God and Morality Essay

The question is this – Is it possible to be of good moral character while not believing in God? Looking at the definition of morality as defined in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy the term morality can be used descriptively or actively. A] to refer to some code of conduct put forward by a society or some other group such as religious. Or put forward by a society and is acceptable to an individual for his or her own behavior. B] to refer to a code of conduct that, given specific conditions would be put forward by all rational persons. Morality appears to be separate from religion and although not spoken of or referred to as such there are different groups of moral persons, not all are viewed as good or just. Some examples may include Christian morality, Nazi morality, Greek morality etc. At times etiquette is included as part of morality. Hobbs expresses a standard view when he talks about manners. â€Å"By manners I mean not here decency of behavior, as how one man should salute another, or how a man should wash his mouth or pick his teeth before company and such other parts of small morals, but those qualities of mankind that concern their living together in peace and unity. † (Hobbs, 2010). The laws and our legal system is distinguished by a moral system that includes having written laws or rules, penalties and officials to make the laws and enforce God and Morality pg. 3 the laws and then penalize. Laws are often evaluated on moral grounds. Moral critisism is often used to support a change in a current law or to design a new law. Religion differs from morality or having a moral system. Religious morality is based on stories or events that are past. These stories and events are used to justify the behavior that religion prohibits or requires. At times morality is regarded as the code of conduct that is put forward by religion. Morality is thought by many to need some religious explanation or justification. However, just as with law some practices and precepts are critical on moral grounds. Morals provide us with a guide for conduct, where as religion is always more than that. The definition and description of morality tells us that morality is a belief system that follows the rule of â€Å"goodness†. It is similar to a â€Å"blanket† over society and is separate from religion. Even in these times morality is always in question. In an article written by a Baltimore Sun journalist titled â€Å"The Morality Brigade. † The writer expresses his opinion onto his readers stating that â€Å"We’re still legislating and regulating private morality, while at the same time ignoring the much larger crisis of public morality in America. † (Reich, R. 2013) He continues on to back up his accusations. He writes that legislatures in North Dakota passed a bill banning abortions after 6 weeks. (At which time a heart beat is detectable) as well as approved a fall referendum that could ban all abortions by defining human life beginning at the time of conception. He continues on that these same legislatures God and Morality pg. 4 â€Å"worry about fetuses but they show little concern for what happens to children after they are born. They and other conservatives have been cutting funding for child nutrition, health care for infants and their mothers, and schools. † (Reich, R. 2013). This is just an example of American Morality. So it seems that at this point I have defined what morality is and how it can be applied. I have also touched on Religion and Morality being a very separate entity. Now I will discuss God and Morals. It is very possible for a person to not believe in God and posses high moral standards. Understanding that the person being moral is not due to their belief in God, it is independent of that. Having a belief in God is dogmatic to say the least. There is no rational way to say that God exists. To believe in God one must bypass reason and embrace faith. This is ok if believing in God gives a person comfort and security, although if we tie God to morality it may become problematic. Something as important and influential as morality should not be based on a dogma. If there is no proof that God exists beyond a shadow of a doubt than why do people still believe? Indoctrinate plays more of a role than rational and clear thinking. Religious indoctrination caters to our psychological insecurities and needs, not to reason. Think of some things that we know do not exist. An example would be the tooth fairy or maybe unicorns. We are proud to be skeptical and disapproving, however religion tells us when it comes to believing in God, faith is a virtue. God and Morality pg. 5. Morality is an autonomous human virtue that is independent of God. Otherwise, it would not be possible that atheists behave with impeccable moral standards and so many God believers do not have any morals. Let it also be noted that the great moral traditions of the world do not bring God into morality. Two of the most recognized and adored moral traditions in the east, Confucianism and Buddhism do not believe in God. The roots of morality in the west are in the idea of ancient Greeks, especially Plato and Aristotle who based their morality on reason alone, not on any dogma. It appears that religions who originate in the Middle East have a pronounced inclination to base morality on God. These same religions are also the most violent ones in history, killing many in the name of God. There is no evidence that theists are more moral than monotheists. Physiological studies have failed to find a significant correlation between the frequency of religious worship and moral conduct. An example is that convicted criminals are much more likely to be theists than not. With this being said it is a clear assumption that good people do good because they want to do good. It is not because they personally benefit from the good they do or because they are being forced. Fundamentalists perceive that the universal moral standards are required for the proper function of a society. Philosophers as diverse as Plato, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, George Edward Moore, and John Rawls have demonstrated to us that it is possible to have universal morality without having a belief in God. God and Morality pg. 6 As is stated by Paul Kurtz â€Å"One needs no theological grounds to justify these elementary