Top Designers 1950!! Essay Example

Top Designers 1950!! Essay Responsible for dramatically changing the style of the 1950s, Dior created the new look which used lots of fabric and exaggerated the hourglass shape of the female figure. The new look was in direct contrast to the frugal and plain styles during the war, but women and the fashion industry embraced the move back to glamour. In 1955 Yves Saint Laurent joins Dior as a design assistant. In the same year Dior launches cosmetic range. He was a mainstream Haute Couture designer in France. The H-line of 1954 was a slender tunic suit with a slim skirt that later became more of a dropped waist tubular twenties style dress with a hemline that was creeping upwards. This would become a classic 1950s fashion garment. -Y line dress A line dress H line dress Cristà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½bal Balenciaga We will write a custom essay sample on Top Designers 1950!! specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Top Designers 1950!! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Top Designers 1950!! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Though finding glamour and drama as important as Dior, Balenciaga went in the opposite direction in his silhouettes, making them sleeker and broadening the shoulders and removing emphasis on the waist. This shape gave way to the sack dresses and tunics that became popular in the next decade. Pierre Balmain Balmains focused on femininity and elegance, creating the quintessential French style of the 1950s. Charles James James was most well known for his spectacular gowns, which were often copied for prom and evening wear, and featured intricate constructions and unique color combinations. Jaques Fath Fath had a less severe take on the new look, with softer hourglass curves and plunging necklines. His designs showed more skin than his contemporaries making him a favorite of the younger and more daring. Anne Fogarty- Leading designer of petticoats and poodle skirts. She wrote a book for housewives on how to look good while they worked. She designed the bikini in the 60s. Chanel re-opened her fashion house in 1954 and began her designs with a boxy suit jacket and skirts in nubbly tweed. She used richly textured wool slub fabrics sometimes designed by the textile artist Bernat Klein.The silhouette was straight down and clinched in the waist, before veering out again. The were beautifully lined with silk and other such materials. The were weighted along the facing join and inside join with gilt chains. the style has frequently been revived over the seasons and in particular a collarless style of coat and jacket she popularised, is now called the Chanel line. It was accessorised with delicate pieces such as string pearls and chain necklaces. In Britain, Haute Couture models began to be licensed to companies like Wallis and soon provided a useful source of income. Macys of New York paid huge sums of money for an individual Toile, a linen or calico copy of the designer model garment. Every piece of information they needed to make the garment as a near copy would be provided. Details of trimmings, buttons, fasteners etc were all part of the price paid. With thousands of copies constructed, Macys could afford to sell a dress worth $1000 for $100. If they sold a superior more exact version as a limited copy, they could sell it as a designer original and reap the reward of a higher designer price. International breakthroughs of the 50s 1. Chanels introduction of Chemise. 2. The Beatnik style of leotards and form-fitting pants topped with oversized shirts rivaled the petticoats and poodle skirts for favourite style of the day. 3. Leather jackets became a favourite of the cool crowd after seeing Elvis sport one on television. 4. The strapless dress with the fullest skirts attainable became a favourite for evening wear. Most materials were for export only in the 50s due to lack of money post war time. 1951 was the release of materials and patterns classed as luxury items as they were in colours, styles and fabrics mostly never seen before. (The Festival Of Britain Exhibition of 1951 held at the South Bank on the River Thames in London produced over 6000 products many of them clothing, accessories and dress fabrics.) The government took away access to materials from the british public to rebuild the economy and quietly traded abroad. Marks and Spencers takes off Classed as best ready to wear chain, and affordable, Marks and Spencers quadrupled profits in the 50s. The Quality became so high they had to limit production as everyone wanted the affordable stylish Paris inspired 1950s glamour. Late fifties launch (M;S) In the late fifties a popular style was the knitted sweater dress, with crew, shirt tab front or cowl necks and made from Orlon or Lambswool. As there was no central heating at this point of time, knitted dresss were worn in winter, and most women wore their girdles and long line bras underneath to cover the thighs. Petticoats and Paper Nylon. Full skirts needed an underneath support to look good and nylon was used extensively to create bouffant net petticoats or paper nylon petticoats. It was to make the sizing and style just right. The petticoats progressed extensively, changing from a gentle swish to a round bouffant. Each petticoat was parshly stiff, to keep the layers up and flamboyant (boning). Then another net petticoat was placed over the stiffened one to make it less rigid. Dior influence on Quant Mary Quant was heavily influenced by Diors loose fitting and freer styles of the 50s Empire line Introduced in 1958, this classic neckline was favoured by teenagers, hence the name baby doll. It was classed as rebellious, the complete opposite of what childrens mothers were wearing at the time. Introduction of synthetic fabrics. Garments in the 50s were revolutionised by new materials. In the 50s most synthetic fibres were obtained from petrochemicals. They were promoted for their easy care wash and wear qualities, which was of interest since most clothes were dripped dried and hand washed in this time. After being introduced, these materials were soon affordable. America had easier access to man made fabrics than the UK and most synthetic fabrics were received in parcels via american pen pals. Crimplene enabled everyone to wear white and pastel colours because they could be washed easily as polyester does not yellow like white nylon does with age and sunlight. The fabric also tailored well and could be made into button front, double breasted, wide collar dresses and retain a crisp appearance through washing. Nylon, Polyester and Acrylic were the most popular new materials The Trapeze dress The trapeze dress was a swinging dress almost triangular in shape and designed to be worn with low shoes and bouffant hairstyles. The Sack dress Hubert Givenchy designed a Paris collection dress in 1957 called the sack and it started the trend for straighter waist less shift dresses. First it developed into the fitted darted sheath dress and later into the loose straight short shift dress. By 1958 the style really began to catch on. Quant modified this in the sixties to her taste. Alternative slim silhouette Made from hard wearing materials such as wool and suit materials, the slim line silhouette opposed the full skirts. The new synthetic materials were ideal. often had a large white organdie collar and cuffs with a bias bound edge that could be detached and washed, then sewn back into position. Such cuffs were called French cuffs. Coat by Jacques Fath Another influential fashion silhouette of the period was that of the late 1940s swing coat by Jacques Fath, which was a great shape to cover up full skirts and an ideal silhouette for the post war high pregnancy rate. This style was also often made as a loose full tent line duster coat, but often without the double breasted feature and buttons shown here. Stockings Seamless stocking were introduced 1952 The Second World War left women craving for glamour, style and swathes of fabric where scraps of material had once existed. Diors full skirted and waisted designs fulfilled all the early dreams of the feminine woman in the early 50s. As a new, more liberated society evolved, women moved toward freer more relaxed clothes and began the move away from the dress rules and associated formality of decades.

Buy a Movie Review at a Reasonable Price

Buy a Movie Review at a Reasonable Price How to Buy a Movie Review at a Reasonable Price? A movie review paper does differ from other kinds of academic papers. The key difference is that people usually compose custom essays, coursework, research work, or other types of writing after they have read the needed or set material and gathered the data on the topic given. However, the material or data for movie review writing is not a piece of printed but visual info that they glean from a film. The visual aspects make a movie / film review papers stand out from other types of writing and is the most important reason why students adore it.Specific Features of Movie Review Writing Nowadays, there is no person who does not enjoy watching films. But it would be unwise to state that watching a film is much better than reading a story or a book. Thus, may students adore this type of writing. A person can experience different emotions when he /she reads a book, but this process is very complicated and time-consuming. On the other hand, a film can present the same concepts and evoke the same types of emotions and feelings, but they are synopsized into a few hours only. It is a widely known fact that students at educational institutions are always busy with something; that is why the less time they spend on any either oral or written assignment, the better they feel. But what if one of those people who like watching films, but you are too overloaded with work even to see the film? What if you dislike the film and fail to understand its key ideas? You can always avoid the above scenarios. Read our article to understand what is meant. Movie Review for Free to Check Online Professional Movie Review Writing Company Our company has been specializing in writing academic works of various types and on a wide scope of topics. offers you film review assistance, and we are well aware how to make it efficient, and effective. Firstly, you ought to place your order at our writing website, indicate the name of the film, the number of words or pages you require and other instructions, and set the deadline. Once our professionals analyze these pieces of information, we will try to assign the most suitable and experienced specialist for your paper. You will have a splendid opportunity to indicate, and discuss all the order details with your experts, ensure the writer understand what you wish, need, or require and check the writing progress of your paper from time to time. After the writer is done with your paper, you may download, review and check it. If you consider that your work needs revising, changing, or adding, you can always request free revisions. The writer will arrange your paper considering your feedback and remarks so that it will meet your instructions or requirements. Our writers are very devoted to their work, and they will assist you in finding the best solution to a difficult and nagging situation with your written task. You can always purchase movie reviews from and get the paper you always wish to have. All our papers are completed from scratch and are plagiarism free. Merits of Cooperation with Unlike cheap movie reviews writing services, our academic writing company provides only high-quality pieces of writing at reasonable prices. Our goal is to assist students from different parts of the world in solving their writing assignments provided by their teachers or professors. Our academic and custom writers have extensive knowledge in different fields of science and many years of necessary experience in academic and custom writing, which are the most important factors in why has become successful, widely recognized, and highly trusted. Having completed a great number of various types of academic writing, ranging from custom essays to dissertations, and our experts consider that there is no written assignment that we cannot cope with. We have the most sophisticated and best-educated professionals in various subject and disciplines who can write papers, movie reviews are not exceptions, on whatever topic is requested by the customer. What are you waiting for? Order your movie review today and get some discounts tomorrow!

