Pantaloon Retail Indias Leading Retailers Marketing Essay

Pantaloon Retail Indias Leading Retailers Marketing Essay Pantaloons origin can be traced to 1987 when the company was incorporated as Manz Wear Private Limited. Originally incorporated as Manz Wear Private Limited on October 12, 1987.The Companys name was changed to Manz Wear Limited on September 20,1991, further to Pantaloon Fashions (India) Limited on September 25, 1992 and to Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited on July 7 1999. The company launched Pantaloons trouser, Indias first formal trouser brand. In 1992, Pantaloon launched its IPO. In 1994, The Pantaloon Shoppe exclusive menswear store in franchisee format was launched across the country. Pantaloon started distribution of branded garments through multi-brand retail outlets across the nation. In 2001, Big Bazaar, Indias first hypermarket chain was launched. In 2002, Food Bazaar, the supermarket chain was launched. In 2006, Future Capital Holdings, the companys financial arm launched real estate funds, Kshitij and Horizon and private equity fund Indivision. The company is also planning forays into insurance and consumer credit. The Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, entered the retail market in 1997 with its first flagship store hosted by Kolkata. Pantaloons began as a fashion retail chain. The Future Group launched it as its introductory venture. Such was its popularity that by the year 2001, many more sub-retail lines were launched that dealt in specific merchandise like footwear, fashion accessories, food, grocery and electronics. Registered Office of the Company: Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited Pantaloon Knowledge House, Shyam Nagar, Off. Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, Jogeshwari (East), Mumbai 400 060 Registration No. 44954/1987 Registrar of Companies at Mumbai, Maharashtra located at Hakoba Mill Compound, Kalachowki, Mumbai 400 033. Headquarters: Mumbai Industry: Retailing Founder: Kishore Biyani Area served: India (7 million square feet of retail space) Parent company: Future Group Website: www.pantaloon.com Retail Industry Retailing is the worlds largest private industry. Retail is the worlds largest private industry with global retail sales of roughly USD 8 trillion. Retailing is also one of the biggest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of most countries and also one of the biggest employers. (Source CII McKinsey Report titled Retailing in India, the Emerging Revolution) In India, however, the retail sector has seen a high level of fragmentation with a large share held by unorganized players. India has a large number of retail enterprises. With close to 12 million retail outlets India has one of the highest retail densities in the world. In terms of the structure, the industry is fragmented and predominantly consists of independent, owner-managed shops. The retail businesses include a variety of traditional retail formats, such as kirana stores which stock basic household necessities (including food products), street markets-regular markets held at fixed centres retailing food and general merchandise items, street vendors mobile retailers essentially selling perishable food items-fruits, vegetables etc and small non specialized retailers. Growth of Organized Retail in India India is expected to show similar trends as Indian consumers in the past have shown an ability to leapfrog evolution cycles as has happened in the case of various consumer products such as mobile phones. KSA Technopak estimates organized retail in India to reach 12% to 13% of the total retail market by 2010 with sales of Rs. 1700-1800 billion, aided by improved real estate infrastructure and easier access to capital. Rs(billion) 2002 2010 Estimated size of retail in India 10,700 14,000 Share of organised retail in India(%) 2 12-13 Size of organised retail in India 225 1700-1800 Source: KSA Technopak The Indian retail industry is evolving in line with the changing customer aspirations across product groups, with modern formats of retailing emerging. Composition of Organized Retail A break-up of sales in organized retail shows Lifestyle (clothing and textile, footwear, home, watches and jewellery and health and beauty) as the largest segment accounting for 73% in value terms. This is followed by food and grocery accounting for 14% of the organized retail value. Break-up of consumers expenditure in organized retail Rapid growth of organized retailing is expected in the food segment. We believe this can be attributed to the highly unorganized nature of the market currently, which thus presents an attractive potential, and the growing preference of consumers to shop at modern retail formats. Clothing is the other segment expected to show high growth potential. Factors affecting changes in the retail sector An analysis of private final consumption expenditure in India suggests that the food, beverages and tobacco segments constitute about 50% of total household expenditure, with clothing and footwear contributing just around 5%. However contribution of food and groceries to organized retailing is just 14%. There are a large variety of retailers operating in the food retailing sector such as independent grocers, fair price shops, food specialists etc. A greater number of higher income Indians, prefer to shop at supermarkets because of convenience, range of merchandise, higher standards of hygiene and the attractive ambience. Among the segments of organized retail, food retail is expected to develop the fastest. Going forward, it is expected that supermarkets will be the fastest growing food retailers. Their sales are expected to grow by about 40% per year during 2003-2008 (Source: Retailing in India Euro monitor 2004 report). We believe the traditional Indian consumer who is now becoming more fashion and brand conscious welcome more sophisticated outlets retailing footwear