The Minister’s Black Veil - Conflict, Climax and...

â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† - Conflict, Climax and Resolution Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† will be examined in order to determine the conflicts in the tale, the climax and resolution. The conflict involving evil and sin, pride and humility is the direction that Clarice Swisher in â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography† tends: â€Å"Hawthorne himself was preoccupied with the problems of evil, the nature of sin, the conflict between pride and humility† (13). In the opinion of this reader, the central conflicts – the relation between the protagonist and antagonist (Abrams 225) - in the tale are an internal one, a spiritual-moral conflict within the minister, the Reverend Mr. Hooper, and an†¦show more content†¦Gloria C. Erlich in â€Å"The Divided Artist and His Uncles† says that â€Å"he let his more extravagant characters test the unlimited for him and sadly concluded that it was unlivable† (38). At the outset of the tale, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† the sexton is tolling the church bell and simultaneously watching Mr. Hooper’s door, when suddenly he says, ``But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face? The surprise which the sexton displayed is repeated in the astonishment of the onlookers: â€Å"With one accord they started, expressing more wonder. . .† The reason is this: â€Å"Swathed about his forehead, and hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath† is a black veil. The 30 year old, unmarried parson receives a variety of reactions from his congregation: ``I cant really feel as if good Mr. Hoopers face was behind that piece of crape ``He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face ``Our parson has gone mad! Few could refrain from twisting their heads towards the door. . . . . . . more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meeting-house. At this point begins the external conflict of the drama – between the minister and the people of his congregation, which will last until his death. Except for the sable veil, Reverend Hooper is quite a compatible and sociable personality: Mr. Hooper had theShow MoreRelated The Theme of Hawthorne’s The Ministers Black Veil Essay2353 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† – The Theme  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† the dominanat theme is obviously one man’s alienation from society. This essay intends to explore, exemplify and develop this topic.    Hyatt Waggoner in â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne† states:    Alienation is perhaps the theme he handles with greatest power. â€Å"Insulation,† he sometimes called it – which suggests not only isolation but imperviousness. It is the opposite ofRead More The Theme in The Minister’s Black Veil Essay2601 Words   |  11 PagesThe Theme in â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Morse Peckham in â€Å"The Development of Hawthorne’s Romanticism† explains what he interprets Hawthorne’s main theme to be in his short stories:    This technique, though Hawthorne’s is different from that of European writers, creates analogies between self and not-self, between personality and the worlds. . . .Henceforth Hawthorne’s theme is the redemption of the self through the acceptance and exploitation of what society terms

Beauty and the Beast Story Analysis - 1469 Words

Beauty and the Beast is probably one of the most well known fairy tales that the Grimms reproduced. In it s original form it was a long, drawn out story that was catered to adults. The Grimms changed the story to be more understood by children and made it short and to the point. Unlike many of the other fairy tales that they reproduced, Beauty and the Beast contains many subtle symbols in its purest form. It shows a girl and how she transfers to a woman; it also shows that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The one major thing that separates this story from all the rest is that Beauty gets to know the Beast before marrying him. The story starts out simply enough. There was a merchant who had three daughters and was going to the†¦show more content†¦That is what love comes down to. True love will prevail if it is meant to be. The symbolism in this story is overwhelming in that every little detail can be examined and in turn meant to represent something. Take the forest f or example. According to Jung, who was a Neo-Freudian, the forest is meant to be a feminine attribute and can be related to the unconscious. Also notice that Beauty is the youngest daughter of the three. In life the youngest is the most inexperienced and also usually the most protected child. According to Alder, who was also a Neo-Freudian, the youngest child is the one that is most pampered in life and usually felt inferior to the other children. Maybe this is why Beauty was willing to give up her freedom for her father. She was trying to do something to feel superior to her older sisters. Fairy tales overwhelmingly have an emphasis on looks, in the case it comes in the form of names. Both Beauty and the Beast are named after physical traits that describe their outside appearance but not their inner self. Also, it is the rose that causes the trouble in the first place. A rose can represent perfection, beauty, female sex organs and the trueness of the heart. This could be interpr eted as a sign of what the future is to bring for Beauty. Beauty at the start is a young, inexperienced girl who by the end is transformed into a young woman who is to be married. As Beauty sees her father in the mirror and theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Bruno Bettelheim s Beauty And The Beast 1414 Words   |  6 Pagesin terms of Freudian psychology, which is represented in his works of The Uses of Enchantment. Beaumont’s story of Beauty and the Beast is where the first discovery of Beauty’s problem was identified as the Oedipal complex. The Oedipal complex is a child’s desire to have a sexual relation with the parent of the opposite sex, but it is repressed deep in the mind. Beauty in Beauty and the Beast has a special bond of affection with her father; there is the problem that arises within this complex thatRead MoreBeauty and the Beast Literary Analysis1310 Words   |  6 PagesBeauty and the Beast Don’t judge a book by its cover. Beauty and The Best is a well know fairytale that has this hidden concept. The best-known version of the story, popularized through Disney, is Madame de Beaumont’s version. The book goes in depth with the two main characters Belle as Beauty and Prince Adam as The Beast. Both characters are protagonists in the fable. The story is examined through three critical perspectives. The analyses include Moral, Fredian, and Reader Response. FairytalesRead MoreThe Lion King, Beauty And The Beast, And Sleeping Beauty1663 Words   |  7 PagesThese stories, however, do have original versions that should be analyzed when researching the true meanings of these children s stories. Walt Disney portrays children s tales as a simple, fun form of entertainment, but the original stories reveal the bigger truths, changes, and adversities of these children books. The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty are three of the many children s st ories that have controversial backgrounds. No matter the time frame, these stories have theirRead MoreBeauty And The Beast Analysis1525 Words   |  7 PagesBeauty and the Beast is perhaps one of the most well-known fairy tales in the Walt Disney production and has been a part of our lives growing up. Most people have either seen the animated version or heard about the fairy tale. The recent remake of the 1991 animated version is aimed to contend against criticism for romanticizing Stockholm Syndrome (Duff, 23). Looking back to the animated version of Beauty and the Beast through modern lenses, certain features of the movie start to appear problematicRead MoreEssay about Film Analysis of King Kong Produced by Merian C. Cooper651 Words   |  3 PagesFilm Analysis of King Kong Produced by Merian C. Cooper A classic adventure-fantasy film in the earlier talking films is King Kong (1933). King Kong was conceived by director/producer Merian C. Cooper. Cooper tells the story of an attractive blonde woman and a frightening gigantic ape-monster who are immersed in a Beauty and the Beast type tale. A major section of the film is the struggle on Skull Island between the filmmakers, the islanders, and the other resident of the islandRead More##mal Characters In Bisclavret And The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1408 Words   |  6 Pagespersonality and psyche. The ironic twist with both of these stories is that the individuals with aberrant behaviors are put into a sympathetic position, with their traits taking a backseat to the true treachery afoot. These authors establish their respective characters in very different ways, but still hint at the same conclusion that the typical romantic relationships of the times were toxic, revealing that the true monsters of the stories were the main characters’ lovers. It’s hard to see the redRead MoreThe Port rayal Of Children s Books918 Words   |  4 Pagestitles and as central characters in children’s books (e.g., Ernst, 1995; Hamilton, Anderson, Broaddus, Young, 2006). Ernst’s analysis of children s book titles found male names represented nearly twice as frequently as female names. Ernst also found that even books with female or gender-neutral names in their titles frequently had androcentric storylines. That is, the stories revolved around a male character. As noted by McCabe et al., â€Å"Gender representations reproduce and legitimate gender systems;Read MoreEssay on Walt Disney Films Analysis 1227 Words   |  5 PagesWalt Disney Films are known to be as an incredible and outstanding fantasy stories producer. It created more than a hundred of films. Majority of what has been produced rely on fictional stories. The films that were released used animation to capture children’s interest and musically performed as well. Walt Disney produced fantasy stories l ike The Little Mermaid 1989; Sleeping Beauty 1959; Beauty and the Beast 1991; Cinderella 1950 and more. The tales most often than not were always about the lifeRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of How Of Read Literature Like A Professor By Thomas C. Foster1089 Words   |  5 PagesEhren Lewis Mrs. Mary Smith Ap literature 20 September 2017 Analysis of Symbolism in†How to Read Literature Like a Professor† â€Å"How to read Literature like a Professor† by Thomas C. Foster is a very helpful book that goes over multiple literary strategies on how to read literature like a professor or someone with his literary skill. . With all of these literary strategies, symbolism is one that recurs frequently the throughout the entire book. Foster’s use of different techniques of symbolismRead MoreComparing Disney s Versions Of Princess Centric Tales And Their Popular Counterparts2554 Words   |  11 Pagesmost profitable Disney franchise, grossing over $5 billion worldwide (Sheridan, 2014). This report aims to identify the similarities and differences between Disney s versions of princess-centric tales and their popular counterparts through critical analysis and comparison of their content, tone and style. Approximately one century before Walt Disney began his animation career, the Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm) started their popular legacy through re-writing old folk tales, which they thought

Critique of Centesimus Annus Free Essays

