The Philosophy Of Humanism During The Early Renaissance

A significant increase in secular art began in the early Renaissance because of an enormous gain of wealth by Florence in the early 15th century. The philosophy of humanism began, combining the values of both spirituality and the worth of the human mind and experience. The republics people valued the individualism in humanism, believing their society and its values to represent liberty and freedom. (Harris Zucker, n.d., para.6). As a result, wealth combined with an interest in portraying individual power, piety, and human experience created a thriving artistic market whose patronage was no longer confined to the exclusive domain of the church. Rather, wealthy private families and government officials began to hire artists with increasing†¦show more content†¦Beginning with the Renaissance, the dignity of individuals and importance of nature was explored in artistic design and specifics that strove for the deception of reality, inspired by human curiosity and scientific inter est. Artists as the periods went on got to the the level of theorists and intellectuals, their skills becoming a relation to their minds as opposed to their previous treatment in the middle Ages as craftsmen. For example, the subjects of sculpture and paintings often reflected â€Å"a growing interest in private meditation and prayer’(Harris Zucker, n.d., para 2), and the desire of important patrons to create powerful visual displays of wealth and imagery that cast themselves in a dignified light lead to growing numbers of artists being commissioned for portraits. During the 15th century, for instance, the Italian Renaissance resulted in wealthy, cultured Florentine families becoming frequent art patrons, desiring beautiful and tasteful art for their homes. â€Å"The Triumph of 0amillus†, painted by Biagio d’Antonio 1470-1475 was likely purchased as a panel to show in a domestic environment. The painting depicts a scene from the Roman author Livy’s writings of a triumphal parade for 0amillus after he and his troops saved Rome from invading Gauls (National Gallery of Art, n.d., para 2) For instance, the items paintings and ofShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at the European Renaissance Essays1385 Words   |  6 Pagesfoundation for the concept of modern humanism was established during the Renaissance in Europe, which took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The European Renaissance indicates a milestone in the shift of the human thought process. During this time period, people became less focused on matters of theism and more focused on exercising philosophies of reason, individuality, and learning. Numerous people developed an interest in a philosophy known as humanism, also referred to as humanisticRead MoreThe Middle Ages And The Renaissance1137 Words   |  5 Pagesinnovations that followed the Middle Ages and was branded as the Renaissance. There have been disagreements as to whether the Renaissance is actually a isolated time period, or instead, just a great point of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was unquestionably a distinct time period. Wi th the ancient Greek and Roman people as their muse, it led to humanism views and stimulated man to become talented in multiple areas of life. Therefore, the Renaissance man, a man who surpassed in many areas, became protuberantRead MoreHow Humanism Affected Art in the Renaissance764 Words   |  3 PagesHumanism affected the art of the Renaissance because of how Renaissance artists became increasingly interested with humanist concepts, and because of how they tried to incorporate humanist beliefs into their art. Artists conveyed their humanist beliefs by using new techniques such as perspective, and by painting more realistic figures. In addition, humanism encouraged artists to paint using new secular themes that were rediscovered along with classical art and texts. The artists of the Italian RenaissanceRead MoreHistorical And Philosophical Movement Of The Renaissance1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe renaissance became a historical movement that marked the beginning of individualism and modernity through the unification of philosophers, artists, writers, and poets. Although it has no fixed beginning, most theories placed the beginning era in the early 14th century. The renaissance profoundly affected European Intellectual life through the introduction of different perspectives, ideas, innovations, literature, art, science, religion among many other aspects that continue to shape modern philosophyRead MoreThe Work Of A Vase Painter Of The Mid 400 s B.c1003 Words   |  5 Pagescolor, value, and texture. The fundaments of art originated from the Greeks and Romans. To achieve a realist image, the combination of the fundamentals of art creates the illusion of something real. Proportions of a human body were developed by a renaissance artist named Leonardo Divinci. Divinci was not the only historical figure who created the ideal proportions of a human body. Greeks used a system of measures when they made temples and used a standard unit of measure to draw the