Essay on Breaking Down Foundations

Essay on Breaking Down Foundations Essay on Breaking Down Foundations Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot’s article Foundations was published in 1757 and was a very radical way of thinking for the time. Turgot discusses his opinion on â€Å"foundations† which involved corporate charities that were created to aid the community. He felt the underlying motives of the charities were aimed solely to the benefit of the founder and their self-worth, and not to fixing the true problems that were present and all the more increasing with these foundations. He also discusses how these charities change over time and the negative effect it has. Turgot then presents his ideas on what we should do to end â€Å"foundations†, and what should be done instead to further the public good. Turgot felt that charities may have had good intentions but there was more harm caused in the long run than any benefit and claimed, â€Å"Is it not very easy to do harm in wishing to do good†. Because most of these charities looked to have good intentions the public wa s blind to the ill that would come to society as a result. He points out, â€Å"misery is most common and most widespread in precisely the countries where these charitable resources are most abundantly available†. When we provide free subsistence we subsidize idleness according to Turgot. As we give to the poor and create free services we give them no desire to improve upon themselves. There is no desire to work when you can get what you need for free. This attitude which was stimulated by the charities created more beggars and loafers. There was also an example given of the establishment of the houses of asylum for repentant women. These houses were set up to provide shelter for women that were former prostitutes. They would need to provide proof of their debauched life to be accepted. This charity did nothing to prevent the cause of debauchery which was the true issue, but overlooked this and provided a means of housing for prostitutes. If anything this would encourage pros titution as after participating in such debauchery they would then have somewhere to go and be accepted. This cause and effect relation that Turgot implies is resulting from charities is further solidified when he provides an analogy of charity provided to a well-run state with no poor, â€Å"An institution offering free assistance to a certain number of men would soon create some poor†. These charities will break down a state, creating more beggars and thus increasing crime and hurting the overall good of society. Turgot felt over time charities begin to break down and it is impossible to maintain their function, stating â€Å"There is no body that has not in the long run lost the sense of its original purpose†. He felt with time we start to do things by habit and lose the original desire we once had. He references how we feel when we first visit a hospital and the feeling you have toward humanity and the emotions toward the people in misery. With habit the workers in the hospital lose this feeling and he observes their lack of concern toward the patients as they carry out their daily duties. The original enthusiasm that was once had is lost with habit according to Turgot. As a result the purpose of a foundation cannot be fulfilled continuously and idleness is created. This idleness that Turgot refers to creates inaction. This has a trickle effect through the management of the foundation, each becoming less likely to take any action to expose any issues within the foundation. Any monetary interest will supersede taking any action as profit has become the aspect of the foundation. This creates a cycle of foundations that are degenerated and then replaced again and again, instead of being changed for the better. The founders obviously take more concern to the distinction that comes with creating new foundations. The other issue according to Turgot is that needs change over time so what was once

The Royal Order of Adjectives

The Royal Order of Adjectives The Royal Order of Adjectives The Royal Order of Adjectives By Jacquelyn Landis Have you ever wondered why we instinctively say â€Å"the shiny new red car† and not â€Å"the red new shiny car†? The reason is that there is a royal order for adjectives, and most native English speakers learn to use it as we’re forming our first complete sentences. Adjectives fall into categories, and those categories comprise the royal order: Determiner (articles and other limiters: the book, your car) Observation or opinion (a genuine fraud, an interesting book, an expensive watch) Size and Shape (tiny, fat, square) Age (young, old, new) Color (blue, sea-green) Origin (American, Chinese) Material (describing what something is made of: silk, copper, wooden) Qualifier (final adjective, often an integral part of the noun: vacation resort, wedding dress, race car) Typically, writers know better than to string together more than two or three adjectives at a time, and we don’t seem to struggle too much in getter their order straight. Where it gets confusing is in deciding when to use commas to separate a string of adjectives. You probably already know that equal adjectives should be separated by commas, as in this example: The singer wore a beaded, feathered costume. â€Å"Beaded† and â€Å"feathered† are equal adjectives, ones that belong to the same category (material) in the royal order. You could switch their position, and the rhythm of the sentence would still be correct. However, when you create a string of adjectives, be mindful of both their proper order and of the fact that you needn’t use commas to separate adjectives of a different category. The singer wore an antique purple beaded, feathered costume. Only one comma is necessary in the above sentence because â€Å"beaded† and â€Å"feathered† are the only adjectives belonging to the same category. If you’re ever in doubt about where to place commas in a string of adjectives, refer to the royal order. It’ll be your faithful guide. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartRules for Capitalization in TitlesEmpathic or Empathetic?