IT Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT Management - Article Example They also provide storage for these files. Computers will also improve file and data management at the Opera House. With digital storage, access and editing of files and data is also easier. A printer is also an important piece of hardware.It is essential for printing output from the computer. The most required software for the PC’s is the operating system. This provides a platform for the user’s to interact with the systems’ hardware (Anderson, p 112). This interaction interface is essential to help the staff to manage their PC’s. An antivirus is also important because it protects the computers from malware attacks. These attacks can have devastating effects, such as data loss. Some applications that are required for the House to run effectively vary according to the functions to be performed. Microsoft Outlook is the most common mailing management software. It will help the users when corresponding through emails. A web browser will used by the staff to access web pages during their browsing sessions. QuickBooks and Sage are the common applications used in finance management, and they are considered the best in the field. These applications will help the finance department ease the burden of manual management of financial activities. Sage Human Resource Management System is the most effective human resources software available in the market. It provides solutions for payroll management and it handles other activities related to the human resources department. The use of IT is a powerful tool in the marketing strategy (Englander, p 107). It provides gateways for the Opera House to advertise its events. This can be achieved by posting the events in the most visited websites in the related field. This involves creating of e-banners, advertisements and posters with details about the events and posting them on thesites with the most traffic. The use of social media and networks is also an effective way to create awareness about the events. This can be

Nanjing Massacre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nanjing Massacre - Term Paper Example This unprecedented catastrophe called Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, was a living hell for its victims and until present time it a symbol of Japanese militarism in World War II. Western nations for some time were not acknowledging Nanjing’s tragedy. There were several political factors that have contributed to it. The Japanese government downplayed the degree of its militaristic advances during World War II immediately after the war, while both Chinese govern-ments purposefully neglected the incident as they focused on establish ¬ing their political and economic strength, which required a sound relationship with Japan. The U.S. government valued Japan's position as a strategic ally during the Cold War more than the need for justice. Such political complications led each country to circumvent the issues of Nanking. (Li, Fei-Fei, xxiii) HISTORIC BACKGROUND After the incident on the railroad in the city of Mukden in September 1931, Japan, blaming Chinese nationalists for that explosion, began the invasion of Manchuria, China. Since that time several major battles between Japanese military forces Chinese army were raged, such as battle in Shanghai (1932), Great Wall (1933). To solve the situation, some agreements were settled between China and Japan which somewhat defused the situation near Manchuria. At that time China was engulfed into the Civil War and therefore was not able to considerably oppose Japanese invasion. An important incident happened in China in December of 1936, known as Xi'an Incident, when former warlord of Manchuria was suddenly arrested and kidnapped. This incident led the Nationalists and the Communists to form an united front against Japan in 1937. It is then that an all out defense against Japanese military started, at least formally. China had the largest army in the world at the time, but most of the Chinese arm y was not trained and poorly equipped, with some troops armed mainly with swords and hand grenades. Only few corps had anti-tank weaponry. 7 July 1937 a battle between Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army happened. This battle is often signify the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Shortly after that Japan extensively invaded mainland China and captured major Chinese cities. Some Chinese still remember Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Mukden as days of national humiliation. Japanese military forces had planned to conquer China in just three months, but in August of 1937 it faced strong resistance and had many casualties in the Battle of Shanghai, a very bloody hand-to-hand combat. Some historians believe that this situation contributed to the psychological conditions of the Japanese soldiers to later be so grueling cruel in Nanjing. The Japanese had captured Shanghai only by mid-November with the help of fleet and Air Force. The casual ties were so heavy that General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo decided not to expand the war. By that time the morale of the troops were very low. As the Japanese army grew closer to Nanjing, Chinese civilians fled the city. Chinese military themselves were destroying anything in the city that might be of value to the Japanese army – many buildings in the city, forest and entire villages around Nanjing were burnt to the ground. NANJING MASSACRE On December 7, the Japanese army came close to the city walls of Nanjing. They dropped leaflets into the city, requesting the surrender of Nanjing within 24 hours and promising mercy to innocent civilians.

