George Bush Congress and 9/11 - 1290 Words

The start of the 21st century brought on new challenges and new obstacles that America was unfamiliar with at the time. A controversial decade was about to unravel with the presidency of George W. Bush. A decade filled with controversy, from the election of Bush and well off into the ending of his presidency. The presidency saw significant changes in which the role of the president was to wield power in times of peril. In this time, saw the role of congress diminish, while on contrary expanding the power of the executive. Following the events of September 11th, 2001, which change the setting of the presidency and congressional relationship.By means of manipulation, deceiving, bypassing congress, and using the crisis of September 11th†¦show more content†¦As stated before, September 11th changed the setting of the presidency and congress, during this time. The patriot act enacted by congress, took the attitudes that have emerge from the attacks of September 11th and in cooper ated these attitudes into the patriot act. â€Å"The enactment of this law gave George Bush full discretion and with the resolutions provide by congress, that the president can use power that is necessary and proper to wield power without repercussions from congress.†(Taylor Jr, 2006) Congress in essence, gave its authority to check the president away and allow the president to lead without a check from congress. Using the momentum of September 11th attack and the passing of the resolutions and the patriot act, Bush was able to bring Democrats and Republicans together. Bush was able to form alliances between the two parties and address other germane issues. Such as passing â€Å"Education reform and Tax cuts.†(Dubay, 2009) Such as the no child left behind, which was in theory a bi-partisan bill that was passed by both houses. And, tax cuts that include Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, as well as the controversial estate cuts, which lowered taxes for the upper class, who owned a significant amount of wealth. That being stated, this directly leads to my analysis. And address this issue. George Bush presidency saw the great expansion of the executives’ role inShow MoreRelatedGeorge W1136 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿George W. Bush September 20, 2011 Address to Congress On September 11, 2001 the American nation was shaken with news of a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Fear and panic commandeered the spirits of American citizens as they awaited to hear if their loved one had perished, if another attack had been planned for somewhere else in the United States, and how their nation would rise from the ashes to face another tomorrow. Not only had their nation been attacked, butRead MoreEssay about The War on Terror1239 Words   |  5 PagesThe attacks of 9/11 have reshaped and changed the way how Americans live today, forever. Never before such shock and terror has been felt by anyone on the American soil. On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorist extremists hijacked four commercial planes, the planes deviated from their original routes. Two of the planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, one of the planes crashed into the Pentagon and the fourth plane crashed en route to either the White House or the CapitolRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Francis Moore s The Columbine High School Massacre 1139 Words   |  5 Pagesevents of the Columbine high school massacre is what put him on the map. Bowling for Columbine won the Academy Award for Documentary feature in 2002. His notable films also include Fahrenheit 9/11, the highest-grossing documentary of all time that presents a contentious view on the presidency of George W. Bush. His latest documentary, Where to Invade Next, premiered in the US on October 2, 2015. Apparent in all his films, Moore is unafraid to make use of entertainment to discuss political, economicRead MoreAnalysis Of Bush 9 / 11 Speech826 Words   |  4 PagesBush 9/11 Speech Analysis Just nine days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush delivered an address to Congress, which was nationally televised, declaring war on terrorism. In order to console the United States in the wake of one of the darkest events in modern history and gain support for the approaching war, President Bush uses emotional, logical, and ethical appeals. Bush employs connotative diction and imagery to create pathos, consequently achieving his goal ofRead MoreU.s. National Security Efforts And Defending The Nation Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Bush and Obama administrations have been devoted to U.S. national security efforts and defending the nation. During the Republican Bush administration, 9/11 was both a significant terrorist attack and also a significant event during Bush’s time as president. The group behind 9/11 was a terrorist organization named al-Qaeda, lead by Osama bin Laden. Founded on August 18th 1988, al-Qaeda is a group of Islamic extremists who call for the the creation of caliphate or an Islamic state. 9/11 wasRead MoreEssay on Department of Homeland Security1561 Words   |  7 Pagesstared and watched as the first and then second tower of the World Trade Center in New York came under attack by terrorists. At 8:46 am, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. At 9:03 am, the South Tower was struck by another airliner. These were the first two of four terrorist attacks to occur on the fateful September day. At 9:37 am, the third plane would fly into the Pentagon. At 10:03 am, the final terrorist attack was thwarted as passenger of United Airlines Flight 93 took backRead MorePresidential P owers: A Comparsion of Predencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama1042 Words   |  5 Pagescontrast the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Richard Neustadt stated in his book Presidential Power that â€Å"Presidential power is the power to persuade.