Wilson Surname Meaning

Wilson Surname Meaning Wilson is a patronymic surname meaning son of Will, a popular name during medieval times. The given name Will may have derived from any of several names containing the Germanic element wil, meaning desire. The most common was as a short form of William. Wilson is the fifth most common surname in Australia, the eighth most common surname in England, and the tenth most common surname in the United States. Surname Origin:  English, ScottishAlternate Surname Spellings:  WILLSON, WILSONE, WILLS, WILLESON, WULSON Fun Facts About the Wilson Surname Wilson Sporting Goods, known well for its golf and tennis equipment, began life as the Ashland Manufacturing Company in Chicago in 1913, was later renamed the Thomas E. Wilson Company in 1916 for its president, Thomas E. Wilson Co. In 1931 the company became the Wilson Sporting Goods Company. Famous People with the Surname Wilson Woodrow Wilson - Twenty-eighth president of the United StatesBertha Wilson - first woman Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada ...Thomas E. Wilson - Wilson Sporting Goods was named for himAugust Wilson - American playwright Genealogy Resources for the Surname WILSON 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their Meanings: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census?Common Australian Surnames: Wilson is the 5th most common surname in Australia.Wilson Surname DNA Project: Join other Wilson males in sorting out the various Wilson ancestral lines around the world through Y Chromosome DNA testing.How to Research English Ancestors: Trace your British roots back to England and beyond with the steps outlined in this English genealogy guide. Learn how to locate your ancestors county and/or parish in England, plus how to access vital records, census records and parish records.Wilson Family Crest - Its Not What You Think: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wilson family crest or coat of arms for the Wilson surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line d escendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. FamilySearch - WILSON Genealogy: Explore over 15 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wilson surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.WILSON Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts a free mailing lists for researchers of the Wilson surname.DistantCousin.com - WILSON Genealogy Family History: Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name WILSON.The Wilson Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the popular last name Hunt from the website of Genealogy Today. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Pull our troops from Afghanistan Research Paper

Pull our troops from Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The American people are very much concerned about the war in Afghanistan because of the large cost of war and economic destabilization, the deaths of a considerably large number of American soldiers in Afghanistan, and the exact number was never told to us and also the deteriorating image of the US as a country and Americans as a nation in the global scenario because of the killings of innocent civilians during various operations and strikes against the terrorists. But the most important of all the questions is ‘what exactly is our target and mission over there?’, ‘is there actually any way of winning the war?’ and ‘how exactly do we define a win in Afghanistan, in those conditions?’ So the government, the security agencies and the think tanks should first define the goals in Afghanistan and whether it is feasible to achieve those goals under present circumstances without any further damage to the economy and the country’s image. The defi nition of win should incorporate a number of factors in itself and a win should be a condition in which: a. The top leadership of Al Qaeda including Osama bin Laden and Aimen al-Zawahiri is either killed or captured ensuring that Al Qaeda is no longer stable enough to conduct such deadly attacks and terrorist activities again b. The threat of Taliban and other tribal terrorist organizations in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan is eradicated to an extent that it will not rise again and become a threat to the global peace and security c. The institutional setup, the government, the infrastructure, the police and other security agencies in Afghanistan are strong enough to ensure sustainable stability in the country which can ensure provision of basic services to the people of the country and can defend the country against all kinds of internal and external threats without any foreign involvement or assistance. Whenever we talk about pulling our troops from Afghanistan we start analyzing the situation by considering goals and targets of the war but then we realize the fact that the governmental institutions and the authorities have not clearly defined the goals of the war and we have noticed them to shift a little from time to time with regards to our mission in Afghanistan. Recently President Obama issued a statement in which he clearly established that our goal in Afghanistan ‘is to reverse the momentum of Taliban’ and he did not mention anything about Al Qaeda or its leaders. Considering President Obama’s statement as the goal of Afghanistan war and considering it a win, an analysis should be done whether we have achieved that win or not or whether it is possible to effectively achieve that win in the first place (Tystad). Considering the fact that some of the regions in Afghanistan including a large portion of Qandahar are being controlled by Taliban, we cannot consider our mission in Afghanistan a win and in fact completely eliminating the t hreat of Taliban in that region is also not possible because of a number of factors which are related to the government in Afghanistan and the security agencies in Pakistan. Some of the members in the current Afghani cabinet and some tribal chiefs have shown distrust towards the American forces and are not cooperating with them and have

Free Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Free Will - Essay Example He argues that though indeterminism and freewill are incompatible, human being’s ‘self-forming’ or libertarian actions are essentially the result of freewill. Therefore, they are morally responsible for their actions. Unlike Kane, Derek Pereboom argues that both determinism and libertarianism are incompatible with freewill. Indeed, he remains agnostic about the truth of determinism. But he argues that whether determinism is true or not, freewill is incompatible with it. So, human being should learn to live without freewill. Yet the incompatibility of freewill with determinism does not imply that man is free from moral responsibility. Since, according to him, an agent’s action is either the result of causal determinism (self-forming action) or the manipulation of some external power, in both cases, the agent will remain responsible for his action. It is because though freewill does not exist, man’s action (even though the agent is tricked, by some ext ernal power to perform that action) will seem to be caused by his freewill. In fact, Kane has an impulsive tendency to argue against â€Å"compatibilism† on the ground that man will never be able to learn whether his ‘will’ is determined by some other power or not. Therefore, the question about the compatibility of Freewill and determinism is absurd. Referring to Frazier’s perception of Skinner’s â€Å"Walden Two†, he says that â€Å"the deeper freedom of the will is an illusion in the first place. We do not have it anyway† (Kane 427). This assertion has two meanings simultaneously: first, it can be assumed that he attempts to says that man does not freewill, since it is an illusion. Secondly, it can be assumed that since the concept of freewill is an illusion, man is free to act according to what he calls his will. Kane calls this freedom of man to act on his own at some particular moment as ‘libertarianism’. Indeed, he believes in the agent’s mundane power

Limitations of Marketing Research Essay Example for Free

Limitations of Marketing Research Essay Explain the limitations of marketing research used to contribute to the development of Nivea. No matter how small or large a market research project may be, any type of research performed poorly will not give relevant results. In fact, all research, no matter how well controlled, carries the potential to be wrong. There are many reasons why research may not give good results but a common problem is deciding whether the research is really measuring what it claims to be measuring. There are 3 types of limitations of market research. These are Cost effectiveness, reliability and validity of data collected. Reliability is chiefly concerned with making sure the method of data gathering leads to consistent results. For example; Nivea need to make sure that in their market research that they were asking the same questions asked of each person, was the sample big enough and reflective of the people who will use/buy the product would the same results be obtained from a different set of people. Reliability estimates the degree to which a product is measures in contrast to validity which involves the degree of accuracy. In research, Nivea will want to use measurement tools that are both reliable and valid. They will want to create questions that offer consistent responses when asked multiple times as this shows reliability. Validity asks whether the research measured what it intended to. Validity implies reliability: a valid measure must be reliable. But reliability does not necessarily imply validity: a reliable measure need not be valid. Validity is usually considered more important than reliability, because if an instrument does not accurately measure what it is supposed to, there is no reason to use it even if it measures reliably. Nivea needs to consider when carrying out their market research for a product is does the product measure what it claims to measure and is it accurate, this reduces the chances of the business making the wrong decision. If they so happen to make the wrong decision this will affect one of its marketing objectives which is to retain customers and gain new ones, if the validity of their data is not correct then they will not reach this marketing objectives as customers opinions of the company will differ. Costs are also an important consideration in market research, Nivea need to consider whether or not the product theyre promoting is cost effective. Their market research has to weigh up the cost of undertaking the research against the potential benefits that may result. You could spend a lot of time and effort in trying to solve a problem through market research, only to find that the solution may not be worth implementing. Also, marketing is one of the few areas of a budget that can be reigned in without hurting Nivea too much as they are a very successful business however, one of their marketing plans is to continue producing successful skin products and boost sales yearly. To do this they have a few cost-effective ways that a company can market its products. Search Engine Optimization- Niveas customers are no longer waiting for direct mail pieces to arrive before ordering–they are finding products when they want them through Internet searches. In fact, almost 90% of new visitors to a web site originate from major search engines. And clearly, a top ranking on Google can translate into hundreds or thousands of visitors– and orders–a month. As web pages proliferate, increasingly more aggressive search engine optimization strategies are needed to remain visible to Niveas customers. Permission-based Email Marketing. Permission is the difference between legitimate email marketing and spam, turning email marketing into a highly cost effective marketing strategy. The idea is simple and time tested: Nivea deliver highly relevant, timely, and personalized email messages to their customers and prospects at a fraction of the cost of direct mail to avoid any cost limitations. 3. Public Relations- News releases, white papers, case studies, awards, and sponsorships of educational events are just a few of the relatively inexpensive ways Nivea keep their brand name in front of other competitors. Although these methods have succeeded so far for them in the near future they will have to alter their methods as well as their approach to the types of market research they decide to carry out, otherwise poor market research will increase the chances of Nivea making a wrong decision. D2) Make and justify three recommendations for improving the validity (the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure) of the marketing research used to contribute to the development of your chosen organisation’s marketing plans. In this assignment I will be explaining how Nivea uses marketing research for its marketing planning by applying a Marketing Planning Process Model, a SWOT analysis on Nivea – giving at least 3 factors for each box) and their SMART objectives (stating what their business objectives are/might be) Marketing planning is concerned with establishing objectives and goals, allocating resources to meet these and setting out a clear plan of action. It also involves setting out ways of evaluating performance against marketing targets. Typically, the marketing planning process involves: a PESTLE audit, a SWOT analysis, setting SMART objectives, determining strategy and tactics, implementing strategy and tactics and evaluating effectiveness of marketing activity. A Marketing planning process model involves a PESTLE and SWOT As part of the marketing planning process, Nivea has to analyse its external environment. One useful way of analysing the external environment is by grouping external forces into six areas using a PESTLE analysis. PESTLE stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental influences. Political factors that affect a business are usually beyond the control of the organisation. However, the business needs to anticipate changes and identify the action it needs to take to either make the most of an opportunity or mitigate a threat. For example, a political factor that Nivea need to consider is that during a recession, any banks or financial services providers would have to consider the likely government scrutiny of any of their business decisions. Economic factors can affect the performance of a business. These relate to he national – or international economy. A economic factor that can affect Nivea are the periods of prosperity that they go through. This can happen in three ways for example when high employment and income drives demand within the organisation. It can also happen in the form of recession when demand falls, leading to lower income and employment within their organisation. Furthermore, in the form of recovery, when demand, income and employment gradually rise within the business. Social factors relate to the values and beliefs of society. This includes the population’s demographics (for example, size, gender, ethnicity, income, education, occupation). These social factors provide useful information for Nivea as it allows them to target their services at broad segments of the population, such as newspapers and magazines. Technological developments can affect businesses in a range of ways. For example, the development of e-commerce benefited business such Amazon. co. uk. Due to the rise in e-commerce Nivea had to produce a e-commerce website which eventually took business away from traditional shops.. Legal developments affect businesses in a range of ways. For example, if there was a change to the Data Protection Act it would affect Nivea and all other businesses that hold customer data. For example If a change in the act occurred then Nivea may not be able to expressly agree to the use of personal data for advertising or marketing purposes any more. Environmental factors can relate to the social, political and legal aspects affecting a business. For example, if Nivea decide to package their cream products in recyclable packaging. This may prove to be popular with consumers if there is a growing level of concern over waste. Similarly, the government may put pressure on businesses to increase the amount of recycling. SWOT analysis A useful approach to examining the relationship between a business and its marketing environment is by conducting a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for: †¢ Strengths †¢ Weaknesses †¢ Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the business and can include issues such as the buildings, quality of the staff, IT systems and so on. The external element looks at the opportunities and threats present in the environment in which the organisation operates. Carrying out a SWOT analysis requires research into an organisation’s current and future position. The idea is to match an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses with the external forces (opportunities and threats). SWOT analysis draws together all the evidence from the various analytical techniques used. It is a way of producing a summary, which then provides the basis for developing marketing objectives or aims and ultimately strategies or plans. Strengths refer to the internal features of Nivea, which provide a competitive advantage. An example could be a highly efficient IT system which they use to design their products. The company also has a sound financial base, so it had the resources to put together a strong marketing campaign. Also, Nivea has staff with relevant skills – researchers with the scientific skills to develop products that men want and marketing staff with the skills to help promote these products effectively. Weaknesses are internal aspects of the organisation, which may not stand comparison with competition or are not performing effectively. An example might be major concerns and questions that Nivea have when launching a product For example; Was the product range still relevant for the target audience? Did it have the right sales and distribution outlets? Was its market research up-to-date? Opportunities focus on events and developments external to an organisation. This might include new territories for a product or service. Opportunities that Nivea will want to undertake is to open a new segment of a market. Also, NIVEA FOR MEN had seen an increase in the sales of male skincare products and it wants a greater share of this market, Nivea might might consider this. Furthermore, the company wants to take advantage of changing social attitudes such as men becoming more open, or certainly less resistant, to facial skincare products. Threats are developments external to the organisations, which could damage overall performance. These threats can originate from governmental policy, such as an increase in corporation tax or new laws. Threats to Nivea are consumers who are becoming more knowledgeable and price conscious. They often expect sales promotions such as discounts and offers. Also, the risk of competitors entering the market.

