Company Analysis of Coca-Cola Enterprises - 1925 Words

Company Analysis of Coca-Cola Enterprises (Case Study Sample) Content: NAMECOURSEINSTRUCTORDATECompany analysis of Coca-Cola enterprisesIntroductionCoca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE) is the third largest independent bottler of Coca- Cola in the world. It is the producer, marketer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. It the sole licensed for The Coca-Cola Company products in Great Britain, Belgium, Monaco, Norway, The Netherlands, continental France, Sweden, and Luxembourg. Coca-Cola Enterprises is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of its operations and products, with a specific focus on water stewardship, sustainable packaging and recycling, and energy and climate protection. Its manufacturing sites were awarded ISO 14001 certification, the premier international standard for environmental management (CCE website). Coca-Cola Enterprises has also minimized its energy ratio across most of its manufacturing operations. Also, more that 99 percent of waste at the companys sites is now recycled or recovered.Coca-Cola Enterprises computes and publishes the CO2 emissions that results from the manufacturing and distribution processes of all of its brands. The company partnered with Carbon Trust in 2007 to measure all of its greenhouse gas emissions that are embodied within selected products in the portfolio. Coca-Cola Enterprises manufactures, sells, delivers and distributes the following products in the Great Britain for the Coca-Cola Company: diet Coke, Schweppes Abbey Well, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Coke Zero, Glacà ©au, Dr Pepper, Powerade, Schweppes, Sprite, Relentless, Oasis and 5 Alive. It also produces, sells or delivers Capri Sun, Appletiser and Monster on behalf of other brand owners (CCE website). The company has an on-going product and brand innovation continuing in order to reinforce its position of having the largest share of the UKs soft drink industry. Currently, Coca-Cola Enterprises is one of the most innovative brands in the world.This report tries to examine, evaluate and analyze if the company ex perienced a drop in its performance in the ten years or if the company just made a strategic choice to consolidate so as to improve performance. It will look at the ratio analysis, its marketing activities and its weaknesses and strengths. Finally, the report provides critical reasons why either one of the two actions happened and then propose key strategic changes to be made so as to restore the performance in the future.SWOT analysisStrengthscustomer loyaltyStrong marketing and advertising corporate social responsibilitybargaining power over suppliersextensive beverage distribution channellargest market share in the UKthe best global brandWeaknessessignificant focus on carbonated drinkshigh debt level resulting from acquisitionsundiversified product portfoliobrand failures Opportunitiesgrowth through acquisitionsgrowth in bottled water consumptionincreasing demand for beverage and healthy foodgrowing consumption of beverages in emerging marketsThreatswater scarcitystrong doll archanges in consumer preferencesdecreasing net profit and gross profit marginssaturated carbonated drinks marketcompetition from other bottlersAnalysis From the SWOT analysis it is clear that Coca-Cola Enterprises experienced a drop in performance in the ten years. The SWOT indicates that the companys net profit margin as well as gross profit has been decreasing over the past few years and it is predicted to continue for more years due to higher raw materials and water costs. Further, the company has approximately US$4 billion of debt which has significantly increased its interest and borrowing costs thus decreasing the profits further. The world has begun fighting obesity and many consumers are moving away from carbonated drinks towards consuming healthy drinks and food. This has also greatly impacted their performance over the past few years.Ratio analysisRatio analysis is a systematic use of ratios in interpreting the financial statements of a company in order to determine its weaknesses and strengths, financial health as well as its current performance and historical performance.Liquidity ratiosA firms liquidity ratios illustrate the ability of CCE to meet its short term obligations. It is the main measure of a firms financial health (Kapil, 120).20132012201120102009Industry Current ratio1.171.071.451.181.205.00The current ratio of CCE has been fluctuating for the past years; this indicates a reduction in its ability to meet short-term