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In this essay I argue against Mencius’ claim that ‘a man is capable of becoming good’ due to the inherent goodness in his nature. I am against Mencius’ claim because of his assumption that human nature is inclined towards good morals. I opine that human nature is neutral and humans can become good or bad depending on external influences. My essay consists of four sections: In the first section, I will explain Mencius’ claim. In the second section, I will state why I disagree that human nature is good. In the third section, I will provide an objection on Mencius’ behalf. In the fourth section, I will conclude that this rejoinder is unsuccessful.
Get original essayAccording to Mencius, there are 4 main manifestations of the heart/mind, which can also be called the 4 sprouts of ideals: the heart of compassion (sprout of benevolence), heart of shame (sprout of propriety), heart of courtesy and modesty (sprout of ritual), and heart of right and wrong (sprout of wisdom). These hearts are ‘possessed by all men alike’ and are from birth, part of all men. Hence, under normal circumstances and with good care, a man will become one who has properly developed all 4 hearts and has good morals. If a man strays down the wrong path, we should not fault his nature, but rather the external factors that caused him to become bad. This is the same as how with good nourishment, sprouts will grow into beautiful plants; and when neglected, they may wither and die. Another scenario Mencius presented is the story of how when one sees a young child about to fall into a well, one will certainly move to save the child. This is not because of any potential rewards or even to stop the child from crying, but due to one’s good nature which does not want another human to suffer. This scenario supports Mencius’ claim that human nature is inclined towards goodness as one will decide to do the right thing even without any external influences.
As can be seen in Section I, Mencius does admit that bad people do exist, even though it is not the fault of their nature. This points to nurture playing an important role in a person’s future morality inclination. As mentioned in Section I, when one grows up in a positive environment, he will become good as his inherent goodness is nurtured. However, if one were to grow up in a negative environment, such as being neglected by their parents, he would often develop low self-esteem and jealousy and anger towards peers with a loving family, which will then corrupt his heart/mind. This results in his innate nature losing its ability to develop properly. He will then become a man with bad morals. If so, could we argue that human nature could also be intrinsically bad? That some grow up to be morally righteous because they have been nurtured to become so; because they were cared for by loving parents and experienced morally-beneficial external influences that helped develop them into good people? For example, they could have been rewarded by parental figures or authority figures for performing helpful acts, resulting in them associating these acts with “good rewards” and hence becoming a morally good person. As for those that remained morally bad, they are just those that grew up under “normal circumstances” and were left to their own devices. However, I am not arguing that human nature is bad. I am arguing that it is neutral, a blank paper which is coloured by the happenings in life. According to Mencius, to become good, one has to develop the goodness in himself; to become bad, one will have to be affected negatively by outside forces. This means that both ways require additional effort. If a person can become good or bad equally easily, who is to say that human nature is good?
Since nurture has been stated to be a key factor in a person’s capability of becoming either good or bad, it is logical to think that a person is inherently neither good nor bad, and becoming either is just a matter of external influences. Mencius conveniently assumed that the 4 hearts are in all men from birth, however, could it be that the hearts are actually results of learning? They could be from the good discipline parents offered to children, the school teachings of what is morally right and the daily watching of what happens in the world. Similarly, the absence of those 4 hearts which will result in bad morals, is also due to external factors, or more accurately, the lack thereof. In other words, one may decide to save the young child from falling into the well not because of one’s inherent goodness, but because of the learnings of good morals from a young age. After all, to prove that one’s decision to save the young child is due to human nature’s inclination towards goodness, one will have to be a new-born baby whose nature has not yet been influenced by anything.
Mencius mentioned that ‘all palates have the same preference in taste; all ears in sound; all eyes in beauty’. Everybody wants to taste good food, listen to good music and see pretty things. Hence, Mencius may argue that the heart/mind, like all other organs, has a natural preference. That preference will be ‘reason and rightness’; goodness. Since the heart is an organ just like the others, it is only natural that it too has predisposed inclinations. It inclines towards doing good, morally righteous things. Mencius may also argue that human nature is like water, it ‘is good just as water seeks low ground. There is no man who is not good; there is no water that does not flow downwards. ’ One can force water to go upwards, but that is not the nature of water. Hence, the heart/mind, or human nature, is still essentially good.
In regards to the first point Mencius mentioned in Section III, it is true that our organs have natural preferences and that they have their likes and dislikes. However, what does one mean by ‘good food’, ‘good music’ and ‘pretty things’? These preferences are highly subjective and differ greatly from person to person. What one may think of as good food may not be delicious to another; what one enjoys listening to may be noise to another; what one finds aesthetically pleasing may be atrocious to another. Hence, the ‘goodness’ that the heart/mind prefers may similarly be biased and subjected to one’s isolated preferences. Thus, what Mencius thought of as good may not be what others have in mind. This argument is therefore invalid. With respect to the second point, rather than saying that water’s nature is to seek low ground, it is more plausible to say that water tend to remain still. For it to move downwards or upwards, external forces are needed. Flowing downwards means that there is gravitational forces at work; forcing the water upwards is to transfer kinetic energy to the water. Hence, the natural state of water is to remain motionless. This is just like how human nature is neutral, and for it to become good or bad, external influences will have to affect it.
In conclusion, Mencius’ claim that human nature is intrinsically good is too far of a stretch and that the 4 hearts are part of us from birth is just his mere assumption. With reasons relating to nurturing playing a huge role in a person’s morality inclination, I believe that human nature is, at best, neutral; and the 4 hearts are values that are to be learnt from others.
A consumer’s level of exposure towards foreign goods or lifestyles may influence his buying decisions and preferences. Consumers tend to have an attitude when it comes to a particular product being made in a particular country. This attitude might be positive, negative, and neutral. Cross-cultural consumer analysis is defined as the effort to determine to what extent the consumers of two or more nations are similar or different. A major objective of cross-cultural consumer analysis is to determine how consumers in two or more societies are similar and how they are different. Such an understanding of the similarities and differences that exist between nations is critical to the multinational marketer, who must devise appropriate strategies to reach consumers in specific foreign markets. The greater the similarity between nations, the more feasible it is to use relatively similar strategies in each nation. If they differ in many aspects, then a highly individualized marketing strategy is indicated. The success of marketing and servicing in foreign countries is likely to be influenced by beliefs, values, and customs.
Get original essayVariables that influence cross-cultural marketing strategies:
• Pakistani culture is actually a part of the contemporary Islamic civilization which draws its value and traditions from Islam and rich Islamic history. Majority of population comprises of Muslims and follows teachings of Islam.
• Pakistani culture is a beautiful blend of the Punjabi, Sindhi, Pathan, Baluchi, Barohi, Seraiki and Kashmiri cultures. In addition, the presence of Hindu community in Sindh gives touches of dance and music in the Sindhi region.
Moral values refer to a set of principles that guide an individual on how to evaluate right versus wrong. We are loosing our moral values, the new generation has forgotten the teachings of our religion as well as the moral ethics all due to the foreign culture invasion, thanks to today’s media. The new generation do not have the basic ethics like respecting your elders, having some decency in every aspect.
And the blame goes to the parents, because they forgot to teach them forcefully about the basic ethics and the rest blame goes to the media.
