Mental practice makes perfect. How to perfect your golf swing on the airplane.
By Matthew Hutson, published on January 01, 2009 - last reviewed on February 23, 2010
Just because you're stuck on an airplane doesn't mean you can't practice your golf swing. Or rehearse a piano concerto. Or even prep to perform heart surgery.
Athletes have long used mental imagery to complement physical practice, and research indicates that going through the motions only in your head can enhance performance just as well as—and sometimes better than—actually working up a sweat.
In one study at Texas A and M, medical students learning venipuncture received 30 minutes of guided physical practice followed by either 30 more minutes of practice, 30 minutes of guided mental imagery, or no more training. When tested, the first two groups performed better than the third, and just as well as each other. The same effect was seen in students learning to suture.
Mental rehearsal can be even better than physical practice because it activates more abstract neural representations of physical skills (with less specific detail about the muscles used), reports Erica Wohldmann, a psychologist at California State University Northridge. If you physically practice your tennis backhand with a coach, and then practice it incorrectly on your own, rehearsing the wrong movements could hinder relearning the right technique later.
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Mentally practicing a clumsy backhand is not muscularly detailed enough to hurt your swing. It is detailed enough to prevent forgetting what you've already learned, though. Further, having that abstract representation in your brain allows you to more flexibly apply your skills to novel scenarios—say, playing with an unfamiliar racquet.
The idea that mental imagery can improve motor performance as much as physical practice, and without the risk of interfering with correct form, seems like having your cake and eating it too. But don't give up the sweatbands just yet. For complicated tasks that rely on ongoing sensory feedback, physical practice is crucial. And besides, who wants to salsa dance only in their head? "What brings us joy," Wohldmann reminds us, "is being able to move."
All in Your Mind
Mental notes on mental imagery
Keep it vivid: "Try to feel in as much detail as possible your own body movements when you're mentally practicing," Wohldmann says—as long as you're doing them correctly.
Tailor your speed: When a task is new, run your simulations slowly so you can focus on the details. If you're an expert, quicker is better.
Watch and learn: Observing others perform can activate the same motor programs in your head, making you better.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Socratic Dictum and the Importance of Philosophy
By Leo Groarke
Summary
[193] The Socratic outlook is captured in Socrates' claim that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'. This outlook is vital for the well-being of a community and this may form the basis for an argument in favour of philosophical education.
The need for philosophical questioning is highlighted in the psychological experiments concerning authority made by Stanley Milgram. In these experiments individuals did not refuse to inflict pain on others when told to do so by an authority figure. [194] This tendency towards blind obedience to authority may help to explain the relationship between the Nazis and the German population. An unquestioning attitude towards political authority can thus have dangerous consequences. So Socratic questioning is vital for a well-balanced society.
In the Apology Socrates argued that if he were put to death it would be Athenian society, and not him, who would suffer the greater loss. His role as gadfly, although irritating, in fact benefited the community as a whole.
[195] Continual questioning in a society helps to correct old opinions and to generate new ideas. In modern society the impact of technology makes such questioning even more vital. In modern (nuclear) warfare a confused opinion can lead to the deaths of millions. Contemporary actions 'have more serious consequences than actions [did] in the past'. Moreover, technology creates a distance between one's actions and their consequences. [196] The way to overcome such 'distancing' is via Socratic reflection, reflection that must be undertaken by everyone in society.
In Plato's ideal state outlined in the Republic, such questioning by the general population is forbidden. [197] However this reflects his thought that the majority in society are not capable of genuine Socratic reflection, especially in the light of Socrates' execution. In order to make them capable, they need to be given the appropriate skills. This is where teaching philosophy has its role.
A specifically Socratic education should encourage Socratic reflection and questioning, rather than, say, the transfer of knowledge. This is the task for a philosophical education. Yet it is ironic that this is neglected in a democratic society like the USA, which is founded upon the principle that everybody should play a role in political decision making.
There are two parts in contemporary philosophical education that can help to promote this Socratic attitude. The first is informal logic, sometimes renamed 'critical thinking'. [198] There is no good reason why this should not be introduced at school level. The second is ethics. The author claims that:
The discussion of particular normative issues (nuclear weapons, women's rights, criminal justice, etc.) is essential to a satisfactory resolution of particular social issues.
Only with such discussion will individuals be able to make informed political choices. The realisation that, via informal logic and ethics, it will be possible to create a critical democratic society should form the basis for the promotion of the teaching of philosophy.
Comment
This article is a wonderfully naive eulogy to the democratic ideal. It assumes that, in a democratic society such as the USA, individual citizens can make real political choices and exert a genuine influence over the course of events. This naivety extends to the author's conception of the role of philosophy teaching, and is captured best in his claim that if enough university students discuss 'social issues' in seminars then the world will somehow become a better place. Moreover, if all US - or for that matter UK - citizens become amateur moral experts (pardon the expression) then their intelligent decisions at the ballot box will transform the way we live.
There are a number of issues that these claims raise, none of which are explicitly dealt within the article. Firstly there is the assumption that philosophy be 'useful' in some broadly social sense. The author appears to think that teaching philosophy requires some justification and he thinks that he has found it. He thinks that the primary reason why people are drawn to philosophy is to affect this sort of social change. No mention is made of, say, Aristotelian 'wonder' as an equally valid inspiration for philosophising.
Closely related to this is the way in which the author fails to distinguish between the image of Socrates as gadfly to society and the significance of the Socratic dictum that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'. The latter suggests, and is usually understood as, a call to self-examination, to be understood alongside Socrates' exhortation that one should 'take care of one's soul' [see e.g. Apology 30a-b]. Although Socrates may well have functioned as a gadfly attacking Athenian society, the purpose of this was to provoke others to take care of their own souls. In other words, it was to provoke others to engage upon an essentially personal philosophical project of self-examination. Socrates himself did not dare to make moral or political decisions, either for himself or for others, as he was only too aware of his own lack of knowledge and expertise in this area.
This, in turn, is closely related to a further point. Despite his references to the Apology and Republic, the author appears to have overlooked a central philosophical theme in Plato's early dialogues. Throughout these works Plato's Socrates searches for an expert in ethics, someone who can define what temperance is, what courage is, and so on. Yet such an expert is never found. Nor does Socrates ever claim to be that expert. The conclusion that one can draw from these dialogues is that expertise in matters moral and political is very rare, if indeed possible at all. In the Republic, Plato suggests that if anyone should hold political power it should be those with this expertise, i.e. the philosophers. Yet these are hypothetical philosophers in a hypothetical society, philosophers presumably more successful than Socrates in uncovering moral knowledge. All of this is far cry from the author's claim that university courses in informal logic and ethics will make the average citizen in a Western democracy a moral expert. Of course such courses may help to encourage cynicism and a distrust of those in genuine control, which can only be welcomed. In short, the author attempts to draw a positive and somewhat naive conclusion from the Socratic philosophical project, which is primarily negative and critical. What Socrates teaches (in Plato's early dialogues) is how to call into question the claims of ethical and political expertise made by others, but not how to run a Western liberal democracy. Attempting to justify the teaching of philosophy on the grounds that it will improve such a society seems to me to be deeply misguided.
[193] The Socratic outlook is captured in Socrates' claim that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'. This outlook is vital for the well-being of a community and this may form the basis for an argument in favour of philosophical education.
The need for philosophical questioning is highlighted in the psychological experiments concerning authority made by Stanley Milgram. In these experiments individuals did not refuse to inflict pain on others when told to do so by an authority figure. [194] This tendency towards blind obedience to authority may help to explain the relationship between the Nazis and the German population. An unquestioning attitude towards political authority can thus have dangerous consequences. So Socratic questioning is vital for a well-balanced society.
In the Apology Socrates argued that if he were put to death it would be Athenian society, and not him, who would suffer the greater loss. His role as gadfly, although irritating, in fact benefited the community as a whole.
[195] Continual questioning in a society helps to correct old opinions and to generate new ideas. In modern society the impact of technology makes such questioning even more vital. In modern (nuclear) warfare a confused opinion can lead to the deaths of millions. Contemporary actions 'have more serious consequences than actions [did] in the past'. Moreover, technology creates a distance between one's actions and their consequences. [196] The way to overcome such 'distancing' is via Socratic reflection, reflection that must be undertaken by everyone in society.
In Plato's ideal state outlined in the Republic, such questioning by the general population is forbidden. [197] However this reflects his thought that the majority in society are not capable of genuine Socratic reflection, especially in the light of Socrates' execution. In order to make them capable, they need to be given the appropriate skills. This is where teaching philosophy has its role.
A specifically Socratic education should encourage Socratic reflection and questioning, rather than, say, the transfer of knowledge. This is the task for a philosophical education. Yet it is ironic that this is neglected in a democratic society like the USA, which is founded upon the principle that everybody should play a role in political decision making.
There are two parts in contemporary philosophical education that can help to promote this Socratic attitude. The first is informal logic, sometimes renamed 'critical thinking'. [198] There is no good reason why this should not be introduced at school level. The second is ethics. The author claims that:
The discussion of particular normative issues (nuclear weapons, women's rights, criminal justice, etc.) is essential to a satisfactory resolution of particular social issues.
Only with such discussion will individuals be able to make informed political choices. The realisation that, via informal logic and ethics, it will be possible to create a critical democratic society should form the basis for the promotion of the teaching of philosophy.
Comment
This article is a wonderfully naive eulogy to the democratic ideal. It assumes that, in a democratic society such as the USA, individual citizens can make real political choices and exert a genuine influence over the course of events. This naivety extends to the author's conception of the role of philosophy teaching, and is captured best in his claim that if enough university students discuss 'social issues' in seminars then the world will somehow become a better place. Moreover, if all US - or for that matter UK - citizens become amateur moral experts (pardon the expression) then their intelligent decisions at the ballot box will transform the way we live.
There are a number of issues that these claims raise, none of which are explicitly dealt within the article. Firstly there is the assumption that philosophy be 'useful' in some broadly social sense. The author appears to think that teaching philosophy requires some justification and he thinks that he has found it. He thinks that the primary reason why people are drawn to philosophy is to affect this sort of social change. No mention is made of, say, Aristotelian 'wonder' as an equally valid inspiration for philosophising.
Closely related to this is the way in which the author fails to distinguish between the image of Socrates as gadfly to society and the significance of the Socratic dictum that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'. The latter suggests, and is usually understood as, a call to self-examination, to be understood alongside Socrates' exhortation that one should 'take care of one's soul' [see e.g. Apology 30a-b]. Although Socrates may well have functioned as a gadfly attacking Athenian society, the purpose of this was to provoke others to take care of their own souls. In other words, it was to provoke others to engage upon an essentially personal philosophical project of self-examination. Socrates himself did not dare to make moral or political decisions, either for himself or for others, as he was only too aware of his own lack of knowledge and expertise in this area.
This, in turn, is closely related to a further point. Despite his references to the Apology and Republic, the author appears to have overlooked a central philosophical theme in Plato's early dialogues. Throughout these works Plato's Socrates searches for an expert in ethics, someone who can define what temperance is, what courage is, and so on. Yet such an expert is never found. Nor does Socrates ever claim to be that expert. The conclusion that one can draw from these dialogues is that expertise in matters moral and political is very rare, if indeed possible at all. In the Republic, Plato suggests that if anyone should hold political power it should be those with this expertise, i.e. the philosophers. Yet these are hypothetical philosophers in a hypothetical society, philosophers presumably more successful than Socrates in uncovering moral knowledge. All of this is far cry from the author's claim that university courses in informal logic and ethics will make the average citizen in a Western democracy a moral expert. Of course such courses may help to encourage cynicism and a distrust of those in genuine control, which can only be welcomed. In short, the author attempts to draw a positive and somewhat naive conclusion from the Socratic philosophical project, which is primarily negative and critical. What Socrates teaches (in Plato's early dialogues) is how to call into question the claims of ethical and political expertise made by others, but not how to run a Western liberal democracy. Attempting to justify the teaching of philosophy on the grounds that it will improve such a society seems to me to be deeply misguided.
Wittgenstein's Bedrock: What Business Ethicists Do
Delivered to the Transatlantic Business Ethics Conference, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., September 27, 2002-- by Ronald Berenbeim***If I have exhausted the justification, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned,. Then I am inclined to say 'This is simply what I do."
So wrote Wittgenstein about his work as a philosopher. Enron and the stream of cases that have followed in its wake have certain common elements that .confront business ethicists with Wittgenstein's bedrock. Our spade is turned. It is much clearer than it was a year ago what it is that we do.
We now understand that the development of systems and methods for determining rules of conduct is the essential project of business ethics. Other concerns such as sustainable development and citizenship -- worthy objectives in their own way -- have little meaning in the absence of organizational commitment to principled business decision-making.
Enron, to cite the leading example, made much of its sensitivity to sustainable development issues. The company impressed socially responsible investors with its investment in alternatives to fossil fuels. Its wind energy investment was believed to be a forward-looking effort in this regard. Was wind energy one of the many Enron enterprises promoted by the company's special purpose entities? If it was, we know that "sustainable development" was a flag of convenience for Enron management's real agenda -- distorting earnings, hiding losses, and having ready cash available for personal use.
Enron was also lionized as a model corporate citizen. The company's substantial beneficence to Texas institutions such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Law School offer eloquent testimony to Enron's public spiritedness.
In the field of Corporate Governance [another one of business ethics' many tributaries] the company had a widely admired board consisting of non business members whose broad experience and expansive vision afforded the public assurance that its interests would always be part of Enron's deliberations. In a stirring address to a 1999 Houston Conference on Corporate Governance, Enron's CEO Ken Lay said that "the most important thing we expect from board members . . . [is] to ensure legal and ethical conduct by the company and everyone in the company." Of course, two Enron directors were the President and Dean respectively of the aforementioned Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Law School. Evidently, Ken Lay's awareness of one of business ethics' most rudimentary concepts -- conflict of interest -- was seriously defective. The same could be said for the directors who accepted contributions to their institutions.
Conflict of interest is not something that you learn in church or on your parents' knees. It is a real concept with some complicated and perhaps even counter-intuitive applications. The same could be said for moral hazard -circumstances that make it difficult for an individual to distinguish between personal and public good. Boards and CEOs failed to recognize the potential for moral hazard in options compensation. And the accounting, law, banking, and brokerage firms whose role it is to insist that their clients avoid conflict of interest and moral hazard situations failed to do so. The result was conflict-ridden boards that readily acceded to managed earnings.
An understanding by boards and CEOs of the need for full transparency and a demand for it from accountants, lawyers, bankers, and security analysts would have resulted in smaller profit claims and more long-term confidence in financial markets. Only an ethically challenged person would fail to recognize that this is not just a fair -- it is an essential one.
Indeed, commenting on what went wrong in the 90s, George Soros has written that "we can identify two specific elements: a decline in professional standards and a dramatic rise in conflict of interest." In Soros' view, lawyers, accountants, auditors, security analysts, corporate officers and bankers allowed the pursuit of profit to trump long-standing professional values. The social principles of which these "values" are an expression are, as Soros puts it, the "anchor" of financial markets.
