Thursday, January 30, 2020

Nature of Public Administration Essay Example for Free

Nature of Public Administration Essay Before we discuss about the meaning, definition, nature, scope and importance of public administration we will try to know what is administration, organisation and management. As these terms are often used interchangeably and synonymously, it is pertinent to know the differences and distinctions between these three terms. According to William Schulze Administration is the force, which lays down the object for which an organisation and its management are to strive and the broad policies under which they are to operate. An Organisation is a combination of the necessary human beings, materials, tools, equipment and working space, appurtenances brought together in systematic and effective co-relation to accomplish some desired object. Management is that which leads guides and directs an organisation for the accomplishment of pre-determined object. To put the above in simple terms, administration sets the goal, management strives to attain it and organisation is the machine of the management for the attainment of the ends determined by the administration. Some scholars have a different view about the administration and management. According to Peter Drucker management is associated with the business activity, which has to show economic performance, whereas administration is associated with the non business activities like activities of the Government. The other view is that administration is associated with performing routine things in known settings in accordance with certain procedures, rules, and regulations. The Management is associated with performing functions like risk taking, dynamic, creative and innovative functions. Some scholars of Public Administration are closely associated with the first view that is, administration is a determinative function. Management, on other hand is an executive function that is primarily concerned with carrying out the broad policies laid down by the administration.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Veronica - Why Doesnt Veronica Leave For The City? Essay -- essays res

The city is an elegant place to live. It calls to the people from the inferior village life. The well led life followed by the city people offers many opportunities compared to the hopelessness of village surroundings. It offers hope, the chance to be independent, the chance of a job. In the story Veronica by Adewale Maja-Pearce, Okekà © the ever lasting friend of Veronica is drawn by the attraction of the city for the opportunities he sees for himself. Veronica on the other hand does not desire to leave their decomposing village for the city. She decides this for a number of reasons. One of the reasons why Veronica decides not to go to the city is due to her lack of education. She feels that the city has nothing to offer her and her place is the village. She says, 'What will I do when I get there, I have no qualifications not even a standard six' She is aware that she needs qualifications to succeed in the city and without them, she sees no point in going. Another reason associated with this is to do with Veronica's expectations. If Veronica's expectations were not so low, she may have gone to the city with Okekà ©. Veronica says, 'They are my family that is enough' This line is an example of Veronica's low expectations. She feels her family is enough and she needs nothing else. Another example of Veronicas low expectations is when Okekà © comes back after ten years to find Veronica with a child a husband. Another example is, 'God has blessed us with a son. Is that not e...

