Communication Plan free essay sample

International Strategic Management amp; HRM, Module 9 Communication Plan Team 2 Skills Communication Plan Module 9 International Strategic Management and HRM Group 2 Authors: Moritz Schelges147192 Loy Nguyen Irina Popkov131482 Gerlof Veltman Michel Ruiz Name Project Supervisor: Mrs. Blokzijl Stenden University of Applied Sciences: International Business and Management Studies Leeuwarden, The Netherlands October, 2012 Contents 1. Background Analysis1 2. Target groups1 3. Communication goals1 4. Message1 5. Strategy amp; Tactics1 5. 1 Channels1 5. 2 Planning1 6. Budget1 1. Background Analysis Syngenta AG (referred to as Syngenta throughout this report) is a company originating from Switzerland, registered as a stock corporation that has issued registered shares to investors, and was formed in the year 2000, when the two companies Novartis and AstraZeneca merged. The main foci of Syngenta are the production and selling of seeds and chemicals to the agricultural sector. Moreover, the company is active in the biotechnological field and genomic research. The markets of this company are very large and diverse, since Syngenta is operating in around 90 countries worldwide. In order to manage those markets better and have a less diverse corporate portfolio, Syngenta has just recently implemented a new strategy. This current strategy consists of the following elements: * corporate level- growth * business level- â€Å"integrate, innovate, outperform†-differentiation, product leadership, product development, and customer intimacy * operational level- centralization Until now, the consultancy team has analyzed the company internally and externally in order to find out what the main problem is with the current strategy and whether it still fits the current developments in the internal and external environments. Using Porter’s Five Forces Framework, the PESTEL analysis, market segmentation, the 7-S analysis and so forth, this is the SWOT analysis that can be drawn up as a result: Strengths * Syngenta’s innovative character * global teams * technical expertise * united production amp; supply * Syngenta Business Services * less staff costs due to centralization * standardized processes * Soybean| Weaknesses * less flexibility due to Syngenta Business Services * centralization * products not properly usable for illiterate farmers| Opportunities * strong agricultural sector- grew by 4. % in 2012 * GM industry is on the rise * a lot of arable land available and not in use yet * most amount of water available in Brazil * low threat of entry, substitutes, amp; suppliers| Threats * criticism from the public about certain pesticides * differing international legal guidelines * competition * certain products are banned in the EU * Berne Declaration * networks against paraquat * high powe r of buyers| Taking the threats and weaknesses into account, the following GAPs become evident: The first GAP results from the centralized way of operating, differing legal guidelines and the competition Syngenta is facing. Currently, Syngenta operates in a very centralized manner. The opinion of local experts is very important and it is crucial to react to changes fast enough. Due to this centralized way of operating, decisions might have to be discussed in the headquarters first and then be reported back to the local experts. That takes time which might not be available in certain situations. In the desired situation, Syngenta is very flexible, able to react to changes in a fast way, be faster than its competitors, and due to more decision-making power in the particular business units, better use of local experts’ knowledge can be made. The second GAP is formed by the fact that illiterate farmers cannot properly use the highly dangerous products and there is a lot of criticism the company is facing from the public and networks like the Berne Declaration. In the current situation, these facts are damaging the reputation and decreasing customer loyalty and sales. In the desired situation, the products are safely applicable for everyone, leading to less criticism from the public, an improved reputation, more customers with a higher loyalty rate, and higher sales. By adding the aspect of product safety to the CSR values and developing a short video or audio tape containing instructions in the farmer’s native language on how to properly use the products, this gap can be overcome quite easily. The third GAP results from the threat that some products of Syngenta are banned in the EU. Currently, certain products of Syngenta have been banned in the EU market due to the high risk when working with these products. Results of this prohibition are losses in sales, a market share loss and again, reputation damages, leading to less customers and disbelief in the practices of Syngenta. The desired situation in this case is having proven that the chemicals are not harmful if used in a the correct way, publicize that there soon will be audio or video instructions to accompany the product, leading to easier and safer usage, an improved reputation and probably the regained bility to sell the products in the EU again. In turn, this will lead to a higher market share, an increase in sales, and customers. After taking the main problems, the SWOT analysis and the GAPs into account, the consultancy team came up with the following new strategy, which will mostly change on business and operational level and ideally, cover all three GAPS mentioned: The figure above visualizes the new strategy on all its levels. The corporate level strategy will stay GROWTH, as it still fits the current trends, which are leaning towards innovation in the technological and agricultural industry. The business level however needs to be changed, in order to overcome the competitors, as well as the critical voices around. The business level strategy should focus on operational excellence as well as one element of the old business level strategy which is product development in order to continue coming up with new and innovative products. This will ensure safer products for both, the farmers and the environment, lead to an improved reputation of Syngenta, and will consequently lead to more market share. Due to the centralization of the company decisions might take longer than they need to be. This can be crucial in some situations. Therefore, on the operational level the effect of the new, decentralized strategy should be a faster, more appropriate, and to the market tailored decisions taken by the experts of that particular market and region. A second effect, which will be created through more transparency and informing the farmers on how to handle the products correctly should be the increase of the human welfare. Through the innovation of new products, that are environmentally friendly, no human being or environment will be affected by any harm. This is something that will also have a positive effect on the critics, which are around the company and will regain a positive reputation and public image of Syngenta. The aspect of product safety will be included in the improved CSR practices of the company in order to further strengthen and improve its image. Product safety could be increased by e. g. including a DVD with audio or visual instructions for illiterate farmers in the developing countries to make sure the product is being used correctly and safely. 