human body. PolykleitosRead MoreHumanism And Influence During The Renaissance1582 Words   |  7 Pages The Renaissance began in Italy during the 1300s in which a of rebirth of the arts, economy, science, and culture of Europe occurred. Before this time, during the Middle Ages, war and disease precluded advances in art and literature and the powerful influence of the Catholic church limited significant advances in science and philosophy. The Renaissance took influence from classical Greek and Rome and expressed and expanded upon many of the ideas of that time. Art became more realistic and focusedRead MoreHumanism and the Renaissance Arts1289 Words   |  5 PagesWhen discussing the Renaissance; the most intimate area of focus are, art and architecture. Although no one really talks about Renaissance being an obvious era of some of the greatest and most innovative masters of painting, sculptures and builders. Or even that It is also the most influential eras that marked the emergence of a great deal of Scholars, thinkers, writers and philosophers. Regardless the Renaissance (a French word for â€Å"rebirth†) was a much needed time for awakening, from the intellectualRead MoreThe Rebirth Of Ancient Cultures1462 Words   |  6 PagesRebirth of Ancient Cultures in Renaissance Florence Florence, Italy is known as the â€Å"cradle of the Renaissance† (la culla del Rinascimento). It is a city full of beautiful architecture, art, and history. The Renaissance was a powerful cultural movement that not only shaped all aspects of Florentine life, but eventually the rest of Europe. Science, art, literature, philosophy, religion, architecture, and politics have seen heavy influences by this movement. The term Renaissance literally means â€Å"rebirth†:Read MoreDante And The Road Of Humanism1347 Words   |  6 PagesDante and the Road to Humanism During the Renaissance, the ideology of humanism became extremely popular. After the black plague people presumed that God had abandoned them. As a result, they began to search for their own answers through observation and experimentation; this method was called empiricism. Through this, man began to place himself at the center of the universe instead of God. Individuals began to embrace their own talents and spend less time worrying about the next life and moreRead MoreEssay on The Renaissance Humanistic Concept of Man994 Words   |  4 PagesThe Renaissance Humanistic Concept of Man Each century brings something new into this world. Some ages thus become prominent, others don’t seem to contribute a lot to the humanity. The Renaissance became the symbol of awakening, the symbol of excellence and rebirth. It gave birth to the doctrines and principles that dominate the philosophy up until nowadays. Humanism developed as one of the principal philosophical concepts of Renaissance. What does this concept mean, why is it so crucial

The Discovery of Ebla and The Relations Between...

The discovery of Ebla gave us a wealth of information on the Near East in the 3rd millennium BCE but its greatest contribution is to our understanding of the complex and economic relationships between the cities of Mesopotamia and Syria. Ebla was a diplomatic based empire and due to its unique geographical location, it had a key role in managing and conducting relations between early North-West Syria and Upper Mesopotamia (Matthiae 1976, 112). Due to these active relations with other cities it was stimulated to absorb cultural elements from the Sumerian and Mesopotamian worlds (Matthiae 1980a, 161). Ebla’s political structure, language, religion and art all reflect evidence of intensive cross-cultural relations and our analysis of these†¦show more content†¦There is also an abundance of texts in the archives referring to Kish, Mari, and Emar, in particular, which indicates that there was contact between scribal circles in Northern Syria and Mesopotamia and that this c ontact was continuous (Matthiae 1980a, 159). The discovery of objects made in Ebla but found in places like Sumer, Ur, Mari and Kish such as composite statues and cylinder seals (Matthiae 1980a, 151) highlights once more that trade and contact between cities was an essential part of the Syrian and Mesopotamian culture and that Ebla itself was a booming economic centre. Ebla was an incredibly sophisticated city, located on the highest tell in the landscape to mark its dominance (Matthiae 1980a, 219). The actual extent of the city is unknown but it is suspected to have had a common frontier with Emar on the Euphrates to the north-east, and with Hamar in the south (Matthiae 1980a, 173). Its interaction with the near lesser cities isn’t precisely known but Matthiae (1980a, 170) speculates that it was a policy of control but not one that required the elimination of each cities individual culture. There were three different possible forms of control Ebla may have had over the surrounding territories (Matthiae 1980a, 187).Show MoreRelatedThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pagesthe development of civilizations in Mesoamerica? 1 he earliest humans lived by hunting, fishing, and collecting wild plants. Around 10,000 years ago, they learned to cultivate plants, herd animals, and make airtight pottery for storage. These discoveries transformed them from gatherers to producers, allowing them to grow in number and to lead a settled life. Beginning about 5,000 years ago, a far more complex way of life began to appear in some parts of the world. In these places humans learned

