Security Fraud and Manipulations Using Accounting Policies and Rules Dissertation

Security Fraud and Manipulations Using Accounting Policies and Rules - Dissertation Example More importantly, a wide variety of security fraud and malpractice of accounting policies are employed in the preparation of the financial report accounting of Enron, Madoff scheme, and WorldCom Corporation that lead into their bankruptcy. Nonetheless, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) seeks to deter fraud in financial statements of companies through laws, internal control systems and regulations. More significantly, the commission continuously seeks to detect misstatements, failure of disclosure of accurate financial information in records, documentation, accounting policies and procedures in changes of equity and explanatory notes accompanying every financial period statement of companies. In addition, this paper will look at the adherence to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as stipulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) remains committed towards global standards. Finally, the pap er looks at various fraudulent situations that could be avoided through adherence to stipulated accounting policies and procedures by management, accountants and auditors as they put shareholders interest first. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express sincere gratitude to my dissertation supervisor, xxx, for his invaluable support. As an area of accounting and auditing practise, I hope you find this paper insightful in the minimization of security fraud and manipulation practices. Tables of Contents 1. Introduction 6 2. Literature Review 7 3. Research Methodology 16 4. Discussion of Findings 18 4.1.0 Nature and treatment Of Security Fraud &manipulation through fraudulent use Of accounting policies and rules 18 4.2.0 Security Fraud and Manipulation in Madoff scheme, Enron & Worldcom Corporation 23 4.3.0 Security Fraud and Manipulation Problems in Madoff Scheme, Enron and Worldcom Corporation 27 4.4.0 Comprehensive Analysis of Parties involved in the carrying out of Security Fraud an d Manipulation 33 4.5.0 Regulation of Security Fraud and Manipulation in Madoff scheme, Enron and WorldCom Corporation 39 5. Conclusions 43 6. Appendix 45 6. References 47 CHAPTER 1.0 INTRODUCTION More than often, fraudulent financial information given in companies financial statement typically takes the form of material misstatements done intentionally by making either the annually or quarterly financial statements fluctuated. In most cases, auditors acknowledge that financial statements are intentionally misstated such that the information provided remains not only misleading, but also inaccurate, such that the presentation of financial reports does not follow the generally accepted accounting practises (GAAP), international auditing standards (IAS) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS). More so, such security fraud and manipulation through the use of fraudulent accounting policies and rules in international corporations like Madoff scheme, WorldCom and Enron led to a huge loss as a result of fraud upon

European Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Human Rights - Essay Example It also seeks to promote the rights of women and children, as well as of minorities and displaced persons. ‘Margin of appreciation’ is a doctrine that was first developed and applied in the case law of European Court and Commission of Human Rights. It is a concept developed by the European Union where different member states’ courts can interpret the Convention of Human Rights differently (Greer, 2000, p.5). The doctrine does not have universal litigation for all convention rights, since it has higher profile for some convention rights i.e. right to property; however, it has lower profile on other rights in the conventions. Moreover, there is no simple and clear method of describing how the doctrine works; further, the doctrine’s nature is that of uneven and unpredictable. Due to the nature of margin of appreciation, there is need for much structure, precision supervision and regularity in its application (Greer, 2000, p.5). The European Union formulated th e margin of appreciation since its member states comprise of diverse cultural and legal traditions embraced thus, it was difficult to identify uniform European standards of human rights. Moreover, the doctrine provides the flexibility needed to avoid damaging rows between the European Court, General, and the Member States. Additionally it permits the Court to balance the autonomy of Member States with their obligations under the Convention. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the contemporary practice of margin of appreciation in applying of Convention rights and freedoms. The paper will explore the logical flaws in the margin doctrine as currently conceived and the way they contribute in devaluing the convention. Moreover, the role of the Strasbourg Organ in the supervision of administering of the doctrine in its Member States is also discussed. Finally, an assessment of the efficiency and consistency of supervision is analyzed. Margin of appreciation The European Commission o f Human Rights endorsed margin of appreciation on the grounds that the national authorities are better placed to judge than the Strasbourg institutions. This doctrine is applicable in connection with articles of the convention providing some accommodations or limitation clauses. Some of the areas where Member States have been accorded margin of appreciation by the European Union convention on human rights are protection of morals, determining the mandate of the judiciary, prevention of crime and disorder and matters pertaining to national economy and security. In determining the scope of marginal of appreciation, the courts consider firstly, the subject matter of the protected right, i.e. a narrow margin is issued if the subject matter being protected is considered fundamental. Secondly, the aim and the interest of set restriction are also considered. Therefore, the margin of appreciation is determined by the effects of a restriction on other people in the society. Moreover, there a re European consensus standards, which are applicable to all Member States. In such cases, there is less need for application of margin of appreciation (Kleijkamp, 1999, p.50). However, there is concern in that uncontrolled margin of appreciation is devaluing the rights and freedoms provided by the Human Rights Convention. States that have the norm of human rights relativism can exploit this doctrine to cartel the exercise of human

Human Memory Essay Example for Free

Human Memory Essay The human memory is that part of our brains that has the capacity to receive, store, and retrieve information. It is comprised of not one but three types: sensory, short term, and long term. Generally, the process involves receiving information or stimulus from the environment. The stimulus is then received by the sensory memory. Then the information, which is converted into electrical impulses, is passed through the short-term memory, and finally, the long-term memory through the neurons. Sensory A stimuli that is sensed or received by one of the five sense organs are received by the sensory memory, which acts as a protective barrier. There are different types of sensory memory, one for each sense organ. For the visual stimuli that are registered by the eyes, the sensory memory is called iconic. Stimuli that passes through the ears are received by the echoic memory. And the haptic memory is for stimuli that are felt or touched. A stimulus reaches the sensory memory between two hundred and five hundred milliseconds after it was perceived. An example of sensory memory is the ability to remember how something looks like even if you were able to see it for only a few seconds. Based on research, sensory memory is able to retain about 12 items in a very short period of time. Interruption in the smooth relay of sensory information can be caused by problems in the neurons . If there are some neurons that do not connect or there are imbalances, then information flow will stop or will be delayed. Short-Term Information that reaches the sensory memory are transferred to the short-term memory. This type of memory allows retention of information for up to 60 seconds. While it can remember information far longer than the sensory memory, the short-term memory can only retain up to five items. To increase the number of items that the short-term memory can remember, studies showed that grouping or chunking the items into three have been found very useful. Short-term memory will degrade if a person experiences chronic pain or drinks constantly. It can be enhanced through aerobic exercises because of the increased oxygen in the brain. Long-Term After information has passed through the short-term memory, it is then transferred to the long-term memory for storage and for retrieval in the future. Contrary to the two previous memories, the long-term memory can hold information indefinitely, sometimes for a lifetime. Information becomes ingrained in the memory through repetition or rehearsal. For instance, the alphabets has been constantly repeated to young children in order for them to remember each letter. As a result, knowledge of them will remain etched in memory forever. Long-term memory degrades through certain illnesses. It can be improved through constant intellectual stimulation and rehearsal. Long-term memory groups information into facts and skills. Facts is further classified into two: the episodic and semantic. As their names suggests, episodic refers to events that are stored in the memory. All the others are stored in the semantic memory. Skills, on the other hand, is about learned information that needs to be recalled to perform certain actions. The processes involved in the long-term memory are retention, retrieval and deletion. Retention is achieved when there is rehearsal. Deletion happens when there is interference. Retrieval can occur through recall and sometimes, through recognition. When the information is remembered from memory, it is called recall. If there are promptings and cues to remember an information, it is called recognition. Interference Interference is defined as the inability to recall an information because certain items or events interfere with the process. Proactive interference occurs when previous learnings will make it difficult to remember new ones. On the other hand, retroactive interference occurs when new learnings make it difficult or impossible to recall past information. While studying, information gets jumbled in the students mind because there are too many to recall. To improve absorption and recall, it is important to rehearse the information over a period of