Your Mind And Body Are Clearly Distinct Philosophy Essay

Your Mind And Body Are Clearly Distinct Philosophy Essay During his meditations, Descartes starts by doubting everything unless it can be indubitably known to be true. After much questioning and scepticism, Descartes comes to the conclusion: I am, I exist.  [2]  This seems to state that the I Descartes describes (usually defined as the conscious mind) must exist for an individual to exist. Because for every time the I makes the above proposition, the mind or conscious self is engaged in thought and therefore demonstrates its own existence. After conclusively grounding his existence, Descartes inquires as to what makes up a person. He eventually deduces that I am not more than a thing that thinks  [3]  . Because to assume that his body exists is to rely on his senses that could be deceived. Therefore through intellect alone, Descartes concludes that he must be essentially a thing that thinks. When returning to the contemplation of the mind and body in his Sixth Meditation, Descartes then asserts that I [that is to say, my soul by which I am what I am], is entirely and absolutely distinct from my body, and can exist without it.  [4]  How and why he goes from a thinking thing, to a mind distinct from body is a perplexing problem both for Descartes and for his critics. In both the Second meditation, but more clearly in part four of his Discourse on the Method Descartes presents what is commonly known as the argument from doubt: I saw that I could conceive that I had no body, and that there was no world nor place wh ere I might be; but yet I could not for all that conceive that I was not. On the contrary, I saw from the very fact that I thought of doubting the truth of other things, it very evidently and certainly followed that I was; on the other hand if I had only ceased from thinking, even if all the rest of what I had ever imagined had really existed, I should have no reason for thinking that I had existed. From that I knew that I was a substance the whole essence or nature of which is to think, and that for its existence there is no need of any place, nor does it depend on any material things; so that this me, that is to say, the soul by which I am what I am, is entirely distinct from body, and is even more easy to know than is the latter; and even if body were not, the soul would not cease to be what it is.  [5]  This argument can be displayed as such  [6]  : I can doubt that I have a body. I cannot doubt that I exist. Ergo, I am not a body.  [7]   There have been many famous refutations of this argument from doubt. One problem with the argument, forwarded by Norman Malcolm, is that arguments using the same logic can be formed that lead to ridiculous results. For example: I can doubt that the author of the pamphlet Why I Am Not a Christian exists I cannot doubt that Bertrand Russell exists Ergo, Bertrand Russell is not the author of that pamphlet.  [8]   However as Malcolm himself points out, this counter-example is based on contingent propositions, whereas Descartes argument is intended to be based on a priori propositions. But whether the subject of the proof is a posteriori or a priori, the reasoning behind the proof can still be called into question. Descartes can think of his mind without his body, but this does not necessarily mean that this is the case, that without his body his mind can still exist. In this form of reasoning, Descartes is attempting to use Leibnizs law of the indiscernibility of identicals. However Leibnizs law states that no two objects have exactly the same properties.  [9]  Therefore, if it is true that two things (the body and the self) have different properties, then they cannot be the one same thing and there must be different objects. But it is mistaken to say that if one believes that two things have different properties then they cannot be identical. This is because what people know or think they know about an object, is not a property of that object. Therefore when Descartes claims that he doubts his body exists, this does not mean that the body has a different property than if he did not doubt its existence. He also claims he cannot doubt that his mind exists, but if his mind is a part of his b ody then we can doubt that his mind, apart from the body could exist. For the doubt argument to work, Descartes needs a provable reason for us to think that the mind and the body are truly distinct. The second argument Descartes employs is often referred to as the argument from conceivability. It is also presented in the sixth meditation and through it Descartes sets out to prove that one can exist as a thinking thing distinct from the physical body it goes as follows: I know that all things which I apprehend clearly and distinctly can be created by God as I apprehend them, it suffices that I am able to apprehend one thing apart from another clearly and distinctly in order to be certain that the one is different from the other, since they may be made to exist in seperation at least by the omnipotence of GodI rightly conclude that my essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing (or a substance whose whole essence or nature is to think). And although possibly (or rather certainly, as I shall say in a moment) I possess a body with which I am very intimately conjoined, yet because, on the one side, I have a clear and distinct idea of myself inasmuch as I am only a thinking and unextended thing, and as, on the other, I possess a distinct idea of body, inasmuch as it is only an extended and unthinking thing, it is certain that this I (that is to say my soul by which I am what I am), is entirely and absolutly distinct from my body, and can exist without it.  [10]  This argument can also be split into three parts: I can clearly and distinctly conceive of myself existing (as a thinking thing) apart from my physical body. Anything I perceive clearly and distinctly is logically possible. If I can clearly and distinctly perceive of myself as an unextended thinking thing, and my body as an extended unthinking thing, then it is logically possible that my body and my mind can exist apart. One obvious objection to this argument is that just because one can perceive of themselves as existing without physical properties, does not mean that they do exist without physical properties.  [11]  Another problem is that the second premise seems to be rather weak. To perceive something clearly and distinctly is not necessarily the same as it being logically possible. Descartes may be able to clearly and distinctly conceive of himself as an unextended thinking thing, and his body as an extended unthinking thing, but that does not mean he can conclude that my essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing.  [12]  He may only have an incomplete understanding of his mind and his body (with the scientific advancements of the past 300 years this seems very plausible). He has not shown that thought is the sole property of the mind, other properties could still be essential for the mind to exist (such as extension). In order for Descartes to prove the minds distin ct separation from the extended body he must prove that it is impossible for the mind to be extended or to have extension as another essential property. Therefore Descartess argument from conceivability only stands up if one agrees that clear and distinct perception is all we need to have a complete knowledge of the world, and this seem a very weak conclusion to draw. Another argument posed by Descartes is the argument from divisibility. This argument tries to prove that the mind and body are clearly distinct due to their difference in divisibility. It is set out, in the Sixth Meditation, as follows: I here say, in the first place, that there is a great difference between mind and body, inasmuch as body is by nature always divisible and the mind is entirely indivisible.  [13]  He then describes this assertion: when I consider the mind, that is to say, myself inasmuch as I am only a thinking thing, I cannot distinguish in myself any parts, but apprehend myself to be clearly one and entireyet if a foot, or an arm, or some other part, is separated from my body, I am aware that nothing has been taken away from my mind.  [14]  Here Descartes is offering the following reasoning: all extended matter is divisible, the mind is not divisible, therefore the mind is not made of extended matter. It is clear here that the second premise of the divisibility argument: the mind is not divisible is problematic. There are many objections here that can be raised against the second premise, an obvious objection is the scientific evidence has shown convincing evidence that different areas of the physical brain are responsible for different mental states (memory, rational thought, language, emotions etc). Therefore if one removed parts of the physical brain, that persons mind would most definitely be altered. This does not mean that one must reject the idea that thoughts cannot be spatially mapped, merely that the brain in which they are contained and processed can be spatially and physically altered, and that this alteration would have a direct effect on the state of the mind. The only way that the divisibility argument can plausible is if one believes the second premise, that the mind is an immaterial substance distinct from both the body and the brain. This is highly improbable and would oppose everything that has been discovered by scientifically studying the brain. This conclusion leads on to the biggest objection to the Cartesian claim that the mind and body are clearly distinct. How can an immaterial mind, distinct and separate from all other matter, interact with the physical body? This is the brick wall that Cartesian dualism runs up against. And there has been no convincing answer, from Descartes to the present. It is more common now for philosophers to talk of the mental and the physical as two aspects of one reality. Indeed, one could go a step further and argue why have a single entity? The mind or self is not a single thing, a