Prices and Markets for Demand and Supply Shocks -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about thePrices and Markets for Demand and Supply Side Shocks. Answer: Case study Analysis: Housing Price in Australia Description of demand and supply side shocks The housing market in Australia has recorded a slow-down in recent months. After experiencing a housing market boom just a few years back the recent slow-down in quite surprising. The population in Australia has accounted fastest ever growth rate of 1.61% since 2014. The expected high housing demand from higher population growth fails to bring a steady growth rate for housing market. The interplay of supply and demand shocks in the market is responsible for such an outcome (Mankiw 2014). On the demand side there is both positive and negative shocks. The positive shock is from the more than expected population growth. However, the tight macro-prudential measures taken by bank regulators has retrained investors activity in housing market. Another force that pulling down prices is excessive supply of new houses in recent year. Evaluation of shocks As evidenced from past data, housing price is positively associated with population growth. The faster population growth should bring a faster increase in housing price. Population in Australia has accounted a decent growth rate of 1.6%. Despite this, housing prices tend to be flat and even lower in the coming forces. This is for the two simple reason. In the real market, demand and supply forces act together. The effect on price and quantity depend on combined effect of two forces (Baumol and Blinder 2015). The fact that population growth pulls up housing price has an underlined supply side condition. The condition states price increases only when additional demand fell short of addition supply that is newly constructed houses. In Australia however, the construction of new houses exceeds that of housing demand. Estimates show that, since 2012 the construction of new houses has increased by 66% reaching the availability of new homes to 212,000. As against this new home requirement ha s declined by 8% reaching to 170,000 (businessinsider.com.au 2018). The second factor causing a decline in housing price is the constraint in credit availability imposed by higher interest rate and tight outlook for macro-prudential measures. These factor restrain housing demand and often offset positive demand side impact from population growth. Prediction of future outcome The future outcome in the housing market however depends on the relative strength of supply and demand side forces. The increase in population increases demand. This has an upward pressure on price. Construction of new houses raise supply of houses. The increased supply has a tendency to pull down prices. If the demand force dominates, then housing price will increase and if the supply force dominates then house price declines (Ashwin, Taylor and Mankiw 2016). At present, the supply force dominates the Australian housing market. The market now faces excess supply of housing and this will continue to be the case for the next four years (businessinsider.com.au 2018). Apart from excess supply the second possible factor pulling down housing market is constraint in available credit. Credit cost, available credit and economys health play important role in determining price . There is evidence that measures undertaken to restrict investors activity has contributed to a decline in housing pr ice in the last year. Illustration of market equilibrium mechanism Figure 1: Effect of increased supply and demand in the housing market (Source: as created by Author) The initial supply and demand curve in the housing market are given as SS and DD. At equilibrium E, the housing price is P1 and equilibrium number of houses is H1. An increase in housing demand caused by increasing population leads to an outward shift in demand curve from DD to D1D1. The new construction of houses shifts the supply curve from SS to S1S1. Consequently, price falls to P2. Figure 2: Effect of credit constraint in housing market (Source: as created by Author) The constraint in credit supply shifts the demand curve inward from D1D1 to D2D2. At new equilibrium E2, there is a larger fall in price to P2. References Mankiw, N.G., 2014.Principles of macroeconomics. Cengage Learning. Scutt, D. (2018).Population growth may not be enough to prevent a downturn in Australia's housing market. [online] Business Insider Australia. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australia-house-prices-could-fall-despite-strong-population-growth-2017-12 [Accessed 19 Mar. 2018]. Ashwin, A., Taylor, M.P. and Mankiw, N.G., 2016.Business economics. Nelson Education. Baumol, W.J. and Blinder, A.S., 2015.Microeconomics: Principles and policy. Cengage Learning.

