The Political Theories Of Locke And Hobbes Essays - Empiricists

The Political Theories Of Locke And Hobbes Political Theories of Locke and Hobbes John Locke influenced Western political thought immensely. He lived during the age of political upheaval, the Glorious Revolution. During this time, the Tories and the Whigs, England's first two political parties, joined together to rid their country of the tyrannical James II and welcomed as their new co-rulers his daughter, Mary, and her Dutch husband, William. Locke witnessed these events from the Netherlands, where he had fled in 1683 because he foresaw the accession of the absolutist and Catholic-leaning James II. These events greatly influenced his political theories. Throughout his writings, Locke argued that people had the gift of reason. Locke thought they had the natural ability to govern themselves and to look after the well being of society. He wrote, ?The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which treats everyone equally. Reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind?that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health or possessions.? Locke did not believe that God had chosen a group or family of people to rule countries. He rejected the ?Divine Right,? which many kings and queens used to justify their right to rule. Instead, he argued that governments should only operate with the consent of the people they are governing. In this way, Locke supported democracy as a form of government. Locke wrote, ?We have learned from history we have reason to conclude that all peaceful beginnings of government have been laid in consent of the people.? Governments were formed, according to Locke, to protect the right to life, the right to freedom, and the right to property. Their rights were absolute, belonging to all the people. Locke also believed that government power should be divided equally into three branches of government so that politicians will not face the ?temptation? to grasp at absolute power.? If any government abused these rights instead of protecting them, then the people had the right to rebel and form a new gov ernment. John Locke spoke out against the control of any man against his will. This control was acceptable neither in the form of an unfair government, nor in slavery. Locke wrote, ?The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only have the law of nature for his rule.? In addition, Locke felt that women had the ability to reason, which entitled them to an equal voice- an unpopular idea during this time in history. Despite fearing that he might be censored, he wrote, ?It may not be wrong to offer new ideas when the old traditions are apt to lead men into mistakes, as this idea of fatherly power's probably has done, which seems so eager to place the power of parents over their children wholly in the father, as if the mother had no share in it: whereas if we consult reason or the Bible, we shall find she has an equal title.? Thomas Hobbes, on the other hand, had a completely different view of human beings and how government should function. This is due to his background of growing up in England, during a time of religious, social, and political discord. Hobbes, was very interested in why people allowed themselves to be ruled and what would be the best form of government for England. In 1651, Hobbes wrote his most famous work, entitled Leviathan. In it, he argued that people were naturally wicked and could not be trusted to govern. Therefore, Hobbes believed that an absolute monarchy- a government that gave all power to a king or queen- was best. Hobbes believed that humans were basically selfish creatures who would do anything to better their position. Left to themselves, he thought, people would act on their evil impulses. According to Hobbes, people therefore should not be trusted to make decisions on their own. In addition, Hobbes felt that nations, like people, were selfishly motivated. To Hobbes, each country was in a constant battle for power and wealth. To prove his point, Hobbes wrote, ?If men are naturally in a state of war,

