The Meaning, Structure and Purpose of Life

Moliere once said, â€Å"We only die once†¦and for so long!†[1] of all the subjects that have remained unclear and marred by uncertainty is the subject of life and death. Very many people have tried to understand what life is and the purpose of our existence on earth. However, there has never been summative explanation generally accepted by all.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Meaning, Structure and Purpose of Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The only thing that remains generally and undoubtedly acceptable is that there is inevitable death and that it is appropriate to prepare for it. This paper tries to explain the meaning, structure and purpose of life. It draws from different writings and personal philosophy and revelation. The question of the meaning of life can be discussed from various perspectives (Christiansen, Baum Bass-Haugen, 2005). Down history lane, the question has bee n a topic of argument from philosophers, in religious cycles, in science and even personal motivations. In ancient Greek philosophy, Plato argued that life is nothing but the pursuit of the apex of knowledge. From this knowledge, the definition of good can be established. It is from this definition that one derives value of goodness and justness. He argued that it is the moral responsibility of man to pursue good. However, it is not possible to attain the apex of this knowledge without applying philosophical reasoning. To Plato, this is the meaning of life. He believes that man came into existence in order to promote good through philosophical reasoning that would later lead to knowledge. Looking into this argument, it is clear that virtuous living forms the foundation of Plato’s argument. It is true that man has a moral obligation of striving towards good. This could be the explanation of what happens when one veers of this moral avenue. Due to the defiance of the original e xpectations and purpose of life, life becomes difficult and unbearable. This argument can be developed further based on philosophers of the Hellenistic period (Seaman, 2005). On their part, Hellenistic philosophers argued that life was nothing but a pursuit of virtues that are compatible with nature. They further argued that it is the sole responsibility of a person to be self sufficient and to hold the reigns of his mental attitude. They argued that happiness would only be achieved if individuals learnt to understand nature and what it expected of them. They would only attain happiness if they were taught on how to control their mental attitudes. They argued against the pursuit of happiness through wealth, fame and power. It is clear that both Plato and the Hellenistic philosophers agree to one point which is the desire for good.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They both believe that the moral obligation of man is to ensure that they strived to achieve goodness. However, their arguments on how this good is acquired are where the difference comes. While Plato believes that good can be attained only through knowledge which is only attained from philosophical reasoning, Hellenistic philosophers argue that good entailed acting upon factors that help the individual to stay in compatibility with nature (Marcellino, 1996). My conception of meaning and purpose of life can be derived from both arguments. I believe that life is founded on the fulcrum of virtue. Virtue, which, according to Hellenistic philosophers is acting in the natural human ways, is the same as good which according to Plato leads to knowledge that would lead an individual into attaining relevant skills for existence on this earth. In the contemporary picture, one can realize that it is natural that an individual learns how to cope in the world. It is necessary that one learns what is necessary in this short life. For instance, one should have the ability to identify the role of simple things in the general pursuit of happiness. Simple actions like helping an old man cross a road, contributing to charity, volunteering to work in orphanages, sending Christmas gifts to the poor, et cetera are actions that bring great satisfaction and sense of happiness within an individual. I therefore tend to believe that man was originally created to be just and virtuous. This argument position is consistent with both the Hellenistic philosophers and Plato. I argue that happiness is derived from doing small things as mentioned earlier. It is therefore not about how much wealth one has but about how much heart one has. This is what the Hellenistic philosophers argue. Of how much benefit will it be to own the whole world when deep inside of you the feeling of guilt and social irresponsibility haunts you? How would one feel if he had everything he needed, a lot of money, luxury car s, real estates et cetera but if he knows that the money was gotten from oppression and theft that subjected some people