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International marketing - Essay Example Similarly, the increase in the competitiveness nature of international markets calls for improved quality and advancement in the production techniques (Ronkainen, 2005, p.97-8). The entry strategies in an international category involves making decisions on the goals and objectives of the firm, choice of the products/services, market penetration modes, and performance monitoring and control systems which are deemed appropriate for the market. After evaluating its potential, strengths, capacities, and limitations, a corporation then figures going multinational. Exploring an international market with more promising potential involves market screening of all the potential markets. The screening exercise is conducted based on economic, cultural, and political factors which have the potential of affecting operations of the firm in the foreign market (Keegan, & Schlegelmilch, 2011, p.37). Besides, geographical factors and demographic variables must be given close attention. These include lo cation, composition of the potential target consumers (based on gender, age, income, culture, and family structures), political and economic environment (covering from legal regulations, duties and taxes, to consumer protection standards), and market characteristics. Being the fundamental factors under investigation, size, level of competition, and distribution agents with the marketing environment must be valued (Root, 2009, p.56). Otherwise, if these factors are not considered, then the firm will not succeed in the foreign market as it will fail to command the much needed market share. The selection of an overseas market is conducted in five stages. The first stage entails conducting an investigation on the domestic market regulations and management preferences. The second stage involves conducting an initial entry assessment programs. The third and the fourth steps are conducting a survey on the competitiveness and market responses respectively. The final step in exploring foreig n market entails a detailed analysis of international trade-off possibilities (Wolfgang, 2008, p.67). After the completion of market selection, a firm then plans her entry strategy. A number of entry strategy options are made available for firms to choose from. Firms may either choose for enter the foreign market through distributors or agents or through direct methods such as partnerships, alliances, direct sales promotion, or agreements (Johansson, 2007, p.75). The method of market entry adopted by the foreign firm venturing in a new market significantly affects the outcome and success of the firm. These entry strategies may be undertaken in form of licensing, joint venture, exporting, and direct investments. However, independent of the entry strategy chosen by a firm, their access to the market is limited. Though using intermediaries and agents results into a fasters and greater command of the market, it is relatively costly and very bureaucratic (Pan, & Tse, 2007, p.87). This im plies that the venturing/investing firm has no direct control of the market and neither has any direct link with the customers/consumers. On the other hand, direct entry methods are better in building personalized market understanding, it is limited with the fact that the foreign firm will not have any control of the ma

Compare the role of women in Caroyl Churchill's top girls and Essay

Compare the role of women in Caroyl Churchill's top girls and Shakespeares taming of the shrew - Essay Example It revolves around the theme of mistaken identity of two sisters Katharine and Bianca. Katharine is apparently rude, ill tampered and defiant while Bianca is meek and nice with moderate manners. Both girls fight for gaining their father’s attention. Katherine’s jealousy and selfishness is due to Bianca’s approval by everyone as she says, â€Å"She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day† (The Taming of the Shrew. 2.1.35-36).1 Katherine is independent and has free will, but at the same time she is bitchy and her father want her to get married at any cost. On the other hand, Bianca pretends to be obedient and portrays the image of innocent girl who submit to her elder’s will. Shakespeare’s woman is wild, rebellious, ruler or suppressed by the male dominated society. He reassigned the role to women who independently operate in a social structure which is not favorable for her. However, right role for woman in Shakespeare’s point of view is submission to man’s will; be it her father or husband. Initially Bianca is showed as right and good because of her humble behavior towards orders, irrespective of what is going on inside her. Katherine on the other hand is rejected due to her insolent doings besides her independent and free spirit. At the end of play, role of both sisters shift just because of submission to their husband’s will, irrespective of what is going on inside their heads. The word taming reminds me of animals who need to be trained in order to be ready to serve better. Katherine is resembled with many animals and objects, for example, title itself suggests her to be a shrew, a mouse like animal. She is also compared with asses, horses and hawks. This idea can be observed in Act III, Scene II clearly when Petruchio says: Male domination over woman is obvious in the

Introduction to Management, Information Systems and Organisations unit Essay

