Economic conditions Essay Example for Free

Economic conditions Essay In this essay I’m going to argue that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art, with specific reference to works of art from Baroque and Rococo epochs. Evaluating a work of art is always a complicated task. Since the perception of art and beauty is highly subjective, it’s hard to think of universal criteria to measure artistic qualities of a certain piece. However, there is a broad consensus among the critics that there are certain criteria they apply when judging an art work. It’s possible to focus on four main criteria to judge an art work. First and foremost, the piece should be aesthetically pleasing, i. e. correspond to the all-common notion of beauty. It should be harmonious and evoking positive, elevated feelings. While there is a trend among some contemporary artists to make their pieces arouse indignation and disgust with a view to delivering a certain message or merely astonishing the public, I strongly deem that art and aesthetics are inherently linked. For instance, a typical example of baroque sculpture St. Theresa in Ecstasy of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome created by Bernini is perfect in its form, since it captures the beauty and harmony together with motion and energy. Same is true about Rococo sculpture: looking at ‘Amour menacant’ created by Etienne Maurice Falconet, it’s impossible not to admire the high degree of sophistication and perfection the statue of the little angel embodies. The second criterion I’m going to use is quality of workmanship, i. e. the mastery of artists’ skills. Another criterion which is very important is the uniqueness of artists’ manner. Great artists stand out for the peculiarity of their individual style. Some of them prefer to pioneer new forms and techniques, yet this is not a prerequisite for creating a style of your own. Many talented artists don’t break away from the tradition but simply find their own niche within the existing patterns of expression. While some artists of the Baroque and Rococo epoch were considered rebellious, e. g. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, they didn’t violate basic rules of harmonious and aesthetically pleasing artistic expression. Jean-Honore Fragonard’s manner was also innovative in many instances, sine he introduced a delicate interplay of light and shadow as well as implicit eroticism into mainstream French painting, however he adhered to the generally accepted notion of what beauty and art are. Finally, the forth criterion is the message the piece is trying to send. Here it’s necessary to take into account the importance and relevance of the message as well as how successful the piece is in delivering it. Baroque and Rococo painters mainly focused on the depiction of mythological and religious scenes as well as the scenes from the daily life of the upper circles of society. While both themes that dominated the artistic discourse might seem to be detached from the real life, they served an important goal of educating the public about mythological and religious narratives or captured the spirit of their times through the portrayal of the privileged members of society The most persuasive proof of the thesis that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art is the fact that nowadays we still admire great works of art irrespective of the epoch they belong to.

Platos The Republic †Should We Search for the Truth? Essay -- Philos

Plato's Republic – Should We Search for the Truth? There is the common belief that what we experience as reality is just a mere illusion of the truth. Plato's allegory of the cave in "The Republic" describes human beings as being chained in a cave, such that they cannot move but are forced to face a wall, onto which shadows of puppets and themselves are projected. They are deceived into believing that their reality is composed of these "shadows" when actually, the world of truth is the "light" outside the cave. This analogy insinuates the probability that we have been entertaining "false notions" about life, and all our beliefs, ranging from religion to the sciences, are merely representations of the truth. What is this "light" that burns so bright in Plato's eyes? Are we certain that it exists? Because for all we know, life might be nothing but the cave itself. Plato appears certain of what the "light" beyond the cave will reveal to the one who has made the journey out. Firstly it will provide a means of illumination that will expose the "real existence" of the world. In the brightness of the "light", everything would be seen in their full beauty instead of the vague impressions shadows create. He would receive accurate information about life and therefore dispense with the need to discern between the truth and the lie. Furthermore, he would also see himself in his own "proper place". He would no longer be confused about his identity, role in society or purpose in life, and could then carry out his duties confidently and effectively. Secondly the "light" itself also symbolizes the "idea of good". Since it is mentioned in the allegory that if one were to act "rationally", he would need to rely on the "idea of good". It ca... ...tion we receive from life. In this case of the allegory, Plato is working on a whole plane of uncertainty as he is neither able to determine the existence of a different reality nor disprove the credibility of our lives. The world as we know it is indeed imperfect but imperfection should not qualify it as being false. Should we stop all things and embark on the intellectual ascent to the truth? Philosophically, yes. For according to Plato it would be better to "endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner". However it is questionable if the need for knowledge of the truth (which might not even exist) is great enough to justify a journey in search for it. This is a decision we have to make for ourselves. Works Cited Plato. Republic. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. 8 Jan. 2001. http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/writing/ccwp11/allegory.htm.