unified identity that travels from cradle to grave, but merely a catch all label for our swirling fragmentary perceptions of the world and reactions to it. The reason we create this self, an inner puppeteer directing our behaviour, is due to our ability to view ourselves from the outside. After all isnt this what consciousness is, to be self aware? Personally I find R.A. Brooks description of robot behaviour much more plausible, when thinking about the immaterial self so elusive to Descartes  [15]  : It is only the observer of the creature who imputes a central representation or central control. The creature itself has none: it is a collection of competing behaviours. Out of the local chaos of their interactions there emerges, in the eye of the observer, a coherent pattern of behaviour.  [16]  

Answer for Abb Case: Strategic Rise, Decline, and Renewal

Case of ABB: Strategic Rise, Decline, and Renewal Carina Gruber([email  protected] hb. se) Yin Wang([email  protected] hb. se) Silvia Abendano Delgado([email  protected] hb. se ) Introduction In this paper, we research the five solutions to the case of ABB: strategic rise, decline, and renewal. We conduct our solutions by analysis of the kinds of CEOs’ strategies and structures from 1988 to 2008.We completed our solutions by identifying the ideas and factors, which cued key areas to go awry and affect the performance of the business; discussing the key strategic initiatives implemented by the various CEOs appointed; analysis of the pros and cons of matrix structures and compare and contrast with the structures; assessing ABB’s current corporate culture; commenting on some strategic options. Our solutions were based on the book called International Management Managing Across Border and Cultures. 1. Identify Percy Barnevik? ideals and discuss the factors which cause d key areas to go awry and effect the performance of the business. Percy Barnevik? s management had a goal, the goal was to build a company that could lead business in each of the major areas of the world, for this he was focused on the next seven points: * The development of a group-wide umbrella culture: ABB established a common set of values, policies and operational guidelines. * The development of core technologies and core competencies: being a technology leader and market share leader. The development and use of multinational teams: Barnevik believed, that the use of such teams throughout the company gave a deeper insight into global and local business problems. * Application to the development of effective global managers: competence was the key to selection, he believed that global managers were made, not born. * Bulding a multi-domestic or federal organisation along a global-locan continuum: some companies would be super local, and some would be super global. * The develop ment of effective communication, nderstanding and patience. * The development of a customer focus programme: main focus was to permanently change the company? s value system and orient every employee towards the customer. Some of the factors, which caused key areas to go awry was in the period of expansion because this could lead to problems in the matrix structure, for two factors: * The world was becoming more regionalised, and was formed the â€Å"Triad economies†, therefore ABB needed to have strong representation in each of these three regions, and needed structural systems. The matrix structures of such size and reach can cause control communication problems. The dual reporting (nature of matrix structures) has always created friction between executives, there was always a conflict of interest between them. * For this Barnevik carried out a major restructuring in 1993. According to the consolidated financial performance, we can observe the large increase from 1993 to 19 94, mainly in the net profit from $0. 07 bn to $0. 76 bn, and the EBIT/ revenues ratio from 4. 8% to 8. 8%. 2.Key strategic initiatives implemented by the various CEOs appointed after Barnevik? s tenure to take the company out of the â€Å"crumbling mess†. Barnevik relinquished to became Chairman in 1997, after Barnevik? s tenure the following were: Goran Lindahl (1997-2000), Jorgen Centerman (2001-2002), Jurgen Dormann (2002-2004), Fred Kindle (2004-2008), and Joseph Hogan (2008 to present). Goran Lindahl as CEO carried out two big restructuring: Firstly he planned to move thousands of manufacturing jobs from Europe and USA to Asia.The another major restructuring was carried out in which the geographic regional reporting structure was reduced in favour of a realignment of business activities on global lines. Finally Lindahl? s strategic originated important financial problems. Jorgen Centerman as CEO was manly concerned with a major restructuring, new aquisitions and issues relating to reducing cost and repairing the balance sheet. Whit Centerman, the company was near to the bankruptcy. Jurgen Dorman as CEO began a strategy that gradually returned the focus of ABB to its two core strenghts of power and automation