The third ethics concept -- company developed business conduct standards -- is a much newer phenomenon, but it is essential in global markets that depend significantly on a company's capacity for self-regulation. No laws can successfully deter wrongful conduct without an effective compliance response from business institutions. And no compliance response that does not insist on an extra measure of prudence in company affairs beyond mere legal compliance will be entirely successful.
Since there ought to be widespread agreement on these points, one would think that business ethics would now be accorded new respect as an essential element in business education and practice. Of course, you and I know that this is not so. Enron and related cases have been used to argue that you can't teach business ethics. In all honesty, I must admit in this regard that Jeffrey Skilling would be a severe challenge to whatever pedagogical skills I may have. Recently, business ethics has been derided as little more than a hugely profitable public relations gambit to assure an anxious public and those few board members who care that all is well.
In brief, the argument is that you can't teach people to be ethical -- only parents and religious institutions can do that. Indeed, you cannot even cultivate a capability to be morally articulate. If anything, more effort needs to go into the teaching of "business law" -- which is a real thing.
These attacks ignore both the need to remedy deficiencies in the understanding of conflict of interest and moral hazard and the signal achievement of business ethics -- the compliance system. US compliance systems began as part of the Defense Industry Initiative. Following the adoption of the US Organizational Sentencing Guidelines, they were instituted by firms outside the defense industry. As US companies became increasingly active in global markets, they found that the compliance model was useful in helping to achieve common standards of business conduct in global operations. With the approval of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention by 35 countries in 1997, the compliance model attracted interest from non-US companies. Compliance systems are simple in structure and regardless of the company or the culture in which they are used, they rely on four key elements: [ 1 ] top management commitment; [2] code of conduct; [3] implementation through discussion and training; and [4] ommunication systems for reporting and documenting questionable practices.
Despite this uncomplicated model, the compliance system has been widely criticized as unworkable outside the US because of its rule-based approach and its reliance on "whistleblowing" --- a practice that critics believe for some reason to be odious everywhere but the United States where it is thought to be widely admired.
This is not the place to go into these objections. In my work on The World Bank project on East Asian Private Sector Initiatives, I have seen many companies in that region adopt compliance systems. Rather than being excessively rule based, the training programs that are part of the best compliance systems have used discussion of situations that the company has actually confronted to develop a principle-based approach to difficult issues.
But the most important thing to be said about compliance programs is that they work for the limited purpose for which they are intended. No "rogue employee" in a large company with an effective compliance system has destroyed that company -- or, quite likely, caused it serious harm. The one recent example of an employee who bankrupted a company was Nicholas Leeson of Barings. A few years ago I saw a television interview with Leeson. In so many words and with a tone of regret, he said that he could not believe that his activities had gone unnoticed. If Barings had a compliance program, perhaps the bank would still be in business and Leeson might have been spared an extended stay in a Singapore jail.
There is little evidence that Enron, to cite just one example, had a compliance system worthy of the name. Although, as I said earlier, compliance systems have the limited purpose of preventing or limiting the damage that a rogue employee can inflict on the company or stakeholders, I don't know of a company with a highly regarded compliance system that is in trouble.
We have yet to devise compliance programs that exercise truly effective oversight of senior executive and director conduct, but we have the next best thing. Directors and CEOs that are truly committed to their companies' compliance systems are a fairly safe bet to stay out of jail.
At the heart of this director-CEO support is an understanding that ethics and compliance systems constitute a company's recognition that regulation and enforcement are not just the job of legislators, prosecutors and judges. It is the company's duty as well. Recognition of that fact is the single most important act of corporate citizenship. Without such an understanding, a company would not have a governance system worthy of the name. And it would lack the necessary capability for recognizing those market failure situations where the exercise of moral restraint is essential for sustainable companies.
Finally, it is worth noting that all the companies that have failed so catastrophically had the best legal advice. I am not here to deride the importance of law but it has its limitations. People go to lawyers to find out what the rules are and whether the act that they are contemplating runs afoul of the rules. These are the individuals who think that our courses afford them instruction on how far they can go before they can get into trouble. They aren't interested in the underlying principles to which the law gives imperfect expression. The people who are now on their way to jail do not find themselves in this situation because of poor legal advice. Their problem is a lack of moral curiosity for which a better understanding of ethics is the only cure.
This brief survey of conflict of interest and moral hazard failures balanced in part by compliance system success is but one personal testament to how the current crisis of confidence in business institutions has been immensely helpful in finding the business ethics bedrock. Doubtless, each of us has his or her own story to tell. We owe considerable gratitude to the cavalcade of scoundrels who have helped us, in Wittgenstein's phrase, to reach the point where the "spade is turned" and we are now inclined to say "this is simply what I do."
So wrote Wittgenstein about his work as a philosopher. Enron and the stream of cases that have followed in its wake have certain common elements that .confront business ethicists with Wittgenstein's bedrock. Our spade is turned. It is much clearer than it was a year ago what it is that we do.
We now understand that the development of systems and methods for determining rules of conduct is the essential project of business ethics. Other concerns such as sustainable development and citizenship -- worthy objectives in their own way -- have little meaning in the absence of organizational commitment to principled business decision-making.
Enron, to cite the leading example, made much of its sensitivity to sustainable development issues. The company impressed socially responsible investors with its investment in alternatives to fossil fuels. Its wind energy investment was believed to be a forward-looking effort in this regard. Was wind energy one of the many Enron enterprises promoted by the company's special purpose entities? If it was, we know that "sustainable development" was a flag of convenience for Enron management's real agenda -- distorting earnings, hiding losses, and having ready cash available for personal use.
Enron was also lionized as a model corporate citizen. The company's substantial beneficence to Texas institutions such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Law School offer eloquent testimony to Enron's public spiritedness.
In the field of Corporate Governance [another one of business ethics' many tributaries] the company had a widely admired board consisting of non business members whose broad experience and expansive vision afforded the public assurance that its interests would always be part of Enron's deliberations. In a stirring address to a 1999 Houston Conference on Corporate Governance, Enron's CEO Ken Lay said that "the most important thing we expect from board members . . . [is] to ensure legal and ethical conduct by the company and everyone in the company." Of course, two Enron directors were the President and Dean respectively of the aforementioned Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Law School. Evidently, Ken Lay's awareness of one of business ethics' most rudimentary concepts -- conflict of interest -- was seriously defective. The same could be said for the directors who accepted contributions to their institutions.
Conflict of interest is not something that you learn in church or on your parents' knees. It is a real concept with some complicated and perhaps even counter-intuitive applications. The same could be said for moral hazard -circumstances that make it difficult for an individual to distinguish between personal and public good. Boards and CEOs failed to recognize the potential for moral hazard in options compensation. And the accounting, law, banking, and brokerage firms whose role it is to insist that their clients avoid conflict of interest and moral hazard situations failed to do so. The result was conflict-ridden boards that readily acceded to managed earnings.
An understanding by boards and CEOs of the need for full transparency and a demand for it from accountants, lawyers, bankers, and security analysts would have resulted in smaller profit claims and more long-term confidence in financial markets. Only an ethically challenged person would fail to recognize that this is not just a fair -- it is an essential one.
Indeed, commenting on what went wrong in the 90s, George Soros has written that "we can identify two specific elements: a decline in professional standards and a dramatic rise in conflict of interest." In Soros' view, lawyers, accountants, auditors, security analysts, corporate officers and bankers allowed the pursuit of profit to trump long-standing professional values. The social principles of which these "values" are an expression are, as Soros puts it, the "anchor" of financial markets.
The third ethics concept -- company developed business conduct standards -- is a much newer phenomenon, but it is essential in global markets that depend significantly on a company's capacity for self-regulation. No laws can successfully deter wrongful conduct without an effective compliance response from business institutions. And no compliance response that does not insist on an extra measure of prudence in company affairs beyond mere legal compliance will be entirely successful.
Since there ought to be widespread agreement on these points, one would think that business ethics would now be accorded new respect as an essential element in business education and practice. Of course, you and I know that this is not so. Enron and related cases have been used to argue that you can't teach business ethics. In all honesty, I must admit in this regard that Jeffrey Skilling would be a severe challenge to whatever pedagogical skills I may have. Recently, business ethics has been derided as little more than a hugely profitable public relations gambit to assure an anxious public and those few board members who care that all is well.
In brief, the argument is that you can't teach people to be ethical -- only parents and religious institutions can do that. Indeed, you cannot even cultivate a capability to be morally articulate. If anything, more effort needs to go into the teaching of "business law" -- which is a real thing.
These attacks ignore both the need to remedy deficiencies in the understanding of conflict of interest and moral hazard and the signal achievement of business ethics -- the compliance system. US compliance systems began as part of the Defense Industry Initiative. Following the adoption of the US Organizational Sentencing Guidelines, they were instituted by firms outside the defense industry. As US companies became increasingly active in global markets, they found that the compliance model was useful in helping to achieve common standards of business conduct in global operations. With the approval of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention by 35 countries in 1997, the compliance model attracted interest from non-US companies. Compliance systems are simple in structure and regardless of the company or the culture in which they are used, they rely on four key elements: [ 1 ] top management commitment; [2] code of conduct; [3] implementation through discussion and training; and [4] ommunication systems for reporting and documenting questionable practices.
Despite this uncomplicated model, the compliance system has been widely criticized as unworkable outside the US because of its rule-based approach and its reliance on "whistleblowing" --- a practice that critics believe for some reason to be odious everywhere but the United States where it is thought to be widely admired.
This is not the place to go into these objections. In my work on The World Bank project on East Asian Private Sector Initiatives, I have seen many companies in that region adopt compliance systems. Rather than being excessively rule based, the training programs that are part of the best compliance systems have used discussion of situations that the company has actually confronted to develop a principle-based approach to difficult issues.
But the most important thing to be said about compliance programs is that they work for the limited purpose for which they are intended. No "rogue employee" in a large company with an effective compliance system has destroyed that company -- or, quite likely, caused it serious harm. The one recent example of an employee who bankrupted a company was Nicholas Leeson of Barings. A few years ago I saw a television interview with Leeson. In so many words and with a tone of regret, he said that he could not believe that his activities had gone unnoticed. If Barings had a compliance program, perhaps the bank would still be in business and Leeson might have been spared an extended stay in a Singapore jail.
There is little evidence that Enron, to cite just one example, had a compliance system worthy of the name. Although, as I said earlier, compliance systems have the limited purpose of preventing or limiting the damage that a rogue employee can inflict on the company or stakeholders, I don't know of a company with a highly regarded compliance system that is in trouble.
We have yet to devise compliance programs that exercise truly effective oversight of senior executive and director conduct, but we have the next best thing. Directors and CEOs that are truly committed to their companies' compliance systems are a fairly safe bet to stay out of jail.
At the heart of this director-CEO support is an understanding that ethics and compliance systems constitute a company's recognition that regulation and enforcement are not just the job of legislators, prosecutors and judges. It is the company's duty as well. Recognition of that fact is the single most important act of corporate citizenship. Without such an understanding, a company would not have a governance system worthy of the name. And it would lack the necessary capability for recognizing those market failure situations where the exercise of moral restraint is essential for sustainable companies.
Finally, it is worth noting that all the companies that have failed so catastrophically had the best legal advice. I am not here to deride the importance of law but it has its limitations. People go to lawyers to find out what the rules are and whether the act that they are contemplating runs afoul of the rules. These are the individuals who think that our courses afford them instruction on how far they can go before they can get into trouble. They aren't interested in the underlying principles to which the law gives imperfect expression. The people who are now on their way to jail do not find themselves in this situation because of poor legal advice. Their problem is a lack of moral curiosity for which a better understanding of ethics is the only cure.
This brief survey of conflict of interest and moral hazard failures balanced in part by compliance system success is but one personal testament to how the current crisis of confidence in business institutions has been immensely helpful in finding the business ethics bedrock. Doubtless, each of us has his or her own story to tell. We owe considerable gratitude to the cavalcade of scoundrels who have helped us, in Wittgenstein's phrase, to reach the point where the "spade is turned" and we are now inclined to say "this is simply what I do."
Ethics
A reflection on democratic legitimacy, law and ethicsStates are not moral agents, people are,and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions. The aim of this essay, thus, is to elucidate to what extent democracy is needed in order to establish an ethical system reflected in a legal framework and to enforce the rules derived from it.
The existence of ethical codes and the process for them to be transferred into positive law has been discussed thoroughly by philosophers, political scientists, sociologists and lawyers. The same can be said of the process of enforcing the laws produced by the original ethical code. It is in this theoretical framework that our question arises: does democratic legitimacy make any difference in these two processes? And if so: to what extent?The relevance of this discussion, as we can derive from what we stated in the previous paragraph, is twofold, first when considering the process from ethics to law and second, when the observation of the law is enforced back to the individuals or the corporations.
When citizens are just passive objects of the law to which they are subjected with no power to change them: are these laws positive reflections of the general ethical code of the nation? Moreover, if the rule of law, basic in democracy, is diminished in absence of proper democratic arrangements such as the separation of the three political powers, yielding a system in which citizens and firms cannot defend themselves against the plaintiffs during the enforcement process: is there any legitimacy in the whole system?
Human history has a plethora of examples in which an individual or a group of individuals have tried to impose their own ethos to the majority. Most of the countries nowadays, not only the democratic ones but also those with autocratic regimes are struggling to impose a set of behavior rules to business. But whereas in the democratic regimes individuals and companies have a say in...
RELEVANCE OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY TO MODERN MANAGEMENT
Aim
The aim of this paper is to examine the strength of Indian philosophy and determine its relevance towards enhancing managerial effectiveness.
Synopsis
Management of resources, personnel and enterprises as a whole is becoming a very challenging task in today’s world, as the world is becoming a global village. Management as a science is also developing at a rapid pace. New concepts and theories are being developed to suit the requirements of the changing needs necessitated by this process of globalization. The political, economic, business, finance and social environments are also changing at an equally rapid pace. Thus today’s manager has to keep pace not only with the changing environments, but be in touch with the expanding horizons of knowledge in his respective managerial area. This rapidly changing canvas coupled with the associated stress and strain of achievement makes the task of the modern manager daunting.
We generally look for solutions to such problems by trying to adopt models which have been developed by researchers in modern times i.e. primarily by the present generation or the one before. We must learn to look inwards. We must draw strength from our vast heritage and come up with the solutions to our problems. In this context the treasure house of knowledge that we possess is in our scriptures. If we explore these treatises of knowledge we will definitely be able to find a solution to all our present day problems. Thus we must not only use these principles to solve our problems, but also let the western world get enlightened by this vast sea of knowledge gathered by the sages over the centuries and left for us to benefit from.
Any student of Management who has seen the trends in the last 40 years will find that from time to time there seems to have been an intersection of management concepts with spiritual or non-material concepts. In the late 60s and 70 when Japan began to give tough competition to the Americans the whole focus of the management experts, especially in the United States, was on how Japanese focused on quality which incidentally is a non-material value though it has material manifestation also as measured in terms and quality standards. Quality was the basis on which the Japanese gave a tough fight in the market place to the Americans. But then while trying to explain the success of the Japanese, the cultural issue of how the Japanese society was molded by the teachings of their beliefs came into focus. These emphasized that the community was above that of the individual’s interests. Attempts were thus made to explain the success of Japan in terms of the ethos of Japan and its society. In the late 70’s and early 80’s and up to 90’s we saw the success of the Asian tigers which included Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia. That was the time when Lee Kwan Yew started talking about “Asian values” being more important and a significant factor behind the success of the South East Asian Tigers. The issue of success in the market place based on values was recognized. The subsequent collapse of some of the South East Asian miracle economies, thanks to cronyism and corruption in the financial sector post 1997, perhaps also can be seen as another demonstration of the intersection between the society values and management practices and how values like nepotism, the primacy of the family over that of even the society can lead to disasters in management.
