Investigation into aqueous electrolytic cells Essay

Introduction: For this experiment, we are to test an aqueous solution, choosing from the four selections given: sodium chloride, copper sulfate, copper chloride and hydrogen sulfuric acid. The purpose of this investigation is to investigate one factor that affects the output of an aqueous electrolytic cell. We were given a double lesson to plan the experiment and another for us to collect data. I decided that the electrolytic cell I will study is copper chloride by measuring the mass of the carbon stick, the electrode. We are also given a supply of power units to help us investigate into aqueous electrolytic cells. Aim: My aim for this experiment is to investigate whether the amount of voltage in a circuit can affect the amount of solid discharged. Hypothesis (including reason): If the voltage increases, the amount of solid discharged from the electrode will increase as well. I predict that the solid discharged from the electrode will increase as the voltage increase in the circuit because as the voltage goes higher, the more energy will be produced and the faster the solid will be discharged from the electrode. And hence, the mass of the electrode will gradually become heavier as the voltage increases. Variables: Independent variable: voltage For the independent variable, it is the voltage, because I have to change it as we finish the experiment every time, meaning the input of the experiment. It is also a manipulated variable, which is a factor or condition that changes intentionally manipulated by the investigator to observe the effect. Since we want a big difference of mass change, we decided to go from 2amps to 12amps. Dependent variable: mass of electrode For the dependent variable, it is the mass of electrode, because this is what I will be measuring, meaning the output of this experiment. It is also the responding variable; the variable that may change result of the independent variable. Controlled variable: temperature, distance of carbon stick, length of carbon stick, type of cathode and anode metal, time of running led with constant current, volume or depth of emersion of electrodes. These are all the controlled variables, because they all need a certain amount or distance in order to keep the experiment constant each time I do it and to make it a fair test. Discussion & Conclusion: Referring to my graph, the line of best fit shows clearly a trend that the mass of the electrode increases as the voltage increase, therefore supporting my hypothesis, proving that the prediction was correct. As the voltage increased, the faster the solid was discharged from the electrode, causing the mass to increase gradually. However, during the process of collecting the data, there was a problem of unstable temperature. I had to redo the experiment again as the first attempt was not what I expect, the temperature went from 20.5Â ºCto43 Â ºC. Therefore, I changed the solution after every read of each different voltages in order to keep a more stable temperature and hold a fair test. I also noticed the copper chloride in the first attempt changed from turquoise color to dark green, I believe it is the carbon residue left in the solution. The second time, there was less because we changed to a new solution every reading. Excluding the errors made during the experiment, all in all base on the points stated above, it proves that my hypothesis is correct. Modifications to Original Plan: As mentioned in the discussion, due to the unexpected rapid increase of temperature as the voltage increase, I decided that the solution should be changed every reading to prevent an unfair test, producing unreliable results. Changing the solution after every reading will decrease the risk of unstable temperature and will carry out a fairer test, and the results are more accurate. Evaluation: My method was overall satisfactory as it carried out a successful experiment, proving my hypothesis right. But if I were to do this investigation again, I would decrease the voltage range as the range I did was too high; hence, producing chlorine gas which was toxic and it was too strong when the power unit reached 12amps. After this experience, I would be aware of the voltage, and next time I would only start from 1amps and end at 5amps. That way, there will be less risk of breathing in too much toxic chlorine gas and the experiment would be safer as well. This investigation can be extended to investigate on whether the aqueous solution would be affect by the length of the electrode.

