Effect of the Financial Crisis on the British Economy

Effect of the Financial Crisis on the British Economy To what extent has Britain been affected by the financial crisis and what efforts contribute to recovery of the British economy? The worldwide financial crisis of 2007-2008 almost brought down the global financial system. The fundamental cause agreed broadly was the combination of credit and the housing bubble crunch (Acharya and Richardson, 2009). Most people are placed on the same side of credit ranking relaxing area; however, the question may be raised that why the housing bubble would bring the financial system instead of having an effect on just on the housing sector of the economy. The answer is assigned to the bankers and regulators on the Wall Street. In this global economic crisis, banks had shirked regulatory capital requirements with the temporarily placed assets increasing and the reduction on the number of holding capital requirement allowed by the regulators. The financial crisis began to out of control after September 2008 and led to a number of fairly large financial institutions bankrupt or takeover by governments. As a financial industry and service oriented country, although Britain has a smaller size of economies of scale than America, financial industry accounted for a greater proportion of the national economy, the real estate market existing bubble as well. Therefore, the British economy suffered a massive hit by the crisis and shaped the current British commercial and business scene (Hodson and Mabbett, 2009, pp. 1041–1061). These factors are making a huge influence on the public now, either at national or individual level. Under such circumstances, Britain tends to cut government expenditure to repay debt rather than cause inflation. In terms of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, the British economy is picking up by 0.2% and confidence of consumers is being improved. This essay will contain two main parts. The first part aims to give an overview of the British economy has been affected by the financial crisis on the following aspects. They are currency devaluation, housing and mortgage market bubble as well as the employment policy. In the second part, this essay will demonstrate the consequences of these aspects and efforts contributing to the British economic recovery, especially for employment policy. For a better understanding, efforts and consequences will follow behind by introducing the three aspects. First of all, devaluation is a natural process in financial markets. All currencies exchange rates will rise or fall based on the international situation and the states financial condition. Assume 5 British pounds were able to buy 10 U.S. dollars years ago, today the pound could be devalued and its purchasing power would only be enough to buy 7 dollars. Compared with the devaluation of the market, governments around the world sometimes use devaluation as a balance tool to protect their trade. For instance, the country could benefit from the lower cost of its export of goods if the currency is devaluated. Meanwhile, the lower currency value encourages exports and discourages imports, which could improve trade deficit and imbalances for the country. So far, the sharp depreciation of sterling in 2008 was not due to naturally devaluation process but by the true power-driven, the global financial crisis (Broadbent, 2011). In addition, trade performance of the UK since financial crisis in 2008 has been part of an essential developments in the British economy. Despite a fact that extensive depreciation in the value of sterling, which should have enhanced the UK’s competitiveness theoretically, the performance of UK trade has remained relatively stable (Hardie et al., 2003). As can be observed in the figure 1, there was a massive depreciation from 2007 to 2008 and the trade deficit stayed open. At the same time, import prices went up by a fairly large amount as well as export prices according to the figure 2. Which is not coherence with economic theory that currency depreciation encourages exports and discourages imports. Figure 1: Sterling effective exchange rate and balance of UK trade Figure 2: Sterling effective exchange rate index and UK import and export price indices Figure 3: Earnings against inflation Moreover, the reason for why there was a large depreciation of sterling during 2007 and 2009 is because the value of the sterling is tied up with the price and turnover of financial assets in the City of London. While, the UK does not contribute to the same position as America, which has the Worlds’ reserve currency. And hence when asset prices took the hardest hit in 2007-2008, the sterling did as well. This phenomenon demonstrates the sensitivity of the sterling that might occur in the financial markets. Furthermore, based on figure 3, the consequences of sterling depreciation cause a dramatic decline with earnings growth from around 4.5 per cent in 2007 to just above 1 per cent in 2009, even though the price inflation decrease during 2008. Forecast could be made from the data that standards of living quality for British people fall markedly (Hardie et al., 2003). The second impact by the 2007-2008 global financial crisis within the British economy is housing and mortgage market bubble. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (2010) point out that the housing market is playing an essential role in UK economic activity, and there was a high owner-occupation rate stood at 68% in 2010 (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). However, the financial crisis associated with the credit crunch means that the UK market faced a further problem relating to the housing and mortgage market. Prior to the financial crash, borrowers were in a position to finance at least 95% of the purchase price using mortgage debt (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). By contrast, banks withdrew the majority of these offers after crash, and many increased the required down-payment from the historical average of 10 percent to 25 percent (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). The British Banking Association (2013) indicates that house purchases sum reduc ed from almost  £12 billion in November 2006 to around  £2000 in November 2008. Prima facie this had improved slightly to  £4550 million by July 2012, but this was still below the historical average. In terms of credit becomes more readily available eventually, the housing market still performs unlikely to revert to pre-crisis levels. Hence, the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) placed proposals to a greater formal restriction on mortgage lending. The Council of Mortgage lenders suggested that the implementation of these proposed restrictions could see four million fewer mortgages in the United Kingdom over the subsequent four years (Niklewski et al., 2013, PP. 518–530). Finally, international financial crisis caused serious problems on the status of British employment. And the National Bureau of Statistics report shows that by October 2008, there were more than 150,000 jobs to be cut. Thus, UK jobless claims have increased by 257,500. Moreover, the British company lay off up to 38,588 people mainly due to high cost and low demand during the preceding three months. Under such situations, the British government had taken a number of steps to slow the further development of expanding unemployment and helped to recover the British economy to some certain extent. This could be split into two points. The first one is to encourage employment directly. And there are four policies will be presented at this point. Policy one: at least 100,000 new jobs were established through infrastructure projects. The British government implemented a total of  £10 billion for infrastructure investment plans in 2009, including education, transportation and other infrastructure projects in order to create at least 100,000 additional jobs. This measure was appropriate to provide a large number of jobs for British workers, reducing the unemployment rate as well as promoting the improvement of infrastructure. This has encouraged the development of economy and city construction in the long run. However, the biggest problem is the huge pressure for fiscal policy of expend iture, which may lead to British citizens’ tax burden in the future. The second policy was for women were received training allowance for re-employment. This policy had improved the housewife job enthusiasm to some significant extent, and it relieved the economic pressure due to decrease income by husband unemployment; also promoted the sex ratio of the employment market equilibrium. However, this policy has intensified competition among job markets, the employment situation will deteriorate further, and the effect may deviate from the original purposes. Policy three was the National Program to promote the employment of university students. Based on the view of the great employment pressure, the British government launched a National Program in 2009, helped the college students who were failed to find a job to get an internship in enterprise or other organizations, improving their occupation and comprehensive quality by skill training (White Paper, 2011). Then, reach the goal for the final realization of employment. This policy increased the quantity and quality of employment. At the same time, because of financial crisis, British unemployment rate for young people under the age of 25 continues to increase. Hence, the British government introduced a number of youth employment measures for 18 to 24 years old people, to help them find work or study, where can improve their employment skills (White Paper, 2011). The positive effect of this policy is obvious. For instance, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that about 30 million people were in work at the end of 2012, an increase of 154000 on the quarter to September, which is the most obvious improvement since 2007 (King, 2013) The last policy was restricting immigration. The British government started to increase the difficulty of immigrants in October 2008 (GOV.UK, 2014), and limited the number of British immigrants to the open jobs. This policy has reduced the British resident employment pressure to a certain extent, but it will cause hatred between the British and foreign immigrants, which may lead to the problem of racial discrimination. Meanwhile, this policy made life more difficult for immigrating people who have already lived in the UK. Therefore, government had to increase fiscal expenditure on their housing and daily expenses. Which was also made the foreign immigrants cannot engage in some work that British people do not want to engage in, it may hinder the British economic development to some extent. The second point was to pay a subsidy to the unemployed class, and this will be introduced by three policies. The first one was spending  £50 million to help the unemployed people. In order to cushion the impact of the economic recession, the British government planned to apply for a package of measures to help the long-term jobless workers back to the positions in the next two years since April 2009. Spending on this plan was around  £50million, which including paying compensation to the company to hiring workers who are unemployed for more than six months. These measures improved the re-employed workers’ skills and promoted the employment rate. However, paying subsidy to jobless people may cause ethical risks of enterprises. Because of obtain the compensation payment from the government, enterprises may take negative training even repeat its