The State of Nature and its Implications for Civilization...

The State of Nature and its Implications for Civilization in Hobbes and Rousseau In his Leviathan Thomas Hobbes expresses a philosophy of civilization which is both practical and just and stems from a clear moral imperative. He begins with the assertion that in the state of nature man is condemned to live a life â€Å"solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.† It is in the interest of every man to rise above this â€Å"state of nature† and to give up certain rights so that the violent nature of the human animal can be subdued. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s vision of the state of nature parallels that of Hobbes but for its more optimistic tone: â€Å"I assume that men reach a point where the obstacles to their preservation in a state of nature prove†¦show more content†¦Hobbes argues for the rule of a monarch for his peace centered civil society. He believes that a monarch who understands the basis for the covenant, who adheres to it and truly recognizes the importance of justice for all of humanity, is the most efficient and trustworthy method of transcending the state of nature. For Hobbes the most important aspect of justice is keeping the peace through adherence to the natural law. Peace reigns supreme in his vision of civilization and a strong ruler who can pass laws to ensure that his subjects respect the covenant is needed. Although such a government might be granted a dangerous amount of power, nonetheless an overarching sovereign with knowledge of the natural laws is needed to keep in line those who would abuse the liberties granted them through the covenant, thus threatening the society with a return to the state of nature. Rousseau, in contrast, sees a true transcendence of the state of nature as including more than simply peace. His goal is more ambitious than Hobbes’s. Because in Rousseau’s philosophy humans in a state of nature are not suffering as directly as Hobbes suggests, their goal is more than just the peace described in Leviathan: â€Å"How to find a form of association whichShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke And John Rousseau1430 Words   |  6 Pagesemergence from the state of nature to civilization drives man to ponder the role of government in his life. Democracy, defined broadly as an institution in which citizens in some capacity determine the actions of the commonwealth, has drawn both praise and criticism. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and John-Jacques Rousseau all present differing opinions of democracy in their respective texts. While Hobbes rejects the notion based on man’s inability to think of others, Locke and Rousseau both engage it withinRead MoreThomas Hobbes, Jo hn Locke, And Jean-Jacques Rousseau All1781 Words   |  8 PagesThomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all represent social contract theorists who were influenced by liberalism and the enlightenment respectively. They each offer varying takes and critiques of what exactly is the state of nature and from those discussions of the state of nature, they delve into what the state of government would be if it was born from that same state of nature. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau can each be compared and contrasted with one another based upon their own definitionRead MoreSocial Contract Theory Thomas Hobbes2009 Words   |  9 Pagesmoral and political theory, and is given its first full exposition and defense by Thomas Hobbes in his piece, Leviathan. After Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the best known proponents of this influential theory, though each have their own unique take on governance, State of Nature, and human existence itself; Hobbes and Rousseauà ¢â‚¬â„¢s arguments are the most compelling out of the trio. Hobbes political philosophy is best understood in two parts: his theory of human motivation andRead MoreShort Essay : Political Theory Essay1870 Words   |  8 Pagesother day, after what was a particularly cumbersome day at school and work, I found myself looking into the Texas sunset whilst stuck in traffic thinking, ‘I wish I could experience life before society. Free to live my life and roam as I please in a state free of impediments and commitments.’ This is not to say that I depicted this uncivilized life as a simulacrum flowing as seamlessly as was portrayed in The Swiss Family Robinson, I merely desired a break from what felt like a straightjacket boundRead MorePolitical Theory: Comparing Locke, Rousseau and Plato Essay3770 Words   |  16 PagesLocke: What is the purpose of politics - we could live in the state of nature, we don’t need contract or soverign - life, liberty and property State of nature: men live according to reason and governed by reason - man exists in the state of nature in perfect freedom to do as they want, a state of perfect freedom - not necessarily good or bad, bit is calm and peaceful - men give up some of their freedom to secure the advantages of civilized socity Read MorePolitical Philosophy and Plato Essay9254 Words   |  38 Pagesimpede progress. Socrates accomplished this task by demonstrating, through cross-examination of people he encountered, that many accepted precepts, conventions, and beliefs were based on faulty logic or outright errors. A quotation attributed to him states: The unexamined life is not worth living. In other words, a human being must not be complacent and self-satisfied; instead, he must be ever probing, exploring, and reconnoitering his soul in order to discover ways to improve. Two: EffectivelyRead MoreKants Theory of Enlightenment5012 Words   |  21 Pages‘Enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred minority.  