Technologies.Its goals were to increase the competitiveness of ABB? s core business, reduce overhead cost and streamline operations. Fred Kindle as CEO would be able to focus on competing on an even keel with Siemens, GE and Alstom in the daily battle for new business. He slimmed down Sulzer further to concentrate on four disparate core divisions. Joseph Hogan as CEO will lead to accelerated growth for ABB in Asian markets. In our opinion, after Barnevik, the best CEO is Fred Kindle, because in spite of his experience was limited at the begining, under Kindle ABB? financial situation improved considerably from four years of losses, the company achieved a double-figure EBIT/sales margin which it never previously achieved and net cash from opera tions was higher than any other time in its history. 3. Percy Barnevik laid great store in the use of a matrix structure. Discuss the pros and cons of matrix structures and compare and contrast with those of so-called product/market structures and divisional structures. What particular structure has ABB now developed and why did it take five major restructurings from October 1997 to January 2006?The Pros Of Matrix Structures The matrix structure is a hybrid organization of overlapping responsibilities. The structure is developed to combine geography support for both global integration and local responsiveness; also it can be used to take advantage of personnel skills and experience shared across both functional and divisional structures. In the matrix structure, the lines of responsibility are drawn both vertically and horizontally as illustrated in Exhibit 1. ( Deresky’s text,2011) Exhibit 1 Matrix Geographic Structure The Cons Of Matrix StructuresThis method of management a nd organization maximizes the focus of skills and experience in the company also brings confusion, communication problems and conflict over having more than one boss to whom to report and stress over prioritizing time among overlapping and conflicting responsibilities. Employees maybe run into communication problems leading to conflict over reporting to different superiors because of the superposing responsibilities. Meanwhile, the employees may emphasize the prioritizing time due to the conflicting responsibilities.So this kind of method may result in political struggle and loss of market occupancy. The Matrix Structure And Product/Market Divisional Structures Exhibit 2 Global Product (divisional) Structure Relatively, Global product (divisional) structure is a selective structure based on product lines. The company with this structure use diversifying technology to supply different product lines and services. With this kind of distribution, single product lines will be displayed b y separate divisions. A single general manager who have the responsibility for their own production and sales functions.Every division is called â€Å"â€Å"a Strategic Business Unit† (SBU) with its own functional departments and accounting systems. The advantages of the Global product (divisional) structure refer to concentration and innovation of the company. This structure allows for more responsiveness to new opportunities, as well as facilitating diversification and rapid growth. But now and then, it not only spends scale economies and functional specializations to support diversification and growth, but also make many difficulties in coordination of the broad distributed operations.MNCs are a solution to the difficulties which uses the global geographic (area) structure. ABBs Current Structure and the Major Restructurings We consider that the current structure has now ABB developed is Division expansion with a Global Customer Group (GCG) focus. Exhibit 3 Structure Deve lopments This structure is under Kindle and there are five divisions in it: * Power Products * Power Systems * Automation Products * Process Automation * Robotics * There are also several subdivisions under each division. We deem there are different kinds of aims and destinations according to different CEOs.Barnevik considered that expansion could cause problems for the matrix structure. He regarded the matrix structure as something designed to achieve economic party with the United Stated of America due to more and more European countries become regionalized. It is necessary to run a entity in those areas, such as USA, NAFTA, and Asian, to support the operational issues. Meanwhile, this kind of structure would result in confusion, communication problems and conflict over having more than one boss to whom to report and stress over prioritizing time among overlapping and conflicting responsibilities.In a word, a number of major restructurings were taken to achieve the current structu re: From Barnevik’s Matrix Structure to Lindahl’s Global Products Group (GPG) divisions, to Centerman’s GCG divisions, to Dormann’s Global Power and Automation with GCG divisions, to Kindle’s Division Expansion with GCG structure. 