to sorrow? Without doubt, the person will feel the guilt. He will feel the pain deep inside. A small voice will keep screaming to him whenever he sees the agony of the people he oppressed before landing the wealth. This has meaning. It is a clear indication that life is originally virtuous. Virtue is not meant to be for life but life is virtue itself. Deviation from virtue is as good as deviation from life. One cannot be able to live comfortably if he does not conform to virtue. Trying to live outside of virtue is like trying to live without life. Impossible! Life is virtue. There is a design to life. There is some formula that must be adhered to for any chances of happiness and deep satisfaction. A design or model offers guidelines upon which something can be defined (Hua, 2003; Baggini, 2004). As Hellenistic philosophers argue, happiness can be achieved if human beings try to live natural to human beings (Walker, 2000). This statement carries a lot of weight in my conception of the design of life. The originator of life gave a definite design to this phenomenon.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Meaning, Structure and Purpose of Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is an aspect of naturalness that must be adhered to. This naturalness is maybe what we are calling virtue. But there is a design which, to me, is incompatible with every artificial thing. It has been argued in almost every quarter of the society that money is the root cause of every problems of man. On its part, industrialization has led to development of certain diseases directly or indirectly. The same industrialization has led to destroyed ozone layer leading to global warming that has led to diseases, hunger, flooding, et cetera. Human philosophy and cultural beliefs that do not have th eir roots in the original designers’ expectations have led to problems within human circles. For instance, the definition of success has led capitalism and individualism, which are not within the original design. Deviation from the design would automatically lead to strife. This brings up the question of alienation. Charlton (2002) argues that human beings feel alienated from the world. They tend to find themselves as strangers in a world that is also strange to them. They feel like they don’t belong in this world. It is like they were dropped here by some one who later left them without telling them where they are or what they are supposed to do. It is evident that this feeling has assumed an upward trend in the contemporary times (Kubler-Ross, 1969). Why is it that more people than ever are continuously getting to see life as a meaningless venture that is incomprehensible and a riddle that cannot be solved. What was it in the older days that people lived satisfactori ly without much ado? Borrowing from Charlton’s argument, the feeling of alienation is an, â€Å"accidental and harmful side effect of useful mental abilities†[2]. These mental abilities are a result of man’s adaptation to survival. Charlton clearly points out that the sense of alienation and meaninglessness of life can be traced down to man’s deviation from hunting and gathering way of life. There is a lesson here. A great proof that life has a design which was originally imparted upon man can be identified from this argument. Initially, the creator of man designed a particular design for life upon which adherence could guarantee satisfaction and happiness. Again, this leads to Hellenistic philosopher’s approach to life. There is a natural way that man was expected to live. This is the design. This natural way is what Hellenistic philosophers identify as the natural human nature that leads to happiness (Jewell, 2003).Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Having understood the design of life, what then, is the purpose of life? Iris (2002) gives a beautiful picture that can be used by an individual to define the purpose of life. Unlike most people perceive it; the word purpose is not what you do but what you are. In her words, it is not the doing-ness but the being-ness. Finding the purpose of life through doing-ness can lead to alienation and further confusion. After excelling in career, in sports, in wealth creation et cetera, one might not find solace. They eventually prove meaningless (Byock, 1998). Therefore, purpose of life is not what one eventually does. It is the being-ness. It is taking purpose as a vessel (expensive and prestigious) which holds inside of it life itself. Therefore purpose, which is the vessel, determines the value of the content, which is life in this context. Therefore, purpose of life is the being-ness. She further points out the components of the being-ness. The three components are who you believe and kn ow you are deep down inside of you, your values and vision of the world and what you believe is possible for the world. The purpose of life is therefore, being the true you, having a vision that