principles. They are rooted in Human experience. † (Kurtz, P.1996) Now we will discuss that morality and God are linked and that religious beliefs are linked to the morality of each and every person who chooses to live their life in a moral way. If God does not exist, says Dostoyevsky’s Ivan Karamazov, â€Å"everything is permitted,† which means that we as humans can make choices whether they are good or bad, hurtful or nice. The direction in which society is going in suggests that people have lost their â€Å"way†. Too many bad things happen due to human badness. God is no longer allowed in public places, schools, government agencies, etc. This argument suggests that because God has slowly disappeared from our day to day lives society is going downhill at a very fast pace. Does this mean that God is linked to morals in our modern society? Fundamentalists claim that all ill’s in today’s society such as aids and out of wed lock pregnancy are a direct result of a breakdown in morality and this breakdown is due to a decline in the belief in God. The view that God created the moral law is often called the â€Å"Divine Command Theory of Ethics† According to this view is that what makes an action right is that God wills it to be done. All standards that we live by have consequences if not followed or adhered to. There is the fear of punishment. If we speed in our car we are given a ticket. If we God and Morality pg. 7 Sin our souls will spend eternity in hell. Heaven and Hell are often construed as the carrot and the stick that God dangles in front of to make us tow the line, to keep on the straight and narrow. Heaven is the reward and hell is the punishment. Would society be able to function correctly and morally if these rewards and punishments were not in plain view? We have lawmakers and peacekeepers all over the world to help make and enforce the laws so that people know there are consequences. Morals are no different. They help define a person’s goodness and worthiness of the ultimate reward, eternity in heaven. Moral standards without moral sanctions just simply do not mean much. Any person who thinks that it is sufficient to have relative standards that are based upon what groups or individuals feel is right or just cannot see a connection between God and morality. Moral principles such as don’t steal, don’t murder etc.must be objective and practiced by all putting aside any personal conflicts. When people accept moral principles without having a reason to they do not hold these principles as closely as someone who believes in God simply because there are no carrot or stick to hold them in place where they need to be, rather a personal belief or a mandated belief by societal rules in what is right or wrong If we recognize that God does exist than we recognize that God created the world and mankind in his own likeness. For this argument it makes sense to say that God controls the world which justifies ethical obligations. To deny God’s existence we God and Morality pg. 8 Are ethically obligated to what exactly? We typically learn morality from our parents and from those we love, we are conditioned to follow a morally righteous path in life, however to have such a standard of moral obligation can only be granted by God, binding every person and demanding such impeccable respect. By letting God into our lives we are accepting good instead of evil, we are consummating the fact that we are moral and ethical. By allowing God’s teachings and praise into our lives we are promised a more enriching morally accepted life. My view prior to doing any research was that Yes! You can lead a moral life without having a belief in God. I was raised Catholic, I even went to Catholic school, however, I have questioned my own religion over the years and now I have turned my back on it. I do bring my children to church which allows them to draw their own conclusions about God. I want them to have that choice in life and of course I would never condemn them for believing in God. It is just my personal choice. I live in the Bible belt and I always get asked the question, â€Å"where do you go to church? † I typically tell them that I do not go to church, which is similar to having the plague. It is not that I am not a good person. I feel that I am. Any morals and values that I have my parents have instilled in me. I also believe that the â€Å"rules† or commandments of God are simply a guide established at the time the bible was written to keep society in line. I absolutely agree with the fact of you do not have to believe in God to be moral. I make choices everyday and my choices are based on God and Morality pg. 9the things that I believe to be the best choice for the people I love, people I do not know and myself. I have never had any problems reaching out to help another person whether I knew them or not. I also feel that I go above and beyond at times helping others when I need to. Living a good moral life is a choice and I do it for no other reason than to be there for someone else. I do not do it for glory or self righteousness, or because someone is looking, I do it because for me it is all about treating others the way I wish to be treated. God and Morality pg. 10 References Baumin, S. (2008) Antitheism and Morality. Philosophical Forum retrieved March 27, 2013 from http://dx. doi. org/10. 111/j. 1467-9191. 2007. 00282. x Frame and Poythress. A debate between John Frame and Paul Kurtz. Do we Need God to be Moral? retrieved March 25,, 2013 from http:// poythress. org/do-we-need-god-to-be-moral/ Gert, Bernard. (2012) The Definition of Morality. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edward N. Zalto (ed. ), retrieved March 27, 2013 from http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/fall2012/entries/morality-definition. Merrill, K. R. (2012) Spectres of False Divinity:Hume’s Moral Atheism. Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://search. proquest. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/docview/1288432167. accountid=32521 Reich, R. B. (2013)The Morality Brigade retrieved March 27,2013 from http://baltimoresun. com/opinion/bal-the-morality-brigade-20130326,0,146487 God and Morality pg. 11 Schick, T. Jr. (1995)Morality Requires God†¦. or Does it? Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www. secular. humanism. org/index. php? section=library&page=schick_17_3.

