René Descartes Essay Example for Free

Renà © Descartes Essay Philosophy begins as an art of wondering. This art of wondering, leads man into asking a number of questions about himself and the world around him. Variations in philosophical thoughts as result questions posed by man, help in modification of philosophy. The purpose of this essay therefore, is to do a comparative analysis of Sophie’s World by Josteen Gaarder with three philosophical texts: George Berkeley’s Treatise on Human Knowledge, John Locke’s Essay on Human Understanding and Rene Descartes’ Passions of the Soul. We shall also show the roles of authors and texts in Philosophy. TREATISE ON HUMAN KNOWLEDGE VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD One of the outstanding efforts of Berkeley in this work was to show that the world exists as it does because of the ideas perceived by the mind of God and as such, existence of things depends on their perception through the senses. Likewise in Sophie’s World, Aristotle through his belief showed a similarity with Berkeley’s stance in this text Treatise of Human Understanding. For Aristotle, highest degree of reality is what we perceive with our senses. Berkeley also said that existence is the state of being perceived by a perceiver, but on the contrary, Descartes in Sophie’s World believed that he exists because he thinks. It furthermore means that his existence depends on his ability to think. He used such words like cogito ergo sum (latin) and je pense, donc je suis (French) all meaning `I think therefore I am` to illuminate his thesis on this. Plato while stressing the sovereignty of reason in Sophie’s World said that the reason can only give us the true reality of things and as such contradicted the empiricist approach of Berkeley. ESSAY ON HUMAN UNDERSTANDING VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD John Locke illuminated in this work that idea is derived from experience of sensation or reflection, just like it reflected in Sophie’s World in which his fellow empiricists likewise stressed the inevitability of experience as the source of true knowledge. David Hume in particular established that man has two types of perceptions, namely: impressions and ideas. By `impressions` he means the external sensations of reality. By `ideas` he means the recollections of such impressions. Aristotle the trail blazer of empiricism, in alignment with the empiricists believed our reason to be completely empty until we have sensed something. John Locke in this book made an attempt to refute the notion of `innate ideas` by proving that it does not exist, whereas in Sophie’s World, philosopher like Plato believed in an innate idea, an external world of ideas outside of the natural world. Descartes even believed that the idea of God is innate. PASSIONS OF THE SOUL VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD Descartes defined passions of the soul as a mental state or thought that arises as a direct result of brain activity and such passions can move us to action. He also suggested that one needs to learn to control one’s passions, for they can move one to perform vicious acts. Benedict Spinosa in Sophie’s World, suggested that we must free ourselves from our feelings and passions only then shall we find happiness. Conversely, also in Sophie’s World, the Epicureans through the teachings of Aristippus believed that the aim of life is to attain the highest possible pleasure or passions and by so doing, they contradict Descartes belief. AN EYE ON THE ROLES OF AUTHORS AND TEXTS IN PHILOSOPHY Authors in philosophy play incredible roles in modification of philosophy through their texts. There various attempts to answer the underlying questions of nature and man have led to the developments of dialectical methods like thesis, antithesis and synthesis used in philosophy today. An eye on the three authors and philosophers: Descartes, Berkeley and Locke whose works where compared with Sophie’s World above showed the vital role they played in philosophy. While Descartes was a rationalist, Berkeley and Locke were empiricists, but through their texts, they contributed in `epistemology` or theory of knowledge. CONCLUSION Having done these comparisons, we can see the successful deduction of similarities and differences between the Sophie’s World and three aforementioned philosophical texts. I attest that Sophie’s World is necessary philosophical paraphernalia needed by a neophyte in Philosophy as seen from its versatility in the course of this comparison done, and also how it covered aspects of history of Philosophy in such a sublime manner. POPE JOHN PAUL II MAJOR SEMINARY OKPUNO, AWKA NAME: UMENABA BENJAMIN C COURSE: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY COURSE CODE: PHIL 101 REG NO: PJPS/NAU/013/O69 LECTURER: REV. FR DR. AUGUSTINE OBUROTA TOPIC: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOPHIE’S WORLD WITH THREE PHILOSOPHY TEXTS WITH AN EYE ON ROLES OF AUTHORS AND TEXTS IN PHILOSOPHY DATE: 28TH NOVEMBER, 2012 OUTLINES INTRODUCTION TREATISE ON HUMAN KNOWLEDGE VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD ESSAY ON HUMAN UNDERSTANDING VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD PASSIONS OF THE SOUL VERSUS SOPHIE’S WORLD AN EYE ON THE ROLES OF AUTHORS AND TEXTS IN PHILOSOPHY CONCLUSION.

