Enlightened Nationalism Essay Example for Free

Enlightened Nationalism Essay Such were the words of Alexis de Tocqueville in his mocking evaluation of Prussia’s Civil Code (Allgemeines Landrecht). As its rudimentary principles, the code according to him is basically those of the French Revolution but its real stipulations conserved the German ethnicity. This ongoing pressure involving new and old in Prussia is the subject of Matthew Levinger’s profound study on the efforts of Prussian leaders as they try to invigorate the nation between their defeat by the French in 1806 and the Revolution of 1848. While the rest of Western Europe (or the world for that matter) is developing in quite the same way, Prussia, the largest German estate of the 1st half of the 19th century, chose to embark on a special path of historical development or what is called as Sonderweg. It is because of this that most historians argue that the Germans lagged behind in modernizing their political institutions especially in that decisive historical moment in history. In Matthew Levinger’s book, he challenges the readers to rethink that general perception regarding Prussia’s history. His studies show that a profound and irre ¬versible political transformation (enlightenment) occurred in Prussia beginning in the Napoleonic era—right after the humiliating rout of the famed Prussian army by Napoleon’s forces (Levinger, p. 227). In the brink of annihilation, a group of Prussian leaders decided to mobilize the populace by uniting a rationalized monarchy and a politically active â€Å"nation†. They saw this mobilization as something that would make the monarchial estate stronger. Truly enough it enhanced the power of the monarchy, but it inhibited the formation of an effervescent parliamentary system of rule. In Levinger’s urge to understand why Germany chose a disastrous turn by embracing National Socialism between 1933 and 1945 ignited his interest in history and thereby writing this book. Like most works regarding German history, this book also has its roots in exile, but Levinger approaches the problem quite indirectly as he has only viewed the effects of exile remotely. Parts I and II of the book discusses about the concept of â€Å"nation† and part III shows how this concept came to play. Many questions and answers will arise from reading it. For one, the book does not only present answers to the question about what kind of country Prussia was but shows us the current state of living for most Germans during that time as well. The book gives us a reason to believe that even though this so-called â€Å"enlightened nationalism† was but a strand in Prussian political culture, it greatly influenced Prussian political evolution. It also provides an exciting insight about the controversial question whether there was a distinctive German path modernization. Another main query that will be answered here is to what extent were the political resistances in Prussia during this era were shaped by ideological influences as opposed to material forces? And even though, the analysis in this book is only about Prussia, it can also give us a great deal of information in understanding the ensuing 19th c. Germany and how nationalism in the rest of the world evolved. Moreover, it tells us about the products of â€Å"enlightened nationalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€a mixed legacy of positive outcomes and ill-effects. In contrast to the French Revolution, the Prussian reform movement did not want to abolish the old government in order to create a new one for their ultimate goal which we can call Pax Germania. They only tried to reconstruct on hand organizations by trying to instill radical and democratic principles into their framework. They tried to unite rationalized monarchy (from above, and for the people) and a politically active people (from below and for the king and fatherland). The enlightened nationalism brought about a legacy of political and public transformation in many aspects, most notably in education and administration. This key reinterpretation of Prussian history from the Napoleonic era to the Revolution of 1848 shows how modifications enthused by the enlightenment eventually forged an authoritarian political culture and a nation that later came to dominate Germany. The books well-documented insights do not only help us understand about Prussia but it also sheds new light on the birth of German nationalism—thus awaking a sleeping giant†¦only to fall from grace.

Turkish Free Zones :: essays research papers

TURKISH FREE ZONES Free Zones are defined as special sites within the country but deemed to be outside of the customs border and they are the regions where the valid regulations related to foreign trade and other financial and economic areas are not applicable, are partly applicable or new regulations are tested in. Free Zones are also the regions where more convenient business climate is offered in order to increase trade volume and export for some industrial and commercial activities as compared to the other parts of country. With the objective of increasing export-oriented investment and production in Turkey, accelerating the entry of foreign capital and technology, procuring the inputs of the economy in an economic and orderly fashion and increasing the utilization of external finance and trade possibilities, Free Zones Law numbered 3218 was issued in 1985. Since then, - Mersin (1987) - Antalya (1987) - Aegean (1990) - à stanbul Atatà ¼rk Airport (1990) - Trabzon (1992) - à stanbul-Leather (1995) - Eastern Anatolia (1995) - Mardin (1995) - ISE à stanbul International Stock Exchange (1997) - à zmir Menemen-Leather (1998) - Rize (1998) - Samsun (1998) - à stanbul Thrace (ÇATALCA)(1998) - Kayseri (1998) Free Zones became operational. In general all kind of activities can be performed in Turkish Free Zones such as manufacturing, storing, packing, general trading, banking and insurance. Investors are free to construct their own premises, while zones have also available office spaces, workshops, or warehouses on rental basis with attractive terms. All field of activities open to Turkish private sector are also open to joint-venture of foreign companies. INCENTIVES OFFERED IN TURKISH FREE ZONES Turkish Free Zones are tax free zones. Income generated through activities in the Zones are exempted from all kinds of taxes including income, corporate and value-added tax. The validity period of an operation licence is maximum 10 years for tenant users, and 20 years for users who wish to make their own offices in the zone; If the operating licence is for production, these terms are 15 and 30 years for tenant users and investors, respectively. The requested operation licence period can be prolonged to 99 years according to the type of investment. Free Zones earnings and revenues can be transferred to any country, including Turkey, freely without any prior permission and are not subject to any kind of taxes, duties and fees. There is no limitation on the proportion of foreign capital participation in investment within the Free Zones. In contrary to most Free Zones of the world, sales into the domestic market are allowed in Turkish Free Zones.

