The Effects of Solons Reforms on Athens Essay Example

The Effects of Solons Reforms on Athens Paper Athens, pre-574 BC, was riddled with problems, and the nobles of Athens soon realised that the revolt, resulting in a tyranny that had happened in so many surrounding cities, was a serious possibility. Their solution was to shift law making power to Solon. Solon soon revolutionised Athens by an attempt to solve the political, economic and social problems of Athens. Before Solons reforms, the political situation in Athens was not desirable. Split into 3 levels; the magistrates, nobles and held the majority of power; the Council of Areopagus, nobles who controlled the law and the state; and the Assembly, the middle classes of Athens who held little power, the government was used by nobles to exploit the poor. Solon endeavoured for Eunomia; or the reign of good order, where all classes where represented in government. Under Solons leadership, the Codes of Law, regarding family matters, were revised and brought benefits to all social classes. He established a Timocracy; a government in which political rights of citizens were determined by wealth, not by birth. He then split the government into 5 levels; the archons, the Council of Areopagus, The Council of 400, the Assembly and the Heliaea. By spreading the power evenly over the 5 levels and allowing men of non noble birth and lower income into government, Solon broke the monopoly the nobles had held over the government and set the foundation for a democracy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Solons Reforms on Athens specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Solons Reforms on Athens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Solons Reforms on Athens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The economic situation in Athens was also extreme. Widespread debt, the rising of the Hektemoroi, and Athens war against Megara, all resulted in a struggling Athens. Solon immediately passed the Seisachtheia, or the shaking off of burdens. This meant that all outstanding debt was cancelled, and all those who had become slaves due to their debt were freed. It also involved the return of those who had been sold overseas, and the removal of the Hektemoroi. As a result, Athens became a city filled with peasants who had no money or land. The wealthy of Athens lost control over large areas of land on which the Hektemoroi had worked, and they also lost the interest on their loans. Solon also placed temporary bans on exports or agricultural products to prevent famine. This prevented speculation in essential products and lowered the prices on basic necessities. He encouraged many of the landless to return to learning a craft, and made it obligatory for the father to teach his son a trade. These reforms took steps to making Athens a free citizen nation, but it only alleviated distress instead of eliminating the problems. Pre 574, Athens was split up into 4 social classes; the Eupatridae, nobles that held almost all political power; the Georgoi and Demiourgoi, farmers and craftsmen who held average rights; and the Thetes, who held no political rights or land. These classes also split into clans, the constant bickering between clans often disrupting Athens. Solons reforms meant that all 4 classes held political power, and it was more difficult for the Eupatridae to exploit the other classes. Fighting between clans also decreased, and Athens became much more stable. In conclusion, we can clearly see that Solon attempted to address all major issues prevalent in Athens at the time, from debt to social classes. His reforms aided the situation, but whether his reforms were practical for long term application is arguable.

Sociological Imagniation essays

Sociological Imagniation essays What is Sociology? Sociology enables us to understand the structure and dynamics of society, and their intricate connections to patterns of human behavior and individual life changes. It examines the ways in which the forms of social structure - groups, organizations, communities, social categories such as class, sex, age, or race, and various social institutions such as economic, political, or religious affect human attitudes, actions, and opportunities. Sociology also explores how both individuals and collectivities construct, maintain, and alter social organization in various ways. Sociology asks about the sources and consequences of change in social arrangements and institutions, and about the satisfactions and difficulties of planning, accomplishing, and adapting to such change. Sociological imagination is a special way to engage the world. To think sociologically is to realize that what we experience as personal problems are often widely shared by others like us. Many of our personal problems are actually social issues. What is the difference between trouble and issue? Troubles: Within the character of the individual and within the range of his or her immediate relationship with others. They have to deal with self and within those limited areas of social life of which he or she is directly and personally aware of. Issue: It has to do with matters that transcend the local or immediate relationships of the individual. They have to deal with different kind of environments that overlap and penetrate each other to form the larger structure of social and historic life. The difference between two is a critical issue for sociological imagination and a feature of all classic work in social science. Most issues cant be defined in terms of everyday environments of common men. Issues involve a crisis in institutional arrangements and often involve contradictions or opposition. The sociological imagination helps ...

