Russian History Essays - Russian Nationalism,

Russian History Russian History Russia has always played a major roll in global politics, economics and thought. However, in the past two centuries, Russia has had probably the greatest influence on the international world in modern times, surpassed only by the United States. The Russia that we've known this century though, has its roots in last centuries Russian. At the end of the nineteenth century, Russia experienced great changes internally, politically, socially and spiritually. The half century leading up to the Communist revolution in 1917 was a time filled with sweeping changes, literary triumphs and military defeat. All of these factors played in the eventual revolution and not only affected politics and thought in Russia, but in every nation on earth. After the defeat of the Russian army in the Crimean War, Russian realized that it needed to modernize its country, socially and militarily. Alexander II realized that to modernize mean that Russia needed to westernize. So in 1861 he emancipated the serfs from bondage. The emancipation was mean to bridge the gap between the elite and the general population, but was not the first of such liberal western type reforms. Catherine and Peter the Great had also made western type reforms during their respective reigns. All of their reforms, and especially Alexander's, were influenced by western thought. These thought were introduced into Russia by its Western European educated ruling class. Under Alexander II, the ruling class began to see serfdom as an immoral part of society. This moral problem was accompanied by the economics of the day, and the ethical conclusion was that serfdom must be dismantled. The abolition of serfdom was Alexander II greatest contribution to history. However, the 'Liberating Czar' enacted a whole series of fundamental changes including; comprehensive reform of the judicial system that finally introduced the unheard of idea of equality, trial by jury, public proceedings in legal matters and the impartiality of the courts. In the end though, none of these reforms really solved any of Russia's social or economic problems, eventually called the 'accursed questions'. These were taken up by the various political groups and writers of the time. The writers however were the most important. To Russians, the writer is not only looked upon as an artist of the word, but also as a guide and teacher in a deeper sense. The writer is supposed to understand life better than ordinary mortals, so it's his duty to impart this knowledge to others in appropriate shape and form. The reign of Alexander II was an age of great literary achievement, the 'Golden Age' of the Russian novel. Almost all of the great works of Russian fiction were produced during this time. The best minds were attracted to the novel, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Asakov all produced some of the greatest literary works of all time during this period. All of the writers during this time belonged to a political school of thought, and while some of the schools worked for similar aims, they were all different and each one possessed its own unique ideals. The Slavophiles were probably the oldest of the political schools at the time. The Slavophiles during the reign of Alexander II were of the second generation, and they were the ones to turn the Slavophile myth of old into a real modern political program. This program included the endorsement of the Orthodox religion and a patrimonial monarchy. The Slavophiles believed in the inherent virtue and goodness of the Russian people and culture. A main part of this culture was the ideal of 'sobornost', that is, the communal spirit. The Slavophiles saw this in action in the peasant communes, and believed that communalism in conjunction with Christian communal worship would become the source of Russia's sorely needed moral and cultural regeneration. In accordance with Russia's regeneration, Slavophiles saw the west as corrupt and immoral. They saw Russia's destiny as one in which it would save the west from spiritual decay. Fyodor Dostoevsky was Slavophilisms more down-to-earth and democratic member. He was also the movements' most effective proponent. In his book "Discourse on Pushkin", Dostoevsky describes the Slavophile position. The major opponents of the Slavophile position were the western influenced Nihilists. These leftist radicals rejected religion, the authority of the state, the family, social conventions and aesthetic values as irrelevant. They were highly influenced by Western Europe in their atheism and material positivism. They flaunted the social rules and conventions of the day, they wore dark sunglasses, men wore their hair long and the women short. They were also socialists, but unlike their Slavophile counterparts, they did not believe in a utopia. The nihilists had many sympathizers in