which is evident from the fact that the consumer spend on footwear has increased from 1% in 1999 to 2.3% in 2003. With growth in incomes, Indians have been spending more on health and beauty products. As in the case of other retailing sectors, small single-outlet retailers also dominate sales of health and beauty products. Another interesting trend that is emerging is the increasing spend on leisure and entertainment. Indian consumers who were traditionally averse to spending money on entertainment have started spending on eating out, movies and theatre. The entry of a large number of foreign consumer durable companies into the Indian market during the 1990s after the government liberalized its foreign investment and import policies transformed the consumer durable sector dramatically. A much larger variety of consumer electronic items and household appliances became available to the Indian customer. Competition among companies to sell their brands provided a strong impetus to the growth for retailers operating in this sector. Modern Retail Formats Some of the modern retail formats and their value positions are given below. Department stores These large stores retail primarily non-food items such as apparel, footwear, accessories, cosmetics and household products. They stock multiple brands across product categories, though some of them focus on their own store label (on the lines of Marks Spencers and St. Michael). Several local department store chains have opened shop in India in the past five years. We believe the convenience factor coupled with the aspirational perception of shopping in a department store has contributed to their growth. The larger chains of department stores (Namely Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop,Westside and Lifestyle) have presence in the metros and mini metros. Supermarkets A supermarket is a store which is more of a large self-service grocery store selling groceries and dairy products and household goods that are consumed regularly. These are neighborhood stores offering home and personal care products and food products that a typical household consumes on a day to day basis. These stores offer convenience of shopping by making available a large variety of products at one place. Some of the well known supermarket chain includes Food Bazaar, Nilgiris, Food World, Apna Bazaar, Trinethra etc. Hypermarkets/Discount stores A hypermarket is a store which combines a supermarket and a department store. The result is a retail facility which carries an enormous range of products under one roof, including full lines of fresh groceries and apparel. It is a large format store that aims at retail consolidation by being a single point contact between the brand owners and customers. They are planned, constructed, and executed in a manner that a consumer can ideally satisfy all of their routine weekly shopping needs in one trip to the hypermarket. Large variety of products is available at reasonable prices with discounts built in for volume purchased. Big Bazaar, Spencers, Star India Bazaar are examples of hypermarket formats. Seamless Mall Seamless mall is a format which is relatively new in India. In this format, various brands operate their retail areas without any wall between them, providing a seamless shopping experience. This makes it possible for shoppers to compare brands with ease while they shop. We believe this also means that the store can reallocate space more easily based on merchandise/brand performance and customer feedback. Besides offering apparels, accessories and lifestyle products these malls are also equipped with entertainment and leisure facilities. Central is an example of a seamless mall. Speciality stores Specialty stores as the name suggests are stores that specializes in a particular offering. A specialty store carries a deep assortment within a narrow line of goods. Furniture stores, florists, sporting-goods stores, and bookstores are all specialty stores. Examples of specialty stores in India would include Planet Sports, aLL, Planet M, Musicworld, Crossword etc. FUTURE GROUP Introduction Retail forms the core business activity at Future Group and most of its businesses in the consumption space are built around retail. Future Groups retail network touches the lives of more than 200 million Indians in  73 cities and 65 rural locations  across the country. The group currently operates around  1,000 stores  spread over  16 million square feet  of retail space. Present in the value and lifestyle segments, the groups retail formats cater to almost the entire consumption expenditure of a wide cross-section of Indian consumers. GROUP VISION Future Group shall deliver Everything, Everywhere, Every time for Every Indian Consumer in the most profitable manner. GROUP MISSION We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economic development. We will be the trendsetters in evolving delivery formats, creating retail realty, making consumption affordable for all customer segments for classes and for masses. We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition. We shall be efficient, cost- conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do. We shall ensure that our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall be the driving force to make us successful. The Future Group in its turn has many verticals other than just Pantaloons and its associated fashion retail chain. In fact, there are 6 verticals in all under the domain of the Future Group that almost covered the entire scope of Indian consumption. These 6 are: Future Retail (retail related) Future Capital (Finance related) Future Brands (Brand Management related) Future Space (Real Estate related) Future Logistics (Management and Distribution related) Future Media (Retail Media Management related) Led by Pantaloon Retail, the Future groups flagship company, the group manages some of Indias most popular retail chains like; Fashion: The group offers a variety of options in fashion. Its brands include aLL, Blue Sky, Central, Etam, Fashion Station, Gini Jony, Navaras, Pantaloons, and Top 10. Food: In food business, the group offers a host of options. Food Bazaar a chain of large supermarkets; Brew Bar a beer bar; cafà © Bollywood a national chain of eateries; Chamosa a pan-Indian chain of snack counters, and Sports Bar a bistro focused on the world of sports. Home Electronics: Options include: Collection i a lifestyle furniture store; Electronics Bazaar offers branded electronic goods and appliances; e-zone trendiest electronics items; Furniture Bazaar entire range of Home Furniture; Home Town one stop destination for all the home needs. Leisure Entertainment: Options are: Bowling Co. state-of-the-art premium family entertainment centre, offering multiple, novel and unique leisure and entertainment options; F 123 offers a wide range of gaming options ranging from bowling and pool to redemption and interactive video games to bumper cars. Wellness Beauty: Options are: Health Village a state-of-the art spa and yoga centre; Star Sitara: Beauty salon for men and women; Tulsi provides access to the best allopathic, ayurvedic and homeopathic medicinal products; Turmeric offers beauty products like colour cosmetics, fragrances, herbal and specialty skin items, hair products and bath accessories. Books Music: Future Groups brand Depot offers Books, CDs, and stationery items. The group also operates Indias leading rural retailing chain,  Aadhaar  that is present in over 65 locations in rural India. Aadhaar, an agri-service cum  rural retail initiative, provides a complete solution provider for the Indian farmer.   PANTALOONS FRESH FASHIONS From our beginning in 1987, we have today evolved as one of the leading manufacturer-retailer and are among the pioneers in setting up a nation-wide chain of large format stores in India. We believe that the various initiatives taken by us have played a key role in enhancing the standards of retail in the country. We started our operations by selling branded garments under Pantaloon, Bare and John Miller brands. We set up our first menswear Pantaloon Shoppe Outlet in 1993. Our business has grown from one store in Kolkata in 1997 occupying an area of 8,000 Sq ft to 72 stores, apart from our 22 factory outlets located in the multiple cities occupying an aggregate area of 21,07,608 Sq. ft. We focus on the Lifestyle segment through 14 Pantaloon stores, 3 Central Malls, 2 aLL, 2 Fashion Station and 1 MeLa store. In the Value offering, we cater to the mass through our 21 Big Bazaar and 30 Food Bazaar outlets. Pantaloons believe that managing customer expectation by offering them all the requirements for their entire family under one roof is the key to being a successful retailer, and hence have built our business model around Family focus rather than individual focus. They believe addressing the family attracts more customers into the store. They retail a range of branded and Private Label apparel, footwear, perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, leather products and accessories, home products, books, music and toys in our stores. To complete the idea of a family store, besides garments, we also retail household items, consumer durables, and home furnishings, apart from food and personal care products. This is complemented by cafes, food stalls, entertainment, personal care and various beauty related services. Promotions and events are an integral part of our service offering to our customer, which helps us create a unique shopping experience. They have also entered into partnerships/joint ventures to expand our offerings from home to apparel to household products to durables etc. They believe their focus on customers supported by systems and processes and a committed work force are the key factors that have contributed to our success and will help us scale up as we embark on our strategic growth plan. Core values followed by Pantaloons, India à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Indianness: To boast confidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flow: To understand and respect the global nature laws. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Adaptability: To become adaptable and flexible to accomplish the challenges. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Positivity and simplicity, in the business thought and action. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To nurture and maintain long-term relationships. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To be receptive and open to the innovative ideas, information and knowledge. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To value every customer and being modest in the conduct. Major Achievements of Pantaloon Retail Chosen as International Retailer for the Year 2007 Chosen as Emerging Market Retailer of the Year 2007 Best Employers in India (Rank 14th) in the Hewitt Best Employers 2007 survey. Best Managed Company in India (Mid-cap) for the year 2006. Won Images Retail Awards 2006 for Best Value Retail Store, Best Retail Destination, and Best Food Grocery Store. Retail Face of the Year Kishore Biyani Most Admired Food Grocery Retail Visionary of the Year: Kishore Biyani Positioning In the Life-style segment (Pantaloons) the positioning of the store is very different. The store is very open and has a soothing music when the customer enters. The store is very open and spacious; the door of the store is always open which is inviting customers. Since the store is very spacious Pantaloons has segmented its products in a Demographic way and this is the same in all the outlets .The entrance would have the cosmetics jewellery etc then is the ladies section which first has the Indian wear then the western after that its the mens wear and then the sportswear. Pantaloons brands like UMM, DJC are always positioned at the eyelevel. There