Introduction to Management, Information Systems and Organisations unit - Essay Example Red Rose Entertainment is a video shop which was established in 2000 in Queens Town, Australia. Since its inception, the shop mainly relied on catalogue cards when issuing videos to the customers. However, the organisation has underscored to expand its operations and penetrate other areas but this requires it to adopt a new computerised system as well as hire more employees in order to improve on efficiency. In order to meet the changing demands of the environment to be more flexible there is pressure from the workers who want to be developed and trained to play a part in decision making in areas that affect them and their work. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group of people towards the achievement of organisational goals (Robins S.P., Odendaal A.& Roodt G. 2001). Basically, leadership is concerned with the vision of the organisation and it should be noted that leading is a function of management where a leader instigates change that is aimed towards the achievement of the organisational goals. The leadership and the employees ought to work hand in hand in order to achieve the vision of the organisation which has underscored to expand its operations. A leader often takes a leading role in developing and inspiring staff to improve on their performance which in turn leads to increased productivity in terms of offering satisfactory products and services to the customers with the aim of achieving organisational goals. A leader should always display positive traits that can be emulate by the juniors in the company. Basically, leadership is mainly concerned with taking a long term perspective of the organisation where a leader seeks to motivate the members of staff through developing relationships of trust among the workers (Bates et al 2005). In the case of Red Rose Entertainment, democratic, participatory leadership style is more ideal as

Belonging Essay Example for Free

Belonging Essay Belonging is the finest thing in the world that knows how to belong to oneself. You have to belong to yourself before you belong to society. Belonging is a quite a hard concept, as you can argue that people who don’t want to belong actually belong to a group of people who don’t want to belong. But what is belonging? One idea is that you belong when you feel comfortable with people who have similar objectives, goals, and aims as you. But, as i realised while analysing a film in fact it’s for this unit, if you don’t feel comfortable with the group you believe you belong to, then even if you have the same goals for example cricket. Even though everyone’s goal is to win, should the team not befriend you, make you feel like you are excluded from the team, then you don’t really feel that you belong to the team so it’s basically what belonging is about. My first text is about a song by my island home by Christina Anu and how the singer portrays aspects of belonging through her song lyrics. Firstly she explores the idea that belonging to people or places shapes our identity and then she explores how the barriers which prevent belonging can create a need to belong. The song Island Home shares her perception that belonging to certain people or place creates our ideology of life and where we rightfully belong. We live by the sea and My home is Australia this use of language shows pride and belonging to Australia. This creates and brings belong into place where our perspective of belonging to be one of happiness. Belonging is evident in the song in the boat on the sea again, and I holding that long turtle spear, and I feel close to where it must be. The composer emphasises the point that her home must be by the sea because that’s where she is from and where she feels that she belongs, the pride of her belonging. We create our own identity from the feelings and affections we have with belonging to certain societies and their way of life. Inclusion and isolation demonstrates our personal identity which portrays who we are. Our perspectives and views are changed depending upon what we belong to. My home is Australia; we are a land bound by sea to show that Australia is a part of her which will never be lost is also shown as her the composer is from a native background (aboriginal). She emphasises on how her and land are one, and it is this affection that had shaped her identity. Belonging in the song My Island Home? which I find is people who had experienced belonging to a place or community. But the song conveys the composer as; these glimpses are obviously not enough to make you feel the same way real belonging makes others feel. The composer shows the barriers she has to overcome like modernisation, family and living far away from the place she belongs to and this belonging is felt by her. The composer shows the importance of belonging by using a reflection question to compare her life in the present time and when she belonged. Will this place ever satisfy me this shows how much she wants to belong again, which portrays her strong love for her place of belonging. The composer only reveals through her dreams how she feels towards belonging. Six years I have lived in the desert, every night i dreamt of the sea shows the identity of the composer since Australia is covered in desert lands ad this shows the connection she has with Australia through her. Ahhh already it has taken so long to type this up for you to read , hope you are bored because you have a lot more to read so stay awake and read it ahah. My second text is on Edward scissor hand by Tim Burton, I was actually going to Life of Pie by Ang Lee but it was quite tough to relate to belong so I