Legal philosophy Essay

The crucial element lies in bringing the guilty to justice; but for that to happen, it has to be determined first who is guilty and who is not, not just in terms of who committed the crime, but whether a certain action and the consequences of it fall under the category of crime at all, and under what criteria. There is a great scope of ambiguity and fuzziness here. The battle between good and evil seems to have been going on for all the time, and yet good and evil are highly relative terms. There exist no clear-cut distinctions, no separate black and white segments. In many ways, good and evil constitute a messy flux, and criminal justice system is needed to sort these things out on a continual basis. Law, with the moral and legal philosophy underlying it, directs the criminal justice system in this complex task of determining good from evil, the right from the wrong, as well as the right from the good. These laws are not static and fixed entities, they can and do change with time; legal philosophy is constantly evolving. Our perceptions and interpretations of the good and the right need to be reconsidered from time to time. The ongoing struggle is to evolve a society that is more firmly based on justice and freedom. Justice requires that each citizen have an equal and fair starting position in respect of the physical necessities, educational opportunities, and employment opportunities. And the principle of freedom requires that the government not force a single conception of the good upon individuals, but simply guarantee that individuals are free to pursue their various goods as they perceive them (Garner 2005). The choices freely made reflect a variety of views of what is good. Human beings are uniquely individual personalities, endowed with immense potentiality for mental and spiritual growth. The role of society lies in being caring and tolerant about the individual and the differences in the unique individualities of people, and displaying a commitment to respect all its members who are in the process of cultivating their freedom and realizing their potentiality. It is not the government’s business or right to determine what is good, but only to guarantee justice and freedom of choice to individuals. The guarantee of justice and freedom of choice will protect individuals’ pursuits of their various private conceptions of the good. In this way, the government ensures â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number,† the principle on which utilitarianism is founded (Penslar 1995). Each individual is free to pursue his or her own conception of the good life, as long as it does not bring harm to others. The government should be neutral as to the conceptions of the good life, in order to respect persons as free and independent agents of action, capable of choosing their own ends. For example, the good lies in the fact of each individual being free to follow a religion or belief system of his own choice, or not to follow any should he choose to. Unfortunately, this condition is very likely to be violated in modern world where fundamentalism is gaining ground everyday. If we take the United States, for example, three things are happening 1) Evangelical Christianity is spreading like wild fire: â€Å"The Evangelical Christian movement is the fastest growing segment of American religion with 42% of all Christians in America identifying themselves as Evangelicals† (Cobia 2007) 2) as is common knowledge, the government is growing more powerful and centralized, and 3) a very high percentage of people in the government, including the president himself, are fundamentalist evangelical Christians (McMahon 2006). In such a scenario, it is very likely that, in the near future, basic individual freedom to choose his or her own would be breached and fundamentalism be imposed as a state-sponsored religion. When that happens, the theory of evolution will be removed from textbooks and Biblical doctrine of creationism taught in its place. Science would stagnate, progress would stop, and humanity may slip back to dark ages. Upon considering such a possibility, we can see how ensuring individual freedom to determine one’s own good is conducive to the good of the society as a whole, promotes progress and enlightens humanity. When individual freedom is lost, be it in religion or any other sphere of life, the spirit of humanity starts dying.