Melville :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HERMAN MELVILLE â€Å"Bartleby, the scrivener†, is a very interesting reading that shows us in a very clear way the different forms of alienation: alienation from work, alienation from other people, and alienation from the natural world. Bartleby was a scrivener; in fact, he was â€Å"the strangest scrivener ever seen†. He found a job in the bottom of one of the several huge buildings in Wall Street; moreover, his desk was placed in a corner, with a window that presented no view at all, and consequently, a few light. He had two partners: Turkey, and Nippers. However, non of them were the ideal partners for him. Turkey had a â€Å"flighty† temper, and Nippers, a â€Å"fiery† one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first, Bartleby worked very hard, copying an extraordinary vast quantity of writing. As his boss says, for him, â€Å"there was no pause for digestion†. However, things changed with time. One day, the boss asked Bartleby to review a paper with him, and to his surprised, Bartleby replied: â€Å"I would prefer not to†. The boss ignored such behavior the first time because he needed him, and he worked well. However, such sentence, â€Å"I would prefer not to† became more normal, and even familiar. Bartleby carefully revolved any statement that his boss made. As a consequence, after that moment, Bartleby refused many other things: from not going to the post office, to not going next door, and even to not going back home. At the end, Bartleby preferred not to work, and consequently, he was fired. However, when the boss asked him to leave, he got the same answer: â€Å"I prefer not to†. As a result, Bartleby stayed there until the boss and all their partners moved to another place. However, when the new owners of the building came in, and as a consequence of the same answer, Bartleby went to prison. The text ends with Bartleby in prison refusing to eat, and therefore, preferring to die from starvation. The place where he worked in the bottom of â€Å"Wall† Street, his partners, and his unchallenging job alienated him as time passes to the extend that he didn’t want to do anything at all.

Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ABSTRACT: Disasters of both natural and technological origin have a considerable impact on communities. The effects of disasters in India are significantly reduced by well established counter disaster arrangements at all three levels of government. These arrangements comprise comprehensive plans of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery and in more recent times, of mitigation. The economic effects of disasters can be devastating and widespread.When disasters strike houses, businesses and community infrastructure get damaged or destroyed and people’s livelihoods are temporarily and sometimes permanently disrupted. Physical damage is the most visible economic impact of disasters. Major natural disasters can and do have severe negative short-run economic impacts. Disasters also appear to have adverse longer-term consequences for economic growth, development and poverty reduction. But, negative impacts are not inevitable. Vulnerabilit y is shifting quickly, especially in countries experiencing economic transformation – rapid growth, urbanization and related technical and social changes.In the Caribbean and Bangladesh there is evidence of both declining sensitivity to tropical storms and floods and increased resilience resulting from both economic transformation and public actions for disaster reduction. The largest concentration of high risk countries, increasingly vulnerable to climatic hazards, is in Sub-Saharan Africa. Risks emanating from geophysical hazards need to be better recognized in highly exposed urban areas across the world because their potential costs are rising exponentially with economic development.Natural disasters cause significant budgetary pressures, with both narrowly fiscal short-term impacts and wider long-term development implications. Reallocation is the primary fiscal response to disaster. Disasters have little impact on trends in total aid flows. Keywords: Disaster Impacts, Dir ect Economic Impacts, Indirect Economic Impacts, Intangible Economic Impacts. Submitted by: Dr. A. PADMAVATHI, Guest Faculty, Department of MCA, S. V. U. C. C. M&C. S. , S. V. University, Tirupati-517502. Introduction: The economic effects of disasters are mostly seen as physical damage to infrastructure.More often than not loss of income through loss of trading activity and the time taken to re-establish such activity, particularly for agricultural industries, is overlooked. The consequences of extended periods of trading or production down-time can result in bankruptcy, forced sale, business closure, loss of experienced workers, a depleted customer base and population shrinkage. These consequences are exacerbated by community losses resulting in a reduction in disposable income. The flow-on through the disaster affected community has been likened to the domino effect.It addresses the economic consequences of disasters on communities and includes a framework of economic recovery pr inciples as well as strategies to implement those principles. In this publication the term â€Å"economic† is used with respect to the costs to the community caused by the disaster while â€Å"financial† is used with respect to those schemes aimed at providing monetary sources to assist recovery. The range of economic effects and consequences on a disaster affected community is relative to the specific nature of the event and the economic demographics of the affected community Economic Consequences of Disasters:The economic effects of disasters can be devastating and widespread. When disasters strike houses, businesses and community infrastructure get damaged or destroyed and people’s livelihoods are temporarily and sometimes permanently disrupted. Physical damage is the most visible economic impact of disasters. However, the less visible impacts such as lost income through being unable to trade are just as significant and the consequences often last longer than the physical damage (for example, bankruptcy and business closures). The flow-on effects through a community can be pervasive.The range of economic effects and consequences for a disaster-affected community vary greatly and depend on both the nature of the event and the economic health of the community. It is also important to recognise that communities are diverse. In some cases, disaster-affected communities recover and prosper, in others the adverse economic impact has a domino effect that spreads throughout the community. What makes some communities recover and prosper and others decline in the aftermath of a disaster? What are key characteristics of disaster-resistant communities?These are important questions and are critical to understanding the economic recovery process. The principles and strategies identified later in this report provide a starting point for considering these questions. The economic consequences of disasters can be classified in a variety of ways. No singl e framework will cover and prescribe every possible impact a disaster might have. Each disaster has unique characteristics and consequently in any attempt to classify these impacts there will always be impacts that do not fit neatly within the classification.Nevertheless a classification framework is a useful guide or tool we can use to tackle these issues. Almost all impacts of disasters have an economic dimension, even if this economic effect cannot be measured. Economic impacts are typically divided into two categories: tangible (those impacts we can assign a dollar value to) and intangible (impacts which are not easily expressed in monetary terms). These impacts are then further subdivided into direct and indirect impacts. Direct impacts are those that result from the physical destruction or damage to buildings, infrastructure, vehicles and crops etc.Indirect impacts are due to the consequences of the damage or destruction. Figure 1 illustrates the impacts of disasters using thr ee main categories-direct, indirect and intangible. An alternative approach is to examine the impacts of disasters in terms of who or what is affected. Three groupings are common: * Public infrastructure and community facilities; * Business enterprises (commercial, industrial, retail, service, agricultural etc); and * Residents and households. Using figure 1 and BTE Report 103 a brief discussion of the direct, indirect and intangible impacts of disasters on each of these three groups follows.FIGURE 1 THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A DISASTER Culture & Heritage Clean up Infrastracture Intangible impacts Health Aspects Death & injury I Indirect Impacts Business Disruption Disaster Impacts Direct Impacts Agriculture Commercial buildings 1. Direct Economic Impacts: Public Infrastructure and Community Facilities: Lifelines (such as water and sanitation systems, electricity, gas, telecommunications and transport) are vulnerable to all types of disasters. Direct damage to lifeline infrastructure i ncludes the immediate physical damage (eg. oads cracked or washed away, destroyed electrical transformers and so on) and also the damage which may take some time before becoming visible (eg. accelerated road deterioration due to the effect of water intrusion under road pavements). Public buildings include schools, child care centres, kindergartens, hospitals, nursing homes, neighbourhood centres, churches, entertainment/art/cultural centres, museums, clubs and so on. Direct damage to public buildings can also be thought of using the break up into structural (eg. roofs, walls etc), contents (eg. urniture, floor coverings and specialist items like sound systems and paintings etc) and external (eg. Playground equipment, swimming pools etc) damage. Business Enterprises include commercial, industrial, retail, service and agricultural business types. The economic impact of disasters on agricultural enterprises is often treated separately from other business types. Essentially however the impact on businesses can be viewed as falling into 3 main areas. * structural damage to buildings such as shops,factories, plants, sheds, barns, warehouses, hotels and so on.This includes damage to foundations, walls, floors, roofs, doors, in-builtfurniture, windows etc. * contents damage to fixtures and fittings (eg. carpets), furniture, office equipment, farm equipment, records, product stock (finished manufactured products, works in progress and input materials), crops, pastures, livestock etc. and * external damage, for example, to motor vehicles and fences. Residents and Households: The residential sector includes houses, flats, unit, townhouses and so on. The break up of direct damage into structural (eg. roofs, walls etc), contents (eg. furniture, floor coverings etc) and external (eg. wimming pools, gardens etc) is equally useful for this category. 