string(58) " of God would mean complete disrespect for human dignity\." I. Synopsis of the Pope’s Encyclical Centesimus Annus, written by Pope John Paul II, commemorates and praises Pope Leo XIII’s â€Å"Of New Things† (Rerum Novarum) written in 1891. Even after a hundred years, it still hasn’t lost its vital influence. We will write a custom essay sample on Critique of Centesimus Annus or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is meant to honor the Church’s â€Å"social doctrine† which had come from it. We should go through it once more so as to rediscover the wisdom behind the basic principles on how we should deal with the workers’ condition. We should also look into the future to reawaken our responsibility, to proclaim the truth, and to communicate the life which is Christ. We should look at our own â€Å"new things† to bring forth in the Church’s tradition, both â€Å"new† and â€Å"old† from the Lord’s treasure. â€Å"Old† refers to defending the human person, protecting human dignity, building a more just society, and fighting injustice. â€Å"New† is analyzing recent history in order to understand the new requirements of evangelization. Chapter I – Characteristics of â€Å"Rerum Novarum† Towards the end of the last century, a new form of property had emerged – capital; and a new form of labor – labor for wages. Labor for wages was mainly profit- and efficiency-driven, rather giving high regard to the workers’ sex, age or family situation. Human labor had become a commodity which could be freely bought and sold in the market, in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Workers were threatened by unemployment and lack of society security — leading to their starvation. Society has been divided into two classes. One promotes total economic freedom by appropriate laws while the other leans toward an organized and violent form of political and social structure. When people started to realize the injustice of the situation and a socialist revolution threatened to break out, Pope Leo XIII intervened by writing a document dealing with the systematic approach on the â€Å"condition of the workers†. Society was torn by the conflict between capital and labor — the worker question. The Pope wanted to restore peace, so he condemned class struggle. He formulated a doctrine regarding the Church’s stand on specific human situations — both individual and communal, national and international. However, not all readily accepted the Church’s right and duty in doing so. Many still believe that the Church should restrict itself to otherworldly salvation. The Pope’s letter put the Church in a â€Å"citizenship status† amidst the changing realities of public life. The Church’s social teaching is an essential part of the Christian message and there can be no genuine solution to the â€Å"social question† apart from the Gospel. Pope Leo XIII affirmed the dignity of work and the rights and dignity of workers, who work hard for self-preservation and for attaining their various needs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. Pope Leo XIII also stressed the right to â€Å"private property† — land ownership. Everyone has the right to possess things necessary for his and his family’s development. Pope Leo XIII’s letter affirms other undeniable rights such as the â€Å"natural human right† to form private or professional associations like trade unions. The Pope also acknowledges the limit on working hours, the right to legitimate rest, and the right of children and women to be treated differently with regard to the type and duration of work. He wrote of the right to a just wage that would be sufficient to support the worker and his family. This right cannot be left to the free consent of the parties. The Pope spoke of â€Å"distribute justice† whereby the public authority has the â€Å"strict duty† of providing for the workers’ welfare, especially that of the poor because they have no other means apart from what they earn. He also affirms the right of the working class to fulfill their religious duties freely and avail of Sunday rest. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the State should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The richer class can help itself while the poor have no resources of their own to do so and depend heavily on the State’s assistance. This still applies today, with the new forms of poverty in the world. It does not depend on any ideology or political theory, but on the principle of solidarity, valid in the national and international order. Leo XIII calls it â€Å"friendship†, Pius XI calls it â€Å"social charity†; Paul VI, extending it even further, speaks of a â€Å"civilization of love.† In line with the Church’s â€Å"preferential option for the poor,† Pope Leo XIII calls upon the State to intervene and remedy the condition of the poor. Though he does not expect the State to solve every social problem. The individual, family, and society should be protected by it and not be repressed by it. The point highlighted by Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical and the Church’s social doctrine is a correct view of the human person. God has imprinted man in his own image and likeness. Man’s rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Chapter II – Towards the â€Å"New Things† of Today The events of 1989 and 1990 proved that Pope Leo XIII’s perception on the consequences of â€Å"real socialism† are accurate — that the worker would be the first to suffer, that it would distort the role of the state and create utter confusion in the community. Socialism considers the individual person as a mere molecule within the social organism to which he is completely subordinated. Man is no longer free to make a moral decision independently. This makes it difficult to realize his personal dignity and build a human community. The Christian vision is different: the social nature of a person is not totally fulfilled in the State, but is realized in various intermediary groups, beginning with the family and expands to include economic, social, political and cultural groups. Denial of God would mean complete disrespect for human dignity. You read "Critique of Centesimus Annus" in category "Papers" The Pope does not intend to condemn every possible form of social conflict since such conflict is inevitable. However, Christians must take a stand in the â€Å"struggle for social justice.† He condemns â€Å"total war† — which has no respect for the dignity of others and of oneself. It attempts to dominate one’s own side using any (and often reasonable) means to destroy the other side. Thus, class struggle in the Marxist sense and militarism have atheism and contempt for the human being as their common root. Rerum Novarum is against any form of State control that would reduce the citizen into a mere â€Å"cog† in the State machine. It is also opposed to a state that is not interested in the economic sector. The State has to determine the judicial framework to conduct economic affairs, so that the interests of one group do not overrule another. Society and the State should take the responsibility in protecting the workers against unemployment by establishing policies that would ensure the workers’ balanced growth and full employment. They must protect the vulnerable immigrants and the marginalized from exploitation. â€Å"Humane† working hours and adequate leisure need to be guaranteed, along with the right to express one’s own personality without sacrificing one’s conscience or personal dignity. The State must try to achieve these goals in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. Indirectly by subsidiarity — by creating favorable conditions for the free exercise of economic activity; directly by solidarity — by defending the weakest and ensuring the necessary minimum support for the unemployed. The encyclical and the subsequent social teaching of the Church influenced numerous reforms in the years bridging the 19th and 20th centuries. Reforms were carried out partly by States and achieved through workers’ movements which include Christians who established the producers’, consumers’, and credit cooperatives and promoted general education, professional training, and new forms of participation in the life of the workplace and society. Lack of respect for human dignity led to the tragic wars which ravaged Europe and the world between 1914 and 1945. Hatred and resentment built on injustices on the international level made these cruel wars possible. Though weapons have remained silent in Europe since 1945, true peace, which entails the removal of the causes of war and genuine reconciliation between people, has not yet been achieved. Half of Europe fell under a Communist dictatorship, while the other half is trying to defend itself. They use science and technology for creating instruments of war. Power alliances fought and caused enormous bloodshed in different places. Extremist groups got themselves armed; those in favor of peaceful solutions remained isolated or fell as victims. Following World War II, Third World countries became militarized. Terrorism spread and the whole world was threatened by an atomic war. Though new ideas about peace and war started to stir people’s consciences, the threat of Communist totalitarianism distracted people’s attention and provoked different responses. Some countries made a positive effort to rebuild a democratic society inspired by social justice. Others set up systems of â€Å"national security† opposing Marxism, but risked destroying the very freedom and values of the person for which they are defending. Another response came from the affluent/consumer society, which seeks to defeat Marxism by showing how a free market society can achieve a greater satisfaction of material human needs than Communism, while equally overlooking spiritual values. â€Å"Decolonization† became widespread. These countries, however remained in the hands of large foreign companies which are not committed to the development of the host country. They lack competent leadership that would be able to successfully integrate all tribal groups into genuine national communities. The horrors of the WWII and a lively sense of human rights led to the formation of the United Nations Organization. Deeper awareness on the rights of individuals and the rights of nations shifted the focus of the social question from the national to the international level. But UN has yet to establish effective means for resolving international conflicts. Chapter III – The Year 1989 In the 1980’s, oppressive regimes fell in Latin America, Africa, and Asia mainly due to the violation of workers’ rights — the oppressed working people recovered and rediscovered the principles of the Church’s social teaching. A second factor in this crisis was due to the technical inefficiency of the economic system which spans violation in both cultural and national dimension. We can understand a human being more completely when we place him within the cultural context — through language, history, and the position he takes towards the fundamental life events. When these differences are overlooked, the culture and moral life of nations deteriorate. The main cause of this collapse was the reaction of the younger generations to the spiritual void brought by atheism. The youth did not find any sense of direction until they rediscovered the roots of their national culture and the person of Christ. Marxism promised to uproot the need for God from the human heart, throwing the heart into confusion. The struggle which led to the changes of 1989 were born of prayer. Humankind, created for freedom, bears the wound of original sin, which draws persons to evil and puts them in constant need of redemption. This shows that the human person tends towards good but is also capable of evil. We must not confuse political society with the Kingdom of God. It is only God who will do the Final Judgment. The Kingdom of God, being â€Å"in† the world without being â€Å"of† the world, throws a light on society, calling everyone, especially the laity, to infuse human reality with the Gospel. The Church encountered a workers’ movement that had been partly under the dominance of Marxism for almost a century. Workers found their consciences, in their demand for justice and recognition of the dignity of work, in conformance to the Church’s social teaching. The crisis of Marxism does not rid the world of the injustices on which it thrived. To those looking for a new theory, the Church offers her teaching, as well as her concrete commitment and material assistance in the struggle against marginalization and suffering. Beyond an impossible compromise between Marxism and Christianity, the Church reaffirms integral human liberation with consequences important for the countries of the Third World, searching for their own path to development. The second consequence concerns the European people. Many individual, social, regional and national injustices were committed during the Communism years; thus there is great risk that such conflicts would re-occur. We need to unite international structures that would mediate the conflicts between nations and reach for a peaceful settlement. A patient material and moral reconstruction is necessary. The fall of Marxism and the end of the world’s division highlight our interdependence. Peace and prosperity belong to the whole human race and cannot be achieved if attained at the cost of other people and nations. The real post-war period had just begun in some countries in