Free Essays on Kants Categorical Imperative

, act as if your action could be a universal law that applies to everyone, at all times. Kant gives four examples that show how certain duties can apply to the categorical imperative. In each case, individuals... Free Essays on Kant's Categorical Imperative Free Essays on Kant's Categorical Imperative Kant starts out from the presumption that an action is moral only if it is good â€Å"in itself†. Moral actions must have pure motivations. Otherwise they would be based on some other motivation separate from the true goodness of the action. Also, moral action cannot be based on a goal. An action with no goal is good in itself and not just good because of a certain outcome. Kant emphasizes the idea that pure moral principles must be grasped a priori. Pure ideas are considered a priori and they are not based on our perception of things. All other things, however, are dependent on the circumstances. Kant describes two different kinds of principles, hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives. â€Å"Hypothetical imperatives represent the practical necessity of a possible action as means to something else that is willed.† (87a) So a hypothetical imperative is something that has a motivation, and is aimed at a specific goal. Most of the things people do are hypothetical imperatives. For example, any skill a person might have and practice is aimed at some purpose, therefore it is a hypothetical imperative. â€Å"The categorical imperative would be an imperative that represented an action as necessary in itself without reference to another end-i.e., as objectively necessary.† (87b) Categorical imperatives are good in themselves and are not bases on specific goals and outcomes. Therefore, categorical imperatives are a priori concepts. It is difficult to judge whether someone has a motive other than a pure categorical imperative, so Kant has a universal law to validate it. The law Kant suggests is â€Å"Act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature.† (89a) In other words, act as if your action could be a universal law that applies to everyone, at all times. Kant gives four examples that show how certain duties can apply to the categorical imperative. In each case, individuals...

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President

Biography of William McKinley, 25th U.S. President William McKinley (January 29, 1843–September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States. Prior to that, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the governor of Ohio. McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist less than a year into his second term as president. Fast Facts: William McKinley Known For: McKinley was the 25th president of the United States; he oversaw the beginning of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.Born: January 29, 1843 in Niles, OhioParents: William McKinley Sr.  and Nancy McKinleyDied: September 14, 1901 in Buffalo, New YorkEducation: Allegheny College, Mount Union College, Albany Law SchoolSpouse: Ida Saxton (m. 1871–1901)Children: Katherine, Ida Early Life William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio, the son of  William McKinley, Sr., a pig iron manufacturer, and  Nancy Allison McKinley. He had four  sisters and three brothers. McKinley attended public school and in 1852 enrolled in the Poland Seminary. When he was 17, he enrolled in Allegheny College in Pennsylvania but soon dropped out due to illness. He never returned to college because of financial difficulties and instead taught for a while at a school near Poland, Ohio. Civil War and Legal Career After the Civil War began in 1861, McKinley enlisted in the Union Army and became part of the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Under Colonel Eliakim P. Scammon, the unit headed east to Virginia. It eventually joined the Army of the Potomac and participated in the bloody Battle of Antietam. For his service, McKinley was made a second lieutenant. He later saw action at the Battle of Buffington Island and in Lexington, Virginia. Near the end of the war, McKinley was promoted to major. After the war, McKinley studied law with an attorney in Ohio and later at Albany Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1867. On January 25, 1871, he married  Ida Saxton. Together they had two daughters, Katherine and Ida, but both sadly died as infants. Political Career In 1887, McKinley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served until 1883 and again from 1885 to 1891. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1892 and held the post until 1896. As governor, McKinley supported other Republicans running for office and promoted business inside the state. In 1896, McKinley was nominated to run for president as the Republican Party nominee with Garret Hobart as his running mate. He was opposed by William Jennings Bryan, who, upon accepting the Democratic nomination, gave his famous Cross of Gold speech in which he denounced the gold standard. The main issue of the campaign was what should back the U.S. currency, silver or gold. McKinley was in favor of the gold standard. In the end, he won the election with 51 percent of the popular vote and 271 out of 447 electoral votes. McKinley easily won the nomination for president again in 1900 and was again opposed by William Jennings Bryan. Theodore Roosevelt ran as McKinleys vice president. The main issue of the campaign was Americas growing imperialism, which the Democrats spoke out against. McKinley won the election with 292 out of 447 electoral votes. Presidency During McKinleys time in office, Hawaii was annexed. This would be the first step toward statehood for the island territory. In 1898, the Spanish-American War began with the Maine incident. On February 15, the U.S. battleship  Maine- which was stationed in Cubas Havana harbor- exploded and sank, killing 266 of the crew members. The cause of the explosion is not known to this day. However, the press- led by newspapers such as those published by William Randolph Hearst- published articles claiming that Spanish mines had destroyed the ship. Remember the Maine! became a popular rallying cry. On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war against Spain. Commodore George Dewey destroyed Spains  Pacific fleet, while Admiral William Sampson destroyed the Atlantic fleet. U.S. troops then captured Manila and took possession of the Philippines. In Cuba, Santiago was captured. The U.S. also captured Puerto Rico before Spain asked for peace. On December 10, 1898, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed. Spain gave up its claim to Cuba and gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands to the United States in exchange for $20 million. The acquisition of these territories marked a major turning point in American history; the nation, previously somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, became an imperial power with interests around the globe. In 1899, Secretary of State John Hay created the Open Door policy, where the United States asked for China to make it so that all nations would be able to trade equally in China. However, in June 1900 the Boxer Rebellion occurred, and the Chinese targeted Western missionaries and foreign communities. The Americans joined forces with Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan to stop the rebellion. One final important act during McKinleys time in office was the passage of the Gold Standard Act, which officially placed the United States on the gold standard. Death McKinley was shot two times by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while the president was visiting the Pan-American Exhibit in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. He died on September 14, 1901. Czolgosz stated that he shot McKinley because he was an enemy of working people. He was convicted of the murder and died by electrocution on October 29, 1901. Legacy McKinley is best remembered for his role in U.S. expansionism; during his time in office, the nation became a world colonial power, controlling territories in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Central America. McKinley was also the third of four U.S. presidents who have been assassinated. His face appears on the $500 bill, which was discontinued in 1969. Sources Gould, Lewis L.  The Presidency of William McKinley. Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1980.Merry, Robert W.  President McKinley: Architect of the American Century. Simon Schuster Paperbacks, an Imprint of Simon Schuster, Inc., 2018.Morgan, H. W.  William McKinley and His America. 1964.

