Thomas Mun Essay Example for Free

Thomas Mun Essay Thomas Mun is the best known member of a group of seventeenth-century British merchant-economists called the mercantilists. (Magnusson, 12) This group proposed that England run trade surpluses in order to prosper economically. As set forth by Mun ([1664] 1954, p. 125), The ordinary means†¦to increase our wealth and treasure is by Forraign Trade, wherein wee must ever observe this rule; to sell more to strangers yearly than wee consume of theirs in value. †¦[T]hat part of our stock which is not returned to us in wares must necessarily be brought home in treasure. Little is known about the life of Mun. His grandfather worked for the Royal Mint; his father was a textile trader. Mun himself became a merchant early in life, lived in Italy for many years and quickly accumulated a great deal of wealth. His early experience as a merchant was acquired in Italy and in the Levant. (Johnson, 73) He later became involved with the East India Company, a large British joint-stock company that traded, primarily, in the Far East. In 1615 Mun was elected to be a Director of the East India Company, and he remained a Director of the firm for the rest of his life. After Mun achieved wealth and social status he was appointed to several British committees and commissions. Most of these commissions issued reports containing Muns name as part of a long list of committee members; but Mun himself wrote only two economic tracts. In 1628 the highly criticized India Company invoked the protection of the House of Commons, and Mun, as supposes Johnson, was responsible for The Petition and Remonstrance of the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East-Indies. At any rate, he claims that â€Å"much of the argument used in this petition reappeared in Mun famous book, Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade†, which was published posthumously by his son, Sir John Mun, in 1664. (Johnson, 73-74). It was this book rather than his first essay that made Thomas Mun famous as an economic writer; in comparison with it, Mun earlier Discourse of Trade From England unto the East-Indies was a â€Å"crude, shallow, and awkward attempt to exonerate the India Company†. (Johnson, 74) His first work (Mun, 1621) defended the East India Company against critics who claimed that the firm was exporting gold and silver to the Orient (in exchange for spices) and that this loss of precious metals was hurting the British economy. A Discourse of Trade was rather unmercantilist in its orientation. Rather than advocating a trade surplus and the accumulation of gold, Mun advanced any and all arguments he could think up to support the East India Company. He claimed that nations become wealthy for the same reasons that families become wealthy-by frugality and by making more than they spend. Likewise, nations and families become poor by spending too much money. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 1-2). Thus, Mun reasoned, as long as the East Indian Company made money it could not make Britain poorer. Mun also pointed out that food, clothing, and munitions were necessities, so importing these goods as also all goods which sustain health or encourage the arts, improved the welfare of England. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 3) On the other hand, importing luxury goods was harmful to the nation. Mun then went on to argue that the East India Company was importing only items necessary for consumption. Taking yet another line of defense, Mun argued that trade with India provided a market for English exports. In addition, trade with India was good for Britain because it eliminated trade with Turkey; had the same goods been imported from Turkey, Mun pointed out, the cost to Britain would have been much greater. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 9, 12, 43) Finally, Mun argued that not all luxury imports were harmful; some imports were improved by British firms and re-exported, thus leading to a net influx of precious metals into England. The goods imported by the East India Company, Mun claimed, were generally goods needed by British exporters. There were still a few charges levied against the India Company that its defender sought to refute. To the charge that timber was wasted in building India Company ships, Mun ingenuously replied that trees were not mere objects to look at, but raw materials which ought to be used; moreover, shipbuilding gave employment to shipwrights. But, said the critics, the India Company ships were never in English waters and hence not useful for naval strength. The India Company had large stocks of timber and naval stores in its yards, Mun replied, and those things were available in case of emergency. ([1621] 1930, p. 30-32) And so, one by one, every objection to the India trade was answered, sometimes with skill, sometimes with naà ¯vetà ©. With a few explanations for the economic condition of the nation, Mun concludes his first writing. He attributes the loss of specie to overvaluation of money abroad, ([1621] 1930, p. 51) to the abuse of the exchanges (53) whereby exchange operations have â€Å"become rather a Trade for some great monyed men, then a furtherance and accomodation of reall Trade to Merchants as it ought to be.† Because of imperfect minting, heavy coins have been exported or melted into plate, while, meantime, unskillful merchants have overthrown trade. All these factors have combined to produce an excess of imports. While the Discourse made Mun an apologist for the East Indian Company, his second book, published posthumously (1664), established Mun as an important early economic thinker. What is most noteworthy about Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade is its much broader perspective. No longer does Mun try to defend the East India Company; rather he adopts the viewpoint of the nation as a whole. He looks at trade in general, rather than trade by the East India Company, and he makes the case that foreign trade enriches a nation whenever it leads to a trade surplus. Mun also examines the factors that cause a country to run trade surpluses. Finally, Mun advances a set of proposals that British leaders could implement if they wished to improve the national trade position. Englands Treasure was profound analytical work, and in it many concepts, as Johnson notes, were developed with care and often with real insight. Many his contemporaries like Hales, Malynes, or Misselden as well as successors were concerned with it and Adam Smith even unconsciously used Mun’s work as a pattern model for his book, Wealth of Nations. (Johnson, 77) The first seven chapters of Englands Treasure may, for purposes of analysis, be considered as a separate segment because they set forth the principles underlying Muns theory of national opulence. From the doctrine of the balance of trade, Mun concludes that foreign trade is the â€Å"ordinary means† whereby a nation increases its wealth and treasure. The trade balance is merely the difference between what a nation exports and what it imports. When a nation runs a trade surplus, its exports exceed its imports. Sales abroad, over and above what is bought