A Review of Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy

INTRODUCTION This article is a summary of Rene Descarte’s Meditation on First Philosophy. It seeks, as permitted by the Meditator himself, in his letter to the reader, to examine his treatise with the possibility of instituting change if necessary. †¦I doubt not, if you but condescend to pay so much regard to this treatise as to be willing in the first place to correct it (for mindful not only of my humanity, but chiefly also of my ignorance, I do not affirm that it is free from errors); in the second place to supply what is wanting in it, to perfect what is incomplete, and to give more ample illustration where it is demanded, or at least to indicate these defects to myself that i may endeavour to remedy them;1He starts his meditations which spans over a period of six days by sitting himself, I dare say, comfortably, by the fire side†¦ MEDITATION I SKEPTICAL DOUBT IN THE First Meditation, the meditator expounds the grounds on which we may doubt generally all things, and especially material objects, so long at least, as we have no other foundations for the sciences than those we have before now possessed. The meditator was struck by how many false things he had believed, and by how doubtful the structure of beliefs he had based on them.He realized that if he wanted to establish anything in the sciences that was stable and likely to last, he needed – just once – to demolish everything completely and start again from the foundations. I can do this without showing that all my beliefs are false, which is probably more than I could ever manage. My reason tells me that as well as withholding assent from propositions that are obviously false, I should also withhold it from ones that are not completely certain and indubitable.So all I need, for the purpose of rejecting all my opinions, is to find in each of them at least some reason for doubt. I can do this without going through them one by one, which would take forever: once 1 Rene Descar tes, Meditations on First Philosophy, (Start Publishing LLC: eBook edition, 2012) kobo file. the foundations of a building have been undermined, the rest collapses of its own accord; so I will go straight for the basic principles on which all my former beliefs rested. Whatever I have accepted until now as most true has come to me through my senses.But occasionally I have found that they have deceived me, and it is unwise to trust completely those who have deceived us even once. 2 The Meditator goes further to say that although our sense perceptions deceive us yet one could not possibly doubt all of what one has come to know through the senses for example, his seating by the fire, clothed in a winter dressing gown or that he is truly in possession of this arms and legs. This led to what is popularly referred to as the dream argument where he argues that; I often have perceptions very much like the ones I usually have in sensation while I am dreaming.There are no definite signs to dis tinguish dream experience from waking experience. therefore, It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that all of my perceptions are false3 Objection to the dream argument: It could be argued that the images we form in dreams can only be composed of bits and pieces of real experience combined in novel ways. Therefore, Although we have reason to doubt the surface perceptual qualities of our perception, we have no reason to doubt the properties that we perceive the basic components of our experience to have. In particular, there is no reason to doubt the mathematical properties that material bodies in general have. )4 The First Meditation can thus be seen as presenting skeptical doubts as a subject of study in their own right. Certainly, skepticism is a much discussed and hotly debated topic in philosophy, even today. Descartes was noticeably the first to raise the mystifying question of how we can claim to know with certainty anything about the world around us. The idea is not that these doubts are 2 â€Å"Rene Descartes 1639.Meditations on First Philosophy in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and the body. † marxists. org. n. p. n. d.. http://www. marxists. org/reference/archive/ descartes/1639/meditations. htm (accessed April 10, 2013). 3 Banach, David. â€Å"An Outline of Descartes's Meditations on First Philosophy. † anslem. edu. Creative Commons License. 2006. http://www. anselm. edu/homepage/dbanach/medol. htm (accessed April 10, 2013). 4 Banach, ‘An Outline†¦ philosophy. ’ op. cit. robable, but that their possibility can never be entirely ruled out. And if we can never be certain, how can we claim to know anything? Skepticism cuts straight to the heart of the Western philosophical enterprise and its attempt to provide a certain foundation for our knowledge and understanding of the world. It can even be pushed so far as to be read as a challenge to our very notion of rationality. Skepticism cannot be lived, we as individuals cannot possibly doubt everything as this will lead to an infinite regress.We should note that Descartes' doubt is a methodological and rational doubt. That is, the Meditator is not just doubting everything at random, but is providing solid reasons for his doubt at each stage. For instance, he rejects the possibility that he might be mad, since that would undercut the rationality that motivates his doubt. Descartes is trying to set up this doubt within a rational framework, and needs to maintain a claim to rationality for his arguments to proceed. MEDITATION II OF THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN MIND; AND THAT IT IS MORE EASILY KNOWN THAN THE BODYDay two of the meditation sees the meditator still in doubt, following Archimedes, the meditator attempts to find a starting point or at least one point which he would not doubt. I will nevertheless, make an effort, and try anew the same path on which I had entered yesterday, that is, pro ceed by casting aside all that admits of the slightest doubt, not less than if I had discovered it to be absolutely false; and will continue always in this track until I shall find something that is certain, or at least, if I can do nothing more, until I shall know with certainty that there is nothing certain.Archimedes, that he might transport the entire globe from the place it occupied to another, demanded only a point that was firm and immovable; so, also, I shall be entitled to entertain the highest expectations, if I am fortunate enough to discover only one thing that is certain and indubitable. 5 Recalling the previous meditation, he supposes that what he sees does not exist, that his memory is faulty, that he has no senses and no body, that extension, movement and place are mistaken notions. Perhaps, he remarks, the only certain thing remaining is that there is no certainty. Descartes, ‘On†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. kobo file The meditator then wonders, is he not, the source of these meditations? (that is after doubting his existence; of his body and senses) does that mean he cannot exist either? He has also noted that the physical world does not exist, which might also seem to imply his nonexistence. And yet to have these doubts, he must exist. For an evil demon to mislead him in all these cunnuing ways, he must exist in order to be misled. There must be an â€Å"I† that can doubt, be deceived, and so on.He formulates the famous cogito argument, saying: â€Å"So that it must, in fine, be maintained, all things being maturely and carefully considered, that this proposition (pronunciatum) I am, I exist, is necessarily true each time it is expressed by me or conceived in my mind. â€Å"6 The cogito argument is so called because of its Latin formulation in the Discourse on Method: â€Å"cogito ergo sum† (â€Å"I think, therefore I am†). This is possibly the most famous single line in all of philosophy, and is generall y considered the starting point for modern Western philosophy.In it, the Meditator finds his first grip on certainty after the radical skepticism he posited in the First Meditation. The cogito presents a picture of the world and of knowledge in which the mind is something that can know itself better than it can know anything else. 7 The latter part of the Second Meditation dwells largely on the â€Å"Wax Argument† with which the meditator hopes to show that we come to know things through the intellect rather than through the senses and that we know the mind better than anything else. His argument focuses on the process of change by which solid wax melts into a liquid puddle.The senses seem to tell us things about the world, and Descartes admits that what we know about the solid piece of wax we know through the senses. The senses can similarly inform us about the melted wax, but they cannot tell us that the melted wax and the solid wax are one and the same. Nor, the meditator argues, can the imagination. Only the intellect can organize and make sense of what we perceive. The senses only perceive a disconnected jumble of information: the intellect is what helps us to understand it. 6 7 ibid, kobo file. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on Meditations on First Philosophy. † SparkNotes LLC. n. d.. ttp:// www. sparknotes. com/philosophy/meditations/ (accessed April 12, 2013). MEDITATION III. OF GOD: THAT HE EXISTS At the beginning of Meditation III, the meditator finds a whole host of truths which he holds we can know for certain. These truths involve the causal or representational theory of perception. This theory holds that we directly perceive ideas which are caused by objects in the external world. Descartes claims that we can know for certain that we are seeing a particular idea (of the sun or the stars or this room or that tree), what we don't know for certain is if there is a sun or stars or a room or tree ausing our ideas). The meditator goe s on to produce a criterion for truths which we can know for absolute certainty. He does this by reflecting on those truths which he has already discovered using the method of doubt, and determines that what they all have in common is that the ideas in them are all clear and distinct. Thus any truth composed of clear and distinct ideas can be known for certain. Descartes then proceeds to try to move from the foundation, to determine what truths might be based on those truths. The first thing he must do, as it turns out is to prove that God exists!Without doing this he cannot get rid of the Evil Demon hypothesis. 8 When considering God as â€Å"a substance that is infinite, eternal, immutable, independent, supremely intelligent, supremely powerful, and which created both myself and everything else,† the Meditator realizes that the idea of God must have far more objective reality than he has formal reality: God is an infinite substance whereas he is only a finite substance. Sin ce the idea of God cannot have originated in himself, he concludes that God must be the cause of this idea and must therefore necessarily exist.The Meditator counters the argument that he might conceive of an infinite being through negation, that is, through conceiving of it in contrast to his own finite being. Doubts and desires come from an understanding that we lack something, and we would not be aware of that lack unless we were aware of a more perfect being that has those things which we lack. While he can doubt the existence of other things, he cannot doubt the existence of God, since he has such a clear and distinct perception 8OSU. â€Å"the meditations. † n. p. n. d. ttp://oregonstate. edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/meditations. html (accessed April 13,2013). of God's existence. The idea has infinite objective reality, and is therefore more likely to be true than any other idea. The Meditator then entertains the possibility that he may be supremely perfect, that al l his deficiencies are potentialities within him, and that he is slowly improving toward perfection. If perfection is a potentiality within him, then it is plausible that the idea of God could be conceived in him without any outside cause.The Meditator rejects this possibility for three reasons: first, God is all actual and not at all potential; second, if he is constantly improving, he will never attain that perfection where there is no room for improvement; and third, potential being is not being at all: the idea of God must be caused by something with infinite actual being. If the Meditator could exist without God, he would have come to be out of herself, or from his parents, or from some other being less perfect than God. If he derived his existence from himself, there is no reason that he should have doubts and desires.He also cannot escape this reasoning by supposing he has always existed and never had to come into being. There is no reason that he should continue to exist unl ess there is some force that preserves him, that creates him anew at every instant. As a thinking thing, he should be aware of that power of preservation though it came from within him. If his parents or some other imperfect being created him, this creator must have endowed him with the idea of God. If this creator is a finite being, we must still ask with respect to it how it came to possess the idea of an infinite God.We can trace this chain back through countless creators, but we must ultimately conclude that the idea of God can originate only in God, and not in some finite being. We can thus sum up the third meditation: Every idea must be caused, and the cause must be as real as the idea. If I have any idea of which I cannot be the cause, then something besides me must exist. All ideas of material reality could have their origin within me. But the idea of God, an infinite and perfect being, could not have originated from within me, since I am finite and imperfect. I have an idea of God, and it can only have been caused by God.Therefore God exists. 