is defined by the true you and believing that the world can be good for every individual. In conclusion, looking around all the arguments above, one thing stands out, the questions of what life is, what the purpose of life is and what is the design of life tend to drive towards a single explanation. That life was creatively designed and was given a purpose and a design upon which deviation can lead to sorrow. From Plato to Hellenistic philosophy up to the contemporary arguments, there is a need for promotion of virtue naturally. There is need for identifying the natural part of human-ness which Iris refers to as the purpose and vessel of life. Any deviation from the original purpose leads to suffering and sorrow and that is what is visible nowadays. Many unnatural philosophies and physical a ctivities like desire for wealth have led to the deviation from the natural design. Happiness will only be achieved in the world if people understand the relationship between life, purpose and design. By understanding this, they will be able to live within the design of life and thus live happily. Reference List Baggini, J. (2004). What’s It All About? Philosophy and the Meaning of Life. New York: Granta Books. Byock, I. (1998). Dying Well: Peace and Possibility. New York: Riverhead Books. Charlton, B. (2002). What is the meaning of life? Animism, generalized anthropomorphism and social intelligence. University of New Castle. Retrieved from https://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/meaning-of-life.html Christiansen, C., Baum, M. Bass-Haugen, J. (2005). Occupational Therapy:  Performance, Participation, and Well-Being. SLACK Incorporated. Curtiss, F. (2003). Why Are We Here. CA: Kessinger Publishing. Hua, H. (2003). Words of Wisdom: Beginning Buddhism. New York: Dharma Realm Buddhi st Association. Iris, H. (2002). What is my purpose? Business Know-How. Retrieved from https://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/whatispurp.htm Jewell, A. (2003). Ageing, Spirituality and Well-Being. Boston: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Kubler-Ross, E. (1969). On Death and Dying. New York: Macmillan Publishers. Marcellino, D. (1996). Why Are We Here?: The Scientific Answer to this Age-old  Question (that you don’t need to be a scientist to understand). Lighthouse Pub. Seaman, D. (2005). The Real Meaning of Life. New York: New World Library. Walker, V.H. (2000). The Physics of Consciousness: The Quantum Mind and the  Meaning of Life. Perseus Books. Footnotes Curtiss, F. (2003). Why Are We Here. CA: Kessinger Publishing Charlton, B. (2002). What is the meaning of life? Animism, generalized anthropomorphism and social intelligence. University of New Castle. p. 1 This research paper on The Meaning, Structure and Purpose of Life was written and submitted by user Harper Holman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde essays

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde essays The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The story is about the dualism of human nature. The main character, Dr. Jekyll tries to seperate his good from his evil side into a different body. For that purpose he creates a drug. Finally everything gets out of hand with the result of Dr. Jekylls death. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850- 1894) is known to be a typical author of the Victorian times. He had the ability to describe scary events in a very exciting way. Treasure Island (1883) and the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are his most popular books. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh as a son of a religious family (calvinism). His fathers profession was to construct Lighthouses. He was supposed to continue with this family tradition, but on account of his poor health he was not able to step into his fathers footprints. In 1875 he graduated from Edinburgh university and received the title of an advocate. His literary career started as a journalist. He although published essays about several trips through Europe he had gone on. In 1876 he met Ms. Osbourne, an American Lady who stayed in France. Together they went back to the states and got married. The last episode of his life was a stay in Samoa where he dedicated his life to improve the situation of the native population. As a result of that he got into a conflict with the German colonial supremacy. By the time he died his popularity as a writer had reached its climax. In the beginning of the story the character of Mr. Utterson is introduced. He s a lawyer and although a friend of Dr. Jekyll. While talking to a friend he finds out about a man named Mr. Hyde, who had trampled over a girls little body. Everybody who looks at him is paralysed by his creature. The incident which makes this whole case seem suspicious is that Uttersons friend and client Dr. Jekyll gave him a handwritten will, in which he declared Edward Hyde as his sole heir. Utterso...

