Warren Buffet :: Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffet Warren Buffet was born August 30, 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska. He lived much of his life in Nebraska and later moved to Washington D.C. At 11 he purchased his first stock which he ended up making a five-dollar profit on this investment. He got his bachelors degree from The University of Nebraska. For some time he attended Wharton’s School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. This institution is rated as one of the top five business schools in the nation. His Masters of Science in Economics was completed at Columbia University. Shortly after completing college Warren founded the Buffet partnership. This was all accomplished by the age of 25. Had someone invested $10000 with Warren back in 1956 it would worth an astounding $95 million today. Warren Buffet is worth over 27 billion dollars at the age of 69. Investing in other well-known companies made much of his money. He has major holdings of American Express, Coke, and Walt Disney just to name a few. He is also rumored to own as much as 20% of the world’s supply of silver. Today Warren Buffet is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Some of the other companies included under the Berkshire name are Geico Insurance, Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska, Borsheim’s, and Dairy Queen. Berkshire is based out of his hometown of Omaha Nebraska. There have been many books written about Warren’s investment strategies and his life in general. He has never written a book himself. I found a few books he helped co-author including one that was nothing but quotes and sayings he has come up with over the years.

Intrusion and Prevention Essay

1.0Abstract The wide spread proliferation of Internet Technology has led to the incorporation of Computer in each and every field of life. From education to Business, Information Technology has now become an indispensable element in our life. Computers have reached homes, offices, schools and even churches . The wide spread use of computers is accompanied by an exponential growth in e-crimes ,in which unscrupulous elements try to gain access to other’s computers to steal valuable information like credit card   numbers , personal identification codes etc. Owing to this the development and deployment of sophisticated Intrusion detection systems that can detect and thwart such malicious attempts becomes highly important.   2.0 Intrusion Detection Systems(IDS) In order to safeguard a computer from being intruded by malicious code, System/Network Administrators deploy Intrusion Detection Systems .These systems are nothing but software applications that monitor the inbound Internet packets for malicious or susceptible activity and alert the Administrator whenever such an activity is detected. They often respond to such intrusions by either blocking the source computer from accessing the hosted computer or by restricting the actions of source computer on destination. There are many types of IDS software available in the market and they differ in the way they detect the suspicious activity. Examples of IDS include Shadows, Snort, Dragon, RealSecure and NetProwler. 3.0 Snort IDS There are many products available in the market for intrusion detection, out of these Snort gains a unique market proposition because of its free download availability and it’s at par performance in its field with any other commercial product. Snort is an Open source IDS Software which was originally designed for UNIX platform, but now is available for Windows based systems also. It provides basic network monitoring purpose and also can also be configured for rule based IDS functionality. 4.0 Functionalities of Snort   Snort can be installed very easily on any Windows or UNIX based system with the help of its friendly graphical user friendly interface. It is a Network bases Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) that can be used in two modes, â€Å"sniffer† and logger mode. In basic sniffer mode it just reports what is happening on the system console, while in the logger mode, it can log the network traffic details in the log file directory. Both sniffer and logger modes are passive and just give system administrator an information about the network traffic without actually taking any action to prevent the intrusion. However it can be used in IDS mode to be able to act upon certain rules, pre-defined by system administrator to prevent intrusion. Snort is open sourced and comes with a well-developed API that can be used to add new functionalities to the IDS. The only pit-fall of Snort IDS is that, it does not have Customer support and a user has to rely on self-help books and internet forums for any troubleshooting and problems. However its download comes with a very elaborate documentation. Also some of the functionalities that are their in its UNIX version might be missing in its Windows version. 5.0 Evaluation: Snort is the most widely used IDS software with more than 225,000 registered users. It provides user with features like signature detection, protocol inspection and anomaly based detection. Its open source nature makes it the most favored IDS system by developers .They are constantly in pursuit to add new and sophisticated functionality to existing systems. There is lot of literature available about Snort due to its wide reach and influence on user community. It can be used to detect all kind of intrusions ranging from buffer overflows, CGI attacks, SMB probes, OS fingerprinting attempts to stealth port scans. From its initially light weight edition that was used only to log the intrusion attempts to the current sophisticated and fully developed IDS edition, Snort has truly come a long way to provide user with an inexpensive, sophisticated and cutting edge technology that could secure their systems from malicious attacks from unscrupulous elements.

