Gaunilo's argument from Anselm's point of view Essay

Gaunilo's argument from Anselm's point of view - Essay Example Gaunilo, a fellow monk and believer sought to oppose Anselm’s argument, saying it would force people to conclude existence of other non- existent things. His critic is usually described by philosophers as an overload idea, because he does not show how Anselm’s ideas are wrong but rather how it unsound in all applications, if it is unsound in one. Gaunilo argues that â€Å"god† in the argument placed by Anselm can be replaced by anything, in his case, â€Å"the perfect island. â€Å"Suppose we replace God with an island, this is how it would flow. Imagine a perfect island of which none like it is conceivable, now this idea exists in your mind. The existence of a perfect island in both the mind and in reality is greater than if it only exists in the mind. If the concept of a perfect island exists in the mind then we can imagine an island better than the â€Å"perfect island†. But we cannot imagine an island greater than this; we can conclude that this perf ect island exists. In defense of his theory, Anselm would argue that the idea of what entails a perfect island varies from one person to another, for example, to me, a perfect island would be one with sandy beaches and human occupation, while to another that would be one that is deserted and with abundance of let’s say fruits. ... In the second way he argues that no object can create itself, therefore there must be a first cause (God), who began the chain of existence of all things. Aquinas reconciled faith and reason, by borrowing heavily from Aristotle. The second cause is explained using the following steps; 1) The natural world has things that are caused by other things. There is therefore an order of efficient causes in the sensible world. Every sensible event that takes place has a distinct cause. 2) In the natural world, nothing can be the cause of itself. There is hardly a case in which an event in the natural world was caused by itself. Events occur that were caused by events rate than themselves. 3) In the natural world there cannot be an endless string of objects causing other objects to exist. We can therefore say that causes are preceded by effects. 4) There exists a supernatural being that causes the first chain of events; therefore the cause of such events is called God. The supernatural force h as to be a person with immense power and with divine attributes such as being omnipresent. These inferences are drawn from nature and causation. This argument has some flaws for example the identity of the cause does not have to be God. It is flawed to assume that the cause of the events that take place in nature has to originate from one location for all of them. There is a possibility that there may be multiple causes, not related to each other. Moreover, the cause does not have to be supernatural, but could be other causes such as the universe. In conclusion, this theory begs the question as to why infinite causal chains are impossible, for example it can be assumed that there exists no beginning, middle or end time, therefore the

The major problems that emerged from the fall of the wall for the Essay

The major problems that emerged from the fall of the wall for the newly united Germany - Essay Example Reflecting upon and referring to the events outlined in the lesson, this paper will give the writer’s opinion on what the major problems emerging from the fall of the wall were, and if and how they could have been avoided. The problems Germany faced after reunification arose from the initial causes of the division. Although it was clear by 1990 that both East and West Germany intended strongly to reunite into a common German federal republic, the most notable problems were political, economical and social. In East Germany, not only did the Party of Democratic Socialism undergo heavy defeat in the first free elections, but East Germany’s infrastructure and economy almost collapsed (Muller, Judd & Yzerbyt 2005). East Germany may have been considered the most vigorous economy in the Soviet bloc, but I think it’s economic near-collapse was a manifestation of its shaky and ill-planned communist foundations. Rather than gaining stability from its relative wealth, East Germany’s relative poverty destabilized it. There continued to be different mentalities between those from the East and those from the West. East Germans had been guaranteed the right to work, with 80 percent of its women employed, and outstanding childcare had been provided by the state. In contrast, the West, whose systems were driven by the markets, social services were continuously being cut and getting jobs was difficult. The reunion made it even more difficult for workers from East Germany to get jobs (although those who got them benefited greatly) because they had to adapt to new systems that rendered them insufficiently trained (Muller, Judd & Yzerbyt 2005). My opinion is that this was a consequence of the conception of two new identities which had no roots in the history of the country prior to 1949. Four decades of division had created a social problem in which West Germans (Wessis) were perceived by foreigners as well as most West