2. Target groups Syngenta is a large company active in over 90 countries worldwide, we are focusing on the Latin-American market more specific Brazil. Brazil is already one of the 90 countries Syngenta is active in and economically speaking, Brazil forms a very attractive agricultural market. The agricultural sector grew by 4. 9% in the second quarter of 2012 in contrast to a 2. 5% decline in industrial output (Biller, 2012), showing that there is a lot of confidence in the agricultural sector of Brazil and providing Syngenta with another opportunity. Furthermore Brazil is the country with the most amount of land available (over 400 hectares m) which can be used for agricultural purposes, but not only this. It is also one of the countries where only a small portion of that arable land is being used (see graph 1 below), leading to the conclusion that there is much more potential in that country and making it very attractive to Syngenta. However concerning the strategy change, The customers and other external stakeholders are not the ones whom are initially influenced. The strategy change is internal, that means the line managers and employees are most affected by the strategy change. The consultancy company came up with the new strategy in relation with the board of directors. The board of directors only has to approve the new strategy, they are not concerned with the execution of the new strategy. The middle management has to transfer the message of the board of directors to the line managers. The middle management is responsible for the monthly monitoring of the progress of the execution of the new strategy. The line managers in return have to convey the new strategy to the employees, which have to execute the new strategy. The operational level is accountable for the daily progress of the integration of the new strategy. Because it concerns an internal change of strategy the external stakeholders like the suppliers, environmental organizations, and customers are initially barely influenced by the changes. Therefore they are not the target group, in the first place. When the strategy is entirely implemented, the external stakeholders will benefit from the new strategy. . Communication goals As shown in the GAP- analysis mentioned in the first part of this report, We have came up with three gaps. The first one in the product safety, the second one is the improvement of the reputation and the third and most important one is the decentralization. The first gap is concerning product safety, in the past there has been a lot of criticism on Syngenta. Certain products are already banned in Euro pe, a lot of accidents happened with Syngenta products due to insufficient instructions. By improving the product safety with instructional videos, and special workshops on how to use the Syngenta products, Syngenta is aiming to reduce the accidents related to Syngenta products by 20 percent before the year 2015. Besides the reduction of the accidents, they also want to flourish on the European market which is the second gap. Therefore the ban should be removed, the goal of Syngenta is the operate fully on the European market before 2014. So every Product of Syngenta is allowed to be sold and used in all European countries. The final and most important gap is the decentralization. The opinion of local experts is very important and it is crucial to react to changes fast enough. Due to this centralized way of operating, decisions have to be discussed in the headquarters first and then be reported back to the local experts. That takes time which might not be available in certain situations. Therefore, it might be important and advantageous, to move to a less centralized strategy on the operational level and way of operating in order to be faster than competitors. Syngenta wants to become more decentralized before 2013 by giving the local experts more room to make their own decision. At the end of the year 2013 Syngenta will take a questionnaire amongst the local employees to see how they have experienced the decentralization, and what could have gone better. 4. Message The purpose of our business is to bring plant potential to life, using world-class science and our deep understanding of plants to help our customers feed a growing population (Syngenta AG, 2012). † Also, â€Å"our ambition is to help growers deliver greater food security to an increasingly crowded world in an environmentally sustainable way. That calls for a step change in productivity and resource efficiency – on both the world’s 5 million large farms and its 450 million smallholdings. Every farmer has a part to play (Syngenta AG, 2012, p. 11). † This combined mission statement shows that Syngenta’s customers are growers, whom they want to support by selling them a safe product which was developed with the use of â€Å"world-class science† and the company’s explicit knowledge of plants. Additionally, Syngenta’s products are supposed to help farmers feed a growing population in a sustainable way. The message Syngenta wants its employees to remember is similar to the mission statement, because eventually that is the core of the company. 5. Strategy amp; Tactics The initiative to investigate the current strategy and improve it, came from the consultancy team and neither the organization, nor the company itself. But as mentioned before, only about a year ago did the company implement a new strategy. Therefore, it can be assumed that the company is more than aware of the fact that a strategy needs to be improved from time to time in order to be able to continue growing and stay on a highly competitive level. The formal information about the changes that come with the new strategy will be spread in direct ways via several information meetings organized for the target groups that are affected by the change. This will be a short and powerful champagne on a formal basis, where the message is more important than the relation. Emotional information, giving inside on the company’s passion for what can be achieved for farmers and growers will be spread indirectly, meaning during events that will take place several times on different topics and can be attended on a voluntary basis. Here, the message and the relation are important in order to be able to motivate employees to represent Syngenta’s strategy but also understand the importance of them as the workforce to reach operational excellence as a company. Due to the fact that these are going to be a series of different events, they will be targeted at the whole target group and more than one type of media is necessary to be used. Two main goals will be in the center of the new strategy: reaching operational excellence and becoming less centralized, thus, empowering certain business units and its employees. Further aspects of tactics, such as the different channels and media used and the detailed planning are provided in chapters 5. 