layoffs behavior, which leads to the re-employment rights and interests cannot be ensured. The second policy was that an unemployed worker could delay the mortgage interest payments up to 2 years. The British government provided guarantees to lenders, allowing those property buyers who lost their jobs and income appear serious decline can delay the mortgage interest payments up to 2 years. It helps to prevent the default risk on interest payment. If this policy is implemented, buyers can afford the monthly repayment, the risk of default will be reduced. Also, it helps the buyers overcome the current financial crisis smoothly. Nevertheless, there is no accurate calculation on the cost of risky loan guarantee provided by the government. If the cost is quite high, the reachable and feasibility of the reformed policy are still far from satisfactory. At the same time, the Bank of England offers loan, if the government is responsible for guaranteeing costs, the liquidity will become worse, which may lead to continuing market turmoil. The final policy was raising the minimum wage standard. The British government raised the minimum wage standards in the late 2008. However, it was obvious to see the dual characters of this policy during the recession. On the one hand, there is an undeniable fact that an increase in the minimum wage will increase income of workers living at the bottom of society relatively, which strengthen their basic livelihood security and maintain their basic living standard for low income groups. It serves to sustain the stability of British society. On the other hand, minimum wage standards will also increase the labor cost of enterprises directly. The increased burden would have a negative effect on employing workers, and cause the amount of jobless people increase, which deteriorates the employment environment. Even bring negative effect on the British economic recovery.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 17

The next day was only a partial shift at work for me, but when I saw how busy things were, I suspected I'd have a hard time dragging myself away. Seth wasn't working in the caf? ¦, but I found a note on my desk. He'd apparently already been there earlier. Thetis – Have some errands to run, but I'd like to see you later. I miss you and don't like how we left things. Come on over later when you get the chance. I'll be home all night. Love, Seth I had some things of my own to take care of, and after reading his note, I suddenly wanted them done as soon as possible so that I could go see him. As I was about to leave, Maddie caught a hold of me and covertly led me into the history books. To my astonishment, she pushed down her shirt collar, baring her shoulder. â€Å"Whoa,† I joked. â€Å"Don't you think things are moving kind of fast?† â€Å"Look,† she whispered, pointing at the lacy bra strap that had been revealed. â€Å"It's red.† â€Å"That it is,† I agreed, still a little puzzled. â€Å"It's number one.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"My three adventurous things. I bought a red bra.† I stared in astonishment. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought you said my idea was ridiculous?† She averted her eyes. â€Å"I thought it was†¦but then, well†¦I heard about Seth. What happened to him. You were there, right?† My favorite topic. â€Å"Yeah, I was there.† â€Å"Didn't it freak you out? I mean†¦right there in front of you: life and death.† â€Å"Yeah. Kind of.† Shaking her head, she looked back up at me. â€Å"Hearing what happened to him just kind of shook me up. I told you it wasn't that easy to be adventurous, but suddenly I decided that maybe it was. I just had to take control.† I smiled. â€Å"With a red bra.† She flushed. â€Å"Hey! All your lingerie may be red and edible, but this is the first bra I've ever bought that isn't white or black.† I reined in my humor and gave her a genuinely pleased smile. â€Å"I'm proud of you, Maddie. I really am.† â€Å"Don't patronize me,† she warned. â€Å"I'm not. It looks great. You get matching underwear?† Now she really looked embarrassed. â€Å"A thong.† I repressed the urge to whistle. â€Å"Nice work, soldier.† She wandered off, back to the registers. Moments later, I felt an immortal signature and a touch on my shoulder. Spinning around, I found Tawny's enormous chest practically shoved into my face. I'd heard little from the succubus since I'd called to tell her she had a job at Simon's. Niphon's presence at the poker game had been the only indication that she still hadn't bagged a guy. â€Å"Georgina – † she wailed, lower lip trembling. â€Å"No, no,† I interrupted. I grabbed her arm and dragged her toward my office. â€Å"Not here.† I managed to close the door just before she burst into tears. I groaned. â€Å"Now what's happened?† â€Å"I met a guy last night.† She flounced into my chair, and it was a wonder her breasts didn't hit her in the face. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my own chest in a sort of protective gesture. â€Å"Okay†¦that's not a bad thing.† She swallowed a sob, and it was all I could do not to clean up the mascara smudges on her face. Honestly, how much did that woman wear? â€Å"We had a great time†¦had drinks and talked and all that.† â€Å"That's not a bad thing either.† She shook her head. â€Å"But at the end of the night, he told me he just wanted to be friends.† â€Å"He – wait. You got the friends line from someone you just met?† Tawny nodded. â€Å"What did you say to him? Like†¦did you proposition him?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I asked him if he wanted to meet me in the bathroom and try out this edible mint chocolate warming gel I have.† â€Å"You – what?† Tawny reached into her purse and started to pull out a tube of something. I waved her off. â€Å"No, no. I don't need to see it.† â€Å"What went wrong?† she cried. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wasn't sure if I should laugh or weep. Tawny was never going to pull this off. Never. â€Å"You might have come on too strong. And honestly†¦that gel thing? That's just weird.† â€Å"I thought guys were into that kind of thing.† â€Å"Some are†¦but, I don't know. What kind of guy is he? What's he do for a living?† â€Å"He's a cashier.† â€Å"Hmm. Okay. That's not too bad.† â€Å"Over at Blessed Images.† â€Å"Over at – you propositioned a guy who works at a religious supply store?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I wanted a good one,† she told me. â€Å"There's no better place.† â€Å"Oh my God. Tawny†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't even know where to start. There were so many nuances to seduction, so many tactics and strategies. She didn't know any of them, and seriously, I didn't even know if she could learn. â€Å"I got you the strip club job†¦why are you trolling religious supply stores? Guys should just be coming up to you after your sets.† Something troubling occurred to me. â€Å"You do still have the job, don't you?† I believed Simon would stick to his word, but one never knew for sure with his type. â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she mumbled. â€Å"But those guys aren't – â€Å" â€Å"For the last time! Forget the good ones. You can't afford to be choosy.† I studied her. She was clearly low on energy again. Frowning, I recalled my date with Liam. â€Å"So†¦Tawny†¦things really didn't work out with Nick the auctioneer?† She took a tissue from the box on my desk and blew her nose loudly. â€Å"Nope. I told you. I called, and he said he wasn't interested.† I was good at reading people, very good. It was, well, what made me a star succubus. And looking into those teary blue eyes, I searched for some sign of deceit. Any sign. I found nothing. So who was lying? Tawny or Liam? And why would either one of them lie? Liam had no reason to – not about Tawny. Tawny, I supposed, could be in league with Niphon. Maybe he wanted to prolong things simply to annoy me. That was a dangerous game for both of them. His animosity couldn't be strong enough to risk pissing off Jerome. And I knew Jerome would be pissed off if he found out Tawny's orientation was being used for ulterior motives. There was also the fact that Tawny's energy had shown no post-sex glamour the day after Liam saw her and Nick together. She hadn't gotten any. That was my only hard evidence in all of this. All of these thoughts flitted through my mind in a heartbeat. If Tawny really was pulling a poker face on me, she'd soon learn that she wasn't the only one who could do it. Keeping my expression exasperated and unsuspecting, I said, â€Å"Tawny†¦I†¦I just don't get this. Any of this.† â€Å"That's it?† she asked. â€Å"You're my mentor, and that's all you've got for me?† â€Å"I got you the job! I don't know what else to do. Maybe we can go out together and†¦God help me†¦do a three-some or something.† I could imagine few things more horrible than that, but these were desperate times. The expression on Tawny's face showed similar sentiments. â€Å"I don't know about that,† she said. â€Å"I don't think I really do that.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"In another century or so, you'll find you do everything.† She blew her nose again. â€Å"Well†¦I want to keep trying on my own before anything like that. Until then†¦do you think†¦do you think you could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Could what?† â€Å"You know.† â€Å"No, I really don't.† From her, a request could be anything. Tawny gulped. â€Å"The kissing thing again.† â€Å"No! I told you that was a one-time deal.† â€Å"But†¦but†¦I'm so low†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She burst into tears again. And yeah, she was low on energy. Really low. By tomorrow morning, she could be in danger of losing her shape again. Fuck. This wasn't possible. I had to be getting played here, but why and how? Was all this hassle worth it to Niphon, just to keep irritating me? Fuck. â€Å"This is the last time,† I growled. She stopped mid-sob. â€Å"Really?† I sighed. â€Å"Come here.† With a sense of dread, I kissed her again. My discomfort had less to do with the act of kissing her than it did with me realizing I'd just pushed myself into dangerous energy limits. I was the one who'd need a fix before morning now. And if I got an energy fix, it was likely my dream stalker would return†¦. With the influx of life, Tawny was able to shape-shift away her disheveled appearance. â€Å"Thanks, Georgina! You're the best!† She started to hug me, and I jerked away. â€Å"Just go out and get laid, okay?† Doug stuck his head in just then, asking for my help. He didn't seem to have heard my charge to battle, thankfully. His eyes widened when he saw Tawny. I shooed her out, warning her not to forget what we'd talked about. â€Å"Is she single?† he asked, watching her walk away. Her pleather pants were riding up. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"Very. But she's high maintenance.† After I finished my survey of the bookstore, I went off to take care of assorted errands. When I finally made it to Seth's place, I found him lying lengthwise on his couch, laptop open as usual. He sat up and closed it when I stepped inside. â€Å"Hey, Thetis,† he said. â€Å"Hey,† I said. I sat down beside him, and silence fell as we regarded each other. The air between us wasn't angry, but it wasn't bursting with love either. It was speculative. We were sizing each other up. He reached into the V-neck collar of my sweater, and I flinched. Then, I felt his fingers brush by the chain I'd been wearing his ring on. He pulled the ring out and ran his fingertips over the dolphin. â€Å"Around your neck, huh? What is this, high school?† â€Å"Might as well be,† I said, â€Å"seeing as how we haven't even made it to second base yet.