There are certain big questions that philosophers have been puzzling over for millennia. Amazingly, many people ask these same questions in daily life. Reflect on the questions related to each of the six branches of philosophy below. Then, write 2–3 paragraphs describing a time in your life when you have asked similar questions. Talk about the specific circumstances that brought you to each question, and what conclusions you came to. The questions are as follows:

Metaphysics:

• What is real?
• Is the physical world more or less real than the spiritual or psychological world?
• Is there such a thing as a soul? And if so, how does it survive outside of a physical body?
• Do all people have free will, or are lives determined by fate?

Epistemology:

• How is anything known?
• What is the basis for knowledge? Is it innate reason, experience, or something else?
• Is all knowledge subjective, or are there some universal truths?
• What is the relationship between faith and reason?
• What can artificial intelligence teach people about knowledge?
• What are the limits of human understanding?

Ethics:

• What is the right thing to do?
• What does it mean to be a good person?
• Does virtue lead to happiness?
• Do the ends justify the means, or is a virtuous action virtuous in and of itself?
• How does living in a society affect morality?
• Is morality culturally based, individually based, or is there a universal morality?

Aesthetics:

• What is beautiful?
• Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder, or are there some things that all cultures find beautiful?
• What is the purpose of art?
• How can a piece of art be successful or valuable? Does beauty matter?

Political philosophy:

• What is the best kind of government?
• How much power should the government have?
• What kind of people should be in power?
• How involved should the common citizen be in government?

Social philosophy:

• How should humans behave in a society?
• Do people give up certain rights when they choose to live in a society?
• How do social values affect individual beliefs? Do people behave differently in a crowd than they would individually?
• How does society affect language and other types of communication?

In APA format and reference page included.

Write a draft of no more than 1,800 words of the strategic plan for your organization, including the following:

Implementation plan

Objectives

Functional tactics

Action items

Milestones and a deadline

Tasks and task ownership

Resource allocation

Any required organizational change management strategies that would enhance successful implementation

Key success factors, budget, and forecasted financials, including a break-even chart

Risk management plan, including contingency plans for identified risks

Format your plan consistent with APA guidelines.

Discuss how the following pairs differ from each other in terms of organizational activities and objectives. Discuss how these differences influence organizational cultures.

a. Wal-Mart, Target

b. DHL, the US Post Office

c. Buy.com, Banana Republic

d. Mercedes Benz, Kraft Foods

Read  “Bowling Alone”: An interview with Robert Putnam about America’s collapsing civic life (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/assoc/aahe.html). For this discussion, complete the following:

• In your own words, describe what is meant by the term “social capital.”
• Examine the influences of social connections and technology and civic engagement in academic and professional pursuits.
• Evaluate the significance of social capital in the context of global citizenship and multicultural understanding.  

Within the Discussion Board area, write 600–800 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.  

Use APA format with at least 2 in-text citations and a corresponding reference page.

Scenario:

After initial review of the existing systems, you have determined that the shipping system used by your company is a Cobol program and files stand alone and are not tied to any other department. In a similar fashion, the receiving department is using a program designed and developed in DBase. The management team wants the two systems integrated.

Your supervisor has asked you how the use of a database management system will improve the overall processing of the information system within the company. Describe the pros and cons of a file-based verses a server-based solution and what benefits are be gained from using a server-based solution. Your paper should include the following details:

• Pros and cons of each solution.
• The missed opportunity for data sharing using the 2 independent systems.
• The advantage of using a single database for both shipping and receiving