went with Edward scissor hands plus I got a bit help my English teacher for this movie so it make my life a bit easier. At the beginning of the film we see that Edward lives alone in a gothic castle. He has been isolated in the castle for an indeterminate time. Below the castle is a small town a close knit community and barely visits the castle, not knowing that Edward lives there. Peg feels sorry for him and decides to take him back to live with her in the town. At first Edward is being treated well because he is a great novelty. No one has ever seen someone like him before and he quickly becomes a celebrity. He is embraced by the townspeople; they think he is very useful with his scissors (haircutting, gardening etc. ) one of the town women thinks he is sexy and tries to seduce him. He refuses and runs away. This incident becomes the catalyst for Edwards’s rejection and alienation from the community. Edwards’s personality consists of innocent, naive, limited social skills, very gentle and very experienced at relationships with people, no idea of sex, manners etc. Other than what his creator taught him from books. He is very trusting until he finds himself he victim of a setup. After things become worse, Edward finds he is a victim and cannot remain in the community. Techniques used to convey the context relevant to belonging is that Edwards’s clothes and appearance is a complete contrast to town’s people. When he first arrives Peg him clothes to wear which he puts on over his own costume. This helps him develop a sense of belonging to the family and the community and reduces his difference to the townspeople. However the fact that he doesn’t remove his clothes indicates that he wants to maintain his identity. Later in the film he becomes angry and feelings of rejection and alienation by the town cause him to rip off. Music is used in a number of ways to show Edwards innocence and purity. His character is linked to Kims in the way music and lighting are used, the haunting they’re music, together with soft/bright lighting plus show plus the slow motion of the camera reinforces the innocence and the nature of their love for each other. At the end of the film, when it becomes impossible for Kim and Edward to belong to each other in a proper relationship. He goes back into the castle and she to the town. All though they cannot belong together physically they will always belong together emotionally. This is shown at the end of the film as Edward continues to make snow from the ice and flashback to the narrator at the child’s bedside. Alright you only got a bit more reading for go so sit back and read the rest and tell me how I went. For my third text I have chosen the picture the island by Armin greder. The picture book, The Island portrays belonging as impossible if there is an ignorant and fearful dominant culture. The book portrays to the responder into almost alienation and new comer into a strongly built and well organized society. The alien is portrayed as thin and white-white and unclothed showing that the new comer is an empty canvas to be painted opinions onto. The new comer is also thin and innocent looking showing how the character is reliant on acceptance to survive. Whilst the dominant society is given the appearance of large, over bearing, they are always portrayed as a collective group portraying their dominance. They are in black clothing, they all appear to look the same- again representing there collectiveness, and they are holding pitch forks portraying their feelings towards the new comer unwelcomed. The dominant society belong together they appear to look the same, and have much of the same views, they have collectively created a community that are dependent on each other and there likeness. The society is well established and fearful of anything that will imbalance its structure and that is different from their social, cultural and historical similarities. The new being does not offer any change, it does not do anything to radicalize the community but just its presence of being different offers physiological fear to the dominant society. The book demonstrates the effect of fear, what it does to a community and the object being feared. Through fear of this unknown the community alienated the unknown, trying to forget its existence when this did not work the community they contemplated integrating the being. But the overbearing fear of the effect the being would have on their system led them to cast out the different being. The being that was submitted to the dominant cultures fear was treated as inferior, become the dominant society did not want the unknown to belong they create a barrier around themselves in fear of the unknown and it defining themselves as exclusive. Because the dominant society was afraid of the unknown they showed ignorance and a lack of open thinking which creates difficulties to them from acceptance and understanding of anything other than their own people. Therefore Belonging is a way of life which characterises us humans and creates our individuality. Due to the complex and abstract nature of the concept of belonging, a true sense of belonging can be found in different circumstances for different people. As each individual has their own desires, needs and values, they find their place in the world and a genuine sense of belonging in various avenues. Many individuals find the strongest sense of belonging through relationships, due to the fact that by nature these connections fulfil the human need for social interaction and enrich the lives of the persons involved.