Seminar Paper for Autobiography of a Face Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar Paper for Autobiography of a Face - Essay Example Lucy appears determined to fight the problems in her life. She appears bold and as she tells about the time she spend in the hospital she has no pity. Her response to the harassment of her schoolmates shows how much she resents the problems she is passing through. This seminar paper analyzes the behavior and reaction of Lucy in the face of the teasing and torment she received from her schoolmates. The reaction displayed by Lucy is a defense mechanism that she employs to shut out her peers.. Her disfigured face attracts a lot of ridicule, teasing and harassment from the boys in her school. Before getting to school Lucy knows nothing much about her appearance (Grealy 124). Her going to school makes her understand that she is not acceptable socially to her peers. Her reaction to the behavior of her school mates is an act of defense as she waits for her situation to change. She hates the treatment she is being given and the only thing she can do is to seek to defend herself from it. This is so because she later runs away from her schoolmates thinking that nobody will want to love her because of her situation (Grealy 125). If she was mature and of good reason she could not have been broken down by the teasing and social isolation. The paper has analyzed the reaction of Lucy to the torment of her peers. She acted as a defense mechanism to distance herself from what was happening in order to hide her hurt. This was so because she later withdraws from her peers because of social isolation and too much teasing probably because her strategy could no longer work for

See the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See the instruction - Essay Example nked to this area has the agreement of the Russian elites, and finally because conflicts in Middle East have sensitive implications for Russia’s domestic problems (Ehteshami 66). The G. Bush administration was capable of rallying the military industrial complex, the oil lobby and the Zionist movement in a huge project: to secure a control of the oil fields that run from the Horn of Africa to the Caspian Sea by re-designing the political map on basis of small ethnic states. The region, demarcated not for its populace but for the reserves under its soil, was initially called â€Å"Crescent Crisis† by Bernard Lewis, a University professor and later George W. Bush called it â€Å"Greater Middle East† (Halliday 13). Washington did not hold back on its Middle East â€Å"re-modeling† project. Huge sums of finances were invested in hiring local elites so as their personal interests would be before national interests in the globalized economy context. Most significant was the deployment of a vast military force to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to interrupt Iran, the main actor around the region that outlooks up to the empire. The maps of the region were drawn up and distributed by the Chiefs of General Staff. Every country in the region, including US allies, could be viewed being broken up into innumerable emirates, incapable of protecting themselves, while overpowered Iraq would get divided into 3 federate states ( a Sunni, a Shiite, a Kurdish) imposed by the White House (Ehteshami 23). When it appeared that nothing could stop that domination process from moving forward, the Pentagon handed Israel a task of destroying every secondary fronts before they attacked Iran. The aim was to end the Lebanese Hezbollah and overthrowing the Syrian government. Nevertheless, after submitting a third of the territory of Lebanon under a shelling campaign the likes that which had never been seen before since the Vietnam War, the Israelis were forced to retreat without attained any of its

The Renaissance Period Essay Example for Free

The Renaissance Period Essay The period in time referred to as the Renaissance started in the late   1300s and existed through the 1500s. The term translates into rebirth, and describes the process of intellectual and cultural change that began in northern Italy and eventually made its way to   countries lying further north. In this era, Christianity began to evolve and branch into different directions, weakening the power of the church and allowing the disciplines of philosophy and science the freedom to take new routes encouraging scientific observation as opposed to blind faith, or   reasoning (Gaardner 197, 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These changes in Christianity, philosophy and science brought about the new ideas of renaissance humanism. When the author says, We speak of renaissance humanism, since now after the Dark Ages in which every aspect of life was seen through divine light, everything once again revolved around man., he is explaining how man has come to see himself in a new light. In the Dark Ages man viewed himself simply as a pitiful servant to God, unworthy of any form of greatness. During the   Renaissance, man saw himself not as a servant to God, but as an integral and more importantly, unique part of God and his greatness.   Man began to believe that God existed everywhere and in everything, including himself, and so man could now celebrate himself and his individual achievements, which became the basis of the new world view (Gaardner 197, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The new world view consists mainly of two things: the way man viewed himself, and the way he viewed his surroundings. As previously stated, man viewed himself in a much higher light than in the previous era. He now also had a new view of nature. Previously, the world had only been looked at as a place of preparation for the hereafter, but now it was looked at as a place to investigate and explore. There was an exciting environment of freedom and exploration. Many people of the time were very aware that they were living in a special, exciting era of intellectual and cultural growth, and they wanted to play an active role in it. This led to huge advancements in all areas from the arts to the sciences, and to the ideal of the Renaissance man, the desire to be knowledgeable in all of these areas (Gaardner 200, 201).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were three main technological developments that were necessary for the Renaissance   era to come to life. The compass, which made navigation simpler and encouraged the exploration of new lands, accrual of new observations, and information;   firearms, which gave the Europeans military power and made exploring the new lands safer, allowing them to easily overcome any native populations; and most importantly, the printing press, which allowed people greater access to all forms of information, promoting curiosity in the common person and encouraging the desire to know more, to explore, and to ask questions about their surroundings. The printing press also took away the authority of the church as the only source of written knowledge. All three of these developments came together to contribute to the spreading of the new world view over long distances, encouraging the growth of the Renaissance movement and its ideals (Gaardner 198).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The transition from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy also played a large role in the formation of the Renaissance era. The difference between the Renaissance economy and the economy in the Middle Ages was the formation of a large middle class. The formation of the middle class occurred during this time because at the end of the Middle Ages, large cities were fully developed, encouraging the growth of trade and commerce. A monetary economy with banking systems soon followed and the middle class was born, with people having the luxury to be able to buy the things that they needed or wanted. This type of system encouraged people to work harder and smarter, as opposed to feudalism, where working harder would not reap any personal benefits. As the author puts it, This state of affairs rewarded peoples diligence, imagination, and ingenuity.   New demands were made on the individual. This statement reflects the trademarks of individualism, experimentation and exploration that are present in the ideals of the Renaissance era (Gaardner 199).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way that the printing press contributed to the Renaissance was by allowing the Bible to be translated and printed in different languages. Prior to this, in the Catholic church, only priests and monks read the Bible, because it was only available in Latin. Once it was translated and printed,   an individual could read it for himself, and interpret what it said in his own way. This led to an emphasis on an individuals personal relationship with God, and less of an emphasis on a persons relationship with his spiritual leaders. Eventually, it would lead to the Reformation (Gaardner 212).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author speaks of a new religiosity that developed during the Renaissance. He is referring to the fact that thoughts on God in his relation to the individual changed dramatically.   Prior to the Renaissance, there was a belief that the priest was the only person who truly had a special relationship with God, so therefore it was entirely necessary for an individual to seek forgiveness from God through the priest. God was the only gateway to paradise, and the priest was the only gateway to God. Once the Renaissance was in progress, with its newly found importance of the individual and the ability of the common person to read and interpret the Bible for himself, people began to feel that it was possible to have their own personal relationship with God with or without the involvement of the church, which is a view that is still extremely popular today. This view was put forth by Martin Luther, one of the important contributors to the Reformation of the church during the Renaissance (Gaardner 212-213).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the new views on religion during the Renaissance were prompted by advancements in science. A new scientific method was developed during the Renaissance, and formed the basis for all of the technological and scientific advances that have been achieved from that point onward. The new method incorporated using your own senses and experiences to observe phenomena during experimentation. Two of the most important scientists of this time, in my opinion, were Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton (Gaardner 202).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galiliei formulated the Law of Inertia, which states that a body in motion or at rest remains in that state until an external force causes it to change. Galilei set up a simple experiment to observe what would happen when two forces   acted on an object simultaneously.   Through his observations, he found that despite what was commonly thought, an object that had been propelled into the air would follow a parabola-shaped trajectory.   This would occur due to the forward force of the propulsion of the object, combined with the force of gravity pulling the object down towards the earth (Gaardner 205-208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Newton used his own observations to formulate the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts every other object with a force that increases in proportion to the size of the objects, and decreases in proportion to the distance between the objects. He used his newly formulated law in conjunction with Galileis previously stated law and observations to explain exactly why the planets traveled in elliptical orbits around the sun. It is the result of two forces acting on an object simultaneously: linear movement from the force applied to the planets during the birth of the solar system, combined with the movement towards the sun due to its gravitational pull. The combination of these two forces, as Galilei previously stated, is what creates the elliptical movement. Newton was able to show that the same laws applied to every heavenly body in the universe, thereby proving that there was not a special set of laws that applied to the heavens, and a separate set of laws for the earth. This caused the people of the time to begin to question exactly what their place was in the universe(Gaardner 209-211).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To this day, we are still making discoveries that lead people to question what their place is in the universe, and if their belief in God is logical or not. Scientists have made and are constantly on the verge of making some huge, definitely stunning advancements, and it inevitably causes people to further question what their place is in respect to the world, the universe and in God. For example, the issues of stem cell research, cloning, and the manipulation of genes are all very controversial at this time, because people are forced to see that man has the ability to create life in a lab, and that he can go on to guide life in almost any direction he may choose, he can play God, as many people say. My own opinion on science is that it is something that must move forward. There is no reason to fear science.   When I analyze each of the topics mentioned above, I can not think of any logical reasons why we should not proceed experimenting with them. They are simply processes that occur naturally already, we are only directing them to proceed in a manner that will be as beneficial to us as possible. As far as what this means for religion, faith will always be what it has always been faith. True faith is unshakeable, as mentioned by Gaardner in respect to Isaac Newtons belief that his findings only supported proof of the existence of   of the great and almighty God (212). Who is to say that all of these magnificent discoveries and the intricacies on which they are based are not guided by the hand of God?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to the question of our own age that we are living in, I think that in many aspects it is very similar to the Renaissance era. There is definitely a strong belief in the importance of the individual, so much to the point that I think you could say there is a strong trend towards selfishness and indifference. I think this has been reflected especially in the area of the family unit, with the high rates of divorce and single parent homes. People no longer base their life decisions on what will be best for the family unit, but what will make me happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is also a similarity in that many people no longer feel the need to involve the church in their relationship with God. While most people still have a strong faith in God, or some form of Creator, church attendance has reached record lows. Some people believe that science has become the new religion, but I think that mankind will always feel the need to believe that he will somehow be allowed to continue on, as death seems much too simple of an ending to the elaborate design of a human being and the world around him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite our many similarities to the Renaissance, I think that our era can be defined as the Age of Technology. I believe this era began with the inventions of the computer and the internet. Like the printing press during the Renaissance, these two developments allow the rapid dissemination of information across vast distances. The discovery of these systems has revolutionized every area of science, allowing   information to be rapidly computed and shared.   I think that we are still in the very infantile stages of the Age of Technology, and we can only wonder what developments will arise by the time a new age begins. Works Cited Gaardner, Jostein.   Sophies World (188-215).