† He smiled and released the ring, moving his fingers up to my cheek. â€Å"Yes, we have.† He sighed. â€Å"We sure do seem to be fighting a lot lately, huh?† â€Å"Yeah.† I settled back into the couch's softness. â€Å"It's not even about sex anymore.† â€Å"I noticed that. It's boring stuff, actually.† â€Å"Boring?† He shrugged. â€Å"You know. Typical relationship stuff. Spending time with each other. Trust. Communication. Love isn't always about grand forces of the universe keeping us apart.† Unless, I thought, you considered the difference in length between a mortal life and an immortal one. I didn't know why Seth's lifespan was bothering me lately. I'd understood the complications on an intellectual level when we'd first started dating, but I hadn't really had such visceral reactions until recently. Him getting shot hadn't helped, I supposed. And speaking of which†¦ â€Å"I never thanked you,† I told him. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"For risking your life for mine.† â€Å"But you can't di – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah. We've already established that, like, a hundred times. And the wisdom – or lack thereof – of your actions aside, it was sweet and brave and†¦and, well, thank you.† Seth moved his hand over mine and squeezed it. â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for.† I stood up. â€Å"Well, now that we've got the sentimental stuff out of the way, let's get down to business. Take off your clothes.† Seth started. â€Å"Wai – what?† â€Å"Well,† I amended, â€Å"except for your boxers.† â€Å"Are we going to second base after all?† â€Å"Just do it.† While he stripped, I gathered some things from his kitchen, as well as from a tote bag I'd brought. When I returned to the living room, he was sitting in the center of the couch in boxers only. They were soft gray flannel. Adorable. I sat down on the floor in front of him, moving a bowl of warm water beside me. After dipping a washcloth into the water, I slowly began rubbing it over his feet. Seth was quiet for several moments. Then: â€Å"You getting Biblical on me? Didn't somebody wash Jesus' feet?† I rewet the cloth and began moving up one of his legs. â€Å"Don't worry,† I told him. â€Å"I don't expect you to turn this water into wine. At least not until I'm done.† I moved the washcloth over Seth's calf. It was leanly muscled, covered in tawny brown hair. â€Å"The foot washing tradition is bigger than the Bible. You find it everywhere, long before New Testament times, in lots of other cultures. Kings. Generals. They all got this treatment.† â€Å"You wash a lot of kings' and generals' feet?† he teased. â€Å"Yeah, actually.† â€Å"Oh. Well. I don't think I'm really in that league.† I smiled and moved on to the other calf. â€Å"Not true. Poets and bards used to have as much prestige as kings. Lots of them got this too.† â€Å"I miss the good old days. Now we're lucky if we get paid.† I washed his thigh, careful to avoid the bandaged wound. â€Å"Yeah, true. But people also don't threaten to behead you if they don't like what you wrote.† â€Å"You obviously haven't read some of my reviews.† â€Å"I only read the good ones.† I finished both legs and dropped the washcloth into the water. I scooted the bowl away. Seth started to get up, but I shooed him back down. â€Å"Nope. Not finished.† I reached for a bottle of massage oil I'd brought and poured some on my hands. It smelled like almonds. â€Å"That was just to get you clean.† With as much deliberation as I'd performed the washing, I massaged the oil into his skin, starting with his feet once again. Washing can be sensual, but rubbing someone with oil is doubly so. Triple, even. The light banter faded between us. Seth simply watched, wonder and arousal on his face as I worked my way up. And as I met his gaze, I saw more than just those feelings. The love in his eyes was so powerful, I needed to look away. Seth had an amazing grasp of the English language, but there were days when that skill was nothing compared to what he told me in his looks. When I finished his legs, I climbed up behind him on the couch and worked on his back and chest too. I'd been giving massages almost as long as I'd been dancing. I knew exactly what to do, knew where all the muscle groups were and how to unkink them. Seth had a lot of stiffness and knots in his back, either from bad laptop posture or stress. Maybe both. At last, the job was complete. Heedless of oil on me or the couch, he leaned back and pulled me to his chest. My cheek rested on his smooth, slick skin, and the scent of almond and Seth enveloped me. â€Å"Ah, Georgina,† he sighed. â€Å"I wish I could return that.† â€Å"I'll just pretend you did.† He sighed again. â€Å"I hate the pretending.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"I mean it. Really hate it.† The vehemence in his voice startled me. I lifted my head up. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I'm just†¦I don't know.† He shook his head. â€Å"Frustrated, I guess.† â€Å"Sexually frustrated?† â€Å"Sure†¦but it's more than that. Do you ever think about us†¦just, you know, doing it maybe once?† â€Å"No,† I said immediately. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"I'd take the risk.† â€Å"The shooting addled your brain. You've always been the strong one, remember?† â€Å"The shooting's made me think about what life means, that's all.† He sounded just like Maddie. How could such a foolish gesture on his part be inspiring so many people? Was I too jaded? Could I no longer relate to humans? â€Å"And I mean, I can't even reciprocate a simple massage. You perform all the time for me†¦but what do you get? You must be the one who's sexually frustrated. The stuff you do on the side†¦well, that doesn't matter. Sometimes I think Hugh was right. You do suffer more than me.