Europe. Their predicament was brought about by the tragic situation imposed upon them. The countries responsible for that situation owe them a debt in justice. This need should not diminish the willingness to sustain and assist the countries of the Third World, which often suffer even more. Priorities have to be redefined. Enormous resources could be mobilized by disarming the huge military machines built by East and West for conflict. These resources could become even more abundant if we found a way of resolving conflicts peacefully. A change of mentality is necessary — wherein the poor is no longer seen as a burden but instead as people seeking to share the right in enjoying material goods and make good use of their capacity for work so that we can create a just and prosperous world for all. Development must be understood as something fully human, not as something merely material. Its main purpose is the enhancement of everyone’s capacity to respond to God’s call. Recognition of the rights of the human conscience serves as the foundation of truly free political order. We must reaffirm this principle for the following reasons: some dictatorships have not yet been overcome; in the developed countries, the promotion of and demand for instant gratification devalue respect for human rights and values; and in some countries, new forms of religious fundamentalism deny minority groups their rights to know and live the truth. Chapter IV – Private Property and the Universal Destination of Material Goods The Church teaches that the possession of material goods is not an absolute right, and that there are certain limits to that right. Man should not consider material possessions as his own but as common to all. Private property also has a social function based on the law of the common purpose of goods. Access to work and land serves as the basis of every human society. In the past, the earth was the primary factor of wealth; today, the role of human work has become an important factor for producing nonmaterial and material wealth. Work â€Å"with† and â€Å"for† others depends largely on insight into the productivity of the earth and knowledge of our human needs. Today, the possession of know-how, technology, and skill have become as important as land. The wealth of industrialized nations is based more on the ownership of technology than on possession of natural resources. Another important source of wealth is the ability to foresee the needs of others and satisfy those needs. This often requires the cooperation of many people working towards a common goal. Skills in organizing, planning, timing, and management are also sources of wealth. The role of discipline, creativity, initiative, and entrepreneurial ability, is evident. This process reaffirms the stand of Christianity: next to the earth, humanity’s principal resource is the person himself. Once the decisive factor of production was land; then it was capital; now it is the human being. Many are faced with the impossibility of acquiring the needed knowledge to take their place in the working world. They are exploited or marginalized and they cannot keep up with new forms of production and organization. In their quest for wealth, they flock towards Third World cities only to find that there is no room for them. Sometimes, there are even attempts to eliminate them through population control. Many others struggle to earn a bare minimum in inhumane conditions. Those cultivating land are excluded from land ownership and are practically slaves with no land, no material goods, no knowledge, no training. Some development programs have been set up, and the countries that managed to gain access to the international market in this way have suffered less from stagnation and recession than those who isolated themselves. Those who fail to keep up with the times — such as the elderly, the women, and the youth – are often marginalized. They are incapable of finding their place in society and are classified as part of the so-called Fourth World. The free market appears to be the most efficient tool for utilizing resources and responding to needs. But this holds true only for those who have the purchasing power and who those whose resources are marketable. Justice and truth demand that basic human needs should be met and that none should be left to die. The possibility of surviving and making a contribution to the common good is something which is due to the person as a person. In the Third World context, Pope Leo XIII’s objectives are yet to be met. Trade unions and other worker’s organizations find here a wide range of opportunities for commitment and effort for the sake of justice. It is right to speak of a struggle against an unjust economic system that does not uphold the priority of the human being over capital and land. The alternative to it is not a socialist system that leads to state capitalism, but a society with free work, enterprise, and participation that is in favor of a market which guarantees the basic needs of the whole society. Profit is a regulator of the life of a business but is not the sole indicator of a firm’s condition. There are other equally important factors to be considered — such as human and moral factors. After the fall of â€Å"real socialism†, capitalism is not the only economic alternative left. Individuals and nations need the basic things to enable them to share in development. Stronger nations must assist weaker ones, weaker nations must use the opportunities offered. Foreign debts affect these efforts. The principle that debts should be paid remains, but should not be asked for at the cost of the hunger and at the price of unbearable sacrifice of the people. There is the need to lighten, defer, or even cancel the debts, to let people subsist and progress. In advanced economics, quality is more important than quantity — the quality of the goods to be produced and consumed, the quality of the services to be enjoyed, the quality of the environment and of life in general. Hence the phenomenon of consumerism arises. Appealing to human instinct only may create lifestyles and consumer attitudes that are damaging to spiritual and physical health. The educational and cultural formation of consumers and producers and of the mass media are urgently needed, as well as the intervention of public authority. An example of false consumption is drug abuse. This implies a serious malfunction in the social system, a destructive â€Å"reading† of human needs, and the idle filling of a spiritual void. Same is true with that of pornography and other exploitative consumerism. It is not wrong to want to improve our lives; it is wrong to seek a lifestyle which is presumably better when it is directed towards what one â€Å"has,† instead of what one â€Å"is.† Even the decision to invest in one way rather than another is a moral and cultural . Consumerism also raises the ecological issue. Humankind is consuming the resources of the earth and life in an excessive and disordered way, while neglecting the earth’s own needs and God-given purpose. Humanity today must be conscious of its duties and obligations towards future generations. Aside from the concern on the destruction of our natural environment and the threat of extinction of our various animal species, we must also safeguard the moral conditions of our â€Å"human ecology†. We must use earth with respect to the original good purpose of which it was given by God. Urbanization and work can give rise to â€Å"structures of sin†. Courage and patience would be needed to destroy such structures and replace them with more authentic forms of community life. The first and fundamental structure for a â€Å"human ecology† is the family, founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self as husband and wife creates an environment in which children can be born and develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny. Too often life is considered to be a series of sensations rather than as something to be accomplished. The result is a lack of freedom to commit oneself to another person and to bring children into this world. This leads people to consider children as one of the many â€Å"things† which an individual can have or not have as they please. The family is sacred; it is the heart of the culture of life. The Church denounces the limitation, suppression or destruction of the sources life — including abortion, systematic anti-child-bearing campaigns, and chemical warfare. The State is responsible for defending and preserving the common goods such as natural and human environments. Relying on market forces alone will not suffice. Such mechanisms carry the risk of an â€Å"idolatry† of the market which ignores the existence of goods which are not just mere commodities. Marxism blamed capitalist societies for commercializing and alienating the human being. This censure is based on misconception of alienation — the remedy of which is collectivism, but this only further aggravated the situation. Alienation is still a reality in the West, because of consumerism, that does not help one appreciate one’s authentic personhood and because of work, which shows interest only in profit, and none in the workers, considering them to be mere means. The way out of this deadlock is to reconsider the Christian vision of the human person and its â€Å"capacity for transcendence.† A human society is both alienated and alienating if its organization, production, and consumption make transcendence more difficult. A person who is concerned solely with possessing and enjoying and is no longer able to control his instincts and passions cannot be free, Obedience to the truth about God and humankind is the first condition of freedom. After the failure of Communism, should capitalism be the goal for Eastern Europe and the Third World? The answer is complex. If â€Å"capitalism† meant a market or free economy that recognizes the role of business, the market, private property, the resulting responsibility for the means of production, as well as free human creativity — then the answer is â€Å"yes.† If it meant a system in which economic, religious, and ethical freedom are denied, then the answer is â€Å"no.† Marxism failed, but marginalization and exploitation remain. The collapse of communism is not enough to change these conditions. A radically capitalist system might not even try to solve them. The Church has no models to offer as effective models only develop out of concrete situations. Instead, the Church offers its social teaching as an indispensable and ideal orientation. It insists on the right of workers to be respected and to be involved in the life of industrial enterprises so that, in a certain sense, they â€Å"work for themselves.† The relationship between private property and the universal destination of material wealth has to be reestablished. By means of his work a person commits himself, not only for his own sake but also for others and with others — their families, communities, nations, and, ultimately for all humanity. They collaborate with suppliers and customers in a continuously expanding chain of solidarity. Ownership is just if it serves a useful work; it is unjust when it is used to hinder others, or to break the solidarity among workers to gain profit. The obligation to earn one’s bread presumes the right to do so. A society that denies this right cannot be justified, nor can it attain social peace. Chapter V – State and Culture Pope Leo XIII speaks of organizing a society whereby there is a balance of these three powers- legislative, executive, and judicial. Marxist-Leninism contradicted this by saying that people who have more knowledge than others should rule others in an absolute way. Totalitarianism rejected the authority of the Church and attempts to destroy her. By defending its own freedom, the Church also defended the human person. The Church values democracy and cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups that would use the power of the State for their own intentions. Authentic democracy requires a State ruled by law, true education and formation, participation and shared responsibility. Democracy does not mean that there is no ultimate truth. The Church is aware of the danger of fanaticism and fundamentalism. Christian truth is not an ideology; it knows that human life is realized in history, and it always respects human freedom. Freedom attains its full development only by accepting the truth. The democratic ideal prevails today, so does the attention to human rights. That is why, we must stress the importance of these rights: the right to life, that of a child to develop in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception, to live in a united family, to education, to work and support oneself and one’s dependents, to establish a family freely, to have and to rear children, to live in the truth of one’s faith. Not all these rights are being respected though, even in countries practicing democracy. Sometimes certain demands are not met for narrow opportunistic, electoral, or financial reasons. This leads to distrust and apathy and inability to see any issue within the framework of a coherent vision of the common good. Market economy cannot be run in an institutional, juridical, or political vacuum: the State has its role to play, guaranteeing personal freedom, a stable currency, and efficient public services. Lack of stability, corruption, improper ways of growing rich, and speculation hinder development and social order. The State has to intervene when monopolies hinder development; it can substitute its own services when certain sectors of business are too weak to render the services needed for the common good. Those interventions should only be brief so as to avoid removing from society and business tasks that belong to them. The â€Å"principle of subsidiarity† must be respected: â€Å"A community of a higher order should not interfere with the life of a community of a lower order, taking over its functions.