†(Neustadt, pg.11) Persuasion and bargaining are techniques that presidents can use to influence policy. Neustadt explains how persuasion can help a president get laws passed and to get favorable public opinion.Neustadt explains that bargaining is important in order to influence other politicians in Congress and inside of the executiveRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of George W. Bush s Speech1364 Words   |  6 PagesRhetorical Analysis: 9/11 Address to the Nation When reading and watching our former president George W. Bush’s 9/11 Address to the Nation I found the speech to be ineffective. George W. Bush was president at the time of the 9/11 attacks, his speech started and ended efficiently with the appeal to pathos. Though its lack of logos overlooked this and made his speech unsuccessful. This essay will examine the President’s use of rhetorical appeals and how his speech was made for failure. In George W. Bush’s speechRead MorePresidential Power : The United States1097 Words   |  5 Pagesyear both parties are becoming more partisan. When the parties do this it creates a gridlock and this makes it hard for anything to get done in Washington. Congress has always been there to keep the president in check and make sure he is not overstepping his boundaries. However presidents often find ways to â€Å"get around† going to congress for approval. These sneaky actions by our presidents has created a lot of tension in Washington and is why Presidential Power is such a hot button issue. PresidentsRead MoreThe Vietnam War and the War on Terror1833 Words   |  7 Pagesto use their military, diplomatic, and executive powers more freely and face a lesser degree of opposition than is the norm. Similarly, Congress is noticeably more productive and works well with the president and their co-legislators during such circumstances. This phenomenon was observed in the early stages of the War on Terror following the events of September 11, 2001 as well as during the Vietnam War. In this research paper several factors will be considered in comparing the powers of the presidency

Problems with Affirmative Action Essay - 737 Words

Affirmative Action For many years, people have presumed that Affirmative Action has played and continues to play a vital and important role in the lives of most minorities . However, some people have raised questions about the effectiveness of Affirmative Action. Since its conception, it has been believed that in some instances, Affirmative Action has been more harmful then helpful. One may ask the question, is Affirmative Action really worth fighting for? Some may argue, that if it had not been for Affirmative Action, the minority unemployment rate would be much higher. Like any program, Affirmative Action has its flaws. One major downside occurs when employers over look ones credentials and hires people solely on the†¦show more content†¦Taking Affirmative Action away from minorities would be equivalent to setting the African American race back a hundred years. At the same time, using Affirmative Action as a crutch as opposed to a stepping stone, will also aid in the decli ne of minorities, in the work force and everywhere else. In the United States, promoting diversity in the workplace is becoming virtually impossible. Laws such as Tile VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fourteenth Amendments were both created to protect the American people from discrimination on the grounds of race, creed, religion, sex and color. However; Affirmative Action was created to encourage diversity on the basis of race, creed and color. The real problem is created, when job employers do not apply enough strict scrutiny to the hiring process. The lack of strict scrutiny being applied to the hiring process makes it easy for an employer to cross the thin line between discrimination and equality. What I mean by this is, when an employer decides that he or she needs to create a more diverse working environment, the employer may tend to hire a person, strictly on the basis of color and not so much on their merit and ability to handle the job at hand. Unless an employer can prove that the person he or she has hired is more qualified for the position than one of the applicants that was turned down, then he or she is liable to be faced with a case of reverse discrimination. If we take a look at TitleShow MoreRelated Affirmative Action Essay787 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative action- a plan to offset past discrimination in employing or educating women, blacks etc. (Websters New World Dictionary.) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The history of affirmative action has its roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and stems from the United States Supreme case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. In 1965, President Linden B. Johnson issued Executive Order #11246 at Howard University that required federal contractors to undertake affirmative action toRead More Affirmative Action Essay1503 Words   |  7 Pages Affirmative Action is defined by Websters New World College Dictionary as a policy or program for correcting the effects of discrimination in the employment or education of members of certain groups. The phrase affirmative action was coined by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 when he issued Executive Order 10925, initiating the Presidents Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246. This order required federal contractors toRead More Affirmative Action is Not the Answer Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesAffir mative Action is Not the Answer      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Created in the 1960s, affirmative action programs attempted to undo past racial discrimination by giving preference to blacks and other minorities.   The idea behind these programs was to help minorities gain the representation in the job market that paralleled their percentage of the population (Finley 1).   Unfortunately, affirmative action has mutated into a thirty-year-old policy that places many underqualified minoritiesRead More Affirmative Action Is the Wrong Action Essays1708 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative Action Is the Wrong Action The United States of America has long been a country divided by race. Hate has pervaded her existence since her conception, and now today’s society is forced to deal with those issues. Minorities have suffered at the hands of the white male majority for centuries as the social activities of the old war were brought to the new colonies, only to ferment and continue to affect the lives of all who lived within her borders. There is no doubting that thisRead MoreEssay on History and Opinions on the Policy of Affirmative Action1725 Words   |  7 Pages Racism is a problem that is older than the country we live in. Since the beginning of time racism, prejudice, and discrimination has existed. Through the years, society has come a long way in dealing with this everlasting problem; however, the problem still lives in todays world. It affects who we are and where we will go in our life. So if racism can so dramatically alter our life, one might question what can be done to cease this unfair practice? One solution, or rather method to equal out theRead MoreLegal Aspect of Affirmative Action Essay1288 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative action programs are often misunderstood. Each person has their own idea of what affirmative action really entails. This