9 Anderson, JT. â€Å"Summary of Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy. † n. p. 1999. http://home. sandiego. edu/ ~janderso/10/descart. html. ( accessed April 13, 2013). 9 MEDITATION IV OF TRUTH AND ERROR The Fourth Meditation, subtitled â€Å"Truth and falsity,† opens with the Meditator reflecting on the ground he has covered so far, observing that all his certain knowledge, and in particular the most certain knowledge that God exists, comes from the intellect, and not from the senses or the imagination. Now that he is certain of God's existence, a great deal more can follow.First, he knows that God would not deceive him, since the will to deceive is a sign of weakness or malice, and God's perfection would not allow it. Second, if God created him, God is responsible for his judgment, and so his faculty of judgment must be infallible so long as he uses it correctly. One wonders then following f rom the evil demon argument and the third meditation on the existence of God, how then error comes to play if God is too perfect to be infallible yet He (God) is responsible for our judgement? Error, the meditator believes comes from improper use of our intellect, i. e. in judging things we do not really know.Summation of the fourth meditation is thus: Only an imperfect (less than perfectly good) being could practice deliberate deception. Therefore, God is no deceiver. Since my faculty of judgment comes from God, I can make no mistake as long as I use it properly. But it is not an infinite faculty; I make mistakes when I judge things that I don't really know. God also gave me free will, which is infinite and therefore extends beyond my finite intellect. This is why it is possible to deceive myself: I am free to jump to conclusions or to proclaim as knowledge things that I don't know with absolute certainty.I therefore know now that if I know something with absolute certainty (clearl y and distinctly), then I cannot be mistaken, because God is no deceiver. The correct way to proceed is to avoid mistakes and limit my claims to knowledge to those things I know clearly and distinctly. 10 The Meditator also questions why a supremely good God would not create us with infinite being. In sum, we are given a variant on the answer, â€Å"The Lord works in mysterious ways. † The Meditator suggests that God's motives are beyond our meager comprehension.While on our own, we may be seen as imperfect, we are only a small part of a much larger creation. We might think of a steering wheel on its own as rather useless and imperfect, but when we see it in the larger context of a car, we understand that it is perfectly designed to suit its purpose. 11 10 Anderson, 11 ‘Summary of†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. Sparknote Editors, ‘Sparknotes on†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. MEDITATION V OF THE ESSENCE OF MATERIAL THINGS; AND, AGAIN OF GOD;THAT HE EXIS TS The Fifth Meditation opens with the Meditator turning his attention toward material objects.Rather than inquire into the things themselves, he inquires into her ideas regarding material things. He concludes that he can distinctly imagine extension, size, shape, position, and local motion, which is associated with duration. The Meditator has reasons here that a triangle must have all the properties he ascribes to it, because the triangle exists as an idea in his mind and he clearly and distinctly perceives all these properties. He then reasons by analogy that God exists as an idea in his mind and he clearly and distinctly perceives all of his qualities.One of these qualities is existence, so it follows from his clear and distinct perception that God must exist. If existence is the essence of God, then God would not be God if he did not exist, just as a triangle would not be a triangle if it were not three-sided. At the very least, then, the existence of God must be as certain as t he properties of mathematical and geometrical objects since he can prove them in the same way. Does this mean that thinking of something means that it exists? According to the meditator; If I conceive of a triangle, I must conceive of a figure whose angles equal two right angles.But it doesn't follow that the triangle must exist. But God is different. God, being perfect, is the one being to whom existence must belong. Thus, when I conceive of God, I must conceive of a being that exists. Because God, being perfect, is not a deceiver, I know that once I have perceived something clearly and distinctly to be true, it will remain true, even if later I forget the reasoning that led me to that conclusion. I could not have this certainty about anything if I did not know God. 12 The proof of God's existence found here is a version of a proof that was popular among the Scholastic philosophers.Our idea of God is the idea of a perfect being, and one of the attributes of a perfect being would be existence, since it is more perfect to exist than not to exist. In Descartes' formulation, existence is not just an attribute, but an essential property of God's, so that God cannot be conceived of without existence. This proof, however, rests on the faulty assumption, first pointed out by Kant, that existence is a predicate or a property, like â€Å"being red† or â€Å"being tall. † In fact, â€Å"exists† is a very different kind of predicate than â€Å"is red† or â€Å"is tall. † The predicate â€Å"exists† does not 12Anderson, ‘Summary of†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. modify an object so much as it modifies the world. If I say â€Å"the red car exists,† the property of redness is something that modifies the car. On the other hand, â€Å"exists† does not modify the car so much as it says that the world is such that the car is in it. In that sense, â€Å"exists† is not a property of the car. 13 MEDITATION VI OF THE EXISTENCE OF MATERIAL THINGS, AND OF THE REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE MIND AND BODY OF MAN The meditator starts his sixth and last meditation by drawing a line between imagination and pure understanding.In the case of a triangle, he can perceive that a triangle is three-sided and derive all sorts of other properties using the understanding alone. He can also perceive these properties with the imagination, by picturing the triangle in his mind's eye. However, the weaknesses of the imagination become clear when he considers a thousand-sided figure which the meditator calls a ‘chiliogon. ’14 It is very difficult to picture it in his mind's eye, and more difficult still to differentiate that mental image from the mental image of a 999-sided figure.The pure understanding, however, dealing only in mathematical relations, can perceive all the properties of a thousand-sided figure just as easily as it can a triangle. The imagination cannot be an essential property of his mind, since the Meditator could still exist even if he could not imagine. Therefore, the imagination must rely on something other than the mind for its existence. The Meditator conjectures that the imagination is connected with the body, and thus allows the mind to picture corporeal or tangible objects.In understanding, the mind turns inward upon itself, and in imagining, the mind turns outward toward the body. The Meditator admits that this is only a strong conjecture, and not a definitive proof of the existence of body. The Meditator then turns to reflect on what he perceives by means of the senses. He perceives he has a body that exists in a world, and that this body can experience pleasure, pain, emotion, hunger, etc. , 13 14 Sparknote Editors, ‘Sparknotes on†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. Descartes, ‘On†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. kobo file. nd can perceive other bodies with extension, shape, movement, hardness, heat, color, smell, taste, etc. He thinks it not unreasonable to suppose that these perceptions all come from some outside source. They come to him involuntarily, and they are so much more vivid than the perceptions he consciously creates in his own mind. It would be odd to suggest that he can involuntarily create perceptions so much more vivid than the ones he creates voluntarily. And if they come from without, it is only natural to suppose that the source of these sensory ideas in some way resemble the ideas themselves.From this point of view, it is very easy to convince oneself that all knowledge comes from without via the senses. 15 What Descartes understands by â€Å"body† is somewhat counter-intuitive and is closely linked to his physics, which is not made readily apparent in the Meditations. This section of commentary will depart a bit from the text it comments on in order to clarify some concepts of Cartesian physics. The entirety of Cartesian physics rests on the claim that extension is the primary at tribute of body, and that nothing more is needed to explain or understand body. Extension† means extended in space, and so a body is anything that occupies space. We should recall that Descartes was also a great mathematician, and invented both analytic geometry and the coordinate system that now bears his name. Descartes' physics is highly mathematical, and we should understand bodies as anything that could be graphed in coordinate space. 16 ON THE MIND BODY DUALISM The Meditator muses that he has been puzzled as to why his mind seems particularly attached to one particular body, which he calls his own. Why does he feel pain and tickling in this body but not in any body external to it?And why should a tugging in the stomach of that body suggest to his mind that he should eat, since there is no obvious connection between the tugging and the decision to eat? He concludes that he is inclined by nature to assume the things he does about his body and about the world external to it , since he accepts these assumptions prior to developing any arguments regarding them. The Meditator reasons that imagination and sensory perception are modes of thought. He could conceive of himself without imagination or sensory perception, so they are not essential to him, but 15 16Sparknote Editors, ‘Sparknotes on†¦ Philosophy. ’ op. cit. ibid imagination and sensory perception could not exist without a mind to contain them. Similarly, there are modes of extension that cannot exist without a body to contain them. The Meditator next considers those ideas about body that he perceives only confusedly and obscurely, hoping that his knowledge that God is not a deceiver will help him further. First, he reasons that he must have a body, as nature teaches that to him more vividly than anything. Further, mind and body are intermingled to form one unit.If the mind were in the body like a sailor in a ship, he would be able to perceive pains and hungers by purely intellect ual understanding. Instead, he feels these sensations sharply and directly as if his mind itself were suffering. The confused modes of thinking that arise with respect to these sensations result precisely because the mind and body are intermingled and the mind cannot survey the matter disinterestedly. The Meditator argues that mind and body have nothing in common, so they must be two totally distinct substances.We could point out that Clark Kent and Superman are very dissimilar and are yet the same thing, and so argue by analogy that mind and body might be two very different ways of looking at the same thing. However, even the primary attributes of mind and body are different. Body is essentially extended, whereas mind is non-extended and essentially thinking. Since the two are totally different, the Meditator concludes that he is only mind, and not body. This is a step beyond what is stated by the sum res cogitans in the Second Meditation, as there the Meditator asserts that he onl y knows that he is a thinking thing.This sharp distinction between mind and body is called â€Å"mind-body dualism† and has had tremendous impact on Western philosophy ever since. If sensory experience is in the mind and the bodies that cause our sensations are in the world, the question arises as to how the two can causally interact. What is the connection between mind and world? This has been a great concern in particular for the rationalist philosophers that followed Descartes–Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz being the most important–as well as for philosophy of mind in general ever since. 17 17 ibid. CONCLUSIONThe mind and the body if held as totally distinct from each other leaves no room for interaction. The mind becomes a separate entity as well as the body. The body is extended and occupies space, it is measureable, visible and degenarates hence the body is matter. The mind however is a direct opposite. It cannot be measured, it is not visible and does not occupy space. Also, since the body is extended in three dimensional space, it can be divided into specific parts, the mind however does not occupy space and cannot be divided. The nature of the body according to Descartes was that, unlike the mind it was divisible. 8 â€Å"There is a great difference between mind and body, inasmuch as body is by nature always divisible, and the mind is entirely indivisible. â€Å"19 How then an immaterial mind (that Descartes denied had a location in space) moves a physical body that does, how a body consisting of space-occupying matter influence an immaterial mind remains a philosophical problem, I dare say, beyond any discuss in the philosophy of mind, a metaphysical problem that the whole discipline of philosophy up till date is yet to find a solution to. 18 ‘Rene Descartes. ’ n. p. 2002. ttp://www. renedescartes. com/essay/rene_descartes_essay_001. htm (accessed April 13,2013). 19 ibid. Further Readings Meditations on First Ph ilosophy in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and body Rene Descartes Copyright  ©2010–2015 All rights reserved. Jonathan Bennett Foundationalism, Epistemic Principles, and the Cartesian Circle James Van Cleve The Philosophical Review Vol. 88, No. 1 (Jan. , 1979), pp. 55-91 Published by: Duke University Press Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2184779