So far we have learned management from the western world. There is definitely nothing wrong in learning from anywhere, but when doing so we should be able to adopt the knowledge to suit our ethos and culture. A manager’s primary role is to maximize profits, get the best output from men and machines. While this attitude is definitely desirable at the workplace, it will fail miserably if extended to the family or at the social level. Thus the manager will have two different set of rules one for office and one outside office. This gives rise to a dual personality. Thus his behavior is a put-on job. He is not behaving normally at office, so, how long can one carry on in this manner? The Indian philosophy on the other hand advocates development of the individual holistically. Thus his spiritual growth is not diverse from his professional growth.
India is one of the very few countries having the longest history of unbroken continuity of culture, tradition and ethos. Management is not something new to the Indians. Ancient India was one of the leading countries in the world in trade. Our managers should remember this great heritage and base their role as a manager on Indian philosophy.
The aim of this paper is to examine the strength of Indian philosophy and determine its relevance towards enhancing managerial effectiveness.
Synopsis
Management of resources, personnel and enterprises as a whole is becoming a very challenging task in today’s world, as the world is becoming a global village. Management as a science is also developing at a rapid pace. New concepts and theories are being developed to suit the requirements of the changing needs necessitated by this process of globalization. The political, economic, business, finance and social environments are also changing at an equally rapid pace. Thus today’s manager has to keep pace not only with the changing environments, but be in touch with the expanding horizons of knowledge in his respective managerial area. This rapidly changing canvas coupled with the associated stress and strain of achievement makes the task of the modern manager daunting.
We generally look for solutions to such problems by trying to adopt models which have been developed by researchers in modern times i.e. primarily by the present generation or the one before. We must learn to look inwards. We must draw strength from our vast heritage and come up with the solutions to our problems. In this context the treasure house of knowledge that we possess is in our scriptures. If we explore these treatises of knowledge we will definitely be able to find a solution to all our present day problems. Thus we must not only use these principles to solve our problems, but also let the western world get enlightened by this vast sea of knowledge gathered by the sages over the centuries and left for us to benefit from.
Any student of Management who has seen the trends in the last 40 years will find that from time to time there seems to have been an intersection of management concepts with spiritual or non-material concepts. In the late 60s and 70 when Japan began to give tough competition to the Americans the whole focus of the management experts, especially in the United States, was on how Japanese focused on quality which incidentally is a non-material value though it has material manifestation also as measured in terms and quality standards. Quality was the basis on which the Japanese gave a tough fight in the market place to the Americans. But then while trying to explain the success of the Japanese, the cultural issue of how the Japanese society was molded by the teachings of their beliefs came into focus. These emphasized that the community was above that of the individual’s interests. Attempts were thus made to explain the success of Japan in terms of the ethos of Japan and its society. In the late 70’s and early 80’s and up to 90’s we saw the success of the Asian tigers which included Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia. That was the time when Lee Kwan Yew started talking about “Asian values” being more important and a significant factor behind the success of the South East Asian Tigers. The issue of success in the market place based on values was recognized. The subsequent collapse of some of the South East Asian miracle economies, thanks to cronyism and corruption in the financial sector post 1997, perhaps also can be seen as another demonstration of the intersection between the society values and management practices and how values like nepotism, the primacy of the family over that of even the society can lead to disasters in management.
So far we have learned management from the western world. There is definitely nothing wrong in learning from anywhere, but when doing so we should be able to adopt the knowledge to suit our ethos and culture. A manager’s primary role is to maximize profits, get the best output from men and machines. While this attitude is definitely desirable at the workplace, it will fail miserably if extended to the family or at the social level. Thus the manager will have two different set of rules one for office and one outside office. This gives rise to a dual personality. Thus his behavior is a put-on job. He is not behaving normally at office, so, how long can one carry on in this manner? The Indian philosophy on the other hand advocates development of the individual holistically. Thus his spiritual growth is not diverse from his professional growth.
India is one of the very few countries having the longest history of unbroken continuity of culture, tradition and ethos. Management is not something new to the Indians. Ancient India was one of the leading countries in the world in trade. Our managers should remember this great heritage and base their role as a manager on Indian philosophy.
History and Philosophy of Entrepreneurship
By Kalyani Rajopadhye (rajopadhyeks@uindy.edu)
Dr. Bruce Strom (bstrom@uindy.edu)
University of Indianapolis
This paper recollects the origin and growth of small businesses. It also provides philosophies by a few authors regarding entrepreneurship.
At one time, entrepreneurship was initiated typically by new immigrants to a land since they were typically unable to obtain traditional employment due to their foreign origin. The economic growth of a region thus was proportional to the influx of immigrants. Interestingly, entrepreneurship, commerce and money lending, were, in those days, less than prestigious and were actually looked down upon. Eventually, entrepreneurship was linked with religion as these legitimized trading as a profession, and no longer perceived strangers in a negative fashion e.g. the Protestant sect or Judaism. Several theories and definitions about entrepreneurship were subsequently put forth by sociologists, psychologists, historians and economists over the years. A great deal has been written on the subject by Joseph Schumpeter in the recent literature as he put forth the economic theory of entrepreneurship. He characterizes entrepreneurship as a political or economic individual or an organization in which innovation and change are proposed to be the basis of the system. Thus, he coined the term ‘creative destruction’ for the process of rethinking old ideas and discarding them for newer and better ones (Butler, 2002).
Characteristics of the modern economy are strikingly similar to those found in primitive economies of the ancient world, inclusive of their equivalents of today’s multinationals. Ancient literature reveals evidence for branding and advertising, global economies, virtual corporations, the rise of the nations, foreign investment attraction, industry clusters, knowledge based economy, and knowledge workers and traits such as being mean and lean. Thus, entrepreneurship has come a long way through its evolution into becoming an integral part of every nation’s economy.
This cannot be truer for America. The last two decades have seen a booming interest in entrepreneurship as manufacturing moved away from America, large enterprises that traditionally providing the core of jobs were struggling, and the future did not look pleasant. Thus, the country is in the process of rediscovering its entrepreneurial roots in a hope to create wealth, jobs, opportunities and hope. This has created an emphasis on literature and education related to the subject and has spurred the burgeoning of business schools. It has been argued in the literature that success in entrepreneurial activities has little relation to the business education. Instead, success was related to guts, timing, skill and determination (Butler,2002). Having said this, excellent teaching programs have emerged which are successful in converting education into practical success. There is a need to meet in the middle where theoretical knowledge about entrepreneurship needs to combine with practical experiences in order for entrepreneurial ventures to succeed. Moreover, the knowledge based nature of today’s industry demands cross-disciplinary education and knowledge for new ventures to succeed. Thus, there is an increasing need for industry savvy-scientists as well as science savvy businessmen.
Another feature of today’s commerce is the merging of science and technology with trade due to the revolutionary strides that have occurred in the past century. Thus the economy, today, has largely become knowledge based and cannot stand alone restricted to trade. The amalgamation and specialization creates a world of opportunities for entrepreneurs by virtue of increased needs of the industry today. Not only are there innumerable choices, but trends in the past decade indicate the stable nature of small businesses. While the stock market was very wealthy in the 90s, the wealth of small businesses fizzled. Since 2000, the big company values fell 25% while small company values fell just 4%. Since small companies are not public, their stocks have actually risen in the past couple of years (http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,309353,00.html).
Not only have small-company values held up better than the stock market, but right now, formerly scarce and costly items such as labor, facilities and equipment are plentiful and cheap. The average business creates only 60% of the value it is capable of creating. Today, venture capital investments serve as a major impetus for the development and expansion of large and small companies throughout the United States and worldwide. The percentage of security related venture investment in the US has steadily increased since 1999.
The following areas seem to be the most viable fields for entrepreneurial ventures today:
Biotechnology
Computing
Energy/environment
Telecommmunications
Hence, small businesses have demonstrated not only the ability to stay afloat, but also the potential to turn the economy around. Opportunities abound for entrepreneurs in all areas of business.
References:
1. John Sibley Butler. The Science and Practice of New Business Ventures: Wealth Creation and Prosperity through Entrepreneurship Growth and Renewal. 2002. http://www.usasbe.org/knowledge/whitepapers/index.asp.
2. http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,309353,00.html
©Copyright 2003 University of Indianapolis
Dr. Bruce Strom (bstrom@uindy.edu)
University of Indianapolis
This paper recollects the origin and growth of small businesses. It also provides philosophies by a few authors regarding entrepreneurship.
At one time, entrepreneurship was initiated typically by new immigrants to a land since they were typically unable to obtain traditional employment due to their foreign origin. The economic growth of a region thus was proportional to the influx of immigrants. Interestingly, entrepreneurship, commerce and money lending, were, in those days, less than prestigious and were actually looked down upon. Eventually, entrepreneurship was linked with religion as these legitimized trading as a profession, and no longer perceived strangers in a negative fashion e.g. the Protestant sect or Judaism. Several theories and definitions about entrepreneurship were subsequently put forth by sociologists, psychologists, historians and economists over the years. A great deal has been written on the subject by Joseph Schumpeter in the recent literature as he put forth the economic theory of entrepreneurship. He characterizes entrepreneurship as a political or economic individual or an organization in which innovation and change are proposed to be the basis of the system. Thus, he coined the term ‘creative destruction’ for the process of rethinking old ideas and discarding them for newer and better ones (Butler, 2002).
Characteristics of the modern economy are strikingly similar to those found in primitive economies of the ancient world, inclusive of their equivalents of today’s multinationals. Ancient literature reveals evidence for branding and advertising, global economies, virtual corporations, the rise of the nations, foreign investment attraction, industry clusters, knowledge based economy, and knowledge workers and traits such as being mean and lean. Thus, entrepreneurship has come a long way through its evolution into becoming an integral part of every nation’s economy.
This cannot be truer for America. The last two decades have seen a booming interest in entrepreneurship as manufacturing moved away from America, large enterprises that traditionally providing the core of jobs were struggling, and the future did not look pleasant. Thus, the country is in the process of rediscovering its entrepreneurial roots in a hope to create wealth, jobs, opportunities and hope. This has created an emphasis on literature and education related to the subject and has spurred the burgeoning of business schools. It has been argued in the literature that success in entrepreneurial activities has little relation to the business education. Instead, success was related to guts, timing, skill and determination (Butler,2002). Having said this, excellent teaching programs have emerged which are successful in converting education into practical success. There is a need to meet in the middle where theoretical knowledge about entrepreneurship needs to combine with practical experiences in order for entrepreneurial ventures to succeed. Moreover, the knowledge based nature of today’s industry demands cross-disciplinary education and knowledge for new ventures to succeed. Thus, there is an increasing need for industry savvy-scientists as well as science savvy businessmen.
Another feature of today’s commerce is the merging of science and technology with trade due to the revolutionary strides that have occurred in the past century. Thus the economy, today, has largely become knowledge based and cannot stand alone restricted to trade. The amalgamation and specialization creates a world of opportunities for entrepreneurs by virtue of increased needs of the industry today. Not only are there innumerable choices, but trends in the past decade indicate the stable nature of small businesses. While the stock market was very wealthy in the 90s, the wealth of small businesses fizzled. Since 2000, the big company values fell 25% while small company values fell just 4%. Since small companies are not public, their stocks have actually risen in the past couple of years (http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,309353,00.html).
Not only have small-company values held up better than the stock market, but right now, formerly scarce and costly items such as labor, facilities and equipment are plentiful and cheap. The average business creates only 60% of the value it is capable of creating. Today, venture capital investments serve as a major impetus for the development and expansion of large and small companies throughout the United States and worldwide. The percentage of security related venture investment in the US has steadily increased since 1999.
The following areas seem to be the most viable fields for entrepreneurial ventures today:
Biotechnology
Computing
Energy/environment
Telecommmunications
Hence, small businesses have demonstrated not only the ability to stay afloat, but also the potential to turn the economy around. Opportunities abound for entrepreneurs in all areas of business.
References:
1. John Sibley Butler. The Science and Practice of New Business Ventures: Wealth Creation and Prosperity through Entrepreneurship Growth and Renewal. 2002. http://www.usasbe.org/knowledge/whitepapers/index.asp.
2. http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,309353,00.html
©Copyright 2003 University of Indianapolis
The Power of Ideas by Ryan P. Allis
Just after 9:00am on April 19, 1995 a bomb exploded in the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One hundred sixty-eight people, including 19 children, were killed. The building was damaged to such an extent that it was later demolished. The death and destruction demonstrates not only to the power of the bomb but also power of ideas. That day the power of neo-Nazi ideas about "white power," "racial purity," Jews, and other "inferior" races and ethnic groups was shown.
At 8:45am on September 11, 2001 a fuel-filled American Airlines plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. At 9:03am a second plane hit the south tower, instantly killing hundreds and causing dozens of others to choose between jumping to their deaths or suffocating. Sixty two minutes later the south tower fell, followed shortly thereafter by the north tower. Three thousand sixty six young professionals, tourists, firemen, police, and children were killed that day. Killed because of a hatred of liberalism and humanistic secularism. Killed because of nationalism—the belief that all Arabs belong to a single nation. Killed because of the power of ideas. Killed because of a philosophy. Killed because of an ideology.
Values, philosophies, and ideas are immensely important. As John Stuart Mill said in Representative Government, "It is what men think, that determines how they act." Ideologies—belief systems—can be the cause of wars, hatred, death, or prosperity. As such, it is very important for each human to analyze their own ideology, to not without question pickup the religious, economic, and political views of his or her parents, and to truly know why they do what they do and for what they would or would not sacrifice. As such, I will attempt here to explain the principles of my philosophy—the philosophy of an entrepreneur.
Part One: The Base Tenets of My Philosophy
Today, the main players on the ideological battleground are socialists, conservatives, welfare liberals, neoclassical liberals, libertarians, conservatives, anarchists, and neo-fascists. As Francis Fukayama points out in The End of History and the Last Man liberalism has won the battle and been accepted by nearly everyone. Although dissent still exists, the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire and J.S. Mill have, for now, won the day.
To quickly illustrate this point, I will point out that both of the major political parties in the United States are parties that believe in liberalism. Republicans are simply neoclassical liberals who believe that less government can lead to more freedom, while Democrats, often the ones referred to as liberals, are welfare liberals who believe that equality of opportunity does not exist in the United States and the government can take positive actions to rectify this freedom-reducing wrong.
Liberalism sprang up as a reaction to two of the characteristic features of medieval society in Europe—religious conformity and ascribed status. This reaction took place in different times in different places. By the early 19 th century however, ‘liberalism’ had entered the vocabulary of politics and a distinct ‘liberal’ viewpoint emerged. Liberals wanted freedom of religion and separation of church and state. These ideas were diametrically opposed to the thinking of the Middle Ages during which church and state were supposed to work together to defend and spread religion.