from foreign countries, must be paid for by foreigners. In the seventeenth century these payments were made with precious metals-gold and silver. Trade surpluses thus enabled a nation to accumulate wealth and enrich a country. In contrast, domestic trade could not make England wealthier because the gain in precious metals by one citizen would equal the loss of another citizen. To generate trade surpluses, Mun noted, England must become more self-sufficient and reduce its need for foreign-made goods. Britain must also become more frugal so that more goods were available for export. Mun especially looked down on and discouraged the consumption of luxury goods. With the domestic money supply rising as a result of these trade surpluses, a danger lurks that people might try to purchase more goods. This would cause domestic prices to increase and would eventually lead to the loss of exports, since domestically produced goods would become too expensive to sell abroad. But these consequences, Mun noted, could easily be avoided. To make sure that the inflow of money from abroad actually goes to benefit a nation, all new money must be re-invested. Reinvestment would also create more goods to be exported in the future. Here Mun recognized the importance of capital investment, and he viewed a positive trade balance as a way to accumulate productive capital. Besides explaining the benefits of trade surpluses, Mun also explained what could be done to encourage such surpluses. First, there was price policy. Mun wanted exports sold at the â€Å"best price†; that is, the price that brings in the most revenue and wealth. Where England had a monopoly in world trade, or something close to a monopoly, her goods should be sold at high prices. But when foreign competition was great, British goods should be priced as low as possible. This would result in more sales for Britain and help drive out foreign competitors. When foreign competitors disappeared, Mun recommended that prices be raised, but not to the point that competitors are enticed to come back into the market. On the concept of the balance of trade and on the concept of financial capital, Mun builds his economic theory and justifies his economic policy. By the proper employment of capital (provided there is adequate domestic industry and frugality) a favorable balance can be obtained which in turn will provide more capital. Second, Mun explained that higher quality goods would be in greater demand throughout the world and would also lead to greater exports for Britain. He then explained how the British government could help improve product quality. Mun wanted the government to regulate manufacturers and to establish a council of trade (similar to the functions now performed by the US Department of Commerce) which would advise the government in matters pertaining to the regulation of trade and industrial activity. These regulations on British manufacturers should be quite strict in order to ensure that Britain produced high quality goods. Finally, Mun explained how national tax policy could help generate trade surpluses. He recognized that (in opposition to the national interest) some firms might want to import luxury goods. In such a case, government policies must bring private and national interests into harmony. Mun looked to taxation to achieve this end. Export duties were to be discouraged because they would cost Britain sales in foreign countries. Import duties should be low on goods that are subsequently exported and high on goods that tend to be consumed by British citizens. Excise or sales taxes, Mun argued, did little harm. Although they raised the price of food and clothing, Mun believed that these taxes would lead to higher wages and thus be shifted to employers. When higher prices for necessities lead to higher wages, the standard of living for British workers remains the same and the excise tax is paid by the wealthy. In order to avoid paying this tax the rich had only two options-they could work longer and harder or they could reduce luxury consumption. In either case, Mun argued, the nation would benefit. Mun, however, did not want the state to collect tax revenues and then engage in lavish or wasteful spending. Tax collections had to be saved so that they were available for national emergencies, such as wars. At the same time, the state should not accumulate so much tax revenue that the national supply of capital falls. As a compromise, Mun proposed that each year the state accumulates a surplus of taxes over spending that was equal to the annual trade surplus. The moral of Muns general theory of opulence was therefore that wise nations should maximize their exporting power by fostering the growth of both natural and artificial wealth but particularly the latter; meantime imports should be held to a minimum by curtailing excessive consumption. (Mun, ([1664] 1954, p. 9) Perhaps the greatest shortcoming of Muns monetary theory, as specified by Angell, lies in the failure to connect his price theory with his explanation of the forces which distribute the world stock of specie among nations. (Angell, 15) The later chapters of Muns book fail to maintain the analytical merits of the preceding part. Lapsing into his earlier style, Mun asserts more often than he proves. There are, however, a few theoretical elements which deserve attention. Mun points out that since the standard money of a nation measures not only the value of domestic goods but also that of foreign goods, any alterations in weight, fineness, or value of coins perforce create â€Å"confusion.† He points out that although the king may benefit temporarily from debasement, this gain is cancelled out when the kings revenues are received in debased coin. At just this point, Mun adds one item to the older analysis of debasement: he tries to show that the kingdom loses more in the first stages of debasement than the king gains, and that, for this reason, there is a net national loss. Muns explanation is not wholly successful because he fails to distinguish clearly between debtors and creditors. Although he is correct in pointing out that losses from debasement will fall heavily on landlords and debtors, and although he properly observes that the king would gain only on the new coined money, Mun fails to take into consideration the gains of the debtors, and this omission necessarily qualifies his theory of national loss. Mun and mercantilism came in for sharp criticism from other economists during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Adam Smith in the fourth book of the Wealth of Nations refuted the theory which Mun and other balance-of-trade exponents had developed. Adam Smith sharply criticized the mercantilists, and argued that less government restrictions on businesses would spur domestic production. All these anti-mercantilist views were quickly taken to heart by most economists. Mercantilist thinking, however, experienced a revival of sorts in the twentieth century. John Maynard Keynes praised the mercantilists for recognizing that the demand generated by trade surpluses would increase economic growth. Chapter 23 of The General Theory entitled Notes on Mercantilism, credits