Moral Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moral Life - Essay Example It speaks of three things, moral standards, moral responsibility and moral identity. (Design. Morality 2013) When we claim that we want to lead a moral life, it means that we want to lead a life which embodies our own moral commitments. When the person has a good conscience which is socialized by human contact, then the person automatically starts leading a good moral life. A moral person would always do the right thing for the reason without thinking of any laws or commandments. It is true that laws and commandments enforce morality on people making them lead a forced moral life, for instance, if the law forbids killing and a person still wants to do that despite knowing its wrong, then that person is not moral by being. More importantly, these laws and commandments are at times not even same in all parts of the world. Having said that, in a few countries of the world there are not enough laws related to all the wrong activities, so considering that if morality and moral life is red uced to just laws and commandments, then the people living in those countries where they are not enough laws will less likely be able to lead a moral life. Morality of a person should always come from within; it depends on the conscience of a person. If a person’s conscience doesn’t find killing or stealing a wrong deed then that person’s conscience is formed poorly and hence his moral judgments wouldn’t be trustworthy either. A good conscience also plays a major role in leading a moral life. Morality has an impact on our daily decisions and these decisions are directed by our conscience. We shall figure out from where this conscience really originates from. Some people think that conscience is just a matter of our hearts and that the concepts of right and wrong are programmed in each of us The general ability of knowing what is right and wrong including the concrete judgments that humans make regarding what should or should not be done is all represented by conscience. To follow or depart from reason and the divine law are the decisions which moral choices confront us with; so a good conscience is what make makes judgments confirming to the reason. It is rightly said then that, a good conscience requires a lifelong formation as once it is developed properly, there is no way the person with good conscience will not lead a good moral life based on personal decisions. A moral life which will inspire others and they would follow the same path too. All said and done, a moral person would always do the right thing for the reason without thinking of any laws or commandments. A moral character would neither act out of fear nor hope for any reward. So many people who are bind to follow the law are not leading a moral life but they are just ‘pretending’ to be moral because a moral person is ‘moral’ in being not in behavior. So personal feelings seem to play a bigger role and have a greater impact in the attempt to l ead a moral life than laws and commandments. As only when a person feels from within about the god and the bad then only can that person strive to lead a better life, a moral life without any forced rules enforced on him. This is how we can lead a moral life based on our personal decisions, by imagining the right way of conducting our lives; by caring for others when they are in trouble in a way which makes us feel that we are doing well in this world. The first step to seek a good moral life is to develop a good