The other feature of medieval society which early liberals disagreed with was ascribed status. In medieval times, a person’s class standing was fixed (ascribed) at birth and one could not improve his or her lot or have any upward mobility. The liberals instead wanted to create a society based on achieved status in which everyone has an equal opportunity to work his or her way up in society. Liberalism demanded equality of opportunity and an end to aristocratic privilege. This surely was not possible under the system of feudalism that developed after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire in the ninth century.
With the wealth controlled by those whom had the most incentive to keep the system as it was, it would take a number of events and many centuries for liberalism to emerge. Adding to the chance liberalism would succeed was the Magna Carta, Renaissance, Black Death, expansion in trade and commerce, the discovery of the new world, the Protestant Reformation, the English Bill of Rights of 1688 and the American and French revolutions.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) is recognized as one of the early founders of liberalism. He introduced the ideas of self-interest and that government should only be obeyed as long as the person or persons in power protected its people in Leviathan (1651). Hobbes argued that government was formed by the consent of the people and that all individuals are equal.
John Locke continued on Hobbes’ path by stating in his Letter Concerning Toleration that it was wrong for governments to force their subjects to conform to a particular religion. He stated that governments should tolerate diverse religious beliefs as long as those beliefs did not directly jeopardize the order of the state. Locke set forth the natural rights of all humans as life, liberty, and property—rights that no one could take away without cause and explained that the populace had the right to overthrow any government that threatened these natural rights.
These beliefs were summed up eighty six years later in the Declaration of Independence of the United States . It was "self evident":
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
These beliefs were committed to writing once again thirteen years on with the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. Here are three articles that illustrate this commitment to liberalism.
Article I: ?????????? Men are born, and always continue, free and equal in respect of their rights. Civil distinctions [i.e., ranks or estates], therefore, can be founded only on public utility.
Article II:?????????? The end [i.e., goal] or all political associates is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.?
Article X:?????????? No man ought to be molested on account of his opinions, not even on account of his religious opinions, provided his avowal of them does not disturb the public order established by the law.
Liberalism as it is the core of what of believe. I firmly and wholeheartedly believe in freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and equality of opportunity for all humans. I believe government is created with the consent of the governed and that its main roles are to provide security, protect and promote liberty, and make laws. Finally, I believe that a democratic republic is the best form of government man has created to date.
These statements leave many questions unanswered, however. What is the best economic system? Why do I feel entrepreneurship and competitive market economies are very positive things? Which ‘side’ of liberalism am I on, right or left, neoclassical conservative or welfare liberal?
Part two: My Economic Philosophy
There are many questions to be answered in determining one’s economic philosophy. Though not neo-classical, I would consider myself economically conservative. I am a believer in competitive market economies and the possibility of the human spirit and potential along the lines of Abraham Maslow; however I am similarly compassionate to the core for the welfare of the human.
I surely do not use the ideal of liberalistic laissez faire, no regulation and no government interference, as a fa硤e to pay less taxes and enrich myself while those without the same opportunity as I languish, as many of the further right conservatives do. On the other hand, I do believe that those who build the real economy, the entrepreneurs and business owners, should be given incentives to produce and that their incentive should not be taxed or regulated away. Without such incentives or with too much regulation, the wealth that is needed to have the ability to provide jobs or assistance to the impoverished would be non-existent.
My beliefs on the source and redistribution of wealth are encapsulated best by the following quotes from George Gilder’s Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise
"The distribution of capitalism makes sense, but not because of the virtue or greed of entrepreneurs or the invisible hand of the market. The reason capitalism works is that creators of wealth are granted the right and burden of reinvesting it—of choosing the others who are given it in the investment process&ldots;The very process of creating wealth is the best possible education for creating more wealth. An economy can continue to grow only if its profits are joined with entrepreneur knowledge." (p. 7) "As Marxist despots and tribal socialists from Cuba to Angola have discovered to their huge disappointment, governments can expropriate wealth, but can not appropriate it or redistribute it. (p. 10) "The wealth of America is not an inventory of goods; it is an organic living entity, a fragile pulsing fabric of ideas, expectations, loyalties, moral commitments, visions." (p. 15) "Wealth consists not chiefly n things but in thought." (p. 68) "Castro imagined that by expropriating the capitalists, he was gaining command of his nation’s most important capital. In fact, he was giving it to America &ldots; Perhaps the most impressive Cuban success story outside Miami occurred in Atlanta, Georgia . In October 1960 when Castro confiscated Coca-Cola’s Cuban bottling plan in Havana, he drove into exile a young chemist named Roberto Goizueta. Goizueta became and area chemist with Coca-Cola in Nassau, came to the United States , rose quickly though the ranks, and in 1981 became chief executive and chairman of the board of this $5 billion company. Castro got the bottling equipment the United Sates got a major industrial leader." (p. 115) From these quotes you may see that I believe that wealth is an intangible thing. It is not a dollar bill or a bar of gold. Wealth is simply the right to enlist the labor of man or purchase something created with that labor. It is created through ideas, know-how, and the investment of money. When money is taken from those who best know how to create wealth and given to those with few ideas and little know-how, less wealth is often created. When less wealth exists, everyone suffers, especially those at the lower end of the economic spectrum. While it would be a moral thing to redistribute income from the well-off to the impoverished, such a distribution in too large of amount would not benefit them as the wealth those well-off could have created with those funds would benefit the impoverished significantly more than the one time spending of the redistributed income by those receiving the redistributed income.
I believe my thoughts on the socio-economic divide and equality can be best summed up by quoting my April 2003 article, "Why I Stood Up for Free Enterprise: Thoughts on the Socioeconomic Divide and Equality".
A child born to a wealthy family in Bethesda, Maryland will have a very different life and set of opportunities than a child born to a peasant family in Zimbabwe . Comparing these two persons does not prove very fruitful, as the economic and political situation between the United States and Zimbabwe are vastly different. But what about a child born to a wealthy U.S. family versus a child born to a impoverished U.S. family? And what about a white child versus a black or Hispanic child? Are the opportunities the same? Is there truly equality of opportunity?
Surely there is not. The white child born to the wealthy family will undoubtedly grow up in a good neighborhood, go to good primary and secondary schools, likely private ones, be cared for by both parents, be encouraged to go to a college, have his college paid for, be provided with a car, house, and a good job upon graduation, and receive a large sum bequeathed to him upon his parents passing. The poor minority child will likely only have one parent, not have that parent around too often, be living in poor conditions, be exposed to drugs and violence at an early age, and have a good chance of impregnating someone before he reaches adulthood. He will attend poor schools throughout and never have the encouragement or additional assistance needed to do well. He will likely never reach college or finish high school and end up uneducated, an early parent, and with a low-wage job. The cycle of poverty will continue to the next generation.
So how, if I believe that there truly is not equality of opportunity in the United States can I so vehemently support its economic system. Well, perhaps the following anecdote will illustrate the answer.
Standing Up for the Free Enterprise System
Exactly a month ago today, the day after the start of the war in Iraq, my very-liberal PSYC 10 professor decided to postpone the class on development psychology in favor of having a ‘discussion’ on why he was against the war and why it was an immoral and illegal war. While I had no problem with him expressing these feelings, I did have a problem when he turned the anti-war speech into a tirade on the American competitive market economy.
Thankfully, Dr. Lawson opened the floor for comments after his twenty minute speech. With three hundred students in the lecture hall looking on, no one raised their hand to speak. I raised my hand, and taking my notes with me, proceeded to the front of the room as the professor handed me the microphone. I began with a comment that in Iraq Professor Lawson would have been stoned, hung, shot, or otherwise killed and what I liked about this country was that one could speak their mind without fear. I continued that he in fact did have free speech in the university setting, but personally I had come that day to learn psychology. This caused the students to cheer. I think they were quite surprised by this point. Who was this kid taking on his professor in front of hundreds of people?
Fortunately, we all knew Dr. Lawson well, or at least knew he was a very easy-going guy. Somehow we discerned this by stories of his twelve years living in developing countries and going to the beach and doing yoga every day. I was sure that he would welcome differing opinions, so I continued. I mentioned that I was not going to talk about the war, as we had all heard the pros and cons ad nauseum, but rather, wanted to give a rebuttal to some of his comments about the free enterprise system. I felt that I someone had to fight for the competitive market economy. Being an economics major, entrepreneur, and Vice-President of the Carolina Entrepreneurship Club I thought I was a good person to do it.
Comments like, "Money is the root of all evil," that the "rich are battling the poor in America ," and other anti-capitalist overtones drove me past the brink. So I stood up and told Dr. Lawson that in fact money is the root of all prosperity. That without it societies would have to resort to barter, greatly reducing the amount of trade and welfare in the world. Further I explained that the only reason that we had the awesome facilities in that room was because of free enterprise – that without a competitive market for desks, lights, seats, microphones, projectors, carpet, wood, paint, and construction the room we were in could never exist, that the high standards of living we have are directly due to the competitive market economy, and that without a competitive market economy we would have no incentive to produce and to make high quality goods at low costs.
In response to his comment that there was ‘the biggest disparity between rich and poor since slavery’ I added that anybody that was motivated enough could, through entrepreneurship, support themselves and break out of poverty. I added that it was not the disparity that mattered, but rather the ability of anyone to become anything they dream. This was what truly mattered. A large pie unevenly distributed is much better than a small pie divvied up exactly in equal proportion. As former Chinese ruler Deng Xiaoping once noted, "I can distribute poverty or I can distribute wealth." It is better for there to be inequality and the worst-off person have $10 than there to be equality and everyone have $5.
So did this anecdote elucidate my views? Essentially, I submit the fact that in the U.S. there is not equality of opportunity. However, I retain that anybody of solid mental faculty can, with enough desire and perseverance, reach the same heights as anyone born into money and a supportive family. While it is not perfect, there are great opportunities in the economic system we have, and without the incentives provided within it, we would all be worse off and there would be a lot more of us in poverty. Surely there is some corruption within the economic system we have, but surely it was much less that that in other countries and other systems. The competitive market economy is the best system man has created to date.
A Preface to the Beliefs & the Beginning of a Treatise for Change
I was completely sure of this view talking that day in psychology. I stood up there and vigorously and eloquently defended what I held to be dear and true.
A girl came up to me after class that day, however; a girl named Allison. Allison just asked me to consider that perhaps many poor persons did not have the opportunity I had had. It was true. I had two loving parents, a mom who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and be independent, and a supportive childhood during which I received a good education. I also had the luck to become good at web site development and web marketing and help build a company to a million dollars in sales my senior year of high school, providing at least some financial comfort for me.
I had never considered how difficult it would be for a person taking on loans to get through college to start a business. I had never considered how difficult it would have been for me to start a business without loving parents supporting me. I had never considered how difficult it would have been to obtain a good education without the encouragement to go to school and do well. I never considered how difficult it would have been to start a business if one of my parents was a drug addict. I had never considered how hard it would have been to start a business if I would have grown up with murder and drugs outside my door. I had never considered how hard it would have been to start a business if my parents didn’t tell me what I needed to know about sex and I would have impregnated a girl at fifteen.
So do these considerations change my views on the competitive market economy and entrepreneurship? No, not one bit. It just added a bit of compassion to them. I realize that our world is not perfect and as long as there are things like heroine, guns, and gangsta rap out there it will never be. I realize that as long as the animalistic nature of aggression resides in the instinctual genetic make-up of homo sapiens the world will never be perfect. While we may not be able to start people out on the same footing, we can through competitive market economies, entrepreneurship, public education, charity, and a little bit of compassion provide any person who wants to take hold of it the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and make something of themselves. It is up to that person to take the initiative. It is up to us to spread the word that this possibility is there.
I believe in the principles of liberalism and competitive markets and am a strong anti-corruption advocate. I feel that, from an economic standpoint, I combine the economic principles of neo-liberalism (conservatives) with the compassion and goals of welfare liberalism (liberals). This is surely a fine line to toe.
Note: This article is in draft form and will be updated and extended in the coming months. I plan to extend this article with discussion on the social welfare philosophy of T.H. Green, the benefits from entrepreneurship, mercantilism, the downfall of Communism, the type of capitalism I am against, why I am against corruption, exploitation, and lavish spending on non-investment items, development vs. ecology, where government is essential, the economics of developing countries, the enigma of Malthusian theory, the importance of sustainability, the mission for the foundation I will be starting, and trade policy.
Ryan P. Allis, 20, is the author of Zero to One Million, a guide to building a company to $1 million in sales, and the founder of zeromillion.com. Ryan is also the CEO of Broadwick Corp., a provider of the permission-based email marketing software and CEO of Virante, Inc., a web marketing and search engine optimization firm. Ryan is an economics major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is a Blanchard Scholar. [learn more.. Article on philosophy, of, an, entrepreneur by Ryan P Allis
Tags: [cached]: nazi ideas, racial purity, philosophy today, american airlines, oklahoma city oklahoma, neo nazi, inferior races, belief systems, september 11 2001, murrah federal building, south tower, north tower, second plane, john stuart mill, representative government, death and destruction, young professionals, secularism, political views, april 19 1995.
At 8:45am on September 11, 2001 a fuel-filled American Airlines plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. At 9:03am a second plane hit the south tower, instantly killing hundreds and causing dozens of others to choose between jumping to their deaths or suffocating. Sixty two minutes later the south tower fell, followed shortly thereafter by the north tower. Three thousand sixty six young professionals, tourists, firemen, police, and children were killed that day. Killed because of a hatred of liberalism and humanistic secularism. Killed because of nationalism—the belief that all Arabs belong to a single nation. Killed because of the power of ideas. Killed because of a philosophy. Killed because of an ideology.
Values, philosophies, and ideas are immensely important. As John Stuart Mill said in Representative Government, "It is what men think, that determines how they act." Ideologies—belief systems—can be the cause of wars, hatred, death, or prosperity. As such, it is very important for each human to analyze their own ideology, to not without question pickup the religious, economic, and political views of his or her parents, and to truly know why they do what they do and for what they would or would not sacrifice. As such, I will attempt here to explain the principles of my philosophy—the philosophy of an entrepreneur.
Part One: The Base Tenets of My Philosophy
Today, the main players on the ideological battleground are socialists, conservatives, welfare liberals, neoclassical liberals, libertarians, conservatives, anarchists, and neo-fascists. As Francis Fukayama points out in The End of History and the Last Man liberalism has won the battle and been accepted by nearly everyone. Although dissent still exists, the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire and J.S. Mill have, for now, won the day.
To quickly illustrate this point, I will point out that both of the major political parties in the United States are parties that believe in liberalism. Republicans are simply neoclassical liberals who believe that less government can lead to more freedom, while Democrats, often the ones referred to as liberals, are welfare liberals who believe that equality of opportunity does not exist in the United States and the government can take positive actions to rectify this freedom-reducing wrong.
Liberalism sprang up as a reaction to two of the characteristic features of medieval society in Europe—religious conformity and ascribed status. This reaction took place in different times in different places. By the early 19 th century however, ‘liberalism’ had entered the vocabulary of politics and a distinct ‘liberal’ viewpoint emerged. Liberals wanted freedom of religion and separation of church and state. These ideas were diametrically opposed to the thinking of the Middle Ages during which church and state were supposed to work together to defend and spread religion.
