Pro Life Philosophy By Peter Kreeft Essay - 1827 Words

In â€Å"Pro-Life Philosophy†, Peter Kreeft argues that abortion should be illegal to protect the rights of the weak and innocent. His argument states that 1) it is wrong to deliberately kill an innocent person, 2) an unborn human being is an innocent human person and an abortion is a deliberate killing of that person, therefore, 3) abortion is always wrong. Part of Kreeft’s argument rests on the premise that a fetus is a person, this premise has been highly debated in abortion literature and Kreeft’s argument is weak in light of criticism presented regarding the right to life. Regardless of the truth of this premise, Kreeft’s argument still falls short. Kreeft’s condemnation of all abortions as deliberate killings can be refuted by the definition of an intentional killing and a look at the application of this definition. His argument ultimately does not stand up to criticism. The backbone of Kreeft’s argument focuses on the concept of deliberately killing an innocent person. He defines this as â€Å"intentionally; that is, knowingly and willingly†¦ forc[ing] death upon by an act of violence†¦a person that does not deserve death† (Kreeft, 1). Kreeft claims that deliberately killing an innocent person is always wrong. This claim is also found in the doctrine of double effect which maintains that intentionally killing any innocent person is always impermissible. This claim is supported by examples provided by Baruch Brody in his essay â€Å"Opposition to Abortion: A Human Rights Approach†.

Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty Free Essays

Othello is a play about the desperate need for certainty The theme of certainty pervades the play from the opening scence, and as it progresses, the quest for certainty becomes more desperate and frantic; not only within the minds and actions of the characters, but also within the audience as we become desperate to know and understand the outcome of Iago’s malicous plan. Shakespeare introduces the protaginist, Othello, to the audience through the malicious and predujiced tongues of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio. Iago condemns Othello for favouritism and shows obscenley to Brabantio that Othello is an ‘old black ram’, the ‘devil’, a ‘barbary horse’ copulating with his daughter. We will write a custom essay sample on Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty or any similar topic only for you Order Now Rodergio too describes him as a ‘lascivious moor’ and ‘an extravagent and wheeling stranger. ’ This causes Brabantio to feel certian that Othello, repulsive in his blackness, must have seduced Desdemona by withcraft, magic spells or drugs. The picture echoes aspects of medevil and Elizabethan traditions about the devilish, cruel and lustful nature of moors, and Brabantio would most certainly rather believe these acceptable truths as opposed to reality- his ‘pure’ and virginal daughter is partaking in a sordid affair. Othello’s own desperate plea for certainty is also evident from the offset. Although he refuses to hide from Branbantio and denounce his frabrications, he suggests that Desdemona should testify freely how their love came about. Some may argue that Othello holds a number of insecurities about himself and this is a prime example of him desperatly needing Desdemona to justify her reasoning for marrying him. After all, he displays an incredible vulnaribilty, ‘a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so. ’ Iago works on these traits and his pretended disapproval of the relations between Cassio and Desdemona rouses Othello’s curiosity, thence his insistance that he be told, and finally his fear that Iago’s information, got in his duty as an honest man, will harm him. At first, Othello appears to be confident of Desdemona’s love for him as he declares she ‘had eyes and chose me’. Iago however finds weakness in Othello’s certainty and seizing his oppurtunity, advises Othello to watch Cassio and Desdemona discreetly. He adds that, of his own well-founded knowledge, Venetian wives decieve their husbands; that Desdemona pretended to fear Othello, when in fact she loved him, and that she decieved her father so completley that he believed she was bewitched. Unable to deny these, Othello draws the disturbing inference. Suspicion takes root, and is revealed by his hesitant ‘I do not think Desdemona’s honest’, and his command that Emilia be set to watch Desdemona. He is desperate to find truth, and underlying doubts about his marriage may have escelated by Iago’s revelation and Othello is eventually driven to find this certianty in his own shortcomings- his blackness, age and unpolished manners. Iago’s evil has infiltrated Othello’s soul and has induced him, as Iago had hoped, ‘to renounce his baptism, all seals and symbols of redemmed sin. The noble image that Desdemona saw in Othello’s mind has become corrupted, and and not before long is he humiliating her through false prophecy, and he fails to see the unreason of punishing Desdemona for a crime she has not commited. In the end, Othello is desperate to relieve himself of all guilt and is certain the the demi-devil has ‘ensnared’ his soul and body. Desdemona is another charcter who clings desperatly on to her certainty that Othello is a kind and loving husband. Out of her generosity and loving-kindness, she continually makes excuses for Othello’s harshness: ‘some unhatched practice†¦ ath puddles his clear spirit’- an ironic perception. Othello’s vision of her is utterly distorted; and she in her faith and certianty to him is unable to percieve his spiritual overthrough. His fierce accusations that she is unchaste and a whore she meets by affirming that she is a ‘true and loyal wife’, and desperatly wants Othello to believe in this certainty. In her innocece, she finds it impossible to believe that there are women who are unfaithful to their husbands in spite of Emilia’s down to earth admission. In the last dreadful scence she maintains her innocence and pleads for mercy. Her chastity, loyalty, her whole- hearted commital to her husband’s welfare and to any good deed is the only pure certianty throughout the play, and Desdemona unfortunatly cannot make Othello see this. Emilia fiercy defends Desdemona throughout the play and is certain she would never disobey her husband. Ironically, she admits that she would ‘make her husband a cuckhold’ in order to ‘make him a monarch’, however clings to her husband’s integrity as she testifies to his vileness and Desdemona’s virtue. How to cite Othello Is a Play About the Desperate Need for Certainty, Papers

Purchasing Management at the Far East Organization- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about thePurchasing Management at the Far East Organization. Answer: This report aims towards the analysis of the effectiveness of three different aspects of the purchasing management in Far East Organization in Singapore. These aspects include; criteria used in supplier selection, management of purchasing costs, and the use of (ICT) Information Communication Technology in the management of purchasing operations in the organization. As the purchasing manager at Far East Organization, it is my responsibility to ensure an efficient and smooth running of all purchasing activities. The Far East Organization is a company that deals with property development. It was founded in 1960 by Ng Teng Fong. It is the largest property developer that is held privately in Singapore. It carries out development activities on properties ranging from commercial, hospitality, retail, residential, healthcare sectors and industrial properties. Far East Organization(FEO) has more than one hundred and eighty investment and development companies some which are publicly held and others that are publicly listed. It also has a sister company called Sino Group located in Hong Kong. Together these two organizations own assets with a net asset value greater than forty US billion dollars (KPMG, 2017). The Far East Organization is a Christian company and aims to ensure the welfare of the city. It carries out activities that reveal its corporate social responsibility. Incidentally, it supports the needy in society as it strives to live up to the Christian value of loving ones neighbor as one loves themselves. They also uphold these values today in a bid to honor the wishes of the founder of the company. The organization also ensures that the real estate properties it provides for its customers are of excellent quality and highly innovative (KPMG, 2017). The Far East Organization has proved to be one of the best providers of real estate in the world by being the only developer worldwide to win the very prestigious FIABCI World Prix dExcellence award. The organization seeks to inspire better lives and carry out operations that far exceed the customers expectations in a bid to earn their trust. This is the guiding principle that has enabled the company to outdo its very impressive competitors. Some of these competitors of the Far East Organization include; DLF, cornerstone real estate advisers, and Falco pacific resource group. The Far East has been able to weather the storms of bear and bull markets in the real estate industry and is expected to continue with these achievements into the future (Ak?n Ate?, van Raaij, Wynstra, 2017). In a bid to achieve its responsibilities, the Far East Organization requires different resources that it needs to purchase. First, it needs to buy land on which the different real estate buildings will be built upon. Next, it requires building materials that are needed in the construction activities. The process of purchasing all these building resources is complicated and can be categorized into five different sections. These are; first, the suppliers are expected to possess the ability to provide the materials over a given period continually. Secondly, the process of sourcing for the materials and suppliers must be efficient. Thirdly, the purchasing strategies must support organizational objectives and goals. Fourth, the goals that are aimed at during the purchasing process must be aligned with the stakeholders interests. Finally, there should be a well-developed supply base management (Yan, Yang, Dooley, 2017). Due to its corporate social responsibility, the company has a responsibility to all its stakeholders, and that is why it has to ensure that the procurement process is well managed. The stakeholders include; customers, shareholders, employees, investors, and the community (Dou, Zhu, Sarkis, 2017). Its my responsibility to ensure that collaborative relationships exist between the organization and its suppliers. This enables the suppliers to see themselves as partners in the organization and therefore act in the interest of the organization. One theory that can be used to explain the relationship that exists between different organizations and their suppliers is the Agency Theory. This theory states that the principal hires an agent to perform a given task (Liang, 2015). In this case, Far East Organization is the principal while the suppliers are the agents. The theory further assumes that both parties act in their self-interest. In situations where the suppliers are motivated by self-interest, there is likely to be conflicts between the two parties. It is therefore very important