Kant means emergence from a form of slavery, in which one is not free to think for oneself, but instead is told what to think. In a sense, I think it relates to religious and state imposed rules. This is reinforced when Kant suggests to ‘have the courage to make use of your own understanding’,  making that the motto of the Enlightenment. He, perhaps ironically, writes about the comfort of being a minor, or a slave to these rulesRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 PagesBranches of philosophy The following branches are the main areas of study: †¢ Metaphysics investigates the nature of being and the world. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology. †¢ Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification. †¢ Ethics, or moral philosophy, is concerned with questions of howRead Morehistory of philosophy5031 Words   |  21 Pagesunjustly, for claiming that truth was no more than opinion and for teaching people to argue fallaciously to prove whatever conclusions they wished). This whole movement gradually became more concentrated in  Athens, which had become the dominant city-state in  Greece. There is considerable discussion about why Athenian culture encouraged philosophy, but a popular theory[which?]  says that it occurred because Athens had a direct  democracy. It is known from Platos writings that many sophists maintainedRead MoreHuman Rights in Pakistan6749 Words   |  27 Pagescontain many of the same principles that are associated with human rights. If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace. --- Franklin D. Roosevelt The Magna Carta (1215) is considered a milestone in the history of human rights and several great thinkers such as Grotius, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Kant talk about the concept. Some religious texts also are said to reflect

Motivation Theories At A Very Young Age - 1450 Words

Motivation is an important factor in one’s life. You learn what motivates you at a very young age. Although you may not know the word or understand what it means, you still accomplish a goal to receive a reward or know not to do something that will get you in trouble. Why do you do the things you do? Why do you get excited when presented with a positive reward or upset when presented with a negative reward? It’s all about you and what you desire most or want to avoid; and it differs in each individual. When a young teenager is told to clean his room and then he can go to the movies, this is a positive reinforcement or motivator to get the parent’s desired outcome. When you apply the motivation theories in the workplace, the main goal is to have the employee perform their duties to achieve the company’s desired outcome. There are several motivational theories offered as templates for organizations to utilize the way they see fit. The ultimate outcome of th ese theories is that the employee with the right motivator, whether it’s positive or negative reinforcement, will encourage the employee to perform at their best. The leadership-follower aspect is crucial in motivating correctly in the workplace. Keywords: motivation, socialization, employee compensation, self-fulfillment, rewards, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, Frederick Taylor, Elton Mayo, Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg Integrating Motivational Theories in the Workplace Welcome to the 21stShow MoreRelatedMaslow s Theory Of Human Motivation1560 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"what motivates humans?† In the year of 1943, Abram Maslow wrote his paper A Theory of Human Motivation. In this paper, Maslow described a theory in which he claimed that all people had basic needs, and these needs were fulfilled in order of their importance to the individual. Each need would need to be met prior to working towards another need, eventually achieving the ultimate goal of self-actualization. This theory is the basis of the humanistic perspective, which believes that the values ofRead MoreSocial Psychological And Biological Factors1709 Words   |  7 Pagesover 19 and are consistently higher than persons over 25 (K. Richards, 2011) . This essay will explain why and also how youth crime is highest in late adolescence but declines in early adulthood. This will be shown through relevant theories for example Robert Agnews theory on adolescent peak in offending and also with reference to recent research from theorists like (Laub and Sampson, 2003) , which explain how through social psychological and biological factors can be a trigger for crime among youthsRead MoreHealth Belief Model: Condoms and Sexual Risk Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesto participate in disease prevention and detection programs. The theory is one of the most health behavior theories, which is used to explain behavior change and maintenances, but often times used to predict behavior outcome (Glanze, Rimer, Lewis, 2002). The key concept of the health belief model includes threat perception (perceived threat), behavioral evaluation, self-efficacy and other variables. The threat perception has very great relevance in health-related behaviors. This perception areRead MoreTeacher ´s and Learning and the Example of the Movie Dangerous Minds861 Words   |  3 PagesMinds† was a move to encourage teachers to never give up on the students. Giving students motivation and understanding will go a long way. The students in the movie were misunderstood and rude to all of the teachers. The past teachers had given up on the students but the current teacher, Ms. Johnson, did not give up on the students. Ms. Johnson incorporated a few learning theories that turned out to be very affective. As students struggle in the classroom, the teacher will aid and support each