Baroque was one of the most significant and influential styles in arts in the first half of the 17th century. Despite the vague Baroque definition, particular features of pieces related to this style are revealed. One of them is extravagance manifested in inner imperfection and inconsistency in architecture, sculpture, and music. In visual arts, a discrepancy is more explicit; a spectator can more easily note forms and colors which do not match each other. Conversely, analyzing music is a more complicated task, which is nevertheless significant, and the issue of purposeful Baroque music’s imperfection should be addressed carefully.
Karacsony provides an example of Quae moereba, alto aria of the Baroque era, demonstrating the inherent contradiction of this music (48). In particular, according to the lyrics, the aria tells about the grief of Mary, the mother of Jesus, witnessing the torment of her child; at the same time, from a musical point of view, the melody is not composed in a sorrowful way (Karacsony 48). Thus, the story presents one of the most tragic Bible stories, the agonizing death of Jesus, and the critical role of Mary in the story also reveals the composition’s appeal to emotional experiences. However, the tempo is not slow, and tonality is not minor; the cheerful sound of the music contradicts the mournful narrative (Karacsony 48). This discrepancy is shocking, manifesting of extravagance and eccentricity of Baroque music.
Therefore, it is characteristic of Baroque music to have contradictory nature. For instance, Quae moereba demonstrates inconsistency on the level of relationship between lyrics and melody’s structure. Given the vital link between philosophy and art, especially in the Baroque era, it is profound to seek reasons for this inconsistency in terms of philosophical background.
Works Cited
Karácsony, Noémi. “Expressing Reality through Spectacle and Dream in Baroque Art.” Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov, Series VIII: Performing Arts vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 45-52.
Obtaining Startup Funds And Working Capital
Many entrepreneurs are faced with a choice: to develop a business using personal resources or to attract third-party capital – in order to reach profitability faster. Investments are often required at the initial stages of project development when they are directed to the launch of the first sales. First of all, a credit repair business would need a starting capital to set up an office: rent the place, purchase the computers and software, and hire the employees. Moreover, it is also necessary to develop and launch a marketing campaign that will attract customers. Jin et al. supply that “an active social media presence increases the likelihood a startup will close the round, the amount raised, and the breadth of the investor pool” (2). Therefore, it is important to allocate funds for maintaining the social media channels of the business, as well.
A good strategy to obtain necessary funding is equity financing – that is, an investment from a private investor in exchange for a stake in the company. This makes the investor a full-fledged co-owner of the business and gives them the opportunity to influence the management of the enterprise and receive dividends. Equity financing is also attractive for venture investors: if the business becomes successful, it will be able to earn a super profit, which can be measured in thousands of percent of the invested funds. He states that “the formation and development of venture capital has solved the problem of venture financing for small enterprises in the United States” (3). It is also beneficial if, in addition to money, the investor also brings their experience and connections to the project.
The first common source of funding that was considered is investment from friends or family, as it would allow the business to get the money on easier and more negotiable terms. However, after serious consideration, it was rejected due to the fact that personal relationships can affect the business severely, and maintaining both them and a business approach is too difficult and energy-consuming. Moreover, according to Mustapha and Tlaty, ” startup companies must use external financing during the early stages of the innovative project implementation” (1). Another source is bootstrapping, which is an appealing strategy, but operating a business in times of pandemic can prove to be very challenging and require additional funds that the business might not have yet.
Sources
Achibane Mustapha, & Jamal Tlaty, 2018. The entrepreneurial finance and the issue of funding startup companies. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 14(13), 268. Web.
Fujie Jin, Andy Wu, & Lorin Hitt, 2017. Social is the new financial: How startup social media activity influences funding outcomes. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017(1), 13329. Web.
Weishen He, 2020. The Relationship between Enterprise Financing and Enterprise Life Cycle. Advances in Management and Applied Economics, 10(5), 35–53. Web.
Medicine Is Not A Genetic Supermarket
Together with the development of society, medicine also develops, but some people are not ready to accept everything that science creates. There is an opinion that any intervention in human life to improve it is considered genocide concerning any social group. There are some people disagreeing with this view, however, it can be perceived as intolerance of people towards any community, intolerance towards the deaf, dwarfs, and others. After all, no one knows what actually underlies the development of new ‘drugs’ for people. The development of medicine, the fight against human nature, is what developed and continues developing our society.
One of the most arguable theme in medicine and human rights fields is abortion. Many people oppose abortion, arguing that it is immoral and unethical, demanding at the same time that prenatal diagnosis should be canceled. I am against the abolition of prenatal diagnostics because, in this case, there is an interference in the family or even personal life of individuals. It is similarly to an intervention in the woman’s body, to some extent, which has a direct impact on her health. I think it would be nice not to deny the prenatal diagnostic but to ask future parents whether they want to do this or not. I do not believe that termination of pregnancy is unethical for a woman who has made an informed decision about this.
The ability to acquire an egg cell in the modern world is also an indicator of the rapid development of medicine. The donor donates eggs for a woman who cannot get pregnant on her own due to reproductive health problems. For example, if the body does not produce oocytes or they are of unsatisfactory quality, and a woman with such conditions has the opportunity to become a mother, that is not immoral.
The complexity of this question lies in the fact that no one can be sure in which direction any experiment will turn. At the same time, humanity cannot refuse to form a new layer of human development, otherwise, it will cease to evolve. It is impossible to stop the development of medicine in any of its manifestations, even if some consider it to be just a genetic supermarket.