Descartes Essays (4719 words) - Epistemologists, Metaphysicians

Descartes How does Descartes try to extricate himself from the sceptical doubts that he has raised? Does he succeed? by Tom Nuttall [All page references and quotations from the Meditations are taken from the 1995 Everyman edition] In the Meditations, Descartes embarks upon what Bernard Williams has called the project of 'Pure Enquiry' to discover certain, indubitable foundations for knowledge. By subjecting everything to doubt Descartes hoped to discover whatever was immune to it. In order to best understand how and why Descartes builds his epistemological system up from his foundations in the way that he does, it is helpful to gain an understanding of the intellectual background of the 17th century that provided the motivation for his work. We can discern three distinct influences on Descartes, three conflicting world-views that fought for prominence in his day. The first was what remained of the mediaeval scholastic philosophy, largely based on Aristotelian science and Christian theology. Descartes had been taught according to this outlook during his time at the Jesuit college La Flech_ and it had an important influence on his work, as we shall see later. The second was the scepticism that had made a sudden impact on the intellectual world, mainly as a reaction to the scholastic outlook. This scepticism was strongly influenced by the work of the Pyrrhonians as handed down from antiquity by Sextus Empiricus, which claimed that, as there is never a reason to believe p that is better than a reason not to believe p, we should forget about trying to discover the nature of reality and live by appearance alone. This attitude was best exemplified in the work of Michel de Montaigne, who mockingly dismissed the attempts of theologians and scientists to understand the nature of God and the universe respectively. Descartes felt the force of sceptical arguments and, while not being sceptically disposed himself, came to believe that scepticism towards knowledge was the best way to discover what is certain: by applying sceptical doubt to all our beliefs, we can discover which of them are indubitable, and thus form an adequate foundation for knowledge. The third world-view resulted largely from the work of the new scientists; Galileo, Copernicus, Bacon et al. Science had finally begun to assert itself and shake off its dated Aristotelian prejudices. Coherent theories about the world and its place in the universe were being constructed and many of those who were aware of this work became very optimistic about the influence it could have. Descartes was a child of the scientific revolution, but felt that until sceptical concerns were dealt with, science would always have to contend with Montaigne and his cronies, standing on the sidelines and laughing at science's pretenses to knowledge. Descartes' project, then, was to use the tools of the sceptic to disprove the sceptical thesis by discovering certain knowledge that could subsequently be used as the foundation of a new science, in which knowledge about the external world was as certain as knowledge about mathematics. It was also to hammer the last nail into the coffin of scholasticism, but also, arguably, to show that God still had a vital r_le to play in the discovery of knowledge. Meditation One describes Descartes' method of doubt. By its conclusion, Descartes has seemingly subjected all of his beliefs to the strongest and most hyberbolic of doubts. He invokes the nightmarish notion of an all-powerful, malign demon who could be deceiving him in the realm of sensory experience, in his very understanding of matter and even in the simplest cases of mathematical or logical truths. The doubts may be obscure, but this is the strength of the method - the weakness of criteria for what makes a doubt reasonable means that almost anything can count as a doubt, and therefore whatever withstands doubt must be something epistemologically formidable. In Meditation Two, Descartes hits upon the indubitable principle he has been seeking. He exists, at least when he thinks he exists. The cogito (Descartes' proof of his own existence) has been the source of a great deal of discussion ever since Descartes first formulated it in the 1637 Discourse on Method, and, I believe, a great deal of misinterpretation (quite possibly