Monday, January 13, 2020

High School is Not for everyone Essay

Have you ever heard the statement, â€Å"College is not for everyone†? Well what if we took it a little further and said that high school is not for everyone? Is this a reasonable statement to make and is it sensible enough to even be considered? Carol Jago believes so; she says that entrance to high school ought not be automatic, and that only those demonstrating â€Å"minimum competency in math, reading and writing† be allowed to enroll in high school (191). Should this proposal be ignored or admired? Carol Jago says that at the end of middle school all students should take an exam, an exam which will ultimately determine their future. The exam will have the basics of everything that the students have learned thus far on it and depending on what the score is, the student will be subject to high school if they pass, apprenticeships if they fail, or classes that will allow them to retake the test if they fail. In my opinion, this is a magnificent idea. I do not believe that steady schooling is for everyone. Why not start off early with our choice of career rather than waste more time in school? If you know for sure that you would like to be a plumber, carpenter or even a warehouse worker what is the point in continuing your education further than the simple basics? In most high schools, about half of the students do not pay attention while in the classroom. This ultimately causes a disturbance, disabling the rest of the students who actually care about their work to not learn and the teachers to get off track or behind with teaching the desired material. With Jago’s plan we can weed out these sorts of problems and supply a richer education in the classrooms. On a more personal level, I myself changed high schools because of this very problem. When I was in the classroom I felt as though the teachers were taking more time disciplining students than teaching the actual coursework. I then realized that this was not the place for me because I wanted a richer education; therefore I changed schools. I went to a high school that hand selected the students based on academic success thus far and talent. By making that change I feel as though I learned more things and had more doors opened for me then I could have ever imagined at the other high school. His plan is a win-win situation but of course there are areas that one may question. For example, at such an early age children don’t know exactly what they want to do with life yet. Therefore making such a life changing decision is very critical and many people won’t agree with it. At the end of middle school children are about 14 years old. While they are in the teen stage of their life, they still are not capable of saying that they don’t want to continue with high school and that they will work with their hands for the rest of their life. After they make this decision there is no turning back. This ultimately adds stress to the youth earlier to figure out what they would like to do with their life. But, as stated before, why not weed out the kids who just don’t want to be there anyway? In order to come to a common ground. It could be changed so that there is not an entrance exam to high school as an whole, but there be an entrance exam to all classes that the students will take. For example if a student is entered for biology they will have to take the science test to see if they are at a point that’s eligible for them to take the class. This then creates a middle area for the two ideas. People who are behind in class will be put in a classroom together and the ones who care and know their work will be together. This method is adopted by many private schools. Today’s students arrive with a wide range of backgrounds. Correct placement ensures higher success rates for students. Students are more satisfied with the education they are receiving, and instructors can focus on teaching the content of the course instead of dealing with ill-prepared students. Institutions can plan appropriate levels of courses and be confident that they are meeting students’ needs. (Maple T. A) But what is the opposite of adapting the plan? Simply allowing things to stay the way that they are? Our youth will continue to receive poor education and waste their time. This is becoming more and more of a problem every day and if we don’t take action it will only hurt our future because children are the future. There needs to be a change. Works Cited â€Å"High School Placement Test – HSPT. † Scholastic Testing Service, Inc. – HSPT. Scholastic Testing Services, 2009. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Ender, Markal. â€Å"High School Entrance Exams – Demystifying the Acronyms SSAT, ISEE and HSPT. † SFTutors RSS. SFTutors, 2004. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Why Use the MAA Placement Tests? † Maplesoft. Maple T. A, n. d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Could A Machine Be Conscious - 2962 Words

