All human interaction Essay Example for Free

All human interaction Essay All human interaction is powerplay. How is powerplay represented in Antigone? Powerplay involves the complex struggle and manipulation for authority and dominance between opposing ideologies. Several diverse forms of powerplay through human interaction are experienced, however power is a tortuous process to attain and retain due to its tangible and allusive nature. Sophocles Antigone delves into this convoluted interplay of powers through investigating the relationship between political and personal power. Not only does Antigone explore the consequences when divine power is challenged, but also when state law and male authority are challenged. Thus the texts utilisation of powerplay through human interaction enhances its intricate nature. Antigones act of defiance to Creons edict is due to her belief that man-made laws are inferior to the unwritten laws of God, whereas Creon views that an enemy of state is not deserving of an honourable burial. This powerplay is primarily a conflict of point of view between Creon and Antigone arising directly from their differing values, perspectives and personalities. Creon, who values to establish his reign of power after an acrimonious battle between the two brothers vying for political control, depicts a politic and pragmatic attitude. He believes that he is restoring stability and peace to his kingdom by establishing such an inhumane law. He also reinforces his view to not give equal honour to good and bad which portrays Creon nature to reward the loyalty and punish the rebellion. Furthermore, Creon contends that he must appear to be a powerful and tenable leader of Thebes. He explains to Haemon that letting Antigone go with impunity for defying his laws would make him a traitor as stated in How if I tolerate a traitor at home, shall I rule those abroad? . This is ironic as Creon himself develops into a traitor since he refuses to comply with divine law. Antigone however values to abide higher law as she has the duty to the dead to bury them, keeping with divine law. She believes that as a sister, she has the duty to bury her family members regardless of the laws that are implemented against it. The citizens of Thebes create powerplay in support of her perception that divine law overrules Creons decree. For example, Haemon expresses that Antigones action is noble in Know how the people mourn this maiden doomed for noblest deeds to die the worst of deaths. Antigone moreover yearns for a noble death to compensate her history of misfortunes as she alliterates in The weird of Oedipus, a world of woes! . Her own initiative of a noble death is ironic as she is incapable of maintaining her composure and reveals her human frailties resulting in her suicidal. Through Creons and Antigones differing views on political power, their conflict of values and beliefs represents powerplay in the tragedy. Sophocles conveys in Antigone the inherently destructive nature to the wielders of power signifying that those who play with power will ultimately lose all power. Creon rules by trepidation in a despotic manner and also by pride in his power, which will not allow him to acquiesce resulting in dire consequences. He firmly believes that his actions are moral contradicting the divine laws of the gods who honour the dead. Teiresias points out that Creon commits an atrocious sin by condemning a living human being to death inside a grave, as he keeps a rotting boy in daylight. Creons actions against Antigone and Polyneices body demonstrate his attempts in inverting the order of nature, defying the gods through the assertion of his political power. Haemon challenges Creons parental power by confrontment on his rational decision of Antigones fate. He uses metaphoric language in See how the trees beside a stream in flood sae, if they yield to force, each spray unharmed, but by resisting perish root and branch, to compare Creons kingly authority to a tree representing how he governs his kingdom. Haemon advises that even though his decisions were for the good of the people, in the end his obstinate and unyielding nature towards Antigone will perish him. Creons ignorance to these confrontments is symbolic of his blindness to the catastrophic events he was creating, thus losing all power over controlling his fate. Antigone creates powerplay in her confrontation with Creon as she attempts to use her power to prevail over his male and kingly authorities. Her determination and courage derives from her belief that she did not commit a crime. She declares that the laws of the state are not binding as they have been laid down by a man and men are not infallible. Antigones statement is a direct challenge to male dominance and Creons political power, showing her critical involvement in the powerplay.