4. Assess ABB’s current corporate culture. Do you think that it has changed since Percy Barnevik’s time? Corporate culture is the population of common values, norms and attitudes which coins decisions, actions and the behavior of the members of an organization.It is also closely connected to the management style of the people in charge of leading positions. Due to the fact that there were a lot of changes concerning the CEO of the company, it can be said, that it also had a considerable impact on ABB’s corporate culture. Having a look only at the past 24 years, there were six different CEOs leading ABB. There were also a variety of changes within the company structure, which changed the corporate cult ure to a certain extend.At first, ABB had a quite complex matrix structure, which the different CEOs tried to simplify over time to make communication within the single business areas and business units easier. At first there was a so-called outline matrix structure with geographic regions on the one dimension, and the single business segments on the other one. Percy Barnevik made use of that decentralized matrix structure. Due to some major changes in expanding the company ABB, Barnevik realized that such expansion could create problems in the matrix structure, such as control and communication problems due to its size and the world becoming more regionalized.It was restructured along the two dimensions of the matrix organization: three geographic regions and three geographic regional heads. Under the leadership of Goran Lindahl as CEO, ABB had six business segments comprising Power Transmission, Power Distribution, Automation, Products/Contracting, Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals and Finan cial Services. The matrix structure was essentially run down when the regional dimension was discontinued. Dormann introducted Global Power and Automation divisions divided into Power Technologies, Automation Technologies and Non-Core Activities focusing on GCG (global customer group).Kindle improved that model further and implemented a division expansion. Finally, the actions each CEO take, also play an important role when it comes to corporate culture. As the management style of each chief executive officer differed from the previous one, the perception of the company’s environment also changes. Concluding it can be said, that there were some significant changes within the company, which could not happen without coining the company in a certain matter to a certain extend, as well as changing the corporate identity over time. . ABB’s current growth strategy is to seek small â€Å"bolt-on† acquisitions to existing product areas rather than via major acquisitions that could take the company into new areas (e. g. aerospace). Comment on these strategic options. According to the case study about ABB (Asea Brown Boveri), the company is lead by its current CEO Joseph Hogan at the moment. His current strategy consists of so-called â€Å"bolt-on† acquisitions, which means that they are looking for expansions for their existing product areas.Joseph Hogan is a member of GE’s Senior Executive Council and formerly CEO of GE. He commenced his appointment as CEO of ABB on 1st September 2008. As already mentioned in the case study, Joseph Hogan was able to develop a record of securing growth through these bolt-on acquisitions. Having a look at the past of ABB and its development until now, it can be said, that there was a huge variety of restructuring measures to keep the company profitable – including changes of the matrix-structure and number of layers.Also the CEOs changed quite often and it was hard for ABB and its managers to ke ep the different departments connected to, and in permanent interchange with each other. Moving through ABB’s company history, it can be determined, that its variety of Business Areas (BAs) was reduced significantly. Nowadays, according to the sound strategic direction developed by Centerman, Dormann and Kindle, it puts its major focus on developing the company globally in power, automating technologies including robotics and focusing on customers.As the past showed, it was a good idea to expand the variety of major acquisitions, but unfortunately that success didn’t last long and the company had to fight against new problems. Markets can change quickly and Joseph Hogan has to ensure that ABB has the flexibility to respond quickly to that. Due to his leadership, the company experienced revenue declines in all divisions except Process Automation. Even though, the first quarter of 2008 is being considered as one of the strongest ever quarters recorded by ABB.Of course, o n the one hand, the idea of acquiring major parts (e. g. aerospace) would make it possible for ABB to enter completely new areas. On the other hand though, Joseph Hogan should try to stabilize the company’s current position on the market. This idea is not totally excluded and – maybe – is likely to be realized in a couple of years. If ABB will be successful with major acquisitions, largely depends on its leadership. With Joseph Hogan as CEO at the moment, the company is likely to look towards a promising future.