Eid in Pakistan is slowly and steadily loosing its charm and importance in the youngster Muslims. They are more enthusiastic towards HOLI, NEWYEAR, DIWALI, HALLOWEEN because in Pakistani Media these occasions are highlighted with such glittering impact that people have been convinced to celebrate these occasions like their own. The main concern should be that how far this influence going to effect the young generation today?
Whatever fashion becomes popular abroad, it is being adopted by people here. Pakistani fashion industry is so inspired by the foreign styles that they don’t even hesitate before introducing revealing clothes in their collection. Which is considerably against our moral values as
well as our culture.
By far, the greatest impact that foreign culture has had on our culture is on the language. Our mother tongue Urdu is being replaced by English as a more common language used in conversations. This is happening because of the number of English medium schools in our society and the excessive use of email and messaging amongst the youth, which is usually in English or in a combination of English and a native language. Learning English is not a crime nor is speaking in English, but neglecting your own language and letting a foreign language invade your own language is a CRIME. The influence of English is so great that some youth feel ashamed speaking Urdu. In fact, we have started using English as a tool to distinguish between high and low class. Those who speak English proficiently are considered among the elite class, despite the fact that Urdu was the official language of Pakistan until English
The traditional concept of home-cooked food in our culture is being replaced by fast food meals from restaurants like KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds and others inspired by the fast food model. Pakistani dishes, which were famous for their flavor, are hardly acceptable to today's youth. As of today, we see cold drinks being used to such an extent that they are part of almost every meal, even in formal dinners. The introduction of energy drinks and sodas also has played a part in diminishing the consumption of traditional drinks.
The extended or joint family system, a trademark of Pakistani social culture, is losing its value and seems to be vanishing altogether, replaced by a culture of individuality. The youth of today believe in independence and individuality. As a result, we have seen a rise in the psychological disorders, divorces, suicides, and crime
It may be due to deviancy from our religion, as a culture of any nation reflects in its religion. – The media of today is exploiting the personalities of newgeneration. It presents the western world in such a glittering way that anybody can be come its victim. Our economy and political condition is suffering but so are our values and culture. One should stop and think whether Pakistan is really what its name mean or is it just another country vanishing under the spell of modernization!
Westernization has influenced every aspect of daily life ranging from cuisine to the basic human right. Westernization has not only created amongst the public but it was a step-forward towards modernization and modernization in no sense can be regarded as harmful. On the other hand too much interest of youth towards western influences can be regarded as a negative impact on the society. Increased exposure to internet, television, movies, and video games has increased drug abuse, violence, and related vices. The Pakistani youth, which forms the majority of the population, are quickly being influenced as they are the most vulnerable.
Buying habits and consumer behaviour is one of the vital things that one needs to incur in order to penetrate a market. Every place has different buying behaviour, therefore, a complete analysis is very important in which their choices, norms and values are considered before entering the market. In the United States, the buying behaviour is very different from that of any other country. The consumers’ selection depends on their needs and wants which would, later on, affect the demand-supply chain of the produces.
Get original essayThe things that might be the hot-selling articles in any one country might not be the same in any other country. For example, in August every year, the Spanish hold a celebration in which they use millions of tomatoes; this tomato consumption is not that much in any other country. So, although tomatoes are a necessity their consumption varies. In this research paper, the consumer behaviour towards buying the products in the US and in Spain would be analysed.
Under the light of Hofstede's National Index, there are five dimensions discussed as
These five parameters are used to discuss the cultural diversity of Spain and the US. By knowing about all these dimensions, it will become easy for us to understand the marketing trend and buying behaviour of the consumers.
Spain is a beautiful country which is a member of the European Union. The capital is Madrid and the inhabitants are called Spaniards. It is being located in the south west of Europe. It covers a total area of 505,403 square kilometres. The approximate population is around 47 million. Spain is a mountainous country having an active volcano peak, several rivers and mountain ranges that attract the tourists a lot. The major source of income for Spain is tourism. The average tourists attracted by Spain are around 48 million per annum. Whereas they employ only 10% of the workforce in their country and that is enough for them.
There are 88% native people in Spain and very less are the immigrants and the best part is that they have the literacy rate of about 97.5. The people are rich and very fond of cars and they like to have a great collection of them. So, it reflects the community as rich. They like to have a family oriented atmosphere and they enjoy hanging out together. They didn’t compete rather they enjoy being a team.
As compared to Spain, the United States is considered to be the most advanced countries in the world. It is the house of the latest technology and trends. The tourism, as well as the immigration ratios, are higher in the US. The dollar is considered as valuable currency as the English language is a worldwide spoken language. The people of the US are an example of individualism and they work hard day and night to earn. They are not family oriented people. the people of the US are usually more into buying cell phones, laptops and such technology, not everyone living there can afford a car and changing cars every now and then is not possible.
The values and norms are the basics of any culture. They tell how a nation should react, what are the good things and what the taboos are in that nation. Every nation follows their norms and values as these are the traditions. In Spain, the people are not very advanced and do not have a fast. They prefer simple life trends. They have scenic places and shopping is mostly done by the tourists. Whereas, in the US the life is very fast and people are always competing with each other. They usually live as individuals and earn their livelihood themselves.
The cultural values define the culture, the way of living, dressing, eating of any nation. These are different for different cultures. The culture of Spain is as simple as mentioned above, they are family oriented and usually not every person is earning in Spain.
National Values and Norms
In the light of the Hofstede’s Model, the contrast of Spain, as well as the United States, has been done as follows;
The US culture is Individual-based, here the people earn for themselves. Every member of the family is earning. Even the students earn and support themselves.
But in Spain, the families have a collective lifestyle. Usually, one person of the family is earning and supporting his family. The earning is enough to support the whole family.
The people living in the United States have a very fast life. They have to start earning since their youth and therefore they depend more on the junk food and easy to make foods. These foods are not healthy in the long term, therefore; there are more diseases and Obesity in the United States. In short, the people do not have time for themselves they are running all their lives. The lifespan is less and people die at younger ages.
In Spain, they hold an annual festival in which the whole country throws tomatoes at each other. They follow a healthy lifestyle and therefore the number of oldies in Spain is more. The people are healthy and they live longer.
Continuing the above point, the people of the US have limited families because they do not have a proper family unit. The couples usually have an average of one to two kids. The families are short and as soon as the kids cross their maturity, they start looking for jobs and they settle in different states according to the nature of their jobs.
As compared to Spain, the people are the family unit. They stay together and breed more. Usually, they have extended families.
The people of the United States have a huge competition among themselves. They compete for better to the best and hence, there is a constant struggle going on. But, in Spain the conditions are adverse. The literacy rate is 97% and the students are not taught to beat each other rather they have a harmony. They support each other and corporate as a single unit.
There is a cultural diversity found in the United States is quite vast as many nations migrate here. As a result, there is a multiple market going on, like halal food for Muslims, non- veg for Indians, Seafood, Chinese and other diversities. But, in Spain, the inhabitants are 87% so there is less cultural diversity. The Spaniard's trends are in vogue and they show cultural uniformity.