Prehistoric Saber-Toothed Cats

Prehistoric Saber-Toothed Cats Despite the way theyve been portrayed in movies, saber-toothed cats werent just big felines with enormous front teeth. The whole lifestyle of saber-toothed cats (and their close cousins, the scimitar-tooths, dirk-tooths and false saber tooths) revolved around using their canines to wound and kill prey, most often giant herbivorous mammals, but also early hominids and other big cats that are now extinct. Now we need to dispense with a couple of other misconceptions. First, the most famous prehistoric cat, Smilodon, is often referred to as the Saber-Toothed Tiger, but the word tiger actually refers to a specific, modern genus of big cat. More properly, Smilodon should be called a saber-toothed cat, just like its large-fanged contemporaries of the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. And second, as so often happens in nature, the saber-tooth head plan evolved more than onceand not just in cats, as well see below. Saber-Toothed Cats - True or False? The first carnivores that could reasonably be described as saber-toothed were the nimravids, primitive, vaguely cat-like mammals that lived about 35 million years ago, during the late Eocene epoch. As closely related to early hyenas as they were also early cats, nimravids werent technically felines, but genera like Nimravus and Hoplophoneus (Greek for armed murderer) still boasted some impressive canines. For technical reasons (mostly involving the shapes of their inner ears), paleontologists refer to nimravids as false saber tooths, a distinction that makes less sense when you take a gander at the skull of Eusmilus. The two front canines of this leopard-sized nimravid were almost as long as its entire skull, but their thin, dagger-like structure places this carnivore firmly in the dirk-toothed cat family (dirk being the ancient Scottish word for dagger). Confusingly, even some primitive felines are categorized as false saber-tooths. A good example is the aptly named Dinofelis (terrible cat), whose somewhat short, blunt canines, though bigger than those of any large cat alive today, dont merit its inclusion in the true saber-tooth camp. Even so, Dinofelis was a continuing menace to other mammals of its time, including the early hominid Australopithecus (which may have figured on this cats dinner menu). Exclusion from the true saber-toothed cats makes more sense in the case of Thylacosmilus. This was a marsupial that raised its young in pouches, kangaroo-style, rather than a placental mammal-like its true saber-toothed cousins. Ironically, Thylacosmilus went extinct about two million years ago when its South American habitat was colonized by true saber-tooths migrating down from the North American plains. (A similar-sounding predatory mammal from Australia, Thylacoleo, wasnt technically a cat at all, but it was every bit as dangerous.) Smilodon and Homotherium - Kings of the Saber-Toothed Smilodon (and no, its Greek name has nothing to do with the word smile) is the creature that people have in mind when they say saber-toothed tiger. This long-fanged carnivore was shorter, stockier and heavier than a typical modern-day lion, and it owes its fame to the fact that thousands of Smilodon skeletons have been fished out of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles (its no wonder that Hollywood has immortalized saber-toothed tigers in countless caveman flicks). Although Smilodon probably snacked on the occasional hominid, the bulk of its diet consisted of the large, slow herbivores crowding the plains of North and South America. Smilodon enjoyed a long time in the prehistoric sun, persisting from the Pliocene epoch to about 10,000 B.C., when early humans hunted the dwindling population to extinction (or, possibly, rendered Smilodon extinct by hunting its prey to extinction!). The only other prehistoric cat to match Smilodons success was Homotherium, which spread across wider swathes of territory (Eurasia and Africa, as well as North and South America) and was perhaps even more dangerous. Homotheriums canines were sleeker and sharper than those of Smilodon (which is why paleontologists call it a scimitar-toothed cat), and it had a hunched, hyena-like posture. (Homotherium may have resembled hyenas in another respect: theres evidence that it hunted in packs, a good strategy for bringing down multi-ton Woolly Mammoths.) The Lifestyles of Saber-Toothed Cats As mentioned above, the gigantic canines of saber-toothed cats (true, false, or marsupial) existed for more than strictly ornamental reasons. Whenever nature evolves a specific feature multiple times, you can be sure that it has a definite purposeso the convergent evolution of saber teeth in various types of carnivores points to a more functional explanation. Based on current research, it seems that the largest saber-toothed cats (such as Smilodon, Homotherium, and Thylocasmilus) pounced suddenly on their prey and dug in their canines - then withdrew to a safe distance as the unfortunate animal wandered in circles and bled to death. Some of the evidence for this behavior is strictly circumstantial (for example, paleontologists rarely find broken-off saber teeth, a hint that these canines were a crucial part of the cats armament). While some evidence is more direct - skeletons of various animals have been found bearing Smilodon or Homotherium-sized puncture wounds. Scientists have also found that Smilodon had unusually powerful arms - which it used to hold down wriggling prey, thus minimizing the possibility of breaking off those all-important saber teeth. Perhaps the most surprising fact about saber-toothed cats is that they werent exactly speed-demons. Whereas modern cheetahs can hit top speeds of 50 miles per hour or so (at least for short bursts), the relatively stubby, muscular legs and thick builds of the bigger saber-toothed cats indicates that they were opportunistic hunters, jumping on prey from the low branches of trees or executing short, daring leaps from the underbrush to dig in their deadly fangs.

