Jackie Robison vs Ali Essay - 1640 Words

Jack Roosevelt â€Å"Jackie Robinson† Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr â€Å"Muhammad Ali† Muhammad Ali once said, Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesnt matter which color does the hating. Its just plain wrong.† Muhammad Ali stood for the common black man, so did Jackie Robinson. Both of these men were professional athletes, two different sports, baseball and boxing, were changed forever because of these men. They both broke segregation barriers not only in their profession but also outside the field and ring. Both these men had some similarities but overall had more differences whether it was their profession, who they were influenced by, or their involvement with war. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American†¦show more content†¦While boarding a bus Jackie Robinson had refused to sit in the back, because of this he was ruled court marshaled. He was token into custody but was found innocent by President Truman. While Martin Luther King Jr did not support the war, Jackie Robinson did, he wrote to President Johnson to let him know that he has the support of Jackie Robinson and many other African-Americans. Jackie Robinson was in full support of the war, but Muhammad Ali was not, in fact Muhammad Ali refused to go to war in 1966, he had failed his qualifying test but was later revised and was changed into class 1A, which meant he was now eligible for the draft. When he was notified of the change he declared that he would refuse to serve in the United States Army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector, which meant he could not go to war because of his religious stance. Ali stated that War is against the teachings of th e Holy Quran. Im not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We dont take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers. Ali also famously said in 1966: I aint got no quarrel with them Viet Cong ... They never called me nigger.† His refusal of going to war was made into a huge dilemma, it went on to be a supreme court case, â€Å"Clay vs United States†. The day of his induction into the U.S armed forces on

Assessing the Marketing Strategy of Payboy Magazine Free Essays

Contents Introduction4 Literature review5 The product life cycle5 Introduction stage5 Growth stage6 Maturity stage6 Decline stage7 MARKET SEGMENTATION8 Attractiveness of a market segment9 Target market strategies9 BRAND10 Building and managing brand equity12 Globalisation13 There are three main international marketing orientations13 Ethics in marketing14 Gender role and marketing14 Generic marketing strategy15 Findings16 The playboy product life cycle16 Market segmentation17 Brand17 Globalization17 Ethics18 Marketing strategy18 Discussion20 Conclusions21 Recommendations21 References22 Introduction A marketing strategy calls for the organization to pull its limited resources to attract the desired market segment and gain some competitive advantage. The positioning of a product is the reason the target segment of the market uses or buys a product based on the attributes of the product which ensure that the product attracts the desired market segment by meeting the product expectations (Wind, 1990). These two strategies are used to attract consumers of all product types. We will write a custom essay sample on Assessing the Marketing Strategy of Payboy Magazine or any similar topic only for you Order Now The magazine industry mainly applies these strategies to attract buyers towards their product. They offer their readers target content by being first segmented into the various types of magazines which include: men, women, news magazines and readers digest. Readers digest offer its readers a wide array of topics of interests without focussing on a specific readership, gender or group of interests. News magazines offer feature news articles usually on topics that have already been discussed in other news media but in a more in-depth sense. Women’s magazines offer articles of interest to women and men’s magazines offer articles of interest to men. Magazines are further segmented under each section to feature topics of interest from decor to cars. One of the more successful men’s magazines Playboy will be discussed in this paper, focussing on, what strategy they applied to achieve their global success. The magazine has been in existence for over, 50years and has stood the test of time. This paper will seek to determine what marketing strategies they applied to achieve their global success. Literature review The product life cycle The product life cycle can be divided into several stages characterised by the revenue generated by the product. A PLC depicts the stages that the product goes through during its life time. The PLC is made up of the following stages: Introduction stage When the product is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. Advertising costs are typically high during this stage in order to rapidly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introductory stage the firm is likely to incur additional costs associated wit the initial distribution of the product. These higher costs coupled wit low sales volume usually make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. During the introduction stage, the goal is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class. The introductory stage comprises of the following marketing mix components: Price – the price will be generally high, assuming a skim pricing strategy for a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly. In some instances, a penetration pricing strategy is used and introductory prices are set low to gain market share quickly. Distribution –the distribution is