Definition Essay Sample on Logic

Definition Essay Sample on Logic The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines logic as â€Å"the science of reasoning, proof, thinking, or influence.† Critical thinking as described by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, ‘is the process by which we test claims and arguments and determine which have merit and which do not.† (Beyond Feelings, 6) At one level, I think we all know what critical thinking  means - it means good thinking as opposed to illogical, irrational thinking. Since critical thinking is not necessarily being â€Å"critical† and negative I think it would be appropriate or more accurate to call it evaluative thinking. The results of the evaluation can range from acceptance to rejection, positive, negative, or anything in between. As I understand it the essence of critical thinking is logic and that we use very little explicit logic in ordinary life. I understand that the basic principles of logic use in evaluating arguments are as follows: (1) Premises are either true or false (incorre ct or correct); (2) Conclusions are either valid or invalid, (3) Correct premises plus valid reasoning equal a sound argument ,and lastly (3) An incorrect premise or invalid reasoning makes an argument unsound. Perceptual process I think most of my thinking at the ordinary level is based on perception, language , and information. At the most there is one logic step: If this than that. I think most thinking takes place in the perceptual stage. These are the questions that arise, How much do I take in? and How do I look at things? This perception is based on habits of perceptions and what I hear, what I read and how I express myself. I understand that we do not need to use much explicit logic because we have already built the logic into our language. For example, killing is ‘bad’ unless justified by war or self-dense. I know that with investment decisions I followed what was recommended and what my friends were doing and then rationalized it with the following rationalization: Everyone does this and the stock rises for a while and when the market eventually gets a severe correction I rationalize that as well. This rationalization is based on  information - not all-available information but a sel ection that fits what I was inclined to do anyway. I think that logic can be used to reinforce perceptions (and prejudices) but logic and argument will not change perceptions. Perception is more than sensing, it is processing, reacting, and interpreting. Faith Bryne describes perception as, â€Å"detecting the nature of both outer and inner worlds. In many cases, it also means responding in some way, either consciously or unconsciously.† (Perception, 57) Perception is the way we look at things and I think processing is what we do with that perception. In my view if we take processing for granted then perception becomes even more important, because the way we look at a situation will determine what we can do about it. Perceptual Blocks The influences (family, teachers, religion, race, environment, and economic level) that have shaped or conditioned my identity by instilling values, beliefs, viewpoints or attitudes that I have accepted without challenge serves as a perceptual block. The situations in which I am less of an individual because of these influences occur when I refuse to understand someone else’s opinion or look for other points of view because of something I have been conditioned to believe is true. I am not very consistent in ensuring that my opinions are informed. Often times I have not taken careful consideration of the evidence and have treated opinions as facts especially if I have expressed it to the point that I have begun to believe it as truth. At times, in what matters most I am inclined to assume too much and take too much for granted. I feel the strongest urge to conform when someone is a positive role model and conforming to this type of behavior I believe adds value. However, a situ ation in which this conformist tendency has interfered with my judgment is following others because it seemed the lesser of two evils. All to often at the workplace this is how some decisions are made just to close an issue that ultimately will recycle. I think I seek to confirm my biases rather than control them in seeking evidence that only confirms my bias and not questioning or seeking the opposing point of view. Additionally, I tend to jump or make hasty conclusions more often than I would like. This occurs more so in the area of personal relationships. Lessons Learned I have learned that there are some errors and bad habits that can lead to shallow or uncritical decisions instead of careful judgments. I have gained the most insight from the following errors and bad habits, which are: Ethnocentricity, Resistance to change (habits), Conformity, Face saving (ego), Rationalization, Stereotyping, Faulty common sense, Oversimplification, Hasty conclusions, and Unwarranted assumptions. I think the real key to each the of errors and habits mentioned above is my being conscious of the tendency to do them and to get into the habit of applying and practicing the different ways or approaches to avoiding the blockers to critical thinking. This will be an ongoing process if I am to be in control of my own beliefs, and to somehow gain an understanding of the truth, then I must know what good reasoning is, and be aware of the ways in which my reasoning (and that of others) can go astray. You can also order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on logic from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

Western Medieval Christian Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Western Medieval Christian Architecture - Essay Example In the beginning of this essay it is important to mention that two major styles, Romanesque and Gothic, were developed in the field of architecture of Western European Middle Ages. These two styles have reflected the world outlook of their era in the best way. Medieval Romanesque period begins in the X century, when a period of a lull was possible after many internecine wars. Historical evidence states that, by this time, a vast empire of Charlemagne had already formed some European states which have not been able to acquire the cultural autonomy and identity, and culture of each of them was just a variation on a European theme (Perry et al. 217-222).It is obvious that pilgrimages to Jerusalem and the crusades introduced Europeans to the culture of the Arab East. Different Christian monasteries greatly expanded their activity: they built roads, bridges, hotels and hospitals. New experience and traditions were transferred from the master of one monastery to other monastery.Composition in the Middle Ages was understood literally, as the folding, drawing up a new form of ready-made. This was evident in all the arts, and especially in the architecture. And even today the Romanesque cathedral seems as it is composed of several separate volumes like cubes. In such a way, previously stated information gives us an understanding of the fact that already the Romanesque era formed the main design features of the cathedral, which was brought to perfection in the Gothic style in the next centuries.