Is the Life-Span Approach Essential to Human Development

Human development has been a subject of interest among modern researchers. The most prominent theory in human development is the life-span approach which is made up of various concepts. This essay aims to show the importance of the life-span approach by analysing some of the concepts that make up this approach, such as multi-directionality historical location and contexualism among others. This essay will critically analyse some of the assumptions of the life-span approach.It will also examine arguments against the lifespan approach as well as other theories of human development such as Freud’s psychoanalytic theory with the aim of showing that this approach is essential for understanding human development. One of the major assumptions of the life-span approach as suggested by Baites, (1987) is that development is a ‘life-long process’ by this he meant that developmental changes occur throughout a person’s life, from the point of conception till death (Suga rman, 1986). Baltes, (1987) went on to state that development as a life-long process assumes that, no point in a person’s developmental life is more important than the other, every period of a person’s life is equally important weather it is childhood or aging, they are all important periods of development though this assumption is in direct contradiction to other theorists of human development such as Freud who believed that development ends at childhood and that adulthood is an extended version of childhood and that aging is more of â€Å"loss in adaptive capacity† hence does not qualify to be put in the paradigms of development .This has constituted the gain and loss argument (Baltes, 1987). Research on intelligence has shown that other forms of intelligence which involving reviewing of one’s life and wisdom emerge in old age and these forms of intelligence are not ‘genetically wired from birth† as suggested by Freud and (Baltes, 1987). Thi s goes to show that development is not restricted to certain periods of a person’s life but happens up until death; hence the life-span approach is essential in understanding human development.With the desire to proove the importance of the life-span approach in human development This essay will look at another assumption put forward by life-span theorists which state that development is malti-directional, (Baltes, 1987). This means that human development has different forms and differs in the routes that it takes thoughout the developmental process for example the presents of degenerative and growth abilities in a person (Stenberg, Bornstein, Yandell, & Rook, 011). It has also been noted by Li & Freund, (2005) that development as viewed by the life-span theory is not a one way procces of accumulation but that some developmental aspect increase while others decline (Li & Freund, 2005). Research by (cattel and horn, 1982 ) shows that a person consits of two types of intelligan ce mamely fluid and crystalized intelligance.According to this research fluid intelligance showed a declining function as compared to cristalized which showed accumulation tendancies (Baltes, 1987) This evidence shows that development is not a one way procces but takes different directions and that includes both childhood development and aiging, reafirming the point made above that aiging also qualifies to be considered as being part of development.Also in southafrica it has been noted that due to the inaccesibility of adiquate health care by children during the apartheid some children were born with birth defects while others suffered from malnutrition and became disabled showing the different varyng trajectories that human development can take (Youth hearings, 1997). Therefore the presence of malti-directionality as a life-span concept helps us to understand the various dimentions and directions taken by development throghout a person’s life hence it earns its importance in understanding human development.The life-span approach again plays a very important role in understanding human development when looking at the assumption that ‘development is historically embeded’ (Elder, 1998). This concept cannot be separated from the concept of contexualism hence Elder, (1998)’s work is to be viewed in light of the two concepts. According to Baites, (1987) the idea behind this assumption is that the historical location of a person together with the socio, economic and caltural experiences the individual encounter during that time has an impact on how he developes.He went on to say that this assumption brings in history as an important factor that facilitates one’s nature of deverlopment To support this assumption it was discovered that children who faced economic hardships during the time of the great depression looked far much older than their normal age but tended to recover when the conditions got better showing again that developm ent is a continous procces (Elder, 1998). To further support this line of thinking it must be clarified that Elder, (1998) is stressing the fact that there is continous interplay between factors such as history, timing of life transitions such as early pregnancy, shared elationships and a person’s unique ability to execise agency which has been defined by Baites, (1987) as plasticity These factors greatly influence the developmental trajectories of a person (Sugarman, 1986). To support this he turns his attention to the oakland and berkely studies done on children who experiences the second world war, the great depression and the korean war. As shown by this research children born during the economic meltdown of the great depression probably laked proper parenting and this affected maturation.He went on to mention that children who lived during the second world war and the korean war had different experienes as compared to the oakland study and their developmental gains and l osses were different. In southafrica research shows that black children who lived during the apatheid era ended up in sqatter camps without any aducation, with poor sanitation no recreation facilities and high health risks, this forced some to join ganges.Removal from their land also caused identity confusion which is a very important developmental task according to Erikson. showng that historcal context brings with it a unique experience that individuals are exposed to and this has a great impact on one’s developmet reafirming the claim tht the life-span approach is important in understanding human development. It has also been brought to attention that the research methods used by life-span researchers are to some extent unreliable and may produce inaccurate information.As critics of this approach have noted life-span researchers mainly use introspection, questioning and obsarvation for example Elder, (1998) on his study of children of the great depression admits that they would ask the subjects on how they thought the great depression influenced their lives, Havighurst also used the same technique in his study of developmental tasks and this is problematic since subjects are most likely unware of their developmental tasks and deficits (Sugarman, 1986).He went on to say researcher bias is also a broblem for example theorists like Erikson may have been influenced to research by their background and the results they produce may bear similarities to what they personaly feel, not the actual facts on the ground. Pllasticity is another life-span concept that t can help us understand human development. Though it has been mentioned above we now look at it in more detail. According to (Li & Freund, 2005) it is the campacity of the individual to influence his own developmen meaning a person may counciously or uconciously influence heir own developme. Biological research on cortical plasticity across the life-span by (Li & Freund, 2005) has shown that the brain of adults can change its stractural and functional organisation due to its developmental history. The research also showed the reorganisation of functions of the cortex in old age such as the use of both hemspheres to compansate for decline and this shows the importance of pasticity in human develoment.The last charecteristic of the life-span approach to be discussed is the fact that human development is multi-disciplinary meaning that it encompasses other fields such as bbiology, sociology and anthropology (Baltes, 1987). This assumption is further supported by Huvighurst (1972) who also suggest that developmental tasks arise from ‘physical maturation, caltural presure and individual aspirations (Sugarman, 1986).He gives the example that learning to read may be as a result caltural influence, one’s willingness to read and your mental or cognitive capability hence these three fields may simaltenously influence development. Though this essay aims to assert the importants of the life-span approach to development we cannot turn a blind eye on some of the weaknesses and critisisms brought forward agains this approach therefore we will start with the last concept which stated that human development is is malti-desciplinary.Schoolars like Sugarman, (1986) have argued that much of the work presented to support the assumption remains in doupt since research done in german society may not be applicable on a Southafrican context and therefore this particular concept does not fully expain human development of all people across the world since developmental tasks such as choosing a job are calture specific (Havighurst, 1972).Another critisism of the life-span approach is that it that some of its ideas are incontradiction with its principles for example Sugarman, (1986) notes that life-span developmental theorists offer a road map of development, Erikson’s eight stages and Havighurst’s assumption that failare to overcome a particular stage would result in unhappyness. This is in direct contradiction to the notion that development is malti-directional and does not follow a particular pattern of developmen which bergs the question as to weather this approach is really essential in understanding human development.After closely examining the assumptions of the life-span approach and the arguments presented against it, it is evident that the approach has a lot of inconsistancies and that the research methods used to some extend are inconclusive. After aknowledging these facts it is however iumportant to note that not all of the life-span approach’s research is obtained by quationable means and that it is the only theory of human development which better explains human development in Southafrica.The life-span approach is also to be credited for being the only thery of human development which is malti-disciplinary and it is also not deterministc in that there is always hope to overcome life;s challenges Also its methods are easily applicable therefore in conclusion it remains beyond reasonable doupt that development is a life-long procces and that the life-span approach is vital in understanding human development. ? References Baites, P. B. (1987). Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: On the dynamics between growth and decline.Developmental Psychology, 611-623. Boyd, D. , & Bee, H. (2006). Life span development (4th ed. ). Boston: MA Pearson Education. Elder, G. H. (1998). The life course a developmental theory. Child development. BF431 . M374 1972. Havisghurst, R. (1972). Developmental tasks and education. (3rd ed. ). New York : D. McKay Co. BF701 . H37 1972. evelopmental theory. Child development, 69, 1-12. Leo, B. , Kloep, H. , & Kloep, M. (2002). Lifespan Development Resources, Challenges and Risks. Oxford: Thomson Learning. Li, S. C. & Freund, A. M. (2005). Advances in lifespan psychology;A Forcus on biocaltural and personal influences. Research in human development, 1- 23. Salkind, N. J. (2004). Intoduction to Theories of Human Development. Califonia: Sage Publications. Stenberg, L. , Bornstein, M. H. , Yandell, D. L. , & Rook, K. S. (2011). Life-Span development;Infancy through chidhood. Belmont: WAadsworth Cengage Learning. Sugarman, L. (1986). New essential psychology:Life-Span development, concepts theories and interventions. New York: Methen Inc.