selective and scattered as the firm commences implementation of the distribution plan. Promotion – it is aimed at building brand awareness. Samples or trials may be directed at early adopters. Growth stage This is a stage of rapid revenue growth. Sales increase as more customers become aware of the product and its benefits and additional market segments are targeted. The marketing team may increase its distribution at this point. When competitors enter the market, often during the later part of the growth stage, there may be price competition and or increased promotional costs in order to convince customers that the firm’s product is better than that of the competitor. During the growth stage the goal is to gain consumer preference and increase sales. The marketing mix may be modified as below: Product – new product features and packaging options, improvement of product quality Price – the price may be maintained at a high level if demand is high or reduced to capture additional customers. Distribution – at this point, the distribution becomes more intensive. Trade discounts are minimal if resellers sow a strong interest in the product. Promotion – advertising is increased to build brand preference. Maturity stage This is the most profitable stage. While sales continue to increase into this stage, they do so at a slower pace. The brand awareness is strong and so the advertising expenditures will be reduced. Te firm places effort into encouraging competitors’ customers to switch, increasing usage per customer, and converting non users into customers. Sales promotion may be offered to encourage retailers to give the product more shelf space over competing products. During the maturity stage, the goal is to maintain market share and extend the product life cycle. The marketing mix decision may include: Product – modifications are made and features are added in order to differentiate the product from competing products tat may have been introduced, Price – there are possible price reductions in response to competition while avoiding a price war. Distribution – new distribution channels and incentives to re-sellers n order to avoid losing self space. Promotion – emphasis on differentiation and building of brand loyalty. Incentives may be introduced at this stage to get competitors’ customers to switch. Decline stage At this stage, sales begin to decline as the market becomes saturated, the product becomes technologically obsolete, or customer taste change, if the product as developed brand loyalty, the profitability may be maintained longer. Init costs may increase with the declining production volumes and eventually no more profit can be made. During the decline stage, the firm has three options: †¢ Maintain the product with hope that competitors will exit. Reduce costs and find new uses for the product. †¢ Harvest it, reducing market support and coasting along until no more profit can be made. Discontinue the product when no more profit can be made or there is a successor product. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: Product – the number of products in the product line may be reduced. Rejuvenate surviving products to make them look new again. Price – prices may be lowered to liquidate inventory of discontinued products. Prices may be maintained for continued pr oducts serving a nice market. Distribution – it will become more selective. Channels that are no longer profitable are passed out. Promotion – expenditures are lower and aimed at reinforcing the brand image for continued products. MARKET SEGMENTATION Here, the suppliers will want to concentrate in a particular market. There are two important factors to consider when selecting a target market segment. These are the attractiveness of the segment and the fit between the segment and the firm’s objectives, resources and capabilities. † This is the process in which a company attempts to identify the categories of consumers whose needs and wants it can satisfy. In order to segment the market Companies first assess their capabilities and resources then they determine the competitive situation in the marketing environment. Finally they match their capabilities with the needs of the market segment. There is no single way of segmenting the market because their criteria used to segment the market depend on the individual organisations. The segmentation process involves several steps: †¢ You define the market usually based on the consumers needs †¢ Identify the best market segmentation criteria †¢ Apply the segmentation criteria and divide the market †¢ Analyse and understand the profile of the priority consumer segment (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) Attractiveness of a market segment The following aspects can be considered when evaluating the attractiveness of a market segment: †¢ Growth rate in the segment †¢ Size of the segment †¢ Competition in the segment †¢ Attainable market share given promotional budget and competitors’ expenditures †¢ Required market share to break even Market research and analysis is essential to obtain this information. Te impact of micro and macro environmental variables on the market segment should be considered. Target market strategies Market specialisation – here the firm specialises in a particular market segment and offers that segment an array of different products Full market coverage – the firm attempts to serve the entire market. This coverage can be achieved by means of either a mass market strategy in which a single undifferentiated marketing mix is offered to the entire market, or by a differentiated strategy in which a separate marketing mix is offered to each segment. Product specialisation – Here the firm specialises in a particular product and