mauryan empire :: essays research papers fc

The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, is famous for his Rock and Pillar edicts. But how much can we really know about Ashoka and his empire from these edicts, particularly as almost no other evidence exists for Ashoka’s reign? It is a fair assessment that up until the early part of the twentieth century, when the definitive link between Ashoka and that of the â€Å"Devanampiya Piyadassi (Beloved of the Gods Piyadassi)† character inscribed on the edicts was established, very little was either known about Ashoka or cared for by historians. However, it must be said that the Mauryan Empire itself was an era of significant historical value not without a good deal of historical and archaeological evidence to substantiate its importance. In addressing the issue of what the edicts in particular reveal to us about Ashoka and the period of his reign one needs to acknowledge undoubtedly what is being stated, but perhaps moreover one needs to pay attention to the inherent meanings, the intended meanings and the contextual meanings of the inscriptions themselves. The ultimate thematic concern of the edicts in general is that of the principle of Dhamma. A definition of Dhamma itself is given in the 2nd Pillar Edict as: â€Å"having few faults and many good deeds, mercy, charity, truthfulness and purity†. In this context one may deduce that the notion of Dhamma is a type of ethos for social morality or ethical behaviour. Furthermore, the term is said to be a fundamental philosophy of Buddhist doctrine, the practice of which leads to one’s advancement in both a spiritual and material sense. That Ashoka was a proclaimed Buddhist is evident from the edicts, â€Å"I have been a Buddhist layman for more than two and a half years, but for a year I did not make much progress. Now for more than a year I have drawn closer to the Order and become more ardent.† There are fewer examples of a more personal self-proclamation to be found and yet one cannot help but consider the motive behind it. Surely Ashoka, had taken seriously to Buddhism, he at least says so. However, he says so, publicly. This implies that he either was a firm believer who had a need to use his position as a platform to preach a doctrine which he had come to accept as the ultimate truth and as such, to share with and enlighten his people or he was a very sensible and intuitive leader who had a tremendous amount of foresight in adopting the principles of a profound philosophy that he saw could be used to strategically unify and mould his empire both socially and politically.

Foreign Universities

I’ve often wondered how best to define education. I’d like to define education as the procurement of those preternatural skills which would enable a person to choose between what is right and what is not. Our Indian system of education since time immemorial has been sailing magnificently on the winds of hope, moral coherence and ethical values with the principal objective of making all of us good human beings as opposed to mere knowledge banks. As of today, ‘Indian Education’ is an immaculate melange of our conventional ideals of education, blended with infrastructural and technological boom, catering to the demands of modernization. Over the decades, we’ve produced some very fine men and women. From Swami Vivekananda to Sir C V Raman, from Amartya Sen to Rajendra Pachauri, they’ve all been fine lode stars of our educational system. I’ve never really been a fan of the Western Educational systems. Students there are bestowed with way too much unconditional liberty. They’re treated like empyreal emperors at a time when they should be ordered to shut their PlayStations and take a good look at their school books. There’s too much rationalism in there and very little humanism, which in a sense explains the reason for the rapid moral degradation among a significant number of students in the West. Look at the list of school related criminal attacks worldwide and you’d observe the US perched handsomely at the top. We read almost every week about teen shootouts, teen pregnancies and yet do not wish to speak about them in the open. ‘It’s taboo’. We, Indian students here, atleast under the fear of failure, the fear of humiliation, the fear of corporal punishment are compelled on to the right track as far as our pursuit of educational excellence is concerned. But the very fact that there exists no substantial force which can have similar influences on the students of the West is indeed quite a concern. Another factor working significantly against Western education is its exorbitant cost of education which almost puts it virtually out of reach for many middle class students world over. I know there’s been criticism of our Indian Educational system too. I know there’ve been people cynical of our ‘harsh’ and ‘stern’ methodology of education. But if the drilling exercise is a necessity for intellectual growth, a boon for the nation’s ambitions of having an educated electoral roll, the antidote for illiteracy and ignorance, the quintessential need for individual prosperity, then why not tread that path fearlessly? After all, it is only under pressure that coal turns to diamond. The dominant role of Indian Americans in the US economy is pretty noticeable as well. As of 2008, 4000 PIO professors and 84000 students made their way into US universities and Indian Silicon Valley entrepreneurs generate whopping revenue of $250 billion every year. Is it not ironical then that the well oiled products of our educational system are largely responsible for the economic boom of a ‘global superpower’? Who’s the Big Daddy now? Is this not tangible testimony of our profound educational prowess? Above all the number crunching and intricate statistics, above all the heated cacophony of debates and discussions, just one phrase rings euphoria and triumph in my mind. Vande Mataram. Nothing else. Thank you. I have just received a list of the top Universities of the world (1) University of Cambridge (2) University of Oxford (3) Harvard University (4) University of California 5) The Stanford University (6) University of Tokyo and it is certainly not a matter of great pride that the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai is ranked 30th and except the IIT's, not a single university has made to the top 50. it is — p. m and the speed is so fast that you might see another foreign university getting into this list by the time I finish my speech. Today's topic states â€Å"Should there be an entry of Foreign Educational Institution or University in India† and I stand here firmly opposing the motion. India