1 and 5. 2. 5. 1 Channels There will be different types of channels used in order to successfully imply the importance of understanding the new strategy, to positively motivate the employees, and bring the new strategy of the company across. The media types that will be used are: * Audio visual (power point presentations, and video presentations) * Mass media (leaflets, fliers, and handbooks) interpersonal media (e-mails) * Events * Networks and electronic media The presentations will be done in big groups, it will be held as an informational conference and a way of giving some extra training in the area of improvement of the strategy in order to successfully implement the strategy. The presentations will be held in interesting ways, with e. g. video material and not only speeches in order to not bore the employees, because it is crucial for the success of t he new company that the new strategy is properly understood. The tool of mass media will be a helping tool to better inform about the plans and ideas of the strategy. Also, this is for information which is simple and self-explanatory, in order not to have to hold conferences every time for little changes. The printed information is also handy for when the information is forgotten or to refresh the mind on what it is all about. The advantage of using mass media to spread information which can be easily understood is that a big group of people can be informed while spending little money on it. In Syngenta’s case, the leaflets etc. will be spread on the operational level to staff which is e. g. in the production process due to the fact that they also need to be informed about changes in the strategy and goals of the company. Interpersonal media such as emails will be used to inform the middle management about e. g. conferences, events, meetings and personal updates. Events will take place in order to increase the loyalty of the staff, motivate the staff and help them understand what Syngenta’s passion and goals are. These events will take place several times in order to increase the bond amongst the staff members and also to repeat the mission and objectives of the company to keep it present in the minds of the employees. Networks and electronic media will also be used for short and easily understandable information and updates. For this, the company’s e. g. Facebook and Twitter accounts will be used in order to reach internal and external stakeholders. Electronic media such as the internal database of the company will be used to publish this information for employees only. . 2 Planning In order to distribute the information and knowledge of the improved strategy, a planning of how it will be organized has to be made. First of all, the conferences have to be prepared and knowledge of these conferences has to be provided to the target groups. An invitation will be send out by the company to targeted groups right after the new strategy has been accepted by the board of directors of Syngenta , inviting employees to join the event. To make the events more attractive together with printed information, some samples will be handed out to the people that attend. Also, to make those events more active there will be demonstrations on how to correctly use the products and also what actions to take in case of an emergency with the chemicals. For these events, all the printed information has to be printed, samples have to be packaged and information packages for the attendees have to be prepared. The preparations of the demonstrations have to be done in order for the demonstrations to go smoothly. Employees have to be prepared for the different tasks that have to be done for the events and therefore, informed via networks or emails. Emails to the middle management have to be sent out right away as well, so that they know about how to instruct those employees organizing the events and conferences. They are also the ones who need to be informed first about the content of the flyers and other printed media so they can instruct the responsible employees in order to start preparing those leaflets and so on. All these processes need to be picked up right after the strategy was accepted and the need to run simultaneously in order to have the information present in all channels and basically, surround the employees continuously. Planning and preparations of the events are necessary in order for them to run smoothly and with an attendance of the invited target groups it will be successful. 6. Budget How they communicated their new strategy to their employees in 2011: â€Å"Bringing the strategy to life. In 2011, we enabled our employees to learn more about the new strategy while deepening their understanding of the grower’s world. One example of this is the crop demonstration day events where leaders from each of our crop teams share with employees their knowledge, insights and personal passion for what Syngenta can achieve with growers. More than 1,700 employees have attended demonstration day events since July 2011. Through 2012, demonstration day events will be held in each territory. Employees are also encouraged to complete an interactive e-learning agronomy program, which covers the challenges and decisions growers face before, on and after the farm. † page 35 of the annual report 2011 =not a one time thing used several events to raise awareness etc.

OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find free essay sample

An examination of the authors use of incongruity in this work. This paper analyzes Mary Flannery OConnors work A Good Man is Hard to Find in light of the incongruity used throughout. Religion and abandonment, violence, suffering, and death presented with a comic style, and even the title against the content of the story are among the points discussed demonstrating this style. This incongruity is also seen in terms of the way OConnor intertwines the physical and the spiritual, and the mechanical and the organic. In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the automobile carries a spiritually vapid family to their rendezvous with evil. The family is taking a trip to East Tennessee to visit relatives, all at the instigation of the willful and obsessed grandmother who pushes the family forward with her own machine-like intensity. The family has an accident when the old womans cat jumps on her son, Bailey, causing him to veer off the road. We will write a custom essay sample on OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The evil they encounter comes from another vehicle, a car driven by three escaped convicts. News of the convicts has been brought to the family prior to this by way of another machine the car radio. The family extricates itself from one wreck only to run right into something much worse when the grandmother tells the Misfit she knows who he is.