tailors it to different market segments Selective specialisation – Here the different marketing mixes are offered to different segments. The product itself may or may not be different. The promotional messages or distribution channels may vary. Single segment strategy – Here one market segment is served with one marketing mix. A single segment approach often is the strategy of choice for smaller companies wit limited resources. BRAND A brand is a name or symbol used to identify the source of a product. (NetMBA,marketingbrand equity). Very successful brands have been known to become the generic name of a product. The design and implementation of an effective brand strategy can be considered in relation to the brand, product or the service offered. There are several brand strategies that can be applied, these include: †¢ Brand development strategy – used when the brand already exist †¢ Rebranding – when an existing brand is rebranded in line with the change in the market segmentation or competitive positioning strategy. †¢ Brand introduction – used when a new brand is introduced †¢ Brand extension (umbrella branding) – used when a new product that is unrelated to an existing product is introduced. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) The brand can add significant value when it is well recognised and as positive associations in the mind of the consumer. This concept is referred to as â€Å"Brand equity. † There are three perspectives from which to view brand equity: 1. Consumer- based: A strong brand increases the consumer’s attitude strength toward the product associated with the brand. Attitude strength is built by experience with a product. This importance of actual experience by the customer implies that trial samples are more effective than advertising in the early stages of building a strong brand. The consumer’s awareness and associations lead to perceived quality, inferred attributes, and eventually, brand loyalty. 2. Brand extensions: A successful brand can be used as a platform to launch related products. Te benefits of brand extensions are the leveraging of existing brand awareness thus reducing advertising expenditures, and a lower risk from the perspective of the customer. Appropriate brand extensions can enhance the core brand. Te value of the brand extension is however more difficult to quantify than are direct financial measures of brand equity. 3. Financial: One way to measure brand equity is to determine the price premium that a brands commands over a generic product. Strong brand equity provides the following benefits: . It is an asset that can be sold or leased 2. It Increases cash flow by increasing market share, reducing promotional costs, and allowing premium pricing. 3. It facilitates a more predictable income stream Building and managing brand equity In his 1989 paper, Managing brand Equity, Peter H. Farguhar outlines # the following three stages tat are required in order to build a strong brand: 1 . Introduction – in this stage, introduce a quality product with the strategy of using the brand as a platform from which to launch future products. A positive evaluation by the consumer is important. 2. Elaboration – make the brand easy to remember and develop repeat usage. There should be accessible brand attitude, that is, the consumer should easily remember his or her positive evaluation of the brand. 3. Fortification – the brand should carry a consistent image over time to reinforce its place in the consumer’s mind and develop a special relationship with the consumer. Brand extensions can further fortify the brand, but only with related products having a perceived fit in the mind of the consumer. Globalisation Marketing efforts can cross borders in a process known as internationalisation and globalisation. Internationalisation is when a firm starts to sell the products across the borders. Globalisation is a result of internalisation and it is shown by an increase in volumes and value of goods as well as the emergence of transnational segments of consumers with similar demand. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007). The main factors influencing international marketing operations are: †¢ Good knowledge of the evolution of the international business environment †¢ The existing assets of the firm †¢ The capacity of managers †¢ To rapidly adapt the firm’s strategy to the continuous changes in international markets. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) There are three main international marketing orientations †¢ Domestic Market orientation – this is when you sell your service or products in a foreign markets that is very similar to the domestic market. †¢ The multi-national orientation – this is when a product or services adapts to the demands of each foreign market. †¢ Global orientation – it identifies the transnational segment of consumers in different foreign countries having similar needs and wants. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) The main challenge with globalisation is whether to adopt standardisation or adaptation theories in the marketing strategy. It has been argued that standardisation should be adopted because international markets have increasingly convergent needs and wants. However, standardisation does not allow for the local cultures to shape the preferences and in such cases the adaptation theory will work best. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) Ethics in marketing The ethical stance of an organisation can either promote or hinder the marketing strategy of an organisation. Ethical issues ranging from pay, pricing of goods to environmental issues affect the image of an organisation and can have a critical impact on an organisation’s brand. In order to combat the negative publicity, organisations can form ethical alliances with non-profit organisation taking the form of donations, cause-related marketing, event sponsorship, employee exchange and the provision of services. Such cause-related marketing strategies can be used to distinguish an organisation in the market place. (Ranchhod Gurau, 2007) Gender role and marketing In advertising, it has been found that the marketing to women and men especially in publication differ in terms of the type of products they advertise. Men products tend to promote lifestyle enhancing and professional appearance while women’s advertisements tend to promote self reflection and personal appearance (Graham and Gollop, 2003). Many brands in the market are said to posses gender bias. The bias helps leverage their ability to attract their male or female target group. This same trait works as a hindrance where the brand is trying to cross the gender divide (Jung and Lee, 2006). Findings show that depending on the race and gender of the magazine, the roles of the women and men changed. In women’s magazines, women appeared in subordinate roles most of the time and were considered more exposed then men although research has shown that these roles appear to be changing. Interestingly, depending on the magazine gender bias, men’s magazines had dominated in images of men and women’s magazines dominated in images of women (Graham and Gollop, 2003). In most the magazines, women appeared as sexual objects. Generic marketing strategy Porters has two main fundamental decisions that organisation need to adopt in order to gain competitive advantage. He proposed that organisations could compete on price and differentiation. The two strategies define the following four generic competitive strategies . 1. Overall price leadership – it provides products and services at lowest prices 2. Differentiation – offering a product or service with differentiated features. 3. Differentiation focus – segment the market then offer each segment a differentiated product. 4. Price focus – firstly, segment the market and offer the segment a low price (Mitchell,2010) Findings The playboy product life cycle Introduction – Playboy was introduced in 1953 with a $1000. 0 budget. The first publication had a circulation of 53991 copies and Marylyn Manroe was on the cover prior to her fame at a price of $0. 5 per issue. When this idea was launched, the logo was a stag, and the magazine was supposed to be called ‘Stag Growth stage –the playboy ‘bunny ‘was introduced and subsequently became the prima ry unchanged logo for the magazine. Maturity stage-in the 1970’s the playboy magazine had grown in popularity and this marked the best sales period of its circulation. The magazine grew into the playboy corporation and has under the umbrella name in addition to the magazine: Night clubs †¢ Casinos †¢ cosmetics Decline- given the negative publicity linked to the content of the playboy magazine, in the late 1970’s immediately after achieving its peak, their sales declined as a result of the rise of competitors such as penthouse (Trivialibrary. com, 2010). There was a 2-year ban on all explicit content magazines in the united states in the†¦ based on the speculation that magazine of that content was a health hazard. Maturity stage -to date the magazine has a notable goodwill and has accumulated in value. In 2002, the first issue of the playboy magazine was auctioned off for $5000. 0 showing that the magazine has accumulated value as a collectable. Market se gmentation The playboy magazine cast a wide web and segmented its market using geographical and gender based segmentation. The magazine is typically targeted at men aged between 18 and 80 years of age. However, the contents satisfied both the male and female market (Forbish, 2004). Brand The playboy brand is symbolised by a black bunny bearing a bow tie. It has immense goodwill and has been exploited and incorporated into several products such as jewellery, T-shirts printed etc. The magazine P has stars to indicate the level of circulation for that particular issue Major brand extensions include: lingerie, jewellery, TV shows, Clubs and Casinos. Globalization The playboy magazine has been published in over 50 countries worldwide with local publication and has shown a certain degree of popularity internationally. It sells more the 3million copies in the united states and 4. 5million copies around the world (Forbish, 2004). In addition, playboy has a website which has allowed that to reach an international market. Ethics There have been many ethical issues surrounding the magazine spanning from, exploitation of women to the lack of morals based in the sexual content of the magazine. However, they stand out from the rest because they show some moderation on their contents; †¢ they are not as explicit in both their magazine and web content †¢ their sit only shows nudity to viewers after they have acknowledged the content Marketing strategy The main aim of the playboy magazine was to sell a ‘lifestyle’ and not just sex and nudity. The idea was for the young man to feel like he was a member of a playboy lifestyle club (Forbish, 2004; Thompson, 2008). They show this by incorporating issues of interest to men including humorous and celebrity related content (Forbish, 2004). Between 1959 and 1961, Playboy had a television show ‘Playboy penthouse’ which supplemented in television what it offered as a publication. This show was not an easy success story because television at the time was related to feminism and usually show cased feminine products and shows (Thompson, 2008). The show offered the viewer a visual idea of what the playboy lifestyle was about: beautiful women, celebrities and partying (Thompson, 