time. This could be done by reading the days lessons and memorizing the salient points before going to sleep. If the student will make this a habit, he wont need to cram everything in his head a few days before the exam. By constantly rehearsing, the retention and retrieval will become easy. Other Factors That Could Affect Memory Age is one factor that could make a person forget an information or make it difficult to retrieve it from its storage. Like any other part of the body, the brain also degrades if it is not constantly in use. Injuries, traumas, medicines, and diseases could also affect memory storage and retrieval. For example, a tumor in the brain can interrupt the flow of electrical impulses, resulting to memory loss. Or a trauma caused by accident could result to sensory memory loss in one part of the body. To improve and maintain a good memory, it is always important to keep on exercising the mind as well as the body. When the mind is seldom used, it degenerates. Reading, learning and engaging in intellectual discourses would keep the mind active. References Gailbuck. (2007). Delving Into the Autistic Brain Part 1. HubPages. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://hubpages.com/hub/autism-sensory-processing Human Memory. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/human- cap/memory.html Mohs, R. How to Improve Your Memory. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from

Key Issues Influencing Localization Commerce Essay

Key Issues Influencing Localization Commerce Essay The speed at which international business takes place has increased substantially and international managers need to react more quickly to economic, strategic and organizational imperatives than in the past as it is more costly to make mistakes today. The cost of reversing a decision due to the speed of international business makes making such mistakes extremely costly as while firms fix problems, competitors surge ahead. Standardization of MNCs is usually defined as standardization of subsidiaries towards following in line with HQ practices. Successful chains such as Mc Donalds have standardized products and management practices across the world and at the same time allowing for a local adaptation to the practices to suit local needs. Most MNCs commonly localize their marketing, promotion and distribution practices even though they have a global advertising strategy. Integration/responsiveness debate cannot be resolved by declaring one position more important that the other (Bartlet t Goshal). To be truly successful in the globalized world, MNC are required to balance between the two. Multinational companies must decide whether to manage their subsidiaries based on local culture or to make them all in line with the global standardization and decide which route is more effective and efficient for them. MNCs have considerable advantages compared to local based companies as they have previous experience from home countries and managerial knowledge and spread best practices around the world (Martin Beaumont, 1998). Host countries however pose several new factors that managers must consider to counterbalance the effect of standardization (Quintanilla and Ferner, 2003). Changes in the strategic orientation of MNCs as reflected in increased levels of interdependencies between organizational (sub-) units will thus rely on IHRM to help achieve this balance. HR management is considered to be the most sensitive to local context (Gooderham et al. 1999). Pressures to adopt global strategies require higher level of global intergration of key HRM -processes. Many MNCs have moved towards more deeply integrating these HRM practices but face resistance due to local culture, legislation and tradition (Lindohlm et al. 1999). Different approaches to HRM in MNCs are closely related to international strategies of the firm (Downling et a. 1999; Scullion 1999). For example, companies with an ethnocentric approach grant little power to their foreign subsidiaries and key positions are fulfilled with PNC nationals, i.e expatriates. For example, Aeons key staff in Malaysia are fulfilled by Japanese expatriates. On the other hand companies with polycentric approaches allow major decisions to be made by local employees and key positions are held by local staff. This leads to more localized solutions in the HRM. Regiocentric and geocentric approaches are simi lar where key positions and solutions are decided by staff of the same region or location. The key issue is the extent to which MNCs should take their global integration (standardization) versus local responsiveness. International management is complicated due to the dimensions involved and the difficult issues of strategy formulation and implementation. Multinational managers however need to identify the opportunities hidden in the complexities of such international situations. This paper will be divided into two parts, the first examines the key issues that influence the degree of localization. Secondly, the paper examines global strategies towards increasing global standardization of HRM while balancing localization so as not to compromise local responsiveness. In both parts, the paper will go examine the role HRM plays towards achieving standardization and localization. Thirdly, it will examine situations of when best to move towards localization rather than standardization and vice versa. 