Application of Colloids

Applications of Colloids| Colloids play a very important role in nature, in our daily life and in industry. Some of the important applications of colloids are discussed below. 1. Food stuffs and medicines:  Many of our food stuffs are colloidal in nature. Milk, butter, whipped cream, fruit jellies, ice cream, bread etc. are all colloidal in nature. For example, milk is an emulsion of butter fat in water, stabilized by milk protein (casein). Ice cream is a dispersion of colloidal ice particles in cream. Similarly, bread consists of air dispersed in baked dough.Colloidal medicines are more effective and are easily absorbed by the body system. Therefore a large number of pharmaceutical preparations are emulsions. Halibut-liver oil, cod-liver oil, skin ointments etc. are emulsions. Antibiotics such as penicillin, streptomycin etc. are usually injected in the body in colloidal form. Several metal sols are also used as medicines. 2. Purification of water:  In water works, water is usua lly purified by the addition of certain electrolytes such as potash alum, aluminium sulphate etc. This involves the phenomenon of coagulation.The impure water usually contains dispersed colloidal particles which cannot be removed by filtration. When potash alum is added to impure water, the negatively charged colloidal particles of impurities get coagulated by the action of Al3+  ions furnished by the alum and can be removed by filtration or decantation. 3. Sewage disposal:  Sewage water contains particles of dirt, mud etc. which are colloidal in nature and carry some electrical charge. These particles may be removed by using the phenomenon of electrophoresis.The sewage water is passed through a tunnel fitted with metallic electrodes and maintained at a high potential difference. The colloidal particles present in the sewage water migrate to the oppositely charged electrodes and get coagulated. This solves the problem of sewage disposal. Moreover, the rubbish matter obtained on account of the coagulation of colloidal dirt particles may be used as manure. | 4. Smoke precipitation:  Smoke is colloidal system and consists of electrically charged colloidal particles of carbon dispersed in air. As smoke is a big source of pollution.It is always desirable to precipitate it, i. e. , to remove colloidal carbon particles present in it. The removal of colloidal carbon particles from smoke can be effected by using the phenomenon of electrophoresis. This is achieved in an apparatus called Cottrell precipitator as shown in figure. Smoke is allowed to pass through a chamber having a number of metal plates attached to a metal wire connected to a source of high potential (20,000 to 70,000V). The electrically charged colloidal particles of carbon and dust get discharged when come in contact with the oppositely charged plates and fall down to the bottom.The clean hot air leaves the precipitator from an exit near the top. 5. Artificial rain:  Clouds are colloidal systems and consist of water vapour mixed with dust particles. The water molecules present in a cloud develop some electrical charge. Therefore, clouds can be made to rain by neutralizing the charge present on colloidal particles (water molecules). This type of rain is called artificial rain and may be carried out by spraying oppositely charged colloidal dust or sand particles over a cloud. This neutralizes the charge on water molecules and compels them to get coagulated, i. . to rain. 6. Rubber industry:  Latex obtained from rubber trees is an emulsion consisting of a dispersion of negatively charged rubber particles in water. In order to obtain rubber from latex, the latter is boiled when rubber particles get coagulated. The coagulated mass is vulcanized and sold as natural rubber. Rubber-plated articles can be prepared directly from latex by electrically depositing the negatively charged rubber particles over the article to be rubber-plated by making the article an anode in the rubber -plating bath. 7.Leather tanning:  During the tanning of leather, the positively charged colloidal particles of raw skin and hides are coagulated by the negatively charged tanning materials which include tannin and compounds of aluminium and chromium. On soaking hides in the solutions of tanning materials, the coagulation of negatively charged tanning materials takes place in the pores of hides and the latter get hardened. 8. Cleansing action of soaps:  Soaps solution is colloidal in nature and removes dirt and oil from clothes by forming water soluble emulsion as explained earlier. . Smoke screen:  In chemical warfare, smoke screens are generally used to hide the movement of troops. Smoke screens are the colloidal dispersions of very fine particles of titanium oxide in air. 10. Formation of delta:  When a river falls into the sea, extensive deposits of sand and clay are formed at the mouth of the river in the sea. Such deposits are called delta. The river water contains col loidal particles of sand and clay which carry negative charge. The sea water contains a number of positive ions such as Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+  ion etc.When the river water comes in contact with sea water, the negative charge present on colloidal sand and clay particles get neutralized by the positively charged ions (present in sea water) and they get coagulated. The coagulated sand and clay particles settle down and take the shape of delta in due course of time. 11. Blue colour of the sky:  The sky is the empty space around earth and as such has no colour. It appears blue due to the scattering of light by the colloidal dust particles present in air (Tyndall effect). 12. Preparation of Nano-materials:  Nano-materials which are used as catalyst are prepared by using reverse micelles. 3. Building roads:  Now a day, roads are built asphalt emulsified in water. This technique does not require the necessity of melting the asphalt. 