obligations. In comparison to the industry average, these ratios are lower than that of the industry average, an indication that CCE is less liquid.Profitability ratiosProfitability ratios determine the bottom line of the company and the returns it gives to its investors. These ratios indicate the overall performance and efficiency of a company (Kimmel et al 290).20132012201120102009Industry Net profit margin8.128.409.049.293.3812.00ROA7.017.288.474.994.5715.00The profitability rati os of Coca-Cola enterprises have been fluctuating or decreasing considerably implying that the efficiency of CCE has been decreasing over the ten year period. The ratios are also below the industry average value indicating that the company is less profitable than other firms in the industry. This has made it to drop in the rank.Asset management ratiosAsset management or efficiency ratios indicates how well a company is managing its liabilities and/or how effectively a company is utilizing its assets. They show how efficiently the assets of the company are working to generate sales revenue or income (Kapil, 120).20132012201120102009Industry Days sales outstanding67.3464.8361.1176.9344.7441Inventory turnover12.7713.0813.656.8215.0216.00The companys inventory turnover has decreased throughout the period implying that Coca-Cola Enterprises is using more inventories to generate less revenue hence inefficient in their operations. Days sale outstanding has been on t he constant rise and fluctuations. This shows that CCE is taking more time to collect its receivable. The companys days sales outstanding is higher than that of the industry , this indicates that the firm takes more time to realize its accounts receivable than the industry hence indicating reduction in efficiency. According to efficiency ratios, the efficiency of the company has been on a constant decrease. Debt ratiosDebt ratios shows how leveraged a company is. They measures the long-term solvency of the company by showing the proportion of the companys activities that is funded by the borrowed funds compared to those activities that are funded by the equity (Kimmel et al 290).. 20132012201120102009Industry Debt to equity ratio1.681.291.040.7310.220.85Long-term debt to total asset0.390.300.330.250.480.30The debt to equity and long-term to total asset ratios have been on the constant rise throughout the period. This indicates an increase in the proportion of companys assets that is funded by borrowed funds. The ratios are relatively higher than the industry average value, this indicates that Coca-Cola Enterprises is highly leveraged, uses more debts than its competitors in the industry. Coca-Cola is, therefore, regarded to have taken on more risk than other firms in the industry. It therefore has more business risks. Market ratiosThese ratios assess the economic status of a firm in the wider marketplace. They give the companys management an idea of what the companys investors think of or perceive the future prospects and current performance of the company (Kapil, 120).20132012201120102009Industry Price to earnings ratio17.9614.0911.2613.6613.0212.00Market to book value ratio4.913.482.710.000.005.00The P/E ratio of CCE has greatly fluctuated, however towards the end of the period; it has shown an upward trend. The ratio is relatively higher than the industry average indicating that the stocks of Coca-Cola enterpr ises are highly valued than the industry average. The investors expected slightly higher earnings growth from CCE implying that the investors are willing to pay a slightly more per dollar of earnings than those of other firms in the industry. Even though the M/B value of the company has shown n upward trend, it is lower than the industry average. This indicates that the relative value of CCE is lower than the industry. Critical reasons why the performance of the company declinedThere are a number of factors that have caused the decline in the performance of Coca-Cola Enterprises. First, constant change in weather conditions has brought seasonality in the sales of the companys nonalcoholic ready to drink beverages. Due mainly to the seasonal nature of the soft drink and other beverages industry, the sales of the company have greatly reduced. Unreasonably cool weather reduces consumer demand for some beverages that are packaged in containers (Flamholtz Yvinne, 176). Secondly, the sof t drink industry is highly competitive. It consists of numerous small and large, well established companies. Such companies compete in multiple geographical areas; some are primarily local or regional in operation. Even though the company has compe...