for Far East Organization to make the suppliers feel like partners in the organization. As such, they will share a common interest which is maximizing the gains for the organization and at the same time, they will be able to maximize their gains. More factors that Far East Organization should consider when sourcing for suppliers include; First, the total ownership cost of materials should be considered. A specific price quoted by the supplier does not necessarily reflect the total cost associated with the product. There are additional costs such as logistics and transportation that should be put into account (Foerstl, Schleper, Henke, 2017). Second, the quality of the products must be high. Therefore, the purchases manager has the job of ensuring that the suppliers who are recruited provide high-quality products. Third, the supplier should have a record of consistency. This is to ensure that they are always time conscious and keep providing quality products (Bals Turkulainen, 2017). Finally, the chosen suppliers should be proper communicators with a partnership approach. This ensures that the suppliers always provide information required by the company and aim to work for the good of the company. Due to its corporate social responsibility foundation, Far East Organization has to work with suppliers who are ethical. They should carry out practices that ensure the environment is sustainable. They should also carry out responsible retailing practices, and build a conducive work environment for their employees (Akhavan Beckmann, 2017). Finally, when purchasing land, there is a need for Far East Organization to purchase land that is strategically positioned to ensure that after construction, the property will be purchased at good prices. This will assist in increasing profit margins as well as reduce costs associated with marketing activities (Rajala Tidstrm, 2017). Far East Organization is a company that has incorporated information and communication technology(ICT) in its operations. Incidentally, Far East Orchard, a subsidiary of Far East Organization owns a range of medical suites in Novena. These medical centers have made use of advanced technology for use by the medical specialists. They also have different modern infrastructure in place to aid in the medical activities (KPMG, 2017). The company has also been making use of data analytics (big data) which aids the company in discovering insights about their customers and competitors. This has helped the company to make more informed decisions that ensure improved profitability and increased efficiency. During the construction process, different technologies are also used to speed up the building process and make it less risky. One technology that should be incorporated in the organization involves the use of artificial intelligence. The subsidiary of the organization in health can use the supercomputer which has proved to be an excellent diagnostic aid for use in the medical sector. It can be used to even train medical students as well as in the treatment of various diseases such as lung cancer. This tool will increase efficiency and enable the organization to help the people better (Pihlajamaa, Kaipia, Sil, Tanskanen, 2017). Another technological innovation that Far East Organization can incorporate is the use of smart building technology. Smart buildings make use of information technology to remain connected to different systems in the building, the people who live there, and the rest of the world. They use processes that are automatic in controlling various functions such as air conditioning, ventilation, security, lighting, and heating among others (Kaufmann Wagner, 2017). Smart buildings also use microchips and sensors to collect data that is then used in the management of various functions in the building. This type of technology is very significant mainly in commercial property to enable the business owners to save energy, minimize environmental effects and improve security. These are just a few of the technologies that can be applied by this organization to reach a wider market and to better serve the needs of its customers (Ak?n Ate? et al., 2017). One theory that can be used to explain the impact of information and communication technology to organizations is the Social Presence Theory. This theory explains the social effects associated with technologies in communication. The theory argues that the impact that a communication medium has depends on the social presence that it enables those using it to have. The theory has an assumption that increased contact improves the impact of the message. The Social Presence Theory also says that the use of texts and emails in interaction, which are less social means, will not influence people as much (Yan et al., 2017). Far East Organization takes note of this theory because it uses different means of advertising that are more social to interact more with its clients to create trust as well as give them first-hand information on different concerns they may have. These platforms include; the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter as well as having a website where people can air their concerns and commendations. For a business to be profitable, there is a need for profit margins to exist. This requires Far East Organization to factor in the cost of land used for construction, the costs of construction taking account of both fixed and variable costs, as well as the costs associated with marketing activities. For the real estate ventures to be profitable, the buildings need to be of high quality and should be built in accordance with the targeted market (Senz, Knoppen, Tachizawa, 2017). The analysis