Discuss How Art Can Be Used To Promote, Reflect Or Challenge :: essays research papers

Discuss how art can be used to reflect, promote, or challenge cultural beliefs. Art, throughout the times have reflected, promoted and challenged the cultural beliefs of many different societies. To reflect a culture or society the artwork must create or suggest a particular impression of that era. To promote the cultural beliefs of a society the artwork must encourage and support the beliefs. For the artwork to challenge the beliefs it must question tradition. Gislebertus and Michelangelo promote and reflected the society and religion in which they belonged whereas Kruger and Serrano reflected yet challenged their society and religion. Gislebertus was a "sculptor of genius" of the Romanesque period. His sculpture of the last Judgement in progress on the West Tympanum of St. Lazare, Autun, France in 1130, reflected and promoted the strong Christian beliefs of this society. This artwork is extremely detailed and reveals many Christian icons and symbols. In the middle of the artwork is Christ, who is the focus of the composition and on either side of him are devils and angles blowing their trumpets. The weighing of souls is depicted throughout the artwork and next to each scale, are angles and devils competing for each soul. Below Christ are the dead rising, one being "plucked" from the earth by giant hands. Here humanity’s pitiful weakness in revealed in these terror stricken people as the angles summon them to judgement. The devils have legs which end in sharp claws and lean from hell as they drag souls in and are accompanied by howling and roaring demons. Gislebertus’ sculpture was affective in influencing and inspiring the viewers of his artwork as he created a sense of terror and fear by revealing the awful consequences for the damned which encouraged the viewers to follow the Christian and as a result increased the power of the church. Gislebertus was commissioned to depict biblical stories as the majority of the population was illiterate and this was the only way which God’s message could be heard. Therefore, Gislebertus reflected the Christian dominated society and promoted the Christian religion. Michelangelo also reflects and promotes his Italian; Christian dominated culture and the religion itself through his artwork. Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel, Italy, was created between 1508 and 1512 and depicts the most solemn biblical story of the creation of man in the High Renaissance style. The large size of 18’18" X 9’22" reflects the grandness and power of the God and the church.

My First Day at Collage

This was one hell of a day. On this day I had times when I felt like going back home. Embarrassing situations were also a part of this good and bad day. Nevertheless hope was still gained and a good laugh from the day that had events which were unexpected. I guess being new at a school is never always a good experience. When I arrived at Limkokwing University I was immediately filled with joy. This is because of design of the school that had a lot of high rising buildings which were encircled by an amazing garden. Also, when I stepped through the gate just as I thought the marvel was close to an end, I saw a shiny black Rolls-Royce Phantom for the first time in the parking lot and the pleasure continued. Then I arrived at the area that is called the Plaza. The Plaza is a place which has most of the school offices, restaurants and other facilities. The area looked nice and it had a lot of people who were from different regions who at the same time were also having different agendas . Some of the people were satisfying themselves with delicious food, others were in the gym burning calories from their bodies and the rest were going to different places. After the great viewing I looked at my watch and saw that I was ten minutes late for my lesson so I rushed out of the Plaza and asked someone where the Foundation in Business class was and that was when the problems began. The person told me that they had just dropped off their son in the foundation class and that the class is the one written number ninety-eight in the last building. This information relieved me and then I went to the exact place that I was told. As soon as I arrived in the class things went up side down, this is because the things that the lecturer was teaching us seemed to be complicated. I began questioning myself if I should carry on with school in my life because I was not grasping on what was being taught. As the lesson continued, despite the complex information that we were being given, I told myself that I am not a quitter and I will be able to manage. It was only when I went to see the timetable after the lesson that I realized that I realized that I was actually in a third year degree class. Being aware of this mistake it boosted my motivation and I was back on track in terms of my goals in life. After the situation I went through I was now hungry and I went to the Plaza. When I got there I saw a sign written Makan Lah! Restoran and it looked like a restaurant so I proceeded there. I got to the counter and told the person ho was attending to the customers that I would like to have quarter chicken with rice, this was understood. The problem came when I wanted to pay for the food and the attendant told me that I was supposed to give him a receipt instead then I was shocked. The lady who was standing beside me then told me that you have to pay for your order at the payment area first which was on the other side then I would receive my order. That issue was cleared, I got my food and began doing what I came there for. When I was done eating I did not know that we were supposed to leave our plates on the table when we were done eating, so I took it back to the restaurant and I felt embarrassed when I was told that we could just simply leave them on the table. So I had to walk back to my table and put it there. This was an interesting first day for me whereby I had to learn with people who were way older than me just because of wrong directions. Also, I got confused when I was ordering lunch. Otherwise the school to me is an interesting place that has interesting people. The environment is great for building peoples futures.