2.0 Key issues influencing localization Distinct local culture and motivation for local employees may not be similar to that of the home country making it difficult to apply similar incentives and expect the same outcome. Hofstede described national culture as the collective mental programming which distinguishes one nation from another. The issue is how much influence cultural differences would bring to the workplace. Different approaches towards collectivism and individualistic cultures, according to Hofstedes will create a number of negotiation points for managers to consider. Some cultures are individualistic where working as an individual is more appreciates whereas some are collectivist. Human resource management has aspects that are legally and culturally determined by the host country but is still responsible for the strategy and implementation plan (Stone, 2008). It therefore must determine what sort of strategy would work in the host country. For example, in Hong Kong as a measure of reducing staff turnover, HRM offered a $1000 increment towards a dental plan, as a result the companys turnover reduced by 4% (Medland, 2004). While such a proposition may not work across other countries, it indicates that managers need to be aware of the different motivations in different countries and why pay and work conditions should not be standardized in MNCs. Research needs to be done to identify motivations similar to the dental work scheme in Hong Kong. There are three different perspectives for understanding diversity: the cultural perspective, the institutional perspective and the network perspective (Evans et al. 2002). In the cultural perspective, individuals are cultured through a socialization process where they instill values and beliefs with which he uses to interpret the world also known as mental programming (Hofstede 1985). It is therefore inappropriate to take management practices developed in one culture and apply them on another and expect the same results (Hofstede, 1985). Cultural differences need to be taken into account, as some of these practices may not be well received in the new subsidiary. Members of that subsidiary may view these kind of practices as unusual and it may not be well received and lead to unexpected consequences hindering a subsidiarys performance. From the cultural perspective extensive global standardization of HRM-practices, will not be an easy fit between organizational practices and the loca l culture. However, the cultural perspective does not take into account the ability of people from different cultures adapting to foreign practices (Evans et al. 2002). The institutional perspective takes a broader view of the national context where it identifies that the key to understanding business in a foreign country lies in the correlations between financial, education, legal, economic, and political systems (Evans et al. 2002). The extents to which MNCs are able to implement their global standards are closely tied to the nature of these institutions. For example, the relative strength or weakness of these institutions in exerting influence on the ability of an MNC to import its own approaches to HRM. This is often the case when MNCs try to put expatriates in key positions leaving local staff in the more menial positions. Often these institutions will exert influence and move towards forcing MNCs to train or employ staff to fill such positions. The network perspective indicates that MNCs are not only influenced by the social norms and cultures of their home country but also by industry standards (Evans et al. 2002). This influences the amount of standardization able to be implemented by MNCs or forces them to provide such standardization. The cultural and institutional perspective help identify the localization needs within the HRM-function; the network perspective identifies the role of interorganizational networks in defining the nature of industries and organizational practices. Key reasons for a localization approach within HRM include issues such as being responsive to the local authorities and institutions. Keeping up with public opinion by providing benefits to the local populace such as job opportunities and providing a higher level of organizational commitment among locals are also prime reasons for localization of HRM practices (Evans et al 2002). However, there are often problems with this as finding suitable candidates with the necessary skills may prove difficult. For example in China, a major problem is the lack of suitable candidates given a shortage of finding mid-level and top-level leadership. http://www.bizresearchpapers.com/17[1].Plessis.pdf 3.0 Global strategies toward increasing global standardization A major issue that international managers face is forces that require both local responsiveness and global integration of subsidiaries with the overall structure of an MNE. MNEs must find ways to combine their firm-specific capabilities with local knowledge to create the best value proposition to suit the local culture and its needs. Some subsidiaries have created a layer where they have been isolated from the overall structure of an MNE that it is unlikely to cooperate and share knowledge with other units of the MNE. This is particularly the case where subsidiaries have competed with each other for resources from headquarters which promote inter-unit rivalry (Fairclough and Boussebaa, 2010). MNes need to make use of the strengths