paper will provide an overview of the legal aspect of affirmative action. The differences between affirmative action programs and equal opportunity legislation will be explained. The positive arguments will be presented along with the negative arguments. The affects affirmative action has on the society of the United States will be analyzed. Finally the reactionsRead More The Ineffectiveness of Affirmative Action in Establishing Diversity1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ineffectiveness of Affirmative Action in Establishing Diversity People generally agree that diversity is beneficial to college campuses. In 1978, in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court decided that race could be used as a factor in deciding college admissions - setting a precedent for the use of affirmative action (Lane A1). Justice Lewis Powell, who belonged to the majority opinion, cited diversity as the primary reason behind his decision. He acknowledgedRead More Affirmitive Action Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pages Affirmative Action is the name given to programs that try to correct past and ongoing discriminations against women, racial minorities, and others in the work force and in education. The principal goal of Affirmative Action is to create more diversity and equal opportunities in jobs or schools that used to be all or mostly male, white, or both. Affirmative Action programs have been in place only a little over thirty years. Affirmative action works. There are thousands of examples of situations whereRead MoreAffirmative Action- Negative Team1486 Words   |  6 PagesModule 03: Group Position Paper: Affirmative Action Affirmative Action: Negative Team 1 Diversity in the Workplace Professor Linda Noeth Center for Distance Learning SUNY Empire State College Slavery in America can be traced all the way back to colonial times, or as historians have dated; 1619. Although slavery had technically been abolished by the late 1800’s, issues over race still remained prominent. Regulations such as â€Å"Jim Crow Laws†, that claimedRead MoreAffirmative Action vs Reverse Discrimination Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative Action or Reverse Discrimination Colleen Koehn Business Law 1038 Instructor Jackie Sexson March 1, 2010 South University Online There has been a large debate in recent years if affirmative action has gone against the American way, has affirmative action caused reverse discrimination? The establishment of affirmative action was put into place to create equal rights for racial minorities, ethnic minorities, women, the physically disabled and those who served in the military

Analysis of Singapore airlines on various factors

Question: Write a report about the Singapore Airlines. Answer: Company Background Singapore Airlines is the most awarded 5 star standard carrier in Singapore and a subsidiary of the Singapore Government. The airline company is primarily based at Changi International Airport and is among the members of the IATA bearing the designation SQ 3 digit code numbered 618 as well as ICAO with (ICAO title SIA). The Singapore Airline carries out its operations worldwide and offers flight services to more than 45 nations and across 94 destinations across the globe. Singapore Airlines is publicly listed on the SGX and is considered one of the largest carriers in the world in terms of market capitalization that amounts to SGD 11.6 billion. The company operates more than 102 aircrafts having an average fleet age of approximately 7 years ("Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website", 2016). Geographic Segments: The geographic segments of the company include the East Asia, South West pacific, Europe, Non-scheduled services as well as incidental, West Asia and Africa and the America. Figure 1: Geographic Segments Source: ("Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website", 2016) Nature of business: Singapore Airlines established itself as the flag carrier of Singapores and thereafter inherited MSAs intercontinental route system that connected more than 20 airports located in 18 different destinations. These destinations include the Europe, Australia, various parts of the Middle East as well as other parts South in addition to different destinations of Southeast as well as North Asia. Different facets of the services of the SIAs comprises of offering for diverse range of preference of meals especially for the economy-class passengers , complimentary drinks as well as headphone sets that were essentially business-class privileges that many others airlines also tender to the passengers. Therefore, the management of SIA has focussed its strategy of differentiating itself by means of implementation of enhanced services and for that the company has invested profusely for service innovations as well as in-flight assistances. In addition to this, SIA has also introduced seven new schoo ls in order to educate and staff in the serviceable areas of the cabin crew, flight functions, business-related schooling, information technology, safety measures, airport services as well as engineering for the purpose of development of service culture ("Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website", 2016). PESTEL analysis of Singapore Airlines As rightly put forward by Chernev (2012), PESTEL analysis provides a framework or else a tool that the marketers can utilize for the purpose of analysis as well as evaluation of the macro factors of the environment particularly the external marketing environment in which the company operates. This particular analysis also helps in the detection of the threats as well as the weaknesses of the business operation that in turn can be used in carrying out a SWOT analysis (Clow Baack, 2012). PoliticalThe political factors exert immense influence on the overall, external business environment of the corporation Singapore Airlines. This primarily refers to different government policies that include the extent of intervention into the specific economy (Dahlstrom, 2011). For example, the Singapore Airlines has withdrawn the bid for acquiring a stake in the Air India by handling a severe blow to the privatisation blow of the Indian Government. This also has become a political barrier for the operations of the company ("Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website", 2016). Economic The economic factors of the business environment generally refer to the rate of interest, taxation policies as well as foreign exchange rates (Kotabe Helsen, 2010). The primary economic factors that affect the business environment of Singapore Airlines include the emerging markets of Asia as well as the strengthening SGD (Singapore Dollar) in comparison to different foreign