is a lot of detailing on the presentation of the products which are then displayed on the mannequin. The company would place its beat products on the mannequin. Pantaloon always positions its product at a place where the consumer would see the product once and is easy to locate. Location plays a major role in positioning the product in their store to enhance sale. The company would also position itself according to the needs of the youth because it is the target market and likes things fresh. BUSINESS STRATEGY Promotional Strategy:- Under the market strategy promotional idea is very important. Organization provides some schemes or rebates to retailers or consumers. They make advertisement according to convenient of the people and the feature of the product. So, on the basis of marketing strategy an organization runs in the market. It is several types of which makes helpful to increase sales and turnover of the organization. Pantaloons is the first company to promote their products through movies like Na Tum Jano Na Hum and many others, since the companys focus is youth they tend to promote their products through youth icons like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Bipasha Basu, they also tend to sponsor events which are watched by the youth like the Pantaloons Femina Miss India which they relate to or is liked by the youth. The company also promotes its products through discounts. For Example-In Pantaloons (life style segment) on a purchase of one t-shirt(UMM) you would have to pay Rs349 and on a purchase of two one would buy it for Rs549.The company keeps yearly or quarterly discounts. Pantaloon majorly promotes its brands through promotions in events which involve youth like Malhaar, Umang and popular college festivals etc. Sectoral Strategies: India has been a country which followed the concept of an organized retail till very recently when the real retail boom happened. The major change was brought in by Pantaloon and Shoppers Stop. Both these companies belonged to a family and the concept of malls started in India and within 5 to 9 years has become a huge sector. Retail contributes 10% to Indias GDP. The retail sector in the country is around $350billionand is expected to grow at a very smooth pace. The organized retail sector is segmented into different types like the hyper market, departmental store, specialty stores ,discount stores and there are other types. PRODUCT CATEGORY Pantaloon sold apparels and accessories categorized under:- Mens formal Mens casual Ladies ethnic Ladies western Childrens wear Pantaloon develops three types of merchandise:- Classic type Fashion type Collection type LOYALTY PROGRAM Green Card Your Green Card is your passport to a whole new world of exclusive benefits and privileges. Instant discount* for every time you shop at Pantaloons Exclusive shopping days to get hold of latest merchandise Regular updates on collections and promos via catalogues, sms and email Special invites to the most happening events Extended exchange periods and complimentary drops for alterations Exclusive billing counters and much more * Categories valid for Green Card Discounts: Apparel, Perfumes Cosmetics, Toys, Bluesky, aLL, Depot, Planet Sports Accessories. MEMBERSHIP When you shop with Green Card, you get rewarded instantly, Online purchases are currently not eligible for Green Card discounts or counted in your purchases. This feature would be available in the near future. 1 Star Members Gift Voucher worth Rs. 200 on enrolment 3 Star Members 5% discount on every purchase 5 Star Members An exclusive 7.5% discount on every purchase 7 Star Members Present your card for the swipe every time you make a purchase at Pantaloons. HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR GREEN CARD Membership 12 month Purchase-based Upgrading System Three Star Card   Upgrade to a 3 star status by shopping for Rs. 8000/- immediately preceding 12 months of current shopping date. Five Star card   Upgrade to a 5 star status by shopping for Rs. 20000/- immediately preceding 12 months of current shopping date. Seven Star   Upgrade to a 7 star status by shopping for Rs. 40000/- immediately preceding 12 months of current shopping date. 12 month Purchase-based Upgrading System   When you shop at Pantaloons and your total purchase (including that day) in the previous 12 months totals to the criteria value of the next tier, you upgrade to the next status. Membership Validity 1 Star card is valid for a period of 2 years from the date of enrolment. 3, 5 and 7 star cards are valid for a period of one year from the date of upgrade. Membership Renewal Purchase worth Rs. 8000 within 2 years of card issue date and retain a 1 star status Purchase worth Rs. 8000 within 1 year of card issue date and retain a 3 star status Purchase worth Rs. 20000 within 1 year of card issue date and retain a 5 star status Purchase worth Rs. 40000 within 1 year of card issue date and retain a 7 star status. SWOT ANALYSIS OF PANTALOONS Strength Pioneer in the industry, largest market share and capitalization.   Reputation for value for money(Competitive pricing), convenience and a wide range of products all in one store   Presence in major cities   Highly Strategic human resource management and development. It invests time and money in training people, and retaining them.   Most trusted and respected brand by the consumers   Being financially strong helps pantaloons retail India deal with any problems, ride any dip in profits and out perform their rivals   Development and Innovation are high at Pantaloons India with regards to it products and consumer preferences and lifestyle changes which keep its ahead of its competitors. Weakness Pantaloons does not function internationally, which has an effect on success, as they do not reach consumers in overseas markets.   