How Recreational Therapists Can Take Advantage - 1076 Words

Yoga isn’t only beneficial to the body but also the mind. Recreational therapists can take advantage of this by applying yoga techniques to improve the mood and reduce feelings of irritability and apathy for individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. Moreover, the participants should have been previously diagnosed with MDD, which according to the DSM-V means they have shown five or more of the following symptoms during the same two weeks and represent a change from previous functioning. The symptoms related to MDD also stated in the DSM- V are: a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every day, a diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, fatigue, feelings of†¦show more content†¦This is because the use of yoga as an exercise intervention will trigger the release of endorphins and serotonin, which are associated to positive mood and well-being (Broderick, 2015). It is said that there is a chemical im balance in individuals with MDD and the use of yoga increases levels of GABA neurotransmitters connected to the antidepressant effects (Kinser, 2012). Referrals The participants selected for this program should be women from 25-44 because that is the highest incidence of people with MDD (All About Self Help, 2015). Those that do not meet the initial criteria may also participate in the program if it is shown to improve others condition. The participants will be tested and those that fall on the moderate to severe side of the Hamilton rating scale will be selected. Individuals with a high suicide risk (according to the MINI suicidality scale), alcohol abuse, a physical impairment that may make yoga difficult, and surgery in the last month or near future are not eligible to participate in the program. Although, it is advised to use Yoga as a complementary treatment, participants selected will be requested to abstain from the use of antidepressants, in order to effectively see the effects of the intervention. Risk Management One of the biggest risks that this program plans to prevent is the risk of the participants attempting suicide or having suicidal thoughts. To prevent this event

Greek And Tragedies Example

Essays on Greek And Tragedies Coursework The Relevance of Tragedies Today Tragedies retain their relevance in contemporary times, because the themes of human suffering, and mortality, remain a part of everyday life. The Relevance of Tragedies Today. The Greek tragedies, dating back to the sixth century B.C., are some of the earliest literary works in human history. While the Olympian Gods, the royal heroes, and masks, are far removed from the realities of contemporary life, we remain attracted to tragedies. Tragedies retain their relevance today because the main characteristics of the Greek tragedy - human suffering, and mortality, continue to be a part of human existence. Tragedies evoke an empathetic response in contemporary society, as the conflicts which constitute the plot of ancient Greek drama continue to be a part of our lives. Love, separation, ordeals and self-sacrifice are as relevant today as in the past. The intricacies of family relationships, and suffering, are very much the basis of existence. Tragedies sp eak strongly to human emotions, and we can empathize with the hero’s attempt to achieve some goal, the human frailty which contributes to his downfall and the bonds of love and hate which define the plot. The theme of human mortality, which runs through Greek tragedy, continues to underlie our lives today. In spite of our attempt to emphasize the existential philosophy of self-determination, and choice, we cannot help but suspect that we are in the grip of fates which we cannot evade. Finally, we have to confront the reality of our mortality and death. The modern-day hero can struggle to overcome obstacles, placed in his way by destiny or choice, but finally he is defeated by the doom of his own mortality. Humanity is drawn to tragedies, as they reflect man’s eternal quest to rise above his inherent frailty to reach out to the heights – of Olympus or of achievement. We continue to identify with the striving for perfection, and the reality of suffering, in ever yday life. As long as suffering, emotions and death remain a part of our lives, tragedies will continue to exert their fascination over our psyche. (Word Count: 315 words).

