Daniel Workman

Business 1050
Signature Assignment

Personal Renaissance
In BUS 1050 - Foundations of Business, we studied the origins of ancient through today.

Starting off we talked about the ancient nomadic people that moved around where resources

were available. We moved onto the luxurious lives of the people of Babylon and Egypt. Then,

we moved onto the philosophers that played a role in shaping business, such as Plato, Aristotle,

Socrates, and Epictetus. The Vikings, Romans, and the history of England was also studied.

Moving on, we talked about the dark ages from the fall of Rome in the 4 th century until the

Renaissance in the 14th century. After the Renaissance we discussed the different forms that

business has and the relationship between business and consumer. In this reflection I will

discuss which readings affected me the most.

The first reading that affected me was “Greek and Roman Business” by Edward G. Engh.

In this reading we discussed the views that the Romans and Greeks had towards business. The

Greeks were suspicious of money and favored public wealth compared to private wealth. The

Greeks and Romans went to war and the Romans were eventually victorious. The thing that

stood out the most to me in this reading is the Fable of Gyges.

In this fable, Gyges, a humble sheep herder stumbles across a hole in ground. In the

bottom of this hole is a statue of horse with windows in it. Gyges climbs into the hole and

realizes it is hollow. He climbs into the statue and finds a corpse. On the corpse there is a gold

ring on one of its fingers. Gyges takes the ring, leaves and grave, and walks into town. As he

enters town he as the ring on his finger, and realizes he is invisible. With his new power he

eavesdrops on his friends and fellow sheep herders where he heard unpleasant things said
 Daniel Workman
Business 1050
Signature Assignment

about him. As he is plotting his revenge he seduces the queen and kills the king. He places the

crown on his head and claims the throne. This is a metaphor for how man abandons his morals

for wealth.

We all think we have high morals and won’t corrupt ourselves for material possessions.

In reality we all have a price; most likely it is lower than we think it is. We can’t know the value

of that price until we are but into a situation where it manifests itself. We can play hypothetical

games where someone asks if we would do such and such thing for $1 million. We all say no. In

reality, we would do such and such thing in a heartbeat without a second thought. This concept

terrifies me. I would like to think I have high morals and would never compromise myself for

material possessions but until that temptation is layed before me, who knows how I will act. I

would like to think I would do the ethical thing but as this fable portrays, we all have a price.

What happens if I’m towards the end of my career and I am offered a deal that could

significantly improve my retirement, but it is at someone else’s expense. Will I accept the deal

and benefit my future but the other party is forced out of business or into poverty. Or will I

modify the deal where both parties benefit. I don’t want to end up like Ebenezer Scrooge stock

piling money once I’ve got the taste for it.

The second reading that affected me was “Alienated Labor” by Carl Marx. Marx talks

about how employer and employee are separated. The job has specific tasks which requires

specific talents and procedures. Theses tasks alienate workers from their sense of belonging

and intellect. The employee feels as if they are a machine repeating the same task over and

over again. They feel numb and are separated from their human feelings.
 Daniel Workman
Business 1050
Signature Assignment

This piece is important to me because I have had these same feelings at work before. I

didn’t understand what they were at the time. When I read this piece for the first time

everything made sense on why I feel unmotivated at work and why I daydream at work. When I

start my own business, which is my ultimate goal, I will insure that my employees feel valued

and encourage their suggestions. My goal will be to keep them motivated beyond just earning a

paycheck. I will do everything I can to keep them mentally and emotionally involved and

motivated.

The third reading that affected me is “I, Pencil” by Leonard Read. In this piece Read

explains the process of making a single pencil. He describes how no one person can make a

pencil. It requires a lot of people all over the world. The wood in the pencil is made from Cedar

trees, the graphite and lead have to be mined, the lacquer has to be made, as well as the

rubber-like eraser. All of these materials are not naturally available in one area. They have to

be produced all over the world and shipped to a central location. This piece is important to me

because something as simple as a pencil has to be made in a team effort. This brings into light

how much we relie on each in this world economy we live in. When we enter this economy, we

have to keep in mind how much we lie on each other. We can’t do it all by ourselves.

In conclusion, this class has made me realize how much we must remain conscious of

our morals and goals. We must find a way to accomplish our goals without compromising

ourselves. Money and material possessions can make us lose sight of who we are as a person.

We have to keep ourselves motivated and motivate others. When others get unmotivated it

hurts not only business but our community. A person who goes to work and is mentally
 Daniel Workman
Business 1050
Signature Assignment

stimulated is a better employee and better for society. We have to work together to make this

world what we want it to be and the best for everyone. No one person can do it on their own.