Is Whistle Blowing Ethical or not Research Paper

Is Whistle Blowing Ethical or not - Research Paper Example The morality comes into question when there is a conflict between the individual’s duty to staying loyal to the firm and the freedom to speak out against what is wrong. The dilemma is severe because of the fact that individuals/employees are legally and morally bound to show their loyalty to their employers as well as ascertain the fact that one does not, directly or indirectly, get involved in any wrongdoing (Beauchamp and Bowie). It has become a common practice to link whistle blowing to loyalty with ones employer, such that several literature surrounds topics such as â€Å"whistle blowing versus organizational loyalty† or â€Å"whistle blowing and loyalty† (Lindblom). In his book, Robert Duska offers an interesting insight- that loyalty to the firm is an impossible event. According to Duska, employees have a contractual obligation to perform their duties responsibly in return for the compensation that they get (Larmer). However, according to him, the concept o f personal responsibility to the company is void and that no loyalty issues should arise when discussing the notion of whistle blowing. According to him, one must engage in whistle blowing only for the collective good of the society (Larmer). The conflict of whistle blowing with loyalty is more intricate than suggested. ... Hence, in this context, loyalty would mean that the individual must show concern towards the potential harm and loss of reputation, goodwill, sales etc. that the organization would suffer as a result of him/her blowing the whistle. However, there is another view by Ronald Duska, which states that organizations should not be recipients of loyalty simply because only â€Å"humans† can be objects of loyalty and not the organization as an entity in itself (Lindblom). Also, according to Bok, whistle blowing almost always pertains to the personal level since it involves unveiling the wrongdoings of someone else. The whistle blower may face tremendous moral and ethical conflict when it comes to the same because of several reasons. One of the reasons is the uncertainty whether or not the act is going to result in the general welfare of the public. Furthermore, the whistle blower is faced with moral dilemma when he/she has to weigh his/her moral responsibility to protect the interests of his co-workers versus his/her responsibility to protect the interests of the public. In any case, the latter is considered more important. A final reason for the dilemma, according to Bok, is the potential threat of loss of job, social circle, reputation, or even violence that could result from blowing the whistle. On the contrary, however, whistle blowers often receive strong support and appreciation from the society since they perform a vital job. The job is indispensable because, if it weren’t for the whistle blower the truth of the moment would lay hidden from the public forever and would result in injustice. Furthermore, Bok has emphasized three main elements that lead to whistle blowing becoming a problem. First

Language Investigation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Language Investigation - Coursework Example Consideration of the written print in the newspapers about the language used by men and women is substantially credible to be accredited with the status of being spoken aloud. It is spoken aloud because it appeals to as many people that access it as possible. Repetto (2014) noted that it is a psychological issue determined at birth and that would explain the differences in communication styles between boys and girls. This language analysis will therefore focus on analyzing a collection of data between communication in males and female youth. Given that the males and females tend to behave differently, there is need to focus on the cause of the differences that are established. Communication is quite diverse. People communicate for various reasons and the same communication is expressed differently depending on the situations as stated in the introduction2. This research is therefore based on the hypothesis â€Å"the language used to advertise male and female products in magazines is different†. The main aim is to investigate the use of nouns as well as adjectives in advertisements expressed in English. This will be geared towards finding the gender differences in communication in these advertisement media. The main focus is to establish whether the gender differences likely to occur are in conformation with the expectations in behaviour in males and females. The materials for the methodology in this topic consist of magazines for males and others for females. In total, there are twelve adverts that are taken from the male and female magazines. For the magazines meant for the males, there is a collection of six adverts, two from cars and aeroplanes, two from international football and two from music electronics. The female magazines had six magazines too. Two were from ‘Lasting Romance’, two from ‘Breath That Love’ and the last two from ‘Te Amo’ Australian edition. All these are world-wide magazines. The

Philippines and International Trade Essay Example for Free

Philippines and International Trade Essay What is International trade? International trade is defined as trade between two or more partners from different countries in the exchange of goods and services. In order to understand International trade, we need to first know and understand what trade is, which is the buying and selling of products between different countries. International Trade simply globalization the world and enable countries to obtain products and services from other countries effortlessly and expediently. International trade has been in existence throughout history and has an economic impact on the articipating countries. Trade in most countries has a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and helps to boost the countrys overall economy on a yearly basis. International Trade for the Philippines is available only to chosen business and companies and is declining, because we import more goods than we export, which affects our countrys economy. Economic development in Philippine economy has been because of high government spending. A hard working service sector and large allowance from millions of Filipinos working abroad played an important role in Philippine economic development. Since the former president Macapagal-Arroyo came into power in 2001 there has been an economic growth of 5%. Still, the Philippines need a further increase in growth rate in order to sustain economic growth. More economic development is required to lessen poverty in the country and address imbalances in distribution of income. It also stresses on high population growth. This paper discusses the uncertain economic status of the Philippines, in terms of its stand in the world market, and its relationship with other countries. The need for new investors and lessen unemployment will be the point of discussion.