Business final report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business final report - Research Paper Example Economically, Wal-Mart has been able to expand its sale to almost 50% even during the recession. Wal-Mart has been admired worldwide due to its social aspect in respecting it customers and other individual who form part of their social life. In addition, Wal-Mart has been able to create environmental sustainability through submission of important sustainability goals. However, the company has had allegations of disregarding its employee’s rights. In another dimension, Wal-Mart is a leader in the use and application of technology in the effort to maximize operational efficiency. I would like to thank all those helped me in the research. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. J.L Waltman for being part of my research as he guided me through, especially on the best approach to use in order to perfect my report. Table of Contents 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Political Factors 4 1.3 Economic factors 5 1.4 Social Factors 7 1.5 Environmental factors 8 1.6 Legal factors 9 1.7 Technologica l factors 10 1.8 Conclusion 11 References: 12 1.1 Introduction Wal-Mart is one of the renowned supermarket brands in America running numerous chains of large departmental store and warehouse stores (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2011). Apparently, the multinational store has been able to maintain its thriving market especially in the United States of America and other parts of the world (Matusitz & Lord, 2013). According to a research that was conducted in regard to Wal-Mart operations, it is evident that the multinational corporation has immensely gained a negative bad image in most part of the world where most of its stores and branches are found (Hicks, 2009). In light of this, Wal-Mart is continuously seeking to lessen the brand image through ensuring that they work professionally. 1.2 Political Factors Initially, Wal-Mart Corporation has placed its stores in the United States of America and other parts of the world. As such, it is important to ensure that there is political stability in such countries as this plays a huge role in maintaining market. If it happens that the some of the countries where some of the branches are suffer from political instability, it is advisable for the corporation to withdraw it market avoid poor market generated through politics in specific countries. Similarly, the corporation should be aware of the different government regulations and deregulation in the United States of America and other foreign countries such as Canada, Argentina, and China where the branches are situated (Karlgaard, 2013). Also, it is worth noting that government regulation and deregulation varies according to different countries. Any organization, corporation or business entity that wants to thrive in business must work within the regulations of a given country or state. In relation to this, the corporation should ensure that it follows the trade restrictions that are used in all its locations. In relation to this, Wal-Mart has continuously paid tax in all th e countries that its branches are located. Payment of taxes indicates that the corporation is politically responsible and is ready to work and follow the rules and regulations of the given countries. 1.3 Economic factors Economic factors specifically affect the corporation’s operations, as well as, the making of its decisions. Thus, there is must be economic growth, substantial rates of interest, over and above,

Building Supply Chain Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Building Supply Chain Relationships - Essay Example The result of such relationships was simply that the suppliers tended to keep their best ideas for the companies who value the suppliers. There existed an open market for the suppliers. On the side of buyers, the buyers would go for any supplier who has an outstanding reputation in the international market or the supplier that has got the lowest bid. These kind of relationships while having a negative aspect but the companies were able to make profits. Why was it so? The reason to this is explained in the second question. On the other hand long-term relationships were those that were practiced in Toyota, Prato Wool Textile Industry, Airbus and Acer group. These relationships are based on trust, bilateral dependence and mutual friendship and are a more partnership like. There existed more face to face communication, continuous feedback, more collaboration and a high level of commitment from both sides. There is a lot of information sharing in long-term relationships which tends to enh ance the level of trust between the buyer and the supplier.

Business final report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business final report - Research Paper Example Economically, Wal-Mart has been able to expand its sale to almost 50% even during the recession. Wal-Mart has been admired worldwide due to its social aspect in respecting it customers and other individual who form part of their social life. In addition, Wal-Mart has been able to create environmental sustainability through submission of important sustainability goals. However, the company has had allegations of disregarding its employee’s rights. In another dimension, Wal-Mart is a leader in the use and application of technology in the effort to maximize operational efficiency. I would like to thank all those helped me in the research. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. J.L Waltman for being part of my research as he guided me through, especially on the best approach to use in order to perfect my report. Table of Contents 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Political Factors 4 1.3 Economic factors 5 1.4 Social Factors 7 1.5 Environmental factors 8 1.6 Legal factors 9 1.7 Technologica l factors 10 1.8 Conclusion 11 References: 12 1.1 Introduction Wal-Mart is one of the renowned supermarket brands in America running numerous chains of large departmental store and warehouse stores (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2011). Apparently, the multinational store has been able to maintain its thriving market especially in the United States of America and other parts of the world (Matusitz & Lord, 2013). According to a research that was conducted in regard to Wal-Mart operations, it is evident that the multinational corporation has immensely gained a negative bad image in most part of the world where most of its stores and branches are found (Hicks, 2009). In light of this, Wal-Mart is continuously seeking to lessen the brand image through ensuring that they work professionally. 1.2 Political Factors Initially, Wal-Mart Corporation has placed its stores in the United States of America and other parts of the world. As such, it is important to ensure that there is political stability in such countries as this plays a huge role in maintaining market. If it happens that the some of the countries where some of the branches are suffer from political instability, it is advisable for the corporation to withdraw it market avoid poor market generated through politics in specific countries. Similarly, the corporation should be aware of the different government regulations and deregulation in the United States of America and other foreign countries such as Canada, Argentina, and China where the branches are situated (Karlgaard, 2013). Also, it is worth noting that government regulation and deregulation varies according to different countries. Any organization, corporation or business entity that wants to thrive in business must work within the regulations of a given country or state. In relation to this, the corporation should ensure that it follows the trade restrictions that are used in all its locations. In relation to this, Wal-Mart has continuously paid tax in all th e countries that its branches are located. Payment of taxes indicates that the corporation is politically responsible and is ready to work and follow the rules and regulations of the given countries. 1.3 Economic factors Economic factors specifically affect the corporation’s operations, as well as, the making of its decisions. Thus, there is must be economic growth, substantial rates of interest, over and above,

