This essay examines Locke's social contract between people and sovereign and how Locke embraces the people's right of revolution, and assigns the sovereign reciprocal responsibilities to his subjects that Hobbes does not do.
2,160 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 3 sources, 2000, $ 67.95
Abstract To substantiate the social contract as a valid justification for the political order, I will primarily examine Locke's social contract between people and sovereign, rather than Hobbes's social contract among the people, because Locke's theory is generally superior and more contemporarily relevant. I will first examine the pre-political state of persons, which is the state of nature, and demonstrate that rational individuals are compelled to enter society by agreeing to the social contract. Secondly, I will discuss the principal advantage of the social contract, which is that the government is legitimized by the consent of the people. Thirdly, I will discuss the principal advantage peculiar to Locke's formulation of the social contract, which is that the sovereign is held accountable for his actions. To more thoroughly examine the validity of the social contract in justifying a political order, I will discuss a possible objection to the use of the social contract, namely, that the social contract cannot oblige any but those who originally formed such a contract.
From the Paper "After the English Civil War, justifying political authority became a particularly pressing concern. After all, the nation fought a bloody war to determine whether its supreme authority would be King Charles I, who claimed rule by divine right, or the Parliament. Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan was published in 1651, shortly after the Rump Parliament voted to execute the often-intractable Charles I in 1649. The chaos of the Civil War, regicide, and the establishment of Cromwell's Protectorate surely led Hobbes to favor a sovereign with absolute power. In contrast, Locke's Second Treatise on Government, published in 1690, was greeted by a starkly different English political culture. The 1688 Glorious Revolution, a bloodless coup in which the last Catholic monarch, James II, was finally deposed, allowed for the acceptance of the English Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights finally guaranteed the supremacy of Parliament and the political and civil rights of the people. Granted the historical fact of the Glorious Revolution, Locke embraces the people's right of revolution, and assigns the sovereign reciprocal responsibilities to his subjects that Hobbes does not do. Although Hobbes and Locke ultimately design markedly different states, each justifies the political order with a social contract. The social contract does, indeed, provide a convincing justification for the political order."
Tags: government, hobbes, john, leviathan, locke, on, second, thomas, treatise
An look at how the leaders of the Civil Rights movement believed that racism was based on economics, and that the entire economic system of the United States and of the world was inherently flawed.
1,105 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 5 sources, 2000, $ 38.95
Abstract The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was not a movement for equality in the social or political sense; rather, it was a movement to bring an end to economic inequality and exploitation by the elites. Common perception holds that the Civil Rights movement sought to gain certain political and social rights and equalities. Measures such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act reinforced such flawed perceptions. However, when the works of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement are consulted, it is discovered that they were seeking economic equality. They believed that the fundamental cause of racism was a flawed economic system. It is important to note that they did not believe that poverty in the traditional sense caused racism and inequality. They believed, especially King and Carmichael, that the entire economic system of the United States and of the world was inherently flawed. This essay explore? their arguments why racism was based on economics, why the system was flawed, and how they hoped to change the system.
From the Paper "While it may be debated for years to come if the term auteur belongs to Hitchcock, it will never be debated that he was a genius in his own right. And if being an auteur means that one exerts much control over his films, it is impossible to contradict the fact that Hitchcock, did indeed, show an unprecedented amount of control in each of his films. If the argument is to be sound, a closer examination of the meaning of auteur might be recognized.Hitchcock was a genius of film and art. His work was revolutionary and gave inspiration to many other filmmakers. His unwavering discipline of creating the best works proves him to be one of the best filmmakers in history. No doubt, his work will be debated and discussed for centuries to come. "
From the Paper "February 8, 1996 President Clinton signed into law the ?Telecommunications Act of 1996?, thereby putting in place the most significant changes in US telecommunications laws in over 60 years (Knauer, Lynch, Machtley 1). The reasoning behind the ?Telecommunications Act of 1996? is that people want simplicity in everyday life and it is no different in the world of telecommunications. Telecommunications companies are beginning to provide it all to their customers, providing not just phone service, but services for every telecommunications need imaginable. This trend for telecommunication companies to become "total communication providers" is directly related to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was enacted to foster competition in the local telephone market.(Buckley 1). This law opened the way for telecommunication providers everywhere to offer more to their customers."
