The Only Imperial Power in Asia Essay Example for Free

The Only Imperial Power in Asia Essay In the nineteenth century, China, Korea, and Japan, as well as other Asian nations faced European imperialism. However, only Japan transformed its traditional society and became the only country in Asia that had colony outside. In my point of view, the Japanese success is depending on determination of the government and the strength of it reform. So what makes Japan have the determination to reform the whole traditional society entirely? Opium War: In 1840, Britain started the Opium War in China. Because of corruption of the Chinese government and Advanced British army, in the end of the war, China was defeated. Japan shocked. China, a wealth and strong empire, an advanced country Japan learned from for thousand years, failed in a war with a real empire. Japanese contemplated and hesitated. What they should do when they have to face those strong enemies. I think that one of the reason why the Black Ships arrived in Japan in 1853 and forced Japanese to accept them, and Japan did so, even with welcoming attitudes. Besides, at that time, Japan didn’t have ability to defeat those aggressors. More and more western countries came to Japan with new technologies, new products and new work system, etc. Japan is closed for too long time. After saw all those achievements from Industry Revolution by Japanese’s own eyes, they found the distance between themselves and advanced western countries. All those new things cause the fail of Tokugawa Bakufu. Meiji Restoration started. Government during Meiji Restoration: In April 6 1868, the Oath in Five Articles was published and became the basic guiding principle of the government. Meiji period began. The new government of Japan applied a lot of policy during that time. They changed the traditional society structure. Samurai was no more the lords. Businessman had more attention than before. Government also support a lot industry to get start, the earlier one is filature. In 1882, Japan Central Bank was set. Under the slogan of â€Å"Enrich the Country, strengthen the military†, in 1871, the new government set Iwakura Diplomatic Delegation to visit 12 countries in the Europe and America for almost 2 years. There were 49 government officials in the team, almost half number of the all officials in Japan government. To pay the expense of this trip, the new government used 2% of its GDP of that year. I think that this is part of the reason why Japan reformed its whole society system entirely and learned it from western countries. On the other side, 58 years after Opium War, China also had a restoration, called The Reform Movement. It was supported by the Emperor Kuang Hus, but it didn’t get support from the government officials, even not from his mother, Empress Tzu Hsi who had real power of China. Most changes and policy applied in China were surface work, didn’t change from the basic principle like what Japan did. The most obvious difference of it was that in 1890, The Constitution of the Empire of Japan was published. All those caused the failure of reformation in China. People in the Meiji Restoration: Shibusawa Eiichi, was a Japanese industrialist, founded more than 500 hundreds of modern corporations in Japan, He was a member of Tokugawa Akitake’s Delegation to the Paris World Exposition. In this trip, he observed modern European societies and culture for the first time. When he visited Belgium, the king told him the importance of steel industry and hoped Japan can buy from Belgium. Shibusawa Eiichi was so surprised; he said that a king is to sell his country’s product even when meeting guests from other place. He realized the importance of industrial of a country. Therefore, he decided to stay in European for studying. He came back to Japan in 1868 with his new thought, and got a job in economic department of Meiji government. He became a driving force in the building of a modern Japan as head of the Kaisei Kakari, or office of the Ministry of Finance in charge of reform. Okubo Toshimichi is regarded as one of the main founders of modern Japan. During Meiji Restoration, he was a Finance Minister, enacted a Land Tax Reform, and prohibited samurai from wearing swords in public, even though he was one of them. We can see his determination of changing Japan from very basic. The greatest achievement of him was the establishment of modern governmental structures. For a time he was the most powerful man in Japan. On 14 May 1878, he was assassinated by samurai. Summary: In my opinion, Japan became the only imperial power in Asia during nineteenth century, because the way it reformed. Japan’s restoration was not only applied on industry like China, but also on government system and society structure. The development on its society structure and police system helped Japan have much faster progress in industry than any other countries at that time.