right now has 487 Universities and 2200 colleges whereas the requirement is 1000 Universities and 35000 Colleges more. So foreign Universities is the only option left. Learning in a Foreign University has a definite advantage in terms of ambience, cultural environment and most of all provides an international mix. For India to become an economic superpower, we first need to become an educational superpower. The number of universities and institutions of higher learning are wholly inadequate to cater to the aspirations of a billion people – unless of course our purpose is to keep large sections of our population out of the education system. Having known different parts of the world and different types of institutions, I can say categorically that as far as the intellect is concerned, we are second to none. How we can overlook the sorry state of our universities and institutions of higher learning. Results are not announced in time. Evaluation is neither objective nor done with any sensitivity. Regulation in education still dates back to the license-permit regime that could do precious little for the country for over five decades.. Our Universities, have failed to impart education in all subject areas. Many new sciences and technologies are never introduced to our students immediately after their inventions. We tend not to care too much for quality, and are pretty complacent about what is acceptable standards. What we lack is a work ethic that nurtures excellence in all its manifestations. The ‘Chalta Hai' attitude is predominant and the only way to break it is to expose this mindset to global standards. Recently cabinet has approved Foreign Educational Institution Bill 2010. I salute Minister of HRD, Mr. Kapil Sibbal for this revolutionary move towards getting a class education in India. Afterall the bill upon becoming a law is sure to make it more convenient for domestic students to get world class education at their door steps. With this, I rest my case but not my thoughts. Thanks I’ve often wondered how best to define education. I’d like to define education as the procurement of those preternatural skills which would enable a person to choose between what is right and what is not. Our Indian system of education since time immemorial has been sailing magnificently on the winds of hope, moral coherence and ethical values with the principal objective of making all of us good human beings as opposed to mere knowledge banks. Over the decades, we’ve produced some very fine men and women. From Swami Vivekananda to Sir C V Raman, from Amartya Sen to Rajendra Pachauri, they’ve all been fine lode stars of our educational system. I know there’ve been people cynical of our ‘harsh’ and ‘stern’ methodology of education. But if the drilling exercise is a necessity for intellectual growth, then why not tread that path fearlessly? After all, it is only under pressure that coal turns to diamond. Look at the list of school related criminal attacks worldwide and you’d observe the US perched handsomely at the top. The dominant role of Indian Americans in the US economy is pretty noticeable as well. Is it not ironical that the well oiled products of our educational system are largely responsible for the economic boom of a ‘global superpower’? Who’s the Big Daddy now? Is this not tangible testimony of our profound educational prowess? Above all the number crunching and intricate statistics, above all the heated cacophony of debates and discussions, just one phrase rings euphoria and triumph in my mind. Vande Mataram. Nothing else. Thank you.

The Differences Between Traditional And Auction In Releasing An Ipo Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1603 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Did you like this example? The differences between traditional or auction in terms of releasing an IPO vary amongst the first lot of investors, cost and risks associated. EBay should use the book building method in the Skype s initial public offer because a large number of share holders are expected to turn out and thus a higher risk. This method will enable the company to take control of the process and thus there will be efficient flow of the information. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Differences Between Traditional And Auction In Releasing An Ipo Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Neither one is definitively the better way for a company to go public; the choice between the two is dependent upon the individual aims and the targets. In the traditional means of releasing an IPO, the company going public will seek out an investment firm to work with that will underwrite the IPO, seek out a select group of investors, and determine the price of the IPO based on the amount of capital the company plans to raise and the stake ready to be sold out to the people. It uses the latest technology to assist customers in communication. Its communications are one on one just like the mobile phone technology, the only difference is that this one is via the internet using computers and enabled handsets only. Such an auction of the Skype type will attract individual investors and also investors of the corporate nature, which will open the company up to a significantly larger pool of clients. This will enable the company spend less money in the process of underwriting that it would have spent if it used the traditional IPO method. The company still requires an investment bank for underwriting, but at a lesser cost than the previous IPOs. Through an auction-based release, average individual traders/investors can get a piece of the company. Skype, the Internet telephony company, is looking to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering, according to an S-1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company will be selling American Depositary Shares (ADSs) and will trade on the NASDAQ Global Market. The right decision would be to go with an auction based IPO. With the auction based IPO Skype spends much less money in an investment bank for underwriting than it wou ld in the traditional IPO. On the other hand this gives small investors an opportunity to invest into a large company. Also with the auction based IPO, the profits go directly to the company and not to the private investors as it would in the traditional method (Malik, 10). The Skype management is very determined in the success of the initial public offer and well prepared to raise the capital. Such a popular company risks oversubscription due to its popularity and oversubscription and the management should be very keen on the process and ensure that the share