Secondhand Smoking Essay Example

Secondhand Smoking Essay Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), mostly known as secondhand smoke, is the smoke from a burning cigarette and exhaled by the smoker that unwittingly inhaled by other people. This has always been the case, but the dangers of secondhand smoking were not really known until 1986, when the Surgeon General came out with his report that warned people about â€Å"involuntary smoking† and even about the possibility of smoking related diseases in healthy non-smokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke. The health professionals prefer to use the term second hand smoke instead of Environmental Tobacco Smoke because the two terms have highly differing definitions. ETS is used more as a definition of the way the environment reacts to the presence of tobacco smoke rather than the relationship of the smoke to the human health component.There are 2 types of second hand smoke that each individual is exposed to. The smoke that emanates from the lit tip of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar is known a s Side Stream Smoke. While the smoke blown by the smoker is known as Main Stream Smoke. Any person unwittingly exposed to the hazards of second hand smoke is termed as an Involuntary Smoker. As such, his body is exposed to and made to absorb the carcinogenic chemicals the same way the willing smokers do. This is why both smokers and non-smokers are at equal risk of developing a one of the many cancers that can be activated by the carcinogens in the cigarette.Something that most people exposed to second hand smoke do not realize is that second hand smoke exposes the non-smoker to   4000 or more various chemical mixes. At least 60 of these chemical components are well known carcinogens. Whether they realize it or not, primary smokers expose everyone around them to all the carcinogenic hazards stemming from mainstream and side stream smoke. In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer conducted a monograph regarding tobacco and second hand smoke. The agency came to the co nclusion that second hand smoke can cause lung cancer in non smokers if the exposure to the smoke stream remains constant. Studies have proven that a smoker only inhales 15% of the smoke he puffs. A dangerously high 85% of the remaining smoke is diffused and absorbed by the environmental air causing it to be inhaled by the non- smokers. The report further states that:There is sufficient evidence that involuntary smoking (exposure to second-hand or environmental tobacco smoke) causes lung cancer in humans† and makes the overall evaluation that â€Å"Involuntary smoking (exposure to secondhand or environmental tobacco smoke) is carcinogenic to humans.Truly, secondhand smoke is a health risk and it can lead to lung cancer, sinus cancer, cervical, breast, and bladder cancer. Still, even if secondhand smoke does not lead to serious incurable diseases, it often leads to general health problems for both adults and children.Surveys have shown that as of June 2007, second hand smoking has been the cause of death for approximately 3,400 lung   cancer and 46,000 heart disease patients yearly   in the United States. Such a high rate of deaths stems from the increased level of second hand smoke in the places frequented by adults for social gatherings. A person who regularly goes to restaurants and bars is exposed to a smoke level 5 times higher than in their homes and offices. For married couples, the statistics are even more staggering. There is an estimated 35,000 non smokers deaths in households where one spouse is a non smoker. Lung cancer is usually diagnosed in about 3.400 adult patients. The list of recurring illnesses in people constantly exposed to second hand smoke lists like ordinary, negligible illnesses that should clear up on it’s own. Coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort and weak lungs, are only a partial listing of illnesses that beset adult non smokers.The most innocent victims of second hand smoke are the children. Mothers who constantly e xpose the unborn fetus to second hand smoke risk giving birth to low birth weight babies. It is estimated that about 67% of babies are born into a household with at least one smoker in the family. The exposure may also cause complications and health hazards in the development of an unborn child’s lungs and brain. A child’s exposure to second hand smoke also increases the risk of developing childhood asthma. Children who are prone to sinusitis and chronic respiratory problems (e.g. coughing and post nasal drip) will find that exposure to the smoke also causes chronic colds and coughing. The Environmental Protection Agency conducted a study in 1992 that confirms that exposure to second hand smoke causes lower respiratory tract infections in about 300,000 children ages 18 months and below.Although there has been no formal research as to whether cigarette odors can cause cancer, what has been proven is that the smoke sticks to anything and everything that lies in its path. The smell of the second hand smoke sticks to hair, clothes, and other surfaces. It is therefore believed that any cancer causing effects from such exposures will be highly minimal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, research in this area has shown that even exposure to small amounts of secondhand smoke is harmful to health and elimination of secondhand smoke from all indoor spaces is necessary to assure a healthy environment.   In fact, creating spaces for smokers, and separating smokers from non-smokers is a smart way to deal with secondhand smoke. It is something that the government has been able to institute and much progress has been made in this area. Today it is common to see â€Å"no smoking signs† in all public spaces, including, airports, hospitals, schools, office buildings, and other public institutions.   Proper ventilation of pubic spaces is another way to insure that everyone is protected from a hazardous breathing environment.   Clearly, o n an individual basis people can insure themselves and their families by eliminating secondhand smoke from their homes and cars.Of course, eradicating smoking from society is not easy, especially because it is such a big business. However, through education, and gentle, and not so gentle persuasion it is up to society to encourage the smokers to quit and the non-smokers to never pick up the habit. If we don’t turn a blind eye to an obvious problem it may save someone’s life in the long run. It is imperative that there is education in the schools that emphasizes the damaging effects of smoking on people.   Once people are aware of statistics about smoking and know the real story, they may think twice about picking up this bad habit.There are ways and means to avoid exposure to second hand smoke if one is really determined to quit smoking or limit his, her , or family exposure to the carcinogenic elements in the air they breath. For starters, a person who is still smok ing can choose to stop smoking. There was various ways and means available to quit smoking such as a nicotine patch of nicotine gum to help ease the toxin out of the body. When dealing with household companions who smoke, you must talk to them and convince them of the ill effects of smoking on both the smoker and non smokers. If they won’t listen to reason, the non smoker should demand that the smoking take place away from the person, if possible, outside of the home. Make the car a non smoking area and make sure that exposure to areas that have high second hand smoke content is limited or totally eliminated.In conclusion, I would like to mention that according to the American Lung Association, the move to ban smoking in public places in order to limit the public exposure to second hand smoke has begun to pick up steam in at least 15 states in the country. The ALA report indicates that:Fifteen states Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massac husetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico prohibit smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon and Utah have passed legislation prohibiting smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, but the laws have not taken full effect yetWork Citedâ€Å"Children and Second Hand Smoke†. American Academy of Pediatric Otolaryngology . 2007. 31 July 2007. http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/tobacco/secondhand_smoke.cfm.â€Å"Second Hand Smoke â€Å".American Cancer Society. 2007. 29 July 2007. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Secondhand_Smoke-Clean_Indoor_Air.asp.â€Å"Second Hand Smoke†. Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco. 2007. 30 July 2007. http://www.ocat.org/healtheffects/index.html.â€Å"Second hand Smoke Fact Sheet†. American Lung Association . June 2007. 31 July 2007. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0Eb=35422.â€Å"The Effects of Second Hand Smoke†.   essortment . 2002. 30 July 2007. http://mo.essortment.com/secondhandsmok_rxgs.htm.

