Challenges to Governance and Leadership in Africa

Challenges to Governance and Leadership in Africa It is undeniable the fact that governance and its progeny, leadership, pervades every aspect of human life and existence. In nations, organizations, families and wherever human life is found, these two variables exist in one form or the other. It is also a truism, that there exists a huge governance and leadership gap in many countries in the world, especially, in Africa. The slow pace of Africa’s development is concomitant to this governance and leadership predicament. A 1989 World Bank report on the topic â€Å"SubSaharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth: A Long-Term Perspective Study† affirms this position by stating that â€Å"underlying the litany of Africa’s development problems is a crisis of governance† (p60). In a similar way, Walumba et al posited that â€Å"while African countries are richly endowed with all manner of natural resources, their economic performance since independence has been generally abysmal with a few exceptions† (426). They further argued that â€Å"ultimately a country’s economic performance is contingent on the effectiveness of its leadership† (425). These assertions, dispassionately underscores the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. Consequently, this essay seeks to discuss some of the reasons why governance and leadership still remain a big challenge in Africa, and also proffer ways to alleviate these bottlenecks, respectively. To begin with, this essay would want to point out that several reasons contribute to why governance is impoverished in Africa, especially in the Sub-Saharan region. These reasons include the wrong form of governance the continent practises as a result of colonialism, selfish leadership, weak institutions, and too much foreign interference on the continent. First and foremost, it is not a ruse that the governance and leadership challenge Africa faces is an upshot of the wrong form of governance the continent is practising or being coerced to practise. Historical evidence have shown that, many years ago, before Africa was colonised by the Europeans, Africans governed themselves through the chiefs, clan and family heads, etc and the form of government they practised was gerontocracy and monarchy. These systems of governance as practised by these pre-colonial Africans had its root in their cultural and religious beliefs. Thus, governance and religion/culture were intricately interwoven. Yet, after being colonised, the Europeans forced their form of government on the indigenous people. These forms of government, which are the different forms of democracy we see around the world nowadays, had obstructive and damaging consequences on the religio-cultural orientation of the indigenous people. However, the colonial masters turned a blind eye on these developments. Decades after Africa gained independence, these colonial forms of governance are still being practised in Africa, with much complicatedness. This is simply because, the cultural and religious underpinnings of the African orientation of what governance is, and should be is different from those of the colonial masters. As Africans, our cultural upbringing upholds, fundamentally, communalism which is expressed in our proverbs, religion, folklores, songs, and mythology. In a sharp contrast, the colonial masters’ form of governance had as its foundation, capitalism. Hence, putting the square peg in the round hole has led to the current governance and leadership challenge in Africa. African leaders are thorn between satisfying their people based on tradition and pleasing their colonial masters because of the carrot and stick model of diplomacy they (colonial masters) employ. This complexity is the basis of the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. Moreover, selfish leadership is a major setback to good governance in Africa, and the underdevelopment of the continent. Post-independent Africa has seen the rise of selfish, stomach-driven and inconsiderate leaders. Some came to power through coup d’à ©tats, amidst shedding of innocent bloods, destruction of infrastructure left for the continent by the colonial masters, and looting of the wealth of these African nations. These leaders used the power they ceased to amass as much wealth as they could for themselves, their families and cohorts at the detriment of their nation’s development. Obviously, these leaders had no expertise or knowledge about governance or effective management, hence the worsening of the socio-economic lives of their country, and countrymen. Principles of fundamental human rights were not honoured, while individual, ideological, partisan or even labour dissent were strongly stamped out. The result was regimes’ collapse either internally or externally engineered between 1963 and 1966, and which attracted international outcry against the governance style of post independence Africa- Leaders. The other set of leaders, who supposedly were elected to lead their countries, were of no significant difference from their predecessors. Most of these leaders only have as their aim, the comfort and satisfaction of themselves and their families at the disadvantage of the populace. They had no clear vision for their countries. Democratic rule, in their various countries, witnessed horrible