German Essays Immanuel Kant and Moses Mendelssohn

German Essays Immanuel Kant and Moses Mendelssohn The interpretation of the enlightenment by immanuel kant and moses mendelssohn. The Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that considerably influenced scientific and social thinking of the eighteenth century, was exposed to a profound analysis by Immanuel Kant who connected the concept of enlightenment with personal freedom, pondering over ‘private’ and ‘public’ usage of reason, and Moses Mendelssohn who introduced the notions ‘civil enlightenment’ and ‘human enlightenment’ to differentiate between social and individual understanding of enlightenment. While Kant looked for the ways to achieve a balance between public and private usage of reason, Mendelssohn paid attention to the differences between human and civil enlightenment, revealing the difficulties of acquiring this balance. However, in their definitions of enlightenment both Kant, the follower of the German Enlightenment, and Mendelssohn, the originator of the Haskalah, the Enlightenment of Jews, uncovered â€Å"the tension between the agenda of enli ghtenment and the exigencies of society† (Schmidt 5). Making an attempt to provide his definition of the Enlightenment in the essay â€Å"Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment?† written as a response to the Reverend Zollner, Immanuel Kant states that â€Å"enlightenment is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage† (83). Thus, according to Kant, enlightenment is achieved through personal freedom that is impossible to acquire without such crucial human traits as courage and intellect (Belas 457-460). However, Kant’s definition of enlightenment expels an open struggle, because it can return people to tutelage, depriving them of the possibility to achieve enlightenment. Proposing to eliminate certain church and state restrictions, Kant applies to two different usages of reason that constitute true enlightenment – ‘private’ usage and ‘public’ usage. As Kant points out, â€Å"By the public use of one’s reason I understand the use of which a person makes of it as a scholar before the reading public. Private use I call that which may make of it in a particular civil post of office which entrusted to him† (89). Although the philosopher draws a parallel between these concepts, he points at the fact that the private usage of reason should be subjected to certain limitations, while the public usage of reason should be kept free, because â€Å"it alone can bring about enlightenment among men† (Kant 89). In this regard, Moses Mendelssohn’s definition of the Enlightenment is similar to Kant’s definition, but Mendelssohn relies on different concepts in his analysis. Mendelssohn regards enlightenment as the acquisition of particular knowledge that creates the necessary balance between a person as a citizen and a person as a human being. In view of this definition, Mendelssohn differentiates between ‘civil enlightenment’, which corresponds with certain social interests, and ‘human enlightenment’, wh ich deals with individual knowledge of a person and, according to James Schmidt, â€Å"paid heed neither to some distinctions nor to the maintenance of social order† (5). However, unlike Immanuel Kant, Moses Mendelssohn admits that there are some particular cases when public aspects of enlightenment should be strongly restricted. As Schmidt states, â€Å"While Mendelssohn was willing to concede that there might be certain unhappy circumstances in which philosophy must remain silent lest it pose a threat to public order, Kant was uncompromising in his insistence that the public exercise of reason should never be restricted† (5-6). To some extent, Kant’s attitude can be explained by that fact that the philosopher interprets enlightenment through the issues of religion, considering the existing religious dogmas as an obstacle towards personal freedom (Lassman 815-820). Thus, regarding freedom as one of the most crucial aspects of enlightenment, Kant simultaneously brings up a question of people’s independence from religion, while Mendelssohn points at freedom within religious faith. In this context, Kant tends to define enlightenment in practical terms, while Mendelssohn analyses theoretical aspects of enlightenment, claiming that â€Å"Enlightenment seems†¦ to have to do with the theo retical, specifically with reasoned apprehension of the world in an objective sense† (313). Operating with the notion ‘Bildung’ that means knowledge in a wider sense of the word and combines two social elements – enlightenment and culture, Moses Mendelssohn claims that enlightenment greatly depends on culture. As the philosopher puts it, â€Å"Enlightenment is to culture as theory is to practice, as discernment