Comparison of Global Cities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Comparison of Global Cities - Essay Example New York outclasses all other cities in the world because it has an extremely diverse population and over the years, it has become the financial hub of the world. Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, and the offices of Fortune 500 companies make it impossible for the business world to deny its importance. London has an edge when it comes to cultural heritage because it attracts the largest number of foreign visitors from the entire world on the same basis. Furthermore, there is no denial to the financial importance of the city since it is the heart of Europe and the entire world in terms of its financial and economic activities. United Kingdom is an important force in the world affairs and global political arena thus making allowing London and impeccable role in global politics. Tokyo could be called as the New York or London of Japan. Since the Second World War, the city has witnessed unprecedented economic growth, which continues even as of today. With offices of more than 50 Glob al 500 companies in Tokyo, Tokyo Stock Exchange is the third largest stock market in the world in terms of market capitalization. Tokyo lags behind when it comes to attracting tourists and increasing the diversity in the society by welcoming immigrants. The debate of global cities is never ending. As mentioned earlier, even as of today, experts have not been able to agree on a single definition of a global city. Furthermore, it is rather complicated to assign a quantitative value to each of the factors that characterize a city as a global city. Quite understandably, with the rapid pace of globalization, it is highly likely that these cities will witness a few serious contenders for the top spots in the global cities lists.

Therapeutic approaches within multicultural cmmunities Essay

Therapeutic approaches within multicultural cmmunities - Essay Example These are knowledge of oneself i.e. self-awareness, knowledge of other, and the therapeutic practice. We are basically concerned here with Therapeutic approaches within Multicultural Communities (Swanson, 2010). Most of the mental health issues pertain to historical and social issues linked with colonialism. These concerns had have a disastrous intergenerational effect on the communities of First Nations, even though modern Western focused service delivery is the prime focus. Inappropriately, many of the people of First Nations idealize mental health care to be culturally insensitive and inaccessible. The Nations clients are not as prone to come back after first session of counseling as compared to Caucasian clients (Swanson, 2010). In this paper, we extend the historical and socio-political rationale for been the reason to basic cultural differences. This approach to comprehending and working with cultural differences is based on the three sub ideas of multicultural capability. In w hat trails, we will discuss the practice and theory of these domains of multicultural capability as they pertain to counseling the clients of First Nations (McGilloway, 2010). ... The multicultural counseling should endorse client-related other than cultural-related involvements. Giving a distinct treatment for each different group is not a sound decision. Many people of the First Nations are identified with multiple cultures, thus making the matters more intricate at hand. Human centered commonly focuses approaches might be the best approach to balance the scale of modern verses conventional involvements (Gallardo, 2012). Western approaches are still relevant when it comes to counseling of the people of First Nations. The First Nations client usually seems to reject the modern counseling practices but it is dealt with. Certain perspectives of the Western theory are agreeable to be deconstructed and being use for healing processes. For instance, the procedures involved in conventional practices f sharing and healing have certain types of main group therapy. The Western methods of counseling can easily be replaced is not the idea here. However, both contemporar y and conventional methods can be compared and utilized alike. One should keep in touch with multicultural aspect that respects and values the diversity in all arenas. No assumption should be made to predominating the validity or correctness or effectiveness of one aspect of healing over other one. Certainly, when it relates to effectiveness, the therapeutic consequence research immensely relates to rank of a collaborative balance between the model of counselor in counseling and client global view. The balance is needed to determine an optimistic counseling result (Swanson, 2010). Accumulation strategies should be attended to as well. There is a big difference between First Nations people and the main health service providers which outcomes in varying views relating