Monotype printmaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monotype printmaking - Essay Example However, the blankets required in the etching press are different from those used on the lithography press. In line with this, the etching press requires the use of three blankets with each blanket varying in thickness, type, and their functionality being different (Banister, 1969) Monoprints and monotypes are similar in many aspects. However, there are underlying differences between these two that result to variations that set them aside from each other. In this case, a monoprint has a reusable matrix, which is used to produce a different result from the first one obtained. Conversely, monotypes involve permanent marks on the matrix with the possibility of obtaining at most two impressions (Monoprints.com, 2012). In effect, the fundamental difference between these two prints regards the plates used by the artist since an artist working on a monotype uses a clean plate that is unetched while an artist working on a monoprint uses etched plates such as fabric or lace. Consequently, the plates used determine the number of patterns an artist produce with a monotype producing one pattern while there is a repetition of patterns for a monoprint. Scale and proportion, in visual arts, are used to show the relative size of one figure in relationship to another figure. According to Lauer and Pentak (2007), scale is another word for the size of a figure and it is in reference to the size of an object when compared to other objects. In line with this, it is important to point out that scale is crucial in providing the focal point of the object. On the other hand, proportion is the relative size of an image. In this case, proportion is the size measured against another image or against an image that exists in mental form or standard (Lauer & Pentak, 2007). In art, artistic objects are representations, abstracts, or non-objective form of objects. In this case, objects in art are in representational form in instances whereby an artist produces a piece of work that