Environment-Oriented Values and Norms
The norms and values related to the environment of the US and Spain are as follows,
Keeping a nation clean is very important. In the US the people are fined for polluting their country. Spain has a cleaner environment without making much effort as the Spaniards are literate. Also, the Government keeps a check on the cleanliness as it has a lot of natural beauty and a tourist attraction spot.
The people of the United States do not have much importance in power distance, and usually, the decisions taken are on the individual basis. The people of Spain ask their teachers or the elders before making any decision. For them, the status of the more experienced person matters a lot and they do not make any decisions before taking an advice.
The traditions of the United States vary and change but those of Spain remain constant. Since there is a lot of cultural diversity in the US, thus the changes in traditions are more. In Spain, they stick to their old traditions and do not welcome change.
The people living in the United States welcome change and are ready to take any risks while in Spain, the people avoid any sorts of risks. They get upset when the routine changes and are nervous about ambiguity. The people in the US buy new products as then the risk is not a big deal for them but the Spaniards are the most loyal customers.
The problem solving is considered very serious in Spain and people would unite to sort out things but in the US usually the individual’s sort things on their own and do not share them with others.
The United States has fifty states and has all sorts of landscapes, while Spain is the mountainous area. The US natives are very busy in their lives that they are not that hospitable as compare to the Spaniards.
Self-Oriented Values and Norms
The consumers of the US are active consumers as they respond on the online ads and order things online. They are attracted to the deals and would purchase goods without thinking much. While in Spain, the consumer trend is a bit different as they are passive and are not much involved in the online shopping trends. They would ask others before making any purchases.
The US inhabitants are risk-taking people and they are attracted towards impulsive buying. For them, choosing a good that is suiting their pocket is not a big deal; they appreciate the daily deals and utilize them. In Spain, the sensual gratification is given not much weight and the deals do not attract them because they avoid taking any risks.
The US natives are materialistic people, they work hard to earn a luxurious lifestyle, while the people of Spain have a simple lifestyle with many family members living together. They are not attracted towards materials goods and prefer living a simple life.
The people of the US are very hard working as all their families work. They do get weekends off but they also spend in completing the pending tasks, while, in Spain, the people are hard working but they do get leisure time end families to go out to enjoy. They dine out together and the fancy food attracts them as the whole families go out for eating.
The people of the US are good at fulfilling immediate gratification. They do not take any advice, make a quick decision and make a purchase, while in Spain the postponed gratification trends are observed. The people would ask for the opinion of their elders and teachers and then would make a decision as they do not want to take any risks.
In Spain the prevalent religion is Catholicism. The younger generations do not take their religion seriously and fail to attend the Mass regularly. While in theUS, 69% of the people are Christians, 45% could be considered as Protestants and 20% are Catholics.
Consumer Behaviours in Purchasing, Using and Disposing of Products
From the Hofstede’s Model of cultural dimensions, the consumer behaviours of the US natives and the Spaniards have been clearly seen. Now, keeping in mind those trends the consumer behaviours can be expressed as;
In the US there is more consumer demand, also they need variety. The deals on different products attract the consumer market a lot and there is more impulsive buying.
In Spain, they avoid risk to the most; they would not prefer impulsive buying, rather buying from authentic sources would matter more.
The consumers in the US can shop from anywhere be it online shopping or shop as far as the prices are attractive and the products are good. In Spain, the trend is very different, as the people are most dedicated towards safe buying and are loyal to their brands. They would prefer going to the shops, get their desired products and feel satisfied desired goods
In US retail shopping is not given much importance, while in Spain, retail shopping would bring about more satisfied consumers. They would prefer buying cars and keep changing and upgrading them quite often.
The use of technology for buying and selling is more in the US as compared to Spain. The Spaniards are a feministic society so they are not much involved in the technology and gadget buying. In the US, the trend of the youth is more about buying cell phones and other such gadgets and keep updating and upgrading them.
In the US there is a less role in power distance, so seeking information is not considered worthy enough and usually, the decisions taken are solitary. While, in Spain, there is a lot of power distance and the information seeking is considered an essential part of any activity.
The promotions can attract US market more, while in Spain the promotions do not add to more sales. Because there is no competition in Spain as they work as a corporation, while in the US promotions can add to more sales because of neck to neck competition.
The prices of the US market will greatly affect the consumers as they are impulsive buyers and there is more shopping trend. The US citizens wait for the Christmas sales to do their annual shopping. In Spain, the prices do not matter a lot as far as they are affordable, as they are loyal customers.
A product that is new on the market and is affordable will be bought by the US natives, but in Spain, only the products that are risk-free will be consumed by the Spaniards.
The US can shop while travelling; they prefer buying from nearby stores. There are many convenient stores in the US but in Spain, the place doesn’t matter, people would go to their loyalty stores to get their desired products.
Currently, the US is serving a good consumer market but China is penetrating in the US markets. The products are good but their substandard products have decreased the prices. The lifespan of these products is very less but the consumers to buy them due to great pricing policy. While in Spain, there are very expensive and excellent quality brands available. The prices are high but they provide excellent quality goods to the consumers.
For them, customer satisfaction is utmost important and they have loyal customers, the consumers do not search from shop to shop rather they contact their old brands. They are long-term oriented people and they want to see their products last longer and do not get fed up quickly.
The above-mentioned model can be categorised into five dimensions being power distance, Individualism and Collectivism, Masculinity and Feministic, uncertainty avoidance and Long-term orientation. In the US the power distance is 40% means there is an informal and direct relationship with those in power. While in Spain it is 57% means that Spaniards are more into listening and asking for opinions from those in power. For them giving a negative feedback to someone in power is not an easy task.
The US culture is more masculine being 62% while the Spain culture is 42% masculine. The Spain trends are more feministic and they are usually soft people not getting involved in crimes and other such trends. The US people are an individualism trend being 91% and Spain is 51% individual. While in Spain it is collectivism and people prefer working as teams. In the US the uncertainty avoidance is 46% while in Spain it is 86 % means that they are not happy with new and different things and Spaniards are more loyal customers.
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Get custom essayLong-Term Oriented people are the Spaniards being 29% while the US natives are 19%. The Spaniards want good products that would last longer while the US people prefer changes and something new every time. From the above-mentioned model, it is clear that the US market is progressing more as compared to the Spaniard market as the diversity and the market demand is more in the US market. There is more competition in the US markets and they have compromised on the quality. Still, the demand is more so the supply more. While in Spain, the market targets its loyal customers and would never compromise on their quality. They would always satisfy their customers. All these data analysis has been made easy to accomplish because of the Hofstede's Model of Cultural Dimensions.
Cross-platform mobile application development is a welcome respite for developers that find it difficult to manage substantial groups for each of the mobile development verticals. Moreover, developing an application using this much-in-demand platform is a successful event as it helps in making popular the product among a larger section of potential customers. Cross-platform mobile application development relates to a technique of developing mobile applications which can be used on several mobile platforms. As there are numerous platforms, device fragmentation was one of the major difficulties which made it difficult for the developers to make applications that run on all mobile phones. Cross-platform mobile development resources were made to resolve this issue which guarantees consistency by offering common device functionality features.
Get original essayAs today’s mobile application developers are trying to be nimble, they use the best resources to make a mobile application.
