Utilitarianism Aspects Of Theory Essay Example for Free

Utilitarianism Aspects Of Theory Essay Utilitarianism: Bentham – Hedonic Calculus BENTHAM WAS A HEDONIST – HE BELIEVED THAT PLEASURE IS GOOD IN ITSELF, AND OTHER THINGS ARE GOOD IN SO FAR AS THEY BRING ABOUT PLEASURE AND THE ABSENCE OF PAIN. â€Å"NATURE HAS PLACED MANKIND UNDER THE GOVERNANCE OF TWO SOVEREIGN MASTERS, PAIN AND PLEASURE. † YOU COULD WORK OUT WHICH ACTION TO PERFORM BY CALCULATING WHICH OPTION BROUGHT ABOUT THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PLEASURE: Duration – how long does the pleasure last? Remoteness – how distant is the pleasure? Purity – how free from pain is it? Richness – will it lead to other pleasures? Intensity – how powerful is the pleasure Certainty – how likely is it that pleasure will result? EXTENT – HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE PLEASURE? Utilitarianism: Principle of Utility THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION IS THE ONE THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER. THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY, ON WHICH ALL FORMS OF UTILITARIANISM are based. Utility means usefulness, â€Å"that property in ANY OBJECT, WHEREBY IT TENDS TO PRODUCE BENEFIT, ADVANTAGE, PLEASURE, GOOD, OR HAPPINESS. † BENTHAM was clear that every person’s pleasure had equal VALUE: EACH TO COUNT FOR ONE, AND NONE FOR MORE THAN ONE. UTILITARIANS DIFFER IN WHAT THEY CONSIDER INTRINSICALLY VALUABLE OR GOOD (PLEASURE, HAPPINESS, FULFILLMENT OF PREFERENCES), BUT AGREE THAT WE OUGHT TO BRING ABOUT AS MUCH GOOD AS POSSIBLE. Utilitarianism: Act Utilitarianism BENTHAM IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN AN ACT UTILITARIAN – HE WOULD JUDGE EACH SITUATION DIFFERENTLY, DOING THAT ACTION THAT LED TO THE GREATEST GOOD. ACT UTILITARIANISM IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE PUREST FORMS OF UTILITARIANISM, AS IT ALLOWS THE INDIVIDUAL COMPLETE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHATEVER LEADS TO THE GREATER good. Bentham did talk about a ‘rule of thumb’, saying WE COULD BE GUIDED BY SIMILAR CASES IN THE PAST RATHER THAN DOING A COMPLETE CALCULATION IN EVERY NEW SITUATION. HOWEVER, THIS WAS JUST TO HELP, AND IF THE CURRENT SITUATION REQUIRES A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION, YOU SHOULD BE FREE TO ACT IN WHATEVER WAY BRINGS ABOUT THE GREATER GOOD. Utilitarianism: Rule Utilitarianism RULE UTILITARIANS RECOGNISE THAT WE NEED RULES TO LIVE BY. PUT ANOTHER WAY, A SOCIETY WITHOUT RULES WOULD NOT BE AS HAPPY AS ONE WITH RULES. AS SUCH, A RULE UTILITARIAN WILL CHOOSE RULES THAT TEND TO LEAD TO THE GREATER GOOD. THESE RULES ARE NOT ABSOLUTE, AS THEY ARE MADE AND CHANGED ACCORDING TO THE GREATER GOOD – FOR EXAMPLE, SPEED LIMITS HAVE BEEN REGULARLY CHANGED FOR PRAGMATIC REASONS. HOWEVER, WHEN A RULE IS IN FORCE, IT MUST BE FOLLOWED. STRONG RULE UTILITARIANS WOULD NEVER BREAK THE RULES. WEAK RULE UTILITARIANS, LIKE MILL, WOULD BREAK THE RULES IN EMERGENCIES: â€Å"TO SAVE A LIFE, IT MAY NOT ONLY BE ALLOWABLE, BUT A DUTY, TO STEAL, OR TAKE BY FORCE, THE NECESSARY FOOD OR MEDICINE. † Utilitarianism: Mill, Higher pleasures MILL BELIEVED THAT IT WASN’T