Rhetorical Perspectivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rhetorical Perspectivism - Essay Example Rhetorical perspectivism, as union of communication and Philosophy, postulates that in practicing this stance, there would be a balanced objectivity when it comes to the openness of a person’s mind towards ideas opposing his own thought, and is vital in acquiring unbiased learning. Rhetorics and Perspectivism Rhetorics and perspectivism were once separate ideologies. The art of rhetorics can be traced back to the age of oratorical speeches in Ancient Greece. According to Cline (2010), Greeks of long ago wondered about language, and this curiosity has led to the â€Å"realization, coming from collective political arrangements† that spoken and written language â€Å"had very real effects towards the polis.† This idea is parallel to Aristotle’s view which states that rhetorics is â€Å"a means of persuasion† and makes it as a unique form of art (as Cited in Xiuguo, 2005). It is believed that rhetorics is practiced the way it is because Greeks who could afford education primarily want to learn how â€Å"to speak with authority† for future involvement in the state affairs or Politics (Cline, 2010). Nowadays, rhetorics is seen as a way to â€Å"coordinate social action† in response to an influence of an opinion (Xiuguo, 2005). Perspectivism, on the other hand, is more related to the area of Philosophy. The tenets of perspectivism were conceptualized by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, where his core assumption argues that there is no absolute truth. However, other contemporary philosophers questioned the â€Å"truthfulness† of Nietzsche’s concept. Clark (n.d.) argues that if Nietzsche’s claim is true, then no philosopher could assure the validity of their assumption, and even Nietzsche’s idea would negate itself (as cited in Olson, n.d.). However, Olson (n.d.) was able to resolve this dilemma by treating Nietzsche’s concept as â€Å"the best way to live one’s life in the absence o f an absolute truth.† Nietzsche’s perspectivism may have been the mother concept of the old phrase: â€Å"the truth at the other side of the table.† Both rhetorics and perspectivism, although different, have their own seats in the room of education. Basically, the two are treated as separate fields of concern, where rhetorics is categorized along with the other pillars of public speaking and perspectivism in the area of philosophy. However, rhetorical perspectivism shifts the normal treatment of both subjects is inter-related bodies of knowledge which are specifically helpful in the area of education, with respect to the different learning strategies of each student. Olson (n.d.) promotes open-mindedness as the main thought of Nietzsche’s perspectivism, and thus, it plays a critical role in the field of debate and argumentation; activities where rhetorics is strongly related. At this point, one can see the vague line connecting the two disciplines which co uld possibly be the key of unraveling the ideas of Cherwitz and Hikins and the birth of rhetorical perspectivism. Cherwitz and Hikins denounce subjectivity and intersubjectivity in rhetorical perspectivism, since it is much like weighing all sides of an argument rather than sticking to one’s belief as indispensable truth. Rhetorical Perspectivism and its Role in Education Lucaites, Condit, and Cuadill (1999) contend that rhetorical perspe

Apple's Balance Sheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple's Balance Sheet - Essay Example Assets From the provided financial information for Apple for the two six months operating periods taken in 2008 and 2009, it is clear that the company experienced an upward movement in different items regarding assets. Initial cash and its equivalents for the two specified periods represent a significant level of reduction from USD 11.875b in 2008 to USD 4.466b in 2009 (Apple, 2009). Whereas cash and similar cash items growth could not necessarily represent growth in view of liquidity practicality issues, it is appropriate to make the assumption that the materiality of the difference did not affect the overall reflection of business operations as cash flow values indicate. This argument is also supported by the observation of increased short-term marketable securities over the same period by double from USD 10.236b to USD 20.547b which could explain the reflected liquidity difference. Despite the fact that the accounts receivable after relevant reconciliation adjustments give a reduc tion in 2009, the difference does indicate a huge difference in terms of operations. Held inventories also indicate a reduction that would be explained by operations at a time when demand projections would be scaled downwards amidst financial crisis. However, overall liquid assets reflected a growth of USD 1.542b (from USD 32.311b to USD 33.853b), which gives a better reflection that the company grew its liquid assets. Investment in form of long-term securities gives detail of fixed assets and the increase from USD 2.379b to USD 3.865b (37 per cent) confirms the current assets trend as a growth trajectory (Apple, 2009). Other fixed assets elements such as buildings and properties owned increased from USD 2.546b to USD 2.455b, a reflection also reflected in the category of other assets that rose from USD 2.498b to USD 1.935b. To confirm this trend, the overall asset figure was a growth of 9.3 percent (USD 43.237b from USD 39.572b). In support of this information, perhaps the company can consult certain incidental information of cash flow nature to highlight the apparent growth in assets and operation level. The value of income and other operating activities indicate upward movements in net income (USD 2.81b from USD 2.626b) as was the reconciliation movements for income generating activities. Certain operating concepts such as depreciation and amortization illustrate a rise in the charged values, which translates in growth of the associated assets. An increase in the value of these operation costs for instance for depreciation from USD 222m in 2008 to USD 330m a year later reflects a huge hike of related asset base to support operations of the corporation. In other movements, increased stock-based compensations cost by 45 per cent (USD 242m to USD 351m) is an indication of growth in operations that occasion stock-based compensations, translated as growth by the company. It is evident that this information reflects a powerful suitability of Apple as an investmen t destination. Despite the fact that such increase in compensation could also indicate inefficiency in operations at the same operating capacity, the reduction of disposition losses from USD 10m in 2008 to USD 8m in 2009 as well