The other feature of medieval society which early liberals disagreed with was ascribed status. In medieval times, a person’s class standing was fixed (ascribed) at birth and one could not improve his or her lot or have any upward mobility. The liberals instead wanted to create a society based on achieved status in which everyone has an equal opportunity to work his or her way up in society. Liberalism demanded equality of opportunity and an end to aristocratic privilege. This surely was not possible under the system of feudalism that developed after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire in the ninth century.
With the wealth controlled by those whom had the most incentive to keep the system as it was, it would take a number of events and many centuries for liberalism to emerge. Adding to the chance liberalism would succeed was the Magna Carta, Renaissance, Black Death, expansion in trade and commerce, the discovery of the new world, the Protestant Reformation, the English Bill of Rights of 1688 and the American and French revolutions.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) is recognized as one of the early founders of liberalism. He introduced the ideas of self-interest and that government should only be obeyed as long as the person or persons in power protected its people in Leviathan (1651). Hobbes argued that government was formed by the consent of the people and that all individuals are equal.
John Locke continued on Hobbes’ path by stating in his Letter Concerning Toleration that it was wrong for governments to force their subjects to conform to a particular religion. He stated that governments should tolerate diverse religious beliefs as long as those beliefs did not directly jeopardize the order of the state. Locke set forth the natural rights of all humans as life, liberty, and property—rights that no one could take away without cause and explained that the populace had the right to overthrow any government that threatened these natural rights.
These beliefs were summed up eighty six years later in the Declaration of Independence of the United States . It was "self evident":
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
These beliefs were committed to writing once again thirteen years on with the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. Here are three articles that illustrate this commitment to liberalism.
Article I: ?????????? Men are born, and always continue, free and equal in respect of their rights. Civil distinctions [i.e., ranks or estates], therefore, can be founded only on public utility.
Article II:?????????? The end [i.e., goal] or all political associates is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.?
Article X:?????????? No man ought to be molested on account of his opinions, not even on account of his religious opinions, provided his avowal of them does not disturb the public order established by the law.
Liberalism as it is the core of what of believe. I firmly and wholeheartedly believe in freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and equality of opportunity for all humans. I believe government is created with the consent of the governed and that its main roles are to provide security, protect and promote liberty, and make laws. Finally, I believe that a democratic republic is the best form of government man has created to date.
These statements leave many questions unanswered, however. What is the best economic system? Why do I feel entrepreneurship and competitive market economies are very positive things? Which ‘side’ of liberalism am I on, right or left, neoclassical conservative or welfare liberal?
Part two: My Economic Philosophy
There are many questions to be answered in determining one’s economic philosophy. Though not neo-classical, I would consider myself economically conservative. I am a believer in competitive market economies and the possibility of the human spirit and potential along the lines of Abraham Maslow; however I am similarly compassionate to the core for the welfare of the human.
I surely do not use the ideal of liberalistic laissez faire, no regulation and no government interference, as a fa硤e to pay less taxes and enrich myself while those without the same opportunity as I languish, as many of the further right conservatives do. On the other hand, I do believe that those who build the real economy, the entrepreneurs and business owners, should be given incentives to produce and that their incentive should not be taxed or regulated away. Without such incentives or with too much regulation, the wealth that is needed to have the ability to provide jobs or assistance to the impoverished would be non-existent.
My beliefs on the source and redistribution of wealth are encapsulated best by the following quotes from George Gilder’s Recapturing the Spirit of Enterprise
"The distribution of capitalism makes sense, but not because of the virtue or greed of entrepreneurs or the invisible hand of the market. The reason capitalism works is that creators of wealth are granted the right and burden of reinvesting it—of choosing the others who are given it in the investment process&ldots;The very process of creating wealth is the best possible education for creating more wealth. An economy can continue to grow only if its profits are joined with entrepreneur knowledge." (p. 7) "As Marxist despots and tribal socialists from Cuba to Angola have discovered to their huge disappointment, governments can expropriate wealth, but can not appropriate it or redistribute it. (p. 10) "The wealth of America is not an inventory of goods; it is an organic living entity, a fragile pulsing fabric of ideas, expectations, loyalties, moral commitments, visions." (p. 15) "Wealth consists not chiefly n things but in thought." (p. 68) "Castro imagined that by expropriating the capitalists, he was gaining command of his nation’s most important capital. In fact, he was giving it to America &ldots; Perhaps the most impressive Cuban success story outside Miami occurred in Atlanta, Georgia . In October 1960 when Castro confiscated Coca-Cola’s Cuban bottling plan in Havana, he drove into exile a young chemist named Roberto Goizueta. Goizueta became and area chemist with Coca-Cola in Nassau, came to the United States , rose quickly though the ranks, and in 1981 became chief executive and chairman of the board of this $5 billion company. Castro got the bottling equipment the United Sates got a major industrial leader." (p. 115) From these quotes you may see that I believe that wealth is an intangible thing. It is not a dollar bill or a bar of gold. Wealth is simply the right to enlist the labor of man or purchase something created with that labor. It is created through ideas, know-how, and the investment of money. When money is taken from those who best know how to create wealth and given to those with few ideas and little know-how, less wealth is often created. When less wealth exists, everyone suffers, especially those at the lower end of the economic spectrum. While it would be a moral thing to redistribute income from the well-off to the impoverished, such a distribution in too large of amount would not benefit them as the wealth those well-off could have created with those funds would benefit the impoverished significantly more than the one time spending of the redistributed income by those receiving the redistributed income.
I believe my thoughts on the socio-economic divide and equality can be best summed up by quoting my April 2003 article, "Why I Stood Up for Free Enterprise: Thoughts on the Socioeconomic Divide and Equality".
A child born to a wealthy family in Bethesda, Maryland will have a very different life and set of opportunities than a child born to a peasant family in Zimbabwe . Comparing these two persons does not prove very fruitful, as the economic and political situation between the United States and Zimbabwe are vastly different. But what about a child born to a wealthy U.S. family versus a child born to a impoverished U.S. family? And what about a white child versus a black or Hispanic child? Are the opportunities the same? Is there truly equality of opportunity?
Surely there is not. The white child born to the wealthy family will undoubtedly grow up in a good neighborhood, go to good primary and secondary schools, likely private ones, be cared for by both parents, be encouraged to go to a college, have his college paid for, be provided with a car, house, and a good job upon graduation, and receive a large sum bequeathed to him upon his parents passing. The poor minority child will likely only have one parent, not have that parent around too often, be living in poor conditions, be exposed to drugs and violence at an early age, and have a good chance of impregnating someone before he reaches adulthood. He will attend poor schools throughout and never have the encouragement or additional assistance needed to do well. He will likely never reach college or finish high school and end up uneducated, an early parent, and with a low-wage job. The cycle of poverty will continue to the next generation.
So how, if I believe that there truly is not equality of opportunity in the United States can I so vehemently support its economic system. Well, perhaps the following anecdote will illustrate the answer.
Standing Up for the Free Enterprise System
Exactly a month ago today, the day after the start of the war in Iraq, my very-liberal PSYC 10 professor decided to postpone the class on development psychology in favor of having a ‘discussion’ on why he was against the war and why it was an immoral and illegal war. While I had no problem with him expressing these feelings, I did have a problem when he turned the anti-war speech into a tirade on the American competitive market economy.
Thankfully, Dr. Lawson opened the floor for comments after his twenty minute speech. With three hundred students in the lecture hall looking on, no one raised their hand to speak. I raised my hand, and taking my notes with me, proceeded to the front of the room as the professor handed me the microphone. I began with a comment that in Iraq Professor Lawson would have been stoned, hung, shot, or otherwise killed and what I liked about this country was that one could speak their mind without fear. I continued that he in fact did have free speech in the university setting, but personally I had come that day to learn psychology. This caused the students to cheer. I think they were quite surprised by this point. Who was this kid taking on his professor in front of hundreds of people?
Fortunately, we all knew Dr. Lawson well, or at least knew he was a very easy-going guy. Somehow we discerned this by stories of his twelve years living in developing countries and going to the beach and doing yoga every day. I was sure that he would welcome differing opinions, so I continued. I mentioned that I was not going to talk about the war, as we had all heard the pros and cons ad nauseum, but rather, wanted to give a rebuttal to some of his comments about the free enterprise system. I felt that I someone had to fight for the competitive market economy. Being an economics major, entrepreneur, and Vice-President of the Carolina Entrepreneurship Club I thought I was a good person to do it.
Comments like, "Money is the root of all evil," that the "rich are battling the poor in America ," and other anti-capitalist overtones drove me past the brink. So I stood up and told Dr. Lawson that in fact money is the root of all prosperity. That without it societies would have to resort to barter, greatly reducing the amount of trade and welfare in the world. Further I explained that the only reason that we had the awesome facilities in that room was because of free enterprise – that without a competitive market for desks, lights, seats, microphones, projectors, carpet, wood, paint, and construction the room we were in could never exist, that the high standards of living we have are directly due to the competitive market economy, and that without a competitive market economy we would have no incentive to produce and to make high quality goods at low costs.
In response to his comment that there was ‘the biggest disparity between rich and poor since slavery’ I added that anybody that was motivated enough could, through entrepreneurship, support themselves and break out of poverty. I added that it was not the disparity that mattered, but rather the ability of anyone to become anything they dream. This was what truly mattered. A large pie unevenly distributed is much better than a small pie divvied up exactly in equal proportion. As former Chinese ruler Deng Xiaoping once noted, "I can distribute poverty or I can distribute wealth." It is better for there to be inequality and the worst-off person have $10 than there to be equality and everyone have $5.
So did this anecdote elucidate my views? Essentially, I submit the fact that in the U.S. there is not equality of opportunity. However, I retain that anybody of solid mental faculty can, with enough desire and perseverance, reach the same heights as anyone born into money and a supportive family. While it is not perfect, there are great opportunities in the economic system we have, and without the incentives provided within it, we would all be worse off and there would be a lot more of us in poverty. Surely there is some corruption within the economic system we have, but surely it was much less that that in other countries and other systems. The competitive market economy is the best system man has created to date.
A Preface to the Beliefs & the Beginning of a Treatise for Change
I was completely sure of this view talking that day in psychology. I stood up there and vigorously and eloquently defended what I held to be dear and true.
A girl came up to me after class that day, however; a girl named Allison. Allison just asked me to consider that perhaps many poor persons did not have the opportunity I had had. It was true. I had two loving parents, a mom who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and be independent, and a supportive childhood during which I received a good education. I also had the luck to become good at web site development and web marketing and help build a company to a million dollars in sales my senior year of high school, providing at least some financial comfort for me.
I had never considered how difficult it would be for a person taking on loans to get through college to start a business. I had never considered how difficult it would have been for me to start a business without loving parents supporting me. I had never considered how difficult it would have been to obtain a good education without the encouragement to go to school and do well. I never considered how difficult it would have been to start a business if one of my parents was a drug addict. I had never considered how hard it would have been to start a business if I would have grown up with murder and drugs outside my door. I had never considered how hard it would have been to start a business if my parents didn’t tell me what I needed to know about sex and I would have impregnated a girl at fifteen.
So do these considerations change my views on the competitive market economy and entrepreneurship? No, not one bit. It just added a bit of compassion to them. I realize that our world is not perfect and as long as there are things like heroine, guns, and gangsta rap out there it will never be. I realize that as long as the animalistic nature of aggression resides in the instinctual genetic make-up of homo sapiens the world will never be perfect. While we may not be able to start people out on the same footing, we can through competitive market economies, entrepreneurship, public education, charity, and a little bit of compassion provide any person who wants to take hold of it the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and make something of themselves. It is up to that person to take the initiative. It is up to us to spread the word that this possibility is there.
I believe in the principles of liberalism and competitive markets and am a strong anti-corruption advocate. I feel that, from an economic standpoint, I combine the economic principles of neo-liberalism (conservatives) with the compassion and goals of welfare liberalism (liberals). This is surely a fine line to toe.
Note: This article is in draft form and will be updated and extended in the coming months. I plan to extend this article with discussion on the social welfare philosophy of T.H. Green, the benefits from entrepreneurship, mercantilism, the downfall of Communism, the type of capitalism I am against, why I am against corruption, exploitation, and lavish spending on non-investment items, development vs. ecology, where government is essential, the economics of developing countries, the enigma of Malthusian theory, the importance of sustainability, the mission for the foundation I will be starting, and trade policy.
Ryan P. Allis, 20, is the author of Zero to One Million, a guide to building a company to $1 million in sales, and the founder of zeromillion.com. Ryan is also the CEO of Broadwick Corp., a provider of the permission-based email marketing software and CEO of Virante, Inc., a web marketing and search engine optimization firm. Ryan is an economics major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is a Blanchard Scholar. [learn more.. Article on philosophy, of, an, entrepreneur by Ryan P Allis
Tags: [cached]: nazi ideas, racial purity, philosophy today, american airlines, oklahoma city oklahoma, neo nazi, inferior races, belief systems, september 11 2001, murrah federal building, south tower, north tower, second plane, john stuart mill, representative government, death and destruction, young professionals, secularism, political views, april 19 1995.
Series 3: Write Down Your Goals
The problem with many individuals is that they refuse to write down their goals. The best of entrepreneurs, successful individuals write down their goals and how they want to achieve it. when you don't do this, it causes you to lose focus & eventually submit to what life brings to us.
My Story: few weeks ago, i was rearranging the tonnes of newspapers + magazines in my wardrobe. Over the last 3 years, i have accumulated quite a lot of newspapers that i had to shed some off. in between doing this, i came across one of my old notepads that had my scribbles on it. In there, i wrote so many different things. I discovered that what opportunityworld is today has actually been written in those books. Infact, i even wrote down possible places that i wanted my office to be, how many suscriber bases i want, what programs i must create etc. In actual sense, the notepad had the blueprint of what i wanted to achieve......and i noticed that 85% of it all has already been achieved
Even Richard Branson (The Part owner of virgin Nigeria) carries a note around with him. he scribbles his plans & goals on it. This helps him ro remember the goal.Action Plan:a. Write down 3 goals you must achieve before the end of this yearb. Give yourself a time deadlinec. write down detail plans on how you'll achieve the goalsd. arrange the action plan in order of priorityc. Start taking action Immediately.
Series 2: Create a mental Picture in Your Head
An event is created in two forms. First of all, its created as a vision & then as a reality.If you want to have speed & increase in your life, then you need to use your power of mental creation.My Story: When i first started opportunityworld, i just did not decide to register a name for the sake of it. I started by thinking of what kind of organisation i want to build, how i want it to function, how many employees i want to employ in the next five years, how big i want it to be etc.
All these i did using my mind.Infact, i even pictured how i'll make my First Million Naira & How my first office would look like.GUESS WHAT???.....as i have pictured in my mind, it came to pass a year later. I have made my first million years ago, and i have my first office. Now, i am dreaming of how to make my first 10 Million in one year. Last year, i nearly made this goal. This year looks very promising.
Picture your goals, put yourself in a position that you see yourself achieving those goals in your mental brain. When you do this, you are closer to your goal than someone who does not picture their future.ACTION PLAN:a. Start day dreaming of that goal you want to achieve. Are you an upcoming musician???...picture yourself performing on a world class stage, Are you a writer, picture your article being printed on 234next.com, are you a website designer, picture yourself landing a million Naira website projectb. Think about it on a daily basis.