studentRead MoreSummarizing Articles Assignment935 Words   |  4 PagesFalling and White-Collar Crime Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to prove or disprove criminological theories of motivation regarding the commitment of white-collar crime. The studys purpose is to determine what, if any, measurable motivation motivated people who retained white-collar positions to commit white-collar crimes. The primary hypothesis is that this motivation is directly related to a fear of falling or a fear of losing what one has worked hard to obtain. Who or What wasRead MoreThe First Hourly Paid Job953 Words   |  4 Pagesmoney or have the finer things in life. My parents often struggled to pay the bills, but always managed, some how, some way. With that upbringing, I’m not sure that I ever really thought about jobs as much more that a way to earn money. So at a young age, my perspective of what motivated people who work was strictly money. Over the years I have had several jobs, but finally settled on a career in the medical field, or specifically the medical laboratory industry. I started off as a medical labRead MoreJuvenile Gangs Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesDepartment statistics, are (Siegel and Welsh, 2011).† We see that juveniles have more access, and more use of the weapons of violence, including gang affiliation. So why do young people join gangs? First of all, the gang members are minorities of Hispanic, African-American, and Asian. â€Å"There are two basic reasons for a young disadvantaged youth to join a gang: protection, and a sense of the family which he does not have at home- assuming he still has a home to call his (Siegel and Welsh, 2011)Read MoreFactors Affecting Second Language Acquisition1417 Words   |  6 PagesMuedra Peris Module QXL-4413 - ELF Theory Assignment 1 Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition According to Lightbown and Spada, when teaching English as a Second Language we have to take into account certain characteristics in our learners that may lead to a more or less successful language learning. The characteristics discussed in this chapter are intelligence, aptitude, personality, motivation and attitudes, learners preferences and beliefs and age of acquisition. Intelligence, traditionallyRead MoreHow to Motivate Fred Maiorino1564 Words   |  7 Pagesthe dismal of a long-time loyal employee. The major issues associated with this motivation problem include Reed’s unsuccessful leadership attempt, the de-motivating factors of the appraisal system, and the violation of the psychological contract. One major issue is Reed’s unsuccessful attempt at leading Fred. One could describes Reed’s leadership style as a directive leadership behavior of the path-goal theory that one typically uses with a new employee or a transactional leadership style thatRead MoreA Study On Premarital Cohabitation1107 Words   |  5 Pagespremarital cohabitate had more positive problem solving skills and more positive help seeking methods than couples who did cohabitate before marriage. Despite the negative consequences, there are still many reasons young couples are choosing to cohabitate. Researchers have found that young couples cohabitate before marriage in order to test their relationship and attempt to â€Å"divorce-proof† their marriages (Manning Cohen, 2012). Oppenheimer (1988) argued â€Å"facilitates the kind of interaction that increases

Aurora Shooting Response Paper Free Essays

The article published in the New York Times July 22, 2012 by Jack Healy entitled â€Å"Suspect Bought Large Stockpile of Rounds online†, addresses an absence of laws regulating the sale of ammunition. Jack Healy is a rocky mountain correspondent for the New York Times, and has reported on the war in Iraq from Baghdad. Healy’s article elicits good emotional engagement with the reader, but it is fundamentally lacking sound logical arguments and ethical credibility. We will write a custom essay sample on Aurora Shooting Response Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes purchased a 6,000 rounds of ammunition prior to the shooting in Aurora Colorado. Holmes purchased bullet ¬Ã‚ ¬proof vests and a high capacity 100 round drum magazine. Holmes was a college graduate with a clean criminal background. Holmes was legally able to purchase firearms and ammunition in Colorado and nationwide. States such as Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and several cities have laws regarding the sales of ammunition. These laws include licensing, permits and requiring gun stores to keep records of ammunition purchased. According to Healy, Holmes used a black commando style outfit as well as other tactical gear during shooting. Police apprehended him outside the theater still wearing the bulletproof vest, and carrying four handguns. Healy argued how Gun-control groups said the purchases of the ammunition demonstrated how easily anyone could build a veritable arsenal without attracting attention from law-enforcement officials. Healy quotes Tom Mauser, a gun-control advocate, to exemplify this point, â€Å"it’s a wide open marketplace† Healy states that ammunition and arms websites are prolific online, and buyers can purchase almost anything firearm related including ammunition. Healy quotes Gov. John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado, a Democrat, â€Å"that the killer might have built a bomb or found some other lethal device if no assault weapons had been around. Healy concludes the article with a quote from Dudley Brown, the executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners saying â€Å"I call 6,000 round of ammunition running low. † I think that the article by Jack Healy was reasonably well written, and it was emotionally engaging