The Ethics of Euthanasia Essays

The Ethics of Euthanasia Essays The Ethics of Euthanasia Essay The Ethics of Euthanasia Essay In the text, Death and Dignity: A Case of Individualized Decision Making, Diane had undergone Euthanasia (known also as mercy-killing). She gave her informed consent and she willingly submits herself to the process. In short, she had agreed to undertake â€Å"voluntary euthanasia.† Voluntary Euthanasia is defined as the type of Euthanasia that is undertaken with the informed consent of the patient herself. Informed consent means that the patient understands the process in which she has to go through, accepts it, and submits herself completely.In the case, Diane had given up the idea that she could still be cured. She had acute leukemia. Knowing that such disease had no cure at all, she refused to be treated and even demanded to be allowed to just die. The physician, who was the very person who was narrating the case of Diane, revealed that she herself assisted Diane in undertaking euthanasia. She said that she even told Diane the right dosage of barbiturates which could bring her death. Having such scenario, it could also be said that there was an â€Å"active euthanasia† that was happened. This entails that the physician has indeed assisted the death of the patient.The Ethics of EuthanasiaEuthanasia has long been disputed for its moral position. Does it morally permissible or not? The problem in the arguments of those who advocate the moral permissibility of euthanasia is that they tend to categorize it into different types and classes. The notions of voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, and active and passive euthanasia, have really masked the true essence of the practice of euthanasia. Some say that active and involuntary euthanasia are not morally permissible while inactive and voluntary euthanasia are morally permissible. The latter is argued because of the ideas of â€Å"non-commission† and â€Å"informed consent.†On the other hand, there is no real difference between those types and classes. According to James Rachels, no mat ter what type of euthanasia is performed still the end result is death. And that is morally unjustifiable in the sense that there is no such thing as right to die but only right to life. Likewise, in an ordinary course of life, no one would really claim for his or her right to die. Thus, whether the patient has given his or her informed consent, there is no justifying basis for the commission of euthanasia.Also, as mentioned in the text, the physician had even assisted the death of the patient Diane. That was very unethical. In the first place, physicians have no right to take away one’s life (as for the active euthanasia). And speaking of duty, physicians’ duty is to promote life and never the reverse of it which is death. By appealing to the Kantian Ethics (ethics of duty), that physician has committed a wrong act and has acted unethically and immorally. Thus, the physician in the given case must not have assisted Diane’s death whatever her reasons are.Moreove r, the process of euthanasia is directly going against what the natural process says. Suffering is part of human’s life. Thus, if one would use it to support and justify the act of euthanasia he is like saying that the natural process – wherein life is the basis of all rights – should not promote life but death. Yet, this is not the case. Survival is the key concept in the natural process. This entails that at any course, man naturally and rationally invokes his right to life and not right to die.Should Euthanasia be legalized?The answer is no. Euthanasia is no easy issue with regards to its legalization. In the first place, there is no law and even constitution that would provide a human rights standard which includes the human being’s right to life. As mentioned earlier, there is no such thing as right to life. And speaking of law, it has been institutionalized to safeguard mankind’s survival. So it is illogical and unintelligible to advocate for the legalization of euthanasia having the fact that such process opposes the most fundamental right – the right to life.Furthermore, if euthanasia would be legalized, it seems that the law itself creates chaos in the society’s order. As we all know, physicians are tasked to cure and treat diseases. Their duty is to preserve life (as declared in the Hippocratic Oath). If euthanasia would be made legal, then it is as if the law is allowing the physicians to violate their sworn duties and responsibility to mankind.Informed consent cannot really be used to justify the commission of euthanasia since the patient may have given his or her consent only because he or she is desperately hopeless and only wants to avoid suffering. But in a normal situation, a person would not really give his consent to someone to murder him or her.Another point is that, when someone speaks of morality, he or she is not speaking of practicality but of necessity. Rights such as right to life are n ecessary so as to uphold humanity. Imagine, if practicality would be the standard for taking away one’s life then it is more likely that every person would have reason to kill other person because it is practical for them to annihilate others for their own advantage. As for the case of the physician in the story of Diane, she assisted the death of Diane because she believed that it is more practical having the latter dead than for her to severely suffer from the disease.As for the conclusion of this paper, euthanasia is never necessary and not beneficial primarily because of the fact that there is no such thing as right to life, and the fact that physicians’ duty is to uphold life and never of death. Plus the law itself is established on the premise that its implementation is for the protection of human rights – and that includes a person’s right to life.

Transformation Leadership Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Transformation Leadership Interview - Essay Example Leadership is defined by Martires & Fule (2000) as â€Å"the process of influencing people so that they would work towards the attainment of specifically defined goals† (p. 569). Transformational leadership, as the name implies, is a leadership style â€Å"that creates voluble and positive change in the followers. A transformational leader focuses on "transforming" others to help each other, to look out for each other, be encouraging, harmonious, and look out for the organization as a whole. In this leadership, the leader enhances the motivation, moral and performance of his follower group.† (Boje 2000) Studies on this concept in leadership was originally delved into by James McGregor Burns who wanted to differentiate leadership from management and discovered that the differences are in characters and behaviors. (Burns 1978) He contrasted transformational leadership style as against a transactional leadership where focus is on the traits and characteristics of the leader rather than creating changes in people’s lives. There have been diverse patterns of behavior and actions that leaders exhibit over a period of time and perceived by followers as the dominant style of leadership. This style is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. There have been an enormous amount of studies and researches which seek to identify the characteristics, traits and behaviors which are predominant in leaders and enable them to succeed. For transformational leaders, the following characteristics stand out: (1) overt desire to transform the organization; (2) charismatic; (3) exudes passion and confidence; (4) possess large amounts of enthusiasm; (5) are people oriented and (5) tendencies to see the big picture and not the details (Straker 2009). According to Burns (1978), there are four elements of a transformational

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Case Study Example Oscar then graduated from a community college before he worked for a local jewelry shop. Despite the fact that he didn’t know much about diamonds, Oscar was still able to receive diamonds and a Diamond Grading Certificate thanks to his hard work. Rodriguez later opened a jewelry store of his own. After some of his customers told him there were better deals in the internet, Rodriguez decided to try selling on the internet too. After a while, he found a diamond dealer willing to give him diamonds which he started selling on the internet. After this his business grew enabling him to close the store he had opened and to become an entrepreneur who was savvy. In 2003, his company, Abazias.com went public. While it is true that Rodriguez was at the right place at the right time, there are also other factors that contributed to his success. His success can be attributed to the advice that was given to him by girlfriend to his roommate (Robbins & Judge, 2009). It is this advice given to him that sparked his curiosity leading him to start selling diamonds online. Mr. Rodriguez was worked very hard and this enabled him to open his own jewelry shop. Courtesy of his commitment, Oscar continued his education even receiving Diamonds and Diamonds Grading certification. Mr. Rodriquez had a vision. After he realized that his job as at the local jeweler would not help him achieve the goals he had set out to achieve, he started exploring other options that were available to him (Briggs Myers, McCaulley, Quenk, Hammer, & Mitchell, 2009). He even went ahead and started learning everything that there was to learn about diamonds. The other character that made Mr. Rodriquez successful was the fact that he was an ambitious man. He examined his situation and realized that his job, then, did not give him the opportunities for growth. He told himself that he would never become anything if he continued to work in his present job† (The Gainesville Sun,