Do not let this vision go out of your mind. The more consistent it is on your mind, the more you move closer to your goal.c. Reply my email if you still need help doing
LEARN CRITICAL STEPS IN GROWING YOUR FINANCES
Series 1: Find out your Passion & Arrange it in Order of Priority
Our passion is our best leverage to becoming successful. This is because, most times, we already have raw skills of whatever we are passionate about. This will help us to achieve success quickly & also will make us happy.My Experience: I love computers, even though i can't sing, i am passionate about good Nigerian music too. At some point in my life, i am passionate about motivational speaking as well. I also have raw talents when it comes to creating things etc. But as much as i have passion in quite a lot of things, i decided to list them down & arrange them in order of priority, i then chose one that is the most important (which is computers) and leverage on it.These single act has given me sooo much success today that i am particularly showing other people.
Often times, we try to do everything together. This will cause us to go nowhere. There is no way i could combine music + computers + public speaking + electronics together and achieve success. I'll definitely know something about everything, but i'll never be a master at anything.SO...quit trying to do everything. Follow the below action:a. 30 minutes before you go to bed at night, take a pen + paper & list down top 7 things you are passinate about. Ensure you are on your bed & counting the asbestos on your ceiling while doing this.
Rearrange them in order of priority. Which one is most important to you, which one are you more skilled at, which one of them will you do over and over again, even if you are not paid for it.c. Send me your list via email so i can give you my comment (this is optional)Take action Now...Start writing down your passion.
Monday, February 15, 2010
KNOW YOUR FUTURE THROUGH HOROSCOPE
SELECT YOUR SIGN
In Monthly horoscopes are given here. Thanks to Horoscopo Free's Astrology, we can discover what 2010 has in store for us!
Aries Libra Taurus Scorpio Gemini Sagittarius Cancer Capricorn Leo Aquarius Virgo Pisces www.horoscopefree.com
Wenger - Diaby has improved tremendously
By Chris Harris
Arsène Wenger believes Abou Diaby has stepped up his game this season and given Arsenal the physical presence they need in midfield.The French international is enjoying his most productive campaign since joining the Club in 2006. He has been one of the major beneficiaries of Arsenal's switch to a 4-3-3 formation, relishing the freedom of a central role to get forward and score seven goals - already three more than he managed in the whole of last term. Diaby was rewarded for a string of powerhouse performances with a new contract at the start of the year. According to Wenger, the 23-year-old is coming on in leaps and bounds."Diaby for me is the player who is going step-by-step higher and standing really as a strong player," said the manager."He missed a complete year with his ankle injury [in 2006/07] and since he came back last year he was out a lot but this year in central midfield he has really stepped up and improved tremendously. He has become a very strong player."He offers height and a physical presence. It gives us the pair with Alex Song and even when Denilson plays, when Diaby is there we look strong in the challenges and strong in the air as well. When you add Nicklas Bendtner and him, suddenly when you set-up on set pieces, who do we have? We have four or five who really can jump for the headers and it makes a difference."He gives us goals as well - a fantastic contribution. It is great and he scores important goals as well."
You can go to www.arsenal.com for more information on Arsenal Football Club. Note that Arsenal has launched a website for fans in USA. Go to www.usa.arsenal.com
Friday, February 12, 2010
Multilinks is better than Starcomms
i have not been opportuned to send out an email since the last
Millionaires In Training Workshop that took place on the 3rd and
4th of February. My Starcomms modem stopped working, so i decided
to get a new one.
Before now, i was on a 250hr plan with starcomms and it cost
N15,000 every month.
I then recently visit multilinks office to find out what they
have on offer and i discovered that they have same 250hrs for
N10,000.
I immediately bought a new Multilinks modem for N14,000 and got
hours on it. I used it last night and this morning and discovered
that it was faster than Starcomms too. Mmm....Talk about value
for money....
Now, i have switched completely from starcomms to Multilinks.
SO tell me, what internet connection do you use???....I really
want to know...if you don't mind.
On another note, i have been recieving emails from individuals
asking that we schedule a Millionaires In Training workshop on a
weekend so that working class individuals can benefit. We are
seriously considering that and there possibly might be one coming
up on the last saturday of february. I need you to reply this
email if you are interested in attending too.
Millionaires In Training Workshop that took place on the 3rd and
4th of February. My Starcomms modem stopped working, so i decided
to get a new one.
Before now, i was on a 250hr plan with starcomms and it cost
N15,000 every month.
I then recently visit multilinks office to find out what they
have on offer and i discovered that they have same 250hrs for
N10,000.
I immediately bought a new Multilinks modem for N14,000 and got
hours on it. I used it last night and this morning and discovered
that it was faster than Starcomms too. Mmm....Talk about value
for money....
Now, i have switched completely from starcomms to Multilinks.
SO tell me, what internet connection do you use???....I really
want to know...if you don't mind.
On another note, i have been recieving emails from individuals
asking that we schedule a Millionaires In Training workshop on a
weekend so that working class individuals can benefit. We are
seriously considering that and there possibly might be one coming
up on the last saturday of february. I need you to reply this
email if you are interested in attending too.
Concern over injuries to Song and Arshavin
By Richard Clarke
Arsenal's rejuvenating victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night may have come at a cost.Andrey Arshavin and Alex Song both picked up injuries in the 1-0 win at Emirates Stadium and will require further examination on Friday. The Russian went off with a hamstring problem. The Cameroon midfielder lasted the game but collected a medial knee ligament injury in the process. When he spoke to TV Online on Thursday lunchtime, it was too early for Arsène Wenger to predict the extent of their injuries. However the manager could confirm one piece of good news. Samir Nasri is fine after coming off in the first half against Liverpool. The Frenchman felt unwell after being elbowed early on but he has recovered now.Still, with Champions League commitments in Porto next Wednesday, the manager could ill-afford these new injury concerns."Unfortunately we have lost Alex Song with a medial knee ligament problem," said Wenger. "I hope he will be available for next week but it is not for sure. Arshavin looks to be a hamstring problem. We have to assess that too. "Nasri got an elbow in his face and he felt unwell. But that is no problem. He will be available. "So the questions marks will be about Arshavin and Song. We'll know more tomorrow. Arshavin has a scan today and Alex Song has come in for treatment. He is very sore today so we'll have to see how he responds."
Arsenal's rejuvenating victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night may have come at a cost.Andrey Arshavin and Alex Song both picked up injuries in the 1-0 win at Emirates Stadium and will require further examination on Friday. The Russian went off with a hamstring problem. The Cameroon midfielder lasted the game but collected a medial knee ligament injury in the process. When he spoke to TV Online on Thursday lunchtime, it was too early for Arsène Wenger to predict the extent of their injuries. However the manager could confirm one piece of good news. Samir Nasri is fine after coming off in the first half against Liverpool. The Frenchman felt unwell after being elbowed early on but he has recovered now.Still, with Champions League commitments in Porto next Wednesday, the manager could ill-afford these new injury concerns."Unfortunately we have lost Alex Song with a medial knee ligament problem," said Wenger. "I hope he will be available for next week but it is not for sure. Arshavin looks to be a hamstring problem. We have to assess that too. "Nasri got an elbow in his face and he felt unwell. But that is no problem. He will be available. "So the questions marks will be about Arshavin and Song. We'll know more tomorrow. Arshavin has a scan today and Alex Song has come in for treatment. He is very sore today so we'll have to see how he responds."
Business Ethics
Human Resources professionals face business ethics choices and their consequences daily. The following are the steps to understanding business ethics:
All You Have Is Your Integrity...Everyone knows right from wrong. Right? Wrong. People disagree about the definition of right and wrong all the time. Read more about business ethics.
The Stuff of Work: Ethics and AssetsMost people don't give company assets a second thought until they are lost, stolen or broken. Herein lies the problem. Employees must understand that ethical behavior is demonstrated not only in how they act toward others but also in how they treat property that doesn't belong to them. The key to success is understanding who owns what and what boundaries exist for its use. Learn more.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Honesty, Integrity and Truthfulness Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These honesty and integrity quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about honesty and integrity will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
All You Have Is Your Integrity: Why Leave It to Chance?Everyone knows right from wrong. Right? Wrong. That's why business ethics is currently on the media front page. When daily, the next Enron story hits the wires, you ignore business ethics issues at your peril. Don't leave business ethics to chance.
Fight for What's Right: Ten Tips for Meaningful ConflictConflict avoidance is most frequently the topic when conflict in organizations is discussed. Conflict resolution - as quickly as possible - is the second most frequent topic. This is bad news because meaningful conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organizations. Adherence to your business ethics depends upon it.
Lessons Learned From EnronMany people surround themselves with people who agree with them. Say "no" to "yes-men" for a culture that encourages disagreement and debate about business ethics issues. About's John Reh tells you how to avoid Enron's serious stumbles.
"Business Ethics" ReviewedAbout's Austin Cline reviews "Business Ethics Revised Edition: Corporate Values and Society." (Prometheus Books) Cline says, the book "covers quite a lot of ground ... with large sections on the nature of ethics in social organizations, the obligations of employees, the rights of employees, the rights of consumers, obligations to the environment, and ethics in accounting practices."
Codes of Business Ethics OnlineSponored by the Illinois Institute of Technology, this site offers a collection of over 850 codes of ethics found on the World Wide Web. What a resource! Check this out!
Business Ethics MagazineFor over fifteen years, this magazine addresses all issues about business ethics including an emphasis on corporate responsibility and socially conscious investing.
Business Ethics Management GuideWhat are business ethics and why do they matter? Scroll down at this site to what, why, the history, how to manage, and steps to approach instilling business ethics in your organization. An excellent resource.
The Ethics and Public Policy Center The Ethics and Public Policy Center was established in 1976 to clarify and reinforce the bond between the Judeo-Christian moral tradition and the public debate over domestic and foreign policy issues. Its program includes research, writing, publication, and conferences.
Ethikos and Corporate Conduct QuarterlyThis is a professional journal published by Rutgers University which covers a diverse set of contemporary issues in business ethics.
Institute for Business and Professional EthicsThe Institute, sponsored by DePaul University, is established to "concentrate on stirring an individual's conscience by stimulating moral imagination; by encouraging ongoing ethical debate and by insisting on individual responsibility."
International Business Ethics Institute This private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization was founded to establish ethical business industry standards and to develop strategies for integrating them worldwide.
When Good People Do Bad Things at Work"For those of us concerned about ethical actions and not just good intentions, the problem is clear. We must identify the situational factors that keep people from doing their best and eliminate them whenever we can." Read more in this excellent article from Dennis Moberg at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
All You Have Is Your Integrity...Everyone knows right from wrong. Right? Wrong. People disagree about the definition of right and wrong all the time. Read more about business ethics.
The Stuff of Work: Ethics and AssetsMost people don't give company assets a second thought until they are lost, stolen or broken. Herein lies the problem. Employees must understand that ethical behavior is demonstrated not only in how they act toward others but also in how they treat property that doesn't belong to them. The key to success is understanding who owns what and what boundaries exist for its use. Learn more.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Honesty, Integrity and Truthfulness Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These honesty and integrity quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about honesty and integrity will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
All You Have Is Your Integrity: Why Leave It to Chance?Everyone knows right from wrong. Right? Wrong. That's why business ethics is currently on the media front page. When daily, the next Enron story hits the wires, you ignore business ethics issues at your peril. Don't leave business ethics to chance.
Fight for What's Right: Ten Tips for Meaningful ConflictConflict avoidance is most frequently the topic when conflict in organizations is discussed. Conflict resolution - as quickly as possible - is the second most frequent topic. This is bad news because meaningful conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organizations. Adherence to your business ethics depends upon it.
Lessons Learned From EnronMany people surround themselves with people who agree with them. Say "no" to "yes-men" for a culture that encourages disagreement and debate about business ethics issues. About's John Reh tells you how to avoid Enron's serious stumbles.
"Business Ethics" ReviewedAbout's Austin Cline reviews "Business Ethics Revised Edition: Corporate Values and Society." (Prometheus Books) Cline says, the book "covers quite a lot of ground ... with large sections on the nature of ethics in social organizations, the obligations of employees, the rights of employees, the rights of consumers, obligations to the environment, and ethics in accounting practices."
Codes of Business Ethics OnlineSponored by the Illinois Institute of Technology, this site offers a collection of over 850 codes of ethics found on the World Wide Web. What a resource! Check this out!
Business Ethics MagazineFor over fifteen years, this magazine addresses all issues about business ethics including an emphasis on corporate responsibility and socially conscious investing.
Business Ethics Management GuideWhat are business ethics and why do they matter? Scroll down at this site to what, why, the history, how to manage, and steps to approach instilling business ethics in your organization. An excellent resource.
The Ethics and Public Policy Center The Ethics and Public Policy Center was established in 1976 to clarify and reinforce the bond between the Judeo-Christian moral tradition and the public debate over domestic and foreign policy issues. Its program includes research, writing, publication, and conferences.
Ethikos and Corporate Conduct QuarterlyThis is a professional journal published by Rutgers University which covers a diverse set of contemporary issues in business ethics.
Institute for Business and Professional EthicsThe Institute, sponsored by DePaul University, is established to "concentrate on stirring an individual's conscience by stimulating moral imagination; by encouraging ongoing ethical debate and by insisting on individual responsibility."
International Business Ethics Institute This private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization was founded to establish ethical business industry standards and to develop strategies for integrating them worldwide.
When Good People Do Bad Things at Work"For those of us concerned about ethical actions and not just good intentions, the problem is clear. We must identify the situational factors that keep people from doing their best and eliminate them whenever we can." Read more in this excellent article from Dennis Moberg at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
To be Wise, you must be healthy
There are several reasons why you must stay healthy. The basic reason is that you mind which is the engine of our being must be sound and well in order to understand things and reality in general.
My Health Philosophy
I believe that balance is essential to living a healthy lifestyle. Fun and enjoyment are a necessity of life, and hopefully this site will show you that being healthy is all about emphasizing living well and getting the maximum enjoyment out of everything you do! When you are living healthy, you are building up your immune system, strengthening your mind and body, fueling yourself with nutrients that will help you to grow and progress, and becoming stronger, faster, confident, aware, and bettering yourself all around.
Nutrition
I try to eat as little processed foods as possible, and prefer to eat natural, whole foods. I avoid additives and like to eat many smaller meals frequently throughout the day. Food is fuel, and food should also taste fantastic. You can find many healthy recipes on my blog. I love to experiment in the kitchen and while it doesn’t always turn out as I had hoped, I still learn something from my mistakes and perfecting dishes until they taste exactly as I want them to.
Everything in moderation, including nutritious eats, is very important. I also completely endorse indulging once in a while- it will taste that much better, and you will also learn over time that the healthy food really does often taste far better than any chemically-laden packaged food that you can find in the grocery store. I do not believe in fad diets or in dieting in general (unless there’s a medical problem that requires a special form of eating), nor do I condone supplements. I avoid taking most kinds of medication and drugs because a lot of the time they seem to do more harm than good. Most of our health problems can be sorted out simply if we take better care of ourselves: eating well, exercising often, and above all enjoying life.