the mercantilists with understanding that countries could create jobs and incomes for its own citizens by generating a trade surplus, while the influx of money would increase business investment. (Keynes 1936, 344) Although Mun is not highly regarded by economists today, and although Mun did not make any path-breaking discoveries, he did leave his mark on the history of economics. The idea that government economic policy should be used to generate a trade surplus, and the idea that the way to achieve economic growth is through the growth of exports, constitute his two lasting contributions. References:    Angell, James. W. The Theory of International Prices: History, Criticism and Restatement. Cambridge, Harvard Univ. Press, 1926. Harvard Economic Studies, Vol. 28 Buck, Philip W., The Politics of Mercantilism, New York, Octagon Books, 1964 Johnson, E.A.J., Predecessors of Adam Smith: The Growth of British Economic Thought, New York: Prentice Hall, 1937 Keynes, John Maynard The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1936 Magnusson, Lars. Mercantilism: The Shaping of an Economic Language. New York: Routledge, 1994 Mun, Thomas. A Discourse of Trade from England unto the East-Indies, London, 1621, reprinted (Facsimile Test Society), New York, 1930.    Mun, Thomas. Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade (1664) in Early English Tracts on Commerce, ed. John R. McCulloch, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1954 Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), New York: Modern Library, 1937

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) Overview

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) Overview Coming Soon to a Doctor Near You At the current rate, in 2017, half a million American children will be taken to their doctors and be newly diagnosed with ADHD. Many of them will receive thoughtful and reasonable evaluations and benefit from medication. Another sizable number will be seen by casual clinicians who either bypass the childs real problems or give in to his frustrated parents and teachers. Some of the adolescents will be faking ADHD just to get Adderall for themselves or others. Whatever the actual breakdown, there will be 500,000 new diagnostic visits, millions of follow-ups, ten of millions of pills, and hundreds of millions in sales. Lots of business for everyone. Apparently, this market must expand. The same folks who built todays ADHD machine the same doctors, the same drug companies are already working on tomorrows. A new disorder is being buffed and burnished as you read this. Its name: sluggish cognitive tempo, or SCT. Its kind of like ADHD, but not quite. SCT is a syndrome marked by daydreaming, lethargy, and slowed thinking or behavior. Some SCT researchers claim that they are simply trying to resolve some long-standing confusion about ADHD. SCT attempts to rename the merely inattentive children who have never quite fit the ADHD construct. They say that a many as three million children have the disorder half of them already diagnosed with ADHD. Anyone who gets diagnosed with SCT will find help ready and waiting. Eli Lilly has already enlisted Russell Barkley and other doctorsÂÂ   to investigate how Strattera would treat SCT, too. *** Most countries have cringed at Americans approach to difficult children. They have viewed ADHDs explosion as an American travesty borne of parental impatience and corporate greed. International experts concluded that diagnosing and medicating the most severely hyperactive kids really could be justified. But the criteria for pharmacological intervention were kept far more restrictive. The international community has rejected the APA definitions and instead relied upon what the World Health Organization defines as hyperkinetic syndrome. That diagnosis requires a child to have significant problems in all three of ADHDs symptom groups hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention and includes other barriers to haphazard diagnosis. When applied appropriately, this definition results in 1 to 2 percent of children being told they have the disorder. Some nations, such as Brazil, France, Italy, and Sweden, remain very conservative toward the diagnosis, and especially the medications in cases anything less than dire. The United kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany have been more liberal in accepting the ADHD concept, to the point that some estimates of diagnosis rates in those countries have reached about 5 percent. As for ADHD drugs, no country has anywhere near the enthusiasm of the United States, which had prescribed more than 90 percent of the worlds amphetamine and methylphenidate. But the rest of the world is catching up. From 2000 through 2010, its consumption of ADHD drugs almost doubled. Concerta had geared up its advertising in Europe. Shires has taken a less direct route to growing its offshore market, educating doctors about ADHD itself so that prescriptions follow. In a medical conference at the National Institute of Health in 2015, Keith Conners spoke at a panel called ADHD Around the World. He recounted his decades in the field, from his work with Leon Eisenberg to minimal brain dysfunction to what he now declared were outrageous rates of ADHD diagnoses. He warned against the imminent world-wide influence of pharmaceutical companies, and all but apologized from his having worked on their behalf for decades. *** Meanwhile, some health officials in Georgia were concerned about how many young children in the state were on ADHD medications. Georgias rate, 6.1 percent, was growing, and disturbing. They called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and asked Dr. Susanna Visser, the epidemiologist for ADHD, to run the numbers on four- and five-year-olds. Visser discovered that more than ten thousand toddlers kids ages two and three, still in diapers across the United States had been diagnosed as ADHD and put on Adderall, Concerta, and the like. She wrote up a formal report and presented it at a conference on childrens mental health at the Carter Center in Atlanta. The report begged a response from government health agencies to address what was going on here. A few days later, Dr. Tim Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, responded in a blog post, saying that most of the prescriptions for stimulant drugs were not from psychiatrist. Insel was right. Most diagnoses in children are indeed made by pediatricians and family doctors, rather than better-trained and more experienced child psychiatrists, who must receive two extra years of schooling in order to practice. But the United States has only about eight thousand practicing child psychiatrist. Its no wonder that parents prefer seeing someone closer, cheaper, and more familiar with their child: their pediatrician. Unfortunately, most pediatricians were taught about ADHD and stimulants for only a few hours out of the entire seven years in medical school. Two longtime members of ADHDs horn section, Peter Jensen, and Ned Hallowell, have joined Keith Conners to hold seminars across the nation to teach pediatricians how to diagnose ADHD, and how not to diagnose it.