Appcelerator
For developers hoping to make applications for desktop computers and pills together with cell phones, Appcelerator Titanium is a welcome choice. It facilitates iPhone, Android, iPad and Blackberry based applications and also allows the developers to use JavaScript to make native applications for Android and iPhone. Knowledge of Titanium API is important for developers willing to use it.
PhoneGap
It is yet another much desired after cross-platform mobile development structure. It lets the developers use the combination of JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3 together with consistent web APIs to construction applications to run on a number of OS and devices including iOS, Android, Symbian, BB, Windows 8, Windows Phone and more. Created by Adobe platforms, PhoneGap comprises of Apache Cordova as the actual application.
MoSync
Developed by Mobile Sorcery, MoSync provides free, simple, and free Software Development Kit (SDK) to develop a quantity of cross-platform cell cellphone applications. Developers can use it to make native applications with the help ofC/C++, CSS, HTML5 and JavaScript. The structure facilitates iOS, Android and Windows Phone among others. The company also proposes to download MoSync SDK and Refill tool right from its website to obtaining the most of its customers.
Sencha Touch
Web developers prefer using Sencha Touch to develop interactive application UI with the help of JavaScript collection together with the Cross of HTML5 and CSS3. With this structure, developers can perfectly and quickly make applications that could run perfectly on the devices reinforced by Android, iOS and BB. The mobile web applications thus designed give the appearance and experience of native applications. An extra with Sencha Touch is that it provides GUI based manages, which further make simpler using the mobile web applications.
For companies and individuals in the business of mobile application development, these frameworks guarantee very cost-effective solutions as compared to the native platforms. Moreover, due to the fact that the code written in all such resources are recyclable, once written, digital consulting services can use them as many times as they want. Popular reasons such as cost-effectiveness that have been improved exposure due to the accessibility of applications on several OS and devices often entice the clients from different parts of society to invest in these cross-platform mobile development frameworks and rear remarkable benefits in the long run.
The king’s position is an honorable title desired by many. Before a king, subjects must humble themselves and know their place, so they do not overstep the boundaries between themselves and the king. Dedicated to King James I, William Shakespeare constructs a play that reminds people of their role as subjects. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare warns the audience of over ambition, and reveals how aiming too high is beyond man’s power. Through Macbeth’s character and the symbolism of blood, Shakespeare demonstrates how a virtuous man could become corrupt by his overambitious thoughts to control fate which ultimately lead to his own demise instead.
Get original essayIn the beginning, Macbeth has patience because he is loyal, but when he grows impatient and attempts to control fate, fate remains unchanged. When the witches first give him the prophecy, Macbeth is horrified because he knows his place as the king’s subject. Though Macbeth assumes he must kill Duncan to fulfill the last prophecy, he “yields to that suggestion/Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs” and decides to let fate play itself out (I.III.147-149). As Duncan’s most worthy follower, betrayal for the crown is too treacherous; therefore, loyalty keeps Macbeth from murdering Duncan immediately. Macbeth still has morals, takes caution, and understands that killing the king means treason. Although Macbeth wishes to remain loyal, the thought of obtaining the highest position tempts him. The throne is his fate, but Macbeth still wonders if he should take action or not. Weighing the pros and cons of killing Duncan, Macbeth questions whether his ambition is worth the price. Macbeth is aware that, “we still have judgment here, that we but teach/Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return/To plague th’ inventor” (I.VII.8-10). The bloody instructions represent murdering the king; thus, Macbeth knows karma will punish him. Still, Macbeth rids Duncan and forces his fate to occur immediately.
Over time, Macbeth loses patience, and his ego grows. With false security, Macbeth assumes his position as king is secure, and Hecate predicts how “he shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear/His hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace, and fear” (III.V.29-31). Murdering Duncan gave Macbeth the throne quickly, which leads Macbeth to think that he can control fate and get what he wants. While Macbeth forgets the crimes and punishments, he only thinks of the benefits. He compromises with his morals for greed which makes him despicable. Eventually, Macbeth learns that taking matters into his own hands to shape his destiny is meaningless. With his efforts wasted, Macbeth describes how controlling fate “is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing” (V.V.29-31). Macbeth’s downfall still comes true. All effort to prevent the end of his reign only solidifies his fate. Through Macbeth’s useless attempts, Shakespeare demonstrates how impatience rushes the cautious mind into acting ruthless when man tries shaping his own fate. However, fate will not change no matter how ambitious a person may be. Fate is not within his control. Though Macbeth plans his actions to alter his fate, he has no power over fate and receives hatred and death as punishment.
Moreover, uncontrolled ambition creates false hope which deceives Macbeth into pursuing his selfish desires through murders; thus, his morals get destroyed. Although Macbeth is reluctant to receive the throne through murder, Lady Macbeth convinces him to act more ambitious. Preparing himself, Macbeth agrees to kill his own kin as he convinces himself saying, “I go, and it is done. The bell invites me” (II.I.75). Macbeth’s hesitation changes into determination instead. With the plan set, Macbeth gets motivated by the thought that the sooner he takes action, the sooner he can obtain the most respectable position: king. The caution and loyalty from earlier is forgotten. On the other hand, though Macbeth loses his moral character and hides the truth, he cannot forget the murder, and the memories haunt him. Like the dagger, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost and realizes, “I am in blood/Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (III.IV.168-170). Caught up in his own guilt, Macbeth must tell one lie after another to cover up his crime. He knows every murder he commits buries him deeper into evil. Though his sins increase, ambition is the only motivation that persuades Macbeth to maintain his reign instead of confessing. Soon, Macbeth’s arrogance builds, and he ignores his cruel actions and focuses on keeping the throne. When he thinks he can get away with his crimes, Hecate states that “security/Is mortals’ chiefest enemy” (III.V.32-33). Overconfidence hardens his feelings, and Macbeth no longer feels guilty. Ignoring the depth of his sins, Macbeth’s ego makes him feel secure, so he disregards the fate he deserves. As a result, Macbeth becomes hateful and treacherous gaining enemies who overthrow him. Through Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s death, Shakespeare shows readers how pursuing overambitious goals will make a person unprepared for the cost. People can forget their morals and the negative consequences while they aim to achieve their desires. Since ambition increases a person’s ego and motivation, he can continue acting sinful without awareness. The change happens slowly, so people adapt to evil and consider cruelty as part of human nature. Macbeth’s over ambitious goals destroy his honest character as he grows arrogant and accepts his actions as natural; thus, he meets his end unprepared.
Consequently, Macbeth forgets his position as his ego builds, and through Macbeth’s useless attempt to control fate, Shakespeare shows how unrestrained ambition can cause a man’s own demise. Man has limitations on what he can control, and fate is beyond that power. Still, people give into temptations and become willing to change for their desires. Even the most loyal subject is vulnerable, so he too is a threat. In order to protect the king, Shakespeare reminds the audience of their position as subjects and insists that they cannot escape the consequences of growing overconfident.