The Critics View of Edna Pontellier’s Suicide in The Awakening Essay

The Critics View of Edna's Suicide in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many ways of looking at Edna's Suicide in The Awakening, and each offers a different perspective. It is not necessary for the reader to like the ending of the novel, but the reader should come to understand it in relation to the story it ends. The fact that readers do not like the ending, that they struggle to make sense of it, is reflected in the body of criticism on the novel: almost all scholars attempt to explain the suicide. Some of the explanations make more sense than others. By reading them the reader will come to a fuller understanding of the end of the novel (and in the process the entire novel) and hopefully make the ending less disappointing.    Joseph Urgo reads the novel in terms of Edna learning to narrate her own story. He maintains that by the end of the novel she has discovered that her story is "unacceptable in her culture" (23) and in order to get along in that culture she must be silent. Edna rejects this muting of her voice and would, Urgo maintains, rather "extinguish her life than edit her tale" (23). To save herself from an ending others would write or an ending that would compromise what she has fought to obtain, she has to write her own end and remove herself from the tale. As she swims out, the voices of her children come to pull at her like little "antagonists," and there are others on shore who would also hold her down: Robert, Adele, Arobin, and Leonce. Edna finds a way to elude them all, and narrates in her suicide the conclusion to her tale. In this type of reading, her suicide can be understood in terms of societal pressure. What is the result of silencing a person's voice? Urgo maintains, on a symbolic level... ...g Sea': Freedom and Drowning in Eliot, Chopin, and Drabble." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 12 (1993): 315-32. Malzahn, Manfred. "The Strange Demise of Edna Pontellier." Southern Literary Journal 23.2 (1992): 31-39. Roscher, Marina L. "The suicide of Edna Pontellier: An Ambiguous Ending?" Southern Studies 23 (1984): 289-98. Showalter, Elaine. Sister's Choice: Tradition and Change in American Women's Writing. Oxford: Claredon Press, 1991. Skaggs, Peggy. "Three Tragic Figures in Kate Chopin's The Awakening." Louisiana Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South 4 (1974): 345-64. Spangler, George M. "Kate Chopin's The Awakening: A Partial Dissent." Novel: A Forum on Fiction 3 (1970): 249-55. Urgo, Joseph R. "A Prologue to Rebellion: The Awakening and the Habit of Self-expression." The Southern Literary Journal 20.1 (1987): 22-32.