14. Metallurgical operations:  Several metal ores are concentrated by froth floatation process. This process involves the treatment of the pulverized ore in emulsion of pine oil. What are the Applications of Colloids? Colloids play a very significant role in nature and in our daily life. Some of the important applications of colloids are discussed below: 1) Medicines: Medicines in colloidal form are easily adsorbed by the body tissues and hence are more effective. ) Sewage disposal: Colloidal particles of the dirt, mud etc. carry electric charge, hence when sewage water is passed through the plates kept at a high potential, the colloidal particles are coagulated due to electrophoresis and the suspended matter gets removed. 3) Purification of water: The precipitation of colloidal impurities present in water can be done by adding certain electrolytes like alum etc. the negatively charged colloidal particles of impurities get neutralized by the Al3+ ions and settle down and pure water can be decanted off. 4) Cleansing action of soap: Soap solution is colloidal in nature.It removes the dirt particles either by adsorption or by emulsifying the greasy matter sticking to the cloth. 5) Formation of Delta: River water contains charged colloidal particles of clay, sand and many other materials. Sea water is very big store house of a variety of electrolytes dissolved in it. As soon as river water comes in contact with sea water coagulate the suspended colloidal particles which ultimately settle down at the point of contact. Thus the level of the river bed rises. As a result, water adopts a different course and delta is formed in due course of time. ) Smoke precipitation: Smoke particles are actually electrically charged colloidal particles of carbon in the air. Precipitation of smoke particles is carried out by Cottrell precipitator which is based on the principle of electrophoresis. Smoke is allowed to pass through a chamber having a number of metal plates attached to a metal wire connected to a source of high potential. C harged particles of smoke get attracted by oppositely charge electrode get precipitated after losing their charge and the hot air passes out through the chimney.The dust particles are also removed in this process. Thus the nuisance of smoke in big industrial cities can be avoided. 7) Photography: A colloidal solution of silver bromide in gelatin is applied on glass plates or celluloid films or paper to from sensitive plates in photography. 8 ) Artificial rain: Artificial rain can be caused by spraying oppositely charged colloidal dust or sand particles over a cloud. The colloidal water particles present in the cloud will be neutralized and coagulate to from bigger water drops causing artificial rain. 9) Rubber industry:Latex is a colloidal solution of negatively charged rubber particles. From latex, rubber can be obtained by coagulation. Rubber plated articles are prepared by depositing negatively charged rubber particles over the article to be rubber plated by making that article a n anode in a rubber plating bath. 10) Smoke screen: In warfare smoke screens are used which are nothing but colloidal dispersion of certain substances in the air. 11) Other applications: a) Blue color of the sky is due to the scattering of light by colloidal dust particles in air (Tyndall effect).Similarly, sea water looks blue due to scattering of light by the colloidal impurities present in sea water. b) Tail of comets is seen as a Tyndall cone due to the scattering of light by the tiny solid particles left by the comet in its path. c) Blood is a colloidal solution and the stoppage of bleeding on applying ferric chloride solution is due to coagulation of blood forming a clot. Colloids-Chemistry and Applications What are Colloids ? In a true solution as sugar or salt in water, the solute particles are dispersed in the solvent as single molecules or ions.Thus the diameter of the dispersed particles ranges from 1A to 10 A. On the other hand, in a suspension as sand stirred into water , the dispersed particles are aggregates of millions of molecules. The diameter of these particles is of the order 2,000 A or more. Applications of Colloids Colloids play an important role in our daily life and industry. A knowledge of colloid chemistry is essential to understand some of the various natural phenomena around us. Colloids make up some of our modern products. A few of the important applications of colloids are listed below. (1) Foods:Many of our foods are colloidal in nature.Milk is an emulsion of butterfat in water protected by a protein, casein. Salad dressing, gelatin deserts, fruit jellies and whipped cream are other examples. Ice cream is a dispersion of ice in cream. Bread is a dispersion of air in baked dough. (2) Medicines: Colloidal medicines being finely divided, are more effective and are easily absorbed in our system. Halibut-liver oil and cod-liver that we take are, in fact, the emulsions of the respective oils in water. Many ointments for application to s kin consist of physiologically active components dissolved in oil and made into an emulsion with water.Antibiotics such as penicillin and streptomycin are produced in colloidal form suitable for injections. (3) Non-drip or thixotropic paints: All paints are colloidal dispersions of solid pigments in a liquid medium. The modern nondrip or thixotropic paints also contain long-chain polymers. At rest, the chains of molecules are coiled and entrap much dispersion medium. Thus the paint is a semisolid gel structure. When shearing stress is applied with a paint brush, the coiled molecules straighten and the entrapped medium is released. As soon as the brush is removed, the liquid paint reverts to the semisolid form.This renders the paint ‘non-drip’. (4) Electrical precipitation of smoke: The smoke coming from industrial plants is a colloidal dispersion of solid particles (carbon, arsenic compounds, cement dust) in air. It