of its internal network set up across its subsidiaries. Managers have to incentivize compatibility among internal agents and incentivize coordination between its internal agents. The challenge for international managers is to foster a sense of coopetition b etween these subsidiaries and designing control structure to implement to foster this relationship. If designed incorrectly, these structures have the potential to create a conflict of interest in the subsidiary, causing it to focus its resources to its own benefit rather than that of its parent company (Clark and Geppert, 2010). To create value, parties or units cannot act in isolation. They have to recognize their interdependence (LAdo, Boyd Hanlon, 1997). Within a multinational enterprise, inter unit coopetition occurs where cooperation and competition occur simultaneously as subsidiaries are enticed or enforced to collaborate but encounter conflicts arising from competing for the limited resources offered by the parent. Even within the same parent umbrella, subsidiaries rarely share similar interest in all aspects as a result of rivalrous pressures from heightened local responsiveness and national adaptation particularly for MNEs emphasizing on multidomestic strategies. Therefo re, managers need to create a flow of the sharing of knowledge and cooperation so that subsidiaries can leverage on the distinct core competencies of other subsidiaries. Interest in a standardization approach has been increasing due to the globalization. Global integration has become more popular and is becoming a necessity in a number of markets to stay competitive where decentralized strategies were more popular previously (Evans et al. 2002). Using a global strategy approach has several drawbacks; the main weakness is the weakness in the firms ability to respond to the changes in the market (Evans et al. 2002). Creating harmony between global strategy and national response is inevitable (Hammerly, 1992). There has to be balance between standardization versus the localization as fully localizing a subsidiary does not make full use of the core competencies and skills that an MNC should leverage on to separate itself from the local competition. A critical method of doing so is to determine what belongs to the core of the organization and what does not. This will enable firms to integrate global activities appropriately and also adapt local activities efficiently. This core should be replicated throughout the firms subsidiaries worldwide. Global standardization does not mean the synchronizing all areas of a firms business, but may be limited to a certain product, function or value chain segment. Therefore, while adopting a global strategy, MNCs still have the option of changing particular areas within the operations so that they do not disrupt the culture of the organization while still being able to keep their core competencies. Giving power to the subsidiary also helps the MNC keep the standardization of the key sectors of the business while allowing subsidiaries to make decisions that need local adaptation. For example, looking at KFC in China, it can be observed that the power to make changes by the subsidiary has allowed them to take a considerable lead in comparison with its competitors. They allowed an adaptation to the market for its menu to better suit the local tastes, however they maintained the core elements of the b usiness which is the supply chain and the business model. The development of international HRM can be divided into a four-phase organizational life cycle (Adler and Ghadar, XXXX).The central idea is that firms should find the best fit between their environment, strategy and human resource policies. The following summarizes some of the suggested links between the phases of internationalization and HRM. Phase Description Domestic Foreign markets served by exporting unchanged products. No real international HRM International Products developed to fit local needs. Expatriates fill general management and important posts in subsidiaries. Locals occupy roles which need understanding of local conditions. Multinational Worldwide coordination used to achieve economies of scale. Selection focuses on best person for international management roles. Aim is to develop a management corps who shares organizational values to help achieve integration. Management development is the spearhead of International HRM. Global High quality at minimal cost through global integration and local responsiveness This analysis shows the flow of how an MNE develops its understanding of international HRM, the focus of HRM shifts from the management of expatriates to the development of international management. This highlights the role in which HRM plays in developing individuals within the company so they build up a bank of knowledge from exposing these individuals to trips to overseas subsidiaries (Kamoche, 1997). This indicates the role of HRM in developing individuals so that they are able to experience different work cultures and be able to adapt. Having experienced these work cultures of different subsidiaries prepares the expatriates for culture shock and being able to work in different work cultures. This allows them to better facilitate standardization as they would understand the practices that would be best accepted in that particular culture after being exposed to it. 4.0 Levels of standardization vs localization In order