Juvenile Delinquent Gangs :: essays research papers

Juvenile Delinquent Gangs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a kid I could remember walking to school every day. While on the way to school there was always a group of kids sanding outside of the school walking away. These kids dressed differently and they all whore the same type of clothes. It wasn’t until years later that I was told to stay away from them because they were gangsters. They were gangsters that caused problems to the community. These gangsters would go up to kids and try and jump them into their gang. For them the more members they had the more â€Å"territory they had.† One problem that major cities around the world have is gangs. Most of these gangs are made up of many juvenile delinquents looking for trouble. These gangs tend to hang out in certain places and claim it as their territory. Many of the gang members are drawn together by similar interests, and are brought up in similar neighborhoods. The Social Disorganization Perspective   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social disorganization perspective follows the substance users to their living era and environment. Social disorganization perspective examines why individuals more from one environment to another and how they struggle to adjust to new environment, and how they are lured or forced into substance user, deviance, or criminal activity in the face of difficulty from the new environment or due to their individual maladjustments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand it studies how a particular environment causes stress, disillusion, and disorders among individuals who live in it, and why substance abuse, deviance, crime, and other social problems tend to increase in a time when or in a place where change occurs abruptly Social Class Most of the gang members that have been reported come from the lower social economical class. When these kids are out in the streets they have nothing better to do so they begin go commit delinquent behavior. Since these economically challenged kids have no money to go anywhere they tend to hang round their neighbor hood. These kinds of groups encourage each other to commit criminal activity. Since they feel that if one does it all of them can do it too. Drugs According to the social disorganization perspective gang members do drugs because they are forced into a substance. Drug offences are a common substance that is used and abused in gangs. Most people and kids that do drugs are because of peer pressure. Others reasons why gang members do drugs are because the environment that they are in forces the to do drugs to fit in.

Filter of History :: essays research papers

History is told through a filter. Whether it is the filter of a persons mind or of a writer’s pen. Events such as the assassination of JFK, or for my generation the explosion of the Challenger have a way of burning themselves in our minds. We remember where we were, what we were doing, even what we were wearing. One would think that the details of such an event would remain fairly accurate from person to person, however this is untrue. As in the example given in the reading selection after the Civil War ended some people only chose to remember the bravery of the white soldiers, not the reason brother was against brother. Some in the South tried to pretend that nothing had changed with the Lynch laws forcing slaves back onto the plantations. It seems that region as well as human thought was the influence of these ideals. A person can chose to remember an event as something that is painful or concentrate on the good of the event. As with a persons memory of history being a filter so is that of a historian’s pen, even though the reasons vary. This can be traced back nearly to the beginning of written history, though most examples are taken from the early Catholic Church. Furthermore, factors of politics, region, and public opinion almost always have an effect on what becomes written history. â€Å"History came to play a major role in propagating this modern orthodoxy, particularly in the United States. And just because their national history was so integral to Americans’ identity, the new orthodoxy became part of the political conflicts generated by industrialization† (Appleby et al.,132). In contrast to remembering and writing what is more pleasant comes the historian who wants to tear down the pedestals that some of our great figures have been placed on. Charles Beard, a preeminent progressive historian set out to do just this to our

A Comparison of Nihilistic and Christian Archetypes in Beowulf and John

Grendel, Beowulf and the Relationship Between Nihilistic and Christian Archetypes The Wisdom god, Woden, went out to the king of trolls†¦and demanded to know how order might triumph over chaos. â€Å"Give me your left eye,† said the king of trolls, â€Å"and I’ll tell you.† Without hesitation, Woden gave up his left eye. â€Å"Now tell me.† The troll said, â€Å"The secret is, Watch with both eyes!† Woden’s left eye was the last sure hope of gods and men in their kingdom of light surrounded by darkness. All we have left is Thor’s hammer, which represents not brute force but art, or, counting both hammerheads, art and criticism†¦ The philosophies expressed in the Beowulf epic complement the exploration of existentialism throughout the modern work, Grendel, by John Gardner. Both works portray different perspectives of the same story, involving the same characters; Beowulf, the ancient Anglo-Saxon hero who destroys Grendel, and Grendel, the monster who terrorizes Hrothgar’s hall. Beowulf and Grendel act as archetypes that explore humanity’s perception of the world. In the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf and his companions represent good, and the monsters, including Grendel, represent evil. When Beowulf kills Grendel, the world is less evil, but since Beowulf’s companions die in the struggle, the world is also less good. Ultimately, the two forces of good and evil will destroy each other, but the story maintains that God will interfere and save mankind from destruction. In Gardner’s story, the progression of society begins when mankind creates a monster and then creates a hero to fight the monster. Once the greater power of the hero had been established, once the conflict’s resolution strengthened society’s power, than a greater monster developed ... ...fact, it is the saving grace of mankind: the hope that God will save society and establish harmony and justice. The modern story takes the opposite view; it shows what happens when hope is lost, when society has nowhere to turn: it is a more pessimistic, more complicated view of humanity’s progress. [Throughout this paper, G after a character's name refers to Gardner; AS to Beowulf the poem.] Works Cited Gardner, John. Grendel , New York: Vintage Books Edition, 1989. Gardner, John. Moral Fiction. New York: Basic Books Inc, 1977. Heany, Seamus. Beowulf: A Modern Translation. New York: Farrer, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. Sources Cited Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Theory. George Washington University: www.upress.umn.edu/Books/C/cohen_monster.html, 2001. Johnson, Tim. Grendel. New York: www.panix.com/~iayork/Literary/Grendel/grendel2.html, 2001.