Music is the speech of angels

Music is the speech of angels. Angels are the exemplifications of goodness, uprightness, and everything that bespeaks of morality and mortality. It is said that music is the child of prayer and the companion of religion. Among the Hindus and the Egyptians, music is interwoven with religion. I Aristotle, the great philosopher, saw in music not only enjoyment, relaxation, and recreation, but also release of tension and an incentive to a positive development of character. Likewise Plato, another Greek philosopher said, â€Å"Through music, rhythm and harmony find their ways into the inner-most soul of man which becomes part of his personality.† Music is the unifying element where man finds adequate expression and inner satisfaction for feelings. Dignity and love of work is manifested in songs about the boatman (barcarolle), sailor (chantey) , and the farmer (Japanese rice planting songs). Early history of man has a treasure of   songs evoking friendship (English), victory (Greeks), grief ( Russians), and festivities ( French ). The Belgians have songs for bathing, and the Vikings also had songs about rowing their boats. John Dewey said in Sobritchea’s â€Å" Famous People on Music†, As sculpture expresses the enduring, the stable , and the universal, so music expresses stir, agitation, movement, the particular, and contingencies of existence (47). Music helps establish emotional integrity. Fully aware   of his social and moral responsibilities, the teachers uses remedial measures to extricate the student from delinquent situations, safe from the thorny clutches of evil and vice and from crime—through new musical presentations such as music in the puppet and marionette shows. That music is a manna for emotional catharsis finds evidence in the continuing proliferation of music groups, vocal and instrumental, and in the various contests and festivals which allow the surfacing of talents of the people, young an old ( American Idol, Just for Variety et al ). It is now generally realized   that music; brought about in ways that have meaning to the child, contributes significantly to building the child’s personal identity, enriching his life by developing understanding and perception in his social environment through sound, color, emotion, thought and social relationships and expanding his ability to imagine, create, and appreciate with discriminating judgment. Human beings are lovers of music. Singing, according to Quema   Torrelavega in â€Å" The Myths in Music†Ã‚   was an ongoing even before the discovery of other countries such as the Americas (98). In Roman mythology, the spirits of the gods had to be appeased through songs. Prayers, lustrations and laughter were accompanied by songs. Music is a necessary ingredient in all ceremonies: weddings, delivery of the new baby, baptismal, etc. Music is the flavor of games, dances, worship, festivities, and other ceremonies expressing joy, humor, wonder, and sorrow. Again to include John Dewey as cited in David’s â€Å" Music’s Mystique†, said that music is also change. For Music is a discipline geared to the physical, social, and physiological developments of people, as well as to the socio-economic aspects that lead to the fulfillment of moral values. Motivated and inspired to music, the out- of- school youth is more   than willing to sing and strum his guitar, if only to give expressions of enjoyment and pride in his chosen are- music.   People young and old, have developed a natural and perennial longing for cultural evidence local and foreign, and a feeling for increased involvement and a high level of participation. They seize every opportunity to go out not only to promenade in the streets but also to share, as willing and intelligent music consumers, to free concerts, recitals, vocal or instrumental and other presentations at open parks, cultural centers, art auditoriums, theaters, and other entertainment venues. A powerful antidote to the multifarious problems of delinquency in this troubled world, music affords profitable changes in man’s societal surroundings (89) , according to Peaches Noveuelli   in her book †Ã‚   The Fancies and Guiles of Music†.   