Graduation Speech: Carry On! :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I will open with a quote, "a failure is not someone who tries and fails, but rather someone who fails and gives up." I started my freshmen year of high school at East High. From the start I struggled to complete my school work. Low motivation was the major factor that eventually led to me failing english, math, science, physical education, you name it I failed it. As I began to lose more credits and fail more courses my self esteem plummeted along with my motivation. By my sophomore year I felt like a major failure and as such I wanted desperately to drop out of high school. With the little motivation I had left and tremendous support from my mother I continued school for another year. As my junior year wore on however it became apparent that I was falling in short in my courses once again. My failures seemed have stacked up all through high school and I was now left to face a pile of failings a mile high. In a last ditch effort I consulted my high school councilor and discussed what options I had to finished school. After careful consideration I decided that Winema was the option for me. I was wrong if I thought that Winema was just a means of getting my diploma. It goes fare beyond academic instruction only. Winema, I learned, is a place where you form friendships that contribute to your educational learning as well as to the development of your identity. Through the use of traditional and alternative teaching styles the school brings communication, art, and critical thinking into what could be the dry facts of curriculum. When I arrived for my first day at the high school I realized how very diverse we are as a student body. Even at a glance it is obvious that we come from all walks of life, all ages, and all colors. We each have different beliefs and religious affiliations, but we all have one thing in common. We are not failures. In spite of our disappointment at times or just the need to make a change we trudged on in order to get our high school diplomas. We relied on our friends and family and on each other to get through the tough times at Winema. When life was just not going well, and getting to school seemed like a monumental task, we persisted by continuing to attend and plowing the road that led to our diploma.