History of US Naval Station at Pearl Harbor

History of US Naval Station at Pearl Harbor The early 1800s: Known to native Hawaiians as Wai Momi, meaning water of pearl, Pearl Harbor was believed to be the home of the shark goddess Kaahupahau and her brother, Kahiuka. Beginning in the first half of the 19th century, Pearl Harbor was identified as the possible location for a naval base by the United States, Great Britain, and France. Its desirability was reduced however by the shallow water and reefs that blocked its narrow entrance. This restriction led to it largely being overlooked in favor of other locations in the islands. US Annexation: In 1873, the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce petitioned King Lunalilo to negotiate a reciprocal treaty with the United States to further the bond between the two nations. As an inducement, the King offered the cessation of Pearl Harbor to the United States. This element of the proposed treaty was dropped when it became clear the Lunalilos legislature would not approve the treaty with it included. The Reciprocity Treaty was ultimately concluded in 1875, by Lunalilos successor, King Kalakaua. Pleased by the treatys economic benefits, the King soon sought to extend the treaty beyond its term of seven years. The effort to renew the treaty met with resistance in the United States. After several years of negotiation, the two nations agreed to renew the treaty through the Hawaii-United States Convention of 1884. Ratified by both nations in 1887, the convention granted to the Government of the US the exclusive right to enter the harbor of Pearl River, in the Island of Oahu, and to establish and maintain there a coaling and repair station for the use of vessels of the US and to that end the US may improve the entrance to said harbor and do all things useful to the purpose aforesaid. The Early Years: The acquisition of Pearl Harbor met with criticism from Britain and France, who had signed a compact in 1843, agreeing not compete over the islands. These protests were ignored and the US Navy took possession of the harbor on November 9, 1887. Over the next twelve years, no efforts were made to enhance Pearl Harbor for naval use as the harbors shallow channel still prevented the entrance of larger ships. Following Hawaiis annexation to the United States in 1898, efforts were made to enhance the Navys facilities to support operations in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. These improvements were focused on the Navys facilities in Honolulu Harbor, and it was not until 1901, that attention was turned to Pearl Harbor. In that year, appropriations were made to acquire land around the port and improve the entrance channel into the harbors lochs. After efforts to purchase the adjacent land failed, the Navy obtained the present site of the Navy Yard, Kauhua Island, and a strip on the southeast coast of Ford Island through eminent domain. Work also began dredging the entrance channel. This progressed quickly and in 1903, USS Petral became the first vessel to enter the harbor. Growing the Base: Though improvements had begun at Pearl Harbor, the bulk of the Navys facilities remained in Honolulu through the first decade of the 20th century. As other governmental agencies began encroaching on the Navys property in Honolulu, the decision was made to begin shifting activities to Pearl Harbor. In 1908, Naval Station, Pearl Harbor was created and construction began on the first drydock the following year. Over the next ten years, the base grew steadily with new facilities being constructed and the channels and lochs deepened to accommodate the Navys largest ships. The only major setback involved the construction of the dry dock. Begun in 1909, the drydock project angered locals who believed the shark god lived in caves on the site. When the drydock collapsed during construction due to seismic disturbances, Hawaiians claimed that the god was angry. The project was finally completed in 1919, at cost of $5 million. In August 1913, the Navy abandoned its facilities in Honolulu and began to solely focus on developing Pearl Harbor. Allocated $20 million to turn the station into a first-rate base, the Navy completed the new physical plant in 1919. Expansion: While work was moving along on shore, Ford Island in the middle of the harbor was purchased in 1917, for joint Army-Navy use in developing military aviation. The first aircrews arrived at new Luke Field in 1919, and the following year the Naval Air Station was established. While the 1920s were largely a time of austerity at Pearl Harbor as post-World War I appropriations decreased, the base continued to grow. By 1934, the Minecraft Base, Fleet Air Base, and Submarine Base had been added to the existing Navy Yard and Naval District. In 1936, work began to further improve the entrance channel and to construct repair facilities to make Pearl Harbor a major overhaul base on par with Mare Island and Puget Sound. With the increasingly aggressive nature of Japan in the late 1930s and the outbreak of World War II in Europe, further efforts were made to expand and improve the base. With tensions heightening, the decision was made to hold the US Pacific Fleets fleet exercises off Hawaii in 1940. Following these maneuvers, the fleet remained at Pearl Harbor, which became its permanent base in February 1941. World War II and After: With the shift of the US Pacific Fleet to Pearl Harbor, the anchorage was expanded to accommodate the entire fleet. On the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Crippling the US Pacific Fleet, the raid killed 2,368 