governance style, mismanagement of resources and propagation of self-aggrandizement. Undoubtedly, the leaders Africa has had after independence, under the guise of liberating their people, have rather contributed to the free-fall/underdevelopment of their countries. This they did by their profligate spending, inept management of state resources and infrastructure, and visionless governance. Furthermore, weak institutions since independence have contributed significantly to the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. After most African countries gained independence, instead of the leadership to focus on building strong institutions, where in their absence, those institutions could work to achieve the development they sought for which reason they fought of independence, they rather built strong personalities and empire around themselves. This phenomenon has continued perpetually till now. In Africa today, there is the practise of â€Å"rule by law† not â€Å"rule of law†. This is because, people in authority (government) use their power, position and influence to tweak institutions in their favour when it comes to matters of the law. Institutions cannot hunt certain individuals in society nowadays because those people are above the law. This phenomenon which is brought about by the partisan politics we practise, have corrupted majority of the state institutions in Africa. It has made justice, accountability, transparency and fairness a fairy tale, simply untenable. Institutions in Africa are simply weak and frivolous. Adding to the non-functional institutions is a collection of skewed and corrupt civil society organizations. Instead of these civil societies to be a watchdog of the populace to strengthen state and institutional efficiency, most of them are pursuing partisan agenda. Even more, too much interference of foreign nations on the continent is worrying and highly destructive. This phenomenon is as a result of globalization. Virtually every decision and every action that most African leaders make, is contingent on the approval of their pay masters, the foreign nations. These foreign nations come into the continent in de guise of helping develop it, but with the mindset of draining the natural and human resource of the continent. They determine for us almost everything, from economic policies, to education, to religion, to who should lead the country etc. The ordinary African has a limited stake in deciding for himself and in helping build his country or continent. The Constitutions’ in most African countries rarely exists due to rule by foreign powers. The ordinary African is not consulted on any issue as power is in the hands of these overlords while our leaders only serve as errand agents to ensure compliance of their subjects.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

The Significance of Squealer The novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is an allegory portraying the dangers of a totalitarian government. It seeks to show how a society where all live completely equal has not been, and cannot be achieved. Orwell, through the use of the character Squealer, shows how propaganda can affect members of a communist society in a negative way. By drawing parallels to events in communist Russia, Orwell’s Animal Farm illustrates how propaganda was used to control the Soviet people by deceiving them, threatening them and keeping them ignorant in an attempt to maintain order. The story uses simple language to explain and expose the corruption of communist Russia. Throughout the story, Orwell uses Squealer to illustrate how propaganda persuaded and victimized Russian citizens. Squealer is a sly, crafty pig who is not only intelligent, but a manipulative speaker as well. His cunning is key to the deception of the other animals. In chapter three, Squealer deceives the animals of the farm for the first time. The animals find out that the milk and apples are given solely to the pigs, and Squealer is sent to explain the uneven distribution of farm resources. â€Å"‘Comrades’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?’† (Orwell 42) He goes on to explain, â€Å" ‘Milk and apples (this has been proved by science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being Williams 2 of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers (42). Here, Squealer tries to convince the animals that it’s for health reasons that they take the apples and milk, but he tries to persuade them in other ways as well. Squealer continues, â€Å" ‘The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us†¦. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples’†(42). Finally, he convinces them with fear. â€Å" ‘Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back!’† (42) Here, Squealer frightens the animals into submission with the threat of the return of Mr. Jones, the abusive farmer that was driven out of the farm by the animals. Squealer is desperate to obtain the apples and milk and will stop at nothing to manipulate the other animals into believing that the pigs should be the sole recipients of this luxury. By masking their true intentions by misleading the animals, the pigs are soon able to acquire whatever they want with little resistance. Orwell uses Squealer to represent the Pravda, the Russian newspaper controlled by the government during Joseph Stalin's regime.