2. Indirect Economic Impacts: Indirect impacts are those that are incurred as a consequence of the event, but are not due to the direct impact. Many indirect impacts are common to the public/community sectors business, and household (for example, disruption and clean up). Disruption effects: The disruption to the community, businesses and households caused by disasters is pervasive. The economic impact of disruption and its consequences for community recovery is often overlooked, as economic recovery can tend to focus on the highly visible direct physical damage.The following categories list the common forms of disruption relevant to each area. Sector/Area of impact| Disruption Examples| Business| —Lost or deferred production (eg. manufacturing, agriculture, services etc)—Lost or deferred income/trade/sales/value added (eg. Tourism operators, retail traders etc)—Increased costs (eg. freight, inputs, agistment)| Public services and networks| —Transport (traffic delays, extra —operating costs etc)—Loss of computer controlled systems—Loss of other lifelines (eg. electricity)—Government services (eg. ducation)| Households| —Additional costs (eg. alternative accommodation and transport, heating, drying out costs, medical costs etc)| Natural disasters can cause serious disruption to affected businesses which may not be able to operate during the event, and for some time afterwards, while the premises are being cleaned and equipment repaired. Business lost during this period can have devastating financial consequences and in some cases the business may not recover at all. Loss of farm income due to a natural disaster can affect the economies of country towns.For example, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE 2000) estimates that farm expenditure represents at least a third of the economies of towns with less than 1000 people. Disasters that reduce farm expenditure can therefore have a major effect on the economies of small towns. Clean up: Cleaning up after a disaster is another obvious area of indirec t impact. The impact for public and community infrastructure, businesses and households is essentially the time it takes and the costs of cleaning materials.Clean up activities typically include removal of mud and debris, disassembly and cleaning of machinery and equipment, removal of destroyed household and business contents items and so on. 3. Intangible Economic Impacts Intangible impacts are often described as a ‘catch all’ that includes all those costs that are very difficult to estimate, for which there is no agreed method of estimation and for which there is no market to provide a benchmark. Evidence suggests that the size of intangible costs is substantial and although most cannot be quantified, in many cases they do still have an economic impact that should not be ignored.Sector/Area of impact| Intangible impact examples| Business| —Loss of confidence—Loss of future contracts—Loss of experienced staff| Public/Community| —Health impac ts (deferral of procedures, reduced quality of care etc)—Death and injury—Loss of items of cultural significance—Environmental impacts—Heritage losses—Lack of access to education, health, defence, art galleries and museums etc| Residents and households| —Loss of personal memorabilia—Inconvenience and disruption, especially to schooling and social life. —Stress induced ill-health and mortality—Pets—Quality of life—Dislocation| Conclusion:Assistance that ensures the survival of the existing economic infrastructure of a region is vital to disaster recovery, but it should not be so great as to affect the natural economic laws of supply and demand operating on the sales and distribution of existing products or services. Government can initiate major projects, that can assist in erasing some of the bad memories of the past and provide a boost in construction and service jobs into the area. References: (1) http:// en. wikipedia. org. (2) www. ndmindia. nic. in/ (3) www. ndma. gov. in/ (4) disastermgmt. bih. nic. in/ (5) http://saarc-sdmc. nic. in/index. asp

The Gospel According to Spiritism

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SPIRITISM Contains explanations of the moral maxims of Christ in accordance with Spiritism And their application in various circumstances in life By ALLAN KARDEC Author of THE SPIRITS’ BOOK Unshakable faith is only that which can meet reason face to face in every Human epoch ____________ This English translation is taken from the 3rd edition of the original French, as being the one containing all of Allan Kardec’s final revisions, published in 1866. INDEX NOTE: The numbers placed at the end of the various items in each chapter indicate the number(s) of the paragraph, for quick location.PUBLISHER’S FOREWORD TRANSLATOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE PREFACE INTRODUCTION 1. The objective of this work. – 2. The authority behind the Spiritist doctrine. The Universal control of the Spirit teachings. – 3. Historical facts. – 4. Socrates and Plato, the forerunners of the Christian idea and Spiritism. Cha pter 1. – I HAVE NOT COME TO DESTROY THE LAW The three revelations: Moses, Christ, Spiritism: 1 – 7. – The alliance of science and religion: 8. – Instructions from the Spirits: The new era: 9 – 11. Chapter 2. – MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORD 31 The future life: 1 – 3. – The regality of Jesus: 4. A point of view: 5 – 7. – Instructions from the Spirits: An earthly regality: 8. Chapter 3. – IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS 37 The different states of the soul in its spiritual wanderings: 1 – 2. – The different categories of inhabited worlds: 3 – 5. – Earth’s destiny. The cause of earthly miseries: 6 – 7. – Instructions from the Spirits: Superior and inferior worlds: 8 – 12. – Words of tests and atonements: 13 – 15. – Regeneration worlds: 16 – 18. – The progression of the worlds: 19. Chapter 4. – EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE45 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Resurrection and reincarnation: 1 – 17. Reincarnation strengthens family ties, whereas a single life would destroy them: 18 – 23. – Instructions from the Spirits: Limits of incarnations: 24. – The need for incarnation: 25 – 26. Chapter 5. – BLESSED ARE THE AFFLICTED 55 The justice of afflictions: 1 – 3. – Causes of present-day afflictions: 4 – 5. Past causes of afflictions: 6 – 10. – Forgetfulness of the past: 11. – Motives for resignation: 12 – 13. – Suicide and madness: 14 – 17. – Instructions from the Spirits: To suffer well or badly: 18. – Evil and its remedy: 19. – Happiness is not of this world: 20. – Losing loved ones. Premature deaths: 21. If he had been a good man he would have died: 22. – Voluntary torments: 23. – True misfortune: 24. – Melancholy: 25. – Vo luntary trials. The true hair shirt: 26. – Should we end our neighbor’s probation? 27. – Would it be licit to hasten the death of someone incurably sick who is suffering? : 28. – Sacrificing one’s own life: 29 – 30. – Making one’s own suffering useful to others: 31. Chapter 6. – CHRIST THE CONSOLER 77 The gentle yoke: 1 – 2. – The promised consoler: 3 – 4. – Instructions from the Spirits: The advent of the Spirit of Truth: 5 – 8. Chapter 7. – BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT 81What should be understood by the words ‘poor in spirit’? : 1 – 2. – He who exalts himself shall be debased: 3 – 6. – Mysteries that are hidden from the learned and prudent: 7 – 10. – Instructions from the Spirits: Pride and humility: 11 – 12. – Mission of the intelligent person on Earth: 13. Chapter 8. – BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART 91 Simplicity and pureness of heart: 1 – 4. – Sinning by means of thought. Adultery: 5 – 7. – True pureness. Unwashed hands: 8 – 10. – Offences. If your hand is the cause of an offence, cut it off: 11 – 17. – Instructions from the Spirits: Let little children come unto me: 18 – 19. Blessed are those whose eyes are closed: 20 – 21. Chapter 9. – BLESSED ARE THE MEEK AND THE PEACEMAKERS 99 Insults and violence: 1 – 5. – Instructions from the Spirits: Affability and mildness: 6. – Patience: 7. – Obedience and resignation: 8. – Anger: 9 – 10. Chapter 10. – BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL 105 Forgive others so that God may forgive you: 1 – 4. – Reconciliation with your adversaries: 5 – 6. – The sacrifice most agreeable to God: 7 – 8. – The mote and the beam in the eye: 9 – 10. – Do not judge others if you do not wish to be judged in return. He that is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone: 11 – 13. Instructions from the Spirits: The pardoning of offences: 14 – 15. -Indulgence: 16 – 18. – Is it permitted to reprehend, observe imperfections or to comment on the evil in others? : 19 – 21. Chapter 11. – LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF 115 The greatest commandment. Do unto others as we would have them do unto as. The parable of the creditors and the debtors: 1 – 4. – Give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar: 5 – 7. -Instructions from the Spirits: The law of love: 8 – 10. – Selfishness: 11 – 12. – Faith and Charity: 13. – Charity towards criminals: 14. – Should we risk our life for a criminal? : 15. Chapter 12. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 125 Return goodness for evil: 1 – 4. – Discarnate enemies: 5 – 6. – Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also: 7 – 8. – Instructions from the Spirits: Vengeance: 9. – Hate: 10. – Dueling: 11 – 16. Chapter 13. – DO NOT LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT YOUR 135 RIGHT HAND IS DOING Do good without ostentation: 1 – 3. – Hidden misfortunes: 4. – The widow’s mite: 5 – 6. – To invite the poor and the lame. To give without thought of recompense: 7 – 8. – Instructions from the Spirits: Material and moral charity: 9 – 10. – Beneficence recompensed by ingratitude: 19. Exclusivist beneficence: 20. Chapter 14. – HONOUR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER 151 Filial devotion: 1 – 4. – Who is my mother and who are my brothers? : 5 – 7. – Corporeal relationship and spiritual relationship: 8. – Instructions from the Spirits: Children’s ingratitude and family ties: 9. Chapter 15. – WITHOUT CHARITY THERE IS NO SALVATION 159 What the spirit needs in order to be saved. The parable of the good Samaritan: 1 – 3. – The greatest of the commandments: 4 – 5. – The need for charity, according to Saint Paul: 6 – 7. – Without the Church there is no salvation. Without truth there is no salvation: 8 – 9. Instructions from the Spirits: Without charity there is no salvation: 10. Chapter 16. – IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SERVE BOTH GOD AND 165 MAMMON The salvation of the rich: 1 – 2. – Preserve yourself from avarice: 3. – Jesus in the house of Zacchaeus: 4. – The parable of the bad rich man: 5. – The parable of the talents: 6. – The providential utility of riches. Trials of riches and misery: 7. – The inequality of riches: 8. – Instructions from the Spirits: True property: 9 – 10. – The application of riches: 11 – 13. Detachment from earthly possessions: 14. – Transference of riches: 15. Chapter 17. â €“ BE PERFECT 179Characteristics of perfection: 1 – 2. – The good person: 3. – The good Spiritist: 4. – The parable of the sower: 5 – 6. – Instructions from the Spirits: Duty: 7. – Virtue 8. – Those who are superior and those who are inferior: 9. – The worldly person: 10. – Look after both body and Spirit: 11. Chapter 18. – MANY CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN 191 The parable of the wedding feast: 1 – 2. – The narrow door: 3 – 5. – Not all those who say: Lord! Lord! will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: 6 – 9. – Much will be asked if he who receives much: 10 – 12. – Instructions from the Spirits: To those who have will be given more: 13 – 15. A Christian is recognized by his works: 16. Chapter 19. – FAITH TRANSPORTS MOUNTAINS 201 The power of faith: 1 – 5. – Religious faith. The state of unshakable faith: 6 – 7. The p arable of the dry fig-tree: 8 – 10. – Instructions from the Spirits: Faith, the mother of hope and charity: 11. – Human and Divine faith: 12. Chapter 20. – WORKERS OF THE LAST HOUR 207 Instructions from the Spirits: The last shall be the first: 1 – 3. – Mission of the Spiritists: 4. – The workers of the Lord: 5. Chapter 21. – THERE WILL BE FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS 211 A tree is known by its fruits: 1 – 3. – The mission of the prophets: 4. The prodigies of the false prophets: 5. – Do not believe all the Spirits: 6 – 7. – Instructions from the Spirits: The false prophets: 8. – The character of the true prophet: 9. – The false prophets from the spiritual world: 10. Jeremiah and the false prophets: 11. Chapter 22. – WHOM GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER LET NO MAN PUT 221 APART The indissolubility of marriage: 1 – 4. – Divorce: 5. Chapter 23. – STRANGE MORA L 225 Hate the parents: 1 – 3. – Abandon father, mother and children: 4 – 6. – Leave to the dead the care of burying their dead: 7 – 8. – I have not come to bring peace, but dissension: 9 – 18. Chapter 24. DO NOT HIDE THE LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL 233 The light under a bushel. Why Jesus spoke in parables: 1 – 7. – Do not keep company with the Gentiles: 8 – 10. – The healthy do not need a doctor: 11 – 12. – The courage of faith: 13 – 16. – Carry your cross. He who will save his life, shall lose it: 17 – 19. Chapter 25. – SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND 241 If you help yourself then heaven will come to your aid: 1 – 5. – Behold the fowls of the air: 6 – 8. – Provide not gold in your purse: 9 – 11. Chapter 26. – GIVE FOR FREE WHAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED 247 GRATUITOUSLY The gift of healing: 1 – 2. – Paid prayers: 3 – 4. The m oneychangers expelled from the Temple: 5 – 6. – Gratuitous mediumship: 7 – 10. Chapter 27. – ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN 251 The quality of prayers: 1 – 4. – The efficacy of prayer: 5 – 8. – The action of prayer. Transmission of thought: 9 – 15. – Intelligible prayers: 16 – 17. – Prayers for de dead and for suffering Spirits: 18 – 21. – Instructions from the Spirits: The way in which to pray: 22. – Happiness proportioned by prayer: 23. Chapter 28. – A COLLECTION OF SPIRITIST PRAYERS 261 Preamble 261 1. GENERAL PRAYERS 262 The Lord’s Prayer: 2 – 3. – Spiritist Meetings: 4 – 7. – For the Mediums: 8 – 10. 