Grandparents and an Online Degree Program Essays

Grandparents and an Online Degree Program Essays Grandparents and an Online Degree Program Essay Grandparents and an Online Degree Program Essay When many of us were young, our grandparents – in our estimation – could have been anywhere from 100 to 150 years old. We had no concept of ages; only that our grandparents were elderly people that hailed from another generation. With people living longer and much healthier lives, the grandparent of today does not resemble the grandparent of years’ past. In fact, grandparents are only grandparents in name and position only; many are young, vibrant, working people in the prime of their lives. Age no longer defines us as it once did, and many people – regardless of their age or their â€Å"place† in the family – are pursuing goals that were once reserved for the very young. A college education, as a matter of fact, was once something that most of us earned as young people in our twenties. In fact, there were some generations in which a college education was largely a male pursuit. That generation has now caught up with the generation where a college education is genderless and ageless; and they are jumping on the bandwagon to earn what is rightfully theirs to earn. While there may be little time in the day for a round trip to a campus that may be logistically inconvenient – as well as the time necessary to sit in class – there is the possibility for people of all ages to earn an online degree. The Internet has made all things possible; and a college education is no exception. Through an online degree program, people of all ages can simply login to complete all that is required in the class – reading, assignments, projects, and even quizzes and exams. All that is required to complete an online degree is acceptance into an accredited program, a computer with access to the Internet, and the desire to finally earn that college education. :

