MODERN BUSINESS in Comparative Perspective (EXAM PREPARATION) Essay

MODERN BUSINESS in Comparative Perspective (EXAM PREPARATION) - Essay Example This was happened between the 17th and 18th century In the late 17th century, the United Kingdom (UK) began the industrial revolution. Before industrialization, the people used to live in the rural area practicing farming. However, the countries had distinctive advantage in the manufacturing industry, especially in textile industry. Moreover, The development of the steam engine played important roles in ensuring an improvement in the banking industry. However, the UK banking industrywas lack of intermediation. In the early 18th century, the United States (US) began the industrial revolution. After the civil war, the US industry was changed drastically. The railroads distributed goods and products everywhere; therefore, the production level was increased. Before industrialization, the organizational structure was under hierarchy structure. However, when the population in the cities increased after revolution, the country was decreased between rich and poor. Moreover, increasing in US industries improved in the banking industry. The US banking industry supported many industries along with introducing the stock markets. Both early-industrialized countries focused on invention and innovation. The UK and US were creatively used in the textile and automotive industry with adequate support of the financial institutions where started growth of economies. Moreover, the manufacturing industries were set in these countries that marked the growth in the market share. Late or newly, industrialization refers to those countries whose level of economic development is between the developing and the first world classifications (Wyatt, 2009).  This means that these countries have moved from the agriculture based economy to the industrialized urban economy. Some of the countries that are industrialized include Germany, China, and Japan. The development of the railway network fastened the transportation of goods from one place to another. In addition,

Details of the European Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Details of the European Crisis - Essay Example The critical issues that shaped the crisis include; competitive weakness, weak and actual growth and large debt-to-GDP ratios. Other important issues are liquidation of banks and sovereigns, considerable liability stocks both in private, government and non-private sectors (Arestis & Sawyer, 2012). The crisis was complicated making it difficult for European nations to refinance or repay the debts of their governments without the intervention of a third party such as IMF or ECB. In addition, the banks within the Euro zone were undercapitalized and, as a result, were influenced by debt problems and liquidity. Due to the crisis, the rate of economic growth was slow in the entire region. Similarly, the economic growth was unequally distributed across the member states (Lynn, 2011). The governments of the nations that were ruthlessly affected coordinated with "the troika". The troika is a committee formed by three international organizations namely, the European Central Bank, the European Commission, and the International Monetary Fund. Virtually, in 1992 the EU signed the Maastricht Treaty. The agreement regulated their debt levels and the limit deficit spending. Nonetheless, at the onset of the year 2000, some of the member states defied the criteria of the treaty. These countries instead decided to analyze government revenues to minimize their deficit or debts. Therefore, evading the desired practice and not being able to follow the international standards (Arestis & Sawyer, 2012). This gave the sovereigns a chance to mask their deficit and debt levels by embracing a combination of approaches such as off-balance-sheet transactions, inconsistent accounting and the use of complex credit derivatives, as well as currency structures. The low-interest rates resulted to excessive government spending and borrowing primarily in member states like Greece during the decade lead. Since

The ideal global citizen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The ideal global citizen - Essay Example In this regard, one hereby aims to create a personal concept for the ideal global citizen through an exploration of various contentions on education, religious knowledge and moral systems. A more comprehensive picture of a global citizen was expounded through reflecting on the definition of a global citizen. Parallelism with terms such as globalization or multiculturalism; while ultimately deciding to settle on the term cosmopolitanism (Appiah 58) are equally confusing and tend to provide increasing ambiguity, instead of clarity. Intricate as it seems, one perceived that to establish conjectures of ultimately concluding that â€Å"cosmopolitanism is an adventure and an ideal† (Appiah 62), would be the only shared conviction with Appiah’s discussion. For one, the features or traits that make a global citizen ideal are those cited by Appiah of Christoph Martin