Systems Analysis and Cloud Computing Fundamentals

Question: Discuss about the Systems Analysis and Cloud Computing Fundamentals. Answer: Introduction We are living in the world of Digital systems, everything is influenced by Information technology and communication. The Government of various countries has started keeping the Health records of their peoples in digital form too. An electronic Health record system provides a systematic way of keeping the record of the patients and their Health status. With the help of these Health records the study for medical research is also been conducted. These medical records are also transferred to other centres easily in their network. These medical record contain the information of the patients demographic details, medical history, prescribed medication, allergy types, the immunization detail, different laboratory details, radiology reports, vital signs and the other personnel medical details. These electronic medical records help in gaining the medical history of patient easily, helps doctors to perform medication easily. It also helps in studying the medical history, the change, the pattern of symptoms can be easily studied and the medical prescription can be performed accordingly. Not only these electronic health provides the facility to keep the medical records in the systematic way but it helps in providing quality medical services to all sections of peoples to the poorest to poorest living in remote areas. These medical records helps in following ways This form of keeping information in digital form enables them to keep information in systematic and in secure manner. It helps in providing the trigger and alert messages to the concerned patient and the doctor. Helps in digitally track with the ambulances. Helps in fast processing of requests for medical orders. Decreases lines at waiting area of hospitals and provide better medical facilities. Stakeholder Map Concerned Stake holder The identified stake holders for medical health records are as follows- Practicing Physician Head/owner- The head of Hospital or Medical Centre Doctors- The practising doctors which do medication. Nurses- The practising Nurses to take care of patients in better way. Practice office Staff- The administration staff the hospital. IT Manager or Consultant- The executive doing management of the Software for Hospital. Medical Pharmacy personnel- The personnel responsible to arrange medicines. Open EMR community-the general public looking for medical records. Medical students- students studying different diseases Patients- The patients. The role of these Stakeholder Stakeholder Role 1) Practicing Physician Head/owner Approves the funding, set organizational goals 2) Doctors Change in system , providing the new requirements, performing review , monitoring, perform work, setting organizational goals 3) Nurses Monitoring system, new requirements, perform work 4) Practice office Staff Monitoring, assignment of personnel on duties, making schedule, phase get decision 5) IT Manager or Consultant- Monitoring and maintaining the software 6) Medical Pharmacy personnel Personnel responsible to arrange medicines billing. 7) Open EMR community Looking for medical records, Giving Views 8) Medical students Viewing records for studying and assisting senior doctors 10) Patients Main service users and Bill payers What is your role in organization? How do you sponsor the project? What are your authoritys statements? What is your goal and expectations from this project? According to you what are threats for this project? ser friendly interface. Less steps and early navigation. Understandable language. Strong Network features with compatibility in both cloud as well open Internet. Compatibility with windows environment. Adaptability to advance features. Highly maintainable as well robust. Timely response with 24x7 environment. Support to maintainability and fault tolerant as it has to support information to critical life factors such as Ambulance, ICU, PCU and other critical areas where a single error can be hazardous. Auto notification and receiving and direct response to phone calls and messages. Conclusion The EMR system is the most important system at present for the medical centres at present, an effective EMR system plays a pivotal role in maintaining the management of the system. It not only helps medical personnel, but also helps the patients and general public to get information. It also support government in developing their medical policies and welfare programs. An EMR System should be user friendly as well easy to operate too. This was simple student level approach, the experience obtained through this system will be beneficial in my entire career. References Alan. D, Barbara .H.W, Roberta M. R, (2010), Systems Analysis and Design, Wiley Publication Furht.B, (2010), Cloud Computing Fundamentals, Springer Publication Garry.B, Harry.J, (2012), System analysis and design, MC Grew Hill Min-Jeoung Kang, Chai Young Jung, Soyoun Kim, Yookyung Boo, Yuri Lee, Sundo Kim, (2015),Stakeholder analysis for adopting a personal health record standard , HIM Journal , 44 (2): 33-42 Munuro, (2011), System Analysis and Design, Springer Publication Richard .A, (2010), System Analysis and Design, Pearson Education World Health organization, Stake holder analysis from www.who.int ( accessed on 14-4-17) Open EMR, Project Management of Implementation, From- https://www.open-emr.org ( accessed on 14-4-17) Vino .K, S. Srivasan, (2011), Work book on System Analysis and Design, Springer Publication

The Effects on North Korea free essay sample