Supremacy of EU Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supremacy of EU Law - Essay Example The reliability of EC law is made certain by its supremacy over national law and this is the fundamental value of EC law when developed by means of the European Court of Justice. The courts started to accept the idea of supremacy and began to make a decision such cases as Costa v ENEL in a very Community optimistic way. Consequently for EC law to succeed over national law, member nations would have to change their lawful systems to stick on to the principle of supremacy. The participants to the Treaty of Rome shaped a supra-national legal structure involving themselves, with its individual enforcement systems (the Commission and ECJ). For the reason that all the Member States are identical under the Treaty, they ought to have the identical rights and responsibilities. This is attained by making sure that, in the regions where the affiliate States have decided to act as a Community, they restrict their individual national authority to take action (123HelpMe.com. 2010) The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is the legal wing of the European Union. Its major job is to interpret EU legislation and make certain that EU legislation is evenly observed by all the Member States (Skiadas, 2005). Its legitimate base is found in the Treaty creating the European Community (AKA Treaty of Rome). To alleviate the trouble of the ECJ’s vast case load, a 1988 Council resolution formed the Court of First Instance (CFI). The CFI can submit cases to the ECJ when their outcomes have the capability to seriously influence the nature of Community law. Every EU Member State appoints one judge to the ECJ and they are assisted by advocates general who present opinions to the Court.

Importance of Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Importance of Business Ethics - Research Paper Example The researcher states that several ethical theories exist defining what ethical and otherwise. Business ethics is derived from the ethical theories as for the behavior and conduct that any business entity adheres to in their daily interaction with their environment. Business ethics involves the application of ethical values such as integrity, fairness, respect, and transparency in business interactions. Business ethics also relates to how the business develops its structures produces and delivers its products and services to its clientele. Interaction with consumers, suppliers, employees and the wider society should align with ethical practice. Business ethics is very important due to the moral reasons which come with it. According to deontological theory, an action is considered to be ethical if it complies with the duties allocated either formally or moral duties. The utilitarian perspective of ethical actions is those that yield greater good for the majority. Personal and communit y conduct should comply to set rules and regulations for it to qualify classification as ethical. Actions that undermine the rights of other people are unethical especially exploitative behavior even if the victim is not informed of their rights. At the same time, some ethical theory as suggested by Plato and others in his school of thoughts indicates that the end justifies the means. Provided the end results are considered to be positive and acceptable then the process is ethical. Being ethical in a business is the right thing to do and business should ensure all the business behavior is governed by ethics. Business ethics and corporate governance work together to ensure accountability of the business to all stakeholders. Business ethics brings about the cooperation required for a company and the business environment to survive.

Women's Issues Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women's Issues - Thesis Example Denying the self in order to fit into roles that are defined by male dominance does not provide for freedom, but is a continuing diminishment of those roles that can only be taken on by the female gender. The female gender has been fighting a battle that cannot be won, defeating their own essential instincts in order to create a world in which male dominance is continued through female adaptation to male roles. In Kate Chopin’s (1884) The Story of an Hour, freedom is described by the absence of a husband. Having done as society required and married, when her husband died Mrs. Mallard was given freedom from both social constraint and the oppression of marriage. The oppression of marriage was not defined by love or a lack of love, but by a society that pushed women’s desires to the back in deference to their husband. It could be said that in the hour she spent within that freedom, she had established true equality. She could be female and express herself through those traditions that were decidedly feminine, but she would no longer be subject to the scrutiny or opinion of her husband. Although she would still be constrained by the conventions of the 19th century, the essential message was that she was no longer oppressed within the space of her home, her ideas, beliefs, desires and ambitions freed within the boundaries of her position in life. The point of this story is that fo r an hour she experienced this freedom, and this can be used as a structure from which to discuss the problems with feminism as it has attempted to free woman from the oppression of male dominance. Reading Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) allows the feminist with an open mind to begin to re-envision her place within a modern world. It is not the modern message that women must be both male and female to be considered successful, but that women should be given equal standing for the value of their gender. She discusses the idea that women should be companions, not merely subjugated wives,