2.PRAYERS FOR THE ONE WHO PRAYS 270 To Guardian Angels and Protecting Spirits: 11 – 14. – To turn away the bad Spirits: 15 – 17. – In order to ask that some defect within ourselves may be corrected: 18 †“ 19. – To ask for strength to resist temptation: 20 – 21. – Thanksgiving for victory over a temptation: 22 – 23. – To ask for advice: 24 – 25. – Afflictions of life: 26 – 27. – Thanksgiving for the obtaining of a favor: 28 – 29. – An act of submission and resignation: 30 – 33. – When in imminent danger: 34 – 35. – Thanksgiving for having escaped a danger: 36 – 37. – At bedtime: 38 – 39. – On sensing approaching death: 40 – 41. 3.PRAYERS FOR OTHERS 280 For someone who is afflicted: 42 – 43. – An act of thanksgiving for a benefit received by someone else: 44 – 45. – For our enemies and those who wish us ill: 46 – 47. – Thanksgiving for blessings received by our enemies: 48 – 49. – For the enemies of Spiritism: 50 – 52. – Prayer for a child that has just been born: 53 – 56. – For one who agonizes: 57 – 58. 4. PRAYERS FOR THOSE NO LONGER ON EARTH 286 For someone who has just died: 59 – 61. – Those for whom we have affection: 62 – 63. – For suffering Spirits who ask for prayers: 64 – 66. – For an enemy who has died: 67 – 68. – For a criminal: 69 – 70. For a suicide: 71 – 72. – For repentant Spirits: 73 – 74. – For hardened Spirits: 75 – 76. 5. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK AND OBSESSED 294 For those who are sick: 77 – 80. – For those who are obsessed: 81 – 84. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SPIRIT COMMUNICATORS 301 PUBLISHER'S FOREWORD Ask any Spiritualist in the United Kingdom how many branches of Spiritualism there are, most will reply two: National Spiritualists and Christian Spiritualists. Yet in Brazil there is a group of Spiritualists or, as they call themselves, Spiritists who follow the teachings of Allan Kardec who far outnu mber all the Spiritualists in the U.K. Kardec wrote a number of books on the subject of Spiritism. It has been our policy to publish all aspects of Spiritualism leaving the reader to make up his or her own mind as to which path to follow. When Janet Duncan of the ALLAN KARDEC STUDY GROUP asked us if we would be interested in publishing a new translation of The Gospel According to Spiritism, we decided yes. This volume is the result. We hope The Gospel According to Spiritism will be the first in a series of all the Kardec works.The Gospel According to Spiritism is the Spiritists view and explanation of the New Testament as brought to us by the Spirits and codified by Allan Kardec. TRANSLATOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am most grateful to all members of the ALLAN KARDEC STUDY GROUP and to all those who have helped in any way whatsoever, be it through prayer, advice, motivation or help with typing and most especially I wish to offer my heartfelt thanks to Martin Edmonds for hours of painstak ing corrections, to Chloris Morgan our Publisher's Reader, and finally to Glaucius Oliva for undertaking the responsibility of the final verifications with the original French.Our most grateful thanks go to the Spiritist ‘brother' who generously donated the entire cost of publication. May he be eternally blessed and may his desired anonymity be respected. We, the incarnate workers, have done our best to make this translation as authentic as is humanly possible. Our very special thanks must however, go to all the many Spiritual Helpers who have taken an active part in this translation. Many are the times I have been conscious of their presence, offering incentive and sometimes even dictating passages.This work has brought me great joy and I can only hope that all who come to read it may likewise receive comfort and enlightenment, be strengthened and upheld along life's troubled pathways. J. A. Duncan TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE This is no ordinary book. This is not a book which is usu ally read from cover to cover, afterwards to be placed on a bookshelf and forgotten. This is a book for daily use, for moments of trouble, when we feel in need of orientation and guidance, a bedside book, a book to be constantly on hand, to take with us in our hand-luggage when we travel.In other words this is a book offering something very special to each person who may read and study it. A book which brings peace of mind and which comforts in times of bereavement. A book even for those who have only a faint knowledge or belief in God and Jesus. This is a book which can change lives by bringing tranquility out of chaos, certainty out of disbelief, compensation for both material and spiritual losses. But most importantly it brings us answers to many questions that we may have been asking, those famous questions such as ‘Who and what am I? ‘ ‘Where did I come from? ‘What am I doing here? ‘ ‘Where am I going? ‘ It brings us rational and logica l explanations of such matters as reincarnation, inequality of wealth in the world, the reasons why we sometimes hate certain people on sight, and the many disharmonies that exist between husband and wife, brother and sister, parents and children, and many more. Probably this book will play its greatest part in helping humanity towards a better understanding of LIFE and lead Man towards spiritual enlightenment through its usefulness when used as readings in Churches and Study Groups.It can also be of great help at times of stress, grief or when we are at a loss to know what to do, to open the book casually, after a moment’s thought and read at the point where our eye first falls upon the page. Finally, but certainly not the least of its uses is that it brings the ‘key' to the Bible parables in everyday language together with the deep meanings behind the teachings of Jesus. This is the third book of the Doctrine as codified by ALLAN KARDEC whose real name was HIPPOLYTE L EON DENIZARD RIVAIL and we offered here a brief biography of this remarkable and dedicated man.He was born in Lyon, France on 3rd October, 1804 into a family who for many generations had been either lawyers or magistrates. He was an intelligent child and was taught high principles of honor and morals by his parents. At an early age he showed strong inclinations towards the sciences and philosophy. When he was ten years of age he was sent to the Institute of Pestalozzi at Yverdun in Switzerland, where he soon acquired the habit of investigation and learnt the art of free thinking.At the age of fourteen he began to give free lessons to school fellows who were less advanced and on occasion was asked to teach officially by Pestalozzi himself in his absence, due to his natural ability in this field. He became a fervent disciple of Pestalozzi and was much loved by the great man. In 1822 at the age of eighteen, Hippolyte returned to France. A year later he took up residence in Paris and in 1824 published his first book entitled: ‘A Theoretical ; Practical Arithmetic Course. ‘ This was so successful that it continued to be reprinted till as late as 1876.He had an instinct for methodology and this was only the beginning, for he was to publish many other books on varying subjects including ‘A Classical Grammar of the French Language' (1829). Some of these were adopted by the French University and the sale of these books rendered him a sufficient income to live on while he continued to give free lessons to school children. He taught chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, physics, rhetoric, comparative anatomy and physiology. He spoke fluent Italian and Spanish, had a profound knowledge of German, English and Dutch and some knowledge of Latin, Greek and Gallic.He also translated a number of books, choosing those which he liked best. These included several by Fenelon which he translated into German. He opened his first school in 1825. It bore the name ‘ First Grade School' (Ecole de premier degre), for superior teaching and the following year he opened ‘The Rivail Technical Institute' whose teaching was based on that of Pestalozzi. He married Amelie Gabrielle Boudet on 6th February 1832. She was nine years his senior, a writer, teacher of fine arts, poetess and artist. She was a perfect companion and helper, being dedicated and uncomplaining.She played an important part in all her husband's activities and sustained him through many financial difficulties encountered during his life, and greatly assisted him in his teaching. This extraordinary man could have become renounced and wealthy through his various talents, but this was not to be. He was a man with a mission! Between 1848 and 1850 an explosion of spirit phenomena occurred in America and even more strongly in Europe. In the last book of the codification ‘Posthumous Works' published by Amelie, Kardec had written: â€Å"It was in 1854 that I heard about ‘Tabl e-turning' for the first time. His friend Mr. Fortier brought him the initial news of these extraordinary happenings: â€Å"The tables also talk! † Kardec's reply to this was: â€Å"I will only believe when I see it and when it can be proved to me that a table has a brain which can think, nerves to feel with and can also become somnambulic. Until then, allow me to see nothing more than fantasy in these stories! † He had always been a disbeliever of such things as ghosts. After various encounters with Mr. Fortier, in 1855 he was finally persuaded to attend a seance and his curiosity was aroused.He then became a frequent visitor at the seances held in the house of a certain Mr. Baudin. It was in fact here that he began his studies and research. He was never to become a medium, but was highly intuitive. On 30th April 1856 a medium in his group received the first indications from Spirit of his mission. His wife always accompanied him to all the meetings and eventually beca me his secretary, upholding him in every aspect of his work. He adopted the ‘nom de plume' of ALLAN KARDEC at the suggestion of Spirit, so that the works of the codification should not be confused with his own works.The first book of the codification (The Spirits' Book), was published in 1857. This same year he also began meetings in his own home. A year later he founded ‘The Parisiene Society for Spiritist Studies'. The few remaining years of his life were dedicated to his work, the completion of the Codification, and to lecturing on Spiritism and its philosophy. He also made exhaustive journeys in order to take the word to as many places as possible, all of which he completed at his own expense. In 1867 he met Leon Denis, who became his disciple, and who later published a series of classic works on Spiritism.On March 31st, 1869, having just finished drawing up the constitution and rules of a new society that he planned to form, while seated in his usual chair at his st udy-table in the Rue Sainte Anne, in the act of tying up a bundle of papers, his busy life was suddenly brought to an end. The passing from Earth into the Spiritual World was instantaneous, a peaceful falling asleep a fitting end to a life well lived. But although the physical man is no longer with us he lives on in Spirit, continuing his work by inspiring, stimulating and encouraging us to continue our search for knowledge.In his introduction to THE SPIRITS' BOOK, Allan Kardec expresses his opinion that new ideas need new terms and so he formulated the words SPIRITIST and SPIRITISM to give a clear and precise meaning to this doctrine. In his day the word Spiritualist meant the opposite to Materialist, but it did not follow that a Spiritualist believed in the existence of spirits or the possibility of communication with the invisible world. He employed the word Spiritism to stipulate the fundamental principle of the Spiritist theory which is the relation of the material world with s pirits or the beings of the invisible world.A Spiritist is one who adheres to this doctrine. We continue to use these terms today as the ideas they represent become more fully understood. Amongst those ideas is the study of the interrelationship between the two worlds, visible and invisible; the scientific, philosophical and religious aspects of existence; the ever pressing need for man to instruct himself, to cast aside all mystery and superstition; to accept responsibility for the life he leads today and the life he is making for himself in the future by his present actions, or lack of them, as the case may be.As life gathers momentum, as the world goes from crisis to crisis at this time, we are more and more conscious of the reality of the truths contained in Kardec's books. As the world prepares for a New Epoch, which is already dawning, we realize the need for all humanity to grow towards this knowledge, to seek enlightenment so as to be prepared. When this time will finally be upon the world then mankind will be able to appreciate the greatness of this man's vision into the future. However, we must not forget one important fact, that in order to meet the future we must make preparations in our TODAY!Each moment that passes cannot be recovered, therefore we must make use of every instant to grow SPIRITUALLY! To open up our horizons, to broaden our minds, to seek and cultivate our SPIRITUALITY! We are Spiritual Beings, we