Plato, Descartes, and The Matrix Essay Example for Free

Plato, Descartes, and The Matrix Essay Consider this, Is what we believe to be real and true real and true? In the movie The Matrix, Neo is a computer programer by day and hacker by night. He senses that something is wrong with the world but insists what he know he feels. When he dreams, he isn’t sure if it was real or just a dream just as Descartes believes he cannot trust his senses to tell him whether or not he is still dreaming. Neo meets with Morpheus and Morpheus gives Neo the option of knowing the truth. According to Morpheus the world isn’t real, it is an illusion and offers Neo a life altering choice. To take a pill that will give him the truth. The truth Morpheus refers to is that the world Neo believes in is just an illusion. What Neo perceives as real by his senses is nothing more than a computer generating ideas in his head without any real experiences. Morpheus gives Neo the option of continuing to live his life in the shadows and the way he perceives it or to see the light and the truth. This closely resembles the allegory of the cave by Pluto. Plato invites us to imagine humans being held prisoners, with no freedom to move or see except what is directly in front of them in the form of shadows. This is the prisoners reality. This is what they come to believe is real. When in-fact there is another world just beyond their reality. It is only after one prisoner escapes the shackles and chains and finds that the actual world is not just shadows but a world with the light of the sun. The prisoner has difficulty adjusting his eyes to the brightness, but eventually does. This experience parallels to what Neo experiences. Descartes poses the questions in his work Meditations of First Philosophy, 1961, of how we cannot for certain that the world he experiences isn’t not the product of an illusion forced upon him by an evil demon. He questions what he believes is real because of what he sees and feels while dreaming and therefore can’t trust his senses to tell him if 2he is still dreaming. When Neo accepts the â€Å"red pill† and his perception of his life slips away when he realizes that the human race is held in containers, unconscious, with a computer generating their thoughts and experiences. Humans invented Artificial Intelligence and in turn the AI took over mankind and enslaved them using them for the energy they required to stay ‘alive’. Neo realizes what Descartes proposed, that Neo’s life was just controlled by an evil demon, the Matrix. But Descartes went on to argue the existence of God, saying a Good God would not let an evil demon control us. Neo struggles with this new truth because he didn’t believe in fate because he didn’t like the idea he wasn’t in control of life. Neo life as he knew it is gone, and he is faced with the new reality and he struggles with the different emotions first of shock, fear and disbelief and then acceptance. He joins the group of dissidents to help others see the truth and reality of life. Knowing the truth doesn’t necessarily ‘set you free’ as we find out. A fellow dissident Cypher discovers the truth is hard and decides that ‘ignorance is bliss’. He negotiates a deal to deliver Morpheus in turn for his previous ‘life’. For Cypher, the truth was too much to handle, he liked the illusion of his previous life. Once Neo gains knowledge of he Matrix, he is able to discern between the truth and illusion and ascends to a higher level of understanding. He realizes that he can no longer blindly accept information received through his senses, but must requires answers to his questions. He like Descartes comes to the conclusion â€Å"I think, therefore I am†. The difference between the Matrix and Plato and Descartes is the movie gives Neo a way back to the physical real world whereas Plato and Descartes only suggest there is another reality and we are dreaming but doesn’t give us a way back. None of the notables address God within the realm of truth. God states he is the way of the light and the truth. We are challenged in our daily lives to live a real life.

