of causation, of substance, of right and wrong have their content determined by the experiences that provide them. Those experiences, Hume argues, are unable to support the content that many rationalists and some empiricists, such as Locke, attribute to the corresponding ideas. Our inability to explain how some concepts, with the contents the rationalists attribute to them, are gained from experience should not lead us to adopt the Innate Concept thesis. It should lead us to accept a more limited view of the contents for those concepts, and thereby a more limited view of our ability to describe and understand the world. Consider, for example, our idea of causation. Descartes takes it to be innate. Locke offers an apparently circular account of how it is gained from experience. Hume’s empiricist account severely limits its content. Our idea of causation is derived from a feeling of expectation rooted in our experiences of the constant conjunction of similar causes and effects. It appears, then, that this idea of a necessary connection among events arises from a number of similar instances which  occur, of the constant conjunction of these events; nor can that idea ever be suggested by any one of these instances surveyed in all possible lights and positions. But there is nothing in a number of instances, different from every single instance, which is supposed to be exactly similar, except only that after a repetition of similar instances the mind is carried by habit, upon the appearance of one event, to expect its usual attendant and to believe that it will exist. This connection, therefore, which we feel in the mind, this customary tran sition of the imagination from one object to its usual attendant, is the sentiment or impression from which we form the idea of power or necessary connection. (1748, Section VII, Part 2, p. 86) The source of our idea in experience determines its content. Suitably to this experience, therefore, we may define a cause to be an object followed by another, and where all the objects, similar to the first are followed by objects similar to the second†¦ We may, therefore, suitably to this experience, form another definition of cause and call it an object followed by another, and whose appearance always conveys the thought of the other. (1748, Section VII, Part 2, p. 87) Our claims, and any knowledge we may have, about causal connections in the world turn out, given the limited content of our empirically based concept of causation, to be claims and knowledge about the constant conjunction of events and our own feelings of expectation. Thus, the initial disagreement between rationalists and empiricists about the source of our ideas leads to one about their content and thereby the content of our descriptions and knowledge of the world. Like philosophical debates generally, the rationalist/empiricist debate ultimately concerns our position in the world, in this case our position as rational inquirers. To what extent do our faculties of reason and experience support our attempts to know and understand our situation.