Deffenses For Democracy Essay Example For Students

Deffenses For Democracy Essay Is liberty a bad thing? Socrates seemed to think so. In Book VIIIof Platos Republic, Socrates criticizes democracy by attacking three ofits most important aspects: liberty, equality, and majority rule. Heasserts that because of these things, a democratic city will always fallinto tyranny. I disagree, and feel that all three of the principles areessential to a fair and just city, and only in their absence can a city betaken into tyranny. Socrates begins his observations on the defects of a democraticgovernment by first attacking liberty. His main argument is that there isentirely too much of it. People in a democracy are free to do what theywish in their lives and are free to chose what if any job they will do. Socrates asks if, like the man with the democratic soul, they will not just pass the time and not get much done (Plato, 557e). This may be true, but people who do not work do not eat. InSocrates city, much like in a communist regime, all of the people in acity are responsible f or the common good of all of the other members oftheir city. A man who does nothing would truly be a burden on thissociety, but unlike in Socrates city, or a communist state, in a capitalistdemocracy people are responsible for their own survival, and a manmust work if he is to have a food, shelter, and all of the othernecessities of life. When describing his just city, Socrates was very much in favor ofspecialization of labor (Plato, 367e-372b), so for a man to try manythings would go against his concept of what belongs in a good city. ButShouldnt one try ones hand at many tasks until one find a job that bestfulfills ones soul? In Alienated Labor, Karl Marx argues that separationof labor is fundamentally wrong in that it alienates the laborer not onlyfrom his labor, but also from himself and society as a whole(Good Life,272). Socrates himself claims that a just soul must find work that isbest for the ?rational? part of the soul (Plato, 434d-444e)Socrates also claims that criminals in a democratic city have toomuch freedom. He asks Adeimantus if he had not seen men?sentenced to death or exile, nonetheless staying and carrying on rightin the middle of things?(Plato 558a). A democracy has laws andpunishments as does every other government. Justice is always dependent on the wisdom of people, and peopleare fallible. Perha ps criminals do go free sometimes when given a trialby their peers, but monarchies and tyrannies are no less fallible. Historyis full of wrongly accused people being put to death, and horrible menbeing set free, in all kinds of government. Trial by a jury of peers, as isfound in a democracy, helps to alleviate this much better than judgmentpassed by a ruling body. According to Lysander Spooner, trial by juryis the watchdog of liberty, and when jurors are truly takenindiscriminately, and do theirs jobs seriously and without bias, then aperson has received the fairest trial that is possible (Spooner, 2)Socrates next takes aim against majority rule. He asks, what ismajority rule, but a system of a leader telling his people what he thinksthey want to hear? (Plato 558b) This may be true, but when a city hasthe power to choose its leaders, the leader then becomes responsible tothe needs and desires of the people if he wishes to stay in power. It isas Thomas Jefferson says, ?Governmentsder ive their just powersfrom the consent of the governed? (Jefferson). Even if a leader isignoble, if the people he is leading wish for noble things, he must to thegood thing or not be leader anymore. .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .postImageUrl , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:hover , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:visited , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:active { border:0!important; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:active , .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409 .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6fdd54fb4ffdafec933de80eb3a3e409:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Dirty South EssaySocrates imagines a city where there are philosophers are guidingthe city (Plato, 484), but are not philosophers human too? Why would aphilosopher be any less sensitive to corruption? Socrates response tothis is that the philosophers would be educated to know what is right forthe city. History has proven though, that just because a person iseducated does not mean he is noble or virtuous. Some of the worstleaders in the world have been the most educated. Education does notnecessarily breed morality. Aristotle explains that to be a truly virtuousperson one must act in a virtuous way, not just know what is the way tobe virtuous (Good Life, 35). Would not a corrupted leader in Socrates city be much morecatastrophic to a city than a corrupted leader in a democracy? In ademocracy, one corrupted leader can be forced to leave office and bereplaced, but when there is only one leader, who is either ordained bygod or brought in by military force, or when there is a group of leaderswho are not responsible to the people, the people have no opportunityto decide on a more noble or just person as their leader, and the peoplehave no protection against corruption in their government. Socrates last attack is against equality. He says democracydispenses a ?certain equality to equals and unequals alike? (Plato,558c). He seems to be saying that all men are not created equal andthat certain people are better equipped to have rights in a city. In fact,Socrates says that the people must be told that they have certainmetals in their souls which make them of different classes (Plato,412b-415d). He calls this the Noble Lie, and while it is a lie, I am notsu re how noble it is. Equality certainly has been a huge issue in our Americangovernment. As for personal rights, President John F. Kennedy said, ?All of us do not have equal talent, but all of should have an equalopportunity to develop our talents (Kennedy)? When it comes to equalityin government, Alexander Hamilton Declared in a speech to theConstitutional convention that ?every individual of the community atlarge has an equal right to protection of the government (Hamilton).?When it come to equality in choosing government, things tend to gettricky. If everyone is not going to be given a say in the government, thenwho decides who gets a say and who does not? What are thecredentials for voting? Who decides on the credentials? Who decideswho decides on the credentials? Philosophers? Who decides whichpeople are fit to be philosophers? Who educates the philosophers to beable to tell who would make a good voter and who would not? All people may not be created equal, but if all people are going to beaffected by the laws, all people should have an opportunity to decide onthem, and all people should be protected by them. The whole point of agovernment is to take care of its people. According to Lord Macaulay,?That is the best government which desires to make the people happy,and knows how to make them happy (Macaulay, 231). Michael Davis, in his book The Politics of Philosophy, explains thatthe best way to ensure a well run city is to make sure all of the citizens inthe city are given equal say in the way it is governed. He uses MalcolmXs famous saying in that a group of oppressed people will not stayoppressed forever, and that the best way for a government to stay stableis to listen to the majority with respect for the minorities. (Davis, 55-57)In conclusion, while Socrates offers good criticisms of democracy, hedoes not defend them very well, and he offers us no plausible alternative. He claims that democracy is one of the worst regimes, yet it wasdemocracy which al lowed him to criticize the very system he was takingadvantage. I think the best argument for democracy is the failure of otherrepressive governments such as the collapse of communism in theSoviet Union, The French monarchy, Britains colonial rule here inAmerica, and Fascism in Germany. Perhaps if these governments hadallowed for liberty, equality, and a majority rule, they would still be inexistence today. .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .postImageUrl , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:hover , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:visited , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:active { border:0!important; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:active , .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060 .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud6a8f3b932e186881f0673c725c8e060:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Corporal Punishment EssayPhilosophy