The Natural Law Theory Essay examples - 1037 Words

Obeying by the natural law theory is the only true and moral way to live life; especially a life lived in God’s image. God’s presence is a guiding factor to obtaining a moral and virtuous life, which can only be obtained by following the natural law theory. God created a set of laws as a supreme guide for humans to live life, like any law these laws were created to ensure wellbeing for everyone. The laws he created are the civil law, the natural law and the divine law God created them from a law much superior than the rest, one which only God himself has the knowledge of, the eternal law. Humans actively participate in the eternal law of God by using reason in conformity with the Natural Law to discern what is good and evil(Magee 1). Of†¦show more content†¦Whatever is in motion now was at rest until moved by something else, and that by something else, and so on. But if there were an infinite series of movers, all waiting to be moved by something else, then ac tual motion could never have got started, and there would be no motion now. But there is motion now. So there must be a First Mover which is itself unmoved. This First Mover we call God (Archon 1). The final crucial proof of the existence of God is Aquinas fourth proof. This proof looks at qualities of humans; all humans possess many different attributes which we consider unique to each individual. This is when standards are formed humans began to have a certain criteria for how or what someone with a given attribute should act or how they should portray themselves. The only way this standard could come into existence is to believe that there is a perfect creation possessing all qualities and expressing them in the most precise and perfect way. This perfect creation is God, the person in which humans get the laws at which the obeyed by. Aquinas five proofs of the existence of God are much more extensive but just looking at the proof of motion and the proof of perfection it becomes unquestionable that there is an almighty creation. This superior creation creates laws at whichShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Natural Law899 Words   |  4 Pageswhen perfected, is the best of animals , but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all,† quoted the renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle , giving birth to the notions of natural law; the theory that without law we would be reduced to an anarchical society. Because of this, some would argue that the purpose of law would be to instill in the members of society a set of moral codes, which further illustrates the belief laws save us from ourselves, or more appropriately our â€Å"true selves†Read MoreThe Theory Of Natural Law876 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept of natural law in his works of the New Testament. In Paul makes use of the concept of natural law in his works of the New Testament. In Romans, the messages are written in such a way that they depict the idea of natural law, which can be attributed to God’s creation. This situation implies that natural law is directly linked to the laws that dictate the relationship between God and human beings as He created the world. These further shows that the laws are referred to as being natural becauseRead More Natural Law Theory Essay661 Words   |  3 Pages Natural Law Theory The natural law theory is a theory that dates back to the time of the Greeks and great thinkers like Plato and Aristotle. Defined as the law which states that human are inborn with certain laws preordained into them which let them determine what is right and what is wrong.(Bainton 174) This theory was them adapted by religious philosophers to fit the Christian religion.(Berkhof 114) This, however was not exactly the same as the original. The classical thinkers were the firstRead MoreThe s Natural Law Theory1219 Words   |  5 Pages The Aquina’s Natural Law Theory has five primary precepts: Reproduction, Life (living to the supreme good), education in adult life, worshiping God, and law and order (Natural Law Theory, 2010). With this being one theory that Christians live by, I think these five precepts would be very easy to automatically disagree with some, if not all of these scientific advancements. Such as birth control and homosexuality, but with the changes in society s view, so does the natural law. The Stoics believedRead MoreExplain the Theory of Natural Law1808 Words   |  8 PagesJanuary 2001 Explain the theory of Natural law (25 marks) The theory of natural law originates from Aristotle’s idea of goodness as fitness for purpose and stoic’s concept of a universal law of reason which is in agreement with nature. What we now call human nature. This point is then furthered by Aquinas who agrees with the argument but furthers it by linking it with his Christian belief by saying following this law is equivalent to following the command of God as human nature is in us inbuiltRead MoreNatural Law Theory Essay6453 Words   |  26 PagesAccording to Jenkins, â€Å"The natural law theory begins with theories about the nature and purpose of the world and moves on to ask about the purpose of every action or object. The right thing to do is that which fulfils the natural purpose.