JUST THE QUANTITY OF PLEASURE THAT MATTERED, IT WAS THE QUALITY. â€Å"BETTER TO be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; Socrates DISSATISFIED THAN A FOOL SATISFIED†. HE INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF ‘HIGHER PLEASURES’. MANY THINK OF THIS AS SIMPLY INTELLECTUAL PLEASURE COUNTING FOR MORE THAN PHYSICAL PLEASURE. HOWEVER, MILL USED ARISTOTLE’S CONCEPT OF ‘eudaimonia’ or a fulfilled life. A combination of a VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLEASURES COULD LEAD TO HAPPINESS. Mill talked of ‘competent judges’: â€Å"On a question which is the best worth having of two pleasures, the judgment of those who are qualified by knowledge of BOTH MUST BE ADMITTED AS FINAL. † Utilitarianism: Singer, Preferences PETER SINGER IS THE BEST KNOWN UTILITARIAN ALIVE TODAY. He realised that people don’t always choose HAPPINESS: â€Å"I’D RATHER KNOW THE TRUTH, EVEN IF IT hurts †. The greater good means fulfilling the GREATEST AMOUNT OF PREFERENCES. THIS MAY NOT MEAN THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PREFERENCES FOR EXAMPLE, GAY MEN HAVE A VERY STRONG PREFERENCE TO GET MARRIED WHICH MIGHT OUTWEIGH A GREATER NUMBER OF OPPOSING VIEWS FROM PEOPLE AFFECTED LESS SIGNIFICANTLY. NON- HUMAN ANIMALS THAT DO NOT HAVE PREFERENCES STILL HAVE INTERESTS, WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. SINGER CAMPAIGNS AGAINST FACTORY-FARMING, AND ARGUES THAT WE SHOULD GIVE MUCH MORE MONEY TO HELP THE VERY POOR. Utilitarianism: Consequentialism UTILITARIANISM IS TELEOLOGICAL – IT IS THE END OR PURPOSE OF AN ACTION THAT MAKES IT RIGHT OR WRONG. SPECIFICALLY, THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION IS THE ONE THAT LEADS TO THE BEST CONSEQUENCES. THIS MEANS THAT UTILITARIANS HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND THE ACT ITSELF. MODERN UTILITARIANS LIKE. SINGER HAVE MADE CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENTS – SUGGESTING THAT BESTIALITY MAY BE ACCEPTABLE (SEX WITH ANIMALS), OR INCEST (SEX BETWEEN SAY A BROTHER AND SISTER) USING CONTRACEPTION. HE ARGUED THAT IT SHOULD BE ALL RIGHT TO KILL A NEW BORN BABY IF IT HAD SEVERE DISABILITIES. THE REASON FOR THESE UNUSUAL ASSERTIONS IS THAT UTILITARIANS ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN THE OUTCOME OF AN ACT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ACT ITSELF IS. Utilitarianism: Mill, Harm principle and rights MILL WROTE A BOOK ABOUT FREEDOM, ON LIBERTY, AND ARGUED THAT AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A HAPPY SOCIETY WAS INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. â€Å"OVER HIMSELF, OVER HIS OWN BODY AND MIND, THE INDIVIDUAL IS SOVEREIGN†. MILL INTRODUCED THE HARM PRINCIPLE, WHICH SAID THAT AS LONG AS YOU didn’t harm anyone else, you should be able to do as YOU CHOOSE. THE ONLY PURPOSE FOR WHICH POWER CAN BE rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to OTHERS. † THIS IS LIKE ARTICLE 1 OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. MANY RULE UTILITARIANS DERIVE OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS FROM THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY, INCLUDING NOT BEING SLAVES, TORTURED ETC.