Metamorphosis of Narcissus free essay sample

This painting is Dalis interpretation of the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was a youth of great beauty who loved only himself and broke the hearts of many lovers. The gods punished him by letting him see his own reflection in a pool. He fell in love with it, but discovered he could not embrace it and died of frustration. Relenting, the gods immortalised him as the narcissus (daffodil) flower. For this picture Dali used a meticulous technique which he described as hand-painted colour photography to depict with hallucinatory effect the transformation of Narcissus, kneeling in the pool, into the hand holding the egg and flower. Narcissus as he was before his transformation is seen posing in the background. The play with double images sprang from Dalis fascination with hallucination and delusion. This was Dalis first painting to be made entirely in accordance with the paranoiac critical method, which the artist described as a Spontaneous method of irrational knowledge, based on the critical-interpretative association of the phenomena of delirium (The Conquest of the Irrational, published in The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, New York 1942). We will write a custom essay sample on Metamorphosis of Narcissus or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Robert Descharnes noted that this painting meant a great deal to Dali, as it was the first Surrealist work to offer a consistent interpretation of an irrational subject. The artist said to Descharnes of this picture: A painting shown and explained to Dr. Freud. Pedagogical presentation of the myth of narcissism, illustrated by a poem written at the same time. In this poem and this painting, there is death and fossilization of Narcissus. The poem to which Dali referred was published in 1937, in a small book by the artist entitled Metamorphosis of Narcissus. The book also contains two explanatory notes printed facing a colour reproduction of the painting, the first of which reads: WAY OF VISUALLY OBSERVING THE COURSE OF THE METAMORPHOSIS OF NARCISSUS REPRESENTED IN THE PRINT ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE: If one looks for some time, from a slight distance and with a certain distant fixedness, at the hypnotically immobile figure of Narcissus, it gradually disappears until at last it is completely invisible. The metamorphosis of the myth takes place at that precise moment, for the image of Narcissus is suddenly transformed into the image of a hand which ises out of his own reflection. At the tips of its fingers the hand is holding an egg, a seed, a bulb from which will be born the new narcissus the flower. Beside it can be seen the limestone sculpture of the hand the fossil hand of the water holding the blown flower. When he met Sigmund Freud in London in 1938, Dali took this picture with him as an example of his work, as well as a magazine conta ining an article he had written on paranoia. Freud wrote the following day to Stefan Zweig, who had introduced them, that it would be very interesting to explore analytically the growth of a picture like this.

Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas

In the book â€Å"Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas†, the author takes his readers through their experience in the chase of the American Dream. He is under the pseudonym of one Raoul Duke who travels with his attorney who is called Dr. Gonzo, from Samoa. Together they arrive in the â€Å"Great Red Shark† as this place was always referred to as a gigantic pimped Chevrolet convertible vehicle, and initially land in Las Vegas as a journalist and his attorney in pursuit of a story about a motor race.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They soon abandon their course and go in pursuit of the elusive American Dream in what Thompson referred to as Gonzo Journalism. With time, however, they get frustrated and gets into a stupor because they start using different sorts of intoxicating substances including alcohol, cocaine and even cannabis. The two gentlemen arrived in Las Vegas with the trunk of their car so full of different drugs and intoxicating concoctions that one would be reminded of an anti-narcotics forensic laboratory. It had two bags, seventy-five mescaline pellets and five sheets of blotter acid. There was a salt-shake which was actually half full of cocaine powder instead of salt. They also had tequila, rum, Budweiser, raw ether and even amyls. This dangerous living was actually a distraction from the punishing life in Las Vegas and America in general. Their dream of making it big, aptly put by Duke as â€Å"gross physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country†, this is description statement is able to show that they are terribly shattered when they find out that things are not actually the way they expected. It is a depiction of the generational restlessness and frustration when things don’t seem to work at all. They also resort to violence with the aim of destroying ever ything that reminds them of the American capitalism and extravagance. As A puts it (up there), â€Å"no one is safe from their comic terror†. They unleashed threats and harassments to chambermaids, tourists and everybody else. They destroyed hotel rooms and stoned vehicles on the streets and even indulged in petty theft. They escaped the law because they were in Las Vegas at a time when lawlessness was reigning supreme, but the comedy is in the fact that they were robbing and molesting even the poorest and most powerless of all people. In what he called his â€Å"chemotherapy chair† or the place he sat regularly when intoxicating himself with drugs, he could reminisce over the situation in Las Vegas – the chaos, lawlessness and poverty and what they portend for the American Dream. This is what made him fearful and loathsome. Another hilarious part of the book is where the locals were wondering why he was driving around in a Cadillac, to which he responded  "you don’t go around chasing the American Dream in a Volkswagen a white Cadillac Convertible and nothing less† a statement exclaimed.Advertising Looking for term paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In a nutshell, â€Å"fear and loathing in Las Vegas† is a vivid narration and hilarious narration of an adventure induced by consumption of all sorts of drugs. They refer to it as chasing the American Dream, though done in a complete stupor and recklessness. It is also perceived as a separation of reality from fallacy, which is funny because the perceived reality is actually through the eyes of a person in a trance courtesy of the massive intake of different intoxicants. Thompson argues that if they work the issue in the right way, then they would make it right. This was a statement made as Raoul Duke, agues in favor of the drugs. His argument is to the effect that they can only achiev e the American Dream if their search is guided by and conducted under the influence of mescaline tabs, jimson weed, ether and all the other substances they had at their disposal. Together with his attorney, they invade all the nice hotels in Las Vegas and accumulate huge bills which they actually abandon. They walk out on the pretext of going to cover the Mint 400 and the Conference on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Actually a keen observer will notice they are under influence of the same drugs whose conference they are about to attend. The drugs had certain effect on them and their pretence could be easily be detected with no doubt. Again in their adventures, Thompson shoots away in the desert with a .357 Magnum gun and has an intimate encounter with Lucy whose teeth remind him of a baseball and eyes look like jellied fire. They also witness an overweight policeman and his similarly obese wife, or so they assume, in a public show of sexual activity. The most interesting thing about this scene is that their huge audience includes about 1000 policemen and women. This was a very big number of personalities and was very ironical. They are engrossed, or so they pretend, in a movie about the dangers of consuming marijuana. This situation is targeted to depict the lawless nature of Las Vegas where anything goes and the public is actually thrilled rather than dismayed or embarrassed. This scene, according to Thompson, can only be tolerable if one is under the influence of some strong substance that will create an illusion in the mind of the user. Another comic scene is where they ask a waitress whether she can give them directions where to find the American Dream, i.e., if she knows where it is. A lengthy conversation ensues involving the waiter, a short order man and the two guests. The question appears confusing and they begin to ponder whether it is the name of a place, a former discotheque which went by the name â€Å"Psychiatrist’s Club†. Its locat ion is on Paradise Avenue in the outskirts of Las Vegas. There are varied thoughts about the American Dream and whether the duo found it or not. For instance, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt argued that they never did because they actually knew it does not exist right from the word go. On the other hand, it is argued that their run amok lifestyle in Las Vegas was actually the American Dream in their context and they actually lived it.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reading the book gives one a feeling of an adventurous spirit and attention to amazements. The illusions of the American Dream are also very hilariously presented, in particular, given that the chase is done under influence of intoxicating drugs. At the same time, the illusions of the American Dream are expressed in a hilarious way by the author considering the information relayed in the reflection idea presented. This term paper on Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas was written and submitted by user Rylee Phillips to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Lyndon Johnsons Effect of AMerican Foriegn Policy Towards Isreal essays