Professional Development Plan Essay

Part IA: Description of Personal and Professional Goals From a very early age, I was encouraged to attend college by my parents, my grandparents, and a beloved uncle. They all taught me that obtaining an education, particularly a college education, was a privilege that had not always been afforded to people of color and that it should not be taken for granted. They also taught me that education was the best way to attain great success, no matter how I chose to define success. It did, however, take some time before I fully understood what they so passionately attempted to instill in me. It was not until I began working at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), in an environment of academia, that I understood the value and importance of education, and the incredible impact that being part of a learning environment has on a young mind. I have been fortunate to be able to utilize the management skills I learned from my undergraduate studies and through various employment opportunities after obtaining a master’s degree in business administ ration. I have enjoyed my experiences working in the business field, as diverse as they have been, and would love to teach business administration at the university level. I would like to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree so that I may be considered an authority within the business field and possibly teach at JCSU as an adjunct professor. Eventually, both my degree and my experiences will assist me in achieving the long-term goals that both my husband and I share of operating a non-profit organization for children and a for-profit security business. Our combined goals are far-reaching and our desire to see them accomplished is passionate. I enjoy managing people, events, and projects. I have discovered that I enjoy and am very good at designing and executing plans that make it easier for others to achieve their  objective—which is ultimately the definition of management. That is why I wished to design my own concentration within Walden University’s doctoral program that will combine financial management and leadership skill courses. I also wish to simultaneously obtain my certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt. According to the American Society of Quality (2008): A Black Belt should demonstrate team leadership, understand team dynamics and assign team member roles and responsibilities. Black Belts have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the DMAIC model in accordance with Six Sigma principles. They have basic knowledge of Lean enterprise concepts, are able to identify non-value-added elements and activities and are able to use specific tools. (para. 1) The Walden University outcomes for graduates that I believe are most relevant to my profe ssional goals as a DBA candidate are to: understand and continuously develop and change themselves, the organizations in which they work, and society at large; create new knowledge dedicated to the improvement of social conditions, and to positively impact society by putting that knowledge into practice, by modeling their learning through action, and by being civically engaged; . . . achieve professional excellence as active and influential professionals by applying their learning to specific problems and challenges in their work settings and professional practice; . . . [and] practice in their professional fields legally and ethically. . . . (Walden University, 2008c) These outcomes are directly aligned with my professional and personal goals. Because of the manner in which Walden University has chosen to cultivate professionals and the reputation it has in the e-learning environment, Walden was my first choice in education options. Part IB: Outline and S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths I have several strengths that I believe will be instrumental in obtaining a Doctor of Business Administration degree. Two great strengths are the completion of my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Both degrees are in areas of business in which I have great interest, and that interest has grown with each new professional position that I have obtained. Immediately after completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an economic services worker (ESW) for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. I  worked heavily with financial analysis in order to determine the eligibility of applicants for state and federal programs. I enjoyed the financial analysis side of the position but could not bear witnessing the immense poverty of the clients I served in West Virginia. This position brought light to both a strength and a weakness that I possess. I truly enjoy helping others and working with finances and budgets. However, I have a weakness for enabling indiv iduals to continue in their plight by doing for them instead of assisting them achieve independence. During the time that I worked as an ESW in the West Virginia welfare system, I was truly an enabler. I was prompted to leave the position for that reason. I found additional strengths in learning about ethics and compliance in business in my next professional position, as I worked my way up to the position of manager in a compliance call center. I benefited from great grammar skills and obtained additional editing and leadership skills. This position also increased my interest in compliance, particularly as it pertains to corporations and their finances. These interests will no doubt have a large impact on my doctoral studies. The call center management position taught me invaluable skills in managing people of various temperaments and learning how to be creative in getting results from a diverse group of individuals. I obtained great time management and crisis management skills as well that I keep with me and that have shaped my leadership skills. It is these skills that I hope to teach to other young business leaders, in addition to valuable business skills. In my current position as a grants manager and development officer, I complete research on a frequent basis for faculty and staff who wish to write grants that are congruent with the university’s strategic plan. These research skills will most assuredly be invaluable during my doctoral studies. Additionally, the research resources at my disposal will be a great asset. Support from family and friends is essential and it has been given to me unconditionally. It is from this support that I frequently draw strength. However, my primary reasons for not allowing defeat to overtake me when it could have in the past are my two sons. They are my most precious accomplishments, and I will see them succeed in their dreams by instilling in them the promise of education that was instilled in me by my family. Weaknesses Statistical Analysis has always been my least favorite business course. Each time I have survived Statistical Analysis with an admirable grade, but because I have not mastered it, I still fear it a little. I know that I will need to call upon resources at the university where I work for tutoring assistance during my doctoral program in hopes of finally mastering Statistical Analysis. It is my desire to become comfortable and proficient with statistical tools because it will be important for both my academic and professional progression. To be successful in my pursuit of a doctoral degree, I must minimize my propensity to overload my plate with tasks just because I have the ability to do it, knowing full well I do not have the time. At my current place of employment, I am called upon frequently to do things like fix a simple problem with the division printer or a computer, run reports, or complete an administrative task because I can get it done quickly, even though it may be someone else’s responsibility. Although my intentions are honorable, I am enabling others not to perform and am hindering my own efforts. Quickly recovering from errors made will also be a necessity. I cannot afford to brood over failures because it does not benefit my progress in any manner. Practicing these corrections in self-awareness will be no easy task for me. Opportunities With a master’s degree and now a doctoral degree in my future, opportunities are abundant. I am optimistic, even in this current economy with extreme unemployment, that if I do not obtain a promotion at the university where I currently work, I may still have a future in an academic setting. It is my desire to bring quality improvements and greater excellence to Johnson C. Smith University, but the proposal that I am currently developing regarding a division of quality and excellence is a model that will work in most academic settings. The opportunity to complete research that may be published is also a possibility because I work in academia and because of the nature of my job as a development officer. I have had one piece published in JCSU’s quarterly magazine, and it is my desire to have an article published in a scholarly journal through connections with the university. Our current university president encourages scholarly writing, and when given the  opportunity to write, whether for research or for advancing my financial position, I will seize it. If permitted to continue down my current employment path, I believe there will be opportunities for fellowships, which are sorely needed. The American Association of University Women, the National Black MBA Association, and the American Management Association, all offer unique fellowship opportunities to members who have applied themselves and show excellence in their profession. Threats The opportunity for fellowships is extremely important in my effort to obtain a doctoral degree because financial debt from funding my education is mounting. Ironically, the university where I work does not offer any type of tuition assistance toward a graduate degree. It is my hope that I can supplant future loans with fellowships from one of the organizations mentioned above, including any offered by Walden University. In addition to mounting