Determining sample size Essay Example for Free

Determining sample size Essay Another five days of data was collected to add to the first 10 days of data having a total of 15 days of observation. The following are the text thread data obtained for a total of 15 days. A larger sample is now present for the analysis of the text thread that I have for 15 days. A large sample is really important in statistics. As the sample become larger, the data will approach the data of the whole population. The data will become as close to the real data (Israel, 2009). For example, the mean number of hours at work for the population of workers in United States is 8 hours. The sample mean of 50 workers 7. 5 hours. As the sample size increases, it is possible that the sample mean will become closer to the mean of the population. In this case, why should one use samples instead of the population? Or, why use large samples instead? Certain reasons are given to support the use of samples instead of very large samples or the population itself. One of the common reasons is population are sometimes infinite. When one speaks of infinite population, it means that one cannot actually count the total number of the members of the population. Another reason is time constraints; one cannot collect data for a very large sample or the whole population because there are certain time limitations. After having 15 samples, the mean for the 15 text threads were computed. The mean obtained from the 15 sample is 8. 2 threads per day. The mean for the 15 sample is less than the mean obtained for the data when there are only 10 observations included in the sample. The current sample of 15 observations is still insufficient in order to conclude something from the population. One still cannot determine whether the sample is already sufficient. Sufficient sample size can be determined through formula and different assessments such as the precision, confidence and variability a person wants on his sample. Nevertheless, as long as it is not the population itself, any kind of samples will still have an uncertainty associated in it; the uncertainty associated with the sample is called the sampling error. The smaller the sampling error, the better the sample size one has obtained (US Census Bureau, n. d. ). Reference Israel, G. (2009). Determining sample size. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from http://edis. ifas. ufl. edu/pd006. US Census Bureau. (n. d. ). Things that may affect estimates from the American community survey. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from www. census. gov/acs/www/Downloads/ACS_Affect_Est. ppt.