Lyndon Johnsons Effect of AMerican Foriegn Policy Towards Isreal essays The following is a discussion of American foreign policy towards Israel, and the Middle East. In it I will show that Lyndon Johnson changed the regional position and opinion of the United Stated by adapting a pro Israeli stance, categorized by excusing many unadvised forceful actions taken by Israel. It will be shown how Johnsons response to the outbreak of the 1967 War was the major factor in the change. These changes took the first steps in developing the close friendship between America and Israel. Other factors will be discussed. The cold war had a major effect on policy decisions. This will be shown through a historical account of his predecessors policies in their dealings with the region. I will show that American some presidents had pro Israeli feelings, but aimed at staying neutral, and keeping the broadness of American influence in the Middle East. In all dealings, American presidents tried to appease both sides, and keep the peace. It was not until Lyndon Johnson came to power that policy took such pro Israeli turn. His predecessor John F Kennedy set the stage, but its roots lie in the Truman presidency, when Israel was not yet a nation. The analysis next leads to Eisenhower, his stance during the Suez Canal Crisis, gained America a good standing amongst Israelis and Arabs. The foundations for the 1967 war are built on this crisis. Harry Truman looked at the issue through Humanitarian eyes, as did his predecessor, Franklin Roosevelt. The two both truly felt sorry for what had had happened to the Jews and wanted to see some reparations made. These two men had their cabinets, state department and foreign affairs to consider before making a public stance on their Jewish feelings. Truman had a very bureaucratic, and anti Semitic state department to deal with. He called them the striped pants boys. These boys saw no reason to stress the urgent creation of a Jewish state, and were in no hurry...

The nature of leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The nature of leadership - Dissertation Example The optimism character and the confidence help to attain goals for the leader and develop the skills and expertise in his behaviour. The leader need to understand the attribution of the followers and motivate them and allocate resources to accomplish a goal by designing formal structures and systems. Mutual involvement and with trust and co-operation with the members are an essential element the leader should take care of to support the values of the fellow members. Without followers there are no leaders. What is known about followers? The followers are the makers of the leader. Leaders influence a group but it’s the followers who help to reach the goal through their skills and efforts. The training and development attribute along with the vision of the leader clubbed with the followers’ skills completes the causal chain of effect. Figure 1: Causal Chain of effects from two types of leaders’ behaviour (Source: Yukl, 2007, p. 27) The leaders enhance the skills and confidence of the people and attract them to follow in his own ideologies. The followers are needed to be trustworthy towards the leader and should be committed towards the work assigned to them. The people working under should be satisfied with their job and with the leader for an efficient implication of the assigned task in accordance with environment and external dependencies. Reference Yukl, G.