Wieland’s 1778 essay in the journal Teutscher Merkur, quoted as: "Cosmopolitans . . . regard all the peoples of the earth as so many branches of a single family, and the universe as a state, of which they, with innumerable other rational beings, are citizens, promoting together under the gener al laws of nature the perfection of the whole, while each in his own fashion is busy about his own well-being† (Appiah 59). The ability to acknowledge that citizens are part of one universal family but recognizes individuality, privacy and confidentiality makes the concept ideal and global. Since one recognized that the concept of idealism is analogous to absolute perfectionism, an ideal global citizen, apart from acknowledging universality of being a citizen of the world, should likewise accept the natural law for diversity in values and principles; yet, adhering to moral codes of conduct. As Albright cited Pope John Paul II’s argument that â€Å"if people were to fulfill their responsibility to live according to moral principles, they must first have the right to do so†

Iconographic Representation Of Jesus Christ Essay Example for Free

Iconographic Representation Of Jesus Christ Essay Jesus Christ, by Christian tradition is known as the lamb of God or the sacrificial lamb, so he is symbolized by a very young lamb seated on a nest of thorns. Other than this Christ is also known as ‘the fisher of men’ which relates to the biblical story of how He was able to gather people into His flock so that they would submit to His teachings; so the ancient symbol for Christ is a simple illustration of the fish as shown in the collage. Other than this, this representation also has something to do with Christ’s words to Peter, when He said, â€Å"Come with me and I will make you fishers of men. This is also the reason why the Pope wears a ring known as ‘the fisherman’s ring† so symbolize his being the Vicar of Christ on earth. Another symbol which represent’s Christ is bread, because he also said during his lifetime, â€Å"I am the Bread of Life, whosoever partakes in my banquet shall have eternal life. †; Christ is also represented by fire, light or a flame because of his pronouncement that He â€Å"is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. †   Another symbol used in the collage is the chi-rho symbol which was an ancient way of writing the name Jesus Christ.

The Cause and Effect of the Tsunami in Thailand in 2004 Essay -- Natur

The Cause and Effect of the Tsunami in Thailand in 2004 The tsunami in Thailand that occurred on December 26, 2004, was by far the largest tsunami catastrophe in human history. It was triggered by a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake along the Indian-Australian subduction zone off the northern coast of Sumatra. The tsunami waves traveled primarily in the east to west direction and caused major damage along the coasts of southern Thailand. Unpredictably, it was a violent earthquake beneath the sea that initiated the massive waves and struck more than a dozen countries in Southern Asia. It also destroyed thousands of miles of coastline and even submerged entire islands permanently. Throughout the region, the tsunami killed more than 150,000 people, and a million more were hurt, homeless, and without food or drinkable water, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in the modern history. In spite of peninsular Thailand's location facing the northern part of this subduction zone, the lack of any written historical records, together with the l ack of any major local seismic activity, the tsunami caused thousands of fatalities and huge economic losses in the popular tourist regions in Thailand. Immediately after the disaster, numerous organizations and individual citizens have helped out and contributed to this devastating tsunami. Indeed, the tsunami in Thailand was a worldwide event, with significant wave action felt around the world. In this context, I am focusing more on the key features of the tsunami’s natural causes, the psychological effects on citizens, the perspective of socio-economic impacts and the consequences of the tsunami calamity. What triggered this horrific natural disaster that took place off the western coast of... ... the catastrophic event into an opportunity for the future. Even though the tsunami of December 2004 ended in a huge death toll, ongoing trauma and homelessness of millions of Asians, still they can recuperate from this entire horrific event. If any good at all is to come from this adversity on a human scale, it will certainly be considered by the compassion and generosity that the world reveals to the survivors. I must admit that I find very difficult to let it sink in my brain the fact that it can happen to all of us anywhere and any time around the globe. It might not be a tsunami that these citizens have experienced, but there are other natural disasters we can stumble upon as well. Surely, it has been a great experience for me to write this paper and to discover the truth about the tsunami and the total effects of what these people have to deal with.