Reflecting Personal Development Study Of Mental Health Nursing Nursing Essay

Reflecting Personal Development Study Of Mental Health Nursing Nursing Essay This essay will illustrate how I developed from being a novice to an expert within my three year study of mental health nursing programme. The chosen topic from my log book to be discussed will be management. Dreyfus and Dreyfus student model (1986) and Benners stages of skill acquisitions (1984) will be used to structure this essay. The stages that students go through in their skills acquisition are novice, advance beginner, competent, proficient and expert (Selinger Crease, 2006).Current evidence based literature such as mentors comments from my ropas including government policies relevant to my practice will be used to explore my strengths, limitations and experiences. Future recommendation for my post graduate as a newly registered nurse will be explored. Names of clients, practice placements and health professionals will remain anonymous to protect and respect confidential in this essay (NMC, 2008). Management is planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling in order to achieve your goals (Clark, 2009).Management also involves making good decisions, communicating effectively, motivating staff and being persuasive and sensitive (Manion, 2005).Due to the health care system changes in modern nursing it is vital for a professional nurse to acquire different skills to manage a shift regardless of your specific role (Yoder-Wise, 2003).I took an interest in presenting management as my topic of this essay mainly for the following reasons. Once am newly qualified I might face a challenge of running a shift and management skills will be essential for the shift to be efficient and effective. Management skills are also essential as they are required to obtain a job as a mental health nurse. Hewison (2004) states management in nursing is essential to delivers high standards of care. The above author further state that delivery and organisation of care has been influenced by manag ement ideas and theory throughout its history. First year of training I completed 4 placements starting with an acute ward and next being a hip replacement ward. From there I went to the community where they specialised in children with learning disabilities. My last placement was a day hospital for old people with dementia and depression; this is where I had the most exposure. In my first placement I could not under see lying problems with the patients, for example when it came to observing moods and effects patients get from taking the medication they are prescribed on. My other problem was communicating using the correct terminology in my notes and handover. Swannell (1986) defines communication as imparting or exchange of information, message, letter, etc; Social dealings (Ingram and Lavery, 2009.p.14). Communication skills are essential in healthcare as they help professionals to maximise their management (Darley, 2002). At that time my communication was poor, therefore my management was lacking as its vital and mostly an essential skill in nursing management (Adair, 2009). When I started my last placement I had done research on communication and the same principles of communication applied on different situation. At this placement I managed to reflect on my experiences as a novice, hence improving my skills (Quirk, 2006). I applied knowledge gained from research but still referred to the literature and communication principles taught in year one. I was able to communicate effectively using the right terminology in my notes, hand over, ward round and appropriately with patients. I was able to identify under lying problems portrayed by the patients and interpret them when communicating with staff. Research and applying it to practice helped my skill improve hence enhanced my management (Pilot Beck, 2004). First year of training I started off as a novice because I had minimal knowledge but could not connect it to practice (Dreyfus and Dreyfus, 1986) .Using the work of Benners (1984) Stuart (2007) describes a novice as a new student entering a clinical area without experience but expected to perform. Stuart (2007) further goes on to say they must be given rules and instructions to guide their performance, they do not see beyond the task and underlying problems with a patient. Considering experience gained in year one I was in the novice trajectory. By the end of the first year I was now fairly experienced and considered myself as an advanced beginner no longer a novice (Dreyfus Dreyfus, 1986). In my second year the first practice placement was at a day hospital for older people suffering from dementia. From there I moved to work with the community mental health team (CMHT) treating patients with different disorders. The second placement is where I gained the optimum exposure as different skills where developed. We dealt with patients discharged from acute ward and have been referred to CMHT for ongoing treatment away from hospital settings offering a wide variety of interventions tailored to their specific needs (D.O.H, 2002). My final placement in second year was elective. This was a day centre for adults 18-65 offering a large range of therapy thats beneficial to their aspects of life (France and Kramer, 2005). According to Swansburg Swansburg (2002) planning involves what to do, how, who is to do it, where its to be done and when in order to achieve goals. My last placement was a day centre for older people suffering from dementia and I developed planning skills. I was shift planning and organized daily activities according to their needs (Schultz and Videbeck, 2009). I was involved in care planning under supervision as I was assigned to a patient suffering from depression. This patient used to play in professional bands and his depression started when he stopped. I planned his recovery by completing tasks like contacting professional recording studios and looking into an option to obtain funding to buy his own equipment. This included booking suitable dates and times he can attend to record. I managed to negotiate with the studio to get 3 free sessions but had to attend only when they was no bookings for business purpose. Both my communication and planning skills where implemented succes sfully and no longer followed the maxims used during the initial stages of learning, as I had acquired my skills (Selinger Crease, 2006). Based on this experience I gained decision making skills to contribute to my management. According to Thompson and Dowding (2002) decision making should be logical, have a rationale and concentrate on how decision will be made in a real world. According to Lloyd et al (2007) decision-making is a process of gathering relevant information and analysed to make a decision. Lloyd et al (2007) further clarifies that in a clinical setting, decision making is a situation in which choice is made from a number of possible alternatives considering the outcome is weighed. I applied these skills as I gathered information