2008). They have a web page that was opened in 1994. It is currently the most visited site and highly successful magazine online sites. Its cyber store has a 2700 item catalogue and is responsible for a major portion of the playboy profit. Another major feature is the live feature which allows surfers access to view live events online. The ideas of the web site was not to lose sight of the playboy persona by strongly linking its contents and the quality to that of the magazine aimed at getting its visitors to buy into the playboy brand as well as other merchandise that they sell online (Forbish, 2004). When introducing the magazine, the pictures that were published in the magazine were of an upcoming icon Maryline Manroe which was to be used in a calendar. Playboy has been known for using celebrities such as Pamela Anderson in its covers. They also used award winning non sexual content interviews with famous figures to sell the magazine including Malxom X, Martin Luther King Jr. (Forbish, 2004). Discussion The playboy magazine is an ideal example of a magazine that stood the test of time. Starting in the 1950’s the magazine managed to capitalize on a basic need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ‘Sex’. Considering the more conserving time era in which the magazine was launched, the minimal budget and the small circulation, the magazine has proven to be a success story. To date, the playboy brand is considered a symbol of status, fashion and personality (Chen and Wang, 2007) In terms of strategy, using semi naked women on the cover, to attract their ideal market segment was a good key strategy to attract readership; having the semi naked women being up and coming celebrities like Pamela Andersen was a genius idea this being key in attracting their target market; men aged between 18-80. This strategy was the key to the success if the magazine (Thompson, 2008). In terms of positioning, the playboy magazine has expressed intensely that they are not a ‘pornographic’ magazine and attest the idea that their content is purely sexual in nature (Schilowitz, 2004). They argue that their content is of interest to men and thus their articles will be male interest related; with men interests being women amongst other things. They show this by having in depth interviews with interesting key people in society including Malcom X. They push the idea that Playboy is in-fact a lifestyle of fun with a sexual connotation, which is why the extensions of the brand include casinos and clubs. In terms of ethics, the try to show that they are not pushing the men into reckless sex, they do not exploit women and they do have a certain level of conservative standard which they show by not fully exposing their women; and putting restrictions on their websites to inform their patrons about potential nudity in their sites. Conclusions In conclusion, the playboy brand is a successful entity, the name and logo has an international standing. Having graced that stands from the 1950’s to present day and stood the test of criticism, linking to the ‘pornographic market, defending its image as a lifestyle as opposed to a product the brand has been successful. In terms of segmentation, the ‘Playboy’ magazine had had a high success rate in reaching its target market while unintentionally attracting another segment in the market; women readers. It has successfully offered its readers more than just ‘sex’, it has offered its readers the ideal idea of what it means to be a man (Cox, 1961). Playboy has had a fair share of negative press about the ethics of the publication linked to the images of the women but this has had a little effect on the goodwill of their brand. In summation, the playboy brand has been marketed successfully and the application of the strategy has been well carried out. This has been done through effective segmentation, application of online marketing and globalization, application of ethics, effective use of goodwill on the brand as well as brand extensions. Recommendations The following recommendations could be applied: Given the current global HIV/AIDS pandemic, it would be in the interest to include in their articles talks about how best to avoid, prevent and stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Their articles should promote awareness and prevent stigmatization. References Chen Y and Wang X. (2007). Research on the legal protection of intellectual property right in clothing brand. Asian social science. Vol. 3 (2) pp 77-80 Cox H. (1961) Playboy’s Doctrine of Man. Christianity and Crises. Forbish T. 2004) Sexual Profiteering and Rhetorical Assuagement: Examining Ethos and Identity at Playboy. com. JCMC. Vol. 9 (3) Jung K. and Lee W. Cross-Gender Brand Extensions: Effects of Gender of the brand, Gender of consumer, and Product Type on Evaluation of Cross-Gender Extensions. Advances of Consumer Research. Vol. 33. pp 67-74. Graham R. and Gollop C. J. (2003) Gender Role Reinforcement in Popular Magazine Advertising. Dissertation from the University of North Carolina. United States. Schilowitz E. (2004) Dont Dare Associate Playboy With Porn: Playboy Enterprises, Inc. . Netscape. Communications Corporation. B. U. J. Sci and Teck L. Vol. 10 (2) Thompson E. (2008) The Parodic Sensibility and the Sophisticated Gaze : Masculinity and Taste in the Playboy Penthouse. Televisions and News Media. Vol. 9 (4) pp 284-304. Wind Y. J (1990) Positioning analysis and strategy. Interface of marketing strategy. Jai Press ———————– Assessing the marketing strategy of Playboy magazine Strategic Marketing MKT 762 Dr. Ayanda Group IV Modise Nengu 9903378 Oumi El-Kindiy 200302031 Dineo Mooketsi 9703200 How to cite Assessing the Marketing Strategy of Payboy Magazine, Essays