Why is the European Crisis So Much More Severe than the US Crisis and Essay

Why is the European Crisis So Much More Severe than the US Crisis and What Could Be Done to Fix It - Essay Example This crisis first manifested in late 2009 when the sovereign debt crisis was triggered by the increased levels of government debt around the world, and it was worsened by the downgrading of government debts for some European countries. Various causes of economic crises were seen for different European countries and all of these issues converged to form sovereign debts which were further increased by banking bailouts. In some other countries in Europe, their crisis was caused by private debts arising from the downturn of the property market. Greece was one of the countries which were significantly affected by this crisis. However, in general, the impact of the European crisis has been largely extensive. The impact of this crisis however seems to be larger and longer as compared to the US economic crisis as the US is now manifesting improvements in their economy. This paper shall discuss why the European crisis is so much more severe than the US crisis and what could be done to fix it. ... In effect, any economic decision and government solution imposed by the US federal government is a decision which is meant to affect the entire country, not just a particular state (Koba, 2012). For the European community however, the crisis stems from a variety of causes for different countries and any solution to be implemented by the European community would be difficult to implement to all countries (Nelson, et.al., 2012). The European crisis is taking much longer than the US crisis to resolve because it is caused by various issues. These causes seem to include the following or a combination of the following: globalized finance, flexible credit option from 2002 to 2008 which caused high-risk spending, 2007-2012 global financial crisis, global trade imbalance, real estate crisis, 2008-2012 international recession, and bailouts of banks and private bondholders (Kakutani, 2011). All of these elements combined form the European economic crisis. In the last two years, the European Zon e has carried out various considerations on how to handle their crisis. However, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and even Italy have experienced a significant rating downgrade of their sovereign debt (Kakutani, 2011). This led to issues of default and a significant rise in borrowing costs. And, while this zone may be prompted to do whatever it would take to resolve the crisis, it would be unlikely for the situation to be resolved in the immediate foreseeable future. This crisis is not a classic currency issue (Sri Kumar, 2012). It is an issue which involves the management of economies in a currency zone, with their related economic and political issues arising from the fact that their citizens are doing

CLC EMR Business Plan-Executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

CLC EMR Business Plan-Executive summary - Essay Example 11). That is, organizations all around the globe are doing all their best to promote their competitive advantage in their respective industries. To be specific, hospitals and other institutions all around the world are fighting tooth and nail to remain up to date with all major technological advancements that influence their success in the health industry (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). It is hereby clear that for any organization to triumph in the current and future status of different industries, technology has to be in the forefront of the day-to-day operations (Kate, 2012). In this sense, this paper aims to provide a market plan for promoting the adoption of Healthland EMR software via an account of Inner City Care LLC. To ensure that the business plan succeeds in promoting the targeted area of concern, this paper is divided into five major sections (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). The first section analyses the background of the company that this paper aims to lay on its major mark eting strategy. This is followed by a thorough analysis of the market that this industry dwells on. Thirdly, a well-planned sales and marketing strategy is described to clarify how exactly the business is going to promote its competitive advantage. ... e at the companies two main areas concern, namely, the Inner City Care Hospital (ICCH) and Inner City Care Clinic (ICC) (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). In addition, recent acquirement of 4 satellite clinics create a clear background of how the company’s focus has greatly benefited from technology (Kate, 2012). To be brief, Inner City Care LLC is made up by a membership of thirty (30) people whom have enjoyed the fact that the company has an expansive customer base. That is, through its technologically focused health care services, the company has created a great customer base, which keeps on expanding day in day out. This great background of Inner City Care hospital has played a huge in ensuring that a more strategized business plan has to be in place to guarantee the company’s vision. The chief vision at Inner City Care LLC has been to create a full service medical centre along with clinics. This is to ensure that Inner City maintains its focus on the use of technologic ally advanced medical services and advanced learning and research opportunities for the respective stakeholders (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). Essentially, this vision has been playing a very huge role the partnerships between the company and other education institutions. This is to provide a platform for novices and other advanced members in the industry to get well prepared to be successful in promoting the globally accepted standards of high-tech health care professionals. Among some of the most notable advancements in the United States’ health industry is the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems (Rochelle and Courtney, 2010). Several health care organizations are taking advantage of the fact there is a large number of software development companies that deliver these products and at