A Case Study on: Toyota Revs Up U.S. Sales Essay

Since 1903, Chevrolet or Ford has been the best-selling car brand in the United States until 2002. Between two competitors, Ford is the first position in the market that year Toyota motor corporation of Japan sold cars nearest to the two competitors and Toyota will pass Ford in the very near future as because for the effectiveness of its long-term planning, modest goal and Toyota developed Strategy that modest growth in Japan, Europe and North America that was biggest opportunities in Southeast Asia but unfortunately economics level of Southeast Asia has slowed. The Japanese market is becoming more competitive for Toyota and the firm is losing sales to Honda & Nissan. For recovering this situation, Toyota’s manger intend to exploit opportunity fully and Toyota sales more vehicles in the states than in Japan. Than the firm uses corporate level strategy to focus on U. S market this strategy leads the firm into top place in the America market. â€Å"WE Must Americanize. † – Fujio Cho Toyota Motor Corporation Q. 1. List the threats and opportunities that Toyota is facing in its environment. Then list the strength and weakness of Toyota? See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay Answer: Basis on the Toyota’s business environment, Toyota facing some several threats and opportunities. These are point out in the below: Threats: 1. The economies level of Southeast Asian countries has slowed. 2. The Japanese market is getting more competitive for Toyota. 3. Toyota is losing sales to Honda and Nissan. 4. Initially Ford and Chevrolet has been best-selling car brand in the U. S market. Opportunities: 1. Exploiting of Toyota’s intend in the U. S. market 2. Approaching to local managers in order to Americanize. 3. Import taxes and current risk are reduced by manufacturing 2/3 of the cars U. S. and keeping revenues and expenses in U. S. dollars. 4. Utilizing American designers to compete effectively in the U. S. market Strengths: 1. The effectiveness of Toyota’s in long-term planning. 2. Toyota has innovative new product development. 3. The American competitors have been slow to respond to Toyota’s threat. 4. As a company, Toyota is beginning to set better long-term goals. 5. Toyota has accomplished ambitious goals. 6. Toyota do not like new direction and prefer that the firm stick â€Å"Toyota Way† Weaknesses: 1. Initially, Toyota had a very conservative approach to goals. 2. Failure to recognize market opportunity to develop a full-size pickup truck. 3. Slowing economies level in Southeast Asian countries.. 4. Traditionalists inside Toyota do not like where the company is headed and want to stick to old ways. 5. Lack of understanding of American preferences at the highest levels of the company. Q. 2. Consider Toyota’s U. S auto business. What business level strategy is the firm using? What factors did you rely on in reaching your decision? Answer: Toyota’s CEO realize that they must Americanize for this purpose the firm is using more American designers for care to be sold in the U. S market. This allows the firm to complete effectively with U. S auto market and to stay in touch with demands of American consumers. To achieve U. S market, the firm is using Geographical corporate level strategy. I relied on in reaching my decision, several distinct factors. These are given below: 1. Toyota’s business environment 2. Intend to exploit opportunity of Toyota’s manager 3. Toyota’s corporate level strategy Q. 3. In your opinion, is Toyota’s corporate level strategy (to focus on the U. S Market) likely to be effective over the next ten years? Why or why not? Answer: yes, I think Toyota’s corporate level strategy is definitely to be effective over the next ten years as because it is a company which is known for the effectiveness of its long term planning. Its corporate level strategy gets tremendous success in U. S Market. They are using American designers which will help to compete in the future due to get knowledge of updated consumer demand. It also using overall cost leadership strategy in American market. By considering the above case I think Toyota’s corporate level strategy would be effective over the next ten years.

United States Immigration Reform Why The Debate Is At A...

Nas Owusu Professor Gilmour GOVT 05-06-2015 United States Immigration Reform: Why the debate is at a Standstill â€Å"Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.† –Franklin D. Roosevelt Immigration continues to be is a highly controversial topic in the United States of America. At times it seems that the only common ground that can be found is that the United States immigration system is completely and totally broken. After doing only a small amount of research those who may view immigration issues as only the problem of individual immigrants with find that the problem has sweeping influence and vast consequences. Today’s immigration debates continue to center on issues that stem from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This legislation ended up being very problematic, and becoming an action that many look back on with regret. After diving into the law itself, the problems surrounding the law, the debate afterwards, and the proposed solutions we will gain clearer insight into the intricacies of the United States immigration debate. The United States has been a symbol of freedom and opportunity that millions of men and women around the world for years. Immigration has a huge part to play in the economic and social development of the United States. The country has relied on constant flow of people from all pockets of the world. As a result, the United States has benefited from aShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services: