Gnostic Conquest in Moby-Dick - Literature Essay Samples

Many deities are invoked and discussed throughout Moby-Dick. Yet, despite some vivid allusions to Gnostic theology, the overall impact of these allusions generally go unnoticed. However, understanding how Gnostic theology is explored in the novel reveals and allows for a clearer reading of Ahab’s role as a tragic anti-hero, Ishmael’s skeptical philosophy, and the overrunning theme of how to live amidst the problem of evil. First, it is necessary to make clear the Gnostic themes which are present in the novel, and define Gnostic terms and ideas to make sense of Melville’s allusions. First, one must view Moby-Dick as a god and a messenger of divine judgment to understand how Moby-Dick is a representative of the Gnostic Demiurge. According to Gnostic tradition, the Demiurge is the son of Sophia, daughter of the true and benign God who rules over the cosmos. In the Gnostic mythos, the deceptive Demiurge is known by the name Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. As Thomas Vargish succinctly explains, the Demiurge is a â€Å"reaction to and dissatisfaction with the Christian attempt to explain the origin of evil† (273). This Gnostic deity’s goal is to despise the spiritual and lead all humans away from the one true spiritual (nameless) god through the material and nature. One can see why Melville would sympathize and find Gnosticism attractive. Raised religious, Melville probably had an easier time believing the God he grew up believing in was not completely good, instead of simply declaring himself an atheist. Chapter 42, â€Å"The Whiteness of the Whale† is a crucial chapter for understanding how Ishmael views Moby-Dick as a god. In the course of the chapter, comparisons are made between the whiteness of the whale and â€Å"Jove †¦ made incarnate in a snowwhite bull† and also a white horse, who possessed divineness â€Å"that in it which, though commanding worship, at the same time enforced a certain nameless terror† (159-161). Here we are given examples of a god incarnate as an animal, and an animal made god. The latter of which, the white horse which enforces nameless terror, echoes Job’s encounter with God, in which God gives no answer, but rather demonstrates his power to affright Job into reverent awe. However, after comparing the whiteness of Christ to the whiteness of the whale (Moby-Dick), Melville writes, â€Å"with whatever is sweet, and honorable, and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue [white], which strikes more of a panic to the soul than that redness that affrights in blood† (160). Here Ishmael demonstrates his Gnostic theological leanings, wherein he acknowledges the existence of the spiritual yet defies it through Descartian skepticism. While for Melville’s mainly protestant audience the color white represents the purity of Christ, for Ishmael is suggests the deception of god, later illustrated at the end of the chapter when he writes, â€Å"all these are but subtle deceits, not actually inherent in substances, but only laid on from without; so that all deified nature paints like the harlot† (165). Ishmael even writes that whiteness is the â€Å"veil of the Christians Deity† punning on both how it i s literally the veil of God in Revelation, as well as a veil whose whiteness hides the â€Å"Christian’s Deity† from humanity and therefore hides the cosmic evil of the deity, deceiving us into believing the â€Å"Christian’s God† is benevolent. Ishmael’s argument is that humans instinctively are skeptical of whiteness as it is the material god’s mode of deceiving, and glimpses of uncomfortable whiteness point us towards the truth of god’s true nature. Ishmael ends the chapter by saying, â€Å"all these things the Albino whale was the symbol. Wonder ye then at the fiery hunt?† Based on this chapter, we can gather that Moby-Dick is a god, but a god of deception. The deceptive god Ishmael alludes to echoes elements of the Gnostic conception of the Demiurge, a lesser god who rules over Earth. However, some would wonder whether or not Melville had knowledge of Gnostic doctrine or if he simply by chance echoes Gnostic ideas. However, Melville certainly had awareness and artistic appreciation for Gnostic thought. As Thomas Vargish shows in his article, â€Å"Gnostic Mythos in Moby-Dick,† the main source for Melville was Andrews Norton’s The Evidence’s of the Genuineness of the Gospels, which when published in 1844 became a popular theology read. Gnostics are directly referenced in the novel White Teeth, and are also explicitly mentioned in the title of the poem â€Å"Fragment of a Lost Gnostic Poem of the 12th Century† published in Melville’s poetry collection Timoleon (Vargish 272-273). There is no doubt of Melville’s familiarity of Gnostic theology and mythos, which is further explored in the mythos of Moby-Dick, which is an American Gnostic tragedy. Ahab’s relationship with Yahweh is similar to Job’s. He is seeking justice on his own terms by defying God yet simultaneously knowing his power cannot match God’s. Ahab attempts to defy the Demiurge in his hunt for Moby-Dick. The most illuminating chapter to explore his outright defiance of god is found in the chapter titled â€Å"The Candles.† Here, Ahab calls out multiple gods, all of whom are ultimately assumed to be the Demiurge in disguise. First he calls on the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda, â€Å"Oh! Thou clear spirit of clear fire whom on these seas I as Persian once did worship, til in the sacramental act so burned by thee, that too this hour I bear the scar I now know thee, thou clear spirit, and I now know that thy right worship is defiance† (382). Ahab, far from being the simpleton pirate-like sailor he is often portrayed as, is a learned and cultured man, who once traveling in Persia, presumably with Fedallah, worshipped as a Zoroastria n. However, he has learned since then that true worship of this world’s creator is, as he says in his own words, defiance. He calls upon Sophia, the Gnostic mother of the Demiurge and cosmic being which Gnostic sects such as the ophite followed (Varnish 272) though vaguely: â€Å"yet while I earthly live, the queenly personality lives in me, and feels her royal rights† (382). Later in the speech he subtly refers to his, at the very least appreciation, of Christ: â€Å"Come in thy lowest form of love, and I will kneel and kiss thee; but at thy highest, come as mere supernal power; and though thou launchest navies of full freighted worlds, there’s that in here that still remains indifferent.† I turn to Philip Young’s interpretation of the text for guidance, he writes, â€Å"In the lowest (most human) form of love, he [the god Ahab addresses] would be Jesus. But the main point is Ahab’s utmost refusal to concede this power in its â€Å"highes t† absolute dominion over him, or even to admit his own inferiority† (Young 332). Ahab possessed a clearly Gnostic conception of the Christian religion, since Gnostics viewed Jesus and his message as one based in love and devotion to the spiritual. Early Gnostics point to passages such as First Corinthians 13, where Gnosis is seen as a gift from Monad the one true God, â€Å"If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all secrets and all gnosis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nock 261-262). Gnostics viewed Jesus as a Gnostic prophet whose goal was to lead humanity away from the material, and point them to the spiritual, true God known usually as Monad. Jesus, to the Gnostics, defied Yahweh (the Demiurge), and here Ahab attempts to emulate the Gnostic conception of Christ. Understanding Ahab’s character, one of a Gnostic prophet, is crucial to understanding his role in the novel. Ahab is intended by Melville to be a sympathetic tragic hero, akin to Macbeth and King Lear. The key to defining these anti-heroes is that they evoke sympathy in their audiences through their common humanity, but also evoke pity because we can see their tragic mistakes that lead them to death. If one takes a surface interpretation of Moby-Dick, that Ahab is simply on a quest to kill a whale to get revenge, one views Ahab as a madman, and the antagonist of Moby Dick, leading many sailors to their deaths. However, if one views Ahab as a Gnostic tragic hero, he is both justified in his defiance of God, and sympathetic in his earnest desire for truth. The pity arises from Ahab’s tragic flaw: his hubris or pride, and conviction that he can defeat the Demiurge through the material. Early in the novel we get a sense of Ahab’s tragic flaw. In chapter 36, The Quarter-Deck, after discussing his desire to break through the â€Å"pasteboard mask† by killing Moby-Dick, Ahab says to Starbuck, â€Å"Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me† (140). Ahab is dedicated to his cosmic antagonism, perhaps too much so, for it results in rage instead of Ishmael’s heavily contrasted desire to seek truth through knowledge. Unlike Jesus’s paradigmatic example, Ahab attempts to defy the Demiurge through the physically destroying him. In the Gnostic conception of Jesus, Jesus defies the demiurge through knowledge, or Gnosis, of the reality of the demiurge’s deceitful nature. Ishmael’s Gnostic theology is summed up in this sentence from Chapter 85, â€Å"Doubts of all things earthly, and intuitions of some things heavenly; this combination makes neither believer nor infidel, but makes a man who rega rds them both with equal eye† (293). Ishmael’s solution lies in skepticism without complete denial of the spiritual. He doubts â€Å"all things earthly† but holds that intuitions point to the spiritual. Through this Gnostic worldview he neither adheres to organized religion nor complete atheism, but finds a balance that approaches god with the supposition that god may be malevolent or indifferent. In light of Ishmael’s gloomy theology, that the world is a deception set up by a malevolent god, how then should we live? Melville, through Ishmael answers that question. The answer is in one sense Moby-Dick, the book. The book is an example of defiance through art, and its encyclopedic nature acts almost as a guide to defiance. For example, in reading Moby-Dick, one learns about the physiology of the heads of right whales and sperms whales, yet we understand them through Ishmael’s claim that the right whale is a stoic and the sperm whale is a Platonist (267). Even what can be proved or discussed with scientific accuracy, such as the heads of whales, is tinted with highly subjective philosophical or theological claims. So, then, the response to the empty and deceptive nature of the world is not rational atheism, but a vague spirituality rooted in love for knowledge; this theme mirroring the Gnostic quest of gnosis (greek for knowledge). Throughout the novel, Ishmael str esses the limits of science. He writes, â€Å"however baby man may brag of his science and skill yet forever and forever †¦ the sea will insult and murder him, and pulverize the stateliest, stiffest frigate he can make† (224). The sea, representing the vast cruelty of the cosmos and the circulatory nature of history (a concurrent theme throughout the novel, see the final paragraph of Brit [225] and the final sentence of The Chase-Third Day [427]), cannot be mastered through knowledge. Rather, for Melville, knowledge enlightens us, and allows us to live authentically, knowing the reality of god’s cruelty, but enjoying ourselves in spite of him. This enjoyment of one’s life despite knowing the cruelty and malevolence of God is the only source of true happiness. The most poignant and unashamed instance of this near epicurean philosophy is in the chapter â€Å"A Squeeze of the Hand.† Here Ishmael describes a highly sensual encounter found by squeezing a sperm whale’s oil (though Ishmael refers to it as sperm either erroneously or on purpose to heighten the sexual language). He writes, Squeeze! Squeeze! Squeeze! All the morning long; I squeezed that sperm till I myself almost melted into it; †¦ I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers’ hands in it, in taking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affection, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as long as to say, -Oh! My dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities or know the slightest ill-humor or envy! Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay let us squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness. (323) Where Ahab’s spiritual defiance towards the Demiurge are his monologues in â€Å"The Candles,† Ishmael’s climax of defiance is in the above referenced passage. The best way to live, for Ishmael, is to simply enjoy life through simple avocations. An important factor in this passage is that Ishmael is not alone, he squeezes with others. The homoerotic overtones of the passage are crucial. Melville sees this homosexuality as defiant to the cultural norms of the time and thus, in the context of Gnostic thought, freeing from the Demiurge’s restrictive laws placed on humanity. Like Ishmael’s â€Å"marriage† to Queequeg (the only happy marriage in the novel), the all-male squeeze-session is one of the few instances of pure joy. Ishmael challenges the Demiurge through non-physical defiance. He does this through Moby-Dick, a novel of defiance towards many elements of society and religion. Moby-Dick is both a novel in its story, dialogue, and poetic writing, yet it is also an encyclopedia of sorts on the nature of whales and the American whaling industry. Yet this knowledge of whales does not come from conventional learning and standard education. The knowledge that Ishmael employs is solipsistic and comes from experience. This too, is defiance against the Demiurge and society. Two times Ishmael mocks Yale and Harvard as being inauthentic, evidently inspired by Melville’s own decision not to attend college (Melville 101). Instead of college, Melville (and Ishmael) become learned in the classics both Western and Eastern, and come to know the world through whaling and sailing. Ishmael, sets up a thesis for Moby-Dick in the opening chapter, â€Å"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth [] I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can† (18) and later â€Å"I love to sail forbidden seas [] Not ignoring what is good, I am quick to perceive a horror, and could still be social with it† (22). The thesis of the novel itself is that all humans intuitively desire to escape the norms of society, set up by r eligion, and rebel, though few act upon it. Interpreting Ishmael’s thesis in Moby-Dick knowing Melville’s exploration of Gnostic thought helps explain the radical and almost otherworldly quality to the novel: the novel is in constant dialogue with the question of evil and experience in the context of Gnostic thought. It attempts to give a philosophy of life in face of the incomprehensible problem of evil. The Gnostic philosophy espoused by Ishmael is a fulfillment of Descartian skepticism. The Descartian concept of the cosmic jester is discussed in the chapter â€Å"The Hyena† in which the god of this earth and the universe itself are viewed as â€Å"a vast practical joke †¦ at nobody’s expense but his own† and later, â€Å"death itself, seem to him only sly, good natured hits, and jolly punches in the side bestowed by the unseen and unaccountable old joker (188). This is Ishmael’s humorous reference to Descartes’ attempt at an explanation of the problem of evil and the question of whether or not we can doubt our own existence. However, whereas Descartes decides that the Christian God could never be so cruel as to deceive us of our own existence, Melville concludes that the God of this earth is not benevolent and is actively trying to deceive us, as seen most clearly in â€Å"The Whiteness of The Whale† and â€Å"The Candles.† Bec ause Melville demonstrates that the Demiurge is playing a cosmic joke, Moby-Dick is a fulfillment of Descartian skepticism taken to the furthest extreme through Gnostic thought. Earlier in the novel, in the chapter â€Å"The Mast-Head,† Ishmael describes a sailor asleep at a masthead dreaming. In the passage, life is described as â€Å"borrowed from the sea† and from â€Å"the inscrutable tides of God† (136). Here Melville references Descartes’ question of whether or not our existence is merely a dream. Again, challenging Descartes’ timidity, Ishmael, instead of saying God’s goodness makes the suggestion of life being a dream void, argues that God keeps us asleep by his inscrutable tides. And later writes that when we awake, which in the context of the Gnostic thought of the novel means coming to the revelation that the universe is a deception formed by a deceiving deity, that â€Å"your identity comes back in horror. Over Descartian vortic es you hover. †¦ And [you ] drop through that transparent air into the summer sea, no more to rise for ever† (136). Unlike Descartes, for Melville there is no hope. We are doomed to be deceived and live a vain life. However, the tone of both â€Å"The Mast-Head† and â€Å"The Hyena† are jocular. Like the chapter â€Å"A Squeeze of the Hand,† Melville’s solution and key to living life amidst the depressing realization that god is a deceiving, malevolent being, is to defy him through knowledge, countercultural pleasure, and laughing at, or alongside, god. As Ishmael says in â€Å"The Hyena,† â€Å"There is nothing like the perils of whaling to breed this free and easy sort of genial, desperado philosophy† (188). Notice the terms he uses to describe his philosophy. First, unlike Descartes, he does not dismiss the philosophy of seeing life as a practical joke, rather he â€Å"breeds this free and easy philosophy† through whaling, embracing this philosophy instead of running away. It is â€Å"genial,† meaning cheerful; the mode of defiance to laugh along with the hyena-like Demiurge. Ishmael makes a similar statement near the beginning of the novel when he writes about cosmic evil, â€Å"I am quick to perceive a horror; and could still b e social with it †¦ since it is but well to be on friendly terms with all the names of the place one lodges in† (22). Here, as in â€Å"The Hyena† it is through knowledge of cosmic evil, embodied in Moby-Dick, that Ishmael achieves his defiance. He also describes the philosophy as â€Å"desperado,† meaning openly and purposefully defiant. For Melville, as we see in both â€Å"A Squeeze of the Hand,† and the opening thesis of â€Å"Loomings,† going to sea is a jocular and desperado defiant act against the Demiurge, and the fulfillment of Descartian skepticism is the key to enjoying life. Ishmael’s Descartian continuance is also important because Descartes qualified many of his ideas by constantly referring to God’s supreme goodness so as not to upset the academy of Paris. Melville, however, with nobody to keep happy, having never attended college, throws no censorship on his philosophy and presents it in brutal, though humorous, ho nesty. By evaluating the novel while keeping close attention to the Gnostic mythos Melville employs throughout the novel, many new understandings of passages are revealed. Ahab’s role as a tragic anti-hero, Ishmael’s neo-Descartian skepticism, and the form of Moby Dick itself are given new understanding that allows for a fuller reading of the symbolic hunt for the whale. Works Cited Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. Ed. Hershel Parker and Harrison Hayford. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2002. Print. Nock, Athur Darby. Gnosticism. The Harvard Theological Review 57.4 (1964): 255-79. JSTOR. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. Vargish, Thomas. â€Å"Gnostic Mythos in Moby-Dick.† PMLA, vol. 81, no. 3, 1966, pp. 272–277., JSTOR. Web. 10 Apr. 2017 Young, Philip. â€Å"‘These Be Thy Gods, O Ahab!.† Studies in the American Renaissance, 1990, pp. 329–340., JSTOR. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. Works Consulted Ehrman, Bart D. Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It Into the New Testament. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.

The Consumption Of Lynching Images By Leigh Raiford

Leigh Raiford’s piece entitled â€Å"The Consumption of Lynching Images† portrays the horrific truth of what racism looked like in the â€Å"New South† after emancipation. Similar to the film we watched in class: Without Sanctuary, The lynching photographs have the images of postcards that depict lynching and the spectacle these public executions caused at the time with crowds of people coming from all over the state to watch someone be killed. Leigh Raiford claims that through these lynching photographs whites are trying to hold on to their supremacy and identity in this new south after slavery has been abolished. The whites are frightened with the perceived loss of power and economic loss since the slave plantations will no longer be bringing in the income that they had with slaves. The lynching photographs also served as a new wave of technology by using print media for those who came to view the lynching, but were not close enough they could buy a souvenir. I n this article, Raiford says that White on black lynching can be understood as â€Å"The cruel physical manifestations of white patriarchal anxiety over a perceived loss of power in the years following emancipation† (Raiford 268). Another philosopher who writes on race is George Yancy. He wrote on the white gaze, the view that white is the transcendental norm, and whiteness is tied to socially embedded historical power privilege that functions on multiple levels of social life (Yancy). Even though lynching has ceased, the black

Personality and Cultures - 5274 Words

International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management Volume 4 Article: MC04-0051-2004 Personality and Culture Learning Goals and Their Impact on Performance of Global Firms Carlos J. Alsua, Assistant Professor of Business Administration (Management), College of Business and Public Policy, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Culture’: Organisational Intangibles and their Tangible Value Proceedings from the Management Conference 2004 International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management Volume 4 www.ManagementConference.com www.CommonGroundGroup.com This journal and individual papers published at www.Management-Journal.com a series imprint of theUniversityPress.com First†¦show more content†¦This lack of effort when facing challenge is likely to depress their performance. 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Economic Performance of United States-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Economic Performance of United States. Answer: Introduction United States (US) economy ranked the world largest nation in nominal way as it represents 20% of the total worldwide output. The service sector of US economy account for 80% of total output. Moreover, US manufacturing base represents about 15% of the global output. US economy is considered as the second largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) that represents 22% of global GDP. This economy has profuse natural resources and developed infrastructure. Presently, it is the major trading economy around the globe as it amounts to $4.92 trillion in the year 2016 (Van den Berg, 2016). Furthermore, the GDP per capita is the ninth highest in the globe and has a low unemployment rate. This assignment highlights on the economic performance of the United States over the past ten years. This paper also discusses about the performance of production output in this state by using macroeconomic indicators including real GDP, real GDP per capita, rate of unemployment and inflation rate. Labo r market of United States is also analyzed in this study. The price level analysis of United States based on its inflation trend is also reflected in this assignment. Production output performance analysis Real GDP, Real GDP growth rate, Real GDP per capita analysis The performance of production output is analyzed by using macroeconomic indicators such as real GDP and real GDP per capita (Morrison, 2012). GDP of an economy refers to the final goods and services that are produced within the geographical broader of the country within a specified time phase. GDP growth rate helps in measuring the economic performance and productivity of the country. GDP is mainly of two types namely real GDP and nominal GDP. Measuring economic performance with these indicator Real GDP is defined as a macroeconomic measurement of economic output that is adjusted without the change in price. It is mainly adjusted for inflation rate that highlights on the product value produced by a country in particular year. However, real GDP growth rate refers to the change in GDP growth rate of the country over a certain period. Per capita real GDP refers to the measurement of countrys economic output divided by its total number of individuals. This macroeconomic indicator is mainly used for comparing the living standard between two nations. Performance trends of US economy Real GDP is considered as one of the most important indicator of measuring the economic performance and production output. The reason behind this fact is that it considers varying value of products when articulated in monetary conditions. Moreover, the countrys productivity output is calculated with less distortion owing to certain economic factors that includes inflation rate and fluctuating currency rate. Real GDP growth rate helps the government of an economy in controlling fiscal policy and inflation. However, this indicator also aid in improving the growth of the economy (Rots and Maduko, 2014). Similarly, per capita real GDP also facilitate in measuring relative performance between two economies. In addition, the productivity output per individual of the workforce is also determined by using real per capita GDP. Furthermore, advancement of technology over production output does not influence per capita GDP. Both real GDP growth rate and per capita real GDP of United States has grown from 2009 to 2017. The economy has shown downward trend in real GDP and per capita GDP in the year 2008 due to recession. This nation annualized to 2.6% of real GDP growth rate in 2017 due to boost in investment, consumption and government spending. Consumption expenditure accounted to 1.93%, investment expenditure and government spending contributed to 0.12 % to the overall growth in the economy. The real GDP per capita increased to 51,950.35 in 2017, which is the highest over the last ten years. Figure 1: Real GDP growth rate of US Source: (As created by author) Figure2: Real GDP per capita of US Source: (As created by author) Measures adopted by US government to achieve production output performance Government of US has adopted various measures in order to improve the production output performance of the country. US government has created new job opportunities that have improved this nation productivity capacity (Gordon, 2014). However, improvement in output aids huge disposable earnings to consumers and promotes rise in consumption expenditure. In addition, the government has adopted new regulation on import for accelerating restrictions on import of low value products. The government has commenced low tax for producers of high-value goods and this resulted to increase in revenue. Labor market analysis Unemployment trend Unemployment rate refers to percentage of jobless labor force with respect to total number of persons in labor force. Unemployment trend is defined as the trends in long term of an economy over the past few years. US economy shows high levels of unemployment rate in long term during the recession period of 2007-2009 (Basu and Foley, 2013). The unemployment rate in this economy averaged to 5.80% from the year 1948 to 2017. Recent data reflects that US unemployment rate shows downward trend after the recession period. Figure 3: Rate of unemployment in US Source: (As created by author) Various factors influence the US unemployment rate: Economic conditions- Subprime mortgage catastrophe and great recession increased the US unemployment rate to 10% in 2009. Further improvement in economic conditions after the recession period declines the unemployment rate to 5%. Advancement of technology- Few employees could not adopt with the advancement of new technology and this replaced workers in various firms. Immigration policy- US immigration policy also affected the workers entering this economy. Demographic trends- Aging population in US economy has resulted to downward trend of unemployment rate in long term that rises during the retirement of Baby Boomer generation. Globalization- US economy created new jobs in foreign markets and this resulted to reduction in labor cost. Types of Unemployment Unemployment refers to the fact that arises when an individual searches for work but is unable to get any job (Levine, 2012). Rate of unemployment facilitates the country in measuring economic health. There are mainly two types of unemployment namely voluntary unemployment and involuntary unemployment. Unemployment is broadly classified into three types that include- structural unemployment, frictional unemployment and cyclical unemployment. Frictional unemployment- This refers to the period when the workers are searching for jobs or moving to another job. This type of unemployment always exists within the economy as mismatch always occurs between employees and jobs. This mismatch relates with workers skills, attitude, work hours and job location. Lack of information increases the time of workers for finding jobs (Mankiw, 2014). Structural unemployment-This type of unemployment focuses on economys structural problems and labor market inefficiency. It occurs in the situation when the present labor market becomes unable to offer any job to the job seeker. However, mismatch happens between the skills that are required for jobs and unemployed employees skill. For example, automobile invention increases the demand for its mechanics. Cyclical unemployment- This kind of unemployment takes place when the fall in countrys aggregate demand is unable to give any job to the people who are in search for it. However, decline in demand for good leads to less production and requirement of fewer workers. As a result, total number of jobless workers becomes greater than the job vacancies. Type of Unemployment in US Frictional unemployment generally exists in the US economy as the unemployed people and new entrants searches for job or changes to another job. Recent statistics reflects that great recession (2008-2009) caused structural unemployment in US economy that also declines during expansion period (Goodwin et al., 2013). The reason behind this is that skills of the workers deteriorated for a long time after recession. As 5% is the level of unemployment, US economy adopts various measures for reducing the rate of unemployment below this level. Government measures adopted to achieve full employment The measures adopted by US government for achieving full employment includes- The government introduced employment programs in the economy. They undertake many policies that help in directing jobs to regions of high unemployment. US government adopted public investment program that facilitates in creating many jobs and raises overall economic growth. The government introduces this program because investment shortfall in education, RD and other sectors creates unemployment. However, this program generates more jobs that results to increase in productivity and full employment (Hall, 2017). Price level analysis Inflation Trend Inflation refers to the rate for which the price level of products rises with the fall in currencys purchasing power. Central bank implements monetary policy for keeping the inflation rate lower in order to avoid deflation and improve the economic growth (Argy, 2013). Inflation rate of an economy is mainly based on consumer price index that tracks goods prices over time. During the financial crisis in 2008, Federal Reserve of US economy has kept the level of interest rate to zero. Inflation rate in US shows a downward trend over the years. The lowest level of inflation rate occurred in 2015 that was 0.1%. The inflation trend of the US economy showed both upward and downward trend over the years. Figure 4: US Inflation rate Source: (As created by author) Inflation rate refers to the measurement of increase in goods price level by using consumer price index. Inflation and inflation rate has an inverse relation. Increase in interest rate leads to increase in consumers savings (Gal, 2015). This leads to decrease in inflation rate of the economy. Causes of Inflation Various factors contribute to rise in inflation are: Exchange rate fluctuations also effects inflation. Increase in VAT rate also leads to increase in domestic inflation. Rise in aggregate demand also impacts on economys inflation rat There are mainly two types of inflation- cost-push and demand-pull inflation. Cost -push inflation-Cost-push inflation occurs due to: Increase in labor cost occurs due to low unemployment rate because scarcity of skilled workers increases the pay levels. Increase in components cost including raw materials results in cost-push inflation (Ulrich, 2013). Demand-pull Inflation- Demand-pull inflation is caused due to certain factors- Exchange rate depreciation increases the imports prices and decreases the exports price of an economy. Thus, aggregate demand of an economy rises if the consumers purchase few imports. Decreases in interest rate also stimulates aggregate demand. It occurs when the resources are fully employed and GDP is rising faster. Cause of Inflation in US economy Rate of inflation is measured by the varying price index. US analyses consumer price index for determining its inflation rate. The CPI of US in 2017 has been 0.1% and hence accumulated inflation is 1.5%. In addition, expansionary fiscal policy causes demands pull inflation in the economy (Hall, 2015). US government lowers the taxes in order to increase discretionary income for consumers. However, government increases it spending for stimulating economic growth. Currency devaluation also leads to increase in exports and this result to rise in aggregate demand of goods. This increases the product price and thus results in demand-pull inflation. Expansionary monetary policy affects the inflation rate in the economy. Expansion in money supply leads to rise in purchasing power of the US consumers. This in term leads to rise in aggregate demand, which pushes the price level upwards. US government measures to achieve stable price Monetary policy helps to keep the prices of goods stable. The Federal Reserve of US sets the monetary policy in order to reach monetary equilibrium. The Federal Reserve tries to maintain inflation by doing open-market operation. They purchases government securities for changing growth rate in money supply. However, increase