and sank four battleships and heavily damaged four more. Forcing the United States into World War II, the attack placed Pearl Harbor on the front lines of the new conflict. While the attack had been devastating to the fleet, it did little damage to the bases infrastructure. These facilities, which continued to grow during the war, proved vital to ensuring that US warships remained in fighting condition throughout the conflict. It was from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor that Admiral Chester Nimitz oversaw the American advance across the Pacific and the ultimate defeat of Japan. Following the war, Pearl Harbor remained the homeport of the US Pacific Fleet. Since that time it has served to support naval operations during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as during the Cold War. Still in full use today, Pearl Harbor is also home to the USS Arizona Memorial as well as the museum ships USS Missouri and USS Bowfin. Selected Sources A Brief History of Pearl Harbor Prior to World War IINaval Station Pearl Harbor

Global Trends in Corporate Power Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Trends in Corporate Power - Assignment Example However, the 1970s experienced a failure of the Keynesian economic policies to address unemployment and inflation issues. Conservative politicians fought for the growth of large corporations by faulting the enforcement of anti-trust laws and lowering tax rates on corporations.The fall of the Eastern Bloc nations and the Soviet Union near the end of the twentieth century also gave room for the spread of free-market capitalism. Capitalism played a crucial role in enhancing quick expansion of large American corporations such as Coke, McDonald's, and Levis into new markets that had been dominated by Communist countries. International agreements on free trade and privatization are fueling the removal of trade barriers. Corporations are now riding on preferential treatment by nations. Their impacts on people’s welfare are felt from Wall Street to the poorest country on the globe.Global distribution of Multinational Corporations (MNC) suggests the vast influence of corporate power. T he United Nations reported that there were approximately 75000 MNCs operating globally in 2005. The developed industrial economies boast of being the mother countries of about three-quarters of the MNCs. Denmark is a home to 12% of the total MNCs, followed by South Korea. Germany follows with 8%, then Japan (7%), China (5%) and lastly U.S. (3%). India and Brazil are the leading developing countries that home a significant number of MNCs. However, a greater share of the geographic distribution of only the very largest corporations is in U.S. and Japan.

Advise a policy maker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advise a policy maker - Research Paper Example While doing this, a policymaker should ensure that they followed any of the four perspectives to public administration in order to ensure that the framework within which a policy operates achieves the desired results and objectives. In effect, failure to ensure that the policy framework was within the four perspectives to public administration will consequently make a policy inept, and its objectives to be unachievable. Based on the abovementioned, one of the best approaches that any policymaker should incorporate while making decisions, resolving, developing, and implementing a policy is the political perspective approach to public administration. By its precise nature, this perspective has to be an effective approach to any policymaker who wants to achieve a policy that was effective, efficient, and equitable in nature. In this case, the perspective contains four basic aspects that will ensure that a policymaker attained effectiveness, efficiency, and equity while developing a poli cy. These four fundamental aspects include public participation in the policy, equal representation of the public in terms of demographics and interests, the public’s responsiveness to a policy, and accountability of administrators involved in any stages of the administration of this policy. In line with this, this expose uses the political perspective to assist a policymaker resolve a problem that requires their urgent resolution. It is pertinent to explain the nature of the problem that required urgent resolution. In this case, the problem involved state government’s resolve to close all land administrations offices in the state’s precincts in order to centralize the operations in its State capital. The objective to implement this policy was to institute cost-cutting measures that would see all matters of land administration administered from the State capital. In doing this, the state had observed that the land administration offices in the precincts were not cost-effective to operate, and it was recommended that centralizing land administration would save the expenses. Nonetheless, there was a public outcry over this issue, and it was important to resolve this issue within one week in order to ensure the policy developed was effective, efficient, and equitable to the entire population in the state. The political perspective to public administration recognizes the important role of political responsiveness while developing policy. In this regard, Dahl (1971) identified the important role of the government in ensuring that the government’s policy centered on the preferences of all the citizens, who in most cases should be considered as political equals. In this regard, it is important for the policy that we are going to formulate ensure that all