† â€Å"No, I don't. The sex stuff bugs me, but I can handle it.† â€Å"I hope I can,† said Seth. â€Å"When I was in the hospital, I had this weird moment where I started thinking about how I write about all these action-packed things but don't live any of it. O'Neill has dozens of great romances, but me? I can't even have one.† â€Å"It sucks,† I agreed. â€Å"But with the risks†¦well. We know this is how it has to be.† â€Å"What about the rest?† â€Å"Hmm?† Seth shifted slightly so that he could look into my face. â€Å"Do you really think about me dying? Do you worry about me?† â€Å"Sometimes.† â€Å"Am I going to cause you pain in the end?† â€Å"No,† I said breezily. â€Å"Of course not.† He pulled me back to his chest. â€Å"I love you, Georgina. You give me more joy than I ever expected to find in this life. I want to be with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He ran a hand through my hair, tangling it in his fingers. â€Å"But not if it's going to do more harm than good. I don't want you to hurt. I don't want you to spend the rest of my life worrying about my body and my soul. I don't want you to cry when I'm gone.† A lump formed in my throat, and I thought I might actually start crying then and there. There was something in his voice, a strange and ominous note that scared me for reasons I couldn't entirely explain. I dug my fingers into his skin and pressed myself closer to him. â€Å"No more,† I whispered. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore. It isn't relevant.† Seth tightened his grip on me and didn't respond. We went to bed after that, speaking little. He snuggled against me, resting his head on my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, taking in his scent and his feel. As he slipped into sleep, I thought about what he'd said about what puts meaning into life. I thought about wanting and needing. And what I needed right then was energy. Tawny'd wiped me out, and there was no way I was going to start shifting back to the body I'd been born with. Still touching Seth's hair, I thought how easy it would be to just lean down and kiss him. Really kiss him. And kiss him and kiss him†¦ Wanting and needing. Regretfully, I slipped out of bed. Seth was a heavy sleeper and simply rolled to his side, never coming close to waking. With a wistful look, I left the condo and used my last bit of energy to put on a different shape. Finding a victim wasn't hard – further reinforcing how absurd the whole Tawny thing was – and in less than two hours, I was back in bed with Seth and recharged. That creepy voice didn't speak to me, for which I was grateful. Sad but sated, I fell asleep. And I dreamed.

Kantian Moral Theory Kant s Philosophy - 1328 Words

Kantian Moral Theory In general, society considers lying to be negative and therefore one should not lie. Telling the truth is the morally right thing to do, and we should always be honest. Telling lies can leave us very stressed out and cause us to be deceitful towards others. We end up distorting ones views and perhaps even our own when we tell a lie that can lead to a snowball effect. Immanuel Kant has some of the strictest views on lying, and some philosophers claim there is something erroneous in his theory. He maintains that telling a lie is a violation of one’s duty to be truthful to everyone and shows a lack of respect. Even though Kant never gives a direct statement about what is a lie, he presents us with the ethics behind the his moral theory. Kant proposes an argument that it still debated about to this day. He claims if a murderer shows up at your door looking for a person that you know the whereabouts of, it is your moral obligation is to tell the murderer where the person is. Although this argument can be argued to be morally correct, one could simply not tell the truth to the murderer, due to human nature. Kant presents us with a strong argument about lying. The problem with Kant’s argument is that he says it is wrong to tell a lie and one should never resort to it. It is one’s duty to always be truthful. Kant says that if one is to tell a lie, then they are violating the duty to themselves. There are two formulas when interpreting Kant s ethics. The firstShow MoreRelatedKantian Ethics And The Categorical Imperative Essay1581 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Kantian Ethics and critiques In Elements of Pure Practical Reason Book, I, Immanuel Kant, a prominent late Enlightenment Era German philosopher discusses his most famous ethical theory, the â€Å"Categorical Imperative.† The â€Å"Categorical Imperative† is a proposed universal law in stating all humans are forbidden from certain actions regardless of consequences. Although this is the general definition of this ethical theory, the Categorical Imperative† exists in two above formulations, A strictRead MoreThe Between Utilitarianism And Deontology1345 Words   |  6 Pageswhat is morally just? Immanuel Kant, the founder of Deontology, along with Jeremy Bentham and James Mills, the founders of Utilitarianism, all attempted to answer this question. Bentham and Mills’ Utilitarianism stresses maximizing pleasure and happiness in the world over pain and unhappiness. In contrast, Kant’s Deontology focuses on honoring duties and obligations. A moral action must be â€Å"considered right and good by most people† (Merriam-Webster). The way Kant proposes that one achieves happinessRead MoreEssay on Immanuel Kant’s Non- consequentialist Ethical Theory 1369 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction According to Immanuel Kant the driving force behind our actions should be dictated by what is inherently good as sole consideration and not be based upon the effects of what such actions may produce such as the case in the consequentialist theory of cause. In this essay Kant’s ethical non-consequentialist theory will be briefly investigated and a comparison drawn between the two different theories in order to establish merit in employment thereof in practice. 