is a nuisance and pollutes the atmosphere. Therefore, before allowing the smoke to escape into air, it is treated by Cottrell Precipitator. The smoke is let past a series of sharp points charged to a high potential (20,000 to 70,000 V). The points discharge high velocity electrons that ionise molecules in air. Smoke particles adsorb these positive ions and become charged.The charged particles are attracted to the oppositely charged electrodes and get precipitated. The gases that leave the Cottrell precipitator are thus freed from smoke. In addition, valuable materials may be recovered from the precipitated smoke. For example, arsenic oxide is mainly recovered from the smelter smoke by this method. (5) Clarification of Municipal water: The municipal water obtained from natural sources often contains colloidal particles. The process of coagulation is used to remove these. The sol particles carry a negative charge.When aluminium sulphate (alum) is added to water, a gelatinous precipitate of hydrated aluminium hydroxide (floc) is formed, A l3+ + 3H2O —- Al(OH)3 + 3H+ Al(OH)3 + 4H2O + H+ —– Al(OH)3(H2O)4 The positively charged floc attracts to it negative sol particles which are coagulated. The floc along with the suspended matter comes down, leaving the water clear. (6) Artificial Kidney machine:  The human kidneys purify the blood by dialysis through natural membranes. The toxic waste  products such as urea and uric acid pass through the membranes, while colloidal-sized particles of  blood proteins (haemoglobin) are retained.Kidney failure, therefore, leads to death due to accumulation  of poisonous waste products in blood . Now-a-days, the patient’s blood can be cleansed by shunting  it into an ‘artificial kidney machine’. Here the impure blood is made to pass through a series of  cellophane tubes surrounded by a washing solution in water. The toxic waste chemicals (urea, uric  acid) diffuse across the tube walls into the washing solution. The purified blood is returned to the  patient. The use of artificial kidney machine saves the life of thousands of persons each year.The phenomenon of the scattering of light by the sol particles is called Tyndall effect. (7) Blue colour of the sky:  This is an application of Tyndall effect. The upper atmosphere contains colloidal dust or ice  particles dispersed in air. As the sun rays enter the atmosphere these strike the colloidal  particles. The particles absorb sunlight and scatter light of blue colour (4600–5100A). The light that  Ã‚  is incident at earth’s surface is considerably reddened due to the removal of most of the blue light in  the upper atmosphere.

Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict: The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism Essay

Ideally, Buddhism is a religion with a huge following whereby the believers in the religion follow and interact socially with the Dharma doctrine which is basically what the Buddha taught or his way of living. Dharma is the path to attain such enlightenment and the teachings of Buddha and through the following of Buddhists traditions shows the variances in attaining Dharma and reaching enlightenment. The Buddha way of teaching is only considered helpful to individuals if it is practiced with discipline what the Buddha’s themselves called the VinayaCITATION Jac07 p 44 l 1033 (Jackson 44). The understanding of Buddhism is expressed by the acts of those who abide unwillingly to the apparition of Dharma-Vinaya and preach its beliefs to the masses. Like many other religions, Buddhists have multiple sects and traditions. In essence, the ultimate goal for all Buddhists is to attain enlightenment. Theraveda Buddhism accounts for nearly ninety five percent of the population in Thailand and this shows just how much Buddhism more than any other religion is influential in Thailand. In the long history of the existence of Thailand, the citizens seem to have been predominantly Buddhist by religion at least from the moment they were acquainted with it. Current historical records show that all the previous kings of Thailand were adherents of Buddhism. Most notable is the fact that the Thai constitution clearly states that a Thai King must be a Buddhist and as a result, must be the ultimate upholder of Buddhism. Theravada School of Buddhism has been one of the three major forces that have influence in the country. Despite the existence of substantial regional and local variations, the major themes of Buddhism in Thailand are provided by the Theravada schoolCITATION Mac07 p 87 l 1033 (Mackenzie 87). Traditionally, Pali is the language of religion in Thailand as evidenced by the fact that the scriptures are recorded in Pali through the older Tham and Khom scripts or the modern Thai script. As the primary religious Thai text, Pali is also used in religious rite despite the little number of Thai citizens who understand it. Hindu beliefs from Cambodia also serves are a significant influence on Buddhism in Thailand especially during the Sukothai period. The Thai kingship institution was largely influenced by Vedic Hinduism just as it did in Cambodia which as a result exerted influence in the creation of law and order in the society and religion of Thailand. There are certain rituals that are still practiced in modern Thailand by monks or specialists in Hindu rituals that can clearly be related to Hind practices or of Hindu origin. Essentially, Hindu influence can still be seen within Buddhist ceremonies and institutions in Thailand despite the fact that the visibility of Hinduism within Thai society has diminished significantly during the Chakri DynastyCITATION Suk10 p 34 l 1033 (Suksamran 34). Folk religion is the third major influence on Thai Buddhism as seen in the Buddhist rituals and precepts that are used in trying to appease the local spirits. Although the Thais who have received Western education often tend to define the line between practices of