An investigation to determine which of four alcohols is the most exothermic :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

An investigation to determine which of four alcohols is the most exothermic Prediction I predict that the most heat given out per mole burned would be by Propanol because the size of the alcohol molecules might increase with heat. Alcohols produce heat when they burn in oxygen or air. The amount of heat produced per mole of alcohol will be proportional to the amount of air present. Full combustion should generate two products only: carbon dioxide and water vapour. Hypothesis Within a molecule there are bond energies that are holding the atoms together. When the fuel combusts a chemical reaction takes place, this breaks the bonds, this requires energy, and makes new bonds this gives out energy. The energy differences between the two tell us how much energy was given out or taken in. We can show this on a graph. Alcohol particles will break their bonds when they mix with oxygen. This is known as exothermic reaction. Boiling points will be increased because energy is needed bonds can be formed and broken. Breaking bonds need less energy than is needed to form bonds - exothermic reaction. Bigger molecules use high energy to be broken. Methanol and Ethanol have differences as Methanol melts at a higher temperature and boils at a lower temperature than Ethanol. Higher alcohols which include Butanol and Propanol have a higher molecular weight and this is why Butanol is used in perfumes. Ethanol, which is sugar based, with its low freezing point, has a specific use as antifreeze for cars and other vehicles. GRAPH Tripod Matches Goggles Method: - To begin with, I choose one out of the four different alcohols. I weigh beforehand in the spirit burner. This is so I can calculate the mass which is lost in each alcohol. The spirit burner and alcohol which I am using is on a brick under a tripod. On the tripod I place a clay pipe triangle which holds a beaker containing 100ml of water. I light the spirit burner and stir the water with the thermometer constantly. When the temperature has risen to 30Â ºC, I quickly place the top back on the spirit burner. Now I re-weigh the alcohol. o find out how much alcohol has been burned I subtract the finishing mass from the starting mass. Fair Test I will try my best to keep this experiment fair. All the variables must be controlled. These are as follows - The scale reading has to be on zero before weighing the spirit burner

Profit Leverage Effect of Logistics and Cost Saving Opportunities Essay

Logistics was initially a military term but since the 1960s it has grown and covers various numbers of functional areas such as managing raw materials and inventory, handling of work in progress, storing and delivering of finished goods. It also includes customer service, demand forecasting, plant/warehouse site selection, traffic and transportation. Since it has an effect on most of the activities held within an organization, it has a great influence on the profits made. A recent US study found that logistics accounts for 10% of the Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) and that approximately 56 cents out of every dollar of revenue is spent on managing the purchasing of goods and services.   The process is lengthy but once handled right can run very smoothly and can prove very beneficial to the organization. An organization cannot be competitive and strive in this fiercely competitive corporate world till it delivers end products or services of the desired quality to its customers at the right time, right place and at a price the customer feels is reasonable. The way to sustainable competitive edge lies in improving logistics. Therefore to maintain profit earnings, it is important for firms to manage logistics efficiently. If a chosen supplier fails to deliver the required raw material of an agreed-on quality level at the right time then the firm will incur additional expenses in the form of higher scrap rate, wastage and direct labor. Prompt delivery is required to avoid costly rescheduling of production otherwise efficiency will be decreased. In order to maintain profit levels it is important for firms not only to satisfy customers but to delight them. This again becomes a part of the organizations logistics. To achieve this not only fast and reliable delivery of high quality goods but also innovative design and distribution of ideas is essential. Firms stress on logistics to create differentiation by providing its customers with unique products that are difficult to be imitated by competitors. Logistics is considered as the last point of contact between the organization and its customer and so leveraging successful logistics leads to cost reduction, increased customer satisfaction and market share and so eventually higher profits. Low total product or service cost is significant in logistics so that the firm can have a competitive edge in the market. There are many opportunities to achieve dramatic cost savings but to achieve this, vision and hard work is required. Firms can do this by coordinating the different parts of the supply chain. Departments within firms such as procurement officer, manufacturing, legal and R&D managers need to work in a cross-functional manner and promote joint cost-saving projects. One of the biggest opportunities for cost saving is to reduce the amount of inventory which will automatically drive costs down. This can be done by Just-in-time inventory management that emphasizes on continuous improvement. For this, it is important for firms to develop strong relationship with few, reliable suppliers who deliver raw material in time.   