Health Care Communications Methods Nursing Home Option 1 Research Paper

Health Care Communications Methods Nursing Home Option 1 - Research Paper Example Therefore, as an administrator of the nursing home, he or she has the responsibility to arrange how these patients are going to enjoy their rights to medication. Therefore, the administrator has to choose communication method that will be effective to every resident either traditional, electronic or social media method. Ancient communication involves using brochures, pamphlets and booklets that are intended to reach audience randomly. However, it is expensive to incur the cost of printing health information in these materials when a few copies are required. Therefore, to be cost effective, many copies of these materials are printed at once.Traditional communication is associated with some advantages such as: convey a precise message because developers of the information seek to produce materials and programs that would meet the need of a large number of potential users, different subgroups in the society were able to access different version of material from the writers. On the other hand, traditional communication hasits disadvantages such that, it is very cumbersome to print a large number of information materials for a large population since the writers writes distinctive information for different population, additionally; if the information to be printed involve a few copies, it is very expensi ve. Lastly, to customize on population outreach of information by the administrator to different individuals will bedependent upon quick processing of large volume of data hence residents can misunderstand information leading to ineffectiveness of the administrator to the residents. Emergence of tailored health communication was an indication of growing marketing approach to modify communication in nursing home formedby uniting various innovations at once. Tailored health communication (THC) refers to bringing together information and performance change plans expected to get to a particular person

Life In A Medieval Castle

Life In A Medieval Castle Life during the middle ages began at sunrise, when one of the guards sounded the days start. Servants had already begun to make sure that the fires were lit in the kitchen and great hall. Breakfast was not served until mid day. During this time the servants got time to complete their chores while the soups were cooking in the kitchen. All floors had to be cleaned and wash buckets, which were called basins, had to be washed out. Once the lord and the lady of the house woke up, the maids entered into their quarters, and they cleaned and emptied chamber pots, washed the basins, and the laundry woman also began to do the days laundry. The lord and the lady got well dressed before leaving their quarters to go to mass. They always wore elegant clothing which showed their status but also kept them very warm. After a small breakfast was eaten and the lord and his family went to mass. Once the morning service was complete, the lord dealt with the days business. At mid-morning, dinner was serv ed. Dinner was the main meal of the day. During dinner there was usually entertainment and much food. When dinner was finished, the lord may take his knights or special guests hunting while the lady may do embroidering. Usually the lady did not because she oversaw the castle and did not have time. Supper which was different from dinner, was usually eaten right before bedtime. It marked the end of the day for everyone in the castle. After supper the lord and the lady would go to their quarters and the servants would retire to their quarters. This was the almost daily routine of life in a castle. However, life in a castle was not all work. Hunting and hawking were greatly enjoyed by everyone in the castle and when the lord hunted, delicious and sometimes rare animals were brought to the table as food. Some of the past times were quite dangerous. These involved tournaments and rough ball, which was similar to football. Adults and children alike, enjoyed games such as the blind mans blu ff. This game involved tying a players head with a blind fold, and he would chase the other players. To pass time indoors, people played board games and listened to musicians or storytellers. Storytellers would narrate the stories of heroes such as Arthur and his knights. Though life in the middle ages involved a lot of work, the people in the castle enjoyed great entertainment. In a castle, almost everyone had a specific responsibility. The lord was the head of the castle. The lady spent much of her time supervising their work, as well as overseeing the cooking of meals in the kitchen. One of her responsibilities was running the household, managing production, and maintaining adequate supplies. She had to know which rents and fees were owed to the household. The lady also supervised the embroiderers who had the responsibility of making the clothes for the people in the castle and keeping the lady company. In addition, the ladies were responsible for overseeing the education of the young pages. The parents of the children usually devoted little time to them and those children were quickly thrust in to the adult world. Children usually became part adults at age 12 and were allowed to bear arms. Aristocratic children usually had very little contact with their parents. They were usually raised by nurses. The boys had to perform various services for the lord of the castle such as protect the arms and care for his horses. When the boy reached majority, which was usually at age 15, the fathers rule over him came to an end and the boy was considered an adult with full rights. At that point, the boy was a free, responsible individual who set up their own household. Girls were responsible to learn how to run a household and to raise children when they were old enough. These kinds of responsibilities allowed a castle life to run more smoothly. Castles in the medieval times were very uncomfortable and hardships were plenty. A castle had no central heating. The main fireplace heat was saved for the lord and the lady. They were fortunate to have heavy blankets, mattresses made of feathers, fur covers, while the workers had to sleep in the towers which got unbearably cold and damp, especially at night time. The attendants were sometimes lucky to stay with their master or mistress. They slept on the floor but they were able to get some of the heat coming out of the fireplace. When it was summer, everyone enjoyed the warm weather outside because the castle was still cold inside. Workers wrapped themselves in covers which helped them stay warm during cold times. The castle was also a very busy place. Ship and pigs would roam freely around the castle. With the loud noise of all the people in the castle, it caused a busy atmosphere with a loud noise. Hygiene was normal for the people in the middle ages. They took bathes, washed the ir hands, and brushed their teeth. However, disposal of human waste was not as good. Most castles did not have any plumbing which meant that the waste would remain in one place until it was cleaned by the chamber maids. These conditions may seem bad but they were better than the conditions of a lower class citizen. The code of chivalry and courtly love had a significant influence on the life of nobles. The code of chivalry affected knights in particular. The code of Chivalry came to mean an idealization of the life and manners of a knight at home in his castle and with his court. Courtly love also had strict rules. It was practiced all over Europe. The rules of courtly love allowed nobles to show how they really felt for each other. This kind of event was common between nobles and ladies. The harshness of the castles made them less than desirable to live in but for the lord and lady it was better than the common peoples homes. The life of individuals involved hard work life for the average person during the Middle Ages was very routine but they enjoyed entertainment as well. Everyone in the castle had a specific responsibility which made life run more efficiently even though a castle was busy and very loud. The code of chivalry and courtly love also were a great part of life. They dictated how a noble should lead their lives and how to hold themselves when with others. This was life in the middle ages. Books Blackwood, Gary L. Life in a Medieval Castle. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2000. Print. Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Strong of Body, Brave and Noble: Chivalry and Society in Medieval France. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1998. Print. Brochard, Philippe, and Patrice Pellerin. Castles of the Middle Ages. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdett, 1980. Print.. Gravett, Christopher. Castle. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print. Hinds, Kathryn. Life in the Middle Ages. New York: Benchmark, 2001. Print. Jordan, William C. Family. The Middle Ages. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1996. 79-81. Print. White, T. H. The Once and Future King. New York: Ace, 1987. Print. Encyclopedias Castle The New Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia. ed. 2005. Print. Jordan, William C. Family. The Middle Ages. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1996. 79-81. Print.