From the Paper "Americans enjoyed new prosperity in the high-spirited years of the 1950?s. After World War II, Americans wanted to build a secure and happy future. The baby boom begun in the years immediately following World War II and continued well into the decade. This decade was a time of family togetherness and favorite TV shows. The 1950's was also a decade of great fads---Hula-Hoops, Davy Crockett hats, and poodle skirts. It gave us Elvis Presley and rock and roll, crewcuts and sideburns. Even with all this, many Americans felt their way of life was endangered by Soviet Communism as well as nuclear war. Many others suffered from poverty and discrimination. The decade of the 1950?s, to a great extent, deserves its reputation as an age of political, social, and cultural conformity.
Abstract This paper discusses the relationship between religion and government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It looks at the effects foreign influence, technology, and oil have had on the importance of religion in Saudi Arabia. The paper also provides an account of Saudi Arabia's emergence as an independent state, the formation of its legal code, and different elements of traditional Islamic culture and religion. Also included is an analysis of Saudi Arabia's importance to the Muslim religion.
Tags: arab, east, international, middle, politics, religion
How this empire impacted Western European society with its numerous political, military, cultural, and economic contributions throughout the time it reigned, and the reasons for its collapse.
1,544 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 50.95
From the Paper "The early Middle Ages marked the time of early barbarian kingdoms rebelling against traditional Roman law because they no longer recognized the emperor in Constantinople as their sovereign. Therefore, they established vast empires in Western Europe; a prime example of such a kingdom was that of the Carolingians. Charles the Great, or Charlemagne, is considered to be the most successful Carolingian ruler despite the relatively rapid collapse of his empire caused by three dominant factors: external pressures, dynastic competition, and the rise of the aristocracy. Although the Carolingian empire eventually crumbled as a result of the above occurrences, it tremendously impacted Western European society with its numerous political, military, cultural, and economic contributions throughout the time it reigned."
Tags: charlemagne, contributions, dynastic, dynasty, rule, society
Abstract This paper is a discussion of the events and factors that led to the stock market crash of 1929. Elements of discussion include over-speculation, foreign investment and England's economic policy.
From the Paper "The Stock Market crash of 1929 was a disaster for America and the world. The market plunged to new depths over a short period of time. There is no one reason for the crash of the market, nor is there any one person to blame for not foreseeing the problematic economic climate that was brewing in the years before the crash. After World War I, America was poised to take a leading role in the economy of the world and as a result, experienced dramatic financial growth. During the 1920s, the decade leading up to the crash of the market, the American people were enamored with the idea of luxury and prodigal spending. America seemed to overflow with prosperity and the average American felt that they were entitled to a portion of the financial growth. This mindset led to the dangerous practice of buying stock shares on margins and speculating. This enabled the investor to gain a maximum profit with the minimum expense and to buy a much larger amount of stock than he would have been able to without speculating. This led to an artificial rise in prices without any real gain in value. This, it turn, produced a precarious situation, the dangers of which are evidenced by the Florida real estate market of the mid-twenties. As a result of speculation, a massive inflow of business flooded into the stock market, which caused the average rate of return of the market jumped dramatically. Foreign businesses, seeing the lucrative possibilities in the market, began pouring their wealth into the American economy. This was also due to the fact that the English economy was set back to the gold standard, which made it more difficult for foreign countries to trade with England. Therefore, they poured their funds into the trade friendly U.S. economy. This, in turn, provided more capital with which more investors could buy on margins. All of these factors combined to create the dangerous environment that was necessary for the gigantic Stock Market crash of 1929."
Abstract This paper correlates the film "Casablanca" to the history of the Second World War. It speaks of isolationism, interventionism, and the evolution of American sentiment toward war and women.
From the Paper "? I stick my neck out for nobody? (Casablanca). This statement made by Rick Blaine sums up the general attitude of the American people at the start of the Second World War. At the time when America was just on the brink of declaring war on the belligerent nations, a chunk of the population still had several qualms about America's entry into the war. People from the civilian sector, the political arena and other sectors were perpetually opposed to the idea of America ever going into war. This popular sentiment of isolationism was reflected in several aspects in history. One was a series of Neutrality acts in the late 1930s, which prohibited America from shipping arms or providing loans to belligerent nations. In addition to this, the senate investigations of munitions industries, in which industries were believed to involved in promoting war, also reflect this opinion of American society (Norton 744)."