like contacts and whom to call, weighing distance and cost of travelling from his home to the studio and also obtaining time of recording referring to his schedule. I also gained another management skill in organisation. According to Kneedler and Dodge (1994) organization involves the arrangement of nursing actions orderly and that actions need to be evaluated, ranked and carried out according to the nurse capabilities. I believe I evaluated and ranked my actions as I considered the patients safety, choosing a suitable recording time for both my patient and the studio by making sure its very close, accessible and its during the day. When I finished year 2 I had gained new skills and my communication skills from year one had paid off as the new skills required good communication skills. (Please see appendix 1 and 2). According to Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) model of skill acquisition, an advance beginner has the knowledge of key working aspects in practice. I noticed this as I applied knowledge into practice, therefore found it easy applying rules in real a situation. Tsui (2003) states that advanced beginners begin to recognize situational elements, I recognized these elements easily as I had the experience as a novice according to Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986). According to Benners (1984) I managed to complete tasks using my own judgement which was acceptable to a limited extent. I started of my third year very keen to professionally modify my management skills and taking into account my skills need to adhere with the nursing and midwifery council (NMC, 2008). The first placment was in a mother and baby unit offering therapy which meet individuals physical, psychological, emotional and social needs based on evidence (DH, 2007). The next and final placement of the programme is where I had the optimum exposure in my management skills. This was an acute ward for old people suffering from organic mental health disorders. I applied all management skills acquired in year 1 and 2. At this stage I was practicing as a competent nurse according to Benners (1984). I was initiating and completing tasks without being asked or being monitored but under supervision from my mentor. Management was not only about completing the shift planner. I was now looking at the safety of the ward, reviewing general, constant and special observations, during handover, ward round and CPA. My decision making skills where implemented using assessment tools and the help of staff as we allocated appropriate levels of observations for the patients (The Scottish Government, 2002). I was planning and organizing tasks to tackle on duty and transport for transfers or appointments. I was using the diary for communication and checking tasks to be completed. I also collected and prepared information to be communicated in ward rounds, handovers and CPAs. I was organizing daily activities and decisions being made according to their needs. (Please see appendix 3). According to Cherry and Jacob (2005) stage three of Benners (1984) skills of acquisition state that competent nurses foresee long range goals and master their skills at this stage. Competent nurses are to cope with complex situations by analysing and planning (Dreyfus and Dreyfus, 1986).Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) go on to say they have the background knowledge of area practice and ability to use their own judgement to achieve tasks. According to Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) a proficient nurse approaches situations as a whole rather than in small portions and tackles situation according to priority. Benners (1984) further states that as they view situations as a whole their decision making is more improved and they also use maxims as guides. Tomey and Alligood (2006) state that level four of the acquisition skill, nurses stand outside the situation and at the same time be part of the situation, fully engaging in the situation. I believe in my practice I had started portraying some abilities of a proficient nurse, integrating my knowledge and experience into a whole (Jasper, 2006). I was running shifts, planning and assigned tasks, incorporating management skills learned in year one, two and three to a level of proficiency by managing ones self, ones practice and that of others. (NMC, 2004). The last part of the stage is the expert level and using Benners model (1984), Sitzman and Eichelberger (2010) state that they no longer, rely on rules, guidelines or maxims to make appropriate decisions for a situation. I believe I did not reach to the stage to fulfil the expert level but have the ability to succeed to expert level after graduating. According to Daly, Speedy and Jackson (2010) reflection is a process of monitoring practice to enable you to improve it. They go on and further state that the following are essential when reflecting, self-appraisal, research for practice, everyday reviewing of practice, feelings and belief, and the consequences. This is the part where I reflect my practice in order to enhance and maintain my practice within competent to expert level for my future practice as a registered nurse. Focused will be my managerial skills to reach expert level. As a newly qualified I will make use of clinical supervision as an opportunity to improve and continue professional development (Royal College of Nursing, 2003).I will engage myself into lifelong learning that will be of benefit to the service users and my profession. This will extend my skills hence making it easier to manage when in critical situations (D.H, 1999). This will also enable me to maintain high standard of care, therefore enhancing manag ement skills (D.H, 2006).I will continue using evidence based practice to offer best possible care and practice(D.H, 2006). I will also avoid favouritism and discrimination amongst staff as they are good management skills (Marriner-Tomey, 2004).This is further supported by Woods (2005) who encourages democratic management as it encourages those you delegate to, to be part of the team and feel valued. I will be aware of the policies and procedures as its essential to understand your work role and responsibilities in the work place hence helps in managing and guide day to day operations (Fradd, 2004).Above all I will undergo a period of preceptorship as a newly qualified, therefore this will provide a structured, supportive bridge during my transition from a student to a practitioner in my managerial skills and other skills (Illingworth and Singleto, 2010). To conclude, after going through both five stages of Dreyfus and Deryfus (1984) and Benners (1984) I also got the opportunity to reflect my three year practice as a whole, therefore this enabled me to see areas I will need to improve in management. I will work towards being an expert as I progress into my profession . Contexts of Nursing   By John Daly, Sandra Speedy, Debra Jackson/2010/Elsevier/ -Perioperative patient care: the nursing perspective   By Julia A. Kneedler, Gwen H. Dodge,1994