Fitness
Walking, to me, is the best possible exercise there is. Because it is low impact, almost anyone can participate in this “sport”, and the health benefits that are associated with walking are phenomenal. I try to walk at least an hour each day. I also wear a pedometer daily, which I put on as soon as I wake up in the morning and don’t take off until I go to bed at night. I make a point of logging no less than 10,000 steps each day; on average I walk about 15,000 steps each day.
It’s also important to try to achieve a balance of many different kinds of activities, so I like to do strength training (with dumbbells or with just using my own body weight; both are excellent choices), stretching (yoga and pilates are great for increasing flexibility), and other forms of cardio.
I think that it is best to mix up the exercises, so dancing or swimming are great contrasts with high intensity boot camp. Everyone is going to have their own fitness regime which works best for them, and all forms of exercise- be they super intense bursts or gentler, longer stretches of time- are going to be great for your body!
Emotional and Mental Health
Combining good nutrition with exercising every day is going to contribute to a much better state of health when it comes to your mind. Your brain functions better when it has a steady flow of powerful nutrients fueling the body and when the body is on the go, moving around. Exercise is also a great form of therapy. If you are surrounded by people day after day, it’s really important to take some time for yourself to relax and just focus on you. Likewise, if you spend much of your time alone, it is good to get out there and socialize! We need to have a good balance of everything to nourish our minds and bodies and to be able to be in a good place emotionally. Think positive and appreciate what you have! Life is too short to be miserable.
Societal and Environmental Health
A huge part of living healthy is being able to live in harmony with others and our environment. Treating others well is good for the body and the mind! We can give back to the environment and our communities by supporting local businesses and eating food as close to it’s natural state as possible. Rather than waste the food we don’t want, it’s better to save the extra food and either use it for other recipes (such as soups), or give it away to someone who does want it.
To be a little more eco-friendly, we can choose organic foods and take the time to research the production process of the food we eat. How far has your food traveled? How old is it? Who has benefited or been exploited for it? How much has it been processed? These are all important questions to ask.
Nutrition
I try to eat as little processed foods as possible, and prefer to eat natural, whole foods. I avoid additives and like to eat many smaller meals frequently throughout the day. Food is fuel, and food should also taste fantastic. You can find many healthy recipes on my blog. I love to experiment in the kitchen and while it doesn’t always turn out as I had hoped, I still learn something from my mistakes and perfecting dishes until they taste exactly as I want them to.
Everything in moderation, including nutritious eats, is very important. I also completely endorse indulging once in a while- it will taste that much better, and you will also learn over time that the healthy food really does often taste far better than any chemically-laden packaged food that you can find in the grocery store. I do not believe in fad diets or in dieting in general (unless there’s a medical problem that requires a special form of eating), nor do I condone supplements. I avoid taking most kinds of medication and drugs because a lot of the time they seem to do more harm than good. Most of our health problems can be sorted out simply if we take better care of ourselves: eating well, exercising often, and above all enjoying life.
Fitness
Walking, to me, is the best possible exercise there is. Because it is low impact, almost anyone can participate in this “sport”, and the health benefits that are associated with walking are phenomenal. I try to walk at least an hour each day. I also wear a pedometer daily, which I put on as soon as I wake up in the morning and don’t take off until I go to bed at night. I make a point of logging no less than 10,000 steps each day; on average I walk about 15,000 steps each day.
It’s also important to try to achieve a balance of many different kinds of activities, so I like to do strength training (with dumbbells or with just using my own body weight; both are excellent choices), stretching (yoga and pilates are great for increasing flexibility), and other forms of cardio.
I think that it is best to mix up the exercises, so dancing or swimming are great contrasts with high intensity boot camp. Everyone is going to have their own fitness regime which works best for them, and all forms of exercise- be they super intense bursts or gentler, longer stretches of time- are going to be great for your body!
Emotional and Mental Health
Combining good nutrition with exercising every day is going to contribute to a much better state of health when it comes to your mind. Your brain functions better when it has a steady flow of powerful nutrients fueling the body and when the body is on the go, moving around. Exercise is also a great form of therapy. If you are surrounded by people day after day, it’s really important to take some time for yourself to relax and just focus on you. Likewise, if you spend much of your time alone, it is good to get out there and socialize! We need to have a good balance of everything to nourish our minds and bodies and to be able to be in a good place emotionally. Think positive and appreciate what you have! Life is too short to be miserable.
Societal and Environmental Health
A huge part of living healthy is being able to live in harmony with others and our environment. Treating others well is good for the body and the mind! We can give back to the environment and our communities by supporting local businesses and eating food as close to it’s natural state as possible. Rather than waste the food we don’t want, it’s better to save the extra food and either use it for other recipes (such as soups), or give it away to someone who does want it.
To be a little more eco-friendly, we can choose organic foods and take the time to research the production process of the food we eat. How far has your food traveled? How old is it? Who has benefited or been exploited for it? How much has it been processed? These are all important questions to ask.
Philosophy of Health and Wellness
Buddism
In the Great Suttra of Awareness (Mahasatipatthana Sutta), the Buddha recommends observing the breath, the body (by observing sensations), and the mind (by observing the mental contents). In the section on the reflections on the material elements, the Buddha recommends distinguishing between the elements earth, water, fire and air. Each of these elements has a characteristic: earth is heavy, water binds things together, fire has sensations of heat and cold, and air has the characteristic of motion or movement. One often finds a preponderance of one particular element, which can be caused by diet, by the surroundings, or by deep impressions (sankara) in the mind caused by excessive craving or aversion for that particular sensation in the past.
Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhist theories of mind describes three emotions that are considered to be the root of all illness: craving, aversion and ignorance. In Tibetan Buddhist medicine, these emotions are considered to be “toxins” or “poisons” for which various purification rituals are performed.
The first poison is desire or passion, which implies grasping at objects or the mental attachment to pleasant experiences. Desire corresponds to disharmony of wind. Some symptoms of a wind disorder are frothy urine, a rough dry tongue or a “jumpy” pulse.
Aversion, or hatred, is regarded as the second poison. It consists of the pushing away of unpleasant experiences or objects. Aversion corresponds to disharmony of energy, or bile. Some symptoms of a bile disorder include the presence of thick or yellowish-red urine, thick, yellowish fur on the tongue or a “full” pulse.
Ignorance or confusion, involves misunderstanding the nature of an object or experience. Ignorance is considered the third poison of the mind and is related to heavy, or phlegm, disorders. The urine is odorless, thin and whitish, and the pulse is “sluggish or heavy.”
Hippocrates, 460-377 BC
Aristotle, 384-322 BC
According to Hippocratic medicine, there are four main fluids of the body: blood, black and yellow bile, and phlegm. Each of these fluids also corresponded to a temperment (or personality).
Sanguine refers to the blood, which is considered to be red, hot, moist, and sweet. It corresponds to the element of fire and intuition. The sanguine temperment is optimistic and joyful, yet prone to pride, passion, and cruelty.
Choler refers to the yellow bile. It is hot, dry, yellow and bitter in taste. Choler corresponds to the Earth element and to sensations. The choler temperment is practical and rational. They are prone to anger, irritability, and impatience.
Phlegm refers to mucous and other thick secretions in the body. It is cold, moist, white and has a salty taste. Phlegm corresponds to the water element, and to the emotions. The phlegmatic temperment is very sensitive, peaceful, soft and considerate. They usually make strong emotional connections with their loved ones, and suffer deeply from a sense of abandonment if these relationships do not work out. They tend to be hurt emotionally and are usually sad and tearful. They are worse when exposed to too much excitement, over stimulated, and when forced to do things in a hurry.
Melan cholor translates as “black bile.” It is cold, dry, and has a sour taste. Melancholy corresponds to the element Air and to nervousness. The melancholic temperment is intelligent and sophisticated and are prone to restlessness and depression. They usually have a lean body with long thin bones.
Galen, 165 AD
Claudios Galenos (Galen), physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, writes over 500 books on natural therapies and organizes the materia medica into a system based on the actions of herbs. The following is some of the actions organized by body systems: Digestion, Liver and Gallbladder, Urinary Tract, Muscles, Skin, Respiratory, Heart, Immune, etc.
Paracelsus, 1493-1541
Paracelsus is known as the “father of medical chemistry.” In this modern system the actions of the herbs are believed to be due to specific chemical constituents. He also revived interest in the Doctrine of Signatures and the art of alchemy.
The Doctrine of Signatures is based on the belief that the shape or color of the plant relates to the therapeutic effect. For instance, walnuts would be considered beneficial to the brain as they are in a hard shell and come in pairs roughly similar to the two hemispheres. This may have scientific validity as nuts are good sources of essential fatty acids which are abundant in brain tissue.
Descartes, 1596-1650
Rene Descartes, a French mathematician, divides the world into body and mind, nature and ideas. His philosophy maintains that “supernatural” concepts, such as the vital force, was the province of religion, not of the new field of “science”.
Vitamins, 1757
In 1757 James Lind in England finds that only fresh fruit and vegetables (which contain vitamin C) can cure scurvy. In 1810, Marzari in Italy connects maize diets and pellagra, a niacin deficiency which causes dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death. In 1913 McCollum and Davis simultaneously discover vitamin A. In 1926, Minot and Murphy find that pernicious anemia, a fatal disease, can be cured by large amounts of raw liver. They are awarded the Nobel Prize in 1934. Vitamin B12 is isolated in 1948. In 1932, Albert Szent-Gyorgyo isolates vitamin C. In 1948, Vitamin B12, cobalamin, is isolated.
Homeopathy, 1800
The word homeopathy is derived from the Latin words omeos meaning similar, and pathos meaning suffering. It reflects the basic premise of homeopathy which is that like cures like. “A dynamic illness in the living organism is overcome and destroyed in a durable form by another stronger one, always provided that this stronger one, without being of the same species as the other, resembles it much in its manifestations.” Paragraph 26 of the Orgenon. “The curative power of medicaments are derived from the fact they, in themselves, produce similar symptoms to those of the illness, and contain an energy superior to those symptoms.” Paragraph 27 of the Orgenon.
Vitalism: “In the state of health a spirit-like vital force (dynamis) animating the material human organism reigns in supreme sovereignty.” - Paragraph 9 of the Orgenon.
Disease: “One may know a disease is only by it’s symptoms, when there is no obvious exciting or sustaining cause to be removed” - Paragraph 7. “When a man falls ill, it is at first only this self-sustaining spirit-like vital force (vital principle) everywhere present in the organism which is untuned by the dynamic influence of the hostile disease agent.” - Paragraph 11. “It is only the pathologically untuned vital force that causes diseases.” - Paragraph 12.
Cure: “Cure, which is the elimination of all the perceptible signs and symptoms of disease, means also the removal of the inner modifications of the vital force which underlies them: in this way the whole disease has been destroyed.” - Paragraph 17. “The highest ideal of therapy is to restore health is a rapidly, gently and permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way, according to clearly comprehensible principles.” - Paragraph 2.
The single remedy: “In no case is it necessary to employ more than one single medicine at a time.” - Paragraph 273 of the Orgenon. Classical homeopaths use only one homeopathic remedy at a time. They allow enough time to lapse between remedies for the deeper actions to manifest.
Drug treatment uses one drug (or more) for each disease. For instance, in the case of a patient suffering from asthma, constipation and rheumatism, the modern physician will prescribe three different medicines - one for each ailment. The homeopath prescribes one remedy, which covers all the symptoms.
The Eclectics, 1829
Wooster Beech (1794-1868) founds the first Eclectic school. Eclecticism combines the new scientific knowledge of physiology and pathology with herbal medicine.
Natural Hygiene, 1830
Natural Hygiene was taught in the 1830’s by Sylvester Graham and William Alcott. Russell T. Trall gave a lecture to the Smithsonian Institute in 1862 which is reprinted in The True Healing Art. In it he cautioned against using any kind of drugs: “To give drugs is adding to the causes of disease; for drugs always produce disease. Indeed, they cure one disease, when they cure at all, by producing others.”
The basic foundation of Natural Hygiene is that the body is always striving for health and that it achieves this by continually cleansing itself of deleterious waste material. According to Trall: “Disease being a process of purification, I do not wish to subdue it, but to regulate it.” Symptoms of disease are considered to be natural and restorative processes of the body which generally should not be suppressed.
Chronic disease is believed to be caused by the toxic saturation at the cellular level of the bodily tissues, bloodstream, and fluids. Fasting with fruits is recommended as a means of providing the ideal conditions necessary for the repair of bodily damages and for the elimination of toxins. If you want to be vibrantly and vigorously alive and in the best possible shape, you have to eat food that’s alive. Fresh fruits have the highest energy of all foods.
Proper food combining: Eat fruit separately. Eat melons separately. You may have starches with vegetables. You may have proteins with vegetables. Eat only one protein at a time. Do not combine fruits and vegetables, or fruit and melons. Do not combine proteins and starches
Naturopathic Medicine, 1902
Benedict Lust founds the American School of Naturopathy in New York. He names his store the first “Health Food Store” and purchases the name “naturopathy” from Dr. John Scheel of New York City.
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. These principles are based upon the objective observation of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances. Methods used are consistent with these principles and are chosen upon the basis of patient individuality. Naturopathic physicians are primary health care practitioners, whose diverse techniques include modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods. The following principles are the foundation for the practice of naturopathic medicine:
The Healing Power of Nature, Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Identify and Treat the Causes, Tolle Causam
First Do No Harm, Primum Non Nocere
Doctor As Teacher, Docere
Treat the Whole Person
Prevention
Licensed Naturopathic Physicians
A licensed naturopathic physician (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all the same basic sciences as an M.D. but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. Besides, a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathy, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). A naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician.
Nature Cure, 1919
Nature Cure was outlined by Henry Lindlahr in The Philosophy and Practice of Nature Cure published in 1919. Health is considered to be the normal and harmonious vibration of the elements and forces composing the human entitiy on the physical, mental and moral planes of being, in conformity with the constructive principle in nature applied to life. The primary cause of disease, barring accidental or surgical injury to the human organism and surroundings hostile to human life, is the violation of nature’s laws.
The three primary stages of manifestations of disease are: 1. Lowered vitality; 2. Abnormal composition of the blood and lymph; and 3. Accumulation of morbid matter and poisons. Secondary manifestations of disease are: 1. Heredity and acquired taints; and 2. Germs (bacteria, virus), parasites, etc
Acute disease is considered to be the result of a healing effort of nature. A healing crisis is an acute reaction resulting from the ascendancy of nature’s healing forces over disease conditions. A disease crisis is an acute reaction resulting from the disease condition over the healing forces of the organism. It’s tendency is, therefore, towards fatal termination.
Maintaining a healthy vital force is done with: 1. Adequate sleep; 2. Sunlight; 3. Fresh air; 4. Water (for drinking and bathing); 5. Proper food (high in vegetables and fruits); 6. A good mental attitude; 7. Proper way of life.
All acute diseases have their own course to run, regardless of medication. Take, for example, the common cold. The adage “If you take something for it, it will last a week, otherwise, it continues for seven days” is still true. - Vithaldas Modi in Nature Cure for Common Diseases
Naturopathy believes that the correct approach to eating is that a person should “eat to live” and not “live to eat.” Most people regard eating as a means of gratifying their desire for the nice things in life. By tradition, “nice” things are supposed to be those which give pleasure and satisfy your taste buds, but nature has a different code. - Vithaldas Modi in Nature Cure for Common Diseases
What's your next step?