Early Learning Essay -- essays papers

Early Learning The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the issue of Preschool to determine if children who participate in structured preschool programs are more successful in kindergarten or first grade. There are a few types of preschool programs. First there are structured preschool programs that focus on emphasizing an actual school setting and classroom activities in order to prepare the child for kindergarten or first grade. There are also day care centers, which are not as structured as preschool centers. Daycare’s focus mainly on child’s development through social interaction with children and caregivers. Then there are head start programs that are geared to give children a foot in the right direction in order to be ready for preschool or kindergarten. The right kind of childcare can be a wonderful opportunity to promote the profound learning children experience from birth through age five (Selecting child care, 2002). When selecting childcare for your child the foundation of early learning has offered some tips that they believe will be helpful in the process. The foundation says that parents have always known that good early experience was important for their child. Now scientist and researchers are confirming how critical these first years of life are to your child’s healthy development (Selecting child care, 2002). Because the brain matures in the world rather than in the womb, the brain growth and development of infants and young children is deeply affected by their earliest experiences. In a childcare environment the relationship your child has with the caregiver will also affect how that child feels about himself and the world around him and as he grows up (Selecting child care, 2002). I ... ...s longitudinal studies. Bibliography Black, Jeffrey. (1991). School Readiness [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 27, 2003, from http://www.schoolhealth.org/ready.htm Codding, Karen. (n.d.). Test of Kindergarten and First Grade Readiness Skills. [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 20, 2003, from http://www.steoltingco.com/tests/catolog/TKFGRS.htm Anderson, Jeanne. (2002). Selecting Child Care. [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 21, 2003, from http://earlylearning.org/KC/Parents.htm#care Zill, Nicholas. (1995). School Readiness and Children’s Development Status.Eric Digest. [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 21, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC McKey, Al. (1985). School Readiness and Children’s Development Status.Eric Digest. [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 21, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC

Media Studies Review

What theorists say about their theory and how It relates to mass media – only 1 theorist Flag Two basic elements In any mass communication Channel Is way by which message goes from sender to receiver Noise Interferes with the channel static out of range, Interference etc. This kind of communication Is almost never one way Feedback goes back to sender – positive or negative Profit motivates all mass communication Problem is: Noise is more than static though – there is competition, resistant Feedback isn't really passive like she saysCan be adapted, ignored, changed, sabotage it, undermine it Mclean – how his theory explains mass media Defines a medium In the broadest possible way Something In the middle, connects one thing to another It extends our senses Ex writing on the board Im extending my words to a visual thing The message has an impact regardless, the message defines itself Fundamental undermined thing is the way I present a message not what I say Q uestionable Structures imposed by the medium define the message Way we send, receive, interact, creates the rules Sometimes medium actually creates the content Ex. Loophole to ask if mom wants milk, wouldn't do that if we had to go to a payphone Because medium extends our senses and controls what's being broadcasted, said or done – medium changes us b/c we have phones, we behave differently that those without telephones we aren't aware of the process we become subject to anything It does to us – we become pawns of technology Unaware b/c we don't see the process Like Mclean does Even if we are aware of it, doesn't mean we'll react to it Criticism Instrumentalist – too much emphasis on one element Says technology is the only thing that mattersOpacity – difficult to understand him Berger Totally different, practical and hands on theorist He uses textual analysis to break down what is going on in the message Need to look at the message itself Even in a given medium we make decisions on what we watch/interact with and what we don't That shows there Is a deference Even though we're exposed to the same thing repeatedly, we see things differently each time Suggests threes something complex about the way we understand things 4 functions of text Checking the weather Objective – creating one's own reality Cartoons, any invented and artificial view of the worldExpressive – the artist's moods, the individual feelings Mimetic – imitates real life Convention vs.. Invention Fit the mold and don't do anything different vs.. Creating something new and original Reinforcing vs.. Hellenizing 8 things for analysis Marx Capital explained society Everything came down to labor and how much it was worth Had to be an industrial society of 3 classes: Capitalists – greedy, demand more money and push middle class to lower class Bourgeoisie Proletarians – going to be pushed farther down because of false consciousness (buying thi ngs they wanton) Commodity fetishism – need unnecessary things – peps proletariat falsely conscious Religion is used to deceive and keep them marching to the capitals How does it relate to Mass Media What is used to create the false consciousness by the Capitalists Fits in with Bias – it's all related to profit Use mass media to profit because they own the big companies and advertise their products for commodity fetishism Mass Media exception – the internet and social media – where capital messages might not be completely controlled; in marks time handing out pamphlets to get messages across Broodier Agreed with Marx but didn't think economic capital was the only factory Believed in hemolytic capital – culture capital, social capital, prestige, education.

Cognitive Ergonomics

Cognitive Ergonomics Introduction Cognitive ergonomics is focused on modifying processes to suit the human capability (Budnick 2001, p. 1). Ergonomics in its entirety is focused on redesigning processes to suit human meaning. This can be done through modifying equipments, tools, environments and such like elements to increase efficiency or production (Budnick 2001, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Ergonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, a lifting job can be redesigned to happen at the waist level for ease of functions; or a tool can be redesigned to reduce awkward postures and instead be more comfortable for human use (Robertson 1995, p. 279). There are many other applications that employ the concept of cognitive economics and some of them include the design of software interfaces (for easy human use), the design of airplane cockpits and automobile controls to reduce human errors and the likes. The concep t of cognitive ergonomics is especially relied on when designing complex machines and hi-tech equipments because they are normally difficult to operate, thereby posing a challenge to many people, regarding how to operate them (Cohen 1997, p. 2). For example, a hi-tech mobile phone may not necessarily cause an accident but if it poses a challenge to customers regarding its operability, it may eventually turn out to be a market failure (because it will be shunned by customers). In industrial processes, the concept of cognitive ergonomics cannot be overemphasized because if a plant or equipment is poorly designed, it may consequently lead to the occurrence of errors or accidents, besides increasing the probability of reduced production or the production of low quality goods (Talty 1988, p. 702). Often, people are known to over-trust ergonomics but in other times, they are known to mistrust the concept altogether (Moray 2005, p. 546). For instance, if a ship’s system indicates th at all the valves are in working condition, but in real sense, not all of them are working as perfectly as they should, the captain may carry out subsequent procedures based on the assumption that, all the valves are in working condition.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This could lead to an accident (Shahbazian 2008, p. 165). Often, people would blame the captain for the accident, but in real sense, the systems are to be blamed. This is a clear example of an over-trust in ergonomics. A case of ergonomics mistrust has also been evidenced in the past. For instance, in an American prison, administrators installed motion sensors to trigger an alarm if a prisoner tried to escape. Within the first month of installation, the motion sensors went off all the time because it was triggered by wind motions and flying animals. This prompted the officers to start ignoring the s ensors. One inmate took advantage of the officers’ attitudes and managed to climb off the prison walls into freedom. The Importance of cognitive ergonomics can therefore not be underestimated because in the above scenario, if the same situation was observed in systems, such as fire alarms, the consequences would be disastrous and adverse. Cognitive ergonomics is therefore crucial in the society because almost everything is controlled by systems. This study however focuses on a case of establishing cognitive ergonomic issues of the Toyota Pruis model to establish strategies that can be used to improve the same. Since this study is focused on the cognitive ergonomic issues of the Toyota Prius model, emphasis will be made on the vehicle’s controls. To do so, a brief description of the product will be made in the first part of this paper, and secondly, ergonomic principles will be applied to the product to constitute the second part of the paper. In subsequent sections of the study, the ergonomic principles identified will be used to identify how best to redesign the car’s system controls. Finally, a summary of the study will be contained in the conclusion segment of the paper. Product The Toyota Prius model plays a significant role in the evolution of the global automotive industry because the model is a â€Å"green† car and so far, it has had immense success in the global automotive market (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). In California, the Toyota Prius model was rated one of the cleanest vehicles in America because it is run on a hybrid power engine (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). The Toyota hybrid car was first launched in Japan (in the year 1997), and since the year 2001, when it was launched in other markets across the globe, the car has been received very well by the consumers (Product Team 2011). So far, Toyota Prius model has been launched in more than 70 markets across the globe but its highest success has been witnessed in A sian markets and Northern Europe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Ergonomics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2008, the model was rated one of the highest selling vehicles across the globe because vehicle sales reached the one million mark in the same year (Green Car Congress 2011, p. 1). Two years after that, the company attained the two million vehicles sales mark (Abuelsamid 2011). Since the Toyota Pius model has received great sales across major world markets, there has been increased interest about the vehicles ergonomics especially regarding the vehicles safety. Seeking a vehicle with the right type of cognitive ergonomic safety controls is not a simple task for people willing to find the right type of car for their convenience. Having the right car with the right cognitive ergonomic control is however very important in today’s society because many people spend most of their time driving (w hen compared to the past). Vehicle safety is an important part of cognitive ergonomics because safety is an essential determinant of vehicle sales. In other words, consumers are becoming increasingly aware about the need to buy vehicles which have a high safety standard. This standard can be determined by a vehicle’s safety controls. The Toyota Prius model is special in this regard because the car is fitted with power seats, automatic headlights, automatic climate control features and selective parking lights, all which add to the vehicle’s cognitive ergonomic features (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The selection and design of a right ergonomic car is often important in the automotive industry because many individuals seek products which are safe and easy to use (Dainoff 2007, p. 19). The market has a variety of ergonomic cars, but it would be misleading for anyone to buy a car, simply because it is deemed â€Å"ergonomic†. In this context, it is important to note that , ergonomic cars are designed to suit a variety of clients, but the variety is evidence enough that not everybody will find ergonomic cars appropriate for their use. For instance, some cars are designed to suit people of different genders, disabled people and the likes. Moreover, not all ergonomic cars blend well with a market’s environment, or even how a given terrain is perceived.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The right selection of an ergonomic car is therefore a tricky affair (but yet a simple one) because the right ergonomic car is only obtained when it suits the user’s purpose and safety requirements (Reilly 2007, p. 12). Moreover, the right ergonomic car should also suit the user’s task. From this analysis, it is important to understand that, the right ergonomic car can be obtained, although the process may be cumbersome. Application of Ergonomic Principles Recent cognitive ergonomic trends in the automotive industry incline towards developing cars with a high ease of use and a strong sense of automation (Silverman 2011, p. 1). Disabled drivers using the Toyota Prius model have benefitted a lot from the focus on ease of use and automation. For instance, in the Toyota Prius model, the automatic temperature feature has been cited as a major feature in the user control panel because users only have to set the temperature right (at 22 degrees Celsius) and the car does the r est, (in ensuring safety concerns are upheld) (Silverman 2011, p. 1). However, the Toyota Prius model falls short of accommodating all its customer subgroups. The car’s ease of reading control instructions is especially wanting, when it is perceived in the context of elderly drivers using the car. The text sizes in the car’s controls are small, and elderly drivers may find it difficult to read the small print when driving. Not only do elderly drivers find the readability of the texts difficult, other drivers may find it difficult to read the text too because when driving, a lot of attention is focused on the wheel as opposed to reading texts on the car’s dashboard. Since the readability of the user interface is wanting, drivers waste a lot of time trying to understand the commands on the car’s dashboard. This technical fault may be dreadful when driving because drivers are likely to cause an accident if their attention is shifted from the road. The positi on of the Prius model steering wheel is also placed in a wrong position which inhibits the visibility of the vehicles controls. Moreover, the high steering position is a barrier to good visibility when driving. Experts note that, this poor steering position obstructs the driver’s view of blind spots and may subsequently cause accidents (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The control panel of the Toyota Prius model is also a victim of poor lighting which hampers the visibility of texts in the control dashboard. The lighting is deemed too dim by most drivers and therefore, they have to strain to understand what is written in