Education, Gender Roles And Humanism - 1379 Words

Education, Gender Roles and Humanism in the Renaissance. Throughout the fourteenth and into the fifteenth century there were a number of tragic events that directly caused a revitalization of society. This revitalization was needed to restore hope to the people that were living each day for survival. Some of these events were the destabilization of the Catholic Church with the relocation of the papacy from Rome to Avignon. This would soon be followed by the Black Death and its mammoth death toll that lead to the reduction of work forces and uprisings of peasants’. At the same time England and France were fighting a series of wars that were later be deem The Hundred Years’ War and this battle would add to a western mindset that was being cultivated to expect death, destruction, violence, sickness and poverty. In the midst of this depressing and violent society, Italy and more specifically Florence, saw a need for change and to work towards the elevation of society, the creation of a new society, and a new mindset to bring about a more civil and cultured society. This lead to a new philosophy called Humanism and this Humanistic evolution of the educational system involved a total reconstruction of the university curriculum, as well as the resetting ideals of gender roles. In the beginning of this new society there was a great admiration for classic Roman culture and this was the model being used with a great focus on the arts, philosophy, religion, and honor. TheShow MoreRelatedEducation And Gender Roles Are Direct Causes For The Renaissance1393 Words   |  6 PagesEducation and Gender Roles are Direct Causes for the Renaissance. Throughout the Fourteenth and into the Fifteenth Century, there were a number of tragic events that directly caused the need for a revitalization of society. This revitalization was needed to restore hope to the people that were living each day for survival. Some of these events were the destabilization of the Catholic Church with the relocation of the papacy from Rome to Avignon. This would soon be followed by the Black DeathRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1666 Words   |  7 Pageslives under societal and expectations of others, I then realized that Nora’s decision at the end really meant fighting for feminism and humanity. More specifically, although the play has many feministic ideas, it is actually a play that fight for humanism. Both men and women should have equal rights and the chance to form their own opinions and make their own decisions. The interactive oral was a powerful and transformative experience that helped me to have a better understanding of the culture valueRead MoreThe Italian Renaissance And The Renaissance1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe Italian Renaissance was an explosion of art, writing, and thought, that roughly lasted between 1300 to 1600. In this time each citizen, countrymen, or villager had and performed different jobs and careers. Humanism the study of Greek and Roman writings, art, and architecture, initially jump started the Renaissance, and the need for art. Artists now were inspired to use life like art and linear perspective, so art seemed and was more realistic. The start of the Italian Renaissance was theRead MoreUrban Society in the Ancient World1283 Words   |  6 Pagesorganization, religion, and educations (Mackay et al. 2012). Through ancient systems of writing to the latest invention, people keep evolving and shaping their knowledge to a better and successful life. Furthermore, p eople realized that through history, they could learn or discover new things, or how to prevent the same mistakes. In this essay, I will argue that Western Civilization has influenced people’s perspectives about various aspects (e.g. government structures, gender roles, religions, economicsRead MoreWhat I Believe About Philosophy, Ethics, Adult Education, And The Curriculum1412 Words   |  6 Pagesthat drive their profession. As Merriam and Brockett said, â€Å"The practice of adult education does no happen in a vacuum. It occurs in a context that manifests certain beliefs and that values certain behaviors over others. Understanding what those beliefs and values are can only lead to more informed and reflective practice.† (2007) This essay will outline what I believe about philosophy, ethics, adult education, the learner, the instructor, and the curriculum. This will ultimately help guide meRead MoreWomen in the Scientific Revolution Era Essay1452 Words   |   6 Pageslearning humanism arose for only those in the higher class families. Even though they started to educate themselves, the majority had no rights whatsoever in money matters as well as estate. From the 17th century and up to the scientific revolution, women’s rights had consistently been improving. However, during the revolution, the study of the human body brought to attention that the male brain is quite larger than that of a female. This revelation set back the female race back to a limited role, butRead MoreWhy Education Is Important For Life After School868 Words   |  4 PagesI believe the purpose of education is to help teach students how to learn, how to prepare students for life after school, to provide students with a wide range of subjects, and most importantly, to give students the necessary tools and the help they need based on each student’s unique learning style. Teachers should teach in a way that will welcome all students to participate, knowing all students want to learn and all students are good. A good teacher is one who will accept all students and willRead MorePros And Cons Of Adult Learning1859 Words   |  8 PagesUsually when we learn something new we tend to distinctly look at it from two different aspects: analysing its logic and variables, and this is exactly the role behind a theory where a set of concepts and definitions explains or predict a situation by specifying logic and variables (Edwards, 2005). Edwards argue that when we deeply engage with a theory we are now theorizing as a practise, where we involve abstractions, contemplation, critical engagement, and imagination to make sense of the theoryRead MorePsychology Perspectives: Columbine Massacre1537 Words   |  7 Pageshuman mind works. These perspectives are respectfully derived from different ideas and time periods, exemplifying different ways of thinking. These perspectives include: sociocultural, biopsychological, psychodynamic, behaviorism, cogn itive, and humanism. These approaches are critically essential in solving something as serious as murder, or simply even why someone acts the way they do. There are many instances where there will be shocking news stories about people committing murders—people thatRead MoreRethinking Marx’s Concept of Class: Does the emergence of the so-called identity politics indicating the â€Å"fall† of class politics?1716 Words   |  7 Pagescould ‘destruct’ their proletariat/working class collective consciousness in the effort of striving against capitalism (Ritzer, Modern Sociological Theory : 218). As Marx noted that class is social and political entity that plays major or central role in determining the social changes. The history of class struggles for time to time had given Marx empirical data about the significance of class in enforcing the antagonism and contradiction between the dominant class and the subordinated class that