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society :: Great Expectations Essays

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society in the time it was set. Charles Dickens is one of the most popular British novelists in the history of literature with many of his characters being recognised in British society today. His ability to combine pathos, comedy, and most of all, his social satire has won him many contemporary readers. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. At 12 he was sent to work for a few months at a shoe-polish warehouse on the banks of the Thames when his family hit financial difficulty. A few days later Dickens's father was sent to jail for debt. He recalled this painful experience in the early chapters of David Copperfield. While his father was imprisoned, all his family except himself and his sister, who was studying music, stayed at the Marshalsea Prison with his father, very much like the Dorrit family at the beginning of Little Dorrit. By the time he was 25 years old, Dickens was already famous. Dickens's life influenced his writing a lot, and many of the novels he wrote were based on real experiences during his lifetime. For example; in 1832 he met Marie Beadnell and wanted to marry her but she rejected him; the comic portrait of Flora Casby in Little Dorrit is said to have been inspired by Dickens's meeting with Maria again later in life. Dickens lived in Victorian times, times when there was a lot of focus on social class and status. Victorian society was, for all the change that was taking place, a stratified, hierarchical society with a great gap between rich and poor. In his childhood Dickens was part of a working class family who soon became low class due to their financial difficulty. But when he became an adult he was of high social class while his novels kept increasing in popularity and was earning him money all the time. Dickens had been from one end of society to the other and the contrast he saw was widely expressed in his novels. Victorian society had a constantly growing urban population, and with the pessimistic analyses of Thomas Malthus, this helped mould one of the most notorious Victorian institutions, the workhouse. This was based on a theoretical distinction between the "deserving" poor, who owed their poverty to misfortune, and the "undeserving" poor, who were to blame for their poverty: the workhouse was made as unpleasant as possible to deter the latter from seeking refuge there. Tight-fisted and callous administration made the institutions even worse, and the target of some of the bitterest controversial literature of Charles Dickens. Conditions gradually improved, but the dreaded "workhouse

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Edward Albee's â€Å"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf† is a play based on illusions. Each character lives their life behind some sort of illusion whether it's based on their past, their marriage or their whole life. Each illusion presents a view into their personal lives and either connects or tears apart relationships in each character's life. George's life is surrounded by illusions. He never was able to succeed in anything he attempts and Martha finds joy in attacking him emotionally for this.He first wrote a novel which Martha's father refused to publish. The storyline is first brought up through him telling Nick a story from his adolescence. It's the story of his friend who kills both of his parents and ends up institutionalized. When it's brought up in Act 1 by Martha, she presents it by saying â€Å"†Well, Georgie boy had lots of big ambitions In spite of something funny in his past†¦ Which Georgie boy here turned into a novel†¦ His first attempt and his last†¦ † (149) This makes the reader question if maybe his friend was actually him.Regardless of who it was about, George is angry that Martha brought up his novel because it shows a weakness about him. The novel was one of his ways of escaping reality and even that was put down. He had hopes of his novel become a success and instead he has to live with Martha who insists on telling everyone that he is a â€Å"great†¦ big†¦ fat†¦ FLOP! † (93) The biggest illusion in George's own life is the mystery behind whether the tragic novel he wrote was an autobiographical story or just a piece of fiction.When Nick and Honey are introduced they seem young, vibrant and happy. Once Honey leaves the scene in Act 2 Nick tells George about an illusion that actually brought Nick to marry Honey. Nick tells George that he married Honey because she was pregnant and George questions him since he said earlier that he had no children. Nick tells him, â€Å"She wasn't real ly. It was a hysterical pregnancy. She blew up, and then she went down. †(104) Honey faked a pregnancy to make Nick marry her so their whole relationship is based on an illusion.He later reveals that Honey's family had a good amount of money and that is good enough reason to stay with her. Throughout the whole play Nick is shushing and talking over Honey. He is embarrassed of her simple-mindedness but deals with her because he is stuck with her.. George and Martha's son was a lie. George pushes her to talk about him and she glorifies him. Once she is done George shoots her down and kills him off using the same storyline as his novel. This shows the fiction and illusion behind their son.She is so heartbroken after there illusion is exposed that she doesn't know how to live without pretending she has a son. The illusion of their son gave them something to relate through. George was sick of pretending and realized that it was time to face the truth and begin actually living life without illusions. QUOTES â€Å"Isn’t tomorrow supposed to be his birthday or something? 76† â€Å"The one thing 241†Ã¢â‚¬ Whose afraid of Virginia Woolf? I am257† Why do people live behind illusions? Does it make life easier or in the end does it make it hurt more? Who is Virginia Woolf?