Pauline Ethics Essay

1.Why is it necessary that actions proceed from moral and spiritual vision? It is necessary that actions proceed from moral and spiritual vision because the attainment or accomplishment of our vision or goals is when we will be able to put it into action. What is in hearts and minds must be seen through our actions because grace to Apostle Paul work in the inside out. Like Apostle Paul, his ethical teaching flows from a moral vision. For him, to be a Christian is to able to do God’s will. To know the Christian codes of right conduct and behavior, we must have the moral capacity to act on them. In short, if one has moral character then one will act morally. In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul said that â€Å"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.† If we are seeking after the exalted Lord Jesus Christ then it envisions our practical pursui t of spiritual goals. Then to set our minds on things above, emphasizes that we have the spiritual capacity to accomplish those spiritual goals. For example, one of my moral visions is to be more patient enough or to control my being hot tempered against unreasonable people. In order to attain this goal of mine then I have to pray for them to become matured enough and also ask God to give me wisdom in dealing with them especially in giving responses, reactions or comments to what they say. Further, I have to befriend them and try to reach out with their needs. All these moral and spiritual visions will be accomplished through our actions since we participated in the death and resurrection of Christ; we are now being transformed into new person by God’s grace. 2. How do the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love affect the practice and conduct of your own particular profession? These three virtues affect the practice and conduct of my profession in such a way that as a Social Worker I am committed to help the less fortunate people or people who are deprived from their own rights (esp. the indigent) in the upliftment of their lives. Because of my faith that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will provide all our needs according to glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19) then I have to keep going, not to be discouraged in helping these clients. This virtue of faith drives me to hope that someday, somehow, these less fortunate people will rise from their present situation and be able to exercise their right and duties as citizenry of our country. Also to pursue my commitment, I have the duty to love these people as Jesus loved me unconditionally. There are times that it’s not easy to love especially if I encounter rude people but to be able practice my faith, I ought to do so. 3.How would you foster ethical/moral values in the following realities? a.Consumerism – buying only what I need (want vs. need). By being practical and maximizing my resources to the fullest. Also when buying something, do not be brand conscious but focus on the usefulness of that thing. b.Mundane and Profane tendencies – not to conform to the pattern or evil desires of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind†¦ (Romans 12:2) even if it is the trend. To stand out against the world. c.Relativism – by respecting one’s faith and beliefs. Also being open to the perspective of others not to be so closed with what I know and how I understands different things in life but be willing to share or exchange with one’s opinion and ideas. d.Technological Dependence – for me by choosing only what is applicable to my need and demand of times. Personal relationship should not be sacrificed just because of this high technology. e.Economic Scarcity – being resourceful and practical and maximizing the full potential of such – (Principle of supply and demand). For example, there was food scarcity in a certain area because of typhoon devastation. Relief goods were distributed and so there were crowd falling in line. In this case, I would give priority to senior citizens, the sick, pregnant and the handicapped, though all of them have equal need. 4.How do you exercise your particular profession in the perspective of the following Christian Gifts (Romans 12:4-11)? a.Prophecy – For me, when I was in the National Irrigation Administration as Irrigator’ Development Officer, I do a lot of field work, meetings, and trainings. I always inject the word of God in giving opening prayers in the conduct of meetings and trainings. Even when I do home visitations, during informal sessions with my clients I inspire them with the words of God especially when they open-up their problems and difficulties in life. In that way, I know I was able to exercise this gift of prophesy. b. Practical Service – When I perform my duties and responsibilities, I do it with all my heart not to please my boss or co-worker but to please God. Since we have a multi-task function in the office before, even cleaning the comfort rooms, (when our janitor retires and our office did not hire anymore instead we are task to do additional janitorial works) I do it with gladness. I told myself that this will not degrade my profession because even Jesus washed the feet of His disciples as an example of true humility and service. c.Teaching – In conducting seminars and trainings with the farmers, I think I do exercise this gift God has given in relation to the teaching of Christ. Like for instance, one the principles that we emphasize with our farmer clientele is the principle