Director Ang Lee gives the audience an effective insight to Confucianism, the culture explored in the film where moral codes and following natural order are key values. This film provides an acumen to a culture which embodies different beliefs and values to our own Christian principles. This proves to be extremely effective as it allows the audience to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Confucianism as well as their own culture by the films metalanguage and film conventions. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a 2000s Wuxia film about Li Mu Bai, a great warrior who decides to turn in his sword, the Green Destiny to a treasured friend, Sir Te. When the sword is stolen by Jen, a leading female character, it is up to him to retrieve it while also trying to avenge his master's death who was killed by Jen's master, the villain Jade Fox. The film explores Jens journey up to the moment where she steals the sword including after as she ventures around China and discovers herself and her beliefs and values. Beliefs and values the leading characters withhold in this film which adhere to and subvert to their cultures are the idea of repressing inner conflicts, talents and passions to disguise a reserved exterior which is especially evident in Jade Fox as she fights the restricts put on women who also want to perform Wudan. Another value exemplified in the film is that social obligations and external constraints can limit an individual's potential, personal freedom and sense of individuality which is seen in Li Mu Bai along with the belief that faithfulness will lead to a life of happiness and fulfilment which in one way or another is portrayed by all characters in the film.
Get original essayThe audience can appreciate the Confucius value of 'appearance and reality' which is believed to be able to repress inner conflicts and hide talents and passions that are perhaps not accepted in their philosophical religion. In Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon women especially value their appearance as their religion, Confucianism suggests that women must study and learn how to manage households, be etiquette and follow relationships within laws to be willing to do anything to help their husband and family. This value is reflected by villain Jade Fox. We learn that Fox does not want to epitomise these characteristics her culture directs her towards therefore she has an affair with Chiang Nan-he (a master in Wudan fighting) in attempt to learn the secrets of this art. This however was not the case, Jade was taken advantage of and was refused to be taught merely due to her gender. Her response to this was killing him, proving her worth and stealing the book outlining the Wudan secrets. Ang Lee demonstrates this value in his scenes through visual elements and dialogue. A significant scene in the film which accurately portrays this value and uses these elements was after Jade Fox had poisoned Li Mu Bai and voiced her opinion regarding his master and their society. She said "Your master underestimated women! I was good enough to sleep with, but not to teach." During this scene close up camera angles were used to express her emotions and conflicting opinions she withholds about the roles of females. This angle and dialogue effectively encourages the audience to understand Jade's emotional and damaging experiences with her cultures beliefs therefore appreciate their own as it is why she has to embrace her own value of appearance and reality. As seen, Fox and her hardships plays a substantial function in this film which proves to be a successful way to express to the audience to appreciate the freedom of having their own values in comparison to the forced value of your appearance in a Confucius culture. The value of appearance and reality was effectively illustrated in this film.
The idea that social obligations and external constraints will limit an individual's potential, personal freedom and sense of individuality is a Confucius belief embodied in the film which Western audiences can acknowledge and appreciate. In the film, it is evident that society and external complications restricts the characters of their own freedom of choice, constantly testing their faith and morals. This is especially portrayed in Li Mu Bai's character who throughout the film tries to remove himself from a violent lifestyle by hiding behind his religion. However this all changes after Jen steals the sword and he is obliged to retrieve it to ensure it is in safe hands. This drags him back into a vehement lifestyle limiting his personal freedom as it forces him to pursue the life he was hypothetically running from. Ang Lee conveys this value through numerous intense scenes where the high camera angles alongside dramatic music creates a compelling and engaging prospect. An example which actively illustrates how Li Mu Bai has been constricted of his opinions and feelings due to social obligations was in his final moments with Shu Lien. The high camera angles add to the scenes intensity when Li Mu Bai states "I've already wasted my whole life. I want to tell you with my last breath that I have always loved you." The camera angle of this scene and the dramatic music playing in the background aids the audiences response towards the belief illustrated which allows them to appreciate their own beliefs and the freedom they have in their own culture, proving to be effective. The audience has been given the opportunity to appreciate and extend their knowledge on the culture conveyed in the film due to camera angles and melodramatic music which accurately displayed their belief that outside sources can limit personal freedom and sense of individuality. This belief was once again conveyed effectively throughout the movie.
The film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon has accurately portrayed to the audience a significant value explored in their culture that faithfulness will lead to a life of happiness and fulfilment. Throughout the film acts of faithfulness and of high moral code is displayed between characters. In particular, Jen and forbidden love Lo have strong faith in each other and the desire that they will one day be happy together, despite the distance and barrier between them. Confucianism revolves itself around regarding each individuals involvement in a community or towards one another as being the means to fulfilment. A demonstration of faithfulness leading to fulfilment is when Lo says to Jen "a faithful heart makes wishes come true". Lo's wish refers to him and Jen being together once again which put in juxtaposition to the Confucius belief, is the bliss after leading a fulfilled existence. Ang demonstrates this faithfulness in these scenes through the use of radiant, incandescent lighting. This constructs an irresistible desire to live a similar lifestyle and effective insight to their culture, portraying this belief accurately in that if fulfilled you will be as happy as these characters. The director has effectively portrayed this Confucius belief of faithfulness leading to fulfilment through lighting choices and love story of Lo and Jen which allows audiences to appreciate different cultural beliefs and values from their own. Audiences are allowed to appreciate faithfulness in the culture explored in the film.
Ang Lee, the director gave the audience an accurate insight to Confucianism and its key morals. The concepts understood by the audience are the beliefs and values of appearance and reality, social obligations restricting personal freedom and faithfulness will result in a life of fulfilment. These were all displayed by many visual elements such as camera angles, dialogue and different sound effects and musical choices that allowed the audience to discover new appreciations for the culture the film embodied along with their own. Overall, cultural beliefs and values were exemplified effectively towards the audience in the film.
Cryptocurrency is digital money[1]. It uses cryptography, the process of converting information into code, as security to establish the authenticity of each transaction[2]. There are different cryptocurrencies in the market but they all possess four characteristics. Cryptocurrency is decentralised. Everyday currencies, such as the pound or the dollar, are controlled by governments or regulatory bodies. Their creation and valuation can be regulated by these entities[3]. Cryptocurrency is different. Its creation and transactions rely on a peer-to-peer network and are then confirmed in a public ledger, available to all users[4]. There is no single entity issuing, guarantying or affecting cryptocurrency. Therefore, it is the pure supply-demand relationship of the cryptocurrency that governs its valuation.
Get original essayCryptocurrency is transparent and anonymous. All transactions, from day one of the creation of the cryptocurrency, is stored in a public ledger[5]. For privacy reasons, the public record does not show any of the parties’ details but only their cryptographic signatures or hash. This permits identification while maintaining anonymity[6]. Cryptocurrency is hard to duplicate or counterfeit due to its being based on cryptography and protocols using advanced mathematics and computer engineering[7]. Cryptocurrency is a cheap alternative to using financial institutions[8]. It removes the need for a third party acting as intermediary since the transfers are made directly between parties, thereby avoiding fees for transactions.
Cryptocurrency raises a number of challenges for regulators at a national and international level that are mainly due to its issuance and operation. It is a self-managed system emitting units of value independently while acting as both a method of payment and a means of custody[9]. This makes regulation extremely complex because each of these functions are currently performed by different entities in our society[10]. Effective regulation, therefore, requires large amount of time, personnel, infrastructure and international cooperation in order to be put into place[11]. The challenge of regulators is threefold.
