Essay on Modern Western Political Thought - 1157 Words

â€Å"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.† with this now famous quotation Jean- Jacque Rousseau begins his work The Social Contract. The purpose of The Social Contract was to establish how people could enter into civil societies without sacrificing their individual freedom. Rousseau envisions a social contract that would bind people together. To analyze The Social Contract we must examine how Rousseau addresses the four problems of political philosophy order, freedom, justice, and history. First the problem of order will be addressed. To determine how Rousseau handles the problem of order it must be decided whether the state Rousseau describes is natural or artificial. Rousseau believes that man is born into a state of nature.†¦show more content†¦Thus, the origin of the state comes from the desire of man to free him from the physical nature of the state of nature to preserve himself and his property. The final aspect of the problem of order is how the state will itself will be ordered. Rousseau doesn’t provide specifics on how the state should be ordered; instead he provides some generalities on how the foundation of the state should be formed. Man enters into a social contract with other men to form a civil society. These men form the sovereign of the state. The sovereign is its own individual entity but is comprised of each citizen of the state. The sovereign is the ultimate authority of the state. The sovereign then passes fundamental laws, these laws lay the foundation for the form of the state. These foundation laws are based on the general will of the state. The general will of the state, which is a reflection of all the individual wills in the state, is the will of the whole of the state, the general will should be for the good of the whole. The fundamental laws the sovereign passes, based on the general will determine the form of government that the state will implement. Rousseau does not prescribe a specific form of government which each state must use. Instead he allows each state to form their own government whether that is a democracy, aristocracy, monarchy, or a mixed form. HeShow MoreRelatedThe Evolution of Western Thought Essay1502 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout modern history no other period of human evolution has had a greater effect on the way people think than the enlightenment. The philosophers and great thinkers of the enlightenment changed the logic of the human mind for the better and propelled a period of mass advancement in all aspects of society. Western thought progressed over time to help build a more intellectual society. Modern philosophers such as Max Horkheimer and Immanuel Kant incorporated their views of Western Thought into theirRead MoreThe Transition Of Medieval Western Civilization970 Words   |  4 PagesThought Paper #1 The transition from medieval western civilization to the Modern Age placed Western Europe in a position of global, political, and technological dominance and most importantly gave rise to the core of western thought: humanism and individualism. This hallmark thought however, would be nonexistent without the arts. The arts and artists of the Renaissance period and the Enlightenment reflect the prevailing values of not only Western Europe but in fact the Western world as a whole. PriorRead MoreThe Rise Of Modern Republicanism1476 Words   |  6 PagesWith the rise of modern republicanism since the seventeenth century, the word â€Å"citizen† was gradually detached from its municipal boundary and became attached to the state (Heater, 2004a). As Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) revealed, the people of a state are both citizens and subjects: citizens when devising the General Will – for the community’s best interests, and subjects when obeying those decisions. To en sure the equality between citizens, Rousseau proposed a social pact or contract. AccordingRead More Fukyama V huntington Essay722 Words   |  3 Pages Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington are two of the most controversial and influential modern political theorists of our times. Fukuyama’s book, The End of History and the Last Man, and Huntington’s book, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, pose two very conflicting theories on international relations. In this paper I will summarize and compare/contrast the two theories. Both theories, written since the fall of communism and updated since the first gulf war, have been widelyRead MoreThe Secularization of the Western World Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesSecularization is a controversial form of social change in modern day society. Secularization is a concept derived from a Latin word meaning â€Å"the present age,† the term is generally associated with modern, technologically, and advan ced societies. â€Å"Secularism is a political tradition that has been evolving for eighteenth centuries. It shares important relationships with other traditions, sustaining complex ties with Judeo-Christianity, and maintaining a long-standing relationship with Islam† ( HurdRead MoreIslam And Western Imperialism In Islam998 Words   |  4 Pageschallenges throughout history, Islam’s encounter with Western imperialism during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has had the greatest impact on contemporary Islam. These encounters with Western powers influenced and shaped the Muslim world by introducing Islam to modernity. The Islamic world’s varied reaction to these challenges of modernity affects a wide range of issues in Islam today. To understand how the Muslim world reacted to Western influence, we must understand what they were reactingRead MoreApathy And Its Impact On Society850 Words   |  4 Pagesnature. In ancient Athens, Aristotle declared that ‘man is a political animal’, meaning by this that a full human existence demanded active participation in the public life of the agora. Apathy in this respect would mean being condemned to a subhuman existence. For Christian thinkers of the Medieval Age, by contrast, the highest good is outside politics, being the purely personal quest for religious salvation. From this standpoint, political apathy might well be a desirable thing, since politics isRead MorePolitical Islam And The Middle East1330 Words   |  6 PagesPolitical Islam is an interesting phenomenon that impacts law, policy, and international relations with the Middle East. In order to understand what Political Islam is one must first understand, as much as possible when starting from a Western Christian worldview, what Islam is. In addition to simply describing Islam a comparison to another similar or related religion, such as Christianity, is helpful. Once an understanding of Islam is established one can begin to see how it touches on every facetRead More Roman and Greek Philosophys Influence on Todays Western Culture780 Words   |  4 Pagesworld and the universe. This is why Greece is often referred to as the birthplace of Western culture. The ancient Greeks viewed the world in a way that one would today perhaps describe as holistic. Science, philosophy, art and politics were interwoven and combined into one worldview. Moreover, those who look carefully will find subtle, but intelligible parallels between early Greek philosophy and Eastern thought. The Heraclitean fire resembles Buddhist impermanence, while the Greek Logos resemblesRead MoreTradition And Heritage Of The Middle East1278 Words   |  6 Pageswide spread of the modern Middle East. As Americans, or any allies of the Middle East, it is important to understand the tribal system in order to interact with the Middle East. The purpose tribes serve in the modern Middle East is protection. This protection comes in many forms such as protection from the government, protection from vigilantes, protection from other tribes, protection for survival, and to ensure the tribe can prosper and flourish throughout time. In order for Western societies to have