Cultural exchange in the performing arts have paved the groundwork for deepened social, and moral goodwill amongst people—Asian, European and the like. Music has effected the blending of culture of the east and west. Music serves as the liaison between the youth and his stand in the community, socially and morally. Singing native songs becomes a pleasurable campaign to propagandize the country’s vast reservoir of human talent. Music is a very important vehicle in the extension of man’s love of country. It is a strong medium that strengthens nationalism and solidarity. The reference book,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Legacy of Euripedes† by Edward Romulis states that Hungarian music educators – Zoltan Kodaly, and Bela Bartok, introduced folksongs-the supreme expression of life, play, and work – as the core of their music curriculum (90). Frederick Chopin, the great Polish composer, known as the Poet of the Piano expressed the national sentiments of his people through his polonaises. Music has a deep respect for the beauty of nature. To achieve beauty, the composer utilizes a kinship of many elements: melody, harmony, rhythm and dynamics. Through music, man attempts to reduce phenomena into matters of order and definite form. With sound and silence as basic components, music is delivered into varied styles whether in the haunting and mystic music of the East or to the acculturated music of the West. Music is a testing ground and clearing house for talents. Shinichi Suzuki has spent more than three decades teaching violin to children. Music   is a mental discipline, after all, and oftentimes demands training, schooling, and guidance. Music performed as solo or in groups has been one of countries’ big â€Å"exports†Ã¢â‚¬â€be it choral or instrumental. The creative rock and pop singers, the gyrating combo players in their new age music, and other instrumental players are tangible evidences that they are substantial contributors to the country’s coffers. Music is really an impetus for progress and indispensable in the enhancement of the quality of man’s life. Music’s continuing attention for aesthetic pleasure is adequately shown in Chopin music, romantic violin concertos, or in the magnificent operas, sonatas, and symphonies of the elite society to whet the appetite of music lovers. The only bad effect that can be mentioned of music, is the effect of some forms of innovations in music, like rap and spoken word music, because they tend to increase the hyperactivity of the youth of today,[ sometimes, the young merely opt to have their earphones plugged into their ears, even during class hours, and they do not listen to their teacher’s lectures anymore ], but this is problem that can be handled easily, through discipline measures, like detention. But, this aside, one thing remains, that music knows no bounds. Sources: David, Lucianno.   Ã¢â‚¬Å" Music’s Mystique† Dell Publishing: Chicago, 2000. Noveuelli, Peaches †Ã‚   The Fancies and Guiles of Music†. 9th gate Presses: Italy, 2001. Romulis, Edward.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Legacy of Euripedes† Blaisdale Publishing: London, 1996. Sobritchea, Paulinho. â€Å"Famous People on Music†. Wagonhouses Books: London, 1999. Torrelavega, Quema.   â€Å"The Myths in Music† . Harper and Row: USA , 1997.   

An Overview of the Chinese Communist Party

Fewer than 6-percent of the Chinese population are members of China’s Communist Party, yet it is the most powerful political party in the world. How Was the Communist Party of China Founded? The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began as an informal study group that met in Shanghai starting in 1921. The first Party Congress was held in Shanghai in July 1921. Some 57 members, including Mao Zedong, attended the meeting. Early Influences The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in the early 1920s by intellectuals who were influenced by the Western ideas of anarchism and Marxism. They were inspired by the 1918 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and by the May Fourth Movement, which swept across China at the end of World War I. At the time of the CCP’s founding, China was a divided, backward country ruled by various local warlords and burdened by unequal treaties that gave foreign powers special economic and territorial privileges in China. Looking to the USSR as an example, the intellectuals who founded the CCP believed that the Marxist revolution was the best path to strengthen and modernize China. The Early CCP Was a Soviet-Style Party The CCP’s early leaders received funding and guidance from Soviet advisors and many went to the Soviet Union for education and training. The early CCP was a Soviet-style Party led by intellectuals and urban workers who advocated orthodox Marxist-Leninist thought. In 1922, the CCP joined the larger and more powerful revolutionary party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), to form the First United Front (1922-27). Under the First United Front, the CCP was absorbed into the KMT. Its members worked within the KMT to organize urban workers and farmers to support the KMT army’s Northern Expedition (1926-27). The Northern Expedition During the Northern Expedition, which succeeded in defeating the warlords and unifying the country, the KMT split and its leader Chiang Kai-shek led an anti-Communist purge in which thousands of CCP members and supporters