Killer angels 2 Essay Example For Students

Killer angels 2 Essay The Killer AngelsThe Battle of Gettysburg brought the dueling North and South together to the small town of Gettysburg and on the threshold of splitting the Union. Gettysburg was as close as the United States got to Armageddon and The Killer Angels gives the full day-to-day account of the battle that shaped Americas future. Michael Shaara tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals and men involved in the action of the battle. The historical account of the Battle of Gettysburg gives the reader a chance to experience the battle personally and not the history book manner taught in schools. A historical novel gives the facts straightforward and provides no commentary by the people involved in history. The historical account of the Battle of Gettysburg, as seen in Killer Angels, provides the facts of the battle as seen through the eyes of Generals Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, James Longstreet, and John Buford. The feelings and inner-thoughts of each General and the conditions of the battle are seen, heard, and felt by the reader in the historical account. Shaara takes historical license with letters, the words of the men, and documents written during the three hellish days of the battle. Shaara avoids historical opinion and provides his own opinion towards the Civil War and the people. The historical account of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg specifically, in Killer Angels conveys the attitude to toward war, attitude towards the Civil War, and cause for fighting the war of General Robert E. Lee, Joshua Chamberlain, James Longstreet, and John Buford. General Robert E. Lee gained stoic and legendary status as the heart and soul of the South in the Civil War, but many did not know his reasons and feelings for fighting the war. War and the slaughter of others did not interest Lee and he felt compassion for the Union. Lee had contradictory feelings towards war and says, He was not only to serve in it but he was to lead it, to make the plans, and issue the orders to kill and burn and ruinhe could not do that (Shaara 263). The Civil War is not in the taste of General Lee, but feels it is his duty, and he cannot just stand by and watch the war pass him by. Michael Shaara says of Lees reason for fighting the Civil War , He found that he had no choiceLee could not raise his hand against his own. And so what then? To stand by and do nothing? It had nothing to do with causes; it was no longer a matter of vows (Shaara 263). Shaara, through his commentary on General Lee, explains that Lee did not want to fight the war but had to. Lee felt it was his duty to fight for his fellow countrymen, but not for a cause, land, or slavery. So it was no cause and no country he fought for, no ideal and no justice. He fought for his people, for the children, and the kin, and not even the land, because the land was worth the war, but the people were, General Lee says (Shaara 263). General Lee fights for himself and has no cho ice but to fight, knowing in the end that he might be wrong with his cause and pay the price someday. General Lee is not a proponent of war, but he will serve his country with honor and duty if necessary. A man of ideals and honor represent the character of Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. Being a man of education, Chamberlain knows the demeaning and repulsive nature of slavery and has come to fight to end it. Chamberlain hates the whole idea of the Civil War and the death and destruction that goes along with it. I used my brother to plug a hole. Did it automatically as if he were expendable, says Chamberlain (Shaara 304). He hates the idea that men, including his brother, are dying out in the fight for slavery. The only reason he believes in the Civil War is that if he the North did not fight freedom would be tarnished and a great travesty .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .postImageUrl , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:visited , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:active { border:0!important; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:active , .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06 .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u81cf9bdc2b9f8bf48b1d26c9a2db5b06:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Iron And Silk Essay

Evil flaw in God or necessity for our sake an Example by

Evil: flaw in God or necessity for our sake? The question of why God allows evil is extremely difficult to answer if we ask it in terms of classical Christian theology. Indeed, if God is not only omniscient and omnipotent, but also the kindest in existence why does he allow evil and suffering? For the sake of argument, we shall accept the Christian position: that God takes an active position in humanitys lives, and that he, in his infinity, knows and cares about individual lives, not treats them as we would treat cells of our own body with care, but a disinterest in each individual cells life. Need essay sample on "Evil: flaw in God or necessity for our sake?" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed There are a number of classical explanations to the phenomenon of evil in this context. One of them, expounded upon most by the renowned John Hick, is the so-called soul-making theodicy. It states that God created not slaves to live, not dolls, but children that evolve and children must be taught. As anyone who had to deal with children can tell you, there must be two ways of education: the whip and the candy, bitter and sweet. Only in balance they are effective. If we are not playthings to have fun with, but indeed Children of God, then we must go through all of the lessons we can. If we are Children, then we live through Gods own experience, to get closer to infinity with every one. In Christian theology, God allowed his son to partake of human pain and fear indeed, a mirroring process to what happened in the beginning, when God allowed humans to partake of his own worst qualities. When God created children, he gave them the ability to learn for what else could free will be? - a place to learn and grow, and the necessity to do so. Indeed, the best of circumstances to aid us in rising to his level. To be like God, to be above all of creation, even the angels, we must know all aspects of his existence including evil. How can evil exist in a perfect creature, for surely, perfection denies evil? In my humble opinion, to deny God evil would be to limit him. People always seem to forget for some reason that a truly infinite being would not only be the kindest in existence, but also the cruelest. God is infinity, he is beyond good and evil, he is beyond cruel and kind. He is always both. He is the spectrum itself, not any of its ends. He is the merging of opposites, something we, with our thoroughly dual perception, cannot comprehend. People have always wanted to place shackles on infinity, as on anything we cannot understand. Even in math we must work with limits to somehow appraise it, to use it. Yet, humanity fails in shackling infinity time and time again, because we are finite in ourselves, however we may try to go beyond our finiteness. We are attempting to bind reality with illusory chains, and are utterly unsuccessful, though we may at times amuse ourselves with false tales of victory. The ways of God are incomprehensible so goes the classical quote. Indeed, we can have no idea of what goes on within the mind of a sentient creature so far beyond us, however much we wish to. We have no idea what he might consider good or useful, or how he perceives things. If we take Christian theology, we can know for certain that he can think at the human level Jesus being proof but wherever did humankind get the idea that this human level is the most important? God is a creature with his own plans, and while they both concern us and with us, it is not necessary that the latter outweigh the former. Even if he cares for us more than for the rest of creation, we persist in our anger. Though we, in thinking logically a bit, know that evil that we perceive may be lesser, or not evil at all, when looked upon from the grander scale of things and if God is all-kind, he surely works to prevent evils that are too great for us to work with, as a student is given progressively tougher exercises. Yet, like a child from whom a too-dangerous toy may be taken away does not understand why the parents act as they do and is angry, so are we angry with a God who, by definition, knows better in his omniscience. We are not angry with him for saving us - but when he goes against the illusion we have built ourselves of him. As we can see, God has no reason to be kind. He is infinite, and he can be as cruel or kind as he wishes, as he is, in truth, beyond that or not infinite. He does not owe it to us to care about us. Yet, even if we presume that he cares about us, we can see that evil is absolutely necessary for our growth, for us to expand and learn more of both God and ourselves. And last, as a point to think about, does not Murphys Law state that something can always get worse? We have no idea what God is truly preventing from happening to us indeed, humans likely might have died out all too long ago. Yet we exist thanks to this great balance of duality, which is truly necessary for our ongoing life and evolution. End Notes John Hick's Official Web Site,August 5, 2005. The Three Initiates, The Kybalion,August 5, 2005.

Fire by Deepa Mehta essays

Fire by Deepa Mehta essays In Deepa Mehtas film, Fire, symbolism is used to show the struggle between tradition and new ideas. This struggle, which Radha defeats with her choice for lesbianism, is symbolical paralleled by the reoccurring scenes of her as a child. The film is a tale of two vital, beautiful women breaking their cultural obstacles and being reborn through the passion they express for each other. Their relationship is forbidden, but it is by giving into their feelings that they find the strength to defy their husbands and turn their backs on tradition. Tradition is one of the dominant themes in the film and is represented by Biji, the mother of the family. This is a good symbolic figure for tradition because her old age represents the ageing of the ideals her generation strictly lives by. With her age she has lost her voice and must ring a small bell in order to display anger or discomfort. This represents the dieing off of old customs and the strength of traditions voice fading out. This allows for a rise of new ideas because the old ways are losing their power and leavening room for a new voice. Sita, who becomes Radhas lover, represents this new voice through youth and resistance to oppression. She is symbolic of the fight against tradition because she openly opposes social issues which Radha has been taught to ignore. As Sita continues to question these traditions Radha finds herself questioning her lifestyle as well. Throughout the film, symbolism and foreshadowing play an important role in displaying the feelings of the characters and the overall message of the movie. Radhas inner struggle is revealed to the audience through clever flash backs and camera angles that imply hidden messages in the scenes. For example, Fire opens with a flashback or dream of a little girl and her parents sitting in a large field of flowers. The child is Radha, one of the main characters, when she was a little girl. This sc...

Critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical analysis - Essay Example Thus unjust measures enforced by the so called laws came to an end. Almost all the works ever produced in the history have philosophical identity. The philosophers’ writings on various subjects signify their philosophical ideas and themes which they articulate and suppose in order to distinguish between good and evil. Philosophy and logic are eager to study the techniques and theories applied in making distinction between correct and incorrect reasoning. Logic is, Copi views, the study of the methods and principles used to differentiate good (correct) from bad (incorrect) reasoning. (1986:3.) The main objective behind logic is analysis of ones own thinking, which helps an individual in evaluating the knowledge he has attained on the one hand and to support his mental growth and cognitive development on the other. Furthermore, comprehensive and in-depth examination of thinking is highly beneficial in order to draw out divergence between good and evil as well as right and wrong. The same is the case with the Hindu Brahman came across by Voltaire. Voltaire is of the opinion that levels of satisfaction as well as mode of feeling happy vary from one individual to the other. Since human societies have been divided into countless categories including caste, class, creed, community, clan, tribe, region, religion, race, age-group and socioeconomic status, their views, habits and thinking are also differ from one another. Some of the individuals seek happiness and contentment in simple and plain way of leading life within the set up of their personal little worries, little knowledge and commitment to their everyday tasks and routine life. On the contrary, another stratum of society declares knowledge and wisdom as the first and foremost thing, and struggles hard to seek more and more wisdom and foresight. The desire for acquiring for more knowledge realizes the

Macroeconomics 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macroeconomics 2 - Essay Example Japan is considered the strongest economy in the Asian region. The Asian economies are dependent on Japanese trade and imports. The earthquake that hit Japan has completely disrupted the entire economy of the island of Japan. The financial markets of Japan have been negatively impacted by the event. The Toyko shares drop by 11% on March 15, 2011 and by 6.2% on Monday March 14, 2011. The total combined drop in value was 17.2%. Along with the news and effects of the earthquake there is currently a lot of speculation due to the nuclear scare the people of Japan are facing. There is a possibility that the damage in the nuclear plants released radiation into the atmosphere which would cause environmental damage to the ecology and to humans. Millions of Japanese inhabitants are at risk of exposure to radiation if the worse scenario becomes a reality. The uncertainty associated with the nuclear condition of Japan is causing panic among the investor community and within the population of Jap an. A major problem that the region of Japan is facing since the earthquake hit them is that its supply chain logistics have been altered. The supplier logistics have been dislocated throughout Japan due to restrictions on using highways for freight has been imposed. When companies are unable to receive raw inventory on time it can cause a firm to suffer from a shutdown. Hundreds of corporations in Japan have close down since the earthquake hit. Along with logistics another problem companies are facing is a lack of stability in its power grid. Electricity shutdowns have been occurring throughout the entire region of Japan. Without electricity companies are unable to produce. Another industry that has been hit hard by the event is the tourism industry. People are scare to travel to Japan right now. Many flights in and out of Japan have been cancelled. Tourism brings in a lot of money because the people that come to Japan spend money during their visit to the nation. There are many so cial aspects that must be considered after the earthquake. The government of Japan has to invest resources in order to find shelter for the thousands of victims that lost their homes. The fact that food and oil prices are high hurts in the recovery process. Higher prices on food will hurt the ability of the government and the non-profit organizations to purchase sufficient food to feed the victims. The medical industry had a huge increase in the demand for its services after the earthquake. Thousands of people were injured as a result of the earthquake. Japan needs the immediate importation of medical professionals in order to meet the demands for medical services as a result of the crisis. The rise in oil prices is another factor that is negatively impacting the Asian economies. A rise in the price of crude oil has inflationary consequences due to the fact that oil has so many derivative products and because virtually all transportation vehicles use gasoline to operate. In the next few months Japan is going to experience a major boom in its construction industry. There is going to be a