are all immortal creatures! If we are to one day find happiness and peace then we must consider our whole being! While we go on thinking of ourselves as material people, we are only looking at half of ourselves and here lies the secret of so many mistakes, so many unhappiness and so many failures. But in order to recognize these truths we must also be prepared to accept the responsibilities that go wish them.For every person this wider and deeper knowledge of LIFE carries with it the need for self analysis, self-correction and self- impro vement. Without these things we are all standing still, marking time, going nowhere! If this book helps even one person to take just one step forward then it will have done its work. God never demands the impossible of any one of us, nor gives us burdens for which we do not have the strength; so if we try to make a conscious effort to better ourselves then we have begun our journey into the future, towards the LIGHT, where one day victory, peace and joy will be ours.London, 1987 Janet Duncan PREFACE The Spirits of the Lord, who are the Virtues of Heaven, move as does an immense army upon receiving orders from their commander spreading out over the face of the Earth and, similar to the stars which fall one after another from the skies, are come to illumine pathways and open the eyes of those who cannot see. In truth I say unto you the times are come when all things will be established in their true light, when the darkness shall be dissipated, the prideful confounded and the just glo rified.The great voices of Heaven reverberate like the sound of trumpets and the choirs of angels assemble. Mankind, we are inviting you to this divine concert. Take up the harp and lift up your voices in unison so that, in a sacred chorus, the sound may extend and reecho from one extreme of the universe to the other. Fellow beings, beloved brothers and sisters, we are here beside you. Love one another and say from the bottom of your hearts: Lord! Lord! In so doing you fulfill the wishes of the Father who is in Heaven; then you too may enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH INTRODUCTION 1.THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK The Gospel can be divided into five parts: the events in the life of Christ; the miracles; the prophecies; the words taken by the Church on which they based their dogmas; the moral teachings. The first four have been the object of controversies. But the last, however, has remained constantly inviolate. Before this divine code even incredulity bows down. Thi s is the common ground where all cults may be united, the flag under which all may gather, whatever their creeds may be, because it has never been a matter of religious dispute, which always and in all places has originated from dogmatism.Moreover, if it had been discussed, then all cults would have found their own condemnation within it, seeing that, in the majority, they have held on to the more mystical rather than the moral part, which demands an intimate reform from each one. Specially prepared for mankind, it constitutes a code of rules on how to behave in every circumstance of private and public life and offers the basic principles for all social relations, founded on rigid justice. It is, finally and above all, the infallible route to lasting happiness and the uplifting of a comer of the veil that hides the future life.This is what forms the exclusive objective of this work. Everyone admires the moral behind the Gospel; everyone proclaims its sublimeness and the need we have of it. However, of the many who proclaim their faith, believing what others have said or relying on maxims which have become proverbs, few know the basis and even fewer understand it or are able to deduce the consequences of it. In many cases the reason for this is in the difficulty of understanding the Gospel, which for many is quite unintelligible.The allegorical form used and the intentional mysticism of the language make it something we read because we feel we ought to, because our conscience tells us to or because we are obliged to, as one would read prayers, without understanding them and consequently without taking any benefit from them. In this way the moral precepts go unnoticed, scattered here and there between a mass of narrative. This makes it impossible to get the general idea of the whole or to take these ideas as specific subjects for reading and meditation. It is true that various works have already been written concerning the evangelic moral.But after being put int o modem prose they have lost their primitive simplicity, which at the same time constitutes their charm and authenticity. Many others also deal with the best known maxims reduced to the simplest form of proverb. These then are no more than aphorisms, deprived of part of their value and interest due to the lack of accompanying accessories and the circumstances of the enunciation. In order to avoid this undesirability’s, we have collected together in this work all the subjects, so to say, that go to form a universal moral code without distinction as to creed.In these citations we have kept all that is useful to the development of these ideas, putting aside only that which does not pertain directly to the matter. Apart from this we have kept scrupulously to the translations by Sacy (1) and to the division of the verses. But instead of following a chronological order, which would have been impossible and have made no sense, we have methodically grouped and classified the various maxims according to their respective natures so that they fallow on, one from the other, as much as possible.Indication of chapters and verses permit reference to the original texts whenever desired. These details refer only to the material side of our work, which its own would be of secondary importance. The main objective was to put these teachings within easy reach of everybody by means of clear explanations, especially those passages which have, until now, remained obscure and so unfold the full consequences of these teachings and the manner in which they may be applied Tu. all walks of life. This is what we have attempted to do together with the help of the Good Spirits who assist us.Many paints in the Gospel, the Bible and in the writings of the sacred authors are in general unintelligible, some even appearing nonsensical for lack of key which would help in understanding their true meaning. This key is to be found in its mast complete form within Spiritism, as those who have a lready made a serious study of it can verify, and as many more in the future will also come to recognize. Spiritism is to be found throughout ancient times and repeatedly during the different epochs of humanity. We find vestiges in many places in the form of writings, in beliefs and in monuments.This is the reason why at the same time it is opening new horizons for the future, it is also projecting a no less brilliant light upon the mysteries of the past. As a compliment to each precept we have added some well chosen instructions from amongst those dictated, in various countries and to different mediums, by the Spirits. If they had been taken from only one origin they would probably have suffered the influence either of the person or the ambient, whereas the diversification of origins proves that the Spirits give teachings without distinction and that no one person is specially rivileged. (2) This work is for the use of everyone. From it we may all discover the means by which we may apply Christ's morals to our daily lives and how best to go about it. This applies very be able to understand them and will see themselves incessantly compelled to put them into practice, according to the counseling of the Spiritual guides. These instructions coming from Spirit are really the voices from Heaven who have come to enlighten mankind and invite him to specially to Spiritists. ________________ 1) The version by Le Maistre de Sacy was always used by Kardec, but for the English translation the King James Version has been quoted. (Translator’s note. ) (2) It would have been possible, without doubt, to have presented many more communications from Spirit on each subject, all of which were received in cities and centers other than those cited. We wished, however, to avoid monotony and useless repetition and so have limited our choice to those which, from their base and form, apply more adequately within the plan of this work, reserving for future publication those we ha ve not been able to use here.With respect to the mediums, we have refrained from naming them. In most cases they themselves asked not to he mentioned and so we have made no exceptions. It is also a fact that the names of these mediums would not add more value to the work of the Spirits. The mentioning of them by name would only be an incentive to personal pride, to which serious mediums give no importance. They understand fully that their part in the work being merely passive, the value of the communication in no way exalts their personal merit.It would be foolish to allow oneself to become vain about an intelligent work to which one had only lent mechanical assistance. Thanks to the relationship between man and the invisible world, which has henceforth been established on a permanent basis, the law of the Gospel which the Spirits have taught to all nations, will no longer be a matter of dead words because each one will put the Gospel into practice. 2. THE AUTHORITY BEHIND THE SPIRI TIST DOCTRINE The Universal Control of the Spirit TeachingsIf the Spiritist Doctrine were of a purely human conception it would offer no more guarantee than the enlightenment of those who actually conceived it. But no one on Earth could seriously contemplate the pretention of possessing the exclusive and absolute truth. If the Spirits who made these revelations had manifested to only one man we would have no guarantee of their origin since we would need to believe, on his word alone, what he said he had received as teachings from them. If we accepted perfect sincerity on his part, the most he could do would be to convince his circle of acquaintances.He would be able to form a sect, but never be able to form a world congregation. God wished the new revelations to reach mankind by the quickest and most authentic path, so He entrusted the Spirits to deliver them from pole to pole, manifesting everywhere without conferring the exclusive privilege of hearing these words to any one indivi dual. One person might be deceived, could even deceive them self, but this could not happen when millions of people see and hear the same thing. This constitutes a guarantee for each one and for all.For the rest, it is possible to make one man disappear, but it is not possible to make everyone disappear. It is possible to bum books, but you cannot bum Spirits, and even if all the books were burnt, the base of the doctrine would still be inexhaustible because it is not to be found on Earth and would reappear in every place so that all might partake of it. If there is a shortage of men to diffuse it, there will always be Spirits whose action reaches everyone and even those whom no person can reach.So then, it is the Spirits themselves who do the propagating with the help of innumerable mediums, disseminating all over the world. If there had been but one interpreter, however favored be might have been, Spiritism would barely be known. To whatever class is belonged, that interpreter wou ld have been the object of caution to many people and not every nation would have accepted him, whereas the Spirits communicate to the four corners of the Earth, to all peoples, to all sects, to all parties and everyone accepts team.Spiritism has no nationality and does not stem from any known cult that might exist; nor is it imposed by any social class seeing that any person may receive instructions from parents, relatives and friends from the beyond. This is haw it had to be accomplished if it was to lead all mankind towards brotherhood. If it did not maintain itself in neutral territory it would nurture dissensions instead of pacifying them. The force of Spiritism, as well as the cause of its rapid spread, resides in this universal teaching.Where the word of one solitary person, even with the help of the press, would take centuries to become known by all, millions of voices are making themselves beard simultaneously in every corner of this planet. All are proclaiming the same pri nciples and transmitting them on all levels, from the scholarly down to the most ignorant, in order that no one is disinherited. So far, this is an advantage that no other doctrine bas to offer. If Spiritism then be the truth, it is not afraid of being unwanted neither by man, nor of modern revolutions, or of the physical subversions of this globe, because nothing can touch the Spirits.This is not however the only advantage which comes from