to be globally competitive, MNCs must make the decision of when to best make changes to the subsidiaries in terms of the level of standardization and localization. The following points will discuss the issue. Companies must ensure that they focus on the core competencies and replicate these core competencies across its subsidiaries as they are key to separating themselves from their competitors. Without this unique trait, there will be little to differentiate themselves from their competitors and may be detrimental to the success of the company. In this highly competitive market, it allows competitors the opportunity to gain market share. Therefore, when core competencies are being considered, MNCs need to use standardization. This makes full use of the very core strengths that identify a company as a leader within an industry. However, the term core competencies should be used selectively and consider that not everything within a company should not be considered a core comp etencies. Whenever core competencies are not involved and when subsidiaries have a need to adapt to specific local cultures or institutional circumstances in order to be successful in the particular field, then MNCs should consider allowing firms to conduct localization. There are several schools of thought that propose several strategies towards the degree to which MNCs should standardize or localize. Some alternatives are provided to balance between the extremes of fully localizing the company or standardizing it. (1) The adaptation strategy where a basic strategy is is adapted to meet market forces and needs but never to the degree of a localized strategy. This means that the marketing mix is only changed to a certain extent and adjusted to the local situation when needed (Hovell Walters, 1972) (2) Sub global strategy where clustering foreign markets into groups which are more or less similar and standardizing them according to region (Hovell Walters). (3) Worldwide segmentation strategy where customer segments exist worldwide and can be offered a standardized product (Fatt, 1967) An example of this would be Coca Cola and Apples worldwide segment. (4) Combination and mixed strategies where global companies can offer both worldwide strategies and local strategies to benefit from both (Hovell Walters, 1972). Another opinion posed by Quelch Hoff is that firms are able to standardize global strategy up to a certain degree and upon which they adapt marketing strategies to suit local differences (Quelch Hoff, 1986). This is more visible when viewed from a marketing strategies basic components of the 6ps: product, price, place, promotion, power and people (Kotler, 1986). Each marketing component can have its own standardization and at the same time still be tailored to suit local needs. For example, in terms of price, having a standardized product across all subsidiaries but altering price to suit the local markets price points is a common practice within MNCs such as PG. Companies like Unilever, Nestle, Proctor and Gamble follow a mixed approach. They have standardized offerings in terms of their brands, but they blend and adapt their 4Ps to suit the needs of the local culture. Their offerings are generally standardized but t he implementation strategy local (http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/110105029/pdf%20sahany/module%207l-36.pdf). Penrose, E. 1959. The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. New York: Oxford University Press BBC. (2010). BBC Persian. Retrieved 10 3, 2010, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2010/09/100928_l38_iran_majles_ahmadinejad.shtml Unilever. (2010). Introduction to Unilever. Retrieved 2010, from Unilever: http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/introductiontounilever/?WT.GNAV=Introduction_to_Unilever Hofstede, G. (1980) Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Destructive Relationships in Wuthering Heights :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Destructive Relationships in Wuthering Heights Many people in the world are trying to find a perfect companion. Some of these may marry and not know what their new husband or wife is like. This kind of situation often leads to separation or hostility. Other situations may develop between two friends that stem from jealousy, desire for revenge, uncaring parents, etc. Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights displays several characteristics of destructive relationships. Three of these are uncaring parents, marriage without knowing the person, and jealousy. Uncaring or unsympathizing parents are shown throughout this story to be an element of destructive relationships. Because Heathcliff gained all the attention from Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley became disassociated from his father. This separation continued until after Mr. Earnshaw had died. Another example is between Hindley and Hareton. Hindley became such a drunk and a gambler that he could not properly care for young Hareton. This led to a separation between Hareton and his father as well. One primary example of an uncaring parent is shown between Heathcliff and his son Linton. Heathcliff did not even want his son for anything except enacting a part of his revenge. This is shown by Linton's fear of Heathcliff and Heathcliff's enmity toward his son. Linton even says "... my father threatened me, and I dread him - I dread him!"