There is no set topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

There is no set topic - Research Paper Example The poem has four stanzas, each of eight lines, which follow a rhyming scheme of abababcd. There are many imageries employed in the poem as the poet compares his old being with â€Å"a paltry thing† and â€Å"A tattered coat upon a stick†. According to the poet, he is an old creature who has no value and is like a torn coat hanging on a stick. His existence is all ragged because of the long time that he has passed in this world but Byzantium is full of youth and inspires him with its youthfulness. He further elaborates his situation and says, According to Yeats, his soul is â€Å"fastened to a dying animal† and that is his body. He describes that he is old and his body is no more young, however, his soul is youthful and is â€Å"sick with desire†. According to Rukhaya (2010), â€Å"It now seems like an alien to himself incompatible with his aged body†. His body is alien to him, as he wants to get rid of it because of his youthful soul. Yeats shows infatuation with the idea of gold and gold creations as he mentions gold a number of times in the poem as he uses the words, â€Å"gold mosaic†, â€Å"hammered gold†, â€Å"gold enamelling† and â€Å"golden bough†. Yeats uses a number of symbols in â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† such as â€Å"Byzantium† (Holy City), â€Å"dying animal† (old man), â€Å"mortal dress† (human body) and gold made bird by â€Å"Grecian goldsmiths. Franke (1998) says, â€Å"One of the most powerful and richly poetic of all Yeats’ unifying symbols is the Sacred City of Byzantium† (25).Byzantium that is used as a holy land by Yeats is itself a poetic symbol employed by him. The word, â€Å"Byzantium† stands for ancient art and what is manmade. Yeats shows inspiration for Byzantium because of its association with Greek world and artistic vigor found in the land. Byzantium is depicted as an eternal land. The poem Sailing to Byzantium by W.B. Yeats,