Sports Commentary Essay Sample

Sports Commentary Essay SampleOne of the easiest ways to get a job in sports commentary is to take advantage of this free sports commentary essay sample. By taking a look at this sample you will get an idea as to what it takes to do the kind of jobs that you are in demand for. This essay may not be the best way to land a job but you can see how easy it is to get a job in sports commentary. By being familiar with the process involved you will be well prepared when applying for positions.The voice samples used in this sample are provided by The Listening Company, a premier source of sport commentary audio. They provide hundreds of voice files so you will have plenty of variety to choose from. You can use these voice samples to create your own voice sample.All you have to do is paste the writer's name and voice in the boxes provided and then click the submit button. Within a few minutes you will receive a voice sample ready for you to review. When reviewing the voice sample you want to keep one thing in mind. Your resume will contain your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.It is important that you give your personal information because it is what is most used by potential employers. The essay sample used in this tutorial was sent by Emily Callahan of The Listening Company.This sports commentary essay sample is used to show what the sports commentators sound like. The sample is voiced by several different people but has been obtained from those who have already provided their information in a professional manner.This writing sample is available in many places and it would be wise to check for a free sample to see if you can get a taste for how it goes. This is one place to start.Once you find a few that you like you can move on to places where you can find a lot of information about getting a job in sports commentary. Use this sports commentary essay sample to enhance your skills as a commentator.

Technology Being Digital

Technology Being Digital People are always ready to embrace and adopt new technologies. This can be explained by people’s behavior of trying to comprehend electronic content, computers and the internet by reading content that gives guideline on this.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technology: Being Digital specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Different age groups of people engage in diversified reading with regard to technology all in an effort of getting more knowledge and insight on how to go about using the present modes of technology. The bits are bits idea by Negroponte shows how larger components can be transformed into minor segments which can be easily accessed with the help of computers. Everything that is tangible in form has been converted in bits that can be accessed from a computer. To start with, there were the actual objects like books and CDs. Later, these were converted into computer software that enhanced accessibility across the globe. As a result of this, the world has become a small village referred to as â€Å"the global village†. This way, people from different corners of life are able to interact and share ideas that have been translated into bits and can be accessed from the computer. Digital technology reduces time and money. Previously, before the world became digitalized, the entire economic telecommunications model relied on charges per minute, per bits (data) or per mile. The disruption of human to human interactions due to digitalization has resulted into timelessness since one does not need to spend a lot of time trying to get in touch with someone else who may be overseas. This has been achieved by the fact that the world is a global village thus transmitting information does not have to rely on time and money. A click of the mouse is enough to have the information appearing on every computer in the world. Face book is a perfect example of this, one can post any kind of infor mation that will be accessed by a large number of people without having to incur expenses or spend a lot of time. The conversion of the world into a digital world meant no distance, no time consumption and therefore fast delivery of computer content. For example, music, which was delivered in five hours, is currently delivered in no more than five seconds. The same case applies to movies and distance. The movement from New York to London has been made easy by the presence of the satellite. The act of being digital makes it possible for people to create atoms (books, CDs and related tangible objects) from bits (computerized data) and bits from atoms.Advertising Looking for essay on computer science? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This means that technology can be used to achieve an intended effect like in desktop conferencing. The use of bits from atoms is cheaper as compared with obtaining the actual atoms, which ar e things like books, CDs, et cetera, since there are no middlemen. In addition, no distance is covered. Negroponte has used his wired column of being digital as an example to show how technology transmits information in the simplest form more efficiently and effectively. However, being digital has disrupted the structure of the society and cultural values. This is because, as the world becomes a global village, cultural values from a different society are assimilated and this dilutes the originally held cultural values. Digital technology is also associated with refined and less detailed information as most of the wired columns lack illustrations. High-definition televisions have destroyed broadcasting power. Ownership of bits in the digital world is not certain. This is because there are no copyright laws to protect the ones who make the bits’ inventories and as a result, bits’ cost, ownership and interaction with people are usually up for grabs. One can find e-books and download movies and music from the internet without giving credit to the owner. This way, the author or producer of a book, film or movie fails to get his or her rightful compensation. The contemporary world is an ultimate reflection of how Negroponte viewed it. Everything has become digitalized and a recent example is the world cup where people could actually refer to the match from the internet days after due to availability of bits with regard to the match. The fact that books, music and movies can be easily obtained from the internet is a show that technology is a great referencing point that can be used to source for information and events with ease.