Personal Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Personal Development Plan - Essay Example As a result of the way and manner in which I approach my work with much confidence, my clients have always had trust in my ability to delivery, which is a very important tool for ensuring that I deliver up to expected standards for my clients. Equally so is the confidence and trust that my co-workers and superiors have in me. Finally, I have showed great strength in my knowledge in general x-ray procedures, which has affected the output of my work very positively. In the delivery of my works, there are very specific procedures such as fluoroscopy that I have not effectively mastered. My communication with some line of people is also affected with my difficulty in understanding their accent. Very often also, I have overworked myself, causing me to be stressed. Lastly, I do not have an in-depth knowledge in the area of pathology. These weaknesses are actually guidelines for me as to how I need to develop my action plan into the future to function more effectively. This is because I realise that if I am able to overcome these weaknesses and turn them into strengths, I shall become more useful at work. As important as it is for me work on all my identified weaknesses, I believe that taking this one at a time will be much helpful for me. For this reason, I have a focusing area which I want to start with. This focus area has to do with developing my knowledge in pathology. I have selected this as my focusing area due to the direct influence and linkage it has on my professional practice. With my work in x-ray procedures and radiography in general, I find the development of my knowledge in pathology as a crucial requirement that will ensure that I have a total understanding for my patients and their health situations. Clearly having a better understanding of the overall health structure of a patient helps in giving quality healthcare to the patient. As pathology deals with â€Å"the examination of organs,

P&G Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

P&G - Essay Example Case Study: Procter & Gamble – Vizir Launch Case summary Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) corporate policies and organizational practices, both at home in the USA and globally, form the backdrop to this case involving critical decisions on introducing Vizir – a heavy duty liquid detergent (HDL) – in Europe. Although the test marketing results of a few months are encouraging, they may not guarantee the product success in view of the competition and local market conditions. The underlying point is that for a marketer, competition is as important as consumer acceptance (Kotler, 2006, pp. 168-189). In pushing through Vizir either in Germany or in the entire European market, P&G had to assess the threats from competition, risks of high investment in promotion and its impact on profitability of operations, and changes to its established organizational practices. Tools Porter’s Five Force analysis is one appropriate tool that helps us to understand threats from co mpetition (Porter, 2004). These are segment rivalry from existing competitors, potential new entrants, substitute products, bargaining power of buyers/suppliers. In a related way, the market matrix consisting of entry and exit barriers vs.