Synthesis Essay on Rear Window Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Synthesis on Rear Window - Essay Example Jeff telephones Thorwald and asks him to meet him at a bar, providing Lisa and Stella with the opportunity to dig up the flower patch, but they find nothing. Lisa then climbs through the fire escape into Thorwald’s apartment, but unfortunately, he returns and catches her. Jeff witnesses this through the window and calls the police to save Lisa, who signals to him across the courtyard with Mrs. Thorwald’s ring. Thorwald notices Lisa signaling to Jeff through the window and realizes that Jeff is behind the whole scheme to uncover him as the murderer of his wife. Â  In the scuffle that follows Thorwald throws a yelling Jeffries through the window, but the police arrive in time to catch him before he hits the ground, and only suffers another broken leg. The police arrest Thorwald, who confesses to murdering his wife. In the final scene of the movie, Jeff has broken his other leg too as a result of the fall and is shown resting at peace in his wheelchair. Across the courtya rd, the lonely woman has a new-found friendship with the songwriter, the lover of the dancer returns home from the military, the elderly couple has acquired a new dog, and the young couple is constantly arguing. Rear Window provides an insightful view of the social and psychological factors that give rise to difficulties experienced in relationships between men and women. Jeff’s relationship with Lisa and the relationships of the other tenants across the courtyard combines throughout the film to bring out this central theme.... In the scuffle that follows Thorwald throws a yelling Jeffries through the window, but the police arrive in time to catch him before he hits the ground, and only suffers another broken leg. The police arrest Thorwald, who confesses to murdering his wife. In the final scene of the movie, Jeff has broken his other leg too as a result of the fall and is shown resting at peace in his wheelchair. Across the courtyard, the lonely woman has a new-found friendship with the songwriter, the lover of the dancer returns home from the military, the elderly couple has acquired a new dog, and the young couple is constantly arguing. Rear Window provides an insightful view of the social and psychological factors that give rise to difficulties experienced in relationships between men and women. Jeff’s relationship with Lisa, and the relationships of the other tenants across the courtyard, combines throughout the film to bring out this central theme. In The Women Who Knew Too Much, Tania Modlesk i interprets The Rear Window by using it as the basis for an analysis of the male and female spectators. Modleski asserts that the film stresses both male and female points of view, with both Jeff and Lisa being portrayed in the reverse shots observing the neighbors through the rear window. She stresses that the male character is not domineering over the female character, and that spectators get the opportunity to identify themselves with both Jeff and Lisa on different occasions. Lisa related to the characters through empathy and identification, whereas Jeff was more interested in spying on them and adopting a controlling relation to the happenings in their lives. Through these two perspectives, Modleski brings out the instances in the film that provided spectators with the

This papers topic is on Sight and Blindness in the play Oedipus Rex Essay

This papers topic is on Sight and Blindness in the play Oedipus Rex - Essay Example In light of this, it can be said that being sighted or blind does not necessarily correspond with the ability to control ones fate. It may be assumed that having the ability to see makes it easier to control fate, however, in Oedipus Rex, it is clearly evident that between physical and intellectual blindness, it is the latter which seems to allow for a more truthful vision of one’s destiny. Oedipus, the protagonist, is arrogant and intellectually blind. It is this arrogance and blindness which actually cause him to eventually fulfill the fate he so desperately tries to escape from. He begins his life with a prophecy from the gods; that one day he will kill his father and marry his mother. In a desperate attempt to avoid this terrible fate, his parents send him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saves Oedipus and the child is adopted by Polybus and Merope, the King and Queen of Corinth. While Oedipus was completely unaware of the prophecy during this time, he was safe from fulfilling his terrible destiny. Ironically, it is only when he begins to see the truth that he begins to approach his fate. As he becomes aware of the prophecy, he flees from home for safety in the hopes of avoiding his destiny. However, in doing so, he achieves the opposite; while fleeing Corinth, he meets his real father, King Laius, and kills him. He then makes his way to Thebes where he marries his real mother, Jocasta, and also brings a plague into the city. These events are hugely ironic, because if Oedipus had never become aware of the truth, he could have stayed blissfully ignorant, and safe from fulfilling his destiny. Alternatively, if Oedipus had been aware of the full truth from the beginning he could have potentially avoided his fate. His arrogance is further displayed when he declares that he will find the Kings killer so he can save the town from the plague, unaware that he himself is the killer. We can see that throughout the

Research in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research in Practice - Essay Example This will be done from study of existing literature concerning McDonalds and its Chinese market and outlets. McDonalds is one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. The fats food stores giant has been operating in several countries worldwide and in most cases it has outsmarted its competitors to remain the number one fast food shop worldwide. The fast food giant entered the Chinese market in the 1990 and has been operational since then. There has therefore been the need to study and analyze its operation in China market in order to predict the future of the restaurant in China. Articles and journals have been selected for use in this research to help achieve the objectives of the study. McDonalds Corporation is an American world’s largest fast food chain that specializes in serving of hamburger in over a hundred countries globally. The fast food giant has its head quarters in Illinois in the United States of America. The fast food giant was founded by businessman Ray Kroc. McDonalds has three modes of operations in its various countries of operations. The McDonalds restaurants are either operated by the corporation itself, as an affiliate or as a franchise. McDonald’s main products include hamburger, French fries, breakfast items, chicken burger, milkshakes and soft drinks. The fast food restaurant has heavily standardized its menus in its various outlets worldwide .In some scenarios however, the fast food giant has altered its menu or expanded it in order to meet the needs of the local clients especially in the Middle East. McDonalds made an entry into the china market in the year 1990.The fast food group of restaurants had an increasing and promising growth rate in its fast three years of operation. However, in the subsequent years the growth rate of the fast food restaurants was lower compared to the growth rate between the year 1990 and 1993.This was due to a number of factors such as competition, cultural

Public personnel management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public personnel management - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that payment in lieu of taxes or otherwise referred to as PILOTs are most commonly paid by large landholding non-profit organizations, especially universities and hospitals and are usually paid on a voluntary basis. It is only logical to argue that because these non-profit organizations receive basic services from cities in which they are situated at, and are funded by real estate taxes, every property owner should pay something in return. These payments are usually made to the local governments by the non-profit organizations because the receive local services like roads, fire protection, and the likes, but are ultimately exempted from paying property taxes because they primarily provide charitable work. In cases of cities that are struggling with budgets, non-profit organizations that are financially healthy and that own a substantial amount of tax-exempt property can be a useful avenue for raising revenue for the city. These cities often want the non-profit organization to chip in some cash in bailing them out of the financial quagmires and to make up for the forgone taxes. So should the non-profits pay PILOTs? The researcher would like to say that they should pay taxes because all owners of any property in the community, whether for-profit or otherwise receive services from the local governments or the cities such as roads, sewers, police services and the rest and these services have been funded by taxes from real estate.

Fast Food and the Problems with Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Fast Food and the Problems with Fast Food Essay Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World. Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World.