in money supply increases the demand and this induces sellers to increase production. Eventually, demand and supply becomes equal and this stabilizes price level in the economy. The government tries to lower the inflation rate because it affects the economic health of the country (Gandolfo, 2014). Rapid increase in prices erodes the purchasing power of the consumers. As a result, consumers start to demand higher wages. The companies then strategize to raise the product price for attaining higher profit and meeting the demand of workers. As the goods become more expensive, the business depends on the economic decisions. For this reason, it is necessary for each gov ernment in the economy to keep their price level stable. Hence, this price stability adds to sustainable growth in the economy. Moreover, the government always maintains to keep the interest rate high as this pushes the price level down. Increases in interest rate reduce the consumption spending of the people and this lowers the inflation rate in the economy. Conclusion It can be concluded from the above assignment that the performance of the economy depends on various macroeconomic indicators including, real GDP, Real GDP per capita, unemployment rate and inflation rate. The health of the US economy improved after the period of Great Recession (2008-2009). During this period, the GDP growth rate of the US economy declined. In addition, both the inflation rate and unemployment rate increased during this period. Due to the financial crisis, the US economy slowed down but recovered after this period. The US government implemented various policies and adopted measures in order to improve the economys health. Moreover, financial support from neighboring countries aids the economy to recover from this huge recession. In addition, proper introduction of monetary policy by Federal Reserve helped the country to maintain stable price level of goods. Thus, it is necessary for each economy to analyze their economic performance by applying macroeconomic indicat ors. References Argy, V. (2013).International macroeconomics: theory and policy. Routledge. Basu, D., Foley, D. K. (2013). Dynamics of output and employment in the US economy.Cambridge Journal of Economics,37(5), 1077-1106. Caggiano, G., Castelnuovo, E., Groshenny, N. (2014). Uncertainty shocks and unemployment dynamics in US recessions.Journal of Monetary Economics,67, 78-92. Farber, H. S., Valletta, R. G. (2015). Do extended unemployment benefits lengthen unemployment spells? Evidence from recent cycles in the US labor market.Journal of Human Resources,50(4), 873-909. Gal, J. (2015).Monetary policy, inflation, and the business cycle: an introduction to the new Keynesian framework and its applications. Princeton University Press. Gandolfo, G. (2013).International Economics II: International Monetary Theory and Open-Economy Macroeconomics. Springer Science Business Media. Goodwin, N., Nelson, J., Harris, J., Torras, M., Roach, B. (2013).Macroeconomics in context. ME Sharpe. Gordon, R. J. (2014).The demise of US economic growth: restatement, rebuttal, and reflections(No. w19895). National Bureau of Economic Research. Hall, R. E. (2015). Quantifying the lasting harm to the us economy from the financial crisis.NBER Macroeconomics Annual,29(1), 71-128. Hall, R. E. (2017). High discounts and high unemployment.The American Economic Review,107(2), 305-330. Levine, L. (2012). Economic growth and the unemployment rate. Mankiw, N. G. (2014).Principles of macroeconomics. Cengage Learning. Morrison, C. J. (2012).A microeconomic approach to the measurement of economic performance: Productivity growth, capacity utilization, and related performance indicators. Springer Science Business Media. Rots, E., Maduko, F. (2014). MACROECONOMIC THEORY I. Ulrich, M. (2013). Inflation ambiguity and the term structure of US Government bonds.Journal of Monetary Economics,60(2), 295-309. Van den Berg, H. (2016).International finance and open-economy macroeconomics: Theory, history, and policy. World Scientific Publishing Co Inc.

Talcott Parsons free essay sample

American sociologist who served on the faculty of Harvard University from 1927 to 1973. Parsons developed a general theory for the study of society called action theory, based on the methodological principle of voluntarism and the epistemological principle of analytical realism. The theory attempted to establish a balance between two major methodological traditions, that of the utilitarian-positivist tradition on the one hand and the hermeneutic-idealistic tradition on the other. For Parsons, voluntarism established a third alternative between these two. More than a theory of society, Parsons presented a theory of social evolution and a concrete interpretation of the drives and directions of world history. Parsons analyzed the work of Emile Durkheim and Vilfredo Pareto and evaluated their contributions within the light of the paradigm of voluntaristic action. Parsons was also largely responsible for introducing and interpreting Max Webers work to American audiences. Although he was generally considered a major structuralist functionalist scholar, in an article late in life, Parsons explicitly wrote that the term functional or structural functionalist were inappropriate ways to describe the character of his theory. We will write a custom essay sample on Talcott Parsons or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1][2] For Parsons structural functionalism was the term of a particular stage in the methodological development of the social science; it was never a name for any specific school or specific direction. Functionalism itself was a universal method and again not a name for any specific school. In the same way, the concept grand theory is a derogative term, which Parsons himself never used.