Also Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model, one of the common techniques is used to control inventory. Outsourcing is often used to transfer some of the internal activities of a firm to an outside vendor to achieve greater efficiency and specialization. It is also used as a technique to meet unexpected demands that firms cannot handle. Wastage can be eliminated through focus on what the customers want. This can be done by continuous improvement using Lean Production. It emphasizes on customer focus. Greater efficiencies can be accomplished through use of technology tools that can enable the purchase of low value, low risk goods and services. With the usage of database systems, unnecessary paper work can be eliminated, and real time data can be accessed. Use of E-Commerce to track inventory and coordinate pickup and delivery for end customers can be a great cost saving opportunity. This has been adopted by Cisco and FedEx. Different alternatives of distribution means such as trucking, airfreight, shipping, and railroads should be constantly evaluated. Use of Excel OM and Production and Operation Management (POM) for Windows’ enables firms to correctly plan for the forecasted demand. Further, software like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) including Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) provide firms with great opportunity to save on costs. Gantt Charts are useful for loading and scheduling. It prevents firms from unnecessary delays in work. Quality is one aspect that firms emphasize on due to growing awareness for better quality goods amongst customers. This can be done by implementing Total Quality Management (TQM), meeting quality standards developed by International Standards Organization (ISO) and by adapting to Six Sigma and Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model. Mentioned above are some of the greatest costs saving opportunities in today’s world. References Lambert, D.M; Stock, J.R. and Ellram, L.M., (1998). Fundamentals of Logistics Management. Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin McGraw-Hill. http://www.mhhe.com/business/management/leenders12e/information/leenders_ch01.pdf

Andrew Carnegie A Captain Of Industry

Many industrialists in the gilded age were on the border line between a robber baron or a captain of industry. Of these industrialists was an extremely success useful business man Andrew Carnegie. Andrew could be argued on both sides of the matter. Carnegie shaped his steel production business to #1 in the world, he sold it a ND used the money towards many charity organizations.I believe that Andrew Carnegie e was a captain of industry because he dedicated his life to helping society with public activities and donated more than 100 million dollars to schools, libraries, an d through several other donations. He not only shaped industrialization but the United s tastes. People believe that Andrew Carnegie was a robber baron because he was untrustworthy, selfish, and left workers in lethal work habitats with low wages .Andrew put his employees in harmful work environments with less than safe equipment NT. Injuries occurred often in Carnegie;s business from exploding iron, flames, and sl ang. It was hard for the workers to be alert and ready with only a couple hours of sleep and a work SSH fit of twelve. Along with the means unsafe work conditions they had to live off low pay. Carnegie also betrayed one of his closest business friends Henry Fricke by three tatting him to sell his stock in the steel business for cheap.Many believe that Andrew Carnegie betrayed not only his workers but his friends. Although many will strongly critic Andrew Carnegie as a Robber Baron see h as one of the greatest captains Of industry. Carnegie used his â€Å"last days† serve Eng others by building libraries, schools, and giving donations. â€Å"Carnegie donated approve imitate 5$ million to the new York public library so it could open several branches†. And even opened up his own university so he could share his knowledge and success the rough future business owners.Carnegie put his men through hell and back so they c loud have the #1 steel business in the world that would soon sell for more than 200 mill Andrew Carnegie did what he had to do so that he could be successful in the gilded age and lose himself in the service of others. Carnegie changed his life for the beet err in his later years. He wrote books on being socially responsible for the wealthy and enjoyed meeting with other professionals from different fields. Carnegie may have lo deed like just another snotty,cocky business owner but really wanted to help others.An drew Carnegie was a captain of industry but also a shaped the industrialization by b Ewing an example of smart work and effective actions. In conclusion, Andrew Carnegie was a brilliant business man who ended with the best steel plant in the world. Although he treated his employees poorly he did it to be successful which worked. Carnegie spent the money from his steel production n to help others be successful too. Andrew Carnegie was captain Of industry and made a difference in peoples lives for the better.