The Parthenon and Gould Memorial Library Essay Example For Students

The Parthenon and Gould Memorial Library Essay Even though the Golden Age of Greece only lasted 50 years, its effects can still be widely seen even today. Since Greece was the birthplace of democracy and we are a democratic nation, many of our government buildings draw inspiration from Greek architecture. The Greeks believed that man is the measure of all and in their art and architecture they constantly tried to achieve perfect balance, proportion, and unity. The Parthenon was the largest temple of the Acropolis in Athens. The Acropolis or â€Å"high city† was an elevated rock supporting several temples, precincts, and other buildings. It used to be a citadel during the Mycenaean period. The temple was designed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates and was constructed from 448 B. C. to 432 B. C. The Greek general, Perikles, initiated the architectural projects and vast rebuilding campaign to celebrate Athenian art and civilization which included the Parthenon, the Nike Temple, The Erechtheum, and The Propylaea. The Parthenon was built using the Doric order, however it has two ionic features included which expressed the Athenians interest in harmonizing the architecture of eastern and western Greece. We will write a custom essay on The Parthenon and Gould Memorial Library specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The first Ionic feature in The Parthenon is the four Ionic columns inside of the treasury; the second feature is a continuous Ionic frieze around the top of the outside of the inside wall. The Temple is for Athena and the eastern pediment tells the tale of the birth of Athena which is utterly beautiful. The western pediment shows Athena contesting Poseidon for patronage of Athens. The Parthenon is of Doric Order, we can see this quite easily in many features such as the columns which are wide with no bases and plain column capitals. Atop the capitals are plain architraves which support the frieze which has metopes and triglyphs which are exclusive to the Doric Order. Finally at the very top are the two pediments on the east and west ends that told stories of Athena. Gould Memorial Library was built by the architect Stanford White and was completed in 1899. Until this assignment I never paid much attention to the library but after examining it, it is beautiful and you can plainly see the Greek inspiration behind the building and there are many similarities to The Parthenon. There are five which standout at first glance. The library has an even number of columns in the front and they are equally spaced apart with less length in between at the ends and more in the middle to give a sense of symmetry. The library has two pediments similar to the Parthenon sitting on top of the frieze. The material used for the building kind of looks like marble that the Greeks would use which adds to the feeling of Greece architecture. The stairs leading up to the columns are in similar style to all three Greek orders with steps that have stereobates and a stylobate at the top step. The final similarity is the designed entablature under the pediment. Even though Gould Memorial Library draws much inspiration from The Parthenon there are also obvious differences between the two buildings. The Parthenon has columns from the Doric Order and so the column has sections called flutes and is shaped like a Doric drum. The library however has Corinthian columns which are slimmer than Doric columns and has a base on the bottom unlike Doric columns. On top of the columns of the library is a capital designed with Acanthus leaves which is a dead giveaway the building is of Corinthian Order. Both buildings have pediments but the library has no carvings or anything being depicted in its pediment. The library also has a frieze but there are no carvings like the Greeks would make instead simply inscribed is the name of the building and the year it was built. The final difference between the two buildings is that at one point in time The Parthenon had a painted pediment while the one on Gould Memorial Library was never painted.

Quotes From Beloved by Toni Morrison

Quotes From Beloved by Toni Morrison Editors Note: Toni Morrison passed away on August 5, 2019. Weve gathered highlights from one of her most celebrated novels to help you honor her work. Beloved is a novel by Toni Morrison, who uses flashbacks and other devices to draw us through the tragic series of events in Sethes life. A moment of insanity shaped the rest of her existence. She and those around her would never be the same. Here are a few quotes from this dark novel, Beloved. Notable Quotes from Toni Morrisons Beloved 124 was spiteful. Full of a babys venom.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1My first-born. All I can remember of her is how she loved the burned bottom of bread. Can you beat that? Eight children and thats all I remember.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1a pool of red and undulating light that locked him where he stood.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1If a Negro got legs he ought to use them. Sit down too long, somebody will figure out a way to tie them up.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1I got a tree on my back and a haint in my house, and nothing in between but the daughter I am holding in my arms. No more runningfrom nothing. I will never run from another thing on this earth. I took one journey and I paid for the ticket, but let me tell you something, Paul D Garner: it cost too much! Do you hear me? It cost too much.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1the house itself was pitching.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 1A man aint nothing but a man. But a son? Well, now, thats somebody- Toni Morrison, Belo ved, Ch. 2 The picture is still there and whats more, if you go thereyou who never was thereif you go there and stand in the place where it was, it will happen again; it will be there for you, waiting for you. So, Denver, you cant never go there. Never. Because even though its all overover and done withits going to always be there waiting for you.