this exceptional situation. It also offers an unattackable guarantee against all misgivings which might arise, be it from someone’s ambition or be it through the contradictions of some Spirits. We cannot deny that these contradictions are obstacles, but they bring their own remedy with them alongside the ill. We know that Spirits, due to differences in their various individual capacities, do not possess all the truth and do not claim to. It is not given to all to be able to penetrate certain mysteries.The knowledge of each one is proportio nal to their evolution. Ordinary Spirits know nothing more than does Man himself, but amongst them, as amongst men and women, are those who are presumptuous and falsely wise, who think they know everything, boot who in fact are ignorant; these are the systematical ones who take their own ideas to be the truth. In short, it is only the highly evolved Spirits, those who are almost completely dematerialized, who find themselves free from earthly ideas and prejudices.It is also known that less scrupulous Spirits do not hesitate to deceive by taking names which do not belong to them in order to impose their utopian ideas. As a result of all this and in relation to all that is outside the exclusive field of moral education, the revelations that any one medium may receive will have an individual character, without any stamp of authenticity and should be considered as personal opinions, from this or that Spirit, and it would be imprudent to accept them or thoughtlessly propagate them as abs olute truths.The first corroborative test to be undertaken is without doubt that of reason, to which it is wise to submit, without exception, all that comes from Spirit. Any theory in evident contradiction to good sense, or against rigorous logic, or positive facts that have been previously acquired should be rejected, however apparently respectable be the name by which it is signed. This test will no doubt be left incomplete due to the lack of illumination of some people and the tendency of many to take their own opinions as judgments of truth.That being the case, what are those who deposit absolutely no faith in themselves to do? They should seek what seems to be the majority and take this as a guide. This then, is the manner in which you should proceed when judging what is said by the Spirits, who are the first to offer the means of so doing. Complete concordance of Spirit teaching is the best proof of authenticity. However, it is important that this be received only under determ ined conditions.The weakest type of concordance is obtained when the medium, of his own accord, interrogates many different Spirits about a doubtful point. It is evident that, if the medium is under an obsessing influence or dealing with a mystifying Spirit, then that Spirit may say the same thing under different names. Neither is it any adequate guarantee to conformity when communications are received by different mediums at the same centre because they may be under the same influences.Only one sure guarantee exists for spirit teachings: This is the concordance that exists between revelations which have been received spontaneously by a large number of mediums not known to each other and located in different places. It is understood that we are not referring to those communications which deal with secondary interests, but those referring to the basic principles of the doctrine. Experience has taught us that when a new principle is to be presented, it always happens spontaneously in different places at the same time and in the same way, if not in actual form at least in general content.On the other hand, if by any chance a Spirit formulates eccentric doctrine based exclusively on its own ideas and excluding the truth, you may be sure that this idea will remain confined and undoubtedly will collapse when confronted with instructions received from many other places, similar to many examples which are already known. It was this exclusiveness which destroyed all the biased doctrine which sprang up at the time of the initiation of Spiritism, when each one explained the phenomena according to their own beliefs, before the Laws that govern the relationship between the visible and invisible worlds became known.That is what we have based yourself on when formulating a principle for the doctrine. We do not insist on it being true just because it might be in accordance with our own ideas. Neither do we have the least desire to uphold our self as being the sole possessor o f the whole truth and we have never said to anyone: â€Å"Believe in this because it is I who tell you†. We consider that our own opinion is nothing more than personal, which might be true or false, as we are no more infallible than anyone else.It is not because we were taught a principle that we believe it to be true; it is due to the fact that it has received the sanction of concordance. The position in which we find our self is that of receiving communications from almost a thousand serious Spiritual Centers, scattered over highly diversified areas of this planet. This gives us the possibility of observing on which principles concordance is established. It is this concordance which has guided us till today, and it is the one which will go on guiding us in new fields still to be explored.We have noticed while studying these communications, coming from France and outside, that from the very special nature of the information a new path is being sought and that the moment bas arrived to take a step forward. These revelations, many times given through veiled words, have frequently passed unperceived by many who receive them. Others have thought themselves to be the sole receivers. Taken in isolation, we would have given them no importance and it is only the coincidence which proves their seriousness.Later, when these new teachings reach the public, there will be many who will remember having received the same orientation. This general movement which we are studying and observing, together with the assistance of our Spiritual Guides, is what helps us to judge whether it is the correct moment to do something or not. This universal verification constitutes the guarantee of the future unity of Spiritism and will annul all contradictory theories. It is here that in the future we shall find our criteria for the truth.The cause of the success of the doctrine as put forth in THE SPIRITS' BOOK and THE MEDIUMS' BOOK was due to the fact that everybody bad received c onfirmation, direct from Spirit, of what these books contain. Whereas if all the Spirits bad come to contradict them they would have received the same fate suffered by others who expounded imaginary concepts. Not even the support of the press would have saved them from shipwreck. But on the contrary, deprived as they were of this support, they nevertheless opened new paths and have made rapid advancement.This is because the Spirits offered their support and goodwill which not only compensated but surpassed the lack of goodwill and the part of Man. This is what will happen to all ideas, whether emanated from Man or Spirit, which prevail even in the face of this confrontation and this is the final test whose strength no one can deny. Suppose it pleased some Spirits to dictate a book, under whatever title you choose, offering contrary teachings; let us suppose their intention was hostile, with the object of discrediting the doctrine and maliciously provoking apocryphal communications.W hat influence could these writings exercise if they were refuted by all other Spirits? Anyone wishing to launch a doctrine in their own name should first seek assurance in combined concordance from the Spirits. There is no comparison between a system devised by only one person to that of another devised by everyone. What can the arguments of slanderers, wishing only to belittle, achieve against the opinion of the masses, if millions of friendly voices from space make themselves heard in opposition in every comer of the Universe, as well as in family homes?What happens to the innumerable publications which have the pretention of destroying Spiritism? Which of them has as much as caused a hesitation in its march? Till now no one has considered the matter from this point of view without forgetting the most important fact: each one has been depending on themselves, without counting on the Spirits. The principle of concordance is also a guarantee against any alterations to which Spiritis m might be subjected by other sects wishing to take possession of it for their own ends, and so change it to suit their own ideas.Whosoever tries to deviate Spiritism from its providential objective will never succeed, for the simple reason that the Spirits, as a universal body, will cause any ideas contrary to the truth to fall. From all this stands out the main truth which is that he who wishes to oppose the established and sanctioned ideas could, to be sure, cause a localized perturbation lasting but a short while, but could never dominate the whole, not even for a moment and certainly not over a period of time.We should also like to point out that instructions given by Spirits on points not yet elucidated by the doctrine should not be considered as law, until these instructions have been duly isolated and proven. Neither should they be accepted except with all doe reserve and under the heading of ‘awaiting confirmation'. From this we understand the need for greater prudenc e before making any such communication public. But if they are deemed fit to be publicized they should be presented as mere individual opinions, possibly true, but awaiting confirmation.It will be necessary to wait for this confirmation before proclaiming it as a complete truth, unless you wish to be accused of levity or of irreflected cruelty. The Superior Spirits proceed with extreme wisdom in their revelations. They never touch on the most important questions, except gradually, until our intelligence shows itself to accept a more advanced truth and when circumstances show themselves to be favorable to a new idea. This is why they did not reveal everything from the outset, and still have not told everything.They never give themselves to impatience, like those who want to eat the fruit before it is ripe. It is useless to try to hurry things forward beyond the time designated by Providence for its revealing, and if you do try, the serious Spirits will always deny their assistance. T hose Spirits who are frivolous are not the least preoccupied with the truth and consequently will give answers to anything and everything. So it is in this manner that whenever a question is premature, contradictory answers will always be found.The principles mentioned above have not been formed as the result of a personal theory; they are consequences which have been forced upon us from the varying conditions within which Spirit communication is manifest. It is quite evident that if one Spirit says one thing and thousands of other Spirits say something different, we presume the truth does not lie with the solitary communicant. For someone to imagine they possess the troth against all the rest would be quite illogical, be it man or Spirit.The really ponderous Spirits, if they do feel completely or sufficiently clarified about any subject never give a definite answer, but declare that they are merely giving their own point of view and suggest that we await the necessary confirmation. However large, beautiful or just an idea appears, it is impossible to unite opinions right from the first moment. The conflicts which arise in this case are the inevitable consequences which such a movement would cause, and they are necessary so that the truth may be emphasized and the sooner this happen the better, so that any false ideas may be discarded.Any Spiritists who feels worried by this situation may be tranquil, as all these isolated claims will fall before the enormous and discerning force of universal concordance. It is not the opinion of any man which will produce unity, but the unanimous voices of the Spirits; it will not be any man, least of all myself, who will destroy the Spiritist orthodoxy, neither will it be a Spirit wishing to impose whatever it may be. This unity will be accomplished by the universal gathering of Spirits who communicate throughout the world, by order of God.This is the essential character of the Spiritist Doctrine; this is its force and its a uthority. God desired that His Law be set upon an immovable base and so did not trust the se fundamentals to only one fragile being. Before such a powerful tribunal, where neither conspiracy, rivalries, sects or nations are known, all opposition, ambition and those who seek individual supremacy will fall. We ourselves will fall if we try to substitute our own ideas for those of God. He alone will decide all lawful questions, impose silence a disagreement and give reason to those who have it.Before this imposing accord, from the voices of Heaven, what value has an opinion of a mere man or that of one Spirit? It makes no more impression than a drop of water in the ocean and even less than a child’s voice in a tempest. Universal opinion, like that of a supreme judge, is the one which is pronounced last, being formed from all the individual opinions. If one of these contains the truth it merely shows its own relative weight in the balance and if it is false it cannot prevail agai nst the rest.In this immense concourse all individuality disappears and this constitutes yet another disappointment for man's pride. This harmonious assemblage is already being formed and before the turn of this century we shall see its full brightness shining forth in such a manner as to dissipate all doubt. The field is prepared and from now a patent voices will receive the mission of making themselves heard in order to congregate Man under one banner. But until this actually happens, all those who fluctuate between two opposing points of view can observe in which way general opinion forms.This will be the correct indication as to the declaration of the majority of the Spirits and the varying subjects about which they offer orientation, and are an even more accurate sign as to which of the two systems will prevail. 