† Natural law was developed by Thomas Aquinas, in which he believed that there is such a thing as natural moral law. Natural law ethics depends on the belief that the world was designed by a creator, God. It teaches everything God m ade has a purpose, including everyRead MoreDivine Command Theory And Natural Law Theory948 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, one thing is undeniable, these age old systems of belief and worship of a higher being or deity were, in a sense, their own moral systems, two of which are Divine Command Theory and Natural Law Theory. These two systems, among others, once guided and advised ancient humans in moral judgements. Divine Command Theory is a proposed relationship between moral correctness and the higher deity’s commands, henceforth the deity will be called god. This situation is elaborated upon in a dialogue betweenRead MoreThe Divine Command Theory And The Natural Law Theory Essay1691 Words   |  7 Pagesthat have this ability since animals cannot differentiate between right and wrong. (Pisemenny, 2016) Two theories were developed that linked morality and religion are the Divine Command Theory and the Natural Law Theory. In this paper, I will discuss how the Divine Command Theory and the Natural Law Theory differ and how the Natural Law Theory is more effective. The Divine Command Theory is a theory that was analyzed by many philosophers and it is believed mainly by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. (RachelsRead MoreThe Divine Command Theory, And Natural Law Theory1369 Words   |  6 Pagestwo theories have a large impact on the thinking process of humans on an everyday basis. This process then leads up to a person valuing different things more than others. The separation of objective and subjective theories all boil down to whether or not a theory is universal or not. A subjective theory has an absence of universal truths, and an objective theory has universal truths. Two vary popular theories that will take part in my research were the Divine Command Theory, and Natural law theoryRead MoreThe Natural Law Theory Of Human Nature954 Words   |  4 Pageswe steal something. This is because it feels natural for us to feel that we did something right or wrong. The natural law theory tells us that an action is morally right if it is natural and an action is wrong if it is unnatural. This means that human morality comes from nature and has a purpose to live a good life. If someone’s actions are preventing them from making them live a good life, then their actions are considered unnatural. So the natural law is to act in such a way to live a good life

Morality And Morality Of Drones - 896 Words

Morality of Drones Throughout history warfare has constantly evolved in all aspects weapons, strategy, and the rationality of its declaration. Neglecting the causes of war the object of any country actively at war with another is to win, and the best way to win is to have something better than your enemy. So obviously a major driving force behind these evolutions is to get better at killing than your enemy. Although this is a simple concept the problem that we face now is that we have reached a point where we are too good at warfare and our only constraint is the morality of our attacks. At the center of this predicament are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, better known as drones, they are arguably the best weapon advancement of the 21st century. The moral issue at hand is whether they are fair and just to the countries and people they are used to attack. Keeping the end-goal of war fighting which is winning in perspective Drones are obviously morally permissible as they increase the United States’ eff ectiveness at combatting enemies abroad. Drones although not as advanced those employed today have been used in limited capacities for years, the idea of an unmanned aerial vehicle has been appealing to world powers for years. Initially in the U.S. Drones were used only for surveillance and although the thought of weaponized drones existed they had no real demand until September 11th 2001. Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the United States faced a different type of enemy thanShow MoreRelatedThe Morality Of Drones : Morality1955 Words   |  8 PagesThe Morality of Drones Moral, by definition, from the Webster Dictionary, concerns the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character (Webster Dictionary, 2015). Recently, drones have been put on a moral watch list by governments around the world and the people they preside over and rightfully so (Arria, 2012). Drones, being equipped with Hellfire missiles that possess the ability to travel at high speeds, carry a large amount of baggage. It is understandableRead MoreMorality of Warfare: Case Study Drone3702 Words   |  15 Pages20 July 2014 The Morality of Warfare: Case Study; Drone Warfare Advancements in warfare technology and weaponry have been the defining factors in battle since the dawn of civilization. The one with the bigger gun usually wins. This is a fact that hasn’t changed much since the beginnings of warfare and holds true today and in today’s world Drones have become the next warfare advantage. Along with any advancement in warfare weaponry comes a very heated and controversial discussion about its actualRead MoreThe Movie Platoon 1118 Words   |  5 PagesI m writing about four films, Platoon by Oliver Stone, Drone by Robert Glickert, Donnie Darko by Richard Kelly, and finally Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg. These four films all fit into the theme, which is the blurring of morality. This theme relates to these movies though revenge, drug use, and questionable orders made by people in command. I will first be discussing how revenge fits into the theme. I have purposely chosen to talk about revenge first because I believe that more can beRead MoreNew Killers, New War And New Ethics1625 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (Tzu 35). Drones are the new breed of the â€Å"perfect† predators controlled by both civilian masses and military personally. They hunt, they track, and they never lose a target. As far as the world powers are concerned, Drones are a humanitarian weapon, they ensure