Analysis and evaluation of an Australian resource company Essay - 1

Analysis and evaluation of an Australian resource company - Essay Example But its mining operations only started in 2009 which initially produced 2,465 ounces of gold and 1,468 oz of silver amounting to $3,378 million (A1, 2011). It claimed that it’s producing gold at average of 450 gold per week and 400 of silver (A1, 2011). The companies have built its facilities with contracted team of engineers to enhance its working environment as it worked with mining contractor Watpac that is gauging its credibility on Brightstar project to get into Western Australian gold mining circles (A1, 2011). It also used its facilities to accommodate workers and contractors, some of whom operates on fly-in, fly-out schedule. Facilities installed are modern communications, a laboratory and a gold room (A1, 2011). A1 targeted to open four minefields they coded as Alpha, Beta, delta and Epsilon. The sum total area is 1,559,054t at 4.2g/t ore (A1, 2011). The company perceived at extracting about 4,915, 879 grams of and gold (in situ) and hope to estimate to get 150,164 ounces of gold (A1, 2011). The company has transparent financial policies, accounting of renumeration, and stocks shares (A1, 2011). It accorded independence of auditor in the evaluation and accounting of its finances. However, it is interesting to note that its consolidated financial report reflected huge losses of $5,900,505 in 2010 and $4,282,979 in 2009 compared to its declared income/revenue of $ 2,769,155 (2010) and % $ 199,062 in 2009 (A1, 2011). The management further declared that they suffer financial setback with $6,047,861 deficiency of working capital (A1, 2011). It is further affirmed that the company need to gather more capital to fund its consolidated operations, exploration, and assets management (A1, 2011). The management hope to undertake aggressive exploration to extract in an open-pit method the mineral reserves in Australia of about 20M oz in Laverport region and in other significant regions. Last year, 2010, A1 sold its northern gold prospect to Regis Mining,

Articles of association Essay Example for Free

Articles of association Essay This sets out the rules for running the company. It contains the procedures for calling shareholder meetings, the number, rights, and obligations of directors, shareholder voting rights, and lastly details of how accounts will be kept and recorded.  Once these two documents have been agreed they are sent to Companies House (a government body that watches over limited companies). If everything is in order, the registrar of companies issues a Certificate of incorporation, which allows the company to start trading out makes the company a separate legal entity from the owners. Details of the directors and the secretarys intended address for the registered office as well as their personal details and information of other directorships they may have held within the last five years.  This must be signed after all the other documents as it confirms that all the other registration requirements have been fulfilled. This declaration must be signed before a solicitor.  Once all the forms are completed, they should be send to the companys house where they are checked for such instances as confirming that the prospective officers of the company are not on the disqualified directors list. How the ownership suits the business activity  Peacocks groups ownership suits their activity because they operate on a large scale by selling a wide range of goods like womens wear, (lingerie, night wear, swimwear, e-vie fashions), mens wear (jackets, shirts, ties, trousers), childrens wear (new borns, toddlers, babies), street wear, foot wear, home wear. With this, they employ more than 5000 personnel and trades from over 385 stores throughout the UK. The profits Peacocks receives from selling their goods is used to pay wages, and buying other products to be sold from the suppliers. Because Peacocks is a large company, it gets a lot of profits from different branches and can manage to sell a large number of products and also employ enough staff to maintain the smooth running of the business. Relationship between the size of the business and the type of ownership  Peacocks is a large business covering 110,000 square feet and has about 385 stores in the UK. It operates on a large scale and this is one of the reasons why it is a public limited company. It employs 5000 personnel to work for it throughout the UK.  The industrial sectors to which my businesses belong  The primary sector is concerned with the production or obtaining of raw materials. This includes occupations like farming, forestry, fishing and mining, and oil and gas drilling. For many products, such as fish fingers, this will be the first stage of production. The fish will be then sold on for processing at the secondary stage. The secondary sector deals with manufacturing, processing, construction, and assembly. This relates to manufacturers of consumer and industrial goods. A paper mill, a carpet factory, and a house builder are all found in this sector. Secondary industry processes the goods that come from the primary industry and turns them into something that people want. My two businesses, which are Peacocks, and Top Girl hairdressers both belong to the same industrial sector. They both belong to the tertiary sector, which is known as the service sector. The tertiary sector includes all the providers of services to businesses and to individuals, and can be divided into four sections. These are business services, financial and business services, transport and communication, retailing, distribution, hotels and catering. They belong to this sector because they provide services. Peacocks mainly provides retailing while top girl hairdressers provides hair styling. Top girl hairdressers also provides retailing but as a side activity. It sells a few hair products to its customers just in case they come to get their hair done without any products. They also provide information about maintaining hair. Peacocks sells womens wear, mens wear, home wear and childrens wear.Consultancy work is generally popular- tax consultants, management consultants, and computer consultants. Whenever there is constant, rapid change that affects business you will find that consultants are often used to advise how best to adjust to these. Recruitment agencies and selection consultants depend on the job market. When unemployment is high they may struggle, when employment is good and people are looking to change jobs regularly they benefit from increased business. Dont forget that recruitment agencies often specialise in temporary employment opportunities.  Security firms are becoming more and more popular. Certainly many retail organisations do. Security services are normally sub-contracted because this is more cost-effective than employing and managing specialised security staff.  Industrial cleaners are also sub-contracted. Your college probably buys in its cleaning services rather than employing cleaners. This has been a growth area for entrepreneurs in the past few years.  Secretarial services are generally less popular than they were several years ago. The use of computers and modern software packages means that many people can produce their own documents quickly and easily.