the demographics will feel that the policy represented them equally. In addition, it is crucial for the policymaker to consider whether the needs of each citizen in the state are considere d before implementing this policy. Furthermore, political representation cannot be attained when developing and implementing a policy without considering all the characteristics of the constituents in the state. In support of political responsiveness, Lindbloom (1992) noted the importance of considering a policy that appealed to the masses in terms of objectivity and values that the policy espouses. In view of this requirement, it is evident that the policy that the State was about to implement did not meet these requirements. First, the policy does not consider the impoverished citizens in the state who would find it challenging to seek assistance from the State ca

Dependency Theory and Colonial Heritage Essay Example for Free

Dependency Theory and Colonial Heritage Essay Many have tried to draw upon the legacy of the colonial system to explain the reasons for underdevelopment in many areas of the world. Most areas that suffer from poverty today are former colonies the developed nations, for the most part, are former metropoles. The colonizers exploited their underlings in colonies, turning them into suppliers of cheap raw materials and restricting the infrastructure construction, leaving former colonies with only basic facilities. In many cases, when the colonizers departed, the nations were left with artificial boundaries that separated them from each other without regard for their historical development. This fuelled subsequent separatism and military conflicts, hampering economic progress. Thus, if one looks at straight-line boundaries in Africa which we are now learning in DS 202, it becomes obvious that those were artificially created. The colonizers, in particular the British Empire, were suppressing the industrial development in their colonies because they viewed them as sources of cheap imports and at the same time large markets for their industrial goods. An example of north-eastern Brazil that often surfaces in literature on underdevelopment, (Taylor 2001) claims that north eastern Brazil in the 19th century would have appeared to be an ideal place for a textile industry with its high quality cotton and existing demand for sugar bags cloth and slave clothing. However, to develop the textile industry, it would take years during which the industry should have been shielded from foreign competition with import tariffs and quotas. This was surely not something Britain would allow in its colony. As a result, the fledgling Brazilian textile enterprises proved unable to withstand the competition with Britains textile industry. Britain, like almost any metropole, was interested in selling to the colony, not developing industry inside it. As of 1822, when Brazil received independence, it was a larger export market for Britain than all the rest of Latin America combined (Taylor, 2001). Naturally, even as Brazil proclaimed independence, Britain did not want to lose this lucrative market and demanded a trade treaty with Britain which prohibited import substitution tariffs (Taylor, 2001). Brazil was forced into this treaty by its political weakness. In this way, former metropolitan powers keep control of their former colonies to varying extents, blocking their effective development. In newly independent nations of Latin America, for instance, the warfare that  often preceded proclamation of independence devastated regional and national economies (Kinsbruner 1994 pg 126). Although this perspective is not universally recognised, the IMF and the World Bank for imposing policies said to aggravate third world countries. The stated goals of both institutions are certainly to spearhead economic growth in nations they service with their financial programs. Critics , however , point out that loans from the World Bank and the IMF often come with conditions that block the road to sustainable development and make poverty even worse . The Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs) imposed by the IMF as a prerequisite for qualifying for its loans often aggravate the deplorable condition of the third world nation. Thus, SAPs often call for reduction in government expenditures for health, education and other government services for the sake of debt repayment. In this way, third world nations are dragged into the quagmire of debt repayment, as their interest provides income for Wall Street banks and other financial institutions. IMF policies urge third world countries to increase their exports of raw materials and agricultural products in to cope with debt an immediate concern. This, however, reduces the amount of food available to the poor inside the country and can lead to starvation second, does not create conditions for building processing industries that will increase value added inside the country. Besides, the IMF often demands for liberal market reforms that involve privatisation that, without proper preparation a nd evaluation of potential consequences, can lead to loss of jobs, aggravation of the social situation and civil unrest. Such measures lead to social discontent that can hamper the development of economies in developing countries. With respect to harmful policies imposed by the fund, Amin notes that the key to development is subordination of outside relations to the logic of internal development and not the reverse as it is happening when development policies are imposed by outside financial institutions (Amin, 1995 pg 10). The harmful role