â€Å"North Korea is one of the most secretive countries on earth. It’s regarded as an intelligence black hole† (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). North Korea, a communist dictatorship, is known to be very secretive, but also is one of the cruelest countries on earth to its people. â€Å"Communism is a political, social, and economic system in which the government is based on a collective society with land, property, and economic activities controlled by the state† (Lansford 9). The North Korean government does not like to show the world what really happens inside their country. â€Å"A U. S. -based rights group has estimated that there are up to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea† (â€Å"North Korea Profile†). Many of the people living in the camps are just the family members of the prisoners. Citizens can be sent to these work camps if they talked badly against the government or other minor crimes. The communist government of North Korea causes civilians to live in extreme conditions and suffer the wrath of their leaders and soldiers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects on North Korea or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The lives of the innocent could benefit if a new form of government takes place to stop the pain and suffering. Korea did not experience communism until 1948 when the north side and the south side broke up into two different countries: North and South Korea. During WWII, the Allied Forces coerced the Japanese Imperial Forces out of Korea. Communist Russia occupied the north side while the democratic U. S. backed the south. Once tension started building up between Russia and the U. S. , it was impossible to bring the two sides back together as one country. The north took in communism and the south adopted democracy (Shah). When North Korea embraced communism, a young man named Kim Il Sung began to lead the new country. He was respected by many in North Korea and even adored by some. â€Å"In 1950, Kim Il Sung invaded the south to unify the country† (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). This led to the Korean War and the south side along with the help of America fought to stop communism from entering the southern border. The south never was reunited with the north and the communist ways continue to stay with North Korea only. Currently, a 148 mile long border divides the north and south from each other. The long border is called â€Å"the 38th Parallel. † This is the most heavily guarded border in the world (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). South Korea strictly guards this border because they do not want North Korean spies or any military personnel to enter into their country and gain any information to the north that could affect them. Also, the south wants to defend their borders so much to protect them from communism spreading into their country. Because of the terrible conditions North Korean citizens live through every day, South Korea wants to stop all threats of bringing communism into their country and ruining their own way of life. Since North Korea became a country, they have had three leaders that have controlled the country under the reigns of communism. North Korea’s first communist leader was Kim Il Sung. He, along with the Russian government, founded the country and put communism in place as the North Korean form of government. Kim Il Sung set â€Å"Juche† as North Korea’s economic system (â€Å"Communism: North Korea†). â€Å"Juche† is a form of self-reliance. It is a mixture of xenophobic nationalism (unreasonably fearful of or hating anyone or anything foreign or strange), central planning and economic independence. Using this self-reliant economy, Kim Il Sung ruled until he died in 1994. After his death, his son, Kim Jong Il, ruled with identical tactics as his father. Even though North Korea tried to produce all their needs domestically, Kim Jong Il loved importing meals, goods, and clothes from other countries around the world (â€Å"Communism: North Korea†). Kim Jong Il was an absolute dictator who was worshipped in a personality cult that was more extreme than any other in any country (â€Å"Inside North Korea). A historian on North Korea, Michael Breen, says, â€Å"Kim Jong Il was the son of god in North Korea. He was the state. The notion of questioning his ability to rule never entered into things† (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). In 2011, Kim Jong Il died and all the power was given to his youngest son Kim Jong Un. After he died, Kim Jong Il was given the title â€Å"eternal general secretary† of the party and â€Å"eternal chairman† of the National Defense Commission. Kim Jong Il’s father, Kim Il Sung, had received the title â€Å"eternal president† when he passed away as well (â€Å"North Korea†). Kim Jong Un is currently the supreme leader of North Korea. He rules with an iron fist just like his father and grandfather. Because the country is based around â€Å"Juche†, it is hard to produce all the necessities people need such as food. Since the mid-1990s, aid agencies around the world have estimated around two million people have died from starvation caused by food shortages that were due to natural disasters and economic mismanagement (â€Å"North Korea Profile†). The effects on North Korean citizens are very severe because of the country’s leader’s philosophy of self-reliance, and thousands of people will continue to suffer from the lack of food and other necessary items. Communism affects citizens all over the country. Thousands of people suffer from the consequences that the government has left in North Korea. There is a major gap between North Korea’s medical care and other countries medical care. German physician and human rights activist Norbert Vollertsen said: â€Å"Of course, the North Korean government will tell you everything is free in North Korea. It’s not true because it’s not available. There is no medicine. There is no running water. There is even no soap in the hospitals (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). Since there are barely any decent medical facilities, thousands of people overcome