Do You Think Firms Have Any Responsibility to Society - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2787 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/09/23 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Did you like this example? MBC 703 –CORPORATE FINANCE ACCOUNTS ASSIGNMENT: The Primary goal of a firm has been held out to be shareholder wealth maximization which translates to maximizing stock prices. In light of this statement, do you think firms have any responsibility to society? BY Akanji Emmanuel olusegun BSU/MS/MBA/08/3104 FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY MAKURDI. AUGUST,2010 1. 0 Introduction: The fundamental economic role of business is to make profit and to maximize shareholders wealth. Therefore, this primary objective is carried out in the society. Firms Operations are not performed in a vacuum but in an environment. Business Organizations are open system that must interact and respond to the environment. The performance of the Firm therefore is influence by the environment. The environment of business is made up of all the elements that are relevant to an organization’s operation though outside its control. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Do You Think Firms Have Any Responsibility to Society?" essay for you Create order This means that to survive in business environment, firm must anticipate, interact, act and react to environments to utilize the opportunities (maximizing Shareholder wealth) and avert the threats of not getting involve in(corporate social responsibilities) protect the interest of the societies. 1. 1 What is Corporate social responsibility? : Corporate social responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, responsible business, sustainable responsible business (SRB), or corporate social performance, CSR is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Ideally, CSR policy would function as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure its support to law, ethical standards, and international norms. The definition of CSR used within an organization can vary from the strict stakeholder impacts definition used by many CSR advocates and will often include charitable efforts and volunteering. CSR may be based within the human resources, business development or public relations departments of an organisation, or may be given a separate unit reporting to the CEO or in some cases directly to the board. Some companies may implement CSR-type values without a clearly defined team or programme. Consequently, business would embrace responsibility for the impact of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, CSR-focused businesses would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. Essentially, CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honouring of a triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit. Free market theory founded on liberal business ethos, presumably from Adam Smith: In the free marketplace, the essential (and ethical) aim for business leaders is to relentlessly pursue capital for their shareholders. The sole responsibility of business becomes simple: to facilitate the efficient allocation of economic resources and maximize shareholder wealth (i. e. become and remain as profitable as possible). Thus wealth creation transformed from selfish pursuit to â€Å"moral act. † Organized corporate responsibility programs not core function of business but seen ancillary to essential goal of profit-making This includes not only activities such a philanthropy, civic volunteerisms, and the like, but also â€Å"people centered† strategic public relations, such as Identifying and building mutually beneficia l relationships with publics, or Establishing and maintaining a favorable public reputation Sacconi(2004). 2. 0 CSR and Value Assertion Bansal(2000) stated that Corporate social responsibility are more than philanthropy, not just extraneous activity but should be core moral part of spectrum of obligations businesses address as part of society: in his word, he thought specifically about those decisions which managers face in the daily course of carrying out the firms normal business activities, but which carry inherent ethical connotations. Examples of these types of decisions would include those decisions regarding layoffs, plant closings, workplace safety, product safety, worker compensation, executive salaries, information disclosure, or the level of pollution emissions . 1 Business Decisions and Corporate social responsibility Because every business decision ultimately affects someone, the decision should be made responsibly. Public relations should play a vital role in decision making by pointing out the potential implications and consequences of all of the firms behaviors not only for the various stakeholders of the business but, in the long run, for the organization itself. Elements of Liberal Business Ethos †¢ Society is based on atomistic individual freedom, †¢ Individuals are exclusively self-interested; †¢ All relationships in economic society are by nature instrumental; Free markets are inherently stable and self-regulating; †¢ There is a natural division of labor between business and government; and †¢ The sole ethical responsibility of business is to maximize shareholder wealth (profits). Adam Smith credited with articulating basis for liberal business ethos in the Wealth of Nations: 2. 