of sharing (e.g. there must proper sharing of irrigation water). This principle is in light with the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ to share what we have to those who don’t have. I give instruction, rules and regulations as a way of teaching in the attainment of target/desired goals of our agency. d.Encouragement – This gift is attached to my profession I think especially to deal with different kinds of people with different ethical behavior. I need to practice this gift in order for me to attract or influence these farmers in the performance of their duties and responsibilities as partners of irrigation development. To encourage is my â€Å"capital† to become effective IDO. e.Almsgiving – to perform my duties and responsibilities in the office, I am willing to give my time beyond the prescribed office hour (8 hours a day) without expecting a reward or additional compensation. I always stay in the office beyond office hours just to comply with the deadlines reports and other pertinent works or when my superior asked me to do something. f.Position or Authority – whenever I am tasked to do something, for example, assign me to lead or spearhead a particular program/project, I always accept it without hesitation and I have to perform to the best of my ability involving my team in all aspects of the project because I believed that team approach is more effective way in accomplishing a particular activity/project. g.Acts of Mercy – in working with my officemates and rendering service with my farmer-clientele, I do it by heart and with joy. I have to enjoy my work so that I will not get burn-out. I still remember when I do field work and do home visitations with the farmer leaders, they even open-up their problems regarding their private life and I do some counseling and offer prayers for them and this developed a closer relationship with them. 5.Why is it necessary to contextualized Pauline Ethics in your own field of expertise? By contextualizing Pauline Ethics in my own field of expertise I can share/bring the â€Å"good news† or the love of God to my clientele. By exercising the seven Christian Gifts and the various codes of Christian conduct, I believe I can help in the transformation of their lives just like what Jesus did for us. And hopefully not only our direct clients will be influenced but their family circle and the whole community as well. A concrete example of this is when I conduct training, imparting to my farmer clientele the value of self-discipline in light of distribution irrigation water, payment of irrigation fees, etc. but it does not end up with the irrigation water alone but relating it to the whole aspect of their lives. I was amazed that I have seen the impact of this with their lives through evaluation and some farmers will give feed-backs on the positive impact of the training in their li ves. 6. Defend or Refute: The transformation of one’s life from vice to virtue, and alienation to reconciliation is the byproduct of grace. I strongly agree that the transformation of one’s life from vice to virtue and alienation to reconciliation is the byproduct of grace. The transformation of our character from negative to positive is not by our own strength. If we want to change and have transformation it’s only by God’s grace. As Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, He said to me, â€Å"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.† He promised grace for Paul’s pain. It means therefore that in our weaknesses, God’s power is sufficient. Grace simply means God’s help, intervention and strength in our weakness. Our vices or character deficiencies can be replaced with virtues or character assets by trusting God’s grace. By participating in Christ’s work and our confession that He is our Lord and Savior means transformation of our lives so that we can live our lives in accordance to God’s will. We are alienated before because of our sinful nature which we inherited from Adam and Eve, but because God loves us so much, He gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. So with Christ death on the cross we were being reconciled to God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, â€Å"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith- and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.† Our salvation is by God’s grace- gift of God (undeserved gift) through faith but we have to ask (open our hearts and let Christ reign in our lives) so that we will receive this gift of salvation. We cannot earn our own salvation but it’s only by God’s grace! 7. Defend or Refute: To live through commitment and not merely by inspiration means to be faithful to God. Yes I agree to this statement. To be faithful to God means a commitment to live our lives to Him and not merely by inspiration. For Paul when he was converted in Damascus, he started to commit his life to God no matter what the cause maybe. In the practical side of it, to live our lives through commitment is living with a purpose and direction. Once we are committed to do something, we do it consistently, not mechanically but with all our mind and heart having the assurance and certainty that God will be glorified. By doing so it follows the joy and love in performing the act not by force or compulsion. On the other hand, we should not live only by mere inspiration not just to enjoy life and be contented to what will happen. For example, one way to be faithful to God is to pray every day – giving thanks to Him for all the circumstances He brought in my life and entrusting to Him all my concerns and even my future. I should do this consistently and accept whatever God’s response. Another way of my being faithful to God is by giving my tithes and offering regularly. 8. Defend or refute: If one acts on the basis of the responsibility of love, he is free. No. I disagree because love never ceases. Love must continue to be our motivating factor to act. Love will go on eternity for God is love. 1 John 4:8, â€Å"God is love! God is eternal; therefore love is eternal as well. Paul writes, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, â€Å"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal†¦ v. 13 â€Å" And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. We will never be free because we have the debt with our fellowmen and that is the debt to love them regardless of the race, status, physical attributes, etc.