Relationship Between Ethics And The Law In Business Philosophy Essay

Relationship Between Ethics And The Law In Business Philosophy Essay Whatever the power and influence of the lawyers prior to the clients arrival at court, it becomes overwhelming once the parties are on court premises. The powerlessness of clients in the hands of their professional retainers becomes acute. The lawyers control the proceedings because it is they who possess the requisite specialist knowledge. Clients, as employers, have to accept responsibility for the actions of their employees, but their instructions are based on their employees own advice. They are caught in the lawyers web of power. This web is constructed from the triadic interaction of knowledge, culture and discourse. The detailed knowledge of the law, which of course is what people engage lawyers for, is also what sets lawyers apart from other people in the legal setting; and it is the legal setting which allows the lawyer to create an aura of superiority vis-Ã  -vis the legal lay person. It is not just that lawyers possess a certain know-how, but that they are also privy to the values, concepts and understandings which inform that bank of knowledge (DuPlessis, et al. 2011). The statutes of law do not operate in a vacuum or in a neutral environment, but are the products of, and in their turn help to reproduce, a specific legal context. People who are not versed in this legal context and are therefore not privy to the legal culture encapsulated within it, are doubly disadvantaged in the legal setting. They are alienated from the basic facts of law and from the world-view which provides the background to those legal facts. Thus clients, even when they have been told the legal position in regard to their own case, may find it extremely difficult to see the logic or justice which their lawyers assure them is there. Equally, lawyers may feel frustrated at the apparent inability or unwillingness of their clients to accept what they regard as the even-handedness of the law. Different types of organization present different problems and possibilities for equality activists. In business companies they are up against the often inflexible aims of profit, productivi ty, and capital accumulation. In the public sector the balance of service versus cost efficiency can (within governmental constraints) be modified by goals imposed by parties with political control. A trade union is different again. It is a membership organization, usually with a constitution reflecting democratic principles and a perceived obligation to represent its members-in internal transaction of its affairs, in external campaigns and in collective bargaining with the employer. A union is also an employer, of paid organizers and administrators, office workers and other employees. When a trade union takes on sex equality it can and must rethink activity in all these spheres. How should we consider the burden of further speech if we recognize that the legal rule might come as a surprise? As an empirical proposition, one might hazard the guess that building contractors and owners are more likely to be equal in their knowledge of the law than are sellers and buyers of goods. In each case, the suppliers are likely to have some knowledge of the law governing their transactions because that is their business. On the other side of the deal, buildings are usually expensive, and thus justify a substantial investment in the costs of the transaction; moreover, owners are customarily aided, in dealing with contractors, by architects, whose business this also is, and whose trade association supports them with legal information and form documents. By contrast, buyers of goods are often consumers making purchases small in comparison to buildings, and unaided by professionals. In allocating the burden of a rule which is defeasible by contract, there is much to be said f or placing the burden of the rule on the party more likely to find out about it, and therefore more likely to make it a matter of express contractknown to both sidesif the rule is ill-suited to the particular case. While there may be no class of parties systematically more knowledgeable in construction cases, in sale-of-goods cases, sellers may well be. Perfect tender is, as already discussed, the seller-burdening doctrine. Important to an understanding of lawyers and their corporate clients is knowing what attorneys did for corporations. An attorneys representation of a corporate client or employment as house counsel set out a relationship, but function portrays the lawyers role in a clearer brush stroke. Lawyers created new business structures and developed new patterns of commerce. The advice of counsel went far beyond litigation to the essence of business by the close of the century. In the corporate world, lawyers performed many functions. Attorneys were creators of relationships, drafting corporate articles, contracts, and various other legal devices of business. They were facilitators of enterprise, buying and selling land as agents, negotiating contracts, and mediating differences of perspective. Some lawyers, like Jackson A. Graves, were bankers lawyers who became bankers. They smoothed the financial transactions that greased the wheels of industry. The law was in books but lawyers on the stree t put the dynamics of law into action. An important benefit to clients was that lawyers were problem solvers. They sorted out the clutter of enterprise when needed. John D. Bicknell put it well in a letter to E. L. Mayberry of Hemet in 1896: The affairs of the Bear Valley Company are in such an interminable complication and confusion that no attorney can safely undertake to advise without a thorough examination of the whole history of the transactions of this corporation. Solving problems sometimes involved an attorneys immersion in the business of a corporation to bring business and legal sense to the clients transactions. When an attorney had an ongoing relationship with a company, knowledge of the business made providing legal and business advice easier. Lawyers also sorted out understandings, intent, and meaning in transactions for corporations. Henry W. OMelvenys journal entry for Saturday, February 4, 1899, recorded one such session among lawyers. Knowledge of the law is an es sential business asset. Informed owners and managers can protect their businesses by ensuring compliance with legal requirements. They can capitalize on the planning function of law to ensure the future of their business by entering into contracts (DuPlessis, et al. 2011). What is the relationship between ethics and the law in business? What is ethics? How does it compare to economics, the social science wherein commerce is studied? What scope does ethics have and what are its various subdivisions? What are some prominent systems and theories of ethics? What should ethics be understood to involve for ordinary citizens not specializing in moral philosophy; i.e., what is the common sense of ethics? What problems may face us in the relationship between ethics and law, and between ethics and public policy? According to DuPlessis, et al. business ethics are moral principles and values that seek to determine right and wrong in the business world (2011). A final point should be noted about ethics in general. However much one carefully reads articles or listens to lectures about ethics, morality, standards of right conduct, ultimately the matter is in the individuals own hand, unless he or she is a prisoner or slave or is severely incapacitated. The crucial feature of ethics is, after all, personal responsibility to do well at living a human life. That is not something that can be implanted or programmed into people, but must be a matter of the individuals own choice and will. Whether a person is indeed making the choice to act rightly and what this means is just what ethics and its various branches, including business ethics, ultimately attempt to clarify. Ethics deals with the question of how persons should conduct themselves. Managerial ethics, then, is concerned with the question of how a manager (or an entrepreneur as manager) should conduct him or herself so that the organizational goals and objectives are achieved in a manner consistent with the principles of conduct that ethics dictates. There are two areas to which ethical principles can be applied to managerial conduct: first, to the objectives or goals chosen for the organization, and second, to the strategies, tactics, and policies employed for the attainment of these objectives or goals. Therefore, managerial ethics can be divided into two parts; management goals, and management strategies, tactics, and policies. Business Goals Within a free market society, it is generally thought that the primary goal of a business organization is the attainment of profit. Though businesses often consider other objectives (service to customers, employee needs and wellbeing, assistance to the needy) it cannot be denied that the attainment of profit is the overall and guiding objective of the business organization (DuPlessis, et al. 2011). Thus, the first question that managerial ethics should consider is whether or not it is ethically proper to make the attainment of profit the objective of a business firm. This is a most important question today, for it is sometimes said that the pursuit of profit ought not be the primary and dominant goal of a business firm but rather must be balanced by concern for customers, employees, or society. In order to see what the standards for proper managerial conduct might be, we need to understand what is meant by free market society. Management Goals Within a free market society, it is generally thought that the primary goal of a business organization is the attainment of profit. Though businesses often consider other objectives (service to customers, employee needs and wellbeing, assistance to the needy) it cannot be denied that the attainment of profit is the overall and guiding objective of the business organization. Thus, the first question that managerial ethics should consider is whether or not it is ethically proper to make the attainment of profit the objective of a business firm. This is a most important question today, for it is sometimes said that the pursuit of profit ought not be the primary and dominant goal of a business firm but rather must be balanced by concern for customers, employees, or society. In order to see what the standards for proper managerial conduct might be, we need to understand what is meant by free market society and profit, and what ethics has to say about such a society and goal (DuPlessis, et al. 2011). The Free Market Society and Profit The terms free market society are not solely descriptive. They signify a set of economic and social arrangements that presupposes a certain ethical perspective. For example, Murder Incorporated would not be regarded as a business firm in such a society but would instead be viewed as criminal that ought not and must not be allowed to operate. Similarly, the term profit does not mean merely a return on an economic exchange that is over costs; it also involves a certain type of exchange; namely, a free or voluntary exchange. In order to understand the ethical perspective from which the terms free market society and profit derive their particular meaning, we should consider the notion of individual rights. Business ethics-while sometimes but not always coextensive with legal requirements are also increasingly important to running a successful business (DuPlessis, et al. 2011). A free market society is a society based on the recognition of individual rights. Individual rights are the means of subordinating society to moral law. They determine what matters of morality; what ought to be, are to be matters of law; what must be. The view of rights that a free market society is based on is one that holds that every person has the right to life and its corollaries: liberty and property. These rights are rights to actions -that is, the right to take all the actions necessary for the support and furtherance of ones life, and the right to the action of producing or earning something and keeping, using, and disposing of it according to ones goals. To have a right in this sense morally obligates others to abstain from physical compulsion, coercion, or interference. Such actions may only be taken in self-defense and only against those who initiate physical compulsion, coercion, or interference. The right to life also morally sanctions the and profit, and what ethics h as to say about such a society and goal. freedom to act by means of ones voluntary, uncoerced choice for ones own goals. Thus, the activities of producing and exchanging goods and services in a free market society are both protected and governed by this conception of individual rights. Ethics, the Free Market Society, and the Pursuit of Profit Within the legal framework of a free market society, is the managerial decision to make the attainment of profit the overall and guiding objective of the business firm ethically justifiable? Are the principles in terms of which the legal framework of a free market society developed (that is, the foregoing account of individual rights) ethically justifiable? The answers to these questions cannot be discovered by managerial or business ethics alone. These questions require the more fundamental disciplines of ethics and political philosophy. The standard for proper managerial conduct cannot be derived independently of those ethical principles that determine how human beings ought to live their lives and those political principles that determine the ethical principles by which human beings must live their lives, that is, be a matter of law. The standard for proper managerial conduct must be in accord with what the principles of ethics and political philosophy advise; it cannot contradict the overall frame of reference that the more basic disciplines of ethics and political philosophy provide.