† In case of need it should, rather, support the smaller community and help to coordinate its activity with activities in the rest of society for the sake of the common good. Not doing this leads to a loss of human energy, an increase of bureaucratic agencies, and an increase in costs. The Church has always been present and active among the needy, offering them material assistance in ways that neither humiliate nor reduce them to mere objects of assistance. To overcome today’s individualistic mentality, a concrete commitment to solidarity and charity is necessary and this should begin in the family. The State should create social policies with family as their main focus — to assist the family with adequate resources for bringing up their children and looking after the elderly, thus strengthening the relations between generations. The culture of a nation is born, generation after generation, from the open search from truth. The heritage of values have always been challenged by the young — not in order to destroy or reject it, but to make it more real, relevant, and personal. When a culture becomes inward-looking, disregarding the truth about man, it is heading for its end. The first and foremost task for the adequate formation of a culture happens within a person’s heart. Building one’s own future depends on the understanding a person has of himself and of his own destiny. The Church contributes at this level to true culture, promoting peace, preaching how creation is placed in human hands to make it fruitful and more perfect, preaching how the Son of God saved and united us, making us responsible for all of mankind. Pope Benedict XV and his successors recognize the negative impact of war on people’s lives and repeated the cry: â€Å"War, never again!†. Just as personal revenge has given way to the rule of law within states, so has the time come for a similar step to be taken at an international level, not forgetting that at the root of war and conflict there are usually serious grievances. Another name for peace is development. Together we are responsible for avoiding war; together we are responsible for promoting development. It should be possible to organize at an international level the kind of solid economy that is possible in an individual society. The poor-whether individuals or nations- need to be provided realistic opportunities. This calls for a concerted worldwide effort to promote development which may mean important changes in established lifestyles, limiting waste of environmental and human resources. It also means utilizing the new and spiritual responses of peoples who today are at the margin of the international community, thus enriching the family of nations. Chapter VI – The Human Being Is the Way of the Church The Church is not interested in imposing her own vision. Her sole purpose has been care and responsibility for the human person who has been entrusted to her by Christ. The human sciences and philosophy are helpful in explaining how this concrete person is involved in a complex network of relationships within modern times. Faith reveals our real identity. That is why the Church concerns itself with the rights of the individual, the working class, the family and education, the duties of the State, the ordering of national and international society, economic life, culture, war and peace, and respect for human life from conception till death. The Church receives â€Å"the meaning of the person† from Divine Revelation. The theological dimension is needed both for interpreting and solving present-day problems in human society. This is in contrast with both the â€Å"atheistic† solution, which deprives humankind of one of its basic dimensions and to permissive and consumerist solutions. In the Church’s viewpoint, the social message of the Gospel must not be treated as a â€Å"theory† but rather a basis for action. Through time, this message has gained more credibility because of its logic and consistency. Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by promoting justice. It is not a matter of giving from one’s own surplus, but of helping the entire people. This requires a change of lifestyle, a reorientation of ourselves and our organizations toward the whole of the human family. Today we are facing â€Å"globalization† of the economy which can create unusual opportunities for greater prosperity. It asks for effective international agencies to coordinate the powerful nations and take into account the weaker ones- which even the most powerful state on earth would not be able to do on its own. The gift of grace is needed, a newness that is experience by following Jesus. Faith not only helps people to find solutions; it makes even situations of suffering humanly bearable, so that in these situations people will not become lost or forget their dignity and vocation. The Church’s social teaching should begin a practical and scientific dialogue at the crossroads where it meets the world as it is. Solving serious national and international problems in the world calls for specific ethical and religious values. This encyclical, while looking at the past, is directed towards the future. The intention is to prepare us for that moment, with God’s help. II. What does the Pope’s message mean to me By looking back at history, we can derive lots of valuable lessons and learn from our own mistakes as well as from the mistakes of others. In this new encyclical, the Holy Father provides us with reasons to hope in a modern society which would obey the Church’ s social teachings. The Pope also gives us new reasons and motivation to further evangelize the world. In Centesimus Annus, two classes of society have been identified — one of which exercises total economic freedom by appropriate laws, and the other makes use of an organized and violent form of political and social structure. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the state should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The State should exercise a â€Å"preferential option for the poor†. I think the best way would be something in between socialism and liberalism. This refers to exercising political intervention in market structures. The framework is such that in a free-market economic system, competition is allowed, but state intervention should come should the control of the market be deemed necessary for the benefit of the common good, i.e. provide the greatest utility for all. I agree with Pope John Paul II that the new source of economic wealth is no longer â€Å"land† nor â€Å"capital†. It is a combination of new skills and talents. These skills include the knowledge of new technologies, entrepreneurship, foreseeing and meeting others’ needs, organizing, planning, and management. Such talents need be polished through discipline, creativity, initiative, and courage. With regards to Human Work, it can only be understood from a â€Å"personalist† point of view — through the exercise of man’s free will and intellect. This brings dignity to work. Pope Leo XIII writes about the condition of workers: dignity of work, dignity of workers, right to private property, right to form private associations, limit on working hours, right to legitimate rest, right of children and women to fair treatment based on their capabilities, right to a just wage, distributive justice, and the right to fulfill religious duties freely It is true that man’s rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. It doesn’t matter what type of work we perform as long as we do them with pride and conviction. On Family, I agree that it is the heart of the culture of life. The family is the real sanctuary of life. It is the fundamental structure for â€Å"human ecology†. It is from our family that we first learned of ideas about truth and goodness, what it means to love and be loved, and what it means to be a person. On Solidarity, it is a moral expression of our interdependence. It reminds us that we are one family regardless of race, nationality, and economic power. Pope Leo XIII also emphasized the value of quality of quantity. I think this argument is valid. It is of no use for a person to acquire so many goods if he cannot enjoy them for long because of their poor quality. It is of no meaning for a person to live for a very long time if his life is of no quality – he doesn’t use it to his fullest to enhance his personal growth and the growth of his neighbors. Indeed, this encyclical has shared to us so many insights which are worth reflecting and applying to our daily lives. We must make the most of the teachings which our Church leaders has diligently compiled through time. How to cite Critique of Centesimus Annus, Papers

Critique of Centesimus Annus Free Essays

string(58) " of God would mean complete disrespect for human dignity\." I. Synopsis of the Pope’s Encyclical Centesimus Annus, written by Pope John Paul II, commemorates and praises Pope Leo XIII’s â€Å"Of New Things† (Rerum Novarum) written in 1891. Even after a hundred years, it still hasn’t lost its vital influence. We will write a custom essay sample on Critique of Centesimus Annus or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is meant to honor the Church’s â€Å"social doctrine† which had come from it. We should go through it once more so as to rediscover the wisdom behind the basic principles on how we should deal with the workers’ condition. We should also look into the future to reawaken our responsibility, to proclaim the truth, and to communicate the life which is Christ. We should look at our own â€Å"new things† to bring forth in the Church’s tradition, both â€Å"new† and â€Å"old† from the Lord’s treasure. â€Å"Old† refers to defending the human person, protecting human dignity, building a more just society, and fighting injustice. â€Å"New† is analyzing recent history in order to understand the new requirements of evangelization. Chapter I – Characteristics of â€Å"Rerum Novarum† Towards the end of the last century, a new form of property had emerged – capital; and a new form of labor – labor for wages. Labor for wages was mainly profit- and efficiency-driven, rather giving high regard to the workers’ sex, age or family situation. Human labor had become a commodity which could be freely bought and sold in the market, in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Workers were threatened by unemployment and lack of society security — leading to their starvation. Society has been divided into two classes. One promotes total economic freedom by appropriate laws while the other leans toward an organized and violent form of political and social structure. When people started to realize the injustice of the situation and a socialist revolution threatened to break out, Pope Leo XIII intervened by writing a document dealing with the systematic approach on the â€Å"condition of the workers†. Society was torn by the conflict between capital and labor — the worker question. The Pope wanted to restore peace, so he condemned class struggle. He formulated a doctrine regarding the Church’s stand on specific human situations — both individual and communal, national and international. However, not all readily accepted the Church’s right and duty in doing so. Many still believe that the Church should restrict itself to otherworldly salvation. The Pope’s letter put the Church in a â€Å"citizenship status† amidst the changing realities of public life. The Church’s social teaching is an essential part of the Christian message and there can be no genuine solution to the â€Å"social question† apart from the Gospel. Pope Leo XIII affirmed the dignity of work and the rights and dignity of workers, who work hard for self-preservation and for attaining their various needs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. Pope Leo XIII also stressed the right to â€Å"private property† — land ownership. Everyone has the right to possess things necessary for his and his family’s development. Pope Leo XIII’s letter affirms other undeniable rights such as the â€Å"natural human right† to form private or professional associations like trade unions. The Pope also acknowledges the limit on working hours, the right to legitimate rest, and the right of children and women to be treated differently with regard to the type and duration of work. He wrote of the right to a just wage that would be sufficient to support the worker and his family. This right cannot be left to the free consent of the parties. The Pope spoke of â€Å"distribute justice† whereby the public authority has the â€Å"strict duty† of providing for the workers’ welfare, especially that of the poor because they have no other means apart from what they earn. He also affirms the right of the working class to fulfill their religious duties freely and avail of Sunday rest. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the State should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The richer class can help itself while the poor have no resources of their own to do so and depend heavily on the State’s assistance. This still applies today, with the new forms of poverty in the world. It does not depend on any ideology or political theory, but on the principle of solidarity, valid in the national and international order. Leo XIII calls it â€Å"friendship†, Pius XI calls it â€Å"social charity†; Paul VI, extending it even further, speaks of a â€Å"civilization of love.† In line with the Church’s â€Å"preferential option for the poor,† Pope Leo XIII calls upon the State to intervene and remedy the condition of the poor. Though he does not expect the State to solve every social problem. The individual, family, and society should be protected by it and not be repressed by it. The point highlighted by Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical and the Church’s social doctrine is a correct view of the human person. God has imprinted man in his own image and likeness. Man’s rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Chapter II – Towards the â€Å"New Things† of Today The events of 1989 and 1990 proved that Pope Leo XIII’s perception on the consequences of â€Å"real socialism† are accurate — that the worker would be the first to suffer, that it would distort the role of the state and create utter confusion in the community. Socialism considers the individual person as a mere molecule within the social organism to which he is completely subordinated. Man is no longer free to make a moral decision independently. This makes it difficult to realize his personal dignity and build a human community. The Christian vision is different: the social nature of a person is not totally fulfilled in the State, but is realized in various intermediary groups, beginning with the family and expands to include economic, social, political and cultural groups. Denial of God would mean complete disrespect for human dignity. You read "Critique of Centesimus Annus" in category "Papers" The Pope does not intend to condemn every possible form of social conflict since such conflict is inevitable. However, Christians must take a stand in the â€Å"struggle for social justice.† He condemns â€Å"total war† — which has no respect for the dignity of others and of oneself. It attempts to dominate one’s own side using any (and often reasonable) means to destroy the other side. Thus, class struggle in the Marxist sense and militarism have atheism and contempt for the human being as their common root. Rerum Novarum is against any form of State control that would reduce the citizen into a mere â€Å"cog† in the State machine. It is also opposed to a state that is not interested in the economic sector. The State has to determine the judicial framework to conduct economic affairs, so that the interests of one group do not overrule another. Society and the State should take the responsibility in protecting the workers against unemployment by establishing policies that would ensure the workers’ balanced growth and full employment. They must protect the vulnerable immigrants and the marginalized from exploitation. â€Å"Humane† working hours and adequate leisure need to be guaranteed, along with the right to express one’s own personality without sacrificing one’s conscience or personal dignity. The State must try to achieve these goals in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. Indirectly by subsidiarity — by creating favorable conditions for the free exercise of economic activity; directly by solidarity — by defending the weakest and ensuring the necessary minimum support for the unemployed. The encyclical and the subsequent social teaching of the Church influenced numerous reforms in the years bridging the 19th and 20th centuries. Reforms were carried out partly by States and achieved through workers’ movements which include Christians who established the producers’, consumers’, and credit cooperatives and promoted general education, professional training, and new forms of participation in the life of the workplace and society. Lack of respect for human dignity led to the tragic wars which ravaged Europe and the world between 1914 and 1945. Hatred and resentment built on injustices on the international level made these cruel wars possible. Though weapons have remained silent in Europe since 1945, true peace, which entails the removal of the causes of war and genuine reconciliation between people, has not yet been achieved. Half of Europe fell under a Communist dictatorship, while the other half is trying to defend itself. They use science and technology for creating instruments of war. Power alliances fought and caused enormous bloodshed in different places. Extremist groups got themselves armed; those in favor of peaceful solutions remained isolated or fell as victims. Following World War II, Third World countries became militarized. Terrorism spread and the whole world was threatened by an atomic war. Though new ideas about peace and war started to stir people’s consciences, the threat of Communist totalitarianism distracted people’s attention and provoked different responses. Some countries made a positive effort to rebuild a democratic society inspired by social justice. Others set up systems of â€Å"national security† opposing Marxism, but risked destroying the very freedom and values of the person for which they are defending. Another response came from the affluent/consumer society, which seeks to defeat Marxism by showing how a free market society can achieve a greater satisfaction of material human needs than Communism, while equally overlooking spiritual values. â€Å"Decolonization† became widespread. These countries, however remained in the hands of large foreign companies which are not committed to the development of the host country. They lack competent leadership that would be able to successfully integrate all tribal groups into genuine national communities. The horrors of the WWII and a lively sense of human rights led to the formation of the United Nations Organization. Deeper awareness on the rights of individuals and the rights of nations shifted the focus of the social question from the national to the international level. But UN has yet to establish effective means for resolving international conflicts. Chapter III – The Year 1989 In the 1980’s, oppressive regimes fell in Latin America, Africa, and Asia mainly due to the violation of workers’ rights — the oppressed working people recovered and rediscovered the principles of the Church’s social teaching. A second factor in this crisis was due to the technical inefficiency of the economic system which spans violation in both cultural and national dimension. We can understand a human being more completely when we place him within the cultural context — through language, history, and the position he takes towards the fundamental life events. When these differences are overlooked, the culture and moral life of nations deteriorate. The main cause of this collapse was the reaction of the younger generations to the spiritual void brought by atheism. The youth did not find any sense of direction until they rediscovered the roots of their national culture and the person of Christ. Marxism promised to uproot the need for God from the human heart, throwing the heart into confusion. The struggle which led to the changes of 1989 were born of prayer. Humankind, created for freedom, bears the wound of original sin, which draws persons to evil and puts them in constant need of redemption. This shows that the human person tends towards good but is also capable of evil. We must not confuse political society with the Kingdom of God. It is only God who will do the Final Judgment. The Kingdom of God, being â€Å"in† the world without being â€Å"of† the world, throws a light on society, calling everyone, especially the laity, to infuse human reality with the Gospel. The Church encountered a workers’ movement that had been partly under the dominance of Marxism for almost a century. Workers found their consciences, in their demand for justice and recognition of the dignity of work, in conformance to the Church’s social teaching. The crisis of Marxism does not rid the world of the injustices on which it thrived. To those looking for a new theory, the Church offers her teaching, as well as her concrete commitment and material assistance in the struggle against marginalization and suffering. Beyond an impossible compromise between Marxism and Christianity, the Church reaffirms integral human liberation with consequences important for the countries of the Third World, searching for their own path to development. The second consequence concerns the European people. Many individual, social, regional and national injustices were committed during the Communism years; thus there is great risk that such conflicts would re-occur. We need to unite international structures that would mediate the conflicts between nations and reach for a peaceful settlement. A patient material and moral reconstruction is necessary. The fall of Marxism and the end of the world’s division highlight our interdependence. Peace and prosperity belong to the whole human race and cannot be achieved if attained at the cost of other people and nations. The real post-war period had just begun in some countries in Europe. Their predicament was brought about by the tragic situation imposed upon them. The countries responsible for that situation owe them a debt in justice. This need should not diminish the willingness to sustain and assist the countries of the Third World, which often suffer even more. Priorities have to be redefined. Enormous resources could be mobilized by disarming the huge military machines built by East and West for conflict. These resources could become even more abundant if we found a way of resolving conflicts peacefully. A change of mentality is necessary — wherein the poor is no longer seen as a burden but instead as people seeking to share the right in enjoying material goods and make good use of their capacity for work so that we can create a just and prosperous world for all. Development must be understood as something fully human, not as something merely material. Its main purpose is the enhancement of everyone’s capacity to respond to God’s call. Recognition of the rights of the human conscience serves as the foundation of truly free political order. We must reaffirm this principle for the following reasons: some dictatorships have not yet been overcome; in the developed countries, the promotion of and demand for instant gratification devalue respect for human rights and values; and in some countries, new forms of religious fundamentalism deny minority groups their rights to know and live the truth. Chapter IV – Private Property and the Universal Destination