Break-even point is the point at which total revenue equals total costs or expenses. At this point, there isn’t any profit or loss, it’s the break-even. A business could be turning a large amount of money, but still be making a loss. Knowing the break-even point is helpful in deciding prices, setting sales and preparing a business plan. The break-even point is a useful implement to decide on the organisation’s sales volume, average production costs aswell as sales prices.…
It is obvious to most people the differences between black and white, light and darkness, or Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Many people have different preferences for each of these things, as well as different views about them. While one person may argue that Pepsi is the ultimate cola beverage, another person may claim that Coca-Cola is the best by far. This is such the case with many different people in this world, on many different topics. A prime example of contrasting views on many issues is Niccolio Machiavelli and Lao Tzu. Among the issues that they address include war and violence and the qualities of an ideal ruler.…
Ancient historians hold significant power when deciding how to depict their history. Years later when scholars look upon these writings as a primary source, the power of opinion must be taken into consideration. One cannot assume that all historians will present a completely unbiased depiction of their times. What is curious is how historians are able to carry similarities in their portraits of a nation when they had no relation at all in time or culuture. This phenomenon in present in Tacitus’ Germania and Sima Qian’s Account of the Xiongnu. The former a senator and historian of the early Roman Empire, and the latter the “father of Chinese historiography” during the Han dynasty. Although there are obvious differences in style, these two historians…
The role that I think parents should play in helping their children explore around the world is being very encouraging. A child is not going to learn if they don’t go off by themselves. They should encourage the child to pursue their dreams. A parent is there to teach the child to be…
Education throughout time has been of high importance. The reasons for, and how to obtain said education have been viewed quite differently at times. From the ancient years of B.C. to modern times today education is viewed at a most high priority for everyone. Everyone strives for the ability to gain, have and obtain knowledge. How you get said knowledge is different for everyone, and the way it is maintained also. Two prime explains of how education is maintained differently are philosophers Hsun Tzu and Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Although their differences on the matter, their line thought are not all that different.…
Even though Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli were both advisors there was still many differences of the two’s views on how a government should be. A leader is a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or a country. It does not matter what state, country, or city someone lives in they are guaranteed to have a leader. Leaders have been around in every era. If considered to be a leader, people wanted to be great and admired for what they had done or were going to do. Both Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli lived in different times and completely different geographical areas, but they lived as advisors. Everybody is their own person and of course they had different views on how a country should be run. Although they had different views, their ultimate goal was to be better leaders. Three main differences between the two’s government views included war, money, and government involvement in the everyday lives of citizens.…
To Confucius, good people lived good lives, which in turn caused good societies to be formed from the deeds of these individuals. He believed that education should focus on shaping individuals into good people; people with “virtue and excellence”. One of his ideas, called ren, is directly translated into “human excellence”, “benevolence” and “love”. According to Confucius ren is not something that is inherent in every individual, however, humans are able obtain ren through cognitive thinking and effort. Confucius believes that every person has certain qualities inside of them that can make them good. For instance he believed that every individual possessed wisdom, kindness, respect and piety.…
Created by Confucius, the Confucian ethical system there are thought to be six different basics known as xi, zhi, li, yi, wen, and ren. Xi is, ‘the original good, evil or nothing’ that man is born with. In Confucianism, xi does not contain any original goodness or badness because of this Confucius believes that people must learn to act ethically since it is not an original part of their nature. Zhi is the natural substance of which a person is made, but it is not naturally received, people is acquire zhi through education.There is an inference that an individual acquiring li has a sense of fairness or equity. Li not only shapes character, but motivates the individual to behave. Yi is the standard by which all acts must be judged, yi represents mortally. Wen is something that one does for fun, such as music, poetry, and art. Ren is considered the highest virtue in Confucianism, a person who acquires ren is mastering the way of virtue, morality, compassion and love. This person is reaching the highest levels of moral perfection in a specific aspect of life.…
Contrary to Gaozi, Mencius theory of goodness based on the social nature of people. He does not deny that people have a common nature, but he believes that these nature element are common in both human beings and animals, it is not enough to reflect the essence of the unique characteristics of human nature. If human satisfied with comfort life that makes no difference with animals.…