for the reader. The logos of the article is fundamentally flawed due to the lack of logically sound and accurate conclusions. Finally the article loses its’ ethical integrity when the authors bias becomes apparent to the reader. Healy’s article contains bias for the regulation of ammunition sales, as well as confusing terminology. The article contains contradictory and inaccurate facts, and quotes selected for emotional impact rather than relevance and purpose. First I will address some of the logical contradictions in the article. Healy said â€Å"Unhindered by federal background checks or government oversight, the 24-year-old man†¦ was able to build †¦ a 6,000-round arsenal legally and easily over the Internet, exploiting what critics call a virtual absence of any laws regulating ammunition sales† In this quote Healy leads the reader to believe that there are no laws, and no regulation regarding ammunition sales. Later in the article Healy admits there are laws restricting ammunition sales in Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey as well as cities like Los Angeles and Sacramento. Healy contradicts his earlier point by highlighting the states that do have laws regarding the sales of ammunition. This contradiction leaves the reader not knowing which conclusion is valid. The second flaw in the articles logic is the argument that the sale of ammunition is unregulated, and without government oversight. This main theme that is present throughout the article is technically inaccurate. According to smartgunlaws. org, a nonprofit gun law education website, thirty-two states have laws regulating unreasonably dangerous ammunition, this is over half of the states. Sixteen states have laws regarding age restrictions and the purchase of ammunition. According to Smartgunslaws. org the majority of states have laws concerning ammunition purchases, laws concerning purchase of dangerous ammunition, (such as armor piercing), laws concerning minimum age of purchase, or laws concerning the ability of convicted felons to purchase ammunition. One of the other major flaws of this article is Healy’s illogical use of quotes. Here is one of instances where Healy uses a quote and does not acknowledge or clarify the quote: â€Å"It is a war tool,† Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat of New York, said of the 100-round drum that the police say Mr. Holmes purchased online. â€Å"They’re meant to kill. They’re meant to kill as many people in as short a period of time. † Ms. McCarthy’s husband was among six people killed in 1993 by a gunman on a commuter train Before this quote Healy was talking about a failed 1999 gun control bill. After the quote Healy continued to talk about the legislation. Healy stated both republicans and democrats had doubts about the effectiveness of the proposed legislation. The technical execution of the quote interrupted the flow of the paragraph. The quote did not fit in the paragraph in a logical manor. Healy’s quote was deliberately spliced into the article to provide sensationalism needed to make it newsworthy. Healy used the quote to provide a more interesting article, and to appeal to the emotion of the reader. The ethical appeal of the article is compromised by Healy predominately presenting evidence supporting increased gun and ammunition regulation. The article is twenty-seven paragraphs long; twenty ¬Ã‚ ¬-five of them are either neutral or support increased regulation of guns and ammunition. Two of the paragraphs expressed opinions opposing an increase in gun and ammunition regulation. By not equally addressing both sides of the issue equally, Healy loses credibility with readers who oppose increasing the regulation of guns and ammunition. Healy does acknowledge the opinion of gun groups with a vague quote, â€Å"To gun groups, such an unfettered marketplace stands as a bulwark of their Second Amendment rights† This is the only place in the article that Healy acknowledges this viewpoint. This quote is not substantial enough to gain the ethical appeal lost earlier in the article. One of the positive attributes of Healy’s article is his emotional appeal to the reader. Healy uses graphic quotes and vivid imagery to provoke emotional response, and connection to the reader. Healy takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster throughout the article encompassing all types of emotions. Consider the following quote by Healy: Three weeks after the purchase, stunned and bleeding witnesses outside the century 16 multiplex in aurora would describe how a man dressed in a black commando-style outfit and a gas mask strode into the where they were watching a midnight screening of â€Å"The Dark Knight rises,† tossed some gas-spewing grenades into the packed auditorium and opened fire. In this sentence by Healy uses extremely graphic imagery to create an appeal to pathos in the article. Sentences like the one above are mixed in throughout the article along with facts about ammunition laws, and quotes. Healy uses emotion to keep the audience reading, throughout the article. Healy’s appeal to pathos is strong and well-constructed throughout the article. How to cite Aurora Shooting Response Paper, Papers

Compare and Contrast of Alice Walker and Maya Angelou free essay sample