PRIL is the Worlds largest grocery retailer and control of its empire, despite its IT advantages, could leave it weak in some areas due to the huge span of control   Since Pantaloons Retail India Ltd sell products across many sectors, it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused competitors.   Each business line faces competition from specialty companies. Fashion segment, Shoppers Stop, Trent, Lifestyle. In hypermarket-RPG (Spencers),Trent (Star India Bazaar) In Food business, Reliance Fresh, Spinach, Food World Opportunities   Huge untapped market   (The Indian middle class is already 30 Crore is projected to grow to over 60 Crore by 2010 making India one of the largest consumer markets of the world)   Organized retail is only 3% of the total retailing market in India. It is estimated to grow at the rate of 25-30% p.a. and reach INR 1, 00, 000 Crore by 2010.   To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets   New locations and store types offer PRIL opportunities to exploit market development.(Diversification into insurance , property, and variety of products and stores)   Opportunities exist for PRIL to continue with its current  strategy  of large, super centres.   Rural Retailing Threats   Being number one means that you are the target of competition. (Extra competition and new competitors entering the market could unsteady pantaloons retail India)   A slow economy or financial slowdown could have a major impact on pantaloons retail India business and profits.   Consumer lifestyle changes could lead to less of a demand for pantaloons retail India products/services   Price wars between competitors, price cuts and so on could damage profits for pantaloons retail India.   The actions of a competitor could be a major threat against pantaloons retail India, for instance, if they bring in new technology or increase their workforce to meet demand   Shopping Culture: Shopping culture has not developed in India as yet. Even now malls are just a place to hang around with family and friends and largely confined to window-shopping.   If  unorganized retailers are put together, they are parallel to a large supermarket with  little overheads, high degree of flexibility in merchandise, display, prices and turnover. COMPETITORS In the fashion segment, they face competition from Shoppers Stop, Trent, Westside and Lifestyle. Though the hypermarket is new, only three to four years old, in the country competition is faced from likes RPG (Spencers), Trent (Star India Bazaar) and with Shoppers Stop . In the Food business competition is faced from Subhiksha and Food World. Its major competitors are Westside, Globus, and central. With a sales turnover in 2008-09 FYof Rs. 5048.91 cr, pantaloon has been a clear market leader with the next competitor being Shoppers Stop with a turnover of Rs.1244.79 cr. The numbers suggest that Pantaloon has had no competition at all. Another interesting statistic is about the Pantaloons net profit for FY 2008 in comparison to Shoppers Stop. Pantaloon had a net profit of Rs.125.94 cr, while Shoppers Stop had an loss of Rs.63.72 cr. Clearly Pantaloon remains the market leader as far as retail is  concerned. INTERNATIONAL RETAIL ENTERING INDIA International retailers Indias vast middle class with its expanding purchasing power and its almost untapped retail industry are key attractions for global retail giants wanting to enter newer markets. The Australian governments National Food Industry Strategy and Astride  initiated a test marketing food retail in India wherein 12 major Australian food  producers have tied up with India-based distributor AB Mauri to sell their  products directly at retail outlets. US-based home delivery and logistics company, Specialized Transportation Inc, will enter the Indian market through a strategic alliance with Patel Retail, a subsidiary of Patel Integrated Logistics. Wal-Mart has announced its plans for India in partnership with Bharti, US coffee chain Starbucks is well on its way to set up its first store in India this year. US based Tommy Hilfiger has tied up with Creative Portico, a Mumbai based home textiles company, to sell its home textiles and furnishings in India. Alfred Dunhill, a UK-based luxury mens brand, has tied up with Brand house Retail Ltd. for its India venture and will be opening four stores in the country. THE ROAD AHEAD Pantaloon planed to expand its retail stores to small cities like lucknow, Nagpur etc. By the end of 2005, pantaloon is expected to have 30 food bazaars,22 big bazaars,21 pantaloons 4 centrals. Pantaloon also had planned to venture into footwear, consumer durables, music car accessories retailing. The company also had a forged alliance with a sports retail footwear company called Royal sports house. As a repositioning, Mr. Biyani has planned to give a new makeover to pantaloons. To re-establish and rejuvenate its existing brands, pantaloons intended to spend INR 2 crores additional INR 1 crore on its upcoming brand. The company was planning to reduce the number of vendors for both Pantaloons and Big bazaar. To meet its growing technology meet, they planned to deploy a retail ERP solution, which would support functions such as HR Marketing. Pantaloons planned to launch a B2B portal, to bring transparency in the value chain. CONCLUSION Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd is a company where it strives for Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd is a company where it strives for lifestyle and value through its products and services. Through the study, it is observed that pantaloon can be said an organization where the Ps of marketing is taken seriously for the maximum profitability through large range of products, promotional activities for the company and a solid sales organization monitoring that the Ps are worked effectively. The stores has been well maintained in accordance with the latest demands of the maintained in accordance with the latest demands of the consumers and through all these strategies Pantaloon ensures repeated customer patronage.