no human cost to the perpetrator, and are precise in effecting only enemy. After several years of losingRead MoreA Progressing Military Of Paralleled Morality1660 Words   |  7 PagesA Progressing Military of Paralleled Morality In recent history, the United States has progressively become a more technologically advanced military with the capability to conduct war-fighting with sophisticated equipment to include robots, UAVs, Tomahawks, and nuclear warheads. These weapons are used to reduce American casualties and can be controlled from a computer on the other side of the world. Although these technologic advancements are undoubtedly impressive, hundreds of military and civilianRead MoreEye Of The Sky, The Biggest Moral Dilemma Of Drone Warfare1423 Words   |  6 PagesEye in the sky, The biggest moral dilemma of drone warfare The use of drones in battle fields remains to be one of the most divisive subjects in modern warfare. Use of unmanned aerial vehicles has become the hallmark of the war against terror. The move has elicited debate which is constantly gaining traction as more damming statistics are released on collateral damages associated with drone warfare. The United States has frequently deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to track down and kill enemy combatantsRead MoreMilitary Drone And Its Impact On The World War On Terror2013 Words   |  9 Pagesprecision and power in order to eliminate the enemy without the need of endangering friendly forces. The technological advancement of the drone has furthered America’s military agenda in multiple ways for the better, however, hundreds of civilian lives have been caught in the blast zone of these military drones. Today’s society and engineers have deemed the use of drones as morally good, but what makes killing the enemy from a remote, saf e location any different than chemical warfare, especially if civilianRead MoreUnmanned Aviation Vehicles And The Department Of Homeland Security1396 Words   |  6 Pages Unmanned Aviation Vehicles in the Department of Homeland Security The Use of UAVs or Drones in DHS Unmanned Aviation Vehicles (UAV) or drones are formidable tools and in the wrong hands dangerous. They look like model airplanes that a child could fly around a park but it is a leading-edge, highly technical, UAV or as most commonly called, drones. Drones are the next defense against extremist, Mafia and gangs, but will their use in DHS affect our privacy and safety? Is it worth the risk? AsRead MoreWar on Terror: Droned Out Essay1236 Words   |  5 Pagesapproach consists of targeted drone strikes where UAV’s are used to assassinate suspected leaders of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda. Meanwhile these strikes don’t always work, and they can hurt innocent bystanders. Also, some of the â€Å"terrorists† targeted have never been convicted of a crime, have never been tried, and are American citizens. Drones are causing more problems than they are solving. Due to exclusion of morality and the due process of law the use of military drones against terrorism is un-AmericanRead MoreDrone Technology And The Issue1699 Words   |  7 PagesSeveral important ethical and moral concerns have come to the surface regarding drone technology and the issue is currently investigated and even debated in Congress. Until recently, when we hear the word drone, most of us automatically add the word â€Å"attack† on the end or think of something negative. Thatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s because mostly, drones are frequently used for surveillance, intelligence and, ultimately, offensive operations. Drones also known as ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’, or UAV’s are mostly used in situations

The Strategy Of Green Consumerism - 1569 Words

n order to sustain any business without depleting natural resources, business strategists have come up with several strategies for organizations. Some common strategies include maintaining social justice by fulfilling labor regulations and laws strictly, providing equal remuneration to male and female employees alike and protecting the environment by maintaining e-books and databases instead of files and paperwork so that plants and trees are saved. In Corvallis a lot of the stores has paper free. Green Consumerism is one such initiative that several multinationals adopt across the world in order to survive competition, win over people’s hearts and also to ensure that business profitability is sustained. Green consumerism basically†¦show more content†¦Organizations avoid energy wastes, water consumption, cutting down of trees and depleting natural resources beyond a certain extent. Unconventional methods of generating energy such as by using Solar power is adopted by manufacturing organizations. New methods of dumping wastes are used so that rivers, water bodies and vacant lands are not used for the same. Burning of waste products is one such method. Usage of harmful chemicals and cheap plastics is avoided etc. Messages in public interests are often sponsored and released in the form of advertisements on television, radio and other mediums to spread awareness amongst consumers. Thus, by being socially responsible and by putting people and the planet first and above profits, a business setup is more likely to get more business and also likely to sustain it for a longer period of time. For instance, a case study of Walmart Inc. in the United States reveals how sustainability initiatives can potentially lead to more profits and sustained growth. As the saying goes, Think Globally, Act Locally, Walmart Inc. have followed this method exactly in various parts of the US to sustain their business. Around the year 2005, their business had begun to dwindle in various parts of America because of various rumors spreading about them ill-treating their workers. Approximately, 8% of their customers stopped shopping with them