loans, the current economy is weighing heavily on my family budget. Ordinarily, I would be prompted to action by finding another way to bring income into our household. I am now required to depend upon my spouse for that additional support, something I am used to doing myself. Financial sacrifice is not the only burden I have placed on my family. With two children, one with a medical need that requires additional attention in order for him to be successful, I must again rely heavily on my spouse to do what I would be more comfortable doing myself. I will put to work those leadership and management skills I obtained during my call center days in order to appropriately deal with what seems to be increasing political posturing by some of my colleagues. It is still a little difficult for me to believe that anyone would be threatened by my ambitions. However, I must be careful to consider that it as a possibility. The business world is very competitive, but I assumed because I did not work directly in the corporate world that I would be safe from that type of political environment. I will work to reassure my colleagues that my dedication to ethical behavior will not permit me to ruin another coworker  for my own professional gain. Part IIA: Description of Educational Background and Research Proficiencies Academic Experience I was fortunate to enter West Virginia State University, at the time called West Virginia State College (WVSC), with a full academic scholarship that included room and board. I was also awarded the U.H. Prunty Scholarship, which enabled me to purchase books during all four years that I attended WVSC. During my undergraduate experience, I became a well-rounded student through participation in activities such as the NAACP and the WVSC Ambassadors, a faculty/staff-nominated designation where students represent the university and provide guided tours to visiting donors and potential students. I also participated in the Pre-Alumni Club and raised money through volunteer efforts with my sorority that we donated to a local women’s shelter called Sojourner’s. During 1992, my sorority sisters and I were honored with the prestigious Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Community Service Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for our community service work. The work we did during that time not only humbled me and inspired me to give back, but also showed me the true meaning of philanthropy and charity. My academic performance during undergraduate school was not stellar, but my experiences combined with my upbringing instilled within me a desire to press further academically. My learning continued, although sometimes not within the traditional academic setting. I attended seminars with regularity and, in 2000, earned my licensure as a life and health insurance agent in ultimate pursuit of a financial analyst career through Primerica Financial Services. I did not complete the training to become a financial analyst. However, I did learn a great deal about financial tools and gained a better understanding of budgeting, saving, and what life insurance is truly for. I am still using most of the tools I gained during that time to perform many of my current duties as a grants manager. It took another 13 years after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration before the academic momentum returned and I was accepted at Strayer University during the fall of 2006. My grad uate school experience at Strayer University fared much better but was actually far more challenging. I combined distance learning with the tremendous tasks of  maintaining my family life as a married mother of two school-age children and working full-time as a development officer and private grants manager at JCSU. I excelled at Strayer, even with these challenges, and found that distance learning was the perfect academic venue to work with my hectic lifestyle. The courses that invoked keen interest were the classes involving strategic policy analysis, project management, and research analysis. It is not surprising that my interest in and enjoyment of these classes were integral to my high performance in these classes in particular. I was cautioned that distance learning required additional discipline in order to be successful in any area of study. I became partial to distance learning because of the flexibility it offered me as a working adult, as clichà © and commercial as tha t may seem. Difficult courses, such as Quantitative Methods, seemed no more difficult through the use of the electronic blackboard system than being physically in the classroom. The use of this online tool in the distance-learning process was ingenious and fun. Our professor demonstrated classroom methods electronically in real time and we were able to ask questions of him in real time. It is a tool I hope to assist in bringing to the continuing and adult education program that is being established at JCSU. Research Experience Research is essential to the duties I currently perform as a development officer and private grants manager at JCSU and an important aspect of the grant-writing process. With the utilization of online tools, I seek potential donors, individuals, corporations, and foundations that will support the university’s strategic goals. I have used Internet tools to research the wealth of individuals who have a relationship with our university, rated their wealth based upon a system that we created for stewardship, and stored the information in a database that the data analyst and I maintain. I research the philanthropic interests of both corporations and foundations and compile the information in profiles that I present to our faculty and staff so that grant proposals may be written to fund the university’s objectives. I also research spending trends of sister organizations to determine whether the spending habits of our division are congruent with what the Institutional Advancem ent divisions of other universities are spending. This information has been vital to our division  vice president and his mission to complete our division’s and the university’s strategic plan. As a requirement of the MBA degree that I obtained at Strayer University, I completed a directed research project (DRP) concerning whistleblower protection laws titled â€Å"Whistling in the Wind: A Study of the Travails of Whistleblowers and the Protection Offered to Them.† These research efforts began at the onset of my MBA program in September 2006 and were completed in May 2008. The scope of the project was to deliver an 88-page research project surrounding a problem that I chose to identify. Required within the research document was an abstract, an introduction that included the context of the problem, a statement of the problem and the sub-problems, delimitations, definitions, assumptions, significance of the study, research design and methodology, an organization of the study, and details concerning the qualifications of the researcher. Also, the DRP had to contain a review of literature, data analysis, and an explanation of the treatment of the data, as well as the conclusion of the research and my recommendations based upon what was found during the research. I relied heavily on the Strayer University online library system, which gave me access to countless university library systems across the country. I also utilized the library at Johnson C. Smith University as well as libraries in Charlotte when I needed hard-copy documents. The basic goals of the project were met in that I completed the DRP in the structure and the length that was required and gained invaluable experience with regard to completing online surveys and interviews of some famous professionals. I received an A on the project, which was quite a stressful undertaking. I chose the subject because it involved ethics in business practices—a subject that has intrigued me since working in a call center that was dedicated to protecting employees, the organizations they worked for, and the organization’s shareholders. I began early, researching famous and infamous whistleblowers, such as Sherron Watkins of Enron. I had substantial information for the literature review. I seemed to develop a problem when it came to breaking down the main problem into sub-problems and found myself redefining the sub-problems as I furthered my research into the topic. One of the major problems I encountered during the process was attempting to devise a rat ional, objective survey that adequately procured the information that I was attempting to obtain without bias. I also had  problems finding enough people to complete the survey for an appropriate sample. In retrospect, I would have solicited advice from professors at JCSU during the process instead of relying only on the resources at Strayer University. It is believed that the analysis of the results could have been done more professionally and efficiently if I had received the results of my survey and interview questions sooner than I obtained them. I was not satisfied with the results because I do not believe that my research significantly contributed to the information that was already available concerning whistleblowers. It is my desire to focus on contributing to the knowledge base and providing information that was not readily available prior to my research. The DRP was an important project to complete because it demonstrated the complexity of not only researching a problem, but the importance of syntax needed to present the information in a coherent, acceptable manner. During my doctoral studies, I would like to focus on how to appropriately analyze the research that is obtained in order to make a significant contribution to the research within a particular subject. Work/Other Experience My employment experiences, while always encompassing management, have been quite diverse. Webster’s Menswear, now defunct, was where I had my first management experience. As the â€Å"third key† manager, I performed inventory counts nightly of the merchandise that retailed for more than $100. I was