Tom Jones Essay -- Essays Papers

Tom Jones Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding is a novel that is identical to a soap opera. This book deals with everything from treachery to lust to deceit. He writes about a man and woman’s love for one another and that nothing can stand in their way. Class separates them and they will not let that stop them. â€Å"Acquired a discretion and prudence very uncommon in one of his lively parts.† This is a quote from Squire Allworthy to Tom. I believe that Fielding’s purpose in writing this novel was purely to entertain. He also added stabs at the class society in medieval England. He wrote this novel to inspire hope in the people of his time. He wanted them to go for their dreams and never to give up hope. But most of all this was for entertainment. Humans like to see lives that are in more turmoil than their own. This is why we have soap operas on television today. He achieves this by using characters that seem to be imaginable. He puts these characters in amazing situations. When the reader believes that they have something pinned he puts in another twist that sends your senses spiraling. A specific instance in the novel is when the reader finds out that Mrs. Waters is actually Jenny Jones who is Tom’s mother. He sleeps with Mrs. Waters not knowing this. Fielding does not unveil this secret until the end of the novel. The major problem in the book is simple. There is a deceitful man named Blifil. He and Tom are going after the same woman, Sophia Western. Blifil is a kaniving person and besmirches the reputation of Tom. He makes up lies that hurt Tom’s chances with Sophia. Tom is also a bastard and Sophia's father does not want her to marry a bastard. But he does want her to marry Blifil because he is in line to inherit a large estate. After arguments and many other incidences the truth is revealed. Everyone finds out that Tom is the good one and Blifil is the bad one. Tom also gets the girl. Henry Fielding was born on April 22, 1707, at Sharpham Park in Somersetshire to well-situated, upper-class parents. His mother was the grand daughter of Sir Henry gold, Baron of the Exchequer, and his father, Edmund, fought against the forces of Louis XIV under the Duke of Marlborough, who eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant general. Fielding was home school as was Tom Jones in the novel. A clerk-man from t... ... he does not know that Tom is really his nephew, he treats Tom like a son. Jenny Jones – She is a servant to the schoolmaster, Mr. Partridge. She is accused of being Tom’s mother. Tom has an affair with her at Upton Inn. She changes her name to Mrs. Waters. Mr. Partridge – He is the schoolmaster. His is falsely accused of being Tom’s father and is bannished. He also takes another name, Little Benjamin. Captain Blifil – A hipocrate who is only interested in money and wealth, who takes advantage of Allworthy’s generosity. Master Blifil – He is the son of Bridget and Captain Blifil. He wants to get all of Allworthy’s estate. Mr. Thwackum – He is a tutor brought in to teach Blifil and Tom. He love to disipline with the whip. Mr. Square – Also responsible for educating Blifil and Tom. Squire Western – Allworthy’s neighbor. He loves three things, to hunt, the bottle (alcohol), and his daughter. Sophia Western – She is lovely and intelegent. She is loved by tome and he want to marry her. Mrs. Western – She is stubborn and pretentious. She is the sister to Squire Western. She has no husband or children so she puts all of her efforts into Sophia.