Impact of Facebook Essay

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of social networking. Specifically it will discuss the impact of the social networking site Facebook on today’s society. Facebook has become a phenomenon for the social networking set, and what makes that so amazing is that Facebook did not even exist until 2004. Three college students created it to allow other students to network and meet each other, and it has caught on with young people around the globe. What impact does Facebook have on today’s technologically advanced society? It allows people who probably never would have met each other in person to communicate, it creates new relationships and friendships, and it places distance between people who could communicate in person but instead choose to communicate online, instead. It is just another element of society that is interested in sharing information with the intimacy of a close, personal relationship. see more:social network and our young generation Facebook is nothing more than a medium for communication, and yet, it is so much more than that. At a glance, a user can learn everything from what gender a Facebook member is, to what religion they believe in, what school they attend, and their likes and dislikes, all with the click of a mouse. One writer notes how popular the site has become in a short time. She writes, â€Å"When Facebook launched in February 2004, American college students seized the opportunity to have a new social medium† (Lingg, 2008). Today, millions of new visitors join the site every year, and people find relatives, old friends, new friends, and much more as they surf the entries of neighbors, acquaintances, and classmates. While many believe Facebook is a new, trendy idea, it is actually based on a Victorian university tradition, the â€Å"Freshman Facebook,† that introduced the incoming class to students through their photographs. A researcher notes, â€Å"Like its relative the yearbook, th e Facebook is a photographic document created by a community for the purpose of visually defining community life† (Miller, 2007). Many colleges and universities still utilize the Facebook, and the web site’s creators based their name and idea on that old college tradition, they just updated it for a younger, hipper, techie audience. However, compared to other social networking sites, like My Space, Facebook is far less chaotic, busy, and difficult to understand. The pages are neat, easy to navigate, and offer the information in an uncluttered, neat site that is pleasant to look at. Facebook’s effect on today’s society is not difficult to distinguish. Of  course, Facebook’s success has spawned numerous other sites geared to specific age groups and demographics. Another writer notes, â€Å"There are social networking sites for musicians, for mountain climbers, and for particular political persuasions. And with each site, a new community emerges that presumably satisfies the community needs that the members of such a site are looking for† (Fabian, 2008). Facebook has changed the way people communicate, connect with each other, and meet, and all of that is done virtually now, instead of in person. Users can share photos, buy and sell items, and spend hours online communicating with friends and acquaintances. It has changed the way people connect and communicate, but its affect on society goes far deeper than that, and it says something about our virtual society. Experts estimate that many people now spend at least 50 percent of their waking time online (Fabian, 2008). For many, a large part of this time is spent in social networking sites like Facebook. People give up huge parts of their privacy when they post their feelings, interests, and ideas online, and society seems to be becoming much more open to this lack of privacy, in fact, the users of Facebook seem to relish it, adding very personal items to their profiles that anyone who becomes their friend can view. This seems to say that our society is much more open now, and much more open to posting intimate information online, but it also is rather anonymous in a way, because users never see, meet, or touch the person they communicate with, and so, even though they know intimate details, they do not really know the person at all. Writer Fabian continues, â€Å"Facebook and My Space are virtual experiences. People are free to be someone they aren’t. Peer review doesn’t exist. You don’t literally touch anyone–not even by a smile, to say nothing of a handshake. No one is accountable to anyone else. And so forth† (Fabian, 2008). Thus, Facebook is kind of a â€Å"fantasy land† where people can make up anything they want to command attention, they can live an alternative life if they choose, and no one is the wiser. The fact that people accept these profiles at face value, and choose people as friends based on these profiles says a lot about our society. For all our worries about information and identity theft, people are still seemingly naive when it comes to sites like Facebook, where they post intimate details with no thoughts to the consequences. Facebook opens up other questions about today’s society, too. These young people who spend so much time online  networking are not networking in person. Will they develop the social and interpers onal skills necessary to compete in their chosen careers when they spend so much time alone, networking? Do they understand the realities of everyday life, and how the â€Å"real† world works, so they can function and be a part of it? Many experts believe not so much. Another writer states, â€Å"And yet, as a generation, Rose notes, many may not have much historical perspective, or understand how say, government or economic systems work (outside of those who learn details as part of a specific academic path), or get the fact that success for most people isn’t instant† (Bielski, 2007). Society is becoming increasingly fast paced, today’s young people expect everything to be delivered at the speed of the Internet, and sites like Facebook only enhance that feeling of instant gratification and success. In addition, Facebook poses another interesting aspect of today’s society – marketing. Many companies are realizing they have a captive audience on Facebook that spends a great amount of time there, and so, they market their businesses on Facebook. The Canadian Royal Bank is just one business cultivating college students on the site, so it is changing the way advertisers market their products online, and even changing the age range of ads online, as well. As more companies reach out to college students and others on social networking sites, advertising in print and television media may reduce or disappear, because advertisers want the most bang for their buck, and much of that audience is now spending increasing amounts of time online. There is also another great implication to today’s society when the membership of My Space and Facebook are compared. A Blogger discusses a white paper a friend of his has written regarding how social status is quite segmented between the two sites. He writes, â€Å"Which posits that well-to-do, stable American teens with ‘good prospects’ end up on Facebook, while poor, queer, marginal and non-white teens end up on My Space (even in the military, grunts are on My Space and officers are on Facebook)† (Doctorow, 2009). The implications for this separation in today’s society is staggering. In a time when it seems that the anonymity of the Internet would foster more coming together and breaking down cultural barriers, it seems that is not the case and the implications for society are clear – Facebook is not fostering change and acceptance, it is still fostering class and societal barriers that keep people apart instead of bringing them together. In conclusion, Facebook on the surface is a socially acceptable networking site for college students and others to connect, share experiences, and meet old friends. It does say some disturbing things about how our society views privacy, personal information, and how our society is adjusting to the age of technology, and it brings into question what a generation of Facebookers will deal with the challenges of the real world in person, like career, family, and success. Facebook is a popular phenomenon that attracts millions of users each year, and allows people to post profiles, communicate with others, and even locate old friends. It is extremely popular with college students, but it is used my any number of people for a variety of reasons. It has some serious implications for our society. People on Facebook rarely meet or interact in person, so they do not develop good interpersonal skills. They spend so much time online, giving out extremely personal and sensitive information, they may not be aware of some of the important aspects of society, such as the government and economics that they will need to understand to become successful in their careers. We use the Internet so much now that some users may expect all of life to respond as quickly as online sites like Facebook, and they may have trouble dealing with the realities of a career that takes time to establish and gain success. In addition, Facebook and other networking sites are helping to build barriers to commonality in society, something extremely disturbing and with long-term effects.