Decision making Essay

Overview My experience in the business world has shown a variety of ethical decision making practices. The beauty industry has a somewhat skewed view of ethics as it appeals to the vanity and esteem of consumers around the world. The health care industry must provide health care to its customers yet maintain the business with the goals of making a profit. Yale University is known for its research in the fields of science and medical technology. All these companies practice ethics, but view ethical behavior in a different way. This paper will explore the definition and principles of ethics and discuss the impact of ethics on the decision making process in the work place. Definition Pearson Custom Publishing (Pearson, 1998-2002) defines ethics as the â€Å"standards of conduct and moral judgment. † Markula Center for Applied Ethics (1995-1998) defines ethics as those standards that compel one to refrain from committing crimes against another person such as stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud. It is also the standards that encourage honesty, integrity, compassion and loyalty. Ethics is not a religious principle, nor is it based on â€Å"feelings† about a particular problem. It cannot be defined as a legal practice because laws are created to protect rights, not manage ethical principles. While the definition may seem clear, ethics as a practice is somewhat ambiguous since interpretation plays a big part in how people perceive right from wrong. The Markala Center for Applied Ethics (1995-1998) states that in order to understand the meaning of ethics we must find answers the following questions, â€Å"According to what standards are these actions right or wrong? What character traits (like honesty, compassion, fairness) are necessary to live a truly human life? † Defining ethics is relatively easy compared to practicing ethics in the work place. Since the primary concern of most businesses is the bottom line, the ethical views may differ based on the type of business. Ethical views of employees may also differ from the views of the company. This can cause conflict among workers and management as companies strive to improve the bottom line. Personal ethics may be compromised in an effort to keep a job. In business, what are the ground rules? Since ethics is not an exact science it is easy believe that if it is legal it is ethical and therefore acceptable. This is not always the case and recent examples of Enron and Microsoft prove this point. Enron has shown us that greed can interfere with good judgment and the impact of their decisions was grave. Microsoft is another company whose ethics have been questioned as it strives to maintain its place as the software giant. Is it unethical for Microsoft to work towards the demise of its competitor Netscape? Or is this the normal competitive spirit. Another good example is the beauty industry that built a billion dollar business convincing consumers that cosmetics and perfumes will make them perform better, become more powerful and/or more popular if the products are used. Is this behavior legal, yes. Ethical, well, that is questionable and based on personal interpretation. So how can ethical behavior be judged? Markala Center for Applied Ethics (1999) provides the following questions to help us more clearly ascertain ethical behavior. â€Å"Is there something wrong personally, interpersonally, or socially? Is there conflict that could be damaging to people?to animals or the environment? to institutions? to society? Does the issue go deeper than legal or institutional concerns? What does it do to people as persons who have dignity, rights, and hopes for a better life together? â€Å" These questions will help us to get the facts necessary to understand the problem, but we also need to know the values. Markula Center for Applied Ethics (1995-1998) suggests asking these additional questions to further determine values; â€Å"Is the solution to this problem for the common good of the community? Does it violate any rights? Is it fair and non-discriminatory? Will it benefit the majority of the people? † So when a problem occurs that requires a solution, it is necessary to review these questions and ask ourselves, based on a desired approach, if the outcome is ethical. This can be a difficult decision since often there is clearly no right or wrong answer. How could ethics benefit the decision making process? Incorporating ethics in the decision making process could making the process easier or more difficult. Easier by providing an additional layer that would justify a difficult decision based on whether it was ethically right or wrong. Ethics could make the decision making process easier by helping to eliminate choices that would not benefit all parties involved. For instance, let’s say there is a company who produces steel wires for construction projects. They need to build a larger factory in order to keep up with the demand. They are a fairly small operation, but complex in that they use dangerous chemicals in the finishing of their products. They have found a couple of