Hearing Loss Attributed to the 21st Century use of Personal Music Player Essay

In the recent few years leisure noise has become one of the threats to the hearing as it can reach high volumes and an increasing number of people are exposed. The danger is not only exposed by the music from the clubs but also it has been extended to the new generation of music players which are known to produce sounds at high volumes. Across Europe it is estimated that millions of people are using personal music players on a daily basis and in most of the cases these gadgets are being used inappropriately putting the user at a great risk of ear damage. This is a serious concern as the emerging technology may cause numerous problems to the people who are fond of using these entertainment gadgets. To add salt into the injury the users are exposing themselves to this particular danger for a long time as they are spending substantial time listening to music using ear phones. The amount of time one exposes to the sound of loud music from the personal music players increases the chances of hearing loss. The children and the youth are at risk as they have been noted to constitute the highest proportion of users. In this paper I will discuss the dangers involved in the use of personal music player and at the same time bring into the understanding who should be blamed for the hearing loss as a result of the constant use of these gadgets. Is it the makers of the personal music players or should we blame the users for putting their life at risk? A scientific study that was carried out for the European Union revealed that noise from the personal music players is a routine pollution for many people. It threatens permanent damage of the ear to as many as hundred million people in Europe and other parts of the world. The report indicated that those people who listened to the music for a continuous five hours per week on high volume were exposing themselves to high noise than it is allowed in the factory work places. This means that users of the personal music player who prefer to listen to their music on high volume are at a worse position than workers who are located in a noisy factory in an industrial hub. (Linkov,I and Steevens,J 2009 359) Experts argue that the maximum volume from these equipments can generate as much noise as an aero plane that is taking off. That kind of noise is enough to make a person have a quick and permanent hearing loss. The worst thing according to this report is that the users do not realize the problem until very late. This is the time when the damage has already been caused and nothing can be done about it. It is a very sad situation where a young person with bright future prospects losses his or her ability to hear at such an early age, it can be a very devastating experience but whom do we blame? Do we pass the buck to the manufacturer of these gadgets fro their neglect or do we blame the users for sometimes knowingly exposing themselves to dangers through their constant use of the music players. (Jameson,P and Romer,D 2008 347) The MP3 generation is headed for permanent hearing impairment in the cause of their lives. The youth are at the greatest risk as well as the older people too, in twenty seven countries across Europe it is estimated that fifty to a hundred million people out of five hundred people may be listening to a portable personal music player at any given time. Equivalents of five percent listeners who expose themselves to these new generation entertainment gadgets for more than one hour are at the greatest risk. These statistics have raised fears among some people prompting them to take some actions so as to avoid a future generation which has numerous problems which has been caused by things which can only be described as luxurious. In the year 2006 a man in Louisiana sued one of the manufacturing firms, The Apple claiming that this company had failed to take enough steps to prevent the problem of hearing loss among the users of one its popular product, the iPod. The suit which was filed in a federal district court in California city of San Jose claimed that iPod produces a sound which is as loud as one hundred and fifteen decibels when the maximum sound that is considered safe for listening is eighty five decibels. To this man the Apple Company was to blame for the problem that is threatening to have millions of deaf people in some years to come. I tend to disagree with his sentiments as it is clearly evident that the ipods sold by this company and many other manufacturer comes with a warning in the manual where the users are warned about the dangers they expose themselves into through playing the music in high volumes from their personal music players. It is blatantly clear that the users expose themselves to the risk of hearing loss through ignoring the warnings given by the manufacturers. The companies can not escape blame too, such warnings are printed using very tiny fonts such that not all the users might get a chance to read the small inscriptions which are usually placed on a page where the user might not even see. (Kirk,R and Mayshork,C 2007 73) The risk involved do not only come from ipods, the portable phones and personal stereos pose a similar problem as their earphones leads to a high sound exposure than any other type of a listening device. It has been stressed that young people who continue to expose themselves through listening to the high volume music from their music devices usually run into the risk of developing some hearing complications by the time they hit their twenties. Problems such as persistent tinnitus which is induced by high volume music has been reported common among the people in their youth and are constant users of the personal music devices. Despite this problem the same people continue using these devices. Therefore the problem squarely lies with the users, they are clearly aware of the risks involved, they have gone through numerous problems which have been as a result of their insatiable appetite for entertainment but they still continue to expose themselves to the risk. This can only be termed as deliberate move by these users to harm themselves and it is for this reason we can not blame the companies for the problems that are being experienced by the MP3 generation. The manufacturing firms only came to fill the gap that existed; they offer satisfaction to the people who are keen on entertainment especially when they are on move. They have clearly indicated the dangers one can expose him or herself to if the device is not used properly, that is if it is put on high volumes but the users choose to ignore such information for their personal reasons. (Tulchinsky,T and Varavikova,N 2000 285) The choices we make in life determine the direction we head, if we make the right ones we will always be on the