Extended commentary of ‘During Wind and Rain’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title: An ambiguous and interesting choice of title, in that it is – as I will show – both incongruous with the tense (or time-scale) used in the poem and draws the reader’s attention to descriptions of the weather. The word â€Å"during† makes the weather conditions affect the present. However, the poem is mostly written in the historic present and many of the stanzas depict images of bright, pleasant days – not the â€Å"wind and rain† alluded to in the title. There is clearly an intentional discrepancy being orchestrated here by Hardy. Quote SLS: â€Å"Beware â€Å"during†, the incongruous preposition.† Overall Structure: Four stanzas of seven lines, with a very strange (but regular) rhyme scheme. Hardy uses a very odd structure indeed. The rhyme scheme utilised in the poem consists of: ABCBCDA. There are multiple effects of this: * The sixth line in the stanza breaks the poetic flow of the stanza, as it is the only line not to rhyme with another – hence acting like a mid-stanzaic volta. It draws attention to itself. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the sixth line of every stanza breaks away from the theme of familial happiness painted in the previous five lines, and turns the subject to the contrasting theme of death. Observe the refrains used! * The drawn out â€Å"A† rhyme encompasses the entirety of each stanza. Given that the last line (about death) is linked to the first (about life), is Hardy trying to show the unavoidable connection of life and death? * Seven lines to each stanza perhaps represent a week, just as the four stanzas represent the seasons? Very poor allusion. Themes: Death, Family life, Time, The Seasons. Difficult Language Notes: â€Å"Blithely† means â€Å"happily†. First Stanza Notes: â€Å"They sing their dearest songs – He, she, all of them – yea, Treble and tenor and bass, And one to play; With the candles mooning each face†¦ Ah, no, the years O! How the sick leaves reel down in throngs!† This poem is one full of repetition and refrain. The general layout of each stanza, in terms of theme, organisation and repetition of certain lines, remains constant. Each stanza, for example, opens with an image of a family – presumably the same one throughout – in a place, or carrying out an action, in a unified and â€Å"happy† way. This stanza evokes a scene of the Victorian family gathered, singing, around a piano (â€Å"one to play†), as piano playing and â€Å"sing-a-long† was, of course, very common in Hardy’s time. Note how he only uses personal pronouns; distancing effect? Hardy goes to perhaps extreme lengths to show the family’s unity. On a critical note, one could criticise his rather inefficient use of the first four lines of this poem, but that is not our aim. Some analysis: * â€Å"They sing their dearest songs†. Note the use of a superlative adjective in â€Å"dearest†. It is the first of many. We may query its meaning; perhaps it indicates a certain reverence to familial attitude, both in Hardy and in the family itself. They are enjoying it! * â€Å"He, she, all of them.† Illustrates a togetherness within the family – one which (as Hardy will later comment upon) Death inevitably overcomes. The following line regarding the different musical voice (â€Å"Treble and tenor and bass†) illustrates a similar thing, but is used to point out that Death affects all elements of family, regardless of age. How very depressing – we’re only at line 3! Even better, he does this in all stanzas. * â€Å"– yea† Note use of colloquial (conversational) affirmative. Not only is it used to force the rhyme scheme, but it contrasts with the later â€Å"Ah, no†, which is negative. Hardy does this in all stanzas. Without jumping ahead, however, it is simply a friendly comment of approval. * â€Å"With the candles mooning each face† Night time scene. Interesting, seeing as it contrasts with the other images presented, which are all in bright daylight. * â€Å"Ah, no; the years O!† Thus we encounter the â€Å"inter-stanzaic volta†. Not only does the rhyme scheme depart from regularity (We label the sixth line in all stanzas the ‘D’ rhyme, as it is the only line not to have a rhyming companion). It signifies a departure from the pleasant theme of the unadulterated joy of family life, and an arrival at the theme of its death – or the fact that it is all going â€Å"to pass† eventually. As before mentioned, the â€Å"Ah, no;† contrasts with the previous affirmative. The actual sense of this line is rather obscure. We assume that Hardy is implicitly commenting on the fact that â€Å"the years† take away/ damage the family life – as they pass, so does the family and its happiness. â€Å"O!† is an ejaculation, expressing sadness or mourning for the family. * â€Å"How the sick leaves reel down in throngs!† Hardy furthers his ideas about death. Here is a line referring to the autumnal decay of life – leaves falling – and the way in which it precedes Death. Note how the leaves, when considered in â€Å"throngs†, may represent people? In the same way, a â€Å"reel† is a type of dance; is this (a slightly sick) dance of death? Unlikely, but we must remember that Hardy has no qualms with tragic irony. Second Stanza Notes: â€Å"They clear the creeping moss – Elders and juniors – aye, Making the pathways neat and the garden gay; And they build a shady seat†¦ Ah, no; the years, the years; See the white storm-birds wing across!