the control panel. People with poor visibility are therefore likely to find the readability of the texts on the control panel very poor. This may cause an accident or engine failure if there is a communication breakdown between the car’s system and the driver. On another negative front, the Prius model is criticized for lacking an adjustable seat height that fac ilitates easy visibility of the road. Other cars which lack this feature are criticized for poor visibility of the road because they fail to factor the average distance of driver visibility, between the driver’s eye level and the dashboard (Silverman 2011, p. 1). This distance always varies because the height of the driver seat fails to allow the driver to have the maximum visibility of the road. This feature is more serious for short drivers because they do not have the ability to see the road at all. Cars which do not allow for easy adjustability of the driver seat hinder the driver’s ability to have a maximum view of the road. The Toyota Prius model has however shown some positive cognitive ergonomic attributes in the development of its recent models. This observation is based on the fact that, recent models have been designed with a hands-free device to enable drivers to communicate without deviating their attention from driving. This control device was recommended for integration into the car’s user interface after it was affirmed that, driver attention was consistently lost with the absence of a hands-free device in most cars (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The Prius model was therefore designed to include this feature and it has proved beneficial to most users who want to communicate over the phone without putting their lives at risk by using a handheld mobile. Moreover, this feature has made the compliance to new automotive legislation in the automotive sector very easy. Most automotive manufactures are nowadays required to integrate hands-free mobile features in their cars, to reduce chances of vehicle accidents caused by the use of handheld mobile phones (Silverman 2011, p. 1). This is a positive cognitive ergonomic feature for the Toyota Prius model. Recommendations To rectify the small font size hindering the readability of the user interface, it is crucial to redesign the user interface of the vehicle control system to accommodate lar ge texts. Large fonts should therefore be used to improve user readability and improve the overall understandability of the information conveyed (Sedlack 2011, p. 1). Achieving this objective may involve changing the entire control software or accommodating a user interface where drivers can change the size of the fonts, depending on their readability level. For instance, the elderly may have the opportunity to increase the size of the fonts, while young drivers may find that reducing the size of the fonts is effective. Regardless of the variables, the drivers would be in a position to adjust the font’s size to suit their reading capabilities. To correct the poor seat height that hinders the drivers’ visibility of the road, users or buyers of ergonomic cars should be able to identify certain common features of any good driver ergonomic seat. These features identify the benchmarked factors to be considered before selecting the right ergonomic car. Also, these benchmark features should be useful to all drivers, regardless of their purpose of car use. The first benchmark feature is adjustability. Adjustability is crucial in cognitive car ergonomics, especially in defining the right seat height to be set by the driver because at times, it is difficult for automotive companies to design seats which are suitable for all heights (International Labour Office 1996, p. 138). However, adjustability should also be evidenced in other features of the seat to enable the driver have maximum visibility of the road. The depth of the seat is also important in the selection of the right ergonomic seat because the right ergonomic seat should be suitable for tall and short drivers. The last benchmark feature is stability. Stability is important for the drivers’ comfort because unstable seats are known to be frustrating and possibly dangerous to drivers. Stability is crucial because it sustains driver concentration on the road. The standard base should be at lea st five-points (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 2005). To rectify the poor brightness hindering the visibility of the driver interface panel, it is important for the interface designers to integrate a lighting control system that is able to adjust the brightness of the texts (or its background), depending on the lighting environment in the car. When it is too bright, the texts should be brighter to make the texts more visible and when it is darker, the texts should still be bright to enable the users to easily read the controls. To rectify the poor steering position hindering the visibility of the driver’s view, it is crucial to observe an important ergonomic feature in the automotive industry which dictates that, the driver needs to have enough space between the steering wheel and the legs (Silverman 2011, p. 1). The same distance should be maintained between the control dashboard and the steering wheel for easy visibility. This adjustment ensures drivers have the maximum view of the road and vehicle controls. It also ensures that drivers are in a good position to control the vehicle and comprehend the engine’s attributes from the control system. Conclusion Designing the best cognitive ergonomic controls for the Toyota Prius model is a matter of precision. However, the user’s preference is at the centre of the design process because this study establishes that, not all ergonomic cars are suitable for use in all environments. Moreover, not all aspects of a car’s ergonomic controls can be designed for everyone. This is the main motivation for categorizing drivers into different profiles with different needs. For instance, this paper categorizes the drivers into disabled or elderly drivers. From this understanding, it is crucial for the designers of the Prius model to consider the cognitive ergonomic needs of the users. This should especially be observed during the design of the car’s user interface because i t influences important issues on car performance, such as safety. However, considering the fact that, not all cars can be designed for everyone, this paper establishes several benchmarks, in terms of recommendations that should be factored at the design stage in the manufacture of the Toyota Prius model. From this understanding, this paper advocates for a strong focus on the interface font size, interface text brightness, driver steering position and the driver’s seat height and depth. In making most users comfortable, it is crucial to ensure the fonts and brightness of the texts in the user interface board of the car is easily adjustable to ensure all drivers comprehend information conveyed in the user control board. It is also crucial for the steering position to be placed in a manner that allows for the full view of the road and the user interface on the vehicle’s dashboard. The seat height should also be positioned in the same manner so that drivers can have a maxi mum view of the road. The recommendations provided in this study should be the default standards to be used in the automotive industry. For instance, if the adjustable features are installed in the user interface, many users would find the Toyota Prius model appropriate for their use. References Abuelsamid, S. (2011) Toyota Tops 2 Million Hybrid Sales Worldwide (Online) Available at: http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/04/toyota-tops-2-million-hybrid-sales-worldwide/ . Budnick, P. (2001) What is Cognitive Ergonomics? (Online) Available at: ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=352 . Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2005) Ergonomic Chair (Online) Available at: ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/chair.html . Cohen, A. (1997) Elements of Ergonomics Programs: A Primer Based On Workplace  Evaluations of Musculoskeletal Disorders. New York, DIANE Publishing. Dainoff, M. (2007) Ergonomics and health aspects of work with computers: international  conference, EHAWC 2007, he ld as part of HCI International 2007, Beijing, China, July 22-27: proceedings. New York, Springer. Green Car Congress. (2011) Worldwide Prius Cumulative Sales Top 2M Mark; Toyota  Reportedly Plans Two New Prius Variants for the US By End of 2012 (Online) Available at: greencarcongress.com/2010/10/worldwide-prius-cumulative-sales-top-2m-mark-toyota-reportedly-plans-two-new-prius-variants-for-the-.html#more 2010-10-07. International Labour Office. (1996) Ergonomic Checkpoints: Practical and Easy-To-  Implement Solutions For Improving Safety, Health And Working Conditions. New York, International Labour Organization. Moray, N. (2005) Ergonomics: Major Writings. London, Routledge. Product Team. (2011) 2008 Toyota Prius (Online) Available at: hybridcar.com/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=521Itemid=103 . Reilly, M. (2007) An Ergonomics Guide to Computer Workstations. New York, AIHA. Robertson, S. (1995) Contemporary Ergonomics. London, Taylor Francis. Sedlack, W. (2011) The I mportance of Readability in Good Website Design (Online) Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Readability-in-Good-Website-Designid=2591054 . Shahbazian, E. (2008) Harbour Protection through Data Fusion Technologies. New York, Springer. Silverman, J. (2011) How Car Ergonomics Work (Online) Available at: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/car-ergonomics2.htm . Talty, J. (1988) Industrial Hygiene Engineering: Recognition, Measurement, Evaluation,  And Control. New York, William Andrew.