Edward de Vere = William Shakespeare Essay

Everyone knows of William Shakespeare, the author of thirty-seven full length plays and 154 sonnets. Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular stories as it is read in most high school English classes. There is not a theatre goer anywhere who has not heard of, or seen, Hamlet. Anyone involved in the theatre, on a regular basis, will tell you that they never say Macbeth in any space they call a theatre. What if it was all a lie? What if Shakespeare was not the great Shakespeare? What if someone else wrote â€Å"his† works? There are many books and theories in the world today about the true authorship of Shakespeare’s works. Edward de Vere the 17th Earl of Oxford, Francis Bacon a philosopher and writer, and Christopher Marlowe a Playwright are among the top suspected authors of these works. It is important to know that there is a debate over the true identity of the author, and there are many theories. This paper will discuss Edward de Vere as the possible William Shakespeare. To be or not to be; that is the question. Since the early 1700’s scholars have been asking themselves the question of Shakespeare’s identity. The great William Shakespeare, who was known throughout history to have existed and to have written the greatest literary works of all time, is being questioned over and over again. Did the William Shakespeare that is on record actually write Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, etc.? This debate has suggested many names as the possible Shakespearian author. However, none have had so much evidence to support his case than the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere. As Oxfordians that has done extensive research and wrote numerous books on the subject cannot prove there point either way, there is no possible way that this paper could be presumptuous enough to prove it either. Instead this paper is going to discuss the evidence of the de Vere being William Shakespeare. The William Shaksper (of Stratford is spelled different) on record was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23rd in 1564. He was then baptized on April 26th, 1564 at Holy Trinity Church. His father was John Shakespeare who was a glover and leather merchant, and his mother, Mary Arden was a landed local heiress. Scholars believe Young William attended the free grammar school in Stratford; however there is no hard evidence to support this claim. He never went on to university. William married Anne Hathaway on November 28th 1582 when he was 18 and she was 26 and pregnant. They had three children together though one died at age eleven. William disappeared for a while after the birth of his twins. This is what many call the lost years. He didn’t turn back up again until he comes back to London in or around 1588. Scholars believe that this is when he started to act as well as practice playwriting. By 1594 he was acting and writing for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (which is called the King’s Men after James I takes the thrown in 1603), and was also a managing partner. He retired to Stratford and wrote his will in 1611. Supposedly he died on his birthday, which is probably a myth, however it is the only date entered (â€Å"Shakespeare Resource Center†). 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere was born at Castle Hedingham in Essex on April 12th, 1550 by the old calendar but April 23rd by the new calendar. Is it a coincidence that Shaksper’s birthday is that same day? He lived there until he was twelve and then he was sent to London to be a Royal Ward when his father died. The Queen made Sir William Cecil his guardian. He had a love of the theatre and letters right away. He underwent an extremely strict education. His first tutor was his mother’s brother Arthur Golding. He received an A. B. degree from St. John’s College, Cambridge when he was fourteen and a half. When he was sixteen he received an M. A. from Christ’s Church College, Oxford. He also spent three years as a student of law at Gray’s Inn. By his early twenties he showed great promise as a poet. He married Anne at twenty-one however it was a most unsatisfactory marriage. Charlton Ogburn author of Shake-Speare: The man behind the Name states that â€Å"Recorded fragments of information and Oxford’s own singed writings, leave little room for doubt that the relationship between the young Oxford and the Queen was very intimate† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 14). Many say that he used the pseudonym William Shakespeare because some of the sonnets and parts of plays can be interpreted to point out the Queen and his relationship (Ogburn, and Ogburn16). Was the Earl the real Shakespeare? All the evidence gathered suggests that Edward de Vere was far more a possible candidate than William Shaksper of Stratford. The argument is that Oxford was far more educated than Shaksper of Stratford. There is no evidence suggesting that Shaksper of Stratford even went to school. He was barely able to write his name and the signatures had blots. In Ogburn’s Shake-Speare he states the six different ways that he wrote them: Willm Shaksp, William Shakspe, Wm Shakspeare, William Shakspere, Willm Shakspere, and William Shakspeare. There is no record that Shaksper of Stratford ever even referred to himself as Shakespeare; with the two words of Shake and Speare. In fact the others who knew him that wrote his name often wrote Shagsper, Shaxper, Shaxbere, etc. Oxford had an extensive education and â€Å"his letters show him to have written in the cursive Italian script with ease and fluency, and evidently without blots† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 31). â€Å"The argument, in so far as it concerns the author’s station, is not that genius is a function of social status or that a humble cottager is less worthy than an earl. It is simply that, as Bismarck pointed out, the familiarity with the world of the court displayed by Shakespeare could not have been acquired by one to whom that world was barred, whatever his powers of intellect† (Ogburn, and Ogburn l8). This is an interesting argument. Maybe in today’s society it would be easier for the lower-class to write about the upper-class, but in those times there was no way the lower-class could know specifically what goes at court. Shakespeare had written way too easily the formalities of court life. â€Å"In all the plays of Shakespeare there is not a single fully-realized, three-dimensional character taken from the stratum of society to which Shaksper belonged† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 18). The point is that Shaksper would have had to been at least somewhat knowledgeable. The topics he wrote about suggested that he understood: the law and legal terms, contemporary and historical; the manners of the royal court, the aristocratic mind, and ways of language; sports of the nobility, hunting and falconry; philosophy, classical and esoteric; statecraft and statesmanship, biblical scholarship; English and European history; classical  literature and languages; French, Italian, and Spanish languages; Italian geography and travel; France and the court of Navarre; Danish terms and customs; horticulture and the designing of gardens; Wales and the Welsh; music and musical terms; painting and sculpture; mathematics; astronomy and astrology; natural history; angling; medicine and psychology; military life; heraldry; exploration and the New World; navigation and seamanship; printing; folklore, fairy mythology, the supernatural; theatrical management and the habits of players; Cambridge University jargon; Freemasonry; cryptography and the secret service (Michell, 18). This is quite an extensive knowledge base for a man whose education is limited to grammar school if he even was afforded that. Another comparison is how either candidate was regarded by others. As Ogburn says â€Å"the author of the greatest literary works of the time (and most popular plays) would have been held in high regard-certainly as high a regard as Marlowe, Jonson, Spencer, Chapman, et al. – by those who knew who he was† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 31). â€Å"If Shaksper wrote the plays, the fact would have been generally known. Yet, while special, if peculiarly sporadic, praise was given to the dramatist Shakespeare as a name, Shaksper the corporeal man was never, so far as is known, treated by his contemporaries as in any way distinguished† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 31). There is no evidence that states that Shakspere of Stratford wrote any of the plays or sonnets. His name is on none of them. Oxford, on the other hand, was held with high regard by the Queen and many other writers of the day such as Arthur Golding, Thomas Churchyard, and many others. However, no one when referring to Oxford mentioned the name â€Å"Shakespeare† or even Shaksper. â€Å"The first time the dramatist â€Å"Shakespeare† was associated with Stratford was seven years after Shaksper’s death when it was stated in the First Folio, ambiguously, â€Å"When†¦Time dissolves thy Stratford monument† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 35). It is interesting that this is when the case for Shaksper is most evident and it comes so long after Shaksper’s death. Shaksper had nothing to gain by changing his name to Shakespeare. He would actually been better off if he had written them under his own name. It would have boosted his reputation and he would have made so much more money in his lifetime. For him not to put his name on his writing, had he actually written anything, would be insanely stupid. It would certainly go against any title of genius as everyone wanted to change their class. This certainly would have changed his class. On the other hand, Oxford had every reason to take on a pseudonym. He was a wealthy Earl who wrote things that would have called attention to his affair with Queen Elizabeth. There are many things in his plays that poke fun of the royal courts. â€Å"Attributed to a nobleman close to the Queen, the plays would have been scrutinized – and very fruitfully, it would seem – for revelations of personalities and affairs at court† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 29). Also he had a reputation preceding the writings of the Shakespeare plays, and Ogburn says â€Å"something happened in connection with his writing. Whatever it was, it prevented his putting his name to another poem after the age of twenty-six or to any of the plays which he is known to have written† (Ogburn, and Ogburn 13). Also it is believed that the name Shakespeare comes from the family crest of Oxford in which a lion looks as if he is shaking a spear. Another interesting fact is that Oxfords mother remarried within a few months. This story is told through the story of Hamlet. Gwynneth Bowen, a Shakespearean researcher says in Charles Ogburn’s The Mysterious William Shakespeare: The Myth & the Reality, â€Å"Oxfordians have always maintained that Hamlet is very largely autobiographical – with Oxford in the title-role†¦the ‘o’re hasty marriage’ of Oxford’s mother – has been given due weight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ogburn 434). Another interesting piece of evidence comes from Ralph L. Tweedale in his book Wasn’t Shakespeare Someone Else? Tweedale writes about the cryptography that lies within the lines and words of William Shakespeare’s works. Throughout all of his plays and sonnets lies a cryptic message, a code that points to the name Vere. Tweedale uses the following as evidence of the cryptography in Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays. He says that when Juliet’s mother tries to interest her in Paris as a husband, she compares him to a book. â€Å"Read ore the volume of young Paris face. And find delight, writ there with Beauties pen, (Read over the volume and find delight. ) Examine every severall liniament (Look at every single line. ) And see how one another lends content (See how each lends content to the next. ) And what obscured in this faire volume lies Find written in the margent of his eyes. † (The obscure messages are found by looking in the margin (Tweedale 187). There are so many other similarities between Edward de Vere that it would take an entire book in order to discuss them, and there have been many of them. Obviously there was no way a college research paper can cover all the bases of this argument. Edward de Vere has the strongest evidence to support his claim. There is not enough evidence to proof that and one would not be able to come to any conclusions on the matter, but it does inform the reader of the closest candidate for the name of William Shakespeare and raises doubt of Shaksper of Stratford. Who is the real Shakespeare? Well no one really knows. Maybe one day scholars will find the one piece of hard evidence that will support without a doubt either case and prove one of them to be William Shakespeare. Ogburn, Charlton. The Mysterious William Shakespeare:The Myth & The Reality. 2nd. McLean, Virginia: EPM Publications, INC, 1984. 434. Print. Ogburn, Dorothy, and Charlton Ogburn. Shake-Speare:The Man Behind The Name. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1962. 14-35. Print. Michell, John. Who Wrote Shakespeare?. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1996. 18. Print. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Biography. † Shakespeare Resource Center. J. M Pressley and the Shakespeare Resource Center, 2011. Web. Sept 16 2011. .

Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy Essay

If a billionaire were to leave behind all his fortune but makes a dying request to donate $1 million to his favourite football team when the same can be used for a better cause, what would one do? Donating it to charity would seem like the right thing to do, but the answer to it, according to Kant would be quite the opposite. Here, it’s not the consequences that determine the rightness of an action. Rightness is in accordance with morality. According to Immanuel Kant’s views, a supreme moral principle must entail an absolute necessity and should be done out of duty. He believes that, only actions that emanate out of a sense of duty are moral actions and any act performed keeping one’s own self-interest in mind are, regarded as actions that are not born out of morality. For an example, consider a shopkeeper who is at the liberty of pricing his goods. He could over charge the customers and attain increased profits but that would be an act contrary to one’s morals. He could also choose to price his goods inexpensively, in order to increase the sales. However, in this case, he is acting is a way to ultimately benefit himself and not out of morality. Morality ultimately rests not on sense, experience or feelings, but on reason. If the same shopkeeper, sets fair prices merely because it’s the right thing and not for the fear of getting caught, then he is fulfilling his duty to morality. Furthermore, Kant feels morality is something one ought to adhere to, unconditionally, that is, without doing so to gain any reward or merit. For example, if one senses the possibility of a robbery occurring, one must report it to the police out of a sense of duty as he is in a position to do so. Then his action is a moral one. However, if he were to do so, with hopes of making the headlines and getting rewarded, then in this case, he acts out of self-interest and such an action is not considered a moral one. According to the Kantian philosophy, the one thing that’s good in itself, without