Make Cigarettes Illegal

One of the largest and most problematic health issues in our society is smoking. Smoking is currently the leading cause of death in our country, due to its harmful and addicting contents, such as nicotine. Although millions die from it each year, smoking is the single most preventable cause of death. Since there is such a high number of deaths, enormous numbers of smoking related diseases, and damage to planet earth, smoking should be made illegal. The first reason smoking should be illegal is because it is detrimental and an addicting drug, just like many illegal ones. Methamphetamine, and crack are some of the most dangerous drugs to use but what many people do not know is Nicotine is just as harmful. According to a chart in Health and Wellness, experts rate on how easy it is to become addicted and how difficult it is to quit. Using various drugs, 100 is the highest addiction potential. Number one on the chart for being most addictive was Nicotine with a score of 100 for having the most addiction potential. Number two was Methamphetamine(smoked) with a score of 96. Number three was Crack with a score of 94. Number 4 was Methamphetamine (injected) with a score of 90. Of the 4 top addictive drugs listed, all are illegal except Nicotine. Nicotine has a much higher death and addiction rate than both meth and crack put together, yet nicotine and cigarettes are still legal. Another reason smoking should be illegal is 50,000 people die each year due to second hand smoke. Is it fair that people who do not smoke are forced to breathe in the chemicals of cigarettes? Is it fair that people who do not smoke are struck with smoking related diseases? Many people believe that solving the problem could be as simple as prohibiting smoking in public places. It does seem to make sense but when you think it out thoroughly, it is not nearly solving any problem. Yes, the number of second hand smoke related deaths would decrease but would not be eliminated. People in public would not have to worry about cigarette smoke but who would? Children. This law would be forcing them to live in a house full of smoke. Yes, the number of second hand smoke related deaths would go down but this law would increase the number children dying or suffering from cigarette smoke. As of today, americanheart. org states that about  60 percent of American children ages 4–11 are exposed to secondhand smoke at home. Studies have shown that children (especially infants) of parents who smoke have more lung illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and can develop asthma. What is that percentage going to be when the only place smokers can smoke is home? Children from ages 4-11 are not the only ones suffering from this drug. Unborn babies are greatly affected by cigarettes. How could any expecting mother put their baby at risk for any damage to their innocent, undeveloped bodies. It is completely unethical and disgusting that something so dangerous to an unborn baby is legal! TheTruth. rg states that every single year smoking durning pregnancy and exposure to second hand smoke results in the death of 776 infants and unborn fetuses every year. That is 776 too many! Other than death, there are many other complications that come with smoking during pregnancy . Low birth weight, premature birth which can cause learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation. Marchofdimes. com held a stu dy that showed women who smoke anytime during the month before pregnancy to the end of the first trimester are more likely to have a baby with birth defects, particularly congenital heart defects  . The risk of heart defects appears to increase with the number of cigarettes a woman smokes. Expecting mothers should not even have this option because smoking should be illegal. Besides babies, here are some problems that come along for anyone who is exposed to cigarette smoke. †¢Reduces fertility †¢Increases likelihood of impotence †¢Contributes to thin bones †¢Affects mental capacity and memory †¢Reduces levels of folate, low levels of which can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer's disease †¢Affects ability to smell and taste †¢Increases risk of depression in adolescents Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure †¢Increases risk of diabetes †¢Increases risk of cancer †¢Causes breathing problems †¢Reduces immune system and get colds and flu more easily ( http://healthliteracy. worlded. org) I think by now, it is pretty obvious that cigarettes are very unhealthy. What is it exactly th at make them unhealthy? Almost everything in them! according to healthyliteracy. worldwide. org There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. 51 of them are known to be carcinogenic. A carcinogen is something that causes cancer. Cancer is a disease that often kills those who have it. Chemicals in cigarettes and cigarette smoke are known to cause not only cancer but also other serious health problems. Many of the chemicals are poisonous. If a person ate one pack of cigarettes, he/she would die. Some of the familiar chemicals in cigarettes are- Carbon Monoxide which is found in car exhaust. Nicotine, a strong poisonous drug. It is the main ingredient in bug sprays. In its pure form, just one drop on a person's tongue would kill him/her. Tar, a material to make roads. Arsenic, rat poisoning. Ammonia, which is cleaning products. Hydrogen Cyanide, gas chamber poison. Cyanide, deadly poison. Acetone, nail polish remover. Butane, cigarette lighter fluid. DDT, insecticides. Formaldehyde, fluid used to preserve dead bodies. Sulfuric Acid, in car batteries. Cadmium, Used to recharge batteries. Freon, damages earths ozone layer. Maltitol, a sweetener not permitted to be used in foods in the U. S Although America is a free county and many people believe that smoking is a choice of freedom, there should be no freedom in killing yourself and others. Some people would argue that smoking should not be illegal because there are many things a person can do that are just as dangerous. For example, skydiving. While skydiving may dangerous, it is not the number one most preventable cause of death in America. Yes, an activity such as skydiving is taking a huge risk of danger but it is not guaranteed that you will get sick or die. Skydiving is regulated to make sure the health and wellbeing of a diver whether professional or non professional does not perish when attempting to jump. As for cigarettes there are no state or federal regulations that protect you or help you from disease or death. With all of this being said, I strongly believe that there is no need for such a deadly product that is useless in todays society.