Islamic Art :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islamic Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islamic art is perhaps the most accessible manifestation of a complex civilization that often seems enigmatic to outsiders. Through its brilliant use of color and its superb balance between design and form, Islamic art creates an immediate visual impact. Its strong aesthetic appeal transcends distances in time and space, as well as differences in language, culture, and creed. Islamic art not only invites a closer look but also beckons the viewer to learn more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The term Islamic art may be confusing to some. It not only describes the art created specifically in the service of , but it also characterizes secular art produced in lands under Islamic rule or influence, whatever the artist’s or the patron’s religious affiliation. The term suggests an art unified in style and purpose, and indeed there are certain common features that distinguish the arts of all Islamic lands.†1 Although this is a highly dynamic art, which is often marked by strong regional characteristics as well as by significant influences from other cultures, it retains an overall coherence that is remarkable given its vast geographic and temporal boundaries. Of paramount concern to the development of this singular art is Islam itself, which fostered the creation of a distinctive visual culture with its own unique artistic language. Calligraphy is the most important and pervasive element in Islamic art. It has always been considered the noblest form of art because of its association with the , the Muslim holy book, which is written in Arabic. This preoccupation with beautiful writing extended to all arts including secular manuscripts; inscriptions on palaces; and those applied to metalwork, pottery, stone, glass, wood, and textiles and to non-Arabic-speaking peoples within the Islamic commonwealth whose languages such as Persian, Turkish, and Urdu were written in the Arabic script. Another characteristic of Islamic art is a preference for covering surfaces with patterns composed of geometric or vegetal elements. Complex geometric designs, as well as intricate patterns of vegetal ornament (such as the arabesque), create the impression of unending repetition, which is believed by some to be an inducement to contemplate the infinite nature of God. This type of nonrepresentational decoration may have been developed to such a high degree in Islamic art because of the absence of figural imagery, at least within a religious context.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contrary to a popular misconception, however, figural imagery is an important aspect of Islamic art. Such images occur primarily in secular and especially courtly arts and appear in a wide variety of media and in most periods and places in which Islam flourished. It is important to note, nevertheless, that