The Ethics of Human Resources Free Essays

Ethics in business may involved everything including hiring decisions, pricing decisions, strategic decisions, and so on. The need for a process for making ethical decisions in business is great. There are a large number of instances where ethical decisions are necessary in business operations, and corporations find that they can get themselves into trouble even when they are trying to be ethical if they do not have a strong and effective procedural structure to guide employees in making such decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethics of Human Resources or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Human Resources department must operate with ethical standards that are clear and that address the kinds of issues this department will face. The HR professional handles more than hiring and firing of employees, also being responsible in some degree for orientation, training, union negotiations, decisions regarding compensation, special programs for addressing workplace problems, and so on. All of these tasks must be infused with an ethical structure that helps HR professionals make good decisions. Hallier and Leopold (1996) note the nature of defining the problem of characterizing the personnel function by pointing out that the terminology is â€Å"ambiguous, contradictory and controversial† (p. 46) and yet as a discipline on which a good deal is placed: At its most ambitious, however, HRM has been seen and promoted as a set of beliefs and practices which are radically different from those of traditional personnel management. Most significantly, the management of the workforce is seen as central, if not the key, to competitive advantage (Hallier Leopold, 1996, p. 46). To a degree, the distinction made between personnel and HRM is only a matter of terminology, yet more respect is accorded HRM than the personnel function in the literature. Human Resource Managers will have to respond to a number of demographic changes in coming years, each requiring some special consideration, including older workers, minority groups, and single and childless couples. Managers will have some guidance in these areas from legislation passed to cope with the changes and to both protect workers and define the rights of business to make certain decisions. The breadth of issues facing HR professionals is indicated by Lachnit (2002) when she writes, How does your company treat employees when they bring management bad news or unpopular opinions? Are your organization’s core values real, or are they just pretty words to be inscribed on corporate trinkets (para. 5). There is no doubt that the relationship between the worker and the average company has been changing for some time, with less job security and more flexibility for the company. This has created particular problems in the public eye, notably a perception that older workers are not being treated fairly (as one analyst notes, â€Å"Age discrimination is the most frequent type of discrimination complaint; it is not only unlawful, it is bad business† [Age discrimination in the workplace, 2005]) or that minorities may not be given sufficient opportunity if affirmative action programs are outlawed in the future. Managers may have to develop more creative ways to achieve diversity and to incorporate demographic changes into their thinking, but they first have to recognize the scope of the problem and the need for creative solutions. Human resource development (HRD) has three important components–training, education, and development. When the three are properly coordinated, HRD has a positive effect on worker productivity and so on the productivity of the company. Training improves the performance of workers and so increases their motivation, and as they work harder and produce more, the company profits. HRD is also dedicated to seeing to it that skills do not become obsolescent. Employees may have their skills upgraded through added training and education, and this benefits them in terms of promotion. Workplace diversity is another issue that will remain important. A recent survey among members of the International Association of Business Communicators found that diversity was one of the most critical challenges faced by these communicators (Geddie, 1999, pp. 27-30). These professionals found that cultural and language diversity can pose significant barriers to effective communication, but there are other factors which can be equally daunting. In addition to cultural and language diversity, the American workplace is increasingly made up of individuals with varying degrees of technical competence as well as educational backgrounds. Mergers can bring together employees from different corporate cultures as well, and overcoming differences in corporate cultures can sometimes be as difficult as overcoming differences in national origin. Translators can address the differences between languages and culture, but cannot help a company when it merges with another organization and needs to synthesize a new corporate culture. In these situations, the best approach is to develop a corporate communication strategy which should be in accordance with the company’s overall strategic goals and objectives (Geddie, 1999, p. 38). Diversity training also needs to take into account the various levels of the organization. It is common, for example, for companies to provide diversity training at the low and mid? levels of an organization, but to ignore the executive level. Despite the gains which have been made by minorities and women, the executive level in many