is to morality, as cultural criticism is to virtuosity. When viewed objectively in and of themselves, they exist in the closest possible synergy, even if they can be viewed subjectively as separate categories† (314). In view of this definition it is clear that for a person as a citizen both culture and enlightenment are important, because, according to Mendelssohn, â€Å"all practical virtues only acquire meaning in relation to life in the social sphere† (315). However, for a person as a human being enlightenment is more crucial than cu lture. On the other hand, Mendelssohn states that enlightenment contributes to theoretical usage, while culture is better applied to practical usage. But those nations that manage to combine both culture and enlightenment achieve the highest level of the Enlightenment, like the Ancient Greeks. Mendelssohn considers that modern societies rarely achieve this standard, as he claims, â€Å"Nurembergers have more culture, Berliners more enlightenment, the French more culture, the British more enlightenment, the Siamese more culture and little enlightenment† (314). The similar notion is expressed by Kant who points at the fact that various religious dogmas deprive people of the possibility to achieve freedom and enlightenment; that is why modern people only strive for enlightenment, but they do no live within enlightenment. According to Kant, people find it really difficult to get rid of someone’s guidance, especially the guidance of church or state. But Kant puts major responsibili ty for such dependence from religion on people who are unable to appropriately use their intellect to acquire true enlightenment. The philosopher thinks that religion destroys people’s selves and deprives them of the possibility to attain the equilibrium of private and public usage of reason. For Kant, enlightenment is determined by a person’s capacity to freely utilise his/her reason. Theoretically, every person has rights and abilities to utilise his/her reason, but in practice only some individuals reveal power and courage to achieve enlightenment. For instance, Kant states that a priest should restrict his private usage of reason, because he follows the religious dogmas of his church; however, he should not restrict his public usage of reason, if he can make some useful offers and provide new knowledge. In this regard, Immanuel Kant regards enlightenment as a continuous progress, but he states that â€Å"a public can achieve enlightenment only slowly† (84). The philosopher acknowledges that some social changes can result in the elimination of certain biases or dogmas, but these old prejudices can be replaced by new biases and rules of behaviour that may slow down the process of enlightenment. However, Kant points out that enlightenment can be delayed onl y for a short period of time, but â€Å"to give up enlightenment altogether, either for oneself or one’s descendants, is to violate and to trample upon the sacred rights of man† (86). Kant considers that the eighteenth century is the age of enlightenment, as various religious issues are exposed to critical analysis by some individuals who apply to reason to enlighten themselves. Discussing the issue of enlightenment, Mendelssohn reveals that â€Å"reason could demonstrate the fundamental truths of natural religion† (Arkush xiii). Mendelssohn claims that reason provides new understanding of religious dogmas, and it is this particular understanding that contributes to people’s enlightenment. In this regard, Mendelssohn manages to adjust the Enlightenment’s rationality with religion, although the philosopher realises that enlightenment provides people with free will and thinking, while religion controls people’s actions and thoughts. In view of this interpretation of enlightenment, Mendelssohn’s viewpoint corresponds with Kant’s vision, as both philosophers support the notion that true enlightenment can be achieved by those individuals who are able to dispute, but at the same time obey. For Mendelssohn and Kant, the ability to dispute reveals people’s reason and courage, while the ability to obey reflects their enlightenment. Thus, enlightenment is more than a simple process of acquiring certain knowledge; rather it is a particular stand, which people may create. However, according to Kant, society can acquire enlightenment more easily than an individual, if taken into account the fact that public usage of reason is not exposed to any restrictions. As Kant states, â€Å"it is difficult for an isolated individual to work himself out of a dependency that has become virtually second-nature to him† (84). The philosopher considers that only some individuals manage to overcome this dependenc y; however, as Kant further claims in the essay, â€Å"but that