with sickness and die a lot younger than in developed countries. Also, many thousands of people become blind because the lack of proper hospitals and the poor living conditions there. In 2006, Doctor Sanduk Ruit went into North Korea to perform one thousand surgeries on the blind. Once the surgeries were completed, the doctor and his staff began to take off the blindfolds on those who were treated. Each time a person could see, they did not thank the doctor but they walked up to a picture of Kim Il Sung and thanked him (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). The effects on the children in North Korea are devastating. Lisa Ling, a T. V. correspondent for National Geographic, explains: â€Å"The average seven year old boy is eight inches shorter and twenty-two pounds lighter than his brother in South Korea† (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). The effects of communism are oppressive, but they do not affect all citizens. A little over three million people live in North Korea’s capital city Pyongyang. Pyongyang holds most of the privileged citizens of the county. Big supporters of the government are allowed to live there (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). The capital city has countless amounts of posters of the three leaders: Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s communist government takes a huge toll on its people, but they do not complain to anyone about it or else they have risk of going to internment camps or death. The people of North Korea worship but also fear their leaders. They rarely oppose them or else they could live in a prison camp for the rest of their lives or be killed. North Korea’s citizens depend on their communist government to provide them with food and protection. The citizens have lived with oppression for decades, but many of the people do not want to change their government because they have dealt with it for so long and they are used to it. A solution that can stop communism’s reign in North Korea is to wait out the rule. After North Korea loses it communist rule, countries around the world can work together to put in a new form of government. As soon as the communist control in the country starts to dissolve, the citizens of North Korea could start fighting the government alongside of many different world countries that want to end communism in all countries. World powers desire to end North Korea’s communism because they have recently obtained nuclear weapons that they could threaten many countries with or sell them to terrorist organizations (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). World powers do not want to have to go to war with North Korea because of the loss of lives, the cost, the damage it causes, and many other reasons; this is why waiting out the communist reign in North Korea is the best option. This idea worked with Syria and Libya because once the countries’ governments started to collapse, rebels along with other countries fought to out a new government in place. If the North Korean citizens can outlast communism’s control until the country’s government starts to diffuse, then the people of North Korea can fight the government with the help of a variety of countries. Communism has turned North Korea into one of the world’s most feared and hated countries. Their government’s ways of ruling with a communist leash has led to extreme conditions affecting the citizens there. If anyone is reported of talking or even thinking against the regime, they will most likely die or end up living the rest of their life in prison (â€Å"Inside North Korea†). Because the North Korean government has taken a huge toll on its citizens, many countries around the world wish to change their form of government. If these countries along with the citizens of North Korea wait until communism’s leash begins to die out, then they can help each other to finish off the devastating consequences the communist government of North Korea has had for decades.

Garden essays

Garden essays Developing a vegetable garden in the grounds of the school It has been a known issue for many years of how Eating Healthy has been an important topic and issue within the curriculum in the society and at Berala Public School. The school believes children should become aware of the health hazards that surround them, for example in the play ground area and what the children are eating. Nalenshon A, believes (www.empoweredparents.com/1childhoodonset/childhood_07), Parents are largely responsible for shaping a childs body image and eating lifestyle. Parental family participation within the school setting could encourage the knowledge of the families, community, staff regarding health hazards such as Healthy Eating. Family and staff participation in implementing a vegetable garden will encourage the co-operation and particpation in the school environment and their responsibility by enhancing the vegetable garden is well maintained and looked after now and in the near future. The school is very spacious and has lots of shading and sunny areas outdoor and has lots of trees scattered in the playground and implementing a vegetable garden will build an interest of what is planted. The year 2 class in term 3 (while I am on placement) will be undertaking the growing unit of science and technology k-6 that has been planned for the classes early in term 2. Therefore developing a vegetable garden in relation with the staff and family participation will link very well with this unit. This will fit in to the schools canteen policy and values. For example, in the policy it is said the canteen is a vital part of the school that will reinforce the students, and familys education, health and nutrition by providing a balance and nutritious food and beverage service to all the stakeholders of the school community. Therefore by integrating the veget ...