Adolescent and Predictable and Unpredictable Elenents of...

Abdallah. Ayda Critical Reflection Essay Introduction Within the context of nursing there has been a significant change in nursing in the last two decades, where nursing and medical knowledge has led to changes where patients can no longer stay in hospital and reduction in hospital beds. Professionals who are employed in the healthcare industry are dealing with acutely ill patients who are in more need of care (usher et al 2009). As professionals we must discover the nature that is offered to us by responding and using reflective thoughts to enhance the important aspects in society (Lauder et al 2004). And qualified nurses, acknowledge and understanding is essential for their practice to remain current, continuous improvement in reflecting†¦show more content†¦Reflection is cognitive in relation to changes of things we do which is not a technique or curriculum element. Reflective practice enables practitioners to learn from their experiences and what they do, how they do it, what they say in relation to their home and work, in the significant of others and wider society and culture. Nurses who engage in some form of activity are set out by regulatory authorities indicate an adoption with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, (ANMC). Competency standards for registered nurses (2005), in the early 1990’s Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, (ANMC) had first adopted the national competency standards for registered nurses. Establishment of the organization was in 1992, to develop a national approach to nursing and Midwifery regulation. To ensure and deliver safe competent care, the (ANMC) worked together with the state and territory nursing and midwifery authorities (NMRAS) to produce national standard. In relation, to the AHPRA’S Scheme, which came into effect of 1st of July, 2010, the operations are governed by the health and practitioner regulation national law Act, 2009 (QLD) and each state and territory. In addition with the national scheme, responsibility was taken over for the regulation of nurses and midwifes in Australia, and taken ownership of the national competency standard for registered nurses. The minimum care standards for a nurse in Australia are