Should Capital Punishment Be Allowed - 1376 Words

Effectiveness in Death Penalty Over the past forty-years, 1,421 executions have been conducted by thirty-one states and the federal government under the capital punishment sentence (â€Å"Facts About the Death Penalty†). Throughout those years however, controversial opinions have aroused on whether the capital punishment should be permitted, its success on reflecting a deterrent effect, and even its morality. Although it is often argued that Capital punishment is appropriate when the crime reaches an egregious extent, the revocation of constitutional securities, discrimination within race and income status, as well as the insufficiency to achieve a deterrent effect prevail over the validation of society’s ultimate punishment–the death penalty. In Wilkinson v. Utah (1879), the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was not a violation of the Eighth Amendment s â€Å"prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment†, therefore allowing congress or any state lawmaking body to endorse capital punishment for homicide and other capital offenses. Overtime, however, the Supreme court has issued numerous rulings on the use of capital punishments that the Eighth Amendment outlines in regard to certain procedural aspects that reflect when a jury may utilize capital punishment and the undergoing process of the death sentence itself. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 states the permitted process of death sentence executions: â€Å"lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas,Show MoreRelatedCapital Punishment Should Be Allowed955 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is execution, which can furthermore be identified as the death penalty, has been a hot topic in the public eye for a while. The question on lots of minds is whether it is acceptable for the state to terminate one’s life for the crime they have committed. A significant question that we will address is whether or not capital punishment should be allowed. By inquiring more information about this topic people should be able to formulate their own opinions on this debate. As I beganRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Allowed Or Not?927 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States of America, the issue of capital punishment is one of the major controversial topics which is being debated over and over due to different ideologies of people. Many support the use of death penalty but other oppose the use of this form of punishment because they think it’s barbaric. There are numerous reasons why some individuals believe that capital punishment should be allowed or not. Most of these individual’s beliefs are influenced by religion, the Constitution, and deterrenceRead MoreExamine the Ethical Issue on Capital Punishment and Discuss the Extent Which It Should Be Allowed.1867 Words   |  8 PagesQuestion: Examine the ethical issue on capital punishment and discuss the extent to which it should be allowed. We live in a society where killing is deemed and known as unethical and immoral, and this is because of society’s condemnation of death. We are bounded by a set of guidelines, a social contract, and these common guidelines create boundaries – boundaries that determine how the law is formed, what is wrong and what is right, benefitting the majority of the society. By having this socialRead MoreChristianity and Allowing Capital Punishment Essay1051 Words   |  5 PagesChristianity and Allowing Capital Punishment The question of whether Christians should allow capital punishment is controversial and is often argued between many Christians. This question can be answered by using the bible to help them understand their morale and ways of life. The Christians believe that Christians should allow capital punishment and they argue this by using the bible in Exodus 21 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot thisRead MoreCapital Punishment and its Controversies 1434 Words   |  6 PagesCapital punishment uses death penalty as a form of punishment in many states and countries. It is a practice that has raised endless questions all over the world. Capital punishment or death penalty policy has changed in many countries overtime. Countries such as, New Australia, Zealand and 15 states in the US do not have capital punishment. One of the major concerns arising with capital punishment is because it causes ending of a human life. People and organizations of different backgrounds areRead More The Need for Capital Punishment in America Essay1151 Words   |  5 PagesIt is the firm belief and position here that committing such a crime as murder is punishable by death. Americans should take a position for anyone on death row, to be executed sooner rather than later. The moral reality in