qualification, is good will. He believes in the existence of an element of certain common sense in the foundation of moral law, which arises out of good will. Morality is valuable in its own right and not based on the fact that it has instrumental value. All other intrinsic goods, moral or intellectual, can serve the vicious will and accord to evil deeds. They are only morally valuable, if accompanied by a good will. Honor can lead to pride. Not even success and happiness is good in themselves. Thus, a good will is good not in virtue of wanting to bring about happiness, but in virtue of wanting to obey the moral law. For Immanuel Kant, motive is the antecedent of all moral worth and not consequences. He argues that one must perform moral duty solely for its own sake i. e. , duty for duty’s sake. Some conform to the moral duty they presume it in their own enlightened self-interest to be moral. Rightness of actions is determined by their accordance with morality. In order to decide order to decide whether an action was moral or not it is not enough for one to simply help the person in need, but their intention behind providing the aid has to be known. Even if one were to provide aid to someone in need out of a sense of compassion, it would not be considered a moral action according to Kant as it was motivated by emotion. For example, a father playing baseball with his son, should do so out of a sense of duty and not because he loves him. For Kant, the only acceptable motive for a moral action was a sense of duty. The reason is that the consequences of an act are often beyond our control and hence cannot be used to gauge the morality of an action . For Kant, an unsuccessful attempted murder is as bad as a successful one because they had identical motives. It didn’t matter to Kant, if an act was act performed improperly or left unfinished. For example, if a fire-fighter in an attempt to save a man from reducing into ashes, accidently gets him killed having performed the act erroneously, such an act would still be considered a moral one by Kant as the fire-fighter was carrying out his duty. Consider another illustration, Two soldiers volunteer to cross enemy lines to contact their allies on the other side. Both start off and do their best to get through the enemy area. One succeeds; the other doesn’t and is captured. But, aren’t they both morally praiseworthy? The success of one in no way detracts from the goodness of the other. Kant considered the duties that instigate moral actions as absolute. For him, moral duties are said to have imperative nature and they were to be followed irrespective of the consequences. And this is termed as ‘Categorical imperatives or duty’ and this can be categorized into two: where in the examples of ‘Hypothetical’ duties included, â€Å"If you want a good job, get good education. † Whereas, ‘Categorical Imperatives’ suggests the intrinsically right thing to do like, â€Å"Tell the truth. † But Kant believed that, for an action to be moral, the motive behind the action and the principle underlying the action (maxim) must be universally applicable. For example, one is expected not to honk near hospitals, one must be kind to old and disabled etc. Categorical or unqualified as they recognize the imperial status of moral obligations, unlike Hypothetical. Any actions done in violation of Kantian theory would be considered immoral. Kant also persuades people not to view others as a means to an end and degrade the value of human life. But to respect them for the person they are. For example, one should be polite to people they meet without anticipating any favour, in return. On the other hand, he feels all that choices should be autonomous as every single person is capable of reason. Our natural inclinations and influences shouldn’t limit our choices. This very briefly summarizes Immanuel Kant’s view on Morality. Kant’s views outline a clear structure of moral judgments but firstly, he fails to provide us with guidelines as to how go about taking rightful moral decisions when faced with tough situations. For example, if one has to lie about a friend’s presence in order to save his life, to choose between speaking the truth and protecting the friend leaves one in a fix as the universal maxims seem to conflict each other. Further, Kant disregards the emotional aspect that is involved in everyday decision making process, by expecting people to alienate feelings like compassion, pity etc. He also seems to completely ignore the consequences of one’s actions, which is quite impractical when looked at, from a practical point of view. Finally, there is no mention of how certain acts are clearly immoral while he strongly advocates the following of universally applicable maxims. As much as his views bear an influence, his principles find very little effectiveness and practical applicability in one’s daily life. Bibliography – BOOKS AND WEBSITES AND MORE – 1) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – plato. stanford. edu 2) Encyclopedia on Philosophy published by Macmillan. 3) Kant’s search for the Supreme Principle of Morality by Samuel J. Kirstein 4) Ethical theory of Immanuel Kant – bellevuecollege. edu.