of purchasing costs can take advantage of some tools. Software that comes in handy in the analysis of purchasing costs is Excel. One such tool is the allocation of gains of purchasing consortia. This is a tool that utilizes various practical methods as well as game theoretical methods to output the purchasing gains. Another tool which is more advanced is the allocation of costs and gains consortia. This tool uses macros. This tool also uses both game theoretical and practical methods to allocate the costs and gains of purchasing consortia. When using both tools, the purchasing price analysis tool is useful in the determination of cost functions (Dogan Aydin, 2011). To analyze quantity discounts, we can still use the purchasing price analysis tool which also uses macros in Excel. It also uses electre two and electre TRI in the process of selecting suppliers during the course of tendering (Chai Liu, 2013). In determining purchasing costs, Far East Organization needs to perform a cost analysis. This is to examine all the costs that the real estate properties have incurred until completion. This ensures that the price paid for the materials is not exorbitant. This analysis involves a calculation of; the costs of construction materials and construction costs, indirect costs, as well as overhead costs (Dogan Aydin, 2011). Additionally, Far East Organization can carry out a supplier analysis and find out which supplier is providing given products in the best quantity and quality at the most optimal price. This may even involve consolidation of vendors to get better prices through higher economies of scale (Hassanzadeh, Ramzi, Zhang Gouiqing, 2011). Indeed, the Far East Organization has been able to achieve its mission continually, and it has also grown to be one of the best real estate investment companies in the world. It has been able to accomplish these goals mainly due to proper management of its purchasing activities. It has been able to work with reliable suppliers who are also ethical. Furthermore, the company has integrated information and communication technologies in its operation which has enabled it to experience exponential growth over the years. Finally, proper management of purchasing costs has allowed the company to enjoy significant profit margins as well as sell properties that are affordable to its wide range of customers. References Akhavan, R. M., Beckmann, M. (2017). A configuration of sustainable sourcing and supply management strategies. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 23(2), 137151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2016.07.006 Ak?n Ate?, M., van Raaij, E. M., Wynstra, F. (2017). The impact of purchasing strategy-structure (mis)fit on purchasing cost and innovation performance. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.05.002 Bals, L., Turkulainen, V. (2017). Achieving efficiency and effectiveness in Purchasing and Supply Management: Organization design and outsourcing. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.06.003 Chai, J., Liu, E. (2013, August 1). Application of decision-making techniques in supplier selection: A systematic review of literature. Expert Systems with Applications. Pergamon. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ESWA.2012.12.040 Dogan, I., Aydin, N. (2011). Combining Bayesian Networks and Total Cost of Ownership method for supplier selection analysis. Computers Industrial Engineering, 61(4), 10721085. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CIE.2011.06.021 Dou, Y., Zhu, Q., Sarkis, J. (2017). Green multi-tier supply chain management: An enabler investigation. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.07.001 Foerstl, K., Schleper, M. C., Henke, M. (2017). Purchasing and supply management: From efficiency to effectiveness in an integrated supply chain. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.08.004 Hassanzadeh, S., Ramzi, J., Zhang Gouiqing. (2011). Supplier selection and order allocation based on fuzzy SWOT analysis and fuzzy linear programming. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(1), 334342. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ESWA.2010.06.071 Kaufmann, L., Wagner, C. M. (2017). Affective diversity and emotional intelligence in cross-functional sourcing teams. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 23(1), 516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2016.07.004 KPMG. (2017). About Us - Far East Organization. Retrieved September 20, 2017, from https://www.fareast.com.sg/about-us Liang, C. (2015). What Is the Importance of Purchasing Management? Retrieved September 20, 2017, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-importance-purchasing-management-chen-liang Pihlajamaa, M., Kaipia, R., Sil, J., Tanskanen, K. (2017). Can supplier innovations substitute for internal Ramp;D? A multiple case study from an absorptive capacity perspective. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.08.002 Rajala, A., Tidstrm, A. (2017). A multilevel perspective on organizational buying behavior in coopetitionan exploratory case study. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 23(3), 202210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.03.002 Senz, M. J., Knoppen, D., Tachizawa, E. M. (2017). Building manufacturing flexibility with strategic suppliers and contingent effect of product dynamism on customer satisfaction. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.07.002 Yan, T., Yang, S., Dooley, K. (2017). A theory of supplier network-based innovation value. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 23(3), 153162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2017.02.002