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 3Would it be all right? Would it be all right to go ahead and feel? Go ahead and count on something?- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 3To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay. The better life she believed she and Denver were living was simply not that other one.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 3Denver hated the stories her mother told that did not concern herself, which is why Amy was all she ever asked about. The rest was a gleaming, powerful world made more so by Denvers absence from it. Not being in it, she hated it and wanted Beloved to hate it too, although there was no chance of that at all.- Toni Morri son, Beloved, Ch. 6 Why was there nothing it refused? No misery, no regret, no hateful picture too rotten to accept? Like a greedy child it snatched up everything. Just once, could it say, No thank you? I just ate and cant hold another bite?- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 7I dont want to know or have to remember that. I have other things to do: worry, for example, about tomorrow, about Denver, about Beloved, about age and sickness not to speak of love. But her brain was not interested in the future. Loaded with the past and hungry for more, it left her no room to imagine, let alone plan for, the next day.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 7Come on, you may as well just come on.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 8Those white things have taken all I had or dreamed, she said, and broke my heartstrings too. There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 9Bit by bit, at 124 and in the Clearing, along with others, she had claimed herself. Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 9 She had been so close, then closer. And it was so much better than the anger that ruled when Sethe did or thought anything that excluded herself. She could bear the hoursnine or ten of them each day but onewhen Sethe was gone. Bear even the nights when she was close but out of sight, behind walls and doors lying next to him. But noweven the daylight time that Beloved had counted on, disciplined herself to be content with, was being reduced, divided by Sethes willingness to pay attention to other things. Him mostly.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 9Making them think the next sunrise would be worth it; that another stroke of time would do it at last.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 10Only when she was dead would they be safe. The successful onesthe ones who had been there enough years to have maimed, mutilated, maybe even buried herkept watch over the others who were still in her cock-teasing hug, caring and looking forward, remembering and looking back.- Toni Morrison, Beloved, Ch. 10 Study Guide Questions for Study and Discussion This is worse than when Paul D came to 124 and she cried helplessly into the stove. This is worse. Then it was for herself. Now she is crying because she has no self.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 12She doesnt move to open the door because there is no world out there. She decides to stay in the cold house and let the dark swallow her like the minnows of light above. She wont put up with another leaving, another trick. Waking up to find one brother then another not at the bottom of the bed, his foot jabbing her spine. Sitting at the table eating turnips and saving the liquor for her grandmother to drink; her mothers hand on the keeping-room door and her voice saying, Baby Suggs is gone, Denver. And when she got around to worrying about what would be the case if Sethe died or Paul D took her away, a dream-come-true comes true just to leave her on a pile of newspaper in the dark.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 12If her boys came back one day, and Denver and Beloved stayed onwell, it would be the way it was supposed to be, no? Right after she saw the shadows holding hands at the side of the road hadnt the picture altered? And the minute she saw the dress and shoes sitting in the front yard, she broke water. Didnt even have to see the face burning in the sunlight. She had been dreaming it for years.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 13 It made them furious. They swallowed baking soda, the morning after, to calm the stomach violence caused by the bounty, the reckless generosity on display at 124. Whispered to each other in the yards about fat rats, doom and uncalled-for pride.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 15I would have known right away who you was when the sun blotted out your face the way it did when I took you to the grape arbor. I would have known at once when my water broke. And when I did see your face it had more than a hint of what you would look like after all these years. I would have known who you were right away because the cup after cup of water you drank proved and connected to the fact that you dribbled clear spit on my face the day I got to 124. I would have known right off, but Paul D distracted me. Otherwise I would have seen my fingernail prints right there on your forehead for all the world to see. From when I held your head up, out in the shed. And later on, when you asked me about the earrin gs I used to dangle for you to play with, I would have recognized you right off, except for Paul D.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 20 All the time, Im afraid the thing that happened that made it all right for my mother to kill my sister could happen again. I dont know what it is, I dont know who it is, but maybe there is something else terrible enough to make her do it again. I need to know what that thing might be, but I dont want to. Whatever it is, it comes from outside this house, outside the yard, and it can come right on in the yard if it wants to. So I never leave this house and I watch over the yard, so it cant happen again and my mother wont have to kill me too.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 21I am Beloved and she is mine. I see her take flowers away from leaves she puts them in a round basket the leaves are not for her she fills the basket she opens the grass I would help her but the clouds are in the way how can I say things that are pictures I am not separate from her there is no place where I stop her face is my own and I want to be there in the place where her face is and to be looking at it too a h ot thing.