currencies. gain, the company offered to acquire a stake in the China Eastern Airlines against 7.3 billion Hong Kong Dollars that posed several challenge as a chief shareholder criticized the entire business deal On the other hand, the global demand is still slow-moving that exerts immense on the economic environment of the business concern (Kotabe Helsen, 2010). Apart from this, the stabilization of the fuel costs primarily in the short is also supposed to affect the business environment of the Singapore Airlines. Furthermore, the volatility of prices of fuel in the long run also influences the economic scenari o of the aviation industry and consequently influences the operations of Singapore Airlines. Social The social factors that influence the social environment of the Singapore Airlines include the altering preferences of the consumers (Kotabe Helsen, 2011). The company therefore needs to keep a close eye on the changing trends of the tastes and the preferences of the consumers in order to make the products and the services of the company more customer centric (Kotler Keller, 2012). Apart from this, there is increase in the disposable income of the consumers that in turn implies greater purchasing power of the consumers. Technological The technological factors include the attainment of the fuel efficiency for achieving the overall effectual way of carrying out the operations of the corporation (Marshall Johnston, 2014). Again, the engineering department of the Singapore Airlines focuses on the repairs as well as maintenance that is considered to be largely out of the hands of the company. The Singapore Airlines is also considered the first carrier that installed the productivity suite to serve the interests of the passengers who can work on board without the need of providing power to the laptops. The company also deploys Sun a particular micro system that essentially powers the productivity suite in the flight ("Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website", 2016). Environmental The analysis of the environmental factors reveals the fact that the general public of Australia expects Singapore Airlines to be very much socially responsible and take steps towards reduction of the carbon footprints. Again, the weather as well as the seasons also affects the operation of the carrier (Clow Baack, 2012). The company therefore makes use of cleaners as well as greener aircrafts in order to carry out sustainable operations. Legal The regulatory changes also affect the business operations of Singapore Airlines especially the chinas aviation regulator boosts the private airlines operating in the airline industry. In addition to this, there are several investment limitations as a government body. In addition to this, the company abides by the Fair Trading Law, Consumer Law, Natural Environmental law and the Five Freedoms of Air (special license to travel to various destinations) (Paliwoda, Andrews, Chen, 2012). Figure 2: PESTEL Analysis Source: (Paliwoda, Andrews, Chen, 2012) Porters Five Forces Analysis of Singapore Airlines The Porters Five Forces Analysis is essentially a significant framework or structure that attempts to critically evaluate the degree of competition in a particular industry and thereby helps in the strategy development of the business (Paliwoda, Andrews, Chen, 2012). Therefore, the model of Porters Five Force Analysis helps to recognize the effect of different factors on the operations of the corporation and the way the company can tender its service to the customers and earn profits (Ramachandra, Chandrashekara, Shivakumar, 2010). The current section examines the five different factors of the Porters Five Forces with special reference to the operations of Singapore Airlines. Industry Rivalry The critical assessment of the intensity of rivalry reveals the fact that Singapore Airline might face in the aviation sector discloses the fact that there are full service airlines in the market that operate in niche markets. Again, there also exist price wars among different competing airlines (Ramachandra, Chandrashekara, Shivakumar, 2010). As per the detailed analysis of this factor, it can be hereby inferred that the intensity of rivalry in the market of Singapore Airlines is moderate. Potential New Entrants The analysis of the potential entrants in the market of Singapore Airlines operating discloses the fact that the threat of probable new entrants in the aviation sector is relatively weak. This is primarily because the industry requires huge amount of capital outlay and the market is fairly saturated. Apart from this, there is high congestion in the significant airports and more importantly the government carriers enjoy greater advantages of business operations. Furthermore, it is also difficult for other carriers to enter the market owing to different economic factors (Reid Bojanic, 2014). There are also increasingly challenges in acquiring airport slots as Singapore has only one airport. Nevertheless, the huge cost of operation as well as different political factors also creates barriers for entry to the new players. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is one of the most important factors of the Porters Five Forces Analysis. The critical evaluation of the factor reflects the fact that the threat of substitute in case of Singapore Airlines is moderate. The threat of substitution in case of SIA is moderate as there are many low cost carriers operating in the aviation industry and there is provision of very high speed railway services (Shaw, 2011). Besides this, there are advanced communication technologies that can pose the threat of substitution to the carrier services of Singapore Airlines. Bargaining Power of the Purchasers The bargaining power of the purchasers of Singapore Airlines is also moderate as the cost of switching to different airline is quite low. The management of the company Singapore Airlines has also introduced different loyalty reward programs that has increased the customer loyalty and helped the company to retain more consumers (Shaw, 2011). Besides this, the internet also enables consumers to compare the prices of the services offered by different companies and choose the airlines of their choice (Sheehan, 2011). Bargaining Power of the Suppliers The critical evaluation of the level of competition also analyses the bargaining power of the suppliers of Singapore Airlines. The analysis reveals the fact that the bargaining power of the suppliers of the company is quite strong owing to the fact that there is effectual duopoly of different Boeing as well as Airbus for various planes. Again, there s uncontrollable cost of fuel that raises the power of the suppliers (Sherlekar Gordon, 2010). Figure 3: PORTERS" FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES Source: (Sheehan, 2011) Strategic Recommendations A detailed analysis of the business operations of the Singapore Airlines helps in gathering adequate information that in turn can help in framing different strategic options of the company (Venugopal, 2010). The strategic management of the company can employ both the Ansoffs Matrix as well as Porters generic strategies to implement different alternative procedures of developing the growth strategy. Diversification Strategy: The management of Singapore Airlines can consider introducing a brand transit hotel managed by the airline. This can be considered as a very good chance for the carrier to endorse an all-inclusive package to the travellers. Therefore, this strategy can help the airline to differentiate its offerings in a market that poses stiff competition in the saturated market of Airline industry. Market Penetration: The management of Singapore Airline can consider penetrating new markets. This particular airline carries out its operations in Africa and can target mostly the leisure passengers. The company can also consider introduction of a family package that is all inclusive in its offerings. The management of the company might also consider entering into a partnership with another company that can offer different safaris, facilities of camping as well as other facilities that include accommodation and food (Winer Dhar, 2011). Niche Market: The management of the Singapore Airlines can take into consideration the use of airbuses that can serve as the banquet halls. This space can have the capacity of holding around 160 to 250 passengers. This can help the company to target a niche market that is essentially people who can conduct conferences and other events in flights. This in flight events as well as conferences can be regarded as an innovative idea that can save both the time and the money of the passengers. Product development: The management of the Singapore Airlines can consider segmentation of the market properly in order to develop the services of the company according to the needs of the target segment of the consumers (Kotler Keller, 2012). The market essentially consists of different types of consumers, products as well as needs. Therefore, the marketer can determine the target segments appropriately to offer the suitable opportunities. The customers of the airline can be categorised into different sections and thereafter served in different ways depending on the demographic, geographic as well as behavioural facets of the segments. Conclusion The above study presents a detailed analysis of the external business environment of the Singapore Airlines in order to understand the effects of the different factors on the business operations of the firm. This critical of the external business environment of Singapore Airlines helps in acquiring a deep insight into the different political, economic, social, technological, environmental as well as legal factors that influences the effective functioning of the corporation. Thereafter, the present study also elucidates in detail the Porters Five Forces analysis in order to gain to gain comprehensive understanding regarding the level of competition in the market of the airline industry and assesses all the five factors that helps in understanding the competitive position of the company. In the end, the current study also presents strategic recommendations with reference to the Ansoffs Matrix based on the challenges identified using the PESTEL analysis and the Porters Five Forces Model . References Chernev, A. (2012).Strategic marketing management. [Chicago, Ill.]: Cerebellum Press. Clow, K. Baack, D. (2012).Cases in marketing management. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE. Dahlstrom, R. (2011).Green marketing management. Mason, Ohio: South-Western / Cengage Learning. Kotabe, M. Helsen, K. (2010).Global marketing management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Kotabe, M. Helsen, K. (2011).Global marketing management. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Kotler, P. Keller, K. (2012).Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Marshall, G. Johnston, M.Marketing management.(2014) Paliwoda, S., Andrews, T., Chen, J. (2012).Marketing management in Asia. New York: Routledge. Ramachandra, K., Chandrashekara, B., Shivakumar, S. (2010).Marketing management. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Reid, R. Bojanic, D.(2014)Hospitality marketing management. Shaw, S. (2011).Airline marketing and management. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate. Sheehan, B. (2011).Marketing management. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Pub. Sherlekar, S. Gordon, E. (2010).Marketing management. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Venugopal, P. (2010).Marketing management. New Delhi, India: Response Books. Welcome to Singapore Airlines | Official Website. (2016).Singaporeair.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016, Winer, R. Dhar, R. (2011).Marketing management. Boston: Prentice Hall.

The Existence Of God Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The Existence Of God Essay, Research Paper Outline: Rational statements refering the being of God are rather intriguing since they try to set up the being of the `Wholly Other # 8217 ; from things we see every twenty-four hours and from known properties that we fasten to God. The first portion of essay discusses whether we can make this through the `just about ageless procedures # 8217 ; of initiation and tax write-off. It presents a `general # 8217 ; theists definition of God and looks at the a posteriori and a priori statements which arise from this definition before traveling onto a critical scrutiny of the rational procedures of initiation and tax write-off. This is followed by the issues raised by atheists in visible radiation of the inadequacy of rational statements for God # 8217 ; s being. The 2nd portion of the essay involves a presentation and rating of the, ontological, cosmogonic, and teleological statements ; statements which are implied in the theist # 8217 ; s general definition of God and which the theist claims as equal illations to turn out the being of the `Wholly Other # 8217 ; . We will write a custom essay sample on The Existence Of God Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Introduction: Last century Thomas Huxley ( 1825-1895 ) remarked that `not a lone job nowadayss itself to the philosophical theist at the present twenty-four hours which has non existed from the clip that philosophers began to believe out the logical evidences and the logical effects of Theism. The fact that the belief in God # 8217 ; s being had withstood repeated assaults during so many ages in the yesteryear is the best warrant of its permanence in the hereafter # 8217 ; . 