2. Kantian Morality Central to Kant’sRead MoreMoral Theories Can Help Justify The Decisions That Are Made882 Words   |  4 PagesMoral Theories Moral theories can help justify the decisions that are made. Each theory has separate viewpoints in which other theories borrow elements from. Moral theories attempt to explain what it is that makes some actions right and others wrong. These are then used as a guide to making choices. They operate at a more general level than moral or legal principles and rules. The four main groups that one should be aware of are: Utilitarian, Kantian, Aristotelian and Feminist. Utilitarian UtilitarianismRead MoreKant s Philosophy : Kantian Ethics1290 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Fassbender Philosophy 201N April 26, 2015 Kantian Ethics Society, as we know it, is only possible through humans acting in accordance with a universal moral code. Because we as humans are rational beings and have free choice, we can make our own decisions, can hold ourselves to a standard that we ourselves set, and can act in accordance with our standards, as well as set standards for our own society. However, these standards must be held, otherwise they hold no meaning. Kant uses a black andRead MoreLying, By Jeremy Bentham1613 Words   |  7 Pagesdeception. Jeremy Bentham who is a British philosopher in the 1700’s and early 1800’s believed in the principle of utility otherwise known as utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham thinks it’s permissible to tell a small lie because in the long run Bentham is looking for the ultimate amount of happiness. Bentham believes in the greatest happiness for the greatest number. As long as an act brings more happiness than disappointment then that act is moral. One situation may be three friends found out something thatRead MoreThe Kant Theory of Moral and Ethics1948 Words   |  8 PagesI. Introduction. Philosophy plays an important role not only in modern society, but also in society as a whole. As we know philosophy can be represented as the science of contrast of different views and thoughts. Philosophers present their point of view, concerning for example, ethics, life, world outlook, and the rest of society and must choose the most suitable idea. As proven, without dispute and disagreements the philosophy couldn’t rise to such a high level at where it is today. Hence, theRead MoreThe Ethics Of Non Voluntary Active Euthanasia1050 Words   |  5 Pagesthe patient s wishes. The nature of their obligation does not sway based on what they personally think. Patients with dementia have some moments of clarity, but because their brains are still deteriorating, non- voluntary active euthanasia should still be permissible under these conditions. In the theory of deontology, it is defined as â€Å"the focus on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actions, rather than in the consequences of those actions.† (Mosser, 2013). Per Kantian ethics, itRead MoreThe Metaphysic Of Morals By Immanuel Kant1199 Words   |  5 PagesGroundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant: A Reflection and Analysis Author name Name of institutionâ€Æ' In man’s attempt to figure out what is right or wrong, they have developed a number of systems that purportedly deal with such matters. Immanuel Kant expanded on his moral philosophy in his work, Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals. This paper will be a reflection upon Kantian ethical principles presented therein and their relation to what is generally called morality. PeopleRead MoreWhat Has Posterity Ever Done For Me By Robert Heilbroner1626 Words   |  7 PagesNatasha Jayez Philosophy 20 6/26/17 Moral Responsibility to Posterity An increasing number of people believe that we have responsibilities towards future generations in regards to preserving the planet. In this paper, I will present Heilbroner s arguments for posterity, in relation to how we treat our environment. In addition, I will compare two ethical theories, Kant s Categorical Imperative to Mill s theory of Utilitarianism

Robert Frost s Poem Nothing Gold Can Stay - 959 Words

In the poem â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† from Robert Frost, corruption first began in nature. The corruption in nature is first seen in the poem when â€Å"†¦ leaf subsides to leaf† and â€Å"†¦dawn goes down to day† (Frost 5, 8). Frost says that nature was once so beautiful but by the conflict in the Garden of Eden it was corrupted. The conflict in the Garden of Eden was caused by corruption in humans. It seems that humans ruin everything good for the sake of themselves. Frost probably wrote this poem while sitting outside in the spring time reflecting on how people change for the worse. Face it, we all have been changed by either a middle school bully or boss, just like nature and humans were changed by corruption. Robert Frost is trying to tell the reader that good things can never stay because they soon become corrupted in nature and in humans. Corruption in nature is seen when spring turns into summer. Spring turns into summer every year, as it is almost is a guaranteed thing. The poem uses effects and visuals to help portray the changing of seasons. Some of the effects that successfully portray the change of seasons in the poem are when â€Å"Her early leafs a flower; / But only so an hour / Then leaf subsides to leaf† (Frost 3-5). These stanzas show that spring soon changes into summer, but Frost finds the deeper meaning to why the seasons change. Frost thinks the first beauty of nature was corrupted by the conflict in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden quickly turned to thorns andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Analysis of Robert Frosts Poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay707 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Robert Frosts Poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay Robert Frost has a fine talent for putting words into poetry. Words which are normally simplistic spur to life when he combines them into a whimsical poetic masterpiece. His Nothing Gold Can Stay poem is no exception. Although short, it drives home a deep point and meaning. Life is such a fragile thing and most of it is taken for granted. The finest, most precious time in life generally passes in what could be the blink of an eye.Read MoreEssay on Robert Frosts Life and Accomplishments1244 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.