First, cryptocurrencies differ from one another and are used differently. Ripple is a cross-border payment software aimed at the financial markets[12] while Bitcoin is used as an alternative to everyday currencies[13]. Meanwhile, Ethereum is a ledger technology that companies use to create new programs and smart contracts via its own currency[14]. It is more than just a currency unlike Bitcoin[15]. This variety in cryptocurrencies complicates the regulation of cryptocurrency as a whole.
Second, regulators face the challenge of lack of resources. In many countries the resources required for regulating cryptocurrency require a justification to taxpayers and there are currently more urgent problems to be resolved in society[16]. For instance, in September 2017, European Union customs officials raised concerns over the “lack sufficient resources” to monitor virtual currencies[17]. Consequently, this lack of resources leads to cryptocurrencies being dealt with on a cases-by-case basis rather than complete effective regulation[18].
Finally, the most complex aspects of regulating cryptocurrency are the multiple aspects of the currency itself. To avoid money laundering, regulators would need to focus on anonymity, while concerns about governance would require asking whether assets were potentially vulnerable to asymmetric information, theft or fraud. If it’s a ledger, the regulator would focus on reporting requirements or transparency.
As cryptocurrency can be converted into everyday money anonymously and cryptocurrency accounts cannot be seized or examined, it may be used for illegal purposes[19]. First, as virtual and decentralised money, cryptocurrency is hugely used in black markets, money laundering and other illegal activities. Bitcoin is used on the Dark Web to purchase and sell drugs, weapons and other illicit goods[20]. Cryptocurrency is also the means of choice for perpetrators of ransomware. For example, TalkTalk received a ransom demand for £80,000 in bitcoin in 2015[21]. Meanwhile in early 2016, the Dutch police arrested 10 people over bitcoin money-laundering allegations valued at 22 millions of dollars[22].
Second, cryptocurrency is an appealing option for tax evasion as it is not controlled by governments. Tax laws and regulations vary from one country to another and many do not yet have policies on cryptocurrency[23]. As such, salaries and sales paid in cryptocurrency could be used to avoid income tax liability as there is no agreement on whether these should be included in gross income or treated as capital gains[24].
Finally, there are concerns that cryptocurrency is or could be used for terror financing. In early 2017, the Indonesian government anti-terrorist entity alleged publicly that Bahrun Naim, a member of ISIS, sent Bitcoin to other members across Indonesia using Paypal[25]. According to The Royal United Services Institute, the threat of terrorist financing via cryptocurrencies is a risk that could grow in the future, but for the time being there are only limited available proof of terrorists’ use of cryptocurrencies[26].
[1] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cryptocurrency.asp
[2] https://idsa.in/specialfeature/cryptocurrencies-and-the-regulators-dilemma_msharma_010817
[3] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bitcoin-what-is-cryptocurrency-where-use-investment-dark-web-illegal-explained-value-exchange-rate-a8082491.html
[4] https://idsa.in/specialfeature/cryptocurrencies-and-the-regulators-dilemma_msharma_010817
[5] https://www.law.com/sites/almstaff/2017/11/07/new-wave-legal-challenges-for-bitcoin-and-other-cryptocurrencies/?slreturn=20180019072623
[6] https://idsa.in/specialfeature/cryptocurrencies-and-the-regulators-dilemma_msharma_010817
[7] https://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/905619/Cryptocurrency-what-is-bitcoin-ripple-ethereum-should-I-buy
[8] https://www.law.com/sites/almstaff/2017/11/07/new-wave-legal-challenges-for-bitcoin-and-other-cryptocurrencies/?slreturn=20180019072623
[9] https://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/congress/Papers_for_Congress/29-DOLES_SILVA-Cryptocurrencies_and_International_Regulation.pdf
[10] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-11/global-regulators-play-bitcoin-whack-a-mole-as-demand-explodes
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the creation of additional units, verify the transfer of funds Is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, Well the nature of cryptocurrency transactions makes them well-suited for a host of Criminal activities, such as Money Laundering and Tax Evasion …!
Get original essayThe first cryptocurrency to capture the public imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. As of September 2015, there were over 14.6 million bitcoins in circulation with a total market value of $3.4 billion. Bitcoin's success has spawned a number of competing cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Namecoin and PPCoin.
Benefits:
Drawback:
The Bitcoin network witnesses a great deal of transaction activity. Maintaining a record of these transactions helps users track what was paid to and by whom. The transactions Put during a given period of time are recorded into a file called a block.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that use Proof of Work Blockchains are maintained through a process called Mining In this system, miners – computers running the cryptocurrency's software client compete to find a new block, adding the most recent transaction data to the chain. They receive fees and a (in some Cases) a reward of new tokens in return
Bitcoin mining is the process by which transactions verified and added to the public ledger. known as the block chain…and also the means through which new bitcoin are released. The mining process involves compiling recent transactions. In the earliest days of Bitcoin, mining was done with CPUs from normal desktop computers Graphics cards
Cryptocurrencies are used outside existing banking and governmental institutions and are exchanged over the Internet. While these alternative, they have the unique potential to challenge existing systems of currency and payments. As of December 2017 total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies is bigger than 600 billion USD and record high daily volume is larger than 500 billion USD.
This paper analyzes the compliance of distributed, autonomous block chain management systems (BMS) like Bitcoin with the requirements of Islamic Banking and Finance. The following analysis shows that a BMS can conform with the prohibition of riba (usury) and incorporate the principles of maslaha (social benefits of positive externalities) and mutual risk-sharing (as opposed to risk-shifting). It concludes that Bitcoin or a similar system might be a more appropriate medium of exchange in Islamic Banking and Finance than riba-backed central bank fiat currency, especially among the unbanked and in small-scale cross-border trade.
Get original essayIslamic banking Modern Islamic banking and its financial system dates back to more than half a century, the industry can be still seen at its infancy. Islamic banking and finance follows the principles of sharia. As per shariat law, money hold no intrinsic value-therefore it cannot be traded as a commodity which means that it cannot be lend for a fee(interest) for a specific period of time, this particular practice is called “riba”. Another characteristic of Islamic Banking and finance would be the fact that it cannot be used to invest in instruments or entities considered as ‘haram’ as per Sharia laws, these include businesses that are involved in the trade or sale of alcoholic beverages, businesses involved in financing activities, businesses involved in the sale of pork to name a prominent few, these types of businesses are considered as ‘haram’ or forbidden as per the sharia law. Islamic banking and finance Islamic banking basically works on the principle of interest free banking, which means that there is no concept of interest on any loans granted. The main logic behind this concept is the fact that the investor should not be making an undue profit from the hard work of another. The banks survive on “profits” earned from it investments. As a result, Islamic banks make available accounts which provide profit or loss instead of interest rates.
The banks use this money collected by them and invest in something that is shariat compliant, that is not haram and does not involve high risks. Businesses involving alcohol, drugs, war weapons etc. as well as all other high risk and speculative activities would have zero exposure as they are prohibited as per sharia law. Islamic Banking, therefore, acts as an agent by collecting the money on behalf of its customers, investing them in shariat compliant projects and sharing the profits or losses with them.