Homeless People Essay

How does Robert Swindells make you feel sympathetic to the situation that homeless people find themselves in? Stone cold is a book which relates to the real world written by the author ‘Robert Swindells.’ In this book Link appears to be struggling with life as each step he takes in to the real world gradually fills with fear. The spirits of this child have been broken and frayed apart time and time again. Throughout Links background they’re has been hatred lying between him and individuals in his family unit. As poor and as hopeless as he sounds he looks. He is a homeless young child and faces life everyday coping with life on the streets and the unbearable grief of all those who face loving family’s everyday. Robert swindells created a character that lives like those who live on the streets in the real world today. As I have mentioned Link struggles like those on the streets today begging for a little bit of money to pay for there resources eg.food. All homeless also suffer from the same situation Link has been in. Through Link readers should realise that the homeless suffer from great grief and depression. Through out the book of stone cold, Robert swindells has made the reader feel sympathetic towards how you should not take things for granted in life as he uses quotes expressing how it’s like to live. You feel ‘stone cold’ The title also reflects on the target audience as it is mentioning two words that tell the reader automatically what life could be about. It tells the reader that the book could be about anything but specifically that the book relates to the word stone cold. The word stone means rock like. It indicates the meaning of hard. When you put the words together it relates the life and how it is. This also makes the reader feel sympathetic as it is giving the reader something to think about, think about the feeling of the words. They are powerful words which reflect the story of the book in a very brief way. In this book Link is known to have a stepfather who is ill mannered. The book shows how Link has been treated by his father and why he has been treated by his father this way. Vince the step father has changed Link’s life in many ways resulting to link leaving home. Vince treated link like he was a nothing and he used to brag on about how link used to live off his money. If someone who went on and on getting nastier and nastier to you would you put up with it? No a normal person wouldn’t but defenceless link was too afraid of Vince and what he could or would do to him. In a result of this link had no other choice than to leave home as Vince already put the boot in him. Robert has mentioned all of this as it is an important aspect of life that everyone should take interest in. There are many reasons why the homeless live on the streets and this was one of them. Link was seeking for a job yet each individual employed worker turned him down. Robert swindells has already told you how hard it is to be accepted for work. Applying is straightforward, but the acceptance of being rejected is difficult. You feel hurt and think how is it possible for a person to accept another being with qualifications yet reject a person in less than 5 seconds judging by the looks. Robert had obviously pointed this out by mentioning that Link has been rejected over and over again. He has pointed out that no matter how much you strive and seek you would certainly not get accepted, this is how convoluted it is to get one. By this it makes you realise that the homeless are poor because of the common rejection and they’re last resort is it beg known as ‘tapping.’ Without this they would die and population would decrease. Would you really want for this to happen? During the life of begging you have to defend for your self as Robert has included in the book by referring to about how the homeless have to beg, sleep rough, etc†¦ A homeless person would have always come across a situation like this in t heir lives like Link did. The homeless people are people to with hearts and Robert has pointed this out by mentioning phrases like ‘nobody cares, see.’ The homeless struggle and try to get every penny they can just to get some food. People just walk by making their lives misery. Link had to face being alone because he wanted to start a new life, he made friends. Close. He also had lost the girl he had eyes for, the girl who he had fallen in love with. The situation that link found himself in was wretchedly heart breaking. This made me feel sympathetic towards link as he was once again hopeless. He stood they’re with nothing to achieve in his life. This is a problem which many homeless people die from either from nervous brake downs or even from shock. The readers should feel sympathetic because for link it can be a difficult decision to continue with living off the streets or returning to his home. Robert swindells makes you feel that you have the right to conflict against shelter as he is mad and mad. Shelter is an evil soldier who has the urge to constantly kill. Nobody in their right mind would have the heart to kill someone or something as it is cruel. Shelter would describe a homeless person as them being a ‘waste of space.’ He thinks of them as rubbish who scrounges for a living. Overall I would conclude that Robert swindells is making a point to people to make them feel that they have a better understanding of the way the homeless help. Robert was comparing real life to how links life was, he has had good and bad times, and he has feared and has been brave through out facing the real world, facing life. The homeless are people who have no choice so they think if they beg it will help. Everybody should help and try to do their best in helping the poor as they are the ones who suffer as well as those who have money since they have to tolerate watching the innocents of a child starving. They have to take in the guilt and shame. Just remember what you have in life and don’t take everything for granted because when they’ve got you only realise than what you’ve lost†¦