responsible for running the nightly sales reports, the supervision of other sales associates, and of course, the sale of merchandise. This experience was really my first real full-time employment experience, so it was even more gratifying to be performing work that was included in my course of study. I continued working at Webster’s Menswear until approximately six months after receiving my bachelor’s degree. Because the hours I was scheduled to work were based on sales, which were not exceeding our goals, and there were no benefits, I began looking for other employment. The management experience at Webster’s did engage my creativity. I assisted customers in selecting apparel and it gave me my first experience with sales reports and the consequences of not meeting the demands of the strategic sales plan. Immediately following my work experience at Webster’s Menswear, I secured another management role with the West Virginia Department of  Health and Human Resources as an economic services worker. In this case management role, I determined the initial and continuing economic eligibility of applicants for state-funded Medicaid, food stamps, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. My experience in this arena of management was no different than one would expect from a public servant’s role. The work was difficult, tiring, and frustrating, and the caseload immense, always exuberantly more than statistics had shown one person should be handling. It took 2 years until I finally succumbed to the tremendous pressure of attempting to serve an economic population that I myself just missed being part of by about $200 per mon th. I left the declining economic plight of West Virginia behind in July 1997 and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I found another opportunity and my current life. In July 1997, I began working for Pinkerton Services Group, Inc. as a communications specialist (CS) in a compliance hotline call center. There, I was able to enhance good interviewing and excellent writing skills as a CS. This opportunity is also where I became interested in whistleblower protection issues, compliance, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Within six months, I had progressed to the role of management again as a quality assurance supervisor in the call center. Our call center grew quickly during the early 2000s with the beginning of the demise of Enron, MCI WorldCom, and Adelphia. Most of the corporate giants were scrambling to obtain a way for their employees to alert the company of improprieties and to comply with new, emerging laws to protect the public and company shareholders. I was promoted as the call center’s operations manager during 2001. In this management role I gained experience doing many different tasks that included, but were not limited to, payroll for approximately 50 employees, order tracking and maintenance of call center supplies, call evaluations of communications specialists, monthly evaluations of quality assurance supervisors, monthly statistical reports on the qu ality of Workplace Alert Reports, and daily communication with executives of vendors whom the company served. With the expansion of the call center, the roles of key management personnel were redefined. We divided the call center’s quality management team into two groups, manager of the communications specialists and manager of the quality assurance supervisors. I was designated as the quality assurance manager over the quality assurance supervisors, the last title I held before leaving the  organization in February 2004. On February 1, 2004, I joined the staff at Johnson C. Smith University, the only historically black college and university in Charlotte, North Carolina. I sought this change for two reasons. The compliance center where I formerly worked split from Pinkerton Services Group and formed a separate company, Global Compliance Services. Many things began to change and the environment was no longer stable. Additionally, I was the only manager on call 24 hours a day to address any issue that arose in the call center. After giving birth, being on call 24 hours a day was no l onger conducive to maintaining a stable family life. For the first time since obtaining my degrees, I accepted a role that did not appear to involve managing individuals. In the role of office manager and executive assistant to the vice president of Institutional Advancement, I did maintain and even enhance some management skills. This assignment required me to be more team-oriented. I became the administrative right hand for a division that included Alumni Affairs, Foundation Relations and Private Grants, Corporate Relations, Public Relations, Development, and the Vice President’s Office. This role gave me the opportunity to become adept with budget management and analysis as I was given the responsibility of managing nine budgets. I also became proficient with fundraising software, the Raiser’s Edge, which was crucial to the division’s success. As the office manager, I became at one point the data analyst and was then responsible for training a new data analyst. We shared the responsibility of database management and reporting. Three years later I was promoted to my current position as the division’s development officer and private grants manager. I retained the responsibility of the divisional budgets and learned different skill-sets, including research, grants administration, and grant writing. While quite adept at research and grants administration, I have yet to write a grant that has been funded. It is my hope that JCSU’s new president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, will see the need for a budget analyst, as I have proposed to him, and promot e me to this new assignment. Eventually, I would like to work in the capacity of professor at our university. I hope to use all of the skills that I have acquired through previous employment, which seem now to all be interrelated, in order to advance the mission of the university. Experience with issues of compliance that I gained in the call center, writing and editing, managing budgets,  analyzing financial information, combined with my DBA, are all expected to advance my career as a senior-level executive at Johnson C. Smith University. It was initially my desire to use my doctoral project to advance an initiative at JCSU that involves infusing Six Sigma Quality measures in each area of our business, particularly with how we approach education. Because of our current culture and some resistance that I have received from senior-level executives when attempting to propose new ideas, I shied away from this idea. However, after completing recent assignments, reading about the inten t of the doctoral project and how it is intended to interrelate to a candidate’s work environment, I would like to attempt this initiative at JCSU and use this research platform for my doctoral studies. It was David Johnson (2005) who stated that â€Å"the outcome of the research is designed to provide valuable insights to the sponsoring organisation, in addition to contributing to knowledge in the field of practice. In this form of doctorate therefore research is a tool in developing professional practice† (p. 88). I would like my doctoral project to pertain to the following question: How can Six Sigma or Lean Management Quality measures be implemented within JCSU’s education and management systems to advance the university’s strategic and quality enhancement plans? Part IIIA: Individualized Plan of Study The date that has been projected as my anticipated graduation date for my Doctor of Business Administration degree is October 26, 2012. Courses such as DDBA 8110 Business Operations: Systems Perspectives in Global Organizations; DDBA 8120 Information Systems: Global Management Strategies and Technology; DDBA 8130 Marketing: Strategic Innovation in Globally Diverse Markets; DDBA 8140 Finance: Fiscal Leadership; and DDBA 8150 Leadership: Building Sustainable Organizations were all waived, giving me a total of 15 credit hours toward the 60 required for my degree completion. I have chosen to design my own specialization. It is my desire to combine the finance and leadership specializations in order to create a program that will prepare me for a future that includes teaching business courses at Johnson C. Smith University as well as leading the operation of both for- and non-profit businesses. The descriptions under the specialization of finance, particularly the idea that managers can â €Å"maximize their firm’s  value† speaks to specific skills that I must acquire in order for my plan of success to work (Walden University, 2008a). I want to be an agent of change within whatever organization I work for, not just for the sake of change, but change that is positive. The leadership specialization will help me to obtain this goal (Walden University, 2008b). I intend to take DDBA 8523 Seminar in Law and Compliance, DDBA 8541 Seminar in Entrepreneurial Finance, and DDBA 8522 Seminar in Sustainability. During the spring 2009 semester, I will be registered for courses DDBA 8160 Business Strategy and Innovation and DDBA 8427 Applied Research Methods—Qualitative and Quantitative (currently I am enrolled in courses that my evaluation indicated would be waived). The next course that is required is DDBA 8437 Quantitative Decision-Making in Professional Practice. I will take this course with one of the three required DBA specialization courses mentioned ab ove. These two courses will be completed during summer 2009. During the winter 2009 session, I will take the final two specialization courses. There will be a requirement of 20 hours of doctoral study completion courses that will be taken four credit hours at a time for five semesters. With no anticipated breaks within my course of study, I anticipate my completion date to be during spring 2011 instead of the projected October 2012 date. There are two 4-day residencies required for the DBA degree program. It is recommended that the first residency be completed within 90 