of the World Bank and the IMF in the development of poor nations is by no means indisputable. However, there are many criticisms aimed at the policies that accompany loans and the very idea of reaping interest income off the populations of the nations where starvation is a widely spread phenomenon. Political Aspects. Many regions of the world that demonstrate marked third world are characterised by overt concentration of power in the hands of a rich minority that uses this power to oppress the majority. For example, the North-eastern areas of Brazil that rely on sugar production as the primary source of income are seriously underdeveloped as compared to the rest of the nation. The property patterns in this region are the history of the dominant class manipulating social, political, and economic institutions so as to expropriate the maximum possible surplus from the rural workers (Taylor, 1978 pg 57). The economic interests of the land-owning class lay in extracting as much as possible from their plantations and workers as opposed to investing in the area. The result is miserable since an area that specialises in agricultural production cannot even feed its own citizens and has to import most of its agricultural produce from the rest of the nation. With a stagnant economic situation, the north-eastern Brazil has suffered from health education, and literacy standards that ended in a peasant revolt in the 1960s (Taylor, 1978 pg 157) Regional Inequalities. Many travellers to nations lik e China, India or the Caribbean are immediately impressed by the contrast between squalor of provincial areas and the apparent luxury of large cities and some ‘advanced’ areas. Regional inequalities contribute to underdevelopment, creating a situation when some areas are on their way toward modernisation, while others are forced into the backseat of social and economic progress. The importance of regional inequalities as source of underdevelopment is explored, for instance, in Andre Gunder Frank s 1989 publication The Development of Underdevelopment (Frank 1989) challenges the view that third world nations are still going through the stages that more developed countries are done with. Instead, he asserts that problems of underdeveloped areas are the inevitable result of the capitalist system. The same, in his mind, is true of the regional disparities observed in the third world countries where the capital and larger cities often stand out as oases of advancement among the generally gloomy landscape around. The underdevelopment phenomena in the province are the products of the historical development of the capitalist system no less than are the seemingly mor e modern or capitalist features of the national metropoles of the third world countries Frank (1989, pg 37). Education and Training. A well-trained and educated workforce is the necessary precondition for successful economic development. The presence of a large educated population contributes to Indias current rise as an outsourcing destination, although  it has so far failed to ensure overall prosperity in this nation. This problem, for instance, is addressed in Canadian programs targeting development of Aboriginal areas. The Indian entrepreneurship has to be supported with knowledgeable workforce that will attract capital flows to the areas. Although the fact that Native Americans missed the industrial revolution has its upside, as there is no need for re-training, integration of these people into the complex web of the global economy is a serious challenge (Kendall , 2001). Similar problems are experienced by many third world countries only in their case unlike the situation of Aboriginal populations in Canada, there is no strong nation to back them up in the efforts to increase their education. Cultural Factors. Culture, to some degree, can also adversely impact development or contribute to it. The modern world is patterned to a great extent after the Western cultures of the nations that have a dominant role in this world. Those that do not fit into these patterns will not achieve success as their development would ideally proceed along different lines. An example can be the case of Africa and Native Americans in Canada. Although living in a highly developed and prosperous nation, Native Americans, South Africa and even Zimbabwe, the Aboriginals fail to attain economic well-being. One reason that precludes their success is supposed to be their culture that envisages collective ownership and sharing of resources, as opposed to the idea of individual private rights that characterizes Western culture Kendall, (2001 pg 43). Industrial technology best develops in conditions that favour private ownership however, for these countries, it often means they have to abandon their cultural values which in most cases is not the case. CONCLUSION The difficulties of modernising and developing third world countries are multiple. More often than not different factors of third world countries will be present in areas affected by this problem, intertwined and perpetuating each other. Thus, the political situation marked by elite domination perpetuates economic inequalities that in their turn cause inadequacy of educational facilities and ensuing lack of local qualified specialists. Lack of medical services can lead to absence of effective family planning measures that in their turn lead to overpopulation and then to poverty as the national GDP struggles to catch up with economic growth.  Therefore, addressing a set of problems rather than separate issues is the cornerstone for building an effective development program.