were killed. After the KMT established the new Republic of China (ROC) government in Nanjing, it continued its crackdown on the CCP. After the break-up of the First United Front in 1927, the CCP and its supporters fled from the cities to the countryside, where the Party established semi-autonomous â€Å"Soviet base areas,† which they called the Chinese Soviet Republic (1927-1937). In the countryside, the CCP organized its own military force, the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. The CCPs headquarters moved from Shanghai to the rural Jiangxi Soviet base area, which was led by the peasant revolutionary Zhu De and Mao Zedong. The Long March The KMT-led central government launched a series of military campaigns against the CCP-controlled base areas, forcing the CCP to undertake the Long March (1934-35), a several-thousand-mile military retreat that ended in the rural village of Yenan in Shaanxi Province. During the Long March, Soviet advisors lost influence over the CCP and Mao Zedong took over control of the Party from Soviet-trained revolutionaries. Based in Yenan from 1936-1949, the CCP changed from an orthodox Soviet-style party based in the cities and led by intellectuals and urban workers to a rural-based Maoist revolutionary party composed primarily of peasants and soldiers. The CCP gained the support of many rural peasants by carrying out land reform which redistributed land from landlords to peasants. The Second United Front Following Japan’s invasion of China, the CCP formed a Second United Front (1937-1945) with the ruling KMT to fight the Japanese. During this period, CCP-controlled areas remained relatively autonomous from the central government. Red Army units waged a guerilla war against Japanese forces in the countryside, and the CCP took advantage of the central government’s preoccupation with fighting Japan to expand the CCP’s power and influence. During the Second United Front, CCP membership increased from 40,000 to 1.2 million and the size of the Red Army surged from 30,000 to nearly one million. When Japan surrendered in 1945, Soviet forces that accepted the surrender of Japanese troops in Northeast China turned over large quantities of arms and ammunition to the CCP. Civil war resumed in 1946 between the CCP and KMT. In 1949, the CCP’s Red Army defeated the military forces of the central government in Nanjing, and the KMT-led ROC government fled to Taiwan. On October 10, 1949, Mao Zedong declared the founding of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing. A One-Party State   Although there are other political parties in China, including eight small democratic parties, China is a one-party state and the Communist Party maintains a monopoly on power. The other political parties are under the leadership of the Communist Party and serve in advisory roles. A Party Congress Every Five Years A Party Congress, in which the Central Committee is elected, is held every five years. Over 2,000 delegates attend the Party Congress. The Central Committee’s 204 members elect the 25-member Politburo of the Communist Party, which in turn elects a nine-member Politburo Standing Committee. There were 57 Party members when the First Party Congress was held in 1921. There were 73 million Party members at the 17th Party Congress that was held in 2007. The Party’s Leadership Is Marked by Generations The Party’s leadership is marked by generations, starting with the first generation who led the Communist Party to power in 1949. The second generation was led by Deng Xiaoping, China’s last revolutionary-era leader. During the third generation, led by  Jiang Zemin  and  Zhu Rongji, the CCP deemphasized supreme leadership by one individual and transitioned  to a more group-based decision-making process among a small handful of leaders on the  Standing Committee of the Politburo. The Current Leadership The fourth-generation was  led by  Hu Jintao  and  Wen Jiabao. The fifth-generation, made up of well-connected Communist Youth League members and the children of high-ranking officials, called ‘Princelings,’ took over in 2012. Power in China is based on a pyramid scheme with supreme power at the top. The Standing Committee of the Politburo holds supreme power. The Committee is responsible for maintaining the Party’s control of the state and military. Its members achieve this by holding the highest positions in the State Council, which oversees the government, the National People’s Congress- China’s rubber-stamp legislature, and the Central Military Commission, which runs the armed forces. The base of the Communist Party includes provincial-level, county-level, and township-level People’s Congresses and Party Committees. Fewer than 6-percent of Chinese are members, yet it is the most powerful political party in the world.