of Material Goods The Church teaches that the possession of material goods is not an absolute right, and that there are certain limits to that right. Man should not consider material possessions as his own but as common to all. Private property also has a social function based on the law of the common purpose of goods. Access to work and land serves as the basis of every human society. In the past, the earth was the primary factor of wealth; today, the role of human work has become an important factor for producing nonmaterial and material wealth. Work â€Å"with† and â€Å"for† others depends largely on insight into the productivity of the earth and knowledge of our human needs. Today, the possession of know-how, technology, and skill have become as important as land. The wealth of industrialized nations is based more on the ownership of technology than on possession of natural resources. Another important source of wealth is the ability to foresee the needs of others and satisfy those needs. This often requires the cooperation of many people working towards a common goal. Skills in organizing, planning, timing, and management are also sources of wealth. The role of discipline, creativity, initiative, and entrepreneurial ability, is evident. This process reaffirms the stand of Christianity: next to the earth, humanity’s principal resource is the person himself. Once the decisive factor of production was land; then it was capital; now it is the human being. Many are faced with the impossibility of acquiring the needed knowledge to take their place in the working world. They are exploited or marginalized and they cannot keep up with new forms of production and organization. In their quest for wealth, they flock towards Third World cities only to find that there is no room for them. Sometimes, there are even attempts to eliminate them through population control. Many others struggle to earn a bare minimum in inhumane conditions. Those cultivating land are excluded from land ownership and are practically slaves with no land, no material goods, no knowledge, no training. Some development programs have been set up, and the countries that managed to gain access to the international market in this way have suffered less from stagnation and recession than those who isolated themselves. Those who fail to keep up with the times — such as the elderly, the women, and the youth – are often marginalized. They are incapable of finding their place in society and are classified as part of the so-called Fourth World. The free market appears to be the most efficient tool for utilizing resources and responding to needs. But this holds true only for those who have the purchasing power and who those whose resources are marketable. Justice and truth demand that basic human needs should be met and that none should be left to die. The possibility of surviving and making a contribution to the common good is something which is due to the person as a person. In the Third World context, Pope Leo XIII’s objectives are yet to be met. Trade unions and other worker’s organizations find here a wide range of opportunities for commitment and effort for the sake of justice. It is right to speak of a struggle against an unjust economic system that does not uphold the priority of the human being over capital and land. The alternative to it is not a socialist system that leads to state capitalism, but a society with free work, enterprise, and participation that is in favor of a market which guarantees the basic needs of the whole society. Profit is a regulator of the life of a business but is not the sole indicator of a firm’s condition. There are other equally important factors to be considered — such as human and moral factors. After the fall of â€Å"real socialism†, capitalism is not the only economic alternative left. Individuals and nations need the basic things to enable them to share in development. Stronger nations must assist weaker ones, weaker nations must use the opportunities offered. Foreign debts affect these efforts. The principle that debts should be paid remains, but should not be asked for at the cost of the hunger and at the price of unbearable sacrifice of the people. There is the need to lighten, defer, or even cancel the debts, to let people subsist and progress. In advanced economics, quality is more important than quantity — the quality of the goods to be produced and consumed, the quality of the services to be enjoyed, the quality of the environment and of life in general. Hence the phenomenon of consumerism arises. Appealing to human instinct only may create lifestyles and consumer attitudes that are damaging to spiritual and physical health. The educational and cultural formation of consumers and producers and of the mass media are urgently needed, as well as the intervention of public authority. An example of false consumption is drug abuse. This implies a serious malfunction in the social system, a destructive â€Å"reading† of human needs, and the idle filling of a spiritual void. Same is true with that of pornography and other exploitative consumerism. It is not wrong to want to improve our lives; it is wrong to seek a lifestyle which is presumably better when it is directed towards what one â€Å"has,† instead of what one â€Å"is.† Even the decision to invest in one way rather than another is a moral and cultural . Consumerism also raises the ecological issue. Humankind is consuming the resources of the earth and life in an excessive and disordered way, while neglecting the earth’s own needs and God-given purpose. Humanity today must be conscious of its duties and obligations towards future generations. Aside from the concern on the destruction of our natural environment and the threat of extinction of our various animal species, we must also safeguard the moral conditions of our â€Å"human ecology†. We must use earth with respect to the original good purpose of which it was given by God. Urbanization and work can give rise to â€Å"structures of sin†. Courage and patience would be needed to destroy such structures and replace them with more authentic forms of community life. The first and fundamental structure for a â€Å"human ecology† is the family, founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self as husband and wife creates an environment in which children can be born and develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny. Too often life is considered to be a series of sensations rather than as something to be accomplished. The result is a lack of freedom to commit oneself to another person and to bring children into this world. This leads people to consider children as one of the many â€Å"things† which an individual can have or not have as they please. The family is sacred; it is the heart of the culture of life. The Church denounces the limitation, suppression or destruction of the sources life — including abortion, systematic anti-child-bearing campaigns, and chemical warfare. The State is responsible for defending and preserving the common goods such as natural and human environments. Relying on market forces alone will not suffice. Such mechanisms carry the risk of an â€Å"idolatry† of the market which ignores the existence of goods which are not just mere commodities. Marxism blamed capitalist societies for commercializing and alienating the human being. This censure is based on misconception of alienation — the remedy of which is collectivism, but this only further aggravated the situation. Alienation is still a reality in the West, because of consumerism, that does not help one appreciate one’s authentic personhood and because of work, which shows interest only in profit, and none in the workers, considering them to be mere means. The way out of this deadlock is to reconsider the Christian vision of the human person and its â€Å"capacity for transcendence.† A human society is both alienated and alienating if its organization, production, and consumption make transcendence more difficult. A person who is concerned solely with possessing and enjoying and is no longer able to control his instincts and passions cannot be free, Obedience to the truth about God and humankind is the first condition of freedom. After the failure of Communism, should capitalism be the goal for Eastern Europe and the Third World? The answer is complex. If â€Å"capitalism† meant a market or free economy that recognizes the role of business, the market, private property, the resulting responsibility for the means of production, as well as free human creativity — then the answer is â€Å"yes.† If it meant a system in which economic, religious, and ethical freedom are denied, then the answer is â€Å"no.† Marxism failed, but marginalization and exploitation remain. The collapse of communism is not enough to change these conditions. A radically capitalist system might not even try to solve them. The Church has no models to offer as effective models only develop out of concrete situations. Instead, the Church offers its social teaching as an indispensable and ideal orientation. It insists on the right of workers to be respected and to be involved in the life of industrial enterprises so that, in a certain sense, they â€Å"work for themselves.† The relationship between private property and the universal destination of material wealth has to be reestablished. By means of his work a person commits himself, not only for his own sake but also for others and with others — their families, communities, nations, and, ultimately for all humanity. They collaborate with suppliers and customers in a continuously expanding chain of solidarity. Ownership is just if it serves a useful work; it is unjust when it is used to hinder others, or to break the solidarity among workers to gain profit. The obligation to earn one’s bread presumes the right to do so. A society that denies this right cannot be justified, nor can it attain social peace. Chapter V – State and Culture Pope Leo XIII speaks of organizing a society whereby there is a balance of these three powers- legislative, executive, and judicial. Marxist-Leninism contradicted this by saying that people who have more knowledge than others should rule others in an absolute way. Totalitarianism rejected the authority of the Church and attempts to destroy her. By defending its own freedom, the Church also defended the human person. The Church values democracy and cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups that would use the power of the State for their own intentions. Authentic democracy requires a State ruled by law, true education and formation, participation and shared responsibility. Democracy does not mean that there is no ultimate truth. The Church is aware of the danger of fanaticism and fundamentalism. Christian truth is not an ideology; it knows that human life is realized in history, and it always respects human freedom. Freedom attains its full development only by accepting the truth. The democratic ideal prevails today, so does the attention to human rights. That is why, we must stress the importance of these rights: the right to life, that of a child to develop in the mother’s womb from the moment of conception, to live in a united family, to education, to work and support oneself and one’s dependents, to establish a family freely, to have and to rear children, to live in the truth of one’s faith. Not all these rights are being respected though, even in countries practicing democracy. Sometimes certain demands are not met for narrow opportunistic, electoral, or financial reasons. This leads to distrust and apathy and inability to see any issue within the framework of a coherent vision of the common good. Market economy cannot be run in an institutional, juridical, or political vacuum: the State has its role to play, guaranteeing personal freedom, a stable currency, and efficient public services. Lack of stability, corruption, improper ways of growing rich, and speculation hinder development and social order. The State has to intervene when monopolies hinder development; it can substitute its own services when certain sectors of business are too weak to render the services needed for the common good. Those interventions should only be brief so as to avoid removing from society and business tasks that belong to them. The â€Å"principle of subsidiarity† must be respected: â€Å"A community of a higher order should not interfere with the life of a community of a lower order, taking over its functions.