† Once again, Hardy begins his stanza with an image of the family, this time in the garden – presumably in spring, as suggested by the fact that they are clearing the remains of winter (â€Å"the creeping moss†), whilst he describes the garden as â€Å"gay†. One can immediately recognise the structural similarities shared with the first stanza, as well as the meaning behind the â€Å"pleasant† image. * Note that Hardy now observes that both â€Å"Elders and juniors† participate – again, he differentiates between the different members of the family, but now uses the factor of age, as opposed to musical voices. This serves only to strengthen the original analysis; that unity may be visible and, indeed, enjoyable, but it is only fleeting in the face of Death. Lovely†¦ * Observe how the family’s actions are arranged around both â€Å"making the place neat/pretty† and around comfort. â€Å"Making pathways neat† and â€Å"building a shady seat† have only temporary effects upon happiness – the â€Å"moss† will grow back, the pathways will become untidy in time, when Winter (representing Death and decay) comes. Thus we find that Hardy is setting up, within his â€Å"pleasant† image, the backdrop upon which he wishes to point out that all happiness, joy – and life itself – is fleeting. * Or is it an image of the â€Å"futility of human endeavour† – the weather will erode the order imposed upon it, and ultimately Death will prevail? * On an aside: evidence for the scene being set in spring: if the seat is shady, then surely the sun must be out in broad daylight – not a symptom commonly associated with the Wintry illness! Ah, no; the years, the years; See the white storm-birds wing across! And yet, on cue, Hardy revives his alternative theme – this time with a slightly different D rhyme/phrase. The colloquial negative remains, but Hardy uses the echo of â€Å"the years† to emphasize the passage of time. He uses the same phrase in the fourth stanza, yet repeats the primary ejaculation in the third stanza (they alternate). The final line of the stanza is rather interesting. â€Å"Storm-birds† sound like mythical beasts – perhaps the extremity of phrase reflects that of Death? – yet they are most likely geese, flying away before Winter comes. It is not as disturbing an image as that of the leaves â€Å"reeling†, but it again points to the same idea. The use of strong verbs in all final lines in all stanza adds to their strength: â€Å"reel† in Stanza One, â€Å"wing† in the second, etc. â€Å"To wing† itself is an unusual choice, perhaps adding to a sense of the supernatural. Think back to â€Å"Neutral Tones† and the â€Å"ominous bird a-wing†. The verb has the same effect here. Third Stanza Notes: â€Å"They are blithely breakfasting all – Men and maidens – yea, Under the summer tree, With a glimpse of the bay, While pet fowl come to the knee†¦ Ah, no; the years O! And the rotten rose is ript from the wall.† Here Hardy is at last explicit about the season and its effects; much as Autumn and Winter are representative of Death and decay, spring and summer bear idyllic delights. In this stanza, we find ourselves in the latter. One cannot â€Å"overdo† the emphasis which Hardy applies to the seasons. He pictures human life as tragically linear, whilst comparing it to the inevitably cyclical seasons. In the end, the seasons – especially Winter – bring about the decay of a finite life. And yet, to begin with, this stanza suggests that the family are blissfully unaware of that fact. * Once again, we find the family in unity and happy – seeing as they are â€Å"blithely breakfasting† – suggesting a disregard for the potential decay and sadness. They appear to live in the happy present. * It has been suggested that the family have now grown up, seeing as they are now described as â€Å"Men and maidens† as opposed to â€Å"Elders and juniors†. Side point – no way to substantiate claim. Of course, now Hardy differentiates between them using sex – all the more differences which Death can overcome. * Allusions to an Arcadian ideal – a perfect landscape, full of happiness – are impossible to avoid. â€Å"Under the summer tree / With a glimpse of the bay†; it sounds more like Tuscany than Britain! Of course, Hardy is not that explicit. The â€Å"bay† may just as well be a bay tree, as much as a bit of coastland. Still, the image remains idyllic. And yet, â€Å"I [Death] am here†. * â€Å"The pet fowl† may represent a further source of happiness – domesticated or agricultural livestock have always been kept for the happiness of one’s stomach or one’s heart. Either will do. More human endeavour to be laid waste to by Death? Here, as usual, the poem breaks away and returns to the original ejaculation about the years passing. Note how the â€Å"O!† lengthens the line – it slows the reader down. Otherwise analysed above. The final image evocative of Death, however, is of our greatest interest: â€Å"The rotten rose is ript from the wall.† Again, an ambiguous phrase creates the sense of sickening mystery which Death itself possesses. Not only does the obvious alliteration of the â€Å"r† sound mount both the tension and force placed upon the final verb, but it also mirrors the ugly nature of the act itself. â€Å"Ript† is merely an archaic spelling of â€Å"ripped† – the sense is the same and bears the same strength. Yet who, or what, rips up the rose? Obviously, the image is representative of Death claiming a life; the verb suggests an unpleasant or untimely death. Quote SLS: â€Å"A complete severance from life†. Perhaps we can extrapolate this further to make a comment on the cruelty of Death in Hardy’s eyes? It may well be the wind. This would fit with the title, although we must still ponder the incongruous preposition, â€Å"during†. Perhaps the entire image is metaphorical, and Death is simply tearing a previously beautiful flower (â€Å"rotten† is probably representative of â€Å"old†) away from life? Fourth Stanza Notes: â€Å"They change to a high new house, He, she, all of them – aye, Clocks and carpets and chairs On the lawn all day, And the brightest things that are theirs†¦ Ah, no; the years, the years; Down their carved names the rain-drop ploughs.