The following points are the main principles followed in Islamic banking and finance as per Sharia laws. Prohibition of Interest or Usury is strictly forbidden. Interest most commonly known as riba or usury is strictly forbidden. Money, on its own, may not generate profits. When riba infects an entire economy, it jeopardises the wellbeing of everyone living in that society. When investors are more concerned with rates of interest and guaranteed returns than they are with the uses to which money is put, the results can only be negative.
Ethical Standards Islamic investing must seriously consider the business to be invested in, its policies, the products it produces, the services it provides, and the impact that these have on society and the environment. Islam has rules and regulations on involvement in financial activities. For example, in share trading or the securities market, there must be scrutiny of the activities of the companies to establish whether they are in line with Sharia.
The Qur'an calls on all its adherents to care for and support the poor and destitute. Islamic financial institutions are expected to provide special services to those in need. Going beyond mere charitable donations, Islamic banks are involved in social projects. They also offer profit-free loans or Al Qard Al Hasan. For example, if an individual needs to go to hospital or wants to go to university, we would usually give them Qard Al Hasan for a short period of about a year and do not charge them anything for that.
This is the overarching concept of fairness - the idea that all parties should share in the risk and profit of any business endeavour. To be entitled to a return, a financial provider must either accept business risk or provide a service (such as supplying an asset). Otherwise, the financier is, from a Shariah point of view, not only an economic parasite but also a sinner. This principle is derived from a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (May Peace be upon Him): Profit comes with liability. One is only entitled to profit when one bears the liability, or risk of loss. By linking profit with the possibility of loss, Islamic law distinguishes lawful profit from all other forms of gain.
Difference between Islamic banking and conventional banking Islamic banking Conventional banking Focus is on the investment Focus is on the lending There is emphasis on the soundness of a project There is emphasis on the ability to repay Coordination with partners in resource mobilization Dependence on borrowing for resource mobilization Apply moral criteria in investment Apply only financial criteria
The concept of Islamic banking has often been criticised by both purists as well as modern conventional bankers. It is stated that the instruments in Islamic banking are essentially the same as the ones in traditional banking and have the same purpose with merely different terminology. Such a criticism has been faced due to the definitions and the differentiation between interest(riba) earned and profit both have very similar definitions; profit can be defined as money earned when there is a commodity on any one side of the transaction and interest can be defined as the money earned when there is money on both sides of the transaction, both these concepts are separated by a thin line resulting in such critics. However, going in detail about this particular aspect in Islamic banking is beyond the scope of this paper as this paper focuses on the compatibility of the cryptocurrency, bitcoin in the Islamic banking system.
There exist various types of cryptocurrencies, but only a very few are well known globally, namely Bitcoin and ethereum. They have gained such global prominence due to their exponential increase in value in a short time span, but many are still unaware as to what they really are and what their potential applications and benefits would be in the future. Cryptocurrency is built on the concept of the “blockchain”. Blockchain is nothing but a decentralised digital ledger which records transactions chronologically and publicly, allowing anyone to verify and access the data. This is basically the underlying technology that powers or supports any cryptocurrencies in existence today. What this enables is the ability to send money in the form of cryptocurrency from anywhere in the world from peer to peer without the involvement of any third party like banks, gateways etc. that generally tends to take a fee. This particular facility of the blockchain is not only restricted to the transfer of money, but can be applied to various others forms of asset classes such as property rights and various other goods. At the present moment the most widely used application of blockchain is for cryptocurrency, predominantly bitcoin.
Unlike fiat money, cryptocurrencies cannot be made out of thin air or printed from the press for that matter. A huge amount of effort and resource is required to produce the supply of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. This process of generating bitcoin is called “bitcoin mining”. The highly complex process of mining is what helps keep the intrinsic value of bitcoin at such high levels and is growing at a staggering pace.
The exertion of computing power, electricity and time by the miners represents the value that validates the creation of cryptocurrencies. This is contrary to the fiat system, where governments and banks can create money out of impulse with no corresponding injection of value. It is important to point out that fiat money is debt-based. It follows that whenever a bank makes a loan, it simultaneously creates a matching deposit in the borrower’s bank account, thereby creating new money. The generation of bitcoin blocks takes place in the following process:
As bitcoins are being traded all the time, its trade records have to be kept in the form of a general public ledger. This is where the miners come in, they deal with this by collecting all of the transactions made during a set period into a list, called a block. It’s the miners’ job to confirm those transactions, and write them into a general ledger.
The name blockchain is derived from the nature of the long list of the general ledger where there are several blocks arranged in the form of a chain, thus the term “Blockchain”. Whenever a new block of transactions is created, it is added to the blockchain, creating an increasingly lengthy list of all the transactions that ever took place on the bitcoin network. A constantly updated copy of the block is given to everyone who participates, so that they know what is going on. So, the blockchain has been made, the ledger is made public for everyone on the network to see, but then comes in a very important factor, and that is the factor of trust. The bitcoin miners make sure that this factor is well taken care of. When a block of transactions is created, miners put it through a process. They take the information in the block, and apply a mathematical formula to it, turning it into something else.
That something else is a far shorter, seemingly random sequence of letters and numbers known as a hash. This hash is stored along with the block, at the end of the blockchain at that point in time. Hashes have some interesting properties. It’s easy to produce a hash from a collection of data like a bitcoin block, but it’s practically impossible to work out what the data was just by looking at the hash. And while it is very easy to produce a hash from a large amount of data, each hash is unique. If you change just one character in a bitcoin block, its hash will change completely. If you tried to fake a transaction by changing a block that had already been stored in the blockchain, that block’s hash would change. If someone checked the block’s authenticity by running the hashing function on it, they'd find that the hash was different from the one already stored along with that block in the blockchain. The block would be instantly spotted as a fake. Because each block’s hash is used to help produce the hash of the next block in the chain, tampering with a block would also make the subsequent block’s hash wrong too. That would continue all the way down the chain, throwing everything out of whack.
Every time someone successfully creates a hash, they get a reward of 25 bitcoins, the blockchain is updated, and everyone on the network hears about it. That’s the incentive to keep mining, and keep the transactions working. Furthermore, to keep things interesting, every time someone successfully creates a hash, the system makes creating the next hash even more difficult to control the supply of bitcoin so that its value could be kept at the high levels it is currently at. The performance of bitcoin over the years bitcoin became operational in the year 2008 with an underlying value of $0.8. at that point of time people and investors alike had not adapted well to the platform due to its newness and lack of ‘proof of concept’. But as the concept of blockchain became more widely well-known and its benefits more well understood, people started to look at bitcoin as an alternative investment asset class skyrocketing its value jumping more than 1000 times with a further uptrend predicted by analysts.
The security of bitcoin In recent times there have been incidents of bitcoin exchanges getting hacked resulting in losses to the tune of millions to investors bringing the security of the virtual currency into question. Certain incidents of attacks on bitcoin MT. Gox Mt. Gox, which used to be one of the leading Bitcoin exchange services, has filed for bankruptcy protection, having lost a staggering amount of bitcoins: $468 million worth. Mt. Gox’s demise began in early February when it, alongside other Bitcoin exchange sites such as BTC-e, froze Bitcoin withdrawals citing heavy Distributed Denial of Service (DoS) attacks aimed at taking advantage of bitcoin transaction malleability. Silk road 2.0 In February this year, $2.7 million worth of bitcoins were stolen from Silk Road 2.0‘s escrow account. This heist occurred at roughly the same time as the aforementioned DoS attacks on bitcoin exchanges such as Mt. Gox, and exploited the same transaction malleability in the bitcoin protocol. There are still loopholes in the system that can be taken advantage of, but these loopholes generally occur in the exchanges or points of sale where bitcoin is involved.