1 Today this last illation can non be advanced with every bit much assurance sing that `postmodernism # 8217 ; is described as `rejecting teleology # 8217 ; , `denying ontology # 8217 ; and as disputing `the rationalistic thought of the detecting truth by pure reason. # 8217 ; 2 However, Christians still pull on the statements of `philosophical theism # 8217 ; chiefly in excusatory treatment with skeptics. Normally, keeping to the impression that truths about God either can non be established nor falsified by natural ground or like Thomas Aquinas that `the being of God and other like truths about God, which can be known by naturalreason are non articles of religion, but preambles to articles of faith. # 8217 ; 3 Purpose of this Essay: This essay discusses whether the being of God can be proven by manner of the rational statements implied in a general definition of theism. And evaluates these statements in visible radiation of this definition, since theists largely restrict their premises to the features of God as stated in the definition. Of class this presumes an understanding on God # 8217 ; s features and besides suggests a certain disk shape between the definition and the rating. But disk shape tends to be the nature of bad statements about God, since in some sense the statements presuppose the features of God by looking for them in what they investigate.4 Can the Existence of God be Proven? General definition of theism and the statements for God # 8217 ; s being: `Theism is the position that all limited, or finite, things, though to the full existent in their ain right, are dependent on some manner, yet distinguishable from, one supreme or ultimate being, of which 1 may besides talk in personal footings. And this being is called God, who is regarded as beyond human comprehension, perfect, and self-sustained but besides particularly involved in the universe and its events. # 8217 ; 5 This definition is given in two propositions. The first affirms a dependent relationship holds between two or more objects, those which are finite, material and self-conscious and that which is absolute and personal. Pailin describes this relationship as `contingent being # 8217 ; or `a manner of being which belongs to an object that happens to be but whose non-existence is coherently imaginable # 8217 ; and whose being is dependent on factors beyond it.6 It is from this experience of `contingent being # 8217 ; in the existence that `theists # 8217 ; either deduce `something # 8217 ; which is the initial cause of everything finite and hence absolute or deduce `something # 8217 ; which is the concluding cause of everything finite and hence personal or intelligent. The 2nd proposition calls this `something # 8217 ; God and affirms that God has certain belongingss or features, viz. , that God is beyond human comprehension, perfect, and both self-sustained and involved in the universe. From certain of these belongingss or predicates the theist deduces God # 8217 ; s being and can make so `a priori # 8217 ; , without mention to the universe or personal feeling: since the thought of God # 8217 ; s being is contained in the predicates themselves, i.e.`the thought of a `perfect being # 8217 ; contains the impression of existent being # 8217 ; . The Burden of Proof: Harmonizing to rule that `the load of cogent evidence prevarications with person who takes a positive place on an issue, # 8217 ; 7 it is up to the theist to supply the sufficient grounds or the negative place of the sceptic prevails. The inquiry of whether initiation and tax write-off provide sufficient grounds for `God # 8217 ; s being # 8217 ; needs to be dealt with on two degrees. The first degree relates to the adequateness of initiation and tax write-off as a vehicle for truth and is linked to the inquiry `Can the being of God be proven? # 8217 ; . The 2nd relates to the uniformity and soundness of the theist # 8217 ; s claim: whether the premises are certain or whether expostulations to the theists claims are valid. This is linked to the rating of the statements. Is Induction an equal vehicle for truth? : The basic rule of initiation can be stated as `if your informations consists of grounds that a series of objects of some sort has some belongings or characteristic and you know of no object of that sort that does non hold that belongings, so conclude that all objects of that sort have that property. # 8217 ; 8 Ideally the forms in the grounds will give us beliefs about the universe that we can hold assurance in and from which we can deduce God # 8217 ; s being. For illustration: A series of non-sentient existences has the feature of order I have non seen methodicalness and excellence that does non hold the belongings of design : The presence of a design indicates the presence of a interior decorator. But initiation is non without its jobs. First, `the value of the grounds which supports the decision can be discredited by the production of a individual contrary instance. # 8217 ; 9 A job which besides applies to those statements where the universal has been inferred from observation, such as the following `first cause # 8217 ; argument:10 Every event has a cause So there is something that is the first cause : Sol there is a God. Can we believe of cases where some event does non hold a cause or where order is non apparent in the universe? 11 And even if no cases can be found does this prove that there is a `Designer # 8217 ; or a `First Cause # 8217 ; ? This latter inquiry is a major expostulation to the causal arguments claiming God # 8217 ; s existence.12 In some respects the first inquiry relates to a 2nd expostulation raised by David Hume. Hume believed that in `causal concluding about affairs of fact # 8217 ; there is no necessary connexion between cause and consequence alternatively the thought of a necessary connexion is derived from an internal thought and misidentify for something nonsubjective. `It is a belief that exits in our heads non in the objects. # 8217 ; 13 Morton describes it like this: Knowledge of correlativity is all that is needed to set up decisions about cause and consequence Many of our beliefs are about cause and consequence Therefore: Many of our beliefs are based merely on inductive logical thinking. 