The Three Most Important Things I Learned in Economics Class :: Class Reflection

The three most important things I learned in Economics Class The first important concept I learned was the ‘goals of monetary policy’. The primary goal of a central bank is price stability (low and stable inflation). Some of the Feds (short for the Federal Reserve Bank) other concerns are: †¢ high employment †¢ economic growth †¢ stability of financial markets †¢ interest rate stability †¢ stability in foreign exchange markets The Fed desires to maintain high employment because the condition of high unemployment, the alternative, creates idle workers and idle resources. This leads to closed factories, unused equipment and materials, ultimately decreasing our GDP. Now, let me further explain that the goal for high unemployment is not an unemployment level of zero, rather a level above zero where labor demand equals labor supply. This is known as the ‘natural rate of unemployment’. Economic growth focuses on encouraging firms to invest or encouraging people to save, which in turn creates funds for firms to invest. It runs hand-in-hand with the goal of high employment because in order for firms to be comfortable investing in assets such as plants and equipment, unemployment must be low. Hereby, the people and resources will be available to spur economic growth. If financial markets are instable, it will lead to sharp contraction of economic activity. For example, in this most recent financial crisis, a deterioration in financial institutions’ balance sheets, along with asset price decline and interest rate hikes increased market uncertainty thus, worsening what is called ‘adverse selection and moral hazard’. This is a serious dilemma created before business transactions occur which information is misleading and promotes doing business with the ‘most undesirable’ clients by a financial institution. In turn, these ‘most undesirable’ clients later engage in undesirable behavior. All of this leads to a decline in economic activity, more adverse selection and moral hazards, a banking crisis and further declining in economic activity. Ultimately, the banking crisis came and unanticipated price level increases and even further declines in economic activity. Interest-rate stability is very important for the Fed to control because otherwise consumers, like you and I, will be reluctant to buy things like houses due to the fluctuation which will make it harder to plan for the future. The value of the US dollar relevant to other currencies is a major consideration for the Federal Reserve. If they prevent large changes in the value of the dollar, firms and individuals can comfortably plan ahead to purchase or sell goods abroad.

Ownership and Sense of Self Essay

Ownership can be viewed in many different ways. Some think of ownership as a bad thing, while others think of it as a good thing. Before someone can establish their beliefs on what is good and bad, the true meaning of what they are being ased must be understood. This controversial question of whether ownership is positive or negative brings up a much more important question, â€Å"What does it mean to own something?†. Ownership is defined as to have possession of something. I believe ownership and sense of self are integrated together. I think they go hand in hand with each other merely because one can own more than just a physical object, but as well as ideas, thoughts, skills, and knowledge. Just as the famous twentieth-century philosopher, Jean-Paul Sarte, I too believe that ownership extends much farther than tangible objects, but to intangible things as well. Such intangible things include, thoughts and ideas. Only you can think of an original idea or thought. Nobody can put it into your head. No one can hear your thoughts besides yourself, which make them yours. This sense of ownership extends physical objects, and involves self ownership. One’s self ownership also gives a sense of identity. The thoughts and ideas one â€Å"owns†, defines them and is their sense of self. Not only does the ownership of thoughts and ideas provide one with a sense of their self, but as well as skills or knowledge one may obtain. Sarte believed that when one becomes proficient in a skill or knows something thoroughly, it means that they â€Å"own† that skill or knowledge. An experience I have faced that helps me to support and believe in this idea, is when I joined t he volleyball team at my high school. I spent the entire summer practicing volleyball at open gym, improving my skills and preparing for tryouts that were soon to come. When tryouts finally arrived I was no longer nervous and I trusted myself to do well. This was because I had become much more knowledgeable about the sport and I â€Å"owned† the level of skill I had worked for and needed to make it onto the team. I realized that I was no longer trying to become a volleyball player, but I was one. The skill I have to play volleyball often defines me, whether someone is asking about myself or sees me in uniform. The skills and knowledge you obtain become your identity, and this is another example of how the relationship between  ownership and sense of self are so intertwined. I believe ownership of tangible items also determines one’s sense of self. Some argue that ownership of tangible items are bad, while others believe they are good. Whether someone views it as being good or bad, it is still true. In today’s society, image is everything. Social classes are based on how much you own and identity is based on image. I don’t completely agree with the argument made by Plato, stating that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character, because at the end of the day objects can be taken away. I think that owning objects can only become detrimental to a person’s character if one becomes more interested in what others think and try to keep up an image more than their own personal character. I think people can get caught up in an image and become materialistic and selfish, this exposes what type of person one is, providing insight to one’s sense of self. On the other hand, owning tangible objects could also help to develop moral character, as Aristotle had said. I immediately supported this idea as I looked down and saw the bracelet I wear on my right wrist everyday. This bracelet is called a kara. I have owned a kara all of my life, and it serves a religious purpose to identify myself as a Sikh. This tangible object has helped me as a constant reminder for my morals, discipline, and religious faith. It is the tangible objects like my kara that help to develop moral character. My kara is an identification piece that shows everyone what religion I follow, which displays how tangible items identify ourselves. The relationship between ownership and sense of self is a very close one. I believe that both the tangible and intangible things in life define ourselves. I feel that people go to things such as tangible objects and intangible things such as thoughts, ideas, skills, and knowledge to not only identify themselves, but â€Å"own† themselves and their identities.