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 22 I see the dark face that is going to smile at me it is my dark face that is going to smile at me the iron circle is around our neck she does not have sharp earrings in her ears or a round basket she goes in the water with my face.-  Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 22I am not dead I sit the sun closes my eyes when I open them I see the face I lost Sethes is the face that left me Sethe sees me see her and I see the smile her smiling face is the place for me it is the face I lost she is my face smiling at me doing it at last a hot thing now we can join.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 22Quote 27: Seven-O! Seven-O!- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 24Dirty you so bad you couldnt like yourself anymore. And though she and others lived through and got over it, she could never let it happen to her own. The best things she was, was her children. Whites might dirty her all right, but not her best thing, her beautiful, magical best thing the part of her that was clean.- Toni Morrison,  Belove d, Ch. 26 You your best thing, Sethe. You are.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 27Everybody knew what she was called, but nobody anywhere knew her name. Disremembered and unaccounted for, she cannot be lost because no one is looking for her, and even if they were, how can they call her if they dont know her name? Although she has claim, she is not claimed.- Toni Morrison,  Beloved, Ch. 28

The Eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815

The Eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 The tremendous eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815 was the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 19th century. The eruption and the tsunamis it triggered killed tens of thousands of people. The magnitude of the explosion itself is difficult to fathom. It has been estimated that Mount Tambora stood approximately 12,000 feet tall before the 1815 eruption when the top third of the mountain was completely obliterated. Adding to the disasters massive scale, the huge amount of dust blasted into the upper atmosphere by the Tambora eruption contributed to a bizarre and highly destructive weather event the following year. The year 1816 became known as ​the year without a summer. The disaster on the remote island of Sumbawa in the Indian Ocean has been overshadowed by the eruption of the volcano at Krakatoa decades later, partly because the news of Krakatoa traveled quickly via telegraph. Accounts of the Tambora eruption were considerably rarer, yet some vivid ones do exist. An administrator of the East India Company, Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, who was serving as governor of Java at the time, published a striking account of the disaster based on written reports he had collected from English traders and military personnel. Beginnings of the Mount Tambora Disaster The island of Sumbawa, home to Mount Tambora, is located in present-day Indonesia. When the island was first discovered by Europeans, the mountain was thought to be an extinct volcano. However, about three years before the 1815 eruption, the mountain seemed to come to life. Rumblings were felt, and a dark smoky cloud appeared atop the summit. On April 5, 1815, the volcano began to erupt. British traders and explorers heard the sound and at first thought it to be the firing of cannon. There was a fear that a sea battle was being fought nearby. The Massive Eruption of Mount Tambora On the evening of April 10, 1815, the eruptions intensified, and a massive major eruption began to blow the volcano apart. Viewed from a settlement about 15 miles to the east, it seemed that three columns of flames shot into the sky. According to a witness on an island about 10 miles to the south, the entire mountain appeared to turn into liquid fire. Stones of pumice more than six inches in diameter began to rain down on neighboring islands. Violent winds propelled by the eruptions struck settlements like ​hurricanes, and some reports claimed that the wind and sound-triggered small earthquakes. Tsunamis emanating from the island of Tambora destroyed settlements on other islands, killing tens of thousands of people. Investigations by modern-day archaeologists have determined that an island culture on Sumbawa was completely wiped out by the Mount Tambora eruption. Written Reports of Mount Tamboras Eruption As the eruption of Mount Tambora occurred before communication by telegraph, accounts of the cataclysm were slow to reach Europe and North America. The British governor of Java, Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, who was learning an enormous amount about the native inhabitants of the local islands while writing his 1817 book History of Java, collected accounts of the eruption. Raffles began his account of the Mount Tambora eruption by noting the confusion about the source of the initial sounds: The first explosions were heard on this Island in the evening of the 5th of April, they were noticed in every quarter, and continued at intervals until the following day. The noise was in the first instance almost universally attributed to distant cannon; so much so, that a detachment of troops were marched from Djocjocarta [a nearby province] in the expectation that a neighboring post was attacked. And along the coast boats were in two instances dispatched in quest of a supposed ship in distress. After the initial explosion was heard, Raffles said it was supposed that the eruption was no greater than other volcanic eruptions in that region. But he noted that on the evening of April 10 extremely loud explosions were heard and large amounts of dust began to fall from the sky. Other employees of the East India Company in the region were directed by Raffles to submit reports about the aftermath of the eruption. The accounts are chilling. One letter submitted to Raffles describes how, on the morning of April 12, 1815, no sunlight was visible at 9 a.m. on a nearby island. The sun had been entirely obscured by volcanic