Remember the Tricolon

Remember the Tricolon Remember the Tricolon Remember the Tricolon By Maeve Maddox A tricolon is a rhetorical device that employs a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses. The word derives from Greek tri (â€Å"three†) + colon (â€Å"section of a sentence†). The plural of tricolon is tricola. Julius Caesar’s famous â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici† is a tricolon consisting of three verbs. The tricolon is phrased in ascending order, culminating with the most important action: â€Å"I came, I saw, [and] I conquered.† Churchill’s famous line in praise of the Royal Air Force repeats a â€Å"so† phrase: â€Å"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Phrased in descending order or with an unexpected combination of words, a tricolon can be used for humorous effect, as in this quotation ascribed to Dorothy Parker: â€Å"I require three things in a man. He must be handsome, ruthless and stupid.† Tricola are at work in the answers to these two questions: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? - Practice, practice, practice. What are the three things that matter in property? - Location, location, location. Quotations that remain in the memory long after one’s school days often contain tricola: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness of the people, by the people, for the people Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Many of our idioms, clichà ©s, and fossilized legal phrases take the form of tricola: Every Tom, Dick and Harry Lock, stock, and barrel Wine, women, and song Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Advertisers and PR agents understand the power of the tricola: Power, beauty, and soul (Aston Martin) Keeps going and going and going. (Energizer) Gracespacepace. (Jaguar) Snap! Crackle! Pop! (Rice Krispies) Buy it. Sell it. Love it. (Ebay) Thinner, lighter, and faster. (iPad2) Stop, Look, and Listen (Traffic safety slogan) Drop, Cover, and Hold On (Earthquake/tornado safety slogan) One of the most useful aspects of this rhetorical device is its effectiveness in embedding a thought in the memory. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SAt Your DisposalSupervise vs. Monitor