Nature Vs Nurture Nature Versus Nurture - 2536 Words

When one asks the question of nature versus nurture, this paper answers â€Å"both†. Every single being conceived in the image of God is given an upper limit of potential growth, it is a combination of environment and this inborn capacity that determines exactly where the individual will end of on the developmental scale. The experiences as a person develops through childhood and into adulthood play a large role in conscious versus unconscious motives, and also the individuals’ view of themself. Not all development can be confined to childhood and adolescence, most humans continue to develop and mature through out the entire lifespan, and will at times find themselves with evolving, and at times inconsistent or unclear,motivations. People also will find themselves dealing with identity crisis,which can have positive or negative impacts upon the personality of the individual, which could be a temporary condition, or result in long term changes to the overall personality . Introduction Positive psychology is the basis of this paper’s overall focus. Being a relatively new field in psychology, it is garnering a relative level of interest and research. This theory of personality however will be showing that many of the great psychologists of past were right in many regards. From Freud’s structure of consciousness, to Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development and Maslow’s Hierarchy, it is apparent that human personality is so large a field that no one psychologist was able toShow MoreRelatedNature Vs. Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture Essay1939 Words   |  8 PagesNature versus Nurture You got your dark brown hair from your father and you got your looks from your mother, but where did you get your excitement for sports and your love for all animals? A person’s physical characteristics lean more towards genes and heredity, but our genes are not mentioned as much when behavior is the topic. This is how the nature versus nurture debate first began. Scientists who believe in the nature theory believe that people behave the way they do due to heredity and genesRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture882 Words   |  4 Pagestheir parents. Meaning they think Nature is a big part in their life and why they are who they are. The genes in each cell in us humans determine the different traits that we have, more dominantly on the physical connections like eye color, hair color, ear size, height, and other traits. However, it is still not known whether the more abstract attributes like personality, intelligence, sexual orientation, likes and dislikes are gen e-coded in our DNA. The nurture theory has experiments showing a child’sRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture2710 Words   |  11 PagesAbstract If someone inquires about nature versus nurture, this paper will give not one specific answer but a combination of both answers. 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Nurture : The Debate Of Nature Versus Nurture895 Words   |  4 PagesNature vs. Nurture The debate of nature versus nurture has been an ongoing debate for a long time. When applying this argument to education there is no proven winner. The nature side of the coin believes that a person is born the way that they are. This could include intelligence level or personality traits such as being outgoing or shy. The other side of the argument of nurture believes that the type of upbringing that someone has will play a large role in the way they develop. It is thoughtRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture1337 Words   |  6 PagesNature vs. Nurture There are many different ways that behavior can be explained, especially on the terms of nature vs. nurture. Aggression is a behavior that has been extensively analyzed in a complex manner and the causes of it can be explained many different ways. Aggression can be defined as hostile or destructive behavior that can cause injury or destructive outlook especially when caused by frustration. Nature can be defined as aspects of behavior that have been inherited or are genetic, whileRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture1678 Words   |  7 PagesNature Versus Nurture Personality development expands far past the environment. Environment contribute to most of the personality development when it comes to nature versus nurture. Nature versus nurture is a trait that is typically inherited in the human society. Humans see things good or bad within the environment and mimic it. There are questions that still remain about nature versus nurture and the environment. Research is still ongoing and theories are still being made or developed. ScientistsRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture1602 Words   |  7 Pagesshape their personality? The nature versus nurture debate serves as one of the most ancient issues ever. As of this day in the year 2016, we have come to understand and realize that both nature and nurture do actually play very distinct roles as far as human development. It is still unknown however, whether we are developed specifically due to nature or to nurture. In the novel Frankenstein, the theme of nature versus nurture is q uite apparent. However, due to the nurture aspect in the novel, the creatureRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : The Nature Versus Nurture1268 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most popular debates among people is the idea of nature versus nurture. According to psychology.about.com: The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest philosophical issues within psychology†¦nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are – from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics [while] nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raisedRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture1856 Words   |  8 PagesNature versus nurture has been a continuing debate and is far from being settled. Whether or not our characteristics are determined by the environmental factors that surround us or they were imbedded in our genes is a question many scientists will argue. The challenge concerning the debate is that it is difficult to know if someone is born with traits or whether their environment affected them. It is unethical to take a child out of its natural surroundings to test nature versus nurture, so identical