Exploring Racial Conflict Of America Essay - 1535 Words

Exploring Racial Conflict in America The United States of America is comprised of citizens who have rights afforded to them that are explicitly written in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. All of these individuals exhibit diversity. Some came by choice, others by slavery. They have different religious and political beliefs, different sexual orientations, and different nationalities. Each man or woman has these freedoms afforded to them by the Constitution. However, public sentiment does not always follow the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. Racial conflict is an example of sentiment reflected in society that has existed for decades upon decades and has always been in the undertones of American society. Racial conflict has been the most important and prominently recurring theme in America during the last one hundred and fifty years, and has been influenced by negative and positive trends, moreover shaping America into the society it encompasses today. Racial conflict has always been a very pressing problem throughout the political arena and government branches. It was one of the main cause of the Civil War and led to Confederate sympathizers assassinating a sitting President. After the Civil War ended, Reconstruction cultivated tough times and daunting experiences that newly freed slaves had to endure. For example, â€Å"As one North Carolina freedman testified, the Yankees, â€Å"tol’ us we were free,† but once the army left, the planters â€Å"would getShow MoreRelatedExploring Racial Conflict Of America Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesExploring Racial Conflict in America The United States of America is comprised of citizens who have rights given to them that are explicitly written in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. All of these people exhibit diversity. Some came by choice, others by slavery. They have different religious and political beliefs, different sexual orientations, and different nationalities. Each man or woman has these freedoms given to them by the Constitution. However, public sentiment doesRead MoreThe Division Of Our Society : Exploring Mass Imprisonment1737 Words   |  7 Pages Mass Incarceration The Division of Our Society: Exploring Mass Imprisonment Pamela D. Jackson WRIT 130: Research Paper Professor Jane Campanizzi-Mook September 11th 2015 ABSTRACT Prison is unfortunately big business in the United States and our society is paying the ultimate cost and there is only one system being rewarded. More than often we do not put much emphasis on the prison system in its entirety. It is a fairly simple concept to most Americans that if you commit a crime or ifRead MoreRacial Divides in the Last of the Mohicans1624 Words   |  7 PagesSamantha Sandoval 7 February 2012 Racial Divides in The Last of the Mohicans Throughout James Fennimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans a common theme of interracial friendship and love and the difficulty it takes to overcome such an obstacle, is shown strongly in the work. In the novel Cooper shows how the America people of European decent treat those that are native, by showing how negatively they treat the Native Americans. Chingachgook and Hawkeye have a friendship that is genuine andRead MoreTypes of Racism Essay1420 Words   |  6 Pagesracists themselves. For instance, black people in America hold award ceremonies that are meant to celebrate and praise only people who are dark skinned. In a way, this is prejudice against the white people who may also be interested in the said awards, but are not granted the opportunity simply because of the color of their skin. Racism will take a long time to cease existing in the world that is if at all this is ever achieved. The two groups that conflict most are the white and the black of AfricanRead MoreRudolph Fisher And Marita Bonner861 Words   |  4 Pagesprejudices, â€Å"That’s being a woman. You decide that something is wrong with a world that stifles and chokes† (Fisher 1245). In contrast, Fisher addressed the life of generations of African-Americans. In her writings, Bonner showed key interest in exploring the distance between private, inner self of an individual, and prejudiced suppositions about them. She brought special insight into her depictions of black feminine consciousness. In the statement, â€Å"at least you know what you want life to give youRead More Setting in William Faulkners Barn Burning Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pageseffected the entire outcome of the story from start to finish. In â€Å"Barn Burning†, a young boy must face his father and face the realit y of a harsh world. He must also discover for himself that his father is wrong and learn to grow up the right way in a racial environment. Faulkner’s setting is one of the most important literary elements that help the audience understand the story. When an author puts a simple-minded group of people in a complex plot, one would get a confusing story line. William FaulknerRead More Spike Lee Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesTisch School of the Arts, the aspiring filmmaker’s first year at New York University was a particularly difficult one. Lee’s experiences, race, and upbringing have all led him to create controversial films to provide audiences with an insight into racial issues. Spike Lee’s first student production, The Answer, was a short ten minute film which told of a young black screenwriter who rewrote D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation. The film was not well accepted among the faculty at New York UniversityRead MoreThe American Dream By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie And Mohsin Hamid1708 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamental principle on which the United States of America is based upon. America is romanticized as a place where ideals of individuality, democracy, freedom and equality are encouraged. This is how America presents itself to the world and in turn, this is how much of the world views the United States - a country brimming with opportunity and those willing to work hard will no doubt achieve prosperity, success and happiness. It s no surprise then that America has the largest immigrant population in theRead MoreThe Marginalized American Dream By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie And Mohsin Hamid1707 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamental principle o n which the United States of America is based upon. America is romanticized as a place where ideals of individuality, democracy, freedom and equality are encouraged. This is how America presents itself to the world and in turn, this is how much of the world views the United States - a country brimming with opportunity and those willing to work hard will no doubt achieve prosperity, success and happiness. It s no surprise then that America has the largest immigrant population in theRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1447 Words   |  6 PagesAbout â€Å"Everyday Use† The conflict in the story is centered around the clash between the two worlds with which Walker s character Dee is endued. Dee increasingly accuses her heritage of the ideas and rhetoric of the new Black Pride movement. Walker weaves the theme of African cultural nationalism with a descriptive conflict immersed in family issues. On another level, Alice Walker offers a unique look at the struggling African-American woman to find both a personality and voice from the shadows of