Two well regarded and recognized poets, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker, wrote lots of different renowned poetry that is appreciated for its beauty and its truth. Both poets are African American woman, although in different times, many of their words rang true to one other. Their work can be compared and contrasted by understanding the poems, as two separate pieces of work, and then looking at how each are similar and different in their own respects. Alice Walker grew up the youngest of eight children. She was in an accident as a child that left her blind in one eye. She is best known for her work The Color Purple. Much of her work is focused on Civil Rights for African Americans. In Alice Walker’s poem Remember? she begins by posing a question. Just by the title, the reader begins to believe that this poem is taking place in the past, it may cause the reader to think of another time where they have been asked the question, remember? To paraphrase, the poem begins rather dark, a hate for Walker’s physical appearance, which makes reference to her past time when her eye had been shot by a BB gun. She continues with detest towards her life and the way that she is living her life, holding their babies / cooking their meals / sweeping their yards / washing their clothes. After these first two stanzas, the poem shifts into a powerful and defiant outlook. She no longer lets this hate for herself, or the hate that comes from the oppression against her skin color to affect her. She turns from looking at the bad times that have struck her life, as moments for possibility for the future. Walker includes rhetorical question in the title, Remember? There is the use of repetition when she says, â€Å"I am the woman† and â€Å"I am the girl,† which shows both change and a sense of confidence in who she is. She also uses the metaphor roots of the flower: justice and hope. As she states that I am the woman / offering two flowers / whose roots are twin, we understand that her view on the oppression and physical deformities are the roots of the justice, while the new and fixed woman is seen through the idea of hope. The organization is clear with the shift coming after the second stanza. The theme is justice and hope, whether it is for a better future for herself or for that of the African American people. She challenges the people to be better. Maya Angelou’s writes poem, Phenomenal Woman, based off of experience. Growing up, an African American woman, she was often discriminated against. She never saw herself as someone who was beautiful, and as a child was sexually abused. Through these experiences, she writes Phenomenal Woman as praise to those who do view themselves in this respect. The title hints to the reader that they will be reading a poem about a phenomenal woman, whoever this might be. The poem is written describing the different factors that make this woman beautiful. The woman in this poem is not necessarily about her outside and how she looks, but much greater about who she is on the inside and how she carries herself. Men are drawn to this woman because of the way she carries herself, though she is in addition physically attractive, that is not what the poem is supposed to be central around. Angelou describes the emotion of a hidden frustration and anger at any who may begin to doubt the woman’s confidence. But overall Maya Angelou praises the woman who can learn to love herself. Angelou uses great imagery throughout her work, especially in describing the characteristics of the woman in the poem. She also uses metaphor when she states, â€Å"Then they swarm around me/? A hive of honey bees. † Her use of repetition is seen in â€Å"I am woman, ? Phenomenally. ?Phenomenal woman, ? That’s me. † Overall her words give a great description. The poem shifts when she begins talking about outsider’s opinions. Her tone throughout is both confident and proud. The title is self-confidence and introducing a movement for change. The theme is beauty is shown through self-confidence. In both essays, each discusses the idea of confidence and a love for who you are. In Angelou’s, it is very loud and clear, that a woman is beautiful because of the way that she carries herself and everything she has. While Walker begins with a lack of confidence but builds up to appreciate herself for who she is and what she can do. In accordance, Walker has a central idea that inner beauty comes through mentality. Walker’s theme is justice. These two go hand in hand, because Angelou wants to change the modern image of American women, blond hair, blue eyes, and show is not the only kind of beauty. It is a justice for African American women to understand that they are beautiful. In Walker’s poem, it is apparent that hope and justice give her the chance to understand her own beauty and her own strength to build the kind of self-confidence that is seen in Phenomenal Woman. The tone of both of the pieces varies. In Angelou’s version, the tone is consistently proud and confident and unwavering at the opinions of others, whether it is the jealous women or the men, the focus stays very consistent. In Walker’s version, the tone begins rather dark and gloomy, but changes drastically into a feeling of hope that good can be done, a belief in self. Both have a free-verse style with repetition. The purpose of the two poems does differ. Overall, the purpose of Maya Angelou’s poem is demonstrating the beauty of an African American woman on how she carries herself. Walker’s purpose is much more of a challenge. She wants the reader to walk away, giving anyone the chance that is willing to stand against the injustices of society. She uses her own personal afflictions in order to better create a stronger, individualized woman after the acquisition of hope. She uses her story; she enlists the help of the reader to put justice and hope back into society. Therefore, Let us begin. The poetry by these two poets creates several different images, both overall, each with a different goal, have achieved their purposes. Though from slightly different times, they can both be recognized and appreciated as poets who did not fear the outside, and were willing to put themselves out there to create both truth and beauty.