E-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation

E-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation This report discusses the details of conducting a long-term comparison and analysis of the Automotive Industry-Covisint, specifically focusing on Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). The purpose of this comparison and analyses is to examine e-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation. TMC has become the worlds largest automotive manufacturer in regards to sales and production (Schmitt, 2011). With innovative developments such as QR technology and use of e-commerce practices within their corporation, Toyota has become a leader with automotive practices. The practice of e-commerce in the automotive industry has lead to increased savings, profits, and productivity. Its greatest impact within the automotive industry has been in the manufacturing process. E-commerce enables companies to alter their ways in sectors such as Supply Chain Management (SCM) and B2B transactions. Covisnt is a global wide online marketplace for the automotive industry. Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler launched Covisint in 1999 with intentions to become an online exchange for supply chain management participants. The online auctioning portal allowed corporations to compete for customers based on buying needs such as price, quality and delivery time. Since Toyotas formation in the 1930s, Toyota has grown to expand into international operations. Despite various obstacles such as recalls and labor disruptions, Toyota has continued to successfully increase production while making efficient decisions within their corporation. Aside from automobile technologies, TMC has also developed technologies that have grown into industries outside of the automotive sector. Such technologies include QR technology, which is a 2D barcode that contains information in both vertical and horizontal directions, unlike traditional barcodes where information is only stored in one direction. QR technology was initially designed for automobile parts tracking, but has become a common social media trait in outside companies. The Toyota Production System has also grown to become a standard in many industries. The practice of using people as people and not as machines has become a success story for Toyota, while being credited as one of factors in Toyotas succe ss. ERP technology has also been a B2B and ERP integration model that has been growing within the automotive sector. E-commerce techniques such as online auctions and paperless transactions, has lead to reduced costs and increased efficiency. The technology has demonstrated to be effective with manufacturing processes and building relationships with buyers suppliers. Aside from B2B interactions, TMC conducts B2C activities. Goals and objectives for TMC are strived towards with the use of business plans, cases, revenue models and value propositions. Identifying strategic partnerships with suppliers will further increase cost savings, create higher quality products and ensure technological advancements. Focusing on e-commerce tools such as cloud computing can be used for information exchange on a global scale. Social networking should also be invested into for global communication. With strong relationships, collaborative goals and shared vision will achieve greater profits for all participants. To ensure TMC remains the worlds largest automobile manufacturer, an investment into its forward thinking culture must be maintained. Historical Background: B2b automotive industry history of covisint Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler launched an online marketplace for the global automotive industry by the name of Covisint in 1999. The inintial development of Covisint was to created to act as an online exchange for manufacturers and supply chain members. Covisint encompasses three areas of the vertical buy-side e-markets including e-procurement, supply chain management and e-development. Between 2000 and 2001, manufacturers Renault, Nissan, and PSA Peugeot had joined as investors in Covisint. Also during 2001, Ford saved $70 million in procurement costs by using Covisint (Konicki, 2001). Alongside Covisint, various other e-marketplaces were being developed to source and produce goods. The competition of other e-marketplaces caused a concern for Covisint, who then rebranded its image and services as an automotive industry software solutions provider and standards body (E-Marketplace Evolution). Covisints first step in its plan was to target online auction technologies since auction-driven e-marketplaces were the most popular business-to-business purchasing technology at the time. By using online auctions, corporations had the ability to work with competing suppliers within one platform. With competition, corporations could choose the best fit for their buying needs based on price, quality and/or delivery time. Online auctioning has been credited as an evolution changer as the success for e-marketplaces are based on supplier sourcing and price negotiation. Historical Background: Toyota Motor Corporation In the early 1930s, Kiichiro Toyoda began a trip to the US to learn about the automotive industry. Upon returning home to Japan from a trip Toyoda made from the US visiting carious automotive production plants, Toyoda decided to open up an automobile division named Toyoda at his fathers loom factory. By 1935, the first vehicle prototype was created, while establishments of research centres were made by the mid 1940s. Following World War II in 1945, Toyoda was rebranded as Toyota. Rather than following the American footsteps in producing medium-large sized vehicles, Toyota decided to focus on working towards the creation of small cars. Doing so gave Toyota leverage in the automobile market as the only leader in small-sized vehicles. It was in 1949 when Toyota was confronted a labor and management conflict because of an imbalance in sales and payroll resulting in Toyota paying employees with long-term promissory notes rather than cash (History of Toyota). After the resignation of President Kiichiro Toyoda as well as the executive staff, Eiji Toyoda and Shoichi Saito replaced their positions. Both executives visited the US in anticipation of learning the ways of production in the automotive industry. Toyota discovered international growth during the 1980s when the corporation was ranked second in worldwide production levels. During the 1980s, TMC became more involved with the American culture and joined forces with General Motors to create a manufacturing firm called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (History of Toyota). It was also during this time when Toyota announced American production facilities as part of their expansion. In 1992, Toyota ownership was transferred to Totsuro Toyoda. TMC had experienced an economic downturn during the recession, resulting in declining profits between 1991-1994. With new ownership, programs were implemented for reducing costs in various areas by 50 percent and production costs were reduced by transferring production to oversea markets (History of Toyota). At the time Toyota president Hiroshi Okuda, introduced Toyotas New Global Business Plan as a way to place focus on innovation and international expansion (History of Toyota). Toyotas New Global Business Plan objective was to localize production, and increase market share. Aside from production facilities, Toyota demonstrated initiatives in eliminating landfill waste and regulating stricter environmental practices. With Toyotas extensive growth in international markets such as Canada, India, UK, France and Turkey and China, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has grown to be one of the worlds largest automobile companies. By the year 2000, Toyota became the largest car company in Japan, while holding the 3rd position worldwide. toyota production system During the late 1950s, Taichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo had established the Toyota Production System (ToyoLand, 2011). Also known as lean manufacturing, the Toyota Production System was based on the theory that people should be used as people and not as machinery. Its concept was based on Fords manufacturing system; Ohno and Shingo had analyzed Fords system to determine where problems were occurring. During the initial stages, Ford had a number of problems dealing with the treatment of its people as machines. The Toyota Production System is made up of Jidoka and just-in-time production (ToyoLand, 2011). As illustrated in Appendix A, the concept of Jidoka is based on automation with a human touch (Toyota, 2011). Jidoka ensures that defects do not pass through the production process, eliminating the production of defective products (ToyoLand, 2011). Just-in-time production focuses on making what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed (Toyota, 2011). Reducing the amount of products in inventory not only reduces required maintenance, but also reduces capital costs and allows for ease in technological advancements. Not only has the system been effective for Toyota, it has been implemented in a range of industries around the world. QR COdes In 1994, QR Codes were developed by Denso-Wave. QR Codes were originally created for tracking automotive parts in vehicle manufacturing (Wave, 2010). Its Quick Response concept was based on 2D symbols, similar to traditional barcodes. It functioned using scanner equipment, where the information contained in the symbol was contained in both vertical and horizontal directions, whereas traditional bar codes contain data in only one direction (Wave, 2010). Presently, QR codes are used in areas beyond the vehicle manufacturing line and are implemented into a range of industries including entertainment, technology, social media, and much more. Specifically in the automotive industry, QR Codes are used as shipping labels and receipts containing customer information, product identification, shipping addresses and much more. QR Codes proved to be beneficial due to significant cost reductions and greater efficiency. how e-commerce has changed the industry The rapid advent of e-commerce has resulted in dramatic changes within the business environment. Due to the unique structure of the technologies, there are more opportunities for businesses to benefit from those advances. Using e-commerce related technologies, a businesses can reach their potential suppliers and consumers worldwide. The automotive industry has benefited significantly from the advancement of e-commerce. General Motors, one of the worlds largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries (General Motors Company, 2011). The industry has come to adopt e-commerce technologies by implementing Business-to-Business, and Supply chain integration models. By using the Business-to-Business model, automotive vehicle manufacturers have achieved efficiency in their daily operations. A typical B2B transaction within the automotive industry can be illustrated by an automakers need for direct material purchases from suppliers, while also having the ability to conduct sales. After the B2B related technology has been widely implemented in the industry, automotive companies are able to save costs by eliminating paper-based systems, and reducing the usage of mailroom staff. Also B2B concepts have assisted companies reduce the potential errors made by the employees in order to improve the companys data accuracy. Without an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system in place, the company would face a potential loss. EDIs can define and transfer standard data without human intervention. Finally, implementing a B2B model can improve the relationship between automobile manufacturers and suppliers in order to reduce procurement costs and improve efficie ncy. For example, Ford cooperated with its competitors creating an auto-exchange website (Covisint) to assist dealers meet suppliers online. By adopting a supply chain integration model, the automotive industry is able to manage information efficiently and create a smooth flow to distributors, suppliers, internal divisions and customers. Majority of automotive manufacturers are using ERP and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems in addition to managing their supply chain management process. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is an industry term for the broad set of activities that helps a business manages the important parts of its business (The, PP. 123). The results obtained from ERP can assist managers evaluate the companys performance and see if it meets corporate objectives. CRM is a model built to help organizations reach customers easily and receive feedback. Since this model integrates customers information to the overall enterprise, the supply chain management is improved efficiently. In the automotive industry, e-commerce platforms are commonly used for automakers to buy material online from suppliers. For instance, Ford uses the system to divide the supplier for different levels based the components of a car. When the firm needs to buy systems or seats, the firm would inform first layer suppliers through its e-procurement platform. With that methodology, Ford can improve its relationship with suppliers, save transaction costs and reduce its inventory levels. industry analysis: current possible future state Current Covisints portal allows participants such as manufacturers and suppliers to trade based on a standardized process. The goal of the Covisint is to create a standardized industry system that any manufacturer and its partners can access. In 2001, Covisint hosted 1,400 auctions, which led to over $51 billion worth of transactions (E-marketplace evolution, 2006). Covisint has currently extended its services to providing a range of applications for its customers. Unlike its original approach of creating revenues based on subscriptions and/or transactions fees from its e-marketplace, Covisint now generates revenues through its extended applications services. Design collaboration, procurement, supply chain management, quality control and portal solutions are some of the extended applications apart of Covisints growth. In order to remain ahead of competition, corporations such as Covisint have begun to increase investment budgets for B2B infrastructures. By investing into new technologies, changes in day-to-day management practices can be shifted to increase efficiency and quality. Also, investment in B2B services can increase the variety of business interactions. Foreign automobile manufacturers are also entering the automotive industry, causing a threat to older corporations, such as Toyota Motor Corporation. The automotive industry faces a large amount of competition, where many factors may influence consumer and supplier decisions. Changes in technologies impact corporations based on their situation analysis. With increased technological advancements, a company may position themselves effectively while focusing on a specific target market. porters five forces Analysis Porters Five Forces (Appendix B) are significantly affected with the advent of technology enabling business to e-business and can be examined in respect to the automotive industry. Threat of New Entrants (Low):  New entrants, specifically foreign corporations, in the automotive industry serve as a threat. With low capital, knowledge and experience, corporations face a difficulty in staying ahead of the positioning curve. Using B2B models, corporations face an easier entry point, as companies are able to outsource more easily. Bargaining power of Suppliers (Low): The power of suppliers is limited and has been determined to be in the hands of the automaker, who chooses to do business with the supplier. If the automaker were to