† In case of need it should, rather, support the smaller community and help to coordinate its activity with activities in the rest of society for the sake of the common good. Not doing this leads to a loss of human energy, an increase of bureaucratic agencies, and an increase in costs. The Church has always been present and active among the needy, offering them material assistance in ways that neither humiliate nor reduce them to mere objects of assistance. To overcome today’s individualistic mentality, a concrete commitment to solidarity and charity is necessary and this should begin in the family. The State should create social policies with family as their main focus — to assist the family with adequate resources for bringing up their children and looking after the elderly, thus strengthening the relations between generations. The culture of a nation is born, generation after generation, from the open search from truth. The heritage of values have always been challenged by the young — not in order to destroy or reject it, but to make it more real, relevant, and personal. When a culture becomes inward-looking, disregarding the truth about man, it is heading for its end. The first and foremost task for the adequate formation of a culture happens within a person’s heart. Building one’s own future depends on the understanding a person has of himself and of his own destiny. The Church contributes at this level to true culture, promoting peace, preaching how creation is placed in human hands to make it fruitful and more perfect, preaching how the Son of God saved and united us, making us responsible for all of mankind. Pope Benedict XV and his successors recognize the negative impact of war on people’s lives and repeated the cry: â€Å"War, never again!†. Just as personal revenge has given way to the rule of law within states, so has the time come for a similar step to be taken at an international level, not forgetting that at the root of war and conflict there are usually serious grievances. Another name for peace is development. Together we are responsible for avoiding war; together we are responsible for promoting development. It should be possible to organize at an international level the kind of solid economy that is possible in an individual society. The poor-whether individuals or nations- need to be provided realistic opportunities. This calls for a concerted worldwide effort to promote development which may mean important changes in established lifestyles, limiting waste of environmental and human resources. It also means utilizing the new and spiritual responses of peoples who today are at the margin of the international community, thus enriching the family of nations. Chapter VI – The Human Being Is the Way of the Church The Church is not interested in imposing her own vision. Her sole purpose has been care and responsibility for the human person who has been entrusted to her by Christ. The human sciences and philosophy are helpful in explaining how this concrete person is involved in a complex network of relationships within modern times. Faith reveals our real identity. That is why the Church concerns itself with the rights of the individual, the working class, the family and education, the duties of the State, the ordering of national and international society, economic life, culture, war and peace, and respect for human life from conception till death. The Church receives â€Å"the meaning of the person† from Divine Revelation. The theological dimension is needed both for interpreting and solving present-day problems in human society. This is in contrast with both the â€Å"atheistic† solution, which deprives humankind of one of its basic dimensions and to permissive and consumerist solutions. In the Church’s viewpoint, the social message of the Gospel must not be treated as a â€Å"theory† but rather a basis for action. Through time, this message has gained more credibility because of its logic and consistency. Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by promoting justice. It is not a matter of giving from one’s own surplus, but of helping the entire people. This requires a change of lifestyle, a reorientation of ourselves and our organizations toward the whole of the human family. Today we are facing â€Å"globalization† of the economy which can create unusual opportunities for greater prosperity. It asks for effective international agencies to coordinate the powerful nations and take into account the weaker ones- which even the most powerful state on earth would not be able to do on its own. The gift of grace is needed, a newness that is experience by following Jesus. Faith not only helps people to find solutions; it makes even situations of suffering humanly bearable, so that in these situations people will not become lost or forget their dignity and vocation. The Church’s social teaching should begin a practical and scientific dialogue at the crossroads where it meets the world as it is. Solving serious national and international problems in the world calls for specific ethical and religious values. This encyclical, while looking at the past, is directed towards the future. The intention is to prepare us for that moment, with God’s help. II. What does the Pope’s message mean to me By looking back at history, we can derive lots of valuable lessons and learn from our own mistakes as well as from the mistakes of others. In this new encyclical, the Holy Father provides us with reasons to hope in a modern society which would obey the Church’ s social teachings. The Pope also gives us new reasons and motivation to further evangelize the world. In Centesimus Annus, two classes of society have been identified — one of which exercises total economic freedom by appropriate laws, and the other makes use of an organized and violent form of political and social structure. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the state should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The State should exercise a â€Å"preferential option for the poor†. I think the best way would be something in between socialism and liberalism. This refers to exercising political intervention in market structures. The framework is such that in a free-market economic system, competition is allowed, but state intervention should come should the control of the market be deemed necessary for the benefit of the common good, i.e. provide the greatest utility for all. I agree with Pope John Paul II that the new source of economic wealth is no longer â€Å"land† nor â€Å"capital†. It is a combination of new skills and talents. These skills include the knowledge of new technologies, entrepreneurship, foreseeing and meeting others’ needs, organizing, planning, and management. Such talents need be polished through discipline, creativity, initiative, and courage. With regards to Human Work, it can only be understood from a â€Å"personalist† point of view — through the exercise of man’s free will and intellect. This brings dignity to work. Pope Leo XIII writes about the condition of workers: dignity of work, dignity of workers, right to private property, right to form private associations, limit on working hours, right to legitimate rest, right of children and women to fair treatment based on their capabilities, right to a just wage, distributive justice, and the right to fulfill religious duties freely It is true that man’s rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. It doesn’t matter what type of work we perform as long as we do them with pride and conviction. On Family, I agree that it is the heart of the culture of life. The family is the real sanctuary of life. It is the fundamental structure for â€Å"human ecology†. It is from our family that we first learned of ideas about truth and goodness, what it means to love and be loved, and what it means to be a person. On Solidarity, it is a moral expression of our interdependence. It reminds us that we are one family regardless of race, nationality, and economic power. Pope Leo XIII also emphasized the value of quality of quantity. I think this argument is valid. It is of no use for a person to acquire so many goods if he cannot enjoy them for long because of their poor quality. It is of no meaning for a person to live for a very long time if his life is of no quality – he doesn’t use it to his fullest to enhance his personal growth and the growth of his neighbors. Indeed, this encyclical has shared to us so many insights which are worth reflecting and applying to our daily lives. We must make the most of the teachings which our Church leaders has diligently compiled through time. How to cite Critique of Centesimus Annus, Papers

International Business Law, Go Essay Example For Students

International Business Law, Go Essay Carriage of Goods by Sea Transportation is a key element in todays business world. Along with the sale of goods one must ship them some how to the customer. In cases of international shipment there are many different rules and regulations that the shipper must follow in order to legally transport their goods. When a company ships their goods they generally ship by common carriers, in other words a carrier that transports more than parties goods. If however a party contracts to employ an entire vessel, then that is know as charterparty. The following paper focuses on the Common Carriage and aspects such as bill of lading, the carriers duties under a bill of lading, the carriers immunities, liability limit, time limitations, and third-party rights. A general ship or a common carrier is a vessel that the owner or operator willing carries goods for more than one person. There are three different types of common carriers. First is a conference line which is an association of seagoing carriers who have joined together to offer common freight rates. Those that chose to ship all or a large share of their cargo through this process receives a discounted rate. Second is an independent line, which is when the vessel has their own rate schedules. Generally, independent lines have a lower rate than that of the conference discounted price. Finally the third aspect of common carrier is tramp vessels which are similar to independent lines by the fact that they have their own rate schedule, but they differ from both in that they dont operate on established schedules. The next topic is the bill of lading, which is an instrument issued by an ocean carrier to a shipper that serves as a receipt of the contract of carriage, and as a document of title for the goods. The treaty that governs the bill of lading is the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading. It is also known as the 1921 Hague Rules and the Brussels convention of 1924. The Hague Rules were extensively revised in 1968 by a Brussels Protocol. The amended version is known as the Hague-Visby Rules. Most countries are a party to the 1921 Hague Rules, and a few have adopted that Hague-Visby amendments such as France and the United Kingdom. A bill of lading serves three purposes, First it is a carriers receipt for goods. Second it is evidence of a contract of carriage, and finally it is a document of title. This means that the person rightfully in possession fo the bill is entitled to possess, use, and dispose of the goods that the bill represents. One aspect of the bill of lading is that of the receipt for goods. A bill of lading must describe the goods put on board a carrier, and state the quantity and their condition. The process once goods are to be shipped goes as follows, first the form is filled out in advance by the shipper, then as the goods are loaded aboard the shop, the carriers tally clerk will check to see that the loaded goods comply with the goods listed. The carrier, however is only respnsible to check for outward compliance. If all appears correct the agent of the carrier will sign the bill and return it to the shipper. This process leading up to the bill called a clean bill of lading. If however a discrepancy is noted by the carriers clerk then a notation may be added to the bill of lading. This is called a claused bill of lading, which is a bill of lading indicating that some discrepancy exists between the goods loaded and the goods listed on the bill. These bills are normally unacceptable to third parties, including a buyer or the goods under a CIF contract or a bank which has agreed to pay the seller under a documentary credit on receipt of the bill of lading and other documents. Later notations will have no effect, and the bill will be treated as if it were clean. When using bill of lading your need to distinguish between two different types, the straight bill .