Human Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Human Development - Essay Example Physical changes can mark significant stress reactions that can lead to a variety of negative behaviors. It is during this period where the desire to find independence from caregivers is strongly on their consciousness, and the level of stress will either increase or decrease in relation to how their parental figures handle this new need for independence. More controlling families could lead the child to develop depressive symptoms while a liberating household might give them the freedoms they demand, therefore having minimal stress and stress reactions. Environment and the level of control placed over the youth during adolescence will determine whether or not this is a period of stress and storm. A highly controlling household acts as an impediment to perceived achievement, which is considered a strong factor in males that can lead to stronger emotional outbursts or negative stress response (Kort-Butler, 2009). In terms of finding self-identity, it is often the opinion of peers that dictate how a person views themselves and they consider the thoughts of people in various reference groups when molding their self-concept. Media can play a big part in the child’s viewpoint, such as with young females comparing themselves to beauty ideologies represented in many television commercials, and then finding dissatisfaction for not being able to attain these physical traits. Even though this is a distorted view, the outcomes on personal adolescent stress that is caused by reference groups can be quite negative. It is common for adolescents to go through what is referred to as a moratorium, where they have non-conformist attitudes and a strong rebellion toward parents, with peer groups considering their behaviors to be intense and outside of the social norm (Weiten & Lloyd, 2005). Youths that fit this profile often will not commit to parental moral values, or sometimes those of peers, and they find themselves (at least

Business Strategy in a Global Environment Case Study

Business Strategy in a Global Environment - Case Study Example Case study "Bussiness strategy in a global environment" is kind of work that includes everything that may characterize meaning ''academic appliance". Author overviewed lots of qualified literature in order to make structured and complex answer on next question: "What is actually business strategy and how it interacts with the global environment?". The author thinks that the first step of each successful strategy is a choice, which is based on the foundations that have been laid by the SWOT matrix. This notion postulates that the observations of the SWOT matrix can be explored further through the application of the TOWS matrix whereby the integration of both external and internal factors that are associated with the organization can guide Farstad Shipping towards the achievement of its long-term goals and objectives. The application of this technique of situational analysis with regards to the company under discussion is an acknowledgment of the importance of this tool in strategic planning. This is essentially the point where a global business strategy differs from a national business development strategy as different other factors such as product standardization and adaptation come in. Global business strategies have emerged as a result of globalization and internationalization of established domestic companies which is purpo rted to increase the value of the company in question. This work contains the title, table of contents, a bunch of tables and diagrammes, main part and reference list. ... Therefore, the available options that have come under consideration are presented through the Business-level Matrix and the Product/Market Matrix below: Table 1.1.2 Business-level Matrix (Adapted from: Goldman and Nieuwenhuizen 2006) Table 1.1.3 Product/Market Matrix Products/services Existing New Markets Existing Market penetration New products/services New Market development Diversification (Adapted from: Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011) The viable strategies for Farstad Shipping which have been selected through the examination of the TOWS Matrix, the Business-level Matrix and the Product/Market Matrix are: cost leadership, differentiation, new products/services, market development and market penetration. These strategies will be assessed in greater detail in the following sections of the report. 1.2 Strategic Choice As per the company’s long-term objective, Farstad Shipping aims to become the foremost supplier of offshore tonnage to the businesses operating in the oil a nd gas industry (Farstad 2012a). The organization understands that it conducts operations in an industry which is marked by the presence of intense competition which is why it categorizes innovative process and technology as the main tools which can guide the organization towards success. In order to attain its long-term objectives Farstad Shipping faces the selection of a combination of five distinct business-level and corporate level strategies which must be thoroughly examined, analyzed and evaluated by keeping in view the dynamic nature of the industry in which the organization conducts its activities. Consequently, assessments on strategic choice are also pivotal to the attainment of a competitive advantage. 1.2.1 Cost Leadership The