Antonio Vivaldis Biography :: essays research papers

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4th, 1678. Though ordained a priest in 1703, according to his own account, within a year of being ordained Vivaldi no longer wished to celebrate mass because of physical complaints ("tightness of the chest") which pointed to angina pectoris, asthmatic bronchitis, or a nervous disorder. It is also possible that Vivaldi was simulating illness - there is a story that he sometimes left the altar in order to quickly jot down a musical idea in the sacristy.... In any event he had become a priest against his own will, perhaps because in his day training for the priesthood was often the only possible way for a poor family to obtain free schooling. Though he wrote many fine and memorable concertos, such as the Four Seasons and the Opus 3 for example, he also wrote many works which sound like five-finger exercises for students. And this is precisely what they were. Vivaldi was employed for most of his working life by the Ospedale della Pietà  . Often termed an "orphanage", this Ospedale was in fact a home for the female offspring of noblemen and their numerous dalliances with their mistresses. The Ospedale was thus well endowed by the "anonymous" fathers; its furnishings bordered on the opulent, the young ladies were well looked-after, and the musical standards among the highest in Venice. Many of Vivaldi's concerti were indeed exercises which he would play with his many talented pupils. Vivaldi's relationship with the Ospedale began right after his ordination in 1703, when he was named as violin teacher there. Until 1709, Vivaldi's appointment was renewed every year and again after 1711. Between 1709 and 1711 Vivaldi was not attached to the Ospedale. Perhaps in this period he was already working for the Teatro Sant' Angelo, an opera theater. He also remained active as a composer - in 1711 twelve concertos he had written were published in Amsterdam by the music publisher Estienne Roger under the title l'Estro armonico (Harmonic Inspiration). In 1713, Vivaldi was given a month's leave from the Ospedale della Pietà   in order to stage his first opera, Ottone in villa, in Vicenza. In the 1713-4 season he was once again attached to the Teatro Sant' Angelo, where he produced an opera by the composer Giovanni Alberto Rostori (1692-1753). As far as his theatrical activities were concerned, the end of 1716 was a high point for Vivaldi.

Gender Discrimination in Developing Countries Essay

Although we live in the 21st century gender discrimination still remains. Despite the fact that international laws have granted men and women equal rights, in some parts of the world there is discriminatory attitude towards men and women, which affects their lives on a daily basis. Since women are mostly affected by discrimination, I will try to cover as many different types as possible. First of all, in eastern countries when girls are born they are considered as just another expanse. Their place is in the home, and they’re considered to be servant of the household. As they grow up they’re made to feel inferior to boys. Also in some parts of the world, girls do not have the right to go to school and be educated. Resulting in them not being able to seek a career later on in their lives. As far as labor in concerned girls are likely to work from daybreak until the light drains away, they work hard without recognition or reward, not to mention the fact that since infancy women run the risk of physical harm, they’re vulnerable to abuse, especially those living in societies where their rights mean practically nothing. In addition, this is a phenomenon in developing world countries since there is much poverty striking families; they see their daughters as an economic predicament. Even newborn girls lack the opportunity to be breast fed by their mothers, since their goal is to try and get pregnant again with a boy as soon as possible. As they grow up, they receive less food, healthcare, even fewer vaccinations then boys. In my opinion, the whole world is facing a devastating reality regarding discrimination against girls and women in developing countries. This results in numerous individual tragedies, which contributes to less potential for the countries they’re born in. It is my firm belief that if one part suffers, so does the whole. I feel sorry for all of those female children, who are defenseless against the trauma of gender discrimination. I’m certain that the various international organizations, are working hard to improve the livelihood of girls and women  living in developing countries, such as, UNICEF, UNIFEM, or Amnesty International. I feel relieved that at least they’re trying to raise international awareness. As for the validity of the source is concerned, it is secondary source primarily based on fact. The source is trustworthy indeed, since it comes from the representative of Children In Need Inc. which strives to encourage people to help and support children in need. They do provide accurate information, since they express their own experiences from visits to those countries. Questions: Don’t you think it’s time you stepped up and contributed to raising international awareness about gender discrimination? Is it right for a baby girl to be deprived of her mother’s breast-feeding? Are we proud of being citizens of developed countries, without being aware of what goes on in some other parts of the world? Don’t you think food; education and healthcare should be a right that all children despite gender should have?