Macro Economics GDP

Question: Discuss about the Macro Economics GDP. Answer: Introduction: This report will analyse and evaluate the trends in Canadian GDP, factors affecting GDP of the country, its future prospects and impacts. Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product (GDP) is defined as the monetary value of the final goods and services which are produced within a country's boundaries in a particular time period. Trends of Canadian GDP: (Source: Trading Economics, 2016) Interpretation: The above chart depicts that GDP of Canadian economy over the period of 2006 to 2015. GDP decreased in 2014 i.e. C $1785.39 as compared to 2012 and 2013. It indicates that GDP has declined as compared to the last two years. There are various factors, which affects the GDP such as interest rate, exchange rate, consumer confidence, foreign direct investment and banking sectors (Coyle, 2015). Factors affecting the GDP There are several factors that can influence the economic growth which are as followed: Interest Rates: Interest rate affects the GDP of the economy. The reason behind that is the current interest rate is 0.5% that is on the lower side. It indicates that spending power of people will be increased. Reason for that is consumers can get an easy loan from the bank at the low-interest rate. In consequence, customers increase their disposable income (Sachs, 2011). Furthermore, firms will increase their investment in the goods and services due to easily borrowed loan from the bank. Thus, it can be said that flow of money will be raised in the economy, which negative impacts on the value of money. As a result, inflation will be raised that will decline the GDP of the economy (Shah, et al., 2014). Consumer Confidence Consumer and business confidence is the important factor that influences the economic growth. For example; if the consumers are confident about the future growth then, they will be encouraged to borrow and spend more money. This leads to increase in the flow of money in the market. Thus, it can be said that it will have favorable impact upon the GDP of the economy. However, if they are pessimistic then, they will save and reduce spending. It will lead to decrease in the flow of money, so the economic growth will be unfavorably affected (Sachs, 2011). Foreign direct investment: It is explained that foreign direct investment also affects the GDP of the economy. Since when FDI declines; then it will decline the supply of money in the market. Hence, export will be competitive and import will be expensive due to decline in the investment. As a result, it will have negative impact on the growth rate of the economy (Jidoud, 2015). Exchange Rate: The exchange rate also affects the economy growth rate of the country. It is because; the current exchange rate is 1 CAD = US$ 0.774692 that is lower. Hence; it can be said that lower exchange rate declines the growth rate of the economy due to the decline of the money supply in the market. As a consequence, it is stated that declining exchange rate is the crucial factor that declines the GDP (Fukuda-Parr, et al., 2015). Banking Sector Banking sectors also influence the GDP of the economy. Because of this, bank declines their lending power due to the insufficient reserve fund. Hence; money flow will decline in the economy that creates a negative impact on the firms and consumers and also leads to decline in the investment and spending power. As a result, GDP of the country will be declined (Fan, et al., 2012). Future impact on the GDP: (Source: The World Bank, 2016) Interpretation: From the chart, it can be said that GDP of CAD (C$) is likely to increase in the future. As per the above forecast table, it can be said that existing GDP is C$1785 that will be increased C$2165 in 2020. Therefore, it can be said that some factors are affected by the GDP of the Canadian economy, which is discussed below: Value of Exchange Rate The value of Canadian dollar will be raised in the future due to more demand for Canadian dollar, which impacts on the growth rate of GDP of the Country. Furthermore, revenue generation from the exports would be increased and imports will be cheaper. Besides this, inflation will decline due to decrease in the value of money in the market. Consequently, it can be said that economic growth will be enhanced (Dobbs, et al., 2015). Interest rate: (Source: Trading Economics, 2016) From the above table, it can be said that interest rate will be increased from 0.5% to 2% due to increase in the money supply in the market. Thus, purchasing power will be reduced due to the increasing interest rate. As a result, GDP will be stable in the market (Coyle, 2015). Unemployment Rate: (Source: The World Bank, 2016) The unemployment rate will also influence the GDP of Canada economy. For example; the unemployment rate is 7.2% in 2016 that indicate the purchasing power of people will be reduced. This will lead to decrease in the money supply in the market. Simultaneously, the unemployment rate is expected to decline by 2020 i.e. 6.7%. As a result, it enhances the GDP of the Canadian economy (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2012). References Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. UK: Profile Books. Coyle, D. (2015). GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History. USA: Princeton University Press. Dobbs, R., Manyika, J. and Woetzel, J. (2015). No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends. USA: Public Affairs. Fan, J. P., Titman, S. and Twite, G. (2012). An international comparison of capital structure and debt maturity choices.Journal of Financial and quantitative Analysis,47(01), 23-56. Fukuda-Parr, S., Remer, T. L. and Randolph, S. (2015). Fulfilling Social and Economic Rights. UK: Oxford University Press. Jidoud, A. (2015). Remittances and Macroeconomic Volatility in African Countries. USA: International Monetary Fund. Sachs, J. (2011). The End of Poverty: How We Can make it Happen in Our Lifetime. UK: Penguin. Shah, R., Gao, Z. and Mittal, H. (2014). Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Economy in the US, China, and India: Historical Perspectives and Future Trends. USA: Academic Press. The World Bank (2016). GDP. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG Trading Economics. (2016). Canada GDP. Retrieved From https://www.tradingeconomics.com/canada/gdp-growth

Mathematics, Jazz, Zen An Existential Ribbon in Balance free essay sample

Math and jazz are different. Contradicting sometimes, complementing sometimes,  ­always side by side, sometimes parallel, sometimes intersecting. Theyre both important to me, and I think their unique interaction has helped me discover who I am in a few short years of high school. Jazz is so free – creative, lyrical, pulsing, raw, human. Music is emotion, while math is abstraction. Mathematics takes all we know in life and then takes it away. If music is the most human of the arts, math is the least. Yet there is math in music, and music in math. In jazz, inspiration can come to any soul, but it takes a trained musician to liberate it from the heart and set it in the hearts of others. Ive struggled as a student of music theory to balance my expression with the necessities of formal structure. I think soloing on a chart is a good analogy for life. We will write a custom essay sample on Mathematics, Jazz, Zen: An Existential Ribbon in Balance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I can have a million ideas, but only by training my mind can I put them in a form others can digest. Only by training my pen and sharpening my mind academically can I turn my thoughts into arguments, and turn my arguments into ideas that I hope could someday change the world. In math, the process of proof is similar. Its easy sometimes to see the answer, but it takes perseverance and training to derive it logically. Its not enough to feel the answer; you have to prove it. Its not enough to feel the music. You have to prove it. Theres a little bit of irony in all this. Ive recently become a fan of Zen philosophy, which maintains that we must cherish the contradictions and hypocrisies of life, rather than try to blindly â€Å"resolve† them. This translates into Zen meta-philosophy – studying the Way only brings us farther from it – and the resolution of meta-meta-philosophy – the farther from the Way we are, the closer we approach it. The endless contradictions eventually cancel out to a universal truth of sorts: its tough to get to Enlightenment, but by training your spirit you can try to pave the Way for it. Thats jazz, and thats mathematics. John Coltrane for a period of time was living on a farm to practice without interruption (not unlike some Zen monks!). He spent 14 hours a day locked in his room, playing sax. Certainly he had the heart of an artist and was able to express himself pretty well beforehand. But he knew you dont move the souls of an entire generation without a little more practice. Thats what I want my education to do for me. I want to change the world in some way someday, and I can do it by making the most of myself, the most of everything inside me. Though it seems silly and almost hypocritical to say that I can enhance the arts of music and mathematics with the sciences of knowledge and self-discipline, its no stranger than noting one must study to become a Zen monk. I love taking in every bit of knowledge I can, because I think the touchable knowledge of the real world will enhance my creativity and expression, the intangible, emotional things that are really the most human.