Discuss the factors that affect the market price of a product (part A) Essay

Discuss the factors that affect the market price of a product (part A) and (part B) describe the trend in world price of oil over the past two decades and discu - Essay Example However, the broader description of a product as anything that is made available in a market, as provided by Philip Kotler in his book Marketing Management needs to be taken into account in this discussion. In simple terms again, the price of any product is controlled by the demand of the product and the supply of the product and yet there are many factors that play a role on the supply side and the demand side of the product and it is these factors that need to be examined (Fletcher. T & Russell-Jones N. 1997. VALUE PRICING: How to Maximise Profits Through Effective Pricing Policies. Pp 14 to 43). The initial factors on the supply side are availability of the product and cost of production of the product. The greater availability of the product will tend to lower the price of the product. The more the cost of production the higher will be the price. The next factor is competition. Competition in normal circumstances is present for all products and acts as a control on prices, unless a single entity or a group of suppliers is in a position to dominate the supply of the product and therefore exact higher prices. (Competition and the Effects of Price Controls in Hawaiis Gasoline Market. 2003.). The next factor is legislative control on the price of the product in the market. Legislative action is normally used as a measure to protect the consumers from being over charged by suppliers. The next factor is changing markets. Changing markets could have a positive or negative impact on prices. The next factor is technology, which tends to increase efficiency and thereby reduce the pr ice of the products. Then we come to management strategies in terms of profit goals and growth objectives. These have an effect of raising the prices of a product. On the demand side there is only one factor and that is consumer demand for the product. Consumer demand is however controlled by the economic state of

Is a more able student of mathematics better at estimating the length Essay

Is a more able student of mathematics better at estimating the length and weight of an object than a less able student - Essay Example I decided to specify the units of measurement because some students, such as those from Britain or USA, also use the imperial system of measurement. I have restricted the population of students to girls in my school as it has been proven in the past that the two sexes do have different spatial abilities. Therefore I believe that using boys could have an effect on the results by adding the additional variable. The pen has a length of 14.5cm and a weight of 12 grams. I believe that people who are in the higher mathematics sets will be more able to guess the length and weight of an object with more accuracy than those in the lower sets. This investigation will examine the innate aptitudes of people: abilities that are not usually learned from a textbook. In addition, I believe that those who are better at guessing the weight will, in general, be better at guessing the length. I also believe that the estimates of length will be more accurate than the estimates of the weight. The data was analyzed by viewing several graphical aspects. The groups were compared using the percentage of error on length and weight. An additional chart was created to analyze overall error and predict the trend for a larger sample. As can be seen, the higher level group was consistently more accurate than the studies level group. The mean error (from data tables) for the higher level group was 4.1 grams, while the studies level group had a mean error of 5.45 grams. The estimation of length shows that the higher level set was more consistent, but the studies group had 4 samples that were as good or better than any of the higher set. However, the overall mean for the higher set was lower with a mean error of 3.8 cm., while the studies set had a mean error of 4.4 cm. As the chart indicates, the overall accuracy of the higher level set was more consistent

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Skepticism Philosophy Essay Skepticism: †¢ It comes from the Greek word skeptikoi which means â€Å"seekers† or â€Å"inquirers. † †¢ It refers to the critical attitude wherein a man questions different things including the well-known absolute truth or knowledge. †¢ Note that skepticism (philosophical that is) should be contrasted with philosophical dogmatism wherein the latter is the direct opposite of the former. Philosophical dogmatism refers to an attitude wherein a man believes to have absolute truth/knowledge (dogma,† meaning strict rules). Short History of Skepticism Classical Skepticism. Gorgias †¢ A Sophist who believed that nothing really exists. †¢ He lived from 483-376 B. C. (Leontini, Italy). He went to Athens to fulfill his mission as an ambassador. He was a student of Empedocles. †¢ In Greece, he was the mentor of Thucydides (author of the Peloponnesian War) and Isocrates. †¢ His issue with regard to the philosophy of existence can be understood by having a full grip on the logical contradiction. †¢ His whole idea of existence commences from the premise that nothing exists. Or, if something exists, it must come from another beginning. The origin of the existence of â€Å"something† is said to be unknowable. †¢ Also, Gorgias postulated that a â€Å"being† should come from another being. It is impossible for this being to come from nothing. †¢ We can regard Gorgias as a Sophist rather than a skeptic. It should be noted, however, that early skepticism came from the early perceived philosophy, and that is Stoicism. Philosophical Skepticism The following are the philosophical inquiries of the skeptics: 1. Epistemology †¢ Can man attain absolute knowledge? †¢ Where does the absolute knowledge come from? †¢ How does sense perception operate in the service of achieving knowledge? 2. Metaphysics †¢ What is/are the composition/s of the universe? †¢ What are the distinguishing features of human nature? †¢ Does God exist? 3. Ethics †¢ What should be the qualifying factors to assess human conduct? †¢ Is it possible for man to determine whether an action is morally right or wrong? 