Hellenistic and Hellenic Interpretation of Popper :: Scientific Theories Science Essays

Hellenistic and Hellenic Interpretation of Popper Sir Karl Popper states in his treatise "Philosophy of Science: a Personal Report" asserts that "the criterion of the scientific status of a theory is its falsifiability, or refutability, or testability" (Popper 23). He claims that a 'good' scientific theory must meet a single requirement: its capability of being tested. In other words, a good theory predicts future observations, and the accuracy of the prediction supports or refutes it. If a theory can't be tested then it isn't scientific. While agreeing with Popper's falsifiability criteria, I question his initial assumptions of the nature of science. He suggests that all scientific thought is purely logical and scientific theories are rigorous, mathematical and precise. While true for most modern theories, this assumption is not true for ancient scientific theories. Modern science is a product of Hellenistic thought, which evolved from Alexandrine culture. Modern theories, as well as those which follow the Hellenistic tradition, are characterized by their narrow focus of logic and mathematics -- they explain how something works (Kuhn 104). However, the scientific predecessor of Hellenistic thought, Hellenic science, provided explanations for not only how something works, but also why it was there. Hellenic theories, by their nature, were loosely constructed in order to explain both observed anomalies and questions of existence. Since Hellenic theories tackle both of these questions, they often cannot be tested (how does a person test the nature of reality?). So Popper's claim of falsifiability can't apply to Hellenic science, as the majority of its theories fail Popper's criteria. Indeed, the foundations of scientific thought are unscientific. His argument eliminates the backbone of scientific thought by the presumption that all science is Hellenistic. Modern science bases itself on Hellenistic thought, so its theories are characterized by quantitative value rather than qualitative thought. Relating the two fields of scientific thought, Kuhn observes that Hellenistic science is "less philosophical [and] more mathematical and numerical, than its Hellenic predecessor" (104). Compared to Hellenic thought, the very nature of science changed from speculative and philosophical to precise and mathematical. In fact, the modern scientific method is Hellenistic. But, Hellenistic thought does not address any philosophical implications which arise from scientific theories. Kuhn addresses this dichotic split between philosophy and logic: "Economy as a purely logical function, and cosmological satisfaction as a purely psychological function, lie at opposite ends of a spectrum" (39). Einstein's gravitational theory illustrates modern Hellenistic theory.

Abolishing the Death Penalty Thesis

Abolishing the Death Penalty October 18, 2010 Abolishing the Death Penalty The death penalty has been an active force in the United States for decades. In the early history of our country, public executions were quite popular. Thousands have been executed with the majority occurring in the early twentieth century. But public sentiment towards the executions began to wane as the concepts of basic human rights were being developed throughout the century. As a result, a kind of unofficial moratorium was placed on all executions while several Supreme Court cases were taking place to determine the legality of the punishment.The result of the cases actually made the death penalty illegal as it stood, so several states rewrote their laws, being more specific as to the circumstances as to which the penalty can be applied. The Supreme Court reversed its decision and those states that met the new compliance could reinstate the death penalty. Today, it is legal to execute death row prisoners in all but fifteen states. While it may be legal, it still holds that the death penalty has not and cannot accomplish the task that it has been reinstated to fulfill. Part I: ThesisThe death penalty should be abolished for a variety of reasons. Initially, the death penalty has long been held to be inherently unjust. It is considered unjust in relation to its application, unjust as to the type of punishment utilized and unjust as a punishment at all. It has and continues to be argued in court that the executions amount to what is considered cruel and unusual punishment and so barbaric that it should be done away with as a type of punishment. It is a sad but true statement to say that the United States is one of the last democratic nations to continue to utilize the death penalty.Our country has wavered back in forth on the issue of capital punishment being illegal and a breach of human rights. Additionally, even while continuing to use the death penalty it has not shown to be a deterre nt of crime and actually may increase it. Opponents of the death penalty also recognize that it has not been applied fairly. For instance, minorities, the poor, and the mentally disabled tend to receive the death penalty with far greater consistency than their counterparts. That cannot be a punishment representative of a great industrialized country.Those against the death penalty also recognize the cost involved with executing a prisoner. To actually take a death row inmate through the complete appellate system, so as to ensure the inmate’s guilt without any doubt, would cost exponentially more than housing the same inmate for the duration of their life. The monies saved could be better