The security protocol of the blockchain is highly robust as it relies on:
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Get custom essayThe analysis of the compatibility between a distributed, autonomous blockchain system, the bitcoin and Islamic banking and finance(IBF) is done in this paper. Hence, we can clearly see that the concept of bitcoin conforms with the prohibition of interest(Riba) in IBF as bitcoin incorporates the principles of social benefits of externalities(maslaha) and mutual risk sharing (as opposed to risk shifting). Furthermore, in Islamic finance there needs to be an underlying asset. The majority of today’s fiat money is created in the form of loans from within the banking system, whereby Bitcoin is created in limited volume through a mining process with actual computer power and does not involve debt creation, seen by some as digital gold Thus, it can be described as an asset class with an intrinsic value and this fits well with the principles of Islamic finance.
Seamus Heaney’s “Casualty” is written as an elegy for a friend who was killed in a bombing in Northern Ireland shortly after Bloody Sunday. His friend, who was a Catholic, failed to obey a curfew set in place by the Irish Republican Army. He was consequently killed in the bombing of the pub he often frequented. “Casualty” serves as an elegy for this friend in that Heaney uses it to remember and honor the deceased. The poem also allows Heaney to express his opinion on the relative guilt of his friend and of the I.R.A.
Get original essayCentral to “Casualty” is the question of the Fisherman’s responsibility in bringing about his own death. Heaney asks the reader, “How culpable was he/ That last night when he broke/ Our tribe’s complicity?” (78-80) He can imagine his friend replying, “Puzzle me/ The right answer to that one.” (83-84) The poem ends with an echo of this question as Heaney suggests, “Question me again.” (112) This repetition of the question of the guilt of the friend suggests to the reader that this poem was meant to convey a political message in addition to its function as an elegy that Heaney uses to pay respects to his friend. We are meant to analyze this poem to determine for ourselves whether the violation of this curfew, imposed by the Fisherman’s own people, was enough to warrant his death.
By choosing not to follow the curfew agreed upon by the Catholics in Northern Ireland, the Fisherman is seen as going against his people, his “tribe.” Therefore the question of his guilt seems to rely upon deciding whether the rights of an individual should be valued higher than the collective good of his or her people. The Fisherman’s crime was turning his back on his people. Heaney reinforces this theme with imagery describing the Fisherman as he was all those nights in the pub, “His fisherman’s quick eye/ And turned, observant back.” (19-20) Heaney is comparing the literal way in which the Fisherman sat in the bar, with his back turned to the rest of the patrons, to the figurative way he turned his back on his people. The Fisherman goes against the agreement of the Catholic community to fulfill his individual desires. Heaney seems to find issue with this being a justification for his death and he asks reader to consider whether the crime of disobeying the will of one’s people is enough to warrant murder.
Both Heaney and the Fisherman were Catholic and were therefore expected to obey the curfew imposed by the Irish Republic Army. However, Heaney portrays the Fisherman as having little choice about breaking the curfew in that he was compelled by his habit to seek the alcohol:
For he drank like a fish
Nightly, naturally
Swimming towards the lure
Of warm lit-up places (70-74)
Here, Heaney makes it seem as if the Fisherman’s need to drink made it so “he would not be held/ At home by his own crowd/ Whatever threats were phoned.” (60-63) Fueled by his addiction, it seems the Fisherman had little control over his choice to disobey curfew. Heaney describes how he can imagine his friend in the moments leading up to his death:
I see him as he turned
In that bombed offending place,
Remorse fused with terror
In his still knowable face (64-67)
That his face, in Heaney’s imagination, showed remorse, indicates that the Fisherman was aware of his transgression. His compulsion coupled with his repentance seems to lessen his guilt, make him seem less “culpable” and less deserving of his fate.
The idea that Heaney is defending his friend, the Fisherman, can be supported through analysis of how Heaney presents the man’s character throughout the poem. The poem begins with Heaney remembering how his friend behaved at the pub. He describes him as a quiet man who kept to himself:
He would drink by himself
And raise a weathered thumb
Towards the high shelf,
Calling another rum
And blackcurrant, without
Having to raise his voice (1-6)
Because he keeps to himself, we can infer that the Fisherman was not one to cause trouble or bother those around him. Occasionally, the Fisherman would start a conversation with Heaney and would attempt to discuss poetry with him, “In the pause after a slug/ He mentioned poetry/ We would be on our own.” (27-29) From this quote, we can build on our perception of this man as quiet and as a loner. Heaney points out that when the Fisherman would begin a conversation, they would be alone; it would not be a public conversation where others would be able to intrude. Heaney’s portrayal of his friend, coupled with the imagery of his “turned, observant back,” suggests that this Fisherman, because he was a loner, did not seek out the company of others often and he therefore seems to be an outsider of society.
The final lines of the poem, Heaney’s final comment on the guilt of the Fisherman, leave the reader with the impression that Heaney does not find the Fisherman culpable in his decision to break curfew. Heaney describes a fishing trip he took with his friend, “When he took me in his boat/ The screw purling, turning.” (99-100) He describes the setting in the boat, on the water as the Fisherman’s natural habitat:
As you find a rhythm
Working you, slow mile by mile,
Into your proper haunt
Somewhere, well out, beyond… (106-109)
This isolated setting fits in with Heaney’s portrayal of his friend as a loner. During this trip, Heaney understands and empathizes with the Fisherman’s love of these peaceful voyages. Heaney begins to enjoy the isolation as well and describes his empathy for the Fisherman to the reader, “I tasted freedom with him.” (102) Because Heaney understands the time alone on the boat to be “freedom” to the Fisherman, it suggests that he does not find fault in his friend for living outside the boundaries of society. He accepts that to his friend, it is not a disgraceful thing to wish to be outside of society. The Fisherman finds solace in the freedom that his time away from people gives him. The last stanzas of the poem seem to show that Heaney’s opinion is that his friend was justified when he put his individual rights, his freedom, above the rules of his people.
In “Casualty” Heaney asks the reader to examine the culpability of his friend, the Fisherman, for ignoring the rules set in place by his people, the Catholics of Northern Ireland. Although he ultimately leaves it to the reader to decide the extent of the Fisherman’s guilt, Heaney makes his opinion on the matter clear throughout the poem. The central theme of individual’s rights versus the good of a people is central to the poem. Heaney suggests that his friend’s addiction to alcohol compelled him to break curfew and suggests that he must have felt remorse for this decision. He portrays his friend as a loner who kept to himself and was never a problem to those around him or society as a whole. Heaney sympathizes with this man’s need for isolation, recognizing this social isolation as freedom to the Fisherman. Taking all these things into account, it seems as if Heaney is suggesting that his friend, who lived his life as an outsider of society, was justified in disobeying its rules to seek out and fulfill his individual needs.