companies remains largely white male, and there is sometimes the belief that diversity training and effective interpersonal communication training is not needed at these levels (Flynn, 1999, p. 52). Leadership is required throughout organizations, but it is necessary in the HR department as these changes are implemented in order to assure that the changeover is smooth, that needs are met, that laws and regulations are fulfilled, that workers are satisfied and motivated, and that the needs of both workers and employers are met to the degree possible. The HR professional has a role in this process. The Human Resources professional has to understand human behavior and is also involved in shaping that behavior, and this is why Human Resources can be called a behavioral science. The HR professional has to be capable in several areas of human behavior, including communication and motivation Warnick (1993) discusses the importance of communication for the Human Resources professional, which he says is the single most difficult profession in the business world today. In part, he says this because of the communication requirements placed on the professional. He states that employees expect the professional to take up their cause and resolve issues in their favor; line executives expect him or her to take care of â€Å"people problems† no matter what the cause; and top management expects him or her to keep the company out of legal problems and to maintain high employee morale. The HR professional must advise management on a variety of issues but especially in areas that concern laws or guidelines involving employee rights. The need to keep the company out of legal problems begins with the HR professional’s job of advising and counseling employees to ensure that they do not feel the need to appeal to any of the many government agencies that now exist to provide redress. In these two roles, however, there is a potential for disaster because they are conflicting roles. The model for civil law in the U. S. is adversarial, and this is true in labor law as well. Warnick asks how it is possible for the HR professional to advise management and still maintain confidence in management’s possible legal position while at the same time advising employees about what’s in their best interest? The professional who gives too much weight to either side will lose the confidence of the other. The HR professional is a communication facilitator who is management’s spokesperson and the employees’ advocate. He or she is expected to play a peacemaker role. Communication between management and employees is the responsibility of human resources. When management decides that a change is needed, Human Resources announces, explains, and justifies the change. Human resources also takes the concerns of employees and employee issues to management for consideration, review, and possible redress. Employees expect human resources to serve as their advocate and to plead their cause to management. How to cite The Ethics of Human Resources, Essay examples

Entertainment And Education Essay Example For Students

Entertainment And Education Essay Both entertainment and education have been integrals parts of the humanexperience since the beginnings of time. Many scholars insist that the twoinstitutions often serve jointly, with entertainers and entertainmentserving as a main source of education. There is little argument, then,that in addition to generally appealing to the masses, entertainers haveregularly fulfilled the role of a teacher to typically unsuspectingaudiences. Entertainers have served as educators throughout history, fromthe origins of oral narratives through the Middle Ages. The earliest forms of unwritten communication were essentiallyused to spread knowledge from one source to another. Religious disciplineswere the first information passed from person to person throughentertainment. In the third century B.C., Buddhist monks tried to winconverts outside India through the use of theater and song (Burdick 97). They taught the precepts of Siddhartha and Buddha in such theatrical epicsas Ramayana and Mahabharata, setting exacting rules for theaterperformance in the process (Burdick 99). Similarly, Irish monksestablished singing schools, which taught uniform use of music throughoutthe church (Young 31). Through chants which were all the same, they spreadidentical teachings. Christian psalms and hymns in Apostolic times were sung to spread the knowledge and faith of Christianity. In fact,Christianity was promoted from the start by music. Churches were for longthe only centers of learning, with monks teaching all lessons throughmusic (Young 39). Through the use of sacred music, monks and clergysuccessfully spread the teachings of their religions in a practicalmanner. Entertainers used the theater as a place to tell the stories ofthe day, both fictional and topical. The African oral tradition was richin folk tales, myths, riddles, and proverbs, serving a religious, social,and economic function (Lindfors 1). Likewise, Asian actors covered theirfaces with masks in order to act out a scandal of the day without theaudience knowing who was passing along the gossip (Archer 76). Europeanpuppets were another medium which permitted entertainers to spread currentgossip without revealing the identity of the storyteller (Speaight 16). The theatrical productions of the Greeks further explored the use oftheater as an instructional tool. Because the theater provided such adiverse forum for expression, stage actors and playwrights consistantlyutilized this locale to eduate the general public. Oral communication was widely used to educate society about moralsand basic truths. The most highly developed theoretical discussions fromancient times were those