right direction, if we happen to take the wrong choices as we mostly do then we are bound to blame others for the trouble we may get ourselves into later in our lives. It is extremely important for us to make the right decision as pertaining what we do as the opposite can lead to devastating effects. People have a choice of either buying a personal music player or any other similar device, they make a choice as to whether they will listen to the music high or low, it is basically a matter of choice. There is nothing about MP3 technology that can directly lead to hearing loss. It is the choice we make. For those users who choose to always put their devices at manageable and recommended sounds the problem of hearing impairment might not affect them but for those who choose to ignore the warnings given by the manufacturers, this problem will affect the rest of their lives. They just make a mistake of listening to the music on loud volumes for too long therefore exposing themselves to al manner of dangers associated with the noise. (Chan,S and Kwok,S 2003 34) The European Union is planning to regulate the volumes on personal music players and other stereos due to the fears that usage of these devices is causing the damage to the ears. This action has been precipitated by the findings of the scientific commission which was given a task of coming out with ways in to which this problem that is threatening the ability of million to hear can be tackled. In normal circumstances the personal music players are allowed to go up to one hundred decibels but when it used with an inbuilt headphones the sound can go up to one hundred and twenty. This is way above the recommended safe sound volumes which are close to eighty five. The recommended sound levels by the European Union committee are eighty, a figure which has been pointed out as safe enough to warrant any fears. This clearly points out that it is only a matter of educating the users on how they are supposed to go about listening to music using their sophisticated technology. If someone decided to ignore the message, he or she can not blame the manufacturing company for the problems that hearing problems which might occur later in life due to inappropriate use of the device (Linkov,I and Steevens,J 2009 359) For the sake of those who ignore the information given by the manufacturers, the makers of these devices should be advised to limit the volume levels so that they do not exceed the recommended limits. Though this might affect their sales it is the right thing to do as it will save those who have a problem following the given instructions. The company will in the short term suffer minimal losses but in the long term they will have more users as they will have expanded the markets as the effects of these devices to the ears will be minimal. The users will have won the confident of the music players as they have been set according to the standards which are considered safe for average use. (Davis,G 2004 40) The government can not limit the time a given person will spend on the personal music player. This is an individual choice; we spend as much time as we can get on these entertainment gadgets. Therefore it is up to the users to limit themselves as to how long they are going to be exposed . The user should ensure that they spend less time listening to the music through their devices to minimise the risk involved. All these points indicate that the manufacturing companies have no role to play as far as the usage of the personal music player is concerned. Their duty is to inform the users of the dangers involved through playing it loud and continuos exposure over a long period. The rest lies with the person using the gadget to decide how much time he or she is going to spend listening and on what volume they will get their music. If one decides to put his or her health at risk you can not turn at the company and blame it for the presonal problems which were as aresult of own volition. The government has the responsibility of ensuring that the manufacturing company follow the standards as far as making of the personal music players is concerned. This will go a long way in saving the users who are conscious about their health. The recommeded standards should include limiting the volume settings to a particular level which can not harm the user even if the decide to ignore the warnings. People need to take a responsibility as far as their actions are concerned. There is a need for every user to take precautiosn as far as usage of these devices is concerned. Inappropriate use can lead to devastatiting health effects which would have been prevented if the user was careful. Technology advancement has come to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. This can only be achieved if we use this technology appropriately,use of personal music player beyond the recommended sound volume can lead to seroius effects which are not related to the manufacturing. The user have all the responsibility to ensure that this piece of sophistication does not harm him or her rather it serves the right purpose which is entertainment. (Markel,G 2007 25) The manufacturing company should carry a warning on the users who violate the instructions which comes along with the product. They have a responsibility to save the end users from their own ignorance. They can do this through offering and sponsoring sessions where users get to be taught on the proper methods of handling these entertainment equipement. This can help save some people but the biggest part should be played by the end user,they must use the device responsbly so as to avoid complications that might be brought by high sound volumes besides the time spent listening to the music at the expense of other important actiivities such as studying. The sole responsbility of the hearing loss as a result of inappropriate use of the personal music player and other related devices lies squarely on the user. He or she has the ability to control its use and therefore ealding a healthy life. (Anderson,B 2004 103) Work Cited Tulchinsky,T and Varavikova,N The New Public Health:An Introduction for the 21st Century,Academic Press (2000) Linkov,I and Steevens,J Nanomaterials ,Spring Publishers (2009) Davis,G How to do Everything with your iPod and iPod Mini,Mac Graw Hill Professionals (2004) Chan,S and Kwok,S Culture and Humanity in the new Millenium:the Future of Human Value Chinese University Press (2003) Kirk,R and Mayshork,C Personal Health in Ecological Perspective,Mosby (2007) Markel,G Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction,Geraldine Markel (2007) Jameson,P and Romer,D The Changing Portrayal of the Adloescents on the Media Since 1950,Oxford University Press (2008) Anderson,B Bringing Business to Life:Achieving Corporate Social Responsibility,ASQ Quality Publishers (2004)