Financial Analysis Genesis Corporate Finance

Question: Describe about the Financial Analysis for Genesis Corporate Finance. Answer: Introduction AGL Eenrgy boasts of a long history which commenced in 1837, although the current company came into existence in 2006 only. It is listed on the ASK and a part of the ASX 200 index. It is an integrated energy player which is involved in production of electricity along with retailing of the same to both commercial and residential customers. The company has an impressive generation portfolio which consists of traditional coal based thermal power plants along with gas based and also renewable sources portfolio. The renewable energy generation portfolio possessed by the company is largest for any Australian private company (AGL Energy, 2015) Genesis energy came into existence as a result of the energy reforms that took place in the New Zealand electricity market in the 1999. The company is involved in generation of electricity and also is involved in the retailing of LPG and natural gas. The company is based in Auckland and listed on both Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges. The company is the largest retailer of natural gas and electricity in NZ with an estimated share of 42% and 26% respectively (Genesis Energy, 2015). Income Statement With regards to the income statement of AGL Energy, it is evident that that the revenue growth is quite muted. However, the increase in the expenses is comparatively higher. However, for Genesis Energy there is an increase in the revenue on account of increased generation and supply coupled with increase in the profitability due to decreasing expenses. The comparison of the profitability ratios for the two companies is shown below (AGL Energy, 2015) It is apparent from the above figures that both the ROA and net profit margin for the company have declined. This may be attributed to the lacklustre growth in revenue primarily because of the pressures in the consumer market due to greater competition. Additionally, the cost for the production CER (Certified Emission Reductions) also increased besides the $ 15 million integration cost for New Energy.. Further, the decline in profitability could also be explained on the back of the lacklustre performance in the other operations division which constitutes of thermal electricity production along with electricity production from source such as natural gas and other renewables (AGL Energy, 2015). Genesis energy has increased the revenue on the back of greater electricity generation from coal and hydro power plants coupled with decreased expenses related to employees and fuel management due to the emphasis on digital platforms and increased operational efficiency (Genesis Energy, 2015). Balance Sheet It is evident from the balance sheet of the company at the end of FY2015, the major changes have been in the fixed assets and also the current liabilities. The fixed assets have witnessed an increase of almost $ 1.6 billion on account of increase in PPE. Besides, the current liabilities have increased due to increase in short term borrowing from $ 45 million at the end of FY2014 to $ 443 million at the end of FY2015. The ratios with regards to liquidity and capital structure are presented below (AGL Energy, 2015; Genesis Energy, 2015) On the basis of the above table, it is apparent that the current ratio and quick ratio have declined which is primarily attributed to the increased short term borrowing in the year FY2015 which caused the current liabilities to increase while the current asset level has continued to remain at the last year level only. The debt to equity ratio at the end of FY2015 has witnessed a small decline even though total liabilities have increased fuelled by the increase in current liabilities. This can be explained by the higher percentage increase in the equity on account of increased in share capital by almost $ 1.2 billion besides the increase contributed by the retained profits (AGL Energy, 2015) The sharp decline in current ratio and quick ratio for Genesis is on account of increase in short term borrowings from $ 12.3 million at the end of FY2014 to $ 117.8 million at the end of FY2015. Cash Flow Trends - AGL Energy It is apparent from the cash flow statement of the company that there has been a significant increase in the cash flow to the tune of almost $ 1.4 billion on accounting of investing activities in FY2015. Besides, the cash flow from operations have increased by $ 443 million on account of lower cash payments to suppliers and employers. Due to higher repayment of debt in FY2015 as compared to FY2014, there is a net outflow of $ 207 million due to financing cash flow (AGL Energy, 2015). With regards to Genesis Energy, no major changes have been indicated with regards to any the cash flow statement and the various components are similar to corresponding figures for FY2014 (Genesis