Aristotle And Politics

Aristotle And Politics Essay annonAristotle (b. 384 d. 322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, logician,and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is generallyregarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers in a numberof philosophical fields, including political theory. Aristotle wasborn in Stagira in northern Greece, and his father was a courtphysician to the king of Macedon. As a young man he studied inPlatos Academy in Athens. After Platos death he left Athens toconduct philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor andLesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedon to tutorhis young son, Alexander the Great. Soon after Alexander succeededhis father, consolidated the conquest of the Greek city-states, andlaunched the invasion of the Persian Empire. It was in thisenvironment that Aristotles views and ideas of politics developed. As Alexanders teacher, Aristotle had a close tie to the politicalpowers of Athens. Because of this tie Aristotle wrote Politics as aguide to rulers as to how to govern a country. In Politics Aristotlelays out his ideal form of Government. It contains thought provokingdiscussions on the role of human nature in politics, the relation ofthe individual to the state, the place of morality in politics, thetheory of political justice, the rule of law, the analysis andevaluation of constitutions, the relevance of ideals to practicalpolitics, the causes and cures of political change and revolution,and the importance of a morally educated citizenry. He stressed thatthe ideal citizen and ruler must possess certain virtues, such aswisdom, temperance and courage. And the work as a whole echoesAristotles dominant theme of moderation. Politics is an excellenthistorical source because of the close tie Aristotle had to theeveryday business of government in Athens. It reflects the idealizedvalues of t he people and the influence of Aristotles teacher Plato. The importance of wisdom and justice also directly parallel theclassical Greek ideology. Aristotle believed that nature formedpolitics and the need for city-states (government) formed out ofnature. Aristotle lays the foundations for his political theory inPolitics by arguing that the city-state and political rule arenatural. The argument begins with a historical account of thedevelopment of the city-state out of simpler communities. First,individual human beings combined in pairs because they could notexist apart. The male and female joined in order to reproduce, andthe master and slave came together for self-preservation. The masteruses his intellect to rule, and the natural slave uses his body tolabor. Second, the household arose naturally from these primitivecommunities in order to serve everyday needs. Third, when severalhouseholds combined for other needs a village emerged also accordingto nature. Finally, the complete community, formed from severalvillages, is a city-state, whi ch can attain the limit ofself-sufficiency. It comes to be for the sake of life, and exists forthe sake of the good life. (I.2.1252b27-30). Aristotle backs upfour claims about the city-state: First, the city-state exists bynature, because it comes to be out of the more primitive naturalassociations and it serves as their end, because only it attainsself-sufficiency (1252b30-1253a1). Second, human beings are by naturepolitical animals, because nature, which does nothing in vain, hasequipped them with speech, which enables them to communicate moralconcepts such as justice, which are formative of the household andcity-state (1253a1-18). Third, the city-state is naturally prior tothe individuals, because individuals cannot perform their naturalfunctions apart from the city-state, since they are notself-sufficient (1253a18-29). However, these three claims areimmediately followed by a fourth: the city-state is a creation ofhuman intelligence. Therefore, everyone naturally has the impulsef or such a community, but the person who firstestablished is the cause of very great benefits. This greatbenefit may be the laws of the city-state. Aristotle points out thatthe legal system alone saves them from their own savagery. READ: Rules of Court: Parts of a Pleading EssayIts interesting to see that Aristotles view of nature transcends inhis view of the human character and what the humans should be. InAristotles Ethics he points out the popular view of what happinesswas (and maybe still is). Honor, pleasure and wealth are the thingshe believed the Greek people wanted to be happy. He stated that honoris a superficial aim because at any moment it can be taken away fromus. Pleasure is enjoyable but is more an animal quality than human,and wealth is merely a means towards a greater good. Aristotle taughtmoderation; the