dust in the atmosphere. A letter from an Englishman on the island of Sumanap described how, on the afternoon of April 11, 1815, by four oclock it was necessary to light candles. It remained dark until the next afternoon. About two weeks after the eruption, a British officer sent to deliver rice to the island of Sumbawa made an inspection of the island. He reported seeing numerous corpses and widespread destruction. Local inhabitants were becoming ill, and many had already died of hunger. A local ruler, the Rajah of Saugar, gave his account of the cataclysm to British officer Lieutenant Owen Phillips. He described three columns of flames arising from the mountain when it erupted on April 10, 1815. Apparently describing the lava flow, the Rajah said the mountain started to appear like a body of liquid fire, extending itself in every direction. The Rajah also described the effect of the wind unleashed by the eruption: Between nine and ten p.m. ashes began to fall, and soon after a violent whirlwind ensued, which blew down nearly every house in the village of Saugar, carrying the tops and light parts along with it. I n the part of Saugar adjoining [Mount Tambora] its effects were much more violent, tearing up by the roots the largest trees and carrying them into the air together with men, houses, cattle, and whatever else came within its influence. This will account for the immense number of floating trees seen at sea. The sea rose nearly twelve feet higher than it had ever been known to be before, and completely spoiled the only small spots of rice lands in Saugar, sweeping away houses and every thing within its reach. Worldwide Effects of the Mount Tambora Eruption Though it would not be apparent for more than a century, the eruption of Mount Tambora contributed to one of the worst weather-related disasters of the 19th century. The following year, 1816, became known as the Year Without a Summer. The dust particles blasted into the upper atmosphere from Mount Tambora were carried by air currents and spread across the world. By the fall of 1815, eerily colored sunsets were being observed in London. And the following year the weather patterns in Europe and North America changed drastically. While the winter of 1815 and 1816 was fairly ordinary, the spring of 1816 turned odd. Temperatures did not rise as expected, and very cold temperatures persisted in some places well into the summer months. Widespread crop failures caused hunger and even famine in some places. The eruption of Mount Tambora thus may have caused widespread casualties on the opposite side of the world.

Simple Profit Maximizing Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Simple Profit Maximizing Perspective - Essay Example Firms use these strategies as the spring board for their activities towards profit realization. These strategies introduce both positive and negative results to the organization. Positivity arises when the firm meets its targets and rewards employees and shareholders. Negative results arise when managers concentrate on personal development instead of the firm’s goals. The firm may also engage in unethical practices in order to achieve its profit goals. Therefore, there is need for strategic management of the firm’s profit strategies to prevent the workers from going overboard to introduce negative impacts to the firm. Profit maximization perspectives Total revenue- total cost Total revenues are derived from the amount a firm receives from the sale of its output. Total costs include all expenses incurred by a firm in buying the inputs required in the production process (Grant, 2002). This perspective begins with determining the optimum quantity of output that will maximi ze profits. The quality of the output is also considered in the planning stage. Firms processing high quality products attract several customers, which increases their revenue. A firm is considered profitable when the total revenues exceed the total costs. As illustrated in the diagram below, the curve illustrates profit maximization point for a firm in a perfect competition market. The optimal level of output at which the firm should operate to maximize profits is point C. At this point, the total profit curve is also at its maximum; therefore the firm can maximize its profits. Figure 1.0 Total revenue-total cost curve Source: Journal of Political Economy, 108 (3): 604-631. Marginal revenue- marginal cost This perspective holds that for each unit sold, a deduction of marginal cost from the marginal revenue will result to a marginal profit. At a certain level of output, the marginal profit becomes positive when marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost (Smith, Ferrier & Ndofor, 2001). This firm can adopt this level as the optimum level of production and the number of units produced should not fall below this level. Where the marginal cost exceeds the marginal revenue, the firm is making marginal losses, and this is an indication that the firm should produce fewer units of output. When the marginal cost is equal to the marginal revenue, the marginal profit is zero and the firm is considered to be maximizing profits. The goals of a firm are crucial as they are the elements that lay a foundation for understanding, predicting and interpreting different profit behaviors experienced by different firms. Some profit maximization strategies may have a conflict with the employees of the firm leading to negative impacts. Profit maximization perspectives limit the ability to understand how the firms utilize different methods and techniques to achieve their goals and objectives. The agency theory gives the relationship between the ownership structure of a firm and the profit maximization objective. The theory demarcates ownership from control of corporate organizations (Berle, & Means, 2006). This leads to a nonprofit maximizing behavior if managerial and individual needs have a mismatch with the profit goal of the organizational. This is common in firms where the managers have different goals from those governing the entire firm. The managers strife to achieve and maximize personal utility and they end up compromising the profit targets of the firm (Gupta et al., 2004). In microeconomic theory, it is argued that only