days of completing DDBA 8005. I will complete my first residency March 18 to 22, 2009, in Lansdowne, Virginia (Walden residency calendar, 2008). The next residency will be completed after completion of my core courses during 2010. The focus of my doctoral project will involve incorporating Lean or Six Sigma Management into higher education. It is my hope that I will be able to implement the Lean design into the curriculum and the management practices at the university where I work after completion of the research on this subject. It is my belief that my fellow colleagues would describe me as a tenacious problem-solver, an optimistic leader who believes there is a solution to every problem. I am always open to constructive criticism and self-improvement. I seek to improve with each obstacle that I overcome. I am also willing to offer constructive criticism to others and have learned the art of how and when to do so professionally and with tact. I like to incorporate humor, where appropriate, in much of what I do because I truly  believe that in order to solve most problems, one must have a sense of humor. These personal skills, or life skills, have come with maturity and much trial and error. I believe each of these skills will be essential to my ability to excel in the Doctor of Business Administration program as well as being integral to my future professional endeavors. Part IIIB: Professional Interview Evelyn Leathers is the director of Corporate and Foundation Relations within the Institutional Advancement division at Johnson C. Smith University. My goal in interviewing Ms. Leathers was to get an in-depth understanding of what role this division will play in the mission of the president, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, in JCSU becoming â€Å"Charlotte’s very own nationally-recognized independent urban university† (Carter, 2008, p. 2). It is my intent to understand what policies may be improved within that department and ultimately the division in order to improve to the level of quality that Dr. Carter intends for the university to fulfill the proposed vision. The role of the Institutional Advancement division is to support the university financially through philanthropic solicitation, community involvement, and improved public relations. For this reason, the division includes the departments of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Grant Research, Alumni Affairs, a nd Public Relations. The division plays an integral role in that it provides money that is not earned through tuition. When enrollment is down, the Institutional Advancement division’s role becomes even more vital. Ms. Leathers, who has served JCSU in several different capacities through two separate terms of employment, remains loyal to the university because she is passionate about the human investment, the students (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). There are many historically black colleges and universities that are currently experiencing financial duress due to a number of factors. According to Ms. Leathers, the university has survived and prospered due to the quality of the Institutional Advancement division and the university’s relationship with The Duke Endowment (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Johnson C. Smith University is fortunate enough to be one of four universities to be included as a beneficiary of The Du ke Endowment’s mission to serve higher education by promoting academic excellence (The Duke  Endowment, 2007). The Duke Endowment provides financial support to schools like JCSU in order to foster excellence in individuals so that they will be inspired to share with the community what they have gained through education (The Duke Endowment, 2007). Although JCSU has exercised fiscal responsibility, Ms. Leathers is convinced that without The Duke Endowment, the university would not be successful, particularly in today’s extreme economic climate (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). The nation is currently experiencing a recession, one that is predicted to last at least until late 2010. Ms. Leathers proposes that her department, Corporate and Foundation Relations, will need to become creative, selective, and savvy in order to remain afloat and remain aligned with the university’s mission (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Creativity will enable the division to utilize initiatives that corporations and foundations will support financially, such as incorporating green initiatives into capital building plans. Selectivity means that the university will not go after or accept just any grant offered by a foundation or corporation. Ms. Leathers explained that sometimes fulfilling the conditions offered by a funder can be costly to the university (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Proposals must be carefully reviewed to ensure that the university is not taking on a financially burdening project. The Institutional Adva ncement division must also be savvy and shrewd in its business dealings in order receive the most return on the investments made by its public relations staff, its development officers, and all of its financial solicitors (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). In today’s economic climate, more than ever, quality in our operational functions becomes very important to the success of the university. The department of Corporate and Foundation Relations will practice quality in its operations by going back to the basics of fundraising, traveling smarter and only within the region to conserve resources, and focusing on research efforts more heavily (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). These efforts will assist Dr. Carter with fulfilling the university’s goal of infusing quality where needed to become one of Charlotte’s elite, premier universities. Ms. Leathers explained that foundations and corporations do not give to people, but to causes. If the university, and the Institutional Advancement  division in particular, focuses on quality programs and eliminating waste, corporations and foundations will be prompted to give to the university’s cause (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). One of the most critical areas within the Institutional Advancement division that could use an infusion of quality is the universityâ€⠄¢s enterprise management system.   Ms. Leathers stated that quality reporting is essential to development, grant writing, and research (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). All staff must be trained to use the system efficiently in order for the division to be effective and practice quality. Once all staff becomes proficient with its operation of the enterprise management system, it will translate to quality in most areas of operation (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers is able to draw strength from understanding that the mission of the university is to provide a quality education to our most valuable assets, the students. Soliciting funds from foundations and corporations during a recession is not easy and sometimes not enjoyable, but necessary (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers stated that the outcome will be positive and anticipates it will take another five years before the university realizes benefits from quality initiatives that are just beginning under the new administration of Dr. Carter (E. Leathers, personal communication, December 14, 2008). Ms. Leathers and I discussed a quote from John B. Duke, founder of The Duke Endowment: â€Å"Education, when conducted along sane and practical, as opposed to dogmatic and theoretical, lines, is, next to religion, the greatest civilizing influence† (Duke, 1924). In addition to agreeing that the quote is profoundly accurate, we share the hope that the same sentiment will be fostered within the generation that we are educating at JCSU. Because Ms. Leathers is my immediate supervisor, her input during this intervi ew lends insight to the direction she gives me on a daily basis. It also forced both of us to contemplate what changes are needed within our own department to work hand in hand with Dr. Carter to promote his vision for the university. There is additional work to be done in order for the two of us to engender change within our department. The questions proposed and the answers provided will assist me in further developing my doctoral study regarding quality and how one might incorporate Lean and Six Sigma into higher education. References American Society of Quality. (2008). Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from http://www.asq.org/certification/six-sigma/index.html Carter, R. L. (2008, Fall). President’s letter. The Johnson C. Smith University Bulletin, 2. 88-99. doi:15.555/GGE.64.1.76-82 Duke, J. B. (1924, December 11). Indenture and deed of trust of personality establishing The Duke Endowment. Retrieved from The Duke Endowment website: http://www.dukeendowment.org/downloads/ind.pdf The Duke Endowment. (2007). Higher education. Retrieved December 14, 2008, from The Duke Endowment website: http://www.dukeendowment.org/education Johnson, D. (2005). Assessment matters: Some issues concerning the supervision and assessment of work-based doctorates. Innovations in Education & Teaching International, 42(1), 87–92. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1157097371&sid=1&Fmt=6&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). ( 2010). Name of program [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com. Walden University. (2008a). Walden University DBA finance specialization. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18391.htm Walden University. (2008b). Walden University DBA leadership specialization. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/Degree-Programs/Doctorate/18427.htm Walden University. (2008c). Walden University outcomes. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from Walden University website: http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Catalog/8893_9096.htm