2 APPROACHES TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES An approach for CSR that is becoming more widely accepted is community-based development approach. In this approach, corporations work with local communities to better themselves. Often activities companies participate in are establishing education facilities for adults and Children, given scholarship and HIV/AIDS education programmes. The majority of these CSR projects are established in Nigeria by blue cheap companies such as Shell Nigeria in the Niger delta, Daimond bank Nigeria Plc –Building School Hostels Accommodation, AP oil, First bank Nigeria Plc to mention but a few. A more common approach of CSR is philanthropy. This includes monetary donations and aid given to local organizations and impoverished communities in developing countries. Some organization do not like this approach as it does not help build on the skills of the local people, whereas community-based development generally leads to more sustainable development. Another approach to CSR is to incorporate the CSR strategy directly into the business strategy of an organization. For instance, Diamond Bank Nigeria PLC in one of her product sponsor children to South Africa for maintaining some balances in their account. Another approach is garnering increasing corporate responsibility interest. This is called Creating Shared Value, or CSV. The shared value model is based on the idea that corporate success and social welfare are interdependent. A business needs a healthy, educated workforce, sustainable resources and adept government to compete effectively. For society to thrive, profitable and competitive businesses must be developed and supported to create income, wealth, tax revenues, and opportunities for philanthropy. CSV received global attention in the Harvard Business Review article Strategy Society: The Link between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility Michael(2000). Mark(1998) In his article provides insights and relevant examples of companies that have developed deep linkages between their business strategies and corporate social responsibility. Many approaches to CSR pit businesses against society, emphasizing the costs and limitations of compliance with externally imposed social and environmental standards. CSV acknowledges trade-offs between short-term profitability and social or environmental goals, but focuses more on the opportunities for competitive advantage from building a social value proposition 2. 3 Criticisms and concerns The practice of CSR is subject to much debate and criticism. Proponents argue that there is a strong business case for CSR, in that corporations benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits. Critics argue that CSR distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others yet argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations. Corporate Social Responsibility has been redefined throughout the years. However, it essentially is titled to aid to an organizations mission as well as a guide to what the company stands for and will uphold to its consumers. Development Business ethics is one of the forms of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. CSR and the nature of business :Milton Friedman and others have argued that a corporations purpose is to maximize returns to its shareholders, and that since (in their view), only people can have social responsibilities, corporations are only responsible to their shareholders and not to society as a whole. Although they accept that corporations should obey the laws of the countries within which they work, they assert that corporations have no other obligation to society. Some people perceive CSR as incongruent with the very nature and purpose of business, and indeed a hindrance to free trade. Those who assert that CSR is contrasting with capitalism and are in favor of neoliberalism argue that improvements in health, longevity and/or infant mortality have been created by economic growth attributed to free enterprise. Critics of this argument perceive neoliberalism as opposed to the well-being of society and a hindrance to human freedom. They claim that the type of capitalism practiced in many developing countries is a form of economic and cultural imperialism, noting that these countries usually have fewer labor protections, and thus their citizens are at a higher risk of exploitation by multinational corporations. A wide variety of individuals and organizations operate in between these poles. For example, the REALeadership Alliance asserts that the business of leadership (be it corporate or otherwise) is to change the world for the better. Many religious and cultural traditions hold that the economy exists to serve human beings, so all economic entities have an obligation to society (e. g. Economic Justice for All). Moreover, as discussed above, many CSR proponents point out that CSR can significantly improve long-term corporate profitability because it reduces risks and inefficiencies while offering a host of potential benefits such as enhanced brand reputation and employee engagement. 2. 4 CSR and questionable motives Some critics believe that CSR programs are undertaken by companies such as British American Tobacco (BAT), the petroleum giant BP (well-known for its high-profile advertising campaigns on environmental aspects of its operations), and to distract the public from ethical questions posed by their core operations. They argue that some corporations start CSR programs for the commercial benefit they enjoy through raising their reputation with the public or with government. They suggest that corporations which exist solely to maximize profits are unable to advance the interests of society as a whole. Another concern is when companies claim to promote CSR and be committed to Sustainable Development whilst simultaneously engaging in harmful business practices. For example, since the 1970s, the McDonalds Corporations association with Ronald McDonald House has been viewed as CSR and relationship marketing. More recently, as CSR has become mainstream, the company has beefed up its CSR programs related to its labor, environmental and other practices All the same, in McDonalds Restaurants v Morris Steel, Lord Justices Pill, May and Keane ruled that it was fair comment to say that McDonalds employees worldwide do badly in terms of pay and onditions and true that if one eats enough McDonalds food, ones diet may well become high in fat etc. , with the very real risk of heart disease. Shell has a much-publicized CSR policy and was a pioneer in triple bottom line reporting, but this did not prevent the 2004 scandal concerning its misreporting of oil reserves, which seriously damaged its re putation and led to charges of hypocrisy. Since then, the Shell Foundation has become involved in many projects across the world, including a partnership with Marks and Spencer (UK) in three flower and fruit growing communities across Africa Gary (2004) Critics concerned with corporate hypocrisy and insincerity generally suggest that better governmental and international regulation and enforcement, rather than voluntary measures, are necessary to ensure that companies behave in a socially responsible manner. Others, such as Patricia Werhane argue that CSR should be looked more upon as a Corporate Moral Responsibility, and limit the reach of CSR by focusing more on direct impacts of the organization as viewed through a systems perspective to identify stakeholders Fields(2002). In the increasingly conscience-focused marketplaces of the 21st century, the demand for more ethical business processes and actions (known as ethicism) is increasing. Simultaneously, pressure is applied on industry to improve business ethics through new public initiatives and laws (e. g. higher UK road tax for higher-emission vehicles). The term CSR came in to common use in the early 1970s, after many multinational corporations formed, although it was seldom abbreviated. The term stakeholder, meaning those on whom an organizations activities have an impact, was used to describe corporate owners beyond shareholders as a result of an influential Freeman(1984). . 