locations which meet their needs; one in a location that is isolated a far from any residential areas, the other is located directly on a river that flows into a lake used for recreational purposes. The first location is considerably cheaper and would add an additional 30 minutes to the current employees commute. The second is closer and less expensive. In making the decision on where to build, management must consider the ethical ramifications to the environment. If they were to build near the river there would be a chance of chemical run off that would pollute the river and ultimately the lake. The use of ethics in the decision making process would make it easier to eliminate this location as an option and help to justify the additional expense and commute. Ethics could also make the decision making process harder by adding another layer of complexity to the problem. Take for instance, the issue of stem cell research. The research is performed on human embryos which some say is an unethical practice. Others say that using stem cells for research will make technological advances in medicine that cannot be achieved in other ways. These groups are opposed to the ban on federal funding for research that involved human embryo research (Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics). In the meantime, there are many diseases in which the cure points to more search in the area of stem cells. This research could help to save lives, but it is being held up due to the ethical beliefs of opposing parties. How should ethics be used in business? Ethical decision making should be a method by which decisions are made for the good of all people. Ethics should provide a code of behavior that is used as a base for all decision making. They should provide specific guidelines that ensure that decisions are always made in the interest of helping or protecting the rights of people. Many professional groups had specific practices by which they are expected to adhere as stated by Larry Colero of the U. B.C. Centre for Applied Ethics; â€Å"professional associations have codes of ethics that prescribe required behavior within the context of a professional practice such as medicine, law, accounting, or engineering. † These types of associations lay the ground rules in the decision making process. What are the ethical implications of the decision? Ethical implications in the decision making process could have a positive and negative outcome. I do believe that if a decision is not made in an ethical manner, the outcome will be negative. Using ethical decision making will most likely provide a positive outcome. Although it may not benefit the bottom line, it will surely benefit the community and the company long term. The negative implications come from situations where the decision is made without consideration for ethics. A sales person who is desperate to make quota for the quarter sells a product to the customer even though the customer does not need the product at this time. The customer may feel that the sales person does not have their best interest in heart and take their business elsewhere. Initially, the sales person benefited from an unethical decision, but in the long run, this type of decision making did not pay off. From a positive perspective, if the sales person had used ethical decision making, his sales may have increased not only through this one particular customer, but also from referrals due to the excellent customer service he/she had provided. Initially, the numbers may not have been satisfactory, but the long term results might have overcome the initial down turn. Conclusion Utilizing the principles of ethics in the decision making process will help to ensure that decisions made are fair and respect the rights of those parties involved. Unfortunately, ethical decision making is only as morally sound as the person making the decision. If the person making the decision is does not live by an ethical code, the decision will be swayed in the direction of that belief. Therefore, in order to make sound ethical decisions, decision makers must constantly evaluate their own beliefs and strive to live in an ethical manner. References Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics, (n. d. ), On human embryos and stem cell research: An appeal for legally and ethically responsible science and public policy. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: May 18, 2002 http://www. stemcellresearch. org/statement/statement. htm Colero, L. , (n. d. ) A framework for universal principles of ethics. Retrieved from the World Wide Web. May 18, 2002 http://www. ethics. ubc. ca/papers/invited/colero. html Pearson Custom Publishing, (1999-2002) Ethics. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: May 15, 2002 http://www. pearsoncustom. com/link/humanities/philosophy/crithink/ethics. html Markula Center for Applied Ethics, (1995-1998) A framework for ethical decision making. Retrieved from the World Wide Web. May 15, 2002. http://www. scu. edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics/practicing/deci3sion/framework. html.