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay

In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there are several instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would prefer to call it, usually means a situation in which the character of the play has limited knowledge and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions will be. The degree of irony and the effect it has depends upon the readers’ grasp and recognition of some discrepancy between two things. Our first taste of dramatic irony comes very early into the play when Oedipus vows to bring to justice the killer of Laius, which is in reality himself. When he learns that the bringing of justice of Laius’ killer will rid the city of a terrible plague, he sets forth with a plan to track down the killer. Oedipus begins to curse the killer and vows: Oedipus: As for the criminal, I pray to God – Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number – I pray that that man’s life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less (968) This is very ironic, as Oedipus is indeed, without knowledge of the truth, talking about himself. Another example of dramatic irony is the power of fate and Oedipus’ powerlessness against it. Throughout the play we are aware of Oedipus’ fate and we realize there is nothing that he can do to change it. When Oedipus tells his city after listening to their plea for help against the terrible sickness and plague that has taken over the city: Oedipus: I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. (963) The audience understands the truth and the irony in that statement. Oedipus should not worry about himself becoming ‘sick’ for he is already infested with the sickness. A third example of the irony of Oedipus is the fact that Oedipus seemed to be blind and deaf to the truth. He appears to be on a valiant search for the truth and justice of the killer of Laius, yet refuses to hear the truth when it is spoken to him. In order to hear the truth Oedipus needed to be able to hear and interpret it, yet he only heard what he wanted to hear. Therefore rendering him unable to understand the mystery of who he truly was. In this play there seems to be a constant string of ironies throughout. Oedipus is in denial of the truth. In his dramatic speeches he misconstrues the information that he has been given by Teiresias, as well as Creon and Iocaste. The horrifying realization that the prophecy of the Sphinx is in fact the truth, causes Oedipus to blind himself. The audience therefore pities him, which is a result of the use of dramatic irony. The use of irony in a play allows the writer to make their audience want to see how the events which are occurring, mentally affect the main character, even if they already know how the story will end, as in Oedipus the King. Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. â€Å"Oedipus the King† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. 960-1005.

“Baglady” Is a British Short Story Written by A. S. Byatt Essays

â€Å"Baglady† Is a British Short Story Written by A. S. Byatt Essays â€Å"Baglady† Is a British Short Story Written by A. S. Byatt Paper â€Å"Baglady† Is a British Short Story Written by A. S. Byatt Paper â€Å"Baglady† is a British short story written by A. S. Byatt, it was published in the collection â€Å"Elementals† in 1998. The main character in this story is Daphne Gulver- Robins. Daphne accompanies her husband on a business trip to the Far East. The main reason she is on the trip, is for her husband to be able to impress his boss, by showing his family side. Daphne would have preferred staying home taking care of the animals on the farm, because she knows that her and the other wives have nothing in common:† Most of the other wives are elegant, with silk suits and silky legs and exquisitely cut hair† (9:16) this quote indicates that the other women are sophisticated to superficial. In their social group the exterior means everything. Daphne is aware of the shallow and superficial environment she is stepping in to. Even though Daphne is not exited about the trip she still makes an effort to try and impress the other wives by loosing weight for this specific trip:† She has tried to make herself attractive for this jaunt and has lost ten pounds and had her hands manicured† (9:22) Daphne is very insecure and feels inferior compared to the other women, her weight loss is a desperate attempt to fit in, but she ends up being an outsider. They women entertain themselves by going to The Good Fortune mall:† The Good Fortune shopping mall resembles an army of barracks or a prison block,†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"(10: 26) The mall represents the rich part of the society and all the chaos around. This mall is secured well so that the poor, thieves and unwelcome guest can’t get in. While in the mall the other women leaves Daphne behind and she ends up wandering around the mall by herself. Daphne explores the mall but quickly gets confused because everything seems to be chaotic and out of place. Daphne’s frustration begins when she realizes that her camera is missing, which I would interpret as point off of no return. She goes to the bathroom to restore her make up, and discovers that her face looks like a mess, which is another signs of her dissolving and breaking down, all of this leads to her being late for the meeting with the driver and the other women. In her panic and desperation to find an EXIT and get out of the mall her heel breaks off one of her shoes and she takes her shoes off, and but them in her bag. She notices that her credit cards and her purse have disappeared as well. She no longer has any identification and all of her belongings are missing in other words her identity is absent. She cries for help, and a policeman walks over to her: â€Å"Help me said Daphne I’m an English lady, I have been robbed, I must go home† in this quote it becomes clear that Daphne expects the police man to help her just because she is rich and British, because she lacks identification, the police man refuses to help her, which tells us that in the oriental society you have to be part of the rich upper class in order for help or assistance. The main theme in Baglady is identity. Throughout the entire story Daphne is in the state of flux. She loses her identity in a foreign country which leads to her being disoriented, and even before they arrive she feels out of her comfort zone, because of her dissimilar character. The loss of her materialistic possessions leads to her identity loss which shows that Daphne comes from a capitalistic society where materialistic things define the individual. And by losing her belonging she goes from being and middle/upper class British lady, to a worthless Baglady. Another theme could be the clash between the western and oriental world. The characteristics of this story being postmodern are very obvious. The themes which are writing above clarifies that the text it postmodern and the fact that the story has an open ending is also an element in postmodern writing.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON Being mentioned a lot about descriptive type of essay, we would like to specifically focus on descriptive writing about a person. In this writing your will mention important characteristics that are interesting to the readers and will describe a person in particular. If you know the person, describe the characteristics that you admire about him/her. If you don’t, imagine that you know this person and focus on what you liked about that person in general. There are several ways to portray somebody in persuasive essay about a person. Talk about him in the context of his personal and career achievements. Be detailed about the persons story. You can write your essay as a persons description. Then focus on everything that will describe his character. Also, you essay can have an informative context. Write mostly interesting biography details about a person. Last but now least way is to present a narrative writing. For this matter imagine as if you are the described person and it will give you unique ideas of how to present the chosen person in you persuasive essay writing. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON A strong accent of observation is needed for descriptive type of paper. We can write a perfect descriptive essay about a person for you upon your request. To give you more descriptive essay definition, observe the person and provide detailed descriptions about him or her. In this descriptive essay the supporting facts are vivid experiences that you decide to present as an author. Keep in mind that you have to focus on the subject that is strictly a description. You have the ability to show a certain experience, or interesting place, or thing, or a person, or specific memory episode. Â   When writing a descriptive essay, it is important to base it on certain experiences that you have perceived personally. But most of all, it is important to find that interesting points that made you to share this experience with others as an author. You message is your desire to share the initial experience with the readers for them to have a certain impression. Include standard senses descriptions such as touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.

Solve problems and show work in problems. #6 Assignment

Solve problems and show work in problems. #6 - Assignment Example Frequent checks of the unfilled orders follow a Poisson distribution with a mean of two orders. Has New Process, Inc. lived up to its internal goal? Cite evidence. No, New Process, Inc. has not lived up to its internal goal. This is because there is a chance of 94.73% of the working days of having fewer than five unfilled orders on hand at the end; however, the goal is to have fewer than five unfilled orders on hand at the end of 95% of the working days. Let x represents the number of Hondas in the sample of three cars chosen from the top nine. The probability distribution for the number of Hondas in a sample of three cars chosen from the top nine, P(x) is given by Hypergeometric distribution with below parameters: 5. According to the â€Å"January theory,† if the stock market is up for the month of January, it will be up for the year. If it is down in January, it will be down for the year. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, this theory held for 29 out of the last 34 years. Suppose there is no truth to this theory. What is the probability this could occur by