folk religion and Thai Buddhism, this is quite a gray area given the practices of the rural locales. An in-depth analysis of these three influences can clearly be traced through the current development and practices within the political system of Thailand. One of the most striking things that one notices upon arrival in Thailand is the magnificent Buddhist temple with its exquisite architecture coupled with the sight of monks and novices in yellow clad especially in the wee hours of the day. This sight serves as an inevitable reminder to both residents and foreigners of the dominance of Buddhism in the Thai nation Despite the fact that Thailand currently exists as a constitutional monarchy, its political system is quite a reflection of the string Southeast Asian tradition of Buddhist supremacy nature that link the legitimacy of the government to its support and protection for Buddhist institutions. This link has progressed into the modern era as seen in cases where Buddhist clergy and institutions are given special treatment by the Thai government as well as being subjected to a special government oversightCITATION Jac07 p 90 l 1033 (Jackson 90). Besides the cleric leadership of the Sangha, Buddhist temples and monks in Thailand are supervised by a profane government ministry. Good examples of these occurrences have been seen in the legal state of reform movements and Buddhist sects. For example , the case of Santi Asoke received legal prohibition from referring to itself as a Buddhist denomination and in the prosecution of monks who have been persecuted in the case of ordaining women by trying to revive lineage of the Theravada bhikkhuni and in so doing tried to impersonate clergy members hence their demiseCITATION Mac07 p 111 l 1033 (Mackenzie 111). A further examination of the Buddhist ways reveals certain themes and guidelines in the religious teachings of Buddha. The Srakakayana literally translates as the disciples. This is important to the Thai faith because as Buddhists listen to the teachings of Buddha and practice the teachings therefore becoming disciples. They thus listen to the text and scriptures then they can f ind their way to salvation. Generally, this concentration allows them to realize Dharma through listening and practicing. For a monk in Thailand to obtain a passport in order to travel abroad, one must have a Buddhist monk identification card, an official letter granting the permission to travel outside Thailand from the Sangha Supreme Council, any initial Thai passport or a certified equivalent thereof and a copy of House Registration. Beside these insurmountable acts of state recognition and support from the Thai state like the official gifts to monasteries from officials within the royal family and the government , Buddhist monks have quite a number of special rights bestowed upon them. Buddhist monks have access to free public transportation in airports and train stations where they often have special seating allocations. There is no law that directly forbids members of Buddhist institutions like monks and nuns from being candidates in the enrollment for recruitment as government officers. However, both the Sangha Supreme Council which serves as the supervising agency for Thai Buddhist communities a nd the Council of Ministers have placed such prohibition in cases of appropriateness in accordance with the Memorandum of the Administrative Department of the CabinetCITATION Suk10 p 127 l 1033 (Suksamran 127) . On the contrary, it is a crime for ordained monastic to stand for office or vote in elections. No member of the Buddhist community or other religious communities is entitled to either elect or be elected for any government position. The Thai constitution disfranchises a monk, novice, clergy member or priest of Buddhist religion from holding any government post. In addition, any member who is elected as a representative will lose membership upon becoming a Buddhist monk, nun or clergy. This illustrates a clear fact that Buddhist members are not in any way appropriate for Thai politics. The existence of Buddhists members like monks and nuns highly depends on the respect of the public and as a result, society expects them to behave in a way that calls for respect for the entire public and not a specific affiliate communityCITATION Jac07 p 221 l 1033 (Jackson 221). Any involvement by a Buddhist member either in support or participation of an election is considered a breach of the unusual conduct of the law and the Buddhist member is considered to have disgraced his religion, community as well as himself. Thus failure of monk or nun to uphold these stipulated rules is ground enough for them to condemned, disrespected and balked at in various ways. Since 2007 there have been several calls by Thai Buddhists to acquire recognition within the new constitution of Thailand as a state religion. Initially, this suggestion received rejection from the committee that was responsible for drafting the new constitution which consequently triggered quite a number of protests from those who supported the initiative such as a hunger strike by twelve of the Buddhist monk and various protest marches within the capital of ThailandCITATION Mac07 p 210 l 1033 (Mackenzie 210). Opponents of the plan, including Sulak Sivaraksa who is a renowned Thai social critic and scholar, did so based on claims that political gain is the driving force behind the call to declare Buddhism as a national religion and that it may have manipulated by the Thai supported Thaksin Sinawatra who had just been ousted as the country’s Prime Minister. As expected the Committee drafting the constitution later on failed to vote in support of the special status of Buddhism and in so doing provoked intense reaction from religious groups which criticized the committee for being impartial to religious affiliates. The issue also caught the attention of the Queen of Thailand who raised