From the beginning of time, the quest of all humans has been to discover how to live the good life. What is a good life exactly? This term will mean different things to different people, and yet I believe there are the same ingredients that all “good lives” share, even from the classic Eurasian time until present day. Virtues of character, which are also called ‘moral virtues’, seem to be more complex and are an integral part of the completeness of life that is said is necessary for a good life. There seems to be a pattern with people of always trying to achieve being a good person. Is being a good person the answer to having a good life? The Author, Robert W. Strayer makes the point that Confucius, Krishna and Socrates had opinions of ways to a good life but they are all different from one to the other. I will argue that there is a pattern between the three and that the belief to the good life is the same throughout the writings. The saying that history repeats itself is certainly true, but it is also true that people all want to live good lives. Confucius believes living a good life is being virtuous and treating others with respect creates the kind of person that then is given the good life. Being a leader he believed that ruling under an iron fist didn’t create people that respected him and that listened to the law, instead using kindness and sincerity gave the people an example of how to live. He says, “Let him be final and kind to all; then they will be faithful to him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent; then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous” (pg. 218). He also goes on to describe forgiveness which is an essential component in all of the opinions on what is a good life. If one is not being virtuous they can change, which tells us that people are never intended to be perfect but to continue to strive for goodness is always better than to never attempt to be good. That same ideal is…
In this essay I will be working with the concepts of knowledge and true belief. I will show how they differ in two different Plato texts. I will first work to show what the concepts are and how they are different. I will then work to provide the necessary background information for each text, and separately explain how these concepts are treated in the two different texts. Next after having explained the concepts use in the text I will highlight the differences in the two accounts. Finally I will work to show that while the two accounts do differ the differences can be reconciled, so Plato is really saying the same thing in both texts.…
In the book, Twelve Theories of Human Nature, David L. Haberman introduces Confucianism with a main focus on the Analects which he describes as "the most reliable source of Confucius's ideas". Haberman notes that Confucianism is rooted in the common decency of man and teaches obedience to superiors whilst giving these superiors a lot power and leaving the taught majority in a subordinate position. Thus Haberman argues that Confucianism relies on the morality of the heads of family and state which could be undermined if such heads of family and state lack sufficient morality for just decisions. I agree with this argument because there is no real indication of whether or not someone is morally correct especially prior to them obtaining office because they have no track record to reflect on. Haberman also notes that Confucianism is dependent on an elite of literati, the Confucian scholars, who study the past to find the guide to moral perfection. Haberman then argues that there is a flaw since Confucianism uses the past as a guide to becoming perfect morally, then certain groups could give privilege to their own view of morality. I agree with this argument since Confucianism is based on exceptional morality, then it would incline the scholars to be that of sages to not favor their own ideological agendas and even Confucius did not think sages were very common. Overall, Haberman expresses Confucianism as a pragmatic system of common decency that looks to the past for guidance to moral perfection whilst leaving life's path to destiny and that it could be seen as restricting to those that are more liberal or metaphysically focused.…
Confucianism has a core of morality, ethics, and activism. It encourages social harmony and mutual respect. Confucianists sought to perfect their character by living a virtuous life and seeking goodness. They valued ethics, respect for elders, and propriety. Confucius, the originator of Confucian thought, believed political order would be found by the proper ordering of human relationships, and so did not bother himself with the structure of the state. He stressed that a good government must fill their positions with well-educated and conscientious people, called Junzi. Confucius was followed by his disciples Mencius and Xunzi. They also possessed the same optimism that humans could improve themselves to perfection.…
Thomas Aquinas and Zhu Xi have a great deal of similarities and differences in their writings. By comparing the two it can be said that, they both agree on the fact that a virtuous individual, whether a king or a superior human, should not dwell in selfish desires. Aquinas and Zhu Xi believe in learning as a means for self-improvement. However, they approach learning in different ways. The king and the superior human both need to come to the realization of their purpose in order to be able to better their society. Finally, it can be said that Zhu Xi’s way is more self-centered in comparison to Thomas Aquinas’ method that aims to the betterment of a society. Overall the two scholars have high standards for the virtuous human, only by following…
The term Philosophy, according to the definition provided by Wikipedia, is “the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. From the establishment of human civilizations, people started asking themselves about the underlying truths of the world. Among those questions they delved into, the question about the human nature – whether humans are good or evil by nature – grasped many philosophers’ interest. For this question, many western and eastern philosophers came up with their own unique explanations for the human nature. Among those uncountable philosophers, Xunzi and Thomas Hobbes are the most prominent philosophers who advocated the innate evilness of human beings; and Mencius, along with Jean-Jacque Rousseau, is the one most frequently referred to when talking about innate goodness of human beings.…