a public at large might manage to enlighten itself is, in contrast, something quite possible† (84). Unlike Kant, Mendelssohn points at the necessity of some limitations and states that enlightenment can be achieved, if every person receives freedom of religious faith. But Mendelssohn claims that this freedom is possible if two major institutions of power – state and church are separated. Making an attempt to draw a parallel between the ideas of the Enlightenment and Jewish religion, Moses Mendelssohn regards enlightenment as a crucial aspect of Jews’ emancipation (Shmueli 167-169). In this regard, Mendelssohn’s interpretation of enlightenment is based on the principles of natural religion and reason that contribute to the formation of enlightened society (Meyer 29). Kant’s definition of enlightenment is founded on the connection between reason and modified authoritative laws. However, both Mendelssohn’s and Kant’s ideas of enlightenment are cantered on the concept of freedom, although the philosophers utilise different approaches in their interpretation of the role of freedom in the process of enlightenment. As Immanuel Kant regards enlightenment as both a continuous progress and a particular attitude or responsibility, he considers that a person is able to achieve freedom and enlightenment only if he/she changes himself/herself. In other words, enlightenment serves as a specific tool, through which a person expresses his/her self, and, on the other hand, it is a certain command that a person gives himself/herself and provides to other individuals. Therefore, Kant presents enlightenment as a progress in which people act together and as an individual expression of courage. Taking this interpretation of enlightenment into account, it is clear that Kant differentiates between the usage of reason and the sphere of obedience, but the philosopher clearly demonstrates that both states depend on people’s courage and intellect. For instance, if a person pays his/her taxes, but expresses his/her negative attitude to the taxation system, he/she reveals intellect and courage that speak of his/her maturity. In this case, a person acquires enlightenment that results in his/her inner freedo m. In his interpretation of enlightenment, Mendelssohn points at freedom of conscience; this freedom is closely connected with people’s religious faith. According to Mendelssohn, a state should not influence religious faith of people; it is this particular freedom of choice that constitutes the core of Mendelssohn’s definition of enlightenment. Critically analysing Jewish religious dogmas through the idea of enlightenment, Mendelssohn manages to overcome the existing religious biases and bring together Christian and Jewish religions (Beiser 92-93). For Moses Mendelssohn, such changes constitute true enlightenment, reviving humanism and indulgence. Although both Mendelssohn and Kant apply to religious aspects in their interpretations of enlightenment, they utilise different viewpoints. Kant discusses the issue of enlightenment through religion, because he considers that the existing religious institutions are too harmful for people; thus it is crucial to reduce their influe nce on individuals, utilising reason to challenge church authorities. Kant considers that a person should reject the prevalent religious stereotypes and produce new standards for himself/herself in accordance with reason and free will.   Unlike Kant, Mendelssohn points at the fact that the process of enlightenment is religious in its essence; that is why the philosopher makes an attempt to conciliate religious issues with rationality of philosophical thinking (Sorkin 35-42). Despite the fact that Mendelssohn regards Judaism as religion that possesses the highest level of reason, he nevertheless criticises some aspects of this religion, destroying traditional understanding of Judaism (Altmann 13-19). Mendelssohn considers that enlightenment can provide people with the logical interpretation of certain religious issues. The philosopher thinks that simple faith in God is not able to prove the existence of God, but, applying to reason, people are able to find answers to all controversial religious aspects. As Arkush points out, in his definition of enlightenment Mendelssohn reveals that â€Å"reason could demonstrate the fundamental truths of natural religion; that is, the existence of God, providence, and immortalityâ €  (xiii). Kant expresses the similar notion, claiming that reason can both prove and disapprove the existence of God; in other words, reason inspires both people’s beliefs and doubts. But only analysing two sides of the issue with the help of reason, an enlightened individual is able to realise the essence of the universe and his/her own existence. In this regard, Kant reveals the idea that even the striving for enlightenment relieves people of their dependence and provides them with freedom. On the other hand, contrasting such aspects of enlightenment as reason and freedom with immaturity and dependence, Kant opposes Mendelssohn’s appreciation of Judaism. For Kant, Judaism greatly depends on a materialist world; it is a religion that utilises people for its own benefits, depriving them of freedom and enlightenment.    