The Ones Who Walk Away From House Of By Ursula K. Le Guin

â€Å"If the hypothesis were offered to us of a world in which Messrs. Fourier s and Bellamy s and Morris s utopias should all be outdone, and millions kept permanently happy on the one simple condition that a certain lost soul on the far-off edge of things should lead a life of lonely torture, what except a specific and independent sort of emotion can it be which would make us immediately feel, even though an impulse arose within us to clutch at the happiness so offered, how hideous a thing would be its enjoyment when deliberately accepted as the fruit of such a bargain†? The quote above is from an American philosopher William James, who largely inspired the story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† written by Ursula K. Le Guin. Ursula†¦show more content†¦They find a way to live with the guilt. Whether they hold their children tighter, chose not to think about the youth, or are not bothered by it, most of them just live with it. This story was published in the year 1973; and looking at the history of what was going on in America at that time, it is impossible to say that Ursula s writing wasn’t affected by the events occurring in that time period. The first wave feminist movement was prominent during the time, just as the Vietnam war was still being fought, as well as many technological and scientific changes occurring in the world. My argument is that Ursula wrote this story to combat the utilitarian mindset that is found is so many, especially during the 1960s-1970s, and still today. The mindset that these people in Omelas believe, that as long as it benefits the majority then harming one is not wrong. The lesson in this story while being written in the 1970s is still highly relevant today, when bringing in modern day politics and the top 10% vs the 90% in America. â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† is a cautionary story, that goes deep into the psyche of scapegoating and human morals . The first peer reviewed article I found is written by Jefferson Flanders. â€Å" By choosing exile, they have tacitly accepted the continued depravity of the child’s imprisonment. They have walked away.† I agree with his statement. These people were so bothered by the abuse of the child to keep their happiness thatShow MoreRelatedThe Ones Who Walk Away From A Utopian Or Dystopian Society?1302 Words   |  6 PagesLogan S. Kroeker Kirk Layton English 0130-010 30th March 2016 The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas: Is Omelas a Utopian or Dystopian Society? How does one know if Omelas is Utopian or Dystopian? This is the topic that will be explored, within a literary analysis of the short story by Ursula K. Le Guin: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. The narrator depicts a society that appears to simulate the Garden of Eden. The citizens of Omelas are seen to have a euphoric state of mind, which helps describeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas1762 Words   |  8 Pagesexceptional literary work, the job of film makers gets easier. In this case, such a piece comes in the form of Hugo Award winner â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,† a short story written by Ursula K. Le Guin, who was inspired by Philosopher William James’s quote: â€Å"One could not accept a happiness shared with millions if the condition of that happiness were the suffering of one lonely soul† (James, 330). Full of hidden meanings and contradictory feelings, this narrative possesses the qualities to captivateRead MoreCom parison and Contrast of the Lottery and the Ones Who Walk Away from1238 Words   |  5 PagesComparison and Contrast of The Lottery and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas The differences between The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin seem relatively minor when compared to the striking similarities they contain in setting, symbols, and theme. Each of the stories begin with a description of a beautiful summer day. The flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green(para 1) in The Lottery is quite comparable to oldRead MoreThe Lottery and the Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas2537 Words   |  11 PagesThe Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas    Perhaps it would be best if you imagined it as your fancy bids, assuming it will rise to the occasion, for certainly I cannot suit you all. This is an open invitation for you, the reader, in the short story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas. Ursula K. Le Guin is simply inviting you to become her main character. How might you accept or deny this malicious request? It is quite simple, really. To accept it is to read on, and to deny it is to disembarkRead MoreCritical Analysis the Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas1621 Words   |  7 PagesJames Lee English 110 AA Dr. M Brennan February 16, 2014 In the short story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† by Ursula K. Le Guin the theme is that in order to be truly happy, one must stand up for what’s right, even if it means leaving everything that they know. Society creates traditions and ways of thinking that are not easy for everyone to follow. In Omelas, the citizens have the choice to ignore the suffering of a child locked in a cellar, or leave the life and the city theyRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1221 Words   |  5 PagesI also disagreed with â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin, because it suggested that it is possible to be with more than one person at any given point. To me, love is trust, and without trust, love is nonexistent. Marriage is a commitment, a promise to be both trusting and trustful. To betray that agreement is not to love. Calixata expresses â€Å"nothing but satisfaction at their safe return† (727) and this reader has to wonder how she cannot feel guilt. Alcee wrote a â⠂¬Å"loving letter† to his wife, and this readerRead MoreProstitution: Sociology1973 Words   |  8 Pages Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world. It is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for some form of payment. People who execute such activities are known as prostitutes. Prostitution is one of the branches of the sex industry and its legal status varies from country to country. Estimates place the annual revenue generated from the global prostitution industry to be over $100 billion. However, prostitution is also one of the most gruesomeRead MoreBusiness and Management2600 Words   |  11 Pagesreserved. Course Description This course introduces themes in literature and provides guided study and practice in reflecting on themes which describe the human experience across cultural and societal boundaries. The course includes readings from literature in different genres and cultures. Students study the literature in thematic units and are asked to make connections to their own lives and cultures. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understandingRead MoreLiterary Criticism of The Namesake8108 Words   |  33 Pagesmentioned Nikolai Gogol at all in their discussions of the novel, except to describe the protagonist Gogols loathing of his name, or to quote without comment or explanation Dostoevskis famous line, We all came out of Gogols Overcoat. So far, no one has looked beyond the surfaces to examine the significance of the allusions to Gogol that are so much a part of the fabric of Lahiris novel. Without the references to Nikolai Gogol, it is easy to read the novel as simply another account of the difficulties