pursuit of the above three vices is okay, but dontmake it an all encompassing goal. In contrast to the three things hewarned against spending your life on, there were about four thingsthat he felt should be heartily sought after. Aristotle felt thateveryone should possess these qualities,and they were crucial for agood ruler. Wisdom, courage, temperance and justice were the fourvirtues that Ar istotle held so high. He felt that only through thesefour qualities could lead a person, or a country to true happiness. Aristotles virtues parallel the thinking of other classical Greeks. One of the obvious reasons for this is that the teacher-student bondtied many philosophers. The great Socrates taught Plato, and ofcourse Plato was Aristotles teacher. Although, the influence of theteacher is very strong, the students also have show that they canthink independently and their works have a distinctly different tasteto them. Plato said the just person is wise, temperate and courageousand the just state is ruled by wisdom. Platos just state displayedcourage over force and temperance over intemperance. Socrates, another of the famous classical Greeks, died for his viewsof wisdom and justice. Socrates used logic to tell himself and hiscolleagues that he must die for the sake of avoiding hypocrisy. Socrates whole life he preached that the states laws must be heldsupreme for justice to prevail. The state sentenced him to death,and to avoid death would be to contradict the states laws. In theprocess he would be contradicting what he had lived for. Many peoplelikened Socrates to a gadfly, always buzzing in the states face tomake sure they were doing the just thing. Aristotle also knew theimportance of justice but he approached it slightly differently. Justice, Aristotles third moral virtue, consisted of two mainaspects. The first was that the laws made citizens just; the statehad to strive to make the people act morally and good (1129a 13-24). Aristotles second aspect of justice was that people should beawarded justly, or in proportion to what they have done oraccomplished. The higher the merit the higher the honor or thehigher the crime the worse the punishment (1130b 30-32). In Politics Aristotle lays down his ideal structure of the family. His structure greatly reflected the values of the people in thepater-dominated tradition. The belief of the time was that thefather was basically the king of his house; Aristotle didnt varymuch from this. The father had supreme authority and had controlover his wife. He does concede that there is reciprocity betweenthe two but he feels that there is a permanent basic inequality. The wife should remain the ruled one and show her courage (a moralvirtue) through her obedience and her glory through silence (1260a24,30). The father also rules over his children with supremeauthority. Only through his death is his authority removed. Aristotle also included the slave as part of the family, but hedifferentiates from the practices of the time as what he considers tobe an acceptable slave. The status quo was the removal of strongbodies from conquered nations for the purpose of manual labor. Hefelt that slavery through conquest was unacceptable. Slavery hebelieved to be acceptable were those that needed the slave/masterrelationship to survive. Those that were too unintelligent to governthemselves needed this bond to get through life. In exchange fortheir daily care, the natural slaves are to do light householdduties such as cooking (1255b 26-27). It is interesting to notethat in his will Aristotle called for the emancipation of some of hisown acquired slaves. An example of the slave/master relationshipthat Aristotle discussed can be seen in todays world. Sometimes anelderly or sick person requires constant care. They need to haveeverything done for them and therefore cant govern themselves. READ: Belonging: Girl Interrupted. Lisa and Susanna EssayAnother person is required to make the persons important decisionsand is responsible for their care. In this example the distinctioncan be seen between Aristotles idea of a slave and Greekstraditional view, which was similar to the United States in the1800s. Aristotle was a brilliant person who taught moderation in governmentand in life. He stressed the importance of moral virtues as the keyto happiness and a successful government. Aristotle thought that theneed for government and authority developed on its own from nature. He taught in the Lyceum, a school he founded in Athens, how a justperson should live and how a just state should rule. His messages ofvirtue and moderation transcend time and still are a great influenceon modern western thought. SourcesThe Greco-Roman Legacy: AristotlePolitics by AristotleThe Republic by PlatoEthics by AristotleThe Greco-Roman legacy: Plato