concerns over the matter and on her birthday, she delivered a speech through which she highlighted the notion that Buddhism goes way beyond politics. The reclusive politics of Thailand is in complete upheaval. The Sangha can no longer be dismissed as political force and simply perceived as a legitimacy fount for the country and for the monarchy. The role played by hundreds of monks in ProThaksin redshirts between March and May of 2010 are a clear proof of the growing apprehension within Buddhism. However, beyond these intense displays of complete lack of satisfaction, an important fact is the Buddhism and in this case the Sangha, faces quite a number of serious challenges. From a Buddhist perspective, the solution of Thailand’s approach to Buddhism is twofold. First and foremost, there should be a link between Buddhist base communities in Thailand to create a relatively decentralized society that can thereafter serve as a model for religion. The second solution lays in the attainment of a society that is more just on a national level through fighting for political reforms steered by Buddhist thinkers. The newly established Thai constitution that includes a democratic process that is reformed with a balance of power and structural check serves as a stepping stone towards structural change within Thailand’s political system. References Jackson , Peter A. Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict: The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism. Bangkok: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007. Mackenzie, Rory . New Buddhist Movements in Thailand: Towards an Understanding of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Santi Asoke. New York: Routledge, 2007. Suksamran, Somboon . Buddhism and Politics in Thailand: A Study of Socio-political Change and Political Activism of the Thai Sangha. Bangkok: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2010. Source document

Intermediaries of IP Commercialization and Its Business Operation in Term Paper

Intermediaries of IP Commercialization and Its Business Operation in the Open Innovation, such as Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs - Term Paper Example The research and development team of organizations focus on developing and fabricating creative ideas that can help the company in coming out with a product that meets the evolving need of the customer and more. While in the recent past most organizations operated on the principle of closed innovation that required the companies generate, develop, and market their own ideas, the past few years have witnessed a dramatic shift towards open innovation model where the companies â€Å"commercialize external (as well as internal) ideas by deploying outside (as well as in-house) pathways to the market† (Chesbrough, 2003, p36). This new model has gained wide popularity owing to its wider perspective and application that allows companies to create value through an open culture and closer integration with its surrounding environment. Open innovation model is based on free flowing knowledge and information sources that contribute to value addition for both manufacturers as well as end co nsumers. While the model does allow businesses to utilise and exploit new opportunities, the challenge lies in tapping key knowledge resources and expertise that have the potential to generate profitable ventures. The closed innovation business model applied strict controls over its intellectual property rights (IPR) and the management focused on guarding its IPR to prevent competitors from stealing their innovative ideas. But in the age of open innovation model, businesses focused their strengths on commercializing their ideas and allowing its competitors to use their IP and purchase other firms IP to improve profitability. The organizational strategies today work on defining new strategies that enable them to exploit the open innovation model for creating new ventures and expanding their existing scope of markets and revenue towards potential revenue addition sources. The focus is to utilise their existing resources and technologies to accomodate innovative ideas that open new sou rces of market capturing strategies and expanding operational scope (Chesbrough, 2003). The key issue that arises from the open innovation model is the protection and commercialization of intellectual property (IP) and the different intermediary channels used for this purpose. It must be noted in this context that IP is an intangible asset that is not only difficult to valuate but also involves a lot of legal risks. There are number of intermediary channels that enable easy and smooth transaction of IP between innovators, funders and prospective users who develop products based on the IP. The paper provides a deeper insight into the operations and mechanisms of these intermediary channels that cash in on firms looking for IP that creates new opportunities in an open innovation environment. Intellectual property – the concept Before going into the details of IP intermediaries and its commercialization aspects it is important to understand the concept of intellectual property a nd its basics. Intellectual property can refer to any innovative idea and this idea has the potential to

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance Assignment - 1