Abstract This paper discusses the concepts and tenets of the Islam religion. The author gives a detailed analysis of the faith, prayers, holidays, holy sites and fundamental beliefs of the Islamic people.
From the Paper "Islam is a religion based upon the surrender to God who is One. The name of the religion, Islam, in Arabic, means submission and peace. The message of Islam concerns God, who in Arabic is called Allah, and it addresses itself to humanity's nature. It concerns men and women as they were created by God?not as fallen beings. Islam considers itself to be not an innovation but a reassertion of the universal truth of all revelation, which is God's oneness."
Abstract The Kurds have had a long history of ethnic conflict in the middle East. This paper explores their history with a focus on attempts by other nations to self-assimilate them into different cultures. The paper also provides possible solutions to the struggles.
From the Paper "Situated at the junction between the modern West and the traditionally Islamic Middle East, lies Turkey: a country in great transition, but also dire internal conflict. Turkey, unlike other predominately Islamic countries in Asia, is on its way to establishing a legitimate democracy, a strong economy comparable to those of the West, and possibly becoming a member of the European Union. But Turkey's internal conflict stands to jeopardize everything they?ve worked for. Like the majority of states in the world, Turkey is multinational. Yet, the leaders of the country have perpetually refuted this fact. They have denied the existence of any distinct ethnic group not falling under the classification of ?Turks.? Turkey is home to an entirely different subculture of peoples called the Kurds. The Kurds consider themselves Turks, but also maintain their own ethnic identity separate from the rest of Turkey. They have their own culture, language, and history. The Kurds in Turkey have struggled for almost a century to retain their individuality, while the country of Turkey has struggled to maintain an image of freedom, democracy, and domestic stability in eyes of the Western World."
This paper explores the reasons why specific famous and less famous individuals were in favor or not of the revolution. It also explains that the revolution was fought for economical reasons.
1,816 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 2 sources, 2001, $ 58.95
Abstract A paper about revolutionary times in America. The author explains how import it was to have big names like Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson on the side of the patriots. The author then tries to show how the revolution was mostly fought for economical reasons.
From the Paper "Without the support of the colonists, the patriots could not have won the American Revolution. There were many famous supporters including Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. Those less famous supporters also made a significant impact. They include the citizens involved in the Boston Massacre and young soldiers such as Joseph Plumb Martin. Although there were many supporters, there was also some opposition including Catherine Van Cortlandt. By looking at these previously mentioned names, one can determine that the Revolution was fought for economic reasons and a desire to end British tyranny."
Tags: Benjamin, Franklin, Abigail, Adams, Thomas, Jefferson
Abstract This paper compares the Greek and Roman military might. The author looks at the styles and techniques that differed between the two armies and summarizes the features that made the Romans superior and, therefore, victorious.
From the Paper "It has often been said that Rome conquered Greece but Greece conquered Rome. This means that although the Roman people defeated the Greeks militarily the culture of the Greeks was adopted by the Romans. This is somewhat true in several areas, including art, music, religion, and architecture. However, one area in which the ancient Greeks and Romans differed was their military. This became overwhelmingly evident between the early 3rd and middle 2nd centuries BC when the two nations most commonly associated with early civilization clashed and the Romans proceeded to expand their empire into Greek territory. The Romans came out victorious thanks to their superior unity, the use of the legion formation, and the ability to learn from their past mistakes. For these reasons Rome was the supreme military power in the European region for centuries while Greece only gained superiority for approximately 150 years."
Abstract This paper is written mostly from a subjective viewpoint regarding racism in the United States. The author describes his/her brush with racism, and talks a bit about some of the history of and groups behind organized racist activity. Conclusions are drawn about some of this activity by the author.
From the Paper "Racism has been a problem for hundreds of years. Has it gotten any better from what it used to be? A little, but it still plays a major problem in our society. I come from a small town, which is mostly white, so it's hard to still believe that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is still up and going strong. My eyes were blinded by this stereotype I held. They are not just affecting people in the south, they have moved all over the states. Will it ever end, who's to say? My question I had before investigating this topic is: Does the KKK still have an affect on us this day in age? And if so, how far have they spread away from the South?"