† Clearly the family have grown wealthier, to move house – and, it seems, they have moved quite literally â€Å"up† in the world, as it is a â€Å"high† one. One may question whether this stanza overly reflects upon the materialistic joys of the world. Maybe that is Hardy’s intention. I doubt, however, that this is an explicit attack upon those who value material objects; rather a memento mori, in that, despite the temporary pleasure of wealth and possessions, Death will always claim victory. Deeper analysis: * Note how we have returned to â€Å"He, she, all of them†. Have we come round in a full generational cycle? * The weather remains good, as the family display their possessions on the lawn, presumably as they either prepare to move them to the new house from the old, or simply before they have been properly installed. Clearly Hardy is using summer to represent joy and prosperity. * The language bears little complexity – hence little analysis! Is this done to reflect the simple, but enjoyable, pleasures of materialistic desires and good weather? * â€Å"Brightest things which are theirs†. Note another superlative. Relevance/ importance, other than to add emphasis? (Have previously analysed the secondary ejaculation. Now repeated.) The final image of the poem is possibly the most interesting, dramatic and explicit. â€Å"Down their carved names the rain-drop ploughs.† Here Hardy at last makes an explicit reference to the subject of death, in that their â€Å"carved names† are grave stones, whilst also tying in the title (with the reference to the weather). Primarily, we are shocked by the contrast; clearly, Hardy is imagining the same individuals with whom we are now familiar (as â€Å"the family†) as being dead. They have been buried. This is a very sudden and rather upsetting realisation. Hardy very successfully makes his point about the frailty and temporal nature of life. Their successes and happiness are irrelevant. How depressing! Worse, Hardy suggests that the weather erodes them not only in life, but also destroys (â€Å"ploughs†) their memory in death; the rain drop appears to be eroding away the names from the stones. This insensitivity contrasts with the use of â€Å"names†, which are highly personal. Perhaps, however, Hardy intends â€Å"ploughs† to be positive. As in the agricultural sense, the rain drop prepares for new growth? Final note: Is the narrator writing the poem in the grave-yard? Are the images he recollects merely his memories of a family now dead – the images of Death are all happening around him â€Å"during wind and rain†? Clever point. Perhaps.

Philosophy essay Essay

The nature of inquiry is not one that is uncommon to the human race. From the very origin of philosophy, the term for the â€Å"love of wisdom†, individuals have spent countless hours contemplating the most essential and critical matters before them. These individuals have made substantial attempts to explain reasoning behind the functioning of earthly matters, and by virtue of their study, they have come to be known as philosophers. While various philosophers have contributed to significant revelations and theories, the main pre-socratic philosophical movements were of ancient Greek origin and are attributed to the following philosophers: Thales, Anaximander, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, and Parmenides. Born in Miletus, Thales was discontent with the traditional stories of enchantment known as myths. Aristotle contributed the fact that he saw him as the very first philosopher, which a very common belief in the modern world. His major contributions were his beliefs that the cause and element of all things is water, and that all things are occupied with gods. The impressive matter is that Thales recognized that there is only one particular base for all things and that it was a naturally occurring substance that was very tangible and real. While there is not much information on Thales, it is speculated that he chose water because of its diversity and physical characteristics that allow for it to prevail in liquid, solid, and gaseous forms. As for his second contribution, the Greeks were firm believers of the immortality of the gods and their occupation in the lives of the humans and the natural world. Therefore, it would not be unusual for them to 2 reside in all things present on the earth. Thales very truly was the very first philosopher as he began the search for the answer to why things happen as they do. The Greek nature was not one to simply accept Thales propositions, but rather they focused on refuting it and providing other alternatives. Anaximander provided his own input on the matter with a theoretical proposition. He claims, that a system is in place, in which the Boundless is the infinite source of all, and it is the beginning- there was definitively nothing before it. The key feature of the Boundless is the immortality that it possesses, and further, it â€Å"encompasses all things† and