The Story of the Greek Titan Atlas

The Story of the Greek Titan Atlas The expression to carry the weight of the world on ones shoulders comes from the Greek myth of Atlas, who was one of the second generation of the Titans, the oldest gods of Greek mythology. However, Atlas did not actually carry the weight of the world; instead, he carried the celestial sphere (the sky). The Earth and celestial sphere are both spherical in shape, which may account for the confusion. Atlas in Greek Mythology Atlas was one of four sons of the Titan Iapoetos and the Okeanid Klymene: his brothers were Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoitios. The earliest of the traditions say simply that it was Atlass responsibility to hold up the sky. Later reports say that as one of the Titans, Atlas and his brother Menoitios took part in the Titanomachy, a war between the Titans and their offspring the Olympians. Fighting against the Titans were Olympians Zeus, Prometheus, and Hades. When the Olympians won the war, they punished their enemies. Menoitios was sent to Tartarus in the underworld. Atlas, however, was condemned to stand at the western edge of the Earth and hold the sky on his shoulders. Holding Up the Sky Different sources vary in their descriptions of how Atlas held up the sky. In Hesiods Theogony, Atlas stands at the western edge of the earth near the Hesperides, supporting the sky on his head and hands. The Odyssey describes Atlas standing in the sea holding the pillars that keep the earth and sky apart- in this version, he is the father of Calypso. Herodotus was the first to suggest that the sky rested atop Mount Atlas in the western part of northern Africa, and later traditions still report that Atlas was a man who metamorphosed into the mountain. The Story of Atlas and Hercules Perhaps the most famous myth involving Atlas is his role in one of the celebrated twelve labors of Hercules, and the main version is found in Apollodorus of Athenss Library. In this legend, Hercules was required by Eurystheus to fetch the golden apples from the fabled gardens of the Hesperides, which were sacred to  Hera  and guarded by the fearsome hundred-headed dragon Ladon. Following the advice of Prometheus, Hercules asked Atlas (in some versions the father of the Hesperides) to get him the apples while he, with the help of  Athena, took the sky onto his own shoulders for a while, giving the Titan a welcome respite. Perhaps understandably, when returning with the golden apples, Atlas was reluctant to resume the burden of carrying the sky. However, the wily Hercules tricked the god into swapping places temporarily while the hero got himself some cushions to more easily bear the tremendous weight. Of course, as soon as Atlas was back holding the heavens, Hercules with his golden booty, hot-footed back to  Mycenae. Sources Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. London: Routledge, 2003. Print.Smith, William, and G.E. Marindon, eds. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: John Murray, 1904. Print.

Business Process Reengineering in Construction Industry Essay

Business Process Reengineering in Construction Industry - Essay Example Green buildings built with the help of non-toxic products and materials will help combat these ill-effects of conventional building material. A lot has been said on the practice of Business Process Reengineering. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance. With the world of information available at the click of a mouse, processes can be constantly improved and upgraded. This is true for any industry. The construction industry has also seen tremendous changes in the recent past. Reengineering of business processes has led to several changes in the way the construction industry operates today. "Owners want more predictable outcome in the realm of schedule, quality and cost, smoother delivery, better buildings, more value and more tailored solutions to specific needs. Today's world is full of choices. Project delivery will continue to come in many choices, colors, flavors and combinations. To support the many choices and options demanded by the marketplace we could use a standard for the common fabric under project delivery. The intellectual community is already on the Internet. As the business community moves onto the Internet the potential for digital anarchy is a serious concern for the future. Business solutions must be built on non-proprietary standards with applications that can communicate and inter-operate. Cooperation among competitors in this respect will allow all to prosper." Construction companies, the world over are shifting to environment-friendly solutions. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc, the world-renowned Japanese construction company, has reengineered its business processes to keep in mind the protection of the environment while carrying on its activities. According to Teisuke Kitayama, President, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. "Environmental Preservation Initiatives" dated June 29, 2005, http://www.smfg.co.jp/english/investor/library/annual/h1703annu_pdf/h1703_e_22.pdf accessed ,26 th April, 2008, SMFG has chalked out its business plans keeping in mind the impact on the environment. SMFG's Environmental Action Plan The Group CSR Committee promotes coordinated Groupwide environmental activities. Based on our Group Environmental Policy, we have a three-pronged action plan focusing on: 1) The reduction of environmental impact 2) The practice of environmental risk management 3) The promotion of environment-related businesses The Group CSR Committee systematically follows the PDCA (plan, do, check, act) cycle of planning, performing, checking and improving in pursuing environmental activities centered on these three areas. Professor Martin Charter, Aleksandra Kielkiewicz-Young, Alex Young, Andrew Hughes The Centre for