The differences between Kant and Mendelssohn are intensified even more when the philosophers discuss the dawning of the age of enlightenment. According to Moses Mendelssohn, the era of enlightenment would hardly come, because throughout their history human beings have moved onward and backward, preventing further development of humankind. Moses considers that an individual person is able to acquire a certain level of enlightenment; however, entire humankind creates constant limitations and laws, either religious or state, which hinder the process of enlightenment. In his analysis of enlightenment Kant expresses a different viewpoint; in particular, he claims that humankind always progresses in its development. Although the philosopher acknowledges the existence of some limitations and obstacles, he points at the fact that these limits may only slow down the process of enlightenment, but they can never completely destroy it. As Kant regards enlightenment as a continuous progress, he r ealises that people, utilising reason and acquiring some knowledge, will continue to strive for enlightenment. And it is this aspiration for profound knowledge and understanding of human existence that Kant interprets as enlightenment. In this regard, Kant thinks that it is really important to draw a parallel between past and present generations, analysing various stages of their development. On the other hand, Kant reveals an obvious obstacle to the progress of enlightenment; as people usually analyse only separate parts of the universe, they fail to combine these elements into a complete picture. As a result of this inability, human beings may find it difficult to influence each other and fully integrate into the process of enlightenment. However, despite these obvious differences, both Kant and Mendelssohn in their interpretation of enlightenment make attempts to maintain the ideas of rationalism without an open rejection of the existence of God. This is especially true in regard to Moses Mendelssohn who does not challenge the existence of God, but opposes the existing religious laws that create the unchanging truth for believers, depriving them of the possibility to achieve enlightenment. Thus, both Mendelssohn and Kant define enlightenment through the analysis of the practical ways to achieve enlightenment; however, unlike Mendelssohn, Kant bases his definition on ce rtain negations, such as ‘dependence’, ‘immaturity’, ‘shortage of courage’. In this context, Kant demonstrates that the first step in acquiring enlightenment is the elimination of everything that deprives people of reason and freedom; only overcoming the first stage of elimination, a person is able to proceed to the second stage of acquisition. Analysing the definitions of the Enlightenment by Immanuel Kant and Moses Mendelssohn, the essay has revealed that Kant’s interpretation of enlightenment is based on the concept of freedom and mainly deals with a person’s ability to overcome immaturity and inner fears. Discussing enlightenment, especially through religious aspects, Kant provides two major concepts that constitute his vision – ‘private’ and ‘public’ usage of reason. Mendelssohn’s interpretation of enlightenment reflects a close connection between enlightenment and culture, but the philosopher’s distinction of ‘civil enlightenment’ and ‘human enlightenment’ demonstrates the difference between a person as a citizen and a person as a human being. Although both Kant and Mendelssohn adhere to public and private aspects in their understanding of enlightenment, their interpretations considerably differ. In particular, Kant considers that t he public usage of reason should be kept free, while the private usage should be exposed to certain limitations; unlike Kant, Mendelssohn thinks that in some cases the public usage should be restricted, or otherwise it may produce some negative consequences for society. In this regard, Kant’s definition concerns a practical side of the issue, although it is based on the principles of ‘escape’, for instance, escape from inner fears toward maturity. On the contrary, Mendelssohn’s definition is created on a theoretical basis and interprets enlightenment through the principles of ‘achievement’. 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