The next step, after you have been diagnosed with a disease, is to find out what is the specific cause, and then choose supplements that address it. Phone consults are my specialty. Please call my at (239) 659-2684 to schedule a consultation.
The choice is yours
I recommend that you make an informed choice, and the goal of this web site is to provide you with the information to make a wise choice when it comes to your health and wellness.
As you can see, I don't sell any vitamins on this web site. There are thousands of vitamin stores that will sell you whatever vitamin you want, and many of them offer discounts.
If you are interested in some high-quality basic nutritional supplements, I recommend visiting the Store You will find my recommendations for a multiple, tasty chewable fiber wafers, high-potency probiotics, and fish oils.
Good luck in your journey towards health and wellness!!
In the Great Suttra of Awareness (Mahasatipatthana Sutta), the Buddha recommends observing the breath, the body (by observing sensations), and the mind (by observing the mental contents). In the section on the reflections on the material elements, the Buddha recommends distinguishing between the elements earth, water, fire and air. Each of these elements has a characteristic: earth is heavy, water binds things together, fire has sensations of heat and cold, and air has the characteristic of motion or movement. One often finds a preponderance of one particular element, which can be caused by diet, by the surroundings, or by deep impressions (sankara) in the mind caused by excessive craving or aversion for that particular sensation in the past.
Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhist theories of mind describes three emotions that are considered to be the root of all illness: craving, aversion and ignorance. In Tibetan Buddhist medicine, these emotions are considered to be “toxins” or “poisons” for which various purification rituals are performed.
The first poison is desire or passion, which implies grasping at objects or the mental attachment to pleasant experiences. Desire corresponds to disharmony of wind. Some symptoms of a wind disorder are frothy urine, a rough dry tongue or a “jumpy” pulse.
Aversion, or hatred, is regarded as the second poison. It consists of the pushing away of unpleasant experiences or objects. Aversion corresponds to disharmony of energy, or bile. Some symptoms of a bile disorder include the presence of thick or yellowish-red urine, thick, yellowish fur on the tongue or a “full” pulse.
Ignorance or confusion, involves misunderstanding the nature of an object or experience. Ignorance is considered the third poison of the mind and is related to heavy, or phlegm, disorders. The urine is odorless, thin and whitish, and the pulse is “sluggish or heavy.”
Hippocrates, 460-377 BC
Aristotle, 384-322 BC
According to Hippocratic medicine, there are four main fluids of the body: blood, black and yellow bile, and phlegm. Each of these fluids also corresponded to a temperment (or personality).
Sanguine refers to the blood, which is considered to be red, hot, moist, and sweet. It corresponds to the element of fire and intuition. The sanguine temperment is optimistic and joyful, yet prone to pride, passion, and cruelty.
Choler refers to the yellow bile. It is hot, dry, yellow and bitter in taste. Choler corresponds to the Earth element and to sensations. The choler temperment is practical and rational. They are prone to anger, irritability, and impatience.
Phlegm refers to mucous and other thick secretions in the body. It is cold, moist, white and has a salty taste. Phlegm corresponds to the water element, and to the emotions. The phlegmatic temperment is very sensitive, peaceful, soft and considerate. They usually make strong emotional connections with their loved ones, and suffer deeply from a sense of abandonment if these relationships do not work out. They tend to be hurt emotionally and are usually sad and tearful. They are worse when exposed to too much excitement, over stimulated, and when forced to do things in a hurry.
Melan cholor translates as “black bile.” It is cold, dry, and has a sour taste. Melancholy corresponds to the element Air and to nervousness. The melancholic temperment is intelligent and sophisticated and are prone to restlessness and depression. They usually have a lean body with long thin bones.
Galen, 165 AD
Claudios Galenos (Galen), physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, writes over 500 books on natural therapies and organizes the materia medica into a system based on the actions of herbs. The following is some of the actions organized by body systems: Digestion, Liver and Gallbladder, Urinary Tract, Muscles, Skin, Respiratory, Heart, Immune, etc.
Paracelsus, 1493-1541
Paracelsus is known as the “father of medical chemistry.” In this modern system the actions of the herbs are believed to be due to specific chemical constituents. He also revived interest in the Doctrine of Signatures and the art of alchemy.
The Doctrine of Signatures is based on the belief that the shape or color of the plant relates to the therapeutic effect. For instance, walnuts would be considered beneficial to the brain as they are in a hard shell and come in pairs roughly similar to the two hemispheres. This may have scientific validity as nuts are good sources of essential fatty acids which are abundant in brain tissue.
Descartes, 1596-1650
Rene Descartes, a French mathematician, divides the world into body and mind, nature and ideas. His philosophy maintains that “supernatural” concepts, such as the vital force, was the province of religion, not of the new field of “science”.
Vitamins, 1757
In 1757 James Lind in England finds that only fresh fruit and vegetables (which contain vitamin C) can cure scurvy. In 1810, Marzari in Italy connects maize diets and pellagra, a niacin deficiency which causes dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death. In 1913 McCollum and Davis simultaneously discover vitamin A. In 1926, Minot and Murphy find that pernicious anemia, a fatal disease, can be cured by large amounts of raw liver. They are awarded the Nobel Prize in 1934. Vitamin B12 is isolated in 1948. In 1932, Albert Szent-Gyorgyo isolates vitamin C. In 1948, Vitamin B12, cobalamin, is isolated.
Homeopathy, 1800
The word homeopathy is derived from the Latin words omeos meaning similar, and pathos meaning suffering. It reflects the basic premise of homeopathy which is that like cures like. “A dynamic illness in the living organism is overcome and destroyed in a durable form by another stronger one, always provided that this stronger one, without being of the same species as the other, resembles it much in its manifestations.” Paragraph 26 of the Orgenon. “The curative power of medicaments are derived from the fact they, in themselves, produce similar symptoms to those of the illness, and contain an energy superior to those symptoms.” Paragraph 27 of the Orgenon.
Vitalism: “In the state of health a spirit-like vital force (dynamis) animating the material human organism reigns in supreme sovereignty.” - Paragraph 9 of the Orgenon.
Disease: “One may know a disease is only by it’s symptoms, when there is no obvious exciting or sustaining cause to be removed” - Paragraph 7. “When a man falls ill, it is at first only this self-sustaining spirit-like vital force (vital principle) everywhere present in the organism which is untuned by the dynamic influence of the hostile disease agent.” - Paragraph 11. “It is only the pathologically untuned vital force that causes diseases.” - Paragraph 12.
Cure: “Cure, which is the elimination of all the perceptible signs and symptoms of disease, means also the removal of the inner modifications of the vital force which underlies them: in this way the whole disease has been destroyed.” - Paragraph 17. “The highest ideal of therapy is to restore health is a rapidly, gently and permanently; to remove and destroy the whole disease in the shortest, surest, least harmful way, according to clearly comprehensible principles.” - Paragraph 2.
The single remedy: “In no case is it necessary to employ more than one single medicine at a time.” - Paragraph 273 of the Orgenon. Classical homeopaths use only one homeopathic remedy at a time. They allow enough time to lapse between remedies for the deeper actions to manifest.
Drug treatment uses one drug (or more) for each disease. For instance, in the case of a patient suffering from asthma, constipation and rheumatism, the modern physician will prescribe three different medicines - one for each ailment. The homeopath prescribes one remedy, which covers all the symptoms.
The Eclectics, 1829
Wooster Beech (1794-1868) founds the first Eclectic school. Eclecticism combines the new scientific knowledge of physiology and pathology with herbal medicine.
Natural Hygiene, 1830
Natural Hygiene was taught in the 1830’s by Sylvester Graham and William Alcott. Russell T. Trall gave a lecture to the Smithsonian Institute in 1862 which is reprinted in The True Healing Art. In it he cautioned against using any kind of drugs: “To give drugs is adding to the causes of disease; for drugs always produce disease. Indeed, they cure one disease, when they cure at all, by producing others.”
The basic foundation of Natural Hygiene is that the body is always striving for health and that it achieves this by continually cleansing itself of deleterious waste material. According to Trall: “Disease being a process of purification, I do not wish to subdue it, but to regulate it.” Symptoms of disease are considered to be natural and restorative processes of the body which generally should not be suppressed.
Chronic disease is believed to be caused by the toxic saturation at the cellular level of the bodily tissues, bloodstream, and fluids. Fasting with fruits is recommended as a means of providing the ideal conditions necessary for the repair of bodily damages and for the elimination of toxins. If you want to be vibrantly and vigorously alive and in the best possible shape, you have to eat food that’s alive. Fresh fruits have the highest energy of all foods.
Proper food combining: Eat fruit separately. Eat melons separately. You may have starches with vegetables. You may have proteins with vegetables. Eat only one protein at a time. Do not combine fruits and vegetables, or fruit and melons. Do not combine proteins and starches
Naturopathic Medicine, 1902
Benedict Lust founds the American School of Naturopathy in New York. He names his store the first “Health Food Store” and purchases the name “naturopathy” from Dr. John Scheel of New York City.
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. These principles are based upon the objective observation of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances. Methods used are consistent with these principles and are chosen upon the basis of patient individuality. Naturopathic physicians are primary health care practitioners, whose diverse techniques include modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods. The following principles are the foundation for the practice of naturopathic medicine:
The Healing Power of Nature, Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Identify and Treat the Causes, Tolle Causam
First Do No Harm, Primum Non Nocere
Doctor As Teacher, Docere
Treat the Whole Person
Prevention
Licensed Naturopathic Physicians
A licensed naturopathic physician (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all the same basic sciences as an M.D. but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. Besides, a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathy, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). A naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician.
Nature Cure, 1919
Nature Cure was outlined by Henry Lindlahr in The Philosophy and Practice of Nature Cure published in 1919. Health is considered to be the normal and harmonious vibration of the elements and forces composing the human entitiy on the physical, mental and moral planes of being, in conformity with the constructive principle in nature applied to life. The primary cause of disease, barring accidental or surgical injury to the human organism and surroundings hostile to human life, is the violation of nature’s laws.
The three primary stages of manifestations of disease are: 1. Lowered vitality; 2. Abnormal composition of the blood and lymph; and 3. Accumulation of morbid matter and poisons. Secondary manifestations of disease are: 1. Heredity and acquired taints; and 2. Germs (bacteria, virus), parasites, etc
Acute disease is considered to be the result of a healing effort of nature. A healing crisis is an acute reaction resulting from the ascendancy of nature’s healing forces over disease conditions. A disease crisis is an acute reaction resulting from the disease condition over the healing forces of the organism. It’s tendency is, therefore, towards fatal termination.
Maintaining a healthy vital force is done with: 1. Adequate sleep; 2. Sunlight; 3. Fresh air; 4. Water (for drinking and bathing); 5. Proper food (high in vegetables and fruits); 6. A good mental attitude; 7. Proper way of life.
All acute diseases have their own course to run, regardless of medication. Take, for example, the common cold. The adage “If you take something for it, it will last a week, otherwise, it continues for seven days” is still true. - Vithaldas Modi in Nature Cure for Common Diseases
Naturopathy believes that the correct approach to eating is that a person should “eat to live” and not “live to eat.” Most people regard eating as a means of gratifying their desire for the nice things in life. By tradition, “nice” things are supposed to be those which give pleasure and satisfy your taste buds, but nature has a different code. - Vithaldas Modi in Nature Cure for Common Diseases
What's your next step?
The next step, after you have been diagnosed with a disease, is to find out what is the specific cause, and then choose supplements that address it. Phone consults are my specialty. Please call my at (239) 659-2684 to schedule a consultation.
The choice is yours
I recommend that you make an informed choice, and the goal of this web site is to provide you with the information to make a wise choice when it comes to your health and wellness.
As you can see, I don't sell any vitamins on this web site. There are thousands of vitamin stores that will sell you whatever vitamin you want, and many of them offer discounts.
If you are interested in some high-quality basic nutritional supplements, I recommend visiting the Store You will find my recommendations for a multiple, tasty chewable fiber wafers, high-potency probiotics, and fish oils.
Good luck in your journey towards health and wellness!!
JOBS FOR PHILOSOPHY GRADUATES
WHAT DO PHILOSOPHY GRADUATES DO?
Here is some careers information relating to what Philosophy graduates can do after they graduate. The AGCAS Options with Philosophy leaflet available from the Careers Advisory Service (CAS) should be read in conjunction with the information contained here. The statistics that follow come from the University of Kent's Destination Survey of graduates which indicate student activity six months after graduation.
At the University of Kent Philosophy can be studied with a variety of other subjects. The destination statistics below reflect all types of combinations available.
JOBS WHERE A PHILOSOPHY DEGREE MAY BE USEFUL
Here are some examples of jobs where a Philosophy degree may be useful. You can research more information about these occupations by looking in the Occupational files of the careers library at the CAS or by visiting the Prospect website at www.prospects.ac.uk
Administration in Local or Central Government
Advertising Account Planner
Charities administrator
Computer Analyst/Programmer
Higher Education Teaching & Research
Human Resources Officer
Information Management/Science
Insurance Underwriter
IT Consultant
Journalist
Marketing manager
Personnel manager
Social worker
Solicitor
Teaching in Schools & Colleges of FE
You can find a list of all the main jobs open to graduates of any subject by clicking here
SKILLS DEVELOPED STUDYING PHILOSOPHY
Clear & Logical thinking
Critical evaluation
Literacy & Expression
Negotiating
Organising
Planning
Problem solving
Research
Working to deadlines
Economic Crisis and the Art of Living
'The art of living' is a phrase that mean everything and nothing. For our Art of Living series it is replete with content, of course. It might mean that life cannot be lived as a series of questions and answers about right and wrong, as say a utilitarian approach to ethics might commend, because there are just too many variables in life to consider. Instead, life is an art a bit like, say, juggling balls: it takes balance and coordination, practice and character to do beautifully and well.
Here's another sense, apposite for these days of economic uncertainty, since it comes from John Maynard Keynes. He wrote:
It will be those peoples who can keep alive, and cultivate into a fuller perfection, the art of life itself and do not sell themselves for the means of life, who will be able to enjoy the abundance when it comes.
Keynes had the idea that capitalist prosperity would increasing supply enough to satisfy material needs. However, there was a risk that once these needs were met, people would forget that there were deeper needs that could not be met by material means: they would have so developed the habit of approaching needs materially - selling themselves to the means of life - that they would have forgotten how to address needs by other means - namely cultivating the fuller perfection, the art of life itself.
Here's another sense, apposite for these days of economic uncertainty, since it comes from John Maynard Keynes. He wrote:
It will be those peoples who can keep alive, and cultivate into a fuller perfection, the art of life itself and do not sell themselves for the means of life, who will be able to enjoy the abundance when it comes.
Keynes had the idea that capitalist prosperity would increasing supply enough to satisfy material needs. However, there was a risk that once these needs were met, people would forget that there were deeper needs that could not be met by material means: they would have so developed the habit of approaching needs materially - selling themselves to the means of life - that they would have forgotten how to address needs by other means - namely cultivating the fuller perfection, the art of life itself.
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