3. HISTORIC FACTS In order to better understand the Gospel, it is necessary to know the true meaning of many of the words used which bear relation to the customs and th e Jewish society of the time. Some of these words no longer have the same meaning and have frequently been misinterpreted, which in tom has led to uncertainty.When the full meanings are explained, it shows the real sense behind certain maxims which, at first sight, appear rather strange. SAMARITANS – After the division of the ten tribes, Samaria became the capital of the dissident kingdom of Israel. Destroyed and rebuilt various times, under Roman rule it became the administrative head of Samaria, one of the four divisions of Palestine. Herod the Great beautified Samaria with sumptuous monuments and to gratify Augusto, gave it the name of Augusta, in Greek Sebaste. The Samaritans were almost constantly at war with the kings of Judah.Profound aversion, dating from the time of the separation, perpetuated between the two tribes causing them to avoid any kind of reciprocal relations. In order to widen the schism, and to avoid going to Jerusalem for religious festivities, they bui lt themselves a private temple and adopted some reforms. They only admitted the Pentateuch, which contained the laws of Moses, rejecting all other books to which these were annexed, and their sacred books were all written in ancient Hebrew characters. According to orthodox Jews, they were heretics and consequently despised, excommunicated and persecuted.The antagonism between the two nations was founded exclusively upon their religious divergences, despite the fact that the origin of their belief was the same. They were the Protestants of their time. Some Samaritans are still to be found in certain regions of the Lavent, especially near Nablus and in Jaffa. They observe the laws of Moses more strictly than other Jews and only marry amongst themselves. NAZARITES – The name given in olden times to Jews who took the vow, either temporary or perpetual, to remain in perfect purity. They promised to observe chastity, abstain from alcoholic drinks and not to cut their hair.Samson, S amuel and John the Baptist were Nazarites. Later on, the Jews gave this name to the first Christians, alluding to Jesus from Nazareth. This was also the name given to a heretical sect from the first phase of the Christian epoch and who, like the Ebonites, from whom they adopted certain principles, mixed the practice of the Mosaic Law with those of Christian dogmas. This sect disappeared during the fourth century AD. PUBLICANS – In ancient Rome this was the name given to those who rented out the collection of public taxes and all kinds of incomes, either in Rome itself or in other parts of the Empire.They were like the general collectors and auctioneers of taxes in the ancient system in France, which still exists in some regions. The risks they ran made most people close their eyes when it came to their frequently amounted riches which for some were the fruits of levies and scandalous gains. Later on the name ‘Publican' was extended to all those who superintended public monies and their underling agents. Today, the term is employed in a disparaging way, to denote financiers and agents with very few scruples.It is said: â€Å"As greedy as a Publican† or â€Å"as rich as a Publican†, referring to their ill-gotten gains. During Roman role the question of taxes was what the Jews found most difficult to accept, causing great irritation amongst themselves. Many revolts resulted from this problem, so turning it into a religious question, as it was considered to be against the Law. Indeed, a powerful party was formed at whose front put a certain citizen was named Judah the Gaulite, whose objective was to abolish all taxes. The Jews consequently abominated these taxes and all those entrusted with collecting them.Thence sprang up the aversion shown to Publicans of all categories, amongst whom could be found many people of esteem, but who due to their functions, were despised together with whomsoever kept company with them. Prominent Jews consid ered it a compromise to have any personal relationship with these people. TAX COLLECTORS – These were the lower class of collectors, entrusted principally with the collection of tools entering cities. Their function corresponded more or less with those of the customs officials and the granting of passes.They shared the rejection suffered by Publicans in general. This is the reason why, in the Bible, we frequently meet the ward Publican alongside the expression – sinful people. This did not imply debauchery or vagrancy but was a term of scorn, synonym for people who kept bad company persons unworthy to mix with decent people. PHARISEES (From the Hebrew, meaning division or separation. ) – Tradition is an important part of Jewish theology. It consists of a compilation of the successive interpretations given to the Scriptures which became articles for dogmas.Amongst scholars this was the subject for interminable discussions, most of which were over simple questions as to the meaning of words and their form, just like theological disputes and subtleties of scholastics in the middle Ages. From all this resulted different sects, each one wishing to have the monopoly of the Truth and consequently detesting one another, as so often happens. Among these sects the most influential were the Pharisees, whose chief, Hillel, a Jewish doctor born in Babylonia some 180 or 200 years BC, was the founder of a famous school where it was taught that faith should be put only in the scriptures.The Pharisees were persecuted at different times, especially under Hyrcania (who was sovereign pontiff and king of the Jews), Aristoblus and Alexander, who was a king of Syria. However, Alexander granted them honors and restored their properties which made it possible for them to reacquire their old powerful status. This was conserved until the ruin of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD, at which time the name disappeared in consequence of the scattering of the Jews. The Pharisee s took an active part in religious controversy.They were faithful practitioners of exterior cults and ceremonies, full of ardent zeal, proselytism, and enemies of innovations, maintaining great severity of principles. But behind the cover of punctilious devotion lay dissolute habits, a great deal of pride and above all an excessive desire to dominate. Religion was actually a means to an end, rather than an object of sincere faith. It possessed nothing of virtue beyond outward appearances and ostentation. Nevertheless, they exercised a great influence over the people, in whose eyes they were sacred. This is how they became powerful in Jerusalem.They believed, or made out they believed, in Divine Providence, the immortality of the soul, eternal punishment and the resurrection of the dead (See chapter 4, item 4). But Jesus, esteeming simplicity and the qualities of the heart above all else, whose preference within the law was for the spirit which vitalizes to the word which kills, appl ied Himself throughout His mission to the unmasking of their hypocrisy, and because of this was considered by them to be their enemy. This then is the reason why the Pharisees, together with the High Priests, incited the people to eliminate Him .THE SCRIBES – This name was given in the main to the secretaries of the kings in Judea and to certain people who understood matters relating to the Jewish army. Later it was applied to those scholars who taught the Law of Moses and interpret it to the People. They joined in common cause with the Pharisees, sharing their principles as well as their aversion to all innovations. This is why Jesus included them when He launched criticism against the Pharisees. SYNAGOGUE(From the Greek SUNAGOGUE meaning assembly, congregation. ). There was only one temple in Judah, that of Solomon in Jerusalem, where all the great ceremonies of worship were held.Every year all the Jews would go there in pilgrimage for the principal festivals, such as the P assover, the Dedication and the Feast of the Tabernacle. It was on the occasion of these feasts that Jesus would also be present. The other cities did not have temples, only synagogues, buildings where the Jewish people would collect for their Saturday meetings and public prayers, under the leadership of their Eiders, the scribes, or scholars versed in the Law. It was due to this fact that Jesus, although He was not a priest, was able to teach at the synagogues on Saturdays.Ever since the ruin of Jerusalem and the dispersal of the Jews, the synagogues, in the cities where they went to live, became temples for the celebration of their cults. SADDUCEES – Another Jewish sect founded about 24 BC whose name came from Sadoc, us founder. They did not believe in immortality or resurrection, nor in good and bad angels. However, they did believe in God. But as they expected nothing after death, they served Him having in mind only temporary recompenses which, according to them, were lim ited by Divine Providence.With these thoughts in mind, their main objective in life was the satisfaction of all physical senses. As to the scriptures, they followed the texts of the old laws. They would not accept traditions or any form of interpretation. They put good works and the pure and simple observance of this law before all outward practices of worship. They were, as you see, the materialists, deists and sensualists of their time. The sect had few followers, but amongst them were some important personages and it became a political party constantly in opposition to the Pharisees.ESSENES – They were a Jewish sect founded about the year 150 BC in the time of the Maccabeans, whose members, living in types of monasteries, formed amongst themselves a kind of moral and religious association. They distinguished themselves by their pacific ways and austere virtues, taught the love of God and neighbor, the immortality of the soul, and believed in resurrection. They were celibat e, condemned war and slavery, held all their worldly goods in common, and devoted themselves to agriculture.Contrary to the Sadducees, who were very sensual and denied immortality, and the Pharisees of rigid external practices and only apparent virtues, the Essences never took part in the disputes which caused antagonism between the other two sects. In their way of life they were similar to the first Christians, and the moral principles they professed caused many people to suppose that Jesus had belonged to their community before He began His mission. It is certain that He knew them, but there is nothing to prove that He was related to them, so all that has been written to this effect is simply hypothetical. 1) THERAPEUTS (From the Greek THERAPEUTAY, formed from THERAPEUEYN to serve, meaning: servants of God or Healers. ) – These were Jewish sectarians and contemporaries of Christ, being mostly established in Alexandria in Egypt. Like the Essences, whose principles they adopt ed, they also practiced all the virtues. They were extremely frugal in their eating habits, were celibate, dedicated to meditation, lived solitary lives and constituted a truly religious order. Felon, a platonic Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, was the first to speak of the Therapeuts, whom he considered as a Jewish sect.Eusebius, Saint Jerome and other originators of the Church believed them to be Christians. Whether they were, or whether they were Jewish, the fact remains that, like the Essences’, they represent a link in the union betwe