4. Metaphilosophy †¢ Is Philosophy significant to human life? †¢ What are the proper aims and goals of philosophical inquiry? Phyrro and Stoicism †¢ He is considered as the earliest philosophical skeptic in Western philosophy. He lived from 360 to 270 B. C. †¢ Some scholars find a political origin of Phyrro’s skepticism in this: on the theory that traumatic periods produce disillusionment and resignation, the souring and obsolescence of traditional beliefs, a tenacious relativism of beliefs, virtues, and habits that will not assign absolute superiority to any, and a need for new methods of coping in a hectic world. †¢ Taught that peace of mind was the highest end of life and that knowledge of truth was required to attain and maintain it. †¢ Phyrro accordingly sought truth, however for every philosophical question that the Stoic philosophy answers; it is being contradicted by several other schools of thought. †¢ What was worse was that each position had reasons and evidence to support itself and to subvert and refute its opponents. †¢ He gave up in despair and admitted to himself that he could not decide among them and did not know what was true. The Stoics were accused by the Greeks as proponents of dogmatism: †¢ It is the direct opposite of skepticism. †¢ A dogmatist is certain that knowledge is possible, because he is certain that he have some. †¢ A person is still a dogmatist even if he is not certain, but still asserts something to be true, whether on a hunch, an intuition, and a perceived plenitude of evidence, mystical impulses, blatant prejudice, or idiotic repetition. A. Academic Skepticism †¢ Asserts that at least some truths are completely unknowable. †¢ Cicero postulated that: â€Å"Nothing could be known except the position that nothing else could be known. † B. Empirical Skepticism †¢ An empirical skeptic is someone who refuses to accept certain kinds of claims without first subjecting them to a series of scientific investigation. †¢ Difference between an empirical skeptic and philosophical skeptic: a philosophical skeptic denies the very existence of knowledge while an empirical skeptic merely seeks for proof before accepting a claim. C. Scientific Skepticism †¢ A branch of empirical skepticism that addresses scientific claims. †¢ It uses scientific techniques in order to validate the acquired knowledge. D. Religious Skepticism †¢ It refers to incredulity towards faith. †¢ Religious skeptics based their claims according to immortality, providence and revelation. †¢ A religious skeptic is not necessarily an atheist or an agnostic. David Hume: †¢ He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. David was only two years old when his father died. †¢ He was fond of studying Mathematics, History, Ancient and Modern Philosophy and Science. †¢ His major philosophical works are: o A Treatise of Human Nature (which he completed from 1739-1740) o Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding (1748) o Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751) o Dialogues Concerning Religion (1779) †¢ He is also considered as one of the best British empiricists along with George Berkeley and John Locke. †¢ His philosophy was partially influenced by Adam Smith (his close friend) and Cicero (ancient philosopher). David Hume’s Skeptic View on Reality and Human Belief †¢ David Hume is one of the greatest skeptics in the history of Philosophy. He also influenced the development of the two philosophical schools of thought: empiricism and skepticism. Hume’s View on Reality †¢ According to Hume, there are two distinctions of mental concept, to wit, impressions and ideas. Impression refers to the direct, vivid, and forceful products of immediate experience. Ideas these are merely feeble copies of these original expressions. †¢ It should be emphasized that these two distinctions should be treated separately with each other. †¢ Hume’s View on Human Belief †¢ Relations of Ideas/Priori beliefs grounded on associations formed within the mind. †¢ Matters of Fact/Posteriori beliefs that claim to report the nature of existing things. _____________________________________________________________________________ GROUP FOUR: UTILITARIAN PHILOSOPHY Basic Concepts (Formal Definitions) †¢ Etymologically speaking, the word â€Å"utilitarianism† comes from the Latin word utilis, which means â€Å"useful. † †¢ In Ethics, utilitarianism is a doctrine that what is useful is good, and consequently, that the ethical value of conduct is determined by the utility of the result. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers believe that it is normal for human beings to perform activities which lead towards happiness (that is, to maximize happiness and to avoid pain). †¢ This theory is under the normative political theory. Normative Political Theory this theory asks a particular question as â€Å"what is ought to be† as compared to the question â€Å"what is† in political life. It is not confined on the setting or constructing moral theories, however, it analyzes the effects of the constructed moral theories in the political life of an individual and how it is being applied/practiced in the actual political arena. This approach of the normative political theory is spearheaded by Jeremy Bentham. He is a radical 19th century social reformer, who is apparently a utilitarian. †¢ Bentham argues that the nature of human beings is to obtain happiness (self-satisfaction) and to avoid pain. In this regard, the morally correct political decisions are based on the collective happiness of the society. †¢ This collective happiness may be characterized in the form of utility. This utility could be of any kind that would bring happiness to the society (i. e. property, advantage, opportunity, goods, services etc. ). †¢ Bentham did not provide theories or methods on how to attain social utility or maximization of happiness. According to him, the attainment of happiness depends on how an individual defines his/her happiness. In connection to this, every member of the society which comprises the whole society should consolidate their definition of happiness in order to obtain social utility. †¢ It should be emphasized that Bentham was focused on the interest of community/group. †¢ The supreme objective of moral action and the foundation on which all morality should be grounded is the achievement of the greatest happiness/satisfaction of the greater number. †¢ Nature of Utilitarianism †¢ Because this philosophy is greatly focused on the achievement (or maximization) of happiness, it doesn’t matter whether the result of the consequence is good or bad. Recall the famous maxim of Niccolo Machiavelli: â€Å"the end justifies the means. †  · Hedonism †¢ It refers to an ideology wherein happiness can be found between pleasure and pain. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers also use â€Å"hedonistic calculus† wherein they believe that a moralist could easily determine the unit of pleasure and of pain. O Bentham’s â€Å"hedonistic calculus† has similar concept with the theory of Epicurus. O The hedonistic calculus is used to determine the total amount of pleasure and pain of an individual. O Moral agent –person who conducts hedonistic calculus. Historical Traces of Utilitarian Philosophy †¢ It is believed that Utilitarian philosophy flourished in England. We can presuppose the fact that utilitarianism came from English philosophy. †¢ Some historians argued that Richard Cumberland originally perceived the idea of utilitarianism. He was an English philosopher and theologian (bishop of Peterborough). †¢ Afterwards, a British â€Å"moral sense† philosopher clearly defined the utilitarian philosophy. Francis Hutcheson did not only explain the philosophical perspective of utilitarianism which is â€Å"the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers† but he also provided for a mechanism for calculating the appropriate consequences of the activities to attain such happiness. This mechanism is called â€Å"moral arithmetic. † †¢ Jeremy Bentham, a prominent figure in utilitarian philosophy, admitted that he found the principle of utility from the writings of the following 18th century thinkers: o Joseph Priestly a priest who was known for his discovery of â€Å"oxygen. † o Cesaria Beccaria an expert in legal matters (Italian legal theorist). o Claude-Adrien Helvetius author of a philosophy of â€Å"mere sensation. † †¢ John Gay (biblical scholar and philosopher) he considered God’s will as the greatest qualifying factor for virtue. Furthermore, he argued that God’s goodness is the source of human happiness. Utilitarian Philosophers 1. Jeremy Bentham (Developer of Utilitarian Philosophy) Life: †¢ Bentham was a legal theorist, linguist, social philosopher and political activist. †¢ He came from a wealthy family from England. †¢ Bentham was sent to Westminster School (one of the prestigious school in England) and Queen’s College Oxford. He was also a practicing lawyer; however, he showed an unwavering interest in philosophy. o He examined the philosophical works of David Hume, Helvetius and Beccaria. Eventually, he started to form his own idea of utilitarianism. o Bentham argued that the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure are the natural drives of human activity, as recognized by the â€Å"principle of utility. † 2. William Paley Life: †¢ Paley was born in July, 1743 (Peterborough, England). He attained his religious degree (Anglican priesthood) at Christ’ College in Cambridge. †¢ He became a tutor of Christ College three years after he graduated from the stated school. †¢ According to Paley, utilitarianism is a combination ofindividualistic hedonism (mean between pleasure and pain) and theological authoritarianism. 3. James Mill Life: †¢ Mill was born in April 6, 1773 (Forfarshire). †¢ He was a son of shoemaker in Montrose. He was sent to the University of Edinburgh in 1790 and his education was financed by Sir John Stuart. †¢ James Mill received his M. A. degree in Edinburgh. He was a full pledged preacher. However, Mill gradually lost his faith and decided to transfer in Scotland until John Stuart invited him to live in London. †¢ He became a writer of the Literary Journal in London. It can be said that the closure of the Literary Journal had made him write various essays, articles and other literary works such as his review on the history of Corn Laws and etc. †¢ He was the father of John Stuart Mill, another utilitarian philosopher. †¢ According to Mill, the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure are the two primary motivating forces behind human actions. †¢ He also justified the existence of the government in the society. He stated that the institution of the government exists to ensure these twin aims (maximization of pleasure and avoidance of pain) are fulfilled for the greatest number of people possible. Effects of Utilitarianism in Other Disciplines †¢ Utilitarian philosophy has been so important to the fields of politics, law and economics. †¢ Its theories are still relevant in the contemporary times especially in rendering important political decisions, maintenance of social stability (pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain) and etc. A. Law †¢ For instance, some viewed punishment as tantamount to â€Å"retributive theory. † This theory simply states that a criminal (i. e. convicted rapist, murderer or robber) should be punished to pay for his crime. †¢ According to the utilitarian philosophy, punishment is served not to facilitate retribution/retaliation but to reform the criminal and insulate the society from him. B. Politics †¢ v According to the utilitarian philosophers, the best form of government is democracy. Social contract, natural rights and natural law are the bases of government authority and importance of individual rights. †¢ v â€Å"Democracy† comes from the Greek word demos which means â€Å"people. † It coincides with the philosophical aim of utilitarian philosophy wherein the general interest of the people (and maximization of their happiness) should be the basis of the government’s political decisions. †¢ v Utilitarian philosophy is also known for its relative views on socio-political issues. †¢ According to this philosophy, a strong government should be needed to restrain the selfish interests of its subjects. As mentioned before, one of the main responsibilities of the government is to maintain the stability of political order. Based on this principle, the utilitarian argument is on the side of conservative/authoritarian position.  § Nazi Germany (Adolf Hitler)  § Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)  § Cuba (Fidel Castro) †¢ On the other hand, William Godwin (founder of philosophical anarchism) had an optimistic view of human nature (parallel to the philosophical theory of John Locke with regard to human nature). According to him, the pursuit of greatest happiness may lead into â€Å"philosophical anarchism. † †¢ Philosophical anarchism Godwin emphasized that values must be deeply imbibed in every individual. Furthermore, he argued that sufficient supply of goods (economic resources) should be equally distributed to ensure that the economic needs of the society are properly fulfilled. He hoped that government authorities must formulate laws to equalize the unfair distribution of wealth. Furthermore, Godwin stated that the government should minimize its involvement to promote academic freedom. C. Economics. †¢ Early utilitarian philosophers argued that the government should not meddle on economic affairs of the society. †¢ Later on, they admitted that the government has a significant role in the economy. Jeremy Bentham’s Mode of Thinking Theory of Psychological Hedonism †¢ According to Bentham, human behavior can be explained by reference to the primary motives of pleasure and pain. †¢ Pleasure and pain it is believed that nature has placed mankind under the governance of these two motives. †¢ Utilitarian philosophers always ask questions involving â€Å"what we ought to do† and â€Å"what we shall do. † †¢ Bentham argued that the human individual is the basic unit of social sphere. An individual’s relation with others is unnecessary of being what he is. †¢ He defined â€Å"relation† as a fictitious reality. Community, on the other hand, refers to the sum of the interests of the individuals who composed it. †¢ However, there are some instances that the interests tend to clash with each other. Such occurrence diminishes the main concept of â€Å"community† (sum of the interests of the individuals). Bentham argued that the government and legislation should work together to harmonize the aforementioned conflict. †¢ Bentham’s Moral Theory The following are the characteristics of Bentham’s moral philosophy:  · Principle of utility †¢ It is synonymous to the â€Å"greatest happiness principle. † †¢ It concerns the interests of the people who are in question; it can be the whole community, an individual or a small portion of the group. †¢ Bentham enumerated the advantages of the principle, to wit: †¢ O The principle should not be consulted to metaphysics philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. Thus, the main essence of the principle can be easily grasped. †¢ O The utilitarian principle offers objective criterion of right and wrong – application of hedonistic calculus  · Universal egoism or altruism †¢ Assuming that the said institutions (government and legislation) successfully harmonized the interests of every individual in the community, the people may tend to work altruistically to pursue the common good. †¢ O Altruism it refers to the unselfish concern to the general welfare of others. †¢ Determination of common interest †¢ Hedonistic Ethics †¢ Utilitarian ethics can be defined as an art in which man’s action is geared towards maximum quantity of happiness. Bentham’s Political Theory According to Jeremy Bentham, one can understand law and politics if he/she has a good grasp of human nature. On Liberty †¢ Bentham defined liberty as a freedom from any external control. A person can be considered as â€Å"free† if he/she is not under the influence of another person. †¢ In his theory on liberty, Bentham argued that there is no such thing as a â€Å"state of nature† and social contract. He postulated that the latter is only historical and novel literature. On Law †¢ Bentham viewed law as a restriction/limitation of liberty. It can be  considered as pain (a prima facie evil) to those whose freedom is restricted. †¢ The governing law within the society cannot be considered as a â€Å"natural law† because it is according to the will of the Sovereign (ruler). †¢ Bentham proposed that the law should be in accordance with the natural law, that is, it should be paralleled with the common interest of the people. †¢ The following are the positive functions of good laws (although Bentham still regarded laws as restriction to liberty):  § Good laws are essential to good government.  § Good laws are necessary to maintain social stability.  § Good laws develop and protect the people’s personal and material resources. On Rights †¢ Bentham’s view on rights can be rooted on his philosophy about natural law. According to Bentham, rights are produced by laws, and as affirmed before, laws can be attributed to the will of the Sovereign. †¢ Socio-political organization must be formed in order for these two to exist. †¢ Bentham related his view on the social contract theory with the existence and use of rights. According to him, it is impossible that rights exist before the establishment of the government. †¢ According to Jeremy Bentham, the theory of social contract is impossible (if not historical) because in order for the said contract to bind, there must be an established government to enforce such contract. †¢  § In reverse, the government must exist before the definition of different rights. This would again, lead into the issue with regard to law and liberty (where the Sovereign dictates the amount of liberty and rights that should be given to the people). John Stuart Mill’s Mode of Thinking Moral Theory †¢ J. S.  Mill’s two distinct approaches to moral theory: †¢ Intuitive Approach knowledge is attained without having an appeal to experience. †¢ Inductive Approach knowledge is gained through observation and experience. J. S. Mill’s Utilitarian Philosophy †¢ Mill believed that actions are right if they tend to promote happiness and wrong if they tend to deliver the opposite of it. †¢ For him, happiness can be associated with intellectual and sensual pleasure. He also stated that everything we desire can be considered as happiness. The following are some of the examples of happiness: †¢ Virtue  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Love of money †¢ Power †¢ Fame †¢ He also enumerated two kinds of motivation: †¢ External Motivation this arises from hope of pleasing or fear of displeasing God and other humans. †¢ Internal Motivation this arises from duty. †¢ Duty it refers to the subjective feeling which develops through experience. Furthermore, humans have an instinctive feeling of unity which guides the development of duty towards greater happiness. Mill’s Proof of the Principle of Utility:  · The only way to prove that general happiness is desirable is to show that people actually desire it.  § For instance, if X is the only thing desired, then X is the only thing that ought to be desired. General happiness is the thing desired. On Justice †¢ Apparently, J. S. Mill’s concept of justice is paralleled to the utilitarian philosophy. †¢ There are two essential elements on justice, to wit: †¢ Punishment it is a combination of social sympathy and vengeance †¢ Violation of someone’s rights infringement of rights. †¢ There are disputes in the notion of justice when examining theories of punishments, fair distribution of wealth and etc.  ¦ Political and Social Philosophy †¢ On Individuality J. S. Mill prescribed two criteria to determine the best kind of individual, to wit: †¢ Someone who is individually responsible for his own beliefs and actions. †¢ Someone who will not only be happy in his own case but will be concerned with and contribute to the happiness of others. †¢ Social Institutions that Contribute to Individuality: †¢ Free and uncensored debate. †¢ J. S. Mill regarded liberty as a fundamental human right. †¢ Democracy and representative governments encourage freedom and speech.