14 A 3rd job is raised by `Goodman # 8217 ; s perplex # 8217 ; and is related to the pick of constructs, footings and belongingss which describe informations and formulate generalisations.15 Harmonizing to Goodman the verification of `predictions` , i.e. `Every event in the yesteryear had a cause so every event in the hereafter will hold a cause # 8217 ; can be defined in footings of past success by appropriately inventing a `strange predicate # 8217 ; . This means that anything can be made to conform to anything else.16 These jobs at best throw uncertainty on initiation as a trusty vehicle for truth. They tend to reason that initiation is merely every bit good as its experimental informations yet true information does non needfully vouch a true decision and that initiation is no more than a belief which at times can be manipulated. Is Deduction an equal vehicle for truth? : Tax write-off argues from `the more cognizable in its ain nature # 8217 ; ; the simpler rules implied in the facts to `the more familiar to us ; extremely complex facts:17 from the general to the particular, and come in the signifier of syllogisms. For illustration: Premise: All As are Bs God is perfect Premise: All Bs are Cs Perfect implies being Decision: All As are Cs God exists Aristotle defines `syllogism # 8217 ; as `a discourse wherein certain things ( six. the premises ) being admitted, something else, different from what has been admitted, follows of necessity because the admittances are what they are. # 8217 ; 18 The last clause points to the all important thing in an illation ; that the decision should be proved or demonstrated. In other words, we may already cognize `God exists # 8217 ; ; but to cognize why this is true a `middle term # 8217 ; has to be found to link the truth `God exists # 8217 ; with the less complex truths which appears as the premises from which `God being # 8217 ; is draw. The in-between term as we can see from the illustrations above is the thought of `perfection # 8217 ; or `B # 8217 ; , which must be taken universally at least one time in the premises. The strength of tax write-off as a vehicle for truth sing statements for God # 8217 ; s being can be considered on two degrees: The first is apparent from the treatment above and involves formal construction and true premises, and can be stated as `a deductive statement is sound with regard to the significance of its words if merely true sentences are derivable under the illation regulations from premises which are themselves all true. # 8217 ; 19 The other degree concerns jobs of epistemology. For illustration, `How have we come by our cognition that `God is perfect # 8217 ; ? # 8217 ; Theists who rely on tax write-off see it an analytic truth apprehended intuitively ; an thought. Aristotle on the other manus, would see `perfection # 8217 ; to be known to us as a consequence of induction.20 Aquinas, sees `perfection # 8217 ; as being indirectly and analogically deduced from creation.21 One more job concerns the footings that figure in the premises. For illustration the term `perfect` . Is it bespeaking something that exists or non and in what manner is it related to the existent universe? Immanuel Kant gives heed to this issue with respects to Anslem # 8217 ; s tax write-off sing God # 8217 ; s being. Kant believes that Anselm confuses `the order of things with order of thoughts # 8217 ; when he tries to set up the experiential proposition `God exists # 8217 ; , on the footing of an `idea # 8217 ; of perfection.22 All told these issues tend to convey the `feeling # 8217 ; that the strength of deductive logical thinking as a vehicle of truth is correlated to the prejudice of your presuppositions ; whether you are an dreamer, a realist, a nominalist or an empiricist. This is inclined to open the door for the `atheists # 8217 ; . Are Atheists # 8217 ; expostulations valid? : Alvin Plantinga takes issue with atheists who hold that `a individual who believed without sufficient grounds that there are an even figure of ducks would be believing unwisely or irrationally ; the same goes for the individual who believes in God without sufficient grounds # 8217 ; . Consequently this individual has either violated an rational or cognitive responsibility of some kind, is someway intellectually flawed or disfigured, or believes as a affair of wish-fulfilment. 23 Plantinga # 8217 ; s rejoiner is to mention to the impression of a individual # 8217 ; s presuppositions. `What you take to be ratio nal depends upon your metaphysical and spiritual stance. Your position as to what kind of animal a human being is will find, in whole or in portion, your positions as to what is rational or irrational for human existences to believe in.’ 24 At a glimpse the push of Plantinga’s rejoiner seems to be reduced to the undermentioned statements: 1 ) If you believe that God exists so your belief that God exists is justified. 2 ) If you believe that God does non be so your belief in God # 8217 ; s non-existence is justified. But Plantinga ties to measure up the first statement as the better place. Consequently, the atheist may prefer it if people didn # 8217 ; t believe in God without sufficient grounds but it is more sensible to believe in God since our cognitive equipment maps decently when it functions in the manner God designed it to function.25 This seems to bespeak that theism is rationally acceptable merely if you believe that theism is rationally acceptable. Possibly this best indicates where many claims to objective truth base in this present `existentialist # 8217 ; coevals. Measure the assorted sorts of statements advanced for the being of God. The Ontological Argument: This statement aims to infer the being of God from a construct or thought of God. It maintains that a proper thought of God entails that it is paradoxical to keep that God does non be. The most famed statements are by Anslem, Descarte, Leibniz and Hartshorne. Two are presented below. Anslem: ( 11th. cent ) God is that that which no greater can be thought Being is greater than non-existence : Supreme being exists Hartshorne ( 20th. cent ) The godly manner of being is a province of `necessary being # 8217 ; It is in rule a manner of being which can non be conceived as either coming into being or discontinuing to be It is cosmopolitan and omnitolerant in that it is present to and compatible with whatever else may go on to come to be or non come to be and which is its ain intrinsic land. 26 That `God is perfect # 8217 ; or `necessary being # 8217 ; is consistent with the theist definition of God. Sing a formal sense the statements seems rather sound but run into problem on the epistemic and semantic degree. The chief expostulations raised are: 1 ) Being is non a quality! 2 ) How does a definition of being relate to world? 