1 Could a machine be conscious? This question is often dismissed as simple by those that would say â€Å"yes† in response. The usual claim made by the pro camp is that man is a ‘biological machine’ and is conscious, ergo, a machine is conscious. If we, humans, are truly biological machines and we are at the same time conscious then I would agree that yes, categorically, a machine could be conscious. But is it really that simple? I contend that it is a more difficult problem but not that it is a complicated one, merely one of ambiguity which, once resolved, leads the contemplator to the same conclusion as I do that in fact, no, a machine could not be conscious. I propose that those who argue the yes case that a machine can be conscious are, in†¦show more content†¦They are all actions definable in their own right, which, I contend need not be sub categories of, or allocated to the definition of consciousness and, unlike the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness which we will come to shortly, they can be explained by science in a physical context and therefore be impersonated by machinery. They have physical qualities which are an important distinction in the 3 concept of Artificial Intelligence which claims the ability of machines to achieve consciousness, arising in theory out of intelligence. The most prominent example of the concept of a machine being intelligent in the manner of this so called consciousness is the Turing test (Turing, 1950) which, rather tellingly, was originally called the ‘Imitation Game’. The test was designed to see if a machine could fool a human into thinking it was itself another human, and although somewhat successful with ‘Eliza’ (Weizenbaum 1976), the premise was quickly, and I opine correctly, attacked by Searle (1980:417-57) in his ‘Chinese Room’ thought experiment, proving that a machine can simulate communication without understanding and is therefore not thinking in the way humans, or perhaps other living things do. Humans exhibit the ability to pass tests without understanding the material and, I contend, this is what a machine simulates, the function of memory, not intelligence. Even if it could fool aShow MoreRelatedAn Aristotelian Theory Of Consciousness1646 Words   |  7 Pagesrange from the ancient Pygmalion’s Galatea, the mythological golem, Victorian automatons, to our more recent fancies- computers, robots and other Turing machines. Perhaps the reason for this preoccupation with art ificial intelligence is actually a quest to better understand our own consciousness. At first sight, the question â€Å"Can a machine be conscious?† appears deceptively simple. However, the answer to this question is entirely dependent on how we define consciousness. We can embark by defining consciousnessRead MoreEmotion As Described And Theorized By Antonio Damasio1366 Words   |  6 PagesDamasio’s work to explain how Block and Chalmers distinguish between conscious awareness and conscious experience. Subsequently, I will resume my focus on Damasio’s work, by evaluating how the aforesaid experiment applies to Damasio’s brain damaged patient. Finally, I will conclude by reflecting on the overall picture of emotion and emotional experience, and use it to discuss the prospects and motivations of building emotional machines. Antonio Damasio considers the phenomena of emotion and feelingRead MoreComputing Machinery And Intelligence By Alan Turing1469 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion of whether machines can think in the same humans can by conceptualizing the question in concrete terms. In simple terms, Turing redefines the question by posing whether a machine can replicate the cognition of a human being. Yet, some may object to the notion that Turing’s new question effectively captures the nature of machines’ capacity for thought or consciousness, such as John Searle. In his Chinese room thought experiment, Searle outlines a scenario that implies machines’ apparent replicationRead MoreAnalysis Of Alan Turing s Can Machines Think?1587 Words   |  7 PagesOn his essay â€Å"Can machines think?† Alan Turing, a great mathematician, and creator of the Turing Test presents us with the initial concept of what is now considered artificial intelligence. He states that eventually, as ti me progresses, machines will be able to think like humans. But, can a machine really think like a human? Can a machine even think on its own, or it is just based on human science and engineering to make computer systems perform tasks that require intelligence when done by humansRead MoreFunctionalism And Its Positive And Negative Arguments1582 Words   |  7 Pagesnegative critiques the identity theory describing what psychological states are not. Argument 1. If something has mental states then it is conscious 2. Humans, animals, and insects have mental sates 3. Therefore humans, animals, and insects are conscious 4. Either computers are conscious or not conscious 5. Computers have mental states 6. Therefore computers are conscious The first question we should ask from the argument above is if it is deductively valid. An argument is valid when it possesses theRead MoreIs It Possible For A Machine?847 Words   |  4 Pages4. Is it possible for a Machine to ‘’think’’? To be ‘’conscious’’? To ‘’understand’’? Explain with reference to your readings in the Philosophy of Mind module. The problem of thought associated with a machine raises ethical issues on a scientific perspective. So, how can we engage and act to develop the systems necessary for a peaceful life for human beings and especially in order not to be responsible for a collapse of humanism by wrapping in an autonomous and dense monitoring system throughoutRead MoreArtificial Intelligence And The Turing Test760 Words   |  4 Pagesartificial intelligence is and the Turing Test. Finally, I will discuss Turing and Searle’s views about the Turing Test and who has the stronger argument. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, artificial intelligence (AI) is, â€Å"The capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior† (Webster). What that means is that any electronic thing can perform human behavior. For example, Apple’s Siri, Siri is a component where you can ask your phone to look up the weather, text or call someone, etcRead MoreI Am The Inventor Of A Special New Robot1124 Words   |  5 Pageshave no minds – they are just machines and they will all be destroyed. I disagree with this statement because of two reasons: The function of machines, and the functions of minds. Argument 1 Machines are â€Å"an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task†. In this aspect, the only difference in humans and machines in terms of function is the fact that the purpose for a machine may vary and the purpose forRead MoreEssay On Do We Have A Mind959 Words   |  4 Pagesother Sci-Fi film we see machines and robots that talk. Today’s machines and computers talk as well but will they talk like we do? And by that I mean not necessarily having a specific voice or language because, sure, they can repeat a sentence and make noises, but do they understand what they are saying and do they mean it? Take Siri for an example we rely on advice from her/him on our phones when we need assistance, however she doesn’t recognize our voice and makes a conscious decision to help us,Read MoreFunctionalism1324 Words   |  6 Pagescombination of the Behaviorist theory and the Identity theory. Behaviorism believes being in a mental state is the same as a physical state, which is an observable behavioral characteristic. For instance, if one claims they are unhappy, their physical state could include a frowning face or improper posture. On the other hand, the Identity Theory suggests when you experience something; there is a corresponding neurological state. The error with these two theories is Behaviorism fails to incorporate mental states