Comparing IFRS to GAAP Brandi A Collins Essays - Free Essays

Comparing IFRS to GAAP Brandi A Collins Essays - Free Essays Comparing IFRS to GAAP ACC/291 April 27, 2015 Comparing IFRS to GAAP Essay Both the FASB and the IASB together moving to the fair value capacity for the financial instruments. FASB and ISAB both want to move towards a fair value capacity. Both the FASB and IASB believe in the fair value capacity to produce a more precise explanation for the companys financial records. Theres a difference in opinions between the two agreeing and disagreeing on the aspects like as, the banks doubting the system will make it easy to guesstimate accurately since the fair value is done by estimation. To answer their differences they have decided to meet on mutual grounds by concealing the fair value information of the financial reports in transcripts as well as permitting the companys relatively than require them to record some of their financials at fair values in their financial statements. The usage of fair value is a replacement for the historical cost method. Element depreciation is any detailed part of a depreciable asset that has different estimated useful lives. Element depreciation should be distinctly depreciated and is allowed to be used by the IFRS but the GAAP will very rarely us component depreciation. This should be used to view the depreciation as a distribution of cost over the assets useful life. Each asset should be depreciated distinctly for certain groups although seldom one asset will equal a number of other assets making it whole. This is irregular, and becoming one asset would only allow their own useful life. IFRS will allow revision of plant assets to their fair value at the date of reporting. Any company that decides to use the revision framework must follow the procedures if the revision, when the company does choose to use the revision it must be useful to all these assets within the same class. If the assets are suffering a rapid price change they must then be upped at an annual rate. Product development imbursements can be logged as development expenses while others are logged as development costs. The difference between development cost and development expenses is that a cost is used when an expense is made for imports to develop assets and assets for imports such as land purchased will remain an asset to the company as long as they own it. A cost would be something the company purchases that will devalue such as a vehicle for the company that will continue to devalue as time passes. The IFRS will outline contingent liability as a possible requirement that is not recognized by the financial reports, they may however be exposed if a certain criteria is met. A liable liability could be something from the companys past such as a law suit depending on the ending of the lawsuit. The company will have liability or no liability at all. For the IFRS, they use necessities which are also defined as a liability that is of tentative timing and amount, these can be employee vacation pay, warrantys and any anticipated loss . The alteration between GAAP and IFRS are slight in regards to accounting for their liabilities. GAAP for example, will list their liabilities and assets in the priority of their liquidity. Not all companys follow GAAP and will list their liabilities prior to their assets and may show their long term liabilities previous to their current liabilities. IFRS will require the effective-interest process when they are remunerating the bond discounts and premiums, while GAAP will allow the use of the straight- line method, and IFRS will not distinguish the bond at a premium or discount they must be known at by the net amount of the bond. In respects to the ideal stock the IFRS and GAAP both will require the preferred stock to be redeemed at a specific time in the future as well as be reported as a debt. In conclusion there are a lot of comparisons in the GAAP and the IFRS, though it seems that the IFRS may be somewhat more open on their practices and require more while the GAAP will rarely use some of the practices that the IFRS will use. References: Financial accounting 7e, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2013), required text book reading