3 ) God exists is non a axiomatic truth! Kant objects to the thought that `God is that in which being coincides with kernel # 8217 ; . Alternatively he holds that `existence is non a predicate like `perfect # 8217 ; hence can non be included in the construct of a perfect being # 8217 ; .27 The 2nd issue is raised by Evans and Teichman who believe that deducing the being of God from a definition of being is unconvincing.28 And thirdly, Aquinas insists that `knowledge of God is natural from the order of the universe # 8217 ; 29 Kant # 8217 ; s expostulation is difficult to reason against, one merely gets the `feeling # 8217 ; that being is a province of being, either in the head or concretely, and non an property, like flawlessness. Anslem tries to squelch the 2nd issue with the thought that: `there is being in the head and in world and since bing in the head is a less perfect sort of being than bing in world, so for God to merely be in the head would intend that we could concieve of a being greater than God ; one that existed in world every bit good and this being would be God. # 8217 ; 30 The 3rd issue is a affair of presuppositions. The Cosmological or First Cause Argument: This statement either assumes the cogency of the rule of causality or sufficient ground and entreaties to the beginning of the existence or merely entreaties to the former. The undermentioned two versions best illustrate this:31 1 ) Thomas Aquinas: ( 13th. cent ) `There is no instance known ( nor so is it possible ) in which a thing is found to be an efficent cause of itself, because in that instance it would be prior to itself, which is impossible. Now in efficent causes it is impossible to travel onto eternity. Now to take away the cause is to take away the consequence. Therefore, if there is no first cause, there will be no ultimate, nor any intermediate cause. Therefore it is necessary to acknowledge a first efficent cause, to which everyone gives the name God. # 8217 ; 32 2 ) Leibnitz: ( 17th. cent. ) Everything in the universe is contingent We can say that the whole existence has ever existed Therefore: The existence as a whole must hold a sufficent ground This sufficeint ground must be outside the existence This sufficent ground is God. These are both `a posteriori # 8217 ; statements since they move from the experience of the consequence to an `efficient cause # 8217 ; or `sufficient ground # 8217 ; ; something which has necessary existence.33 The `principle of sufficient ground # 8217 ; has raised a few jobs. At bosom it means that there must ever be a ground that suffices to explicate anything that is. The problem is that Leibniz reduces the rule of sufficient ground to the rule of contradiction therefore taking causal dealingss out of the kingdom of clip and infinite and into the kingdom of dealingss between concepts.34 Kant criticed this on the footing that it carries the rule of causality beyond the universe of sense experince where alone it is valid. 35 This is perchance why Aquinus can presume a first term ( continuance ) for every species while Leibniz does non. The impression of continuance raises the most expostulations. For illustration: `How do we cognize that there is non an infinite arrested development of causes ; a fortiori statements imply an infinite figure of causes? # 8217 ; Is God # 8217 ; s infinity non-temporal such that contingent things are dependent on a ego -existing cause? If God is a self-caused cause so how does a being which does non be conveying itself into being? Possibly it is the universe itself which exists of absolute necessity and is infinite in every sort of flawlessness? # 8217 ; For all of these counter-arguments there are plausible negations. With both statements there is an incompatibility with respects to the theist definition since at that place seems to be an disconnected spring with respects to the last point `to which everyone gives the name God # 8217 ; and `is God # 8217 ; yet there is no indicant of the `personal # 8217 ; God of the theist in the premises. Although there is a counterargument to this place one on the footing that `the cause must incorporate somehow in itself every flawlessness of being that is realised in the effect. # 8217 ; 36 Finally Hume may hold the last say since `How do we cognize that their is non more than one necessary being? 37 The Teleological Argument and the Argument signifier Design: Frequently a differentiation is made between the Design and teleological arguments38 both of which attempt to demonstate that an apprehension of the orderly character of the universe suggests an intelligent Godhead or Final Cause. The Deisgn statement can be illustrated as such: Saint thomass: ( 13th. cent. ) Non animate existences behave in orderly ways that produce the best consequences This ordliness and excellence indicates the presence of design The presence of a design indicates the presence of a designer.39 Paley: ( 19th. cent. ) : Nature shows beneficent order Beneficial intent in mechanical aparatus point to a designer.40 And the teleological: Swineburne: ( 20th. cent ) Orderly design in the existence is logically possible to be simply the merchandise of opportunity but improbable It is more likely that the universe is the merchandise of an infinite theistic God.41 These statements all reflect empirical premises. They are consistent with the theist # 8217 ; s thought of a personal or intelligent Godhead who is perfect 42 and instills intending into the universe by His involvment yet don # 8217 ; t truly turn out if this Godhead is self-sufficing or issues needfully. The analogical statement of Paley and the probabilty statement of Swineburne besides tell against any accustation that good order could be merely unsighted opportunity. They do this by the sheer weight of Numberss ; greater logical possiblity 43 and analogy to the legion illustrations in nature. Yet the main critic of the design statement, David Hume, raises other expostulations which need to be mentioned and answered. For illustration: `Other analogies from nature, like a works from a seed, seem to reflect an immanent system. # 8217 ; Yes! But what about the design component in DNA? Besides, `Since we have no analogies to reflect the entirety of creative activity so how do we cognize that design is reflected in the existence as a whole, we could merely be imaging design? # 8217 ; As above, the reply to this and to induction as a whole procedure is fundamentally `science puts faith in analogies without all the empirical grounds so why can # 8217 ; t the theist? # 8217 ; Decision: Natural theologcians or theists put away many bad statements which make claims to turn out God # 8217 ; s being. Yet the three presented in this essay best represent the history of `western mans # 8217 ; rational contemplation about God since the clip of Plato and Aristotle and whether they remain as the pivots about which to pull other theories and thiesm from either in understanding or a reactionist manner remains to be seen. All of them in some regard fail to come up Bibliography: Aquinas.Thomas. , ` Whether the Existence of God is Axiomatic? , Summa Theologica. 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