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance - Assignment Example Examples of countries that Nike Inc. imports the products from include those in parts of Asia and Taiwan. These products are imported to the United States after which further processing is carried out before exporting them to international markets. These processes involve strategies and marketing processes worth researching. This paper discuses import and export strategies of Nike Inc. that has made it successful in its business gaining fame as a leading multinational company in the world. Table of Contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 4 Import and export strategies 4 Labor specialization 5 Global competitive rivalry 5 Diversification of operating risks 5 Trademarks and patents 6 Product’s Market Potential 6 Brand image and reputation 7 Consumer preference in receiving country 7 Technical innovation 8 Evaluation, promotion and product authenticity with consumers 8 Compliance to the code of demeanor, native laws and ethics 9 Concentration of retail market share 9 Tax laws a nd unexpected Tax liabilities 9 Conclusion 10 Perspectives on international trade and finance Introduction International trade consists of exporting and imports. ... This paper mainly borrows the ideas of import and export strategies form Nike Inc. of the United States of America. Import and export strategies Domestic producers in a foreign country produce goods for export. The export of these goods normally involves permission from custom authorities in the producing country as well as the consuming country. There are many import and export strategies having differing level of risks and legal requirements. In order to get an insight into these strategies it is worthwhile discussing import and export processes. Import processes are of two types. These include: Trade and consumer goods and services Intermediate services and goods that form part of the consumer’s source chain. There exist three categories of importers: Those who seek for a product to import then later sell the same product. Importers who source for products at cheaper prices â€Å"Importers using external sourcing as part of their supply chain† (Zampetti, 2006). Labor specialization It is worth noting that importing products has advantages such as labor specialization which makes export to and import from countries efficient than manufacturing all products within a country. â€Å"A good example is Nike Inc. that buys shoes form foreign companies in Asia, Taiwan, Korea and China† (United States, 2007). Nike Inc. does so because companies in the aforementioned countries have the ability to manufacture shoes that are of high quality at low cost than they can do as Nike Inc. Global competitive rivalry Companies all over the world always compete for market superiority. â€Å"This competition spurs companies and industries to import goods of higher quality at a lower cost for purposes of

Labor law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labor law - Essay Example In return, employers gained a loyal â€Å"internal labor market† of semi-trained workers that would save employers money required to recruit, and train. Beyond the implicit contract, unions were also successful in protecting against termination, requiring â€Å"just cause† instead of the more current employer flexibility of â€Å"at will† employment1. The ushering in of the boundaryless workplace has dismantled much of the New Deal labor structure, and has put a premium on individual skills and knowledge. Employees have become free agents in the workforce, needing such skills to compete for prevailing wages with no implicit or explicit guarantee of job security. The strongest protection workers now have is education and training. Stone also notes that those hurt the most by this instability are blue collar and untrained workers2. While the lack of security is tumultuous in itself, Stone argues that the current labor structure does not have answers for many of issues that the changing economy present. Using Stone’s method of chronicling historical changes in the employer-labor relationship, the trend towards a more flexible and boundaryless workforces has worked to improve opportunities for women and minorities. At the same time, however, she believes that, †the new employment relationship makes discrimination hard to identify and difficult to challenge3.† Successful attempts have been made to prevent overt discrimination such as Title VII, of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights law, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, the Equal Pay Act of 1962, and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act4. This legislation is effective in allowing women and minorities to gain access to the points of entry into an internal labor market, however, due to the breakup of internal labor markets, these acts do not address more modern forms of discrimination. Modern forms of discrimination have become

The Saturation Mixing Ratio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Saturation Mixing Ratio - Coursework Example What is the dew-point temperature of a kilogram of air when a psychrometer measures an 8oC dry bulb temperature and a 6oC wet bulb reading? What is the dew-point temperature of a kilogram of air when a psychrometer measures an 8oC dry bulb temperature and a 6oC wet bulb reading? Dew-point temperature= 3.0oCQ3 Explain the principles that govern the operation of a psychrometer for determining relative humidity? The psychrometer deploys two thermometers which are mounted side by side. One is covered by a piece of wet cloth. In operation, they have spun around and then the wet bulb is allowed to dry for approximately one minute. Because air evaporates faster in the dry air when the results of both thermometers are compared it allows for an accurate reading of humidity and dew-point levels within the air.Q4 Describe the adiabatic process and how it is responsible for causing condensation in the atmosphere?  Summary Report PageSummary Report PageQ1 a. Liquid water changes to water vapor by the process called evaporation. b. Cold air has the greatest saturation mixing ratio. c. Lowering the air temperature will increase the relative humidity. d. At the dew-point temperature, the relative humidity is 100%. e. When condensation occurs, heat is released by water vapor. f. Rising air cools by expansion. g. In the early morning hours when the daily air temperature is often coolest, relative humidity is generally at its highest.