Risk Management Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Management - Movie Review Example The incident not only caused problems for the rivers and inlets near the Tisza, but also to larger bodies of water connected to it, such as the Danube River and the Black Sea. The chemical spill was pinned onto an Australian-owned mining company using cyanide salts for mining gold and silver, which is an outlawed method in Europe. But the company denied all allegations, and even attributed the chemical spill and the river’s death on environmental factors (Harper, 2005). The spill had a lasting effect on the water supply, but despite having no record of human health impacts were recorded, it greatly affected the wildlife that lived on the river and the residents that depended on it for food and livelihood (Marmorat, 2008). While the early March floods that occurred after the chemical spill were able to lessen the impact due to the dispersion of the chemical and heavy-metal contaminants, it was estimated that it would take at least a decade to see any improvements in the riverâ €™s state. The following are the assumptions on the possible causes and effects of the chemical spill to wildlife and the residents living near the Tisza River and its basins: Precipitations might have possibly caused the toxic sludge containing both cyanide and other heavy metals to overspill the dams holding them in and caused the excesses to flow into the nearest bodies of water. The cyanide content of the toxic sludge that flowed into the bodies of water and ended up into the Tisza River might have been too high, that the effects of the poison lasted months and even years after the chemical spill. The toxicity levels of the sludge affected the livelihoods of the fishermen that depended on the River Tisza by rendering all kinds of fish either dead or too highly- contaminated to be consumed, thus any kind of commercial fishing would be counter-productive. Due to the numerous waterways and other areas where the Tisza River drains its water, not only did the chemical spill affec t other larger rivers, but also the smaller ones where these large rivers either enter or exit into, causing damage to greater areas. Because the interconnecting rivers and channels affected by the chemical spill run into countries outside Romania, the environmental disaster could cause political unrest between the countries whose rivers were affected by the chemical spill, and Romania. 2. Review and attach an MSDS for Cyanide The following MSDS has been condensed from the Science Lab (2005) data sheet for their sodium cyanide product, which is the form of the cyanide salt normally used for mining: Section 1. Chemical Product Chemical Name: Sodium cyanide Chemical Formula: NaCN Section 2. Composition and Information on Ingredients Composition (by Weight): Sodium cyanide = 100% Toxicological data: Sodium cyanide Oral (LD50): acute: 6.44mg/kg (Rat) Dermal (LD50): acute: 10.4mg/kg (Rabbit) Section 3: Hazards Identification Potential Acute Health Effects: Very hazardous when ingested or inhaled, or when in contact with the skin or eyes. Damaging effects to exposed tissues are proportional to length of contact. Potential Chronic Health Effects: Repeated or prolonged exposure can cause damage to the nervous system, tears and lesions in the skin and lungs, leading to asphyxiation. Section 4. First Aid Measures After doing the following first aid measures, seek medical help immediately. In case of eye contact, flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. Remove contact lenses first, if present. In case of skin contact,

Pastoral Ward Visit in the Context of Chaplaincy Essay

Pastoral Ward Visit in the Context of Chaplaincy - Essay Example In the study, the researcher used Daily log to examine the time spent in attending one patients as well as the time spent by chaplains in the wards. To get direct feedbacks from patients, the researcher used questioner. The questioner was also used to examine what is considered a success in pastoral ward visit. On the other hand, the questioner was also used to evaluate the level and nature of training among chaplains as well as soliciting the ideas of improving the services offered by chaplains. Informal interview was also employed to access whether the pastoral ward meets patients’ religious and spiritual needs.As the report discusses in spite of promoting religious and spiritual messages, chaplains in their pastoral ward visits also offers support to patients in their hospital treatment.   Chaplain works hand in hand with people who face death of their loved ones, parents who losses their children as well as patients who are facing their own demise.   Additionally, in t heir ward visits, chaplains’ teams offer spiritual and inspirational support to hospital staff members. On the other hand, chaplains’ provides linkage between patients in hospital wards and others support teams in the society such as Non Governmental organisations, charity groups and well wishers. Additionally, the chaplains’ works towards ensuring spiritual, cultural, religion support to everyone who need these form of support.