5 Potential business Impacts of CSR The scale and nature of the Impacts of CSR for an organization can vary depending on the nature of the enterprise, and are difficult to quantify, though there is a large body of literature exhorting business to adopt measures beyond financial ones found a correlation between social/environmental performance and financial performance. However, businesses may not be looking at short-run financial returns when developing their CSR strategy. A recent survey of 20,000 people in 20 countries offers some fascinating insights into the way consumers, and societies at large, perceive the social and environmental responsibilities of business. Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor 2001: Global Public Opinion on the Changing Role of Companies identifies those aspects of corporate practice that matter most to the general public. It also reveals some intriguing differences in priorities between different regions of the world. The survey was undertaken by Environics International, and involved interviews with around 1,000 people in each of 20 countries including the USA, Canada, Mexico, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, India, Russia and Nigeria. The key findings are as follows. 1. Significant numbers of investors take a companys social performance into consideration when making investment decisions 2. In wealthy countries, social responsibility makes a greater contribution to corporate reputation than brand image 3. Companies that ignore social responsibility place market share at risk 4. Views and behaviours of opinion leaders indicate that consumers social expectations of companies will continue to grow 5. North American consumers represent the most socially demanding market for companies 6. Two distinct groups of citizens, making up a third of the world, are engaged in pressurizing companies to assume greater social responsibility Human resources A CSR programme can be an aid to recruitment and retention, particularly within the competitive graduate student market. Potential recruits often ask about a firms CSR policy during an interview, and having a comprehensive policy can give an advantage. CSR can also help improve the perception of a company among its staff, particularly when staff can become involved through payroll giving, fundraising activities or community volunteering. See also Corporate Social Entrepreneurship, whereby CSR can also be driven by employees personal values, in addition to the more obvious economic and governmental drivers. What to Do? Articulate an alternative corporate ethical framework that places public relations into the core goals of socially responsible corporations. Public relations often perceived as attempt by cynical corporations to manipulate public opinion. Sadly true in some cases, but PR much more than this. 3. 0 Conclusion If Corporate Social Responsibilities(CSR) could become truly valued and supported by all Firm, it could become the foundation for a revised ethos between businesses and their societies all over the world. Such a revision should turn the invisible hand of business profitability into a visible and active hand of social prosperity. And businesses would be the better for it. . 0 Recommendations If corporate morality is to change into something less selfish and more humane, it should be guided by someone who values human relationships and be socially responsible too. Corporations must acknowledge that they are part of broader society and that publics in the society can have an impact on their achievements. Corporate Social Responsibilities(CSR) is based on publics, and publics are cultural constructs. Corporate Social Respo nsibilities , therefore, must take into account culture. REFERENCES: Baker, M. Companies in Crisis- What to do when it all goes wrong. Bansal, P. , R. Roth (2000). Why Companies Go Green: A model of Ecological Responsiveness. The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 4. Bulkeley, H. (2001). Governing Climate Change: The Politics and Risk Society. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, Vol. 26, No. 4. Davis Lewiz (2001) â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor† Global Public Opinion on the Changing Role of Companies https://www. environicsinternational. com/ Fields, S. 2002). Sustainable Business Makes Dollars and Cents. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 110, No. 3. Freeman K(1984). â€Å"Business and Corporate Social Responsibility† New York. Fry, L. W. , G. D. Keim, R. E. Meiners (1982). Corporate Contributions: Altruistic or for Profit? The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 25, No. 1. Gary Woller, (2004) â€Å"Business Responsibility and Society- A Public Relation Perspective† Mark R. Kramer(1998), â€Å"V FSG Social Impact Advisors. † Kennedy School Harvard University. Michael E. Porter(2001) a leading authority on competitive strategy and head of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School Sacconi, L. (2004). A Social Contract Account for CSR as Extended Model of Corporate Governance (Part II): Compliance, Reputation and Reciprocity. Journal of Business Ethics, No. 11. Sullivan, N. ; R. Schiafo (2005). Talking Green, Acting Dirty (Op-Ed). New York Times, June 12, 2005. Sun, William (2010), How to Govern Corporations So They Serve the Public Good: A Theory of Corporate Governance Emergence, New York: Edwin Mellen, ISBN 9780773438637