(244) to express his feeling about Heathcliff . The hostility and separation between father and son in this book shows that uncaring parents can cause serious damage in relationships with their children. This element of destructive behavior may stem from an unhappy marriage in which the husbands or wives don't know each other. This had happened between Isabella and Heathcliff. Isabella did not really know Heathcliff when she married him, but after she had married him she saw that Heathcliff was not a gentleman at all. To declare her feelings she wrote " Is Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil? I shan't tell my reasons for making this inquiry; but I beseech you to explain, if you can, what I have married ..."(125). Another example of this is when Catherine married Edgar Linton. Although she had been happy at the beginning of the marriage, she thought having parties all the time was

The Prejudiced Message of Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Prejudiced Message of Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice portrays a prejudiced message. This is first evident in Act one when Shylock openly says to himself, "I hate him because he is a Christian....May my people be cursed if I forgive him!" All throughout the book the Christians are battling with the Jews and neither of them will listen to the other because their hearts are filled with intense prejudice. Antonio proves that he is unwilling to change his feelings toward Shylock when he says, "I'm likely to call you names again, spit on you again, and shun you again." They don't seem to realize that their prejudiced attitudes could get someone (Antonio) killed. There are different times during the play that Shylock could be viewed as a villain and other times that he could be seen as a sympathetic character. When he doesn't allow his daughter, Jessica to marry Lorenzo just because he's a Christian, that's when we start to think that Shylock just isn't a very nice guy. But he was also the target of a lot of prejudice himself. Antonio didn't like him because he was a Jew, and he let Shylock know his feelings. However, two wrongs don't make a right. In other words, just because Antonio hated Shylock and spit in his face, there's no reason why Shylock couldn't just show Antonio love or just stay away from him. Shylock chose to get revenge, so he probably would be viewed as a villain. Prejudice doesn't get anyone anywhere.

Mathematics & Natural Sciences with absolute certainty (TOK) Essay

Write an essay outlining your personal response to this topic. â€Å"Mathematicians have the concept of rigorous proof, which leads to knowing something with complete certainty. Consider the extent to which complete certainty might be achievable in mathematics and the natural sciences.† To what extent can man use mathematics and the natural sciences to embrace the concept of achieving absolute certainty? It is not possible for humans to achieve absolute certainty in knowledge using mathematics and the natural sciences. This is because mathematics is a creation of man to organize and communicate highly complex concepts and theories to others through a kind of language which goes beyond the spoken or written word. Many people believe the written word to be more true that the spoken word, the same can be applied to mathematics. Just because something can be written in the numbered format by a credible source, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true. The same can be said about the level of certainty to be achieved using proofs from natural sciences, with additional external variables. This can be explained through evolution. The natural sciences were discovered, observed and recorded to be studied further by man. The small level of certainty which can be obtained is from the inability to change nature without physically disturbing it and that human observations themselves are a big problem in the natural sciences. Conversely, absolute certainty can only be found in a few instances in nature. Math and the Natural Sciences are the two areas of knowledge which have the highest impact on our ability to achieve absolute certainty in knowing. The world revolves around proving knowledge with scientific claims, however any such claims must originate from the mouths of highly regarded mathematicians and scientists. Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, validity of knowledge is in the mouth of a credible source. If I were to go up to a friend and state that there is a mathematical sequence that can be found in every naturally produced object on earth, the friend would hinder. If I were to approach this friend with long papers written by credible mathematicians, the friend would be swayed to believe its likelihood. The same goes for the natural sciences. If I were to approach a friend and state that every living  organism on earth is made up of billions upon billions of cells, assuming this friend wasn’t the brightest of individuals, the friend would not be completely persuaded by the fact. If I were to approach the friend again with evidence of this fact being true, backed by credible science, there would be a significantly higher chance that the friend would be convinced this fact remains true. Logical reasoning is commonly connected with math, which is supported by certainty in that if A=B and B=C that A=C. When individuals try to back decisions with reasoning, they