an argument for capital punishment is that they know the difference between the death penalty and what happens when it is actually put into place from the court of law. In the United States there are more people sitting in prison on death row than actually being executed atRead MorePersuasive Essay On Capital Punishment921 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is a controversial debate in the United States. Many Americans believe that the death penalty is immoral because of its ethical complications. Still others believe that capital punishment is a cheaper and quicker way for justice to be served. When the government houses inmates, vast amounts of money are spent on food, medication, and clothing for inmates to survive in prison. Yet, the majority of America still allows for the practice of capital punishment in several manners suchRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1017 Words   |  5 PagesPosition Paper Country: Saudi Arabia Name: Lucas Falley Topic: Capital Punishment Background: Capital punishment, or the death penalty, has existed for thousands of years. For as long as there has been organized society, the death penalty has existed in numerous cultures and civilizations. Throughout the years the methods have changed, but the use of capital punishment is becoming a pressing matter. Amnesty International reports that there are 140 countries worldwide that have abolished the deathRead MoreLiterature Review on Death Penalty1028 Words   |  5 Pagespaper is going to be over â€Å"Do you agree with the death penalty?†. I gathered information by asking a series of questions of other individuals. Some of the questions I asked was, â€Å"Do you think the death penalty is a deterrent from a crime?†, and â€Å"How should the death penalty be administered?† My goal is to find out how many people agree or disagree with the death penalty, and why. This will be a good opportunity to view this topic from many different aspects, considering each p erson will have theirRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1031 Words   |  5 PagesCapital punishment has been a part of the U.S criminal justice system for centuries. The death penalty has been the most controversial aspect. The death penalty is legal in 33 states but the rest of the 19 states abolished it. There are over half of Americans that support the death penalty while the rest of them believe that it is unacceptable. People who support the death penalty believe that capital punishment lowers future crime rates, but people who are against it believe that it is a cruel

Head of Household during the Cold War Era Free Essays

If I were the head of household who took care of my family during the Cold War Era, I would make sure to get everything needed for at least two weeks to survive if there was a nuclear bomb disaster. I would have my husband and friends build a bomb shelter that can fit at least 50 people in our basement to protect my family and friends from the nuclear disaster. I would make sure that we have plenty of water for cooking and drinking, stock up on supplies, canned food, pre-packaged foods such as crackers, cookies, wafers for at least two to three weeks to feed all of us. We will write a custom essay sample on Head of Household during the Cold War Era or any similar topic only for you Order Now We will make sure to have a camp stove with enough fuel to boil rice, beans, and pasta. Have a can opener for the canned food, enough batteries with a radio, small portable television, and flashlights to keep them running so we can listen to the news, or music. We will also need a power generator, or candles with enough matches just in case the power goes out and the generator stops working. I will make sure we have available to us sanitation kits and medical kits just in case a family member gets hurt. Another kit that should be in the shelter is a radiation detection kit. For keeping everyone entertained we will have board games to keep us occupied, do sharedes, books to read, crayons and coloring books for the younger children, have cards so we can play card games. Also my husband and I will make sure we have clothing, shoes and blankets available to us. We will also make sure that a bathroom is built in the bomb shelter with running water and plumbing so we can take quick showers. In the bathroom we will have plenty of toilet paper, soap, shampoo, combs, brushes, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, and plenty of towels. We would make sure that we have heavy duty plastic sheets with duct tape to keep out harmful chemicals and gases. Most importantly my husband and I will sit down our children and explain to them what is happening and what we need to do and what is going to take place. How to cite Head of Household during the Cold War Era, Essay examples