Multiplication Tricks and Tips for Faster Learning

Multiplication Tricks and Tips for Faster Learning Like any new skill, learning multiplication takes time and practice. It also requires memorization, which can be a real challenge for young students. The good news is that you can master multiplication with as little as 15 minutes of practice time four or five times a week. These tips and tricks will make the job even easier. Use Times Tables Students usually begin learning basic multiplication by second grade. This skill will be essential as kids advance in class and study advanced concepts like algebra. Many teachers recommend using times tables to learn how to multiply because they allow students to begin with small numbers and work their way up. The grid-like structures make it easy to visualize how numbers increase as they are multiplied. Theyre also efficient. You can complete most times tables worksheets in one or two minutes, and students can track their performance to see how they improve over time. Using times tables is simple. Practice multiplying the 2s, 5s, and 10s first, then the doubles (6 x 6, 7 x 7, 8 x 8). Next, move to each of the fact families: 3s, 4,s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 11s, and 12s. Start by doing one sheet and see how long it takes you to complete it. Dont worry about how many right or wrong answers you get the first time you complete a worksheet. Youll get faster as you become better at multiplying.  Do not move to a different fact family without first mastering the previous one.   Play a Math Game Who said learning multiplication has to be boring? By turning math into a game, youre more likely to remember what youre doing. Try one of these  games  in addition to times tables worksheets. The 9 Times Quickie 1. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out.2. For 9 x 3 bend your third finger down. (9 x 4 would be the fourth finger)3. You have 2 fingers in front of the bent finger and 7 after the bent finger.4. Thus the answer must be 27.5. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10. The 4 Times Quickie 1. If you know how to double a number, this one is easy.2. Simply, double a number and then double it again! The 11 Times Rule #1 1. Take any number to 10 and multiply it by 11.2. Multiply 11 by 3 to get 33, multiply 11 by 4 to get 44. Each number  to  10 is just duplicated. The 11 Times Rule #2 1. Use this strategy for two-digit numbers.2. Multiply 11 by 18. Jot down 1 and 8 with a space between it. 1__8.3. Add the 8 and the 1 and put that number in the middle: 198 Deck Em! 1. Use a deck of playing cards for a game of multiplication war.2. Initially, children may need the grid to become quick at the answers.3. Flip over the cards as though you are playing Snap.4. The first one to say the fact based on the cards turned over (a 4 and a 5 Say 20) gets the cards.5. The person to get all of the cards wins!6. Children learn their facts much more quickly when playing this game on a regular basis. More Multiplication Tips Here are some easy ways to remember your times tables: Multiplying by 2: Simply double the number that youre multiplying. For example, 2 x 4 8. Thats the same as 4 4.Multiplying by 4: Double the number youre multiplying, then double it again. For example, 4 x 4 16. Thats the same as 4 4 4 4.Multiplying by 5: Count the number of 5s youre multiplying and add them up. Use your fingers to help count if you need to. For instance: 5 x 3 15. Thats the same as 5 5 5.Multiplying by 10: This is super-easy. Just take the number youre multiplying and add a 0 to the end of it. For instance, 10 x 7 70.   Want more practice? Try using some of these fun and easy  multiplication games  to reinforce the times tables.

Hardening Computer Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hardening Computer Networks - Essay Example However, an organization can deal with these security threats by adopting an appropriate security procedure. In fact, there are numerous guidelines and security measures that can be adopted by organizations in order to secure their computer networks (Nash, 1999; Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005; Singhal, 2013). In this scenario, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a well-known organization that establishes and provides effective guidelines for promoting information technology (IT) security. In addition, NIST has established a wide variety of standards for securing all kinds of IT resources such as networks, computers, and equipment and so on (Scarfone & Souppaya, 2009). This paper discusses a standard operating procedure on how to properly secure an enterprise computer network using NIST standards. This paper discusses a variety of mechanisms that organizations can adopt in order to secure their networks. It is believed that the majority of people don’t change their default SSIDs. Normally, manufacturers offer access points with a standard network name like that, default, tsunami, etc. In addition, this SSID is distributed users to let them known about the availability of the access point. This default SSID must be changed upon installation to something that does not directly relate to an organization. It is suggested that an organization should not rename its SSIDs to company name, brand name, company phone number or something else for which company is famous for. So that a hacker cannot guess it easily (Airtight Networks, 2014). Passwords are the most common type of security measures used to protect data, system and networks from un-authorized access. In fact, passwords are used all the way through the organization to access different services and data. In addition, company’s employees need passwords to use their computer or access a network.