are using this deconstructive problem solving, assuming that it will lead them to the correct results. Unconsciously we are convinced that because both natural science and mathematics are backed by numbers, the results are going to be more accurate than more subjective reasoning. This goes without saying that most people believe that because both involve mathematical terminology, natural sciences and mathematics are interlinked. First of all, the concept of math is man-made, created to provide evidence for the natural sciences. Natural sciences was a term created by man, but originating from human’s very own existence. Natural science wasn’t created by man, it has always existed on earth. In other words, what we study from the natural sciences is purely based off of thousands of years worth of observations of what’s happening around us. Using technology, humans have began to glance deeper into the natural sciences, but it’s all still just observations of either how things function and came to be, or simply to predict where we were, where we are, and where we will be. People seem to believe that because mathematics and natural sciences have some similarities and use similar problem solving techniques, that they are connected. Observations are a big problem in science. If a biologist and a person with no experience with this work were trying to differentiate an Indian Rhinoceros and a Javan Rhinoceros, the biologist would rely on the perception of the rhino’s appearance and behavior. The biologist would have the training experience to determine these characteristics, but the person who doesn’t could easily mistake the two or not even know the differences. Although the biologist may have the title and credibility of making the  conclusion to differentiate an Indian Rhinoceros and a Javan Rhinoceros, and the person with no experience and no training doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that the credibility of the biologist provides absolute certainty. Slight imprecisions are not very significant and probably wouldn’t alter the results. However, even the most insignificant factors would prevent the biologist from being completely certain. An example involving mathematics which follows similar principals to the biologist and the rhinoceros’ would have the same outcome. This saying that science and mathematics can only be highly meticulous; it cannot achieve absolute certainty. Although ethics and emotion have very little effect on the natural sciences and mathematics, religion often does. The ethical viewpoint from which any mathematician or scientist have, will show no effect on his or her work. This is because a mathematician won’t refuse to answer an equation or attempt to explain a theory because of his ethical considerations. A scientist wouldn’t sit down and conduct an experiment using the wrong variables in a moment of extreme emotion. The only counter argument that stands is religion. Conversely, a hypothesis may be formed with religious consideration, straying far from achieving an absolutely certain result. Scientist William A. Dembski is a highly regarded advocate of the Intelligent Design theory. Although he thoroughly investigated the argument and determined that it’s more likely God exists, probably because of his religious background as a practicing Catholic. The religious bias shaped to his beliefs. Unlike the chance of interfering religious ideology, scientists and mathematics generally steer from involving ethics or religion into their work. The only emotional factor would be commitment. Mathematicians and scientists who work in the fields of the natural sciences dedicate their lives to their work. They strive to find the absolute certain answer but the best they can ever do is find a highly precise one. This is why the advancement of knowledge often takes a long time. The mathematician or scientist will generally have endless approaches to solving or proving their work. The golden ratio is a formula used in both mathematics and the arts which can be applied the geometric relationships. The ratio is one of the only  absolute certainties founded by mathematics. The golden ratio wasn’t created, it was discovered in nature. Simply, the golden ratio is when a geometric shape (golden rectangle, regular pentagon) has the ability to be split infinite times, and remain in the same ratio. It is only found in nature and only proved by theories. The term golden relates it to perfection, or in relative terms, absolute certainty. It is not possible for humans to achieve absolute certainty in knowledge using mathematics and the natural sciences. Mathematics is a creation of man to organize and communicate highly complex concepts and theories to others through a kind of language which goes beyond the spoken or written word. Most people do believe the written word to be more true that the spoken word, as seen, this can be shown just as thoroughly in mathematics and the natural sciences. Just because something can be written in the numbered format by a credible source, it doesn’t mean it’s true. The level of certainty to be achieved with absolute certainty of knowledge concludes with the same results, using multitudes of empirical evidences from observations. Therefore, although the natural sciences and mathematics may achieve highly precise and accurate results, with very few exceptions in nature, absolute certainty cannot be attained.