Relations Between Turkey and America Essays -- Cold War Turkish Americ

Relations Between Turkey and America INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to look for the relations between Turkey and America from the cold war to current issues I will study on the situations that are developed between America and Turkey starts from the end of the cold war such as â€Å"Truman doctrine†, â€Å"missile crisis† and â€Å"gulf war†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The policies of United States and the reactions of Turkey’s against that policies will take part in this paper. COLD WAR The Soviet Union and the United States, after World War II, began a military competition. The Soviet Union, after the end of World War II, wished to expand the buffer zone between itself and the Western world. In addition to the original Polish territory, the USSR established communism in Rumania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. The Kremlin felt that The United States was going to try to spread its capitalist ideals into all of Europe and eventually, the Soviet Union itself. Also, the United States saw the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe as the beginning of a plan to spread Communism throughout the world. This misconception was the beginning of the Cold War. The relation ship between America and Turkey has improved from 1947. In this relation the geopolitical position of Turkey plays a big role. The Truman Doctrine The first United States anti-Communist action was, in 1947, to begin providing economic aid to countries pressured by outside powers. When Britain announced that it would withdraw aid to Greece and Turkey, the responsibility was passed on to the United States. America was afraid of spreading of communism because of that President Harry S. Truman asked military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey and established a doctrine named as the Truman Doctrine that would guide U.S. diplomacy for the next forty years. The United States had also been following events in Turkey. The weak government of Turkey faced Soviet pressure to share control of the strategic Dardanelle Straits. Also Turkey could prevent the expansion of Soviet Union to the Mediterranean and Middle East and it could be a set for the Soviet Union in a probable war. Also Turkey had an important geopolitical position for USA, Turkey could provide an important geopolitical advantage for USA in a war with Soviet Union. These were the most important reasons for USA to help Turkey... ...all in 21st century they have good relations).Especially after September 11 attacks, declaration war against terrorism by USA, Turkey decided to be with the USA side. Turkey had lots of problems about terrorism (especially PKK). Turkey had important geopolitical position because of that USA would not want to lost turkey. As long as the economic crisis exists in turkey the Turkish foreign policy will be more depended on USA and IMF. But at the and when we look at the current events in international arena, especially the visit of president of Turkey Ecevit to united states in January 14, 2002 we see that the USA- Turkish relations becoming better. REFERENCES: Baskà ½n Oran, TURK DIÞ POLITIKASI, Iletià ¾im yayà ½nlarà ½, Istanbul,2001. Idris Bal, TURK DIÞ POLIIKASI, Alfa basà ½m yayà ½m daà °Ãƒ ½tà ½m, 2001. Doà §.DR. Oral Sander, TURK-AMERà KAN ILIÞKILERI, Ankara, 1979. Dr. A. Haluk ÃÅ"lman, TURK-AMERIKAN DIPLOMATIK MUNASABETLERI, Ankara,1961. Kamuran Gà ¼rà ¼n, DIS ILISKILER VE TURK POLITIKASI,Ankara,1983 William Hale, TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY, Frank Cass publishers, britain, 2000. http://www.Turkey.org http://www.turk-yunan.gen.tr http://www.yale.edu