Challenges for HRM in Internationalized SMEs

Challenges for HRM in Internationalized SMEs 1. Introduction The international SMEs have some problem in human resource management structure, the mobility of personnel is fast, the salary compensation is weak, the employee education, training and teamwork management is not enough. In the international market, these problem need to be solved as soon as possible, therefore, some international SMEs have to make a revolution in its management structure, as some international SMEs often focus some process that can profitability immediately, and dont care about the future benefit, and their management structure is overstaffed and complex. So the international SMEs have to develop the new management structure to adapt the competitive in the international market, decentralization is the trend, which can motivate the employee and managers active and responsible, decentralization firstly requires the manager who have good knowledge and skill in management. The motivation system can raise the employees motivation, the equalitarianism is not appropriate, so the international SMEs need a change in their management structure. 2. The variation in the organization structure Most international SMEs have the problem in organization structure, the variation is quite big. Usually, the organization structure is line, the result of which can cause the overstaffed, bureaucracy, and the low efficiency. Therefore, the organization structure has to simplify the organization structure, reduce the hierarchy. A flatten of an organization is one of the solution, but not the only one, and it could not be enlarged forever. The purpose of the flatten is to reduce the cost of the management, more communication between up layer and down layer, it is necessary in the international SMEs, the company originally has the problem in the management, so this method of management can increase the efficiency, it is convenient to the top manager. 3. The globalization of HRM In term of the element of the law and policy, the international SEMs should make a completed investigation on the policy environment, including the characteristic of the labor organization, and it is necessary to make a survey in the law and regular of the employment. If it does not do like these, it will suffer from the criminal charge upon the labor discrimination and the right of the labor, and the labor dispute also need to pay more litigation cost, which damages the reputation of the company in labor market. In the part of culture, the international SMEs have to integrate in the business process, due to the different cultures in the different countries, the international SMEs have to adapt the cultureà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s differentiation, except respect their culture, it also need to understand and study the local custom and culture. This is the long à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½term program, the conflict will happen in the future, but the company should pay more attention on the culture, and base on it, creating its own corporate culture in the globalization market. In the aspect of economic, the achievement of the international SMEs depends on the labor cost, the fluctuation of the currency. In the international market, the corporate need to consider which countryà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s employees should be employed, the home national, the local people or the expatriate, and the benefit of the company and the labor cost balanced. 4. Government intervention in the HRM As the international company, no matter the size of the enterprise is big or small, when the market has some movements or the policy changed. The international SMEs should adapt the different situation and then make a right decision at the right time, but this process is quite hard for them. Because the government in order to protect the right of the labor, which sets a lot of policy or regular to limit the behavior of the corporate. The government intervention in HRM will increase the cost of transaction between the employee and the employer, at the same time, in order to cut the cost, the international SMEs need to recruit the professional personal who studies the governmentà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ labor policies and labor law as the law consultant to manage the HR. if the company can react the government policy as soon as possible, it will achieve the great successful. 5. The reputation of the company in the HR marketing In the HR marketing, many candidates want to find a company which has good reputation in the market, and it has comfortable work environment, high salary, excellent management experiences and future development opportunity. But all of the above, the Small-Medium enterprises cannot afford to the employees. Because of it is lack of enough capital, and successful human resource management experience and the capability of the executive. Without enough capital, the SMEs just only can employed the candidates who are lack of the professional skill and professional knowledge, as they have no money, so they also donà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t want to waste more money on training these employees, or the opportunity for training is not regular. And then the employees who have not accepted the opportunity of training, they will lose working motivation, so the work efficient will be down. And the other hand, the employees who have more experiences want to leave the company, because the company cannot provide excellent working treatment. So the SMEs are easier to lose their good human resource. The successful human resource management experience and the capability of the executive are very important to the enterprise. But the Small-Medium Enterprises are weak in these, their management experience is quite limited and obsolete, most of that is traditional management approach. As we know, the excellent leader can change the life of the company, so the executive capability is the standard of measuring a good or bad leader. If the good leader will set up the strategy objective, during the process of the strategy, he or she will lead his or her company go in the right direction and make a right decision immediately according to the different changes, which can attract their employees, and work hard for the company.

The Absurdity of Man Essay -- essays research papers

Absurdity is defined as that which is contrary to reason; clearly untrue, unreasonable or ridiculous. It is often a topic in existentialist writings relating to life. This subject is prevalent in Camus’ â€Å"The Stranger† and â€Å"The Myth of Sisyphus.† Camus depicts absurdity bringing about happiness or indifference in each of these literary works. In â€Å"The Myth of Sisyphus,† it is made clear that Sisyphus is aware that his existence is absurd. He is sentenced to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a steep mountain only to let it roll back down when it reaches its peak. His tragedy lies in the fact that he is conscious of the extent of his own misery. What makes his struggle very absurd is that he knows that there is no death at the end of it. The last sentence in this essay is in itself absurd, after describing the dilemma that Sisyphus eternally faces, Camus exclaims, â€Å"One must imagine Sisyphus happy.† This paradox is upheld because S isyphus is left refusing to recognize that there is nothing to hope for, and that he must live solely with what is known. Sisyphus’ redemption is seen in his ongoing struggle against the absurd. In â€Å"The Stranger†, Meursault does not realize his absurd situation until the end of the novel. It is illustrated, however, in his indifference toward life and lack of emotion throughout. In the beginning of the novel, Meursault is seen as a detached observer of life who is devoted to appreciating sensation. His physical wants and needs overpower his reason and...