dispose of the supplier, the supplier may be left in a troubled situation. As a result it is important as a supplier to reach and maintain demands/requirements of the purchasing partner. Bargaining power of Buyers (High): The automotive industry faces a great amount of bargaining power by buyers with their influence in automobile prices. With such a competitive market, prices are based on supply and demand. With real time access to information such as research and design, buyer power will begin to increase. Threat of Substitutes (High):  Based on the automakers target market, the threat of substitutes may be a concern. Substitutes include public transit, airplanes, or possibly a competing company who manufactures a different style automobile. Gas prices also act as an influence to substitutes, as one car may cost less than another based on fuel needs. Competitive Rivalry within the industry (Low): The automotive industry is an oligopoly, where the industry is controlled by a small group of firms/corporations. Price based competition is not the focus of competition, but emphasis in value added services have grown with automobile corporations. future possible state Businesses worldwide now use B2B e-commerce to buy over a trillion dollars in goods and services yearly (Boeth, 2009). By shifting the B2B automotive network to a cloud based environment, the future industry can expect reduced costs. Social networking tools are more readily available to help improve alliances and cooperation amongst trading partners worldwide. As technology continues to advance, communication structures enhance communication security, enabling industries such as the automotive sector to share confidential information securely. With an emphasis on an organizations bottom line structure, the practice of outsourcing operations to emerging countries such as India and China is increasing. The future success of B2B in the automotive sector rests within its ability to connect the online marketplace with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. With the use of ERP platforms, costs an organization may incur can be reduced, while improving inventory management and developing positive global relationships around the world. toyota motor corporation: swot analysis A SWOT analysis is used to establish the efficiency of e-commerce within Toyota Motor Corporation, as well as any potential improvements that can be implemented. strengths Toyota Motor Corporation is an established international company and a manufacturing leader in the automotive industry. This allows its efforts in electronic commerce to be powerfully employed. The corporation is specialists in integrating B2B and B2C e-commerce into its business activities. The formation and employment of QR codes has provided TMC with a considerable lead in the automotive industry, ultimately decreasing costs and generating greater efficiency. The companys online showroom allows potential consumers to view the vehicles in customized forms by changing colour and allowing them to read up on added accessories and interior details. These showrooms ultimately promote purchase decisions. By using the internet, TMC has efficiently implemented online storefronts for vehicle purchasing. Toyota also has a strong system of reusing and salvaging parts through the use of e-commerce. Used parts are sold on the web through distributors, as seen in Appendix C. weaknesses Although the company has implemented online showrooms, consumers are unable to make the final purchase. The online storefront allows consumers to select and research the vehicle they wish to purchase, but cannot do so without visiting a certified dealership which they are shown at the end of their purchasing decision. There is room for more advancement in the e-commerce world by allowing consumers to search, purchase, and have a vehicle delivered to the home, ultimately eliminating the absolute need for a brick-and-mortar dealership where the purchasing process is traditionally completed. opportunities Continual international growth through e-commerce is attainable. There is demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, an area of strength for Toyota. By recognizing the extent of this demand, Toyota can use e-commerce to exploit it through online advertising and promotions (Bradbury, 2010). The internet has a great potential in reaching large audiences effectively while being efficient for both the seller and buyer, therefore marketing opportunities are forever huge. There is also room for improvement in regards to manufacturing efficiency by developing social networking concepts and mobile computing practices in order to strengthen relationships with suppliers and buyers. threats The external environment is what ultimately provides threats to any particular business, and Toyota is not an exception. These threats can fall into several categories including; reduced demand for the offered products, inability to meet consumer needs, and competition. Higher gas prices affects the demand for vehicles, making e-commerce efforts which have been promoting growth within TMC, become less effective (Bradbury, 2010). Competition in the automotive industry in respect to e-commerce is major, therefore Toyota must be sure to continuously improve and keep up-to-date with its rivals in terms of e-commerce implementation. By doing so, TMCs efforts in the e-commerce perspective will not be undermined. firm industry e-commerce effectiveness Improvements The Toyota Production System (TPS), also known as lean manufacturing, has become a system looked up to by the automotive industry and has also been implemented into a range of industries on a global scale. This lean initiative not only dominates the automotive industry but has recently has gone beyond the shop floor to white-collar offices and is even spreading to service industries (Likert, 2006). The recognition comes from the fact that with the use of TPS, Toyota continues to produce high quality vehicles faster and for less cost than most of its competition, which results in greater overall profits. They also manage more new vehicle launches annually than most of their competitors, thus creating a steady flow of high quality new products to meet consumer demand (Likert, 2006). Alan Miialty, who took over as CEO of Ford in 2006 was quoted the following about TMC, Theyre arguably the finest manufacturing company in the world, Ive been a student of the Toyota Production System for m y 37 years at Boeing. Ive been to Japan 47 times (Chappell, 2007). Underlying the Toyota Production System are the involvements of people, processes and technology. The Toyota Production System requires underlying principles that effectively integrate many aspects of the organization including people, processes and technology. Toyota is able to accomplish this by creating a learning culture across the organization to include continual, comprehensive, and coordinated effort for change and learning across the organization (Likert, 2006). The use of e-commerce initiatives has contributed to the success of the Toyota Production System. Planning Perspective CEO John Henke Jr. surveyed 231 Tier 1 suppliers, where suppliers graded six automakers based on categories such as: willingness to help suppliers cut costs, pay suppliers for cancelled programs and reward top suppliers with new business (Sherefkin, 2009). Although Toyota has always finished with top marks historically, Honda recently dethroned them in a North American survey as having the best supplier relations in the annual ranking. Honda, Toyota and Nissan remain above the industry average in supplier relations, while the Detroit 3 are below average (Sherefkin, 2009). Toyota engages e-commerce tools such as Covisint to emphasize its relationship management with its suppliers. As studies have shown, large hub firms are able to exercise power over their tier 1 (direct) suppliers (spoke firms) with an estimated 80% to 90% of tier 1 suppliers receiving or using EDI i n Australia (Tanewski et al., 2003). Although Covisint has focused on using XML Technology rather EDI (Tierney, 2004), the examples from Australia show the willingness of business-to-business e-commerce with both OEM manufacturers and suppliers. The use of Covisint allows Toyota to share information electronically with its tier 1 suppliers with lower transaction cost, therefore maintaining its lean production system. The transaction cost perspective is that the firm focus on more than just production costs, but also the associated transaction costs to do business, which include all search and information costs, as well as the costs of monitoring and enforcing contractual performance (Robins, 1987: 69). Prior to the development of Covisint, suppliers were using multiple software packages and file exchange formats to communicate with the different OEM manufacturers for engineering design information (Tanewski et al, 2003). This problem was addressed within the framework of Covisint en suring the benefits of this e-commerce exchange to be benefitted by all its members. Suppliers like Denso, makers of components for fuel saving hybrids, have also flourished due to their cooperation with of Toyota and will likely continue as they strive to become more of a global player. President Koichi Fukaya of Denso recently stated, Its Toyota first, Toyota is our biggest shareholder and originally like our father. Toyota holds a 21 percent stake in Denso and accounts for half of the auto suppliers sales (Greimel, 2007). Keeping close contact with trading-partners like suppliers and information systems portals like Covisint, as well as industry groups has been extremely helpful for manufacturers to lower its costs. Only in this way can manufacturer avoid very costly or rush projects necessary to stay in step with the industry and its customers (Piszczalski, 2003). Covisint has capitalized with the use of the internet to ensure these multi-million dollar auctions run more efficiently. By utilizing the internet compared to traditional fax machine based communicatio n, online auctions can be finished in as little as 10 minutes. Typically, Covisints average auction lasts about 45 minutes, and allows suppliers to instantly see what others are bidding so they know how much to adjust their own price (Loftus, 2002). The ability to see the pricing of other suppliers have both positive and negative impact, as the speed of these auctions, suppliers are warned to know what their lowest possible bid will be before an auctionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as there is hardly enough time to crunch the numbers if the prep work hasnt been done (Loftus, 2002). Significant savings can be realized by Toyota through the online auction function, as well as the progression into paperless purchasing transactions. In 2001, Ford revealed that it had conducted 65 online auctions for the year. The auctions helped Ford save about 19 percent, or $38 million, on purchases worth $200 million (Sedgwick, 2001). The growth of Covisint will only help facilitate greater cooperation and adaptation from both OEM manufacturers and its suppliers in all tier levels. In turn all the manufacturers involved, including Toyota, will realize greater profitability and faster production time. Toyota Motor corporation: e-commerce key concepts Toyota Motor Corporation has exemplified in the field of e-commerce. The corporation has implemented e-commerce concepts targeted towards maintaining strong relationships with their consumers, suppliers, and buyers. TMC has included B2B as well as B2C uses in their e-commerce activities. With the use of business plans, business cases, revenue models and value propositions, TMC has strived towards achieving business goals, benefits, and revenue growth. Aside from Toyotas involvement in Covisint, Toyota has generated their own line of electronic marketplaces targeted for private, public, and consortia sources. Toyotas involvement in business-to-business e-commerce includes transactions for direct materials. Common direct materials purchased and supplied by Toyota include automotive parts for the production of vehicles. Toyotas e-commerce trades are based on vertical marketplaces as they are dealt with only the automotive industry. In the year 2000, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that they would not conduct affiliated e-commerce practices. Based on Toyotas marketplace position, the internet as a middleman was not required, rather they would pursue in the intention of independent business-to-consumer e-commerce activities (Greenberg, 2000). The e-Toyota division was created in January 2002 with intentions of strengthening Toyotas B2C relationship. e-Toyotas components included TID (Toyota Internet Drive) and GAZOO.com (Fujitsu). An illustration of TID can be found in Appendix D. GAzzo.com Toyotas approach of business-to-consumer activities increased during the launch of GAZOO.com. GAZOO, an independent B2C website created by Toyota, was targeted towards prospective and current Toyota consumers. The website offers browsers e-tailing, internet malls, communication forums, vehicle information and much more (Toyota, 2002). Its plans included expanding into online brokering, financing, insurance, and dealers for future automobile purchases. GAZOO developers focused on creating a membership based website, where users obtained free membership by trading personal information. Based on data-mining techniques, Toyota discovered that 13.6 percent of website visitors purchased a Toyota vehicle within 6 months of accessing the webpage (Greenberg, 2000). Towards the end of the year 2000, GAZOOs membership numbers hiked to approximately one million, from its previous 430,000 in the end of 1999. Projected e-commerce revenues by 2003 were US$5billion (Greenberg, 2000). environmental initiative Toyota does not come short when working towards saving the environment. In 2001 Toyota announced their newest B2B e-commerce program. With the use of exchanges and auctioning, Toyotas recycling initiative introduced its promotion for reusing repaired/replaced automotive parts (Toyota, 2011). Used parts are sold nationwide online through part distributers. Appendix C illustrates Toyotas strategy in using e-commerce as part of its recycling initiative. G-book The development of Toyotas G-BOOK in Japan, which was based off of GAZOO, enabled subscribers to connect with navigation, news, weather, entertainment and much more (Toyota, 2002). G-BOOKs design provided information through wireless terminals connected to the Toyota vehicle internally. The technology was later introduced in both Toyota and Lexus line of vehicles. Its e-commerce component included its storefront for purchasing merchandise from GAZOOs Internet mall. e-crb (customer relationship building) Toyota Motor Corporation announced in e-CRB (customer relationship building) in 2004, serving as an e-commerce version for CRM (customer relationship management) (Toyota, 2004). The initiative was based on the G-BOOK technology. The objective of e-CRB was defined as improving the customer service relationships between dealers and consumers. e-CRB focused on improving customer service between the two parties, no matter their location in the world. Community activities Toyota Motor Corporation stands strong behind their motto Make Things Better (Toyota, 2011). Online and offline, Toyota has continued to portray a positive image in involvement in a range of activities affecting the future of the well being of others. According to Toyota Motor Corporations corporate website, the following are examples of Toyotas community involvements: Educational Contributions (ie. Scholarships, improvements) Safety Contributions (Rehabilitation clinics) Special Olympics Canada National Games Environmental Initiatives Volunteering Conclusion This