† After a lifetime of ups and downs, Robert Frost said this quote. Most of his poems already shared his message, that life is not as easy as it may first appear to be. He used the simplicity of nature and vernacular speech to give his poems a casual mood, though underneath they display a much deeper meaning of life. These poems help to show people just some of the difficult thing s that will be faced in life, despite everythingRead MoreWhy Is Robert Lee Frost Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Lee Frost Famous poets like William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, and Walt Whitman are some of the biggest names in poetry history, but do they get maybe a little too much attention ? Have you ever heard of Robert Lee Frost, he is one of the most famous American poets of the twentieth century. Some might even say that he is better than Edgar Allen Poe, or than William Shakespeare, because of the way he wrote his poems and stories to relate to the common people. Robert Frosts style of writingRead MoreMotifs Of Nature : Frost, A New England Poet2462 Words   |  10 PagesMotifs of Nature: Frost, a New England Poet Robert Frost, famous for his poems about nature, was a New England poet and farmer. Frost was born in 1879, in the state of California. At the age of eleven, Frost’s father died and subsequently the family moved to New England. Although Frost was born in California, he identified with the working farmers of New England. Frost bought his first farm in Derry, New Hampshire. Owning his own farm gave Frost firsthand experience with agriculture and living withRead MoreRobert Frost Research Paper2986 Words   |  12 Pagesexperiences. Robert Frost is well known for using different themes to teach morals in his poems. He uses imagery, emotions, different views, symbolism, and ever nature, to help create an image in one’s mind. The morals that these different types of themes create will make the reader face decisions and consequences as if they were in the poem themselves. His morals can be found in the poems, â€Å"The Road Not Taken,† â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay,â⠂¬  â€Å"Out, Out,† and â€Å"Acquainted with the Night.† Robert Frost’s poetryRead MoreRobert Frost : A New England Poet3698 Words   |  15 PagesRobert Lee Frost Known for being a New England poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California on March 26th, 1874. Born to a New England father William Prescott Frost Jr. and a Scottish mother Isabelle Moodie who moved to the west coast from Pennsylvania after marriage (Bailey). Both his parents were teachers and poets themselves, but his father later became a journalist with the San Francisco Evening Bulletin (Bailey). Frost spent 12 years of his life growing up in San Francisco, untilRead MoreDisillusionment In Literature1616 Words   |  7 Pagesthey probably would instead continue in their own beliefs. Works of literature and art like, Teenage Wasteland by Anne Tyler, Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost, and the 2007 film Across The Universe, all have the central theme of reflection, disenchantment, and most importantly, disillusionment. The novel Teen Wasteland was written toward the beginning of the 1980’s, during the heyday of hippie counterculture. The story follows a single mother, Daisy, trying to reform her wayward son, Donny’sRead MoreEssay on Robert Frosts Poetry2181 Words   |  9 PagesRobert Frosts Poetry Robert Frost said that a poem should begin in delight and end in wisdom Do you think that is true of the poems of Frost and the other nature poets you have studied? Frosts statement in the title is certainly true in some of his later poems and most nature poems, but in some cases, the wisdom comes first and delight is found at the end or, there is no delight only wisdom or, just delight or just wisdom. Not all poems abide by Frosts rule! The Pasture, beingRead MoreThree Elements Of Robert Frost Poetry1145 Words   |  5 PagesThere are three common elements that feature in much of Robert Frost’s poetry. The first is a portrayal of nature through vivid imagery (as appears in â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay†), which partially stems from Frost’s life as a farmer in rural New England (Pritchard). The second is a discussion of depression, darkness, and death (as appears in â€Å"Out, Out—† and â€Å"Acquainted with the Night†), which issues from Frost’s own experiences after his 3-year-old son, mother, and grandfather died within two years ofRead MoreFrost, By Robert Frost1976 Words   |  8 PagesRobert Frost, an indigenous New England poet, is deserving of an ovation for his contributions and magnitude in American Literature. Frost advises his readers to be actively engaged in questioning the world we inhabit (49, Dickstein). In most of Frost’s work, readers and crit ics enjoy his choices of theme, likely being the outdoors and his surroundings. By using â€Å"emotions recollected in tranquility† and his organic and inviolable relationship with his countryside, he celebrates New England’s natural