Literary Analysis of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay

Literary Analysis of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Essay Example me time, Victor Frankenstein, the human doctor who created the monster, is easily accepted into society because of his humanness and his social status as a member of a respected family. However, he shuns society in his attempt to circumvent the ‘normal’ course of things and then proves himself monstrous in character as he sends his creation into the world defenseless and without the necessary tools for survival. Dr. Frankenstein receives warnings regarding the unnatural teachings of his early scientific teachers yet continues forward with his experiments until he progresses beyond the point of no return. The monster he creates is given little chance at goodness as he is first rejected by his creator and then refused companionship by this same creator. This comparison begs the question what is monstrous in which the author provides no definitive answer. Victor Frankenstein, the main protagonist in the novel, takes the concept of new technology to its ultimate limit. His main goal in life is to find a way to re-animate lifeless matter, taking on the role of creator. While he was creating his creature, Frankenstein could only envision something beautiful and wonderful despite the fact that his instructors had warned him of the unnatural teachings of the ‘pseudo-scientists’ he had admired in his earlier years. â€Å"The ancient teachers of this science,’ said he [Frankenstein’s first professor], ‘promised impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little; they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera† (40). Frankenstein purposefully and intentionally turned his back on the natural world as a means of concentrating on discovering the secret of bringing life to inanimate material, a process in which he was â€Å"forced to spend d ays and night in vaults and charnel-houses. My attention was fixed upon every object the most insupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings† (45)

Wittgenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wittgenstein - Essay Example His earlier profession was an effect of Arthur and his mentor Russell Bertrand. His earlier profession was terminated in the Tractatus, which is based on the notion of rational problems that contributed to arguments of the logical language. His work tries to show the logic in philosophy and theoretical investigations. This is through revealing the logic and language used in philosophy as well as the technical approach of philosophical issues. The work of Wittgenstein on a rule of private language is still taken into considerations and his philosophical work as influenced varied field outside the work of philosophy. Therefore, the discussions within the research analysis provide different ways of understanding diverged philosophical writings of Wittgenstein. The Philosophical Features of Wittgenstein Wittgenstein’ logical concept is anti-theoretical; thus, it is not easy to classify them in the classical ideas. He focused on philosophical logic and language of philosophy, which a theory demonstrating his own meaning of philosophical ideas. He used a philosophical paradox of explaining the logic and language used in philosophical work, which he borrowed from the Greek sceptic (Pojman and Vaughn 192). He avoided the logic and language theory in 1929; thus started explaining ideas rather than describing them. Therefore, his work stood among the classical work because western philosophy mainly was conceived as the search for a new way of explaining ideas rather than describing them. Another feature is that Wittgenstein was non-sceptic because he believed that it was wrong for philosophers to use philosophical theorizing of ideas. This is one of the main reasons that made him abandon the philosophical method of theorizing ideas. This is because he taught that it was a risky way and liable to error. The philosophical theory was a method, which was commonly used by Emmanuel Kant, but the critique upon Kant’s way of theorizing ideas contributed to varied f orms of human experience. Wittgenstein never used the same way Kant was working, but his method in philosophical work led to the philosophical theory back to its origin. For instance, the way people construe or interpret feelings from objects that are not dependent and connect them to the physical world is one way that attributes Wittgenstein’s work. Ordinary Language Philosophy Wittgenstein encountered varied issues in placing ideas; thus, nearly all of his writing styles were almost the psychopathic quality. Therefore, he used an ordinary language that views traditional philosophical issues as deep-rooted in misunderstandings. This philosophy is built upon distorting what words actually imply in the daily use. The language philosophical approach that Wittgenstein used avoided philosophical theories. The ordinary language, which is sometimes referred as the Oxford philosophy, was linked with the work of Oxford professors in the 20th century (Pojman and Vaughn 192). The centr al point of rational words that Wittgenstein used in the common language tripped over the words that many scholars took in abstraction. Abstraction is the method through which principles are employed from classification and utilization of literal ideas. This method of abstraction was used in philosophy in order to enable philosophers to recognize some set of ordinary features in people. However, Wittgenstein was criticized for being totally misguided, and he has no general solutions to the philosophical problems. Philosophers are obliged to abstract the ordinary definition of words, but Wittgenstein extracted words in reverse. He could describe a theory in every situation, and he used imagery to reveal the problem structure under scrutiny. This reveals why many people have read and appreciated most of his philosophical