â€Å"steers all things. † This concept of resolute envelopment is seen again in the New Testament, where it is reinforced that God is in all things. The Boundless is neither one thing, nor another, but rather, it maintains its own distinctive persona, and from it came all other things. Anaximander contributed many more developments, but they were all later proved incorrect. However, he does also state that existing things â€Å"make reparation to one another for their injustice according to the ordinance of time. † This suggests that a balance in nature must be properly observed. A hot summer must be counteracted with a cold winter, and so the seasons encroach on the â€Å"rights† as a result of the others and serve them injustice, but reparation is seen at the turn of the seasons. The developments made by Anaximander contradict what was then the Homeric tradition and essentially spurred a cultural crisis as the Greeks were unable to choose between the side of logic or that of myth and legend. A man known as Xenophanes came to the scene of philosophical inquiry when he clearly stated the religious implications of the new ideas of philosophy- a concept strictly avoided by most before him. He begins to critique the very nature of the gods, with the belief that it is shameful to portray them as no better than humans. While Xenophanes was not a disbeliever, he firmly believed in the presence of one god that reigned above all and was very different from 3 mortals in both body and mind. Xenophanes denies association with the gods through inspiration (i. e. muses) and any proposed revelation does not necessarily guarantee truth. He does, however, push us to format out believes by constantly seeking, even though he does not explain how. The belief is that over time, the continuous seeking will give to better opinions that may eventually be very near truth. He does not deny that there is the potential that some truth is known, but  simply that there is no such thing as certainty without definitive proof. He goes into the matter that there is a scale of truth, and unbeknownst to us, there is no way to tell on which side our supposed revelations lay. Xenophanes contributes a new direction for thought. The questioning that he provides, in fact, questions its very own self, which is the basis of epistemology, or the theory of knowledge. Lastly, he provides his belief that only the one god knows the absolute basis and value of the truth, and while we may seek it out, because we are inferior, we cannot know for sure. Known to the Romans as â€Å"Heraclitus the obscure† this philosopher often wrote in complex riddles. One of his famous thoughts is â€Å"All things come into being through opposition, and that all are in flux, like a river. † The major bit that he provides is that reality in itself is a flux. It is possible to step many times into the same river, but it will never exactly be the same as the waters will be different. He postulates that all things are then in flux and are ever-changing, even though they maintain a constant identity over the change. Further, the opposition is necessary to cause events to occur. A lyre will only play music if tension is pushed onto its strings. What makes a river is the force of the water that constantly runs through it, for without this force, there would be no river. It can be said that Heraclitus was an optimist as he believe that the changes in the world are not chaotic, but are structured by an order that is divine in nature, and therefore, it is good and beautiful. He stresses the presence of logos, and his belief 4 that those who are intelligent listen to it, while many who do not and are foolish. The many miss this because they fail to recognize the logos that is present in everyday life. Unlike his predecessors in philosophy, Parmenides was not Ionian, but instead from Elea. He wrote a complicated metaphysical poem in which he decrees that the content was revealed to him by divine powers. In his poem, an argument is provided, but rather than to accept it, it beckons one to judge it instead, which makes it philosophical in nature. His argument is divided between â€Å"the Way of Truth† and â€Å"the Way of Opinion. † Interestingly, he makes the point that you cannot think â€Å"nothing. † When you think, you think of what is, so you cannot think of something that is not, since nothing cannot be something. Parmenides urges people to follow reason, and reason alone. Therefore, he holds the title of the very first rationalist philosopher. Additionally, he believes that all that exists, exists all at once. By existing at once, it evades the concept of being what is not, because that which is not is inconceivable and cannot be thought about. Since the fathering of philosophy by Thales, the developments and inquisitions made by astounding men grew strongly throughout the Pre-Socratic era, and then progressively even more into the more current era. The most significant early men that helped philosophy take its very  roots were Thales, Anaximander, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, and Parmenides. Collectively, these men brought into question the very essential questions of philosophy that are even still argued and debated furiously over in the modern world. 5 Melchert, Norman. The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print. â€Å"Parmenides. † Web. 13 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Presocratics. † SparkNotes. SparkNotes. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. .