Energy, 2015). Market Performance AGL Energy The relevant indicators of the market performance of the company for FY2014 and Fy2015 are presented in the table below (AGL Energy, 2015) From the table above, it is apparent that EPS per share has dipped significantly in the year FY2015 which is but expected as the net profit in FY2015 has dipped in comparison with the previous year and also because there has been an increase in the weighted shares due to fresh issue of shares in FY2015. The dividend per share has increased for the shareholders as the company decided to pay a higher sum of money as dividends to shareholders (AGL Energy, 2015). However, for genesis EPS has increased on back of higher profits and also in line with the higher profits, dividend paid to shareholders per share has also increased (Genesis Energy, 2015). Comparison of Financial Performance AGL Energy and Genesis Energy The comparable set of ratios for the two companies is listed below ((AGL Energy, 2015;Genesis Energy, 2014). Profitability With regards to profitability, it is apparent that Genesis energy has been an outperformer especially in the year FY2015. This may be attributed to the lower portfolio of Genesis with regards to renewable energy as the focus is only on wind and hydroelectric. This is in contract with ACL Energy which also tends to focus on solar and other renewable sources which have underperformed (Damodaran, 2008). Liquidity- The current ratio and quick ratio for both companies is in excess of one which indicates that business is robust. However, the higher liquidity ratios of AGL can be explained on the basis of larger scale of operations and more receivables due to greater contribution from wholesale markets. Gearing The gearing ratios for both the companies are comparable and indicate that these have no long term liquidity issues. This is because the D/E ratio for both companies is lesser than 1. The interest coverage of both companies is impressive which does not indicate any issues (Petty et. al, 2015). Market performance The EPS as expected is greater for AGL energy, however the encouraging trend for Genesis is that its EPS has grown by 100% on a y-o-y basis which augers well for the company. Even though dividend paid by AGL energy is higher in absolute terms in comparison to Genesis but the dividend yield for Genesis is significantly higher. Efficiency Ratios- The debtors turnover of Genesis is significantly higher than that of AGL energy which to an extent is attributed to the difference in the segments served. Conclusion On the basis of the above analysis, it may be concluded that AGL energy has underperformed in FY2015 in comparison to FY2014 with all indicators lagging and this has led to the stock price remaining almost constant with choppy sideways movements. The other operations segment of the company is a drag on the energy markets and it is unlikely that it would turn dramatically. But the company still is robust and in due course as the policy regime becomes more definitive, the company would be in leveraging position. However, Genesis has shown a significant improvement in the various financial indicators in the year FY2015 as is apparent from the positive changes in all ratios and financial indicators. (Parrino Kidwell, 2011). Recommendations It is recommended that the investor should not invest in AGL energy as the underperforming of the companys renewable business is expected to continue. Further, there is uncertainty of policy in Australia with regards to energy prices and also suitable tax structure to promote renewable energy sources which globally are witnessing a soft market (AGL Energy, 2015).. In such scenario, it makes sense to invest into Genesis which pays a dividend yield of almost 6% and has showed encouraging financial performance in FY2015. Also, the significant market share that it commands in the New Zealand market is an additional benefit for the company (Brealey, Myers Allen, 2008). References AGL Energy 2015, Annual Report 2015, Available online from https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/media-centre/article-list/2015/august/agl-annual-report-2015 (Accessed on August 31, 2015) Brealey, R, Myers, S Allen, F 2008, Principles of Corporate Finance (Global edition), 10th edn, McGraw Hill Publications, New York Damodaran, A 2008, Corporate Finance, 2nd edn, Wiley Publications, London Genesis Energy 2015, Annual Report 2015, Available online from https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/documents/10180/2699552/Genesis+Energy+Annual+Report+FY2015.pdf/fa13f57b-fd37-4262-9bb2-5c591a55aab3 (Accessed on August 31, 2016) Parrino, R Kidwell, D 2011, Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 3rd edn, Wiley Publications, London Petty, JW, Titman, S, Keown, AJ, Martin, P, Martin JD Burrow, M 2015, Financial Management: Principles and Applications,6th edn, Pearson Australia, Sydney