served if used towards something positive, like victim’s programs or the like. Lastly, the death penalty is a punishment that is irrevocable; its effects are permanent and there is the sad reality that innocent lives may be lost. There is no perfect system and mistakes are bound to be made.This is one mistake, however, that cannot be corrected. This is why the death penalty cannot be the United States’ answer for grave offenders of the law. Part II: Anti-Thesis Proponents of the death penalty are large in number. According to many polls, as many as 80% of the American population still favor capital punishment. One reason for this is society as a whole believes that if a person kills another person, the killer forfeits his right to his own life. (Christie, 1990). If a person shows such complete and utter disregard for human life, the question is posed, why should any regard be shown for the person?Also, those in favor of using the death penalty argue that it is a just punishment for the crime and it is reliable. After all, though some states are trying to punish people with death for other heinous crimes, such as rape and repeat child molestation, so far the death penalty can only be imposed on murder cases. As far as the reliability argument, supporters wi ll always point out that because of the thoroughness in applying and appealing death penalty cases, the process itself will weed out the innocent and wrongly convicted. Proponents of the death penalty also view it as a deterrent to crime. â€Å"Same old†, 1990). Just by having the possible punishment of death as an end result to a heinous crime has lowered the murder rate in some states. The feeling is that the more executions you have, the lower the homicide rate you will have. Not to mention the innocent lives you will save. Supporters of capital punishment will cite studies showing that murderers who are allowed to live will inevitably kill again. Studies have shown that murderers awaiting their death penalty sentence to be carried out have killed correction officers, knowing there could be no additional fate assigned to them.Another argument made in favor of the death penalty is one of Biblical proportions. There are some activists that say the Bible itself proclaims the right to execute a perpetrator of the most serious of crimes by quoting a scripture from Leviticus 24:20 – â€Å"†¦fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. † The old adage has not been lost on those who feel that it is their God given right to enforce the laws that God has given them regarding the taking of a human life. Gray, 2010) Lastly, many supporters of capital punishment feel that it is appropriate to give a punishment that fits the crime and one that is universal. It doesn’t matter a person’s color, race, creed, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or financial status; if two people, one white and one â€Å"non-white†, commit the exact same crime under the exact same circumstances, they in fact should receive the exact same punishment. It is believed that the death penalty, when applied under the circumstance of murder in the first degree with aggravating circumstances, is the great equalizer, with everyone being treated the same in the eyes of the law.Part III: Synthesis It is important that the United States realizes, sooner than later, that the death penalty has to be abolished. Proponents want us to think that a killer forfeits his own life. But the reality is all life is precious, regardless of its form or merit. (Thomson, 2001). Although someone has taken a life, and in no way should that be trivialized, it does not change that situation by killing the offender. All it does is show that two wrongs do not make a right. The execution of the murderer does not bring the victim back to life.Quite frankly, the death penalty often provides a way out for the offender and if punishment was the true desire of the sentence then there are situations, other than execution that may be far more punitive than the taking of his or her life. (Thomson, 2001). When it comes to reliability, the argument on behalf of the death penalty doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Yes, it is true that the exhaustive appeals process does on occasion help to find innocent people who have been convicted of murder. This is largely due to the relatively new innovation of DNA technology as it relates to crime scene investigation. (Gzedit, 2010).Well, if anything, this proves the fallibility of the death penalty process. If over 131 death row inmates could be exonerated and released from death row, that shows just how faulty the system is and proves it is unreliable. Again, as stated previously, once a prisoner has been executed, there is no returning from the grave to say a mistake has been made. At least if the inmate was serving a life sentence and found innocent, they could be released, although still wronged by a jail sentence, but it is a correctable injustice. One of the main arguments in favor of the death penalty is that it serves as a deterrent to serious crime.Would it surprise you to know that this simply is not true? It is a proven fact that the death penalty has not demonstrably deterred crime. (â€Å"Same old†, 1990). The 2004 Uniform Crime Report that was published by the FBI published that Southern states demonstrated the highest murder rate in the country, despite being responsible for 85% of the nation’s executions. (Friedman, 2006, p. 37). As further evidence that the death penalty doesn’t deter crime I introduce you to the state of Texas which has been nicknamed the â€Å"killing machine† because they tend to exercise the death penalty frequently and rapidly.Even with capital punishment Texas has a disturbing murder rate of 5. 