application process is as planned. An ordinary person may be able to buy Skype s shares for less than institutional buyers who pay the IPO price. The vast majority of this year s IPOs are trading below their offering prices, including Broadsoft, which was the latest VoIP related company to go public a couple of months ago. This will probably trade at a premium to Vonage. When Skype was sold to its private investors it was valued to be worth $2.75 billion. By Skype going public, it will automatically be among the largest trading internet company This is what happened with Morning star when they opened their IPO. But in Morning stars case, the lead under writer now WR Hambrecht instead of Morgan Stanley will hold an auction to determine where to set the price and how the shares will be divided up. It ties in with the ethos of Morningstar that everyone should have a fair share, it s a fair system from the initial offer to the favored funds or individuals. Indeed that may be the reason why previous Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank Securities and William Blair have now considered completing the Morningstar contract. They dont want to validate the process to see it become a trend, says Taulli (Bradley, 10). It wants to compete more directly with VoIP providers like Vonage, and it wants to make its presence known in the corporate world with offerings like Skype for Business. The issue of shares is one complex business practice that involves the offering of part of a company in form of shares to the public. Skype has used this as a way of increasing its investment and its capital in general. This is one important aspect of the initial public offer of a company s shares. It can be used to raise a company s revenue because it increases the overall investment. Skype may be a different case all together, since they are probably floating a very small number of shares (worth $100 Million). So if there are few shares trading, this may create enough of demand shortage to artificially inflate the stock price, at least for a while. Skype has now gained popularity after this initial public offer and helped spread to the world. Luxembourg Skype indicated that it aimed at selling over one million dollars in the American depository shares (Moren, 10). The issue of shares increases the company s capital and helps it increase its investments and thus its growth. It also has a paid service offering low-cost calls from Skype to land lines or cell phones. Still, Skype has been slow to convert clients to some of the most reliable clients or consumers. They help to increase the company s overall capital and allows for the spread of the company s capital holdings to all parts of the world, thus its growth. The company has been very successful in allowing all its customers around the world to communicate in real time. This has further increased the efficiency and reliability of the company among the customers and thus will be in a better position to raise the one hundred million dollars in a short duration. The company has managed to raise its revenue in very different ways and especially from its income. It has howev er decided to increase the capital by using the initial public offer. The company has increased its revenue using the video and voice calls which can amount to more that ninety billion dollars in the duration of six months especially the first six months of the year 2010. This is a remarkable earnings value and will help boost its marketability in the purchase of the shares by the subscribers. Revenue and profit are good, and the company (Skype) has every right to pursue them. By going public, a completely different angle had to be taken in the business decision process, and the drive for profit could force Skype to cancel free services, or start charging for services that are currently free in order to cover overhead and keep revenue up. I expect that the Skype IPO can be a success. But, the company that emerges on the other side might be fundamentally different than the Skype we have now. The financial purpose of the Skype IPO is to unlock eBay s value to its shareholders. Skype also has an agreement with Verizon to allow Skype phone calls on its network. The injection of cash from the much awaited IPO could allow Skype to offer a vast variety of innovative new features and communication services, as well as providing the company with a marketing budget to help generate more paying customers and a wider adoption by businesses. However, the IPO can also be somewhat of a Pandoras Box. With investors, come a lot of expectations and demands. Shareholders expect rising share prices and dividends. They want a return on their investment, and that pressure can fundamentally change the way business is conducted, possibly stifling creativity and innovation for the sake of revenue and profit, which is not what the company initially intended to do. It doesn t really matter what the valuation of Skype s last buyout was, what really matters is what investors are willing to pay in the public market. The IPO underwriters seem to do a good job nowadays days of touting the stock to institutional investors and getting the IPOs to market (this way they earn their underwriting fees), but the problem is that more than 50% of these IPOs subsequently trade down in the public markets. Skype has been fairly aggressive at making a mark in mobile communications. In February, Skype unveiled a mobile application for use on devices carried by Verizon Wireless, the top U.S. Use of the Skype technology in their production the first half of 2010 raised its production out by a high percentage in the period, Skypes profit fell 42% to $13.1 million, weighed down by costs related to the buyout, even as revenue rose 25% to $406.2 million. The company had 6.4 million billing minutes during the first six months of2010, versus 10.7 billion minutes during 2009. EBay sold a 65 percent stake in Skype to private equity investors in November 2009 for about $1.9billion. Skype gave Jolt, a company controlled by Zennstrom and Fris, about 10 percent of the equity (valued about $224 million) and a net payment of $85 million in cash. Jolt bought 3.4 percent of shares in cash for $85 million. In addition, Skype invested $10 million in Niklas and Janus venture fund, Atominico and another $6 million in their new service, Radio. Skype has tried its best to make mark in mobile communications It developed a Skype iPhone application, which just recently added the ability to multi task. Skype also has a deal with Verizon to allow Skype calls on its network (Bradley, 10). I expect that the Skype IPO can be success.