In Karl Giberson’s article “The Ends of Happiness†(2006), from the Science & Spirit magazine, he raises the topic of happiness, where he claims that people are now pursuing the means to happiness as an end to itself and have missed the point of life. Although Giberson(2006) has made some valid arguments in claiming that people pursue wealth as a means to happiness, his arguments are largely undermined due to a lack of reliable evidences. Giberson’s (2006) claims are not unfounded, as human beings tend to set their goals on material success. For them, monetary success is their definition of happiness. This idea is illustrated by the statement “The means have become an end for many of us…â€(para. 11). He goes on to say that many others “can’t seek happiness directly†(para. 7). His thoughts align well with society’s widely accepted view that “without family and friends it is hard to find happiness, for these are essential partners in living and doing wellâ€(para. 9). As such, Giberson (2006) implies that happiness comes from the various experiences and journeys which we go through in life, such as quality time spent with people around us. However, Giberson (2006) makes an unsuccessful attempt in persuading his readers to adopt his beliefs by merely referencing to Aristotle’s philosophy of “living well and doing well†(para. 8). Throughout the article, Giberson (2006) constantly refers to his own opinions and experiences. For example, he reminisces that “in reflecting on the accumulated memories of happy times … [he finds himself] agreeing with Aristotle†(para. 12). Thereafter, he mentions that he “coached [his] children’s sports teams … and lov(ed) it†(para. 13). This demonstrates that his views are greatly influenced by emotions rather than facts. Although the use of anecdotes sparks interest and engages his readers effectively, his excessive usage of this communication technique makes his arguments seem unsupported and weak. As a result of his heavy reliance on his own opinions, it has led to a hasty generalisation in his argument as seen through his claim that “America … is not a nation pursuing happiness†(para. 11). Due to a lack of expert opinion and statistical data, his claim remains unpersuasive and has little credibility. Hence, Giberson’s(2006) article lacks concrete support and fails to make a compelling argument. Although Giberson (2006) provides a good point of view on how people are becoming too focused on wealth in the pursuit of happiness, he makes sweeping statements that lacks credibility. He can provide a more concrete argument by using a wider range of reliable sources. This will greatly strengthen Giberson’s (2006) argument and lend credibility to his claim. It would help greatly if he had supporting opinions of other academic writers who follow his train of thought. In essence, his article did indeed establish his thesis that people are pursuing the means to happiness as an end to itself, but had unfortunately failed to compellingly persuade his audience. Reference: Giberson, K. (2006, March/April). The Ends of Happiness. Retrieved on 21 Jan 2013 from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4e0e6d4c-0091-45b9-be30-fd892a301bf9%40sessionmgr10&vid=3&hid=2
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12/19/2019 0 Comments Art Management and Arts Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 wordsArt Management and Arts Marketing - Essay Example An arts management course is deemed appropriate to hone the skills of arts enthusiasts and to enable them to develop programs, write grants, provide technical assistance and be responsible art managers. The artists themselves recognized the need to develop a program which would train students who are arts enthusiasts to focus on management of the arts. Accordingly, the important factors which need to be constantly improved are professionalism and relevant management techniques to assure the artists of success in their field of endeavor. What is the relevance of art management to cultural organizations? An arts management student would have direct beneficial contributions to the cultural sector by taking entrepreneurial roles in the development and management of artistic and cultural resources of a particular region. This means that art managers would take an active role in training artists in the management of their own cultural talents. As they enhance their expertise in this field, these art managers would be able to develop regional and international contacts with arts organizations, cultural agencies, and other art practitioners in the field. Finally, entrepreneurial insight and skills would be improved to transform cultural resources into sources of economic benefit for all concerned. (Details from the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Enterprise Management, www.sta.uwi.edu) There are a variety of agencies and institutions who would be interested in the services of an arts administrator or manager who completed an arts management course. The following opportunities are open for art managers: (1) experts in arts organizations; (2) consultants in crafts production industries; (3) book publishers; (4) film producers/directors; (5) events promoters and talent agents; (6) associates in museums and art galleries;
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