of he Greeks, who passed on this knowledgethrough music and stories. Homer, the eighth-century B.C. poet, courtsinger, and storyteller, embodied ideal Greek morals and heroic conduct inhis spoken epic, The Iliad (Beye 1). Homer and other poets used qualitiesnot found in written language to make the memorization of their workseasier so their sagas could be repeated for generations (Edwards 1). African tribes people and Native Americans also instilled morals andlessons to their communities through stories and fables (Edwards 1). Theseoral narratives were soon after recorded on paper as early forms ofliterature became prevalent. Many of the thoughts previously expressed through oralcommunication only could now be recorded for the future as writing becamewide-spread. The era of writing began with Chinese literature more than3,500 years ago, as the Chinese recorded tales on oracle bones (Mair 1). The Greeks, however, were the first known civilization to translate theiroral history into writing (Henderson 1). While the earliest Greekliterature was produced by the Indo-Europeans in 2,000 B.C., the mostessential works began in Ionia with the epics of Homer in the eighthcentury B.C. (Henderson 7). This oral poetry is the foundation of Greekliterature, and epic poetry such as Boetian?s Hesiod explored the poet?srole as a social and religious teacher (Henderson 8). These written worksclearly informed those who read them, but were not as successful ineducating the masses as the Greek dramas. Any spoken works that wereespecially significant could now be transcribed for posterity and futureuse. Spelucian explorers EssayAgain, there is a wealth of evidence to show that music was usedextensively to support the spread of religious belief. For example, KingDavid in the Cante!rbury Psalter tells that ?musical sonorities? were introduced into theservice of the church (Young 46). Monteverdi?s opera L?Incoronazions diPoppea educated audiences with its historical context and characters(Young 77). The popularity of music remained dominant throughout theMiddle Ages, although writers began to entertain through the use ofwritten poetry as well. European writers of the Middle Ages continued to comment on moralsand acceptable behavior through their works as their predecessors didalmost 2,000 years before. Hroswitha von Gandersheim, the first knownwoman writer, was a nun who used the Roman playwright Terence as a modelfor her morality plays (Hering 1). Dutch writer Jacob van Maerlant wrotepoems that showcased chivalry (Flaxman 1). Spanish playwright Lope de Vegaencouraged national patriotism and honor in his works that dealt withdramatic conflicts and combined tragic and comedy elements (Gasset 3). Calderon also stresses the Spanish code of honor in his masterpiece TheMayor of Zalamea (Gasset 3). Later Francisco Gomez de Quevedo Y Villegaswrote moral works in which he explored the decadence of Spain (Gasset 3). Social concerns inspired the writings of Italian reformer Pietro Verri,whose cynical interpretation of history established a new scientificdiscipline(Alvaro 1). His peer Leon Battista Alberti published On the Family, whichreflected the concerns Italians for social and ethical topics (Alvaro 1). Still, other authors such as Prince Juan Manuel of Spain wrote suchseemingly simple tales as ?The Emperor?s New Clothes,? from which readercould extract the moral lessons (Gasset 3). During this era, Europeanswere constantly discussing politics and social issues, prompted by theopinions of writers who commented on the subjects. Entertainers throughout history have undoubtedly served aseducators to the public, in addition to their conventional roles asmusicians or writers only. While a few performers sought only to amusewith their acts, the majority of entertainers have crafted their art witha deeper purpose in mind. Each who chose to address society?s problems andspeak to the general community through their art is as worthy an educatoras a modern-day college professor. Because many of the works of thesegreat artists were recorded on paper or passed down from generation togeneration through oral history, the insightful thoughts of theseentertainers continue to educate the public in th e twenty-first century. Jennifer BenderAP English 4November 22, 1996Mr. KileThe Role of Entertainers as EducatorsBender 9Works CitedAlvaro, Richard. ?Leon Battisa Alberti.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Archer, Katherine. ?Asian Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Beye, Allan. ?The Iliad.? Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. Bogin, Meg. The Women Troubadours. New York: Paddington Press,1976. Burdick, Jacques. Theater. New York: Newsweek Books, 1974. Edwards, Scott N. ?Homer.? Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 1996ed. Flaxman, Jacob. ?Dutch Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Gasset, John. ?Spanish Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Grunfield, Frederic V. Music. New York: Newsweek Books, 1974. Henderson, Florence. ?Greek Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Hering, Jack. The Gypsies: Wanderers in Time. New York: HawthornePress, 1969. Lindfors, Sven. ?African Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopia. 1996 ed. Lindsay, Jack. The Troubadours and Their World. London: FrederickMuller Limited, 1976. Mair, Helen. ?Chinese Literature.? Grolier MultimediaEncyclopedia. 1996 ed. Bender 10Sebastian, Gerald. Music In Time. Philadelphia: J.B. LippincottCo, 1952. Segal, William. ?Greek Drama.? Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. Speaight, George. Punch and Judy. Boston: Publishers Plays, Inc.,1970. Young, Percy M. A Concise History of Music from Primitive Times toPresent. New York: D. White Co., 1974.