6 per 100,000 persons s opposed to Massachusetts, which banned executions and only has a murder rate of 2. 6. (Gzedit, 2010). As for the idea that people who kill once develop an appetite to kill again, there have been no definitive studies that prove this theory. This mindset is based on gut reaction, conjecture, and hysteria. Perhaps one of the most controversial argume nts in favor of the death penalty is the interpreted law given by God to exact the same punishment on the criminal as was forced upon the victim.Supporters of this notion quote scripture from the Holy Bible as a sort of guideline to follow. However the Bible also has scripture that specifically refutes the idea of the death penalty as retribution for man to man. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, â€Å"let he who is without sin cast the first stone. This is truly what Jesus would do! Finally, proponents of the death penalty exclaim that executions are given with perfect exactness according to the crime, without regard to race, color, creed, nationality, etc†¦ , basically saying without bias. However, many different studies hav e show that the likelihood of you receiving the death penalty increases according to those very attributes. People of color are more likely than their white counterparts to receive the death penalty for committing the same crime under the same circumstances.Also, blacks that murder white victims are far likelier to end up on death row than whites killing blacks. Furthermore, studies show that prosecutors are more likely to seek the death penalty against blacks than they will for whites who commit the same crime. (Friedman, 2006, pp. 86-89). So much for all being equal under the law! So, as you see, we are a country somewhat divided. While the majority of Americans still favour the idea of using the death penalty, it has become an increasingly more controversial subject.The United States always holds its head up high as the leader of the free world and is quick to condemn other countries with regards to their human rights violations. How then can we continue to justify our use of thi s antiquated, archaic method of punishment? It is time that our country steps in line with the rest of the industrialized countries into the 21st century and do away with the death penalty once and for all.References Gzedit. (2010, January 27). Pro-death: :America alone. The Charleston Gazette,A. 4. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. Document ID: 1948771421). Christie, J. (1990, March 29). At Last, Punishment Fits the Crime Death penalty: It has wide support because ordinary citizens identify with media images of brutalized victims :[Home Edition]. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext),p. 7. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Los Angeles Times. (Document ID: 60026222). Friedman, L. (2006). The death penalty. Greenhaven Press Gray, L. (4   November). Houston Chronicle Lisa Gray column: Life, death and the prodigal son. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID:  1893533451). Same old anti-crime hype . (1990, October 15). Milwaukee Journal,p. a06. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 64063217). Thomson, R. (2001, June 18). A consistent pro-life stance rules out the death penalty :[SARASOTA Edition]. Sarasota Herald Tribune,p. BS1. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 74204727).

Essay on Thomas Malthus and the Principle of Population

1. Introduction This essay deals with Thomas Malthus and the first two chapters of his â€Å"Essay on the Principle of Population†. At first I will provide a short biographical note on Malthus and I will also mention his main achievements. Then, a summary of Malthus main ideas of the first two chapters of mentioned work follows. Afterward, the essay concludes with a personal note. 2. A short biography Thomas Robert Malthus was born in 1766 (course textbook, n. d.) in Surrey, England, as the sixth son of a wealthy intellectual family and he died in 1834 (Weikard, n. d.). He was mainly concerned with population growth and poverty in the English society of his time. It was an answer to the precarious human situation back then. Malthus†¦show more content†¦This also puts a limit on the amount of procreation possible, but however, all species strive to surpass these limitations (Malthus, p. 2). In this aspect, human beings are not any different from plants or animals, but in contrast to them they do not only act out of instinct. Additionally, they use their reasoning to determine whether they will be able to care sufficiently for their children (Malthus, p. 2). Malthus states that there are certain checks on population and points out that there is no society without any check applied. An unchecked population increases in a geometrical ratio, what means that it doubles itself every twenty-five years. Instead, the available food does not increase geometrically, but gradually diminishes, because of the limited amount of fertile land. In contrast to the population, the agricultural production, under favourable circumstances, is able to only increase in an arithmetical ratio (Malthus, p. 6). A gap between population growth and the amount of food available rises. As a result, to further increase the food supply, it is necessary to improve the quality of the soil (Malthus, p. 4). 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